HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Peres Tells Personal Story at Holocaust Memorial Ceremony

President Shimon Peres tells personal story at the central Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony, calls the world to stand against Iran.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 4/19/2012, 12:14 AM

 

President Shimon Peres at Holocaust Ceremony

                 

Flash 90

President Shimon Peres told his personal story at the central Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony at Yad Vashem on Wednesday.

“I was born in Wieszniev. Half of the townspeople came to Israel. The other half perished,” said Peres. “After the war, I learned that on Sunday August 30^th, a dark dawn had come upon my hometown. The Nazis who had seized it ordered the Jews to pack their belongings and present themselves at their doorsteps.

“The SS officers passed by striking them and told them to proceed towards the synagogue.

“One of them cried out ‘Jews, save yourselves!’ The Germans shot down those who tried to escape. The rest reached the synagogue which was made of wood. The doors were locked. All were burned alive.

“That was the last day of Rabbi Zvi Meltzer, my grandfather, my mentor. He was consumed by fire with his Tallit on his head.

“That was the last Jewish day in Wieszniev.

“Not even a single Jew remained alive.”

Peres recalled his visit to Wieszniev after the war and said, “Not a Jewish mark remains. Not a house, not a synagogue, not a school, not a cemetery, only a heap of stones.

“As I stood there, the last Kol Nidrei prayer emitted by my grandfather's sweet voice rang in my ears.

“My lips murmured the Kadish.”

He added that Hitler chose to identify the Jews as his greatest enemy because “the moral strength of the Jews was more dangerous to him than the military menace of his neighbors.

“The Nazis feared that the Jewish conviction that all men are born in the image of God would damage the fascist lie according to which there is a superior race,” said Peres.

“They feared the prophetic vision may dent the Nazi sword.

“I am proud to be an arch enemy to the Nazi evil.

“I am proud of our fathers' legacy being absolutely opposed to racism.

“I am proud of our belief that there is no one Man superior to another Man.

“There is no superior race, only deep roots.”

Peres reminded the audience of Israel’s non-Jewish citizens and of the importance of them not being discriminated again.

“We are obligated to make sure that none of them are ever discriminated because of their nationality or religion,” he said. “This is the essence of the existence of the State of Israel. Israel is a defense shield, a safe haven and a great spirit. Had the State of Israel existed during those days, I am convinced that things would have been different. We have paid a high price but we have not lost faith.”

Like Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, whose speech at the ceremony focused on the Iranian threat, Peres called on humanity to “learn from the lessons of the Holocaust and stand strong against existential threats before it is too late.”

He added, “Iran is at the heart of this threat. She is the center of terror, she represents a threat to world peace. There is no reason to undermine Israel's capacities to face this threat, whether visible or hidden.”

Peres concluded by saying, “We came today to say Kaddish in memory of our beloved ones who were killed in the Holocaust. We came to say and to swear ‘Never again’. We came to say that we are a peaceful people who can defend itself.

“We can and we will.

“We have built and we shall build.

PAINTING RETURNED AFTER MANY YEARS

Painting Sold by Vichy Regime Returned to Jewish Family

500-year-old painting auctioned by the French government during World War II returned to a Jewish family who proved it was sold illegally.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 4/19/2012, 4:12 AM

Remembering the Holocaust

Flash 90

A 500-year-old painting auctioned by the French government during the Nazi occupation in World War II was returned on Wednesday to a Jewish family who proved it was sold illegally.

According to a report in The Associated Press, U.S. authorities in Tallahassee signed paperwork to return the 16^th century Baroque painting to representatives of the family of Federico Gentili di Giuseppe.

Gentilli died in 1940 shortly before the Nazis occupied France. The Vichy government sold the painting, but the sale has been deemed illegal.

The painting has been displayed since March 18, 2011 at the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science in Tallahassee.

AFP reported that before the exhibition ended on September 4, U.S. Attorney Pamela Marsh became suspicious about the origins of the painting. A subsequent investigation traced it to the Gentili family, who were Italian refugees living in France during the Vichy regime that collaborated with the Axis powers during World War II.

The family's art collection was sold in 1941 during a forced sale, and U.S. authorities seized the painting last year for their investigation.

The Gentilis' grandchildren have sought for years through courts to recover their family's stolen artwork. They succeeded in 1999 in having five paintings displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris returned to them, AFP reported.

HEARTLESS ISRAEL?

Israeli Volunteers Provide Free Surgery to Thousands in Ethiopia

The Israeli volunteer organization Eye from Zion is providing free cataract surgery to thousands of people in Ethiopia.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

First Publish: 4/19/2012, 3:59 PM

  

Ethiopian Baby with Israeli flag

          

Israel news photo: Flash 90

The Israeli volunteer organization Eye from Zion is providing free cataract surgery to thousands of patients in Ethiopia, according to a press release issue by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

When the delegation of volunteers first arrived in Ethiopia in February, they were expecting to treat dozens of patients. Instead, they were confronted with thousands of people in need of medical care, who were on the verge of being blinded by cataracts.

“They told us 70, and when we arrived there were 1,400 waiting for us,” said Nati Marcus, Founder of Eye from Zion. “We sent 400 away immediately because there was nothing we could do -- some even had no eyes. But we knew there were about 1,000 we could help.”

After an initial 170 operations in the regions of Debark and Gondar, Marcus planned to return with another team of eye doctors to help those who were still in need of medical assistance.

On March 17, a crew led by Prof. Dov Weinberger, head of ophthalmology at Rabin Medical Center, flew back to the country with representatives from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).

“One thousand is an unbelievable number,” Marcus says. “We worked from morning to night with a local doctor from Ethiopia who helped us in the mobile operating room.”

Supported by MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, the Foreign Ministry and volunteer medical personnel, Eye from Zion enables doctors from around the world to network and share techniques in order to advance medical treatment for improving sight in developing countries.

The volunteers insisted that a 10-year old girl be brought to Israel for further treatment, after she underwent preliminary surgery in Ethiopia to remove a tumor behind her eye. “Everyone said, ‘You are stupid to bring this girl to Israel. She will die there.’ And I said, ‘No, we are going to save her life,’” Marcus recalls. “She is now recovering. In one month she will undergo some plastic surgery and will get a glass eye. And she is going to recover and we are going to send her home.”

Marcus said he hopes that people who benefit from the training and the treatment will go on to become goodwill ambassadors for Israel and the Jewish people.

SUPERNATURAL ISRAEL

The nation of Israel cannot be separated from the supernatural. From her very beginning, Israel has a history of miracles, unexpected occurrences, and unpredictable victories. In this Passover season, we can just study the Lord’s Feast and see amazing things that have been told and remembered for over 3500 years!
There’s Joseph’s unusual journey to 2^nd in authority in the Egyptian empire, to be followed by 430 years in bondage to slavery.

                           

There’s Moses’ supernatural rescue placing him in the care of Pharaoh’s family, his calling to lead his people out of Egypt from a voice that came out of a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire. 

                                      

 There were 10 plagues that came upon the land of Egypt, yet did not touch the district of Goshen where the Israelites lived and then,….there was the blood of a spotless lamb placed on the Israelites doors that protected them from death!

                                        

The Israelite slaves left Egypt with the finest clothes from the Egyptians and all their jewelry. They left 430 years to the day their slavery began. When threatened at the shore of the Red Sea, a cloud blinded the Egyptian army from harming them and the waters of the sea made a dry path for over one million people to cross to the other side.

                                         

 When the army pursued them the water gathered back and drowned them. This is not a typical NY Times  article or something we hear on CNN.  Yet, this is normal for the nation of Israel, historically and in the present.

We can read of Jericho’s walls supernaturally coming down,  supernatural victories for Gideon, Deborah and Samson. Then there’s  David's victory with one stone against an uncircumcised giant and King Hezekiah’s remarkable victory over the powerful King of Assyria. King Jehoshaphat stood against a vast army from Edom.  He followed the Lord’s instructions that said, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.
   

 And so it happened, Jehoshaphat praised the Lord with loud songs of thanks and the enemy attacked each other! And this is just a tiny slice of the incredible history of Israel.

There are the modern wars as well, 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973; Israel, always outnumbered, always the underdog, yet always coming out victorious. It is no different today. Israel, in the natural, cannot stand up against the world aligned together to destroy her.

                               
 None of the above historical events had to do with man’s great ability or alliances. All these victories had to do with the G-d of Israel, His power, His faithfulness. How can anyone explain in 1967, a vast Jordanian army on French Hill approaching a small band of Israeli soldiers, yelling their threatening war cries, preparing to annihilate, to slaughter the Israelis when suddenly they lay their guns down.  Then they start bowing to the ground saying, “Father Ibrahim, Father Ibrahim.” This is testimony that the G-d of Israel is still the same today. He promises, “I the Lord, do not change.” (Malachi chapter 3, verse 6)

So in this time of Passover, as we remember G-d’s  awesome deliverance for His people, let’s remember that He is the one to whom we must pray and seek protection. He is the one in whom we must trust and not be afraid. We must not be overcome by the circumstances and situations. They have been bad before. G-d has spoken about His plans for Israel, His desire for Israel and what He will do for Israel. He will not fail.  It is not time to trust in horses and chariots, in nations and alliances. It is time to trust in the Lord G-d of Israel.  His faithfulness endures FOREVER!

                                               

BEWARE OF PASSOVER

I felt a great urgency Thursday to warn those planning to march into Israel to beware! Almost 3000 years ago, the situation was amazingly similar to the one today.  The threat to Israel and the astonishing results were so impacting, G-d records it 3 times in the scriptures!  Let’s take a look at a historical event that is repeating itself at this very moment!

                                   

We are in the Passover season – Jews everywhere have begun preparation for a week from today when G-d’s rescue and liberation of an entire nation is proclaimed throughout the world.

                                   
One of the most memorable Passovers ever celebrated was when King Hezekiah sent word out to all Israel and Judah inviting everyone to come celebrate the Lord’s Passover. The king’s message told the people to, “RETURN TO THE LORD, THE G-D OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND ISRAEL.” A very large crowd responded and gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate.  They removed all the altars to false gods that were in jerusalem and burned them in the Kidron Valley.  Although the time was off (it was the second month) and many people had not prepared scripturally for the Feast, Hezekiah prayed for them, and asked G-d to pardon all those who have set their hearts to seek the Lord.

                                    

The people celebrated for 7 days in Jerusalem with great rejoicing, singing and instruments of praise. They didn’t want to stop and continued for another 7 days. There was great JOY in Jerusalem! When it was over, the people were so blessed, they went home to their towns and smashed the false idols and destroyed their high places where they had worshipped false gods.

There was a revival in the land! King Hezekiah was a faithful leader, and G-d was blessing His people. At this time, another King decided it was “His Time” to take the land for his own kingdom. He was the king of Assyria (today Syria, Iraq).

                                       

Let’s take a minute to reflect on this scene. The land of Judah/Israel is full of joy and prospering under G-d’s blessing remembering the great deliverance their people had from the hand of Pharaoh and slavery. Today, Israelis have begun the same celebration Hezekiah enjoyed almost 3000 years ago, although today, people don’t just gather from within the nation. They travel over oceans and continents to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem!  

                                                     
It is a joyful prosperous time. However, this year, there are leaders rising up to threaten the nation and march into it to take it for their own. Their threats are similar to the king of Assyria’s:

               ON WHAT ARE YOU BOASTING YOUR CONFIDENCE?

               YOU SPEAK EMPTY WORDS ABOUT “STRATEGY”, “MILITARY
               STRENGTH”

             EGYPT CAN’T HELP YOU!

             ARE YOU DEPENDING ON YAWEH?

             LET’S MAKE A DEAL.

             AND ONE MORE THING – THE LORD (today- allah), HIMSELF,
             TOLD US TO MARCH AGAINST THIS COUNTRY AND DESTROY
              IT!

                                           

Amazing isn’t it? This could be today - arrogant boasts about destruction and G-d being against Israel. And these comments were made directly to those in leadership! After that, the Assyrian commander turned to the population (today it would be the media) and said:

            DO NOT LET HEZEKIAH DECEIVE YOU. HE CANNOT DELIVER YOU.

            DO NOT LET HIM PERSUADE YOU TO TRUST IN THE LORD.

            WHO HAS EVER BEEN DELIVERED FROM THE KING OF ASSYRIA?

            MAKE PEACE WITH US AND WE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.

These are very similar to the threats coming from the nations that surround Israel today…..even Egpyt! The treaty that both Israel and Egypt had honored for 30 years is no longer effective in securing borders and peace! Israel has nowhere to turn, but to their G-d!

                               

Now G-d spoke to King Hezekiah while all these threats were being made and let Hezekiah know that He considered this a personal attack on HIS NAME!  G-d promised Hezekiah, He would take care of it. Even then, the King of Assyria sent one more message to Hezekiah declaring:

             DO NOT LET THE GOD YOU DEPEND ON DECEIVE YOU WHEN
             HE SAYS, “JERUSALEM WILL NOT BE HANDED OVER TO THE KING OF
             ASSYRIA.”  SURELY, YOU’VE HEARD WHAT THE KING OF ASSYRIA
             HAS DONE TO ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES, DESTROYING THEM
             COMPLETELY.  AND WILL YOU BE DELIVERED?

                                                        

 Is this not the voice of Ahmadinejad?  

                                                  

Ismail Haniyeh  of Hamas?
                                              
Hasan Nasrallah of Hezbollah?

                                    
The threats have not changed!  So what happened to Israel when they were threatened so long ago?

At first, Hezekiah did things in the natural to combat the threat to his people. They blocked the flow of water so the Assyrians could not get it. They repaired broken areas of the wall and built towers.  Hezekiah had another wall built outside the existing wall and reinforced the supporting terraces. He also made more large weapons and shields. Today, that would be equivalent to supplying IDF with weapons and reinforcements, enforcing check points and protective walls throughout Israel.

                                           

Most importantly, Hezekiah encouraged his people in the Lord, emphasizing that the Assyrians were depending on the arm of flesh, but Judah had the arm of their G-d. Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cried out to the Lord about the situation…..

                                          WHAT HAPPENED?

The Lord sent an angel who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp! The commander withdrew, went home, and was cut down by his sons in the temple of his god.

We can definitely draw a few conclusions from all this.

1.    JERUSALEM IS VERY SPECIAL TO G-D, SO IS HIS PASSOVER

2.    THE G-D OF ISRAEL IS WORTHY OF OUR BOAST

3.    IT IS WISDOM TO DEPEND ON HIM AND NOT PUT OUR CONFIDENCE IN MEN.

4.    THE G-D OF ISRAEL WILL PERSONALLY DEFEND HIS WORD, HIS NAME, HIS CITY, HIS PEOPLE AND HIS LAND.

                                 

BE BOLD AND COURAGEOUS

How often have you recently heard, “Jews run the world,” or “Jews run the world’s economy”.  Now anyone with a brain would recognize that The Rockefellers, The Kennedys, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are not Jews, neither are The Onassis family, Prince Charles and the royal family or King Abdulla Bin Abdulaziz  al-Saud of Saudi Arabia.  None of these financially elite names are Jewish. Sure there are Jewish people who are wealthy, but there are also many powerful people who are not Jewish. So where did this myth come from and why is it being broadcast throughout the media today?

                                                           

To take this even one step further, why is it acceptable to demonize Israel and Jewish people?  Why do world leaders like Ayatollah Ali Khomani say “Every Muslim is required to arm themselves against Israel,” and no one seems to care?
Why is it when Palestinian terrorist are honored for killing innocent Jews in Israel it goes unnoticed by most of the press?  How can textbooks in the USA describe 9-11’s Jihadists as “people fighting for a cause” and it’s considered an acceptable academic fact?
                                  
Why do some textbooks in England deny the holocaust even after England was bombed by German warplanes and many families took Jewish orphans rescued out of Eastern Europe by brave British citizens?  Why has the western mainstream press failed to report the swastikas and vandalism done on 2 large American campuses two days ago?

                                               

There is a simple two-word answer to all this - “politically correct.”
We hear that phrase almost every day. What exactly does it mean? Is it a “new” idea? Is it correct? Is it dangerous? Is it more dangerous for some groups than for others? These are all worthwhile questions.

                                                        

Political correct thinking began as a concept as Marxism grew in Europe around 1914. It took on its name in 1923 as part of a German think tank called, The Institute for Social Research. It begins by creating “cultural lines” that cannot be crossed. These cultural lines have to do with denying moral values that come from biblical foundations.  I am sure you can think of a few examples right at the top of your head like “Israeli Apartheid,” “Islamophobia,” and “Jewish Aggression”.
Now a key to the “politically correct” ideology is real historical facts must be ignored. In other words, the whole population must feel socially forced to live a lie!
Many of my earlier posts present factual evidence proving these “catch words” cannot stand up against the truth. Yet there is no room in the politically correct world for dissension.

                                                                                    

In fact, part of “cultural Marxism-political correctness” is “DECONSTRUCTION.” Deconstruction allows for the exclusion of facts and the replacement of whatever supports the “politically correct” thought on that subject, in other words whatever meaning is desired.  For this to work effectively - living lies is ok - the society’s moral compass must be removed. It must be free of biblically based foundations.  This results in a targeted attack on Jews as well as Christians.
                                   
 At some point, most informed people start to say – “Hey this stuff is false, it’s a lie.” This leaves the ruling authorities no choice but to  force everyone to support the lie.
This is how the holocaust came about. We wonder how could an educated, Christian society kill masses of innocent people? The society had slowly become a victim of politically correct thinking. Statements such as, “the Jews are the cause of our economic problems,” “Just agree with your teachers, get good grades,” and “don’t draw attention to your opinion, just stay quiet.” And thus millions of people were destroyed.
                                                                                              
This all reminds me of Israel’s first king, a man named Saul. In 1 Samuel, chapter 15, Samuel had given King Saul instructions from the Lord. King Saul halfway followed them and then did what he thought was best based on pressure from those around him. In verse 24, King Saul admits, “I was afraid of the people, so I gave into them.” At that point King Saul lost his kingship that had been given to him by G-d, because he had rejected the word G-d gave him.  King Saul had lost his moral compass. He had convinced himself of something that was not true.
                                   
The opposite spirit of the “politically correct” King Saul is that of Joshua.  When Joshua returned with the spies from the promised land, he did not succumb to the majority’s warped opinions. He stayed in agreement with G-d and said, “we are well able to take the land.” Forty years later, he listened to the Lord tell him to be strong and courageous, to be careful to obey G-d, keep His words in his heart and he will be successful.
                                                                                   
Nothing has really changed in thousands of years!  Today, we are being asked, “what are we going to believe?” “Are we going to stand for the truth or submit to public pressure?” “ARE WE GOING TO BELIEVE G-D?” There really isn’t a choice. The result of following the politically correct leads to death.  The result of a Joshua heart is taking the land, and receiving our inheritance. It’s a “no brainer!” So we challenge the status quo. We seek the truth, even if it takes a bit more effort. We refuse to be brainwashed and to lose our identity and our moral values.

Daniel also gives us an excellent example of a person who did not succumb to politically correct thought. He didn’t eat what others ate. He didn’t bow when others bowed. He didn’t water down his dream interpretations in fear of being punished. He was a man who knew his G-d and did great exploits. He ended his life having honored truth and honored G-d and influenced many.  We can do the same!”

                                                        
                                                     
So the next time you hear about “Israeli aggression” count how many bombs have been launched into Israel from Gaza. When you read Israel is an “apartheid state” compare the freedoms and benefits Israeli Arabs have to those Arabs living in Syria or Saudi Arabia. When you hear Jews run the world economy google “Rockefeller” or "King Abdullah" and find out who has the wealth! 

CHECK VIDEO LINK FOR U.S. PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STAND ON ISRAEL

Sometimes things are just very fuzzy when it comes to leaders, politics and where everyone stands. The United States currently has a president who repeatedly says he supports Israel, but then his actions speak the opposite. A 30 minute video has been put together with footage of the president talking and documentation of what has been done by his adminsitration concerning Israel. Please take the time to go to the side barand click the top video link. It may answer many of your questions.