JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
WHEN WILL ISRAEL SACRIFICE THE RED HEIFER THIS PASSOVER?
COUNTRIES WITH ISRAEL AND THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL AND THE WEST
EZEKIEL 38:10-19
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say,(RUSSIA,ARAB,MUSLIMS) I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and Dedan,(SAUDIA ARABIA)(JORDAN) and the merchants of Tarshish,(ENGLAND) with all the young lions thereof,(USA,CANADA,AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND,EU,ENGLAND,ENGLISH SPEAKING shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
PSALMS 83:3-7 (COUNTRIES AGAINST ISRAEL)(EXCEPT JORDAN)
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they (MUSLIMS) have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, PALESTINIANS,JORDAN) and the Hagarenes;(EGYPT)
7 Gebal,(HEZZBALLOH,LEBANON) and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA,ARABS,SINAI) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
ISRAEL-WEST ENEMIES EZEK 38:4-6,15-19
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts,(RUSSIA-ARAB/MUSLIMS) thou, and many people with thee,(AFRICAN ISLAMIC COUNTRIES) all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
DANIEL 11:44 (CHINA WITH RUSSIA-MUSLIMS)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
EZEKIEL 39:1-6 ISRAELS ENEMIES DESTROYED
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE.
JOEL 3:2 (WW3 OCCURS WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED)
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people (ISRAEL) and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.(JERUSALEM)(WW3 STARTS BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AND ISRAELIS UPROOTED FROM THEIR GOD GIVIN LAND BRINGS 3 DEAD BILLION IN WW3)
JUDE 14-16
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
WATCH THIS VIDEO-1/4 OF ISLAM MIGHT BE GONE BY MAY 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ7wh6BMTlw
THIS VIDEO COULD BE A SIGN BEING IT IS RADAM IN COCKROCH LANDS. WHILE IN THIS VIDEO A CROW TAKES AN ISRAEL FLAG OFF THE FLAG POLE. REPRESENTING THE MUSLIM COCKROACHES WANT ISRAEL OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. THEN ON THE VIDEO WE SEE THE CROWS TEARING UP THE ISRAELI FLAG. TO ME THIS SAYS BY MAY 2024. THESE MUSLIM COCHROACH HORDES WILL BE COMING AGAINST ISRAEL. AND ISRAEL WILL NUKE 1/4 OF ISLAM. THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS WILL EAT THE MUSLIM COCKROACHES FLESH. AND THE 300 MILLION DEAD MUSLIMS WILL BE BURIED IN MASS GRAVES IN THE JORDAN VALLEY.
DANIEL CHAPTER 9:24-27 EXPLAINED.
24 Seventy weeks (70X7=490 YEARS) are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.(JESUS ANNOINTED WITH HOLY OIL AS KING OF JERUSALEM FOREVER).
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, (7X7=49 YEARS) and threescore and two weeks:(62X7=434 YEARS) the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.(490-49-434=7 YR PERIOD WERE GOD DEALS WITH ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM (NOT THE CHURCH-THE TRUE CHURCH IS IS IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS FOR THAT LAST 7 YEAR PERIOD.)(DANIEL 9:26-27 IS IN THE FUTURE WHEN GOD DEALS ON EARTH WITH ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM FOR THAT FINAL 7 TEAR PERIOD. WHEN ALL OF ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED BY MESSIAH JESUS.)(AT THE END OF IT)
26 And after threescore and two weeks (69X7=483 YEARS)(ONE 7 YEAR PERIOD UNTIL PROPHECY IS FULFILLED) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince (ROMANS) that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(2ND TEMPLE AND JERUSALEM) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(NOW THE FINAL ISRAEL-JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN FOR MESSIAH JESUS RETURN THE LAST 7 YEARS)
27 And he (HE WHO? HE HERE IS THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE LEADER THAT MAKES THE FINAL 7 YR CONTRACT WITH ISRAEL AND MANY MUSLIM COUNTRIES FOR A 7 YR PERIOD, AND THE EU WILL GUARENTEE ISRAELS SECURITY FOR THIS LAST PERIOD) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: (7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week (3 1/2 YEARS IN) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, (THIS FALSE MESSIAH OR ROMAN LEADER STOPS THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES IN THE 3RD TEMPLE AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE 7 YR DEAL. A JEW MURDERS HIM WITH A SWORD WOUND AND HE HAS A FALSE RESSURECTION-SATAN INCARNATES IN HIS BODY. AND BRINGS HIM BACK TO LIFE.AND HE THEN SITS IN THE 3RD TEMPLE CALLING HIMSELF GOD AS THE WORLD SAYS HES JESUS REINCARNATED. AND BY THIS FALSE RESURRECTION GOD SENDS THIS STRONG DELUTION ON THE EARTH THAT ALL THE LOST WILL WORSHIP THIS ROMAN LEADER AS GOD AND ACCEPT HIS NAME, NUMBER OR NUMBER OF HIS NAME IN THEIR MICROCHIP IMPLANT. THAT THEY MIGHT BE DOOMED, DAMNED TO THE LAKE OF FIRE FOREVER. WHO WORSHIPS THIS ROMAN LEADER AS GOD.) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.(WARS NON STOP DURING THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR PERIOD.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-28 (FROM DAN 9:27)
27 Fulfil her week,(7 YEARS) and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, (NUKE WARS BREAK OUT) as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)(1 LAST AND WORST HOLOCAUST IN HISTORY AGAINST ISRAEL BY THIS ROMAN LEADER.AFTER THIS LEADER STOPS THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES.A JEW KILLS HIM.HES RESURRECTED TO LIFE AND INCARNATED BY SATAN HIMSELF. AND SINCE SATAN HATES ISRAEL-NOW THAT HES POSSESSING THE ROMAN LEADERS BODY. HE FIRST POLLUTES THE 3RD TEMPLE BY SITTING IN THE 3RD TEMPLE CALLING HIMSELF GOD.HE THEN GOES AFTER ISRAELIS TO KILL EVERY ONE ON EARTH OF THEM.THE FALSE MESSIAHS MASK IS OFF. AND THE ISRAELIS ARE FLOWN TO PETRA IN JORDAN WERE THEY WILL BE PROTECTED BY GOD FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.BUT THERE WILL STILL BE LOTS OF ISRAELIS IN ISRAEL YET. GOD MUST JUST PROTECT THE SAVED ISRAELIS IN PETRA JORDAN.
7 WORLD EMPIRES IN WORLD HISTORY.
1-Egyptian (3000 BC – 858 BC)-Defeated by Assyrian invasion and succeeded by them.
2-Assyrian (858 BC – 612 BC)-Nineveh destroyed by Medes and Babylonians in 612 BC then defeated by Babylonians.
3-Babylonian (605 BC – 539 BC)-Begun by Nebuchadnezzar, ended by Medes and Persians.
4-Media-Persian (539 BC – 532 BC)-Together with Medes destroyed Babylon.Established by Cyrus the Great.Ended by defeat at hands of Alexander.
5-Grecian (331 – 31 BC)-Alexander defeated the Persians and established Greek world rule. Ended by Roman.
6-Roman (31 BC through New Testament period with “ Holy Roman Empire.”Fell to Germanic invasion.(DIED FROM INTERNAL CORRUPTION).
7-Revived Roman Empire (1957, the Treaty of Rome-(REVIVED ROME TREATY-JESUS RETURNS) is a matter of end-time prophecy.JESUS DESTROYS AND RULES FROM JERUSALEM FOR 1,000 YEARS.THEN FOREVER.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.
Elam (IRAN IN THE BIBLE) passed into the hands of the Persians" (A.H. Sayce).
Jeremiah 49:35-39
35-Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
36-And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
37-For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
38-And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.
39-But it shall come to pass in the latter days, [that] I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.
Ezekiel 32:24
24-There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
GET A LOOK AT THE COWS READY TO BE SACRIFICED AS THE RED HEIFER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tEfDKJYjhE
When will Israel Slaughter the Red Heifer? Examining Religious Prophecies-By BABA / April 27, 2024
Right-wing Israeli organizations intend to slaughter red heifers at Al Aqsa Mosque in an attempt to fulfill a prophecy held by Jews. There are worries that this would bolster calls for the Al Aqsa Mosque to be demolished and heighten tensions in the area.When will Israel Slaughter the Red Heifer? The Temple Institute will convene a meeting to deliberate on the religious arrangements involved in carrying out the custom of slaughtering the red heifer. According to Quds Press, the purpose of this ritual is to purify from the “impurity of the dead” to get over the Great Rabbinate of Israel’s ban on visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque because of a lack of purity.The meeting is set to take place at the Shiloh settlement, situated to the north of Ramallah. When the cows are two years and two months old, the minimum legal age needed for the purifying process, several rabbis who support performing the rites are expected to speak at the conference.Despite rabbinic prohibition, Jerusalem Foundation International states that radical Temple groups employ a purifying procedure involving red heifers to permit religious Jews to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This ceremony is being prepared for, and the sacrifice may take place around Passover in 2024. Does the Red heifer have any link with the third temple? In modern times, the red heifer is still a topic of interest, especially in discussions about the potential construction of a Third Temple in Jerusalem. Some groups believe that the ashes of a red heifer are necessary for the ritual purification required before the temple can be built.Recently, there has been news about red heifers being raised in Israel, imported from Texas, which has sparked discussions and concerns regarding the implications for the Al-Aqsa Mosque site.The concept of the red heifer also appears in Christian eschatology and has been interpreted in various ways within different Christian traditions.In Islam, while the red heifer is not a prominent symbol, the concept of ritual purity is also significant and has its own practices and traditions. The red heifer’s significance varies across these religions, but it often relates to themes of purity, sacrifice, and end-times prophecy.Why is the Third Temple important in Judaism? The Third Temple holds profound importance in Judaism, especially within Orthodox tradition. It is considered the future and final Temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem, succeeding Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple, which were destroyed in 587 BCE and 70 CE, respectively. The Third Temple is associated with the Messianic Age, a time anticipated in Jewish eschatology when the Messiah will come, leading to an era of global peace and harmony. The desire to rebuild the Third Temple is deeply rooted in Jewish prayer and tradition. It is believed that the construction of the Third Temple will coincide with or precede the coming of the Messiah. This event is seen as a pivotal moment that will restore the full practice of the Jewish faith, including the reinstatement of the priesthood and the resumption of sacrificial rituals as outlined in the Torah.The significance of the Third Temple extends beyond religious practices; it embodies the divine promise of redemption and salvation, representing a spiritual and physical connection between heaven and earth. It is a symbol of God’s enduring presence among His chosen people and a testament to the enduring hope for the fulfillment of biblical prophecies. The topic of the Third Temple is also intertwined with contemporary political and religious debates, particularly concerning the status of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which is a sacred site for both Judaism and Islam. Is Masjid Al-Aqsa anticipated to face any harm as a result of the red heifer slaughter? Jewish custom dictates that the unlawful slaughter of a red heifer is a religious rite intended for purification; the Hebrew Bible makes no mention of harming any location or building, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.It’s crucial to remember that the Third Temple and the red heifer are primarily symbolic and theological issues. Practically speaking, because of the Temple Mount’s significance to both Muslims and Jews, any activity done in Jerusalem is extremely problematic. In order to preserve the status quo and avoid taking any steps that can spark conflict or cause harm, the governments and other relevant authorities are usually extremely cautious. As a result, if a red heifer ritual were to occur, it would be carried out extremely carefully to respect the sensitivities of all the people concerned and to prevent any damage from being done to the Al-Aqsa Mosque or any other location. It’s a sensitive matter that is handled with great understanding so that people of both faiths can feel at ease discussing their beliefs.
In Jerusalem, the "red heifer" worries religious and political leaders-Rumors of a potential sacrifice of a red cow, necessary for the construction of a third Jewish temple in Jerusalem, have stirred up the internet and religious leaders.By Cécile Lemoine-In Jerusalem
April 25th, 2024 at 08:55 am (Europe\Rome). Updated April 25th, 2024 at 10:16 am (Europe\Rome)
They are carefully raised, sheltered behind thick fences and under the watch of surveillance cameras in the Jewish settlement of Shiloh, in occupied West Bank. Five red cows, seemingly harmless at first glance – yet Israeli columnist David Landau referred to them as a "four-legged bomb" back in 2015.For some Messianic Jews, a very small minority, the ashes of this animal mixed with "living water" are essential for the purification of the site where the third Jewish Temple is to be erected: on the Temple Mount (the Esplanade of the Mosques) in Jerusalem, in place of the Dome of the Rock, the third-holiest site in Islam. This notion is enough to provoke the anger of Muslims, for whom this place is sacred.The massacres of October 7, referred to as "Al-Aqsa Flood" by Hamas, made the defense of the holy site a part of its rhetoric and unexpectedly brought the red heifer back into the spotlight. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida mentioned the cows in a statement justifying the attacks on the occasion of the 100th day of war in Gaza: the "aggression reached its peak against Al-Aqsa" with "the arrival of the red cows as the implementation of a detestable religious myth intended to aggress the sentiments of an entire nation."Imported from Texas by Evangelicals-For 40 years, the Temple Institute, made up of supporters of a third Jewish Temple, has been preparing the multiple details necessary for the construction of such a structure in Jerusalem, as well as the resumption of worship and sacrifices. The quest for the perfect heifer, the first step in the process, is part of it. Breeders have therefore set out to create it, sometimes resorting to genetics to ensure that the coat would not change color. They explain that according to Chapter 19 of the Book of Numbers, it must be entirely red, two years and one-month-old, and it must never have worked or been injured.Five "red angus" heifers were finally imported from Texas through evangelical Christians in 2022. Since then, they have been growing under close surveillance in the settlement of Shiloh, a significant site in Judaism before the creation of the first Temple.Since Abu Obeida's speech in January, rumors of their imminent sacrifice have spread on the internet, fueled by supporters of the third Temple. A press conference about the red heifer was held in Shiloh on March 27, with one of the presentations showing what the altar for the ceremony could look like. In an interview with the American channel CBS in March 2023, Rabbi Yitzhak Mamo, a third Temple supporter from the Uvne Jerusalem movement, suggested Passover 2024 as a suitable date for the sacrifice.Since then, Christian religious leaders have been on alert. Describing this sacrifice as "madness," a declaration signed on April 8 by 36 religious figures from Jerusalem and around the world denounced it as an "invitation to regional, or even global war," which "will transform the Israeli-Palestinian situation from a political conflict into a religious conflict without a terrestrial solution."The Temple Mount, too sacred to be trodden or space to control? Contacted by La Croix, the Temple Institute denied the imminent celebration of the ceremony. "We still need preparation and rabbinical support," explained Yitzhak Reuven, director of their international department. As minority sectarians, supporters of the third Temple are far from unanimous: Orthodox scholars reject any attempt to build the Temple before the coming of the Messiah.Further reading: Israeli government considers restrictions in Jerusalem during Ramadan-"Since the 1990s, we have seen the rise of theories that change the relationship with the Temple Mount – from too sacred to be trodden, it has become a space to control," explained Tomer Persico, a researcher at the Shalom-Hartman Institute and expert in the evolution of Judaism.While they intend to construct the third Temple, the Temple Institute loses credibility when it comes to geopolitics: will they simply demolish the Dome of the Rock, even if it means starting a war with Islam? "The Temple is a place of peace. We believe that its construction can be done without bloodshed," said Reuven. "We will find a peaceful solution." The red heifers still have time to grow.Israel tells Egypt it’s giving hostage deal ‘last chance’ before launching Rafah op-Officials say Israel is willing to make further widespread concessions to secure a deal, but won’t allow Hamas to drag out talks in a bid to forestall assault on southern Gaza-By ToI Staff 26 April 2024, 11:27 pm
Talks between Israeli officials and a top-level Egyptian delegation sent to discuss Israel’s impending offensive in Rafah and efforts to reach a hostage deal with Hamas ended on Friday, with Israel reportedly warning that this was the “last chance” for a truce agreement before Israel launched its long-planned assault.A senior Israeli official told Hebrew media that talks were “very good, focused, held in good spirits and progressed in all parameters.”The official told Ynet that the Egyptians seem willing to pressure Hamas toward reaching a deal and that “in the background, there are very serious intentions from Israel to move ahead in Rafah.”The Israeli official said Israel warned it would not agree to foot-dragging by Hamas, particularly its leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, on the hostage deal in a bid to forestall the Israel Defense Forces operation and noted that reserve forces have been called up. “This is the last chance before we go into Rafah,” the official said, according to Channel 12 news.It’s a case of “either a deal in the near future, or Rafah,” the source said. Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 massacre, is widely believed to be hiding in the Hamas tunnel network in the Rafah area, with hostages in close proximity as human shields.The official confirmed that Israel is prepared to settle for the release of fewer than the 40 living hostages as earlier proposed, but also that it will not agree to only 20 hostages being freed, as Hamas reportedly suggested in recent indirect contacts. Rather, said the report, Israel believes that Hamas holds 33 living hostages who meet the so-called “humanitarian” designation — that is, women, children, men aged over 50 and the sick — and is insisting that they all be freed.The Channel 12 report said this could be a major sticking point if the mediation efforts make headway with Hamas, but stressed that, for now, that is not the case.There was no mention in the report of whether this would be the first phase of a wider deal for all the hostages, of the length of the proposed accompanying truce, or of Hamas’s relentless demand that Israel halt the war altogether as a condition for any further hostage releases.“This is part of what the negotiations are going to focus on now,” an unnamed Israeli official told Axios on Friday. “The number of days of the ceasefire will be linked to the number of hostages who will be released. If Hamas does want a humanitarian deal, Israel will not be the obstacle.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out ending the war until Hamas is destroyed as a military and governing force.The official also said Israel was willing to make further major concessions like allowing the return of residents to northern Gaza, and possibly to do so without any checks to prevent Hamas members from returning with them. Israel also indicated a willingness to withdraw forces from a key corridor bisecting Gaza in two, Channel 12 said.The report said the IDF has completed all its preparations for a Rafah operation, but that the government is stalling on coordinating such an offensive with the United States administration.It also said, however, that numerous sources in the defense establishment feel strongly that “time is running out” for the hostages, that they must be the “top priority,” and the IDF can resume fighting at any time if it is required to pause in order for a hostage deal to be agreed and carried out.Channel 12 quoted the unnamed defense sources as saying Netanyahu should be pushing a deal for the hostages as hard as he can, but fears opposition on the far-right flank of his coalition, notably from Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir.It also said these defense sources regard tackling Hamas’s four battalions inside Rafah as less critical than securing the Gaza-Egypt border at Rafah to prevent Hamas smuggling in arms and weapons materials in order to rearm. Israel and Egypt, it says, are coordinating on a sensor system along the so-called Philadelphi border corridor between Gaza and Egypt.Finally, the report said, one reason for the still-delayed ground offensive in Rafah is concern that it will deepen international delegitimization of Israel.Egypt’s top intelligence official, Abbas Kamel, led the delegation and planned to discuss with Israel a “new vision” for a prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, an Egyptian official said ahead of the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the mission freely.As the war drags on and casualties mount, there has been growing international pressure for Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement, with the US pushing for a hostage-truce deal leading to a permanent ceasefire.However, talks have been stalled for months, as both sides accuse each other of sabotaging potential deals.Hamas has said it will not back down from its demands for a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal of Israeli troops, both of which Israel has rejected. Israel says it will continue military operations until Hamas is defeated and the hostages are released, and that it will retain a security presence in Gaza afterward.Ahead of the talks, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told the Associated Press that “there is nothing new from our side,” when asked about the negotiations.
Ship with Gaza aid departs Cyprus for first time since killing of aid workers-Small cargo vessel leaves Larnaca with goods donated by the United Arab Emirates; Britain assisting in construction of American aid pier, may aid in deliveries as well-By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 7:24 pm-APR 27,24
Aid shipments to Gaza from Cyprus resumed late on Friday, a Cypriot source said, with a ship carrying food to the besieged Palestinian enclave after a pause following Israel’s accidental killing of seven aid workers.The World Central Kitchen NGO paused aid to review its activity in the territory after the early April attack, halting the direct shipments into Gaza from Cyprus.A small cargo vessel left the port of Larnaca on Friday night with aid donated by the United Arab Emirates, a Cypriot source said.Israel’s six-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza, in response to terror group Hamas’s attack on the country, has caused a humanitarian disaster for the enclave’s more than 2 million inhabitants.Limited shipments of aid from Cyprus stopped after Israel killed the seven WCK workers, amid fears for aid workers’ safety. The Israeli military dismissed two officers and formally reprimanded senior commanders over the bombing, which it called a tragic mistake.WCK has so far not resumed its operations.After international pressure and warnings of impending famine, Israel massively stepped up aid efforts to the territory in recent weeks, Jerusalem and Washington have said.The United States has started construction of a floating jetty on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast that will enable aid deliveries pre-screened in Cyprus with Israeli oversight.A United Kingdom defense source told The Associated Press Saturday that a British ship to house hundreds of US army personnel building the jetty had also set sail from Cyprus.Royal Navy support ship “Cardigan Bay” will help support the international effort to construct the temporary floating pier, which is set to be completed early May, according to the Pentagon.The pier will initially facilitate the delivery of 90 truckloads of international aid a day into Gaza, rising to up to 150 truckloads once fully operational, according to US estimates.The aid will be pre-screened in Cyprus and delivered directly to Gaza via the pier off the coast or via Ashdod Port, which Israel has said it will open.“It is critical we establish more routes for vital humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza and the UK continues to take a leading role in the delivery of support,” UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said.The United Nations insists that an increase in the flow of humanitarian aid by land is needed to help a starving population facing shortages of medical supplies.British troops may also be tasked with delivering aid to Gaza from the offshore pier, the BBC reported Saturday. UK government officials declined to comment on the report.According to the BBC, the British government is considering deploying troops to drive the trucks that will carry aid from the pier along a floating causeway to the shore. No decision has been made and the proposal hasn’t yet reached UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the BBC reported, citing unidentified government sources.The report comes after a senior US military official said on Thursday that there would be no American “boots on the ground” and another nation would provide the personnel to drive the delivery trucks to the shore. The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public, declined to identify the third party.The UK Hydrographic Office has also shared analysis of the Gaza shoreline with the US to aid in the construction of the pier.
Ben Gvir said to ask IDF chief why so many Gaza gunmen arrested: ‘Can’t you kill some?’Reports say minister complained during briefing that too many terror operatives captured alive; a cabinet member retorted: ‘Are you a minister in Israel or a different country?’By ToI Staff Today, 8:22 pm-APR 27,24
At a recent security cabinet meeting with the IDF chief of staff, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir questioned whether it was necessary to arrest so many terror operatives during operations in Gaza, and wondered whether the military couldn’t “kill some,” according to reports in Hebrew media.The quotes, publicized by Channel 12 and Ynet, were said to have come from a meeting earlier this week, as Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi briefed ministers on recent operations and noted the arrests of hundreds of gunmen who surrendered to the troops.“Why are there so many arrests?” Ben Gvir reportedly asked. “Can’t you kill some? Do you want to tell me they all surrender? What are we to do with so many arrested? It’s dangerous for the soldiers.”Halevi, apparently nonplussed, was said to retort: “Dangerous for who? We don’t shoot people who come out with their hands up. We shoot those who fight us. There’s no dilemma here. Those who surrender, we arrest.”And Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, a former chief of the Shin Bet security agency, was quoted as saying to Ben Gvir: “I’m listening to you and I don’t know whether you’re a minister in Israel or a different country.”Killing prisoners of war is a war crime under international law.An unnamed minister who spoke to Ynet asserted that Ben Gvir did not explicitly suggest killing individuals who had surrendered.The hardline Ben Gvir has often advocated for more lenient open-fire regulations for IDF soldiers, and defended soldiers accused of too readily using deadly force in West Bank clashes. He famously lent vocal support to former soldier Elor Azaria who was imprisoned for shooting dead a Palestinian attacker in Hebron in 2016 as he lay incapacitated, minutes after stabbing and wounding another soldier.He has been increasingly criticized from within the cabinet for his rhetoric on IDF operations, war policy, relations with the US and more.Formerly a far-right lawyer and agitator, Ben Gvir managed to enter the Knesset for the first time in 2021 with the help of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu engineered a merger of far-right parties to prevent the loss of right-wing votes on parties that would fail to pass the electoral threshold in that year’s election.Despite once insisting Ben Gvir could not be a minister in his government due to his extreme views, Netanyahu made him the minister in charge of internal security following the 2022 elections.In the past Ben Gvir was convicted eight times on incitement and terrorism charges. Until it began to harm him politically, Ben Gvir also kept on a wall of his Hebron home a picture of Baruch Goldstein, who in 1994 massacred 29 Palestinians at prayer in Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs.Though Netanyahu has often ignored Ben Gvir’s more belligerent comments and sought to minimize his influence on decision-making, some commentators argue the threat of his quitting the coalition and bringing down the government has led Netanyahu to adopt more hardline positions on national security issues, including the war.Ben Gvir was lightly injured Friday when his vehicle flipped in a car accident while leaving the scene of a terror stabbing in the central city of Ramle. Video from the scene showed his car running a red light.Police said two vehicles were involved in the collision and five people were taken to hospital after being lightly injured.In August last year, the hard-right minister was involved in another accident when his vehicle ran a red light while on the way to an interview. According to a Haaretz report in September, the Shin Bet unit in charge of guarding public figures raised the issue with the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Ministry, after Ben Gvir’s bodyguards complained that the minister regularly ordered his drivers to commit traffic infractions.
Gaza ‘Freedom Flotilla’ blocked in Turkey after being denied use of 2 ships-Organizers say African nation Guinea-Bissau withdrew its flagged vessels, blame Israeli pressure on the country-By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 6:40 pm-APR 27,24
A “Freedom Flotilla” aimed at delivering aid to Gaza without Israeli coordination or approval was blocked in Turkey Saturday after being denied use of two of its ships, which organizers blamed on Israeli pressure.The coalition of NGOs and other associations said it was unable to set sail after the West African country of Guinea-Bissau withdrew its flagged vessels.“Sadly, Guinea-Bissau has allowed itself to become complicit in Israel’s deliberate starvation, illegal siege and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza,” the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said.“The Guinea-Bissau International Ships Registry (GBISR), in a blatantly political move, informed the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that it had withdrawn the Guinea-Bissau flag from two of the Freedom Flotilla’s ships, one of which is our cargo ship, already loaded with over 5,000 tons of life-saving aid,” their statement said.Security officials in Israel have been preparing for the arrival of the first ships from the flotilla.The effort to reach Gaza in ships carrying hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid is being spearheaded by the Turkish IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which is attempting to break the naval blockade maintained by Israel on Gaza to prevent the Hamas terror group from rearming itself.The group said the Guinea-Bissau authorities made several “extraordinary” requests for information, including destinations, potential additional port calls, cargo manifest, and estimated arrival dates and times.“Normally, national flagging authorities concern themselves only with safety and related standards on vessels bearing their flag,” it said, equating it to being asked about destinations when registering a car.At an Istanbul press conference, about 280 volunteers — activists, lawyers and doctors — who had hoped to join the ships shouted slogans including “Flag the flotilla,” “We will sail” and “Free Palestine.”Three of the flotilla’s ships have been docked for a week at the port of Tuzla, south of Istanbul. They had planned to set sail Friday.Turkish authorities and state media, who are generally keen to boast about the aid they have provided to Palestinian civilians in Gaza having organized 13 humanitarian flights and nine boats, have been silent about the flotilla.In 2010, a previous “Freedom Flotilla” set off from the southern Turkish city of Antalya, leading to a deadly episode that soured relations between Turkey and Israel after Israeli military forces raided one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, leaving 10 dead and 28 wounded aboard in violence that ensued. Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded.United Nations agencies have warned that maritime deliveries alone cannot deliver sufficient aid to ward off the threat of famine in Gaza, and have called on Israel to open up more border crossings for road convoys.Israel massively stepped up aid efforts to the territory in recent weeks, Jerusalem and Washington have said. The United States is also building a special offshore pier that will facilitate the delivery of large amounts of aid to the Strip.
Iran says crew of Israel-linked ship has been given consular access, set for release-In call with Portuguese counterpart, Iranian FM says ‘humanitarian issue of the release of the ship’s crew is of serious concern,’ without giving timeline for their return-By Agencies Today, 5:27 pm-APR 27,24
Iran’s foreign minister said members of a seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel have been granted consular access and are expected to be freed, according to Iranian media reports on Saturday.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the container vessel MSC Aries with a crew of 25 in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, days after Tehran vowed to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus. Iran had said it could close the crucial shipping route.Israel and the United States denounced the seizure of the ship as an act of “piracy.”It took place hours before Iran carried out its first-ever direct attack on Israel, launching hundreds of drones and missiles, the vast majority of which were intercepted by Israeli and allied air defenses.Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel in a telephone call that the “humanitarian issue of the release of the ship’s crew is of serious concern to us,” Iranian media said.He was quoted as saying the crew would be turned over to their ambassadors in Tehran. The reports did not say when this would occur.Filmed by a seafarer on board the MSC Aries as Iranian forces seized the vessel.Innocent seafarers must not pay the price for escalating conflicts they have no role in instigating, nor power to resolve. We call for the immediate release of the 25 seafarers.pic.twitter.com/Dxr RWJkvcn-— International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) (@ITFglobalunion) April 15, 2024-Recent attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the ongoing war there between Israel and Hamas, have affected global shipping.Iran’s foreign ministry has said the Aries was seized for “violating maritime laws,” and that there was no doubt it was linked to Israel.MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, which is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.
Paris students end Gaza protests after university agrees to ‘debate’ Israel ties-Inspired by encampments on US campuses, pro-Palestinian demonstrators clash with counterprotestors, block access to Paris Institute of Political Studies building-By Agencies Today, 4:24 pm-APR 27,24
Students at one of France’s most prestigious universities called off protests over the Gaza war on Saturday, following a series of street scuffles between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups.Inspired by anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian encampments at college campuses across the United States, students on Friday blocked access to a building at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, prompting administrators to move all classes online.With exams scheduled to start soon, the university said on Saturday that the pro-Palestinian students agreed to call off their action in return for an “internal debate” about the university’s ties to Israel.The pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protest kicked off a day of drama at the university, which counts French President Emmanuel Macron and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal among its many famous alumni.Protesters first occupied a central campus building and blocked the entrance with trash cans, wooden platforms and a bicycle. They also gathered at the building’s windows, chanting anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian slogans, and hung out Palestinian flags and placards.Later Friday, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators faced each other in a tense standoff in the street outside the school. Riot police stepped in to separate the opposing groups.As night fell, a dwindling group of pro-Palestinian protesters refused to budge, ignoring police orders to evacuate the street and warnings of possible arrests. Eventually, demonstrators came out of the building, carrying a large Palestinian flag, to cheers from the protesters who had been supporting them outside. They then started to stream peacefully away from the area, watched by police.Among protesters’ demands was that Sciences Po sever ties with Israeli schools. In an email to students, Sciences Po administrator Jean Bassères pledged to hold a town hall meeting in the coming week and to suspend some disciplinary proceedings against students. In return, students “committed to no longer disrupting courses, examinations and all other activities of the institution,” the email said.The Gaza war is sharply divisive in France, which has the largest populations of Muslims and Jews in western Europe. France initially sought to ban pro-Palestinian demonstrations after Hamas’s surprise October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war. Antisemitism has surged.On Wednesday evening, more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters had also occupied a Sciences Po amphitheater. Most agreed to leave after discussions with management, but a small group of students remained. They were removed by police later that night, according to French media reports.The university administration closed all university buildings and moved classes online Friday. It said in a statement it “strongly condemns these student actions which prevent the proper functioning of the institution and penalize Sciences Po students, teachers and employees.”Louise, a protester, said the students’ actions were inspired by similar demonstrations at New York’s Columbia University and other US campuses.“But our solidarity remains first and foremost with the Palestinian people,” she said. She spoke on condition that only her first name be used over concerns of repercussions.Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war have been digging in at Columbia University, one of a number of demonstrations roiling campuses from California to Connecticut. Hundreds of students and even some professors have been arrested across the US, sometimes amid struggles with police.The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
'It used to be where we studied, now it’s a hotbox of tension' As USC cancels graduation amid anti-Israel protests, some Jewish students feel unsafe-One student at University of Southern California says she removed dog tags calling for release of hostages amid concerns for her own safety, others are doxxed for supporting Israel-By jacob gurvis Today, 2:38 pm-APR 27,24
LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Inside the University of Southern California Hillel, there were signs of normalcy. Some students were making matzah pizza in the courtyard, while another set up an art installation devoted to actor Larry David. Students and staff discussed plans for the evening’s Shabbat programming.But outside the building, students only a block away could be heard hawking cookies and other baked goods at their makeshift “Bake Sale 4 Gaza.” Their table was set up next to another booth with a large sign declaring that “‘I stand with Israel’ = ‘I stand with genocide.’”And in a plaza a few steps away, the Los Angeles chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace was hosting a pro-Palestinian Passover gathering, complete with Streit’s matzah and bottles of grape juice. One attendee held a large poster listing the “10 Plagues of Zionist Idolatry.”The scene on Friday follows a chaotic stretch in which USC canceled the planned commencement speech of its valedictorian, who had drawn criticism for harshly anti-Israel content on her social media. USC then scrapped its celebrity commencement speakers, before announcing Thursday that the entire main-stage commencement event had been canceled. Pro-Palestinian protests broke out on campus, as they have across the country, leading to 93 arrests on Wednesday. Parts of campus now have security checkpoints to enter.The whole situation, which has garnered international media attention, has led some Jewish students to question their safety on campus. One Israeli-American student, who requested anonymity out of fear of retribution, said she has removed the dog-tag necklace she wears in honor of the hostages to protect herself, and has friends who have been doxxed because of their support for Israel.“We’re keeping our head down, we’re just trying to get through the school year,” said the student, a sophomore neuroscience major whose parents are Israeli. “It’s definitely been hard when there’s helicopters circling 24/7 and your friends are posting hateful things on Instagram.”The student said the increased attention on USC has made it difficult to focus on school, even as final exams are around the corner.“Our campus has become such a spotlight,” she said. “It used to be a place where we learned and studied, and now it’s this hotbox of tension and news and all eyes are on us.”Brandon Tavakoli, a junior and the president of USC’s Trojans for Israel club, said the last few days have been “sobering and quite shocking,” especially because USC is not typically home to the type of activist culture that’s seen as commonplace at schools like Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley.“We don’t have an organized student activist base, but that has changed in the last week,” Tavakoli told JTA. “I think that was quite shocking for a lot of Jewish students on this campus who aren’t used to seeing the Israel hatred that is shown regularly on a campus like UC Berkeley.”Tavakoli said the whole episode, beginning with the selection of the valedictorian, was “completely preventable.”“I believe that if the university did their due diligence, and saw the propagation of antisemitism that this valedictorian has exercised and expressed, we would not be in this position,” he said “Our campus would not be seen as a target for anti-Israel activism.”Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, visited USC Hillel on Friday to speak with staff and student leaders. Greenblatt said he has visited nearly a dozen campuses in the past few months. (USC Hillel pointed to the statement it posted on Instagram on Wednesday but declined to comment further.)“Jewish students showed up to learn, to have a college experience, and then find themselves caught in this maelstrom,” he told JTA. “They find themselves deeply affected by the tragedy of October 7, deeply affected by the death of civilians in Gaza. I think they feel generally compassionate about the loss of life on all sides, and yet, really disturbed by these sorts of activities on campus, which are well beyond the parameters of typical protests. ”Greenblatt said the ADL supports free speech and the First Amendment, but said he views some of the rhetoric on college campuses as beyond the scope of what universities — and the law — ought to allow.“Freedom of speech isn’t the freedom to slander people because of their faith, and freedom of expression isn’t the freedom to incite violence against people because of their nationality,” he said. “Free speech, you’ve got to allow for it. But sitting in front of the Hillel and screaming at the Jewish students walking inside for a Shabbat dinner, or a havdalah service and calling them ‘baby killers’ is different.” It was not clear whether Greenblatt was referring to specific incidents.Greenblatt said universities need to do more to ensure students’ safety, including by enforcing their codes of conduct, prohibiting full-face coverings and coordinating with local law enforcement.Tavakoli said that the way USC, and campuses in general, have treated pro-Palestinian activity compared to pro-Israel advocacy has led to a double standard in the enforcement of free speech.“I’ve never understood why, when there’s bigotry against Jewish students, we have to bring up a conversation about free speech, but when there’s bigotry against anyone else, we are clearly denouncing it as bigotry,” he said. “It’s personally hurtful that I as a Jewish student have to prove to other people that what I’m experiencing is intimidation, hatred and harassment.”The Israeli student said that many of the activists who have been involved in protests at USC in recent days are not students.“Non-students are coming to our campus and just hindering the environment and increasing tension within the students,” she said. “It’s non-students igniting this flame.”At least some of the participants at the campus’ Jewish Voice for Peace Passover gathering, which drew a few dozen people and took place a block away from Hillel, were not affiliated with USC. The group was gathered around a large cloth canvas decorated with imagery from a traditional seder plate.Amid speeches and songs, the group also adapted various texts and practices from the Haggadah, including the recitation of the 10 plagues while dipping one’s finger in wine. In this version, the plagues had parallel meanings related to the Israel-Hamas war — the water turning to blood, for example, represented the lack of safe drinking water in Gaza.Benjamin Kersten, a Jewish graduate student at UCLA who helped plan the event, said JVP chose to use Passover to “continue to call for President [Joe] Biden to take action towards a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”Kersten, who was also involved in this week’s protests at UCLA, said he has “a lot of empathy and compassion” for fellow Jewish students who feel uncomfortable or unsafe when they hear phrases like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which was chanted repeatedly at the JVP Passover event. Many Jewish groups believe the phrase is antisemitic.“I think it’s important that we think about the differences between discomfort and unsafety and hatred,” he said. “I really listen to the words of Palestinians when they say that when they use the phrase ‘from the river to the sea,’ they’re calling for justice and equality for everyone who lives in that land.”Kersten added: “I would invite people who feel uncomfortable to realize that it’s freeing to actually enter into a Jewish community that recognizes that safety comes from solidarity with all marginalized people.”Back in Hillel, the matzah pizza-making continues. Jason, a junior pre-health student who declined to share his last name, said he chooses whether to wear his large Star of David necklace depending on where he is and who he’s with.“I’ve accepted the situation, but it hasn’t changed how I think about my Jewish identity,” he said.Jason said it’s been difficult to navigate the environment at USC in recent weeks, especially as the tension from the protests has begun to seep into the classroom, where he said the conversations used to be much more civil.For some students, the situation has elicited shock — and even laughter — more than fear.“I don’t really feel scared, I find it hectic, chaotic and ridiculous,” said first-year Caleb Ouanounou. He said that when he saw the pro-Palestinian protests, “I was both appalled and honestly I was laughing because of how absurd it was.”And for Tavakoli, with the semester coming to an end, he said he needs to focus on schoolwork, not worry about his safety.“I have papers and final projects due this weekend. I have to be prepared for my final exams next week,” he said. “I believe that is representative of the experience of all Jewish students on this campus — we just want to be like every other student on campus, like every other Trojan.”He continued: “It should not be my top priority to be or feel safe. It should be my top priority to be the best student that I can be and close out the semester as best as I can. It’s the university’s top priority to make sure I am [safe] and I feel so.”
A great moral conflict was delivered to your doorstep. Speak up' Yad Vashem to Columbia president: Take a moral stand against ‘eliminate Israel’ ideology-Dayan tells Shafik to decide if Israel’s elimination can be ‘a legitimate cause’ in syllabi, lectures, events; draws line from NY school to Heidelberg University in 1930s Germany-By ToI Staff Today, 10:43 am-APR 27,24
Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan called on Columbia President Minouche Shafik to take a moral stand in the face of anti-Israel protests and a wider eliminate-Israel ideology at her university.In a letter on Friday, Dayan wrote that the presidency of Columbia University is “one of the most important leadership positions in the academic world” and added that the person filling that role was required to be a leader and not an administrator.“All the decisions you recently made were administrative in nature: to call the NYPD to evacuate the illegal encampment, to allow its re-establishment, to activate or deactivate credentials, to move to online teaching. Even your decision to negotiate is administrative in nature,” he wrote in the letter, which was also published on X.He added that it was time for Shafik to make “leadership decisions” and lead academically and morally.“When thousands of Columbia faculty, staff and students call for the elimination of the State of Israel and the abolition of Zionism, you must take a stand,” Dayan wrote. “Not a political stand. A moral stand.”“When it becomes crystal clear that abolishing the existence of the Jewish state is a prevalent ideology in Columbia, the president of the institution cannot remain silent. The Talmud teaches us: ‘Silence is admission’. Silence inevitably will be interpreted as tolerance or, even worse, consent.”Dayan emphasized that it was important for Shafik to deal not only with the anti-Israel protesters’ behavior, but also with their message, likening them to the Ku Klux Klan and saying that “a moral leader will fight both [a polite KKK member and a thuggish one] with the same determination.”The time has come, he wrote, for Shafik to decide whether “the elimination of Israel – with or without the genocide of its Jewish population” can be a “legitimate cause advanced in academic syllabi, lectures, events, demonstrations and encampments in Columbia University.”“Each day, each hour you evade making a public decision of this nature and acting accordingly, you actually decide affirmatively,” he told her.YV Chairman @AmbDaniDayan calls @Columbia President Shafik to act as a leader and take a moral principled stand against the calls by faculty and students to eliminate the Jewish State. "Her silence on this matter is equivalent to consent to bigotry." pic.twitter.com/XOAToSEkPB— Yad Vashem (@yadvashem) April 26, 2024-“There is a naive belief that academy is immune to bigotry and the causes that students and professors lead are inherently ‘good causes,’ even if sometimes ahead of their time,” Dayan continued.Dayan presented Heidelberg University, which was “no less prestigious than Columbia,” as an example where this was not the case.He described how the German university was “a center of liberal thinking” in the 1920s, but a decade later, a mob of its students took part in antisemitic book burnings and its faculty began to promote “race theory, eugenics and forced euthanasia.”“Heidelberg did have administrators. Unfortunately, it lacked moral leadership,” Dayan wrote.“The Jewish People was dispersed for two millennia, subject to persecutions, forced conversions, discriminations, pogroms, and finally, the extermination of six million Jews in the Holocaust,” he added, saying that it was up to Shafik whether Columbia would be “remembered as Heidelberg” by “pursuing the destruction and erasure of the Jewish state.”Dayan ended his letter by quoting Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel’s saying that indifference is “the most insidious danger of all,” as well as the words of Wiesel’s fellow Nobelist Martin Luther King Jr. that “the hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.”“A great moral conflict was delivered to your doorstep,” Dayan wrote. “Rise to the occasion. Lead with moral principles, not only administrative regulations. Speak up.”The letter was sent to Shafik as anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests flared up in recent weeks with encampments set up on Columbia’s campus to demonstrate against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.Jewish students were recommended to stay home and classes were moved online following calls at the protest for the elimination of Israel and the repetition of Hamas’s October 7 attack, in which terrorists murdered some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 253.Over 100 students were arrested last week when the NYPD was called in to shut down the encampment, however, another one was set up again this week. Shafik called for it to be removed on Tuesday before giving protest leaders a Thursday deadline to come to agreements with representatives from the university.Ahead of the deadline, some protesters voluntarily removed their tents, but returned after the deadline passed.
