Do read The Lessons of Mumbai—Too Long for a Bumper Sticker by the always eloquent Breath of the Beast.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 08:53 AM | Comments (2)

December 01, 2008

Shabbat with Gavriel & Rivkah Holtzberg ZT'L

Our friend Dr. Sherwin Isenberg, a member of Young Israel of Century City, spent Shabbat in Mumbai with Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg ZT'L, four days before the massacre. Sherwin is a internationally renowned Pediatric Ophthalmologist who does research to prevent childhood blindness in the far corners of the world.

In this video, he speaks at the memorial held at the Chabad Center in Los Angeles recalling his Shabbat in Mumbai with the Holtzberg's, and the special community of Jews who gathered around their Shabbat table. He ends his memorial with: May Their Blood be Avenged.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 08:44 PM | Comments (1)

The Nanny of Mumbai: A Hero of our Time

Moshe Tzvi Holtzberg with Sandra Samuel, the courageous Indian nanny who
saved Moshe's life when she spirited Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg's ZT'L son
away when the Mumbai Chabad House came under attack by the Islamo Nazis.
The family is trying to arrange for Ms. Samuel to continue as Moshe's nanny in Israel.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 02:25 PM | Comments (8)

Because They Were Jews

Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg ZT'L. May Ha-Shem avenge their blood.

So, let's recap: the Islamo Nazis who committed the atrocities in Mumbai were angry about Kashmir—any grievance will do—so naturally they dispatch their Islamic stormtroopers to torture and murder Jews.

I'm sure this will make sense to the useful idiots who enable the Islamo Nazis in their genocidal program.

Doctors working in a hospital where all the bodies, including that of the terrorists, were taken said they had not seen anything like this in their lives.

"Bombay has a long history of terror. I have seen bodies of riot victims, gang war and previous terror attacks like bomb blasts. But this was entirely different. It was shocking and disturbing," a doctor said.

Asked what was different about the victims of the incident, another doctor said: "It was very strange. I have seen so many dead bodies in my life, and was yet traumatised. A bomb blast victim's body might have been torn apart and could be a very disturbing sight. But the bodies of the victims in this attack bore such signs about the kind of violence of urban warfare that I am still unable to put my thoughts to words," he said.

Asked specifically if he was talking of torture marks, he said: "It was apparent that most of the dead were tortured. What shocked me were the telltale signs showing clearly how the hostages were executed in cold blood," one doctor said.

The other doctor, who had also conducted the post-mortem of the victims, said: "Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again," he said.

Corroborating the doctors' claims about torture was the information that the Intelligence Bureau had about the terror plan. "During his interrogation, Ajmal Kamal said they were specifically asked to target the foreigners, especially the Israelis," an IB source said.

Phillips comments:

The atrocities demonstrated with crystal clarity what the Islamist war is all about — and the western commentaries didn't understand because it simply refuses to acknowledge, even now, what that war actually is. It does not arise from particular grievances. It is not rooted in "despair" over Palestine. It is not a reaction to the war in Iraq. It is a war waged in the name of Islam against America, Britain, Hindus, Jews and all who refuse to submit to Islamic conquest.

What of the terrorists' treatment of their Jewish targets? Phillips writes:

They went to some lengths in addition to single out a centre for observant Jews. Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife Rivka were murdered not because of Palestine but simply because they were Jews. That is because hatred of Jews as Jews is fundamental to the Islamists' hatred of the west — and of Israel.

H/T Powerline, via Soccer Dad.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 08:47 AM | Comments (23)

November 27, 2008

Jew-Hunting in Mumbai

Last night, my heart sank as I watched an Indian commando raise his automatic weapon above his head and blindly spray gunfire towards Chabad House.

I turned to Karen and said: “That is not good, that is not how special-ops roll. Not the real guys.”

Spraying and praying in a hostage situation?

My head was pounding and I got all of two hours sleep last night.

As of this writing, Friday morning, we know that five hostages in the Chabad House are dead. The body count will probably be higher.

Islamo Nazis came to Mumbai and besides attacking major hotels, centers of commerce, and tourist attractions, they went Jew-hunting. Yes, in a city where Jews are about as rare as the Dodo bird, Islamo Nazis spent months in advance gathering intel on where the Orthodox Jews of Mumbai gather and pray, and when the time came, they struck at these Jews because they knew there would be no consequences.

They went Jew-hunting because the world has come to accept the murder of Jews as a legitimate political act.

They went Jew-hunting because Israel has displayed, in the past few years, a shameful degree of political and military stupidity.

They went Jew-hunting because the U.N. has signaled that Israel is a rogue state and the murder of Jews is a heroic act.

They went Jew-hunting because the international left has aligned itself with the genocidal Palestinians to such an extent that every act of self-defense by the Jewish State is labeled a war crime.

They went Jew-hunting because they knew there would be no payback—ever.

But now that the shameful Olmert-Livni government is, at last, come to an end, perhaps a new government will steer a fresh—actually an old—and necessary course.

For after the smoke has cleared, the bodies counted, the period of shiva properly observed, Israel must take stock of its situation and come to understand, once again, that she is locked in a life and death struggle with international terrorism, of which the Palestinians are but a small cog.

If they kill one Jew, Israel must retaliate and kill a hundred terrorists. If a Jew is murdered by Islamo Nazis, then every Islamo Nazi on planet earth must know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he or she is a big fat target.

No more fear of using disproportionate response. The definition of war is exactly that, and only a leaky mind demands a policy of national security based on abstract notions of being nice.

The problem for Israel is that the Arabs count on the Jewish fear of the use of power. They also count on the Israeli left—surely the most delusional on planet earth—to enable inaction in the face of proudly genocidal Arab intentions.

Additionally, the Arabs do not fear or respect Jews or the Jewish state; they have contempt for Israel's reluctant use of power. And they prove their contempt every single day as they gather useful idiots from Europe and of course from Israel, in their skillful propaganda machine which works to undermine the very legitimacy of the Jewish state. This is Jew-hatred disguised as “mere anti-Zionism.”

Think of it, no other state on the face of the earth is faced with such unrelenting hostility. Sudan, and Rwanda, guilty of genocide, get a pass. Congo, locked in a barbaric civil war, has a death toll of 50,000 per month; no one cares. Liberia is a death machine so grotesque the MSM can't even write about it.

For too long it has been open season on Jews. During his disastrous tenure, Ehud Olmert enshrined inaction and appeasement as official doctrine. He and his government allow rockets and missiles to rain on Israel, and yet supplies gas, power and food to Gaza, to the very regime hurling these missiles. In short, the welfare of Gazans, the very people who voted for the genocidal Hamas regime, is, to the Olmert and Livni regime, of higher value than the citizens of Israel.

The first and primary duty of government—any government—is national defense.

All else, is secondary.

Islamo Nazis, in a country of miliions and millions of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, sought out a handful of Jews, a minority of minorities, because they hate Jews, because they want Israel wiped off the face of the earth, and because they have absolutely no fear of retribution.

This calculus must change.

The long arm of Jewish vengeance must be felt in every corner of the world—or no Jew will ever be safe.

The Masai tribe, known for their bravery, live by a simple code: “He who goes forward into battle may die. He who retreats will surely die.”

Israel must stop retreating.

Or the Jew-hunting will never end.

Update:

It is our sad duty to report that it has now been confirmed that Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg were murdered. May Ha-Shem avenge their blood. May their relatives be comforted among the mourners of Zion. Their two-year old son Moshe survived, rescued by by his courageous Indian caretaker. Reports state that Moshe's clothing was covered in blood and his parents were “unconscious.” I believe that Rabbi and Rebbetzin Holtzberg Z'L were murdered during the initial assault while shielding their son, shot down in cold blood by Muslims who believe that Jews are nothing more than pigs and monkeys, as it is written in the Qu'ran.

Full story at Chabad org.com.

My good friend Breath of the Beast writes in white hot anger, but with deadly accuracy, that the mainstream media is already in overdrive, dehumanizing and demonizing Rabbi and Rebbetzin Holtzberg as missionaries and ultra-Orthodox. You see, it's okay to kill ultra-Orthodox Jews. They're too Jewish. In contrast to the Islamo Nazi terrorists who are, you know, not really Muslims.

Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a lovely and meaningful Shabbos.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 11:55 PM | Comments (53)

Commandos Storm Chabad House in Mumbai

Indian special forces rappel from a helicopter to the Chabad house in Mumbai.

Storming strongly fortified positions held by terrorists who have no moral compunctions about slaughtering innocent men, women and children is, at best, playing the devil's arithmetic. We can only hope that the Indian special forces have the proper intel and are well trained.

Once again, Jews, no matter on what shores they stand, become targets of Islamo Nazis. Look for the talking heads to blame Israel, the Mossad, President Bush, the war in Iraq, and America's "powerful Israel lobby" for this latest atrocity from the religion of peace.

Indian commando forces inside the Chabad House were trying to eradicate the building of terrorists, Israel Radio reported early on Friday.

The rescue operation has been underway for over two hours.

According to the report, gun shots were being fired every few minutes and Special Forces continued to enter the five-storey building via the roof, rappelling from military helicopters.

To read the complete story, please click here.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 08:27 PM | Comments (10)

November 26, 2008

Jews Targeted by Muslim Terrorists in Mumbai

From Arutz Sheva:

Muslim terrorists in Mumbai reportedly have abducted Chabad Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg, his wife Rivka and their child. Indian television reported that six Israelis are being held hostage.

The Foreign Ministry has not confirmed the report, and its last official statement was that no contact has been made with them. It added that 20 Israelis are missing since the terrorist attack Wednesday night.

Indian media reported that a couple and their teenage son, none of them Israelis, were killed in the Chabad House, called the Nariman House. One terrorist also was killed. Gunfire occasionally has been heard from the building, which the army has surrounded.

At least 101 people, including five terrorists, have died since the attacks began, and 600 others have been wounded. The terrorists have held more than 250 people as hostages in the Chabad House, a hospital and luxury hotels.

Several other Israelis have maintained telephone contact from their eight floor hotel rooms. The Chabad website reported that "the situation is grim." Commando forces have arrived by sea and are battling the terrorists in an effort to rescue the hostage victims.

The sophisticated terrorist attacks, the worst ever in Mumbai and India, hit nine locations as Mumbai is involved in elections. The terrorists struck with automatic weapons and grenades.

And from the The Counterterrorism Blog, Walid Phares analyzes the emerging situation:

As we write this short early assessment of the Terror attacks in Mumbai, events are still unfolding in the financial capital of the sub Indian region. Counter Terrorism units are battling armed elements inside several buildings including the Taj Hotel where hostages have been seized, including foreigners. My first round of monitoring included a discussion with our colleague Animesh Roul who has also posted a report on CTB. I must credit a number of facts and assumptions to him including the projection that the perpetrators—although calling themselves Deccan Mujahideen—are in fact members or trained by Lashkar e Toiba/SIMI (who according to Animesh Roul now call themselves Indian Mujahideen). Here is the condensed report I discussed on Fox News, the BBC, Russia Today TV and other international outlets.

To read the complete story, please click here.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 10:38 PM | Comments (12)