Facebook Feed

5 days ago

Yoram Ettinger
2023 Jewish demographic momentum in Israel: bit.ly/40qV0aV ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

4 weeks ago

Yoram Ettinger
Purim Guide for the Perplexed 2023: bit.ly/3ZdlxHY ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

4 weeks ago

Yoram Ettinger
אתגר מרכזי לביטחון לאומי: bit.ly/3xkSwh1 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

Palestinian Hate Education (K-12)

A Palestinian kindergarten ceremony included a play performed by children named The Martyr’s Wedding alongside a play from the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Palestinian Media Watch has documented the frequent use by Palestinians of the term “wedding” to refer to the death and funeral of “Martyrs,” in keeping with the Islamic tradition that the Martyr for Allah marries 72 Dark-Eyed Virgins of Paradise:


“‘The Birds of Paradise’ kindergarten held a nice graduation party… The ceremony included beautiful performances… one of the most outstanding was a play from the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and another performance named ‘The Martyr’s Wedding’, delighted the audience by the role-play of the children, whose acting depicted the reality of roadblocks, children, occupation soldiers, and the children’s death as Martyrs. This charm caused the audience to cry, as the children’s performance was accompanied by the playing of nationalistic songs.”

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, June 2, 2011]

Promoting the Islamic value of Shahada – Martyrdom for Allah – for children was very common during the PA terror campaign (the Intifada). From 2000 – 2005, PA TV broadcast numerous video clips describing Martyrdom death as sweet, and encouraging children to aspire to die as Martyrs. The Palestinian Authority received significant international criticism for this and most of the Shahada promotion for children was removed from TV. Occasionally, PA TV still broadcasts children singing songs about the importance of Martyrdom even for children.

Recently, PA TV broadcast a girl dedicating a song to her terrorist uncle about aspiring to Shahada:

 

{^Media|(type)swf|(url)http://www.youtube.com/v/yU3kNU2z2Do?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0|(width)240|(height)210^}”When we become Martyrs,
we’ll go to Paradise.
Don’t say we’re young.
This way of life has made us adults.

Without Palestine,
what meaning is there to childhood?
Children, you performed the (religious) duty and Sunna (Islamic tradition):
There is no God but Allah,
and the Shahid (Martyr) is Allah’s beloved.
You have taught us the meaning of heroism.

Even if they were to give us this world and all of its treasures,
no, it would not make us forget [Palestine]. Not at all.
It is my country and [I give] my blood for its sake.”

[PA TV (Fatah), April 13, 2011]

It is not surprising that Palestinian children today sing about Shahada and becoming Martyrs. It is a direct outcome of the many years of Palestinian Authority Shahada promotion aimed at adults and especially children during the Intifada.

Recently, a girl on PA TV chose to sing the following song, which praises the ideal of sacrificing oneself as a Martyr for “Palestine.” Interestingly, the PA TV host later asked her to sing a song with different content – one about life, not death:

 

{^Media|(type)swf|(url)http://www.youtube.com/v/_-FxTqLsuiY?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0|(width)240|(height)210^}Girl: “I am the voice of the Intifada,
and no voice is louder than mine;
I am the last will of the Martyr
who loved death
upon the soil of the homeland.
My voice refuses to be silent.
I am the sister of the one
who adorned herself
and girded herself with death.
I am the voice of the stone and the tree, the bleeding wounded.”

PA TV host:
“Bravo, our friend Bara’a; that was a beautiful song.

Having interviewed other children, the host turned to the girl a second time and asked her to sing another song: 


PA TV host:
“We want to hear a song full of life and vitality, because we want to live.
We want a beautiful life, we want always to call for all that adorns our life.

We want to forget about death for a little while and distance ourselves far from death.”

In keeping with the PA’s earlier promotion of Martyrdom death for children, PA schoolbooks continue to glorify Martyrdom:


Reading and Texts Part II, Grade 8:

“O heroes, Allah has promised you victory …
Do not talk yourselves into flight…
Your enemies seek life while you seek death.
They seek spoils to fill their empty stomachs while you seek a Garden [Paradise] as wide as are the heavens and the earth…
death is not bitter in the mouth of the believers. These drops of blood that gush from your bodies will be transformed tomorrow into blazing red meteors that will fall down upon the heads of your enemies.”

[Published by the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education, 2006,

still in use today]

Our Beautiful Language for 6th grade, section 1,
Our Beautiful Language for 7th grade, section 1, with picture below:

“I shall carry my soul in my palm
And toss it into the abyss of destruction…
And then, either life, gladdening friends,
Or death, enraging the enemies.
By your life! I see my death,
But I hasten my steps towards it…
By your life! This is the death of men
And who asks for a noble death – here it is…”

[Published by the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education, 2006,

still in use today]


Click to view more on PA promotion of Shahada – Martyrdom.




Videos

The post-1967 turning point of US-Israel cooperation

Israeli benefits to the US taxpayer exceed US foreign aid to Israel

Iran - A Clear And Present Danger To The USA

Exposing the myth of the Arab demographic time bomb

Congress – the co-equal and systematic ally of Israel

Presidents propose and Congress disposes

On September 23, 2021, the US House of Representatives voted 420:9 to replenish the Israeli-developed defensive “Iron Dome” missiles, which are increasingly manufactured – and eventually exported – by the US defense company Raytheon, that benefits from the battle-tested “Israeli laboratory.”

The overwhelming vote reflects Congressional realization that the “Iron Dome”:

*Enhances Israel’s posture of deterrence, which is critical to the survival of all pro-US Arab regimes and minimization of regional instability;
*Reduces the need for full-scale Israeli wars on Palestinian and Islamic terrorism;
*Provides an alternative to Israeli military ground-operations against Palestinian terrorists, which would entail substantial Israeli and Palestinian fatalities;
*Represents joint US-Israel interests, militarily and technologically, in the face of mutual threats (e.g., Islamic terrorism) and mutual challenges (e.g., developing world-class, game-changing technologies).

*Constitutes another example of the systematic support by Congress of enhanced US-Israel cooperation.

The decisive role played by Congress in the replenishment of the “Iron Dome” underscores the cardinal rule of the US political system: The President proposes, but Congress disposes.

The involvement of Senators and House Representatives in foreign policy and national security-related issues has surged since the Vietnam War, Watergate and Iran Gate scandals, the dismantling of the USSR (which transformed the world from a bi-polar to a multi-polar) and rapidly-expanding globalization.

In fact, former Secretary of State, Jim Baker, complained about the growing congressional assertiveness in the area of foreign policy: “You can’t conduct foreign policy with 535 Secretaries of State….”  Former Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney, criticized Congress for micromanaging the defense budget: dictating how much to spend on particular weapons, imposing detailed requirements and programmatic restrictions, venturing into policy-setting and requesting that the Department of Defense submits mountains of reports.

Congressional muscles 

The US Congress is the most powerful legislature in the world, and it has demonstrated its co-equal, co-determining muscle in the areas of foreign and defense policies on many occasions, such as:

*Imposing sanctions against foreign countries in defiance of Presidents Clinton, Obama and Trump (e.g., Egypt – 2012, Iran – 1996-97 and 2013, Russia – 2017);
*Non-ratification of the 2015 JCPOA, which enabled withdrawal by the US;
*The 2009 non-closure of the Guantanamo Detention Camp was led by Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (NV-D), in defiance of President Obama.
*The 2009 non-confirmation of Charles Freeman to the Director of National Intelligence was led by Senator Chuck Schumer (NY-D);
*The 1999 non-ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in defiance of President Clinton and the international community;
*The unprecedented expansion of US-Israel strategic cooperation took place despite stiff opposition by President Bush and Secretary of State Baker;
*The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act overrode President Reagan’s veto;
*The 1984 Boland Amendment aborted President Reagan’s financial and military aid to anti-Communist elements in Nicaragua;
*The 1983 blocking of President Reagan’s attempted coup against the Surinam pro-Soviet regime;
*The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act mandated congressional authorization of surveillance of persons and organizations, which may threaten national security;
*The 1975/76 Tunney (CA-D) and Clark Amendments stopped financial and military covert support of the opposition to the pro-Soviet regime in Angola;
*The 1973 Church-Case Amendment ended funding of military involvement in Southeast Asia;
*The 1973 War Powers Act overrode President Nixon’s veto;
*The Jackson-Vanik Amendment preconditioned aid to Moscow upon free immigration.

Congress empowered by the Constitution

As documented in the aforementioned paragraphs, one is advised to note that while Congress is preoccupied with District and State issues, it has the power to both propose and dispose in the areas of foreign and defense policies.

The US Constitution aspires for a limited government and a non-monarchical president, and therefore does not limit Congress to overseeing the budget. It provides the Senate and the House of Representatives with the power to act on strategic issues and policy-setting.

The Constitution accords Congress ”the power of the purse,” oversight of government operations, ratification of treaties, confirmation of key appointments, declaration of war, funding of military operations and cooperation with foreign entities, creation and elimination of government agencies, imposing sanctions on foreign governments, etc.

In other words, the President is the “commander in-chief” within constraints, which are set by Congress.




Videos

The post-1967 turning point of US-Israel cooperation

Israeli benefits to the US taxpayer exceed US foreign aid to Israel

Iran - A Clear And Present Danger To The USA

Exposing the myth of the Arab demographic time bomb