| Links! Posted: 19 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT From Ian: Elie Wiesel rejects Hungarian award over Nazi memorial Nobel laureate outraged by Budapest's May 27 ceremony for Jozsef Nyiro, a WWII parliamentarian "Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel says he's repudiating a Hungarian award he received in 2004 because top officials from Budapest recently attended a ceremony for a Nazi sympathizer." BDS Fails Israel to host 2013 under-21 soccer championships Facebook Acquires Facial Recognition Technology Company Face.com For Nearly $60 Million "Founded in 2007, the Israel-based start-up offers both desktop and mobile products which scan a user's photos to identify faces, essentially making tagging photos with people's names much simpler. And Facebook has no dearth of photos to scan — at last count, users on average upload approximately 300 million new photos to Facebook's site every day." Chalk this up as a win too, an overrated book. Only Israelis speak Hebrew right? Alice Walker says no to Hebrew 'Purple' Well worth a read, from 2011: Howard Jacobson: Why Alice Walker shouldn't sail to Gaza "Human beings are seldom more dangerous than when they are sentimentally overcome by the goodness of their own intentions. That Alice Walker believes it is right to join the Freedom Flotilla II to Gaza I do not have the slightest doubt. But beyond associating her decision with Gandhi, Martin Luther King and very nearly, when she talks about the preciousness of children, Jesus Christ, she fails to give a single convincing reason for it."
Also, Fresno Zionism's highly amusing story of Palestinian Arab rapture. 
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| Followup on Jordanian-Palestinian protest at US embassy Posted: 19 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT I reported on Sunday that there was a protest at the US embassy in Amman over the weekend against reclassifying Palestinian Arab refugee status to be in line with the UN's definition for all other people. I had the feeling that it was staged and that the protesters were far from representative of the vast majority of Jordanian Palestinians, most of whom prefer to stay in Jordan. As I had noted in an Independent article from 2009: He seems perplexed when asked which is his country – Jordan or Palestine. "We have no security here, but we are Jordanians," replies Mustapha, who lounges on a mattress in a two-storey cement house down the road while one of his five daughters offers tiny glasses of steaming herbal tea and cardamom-scented coffee. "Everything I have is here. This house. My car. My job. What would I have in Nablus or Be'ersheba?" he declares. "My children know nothing but Jordan. And we will stay here."
That determination, echoed repeatedly through the dilapidated cement homes that line Baqa'a's gravelly streets and dust-filled shops, is precisely what terrifies Jordan's East Bank establishment. Mudar Zahran, a Jordanian Palestinian and well-known writer, added a comment to give context to this demonstration: Less than 35 people attended this protest. This is a fake Jordanian-intelligence backed protest, this was called for by the Jordanian intelligence service, and the majority of Palestinians refused to attend as I have advised them openly not to so. This protest of 35 people was organzied by the my own cousin, Omar Abu Latifa, a known-intelligence agent operating at Hitten refugee camp, who has been instructed by his officers to confront my effort, nonetheless, the turn out number...less than 35, from two million refugee camps residents. Please spread my response. 
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| Report: Current malware against Iran much more sophisticated than Flame Posted: 19 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT From the Washington Post: The United States and Israel jointly developed a sophisticated computer virus nicknamed Flame that collected critical intelligence in preparation for cyber-sabotage attacks aimed at slowing Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon, according to Western officials with knowledge of the effort.
The massive piece of malware was designed to secretly map Iran's computer networks and monitor the computers of Iranian officials, sending back a steady stream of intelligence used to enable an ongoing cyberwarfare campaign, according to the officials.
The effort, involving the National Security Agency, the CIA and Israel's military, has included the use of destructive software such as the so-called Stuxnet virus to cause malfunctions in Iran's nuclear enrichment equipment.
The emerging details about Flame provide new clues about what is believed to be the first sustained campaign of cyber-sabotage against an adversary of the United States.
"This is about preparing the battlefield for another type of covert action," said one former high-ranking U.S. intelligence official, who added that Flame and Stuxnet were elements of a broader assault that continues today. "Cyber collection against the Iranian program is way further down the road than this." The article goes on to say that Israeli blunders led to the discovery of Flame, without any corroborating details. It seems quite likely that (as Latma implied last week) a lot of these cyberwar leaks are meant to improve the image of the White House in an election year. (h/t Lenny) 
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| Gaza rocket misfires, kills 2-year old girl. Lying Arabic media blame Israel. (update) Posted: 19 Jun 2012 12:30 PM PDT From Ma'an: A Palestinian toddler was killed Tuesday evening in an explosion south of Gaza City, medics said.
Emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said in a statement that Hadil al-Haddad, 2, was killed and her brother was injured in the Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
A Hamas medical official told Reuters the cause of the child's death was not clear. Witnesses said she was killed when militants launched a rocket close by.
An Israeli military spokesman told Ma'an the army had not attacked that area. He said the army's initial investigation suggested al-Haddad's death was caused by a failed rocket launch by Palestinian militants. The terrorists are lying, as usual, saying that it was an Israeli bomb that killed the girl. Zionist war planes bombed a house just west of Al Farouk Mosque near al-Zaytoun neighborhood, which led to the death of Achhad Hadeel Ahmed Al-Haddad, 2, and wounding her brother, 3, was slightly wounded.
And according to the source, warplanes targeted rocket a house belonging to Said Haddad, which is located in a densely populated area. But notice that this means that the terrorists are shooting rockets from a densely populated area - using thousands of people as human shields, and endangering them as well. Hamas media quote emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya as saying that the girl was killed by an airstrike as well. This is notable because he has publicly lied before, and yet continues to be quoted by the mainstream media as if he has credibility. Fatah media also blames Israel, saying it was a "shelling" and no an airstrike. WAFA, the official PA news agency, blames Israel as well, quoting an "eyewitness" saying that she was killed form a missile from a warplane. Kudos to Ma'an English for actually doing real reporting. UPDATE: The BBC tweets that Hamas knows they are lying. (h/t CHA) UPDATE 2: Ma'an Arabic reports it incorrectly. 
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| 1967: "Jews would become fish food" Posted: 19 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT In an article in Al Wasat (Bahrain), an Egyptian talks about how he feels thatthe events happening in Egypt today are like a second "naksa" [setback] - comparable to Egypt's defeat by Israel in 1967. His language about how he remembers 1967 is interesting: Second major setback!
I lived through the first setback as an Egyptian teenager. At the time, in the hearts of all Arabs living in Egypt, we waited for the promised victory over the Zionist enemy. This victory did not come...
In the first naqsa, Arabs lost the battle in a humiliating manner, and lost large parts of their home countries, and the many setbacks were enormous in their thoughts, as the images in Egyptian media showed them that victory was just around the corner, and that the Jews will become food for fish! The devastating defeat was harsh for all of their dreams. 
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| North Carolina Democrats propose anti-Israel resolution Posted: 19 Jun 2012 10:30 AM PDT From The Daily Caller: The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is seriously considering passing a resolution that would criticize Israel for its "illegal occupation" of Palestine, the latest in a long line of controversial moves coming out of one of the major battleground states President Barack Obama's team is banking on to win re-election.
The resolution didn't pass at this weekend's NCDP state convention, but was tabled and referred to the executive committee for further consideration later. It attacks the United States for providing Israel with "$3 billion annually in military aid," while the "Israeli occupation, disenfranchisement and impoverishment of significant numbers of the Palestinian population, and Israel's overwhelming military might and its role as the only nuclear power threaten stability in a region witnessing increased demands for democracy and an end to autocratic rule."
In the resolution, which is titled "Bringing a Just Peace to the Middle East: Israel and Palestine," the authors accuse Israel of using "this aid to continue its illegal occupation, demolition of Palestinian homes, expansion of existing illegal settlements built on expropriated Palestinian land, and a continued blockade of essential goods from Gaza, a blockade causing a U.N.-documented humanitarian crisis."
The resolution also says that the United States' aid causes "violence and insecurity to Israelis, Palestinians, and helps subvert any prospect for peace." It also accuses Israel of "human rights violations" and "illegal occupation" that "violate international and U.S. law."
If it ends up being passed, the resolution would mean the NCDP "would hold its elected congress members and senators accountable for helping end our government's role in continuing the Israeli Palestinian tragedy by making the human rights of both peoples central to U.S. foreign policy by ending Israel's illegal occupation, by advocating for a viable Palestinian state, and membership of that state in the United Nations."
It would also, if passed, mean the NCDP would advocate its congressional delegation bring "all parties, including Hamas, to the table to negotiate an end to the Israeli Occupation and a secure peace based on the 1967 borders," among other things.
This resolution was the only one that didn't pass at Saturday's NCDP convention – but the party is still considering it, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. Here's the full text of he draft resolution: WHEREAS, U.S. provides Israel $3 billion annually in military aid;
WHEREAS, the Israeli occupation, disenfranchisement and impoverishment of significant numbers of the Palestinian population, and Israel's overwhelming military might and its role as the only nuclear power threaten stability in a region witnessing increased demands for democracy and an end to autocratic rule;
WHEREAS, Israel uses this aid to continue its illegal occupation, demolition of Palestinian homes, expansion of existing illegal settlements built on expropriated Palestinian land, and a continued blockade of essential goods from Gaza, a blockade causing a UN documented humanitarian crisis;
WHEREAS, U.S. military aid has caused increased violence and insecurity to Israelis, Palestinians, and helps subvert any prospect for peace;
WHEREAS, Israel's human rights violations and its illegal occupation and settlements violate International and U.S. law, including the U.S. Arms Export Control Act of 1976; and
WHEREAS, the escalating tension between Israel, the Palestinians, and the Arab world in the Middle East threatens the peace and stability of the region and the world;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the North Carolina Democratic Party hold its elected congress members and senators accountable for helping end our government's role in continuing the Israeli Palestinian tragedy by making the human rights of both peoples central to U.S. foreign policy by ending Israel's illegal occupation, by advocating for a viable Palestinian state, and membership of that state in the United Nations;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the North Carolina Democratic Party urge its Congressional delegation to support the following principles that will insure a just and secure peace for both peoples, including:
Bringing all parties, including Hamas, to the table to negotiate an end to the Israeli Occupation and a secure peace based on the 1967 borders;
An immediate end to settlement expansion and removal of existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem;An end to Palestinian house demolitions;
A halt to further construction of the wall;
An end to the Gaza blockade;
The establishment of a nuclear free zone in the Middle East;
Redirecting U.S. Military aid to Israel to promote social and economic development for peace in both Israel and Palestine;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the North Carolina Democratic Party press our NC Congressional delegation to demand the State Department implement Federal legislation that prohibits use of U.S. military aid to support human rights violations, breaches of international law and UN Security Council Resolutions. Notice that the entire draft resolution demands nothing from the Arab side. (h/t Evan Pokroy) 
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| Israel's peace plan of 1967 (Yaacov Lozowick) Posted: 19 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Yaacov Lozowick - writer, historian, former regular blogger and now the head of Israel's state archives - has a fascinating article about the political discussions in Knesset in the days after Israel's victory in the Six Day War with newly declassified information. Read the whole thing including the links, but here are large excerpts: At the end of the Six Day War Israel controlled wide tracts of territory, and someone had to decide what to do with them. Israel's Cabinet first discussed the question at length on June 18-19th, a week after the war. The minsters decided the Sinai and Golan would be returned to Egypt and Syria for peace. Jerusalem would not be re-divided. The deliberations about the West Bank were not concluded.
The immediate context: There were intense post-war diplomatic maneuvers going on at the United Nations. Abba Eban, Israel's Foreign Minister, needed orders. The deliberations in Jerusalem were not intended as a fundamental policy statement, but rather as a hurried set of directives to Eban. Many of the ministers feared that showing cards or appearing conciliatory would harm Israel's ability to negotiate. Although their deliberations were classified as Top Secret, any number of times they stopped short and refused to say how far they might be willing to go, for fear their positions might leak. (They seem mostly not to have, which is what makes the document so interesting).
The broader context: The ministers had spent the previous five weeks under intense pressure, frantic preparations for war, even more frantic attempts to stave it off by diplomatic means, and – crucial for understanding the present document – the collapse of the internationally sanctioned framework for Israeli-Egyptian co-existence put in place in 1956 when Israel had been forced hurriedly out of the Sinai. Then there had been the week of war itself. Rather than suffering destruction Israel had won an astonishing victory. Yet the ministers seem to have expected the great powers to re-apply the pressure of 1956. The BBC, as they repeatedly mentioned, had already begun to report about harsh Israeli measures in Jerusalem's Old City, and they expected growing international impatience. Most of them thought Israel's forces would be back behind the previous lines within two months.
Ideologically they were a diverse bunch: this was a National Unity government, with representatives from four socialist parties, two liberal ones, one orthodox party and a nationalist one. They were all Zionists. They were all men. (Golda Meir, their next leader, was not in the government). None were young: Moshe Dayan, at 52, and Yigal Allon at 49 were the only ones not born before WW1. Some had been adults before that war, and all were adults before WW2. All had lived their lives in a world where wars changed borders and moved populations. None had ever met an NGO – the very concept lay decades in the future – and they had no trust in the United Nations even as they recognized it as an important international forum.
Yet while their perspective was different than ours, the positions they staked were mostly cool-headed – the parts they agreed on, and the parts they didn't. They all hoped there would be no more wars. They intended the new conditions to be leveraged into a stable and just coexistence with the Arab world. They assumed the fate of the Arab refugees from 1948 was the irritant that was motivating the conflict and that it could now be resolved.
They implicitly accepted that land could not permanently be taken from sovereign nations by act of war. So they all accepted that the Egyptian Sinai and Syrian Golan would eventually be returned to their owners. Syrian-born Eliyahu Sasson, one of only two non-Ashkenazi ministers and the only one who explicitly grounded his position in a life-long acquaintance with Arab culture, insisted that since no Arab government would make peace with Israel, the Golan and Sinai should be returned for something less than full diplomatic peace. Stringent demilitarization and freedom of Israeli shipping should be enough. Most of his colleagues didn't want to be so pessimistic, but interestingly, Menachem Begin agreed. When in 1978 he agreed to evacuate Israeli forces from the entire Sinai, pundits the world over hailed his flexibility and willingness to change course. Well: read the transcript and you'll see that Begin actually got more in 1978 than he had expected in 1967. In 1967 he was willing to evacuate the Sinai for less than full diplomatic recognition and peace.
In the event, the resolution at the end of the meeting was that both areas would be held until peace was agreed. The West Bank and Gaza were another matter, however.
Sometime in the 1980s the general perception of the conflict changed. No longer seen as Arab rejection of a Jewish State, the conflict was understood as a conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, which the Arab world would maintain only until the two central protagonists reached an accommodation. Since the Israelis and Palestinians have not yet reached accommodation this proposition has never been tested, a fact which contributes to its explanatory power. 1967, however, was before the 1980s, and participants and observers the world over saw the conflict as an Arab-Jewish conflict, with the local Arabs playing a subordinate role; they were not generally referred to as Palestinians.
I know this is hard to believe, but it's true.
This dissonance of historical perspectives is essential to understanding the discussion about the future of the territories. Israel's entire Cabinet in 1967 agreed that Egypt and Jordan had no more claim to Gaza and the West Bank than Israel did, as all three had conquered them through war; since Israel was now in possession it had superior claim. There were serious disagreements, however, as to what that meant.
...Jerusalem: everyone in the room agreed Jerusalem must remain united in Israeli hands, even if this meant Hussein would refuse to reach an agreement which would take the Arab population off Israel's hands in return for some sort of peace. The lines of the city had not yet been drawn, and the official decision would be taken later that month, but those were (important) technicalities. Left to right, atheists to believers, no-one had any doubts. If there was any apprehension regarding Jerusalem, it was that the Christian world would refuse to countenance Jewish control of the city and would relaunch the demand for internationalizing the city. 
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| The victim of terror at the Egyptian border Posted: 19 Jun 2012 07:30 AM PDT From Ha'aretz:  The Defense Ministry contractor killed in a terrorist attack along Israel's southern border early Monday has been identified as Saeed Fashafshe, a 35-year-old Israeli Arab resident of Haifa.
Fashafshe, who was married and a father of four, worked for a company owned by his brother which was contracted by Defense Ministry for jobs along the Egyptian border.
An initial investigation revealed that three terrorists penetrated the fence along the border between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, placed an explosive device on Philadelphi Strip near Be'er Milka, and waited for Israeli vehicles to pass by.
Fashafshe's cousin, Amar, said that Fashafshe spoke to his brother, Maher, at about 6 A.M., and told him they were being shot at, when the phone call disconnected.
Amar, who also works for the company, described Fashafshe as "a great guy and father of four small children," adding that "he has already worked for the company for seven years. He lives in a kibbutz in the south and comes home to Haifa on the weekends."
Amar also said that, while the two were always aware of the dangers involved with their work, "we never talked about it." I'm not seeing any Arabic media getting too upset over the murder of a "1948 Palestinian" by their fellow Arabs. (h/t Zvi) 
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| Russia, China wargames with Iran and Syria? (updated) Posted: 19 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT From Iran's Fars News: The Iranian, Russian, Chinese and Syrian armies are due to stage joint amphibious exercises along the Syrian costs in coming weeks, informed sources revealed on Monday.
According to informed sources, 90,000 forces from the four countries will take part in the land and sea wargames due to be held in Syria.
Ground, air and sea forces as well as air defense and missile units of the four countries will take part in the exercises.
Sources also said that Egypt has acceded to grant passage to 12 Chinese warships to sail through the Suez Canal, adding that the military convoy is due to dock at the Syrian harbors in the next two weeks.
Russian atomic submarines and warships, aircraft carriers and mine-clearing destroyers as well as Iranian battleships and submarines will also arrive in Syria at around the same date.
Syria plans to test its coast-to-sea and air defense missiles in the wargames.
A sum of 400 warplanes and 1,000 tanks will also be used in the exercises.
A Syrian official, who asked to remain anonymous, had informed two weeks ago that the drills would be conducted in Syria soon.
Unofficial sources also said the four countries are now busy with taking swift preparatory measures for these biggest-ever wargames in the Middle-East. In a similar vein comes this story from The Telegraph: Russia confirmed that it was preparing to send an elite unit of marines to its naval base in Syria on Monday, sharply raising the stakes in its confrontation with the West over the future of the Assad regime.
The planned deployment was designed to send a powerful signal that Russia would not tolerate foreign military intervention in Syria, according to a Western defence source.
It was apparently ordered after the Kremlin came to conclusion that Western powers were preparing to circumvent the United Nations Security Council – where Russia holds a veto – by unilaterally authorising Nato military action in Syria. The source said that Russia had "completely misunderstood" Western intentions.
Classified US satellite images last week indicated that loading work had begun on two amphibious landing vessels, the Nikolai Filchenkov and the Caesar Kunikov, at the Crimean naval base of Sebastopol.
After initially remaining silent on the subject, a senior naval commander yesterday confirmed that both ships would shortly be heading to the Russian base at the Syrian port of Tartus, the Interfax news agency reported. And: The British marine insurer Standard Club said it had withdrawn cover from all the ships owned by Femco, a Russian cargo line, including the MV Alaed.
"We were made aware of the allegations that the Alaed was carrying munitions destined for Syria," the company said in a statement. "We have already informed the ship owner that their insurance cover ceased automatically in view of the nature of the voyage."
The MV Alaed picked up its cargo of Mi25 helicopters – known as "flying tanks" – from the Russian port of Kaliningrad, where they had been sent to the state-owned manufacturer Mil's "Factory 150" for servicing and repairs.
They were originally sold to the Syrian government by Moscow, its major arms supplier, at the end of the Soviet era. Suddenly, Syria's civil war is heading into the direction of a world war. (h/t Yoel) UPDATE: Syria denies the story. 
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| The Palestinian Department of Newspeak Posted: 19 Jun 2012 03:13 AM PDT From Palestinian Media Watch: The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Information has published a book instructing Palestinians which words to use and calling to replace "the Israeli and American dissemination of poisoned terms." The book, which is called Terminology in Media, Culture and Politics, includes a chart with the "poisoned terms" to be replaced by Palestinian terms.
This book and the chosen terms are significant as they officially and accurately reflect PA beliefs, policies and ideologies. As Palestinian Media Watch has documented for years, when speaking to its own people, the PA adamantly denies Israel's right to exist and glorifies the murder of Israelis and Jews, including civilians, as heroic "resistance" when speaking to own its people. This terminology guide issued by the PA reiterates the official PA positions that foreign governments and the international media often don't understand, deny, or ignore.
PA denies Israel's right to exist - reflected in terminology
The PA does not recognize Israel's right to exist. Accordingly, the introduction to the PA Ministry of Information's book stresses that correct Palestinian language must be chosen in order to avoid language that recognizes Israel's existence as "natural". Using the Israeli terminology:
"turns the essence of the Zionist endeavor (i.e., Israeli statehood) from a racist, colonialist endeavor into an endeavor of self-definition and independence for the Jewish People."
Palestinians are encouraged to use terms that indicate that Israel is the result of "a racist, colonialist endeavor," and the book instructs Palestinians never to use the name "Israel" alone but instead to use the term "Israeli colonialism." To use "Israel" by itself is damaging, according to the PA, because to do so "describes Israel as a natural state."
Killing Israeli civilians is not terrorism but "resistance"
A second fundamental of PA ideology is to refuse to accept that Palestinian attacks that kill Israelis, including suicide bombings against civilians, are terror. Therefore, the PA has chosen the following terms to replace all references to terror that Israel and the world use:
| Israeli term | Palestinian Arab term | | (Palestinian) Terror | Resistance | | (Palestinian) Terrorist | Resistance member | | Suicide (bombing) operations | Martyrdom-seeking operations | | Palestinian violence | Legitimate resistance | | Person who was killed | Martyr (Shahid) | | reciprocal violence | Resistance response |
The PA refuses to recognize Israel's fight against Palestinian terror as self-defense. Through its terminology, it attempts to delegitimize Israeli security structures and defense measures by replacing the following terms:
| Israeli term | Palestinian Arab term | | Israeli Minister of Defense | Israeli Minister of War | | IDF - Israeli Defense Forces | Israeli occupation forces | | Separation fence | Racist separation fence |
The PA refuses to refer to Israel's Arab citizens as 'Israeli Arabs' or 'Arab Israelis'. The Ministry of Information writes:
"The alternative term for 'Israeli Arabs' is 'the Palestinian people in the '48 territories."
The term "'48 territories" is another Palestinian Authority euphemism intended to deny recognition of Israel and is used to replace all references to land in Israel. The term "'48 territories" is actually a shortened term for the full expression used by the PA: "the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948."
Part of the denial of Israel's right to exist includes the PA's refusal to acknowledge thousands of years of Jewish history and culture in the Land of Israel. The book includes Palestinian expressions that should be used to replace Israeli terminology related to history and tradition:
| Israeli term | Palestinian Arab term | | Star of David | Six-pointed star | | Wailing (Western) Wall | Al-Buraq Wall | | Temple Mount | Noble Sanctuary of Jerusalem | | The Promised Land | The Land of Palestine | | Judea and Samaria (Biblical terms) | The occupied West Bank | The entire ebook is here; the PDF is not in a text format so I can't use online tools to translate it. If any Arabic speaker wants to translate all of the lists I would appreciate it. 
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