Akiva Eldar / U.S. tax dollars fund rabbi who excused killing gentile babies
The White House can blame itself the next time Israeli settlers torch a mosque near Nablus.
By Akiva Eldar Tags: Israel settlements Barack Obama Israel news Akiva EldarThe White House condemns the torching of a mosque, yet respectable Americans contribute to a yeshiva whose rabbi said it's okay to kill gentile babies. It is no surprise that the American administration tacitly, if unenthusiastically, accepted the excuse that the map of national priority zones the cabinet approved on Sunday does not violate the decision to freeze construction in the settlements.
How can President Barack Obama object to furthering education in a settlement like Yitzhar, located in the heart of the West Bank? After all, his own tax revenues contribute to the flourishing of the Od Yosef Chai Shechem yeshiva, the settlement's crowning glory.
This is the same yeshiva whose rabbi said it is permissible to kill gentile babies because of "the future danger that will arise if they are allowed to grow into evil people like their parents." In his latest book, the head of the yeshiva, Yitzhak Shapira, who bears the honorable title of rabbi, even permits killing anyone "who, through his remarks and so forth, weakens our kingdom" (Obama, beware!).
On November 17, this column reported that the Education Ministry's division for Torah institutions transferred more than NIS 1 million to this yeshiva in 2006 and 2007. The Welfare Ministry made do with a mere NIS 150,000.
A report on donations submitted by the yeshiva to the registrar of nonprofit organizations revealed that the American public also participates in financing the message coming out of Yitzhar. It states that in 2007 and 2008, the yeshiva received NIS 102,547 from an American foundation known as the Central Fund of Israel.
The American investigative reporter Philip Weiss says on his web site (mondoweiss.net) that money given to this fund is considered a tax-deductible donation. That means the thousands of shekels the fund sent to the settlement of Yitzhar were deducted from the donors' annual tax payments to the American treasury.
According to the fund's latest financial statement, it gave some $8 million to religious organizations in 2006, earmarked for establishing synagogues and schools, aiding the needy and "urgent security needs."
The fund's headquarters are located on the third floor of the Marcus Brothers Textiles store on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. Its director is Jay Marcus, a resident of the settlement of Efrat.
His mother, Hadassah, is the fund's president and his father, Arthur, is vice president. Both parents live in New York.
The Washington Post's David Ignatius recently reported that according to statements filed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, funds like that of the Marcus family sent some $33.4 million, tax free, to organizations affiliated with the settlements in 2004-07.
'Large forces, extensive damage'
So the next time the White House spokesman condemns the torching of a mosque near Nablus, some reporter ought to ask him why respectable American citizens contribute to the Od Yosef Chai Shechem yeshiva, one of whose leading rabbis wrote the following incendiary words of incitement: "[Civil] Administration inspectors have not dared to enter Yitzhar since the freeze edict. Their experience with Yitzhar, and its heat, are responsible for the fact that every entry into the settlement by hostile elements requires large forces and ends with extensive damage to army and police equipment, even greater damage to Arab persons and property, and a region that continues to burn in every direction for several days" (Rabbi Yosef Elitzur, Hakol Hayehudi, December 4, 2009).
At the same time, U.S. officials could consider how a tax exemption for donors to Friends of Ateret Cohanim and The City of David jibes with official American policy regarding the presence of right-wing Jewish organizations in the heart of Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem's Holy Basin.
Human rights organizations and Jewish peace activists in the United States have started giving information to the authorities about foundations that support dubious right-wing organizations in Israel. They are asking why the administration only shuts down funds that send charitable donations to associations affiliated with Hamas.
Cut off from their families
Gilad Shalit's prolonged isolation from the outside world is one of the most serious and justified complaints Israel has against his captors in Hamas' leadership. But last week, Israel's Supreme Court gave its stamp of approval to a prolonged lack of contact between hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and their parents, children and grandchildren.
For two and a half years, starting shortly after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli authorities have barred relatives of more than 500 prisoners from entering Israeli territory.
But a panel of three justices unanimously rejected a petition from a group of prisoners and 13 human rights organizations that argued, among other things, that the Fourth Geneva Convention entitles every prisoner "to receive visitors, especially near relatives, at regular intervals and as frequently as possible." Whenever possible, prisoners should be allowed to visit their homes in "urgent cases," the convention adds.
The petitioners also noted that paragraph 1 of the Prisons Ordinance states that visits are one of the most important means of contact between the prisoner and his family and friends. A visit can make it easier for a prisoner to endure his confinement and encourage him in times of crisis.
Regular visits
Following a ruling by the European Court of Justice, the petition pointed out, Turkey allowed family members to pay weekly visits to Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the Kurdish PKK organization, whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and who is detained under special security conditions.
But nevertheless, there is a difference. Unlike Gilad Shalit, who in three years has received only one or two letters from his parents, the Palestinian prisoners are visited regularly by the Red Cross and are in mail and telephone contact with their families.
On the other hand, unlike Hamas - which many countries define as a terrorist organization - Israel is committed to upholding international treaties and is supposed to abide by different humanitarian rules.
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U.S. President Barack Obama. |
| Photo by: (AP) |
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Pure propagandist lies, you 'people' will never get it.
The good Rabbi may not have said it is fine to kill gentile babies, but some of his colleagues don't have such trepidations. Army Chief Rabbi, ?it is immoral to show mercy to to an enemy of murderers.? Chairman of Rabbinic Council,?no such thing as enemy civilians in war.? Former chief Rabbi Elyar called for army to ?mass murder Palestinians.? US Hasidic Rabbi. ?kill men, women and children.?R
The U.S. must eliminate the the favorable tax treatment afforded groups here in the U.S. who help fund extremist settlers in Judea and Samaria. The U.S. also needs to prosecute Americans who have helped to fund these settlers in Judea and Samaria and in doing so have consequently provided ?material support to terrorists?. Otherwise the overpowering stench of U.S. hypocrisy will continue pervade the entire Earth.
Philip Weiss is an intermarried Anti Zionist Jew who hates any Jewish Identity. He wrote an Anti Orthodox Jewish article in Philadelphia Magazine ranting about Orthodox Jews moveing into Main Line area. Philip weiss is a liar and aself hateing Jew!
What Ron said is all true: "Your comments are particularly vicious and hate mongering propaganda, and should not be allowed to stand without refutation. Neither the EU, Japan nor the US funds Palestinian groups that reject peace and think they have a right to kill Jews. That is a blatant lie. There may be isolated incidents of a Palestinian policeman killing a Jew, but Palestinians have no corner on that market. There are many such incidents on the Israeli side. You just arrested one. But a Palestinian policeman is not a group funded by the EU, Japan or the US. The US provides $225 million in economic aid to Palestine. It provides $61.5 million in aid to Gaza thru USAID, UNRWA, and the International Red Cross. Israel hasn`t had a suicide bombing from the West Bank in 5 years. The US is not training killers in the West Bank, it is training a police force. Ask your own Gov`t. Much more than a Palestinian Policeman`s act started Intifada #2, and you know it. You are contemptible."
Your comments are particularly vicious and hate mongering propaganda, and should not be allowed to stand without refutation. Neither the EU, Japan nor the US funds Palestinian groups that reject peace and think they have a right to kill Jews. That is a blatant lie. There may be isolated incidents of a Palestinian policeman killing a Jew, but Palestinians have no corner on that market. There are many such incidents on the Israeli side. You just arrested one. But a Palestinian policeman is not a group funded by the EU, Japan or the US. The US provides $225 million in economic aid to Palestine. It provides $61.5 million in aid to Gaza thru USAID, UNRWA, and the International Red Cross. Israel hasn't had a suicide bombing from the West Bank in 5 years. The US is not training killers in the West Bank, it is training a police force. Ask your own Gov't. Much more than a Palestinian Policeman's act started Intifada #2, and you know it. You are contemptible.
The U.S. can monitor the tax free status of funds more carefully across the board irrespective of idealogy. This should be corrected. It needs to be brought to the attention of a larger crowd of tax paying U.S. citizens. U.S. should handle our side of this mess.
""who, through his remarks and so forth, weakens our kingdom" (Obama, beware!)." Eldar and his ilk also beware. The rabbi talked about innocent *gentile* babies but will surely not hesitate, as Yigal Amir did not hesitate, to eliminate adult *Jewish* opposition. These people are not governed by reason. Thanks Akiva Eldar for putting meat on what were until now only allegations and rumours. When Jews like Meir #15 understand fully what has transpired here thanks in large part to American Jewish money, there is hope that change might come from inside the American Jewish community if Obama does not have the clout to impose it from the outside.
Have you ever considered what actions the state has taken that has produced this kind of extremist talk? Like uprooting all the Gaza settlements for no good reason and displacing thousands of Israelis who were once viewed as a national priority? And now a pointless freeze on building in the West Bank? Ever consider, Mr. Eldar, how under attack and even desperate the Jews on the West Bank might feel from your unrelenting attacks on them?
I'm visiting Israel, as I do every Hannukah and Pesach to be with my son and his family. When I am in the USA, I am defending Israel against the Israel-haters. But when I am here and read the news - burning Korans and setting fire to a Moaque by the "Effies" - or hearing of the money that goes to lunatic right-wing Yeshivot where "Rabbis" condone murdering Gentile babies, I am sickened. What a horrible distance Israel has gone from the 1930s and 1940s.
Both political parties in the USA are, for diverse and divergent reasons, determined to fund the Israeli right. Mr. Eldar might care but Americans don't.
For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.(Luke 6:43)
the new catch cry now that "anti-semite" is played out. Since a baby cannot possibly pose any immediate threat, the only thing that remains is it's potential. That is what the Rabi advocates destroying. There is no other possible interpretation.
OTHER than in the context which it WAS used by the rabbi? "he`s clearly using it as an extreme example to prove his point- nothing more"~david what exactly is the point that he's proving, david? you seem to be a little mixed up. what's clear is that he's making a straight forward statement. the same incindiary urging that was being fed to idf soldiers prior to the gaza invasion: spare no one, they are all a threat to our very existence; even the women who give birth to them, and the babies who will grow up to be like their parents... it went something like that...didn't it david? there's no point being proven...just a simple statement of hatred and a twisted justification for murder. did you know that for all the hatred espoused in "mein kampf", not once does it propose the murder of jews? not to prove a point or otherwise. imagine that!
now and then try and remember that.
We here in the US need to do the same thing we did to Palestinian humanitarian funds and freeze all assets of these settler funds. The majority of them are Kahanists which is an outlawed terrorist group. Extremist/Terrorists on both sides of the fence need to be stopped NOW
and east jerusalem expansions... both of which completely violate u.s. policy. and THAT's just the money that made it there... tack on another 25-30%(or more), for administrative and fundraising expenses, and the total amount is a helluva lot more. and it really doesn't matter WHAT the funds are being used for in the settlements. synogogue, daycare, school, medical clinics, yeshiva...they're ALL a part of the same entity, to which the united states is opposed. someone needs to light a fire under the irs! these so-called "charities" should not only have their tax exempt status permanantly revoked, they should also be investigated regarding the beneficiaries of the funds they're raising. some of them may very well warrant prosecution and the freezing of assets. and i proffer a personal thank you to akiva for revisiting these issue in haaretz. it really does need more media attention.
... let alone every Israeli... for or against the current state of affairs... ... the Markus family are worth-their-weight-in-gold for the settlement enterprise... ... does Obama know the extent of American-Jewish 'philantropy'...?!
Let's get real here: not just the EU but the Yanks and the Japanese are also funding Palestinian groups who reject peace and promote "armed resistance" - doublespeak for Palestinians who think they have the right to kill Israeli civilians. There is lots of factual proof that Palestinian "policemen" have been involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, yet the Americans are in the west bank arming and training these same killers. Don't forget that intifada #2 started with a Palestinian "policeman" on a joint patrol turning his gun and shooting his Jewish partner to death at point blank range with no warning. Why should American taxpayers continue to dump money on the Palestinians, who reject transparent accounting and have proven for decades that they are unable and incapable of running their own country?
Let's get real here: not just the EU but the Yanks and the Japanese are also funding Palestinian groups who reject peace and promote "armed resistance" - doublespeak for Palestinians who think they have the right to kill Israeli civilians. There is lots of factual proof that Palestinian "policemen" have been involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, yet the Americans are in the west bank arming and training these same killers. Don't forget that intifada #2 started with a Palestinian "policeman" on a joint patrol turning his gun and shooting his Jewish partner to death at point blank range with no warning. Why should American taxpayers continue to dump money on the Palestinians, who reject transparent accounting and have proven for decades that they are unable and incapable of running their own country?
Nice to see that the US has succeeded in exporting it's democratic and moral values to somewhere other than Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. But in Israel, as anywhere else, the religious extremists always play the same game - take the dollars - reject the ideology!
The rabbi did NOT say that it's fine to kill gentile babies. He DID say that ANYONE who endangers us can be killed, even if it would be a baby (and he's clearly using it as an extreme example to prove his point- nothing more). It is very fitting that Akiva Eldar uses Philip Weiss as a source. Weiss is a virulent anti-Zionist.
"Hamas - which many countries define as a terrorist organization" Would you consider Hamas a terrorist organization? Militants or perhaps freedom pacifists?
get it for yourself or you are worth nothing...there is no reason my tax dollars should go to a bunch of messianic dilletants in squatter colonies...go get a job