And then what?

All discussion of politics in Israel centers around the Arab problem and one can never seem to get beyond that. Even here, most posts are about the Israel-Arab conflict or reports on the latest Arab attack. However, when we, the Jewish People, will apply the Jewish solution to this problem (expulsion and no concessions), Israel will still be around and will still have a destiny to meet. The Arab crisis will disappear when true Torah leaders appear. The Jewish Israel will still have to decide how it will interact with the rest of the world.
A Jewish Israel, free from its own constraints imposed on it by being surrounded by a sea of hostile Arabs and 20% of its populations being traitors, will be a force of good in this world. The Rav Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine, wrote: "A normal country is like a large insurance company. It is not the source of its citizen’s supreme joy. Ideals, which are the crowning glory of mankind, hover above a country and do not touch it.
“Not so a country founded on ideals and inherently based on the most lofty message. Such countries truly constitute their citizen’s greatest joy. Therefore, the State of Israel is truly the most supreme on the scale of joy, and it constitutes the foundation of G-d’s throne on earth. Its entire purpose is that G-d should be one and His name one, truly the greatest source of joy.” (see Orot 160). This will be the sort of state that will not participate in the upsming Olympics in Beijing as long as China continues to repress its people or while it tramples on human rights. Once Israel no longer has to use its army to keep Judea and Samaria peaceful and safe, it could rain rockets down on a terrorist enclave in Sudan that is used for a base for genocide of Darfuris. This will be a state that does not tolerate evil, cruelty, tyranny or oppression.
The Jewish Israel will fulfill the verse 'For out of Zion will go forth Torah and the word of G-d form Jerusalem'. The Temple Mount will have a synagogue and a beit midrash at the top where Jews and non-Jews alike can come and learn the word of Hashem. The Prophet Isaiah said that the Holy Temple should be a 'house of prayer for all nations'- that means that all peoples have a share in G-d's Torah. From its spiritual center of Jerusalem, the 7 Noahide laws that the Torah mandates for non-Jews will radiate around the globe. Jewish values of kindness, mercy, godliness and holiness will be promoted vigorously by this state that was meant to be 'the resting place of G-d's throne on Earth'.
Hopefully, the Moshiach will come tomorrow (or even today!) and we will merit the world that the Rambam (Mainmonides) describes in his Mishne Torah:
In that Era there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor competition, for good things will flow in abundance and all the delicacies will be as freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G‑d. The Jews will therefore be great sages and know the hidden mat­ters, and will attain an understanding of their Creator to the [full] extent of mortal potential; as it is written (Isaiah 11:9), "For the world will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the ocean bed."
Amen, Selah!

Parshat Ki Tavo

This post is dedicated in loving memory of my grandfather who passed away yesterday. May the Torah learnt from this post be a source of merit for the soul of Avraham ben Levana and may G-d shelter his soul under the wings of the Shechina.
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This week's Torah portion contains the commandment of the bikurim, the first fruit offerings. The Torah commands each farmer to a portion of his first fruit harvest to the Temple as an offering to G-d. The Talmud explains that this obligation only takes effect once all of the Jewish People are settled in the Land of Israel (which took 14 years from the time the Israelites entered the Land of Israel under Joshua). The reason for this is that, since the first fruit offering is to be made in happiness and joy, this joy can only be felt once the entire nation is firmly entrenched and living on their own soil.
This concept means that we cannot be truly happy while others are still suffering or unsettled. The Jewish People are one complete entity and real happiness only comes once everybody is fulfilled. We cannot be selfish and only look out for ourselves- we can never rest as long as our brothers are in difficulty.
Today, most of the former inhabitants of Gush Katif are still living in tent cities arter being expelled over 2 years ago. We, the Jewish Nation, cannot keep silent as they are in distress- our collective happiness depends on it.

The 'Israeli' Arab Fifth Column

Israeli-Arab ex-MK Azmi Bishara is now hiding in Lebanon, on the run from Israel after spying on behalf of Hizbullah, protected by terrorists. The whole story can be found here. Bishara, a member of the Israeli Knesset , has repeatedly praised Hizbullah, a terrorist group whose leader advocates the genocide of the Jewish People. Hizbullah is funded by Iran ('Israel is the flag-bearer of Satan') and is led by Hassan Nasrallah, may his name be accursed, who has said that all of the Jews should gather in Israel so to save Hizbullah the trouble of going after them individually- and Bishara has thrown his lot in with him. The most telling thing is that Bishara's comments were not denounced by any 'Israeli' Arab MK. The noose awaits for Bishara and his traitorous ilk.

From the same article:

Israeli Arab involvement in terrorism more than tripled in the first three years following the 2000 Oslo War. There were eight incidents in 2000, 25 in 2001 and 19 in the first five months of 2002 - when the Shabak last published statistics on the phenomenon. Hundreds of Israel's Arab citizens have since been nabbed for involvement in anti-Jewish terrorist activity, but the Shabak has refrained from publishing additional statistics on the phenomenon.

Just this week, the head of the “Bnei Hakfar” Israeli-Arab movement, Rajed Iabirah of Um El-Fahm, on Friday threatened to carry out terror attacks against Israeli Jews. Iabireh is an Israeli citizen, and Um El-Fahm is within the pre-1967 borders of the country

The IDF Senior Command is reportedly preparing for the possibility of a full-on rebellion by Israel's Arabs against the state's Jewish citizens as part of a future war scenario.

This is more proof in favour of expelling the Arabs of Israel who are, clear for most rational people to see, a treasonous fifth column in Israeli society. An amazing case for expulsion can be found here at Zionist Youngster's blog.
We shouldn't find it surprising that the Arabs of Israeli are less than patriotic. The State speaks a different language, practices a different religion, has a different culture than the Arabs. Its independence day celebrates his defeat. Its enemies are his brothers. According to the Arab's history book, the Land was once his until the Jews stole it so it is wrong to expect him to be loyal to what he perceives as a colonialist state that has stolen his land. In this respect, I completely agree that it is simply moronic to demand that an Arab be proud of Israel. However, as a Jew and a Zionist, I know that this land is mine. I, however, repect the Arab enough to know that he will never leave what he perceives as his land. With that being said, the Arabs of Israel can never be loyal to what is to them an Infidel state and therefore must leave. This is neither wrong nor unprecedented. What is wrong would be to allow Jews and Arabs to continue to die because of the murderous Islamic terrorist attacks. By expelling them, there will be no more bloodshed and both sides will be able to carry on their lives unencumbered by each other. Expulsion of fifth columns is nothing new. The Germans of Poland and Czechoslovakia were expelled after WWII. Hundreds of thousands of Turks and Greeks took part in compulsory population transfers in 1923, thus ending decades of useless wars. The list goes on and on. Also, 9 000 Jews were expelled from their homes in Gaza over 2 years ago, at the behest of the world. Olmert and his self-loathing cohorts are planning (G-d forbid) to expel 100 000 Jews from Judea and Samaria. Those who can cheer for the expulsion of Jews from their homelands must answer as to why the expulsion of Arab traitors from Israel is wrong.
Until the governement of Israel finally decides to give these rebellious traitors the boot, Jewish and Arab blood will keep on flowing. As for Bishara and the rest of the Arab Israeli fifth columnists, the gallow is ready.

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
(Megillat Esther 7: 9-10)

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(Update) More proof of the Arab treason from Arutz-7:

The terrorist who was killed while carrying out an attack in Jerusalem’s Old City carried out a murder last month of a Jewish man, a new Israeli-Arab terror group says.

The Galilee-based Israeli-Arab terror group, which calls itself the Arab-Israeli Galilee Liberation Organization (GLO), told the PA-based Maan News Agency that Ahmad Khatib, who was shot to death after stealing an Israeli security guards gun and shooting wildly in the Old City’s Christian Quarter two weeks ago, had already carried out another attack.

The group said that Khatib murdered 68-year-old Upper Nazaretz resident Michael Ronkin outside his home just over two weeks ago. Ronkin was found covered with stab wounds by medics, but the investigation and circumstances of his death were the subject of a gag-order prohibiting publication until now.

Do not be silent!

I just finished watching the first episode of CNN's G-d's Warriors, dealing with Jewish settlers in Judea and Samaria. The facts are presented in such a way that you would think that the Jews are just as responsible for the conflict as the Muslims. The few Jewish terror attacks, which are disgraces on the Torah and a chilul Hashem, are made to seem just as frequent as the Arab jihadist attacks. The entire premise of the series is the moral equivalency between extreme Judaism, Christianity and Islam. (Robert Spencer's new book blows this myth of moral equivalency apart)
Anyways, its late at night and I don't feel like going over why this idea is naive and misguided. The show got me so worked up so I just feel like I need to post something. I think I will just trust G-d - He has a plan and will not abandon Israel.

A psalm, a song of Asaph. O God, have no silence, do not be silent and do not be still, O God. For behold, Your enemies stir, and those who hate You raise their heads. Against Your people they plot cunningly, and they take counsel against Your protected ones. They said, "Come, let us destroy them from [being] a nation, and the name of Israel will no longer be remembered." For they have taken counsel with one accord; against You they form a pact. The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites. Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre. Also Assyria joined them; they were the arm of the children of Lot forever. Do to them as [to] Midian; as [to] Sisera, as [to] Jabin in the brook Kishon. They were destroyed in En-Dor; they were [as] dung on the ground. Make them, their nobles, as Oreb and as Zeeb, and as Zebah and as Zalmuna all their princes, Who said, "Let us inherit for ourselves the dwellings of God." My God, make them like thistles, like stubble before the wind. As a fire that burns in a forest and as a flame that burns mountains. So will You pursue them with Your tempest, and with Your whirlwind You will terrify them. Fill their faces with shame, and they will seek Your countenance, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and terrified forever; let them be disgraced and perish. Let them know that You-Your name alone is the Lord, Most High over all the earth.
Hashem, destroy Your enemies and have mercy on Your Firstborn son, Israel. We have waited 2000 years of exile, Inquisition, pogroms, oppression, Holocaust and jihad. We are very, very tired. Bring us home. Send us the Moshiach now- 2000 years is a very long time.

Peace with the Religion of Peace?

Here's a nice story that I read on Arutz-7. A delegation of Indian Muslim leaders is on a historical visit to Israel and they have even thrown in a few words of praise for the Jewish State. Will this be the start of a new relationship between Jews and Muslims? Doubt it, but it still is nice. Here goes:

In a first-of-its-kind visit, a delegation of Indian Muslim leaders is currently on an extensive tour of Israel. The group's leader repeatedly expressed his pleasure at having his preconceptions about Israel overturned. The Muslim leaders' visit to Sderot on
A delegation of rabbis, including Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger, made a similar trip to India.
Monday included a first-hand lesson on Palestinian Authority rocket attacks.

The Indian Muslim visit to Israel was arranged at the invitation of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Australian Israel Jewish Affairs Council. Earlier this year, a delegation of rabbis, including Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger, made a similar trip to India.

Maulana Jamil Ilyasi, president of the All India Organisation of Imams and Mosques, is heading the Indian delegation. His group represents about 500,000 imams and 200 million Indian Muslims, 40% of the global Muslim population. Among the other members of the delegation are Akhtarul Wasey, the head of the department of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, Mahmoodur Rahman, former vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and Sahara Samay editor Aziz Burney.

According to the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), when the Hindustan Express carried a front-page story about the visit of prominent Muslims to Israel, at least one member of the group, Sirajuddin Qureshi, dropped out. As a major meat exporter, Qureshi " feared the news of his journey to Israel could adversely affect his business prospects," according to IANS. The news agency noted that the visit has caused controversy among Indian Muslims.
If Imams wouldn't teach hatred of Israel in the first place, there would be no fear or losing business. Shame that business comes before peace.

'Muslims in India Should Come See for Themselves'
"The Jews I have met here say that we are all children of Abraham, part of the same family," Imam Ilyasi said with a measure of surprise. "This is something I didn't hear in India. The Muslims in India should come and see things for themselves."

Ilyasi said his visit had reversed many of his own prejudices: "My initial impression was that the Israelis are certainly dominating Muslims out here. Once I came here, that impression completely changed. I saw the reality on the ground, the mutual respect Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews have for each other. Constant conflict is not the reality here." In Jerusalem, he said, "I saw that Muslims, Christians and Jews lived side by side happily, not at each other's throats." Maybe we should pay for liberal to go for a trip to Israel? How about CAIR?

In fact, Ilyasi claimed, in some ways, Israel treats Muslims better than India does: "I was pleasantly surprised to know that the Sharia (Islamic law) is being supported by the Israeli government; whereas, in India, only local Muslims implement it. That is unique." Ilyasi was apparently referring to the existence of government-sanctioned Islamic courts in the Israeli justice system, which handle marriage, divorce and conversion issues for Muslim Israelis. Similar religious courts exist for Jews and Christians.

Rabbi David Rosen, AJC's international director of inter-religious affairs in New York, said, "This visit is of great strategic importance and hopefully will impact on the wider Muslim world as well."
Unfortunately, the Muslim delegation also learned a different lesson on Monday, while visiting the Negev city of Sderot, a frequent target of Palestinian Authority rocket attacks. Where did the Palestinian Muslims get this idea of fighting against Israel? Could it have been froom Qur'an? Why didn't the Imams bring verses and Qur'anic support to disprove the jihadist interpretation of Islam.

"We heard a warning shot which was followed by a siren. We were immediately rushed to a shelter house where we heard the sound of a rocket attack," a member of the delegation told the Times of India.
The delegation of Muslim Indian leaders took part in an inter-religious dialogue on Sunday with representatives of the Chief Rabbinate, which concluded with the signing of a joint declaration with the two Chief Rabbis, Rabbi Yonah Metzger and Rabbi Shlomo Amar.

It is high time for the religious leaders of both sides to engage in dialogue and use their collective influence to stop the bloodshed of innocent civilians," the declaration said. "Rather, we need to condemn killings, reject extremism, and the misuse of religion for acts of violence. Suicide is a forbidden act in Islam and therefore suicidal attacks can not find sanction."

Religious leaders on both sides? Which rabbi was it that commanded Jews to blow themselves up in Gaza cafes? Its hardly a matter of 'violence on both sides'. Also, is the only reason why suicide bombings are wrong because suicide is forbidden in Islam? I would have thought that it was because innocent men, women and children are murdered. Suicide is against Islam- martyrdom is not. Sura (4:74) - "Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward."
Muslim (20:4678) - During the battle of Badr, Muhammad was in desperate need for men to push into battle. He promised paradise for those who would martyr themselves, prompting a young man who was eating dates to throw them away and rush to his death.
Until imams clearly state why suicide attacks and other attrocities are forbidden under Islamic law and according to which surahs and ahadith instead of stating vaguely that Islam forbids killing civilians (the question is who is a civilian. According to many Islamic scholar, non-Muslims have rejected Allah and therefore cannot be innocent), jihadists will have the upper hand in their interpretation of Islam.
Muslim Indian leaders took part in an inter-religious dialogue on Sunday
Even before his visit to Israel, Ilyasi said that Indian Muslims "believe in the Indian tradition of resolving issues through dialogue and peaceful means."
"The time for violence has come to an end, and the era of peace and dialogue between Muslims and Jews has begun," said Ilyasi. He also called on Pakistan to establish official relations with the Jewish State.

The Indian delegation was also received by President Shimon Peres, who said that whereas past international efforts focused on separating religion from the state, the current struggle is to separate all religions from all types of terrorism. Peres went on to say that the One God respects human life without distinction and hate. "We are all children of Abraham," the President said, adding, "Jerusalem is a living example of co-existence among all the religions. The voice of the Muslim muezzin, the bells of the Christian church and the song of the Jewish cantor - all rise together to Heaven, unhindered, without borders, and with no need for visas."

President Peres also noted the Indian struggle against terrorism and factionalism, praising the country for maintaining its democratic character throughout.

This story is nice and makes us feel good. Its a very good gesture that Muslims leaders are recognizing Israel but its still not enough. Its time for Muslims around the world to protest the supposed hijacking of Islam with as much zeal as they did the publication of Muhammad cartoons.

Later Day Saints Ackbar?

I'm in my hotel in Florence now, relaxing. I'm still here for a few more days. I wasn't planning on blogging but when I started to mutter to myself after reading the newspaper, I decided that instead of the other tourists thinking that I'm insane, I should commit my thoughts down to paper, or at least HTML. So here goes:

On September 11th, a group of religion fundamentalists committed a horrendous attack on non-belivers in the name of G-d. These extremists are the subject of a new film, September Dawn, by Christopher Cain, starring John Voight. Who could these lunatics who kill for their faith be? The Mormons, of course!
From Wikipedia:
September Dawn is an upcoming 2007 film by Christopher Cain, scheduled for wide release on August 24, 2007. It sets a fictional love story against the historical tragedy of the Mountain Meadows massacre of September 11, 1857, when a wagon train of emigrants of more than 120 men, women and children was attacked and murdered by a group of Mormon militiamen and Paiute Indians.
The director of the film intended to explore the dangers of religious fundamentalism, as it is so prevalent in our world today and what more logical targets than those evil, bloddthirsty Mormons! It's not like any other religious group ever massacred civilians on September 11th!
But seriously, why did Christopher Cain, who had a much more obvious group who commit evils in the name of G-d, choose to make a movie about Mormons? Muslims, whose September 11th massacre is far more relevant, seem to have somehow slipped his mind. The violence done in the name of Mormonism pales in comparison to that perpetrated by the followers of the 'Religion of Peace'. Which of the two religions was founded by a pedophile bandit? Which Prophet ordered his faithful to spread their new religion by the sword? It definitely is not Mormonism.
Christopher Cain is hardly the only director to go to lengths to avoid any Hollywood discussion or representation of Islamic terror and violence. The Sum of All Fears and Red Eye, along with many other movies with terrorists, always involves terrorists who are either American or European. How is it that the group that has committed 95% of the airline hijackings in history has been ignored? When 24 logically decided to have a season involving Islamic terrorists (far-fetched, I know), FOX was attacked by CAIR as being Islamophobic. Right, and portraying the Nazis during WWII as Germans is Allemanophobic... Kingdom of Heaven, a superbly crappy and historically inacurate movie about the Crusades with Orlando Bloom, goes to unecessary lengths to show the Christians as ruthless brutes who disturb the multicultural, tolerant Muslims who at that time were harrasing Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. Why let fact get in the way of political correctness and dhimmitude?
CAIR and the rest of their jihad-sympathizing leftist cohorts make an honest discussion of Islam and parts of that faith that give rise to atrocities impossible. Whether we like it or not, the US currently has soldiers deployed in at 2 Islamic countries, Iraq and Afghanistan. To deny that there is a war going on between Muslims and the West is ridiculous, especially since the Iraq war is a big issue for the Left. Terrorist groups with names like Islamic Jihad must be freedom fighters who are simply angry at Western imperialism, nothing to do with Islam at all. Just close your eyes and keep walking- nothing to see here!
Christopher Cain is a coward for choosing Mormons as his target in his new movie. He knows that Mormons will not march through the streets demanding his head and nor will they strap bombs onto themselves to protect their beliefs from defamation. However, he misses a golden opportunity to warn the West about the Islamic danger. At least we'll all be prepared for the coming Mormon intifada!

Jesus and Later Day Saints Ackbar!!

Interiour Minister Sheetrit: No More Falasha Mura

From the Jerusalem Post:

Falash Mura aliya from Ethiopia should be stopped immediately and Israel should focus on becoming a "real state" rather than a "committee" for the Jewish people, according to Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit.

Speaking to The Jerusalem Post earlier this week, he said the immigration of the Falash Mura - people whose Jewish ancestors were forcibly converted to Christianity centuries ago - was a mission that is impossible to finish.
...
Asked whether this stance would put him in direct conflict with organized US Jewry, which has been actively involved in supporting and funding the immigration of an estimated 4,500 remaining Falash Mura, he responded: "I don't care."

"If they want to take care of them, take them to America," Sheetrit said. "I haven't seen them take even one Ethiopian to America. In the meantime, Israel is the only country to get Ethiopians, and we accept them with open hearts."

He said his stance was not racist, adding: "Try to become a citizen of Switzerland. Will they take you there? You can only dream of it, but does anyone call them racists? No."

Sheetrit said the best solution would be to close the door to mass aliya and to assess each application for citizenship on an individual basis.

"I say, let's give every Jew the possibility to have temporary citizenship in Israel, and then let's check after five years," he said. "Then nobody can come to you with allegations of racism."

Who are the Falash Mura? The Jewish Virtual Library explains:

Ethiopian Jews have been the targets of missionaries for many decades. When the missionary activity intensified at the end of the 19th century, large numbers of the Beta Israel community converted. From approximately that time until Israel began to actively help the Jews immigrate, members of the Beta Israel community have abandoned their faith. Some did so because they were pressured or persuaded by the missionaries, others responded to social pressure and some may have viewed conversion as a way to improve their economic condition (for example, they could then own land). These people who had once been Jews, or, more often, whose ancestors had been Jews, are referred to as the Falash Mura.

The Israelis find themselves in a no-win situation. They do not want to simply accept unlimited immigration from Ethiopia. They are convinced that tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians will claim Jewish heritage if they do not follow strict procedures for determining eligibility to immigrate. In the meantime, the large numbers of Falash Mura who settled in camps in Gondar and Addis have created a severe humanitarian problem. They need jobs, shelter, food. These needs cannot be ignored, but, at the same time, if better services are provided, it will only attract more Falash Mura to the camps.

The Falash Mura are also in an impossible situation. While Jews virtually everywhere else in the world stay in their homes until they are given permission to immigrate, the Ethiopians uprooted themselves and have nowhere to go. Their land, cattle and homes have been bought or confiscated by their neighbors. It no longer matters why they left, whether by force, coercion or encouragement from activists, they are now living as urban slum dwellers. They will either be cared for by humanitarian organizations, allowed to immigrate to Israel, live a subsistence existence or die.

In early 2001, nearly 20,000 Falash Mura remained in camps in Gondar and Addis. Approximately 8,000 live in their villages near the camps. The Israelis accelerated their consideration of applications. The first priority was being given to divided families, then those eligible under the Law of Return and finally humanitarian or rare special cases. About one of three applicants was found to be eligible.

The Falash Mura received additional support in 2002 when Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, whose 1973 recognition of the Beta Israel as Jewish had paved the way for the large-scale immigration of Ethiopian Jews, declared that the Falash Mura had converted out of fear and persecution and therefore should be considered Jews.

The real problem here is that Interiour Minister Sheetrit is suggesting that Israel abandon the Law of Return which states that any Jew can become a citizen of Israel automatically. Sheetrit is essentially saying that he would like to put an end to the idea of a Jewish State. Without aliyah, Israel could not possibly survive. Sheetrit suggests that the United States take in the Falash Mura but he is ignoring the fact that the US has no obligation to help them while Israel, as the Jewish State, does. Why is there such apathy when it comes to helping black Jews? There are thousands of Ethiopian Jews waiting in Addis Adaba to make aliyah and yet only 300 are allowed to come per month. However, if 10 000 French Jews would want to make aliyah tomorrow, there would be no quotas. The Falash Mura are full Jews in every sense and only converted under duress. As long as they accept to return to Judaism and to abandon Christianity, they have every right to return to Israel.
The Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar was sent secretly to by Torah sage Rav Ovadiah Yosef to Africa to investigate the Jewish roots of the Falash Mura. Rav Ovadia Yosef eventually declared them full Zera Yisrael, Descendants of Israel. They consider themselves to be descendants of the lost tribe of Dan and in case their Jewishness is in doubt, they all undergo an Orthodox conversion upon landing in Israel.
The day when Israel abandons the Law of Return will be the day that the Zionist dream dies. Lets hope that that day never comes.