Posted on 07/27/2008 8:41:08 AM PDT by ChicagoHebrew
onatan Stern, the "Sgan Mefaked Hakita" (deputy squad commander) of Kitat Konenut New York, insists his "paramilitary emergency armed response team" is no "group of vigilantes or a JDL [Jewish Defense League]." Members of Kitat Konenut New...
Members of Kitat Konenut New York pose in a photo posted on the group's Facebook page. Photo: Courtesy Slideshow: Pictures of the week
"The goal of the organization is to have a competent and professional group of armed volunteers ready to respond to a threat at a moment's notice in any area where Jews reside," explains the Israeli combat veteran.
"We do not carry out demonstrations or political activity of any kind as we have no political agenda. Our agenda is to protect Jews wherever and whenever necessary and by any means needed."
On Friday, the third session of the group's training camp will begin in the Catskills woodlands of upstate New York, on land belonging to a Jewish supporter of the organization. With tuition at $400, the group expects 15 participants and five instructors for the 10 days of training. Participation has doubled since the group began three years ago.
Kitat Konenut New York is modeled on the rapid response teams in the West Bank settlements that are often the first to act when terrorist attacks or other emergencies take place. The group bills itself as religious-Zionist but nonpolitical.
American Jews have "felt a false sense of security in the United States," Stern believes, "because historically there has been less anti-Semitism than in other countries. But there have been incidents - neo-Nazi terrorist attacks, Arab terrorist attacks. Jews have to be vigilant."
"The threat is not from the American people or government," he adds, but from "terrorist sleeper cells that want to target Jews. These people are very dangerous and the FBI issues warnings against them very often," he said, citing the FBI's warning, after the killing of Hizbullah operations chief Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus in February, that the Lebanese group might carry out terror attacks on Jewish communities.
"The average American is friendly to Jews, but we're worried about those individuals on the periphery of society," Stern says.
The group was founded in the summer of 2006 in response to the shooting attack at the Jewish federation of Seattle premises by local Muslim Naveed Haq.
"We realized there is a need for this kind of organization, and as Israeli combat veterans living in the US, we have the skills and ability to respond to this," Stern says.
The group's MySpace page details the camp's regimen, which includes training in the IDF's Krav Maga martial art, use of non-lethal weapons and identification of suspicious objects, but also sharpshooter and assault rifle training, infantry exercises and endurance marches. Explanatory literature lists a large number of weapons with which participants can expect to train.
"We believe all Jews in the US must be legally armed and trained," Stern says, "and towards this goal we hold paramilitary training camps to train and equip Jewish American youth."
The group's literature notes emphatically that all firearms used in training "are 100% legal and in compliance with all federal, state and local laws."
"We strongly believe in the constitutional right to bear arms and we express this right to its fullest," it adds.
The group claims to be "well-connected with the New York police and fire departments" and it invites "all members of the law enforcement community to join in our life-saving activities."
Stern says, "We are all legally armed and carry radios and cellphones" during all hours of the day, and even on Shabbat, "as we need to be constantly ready to respond to any incident."
The camp literature also promises discussions on Torah and Halacha, understanding and confronting terrorism, fighting anti-Semitism, the history of the Zionist movement in the Land of Israel, and encouraging participants to "know your rights and learn how every American can and must be legally armed and how to express the Second Amendment" - the right to bear arms.
Funded by tuition money and a handful of private donors, the group does not exclude secular Jews, Stern says, but asks that they respect the Orthodox nature of the camp by observing Shabbat in public and refraining from bringing non-kosher food.
"We wouldn't have a problem with non-Jews coming either," says Stern, "but no non-Jew has applied thus far."
Corr’n.
That’s “MEDINA”/Yathrib was a ‘Jewish Settlement’.
it’s getting pretty obvious that many here are ready to have foreign military officers setting up units in MY country
Do you notice how they protest that these officers are “retired” despite the fact that IDF are on active reserves till 51
None of those guys look that old to me
LOLOL. The poster said that? Hilarious.
We take our amusement where we can get it :)
Ain’t MY straw-man. Don’t know what you’re driving at. I had no comment on that thread concerning “training”. Wouldn’t mind some militia training my own self.
P.S. so was I. Twice...Two 9 month deployments, two stars on my ROV, Five Good Conducts, some other fruit salad, and a pension.
X 2 :
Sorry,,,Just a “Ping to Post”...
Yo`u Num’ba One G.I. ,,,Xin Lo`i...:0)
I’ll go with the last option...
Roger Dat...;0)
It said in the article they don’t have a problem with people who aren’t Jewish training with them.
How about you?
It would help others' view of you, spamalot, were you to actually read the article and draw logical conclusions.
Nowhere in the article does it say they are 'harboring' foreign troops.
First of all, the protection is not being afforded only to Jews, they just happen to be organizing themselves as a result of recent problems. Second, if I were Jewish, I would want (a) the best, most experienced trainers I could get, and (b) trainers with whom I could connect - and the IDF matches on both counts.
The group welcomes non-Jewish members (see the end of the original article - so put your money where your mouth and pony up for the training session, if you can hang with them
Instead of of just running your pie-hole, you might also actually try reading the Constitution for the definition of treason: "The Constitution of the United States, Art. III, defines treason against the United States to consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid or comfort." (at http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/t103.htm).
Get off the thread, ya dope...
These people are doing more than you are to put their allegiance to this country ahead of their self-interest. They aren't joining a foreign army, and they aren't putting their religion ahead of an allegiance to this country.
What about you? What are you doing for this country - are you ready to fulfill your duty as a member of the militia, or are you just sitting on your thumb there in the basement waiting for someone to bail out your sorry a**?
He can’t put his money where his mouth is - his head’s in the way...
Don't ever let them catch you limping. Good on them.
Google "crown heights riots"
Yes, Bloomberg is more likely to protect them than Mayor Dinkins was a few terms ago. They also realize that the next election may bring another Dinkins or worse. It's best to use the safe times to become prepared for any unsafe times the future may bring. Keep in mind that, in the LA riots, one of the first things that happened was a ban on sales of guns and ammo
They have no problem getting all the protection they need from Mayor Bloomberg who is also Jewish as was the former NY gov
Come again? Bloomberg has no religious ties, only those of birth. He was never governor. And he used his pretend Jewish ties to speak for the Nation of Islam candidate, Barack Obama.
Threats to Jews in ny?
Other than Crown Heights, the assassination of Meier Kahane, the shooting of 4 Jewish boys in a car in Brooklyn, the constant terrorist threats...
You are either ignorant and too lazy to do research, purposely ignorant because you don't like Jews, or are actively dissembling.
Go learn about Marx's antisemitism and Stalin plans for Jews and then apologize like a man.
With the description he gave you, he could be an Amalekite. The only nation with which God is at eternal war. Amalek’s hatred for Jews and Christians comes as a matter of the course he set out upon.
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