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Politics : Israel to U.S. : Now Deal with Syria and Iran -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ed Huang who wrote (5113)	5/20/2004 7:23:48 PM
From: Crimson Ghost	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 22250

Rabbi supports killings in Rafah By Khalid Amayreh in the West Bank Thursday 20 May 2004, 16:48 Makka Time, 13:48 GMT Lior: Jewish lives more important than non-Jewish Related: Rabbi on trial for opposing demolitions Tools: Email Article Print Article Send Your Feedback A prominent rabbi has supported the killings of Palestinian civilians by Israeli occupation troops in the Gaza Strip, saying killing non-Jewish civilians is compatible with religious laws. Rabbi Dov Lior, Chairman of the Jewish Rabbinical Council, was quoted as saying "during warfare, killing non-Jewish civilians is permitted if it saves Jewish lives". According to Lior's ruling, which was made public on Wednesday, Israeli occupation troops in Gaza are allowed to kill and harm "so-called innocent civilians" during warfare. "The law of our Torah is to have mercy on our soldiers and to save them. This is the real moral behind Israel's Torah and we must not feel guilty due to foreign morals," the Ma'ariv Israeli newspaper quoted him as saying. He added that Jewish lives were more important than non-Jewish lives. Extremist Rabbi Lior is considered among the most learned sages of the Torah. "Without any doubt, he is among the most learned scholars of the Torah, but he is viewed as an extremist among some liberal sectors," said Rabbi Menachem Froman from the Tku' settlement near Bethlehem. "...a thousand non-Jewish lives are not worth a Jew's fingernail" Rabbi Dov Lior, Chairman of the Jewish Rabbinical Council Froman said he did not agree with Lior's views, calling them controversial. "I believe that Judaism is against killing innocent people. One of the main commandments of the Torah is 'thou shall not murder.'" However, after speaking to many rabbis, it is clear that Lior's views and interpretation of Jewish Law enjoy far more popularity and acceptance than Froman’s relatively dovish interpretations. The basic point of disagreement concerns whether Biblical injunctions apply equally to Jews and non-Jews. Lior, like most of the rabbis of the Gush Emunim settler movement, believes that Biblical commandments such as "thou shall not murder" refer only to "Jews" since the Torah was given to Jews, not Gentiles. This view, however, is rejected to varying degrees by the two main unorthodox Jewish sects - the Conservatives and the Reformists - who constitute a numerical majority of Jews outside Israel, especially in North America. Settlers' rabbi Dov Lior is considered a champion rabbi among settlers. In 1994, he strongly supported the murder by an American immigrant settler, Baruch Goldstein, of 29 Palestinian worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque. Many children have been killed or injured in the Rafah onslaught Lior then issued a religious edict, saying, "a thousand non-Jewish lives are not worth a Jew's fingernail". Lior praised Goldstein, calling him a "great saint and rabbi … may his memory be blessed". Several months after the massacre, Lior told disciples in Kiryat Araba near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron "Jewish blood was redder than non-Jewish blood … and that a Jewish life is preferred by the Lord than a non-Jewish life". Silence So far, the majority of Israeli religious leaders, including the two Grand Rabbis (one representing Western Jews 'Ashkenazim' and the other representing eastern Jews 'Tsfaradim') have refused to condemn or repudiate Lior's views. Rabbi Froman suggested that because of Lior's deep knowledge of Jewish law, most rabbis refrain from challenging his understanding of the Torah and Talmud. In fact, the official religious establishment, let alone Gush Eumunim rabbis, consistently supported whatever attacks carried out by the occupying army against Palestinian civilians. Mirkaz Ha'rav officials in West Jerusalem (the main religious College where Dov Lior teaches) refused to comment on Lior's edict when contacted by Aljazeera.net.

To: Ed Huang who wrote (5113)	5/21/2004 1:00:57 PM
From: Crimson Ghost	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 22250

Israel Launches "Dirty War" In Rafah: Le Monde Sitting on the ruins of her house, this old Palestinian lady has no one but God to resort to By Hadi Yahmid, IOL Correspondent PARIS , May 21 (IslamOnline.net) – The Israeli offensive on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah is a "dirty war" launched by occupation forces against the Palestinians, according to a French daily. The Israeli warplanes opened missile fire and killed 23 protesters in the city showing the "brutality of the massive Israeli war has no limits", according to Le Monde Thursday, May 20. The Israeli warplanes opened fire on the peaceful demonstration Wednesday, May 19, killing at least 22 people protesting against the devastating raid on Rafah, which also left massive scenes of destruction. The French daily refuted Israeli claims that occupation forces would "crack down on terrorism and prove to settlers and hard-line Jews that Palestinians did not win the war" is a wrong presumption. "Because what happens in Rafah will push Palestinians towards more extremism and promote the legitimacy of resistance," to a long-standing occupation, Le Monde said. The Israeli offensive have triggered an international outcry, with the Palestinian leadership has accused the Israelis of conducting a "war of extermination" in the city and Amnesty International dismissed the demolitions as "war crimes". Not Enough Le Monde said the reaction was not strong enough to deter Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from maintaining the "violent trend he has adopted" since taking power in 2001. The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution late Wednesday, May 19, condemning Israel for killing Palestinian civilians and demolishing houses in Rafah. The United States , which had in the past killed several such resolutions, abstained this time instead of wielding its veto power. Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, whose country holds the rotating E.U. presidency, condemned Israel 's raid as "reckless disregard for human life." But the paper said the action against the Israeli aggressions should be more tough, and with no more support from Washington . The paper noted that as Israeli bulldozers were razing Palestinian houses, leaving many people homeless, U.S. President George W. Bush told a Jewish gathering Tuesday, May 18, that Israel is "a friend, and has every right to defend itself from terror". This came a few weeks after the American President said Israel should keep lands occupied in the West Bank and undergo the right of Palestinians to return to their homeland – much to the chagrin of the United Nations whose resolutions call for the opposite. Furthermore, Bush had argued that the world owes Sharon a "thank you", adding the date for the creation of a Palestinian state is "unrealistic". Bearing Grudge "When will we see an end to these acts of collective punishment in Rafah? Nobody is apparently able to halt this frenzy of killings which fuels anti-Israel sentiments," Le Monde wondered. The paper said even if the Israeli forces pulled out of Rafah, they would leave behind a deep feeling of grudge among the local residents feeling the brunt of the offensive. "The raid also spelt the death of the roadmap," the French daily said, referring to the master plan envisaging the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005 after a number of reciprocal confidence-building measures. The Israeli army has denied any systematic destruction of buildings in Rafah, saying it targeted structures fighters allegedly used for cover or which concealed entrances to tunnels. But local inhabitants said their relatives were killed and houses destroyed unjustifiably during the massive. Israeli military sources dismissed Friday, May 21, reports that its troops were withdrawing from the devastated Rafah, saying the three-day "Operation Rainbow" will continue. The sources said the raid will continue and the troops were merely "redeploying", according to Israeli daily Ha'aretz. The Rafah fatalities bring the overall toll since the September 2000 start of the Palestinian Intifada against Israeli occupation to 4,062, including 3,084 Palestinians and 918 Israelis.