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GERMANY EDITION January 25, 2012 Dear friends: Winter and snow have finally come to New York.

I thought that we might avoid it this year since there is so much hot air coming from those politicians running for President. However, Mother Nature, while she took her time, finally gave us the white stuff which, for my money, we could have done without. 6 or 7 inches of it. It wasnt too bad. However, she showed yesterday that she loved us. She sent us warm weather which melted everything including my unhappy disposition. The Jewish community, like everyone else, is trying to figure out who the Republican candidate for President will be. However, as Peter Beinart points out in an article below, most, except the Orthodox, will stick with the Democrats anyway. The Presidents State of the Union speech will be taking place as this edition is on its way to you. If there is anything critical Ill cover it next time. I doubt seriously that there will be other than some verbal applause for the EUs oil embargo of Iran. How German industry will react is one of the questions that is unanswered. Well just have to wait and see. I apologize for the excessive length of this edition. However, there were subjects I wanted to cover and I could not find a good way to cut down the included articles. So, without any further delay, lets get on with the news IN THIS EDITION SHABBAT (SABBATH) & THE WHITE HOUSE Can an Orthodox Jew assume a high position and be truthful to his religion? PRO-ISRAEL? How does one define being pro-Israel? Its especially tricky for Jews. A COLD SPRING The Arab Spring brings with it the chilly wind of anti-Semitism. AMERICAN JEWS AS DEMOCRATS Still. Why? A POSITIVE TUNISIAN TUNE? Some hope from an Arab country. CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: ANY REMAINING? Not many!

SHABBAT (SABBATH) & THE WHITE HOUSE It was recently announced by President Obama that Jacob Jack Lew, an Orthodox Jew would become his new Chief of Staff. A former Director of the Office of Management and Budget for the President, Lew steps up now to run the White House staff. You can read about his background by clicking here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Lew There is no question about Lews abilities. However, he is a strict Shabbat observer and, therefore, does not work from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. So, a question has been raised whether, given that sort of restriction, Lew could totally fulfill his responsibilities. Rabbi Ethan Tucker, Rosh Yeshiva and Chair of Jewish Law at Mechon Hadar, an institution of higher Jewish learning based in New York City wrote about it in the Forward. Rabbi Tucker notes, I hold two truths to be self-evident: First, the Jewish people and the world need Shabbat like never before. Second, the Torah intends for Jews especially observant ones to be visible, engaged in society and capable of taking on responsibility for others as opposed to just looking out for their parochial interests. In most cases, these two truths coexist in harmony: Six days a week, a Shabbatobservant Jew can and should engage fully with the world and use the passion and wisdom of the Jewish tradition to make a mark on the broader society. And on the seventh day, like God before her, she should rest, turning within to rejuvenate, to recharge and to model the promise of a weekly respite from non-stop labor. But how do we think about Shabbat-observant Jews performing those functions that require seven days of work, or at least occasional work on Saturdays? As Jack Lew, a Shabbat-observant Jew takes over as White House chief of staff, these questions are all the more relevant. What is the role of Shabbat in an increasingly 24/7 world? Can we revel in the appointment of an observant Jew to the highest and busiest of executive jobs without compromising our covenantal obligations in the name of Shabbat? We live at a moment when interest in Shabbat is being rekindled, as broad swaths of people feel enslaved by the incessant nature of the information age. We are witness to a world crying out for a Sabbath. Shabbat-observant Jews would seem to have a heightened obligation then to turn off, power down and stay at home. We have something precious to teach the world and our most influential members must lead the charge. Shabbat stands for humility in a world of such total human domination that we risk forgetting that we did not

bring this world into being. And it stands for a vision of human society that rejects the constant work that characterizes slavery. Still, working for the government on Shabbat presents observant Jews with an interesting and unique dilemma. Jewish sources have grappled with Jewish power in the past, but mostly in the context of lobbyists and attachs to power, rather than those who wield power themselves. While there is a rich legal literature regarding those who are kerovei malkhut Jews involved in governmental circles who are in a position to appeal to gentile authorities on behalf of Jews there is comparatively little on those actually involved in malkhut, the administration of society. Sometimes the categories of pikuah nefesh the authorization to violate Shabbat in order to save a life are applied creatively and broadly. But this skirts the issue: Are Jews authorized and empowered to do the 24/7 things that are required for a modern society to function? Should we really say that Jews, at least in a gentile, diasporic government, may have to be among the represented, but not among those who represent? In the Babylonian Talmud, we get hints of what another approach might look like. Rav Sheshet, a Babylonian sage of the third and fourth centuries CE, issues the following bold ruling: One who is purchasing territory (from a gentile) in the Land of Israel may write the bill of sale even on Shabbat. The Talmud is so shocked by this ruling writing is a core violation of Shabbat and no lives are at stake! that it assumes that it must have been misunderstood. Rav Sheshet is amended to make the more moderate statement that one can instruct a gentile to write the bill of sale, such that the violation of Shabbat is indirect and done by a non-Jew. But as any good student of Talmud will tell you, the original version of Rav Sheshet would not have been preserved were it a mere error in transmission. While its conclusions were unacceptable to the Talmuds editors completely understandably it is highly likely that Rav Sheshet himself in fact said what he is quoted as saying. How could he issue such a radical ruling, seemingly at odds with the universally accepted principle that only danger to life trumps Shabbat? It seems Rav Sheshet is sensitive to the need to take statecraft seriously as a value in and of itself. Without control of the Land of Israel, argues Rav Sheshet, there can be no sovereign, independent Jewish society that will truly stand for the values of Shabbat and Judaism more broadly. Just as the preservation of life supersedes Shabbat because Shabbat is meant to be a lived mitzvah, one that cannot be fulfilled in death, so too, for Rav Sheshet, acquiring control of Jewish space is a prerequisite for creating a Jewish world that can model Shabbat in all of its fullness. We live in a thrilling moment for Shabbat observance. It is a moment in which the general culture is truly ready to hear much of its message. And it is also a moment in which being observant is not a barrier to serving ones country and society at the highest echelons of power. I am sure Jack Lew will find ways to avoid all unnecessary meetings on Shabbat and will be in a position to avoid certain concrete

physical tasks like writing that have been core elements of Shabbat observance for millennia. But when he does find himself in the office on a Saturday beckoned by the president to deal with issues of national concern I hope he and we will remember Rav Sheshets insight: The Jews commitment to infusing our world with Jewish values and leadership is ultimately a 24/7 endeavor. There is absolutely nothing I can add. We are all very proud that Jack Lew has been chosen for this high post and daily will have the ear of the President. There have no criticisms of his abilities and I believe he will do the Jewish community proud as he takes over this new role and treats his commitment to Shabbat in a dedicated but thoughtful manner. PRO-ISRAEL? One of the major questions that comes up frequently in the American Jewish community deals with how American Jewish leaders explain themselves in public when discussing Israel. When a rabbi or Jewish organizational leader speaks publicly on the subject his/her thoughts are, perhaps, taken more seriously than someone not so well connected to the Jewish community. When a leader speaks critically of Israel what sort of responsibility does that person have in the way of providing detailed information that separates fact from opinion? Whatever the answer, it is obvious the same responsibility should be shouldered by all (on all subjects) when voicing criticism. Its a tricky business especially for Jews talking about the worlds only Jewish nation Israel. I recently came across an article in Commentary Magazine, a conservative publication entitled What Does It Mean To Be Pro-Israel? by Evelyn Gordon, a well known Israeli journalist. It gives Ms. Gordons answer to the above question(s). I found it to be a help in straightening out some of the conflicts I had in my own mind. Ms. Gordon writes, Moment magazines latest issue has an interesting symposium on what it means to be pro-Israel today. Though some of the choices are bizarre (the contributors include two Palestinians, one of whom formerly advised the Palestinian Authority, and John Mearsheimer, author of the notorious Jews-controlWashington screed The Israel Lobby), other pieces are illuminating. I found Hillel Halkins definition particularly helpful. But Id like to add one thing to his list. Clearly, its okay to criticize any particular Israeli policy; Israelis do it all the time. But those with influence in the Jewish community, like rabbis or officials of Jewish organizations, also have an obligation to try to understand and explain to his community why Israelis might view the issue differently. For instance, its perfectly acceptable to argue that Israel should withdraw to the 1949 armistice lines, or unilaterally evacuate West Bank settlements; I disagree with

both positions, but they dont make you anti-Israel. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Israels government also disagrees, as do most Israelis. So a pro-Israel leader cant just say this is what Israel must to do to bring peace and stop there, leaving his audience to conclude that since Israels government thinks otherwise, it must be anti-peace. He must also explain to a community that quite genuinely might not know why Israelis are reluctant to take such steps like the fact that every previous withdrawal has produced a surge in anti-Israel terror, or the fact that Palestinians insistence on a right of return and refusal to recognize a Jewish state leads Israelis to fear they still havent given up their dream of destroying Israel. He thereby shows that while Israelis, in his view, are misguided, they are not anti-peace. And that is critical because an Israel thats anti-peace is evil; an Israel thats merely misguided is not. This rule is even more vital in light of the current assault on Israeli policies that critics portray as anti-democratic, because to most American Jews, Israels democratic character is even more important than its positions on the peace process. Again, theres nothing wrong with opposing any or all of the recent controversial legislation. But a pro-Israel leader cannot just assert that, say, proposed changes to the judicial appointments system are undemocratic; she must also explain why many Israelis consider such changes essential: the fact that Israel is virtually the only democracy in the world where Supreme Court justices are chosen by unelected legal officials rather than the publics elected representatives, or where sitting Supreme Court justices not only help choose their own successors, but actually have veto power over them; the fact that Israel therefore has one of the most monolithic courts in the democratic world; and the fact that it also has one of the worlds most activist courts, making the justices worldviews of paramount importance. She thereby tells her audience that even if a particular bill is flawed, Israelis arent anti-democratic; they are grappling with a genuine democratic concern. The necessary information generally isnt difficult to obtain; Israel now has several English-language news sites, including The Jerusalem Post, Israel Hayom and Ynet, that can usually be counted on to run multiple articles arguing both sides of any controversial issue (the main exception is Haaretz, where opposing views are few and far between). So all thats needed is a bit of time and effort. If a Jewish leader isnt willing to invest that time and effort if he would rather just slam Israeli policies as anti-peace or anti-democratic then far from being proIsrael, he is one of its worst enemies. For he is exploiting his own credentials as a Jew and self-proclaimed lover of Zion to convince others to hate the Jewish state. Whether youre Jewish or not, Id be interested in your thoughts on the matter. Email me.

A COLD SPRING For some the Arab Spring has ushered in the warmth of freedom and independence while, unhappily, for Jews and for Israel the cold wind of antiSemitism seems to be a major component of this political change of season. Lets be clear. There has always been considerable anti-Semitism in the Arab world with anti-Israel and anti-Semitic attitudes intermeshed. The despotic leaders of Arab countries for their own political reasons have always provided their citizens with Jews, Judaism and Israel as convenient scapegoats. However, they have mostly kept anti-Semitic activity under control and within their borders for their own international political reasons. Overt anti-Semitism is a political no no in the Western world. With the coming of democracy some of the more overt thoughts and activity have become more visible. How they will be acted upon remains to be seen. However, for Jews (and, frankly for everybody) it is important to see and understand the reality. Prof. Robert S. Wistrich is the director of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism (SICSA) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and author of A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad (Random House, 2010). He is, as far as I can tell, a thoughtful academic who conducts his studies and writing in a fair and unbiased manner. He is no flaming rightist, leftist or any thing else. No doubt though, he is an expert on anti-Semitism Y-Net News carried a piece by Prof. Wistrich entitled, Islamist hatred for Jews: Western commentary on Arab Spring usually downplays Islamist anti-Semitism. In it he notes, In Egypt itself, the two largest Islamist groups (the Brotherhood and the Salafists) won about three quarters of the ballots in the second round of legislative elections held in December 2011, while the secular and the liberal forces took a battering. The Brotherhood (which garnered over 40% of the votes) is an organization founded by an Egyptian schoolteacher, Hassan el Banna, back in 1928. It has never deviated from its founders central axiom: Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Koran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope. It is this radical vision which animates all those in the region who seek a fully Islamic society and way of life. Regarding Israel and the Jews, fundamentalist Muslim attitudes have never deviated since the 1940s. Islamist ideologues, despite their virulent anti-Westernism, have had no problem in drawing on Western sources for their radical anti- Semitism whether these libels come from Protocols of the Elders of Zion forgery, Henry Fords The International Jew, Hitlers Mein Kampf, fantasies about Judeo-Masonic plots, or

have their origin in Christian anti-Talmudism, medieval blood-libels and the slanders of contemporary or Holocaust deniers in America and Europe. The current swelling of Islamist ranks within Egypt and across the Arab world has hardly improved matters. At a vocal Muslim Brotherhood rally in Cairos most prominent mosque on November 25, 2011, Islamic activists ominously chanted Tel Aviv, judgment day has come, vowing to one day kill all Jews. The rally, which sought to promote the battle against Jerusalems judaization, was peppered with hate-filled speeches about the treacherous Jews. There were explicit calls for Jihad and liberating all of Palestine as well as references to a wellknown hadith concerning the future Muslim annihilation of the Jews. Dr. Ahmed alTayeb, the head of Egypts Al-Azhar University (the most senior clerical authority in Sunni Islam) even claimed that Jews throughout the world were seeking to prevent Egyptian and Islamic unity, as well as trying to Judaize al-Quds (Jerusalem). This kind of incitement and the pressure from the Egyptian street does not mean that the fragile peace treaty with Israel will be cancelled overnight. But calls for such a step have been repeatedly heard in recent months even from the liberal and more progressive sectors of the political spectrum as well as from the Islamist parties. t is particularly chilling to note that the Islamic wave already dominates not only in Iran, which is on the verge of nuclear weapons, but also in Turkey, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, the Gaza Strip under Hamas and the Lebanese state, currently in the iron grip of Hezbollah. Apart from seeking to impose Sharia law, and to further downgrade the status of women while repressing Copts and other non-Muslim minorities the neo-Islamist movements and regimes remain as determined as ever to wipe out Israel and to radically reduce American influence in the region. Needless to say, like the Brotherhood itself, Islamists consider themselves to be the sole authentic interpreters of the divine will. In the face of this mounting fundamentalist danger, Israel has no choice but to consolidate its deterrent capacity, close ranks and treat with the upmost skepticism any siren voices calling on it to take unreasonable risks for peace." At the same time it will have to develop a new regional strategy that takes into account the seismic changes currently shaking the Middle East. If you have taken the time to read these major excerpts from the Wistrich article, I ask that you read the last paragraph again especially in light of what you might think are unreasonable positions taken by the Israeli government. Israel lives in a tough neighborhood. It is surrounded on all sides (except the Mediterranean Sea on the west) by people who harbor thoughts and attitudes like those described above. If you factor that into your thinking you will see why the Israelis are they way they are

and their political positions are what they are for pretty good reasons. AMERICAN JEWS AS DEMOCRATS Peter Beinart, a practicing Jew himself and a widely read journalist has written a short but very informative piece on why American Jews other than the Orthodox remain solidly Democratic in their voting. His entire piece which appeared in an Internet daily newsletter, The Beast, notes, In American politics, religion doesnt matter nearly as much as religiosity. Take Rick Santorum, the darling of evangelical voters from Iowa to South Carolina. A few decades ago, the idea of evangelicals rallying behind a Catholic would have been inconceivable. Antagonism between the two denominations ran too deep. But today, unless youre a Muslim, or perhaps a Mormon, what type of faith you practice is politically irrelevant. All that matters is how fervently you practice it. The culture war is a battle between traditionalists and secularists of all faiths. Its not a battle between different religious groups but within them. Thats the key to understanding the political behavior of American Jews. Every four years, Republicans vow to use Israel to pry Jews from their nearly century-old allegiance to the Democratic Party. And every four years, they fail. The reason is that only about 10 percent of Jews actually vote on Israel (a country most American Jews have never visited). In fact, most American Jews dont really vote as Jews at all. On many issues, in fact, theyre indistinguishable from atheists. They vote as secularists. The same red-blue divide that cuts through the rest of America cuts through Jewish America too. The difference is that in the rest of America, the divide is roughly 50-50. Among Jews, secularism wins by a landslide. Jews arent that far left on economics, but on the issues where secular and traditionalist Americans clashabortion, church and state, gay rightstheir secularism pushes them into the Democrats arms. Rick Santorum may not like it, but he should understand. One group of American Jews is embracing the GOP, and not surprisingly, its the most religious subset: the Orthodox. In the last two presidential elections, while roughly three quarters of American Jews have voted Democratic, about three quarters of the Orthodox have voted Republican. Orthodox Jews are more likely than other Jews to vote on Israel, theyre more likely than other Jews to lean right on Israel, and, as religious traditionalists themselves, they have some sympathy for the GOPs stance in the culture war. The bad news for the GOP is that the Orthodox constitute only 10 percent of the American Jewish population. The good news: given their higher birthrate and lower rate of intermarriage, that percentage could double in a generation. According to polling done by statistician Tom Smith for the American Jewish Committee, U.S. Jews practice their religion far less than their American Christian counterparts. (See graph below)

Illustration by Newsweek

A POSITIVE TUNISIAN TUNE? Israel is not bordered by Tunisia and it is a fact that even under its former dictator, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, there remained a small Jewish community under his protection. When Ben Ali was overthrown many Jews left but some remained declaring that they are Tunisians and had a right to live there as Tunisian citizens. Last year free and democratic elections were held. They saw the victory of a coalition of the Islamist Ennahda Movement with the Centre-Left Congress for the Republic and the Left-leaning Ettakatol as junior partners. Y-Net News reported in Dec., Tunisia's newly elected president called Monday for the country's Jewish population to return, in statements carried by the state news agency. During a meeting with the country's Grand Rabbi Haim Bittan, President Moncef Marzouki said that Tunisia's Jews are full citizens and those that had left were welcome to return. However, the new Tunisian government began to upgrade its relations with other Arab entities including Hamas. Israel Hayom in January reported, The head of

Tunisia's moderate Islamic party has condemned anti-Semitic slogans chanted Monday by a handful of ultraconservative Muslims during the arrival of a top Hamas official. The chants alarmed the local Jewish community and are the latest action by a small group of ultraconservative Muslims over the past few months to have embarrassed the government in what was once one of the more secular countries in the Arab world. Rachid Ghannouchi reiterated that the policy of his Ennahda party, which heads the country's new government, was that Tunisia's Jews are "full citizens with equal rights and duties." Ennahda condemns these slogans, which do not represent Islam's spirit or teachings, and considers those who raised them as a marginal group," Ghannouchi said in a statement. Videos circulated online showed crowd members greeting Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, at the airport in Tunis on Thursday and chanting "Kill the Jews" and "Crush the Jews." The chants came from Salafists, ultraconservative Muslims who have been making their presence felt in Tunisia recently. "It is worse then bad, it is catastrophic for Tunisia particularly in regard to the repercussions that these attitudes provoke abroad," Roger Bismuth, president of Tunisia's Jewish community, told The Associated Press. He said he was received late Monday by Ghannouchi and Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, who promised to resolve the situation, possibly with an address to the nation. Perez Trabelsi, the head of the Jewish community on the island of Djerba where most live, described the slogans as "unreasonable" and said the government "could not let it pass." After decades of being oppressed by Tunisia's secular dictators, Ennahda won elections and has been at pains to demonstrate its moderate credentials and belief in universal rights and freedoms for all Tunisians. The party has been repeatedly embarrassed by ultraconservative Islamic groups that have emerged since hard-line President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted from power last year in an uprising in Tunisia that led to revolts around the Arab world. The groups have attacked university campuses and staged sit-ins over female students not being allowed to attend classes in face veils, and have demonstrated over a variety of moral issues in cities. Ennahda was at first slow to condemn their actions, earning the criticism of leftist and liberal groups which already regard the Islamist party with suspicion.

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"I think if Ennahda doesn't come up with some way of being unequivocal in its rejection of some of these ideas and tactics it really does risk damaging its credibility with some of its coalition partners, progressive voters and international donors," said Chris Alexander, an expert on Tunisia from North Carolina's Davidson College, noting the danger of the party's slow response up until now. "I think a lot of people will see that hesitancy as a mark of their true intentions." At a rally in a sports complex for Haniyeh on Sunday, supporters of the banned ultraconservative Hizb al-Tahrir party called for death to Israel, but did not repeat the anti-Jewish slogans. Haniyeh told The Associated Press on Sunday night that he disagreed with the antiSemitic slogans. "We are not against the Jews because they are Jews. Our problem is with those occupying the land of Palestine," he said. "There are Jews all over the world, but Hamas does not target them." Despite the comments, Hamas' founding charter is filled with anti-Semitic references and conspiracy theories about the Jews. Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor said the chants revealed Haniyeh's true sentiments. "If he was greeted with anti-Semitic chants, then there must be a reason why his local friends thought this might please him," Palmor told AP in Jerusalem. Haniyeh is touring the Middle East to raise support for the militant Hamas group, which recently reconciled with its Palestinian rivals in the West Bank. Tunisia's new government has tried to ease any fears the country's small Jewish community has over the nation's Islamist-tinged government. The new president, former human rights activist Moncef Marzouki, went so far as to call on Dec. 19 for any Tunisian Jews who had fled the country in the past to return. Tunisia now has a Jewish population of 1,500 Jews, but in the 1960s there were 100,000. Most left following the 1967 war between Israel and Arab countries. Socialist economic policies adopted by the Tunisian government in the late 1960s also drove many Jewish business owners out of the country. I think, at best, the jury is still out when it comes how Tunisia, perhaps the most moderate country in the Arab world, will treat its Jewish citizens. It is as if there is an ember of moderation and civility in Tunisia which, if it is the grow and be a template for the rest of the Arab world in the way it looks at Jews, it will need a lot of tender care and encouragement. I hope that American diplomatic presence there led by Ambassador Gordon Gray can be the important voice of understanding that helps Tunisia be what it is possible to be.

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CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: ANY REMAINING? I do not have to elaborate on how important Christians, Christianity and Christian culture have been to the Middle East during the last two thousand years. It appears, as we head though the Twenty-First Century, that the entire area may shortly be without any Christian presence at all. Giulio Meotti (I quote him a lot because I think he knows what he is talking about) writing in Y-Net News/Opinion reports, Welcome to a Christians-free Middle East. Arab Christianity is near its extinction everywhere. Christianity in Iraq could be eradicated in our lifetime, partially as a result of the US troop withdrawal, declared Leonard Leo, chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Up to 900,000 Christians already fled the country since 2003, according to a recent study by Minority Rights Group International. Benjamin Sleiman, archbishop of Baghdad, also spoke of the extinction of Christianity in the Middle East. In Egypt, 100,000 Christians already left the country after Hosni Mubaraks fall earlier this year. The Egyptian Union of Human Rights is denouncing this mass exodus. This week Egyptian authorities arrested Gamal Massoud, a Coptic Christian student accused of posting a drawing of Islams prophet on Facebook that triggered two days of violence in southern Egypt; meanwhile, Muslims were attacking Massouds house and chanting Allahu akbar or God is Great. In Syria, the major Christian leaders are supporting Bashar Assads bloodbath, fearing an Islamic takeover by the Muslim Brotherhood. The Catholic Patriarch of Lebanon, Bechara Rai, blessed Assad as a reformer while Greek-Orthodox Bishop Louqa al-Khouri organized ecumenical shows to support the regime. The Syrian puppets in Lebanon waged a campaign of terror against Lebanons Christians starting in 2005. Christian politicians and journalists were assassinated and bombs detonated in Christian areas. Elsewhere, in Gaza, the 3,000 Christians who remain are subjected to persecution and death. Meanwhile, every year some 1,000 Palestinian Christians are leaving their citadel Bethlehem. In a recent Christmas celebration hosted by the Fatah movement, Mohammad Shtayyeh, a central committee member, appealed to Christians to remain in the land. The process of eradication began immediately after Yasser Arafat assumed control of the Palestinian Authority. Christian sites and cemeteries were desecrated by Muslims. Slogans like Islam will win and First the Saturday people then the Sunday People have been painted on walls, and PLO flags were draped over Jesus crosses.

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Now that the Nasserite mixture of socialism and secularism is outclassed by the Islamist travesty of Arab Spring, Christians are vanishing from their cradle. Meanwhile, in Lebanon the Christian movements of General Michel Aoun and Sleiman Frangieh are allied with Hezbollah. Christians have also been part of municipal councils headed by Hamas. Nonetheless, the Islamic tiger is now devouring the Christian lamb. Indeed, the Christian era in the Middle East is coming to an end. Needless to say, I am not on scene in the Middle East so I cannot verify if what Meotti is reporting is the most accurate of pictures. However, you rarely ever hear about any Christian presence there these days. If the Christian population is not down to zero it certainly seems as if it is. The situation of the Copts in Egypt did make the headlines some months ago. Certainly their situation sounded as it was dire. Luckily, there do not seem to be any political rallies with participants yelling Kill the Christians but the situation for their continuity seems to be questionable at best.
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See you again in February See you again in a few weeks. DuBow Digest is written and published by Eugene DuBow who can be contacted by clicking here Both the American and Germany editions are posted at www.dubowdigest.typepad.com Click here to connect

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