DIRECT LINK TO TODAY'S ARTICLES, IHC EDITORIALS AND RECENT ARTICLES

(Thursday, November 27, 2008)

Are Western feminists using or abusing their right to freedom of speech? (See: “Muslim Women Activists in North America”)

Is US policy in the Middle East ruining the chances of a peaceful co-existence between Israel and its Arab neighbors? (See: “Expert Calls U.S. Policy in Middle East 'Flawed'”)

Did Churchill’s pro-Zionist views help the founding members of the Jewish state fulfill their dreams? (See: “Churchill's Promised Land”)

Is the public being misled by the US media over a recent scandal within the FBI? (See: “A Real Travesty”)

How has Desmond Tutu shown his true colors? (See “Bishop Tutu and "Israeli Apartheid?”)

Why was Pope Pius XII accused of helping to perpetuate Nazi ambitions after WWII? (See: “Rabbi Isaac Halevy Herzog and the Holy Father, Pius XII”)

***SEE NEW WEEKEND ROUND UP of selected articles for week
ended 27 November 2008. To locate this, scroll down to box titled
“Index to Direct Links.” In addition, at top of Home Page check icon “New
Postings” for all articles published over the last couple of weeks.

SEE NEW AND INTERESTING TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS on Georgia and Russia. Access from icon "Test Your Knowledge" located at very top of page.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

The Israel Hasbara Committee will go into mothballs shortly. It is in its 8th year of operation and has had tens of millions of hits from readers in at least 140 countries. The website was designed to attract discriminating readers with the belief that they would be best qualified to promote Israel's case around the world. We have attracted some very outstanding people. Many have tried to copy the Israel Hasbara Committee's approach by setting up organizations with names that sound similar to the IHC. Mass mailings of emails have been sent out fraudulently in the name of the IHC. There is only one genuine Israel Hasbara Committee and there is only one person who is actually authorized to speak on its behalf and that is the chairman. We tried to appoint spokespeople but soon realized that without proper direction and monitoring they could cause more harm than good. People from around the world have consistently advised us that they were very impressed with the material posted on our website. They saw that we dared to be different when protecting Israel. We have consistently stuck to our principles and have not pandered to anyone.

Working seven years without much of a break is exhausting. But when defending Israel and the Jewish people there is not much time for breaks. The work must go on.

The IHC is regularly attacked with various lethal computer viruses and people have complained about having difficulty contacting us and of not receiving our emails. We know we have problems but have not been able to repair them. The quality of computer server service that we receive has declined. It is beyond our control.


QUESTION OF THE DAY

The world is becoming an increasingly dangerous place as Islamic militants strike wherever they can. The latest strike is in Mumbai, India. Multiple targets were struck including the Chabad House in Mumbai. It is an intolerable situation for India and the world at large. Pandering to radical Islam in any way is suicidal. Those unaware of their aims and methods of operation should immediately educate themselves. Islamic militants do not believe in negotiation or honoring agreements, if they even make them.

The really big target is of course the State of Israel. Israel has to increase its security in every way, not weaken it by permitting the establshment of an armed Palestinian state to divide the State of Israel into two. It is like Jewish history repeating itself.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

The day after the Attorney General announced his decision to indict Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the Rishontours affair, the prime minister's party, Kadima, has called on him to take step down. In an emergency party meeting, Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni said, "This is a sad day for the State of Israel. Like every citizen, the prime minister enjoys the presumption of innocence. Citizen Olmert should deal with that from home. The prime minister must take leave of absence there's no other option."

However, there are those in Kadima who fear that Olmert is determined not to take leave of absence or declare incapacity. "He is doing irreparable harm to the party with his insistence on staying in his post," a senior party member said. He expressed the fear that, if the prime minister does carry on, "it will be the end of us, the party won't survive it." (Source: Globes)

The IHC will close down at the end of the month as previously announced due to financial constraints. Perhaps someone will step forward to assist keeping www.infoisrael.net going as it is probably the most unusual website in the Jewish world. The continued existence of Israel and the Jewish people must be based on truth. One truth is that Jews have constituted the majority of the Jerusalem population for the past 150+ years. There are many others for those who care to know. The basis of the Israel Hasbara Committee is the pursuit of truth.

All original material © copyrighted by Anthony David Marks, Chairman Israel
Hasbara Committee.

The IHC website is a reliable source of information about Israel
prepared daily in Israel. It is a thinking man’s website. It addresses
issues most other news sources do not and it does so candidly. The IHC
is a leader in ideas. Come to the source first.

Today's IHC Articles

• Rabbi Isaac Halevy Herzog and the Holy Father, Pius XII
  
  By Joel Fishman

  [ANTISEMITISM] One of the unspoken tragedies of the Holocaust is the loss of thousands of Jewish children who were physically rescued from the inferno of the Shoah but were forever lost to their faith. Scattered amongst the nations and estranged from their people, these youngsters grew up completely ignorant of their rich heritage and until this day only a slim minority have found their way back to their Jewish roots. Read more.

• Expert Calls U.S. Policy in Middle East 'Flawed'
  
  By Jared Shelly

  [MIDDLE EAST] The current US policy in the Middle East clearly is not working. Israel and the Palestinians are not a step closer to peace today than they were 10 years ago. Surely a radical shake-up of how the US manages Israeli politics is needed in order to re-stabilize the situation which is threatening to spiral out of control. Read more.

• Churchill's Promised Land
  
  By Michael Makovsky

  [ISRAEL] There is much evidence indicating that Sir Winston Churchill was a pro-Zionist politician, however his political ambitions often came in the way of his relationship with Palestine's Zionist leadership Read more.

• Muslim Women Activists in North America
  
  By Phyllis Chesler

  [ISLAM]The policy of freedom of speech which exists only in the West has largely been abused by feminists who use their right to freedom of expression to demonize Israel and other democracies while extolling the virtues of radical Islam and its ideologies. Read more.

• A Real Travesty
  
  By Joel Mowbray

  [TERRORISM] Despite the scandal of the FBI being infiltrated by a Lebanese fraudster, the US media seems to have taken upon itself an oath of silence. This is doubly disturbing as it indicates the lax security of the America's famous intelligence agency in addition to the media's refusal to publicize information that the tax-paying public has a right to know. Read more.

• Bishop Tutu and "Israeli Apartheid"
  
  By Simon Deng

  [ANTISEMITISM] Desmond Tutu was one of the leading activists in the South African campaign to achieve equality for blacks and whites alike. However Tutu is no longer viewed as the bastion of human right due to his lack of objectivity in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Read more.

• Thoughts on Parshat Toldot
  
  By Menachem Persoff

  [TORAH STUDIES] There exists empirical evidence that the power of genuine prayer has influence. But we do not know how this works. There is a difference whethe one is praying for oneself or others. Praying to idols or invoking them is worthless prayer. Read more.

IHC EDITORIALS

• IHC Seeks Clarification of Facts
  
  By Anthony David Marks

  ([INTERNATIONAL] IHC News Editorial, 19 August 2008) The IHC has consistently backed the UN’s embargo on Iran which is part of wider sanctions intended to deter the Islamic Republic from continuing its development of nuclear weapons. Those that appear to breech the embargo must be brought to task unless they can positively prove the transparency of their actions. Read more.

• Israel Confronts Its Existential Challenges
  
  By Anthony David Marks

  ([DEFENCE] 28 September 2008) The Iranian regional menace slowly but surely moves ahead with its leaders’ aggressive plans to dominate the Middle East. Which country will stop Iran in its tracks before it become too powerful to challenge? Should Europe be concerned? Read more.

• Should Yigal Amir Tell All?
  
  By Anthony David Marks

  ([ISRAEL] IHC News Editorial, 3 November 2008) Controversy over Yigal Amir's statements from prison causes uproar. Amir is serving a life sentence for the nationalistically motivated murder of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Read more.

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SHABBAT SHALOM As the Jerusalem sun sets gently on the morrow and a ray of moonlight manages to break through the clouds, the ushering in of another Shabbat is at hand. This is another opportunity to lay down the work tools and embrace the longed for period of rest. Who can deny that taking temporary leave of the mundane will create a little paradise on Earth? And will this inspiration not radiate to people both near and far?

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem

Anthony David Marks

THE ISRAEL HASBARA COMMITTEE is an entirely independent media voice that brings you new and highly relevant news, opinions, issues and information every day, five days a week, which relates in some way to the defense of Israel and her image. The Israel Hasbara Committee continues to be the source of many original insights, comments and ideas. www.infoisrael.net is the leading website of its kind in the world.