A7News: Second Temple Era Seal Unveiled

1. Second Temple Era Seal Unveiled
by Gavriel Queenann

The Israel Antiquities Authority held a special press conference in Jerusalem's City of David on Sunday to unveil a rare coin from the Second Temple era.

The cartouche – or seal – never seen by the public before, is the size of the modern New Israeli Shekel coin and bears the Aramaic inscriptions “it is pure” and a two-letter abbreviation for the name of God.

It was discovered near the Robinson’s Arch at the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount. Archeologists say the soil layer above the Herodian road where the seal was found was dated to the first century BCE.

Archaeologist Eli Shukron of the Antiquities Authority, and Professor Ronny Reich of Haifa University, who oversaw the excavation, explained to reporters the significance of the coin.

"This is the first time an object of this kind has been found. It is direct archaeological evidence of Jewish activity on the Temple Mount during the Second Temple era," they said.

"Products being brought to the temple had to be stamped pure – which is what this seal was used for," they added.

Such seals are mentioned in the Mishna and discussed in the Talmud – but the cartouche unveiled today does not match any of the four inscriptions included in extant texts.

"What we know is brought down from the surviving literature," the archeologists said. "Here archeology has brought us something new."

Minister of Culture Limor Livnat and Minister of Education Gideon Saar joined dozens of students for the unveiling.

Saar said, "The seal shows the deep connection of Israel to the City of David. It is important excavations like these that demonstrate our bond to Jerusalem. Everything uncovered here strengthens us."

In addition to the seal other artifacts were discovered dating to Second Temple period, and some to the days of the Hasmoneans – such as oil lamps, cooking pots made of clay, a jug containing oils and perfumes, as well as coins of the Hasmonean kings such as Alexander Jannaeus and John Hyrcanus.





 

 
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2. Reward: $10 Million for Iranian-Based Al Qaeda Terrorist
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

The United States has posted a $10 million reward for information leading to the location of Syrian-born Al Qaeda terrorist now based in Iran.

"Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, more commonly known as Yasin al-Suri, moves money and recruits from across the Middle East into Iran, and then on to Pakistan, to support Al Qaeda’s senior leadership," The Department of Justice’s Reward for Justice website stated.

Khalil was born in 1982, has black hair and brown eyes and also goes by the aliases of Izz al-Din Abd al-Farid Khalil and Zayn al-Abadin.

“Iranian authorities maintain a relationship with al-Suri and have permitted him to operate within Iran’s borders since 2005,” it continued.

Al-Suri also is an important fundraiser for Al Qaeda and has collected money from donors and fundraisers throughout the Gulf, funneling significant funds via Iran for Al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Working with the Iranian government, al-Suri arranges the release of al-Qaida personnel from Iranian prisons and facilitates their travel to Pakistan.

'He is a dedicated terrorist working in support of al-Qaeda with the support of the government of Iran,' said Robert Hartung, a senior State Department official.

Since 1984, the U.S. Rewards for Justice program has paid out more than $100 million for credible information on terrorists and on planned terrorist attacks.

The most wanted terrorist on the U.S. list is Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who carries a bounty of $25 million.

 

 
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3. UNESCO Stops Funding PA-Hitlerism
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

UNESCO has halted its funding of a magazine promoting Hitler as a role model for the PA. It expressed “shock” over the incitement – but only after it was exposed by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) and Arutz Sheva and after the Simon Wiesenthal Center complained.

Zayzafuna, a magazine which ostensibly promotes democracy and tolerance, published an article by a ten-year-old Palestinian girl who said that in her dreams, Hitler told her, “Yes. I killed them [the Jews] so you would all know that they are a nation who spreads destruction all over the world.”

"UNESCO is shocked and dismayed by the content of the February issue, and has requested more detailed information and clarification from the editors of the magazine and the Palestinian Authority,” the United Nations agency said. “UNESCO deplores and condemns the reproduction of such inflammatory statements in a magazine associated with UNESCO's name and mission and will not provide any further support to the publication in question."

The magazine is run by a body that is sponsored by a Palestinian Authority agency. The chairman of the PA is Mahmoud Abbas, whose doctorate thesis was on Holocaust denial.

The article on Hitler was published last February and stated that Hitler killed Jews “so you would all know that they are a nation who wreak havoc on Earth”.

UNESCO said that while it “upholds freedom of expression as an integral part of its mandate, the inclusion in this publication of a statement that may be interpreted as an apology of the Holocaust is contrary to UNESCO’s constitutional mandate and values. It is totally unacceptable.”

UNESCO supported the publication of three issues of the Zayzafuna Magazine six months after the February 2011 issue following an agreement with the editorial board that “they would focus on building greater appreciation amongst Palestinians for their heritage and culture,” UNESCO added.

Giulio Meotti noted in Arutz Sheva last week, “When the United Nations celebrated its 50th anniversary, UNESCO refused to mention the Shoah - the Holocaust - in its World War II resolution, intentionally ignoring Israel’s request to include a reference to the destruction of European Jewry.”

He added that the article in Zayzafouna “is not just another example of Palestinian incitement to hatred…. When the Palestinian National Authority came into being in 1993, it pledged to junk its controversial textbooks, some of which date as far back as the ‘40s, and replace them with updated versions, purged of the anti-Jew racism and incitement that permeate the texts imported from Arab countries, many of which are reportedly still in use in Jordan.

“In 1994, Palestinian officials launched a textbook-replacement program, with the financing and help of UNESCO. The problem is that the Palestinian textbooks were not amended so as to be rid of the anti-Jewish remarks.

“’Palestine’ is shown to encompass all the Jewish State, the Jewish holy sites (such as the Temple Mount) have been erased, and Arab ‘martyrdom’ is praised. In these texts, Jews are described as ‘cunning,’ ‘locusts’ and ‘wild animals.’

“UNESCO, in 2003, financed the renovation of the Alexandria library, where a copy of the anti-Semitic booklet “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” was soon prominently displayed.”

 

 
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4. Hamas, Fatah Plan Mass Terrorist Release
by Gavriel Queenann



Hamas and Fatah are preparing to release the lion's share of their respective 'political prisoners' by the end of the year.

“By the end of the year, all political detainees will be released except those who wish to remain in custody for special reasons related to their security both in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip,” the PA-affiliated Ma'an News Agency quoted PA negotiator Munib al-Masri on Saturday.

The move comes on the heels of reconciliation talks between the rival factions in Cairo on Thursday that resulted in an announcement that Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terror factions would be joining the PLO.

According to al-Masri, security concerns pertaining to detainees remaining in custody included both targeted killing by Israel and attacks by competing factions before the reconciliation agreement goes into effect.

Israeli security observers note the fear of potential targeted killings by Israel indicates that many of the prisoners are not political detainees, but terrorists with Israeli blood on their hands.

Following Hamas' seizure of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in its bloody 2007 putsch, during which Hamas terrorists threw Fatah patients out of hospital windows, both factions began arresting the other's members – especially those affiliated with the PA and Hamas 'security services.'

Security officers from both factions have been tied to terror attacks on Israeli civilians in Judea, Samaria, and southern Israel on numerous occasions. Just three weeks ago Israel reportedly snatched a Hamas security officer from Sinai who was planning to kidnap Israelis.

Palestinian Legislative Council speaker Salim Zanoun said the prisoner exchange was one of a series of goodwill gestures between the factions as talks for "reconstructing" the PLO and inducting Hamas and its terror allies into the organization.

The move for unity comes as PLO officials say they will downgrade ties with Israel and rededicate themselves to 'popular resistance' as they pursue a unilateral track at the United Nations.

In recent weeks Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal has tried to rebrand the terror faction as more pragmatic as Islamic parties reap the rewards of the Arab Spring and has said Hamas would be joining the PLO in its campaign of 'popular resistance' - but he maintains armed conflict remains an option. Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar has openly said any peace agreement made with Israel will only serve as a "prelude to war."

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev dismissed Mashaal’s statements, however, saying Hamas has repeatedly said it seeks Israel’s destruction.

“Hamas is very open and public about its position — it believes the Jewish state should be obliterated, it fundamentally opposes peace and reconciliation, and it sees every Israeli civilian as a legitimate target,” Regev tol AP.

“One cannot build policy upon wishful thinking,” he added.

The factions’ positions are nearly identical. The PLO charter still maintains, despite Oslo Accord promises, that "armed resistance" is the only path to statehood and that 'Palestine' – which incorporates all of present day Israel – is indivisible.



 

 
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5. Jewish WW I Hero Slated for Posthumous Honor
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Sgt. William Shemin was a hero in WWI but anti-Semitism in the US may have blocked the Jewish soldier’s his receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor – until now.

The United States Congress has passed a bill, originally called the "William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act," which allows for the review of military service records of Jewish American soldiers who previously were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross but not the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the United States. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill into law shortly.

Shemin’s daughter, Missouri resident Elsie Shemin-Roth, has worked for years to correct was she thinks was an act of discrimination. With passage of the law, she said, “A wrong has been made right…. I only wish my father was here today to witness this.”

Shemin was the son of a Russian immigrant to the United States when he volunteered to fight in the First World War. In a fierce battle in rural France, with his commanders having been killed or seriously wounded, he dashed between the trenches to rescue wounded comrades. His daring act cost him a bullet wound in the head, causing him lifelong hearing problems and trauma.

"He distinguished himself by excellent control of his platoon at every stage of the action and by the thoroughness at great personal danger at which he evacuated the wounded," according to the battle report submitted three months later by the division commander.

Shemin was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest U.S. military decoration, but his daughter said that he and others felt he was denied the Medal of Honor because he was Jewish.

"He never dwelled on it, but it was very much there,'' Shemin-Roth told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "He was very happy with the Distinguished Service Cross, but he knew what he did and he knew there was a lot of anti-Semitism in that era, especially towards him. He just let it go."

"It is important that Jewish Americans like Sergeant Shemin have the opportunity to be recognized for their acts of bravery in defense of our nation," said the bill’s sponsor, Missouri Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer.

The United States has awarded 464 Medals of Honors for World War II heroes, but only three of the recipients were Jewish although approximately half-million Jews served in World War II.

Similar, only three Jews received the Medal of Honor for actions in World War I.

 

 
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6. Cuba to Free 2,900 Prisoners - But Not American Jew Alan Gross
by Chana Ya'ar

Cuban President Raul Castro has announced he will free nearly 3,000 prisoners on humanitarian grounds, but not American Jewish contractor Alan Gross.

A State Department spokesman said Saturday the United States was "deeply disappointment" at the news, "especially in light of his deteriorating health."

Castro, who announced the pardons Friday in a speech to lawmakers, said 86 foreigners from 25 countries would be among the 2,900 inmates to be freed, according to Voice of America.

The news followed in the wake of an announcement by the head of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, that he will soon visit the island nation -- before the Easter holiday in the spring.

The news service quoted Cuban media which said those freed would include some convicted of crimes against the state, inmates age 60 and up, those who were ill, women and young prisoners with brief criminal records. Those convicted of crimes such as espionage, murder or drug trafficking were not on the list, according to the report.

Gross, a social worker in his early 60s, has already been incarcerated for two years. He was sentenced to a 15-year prison term earlier this year after having been convicted on charges of crimes against the communist state following his arrest for bringing communications equipment into the country.

He had traveled there on behalf of Development Alternatives Incorporated, a firm subcontracted by the United States government to carry out "democracy building efforts" in Cuba. Authorities in the country had charged the project was "subversive" and targeted Gross as an agent.

His family has appealed for his release on humanitarian grounds, as both his mother and his daughter are suffering from cancer. He, too, suffers from significant medical problems which have been exacerbated by his incarceration.

A letter sent to the Cuban president by American Jewish leaders, appealing for him to release Gross on humanitarian grounds, was ignored.

 

 
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7. IDF Enters Azzun Looking for Shotgun Terrorist
by Gavriel Queenann

Israeli forces closed all the entrances to the Arab village of Azzun near Keddumim in Samaria (Shomron) while pursuing a terrorist on Saturday.

According to the PA-affiliated and Bethlehem-based Maan News Agency, locals reported that a large IDF force stormed the village in the late morning.

The soldiers were pursuing a shotgun wielding terrorist who opened fired on an Israeli vehicle at the gates of the town of Maale Shomron earlier in the day.

No physical injuries were reported in the attack, but the vehicle was damaged and witnesses reported the assailant had fled for Azzun in his own vehicle.

Police and security forces, including Ephraim Brigade deputy commander Tzur Harpaz, responded to the scene of the attack.

Soldiers entering the village reportedly shut down the northern and the western entrances before they ascended to the roof of a local resident’s home and started going from house to house in search of the terrorist.

According to Maan, onlookers said the soldiers reported coming under fire during the operation.

It is currently unknown whether IDF forces found the terrorist during the search.

Maale Shomron is a mixed secular and religious community, known for mutual consideration and respect betwen the residents. Cars are allowed to enter the town and driving is allowed on the Sabbath except for a marked off area around the synagogue, but all events in the town do not desecrate the Sabbath as not to offend the religious residents and allow for their participation.



 

 
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8. Giant Menorah with 400 Candles at Maaleh Adumim
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Adults and youth at Maaleh Adumim, east of Jerusalem, used 400 candles to build a giant Menorah that could be seen from the highway to the Dead Sea.

They created the “Chanukiyah” Wednesday night, the second evening of the eight-day festival. Former American Jacob Richman filmed the event.

The candles were lit on sand that was placed in bags on the side of a mountain, enabling it to be seen from the road leading from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, a unique way of fulfilling the mitzvah of publicizing the miracle of Chanukah.



 

 
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