Olmert must go!

The following letters of outrage, pain and disgust are a waste of time unless American Jewry DEMANDS the immediate resignation of the unelected acting prime minister (acting like an enemy of God, Torah and Israel) for such unspeakable crimes against Israelis of faith. Otherwise, Olmert will summarily dismiss them from his treacherous mind, listening more to his EU masters than to Jews in exile. If Olmert's head doesn't roll (so to speak), Amona will appear tame compared to the atrocities being planned by the Hellenists that will include the division and occupation of Jerusalem by EU forces.

- David Ben-Ariel


OU Sends Sharp Letter to Olmert on Amona, ZOA Condemns Violence
18:19 Feb 09, '06 / 11 Shevat 5766
By Hillel Fendel


Not many Jewish U.S. organizations have expressed opinions on the events at Amona.

The OU, generally silent on Israeli political developments, has written sharply to Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: "We cringed as we viewed the elite Yassam unit proceed to mercilessly beat fellow citizens."

The Zionist Organization of America released a statement condemning the police violence at length, and concluded by supporting a call for an official inquiry into "how the police and protesters conducted themselves."

The Orthodox Union sent a sharply worded letter to Acting PM Olmert, condemning the police violence, as well as the hatred and policy shifts it might represent.

The OU is the United States’ largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, representing nearly 1,000 synagogues in North America.

The letter, dated this past Tuesday, states, "...we are compelled to write to you today to express our deep dismay regarding the violent scene that was broadcast around the world from Amona last week. We cringed as we viewed the images of members of the elite Yassam unit, tasked with carrying out the rule of law, enter a house and proceed to mercilessly beat fellow citizens who were merely sitting on the floor exercising their right to civil disobedience. We never thought we would see such a dark day in the State of Israel where Israeli citizens are trampled by the horses of their own police force."

The OU letter was signed by both lay and rabbinic leadership: Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi H. Weinreb, President Stephen J. Savitsky, Chairman Mark Bane and Director Nathan J. Diament. Copies were sent to Israel's Ambassador Daniel Ayalon and Consul-General Aryeh Mekel. Rabbinic leaders have asked to meet with Mekel on the topic, but he has not yet agreed to do so.

The letter criticizes any violent actions taken by the protestors, but adds, "we firmly believe that professional law enforcement units charged with carrying out difficult missions must remain calm, respond in a measured manner, and act with sensitivity in the performance of their duties. And we condemn in the strongest terms those police officers who violently attacked protestors who had not lifted a hand against any law enforcement official."

Written before the Knesset voted to establish an independent commission of inquiry, the OU registered its support for the same. The organization feels the inquiry should determine why the police brutality in Amona occurred, and that lessons should be learned "so that such violent conduct by law enforcement personnel will never again occur."

The OU's message to Olmert himself:
"We ask you to strongly condemn and punish those Israeli government representatives found responsible for ordering and executing the brutalities and gross violations of human and democratic rights that the world witnessed last week.

"And we urge you to send a clear message to Israelis, pained Jewish brethren in the Diaspora, and all people of good will worldwide that the use of excessive force by members of Israel’s security forces – including all units of the Israel Defense Forces, Israel Police, Israel Border Police and any other security organ that may be involved should similar operations be necessary in the future – will never again be tolerated.

"Whereas the Gaza disengagement was carried out with admirable discipline and heroic restraint, the security forces executed the Amona mission with brutality and palpable hate. Thus, while security forces evacuated thousands of people from 21 communities in Gaza and four in the northern Shomron with little injury, the demolition of nine houses in Amona was marked by violence that resulted in hundreds injured – many severely – and Jewish blood unnecessarily spilled.

"We hope the actions of the security forces do not represent a profound policy shift of your government whereby security forces involved in any future similar operations, should they be undertaken, are encouraged to attack protesters without restraint in order to suppress and intimidate those seeking to exercise their right to lawful protest.

"Jews worldwide have always taken great pride in the moral and humane manner with which Israeli security forces have executed their duties even in the most daunting of circumstances. We hope that you will promptly address our concerns and work diligently to help heal the rifts in Israel and restore everyone’s faith in the government and the security forces of the State.

"We continue to pray that G-d grant great wisdom, courage and fortitude to you and all other leaders of the State of Israel in this challenging time to heal the wounds of our people and bring a genuine and lasting peace for all the people of Israel."

The ZOA statement read, in part:
"The ZOA is appalled and distressed at the violent scenes in Amona, and at the Israeli government decision to demolish Jewish homes there, especially at this time, just days after Hamas’ election victory, and in this excessively violent and confrontational way... No worse timing could be imagined to send Palestinians the message that extremism and terrorism leads Israel to demolish Jewish homes and evict their residents. It is sending the worst possible message of appeasement and retreat. We saw how the Gaza/northern Samaria retreat gave the terrorists a huge boost of popularity among Palestinians. This latest confrontation and demolitions in Amona and the violence between Jews will send the same message and produce the same result.

“Just at a time when the world has been compelled by Hamas’ election victory to face the fact that a genocidal terrorist movement has been overwhelmingly endorsed by the Palestinians, the Israeli government has succeeded in taking Hamas and its crimes off page one and instead made violence among Jews the main story. This is a propaganda triumph for Palestinian terrorists."