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“Many are my thoughts, but G-d’s Will shall prevail"

Travel: Gush Etzion, Holy Land Heartland
by Shalom Pollack



It’s
hard to choose the one place that can win the title of the most
dramatic site in the Land of Israel over the last two thousands years.
One strong candidate could be Gush Etzion, located between Jerusalem
and Hevron. The heartland of the Holy Land, Gush Etzion is a hilly area
in the middle of Judea, scattered between colorful fertile valleys and
gorges.

Today the greater Gush Etzion area is home to a
growing populace of over 60,000 Jews. This area has not seen this
number of its sons and daughters since the great revolts against Rome
when they were expelled.

Gush Etzion was the birthplace of the
Biblical Binyamin (Benjamin), the son of Yaakov (Jacob) and Rachel and
King David. After Ezra and Nehemiah led the Jews back from Babylonian
exile 2,400 years ago, they rebuilt their homes in the heartland.







Goats and sheep frolic in the Judean hills

Courtesy, Ministry of Tourism



Crucial to Jerusalem’s Defense

It
was here that the great showdown with the Greek empire took place. The
rulers of ancient Greece declared that its Jewish residents must adopt
Greek practices. The Greeks wouldn’t tolerate “anti-social and
dangerous ideas” like the belief in one G-d, the Sabbath day of rest –
even for slaves and cattle. Judaism’s stance on preserving life for
sickly infants or the elderly was looked at as obsolete and dangerous.
However, loyal Jews felt otherwise.

And so the family of the
Maccabees raised the banner of revolt. “Those who are for G-d, come
with me!” was the battle cry of an irregular band of farmers and
patriots set off to defeat Greece. They did. That is the story of
Chanukah.

During one of the more crucial battles in the heart
of what is today Gush Etzion, Elazar the Maccabee noted that the
enemy’s lead elephant was carrying the general. Breaking ranks, he
rushed the elephant and speared him from his soft underbelly. The
general was killed along with our hero - and blunted the Greek attack.

Jerusalem was saved.

Yes,
it was all about Jerusalem. Gush Etzion lies on the “Road of the
Patriarchs” between Jerusalem and Hevron. Jerusalem cannot be taken
from the south as long as the Gush Etzion area holds.







Herodian, Herod's man-made mountain refuge

Courtesy, Ministry of Tourism

Which brings us to the modern era.



As
the ingathering of the exiles began to trickle from the four corners of
the world as the Prophets promised, the ancient, craggy soil began to
respond to the love and care of her long lost sons and daughters. The
land  once again blossomed.

 

In 1922, the village of
Migdal Eder was established by Yemenite Jews who made the three-month
journey home by foot from the end of the southern Arabian peninsula.
The holy soil responded - but the Arabs were not happy about the return
of the rightful heirs and forced them out during the bloody 1929
country-wide riots.

The Jews were not discouraged. They
returned in 1935. Shmuel Yosef Holtzman, a citrus grower, bought land
in the area and rebuilt. In Yiddish, holtz means wood, which is eitz in
Hebrew, the namesake of the area’s modern towns.

The area was flourishing until the next wave of Arab pogroms once again forced out the Jews. However, the Jews did not despair.

In
1942 as their Jewish brothers in Europe were being butchered, other
young Jews were preparing for a Jewish future in the Jewish homeland.
Kibbutz Kfar Etzion was established by a group of Jewish youth on land
purchased by the Jewish National Fund. In 1945, Masuot Yitzchak was
established. In 1946, Ein Tzurim and in 1947 young socialist-Zionist
pioneers joined their religious brothers and sisters in the nearby
Kibbutz Revadim. The hills were coming alive again. Nothing could stop
these young starry eyed idealists now. They were building a country for
the Holocaust survivors and for the returning exiles the world over.

In
1947, the ruling British decided to call it quits and leave pre-state
Palestine. They could not quell the resolute revolt of the Irgun and
Lechi Jewish underground groups that waged war against the 100,000
British occupation army. Finally the British buckled and announced the
end of their occupation of Palestine (the Land of Israel).

On
November 29, 1947 the U.N. voted to partition western Israel into two
states: One Jewish, another Arab (the British had already established
what became Jordan in 1922) Although an earlier proposal offered more
land to the Jews, the Children of Israel nevertheless accepted the
offer.



However, the Arabs weren’t interested in
borders. There could not be a Jewish state, no matter how tiny. Period.
The four fledgling Gush Etzion towns found themselves cut-off and
threatened by both the local Arab mobs and the Jordanian army. The
residents took a vote. It was decided that despite the slim chances of
survival they would stay and fight. The children and mothers were
evacuated, while the men remained. They felt that their fight was
crucial to the struggle for Jerusalem.

The Arabs cut off all the
roads. Convoys were attacked and casualties mounted. In one famous
battle, a convoy of 51 vehicles made it to the Gush with supplies but
was delayed in its departure due to a stubborn prize-breeding bull that
refused to get onto the truck. The Arabs were waiting on the road just
outside Bethlehem along the way to Jerusalem. The lead truck was
stopped by a road block and the men and women took refuge in a small
stone building off the road. For 30 hours the Arabs kept up their
attack. As the number of Jewish wounded and dead mounted, the “neutral”
British refused to intervene. The Jews eventually agreed to hand over
all their vehicles and weapons to the Arabs in exchange for a British
safe escort.

For years I have traveled along that road and
stopped to explain to visitors about the famous stone house with the
memorial plaque outside. That was before the Oslo Accords of 1993,
before this area was given to the Palestinian Authority. After the Oslo
agreement, I noticed that the sign disappeared. Then the building was
gone. What battle? What history? Were the Jews ever there at all? I
eventually noticed near the former battle site a 30 foot-high granite
stone map of the Land of Israel from the river to the sea draped in the
flag colors of the Palestine Liberation Organization. So much for the
two-state solution....

In a desperate attempt to supply the
beleaguered, valiant villages, 35 students volunteered to carry
supplies. They walked the entire night through the Judean hills.
Towards morning, within site of Gush Etzion, they were observed by an
Arab shepherd but took no action against him. There fateful inaction
was a fatal mistake.

The Arab shepherd subsequently alerted the
villages in the area and hundreds of shrieking armed Arabs descended on
the tiny band. They fought to the last man atop a small hill. When the
battle ended, the Jews’ bodies were beyond recognition.

Out of
ammunition and short on supplies, the Arabs swarmed the settlements.
The Jordanian army joined the attack, assuring an Arab victory.

A
very well-armed force ten times the size of its 530 defenders defeated
them, killing 157 Jews. Another 128 of them were massacred after
surrendering. Gush Etzion fell for the third time. David Ben-Gurion,
Israel’s first Prime Minister said, “If there is a Jewish Jerusalem
today, we owe it to the defenders of Gush Etzion.” Its defenders bought
the valuable time needed.

 

In the ensuing years, the
orphans and survivors would look longingly at the lone oak tree seen
from far. A symbol of what was. Who dreamed that it could be again?







Kfar Etzion's "loan oak"

Wikimedia Commons

But it was not over yet. “Many are my thoughts, but G-d’s Will shall prevail.”(Proverbs)

In
1967, the Arabs launched attacks on Israel and in the miraculous Six
Day War. Her sons returned to Gush Etzion for a fourth time.







Modern city of Efrat

David Bogner/Wikipedia

Today
the “Gush” has expanded its original size by 20 times. From four tiny
settlements hugging the land for dear life, there are 15 towns and
villages – 60,000 strong and growing. Gush Etzion offers its visitors
history, archeology, wine tasting, nature hikes, and fruit picking. A
“must see” is the dramatic audio-visual presentation of the Jewish
struggle to hold onto the Gush between 1947 and 1948 at Kfar Etzion. To
tour the show, you must make reservations at 02-993-5160.

The residents of Gush Etzion hope that they are here to stay.

Shalom
Pollack is a veteran Israel tour guide, who guides and plans tours for
families and groups. He also writes and lectures on Israel and will be
on a lecture tour in the US this coming October-November. Pollack
recently produced a DVD, "Israel - Ancient Roots, Modern Miracle.”
Clips can be seen on his website, www.shalompollacktours.co.il 

 

Comment on this story

Remembering 911-Get the Word Out

We have a little less than one month and counting to get the
word out all across this great land and into every community in the
United States of America.

If you forward this to least 11 people and each of those people do the same ... you get the idea.

THE PROGRAM:


On Friday, September 11th, 2009, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this eighth anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and
those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.
In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly,those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us
in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

Action Plan:

So, here's what we need you to do


(1) Forward this to everyone you know (at least 11 people). Please don't be the one to break this. Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those
sentiments guide you.

(2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly
the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

Thank you for your participation.
God Bless You and God Bless America!

A Place to Regroup

And We Bitch Cuz We Got It Bad

*Sent to me from a dear friend*.


We bitch and whine about how "tough" we have it now, because gas prices are high and we can't readily fill our 3 or 4 vehicles, or how its hard to pay for internet, cable AND cell phone service. We bitch that there are over a hundred TV channels, but nothing 'good' to watch or that our "lousey" cell phone service drops a call when we drive through the mountains, or misses a text message! We complain about how we have less choices for products in the stores now or how the produce isn't as fresh as 'before the financial crisis". We bitch about waiting a few hours to see a doctor in the ER, when we can just walk in and expect to be taken care of. The whining goes on and on and on.

What a bunch of HORSE SHIT! Even in our worst of current times, we are infinately blessed compared to how life was 50 - 75 years ago (or more). I say "STOP THE BELLY ACHING AND START APPRECIATING!" Look over these photos from the real depression era and see if you could imagine having to live like that, and remember that people all over the world still have it worse than the folks in these photos!



I have no idea who the photographer was in taking these photos; but if he was able to catch these individuals showing their fears; their anguish; the look of having lost their souls. .



DEPRESSION ERA



America 1935 - 1939























AMERICA 1935 - 1939 (Depression )

A Farmer built a Temple

Update pictures coming soon!!

Farmer builds model of Biblical temple   Now, here's a model of biblical proportions. A retired farmer has spent more than 30 years building an enormous scale model of Herod's temple - and it is still not finished Alec Garrard, 78, has dedicated a massive 33,000 hours to constructing the ancient temple, which measures a whopping 20ft by 12ft The pensioner has hand-baked and painted every clay brick and tile and even sculpted 4,000 tiny human figures to populate the courtyards But Mr Garrard, who started the epic project in his 40s, says his masterpiece will not be finished in his lifetime "I have an interest in buildings and religion so I thought maybe I could combine the two and I came up with the idea of doing the temple" "I'd seen one or two examples of it in Biblical exhibitions, but I thought they were rubbish and I knew I could do better" "I have also sculpted and painted 4,000 figures, measuring just half an inch and all wearing their correct costumes" "Each one takes about three hours to make and there are 32 versions of Jesus, although no one can ever spot him no matter how religious they are" Visitors come from all over the world to see the model and Mr Garrard provides binoculars so they can see all the details "I personally know all the top archaeologists from Jerusalem and I've had experts from the British Museum visit," he says But he chases the money-changers out of the temple: "I've had a lot of offers from people to buy it, but it's not for sale" He says his wife Kathleen thinks he is mad He adds: "She wishes she'd married a normal person" Mr Garrard, from Norfolk, spent more than three years researching the temple, which was destroyed by the Romans 2,000 years ago and deemed to be one of the most remarkable buildings of ancient times He then started to construct the amazing 1:100 scale model, which is now housed in a huge building in his back garden "Everything is made by hand. I cut plywood frames for the walls and buildings and all the clay bricks and tiles were baked in the oven then stuck together," he says Built in 19BC by King Herod the Great, the temple was flattened in AD70, just six years after completion In its heyday the temple complex covered 36 acres - four times the area of Windsor Castle The Temple was probably located on the site of what today is the Dome of the Rock

Serenity's Art Sculpture on Exhibit:Fish Sculpture With Clay

Serenity's Art Sculpture on Exhibit

From exhibit "fish sculptures with clay"
by Serenity35 (Art ID #5392033)
from Delaware Elementary— grade 6
United States


More.....

From exhibit "linoleum printing"
by Serenity35 (Art ID #4936735)
from Delaware Elementary— grade 6
United States

Picture worth a thousand words: Marine Picture

 

This Picture is Worth   1 Million Words...  We truly take a lot for granted. Forget the football "heroes" and movie "stars". Pass this on so that all may know the price of freedom   Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,    Jesus Christ and the American Soldier    One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.

Think America Think: Iowa Floods

 

---

Where are the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in restoring Iowa and helping the folks affected by the floods? Where is good old Michael Moore? Why is the media NOT asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn't solved this problem? Asking where the FEMA trucks and trailers and food services are? Why isn't the Federal government moving Iowa people   into free hotels in Chicago and Minneapolis ?   When will Spike Lee say that the Federal government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines ? Where are Sean Penn, Bono, and the Dixie Chicks?     Where are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes,  cases of beer and television sets?         When will we hear Governor Chet Culver say that he wants to rebuild a 'vanilla' Iowa … because that's what God wants?     Where is the hysterical 24/7 media coverage complete  with reports of shootings at rescuers, of rapes and murder? Where are all the people screaming that George Bush hates white, rural people? My God, where are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Oprah, and Ray Coniff Jr.?   How come you will never hear about the Iowa flooding ever again?  Where are the government bail out vouchers? The government debit cards?                  There must be one hell of a big difference between the value of the people of   Iowa and value of the people of Louisiana. Pass this unedited, un-doctored, factual information forward .....to get Americans thinking.

 

---

Happy Passover פסח שמח

For the upcoming passover I wish you and all your dear ones that as the Israelites went from Egypt, turning from slaves to free people - you will also find the time and place this year to set free from old things you don't need any more (spirituality and physically) and that next year will open for us all new gates, new paths, new opportunities, new lands, new point of view, new life! A New Life ever growing in Messiah!

Rivka.

Happy Passover: A guided visit to the Aviv Matzo Bakery

A guided visit to the Aviv Matzo Bakery, located in Bnei-Brak, Israel. Discover how matzos are baked in the Holy Land, according to divine laws given to the Jewish People by G-d on Mt. Sinai thousands of years ago!

Amazing Look Alike to my Daughter

You have been sent an online news article from Rivka as a courtesy of DesMoinesRegister.com.

Article Title:
Old-time photo of the day 3

To view the contents on www.desmoinesregister.com, go to:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200903160405/NEWS/303160004

Message:
Amazing resemblance to my daughter even though she wasn't born yet. Smirk

Your Digital Camera and the Law

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Your Digital Camera and the Law

Dave Johnson, PC World

Feb 16, 2009 1:00 pm

I'm no lawyer, but as a working photographer, I try to understand the law as it applies to digital photography as best I can. That's no easy feat: Laws are often confusing, and a lot of people rely on "common sense" when it comes to guessing what's legal. But sometimes the law doesn't always make sense. A while back I wrote two articles on the subject: "Your Photos, Your Rights, and the Law," and "More on Your Photos and the Law." I recently heard about a few incidents that made me think it's time to take another look at the legal side of photography.

There's a lot of confusion about what's legal to photograph and where it's okay to use a camera. This has gotten even more challenging in our post-9/11 world, in which some people are suspicious of anyone with a long lens.

Photography's Golden Rule

The most important thing to know about your rights as a photographer: In general, you can photograph anything or anyone as long as you are on public property. Public property includes city streets, municipal parks, and national parks and forests. Nonetheless, Internet photography forums are chock full of tales about people who have been challenged or harassed when using a camera in public. Check out dpreview.com for an example of this sort of thing.

It's important to realize that public property does not include places like the mall, parking lots, churches, or amusement parks. These might appear to be public locations, but they are actually private property--and management can tell you to put the camera away or ask you to leave.

Nonetheless, many interesting events happen on public property. Auto accidents, fires, and crimes in progress are all the sorts of things that we photographers would be thrilled to capture with the camera stowed in the glove compartment. Be smart about how you do this, though: Keep a respectful distance; stay out of the way of emergency responders; and never cross a police barricade.

What to Do When Challenged

Unfortunately, law enforcement does not always understand your rights as a photographer. Photography forums are also brimming with tales about people who have been stopped, questioned, and sometimes even detained by police when using a camera in public. It's understandable: Police officers cannot possibly commit thousands of laws to memory, and consequently they have to react to real-world situations using their own judgment. If you're shooting photos near an auto accident, for example, and a police officer orders you to stop, my advice is to comply. There will be opportunities to lodge a complaint with the police or educate your local sheriff's office about First Amendment rights. In the moment, though, being obstinate can get you arrested for failing to comply with the direction of a police officer, which is a separate and very punishable offense.

While being challenged by the police can be frightening, being confronted by ordinary citizens can be just as problematic. A friend of mine recently went to see a concert and was told he couldn't bring his camera inside since he was clearly a "professional photographer." When he pressed the bouncer for more details, he was told that the camera lens had to be shorter than an inch. The club's intent was obvious: They wanted to limit photography to point-and-shoot cameras and mobile phones. However, the rules were confusing and unlikely to produce the desired effect. Case in point: My friend put a short lens on his digital SLR and had his girlfriend carry the telephoto lens in her bag.

Of course, the bouncer was within his rights to impose rules for using cameras within the club. One thing he can't do: Confiscate the camera or your memory card. If you'd like to read more about your rights, and possible remedies if your rights get trampled, visit The Photographer's Right, a Web page maintained by a real lawyer--so you can trust what he says a lot more than me. The page even contains a downloadable summary of your rights and what to do if you're challenged. I highly recommend reading it carefully.

There Are Always Exceptions

Even though the general rules about where you can photograph are pretty simple, there are always exceptions and complications. Even from a public road, you can't necessarily photograph government and military buildings, for example, and local statutes may apply. New York City is embroiled in an effort to limit public photography, for instance. See "Picture New York Without Pictures of New York" for a fascinating look at how photo rights in the Big Apple are changing.

Hot Pic of the Week

Get published, get famous! Each week, we select our favorite reader-submitted photo based on creativity, originality, and technique.

Here's how to enter: Send us your photograph in JPEG format, at a resolution no higher than 640 by 480 pixels. Entries at higher resolutions will be immediately disqualified. If necessary, use an image editing program to reduce the file size of your image before e-mailing it to us. Include the title of your photo along with a short description and how you photographed it. Don't forget to send your name, e-mail address, and postal address. Before entering, please read the full description of the contest rules and regulations.

This Week's Hot Pic: "The Birthday Girl," by Rob Castro, Chino Hills, California

Rob writes: "For a while, I've been eyeing these figurines, which sat in front of a painting of a lake. They belong to one of our office secretaries. One day when everyone had left, I tried several shots at various shutter speeds using a LensBaby 3G with a wide angle lens on my Canon Rebel XT. To get that cool blue lake background, I adjusted the white balance using Canon's Digital Professional Photo."

This Week's Runner-Up: "Jellyfish in Monterey" by Caron Pine, Monroe, New York

Caron writes: "We took a trip to California over the summer and stopped at the aquarium in Monterey. I shot this picture from behind the glass with a Canon Powershot SD700 IS."

See all the Hot Pic of the Week photos online. Have a digital photo question? Send me your comments, questions, and suggestions about the newsletter itself. And be sure to sign up to have the Digital Focus Newsletter e-mailed to you each week.

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"Your Digital Camera and the Law" Comments

lilylady says:

Tue Feb 17 05:49:34 PST 2009

Re: Your Digital Camera and the Law

Picture New York Without Pictures of New York was posted in 2007. What has happened since then?

Reply to this comment

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In Memory of Jacinta Miriam Cohen

Jacinta Miriam Cohen
I miss you so much Jacinta. Ja Ja and Jazzy as some your dear to you call you.
Today it has snowed and I think maybe I will make snow angels for you.
You are safe now with Him and He cares for you more than I could.
I finally think today I can let you go better into His care!
Your memories will always be with me and I will see you soon.

Mumbai Jewish Victims Tortured/Warning: Graphic Photos of Mumbai Chabad House Massacre

Mumbai Jewish Victims Tortured

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu



Mumbai doctors who examined the bodies of the victims of the Muslim terror massacre said the victims were tortured before being slaughtered.



"Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks," a doctor who performed a post-mortem told the Indian news website Rediff.com.



Click here for more pictures from inside the Mumbai Chabad House [Warning: Graphic image



"It was clear that they were killed on Wednesday. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again," he said.



Another doctor commented, "It was very strange. I have seen so many dead bodies in my life, and was yet traumatized. A bomb blast victim's body might have been torn apart and could be a very disturbing sight. But the bodies of the victims in this attack bore such signs about the kind of violence of urban warfare that I am still unable to put my thoughts to words," he said.







Intelligence officials confirmed the doctors' observations. Ajmal Kamal, the only terrorist who was not killed after he and his gang had managed to murder nearly 200 people and wound hundreds others, told officials that the terrorists "were specifically asked to target the foreigners, especially the Israelis."



Intelligence Bureau sources were quoted as estimating that the terrorists did not want to keep them alive in order not to attract international attention. "They also might have feared the chances of Israeli security agencies taking over the operations at the Nariman House," otherwise known as the Chabad House, he reasoned.



One of the few objects in the Chabad House that was unscathed in the massacre was a picture of the revered Chabad Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whose past spiritual leadership still provides unending faith for hundreds of thousands of Jews worldwide.



The bodies of the terrorists were also in very poor condition; doctors reported that they were unable to identify the bodies of many of the terrorists because of their decimated state.



Medical personnel who conducted the post-mortem on the bodies of the terrorists stated, "Their faces were beyond recognition. One official told the Indian website, "The security forces that brought the bodies told us [the were the bodies of the terrorists," adding there was no other way they could have identified them.



Please send your story of a personal encounter with Rabbi Gavriel



and Rivka Holtzberg to: chabad-tribute@IsraelNationalNews.com

Comment on this story

Warning: Graphic Photos of Mumbai Chabad House Massacre

by IsraelNN Staff

(IsraelNN.com) Images inside the Mumbai Chabad House after the Nov. 26, 2008 massacre.

Warning: Some of the images below are graphic

Zaka volunteers arrive at Chabad House and prepare for gruesome task of collecting body parts for Jewish burial

Israel News Photo: Gur Ari, Zaka

Destruction inside the Mumbai Chabad House

Israel news photo: Gur Ari, Zaka

Explosions in Chabad House caused extensive structural damage

Israel news photo: Gur Ari, Zaka

Israel news photo: Gur Ari, Zaka

Puddles of Jewish blood adjacent to bookshelves of sacred Jewish texts

Israel news photo: Gur Ari, Zaka

The floor of the Mumbai Chabad study hall, after removal of the bodies

Israel news photo: Gur Ari, Zaka

Picture of the late Chabad leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, found intact in the Mumbai Chabad House

Gur Ari, Zaka

Zaka volunteers prepare for the task of removing the bodies and blood for Jewish burial

Israel news photo: Gur Ari, Zaka

Please send your story of a personal encounter with Rabbi Gavriel

and Rivka Holtzberg to: chabad-tribute@IsraelNationalNews.com

We will publish your full name and place of residence [not email] unless otherwise noted.

Sign up to receive the Daily Israel Report by email (Free)

The Legacy of Jihad in India Andrew Bostom/Atlas Shrugs

ISLAMIC WEBSITES REJOICE OVER MUMBAI ATTACKS

It's a holy war, I tell ya. Pious Muslims celebrate worldwide.


*

A map shows the locations of the bombings across Mumbai


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India: Islamic websites rejoice over Mumbai attacks

Mumbai, 27 Nov. (AKI) - Al-Qaeda websites on Thursday were swamped with messages from people who were celebrating the devastating Mumbai attacks which have left over 100 people dead and 281 injured. "Oh Allah, destroy the Hindus and do it in the worst of ways," was one of the comments that appeared on Islamist forums on the Internet immediately after the attacks.

"The battle that is underway in Mumbai is a battle for Allah between its servants and the infidels," said another message published on the al-Falluja forum.

Several Al-Qaeda sites also posted several pictures of the victims in Mumbai and provocative statements.

The Legacy of Jihad in India Andrew Bostom

Mumbai gunmen were British Jihadwatch

Massacre in Mumbai: Up to SEVEN gunmen were British and 'came from same area as 7/7 bombers'

* British-born Pakistanis among arrested violent muslims
* Commandos storm strongholds to rescue hostages
* Siege continues at Taj hotel as bystanders wounded
* Death toll rises as another 24 bodies found in hotel
* At least five dead hostages found in Jewish Centre


Calm: One of the young gunmen with his weapon, looking for more victims. Indian authorities say two of the arrested militants were British-born Pakistanis


Loss: Bollywood actor Ashish Chaudhary is consoled outside Mumbai's Trident-Oberoi Hotel after learning about his sister's death



Gone: US citizen Alan Scherr and daughter Naomi, pictured with his wife Kia, were killed in Mumbai's Oberoi hotel. They were in India with religious group Synchronicity Foundation, which was hosting a meditation program at the hotel

Mumbai officials say more than 155 people in total have now died in the attacks. Another 370 were wounded.



Terror: Indian special forces prepare to take back the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai


he tragic figures include the bodies of another five hostages who were found dead inside the Nariman House Jewish Centre this afternoon after commandos finally secured the building.

Two militants were also killed. It is not known whether the Rabbi and his wife who were believed to be among the hostages are dead or alive.

Around 20 masked officers had raided the centre this morning, dropping from helicopters onto the roof, in an operation dubbed Operation Black Tornado.

Hours of heavy fighting ensued as they moved from floor after floor. As dusk fell, there was a massive explosion and it appeared to be over.


Air rescue: A commando drops to the roof of Mumbai's Jewish centre and below, officers span out ready to storm the building


Across the city at the Oberoi Hotel, the siege ended when two militants were shot dead.


Rescued: A British man is led to safety from the Oberoi Trident Hotel today and below, another guest emerges clutching a tiny baby

Foreigners from Japan, Australia, Italy and Germany and one Briton - tycoon Andreas Liveras - have already been confirmed as among the victims.

At least eight Britons were injured and there are fears the British toll could yet rise further as more and more buildings are made stable and searched.

Earlier, one commando revealed he had seen around 50 bodies littering the Taj hotel floor after special officers stormed the building and rescued hundreds of guests.

Clad in black, with a mask covering his face, the unit chief said: 'There was blood all over the bodies. The bodies were strewn here and there and we had to be careful as we entered the building to avoid further bloodshed of innocent civilians.'

The terrorists had seemed like young, ordinary men but had clearly been very well trained, he said.

'They were wearing T-shirts, just ordinary looking, but they have definitely been trained to use weapons. There is no way they could handle such weapons without being taught how to.'

Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka were believed to be inside the Jewish centre where the bodies of five hostages were found

It is thought they gained entrance to the hotels by pretending to be staff and hotel guests, according to reports.

Indian commandos have recovered credit cards and the militants' ID cards as well as seizing a vast arsenal of grenades, AK-47 magazines, shells and knives.

Desperate: A hostage at the Oberoi peeks out of his window during the siege

There has been speculation that a British Al Qaeda suspect reportedly killed by a U.S. missile strike in Pakistan last weekend may have helped plot the attacks.

Rashid Rauf was among five killed in a missile attack in a tribal area in North Waziristan on Saturday.

Security sources believe that at the time of his death Rauf had been planning a major attack on Western targets.

Desperate: A hostage at the Oberoi peeks out of his window during the siege

There has been speculation that a British Al Qaeda suspect reportedly killed by a U.S. missile strike in Pakistan last weekend may have helped plot the attacks.

Rashid Rauf was among five killed in a missile attack in a tribal area in North Waziristan on Saturday.

Security sources believe that at the time of his death Rauf had been planning a major attack on Western targets.


On the hunt: Two muslims brandishing automatic weapons and below, the scene of carnage they left behind at the main train station

The bloody drama which began on Wednesday night has now lasted more than two days. The targets across the city were:

* The Oberoi Hotel, in the commercial district. Its restaurant was bustling with diners, many of them tourists;
* Also attacked was the Leopold restaurant, a haunt of the city's art crowd. As the fanatics sprayed the packed cafe, diners fled in terror;
* Some of the worst scenes were at the major railway station. As they entered the Gothic Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, once named after Queen Victoria, the gunmen were smiling. With an astonishing air of casualness, the terrorists started to shoot. Within seconds the concourse was a bloodbath. People lay screaming on the floor;
* A further prestigious target was the 105-year-old Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel;
* More hostages were taken at the nearby Chabad House, headquarters for an ultra-orthodox Jewish group. A rabbi was among those held.

About 15 police officers were killed, including the head of Mumbai's anti-terrorism unit.

The attack on the train station had echoes of previous terror outrages.

In July 2006 more than 180 people were killed in seven bomb explosions at railway stations and on trains in Mumbai that were blamed on Islamist militants.

* Worried friends or relatives should call the Foreign Office's emergency line on 0207 008

Answer to Terror at Chabad Mumbai, India

If you can watch this with out weeping your doing well.





Rivkah



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HNmTJcvrGo