WHAT IS “ROSH HASHANAH”?

Rosh HaShanah is also known as the “Feast of Trumpets” and begins the Jewish New Year. On the Jewish Calendar it comes on the first day of the month Tishri (Biblical information in Leviticus 23:23-25). Immediately following this day Jews honor ten days that emphasize repentance – often calling them “the days of awe.” These “High Holy Days” are ended with Yom Kippur, known as the Day of Atonement, which falls of Tishri 10. On Tishri 15 begins the joyful celebration of Succoth or the Feast of Tabernacles (continues for eight days – the first and eighth days treated as “Shabat” (Sabbath Days – “holy convocations”) – no manual labor is to be done.

Jewish tradition believes that God writes every person’s words, deeds, and thoughts in the Book of Life which He opens and examines on the Day of Atonement. If your good deeds outnumber your bad deeds for the past year, that person’s name will be inscribed in the Book of Life for another year. So, during Rosh HaShanah and the ten days that follow, people can not only repent of their sins, but they can increase their good deeds and their chances of being inscribed in the Book of Life. Of course, there is very little security in such a practice, nor does the Bible teach it. During Rosh HaShanah services in a Jewish synagogue, the Shofar is blown 100 times.

Isaiah 64:6 says “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Isaiah 59:1-2 states clearly: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.”

King David wrote in his psalm of repentance that what we need is the “mercy of God” – Psalm 51:1-10 emphasizes that God must cleanse us from our sins and only He can make us “whiter than snow.”

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse
me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin
is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done
this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightiest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clear: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide my face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Isaiah 43:25 quotes the LORD saying: “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

Isaiah 44:21-22 says: “Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art My servant: I have formed thee; thou art My servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of Me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.”

OBAMA: WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO WORK TOWARDS PEACE!
by Elad Benari (IsraelNationalNews)

In a video released Tuesday, US President Barack Obama extended his personal greetings to the Jewish people in honor of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Obama began in Hebrew, saying L’Shana Tova Tikatevu (May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life), the traditional New Year wish..

“Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish spiritual calendar and the birth of the world,” said Obama. “It serves as a reminder of the special relationship between G-d and His children.”

Obama said that this time of year is a time for personal reflection, repentance, prayer, and remembering the blessings that come from helping those in need.

“As we begin this new year, it is more important than ever to believe in the power of humility and compassion, to deepen our faith, and repair our world,” said Obama in the video and added that at these times, when many are struggling financially, it is important to help those who are less fortunate.

Obama also addressed the peace process in his speech. “At a time when Israelis and Palestinians have returned to direct dialogue, it’s up to us to encourage and support those who are willing to move beyond their differences and work towards security and peace in the Holy Land,” he said. “Progress will not come easy and it will not come quick. But today we have an opportunity to move forward toward the goal we share: two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side, in peace and security.”

He mentioned the words of the 3rd chapter of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), which say that there is a time for everything. “In this season of repentance and renewal, let us commit ourselves to a more hopeful future.”

Obama concluded by wishing all Jews “a sweet year full of health and prosperity.”

ABBAS ASKS OBAMA’S OFFICIALS TO CONFRONT ISRAEL ON FREEZE!
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu (Arutz Sheva News)

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has publicly put U.S. President Barack Obama on the spot, telling reporters that he asked the President to “intervene in the settlement issue,” the Associated Press reported.

President Obama has sided with the PA, describing as “illegitimate” all Jewish communities in areas where the PA demands sovereignty, including neighborhoods in Jerusalem where 300,000 Jews live. However, he has stopped short of publicly telling Israel it will be at fault if Abbas quits the talks over the freeze issue.

Abbas’ public statement that he asked President Obama to intervene comes at a time when the President is suffering sinking popularity, with polls indicating that the Republican party will wipe away his majority in the House of Representatives and possibly in the Senate.

An extension of Israel’s 10-month temporary building freeze, which expires September 26, has been the PA’s principle condition for continuing direct talks with Israel. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu initiated the freeze to satisfy Abbas’ conditions for direct talks, but the PA leader has rejected it for not being extensive enough.

Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke behind closed doors in Washington last week for the first time in nearly two years, and a new round of discussions is scheduled at the Egyptian resort city Sharm el-Sheikh next week.

Although he did not specifically refer to the building freeze, Abbas told reporters on his return from Washington, “The United States will be present at the negotiations, not necessarily behind closed doors, but can be inside the room, or outside.”

Underlining his hard-line position, he said on Monday he will not make ”even one compromise” on the issues of building, borders and the demand that Israel allow several million foreign Arabs to immigrate to the Jewish State based on ancestral claims.

His remarks have been out of line with an appeal from U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell that both the PA and Israel keep their negotiations between themselves and not in the media.

Abbas also has reiterated his often-stated refusal to recognize Israel as Jewish State. Such a designation could preclude his demand to flood Israel with Arabs, a situation which would reduce Jews to a minority in the country.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The continual demands of the Palestinian Authority (along with Hamas and other terrorist groups) emphasizes the ridiculous nature of these so-called “peace talks.” This is NOT between Jews and Arabs - it is between ISLAM and ISRAEL! Islam does NOT care about Arabs, their needs or their desires - the majority still want to live in Israel - NOT in a new Palestinian State governed by Islam. ISRAEL belongs to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the Bible (which predates the Quran by hundreds of years) makes it quite clear, and world leaders are absolutely afraid to bring it up. May God encourage all Bible-believers to pray for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the members of the Israeli Parliament - pray for the peace of Jerusalem that will come through the return of the Prince of peace - our blessed Lord Yeshua!)

LIEBERMAN: NO PEACE IN OUR TIME!
by Maayana Miskin (Arutz Sheva News)

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Sunday that the expectations of Israel’s current negotiations with the Palestinian Authority are not realistic. At a ceremonial toast in honor of the upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashanah, he called on the government to learn from the Oslo peace talks, which ended with the murderous onslaught known as the Oslo War (or the Second Intifada), in which thousands of Israelis were killed or maimed in terrorist attacks.

Lieberman expressed concern over PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ ability to maintain his grasp on the PA in the face of increasing opposition. “Do we have a real partner? What if we sign with Abu Mazen [Abbas] and Hamas takes over?” he asked.

“We learned nothing from the Disengagement from Gush Katif,” Lieberman continued. “If we return to the 1967 territories, the demands from the Palestinian side will only increase.”

Israel removed IDF troops and thousands of Jewish residents from Gaza in 2005, when the Fatah-led PA controlled the region. One year later Hamas swept the PA elections and in 2007 it seized complete control of Gaza and went on to launch a campaign of terror against southern Israel, firing thousands of rockets and mortar shells at Jewish towns in the western Negev.

While the PA expressed willingness to negotiate with Israel and possibly to recognize Israel, although not as a Jewish state, Hamas has rejected any hint of a compromise in favor of an open effort to destroy Israel by any means.

Israel should not expect the PA to recognize its right to exist as a Jewish state any time soon, Lieberman cautioned. “A peace agreement in which the Palestinians will recognize Israel – that’s a goal that can’t be achieved, not over the course of the next year, not over the course of the next generation,” he said. “Not through compromise, and not through painful concessions.”

Regarding the Judea and Samaria construction freeze, he said, “We are not prepared to accept even one more minute of the freeze, of more concessions.” Israel froze construction for ten months; the PA agreed to direct talks at the beginning of the tenth month and now has insisted that the construction freeze continue, threatening to call off negotiations if it is not.

NETANYAHU: ISRAEL WILL TRY SOMETHING NEW FOR PEACE!
Israel Today News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested to his cabinet today that he is ready to try something new in order to reach peace with the Palestinians, and hopefully the entire Arab world.

Freshly returned from Washington, Netanyahu briefed his ministers on the renewal of direct peace negotiations between himself and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Netanyahu and Abbas met for several hours last Thursday, and were accompanied by US President Barack Obama, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Netanyahu said he came away from the meeting feeling like the Arabs had turned a corner, and were now genuinely ready for peace with Israel.

“There may be some important countries which have yet to stand up for a move of peace, but my impression from their willingness to reach peace despite the attacks reflects a feeling of maturity in the Arab world,” he told the cabinet.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu said Israel would need to learn the lessons of past failed peace efforts and “think outside the box” this time around.

“It’s time to move forward towards peace with the Palestinians and extend it to a wider circle. This feeling stems from my understanding of the meaning of the alternatives, as well as the recognition (of Arab countries) that an agreement with Israel is required,” the Prime Minister said.

Netanyahu did not elaborate on what new concessions or gestures Israel may be ready to make, but did say that for now his decision to end the self-imposed Jewish building freeze in Judea and Samaria on September 26 “remains unchanged.”

Abbas and the Palestinians have threatened to end the negotiations if Israel does not extend the building freeze indefinitely. They insist that ultimately, all Jewish towns in the so-called “West Bank” must be destroyed to make way for “Palestine.” However, Netanyahu is under immense pressure at home to not extend the freeze, considering that the Palestinians have yet to prove they are truly ready for a lasting peace, as evidenced by ongoing anti-Jewish and anti-Israel propaganda in the official Palestinian media.

Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren said Netanyahu is looking for other ways to keep Abbas at the negotiating table without jeopardizing the current Palestinian leadership.

“We know that President Abbas’s position can sometimes be precarious, and we are trying to find other means of incentivizing him to stay at the negotiating table,” Oren said without elaborating in a conference call with American Jewish leaders.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat gave cause for concern when he said that Netanyahu had agreed to resume negotiations where former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had left them. During his final months in office, Olmert offered to divide Jerusalem and withdraw from nearly all of Judea and Samaria.

Erekat said that Abbas and Netanyahu had decided to meet regularly and forgo the traditional series of meetings between committees representing the two leaders. The goal, said Erekat, is to make hard decisions fast and conclude negotiations up to the point of declaring an independent Palestinian
State within 12 months.

PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR EREKAT: ISRAEL MUST DESTROY TOWNS IN JUDEA & SAMARIA!
by Chana Ya’ar (Arutz Sheva News)

Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat expressed the hope Saturday that Israel will ultimately end up destroying Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, as it has in prior pullouts from other regions.

“When Israel decided to strike peace with Egypt it tore down settlements in Sinai,” Erekat pointed out in an interview with Jordan’s al-Dustour newspaper, published Saturday. “When it decided on a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, it tore down settlements in Gaza.”

Many of the residents of Yamit — one of the Jewish communities destroyed in the pullout from Sinai — were re-traumatized a second time during their forcible expulsion from their homes in Gush Katif in 2005. Nearly 10,000 Jews were left homeless after the withdrawal, many of whom are still without permanent housing or jobs today, five years later.

Nevertheless, Erekat warned that nothing less would be demanded in any final status agreement reached on a new PA country. There are more than a quarter of a million Jews living in Judea and Samaria at present.

“I hope Israel knows that peace in the West Bank will demand it does so again. Peace and the settlements are two parallel lines that do not meet,” he said.

Erekat expressed some pessimism about the future of the direct talks between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, accusing Israel of procrastination.

The PA negotiator also said that Abbas had so far rejected all proposals offered by Netanyahu. One of those, said Erekat, had been the formation of 12 committees which would each address a different issue of the peace process.

Israeli media adviser Nir Hefetz, however, denied in a statement that such a proposal had been made. “Nothing of the kind has been suggested,” he said. “On the contrary – Prime Minister Netanyahu offered the Palestinians to hold accelerated talks, once every two weeks, and in between, to have smaller, discreet meetings in order to seriously and responsibly pursue a peace agreement. The Prime Minister explicitly said that he believes what is necessary now is leaders’ decisions not a multitude of advisers.”

Netanyahu and Abbas are scheduled to meet a week from Sunday for a second round of direct talks, together with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special Middle East Envoy George Mitchell.

NETANYAHU AND ABBAS IN CLOSED-DOOR MEETING AS DIRECT TALKS BEGIN!
by Gil Ronen (IsraelNationalNews)

Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) began Thursday morning in Washington. Some news agencies labeled the ceremony ‘historic’ but many observers expect the talks to collapse soon after they begin.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas were talking directly for the first time since Netanyahu was elected Prime Minister in 2009. Talks between Israel and the PA broke off shortly before Netanyahu entered office, when Israel – led by Ehud Olmert – launched a large scale assault on Gaza terrorists.

In her opening statement, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she and President Barack Obama believe the talks “can succeed,” but added that “success will take patience, persistence and leadership.”??

Addressing the two leaders, she said: “I truly believe you are the leaders who can make this long-cherished dream a reality, and we will do everything possible to help you.”?Clinton said the US would be an “active and sustained partner” in the negotiations.

Netanyahu said that “mutual and painful concessions from both sides” will be required for peace. “We expect you to recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people,” he told Abbas, adding that the Israelis are “fully aware and respect your people’s desire for sovereignty.” ?

When Abbas spoke, he called for a continuation of the freeze on construction of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and a complete lifting of what he called the “embargo on Gaza.” Abbas made clear he expected negotiations to begin where they had left off in the past, explaining that “we’re not starting from scratch because we had many rounds of negotiation between the PLO and the Israeli government.”

Netanyahu mentioned the murder of four Jewish civilians by Hamas terrorists Tuesday, and Abbas said PA security forces are working to apprehend the people responsible for the attack.??

After the opening remarks, Abbas and Netanyahu entered a closed door meeting that was expected to last about three hours. The Obama Administration’s special envoy to the Mideast, George Mitchell, told reporters that the next meetings between Netanyahu and Abbas would take place on Sept. 14 and 15.

NETANYAHU TO US: BUILDING WILL RESUME!
by Maayana Miskin (IsraelNationalNews)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reiterated his previous commitment to end the Judea and Samaria construction freeze in September in a meeting Wednesday with United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Netanyahu said there was “no change to the cabinet decision to end” the freeze.

He and Clinton spoke in advance of Netanyahu’s meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama.

“It is impossible to take the issue of settlements in the West Bank, which is an issue for the permanent agreement and deal with it separately at the beginning of the direct talks,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by AFP.

Israel has made no demands of the Palestinian Authority, he said. “We came here to find a real solution without preconditions,” he stated.

PA leaders have insisted that Israel cease all construction for Jews east of the 1949 armistice line with Jordan, including in Jerusalem neighborhoods. If Israel allows Jews to build in those areas, the PA has threatened to drop out of the talks.

The 10-month construction freeze is scheduled to end on September 26. The Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria announced Wednesday that it would resume construction immediately, prior to the end of the freeze, in response to a terrorist shooting Tuesday in which four Israelis were murdered.

BARAK: ISRAEL MAY DIVIDE JERUSALEM, INTERNATIONALIZE “HOLY BASIN”
by Chana Ya’ar (IsraelNationalNews)

Defense Minister Ehud Barak says it is likely that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will agree to divide Jerusalem with the Palestinian Authority.

Barak told the Hebrew-language newspaper Haaretz in an interview published Wednesday that he believes the best chance for peace lies in a peace deal in which all the Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem would be handed over to the PA in order to create a capital for a new Arab country.

“If Netanyahu leads a process, a significant number of rightist ministers will stand with him,” he told the newspaper. “So what is needed is courage to make historic, painful decisions. I’m not saying that there is certainty for success, but there is a chance. This chance must be exploited to the fullest.”

The peace plan described by Barak includes the following:

* two states for two nations

* an end to the conflict and the end of all future demands

* demarcation of a border “that will run inside the Land of Israel” dividing a demilitarized PA state from an Israel that includes the “settlement blocs”

* retrieving and relocating the “isolated settlements” into the settlement blocs or within Israel

* a solution to the refugee problem within the PA state, or rehabilitating them through international aid

* comprehensive security arrangements

* a “solution to the Jerusalem problem.”

As for the “Jerusalem problem,” Barak told the newspaper that the western side of the city plus “12 Jewish neighborhoods that are home to 200,000 residents will be ours.” The neighborhoods in which nearly 250,000 Arabs are living “will be theirs.”

In addition, Barak envisions a “special regime” with “agreed-upon arrangements” to administer the Old City, the Mount of Olives and the City of David.

The concept is similar to one raised in the past by the administration of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who recommended the area, which he referred to as the “Holy Basin,” be internationalized under a “special regime.”

Prior to his re-election as Israel’s Prime Minister nearly two years ago, Binyamin Netanyahu warned a gathering at the Jerusalem Conference in January 2009 that leftist politicians would try to internationalize the holy sites in Jerusalem – and he vowed to fight the move.

“Some politicians are trying to blur the importance of the Temple Mount to the Jewish People by referring to it as the ‘Holy Basin’,” he told the crowd at the time. “We, as Jews, know who built the Temple Mount.”

Netanyahu promised the packed hall, “We have demonstrated in the past, and will continue to demonstrate our commitment to a complete, undivided Jerusalem… Everyone knows what will happen if we were to leave those areas and divide Jerusalem. Someone will enter – and that someone will be Hamas.”

Meanwhile, Barak told Haaretz that Tuesday night’s murderous attack by Hamas terrorists was “a very serious incident, the likes of which we haven’t seen for a long time.”

Four Jews — two men and two women, one of whom was nine months pregnant — were shot to death by a Hamas terrorist cell on Highway 60 at the Bani Nayim junction, between the Jewish community of Pene Hever and Hevron just as darkness fell, ending the daily Muslim fast of Ramadan. According to security sources, the terrorists had “confirmed the kill” by approaching the car and firing at point-blank range once the victims were already either seriously wounded or dead. Ten children were orphaned by the attack.

Barak countered demands by outraged politicians and community leaders for Netanyahu to return from Washington, saying the attack had “no doubt” been an attempt to “harm the start of the peace talks” and urged Israelis to support the process.

FOUR JEWS MURDERED IN ARAB TERROR ATTACK!
by Gil Ronen, Hillel Fendel and Elad Benari (Arutz Sheva News)

Palestinian terrorists murdered four Jewish civilians in a shooting attack at the Bani Naim junction just south of Hevron Tuesday evening. Emergency service paramedics could do nothing to save the victims whose bodies were riddled with bullets. The terrorists had reportedly made sure their victims were dead by shooting them from close range after the initial fusillade, as terrorists have done in prior attacks on unarmed civilians and children.

The victims are a husband and wife, parents of six, and two passengers. Their names were cleared for publication Tuesday night by local police:

Yitzchak and Talya ImasKochava Even-Chaim Avishai Shindler - The four were all citizens of Beit Haggai, located between Hevron and Be’er Sheva.

Yitzchak and Talya Imas were the parents of six children, the eldest one being 24 years old and the youngest one being a year and a half old. Talya Imas was nine months’ pregnant when she was killed by the terrorists.

Kochava Even-Chaim was a teacher in Efrat. She left behind her husband and an 8-year-old daughter. Her husband, one of the first Zaka first aid volunteers to arrive at the scene, discovered that his wife was among the victims when he approached the attacked car.

Avishai Shindler had only recently moved to Beit Haggai with his wife.

The funerals of all four victims will take place on Wednesday. Eulogies will be delivered in the Beit Haggai synagogue, and the funeral processions will then take place. During the processions residents of Mount Hebron, Kiryat Arba, Efrat, and Gush Etzion will stand on the road with Israeli flags and pay their last respects to the victims.

One of the victims had a license for a gun that was suspended by police shortly before the attack. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel said at the scene that serious soul-searching must be done “in order to find out how it is that Jews are deprived of the basic right to defend themselves.”

Hamas took “credit” for the terror attack, while PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the attack was “against Arab interests.” Fayyad added that the PA will act to prevent additional acts of terror, though he did not explain how it would do so in the future any better than it has up to now.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi arrived on the scene of the attack along with Head of Central Command Major General Avi Mizrahi and Judea and Samaria Commander Brig.-Gen. Nitzan Alon. Ashkenazi said, “First, we express our condolences to the victims’ families and to Beit Haggai. We have been working in several directions since the event occurred, and will continue to search until we capture the terrorists. The IDF, along with other security agencies, continues to operate non-stop until we capture the murderers who were responsible for this incident. ”

The terror attack is typical of Arab “resistance” attacks that intentionally target civilian victims. A survey carried out by a PA organization in early August found that among the Arab public in the Palestinian Authority, over 55% view violence as either essential or desirable, nearly 31% see it as either acceptable or tolerable, and only 13.7% say it is unacceptable.

The attack was probably timed to coincide with and affect the direct talks between Israel and the PA in Washington, D.C., that are to begin Thursday. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said upon landing in Washington that the talks would proceed as planned, despite the murders, evoking memories of PM Yitschak Rabin’s term “sacrifices for peace” for the post Oslo accord terror attacks, which cost tens of Israelis their lives. Just prior to his meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Netanyahu said: “Terrorism will not determine the fate of Judea and Samaria residents or borders. These issues and others will be determined during negotiations.”

The White House also condemned the terrorist attack and warned that “enemies of peace” would try to thwart direct peace talks.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement. “We express our condolences to the victims’ families and call for the terrorists behind this horrific act to be brought to justice.

It is crucial that the parties persevere, keep moving forward even through difficult times, and continue working to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region that provides security for all peoples.”