blog.Tribulationperiod.com

The Fast Day of the 17th Day of Tammuz begins Today!

July 3, 2007

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

You might find it interesting to take the time to locate the occupation zones of the ancient enemies mentioned in old Psalm 83, and marking the total area it covers. Please compare it with the same area currently occupied by the enemy’s descendants surround ing Israel

in these zones today. History is often prophetically repetitive!

An Appropriate Psalm for Israel’s 2007 17th Day of Tammuz Situation!

Psalm 83 – Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

[2] For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. [3] They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

[4] They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

[5] For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: [6] The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; [7] Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; [8] Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. [9] Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: [10] Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. [11] Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: [12] Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. [13] O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.

[14] As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; [15] So persecute them with thy tempest, and make

them afraid with thy storm. [16] Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. [17] Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: [18] That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all

the earth.

Begin Arutz Sheva Article

Jews Prepare to Fast on 17th Day of Tammuz

17 Tammuz 5767, 03 July 07 07:21

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) The Three Weeks of gradually-increasing mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temples and Israel’s exile begin Tuesday. It begins with the fast day of the 17th day of Tammuz, the day on which Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian forces breached the walls of Jerusalem after many months of siege on their way to destroying the holy site. It ends on the 9th of Av – Tisha B’Av – the date on which both the First and Second Temples were destroyed, roughly 2,500 and 2,000 years ago, respectively.

The 17th of Tammuz is also the date on which Moses, having descended Mount Sinai and seeing the people sinning with the Golden Calf, broke the first set of Ten Commandments.

During the First Temple Era, the priests were forced on this day – a year before the Temple’s destruction – to stop offering the daily sacrifice due to the shortage of sheep.

In addition, the Talmud tells us, on this date some decades earlier, the evil King Menasheh had an idol placed in the Temple’ s Holy Sanctuary.

Later, during Second Temple times, a Roman general placed an idol in the same place and publicly burned

the Torah.

In honor of the day, and in view of the difficult situation Israel faces, the Chief Rabbinate issued the following call:

It is a time of trouble for Israel: Israel’s enemies sound off and lift their heads in arrogance and conceit, opening their mouths wide with threats and terrorization. They boast of their desire to destroy the Jews; “they have consulted together with one another and made a pact against G-d… saying, Let us cut off Israel” (Psalms 83), and wish to war with us even as we are geared for peace.

We are in dire need of G-d’s mercy and salvation; we have none on whom to lean except for our Father in Heaven. We must redouble our Torah study and observance of the Torah’s commandments, with even greater strength and greater devotion – for “they come with chariots and horses, but we come calling in the Name of G-d” (Psalms 20).

We therefore hereby call upon the Nation of G-d to gather in synagogues on Tuesday, the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz, an hour and a half before the afternoon Mincha prayer, for the recitation of selichot [penitential prayers] and Psalms. Let us cry out with all our strength, and call to our G-d and the G-d of our fathers from the depths of our heart – for “G-d is close to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalms 145).

May our cries arise before Him, and may G-d arise from His chair of strict justice and sit upon the chair of mercy. May He guide and lead us with compassion and kindness, for G-d’s salvation can come in the blink of an eye. And may we see the fulfillment of this verse: “I will give peace in the Land, and you will lie down to sleep without fear… and no sword will pass through your Land.” May this occur speedily in our days, Amen.

Signed and sealed: Shlomo Moshe Amar, the Rishon LeTzion, the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel

Yona Metzger, the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel

End of Arutz Sheva Article

Romans 9:25-29 – As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. [26] And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

[27] Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: [28] For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. [29] And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

Romans 11:26,27 – And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: [27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.

We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107

of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

You may use material originated by this site. However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.

Will the Temple be rebuilt as a “SIGN” before the Rapture?

July 2, 2007

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

The Jerusalem Post Article, which immediately follows, is then followed by our five year old Archive Prophecy Update Number 79, July 2, 2002. The majority of prophetic expositors teach that the Jewish Temple must be rebuilt before what is called “the rapture” of the saved. In my early ministry I taught that the Temple would be built before the rapture, but began to teach in 1974 it “might” or “might not” be rebuilt before Jesus catches out the saved. By 1988 the use of two different words, which are both translated “temple” in the New Testament, and the way Paul

used them in frequency and application, convinced me I was wrong, and I began to teach that the Jewish Temple would not be built until after the Second Advent of Christ, during the early part of his Millennial Reign.

I urge you to consider Archive Prophecy Update Number 79 even if you are confident it will be rebuilt before the rapture, because if you are not correct in your teaching,

then some of the ones you have taught are now under the impression they can wait until the Jews start rebuilding the Temple before getting serious in serving the God who saved them. Some are waiting for it to be the “sign” the rapture is no longer in the distant future.

Since I believe the words used by the writers of the Bible are inspired, in many cases I consider how the writer of a particular passage, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, used the same word in all the passages of the Bible he employed it. And, if he uses a different Koine Greek word, which is also translated as “temple” in the N.T., in a different manner when using it to describe a specific object, then I use it in the context to determine which one of its different meanings he intends it to represent. I realize this may sound complicated to s

ome, but if you will examine what I present in Archive Prophecy Update Number 79, which follows the Jerusalem Post article, it will be much easier to understand.

Begin Jerusalem Post Article

Shin Bet foils Hamas’s plans to control Temple Mount

Yaakov Katz, THE JERUSALEM POST

July 2, 2007

Hamas attempts to take over control of the Temple Mount as well as spread its ideology

and recruit new members in Jerusalem have been foiled by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency,) senior security official announced Monday.

According to offici als, H

amas has invested millions of shekels in recent years in Jerusalem charities, religious institutions, as well as in construction on the Temple Mount in an effort to recruit Israeli Arab residents of Jerusalem into its ranks, thus bolstering its presence in the capital.

The official said that Hamas recently built a bathroom on the Temple Mount and also enlarged a library and prayer halls in Solomon’s Stables.

“Their goal is to gain full control over the Temple Mount,” a high-ranking security officer said Monday, adding that Hamas also tried to infiltrate members into the Temple Mount as maintenance staff , in addition to its religious leaders who preach, give tours, and teach Koran classes there.

he official said Hamas had taken advantage of the Jordanian Wakf, which is responsible for the holy site. The Wakf has been suffering from finance constraints since 2000, when the Temple Mount mosques were closed to visitors.

Official said the Hamas takeover of the Temple Mount was a “strategic” move to bolster its standing in the Palestinian territories and throughout the Muslim world.

During a year-long operation, Shin Bet arrested 11 Hamas officials based in Jerusalem, 10 of whom held Israeli identity cards.

Hamas’s Jerusalem headquarters were funded by Hamas headquarters in Syria, as well as a chain of charity institutions based in Saudi Arabia . In addition to Hamas’s efforts to take over the Temple Mount, the movement increased in recent years its activity in east Jerusalem, where it had set up religious institutions and used what seemed to be innocent festivities to “brainwash” Muslims with Hamas ideology.

In order to implement its goals, Hams had also set up a number of institutions of a semi-religious nature to front illegal activities.

According to officials, there are no Hamas institutions currently active in Jerusalem.

The Shin Bet also focused its operations in curbing the flow of money into Hamas. A senior Hamas official, Yakub Abu Assab, was arrested for allegedly running a courier service that transferred funds from the West Bank and abroad to the Hamas headquarters in Jerusalem.

Israeli efforts to stop Hamas also included the arrests of Hamas parliamentarians, including Khaled Abu Afa, former Hamas minister for Jerusalem affairs.

All 11 detainees were due to be indicted for membership in a terror group and financing illegal terror activity.

Begin Archive Prophecy Update Number 79

PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 79

August 3, 2002

Will The Temple Be Rebuilt in Jerusalem Before The Second Advent

?

I long ago lost count of the number of men and women who have reminded me that the temple MUST be rebuilt before Jesus returns. A majority of believers are certain that it must be rebuilt because antichrist must set in it “showing himself that he is God.”

As a young man I was taught that it “would” be rebuilt before Jesus returned. But as I studied the Greek language in Seminary, I began to say it would “probably” be rebuilt. I finally came to believe it will not be rebuilt until the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ. Why?

Much of what follows is quoted primarily from the “New Testament Greek-English Dictionary of the Complete Bible Library,” Volumes 13 and 14.

In the New Testament the word “hieron,” translated as “temple,” is found ONLY in the Gospels, in Acts, and in I Corinthians 9:13, where Paul’s ONLY use of the word appears as “temple.”

I Corinthians 9:13 – Jerusalem’s Literal Stone Temple

[13] Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple (hieron)? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

“Hieron” refers to the entire temple including its precincts and the temple hill or, in a limited sense, any portion of the temple, such as the court of the women (Luke 2:37) where Jesus stood before the altar after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:11), the court of the Gentiles out of which Jesus drove the money changers (John 2:15), or the temple proper where the veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Matthew 27:52). “Hieron” is ONLY used in a literal sense in the entire New Testament. This is in very sharp contrast to its closely related term “naos,” which is used both literally and figuratively in the New Testament. It is used figuratively at times to refer to the human body or a local church body.

I Corinthians 6:19 – The Human Body – Naos

[19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own

?

I Corinthians 3:16,17 – The Local Church Body – Naos

[16] Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? [17] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

(All the “ye’s” in this verse are plural, and the “in” of verse 16 may be translated with equal validity as being “among” you, because “you” is plural.)

Now, let’s take a look at the word “naos,” translated as “temple” in the New Testament. “Naos” denotes the “dwelling place of a god.” Consequently, the “naos” was the inner “sanctuary” of a temple where the image of the God was placed, or where he dwelled. It is frequently translated as “temple,” but the association with the word “sanctuary” should not be overlooked.

The following verses contain ALL the uses of the word translated “temple” in the writings of the Apostle Paul.

TEMPLE – HIERON – I CORINTHIANS 9:13

[13] Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

(This is absolutely referring literally to the great temple of stone in the city of Jerusalem)

TEMPLE – NAOS – I CORINTHIANS 6:19

[19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

(This is absolutely referring to the body of someone who has experienced the new birth as figuratively being a temple)

Now, Let’s take a look at the use of NAOS in I Corinthians 3:16.17, II Corinthians 6:16, and Ephesians 2:21,22.

TEMPLE – NAOS – I CORINTHIANS 3:16,17

[16] Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? [17] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

TEMPLE – NAOS – II CORINTHIANS 6:16

[16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

(All the “ye’s” and the “them” and “they” are plural, and the two “in’s” may be translated as “among”)

TEMPLE – NAOS – EPHESIANS 2:21,22

[21] In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: [22] In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

(The “ye” in verse 22 is plural)

It is perfectly obvious in the verses in the two books of Corinthians and Ephesians that Paul was not referring to the literal temple in Jerusalem, and it is also equally obvious he knew the distinction between “hieron” and “naos.” That is why his ONLY other use of the word “naos,” occurring in I Thessalonians 2:4, is so puzzling. I am convinced that if he meant the literal stone temple in Jerusalem, then he would have used the word “hieron.”

TEMPLE – NAOS – II THESSALONIANS 2:4

[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The precise meaning of “naos” in this verse is uncertain.

I believe Paul pictures the antichrist sitting on the temple mount in a sinful body of flesh, with his inner soul and spirit claiming he is God to prove it to himself, and to show the world he is God. This would parallel his use of the word “naos” in I Corinthians 6:19. In any case, I Thessalonians 2:4 falls far short of proving that the temple must be rebuilt before Jesus comes.

The companion Old Testament Scripture often used to link with II Thessalonians 2:4 to prove the temple must be rebuilt is Daniel 11:45.

Daniel 11:45

[45] And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

However, the word translated “palace” is “appeden.” It is never translated as “temple” in the entire Bible. So it means, in the context of this verse, that antichrist returns to Jerusalem just before the battle of Armageddon, and puts up a command post palace pavilion on the temple mount, from which he plans to sit and direct the final battle. The tents (tabernacles – ohel) are the tents of all the troops from Europe, Eurasia, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa which have poured into Israel in answer to his call, and he will direct their final attack against Israel in the Negev from his “appeden” on the temple mount. I have heard about the rebuilding of this temple for some 54 years. F or better

or for worst, I do not believe the temple will be rebuilt until Jesus returns.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more detailed information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

You may use material originated by this site.

However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.

A VERY BAD MOVE BY THE U.S.!

July 1, 2007

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

Ironically, the two reports which follow came out on the same day. I have been watching the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt for some time, and am in accord with the first article from MEMRI, which made it very difficult for me to understand why the United States

has approved having contacts and dialogue with them. I believe the assessment made in the first article is correct. It was a bad decision to do what is stated in the second article from World Tribune, and I believe it will

do us more harm than good in the future.

Begin MEMRI Article

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)

June 28, 2007

Warnings in the Egyptian Press: The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt Is Going the Way of Hamas in Gaza

In the wake of Hamas’ takeover of Gaza, some in the Egyptian press have expressed fears that the Muslim Brotherhood may seize power in Egypt.

They expressed concern at the similarities between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and said

that lessons should be learned from the Palestinian experience in Gaza.

The following are excerpts of articles from the Egyptian press:

The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is Trying to Reproduce Hamas’ Experience in Gaza

Tariq Hasan, a columnist for the Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram, wrote: “In Egypt there are those who are trying to reproduce what Hamas did in Gaza… For anyone who has the slightest doubt about this and wants proof, it is sufficient to consider statements by Brotherhood representatives in parliament… They said that Egypt waved the Zionist flag, despite the people’s opposition to this. This means that Egypt, like the Palestinian Authority, deserves that a revolution should take place in it.

“The Brotherhood, like Hamas, does not recognize the legitimacy of the parliament that ratified the peace treaty with Israel, nor the legitimacy of the state that ratified these agreements, since [in its view] it is a traitorous state that works for foreign interests and that does not represent its people. From these statements we understand that the Hamas problem is not [limited to] just Gaza, but it is also in Egypt, and that the Bro

therhood holds the same positions and uses the same ideas and statements with which Hamas conducted a putsch against the [legitimate] government, and through which it declared Gaza a rebel region under its rule.

“Here in Egypt the Brotherhood brought out the masked militias in Al-Azhar University, and there in Gaza Hamas put them to use. Here they changed the Egyptian flag and removed the eagle of the Republic from it, and there they took down the Palestinian flag and waved the green flag of Hamas.

What can we expect?…

“In light of this severe threat, it is not enough for us to say to people ‘look at what Hamas did in Gaza’ in order to warn them about the Brotherhood in Egypt. We must learn the lessons without delay.

“Hamas won the game it was playing, and the Brotherhood is doing the [same] thing. There, there was a government that allowed them to take part in elections without their recognizing the legitimacy of that Authority [i.e. the PA] and without their being made to accept the state’s constitution and its laws. Hamas used the elections and democracy as an instrument [in order to take power], and then they turned the matter over to the armed militias in order to conduct a putsch against everyone.

“Here, there are [Muslim] Brothers who do not recognize the legitimacy of the state and oppose the constitution and the law, and despite this, we find people who say that [the Brotherhood] represents them and speaks in their name in parliament… Whoever ignores this [matter] will bring us into the gates of hell that we saw in Gaza…”

The Egyptian People Feel There is a Danger From Within

Chairman of the executive council of the Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Yousef, Karam Gabar, wrote in his column: “Hamas is the Brotherhood of Palestine – the Palestine branch [of the Brotherhood]. They hold a place at the top of the list of members of the international organization of the banned group [i.e. the Muslim Brotherhood]. This means that this is a worldwide movement that does not recognize national identity, the flag, or the anthem.

They do not recognize a homeland that must be defended and for which one must give one’s life. The homeland for them includes any plot of land on Earth on which the flag of the Brotherhood may be flown… Hamas is the same thing.

Whoever does not share their faith is [considered] outside of Islam, and he is treated like one of the infidels…

“For Hamas and the Brotherhood, democracy is just dancing with Satan. The people who harbor the most enmity for democracy are those same groups who think that they have a divine mandate to rule and to implement the shari’a they see fit, and not Allah’s shari’a. Democracy for them is just a means to take power; afterwards, they whip democracy with lashes and behead it with the sword… No one can raise their head and speak up without becoming an infidel who must be punished.

Their democracy is worse than dictatorship…

“In the history of Hamas and the banned [Muslim Brotherhood] there are incidents that are blacker than black: murders, torture… Hamas and the banned [Muslim Brotherhood] have no written law, [and both movements] do not recognize the this-worldly judicial system or secular judges.

“Their judicial system is speedy, and it has a special law [taken] from the worst exegetical texts

from the days of the ridda, separatism, and darkness.

The end of [their trials] – which last no longer than a few minutes – is swords, or a traitorous bullet, without fair trial. The banned [Muslim Brotherhood] recognizes the law of the country in cases where it serves their interests, and afterwards it rebels against the law, casts aspersion on the judicial system, and does not honor the legitimate [government] or the constitution…

“For the first time, the Egyptians felt dread when they saw the students of Al-Azhar University conducting combat displays with the same methods as Hamas, and in the same clothing, with the same slogans and tools. The public felt the danger growing under [its] skin, flowing in [its] blood, and touching on [its] nerves – a real danger flowing from the depths, and not something imported from abroad…”

Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are Dragging the Entire People to Suicide

In his daily column, the editor of the Egyptian daily Al-Gomhouriya Muhammad ‘Ali Ibrahim wrote: “Hamas is the Palestinian side of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which has become the heart and the brain of the world organization of the Brotherhood, and whose Supreme Guide has become the one who motivates, advises, and guides all of the Islamist currents in the world…

“I imagine myself a Palestinian living in Gaza, or an Egyptian living here [in Egypt] if, God forbid, the Brotherhood had a majority in parliament. First, if what Hamas did against Fatah were to happen anywhere in the Arab homeland… the result would be, quite simply, that people would not receive salaries, schooling, [medical] treatment, or services…

“I imagine that when Hamas considers murdering Mahmoud Abbas, it will in no way ask the people, since it [already] received a mandate at the ballot box… It is possible that Hamas will receive orders from Iran and will carry them out, and then it will drag the region into a destructive total war. It is also possible that Tehran will convince the Hamas leaders to repeat Hizbullah’s experience…

“In short, the victory of Hamas and the Brotherhood at the ballot box does not mean that they are politicians and that they are capable of running the state, with all of the political [implications] and the responsibility that this entails. All that Hamas is capable of doing is to be crack troops of suicide. Unfortunately, however, they are not committing suicide alone. They are forcing the entire people to commit suicide, and I fear that this is the same tactic and path that the Brotherhood in Egypt is taking…”

Begin World Tribune Article

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE

WorldTribune.com

U.S. approves contacts with Muslim Brotherhood: ‘Region is going Islam’

June 28, 2007

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has been quietly engaging the Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Officials said the State Department has approved a policy that would enable U.S. diplomats to meet and coordinate with Brotherhood leaders in Egypt, Iraq, Syria and other Arab states. They said the program would first be restricted to elected officials from the Brotherhood and eventually be extended to their political chiefs.

“The region is going Islam,” an official said.

“We see this in nearly every country in the Middle East. We either understand it and engage with it or find ourselves completely out of the picture.”

The Brotherhood has been regarded as the inspiration for Muslim movements throughout the Arab world. The organization, founded in Egypt, spread through Saudi financing and has served as the inspiration for Al Qaida.

Many Arab countries have banned the Brotherhood. But in Egypt, a party composed of Brotherhood members has won 20 percent of the seats in the National Assembly and plays a major role in domestic policy.

In 2007, officials said, the State Department was quietly fostering ties with

the Brotherhood. U.S. embassy staffers in Cairo have attended sessions led by parliamentarians from the Brotherhood and invited the Islamists to official receptions.

“We respect the laws of this country,” U.S. ambassador to Egypt Francis Ricciardone said. “But, at the same time, we’re ready to establish relations and hold meetings with all the legal political elements in the country.

Officials said a U.S. approach toward the Brotherhood was vital in wake of the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in late June. They said the policy could encourage what officials have identified as a pro-Western wing of the Palestinian Islamic movement.

The administration policy has been supported by the Democratic-controlled Congress. On April 7, House leaders, including Democratic whip Rep. Steny Hoyer, attended a reception by the U.S. embassy in Cairo that included Brotherhood deputies. The reception took place at the ambassador’s residence.

The State Department has been discussing the new policy with the U.S. intelligence community. On June 20, the department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research convened a meeting with members of the CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency to expand dialogue with the Brotherhood.

The proposal was based on a study by Robert Leiken, a researcher at the Nixon Center. The study, commissioned by the National Intelligence Council, urged the United States to open a formal channel to the Islamic movement.

Such a channel would include formal meetings with Brotherhood leaders throughout the Arab and Islamic world and invite members to study or work in the United States. Officials said the law enforcement community, particularly the FBI, opposes the proposal, concerned that this would facilitate Al Qaida plots to attack the United States.

At the State Department forum, Leiken was opposed by Hillel Fradin, an Islamic expert from the Hudson Institute. Fradkin was said to have argued that engaging the rigidly ideological Brotherhood would dash any hope for reform within political Islam.

“You make them partners,” Zeyno Baran, Fradkin’s colleague at Hudson, told the New York Sun. “They might Islamize the Muslims, but it’s okay because they can think or do what they want as long as they are not violent. That is the misunderstanding and mistake.”

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

You may use material originated by this site. However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.

Somewhere the Sun is Shinning,

And somewhere Children shout,

But there is no Joy in Gaza,

Farfour just cashed Out!

July, 2007

Begin Jerusalem Post Funeral Edition

Farfour Mouse dies in last episode

Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST

June 29, 2007

Hamas TV on Friday broadcast what it said was the last episode of a weekly children’s show fe aturing

“Farfour,” a Mickey Mouse look-alike who had made worldwide headlines for preaching Islamic domination and armed struggle to youngsters.

In the final skit, Farfour was beaten to death by an actor posing as an Israeli official trying to buy Farfour’s land. At one point, Farfour called the Israeli a “terrorist.”

“Farfour was martyred while defending his land,” said Sara, the teen presenter. He was killed “by the killers of children,” she added.

The weekly show, featuring a giant black-and-white rodent with a high-pitched voice, had attracted worldwide attention because the character urged Palestinian children to fight Israel. It was broadcast on Hamas-affiliated Al-Aksa TV.

Station officials said Friday that Farfour was taken off the air to make room for new programs.

Station manager Mohammed Bilal said he didn’t know yet what would be shown instead.

Israeli officials have denounced the program, “Tomorrow’s Pioneers,” as incendiary and outrageous.

The program was also opposed by the state-run Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, which is controlled by Fatah.

End of Article

Maybe Abbas, the leader

of Fatah, thought it might be wise to end the career of Farfour the Magnificent Mouse, but why not let Hamas, who tried to kill Abbas, do the dirty deed? I wonder why

?

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.

We are mak ing such material available

in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

You may use material originated by this site.

However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.