PALESTINIANS, NOT ISRAELIS, KILLED THE 12-YEAR-OLD BOY IN GAZA

An IDF investigation and re-enactment appears to show conclusively that the 12-year-old boy from Gaza,Muhammad al-Dura, was not shot by Israeli soldiers - but was rather the victim of a cruel plot staged by Palestinian sharp-shooters and a television cameraman. The incident in question occurred on Oct. 6, when the boy and his father happened to be walking past the scene of a major battle between Palestinian snipers and Israeli soldiers. Former IDF sniper Yosef Doriel, who initiated the re-enactment, said that he had several reasons to suspect that it was not the Israelis who shot the boy. "For one thing, the boy and his father were hiding behind and to the left of a barrel that was between them and the Israeli forces," he told Arutz-7 today. "In the video clip, you see four clean bullet holes to the side of them. These were not shot by the Israelis - they are 'clean' and full holes, not mere grazes that would have been formed by the 30-degree angle of the Israelis - but rather by Palestinians (stationed more directly in front of the father and son) to make sure that the two would stay put. Suddenly, you see the boy lying down in his father's lap, with another bullet hole in the wall directly behind him - again, it could not have come from the IDF position, which was behind the barrel and to the side, but only from the Palestinian position, which was more directly in front of the father and son. This is the bullet that went through his stomach and out of his back. At that point in the video, you can hear the firing - but the Israeli position was far away! Rather, what happened was that a Palestinian advanced to a spot very close to the photographer, and shot the fatal shot. You can also notice that at that moment of the fatal shots, the photographer suddenly 'shook' and the picture was blurred - a signal that the shots came from close to him." Doriel and a fellow physicist, Nachum Shachaf, proposed that O.C. Southern Command Yom Tov Samiyeh oversee a re-enactment of the entire incident, complete with the barrel and life-size dummies. Doriel concludes: "The Palestinian forces staged the event. The Israelis were firing, for sure - but the fatal shots came not from them, but from the Palestinian position in front of the boy, behind the cameraman."

Dear Jaco, It seems to me that it is decent that everyone can express his/her opinion on a subject but it is inadmissible resorting to insults or name calling because one is opposed to someone's opinion. Those who persist asking that others follow their steps to criticize Tunisia, due to the closing of its offices in Israel and in Tunisia lack tolerance and respect for the others. They believe helping Israel, and I wonder whether these people have ever known the loss of close family members or of close friends fallen in combat. My family and myself knew this suffering, this is why I say: enough. There is a Tunisian proverb which says: " Make hundred friends a day and do not make one enemy a year " It should not be forgotten that Israel also has relations with certain Arab countries like Egypt, and Jordan and that it would like to keep them. We know well that Tunisia is neither against Israel nor against the Jews, but in the Arab constellation it finds itself in, it had accepted to temporarily suspend its relations, which could have subjected it to unnecessary pressure. Patience! I don't think that it is wise on behalf of the Tunisian Jews to harass Tunisia and the countries with which Israel has relations, without consequences and without taking responsibility for their actions. It is neither Israel's nor Tunisia's interest to further poison the existing atmosphere. Our ancestors had always used wisdom, intelligence and tact to overcome the crises without injuries I disagree with those who generalize. There is good and bad in each people and there are those who see the glass half full and those who see the glass half empty, I prefer to see the glass half full. But I don't have a grudge against those who see the glass half empty.

(Translation of the French comment of Kamal Al Hagess) To Dr. Gil Taieb: How is it possible to be so blind in front of the Truth? How can one be presented as a doctor in anything and remain without compassion in front of the pain and the tears of human beings? If such an amount of blood would run - from the veins of animals, you would have shown some remorse... How can a human being kill a child, supposing that this one had thrown a stone at him??? Are you children yourself???!!! An adult against a child, the end of a life against an unfortunate stone... As for the anti-semitism, you who are " a doctor, you are not without knowing, that the Arabs are part of the Sémite people, and that they are much more numerous than you on the matter, but you are in error from the head to the feet. Kamal Al Hagess. Basst-khan@wanadoo.fr  

Dear Mr. Kamal Al Hagess, Your letter in Harissa, addressed to Dr. Gil Taieb is not objective. Having been an officer in the Israeli army myself, I can attest that " The rule of engagement " strictly prohibits the Israeli soldiers to shoot with live ammunition if their life is not in danger. In the case you quote, you omitted to mention, unless this detail escapes your knowledge, that behind the children are adult gunners who shoot with live ammunition in order to provoke a reaction of the Israeli soldiers, and to attract the public opinion with the believe that they can deceive it. When you say: "How can a human being kill a child, supposing that this one throws a stone at him??? Are you children yourselves???!!! An adult against a child, the end of a life against an unfortunate stone", this picture is incomplete, if you don't add that behind the children who throw the stones, which by the way are delivered to them by ambulances, there are men armed with real rifles who shoot at the soldiers with real bullets, as we have seen it on TV. Consequently the rules of engagement provide that it is necessary to answer fire with fire towards the direction from which this fire comes. I do not believe that Dr. Taieb is insensitive or lacks "compassion for the pain and the tears of human beings " I can ensure you that the death or the wounds of a child cause much sorrow to each Israeli soldier and to myself. It is certain that the place of these children is in the schools or in their houses and certainly not facing the soldiers. If the grown-ups have anything to claim, they should do it in a civilized way, as it was agreed upon in Oslo and as it was publicly said between Arafat and Rabin on the White House lawn, " to solve all the problems in a peaceful way ". By the way, it is for this promise that Rabin and Arafat received the Nobel Prize. Our Tunisian elders always showed us that it is necessary to solve the problems between neighbors in friendly way. If peace should be forged between the parties, it is necessary that the Arab public ceases believing in their leaders and their lies which up to now have led them to their ruin. If I intervened in this case, it is for the sake of the truth, which is the only way that can bring the people closer together. With kind regards, your Emile Tubiana...

Dear Bernard H, I read your comment of November 6. As a brother, I respect your opinion, even if it is contrary to mine. I think that us, who are well off all these troubles, we must first judge with a calm head and try to face things as they are. Yes, there are problems that certain old situations had created and now it is up to the new generation to solve them with much wisdom and compassion. By reading the Israeli press I did not have the feeling of urgency and alarm that you report to us. This is by the way, why I am not worried for the fate of Israel. I know that it is not easy for an alarmed person to read from other Tunes like you, fine words about a country which has just closed its offices with Israel. But from experience I know that all what the public knows is not always the full truth. During the Oslo negotiations nobody was well-informed. Therefore, why say bad things against the country where we first opened our eyes and from which we draw the invaluable treasures of our ancestors until this day, without knowing the reasons which led Tunisia to make these decisions. We have no way of knowing them, isn't it? Who knows if a personality like Perez or others does not communicate secretly with Tunisia? In fact it is not the first time that emissaries of countries communicate with each other without asking for our opinions or our permissions. Therefore let us not worsen the situation and patiently await positive results. After all Tunisia is a peaceful country. Emile Tubiana miro- direct@metconnect.com  

To: gl@nobel.no ------------------------- Dear Sirs, Is a Nobel Prize for life?? Mr. Arafat seems to have lost the qualities that allowed him to be honored in the first place. It looks as he is "pushing" the Palestiniens to fight, and worst of all, to send young children on the front to get everyone's attention when they are shot by Israeli soldiers. Children do not belong on a battle field, it's abusing them.

I suggest that Mr. Arafat's Nobel Prize be taken away from him until he changes his behaviour to previous years, at which time it could be returned to him. Sincerely, Luci Cohen-Zimering

To Gil Taieb, I read what you wrote. It is necessary to clear up any misinformation, where it appears, which it is directed against Israel, or no matter against whom. But, we should not however be too alarmed, it is necessary to have confidence, that there are forces which work for the good and which can find those who live with love. You speak about awakening, I hope that you know what AWAKENING means. " Keren Or" that you chair, means treasure of the Light or Ray of Light, do you know that light includes love (AHAVA) and that love is the Master of all the forces, including hatred. Sow love and you will be safe and happiest man in the world. But it is your prerogative to choose the words you want. I prefer to use love. Emile Tubiana miro- direct@metconnect.com

Palestine? Excusez le message en anglais; mon francais n'est pas bon. I personnally believe in peace between Israel and Palestine, that there is a Palestinian people, and a Palestine state is legitimate. I recieved the following e-mail: This column was written by an arab american journalist..... Myths of the Middle East http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_btl/20001011_xcbtl_myths_brmi.shtml

I've been quiet since Israel erupted in fighting spurred by disputes over the Temple Mount. ... If you believe what you read in most news sources, Palestinians want a homeland and Muslims want control over sites they consider holy. Simple, right?

Well, as an Arab-American journalist who has spent some time in the Middle East dodging more than my share of rocks and mortar shells, I've got to tell you that these are just phony excuses for the rioting, trouble-making and land-grabbing.

Isn't it interesting that prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, there was no serious movement for a Palestinian homeland?

"Well, Farah," you might say, "that was before the Israelis seized the West Bank and Old Jerusalem."

That's true. In the Six-Day War, Israel captured Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem. But they didn't capture these territories from Yasser Arafat. They captured them from Jordan's King Hussein. I can't help but wonder why all these Palestinians suddenly discovered their national identity after Israel won the war.

The truth is that Palestine is no more real than Never-Never Land. The first time the name was used was in 70 A.D. when the Romans committed genocide against the Jews, smashed the Temple and declared the land of Israel would be no more. From then on, the Romans promised, it would be known as Palestine. The name was derived from the Philistines, a Goliathian people conquered by the Jews centuries earlier. It was a way for the Romans to add insult to injury. They also tried to change the name of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina, but that had even less staying power.

Palestine has never existed -- before or since -- as an autonomous entity. It was ruled alternately by Rome, by Islamic and Christian crusaders, by the Ottoman Empire and, briefly, by the British after World War I. The British agreed to restore at least part of the land to the Jewish people as their homeland.

There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs, indistinguishable from Jordanians (another recent invention), Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis, etc.

Keep in mind that the Arabs control 99.9 percent of the Middle East lands. Israel represents >> one-tenth of 1 percent of the land mass. But that's too much for the Arabs. They want it all. And that is ultimately what the fighting in Israel is about today. Greed. Pride. Envy. Covetousness. No matter how many land concessions the Israelis make, it will never >> be enough. >> What about Islam's holy sites? There are none in Jerusalem. Shocked? You should be. I don't expect you will ever hear this brutal truth from anyone else in the international media. It's just not politically correct. >> I know what you're going to say: "Farah, the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem represent Islam's third most holy sites." >> Not true. In fact, the Koran says nothing about Jerusalem. It mentions Mecca hundreds of times. It mentions Medina countless times. It never mentions Jerusalem. With good reason. There is no historical evidence to suggest Mohammed ever visited Jerusalem. >> So how did Jerusalem become the third holiest site of Islam? Muslims today cite a vague passage in the Koran, the seventeenth Sura, entitled "The Night Journey." It relates that in a dream or a vision Mohammed was carried by night "from the sacred temple to the temple that is most remote, whose precinct we have blessed, that we might show him our signs. ..." In the seventh century, some Muslims identified the two temples mentioned in this verse as being in Mecca and Jerusalem. And that's as close as Islam's connection with Jerusalem gets -- myth, fantasy, wishful thinking. Meanwhile, Jews can trace their roots in Jerusalem back to the days of Abraham. >> The latest round of violence in Israel erupted when Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon tried to visit the Temple Mount, the foundation of the Temple built by Solomon. It is the holiest site for Jews. Sharon and his entourage were met with stones and threats. I know what it's like. I've been there. Can you imagine what it is like for Jews to be threatened, stoned and physically kept out of the holiest site in Judaism? >> So what's the solution to the Middle East mayhem? Well, frankly, I don't think there is a man-made solution to the violence. But, if there is one, it needs to begin with truth. Pretending will only lead to more chaos. Treating a 5,000 year-old birthright backed by overwhelming historical and archaeological evidence equally with illegitimate claims, wishes and wants gives diplomacy and peacekeeping a bad name.    

Laura Schlessinger is a Canadian radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Paramount Television Group is currently producing a "Dr Laura" television show. She has made some biblically fundamentalist statements about homosexuals that have caused the Canadian anti-hate laws to censure her. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura which was posted on the internet ...

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific biblical laws and how to best follow them. Specifically:

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some flexibility here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev.24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14).

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

One of your devoted and adoring fans

Dear Harissians, dear friends, I had always written beautiful things about our Tunisia, and I will continue writing in the same spirit and with the same love for my country of birth. This country belongs to us since we were born there. We have a right to this country, equal to any person who loves his or her homeland. Do not forget that we have a very rich historical past, an extraordinary culture which dates back thousands of years, a way of life unique of its kind, an art of cooking which makes our offspring dream, chansons de geste which date back to the time of the Carthaginians, and Moslem, Maltese, Italian, Spanish, and other childhood friends who are dear to us forever. Our elders have endowed us with a wisdom capable of moving the hardest. For centuries Tunisia had been occupied many times by foreign powers, but those had not succeeded in taking away from our ancestors the love they had for their country. It is not because certain politicians decided today to declare this or that, that we must deny our beautiful country. It is our prerogative of saying what we want and no force in the world can remove it from us. Obviously I would have preferred to see Tunisia becoming neutral like Switzerland, a promoter of peace and a mediator for conflicts, and becoming the center of trade and industry, banking and culture of Africa and the Middle East. It is not only my dream but the dream of the majority of Tunisians of all religions, whom I know. Especially do not forget the good advice of our elders used to say: "ESBAR " (Patience), then " CHEĎ MAYIDOUM " (Nothing lasts). And still: " EDENIA DOUR " (Life turns). Patience is the virtue of our ancestors. Emile Tubiana

It is really very hard at my age to have to hear, to see, and to read again in the French media the systematic misinformation, French journalists release against Israel. To these journalists I can say only one thing: "You dishonor France and the values for which several members of our great family fought and lost their life. By hurting Israel you hurt the Jewish people as a whole. Are you not ashamed of yourself?" Emile Tubiana

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