Japan condemns Israel building in Jerusalem; gets hit with a 7.1 aftershock

[dreidelhead]

Today Japan condemned Israel building in Jerusalem. Today Japan got hit with a 7.1 aftershock. Coincidence?
No damage or injuries reported.

Thursday, April 7, 2011
http://www.panorientnews.com/en/news.php?k=912

Tokyo- (PanOrient News) The Government of Japan expressed today "its disappointment and deep concern" about the Jerusalem municipal planning committee’s approval of the construction of 942 housing units in Gilo of East Jerusalem.

A statement by the Japanese Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said that the government of Japan "does not recognize any act that prejudges the final status of the territories in the pre-1967 borders nor Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem," and that "Japan renews its call upon Israel to refrain from any unilateral act that changes the current situation in East Jerusalem."

The statement requested "strongly" that both parties will act in a way that enhances mutual confidence."

The EU said:

Catherine Ashton, the high representative for foreign affairs and security in the European Union, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem were illegal according to the international law.

Ashton said she was extremely disappointed at the Israeli approval of building 942 new housing units in Gilo settlement in occupied Jerusalem. She said that the future Israeli plans in occupied Jerusalem would entail more harm to the already fragile political environment.

So when oh when will Europe finally get theirs....?

[muman613]

I don't believe in coincidence. But the statement you posted did not rise to 'condemnation' it simply stated displeasure and concern. There is a specific statement which indicates condemnation, and that is when someone says 'The government of Japan condemns the building in Jerusalem'.

Also I reserve making statements concerning divine retribution until it is clear that the hand of Hashem is against them. Many bad things are happening to Jews and we must also consider those bad things to be divine retribution against the Jewish people. I do not know, nor is anyone capable of knowing, the calculations Hashem uses to determine who is punished and who is rewarded in this world.

That being said, it is possible that this is the case. But often Hashems judgement is not made so hastily.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condemnation
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rebuke

I do believe the EU has condemned the action in Jerusalem. They are obviously looking for a smiting..

http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2011/04/hague-condemns-settlement-building.html

I condemn Israel’s decision to approve more than 900 settlement units in the East Jerusalem suburb of Gilo and the retrospective approval which has been given for construction in five West Bank settlements. This is not disputed territory. It is occupied Palestinian territory and ongoing settlement expansion is illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and a threat to a two state solution. We call on the Israeli authorities to reconsider this decision, which undermines the prospects for peace. All those who support a secure future for Israel and a future Palestinian state should be working urgently to restart peace negotiations, not taking steps which make this more difficult.

British Foreign Secretary Hague expressly 'CONDEMNED' the building in Gilo...

 

[muman613]

I condemn building in Tokyo.

But seriously, it is interesting how G-d tends to execute swift judgment on the Japanese but certain other evil nations are allowed to continue acting the fool.  I'm not sure why this would be.  Maybe it is because certain parts of Europe and the Middle East have major parts to play in the end times and will receive a much worse punishment in the end.  Maybe it has to do with the makeup of the Japanese people themselves--different people react differently to punishment.

Yes, Hashem has given up on them and will let them dig their own tunnel to Gehinnom.

[Lisa]

Muman, on last week's Ask JTF show, Chaim reiterated why Japan was and is an evil country. 

Now being that they're still recovering from their recent tsunami/earthquake and the leaking of their nuclear reactor at Fukushima, shouldn't they have better things to do than to express "concern" about Israel building apartments in East Jerusalem? 

[muman613]

Muman, on last week's Ask JTF show, Chaim reiterated why Japan was and is an evil country. 

Now being that they're still recovering from their recent tsunami/earthquake and the leaking of their nuclear reactor at Fukushima, shouldn't they have better things to do than to express "concern" about Israel building apartments in East Jerusalem? 

Certainly considering Israel is one of the only countries from the middle east to assist Japan with medical and humanitarian supplies.

Certainly it is good to see the wicked suffer but it is difficult, as others have pointed out, to explain why other countries which are multiply times worse than Japan regarding their treatment of Israel and Jews are not being punished while Japan which has people who, in my experience are intelligent and have little prejudice against Jews, are being so harshly punished...

[Lisa]

Personally, I would have preferred for this to happen to Poland, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and Egypt. 

[Lisa]

And I also forgot about Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. 

[muman613]

I will clarify what I stated above. There are many examples of antisemitism in Japan but my experience with Japanese engineers is that they do not express any anti-Jewish sentiments which I can detect. But this may be only my experience...

This story is very interesting : http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/publicat/hazon/tzedaka/The_Chasid_from_Japan.html

[cjd]

Certainly considering Israel is one of the only countries from the middle east to assist Japan with medical and humanitarian supplies.

Certainly it is good to see the wicked suffer but it is difficult, as others have pointed out, to explain why other countries which are multiply times worse than Japan regarding their treatment of Israel and Jews are not being punished while Japan which has people who, in my experience are intelligent and have little prejudice against Jews, are being so harshly punished...

Don't care for them and never did... I have come a cross a few good Jap's in my day but the vast majority are self serving and lie like a rug... They are also very sneaky and two faced... I am sure I left a few things out but you get the idea... I still can't get over the fact they were planning to help Iran with their atomic ambitions... What more needs to be said.

[muman613]

I myself judge individuals on an individual basis. I have my own feelings concerning whether nations or societies are good or evil. But my feelings are formed by my experiences with individuals and my understanding of history.

Just like our father Abraham begged Hashem to not destroy Sdom and Amora because there may be 50 righteous men in Sdom, we should pray that Hashem would not destroy whole nations, the righteous along with the wicked. This is my understanding of how we should view these kinds of events.

Each individual is capable of doing repentence and being judged favorably in the eyes of Hashem. But, as Chaim and others will point out, there is a calculation which Hashem makes when he will issue a decree against an entire people, nation, and country. I am not capable of explaining this calculation because I believe it is beyond human understanding.

When we witness divine retribution we are supposed to learn something and take the lesson to heart. In the Torah portions which we have been reading the last couple of weeks we learn about the 'plague' of Tzaarath. In some respect Tzaarath are very bad, it is a physical/spiritual affliction sent by Hashem against a Jew who has spoken Lashon Hara or committed similar aveirahs. Tzaarath can also afflict a house... But even though it is an affliction it is sent in order to bring about teshuva in the afflicted individual.

When Tzaarath afflict a house it is for two reasons. One reason is that the house is consumed by impurity {Tuumah}... Another reason is that the house contains valuables hidden in the walls. A house with Tzaarath is torn down according to the laws of Tzaarath... Once torn down the treasures in the home are available. So there are two reasons, the impurity is so bad that the only solution is to destroy the home.... But there is also the good aspect that the home is destroyed and thus exposes the reward...

I hope to post soon in the Torah section some of the lessons I have recently learned from the laws of Tzaarath...

http://www.torah.org/learning/mlife/chapter6-7a.html

Leviticus 14 discusses the plague of leprosy ("tsara'as") as it pertains to houses. If a person finds certain colored spots on the stones of his house, he must notify a priest who then comes to the house to determine if the spots are leprous. During the course of examination and purification, the afflicted walls of the house are generally broken down and the leprous stones removed and replaced.

Now the Sages tell us that leprosy is visited upon individuals as punishment for certain sins, one of the primary ones being gossip (Talmud Erchin 16a). Yet here, note the Sages, there was a silver lining to the affliction. During the forty years Israel dwelled in the wilderness, the inhabitants of the Land of Canaan, anticipating Israel's eventual invasion, stashed away most of their treasures. Much of it was stored behind false walls in their homes. Thus, when the priest would destroy the leprous wall, a treasure would be discovered within (Vayikra Rabbah 17:6, brought in Rashi to v. 34).

http://www.torah.org/learning/ravfrand/5758/tazria.html

[TruthSpreader]

And I also forgot about Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. 

You also forgot Austria and Germany, the first one created Hitler yemach shemo.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Muman, on last week's Ask JTF show, Chaim reiterated why Japan was and is an evil country. 

Now being that they're still recovering from their recent tsunami/earthquake and the leaking of their nuclear reactor at Fukushima, shouldn't they have better things to do than to express "concern" about Israel building apartments in East Jerusalem? 

Yeah, it's truly astonishing isn't it? 

Maybe they think that by sucking up to the rest of the world by joining in the typical moron-chorus and all the standard UN platitudes, that other countries will help them more in their recovery to reward them for their obedience?  That seems the only possible way that this is even slightly logical.