(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
Showing posts with label Peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peace. Show all posts
July 19, 2019
July 13, 2019
I Pray For The Day
While I am a staunch supporter for the security of Israel, I pray for the day (a miracle) when Jews and Arabs can be brothers again--shoulder to shoulder--that embrace and help each other, rather than enemies "at each others' throats."
In my mind and heart, there has got to come a time when the hatred and violence ends, and when instead peace can and will prevail. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
July 9, 2019
Smell The Flowers
July 5, 2019
Shabbat Shalom Baby!
June 8, 2019
G-d Counts On Us
Israel with just over 6.5 million Jews could not simply defeat the surrounding Arabs numbering over 400 million by sheer military might alone–the pure numbers just don’t bear that out–and that’s why any sane person knows that the miraculous hand of G-d is at work here, and that we are living in the times of Mashiach.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 3, 2019
Finding Our Innerspace
Innerspace
There is outer space.
And there is innerspace.
Outer space is the universe, the cosmos, the galaxies, the solar systems, the stars, and the planets--it's the big picture of what is all around us.
Innerspace is the our soul, conscience, thoughts, feelings, who we are, and what we're all about--it's the infinity of what makes us up and what's inside each of us.
The perspective is infinitely big as we look upward and outward to the heavens, and infinitely small as we zoom inside ourselves to the subatomic levels.
The innerspace makes me think of mindfulness, meditation, and finding purpose, meaning, truth, and inner peace.
Our search for self is really the intersection of outer- and innerspace.
We are but a speck of dust and yet we have the power to do such immense good.
It's a contradiction that is so powerful--for who are we that G-d is mindful of us and cares for us and gives us the power to choose good from evil.
Yet that is exactly our world and our place in it--and this is where we find innerspace in all of outer space. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 23, 2019
MERKAVA IV TANK
May 19, 2019
The Goliath Arab Propaganda Machine
It has been 71 years since the founding of the modern State of Israel, and while Israel is thank G-d strong militarily, it continues to be seriously threatened by a relentless Arab propaganda war, which they are winning. This War of Words manifests itself on college campuses, protests and rallies against Israel, “progressive politics,” BDS, and the endless stream of anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations.
Please G-d, He will help us not only militarily to defeat the enemies of Israel, but also to prevail in the battle for truth and justice, identity and history, and ultimately for the Promised Land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ;-)
(Source Photo: here with attribution to Ruediger)
May 10, 2019
Who Is Occupying Whom?
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, "Who Is Occupying Whom?"
- Palestine was never a state, nor one ever administered by Palestinians.
- Israel is not occupying any foreign sovereign’s land, so it cannot legally be considered an occupier.
- There was never any partition plan accepted by the Arabs or implemented, so Israel is not occupying anything.
- It is Israel that has continuously opened itself to the Arabs as citizens and settlers, while the Arab countries have rejected their own Arab brethren and exiled their Jews.
I hope you read this article and understand the lies and propaganda that is being spread about "the occupation."
May 8, 2019
Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) @JCC Rockville
Brave, strong, and dedicated to the survival of Israel.
May their memory be a blessing!
Also a beautiful video my daughter, Minna sent to me.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 5, 2019
I Watch With Terror The Rockets Fly
I watch with terror the rockets fly.Please pray for the peace and security for Israel. ;-)
The plumes of white smoke in the sky.
Randomly, randomly where will they fall.
A car, a home, a factory, a kindergarten.
The shrapnel penetrating the flesh of its victims.
The rockets do not know the difference,
Between military and civilian, men and women, children and old.
(Source Photo: Reposted here in video by Israel Foreign Affairs Ministry)
April 28, 2019
Rocking Mimouna @Magen David Synagogue
The Mimouna is the celebration at the end of Passover.
It is a custom from the Jews who lived in Morocco who celebrated hand-in-hand with their Arab neighbors in peace and harmony
This celebration of faith, friendship, and peace has now become standard in Jewish communities far and wide.
In the light of the anti-Semitic instances yesterday with the vilr caricature in the garbage New York Times and the Shooting at the Chabad synagogue in San Diego (exactly 6 months after the shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue), I say:
Let us have faith in the one true G-d that he will redeem his loving people of all religions and utterly punish the haters and anti-Semites for the evil they are.
(Source Video and Photos: Andy Blumenthal)
April 27, 2019
Barking And Biting
Sometimes, when they bark, they don’t bite. But other times, the bark is the prelude to the bite. I don’t think you can judge intentions by the bark, and I am certain you need to always be ready for the bite. Dogs and people are not really that different. Over millennia of history, Jews have been threatened and persecuted–barked at and bitten, and they have not been mutually exclusive.
The Jewish people are few in number and with a small but miraculous and wonderful country--we know that rabid dogs that bark against us, also can bite ferociously, and we must take every threat seriously for our very survival.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 31, 2019
Meeting The Honorable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Wow, this was so awesome today--I got to shake hands with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
We went to the memorial today for famous Israeli author, Amos Oz.
I love Oz’s literary works–he is a genius–even as I find myself disagreeing with some of his ideology: Yes, I agree with his humanism and the need to have peace with the Palestinians, but also I am steadfast that Israel must remain strong in the face of the numerous threats it faces, especially after the terrible lessons of the Holocaust. However, as much as I came to honor Oz, I felt is was a dishonor to him that the memorial was in great part turned into a political discourse for leftists (even as it was stated that Oz himself separated his pens for literature and politics).
I am convinced that in the end, it will be the moderates, and not the proliferating extremists (left or right) that bring peace, security, and justice to Israel and the Palestinians.
(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)
March 22, 2019
Israel and The Golan Heights
Between 1948 and 1967, the Golan was used by Syria to indiscriminately shell and harass Israeli villages in the Galilee, including in April 1967 at which time Israel shot down six Syrian MIG fighter planes as a warning to Syria. Finally, after twenty years of these continuing attacks by Syria on Israel from the Golan, did Syria finally lose the Golan to Israel in the ensuing 1967 War. Contrary to those who say that recognizing Israel’s control of the Golan endorses the forceful taking of land from other countries, the monumental shift in American policy on Purim this week actually provides critical deterrence against war by recognizing the potential consequences to those like Syria that unjustly wage war and lose.
Thank you to President Trump for setting the record straight with respect to Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights and for supporting Israel's right to peace and security.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 2, 2019
Jerusalem Center of The World
This beautiful artist and thoughtful map was published in 1581.
It shows the 3 continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa as 3 leaves of a clovers with Jerusalem at the center.
Jerusalem, Israel is the focus, nexus and crossroad between these 3 worlds of Western, Asian, and African civilizations.
Israel is so multi-cultural and holy to the 3 major monotheistic religions of the world (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism).
Light, healing, peace, and prosperity should emanate from Jerusalem to the whole world and G-d should bless us from his heavenly abode. ;-)
(Source Photo: Wikipedia)
March 1, 2019
North Korea - No Deal!
We went into this thinking that the enticement of moving from war to prosperity, like with Vietnam, would set the stage for North Korea to see that truly, peace is the answer!
But when there is no real trust between the people negotiating, then you get a lot of gesturing, but no real determination to make a commitment--like getting rid of those crazy nukes!
For now from North Korea's perspective, "one in the nukes is worth two in the prosperity"...and they aren't going to disarm so easily and give away what they consider their ace in the hole.
High hopes, lots of drama, confusion and blame, and ultimately a big let down.
If North Korea would give up their nukes, and Iran would give up their pursuit of nukes...WOW, WOW, WOW, oh what a world that would be. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 24, 2019
Interfaith Movie Today
The movie is about a Palestinian woman who becomes “the first woman judge in a Shari’a ‘family law’ court.”
Let's just say it wasn't easy for her to break into this male-dominated profession within institutionalized religion in the Middle East.
Thinking in an interfaith way, I guess it's maybe not so dissimilar to women breaking into the profession of the Rabbinate.
Another similarity between the religions was that there were many Islamic religious leaders that were very conservative and dead set against women in the Shari'a courts, while others stood up against the tide and inspired change--I think we have similar disagreements in Judaism between the ultra-orthodox who want to stick with the "old" historical ways of doing things, and the more liberal Jews that seek the freedom to alter those ways.
During the movie, there were some interesting take-aways like under Shariah law, men are allowed up to 4 wives!
Another funny line in the movie was when one of the men said that the men never make trouble for the women (i.e. it's all the women's fault).
In the court cases filmed, there seemed to be a lot of cases of domestic violence and of divorce, and in one case in particular the wife was actually stabbed to death in the court house by her husband who she was trying to get a divorce from.
Overall, it felt good to attend the event and try to be a part of the healing process between people.
The event was sponsored by the Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society (JIDS) of Washington, D.C.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 15, 2019
Shabbat Shalom!
January 21, 2019
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