Elder of Ziyon Daily News

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• Tin Foil Head Open Thread
• Wednesday links. Yes, it's that time again.
• Egyptian McCarthyism: Book lists Egyptian "friends of Israel"
• "Fighting the Jews is a religious duty incumbent upon all"
• Qatar cooperating with Israel on Gaza construction?
• Brotherhood accused of inciting attacks on women in Tahrir Square
• Gazans buying the iPhone 5 (photos)
• Must read: What Obama doesn't get

Tin Foil Head Open Thread Posted: 17 Oct 2012 08:00 PM PDT New York subways are interesting places. Many trains have an amusing piece of art by Sophie Blackall that shows some of the characters you might get to see when you ride the subway (click to enlarge): But reality is often weirder than art. Here's someone I saw this week, sleeping: Yes, that is tin foil in his hair. I suppose it could be that he was in the middle of curling it, but that doesn't explain his tin-foil necklace. I wonder who he will vote for... That being said, here's an open thread!

Wednesday links. Yes, it's that time again. Posted: 17 Oct 2012 02:30 PM PDT From Ian: UK funding for anti-Israel NGOs When the British taxpayer-funded Hebron Rehabilitation Committee issued a statement in August describing a terror attack by Islamic Jihad as a "heroic operation", it should have been met with a very swift and severe response from the British Government, and a review of the Foreign Office's funding practices. "[T]he government recklessly allocates taxpayer funds to groups which hope to build a Palestinian state not alongside Israel but in place of it, which ignore the relentless campaign of terror against Israeli civilians that demonises Israel through absurd accusations of "apartheid" and "ethnic cleansing". By doing so, the government is merely eroding its very own vision of a two-state solution and fostering an atmosphere of mutual distrust and animosity at a time when understanding and co-operation are most needed." Arab Women in the Middle East by Khaled Abu Toameh "In Israel, however, Muslim women are not only allowed to drive and run for elections, but can also reach high positions. Not all Arab Israelis are an "enemy from within;" Muslim women in the Jewish state enjoy more rights and opportunities than their colleagues in Arab and Islamic countries. While female Muslims are being abducted, raped, shot, tortured and forced into unwanted marriages in a number of Arab and Islamic countries, 33-year-old Maria Gharra has just become Israel's first Muslim woman to serve as a police officer." Wake up, Europe As Europe approaches the iceberg, there is a need to change course, before it commits ideological suicide. "Today the threat of Islamist violence is felt in the houses of parliament and government. Europe has changed, and in as little as five years it could look very different. Yet, most Europeans seem unable to recognize the severity of this phenomenon objectively." Christian Initiative Echoes Anti-Semitism of the Middle Ages "The recent initiative by a group of Protestant Christian leaders calling on Congress to reevaluate military aid to Israel is a nauseating example of applying double standards against Jews and Israel under the cloak of piety and hypocritical sanctimoniousness." Incensed Jewish groups weigh response to Protestant letter on Israel Major US organizations consider canceling meeting with Christian counterparts over letter to Congress calling for possible aid cut What to do when an enemy drone comes calling UAVs may be an easy way for a country to collect information, but they are also an easy way for targets to mislead their enemies "Drones may be even more susceptible to hack attacks than computers. "Drones need to be light; equipment to protect the drone's navigation, photography, detection and other systems add weight, slowing them down," Rod added. It's certainly possible, claimed Rod, who is a top administrator for Avnet, one of Israel's largest security firms. "Designers of drones often make compromises in order to keep the weight down, choosing to install a protection system for some modules, but not others." Netanyahu may seek to legalize West Bank outposts "The report also concludes that the establishment of settlements in the West Bank does not breach international law, and that Jews can legally make their homes there, because "Israel does not meet the criteria of 'military occupation' as defined under international law." "A belligerent occupation is between two sovereigns," panel member Alan Baker, a former Israeli Ambassador to Canada and a legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry, told The Times of Israel in a phone interview. "We could not accept the definition that this is a classic occupation. That is the novelty of this report." In East Jerusalem Neighborhood Residents Under Attack Feel Abandoned "In general, residents report an uptick in terrorist activity in the Jerusalem vicinity, and the residents of Nof Tzion have noted it as well. In their case most of the attacks emanate from a new high school in Jabel Mukaber, which is situated right above Nof Tzion. Students throw stones and objects at Jewish homes and cars. A smashed car is found every few days." PA confiscates archive of Hamas's armed wing Intelligence agency storms West Bank apartment, taking documents and hardware September Sees Record Number of Tourists in Israel "The bureau recorded 70,000 one-day visits, a 28-percent increase from last year, of which 33,000 were cruise-ship vacationers visiting for the day. Ben-Gurion International Airport noted a 6 percent increase in travelers in September as well, with 1,225,837 travelers passing through the airport last month. The Israeli Airports Authority said there had been a 1.7 percent increase in departures and arrivals compared with September 2011." Israeli tablets to purify water for Syrians Israeli government blesses a deal for Israel Chemicals to sell AquaTabs to UNICEF for Syria despite a law nixing trade with an enemy state. Also: Telling it like it is - in Arabic A stupendous interview with an Israeli Arab woman Boshra's appearances on campus made waves, and, among her many radio appearances, she was interviewed by an Islamic, Arabic-language radio station in Johannesburg. The interviewer, a religious Saudi man, asked her questions which revealed a disheartening level of ignorance about Israel... "He asked why Israel doesn't let Muslims pray or go to Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem; why only Jews are allowed to pray [in the State of Israel]. I told them that in my own small village in the Galilee there are not only one but two mosques and two imams who both get a monthly salary from the state. The interviewer was in shock. I added that I could go pray at Al Aqsa mosque at will, freely. ... "I said to him: 'In Saudi Arabia, can a woman drive a car?' He said no. I said: 'I can.' And he was silent. I asked: 'Can a woman in Kuwait or Saudi Arabia meet a man and get to know him before getting married or is she just forced into marriage at a young age?' He said no, she can't. I said: 'I can.' And I would answer his questions with my own questions…and each time he would be stunned silent." Amazing video, allegedly of a Syrian helicopter shot down that explodes in mid-air. Obama and the "T" word Russia Resets Obama's "Reset" [Yeah, I know I'm doing more presidential election stuff. The elections are only a month away, the polls are close and I am scared of a second Obama term. I have an outlet and, within reason, I will use it. I wish I knew that Romney would be better, but I cannot imagine how he can be worse on foreign policy, and the world literally depends on it. -EoZ] A Jewish lawyer was a target for an Islamist terror cell in Paris (French) Yesterday, Akiva Eldar in Ha'aretz claimed that an Israeli government report officially said that Jews were a minority in British Mandate Palestine, and therefore Israel was an "apartheid" state. Arabic media went wild. CAMERA's Hebrew Presspectiva demolishes Eldar and proves what a pathetic hack he is.

Egyptian McCarthyism: Book lists Egyptian "friends of Israel" Posted: 17 Oct 2012 12:30 PM PDT A new book called "Friends of Israel in Egypt" was recently released in Egypt. The book goes through every person who seemed to encourage or accept Israel as a friend of Egypt's since the Camp David peace treaty. It lists ministers who encouraged normal relations and diplomats who had warm words for their Israeli counterparts. Egyptians who cooperated with Israel and the EU in monitoring those entering and exiting Gaza are also listed, as are some Egyptians who married Israeli Arabs. Most sensationally, the book lists many celebrities who visited Israel or who said nice things about Israel since the peace agreement, and what they said. Arabic media in Egypt, Lebanon and elsewhere are writing about this book. The aim is apparently threefold: To embarrass and shame any Egyptians who dared accept the peace agreement with Israel, to blacklist them in the future, and to ensure that no Egyptian even thinks about being friendly to the Jewish state for fear of a second edition of the book.

"Fighting the Jews is a religious duty incumbent upon all" Posted: 17 Oct 2012 10:50 AM PDT From MEMRI: Following are excerpts from a TV show featuring Egyptian Salafist Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, brother of Al-Qaeda leader, which aired on CBC TV on October 4, 2012. Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: I do not belong to Al-Qaeda or any other organization, but ideologically speaking, I am in agreement with all these organizations. Our common denominator is the Islamic shari'a. TV host: Are you in agreement with the ideology of Al-Qaeda? Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: With its ideology, but I'm not involved in its activity. The people in Al-Qaeda follow Sunni ideology. TV host: But this ideology is manifest in the activity which you say you disagree... Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: I didn't say that I disagree with it. I don't agree or disagree. I am saying that I am not a member of any organization so don't ask me about things I did not do. [...] Just as Allah commands us to pray, to go on the Hajj pilgrimage, and to adhere to monotheism, he commands us to wage Jihad and to implement the shari'a. We want to fully implement the shari'a, within legitimate constraints. We will not implement something if the time is not right, if it is bound to lead to undesirable or harmful results. We want to implement our religion as revealed in the shari'a. [...] Fighting Israel, fighting the Jews is a religious duty incumbent upon all. The Egyptian government should have been fighting the Jewish enemy. Perhaps due to circumstances – its weakness, its interests – the Egyptian government ignored a religious duty incumbent upon it. Not just the Egyptian government – the Jordanian one as well. This is a religious duty incumbent upon all Muslims. [...] TV host: I still don't understand how you view the concept of state: You reject democracy, you reject the judiciary because of man-made law... Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: You don't have to go into all those details – I reject anything that runs counter to Islam. Do you agree with that? Likewise, I agree to anything acceptable by Islamic law. TV host: Do you believe that the elections... Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: Elections are illegitimate. TV host: Elections run counter to the shari'a? Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: There is evidence for that in the shari'a. TV host: So you believe that the elections that were held... Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: Allah and the Prophet Muhammad said so. I am willing to sit down and discuss this with anyone who can prove otherwise. TV host: So you believe that the elections violated the shari'a, and that our man-made law violates the shari'a... Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: Absolutely, and I think that all Muslims should believe this. TV host: Democracy also violates the shari'a? Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: Anyone who says otherwise is welcome to provide evidence. If such evidence exists, I will take it back. TV host: So you do not recognize the results of the elections? Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: Absolutely not. TV host: You do not recognize the president... Muhammad Al-Zawahiri: I did not recognize the previous president, and I do not recognize this one. I recognize the rule of Islamic religious law. On a related note, MEMRI also has a TV interview with Arab women who are concerned over the Islamicization of the Arab popular revolutions, and Muhammad Zawahiri's name came up.  Excerpt: TV host: Slogans like "Jihad, oh Obama, Tahrir Square belongs to Osama" have been heard recently in Cairo. Are you worried about this? Egyptian teacher of Medicine Dr. Nadia Madani: Of course. The Egyptian revolution, whose goals were freedom, social justice, and a better life for the people, should not be turned into a religious or sectarian conflict for whatever reason. Merely hearing such slogans makes you worry that we are heading towards an Afghanistan-like scenario, common in places suffering from religious conflicts, extremism, and restrictions on the lifestyle of the people. [...] TV host: When you heard that Muhammad Al-Zawahiri, brother of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, went down to Tahrir Square, what was the first thought that came to your mind? Dr. Nadia Madani: I immediately imagined a Taliban scenario, and an attempt to undermine the stability of the younger generation, dragging them to violence.

Qatar cooperating with Israel on Gaza construction? Posted: 17 Oct 2012 09:10 AM PDT Somewhat contradictory messages. From Ammon News: Qatar on Tuesday launched a $254 million plan to rebuild and modernize Gaza, the biggest injection of reconstruction aid for the Palestinian enclave since it was devastated in an Israeli military offensive nearly four years ago. Projects announced at a news conference by Qatari ambassador Mohammed al-Amadi will require the cooperation of Israel and Egypt to admit building materials and heavy machinery to Gaza, which is under a partial blockade. Amadi said this had been arranged. Work would begin on site within three months, starting with a highway that will run the length of the Mediterranean coastal strip. But Ma'an says: Material for reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is to be shipped via Egypt and not Israel, the Qatari ambassador in the coastal enclave said Tuesday. Muhammad al-Imadi told a news conference that the goods, promised weeks earlier, would be shipped via the Gaza-Egypt Rafah crossing rather than through Israel. It is possible that only heavy equipment would come via Israel while construction material goes through Rafah. But Rafah is still not equipped to handle any major commercial traffic, as far as I know. Either way, it appears that Qatar is cooperating with Israel in setting up specific construction projects for Gaza, something Israel has always allowed as long as it was clear the materials couldn't be taken by Hamas to build tunnels or weapons bunkers instead.

Brotherhood accused of inciting attacks on women in Tahrir Square Posted: 17 Oct 2012 07:30 AM PDT From Bikya Masr: Two top Muslim Brotherhood officials are being investigated by Egypt's Attorney General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud over their role in allegedly inciting President Mohamed Morsi supporters to attack female protesters around Tahrir Square last Friday. Mohamed el-Beltagy and Essam el-Erian are under investigation, Mahmoud said. Mahmoud himself had only the day before defied an order to step down from his position after President Morsi attempted to push him out after a court acquitted former top Hosni Mubarak officials of their role in the infamous "Camel Battle" during the 18 days of protests that ousted his rule. The move to fire the Attorney General was largely met with criticism by the country's judiciary and was seen as an attempt by Morsi to take more control of the largely independent branch. But Mahmoud remained defiant and stayed in his post. The charges being brought against Beltagy and Erian were the result of at least one female activist who claimed Brotherhood supporters sought out and actively attacked women at the demonstration, which spun out of control into opposing factions attacking each other on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately for Egypt, sexual violence toward women is nothing new. June this year saw some of the worst attacks against women, with both foreigners and Egyptians reporting that they had been sexually assaulted in the square take place following the disbanding of Parliament. The battle between Morsi and the judiciary is worth watching as well, and because it is so bitter it is possible that these specific charges are more an effort by attorney general Mahmoud to embarrass Morsi and his party. It is not easy to tease the truth out of Egyptian media.

Gazans buying the iPhone 5 (photos) Posted: 17 Oct 2012 05:45 AM PDT Reuters reported this week: Apple's new iPhone 5 is selling well in the Gaza Strip despite inflated prices, reaching the Palestinian enclave via smuggling tunnels even before high-tech hub Israel next door. The cutting edge smart phone is being snapped up for almost double what it costs in the United States, its price jacked up by middlemen on its circuitous delivery route from Dubai via tunnels linking the blockaded territory with Egypt. The iPhone 5 will not be available until December from mobile operators in tech-mad Israel, which along with Egypt maintains a partial blockade of Gaza to prevent the entry of anything that could be used for military purposes. But the phones have been available for a couple of weeks in Gaza and they were on display on Monday in three independent mobile stores in a one-block radius in downtown Gaza City. Prices ranged from 4,500 Israeli shekels ($1,170) for the 16 gigabyte model to 5,700 ($1,480) for 64 gb. "I ordered 30 and I've sold 20 so far," said one dealer. "We can order as many as we want. But most people are waiting for the price to go down. They're pretty expensive." Palestine Times provides photos: The poverty in Gaza is so crushing, you almost have to force yourself to watch the poor Gazans struggle to survive. By the way, I'm pretty sure that these iPhones have the ability to watch anti-Mohammed videos on YouTube. It would be a shame if the stores that sell them are firebombed as a result.

Must read: What Obama doesn't get Posted: 17 Oct 2012 02:07 AM PDT Michael J. Totten has a must read interview with Jonathan Spyer, an Israeli who has sneaked into Syria twice and who gives a fantastic, must-read analysis of what is happening on the ground there. It has more wisdom and real reporting in one article than you will find in the New York Times in weeks. But at the end of the interview, Totten asks Spyer about US policies in the region, and his answers go to the crux of the problem of President Obama's Middle East policy - and, I would claim, his foreign policy altogether. MJT: President Barack Obama repeatedly says he will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Do you believe him? How many Israelis believe him? He's letting Assad get away with murder, but he did go after Qaddafi and bin Laden. Jonathan Spyer: I don't want to interfere in the internal American discussion, but your question is nicely phrased so I can comment without doing that. Confidence in President Obama is very low in Israel. That is because his performance so far seems to suggest that he has little understanding of the Hobbesian world of Middle Eastern politics and the aspects required in order to build firm alliances and proxies here. From his Cairo speech and the abandonment of Mubarak to the vacillating and paralysis on Syria, he just seems to be singing from a different and wholly unsuitable songbook. So I think very few Israelis have confidence that he will act effectively to prevent a nuclear Iran. No coherent red lines, including an outlining of the consequences of crossing them, means the Iranians will keep on moving ahead. Obama wants out of the Middle East, as he himself has made clear. He'll do counter-terrorism from the air against small, extreme jihadi groups. In Libya, I think it was the Europeans and specifically the French who got that rolling, with the US following on, though of course inevitably doing most of the heavy lifting in the end. And frankly I think many Israelis also have the feeling, which we haven't had for quite a few years, that the man in the White House right now isn't a deep friend of our country, that he doesn't understand or isn't really interested in the story of Israel and the Jewish People, and consequently lacks a grasp of the deeper moorings which I think should underlie, and have in recent years underlain, the alliance between the US and Israel. MJT: What is it specifically that President Obama does not understand? Surely he knows the Middle East is a much rougher neighborhood than Europe and North America. What else does he still need to grasp besides the obvious? What would you explain to him if you had his ear for a couple of minutes? Jonathan Spyer: I would try to explain to him the dynamic of patron-client relationships in our neighborhood. I would explain to him that your clients don't need to love you, don't want you to bow to them, and don't even really need to know that you respect them and empathize with them (though they will need you to at least go through the motions in this regard.) What they need to know is that if they get into trouble (and they will) you will back them and help them to your utmost. If they think you won't or can't do that, they won't want to be your client. They will prefer to be the client of another patron (probably your enemy or rival) who will be willing to do this. As a result, the value of your strategic coin will rapidly decline. Right now, the net result of Obama's losing Egypt/Tunisia/Yemen, and Iran/Russia/China's non-losing of Syria, is that US credibility as a patron is low. Obama seems mainly dangerous to his friends, less so to his enemies, the killing of Bin-Laden notwithstanding. This is making allies nervous and enemies happy. This is not good. In particular, the most vulnerable allies (the Gulf monarchies) are very nervous indeed, and are seeking to organize themselves independently because of their impression that the US right now is not there. The trouble is that these countries are too weak for the job. As we see now in Syria, for example, they can't deliver against Assad. So the end result of Obama's conceptual error is that the Iran-led alliance, which remains by far the most potent and dangerous enemy in the region, is holding up well, while what used to look like a US-led regional alliance no longer really exists. This, in my view, derives directly from the American President's failure to grasp the basic rules for behavior as a patron in the Hobbesian space of the Middle East. So if I had a few minutes that's what I'd tell him. But I'd tell him this without a great deal of enthusiasm, because I'm pretty sure he wouldn't get it. Spyer has perfectly encapsulated the flaws behind the president's foreign policy, and he briefly describes how it will affect the Middle East. But the same short-sightedness is leaving our allies in Europe also without a reliable ally, as Obama is not interested in asserting American power - something that must be done, no matter how distasteful it is. Because the alternative is a world without a leader, and nothing good will enter that vacuum. It will take literally decades to undo the damage already done to the American reputation in less than four years, and this is more important than the economy or any other domestic issue. This is the point I was trying to make in a video I posted recently, but Spyer does it much better. The very future of the free world depends on US leadership. By abdicating that leadership, America is failing the world - and its own long-term interests. (h/t Israel Muse)

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