Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Jordanian Talmud translators admit their purpose is anti-semitism
Links!
Jordanian bank fires woman for refusing to wear hijab
EU lies in defending "human rights defender" Bassam Tamimi
Egypt launching "veiled-women only" TV channel
Earliest evidence of Bethlehem found in archaeological dig
Turkey seeks life imprisonment for 4 Israelis in Mavi Marmara incident

Jordanian Talmud translators admit their purpose is anti-semitism

Posted: 23 May 2012 01:40 PM PDT

A couple of months ago I reported about a huge Jordanian project to translate the Talmud into Arabic, musing that this was meant more for anti-Israel propaganda than serious scholarly research.

Now it's been proven.

From the ADL blog:

A newly released Arabic translation of the Talmud – the first of its kind – contains an introduction that seeks to revive age-old anti-Semitic conspiracies about the Talmud, including the accusation that the ancient text reveals the racist character of the Jewish people. The introduction also attempts to paint Israel as the modern-day embodiment of the alleged racist ideologies found in the Talmud.

The translation, which was published by the Middle East Studies Center (MESC), a Jordan-based think tank, specifically couples anti-Semitic narratives with anti-Israel propaganda: "The discrimination which Arabs in Israel face is an extension of the racist spirit included in many Talmud texts and explanations."

In an effort to claim that the Talmud is an inherently racist text, the introduction repeatedly seeks to exploit and take out of context certain passages in the Talmud, including deceptively referring to injunctions that seem to "prove" that Jews regard non-Jews as inferior. The introduction, for example, notes,

"These texts confirm the racist and hostile perception toward the non-Jews, especially those who threaten the 'chosen nation' and stand in the way of its ambitions and hopes. There is no doubt that Israel is the best example of this racist position, both in the level of its daily crimes against the Palestinians and the level of its rejection and contempt for international resolutions and laws. For what applies to other countries in the world does not apply to contemporary Israel, as it is unique...Jews, according to this racist position [of the Talmud], are permitted to do what is not permitted for non-Jews."

Elsewhere in the introduction, the reader is informed that the Talmud claims that non-Jews are inhuman, may be tricked or cheated, that it is permissible to kill them, and so on.

The conclusion of the introduction neatly merges the publishers' anti-Semitic and anti-Israel proclivities: "The Talmudic heritage has a significant impact on the formulation of Jewish identity based on holy [principles of] racial isolation…It [the Talmud] also established the extreme positions that advocate hatred toward non-Jews, the violation of their rights and looting of their lands and property." The publisher then refers to the Zionist movement's alleged "crimes" against the Palestinian people as an example of the Talmud's validation of racist policies.

On the webpage of the Middle East Studies Center in Jordan that translated the Talmud there is a description of the work that is almost certainly the introduction that the ADL is referring to. It starts off as a fairly dispassionate description of the origins of the Talmud, how it is viewed in Jewish tradition, the difference between the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, the Tannaim and Amoraim, the six major orders of the Mishna, and so forth. There are none of the usual egregious mistakes usually seen when Arabs talk about the Talmud. They even admit that the idea that the Talmud excised all mentions of Islam, which some Arabic "scholars" claim, is false, as it predates Islam (and indeed some early Muslims were familiar with the Mishna.)

Then, towards the end, the authors start concentrating on the "racism" of the Talmud. It purports to talk about how Jews consider themselves superior, how the Talmud disparages Christians and all the usual anti-semitic propaganda that we've seen since the Nazis. Whathad been a fairly objective history of the Talmud turns into a pure hatefest. From there it is only a short step to "proving" that the Talmud prescribes wiping out all non-Jews from Israel.

This section is heavily footnoted, but the footnoted sources are most interesting. Instead of pointing to the sections of the Talmud that supposedly say these racist laws, they are referencing modern anti-semitic and anti-Zionist literature, from books by people like Israel Shahak!

These "scholars" didn't even check their own work to verify the quotes!

Some 90 people worked for many years to put out this work - but when it comes down to it, the only reason they did it was to find evidence for their bigotry.

This is what is considered "scholarship" in Jordan.

(h/t Yoel)

Links!

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:00 PM PDT

From Ian:

Skin cells turned into healthy heart muscle cells"In the latest study, the team in Israel took skin cells from two men with heart failure and mixed the cells up with a cocktail of genes and chemicals in the lab to create the stem cell treatment."

Deluded BritanniaThe British Empire Strikes Back: UK Body Rules Tel Aviv is Israel's Capital

IAEA Promises Peace In Our Time

HuffPo's House JihadiMehdi Hasan, a controversial British media figure whom insiders have billed as a mouthpiece for the Iranian regime, recently left his job at the left-wing New Statesman magazine to join the Huffington Post as a senior staffer, according to reports in the British press.

Hamas-Run Schools Set Out to Teach 'the Language of the Enemy'

Pro-Hamas students holed up at Bir Zeit UniversityMore than a dozen students staying on campus since May 5 for fear of arrest by PA

Sudan says Israel responsible for Port Sudan car bombExplosion in Red Sea city kills one; Foreign Ministry refuses to respond to 'generic allegations'

Top Saudi Cleric: Ban Christian Churches in Arabia Let Girls Marry at 10 by Irfan Al-Alawi

Also, from Yoel:

Israeli gives up on Everest summit to help Turkish climber

Live coverage of the World Chess Championship where an Israeli might defeat the Indian champion

Jordanian bank fires woman for refusing to wear hijab

Posted: 23 May 2012 10:30 AM PDT

From Al Arabiya/AFP:

The Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank on Wednesday fired a Christian employee because she refused to wear a scarf to cover her hair as part of uniform for female staff, its spokeswoman said.

"The bank warned Vivian Salameh to cover her hair as part of women's uniform approved earlier this year, but she refused," Iman Afaneh told AFP.

"Five other Christian women are working at the bank, and they are committed to wearing full uniform, including the headscarf."

But Salameh said she "refused to wear the partial head cover because it is against my principles."

"The bank uniform registered at the trade and industry ministry does not include wearing anything to cover my hair," she said.

The Jordan-based Islamic bank is a public shareholding company which launched operations in 2010.

From its webpage, it seems that the bank is pretty upfront about its principles:

Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank is a fully integrated Islamic bank combining solid Islamic values with modern technology and innovation that characterize the best of modern banking. Our focus at Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank is on the needs of each of our customers. We are a customer-centric organization with close personal service and understanding forming the base of each of our client relationships.

To achieve these goals we have set solid foundations and standards for our Vision and Mission represented in the following:

Our Vision
Leading Islamic banking to serve all spectrums of the society.

Our Mission
To provide distinctive and innovative services emanating from the divine principles of Islam to build lasting and solid partnerships and to maximize benefits to all stakeholders.

Our Values
Innovation: At Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank, we adhere to the principles of innovation and distinguish ourselves as a pioneering financial institution by combining traditional Islamic values with the latest technology and innovative products and services; thus delivering the best of modern Islamic banking.

Knowledge: At Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank, our guiding principle of banking is inspired by the knowledge and doctrines embodied within the Holy Quran. Built from these strong foundations, we are proud to introduce the new standard of modern Islamic banking in Jordan.

This couldn't have been too big a surprise to her.

The bank also has, besides the (all male) board of directors, a Sharia Supervisory Board.

EU lies in defending "human rights defender" Bassam Tamimi

Posted: 23 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT

From an EU press release:

Statement by the Spokesperson of High Representative Catherine Ashton on the case of Bassem Tamimi
The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today:

"The High Representative is very concerned by the conviction of Bassem Tamimi in an Israeli military court on 20 May 2012 on charges of taking part in illegal demonstrations and of soliciting protesters to throw stones.

The EU considers Bassem Tamimi to be a 'human rights defender' committed to non-violent protest against the expansion of an Israeli settlement on lands belonging to his West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. The EU attended all court hearings in his case and is concerned at the use of evidence based on the testimony of a minor who was interrogated in violation of his rights.

The EU believes that everyone should be able to exercise their legitimate right to protest in a nonviolent manner."

The EU is not saying that Tamimi was not inciting stone-throwing. They do not deny that the protest that he organized included stone throwing. So it may appear that the EU regards throwing stones as "non-violent protest."

The EU statement strongly implies that the evidence that he was behind the stone throwing came from a minor under interrogation, and therefore there is no real evidence that he directed the attacks. Since the evidence came under questionable circumstances, Ashton says, it should not have been used to convict Tamimi.

The EU is lying.

From WaPo:

The military judge in al-Tamimi's case said Sunday she dropped more serious charges of incitement and support for a hostile organization that were based from the confessions of a 14-year-old, saying it was riddled with inconsistencies. She also did not use the confession of a young adult, saying interrogators misrepresented what he actually said.

The judge effectively threw out the testimonies from the minor as well as a young adult, dismissed charges based on their testimony - and still convicted Tamimi of inciting stone throwers. In other words, there was other, independent evidence that Tamimi is guilty of inciting violence - but the EU (and Amnesty International) is purposefully ignoring that other evidence, which it must have heard since it says it attended all the hearings!

Either the judge arbitrarily chose to convict Tamimi based on zero evidence (after showing her integrity by chiding the prosecution for pushing a confession and testimony that she said was not credible), or the EU is going out of its way to demonize Israel's military justice system by picking and choosing facts to imply that Bassam Tamimi is a "human rights activist."

There is one other possibility. Perhaps the EU doesn't consider the intended victims of the stones to be "human."

Interestingly, the minor whose testimony was thrown out was Muatassim al-Tamimi, a relative of Bassam Tamimi's. He was caught throwing stones. If Tamimi is such a human rights defender and against violence, he apparently cannot even influence his own family.

By the way, Amnesty International also calls Tamimi a "prisoner of conscience" and wholeheartedly believes everything he and his family says. This includes something that is almost certainly a baldfaced lie, as well as obvious evidence that Amnesty is anything but objective:

I first met Bassem when I went to interview Nariman and two of her sisters who had been arrested and detained on the same day in 2010.

Sitting in the family's home, amidst shattered windows, the curtains burned from tear gas shot by the Israeli army into the house, I'd finished my interview when Bassem came in.

I find it very hard to believe that the IDF would shoot tear gas into a house. Almost certainly that is directly against IDF directives, so I will venture to say that the Tamimi family is lying and that Amnesty will believe anything they are told as long as it fits with their already-preconceived notions.

Egypt launching "veiled-women only" TV channel

Posted: 23 May 2012 07:15 AM PDT

From Al Arabiya:

An Egyptian satellite television channel currently on test transmission and managed by a staff of women in niqaab (fully veiled) has stirred controversy in the country and revived the debate over the limits of individual freedom.

Marya channel's general manager Sheikha Safaa was quoted by various Egyptian media sources as saying that the television will be "exclusively female" and that men would not be allowed to interfere in its editorial policies or program content.

Sheikha Safaa noted that the channel's owner, ultraconservative Salafi Sheikh Abu Islam Ahmad Abd Allah, will have a "consultative" role to play because of his "media and scholastic expertise."

"The work in operations of the channel will be handled by the sisters in charge of management, especially as women are the best one to talk about their needs," she said, adding that the channel "aims at lifting injustice" on veiled women who suffer from marginalization.

The channel's owner was quoted as saying he chose the name Marya for his television in reference to Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah, a woman who was gifted to the Prophet Mohammed and gave birth to his son Ibrahim.

(Marya was a Copt; Mohammed is said to have freed her.)

Journomania adds:

No men or non-veiled women will be employed says Sheikha Safaa , the manager of the channel.

Even though these employment plans might be considered sexist, Sheikha Safaa seems to think otherwise. She has made it quite clear that the objectives of launching this channel is to offer veiled women the chance to appear on the screens and to empower other veiled women by activating their roles. She claims veiled women suffer marginalization.

Sheikha Safaa explained that the staff of the satellite channel will be all women, and men are not going to interfere in its general policies or programs quality. Even the owner of the channel will have only a consultative role based on his experience and skills in the field of media, she said.

"The affairs of the channel will be handled by the sisters who will be running the television channel, since women are more qualified to address and talk about their own needs", she added.

Sheikh Abu Islam Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah, the owner of the "Al Ummah" channel and the new "Maria" Channel, said in a statement that "God willing, the channel will employ Muslim women graduates of various departments of media collages and institutions. This project aims at protecting women from temptations by finding them suitable work opportunities ."

Sheikh Abdullah explained: "We plan on hiring all our staff of veiled women and finish that within three months. We have already hired women, filming professionals from other television channels to train our all women team on production, filming, and other skills. But for the technical skills we have to rely on men because we were not able to find skilled women in this field yet".

Here's an apparent screen shot from a test broadcast:

Feminism, Salafi-style!

Earliest evidence of Bethlehem found in archaeological dig

Posted: 23 May 2012 05:30 AM PDT

From the Israel Antiquities Authority:

The first ancient artifact constituting tangible evidence of the existence of the city of Bethlehem, which is mentioned in the Bible, was recently discovered in Jerusalem.

A bulla measuring c. 1.5 cm was found during the sifting of soil removed from archaeological excavations the Israel Antiquities Authority is carrying out in the City of David. The sifting is underwritten by the 'Ir David Foundation' in a project being conducted in the Emek Tzurim National Park.

A bulla is a piece of clay that was used for sealing a document or object. The bulla was impressed with the seal of the person who sent the document or object, and its integrity was evidence the document or object was not opened by anyone unauthorized to do so.

Three lines of ancient Hebrew script appear on the bulla:

בשבעת Bishv'at

בת לחם Bat Lechem

[למל]ך [Lemel]ekh

According to Eli Shukron, director of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "it seems that in the seventh year of the reign of a king (it is unclear if the king referred to here is Hezekiah, Manasseh or Josiah), a shipment was dispatched from Bethlehem to the king in Jerusalem. The bulla we found belongs to the group of "fiscal" bullae – administrative bullae used to seal tax shipments remitted to the taxation system of the Kingdom of Judah in the late eighth and seventh centuries BCE. The tax could have been paid in the form of silver or agricultural produce such as wine or wheat". Shukron emphasizes," this is the first time the name Bethlehem appears outside the Bible, in an inscription from the First Temple period, which proves that Bethlehem was indeed a city in the Kingdom of Judah, and possibly also in earlier periods".

In the Bible Bethlehem is first mentioned in the verse "in Ephrath, which is Bethlehem", and it was on the way there that Rachel died and it is where she was buried (Genesis 35:19; 48:7). The descendants of Judah settled there, among them the family of Boaz (Book of Ruth).

I wonder what the former PA Mufti would make of this? He was quite emphatic that there is no archaeological evidence that Jews were in Jerusalem in ancient times.

(h/t Dan)

Turkey seeks life imprisonment for 4 Israelis in Mavi Marmara incident

Posted: 23 May 2012 02:51 AM PDT

From Bloomberg:

A Turkish prosecutor will seek life imprisonment for four Israeli commanders in connection with the 2010 interception of a Gaza-bound ship during which nine Turks were killed, Sabah said.

Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel's military chief of staff during the May 31, 2010, raid on the Mavi Marmara ship from Turkey that sought to breach the Gaza Strip blockade, and three others will be tried as fugitive defendants, the newspaper reported, citing Istanbul prosecutor Mehmet Akif Ekinci's indictment.

The 144-page document charges that Israeli officials deliberately killed, wounded and tortured the pro-Palestinian activists who sought to end the embargo, according to Sabah. The prosecution will file the indictment after final approval from a chief attorney, the newspaper reported.

The Sabah article is here. The others named in the indictment are "naval forces commander Eliezer Alfred Maron [sic], (former) air forces intelligence officer Avishay Levi and (former) Israeli intelligence chief Amos Yadlin" who would be arrested if they ever go to Turkey.

The paper adds that such an indictment may cause controversy as it has no precedent, at least vis a vis Israel and Turkey.

The indictment is to be handed down days before the second anniversary of the incident.

(h/t Simone)