"An Evening with Yehudah and Shomron" - Video - Part 1

An Evening with Yehudah and Shomron, Part 1 from josephinejosephine on Vimeo.

Marc Prowisor, director of security projects for the One Israel Fund and former head of security for Shilo, Israel, was the featured speaker at "An Evening with Yehudah and Shomron" at Shaarei Tefillah Synagogue, Toronto, on October 18, 2009.

In Part 1 of Dutch's video, Rabbi Moshe Stern and Rabbi Gary Zweig introduce Marc Prowisor.

Note: Although it says Part 1 of 3, there might be a Part 4. I realized I hadn't obtained permission from the man who made the concluding remarks of the evening, so I'm waiting for that before I upload his speech.

"An Evening with Yehudah and Shomron"

Dutch and I had the pleasure and privilege of hearing Marc Prowisor speak at the Shaarei Tefillah Synagogue last night about his experiences as the Chief Army Security Coordinator for Shilo, Israel from 1996-2006 and his current work as Director of Security Projects for the One Israel Fund. He spoke of the thriving Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (a.k.a. the West Bank), the fact of Jewish ownership of the land of Israel and the challenges and joys of living there.

Marc has a blog called Yesha Views. I'll be reading it.

Before Marc spoke, we were treated to a lovely photo presentation by Ezra Ridgley. It was interesting and refreshing to see photos of the homes, neighbourhoods and residents of so many towns in Judea and Samaria. The people we saw depicted were not religious zealots: they were normal people. They are not "settlers". The homes, neighourhoods and beautiful terrain reminded Dutch of a city in California. They are not "settlements".

I was expecting to see overcrowded areas with houses or shanties at least as close together as they are in the old city of Toronto. And homeless Muslim people forced to live in cardboard boxes. But no: it looks like there is a lot of room for growth in the area. I don't know what all the fuss is about over allowing young Jewish couples to build homes near their parents so they can keep their families together.

Ezra has written a book called, Judea and Samaria; The Land of G-d. We bought a copy (part of the proceeds of his book sales last night went to the One Israel Fund) and I am looking forward to reading it.

I was not familiar with the One Israel Fund before last night. They are doing good work.

I'm pretty sure I was told that Marc was interviewed by the Jewish Tribune, so I'll be looking for it in this week's issue.

Correction: Marc's interview with the Jewish Tribune has already appeared and you can read it here.

Dutch videotaped the speeches. We'll put the video up as soon as we can. Marc is a dynamic speaker; I know you'll enjoy it.

Another Friday, another protest against Israel - Part 1

"End stealing land. End oppression."

A handful of people stood in front of the Israeli consulate in Toronto for about an hour last evening to protest against Israel. What was it about this time? Let's see: they're against the Dead Sea Scrolls, they're for the BDS* (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) Movement, and someone named Mohammad Othman is supposedly in prison in Israel merely for speaking out against "Israeli apartheid". That's all he's done, really.

A young man handing out flyers told me that something like 200 innocent Palestinians have been imprisoned in Israel for the sole act of speaking out. I said, "They'll be putting Richard Goldstone in jail next," and he answered seriously that he doubted it but if Goldstone were Palestinian, then for sure he'd be jailed. I asked the young man how he knew for certain about Mohammad Othman and he said he'd read it on a website.

I'm in a hurry this morning but the only results I get from a quick internet search are blog posts on anti-Israel blogs. I'll look later for real documentation on this person. Suffice it to say that I highly doubt that anyone has been imprisoned in Israel merely for speaking publicly against the country.

*Am I the only person who remembers when BDS stood for Bush Derangement Syndrome?

Update: From the comments:

"The young man handing out flyers (me) told you about around 500 (not 200) administrative detainees (including women and children) who are held in Israeli jails indefinitely and without charge. Mohammad Othman was put in administrative detention after returning from Europe where he was speaking about BDS."

Another Friday, another protest against Israel - Part 2

(The lone dissenter across the street.)

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 12 - Vote from Abroad

If you click on the bottom photo, you should be able to read this woman's sign, which says:

Democrats Abroad
U.S./Dual Citizens
Living in Canada
Register to Vote in
U.S. Elections
www.votefromabroad.org

She passed by me a few times during the hour that I was at Word on the Street. I don't know if she had or needed permission to walk around with her sign or if anyone can just show up with a sign there. Maybe I'll show up next year with a sign that says "Jesus is the only begotten Son of God" and walk around and see what happens. Or maybe I'll advocate the political positions of Charles Manson, since it's okay to promote the cold-blooded killer Che Guevara. Just think of the possibilities...

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 11 - Pathfinder Books

Pathfinder Books: presenting Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Thomas Sankara, the Communist Manifesto and The Jewish Question.

(Click to enlarge.)

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 10 - Pathfinder Books

This is the other side of the Communist League flyer that was given to me at the Pathfinder Books booth at Word on the Street.

An excerpt:

"The working class needs to answer this war on our class by organizing a revolutionary struggle to take state power out of the hands of the rulers. We must reorganize the economy and all social relations, from top to bottom, in the interests of workers and farmers."

Click to enlarge and read it all.

My interpretation: Let's fire the rulers so we can rule over you. Let's throw out all the laws because our laws are better and we know best. Because Communism has always worked so well for the people.

Note: "All social relations" means they'll even dictate the correct way to conduct your relationships with friends and family.

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 9 - Pathfinder Books

This Communist League flyer was given to me by the folks at the Pathfinder Books booth.

Some of their demands:

"Nationalization of the land and housing stock. This is the only way to guarantee working people inexpensive, attractive, and quality housing without fear of eviction by a landlord or foreclosure by a bank...

"Guaranteed lifetime medical care and retirement pensions for all...

"End all income taxes on workers."

Click to enlarge and read the rest.

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 8 - GlobalAware

I cropped one of my photos of a GlobalAware button board so I could point out this one: "Bombing civilians is always a war crime."

Since leftists (and Islamists) are irony-impaired, I am certain the folks at GlobalAware thought only of Israel when they made and pinned this button to their board and didn't even pause to apply that standard to the Arabs who have sent thousands of rockets into Israel with the sole purpose of injuring and killing civilians.

(See the bottom photo in this post for the full shot.)

Update: Welcome, fellow fans & readers of Blazing Cat Fur!

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 7 - GlobalAware

This is the only photo I took at GlobalAware's booth at Sunday's Word on the Street. (I have blurred the children's faces.) While I was checking out the booth, there were a few children looking at the displays and rifling through the bins of buttons. I could not take photos without the children being shown and, whenever possible, I avoid showing children in my photos and videos.

It was a lot less crowded two weeks earlier at GlobalAware's booth at the Junction Arts Festival and I was able to take several photos of their buttons and postcards then. I think it's safe to say that their inventory did not undergo a drastic change between September 12th and September 27th. (See the posts below for those photos.)

The GlobalAware rep that I spoke to on September 12th said their buttons are made by members and sold to raise money so they can give lectures to schoolchildren. They have to raise their own money to do that, he explained, because although children are interested in politics, society does not want to educate them on the subject because then they would challenge "the system".

He pointed out that children were drawn to their button displays and, indeed, at both events I saw children avidly reading the buttons' messages.

When I remarked on the political nature of the buttons (I was taken aback to see them at a supposed local arts festival), he said that all of their products were political because their organization's aim was to oppose "the system".

If you click on the photo, you might be able to read their sign, which reads, "Make Affluence History." That definitely sounds anti-capitalist to me.

So we see that, in addition to allowing Islam to be proselytized by an Islamic group, The Word on the Street enabled GlobalAware to demonize Israel and promote anti-capitalism.

More to come.

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 6 - GlobalAware

Note: I only took one photo of GlobalAware's booth at The Word on the Street. These photos were taken on September 12th at GlobalAware's booth at the Junction Arts Festival. Click to enlarge.

Update: Welcome, fellow fans and readers of Scaramouche!

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 5 - GlobalAware

Note: I only took one photo of GlobalAware's booth at The Word on the Street. These photos were taken on September 12th at GlobalAware's booth at the Junction Arts Festival. Click to enlarge.

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 4 - GlobalAware

Note: I only took one photo of GlobalAware's booth at The Word on the Street. These photos were taken on September 12th at GlobalAware's booth at the Junction Arts Festival. Click to enlarge.

Word on the Street 2009 - Part 3 - GlobalAware

Note: I only took one photo of GlobalAware's booth at The Word on the Street. These photos were taken on September 12th at GlobalAware's booth at the Junction Arts Festival. Click to enlarge.