Free Republic

On Friday morning, September 18, 2015, the third grade classes at the Beverly J. Martin School in Ithaca, NY, heard a presentation on “human rights” by Palestinian activist Bassem Tamimi and local anti-Israel activists, led by Ariel Gold. In fact,...the Tamimi event was an anti-Israel propaganda event targeting young children, and as we just learned, caused at least one student to suffer nightmares.... Initially, the principal of the elementary school, Susan Eschbach, also attempted to downplay the significance of the Tamimi event. In a September 22, 2015, statement to the school community Eschbach denied there was anything improper... The statement...

Hezbollah’s Brazen Display Flush with cash, Iran’s terror proxy shows off its wares but the group should be careful what it wishes for. Last week the Shia terrorist organization and Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, held a military parade in the city of Al-Qusayr, located in western Syria. The venue was likely chosen for its symbolism. In 2013, it was the site of fierce battles between the Free Syrian Army and Hezbollah. Though it suffered heavy casualties, the Shia terror group eventually gained the upper hand over the rebels and succeeded in ejecting them from the city and surrounding region. The parade...

JNS.org — President-elect Donald Trump reportedly contributed money to help create new communities in Israel for settlers evacuated from the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip. Due to the high cost of the evacuation project during Israel’s 2005 unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, the Israeli government reportedly sought assistance from numerous Jewish organizations such as the Jewish National Fund (JNF). “We issued an appeal to all Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) and JNF offices worldwide,” said Effie Stenzler, former chairman of the JNF, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday. “KKL-USA sought donations in the US and one of them was sought from...

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar has suggested that US President-elect Donald Trump is secretly a Jew. In an interview with Al-Jazeera earlier this month, translated by MEMRI, Zahar said that “Trump loves the Jews, and not only because he likes the Jewish religion. I do not rule out the possibility that he is a Jew.” “He loves the Jewish religion,” Al-Zahhar continued, “and the most important thing in the Jewish religion is Jewish money.” Zahar then went on an antisemitic rant, saying that Harry Truman was bought by $2 million in “Jewish Money” and therefore recognized the State of Israel....

Should U.S. President Barack Obama allow the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution against the settlements, he would effectively ratify the unfortunate U.N. resolution falsely equating Zionism with racism. The Jewish people have a long memory, they will not forget this Despite their cordial meeting last month, U.S. President and the Israeli Prime Minister are once again at loggerheads. Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to mitigate the consequences of a draconian court ruling ordering the uprooting of hundreds of people from their homes in Amona, a 21-year-old outpost. Obama is practically apoplectic over the thought that Netanyahu plans to...

Authorities in Lebanon commenced this week construction works on an isolation wall to surround the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp following “security concerns” The first blocks of an isolation wall were erected around the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon this week, as a plan to build ‘security’ cordones and watchtowers around Ain al-Hilweh came into effect. The security wall forms part of an agreement between Palestinian factions and the authorities in Lebanon in attempt to contain recent confrontations between Palestinians inside the camp and the Lebanese army, Lebanese and Palestinian officials claim. The isolation wall is set to...

The Zionist Organization of America, in a release this week, noted Ellison’s role in drafting a congressional letter following the 2009 Gaza War urging the Obama administration to press Israel to loosen its blockade on Gaza. (The letter also noted that security needs led to the blockade). The ZOA also noted that Ellison was among a handful of congressmen who voted against additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system during the 2014 Gaza War. (Ellison had previously backed Iron Dome, but said it made more sense during the 2014 war to press for a cease-fire.) “If he becomes DNC...

Army Radio this morning reported that Professor Joe Wheeler, an international lawyer from the United States, has been hired by the Israeli government to help it promote the “Cyprus Solution” to land ownership issues in Judea and Samaria. According to the plan, an arbitration committee will be appointed to decide on issues of land belonging to private owners and whether and how much compensation to give in these cases. Sources close to Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked indicated that the ministry is working on adapting the Cyprus model to Israel in order to resolve the issues of Palestinian land ownership claims...

The United Nations on Friday approved an Israeli-sponsored resolution focusing on international innovation and development. The resolution, entitled "Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development," passed with 123 countries supporting it, 30 countries opposing, and eight abstaining, according to a statement from Israel’s UN mission. After months of diplomatic efforts, Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon succeeded in passing the resolution by working country by country to convince it of the importance of the law, notwithstanding the fierce opposition from the Arab bloc to all Israeli resolutions. The Arab member-states opposed the resolution, despite the fact that many elements of the decision...

As a person who was born and raised in a Muslim Arab country, people usually find it strange that I support Israel. Usually people from Arab Muslim lands such as Egypt –my home country- hate Israel, Jews and “Zionist pigs” -and any other kind of pigs really-, but I don’t. I have spent too much of my time specifically fighting anti-Semitism. But why do I do it? Let me try to answer this question. My support for Israel is mainly based on moral commitments and ideological convictions. I believe that whenever people decide to live freely, independent and take...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought Israel’s help in containing terrorism and extremism from Pakistan even as he vowed to expand defence and security ties during his meeting with the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin. “President Rivlin and I deeply value our strong and growing partnership to secure our societies. Our people are constantly threatened by forces of terrorism and extremism. We recognise that terrorism is a global challenge, knows no boundaries and has extensive links with other forms of organised crime. Regrettably, one of the countries of its origin and spread is in India’s neighbourhood,” Modi said here...

urkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s assertion that a 14-year-old Islamic State suicide bomber detonated explosives at a wedding in southern Turkey, killing 54 people including 31 children, is currently in question. What is not in question is that ISIS’ use of children as suicide bombers is surging. The day following the wedding bombing, a 13-year-old ISIS suicide bomber was captured in Kirkuk before he could kill. As appalling as this reality is, we shouldn’t be surprised by this horrific abuse of children. In its second intifada, Palestinians used child suicide bombers to murder Israeli civilians. During 2000-03, 29 suicide...

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer said he looks forward to working with the entire Trump administration on strengthening the US-Israel alliance, after meeting Thursday with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York City. “Israel has no doubt that President-elect Trump is a true friend of Israel,” Dermer told reporters after the meeting. He also said that Vice President-elect Michael Pence “was one of Israel’s greatest friends in the Congress, one of the most pro-Israel governors in the country.” Dermer added that he hopes to work closely with Steve Bannon, who has been named Trump’s chief strategist,...

Mike Huckabee is headed back to the Holy Land. The two-time White House hopeful, former Fox New Channel weekend host and former governor of Arkansas will be America's next ambassador to Israel, a presidential transition official confirmed to DailyMail.com on Friday. He is scheduled to meet with President-Elect Donald Trump Friday at 2:00 p.m. Huckabee, an ordained Baptist preacher and electric bass player, will become the tip of Trump's spear as he seeks to shake up U.S. foreign relations in the Middle East, beginning with relocating America's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 'That's going to happen,' the...

Huckabee, an ordained Baptist preacher and electric bass player, will become the tip of Trump's spear as he seeks to shake up U.S. foreign relations in the Middle East, beginning with relocating America's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 'That's going to happen,' the transition official said. 'Governor Huckabee is going to see it through.' Despite congressional approval for the move, American leaders have historically tap-danced around the issue of where in Israel America's diplomatic footprint should fall. No other nation has its embassy in Jerusalem. Still, Israel's Knesset and Supreme Court are located in West Jerusalem. And...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought Israel’s help in containing terrorism and extremism from Pakistan even as he vowed to expand defence and security ties during his meeting with the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin. “President Rivlin and I deeply value our strong and growing partnership to secure our societies. Our people are constantly threatened by forces of terrorism and extremism. We recognise that terrorism is a global challenge, knows no boundaries and has extensive links with other forms of organised crime. Regrettably, one of the countries of its origin and spread is in India’s neighbourhood,” Modi said here...

The Saudi royals are petitioning the Israelis to save them. As the president of the Saudi American Public Relation Affairs Committee, Salman al-Ansari, says in this Hill blog post, the Saudis are imploring Israel to resuscitate their collapsing economy and defend them against their Iranian Muslim brethren. This should not have come as a surprise, given the Saudi ruling family’s obsession with its security and mistrust of Arab and Muslim regimes, especially the Persians, with whom they share strategic borders and reciprocal religious hatred. Having risen to and maintained their power by ruthless force, the Saudi rulers have mastered...

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is reportedly President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to Israel. Yahoo News, citing The Jerusalem Post, reports several members on the President-elect’s transition team say Huckabee will take the post as ambassador to Israel for the Trump administration.

The five House Democrats, including Luis Gutierrez (Illinois), Hank Johnson (Georgia), Matt Cartwright (Pennsylvania), Dan Kildee (Michigan), and Mark Pocan (Wisconsin), toured Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem on a guided tour paid for by the American Global Institute. The AGI, which was founded by Sudanese-born Arab lobbyist Alsadig Omer Khalafalla, covered the expenses for the five congressmen – amounting to between $11,000 and $15,000 for each participant.

The Trondheim City Council on Thursday approved a plan to boycott all Israeli goods and services that are produced in settlements in the the occupied Palestinian areas, Addresseavisen reported. […] The city council is also asking residents of Norway’s third largest city to personally boycott settlement goods and services. In 2014, Labour presented a proposal to parliament calling for a nationwide boycott of Israeli goods produced in the occupied territories. The proposal was supported by left-wing parties, but rejected by government parties the Conservatives and the Progress Party as well as the Christian Democrats. …