How Many People Died in Gaza?

Monday, July 28, 2014 |  Ryan Jones  ISRAEL TODAY

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Gaza

The current lull in the Gaza war has given the mainstream media the opportunity to focus on images of widespread destruction and high death tolls, and to blame it all on Israel.

Unfortunately, in both cases , most reporters rely on information provided them by Hamas, of which any reasonable observer would be skeptical, at best.

While many people certainly have lost their lives in Gaza, without a bit of fact-checking and providing proper context, it can be all too easy to accuse Israel of perpetrating a massacre.

Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health claims that well over 1,000 people have been killed so far in the current war, and has been releasing a regularly updated list of names.

A thorough analysis of that list by Meir Amit Intelligence and Information Center concluded that a little less than one-third could be confidently classified as combatants, another third were definitely civilians, and the role of the last third could not be reasonably identified.

The problem is that Hamas purposely conceals whether or not the deceased were combatants, and so can make up any figure it wants when publicizing the percentage of civilians killed. Furthermore, a great many of those taking up arms again Israel do so in civilian garb, and so are counted among the civilian deaths.

Separate analyses by several Israeli bloggers noted that at least 75 percent of the names appearing on the Hamas-provided casualty list are males between the ages of 18–60 (men of fighting age), which is odd given that that demographic only makes up 20 percent of the overall Gaza population. The finding would suggest that Israel has been successful in its effort to avoid civilian deaths.

One of those bloggers dug just a little deeper and found that a great many names appearing on the casualty list were duplicates. Hamas has been inflating its casualty figures for the sake of Western media consumption, and reporters eager to stir heated emotions haven’t bothered to do even basic fact-checking.

And that brings us to the issue of demolished civilian buildings. Over the past few days, media outlets have hastened to report on the number of apartment buildings, family homes and public facilities flattened in the Israeli counter-offensive.

Again, this is typically done out of context, giving the impression that the Israeli army is arbitrarily bombarding civilian areas as a means of collective punishment.

The truth looks a little different.

Last week, we published a video provided by the IDF demonstrating why it decided to bomb a Gaza hospital that had been commandeered by Hamas, and showing that it only did so after confirming that no civilians remained in the building.

The following video reveals one of the reason that so many civilian homes have been targeted:

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French Exodus: 'When Jews Flee, a Nation is Sick' - CBN News

French Exodus: 'When Jews Flee, a Nation is Sick'

By Dale Hurd

CBN News Sr. Reporter

Monday, July 28, 2014

PARIS -- In the suburbs of Paris, a Jewish family gathers to read the Torah. But soon they will be gone. They're part of a growing number of French Jews and leaving their country because the future simply looks too dangerous.

In January, demonstrators in Paris shouted, "We don't want Jews" and gave the Nazi salute. It was chilling reminder of France's World War II past when Jews were deported to concentration camps.

Before the war, European Jews waited too long to leave and ended up trapped. French Jews don't want to make the same mistake again.

'Time to Leave'

CBN News interviewed a French family under the condition that they not be identified because they fear a backlash from French society.

In a few months the family will leave for Israel. They told us they preferred to go while they could leave on their terms instead of someday having to flee for their lives.

"We are not really afraid, but seeing the murders last year in Toulouse and what happened at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, we are afraid for our children and what could happen to them, and we think about it every day," the father told CBN News.

The mother of the Jewish family has already been called a "dirty Jew" by the neighbors. She has instructed her daughter to slip her Star of David inside her blouse when she goes outside, and has told her sons to be careful about where they wear their kippahs, or yarmulkes.

"They have worn the kippahs since they were very young, but over the past few years I have told them maybe it's better not to wear it sometimes," the mother said.

"There's a strong feeling inside the French community that it's time to leave," Philippe Karsenty, Jewish deputy mayor of Neuilly, said. "You can't have a dinner a conversation with a Jew without having the topic mentioned. Should we stay or should we leave?"

There are only 400,000 Jews in France and they're outnumbered by Arabs and Muslims by perhaps 15 to 1 or more. French law prohibits identifying citizens by ethnic background.

There have been close to 8,000 anti-Semitic incidents in France since 2000 - and each time Israel acts in self-defense against the Palestinians, the danger increases.

French Muslims have staged large and more violent demonstrations, including one a few weeks ago in which 200 Jews were trapped inside a synagogue.

An 'Unbearable' Threat

Rabbi Michaël Azoulay, the head of CRIF, France's national Jewish association, said the threat to Jews has become "unbearable."

At a synagogue near Paris, Rabbi Azoulay told CBN News the number of Jews coming to him for a certificate of Jewishness to go to Israel has increased dramatically in the past year.

"It started around last July," he said. "We have many requests from families ... not just from the community of Neuilly, but other communities in Paris, who came to us and requested certificates for the Jewish Agency in the aim to possibly go to Israel."

It's estimated that as many as 5,000 Jews could leave France this year. The exodus of the Jews is a disaster for the French government, which keeps condemning the anti-Semitic attacks but can't stop them.

Dr. Richard Prasquier, former president of France's national Jewish association, emphasized that France is not an anti-Semitic country.

"I do not accept the fact that France is an anti-Semitic country. France is not anti-Semitic country. This government and the previous government did not have anti-Semitic ideas," he said.

The French father we interviewed said he believes the government is doing what it can.

"But it's difficult to do more because the problem is so overwhelming. It cannot stop all the anti-Semitic incidents in society," he added.

Anti-Semitic Media

French Jews seem to all agree that the French media is guilty of encouraging hatred of Jews by its one-sided reporting of the Middle East conflict and almost daily vilification of Israel.

"I think that the major responsibility bears on the media's shoulder because the media has been inciting hate against Israel for more than a decade," Karsenty said. "Every time when you watch TV or you listen to the radio or you read newspapers you always feel hate messages against Israel."

Prasquier agreed.

"There is the feeling that Jews are fed up with the image of Israel that is continuously repeating itself in the media," he said.

Not all French Jews are in danger, and not all who are leaving France are doing so because of anti-Semitism. Some are leaving because of the bad economy.

But three out of four Jews say they are thinking about leaving, and 95 percent say they are worried about anti-Semitism.

Rabbi Azoulay said Jews are "concerned now that the government will not be able to set things right, to stop the attacks. And that worries me."

Perfect Storm

French Jews now face a perfect storm, with a war in Gaza, growing numbers of French Muslims, a bad economy, and the growing popularity of the far right National Front.

"Jews are being insulted and threatened not only by Muslims, but also by members of the far right and from leftists who hate Israel," the Jewish father told CBN News.

The Jewish family is looking forward to a life free of anti-Semitism in Israel.

"We will breathe for freely in Israel and I will be happy to see my children will be able to live more freely as Jews there," the mother said.

French leaders know that when Jews have to leave, it means a nation is sick.

"Jews are a litmus test of what's going on," Prasquier said. "It's not only Jews who will leave the country. It's not only France who will go down the drain, it's not only Europe, it's the entire Western world, including the United States."

#WeAreN: Christians Marked for Modern-Day Holocaust

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#WeAreN: Christians Marked for Modern-Day Holocaust

My father--a World War II veteran--often told me that history has a strange way of repeating itself.

Seventy years after the Nazis forced Jews to wear Yellow Star of David patches on their clothing to mark them for persecution and extermination, another holocaust is under way.

This time, it's Middle East Christians instead of European Jews. But the evil tactics are much the same.

Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)--now known simply as The Islamic State (IS)--have marked Christians for dimmi status and extinction; their goal is to eliminate all Christian presence from their new caliphate.

As their predecessors did 1,400 years ago, Muslims in the IS have given Christians four options:

1. Convert to Islam.

2. Live as dimmis under sharia law and pay the jizya tax.

3. Forfeit their homes, possessions, and flee the IS.

4. Die.

Christian homes and businesses have been marked with the Arabic letter Nun. It stands for "Nazarene," or Christian. This symbol has now gone viral on social media and Christians around the globe are using it as a symbol of solidarity with the Christians of Mosul and Iraq.

They've also started the hashtag #WeAreN.

I too, have adopted the Nun symbol as my Facebook photo 

www.facebook.com/GlobalLane.

But it will take more than just hastags and symbols to stop Caliph Ibrahim (Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi), his cohorts, and other Islamic extremists from committing atrocities in the Middle East.

Sir Edmund Burke said, "Evil prevails when good men do nothing."

Just ask survivors of the Jewish concentration camps.

Hashtags and symbols are excellent tools to raise awareness, but good men--and women--will need to do more to rescue these ancient Christian communities from this modern-day holocaust.

Watch this video of Islamic extremists blowing up the Mosul mosque that housed the tomb of the Biblical prophet, Jonah:

Print     Email to a Friend    posted on Friday, July 

"May you gaze upon the goodness of Jerusalem..." ISRAEL365

May God bless you from Zion, and may you gaze upon the goodness of Jerusalem, all the days of your life. PSALMS (128:5)   יְבָרֶכְךָ יְ-הוָה מִצִּיּוֹן וּרְאֵה בְּטוּב יְרוּשָׁלִָם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ תהילים קכח:ה y- va-re-kh'-KHA a-do-NAI mi-tzi-YON UH- r'-ay b'-TUV y'-ru-sha-la-YIM kol y'-MAY kha-yeh-KHA

Jerusalem Inspiration The Hebrew word for blessing, b'-ra-kha is very similar to the word for a pool of water, b'-ray-kha.  Water refreshes, nourishes and purifies. Similarly, when we bless something, we raise it spiritually. Repeatedly, the Bible refers to Jerusalem as a blessing.  This teaches us that Jerusalem is the source of abundant blessings, both materially and spiritually, for the entire world.   Download our FREE eBook of Blessings » Vanessa Williams Tours Israel Hear personal inspiration from Hollywood star Vanessa Williams after her visiit to Israel and tour of the City of David.   Watch here » Flying Despite the Ban In a massive show of solidarity with Israel, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg flew to Tel Aviv despite the US imposed flight ban on Israel.   Read more » Jewish Star Iron On Patch This embroidered patch depicts the flag of Israel.  Wear it proudly!   Get this Great Deal » Jerusalem Daily Photo Today's photo by Noam Chen shows a dramatic rooftop view of Jerusalem.   See more photos by Noam Chen » Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of our beloved Jerusalem!   Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “We Love Your Daily Inspirations!” It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send me an email and let me know how you are enjoying Jerusalem365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!)." Stay in Touch »   Dear Rabbi, We love your daily inspirations! And we love Israel and her people. We are praying continuously for peace. Our churches, families, friends, are all supporting in every way we can and praying for the safety, wellbeing, and prevailing victory for Israel...  The Reeds of Elk Grove, California Blessing from Jerusalem, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Sharing Love From Sweden - COMFORT MY PEOPLE - Eva Haglund

COMFORT MY PEOPLE

Eva Haglund from Sweden

Today many people suffer in the world. People can go through many difficult things and face traumas. People who have not suffered so much do not always understood people who need comfort and care. Sometimes people who have gone through sufferings understand people who suffer more because they have been there in the deep valley.

Many people need counseling and care today. Just a cup of coffee for anybody who hurts means much, or talking to someone who maybe has no friends and no money in any church. This is sometimes the reality. There is war and people flee for their lives and goes through traumas. People can face difficult things in family situations.

God says in Isaiah 40:1, "Comfort, comfort my people." Comfort is also shown by practical love to people - for instance to give food. Comfort is to give words from the Bible - words like honey or a balsam.

Words of encouragement and about God who loves gives hope - a God of hope. There are teenagers who have never felt loved at home by their parents or never had a father or mother. There are teenagers who have parents who are alcoholics. They really need comfort! 

Jesus says in John 19:26-27, "Mother, see your son" and "Son, see your mother."

Today there needs to be mothers and fathers in the Body of Christ and the old and young generation need more contact. Fellowship and friendship as we read about in Acts 2:46 and in John 14. I believe God wants to restore more in the Body of Christ. 

Church was not meant to be just a meeting on Sundays and an unpersonal club as it is sometimes. God wants in this late hour to restore more of real friendship where it needs in the Body. This is comfort to the people. 

I think comfort can be demonstrated in different ways. In the Bible, Scriptures of comfort can be spoken, buying flowers for anybody wounded. It can be to give food to a refugee who has wounds. It can be to sing a song for anybody. We are sent to set the captives free and heal the broken hearted. 

Counseling and gifts of the Spirit is not meant for them who have enough money but for everybody. The Gospel is also for the poor, not just for them with money. Counseling and prophetic words can many times be a comfort. Wounded people do not need to hear that money must be given to get counseling or a prophecy.

They maybe do not have food for their children. We read in Luke 10 about a man who was robbed and wounded physical but also had wounds inside. He did not have any money. The Good Samaritan showed compassion and care.

Economy must be solved in another way. I am not against sowing. It is good and needs but not to GET counseling or a prophecy.

Do we have to sow to get comforted in the Body?  No, I do not think so. Comfort in agape ought to be free. In 1 Cor 12 it is written about sharing different gifts with each other. There are Christian conferences today which cost money but there are Christians who cannot come. Is then one church for poor and one for those who have money? This thinking was what they had in Acts.2:45 when they thought about each other economically. They helped each other as needed. It was not selfishness.

To sing Christian songs and to worship is also a means to comfort others when they hear. A sermon can be comforting, and we need sermons which comfort. For instance, teaching about God's love for Israel and the Jews. People need to hear that we are to love them in a world of much anti-semitism. This is also to comfort My people - to stand for Israel and to pray for Israel and the Jewish people.

The Bible is full of comforting words. The God who said "comfort My people" is a God of comfort and when we read the Word we get much comfort. Many people in the world need to know His love today.

God showed the biggest love when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.

It is comfort to read in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

We are always welcomed by Jesus and receive His comfort when we need it. His standing there with open arms is like the father who received the son who had been lost. (Luke 15:20) 

Open arms when we need comfort and to receive Jesus in our lives is comfort. 

We need our Comforter - Yeshua (Jesus).

PRAYERS FOR ISRAEL IS COMFORT

A Thank You Letter From Hamas to the Media

Sunday, July 27, 2014 |  Noah Beck   ISRAEL TODAY

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TOPICS:

Hamas

Dear Members of the Mainstream Media,

You’ve been awesome! Everyone knows that we start unwinnable wars with Israel because the real victory happens when you predictably side with us each time. And you’ve been so supportive of our strategy that we really want to acknowledge your helpfulness. In particular, we thank you for:

• Focusing so much more on our suffering than anyone else’s. Nigerians must die in far greater numbers before you take notice, so we’re glad that you value our lives so much more.
• Minimizing your coverage, if any, of our attacks that led up to Israel’s military response and generally providing so little context that outsiders think that Israelis kill Palestinians just for fun. We’re especially grateful to the French media for this. Their distortions of the conflict are so one-sided that they incite Muslims across France to attack Jews and synagogues, and that is welcomed by our anti-Semitic worldview (although, unfortunately, such attacks remind everyone why Jews need a state).
• Emphasizing our civilian death toll without explaining that (1) our casualty reports are hasty and inflated, and (2) we maximize that total by using Palestinians to shield our weapons and by urging them to stay in the very areas that the IDF – in its annoying effort to minimize our civilian deaths – warns Gazans to evacuate.
• Never mentioning the fact that if we could kill millions of Israelis, we would (after all, our charter calls for Israel’s destruction). Just as the 9/11 hijackers made the most of what they had but would have liked to kill far more Americans (for example, with the help of WMD), we too would love to kill far more Israelis. Indeed, we have purposely targeted Israel’s nuclear reactor on several occasions, with that very goal in mind. Fortunately, you never highlight the genocidal intent behind our attacks when mentioning Israel’s “disproportionate” response.

• Never calling us jihadists even though we persecute Christians (like the ISIS, which just compelled Mosul’s Christians to convert to Islam). The forced conversion, expulsion, or murder of Christians and other religious minorities by Islamists has been happening for millennia, as assiduously documented in Crucified Again, but such historical context is thankfully absent from your reporting on our conflict with Israel.
• Downplaying how bad we are for Gazans by not reporting on, for example, our attack on the very Israeli power station that provides electricity to 70,000 Gazans. Thankfully, you also ignored how the Israelis – in their stupid display of goodwill – exposed their workers to the perils of our rockets so that they could restore power to Gaza.
• Minimally reporting on our corruption, unfair wealth, or vast expenditures on tunnels to attack Israel while ordinary Palestinians grew poorer.
• Overlooking how – to maximize Palestinian deaths – we store our missiles in an UNWRA-run school and how, when UNWRA finds out, they just hand us back our missiles.
• Disregarding Arabs who have the courage to critique us – like Dr. Tawfik Hamid, an Islamist-turned-reformer who blames Palestinian suffering entirely on us.
• Ignoring Israelis’ humanitarian folly in providing medical aid to the very terrorists trying to kill them.
• Failing to acknowledge Israel’s immense restraint. Had we been fighting Syria’s Assad regime, by now Gaza would have been flattened – devastated by barrel bombs, poison gas, and other attacks that are far more indiscriminate than Israel’s intelligence-directed strikes. And of course, if Syria were killing us, you’d hardly care. But luckily, we’re dealing with Israel – that country that everyone loves to hate – so we can count on your helpful coverage here.
• Omitting how Israel chose to sacrifice dozens of IDF soldiers when destroying our tunnels and weapons in densely populated areas like Shejaiya because doing so with airstrikes (which risks no soldiers) would have killed many thousands of Palestinians. Your friendly omission of such crucial facts reminds us of how wonderfully you covered Jenin in 2002, when (again) – rather than praise Israel’s humane but costly decision to use ground troops rather than airstrikes –you very helpfully and falsely accused Israel of a massacre during another IDF operation to stop Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians.
• Not sharing with your English readers what we openly say in Arabic: that we view any truce as just an opportunity to rearm for our next war against Israel (as our spokesman, Musheer Al Masri, recently declared on TV).
• Not underscoring that Israel can do nothing to make peace with us (after all, Israelis ended their occupation of Gaza in 2005 and we’ve been rocketing them ever since). It’s a bit nervy of Israel to use its border controls to limit our ability to rearm and rebuild cross-border attack tunnels, but – with your help – maybe the next cease-fire will remove Israel’s blockade so that we can more easily replenish our weapons and restore our tunnels for our next attack. And yes, we’re embarrassed that our fellow Arab Muslims in Egypt also choose to blockade us because of the problems that we’ve caused them.
• Not reminding readers, when you mention potential truce arrangements, that world powers are no more capable of ensuring a demilitarized Gaza than they were capable of disarming Hezbollah in south Lebanon.

Seriously, you’ve been AMAZING. Please keep it up!

Love,
Hamas

p.s. - Many thanks also to the countless protesters around the world who follow your lead, embolden us, and make us look legit!

---

Noah Beck is the author of The Last Israelis, an apocalyptic novel about Iranian nukes and other geopolitical issues in the Middle East.

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