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."
“our uninquisitive president put his arms around members of the Council on American Islamic Relations “
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHA - and then he sent 30,000 Muzzies to their deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq.
You are a real maroon - is that the best you can come up with to support your outrageous claim that the US is in bed with the Muzzies?
WHAT A JOKE!!!
“However it is also a red herring here.”
Hah! You say that Brooklyn needs IDF paramilitaries to protect Jews and I give you thousands of links where Jewish criminals are using NY’s lenient system to skip the country to Israel to escape prosecution and you call that a red herring?
That is utterly fascinating.
Tell me, what is 2 + 2?
“The problem in the US is taht the FBI and CIA work with the Muslim Brotherhood through CAIRA, and AADC.”
Oh yeah - that really helped them getting their asses kicked in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Do you just want Jews to be lemmings and lay down and die when black savages or madmen diaperheads attack their houses of worship, homes, and businesses?”
Do you really think a bunch of yahoos running around the woods with “ak47s” is going to do anything?
There is a great protection program and its called the NRA -great for Dad, Mom, and even the kids.
Ours took their hunter safety course at 12 and I taught the family how to shoot - butcher, and fillet too.
PS and for self protection, think No 4 Buck in a slug gun and not an AK 47 - 180 “rounds” in 3 sec.
Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger.
Your true colours are always displayed, but now you are making extra obvious.
And these guys believe in it big time. But you can't always use deadly force, and so Krav Maga, which is probably the most practical martial art, is taught as well.
It's evident you have a duel problem, Jews & New York. There is always a schmuck in every crowd.
Aye, it is a nice area. We’re gonna spend some time at Stockton lake next week! My wife is from Higginsville, up in your neck of the woods.
If you think you might be too drunk to post, you are too drunk to post.
It has been almost 24 hours, and I am STILL waiting for an answer to my disclosures in posts 172 and 177. You impugned my integrity and I gave you FACTS to refute your insults. Be a MAN and admit you are WRONG! I identified myself, my service record and my business.
Admit you are wrong or you are a weasel, in addition to being a Jew-baiter.
Well, the fact of the matter is they need protection more -- Jewish institutions around the world have been targeted by terrorist attacks, like the community center in Seattle.
Even if they don't, everyone -- including yourself -- is free to start a group just like this to protect another community. That's what the 2nd Amendment is about. Or are you a gun grabbing commie?
We just have a little tri-v fishing boat and a canoe. We spend more time in the canoe, especially now with the cost of go-juice. I grew up in Florida. Saltwater commercial and sportfishing was my thing. Did a little blow-boating, and must say that it is looking more appealing all the time. Just don’t tell my buddies who are still in FL running big Hatteras and Huckins boats.
Are you gonna answer me in regards my replies to your false accusations/insults?
How dare you insinuate that Jews in NY deserve better protection than the rest of the population.
How dare you insist that a specifically targeted population not have the right to defend itself, specifically because it is Jews.
I can come up with quite a bit, but you refuse to even consider it. - Proven Truths About CAIR -
A Troubling Influence
CAIR Backs Down from Anti-CAIR
And then, instead of dealing with your inability to support your claims, you decide to claim that Israeli does not extradite criminals, when it actually extradited the pedophile.
So not only is that an unrelated and spurious issue meant to distract(red herring), it is false. Have you no shame, honor, dignity? Or is your only uniting issue hatred of Israel and distrust of anything relating to it?
You sound like a ceertain whacko who spams on usenet..
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