יום שלישי, 3 ביולי 2012

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder of Ziyon

Hezbollah says Israel remotely detonated telecom spy devices

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 06:44 PM PDT

From The Daily Star:
Three devices exploded in Zrarieh south Lebanon Monday that the Army said were spying apparatuses detonated wirelessly by Israel. One of the devices appeared to be a solar powered battery, and the other two communications devices, security sources said.

The explosions occurred in the village of Zrarieh, three kilometers north of the Litani River, and outside the operations area of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon.

UNIFIL officials did not make any comment on the matter, since it was outside their jurisdiction.

Hezbollah issued a statement claiming the devices were wiretapping instruments that had tapped into the party's communications network.

"As part of its continuing counter-espionage efforts against Israel, the Islamic Resistance managed to locate an Israeli eavesdropping device on the resistance's wired communication network in Zrarieh. As a result, the enemy detonated the device from a distance," the statement said.

The Lebanese Army is conducting an investigation into the explosions, according to a statement issued by the Army command.

Military intelligence personnel were at the scene of the blasts, which it said took place at 5:15 p.m.
Hezbollah's  Al Manar has photos, although it is hard to figure out what exactly they are. Presumably this is one of the devices before the explosion...



And afterwards:


Al Manar also says that "the storage device is linked to the transmission equipment via a 80-meter cable directed towards the bordering Zionist military posts." I'm not sure if they are claiming that the 80-meter cable was a huge antenna, because the area the devices were found is many kilometers from Israel.

El-Al has the most attractive flight attendants?

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 02:35 PM PDT

According to eChinaCities:
The World Air Stewardess Association has announced the "2012 World's 10 Most Beautiful Air Hostess Airline Company" list, with Israeli airline, El Al Airlines, grabbing first prize.
This sounds a little fishy - who still uses the word "stewardesses?" - but it is a chance for some gratuitous photos, which I haven't done for a while.



This ad is from 1969, with Zehava Shilon modeling a new uniform .




Text:
Fasten your seatbelts… unfasten your seatbelts… magazine? care for a pillow? check your coat? are you comfortable enough? El Al means 'to the skies,' sir… just push the button… just pull the knob… yes, sir… no, sir… coffee, tea, or milk? piece of gum? piece of fruit? yes, ma'am… yes, sir… NO, SIR! coffee, tea, or milk? I'll do that… I'm not allowed… I'm 28, sir… we're not allowed. Sir, the wings always do that… no, ma'am… yes, ma'am… feel better? just push the button… just pull the knob… another pillow? isn't that nice? here's your dinner… no, sir… PLEASE, SIR! more coffee? fasten your seatbelts…. Shalom… Shalom… Shalom. I feel like I've walked all the way from Tel Aviv. I did!

And, finally, I found an ad for El-Al - pantyhose: (click to enlarge)


Unlike El-Al cigarettes, I don't think these were meant to have anything to do with the airline.

Palestinian clowns upset at Cirque du Soleil performing in Israel

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 01:15 PM PDT

Cirque du Soleil is scheduled to perform in Israel, for the first time, from August 8-18.



So naturally there is a protest - from a Palestinian Arab circus school:
The Palestinian Circus School sent a letter to the General Management of Cirque du Soleil calling on it not perform in Israel, according to statement issued Monday. Cirque du Soleil is scheduled to perform in August.

"We do not take lightly calling for Cirque du Soleil, or any circus for that matter, to not perform in Israel, especially since we ourselves are totally committed to the art of circus and are committed to bringing the circus everywhere we can," said the letter.

"However, for circus to be faithful to its art form, we are also unrelentingly committed to human rights. Thus, we write to request that Cirque du Soleil reconsider its planned performance in Israel, a military occupying power and violator of international law and human rights, and join other artists from around the world who have called on you to support human rights and the right of all people to be free from military occupation," said the letter.

"Your visit to Israel will be fully facilitated by the Israeli authorities, at the time when our movement as students and artists of the Palestinian Circus School is permanently crippled by military law that denies us entry to Jerusalem, Jaffa, Akka, Haifa or Nazareth, not to mention the completely closed Gaza Strip," added the letter.
If they want a two-state solution, then why do they object to Israel treating them like a separate state by restricting how they can perform in Israel?

Ah, but the premise of the question is wrong.

This was published by the official PA WAFA news agency, meaning that the PA really does support boycotting Israel - against signed agreements - even though they are careful not to say it too loud.

Sudan blames "Zionists" for their own Arab Spring protests

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 11:45 AM PDT

From Reuters:
Sudan accused unnamed "Zionist institutions" on Sunday of fanning anti-government protests as it tries to snuff out disturbances which echo Arab Spring unrest elsewhere.

For two weeks, anti-austerity protesters have been calling for the resignation of the government of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, one of Africa's longest serving leaders.

"Zionist institutions inside the United States and elsewhere... are exploiting the latest economic decisions to destabilize the security and political situation," the state-linked Sudanese Media Centre quoted presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie as saying.

Nafie said the government had evidence of collusion between rebel groups in Darfur, politicians in arch-foe South Sudan and Zionist institutions in the United States to sabotage Sudan. He did not present the evidence.

Police used teargas to put down protests in Khartoum on Friday.

The Sudanese Commission for Defence of Freedoms and Rights estimated on Sunday that 1,000 people had been arrested since the protests began.

Demonstrators have chanted the widespread Arab Spring refrain: "The people want the downfall of the regime".
I wonder if there is an inverse square law for accusations of "Zionism" as they go further away from Israel. When they are hurled by Israel's neighbors, they seem to be taken much more seriously by the people than when they are used by leaders of Muslim countries further away.

(I include Iran in this; I don't think the Iranians are nearly as gullible to the constant cries of "Zionism" as their government thinks.)

Links: Ancient synagogue unearthed, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT

From Ian:

Ancient synagogue and mosaic unearthed in Galilee
Huqoq discovery dates back 1,500 years; artwork depicts biblical story of Samson

PMW PA Israel spreads drugs to destroy Palestinian society
"One day after Iranian Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi was condemned internationally for saying that Jews and their Talmud are responsible for international drug trafficking, no less than five articles in the official PA daily cited different Palestinian Authority officials accusing Israel of having a policy to disseminate drugs among Palestinian youth."

MERIA Journal Volume 16 No2 June 2012
IS THE ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN PEACE PROCESS DEAD? By Barry Rubin
Western governments, experts, and journalists have long assumed that an Israel-Palestinian or comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace agreement ending the conflict was near at hand and easily achieved. In fact, the truth is the exact opposite. Indeed, there has not been any real "peace process" or real chance for a diplomatic solution since the Palestinian leadership rejected a deal in 2000. This article examines the factors that, on one hand, make the "peace process" deceased and, on the other hand, inhibit recognition of the fact that a formal Israel-Palestinian peace that ends the conflict is unlikely for many years to come.
FACTS ON THE GROUND: THE GROWING POWER OF HAMAS'S GAZA LEADERSHIP By Jonathan Spyer
This article will observe the process whereby Hamas has consolidated and maintained its rule in Gaza. It will argue that the gradual strengthening of the Gaza leadership within Hamas preceded the upheavals of 2011. The fallout from the events in Egypt and Syria, however, served to accelerate and accentuate the process whereby the Gaza leadership made gains at the expense of the external leadership.
AN ISRAELI "PLAN B" FOR A NUCLEAR IRAN By Ofer Israeli
Assuming that Iran does indeed obtain nuclear weapons and Israel doesn't launch an attack on its facilities, what is Israel's "plan B" to deal with the new situation? This article analyzes the issue.

Al Guardian's sloppy, biased coverage of Yitzhak Shamir's death
Guardian obit on Yitzhak Shamir reduces sum of former PM's moral life to Palestinian litmus test
The Guardian changing history.
However, the Guardian is not alone. Interestingly, the Daily Telegraph - in an obituary published just over an hour before the original Guardian one – made exactly the same mistake:
"Born in Poland on October 15, 1915, Shamir emigrated to British-ruled Palestine in 1935 after his family perished in the Nazi Holocaust".

Getting ready for Red Hot Tel Aviv VIDEO
Red Hot Chili Peppers play up their 'excitement and thrill' to be coming to Israel, birthplace of their original guitarist


Al Qaeda 'plot to blow up passenger jet' in run up to Olympics uncovered by security forces
"Al Qaeda intended to use a radicalised Norwegian Islamic convert to attack U.S. planes in the build-up to the London Games - which start in 26 days on July 27 - it is understood."

Abbas digging the PA's grave

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT

Mahmoud Abbas was interviewed by Voice of Palestine on its 18th anniversary, and the old dictator showed how tone-deaf he is to what's going on outside his own window.

He spoke about freedom of the press, and said that there is an obligation to tell the "truth" but that this obligation does not extend to "insults." Freedom of the press is not absolute, he said, adding that the news media should concentrate on "important" matters.

Given that this comes on the heels of Abbas' attempt to censor any media that is critical of his regime, it appears that Abbas is really out of touch with how his people think.

Even worse, this comes only a day after his own police violently suppressed a peaceful protest against his policies, indicating exactly where he feels that freedom of expression ends.

Fatah's popularity has been falling lately, and Abbas is showing exactly why. There have been protests before but this new wave seems that it might really be the Palestinian version of the Arab Spring. Abbas' new statements will only stoke the fire.

And another dictator that the US put its weight behind will be replaced by something even worse.

"Unity" news: Hamas calls off election registration

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 07:30 AM PDT

From Ma'an:
A day before electoral registration was due to start in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas government announced on Monday it was calling off the process due to repression of its members in the West Bank.

The movement also cited the failure to begin registration for elections to the Palestine Liberation Organization parliament as a second reason for suspending registration in Gaza.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the situation in the West Bank contradicts what was agreed in order to proceed with the reconciliation process between his party and Fatah, which governs the West Bank.

Regional director of the Central Elections Commission Jameel Al Khalidi confirmed that they have suspended Gaza operations after receiving an official letter from Hamas.

The commission was set to open registration centers across Gaza between July 3 and 14, the first such initiative to update the registers since the last local elections were held in January 2005.

Electoral registration was slated as the first step to implementing the long-stalled reconciliation deal between the factions signed in May 2011.

Hamas' notice it is suspending voter registration once again dashes hopes the parties will fulfill their commitment to new elections in order to unite Gaza and the West Bank.
Anyone surprised? Anyone at all?

PA facing "worst financial crisis yet" - Arabs ignore it while Israel tries to help!

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 05:50 AM PDT

From AFP:
The Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank is facing its "worst financial crisis" since its 1994 establishment, the Palestinian labor minister told AFP on Sunday.

Ahmed Majdalani warned that a shortfall in the delivery of aid from Arab donor nations means the PA will be unable to pay employees their July salaries or pay off debts it owes to private businesses across the West Bank.

"It is the worst financial crisis experienced by the Palestinian Authority since its founding," he told AFP.

"What is available to the Palestinian Authority at the moment in terms of funds is not enough to pay government employee salaries this month, with Ramadan approaching," he said.

"It is not sufficient to pay the bills that the Palestinian Authority owes to private companies."

The Palestinian Authority has frequently warned it faces a massive financial shortfall that threatens its ability to pay thousands of government employees on time, or even at all.

A delay in salary payments would be particularly sensitive this month, as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins in mid-July. Muslims often break their daily fast at large communal meals, stocking up ahead of time on plenty of food.

Last July, Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad said the government would pay workers half-salaries because it faced a shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars.

He attended a special meeting of the Arab League to urge Arab donor nations to make good on aid pledges.
Arab nations have been reneging on promised aid to the Palestinian Arabs for years.

What is fascinating is that while their Arab "brethren" have treated the Palestinians like dirt, Israel went to the International Monetary Fund in order to take out a billion dollar loan on the PA's behalf - and to guarantee it for them!
Israel sought a $1 billion IMF bridging loan for the Palestinian Authority earlier this year, but was turned down, an Israeli newspaper said Monday in a report confirmed to AFP by a senior Israeli official.

Haaretz reported that Israel's central bank chief Stanley Fischer approached the International Monetary Fund for the money after discussing the Palestinian Authority's financial crisis with Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad.

Sometime after the IMF's annual conference in mid-April, Fischer asked the body for the loan, which Israel would have taken on the Palestinians' behalf.

Israel would then have transferred the money to the Palestinian Authority (PA) headed by president Mahmud Abbas, which would have repaid the money to the Israeli government.

Israel would have remained responsible for repaying the loan to the IMF, under the deal, but the institution eventually declined to make the loan available.

Haaretz said it turned the proposal down because it feared setting a precedent of making IMF money available to non-state entities, like the Palestinian Authority, which as a non-state cannot directly request or receive IMF funding.

A senior Israeli official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity confirmed that the details contained in the Haaretz report were accurate.
Israel is willing to go into debt to help the Palestinian Arab leaders while their fellow Arabs promise lots and deliver little.

One aspect of this story that no one talks about, of course, is who exactly is getting paid a salary by the PA.

Some $5 million a month is spent on the terrorists in Israeli prison themselves. Arab car thieves don't get this stipend - only terrorists.

And in 2005, it was estimated that some 10% of the PA budget went towards terrorists and their families.

Moreover, over 60% of the PA budget goes towards Gaza, much of it in salaries for PA workers who aren't working in a vain hope that maybe the PA will one day return to power there. Some 80,000 people in Gaza are being paid to stay home, and the PA has spent over $7 billion on Gaza since Hamas took over.

So the financial crisis can be solved fairly easily, if the PA only paid people who really work and forced Hamas to spend its own money governing Gaza rather than indirectly funding Hamas purchase of weapons.


Muslims desecrating the Foundation Stone in broad daylight

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 02:49 AM PDT

In the Israel HaYom article I quoted yesterday about the mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) that had been discovered under the Al Aqsa Mosque in 1927 and hushed up, there was this paragraph:
This week, a rare photograph was taken on the Temple Mount. Taken inside the Dome of the Rock, it shows construction materials and rebar placed on the Foundation Stone, the place where the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant are believed to have been. While there does not appear to be any archaeological damage, this state of affairs is an expression of the weakness of the Antiquities Authority in the place that is the most important to the Jewish people. This weakness takes the form of the authority's complete dependence on the police and also of the contempt that the Muslims show toward Jewish archaeological remnants on the Temple Mount.
This is what the Foundation Stone normally looks like:






Here are the photographs of this desecration, from Makor Rishon last Friday:



The article mentions that traditionally the Muslims treated the Stone with much respect, only washing it once a year and then burying the dirt. Now that has changed; in order to beautify the Dome they are willing to use the Foundation Stone as a mere support for the scaffolding. 

The article chronicles the authors going from one Israeli authority to the next asking about whether this work is being supervised or even is known about, and the answer is uniformly - no. Obviously the rabbinic leaders had not been informed that the Stone was being used as a support in order to beautify the dome - why should Muslims show even a pretense of respect the most holy Jewish site in the world? Neither had the police, or the Israel Antiquities Authority, even as everyone assured the reporters that everything is fine and being taken care of.

Moreover, every move to beautify the golden dome is generally political, in order to increase its allure to Muslims who all but ignored it even during Jordanian rule. Since 1967, of course, it has become a symbol and its picture is all over the Arab and Islamist media.

(h/t Danny)

UPDATE: Another picture from the Aqsa Heritage Foundation site:
פורסם על ידי zoom ב- 0:04

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