Elder of Ziyon Daily Digest

Let's reward Palestinians with a state (poster)
The last Jews of Baghdad (Wikileaks)
Red-lines that would cause the US to walk out of a UNGA speech (Wikileaks)
PA minister: State will come from "diplomatic, political, and military pressure"
A perfect symbol for Palestinian Arabs
Some refreshing contrast
Saudi sheikh recalls the handing out of sweets in Mecca on 9/11
Islamic Jihad insists "martyr" was killed by Israeli airstrike
Seven Hamas members killed during Ramadan....
Schools in Gaza forcing girls to wear veils
Dip Your Apple - Rosh Hashana video

Let's reward Palestinians with a state (poster)

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 05:56 PM PDT

Since that terrible day ten years ago, we've had the opportunity to see Palestinian Arabs celebrating many other terror attacks. Polls show that their hatred of the US has not gone down at all, even with the most pro-Palestinian Arab administration in history.

Video of their disgusting 9/11 celebrations here and here.

The last Jews of Baghdad (Wikileaks)

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 01:26 PM PDT

From Wikileaks:

On October 10, Poloff met with one of the last remaining Jews in Iraq, XXXXXX (strictly protect), to discuss the current state of the Iraqi Jewish community. XXXXXX stated that there are now eight remaining members of the Iraqi Jewish community in Baghdad including herself (a complete biographical breakdown of the community is contained in reftel). She stated that the community had numbered 20 persons in 2003, but that the number has declined as a result of old age, immigration, and sectarian violence. XXXXXXX noted that her mother, XXXXXXXXX, had passed away in the past year and that her husband had been kidnapped by AQI in 2005 and had most likely been murdered. (Note: Since the kidnapping, the Embassy's Office of Hostage Affairs has attempted to assist XXXXXXX in locating her husband or his remains. End note.) For her own part, XXXXXXX expressed continued interest in immigrating to the Netherlands where two of her brothers are currently living. At present, XXXXXXX works as a dentist in an orphanage and conceals her religious identity to her co-workers by claiming to be Christian, although she attends weekly Jewish services held at the Embassy.

Asked about the community's religious sites, XXXXXXXX stated that there was a synagogue and a Jewish cemetery in Baghdad that had remained closed since 2004 with the keys entrusted to two separate Muslim families. She believed that the synagogue remained in good condition and noted that the Jewish community is able to pay the caretakers of the synagogue and cemetery a modest stipend from the rental income that they receive from their commercial properties. XXXXXXX was not as optimistic about the Jewish synagogue located in Basra, which has been turned into a local warehouse. She also noted that the community had a strong interest in the grave of Ezekiel, which has become a religious site for Muslims as well. Asked about the possibility for Iraqi Jews living abroad to visit the country or attempt to reestablish connections, XXXXXXXX was pessimistic saying that latent anti-Semitism within Iraqi society would prevent this from happening anytime soon.

There are Jewish services in the US embassy in Baghdad?

(h/t Bataween)

Red-lines that would cause the US to walk out of a UNGA speech (Wikileaks)

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 12:20 PM PDT

After Ahmadinejad's embrace of Holocaust revisionism and other anti-semitic statements at the UN, the United States established a list of "red lines" that, when crossed, would prompt a walk-out. They encouraged European nations to respect these criteria as well.

Here are details from a September 2009 Wikileaks memo:

Our redlines for walking out of a speech, which should be conveyed to the host government, are:

-- Denying the historical reality of the Holocaust

-- Comparing U.S. or Israeli actions to those of Nazi Germany

-- Using other clearly anti-Semitic rhetoric, including suggestions (similar to those in Ahmadinejad?s 2008 UNGA remarks) that Jews or Zionists control the media and the financial system or have formed a nefarious conspiracy

-- Threatening the destruction of Israel or any other UN member state

-- Denying Israel?s or another UN member state?s right to exist

-- Suggesting that the United States deserved 9/11

-- Embracing or justifying the Lockerbie bombing

-- If asked: The U.S. will, of course, reserve the right to respond to any other obnoxious or offensive statements.

PA minister: State will come from "diplomatic, political, and military pressure"

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 11:04 AM PDT

From Daily Star Lebanon:

A successful statehood bid at the United Nations would not stand in the way of Lebanon's Palestinian refugees eventually exercising their right of return, Palestine's Social Affairs Minister said Wednesday.

In an interview with The Daily Star, Majeda al-Masri discussed some of the stickier aspects of the potential Palestinian state, and how it might affect the future of Lebanon's approximately 400,000 Palestinian refugees.

"Palestinian refugees are only temporarily in Lebanon, and they will definitely return to their homeland," said Masri. "Their return can never be an obstacle to Palestine's right for permanent membership in the U.N."

Masri emphasized that statehood would not negate the status of Lebanon's Palestinians as refugees, saying that if the state is accepted "refugees will still be here in Arab countries as guests until they come back. Their rights will be [protected] here … within [the framework] of what we are following up with the countries [where Palestinians live]."

..."In collaboration with governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations, we have put in place a strategy for social protection [in Palestine]," Masri said, adding that this work cannot be separated from efforts to develop the Palestinian state.

"The effort put in by Palestinian NGOs and the [Palestinian] government is part of the state building that will be completed through diplomatic, political, and military pressure."

"Military pressure"? Whatever could Al-Masry ("The Egyptian") have meant by that?

A perfect symbol for Palestinian Arabs

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 10:02 AM PDT

From UKPress:

The Palestinians have officially launched their campaign to join the United Nations as a full member state, saying they will stage a series of peaceful events in the run-up to the annual gathering of the UN General Assembly later this month.

About 100 Palestinian officials and activists gathered at the UN offices in Ramallah for a short ceremony, where they announced their plans in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The letter urges Mr Ban to add his "moral voice in support of the Palestinian people".

The letter was handed over by Latifa Abu Hmeid, a 70-year-old woman who lost one son in fighting with Israel and has seven other sons in Israeli prisons because of alleged militant activities. Officials said Ms Abu Hmeid was selected to deliver the document because her personal story reflects the plight of the Palestinians. A resident of a West Bank refugee camp, her house has twice been demolished by Israeli authorities as punishment for her sons' activities, they said.

Mrs. Hmeid's kids do like to work fast. Last year she only had four sons in prison, as noted by Palestinian Media Watch quoting Al Hayat al Jadida:

Issa Karake, Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, awarded the Shield of Resolve and Giving to Khansa of Palestine [reference to a woman in the earliest period of Islam who sent her four sons to battle and rejoiced when they all died as Martyrs], Um Yousuf Abu Hamid, inscribed with the names of her four sons who are imprisoned in the Israeli occupation's prisons. He emphasized, 'The Palestinian mother is a central partner in the struggle, by virtue of what she has given and continues to give. It is she who gave birth to the fighters, and she deserves that we bow to her in salute and in honor.'

This [was said] during a visit yesterday by [Minister] Karake and a delegation from the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs, human rights organizations, and released prisoners, to the home of the Abu Hamid family in the Al-Am'ari refugee camp. [Karake] joined the meal breaking the [Ramadan] fast with the mother of the four prisoners who were sentenced to several life terms, as well as a fifth Shahid (Martyr) who was caught and executed on the spot by the Israeli special forces, having killed an Israeli intelligence officer and having wounded soldiers. Karake praised the Abu Hamid family as a model of willpower and of the struggle for the independence of Palestine... It should be noted that the Abu Hamid family is one of the fighting families of Palestine... All of the family's younger generation have been arrested, and four sons are still in prison.

The sons:

Nasser Abu Hamid: 7 life sentences + 50 years - commander in Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, in Ramallah. Convicted of the murders of 7 Israeli civilians and 12 attempted murders.

Nasr Abu Hamid: 5 life sentences - Member of Fatah's Tanzim faction, another military wing, and convicted of involvement in two terror attacks.

Sharif Abu Hamid: 4 life sentences - carried out terror attacks against civilians and soldiers. Helped transport a suicide terrorist to his attack in March 2002.

Muhammad Abu Hamid: 2 life sentences + 30 years for terror attacks.

Fifth brother Abd Al-Mun'im Abu Hamid: Killed by Israel after he attacked and killed an Israeli intelligence officer.

So Mrs. Hamid/Hmeid is really the perfect symbol to represent Palestinian Arabs in their statehood bid, having raised seven terrorist sons.

And in another perfect case of symbolism, this official ceremony - which was apparently organized by the PA - was denied by its parent organization the PLO as invalid:

While the Palestinian Authority said Thursday it had officially launched its UN statehood-recognition bid, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) that the PA "does not have any international relations mandate," and that the PLO was the only body that could make such a move.

Earlier, it was reported that the Palestinian Authority had submitted a letter with the move's official plans to UN chief Ban Ki-moon in ceremony in Ramallah with more than 100 Palestinian officials and activists in attendance.

The PLO representative told DPA that a date had not yet been chosen for the official launch, but that it would be made in the coming weeks

They can't figure out who their own leaders are, but they are more than ready to pretend to become a state.

(h/t Challah Hu Akbar for research)

Some refreshing contrast

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 09:08 AM PDT

I spend a bit of time at terrorist websites where I see a never ending stream of photos like this of some recent Islamic Jihad "martyrs":

The IDF today provides a great antidote.

Saudi sheikh recalls the handing out of sweets in Mecca on 9/11

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 08:06 AM PDT

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from a statement by Saudi Sheik Wajdi Al-Ghazawi, owner of Al-Fajr TV, which was posted on YouTube on August 4, 2011:

Wajdi Al-Ghazawi: When Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden were at the height of their might, they were extremely popular in Saudi Arabia. From mosque pulpits across Saudi Arabia, preachers would pray for their success. Moreover, from the pulpits of the most important mosques – the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and the Nabawi Mosque in Al-Madina – direct prayers for the success of Al-Qaeda were made, during the days of the bombing of Tora Bora: "Oh Allah, help our brothers in Afghanistan." These supplications were made during evening prayers, as well as Friday prayers. The preachers would pray for them, in violation of the ministry's instructions.

When the twin towers in New York were attacked, they handed out sweets on the streets of Mecca. By Allah, they did. I witnessed this myself. The young people bowed in prayer and hugged one another out of joy. People were in heaven because of these young men, who "destroyed America and bombed this idol." Am I right or not? Was it like that or not?

Back then, when the Taliban broke off a piece of the nose of the Buddha statue, which was hewn in the mountain, an entire sermon was dedicated to it in the mosque in Mecca, and the preacher was later reprimanded for this sermon. The entire Saudi people supported and loved Al-Qaeda.

This went on until our brothers in Al-Qaeda – and I don't know what was going through their minds – began to carry out operations inside Saudi Arabia. That's when we all raised our hands, and said: "You've gone too far. We won't support you in this."
[…]
The atmosphere here in Saudi Arabia is one of extremism. It is characterized by focusing on minor details. Many things are forbidden. Yes, maybe they are indeed forbidden, but by forcing people to avoid them, and by acting as if these were major sins, an atmosphere was created that gave rise to extremist youth, who might act recklessly at the most trivial provocation.

For instance, we blew out of proportion the issue of music, the issue of smoking, or the issue of hanging pictures in public places. True, there are clear texts on these issues, but the young people embraced these issues as if they were fighting usury, fornication, or alcohol. No, these are not among the seven major sins. So our society has become extreme.
[…]
This extremist atmosphere has given rise to people who accuse others of heresy, and people who purport to be waging Jihad. It has created genes that gave rise to cells of Al-Qaeda and other terrorists. We must examine our breeding ground, in which these young men were sown.
[…]
By Allah, what can possibly emerge from such an atmosphere? Muftis who accuse others of heresy, sheiks who incite, and young people who bomb. Am I right or not?
[…]

Islamic Jihad insists "martyr" was killed by Israeli airstrike

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 07:06 AM PDT

Yesterday, an Islamic Jihad member was killed when his car exploded. Islamic Jihad claims it was an Israeli airstrike; the IDF denied it.

The Al Quds Brigades website insists that it was an Israeli airstrike, and that the cowardly Zionists don't want to admit that they are breaking the supposed truce (where the Israelis don't fire but the Gazans keep shooting rockets into Israel.) They note the huge intensity of the blast and say the mujahid's body parts were all over. They also claim a huge crater that proves it came from a missile.

The photos of the car indicate that there was indeed a huge explosion, but I cannot see anything that looks like a large crater - I do see a small one on the very bottom here:

This photo shows the street was discolored but there is no hole there:

Lots of other photos at the Islamic Jihad website.

Seven Hamas members killed during Ramadan....

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 06:04 AM PDT

...but only two of them were killed by the IDF.

The Al Qassam Brigades website has a feature about the seven Ramadan "martyrs" and the circumstances of their deaths.

Two of them were killed in "Zionist bombings." One was killed in an "accidental internal explosion." Two of them died in unspecified "accidents." One died from electric shock, and one more while in "treatment."

The website says these were "a constellation of Mujahideen who gave their lives cheaply in the way of Allah."

Schools in Gaza forcing girls to wear veils

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 04:08 AM PDT

Palestine Press Agency quotes a report from Al Hayat about schools in Gaza forcing Muslim girls to wear veils.

The 16-year old [girl] cried bitterly when her teacher at her new high school asked her to go to the office of school director. It is the first day in the first secondary (X) in her school, which she moved to after finishing her studies in a junior high school affiliated with UNRWA in Gaza City.

She recounted to the London newspaper Al Hayat: "It was a shock for me to be expelled from the classroom by the teacher, and she asked me to go to the school administration." She felt very insulted, but what made her feel more offended was the discriminatory way that the teacher asked her: "Are you Muslim or Christian? Why not wear a jilbab and hijab?" The teacher said that these were the instructions of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in the Hamas-led government in the Gaza Strip.

This scene repeated itself with other students suffering degrading and discriminatory treatment, witnesses told Al Hayat. The Director of allowed Christian students (after verification of their religion) not to wear veils and robes.

The article goes on to say that Hamas is justifying its Islamicization of Gaza in order to slow down increasing fundamentalist Salafi influence.