So, over at Tikun Olam, Richard, who has the stomach to read the Jerusalem Post on a regular basis, reports that Hamas is actually ammending its founding covenant. Hamas has been subject to heavy criticism over the charter, written in 1998. It’s considered (mostly by people who haven’t read it) to be a crude anti-Semitic screed that forcloses any possiblity of peace with the Zionist enemy. Certainly the charter as it now stands is a major obstacle to international recognition of Hamas as a legitimate governing body. A group whose constitutional document calls for Israel’s destruction can hardly be trusted to participate in peace negotiations, the reasoning goes… |inline
Archive for February, 2006
Amira Hass broke a big story today in Haaretz. While the international community is focused on what to do about Hamas’s electoral victory, Israel has quietly sealed off the Jordan Valley - an area comprising the entire eastern third of the West Bank. According to Hass, the military issued orders in March of 2005, prohibiting entry to the area to anyone but registered residents of the towns there and Palestinians employed in the settlements. Since then, Israel has built permanent checkpoints on the main roads to block access and the IDF is conducting nightime raids to drive unregistered Palestinians out of the restricted area. Israel has nearly completed the strategic plan for annexation of the West Bank that Yigal Allon set forth thirty-five years ago… |inline
For those who check here every Friday for the week’s Torah portion: I’m moving it from Semitism.net to a new site I’ve set up for my synagogue, Congregation Ahavath Sholom. This week’s parsha is there now.
I haven’t posted here in a while - I was busy setting up the Ahavath site. I do hope to get back to Semitism next week. This is a fascinating time, with Hamas preparing to take over the Palestinian Authority, the U.S. and Europe trying to figure out what to do about it, and the Israeli elections coming up. I’m looking forward to writing about Israel and Palestine again and also to seeing what everyone else is saying.
Thanks to my readers for your patience - and please check back again soon!
Here’s this week’s Torah portion. The Israelities have been slaves in Egypt. God sends Moses to ask Pharoah for his people’s freedom; but at the same time, God also hardens Pharoah’s heart, causing him to reject Moses’ entreaties. This passage covers the last three plagues inflicted on the Egyptians - locusts, darkness and, finally, the killing of the firstborn in every house. On the eve of their departure, the Israelites observe the first Passover. The ritual is described in detail, in a way suggests it was already a well-established practice when this part of the Torah was written…
|inline
