54 Ways You Can Help Israel

For many around the world, one of the most frustrating aspects of the violence in Israel is the seeming inability to help -- even in some small way. And while we may not be able to stop the suicide bombers, we can still take action to lift Israel's spirits and help it contend with an increasingly uncertain situation.
Even if our actions do not appear to influence the overall outcome of events, at the very least we succeed in changing ourselves. And that, in and of itself, is an important victory.
In celebration of Israel's 54th birthday, we present our readers' "54 Ways You Can Help Israel" -- in no particular order. And thank you to the hundreds of people who submitted ideas.

1) Buy Israeli products and services.
With the Israeli economy suffering, go out of your way to support Israel's export trade. www.shopinisrael.com, www.usaisrael.org, www.israeliwishes.com, and www.israeliproducts.com allow you to buy Israeli products directly. www.shorashim.net is an online tourist gift shop. When in the grocery store, look for brands like Elite, Telma, Osem, and Ahava beauty products -- even if you have to pay a few more dollars for Israeli products. Ask the supermarket manager to order these items specifically. Buy Israeli wine to bring as a gift when you visit friends. Home Depot and other stores have many made in Israel products -- especially plastics. www.israelexport.org lists the names of products sold in the USA.

2) Speak out!
The next time you hear something that puts down Israel, don't wonder to yourself, "What is anyone going to do about it." No Jewish organization or Israeli consulate can fight the propaganda war on every front, so don't assume they will. You be the "anyone" and pick up your pen or keyboard and start writing. Write a piece you for local newspaper, set up information tables at your high school or college, or simply talk to people. Be a roving ambassador for Israel by explaining the true facts to everyone you meet. Even the cashier in the supermarket needs good information. You never know how your contribution may affect someone else's views. The possibilities are endless. The worst thing that one can do is to remain quiet in times like this. So do something!

3) Get the facts.
The Internet is a great resource for getting an accurate picture of what is really happening in the conflict. For daily news, visit the Jerusalem Post (http://www.jpost.com) and IMRA (http://www.imra.org.il). For crucial background information, read "Israel: A History" (by Martin Gilbert), "From Time Immemorial" (by Joan Peters), and "Myths and Facts" (by Mitchell G. Bard) -- online at http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/myths/mftoc.html.

4) Pray.
Pray to God to bring peace to the land. Pray for Israel's leaders who need wisdom. Pray that they continue to do what is best for Israel in spite of international pressure. Pray for the safety of Israeli civilians who are targeted by suicide bombers. Pray for the protection of IDF soldiers as they root out every last terrorist. Ask God to heal Israel's wounded soldiers and civilians and to thwart future terrorist attacks. And pray for the Arabs to realize the true nature of their leadership and doctrines that teach hate and murder. Regardless of your level of observance, you can add a request for Israel to your regular (or even irregular) prayer regimen. No prayer goes to waste. You can send prayers via the Western Wall at www.thewall.org. Cry out for God's compassion -- because the gates of tears are never closed. And remember: God is in ultimate control. He has done miracles before and will do them again.

5) Phone Israel.
Pick up the phone and make a solidarity call to your Israeli friends and relatives. If you don't know someone personally, ask someone who does. Call that person in Israel and assure them that you share their pain and understand what they’re going through. Commend that person for having the courage to live in Israel now. Let them know they are not alone!

6) Protest bias in the media.
The media has a powerful influence on public opinion and government policy. When you discover a piece of bias, immediately contact the news agency and complain. Keep your remarks respectful and stick to the facts. Build a list of e-mail addresses of friends and colleagues, so when you discover bias, you can alert others to also file a complaint. There is power in the number of responses, even if your specific letter is not printed. You can join a media watch email list at www.HonestReporting.com which gives guidelines for how to be effective in contacting the media, and has over 25,000 subscribers protesting biased news against Israel.

7) Give Tzedakah.
Give some charity every day for Israel. Encourage others to give charity for Israel, too. One person wrote; “Because our church has been forced to cancel their annual trip to Israel, we are sending our money anyway to the tour guides and bus driver.”

8) Empathize with terror victims.
As you are lying in bed at night, imagine what it's like to be the sister, child or parent of someone who yesterday was full of life, and today is nothing but scattered bones and flesh. It's a mitzvah to cry and feel another's pain. Send an e-mail to Prayers-InjuredVAT@yahoogroups.com and they will send you regular updates with the names and status of people who have been injured in attacks.

9) Visit Israel.
Go to Israel on vacation, to study, or to visit family. Encourage your local organizations to sponsor trips -- study tours, religious tours, Bar/Bat Mitzvah tours. It can be for 3 days or 10 days. Spend as much money as you can afford in order to help the economy. Hotels, stores, restaurants are lacking tourists -- precisely what the terrorists seek! Talk to others about the beautiful landscape of Israel, about the unique feeling of thousands of years of Jewish existence in Israel. Visiting Israel will show Israelis that you really care, and will make a tremendous difference to your own sense of connection. Make your motto: “Tourism against Terrorism!”

10) Fly the Israeli flag.
Put an Israeli flag in front of your home, church, etc. Let everyone know that you are proud of Israel. Put an "I Support Israel" bumper sticker on your car. Wear a combined American/Israeli flag pin on your lapel. If you can’t find an Israeli flag, make one yourself, or ask your kids to draw one, and display it in your car window or office.

11) Conserve energy.
Dependence on Arab oil drives much of the pro-Arab sentiment throughout the world. American foreign policy is also heavily influenced by the need for imported oil. To conserve energy, take simple measures like making sure your tires are properly inflated, using compact fluorescent light bulbs in your home, and buying energy-efficient cars and appliances. What about hanging up those car keys and walking or riding your bicycle for a change? If millions would cut down on fuel consumption, the Arab clout would change. Also, don't visit gas stations who import oil from Arab countries. On a public policy level, urge your political representatives to allow drilling for oil (while taking appropriate measures to protect the environment), and to pass energy conservation measures.

12) Recognize the God factor.
With all the practical efforts to help Israel -- media watch, education, economic assistance, political lobbying, etc. -- don’t forget the spiritual component! The very existence of the Jewish people after 3,500 years -- and the return to the land after a long exile -- is miraculous. Understand the significance of Abraham’s covenant with God. Each of us, on whatever level of observance, must strive to connect.

13) Send flowers.
You can show family and friends in Israel that you are thinking about them by sending flowers. This is a double-mitzvah -- it can also save a flower shop from going out of business because of the weakened Israeli economy. You can pay by credit card over the phone or via email. One Jerusalem florist, an Oleh from the UK, can be contacted at simikov@zahav.net.il.

14) Rally for Israel.
Hold a rally in your city. When thousands of people turn out for a public display of support, it affects all segments of your community -- the politicians, the media, general public opinion. And most importantly, it engenders unity and pride within the Jewish and pro-Israel community.

15) Know your enemy.
The Arab world tends to say one thing in English, but a very different message in Arabic. Blood libels and fabrications of Israeli-sponsored massacres are common. Memri (www.memri.org) provides important translations of the Arabic media. And the Center for Monitoring Impact Peace tracks Palestinian compliance with peace agreements (www.edume.org).

16) Unity!
When we stop arguing amongst ourselves and work together, then we can stand united against the enemy, and the Almighty with us. Jerusalem was destroyed because of people speaking negatively about each other, so that is the way we can rebuild Jerusalem. Let us abstain from saying (or listening to) anything bad about any Jew, any group of Jews, or even the Israeli government unless it is constructive critique. The only way to stand against our enemies is to become one with each other -- to lay down our differences and work together.

17) Holocaust education.
With the rise of anti-Semitic incidents around the world, and the state-sponsored anti-Semitism in Arab countries, it is important to see the warning signs before a crisis happens. Learning about the Holocaust helps us appreciate the depth of anti-Semitism and its root causes. Excellent information is online at www.anti-semitism.com. Squelch all anti-Semitic language everywhere you are. Stand up against this terrible hatred -- no matter what the consequences.

18) Visit your Congressman.
Form a concerned citizen’s group, and then make appointment to sit with your Congressman for an hour in his Washington office. Then rent a bus and go! He will see how seriously his constituents are about the Mideast issues.

19) Educate the Palestinian public.
With all the hatred in the Palestinian media, textbooks, etc., an entire generation is being raised for war, not peace. Find ways to introduce democratic values into Palestinian society. Jews cannot realize their dream for peace until the Arabs desire the same.

20) Strive to be a better person.
Be nice to fellow Jews and fellow human beings. Before you go to sleep each night, go through your day, review your behavior, and resolve what you can do better. By setting an example of higher Jewish moral and ethical standards, we can strengthen the nation of Israel and by extension, the State of Israel.

21) Teshuva!
Ultimately, the reviving of our devotion to the Almighty is going to bring about the reviving of the land, and our people as a whole. If we can elevate ourselves even a little, it can arouse the Almighty's compassion and Jewish lives can be spared. Each individual who does teshuva brings Israel one step closer to redemption.

22) Post on the web.
There are hundreds of Palestinian websites devoted to spreading propaganda -- with pictures of starving Palestinian children and sites with blood dripping down your screen describing the “horror of massacres orchestrated by the fascist Israelis.” Pro-Palestinian activists have flooded chat rooms, bulletin boards, and online comments sections. Speak up against individuals who spread lies, against the mobs who bomb synagogues in Europe, and against those who preach intolerance in our schools and universities. Be strong and take heart in the knowledge that all decent people are on Israel's side.

23) Make a small repair.
If you’ve had an argument with someone, simply forgive them, and then ask God to forgive His people.

24) Donate blood.
When you are in Israel, donate blood. With all the recent attacks, there is a great shortage. To give blood is to give life, and shows a deep solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people.

25) Fight child abuse.
Palestinian children are being brainwashed into sacrificing their lives for the promise of “martyrdom.” A group called SICK - Stop Inciting Children to Kill (www.operationsick.com) is trying to stop this child abuse.

26) Support Israeli citizens.
Show Israelis your support, love and friendship by writing letters, postcards and e-mails to everyone you know. Become an e-mail pen pal to someone in Israel.

27) Thank God for His many miracles.
Read the Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) to see how almost every day suicide bombers and attacks are averted. And thank God!

28) Organize an Israeli products fair.
In Denver, Christians and Jews have come together under "ActionIsrael" to sponsor what is called "Ben Yehudah Street in Denver." Shop owners in Jerusalem send some of their inventory and it is sold for them. This helps Jerusalem merchants keep their shops open and provide a living for their families during this terrible time. Thousands turned out for the first effort, and another is scheduled for April 21 at the JCC in Denver.

29) The merit of a mitzvah.
Before you do any one of the 613 mitzvot, have in mind that God should use this merit to help protect Israel.

30) Support Magen David Adom.
Israel's medical emergency service is severely financially strapped and in need of ambulances. Months of terror have stretched MDA to its maximum capacity, while exposing its rescue workers to extreme danger and great sacrifice. Get your synagogue or school to start a campaign to defray the cost of an ambulance. Or contribute on-line at: www.magendavidadom.org. Jewish lives depend on it.

31) Aliyah! Make Israel your home.
You can have a great effect on what happens in Israel by living there. A large influx of educated, entrepreneurial Jews from Western countries will give Israel a major boost. Israel is the place where a Jew is truly at home and can maximize his/her Jewish potential. Start making plans to move when things quiet down (or even now if you're brave).

32) Learn Hebrew.
Call your local synagogue and find out about Hebrew classes. This will build your bond with the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.

33) Get the Israeli side.
There’s a lot of misinformation out there. When an incident happens in Israel, visit the websites of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.mfa.gov.il) and the Israeli Defense Forces (www.idf.il/english/news/main.stm) to get the Israeli side of the story.

34) Learn Torah.
Through the learning of Torah, the world is brought to its senses and the Jewish people are protected. Make a commitment to a specific increase in the amount of time you learn each day. Attend a class about Judaism, or pick something from the recommended reading list at http://www.aish.com/literacy/reference/recommended_books.asp. The impact of even a few extra minutes of Torah learning is enormous. And teach Torah to your children!

35) Contact the president.
Call or email President Obama daily or weekly, to commend his support for Israel in the common fight against terrorism, and respectfully urge him to allow Israel to take vigorous action to defend itself. Write a short, personal email with a subject line like: "Thank you for standing with Israel." Every call, letter, and fax is counted. Send email to: president@whitehouse.gov, or call the White House comment line at: 202-456-1111, or 202-456-1414.

36) Support Israeli soldiers.
Write a letter and express appreciation for their self-sacrifice in valiantly defending our people and our land. You can even send a care package to a soldier with a holiday gift, etc.

37) Fight terror.
For the civilized world to survive, terrorism must be stopped. Some would appease Arab countries who supply oil. Call on your government leaders to make policy decisions based on what is morally correct, not economically expedient. Show people the PBS video documentary: "Jihad in America" by Steven Emerson. It’s a real eye-opener.

38) Distribute literature on college campuses.
There is an urgent need to counter the virulent wave on anti-Semitism and pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. Print and distribute literature on campuses highlighting Israel's humanitarian achievements, democracy and ethnic diversity. One group working on this front is www.israelactivism.com

39) Recite Psalms.
There is a time-honored custom for Jews to gather and recite Psalms in times of distress. King David wrote stirring words that seem to be written for our exact situation today! You can set up a schedule to say a few Psalms every day (recommended are Psalms 20, 83, 121,130 and 142), or organize a group of friends to share saying the entire book together. Rabbi Elyashiv in Israel has requested that all Jews worldwide take 15 minutes out of their hectic daily schedules to say Psalms. You can say them in Hebrew or English, and a free downloadable translation is available at www.artscroll.com.

40) Reach out.
At such difficult times, Jews need to reach out to one another. Invite an unaffiliated Jew to Shabbat dinner. People are open to their heritage and feel the need to connect.

41) Register and vote.
Elected officials analyze voting registration and voter turnout carefully, and make decisions accordingly. If you are not already registered to vote, contact your local Board of Elections and ask for a voter registration application, and be sure to vote in the upcoming elections.

42) Invest. Buy stocks on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
Help Israeli companies obtain venture capital funds. You can even buy an Israel Bond for as little as $136. (www.israelbonds.com)

43) Stop carnage on the roads.
Work to end the terrible traffic accidents in the land of Israel which claim 600 lives each year. It is absurd that while we fight against terror, there are tragedies which are completely in our own hands and we refuse to take the necessary steps to stop them.

44) Sponsor educational forums.
Offer a crash course in the Mideast conflict at your local JCC, synagogue, or community college.

45) Show both sides of the refugee issue.
In conversations and in the media, emphasize how the Arab states have mistreated the Palestinians -- refusing to grant them citizenship in order to keep the "refugee" issue an open wound. Raise the issue of how 600,000 Jews were driven out of Arab lands during Israel's independence and forced to abandon their property, with no right of return or compensation ever extended to these Jewish refugees.

46) Hold governments accountable.
Write and call (and boycott if necessary) any governments that are complicit in anti-Semitic and anti-Israel activities. Educate the public about the inconsistency of the European Union stand. Why would democracies -- who support human rights -- not speak out against virulent Arab hate speech? Protest at the consulates of those countries who have minimized the anti-Semitic activities taking place in their countries.

47) Help Israel get better spokespeople.
Palestinian spokespeople are persuasive and articulate, but Israeli spokespeople are sometimes less so. Compile a list of Israeli spokespeople, and run an on-line poll, asking people to vote for their favorite. Then inform the Israeli government of the results, so they know who to get the networks to interview in the future. Israelis need to know how they come across to the American TV viewer!

48) Get a clear definition of terrorism.
September 11 united the civilized world against terrorism. Concerned citizens should agree on a strong definition of terror, one that encompasses September 11 terrorists and also suicide bombers. Once agreed upon, there should be a mass campaign to get Congress and the White House to make this definition official -- to the point of using it to dictate policy. Once everyone is clear about what is “terrorism,” support for Israel will grow much stronger. And let Congressional leaders know that you do not agree with the double standard that has been set in fighting terror -- one for America, another for Israel.

49) Hold pray rallies.
Communal prayer is more powerful than any individual can muster. The New York community is holding a massive pray gathering on Sunday, April 21 at 2:30 p.m. in Manhattan, on Water Street between Wall St. and Broad St. More info at www.TefillaGathering.org


50) Support Israeli artists.
With tourism virtually non-existent, many Israelis who depend on it for their livelihood are suffering. If you're going to buy a gift, try to buy a work (piece of art, clothing, jewelry etc.) by an Israeli artist. In Los Angeles, Victorian Rose in Brentwood Gardens has unique jewelry and other works by Israeli artists. She can be reached at 310-826-9102. You can also visit www.ArtofIsrael.com


51) Sign up for solidarity.
www.our-support.com is a website to enable people around the world to express support for the State of Israel. One million people have already signed up. The text will be presented to ambassadors in every country and published in the media.

52) Say the Shema.
The Shema is like the Jewish “pledge of allegiance,” a declaration of faith to One God and an affirmation of commitment to Israel and the Jewish people. It is the first prayer that Jewish children are taught to say. It is the last words a Jew says prior to death. It is the ultimate expression of Jewish conviction, the historic proclamation of Judaism's central creed. It is traditionally said twice each day: once in the morning and once at night.

53) Yearn for redemption.
The Torah tells us that for the Jews in Egypt, it wasn't until "We cried out to God, that He heard our voice and saw our affliction." We had to hit rock-bottom, to see there was no other option but to turn to God. If need be, God will bring every force against us, and strip us bare of every possible escape, in order to bring us the realization that He is the only answer we will ever have. Actively yearn for the redemption and the coming of Moshiach. This conflict will probably not end till he comes, so we must work hard to make it happen now!

54) Brainstorm.
Get a group of friends together and spend one hour brainstorming for more ideas how you can help Israel.





Aish.Com

Zionism & Zionists

What is Zion?

"Zion is not a symbol, but a home, and the land is not an allegory but a possession, a commitment of destiny."
- Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Israel: An Echo of Eternity"

"...the ancestral voice in our hearts...is not imaginary or misleading. it is the call of our deepest, truest, best selves....It is our immortality."

- Herman Wouk, in the book 'This is my God' -

What is Zionism?

My heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west--
How can I find savour in food? How shall it be sweet to me?
How shall I render my vows and my bonds, while yet
Zion lieth beneath the fetter of Edom, and I in Arab chains?
A light thing would it seem to me to leave all the good things of Spain --
Seeing how precious in mine eyes to behold the dust of the desolate sanctuary.

- by Yehuda Halevi, My Heart Is In the East, 1141, Translated from the Hebrew by Nina Salaman, 1924, This edition published in 1924 by the Jewish Publication Society of America, Essential Texts of Zionism -

"March forward, Jews of all lands! The ancient fatherland of yours is calling you."

- by Moses Hess, in The Revival of Israel, 1862 -

Zionism is a half-conscious instinct of a people integrating past and future together into the totality of the will to live and to be itself and only itself.

- Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, from the book Whose Jerusalem, by Eliyahu Tal -

Zionism is the National Liberation movement of the Jewish People. It is the modern expression of the ancient longing by the Jewish People to return to its land and live as a free people once again. It is the desire to secure a modern state for the Jewish nation. It is the conviction that the Jewish people has the right to live in freedom and security in its homeland. It is the determination to aid and encourage the return of any and all Jewish refugees of the Diaspora who wish to return home. It is the concern for the safety and security of that modern state, and the desire to see it strong enough to defend itself and the Jewish people as a whole from any present or future existential threat.
Yet, as a modern movement, Zionism is simply a new word to describe an old and unbroken bond. Perhaps it is unfortunate that this new word appears to minimize the credit due to our ancestors for keeping that dream alive.

- The Center for Ethnic Jewish Studies -

The movement known as Zionism which meant establishing a Jewish home in Palestine is a continuation of the reverence to Zion or Jerusalem. By acting as the centre of the Jewish faith and aspiration, Zion or Jerusalem has kept alive the national spirit of Jewish oneness though they have been scattered all over the world for many centuries. It is for this reason that they would not set up a common homeland in the Gentile lands though they had many chances to do so, if they wished.

One further point to note in this respect is, that most of the Jews are racially Jews, and the Jews converted from the other races are a few, indeed. But even these converted Jews, who strictly speaking, are foreigners, think of Jerusalem as their home owing to the divine sanctity attached to it, and give it preference over their own homelands.

from Islam: The Arab National Movement, by Anwar Shaikh

You cannot convert a Jew, you may as well try to convert this house of solid walls as to convert them into the faith of Christ. They are set in their feelings, and they will be until the time of their redemption. They are looking forward to the time when they will go home and rebuild Jerusalem; they have looked for it many hundreds of years, they are looking for the coming of their king, and they do not suppose for a moment that he has already come, but they are looking for him to come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, not as a lamb led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that is dumb before his hearers; they are looking for him to come with power and great glory.

- Wilford Woodruff, 1857 -

How has Zionism survived?

Zionism's enemies believe it is one thing. Its friends know it is many things. Its enemies think of it as an ideology, while its friends know it to be a century-old argument about what Jews are and should be. Discord is essential to its identity. Liberal versus socialist, West European versus East European, religious versus secular, pro-Palestinian versus anti-Palestinian: Zionism has survived these divisions not by overcoming them but by making itself the permanent site of a debate about how Jews are to be true to themselves in the modern world.
- Michael Ignatieff, The New Republic, September 8, 1997 -

How strong is the Jewish connection to its land?

An account exists of Napoleons visit to the Temple Mount of the 9th Av, the day of the commemoration of the Temple's destruction. When asked what all the crying and wailing was about, Napoleon was told that the Jews were mourning their Temple which had been destroyed 1900 years previously. Touched by the incident the French Monarch said:

"a people which weeps and mourns for the loss of its homeland 1800 year ago and does not forget - such a people will never be destroyed. Such a people can rest assured that its homeland will be returned to it."

- Napoleon, cited in ALLAH AND THE TEMPLE MOUNT, by Lambert Dolphin -

Must one be Jewish to be a Zionist?

"Jews! Unique nation of the world! For thousands of years the tyranny of the world has succeeded in depriving you of your ancestral lands but it has not eradicated your name, nor your national existence... Legitimate heirs of the Land of Israel!... Hurry! The moment has arrived to claim the return of your rights among the nations of the world. You must claim for yourselves a national existence as states among states, and your unencroachable right to bow down before God according to your faith, publicly and forever."

- Napoleon Bonaparte's "Appeal to the Jews," encamped at Mount Tabor before his defeat at Acre, 1798. -

"Palestine which belonged anciently to a people who have exercised a mightier influence for good upon the human race than any other nation, should be returned to them (The Jews)."

- Rev. J.W. Beaumont (Canadian) who, in 1876, presented to Disraeli, then Prime Minister of Great Britain, a plan entitled "Judea for the Jews under the protectorate of the Great Powers".

"His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people."
- Arthur J. Balfour, British Foreign Secretary in a letter to Lord Lionel Rothschild to become known as the Balfour Declaration, November 2, 1917.

"You (the Jews) have prayed for Jerusalem for 2000 years, and you shall have it."

- Winston Churchill, cited in "The Time," London, May 5, 1938. -

"Jerusalem has never been the capital of any people except the Jewish people. The unity of Jerusalem must be preserved. Internationalization is an idea which never worked in history."

- Rev. Douglas Young, Statement by Evangelical Christians in 1971. -

"We need hardly say that there can be no remains of what was once the City of David... A vast accumulation of debris from thirty to forty feet in depth has buried every fragment of it. ... Here among the ruins of Zion, still lingers a remnant of the chosen people... a despised body chiefly of exiles crouching under general dislike and persecution... yet clinging to the spot which recalls their past greatness..."

- William H. Barlett, Walls About Jerusalem, 1849 -

This is the cause of your survival. I count it as my privilege to help you fight your battle. To that purpose I want to devote my life. I believe that the very existence of mankind is justified when it is based on the moral foundation of the Bible. Whoever dares lift a hand against you and your enterprise here should be fought against. Whether it is jealously, ignorance or perverted doctrine, such as have made your neighbors rise against you, or "politics" which make some of my countrymen support them, I shall fight with you against any of these influences. But remember that it is your battle. My part, which I say I feel to be a privilege, is only to help you.

- Captain Orde Wingate, cited by Michael Pragai, Faith and Fulfillment, p. 112 10. Time Magazine, August 16, 1948 . Captain Wingate, a Bible-believing Christian, was posted as an intelligence officer to Jerusalem in 1936. At the time of his arrival, a new wave or terrorism had broken out among the settlements. To counter this terrorism, Wingate trained special units that helped defend against the Arab attacks. He introduced successful techniques in countering the marauding bands. His heroic efforts did much to insure the security of the Jewish settlers.

US. Presidents on Israel

John Quincy Adams:
[I believe in the] rebuilding of Judea as an independent nation. (Letter to Major Mordecai Manuel Noah)

Abraham Lincoln:
[Not long after the Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln met a Canadian Christian Zionist, Henry Wentworth Monk, who expressed hope that Jews who were suffering oppression in Russia and Turkey be emancipated "by restoring them to their national home in Palestine." Lincoln said this was "a noble dream and one shared by many Americans." The President said his chiropodist was a Jew who "has so many times 'put me upon my feet' that I would have no objection to giving his countrymen 'a leg up.'"]

Woodrow Wilson:
The allied nations with the fullest concurrence of our government and people are agreed that in Palestine shall be laid the foundations of a Jewish Commonwealth. (Reaction to the Balfour Declaration)

Recalling the previous experiences of the colonists in applying the Mosaic Code to the order of their internal life, it is not to be wondered at that the various passages in the Bible that serve to undermine royal authority, stripping the Crown of its cloak of divinity, held up before the pioneer Americans the Hebrew Commonwealth as a model government. In the spirit and essence of our Constitution, the influence of the Hebrew Commonwealth was paramount in that it was not only the highest authority for the principle, "that rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God," but also because it was in itself a divine precedent for a pure democracy, as distinguished from monarchy, aristocracy or any other form of government.

Warren Harding:
It is impossible for one who has studied at all the services of the Hebrew people to avoid the faith that they will one day be restored to their historic national home and there enter on a new and yet greater phase of their contribution to the advance of humanity.

Calvin Coolidge:
[I wish to express my] sympathy with the deep and intense longing which finds such fine expression in the Jewish National Homeland in Palestine.

Herbert Hoover:
Palestine which, desolate for centuries, is now renewing its youth and vitality through enthusiasm, hard work, and self-sacrifice of the Jewish pioneers who toil there in a spirit of peace and social justice.

Harry Truman:
I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now. (Granting de facto recognition to the new Jewish State-11 minutes after Israel's proclamation of independence)

I believe it has a glorious future before it-not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization. (May 26, 1952)

Dwight D. Eisenhower:
Our forces saved the remnant of the Jewish people of Europe for a new life and a new hope in the reborn land of Israel. Along with all men of good will, I salute the young state and wish it well.

John F. Kennedy:
This nation, from the time of President Woodrow Wilson, has established and continued a tradition of friendship with Israel because we are committed to all free societies that seek a path to peace and honor individual right. In the prophetic spirit of Zionism all free men today look to a better world and in the experience of Zionism we know that it takes courage and perseverance and dedication to achieve it.

Israel was not created in order to disappear-Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.

Lyndon Johnson:
The United States and Israel share many common objectives...chief of which is the building of a better world in which every nation can develop its resources and develop them in freedom and peace.

Our society is illuminated by the spiritual insights of the Hebrew prophets. America and Israel have a common love of human freedom and they have a common faith in a democratic way of life.

Most if not all of you have very deep ties with the land and with the people of Israel, as I do, for my Christian faith sprang from yours....the Bible stories are woven into my childhood memories as the gallant struggle of modern Jews to be free of persecution is also woven into our souls. (Speech before B'nai B'rith)

[When Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin asked Johnson why the United States supports Israel when there are 80 million Arabs and only three million Israelis, the President replied simply: "Because it is right."]

Richard Nixon:
Americans admire a people who can scratch a desert and produce a garden. The Israelis have shown qualities that Americans identify with: guts, patriotism, idealism, a passion for freedom. I have seen it. I know. I believe that.

Gerald Ford:
[The American] commitment to the security and future of Israel is based upon basic morality as well as enlightened self-interest. Our role in supporting Israel honors our own heritage.

Jimmy Carter:
The United States...has a warm and a unique relationship of friendship with Israel that is morally right. It is compatible with our deepest religious convictions, and it is right in terms of America's own strategic interests. We are committed to Israel's security, prosperity, and future as a land that has so much to offer the world.
The survival of Israel is not just a political issue, it is a moral imperative. That is my deeply held belief and it is the belief shared by the vast majority of the American people...A strong secure Israel is not just in Israel's interest. It's in the interest of the United States and in the interest of the entire free world.

Ronald Reagan:
Only by full appreciation of the critical role the State of Israel plays in our strategic calculus can we build the foundation for thwarting Moscow's designs on territories and resources vital to our security and our national well-being.
Since the rebirth of the State of Israel, there has been an ironclad bond between that democracy and this one.

In Israel, free men and women are every day demonstrating the power of courage and faith. Back in 1948 when Israel was founded, pundits claimed the new country could never survive. Today, no one questions that Israel is a land of stability and democracy in a region of tyranny and unrest.

George Bush:
The friendship, the alliance between the United States and Israel is strong and solid, built upon a foundation of shared democratic values, of shared history and heritage, that sustains the life of our two countries. The emotional bond of our people transcends politics. Our strategic cooperation-and I renew today our determination that that go forward-is a source of mutual security. And the United States" commitment to the security of Israel remains unshakeable. We may differ over some policies from time to time, individual policies, but never over the principle.

For more than 40 years, the United States and Israel have enjoyed a friendship built on mutual respect and commitment to democratic principles. Our continuing search for peace in the Middle East begins with a recognition that the ties uniting our two countries can never be broken.

Bill Clinton:
Our relationship would never vary from its allegiance to the shared values, the shared religious heritage, the shared democratic politics which have made the relationship between the United States and Israel a special-even on occasion a wonderful-relationship.

The United States admires Israel for all that it has overcome and for all that it has accomplished. We are proud of the strong bond we have forged with Israel, based on our shared values and ideals. That unique relationship will endure just as Israel has endured. (From a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on occasion of Israel's 50th birthday.)

America and Israel share a special bond. Our relations are unique among all nations. Like America, Israel is a strong democracy, as a symbol of freedom, and an oasis of liberty, a home to the oppressed and persecuted.

The relationship between our two countries is built on shared understandings and values. Our peoples continue to enjoy the fruits of our excellent economic and cultural cooperation as we prepare to enter the twenty-first century. (Clinton's reply after Israeli Ambassador Shoval presented his credentials, September 10, 1998).

- from JSource -

If more than half of all Jews are live outside Israel, does that mean that their homeland is not important to them? How does one reconcile being a Jew, but chosing to live outside of Israel?

"How can it be explained that a Jew like myself, attached to the destiny of Israel with all the fiber of his being, has chosen to write, teach, work, found a family, and to live far away in a social and cultural environment that is far too generalized for that of our ancestors? Israelis put this question to me, as they do other Jews in the Diaspora....Is there a satisfactory response? If there is, I don't know it....For the moment, this is all I can say: as a Jew, I need Israel. More precisely: I can live as a Jew outside Israel but not without Israel"

- Elie Wiesel, Midstream, May/June 1998). -





Peace Faq

Israel's History, Zionism and the Statehood

BIBLICAL TIMES (c. 2000 BCE-538 BCE). Jewish history begins in the first half of the second millennium BCE with the patriarchs - Abraham, his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. The Book of Genesis relates how Abraham was summoned to Canaan (later known as the Land of Israel) to bring about the formation of a people with belief in the One God. A famine which spread in the country forced Jacob and his sons, the forebears of the 12 tribes of Israel, to migrate to Egypt, where their descendants were enslaved. Several centuries later, Moses took his people out of Egypt, from bondage to freedom, and led them back to the Land of Israel. For 40 years they wandered through the Sinai desert, where they were welded into a nation and received the Torah (Five Books of Moses), including the Ten Commandments, which gave form and content to the monotheistic faith of their patriarchal ancestors. Under the command of Joshua, the Israelite tribes reconquered the Land and settled it, uniting mainly in times of external threat under leaders known as judges.

A monarchy was set up under Saul (c. 1020 BCE); his successor, King David, unified the tribes and made Jerusalem the country's capital (c. 1000 BCE). David's son, Solomon, developed the kingdom into a flourishing commercial power and built in Jerusalem the Temple to Israel's One God. Archeological remains testify to important urban trading centers founded during his reign, including the fortified cities of Hatzor, Megiddo and Gezer. Upon Solomon's death, the country was split into two kingdoms, Israel (capital: Samaria) and Judah (capital: Jerusalem), which existed side by side for the next two centuries, ruled by Jewish kings and exhorted by the prophets to social justice and observance of the Law. The Kingdom of Israel was overrun by the Assyrians (722 BCE), and its people dispersed (the Ten Lost Tribes). Later, Judah was conquered by the Babylonians (586 BCE), who destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and exiled the majority of the Jewish population to Babylonia.

PERIODS OF RENEWED JEWISH SELF-RULE (538 BCE - 60 BCE). After the conquest of the Babylonian Empire by the Persians (538 BCE), many Jews returned to Judah, the Temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem and Jewish life in the Land was restored. For the next four centuries, the Jews were granted a large degree of autonomy under Persian and Hellenistic domination. When a series of measures were imposed by the Seleucid Syrians to suppress Jewish religious worship and practices, a revolt broke out (166 BCE) under the leadership of the Maccabees (Hasmoneans), resulting in the establishment of an independent Jewish kingdom under the Jewish kings of the Hasmonean dynasty, which lasted about 80 years.

UNDER FOREIGN RULE (60 BCE-1948). From 60 BCE onward, the country, weakened by civil strife, came increasingly under the domination of Rome. In an attempt to free themselves, the Jews launched a series of uprisings, which climaxed in the revolt of 66 CE. After four years of intermittent fighting, Rome subdued Judea (Judah), burning the Second Temple to the ground and exiling many of the country's Jews (70 CE). The last stand against Rome, made by some 1,000 Jews in the mountaintop fortress of Masada, ended in 73 CE with the mass suicide of the defenders. It became a symbol of the Jewish people's pursuit of freedom in its own land.

Another attempt to regain Jewish national sovereignty (Bar Kochba Revolt, 132 CE) resulted in the setting up of an independent enclave in Judea, with Jerusalem its capital. Three years later, however, the Romans defeated Bar Kochba and, in an effort to stamp out the Jewish connection to the Land, renamed Jerusalem 'Aelia Capitolina' and the country 'Palaestina'.

Under Roman (70-313) and Byzantine (313-636) hegemony, the Jewish community in the Land continued to maintain and develop its own legal, educational and cultural institutions. Jewish laws, dealing with every aspect of life, were codified in the Mishna (2nd century) and elaborated in the Talmud (3rd-5th centuries). These laws, some of which were amended at later dates to meet changing conditions, are still binding on observant Jews today. From the 7th century on, the country was ruled successively by Arabs (636-1091), Seljuks (1091-1099), Crusaders (1099-1291), Mamluks (1291-1516), Ottoman Turks (1517-1917) and the British (1918-1948). Frontiers underwent alterations, and the country's name was changed according to the whim of the current ruler. Many edifices built by various conquerors still bear witness to their presence in the Land.

Though their number decreased during the centuries of foreign occupation, a continuous Jewish presence was maintained in the Land, reinforced from time to time by Jews returning to their ancestral homeland from the countries of dispersion, a trickle which began to gain momentum in the mid-19th century.

ZIONISM

The yearning to return one day to Zion, the traditional synonym for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel, has been the focus of Jewish life in the Diaspora for many centuries. By the end of the 19th century, Zionism arose as a national movement in response to continued oppression and persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe and growing disillusionment with the formal emancipation in Western Europe, which had neither put an end to discrimination nor resulted in the integration of Jews into the societies of the countries where they lived.

At the First Zionist Congress (1897) convened by Theodor Herzl in Basel, Switzerland, the Zionist movement was constituted as a formal political organization calling for the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and the revival of its national life in its ancestral homeland. Inspired by Zionist ideology, thousands of Jews began to arrive in the Land, then a sparsely populated and neglected part of the Ottoman Empire. The early pioneers drained swamps, reclaimed wastelands, afforested bare hillsides, established industries and built towns and villages. Community institutions and services were set up, and the Hebrew language, long restricted to liturgy and literature, was revived as the language of daily use.

In recognition of "the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine (Land of Israel)" and "the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country," the League of Nations, which granted (1922) Great Britain a mandate over the Land, charged it, inter alia, with "placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home."

In the same year, Britain set up the Arab Emirate of Transjordan (today the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan) in three quarters of the territory entrusted to it, leaving only the part west of the Jordan River for development of the Jewish national home. Extremist Arab leaders, opposing the establishment of the Jewish national home even in that small area, incited attacks against the Jewish community as well as against individual Arabs who advocated Arab-Jewish coexistence. Strict British restrictions on Jewish immigration and settlement did not appease the Arab militants, and outbreaks of violence continued until the start of World War II.

At the end of the war, the immigration quotas for Jews were not rescinded, despite the immediate need to find refuge for the survivors of the Nazi Holocaust in which some six million European Jews, including 1.5 million children, had perished. To circumvent Britain's restrictive immigration policy, the Jewish community in the Land, together with world Jewry, mobilized its resources and organized a network of "illegal" immigration, known as Aliya Bet, which brought some 85,000 refugees from Europe to the Land.

Unable to reconcile mounting Arab opposition to Jews settling the Land with persistent Jewish demands to repeal the restrictions on Jewish immigration, Britain turned the issue over to the United Nations. The UN General Assembly voted (29 November 1947) for the establishment of two states in the area (west of the Jordan River), one Jewish and one Arab. The Jews accepted the partition plan; the Arabs rejected it.

STATEHOOD

Peace - "...who publishes peace; who brings good tidings of good" (Isaiah 52:7)

Upon the termination of the British Mandate (14 May 1948), the Jewish people proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. Less than 24 hours later, the armies of five Arab countries invaded the new state, launching what became Israel's War of Independence, fought intermittently for over a year. By July 1949, separate armistice agreements, based on ceasefire lines, had been signed with all the adjacent Arab states.

In the Declaration of the Establishment of the State, Israel extends its "hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness." This appeal, reiterated by successive Israeli leaders, was persistently ignored or rejected. Arab terror attacks against Israel's population centers continued, with the support and encouragement of the Arab states, which also instituted economic and diplomatic boycotts, blocked international waterways to Israeli shipping and instigated full-scale wars: in 1956 and 1967, Israel launched preemptive strikes in self-defense against major threats; in 1973, Israel repulsed simultaneous all-out attacks by the neighboring Arab states on two fronts.

The cycle of rejection was broken with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's arrival in Jerusalem (November 1977) at the invitation of Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The visit led to negotiations which resulted in the signing of the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty (26 March 1979) and the formulation of the Camp David Accords, which included provisions for peace in the Middle East and a format for self-government for the Palestinians in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

Unfortunately, violence continued on other fronts. In 1982, Israel was forced to operate against the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) terrorist bases in southern Lebanon, from where attacks were being launched against the civilian population of northern Galilee. By the end of this operation, the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon was removed, but due to a security vacuum, Israel had to maintain a minimal military presence in the country.

Despite this, Israel's peace efforts continued. On 30 October 1991, a multilateral Middle East peace conference was convened in Madrid, bringing together representatives of Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinians. The formal proceedings were followed by bilateral negotiations between the parties and by multilateral talks addressing regional concerns.

A significant breakthrough was the Declaration of Principles (September 1993) signed by Israel and the PLO (as the representative of the Palestinian people), outlining arrangements for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Consequently, self-government was implemented in Gaza and Jericho (the Palestinian Authority, 1994) and, with the signing of the Interim Agreement (1995), was extended to additional areas in the West Bank.

Further rapprochement in the region was achieved when Israel and Jordan ended the 46-year-long state of war between them (July 1994), followed by a peace treaty (October 1994), which established full diplomatic relations between the two countries. The momentum in the peace process opened the way for expanding contacts and setting up relations with other Arab countries as well.

In January 1997 Israel and the PA signed the Hebron Protocol, and Israel redeployed in that area; in October 1998 they signed the Wye River Memorandum and phase one of the West Bank and Gaza redeployment was implemented by Israel. In September 1999, Israel and the PLO signed the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, after which Israel implemented further redeployments, released prisoners, opened the southern safe passage route and resumed Permanent Status talks.

Unfortunately, the next step, the Camp David Summit of July 2000 failed, due to the Palestinians' refusal to accept Israel's unprecedented proposals for solving the conflict. Instead, in September 2000, the Palestinians initiated a campaign of indiscriminate terror and violence, causing heavy loss of life and suffering to both sides. Hundreds of Israeli civilians were killed in terrorists shooting and suicide bombings. In reaction, Israel constructed an antiterrorist fence, and managed to bring terrorism under control in most of the country.

Meanwhile, in the North, Israel maintained a gradually decreased security presence in Lebanon until May 2000, when the UN confirmed that the last Israel forces had been withdrawn to the international border. While Palestinian terrorism from Lebanon subsided, the Iranian-backed Hizbullah organization took its place. In July 2006, Israel was forced to respond to massive missile attacks on northern Israel as well as the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers, and reentered southern Lebanon in a military operation to counter the Hizbullah terrorism. This operation, later know as "The Second Lebanon War" lasted about a month, and was followed by a period of calm on Israel's northern border.

Throughout this period, Israel continued in its quest for peace with its Palestinian neighbors. In 2003, Israel accepted the 'Roadmap' to peace, proposed by an international Quartet (US, EU, Russian and the UN), beginning with an end to Palestinian terrorism, to be followed by the final settlement of all issues and an end to the conflict.

In August 2005, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon implemented an initiative meant to advance peace, called the 'Disengagement Plan'. In it, Israel withdrew all forces from the Gaza Strip and removed all the Jewish settlements there, as well as four Jewish communities in northern Samaria.

Yet, despite Israel's conciliatory move, Palestinian terrorism from the Gaza Strip continued and even escalated, especially after Hamas seized power there in 2007. In December 2008, after enduring an ongoing barrage of 12,000 rockets against its cities, and after having exhausted all other options, Israel launched a military operation against Hamas in Gaza aimed at stopping the bombardment.

Peace remains Israel's primary goal. Its hopes for a negotiated peace settlement can be realized through reasonable historical compromises with its neighbors, in which the right of Israel to exist in security, as the homeland of the Jewish people, is recognized and respected.

A Good Year for Israel

Yair Lapid points to many achievements, but also to our flawed debate culture

I want to present an especially revolutionary argument: We had a good year. It wasn’t perfect, of course, and not even excellent. But it was certainly a decent one.

According to Newsweek, we live in a state that is ranked 22nd in the world in terms of the quality of life it offers. It may sound like a low rank, yet in fact it places us in the top 25% of world states, one spot above Italy and its pasta.

Israel’s annual per capita income is close to $30,000, just like Finland’s and New Zealand’s. Moreover, it’s an open secret that extensive parts of our haredi and Arab population bring the national average down, as for various reasons they do not participate in the workforce. If you remove them from the statistics, we are at a much higher spot, alongside Western Europe’s most developed states.

Because of this, we were accepted to OECD this year. Many people don’t quite know what this is: Well, it’s a club; the exclusive, leather-padded club of the states that did well for themselves in life.

Meanwhile, for more than three years now we have not experienced a suicide bombing in Israel. With the exception of one painful incident on the Lebanon border, our borders had been quiet the whole year. The only other border incident took place when an Interior Ministry official refused to allow Professor Noam Chomsky to enter from Jordan in order to deliver a lecture at Birzeit University. As one who read some of Chomsky’s lectures, I think the official was right: The Palestinians suffer enough as it is.

Oh, and we found gas.

Elsewhere, environmental activists, that is, guys with dreadlocks who look like they urgently need a shower won their fight for the Palmachim beach. As it turned out, real-estate sharks do not always run things around here.

On the cultural front, Adir Miller registered an unforgettable performance in a film about Holocaust survivors, Meir Shalev published a new book, tens of thousands of people headed to Zadok Ben-David’s exhibit at the Tel Aviv Museum, Leonard Cohenbrought tens of thousands of people to hear his husky voice at the Ramat Gan Stadium, getting tickets to Aida at Masada was impossible, and the renovation of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem was completed.

On top of it, seculars and religious Israelis studied the Torah together nationwide on the eve of Shavuot. Only few countries can boast of such a lively, diverse cultural life.

And it’s also delicious around here. Home cooked food at Jerusalem’s Mahne Yehuda Market, Tapas Bar in Beersheba, Idy’s fish in Ashdod, the breakfasts at Shiri’s Home in Rosh Pina with the small buns, the cheese-filled eggplant at Al-Babour in Umm al-Fahm, Helena’s pizza in Caesarea, the special lunches served on Saturdays at Rafael, overlooking the Tel Aviv beach, and Hazan’s shawarma in Haifa. My God, I’ll start my diet tomorrow.

Our Nobel Prize winner
“For the first time, we brought national agreement on the notion of two states for two people” (Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of a government session a year ago.)

“The growth rate in the first six months of the year stood at 4%, compared to negative growth of %1.5 in the same period last year (The Central Bureau of Statistics’ announcement last week.)

Oh, and Ada Yonath won the Nobel Prize.

Meanwhile, local basketball star Omri Casspi had a wonderful rookie season in the NBA, while local soccer star Yossi Benayoun signed a contract with English champion Chelsea.

Elsewhere, the affair involving the Mizrahi girls in Emmanuelproved that an overwhelming majority of Israelis wholeheartedly object to ethnic racism and are willing to fight against it. The march for Gilad Shalit and the struggle on behalf of the children of foreign workers proved that Israelis are willing to hit the streets for an objective they deem worthy.

The Carmel Tunnels in Haifa were inaugurated six months before the deadline, Israel’s space agency signed a cooperation agreement with NASA (they will be mapping out Venus,) and our government earmarked NIS 50 million (roughly $14 million) to improving the service at government offices.

It was a good year, but we felt bad. Not because of the flotilla or the Galant document, but rather, because the discourse in the State of Israel these days is no less than terrible. The dialogue we engage in is violent, superficial, and inherently flawed. Nobody listens, nobody lets someone else finish a sentence, and everything is always personal, insulting, and automatically categorized into “with us” or “against us” – and those who are against us are necessarily corrupt liars.

We have lost the most basic characteristic of civilization: The ability to listen to someone who thinks differently than you and assume that he may be right as well.

The problem here is not the essence, but rather, the style. We have turned into a country of talkbackers, gossip columns, and smearing that replaces any possibility of to-the-point discussion. Israel, which is a country of contrasts, must find a way to restore its dialogue with itself. Otherwise, we will feel bad next year, too.


Ynet News

The Temple Mount

THE TEMPLE MOUNT - EYE ON REALITY

Below are portions of an article written in WorldNetDaily by Joseph Farah

"B-E-T-W-E-E-N T-H-E L-I-N-E-S"
Myths of the Middle East by Joseph Farah

If you believe what you read in most news sources, Palestinians want a homeland and Muslims want control over sites they consider holy. Simple, right? Well, as an Arab-American journalist who has spent some time in the Middle East dodging more than my share of rocks and mortar shells, I've got to tell you that these are just phony excuses for the rioting, trouble-making and land-grabbing.

What about Islam's holy sites? There are none in Jerusalem. Shocked? You should be. I don't expect you will ever hear this brutal truth from anyone else in the international media. It's just not politically correct.

I know what you're going to say: "Farah, the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem represent Islam's third most holy sites." Not true. In fact, the Koran says nothing about Jerusalem. It mentions Mecca hundreds of times. It mentions Medina countless times. It never mentions Jerusalem! With good reason. There is no historical evidence to suggest Mohammed ever visited Jerusalem. So how did Jerusalem become the third holiest site of Islam?

Muslims today cite a vague passage in the Koran, the seventeenth Sura, entitled "The Night Journey." It relates that in a dream or a vision Mohammed was carried by night "from the sacred temple to the temple that is most remote, whose precinct we have blessed, that we might show him our signs." In the seventh century, some Muslims identified the two temples mentioned in this verse as being in Mecca and Jerusalem. And that's as close as Islam's connection with Jerusalem gets -- myth, fantasy, wishful thinking. Meanwhile, Jews can trace their roots in Jerusalem back to the days of Abraham.

Ariel SharonThe latest round of violence in Israel erupted when Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon tried to visit the Temple Mount, the foundation of the Temple built by Solomon.* It is the holiest site for Jews. Sharon and his entourage were met with stones and threats. I know what it's like. I've been there. Can you imagine what it is like for Jews to be threatened, stoned and physically kept out of the holiest site in Judaism?

So what's the solution to the Middle East mayhem? Well, frankly, I don't think there is a man-made solution to the violence. But, if there is one, it needs to begin with truth. Pretending will only lead to more chaos. Treating a 5,000-year-old birthright backed by overwhelming historical and archaeological evidence equally with illegitimate claims, wishes and wants gives diplomacy and peacekeeping a bad name.

* Note:
We beg to differ with Joseph Farah on this one point. The violence started the day BEFORE Sharon went up to the Temple Mount. In fact, the Arab Violence was planned months before after the failed Camp David. Sharon didn't just go to the temple mount. He applied for a permit from the waqf. The Arabs knew he was coming and planned the intafada accordingly!

There was nothing spontaneous about the Arab violence!

We appreciate Joseph Farah's honesty and only wish more Arab-Americans would come forward
with the same courage and honesty. Talk about the proverbial "Needle in the Haystack!"

Joseph Farah, a Christian Arab-American journalist, is the editor and chief executive officer
of WorldNetDaily.com, a leading independent news site.











Masada 2000

Jerusalem and the Temple Mount

East and West Jerusalem and the Old City

For over 3,300 years of history, Jerusalem has been a capital city for only the Jewish People. Jews have always lived in Jerusalem, except when they were massacred or driven out. There has, however, been a nearly unbroken Jewish presence in Jerusalem for the past 1,600 years. And since the early 1800's, the population of Jerusalem has been predominantly Jewish. Even when the Jordanians captured and occupied Jerusalem from 1948-67, they (the Jordanians) never sought to change it to their capital (replacing Amman) nor make it the capital of all Arab-"Palestinian" people. Even during the 19 years Jordan "occupied" most of Jerusalem, Arab leaders from other Arab countries hardly ever bothered to visit this city! Only to the Jews has Jerusalem ever held special meaning! The reality is that Jerusalem was never an Arab capital and that it never was, until the Jews revitalized it, a dusty provincial city that hardly played and economic, social or political role.

Another myth deals with the issue of Jerusalem and its Temple Mount. The myth is that Jerusalem is really an Arab city and that it is a central focus of Islam. The truth is that the Arabs expressed very limited interest in the Temple Mount before 1967 after the Six-Day War. Besides, Mecca and Medina (both in Saudi Arabia) are Islam's holiest cities!

Islam's Holy(?) Koran mentions Mecca 2 or 3 (implied, but not actually written) times. It mentions Medina 5 times. It never mentions Jerusalem and with good reason. There is no historical evidence to suggest Mohammad ever visited Jerusalem! And if he did visit Jerusalem, it could not have been until 6 years after his death. Therefore, the notion that Mohammed ascended to Heaven from a rock in Jerusalem (today's Dome of the Rock) is even more ridiculous!

One more thing about Jerusalem in general and its Temple Mount in particular. Jerusalem appears in the Jewish Bible 669 times and Zion (which usually means Jerusalem, sometimes the Land of Israel) 154 times, or 823 times in all. The Christian Bible mentions Jerusalem 154 times and Zion 7 times. All told, in the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament, the terms "Judah" or "Judea" appear 877 times, and "Samaria" is used on 123 occasions.

Hold on to your hats, everybody. It gets even better. Upon closer look at their Holy Koran, we have uncovered something quite amazing. These Muslims may actually be more Jewish than Muslim! Get this... the Koran mentions "Israel" [or "Israelites"] 47 times, "Jew" or "Jewish" 26 times! Even "Christian" or "Christians" gets 15 mentions!

OK, so maybe Mohammed just forget to mention "Jerusalem". Maybe he also forgot to mention the Haram-esh-Sharif, their name for Judaism's Temple Mount. Perhaps it was an honest oversight. That desert heat can do strange things to one's brain. But surely "Palestine" is mentioned all through the Koran. After all, the poo' poo' ancient "Palestinians" go way back, right? WRONG. "Palestine" and "Palestinian" are nowhere to be found. Perhaps that's because these so-called Arab "Palestinians" have ancient historical roots going ALL THE WAY back to June 1967! So much for the Arab, Muslim or "Palestinian" ancient religious or physical connections to a single ounce of turf in the so-called "occupied" territories!

From 1948 to 1967, when East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were "occupied" by Jordanian Forces following the 1948-9 Arab-Israeli War, Jerusalem itself was ignored by the Arab world. No Arab leader ever paid a visit, not even to pray at the al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock (both located on the JEWISH Temple Mount). Also noteworthy during this 19 year period of Jordanian occupation' no Jews were allowed there... not that there was much for them to see since the Arabs destroyed 58 of Jerusalem's Jewish synagogues! Even the Arabs of "Palestine" placed so low a priority on Jerusalem that the PLO's founding charter, the 1964 Palestinian National Covenant, made no reference whatsoever to it. Only when the Jews recaptured it after the 1967 "Six Day War" (initiated by the Arabs) did the Arab world SUDDENLY grow very passionate about Jerusalem!

Can any Muslim in the world produce any credible evidence for their connection to this holy site, other than Mohammed's dream? Believe it or not, the one and only source for the Muslim's claim to Jerusalem and the site of the Holy Temple, is a mention in the Koran of a dream that Mohammed had about an unknown "place far away". Perhaps this "place far away" is the site of the White House in Washington DC or a Nevada "chicken ranch?"

In truth, the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosques are just but two of hundreds of thousands of Muslim mosques around the world. Except for these two minor mosques, Jerusalem itself has no major Islamic significance. In fact, far more Christian shrines are in Jerusalem than Muslim ones!

When a Jew prays from anywhere in the world, he faces the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. When a Moslem prays, even while IN Jerusalem, he faces Mecca, Saudi Arabia (1,300 miles away due east!). So in many cases, even when a Moslem is in Jerusalem, his "hind quarters" are facing these two Jerusalem mosques! What does THIS tell you! And when Islamic suicide bombers try to take apart Jerusalem piece by piece, what does THAT tell you!





By:Masada 2000

Much Gratitude to the Friends of Israel

I would like to take this opportunity to give much gratitude to the people who support Israel and who do not fear to support the truth that most of the world chooses to ignore.











The IDF is the most humane army in the world; you'll never find another army that notifies innocent civilians before bombing an area from which operates enemy combatants. You will never see another army that meets blockade runners, (the flotilla of "peace") with paintball guns - and do you know why?

Because we have regard for human life and we have morals!

It is a shame that the world refuses to see this and prefers to pity the "Palestinians" sending their children to suicide bomb us, thereafter condemning us for self-defense; a right that's given to any other country and people without question.

God bless Israel and the Jewish People: We will never leave Israel, our only home while the Arabs have twenty-two states and the Muslims have forty-seven.

One day, the world will awaken, as it did to the threat of Hitler after Munich - and discover that Islam is not just after all of Israel's land - it wants to conquer the entire world.

Thank you very much all the friends of Israel, your support is much appreciated.
God bless you, walk in peace and come in peace.

Cool Facts About Israel!

1. Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology was pioneered in Israel.

2. The Israeli pioneer Check-Point Ltd. is a world leader in the firewall and internet security software markets.

3. Israeli laser technology is powering the latest hair removal devices on the American market.

4. Intel's double-core processor was completely developed at its design facility in Israel, as well as the MMX Chip and Centrino technology.

5. In 2007, Israel was accepted as member at the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)

6. An Israeli doctor headed the Merck team that developed a vaccine against cervical cancer.

7. Prof. Robert Aumann, an economist, is the fourth Israeli in the last four years to win a Nobel Prize.

8. AirTrain JFK - the 8.1-mile light rail labrynthe that connects JFK Airport to New York City's mass transit - is protected by the Israeli-developed Nextiva surveillance system.

9. The Weizmann Institute of Science has been voted the best university in the world for life scientists to conduct research.

10. A 100-member Israeli delegation flew to Kenya in 2006 to rescue survivors of a building collapse.

11. An Israeli system to help dyslexic readers is being used throughout the US and Europe.

12. An Israeli 'super-sensor' has been installed in Sealy mattresses to control snoring problems.

13. Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world.

14. Israel hosts IBM's, Microsoft's, Intel's and Motorola's largest R&D; facilities outside the United States.

15. Hawaiian singer Don Ho underwent an Israeli-developed stem cell treatment to strengthen his heart.

16. Israeli company Ultrashape has developed a safe replacement for liposuction - a unique new body-contouring device that "blasts" unwanted fat from the body.

17. The Israeli women's national flag football team won the largest and most important open football tournament in Europe in 2005.

18. Israeli researchers have discovered the molecular trigger that causes psoriasis.

19. Israeli research has shown that dancers display consistent differences from the general population in two key genes.

20. Israeli research shows that we can find out more about what is buried beneath the earth's surface by launching a satellite into the sky.

21. An Israeli company has developed a device that helps nurses locate those hard-to-find veins.

22. An Israeli-made device helps restore the use of paralyzed hands. This device electrically stimulates the hand muscles, providing hope to millions of stroke sufferers and victims of spinal injuries

23. An Israeli company has unveiled a blood test that via the telephone diagnoses heart attacks.

24. The Israeli-developed Ex-Press shunt is providing relief for glaucoma sufferers.

25. An Israeli research team has found that the combination of electrical stimulation and chemotherapy makes cancerous metastases disappear.

26. Israel has designed and manufactured the first flight system to protect passenger and freighter aircraft against missile attack.

27. Jewish and Arab students at Hebrew University participate in the 'Billy Crystal Workshops - Peace Through the Performing Arts' project.

28. Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin - 109 per 10,000 people - as well as one of the highest per-capital rates of patents filed.

29. In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel is second only to the U.S. in the total number of startup companies (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).

30. Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right behind the US.

31. Israel has the third largest number of companies trading on Wall Street after the U.S. and Canada.

32. More than 85% of solid waste in Israel is treated in an environmentally sound manner

33. On a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech start-ups.

34. Israel has the largest raptor migration in the world, with hundreds of thousands of African birds of prey crossing as they fan out into Asia.

35. 24% of Israel's workforce holds university degrees - ranking third in the industrialized world, after the U.S. and Holland - and 12% hold advanced degrees.

36. BabySense, an Israeli product aimed at preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is saving babies' lives around the world.

37. Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.

38. Israel has the highest number of solar-power water heaters per capita.

39. Israeli actress Hanna Laslo took home the "Best Actress" award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in Amos Gitai's "Free Zone."

40. In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews at risk in Ethiopia to safety in Israel.

41. When Mrs. Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world's second elected female leader in modern times.

42. When the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya was bombed in 1998, Israeli rescue teams were on the scene within a day - and saved three victims from the rubble.

43. Israel is one of only 8 countries in the world capable of launching their own satellites into space.

44. When earthquake struck western India and Turkey, Israel sent entire field hospitals, including medical staff and equipment, to help treat injured civilians.

45. Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship - and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 - in the world.

46. Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth. Immigrants come in search of democracy, religious freedom, and economic opportunity.

47. Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as "conflict free."

48. According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry's most impenetrable flight security. U.S. officials now look to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats.

49. Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv basketball team won the European championships in 1977, 1981 and 2001.

50. Israel has the world's second highest per capita of new books published per year.

51. Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees.

52. Approximately half of the Israelis have access to broadband telecommunication lines, compared to OECD average of 14%.

53. Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.

54. Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.

55. An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U.S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.

56. Israel's Given Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Using the view of the small intestine from the inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.

57. The Movement Disorder Surgery program at Israel's Hadassah Medical Center has successfully eliminated the physical manifestations of Parkinson's disease in a select group of patients with a deep brain stimulation technique.

58. Researchers in Israel developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innovation with the potential to save lives among those with congestive heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the heart's mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.

59. In response to serious water shortages, Israeli engineers and agriculturalists developed a revolutionary drip irrigation system to minimize the amount of water used to grow crops.

60. Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.

61. Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. Over 25% of the country's work force is employed in technical professions - first in this category as well

62. The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel.

63. Most of the Windows NT operating system was developed by Microsoft-Israel.

64. Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D; facilities outside the US in Israel.

65. The technology for AOL Instant Messenger (ICQ) was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis.

66. A new acne treatment developed in Israel, the ClearLight device, produces a high-intensity, ultraviolet-light-free, narrow-band blue light that causes acne bacteria to self-destruct - all without damaging surroundings skin or tissue.

67. An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale solar-powered and fully functional electricity generating plant, in southern California's Mojave desert.

68. The first PC anti-virus software was developed in Israel in 1979.

69. The late Christopher Reeve called Israel the "world center" for research on paralysis treatment.

70. Israeli researchers are playing an important role in identifying a defective gene that causes a rare and usually fatal disease in Arab infants.

71. An Israeli company has been given a U.S. grant to develop an anti-smallpox first aid treatment kit.

72. An Israeli company M-Systems was the first to patent and introduce key chain storage ("Disk-On-Key").

73. Israeli microbiologists have developed the first passive vaccine against the mosquito-borne West Nile virus.

74. A team of Israeli and US researchers has designed a watermelon-picking robot endowed with artificial vision to do the job of harvesting.

75. Israeli researchers are using video games to investigate future treatments for memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

76. An Israeli company has developed sensors that pick up signs of stress in plants.

77. Israeli medical researchers have shown that lycopene - the red pigment found in tomatoes - lowers blood pressure.

78. A small Israeli company called Lenslet has developed a revolutionary electro-optic processor which operates one thousand times faster than any known Digital Signal Processor.

79. Israeli stem-cell technology is being used in the U.S. to regenerate heart tissue.

80. An Israeli company has developed a device that could enable millions of American diabetics to painlessly inject themselves with insulin.

81. An Israeli company is providing the technology behind an American all-electric bus for urban use.

82. An Israeli medical delegation from the 'Save a Child's Heart' project recently spent two weeks in China performing open heart surgery on children.

83. Scientists in Israel have used strands of DNA to create tiny transistors that can literally build themselves.

84. A week-old Iraqi infant underwent an emergency operation in Israel to correct a congenital heart defect.

85. Some 500 million birds representing 300 species migrate across Israel's skies twice a year in the autumn and spring along the Great Valley Rift.

86. Israeli research shows that a tonsillectomy could be the key solving sleep apnea in children.

87. An Israeli company has developed a new device for monitoring coronary disease that will be integrated into future generation of cellphones.

88. An Israeli-developed algorithm enabled NASA to transmit images from Mars.

89. An Israeli has invented 'bone glue' that will reduce the need for bone transplants and heal bone defects caused by cancer.

90. A joint Israeli-Palestinian expedition recently scaled a peak in Antarctica in the name of coexistence.

91. Over 50 million Israeli flowers were sent to Europe for sale on Valentine's Day.

92. Israeli researchers have found a connection between sleep apnea and impotence.

93. Israel, American and Canadian researchers are working together to develop nanotech-based solutions to the water shortage in the Middle East.

94. The founder of the Cancer Prevention and Wellness Program at New York's prestigious Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is Israeli.

95. Between 150 to 200 multinational clinical trials are regularly taking place in Israel every year.

96. An Israeli company is the world's leading sleep disorder sensors manufacturer.

97. Israeli researchers are successfully using magnets to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

98. Israeli scientists have created a DNA nano-computer that not only detects cancer, but also releases drugs to treat the disease.

99. Tel Aviv has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

100. The U.S. Marines in Iraq are using an Israel-developed hand-held computer for communication purposes, as well as add-on amour kit for better survivability of combat Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV's).

101. Israel engineers are behind the development of the largest communications router in the world, launched by Cisco.

102. An Israeli company - Evogene - is developing cotton plants that are resistant to adverse salinity conditions and drought.

103. An Israeli company has developed the world's first jellyfish repellent.

104. Israel has helped farmers in Niger develop a horticultural production system called the African Market Garden (AMG).

105. Jerusalem hosted an international gay rights parade World Pride in 2005.

106. A newly developed Israeli cooking oil is capable of breaking up blood fats such as cholesterol.

107. Israeli scientists have alleviated Parkinson's-like symptoms in rats.

108. Israeli scientists are developing a nose drop that will provide a five-year flu vaccine.

109. Israeli researchers have solved the mystery of Lenin's death.

110. Israeli scientists have discovered how to turn mismatched cells into cancer fighters.

111. Over 20 Israeli companies provided security systems and services for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

112. Israeli scientists have shown that hypnotism doubles the chances of success of in vitro fertilization.

113. An Israeli two-flush lavatory system can save western-world countries billions of gallons of water a year.

114. An Israeli-developed device can painlessly administer medications through microscopic pores in the skin.

115. Israeli researchers have shown that a daily dosage of Vitamin E is effective in helping to regain hearing loss.

116. Israeli researchers have created a 'biological pacemaker' which corrects faulty heart rhythms when injected into the failing hearts of pigs.

117. Two Israelis have won the 2004 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their groundbreaking work in cancer research.

118. An Israeli physicist-turned-inventor has developed the world's first air-conditioned motorcycle.

119. Israeli researchers have proven that Prozac can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

120. An Israeli-developed elderberry extract is one of America's best-selling flu prevention medicines.

121. Children injured in the school siege in Beslan, Russia in 2004 were able to convalesce at an Israeli coastal resort in Ashkelon - at the invitation of that city's mayor.

122. An Israeli company has developed a simple blood test that distinguishes between mild and more severe cases of MS.

123. Israeli scientists have discovered the cause of chronic bad breath and a painless solution.

124. Israeli technology is behind the successful testing of in-flight cell phone use.

125. Israeli research has found that citrus oils may hold the key for asthma treatment.

126. An Israeli company - Patus Ltd. - has donated thousands of its OdorScreen olfactory gel product to counter the crippling odors faced by on-scene Tsunami disaster workers.

127. An Israeli company has developed a nano-lubricant that one day could mean the end of changing your car oil.

128. A young Israeli scientist was among those chosen as an example of carrying on the work of Albert Einstein 100 years later.

129. Intel has sold more than $5 billion worth of the Israeli-developed Centrino chipsets since they were introduced in March 2003.

130. Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can make claim to the following:

131. Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world.

132. Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin -109 per 10,000 people - as well as one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.

133. In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has the largest number of startup companies than any other country in the world, except the US (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).

134. Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right behind the US.

135. Outside the United States and Canada, Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies.

136. Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East. The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.

137 With an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16s, Israel has the largest fleet of the aircraft outside of the US.

138. Israel's $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.

139. On a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech start-ups.

140. Israel has the largest raptor migration in the world, with hundreds of thousands of African birds of prey crossing as they fan out into Asia.

141. Twenty-four percent of Israel's workforce holds university degrees - ranking third in the industrialized world, after the United States and Holland - and 12 percent hold advanced degrees.

1142. Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.

143. In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews at risk in Ethiopia to safety in Israel.

144. When Gold Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world's second elected female leader in modern times.

145. When the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya was bombed in 1998, Israeli rescue teams were on the scene within a day - and saved three victims from the rubble.

146. Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship - and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 - in the world.

147. Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth. Immigrants come in search of democracy, religious freedom, and economic opportunity.

148. Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as "conflict free."

149. According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry's most impenetrable flight security. U.S. officials now look to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats.

150. Israel's Maccabi basketball team won the European championships in 2001.

151. Israeli tennis player Anna Smashnova is the 15th ranked female player in the world.

152. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was produced by Haim Saban, an Israeli whose family fled persecution in Egypt.

153. In 1991, during the Gulf War, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra played a concert wearing gas masks as scud missiles fired by Saddam Hussein fell on Tel Aviv.

154. Israel has the world's second highest per capita of new books.

155. Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees.

156. Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.

157. Israel has two official languages: Hebrew and Arabic.

158. Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.

159. An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U.S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.

160. Israel's Givun imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.

161. Researchers in Israel developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innovation with the potential to save lives among those with congestive heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the heart's mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.

162. With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world (apart from the Silicon Valley).

163. In response to serious water shortages, Israeli engineers and agriculturalists developed a revolutionary drip irrigation system to minimize the amount of water used to grow crops.

164. Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.

165. Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions. Israel places first in this category as well.

166. The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel.

167. Most of the Windows NT operating system was developed by Microsoft-Israel.

168. The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.

169. Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.

170) Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees.

171) Israel has more museums per capital than any other country.

172) Israel has two official languages: Hebrew and Arabic.

Medicine...
173) Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.

174) An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U.S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.

175) Israel's Given imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.

176) Researchers in Israel developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innovation with the potential to save lives among those with congestive heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the heart's mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.

Technology...
177) With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world (apart from the Silicon Valley).

178) In response to serious water shortages, Israeli engineers and agriculturalists developed a revolutionary drip irrigation system to minimize the amount of water used to grow crops.

179) Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capital.

180) Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions. Israel places first in this category as well.

181) The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel.

182) Most of the Windows NT operating system was developed by Microsoft-Israel.

183) The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.

184) Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.

185) Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.

186) The technology for AOL Instant Messenger was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis.

187) A new acne treatment developed in Israel, the ClearLight device, produces a high-intensity, ultraviolet-light-free, narrow-band blue light that causes acne bacteria to self-destruct - all without damaging surroundings skin or tissue.

188) An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale solar-powered and fully functional electricity generating plant, in southern California's Mojave desert.