New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind has rejected hometown criticism of his leading a group of more than 40 Americans to stay with Jewish residents in Gush Katif, to demonstrate their opposition to the government plan to evacuate them

The New York Post published an editorial Wednesday stating that Hikind's trip was interference in Israel's affairs. The Brooklyn legislator responded that Diaspora Jews do have a right to express their opinions on Israeli issues. Hikind added that his activities are no more of an interference than efforts by American non-Orthodox leaders, who try to change Israel's conversion laws.

The paper's letters section was flooded by irate responses from readers of the conservative daily.

"It might be fair to criticize Hikind for interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, but only if the rest of the international community would refrain from doing so as well," wrote Adina Kutnicki of Ridgewood, N.J. "Unfortunately, quite the opposite is the case. Since before the Oslo Accords, Europe, the United Nations and in no small measure the United States have all been interfering with Israeli domestic policy. While in theory Israel is a sovereign nation, European machinations through the Peres Peace Center - into which millions of dollars have been funneled expressly to insinuate Europe into domestic left-wing policy - have turned Israel's domestic affairs upside down...Due to the existential dangers that Israel now faces, Hikind is doing the only thing that he can do as a Jewish person who cares about Israel's survival."

"I am stunned by The Post's opposition to Hikind's solidarity mission to Gaza," wrote Sergey Kadinsky of Forest Hills, N.Y. "At a time when people are threatened with forced expulsion from the homes they built, and those homes being given to local terrorists, Hikind is doing right by standing up for his fellow Jews. "

2. Sharon's Department of Dirty Tricks

From al-Ha'aretz, 2005_03_17:

A furor erupted yesterday after Yedioth Ahronoth published details of a meeting that took place two and a half weeks ago between the director general of the Prime Minister's office, Ilan Cohen, and three settlers: Itzik Iliya, deputy chief of the Gaza Coast regional council, and two community leaders from Gush Katif. The three, and Iliya especially, were sharply criticized yesterday for holding the meeting, which runs counter to the settlers' official policy...

Iliya announced yesterday that he regrets going to the meeting: "I made a mistake, there is no one to talk to, I won't set foot there again," he said. In an open letter written yesterday, Iliya apologized for the damage his independent move caused. Iliya claimed he met with a wall of "evil and indifference" at the PMO...

Many Gush Katif settlers said yesterday that breaking the story about the controversial meeting was timed intentionally to disturb the day of prayer and fasting. The fast day was deemed a success, drawing some 10,000 settlers and supporters to Neve Dekalim for the special prayer session. Many continued to fast after the prayers.

3. Incitement against Yesha's patriots

The following is an excerpt from an "article" penned by the abominable Yoel Marcus and published by the de facto PLO organ, al-Ha'aretz:

To the settlers who blocked traffic on the Ayalon highway and are threatening to disrupt life in this country, who say they will smash infrastructure, shut down the country's electricity, hijack radio and television stations and spark riots on the Temple Mount, let me say this: It's not enough. What you should be doing is rampaging through Tel Aviv, burning cars, throwing stones at the fancy houses in upscale neighborhoods, setting nightclubs and sushi restaurants on fire, vandalizing traffic lights, pouring tar on the Defense Ministry, holding up the buses and burning down the houses of people you call "establishment journalists" because they support disengagement. Keep it up until you lose every last drop of public sympathy.

Israel's enemies, especially the internal enemies, know no shame.

The abominable Yoel Marcus is not the only one hitched to incitement cart. In a second op/ed piece in the same de facto PLO organ, one reads:

because of the insane and hysterical reactions of the settlers, and the terror of threats that they are imposing - the significance of "the disengagement" is becoming increasingly inflated. It has long since been transformed from a small tactical plan of escape to an event of almost messianic proportions: there is a countdown of the days as if toward the End of Days; the disengagement is discussed in terms of Armageddon; the entire political system has become distorted and convulsed in its shadow, as hasn't been the case during any war or crisis; governments rise and fall only due to it and for it; political parties are asked to abandon their worldview only because of it.

Yesha patriots are fighting for their home and hearth against expulsion and resettlement; at the same time they are fighting against appeasing terrorists and ceding the Land of Israel into the hands of the enemy. And this is what al-Ha'aretz describes as "the significance of "the disengagement" is becoming increasingly inflated." Indeed, the enemy within has no shame. Neither has al-Ha'aretz.

Note: "Resistance News" is a daily column devoted to news about the Jewish resistance to Sharon's expulsion and resettlement plan. Let it not be said that IsraPundit observed the ethnic-cleansing of Jews in Yesha and reacted with indifference.