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Shades of 1938 – is this the message Europe wants to send in 2024?
Targeting Jews. Wrapped in an Israel flag, woman stands defiantly during Amsterdam mayor, Femke Halsema’s address at a press conference following the violence targeting Jewish fans of Israeli soccer team in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 8, 2024.
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JEWS HUNTED IN EUROPEAN POGROM
Will Europe protect itself from their self-inflicted stupidity? ByJonathan Feldstein
Back to Barbarism. “To escape the violent Arab/Islamist mobs and protect themselves, Jews jumped into canals, and hid in storesand kind strangers’ apartments.” Imitating Nazis, “these mobs prowled the streets demanding ID..…” Is this the direction Europe wants to take – AGAIN?
Robin Hood in reverse – how countries in deficit are funding billionaires By Neville Berman
Farce and Furious. “The UAE spends more on horses than on support for UNRWA.” While super-rich countries in the Middle East give token amounts to UNRWA, Western counties that are mostly in debt donate 96% of UNRWA’s budget. “What a farce,” the system of humanitarian aid and donations has become, argues the writer.
Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media
Arab Answers. Exasperated with the devastation and suffering of wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Arab writers from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Lebanon, analyze the situation from their political and cultural perspectives and explore solutions.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
11 November 2024 – Amsterdam attacks and more on The Israel Brief.
12 November 2024 – Riots in Amsterdam and Roro has a rant on The Israel Brief.
13 November 2024 – PIJ release video of hostage, Sasha Troufanov and more on The Israel Brief.
14 November 2024 – Hostages face severe health issues and more on The Israel Brief.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Robin Hood in reverse – how countries in deficit are funding billionaires
By Neville Berman
Something extraordinary is occurring in the financial world. Let’s start by looking at Lebanon. It is clear that the once thriving country of Lebanon has become a failed state whose economy is in free fall. Everyone understands that the policies of Hezbollah, acting on behalf of Iran, is responsible for this situation.
Early in October this year, the newly appointed Prime Minister of France, Michel Barnier, announced that the French budget for 2025, would be one of austerity, and would include cuts in social programs and increased taxation on the rich. A few weeks after this announcement, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, chaired a meeting in Paris of senior officials from over 70 counties to raise money for Lebanon. Macron declared that France would give 100 million Euros to the fund. It seems surreal that while France is facing huge deficits and an austerity budget, the French President is promising aid to a failed Arab state. This becomes even more absurd when one considers the huge surpluses of Arab oil exporting countries that could help Lebanon, but either refrain from doing so, or pay only token amounts.
Poor Country follows Poor Leadership. Once called “the Paris of the Middle East,” Lebanon is caught in a spiral of devaluation, poverty, unemployment and rampant corruption. (Photo: AFP via Getty Images)
Sitting right next to Macron at the donor conference was Najib Mikati, the interim Prime Minister of Lebanon. Forbes magazine estimates that Mikati’s net worth is $2.8 billion. Did it not occur to Macron, or any of the other delegates, that it would be reasonable to request that Mikati should personally be called upon to donate to help Lebanon? What is even more absurd is that Lebanon has five billionaires that are estimated to be worth over $11 billion and hundreds of millionaires. Between them they could come up with billions and still be incredibly rich. Why should countries in huge deficits donate money to Lebanon? What is even more glaring is that these billionaires will probably be the very people that will be awarded the contracts to rebuild Lebanon. Mikati was previously charged with corruption in building contracts in Syria. He was cleared due to “lack of evidence.” It seems obvious where part of the aid will end up.
Funding Failure. France’s President Emmanuel Macron (center), flanked by Lebanese and French officials, chairs an international aid conference in Paris, Oct.24, 2024 raising millions in humanitarian aid for Lebanon. Lebanese prime minister, Najib Mikati (2nd left) is worth $2.8 billion having, inter alia, cofounded Beirut-based investment firm M1 Group.
As ridiculous as this might seem, it is even more ridiculous when we look at the funding of UNRWA. Since 1949, UNRWA has received billions in donations. According to figures published by UNRWA, nearly $1.3 billion was pledged to the organization just for 2023. The funding comes from the following:
– 91% was pledged by American and European countries
– 5% came from Japan and Australia, and only
– 4% was pledged by Muslim countries.
This is really extraordinary, as it shows that the super-rich countries in the Middle East give token amounts to UNRWA, while counties that are mostly in debt donate 96% of UNRWA’s budget. The European community was the number one supporter of UNRWA for 2023 with pledges of $686 million. The US was the top individual country with a donation of $422 million. With one of the world’s highest per capita deficits, Japan still managed to donate $48 million to UNRWA. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged $17 and $15 million respectively. The UAE spends more on horses than on support for UNRWA. Now the interesting fact is that the top leadership of Hamas is also reportedly worth billions and are living in five-star luxury in Qatar. What a farce the whole system of humanitarian aid and donations has become.
Cold Facts. Back in 2021, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, said that Lebanon “is a failing State, with a government failing its population.” It’s apparent by opening this Beirut fridge.
Humanitarian aid has really become a case of Robin Hood in reverse. Countries and entities with billionaire leaders are receiving aid from countries with huge deficits. The billionaires are smiling all the way to the bank. They know that they will soon be even richer when they inevitably skim off part of the donations that sucker donor countries are promising. The stupidity of donor countries seems unbelievable. It is time to wake up to where donations are being sent and where part of humanitarian aid actually ends up. Swiss banks could probably provide part of the answer.
Duped Donors. After at least 9 countries announced that they were suspending funding to UNRWA following information that some of its employees participated in the massacre on October 7, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan attacked the move, even though UNRWA’s list of the 10 largest donors includes ONLY ONE Arab country.
About the writer:
AccountantNeville Berman had an illustrious sporting career in South Africa, being twice awarded the South African State Presidents Award for Sport and was a three times winner of the South African Maccabi Sportsman of the Year Award. In 1978 he immigrated to the USA to coach the United States men’s field hockey team, whereafter, in 1981 he immigrated to Israel where he practiced as an accountant and then for 20 years was the Admin Manager at the American International School in Even Yehuda, Israel. He is married with two children and one granddaughter.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media
Lay of the Land Editor: Exasperated with the devastation and suffering of regional wars, Arab writers below from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Lebanon, expose the late Hezbollah leader’s failings, acknowledge weakness in regional Arab political leadership and suggest with respect to Lebanon, to exploit “weakness as strength” and push for “greater secularism”.
(*Translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
WHAT WILL BECOME OF HEZBOLLAH?
By Rami Al-Khalifa Al-Ali
Okaz, Saudi Arabia, October 3
Israel has finally succeeded in targeting the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, after 18 years in hiding. This marks a significant blow to Hezbollah and its Iranian allies.
The sequence of setbacks inflicted on the militia began with the hacking of their communications network, followed by the assassination of over 500 field commanders in the south over the past year. The campaign culminated in the elimination of second-tier leaders and, ultimately, Nasrallah himself.
For many, Hezbollah’s influence had already waned following Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. Despite this, the party insisted on retaining its arms, thus emerging as the sole armed political entity within Lebanon. This led Hezbollah to impose its will on its Lebanese counterparts, crossing a critical line in 2008 when it turned its weapons inward and occupied Beirut. At that moment, Nasrallah’s credibility diminished, both morally and popularly. His once-revered stature further eroded as Hezbollah became the vanguard in Iran’s regional conflicts.
Future Uncertain. Assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah – with a black stripe for mourning – is displayed during a broadcast from private Lebanese station NBN, in Beirut, Sept. 28.(Photo Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images)
Nasrallah’s decision to embroil Hezbollah in the Syrian crisis, despite the Lebanese government’s policy of neutrality, underscored his ascendancy over both government and state institutions. His sectarian belligerence in Syria – marked by attacks on civilians – dealt another blow to his reputation. Moreover, Nasrallah’s endorsement of hostilities against Saudi Arabia and support for the Houthi movement in Yemen drew widespread condemnation.
During the recent conflict, Nasrallah’s unwavering allegiance to Iran’s agenda overshadowed any efforts to uphold Lebanon’s stability or genuinely aid the Palestinian plight in Gaza.
Now, Nasrallah has departed, leaving Lebanon teetering on the edge. Hezbollah in disarray, and his legacy is marred among much of the Arab populace, tainted by violence and division. When Nasrallah aligned Hezbollah with Iran’s regional ambitions, the organization transformed from a cohesive ideological entity with clear objectives into mercenaries fulfilling foreign agendas. This change necessitated increasing recruitment and liaison with foreign intelligence services, eventually exposing Hezbollah’s vulnerabilities to Israel.
As highlighted in an investigative report by the Financial Times, Mossad’s penetration of Hezbollah’s ranks signaled an unprecedented moment of internal collapse reaching up to the group’s leadership, while Iranian overseers appeared indifferent.
For those poised to succeed Nasrallah, there is a glimmer of hope. A reevaluation of Hezbollah’s role within Lebanon is imperative. The goal should be to evolve into a national entity invested in nation-building rather than acting as a pawn in foreign conflicts, thus avoiding a fate where they are discarded after serving their purpose or becoming a liability.
– Rami Al-Khalifa Al-Ali
WAR ON HUMANITY AND CIVILIZATION
By Radwan al-Sayed
Al-Ittihad, UAE, October 19
War is erupting across various regions, casting people into a spectrum of despair, leaving them in states of submission and hopelessness. This turmoil is tragically evident in places like Gaza and Lebanon, where combatants are heedless to the calls for peace, allowing the horrors of war to devastate the core of humanity and civilization.
In a recent summit, Gulf countries engaged with European Union counterparts, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and peace, and advocating for international resolutions. They recognize that it’s in everyone’s best interest to avoid shedding blood or falling prey to destructive whims.
Talking and Tackling. Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman joined other Gulf leaders in holding first ever summit with EU heads of state to tackle Middle East crisis in Brussels. (Photo: via Reuters-Saudi Press Agency)
The Gulf nations, having already extended significant humanitarian aid to Gaza, are now also mobilizing support for Lebanon, urging an end to the bombings and calling for the preservation of life and stability.
The future remains uncertain for those engulfed in the Gaza conflict. For the displaced inhabitants of Gaza, who have endured multiple upheavals, concerns over victory, the problems experienced elsewhere in our beleaguered region are now secondary.
In Lebanon, however, the solution is apparent: adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, elect a new president, and ensure peace by deploying a robust army alongside international forces at the southern border.
Thus, two divergent paths emerge: one of peace and resolution, championed by Arabs since the 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut; and the other of obstruction and delay, which benefits no one, yet is often pursued by warring factions at the expense of humanity and progress.
For both Gaza and Lebanon, survival and the prospect of a free and dignified existence hinge on embracing peace, maintaining the essence of humanity, and cultivating a future filled with dreams and hopes for children and their families.
This marks the fourth or fifth conflict in Gaza since 2007, each commencing with rocket fire and concluding in devastation and extensive loss of life. The latest war has displaced more than two million people on multiple occasions, while the ongoing sixth or seventh war has resulted in thousands of fatalities and 1.2 million displaced persons. The Lebanese people declare their inability to endure further hardship, with many seeking asylum in Syria.
Global attention is focused on the plight in Gaza and Lebanon, yet the catastrophe in Syria – where half a million have perished and millions more have been displaced internally and into neighboring countries – cannot be overlooked. Syrians are now hosting displaced Lebanese, straining a country already fraught with its challenges and besieged by a bleak future.
Since the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, conflicts have persistently plagued Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Now, fresh and lingering calamities in Gaza and Palestine add to this troubled narrative.
Lebonon Laments. It is a war Lebanon should not have started. More than 1 million people in Lebanon have been displaced with thousands sleeping on beaches, under bridges and in the streets. (Photo:Patrick Baz/AFP via Getty Images)
Each faction threatens to usher in a “new Middle East.” What is new about a region stripped of peace and life’s basic necessities? The elderly, reminiscing about happier times, recall the region’s old name: the Fertile Crescent, where the olive tree once stood as a symbol of abundance and tranquility. Alas, this year, Palestine and southern Lebanon have lost their olive harvest, prompting concerns about what remains in northern Lebanon, now crowded with waves of displaced individuals fleeing from the southern Bekaa and suburbs. Yesterday, the city of Nabatiya witnessed devastation unprecedented in its history. What fate awaits Nabatiya, Baalbek, and the many historic and cultural landscapes?
The absence of Arab leadership has been felt in a region where Americans and Iranians wield influence, allowing wars to dominate. It is imperative that Arabs reclaim their presence on the global stage now more than ever before.
– Radwan al-Sayed
WILL LEBANON DEFEAT ISRAEL? YES – THIS IS HOW
By Raouf Kob
Al-Nahar, Lebanon, October 18
These words were originally meant for introspection, a personal reflection that I now address to the public, hoping they resonate with readers. They are directed at supporters of the group known as the Axis of Resistance, as well as those who stand apart from it. I write from the perspective of a concerned Lebanese citizen who yearns, like all Lebanese do, for a nation that is free, sovereign, and independent. A country shielded from any foreign power attempting to manipulate its security and destiny, be it Israel or any other nation.
Previously, I’ve penned three letters to late Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, published in this very newspaper. In the third, I pledged it would be my last. These letters served as an appeal, urging Hezbollah to advocate for a secular state in Lebanon. They were not insults, criticisms, or reproaches, unlike the discourse from the party’s usual adversaries.
I confess openly that I’ve never aligned with Hezbollah’s ideology, nor with the ideology of any Lebanese party or political movement. This is largely because all Lebanese parties are inherently sectarian. Their supporters hail from similar socioeconomic strata, and I’ve never belonged to any religious or political faction. I believe Lebanon’s core suffering stems from this fragmentation among its citizens, a division that estranges them from genuine patriotism and prompts mutual accusations of treason and collusion with outsiders.
Seeking Secularism. The writer penned three letters of appeal to the late Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, urging Hezbollah “to advocate for a secular state in Lebanon.” (Bilal Hussein/AP)
I am not naive enough to claim that those aligned with Hezbollah betray Lebanon. They are committed to defending their land and its dignity. However, as a Lebanese expatriate, it anguishes me to hear accusations against those outside the Hezbollah camp of cultural and political betrayal. Such behavior is an affront beyond justice; all Lebanese passionately love their country. Just as every sheik has his own methodology, as the Azharites would say, each Lebanese finds unique ways to express love and loyalty to the nation, even taking up arms when necessary. Religious fanaticism sows division, yet some Lebanese do not support Hezbollah in the current southern conflict. These individuals are not traitors, mercenaries, or agents; they are patriots following their own compass, standing against Israel and Zionism as fervently as Hezbollah.
I recognize the numerous motives for opposing Hezbollah, often rooted in religious inclinations in our multifaceted sectarian society. These inclinations are not novel; they are deeply ingrained in our history and culture and were prevalent before colonial forces invaded. Nevertheless, Lebanon can neutralize Israel without resorting to bullets, and I earnestly implore Hezbollah’s supporters to hear me out with patience.
During the last century, a notable Lebanese politician, Pierre Gumayel, made the insightful observation that Lebanon’s strength lies in its weakness. Though not a scholar or ideologist, Gemayel’s statement resonates as a guiding principle. Lebanon’s paradoxical strength and resilience emerge from its perceived fragility. Some might mockingly equate this to Hezbollah’s claim that Israel is weaker than a spider’s web. I argue instead through analogy: when two men brawl on the street, bystanders remain indifferent; however, when a grown man assaults a child, all witnesses stand with the child, ensuring the attacker faces justice.
Less is More. The late Lebanese politician, Pierre Gumayel founder of the Kataeb Party (also known as the Phalangist Party), made “the insightful observation that Lebanon’s strength lies in its weakness.”
Politically speaking, consider if a powerful nation like France decided to invade a small European duchy like Luxembourg. While possible, such an action would be universally condemned, uniting France’s citizens against their government. Luxembourg’s strength stems not just from its petite size but from its peaceful, advanced governance that mirrors the systems of other developed democracies.
This suggests Lebanon should carry arms only to hold an aggressor temporarily at bay until international support arrives. Ultimately, its true strength lies in its “weakness” and its peaceful, advanced reputation.
Reflecting on whether Israel would have dared to attack a Lebanon that modeled its political system after Luxembourg, Finland, or Norway is telling. Lebanon’s issues stem from a corrupt system built on deceit, exploitation, and religious manipulation. It tragically lays itself bare for exploitation, inviting disaster without concern from the global community.
Historical examples reinforce this: the 1967 Six Day War left a neutral Lebanon untouched due to its armistice with Israel, a peace that endured until the 1969 Cairo Agreement tragically embroiled Lebanon in proxy wars. Consider the “weak” children of the West Bank during the 1980s intifada, how global empathy stood with them, igniting solidarity movements worldwide. This uprising only waned when leaders like Yasser Arafat appropriated and monopolized it, exacerbating the tragedies that befell Lebanon, Palestine, and its people.
In my previous correspondences to Nasrallah, I advocated for a secular civil system as Lebanon’s salvation – a system fostering unity, aligned with divine laws, protecting Lebanon from the manipulation of opportunistic figures, elevating its global standing, and earning respect. Lebanon will reclaim its dignity and rights only when self-respect prevails. Through reason over instinct and intolerance, a peaceful Lebanon can oppose aggressors like Israel by unveiling their true nature, supporting Palestine, and aligning with Arab causes not through force, but with truth, reason, and steadfast resolve.
In Kalila wa-Dimna, the famous collection of fables translated by Ibn al-Muqaffa, the author observed that a strong wind may uproot the solid tree but not the resilient grass. Imam Ali emphasized the importance of self-awareness, and Socrates charged us to “know thyself.” Their wisdom reminds us that Lebanon must find strength within its vulnerabilities to emerge as a sovereign, impregnable state immune to external threats. Such understanding is crucial for Lebanon’s resurgence and prosperity, ensuring it stands poised against the turmoil of the outside world.
– Raouf Kob
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Will Europe protect itself from their self-inflicted stupidity?
By Jonathan Feldstein
A pogrom is a premeditated, organized, violent riot with the aim of threatening, intimidating, and massacring Jews, made common in late 19th and early 20th century Russia and Eastern Europe. Last week, in the continent best known for a genocide against the Jewish people less than a century ago, that is exactly what happened again.
It is ironic that the latest pogrom took place in the country made famous by Anne Frank – whose family was initially hidden, but then turned in by another antisemites, and Righteous Gentiles like Corrie Ten Boom who put their own lives on the line to protect Jews – Jews are once again being hunted, and not protected by the authorities.
Marching to Murder. Inspired by Gaza’s rampaging killers on October 7, these pro-Palestinian marchers in Amsterdam were not approaching a stadium to support a football team but to hunt Jewish fans and inflict injury. (AP Photo InterVision)
Itis ironic that the latest pogrom happened the week of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogrom throughout Germany, an event that was not only threatening to Jews, but a test the rest of the world that failed then by not speaking up and stopping the Nazis. As a result, the Nazis understood they could implement their “Final Solution”, and nobody would rise up to protect the Jews.
The latest pogrom is a similar test for the future of Europe.
It is not only that Jews were hunted and targeted deliberately throughout the streets of Amsterdam, but the ability to do so was self-inflicted, made possible by decades of immigration policies allowing violent Arab/Islamic extremists to entrench themselves in cities across Europe, not just in the Netherlands.
An attack on one community is an attack on us all.
After the fact, Dutch leaders spoke out in shame. King Willem-Alexander spoke to Israeli president Isaac Herzog stating:
“We disappointed Dutch Jewry during the Holocaust, and tonight, we disappointed you again.”
Leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) Geert Wilders posted on X/Twitter:
“I am speechless. Amsterdam Police just confirmed that NO ONE has been arrested during the Islamic Jewhunt in Amsterdam Thursday night.”
Christians for Israel mobilized to protect Israelis, despite threats to themselves, evoking the memory of Righteous Gentiles who saved Jews in the Holocaust.
Despite this, the reality is much worse than being reported outside Israel. Israel sent rescue flights to bring home some 2000 Israelis. Israeli media is widely covering the horrifying stories of those who were attacked, and the Dutch response.
Dutch Descent. A metaphor for the descent of Europe, this football fan came to watch a match; he ended being viciously assaulted by a mob of Muslims for no other reason than he was Jewish.
What is now known is that the Arab/Islamic attacks on Jews in Amsterdam were premeditated, coordinated, and instigated on social media days before the pogrom. What is now known is that Israeli Jews were targeted and harassed in public, in the days prior to the pogrom. What is now known is that taxi drivers were part of the plot to target Israelis, physically preventing them from escaping. Israelis reported fleeing for their safety into waiting taxis, only to be hijacked to side streets to the hands of waiting mobs. What is now known is that violent Arab/Islamic mobs waited along the train route from the stadium to attack the Jewish Israeli fans fleeing. Underscoring that this was premeditated, the mobs were armed with knives, sticks, batons and fireworks which they set off at the Jews.
To escape the violent Arab/Islamist mobs and protect themselves, Jews jumped into canals, and hid in random in stores and kind strangers’ apartments. The violent Arab/Islamist mobs prowled the streets demanding ID from people to target the Israelis, posting many of their victims on social media.
Crystal Clear. Approaching the anniversary of Kristallnacht, Europe sends a terrifying message that Jews are as safe there today as they were in the 1930s!
It is also known that the Israeli government warned Dutch authorities of these planned attacks. Not only were the warnings not heeded, but there are also reports of police refusing to protect the Jewish Israelis.
There were stories too of thankful salvation like a contemporary ‘Righteous Gentile’ who stepped up and reportedly saved a number of Jewish Israelis and a Druze Israeli citizen who confused the Arab/Islamic mob by speaking in Arabic to throw them off the trail of hunting the Jews. Melhem Asad is being celebrated as the hero he is.
While dozens were arrested, it is also now known that none of the violent Arab/Islamic mob who attacked, hunted, threatened, kicked, beat, stabbed, pummeled, or terrorized Jews remain in custody.
It is clear what needs to happen, but the question is how Dutch and indeed all European leaders will respond. What needs to happen is that the mob who promoted, incited, and perpetrated the pogrom must all be tracked down and arrested.
Laws need to be enforced to the strictest, and established where they don’t yet exist, for the harshest consequences. Europeans need to revoke citizenship of those committing antisemitic crimes, and instantly deport any non-citizens involved.
This is the time for Europe to save itself, to vomit out the evil in their midst, evil rooted in intolerant Islam. Europe must correct the lenient and self-destructive policy of granting residency and even citizenship to people from Arab and Islamic countries, no matter why they want to leave their countries, on a false sense of being righteous rather than essential self-preservation. It is as if Europe provided the tools and resources to build a continent-wide Trojan horse, allowing people who have no interest in European culture, history, or its future to enter freely and hijack the continent. People who see Europe as just another place to conquer, over which to raise the flag of Islam.
Repeat of History. Screenshot from a video shows violence on the streets of Amsterdam in which Jews were attacked by pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel gangs on November 8, 2024.
Had it not been for the allies defeating the Nazis, all Europe would be speaking German today, there would be no Jews, and the world would be a different place. Today, Europe must save itself as there will be no allied troops coming to rescue them from their inability or unwillingness to protect themselves from their self-inflicted stupidity.
Ironically, the Amsterdam pogrom took place the week of the planned announcement of a unique program to bring people to follow in the footsteps of Righteous Gentiles, specifically considering highlighting stories of Righteous Gentiles in the Netherlands. Now, we have to question whether this is realistic, or safe at all.
Theodor Herzl is known as the founder of modern Zionism, giving voice to millennia of Jewish dreams to return to the Land of Israel, and creating the infrastructure to advocate for the restoration of Jewish sovereignty from the late 1800s. The catalyst for his activism was the infamous 1894 trial of French Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison for clearly trumped-up charges rooted in overt antisemitism, even in “enlightened” 19th century Europe. Herzl believed that the solution to antisemitism was the Jewish people having their own state, to be able to live normally, equally, among the nations of the world, not as a persecuted dispersed minority among other nations since the 1st Century.
Unfortunately, Herzl was mistaken. Israel is indeed a thriving sanctuary for the Jewish people, and indeed a light unto the nations. However, it’s existence is not the panacea that Herzl dreamt it would be to end antisemitism. Rather, it gives fuel in the tank for antisemites to morph, creating new excuses to hate and persecute Jews. Even in Amsterdam. Even while watching a soccer game.
Royal Reckoning. “We failed the Jewish community during WWII, last night we failed ,” said the Netherlands’ King Willem Alexander seen here visiting the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam March 10, 2024. (Photo: Piroschka van de Wouw/ via AP)
In the 20th century, Europe was saved by the allies shedding blood to prevent the entire continent from becoming Nazi. Unfortunately, this was too late for 6 million Jews. Twenty-first century Europe is now at a juncture, and must decide if it wants to save itself, or go down the path of darkness where any semblance of light in their “enlightenment” will be extinguished. This is the last opportunity for Europeans to save themselves.
Will Europe resist the cancer that they have allowed and even enabled to grow from within, or continue to suffer the evil consequences until ISIS-like gangs control entire cities, not just no-go neighborhoods, and destroy any semblance of what Europe once was, culturally and physically.
Jonathan Feldstein - President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Jornal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
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While Israel is falsely accused of “genocide” at The Hague in Belgium, in neighboring Holland, Israeli fans are hunted down like prey and physically assaulted following a football match, resulting in hospitalization and Israel scheduling three rescue flights to evacuate its citizens from Amsterdam.
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TRUMP AND TOMORROW
With Israel at war and rampant global antisemitism, what does the future hold with Trump returning as leader of the free world? By David E. Kaplan
Anger and Anguish. In wake of Oct. 7, many US Jews rethink traditional party support seeing Israel’s survival in new light after Hamas massacre and rampant antisemitism. Where to vote was easy. Who to vote was for was less easy.
Wherever the Islamic Republic of Iran’s influence extends, human rights diminish, freedom contracts, and women are forced into submission. By Catherine Perez-Shakdam
Terror from Tehran. “The Islamic Republic’s repressive ideology has metastasized far beyond Tehran, “ asserts the writer, “extending its reach to every corner of the so-called Shia Crescent, leaving a trail of intimidation, violence, and oppression in its wake.”
Contrary to misguided epitaphs of “legendary leader” and “martyr”, Hamas leader Sinwar was a cold-blooded killer. By Lawrence Nowosenetz
Debunks Diatribe. Retired Acting Judge of South Africa’s High Court discredits Iqbal Jassat of the virulently antisemitic South African platform ‘Media Review Network’ when he laments Yahya Sinwar as an: “Iconic leader martyred by Zionist colonialists.”
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
With Israel at war and rampant global antisemitism, what does the future hold with Trump returning as leader of the free world?
By David E. Kaplan
“Jan. 6 made me rule out Trump; Oct. 7 made me vote for him,” writes Ellen Just Braffman, a retired educator and grandmother of 12 who lives in Bala-Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, in the same area as my wife’s sisters and their families. What Braffman unveils throughout her article is the anguish between the two monumental dates – January 6, 2020 and October 7, 2023:
“When October 7th happened; the world changed. October 7th changed everything.”
I understand her cerebral journey perfectly. My wife’s nephew, a life-long Democratic living also in the leafy suburbs of Philadelphia not far from Braffman’s Bala-Cynwyd, emphatically expresses that until October 7 he was,“coasting along,” but now feels “like a born-again Jew.” Like for so many Jews today, October 7, shockingly “changed everything.”
Anger and Anguish. Where to vote was easy. Who to vote was for was less easy.
They were brutally reminded of their identity! More than that; they were reminded of their insecurity because of that identity.
For the equivocating US Jewish voter, it was a reminder that throughout history at moments of hope or choice – It is not so much a case of who will be good for the Jews but who will be less bad.
It was through this prism that anguished Jews viewed the 2024 US presidential election.
How many Jews in the US identified with Braffman when she writes that following January 6, 2021:
“…my anti-democracy, beginning of totalitarianism” radar began to send signals. The horrifying images of the US Capitol mitigating against a peaceful transfer of power horrified me …and Trump’s complicity in this shameful anti-democratic act was clear.”
Yet confounding this narrative were the facts – not words – that contributed to her perplexity that during Trump’s turbulent first term he initiated “the Abraham Accords, amputated Iran’s financial muscle, moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognized the strategically critical Golan Heights as part of Israel, and even cut aid to UNWRA, the profound significance of which was not yet widely understood.” Nevertheless, she writes, “Iwas done with President Trump,” who she “considered a highly flawed and dangerous individual.”
And then October 7th happened. “The world changed. October 7th changed everything.”
What also changed was who she was going to vote for!
Existential Concerns. In wake of Oct. 7, some US Jews in swing states rethink longtime support of Democrats seeing Israel’s survival in new light after Hamas attack and amid fears of rising antisemitism.
And you can understand why. What else had also “changed” was a fundamental shift in the Democratic Party that historically stood by Israel from the time of President Truman who despite internal opposition, ensured the US was the first country to recognise the new Jewish state in 1947 and then helped the young state’s development. Instead, in recent years, the Democratic Party welcomed as part of its ‘proud’ progressive shift, the so-called “Squad” with its Middle Eastern agenda undermining the US’s support for Israel at every opportunity. This Squad were at the forefront demanding cease-fires and the blocking of arms to Israel during a time of an existential war and banding slogans in sync with Israel’s worst enemies. They embrace a narrative that Israel was established as a “colonial outpost,” implying that Jews have no right to their own state in their ancestral land! Instead of jettisoning this toxic invasion into its ranks, Democrats were absorbing them and allowing it to reshape the party’s DNA.
House Democrats also undermined their support with Jews when they splintered over a bipartisan resolution condemning antisemitism on college campuses and calling for the presidents of Harvard and MIT to step down. The episode highlighted stark Democratic divisions that had been bubbling up to the surface. Although the resolution passed 303-126, only 84 Democrats voted in favor of it while a whopping 125 voting against it. All Republicans bar one, voted for it.
Where’s the Protection? Impacting an election was the fear of Jews exposing their identity amid rampant antisemitism on US college campuses. (Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters)
The smell had become a stench and then for Philadelphian Ellan Braffman it became personal. While being “overwhelmed by the scope” of the October 7 massacre, then came “the green tents on College Green on the campus of U of Penn, my alma mater. Then there was the pro-Hamas march through Center City Philadelphia to Goldie’s restaurant, my favorite stop, their faces hidden by kaffiyehs, screaming “from the river to the sea.” My anti-totalitarian radar began sending me nonstop alerts and making clear the importance of a strong USA, a force for good in this world with a clear vision of good and evil.”
So, while challenged on route to the voting booth by the January 6th storming of the Capitol, many perturbed Democratic Jews were now guided by another date, October 7th. There were now two narratives; two diverse mindsets – a pre and a post October 7. The people who might naturally have voted for pre-October 7 suddenly would now vote for the opponent because the prime issue was no longer democracy, the economy, abortion, health care or the border but the future of Jews both in Israel and globally. This was brought home as I write post-US election and see the braking news of violent attacks against Jews two days before the anniversary of Kristallnacht in 1938, of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam following the match against Ajax.
‘We were ambushed’: At least ten injured, three missing in Amsterdam pogrom” read The Jerusalem Post headline with Israel sending two emergency flights to evacuate Israelis from the city.
Targeting Jews. It was only a question of time that protesting like this pro-Palestinian mob demonstrating against Israel in Amsterdam in October 15, 2023 would morph into violence as what happened on November 7, 2024, when Jewish fans at the Maccabi Tel Aviv game against the Dutch side Ajax were set upon by a mob. (Photo: Reuters/ Piroschka Van de Wouw).
That in this day and age, Israel has to send emergency flights to a European capital because it is unable to protect its Jewish visitors? This comes only a few weeks after reports of Dutch police refusing to guard Jewish sites over “moral dilemmas”. As reported in the media, Marcel de Weerd and Michel Theeboom from the Jewish Police Network, reveal:
“There are colleagues who no longer want to protect Jewish targets or events”.
These same officers later spoke with De Telegraaf, where they said that some members of the police are refusing to be deployed at the Dutch National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam nor to accept food and drinks from the venue.
In the wake of the antisemitic attacks at the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv football match, the Dutch Organization for Central Jewish Consultation issued an urgent call for immediate, tough measures:
“The terrible scenes we witnessed last night show that there is no time to wait before taking tough measures.”
Menacing Mob. A vicious mob is seen here chasing Israeli soccer fans fleeing for their lives in Amsterdam following a match against Ajax Amsterdam. (Photo: Reuters).
In the Netherlands, much like the rest of the Diaspora, antisemitic incidents significantly increased after Hamas’s October 7 attacks – anincrease ofover 800%, according to the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel.
On October 7, Hamas pulled the trigger but the next day there was a global queue to join its firing squad.
It may seem crazy to some, but maybe we need a little crazy in the White House to face-off crazy in the world!
Israeli football fans attacked by pro-Palestine mob in Amsterdam
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
04 November 2024 – Israel sends UN a letter withdrawing from recognizing UNRWA and more on The Israel Brief.
05 November 2024 – Will Iran attack Israel and more on The Israel Brief.
06 November 2024 –Netanyahu fires Gallant and more on The Israel Brief.
07 November 2024 –Successful polio vaccine rollout in Gaza hailed by healthcare experts and more on The Israel Brief.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Wherever the Islamic Republic of Iran’s influence extends, human rights diminish, freedom contracts, and women are forced into submission.
By Catherine Perez-Shakdam
The arrest of a female student in Tehran, who courageously stripped down to her underwear in protest against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s oppressive dress codes, is yet another grim illustration of the regime’s endless war against personal freedom. Amnesty International’s urgent call for her immediate release highlights the brutal lengths to which the authorities of the Islamic Republic will go to maintain control over their citizens, especially women. Yet this event is far from an isolated episode within Iran’s borders. The Islamic Republic’s repressive ideology has metastasized far beyond Tehran, extending its reach to every corner of the so-called Shia Crescent, leaving a trail of intimidation, violence, and oppression in its wake.
Iran Exposed. The young woman student stripped in protest after being assaulted for improperly wearing a hijab in violation of Tehran’s strict modesty laws.(Photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X/VIA)
The Islamic Republic’s abuse of its own population is no new phenomenon, and women, in particular, have been subjected to some of its worst excesses. This young student – harassed, humiliated, and assaulted by security forces for defying Iran’s enforced veiling laws – was simply the latest target of an autocratic theocracy that cannot tolerate even the faintest sign of individual autonomy. But to see this as merely a domestic issue is to underestimate both the ambitions and the reach of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This Islamic regime has turned repression into an exportable doctrine, refining it over decades and passing its brutal model on to allies and proxies across the Middle East.
Iranian student arrested after removing clothes at university
Consider Iraq, where militias aligned with the Islamic Republic of Iran terrorise activists, particularly women and minority groups, in a grotesque attempt to recreate the ideological stranglehold seen in Iran. Or Lebanon, where Hezbollah has systematically embedded the Islamic Republic’s worldview into Lebanese society, harnessing anti-Israel sentiment to deflect from the group’s own suffocating grip on the country. In Syria, Iran-backed forces have crushed any glimmer of democratic reform in favour of endless brutality and conformity to Tehran’s model. And in Yemen, the Houthis – armed and ideologically shaped by the Islamic Republic – have left ordinary Yemenis with little freedom and less hope, forcing the same script of obedience and control onto yet another suffering populace.
Women behind Bars. It was not too long ago that Iranian women were banned from entering stadiums as seen here as young girls watch a practice session of Iran’s national soccer team from behind the railings. (Photo: Morteza Nikoubazi/Reuters)
The disturbing consistency here is undeniable: wherever the Islamic Republic of Iran’s influence extends, human rights diminish, freedom contracts, and women, in particular, are forced into submission. But what’s particularly insidious is how the Islamic Republic cloaks this brutality. The regime has long relied on anti-Zionism as a powerful smokescreen, deflecting attention from its own abuses. By positioning itself as the “defender” of the Palestinian cause, the Islamic Republic has managed to rally international support and galvanise its base. Yet this posturing is a fraud. Anti-Zionism serves merely as a tool to distract from the regime’s very real war on freedom within its own borders and across the region.
Defiance. Says Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist, author, and women’s rights activist who the IRGC attempted to assassinate, commented on X: “In Iran, a student harassed by her university’s morality police over her ‘improper’ hijab didn’t back down. She turned her body into a protest, stripping to her underwear and marching through campus – defying a regime that constantly controls women’s bodies. Her act is a powerful reminder of Iranian women’s fight for freedom. Yes, we use our bodies like weapons to fight back a regime that kills women for showing their hair.”
The Islamic Republic’s calculated embrace of anti-Zionist rhetoric is not about solidarity; it’s about survival. For the regime, casting Israel as the enemy diverts attention from the crimes it commits daily against its own citizens. When people are focused on an external foe, they’re less likely to question the oppression and corruption of their own rulers. But the cost of this tactic is high, and it is borne by countless women, minorities, and dissenters across the Middle East who find themselves as pawns in the Islamic Republic’s grand narrative.
It’s time we look beyond the Islamic Republic of Iran’s self-styled image as a regional “resistance” force. The tragic case of this young student in Tehran, stripped of her dignity and denied her freedom for a simple act of protest, is a stark reminder of the true face of the regime. Her experience mirrors that of women and activists across the territories where the Islamic Republic’s proxies hold sway. This is not a war confined to Iran’s borders; it’s a transnational crusade against individual freedom and autonomy, exported through fear, repression, and force.
Targeting Women. Iranian teenager Nika Shakrami, killed after her arrest during protests in Iran, seen here on a cell phone, October 6, 2022. (Photo: AFP)
For too long, the West has failed to see through the Islamic Republic of Iran’s duplicity. Anti-Zionism may be a convenient political tool for Iran, but it is a mask for a regime that fears freedom, despises dissent, and punishes those who dare to defy it. If we are serious about supporting human rights and democracy, we must confront the Islamic Republic’s oppressive influence head-on, challenging both its domestic abuses and the exported doctrine that has left so many in fear and desperation.
Warpath against Women. Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who was arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s mandatory headscarf law died in police custody in 2022, sparked worldwide protests against the country’s conservative Islamic theocracy.
The international community owes it to this young woman – and to every individual in Iran and across the region who still dares to seek freedom – to see through the Islamic Republic’s narrative for what it is: a sham. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s ideological warfare against Israel has never been about justice; it has been a calculated device to sustain a regime that survives by denying others their rights. The Islamic Republic’s war on women, on minorities, and on basic freedoms is not just Iran’s problem. It is a cancer that has spread through its proxies and threatens all who stand for the right to be free.
The time for understanding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s duplicity is over; the time to expose it is now.
Video evidence shows multiple arrests after regime launched draconian campaign against women and girls
About the writer:
A co-founder and director of UK-based media and consultancy company ‘Forward Strategy’, Catherine Perez-Shakdam is a frequent contributor to i24NEWS, Al Jazeera, the BBC, The Jerusalem Post, Politico, the Daily Express, and the Daily Mail. In 2021, Chatherine gained international attention when news broke of her decade-long infiltration of the Iranian regime, during which she was able to gain access to the highest echelons of the regime’s inner circles. Despite the danger following being labeled an ‘enemy of the state’ by Iran, Catherine utilized her extensive knowledge and close-encounter insight to expose a system that had long operated under a shroud of secrecy. Her revelations have provided a unique perspective on Iran’s actions, challenging its narrative and exposing the true nature of its operations.
Feature picture: AI Generate image courtesy of Catherine Perez-Shakdam
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Contrary to misguided epitaphs of “legendary leader” and “martyr”, Hamas leader Sinwar was a cold-blooded killer.
By Lawrence Nowosenetz
Ensconced in his alternative universe, Iqbal Jassat – an executive member of the notoriously anti-Israel and antisemitic South African platform ‘Media Review Network’ – laments Yahya Sinwar as an:
“Iconic leader martyred by Zionist colonialists.”
(Politicsweb 21 October 2024)
True Colours. South African journalist with the Media Review Network (MNR), Iqbal Jassat, in lamenting the death of the mastermind of a massacre, Yahya Sinwar, South African journalist did express a month after the October 7 massacre that “We believe that shutting down the presence of a regime such as the racist settler colonial Israel, and severing all links with it, is of paramount importance.”
A continent away on his home turf, Mr Sinwar was far better known as the “Butcher of Khan Younis”.
Yahya Sinwar was a brutal and ruthless murderer and mostly of fellow Palestinians. He was born and brought up in Khan Younis in Gaza. In 1988, he was arrested and convicted by Israel of murdering four suspected collaborators among other crimes against Israeli soldiers. He was given four life sentences. He admitted to killing one of them with his bare hands. He continued to take upon himself to punish suspected informers. According to a former Shin Bet interrogator, Michael Koube, he was the “cruellest man” with “murder in his eyes.” During interrogation, Sinwar expressed his preference for the machete as weapon of choice to kill Jews. In 2004, he developed a brain tumour, which Israeli surgeons at Soroka Medical Center removed what would have been fatal . They saved his life. Sinwar acknowledged his debt to Dr Yuval Bitton the prison medical officer who enabled Sinwar to receive medical attention. However, his nephew Tamir died defending Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Tamir, who had been seriously wounded while attempting to fight off five terrorists, was eventually subdued, taken to Gaza, where he died soon after of his wounds. That’s the thanks the doctor uncle received from saving the life of Sinwar!
Michael Kobe Recalls Interrogation of Yahya Sinwar
According to South Africa’s Mr Jassat, “For millions of Muslims and millions of more supporters across the world of Palestine’s freedom struggle, Sinwar’s martyrdom may mark the end of a legendary anti-colonial warrior, but not the end of the Resistance”. Resounding words as disingenuous as they are false.
Menacing Media. Intent revealed with this cover photo of Jassat’s Media Review Network fusing a shoulder missile launcher with a sharpened pencil.
Martyrdom is understood to be laying down one’s life for something of great value for a principle or cause. Sinwar was a fervent adherent of the ideology of Hamas that Israel should be destroyed and replaced by a Muslem state. For this goal he was prepared to sacrifice the lives of Palestinians. At the time of his death, Sinwar was holed up in a building in Gaza armed with a false UNRWA passport and lots of cash. It would appear that he was not warrioring at all but was preparing an escape. He masterminded his armed terrorists to invade a sovereign country under ceasefire with Hamas. There they performed with glee, the burning of babies, mutilation and rape of women, murder of 1200 civilians and the abduction of 250 men, women, children and babies to languish in Gaza. 101 hostages are still being held in captivity one year later. No “resistance” or “anti-colonial” movement in human history has contemplated or carried out such barbarous acts. Can one seriously infer that mass atrocities are of value to the cause of Palestine by the millions of Muslims and their supporters across the world?
There is no equivalence between the price paid by the fallen heroes and heroines in the struggle against Apartheid and Sinwar. He was no hero. His killers exultantly attacked and slaughtered unarmed peaceful youngsters at the Nova music festival. Not exactly a heroic way to secure the freedom of Palestine.
Common Values. Fraternising with killers, South African journalist Iqbal Jasset (right) meets with the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (left).
While some have chosen to compare Sinwar to Mandela and other fighters who opposed Apartheid, it is an insult to the memory of those South African heroes and heroines to place Sinwar in their company. Israeli government officials who knew Sinwar well during his 22-years of imprisonment, described his character as cruel, manipulative, brutal and even psychopathic.
While there is the rule of law in Israel and Palestinians have access to the courts to redress unlawful conduct by the authorities, this is something which does not exist in Palestine. Dissident journalists are beaten up and even killed. Homosexuals too. Hamas under the leadership of Mr Sinwar was no haven of democracy:
No elections since 2007, the first and only elections held in Gaza. Ismail Haniyeh led Hamas in Gaza until February 2017 when Yahya Sinwar succeeded him until present.
No independent judiciary, no rule of law. The Washington-based international research institute Freedom House which ranks civil liberties and political rights in countries and territories of the world, rated Gaza with a score of 7% compared to Israel with a score of 74%.
Despite attempts by Jasset and his ilk to whitewash the Hamas leader, Sinwar was no saint. On the contrary, he was what his fellow Palestinians named him:
“The Butcher of Khan Younis”
About the writer:
Now retired, Pretoria-born human rights and labour lawyer, Lawrence Nowosenetz practiced at the Pretoria and Johannesburg Bar. Recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, Nowosenetz completed an internship in the USA and served as a part-time Senior Commissioner at the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) as well as a panellist at Tokiso Dispute Settlement – the largest private dispute resolution provider in South Africa. He has also served as an Acting Judge of the Hight Court, South Africa.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
