יום רביעי, 19 ביוני 2013

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder of Ziyon

Barbra Streisand sings to Shimon Peres (video)

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 06:05 PM PDT

I'm not a big fan of hers, but people say Barbra Streisand's performance at the star-studded 90th birthday show for Shimon Peres was amazing:

6/18 Links Part 2: Quakers BDS Camp, IRS vs. Pro-Israel Groups and Oil for Peace

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 02:30 PM PDT

From Ian:
Pacifists at War
With their passion for peace, it may seem curious that leaders of the American Friends Service Committee, the organized political voice of the Quakers, would have dined with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad in New York five years ago. Then, last year, the Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation divested from Hewlett-Packard for providing technology consulting to the Israeli Navy. The AFSC website provides helpful hints for educating Americans about "Palestinian nonviolent resistance to Israeli occupation" and organizing lobbying efforts "to end/condition US military aid to Israel." All else failing, they must be sure to boycott SodaStream refills, "which are manufactured within an Israeli settlement in occupied Palestinian territory" and even have the chutzpah to bear the label "Made in Israel."
None of that sounds like fun, so the AFSC is inviting college students with suitably anti-Israel credentials to participate in a five-day summer training institute in pastoral upstate New York. There they will participate in an "intensive program" focusing on "what is happening in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories," the better to develop Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions programs on their campuses.
The IRS vs. Pro-Israel Groups
Applications of pro-Israel groups for tax-exempt status are routinely routed to an antiterrorism unit within the Internal Revenue Service for additional screening, according to the testimony of a Cincinnati-based IRS agent.
Asked whether Jewish or pro-Israel applications are treated differently from other applications, Gary Muthert told House Oversight Committee investigators that they are considered "specialty cases" and that "probably" all are sent to an IRS unit that examines groups for potential terrorist ties.
CAMERA: Misinforming Students on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The word terrorism first appears in the timeline under the year 1988, when "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat condemns all forms of terrorism and recognizes the state of Israel." The perpetrators of the Munich massacre are "Palestinian gunmen" and those who carried out the Entebbe hijacking are just "Palestinians."
The Oslo Accords, students are told, meant that "the two sides were no longer claiming that the other did not have the right to exist as a state of peoples on that land." Yet students are not informed about the Fatah Party Congress in 2009 where participants cheered as Palestinian Authority officials vowed to never recognize the Jewish State and reaffirmed their commitment to armed struggle. In addition, the messages emanating from Palestinian media, mosques and officials exhorting the public to oppose coexistence and to destroy Israel are ignored.
Women Plan March to Arab Town, 'Enough Rock Terror'
The women will march under the banner, "Women Against Rocks." Organizers noted that despite the slogan, men and children are invited, as well.
Marchers intend to enter Azoun itself. "We will let the Arabs know that there will be a response to rock terror, and we will make it clear to the IDF that the time has come to end this phenomenon," they declared.
Terrorist Earns Hebrew U. Doctorate, Refuses to Shake Hands
A terrorist who served two prison terms for involvement in terrorism, including a plot to carry out a suicide bombing, has been awarded his doctorate in chemistry from Hebrew University, Maariv reports.
The terrorist is an Israeli citizen and a resident of eastern Jerusalem.
During the graduation ceremony in Hebrew University's Har Hatzofim campus he refused to shake hands with Hebrew University President Professor Menachem Ben-Sasson. His name was read aloud at the ceremony and he was applauded by the crowd.
Kim Jong-un endorses Mein Kampf as guidebook for economic growth
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un handed copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf to a host of the country's top officials last January. The website New Focus International reported the controversial volume was printed especially in the format of a "hundred-copy book," meaning a limited edition of banned books that have been published in secret for the consumption of members of the country's elite.
MEMRI: The AMIA Bombing Affair: Joint Investigative Committee Agreement Not Ratified By Iran
Following the signing of the MOU, a disagreement emerged between the two countries over the issue of whether Argentinean investigators would be allowed to interrogate the Iranian officials linked to the affair. While the Argentinean parliament did ratify the MOU, the Iranian Majlis began studying it at the end of February 2013, but to date still has not ratified it despite pressure from the Iranian Foreign Ministry. In statements, Majlis representatives and media circles warned against any move that could harm Iranian sovereignty.
Cisco CEO John Chambers in Israel again
Ahead of the visit, he said, "Israel is a global leader in innovation, and Cisco is proud of its longstanding commitment to the country. As we strengthen our partnership with Israel, I believe that together, we can promote change in the country and encourage sustainable growth and productivity, which will influence the region and all of Israel's people."
Israel Aerospace Industries signs foreign deals worth $100m
Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1) has signed new foreign contracts worth $100 million. The contracts include a $30 million contract to upgrade a special mission aircraft with the company's ELL-8232 electronic support measure/electronic intelligence (ESM/ELINT) system for tactical and strategic missions; two contracts to supply maritime patrol radar, worth $32 million; and communication intelligence systems.
Hava Nagila, Gangnam style
Now "Gangnam Style" fever has reached the local stage. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea, in cooperation with the country's tourism and foreign ministries, held a "Gangnam Style" contest in Herzliya in which 12 Israeli teens competed, and 17-year-old Eva Kamun came out on top with her "Hava Nagila" performance.
Israeli college's Clashers app brings music lovers together
It's not every school that gets invited to the Microsoft Research Design Expo — in fact, only nine schools get invited, and this year, the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) is one of them. MSR Design Expo is one of the most exclusive computer design events in the world, so schools that get invited want to show off their best technology.
Bras, bees, and 'oil for peace' at Israeli agricultural event
International cooperation and advances in food production and agriculture not only have the potential to solve food shortages, they also have the potential to foster peace. Among the products available at the event was one called "Olives for Peace," an organic olive oil package being marketed jointly by an Israeli farmer and a Palestinian farmer. Doron Akiva, an olive oil producer in Ezuz in southern Israel, has teamed up with Palestinian farmer Mohammad Joudeh of the village of Azzun, near Kalkilyeh in central Samaria.
The product consists of one package containing two separate bottles of olive oil produced by each farmer. "We don't want to talk peace," Doron said, "we want to make peace." Olives for Peace may or may not achieve that goal, but if the show's many attendees taking samples are any indication, the company has definitely mastered olive oil.

PalArab doctors attend Israeli medical expo

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT

I guess they are not part of the "civil society" that is supposedly boycotting Israel.

Persons with a medical background from all over the world, and those interested in state of the art medical technological innovations, gathered this week in the colorful and impressive esthetically designed exhibition hall. Most of the participants were exhibiting advanced instrumentation that assists in innovative treatment methods, and what they all had in common was that they had come to update themselves on the most recent innovations which would constitute for all of them, a medical breakthrough in the not too distant future.

Among the many visitors who came from Japan, Germany, France, the USA, were also Palestinian medical personnel from Judea and Samaria who had been specially invited by the Civil Administration with the object of familiarizing themselves with the technological innovations in the medical field, to form an impression of the worldwide capabilities of the advanced equipment and also to try and bring the medical "spearhead" to the territories of Judea and Samaria. The Health Coordinator in the Civil Administration, Dalia Bassa said that "We invited the Palestinian medical people so that they could get exposure to a level of advanced medicine worldwide and would be able, as the need arises, to introduce the advanced instrumentation into the Palestinian market - into their clinics and hospitals, and thus enhance the medical treatment being provided currently to the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria".

Israel believes that exhibitions and gatherings of this nature, will substantially strengthen the cooperation in the health sphere between the Israeli and Palestinian Health Ministries and therefore supports initiatives of this kind.

Sunnis and Shiites are fighting - in Australia!

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 11:30 AM PDT

Wow:





And this:
A secretive and radical program operating inside an Islamic book store in western Sydney is encouraging young Muslims to get involved in Syria's conflict, a 7.30 investigation has revealed.

The bloody conflict in Syria has become a magnet and a new training ground for militants around the world, including Australians.

ASIO has estimated around 100 Australians could be currently fighting in Syria, and four Australians have so far died in the conflict.

Since it opened just over a year ago, the Al Risalah bookstore has gained a reputation as a centre of Islamic extremism.

7.30 has been investigating Al Risalah's activities and the people behind it, identifying four key sheikhs.

All are radical, and all are encouraging Australians to get involved in the Syrian crisis.

The most famous of the sheikhs is Abu Suhaib, known to authorities as Bilal Khazal.

Khazal is a former baggage handler for Qantas, trained at a military camp in Afghanistan, and was a confidant of Osama bin Laden.
(h/t Yoel)

6/18 Links Part 1: Khamenei Wins Again, Fiji to the Golan and Turkey Rounds up the Usual Suspects.

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT

From Ian:
And the Winner is... Iran's Nuclear Program
Making Rouhani the president was a brilliant strategic move for Khamene'i -- not just to pacify the West, by also to pacify the Iranian people, who want nothing more than Iran to be accepted as a normal country and regain the international standing it had before the Islamic revolution.
Rouhani's more religiously "moderate" rhetoric led the Iranian people to believe he would be able to negotiate Iran out of the catastrophic economic reality they face. So the "reformers" pin their hopes on him, instead of going out into the streets and demonstrating against him and the regime, as they did after Iran's previous presidential "election."
Who Is Hassan Rouhani?
As a negotiator, Rohani is triumphantly duplicitous, known to lull his non-Iranian counterparts into a false sense of calm. Despite all the talk that, during his term as a nuclear negotiator, Iran appeared more cooperative with the international community, Rohani bragged about how he had tricked the West. In April of 2006 during a speech at the Assembly of Clerics, Rouhani was caught on tape, boasting that while talks were taking place in Teheran, Iran was able to complete the installation of equipment for conversion of yellowcake -- a key stage in the nuclear fuel process -- at its Isfahan plant, but at the same time convince European diplomats that nothing was afoot. "From the outset," he said, "the Americans kept telling the Europeans, 'The Iranians are lying and deceiving you and they have not told you everything.' The Europeans used to respond, 'We trust them!'"
New Iran Prez: Our Economic Problems All Israel's Fault
Hassan Rohani, Iran's new President, is being termed a "moderate" in Western media, but it appears that his moderation stops when it comes to Israel. In his first speech as Iran's new leader, Rohani quickly launched into a diatribe against Israel, blaming the Jewish state for Iran's economic problems.
'Iran's nuclear aims advancing despite sanctions'
Iran is making "steady progress" in expanding its nuclear program despite international sanctions that do not seem to be slowing it down, the UN nuclear agency chief told Reuters on Monday.
CIF Watch: Glenn Greenwald - Hamas and Hezbollah are NOT terrorist movements
We reported recently that Guardian's Glenn Greenwald has been speaking at the annual Marxist-Leninist conference, and we posted a few clips of his 2011 appearance at the conference, held in Chicago. During his talk (titled 'Civil Liberties under Obama'), the CiF columnist defended American al-Qaeda operative Anwar al-Awlaki, and downplayed the "scope" of the 9/11 attacks – which he suggested were much more limited (in the scale of violence) than what the U.S. has perpetrated in the Arab world.
Groundwork and maintenance on BBC's 'From Our Own Correspondent'
Knell employs the same policy of omission of context in her story of Gazans "playing football on a field partly obliterated by an Israeli air strike" – without clarifying whether that same football field was one of those used to launch missiles at Israeli civilians. Her tales of "classic cars repaired for everyday use" and "Gazans resorting to donkeys when their cars ran out of fuel" naturally omit any mention of the latest craze for brand new Chinese cars in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas deploys 600-strong force to prevent rocket fire at Israel
Hamas has deployed a 600-man military force in the Gaza Strip that operates 24 hours a day in order to prevent rocket fire at Israel, a senior Arab source told The Times of Israel on Monday.
Since Egypt — with the election a year ago of President Mohammed Morsi – stepped up its involvement in Gaza and began to pressure Hamas to not allow rocket fire, the Islamic organization has diligently worked to keep the peace in Gaza, even when that came at the price of confrontations with smaller Islamic groups such as the extremist Salafists, the source said.
Islamist students vow to fight PA crackdown in West Bank
A group of Hamas-affiliated students living in the West Bank has launched a campaign calling for civil disobedience against harassment by Palestinian Authority security forces.
Titled "It Makes No Difference To Me," and organized by the Union of Islamic Students in the West Bank, the campaign aims to fight what members say is a PA crackdown on Hamas activists across the West Bank, including repeated summonses for investigations in PA security headquarters.
Morsi Appoints Member of Terrorist Group Governor of Province They Terrorized
Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi recently appointed 17 new local governors this weekend, seven of them from his party, and one from a decidedly problematic one: The new governor of Luxor belongs to the political wing of Gamaa al-Islamiyya, which is not only a terrorist group but the organization that perpetrated one of the worst terrorist attacks in Egyptian history in Luxor, where they slaughtered four Egyptians and 58 foreign tourists in 1997.
Sinai on High Alert, Al Qaeda Sets Up Base
The Egyptian government has declared a high alert in the Sinai Peninsula following a high level of Al Qaeda terrorist activity in the region.
The terrorists have set up a military base in central Sinai, Egyptian security officials told the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency on Monday.
Report: Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah's Brother Killed in Syria Fighting
The brother of Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed recently in a fierce battle in the Syrian city of Qusair, Israel's Channel 2 reported Monday.
According to the report, Nasrallah attended the funeral of his brother, Khader, in the village of Kfar Kana in south Lebanon on Sunday.
Hamas to Hizbullah: Leave Syria, Fight Israel Instead
Hamas expressed sympathy for the suffering and bloodshed in Syria, and affirmed the Syrian people's right to freedom.
"The Syrian people have the right to realize their rights and aspirations for freedom and dignity. This people have always been supportive to resistance and resistance fighters," Hamas said, according to Ma'an.
Fiji Troops Replace Austria in Golan Heights UN Force
A force of 170 soldiers from Fiji will replace Austrian troops in the United Nations peacekeeping force monitoring the Golan Heights buffer zone.
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has been stationed on the Israel-Syrian border since the ceasefire declared following the 1973 war.
France, Belgium, Saudis Send Weapons to Syrian Rebels
Reports on Monday said that Syrian rebels have already begun receiving weapons from various sources, as they attempted to wrest control of the country from the control of President Bashar al-Assad. While a debate is taking place in the U.S., Britain, and other countries about helping the rebels with arms, the reports said that rebels have already gotten advanced weapons with the assistance of Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and France.
Middle East state reportedly sends rebels antitank missiles
An unnamed Middle Eastern state has supplied Syrian rebels with 250 sophisticated Soviet-made anti-tank missiles, most of which were given to radical Islamist militias fighting President Bashar Assad, according to a report published in London-based Arabic daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday.
According to the report, the unidentified state made its first delivery of 9M113 Konkurs missiles to the rebels a week ago via Turkey. The Konkurs antitank missile has a maximum range of four kilometers and a hit probability of 90 percent. Egypt, Iran and Turkey are the only known operators of the missile system in the Middle East.
Turkish police arrest dozens in raids on homes, newspapers
Turkish news media reported Tuesday that police are carrying out raids and detaining people suspected of involvement in violence against police during a wave of anti-government protests.
According to Hurriyet Daily News, "anti-terror security teams" arrested several people in their homes as part of the latest government crackdown against dissenters. Nearly 200 people were detained by police on Tuesday, according to estimates by Hurriyet. Today's Zaman quoted Interior Minister Muammer Güler saying 25 people were arrested in Ankara and 62 in Istanbul.

Michigan governor in Israel to boost ties

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 08:30 AM PDT

Michigan, of course, is the home to the United States' largest Arab and Muslim communities.

From MLive:
Gov. Rick Snyder met with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government and business leaders as he toured the Middle Eastern country during an investment mission.

The Republican governor is interested in Israel's budding startup businesses, particularly in automotive, defense, water technology and research.

He was last in Israel 14 years ago as a venture capitalist.

"I had a chance to see the start of high-tech boom in Israel and that's great to see," Snyder said in a phone call from Israel. "This is really a startup nation. They've done a great job of being entrepreneurial, innovative, and that's a major part of their economy now and the good part is we can learn from that."

He signed a letter of intent with the country to work together on industrial research and development, and create the framework for future cooperation between Michigan and Israeli companies.

Snyder has met or plans to meet with people from a few different industries, including:

Automotive: He met with several automotive company representatives and visited the General Motors Advanced Technical Center Israel in Herzliya. There are Israeli companies that offer smart vehicle technology, such as collision avoidance systems, he said.

"There's a lot of young companies here in Israel that are looking for ways to work with (original equipment manufacturers), tier one suppliers on how their technology might be helpful," Snyder said.

Water: He met with water industry officials in Israel to discuss ways they're using water more efficiently and reducing the electrical cost of providing water. For example, they use software to monitor water use.

Education: Snyder on Tuesday plans to learn about a program started by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit in Israel to help immigrants with illiteracy problems get up to speed and into the school system quickly. He also plans to talk with university officials about opportunities for technology transfer collaborations. He said the University of Michigan already works with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hadassah Medical Center on disease research.
I didn't even know GM has a facility in Israel.

(h/t Dan)

Mass anti-government protests planned for June 30 in Egypt

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 07:00 AM PDT

From Al Monitor:
Less than two weeks before June 30, the day of expected massive protests calling for the ouster of Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohammed Morsi, both the Ministry of Interior and the military are left with difficult options as expectations of widespread, bloody confrontations continue to rise.

Retired police Col. Khaled Okasha, a security analyst and main witness in the trial involving Morsi's jailbreak during the January 25 protests, believes the Ministry of Interior "is going through the most complicated, confusing and mysterious time in its recent history."

On June 12, a day before Okasha's talk with Al-Monitor, Egypt's Interior Minister Gen. Mohamed Ibrahim announced that "police forces are legally committed to securing the June 30 protests, keen on the safety of every citizen regardless of their political allegiances."

The statement contradicted the minister's statement two days earlier [June 10]: "You will not see a single police officer in protest areas to let peaceful protesters express their opinions freely."

The abrupt and unexplained reversal of Ibrahim's statements clearly reflected how indecisive the country's security apparatus is.

"We cannot understand who takes such decisions and on what basis. But the minister of interior is similar to the president who appointed him to politicize the ministry in the first place and recreate an ironfisted apparatus that will serve the administration and defend its policies and interests regardless of how right or wrong they are," said Okasha.

Al Arabiya:
The opposition-backed campaign dubbed Tamarod, Arabic for rebellion, has called for a demonstration outside the presidential palace against Mursi on June 30.

Tamarod says it has gathered millions of signatures to a petition demanding that Mursi step down to pave the way for an early presidential election.

In a reaction, Islamist parties said they plan to organize a "million-man march" in front of Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque next Friday, to counter Tamarod's protest at the end of the month.
The markets are taking notice:
Trading in Egypt's benchmark stock index, the world's worst performer in June, tumbled to the lowest level by value in five years, on concern anti-government protests will bring the nation to a "tipping point."

Shares of about 70 million Egyptian pounds ($10 million) were traded yesterday, the lowest since Bloomberg started tracking the data in August 2008. About 85 million pounds changed hands so far today, compared with a 12-month average of about 400 million pounds.

Egypt's stocks have slumped 15 percent in June, the most among 94 gauges tracked by Bloomberg, amid growing polarization between supporters and opponents of the North African country's Islamist government. Both sides are calling for nationwide demonstrations on June 30, the one-year anniversary of President Mohamed Mursi taking office.

While his country burns, Erdogan meets with Hamas leaders

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 05:15 AM PDT

A head of state has priorities, after all.

From Turkish Radio and Television English:
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will hold a key meeting today for the Middle East peace.

Prior to his Gaza visit, Premier Erdoğan will meet Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Ankara.

The meeting bears critical importance in terms of the Middle East peace and reconciliation efforts between Palestinians.

Palestinian Head of State Mahmoud Abbas appointed academic and independent politician Rami Hamdallah as the new prime minister, causing discontent on the side of Hamas.

Hamas claimed Hamdallah's appointment is illegal.
Erdogan's visit to Gaza was originally scheduled for the end of May, then pushed back to sometime this month.

The PLO admits it hasn't made any concessions since 1988 and doesn't plan any

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 02:00 AM PDT

I found this in a paper at the PLO Negotiations Affairs Department site, in a paper where they try to spin their reasons for avoiding negotiating with Israel:

What are the Palestinians offering from their side?
The Palestinians have made numerous concessions and good will gestures. Although the two-state solution is common discourse today, it must be remembered that this solution is based on the Palestinian historic compromise of 1988, whereby the PLO accepted a state on a mere 22% of historical Palestine, for the sake of peace. During the past twenty-plus years of peace process, the Palestinians have entered all negotiations in good faith and have acted in accordance with agreements made. Palestine has also joined other countries in the region in establishing the Arab Peace Initiative, which extends the offer of normalized relations for Israel with 57 Arab and Islamic countries following Israel's full withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue in accordance with UNGA Resolution 194.
Which means that they are offering - nothing. And they are trying to pretend that this intransigence of the past 25 years is somehow proof of their flexibility and willingness to work for peace!

Keep in mind that their continuous mention of UNGA 194 means that they never have, and never will, accept the concept of a Jewish state, and they insist even today that Israel must be flooded with millions of Arabs - turning it into an Arab state - as a prerequisite to "peace".

It is beyond me how Western diplomats can read this position paper, written in plain English, and still claim that Israel is the intransigent party.
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