GOLAN, ISRAEL

Video Of The Week -The IDF's Eyes on Mount Hermon https://tinyurl.com/y7hshrrx

J.Post 18.11. 2018 - https://tinyurl.com/yco9lwg9

Imagine the strife and danger that northern Israel would be facing due to the long, bloody civil war in Syria if the Golan was still in the hands of brutal Syrian dictator Basher Assad.

Anyone remotely familiar with Israel’s geographical and political landscape knows that the notion of giving up the Golan Heights is laughable.

Never mind the natural beauty, ruggedness and open spaces the region offers –qualities which have helped turn it into one of the country’s main getaways and outdoor recreational destinations.

The northern area was captured by the IDF from Syria during the Six Day War in 1967, after Israel was attacked simultaneously by Egypt, Jordan and the regime of Hafez Assad, father of the current leader. The area is a vital strategic asset.

Imagine the strife and danger that northern Israel would be facing due to the long, bloody civil war in Syria if the Golan was still in the hands of brutal Syrian dictator Basher Assad.

Former prime minister Menachem Begin’s surprise measure to annex the Golan Heights – which he pushed through the Knesset in 1981 by a vote of 63 to 21 – has proven to be a far-sighted move that probably has more consensus approval inside Israel than almost any other issue.

Begin’s decision was based on the belligerent Syrian declaration that even if Israel and the Palestinians would have reached a peace agreement, Syria would never make peace with Israel.

The reactions to the annexation were predictable. Then-Syrian president Assad called it a “declaration of war,” and the Reagan administration said that the annexation was inconsistent with the Camp David accords, complaining that the United States had been given no prior warning of the move.

That’s why Friday’s vote by the US to oppose for the first time the UN General Assembly’s annual call on Israel to return the Golan to Syria is so welcome, even though it’s been so long in coming.

As the Post’s Tovah Lazaroff has pointed out, until now the US has abstained on this resolution, which has largely been opposed only by Israel. However, as she has done so many times in the past since taking up her position, outgoing US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley cut through politics to put things into proper perspective when it comes to Israel and the volatile region in which the Jewish nation is situated.

“The US will no longer abstain when the UN engages in its useless annual vote on the Golan Heights. If this resolution ever made sense, it surely does not today,” Haley said before the vote.

“Given the resolution’s anti-Israel bias, as well as the militarization of the Syrian Golan border and a worsening humanitarian crisis, this year the United States has decided to vote ‘no’ on the resolution,” she said, adding, “The resolution is plainly biased against Israel. Further, the atrocities the Syrian regime continues to commit prove its lack of fitness to govern anyone.”

To temper the vote, a US representative to the UN said that it didn’t signify a turnaround in its position on the status of the Golan, which is official non-recognize the 1981 annexation. It follows US National Security Advisor John Bolton’s statement in August that “we understand the Israeli claim that it has annexed the Golan Heights – we understand their position – but there’s no change in the US position for now.”

That didn’t prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing the dissolution of his government, from effusively thanking the US and its president Donald Trump for the vote. Calling it “important and just,” Netanyahu said that the vote was “completely in line with our policies – Israel will remain forever on the Golan Heights, and the Golan Heights will forever remain in our hands.”

With Syria in its current state, that declaration is one that all Israelis can get behind. As Haley pointed out: “The destructive influence of the Iranian regime inside Syria presents major threats to international security. ISIS and other terrorist groups remain in Syria.”

The annual resolution at the UN does not take that grim reality into account, and in fact, seems to be based on a fantasy world where “victim” Syria has been somehow wronged by the big, bad aggressor Israel.

We can only thank Haley and the US administration for appreciating and finally acting on the redundancy of this resolution. The world should not be condemning Israel for annexing the Golan – it should be grateful to Israel for providing a bastion of stability in a region that could explode at any time.

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40% OF ISRAELI CHILDREN IN GAZA BORDER TOWN OF SDEROT SUFFER FROM ANXIETY, PTSD

VIDEO of The Week - HAMAS Rocket Attack 2018 - https://tinyurl.com/y8ccdlfa   

by Hayah Goldlist-Eichler, J.Post  

Some 40 percent of the children in Sderot suffer from symptoms of anxiety, fear and PTSD, according to a recent study. Even during wartime, the level of PTSD among children nationwide hovers is somewhere between 7 and 10 percent, Prof. Ruth Pat- Horenczyk explained.

Pat-Horenczyk, director of the child and adolescent clinical services unit at the Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma, at Herzog Memorial Hospital in the capital, discussed her research and understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

“The ongoing situation in Sderot causes PTSD at a rate three or four times greater than that of the rest of the country,” she said.

Identifying signs of PTSD is not easy, Pat-Horenczyk. Many parents think and hope that the irregular patterns of behavior that characterize the disorder will fade over time. A professional knowledgeable of children’s development is needed to accurately diagnose the problem, she said.

“Children don’t always say things verbally. They don’t always speak about their fears directly. They show it through behavior and their developmental progress,” the psychologist explained.

One of the first signs of the disorder is regression, with sufferers reverting to behaviors suitable for a younger child. A toilet-trained youngster may have accidents, use a bottle or a diaper, or start talking like a younger child.

Other manifestations can include fears that did not exist before – even if they are not directly related to a triggering event, such as the war – separation anxiety that did not exist before, trouble sleeping and anger issues.

“What’s important, first and foremost, is to notice if there is a change in the child’s behavior,” she explained.

Other signs can include quieter children speaking out more, outgoing children becoming more introverted, and children playing in a way that shows a preoccupation with the conflict – such as constantly acting out red alerts and hiding from rockets.

Other signs can be the development of new fears, shying away from trying new things, increased difficulties in school, or trouble falling asleep at night.

Pat-Horenczyk emphasized that to understand the disorder, there needs to be sensitivity to the child’s developmental stage, as at each stage the symptoms will manifest differently.

“Schoolchildren have a lot of complaints about pain and somatic pain. They have trouble saying that they are afraid so they speak about it in hidden ways,” she said.

Teenagers are more likely to act out in dangerous ways, she said.

Although some children are more verbal than others at any stage in their development, there are basic gender differences.

“Generally, girls talk more about their anxieties, fears and feelings. Boys tend to show it more through behavioral problems, intensity and aggression – functional problems.”

Some children display their fears and anxieties in more indirect ways, such as dreaming about the war, or fears that did not exist before.

Some fear using the toilet or taking a shower because of the possibility that a red alert will sound and they will have to run to a bomb shelter.

Others link specific places with red alerts, such as the child who did not want to visit her grandmother because during one visit there was a red alert and the place itself now causes anxiety.

According to Pat-Horenczyk’s research, the younger the child, the more vulnerable he is to the influence of his parents.

“If the situation affects the parents and the mother is depressed or post-traumatic herself, this strongly affects the child,” she explained. A parent who is dealing with her own trauma and anxiety is less capable of calming down her child who is suffering.

This is why a lot of the treatment given is to the parents, to help them learn to deal with their own anxieties and fears, and then equip them with the tools to help their children.

The programs give the parents tools to use the fear felt by themselves and their children in a constructive way. Playing and having fun is an important part of the process of dealing with the anxiety caused by living near the Gaza Strip.

Despite the high levels of anxiety, fear and PTSD among children in Sderot and the Gaza periphery, most of the children and the parents deal with the situation with resilience, according to Pat-Horenczyk – “even the most difficult situations.”

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Incitement In PA Schoolbooks

So if it weren't scary enough for the children
to be told they have to go out and kill, PA educators teach
them that "heroes" are willing to fearlessly die as martyrs.

By Itamar Marcus, Oct. 24, 2018

Video Of The Week - UNRWA Songs Of Terror -https://tinyurl.com/yaeh8sht

If you want to know why Palestinian children believe that killing Israelis is model behavior, all you have to do is look at a chapter in one of their schoolbooks.

PA schoolbooks have been criticized ever since Palestinian Media Watch wrote the first report on them in 1998, and the newest books in some respects are the worst ever. However, one chapter stands out in its overt promotion of terrorism. This chapter, appearing in the fifth-grade Arabic Language book published in 2017, serves as a window to understanding the PA leadership's profoundly twisted values.

The chapter starts innocently by stressing the importance of heroes to national identity and national pride: "Heroes have an important position in every nation... the people - even if they are divided over many things - they all agree regarding the pride in their heroes..."

The schoolbook continues and teaches students that feeling pride is not enough. Society takes numerous active steps to honor its heroes: "[We] sing their praise, learn the history of their lives, name our children after them, and name streets, squares, and prominent cultural sites after them..."

In short, society assures that heroes are never forgotten. They might have lived in earlier times, but by naming streets and squares after them and singing their praise, these heroes remain in Palestinian consciousness.

The next message is most important: The children are taught that these heroes are not merely memories of the past they are the role models for the future: "Every one of us wishes to be like them."

Until now this messaging is not problematic, however, all that changes when the schoolbook presents the 10 people who PA educators promote as the role models Palestinian children should emulate. The list of Palestinian heroes includes no scientists, no doctors, no engineers, no singers, no athletes, nor any artists. There have been three Muslim Nobel Prize laureates in science and two in literature, but they are not on the list of Palestinian heroes. 

Who are the Palestinian heroes then according to the PA schoolbook? They are 10 Muslim combatants from the first century of Islam through the 21st century. And possibly the worst name on this list of role models is terrorist mass-murderer Dalal Mughrabi.

Mughrabi led a team of terrorists who hijacked a bus in 1978 and murdered 25 adults and 12 children. Among those she murdered when she threw a hand grenade inside the bus was a young Israeli woman Rebecca Hohman and her two sons: Ilan, aged three and Roi, aged six. Mughrabi, a child murderer, is the person Palestinian educators are telling children to see as their role model, someone "everyone wants to be like."

After naming the 10 heroes, the PA schoolbook stresses that there is no one better than these fighters: "These heroes are the crown of their nation, they are a symbol of its glory, they are the best of the best, the best of the noble people."

That's not all that is horrific. Mughrabi was killed during her terrorist attack and others on the list were killed in battle. The PA schoolbook focuses on their deaths and glorifies their willingness to die: "They took their lives in their hands and threw them at the dangers, without losing their determination and without weakening and surrendering. Some of them died as martyrs, some of them died on the way to fulfilling their obligations, as heroes."

So if it weren't scary enough for the children to be told they have to go out and kill, PA educators teach them that "heroes" are willing to fearlessly die as martyrs. The final sentence of the chapter they are taught what this means for them if they don't want to adopt this heroic behavior: "Bravo to the heroes, and scorn to the cowards!"

Tragically, presenting Dalal Mughrabi as a hero and role model is not accidental or in isolation but is part of a broad almost cult-like worship of Mughrabi directed by the Palestinian Authority. The PA Ministry of Education has named five schools as well as sporting events after Mughrabi. City squares and community centers bear her name. Videos with her picture and story are produced and appear regularly on Fatah and PA media channels. Every year on the dates surrounding her mass murder Fatah and the PA make sure her name and face appear regularly up in lights. There was a march in Bethlehem to celebrate the founding of Fatah and three giant posters led the parade. Two posters had pictures of Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas - internationally known and recognized leaders of Fatah and the PA. The third poster had the picture of Dalal Mughrabi. Dalal Mughrabi was not a leader. She was a terrorist murderer who did one thing in life to make her famous. And yet she completes the PA trinity with the PA leaders.

This cult-like worship of murderers is fundamental to the depraved value system that Palestinian leaders have promoted since the PLO's founding in 1965, and upon which the PA has indoctrinated its children since 1994. It is not surprising that so many of the Palestinian terrorists in recent years have been teenagers, including the recent murderer of Israeli-American father of four, Ari Fuld. The Palestinian leadership has been transmitting its "kill an Israeli - be a hero" message for decades, and judging by the results, it is clear that Palestinian children have been listening.

So these are the choices racing through the minds of Palestinian children who just studied one of the worst chapters in their schoolbooks: 

If I, Palestinian child, am willing to kill Israelis and be a martyr, then I will then be the best of the best, the crown of my nation, streets will be named after me and I will be a Palestinian hero; 

if I am not willing to kill Israelis and be a martyr, then I am a coward.

If you were an impressionable child, which path would you choose?

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FIRST TIME: ‘HATIKVAH’ PLAYED IN ABU DHABI

Video Of The Week - The Terror of Return -https://tinyurl.com/y998bu5j

Full article from - Jewish News 6-11-2018 https://tinyurl.com/yc4f7lez

ABU DHABI — Israel’s national anthem was played for the first time in Abu Dhabi at a judo tournament.

Israeli lightweight Judoka Sagi Muki on Sunday, Oct. 28, won a gold medal at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and heard “Hatikvah” played during the medal ceremony.

Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev, who accompanied the team to Abu Dhabi, visibly wept while the anthem was played, Ynet reported. Regev attended despite the fact that Israel does not have diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates.

Muki beat Belgium’s Matthias Casse in the under 81 kg category. Casse advanced to the final round after his Iranian opponent, Saeed Molaei, claimed to be injured within the first 30 seconds of the match.

Haaretz reported that some believe it was a faked injury, so that he would not have to face an opponent from Israel.

Three other Israelis won bronze medals on Saturday: Gili Cohen, Baruch Shamilov and Timna Nelson Levy.

In 2017, five Israeli judokas won medals in Abu Dhabi, including a gold, but tournament organizers refused to play Israel’s national anthem. The Israeli competitors also were required to wear the uniform of the International Judo Federation and received their medals under an IJF flag.

In July, the International Judo Federation, known as the IJF, canceled the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and the Tunis Grand Prix, “until governmental guarantee is given to ensure free and equal participation of all nations at the said events.” Abu Dhabi was reinstated after the UAE Judo Federation confirmed in an official letter sent to the IJF that all nations participating in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam would do so under equal conditions.

No flags were displayed in the hall where the matches were fought nor during the medal awards ceremonies, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Muki to congratulate him on his victory.

“You are golden; you promised, and you did it. There are two great things here. There is a fantastic gold here and much hope for Israeli judo. There is much hope when we hear our national anthem; everyone is moved by this honor and pride. It is not only your personal achievement and the Jewish achievement of Israeli sports, but also the fact that the anthem was being played in Abu Dhabi,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office.

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