UNM Israel Alliance

By Ftouh Souhail, Tunisia: Published and translated by Zionism-Israel, Ami Isserhoff (original message below translation)

Paul McCartney’s appearance in Israel despite terror threats is hailed by Tunisian Ftouh Souhail as a triumph of music over terrorism.

The concert given by McCartney in Israel is certain to be inscribed in history. In the weeks since his announcement of his arrival in Israel, McCartney was threatened with being the target of a suicide attack, in order to force him to abandon the project.

Omar Bakri, an Islamist preacher exiled to Lebanon, confirmed that McCartney’s decision to take part in festivities honoring Israel’s sixtieth anniversary turned him into an enemy of all Muslims. According to some sources, the singer was shocked, but refused to back down See Daily Express

McCartney did well to refuse to be influenced by these threats. McCartney is a fortuitously gifted artist, but he is also extremely courageous.

A man of courage and principles who stands firm …. That is so rare in the West! Paul McCartney reassured his fans in the Jewish state that he would give the concert as scheduled in Tel Aviv: this is a promise kept.

The campaign to delegitimize Israel and the pressure on the former Beatle to cancel his concert was quite strong. Mr. McCartney deserves to be lauded for his courage. “I was approached by various groups and political bodies who asked me not to come here,” he told the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth. “I refused.”

The hate preacher Omar Bakri had proclaimed that “Paul McCartney is the enemy of all Muslims.” The concert of the ex-Beatle drew the ire of anti-Zionists because it was given during the celebrations surrounding the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state.

The view that it is inappropriate to celebrate the rebirth of Israel, which has overtaken all the major leftist media and universities, did not influence the decision of McCartney to visit Israel.

Fortunately, Mr. McCartney did not seem to ask the BBC and the Guardian. “I heard so many positive things about Tel Aviv and Israel, but the hearing is one thing and experience is something else,” he said in comments posted on his website.

A common accusation is that Israel is an apartheid state. In truth, Mr. McCartney gave his concert in the only country in the Middle East where Jews, Christians and Muslims, men and women can gather together in complete freedom to listen to music.

Ftouh Souhail
Citizen of the world

Par Ftouh Souhail

Le concert événement de la légende vivante des Beatles, qui vient de s’achever à Tel Aviv ce jeudi 25 septembre est voué à rester dans l’histoire. Depuis des semaines de l’annonce de sa venue en Israël Paul McCartney a été menacé d’être la cible d’un attentat-suicide à moins qu’il abandonne son projet de concert en Israël.

Omar Bakri [ndlr : prédicateur islamiste de Londres, exilé au Liban] a affirmé que la décision du chanteur de prendre part aux festivités du 60e anniversaire faisait de lui un ennemi pour tous les musulmans. Selon certaines sources, le chanteur a été choqué, mais a refusé de se laisser intimider. Voir le (Daily Express) :

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/61355/We-ll-kill-Sir-Paul-if-he-plays-Israel

Paul McCartney a fait très bien de ne pas se laisser influencer par les menaces. C’est en Israël que l’on se sent le plus en sécurité. Paul Mac Cartney est un artiste génialement doué mais aussi extrêmement courageux.

Un homme de courage et de principes qui se tient debout…. C’est tellement rare en Occident ! Paul McCartney a rassuré ses fans de l’Etat juif qu’il donnerait le concert prévu à Tel-Aviv : voilà une promesse tenue.

La campagne visant à délégitimer Israël et la pression sur l’ex-Beatle pour qu’il annule son concert était si forte. M. McCartney mérite des applaudissements pour son courage. « J’ai été approché par différents groupes et organes politiques qui m’ont demandé de ne pas venir ici », a-t-il dit au quotidien israélien Yedioth Ahronoth. « J’ai refusé ».

Le prêcheur de haine Omar Bakri avait considéré que « Paul McCartney est l’ennemi de tous les musulmans » Le concert de l’ex-Beatle a attiré l’ire d’anti-sionistes parce qu’il était donné durant les célébrations entourant le 60e anniversaire de l’Etat juif.

L’opinion selon laquelle il n’y a pas matière à célébrer la renaissance d’Israël, qui gagné l’ensemble des médias importants de gauche et les universités, n’a pas influencé la décision de McCartney de se rendre en Israël.

Heureusement, d’ailleurs que M. McCartney ne semble pas s’informer auprès de la BBC et du Guardian. « J’ai entendu tant de choses positives à propos de Tel-Aviv et d’Israël, mais les entendre est une chose et en faire l’expérience est autre chose », a-t-il dit dans les commentaires affichés sur son site Web.

Une accusation commune veut qu’Israël soit un État d’apartheid. En vérité, M. McCartney a donné son concert dans le seul pays au Moyen-Orient où des Juifs, des chrétiens et des musulmans, des hommes et des femmes, peuvent se retrouver ensemble en toute liberté pour écouter de la musique.

Ftouh Souhail, Tunis

Citoyen du Monde

IsraelNN.com – Students at Jewish schools across America wore orange clothing on Thursday and handed out informational materials to fellow students, teachers and staff members to protest Israel’s plan to expel Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria and its negotiations over Jerusalem with the Palestinian Authority.

<Left: The Orange Star in Dayton, Ohio (courtesy of UJSC)

The event, organized by the United Jewish Student Council (UJSC), was originally planned as a one-period demonstration that would have been held during the first class of the school day, but was scaled back due to heavy pressure from school administrators.

The orange clothing was intended to spark memories of the days of fighting the 2005 Disengagement, when 25 Jewish communities were destroyed and more than 8,000 Jews were expelled from their homes in Gush Katif and northern Samaria.

Left: Dual-generation activists in the Packer family participated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (courtesy of UJSC)

According to organizer Yosef Rabin, the day’s events were a moderate success. In addition to students, some parents got involved with the project as well — even parents whose children were in public schools, or whose children were too young to go to yeshiva, as in the case of the Packer family in North Carolina.

Students in eight states across the United States and Canada had originally planned to organize events at their schools, but at the last minute, the group from Canada pulled out, “because the school administration announced that all activity was strictly forbidden because of fear that the ‘tzniut [modesty –ed.] dress code would be infringed.’ This was of course ridiculous,” said Rabin, “but it put enough fear in the students.”

There were plenty of students who stepped forward, however, and even some schools that supported the process, itself a statement Rabin noted with deep appreciation.

Left: Hand decorations in Dayton, Ohio(courtesy of UJSC)

For the budding young activists, Rabin had nothing but praise. “The schools did not drag the students to a protest; they got up and understood that something had to be done,” he said with great satisfaction. “This may spark something larger, and we will work to make that happen.”

Rabin was particularly impressed with the Jewish students in the public sector. “What I found very encouraging is that Jews in secular US public schools came forward and were eager to help. You could feel this love of the Jewish People and G-d,” he said.

Noting that a light rain fell for the first time this season in Israel the following morning, Rabin wondered if perhaps the Land had not been blessed “after this small tikun (correction) that occurred in Jewish schools in the US – you know that chazal [our Sages –ed.] teach us that Hashem listens especially to the tefilot [prayers –ed.] of children,” he added.

A sampling of the student responses to the coast-to-coast event:

Rochester Adams High School, Michigan – Daniel Allen

“I go to a public secular school but decided to show my support and garner more support for a united Jerusalem, and against the division of Jewish lands and the expulsion of our people from our lands.

I tied orange, blue and white ribbons all over my backpack, and wrote the words, “Ask Me Why” on it, and wore my orange shirt with a rag that read, “Jews Don’t Expel Jews.” I went to the school’s Advanced Placement Government teacher and explained to him and gave him information… He agreed that the cause was just and showed his support by posting the materials I had given him in his classroom.”

Orange Israeli pride on a backpack in Michigan (courtesy of UJSC)

Throughout the day, Daniel’s fellow students asked him why he was wearing “so much orange today” and all were “genuinely surprised that such events are occurring.” Daniel responded by showing them the news articles on the Olmert Plan, talked about the “Land for Peace” doctrine and discussed the option of Jordan as a Palestinian State.

“Although I failed to turn the school into a sea of orange, I had convinced many people to support a united Jerusalem and agree that land concession will not bring peace… I managed to spread the message and bring the issue to my primarily Christian public school… I hope we have the impact we were planning to make.”

Stern Hebrew High School, Philadelphia – Phil Ifrah

“The protest went pretty well… Some kids were too nervous to go ahead and walk out of class during first period, so we decided to just go with wearing orange. Around 30 signs were put up around the school urging students to wear orange shirts, skirts or anything else orange (such as ribbons).” About 30 students showed up for classes wearing some kind of orange attire, Ifrah reported.

Future Jewish leaders at Stern Hebrew High School in Philadelphia, PA (courtesy of UJSC)

“All in all, the protest worked out pretty great… Most of the teachers were actually happy to see us wearing orange, and some were praising us because of our support of Israel. My Hebrew teacher even said that it was very sweet of us to show our support.

“We will not let Yehuda and Shomron be given away! Nor will we allow the division of Jerusalem! We will give our all to stop these people from giving away our land!!”

Kehillah Jewish High High School, Palo Alto, CA – Shani Bocian

When 11th grader Shani Bocian asked the administration at her school for permission to run a protest against the pullout, she was told that her school would not take an official position on the subject and could not allow any activity that made it seem as if the school was against the pullout.

Orange Pride at Kehilla Jewish High School (courtesy of UJSC)

Still, Shani was able to pass out educational material and encourage all students to wear orange clothing in protest of the move as well as of the division of Jerusalem.

Sporting the Orange, showing the ‘stuff’ at Kehilla Jewish High School (courtesy of UJSC)

Shani and other students made posters expressing their opposition to the proposal, and carried them around throughout the day, inspiring students to ask questions and become involved with the issue.

Orange tee shirt helps identify one as a Member of the Tribe on ‘Orange Day’ at Kehilla Jewish High School (courtesy of UJSC)

“Many students expressed interest in the issue and asked for orange ribbons or bracelets to show their dissent,” she reported. “Some students thought that wearing orange would not have any effect and the entire protest was ‘pointless.’ Other students disagreed with the opposition to the protest and thought that the pullout is the correct solution,” Shani said.

Ida Crown Jewish Academy, Chicago, Illinois

“There were many students wearing orange,” reported Rabin, who visited this school personally. “A rabbi in the school came up to me because he saw me taking pictures and asked what was going on.

Breakfast of Orange Champions at Ida Crown Jewish Day School in Chicago (courtesy of UJSC)

“After I explained the situation, he told me that he would announce that his class should learn in the merit of the Jewish communities of Yehuda and Shomron (Judea and Samaria).

Orange activism starts at the top at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago (courtesy of UJSC)

“There was definitely an ‘Orange Presence’ and a lot of people knew what was going on; you could hear students talking about it in the halls. Students were passing out orange ribbons to other students – I even heard a few shouts of ‘Gush Katif!’ and ‘Yehudi Lo Migaresh Yehudi!’ [Jews Don’t Evict Jews –ed.],” Rabin said.

Three girls headed for Jewish leadership at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago (courtesy of UJSC)

Bates Public School, Woodhaven, Michigan – Rachel Brooks

And what of the young fourth grader who so bravely volunteered to carry the word to her secular public elementary school?

Rachel Brooks, Bates Public School, Woodhaven, Michigan (courtesy of UJSC)

According to her mother, Rachel Brooks “had a great day.” As a matter of fact, Mom wrote, “her friend said that if she had known, she would have worn orange in support of Rachel.”