World War III has Begun.

This article was originally posted on August 3, 2014 on shiradrissman.com... I have now updated it with proper numbers. It seemed appropriate to repost it here, today, after the attacks in France and Lebanon and after the Pope decided to declare that World War 3 has begun (I guess he needs to follow my blog). The truth is...

It's been headed in this direction for a while now, but in case you've only just noticed (or haven't yet because you're in denial), World War III began a while ago.

Here are the larger and more well-known events (I have only included the murdered, not the injured)

• February 26, 1993: WTC bombed (6 murdered) 
• December 24, 1994: Air France Flight 8969 hijacked in Algiers (3 murdered) 
• June 25, 1996: Khobar Towers bombed (20 murdered) 
• October 12, 2000: USS Cole attacked in Aden, Yemen (17 murdered) 
• September 11, 2001: WTC bombed (nearly 3,000 murdered) 
• August 5, 2003: Marriott Hotel bombing in South Jakarta (12 murdered) 
• March 11, 2004: Train bombings in Madrid, Spain (191 murdered) 
• September 9, 2004: Bombing at Australian embassy in Jakarta (9 murdered) 
• July 7, 2005: Multiple bombings in London underground (53 murdered) 
• July 23, 2005: Bomb attacks at Sharm el-Sheikh (64 murdered) 
• February 1, 2007: Plot to behead British Muslim soldier (thwarted) 
• September 13, 2008: Bombing series in Delhi, India (33 murdered) 
• November 26, 2008: Coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India (166 murdered) 
• June 18, 2009: Beledweyne bombing in Somalia (35 murdered) 
• May 1, 2010: Times Square car bombing attempted (thwarted) 
• December 10, 2010: Stockholm bombing (2 murdered) 
• July 18, 2011: Attack in Hotan, China (2 murdered) 
• February 23, 2012: Attacks in Baghdad (83 murdered) 
• March 20, 2012: Attacks in Baghdad (52 murdered) 
• April 15, 2013: Boston Marathon bombing (3 murdered) 
• May 22, 2013: Two men with cleavers murder British soldier in Woolwich. 
• September 21, 2013: Westgate Shopping Mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya (67 murdered) 
• September 22, 2013: Two Jundallah suicide bombers attack at a church service (105 murdered) 
• January 6, 2014: al-Qaeda linked terrorists execute "prisoners" at a children's hospital in Aleppo, Syria (50 murdered) 
• February 11, 2014: In Nigeria, Islamists come into a local village and slaughter residents (62 murdered) 
• March 15, 2014: Muslim herdsman in Nigeria shoot, burn, and hack their way through three Christian villages (150 murdered) 
• May 7, 2014: Islamists slaughter over villagers in Nigeria in an attack that lasts over twelve hours (336 hours) 
• June 12, 2014: The Islamic State massacres unarmed cadets at Camp Speicher, Iraq (1,566 murdered) 
• August 6, 2014: Boko Haram fire indiscriminately at Christian villages in Nigeria (997 murdered) 
• August 7, 2014: Yazidi death toll continues to rise in Iraq (397 murdered) 
• December 17, 2014: Human rights groups report the execution of women in Iraq for refusing to become brides of caliphate Jihadis (150 murdered) 
• January 7, 2015: Boko Haram goes on a massive killing spree that spans 16 villages in Nigeria (2,000 murdered) 
• April 2, 2015: Devout Muslims storm a Christian college in Kenya, separate out the non-Muslims, and execute the rest in cold blood (148 murdered) 
• October 1, 2015: Fatah gunmen shoot a Jewish couple to death in their car in front of their four young children in Israel 
• October 3, 2015: Two men walking with their families in Jerusalem are stabbed to death by an Islamist, who also shoots a baby in the leg 
• November 13, 2015: In Otniel, Israel, a father and son are murdered the week before the daughter's wedding. 
• November 13, 2015: ISIS orchestrated seven relatively simultaneous terrorist attacks in Paris (128 murdered). 

For a more detailed list of the 27,269 terror attacks since 9/11, please click here.

World War III is an ideological war between Islam and the rest of the world and it started HUNDREDS (really, thousands) of years ago (have you heard of the Marine Hymn? The "shores of Tripoli" are a reference to the Barbary Wars, wars against Muslim pirates). Nobody informed us it was instigated, and the majority of people today still don't know it's going on or don't want to admit it. It started insidiously and quietly. It's widespread and dangerous. The only way to fight it is to educate yourself and others, be aware, and acknowledge its existence.

Only in August 2014, after the three boys were kidnapped in Israel and after Hamas started firing rockets (again) at Israeli civilians, did people start to really notice the raging anti-Semitism occurring around the world. It has gotten horribly worse since. Not that it wasn't going on before - it was. But people see what they want, and don't see what they don't.

For years, there has been increasing acts of violence and intimidation against Jews, most notably, France, the UK, and other European countries. A statistical analysis has shown that 150 million people across Europe have serious anti-semitic views or a "demonic view" of Israel. The new anti-Semitism stems from the far right (authoritarianists, anti-communists, nativists, and fascists), the political left, and a growing Muslim population in these countries.

Even in peaceful Canada, there have been riots and violence against Jews and non-Jewish supporters of Israel. In Calgary the other day, hundreds of Muslims and non-Muslim Jew-haters rioted "peacefully" right before they attacked the group of a dozen or so pro-Israel protestors. No police were present and it almost escaped the attention of the media.

Take a close look at these numbers. 

There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world today. It is estimated that 15-25% of those Muslims are radical, potentially active terrorists according to all intelligence sources around the world. That means, mathematically, that 240-400 MILLION Muslims are active, or potentially active, radical terrorists dedicated to the destruction of democracy and Western civilization. That's as many people, or more, as occupy our United States of America.

Let me repeat this. These 240-400 million people devote their lives and deaths to murdering and mutilating YOU, the infidel.

If you want to count how many radical Muslims there are in the world (who may not personally act on their beliefs but agree with them, morally, financially, or religiously, then you're looking at over 800 million Radical Muslims, more than half of all Muslims on the planet, adhere to the beliefs of the terrorists. (see Pew Research 2011).

According to the Qu'ran, they believe that men are worth more than women... in inheritance (4:11, 4:176), in court testimony (2:282), purity (5:6), dominion over the body (2:223), wife to husband ratio (4:3), sex slaves (4:24, 33:50), and more. This is supported by the Hadith, the record of the sayings of their prophet Mohammed, which supplements the Qu'ran.

Women are not alone. Muslims also look down upon homosexuals, Christians, hypocrites (those who claim to be Muslim but are not quite radical enough), and, of course, Jews.

Do not think that you will be spared.

"Oh ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty." -Qu'ran, Sura 9:123.

They are encouraged to lay low, to lie to non-believers, to gain in numbers until such a time when they can take over. This is how they work. We can now see that their hard work and patience is paying off. Look at France where synagogues are burned and people are murdered in metal concerts. Look at Chicago where tens of thousands march in support of Hamas and their murderous methods. Look at Ann Arbor - where pro-"Palestinian" rallies and take place and people are afraid to act. 

It will only increase (and has). Keep your eyes open and do not blind yourself to what is happening. The war has begun. Jewish, not Jewish. White, Black, Yellow, Purple. Heterosexual, homosexual. If you aren't a radical Muslim, YOU are the infidel. YOU are their enemy. 

Be prepared to fight... because they already are.

Israel Doesn't Matter

The Land of Israel Doesn't Matter

Jewish Ideology
Jews believe in the sanctity of life. We are even instructed to break the holy Sabbath in order to save a life; it's called "Pikuach Nefesh." The rules of Kosher and fasting can be broken as well for sick and dying people.

Jews grant the same love of life to others. Even in our military actions against the Muslims, we pamphlet, text message, make phone calls, and even send soldiers in on the ground in order to reduce the amount of civilian Arab casualties.

Israelis wish only to live in peace. They gave back the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and, in the past decade, they offered 98% of what the Arabs wanted and Arafat, on the Arabs' behalf, rejected it outright. Even today, all Jews want is peace and quiet.

Islamic Ideology
I'll let them speak for themselves.

"We love death like our enemies love life.
We love Martyrdom, the way in which [Hamas] leaders died." - Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Al-Aqsa TV [Hamas], July 30, 2014

"Say (O Mohammed): Oh ye who are Jews! If ye claim that ye are favoured of Allah apart from (all) mankind, then long for death if ye are truthful." - Qu'ran 62:6

Ayman al-Zawahiri told Muslim women, "I advise you to raise your children in the cult of jihad and martyrdom and to instill in them a love for religion and death."

Hamas uses human shields, and fires missiles from private homes, schools, ambulances, and hospitals. They kidnap innocent teenagers and soldiers. They attempt to steal the bodies of murdered Jews. They rejoice when they hear of violence and heartbreaking news on the part of Israelis.

In a recent poll, 60% of those Arabs polled (including 55% in the West Bank and 68% in Gaza) reject permanent acceptance of Israel's existence, instead wanting one Palestinian state "from the river to the sea."

Hamas wants Israel destroyed and the Jews dead. Their own charter emphasizes, in several places, the desire to eliminate the Jews. Here is one of the juicier points, "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." -Hamas Charter Preamble

The Land of Israel, if it were ever truly an issue (rather than an excuse), is no longer of any importance. The Muslims want the Jews dead. Every last one of us. Even if we were to give away every last square meter of Israel, they would still run us through with spears, cut off our heads, and dangle us from the rooftops until the last one of us was dead.

Don't believe me? Just check out what they're doing to the Christians in Iraq.

In Short, There Are No "Palestinian" Refugees

In 1917, the British Empire wrested Palestine away from the Ottoman Turks and occupied the land there until 1947. Shortly thereafter, the UN decided to divide the area into a country for the Jews and the Arabs. The Jews accepted this partition plan even though they were only going to receive 20% of the land and even though Jerusalem would not be completely included either.

Not one of the 22 Arab states were happy with this partition simply because it provided Jews with a Jewish country. Not only did they reject it, but five Arab nations (with help from a couple others) decided to wipe it off the map within one day of its birth.

In order to protect Arabs, those nations warned the Arabs living in Israel at the time to flee, to get out of the way of their incoming armies. Those Arabs, approximately 539,000 of them, followed their instructions and voluntarily abandoned their homes and property so that the Jews would (in their hope) be murdered and eliminated. The Arab nations promised the Arabs that they could return and move into the Jews' houses after the anticipated successful annihilation of the Jews.

"We will smash the country with our guns and obliterate every place the Jews seek shelter in. The Arabs should conduct their wives and children to safe areas until the fighting has died down." -Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Said, quoted in Sir Am Nahbah ("The Secret Behind the Disaster") by Nimr el Hawari Nazareth, 1952

The Jews of Palestine tried to get the Arabs of Palestine to stay.

"Every effort is being made by the Jews to persuade the Arab populace to stay and carry on with their normal lives, to get their shops and business open and to be assured that their lives and interests will be safe. [However] ...A large road convoy, escorted by [British] military... left Haifa for Beirut yesterday... Evacuation by sea goes on steadily. ...[Two days later, the Jews were] still making every effort to persuade the Arab populace to remain and to settle back into their normal lives in the towns... [as for the Arabs,] another convoy left Tireh for Transjordan, and the evacuation by sea continues. The quays and harbor are still crowded with refugees and their household effects, all omitting no opportunity to get a place on one of the boats leaving Haifa." -Haifa District HQ of the British Police, April 26, 1948, quoted in Battleground by Samuel Katz

The Arabs refused, choosing instead to abandon their possessions and land. "The Arabs did not want to submit to a truce; they rather preferred to abandon their homes, their belongings and everything they possessed in the world and leave the town. This is in fact what they did." -Jamal Husseini, Acting Chairman of the Palestine Arab Higher Committee, told to the United Nations Security Council, quoted in the UNSC Official Records (N. 62), April 23, 1948, p.14.

At the same time, 850,000 Jews were expelled from other Arab countries where they had lived for hundreds of years. Some of the people who were forced to leave were successful professionals, and they left behind their property which was, of course, immediately confiscated. They all fled to the newly born Israel.

These Jewish refugees were immediately accepted by the State of Israel. They were given shelter, food, and clothing. They were treated as equals.

The Arab refugees who had voluntarily abandoned their land and property for the other Arab nations were not welcomed. They were treated as unwelcome migrants and placed in dilapidated refugee camps. The UN, through UNRWA, gave assistance because the host countries refused to.

Eventually, the camps become training camps for terrorists whose goal was to eliminate Israel. The host countries provided the training, weapons, explosives, and yet, the Arabs still weren't considered full citizens.

Rather, these Arab countries kept the displaced Arabs in misery, fed their anger, and used them as tools against the Jews and Israel, and pawns in the worldwide media.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, a refugee is "someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence." Based on this definition, there are no Palestinian Arab refugees. The Jews of Palestine never forced any Arabs of Palestine to leave. Quite the contrary. The Jews practically begged the Arabs to stay.

The Haifa Workers Council posted a bulletin on April 28, 1948, stating, "...our city flourished and developed for the good of both Jewish and Arab residents... Do not destroy your homes with your own hands; do not bring tragedy upon yourselves by unnecessary evacuation and self-imposed burdens. By moving out you will be overtaken by poverty and humiliation. But in this city, yours and ours, Haifa, the gates are open for work, for life, and for peace, for you and your families."

Even Great Britain recognized what was going on. The Times of London reported on April 4, 1948, "...the Jewish Hagana asked (using loudspeakers) Arabs to remain at their homes but most of the Arab population followed their leaders who asked them to leave the country."

Additionally, even if they were refugees, this status does not extend to further generations.

"The refugee status of the Palestinians was perpetuated by the host countries and the Palestinian leadership, and by the international community, through the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the only UN body dedicated to a specific refugee group (all other refugees in the world are the responsibility of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees). As a result, refugee status was passed down from father to son to grandson over 50 years, so that, today, they number three million to four million. That is why the Palestinians now account for about one-fourth of the world's refugees -- an impressive figure until one imagines how many refugees there would be if all the Finns and Germans and Indian Hindus and Muslims and European Jews who were made refugees after the Second World War (not to speak of the Greeks and Turks and Armenians who were made refugees during and after the First World War) were still considered refugees in the year 2000." -Mark Heller, co-author of No Trumpets, No Drums: A Two-State Settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

In essence, the "Arab Palestinian Refugee" problem is of their own doing. They made the decision to abandon their land, property, and possessions because they assumed the Arab countries would kill the Jews and defeat Israel. Their intent was evil and their actions backfired. They trusted other Arab countries who, not only failed to protect and take care of them, but then used them as weapons against the Israeli state and the Jews. They are now trying to take advantage of other countries, the UN, and people's ignorance of history and law. We cannot allow this.

The Jews of Palestine had requested that the Arabs of Palestine stay. Israel has repeatedly gone above and beyond to make peace with them. They still turn it down. [Most of] The Arabs still hate and kill. History hasn't changed, and neither will the future. Even today, as of June 2014, 60% of "Palestinians" oppose a two-state solution; they prefer that their leaders "work toward reclaiming all of historic Palestine, from the river to the sea." Two-thirds of those polled support continued resistance against the Jewish state. And if you're wondering about the remaining 40%... well, they view such a move as "part of a 'program of stages' to liberate all of historic Palestine later."

Let us be honest with them and ourselves and move forward from here. Let us focus on Israel, her Jewish future, and those who truly support her.

An Accurate History of Palestine, Israel, and the "Palestinians," Part II (1948 - Early 1950s)

PART II

War of 1948
One day after the State of Israel was born, on May 15, 1948, no less than five Arab nations invaded Israel. The new State fought against Syria and Lebanon in the north, Iraq and Transjordan (Jordan) in the east, Egypt (assisted by contingents from the Sudan) in the south, and Arabs and volunteers from other Arab countries from within. Being that Israel had just been born, these five Arab countries had superior armor, artillery, and air forces.

On May 31, the Haganah was renamed the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and suffered initial setbacks, but after three weeks, they were able to halt the offensive, stabilize the front, and even initiate some local offensive operations. By mid-July 1949, Israel was able to capture the upper Galilee, the Negev in the south (which had been allotted to the Jewish State by the UN), and end the war. The Arab countries signed Armistice Agreements; first came Egypt on February 24, 1949, Lebanon on March 23, 1949, Jordan on April 3, 1949, and Syria on July 20, 1949. Only Iraq did not sign an agreement. It preferred to withdraw its troops and hand over its sector to the Arab Legion of Jordan. In the end, not only did Israel eject the Arab forces, but it also took 5,000 square kilometers over and above the areas allocated to it by the United Nations.

As soon as the armistice agreements were signed, the IDF was disbanded. But it was too soon to do so. The former Arabs of Palestine (and neighboring Arab countries, in an effort to show Israel and the rest of the Arabs that they hadn't given up the war) started sending suicide troops across the ill-protected border to steal farm equipment, laying of mines, killing of individuals, and wholesale massacres. They were trained, equipped, and paid by Egyptian intelligence, but they operated from bases in Jordan (which caused Jordan to bear the brunt of the retaliation). Each time Israel would retaliate, the UN Security Council would condemn it.

Post-1948 War through the Early 1950s
Despite the refugee problem being admittedly caused by the Arabs fleeing (due to the Arab Higher Committee encouraging them to leave their lands) and the surrounding Arab states, Israel was still willing to take back the Arabs who had scattered in the hopes of an Arab victory in 1948.

On November 19, 1948, the General Assembly created the UN Relief for Palestinian Refugees, later renamed UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to dispense aid to the refugees. The Arab refugees of Palestine are the only refugee group that gets their own UN organization. All other refugees utilize the UN Refugee Agency. Regardless, UNRWA was originally given a budget of $50 million to assist the estimated 650,000-711,000 Arab refugees of Palestine (according to the UN).

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a refugee is someone who has been forced to leave a country because of war or for religious or political reasons. Recall that Israel never forced the Arabs to leave Palestine/Israel. In fact, Israel insisted and requested that they stay and help them build the country. The Arabs were the ones who rejected the Jewish request and abandoned their property.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, pursuant to the 1951 Refugee Convention, a refugee is someone "who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country" (emphasis added).

On another section of the UNHCR website, refugee is defined as "someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence." Again, the Jews of Palestine practically begged the Arabs to stay; the Jews were not the reason the Arabs left.

Additionally, the new Israeli government was more than willing to take the Arabs back into the country. The Arabs rejected this offer (see below).

[Note: For this reason alone, there are no Arab refugees from Palestine. For argument's sake, even if there were, the number would be limited to the original 650,000-711,000. Refugee status does not extend to additional generations. There is no international law that provides for this and no other refugee group can, or does, claim this. Despite this, Arabs from Palestine insist that their descendants are entitled to keep this label (and UNRWA supports it), thus making the number of "Palestinian refugees" an unwieldy and ridiculous five million people. And reductio ad absurdum, if you continued along these lines another 20-30 years, you would have over thirty million Arabs claiming the Right of Return to Israel.

In the history of the world, all refugees have eventually been assimilated (since WWII, 165 million). All but one -- the Arabs of Palestine. Due to the application of the definition of refugee, all numbers of refugees have declined to zero (either from absorption or from them dying off); all except the Arabs of Palestine. Their numbers have increased, despite all rules of law and mathematics.

We won't discuss here the ignored issue of the Jewish refugees, mainly because Israel absorbed them as soon as they fled and arrived in Israel.

For a more in depth conversation on the refugee issue, please refer to my already written blog, There Are No Refugees.]

According to UNRWA (now the largest UN agency, with a staff of over 30,000) and the US Department of State, from 1950-1999, the US gave $2,222,000,000.00 to UNRWA. That's over $2 BILLION (with a "B"). As of 2012, the US has given a total of $4,300,510,350.00 to UNRWA, whose only focus is the Arabs from Palestine alleged refugee problem. In 2010, the European Commission gave UNRWA $165 million. That same year, Sweden gave $47 million, the UK gave $45 million, Norway gave $40 million, and the Netherlands gave $29 million.

On December 11, 1948, the UN passed Resolution 194, which stated that, "refugees willing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so ... and that compensation should be paid for property of those choosing not to return..." (emphasis added). Those emphasized words show that the UN did not expect Israel to repatriate a hostile population that might endanger its security. The solution to the problem would have to include resettlement of Arabs into neighboring Arab countries. Israelis did not expect the resettlement issue to be a problem, but the Arabs were, still, unwilling to negotiate and cooperate and unanimously rejected the UN Resolution, on claimed moral and political grounds.

The only country that has assimilated, in significant numbers, the Arabs of Palestine is Jordan. No other Arab country has absorbed them or given them full citizenship despite the fact that many of them were born in those countries and have lived there for years.

An Accurate History of Palestine, Israel, and the "Palestinians"

After reading many articles that claim to know the history of the Middle East, but are incorrect, I have decided to put together a very accurate history for you to use as a reference. It requires much research, but I have no problem doing the legwork for my readers. This will come in parts (so that it's not too long) - please feel free to use it as a reference.

PART I

The Name "Palestine"
The definite origins of the word "Palestine" are unclear, but it is believed that the name is derived from the Hebrew word "peleshet." It is roughly translated as "rolling" or "migratory," the term was used to describe the inhabitants of the land to the northeast of Egypt, the Philistines. The Philistines were an Aegean people, more closely related to the Greeks and with no connection ethnically, linguistically, or historically with Arabia.

A derivative of the name first appears in Greek literature in the 5th Century B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) when Herodotus called the area "Palaistine." In the 2nd Century C.E. (Common Era), the Romans crushed the revolt of Shimon bar Kochba (132 C.E.), during which Jerusalem and Judea were regained, the Romans renamed the area Palaestina in an attempt to minimize Jewish identification with the land of Israel.

Under the Ottoman Empire (1517-1917), the term Palestine was used loosely as a term to describe the land south of Syria. Many Ottomans and Arabs instead used the term "Souther Syria" rather than "Palestine."

After WWI, the name was applied to the land that was under the British Mandate (present day Israel and present day Jordan). Prior to 1948, it was customary to use the term "Palestinian" to the Jews that lived in the area. Only years after Israel's independence did the Arabs living in the Gaza Strip and West Bank (of the Jordan) call themselves Palestinians. They themselves pronounce it "Filastin," a term which does not appear in the Qu'ran.

The Birth of Israel
On September 3, 1947, the UNSCOP (United Nations Special Committee on Palestine) submitted its report to the UN General Assembly declaring its majority recommendation that Palestine be divided into separate Jewish and Arab states. The Arab Higher Committee rejected the issuance of the Report, issuing a statement on September 29th, saying that the "Zionists are conducting an invasion of that country [Palestine]" and claiming that they advocate freedom and independence for an Arab state in the whole of Palestine which would respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and equality of all persons before the law, and would protect the legitimate rights and interests of all minorities whilst guaranteeing freedom of worship and access to the Holy Places. Not once did the Arab Higher Committee use the term "Palestinian," instead only using the term "Arabs of Palestine."

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181 (33 votes in favor, 13 votes against, 10 abstentions). Resolution 181 was a recommendation that the partition plan be implemented and requested that the Security Council take up the matter from there.

More discussions took place and on February 6, 1948, the Arab Higher Committee again objected to the Jews getting a state of their own, declaring, "The Arabs of Palestine will never recognize the validity of the extorted partition recommendations or the authority of the United Nations to make them." They continued, saying that they would consider "that any attempt by the Jews or any power or group of powers to establish a Jewish state in Arab territory is an act of aggression which will be resisted in self-defense by force" (emphasis added). The Arabs of Palestine also stated,

"It is very unwise and fruitless to ask any commission to proceed to Palestine because not a single Arab will cooperate with the said commission ... The only way to establish partition is first to wipe them out -- man woman and child." Id.

Further, it wasn't just the Arabs within Palestine. According to the First Special Report, "powerful Arab interests, both inside and outside Palestine, are defying the resolution ... and are engaged in a deliberate effort to alter by force the settlement envisaged herein." Guerrilla groups from numerous adjacent Arab states were recorded as coming in to assist in attacking the Jews of Palestine, civilian and security personnel alike. Id.

The argument raged on for months since the UN was afraid of causing increased violence in the Mideast (borne of Arab dissatisfaction). The US (along with other countries) tried to find a solution. Mindful of the worsening situation, and wishing to avoid further debate, the US proposed another draft resolution calling for a truce between Jewish and Arab groups. It was adopted as Resolution 43 on April 1, 1948. Several more resolutions were passed to calm everything down, but after nothing but violence and hopeful ideas continued, on May 14, 1948, the Zionist leadership declared the existence of the State of Israel, citing Resolution 181 as constituting "recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to establish their state."

Palestine, which had not been in existence for very long, was no more. It was divided into Israel -- for the Jewish people of Palestine (between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River) and Trans-Jordan, which became Jordan -- for the Arabs of Palestine (the land east of the Jordan River).

[Note: Prior to this time, the term "Palestinian" referred to both Jews and Arabs, though the Arabs who lived in the area were generally from other, surrounding Arab countries.]

Attacks on Israel
Not one of the 22 Arab states were pleased with this and not only did they reject the declaration, but decided they also needed to wipe Israel off the map. Surrounding Arab countries urged the Arabs who lived there to flee, to get out of the way so that they could run the Jews into the sea. Despite being urged to stay by Palestinian Jews (civilians and government), they ran away, abandoning their houses, land, and property, in the hopes that they would be able to return and take the property back tenfold -- after all the Jews were murdered. See There Are No Palestinian Jewish Refugees; There Are No Palestinian Arab Refugees.


to be continued...

The Guardians of Humanity

Human rights are commonly understood to be inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because he or she is a human being.

The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.

"All victims of human rights abuses should be able to look to the Human Rights Council as a forum and a springboard for action." -Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, 12 March 2007, Opening of the 4th Human Rights Council Session

Apparently, the UN has decided that the topic of human rights is important. Sadly, this is as good as it gets. 

Here's a closer, cursory look at the 47 wonderful and humane State members of this "Human Rights Council."

The Worst Offenders

Sierra Leone, a country who went through a horrific civil war from 1991 to 2002, leaving 50,000 dead, over one million displaced, using large quantities of child soldiers. The Revolutionary United Front committed horrendous abuses, including rapes, limb amputation, and more. In 1999, the UN brokered a peace deal, but even that came under serious scrutiny because it gave amnesty to the rebel forces for their grotesque human rights violations.

Congo, another member of the HR Council, went through a civil war as well. More than 5-6 million people died since the civil war began in 1998 (nearly half the dead younger than 5 years old). If that weren't bad enough, UN peacekeepers themselves weren't interested in doing the job their name implied. Three years ago, there were mass rapes taking place in Congo just up the road from those "peacekeepers." Nothing was done. Why didn't that qualify as violations of human rights? We'll discuss that later. Another good question: Why is this extremely guilty country on the UN Human Rights Council? Sorry. I can't help you with that one.

Uganda, another of the 47 members, is the home of the Lord's Resistance Army and the infamous Joseph Kony. The LRA's "ranks are filled with boys who have been brainwashed to burn down huts and pound newborn babies to death in wooden mortars, as if they were grinding grain" (according to Jeffrey Gettleman, The Perfect Weapon for the Meanest Wars, New York Times, 29 April 2007). How pleasantly appropriate for the UN Human Rights Council.

In the Ivory Coast, yet another member, the 2010 presidential election led to the 2010-2011 Ivorian crisis and the Second Ivorian Civil War. International organizations reported numerous human rights violations on both sides. In the first civil war, in 2002, child soldiers were used, often forcibly, by both sides.

Libya, a vacation destination in Northern Africa, saw such terrible human rights violations that their rights as a member of the UN Human Rights Council were suspended from March 2011 - November 2011. It was so bad that Libya's own UN delegation urged the UN to kick them out. Makes me wonder; if Libya's own delegation hadn't done so, the UN likely would never have done anything at all because...

Switzerland, one of our illustrious 47, has nominated Jean Ziegler, co-founder of the "Moammar Qaddafi Human Rights Prize," for the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, to represent the Western group (election scheduled for September 27, 2013). He has publicly endorsed such infamous a**holes as Fidel Castro, Robert Mugabe, Hugo Chavez, Colonel Mengistu, and other repressive rulers. Impressive, especially because we, in the West, always consider Switzerland as one of the 'good guys.' If you want to take action and oppose this election (as well you should), you can complete the form on this page. Perhaps someone will listen.

In the Philippines, children are recruited by rebel forces (MILF, ASG, NPA, acronyms explained below), but it is also reported that the government (Armed Forces of the Philippines) uses them in paramilitary units. It is known, even by the UN, that the rebel forces and the government subjects these kids to the most brutal violence, including killings, maimings, rapes, and other sexual assaults and human rights issues:

"There is a United Nations Security Council Report in 23 April 2010 that says that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF, yes, MILF), Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), New People's Army (NPA), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are among the groups around the world that recruit and use children. In the report, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is not mentioned as a human rights violator.

In a separate corroborating report, the State Department of the United States of America also had a 2009 Human Rights Report and it has never mentioned MNLF as a violator.

On 28 October 2011, the Philippine Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo admitted that some members of the Abu Sayyaf are related to members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and even government officials."

I'm sure I could go into more detail about the 47 member States and their impressive human rights history, but that would turn this blog into a novel (as if it isn't approaching that already). There's no need. The two questions remain the same: 

1) Why are the aforementioned countries members of the UN Human Rights Council? 

2) Why is the UN only now looking into Syria for its human rights violations, especially when both sides (government and rebel forces) have been accused of gross, systematic, and wide-scale violations of human rights?

For as smart and clever as I am, I cannot explain or shed light into the thought processes of the UN. Perhaps they felt there were just too many offenders to have a truly humanitarian Human Rights Council. Or maybe, as I believe, they just don't give a crap and so remain intentionally blindly ignorant. As such, I'll stick to Question #2. 

Why Syria? Why now?

Russia

Russia has never stopped being a communist country (though now I suppose it might qualify as pseudo-communist), and with our crazy ex-KGB Vladimir Putin in charge, he wants to become a super power again. He has gotten our attention and wants to remind us that he's a Someone we should all be worried about. We need to remember that he is no one's friend, least of all the U.S. or Israel's.

Putin has been angling for the power card for a while now. From 2000-2010 Russia sold $1.5 billion (with a "B") worth of weaponry to its ally Syria, making Damascus its 7th largest client. During the Syrian civil war, Russia threatened to veto any sanctions against the Syrian government (yes, they do have veto power) and continued to supply them with arms.

Some may argue that Russia is concerned about an Syrian overthrow further destabilizing the region which may then affect them, but it's more realistic to remember that Syria is in the heart of the Middle East and Russia has had four decades supporting the Assad regime. Further, Putin's tactics seem to be succeeding. Obama has capitulated and is letting Putin run the show. Somehow, we are supposed to trust that Russia, who has a long-term relationship with Syria and supplied them with billions of dollars in weapons, will finally force their customer to dispose of the weapons they just purchased because of the September 14, 2013 Framework For Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons.

Chemical weapons

Other countries, as mentioned above, have horrendous human rights violations (note that I only mentioned member States, not countries who have had violations but aren't currently Human Rights Council members), but they haven't been threatened with invasion and attack by the US or UN. This is because the violations in those countries were done the 'old-fashioned' way, so to speak (say, with machetes and such). The murders and attacks were not considered as brutal or cruel as those conducted by chemical weapons, which can be considered a weapon of mass destruction (though in a separate class from biological weapons, nuclear weapons, or radiological weapons). 

We aren't talking about your run-of-the-mill mass murder... Chemical weapons are so brutal to the human body that the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), held in 1993, made a legally binding worldwide ban on the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors, and international law has prohibited them since 1899, under the Hague Convention: Article 23.

98% of the world has signed, if not ratified, the CWC. Conveniently, Syria was one of only seven states in the world who weren't a signatory (until they were forced to several days ago), though it was a party to the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibiting the use of chemical weapons (but is silent about production, storage, or transfer of them-- I guess they didn't have lawyers back then).

Racism

For as far as we have come in this world, I believe that the UN and others feel, though won't admit, that Blacks are less human/humane than others. That's why there was, and still is, a delay in doing anything of significance in the African countries where human rights violations and atrocities are being committed daily. Some may claim that we only go into Arab countries because it's an oil issue, but diamonds, timber, and chocolate, all vital goods that the US and the world need/want, are all produced in Africa.

No. As unpopular and controversial as this may be to put in writing, I sadly believe that the crux of the matter is that the UN, European, and Arab countries feel that Africans are more tribal than organized and that, therefore, African countries are merely glorified tribes. 
UN logic is that the Black Africans will continue to kill each other so there is no reason for the UN to go in and interfere unless it becomes so excessively brutal that they can literally no longer ignore it (e.g. against Liberia for the blood diamonds or Sudan, where it took the UN and International Criminal Court 16 years to step in, and immeasurable numbers of Darfuris are still suffering even today).

Though the Arabs are also of darker skin, they are viewed to be slightly more civilized than the Africans, and therefore, able to be manipulated (since that's what the UN tries to do anyway).

Israel

Israel isn't truly a reason but I wanted to address it since some might assume otherwise. Other than American news sources making the claim, there is no documentation proving that Israel actually asked for US assistance. In fact, Michael Oren, Israeli Ambassador to Washington, emphasized that Israel was not pressuring or even recommending that the US engage militarily in Syria.

"Israel and the United States are sovereign countries, and whether it’s with Syria or Iran, each country has the right to determine how best to act and defend itself,” Oren said. “I think it’s important to point out that Israel has a different red line than the United States.

Prime Minister [Binyamin] Netanyahu has stated that Israel’s red line is any attempt by Syria to transfer chemical or other game-changing weapons to Hezbollah. That is our red line, and we stand by it.” 

-Sam Sokol, Michael Wilner; "Steinitz: Israel Didn't Ask For US Help in Syria." Jerusalem Post, 4/28/2013.

Additionally, Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz asserted that Israel never asked the US to take military action in Syria, "never asked and never encouraged the US to take military action." Id.

In that same article, Steinitz was quoted as saying that he has had to deal with categorically untrue statements from American outlets such as the NY Times and NBC News that Israel was encouraging action.

Conclusion

It's really too bad that the Human Rights Council is a joke (not surprising, though, since it is a outshoot of the UN). 

It permits the very same human rights violators to be the watchdogs over other human rights violator countries, does a less-than-stellar job of watching over the countries who everyone knows is murdering and torturing its own citizens, and picks and chooses who it's going to "help" next.

It sets no bar for respectful countries to surpass (or even reach) and even allows so-called Western countries to make proposals that are laughable, at best.

Logic dictates that we wait it out and see how well the UN (or rather, Russia and the US) does with Syria. Then again, I haven't really been impressed with the UN's past track record, who they trust, or who they enlist as guardians of humanity.

Unfortunately, with this type of organization in charge, there's no reason to hope that the situation in Syria will turn out positively.

New Math: 1027 = 1

There has been quite an uproar around the world surrounding the trade of over one thousand Muslim terrorists for the return of Gilad Shalit. In case you aren't familiar, Gilad Shalit was a 19 year old Corporal (now Staff Sgt.) in the Israeli Army (I.D.F.) when he was kidnapped by Hamas over five years ago -- conveniently, only five months after Hamas, a terrorist organization, was democratically voted into government by the "Palestinian" people. 


In case you're wondering why I put quotation marks around "Palestinian," it is because they are Muslim Arabs, NOT Palestinians. True Palestinians were Jews that lived in the area during the British Mandate. But the Arabs have manipulated history and the world has been brainwashed by them. It's not just me making this claim. It's the Arab leaders themselves:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism." -- PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein, 1977

"Hamas will never recognize the existence of a Jewish State in the region" -Mahmoud al Zahar, Senior Hamas member

These monsters stuck Shalit in a dungeon and refused to allow any international agency, not even the International Red Cross, to visit or make sure he was healthy. Just recently (last Tuesday), Binyamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government agreed to release 1,027 murderers from prison to get Shalit returned to his family (half now, half in December 2011). 


In response, Hamas declared Tuesday a national holiday and called for three days of rejoicing. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal hailed the deal as a victory for the Palestinian people.


These terrorists to be released have been convicted, and have admitted happily, that they have murdered and spilled the blood of Israelis for no other reason than that they are Jews living in the State of Israel. 


Before I begin, let me say that I am eternally grateful that Gilad Shalit is home. The Israeli people has a particular affinity for life, its soldiers and citizens. We will do anything to make sure we can ensure their safety and health, but sometimes we act beyond the realm of logic and wisdom. Personally, I am torn about this subject. It pains me that Shalit was ripped from his family and country, that he had to spend 25% of his life in the hands of terrorists, clearly underfed and not taken care of, but there has been so much Israeli blood spilled by these 1,027 terrorists, and I guarantee... there will be more Israelis who are murdered because of the release of these prisoners. This is not right, and can only lead to more kidnappings, trades, and terror in an endless cycle of violence perpetuated by the Muslims.


Further, there are military, moral, and religious dilemmas associated with this trade (or any similar trade that has taken place in the past). Dealing with the religious and moral aspects is an entirely different article, so let's focus on the military/strategic issues.

"The mass release [of prisoners] has given a boost to Hamas, whose leaders have given their troops order to capture more Israeli soldiers. The goal is to win the release of even more Palestinian prisoners in Israel who then could rejoin the fight to battle Israel until a Palestinian state is created or until Israel is destroyed." -TheSpectrum.com

I've spoken to several Americans about this trade, and they are flabbergasted. They asked me, "who is this soldier?"... implying he was someone special. He was, but wasn't. The key is that he was no one special, but he was everyone; anyone's son, brother, cousin. We are all family in Israel. Every Jew is special. Israel loves its people, but that's the point. Hamas knows this, and does not hesitate to act in as evil a manner as possible. They do not value their own people's lives, and certainly not a Jewish one. If they can manage to get a thousand of their murderers released for one boy, then why wouldn't they do it again and again? They wouldn't.


Israel has officially set a precedent. The government has now officially told Hamas that it is acceptable to kidnap soldiers (or anyone, really) in order to get convicted murderers free. Hamas is destructive enough - why did we need to provide them with further incentives?


Please also be aware that prior to this trade, Israel had already released twenty Arab prisoners for a videotape of Shalit. Yes, you heard me... a videotape. Again, I will reiterate that I am grateful that Shalit is home, but what of the innocents whose lives have all now been marked for death at the hands of the released terrorists? This doesn't count all the trades in the past that have already taken place that led up to this point. I speak of the future, that is already being written by Hamas, its terrorist soldiers, and the Israeli government who participated in the negotiation for this very bloody result.


One of the terrorists scheduled to be released is Ahlam Tamimi, a 31 year old woman who assisted in the logistical planning of the infamous Sbarro terrorist attack that killed 16 Israelis, and who drove the bomber to the restaurant in August 2001. She was sentenced to 16 life terms in prison, and was quoted as saying, "I’m not sorry for what I did. I will get out of prison and I refuse to recognize Israel’s existence. Discussions will only take place after Israel recognizes that this is Islamic land."

The remainder of the terrorists who will be released in exchange for Shalit can be found here (may their names be blotted out from the history books).

They include Salehi, Abd al-Aziz Yussuf Mustafa of Ramallah, a participant in the 2000 Ramallah lynching who was iconically photographed displaying his blood-stained hands to the Palestinian mob after having beaten to death an IDF reservist who had accidentally entered the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Ramallah.

And Ghanim, Abd al-Hadi Rafa of Gaza, the surviving perpetrator of the Tel Aviv Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack in which Ghneim seized the steering wheel of a crowded Egged commuter bus line No. 405 and managed to pull the bus into a ravine in the area of Qiryat Ye'arim causing the bus to be caught on fire while passengers whom could not get off the bus were burned alive. (16 killed, 27 injured).

And Amrin, Fuad Muhammad Abdulhadi of Gaza, who fatally stabbed 15-year-old schoolgirl Helena Rapp on her way to school in the Israeli city of Bat Yam.

My personal "favorite," Badran, Husam Atif All of Nablus, the former head of Hamas' military wing in the West Bank, who orchestrated the the 2001 Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing, 2001 Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing (15 killed, more than 100 injured) and in the 2002 Passover massacre.

Let's not forget Bahit, Ismail Musa Hussein of Gaza, a Popular Resistance Committee member who killed six Palestinians he believed to be collaborating with Israel. Attempted to kill four others. Killed one Israeli civilian in a terrorist attack. He killed his own people, who were trying to truly end terrorism and bring peace to the region.

We'll end on a "high" note, with Walid Abd al-Aziz Abd al-Hadi Anajas of Ramallah, who took part in the execution of the Café Moment bombing in 2002 (11 killed, 54 wounded - 11 of them seriously), the Hebrew University bombing in 2002 (9 killed, more than 100 injured) and the Rishon LeZion bombing in 2002 (16 killed, more than 60 injured - 20 of them seriously). Originally sentenced to 26 consecutive life sentences, changed to 36 life sentences.

I could keep listing all the terrorists and murderers who have already been released (and who will be released in December), but it would take pages. Take the time and review their bloody records yourself.... You'll feel like I do. The more I research and investigate this trade, the sicker I feel.


The sad part is that the Muslims are right.

“We have discovered how to hit the Jews where they are the most vulnerable. The Jews love life, so that is what we shall take away from them. We are going to win, because they love life and we love death.” -Hizbullah's Nasrullah, 2004 (after a prisoner exchange)

Journalist Richard Landes understands. Not only does Israel have a love and respect for the life of their citizens, but they have it in general. Israel outlawed the death penalty in 1954, only 6 years after the country was born. Landes points out that,

"Palestine, on the other hand, represents almost the polar opposite. This is a place in which killing daughters and wives and homosexuals for shaming the family with (even suspected and loosely interpreted) inappropriate sexual behavior is a regular feature of society, where “collaborators” are summarily executed, where official statistics for executions put the PA [Palestinian Authority] at a rate of formal, legal execution that cedes only to China, Iran, N Korea, Yemen and Libya."

Another journalist, Jonathan S. Tobin, makes a succinct point: "Rather than ask why Israel is willing to trade so many terrorists for one soldier, the world should be asking why the Palestinians are cheering the release of sociopaths." An interesting question.


In the past, Israel never used to negotiate with terrorists. That was their policy, and I remember that policy from when I was growing up. It's a difficult road to follow, but it is the correct one. Once you negotiate with the terrorists and attempt to appease them, you have already lost. You have put your citizens in further danger, and condoned the behavior of the enemy. 


The author of Lindasog.com had a brilliant solution: "I would take the list of prisoners the palestinians want released, and I would execute one a day, until Gilad Shalit is released, or I run out of prisoners. That way, the end result is a good one, either way." 


I agree. 


If the Muslims only understand power and death, then we must speak to them in their own language in order for them to understand we mean business. We will not give in to murderers and terrorists. We will not accept their terms for "peace." We are the Jewish people and we will live in our own country without fear! 


But first... we have to believe that.


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Additional sources for information & debate:
The Shalit Dilemma
Right Truth
Respect for Life, by Richard Landes

Op-Ed: Shalit, Israel and Rabbinic Debate
Palestinians Celebrate Murder


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In memory of all the Israelis that have been murdered in cold blood, please take a moment and review all their names - found HERE and HERE.


Please help support the victims' families by donating to OneFamilyFund - click on this link to help.