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The Jewish People Must Stand Up For Their National Rights
Yehuda HaKohen
June 30, 2017
277
Image Source: IDF

“The Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelled in the south, heard that Israel had come by the route of the spies, and he warred against Israel and took a captive from it. Israel made a vow to HaShem and said, ‘If You will deliver this people into my hand, I will consecrate their cities.’ HaShem heard the voice of Israel, and He delivered the Canaanite, and it consecrated them and their cities. It named the place Ḥormah.” (BAMIDBAR 21:1-3)

Rashi teaches that the captive abducted from Israel was actually a female slave taken from the Canaanites during a previous battle. That the entire Hebrew Nation mobilized to rescue the captive indicates the appropriate response to even the slightest provocation. By permitting an enemy to take even a slave girl, Israel would be displaying weakness and inviting further aggression. But by responding with maximum force, the Hebrews sent a clear message strong enough to discourage future attacks.

Rashi further clarifies that the king of Arad was actually not an ethnic Canaanite. Rather, he and his soldiers were descendants of Amalek – a people committed to eternal war against Israel. The Amalekites disguised themselves by speaking in a Canaanite tongue, revealing a central feature of Amalekite propaganda.

While the Amalekite hatred of Israel is an ideological hatred that aspires to genocide and is not dependent on any external factor, the Canaanite animosity towards Israel was different. The Hebrew tribes were coming to conquer a country that had at that time been ruled by a confederation of Canaanite warlords. Therefore, the Canaanite problem with Israel was based on a dispute over territory while the Amalekite problem with Israel stems from a compulsion to remove all Hebrews from the world. By speaking in the language of Canaanites, Amalek hoped to give the impression that its war was based on a territorial dispute rather than on a desire to eradicate the Children of Israel.

In order to neutralize such effective propaganda, Israel requires strong and articulate leaders who possess an unbreakable faith in the justice of Hebrew rights, as well as an appreciation for the necessity of presenting those rights in a clear voice. While the Jewish people might have an unrivaled moral claim to self-determination between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan River, our official representatives have on the whole proven incapable of successfully communicating this claim. While dedicated activists who firmly believe in the justice of our rights have largely disdained advocating those rights to the outside world as a sign of inner weakness, those who understand the importance of advocacy are for the most part apprehensive about championing our people’s actual aspirations and instead opt for flimsy talking points aimed at branding Israel as a westernized American client state seeking to win gentile approval through a professed willingness to surrender the cradle of our civilization. But Israel requires leaders who both appreciate the importance of public relations and are unwilling to compromise on Jewish national rights. Leaders internally connected to our people’s deepest yearnings yet capable of communicating those aspirations in a language comprehensible to the outside world.

While situations might exist in which diplomacy is inappropriate, there is generally great value in properly communicating the justice of Jewish national rights. And far from being a symptom of weakness, giving voice to the Hebrew Nation’s deepest aspirations can often serve to strengthen Israel’s position on the battlefield. In fact, some of Jewish history’s most valiant warriors provide us with clear examples of proper Israel advocacy.

In ḤUKAT’s Haftara, Yiftaḥ defends Israel’s right to territory east of the Jordan River that the Hebrews had won from the Amorites (BAMIDBAR 21:23-26) against claims by the king of Ammon that those lands rightfully belong to Moav (who had previously lost the territory to the Amorites).

“Yiftaḥ sent emissaries to the king of the children of Ammon saying, ‘What is unto you and unto me that you have come to me to make war in my land?’

The king of the children of Ammon said to Yiftaḥ’s emissaries, ‘Because Israel took my land when it ascended from Egypt, from Arnon until the Yabbok until the Jordan, so now return them in peace.’

And Yiftaḥ once again sent emissaries to the king of the children of Ammon.

He said to him, ‘Thus said Yiftaḥ: Israel did not take the land of Moav and the land of the children of Ammon… It went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moav and came to the eastern side of the land of Moav where they encamped across the Arnon; but they did not enter the border of Moav, for Arnon is the border of Moav. Then Israel sent emissaries to Siḥon king of the Amorite, king of Ḥeshbon, and Israel said to him, ‘Let us please pass through your land until my place.’ But Siḥon did not trust Israel to pass through his border, rather Siḥon assembled all his people and they encamped in Yahatz; and he made war against Israel. Then HaShem, G-D of Israel, delivered Siḥon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and He struck them; and Israel took possession of the entire land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that land.’

‘They took of the entire border of the Amorite, from Arnon to the Yabbok, and from the wilderness to the Jordan. And now HaShem, G-d of Israel, has driven out the Amorite from before His people Israel, and you would possess it? Do you not take into your possession that which your god Kemosh bequeaths to you? – that may you possess; but all that HaShem our G-D drives out from before us, we shall take possession of it. And now, are you much better than Balak son of Tzipor, king of Moav? – did he ever strive against Israel? – Did he ever do battle with them? When Israel dwelled in Ḥeshbon and its villages and in Aroer and its villages and in all the cities that are alongside Arnon for three hundred years, why did you not recover them during that time? I have not sinned against you; but you do me wrong to make war against me; may HaShem the Judge judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.’” (SHOFTIM 11:12-27)

Without betraying Israel’s national rights or values, Yiftaḥ made the effort to explain his position and offer peace to Ammon while simultaneously expressing confidence and a willingness to fight for the disputed lands. The Ammonite king refused to heed Yiftaḥ’s warning.

“Then Yiftaḥ passed through to the children of Ammon to do battle against them, and HaShem delivered them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer until you come to Minit, twenty cities, until the Plain of Kramim, a very great slaughter; and the children of Ammon were subdued before the Children of Israel.” (SHOFTIM 11:32-33)

A similar approach was taken by the Hasmonean leader Shimon HaTasi – last surviving son of the Adon Matityahu – when the Seleucid Greek King Antiokhus VIII Grypus attempted to pressure Israel into surrendering territory.

“He (Antiokhus) sent Athenobius, one of his friends, to him (Shimon) to deal with him, saying, ‘You have in your possession Jaffa and Gezer and the citadel in Jerusalem, cities of my kingdom. You have laid waste their borders, and played great havoc in the land. You have taken possession of many places in my kingdom. Now, then, hand over these cities that you have taken, and the tribute of the places outside the borders of Judea that you have appropriated. If you refuse, then give me instead five hundred talents of silver; for the damage that you have done and for the tribute of the cities, another five hundred talents. Unless you do this, we will come and make war on you.’” (MACCABEES I 15:28-31)

“Shimon replied, ‘We have neither taken foreign land, nor do we hold dominion over other people’s territory, but only over the inheritance of our fathers, from which we were unjustly banished by our enemies. And now we have seized the opportunity to return and hold the inheritance of our fathers.’” (MACCABEES I 15:33-34)

The Seleucid Greek military subsequently invaded the Land of Israel but was defeated by Judean fighters led by Shimon’s courageous sons. The Hasmonean leader’s firm response to the threats of Antiokhus not only clarified Israel’s position to the enemy but also inspired Hebrew fighters with a conscious awareness and unbreakable certainty in the justice of our cause. Proper advocacy therefore not only serves to present our case to the nations but also strengthens us internally with inner fortitude and a willingness to fight.

To refrain from educating the outside world to the justice of our cause is not only a transgression against historic Jewish aspirations but also a disservice to all of the righteous gentiles who genuinely care about indigenous rights, support authentic liberation movements and would likely champion our cause if given the chance to recognize the inherent justice of our struggle.

A central mission of the Jewish people in this world is to bring all Creation to the awareness of HaShem as the one and only absolute Reality that creates, sustains and affectionately empowers all that exists. And a primary step in achieving this lofty goal is connecting people to the story of the Hebrew Nation. As the national expression of G-D’s Ideal in this world, Israel is the leading protagonist of human history and the more we succeed in connecting people to our story the more we actually bring them closer to theKadosh Barukh Hu. By helping mankind to recognize and identify with Israel’s national aspirations and with the challenges we still face on the road to full redemption, we are actively participating in the goal of Creation by means of leading mankind to a state of higher consciousness and bringing all existence to ultimate perfection.

Operation Jordan Is Palestine, Can it Happen?
Mudar Zahran
July 4, 2017
367
Image Source: Mahmoud Salaam (Amman)

“Building On History Will Help Establish A Palestinian Jordan While Ensuring Israel’s Sovereignty Over All of Its Soil”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION:

Operation Jordan Is Palestine (OJIP) complies with the Trump Administration’s proposed Executive Order(s) that dealing with Terrorism, Terrorist Supporters and Human Rights, as well as the UN relative to the Palestinian Authority (PA), while bringing new thoughts and options to the Middle East Peace Process. Overall, OJIP supports a two state solution based on current international agreements and actions, and will not only provide secure and safe borders for the State of Israel, but will provide Palestinian people with land, education, jobs and economic security. Additionally, it will usher in important governmental changes in Jordan, including the elimination of a Dictatorship that tortures, oppresses and restricts his own subjects while supporting terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. Additionally, it will eliminate a Dictatorship that clearly violates Western Interests by supplying America’s enemies with money, heavy equipment and military supplies. As such, OJIP will save lives and taxpayer money, eliminate terrorism and increase democracy.

HIGHLIGHTS: a few examples

OJIP complies with the Administration’s proposed Executive Order that will cease support for entities that support in terrorism or violate human rights.
OJIP complies with the Administration’s proposed Executive Order that ends financial support for UN programs that allow full participation by the PA.
OJIP recognizes that Jordan is the legitimate Arab state for Palestinians and accepts Israel’s identity as a Jewish state with full sovereignty over all of its soil west to the River Jordan including the West Bank/Judea and Samaria.
The OJIP plan aims to provide a practical, cost-effective, and feasible solution that leads to peace based on international treaties by which both the Jewish and Palestinian Arab existence and sovereignty are secured.
A recent poll shows that 63% of Palestinians in the West Bank would like to move or relocate somewhere else due to the bad economic and inhumane conditions brought by the Palestinian Authority
OJIP recognizes that the Muslim Brotherhood is openly operating in Jordan, and is an avid business partner of the Hashemite royal family, not a competitor.
Once the interim government is in the palace, it shall enhance the economy through transparency and simply not stealing the country’s funds.
OJIP has been created on the belief that the plan’s tenants will (and can) be accomplished without any new expenditures by the US and her allies (re-categorization or allocation of existing monies, combined with a phase out schedule is all that is needed).
The US has provided more than $20 billion on economic and military aid to the Jordanian Monarchy since 2000, as well as several billions to the Palestinian Authority. None of this money has brought peace any closer to reality, let alone enhanced the livelihoods of Jordanians and Palestinians. [http://mondoweiss.net/2015/11/....spends-billion-forei ]
Economically, the OJIP plan will create jobs, expand the economy, and ensure that Foreign Aid money is spent properly, saving taxpayers money.
This plan will help restore the Arab Palestinians right to Jordan, which has been ruled by an outsider family of 88 people from Saudi, the Hashemite’s.
OJIP protects American political, military and business interests in Jordan, while seeking to expand (and include) any and all parties’ that Jordan’s allies see fit to use in military, intelligence, and counter-terrorism cooperation operations.
OJIP does not change Jordan’s governmental structure(s). Rather, OJIP removes the royal figureheads while keeping the government and military bodies intact. This avoids any form of Arab Spring drama from happening.



OPERATION JORDAN IS PALESTINE – OVERVIEW

Main Document



OVERVIEW: Operation Jordan Is Palestine (OJIP): A Pathway to a Lasting Peace in the Middle East

Historically, achieving peace in the Middle East has been difficult and elusive and has negatively affected all interested parties in the region socially, politically, and economically. Needless-to-say, all previous attempts to establish peace between the Palestinian Arabs and the Jews have failed costing the US and her allies huge amounts of funds as well as lives wasted on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

The OJIP seeks the implementation of the original historical agreements, which recognize 78% of British Mandate of Palestine as an Arab State, which is today’s Jordan and 22% of as a Jewish state, which is Israel, including all of the West Bank. [http://maurice-ostroff.tripod.com/id350.html] And it does this through reforming Jordan and providing it with a leadership that will follow and comply with international law while creating a humane state with zero-Islamization. As a result, OJIP is not seeking a regime change in Jordan, but simply an evacuation of the palace occupants, replacing the 88-member Hashemite family with a new leadership, while keeping the Jordanian regime, government structure, army, and all public bodies intact. This will re-establish Jordan as a reformed country and an economically and politically attractive homeland to Palestinians all over the world, including those in Israel (and the West Bank) and thus secures Israel’s sovereignty over all soil West to the River Jordan, including the West Bank.

The OJIP plan aims to provide a practical, cost-effective, and feasible solution that leads to peace based on international treaties by which both the Jewish and Palestinian Arab existence and sovereignty are secured. To accomplish this, the OJIP builds on the historical fact that both today’s Israel and Jordan are parts of the original British Mandate for Palestine. British Colonial Powers designated these lands as the future Jewish homeland in the 1917 Belfour Declaration. They were later reauthorized by the Faisal-Weizmann agreement, a covenant by which Arabs agreed to as the full “Judaization” of the land West to the River Jordan and the Land East to the river Jordan to become a homeland for the Arabs.

Therefore, OJIP recognizes that Jordan is the legitimate Arab state for Palestinians and accepts Israel’s identity as a Jewish state with full sovereignty over all of its soil west to the River Jordan including the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. This plan also recognizes that most of today’s Jordanian population identifies as Palestinians. In fact, based on a US Embassy-Amman cable, Palestinians make more than 80% of Jordan’s population and all of those hold Jordanian passports. Additionally, Palestinians in the West Bank all hold Jordanian passports including all the Palestinian Authority’s leaders. The Jordanian Citizenship Act, Article No.2, identities “all non-Jewish Palestinians” as natural-born Jordanians. As a result, the majority of Palestinians in the West Bank travel with a Jordanian passport not a Palestinian one. Taking this one-step further, thousands of Palestinian refugees in Syria hold Jordanian passports but are systematically denied ‘the right of return” to Jordan by King Abdallah, a matter that has brought international criticism on the King. [https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/....08/07/jordan-palesti In addition, all Palestinian refugees in Lebanon could simply claim Jordanian citizenship by the Jordanian law itself; Article No.2, nonetheless, Jordan’s monarchy will not allow that.

Supporting this, a recent poll shows that 63% of Palestinians in the West Bank would like to move out or relocate somewhere else due to the bad economic and inhumane conditions brought by the Palestinian Authority. [http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Isra....eli-Conflict/Despite Despite having Jordanian passports, King Abdallah II, restricts their entry to Jordan and harasses them upon even limited trips to their homeland, often forcing them to spend a day being interrogated by the Jordanian police.

As of today, Jordan’s Palestinians remain the majority in the country, with US Embassy-Amman cable confirming over 80% of 6.4 million Jordanian citizens. There are about 650,000 Syrian refugees registered in Jordan [https://data.unhcr.org/syrianr....efugees/country.php? and less than 200,000 Iraqis* (all have to register with UN or risk being deported upon any contact with Jordan’s authority, therefore the figures are accurate) despite the regime’s exaggerations of “millions of refugees already in the country”. In addition, those refugees have not shifted demographics against Palestinians, and cannot make any political difference because they are considered non-citizens who cannot vote. [*Jordan’s government “estimates that there are 500,000 Iraqi refugees in Jordan. An “unclassified” US Embassy Amman cable, which Jordan’s Opposition leader had worked on, in 2008, shows the actual figure to be less than 165,000 and many have returned home to Jordan then, UNHCR shows only 60,000 Iraqi refugees registered with it in Jordan, which confirms Jordan’s government is trying to exaggerate the actual number, most likely to get more aid].

Jordan’s royal family contains less than 100 individuals (88 to be exact), and for some unknown reason, they spend most of their time outside of the country. King Abdallah II, unlike his father, does not have much control or influence over Jordan’s army of intelligence. Those are under the direct, yet unpublicized, control of the CIA, The US Defense Intelligence Agency, the US Central Command, and the US Department of Defense. On top of that, the US subsidizes Jordan’s army to the tune of over $400 million a year. Additionally, the USA has just finished building “Jordan’s Great Wall”, a wall that runs along the country’s borders with Syria, Iraq, and Israel, who has almost finished a one-billion Dollar wall along the western Jordanian border. With the king’s constant absence from Jordan, it has become fact that the royal family has nothing to do with Jordan’s security and the structure of the Jordanian state itself; in fact, their interests are focused on collecting taxes as absentee property owners. On the other hand, they are the reason Palestinians are still being called refugees, and the reason the Palestinians still don’t have a state of their own. Simply put, the Hashemite’s officially and openly call all 5.9 million Palestinians in Jordan as refugees “who must return to Palestine someday”.

On the other hand, Jordan’s Palestinians are not interested in “the right of return to Palestine”, as a US Embassy-Amman cable, titled “the Grand Bargain” explains they are interested in having civil rights in Jordan over return to Palestine. [https://wikileaks.org/plusd/ca....bles/08AMMAN391_a.ht

Further, support for Jordan’s royal family has vanished, the East Bankers or what some call as “Bedouins” have led the protests the king since 2011. The international media have documented this numerous times. “East Bankers” despise the Hashemite regime, and this conflict has escalated into countless events of violence and unrest. All major “Bedouin” cities have rebelled against the regime at least once since 2011, and the king has failed to either bring peace or any form of satisfaction for those. Therefore, the “Bedouins” will not defend or stand by the royal Hashemite family if they leave the country.

At this point, we would like to make it clear that the OJIP Plan is not calling for “a regime change” in Jordan. That is because the Jordanian Opposition Coalition and their supporters believe that the Hashemite royal family is not the true regime and head of state for Jordan, unlike Libya and Syria. Rather, to millions, the ruling family in Jordan are viewed more as occupants of the palace and tax collectors who mistreat their subjects, while the important agencies – security and intelligence systems – run independently and effectively under the supervision of US. This is very similar to what is going on in Egypt. When Mubarak was in power, he was a very strong president. Yet the security and military systems that were in place were never compromised when Mubarak left, nor could Morsi change those. And even when Morsi was toppled, the security and military bodies kept the country intact and the borders with Israel safe, simply because those are too close to US Intelligence and military, and so are Jordan’s security agency.

This plan sees the necessity to simply let Jordan’s royal family evacuate the palace and move somewhere else, but rather suggest that they “not return to Jordan” from one of their ‘vacations’ or almost-fulltime stays in the West. The Jordanian “state” and “agencies” are to remain untouched and intact, only the Palace will be evacuated and new occupants shall be installed through an interim government ushered in by Jordan’s army, which falls under the full control of the US.

Additionally, despite $1.6 billion given to Jordan’s king by the US alone, very little seem to filter down to Jordanians and as for Syrian refugees; the king’s government does not give any form of handouts, welfare, or education for the Syrian refugees. In addition, despite the heaviest taxation of Jordanians in modern times, there are no free services of any kind provided, except of course for the most basic – education. This has not stopped the king and his family from raising prices and taxes on consumer goods to fund the king’s pet projects, like the maintenance of his fleet of private jets that are used by his family for fun and travel. This has led to a stalled economy with a debt ratio of over 90% to GDP and the king for some reason, demanding more financial help from the West that goes into his Swiss accounts and leaves millions starving, homeless, unemployed, and uneducated.

At the same time, the royal family has been systematically playing both ends against the middle. On one hand, they openly tell the west that they are working hard to fight terrorism; yet on the other hand, countless media reports have documented the Royal Family’s theft of US and British weapons, as well as heavy equipment. Additionally, the media has document the sale of these items to ISIS, and other rouge elements in addition to being one of the largest oil buyers of ISIS oil as confirmed by global media. [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/0....6/27/world/middleeas [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new....s/article-3682655/87

What makes the situation intolerable is that they are using profits from the transactions to promote blaming everything on Israel/Jews, and thus are promoting anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, anti-American and pro-Jihadi incitement through their Muslim Brotherhood partners as well as the king’s state media. [http://www.jerusalemonline.com..../news/middle-east/is At this point, it is worth noting that the terrorist group Hamas, which has killed many Israelis and Americans falls under the direct administration of the Muslim Brotherhood of Jordan, in fact, Hamas is officially Jordan’s MB’s “Palestine Chapter”. The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan is a part of the regime, a fact that is fully-detailed in this plan. [http://www.jewishpress.com/ind....epth/opinions/jordan That makes the royal family of Jordan not America’s allies.

Finally, this plan recognizes that the Muslim Brotherhood is openly operating in Jordan, and is an avid business partner of the Hashemite royal family, not a competitor. In fact, historically, the MB has supported the Hashemite regime through the so-called Arab Spring, especially during the largest revolution in Jordan’s history in 2012. This revolution was launched by Jordan’s seculars, [http://www.timesofisrael.com/p....reaching-the-gospel- particularly the JOC. Nonetheless, the MB stood against it and publicly announced: “We won’t allow the king to fall”.[ https://www.gatestoneinstitute.....org/3464/jordan-tro And to this day, MB supports the jailing and torture of seculars by the king’s government. On top of that, the king has allowed the MB to take over the Jordanian parliament through proven-rigged elections. As a registered charitable organization in Jordan, the MB operates their own TV station in Jordan (which calls for killing Jews and Americans), have the nation’s fourth largest licensed daily newspaper that promotes hatred, and has announced many times over the years that “we are against a regime change” and that “the king is the man for us”. In fact, the king’s own minister of political reform, Bassam Hadaddeen, announced, “The Muslim Brotherhood is a part of the regime”. For the record, most of MB’s Board of Directors are Bedouin East Bankers, not Palestinians, while Palestinians in Jordan, despite their avid hatred for Israel, hate the MB more for its alliance with the king.

This plan seeks to execute a feasible two state solution where Jordan is the natural homeland for all Palestinians, and Israel becomes sovereign over all soil west to the River Jordan. This could only happen if the corrupt, terror-supporting and double-speaking Hashemite royal family leaves Jordan. This could happen anytime, Jordanians often revolt against the regime and then the king’s police force quiets them down, simply because the much stronger army won’t announce support for the revolutions, and American media ignores the unrest in Jordan. This plan sees a peaceful “evacuation” of the palace could softly happen if the US influences the Jordanian army and security agency to stand with the revolution the next time it breaks out. The security agencies and army are already securing the country without any influence from the king who is mostly abroad, and nothing would happen if he simply announces he will not return. Once that happens an interim government of pro-peace with Israel seculars could be ushered in, as was the case with every single government in the Middle East that has had a revolution in the last 70 years. Only that the US in most cases has failed to use its influences to secure that the right people are installed in interim governments.

Once the interim government is in the palace, it shall enhance the economy through transparency and simply not stealing the country’s funds. Therefore, the economy shall thrive and the US would not have to spend a cent more than it already does in Jordan. With a thriving economy, Jordan’s interim government will simply enact the Jordanian laws allowing Palestinians in the West Bank to relocate to Jordan, specially that 63% of them already which to move somewhere else. Those shall have an interest in living and working in an economically thriving Jordan. Work opportunities as well as a rewarding benefits/welfare system will be made available to those by the new interim government. All Palestinians refugees around the world would be welcomed to return to Jordan upon mere inaction of the Jordanian citizenship act, which already recognizes all Palestinians as citizens of Jordan.

The interim government will also offer job opportunities and economic incentives to Jordanian East bankers AKA “Bedouins” and West Bankers/Palestinians as well to secure acceptance and content from both.

The low-to-mid-level public servants of the Palestinian Authority will be recruited to relocate to Jordan and work with the interim government with better salaries. The fact that President Trump could stop PA’s funding will make it go bankrupt and may not be able to pay salaries to its public servants. Those will relocate to Jordan, this will sustain the new Jordan’s position as Palestine and bankrupt the Palestinian Authority of its human capital and expedite its demise.

After Jordan’s economy begins thriving, the interim government will issue a counterterrorism act banning all Islamists and affiliates of radical Islamist organizations from running for any office. Sisi of Egypt did the same. This wills secure the Muslim brotherhood have zero chance in winning any parliamentary seats or running for office.

Parliamentary elections will be held, followed by presidential elections. The interim president is the most likely to win as he or she will have access to the state media and organizations to secure his victory. In addition, Jordanians, will vote for improvement of their economic condition and the interim president could bring that easily if he or she does not steal like the king does.



Chaos is already expected in the Palestinian Authority territories because of in-house fighting in the PLO. If President Trump and the UK stop funding the PA, it will collapse. Israel could begin taking over PA areas to secure them from unrest and terror acts, eventually taking over the entire West Bank. This will happen while the new Jordan is thriving and welcoming Palestinians from the West Bank with open arms and offering them jobs and help. After the PA officially ends and the New Jordan’s position is empowered, Israel could announce full official annexation of the West Bank.

Per Jordan’s citizenship act, Israeli Arabs, who mostly identify as “Palestinians with Israeli passports”, are also Jordanian citizens eligible for citizenship. The new Jordan will welcome them and recruit them for jobs and the thriving economic opportunities that would become in the country once the royal family leaves and the money they steal is directed towards the economy. While Israel honors and values its Arab citizens, this plan intends to defuse the demographic problems straining peace by absorbing as many Arabs in Israel as it could.

The US spends $35 billion on foreign aid . . . but where does the money really go? – Mondoweiss
mondoweiss.net

The US spends $35 billion on foreign aid . . . but where does the money really go? – Mondoweiss

The United States provided approximately $35 billion in economic aid to over 140 countries in fiscal year 2014. A new map presents the relative size of each country in proportion to the aid received and it's clear not all aid is distributed equa

Cuba Complains About a One Minute of Silence For Holocaust Victims, but Demands the Same for Palestinians
Gavriel Dan


July 5, 2017
576

While UNESCO assembled today at Krackow, Poland to discuss motions tabled against Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem and Hebron, a one minute moment of silence was called for the victims of the Holocaust by the Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama-Hacohen.

“Mr. Chairman, because UNESCO has taken upon itself to commemorate the Holocaust and mainly because I stand here today as the representative of the Jewish state, I therefore request that this body stands with us in a minute of silence in solemn memory of the six million murdered Jews, and all those who were killed by the Nazi animal, or died fighting against it.”

After the moment of silence, Cuba compained about the action and in turn wanted one for the Palestinians.

“Only the Chair can request a minute of silence. So with your indulgence, let me request Mr. Chairman, that we stand for minute of silence for all of the Palestinians who have died in the region.”

The delegates followed suit as if to compare the Palestinians to Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

None of this is surprising as last month the UN Human Rights Chief compared Palestinians with Holocaust victims, refugee camps to Auschwitz.


l Dan

Gavriel Dan spent a number of years covering social movements in Israel, the wider middle east and Europe. He is considered an expert in embedding himself with various groups and causes in order to get accurate and rich information.

Turkey’s Erdogan Warns Syrian Kurdistan: “We Are Preparing For War”
Micha Gefen
July 5, 2017
872
Image Source: Kremlin.RU (Erdogan)

The Kurdish held area of Afrin in North West Syria is under imminent threat of Turkish invasion as the Turkish armed forces are amassing on the border. With the Russian army pulling back from the area, many see this as a tacit approval for Turkey’s invasion.

Rudow reported if Turkey attacks Afrin, “Turkey will be plunged into a swamp, politically and militarily – there will be an historical resistance against Turkish occupation in Afrin and Shahba regions,” Mehmud Berxwedan, commander of Kurdish YPG forces in Afrin, told Voice of America’s Kurdish radio service on Friday.

Syrian Kurdistan is comprised of three autonomous cantons along the Turkish border. The further strengthening of these areas is a development that Ankara fears may lead to the emergence of an autonomous or independent Kurdish entity along its border and spark a legitimate secession movement for its own nearly 20 million Kurds.

While Kurds are the traditional indigenous people of the area, spanning across Turkey, North Syria, Northern Iraq, and Western Iran, Turkey’s President Erdogan called them terrorists.

Turkey’s deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told Reuters on Wednesday that Turkish military preparations in northwest Syria are “legitimate measures against a threat from Kurdish forces in the Afrin region, and Turkey will retaliate against any hostile move.” He added in an interview that “This is not a declaration of war. We are making preparations against potential threats” adding that “It’s … a legitimate measure so that we can protect our independence. We cannot remain silent against those sending missiles from Afrin.”

An attack on Afrin wil seemingly destablize the entire region and would threaten to draw the wider American back SDF and Iraqi KRG into the conflict. Will Afrin start a wider regional war? That is up to Erdogan and Turkey’s ability to reign in their appetite for expansion. If Erdogan does go in, the Trump administration will have to decide to openly turn against another NATO member on behalf of the Kurds or back stab the Kurdish people like previous administrations.

UNESCO, “Palestine,” and the Erasure of Indigenous History in the Land of Israel
David Mark
July 9, 2017
563
Image Source: Antoine Taveneaux

On Friday, UNESCO voted in a secret ballot to declare that Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarch is actually an Islamic and Palestinian Word Heritage site. This vote disregarded the Jewish connection to the city and the Cave of the Patriarchs entirely.

Naftali Bennett, Israel’s Minister of Education responded with the following:

“The Jewish connection to Hebron goes back thousands of years. Hebron, the birthplace of King David’s kingdom, and the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the first Jewish purchase in Israel and resting place of our forefathers – are our people’s oldest heritage sites,” he said. “Unesco’s resolution must be rejected, and our efforts to strengthen the city of our fathers increased,” he added.”

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN slammed the decision as well.

“The UNESCO vote on Hebron is tragic on several levels. It represents an affront to history,” Haley said in a statement.

“It undermines the trust that is needed for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to be successful,” she said. “And it further discredits an already highly questionable UN agency. Today’s vote does no one any good and causes much harm.”

“The United States is currently evaluating the appropriate level of its continued engagement at UNESCO.”

In order to fully understand where to go from the UNESCO travesty, one must understand the partnership the agency and the Palestinian as well as the broader Islamist goals are in Israel and beyond.

The Palestnians were created in 1964 by Yasser Arafat when the Arab world realized they needed some sort of indigenous claim to the Land of Israel, as their broad claim of Zionist colonization failed to make any imprint on a post World War Two Europe and America.

So, in a strategic switch the PLO was born and somehow rewrote history in a bid to claim the mantle of the truly indigenous people belonging to the Holy Land. In 1967, when the Jewish people liberated the heart of their homeland in Judea and Samaria as well as the Golan, Gaza, and Sinai, the newly created “Palestinians” claimed their Land was being colonized even more.

Of course, history shows this is all nonesense as the influx of today’s Palestnians came in waves and usually mirroried Jewish immigration to the Holy Land. In the 1860’s according to Turkish records the majority population Jerusalem was already Jewish. Beyond Jerusalem, the ancient cities of Sefat and Tiberious had Jewish populations as well as Hebron’s Jewish community that went back well over a thousand years before the Muslum conquest.

This is not to say there were no Arabs, there were. Many of these Arabs came from Syria and even Chechnya or Turkey. A small minority of indigenous Arabs lived in the Southern Hebron Hills, most likely dscended from Jews who vere forced to convert around the 9th and 10th centuries.

It was not until the early 1900’s that Turkey began to encourage intra-migratrion within its empire as to offset the growing Jewish population. By the time the British took over the Holy Land and renamed it Palestine, the Arab population had artificially exploded.

The Palestinians have no indigenous culture. They, like the broader Islamist movement sees others’ indigineity as an emotional affront to their lack of historical claims here in the Land of Israel and elsewhere. Instead of accepting history, they have learned that they have willing partners in the international community that will simply help them appropriate it.

Hebron is the earliest site of spiritual significance to the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Allowing a group of clans that moved to the area relatively recently to claim historical connection to the site that was actually built by the King of Judea is absurd and renders their ability to detect right from wrong obsolete. Of course, truth is not UNESCO’s or the Palestinian’s goal.

UNESCO believes it’s mandate is to encourage the appropriation of history so as to not be bothered by the Jewish people’s steadfast return and reclaiming that which is mandated by heaven as well as acquired here on earth. Afterall, for UNESCO, the Holocaust is but a distant memory; one where a European group called the Jews were sytematically murdered.

For UNESCO, these Jews are just Europeans with no historical orindigenous claims within the boundaries of ancient Israel. Of course, this is also a perversion of history Israel is made up of Jews of all backgrounds, with a majority from Arab lands. Not to mention, Jews of European descent can trace their origin back to Israel. Once again, history and truth has no place in UNESCO’s perception of reality.

The faster that Israel works to ensure that Hebron is an indisputable part of the State of Israel by providing easy access to its Holy Sites as well as encouraging continued purchasing of private homes by Jews within the ancient city, the faster the world will have to come to a conclusion that the Jews of old have actually returned to their forefathers’ Land.

Israel, a Light to All Nations
Yehuda HaKohen
July 7, 2017
548

After learning of Moshe’s stunning victory against the Amorites, King Balak of Moav forged an alliance with Midian in order to wage war together against the Children of Israel. Once realizing the extent of Israel’s strength, however, Moav and Midian enlisted the infamous Bilaam to attack the Hebrew tribes through spiritual means.

Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain – the second Admor of the Sokhatshov Ḥasidic dynasty – teaches in his Shem MiShmuel that Balak did not necessarily seek Israel’s destruction but was determined “to strike it and drive it away from the land” (BAMIDBAR 22:6). Pointing out that Israel posed no direct threat to either Moav or Midian, as neither people’s territory was en route to the Promised Land, the Shem MiShmuel quotes our Sages as teaching that Balak’s primary goal was to prevent the Hebrew tribes from entering the Land of Israel (Tanḥuma Balak 4, Bamidbar Rabbah 20:7).

The Shem MiShmuel further quotes the explanation of the Ḥidushei HaRim – the first Ger Admor Rabbi Yitzḥak Meir Alter – on the verse “the heavens are HaShem’s but the earth He gave to mankind” (TEHILLIM 115:16), where he teaches that man is tasked with creating heaven from earth by giving concrete physical expressions to the Divine Ideal. This is accomplished through the performance of the mitzvot that uplift all aspects of the material world to their highest functions in existence. According to theḤidushei HaRim, this verse reveals the entire purpose of Creation.

Israel is charged with establishing a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (SHEMOT 19:6) that will elevate every sphere of national life and reveal the kedusha inherent in our material world. The Shem MiShmuel explains that Israel’s task is not to live monastic spiritual lives in the desert but to express the Divine Ideal in all areas of human endeavor. This goal necessitates the establishment of a Hebrew Kingdom inEretz Yisrael that will serve as a light unto nations and reveal HaShem’s Oneness to all humankind.

According to the Shem MiShmuel, Balak and Bilaam desperately sought to avoid such a kingdom for fear Israel’s example would force them to apply a Divine moral standard to governance, commerce and other features of the material world, ultimately stripping them of the benefits they enjoyed from the corruption permeating the political realm. Having no objection to Hebrews living lives of individual piety disconnected from national life, Moav and Midian feared the establishment of a Hebrew Kingdom because they intuitively understood that if Am Yisrael were to achieve political sovereignty overEretz Yisrael, we would eliminate the illusory separation of “religion” and “state” and influence humankind to ultimately adopt policies that reflect a higher moral standard. Through Bilaam’s ability to curse, they hoped to keep Israel forever stranded in the desert where we could live ascetic spiritual lives disconnected from national issues. But while our enemies championed a separation of kedusha and statecraft, Israel’s historic mission demands that we materialize our spiritual ideals on a national level so that the Torah’s deepest values attain full expression in this world.

Once Bilaam is recruited for Balak’s war effort, the Torah recounts a bizarre situation in which the very laws of nature were temporarily altered. Although nevua as it is generally understood is an exclusively Hebrew trait, the gentile Bilaam possessed some level of prophecy and even attempted to use this gift to assist Israel’s enemies. When HaShem obstructed Bilaam’s path and he in turn began to beat his donkey, another abnormal occurrence took place.

“HaShem opened the mouth of the she-donkey and it said to Bilaam, ‘What have I done to you that you struck me these three times?’” (BAMIDBAR 22:28)

Bilaam’s donkey actually spoke as if she were human, complaining to her master for his abusive treatment and humiliating him before the elders of Moav. Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi teaches in The Kuzari that there are five levels of Creation (inanimate objects, plant life, animals, human beings, Israel). One attribute that separates between the third and fourth levels – between animals and humans – is the power of speech. And the major trait differentiating Israel from human beings is the potential to attain nevua (or at least prophecy that can transcend one’s own national experience). Bilaam’s donkey was able to speak only for the sake of clarifying the significance of Bilaam’s prophecy. Just as HaShem bent the laws of nature in order that a donkey could possess the ability to speak, so too was He bending the laws of nature in order that a gentile could possess the ability to prophesy regarding Israel. And rather than allow him to utter a curse against the Hebrews as Balak had instructed, HaShem forced Bilaam to bless His treasured nation.

The Maharal of Prague teaches in Netzaḥ Yisrael that the greatness of Bilaam’s blessing exceeded even those of Yaakov and Moshe, possessing no rebuke or distraction from pure brakha (Yalkut Shimoni Balak 25). Bilaam represented the extreme opposite of Israel’s spiritual power and the intensity of his desire to curse the Hebrew tribes made him the ideal candidate to serve as the conduit for HaShem’s abundant blessing, illustrating the Kadosh Barukh Hu’s mastery over even those forces that appear to stand in the way of Israel’s national mission. But to fully grasp why HaShem would suspend the world’s natural order by granting Bilaam such a uniquely Hebrew trait, we must examine a piece of his final message and understand what Divine benefit could be extracted from the anomaly.

“I shall see him, but not now, I shall look at him, but it is not near. A star has issued from Yaakov and a tribe has risen from Israel, and he shall pierce the nobles of Moav and undermine the children of Shet. Edom shall be a conquest and Seir shall be the conquest of his enemies – and Israel will attain success. One from Yaakov shall rule and destroy the remnant of the city.’” (BAMIDBAR 24:17-19)

The holy Ohr HaḤaim explains these verses to mean that if the redemption occurs due to Israel’s merit, it will come as a supernatural event with the messianic redeemer being revealed through great wonders. But if the redemption comes in its time – without the Hebrew Nation necessarily deserving it – there will rise up a group of Jews who come together and – through human endeavor – will assist HaShem (so to speak) in bringing the redemption through natural means.

The redemption can occur in one of two ways. The first option, known as aḥishena(hastened), is a miraculous supernatural event that would occur if the Nation of Israel shows itself righteous and deserving. The second possibility, where Israel is unworthy, is generally referred to as bi’eta (in its time). This second option exists because as the predetermined goal of all human history, the redemption of Israel must ultimately come about and therefore has a set time if we do not merit it sooner. The Ohr HaḤaim understands from Bilaam’s prophecy that the redemption will most likely unfold through activists uniting to bring the Jewish people back to the Land of Israel through practical human means.

This understanding – which sheds light on much of what has been taking place in modern times – is well worth HaShem temporarily altering the laws of nature and allowing a gentile to attain a uniquely Hebrew form of prophecy. Israel must internalize this crucial message in order to not only gain a heightened perspective of current events but also to fulfill our national objective of establishing the Hebrew Kingdom that will ultimately reveal the kedusha inherent in all of Creation and bring humanity to recognize HaShem as the Divine Author of the story in which we are all characters.

Israel, a Light to All Nations
Yehuda HaKohen
July 7, 2017
548

After learning of Moshe’s stunning victory against the Amorites, King Balak of Moav forged an alliance with Midian in order to wage war together against the Children of Israel. Once realizing the extent of Israel’s strength, however, Moav and Midian enlisted the infamous Bilaam to attack the Hebrew tribes through spiritual means.

Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain – the second Admor of the Sokhatshov Ḥasidic dynasty – teaches in his Shem MiShmuel that Balak did not necessarily seek Israel’s destruction but was determined “to strike it and drive it away from the land” (BAMIDBAR 22:6). Pointing out that Israel posed no direct threat to either Moav or Midian, as neither people’s territory was en route to the Promised Land, the Shem MiShmuel quotes our Sages as teaching that Balak’s primary goal was to prevent the Hebrew tribes from entering the Land of Israel (Tanḥuma Balak 4, Bamidbar Rabbah 20:7).

The Shem MiShmuel further quotes the explanation of the Ḥidushei HaRim – the first Ger Admor Rabbi Yitzḥak Meir Alter – on the verse “the heavens are HaShem’s but the earth He gave to mankind” (TEHILLIM 115:16), where he teaches that man is tasked with creating heaven from earth by giving concrete physical expressions to the Divine Ideal. This is accomplished through the performance of the mitzvot that uplift all aspects of the material world to their highest functions in existence. According to theḤidushei HaRim, this verse reveals the entire purpose of Creation.

Israel is charged with establishing a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (SHEMOT 19:6) that will elevate every sphere of national life and reveal the kedusha inherent in our material world. The Shem MiShmuel explains that Israel’s task is not to live monastic spiritual lives in the desert but to express the Divine Ideal in all areas of human endeavor. This goal necessitates the establishment of a Hebrew Kingdom inEretz Yisrael that will serve as a light unto nations and reveal HaShem’s Oneness to all humankind.

According to the Shem MiShmuel, Balak and Bilaam desperately sought to avoid such a kingdom for fear Israel’s example would force them to apply a Divine moral standard to governance, commerce and other features of the material world, ultimately stripping them of the benefits they enjoyed from the corruption permeating the political realm. Having no objection to Hebrews living lives of individual piety disconnected from national life, Moav and Midian feared the establishment of a Hebrew Kingdom because they intuitively understood that if Am Yisrael were to achieve political sovereignty overEretz Yisrael, we would eliminate the illusory separation of “religion” and “state” and influence humankind to ultimately adopt policies that reflect a higher moral standard. Through Bilaam’s ability to curse, they hoped to keep Israel forever stranded in the desert where we could live ascetic spiritual lives disconnected from national issues. But while our enemies championed a separation of kedusha and statecraft, Israel’s historic mission demands that we materialize our spiritual ideals on a national level so that the Torah’s deepest values attain full expression in this world.

Once Bilaam is recruited for Balak’s war effort, the Torah recounts a bizarre situation in which the very laws of nature were temporarily altered. Although nevua as it is generally understood is an exclusively Hebrew trait, the gentile Bilaam possessed some level of prophecy and even attempted to use this gift to assist Israel’s enemies. When HaShem obstructed Bilaam’s path and he in turn began to beat his donkey, another abnormal occurrence took place.

“HaShem opened the mouth of the she-donkey and it said to Bilaam, ‘What have I done to you that you struck me these three times?’” (BAMIDBAR 22:28)

Bilaam’s donkey actually spoke as if she were human, complaining to her master for his abusive treatment and humiliating him before the elders of Moav. Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi teaches in The Kuzari that there are five levels of Creation (inanimate objects, plant life, animals, human beings, Israel). One attribute that separates between the third and fourth levels – between animals and humans – is the power of speech. And the major trait differentiating Israel from human beings is the potential to attain nevua (or at least prophecy that can transcend one’s own national experience). Bilaam’s donkey was able to speak only for the sake of clarifying the significance of Bilaam’s prophecy. Just as HaShem bent the laws of nature in order that a donkey could possess the ability to speak, so too was He bending the laws of nature in order that a gentile could possess the ability to prophesy regarding Israel. And rather than allow him to utter a curse against the Hebrews as Balak had instructed, HaShem forced Bilaam to bless His treasured nation.

The Maharal of Prague teaches in Netzaḥ Yisrael that the greatness of Bilaam’s blessing exceeded even those of Yaakov and Moshe, possessing no rebuke or distraction from pure brakha (Yalkut Shimoni Balak 25). Bilaam represented the extreme opposite of Israel’s spiritual power and the intensity of his desire to curse the Hebrew tribes made him the ideal candidate to serve as the conduit for HaShem’s abundant blessing, illustrating the Kadosh Barukh Hu’s mastery over even those forces that appear to stand in the way of Israel’s national mission. But to fully grasp why HaShem would suspend the world’s natural order by granting Bilaam such a uniquely Hebrew trait, we must examine a piece of his final message and understand what Divine benefit could be extracted from the anomaly.

“I shall see him, but not now, I shall look at him, but it is not near. A star has issued from Yaakov and a tribe has risen from Israel, and he shall pierce the nobles of Moav and undermine the children of Shet. Edom shall be a conquest and Seir shall be the conquest of his enemies – and Israel will attain success. One from Yaakov shall rule and destroy the remnant of the city.’” (BAMIDBAR 24:17-19)

The holy Ohr HaḤaim explains these verses to mean that if the redemption occurs due to Israel’s merit, it will come as a supernatural event with the messianic redeemer being revealed through great wonders. But if the redemption comes in its time – without the Hebrew Nation necessarily deserving it – there will rise up a group of Jews who come together and – through human endeavor – will assist HaShem (so to speak) in bringing the redemption through natural means.

The redemption can occur in one of two ways. The first option, known as aḥishena(hastened), is a miraculous supernatural event that would occur if the Nation of Israel shows itself righteous and deserving. The second possibility, where Israel is unworthy, is generally referred to as bi’eta (in its time). This second option exists because as the predetermined goal of all human history, the redemption of Israel must ultimately come about and therefore has a set time if we do not merit it sooner. The Ohr HaḤaim understands from Bilaam’s prophecy that the redemption will most likely unfold through activists uniting to bring the Jewish people back to the Land of Israel through practical human means.

This understanding – which sheds light on much of what has been taking place in modern times – is well worth HaShem temporarily altering the laws of nature and allowing a gentile to attain a uniquely Hebrew form of prophecy. Israel must internalize this crucial message in order to not only gain a heightened perspective of current events but also to fulfill our national objective of establishing the Hebrew Kingdom that will ultimately reveal the kedusha inherent in all of Creation and bring humanity to recognize HaShem as the Divine Author of the story in which we are all characters.

Written by:
Prince Light-Cheerful Briggs,
The EnlightenedOne.
REPUBLIC OF NIGER DELTA NOT POSSIBLE
The earlier the people of Niger Delta realize that the republic of Niger Delta which they clamor for is impossible at the moment and even ten years from now and join forces and resources with the Indigenous People of Biafra of the Igbo extraction the better for them. They should consider how many years of tears, sorrows and blood it took the Republic of Biafra restoration struggle to come this far and the cost they have paid for it to be globally discussed and supported in order to gain international recognition. I like to repeat my factual statement in my previous publication that so many indigenous people like the Kurds, the scots, the Catalans, the Basques, the Palestinians etc. are all on this struggle for independence for so many years with tears and blood and has not been able to secure their independence. This is because the establishment of a new nation is not as easy as Chinua Achibe of a blessed memory publishes new books. Niger Delta people should realize this hard truth now and take a stand in the restoration of our Great Biafra. For, there are no short cuts or rosey paths to independency. Tears, sorrows, blood, and decades of delay characterizes the rising or establishment of a new nation with uncertainty. Therefore, I implore my people—the people of the Niger Delta region to join forces with the IPOB members world wide for the quick and imminent restoration of our Great Biafra; thus, we have much to gain from the restoration of Biafra.
Nnamdi Kanu has promised absolute transparency and truth to every ethnicity in Biafraland. Therefore, may we no longer be heirs to the generations of hate and unforgiveness. Thus, we must relegate our fears and doubts to the pages of history. Let us not disrespect the incredible sacrifices made by so many who gave their lives to restore Biafra. Great Biafrans of the Igbo extraction, I pray you all, not to be afraid or worried of the rejection and hatred of our fellow Biafrans from the so-called south-south in order not to be forced to repel or denounce them as brothers. Let us continue in our sense of community, ideal of brotherhood, and stand together to destroy the forces of disunity trying to disrupt our call for unity and brotherhood. Let us not abandon each other in our moments of fears and doubts in our struggle to restore our true identity. The actions and reactions of our brothers from the Niger Delta may seem to appear to divide us, but I pray, never come such division between our souls; but let forgiveness, acceptance and love come reign within our bosom. For I have seen one thing that could bind us forever, and that is love. Love for Biafra, love of hope against fear, love of dreams, love of life, love of "liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
I am a son of this great nation called Biafra, and never before have I been more proud and more optimistic about Biafra. Therefore, let us not be overcome by the evils of hatred, unforgiveness and disunity as our oppressors from the desert north desires that may they continue to rule us and keep us under perpetual slavery. For the restoration of Biafra and the calling for the unity of all member states of the old Eastern region is a bold and righteous idea. I see apostle Paul admonish us: "Let us not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." This means we should bury all hatchets of the civil war and every concocted tales by the dubious British and the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy to disunite the people of old Eastern region. Let us tell them that we are one and indivisible.
Indeed, Biafra welcome the friendship of everyone, and extend open arms to every one who wants to make life freer and better. For all those who has destroyed the brotherhood of all Biafrans and who are still working hard to sow the seed of dissension among our brotherhood, your days are numbered, and your end time has come because Biafra is a guiding light that can never be extinguished. We are working assiduously to restore Biafra and its restoration is imminent. And it is a great privilege of a life time to work for the restoration of our Great country Biafra; and I feel fulfilled and honored to be a part of this great and righteous course where God is the lead. All hail Biafra—the light that can never be extinguished.
Finally, fellow Biafrans and the good people of Niger Delta let us think less of self, for self itself is self-centered, but let us selflessly strive towards the freedom and unity of Biafra for all of us and for our children and children's children. And while we are yet alive we will be proud to say anywhere in the world that we are Biafrans. For I, even I, have pledged to be a servant to my fellow country men and women to see the unification of all Biafrans and the freedom of Biafra. And may love and unity of purpose guide us as we travel the road to freedom and restore Biafra on her national homeland; and may we have the inseparable relationship of drama, music and dance.
Let us summon a new spirit of patriotism and renew the fabric of hard work and responsibility that was torn by dependence on Nigeria to rebuild the fallen walls of our nation and the restoration of Biafra unto her national homeland. We shall overcome the threat to our unity whether Igbo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Idoma, Igala, Tiv, Ikwerre, Ibibio, Efik, Kalabari, Okirika, Ogoni, Ogoja, etc. that out of many, we are one. "Let us meet at the crossroads, a point of decision to find unity and power; or suffer division and impotence. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish as fools. Now is time to rise from the dark and slippery valley of segregation, oppression, suppression, marginalization, killing and extermination to the sunlit path of Biafra national freedom and unity. Now is the time to lift our nation Biafra from the quicksands of political segregation that has held our minds captive and oppression to the solid rock of brotherhood bound in freedom and unity. Let liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable be our watchword.
Written by:
Prince Light-Cheerful Briggs,
The EnlightenedOne.

Yorubas Are The Problem With Nigeria says Sanusi Lamido Sanusi
written by Our Reporter May 6, 2015

The Yoruba political leadership, as mentioned by Balarabe Musa, has shown itself over the years to be incapable of rising above narrow tribal interests and reciprocating goodwill from other sections of the country by treating other groups with respect. Practically every crisis in Nigeria since independence has its roots in this attitude.
• The Yoruba elite and area-boy politics;
• Igbo marginalisation and the responsible limits of retribution; and
• The Yoruba Factor and “Area-boy” Politics.
My views on the Yoruba political leadership have been thoroughly articulated in some of my writings, prime among which was ” Afenifere: Syllabus of Errors” published by This Day (The Sunday Newspaper) on Sept 27, 1998. There was also an earlier publication in the weekly Trust entitled ” The Igbo, the Yoruba and History” (Aug. 21, 1998).
In sum, the Yoruba political leadership, as mentioned by Balarabe Musa, has shown itself over the years to be incapable of rising above narrow tribal interests and reciprocating goodwill from other sections of the country by treating other groups with respect. Practically every crisis in Nigeria since independence has its roots in this attitude.
The Yoruba elite were the first, in 1962, to attempt a violent overthrow of an elected government in this country. In 1966, it was the violence in the West which provided an avenue for the putsch of 15th January. After Chief Awolowo lost to Shagari in 1983 elections, it was the discontent and bad publicity in the South-West which led to the Buhari intervention.
When Buhari jailed UPN governors like Ige and Onabanjo, the South-Western press castigated that good government and provided the right mood for IBB to take over power. As soon as IBB cleared UPN governors of charges against them in a politically motivated retrial, he became the darling of the South-West. When IBB annulled the primaries in which Adamu Ciroma and Shehu Yar Adua emerged as presidential candidates in the NRC and SDP, he was hailed by the South-West. When the same man annulled the June 12, 1993 elections in which Abiola was the front-runner, the South-West now became defenders of democracy.
When it seemed Sani Abacha was sympathetic to Abiola, the South-West supported his take-over. He was in fact invited by a prominent NADECO member to take over in a published letter shortly before the event. Even though Abiola had won the elections in the North, the North was blamed for its annulment. When Abdulsalam Abubakar started his transition, the Yoruba political leadership through NADECO presented a memorandum on a Government of National Unity that showed complete disrespect for the intelligence and liberties of other Nigerians.
Subsequently, they formed a tribal party which failed to meet minimum requirements for registration, but was registered all the same to avoid the violence that was bound to follow non-registration, given the area-boy mentality of South-West politicians. Having rejected an Obasanjo candidacy and challenged the election as a fraud in court, we now find a leading member of the AD in the government, a daughter of an Afenifere leader as Minister of State, and Awolowo´s daughter as Ambassador, all appointed by a man who won the election through fraud.
Meanwhile, nothing has been negotiated for the children of Abiola, the focus of Yoruba political activity. In return for these favours, the AD solidly voted for Evan Enwerem as Senate President. This is a man who participated in the two-million- man March for Abacha´s self-succession. He also is reputed to have hosted a meeting of governors during IBB´s transition, demanding that June 12 elections should never be de-annulled and threatening that the East would go to war if this was done. When Ibrahim Salisu Buhari was accused of swearing to a false affidavit, the Yoruba political elite correctly took up the gauntlet for his resignation.
When an AD governor, Bola Tinubu, swears to a false affidavit that he attended an Ivy League University which he did not attend, we hear excuses.
For so many years, the Yoruba have inundated this country with stories of being marginalised and of a civil service dominated by northerners through quota system. The Federal Character Commission has recently released a report which shows that the South-West accounts for 27.8% of civil servants in the range GL08 to GL14 and a full 29.5% of GL 15 and above. One zone out of six zones controls a full 30% of the civil service leaving the other five zones to share the remaining 70%. We find the same story in the economy, in academia, in parastatals.
Yet in spite of being so dominant, the Yoruba complained and complained of marginalization. Of recent, in recognition of the trauma which hit the South-West after June 12, the rest of the country forced everyone out of the race to ensure that a South-Westerner emerged, often against the best advice of political activists.
Instead of leading a path of reconciliation and strong appreciation, the Yoruba have embarked on short-sighted triumphalism, threatening other “nationalities” that they ( who after all lost the election) will protect Obasanjo ( who was forced on them). No less a person than Bola Ige has made such utterances.
To further show that they were in charge, they led a cult into the Hausa area of Sagamu, murdered a Hausa woman and nothing happened. In the violence that followed, they killed several Hausa residents, with Yoruba leaders like Segun Osoba, reminding Nigerians of the need to respect the culture of their host communities. This would have continued were it not for the people of Kano who showed that they could also create their own Oro who would only be appeased through the shedding of innocent Yoruba blood.
I say all this, to support Balarabe Musa´s statement, that the greatest problem to nation-building in Nigeria are the Yoruba Bourgeoisie. I say this also to underscore my point that until they change this attitude, no conference can solve the problems of Nigeria. We cannot move forward if the leadership of one of the largest ethnic groups continues to operate, not like statesmen, but like common area boys.
iii.The Igbo Factor and the Reasonable Limits of Retribution.
The Igbo people of Nigeria have made a mark in the history of this nation. They led the first successful military coup which eliminated the Military and Political leaders of other regions while letting off Igbo leaders. Nwafor Orizu, then Senate President, in consultation with President Azikiwe, subverted the constitution and handed over power to Aguiyi-Ironsi. Subsequent developments, including attempts at humiliating other peoples, led to the counter-coup and later the civil war. The Igbos themselves must acknowledge that they have a large part of the blame for shattering the unity of this country.
Having said that, this nation must realise that Igbos have more than paid for their foolishness. They have been defeated in war, rendered paupers by monetary policy fiat, their properties declared abandoned and confiscated, kept out of strategic public sector appointments and deprived of public services. The rest of the country forced them to remain in Nigeria and has continued to deny them equity.
The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have conspired to keep the Igbo out of the scheme of things. In the recent transition when the Igbo solidly supported the PDP in the hope of an Ekwueme presidency, the North and South-West treated this as a Biafra agenda. Every rule set for the primaries, every gentleman´s agreement was set aside to ensure that Obasanjo, not Ekwueme emerged as the candidate. Things went as far as getting the Federal Government to hurriedly gazette a pardon. Now, with this government, the marginalistion of the Igbo is more complete than ever before. The Igbos have taken all these quietly because, they reason, they brought it upon themselves. But the nation is sitting on a time-bomb.
After the First World War, the victors treated Germany with the same contempt Nigeria is treating Igbos. Two decades later, there was a Second World War, far costlier than the first. Germany was again defeated, but this time, they won a more honourable peace. Our present political leaders have no sense of History. There is a new Igbo man, who was not born in 1966 and neither knows nor cares about Nzeogwu and Ojukwu. There are Igbo men on the street who were never Biafrans. They were born Nigerians, are Nigerians, but suffer because of actions of earlier generations. They will soon decide that it is better to fight their own war, and may be find an honourable peace, than to remain in this contemptible state in perpetuity.
The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have exacted their pound of flesh from the Igbos. For one Sardauna, one Tafawa Balewa, one Akintola and one Okotie-Eboh, hundreds of thousands have died and suffered.
If this issue is not addressed immediately, no conference will solve Nigeria´s problems. By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Being Excerpts from A Paper Presented At The “National Conference On The 1999 Constitution” Jointly Organised By The Network For Justice And The Vision Trust Foundation, At The Arewa House, Kaduna From 11th –12th September, 1999.

BREAKING!! This is the Real Reason Why France Supported Biafra During Nigerian Civil War
A controversial French support to Biafra as it fought to break away from Nigeria between 1967 and 1970 was not in defence of Biafra’s secession cause — even though it had a humanitarian appeal.
Instead, it was based on that European country’s desire to have access to the region’s oil, recently-declassified war-time memos compiled by the U.S. Central Investigation Agency, CIA, say.
“France supported Biafra because of the oil and ERAP, but not the Ibo revolution,” said Jean Mauricheau-Beaupre, French secretary general for African and Malagasy Affairs, referring to Emergency Response Action Plan, ERAP.
The February 10, 1969 memo quotes Mr. Mauricheau-Beaupre, the equivalent of a minister at the time, as saying French support was merely given to a “handful of Biafra bourgeoisie in return for oil”.
As the hope of Biafra breaking away increasingly seemed lost, the French minister ruled out the possibility of a guerilla war in the region, saying there was no popular support in the region.
“The real Ibo mentality is much farther to the left than that of Ojukwu and even if we had won, there would have been the problem of keeping him in power in the face of leftist infiltration,” he said, referring to the Biafran warlord, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu.
At a time renewed agitation for a Biafran state has reached an extraordinarily feverish pitch, the declassified American intelligence shed light on how external interests largely shaped a three-year atrocious war that left over a one million Nigerians dead 50 years ago.
Amongst nations that took sides in the war, only France, Gabon, Tanzania and Ivory Coast openly backed Biafra, at that time comprising present south east and parts of south south Nigerian states.
The federal government received help mainly from the United Kingdom and Russia, as it struggled to thwart Biafra’s exit.
Both sides received huge cash support, arms and ammunition, and relief materials from their backers.
Altogether, France sent $30 million worth of material to Biafra, and lent then Ivory Coast’s President Houphouet-Boigny $3 million to aid Biafra operations, said then French Minister of National Defense, Michel Debre, and Mr. Mauricheau-Beauprea, according to the diplomatic cables.
Details of French arms supplies remain classified till date.
But the CIA file said on January 13, 1970, as the war wound down, Mr. Mauricheau-Beaupre and Mr. Debre, the national defence minister, decided to remove stocks of French-supplied arms and divide same to French bases at Douala and Abidjan.
France resolved there was no chance of supporting a Biafran guerrilla resistance, CIA noted.
“The rationale for this position as expressed by Mauricheau-Beaupre to individuals concerned with executing Biafran operations was as follows: ‘France supported Biafra because of the oil and ERAP, but not the Ibo revolution,” the cable said.
The telegram containing these intelligence was forwarded to U.S. President Richard Nixon’s deputy assistant for national security affair.
Richard Helms, the director of CIA at the time, said there was “cynicism on the part of the French” to support a Biafran guerrilla resistance.
Later, the CIA noted the war had stalemated with federal troops surrounding the Biafran enclave. Yet, it analysed that despite the federal military’s superiority in personnel and material, there was “very little prospect that either side, by itself, can win militarily in the next six months unless Biafra’s arms supply is cut off”.
“A prolonged stale-mate or ceasefire could well result in the replacement of the present moderate leadership by military leaders who would be proponents of a ruthless, all out military victory and less concerned about international opinion,” the CIA said of the military ruler, Yakubu Gowon.
It also noted that Mr. Ojukwu, a former lieutenant colonel, had the strong support of a people who seemed determined to win self-determination.
“The Biafran leaders have successfully—-if cynically—exploited the issue of starvation to win political sympathy abroad. They believe time is on their side and that either (a) the FMG coalition will collapse or (b) outside sympathy for their plight will bring about a solution favourable to them,” it wrote.
Foreign powers and interests
The CIA said the British government supported the federal military government with “non-sophisticated arms sales”, while the Soviets became a major arms suppliers at the outset of the war.
The U.S. on its part embargoed arms sales to both sides, in a war that also created opportunity for influence peddling between the west and the east.
“The FMG gives frequent assurances that the Soviet involvement is only a matter of wartime necessity and portends no political realignment of Nigeria’s traditional pro-Western stance. We have no evidence that the FMG has thus far granted any significant political concessions in return for Soviet arms. However, Soviet prestige and acceptance has increased,” the CIA wrote.
“Soviet intentions are unclear. They probably consider Nigeria a target of opportunity to extend their influence at Western expense and relatively little cost to themselves. Whether requested or not, they have not gone beyond the provision of military equipment, including aircraft and the training of pilots.”
“Although disappointed and perhaps somewhat embarrassed–at slow FMG military progress, they appear willing to continue their support in the belief that prolonged fighting and FMG frustrations will increase the political value of their help,” the report said of Russia.
At the Organization of African Unity (OAU), all but four members (Ivory Coast, Gabon, Tanzania, Zambia, that recognized Biafra in 1968), shifted support to the Federal Military Government by 1969 and regarded the civil war as an internal question which should be solved within an African (OAU) frame-work.
For the United Nations, there was no role for it in the war, beyond the participation by UNICEF and other specialized agencies in the relief effort.
The U.S. said it regarded the civil war as primarily a Nigerian and African problem, but continued to recognise the FMG; imposed an arms embargo on both sides; contributed $30 million to the international relief effort; voiced political support for a negotiated settlement in the context of one Nigeria with workable safeguards for Ibo protection.
The French decision to supply arms clandestinely to Biafra probably saved the rebellion when it appeared near defeat last summer, the CIA cable noted, saying President De Gaulleʼs motives were mixed.
First, France hoped to acquire British and American oil concessions in the oil-rich Niger Delta, and could have been motivated by the possibility of the breaking up of an Anglophone federation which could have exerted a powerful influence in a West Africa it had strong interests.
“So far, the French have stopped short of outright recognition. They deny giving arms. We simply do not know how far the French are prepared to go in support of Biafran independence,” the U.S. said.
Ojukwu’s first destination revealed
Mr. Ojukwu fled as the stronghold city of Enugu fell under federal control. The CIA said his first stop was Gabon, contrary to the commonly known fact that he travelled to Ivory Coast.
In Libreville, the Gabonese capital, Mr. Ojukwu lived in a private villa and told French agents he departed Nigeria according to the wishes of his general staff, Phillip Effiong, and to spare his people from extermination.
Christopher Onyekwelu, Biafran finance representative in Europe and brother-in- law of Mr. Ojukwu, was given a round-trip ticket to Libreville on January 13 by the French general secretariat for African and Malagasy Affairs in Paris.
He was to join Mr. Ojukwu in Libreville a day later. Separately, C.C. Mojekwu, Biafra’s representative in Lisbon, Portugal, also departed by air for Libreville.
Later, French secretary general for African and Malagasy Affairs, Jacques Foccart, left Yaoundé where he was attending Cameroon’s tenth anniversary celebrations to meet with Mr. Ojukwu in Libreville.
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