The Michelangelo Code
by Rabbi Benjamin Blech

Is the Sistine Chapel the site for the greatest subversive act in the history of art?

In the heart of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel is the site of the conclave where every new pope is elected. It is without doubt the holiest chapel in the Christian world, and draws more than 4 million visitors per year. Most of the world knows it best for its magnificent frescoes painted by the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti. What has remained a little-known secret, however, is that within this citadel of Christianity lies perhaps the greatest subversive act in the history of art.

Almost none of the visitors who enter the Sistine realize that they are gazing upon secret messages embedded by Michelangelo in his artistic masterpiece. They would certainly be surprised to learn that, in the pope's own chapel, Michelangelo employed these secret messages to advocate for a revolutionary change in Christianity's relationship to Judaism, and that the code itself was rooted in the Jewish tradition.

Michelangelo became fascinated with Midrash and Kabbalah as a teenager, studying with private tutors provided by his patron, Lorenzo de' Medici. Using his knowledge of Judaism and its mystical symbols, he later incorporated messages, via painted images, on the chapel's walls dangerously contrary to the teachings of the Church. In this way, he criticized the corrupt spiritual leadership of the time, and condemned the Church's failure to acknowledge its debt to Jewish origins.

Expressed 500 years before the more liberal contemporary theology of Pope John Paul II and "The Good Pope," John XXIII, discovery of his secret code and heretical views might have cost Michelangelo his life.

When I first heard these claims from Roy Doliner, a Jewish docent and scholar of the humanities who has been leading tours of the Sistine Chapel for close to a decade, I assumed they were too incredible to be true. Only after he shared with me his diligent research (after which I performed a great deal of scholarly sleuthing on my own) did I became thoroughly convinced of their legitimacy.

I eventually co-authored a book with Roy, "The Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo's Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican," which was released earlier this year. To our great delight, the book is already beginning to alter the way scholars interpret the work of Michelangelo, sparking vigorous, and sometimes heated, debate.

"Just as the work of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel changed forever the world of art, so will this book change forever the way to view and, above all, to understand the work of Michelangelo," said Enrico Bruschini, official art historian for the U.S. Embassy in Rome and a leading expert on the art of Rome and the Vatican.

A true Renaissance man, Michelangelo was at home in philosophy as well as art; in Christian theology as well as Jewish mysticism. However, those who have studied his work in the past generally have not been conversant with the wide corpus of knowledge that forged him as an artist. Most Sistine Chapel scholars were not well-versed in Judaism and Kabbalah; it was impossible for them to fully grasp the artist's allusions. By combining the scholarship of our respective fields, Roy and I, the docent and the Orthodox rabbi, were able to uncover secrets long buried in Michelangelo's frescos.

From the start, Michelangelo had a personal agenda different from that of his patron. In 1508, we know that Pope Julius II ordered Michelangelo to re-plaster and paint the crumbling ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a demeaning job at that time for any great artist, and especially for Michelangelo, who detested painting and lived only to sculpt. The pope gave him a simple design, a very standard and banal layout of Jesus and Mary at the two ends of the ceiling, surrounded by the Apostles and a common design of geometric shapes in the center. The artist refused, and fought with the pope who, sick and distracted, finally let him develop his own plan.

Imagine the surprise of the pope and the viewers when the completed project was unveiled four and a half years later: Ninety-five percent of the Chapel was adorned with heroes and heroines of the Jewish Bible. The rest was filled with pagan sibyls and naked boys.

In the 12,000 square feet of the world's largest fresco, there was not a single Christian figure to be found. The only nod to the Gospels - and one of the ways Michelangelo managed to save both his life and the painting - was a barely-noticeable series of names of the Jewish ancestors of Jesus that do not even appear in chronological order. Why did Michelangelo disobey the pope in this way?

Michelangelo had a hidden agenda: to remind the Church that its roots were grounded in the Torah given to the Jewish people. This insight, which he inserted throughout his work, is only now beginning to receive attention in contemporary scholarship. It is also showing up in the popular media. Time magazine's March 24 cover story, "10 Ideas That Are Changing the World," singled out what scholars are now calling "Re-Judaizing Jesus" as the most powerful idea in the field of religion.

Michelangelo's frescos emphasize the universality of God and the kinship of all mankind by beginning the pictorial narrative with the Creation story of Genesis, not with the birth of Jesus. To a Church that preached exclusionism and stressed Divine love for only a limited number of His children, Michelangelo emphasized tolerance of all faiths, even the despised Jews of his time.

One fresco exemplifying this idea is the portrait of Aminadab, father of Nachshon, which appears above the elevated area where the pope sat on his throne. Hebrew scholars know that Aminadab's Hebrew name means, "from my people, a prince." But the Church interprets a "prince of the Jews" to refer directly to Jesus. Michelangelo positioned Aminadab, "Prince of the Jews," as surrogate for Jesus himself.

This is one of the extremely rare figures painted by Michelangelo sitting perfectly upright, looking forward, a signal by the artist that the figure is, indeed, noteworthy. Moreover, a bright yellow circle, a ring of cloth sewn onto a garment appears on Aminadab's upper left arm. (This detail was not revealed for modern audiences until the frescoes were restored in 2001.) This patch displays the badge of shame forced on the Jews of Europe by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 and the Inquisition during the 15th Century. Here, directly over the head of the pope, the Vicar of Christ, Michelangelo was reminding the Church that Jesus was a Jew. He was condemning the Church for its shameful treatment of the Jews, from whom Jesus was born.

This was a courageous statement. His veiled messages were painted at a time when the Talmud and other Jewish sacred texts were being burned all over Europe, the Inquisition was operating at full strength and the Jewish people had just been expelled from Spain in 1492. Michelangelo had the courage to challenge the papal court, asking via the symbols of his painting, "Is this how you treat the very family of Our Lord?"

Michelangelo's contempt for the Church's treatment of Jews went further to insult the pope himself via an almost imperceptible gesture of Aminadab. Almost hidden in shadow, this surrogate for Jesus is subtly making "devil's horns" with his fingers, which point downward toward the very spot where Pope Julius' richly embroidered ceremonial canopy would have been, over the papal throne.

In somewhat similar manner, in another fresco placed over the original chapel portal through which Pope Julius entered, Michelangelo depicts the prophet Zechariah with the pope's own face. Over his shoulder one can see a little angel with his fingers curled in a way to make an obscene gesture known in Italy as "giving the fig."

In the symbolism of the Sistine Chapel frescoes, instead of shame and persecution, inclusiveness and acknowledgement of Divine Favor are the qualities Michelangelo advocates for the Church's treatment of the Jews. We have an even more powerful indication of Michelangelo's philo-Semitism in his later work, "The Last Judgment."

In it, a golden-haired angel robed in red poses directly over Jesus' head and points at two men within a group known as the "Righteous Souls," a collection of figures who represent those privileged to spend eternity in a state of bliss with Jesus as reward for their deeds on earth. Michelangelo portrays both of these men as Jews, a potentially blasphemous act. One wears the two-pointed cap that the Church forced Jewish males to wear to reinforce the medieval prejudice that Jews, being spawned of the Devil, had horns. This figure is shown speaking to the other older Jew as he points one finger upward, indicating the One-ness of God. The other figure wears a yellow cap of shame; during the 13th century, the Church ordered Jewish men in Italy to wear such caps in public. In front of the two figures, a woman, her hair modestly covered, whispers in the ear of a nude youth before her. The youth resembles Michelangelo's young tutor, Pico della Mirandola, who owned the largest Kabbalah library in the world at the time, and who taught the young artist secrets of Jewish mysticism as he infused within him a life-long respect for the Jewish people.

In granting Jews a place in heaven with Jesus, the 16th century Michelangelo took a then-blasphemous stand on an issue which still provokes heated debate among Christians in the 21st century. His depiction of those granted Divine Favor clearly contravened official Church doctrine, which maintained that Jews could never hope to have a Heavenly reward.

Michelangelo defined genius as "eternal patience." This year, the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo starting his work on the Sistine ceiling, we have finally "cracked" his "code," and his insights, ingeniously concealed in his work, can at last be heard.

This article originally appeared in the World Jewish Digest.

Author Biography:

Rabbi Benjamin Blech is the author of 12 highly acclaimed books, including Understanding Judaism: The basics of Deed and Creed. He is a professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and the Rabbi Emeritus of Young Israel of Oceanside which he served for 37 years and from which he retired to pursue his interests in writing and lecturing around the globe. He is also the author of "If God is Good, Why is the World So Bad?"

by Marnie Winston-Macauley

Outrageous, odd, fascinating Jewish facts and figures.

AND IS THE MOON CREAM CHEESE?

The King of Jewish food, the bagel, has become universal. But who knew how universal? While many scientists believe that the universe is expanding spherically, some are starting to wonder if the universe is bagel-shaped, according to Tony Rothman, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, which he discusses in detail in his book, Doubt and Certainty. Oy. If it becomes a "certainty," the Talmudic debate over whether the universe is poppy seed or onion alone, will take another 3,000 years!

TEFILLIN WINS WORLD SERIES?
Can a brilliant Jewish athlete and a pair of tefillin affect the World Series? Just ask Rabbi Moshe Feller, director of the Upper Midwest Merkos-Lubavitch House. What Jew didn't kvell when, Sandy Koufax, the Dodger's ace pitcher, refused to play on Yom Kippur during the 1965 World Series. (The Dodgers lost that opening game to the Minnesota Twins.) Ah ... but there's more. Rabbi Feller, an avid baseball fan, met Koufax at his hotel, saying: "... Because of you, more Jews knew about when Yom Kippur was going to be this year than they do with a calendar. ..." And, he presented Koufax with a set of tefillin. The Dodgers won the series, and Koufax became the Most Valuable Player. Since then, Rabbi Feller started the first "tefillin mission," putting them on baseballers like Mike Epstein and Ken Holtzman. So for you future athletes: you better eat your Wheaties...and put on your tefillin.

For you future athletes: you better eat your Wheaties...and put on your tefillin.

HITLER'S JEWISH PSYCHIC
During the 1930s, Germans -including Hitler -- were into the occult. Erik Jan Hanussen, the European Houdini, was a Jew, a fact Hitler didn't know when he made Hanussen his psychic advisor. In 1933, in despair over his political future, Hitler recalled Hanussen's prophecy that he would become Fuhrer within a year and the two had over a dozen meetings. More disturbingly, Hanussen loaned large sums to Nazi leaders. After the burning of the Reichstag in February, 1933, German communists were blamed, but speculation "leaked" of Hanussen's involvement. Top Nazis hated the Jew who held their IOU's, and knew ugly secrets about them - and Hitler. On March 1933, Hanussen was executed. His heinous role in Hitler's ascent has been largely unknown to this day.

HOLOCAUST AND HIP HOP
Can it be? It can, and is. Grammy award-winning Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari and Israeli rapper Kobi "Subliminal" Shimoni, co-produced a hip-hop music video that expresses their feelings about the Holocaust, titled "God Almighty When Will It End?" in English, and "Adon Olam Ad Matai?" in Hebrew. Oy? True, some rebbes and cantors feel "hipping" and "hopping" is a long way from the hora. But many others feel this "unorthodox" music by young Israelis, part of the Gedenk (Remember) Movement, are inspiring and informing youth about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. Who knows? Maybe Madness is one method to teach ... madness.

LOIN OF GIRAFFE, KOSHER?
You bet. The long-necked animal chews its cud and has cloven hooves. So why aren't we buying happy meals from Giraffe King? Well for some reason, Giraffe burgers just never really caught on in Ancient Israel, which means we don't have a continuous tradition for eating giraffe, and you know how we Jews feel about tradition (see: Tevye). But even if Bubbies around the world somehow banded together to bring giraffe back, to produce a deli sandwich would cost over $100 a pound! Now that can't be kosher!

YIDDISHE "STRIPS"
As kids, American Joomers (Jewish Boomers) chuckled over the adventures of goyishe comic characters such as Little Lulu and Dagwood. Even if many of comic strip writers were Jewish, actual Jewish comics were underground or not specifically Jewish. Things have changed. In 1986, Art Spiegelman's adult comic-book history of the Holocaust, "Maus" was not only a best-seller but won a Pulitzer Prize. And, our kinder can now identify and root for comic Jewish superheroes, such as Sabra, Seraph, Rambam, and Ragman.

But for those of us who missed the boat on those new Jewish comics, we can take solace in the fact that many of the superheroes of yesteryear had Jewish roots. For example, if Superman were created today, his creators, tribesmen Joe Schuster and Jerry Siegel, might have given a Hebrew name on his home planet of Krypton - Kal-El ben Jor-El!

Interestingly, some goyim have been swept up by the Jewish-inspired toon craze. Witness: Kal-El Coppola Cage, born in 2005 to Nicolas Cage (Coppola) and wife, Kim who saddled their son with Superman's Kryptonian name. True, Cage had been up for the lead in a Superman flick. But to paraphrase another comic character, "Holy Chutzpah, Batman!"

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE?
Everyone knows that Chanukah occurs but once a year, right? Wrong. Over a thousand years from now, in the year 3031 of the Gregorian calendar, there will be no Chanukah! Ah, but the following year, 3032, there will be two -- one in January, and the other in December. That's, count 'em 16 gifts per! (And don't forget the latkes.) Tip: Leave a time capsule to be opened in 3000, with instructions to your loved ones to start saving their shekels - and potatoes.

Author Biography:

Marnie is author of the advice column, "Ask Sadie." She has written over 20 books and calendars, including, "Yiddishe Mamas: The Truth About the Jewish Mother" and "A Little Joy, A Little Oy." She wrote for "As the World Turns," (Emmy and Writers Guild nomination). She starred in her own radio show and a Discovery pilot. Marnie is in "Who's Who in America," 2007.

Oct. 10, 2008

Magen David Adom Treats Almost 1,800 on Yom Kippur

By Israel National News.com

The Magen David Adom (MDA-Red Star of David) emergency service treated 1,786 people during the Yom Kippur holiday.

Fifty-seven people fainted during the fast and six had to be resuscitated. One hundred seventy-six people were treated for injuries associated with bicycles, skateboards or rollerblades. Children take to the streets on Yom Kippur because traffic in Jewish neighborhoods is generally limited by tradition to emergency vehicles.

MDA took 120 expectant mothers to various hospitals and delivered one baby at the mother's home. Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva reported 34 births.

Arabs and Jews Clash on Yom Kippur in Akko

By IsraelNationalNews.com

Jews fearing a terror attack stoned an Arab driver, and Arabs rioted and vandalized Jewish property in the mixed Mediterranean coastal city of Akko (Acre) during the Yom Kippur holiday and fast. Clashes began Wednesday evening and lasted through Thursday night.

The day of violence began Wednesday evening, just after the start of the Yom Kippur fast, when an Arab driver from Akko's Old City entered a majority-Jewish neighborhood. The vehicle apparently raised suspicions, as in Israel it is considered unacceptable for anyone other than emergency vehicles to drive on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, although it is not forbidden by law. The driver had to bypass a barrier set up to block traffic at the entrance to the neighborhood.

A resident of Akko told Israel National News that the motorist was spotted driving at a high speed towards a park where a group of Jewish youth had gathered. Fearing they were the target of a vehicular terrorist attack - of the type that has been perpetrated several times in recent months - the youths pelted the car with rocks and called for help. Jews from the neighborhood gathered and the driver took refuge with his relatives, a local Arab family.

At that point, Akko Arabs were called to come to the aid of the driver and his family, with the help of a rumor that Jews had killed an Arab resident of the Old City. One police officer, the Arab driver and another person were lightly injured as hundreds of people, Jews and Arabs, clashed in the streets.

Police, representatives of Akko City Hall and local Arab leaders managed to end the clashes, but the violence continued as Arabs heading back to their neighborhoods ran riot through Jewish areas of the city. Calling "Death to the Jews" and Allah hu akbar ("Allah is great"); the rioters vandalized hundreds of Jewish-owned shops and vehicles, and threw rocks at people on their way to or from Yom Kippur prayers.

According to an eyewitness, "The Arabs threatened Jews that if they left their home they'd be attacked. The Arabs began vandalizing Jewish-owned cars in the street and smashing windows. Afterwards, we saw them coming with axes and slashing tires. It was awful. Residents were afraid to leave for the synagogue."

Sources in the Akko municipality claimed that among those inciting the Arab mobs were known Islamist activists. Police arrested eight people on suspicion of involvement in the violence. Four people were arraigned Thursday; the others will see a judge on Friday.

Clashes resumed Thursday night after the fast ended, with demonstrations by hundreds of Jews and Arabs near the train station in the eastern section of the city and near the housing projects in the northern neighborhoods. Jewish youths set fire to an empty lot and attempted to make their way to other parts of the city.

Police blocked the eastern entrance to Akko and have been pushing Jewish protesters back towards a local first aid station. To disperse the crowds, police used stun and gas grenades, as well as water hoses, but had difficulty controlling the demonstrators.

Police are deploying hundreds of officers, patrol cars and special forces in the city's hot spots. "We know that Jews intend to carry out acts of revenge, but we are not talking about an organized initiative," a police spokesman said. "The force will prevent any such interaction."

Hamas Offering Online Courses in Practical Jihad

By IsraelNationalNews.com

The Islamist Hamas terrorist organization has initiated an online course in explosives, military weapons and tactics for would-be jihad fighters. Aimed at the population of the Palestinian Authority, the course is called "Get Ready" and is designed to prepare the population for war with Israel.

First exposed outside Palestinian Authority and jihadist circles on Monday by Israel's Channel 10 TV, the sophisticated course includes highly detailed practical and theoretical lessons, as well as sample videos of jihadist attacks. All manner of weapons are described, analyzed and their proper use explained by masked Hamas instructors.

Students also learn about such things as the manufacture and detonation of explosives, the functioning of rocket launchers, weak points on IDF tanks, and the physics of firing at a moving vehicle. Lessons cover possible scenarios such as an IDF ground incursion into Hamas-controlled Gaza or an airborne Israeli commando assault.

Each instructive section concludes with test questions. For example, a fatigues-wearing Hamas teacher asks, "A truck is moving at a rate of 15 meters per second, at a distance of 200 meters, from left to right. How will you succeed in hitting this truck?"

In its report, the Channel 10 correspondent speculated that the instruction was not only intended to teach Hamas members to more effectively fight Israel, but also to prepare them for confrontation with the rival PA terrorist movement, Fatah. Such a confrontation has already occurred periodically in recent years, but Hamas hopes that an armed clash with PA Chairman's Fatah forces in Judea and Samaria would end with the Islamists in control of the entire PA. 

Promoting Terrorism on the Internet

By Ed Ziegler (Commentary)

A fantastic tool - the Internet. There are good reasons why so many people of all ages use it. The Internet provides easy access to in depth information on virtually any topic you can think of. It is also an excellent method of communication for personal and business use alike.

Like many things in life there are pluses and minuses. A major downside to the Internet is that terrorists have learned to effectively use it as a tool of war. This article addresses the use of the Internet by terrorists

The Anti-Defamation League at www.adl.org/poisoning_web/poisoning_toc.asp reported on a number of such groups in the United States using the Internet to communicate, propagate hate and recruit. There is the well-known KKK. Then there are less well-known groups such as “Stormfront” and the Institute For Historical Review (IHR).  The names of many Neo-Nazi type groups are apparent however, IHR hides under the appearance of intellect and impartiality. Many of IHR's leaders participate in pro-Nazi and anti-Jewish activities.

A US Senate report noted what Osama bin Laden’s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri wrote, “We are in a battle and more than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media. And we are in a media battle in the race for the hearts and minds of our people.” It appears that al-Zawahiri understands the power of all forms of communication including the Internet.

On Sept. 9, 2008 the AP reported that the video-sharing web site “YouTube” recognized the misuse of their site by terrorists. They have moved to purge terrorist training films and other videos that extremists use to attract new members. “YouTube” will rely on the public to report misuse.

On Sept. 25, 2008, the Dewsbury Reporter reported that the youngest terrorist in England, Hammaad Munshi a 16-year-old Muslim, was sentenced to two years in jail. He was part of a cell using the Internet to brainwash individuals to kill non-believers.

On Oct. 15, 2007 the New York Times reported on a 22-year-old American named Samir Kahn who runs a pro terrorist blog from his parent’s home in North Carolina. Samir wrote an article arguing for a violent Jihad. He has listed numerous links from which someone can obtain assorted videos from Iraq including some blood drenched terrorist videos.

Terrorist groups have become adept at using the Internet. As you would imagine they use the Internet just like everyone else for information gathering and communications. They also utilize the Internet for fundraising, disseminating propaganda, sending instructions, and providing directions. They distribute bomb making and training manuals on the Internet as well. It is reasonable to assume that they send coded messages to hide their intent.

You say there is nothing an average citizen can do to counteract terrorism on the Internet. Well that is absolutely untrue. You can follow the actions of Shannen Rossmiller, a mother of three and a Judge, living in Conrad, Montana. She is a member of “7-Seas Global Intelligence,” an organization that tracks terrorist activity and forwards leads to authorities. Because of Shannen’s Internet searching, Spc. Ryan G. Anderson, a Fort Lewis-based National Guardsman and Muslim convert, is on trial for trying to provide terrorists with information on troop strength and tactics.

Do not allow the terrorists to take away our freedom and determine how we shall live or die. This refers to groups such as US based Neo-Nazis as well as Islamic fanatics throughout the world. The success Shannen Rossmiller had in identifying a real threat proves that average Americans, like you and me, can help our government stop terrorists. There are more groups like the “7-Seas Global Intelligence.” If you can’t find one start one. Remember. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people do nothing.”

Ed Ziegler is a board member of the New Jewish Congregation – Temple Shalom in The Villages, Fl and is president of its Brotherhood. He encourages your comments to edziegler@thevillages.net

New Nazi Parody Aims to Smash German Third Reich Comedy Taboo 

Levy has made a career out of shattering taboos in Germany. His 2005 award-winning box office smash comedy "Go for Zucker: An Unorthodox Comedy" poked fun at modern Jewish life in Germany, where guilt over the Holocaust remains pervasive.

In 2002, the firs

By Reuters 

A made-in-Germany Nazi satire which parodies the 1981 submarine film "Das Boot" will try to prove the Third Reich is no longer taboo terrain for German comedians.

In director Sven Unterwaldt's "U-900," comedian Atze Schroeder stars as a German forced to flee Nazi Germany after being caught in flagrante with a Nazi bigwig's daughter, whose life he later manages to save by hijacking "U-Boot 900.”

The spoof, which premiered across Germany on Thursday, is not the first to take a tragicomic approach to the Nazis. Last year, Jewish director Dani Levy's "My Fuehrer - The Truly Truest Truth about Adolf Hitler," was panned by critics even though it had an unexpectedly strong box office run.

The Hitler satire basked in massive media attention for weeks because of its tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Hitler as a drug-addicted bed-wetter.

Schroeder, a fast-talking former newsstand owner who recently became one of Germany's most popular stand-up comedians, said he was fully aware of the country's post-war trauma over the Holocaust. "Making Nazis look foolish - that's something honorable for a comedian even in this day and age," Schroeder told German magazine TV Spielfilm. "It's not a history lesson but rather it's just a comedy about a guy who manages to get himself out of just about every possible jam you could imagine."

Weaned on 60 years of guilt and shame for the Nazi crimes of their grandparents, Germans long equated history with pain and filmmakers avoided any dramatic treatment of their own 20th century past. The Nazi era was left to documentary filmmakers.

Wolfgang Petersen's "Das Boot", an award-winning film about an ill-fated submarine crew, was a rare exception until the self-imposed ban began to crumble in 2004 with the "Downfall." Other German-made dramas about the Nazi era followed.

Schroeder tested the waters himself with an episode of his television comedy show called "Schroeder's List," a parody of Steven Spielberg's 1993 Holocaust drama "Schindler's List.”

Levy has made a career out of shattering taboos in Germany. His 2005 award-winning box office smash comedy "Go for Zucker: An Unorthodox Comedy" poked fun at modern Jewish life in Germany, where guilt over the Holocaust remains pervasive.

In 2002, the first German-made film comedy about the Nazis was aired on public television network ARD.  "Goebbels and Geduldig" was a poorly received farce about the Nazi propaganda minister and a good-humored Jewish lookalike who swap places in 1944. Its script had to be re-written dozens of times by nervous TV executives.

Controversy Brews over Ragen Commentary

By Israel Faxx News Services

On Wednesday, Israel News Faxx published "To all my friends," a commentary by Jerusalem journalist Naomi Ragen. In her piece Ragen opined where Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama obtained the money for the purchase of a house in Chicago in 2005.

Ragen said that a Chicago-based real estate developer, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who has been convicted of fraud and bribery, as well as being named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the Arab-American Business and Professional Association, assisted Obama financially, and later helped him purchase the $1.65 million Chicago home.

She added that "The London Times reported that Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi-born billionaire loaned Rezko $3.5 million three weeks before Obama's new home was purchased. Obama met Nadhmi Auchi many times with Rezko."

However Snopes.com, a web site generally known for its ability to confirm or deny items such as the above, said "The Obamas' financing of their home in Chicago was no mystery. As their tax returns demonstrate, the couple had a significant jump in income from 2000 onwards (largely from royalties from book sales, and they purchased their Chicago home in 2005, a year in which their combined income was $1.6 million."

We leave it to our readers to determine whether Ragen or Snopes is telling the truth.

Oct. 8, 2008

As Yom Kippur approaches, and the High Holiday season concluding, the editors wish you and your families a most happy, peaceful and healthy year. Thank you for helping to make Israel News Faxx the website of choice for those wanting news from Israel. Our next issue will be dated October 10th.

Hamas: Global Crash is the Fault of U.S. Jewish Lobby

By Israel News Faxx and AFP

According to the French news agency AFP a spokesman for the Hamas terrorist organization, Fawzi Barhum. Has blamed "the Jewish Lobby" in the United States for "bad administrative and financial management"  and for putting into place "a bad banking system," which Hamas blames for precipitating the current global financial crisis.

Barhum blamed "the Jewish lobby" for having put the U.S. banking and financial sector into place. He claimed that the lobby "controls the U.S. elections and defines the foreign policy of any new administration in a manner that allows it to retain control of the American government and economy."

Barhum accused President George W. Bush of "remaining silent" about the Jews' culpability in these matters.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, Jews are being blamed. “When economic trouble and anxiety hit, anti-Semitism often rises sharply. Some examples from online message boards: "Jews are greedy, rotten slime balls; [Jews have] infiltrated Wall Street and Government and have ruined our country; they [Jews] love money nothing else, no faith or religion can be so heartless to their victims; and that’s how they work. they short the stock all the way making billions and then cover it right up, sell and then taxpayers to the rescue and it is true all those institutions are ran by Jews;.

Arabs Trying to Buy Jewish Land in Galilee

By IsraelNationalNews.com

Three Jewish families in the Lower Galilee are set to sell their land to Arabs unless Zionists can come up with the money and offer a better deal.

Israel Land Fund official Aryeh King said that the land involves 12 acres (50 dunam) of farmland at Moshav Ilaniya, located in a picturesque rural area near Kfar Tabor and between the Jordan Valley and the Mediterranean Coast.

"The Jewish families found the easiest way to make money and did not offer it to fellow Jews or to the state of Israel," said King, who was the first Jewish resident in the 1990s in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al Amoud.

He said that the Arab Lawyers Organization Adalah intends to buy the land for 6,000 shekels ($1,700) an acre. The names of the Jewish families have been kept secret but will be made known if Jewish buyers can offer them more money.

Adalah activists have been involved with demanding that the Jewish National Fund sell land to Arabs and tried convince the Civil Lands Administration to overturn decision preventing Arab citizens from bequeathing their rights to state land to overseas family members who do not hold Israeli citizenship

King called on Likud Knesset whip Gidon Saar to push for Knesset legislation that would bar the sale of land to Arabs without allowing the State of Israel the opportunity to purchase it and keep the property in Jewish hands.

Statistics usually represent the Galilee as 50 percent Jewish and 50 percent Arab, but the figures include the Haifa metropolitan area, which accounts for most of the Jews. The Lower Galilee, named because of its relative altitude when compared with the hills and mountains in the Tzfat area to the north, includes primarily rural farmland outside of the cities of Beit Shean and Afula and Arab cities and villages.

Kibbutzim and moshavim abound in the area, which once was plagued by malaria until pioneering Zionists and the Jewish National Fund drained mosquito-infested swamps.

To All My Friends

By Naomi Ragen (Commentary)

This election has me very worried. So many things to consider. I watch all the news channels, jumping from one to another. I must say this drives my husband crazy. But, I feel if you view MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News, you might get some middle ground to work with. About six months ago, I started thinking "where did the money come from for Obama"?

I have four daughters, who went to college, and we were middle class, and money was tight. We (including my girls) worked hard and there were lots of student loans.

I started looking into Obama's life. Around 1979 Obama started college at Occidental in California. He is very open about his two years at Occidental; he tried all kinds of drugs and was wasting his time but, even though he had a brilliant mind, did not apply himself to his studies. "Barry" (that was the name he used all his life) during this time had two roommates, Muhammad Hasan Chandoo and Wahid Hamid, both from Pakistan.

During the summer of 1981, after his second year in college, he made a "round the world" trip. Stopping to see his mother in Indonesia, next Hyderabad in India, three weeks in Karachi, Pakistan where he stayed with his roommate's family, then off to Africa to visit his father's family.

My question - Where did he get the money for this trip? Neither I, nor any one of my children would have had money for a trip like this when they where in college. When he came back he started school at Columbia University in New York. It is at this time he wants everyone to call him Barack - not Barry.

Do you know what the tuition is at Columbia? It's not cheap to say the least. Where did he get money for tuition? Student Loans? Maybe.

After Columbia, he went to Chicago to work as a community organizer for $12,000

a year. Why Chicago? Why not New York? He was already living in New York.

By "chance" he met Antoin "Tony" Rezko, born in Aleppo Syria, and a real estate developer in Chicago. Rezko has been convicted of fraud and bribery this year. Rezko, was named "Entrepreneur of the Decade" by the Arab-American Business and professional Association.”

About two years later, Obama entered Harvard Law School. Do you have any idea what tuition is for Harvard Law School? Where did he get the money for Law School? More student loans? After law school, he went back to Chicago.

Rezko offered him a job, which he turned down. But, he did take a job with Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. Guess what? They represented "Rezar," Rezko's firm. Rezko was one of Obama's first major financial contributors when he ran for office in Chicago. In 2003, Rezko threw an early fundraiser for Obama, which Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendelland claims was instrumental in providing Obama with "seed money" for his U.S. Senate race.

In 2005, Obama purchased a new home in the Kenwood District of Chicago for $1.65 million (less than asking price). With all those student loans - where did he get the money for the property? On the same day, Rezko's wife, Rita, purchased the adjoining empty lot for full price.

The London Times reported that Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi-born billionaire, loaned Rezko $3.5 million three weeks before Obama's new home was purchased. Obama met Nadhmi Auchi many times with Rezko.

Now, we have Obama running for president. Valerie Jarrett, was Michelle Obama's boss. She is now Obama's chief advisor and he does not make any major decisions without talking to her first. Where was Jarrett born? Ready for this? Shiraz, Iran! Do we see a pattern here? Or am I going crazy?

On May 10, 2008 The Times reported, Robert Malley, advisor to Obama, was "sacked" after the press found out he was having regular contacts with "Hamas," which controls Gaza and is connected with Iran . This past week, buried in the back part of the papers, Iraqi newspapers reported that during Obama's visit to Iraq, he asked their leaders to do nothing about the war until after he is elected, and he will "take care of things.”

Oh, and by the way, remember the college roommates that where born in Pakistan? They are in charge of all those "small" Internet campaign contributions for Obama. Where is that money coming from? The poor and middle class in this country? Or could it be from the Middle East?

And the final bit of news. On Sept. 7, 2008, The Washington Times posted a verbal slip that was made on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos. Obama on talking about his religion said, "My Muslim faith." When questioned, "He made a mistake." Some mistake!

All of the above information I got online. If you would like to check it - Wikipedia, encyclopedia, Barack Obama; Tony Rezko; Valerie Jarrett: Daily Times - Obama visited Pakistan in 1981; The Washington Times - September 7, 2008; The Times May 10, 2008. Now the BIG question - If I found out all this information on my own, why haven't all of our "intelligent" members of the press been reporting this?

A phrase keeps ringing in my ear - "Beware of the enemy from within.”

Oct. 7, 2008

Stock Plunge Could Raise Aliyah

By IsraelNationalNews.com

Knesset member Eliyahu Gabbai wants to convene a committee to prepare for a possible wave of olim (immigrants to Israel) from the U.S. because of the global financial crisis.

Gabbai warned that the global crisis strengthens the need to stress Aliyah as a central issue, and to prepare accordingly. He cited disturbing reports from the ADL about increasing anti-Semitism that has mainly taken place online, blaming Jews for the world's financial woes. He suggested that this should cause not just real concern, but concrete and practical thinking.

Arab World Celebrates Anniversary of 1973 ‘Victory’

By IsraelNationalNews.com

With Arab countries throughout the Middle East marking the 35th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called on his countrymen to embrace the “spirit of October,” while a Syrian newspaper called for unity among Arab nations.

Mubarak called on the people of Egypt to strengthen their nation by demonstrating the victorious spirit that supposedly prevailed in Cairo during their last war with Israel. An Egyptian media outlet also called on the government to release documents about the war that have been classified up to now, in order to underscore the “great Arab victory” in 1973.

Meanwhile, the Syrian newspaper Tishrin called on the Arab nations to unite “just as they did 35 years ago.” The newspaper also pointed to the ongoing negotiations with Israel over the Golan Heights, and reminded readers that “even the prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, said that there would not be peace with Damascus unless all of the land was returned.”

Syria has been in an official state of war with Israel since 1973, as it continues to refuse to sign any kind of armistice deal with its neighbor.

Arab nations are known to regard the Yom Kippur War as a victory against the Zionist aggressor. According to some historians, Egypt, which started the war by attacking Israeli fortifications along the Suez Canal, knew that it would not be able to completely destroy the Jewish state. Rather, Egyptian and Syrian leaders hoped to use the war to awaken Israel to the reality of a much stronger Arab military and to force Israel to negotiate away some of the land it won in the previous 1967 war. 

Within a decade of the 1973 war, Israel indeed gave away the entire Sinai Peninsula, and is currently considering the return of the Golan Heights to Syria. Therefore, according to certain analysts, the Arab nations can indeed claim victory.

According to Army Radio, another Egyptian media source used the opportunity to urge the Egyptian government to release classified documents about the war. Declassifying the documents, the news agency said, would help maintain the "heritage of the great Arab victory."

Student Intimidation

By Ed Ziegler (Commentary)

The quality of education a student receives is difficult to assess. What one learns depends on many factors; the individual’s inherent intelligence; the effort they apply; the overall educational environment and their teachers.

My last article “Muslims Student Associations” (MSA) demonstrated the MSA’s patterns of demands, incidents of disruptions and leanings toward Islamic extremism. With these groups in over 1000 universities in Canada and the United States it is reasonable to assume that there are universities that either condone or ignore their behavior thereby conceding to their demands. The quality of education non-Muslim students receive at these universities may well be impacted by the MSA actions. This article is concerned with the instructors, and therefore, their influence on students.

In October 2006, the Anti-Defamation League reported that Kevin Barrett, a University of Wisconsin instructor, claimed that the U.S. Government is responsible for the 9/11 disasters and that America is equivalent to Nazi Germany. ADL states that Barrett also uses a textbook that equates President George W. Bush with Adolph Hitler and also bashes Israel. This appears to be the professor’s personal bias beyond the scoop of the course.

Hatem Bazian, a professor of Near Eastern Studies and Religious Studies at the University of California Berkeley, is a Palestinian native, which in itself does not cause concern. However his actions clearly lean to the extreme.

As a result of Bazian’s biased and inflammatory remarks at a “cultural assembly” at San Francisco's George Washington High School the administration sent a letter of apology to the public. Bazian’s presentation included a song comparing Zionists to Nazis and had students run around with Palestinian flags. Do you think it possible that Bazian fosters such extreme behavior in his classroom?

Prof. John Esposito of Georgetown University displays his leaning when defending individuals such as Azzam Tamimi, who told a crowd in the UK that dying as a martyr is right. Esposito also defends Esam Omeish M.D., who in a Washington D.C. rally stated, “You have known the Jihad says the way to liberate your land.” Omeidh has also been taped on videos defending radical Islam.

Then you have Prof. Joel Beinin, of Stanford University, an historian who was a keynote speaker at a MSA annual conference. Beinin blames America for 9/11 and bashes Zionism.

Other than sitting in a classroom to get a feeling of potential improper bias by an instructor, you need to talk to the students. This is exactly what the David Project has done. The project has prepared a 40-minute documentary “Columbia Unbecoming.”

“Columbia Unbecoming” shows interviews with 14 Columbia University students and graduates describing their feelings of being subjected to instructor bias on the Arab-–Israeli issue. All of the professors named by students are in Columbia’s Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures (MEALAC.)

One student, a former Israeli soldier, claims Prof. Joseph Massad asked how many Palestinians he killed. In another situation a woman stated that Massad stated, “The Jews are not a nation.  The Jewish state is a racist state and does not have the right to exist.”  To read a transcript of Columbia Unbecoming,” go to http://www.columbiaunbecoming.com/script.htm.

Another student reported that George Saliba, a professor of Arabic and Islamic Science at Columbia University, told her she had no claim to the land of Israel, because—unlike him—she had green eyes, and therefore was “not a Semite.”

We may disagree with someone’s opinion but we should defend his or her right to be heard. However, there needs to be limitations as to what extent instructors may force their personal bias. My opinion is that intimidation and insults should not be allowed.

There are many instances across the country where students have claimed they were subjected to biased intimidation by instructors. You may ask what we can do to correct such injustices.  Well, when you identify an institution, notify them that you will not donate to any environment that allows intimidation by instructors.

Do you want to subject your children to intimidation? Remember. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people do nothing.”

Ed Ziegler is a columnist for the Florida Heritage Jewish News and calls for your input at ez14@embarqmail.com

Report: Dutch Thought Anne Frank House 'Not Worth Saving' 

By DPA 

The Dutch government in the 1950s had no objections to tearing down the house where Anne Frank wrote her wartime diary, a newspaper report said on Sunday. The place where the young Jewish girl described life hiding from persecution by the Nazis was not considered worthy of preservation, De Telegraaf said, quoting from a letter written by Joseph Luns, the foreign minister at the time.

Luns said the house where Anne and her family hid from 1942 until her betrayal in 1944 was "not a historical monument of the Netherlands" and unremarkable from an architectural point of view.

The letter, dated May 3, was sent to the Dutch ambassador to the United States, informing him of the official position of the Ministry of Education, Art and Science toward the Anne Frank House. The newspaper said the letter was discovered recently when the part of the ministry's archives was being moved to a new home.

According to the Anne Frank Foundation, it was apparently written in response to questions by Americans as to why the house was not declared a historic building.

Located on Amsterdam's Prinsengracht, the house began attracting its first visitors shortly after the book "Anne Frank ­ The Diary of a Young Girl" was published in 1947. In the mid-1950s, a real estate firm proposed knocking it down to make way for a modern building, but dropped the idea after a series of protests.

The firm signed over the rights to the house in 1957 to the Anne Frank Foundation, which collected donations and turned it into a museum three years later. Since then, it has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Anne Frank was deported to the German concentration camp Bergen-Belsen, where she died in March 1945 at the age of 16 

Jewish Soldier Charges US Army with Discrimination

By IsraelNationalNews.com

An observant Jewish soldier in the U.S. Army was hospitalized for a concussion suffered in a fight with another trainee several days after two drill sergeants forced him to take off his kippah [skullcap] and prohibited him from praying. One of the sergeants also called the soldier "Juden" but the Army denied the incidents were related to anti-Semitism.

The case of the soldier, Private Michael Handman, 20, reached a congressman after he complained of religious discrimination. The army said that an altercation with another trainee several days later that sent Handman to the hospital was unrelated to the treatment by the sergeants at the training base at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Base officers have launched a criminal investigation against the trainee who beat up Handman, and the drill sergeants were reprimanded. The Army ruled the sergeants, including one who had served in Germany, were not guilty of anti-Semitism and simply did not know "what is allowed for religious accommodation within basic training." The sergeants will receive instruction on religious accommodation. 

Monica Manganaro, spokeswoman for the base, said that the fight with the other trainee had no religious basis. She explained that the drill sergeants "would have put a stop to it immediately" if the dispute between the trainees had been based on religious prejudice.

Army policy allows Jewish soldiers to wear a kippah in the dining hall but does not allow them to pray while on guard duty.  Concerning the term Juden, Manganaro explained that the "drill sergeant has lived in Germany and did not know that it is derogatory."

Retired Navy Captain Neil Block told reporters, "These drill sergeants had not set out to be anti-Semitic or discriminatory. They just screwed up, and the Army has dealt with it appropriately."

Lebanese Union to Sue Israel for 'Claiming Ownership' of Falafel 

By DPA 

A new war between Israel and Lebanon has erupted, but this time the war is not geopolitical, but rather an issue of cuisine-who has sovereignty over traditional Arab dishes and sandwiches.

The president of the Lebanese Industrialists Association Fadi Abboud, said he is preparing to file an international lawsuit against Israel for allegedly "taking the identity of some Lebanese foods" and thus violating a food copyright. "In a way the Jewish state is trying to claim ownership of traditional Lebanese delicacies like falafel, tabouleh and hummus" Abboud said.

According to Abboud, the Lebanese are losing "tens of millions of dollars annually" because Israel is selling and marketing traditional Lebanese dishes. "The Israelis are marketing our main food dishes as if they were Israeli dishes," he charged.

"We are working on registering all the foods and ingredients which will be submitted to the Lebanese government so it can appeal to the international courts against Israel," Abboud said. "The Israelis are marketing such Lebanese delicacies under the same names and ingredients around the world," he added. "This is harming and causing great losses to Lebanon."

Abboud said he prepared his memo on the subject, based on the case of the Greek "feta cheese precedent" that occurred six years ago. At the time, Greece managed to prove in international institutions that it was the "originator" of feta cheese and won the case.

According to Abboud, while Lebanon never registered the names and ingredients of its own delicacies, "it can refer to the Greece precedent since these foods are historically known as traditional Lebanese foods. "By doing so, we are preventing Israel from stealing our main food trademarks and selling them around the world," Abboud added 

Israeli Sex Survey

By YnetNews.com

It’s worthwhile being rich, and not just because of the money. The more men earn and the more they are satisfied with their economic situation, the higher their satisfaction with sex, according to a mega survey on men's sexuality published in Israel's leading women's magazine Laisha.

A man's economic situation was also shown to influence women's pleasure: A man in a better financial situation can hold on to sexual intercourse for longer.

But even if you don’t have money, there are additional factors which contribute to an Israeli man's satisfaction with sex: The frequency of sexual intercourse, his sexual openness, the ability to please his partner and the way he feels about his body – in that order.

The survey, conducted by Ynet and the Georcartography Knowledge Group institute, included 10,877 men, making it the most comprehensive survey on sex conducted in Israel thus far.

Most respondents said they were pretty satisfied with their sex life: 60 percent said they were content or very content. Their satisfaction with the size of their sexual organ was even higher, with 80 percent of respondents expressing their content.

Oct. 6, 2008

First for Modern Israel: Imported Etrogs

By IsraelNationalNews.com 

A shipment of 500 etrogs (citrons) arrived in Israel from Italy over the weekend. It marks the first time that Israel has imported citrus fruit of any kind.  

The etrog is one of the four species of fruits used in rituals for the holiday of Succot, which starts the evening of Monday, October 13th. A thousand dunams of land generally provides the million etrogs demanded by the local market, with 300,000 more available for export to Jewish communities around the world, including the United States, Europe and Australia.   

Livni: Seek Peace with Palestinians, Confront Iran

By Robert Berger (VOA-Jerusalem) 

The new leader of Israel's ruling party is vowing to move forward with peace talks with the Palestinians, while confronting Iran. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who has been nominated to form Israel's next government, has vowed to push for peace with the Palestinians.  

In her first policy speech, Livni said she is committed to negotiations on the creation of a Palestinian state, though she cast doubt on Washington's goal of a peace agreement by the end of the year.  She said dates should not stand in the way of making progress.

 Livni took a much tougher line on Iran, saying Israel and the international community need to confront Tehran and not appease it. She said "all options are on the table," hinting at a possible Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. 

With Iran's president threatening to wipe the Jewish state "off the map," Israeli officials have warned time and again that they will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. 

Iran will top the agenda when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visits Moscow this week.  Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting, Olmert said he would urge Russia not to sell sophisticated weapons to Iran and Syria. "We will remind Russia of matters that trouble us greatly," he said, including "the supply of arms to irresponsible elements." 

Israel is especially concerned that Russia could sell anti-aircraft missiles to Iran that could provide a formidable defense against an Israeli attack.   

Report: Palestinians on Alert for Hamas West Bank Takeover

By WorldNetDaily.com  

Security forces associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization are on alert for a possible Hamas takeover of the West Bank, a pan-Arab newspaper reported Sunday. WND two weeks ago quoted security officials stating there was specific information Hamas was planning an eventual West Bank takeover.

Now the London-based daily al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted Fatah security sources stating Hamas may assassinate Fatah officials as part of a larger plan to takeover the West Bank just as it seized control of the Gaza Strip in a violent coup last summer. It also quoted unnamed Hamas members in the West Bank as saying a West Bank takeover is in the works.

Israel is currently negotiating a retreat from the West Bank as part of talks initiated at last November's U.S.-backed Annapolis Summit, which sought to create a Fatah-led Palestinian state before January.

While Al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted unidentified Hamas sources, WND recently conducted an exclusive interview with Mahmoud Al-Zahar, the Hamas chief in Gaza, who said Hamas are the rightful representatives of the Palestinian people and should control the entire West Bank just as they rule the Gaza Strip.

"According to our rights, we are the elected majority, and a majority in a democracy should control all the Palestinian areas, whether in the West Bank or in the Gaza Strip. This is not an extraordinary issue," said Al-Zahar, who is considered the second most powerful Hamas leader following the group's overall chief, Khaled Meshaal, who resides in exile in Damascus.

"Do you respect democracy? If you respect democracy, the elections in January '06 indicated Hamas is the majority and it should run the administration in Gaza and the West Bank," said al-Zahar, speaking from Gaza.

Al-Zahar was referring to Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 in which Hamas was victorious by a large margin. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas unilaterally disbanded the Hamas-led Palestinian government after Hamas seized control of Gaza last summer.

The Hamas chief's comments to WND came amid fears in the Israeli intelligence community Hamas eventually may attempt to take over the strategic West Bank just as it seized Gaza, particularly if Israel withdraws from the territory.

In a dramatic statement last month, Olmert declared at a Knesset meeting that "Greater Israel" is over. "Greater Israel is over. There is no such thing. Anyone who talks that way is deluding themselves.”

Greater Israel is a reference to territories captured by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War, including the Gaza Strip, West Bank and eastern sections of Jerusalem.

Security officials in Jerusalem are warning if Israel withdraws, Abbas' forces may not be strong enough to contend with controlling the West Bank without the aid of the Israel Defense Forces.

Yuval Diskin, head of Israel's Shin Bet Security Services, estimated during a Knesset meeting last November that if control of the West Bank were handed over to Abbas, Israel would suffer a "significant threat to its security."

Palestinian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted to WND they would have trouble controlling the West Bank without Israeli intervention. According to the officials, Fatah's intelligence apparatus routinely hands the IDF lists of Hamas terrorists that threaten Fatah rule, requesting that Israel make arrests, although Fatah has been stepping up direct arrests of Hamas gunmen in recent weeks.

Perhaps foreshadowing coming tensions, Hamas' so-called military wing Saturday urged its gunmen in the West Bank to use force if security men loyal to Fatah try to arrest them.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian security officials told WND they have specific information Hamas is quietly setting the stages for a possible West Bank takeover attempt. The officials said that among other things, Hamas has been acquiring weaponry in the West Bank and has set up a sophisticated system of communication between cells for a seizure attempt.

In what is considered the most threatening Hamas move, according to the officials, the terror group is thought to have heavily infiltrated major Fatah forces in the West Bank and has been attempting to buy off Fatah militia members, many times successfully.

The issue of Hamas infiltration of Fatah was thought to have been the Achilles heel that led to the terror group's takeover last summer of the entire Gaza Strip, including dozens of major, U.S.-backed Fatah security compounds there. Hamas' seizure is thought to be a partial consequence of Israel evacuating Gaza in 2005.

Hamas' infiltration of Fatah was so extensive, according to top Palestinian intelligence sources speaking to WND; it included the chiefs of several prominent Fatah security forces, including Yussef Issa, director of the Preventative Security Services, the main Fatah police force. Issa regularly coordinated security with the U.S. and Israel.

In a bid to strengthen Fatah, the U.S. has been providing the group's militias with weapons, financial aid and advanced training conducted an American-run bases in the West Bank and Jordan. But WND previously reported the U.S.-trained security forces have been failing at basic anti-terror missions.

Israeli Jews Would Rather Live in the Jewish State

By IsraelNationalNews.com

A new poll shows that the benefits of living in Israel far outweigh the threat of Palestinian Authority terrorism, economic hardship and political uncertainty for the vast majority of Israelis.