יום שישי, 22 במרץ 2013

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder of Ziyon

Thursday Links Part 2

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:30 PM PDT

From Ian:
The UN is objective, the Pope is Jewish and pigs can fly
The official tour of the UN building was highly revealing regarding the UN policy of "balance" and fair play. The UN guide led me through the General Assembly room, complete with its "Palestine" "country sign," during a session. I was then led to a floor with a display of the results of violence. Some of the highlights included exhibits on landmines, nuclear conflict, and a small display on the Holocaust. The official UN guide did not mention the Holocaust exhibition, but did stop at the display titled "Palestine." I asked her why she did not talk about the Holocaust exhibition, and she answered that it was "too controversial." This did not stop her, and every other guide stopping and explaining the "Palestine" exhibition. This large display, on a bright orange background was full of half-truths and misconceptions. It was nothing less than crude Palestinian propaganda, which was lent a veneer of legitimacy by being part of the official UN tour.
Film on Egyptian Jews Cleared For Screening
A documentary on Egyptian Jews that had been blocked by the country's security service will screen in theaters at the end of the month, the film's director said on Wednesday.
"Jews of Egypt on the 27th of March in movie theaters. We won the war against National Security. We got the permit," wrote the director, Amir Ramses, on his Twitter and Facebook accounts.
French philosopher barred from Libya for being a Jew
Bernard-Henri Levy was to join former French president Sarkozy; Tripoli says he could have raised risk of Islamist attacks
Gazan Woman Killed In Suspected Honor Crime
Hiyam, a 23-year-old Palestinian woman, was killed at the hands of her father and brother at dawn on March 8 under the pretext of a so-called honor killing. Her mother Souad, 44, spoke with Al-Monitor at the family's home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the heart of the Gaza Strip. Looking gray with fatigue, and so worn out she could not even stand, Souad said, "They wronged my daughter Hiyam. She was my eldest daughter and the sweetest of them all. May god avenge her father and brother."
Tough To Be Female Terrorist Ex-Con in Gaza
PA Arab women terrorists who serve time in Israeli prisons and then attempt to return to Arab society don't have it easy.
The women released from Israeli jails face difficulties in their families and within their villages once reinstated into society and returned to "normal life," reported Ma'an, a PA news agency based in Bethlehem.
In many cases, the female ex-prisoners either become divorced or, if single, remain that way for the rest of their lives.
According to one, Wafa'a al-Bis, the women face marginalization, exclusion and degrading treatment in return for their so-called sacrifice for holy cause of jihad promoted to them since their youth.
Turkish PM doubles down on Zionism comments
Erdogan says he doesn't take back remarks that Zionism is crime against humanity, but calls uproar a "misunderstanding."
However, Prof. Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies, told The Jerusalem Post that the Turkish leader's comments to the paper were little more than damage control.
"Erdogan's reaction is part of a concerted effort to minimize the damage of his 'Zionism equals crime against humanity' statement that attracted a lot of international criticism," he said. "He simply tries to tone down his anti-Semitism when it harms his and Turkey's standing in the world community."
Why is President Morsi helping Israel, not Hamas?
Washington Watch: Hamas expected Morsi to end Mubarak's cooperation with Israel's blockade of Gaza, but if anything the noose has tightened.
"The message Morsi sends to Hamas is 'if you expected because I am a Muslim Brother I will share in your irresponsibility and I will bring relations with Egypt and Israel to the brink of eruption, I will not play your game," Schueftan said. "And this message to a large [degree] is responsible for the relative tranquility we have now surrounding Gaza since the fighting."
Jewish Delegation Receives Special Nod At Pope Francis Installation
Pope Francis opened his speech by saying he was speaking "with the permission of the diplomatic corps, the Jews who are with us and all the rest," the Jerusalem Post reported.
Many in the Jewish community hope Pope Francis will continue the strong legacy of his predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, in strengthening Catholic-Jewish relations.
Book by pope and rabbi to be translated to English
A book on topics important to Judaism and Catholicism co-written by Pope Francis and a rabbi from Argentina will be translated into English.
"On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the 21st Century," will be available in the United States and Canada on May 7, according to its publisher, Image Books, Reuters reported.
Bar Refaeli ad aired over army protests
Days after a high-profile row with the IDF over Bar Refaeli's army service, the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday released a pro-Israel ad starring the international supermodel.
On Sunday, news of Refaeli's participation in the planned PR campaign spurred IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai to write a letter urging the Foreign Ministry to consider "the negative message sent out to Israeli society by the inclusion of Bar Refaeli, who did not complete national service, as Israel's representative in a public relations campaign."
Making water better, molecule by molecule
Israel's BGU will collaborate with UChicago to solve the world's water problems using nanotechnology
Israel's got one of the most advanced water desalination programs in the world and dozens of successful water conservation and reclamation projects. Now, cutting-edge Israeli research on water technology will make its way to American academia, as the University of Chicago and Ben-Gurion University have signed a partnership agreement to create new water production and purification technologies for deployment in regions of the globe where freshwater resources are scarce — based on nanotechnology.
A lollipop that helps you lose weight
Say goodbye to pills and hello to fortified confectionery. An Israeli company has developed candies with health benefits.
Carmit Candy Industries recently unveiled its original line of fortified confectionery products at the Natural Products Expo West industry event in the United States. The innovative lollipops, wafers and toffees are formulated to help shed pounds, boost the immune system and promote bone health.
"Healthier food, and the importance that diet has on health, is a major consumer trend for many years," says CEO Steve Grun.
Celebrating Passover with 50,000 dominos
Pyramids came tumbling down in Israel's record-breaking domino chain, set up in Beersheva.
The Passover story has been told in a myriad of media. Two young Israelis recently gave the holiday narrative a new rendition in the form of a 50,000-strong domino chain.
It took Ben-Gurion University of the Negev mathematics student Yogev Levy and his friend Nissim Lopaz, a manager at a Jerusalem bike shop, 72 hours to set up the enormous Passover tableau in the lobby of the Samuel and Milada Ayrton University Center in Beersheva.

Major report released on anti-semitism in Facebook

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 01:00 PM PDT

The Online Hate Prevention Institute released a major new report into antisemitism on Facebook to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which is today.

There are some stunning examples in the report of truly vile anti-semitic imagery in Facebook. Many have been removed by Facebook but only when they saw an advanced version of this report or saw mention of the offending items in the media, but they had previously responded that it didn't violate their standards. Here is one example that was only deleted after publicity:


Others are still on Facebook:

The report argues that Facebook is using a very narrow definition of anti-semitism, allowing many hateful cartoons and memes to be published there.

Here is the full report:

The Elder of Ziyon Haggadah - still free to download!

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:00 AM PDT

A few years ago I grabbed a bunch of Haggadah commentaries online,  mostly on the theme of redemption and Zionism, and formatted them into this, the Elder of Ziyon Haggadah:



A couple of thousand people had downloaded it but I just put it up on Scribd so you can browse through it without downloading the whole thing. But it looks good printed in color and bound.

Enjoy!

Thursday Links Part 1

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:00 AM PDT

From Ian:
Israeli Apartheid Week Project Shows True State of Israel's Arabs
The Mida information and news site asked its readers to document incidents of discrimination, segregation, humiliation and exclusion of Arabs from Israeli public life.
The findings were staggering and proved that the claims heard internationally against Israel are no more than a farce.
Jewish Anti-Semites Finally Come Out of the Closet
There you have it, Israel is more evil than the former white South African regime. Is it possible that Israel's attacks on Gaza had something to do with the fact that Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, has in its official charter an exhortation to kill Jews and destroy the State of Israel? Did it have anything to do with the fact that Palestinians fired more than 2000 rockets from Gaza into Israel in 2012? When asked about the rocket attacks, Ehrenreich replied: "Rockets? What rockets? I don't see any rockets. Do you see any rockets?"
My Conversation With J Street's Jeremy Ben-Ami by Roz Rothstein is the CEO of StandWithUs.
Looking back at the evening's discussion, I am saddened that Mr. Ben-Ami insists that he and J Street are helping Israel, when in reality the actions of his organization are only hurting Israel and the advancement of peace. While we all wish for a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, J Street's work only emboldens Palestinians to continue their history of rejectionism and incitement. J Street encourages Palestinian refusal to return to negotiations because it does not require any accountability from them and does not seek to change hateful attitudes towards Israel—both of which are prerequisites for a lasting peace.
Obama in Israel Says He is in 'Historic Homeland of the Jewish People'
Obama said, "More than 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people lived here, tended the land here, prayed to God here. And after centuries of exile and persecution, unparalleled in the history of man, the founding of the Jewish state of Israel, was a rebirth, a redemption, unlike any in history. Today, the sons of Abraham and the daughters of Sarah are fulfilling the dream of the ages: to be masters of their own fate in their own sovereign state. Just as we have for these past 65 years, the United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend."
Honest Reporting: Five Media Spins to Watch for During Obama Visit
While most media reports ahead of the visit noted the Obama administration's desire to "reboot" relations between the US and Israel, there are a number of issues that often come up whenever some of media report on Israel in the diplomatic arena.
The following are five of the main media spins to watch for in coverage of the Obama visit.
Large Arab Anti-Obama Protest as President Goes to Ramallah
As U.S. President Obama arrived in Ramallah for talks with PA officials, Arabs staged a large anti-Obama demonstration.
Israel Television reporter Yoram Cohen said that the demonstrators shouts could be heard at the site where PA chief Mahmoud Abbas greeted Obama and his entourage, who had arrived from Jerusalem by helicopter.
PA Official: 'Obama Not Wanted in Ramallah'
PA Arabs are not happy that U.S. President Barack H. Obama is paying Ramallah a visit Thursday
"Obama is not wanted here," said Rassam al-Massry, a top PA official and an organizer of protests against the President's visit. "He declared that he will not pressure Israel to return to negotiations, and he thwarts every attempt by the Palestinians to condemn Israel in the UN," he said.
BBC opens comments on Obama visit article, quotes flotilla organiser
Sharp-eyed readers will also notice that the BBC's article quotes Huwaida Arraf, describing her as a "demonstrator".
The article fails to point out to BBC audiences that Huwaida Arraf is one of the founders and leaders of the 'International Solidarity Movement' (ISM) and the flotilla-organising 'Free Gaza Movement', both of which provide support to Hamas, and who was an active participant in the ISM support group to the Palestinian terrorists who took over the Church of the Nativity in 2002.
While Obama's on Tour, Congress Sends Tough Love to PA
This proposed legislation requires several things of the Palestinian Authority without which it will not receive certain U.S. benefits including significant financial aid and the privilege of being referred to as anything other than "the areas controlled by the Palestinian
Those actions which the PA will be expected to do and to cease doing include: end government corruption, regularly condemn terrorism, confiscate unauthorized weapons, bring terrorists to justice, end incitement to violence and hatred in PA media, schools, mosques, cease all boycotts of Israel, conducts diplomatic relations with Israel just as it does with any other country, and refuse to co-govern with Hamas. The Accountability Act also directs that "no United States document may refer to the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority as 'Palestine' until the secretary of state has certified to congress" that the foregoing conditions have been met.
Egyptian leaders fear 'Muslim Brotherhoodization'
Egyptian military academy director Maj.-Gen Esmat Murad revealed that students affiliated with Islamist political factions have been accepted into the academy, according to a report on Wednesday in the London-based daily Asharq al-Awsat. This includes Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's nephew.
Murad told a press conference on Tuesday that the academy's graduating class includes 109 members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Egypt judges recommend dissolution of Brotherhood
Legality of President Morsi's party has been the subject of a lengthy dispute
Ex-Hezbollah member leads movement against terror group
Hezbollah's Shiite policies and involvement in Syrian crisis raises outcry in Lebanon; new movement from group's stronghold presents national alternative
Cyprus criminal court convicts Hezbollah member
His conviction is the first time that a Hezbollah member has been found guilty of criminal activity with respect to the targeting of Israeli citizens in a European court.
Yaacoub faces eight charges in the criminal court in the city of Limassol. The court is slated to sentence him on March 28.

Iran's Khamanei threatens to "annihilate" Tel Aviv, Haifa

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:30 AM PDT

From Al Arabiya:
Iran will "annihilate" the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if it comes under attack by the Jewish state, the Islamic republic's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday.

"Every now and then the leaders of the Zionist regime threaten Iran with a military attack," Khamenei said in a live televised speech from the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, referring to Israel.

"They should know that if they commit such a blunder, the Islamic republic will annihilate Tel Aviv and Haifa," he said.
Inevitably, apologists like fourth-rate academic and self-declared Iran expert Juan Cole will note that Iran's threats are only in response to an Israeli military attack.

He won't note that any Israeli action would only threaten military targets. Khamanei just said he would happily murder millions of Israeli citizens (about four million live in the metropolitan areas of Tel Aviv and Haifa.)

Also, notice that while Khamanei just said he'd murder millions of innocents, this is supposedly against Islamic law. Yet idiots like Cole always say that since nuclear weapons are "forbidden" in Islamic law, then Iran would never deploy them. Apparently Islamic law is more flexible than Iran apologists pretend it is.

Finally, there is only one way to "annihilate" Tel Aviv - and that is through weapons of mass destruction.

We just learned a lot from this little threat.

Hamas' official position paper on the destruction of Israel

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:45 AM PDT

Khaled Meshal, Hamas' "political" leader who is touted as being more moderate than his colleagues in Gaza, has published a major position paper for Hamas to explain its political positions.

It adds very little to what we already knew.

The paper lists nineteen positions, which include:

1. Palestine from the river to the sea, and from north to south, is a land of the Palestinian people and its homeland and its legitimate right, we may not a waiver an inch or any part thereof, no matter what the reasons and circumstances and pressures.

2. Palestine - all of Palestine - is a land of Islamic and Arab affiliation, a blessed sacred land, that has a major portion in the heart of every Arab and Muslim

3. No recognition of the legitimacy of the occupation whatever; this is a principled position, political and moral, and therefore do not recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and recognition of "Israel" and the legitimacy of its presence on any part of Palestine no matter how long; nand it will not be long, God willing.

4. Liberation of Palestine is a national duty; it is the responsibility of the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nation, it is also a humanitarian responsibility in accordance with the requirements of truth and justice.

5. Jihad and the armed resistance is the right and real method for the liberation of Palestine, and the restoration of all the rights, together with, of course, all forms of political and diplomatic struggle including in the media, public and legal [spheres]; with the need to mobilize all the energies of the nation in the battle

6. Resistance is a means and not an end, if we have another way without blood and painful sacrifices to liberate the land and ending the occupation and the restoration of rights we would take it, but history proves that there is no option to expel the occupiers and restore the land and rights without using all forms of resistance, led by armed resistance.

7. We are not fighting Jews because they are Jews, but are fighting the Zionist Jews occupiers, the aggressors, and we will fight anyone who tries to attack us or usurp our rights or occupy our land, regardless of religion or affiliation, race or nationality.

8. The Zionist project is a racist project based on murder and terrorism, and so it is the enemy of the Palestinian people and the nation, and is a real threat to them, and a huge threat to its security and interests, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a danger to the security of the humanitarian community and the interests and stability.

9. Jerusalem is an Islamic and Christian [holy place], we many not give it up not relinquish any part of it, it is our right and our spirit, our history, our present and our future, which is the capital of Palestine, and dearest to the hearts of Arabs and Muslims.... Israel has no legitimacy and no right to to Jerusalem at all, nor any legitimacy nor right to all of Palestine. And all actions of Israel in Jerusalem to Judaize and settle and falsification of facts and attempts to fabricate history are void.

10. Upholding the right of return of Palestinian refugees and displaced persons to their homes from which they were expelled, or were prevented from returning, both in the occupied territories in 1948 or 1967, to all of Palestine; we refuse to compromise in any way for this right. At the same time reject all settlement projects or alternative homelands.... [some detail on how people proposed Lebanon or Jordan or the Sinai as alternate homelands]

11. The unity of the Palestinian land: The West Bank (including Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip and the occupied land of 1948, one land with all its geography, it is one unit, not part separated from the other, which is a whole nation of the Palestinian people. The situation in Gaza now is exceptional and imposed on us, and not a natural situation, we can not accept that Gaza is separate...

12. And the unity of the Palestinian people Muslims and Christians, and all its intellectual, political and ideological components, and with all the strength and factions, militant and political.

13. The unity of the Palestinian political system and its institutions, and national unity of his authority through the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which needs to be rebuilt on valid grounds, to include all the Palestinian forces and components. ...

14. ...The state is the real first fruit of liberation; there is no alternative to the establishment of a Palestinian state, with real sovereignty over the entire territory.

15. [True] Palestinian national independence: a principle which is based on the non-dependence on any country or party in the world; friend or an ally or an enemy or opponent. But that does not mean that we ...are weakening the Arab and Islamic role, Palestine was and will remain Arab and Islamic, but also a humanitarian issue.

16. Institution-building and the Palestinian National authorities should always be on the basis of democracy, and in the forefront of free and fair elections, equal opportunities....

17. Non-interference in the affairs of other countries, and not to engage in themes and conflicts and alignments between nations....

18. The unity of the nation with all its components, ethnic and religious, we are one nation...

19. Any position or a political programs or tactical initiatives or must be in line with the Palestinian national principle that we have mentioned....therefore we reject any draft agreements or settlements that diminish those principles, principles affecting Palestinian national rights.
There's more, including more about "resistance," but the point is that these principles have been clearly communicated before - the utter rejection of Israel or Jewish rights to any land now and forever and the decision never to abandon terrorism.

Yet Western analysts continue to believe that Hamas is moderating - because it says that if the Jews can be forced out of their land without blood, Hamas would happily allow them to leave.

The amount of self-deception (or, sometimes, just deception) about Hamas in the West is unconscionable. Their policy is right here, multi-layered, in black and white, and it leaves no room for Jewish national rights.

Anyone who says that Israel must make temporary accommodations with a Hamas that is sworn to utterly destroy Israel simply helps Hamas achieve its goal.

There is one interesting omission here, though. In the past Hamas was more upfront about the ultimate goal - an Islamic caliphate that encompasses the entire Middle East. But in a manifesto meant to destroy Israel, emphasizing that goal would water down the message. Save that for phase 2 of the strategy.

It is worth emphasizing that the Islamists think in terms of centuries, not election cycles. This is a true strategy, and they are patient. To them, the Crusades were a century-long blip, and the existence of Israel is even less permanent than that. This is why all concessions are welcomed by Hamas without their giving up anything - because every little bit adds up over time.

Did President Obama bow to the flag of "Palestine"? (UPDATE)

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:01 AM PDT

According to Palestine Press Agency, this was the first time that a US president heard the Palestinian National anthem - and the first time a president bowed to the flag of "Palestine."

If so, this would appear to be a breach of presidential protocol. Presidents aren't supposed to bow, period.

Ma'an also reports that the band that greeted Obama botched the US  National Anthem.

Waiting to find the video....

UPDATE: Don't see any bowing in this video. The band plays very poorly but I'm not sure I would say "botched."

Rockets from Gaza to greet Obama

Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:20 AM PDT

From YNet:
Five Qassam rockets were fired at southern Israel from Gaza on Thursday morning, on the second day of US President Barack Obama's visit to the Middle East.

After a long period of calm following Operation Pillar of Defense, a Color Red alert sounded in the city of Sderot at around 7:15 am, followed by additional air raid sirens, one of them in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council.

One of the rockets hit the backyard of a house in Sderot, while another landed in an open area. There were no reports of injuries, but the yard sustained slight damage. Two additional rockets are believed to have landed on Palestinian territory.

According to initial estimates, the rockets were fired from the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.
JPost adds:
Israel will be watching "very closely" to see if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will condemn Thursday's Kassam rocket fire on Sderot in his public comments with US President Barack Obama later today, a senior government official said.

During Operation Pillar of Defense, the official said, Abbas "stubbornly refused to do so. He even refused to disassociate himself from those attacks."

The official said Israel will also be watching whether Abbas will cease Fatah's unity talks with Hamas. "These rockets were launched from territory controlled by Hamas, and Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist and support peace," he said.
GANSO confirms that the rockets came from Beit Hanoun.

Islamic Jihad's Palestine Today says that one of the rockets ignited a "huge" fire near a kibbutz.

As usual, no one claimed responsibility.

The last rocket was on February 26.

It is notable that Hamas' Khaled Meshal just issued a major paper detailing the political positions of Hamas, and it includes the statement that "Jihad and armed resistance is the right way for the Liberation of Palestine, and the restoration of all our rights, and with it, of course, all forms of political and diplomatic struggle, including in the media, public relations and legal spheres."
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