יום רביעי, 29 בפברואר 2012

Elder of Ziyon Daily Digest

Elder of Ziyon Daily Digest

Netanyahu and others on PBS' "The Advocates," 1979

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 11:00 PM PST

With host, Michael Dukakis!

The Netanyahu (Ben Nitay) part begins around the 15 minute mark:



I find it interesting that the pro-Palestinian Arab side is generally only talking about self-determination, not a state. By pretty much any definition, they have achieved that.

But every time they achieve something, the goalposts keep moving.

(h/t Hillel Neuer)

Arabs against absorption of refugees (NYT, 1966)

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 07:55 PM PST

From  The New York Times, April 4, 1966:


JERUSALEM (Jordanian Sector), March 30—"The Arab states will not integrate the Palestine refugees because integration would be a slow process of liquidating the Palestine problem," Ahmed Shukairy, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, declared in an interview today.

"Consequently, the refugees don't want to be integrated," he continued. "If there are no Palestinian people, there is no Palestinian cause. We can't conceive of a Babylonian cause today because there are no Babylonians. But we start from the premise that we will achieve the liberation of Palestine soon."

Arab refusal to assimilate the 1.3 million refugees now living in four host countries— Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, controlled by the United Arab Republic—has been the subject of criticism from Israel and from the Western nations that have contributed to supporting the refugees for most of the 18 years since Israel came into existence.

Most of the critics would agree with Mr. Shukairy that the Arabs will not assimilate the refugees because they want to keep tie Palestine issue alive. But few of them would be likely to agree that the refugees do not want to be assimilated, and almost none would accept the premise of "liberation of Palestine soon."

Indeed, questions about why the refugees persist in their hopes when Israel appears to have consolidated her position bring a different, but fairly standard, Arab retort:

"The Zionists remembered Palestine for 2,000 years. Why should we begin to forget in 18 years?"

When leaders of the Arab nations are asked why they do not assimilate the refugees, they reply that Israel and the West, not the Arabs, were responsible for the refugee exodus in 1948 from the part of British Palestine that became Israel.

These leaders ignore the rebuttal that the Arabs shared largely in the responsibility because their radio stations broadcast propaganda about Israeli atrocities designed to panic the refugees and that the refugees were told to flee.
...
The basic problem is that integration of the ordinary, uneducated peasant refugee requires land. In Jordan, the only host country that has given refugees the full privileges of citizenship, arable land is not available. The other Arab countries reserve what land they can develop for their own citizens, who want it badly.

Iraq, where there are almost no refugees, has the most favorable land-to-man ratio among the Arab states, but even there any significant assimilation of outsiders would require large scale development of irrigation
A Western ambassador in one host country said recently:

"The way to solve the problem is to stimulate Arab economic development to the maximum. If the Arab countries begin to need manpower, refugees will automatically be absorbed."

The psychological and emotional obstacles to integration are great. The refugees and their hosts feel strongly that they got a raw deal in 1948, and their self-esteem demands formal reparation, particularly because of the impression that the Israelis are cleverer, abler and more modern than the Arabs.

The Arab armies that moved against Israel in 1948, after the Arabs rejected the United Nations partition of Palestine, were beaten, and the defeat still Irankles.

One educated refugee said the other day in private conversation that he favored going back to the original partition plan, which would cost Israel 27 per cent of her present territory.

...
The mystique of the refugees,  fed by Arab broadcasts and by nostalgic talk, is based on the conviction that they have been grievously wronged. One commentator, Cecil Hourani, has written: "In the dim twilight of the camps it is what has been lost that still beckons, not what can be done to take its place." 

At a United Nations school in Gaza, a young refugee was learning the trade of an auto mechanic. He was scheduled to I go to Sweden for on-the-job training. He spoke a little English. Asked what he would do if he could get a permanent job in Sweden and if he met a girl, he liked, he said: "I would come back. My country needs me." 

Hamdi Hirzallah, 40 years old, a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was present at the interview. A native of Beersheba, now part of Israel, he said with great intensity: "I will tell you something, and I wish you would quote me. If they try to leave, we will stop them, by force if need be." 

Afternoon open thread/links

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 12:40 PM PST

Where you can ruminate over the fact that a Houston high school basketball team may never find out if they are the best in the league.

Or you can review Vice News - in Gaza. (I didn't get to see it yet.)

Or discuss exactly what makes Pepsi a "Jewish drink."

(h/t JTA, jzaik)

Fatah accuses Hamas of stopping election plans

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 11:20 AM PST

From Fatah's WAFA news agency:
Azzam al-Ahmad, the head of Fatah delegation to the reconciliation talks with Hamas, Tuesday told WAFA that Hamas continues to prevent the Central Elections Commission (CEC) resulted from reconciliation talks from working in the Gaza Strip.

"It has been agreed that CEC will start working in December 23, 2011…Two months and a week later, Hamas still prevents the commission from working in Gaza without reason," said al-Ahmad.

He indicated that some Hamas leaders in Gaza don't want to end the Palestinian division to benefit their personal agenda, as well as he expressed hope that Hamas will end its internal dispute and reach an agreement regarding the formation of the interim government.
Hamas, for its part, isn't only blaming Fatah for the failure of unity talks. They are blaming the US and Israel.

Since the unity deal signed last May, there has been essentially no progress.. But there are lots and lots of meetings and tons of blame.

(h/t CHA)

Hatikvah played in Egypt

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST

From Israel's Foreign Ministry:
Israeli Ambassador Yaacov Amitai on Monday, 27 February 2012, presented his credentials to Field Marshal Mohammad Hussein Tantawi, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces. At the official ceremony, during which other ambassadors also presented their credentials, the Israeli anthem was played, along with other national anthems, as is customary.

The presentation of credentials was held in a cordial atmosphere. Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Amitai and Field Marshal Tantawi emphasized the importance of the peace agreement and cooperation for both countries.

Ambassador Amitai said: "I will do everything I can to enhance understanding and to foster cooperation between Israel and Egypt."

Amitai has been demanding better security from Egypt, especially in wake of the bombings and attempted bombings of diplomats in India, Georgia and Thailand. On Sunday he refused to leave Cairo's airport until his car was checked for explosives.

Of course, Amitai is utterly dependent on Egypt's security, since the Israel embassy was closed due to some peace-loving riots and he has to do all his work out of his apartment.

Malaysia cancels concert because of singer's Allah tattoos

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 08:45 AM PST

From AP:

Muslim-majority Malaysia on Tuesday banned a planned concert by Erykah Badu after a photograph appeared showing the Grammy-winning singer with the Arabic word for Allah written on her body.

The American R&B singer was scheduled to perform Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, but some Muslim groups said Badu was an unsuitable role model for young Malaysians after seeing a publicity photo of her with what appeared to be temporary tattoos of the word Allah on her bare shoulders.

A government committee that includes police and Islamic policy officials decided to forbid Badu's show because the body art was "an insult to Islam and a very serious offense," Information Minister Rais Yatim said in a statement.

The photo of Badu had "triggered public criticism that could jeopardize national security and cause a negative impact to the government's image," the statement added.

The 41-year-old, Dallas-born singer had already arrived in Malaysia. She can stay as a tourist but will not be allowed to perform, an Information Ministry official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements.

It was the first concert by a Western performer to be banned in Malaysia in recent years. Several other stars, including Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne, were told to dress modestly while performing.

The photograph of Badu, which also appears on her official fan website, attracted attention after Malaysia's most widely read English-language daily, The Star, published it Monday.

On Tuesday, the newspaper apologized to Muslims for what it called an "oversight," saying it deeply regretted any offense sparked by the photo, which was "inadvertently published." The Home Ministry summoned The Star's editors to explain the photograph, which caused some Muslim activists to demand the newspaper's suspension.
Here is the offending photo. The two "Allahs" are on her shoulders.

Good thing the newspaper didn't mention the Hebrew letters (apparently meant to spell "Badu.") She'd get lynched.

Hamas says unity should only be for fighting Israel

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 07:20 AM PST

Hamas newspaper Palestine Today is featuring an article by Dr. Fayez Abu Shamala, cursing the reconciliation agreement with Fatah.

Shamala is saying that if the unity agreement means that the Palestinian Arabs can no longer engage in attacks against Israelis, it is useless. He asks why the PA is stopping Hamas and Islamic Jihad from attacking Jewish settlers and security officers - they should be joining in such attacks. He stresses that what is required of the Palestinian people is the resistance, not reconciliation.

He adds that the liberation of the land will not go through the UN and solutions will not come from politicians in Cairo or Doha, but only through force.

If Hamas is publishing this in its own newspaper, you can be certain that it reflects the thinking of its leadership.

Egypt stops fuel smuggling to Gaza, power plant shuts down

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST

From Ma'an:
Egyptian security forces on Tuesday thwarted an attempt to smuggle large quantities of diesel fuel into the Gaza Strip via underground tunnels, Ma'an's correspondent said.

Egyptian military and police forces stopped four trucks containing more than 7,000 liters of diesel fuel bound for the Gaza Strip.

Four Egyptian smugglers were arrested and are being questioned.

Egypt wants to stop the use of underground tunnels for delivery of Egyptian fuel purchased by Palestinian authorities, and has severely reduced supply through the tunnel network, prompting an energy crisis in the coastal enclave.

Egyptian and Gazan officials reached a deal last week which includes longer-term measures to increase the capacity of Gaza's sole power plant and link Gaza's electricity grid to Egyptian infrastructure.

On Sunday, as part of the first stage of the agreement, Egypt increased its power supply to the Gaza Strip from 17 to 22 megawatts.

The shorter-term requirement is the delivery of fuel into Gaza, but a disagreement on the route of the fuel still appeared to be pending agreement.

The Gaza government is pressing for the Rafah terminal between the countries to be equipped for fuel transfer, and is reluctant to accept fuel to be delivered via the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.

The government fears Israel will use control of supplies to squeeze the coastal strip.
So they'd rather rely on Egypt controlling the fuel supplies to Gaza. See how well that's working out?

Today, for the second time in two weeks, the Gaza power plant ran out of fuel and large parts of Gaza were again plunged into darkness. The head of the power plant again appealed to Egypt to accelerate a program to provide fuel.

And still no one places the blame on Hamas for this artificial crisis. Because they want to avoid being thrown into jail.

More proof that Arabs hate their Palestinian brothers

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 03:11 AM PST

Mahmoud Abbas, in his incitement speech at Doha, said something controversial to the Arab world.

No, not his lies about how there is no evidence for an ancient Jewish presence in Jerusalem. Not his assertion that Israel was planning to destroy Al Aqsa Mosque. Not his absurd assertion that Israel is practicing "ethnic cleansing" against Arabs in Jerusalem. No, none of that is controversial.

The controversial part was his call for Arabs to visit Jerusalem:

Hence the need to encourage all who can, especially our brothers from Arab and Islamic countries as well as our fellow Arabs and Muslims and Christians in Europe and America, to go to visit Jerusalem. This move will have political, moral, economic, and humanitarian repercussions. Jerusalem affects us all and no one can stop us from accessing it. The flow of the crowds to the congested streets and its holy sites will enhance the resilience of its citizens, and contribute to the protection and consolidation of identity, history and heritage of the city [where we are] targeted for eradication, and the occupiers will remember that the issue of Jerusalem is the cause of every Arab, Muslim and Christian. I emphasize here that a visit to a prisoner to support him does not mean by any means normalization with the warden.

Immediately, the influential and hugely popular cleric Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi confirmed his already-existing fatwa banning non-Palestinian Arabs (not only Muslims but Christians too!) from visiting Jerusalem:

"Palestinians have the right to enter Jerusalem as they please, but in relation to the non-Palestinians, they may not gain entry to it." He explained "that the prohibition of visiting is so as to not legitimize the occupation; a visit would confer legitimacy to the cruel entity occupying of Muslim lands" by getting an Israeli visa.

He stressed in remarks published yesterday in Doha, "We should feel that we are deprived of Jerusalem and fight for it so that Jerusalem is ours, and that the responsibility to defeat the Zionist aggression is the responsibility of the Islamic nation as a whole and not the responsibility of the Palestinian people alone," he said, adding: "It is not reasonable to leave the Palestinians alone in the face of the Zionist state with a large military capabilities."

He said that "Jerusalem will not return except through resistance and jihad, and the combined efforts of the Arab and Islamic nation."
The PA was not happy with Qaradawi.

Hamas, for their part, agreed with Qaradawi!
The Hamas movement has rejected a call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for Arabs and Muslims to visit Jerusalem, and described any visit as a normalization and recognition of Israel. (see also here)
Two years ago, the Egyptian Olympic soccer team planned to have a friendly match with an PalArab team near Jerusalem to show solidarity with them. A firestorm of fatwas and pressure resulted and the team canceled the trip.

Once again, the Arab world has a chance to show, in a very real way, that they support their Palestinian Arab brethren - and instead they choose not to. The reason is the same as it has been since 1948: their hate for Israel far outweighs their lip-service of love for Palestinian Arabs.



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