January 20, 2010 – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

Jewish Daily Forward: “Rabbinic Text or Call to Terror?”
— Article reports on extremist views reporting on anti-human rights views of Rabbis Yitzhak Shapira and Yosef Elitzur of the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar:
— Daily Forward reports on Rabbis Yitzhak Shapira and Yosef Elitzur of the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar’s statements that:
— “‘The prohibition ‘Thou Shalt Not Murder” applies only ‘to a Jew who kills a Jew,’ write Rabbis Yitzhak Shapira and Yosef Elitzur of the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar. Non-Jews are ‘uncompassionate by nature’ and attacks on them ‘curb their evil inclination,’ while babies and children of Israel’s enemies may be killed since ‘it is clear that they will grow to harm us.'”

The Daily Forward also reports that “Previously, Israel has arrested settler rabbis who publish commentaries supporting the killing of non-Jews.”

Responsible for Equality And Liberty stands by our universal human rights and condemns supremacist hate of ANY kind, including the comments referenced in this article by the Rabbis.

Choose Love, Note Hate.

Communist China removed as top priority for U.S. spies

Communist China removed as top priority for U.S. spies
— Washington Times reports: “The White House National Security Council recently directed U.S. spy agencies to lower the priority placed on intelligence collection for China, amid opposition to the policy change from senior intelligence leaders who feared it would hamper efforts to obtain secrets about Beijing’s military and its cyber-attacks.”
— “The downgrading of intelligence gathering on China was challenged by Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair and CIA Director Leon E. Panetta after it was first proposed in interagency memorandums in October, current and former intelligence officials said.”

NYC: Thousands of Copts rally in front of the UN to protest the killing of Christians in Egypt

Communist Vietnam jails democracy activists

Communist Vietnam jails democracy activists for subversion – sentences from 5 to 16 years in prison
— Le Cong Dinh sentenced to 5 years in prison
— Nguyen Tien Trung sentenced to 7 years in prison
— Tran Huynh Duy Thuc sentenced to 16 years in prison
— Le Thang Long sentenced to 5 years in prison

Vietnamese Democracy Advocate Le Cong Dinh (Photo: BBC)

Ohio – Rifqa Bary Case: Counseling next for Rifqa, family

Ohio – Rifqa Bary Case: Counseling next for Rifqa, family
— Columbus Dispatch reports: “Judge decides to keep teen in foster care until she decides to go home or turns 18”
— “Franklin County Children Services will retain temporary custody of Rifqa, who is living in a foster home. She likely will stay in foster care until her 18th birthday on Aug. 10, after which she is an adult and free to live where she chooses.”
— “Another attorney for Rifqa, Kort Gatterdam, read from a statement that both parties agreed to.”
— ” ‘Rifqa and her parents love and respect each other,’ he began, adding that counseling was thought to be the best solution.”

— Runaway teen convert and parents end dispute

— “Can Counseling Prevent a Potential Honor Killing? The Rifqa Bary Case” – by Phyllis Chesler