FactsOfIsrael.com covers the basic facts on the State of Israel and the Middle East. This includes Maps, the History of the region, Statistics, and more. We also post articles related to the Victims of Palestinian Terrorism, Anti-Semitism, Jewish History, and also a bit of Humor, News and Opinions.

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Fact 287: "On February 16 2002, a Palestinian homicide/suicide bomber deliberately choose as his bloodshedding target a crowd of Jewish children sitting at a pizzeria in the town of Karnei Shomron. Three children die and over 30 are wounded in the barbaric attack. Among the victims was Rachel Thaler, a 16-year-old girl."

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Note: 15 random articles are displayed below. Refresh this page to display another set of random articles.
Israel's Chief of Staff says Palestinians pose existential threat to Israel (08.31.2002)


OpinionHa'aretz (www.haaretzdaily.com) has an excellent interview with Moshe Ya'alon, Israel's current Chief of Staff:

Question: Are you saying that despite what appears to be a war of the oppressed against the oppressors, of the occupied against the occupiers, the Palestinians actually have a sense of strength and power?

Answer: "Of course. They feel that they have the backing of a quarter-of-a-billion Arabs and they believe that time is on their side and that, with a combination of terrorism and demography, they will tire us out and wear us down. There is also an additional reverse asymmetry here: We do not have intentions to annihilate them and we have also expressed readiness to grant them a state, whereas they are unwilling to recognize our right to exist here as a Jewish state."

Do you not see the war of the Palestinians against us as a campaign to end the occupation?

"If the term 'occupation' had any relevance at all, it lost it, as far as I am concerned, in the year 2000, when the State of Israel put a certain proposal on the table that was supposed to resolve the problem. That proposal was supposed to get the Palestinians off our back, but instead they started to stab us. They stayed on our back, attached to us and stabbing us. That is the reality. Therefore, without getting into a political discussion of what the solution should be, I maintain that the story is not occupation. The story is non-recognition of the right of the State of Israel to exist as a Jewish state." [...]

"Do we have a choice? We must understand: The Palestinians have returned us to the War of Independence. Today it is clear that the State of Israel as a Jewish state is still an alien element in the region. It will take generations until various elements in the region accept its existence. Therefore, we have to go back to the ethos of standing fast, not because I am enamored of that ethos, but because there is no choice. It is an ethos of no choice.


Excluding the extreme left (see the democracy page for details), I am guessing pretty much every Israeli agrees with Moshe Ya'alon. When the Palestinians and their supporters understand that violence and terrorism leads them nowhere we might have a chance for peace.

I copy the full interview below, it's well worth the read.

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Should the US have attacked Hitler in World War II? (08.21.2002)


HumorTransterrestrial Musings has written a parody that makes a parallel of today's hesitation in attacking Iraq's murderous Saddam Hussein and the same kind of debate the US might have had in 1944 before attacking Hitler:

Administration Split On Europe Invasion
Washington, April 3, 1944 (Routers)

Fissures are starting to appear in the formerly united front within the Roosevelt administration on the upcoming decision of whether, where and how to invade Europe. Some influential voices within both the Democrat and Republican parties are starting to question the wisdom of toppling Adolf Hitler's regime, and potentially destabilizing much of the region.

"It's one thing to liberate France and northwestern Europe, and teach the Germans a lesson, but invading a sovereign country and overthrowing its democratically-elected ruler would require a great deal more justification," said one well-connected former State Department official. "The President just hasn't made the case to the American people." [...]

"For God's sake, the man is gassing Jews by the millions!" said one exasperated presidential advisor. "Do you think that he's going to be content to simply murder his own people if we let him stay in power?" [...]

Concern is great that, in a total German defeat, or regime change, the results could have unpredictable and far-reaching consequences. Germany consists of a large number of ethnic groups antipathetic to each other, including Germans, Jews, Bohemians, Slavs and Gypsies. In the power vacuum created by the absence of a strong and stable central government, there is concern that it could split up into a number of fractious, balkanized countries, with the potential for renewed war and strife on European soil.


It gets better. I copy the full article below.

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Gas masks for Israeli dogs (01.27.2003)


NewsThe BBC (www.bbc.co.uk) reports that an Israeli vet has designed gas masks for dogs:



An Israeli dog -
When Saddam Hussein pledged
"To eradicate 'the Jewish Dogs' from the World'
he took it personally


An Israeli vet is producing gas masks for use in the event of attack from Iraq - for pets.

Dr Rafi Kishon's special emergency kits contain a pet gas mask - available to fit Chihuahuas through to St Bernards - antidotes to bio-chemical poisoning, and tranquilisers.

Iraq fired Scud missiles at Israel during the 1991 Gulf War and Israelis fear it will try to do the same again if attacked by the United States and its allies. [...]

Dr Kishon said he came up with the idea for the gas mask kits during the first Gulf War when his dog became hysterical during missile attacks.

"He took Saddam Hussein's pledge to eradicate 'the Jewish dogs from the world' personally," he said.


In 1991, during the Gulf war, I lived in Israel and attended college. Saddam Hussein fired dozens of missiles at Israel, even though Israel never attacked Iraq. Israel never retaliated but the butcher from Baghdad continued to fire missiles every night, aiming at Israeli cities.

One of the stories I remember was about an elderly woman and her Chihuahua. One night, after another missile attack from Iraq, like all Israelis, this poor elderly lady put on her gas mask. The Iraqi Scud missile hit close to her home and the walls shook - she believed she was hit.

Her pet, a small Chihuahua, freaked out and started running around in circles. The elderly lady also panicked, took out her Atropine shot (an antidote for chemical weapons) and administered it to the undersized dog.

It took a few seconds for the Chihuahua to die... The dose was too strong for the poor little dog - it was made for a human. If the old lady had one of Dr. Kishon's gas masks, her pet would probably have survived.

To see Dr. Kishon's web page, click here (in Hebrew). I copy the full article below.

Update 2/15/03: I have received a few requests from American pet owners who are interested in purchasing kits to protect their pets. Dr. Kishon seems to only serve Israel, so I did some research and found the following site:

http://www.protectivesuits.com/pet_shield.html


Here are some sites that are not directly related to pets, but will help you protect yourself. These sites sell gas masks, potassium iodate, body suits, readiness kits and more:

http://www.healthywealthyandwise.net/shop/list.html?categ=2
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
http://www.safetysquare.com/home.html
http://areyouprepared.com/security_and_protection.html
http://www.kio3.com/

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Palestinian homicide/suicide bomber kills Israeli grandmother and infant granddaughter (05.27.2002)


Palestinian TerrorismHa'aretz (www.haaretzdaily.com) reports that another Palestinian homicide/suicide bomber has blown himself in front of a coffee shop, this time killing two and injuring over 50.

"A grandmother and her 18-month-old granddaughter were killed Monday evening, when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the Bravisimo cafe, at a commercial center in Petah Tikva.

The Al Aqsa Martys Brigade, the military wing of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah party, claimed responsibility for the attack in the city, which is located 10 kilometers east of Tel Aviv. The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack."


Last night Israeli TV (Channel 1) reported that the Islamic Jihad, the Hamas and Arafat's terrorist groups, such as the Al-Aqsa Martyr's brigade, are sending in a new wave of homicide/suicide bombers. Their goal is to prove that Operation Defensive Shield did not work, and that Israel should give up fighting Palestinian terrorism.

Israli TV also mentioned that over 90% of all Palestinian homicide/suicide attacks are being stopped, and it is much harder for these murderers to execute their plans of destruction. The main leaders of the above terrorist groups have been arrested and this indicates that Operation Defensive Shield is working.

I copy the full article below.

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The irony of Palestinian genocide bombers adding rat poison to their bombs (08.19.2002)


HumorMilt Priggee from Spokane (WA) has captured the irony of Palestinian genocide bombers adding rat poison to their bombs:



Palestinian Genocide Bombers
add rat poison to their bombs


For more information on why these Palestinian murderers use rat poison, check out "Palestinian genocide bombers add nails, ball bearings and rat poison to their explosives".

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Fake Palestinian Funeral (05.03.2002)


MultimediaLast night I was watching the Israeli news, and the IDF (Israel's army) released a video of a fake Palestinian funeral in Jenin.

Using a small plane (drone) without pilots, Israel was able to film how the Palestinians tried to stage a fake funeral to show as many casualties as possible were buried in Jenin.




"In the tape you see the fake 'corpse' being wrapped and then lying down on a stretcher. The stretcher bearers are not particularly adept and you can see him fall off several times.

During the course of the funeral the 'corpse' was dropped and the 'dead' Palestinian got up from the ground scaring many of the Palestinian marchers who were not cognizant of the deception."

To watch the 3 minute video, click here.
For the full article, see below.

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Israel is winning the war on Palestinian Terror (04.21.2004)


OpinionDanie Pipes (www.danielpipes.org) has a good analysis on how the latest Palestinian efforts to destroy Israel have backfired and how Israel is winning the war on Islamic terrorism:

A day after Israeli troops killed its second leader within a single month, the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas put on a brave face. The Israelis "are dreaming" if they think this would weaken Hamas, announced Ismail Haniyeh to a crowd of over 70,000 mourners at the funeral for Abdel Aziz Rantisi. "Every time a martyr falls," Haniyeh insisted, "Hamas is strengthened."

This sort of boosterism and puffery has a long history among Palestinians. The last time Israeli forces did real damage to the Palestinian war machine, in May 2002, for example, Khaled Meshaal of Hamas announced that the Israeli devastation was actually "a Palestinian victory that lifted the morale of our people." Not to be outdone, Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) claimed that same month, "The more destruction I see, the stronger I get."

These leaders may be fooling themselves by pretending that defeat is victory, but growing numbers of Palestinians are wising up to the bitter realities of losing a war. Their mood has darkened since February 2001, when the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, came to office intent to establish that violence against Israel does not work. [...]

In a word, Mr. Sharon's tough policies have established that terrorism damages Palestinian interests even more than it does Israeli ones. This has led some analysts deeply hostile to Israel to recognize that the "second intifada" was a grievous error. Violence "just went haywire," says Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al-Quds University. An "unmitigated disaster," journalist Graham Usher calls it a "crime against the Palestinian people," adds an Arab diplomat. [...]

As for Israelis, as early as July 2003 the military brass reached the conclusion that Israel was achieving victory. More sharply, Israeli analyst Asher Susser concluded in the Middle East Quarterly back then that the Palestinian effort to break the Israeli spirit through terror "has failed" and resorting to force "was a catastrophic mistake, the worst the Palestinians have made since 1948."

In this context, rapidly eliminating two Hamas chieftains in a row deepens Palestinian perceptions that Israel's will to defend itself is strong, its military arm long, and that terrorism is tactically wrong. Perhaps more Palestinians will realize the time has come to accept the existence of the Jewish state.


I have my doubts on whether Palestinians, and currently most Muslisms, will ever recognize the State of Israel and not wish and act for her destruction.

That said, while Israel is strong and continues her war on Palestinian terrorism, they don't have a choice but to live in reality: Israel exists and is here to stay.

Found this on the excellent LGF. I copy the full article below.

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BBC and NPR lead biased leftist media in anti-Israel reporting (02.11.2004)


Media BiasThe Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) reports on how the English BBC and America's NPR lead the leftist media in their anti-Israel reporting:

The BBC is at the forefront of the anti-Israel media pack in Europe. It has been so effective in smearing Israel as a rogue state that in a recent poll, Europeans rated Israel as more dangerous to world peace than Saddam Hussein's Iraq or Iran or North Korea.

The American people so far remain relatively immune to the virus of anti-Western (namely anti-American) propaganda and to plain anti-Semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism. Despite the strenuous efforts of America's leftist elite (who dominate its academia and media) to promote the notion that American imperialists' designs, especially support for Israel, are the reason for all the world's troubles, Americans do not fall for this "blame America and its friends" propaganda. Especially not after 9/11. [...]

However, a majority of Americans – notably the Evangelical churches – have been supporting Israel despite the possible loss of Arab "friendship." They believe this is the moral thing to do, since Israel – like America – promotes freedom and democracy, and that in a region rife with dictatorships and oppression. More recently, many Americans came to appreciate that Israel is a valuable ally in fighting the deadly threat of terrorism directed also at "The Great Satan" – America.

IT IS to undermine this moral status of Israel, indeed its very legitimacy, that its enemies in America are striving. Leading the onslaught is National Public Radio, the BBC's ideological partner.

For a decade, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) has been meticulously documenting its charge of "false and inflammatory reporting on Israel" by NPR. CAMERA has exposed many instances of bias, fabrications, and lies employed by NPR and its correspondents (see www.camera.org).


If you haven't already done so, please stop giving money to NPR. Click here to check out an article that describes how NPR reported on an Israeli 7 year-old girl as a "settler", while the Palestinian murderer that shot her in the head is described as a "militant". Next time NPR calls asking you for your yearly/monthly pledge, just say "No".

I copy the full article below, which includes additional specific examples of NPR's bias and hate of Israel.

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Muslim immigrant kills 2 unarmed civilians in Los Angeles (07.05.2002)


Palestinian TerrorismCNN (www.cnn.com) reports that a terrorist attack has occurred in Los Angeles, California in the United States. The killer chose to strike in front of El Al's (Israel's national carrier) at LAX, Los Angeles' international airport.

The gunman opened fire around 11:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. EDT) inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal, a separate building from the domestic terminals, officials said.

He shot dead a 20-year-old female El Al ticket agent -- an Israeli national -- and a 46-year-old man who was a diamond importer, investigators said. Four others were injured, including a 61-year-old woman who was shot and wounded, a man who was pistol-whipped by the gunman, and the El Al security chief who was stabbed in the back, officials said

Authorities identified the gunman as 41-year-old Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, who came to the United States from Egypt in 1992 and had been living in Irvine, California. Investigators were asking for the public's help in obtaining more information about the man.


I find it interesting that many are not calling this a terrorist attack. The murderer, Mohamed Hadayet, a Muslim immigrant from Egypt, deliberately aimed, shot and killed two unarmed civilians. He specifically looked to kill Jews and Israelis, but the FBI is saying that if a man is not part of a terrorist organization he/she cannot commit terrorist attacks.

Whether the Egyptian murderer was part of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or any other organized terrorist group is irrelevant. The deliberate killing of unarmed civilians is terrorism.

I copy the full article below.

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Sharon and Israel showing restraint (05.24.2002)


OpinionThe Times of London (www.timesonline.co.uk) has a good article on how Israel and her Prime Minister Sharon are showing restraint during these difficult times.

Although the Palestinian terrorist organizations continue their war on Israeli unarmed civilians, Sharon and Israel do not overreact, giving time for a diplomatic solution.

I don't believe that the Palestinian terrorists such as the Islamic Jihad, the Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Arafat's groups such as the Tanzim and Al Aqsa's martyrs Brigade are ready to recognize the State of Israel and sign a peace treaty. But maybe after getting hit hard a few times, and having their terror infrastructure destroyed, they'll accept a cease-fire.

"The response instead has been measured, even surgical. Israel has targeted specific areas and individuals linked precisely to the violence aimed at its citizens. It has decided to place faith in the military operation that it conducted within the West Bank in April and has resisted the temptation to engage in a dramatic enterprise. In so doing it has provided the United States with a breathing space in which to attempt to exercise some influence over the Palestinians and encourage political dialog."


I copy the full article below.

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Saudi Interior Minister, "Prince" Nayef, accuses J-E-W-S of being behind 9/11 attacks (12.06.2002)


Anti-SemitismYahoo News (www.yahoo.com) reports that the Minister of Police from Saudi Arabia has accused the "Jews" of being behind the heinous attacks of 9/11 against the US:

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The Saudi police minister has claimed Jews were behind the Sept. 11 attacks because they have benefited from subsequent criticism of Islam and Arabs, according to media reports.

Interior Minister Prince Nayef made the remarks in the Arabic-language Kuwaiti daily Assyasah last month. The latest edition of Ain al-Yaqeen, a weekly Internet magazine devoted to Saudi issues, posted the Assyasah interview and its own English translation.

"We know that the Jews have manipulated the Sept. 11 incidents and turned American public opinion against Arabs and Muslims," Prince Nayef was quoted as saying in the Arabic text, while Ain al Yaqeen's English version referred to "Zionists" instead of "Jews."

"We still ask ourselves: Who has benefited from Sept. 11 attacks? I think they (the Jews) were the protagonists of such attacks," Nayef was quoted as saying.


This is not the first time a high ranking Arab/Muslim official has claimed that the J-E-W-S are behind 9/11. In fact, this seems to be a common idea among many Arab Muslims, proving once again how they have become the new Nazis. Click here for an earlier report: "An Antisemitic Myth in the Arab Press: The September 11 Attacks Were Perpetrated by the Jews".

I copy the full article below.

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Arafat's lost brother, Arafish (11.13.2002)


HumorYasser Arafat being such a great murderer, terrorist and Palestinian leader, I would never dream of making fun of him. That said, I must report on some family matters that will make all pro-Palestinians happy. Charles from Little Green Footballs has discovered Yasser Arafat's lost brother:



Arafish, Yasser Arafat's
Lost brother


Here's Arafat reaction after he learned about the existence of Arafish:





I got Arafish's picture from LGF at:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=4709

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British Israel-bashing (05.06.2002)


OpinionJust found this great article on the Jerusalem Post about bluring lines between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in England.

The articles also mentions how Britain's left hates Israel and many wish for its destruction. Their position is similar to the extreme left I encountered in the U.S.: people from Berkeley, CA and supporters of Nader, who would be extremely pleased if Israel was destroyed. I also found it interesting that those who hate Israel in the U.K. also call Palestinian terrorists "militants" or "activists", the same way that NPR/QKED does in the U.S (see the email I sent to NPR).

"There is a loose, but growing, coalition of anti-American, anti-globalization, animal rights, ecologically pure activists," says one political observer, "and in the collective mindset of that coalition, Israel - and, by extension, Jews - represent a combined hate target. This is no coincidence. Those who are attracted to such a coalition are drawn from both the Left and the Right - and anti-Semitism provides them with their common denominator."

I publish the full article below.

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Arafat potato chips selling like pipe bombs in Jenin (05.30.2002)


HumorFox News (www.foxnews.com) reports that if you live in Egypt you can now purchase cheese flavored Yasser Arafat potato chips.



Arafat Potato Chips
Explodes in your mouth not in your hand


The chips are bagged in Palestinian colors — green, red, black and white — and carry the likeness of a rotund and wide-eyed Arafat, saluting with one hand and holding a Palestinian flag in the other. He's dressed in his trademark military fatigues and black-and-white checked headgear.


I link to the full article here, but I found that the real story is the marketing campaign behind Arafat's chips. Little Green Footballs (littlegreenfootballs.com) has a list of the top rejected slogans - I list here my favorites:

10. Mister Potato Head has martyred himself for your snacking pleasure.
9. Death to Pringles, Death to Jews.
8. Tostitos may have the fiesta bowl but see the New Abu Ammar Chips Bowl next New Year's Day featuring Cal Berkeley v. SFSU.
7. We couldn't make them with real potatoes because the Jews have taken all our potatoes away.
6. Israeli supermarkets can't keep them on the shelves because we keep blowing up the supermarkets.
5. Goes great with Hamas Hummus!
4. Explodes in your mouth not in your hand.
3. Now served on all Air-France flights.
2. Free Martyr-Boy action figure in every box.

And the number one rejected slogan for Arafat's potato chips:

1. Try them today with new UN Observer Dip.

To see where I got the above slogans, click here.

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First Newsletter sent! (05.01.2002)


NewsletterOn Sunday, I sent the first FactsOfIsrael.com newsletter and I've received some great feedback!

Check it out here, and click here to sign up for a free weekly newsletter with links, news, and one Fact on Israel and the Middle East.

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