A Short History of Manned and Unmanned Moon Missions

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Buzz Aldrin salutes the American flag on the Moon

Israel, or, rather, a private company from Israel, is about to launch an unmanned mission to make a soft-landing on the moon.

I think that's pretty cool.

The mission, by the Israeli company SpaceIL and its partner Israel Aerospace Industries is called Beresheet.

Beresheet is the first word of the Hebrew Bible, meaning “in the beginning.”

Mahound's Paradise will have more on this in a few days when, God grant, the attempt is successful.

As many of you know, the United States, the Soviet Union and China have already made manned and/or unmanned soft-landings on the Moon. Japan, India and two European entities have either made hard-landings or put probes into Moon orbit.

As a preview to the Israeli attempt, I wanted to review some of the history of Moon missions, so I created a short list, below. Some of the history is well-known, Some of it isn't.

Part of why it isn't is because the Zeitgeist doesn't care anymore. We've moved on to Climate Change.

A few years ago, I wrote about the almost miraculous success of the American space effort of the 1960's, culminating, of course, in the Apollo Moon landings. But let me, here, say a few brief words about the Soviet space program. Many view it as a failure. The U.S.S.R officially lost the "space race" after all. And the perception of some is that that the Soviet effort featured many unnecessary deaths (most of which were covered up at the time) due to relatively crude technology and a cavalier attitude towards human life.

I think that view is unfair. As we'll see below, most Moon "firsts" were in fact achieved by the Soviets. Yes, their early attempts were crude, but so were ours. But in general they just kept trying until they met with success. In a sense that's what science and exploration is all about.

Some Soviet astronauts died in Earth atmosphere (many more Soviet space program staffers would perish on the ground - the majority in the horrific launch pad explosion, now called the Nedelin Catastrophe). But in the end, as far as we know, fewer Soviets would die in space or after launch than Americans. Of course, all of the heroes from both countries who perished deserve our praise and our prayers.

Yes, the Soviet Union was a tyranny, and its motives for learning how to successfully launch rockets were not pure (then again, neither were ours, completely). But its space program was designed and carried out by human beings, many of whom exemplified the best in human ingenuity.

Give credit where credit is due.

Let's hope the Israeli mission is part of a rebirth of Moon and space exploration - by both private entities and governments. From the news accounts of planned and potential missions it could seem to be. And I hope this country leads it, not because it's my country, but because we're still the best placed to do so. And not doing so would be "dropping the ball". Who wants to do that?

MAGA means more than just building a wall.

Here's a quick review of the history of Moon missions:     

1958-64:

During this period the goal was for an unmanned vehicle to reach the moon. Twenty-two missions were attempted with only three being completely successful. Interestingly, the Soviets generally attempted to hit the Moon while the Americans generally tried to get a craft into Moon orbit. In addition, most of the Soviet missions failed during launch, whereas the Americans had a more even record with some of its failures occurring in space.

1st unmanned attempt to hit Moon : U.S.S.R., 23 September 1958, Luna E-1, No. 1. The craft failed to reach orbit due to a second stage failure.

1st unmanned far flyby of Moon : U.S.A., 3 March 1959, Pioneer 4. The craft flew by the Moon but at a much greater distance than planned, thus unfortunately putting it out of instrument range. But Pioneer 4 was the first vehicle to leave Earth orbit.

1st unmanned impact on Moon: U.S.S.R., 12 September 1959, Luna 2. The United States wouldn't do this until 1962, when Ranger 4 ran out of power in space but drifted into the moon three days later. 

1st unmanned successful flyby of Moon: U.S.S.R., 4 October 1959, Luna 3. The craft was the first to transmit images of the far side of the Moon.

1965-68:

During these years, the goal was to land on the moon with an unmanned vehicle and conduct experiments and studies leading to manned missions.  

1st unmanned soft-landing on Moon: U.S.S.R., 31 January 1966, Luna 9. The United States would land Surveyor 1 four months later.

1st unmanned mission to orbit Moon: U.S.S.R., 1 March 1966, Luna 10. It continued to transmit data for almost two months.

1st unmanned mission to carry Earth life into Moon Orbit: U.S.S.R., 14 September 1968, Zond 5. This was also the first craft to reach the vicinity of the moon and then return to Earth. The "earth life" consisted of two turtles. Unfortunately they didn't survive the journey home.

1968-72:

This period saw the first (and only) manned missions to the moon - among the greatest set of scientific, technological and exploration missions in human history. It's amazing to consider that these occurred with computing memory and power far inferior to that currently found in a dollar store toy, and only a few years after primitive rockets were exploding right and left on launchpads.  

1st manned orbit of Moon: U.S.A., 21 December 1968, Apollo 8. The vehicle would complete ten orbits before successfully returning to Earth.

1st manned landing on Moon: U.S.A., 16 July 1969, Apollo 11. Seven Apollo missions would follow, six of them successful. Twelve men would walk on the moon (with six of them driving a buggy over it). There have been no other manned missions to the Moon in almost fifty years.

1st unmanned soil sample return from Moon: U.S.S.R., 12 September 1970, Luna 16. The Soviets would accomplish this again in 1976. No other mission ever did this.

1st unmanned landing on Moon with an unmanned rover: U.S.S.R., 10 November 1970, Luna 17. The rover was called Lunokhod 1 and looked a bit like a high-tech baby carriage. It survived for almost a year, being controlled from a secret Moscow facility and driven roughly one day per month for up to a mile.

1st manned landing on Moon with a manned-rover or "moon buggy": U.S.A., 26 July 1971, Apollo 15. The rovers on this and the next two Apollo missions would cover over fifty miles.

Lunokhod 1

1973-Present:

The modern space age has given us many undeniably cool things - the Hubble Telescope, planetary probes and rovers, and the International Space Station. But judged by the hopes of the 1960's it was a bust. There would be no moon bases, no Howard Johnson's hotels in orbit, no missions to Mars. Instead, we got the internet.

But kudos to Japan, India and China.  

1st unmanned flyby of Moon on the way to other planets: U.S.A., 3 July 1973, Mariner 10. The craft would go on to Venus and Mercury.

1st unmanned flyby/orbit of Moon not by Americans or Soviets (Japan): Japan, 24 January 1990, Hiten.

1st unmanned orbit of Moon by the European Space Agency: ESA, 27 September 2003, SMART-1.

1st unmanned orbit of Moon by China: People's Republic of China, 24 October 2007, Chang'e 1.

1st unmanned orbit of Moon by India: India, 21 October 2008, Chandrayaan 1.

1st unmanned impact of Moon not by Americans or Soviets (India): India, 21 October 2008, Moon Impact Probe.

1st unmanned soft landing on Moon not by Americans or Soviets (China): People's Republic of China, 1 December 2013, Chang'e 3. The craft also deployed a rover.

1st unmanned flyby of Moon by private company: LuxSpace (based in Luxembourg), 23 October 2014, 4M. The craft was launched with a Chinese rocket.

1st unmanned soft landing on far side of the Moon: People's Republic of China, 7 December 2018, Chang'e 4. The craft also deployed a rover.

2019-

A private Israeli company lands a probe on the Moon in 2019 (?)

Men from the United States return to the Moon by 2028 (?)

An artist's depiction of the Beresheet lander

Holocaust Remembrance Day

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YomHaShoah, 2014

As part of Holocaust Remembrance Day or YomHaShoah, sirens go off all over Israel, and everyone stops whatever it is that they're doing to stand in respectful attention.

Videos show cars slowing down to a halt on highways. The drivers also get out and stand.

It is incredibly moving.

I don't think it would be as moving and important if it were merely "remembering." But, of course, it's not. It's symbolic of the unflagging determination of a nation that long ago collectively decided to robustly defend herself - always ready to fight back against those who wish to destroy her.

France could use a bit of that.

We could use a bit of that.

Is the Holocaust the greatest evil of the 20th century? I'm not sure it is.

Perhaps there should be a Gulag remembrance day across Russia.

The Chinese don't have a remembrance day. Instead they still have a giant picture of their very own mass murderer on their most prominent government building. They're too busy making money to take him down.

But if others, for whatever reason, don't wish to "remember", that's not Israel's fault. Rather, it's a comment on what makes Israel and it's citizens different - more (I'm struggling for the right word here) clear-eyed.

More honorable (at least in that one respect)?

We should do the same thing in New York, every September 11th.

Is there a 9/11 remembrance day? I suppose there probably is - people place flowers someplace or another, or whatever. Sixteen years ago, a sort of tragedy happened, and then many of us became Islamophobic. It's all so very sad. Hatred is wrong.

Let me amend what I earlier said. We should have a Cowardice Day. (And, yes, I mean the appellation to apply to us.) It wouldn't exactly be uplifting, but at least it would be accurate.

Jerusalem: "Mentally Unstable" Muslim Stabs Good Friday Pilgrim to Death with a Kitchen Knife

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The knife used in the attack

I am assuming the young woman - a British tourist - was a pilgrim, as she appears to have been heading to a Good Friday commemoration in the Old City.

The Palestinian Authority had just raised the stipend for families of Palestinian terrorists.

Here is the story and commentary from the blog, Elder of Ziyon:

From YNet:

A 23-year-old British student was killed after being stabbed multiple times in the chest in a terror attack at IDF Square on Jerusalem’s light rail on Friday afternoon.

The terrorist was arrested after a number of police officers managed to gain control over him. He was later identified as 57-year-old Jamil Tamimi from the Palestinian neighborhood of Ras al-Amud.

Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics arrived at the scene to find the woman lying on the ground unconscious after having suffered multiple stab wounds.

The Shin Bet later reported that the terrorist attempted to commit suicide this year by swallowing a razor blade while in hospital. In 2011, he was convicted of sexually assaulting his daughter.

“This is another incident of many in which a Palestinian suffering from mental health or personal issues has chosen to carry out an attack as a way out of his problems,” the Shin Bet statement said.

A mentally ill and probably disgraced member of the "peaceful" Tamimi family wants to kill himself. What better way to rehabilitate his image and get likely killed than to murder an innocent woman in a public place?

This story is not only about a mentally ill murderer. It is yet another indictment of a Palestinian society that glorifies terrorists and turns their shame into honor.

The murder is already being called heroic by Palestine Today.

The official Wafa news agency is not yet sure whether the person arrested is the stabber, saying that a Palestinian was arrested on the pretext of being involved in a terror attack.

Fatah Website Hacked - Nothing but Israeli Flags Everywhere

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H/t Pro-Israel Bay Bloggers.

Fatah, the largest political faction within the Palestinian Liberation Organization has just had its website hacked by "Zurael sTz". He/she/them also goes by the name of "Anonymos israel."

Everything on the Fatah homepage has been replaced by a waving Israeli flag and a Star of David superimposed over one of the well-known Anonymous logos.

Indeed, everything, everywhere seems to have compromised. Go to the "Martyrs" page and all one sees is white space and the Israeli flag waving on the side.

Sorry, the cold-blooded murderers of men, women and children have disappeared.

As of 9:55 CST the hack has been up for 10 hours and the stupid Palestinians still haven't figured out how to take it down.

See it here.

If it has been taken down by the time you get to the page, here's what it looked like.

Bravo!

What's a good Jewish conspiracy theory without them taking over websites?

WARNING: GRAPHIC - Video of Truck Attack in Jerusalem

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This is from Arutz Sheva TV. Towards the end of the video you can see what looks like at least one soldier running up to the truck's window, presumably shooting, even as others appear to flee or take cover.

"Some of the pedestrians were unconscious and trapped underneath the vehicle" - Muslim Truck Attack in Jerusalem Kills 4

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I believe all of the dead were soldiers. Three of them were women.

The article below is from The Jewish Press. Most American stories on the attack find a way to remind you how many "Palestinians" have been killed by Israel. Most British stories put everything in scare quotes - it wasn't a terrorist attack, it was a "terrorist attack," and so on. One almost expects them to put scare quotes around the fact that the Jews who died were "human beings."

Will they light up the Eiffel Tower tonight with the colors of the Israeli flag?

Four are dead, one critically wounded, and ten lightly wounded as a truck rammed into a group near the promenade of Armon HaNatziv in Jerusalem just before 1:30 PM Sunday afternoon. 

The group were getting off a bus when the truck rammed into them. 

Five of the wounded were taken to Hadassah Ein Karem; 3 in moderate condition, 1 serious, 1 lightly wounded. 

One critically wounded person was taken to Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center, along with 4 more lightly wounded people. 

The truck had Israeli license plates. The driver is reportedly from the Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukhaber. 

There are conflicting reports as to who shot back at the truck driver, who has been neutralized and killed. 

Some reports indicate that the terrorist was shot and killed by a civilian tour guide, other reports say members of the group shot back. 

Emergency medical forces declared this a mass casualty incident. 

Yakov Kaminetzki, a volunteer with United Hatzalah’s EMS ambucycle unit reported from the scene of the event: “When I arrived at the scene I saw a number of pedestrians who were run down by a large truck near the Armon Hanatziv Promenade. Some of the pedestrians were unconscious and trapped underneath the vehicle. I requested that the dispatch and command center send additional assistance including fire and rescue services as well as additional EMS responders due to the large number of injured persons. Near the vehicle were a number of other pedestrians who had sustained various degrees of injuries some of whom were in serious and moderate condition.” 

The Hamas terror group has praised the attack.

Bizarre Video: "Psycho" Muslima Attempts to Stab Two IDF Soldiers

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This happened two days ago at a bus stop near Ariel, Israel.

A woman in a hijab, pink tunic and jeans walks towards two Israeli soldiers with a large knife hidden behind her back. It looks like the soldiers suspect something.

She then reveals the knife and walks slowly towards them with the knife raised. They step back. She keeps walking towards them as if in a horror movie. You can't hear anything from the video, but presumably they are yelling at her to stop or put it down, etc.

Finally, one of them shoots her in the chest, perhaps as she is lunging at them.

The video was taken by a motorist who apparently just happened to be driving by.

Thoughts:

One's first reaction might be, did they really have to shoot her? After all, they are soldiers, perhaps partially armored. She is merely a woman with a knife. And because she is moving so slowly she doesn't look that dangerous. It's like watching one of those horror movies where you imagine you could just casually step away from the slow-moving zombie. But I think they did the right thing, or at least they didn't do the wrong thing. She could have seriously injured one of them. And it's not their job to risk their lives to save hers - she's the one who initiated the attack. Consider also that the video seems to show that at first they were closer to her and tried to get out of her way. If it makes anyone feel better, apparently her gunshot wound was not fatal and she is recovering in the hospital.

Where did she come from? Was she dropped off? Did she climb an embankment? Or was she just casually strolling along a highway with a knife behind her back looking for Jews to stab?

This is just one example - though one of the better recorded - of literally hundreds of Muslim stabbing attempts against Israelis in the last few years. And a number were "successful," resulting in many deaths and injuries. What kind of culture encourages people - not hardened ISIS militants, but presumably "ordinary" citizens with no criminal records - to literally become psycho knife attackers?

Amichai Ariel on His Daughter's Murderer: "...an evil person, one of 1.5 billion Muslims who just want to drown the world in rivers of blood. That's what they live for."

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Earlier, the State Department announced that Hallel Yaffa Ariel, the murdered 13-year-old Jewish settler, was in fact an American citizen. In a presentation lasting less than a minute, a spokesman condemned the murder as an "outrageous terrorist attack." He didn't mention anything else about the perpetrator. For all we knew he could have been a homophobic Floridian.

Of course, he was a Muslim "Palestinian" from the Arab village next-door.

These sorts of incidents, which in one form or another happen every few days, are embarrassing to the Obama Administration. The inciter and presider in-chief over them is Mahmoud Abbas--the head of the Palestinian Authority--who also happens to be one of Obama's best Muslim thug friends.

As we reported a few hours ago, Abbas was given a standing ovation at the EU after he accused Jews of poisoning the water supply. His organization has praised his murderer and will pay a bounty to his family.

I'm writing on this for the third time today because it tragically expresses and clarifies many things.

• The horror of Islamic terrorism not merely in terms of numbers - 10 killed, 28 killed, 50 killed, etc. - but for one young woman and her family.
• The added horror that the terrorist entered her home and stabbed her in her bedroom. By now, we are almost enured to the fact that there's a 1 in 100,000 chance (or whatever) that we'll be blown up by some Mohammedan in the subway or at airport or even inside a dance club. But who imagined that a Muslim suicide killer would mount a home invasion and murder a sleeping teenager in her bed.
• The fact that the murderer was quickly pursued, confronted and shot by a mixture of armed-civilians, armed-quasi-civilians and armed-guards. In the United States a SWAT team would have surrounded the village while hostages held to death.
• The frequency of these sorts of attacks. Only hours later, another "Palestinian" stabbed two Israelis in the coastal tone of Netanya. He was then shot to death by a civilian. 
• The perfidy of Obama and his cast of collaborators who cheerfully hobnob with the Big Boss of the Palestinians.
• The contrast between how the Israeli government reports terrorism and how the Obama Administration dissembles and covers up. Among other things, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) almost immediately "tweeted" a picture of the the victim's bloody bedroom. Obama would have never released this (where are the photos of the aftermath inside of Pulse?) and would still be wondering aloud what the "motivations" of the killer were.  
• The perfidy of the EU bureaucrats who applauded Abbas (while booing and hissing at Nigel Farage just a few days later).
• The barbarity and hatred of West Bank Muslims, who inhabit a culture where the cold-blooded murder of innocents is encouraged and celebrated.
• The perfidy of the mainstream media, who downplay this sort of incident and often lie about the facts. Earlier today the New York Times was caught changing the translation of an interview with the murderer's mother. The mother called her son a "hero" and a "martyr." America's newspaper of record scrubbed those words from their translation of the interview.
• The utter lie that Islam is a "religion of peace."

"All she wanted was to be a dancer."

Amichai Ariel, the father of the murdered teenager, gave a heart wrenching interview a few hours after his daughter was killed. His wife sobs next to him. As Facebook hosted eulogies to her killer, her father made statements that in most normal circumstances would have gotten him banned from Facebook. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Facebook bans the video of the interview or suspends those who share it. After all, he just slandered 1.5 billion Muslims, didn't he? How dare he?

Last night she came back from a dance performance. She was an amazing girl. She worked very hard for years to become a dancer. She put so much effort into everything she did. God gave her a great mind, lots of wisdom. She was so bright. This morning at 9:30 we were supposed to work together filling bottles with wine. Hallel loved living here, loved the place. She wasn't afraid of anyone. She never imagined - nor did anyone else - that an evil person, one of 1.5 billion Muslims who just want to drown the world in rivers of blood. That's what they live for. It's terrible, just think about it: a little girl who did nothing.

Animals: Fatah Glorifies Murderer of Teenage Girl on Its Facebook Page

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For anyone who follows these things, this isn't really a surprise. It's the norm.

Fatah is the largest political faction and is headed by Mahmoud Abbas.

A week ago, Abbas received a standing ovation when speaking in front of the European Parliament.

Today, the Facebook page of his party eulogized the depraved Muslim punk who did this to an innocent 13-year-old Israeli girl.

As in all similar cases, the family of the "martyr" will now receive a reward stipend from the Palestinian Authority.

In turn, the murderer's mother had this to say:

My son is a hero. He made me proud. My son died as a Martyr defending Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

Her son broke into a Jewish family's house and stabbed Hallel Yaffa Ariel to death in her bedroom.

This is how Muslims defend Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

I didn't say it. The mother did.

Animals is too kind.     

Palestinian Terrorist Stabs 13-Year-Old Israeli Girl to Death in Her Bedroom

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Her name was Hallel Yaffa Ariel.

The attack occurred Thursday morning in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba. A man responding to her screams was also stabbed and then mistakenly shot by other responders. The assailant--a 17-year-old boy--was killed.

From the Times of Israel:

Local officials said the home lies on the edge in the Ramat Mamre neighborhood, adjacent to a fence surrounding the settlement. A picture released by the IDF showed the bedroom with blood smeared on beds and the floor.

According to an initial account, the attacker jumped the fence — a breach that sent an alert to the IDF and civilian security guards in the area — and broke into the girl’s bedroom, where she was sleeping. 

Forces searching for the cause of the breach heard screams coming from the house and raced in to find the girl with multiple stab wounds in her bed, according to Channel 10. One of the guards hurried to her to provide first aid and was jumped by the attacker who managed to stab him. 

The girl’s father and other guards fired shots at the attacker, killing him, and also wounding the responding guard. 

“The girl was unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. She had a number of penetrating wounds on her upper body. We loaded her onto the ambulance while performing CPR. Her condition was very serious. The second victim we loaded into the ambulance and gave him life-saving first aid. He was fully conscious, speaking with us throughout the ride [to the hospital],” said Magen David Adom medic Devora Aviad.

In the Wake of the Brussels Terror Attacks, Jewish Volunteer Calls Belgian Government Crisis Center and Gets (Surprise!) an Operator Named "Zakaria" Who Tells Him that Israel Doesn't Exist and that the Jews Are Occupiers of Palestine

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"How can I help you, you filthy Jew?"

This sort of thing is not really surprising. The overall Muslim population of Belgium is 5% to 7%, though it is higher in most major cities, constituting 20% and 25% of Antwerp and Brussels, respectively. Despite what you might hear from Islamophobes like me, some Muslims have "assimilated" or at least they have assimilated in so far as they hold down actual jobs in the mainstream economy (such as working in the IPG Belgium Call Center featured in this story).

Now we can add the polite and helpful but politically opinionated call center operator to the gallery of harmless everyday Muslims--the handsome academic, the nice veiled woman, the pleasant baker--featured in Charlie Hebdo's "How the hell did I end up here?"   

Via Elder of Ziyon from Joods Actueel, translated by The New Antisemite:

At least two Israelis were injured in the terror attacks in Brussels. Israel would like to fly them home and so in order to release them from the hospital, a Jewish volunteer called up the Crisis Center set up by the Ministry for Internal Affairs to ask about the procedure. 

He was told that the Israeli victims could not be sent back to Israel, they can only be sent back to Palestine. The family of the victim is shocked and says that "It's just like Iran here". 

This is not the first time an emergency responder decides a Jewish medical emergency is a good reason to preach for Palestine. During the Gaza war, a doctor refused to treat a 90 year old Jewish woman, and suggested to "send her to Gaza for a few hours"

Here is the recorded conversation in Flemish, followed by a translated transcription:

Contact with the Crisis Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs 

Wednesday March 30th around 17:00 

XXX: Good afternoon, my name is XXX, I am a volunteer in the Jewish coordination committee of Antwerp. We are contacted by persons… we have 2 persons of the Jewish community that were hurt in the attacks in the airport 

Crisis Centre: Yes sir 

XXX: They are prepared to be transported back to Israel. Our volunteers are busy with it and take care of everything but we received information from the hospital that we need special papers from the police that they can be released. Is this correct and to who should we ask that? Can you tell me more about that? 

CC: That is effectively.. I will take a look. So … they go back to Palestine. 

XXX: Not Palestine, Israel. 

CC: Yes, but that was before Palestine, of course. OK 

XXX: Could you repeat that again, please? What is the name? 

CC: That … Palestine. 

XXX: Can I get your name, please? 

CC: Of course, Zakaria. 

XXX: And you know only Palestine? 

CC: Sorry? 

XXX: You don’t know Israel, only Palestine? 

CC: I know the Jews went to there, that Palestine received (opvangen) them and that there is a war between Israel and Palestine, of course. And the occupation… that’s what's on the news of course. 

XXX: Can you help me with the question I have, or not? 

CC: Naturally, of course. Thus they go back to Palestine and ask that they could get an attestation. Voila, it is noted. 

XXX: Can I have you name again, I didn’t understand it well. 

CC: Zakaria 

XXX: Zakaria? 

CC: That is correct. 

XXX: Zakaria what? What is your last name? 

CC: I am not obliged to give it. 

XXX: OK 

XXX; Thank you very much. 

CC: You're welcome. Bye

EoZ adds this from The Jewish Telegraphic Agency:

Michael Freilich, the editor-in-chief of Joods Actueel, said it “defies imagination” that a Belgian state employee would display the anti-Israel behavior that is commonplace in Arab countries. He also called for punishing the operator instead of issuing the “standard apology.” 

The recording’s release follows at least four recorded cases in which people who either spoke Arabic or wore Muslim traditional garb, destroyed, concealed or removed Israeli flags at an impromptu memorial space set up for the attacks’victims at Place de la Bourse in Brussels. It features many flags, including of Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority.

Donald Trump Brings Down the House at Pro-Israel AIPAC Conference: Video and Full Transcript

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Earlier today, Donald Trump spoke at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) 2016 Policy Conference at the Verizon Center in Washington.

Outside the largely Jewish, pro-Israel event, often violent leftist mobs grotesquely compared Trump to Hitler and hurled antisemitic slurs.

And in the oddly named Google+ group, The Conservative Union, which only on Saturday tut-tutted about "bigotry" towards Mormons, members took the opportunity of Trump's speech to rail against "pandering" to Israel, Zionism and the Jewish vote and then equated the policies of the Jewish State with the violent land-grabs of Mao's China.

Who are the fascists?

It was a great speech. It was also the first pre-written speech of Donald Trump's campaign.

For a man who is often accused (with some justice) of sounding crass and petty, his remarks at the Conference were wise, righteous and presidential.

It is obviously not unreasonable for Republicans and conservatives to support other candidates. But those Republican and conservative Never Trumpers who used the speech simply to take more potshots at the man are the ones who ended up looking small.

Unless one believes that every word Trump utters, including "and," "but" and "if" is just a cynical lie to sell more self-help books or whatever, then if one is pro-Israel, it is impossible to believe that Trump would not be much better for the Jewish State than Obama/Clinton.

Is he perfect on the issue of Israel or Islamic Terrorism? No. Among other things, we're still waiting for him to apologize to Pamella Geller for his unjust remarks about the Draw Muhammad attack in Garland, Texas.

But he's looking better all the time.

Here is the video followed by a transcription from Time Magazine:

       

Good evening. Thank you very much. 

I speak to you today as a lifelong supporter and true friend of Israel. (CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

I am a newcomer to politics, but not to backing the Jewish state. 

(APPLAUSE) 

In 2001, weeks after the attacks on New York City and on Washington and, frankly, the attacks on all of us, attacks that perpetrated and they were perpetrated by the Islamic fundamentalists, Mayor Rudy Giuliani visited Israel to show solidarity with terror victims. 

I sent my plane because I backed the mission for Israel 100 percent. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

In spring of 2004 at the height of the violence in the Gaza Strip, I was the grand marshal of the 40th Salute to Israel Parade, the largest-single gathering in support of the Jewish state. 

(APPLAUSE) 

It was a very dangerous time for Israel and frankly for anyone supporting Israel. Many people turned down this honor. I did not. I took the risk and I’m glad I did. 

(APPLAUSE) 

But I didn’t come here tonight to pander to you about Israel. That’s what politicians do: all talk, no action. Believe me. 

(APPLAUSE) 

I came here to speak to you about where I stand on the future of American relations with our strategic ally, our unbreakable friendship and our cultural brother, the only democracy in the Middle East, the state of Israel. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

Thank you. 

My number-one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

Thank you. Thank you. 

I have been in business a long time. I know deal-making. And let me tell you, this deal is catastrophic for America, for Israel and for the whole of the Middle East. 

(APPLAUSE) The problem here is fundamental. We’ve rewarded the world’s leading state sponsor of terror with $150 billion, and we received absolutely nothing in return. 

(APPLAUSE) 

I’ve studied this issue in great detail, I would say actually greater by far than anybody else. 

(LAUGHTER) 

Believe me. Oh, believe me. And it’s a bad deal. 

The biggest concern with the deal is not necessarily that Iran is going to violate it because already, you know, as you know, it has, the bigger problem is that they can keep the terms and still get the bomb by simply running out the clock. And of course, they’ll keep the billions and billions of dollars that we so stupidly and foolishly gave them. 

(APPLAUSE) 

The deal doesn’t even require Iran to dismantle its military nuclear capability. Yes, it places limits on its military nuclear program for only a certain number of years, but when those restrictions expire, Iran will have an industrial-sized, military nuclear capability ready to go and with zero provision for delay, no matter how bad Iran’s behavior is. Terrible, terrible situation that we are all placed in and especially Israel. 

(APPLAUSE) 

When I’m president, I will adopt a strategy that focuses on three things when it comes to Iran. First, we will stand up to Iran’s aggressive push to destabilize and dominate the region. 

(APPLAUSE) 

Iran is a very big problem and will continue to be. But if I’m not elected president, I know how to deal with trouble. And believe me, that’s why I’m going to be elected president, folks. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

And we are leading in every poll. Remember that, please. 

(CHEERS) 

Iran is a problem in Iraq, a problem in Syria, a problem in Lebanon, a problem in Yemen and will be a very, very major problem for Saudi Arabia. Literally every day, Iran provides more and better weapons to support their puppet states. Hezbollah, Lebanon received — and I’ll tell you what, it has received sophisticated anti-ship weapons, anti-aircraft weapons and GPS systems and rockets like very few people anywhere in the world and certainly very few countries have. Now they’re in Syria trying to establish another front against Israel from the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. 

In Gaza, Iran is supporting Hamas and Islamic jihad. 

And in the West Bank, they’re openly offering Palestinians $7,000 per terror attack and $30,000 for every Palestinian terrorist’s home that’s been destroyed. A deplorable, deplorable situation. 

(APPLAUSE) 

Iran is financing military forces throughout the Middle East and it’s absolutely incredible that we handed them over $150 billion to do even more toward the many horrible acts of terror. 

(APPLAUSE) 

Secondly, we will totally dismantle Iran’s global terror network which is big and powerful, but not powerful like us. 

(APPLAUSE) 

Iran has seeded terror groups all over the world. During the last five years, Iran has perpetuated terror attacks in 25 different countries on five continents. They’ve got terror cells everywhere, including in the Western Hemisphere, very close to home. 

Iran is the biggest sponsor of terrorism around the world. And we will work to dismantle that reach, believe me, believe me. 

(APPLAUSE) 

Third, at the very least, we must enforce the terms of the previous deal to hold Iran totally accountable. And we will enforce it like you’ve never seen a contract enforced before, folks, believe me. 

(APPLAUSE) 

Iran has already, since the deal is in place, test-fired ballistic missiles three times. Those ballistic missiles, with a range of 1,250 miles, were designed to intimidate not only Israel, which is only 600 miles away, but also intended to frighten Europe and someday maybe hit even the United States. And we’re not going to let that happen. We’re not letting it happen. And we’re not letting it happen to Israel, believe me. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

Thank you. Thank you. 

Do you want to hear something really shocking? As many of the great people in this room know, painted on those missiles in both Hebrew and Farsi were the words “Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth.” You can forget that. 

(APPLAUSE) 

What kind of demented minds write that in Hebrew? 

And here’s another. You talk about twisted. Here’s another twisted part. Testing these missiles does not even violate the horrible deal that we’ve made. The deal is silent on test missiles. But those tests do violate the United Nations Security Council resolutions. 

The problem is no one has done anything about it. We will, we will. I promise, we will. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

Thank you. 

Which brings me to my next point, the utter weakness and incompetence of the United Nations. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

The United Nations is not a friend of democracy, it’s not a friend to freedom, it’s not a friend even to the United States of America where, as you know, it has its home. And it surely is not a friend to Israel. 

(APPLAUSE) 

With President Obama in his final year — yea! 

(LAUGHTER) 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

(LAUGHTER) 

He may be the worst thing to ever happen to Israel, believe me, believe me. And you know it and you know it better than anybody. 

So with the president in his final year, discussions have been swirling about an attempt to bring a Security Council resolution on terms of an eventual agreement between Israel and Palestine. 

Let me be clear: An agreement imposed by the United Nations would be a total and complete disaster. 

(APPLAUSE) 

The United States must oppose this resolution and use the power of our veto, which I will use as president 100 percent. 

(APPLAUSE) 

When people ask why, it’s because that’s not how you make a deal. Deals are made when parties come together, they come to a table and they negotiate. Each side must give up something. It’s values. I mean, we have to do something where there’s value in exchange for something that it requires. That’s what a deal is. A deal is really something that when we impose it on Israel and Palestine, we bring together a group of people that come up with something. 

That’s not going to happen with the United Nations. It will only further, very importantly, it will only further delegitimize Israel. It will be a catastrophe and a disaster for Israel. It’s not going to happen, folks. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

And further, it would reward Palestinian terrorism because every day they’re stabbing Israelis and even Americans. Just last week, American Taylor Allen Force, a West Point grad, phenomenal young person who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was murdered in the street by a knife-wielding Palestinian. You don’t reward behavior like that. You cannot do it. 

(APPLAUSE) 

There’s only one way you treat that kind of behavior. You have to confront it. 

(APPLAUSE) 

So it’s not up to the United Nations to really go with a solution. It’s really the parties that must negotiate a resolution themselves. They have no choice. They have to do it themselves or it will never hold up anyway. The United States can be useful as a facilitator of negotiations, but no one should be telling Israel that it must be and really that it must abide by some agreement made by others thousands of miles away that don’t even really know what’s happening to Israel, to anything in the area. It’s so preposterous, we’re not going to let that happen. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

When I’m president, believe me, I will veto any attempt by the U.N. to impose its will on the Jewish state. It will be vetoed 100 percent. 

(APPLAUSE) 

You see, I know about deal-making. That’s what I do. I wrote “The Art of the Deal.” 

(LAUGHTER) 

One of the best-selling, all-time — and I mean, seriously, I’m saying one of because I’ll be criticized when I say “the” so I’m going to be very diplomatic — one of… 

(LAUGHTER) 

I’ll be criticized. I think it is number one, but why take a chance? (LAUGHTER) 

(APPLAUSE) 

One of the all-time best-selling books about deals and deal- making. To make a great deal, you need two willing participants. We know Israel is willing to deal. Israel has been trying. 

(APPLAUSE) 

That’s right. Israel has been trying to sit down at the negotiating table without preconditions for years. You had Camp David in 2000 where Prime Minister Barak made an incredible offer, maybe even too generous; Arafat rejected it. 

In 2008, Prime Minister Olmert made an equally generous offer. The Palestinian Authority rejected it also. 

Then John Kerry tried to come up with a framework and Abbas didn’t even respond, not even to the secretary of state of the United States of America. They didn’t even respond. 

When I become president, the days of treating Israel like a second-class citizen will end on day one. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

Thank you. 

And when I say something, I mean it, I mean it. 

I will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu immediately. I have known him for many years and we’ll be able to work closely together to help bring stability and peace to Israel and to the entire region. 

Meanwhile, every single day you have rampant incitement and children being taught to hate Israel and to hate the Jews. It has to stop. 

(APPLAUSE) 

When you live in a society where the firefighters are the heroes, little kids want to be firefighters. When you live in a society where athletes and movie stars are the heroes, little kids want to be athletes and movie stars. 

In Palestinian society, the heroes are those who murder Jews. We can’t let this continue. We can’t let this happen any longer. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

You cannot achieve peace if terrorists are treated as martyrs. Glorifying terrorists is a tremendous barrier to peace. It is a horrible, horrible way to think. It’s a barrier that can’t be broken. That will end and it’ll end soon, believe me. 

(APPLAUSE) 

In Palestinian textbooks and mosques, you’ve got a culture of hatred that has been fomenting there for years. And if we want to achieve peace, they’ve got to go out and they’ve got to start this educational process. They have to end education of hatred. They have to end it and now. 

(APPLAUSE) 

There is no moral equivalency. Israel does not name public squares after terrorists. Israel does not pay its children to stab random Palestinians.
You see, what President Obama gets wrong about deal-making is that he constantly applies pressure to our friends and rewards our enemies. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

And you see that happening all the time, that pattern practiced by the president and his administration, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is a total disaster, by the way. 

(LAUGHTER) 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

She and President Obama have treated Israel very, very badly. 

(APPLAUSE) 

But it’s repeated itself over and over again and has done nothing (to) embolden those who hate America. We saw that with releasing the $150 billion to Iran in the hope that they would magically join the world community. It didn’t happen. 

(APPLAUSE) 

President Obama thinks that applying pressure to Israel will force the issue. But it’s precisely the opposite that happens. Already half of the population of Palestine has been taken over by the Palestinian ISIS and Hamas, and the other half refuses to confront the first half, so it’s a very difficult situation that’s never going to get solved unless you have great leadership right here in the United States. 

We’ll get it solved. One way or the other, we will get it solved. 

(APPLAUSE) 

But when the United States stands with Israel, the chances of peace really rise and rises exponentially. That’s what will happen when Donald Trump is president of the United States. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

And we will send a clear signal that there is no daylight between America and our most reliable ally, the state of Israel. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

The Palestinians must come to the table knowing that the bond between the United States and Israel is absolutely, totally unbreakable. 

(APPLAUSE) 

They must come to the table willing and able to stop the terror being committed on a daily basis against Israel. They must do that. 

And they must come to the table willing to accept that Israel is a Jewish state and it will forever exist as a Jewish state. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

I love the people in this room. I love Israel. I love Israel. I’ve been with Israel so long in terms of I’ve received some of my greatest honors from Israel, my father before me, incredible. My daughter, Ivanka, is about to have a beautiful Jewish baby. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE) 

In fact, it could be happening right now, which would be very nice as far as I’m concerned. 

(LAUGHTER) 

So I want to thank you very much. This has been a truly great honor. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. 

Thank you very much. 

(CHEERS, APPLAUSE)