More on Arafat, the Terrorist of Islam.
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 09:44:02 -0500 (CDT)
To: All the World
From: The Temple Institute
Subject: The Last Remnant of Jews
"I have issued strict instructions for a total commitment to the
cease-fire." So said Yasser Arafat on Rosh HaShana, a full year after
his forces destroyed Joseph's Tomb in Nablus. A year in which
near-daily casualties have been inflicted upon the people of Israel,
and a year during which Arafat has already declared five previous
cease-fires, each one lasting less than a week. But this morning,
less than two days after this last declared cease-fire -- two days
that were marked by unrelenting attacks by Palestinians on Israeli
forces and civilians -- another Israeli has been murdered. Today, the
third of Tishrei, while the Jewish people observe the Fast of
Gedaliah, 26 year old Sarit Amrani, mother of three, was shot dead
before her children's eyes. Her husband Shai, 32, was seriously
wounded, suffering bullet wounds to the neck and chest. His
condition, listed as critical, continues to worsen at this hour. The
couple's three children, also in the car, were unharmed. The attack,
in which the family were fired upon by a passing Palestinian
truck, took place on the road connecting the Arab and Jewish
communities of Tekoa. The terrorists fled in the direction of nearby
Palestinian Authority-controlled Bethlehem.
Please note that although America has invited Arafat to join its
anti-terror coalition, to free the world from terror, Fatah,
associated with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, has
claimed responsibility for this morning's terror attack. Yes, you are
reading this right.
Israel's nobel laureate, the amazing Shimon Peres, will not meet
today with Arafat. We are sure that he is disappointed. After all,
Peres says that since Arafat's announcement there has been a "very
large decrease" in the violence. Sarit Amrani's children must find
that very reassuring. It's only one more family torn asunder; our
daily quota. President Bush recently said: "We take his [Arafat's]
words very seriously that he is interested in doing everything he can
to reduce terrorism in the Middle East. That was a very positive
statement he made." President Bush, this woman was murdered by
Arafat's organization. What have you to say?
And while America continues to weigh her options and plan her
retaliatory moves, President Bush and Sec. of State Powell still urge
Israel to return to negotiate with her anti-terror coalition partner,
Arafat, who gave blood for victims of terror in America last week,
and just killed another Jewish mother this morning.
Today is observed as a day of fasting by the Jewish people because in
the period following the destruction of the First Temple, the Jewish
governor Gedaliah ben Ahikam was murdered on this day. King
Nebuchadnezzer destroyed the First Temple and exiled most of the
Jewish people to Babylon. But he allowed a small remainder of Jews to
stay in their land. The king appointed the righteous Gedaliah to
govern over this remnant.
When the Jews who lived in Moab, Amon, Edom and other lands heard
that the Babylonian king allowed a remnant for Judah in her land, and
appointed Gedaliah over them, they returned to the Land of Judah and
were permitted to work their fields. They experienced some respite.
However the King of Amon was jealous of this remnant of Judah. He
dispatched Yishmael ben Netanya to kill Gedaliah. Although Gedaliah
had been warned of Yishmael's plot, he refused to believe, not
wishing to take heed of evil speech. He received Yishmael with honor,
but the latter killed him and most of the Jews who were with him, as
well as the Chaldeans left there by the Babylonian king. Fearing the
king's revenge, the remaining Jews fled to Egypt, and in this manner
the last remnant was scattered and the land became desolate.
One year ago on this day, the Fast of Gedaliah, we wrote about the
obvious parallels between then and now. "We are all the last remnant
of Jews left in the Land of Israel. Our enemies attempt to scatter
us, and to make the land desolate. Arafat gave the orders for this
wave of murder and destruction; Arafat could call it off if he so
chooses." So we wrote one year ago, at the beginning of this war.
Now, a year later, the message does not remain the same: it is more
pertinent, more insistent, and more urgent than ever. Visit the
Israel Foreign Ministryís website (http://www.israel.org/mfa) to view
pictures and biographies of nearly every Jew who has been killed
during this past year. In Israel, the terror that America so rightly
abhors, and so justifiably vows to blot out, continues every single
day. Another family has been devastated today, and forever torn
asunder. How should we respond? How would you respond?
With blessings for an inscription in the Book of Life for all,
Rabbi Chaim Richman
The Temple Institute
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
www.templeinstitute.org
Bump for later read.