Daily Archives: 4 September 2009

Rabbis Considering Ban on Selling Houses to Arabs

“Hareidi and national-religious rabbis will meet Monday in Jerusalem to discuss ways of dealing with the Arab influx into Jewish neighborhoods in northern Jerusalem, as well as the purchasing of agricultural land in the Galilee by wealthy foreign Arabs.

The rabbis are expected to call for an end to the phenomenon of sale of land and houses by Jews to Arabs. The organizer, Aryeh King, who heads the Israel Lands Fund, told Arutz Sheva’s Hebrew service that he is hoping to see the rabbis issue a pronouncement that sale of land and houses to Arabs is forbidden. . . .

According to King, the economic downturn is causing many Jews in the Galilee as well as in the ‘socially weaker’ parts of Jerusalem to sell their homes to Arabs.” (Read more from israelnationalnews.com)

Top Jundallah Figure Says US Ordered Attacks

“In a high profile press conference in the city of Zahedan, Iran, international media gathered to hear a statement from Abdolhamid Rigi, a high ranking member of the Balochi separatist movement Jundallah who is awaiting execution by the Iranian government for his role in a series of murders.

. . . .

In particular, Rigi confirmed that Jundallah previously had ties with al-Qaeda for operations in Pakistan, and that the groups split in 2003 over differences of opinion about strategy in Iran. Not long after severing its ties with al-Qaeda, the group started a relationship with the United States government.

That fact has never been disputed, indeed US officials have repeatedly confirmed that the government has secretly encouraged and advised Jundallah as it fights the Iranian government. But Rigi insisted the US ties went well beyond encouragement.

Rigi insisted that five years ago when the relationship began the US government gave the group $100,000 and promised to provide it with ‘everything we needed.’ He also claimed that the US was directing the group’s attacks, saying ‘they told us whom to shoot and whom not to. All orders came from them.’

Previously US officials had insisted the government was deliberately avoiding direct funding to avoid Congressional oversight, but the Bush Administration did funnel considerable money into ‘covert’ operations against the Iranian government.” (Read more from antiwar.com)