Trump Warns UN for Hypocrisy on PLO, Hamas, and Israel:  Last year, Iran’s contribution to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) was zero. Algeria’s contribution to UNRWA was zero. Tunisia’s contribution to UNRWA was zero. USA Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said days ago that "Last year the United States gave 364 million dollars. And that’s on top of what the American people give annually to the Palestinians in bilateral assistance... It averages to more than a quarter of a billion dollars every year since 1993." Haley delivered this stern warning: “But we are not fools. If we extend a hand in friendship and generosity, we do not expect our hand to be bitten...”

Nikki Haley emphasized that Arab countries’ giving more money was not the only issue confronting them: "Too often, the Arab countries give just enough money and mouth just enough uncompromising words to stay out of the crosshairs of Palestinian representatives. But if they really cared about the Palestinian people, they would not do that. Instead, they would condemn extremism and they would put forth serious ideas for compromises that could end this struggle and lead to a better life for the Palestinian people. They would tell the Palestinian leadership how foolish they look for condemning a peace proposal they haven’t even seen yet."

Haley called out both aberrant PLO and Hamas leaderships: "The Palestinian leadership has been allowed to live a false reality for too long because Arab leaders are afraid to tell them the truth. It is time for the regional states in particular to step up and really help the Palestinian people... Those states - Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon – can really help by sitting down with Israel and negotiating an end to the 100-years old Arab-Jewish conflict as formulated 51 years ago by UN Security Council Resolution 242. Delivering this message to the UN has been long overdue.” (Arutz-7) news@visionforisrael.com

Editor's Note: UNRWA was set up as a separate refugee agency of the United Nations to help only one set of refugees: the Arabs who left Israel in 1948 during Israel's War of Independence. Surrounding Arab nations had told them to leave in 1948 so that the Arab armies could go in and annihilate the Jewish population without harming the Arab population. The new government of Israel pleaded with the Arabs not to leave, but hundreds of thousands left anyway, becoming "refugees." All other refugees from the 1940s through to the end of the 20th century are no longer considered to be refugees. Over 70 years later, the descendants of the original Palestinian Arab refugees are still considered to be refugees. Also, the Palestinian Authority continues to pay salaries to terrorists. Aid to the PA should cease, as long as terrorism is subsidized. RAC

The Forgotten (or Ignored) Aspect of Israel's 'Racist' Nation-State Law

Aug 1, 2018, Ryan Jones www.israeltoday.co.il

Israel has come under a lot of flak for recently passing a new Basic Law (the local equivalent of a constitutional law in the absence of a true constitution) that enshrines "Israel as the historic home of the Jewish people," officially labels an undivided Jerusalem as its capital and declares Hebrew to be its only official language.

Many among the 20 percent of Israel's population who are not Jews and whose mother tongue is not Hebrew have derided the Nation-State Law as a racist piece of legislation. They have been joined by most Jewish Israeli liberals, who say the new law is a power-play by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The outcry from abroad has been even greater.

But whether the Nation-State Law is justified or foolhardy (or both), those engaged in the argument are glossing over a very important aspect of why it was passed, and why so many Israeli Jews support it. When the United Nations voted for the partition of this land in 1947, it envisioned separate states for Jews and Arabs. The official map accompanying the motion even called that portion of the land the "Jewish state."

Israel accepted the proposal, the Arabs didn't.

Years later, after repeated military efforts to annihilate the Jewish state had failed, the Arabs finally agreed to the partition plan as the basis of a new peace process. Only, the leadership of the Palestinian Arabs has refused to accept the foundational condition of the partition plan–that the state neighboring theirs be recognized as a "Jewish state."

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority has passed its own Basic Law (already back in 2003) that clearly defines a future Palestinian state as an ethnic Arab state in which Islam is the dominant religion (meaning Sharia Law holds sway) and Arabic is the only official language. (H/T to Robert Nicholson of The Philos Project for pointing this out.)

... The Israeli-Palestinian peace process stipulates the formation of separate Arab and Jewish states. The Palestinian leadership has unilaterally declared the former, while rejecting the latter. Israel, or elements therein, felt compelled to make a similar unilateral move to plant a flag in the chief concession already granted it by the United Nations back in 1947.

Editor's Note: The Palestinian Authority is demanding to be recognized as an Arab state in which no Jews will be allowed to live. That is apartheid! Meanwhile, 20 percent of Israel's population is Arab. There are no plans to remove them from Israel. They have full voting rights and even serve in the Knesset (Israel's Parliament). Israel is not a racist or apartheid state.

Palestinian Man Fears Being Killed for Rescuing Jewish Kids

Ryan Jones, www.IsraelToday.co.il

A Palestinian man said he and his wife face almost certain death at the hands of fellow Palestinian Arabs for daring to save the lives of two Israeli Jewish children wounded in a 2016 terrorist attack.

Just over two years ago, on July 1, 2016, Rabbi Miki Mark was driving with his family near the Judean town of Hebron when Palestinian terrorists opened fire on their vehicle. Rabbi Mark was killed. His wife, Chava, suffered serious injuries, and their two teenage children, Tehila and Pedaya, were lightly-to-moderately wounded.

The Palestinian man in question, whose name has not been published to protect him from further threats, witnessed the attack. He and his wife, who is a medical doctor, quickly called an ambulance and rushed over to the Mark family's overturned vehicle to begin helping the survivors.

The man's wife worked to stop the bleeding from 14-year-old Tehila's open stomach wound, while he hugged and tended to the lighter injuries of a terrified 15-year-old Pedaya.

"It doesn’t matter to me if it was an accident or a terror attack, it’s irrelevant. These are people, children, who need help, and if I can help, I will help them," he told Israel's Hadashot news. "I’m not sorry that I helped Jewish people. I did it because of my heart. And I know that in the end, God will bless me."

But his unabashed willingness to aid wounded Jewish children put this man's life in mortal danger. He recalled that soon after the attack, his neighbors "started calling me a traitor. They started to throw rocks and Molotov cocktails at my car. I was worried that when I left the house I would be burned alive."

Israeli military officials granted the man and his wife a temporary permit to live in Israel proper for their own safety. However, that permit has now expired and Israel has declined to renew it, insisting that the Palestinian man no longer faces such threats and noting that over the past two years he has visited the Palestinian Authority several times without incident. He disagrees.

"If I go [back to the Palestinian Authority-controlled territories], it is as if I’m going to my death," he told Israeli television. There is still some hope that the public exposure will compel the government to extend the permit for this brave couple.

In the meantime, the affair provides a pointed reminder as to why a genuine peace remains so elusive. Two of the primary stipulations of the so-called "Oslo" peace process were that the Palestinians recognize and accept the right of the Jewish people to live in this land, and that the Palestinian Authority educate its population for peaceful coexistence.

As evidenced by the fact that this man's neighbors want to murder him and his wife for having the audacity to help wounded Jewish children, these obligations have still not been fulfilled nearly 25 years after the accords were signed.

Jared Kushner Working to Close UNRWA: White House Adviser Jared Kushner is working to uncover the true number of Palestinian Authority (PA) refugees. The number given stands at several million, but this includes descendants of refugees, as well as those who have settled in other countries and those who still live in their homes. According to the American Foreign Policy magazine, Kushner has told senior White House officials that UNRWA (United Nations Works and Relief Agency) is the central problem in correctly defining the refugees, and its activities should be limited. Foreign Policy also quoted an internal January 2018 email which stated that, "It is important to have an honest and sincere effort to disrupt UNRWA. This agency perpetuates a status quo, is corrupt, inefficient and doesn’t help peace. Our goal can’t be to keep things stable and as they are. Sometimes you have to strategically risk breaking things in order to get there." In a June 2018 meeting, Kushner demanded Jordan strip its PA refugees of their status, eliminating the need for UNRWA operations in Jordan, Foreign Policy noted. (Arutz-7) Source: news@visionforisrael.com

Soon: Israeli Symbols in Abu Dhabi:  Two weeks after Arab countries were banned from hosting Grand Slam tournaments due to their boycott of the Jewish state, the Arabs may be giving in. In light of the many past incidents in which Israeli athletes were banned from competing under Israeli symbols in various tournaments hosted by United Arab Emirates, it appears that soon Israelis will be able to appear for the first time in history under the Israeli flag and, in the event of winning a gold medal, to have Israel’s national anthem, HaTikvah, played.

The historic decision comes after a great deal of Israeli and international pressure on the heads of the Arab state. According to Israeli media sources, it appears that a compromise is underway and the Emirates will be able to host large tournaments again, subject to the appearance of the Israeli flag and anthem. This means that the Israeli flag will be present in every official place: on the competition website, on the scoreboard and of course on the robes of the fighters. Such a development will be a breakthrough in the relations between the countries and for Israeli sports in general. While Israelis had been allowed to participate in competitions in the country, their Israeli identity had been completely erased, whether in judo, sailing, or tennis. (Arutz-7)

Source: news@visionforisrael.com

Baby Boom Reported Throughout Israel:  Hospitals from north to south are welcoming 10% more babies than average. Several hospitals in Israel have reported record-breaking numbers of deliveries of newborns. Maternity wards in most of Israel’s hospitals are at capacity, with some mothers being referred to other departments and others having their being delivered in hallways... In 2016, Israel had 181,405 deliveries and a fertility rate of 3.11 children per mother. This figure is by far the highest fertility rate among the members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a club of 34 industrialized nations. Israel had a fertility rate of 4 children per mother in 1970, but it had dropped to 2.9 by 1999 before climbing up to its current level. The average fertility rate within the OECD is 1.7 children per mother. (Autz-7)

2.4 Million Tourists Came to Israel so Far in 2018, Ministry Says: Israel’s Ministry of Tourism has announced that 2.4 million tourists have visited Israel in January to July 2018, a 17% increase in tourists for the same period in 2017. Citing findings from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the ministry said that the number of tourists is 46% more than in 2016. “Month after month, we are witnessing new achievements and record highs in incoming tourism,” said Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin. “The tourism industry continues to be a significant factor in making exceptional impact and contributions to the Israeli economy and workforce.” Levin also praised the ministry’s marketing initiatives and innovative activities, together with the incentives for airlines and investments in infrastructure, for contributing to the rise in tourism. (J.Post)

Editor's Note: Israel is a hot-spot destination. A visit makes the Bible come alive! There are also wonderful new museums and zoological parks to visit. Europe has become very expensive, so many more Europeans have discovered that Israel is a relative bargain. Come to Israel. You won't regret it! RAC

USA Condemns State Department Hamas Rocket Attacks:  State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said over the weekend: "We condemn the launching of missile attacks into Israel and call for an end to the destructive violence. We've seen reports that 180 or more rocket attacks have taken place, shot from Gaza into Israel, and we fully support Israel's right to defend itself and to take actions to prevent provocations of that nature. Let's not forget that Hamas bears ultimate responsibility for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza." (USA State Department) Source for above items:

Vision for Israel, PO Box 7265

Jerusalem 9107301, ISRAEL

Netanyahu's Comments Regarding the Establishment of a Palestinian State

In a famous 2002 speech, Netanyahu explained that there is no way to assure that a Palestinian state would remain demilitarized; there is no such thing as a demilitarized state.  Netanyahu explained that Israel must oppose formation of a Palestinian state because, among other reasons, a purported demilitarized Palestinian Arab state:

“…will demand all the powers of a state, such as controlling borders, bringing in weapons, control of airspace and the ability to knock down any Israeli plane that enters its area, the ability to sign peace treaties and military alliances with other countries. Once you give them a state, you give them all these things. Even if there is an agreement to the contrary, within a short time they will demand all these things, and they will assume these powers, and the world will stand by and do nothing – but the world will stop us from trying to stop them... We will thus have created with our own hands a threat to our very existence.

On the day that we sign an agreement for a state with limited authorities, what will happen if the Palestinians do what the Germans did after World War I, when they nullified the demilitarized zone? The world did nothing then, and the world will do nothing now as well.  Even now, the Palestinians are removing all the restrictions to which they agreed in Oslo – they are smuggling in arms, polluting the water sources, building an army, making military deals with Iran and others, and more. . . . But when we try to take action against this, the world opposes us – and not them...”  (“Netanyahu in 2002: Why We Must Oppose a Palestinian State,” by Hillel Fendel, Israel Nat’ News, Apr. 30, 2009.)   

IDF Topples Hamas Headquarters:  Israeli fighter jets leveled a five-story building in the northern Gaza Strip on 9 Aug 2018 as the fighting between Israel and Hamas continued to escalate. Israel says that the building serves as the command center for Hamas' internal security forces, which is responsible for and manages all internal security activities in the Gaza Strip. Some members of the Internal Security Unit are also active in the military wing of Hamas and take part in armed activity against Israel. The IDF said that it had decided to attack what it deemed a high-value target after Hamas fired rockets at Be'er Sheva earlier in the day, the first time Israel's southern capital was targeted since 2014's Operation Protective Edge.

It’s Depressing. Many Famous People Have No Connection to

Judaism, Despite Their Ancestry.

1) The Roosevelts were Dutch Jews who arrived in NYC in 1682. Claes Rosenvelt before he changed his name to Nicholas Roosevelt, was the first Roosevelt ancestor to set foot in America. Sarah Delano, FDR's mother, descended from Sephardic Jews.

2) Joseph Stalin was originally named Joseph David Djugashvili (translated as: "son of a Jew"). All 3 of the women that he married were Jewish.

3) Dwight Eisenhower's father was a Swedish Jew, and listed in West Point's Yearbook of 1915.

4) Louis Santanel, a Jew, was the financier who provided the funds for Columbus ' voyage to the New World ( America ).

5) Fiorello Laguardia, famous former mayor of New York City, whose mother's name was Jacobson. His father was not Jewish. Laguardia spoke seven languages fluently, including Hebrew and Yiddish.

6) Winston Churchill whose mother's name was Jenny Jerome, a Jew.

7) Cary Grant, whose mother, Elsie, was Jewish.  His father, Elias Leach, was not.  Grant's original name was Archibald Alexander Leach (Robin Leach's first cousin).

8) Peter Sellers' mother, Margaret Marks, was Jewish.  His father, Bill Sellers, was not.  Peter's real name is Richard Henry Sellers.

9) David Bowie's mother is Jewish, his father is not. One of Bowie 's albums discusses his Jewish ancestry. His real name, David Stenton Haywood Jones.

10) Robert DeNiro's mother is Jewish.

11) Shari Belafonte's mother is Jewish. Her father Harry's grandfather is Jewish.

12) Olivia Newton John's grandfather, a Jew, was a Nobel Prize winning physicist.

13) Harrison Ford's mother is a Russian Jew.  His father is Irish Catholic.

14) The first theater to be used solely for the showing of motion pictures was built by Adolf Zukor.

15) The first full-length sound picture, The Jazz Singer was produced by Samuel L. Goldwyn & Louis B. Mayer (MGM), both Jewish. Louis B. Mayer created the idea for the Oscar.

16) A Jew, Dr Abraham Waksman, coined the term antibiotics.

17) A Polish Jew, Casimir Funk, who pioneered a new field of medical research, gave us a common word -- vitamins.

18) The first successful operation for appendicitis was performed by a Jewish surgeon, Dr Simon Baruch.

19) Dr. Abraham Jacobi hailed as America 's father of Pediatrics, was Jewish.

20) Until a Jewish doctor, Dr. Siccary proved it differently, people believed that tomato was poisonous.

21) A Jew, Levi Strauss, is the inventor/originator of jeans & Levis , one of the largest clothing retailers in the world.

22) In 1909, 4 Jews were among the 60 multi-cultural signers of the Call to the National Action, which resulted in the creation of the NAACP.

23) A Jew, Emile Berliner, is the man who developed the modern day phonograph. While Thomas Edison was working out a type of phonograph that used a cylinder as a record, Berliner invented a machine that would play a disc. The machine he patented was called the gramophone, and the famous RCA trademark is a picture of a dog listening to "his master's voice" on
Berliner's device. The gramophone was superior to Edison's machine. Emile Berliner made possible the modern record industry. His company was eventually absorbed by the Victor Talking Machine Company, now known as RCA.

24) Sherry Lansing, a Jew, became the first woman to become president of a major Hollywood studio, Paramount Pictures.

25) European Jews are the founding fathers of all the Hollywood Studios.

26) Jews comprise a mere 1/4 of 1% (13 million) of the world's population (of over 7 billion), and while 99% of the world is non-Jewish, 72% of Pulitzer Prize winners are Jews.

27) Three of greatest & most influential thinkers dominating the 20^th Century are Jews - Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, and Karl Marx. (Another Jew (Yeshua) lived 2000 years ago. He is the 4^th Jew who is more influential than the other Jews.)

28) The most popular selling Christmas song "White Christmas" was written by a Jew, Irving Berlin.

29) Of the 660 Nobel prizes from 1901 - 1990, 160 have been awarded to Jews. More Jews have won more Nobel prizes than any other ethnicity. They have won 40 times more than should be expected of them based upon their small population numbers.

30) A Jew, Dr Jonas Salk, is the creator of the first polio vaccine.

31) Hayam Solomon & Isaac Moses, both Jews, are responsible for creating the first modern banking institutions.

32) Jews created the first department stores in America in the nineteenth century. The Altmans, Gimbels, Kaufmanns, Lazaruses, Magnins, Mays, Strausses became leaders of major department stores. Hart, Schaffner, Marx, Kuppenheimer and Levi Strauss became household names in men's clothing.

33) Marc Chagall (originally Segal) a Russia Jew, is one of the great 20th century painters.

34) Abraham, is the father of the Jews and Arabs, and from whom three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, & Islam - originated.

Good History Lesson

The Palestinian Authority still won’t fulfill its obligations in the Oslo Accords, such as disarming, outlawing and extraditing terrorists, or ending incitement. It won’t even negotiate with Israel.

In August, President Donald Trump said that following the move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusa-lem, now the Palestinian Arabs “will get something very good because it’s their turn next.”

Somebody ought to explain to the president that the Pales-tinians have already had “their turn”—again and again and again.

by Stephen M. Flatow

August 23, 2018 / JNS

They got their turn in 1921, when the British separated the eastern 78 percent of Palestine, declared it off-limits to Jews and established the Palestinian Arab state of “Trans-Jordan,” whose name was later changed to “Jordan.”

They got their turn in 1937, when the British government’s Peel Commission proposed to give the Arabs a second Palestinian state, comprising most of western Palestine, with a tiny Jewish state alongside it.

They got another turn in 1938, when another British government body, the Woodhead Commission, proposed to give the Arabs an even larger part—and the Jews an even smaller part—of western Palestine.

They got yet another turn in 1939, when the British White Paper blocked off almost all Jewish immigration, precisely at the moment that the Jews in Europe were trying to flee from Hitler. All the British asked in return was that the Palestinian Arabs support the Allies, not the Nazis, in World War II. The Arabs supported the Nazis anyway.

Yet more turns were coming for the ever-coddled Arabs of Palestine. In 1947, the United Nations proposed to turn half of western Palestine into an Arab state, leaving the Jews a truncated, indefensible state consisting of three easily dissected sections. The Palestinian Arabs said no to that, too.

As the Palestinian Arabs and their Arab neighbors waged jihad against the newborn state of Israel in 1948, the West decided that the Palestinian Arabs deserved another “turn.” British officers helped command the Arab forces in the war, while the Truman administration declared an embargo against sending any weapons to Israel.

In more recent times, the turns have kept on coming for the Palestinians. In 1993, Israel agreed to the Oslo Accords—withdrawing from the areas where 98 percent of the Palestinians reside, creating the de facto state known as the Palestinian Authority, freeing thousands of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists and giving tens of thousands of weapons to the de facto army known as the Palestinian security forces.

How did the Palestinians respond? By waging an intifada against Israel, slaughtering hundreds of Jews in suicide bombings and trying to smuggle in 50 tons of weapons on the SS Karine A.

Despite all that, the Palestinians got even more turns. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak gave them a turn in 2000, reportedly offering to create a Palestinian state in nearly all of Judea-Samaria. The Palestinians said no. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave them a turn in 2005, withdrawing from Gaza and permitting them to create a state there. They responded by firing thousands of rockets. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave them a turn in 2008, reportedly offering the Palestinians even more than Barak did. They still said no.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave them yet more turns. He froze settlement construction for 10 months. He freed hundreds of additional terrorists. He offered them a demilitarized state.

Despite all that, the Palestinian Authority still won’t fulfill its obligations in the Oslo Accords, such as disarming, outlawing and extraditing terrorists, or ending incitement. In fact, the P.A. won’t even negotiate with Israel.

Mr. President, you have it all wrong. The Palestinians don’t deserve to “get something very good” from Israel. They’ve already received plenty. They’ve already had their “turn”—again and again and again.

Stephen M. Flatow is an attorney in New Jersey. He is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. https://www.jns.org

"We've got Muslims ready to die for their faith, and Christians who aren't ready to live for their faith." - Leonard Ravenhill

‘Friend of Israel’ John McCain Mourned by Leaders Across Political Spectrum in Israel

Tributes poured in from Israeli politicians from across the political spectrum following the death of Senator John McCain on August 25.

by TPS, https://unitedwithisrael.org

McCain was a force to be reckoned with, he was a war hero, fierce fighter pilot, and also spent five years as prisoner of war in Vietnam from 1968 until 1973. Although he lost the presidential elections twice, he was described by many as a man of integrity, “a national symbol” and a “friend of Israel.”

He was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor in July 2017 and had been undergoing medical treatment, but on Aug 24, his family announced that McCain, who left Washington in December, had decided to stop treatment.

Following his death, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “deeply saddened by the passing of John McCain, a great American patriot and a great supporter of Israel. I will always treasure the constant friendship he showed to the people of Israel and to me personally.”

“His support for Israel never wavered. It sprang from his belief in democracy and freedom. The State of Israel salutes John McCain,” the prime minister added.

Expressing her condolences on Twitter, opposition leader Tzipi Livni said that “McCain was not only an American hero, but a hero to many all over the world. Standing up for his values, he showed us the way a true leader should act. Honorable and courageous. Israel is grateful for his support. We will all miss the great man that he was,” she wrote.

In a tribute to McCain, President Reuven Rivlin said that “in saying goodbye to Sen. John McCain, we bid farewell to a great leader, a defender of his people, a man of strong values, and a true supporter of Israel. My heartfelt condolences to his family and all the American people.”

Former defense minister Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon eulogized the senator, recalling his many heroic deeds, posting a picture of the two together and concluded with the words, “Farewell Hero.” In a short Twitter post, Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid described McCain as both a friend of Israel and “a soldier with integrity in a world of politicians,” also posting a picture with the late senator.

Israeli Ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer, said that he was “deeply saddened” to hear the news. “[He] was a great friend of Israel and a great champion of the US-Israel alliance. Condolences to his family and to the American people on the loss of a remarkably courageous soldier and statesman.”

Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog also took to Twitter to remember McCain. “I will always cherish our conversations, his courage and support for Zionism and the State of Israel,” he wrote. “The Jewish people bid farewell to one of its greatest friends with deep gratitude. His memory will be a blessing to us all.”

Editor's Note: Our president said on various occasions that McCain is no hero, because "Heroes don't get captured." When McCain's plane was shot down over Hanoi, he ejected from his plane. Both of his arms were broken. He was brutally attacked by the North Vietnamese. He was tortured. After more than one year in captivity, he was offered an early release by the North Vietnamese because of his father's high rank in the Navy. He refused to be released, because other Americans had been in North Vietnamese captivity longer than him. As a result, he was forced to endure four more years of captivity, including torture and solitary confinement for two of those years. Yet he did not break and reveal secrets that could have brought him much relief. In 1973, he was finally released from the captivity of this living hell. I'm not an expert, but that sounds like a hero to me. RAC

Trump: Israel Will Pay "Higher Price" for His Jerusalem Recognition

22 Aug 2018 | US President Donald Trump said that Israel would “have to pay a higher price” in negotiations with the Palestinians in return for his December recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Addressing crowds at a campaign rally in Charleston, West Virginia, President Trump received rapturous applause from his supporters as he reminded the audience of his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital and to move the US Embassy to the city in May this year.

Editor's Note: Thus far, President Trump has proven himself to be a great friend to Israel. We believe that this will continue. RAC

Holocaust Survivors Living

In Poverty In Israel

In 1940, when Clara was only 3 years old, the Nazis had come to power and Jews were being widely persecuted. By pretending to be Catholic, Clara’s mother managed to get her placed in a Catholic orphanage where the priest was sympathetic to Jewish people. In all, 13 Jewish children lived at the orphanage, all pretending to be Catholic.

But one day, the Gestapo came looking for Jewish children. After killing the priest, they used dogs to find the hiding children – including Clara, who hid in the bathroom. Dragging Clara by her hair, they forced her to join the other 12 captured Jewish children, and all were taken to a Jewish labor camp called Sered. When Clara’s mother dis-covered she had been taken, she went to the Nazis, demanding she be allowed to join Clara.

Soon after, Clara, her mother and many others were transferred by train from Sered to the concentration camp of Theresienstadt. The train, designed to transport animals, was stuffed with so many people – young, old, and sick – there was room only to stand. Without sanitary facilities, after four days the stench was unbearable. By the time the train arrived, many of the people had died.

At Theresienstadt, some who had not died on the train were executed outright. many of the children died of disease and starvation. Fortunately for Clara, her mother managed to sometimes sneak additional food to her, keeping her healthier than most.

Eventually, the Russian army liberated Theresienstadt, freeing Clara and her mother. Many years later, when she was 50 years old, Clara immigrated to Israel, joining her mother and brother there.

Still today, as an elderly woman on a very small pension, Clara vividly remembers the fear – fear of the Gestapo, fear of the dogs, fear of separation from her mother. Clara already survived a horrific nightmare, and witnessed evil that most of us cannot imagine. You’d like to think dear people like her could find security and comfort in their last years. Unfortunately, that often is not the case.

An estimated 186,000 Holocaust survivors in Israel live below the poverty line. Most struggle to survive on small pensions that simply do not provide enough to live on. They often must choose between buying food, purchasing medicines or paying for heat for their tiny apartments in the winter.

Editor's Note: This article is a reprint from Jewish Voice Magazine, PO Box 31998, Phoenix AZ 85046, published by Jonathan Bernis. Jonathan is raising funds to help impoverished Holocaust survivors in Israel. Clara is in the photograph on the left.

Bolton: We Will De-Fund the UN Human Rights Council:  USA National Security Adviser John Bolton said on 23 Aug 2018 that the United States intends to cut funding to the UN Human Rights Council from which it withdrew in June 2018. Bolton also warned that other UN agencies could also be up for cuts in USA funding. The United States pays about 22% of the UN budget as part of what's known as an "assessment" based on economic weight and other factors. "We'll calculate 22% of the Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner's budget, and our remittances to the UN for this budget year will be less 22% of those costs — and we'll say specifically that's what we're doing," said Bolton.

"We expect that impact to occur on the Human Rights Council," he added. USA Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced in June 2018 that the United States was quitting the UNHRC, accusing it of bias against Israel and condemning the "hypocrisy" of its members including China, Egypt, Venezuela and Cuba. The Human Rights Council has been "not a place of conscience, but a place of politics," Haley said, adding that it had focused its attention "unfairly and relentlessly on Israel." The USA move followed previous threats by the Trump administration to withdraw from the Human Rights Council over its anti-Israel bias. “When the Human Rights Council treats Israel worse than North Korea, Iran, and Syria, it is the Council itself that is foolish and unworthy of its name,” said the American Ambassador. (Arutz-7) Vision for Israel, PO Box 7265

Jerusalem 9107301, ISRAEL

Israel Hails USA For Halting Human Rights Council Funding:  Israeli Public Security and Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan on 23 August 2018 praised USA national security adviser John Bolton for saying the USA would cut its funding for the UN Human Right Council. "The UN's human rights bodies have undermined their founding values by becoming hotbeds of anti-Israel extremism, hate and boycott campaigns," Erdan said.

Trump Administration Slashes $200 Million In Funding To Palestinians: The Trump administration cut funding to the Palestinians by $200 million, citing Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip. “At the direction of President Trump, we have undertaken a review of USA assistance to the Palestinian Authority in Judea & Samaria and Gaza to ensure these funds are spent in accordance with USA national interests and provide value to the USA taxpayer.”

Trump Assures Evangelical Leaders He’s Delivering on Promises:  President Trump hosted a dinner of Evangelical leaders at the White House on 27 August 2018 and told them that he has delivered “just about everything I promised” on policies of religious liberty and defense of life. “The support you’ve given me has been incredible,” Trump told the group. Among those attending the event were the Rev. Franklin Graham, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., Faith and Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and Pastor Paula White, a prominent spiritual adviser to the president. Trump said under his administration, “the attacks on the communities of faith are over.” He cited actions to defend the religious conscience of health-care workers, teachers, students and religious employers; executive branch guidance on protecting religious liberty, and proposed regulations to bar taxpayer money from subsidizing abortion.

“We’re standing for religious believers, because we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of American life. And we know that freedom is a gift from our Creator.” The president also emphasized his administration’s efforts to stop religious persecution around the globe, citing action aimed at forcing Turkey to release Pastor Andrew Brunson, who is still being detained on charges of fomenting a coup. He and the administration say the charges are false. (Washington Post)

Editor's Note: We are also grateful that President Trump continues to be a friend to Israel. It's curious that a man who has lived such an immoral life would be such a great friend to people of faith. However, President Nixon was an anti-Semite, but was also very pro-Israel, rushing millions of dollars worth of armaments to Israel during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Nixon and Trump are perhaps a tie for being the most pro-Israel presidents the USA has had. RAC

USA to Demand Reduction in Number of Recognized Palestinian Refugees:  Israel's media sources reported on 25 Aug. 2018 that the USA is preparing to no longer accept UNRWA's definition of Palestinian refugee status as something passed from one generation to the next. A senior Trump administration official said that "UNRWA's mandate has perpetuated and exacerbated the refugee crisis and must be changed." The official said that only a modification in UNRWA's mandate would allow the Palestinians to "reach their full potential." The Trump Administration will soon announce that it rejects the Palestinian demand for a "right of return" for millions of refugees and their descendants to Israel. Israel's PM Netanyahu said months ago: "The time has come to dismantle UNRWA and have its parts be integrated into the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)." He asked why the Palestinians needed a specific body when the UNHCR has helped tens of millions of displaced persons since World War II. (Times of Israel) 

When Israel was created in 1948, Arab states and Arab Palestinians attacked the Jewish community in Palestine and the Jewish state, vowing to "drive the Jews into the sea." They lost the war however, and some 600,000-750,000 Arab Palestinians who at the behest of Arab leaders voluntarily fled the area that became Israel were then instructed, by those same leaders, to return to the Jewish state and cause trouble from the inside of the country. Israel understandably refused this destructive plan. Palestinian Arabs claim any peace agreement with the Jewish state must allow the descendants and families of these refugees, now numbering over five million to return to Israel. If Israel were to agree to this Jews would became a minority in their own state. Return of the refugees would put an end to the Jewish homeland. Vision for Israel,

PO Box 7265, Jerusalem 9107301, ISRAEL

New Israeli Breathalyzer Can Flag Early Onset Of Parkinson’s Disease:  Researchers at Israel's Technion Institute of Technology, led by Prof. Hossam Haick, have developed a device that can detect the early onset of Parkinson's disease by analyzing the breath of users. Earlier diagnosis and treatment can help slow down its progression. Researchers have identified the breath characteristics of 17 diseases. "We have proven that each of these diseases has a signature in breath," Haick said, and they could use the same technology for those diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, lung cancer and gastric cancer. (Times of Israel)

New IDF Missile Corps Will Revolutionize How Israel Wages War:  Israel's decision on 27 Aug 2018 to purchase new precision ground-to-ground rockets is nothing short of a revolution. Israeli companies like Israel Military Industries manufacture rockets today that are guided by GPS and have the ability to strike their targets with unprecedented precision in all weather conditions at ranges of between 30 and 150 km. Having a rocket capability attached to ground forces gives infantry commanders the independence to take out targets faster than in the past. This is made possible by the dramatic upgrade to IDF communication networks. The Tzayad battle management system enables all IDF units to see one another on digital maps and to identify the position of enemy forces. (J.Post)

Vision for Israel, PO Box 7265

Jerusalem 9107301, ISRAEL

A Brief Review on UNRWA and the So-Called “Right of Return”:  As VFI editors noted earlier in August 2018: While researching material for her 1984 book "From Time Immemorial," American journalist Joan Peters learned that the UN made the conscious decision to differentiate Palestinian refugees from all other refugees. Refugees are generally defined as people who fled a permanent home, while in the Palestinians' case, someone who lived in Palestine for as little as two years prior to Israel's establishment in 1948 could be considered a refugee. In addition, unlike all other refugees, Palestinians refugees pass their status on to their descendants. As a result, Palestinian refugees are said to number in the millions. Also earlier in August 2018, sources who had seen a State Department report compiled during the Obama administration on Palestinians who became refugees during the 1948 War of Independence said that the report indicates that only 20,000 of the 700,000 Arab refugees are still alive and displaced from their homes. UNRWA, the UN agency which provides assistance to Palestinian refugees and their descendants, asserts that there are 5.1 million Palestinian refugees worldwide. (JNN/Israel Hayom)

More Facts About UNRWA:  Since UNRWA was established in 1949, the USA has given nearly $5 billion to the agency tasked with perpetuating refugee status among descen-dants of Arabs who left Israel in the 1948-1949 pan-Arab invasion. UNRWA deliberately perpetuates the misery of innocent people. It indoctrinates them from the cradle to the grave to support terrorism and genocide against the Jewish state and its people. It exists as a tool of political warfare in the never-ending war to annihilate the Jewish state. UNRWA targets its services to people of Palestinian descent it calls "refugees" for political reasons; fewer than 1% of the UNRWA refugees would actually meet the Refugee Convention definition. Over the past 70 years, while the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has permanently resettled tens of millions of refugees, UNRWA has resettled no refugees. It is now responsible for the fifth generation of descendants of the Arabs who left Israel in 1948-49. (J.Post)

‘Trump Was Furious' When He Learned What UNRWA, PA Were Doing:  David Bedein, the head of the Center for Near East Policy Research, praised the reports that the Trump Administration would reject the 'right of return’. “In December of 2016, I had the opportunity to meet with president-elect Trump's adviser, who was about to come to Washington. She was here in Jerusalem, and I showed her the UNRWA schoolbooks," he said. "She told me who she was working for, and she asked if she could have all of the books. I gave the books to her, and for the last two years, our office, the Center for Near East Policy Research, has been in touch with the administration at the highest levels, giving them everything we could about the schoolbooks." He said that the center's most recent report showed that "the right of return through the armed struggle become the most important and dominant theme of Palestinian Authority and UNRWA education. This got directly to USA President Donald Trump, and he blew his stack, because he was told by the Peres Center for Peace that the Palestinian Authority has a peace curriculum. They just didn’t tell them that the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA had vetoed that peace curriculum. Trump was shown how a fifth grade textbook instructed students to model their lives after Dalal Mugrabi, one of the terrorists who carried out the Coastal Road Massacre in 1978, when 38 Israelis were murdered by terrorists. According to Bedein, COGAT, the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, is what is preventing reform of UNRWA. "They need feedback that an education system which teaches children to murder Jews is not appropriate for a peace process." (INN)

UNRWA is not the Solution:  Established for the exclusive benefit of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA has, instead of resolving their problem, done everything in its power to perpetuate it. Instead of peace and coexistence, it teaches hatred and incitement. Instead of fighting terrorist organizations, it collaborates with them. As someone who has worked toward UNRWA's closure for years, I am glad Washington finally gets it. Responsibility for the Palestinians and the UNRWA budgets could be transferred to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which looks after the rest of the world's refugees and, unlike UNRWA, works toward solving the refugee problem. Alternatively, UN agencies that already operate in the region, such as the UN Development Program, could be tasked with the job. The writer, Amb. Ron Prosor, former Israeli Ambassador to the UN and the UK, holds the Abba Eban Chair of International Diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center. (Israel Hayom)

Vision for Israel, PO Box 7265

Jerusalem 9107301, ISRAEL

John McCain Mourned by Israeli Leaders CBSNews, Aug 29, 2018

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of John McCain, a great American patriot and a great supporter of Israel. I will always treasure the constant friendship he showed to the people of Israel and to me personally. His support for Israel never wavered. It sprang from his belief in democracy and freedom. The State of Israel salutes John McCain.”

President Reuven Rivlin also commented.
“Today we are paying our last respects to Senator John McCain and we are separated from a man and a leader with strong values, a defender and a fighter for his people and a true friend of the State of Israel. We send our sincere condolences to the family and to the American people.”

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein: “John McCain was an American hero, and a unique person. We will always remember him as a great friend of Israel. May his memory be blessed.”

Education Minister Naftali Bennett: “John McCain was a great American patriot and a great friend of the State of Israel. He supported and loved the Jewish state, and we will never forget him. May he rest in peace.”

Editor's Note: Our president said on various occasions that McCain is no hero, because "Heroes don't get captured." When McCain's plane was shot down over Hanoi, he ejected from his plane. Both of his arms were broken. He was brutally attacked by the North Vietnamese. He was tortured. After more than one year in captivity, he was offered an early release by the North Vietnamese because of his father's high rank (Admiral) in the Navy. He refused to be released, because other Americans had been in North Vietnamese captivity longer than him. As a result, he was forced to endure more than four more years of captivity, including torture and solitary confinement for two of those years. Yet he did not break and reveal secrets that could have brought him much relief. In 1973, he was finally released from the captivity of this living hell. I'm not an expert, but that sounds like a hero to me. RAC

Trump: Israel Will Pay "Higher Price" for His Jerusalem Recognition

22 Aug 2018 | US President Donald Trump said that Israel would “have to pay a higher price” in negotiations with the Palestinians in return for his December recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Addressing crowds at a campaign rally in Charleston, West Virginia, President Trump received rapturous applause from his supporters as he reminded the audience of his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital and to move the US Embassy to the city in May this year.

Editor's Note: Thus far, President Trump has proven himself to be a great friend to Israel. We believe that this will continue. RAC

Jeremy Corbyn and the Resurgence of European Anti-Semitism

Amb. Dore Gold (Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

· Anti-Semitism is back. The real focus of our attention should be the rise of Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of the British Labour party in the United Kingdom.

· Much of the concern about Corbyn emanates from fresh revelations of his past activities. In 2009, for example, he called Hamas and Hizbullah "friends" and advocated removing them from the UK's terrorism list.

· In 2014 Corbyn visited the cemetery in Tunisia where the leaders of Black September were buried. Remember, they were responsible for the attack on the Israeli Olympic team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where eleven Israeli athletes were brutally butchered.

· Corbyn continuously campaigned to free Samar Alami and Jawad Botmeh, jailed for their role in the 1994 London bombing attacks against the Israeli Embassy in Great Britain and Jewish charity buildings. Recall both of these attacks were perpetrated on British soil and both individuals were prosecuted and found guilty in British courts. So why is Jeremy Corbyn calling this a mistrial and trying to get these two terrorists out of British prison?

· Corbyn is also at the heart of the debate in Britain over the definition of anti-Semitism. He's refused to accept the definition advanced by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance which is accepted by 31 countries, 24 of which are members of the European Union. Corbyn and the British Labour party reject some of the examples the definition uses:

o He denies that accusing Jews automatically of dual loyalty is anti-Semitic.

o He denies that questioning the right of the Jewish people to self-determination is a form of anti-Semitism.

o He rejects that it is anti-Semitic to compare Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

· This kind of demonization of the Jewish people is classic anti-Semitism. If these doctrines about Israel and Jewish rights become legitimized in Great Britain, which was the fountainhead of so many democracies, then there is a real danger that they become legitimized worldwide.

· This is something that the State of Israel must firmly oppose and that Britain must not allow to happen.

Israel is Entering its Sixth Year of Drought:  Many of Israel’s lakes, riverbeds and aquifers are at unprecedented 100-year lows, with the Sea of Galilee dangerously close to its “black line,” the level below the intake pipes of the water pumps that send the lake’s water to nearby towns. Israelis have not felt the current drought as acutely as past dry spells because Israel in recent years constructed five massive desalination plants on the Mediterranean coast that now provide some 70% of the country’s drinking water directly from the sea.

The state also recycles some 86% of its waste water for agriculture. Two more desalination plants are in the planning stages. But all these efforts may not be enough to keep the water flowing. In May 2018 the Water Authority rolled out a public ad campaign entitled “Israel is drying out” aimed at reminding Israelis that saving water at home is still important. To emphasize the point, the authority said if the drought continues for another year, it would start imposing limits on Israelis’ water consumption. According to Water Authority estimates, some 2.5 billion cubic meters of water are missing from the source reservoirs of the country’s natural water supply. The drought of the past six years has driven these reservoirs, and the streams that flow from them, to 98-year lows. (Times of Israel) 

Pray and praise Him for showers during this coming rainy season: “Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.” Jer. 14:22

Israeli PM: No Place in the Middle East for the Weak:  The Middle East, is no place for the weak,” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Aug 29 2018. “The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong survive. The strong are respected, alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong”. Speaking at a recent ceremony Netanyau continued: ”We are working to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria,” the prime minister said. “We will not relent in pursuit of this goal just as we did not relent in bringing about the cancellation of the bad nuclear agreement with Iran, a goal which was seen as impossible when I put it on the international agenda for the first time several years ago. In the diplomatic sphere, we will continue to apply pressure on the dangerous, extremist regime in Iran,” he continued.

“In the military sphere,” Netanyahu added, “the IDF will continue to take strong and determined action against Iran’s attempts to station forces and advanced weapons systems in Syria. No agreement between Syria and Iran will deter us; neither will any threat deter us. Whoever threatens us with destruction puts himself in similar danger, and in any case will not achieve his goal,” he emphasized. Referring to his country’s growing behind-the-scenes ties with a number of its neighbors, Netanyahu said, “This process, of normalization by leading countries in the Arab world with the strong State of Israel, is happening before our eyes on a scale that would have been impossible to imagine a few years ago. But it is impossible to deny the fact that there are yet many enemies in this region and beyond. These enemies, he went on to say, “know very well what Israel is capable of doing. They are familiar with our policy. Whoever tries to hurt us - we will hurt them. I am not spouting slogans,” Netanyahu stated. “I am describing a persistent, and determined policy, backed by appropriate deployment, equipment, preparedness and in the hour of need , appropriate orders.” (Algemeiner)

‘‘Abusive Anti-Israel Bias at UN is Pathetic”:  USA Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley spoke on Wed. night 29 August, 2018 at a Foundation for the Defense of Democracies conference. In her speech, Haley reiterated the Trump administration's stance on the number of Palestinian Authority (PA) and Gaza "refugees" receiving aid from UNRWA, and said their "right of return" to Israel is not on the negotiating table. Haley also said that the USA needs to investigate whether the countries receiving USA funding are interested in cooperation. "We should do is ask the countries that we give money to, if they believe what we believe?" she said.

"Do they still want to be our partner and work with us? If they're not and they're shouting, 'Death to America,' why would we give them a single penny? And so you are seeing the efforts of de-funding those things that are not helpful to us and that aren't in the United States' interest."

Regarding the UN bias against Israel, Haley said, "I knew that there was a bias against Israel, but I hadn't really put a lot of thought into it, until I attended the first session. And when I saw literally how abusive all of those countries were being to Israel, in a way that was pathetic - really I had no choice but to get up and say this is completely wrong. I came out and said, 'We are not going to condone this anti-Israel bias'. And so now we're actually making them talk about other areas in the Middle East. (Arutz-7)

Vision for Israel, PO Box 7265

Jerusalem 9107301, ISRAEL

Editor's Note: Vision for Israel does much to help the poor and needy in Israel. If you are looking for a good place to help Israel, you can send some shekels to the above address. You can also get onto their excellent email service.

No Smoking in Public Places Law Takes Effect: A Health Ministry order passed into law by the Knesset which prohibits smoking in many public places – indoors and out – took place on Saturday 1 Sep. 2018. Smoking is now prohibited in places where outdoor events are held and attended by more than 50 people: in zoos, parks, swimming pools, sports fields, playgrounds, facilities where physical activity takes place such as basketball courts and gyms; and inside and outside hospitals and clinics, kindergartens and nursery schools, covered or underground parking lots, government offices, courts and religious councils. Municipal clerks will be authorized to give fines of NIS 1,000 (about $277) to individuals who break the law and NIS 5,000 to violators who are owners of public places where violations take place. (J.Post) news@visionforisrael.com

Barry & Batya Segal, Vision for Israel

PO Box 7743, Charlotte NC 28241

Editor's Note: This is a significant change from the past. On our first trips to Israel, the smokers were everywhere, including on the El Al 747 jetliner that brought us to Israel. We visited a religious yeshiva in Tiberias in 1994, in which most of the talmidim (students) were smoking as they studied their holy texts. We even had a tour guide who was constantly lighting up! You can now travel to Israel without having to gag surrounded by smokers. Today, most Israelis have given up smoking, and they are much healthier!

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GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS

The Bad News is that your condition is terminal. You are going to die. You are infected with Sin, a disease that infects and kills every single person who lives on this planet. And after you die, you will stand before your Maker and give an account of what you did or did not do about your sinful condition. If you do nothing, and just let Sin take its course in your life, you will suffer eternal judgment in a place the Bible calls the lake of fire.

The Good News is that God has provided a Remedy for Sin. This Remedy delivers people from the punishment that they deserve for Sin, so they do not need to go into everlasting fire. This Remedy also delivers people from the power of Sin, so they can quit living a sinful life and start living a holy life. Ultimately, God will deliver His people from the very presence of Sin when His Son returns to earth.

God's Remedy is embodied in His Son, whose Hebrew name is Yeshua. Most English speakers know Him as Jesus Christ. He is the only person who was born of a woman without being infected with Sin. Through His sacrifice on the Cross, your sins can be forgiven and the power of your sinful desires can be broken. When you turn away from your sins and trust in Yeshua, God forgives you and accepts you as His child. Then instead of suffering the curse of everlasting fire, you will have eternal life.

Source for the above: www.gatesofeden.org

The Messiah Arrives in Israel

The Messiah is reported by the press to be standing on the Mount of Olives awaiting his triumphant entry onto Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. The Israeli government, of course, is now in a dilemma. Is it the Messiah of the first or the second coming? So it is decided in Jerusalem to phone the police chief at Ben Gurion International Airport in charge of passport control to shine his shoes, button up his shirt, and drive immediately to the Mount of Olives and ask the Messiah, "Excuse me, Sir, but is this your first visit to Israel?"

(A little humor quoted from Victor Mordecai,

from his book, Is Fanatic Islam a Global Threat? (c) 1997. Call 1-800-540-0828)