יום שני, 13 באוגוסט 2012

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder of Ziyon

Hamas leader Zahar mocks PalArab refugees?

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 07:53 PM PDT

According to the anti-Hamas Palestine Press Agency, Mahmoud Zahar was interviewed by Al Arabiya and made some disparaging statements about Palestinian Arabs who fled the area in 1948.

I couldn't find the interview in Al Arabiya.

According to the article, Zahar mocked the Palestinian Arabs who left Palestine to go to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon in 1948, saying that they were not as strong as the ones who stayed in Gaza and the territories.

He said, on the other hand, "The people of Gaza and the West Bank and Jerusalem held fast to the ground regardless of the department or authority which governed them."

If he really said that, he is quite ignorant of history because most Gazans and West Bank residents fled homes within what was to become Israel as well, they just happened to stop fleeing within the borders of British Mandate Palestine rather than outside them.

But it is possible that PalPress exaggerated the story a bit. It seems beyond stupid for a Hamas leader to alienate millions of self-identified "Palestinians."

We'll see if there is a denial in the next day or two.

Sunday evening open thread

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 03:47 PM PDT

In other words, no time to blog.

But I can create open threads from my phone.


Sunday links

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT

From Ian:
Abbas urges Egypt to destroy underground tunnels
"Abdel Raheem (Top aid to Abbas) said the tunnels had for some time been posing a threat to Egypt's national security and the unity of the Palestinians.
Dismissing claims that the tunnels were being used to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Abdel Raheem said they served only a small group of people – a reference to Hamas leaders.
"The tunnels have nothing to do with economic prosperity in the Gaza Strip," he stressed. "The Palestinian Authority allocates more than half its budget for the Gaza Strip."

CIFWatch: The death of Camp David? On the real world consequences of "Land for Peace"
"And have all these retreats – Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, and Gush Katif- brought Israel one moment of peace? The grandchild of the 1978 Camp David Accords, the Oslo process, brought only a dramatic escalation in violence and bloodshed.
Necessity being the mother of invention, Israel must take a cold, hard look at the failed promises, dashed hopes and lives lost as the direct result of the strange calculus known as 'land-for-peace'. Going forward, a new diplomatic paradigm, based on mutual respect, trade, tourism, investment and collaborative efforts in the fields of technology and medicine should be developed. In other words, scrap land-for-peace and replace it with peace-for-peace.
Until then, Israel and its neighbors are destined to wallow in a state of low-level bellicosity, with occasional flare ups as we've seen over the last several days in the Sinai Peninsula."

Open Zion: Denigrating Jewish Refugees by Lyn Julius
"The pro-Nazi Palestinian leader, Haj Amin al-Husseini, instigated the Farhud pogrom against the Jews of Iraq in 1941. He sought Nazi license to exterminate Jews in Arab countries as well as Palestine " in the same way as the problem was resolved in the Axis Countries." Before the mass Palestinian exodus, the Arab League hatched a postwar, coordinated Nuremberg-style plan to persecute their Jewish citizens as enemy aliens."
"By what right can Lara Friedman denigrate the rights of half the Jewish population of Israel, who descend from refugees of Arab and Muslim lands? What is truly degrading is her denial of Jewish refugee rights and belittling of Jewish suffering. Justice for Jewish refugees is an unresolved human rights issue with no statute of limitations. Its pursuit is more, not less, likely to achieve reconciliation between the two peoples."

There are 200 to 300 Merah in France, the secret services do not have the means to monitor all 24h/24" (French)
"The Interior Ministry on Thursday declassified documents classified defense secrets of the Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DCRI) on Mohamed Merah. The terrorist was not only known services since 2009, but it was also a "prime target" of the DCRI for its proximity to Toulouse radical Islamists. The French intelligence could they avoid the drama?"

White House says it has 'eyes' inside Iranian nuclear program
"The United States said Friday it had "eyes" and "visibility" inside Iran's nuclear program and would know if Tehran had made a "breakout" move toward acquiring a nuclear weapon.
The comment by White House spokesman Jay Carney followed Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak's remark that new U.S. intelligence suggested that the threat from Iran was becoming more "urgent."

Peter Kent condemns anti-israel rally at Queen's Park (Canada)

US and Turkey to take 'in-depth' look at creating Syrian no-fly zone

Jewish graves desecrated in Germany
Two teenagers arrested for disturbing the dead and causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to cemetery in Treuchtlingen

Ankie Spitzer to lead worldwide minute of silence Sunday for Munich 11
Widow of Israeli coach who was killed at the 1972 Games will join the JCC Maccabi Games opening ceremonies

RT: Unwanted: Jews in Egypt feel threatened in post-revolution Cairo
"The Arab Spring and rise to power of the Muslim Brotherhood have soured its relations with Israel. It's also deeply affecting Jews in Egypt who until recently, considered it their home."

Can Syria's Christians Survive?
In the land of St. Paul's conversion, ancient Catholic and Orthodox communities are finding themselves on the wrong side of an increasingly sectarian conflict.
"A century ago, the Levant supported a population that was perhaps 20% Christian. Now it is closer to 5%. Syria today hosts vibrant, if dwindling, communities of various ancient sects: Syrian Orthodox, Syrian Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics and Armenian Orthodox."

Freed Ethiopian Christians Claim Saudi Government 'Hates' Non-Muslims
"A group of 35 Ethiopian Christians arrested in Saudi Arabia last year for holding a midnight vigil at a private home were deported earlier this week, and some of them claim they were apprehended simply because Saudi officials "hate" non-Muslims."

Lebanese star reported for smoking in Ramadan
"Her driver, an Algerian who was fasting, asked her to put out the cigarette, but she refused and kept on smoking, local Arabic daily Al Chorouk reported.
Angered by her reaction, the Algerian drove the car to a police station in the city of Chelghoum Laïd and reported her to the police for failing to show due respect to Muslims."

Fatwa By Senior Al-Qaeda Sheikh Sanctions Killing 'Alawites In Syria
Also, "Forest Fire Jihad" (IMRA)

Israeli tourism booming (AP)

Arabs upset over Ha'aretz cartoon



(h/t Yoel)

Syria sees US/Qatar/Saudi/Israel/Turkey conspiracy

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 11:30 AM PDT

From Reuters:
Syria has accused Israel, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar of running military operation centers in Turkey to support the rebels by overseeing battles in Syria's 17-month conflict.

In a letter to the U.N. Security Council released on Friday, Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Jaafari also again blamed Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia of "harboring, funding and arming the armed terrorist groups."

"Turkey has established within its territory military operations centers that are run by the intelligence services of Israel, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar," Jaafari wrote in the letter dated Aug. 2.
See? It seems that Israel isn't as isolated in the Middle East as everyone says!

Two Egyptian wrestlers show up 4 hours late for their matches

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 09:30 AM PDT

From Al Ahram:
A pair of Egyptian wrestlers, Abdou Omar Abdou Ahmed and Saleh Emara, lost their first round matches in the 66-kilogram and 96-kilogram men's freestyle categories by forfeit after failing to show up for their matches on time.

Ahmed was scheduled to wrestle Devid Safaryan of Armenia, while Emara was slated to face George Gogshelidze of Georgia, both matches at 8:30am.

However, the two players showed up four hours late believing that the match would start at 1pm based the schedule of the previous seven days of Olympic wrestling.

All matches on the final day of the Olympics were pushed up to make room for the closing ceremony.

No immediate official word was available on whether the pair simply failed to turn up on time or were not informed by management about changes in schedule.
Oops!

Gaza exports vegetables to Saudi Arabia through Israel

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT

Today, the Kerem Shalom crossing is open and some 270 trucks of goods are entering Gaza.

More interesting, perhaps, is the truck leaving Gaza.

That truck is filled with vegetables that are meant to be sent to Saudi Arabia, according to Arabic media.

We have seen produce from Gaza sent to the West Bank and Jordan, but this is the first time I have seen goods going to the Gulf.

Meanwhile, Israel is working with the Dutch government and Gaza farmers to increase Gaza exports to Europe in the coming years.

It doesn't fit the narrative of Israel trying to destroy Gaza and starve its citizens, does it?

Former MB leader: "We are able to face the Jews in any war"

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 05:30 AM PDT

Mohammed Mahdi Akef, former head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, said in a TV interview that the group has the ability to prepare fighters "to confront the Jews in any war."

He cited a couple of incidents in 1948 where the Brotherhood was involved in fighting as proof.

In the same interview, Akef said "to hell with those who do not accept Islamic rule in Egypt." He went on to say that under Islamic law, Copts and other non-Muslims would be treated fairly according to Islamic law. He said Islamic rule is the one favored by people of all denominations, and no legal system guarantees fairness in rights as Islam does.

How much longer before the jizya tax on non-Muslims kicks in?

Sinai multinational force (MFO) attacked (updated - they deny it)

Posted: 12 Aug 2012 03:23 AM PDT

From Deutsche Welle:
Peacekeepers stationed in the Sinai Peninsula under the 1979 Egypt-Israeli peace accord have come under attack. Sinai has become increasingly militarized as Cairo seeks to root out suspected Islamist militants there.

Unidentified gunmen ambushed a camp of international peacekeepers in Sinai on Sunday, while security checkpoints near Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip also came under attack.

Security sources told the Reuters and AFP news agencies that the attack on the peacekeeper camp occurred in the central region of Sinai. No casualties have been reported.

"The attack happened in Um Shyhan area in the middle of Sinai but no one got injured," one anonymous source told Reuters.

The peacekeepers are part of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) mission, an independent organization that is tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Egypt-Israeli peace treaty.
I talked about the MFO being essentially invisible last week during the Sinai attacks on Egypt and Israel. They belatedly updated their website on Wednesday to say that they were safe and taking security precautions.

Debka says that American soldiers with the MFO returned fire.

The NYT mentioned the MFO yesterday before this incident:
Compounding American concerns, the officials added, is the presence of an international peacekeeping force in Sinai that includes about 700 American soldiers and is now led by David M. Satterfield, a retired ambassador. The force, which oversees compliance of the treaty, is not authorized to fight extremists and is not part of the discussions on expanded assistance, but its troops and civilians have encountered the lawlessness in the region, including the threat of kidnappings.

"We have Americans in the Sinai," Mrs. Clinton told CNN last month after her visit to Cairo. "We've had a few concerns about their safety. So this is not only about Egypt and Israel, it's also about the United States and other members of that multinational force. So it's in everyone's interest that we work together to make sure that security is in place in Sinai."
UPDATE: The MFO denies the story.
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