The Olive Tree Initiative -Was There a Meeting With Hamas in 2009?

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk




I am cross-posting an article by the Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism. This article reports that, pursuant to a California State Freedom of Information Act, a letter has been obtained from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) files. The letter was reportedly written in 2009 by the Orange County Jewish Federation to UC-Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake and concerns a reported meeting between student participants in the 2009 Olive Tree Initiative trip to Israel and the West Bank with a reputed official of Hamas, one Aziz Duwaik (aka Dweik, Dwaik, aka Abdel Aziz Duwaik). This individual is identified as the speaker of the Palestinian Authority Legislature and the highest ranking member of Hamas in the West Bank.


http://octaskforce.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/letter-uc-irvine-olive-tree-initiative-students-met-with-hamas-leader-in-2009-trip/


Here is a report by JTA, which contains a statement by the OC Jewish Federation.


http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/03/31/3086657/jewish-organization-protests-uc-student-meeting-with-hamas-leader


What is missing from the above report is the fact that while the Federation and Hillel were defending themselves from 2010 to the present from criticism over the OTI's alleged visits with ISM activists and criticizing the person who revealed these ties, they were apparently keeping this whole 2009 incident and their correspondance with UCI under wraps. Only a California Freedom of Information request has brought the letter and the alleged meeting to light. Also, it would be nice to know who exactly, if anyone, told students to keep silent about meeting with Duwaik.

It gets more interesting. Here is an article on the topic from the Orange County Register on 3-31-11:


http://www.ocregister.com/news/uci-294427-students-jewish.html


"Cathy Lawhon, spokeswoman for UCI, said 'meeting with people of many different points of view is consistent with (Olive Tree's) mission."


"Their stated mission is to hear varying points of view, and to take people of varying points of view over there," Lawhon said. "It's not a homogenous group at all."

"Lawhon said more trips to the Mideast have taken place since 2009, but that she is unaware if additional meetings with Duwaik or other Hamas officials were held."


I beg to differ. Meeting with people with varying points of view is one thing. Meeting with members of organizations designated by our government as terrorist organizations is quite another. In addition, the JTA article quotes a Federation spokesman as stating that the university assurred the Federation that such an incident would not happen again and that it has not. Yet, the university spokesperson seems to have no idea as to what happened on the subsequent 2010 trip, nor does she seem to have any problem with what happened in 2009.

Here is the Wikipedia entry for Aziz Duwaik.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aziz_Duwaik


In way of background for those readers unfamiliar with the Olive Tree Initiative, it was formed in 2007 at UC-Irvine in order to send selected groups of Jewish, Muslim and other students to Israel and the West Bank to meet with various figures on both sides of the Israel-Palestinian dispute. To date, there have been three trips, 2008-2009-2010. In addition, the program has spread to other UC campuses. Funding for the travel of Jewish students is handled primarily by the Rose Project, which was established by the OC Jewish Federation. In addition the OTI, in its brochure, solicits public donations. Finally, it is known that the Federation and Hillel of UCI have supported OTI-the Federation monetarily. At the university, the program falls under the Dept of Social Sciences.

In the past few months, there has been an on-going controversy within the Jewish community concerning some of the Palestinian figures that the Jewish students have been meeting with in the Holy Land. They include figures who have been part of or even helped found the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), an international organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

As stated, the OTI claims that it is exposing the students to both sides of the dispute. The Jewish Federation claims that this exposure makes the Jewish students better equipped to argue Israel's side. Yet, many members of the local Jewish community, including those who have donated money to the Federation, are questioning the wisdom of sending Jewish students to be influenced by older, experienced activists who are dedicated to deligitimizing Israel through so-called peaceful protests and the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement (BDS). The OTI-sponsored speaking appearance in November of 2010 of George S Rishmawi at UCI also sparked questions. Rishmawi, is a Christian Palestinian figure, who was a co-founder of ISM, with whom he claims not to be presently involved. He is one of the top OTI contacts in the Palestinian territories.

It should be pointed out here that if Jewish students want to travel to the Middle East and meet with such persons, that is their absolute right. However, this travel is funded by others. It is also true that donors have the absolute right to know how their money is being spent, and if they disagree, they have the right to stop donating.

When, several months ago, a local Jewish woman, who has been following events on the UCI campus for a couple of years, began to ask questions about the nature of the travel and the nature of the people involved, she was met with an avalanche of blow-back from the OC Jewish Federation and Hillel. Her claims about George S. Rishmawi were called false. She was accused of causing division within the Jewish community. She was called a liar. Past and present student participants of OTI trips contributed open letters to the OC Jewish Experience web site denouncing the complaints and defending the OTI. In addition, several dozen Jewish students' names were added to a Hillel letter of support, in which many of the students involved had not given their concurrence to have their names included. In the OC Jewish Life monthly publication, a rabbi, who writes regularly for the monthly, said that the woman should apologize to the Federation for speaking out without bringing her concerns to them first (which she, in fact, had done).

That brings us to the release of the aforementioned letter. If the statements in the letter are factual, then this OTI controversy goes far beyond the alleged involvement of the ISM et. al. It now involves Hamas. This organization is appropriately labeled as a terrorist organization by our government. It is an organization that refuses negotitions with Israel as a waste of time. Its charter calls for the elimination of every Jew and the elimination of the Jewish state. As we speak, Hamas, the government of Gaza, continues to lob missiles into southern Israel. The Federation letter, of course, shows appropriate concern that this meeting reportedly took place. Unfortunately, what should have happened in 2009 and in 2010 in the middle of the controversy within the Jewish community, apparently did not happen. There was apparently no notification publicly that a major problem reportedly had occurred during the 2009 trip. While the Federation and Hillel were defending themselves on the OTI issue, this Duwaik matter was apparently kept under wraps-as they were criticizing the lady who was trying to bring light to the very questions surrounding the OTI. All the while, this letter was sitting in someone's files, out of public view. It took a Freedom of Information request to bring this all to light.

It should also be noted that both the 2008 and 2010 itineraries for the OTI trips have been posted on the OTI websites and thus, posted on this blog. What cannot be found on the OTI website is the 2009 itinerary. Now we can only wonder why.

It is now time for the OC Jewish Federation, Hillel, the university, and the Olive Tree Initiative to come clean on this matter and explain exactly what happened in September of 2009 during the OTI trip-and why the information remained out of the public domain while they (UCI excepted) were, in effect, shooting the messenger, the one woman who questioned what this Olive Trip Initiative is all about.

A New Definition Of Courage

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, the world has witnessed the remarkable strength and fortitude of the Japanese people. While other nations experience looting, rioting, and the full spectrum of criminal behavior whenever a disaster (man-made or natural) occurs. Not so with the nation of Japan.  Politeness, sharing and the concept of community embodies this nation's soul.  No where in Japan this is unquestionable than with the 50 men who have volunteered to stay at the doomed nuclear facility at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

Workers at the disaster-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan say they expect to die from radiation sickness as a result of their efforts to bring the reactors under control, the mother of one of the men tells Fox News.

The so-called Fukushima 50, the team of brave plant workers struggling to prevent a meltdown to four reactors critically damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, are being repeatedly exposed to dangerously high radioactive levels as they attempt to bring vital cooling systems back online.

Speaking tearfully through an interpreter by phone, the mother of a 32-year-old worker said: “My son and his colleagues have discussed it at length and they have committed themselves to die if necessary to save the nation.

“He told me they have accepted they will all probably die from radiation sickness in the short term or cancer in the long-term.”

The woman spoke to Fox News on the condition of anonymity because, she said, plant workers had been asked by management not to communicate with the media or share details with family members in order to minimize public panic.

She could not confirm if her son or other workers were already suffering from radiation sickness. But she added: “They have concluded between themselves that it is inevitable some of them may die within weeks or months. They know it is impossible for them not to have been exposed to lethal doses of radiation.”

The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (or TEPCO), says medical teams conduct regular testing on the restoration workers for signs of contamination-related illness. It claims there have been no further cases following the three workers who were treated last week after coming into direct contact with radioactive water. There are no reports of new members of the Fukushima 50 developing radiation sickness.

Although two suffered radiation burns to their legs and ankles and absorbed radiation internally, they have since been released from the hospital and are regularly being checked for signs of any deterioration in their condition, says TEPCO.

The company has pledged to improve the tough conditions for workers who stay on the site due to the short turnaround of shifts on safety grounds.

Some restorers directly tackling the problems with the fuel rod containment chambers are limited to 15 minutes at a time inside the reactor buildings or working near highly radioactive substances, including traces of plutonium that have appeared at numerous locations within the plant complex.

Living conditions for the hundreds of employees staying within the plant’s perimeter to support the restoration efforts are also equally as hazardous, say the authorities.

Banri Kaieda, the interior minister who also acts as a deputy head of the nuclear disaster task force jointly set up by the government and TEPCO, said 500 to 600 people were at one point lodging in a building within the complex. He told a media conference it was “not a situation in which minimum sleep and food could be ensured.”

Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says that workers were only eating two basic meals of crackers and dried rice a day, and sleeping in conference rooms and hallways in the building.

According to Kaieda, not all of the workers had apparently been provided with lead sheeting to shield themselves from potentially radiation-contaminated floors while sleeping.

“My son has been sleeping on a desk because he is afraid to lie on the floor. But they say high radioactivity is everywhere and I think this will not save him,” said the mother of the worker who spoke to Fox News.

Full Story

True Bravery knows no skin color, no one faith, no one nation.  It comes from the depths of one's soul, stirred by conviction and nourished by one's conscience.

Dr. Masaru Emoto released this statement:

To All People Around the World,

Please send your prayers of love and gratitude to water at the nuclear plants in Fukushima, Japan.

By the massive earthquakes of Magnitude 9 and surreal massive tsunamis, more than 10,000 people are still missing. It has been 16 days already since the disaster happened. What makes it worse is that water at the reactors of Fukushima Nuclear Plants started to leak, and it's contaminating the ocean, air and water molecules of the surrounding areas.

Human wisdom has not been able to do much to solve the problem, but we are only trying to cool down the anger of radioactive materials in the reactors by discharging water to them.

Is there really nothing else to do?

I think there is. During over twenty year research of hado measuring and water crystal photographic technology, I have been witnessing that water can turn positive when it receives pure vibration of human prayer no matter how far away it is.

The energy formula of Albert Einstein, E=MC2 really means that Energy = number of people and the square of people's consciousness.

Now is the time to understand the true meaning. Let us all join the prayer ceremony as fellow citizens of the planet earth.

I would like to ask all people, not just in Japan, but all around the world to please help us to find a way out the crisis of this planet

The Fukushima 50 will all certainly die of Radiation Sickness from their heroic efforts. Let us all pray that their sacrifice will not be in vain.  That they will be able to do the impossible, and stop this disaster from destroying a good chunk of Northern Japan.

Right Hook To al Jazeera!

By Findalis

This video is from 2009 but it could have been yesterday or today.

Captain Avichai Adra'i  (IDF) is not only impressive in what he says, but in how he says it.  He speaks clearly and forcefully to the Muslim world.  No PC or Diplomatic double speak.  He basically reads the Muslim world the riot act.  On al Jazeera to boot.

H/T Elder of Ziyon

What Should Be Our Message?

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk


In the wake of the Yorba Linda protest in February and the on-going blow back, I feel it is appropriate to form some sort of idea of what our message regarding radical Islamists in our country should be. I had the privilege of being able to speak at Yorba Linda though my own words apparently are not on video/YouTube, or I would post it myself. As I said previously, I am very comfortable with everything I said at Yorba Linda. I also defend Deb Pauly, who is taking a lot of heat for her words. I heard what she said, and in my view, she has nothing to apologize for. I believe that her strongest statements were pertaining to Jihadists, not peaceful Muslims. Below, I am going to outline what I feel our message should be in regards to this very sensitive issue. I am speaking for no one other than myself.

First of all, it would be wrong to paint all American Muslims (or foreign Muslims for that matter) as Jihadists. As I said at Yorba Linda, the Muslims I know love America.

Yet, we must be open and honest that radical anti-American thought does exist within many parts of the Muslim community. There are those that want to bring Islamic rule and sharia law to this country and indeed the world even if it takes 100 years.

Shariah law is antithetical to everything this country stands for when it comes to our freedoms and tolerance for others, including gays and women. It cannot be allowed to implant itself here in any form-not even within the Muslim communities. To do that would be to abandon Muslim women, gays and apostates as if they had no constitutional protections.

Many of the leading Islamic organizations in this country, while pretending to be moderate and mainstream, are in fact, subversive to the core. They must be called out, and we must encourage Muslims of good will to recognize their true nature and reject them. We must also demand that our government authorities aggressively investigate these groups and if warranted by the evidence, prosecute them vigorously. In too many cases, suspect individuals and organizations have been admitted to the highest levels of our political circles and granted status as "moderates".

We must not bow to political correctness and the fear of being labeled, "Islamophobes". This should never be about hating people because they are Muslims. It is about fighting radical, militant Islam as a political ideology that seeks to destroy this country from within and rebuild it the way they want it. Make no mistake; these organizations are making a full-scale effort to discredit those who know the danger that exists and have the courage to speak out. Their goal is to intimidate and silence us.

We must demand that our political leaders understand the threat and take the appropriate measures to defend this country. This is an issue that tea parties should take up nation-wide. To date, tea party rallies have been peaceful. They must remain that way and keep away those who want to spread a message of hate. Insults and hateful rhetoric are not necessary, nor are they helpful, which we learned at Yorba Linda. We must always remember that the media and others are watching and eager to report any negative occurrences.

The Muslim community must understand that they are free to practice their religion as long as it does no harm to others-even within their own communities. We have a long tradition of religious tolerance, and our history shows we have generally gotten it right. However, such ideas as honor-killings, death for apostates and gays, as well as expressions of hate toward non-Muslims, especially Jews, have no place in our society. And make no mistake; we stand with our Jewish fellow-citizens against this resurgence in anti-Semitism. We also expect Muslims to oppose terrorism, to defend this country from such attacks, and fully cooperate with the authorities when they have information. Some have, and I salute them for that. However, much more is needed. I have no wish to see American Muslims isolated in American society or considered a 5th column, but it is clear that there are elements within the Muslim community who are, indeed, a 5th column. Many, if not most, are in positions of power and influence within the Muslim community. They must be exposed and rejected.

Finally, I close with a link to Steve Emerson's latest breaking article on a conference just held in the UK.


http://www.investigativeproject.org/2713/no-holds-barred-at-islamist-confab

The message is that if Anjem Choudary and the rest of his barbarians think they are going to take over this country and impose shariah, they are sadly mistaken. There are millions of Americans who stand ready to fight that to the death if necessary. Of course, we need to refrain from stigmatizing an entire group of people, but we also need to continue to stand up, speak out, and defend our values in a peaceful, lawful manner that, at the same time, does not submit to intimidation.

Who says Muslims do not have any influence...we're fight'n them in our own legislature bodies

Ban Sharia Law: Why did it ever get to that point? ~ Just how much influence do Muslims have?

by Norman E. Hooben

About a week ago while chatting with a friend about an article I wrote that ended with the words, “The Muslims are coming! The Muslims are coming.”  The friend interrupted with, “Not in our lifetime.”  After a short exchange of words I knew instantly that he was not up to date with current events.  Although I’m not sure where he gets his news (hints of the MSM abound!) and his lack of knowledge about the Quran was too obvious.  And I don’t want to get into a discussion about that heinous book of Islam, for all of us who keep up to date know that Muslims justify their hate for western culture and all religions not to their liking by placing all of their faith in a book written by a liar, a forger and plagiarizer, a sorcerer, and a magician, a soothsayer and poet, and last but not least, a madman perhaps as a result of being possessed by demons.  Simply put…and it is so written, they want to kill us in the name of Allah.  Definitely not the religion of peace!  If fellow blogger Bernie were present he would probably say this to my friend, “Deny all that your eyes see, deny all that your ears hear, deny the stench of Islam all you want.  Facts contradict your precious denials.”

Now if I may refer back to the line above, “The Muslims are coming. The Muslims are coming.”  They are in fact, here…not totally in control yet, but here!  Notice I said, “not totally in control” for they are indeed partially in control…just who do you think put that Muslim in the White House! (And again, I don’t want to get into whether or not he’s a Muslim; as Bernie would say, “Facts contradict your precious denials.” Wake up and stop putting all your faith into the MSM!).

Now comes an article out of St. Louis, Missouri this past Wednesday titled, “Former terrorist urges legislators to ban Sharia law in courts”  Just how much influence do Muslims have that we have to fight our own legislators to prevent laws foreign to our American customs and legal system from entering and especially, interfering with, our lives. 

Before going on to post the above article maybe we should go back a read an earlier commentary regarding one of the most accurate predictions ever assembled in so-called, “fictional account” Are We Facing ‘The West’s Last Chance’? by Janet Levy over at the American Thinker website:

In the first chapter of The West's Last Chance (2005), Washington Times Editor Tony Blankley presents a fictional account of a neck-and-neck political race in 2007 America.  Entitled "The Nightmare Scenario," the chapter portrays a presidential candidate, facing polls that indicate an even race and rationalizing to seize an opportunity and secure his dreams for high office.  In the heat of a political rally with a Muslim American audience clamoring for shariah law, he capitulates to their demands.

In 2005, when the book was published, U.S. political pandering to American Muslims was already an established reality.  Since 9/11 and continuing today, our government bends over backward to avoid even a hint of negativity toward the purveyors of Islamic doctrine whose very mission is to destroy us.  Pandering to Islam has reached epidemic proportions and threatens our very existence as a free society. 

This dangerous trend began immediately after 9/11 when President George W. Bush reached out to Muslims, repeating the hollow-sounding mantra that Islam is a religion of peace.  This occurred despite prima facie and doctrinal evidence to the contrary.  Given that Muslims following the revered Koranic path of jihad had perpetrated (and continue now) the vast majority of worldwide terrorist attacks, the president's message was incongruous with reality.  Of course, the silence was deafening from the Allah hu-Akbar ("Allah is Great") corner, which instead focused on fears of burgeoning Islamophobia rather than shared anguish over the loss of life and destruction or condemnation of the hijackers' martyrdom operation.  Story continues here

Former terrorist urges legislators to ban Sharia law in courts

From St Louis Today

JEFFERSON CITY - A former terrorist, Kalam Saleem, phoned in to a House committee today, urging legislators to ban Sharia law in state courts.

Saleem was formerly associated with the Palestinian Liberation Organization and later with Saddam Hussein, according to the biography he offered by phone to members of the House Judiciary Committee.

During the call, he offered support for a bill sponsored by Rep. Don Wells, R-Cabool, which proposes changing the state constitution to block courts from making decisions based on foreign laws - specifically Sharia law, the religious code of Islam.

Saleem, who now practices Christianity, said that Sharia law should not be allowed in state courts because it is restrictive and oppressive, and that it discriminates against women and homosexuals.

Wells took a similar stance, if a less subtle one: That Islamic law is a dangerous influence on secular judicial proceedings.

"This is to protect the people of America," Wells said of his bill.

He went on to compare Sharia law to a disease, like polio. Rep. Jason Kander, D-Kansas City, stopped him to confirm.

"Sharia law is like polio?" Kander asked.

"Absolutely, as far as I'm concerned in this country," Wells responded.

Kander, who spent time in Afghanistan gathering intelligence for the military, said he found that "offensive."

Wells' bill is one of two measures currently under consideration by the Judiciary Committee that would ban foreign laws in Missouri courts.

Another bill, sponsored by Rep. Paul Curtman, R-Pacific, does not address Sharia law by name, but would similarly prohibit courts from citing foreign laws in decisions.

Both Curtman and Wells classified their bills as preventative, and did not offer examples of any courts using Sharia or other foreign laws.

The move to ban foreign laws, Sharia or otherwise, has been controversial since it received unambiguous backing from House Speaker Steve Tilley, R-Perryville, earlier this month.

"We believe that the laws of this country should trump any other laws regarding the citizens of our country within our borders," Tilley said in a statement at the time.

That support from the top legislator in the House could propel the legislation forward, but the two bills would not move through committee to the full House until after legislative spring break at the earliest.

___________________

If you haven't already done so, I highly suggest, Today it is me, but tomorrow it is you

More suggested reading: Universal Periodic Review: High Treason ~ If this is not an attempt to downplay the threat openly declared by Muslims then you better get ready to trade in your Christian crucifix or your Jewish Menorah for some form of Islamic idol sitting under a crescent moon.  The Muslims are coming!  The Muslims are coming! ...and the gate is held open by the Muslim in the White House.

The Jewish Left and Israel

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk


Jerry Gordon has written a thought-provoking article in the New English Review in the wake of the massacre of the Fogel family in Itamar. It covers many areas including the destructive effect left-wing Jewish groups in America are having on Israel. Gordon's article also describes recent events at UC-Irvine and the on-going controversy over the Olive Tree Initiative, of which I have written.

http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/85287/sec_id/85287

I heartily concur with Gordon that elements of the Jewish left in America have forsaken Israel and joined her enemies. The two most glaring examples are Jewish Voice for Peace, which, in my view, might just as well re-name itself "Jews for Jihad", as well as J Street, that George Soros-funded bunch that claims to be pro-Israel but sides with the Palestinians on every issue.




With the turmoil in the Middle East, the above-mentioned atrocity in Itamar, and Hamas lobbing rockets into Israel, it seems to me to be high time to call out those groups on the left that are working to further Israel's destruction-be they Jewish or not.

Does This Make You Wonder?

By Findalis

The great mystery..............

Ever wonder why no one ever came forward from President Obama's past saying they knew him, attended school with him, was his friend, etc. ?? Not one person has ever come forward from his past.

VERY, VERY STRANGE..

This should really be a cause for great concern. To those who voted for him, you may have elected an unqualified, inexperienced shadow man.
Reminds me of The Manchurian Candidate....

Let's face it. As insignificant as we all are .. someone whom we went to school with remembers our name or face ... someone remembers we were the clown or the dork or the brain or the quiet one or the bully or something about us.

George Stephanopoulos of ABC News said the same thing during the 2008 campaign. He questions why no one has acknowledged the president was in their classroom or ate in the same cafeteria or made impromptu speeches on campus.

Stephanopoulos also was a classmate of Obama at Columbia -- the class of 1984. He says he never had a single class with him.

While he is such a great orator, why doesn't anyone in Obama's college class remember him? And, why won't he allow Columbia to release his records?

NOBODY REMEMBERS OBAMA AT COLUMBIA !

Looking for evidence of Obama's past, Fox News contacted 400 Columbia University students from the period when Obama claims to have been there, but none remembered him.

Wayne Allyn Root was, like Obama, a political science major at Columbia who also graduated in 1983. In 2008, Root says of Obama, "I don't know a single person at Columbia that knew him, and they all know me. I don't have a classmate who ever knew Barack Obama at Columbia .. EVER!

Nobody recalls him. Root adds that he was also, like Obama, "Class of '83 political science, pre-law" and says, "You don't get more exact or closer than that." Never met him in my life, don't know anyone who ever met him. At the class reunion, our 20th reunion five years ago, who was asked to be the speaker of the class? Me. No one ever heard of Barack! And five years ago, nobody even knew who he was.

The guy who writes the class notes, who's kind of the, as we say in New York , the macha who knows everybody, has yet to find a person, a human who ever met him."

Obama's photograph does not appear in the school's yearbook and Obama consistently declines requests to talk about his years at Columbia,  provide school records, or provide the name of any former classmates or friends while at Columbia ..

NOTE: Root graduated as Valedictorian from his high school, Thornton-Donovan School, then graduated from Columbia University in 1983 as a Political Science major in the same class that Barack Hussein Obama was supposed to have been in.

Some other interesting questions..

Why was Obama's law license inactivated in 2002?

Why was Michelle's law license inactivated by Court Order?

It is circulating that according to the U.S. Census, there is only one Barack Obama but 27 Social Security numbers and over 80 aliases.
 WHAT!! ??? The Social Security number he uses now originated in Connecticut where he is never reported to have lived.

No wonder all his records are sealed!

Somewhere, someone knew him in school...before he "reorganized" Chicago & burst upon the scene at the 2004 Democratic Convention & made us all swoon with his charm, poise & speaking pazzazz.

WHO IS HE?

Why Is THIS Acceptable To The World?

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

WARNING: THESE PHOTOS ARE EXTREMELY GRAPHIC AND NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN.

Why is the MURDER of 5 innocent Jews acceptable to the world and the world will scream bloody murder if an Arab develops a hangnail?

Photos of the murder of the Fogel family in the town of Itamar, north of Jerusalem, on March 11, 2011 by Arab terrorists.

These photos were released by the family. They have given full permission for their use in order to report on the horrific reality of murdering children and babies in their sleep, "simply because they are Jewish."

3-year-old Jewish boy

11-year-old son

Father and 3-month-old baby

3-year-old Jewish boy

This is the true face of terror. This is what the creatures who call themselves Palestinians dance, sing and rejoice in.  This is the true face of Islam.  Forget the lies CAIR, the liberal left and the idiot media tell you. Look carefully on this family. This could be your family.  If Muslims don't get their way, they resort to violence like this.

Please remember the 3 remaining children of the Fogel family who buried their parents and siblings today.  One day part of a happy, loving family, the next day ORPHANED!

He Died From A Broken Heart

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Just a pair of best friends until one was killed by a road side bomb. Yet the love this dog had for his partner was so great that within the day he joined his master/friend.

Liam and Theo were a team, fast friends doing a dangerous job -- searching out roadside bombs laid by insurgents in Afghanistan.

The jovial British soldier and his irrepressible dog worked and played together for months, and died on the same day. On Thursday they came home, flown back to Britain in a somber repatriation ceremony for the soldier remembered for his empathy with animals and the companion he loved.

Lance Cpl. Liam Tasker, a dog handler with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, was killed in a firefight with insurgents in Helmand Province on March 1 as he searched for explosives with Theo, a bomb-sniffing springer spaniel mix. The dog suffered a fatal seizure hours later at a British army base, likely brought about by stress.

Military officials won't go so far as to say Theo died of a broken heart -- but that may not be far from the truth.

"I think we often underestimate the grieving process in dogs," said Elaine Pendlebury, a senior veterinarian with animal charity PDSA. "Some dogs react very severely to their partner's loss."

She said it was not uncommon for pets to respond to an owner's death by refusing food and becoming sick -- and the bond between working dogs and their handlers is especially close.

"The bonding that I have seen between soldiers or police and their dogs is fantastic. When you see them working together, it's really one unit."

A military Hercules plane carrying Tasker's body and Theo's ashes touched down Thursday at a Royal Air Force base in southwest England. As the funeral cortege of black vehicles drove slowly away, it was saluted by a long line of military dog handlers, their dogs at their sides. A black Labrador retriever sat quietly beside its handler as the hearse carrying the flag-draped coffin disappeared from view.

At the nearby town of Wootton Bassett, where people line the streets in a mark of respect each time a dead solder is repatriated, dozens stood silently -- some with dogs at their feet -- as Tasker's friends and family laid roses atop the hearse.

The Ministry of Defense said Theo's ashes would be presented to Tasker's family later at a private ceremony.

Tasker, 26, from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, spent six years as an army mechanic before joining the military working dog unit in 2007. He felt he had found his calling.

"I love my job and working together with Theo," Tasker said in a profile of the pair released by the Ministry of Defense before his death. "He has a great character and never tires. He can't wait to get out and do his job and will stop at nothing."

The soldier and the 22-month-old dog had been in Afghanistan for almost six months, uncovering roadside bombs and weapons in a dangerous daily routine.

Theo became a bit of a military celebrity last month after the defense ministry released photos and video of him and Tasker to highlight the lifesaving work of military dogs. The footage, now deeply poignant, shows Theo -- energetic, ears cocked, tail wagging -- alongside Tasker searching a compound for explosives.

The ministry said then that Theo had been so successful -- finding 14 hidden bombs and weapons caches, a record for a team in Afghanistan -- that the dog's tour of duty had been extended by a month.

Tasker was the 358th British soldier to die in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Theo was the sixth British military dog killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001.

There are calls for Theo to receive the Dickin medal, which since 1943 has recognized wartime bravery by animals, from carrier pigeons to a World War II commando collie.

The loyalty of some dogs is legendary, from Greyfriars Bobby, a 19th-century Skye terrier who guarded his master's Edinburgh grave for 14 years, to Hachiko, a Japanese dog who awaited his owner's return at a train station every day for years after the man's death. Both are commemorated with statues.

Tasker's father, Ian, said Theo would have been devastated by Liam's death.

"I truly believe when Theo went back to the kennel, that that would have a big, big impact because Liam wasn't there to comfort him," he told ITV news.

Tasker's mother, Jane Duffy agreed. "I'm not nurse or a vet (but) I would like to believe (Theo) died of a broken heart to be with Liam," she told the broadcaster.

Tasker's colleague's recalled the soldier's bond with his dog and zealous attention to duty in tributes released by the defense ministry.

"A natural with animals, he had an affection for his dog that truly was a window to his soul," said Maj. Alexander Turner, a commander of Tasker's unit.

He "was here to save life, finding explosive devices that kill more farmers than combatants in our area," Turner said. "His fortitude and zeal for that perilous task was humbling; it imbued us all with confidence. He used to joke that Theo was impossible to restrain but I would say the same about Lance Corporal Tasker."

Tasker's uncle, Billy McCord, said the soldier had been due to leave Afghanistan soon and worried about being separated from Theo.

"He actually said at one point that when he finished his tour he was not sure what would happen to his dog and that he could be separated from his dog," McCord told the local Courier newspaper in Scotland. "That was preying on his mind, but they are not separated now."

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Dogs mourn for the ones they love.  Some deeper than others.  Theo was one of them in which even death could not part him from his beloved master.

I believe both have gone to a better place, a place of beauty, plenty and love. A place where the 2 of them are having the joy of friendship without having to risk their lives on the bombs that took their lives.

The King Hearings-Why They Are Needed

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk


Congressman Peter King (R-NY) kicks off his hearings on Islamic extremism in this country in the face of great controversy. His critics, including Keith Ellison (D-MN), the ACLU and CAIR object that this will amount to nothing more than a witch hunt against innocent American Muslims. No doubt it will shine a spotlight on the Muslim communities in America and may increase suspicion. Yet, the suspicion is already present and should be addressed and discussed. Congressman King insists that he is not trying to defame the vast majority of American Muslims or paint them with the same brush. Yet, the hearings are indeed necessary for no other reason than we cannot ignore what is staring us right in the face. We have a problem here in America, and we need to confront it and put it in the proper perspective in fairness to all.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/09/battle-lines-drawn-king-hearing-radical-islam/

On 9-11, 19 men, all from the Middle East, men who should not have been in this country to begin with, took 3,000 lives. Since then, several smaller attacks have been carried out or thwarted. Many of these attacks or would- be attacks have been carried out by home-grown terrorists. They share one common characteristic; they were all perpetrated by Muslims. Does that mean all American Muslims are terrorists or potential terrorists? No-far from it. Yet, we have to face the facts. Some are.

From Ft Hood to the Underwear Bomber to the Times Square Bomber to the Shoe Bomber to Anwar al Awlaki to the Ft Dix conspiracy and on and on, Muslims have been involved in one plot after another to carry out mass murder in the US. The FBI deserves credit for having foiled so many would-be acts of terror.

Yet, we all know that another 9-11 is likely and that smaller acts of terror are a certainty. And when they happen, they will be carried out by Muslims.

In addition, we also know that many mosques in the US are breeding grounds for would-be terrorists. Many imams are giving sermons (or outside speeches) laced with hate against this country, its freedoms, its traditions, and non-Muslims. Examples? How about the so-called Blind Sheikh, Omar Abdel Rahman, now in prison on terror conspiracy charges? How about Awlaki himself? How about Luqman Ameen Abdullah in Detroit, killed in a shootout with the FBI? How about folks like Imam Alim Musa, who praises Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran while openly telling audiences that Islam will take down and take over America? How about Mohammed al-Asi, the imam who said several years ago at UC-Irvine that "you can take a Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew"?

What about some of these organizations like CAIR, ICNA, ISNA, MPAC and others, not only connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, but in the case of some, named as "un-indicted co-conspirators" in the Holy Land Foundation trial in Dallas? (CAIR has now been removed from that list by judicial order.) What connections, if any, do they have with US-recognized terror groups in the Middle East, such as Hamas or Hezbollah?

And isn't it time that someone was called under oath to answer questions about what connections these Muslim Student Associations have with radical groups-including the Muslim Brotherhood?

No reasonable person wants to see these hearings turn into an indictment of all American Muslims. I sure don't. If anything, King has caved into opposition demands to exclude certain witnesses like Steven Emerson, who could spell it all out chapter and verse for the committee. King says he wants to concentrate on Muslim witnesses. It is good that he will call Zuhdi Jasser of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. That should encourage other moderate Muslims of good will to come out of the shadows and tell the committee of their own concerns and fears.

Yes, fears of what they can expect if they speak out against the radicals.

I would hope that the leaders of CAIR, ISNA, MPAC and other so-called "moderate" organizations will also be called-not just to give their prepared statements, but answer hard questions under oath. For example, how about Nihad Awad, the head of CAIR? He could be asked about how exactly CAIR was formed back in 1994 and the involvement and connections with the Muslim Brotherhood. How about the obvious radicals, such as the Islamic Thinkers Society and Shariah4America? Let them tell the American people publicly what their goals are.

Make no mistake; there is an organized effort going on to radicalize Muslim youth in America. It involves certain mosques, certain religious leaders and certain organizations that portray themselves as moderate. Much of what is going on takes place on university campuses. My biggest fear is that due to political correctness, the King hearings will not even scratch the surface of what is going on.

It would not be fair to say that all or even most American Muslims represent a 5th column in this country. But a 5th column is out there. We want American Muslims of good will to join with us in rooting it out. Some have. Some of the would-be attacks have indeed been thwarted when Muslims tipped off the FBI. That is highly commendable. However, more of that is needed. It is not helpful when certain organizations actively discourage their followers from cooperating with the police.

The King hearings are needed, and if they do their job, can be highly effective. Peter King is no Joe McCarthy, but if the committee shies away from certain areas or refuses to pin down witnesses under oath, then they will be a failure. The stakes are simply too high. What are those stakes?

Hundreds, if not thousands of American lives.