יום שבת, 23 בנובמבר 2013

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

11/22 Links Pt2: SWU Israeli Soldiers Stories, Syracuse University breaks ties with Al Quds

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST

From Ian:
A water war in Israel? Hardly
Detractors of Israel often seem so overtaken with critical fervor that they miss the truths that may seem obvious to more fair-minded observers of the Middle East.
Take, for example, Saree Makdisi's attack on Israel for supposedly cutting off Palestinians' access to water. He wrote in his Op-Ed article Monday that Israel uses 80% of the West Bank's groundwater and makes it practically impossible for Palestinians to find new sources of water.
Such misleading claims do a disservice to the Palestinians by diverting attention from steps that can bring about a real improvement in water access for Palestinians. Israel can be instrumental in bringing about such an improvement. Genuine friends of the Palestinians would do well to inform themselves of the real water situation in Israel and the West Bank rather than be misled by the same tired diatribes to which we have regrettably grown accustomed. They'll be surprised by what they discover.
Richard Millett: My provocative question to the panel at "Israel tortures Palestinian children" event.
With a room full of teachers, Abu Eqtaish who works for an organisation dedicated to child welfare and Abu al Reesh who has been able to make something positive out of his teenage rock-throwing and imprisonment I was hoping, although not expecting, that someone might have at least a word of sympathy for the family of one year old Yonatan Palmer, who now lies in his tiny grave because of another Palestinian rock-thrower.
And so I asked Abu al Reesh and Abu Eqtaish my "provocative question".
'Damaged' New Israel Fund Plans New Campaign
The controversial New Israel Fund (NIF), which supports a variety of ultra-leftist organizations in Israel, admits it has taken a pummeling from the grassroots-Zionist Im Tirtzu group, but promises it will launch a new strategic drive in three months' time.
According to left-wing paper Haaretz, NIF President Brian Lurie, and CEO, Daniel Sokatch, describe as "momentous" an upcoming meeting of the NIF board of directors, scheduled to be held in Israel in February, at which, Sokatch says, "new strategic directions will be set."
CAMERA: EAST JERUSALEM: Setting the Record Straight
Do Jews have a right to settle in eastern Jerusalem? What are the legal issues regarding sovereignty over eastern Jerusalem'? Is Israel's annexation of eastern Jerusalem legitimate? The media often blurs these distinct questions together as one, answered with the facile and misleading conclusion that Israel is guilty of breaking international law. But without looking at the complex historic and legal considerations that underlie each of these questions, the media prevents news consumers from understanding one of the primary issues in the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict.
This backgrounder addresses some of the common media misrepresentations regarding Jerusalem.
Obamageddon in the Middle East
The easiest way to tell that Obama has run out of things to do in the Middle East is his desperate pivot to the peace process. The never-ending peace process, which is now on its fourth administration and its sixth prime minister, is the gift shop in the museum of the Middle East. It's the place you stop by on the way to the exit because it's convenient and everyone back home expects some souvenir peace t-shirts.
In 2013, the West Bank and Gaza are more irrelevant to events in the Middle East than ever before. Like toddlers left alone in their high chairs, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have spent the last year whining that no one is paying attention to them. And no one in the Arab world is paying attention to them because suddenly killing Shiites has become more of a priority than killing Jews.
Natfali Bennett: Talks 'Aint Going Nowhere'
Speaking to veteran presenter Charlie Rose, Bennett spoke his mind about a range of topics; from his own political career to negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and the Iranian nuclear standoff - although for Israeli audiences not that much new was covered.
When asked what brought a successful hi-tech businessman into the gritty world of politics, the Jewish Home party head said he traced that decision "to one moment," after he was called up for military reserve duties during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Palestinian negotiator Ishtayeh insists on resignation
On Thursday, PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi called on the Palestinian leadership in a radio interview to "prepare to turn to the UN without waiting for the failure of negotiations with Israel," Palestinian daily Al-Quds reported.
Fatah: Israel is "the enemy of all nations of the world"
A Fatah official based in Lebanon recently explained that Yasser Arafat was involved in "all liberation movements in the world; in South America, in Asia, in Africa, and had a part in all these revolutions." The official, Fatah's Director of Communications in Lebanon Rifat Shanaah, claimed that Arafat "taught them" that Israel is "the racist entity, the enemy of all nations of the world" and that "it bears responsibility for insecurity everywhere because Israel exists in order to create conflicts - sectarian and ethnic conflicts in the Middle East."
34,600 Palestinians working in Israel without permits
The number of Palestinians from the West Bank working Jewish settlements there and in Israel has increased from ninety-six thousand in the first quarter of the year to 103 thousand in the third quarter.
The numbers were released in a report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.
51,000 of the Palestinian workers employed in Israel had work permits while 34,600 did not have permits, according to the report.
Palestinian Authority Builds Illegally in E1
The investigation of Regavim movement indicates that hundreds of portable structures have already been built around Ma'ale Adummim and Highway 1, which extends all the way to the Dead Sea. The buildings are made of metal plates, allowing rapid construction as the Palestinian Arabs generally operate on weekends, when the Supervisory Unit of the Civil Administration is on leave.
At first, the Palestinian Authority kept the buildings under black tarps, to prevent photos being taken and establishing proof of illegal building. Over time, these tarps have disappeared - revealing even more buildings in their wake. All of the buildings are in Area C - the area exclusively under Israeli control. (h/t Bob Knot)
PA shuts down Islamist seminar on women in Bethlehem
The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday night banned a radical Islamic group from holding a seminar in Bethlehem under the title: "Women's groups and societies seek to corrupt women."
The seminar was sponsored by Hizb ut Tahrir [Party of Liberation], a radical group whose goal is to create an Islamic state or caliphate ruled by Islamic law.
CAMERA: Thomas Friedman, Iran and the 'Israel Lobby'
Of course, there are valid arguments on both sides of the sanctions question that can be debated. But Friedman, with obsessive tunnel vision, prefers to focus his target on Israel and her Jewish supporters (even throwing in a gratuitous, unrelated jibe about Israeli settlements), while treating French and Saudi objections as inconsequential. "If Israel kills this U.S.-led deal, then the only option is military," warns Friedman.
This is not the first time Friedman has conjured up the ugly, anti-Semitic specter of a nefarious "lobby" that uses Jewish money and votes to corrupt American lawmakers in order to mold U.S. policy to Israel's benefit and American harm.
Elliott Abrams: There Friedman goes again
This is awful stuff. It does not seem to occur to Friedman that those lawmakers simply agree with the Saudis (and many other Arabs) and Israelis that the Obama policy they oppose is dangerous for the U.S. They are not "taking Israel's side against their own president's" but taking America's side against a policy they see as foolish and dangerous. Does Friedman think John McCain and Lindsey Graham, two of the key critics of Obama's Iran policy, are beholden to "the Israel lobby" for their re-election campaigns, for donations, for future promotion?
Al Jazeera America Floundering Amid Low Ratings
Since its August 20 launch to 40 million US homes Al Jazeera America's TV channel has only averaged 13,000 viewers a day nationwide, equivalent to a public access channel, reports the New York Post.
Al-Quds president says Brandeis counterpart 'gone overboard' in row over rally
Lawrence called on Nusseibeh to issue in Arabic and English a condemnation of the demonstration. Unsatisfied with a statement subsequently issued by Nusseibeh in English and Arabic, which Brandeis called "unacceptable and inflammatory," the Waltham, Mass. university on Monday suspended its partnership with al-Quds, which had been in place since 1998. Lawrence said the university would reevaluate the relationship in the future.
Brandeis Removes Al Quds' Nusseibeh From Ethics Center
In a move reinforcing the basis for its decision to sever ties with Al-Quds University, Brandeis University issued a statement on Thursday, Nov. 21, that Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al-Quds University, will be removed from his position on the Advisory Board of the Brandeis International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life.
Syracuse follows Brandeis in halting ties with Al-Quds
Syracuse University "indefinitely" suspended its relationship with Al-Quds University on Thursday, making it the second American university to sever ties this week after Islamic Jihad held a Nazi-style demonstration on the Palestinian university's campus.
"We are very disappointed and saddened to have learned of these recent events at Al-Quds University," said Kevin Quinn, Syracuse's senior vice president for public affairs, in an email to The Jerusalem Post. (h/t Bob Knot)
NY Jewish Leader: Working to Stop "Knockout Game"
In the "game," also known as "Get the Jew," gangs of black youths seek an unsuspecting vicitm and try to knock them out with one punch. The anti-Semitic attacks have seen an upswing in number since September.
Rabbi Behrman noted that in Crown Heights particularly easily identifiable religious Jews have been targeted. However, he noted that the "game" is being "played" throughout the US, and beyond simple anti-Semitism it bears testimony to a dangerously violent youth culture.
UAE book fair promotes Mein Kampf and Protocols of Zion books
The ­Sharjah Inter­na­tional Book Fair (SIBF) in the United Arab Emirates, which reportedly attracted 1 million vis­i­tors from across the region last week, reportedly featured several infamous anti-Semitic books, including the noto­ri­ous anti-Semitic forgery, The Pro­to­cols of the Learned Elders of Zion.
The ten-day book fair, which concluded last week, was organised by Depart­ment of Cul­ture and Infor­ma­tion — Shar­jah Gov­ern­ment. The mis­sion of the fair, accord­ing to orga­nis­ers, was "to cul­ti­vate the love for lit­er­a­ture among peo­ple by enrich­ing their expe­ri­ence of the writ­ten word."
Saudi Man Arrested For Giving Free Hugs
Abdulrahman al-Khayyal was arrested by Saudi religious police after offering free hugs in the capital city of Riyadh. He apparently was inspired by a viral Youtube video of a fellow Saudi, Bandr al-Swed, offering free hugs. The clip has garnered nearly 1.5 million views in three days.
EasyJet to begin direct Tel Aviv-Berlin in February
Berlin will be the company's sixth-operating route to Tel Aviv, after London Luton, Manchester, Geneva, Basel and Rome.
In April, the government approved an Open Skies Agreement to align Israeli flight rules with EU standards and bring about competition, a move that promised to benefit low-cost carriers.
Israel First Country to Sell Innovative 3D Printed Underwear (VIDEO)
There's no need for Israelis to get their panties in a twist. That's because Israel is set to become the first country in which 3-D printed underwear will be available for purchase.
Tamicare shot into the headlines recently after it was reported that Victoria's Secret was in talks with the firm to produce underwear.
Israel Daily Picture: The Chatham Library Photo Treasures Part 2, the Walls & Gates of Jerusalem
The Chatham University Archives placed all 110 colored slides from the"Holy Land Lantern Slides"online, and in this posting we present a selection to focus on the collection's pictures of Jerusalem's walls and gates.
StandWithUs: Israeli Soldiers Stories Tour

Weekend roundup and administrivia

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PST

This was a very busy week here at EoZ. Some highlights:
Not bad for a single week!

(As always, if you think that this information is useful, feel free to donate or subscribe!)

I am looking forward to Shabbat very, very much.

I plan to be in Israel for about 10 days in December. If you have any ideas of stories you want me to cover while I am there, feel free to email me.  (And if anyone in Israel has a venue to host the Hasby Awards, that would be great!)

I still have one important video to edit from the last time I was there in February.
Speaking of, the deadline for nominations for the annual Hasby Awards is almost here. Please nominate, or second other people's nominations, at my Hasby post. And check out the latest nominations, too; there is some really good stuff there.


I admit I don't understand the appeal of Xmas window displays, but some other winter decorations in New York City are nifty.

This snowflake is suspended over a busy intersection in midtown:

11/22 Links Pt1: Arab Bank refuses to pay PA Terrorist, Iran calls war drill “Towards Jerusalem”

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST

From Ian:
Arab Bank: Released Murderers' Stipend is 'Terror Money'
The Arab Bank's refusal to pay "terror money" to Musa Karan of Ramallah, a terrorist freed after 23 years in jail, was reported by a Hamas website. Karan's brother Mohammed told the site that Musa ran into trouble opening an account due to his being a freed terrorist.
The bank's designation of Karan's salary as "terror money" comes after Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon on Monday called for an end to international monetary aid to the PA until it stopped funding terror.
Hamas Launches Torture Campaign to Check Encroachment by Rival Fatah Faction
Hamas is in a state that some analysts are willing to describe as "hysteria." Its position abroad and its domestic control are both eroding, and Israel has thus far managed to stymie the group's efforts to bolster its image with a spectacular terror attack.
Fatah partisans sense weakness and are moving to exploit it. Hamas is now resorting to torture to check the encroachment:
Hamas: Our Rockets Will Reach North of Tel Aviv
Al-Masri, who spoke at an event organized by Hamas students to commemorate a year since the IDF's counter-terror Operation Pillar of Defense, claimed that Israel "will be surprised by the abilities of the Al-Qassam Brigades."
On Monday al-Masri similarly claimed that Hamas now has missiles with a 100 kilometer (62 mile) range, putting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in their sights.
Gaza in Deep Sewage, under Egyptian Siege
Hamas has refused to import Israeli diesel because of taxes imposed by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which is led by rival terror organization Fatah.
Gaza's residents now face daily power failures of 12 or even 18 hours. "Businesses have cut back production, hospitals are rationing electricity to keep dialysis and cardiac support systems running…" all because of Egypt's cutting off smuggling, and Hamas' refusal to pay Ramallah taxes.
Hamas Looking to Buy More Electricity - From Israel
He said the Hamas government submitted its proposal in this regard Israel's Electric Company through the private sector - and that an agreement has been made - but this also requires the restoration of local power grid at a cost of millions of dollars.
Egyptian politician Imad Hamdi, from the Egyptian Popular Front, has criticized the move, calling Hamas hypocritical. Hamdi pointed out that Hamas is guilty of using Israel's resources despite denying its very existence, and stated that Hamas is not effective as a resistance movement against Israel.
Neturei Karta Anti-Zionists Give Hamas a Shiny New Ambulance
Hamas has a new ambulance, thanks to the efforts of their Neturei Karta anti-Zionist comrades. How long will it take before Hamas tries to use it to smuggle terrorists into Israel?
Lion cubs born in Hamas-run zoo die
Mohammad Abdel-Rahman, acting manager of the zoo in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, said the cubs died of an unspecified illness. He said the zoo's staff was unable to save them because they lacked experience in caring for newborn lions.
The cubs struggled from the outset, the Guardian reported. They were not feeding well, and their father displayed aggression toward them.
Zoo staff reached out to an Egyptian zoo in an attempt to procure food and equipment, but restrictions at the Egypt-Gaza border prevented the aid from coming through, a Gaza veterinarian told the Guardian. (h/t MtTB)
Michael Oren: Israel's Oren in LA Times Op-Ed: 'Netanyahu is Merely Doing His Job' in Warning Against a Nuclear Iran
Oren notes that Netanyahu's policies usually reflect the viewpoint of the Israeli intelligence services, rather than just his own opinions.
"Netanyahu may at times appear to stand alone on Iran, but he is backed by a world-class body of experts," writes Oren.
As if to defend this statement, Oren demonstrates how Netanyahu has been ridiculed for his public stance, only to be vindicated later on.
"In 2011, these same analysts predicted that the Arab Spring…would be hijacked by Islamic radicals. They foresaw years of brutal civil strife. Netanyahu publicly expressed these conclusions and was denounced as a naysayer by many of the same columnists who are now lambasting him on Iran," Oren said.
Iran Launches 'Massive' War Drills
Iranian military forces launched a series of "massive military drills" across nine provinces on Wednesday following an order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to state media reports.
The drills, codenamed "Towards Jerusalem," will continue over the coming days and throughout the rest of the year.
White House Refuses to Condemn Khamenei's 'Rabid Dog' Comments
Deputy White House press secretary Josh Earnest joined his administration counterparts in refusing to condemn Iranian Ayatollah Khomenei's reference to Israel as a "rabid dog" Thursday in the White House press conference.
Earnest oddly denied the White House is concerned that condemning the rhetoric might imperil the Geneva talks. However, the Obama administration spokesperson still avoided explicitly rebuking Iran for the inflammatory comments:
Israel 'unpleasantly surprised' by mild US reaction to Khamenei's vicious speech
US Secretary of State John Kerry did speak out against Khameini's address, yet stopped short of issuing a forthright condemnation.
"Obviously we disagree with it profoundly," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "It's inflammatory, it's unnecessary, and I think at this moment when we are trying to negotiate what can and can't be achieved, the last thing we need is names back and forth," Kerry said, according to ABC News. "Obviously we don't believe that anything is served with, you know, names that challenge everybody's sense of propriety and justice and rectitude. We've been through this before, as we've heard prior, very disturbing assertions regarding the Holocaust."
US envoy to UN condemns Khamenei tongue lashing
Hours after Israeli officials expressed dismay over the mild American response to harsh comments from Iran's supreme leader, a top US official condemned the remarks in unequivocal terms late Thursday.
Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said comments from Ali Khamenei painting Israel as a rabid dog were "abhorrent," according to CNN.
Iran Infographic: Good Deal vs Bad Deal
Block writes that "to help educate and fight a dangerous deal, TIP (The Israel Project) has created (an) infographic...and a website laying out the terrible impact of deal that would breathe life into Iran's economy while leaving the world's leading sponsor of terrorism with the capability to build nuclear weapons."
AIPAC Applauds Harry Reid on Tougher Iran Sanctions Bill Despite Obama Plea
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he will go ahead with proposing a bill calling for tougher Iran sanctions early next month, despite President Barack Obama's request to delay new sanctions during negotiations.
Smile -- and escape
It is not easy being an Iranian journalist these days. The Iranian journalists in Geneva are more open than ever, going along with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani's policy of smiles. This is entirely different from how they acted in the past in Turkey, Iraq and Kazakhstan. But on Wednesday, Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave a very aggressive speech, and this also influenced the Iranian journalists in Geneva. Should they smile like Rouhani or curse like Khamenei? To smile or not to smile, that is the question.
The same Iranian journalist who on Wednesday morning spoke to me knowing exactly who I was, even interviewing me for his media outlet, quickly came back to me later and asked me not to publish the picture I took with him during the interview. In the new Iran, there are still many shades of gray.
Iran Owes Terror Victims Billions of Dollars, Says Activist Lawyer
An Israeli lawyer who has won billions of dollars for relatives of terror victims has asked Obama administration officials why they are discussing letting Iran off the hook on sanctions while it owes American relatives colossal sums of money.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, who heads the Israel Law Center, has won billions of dollars for relatives of terror victims in lawsuits against the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organization as well as banks and other agencies that aid terrorists or act as a pipeline for funds for them.
Reporters Without Borders Criticizes Iranian Assault on Press
Over 100 days after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's election, Iran continues to crack down on the press and remains "one of the world's biggest prisons for journalists and netizens" according to journalist advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.
The group said in a statement on Tuesday that it was "very disappointed by President Hassan Rouhani's record on freedom of information," noting that since Rouhani took office, at least 10 journalists have been arrested, 10 more have been sentenced to "a combined total of 72 years in prison," and three newspapers have been shut down by the government.
Ya'alon: A stronger Iran means a stronger Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad
Ya'alon stated that the Iranian regime "is involved in every conflict in the Middle East and has also set up terror bases in Africa, Asia and South America. They want to defeat Western culture, and are prepared to sacrifice to achieve this."
He added: "The Iranians want, under the cover of the nuclear umbrella that they will have, to advance their terror activities, such as using a 'dirty bomb' at various targets in the Western world. Therefore, we must not tolerate the possibility of a nuclear Iran. One way or another, Iran's military nuclear project must be stopped."
Jihadi Brit in Syria was imprisoned 2009 anti-Israel protestor
The violence in 2009 began when police tried to move protesters away from the gates of the Israeli embassy following increasingly violent protests during Operation Cast Lead. One police officer was knocked unconscious and two more were injured. There were reportedly running skirmishes between the officers and groups of young men, each time prompting a further charge from the officers and sending the crowd running screaming in the opposite direction.
At least one Iran embassy bomber a Palestinian
A Palestinian national was among the two suicide bombers who attacked the Iranian embassy in Beirut earlier this week, security sources told The Daily Star Thursday.
They said investigators were still trying to identify the second bomber.
Saudi Arabia urges citizens to leave tense Lebanon
Shiite-led Hezbollah has indirectly blamed Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia for Tuesday's twin suicide blasts, which killed 23 people. A Sunni radical group linked to al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility.
Hezbollah-Backed Syrian Offensive Risks New Refugee Wave, "Catastrophic" Destabilization of Lebanon
The army's offensive in the Qalamoun mountains surrounding Qara – enabled and backed by Hezbollah fighters – threatens to trigger a new refugee crisis that would see nearly 20,000 civilians may be driven into Lebanon.
Jean Ogassapian, a Lebanese politician closely linked to the country's anti-Syrian March 14th movement, declared that Hezbollah's continued support of the Syrian army, especially in the Qalamoun regime, risked "catastrophic repercussions in Lebanon" and a "total sectarian war."
Iran Determines Hezbollah's Actions


Hezbollah Uses Civilians as a Human Shield

ElderToon: Israel's right to defend itself

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 07:00 AM PST

Krauthammer on the Iranian deal

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 04:59 AM PST

The latest on the Iranian nuclear negotiations:
The US has said any interim agreement would see the bulk of international and US sanctions targeting Iran's nuclear programme remain in place.

Mr Obama said sanctions relief would be worth between $6bn and $7bn.

The essence of the deal would involve Iran making no more advances in its nuclear programme and agreeing to "more vigorous inspections", he said.

Analysts say a major sticking point is Iran's insistence on its right to enrich uranium - a process that yields material used to manufacture fuel for power stations, but can also be used for weapons.
Giving $6 billion for Iran allowing the IAEA what it should have been able to do all along?

Here is a great op-ed by Charles Krauthammer on this joke:
A president desperate to change the subject and a secretary of state desperate to make a name for himself are reportedly on the verge of an "interim" nuclear agreement with Iran. France called it a "sucker's deal." France was being charitable.
The only reason Iran has come to the table after a decade of contemptuous stonewalling is that economic sanctions have cut so deeply — its currency has collapsed, inflation is rampant — that the regime fears a threat to its very survival.
Nothing else could move it to negotiate. Regime survival is the only thing themullahs value above nuclear weapons. And yet precisely at the point of maximum leverage, President Obama is offering relief in a deal that is absurdly asymmetric: The West would weaken sanctions in exchange for cosmetic changes that do absolutely nothing to weaken Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
Don't worry, we are assured. This is only aninterim six-month agreement to "build confidence" until we reach a final one. But this makes no sense. If at this point ofmaximum economic pressure we can't get Iran to accept a final deal that shuts down its nuclear program, how in God's name do we expect to get such a deal when we have radically reduced that pressure?
A bizarre negotiating tactic. And the content of the deal is even worse. It's a rescue package for the mullahs.
It widens permissible trade in oil, gold and auto parts. It releases frozen Iranian assets, increasing Iran's foreign-exchange reserves by 25 percent while doubling its fully accessible foreign-exchange reserves. Such a massive infusion of cash would be a godsend for its staggering economy, lowering inflation, reducing shortages and halting the country's growing demoralization. The prospective deal is already changing economic expectations. Foreign oil and other interests are reportedly preparing to reopen negotiations for a resumption of trade in anticipation of the full lifting of sanctions.
And for what? You'd offer such relief in return for Iran giving up its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Isn't that what the entire exercise is about?
And yet this deal does nothing of the sort. Nothing. It leaves Iran's nuclear infrastructure intact. Iran keeps every one of its 19,000 centrifuges — yes, 19,000 — including 3,000 second-generation machines that produce enriched uranium at five times the rate of the older ones.
Not a single centrifuge is dismantled. Not a single facility that manufactures centrifuges is touched. In Syria, the first thing the weapons inspectors did was to destroy the machines that make the chemical weapons. Then they went after the stockpiles. It has to be that way. Otherwise, the whole operation is an exercise in futility. Take away just the chemical agents, and the weapons-making facilities can replace them at will.
Yet that's exactly what we're doing with Iran. It would deactivate its 20 percent enriched uranium, which besides being chemically reversible, is quickly replaceable because Iran retains its 3.5 percent enriched uranium, which can be enriched to 20 percent in less than a month.
Result: Sanctions relief that leaves Iran's nuclear infrastructure untouched, including — and this is where the French gagged — the plutonium facility at Arak, a defiant alternate path to a nuclear weapon.
The point is blindingly simple. Unless you dismantle the centrifuges and prevent the manufacture of new ones, Iran will be perpetually just a few months away from going nuclear. This agreement, which is now reportedly being drafted to allow Iran to interpret it as granting the "right" to enrich uranium, constitutes the West legitimizing Iran's status as a threshold nuclear state.
Don't worry, we are assured. The sanctions relief is reversible. Nonsense. It was extraordinarily difficult to cobble together the current sanctions. It took endless years of overcoming Russian, Chinese and Indian recalcitrance, together with foot-dragging from Europeans making a pretty penny from Iran.
Once the relaxation begins, how do you reverse it? How do you reapply sanctions? There is absolutely no appetite for this among our allies. And adding back old sanctions will be denounced as a provocation that would drive Iran to a nuclear breakout — exactly as Obama is today denouncing congressional moves to increase sanctions as a deal-breaking provocation that might lead Iran to break off talks.
The mullahs are eager for this interim agreement with its immediate yield of political and economic relief. Once they get it, we will have removed their one incentive to conclude the only agreement that is worth anything to us — a verifiable giving up of their nuclear program.
Brilliant.

UNRWA, Oxfam "deplore" Israel for Gaza situation, have nothing bad to say about Hamas and Egypt

Posted: 22 Nov 2013 02:49 AM PST

From AFP:
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated one year after a truce that ended fighting between Israel and the Hamas rulers of the Palestinian enclave, UN officials said Thursday.

"After 12 months the initial hopes for a significant improvement on the ground have not been realized," said James Rawley, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories.

"In fact I am sorry to report that the situation for Gaza's 1.7 million people is worse than it was before the hostilities a year ago" between November 14 and 21, he said.

Speaking at a news conference marking the anniversary, Rawley said the fuel and energy crisis was a primary cause of the situation.

Robert Turner, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, noted the impact of the demolition of smuggling tunnels under the border since Egypt's army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3.

"The closures of the tunnels has led to a near total collapse of private sector constructions, as it compounded the constraints due to the pre-existing ban on construction materials from Israel for the private sector," said the UNRWA chief.

The two officials deplored Israel's decision to ban the import of building materials – including to international agencies – from October 13, following the discovery of a tunnel that Hamas fighters dug to use for attacks.

Oxfam said Gazans were still "trapped under the Israeli blockade and largely cut off from the outside world" despite the ceasefire meant to allow the movement of people and goods in and out of the enclave.

"Exports allowed out of Gaza have dropped by half since 2012 and Palestinian fishermen and farmers continue to be prevented from accessing the most productive areas," it said.
In the past few months, Egypt has severely curtailed the movement of people and goods through Rafah. Egypt has nearly stopped smuggling through the tunnels especially of fuel and construction materials.

Israel started increasing the amount of construction materials into Gaza as a result of Egypt's crackdown, but then Hamas decided to use these materials to build tunnels meant to kidnap Israelis (a war crime.) As a result, Israel decided that it makes no sense to give Hamas materials that can be used to perform terror attacks. Israel still allows construction materials to enter Gaza for specific approved NGO projects, just as it did before.

Hamas has also chosen not to spend its cash on fuel, and is holding Gazans hostage to their negotiations with the PA to get cheaper fuel. Israel is willing to sell whatever fuel is needed.

During the year, Israel has worked closely with Gaza farmers to turn the export industry from one dependent on seasonal products like strawberries into a much more lucrative, year-round export industry of spices. Obviously, the price of spices per kilo is orders of magnitude higher than tomatoes. In October 2013, five truckloads of spices were exported, as opposed to zero in October 2012. That very well might explain why the number of trucks of exports have decreased, assuming it is true - the real question is how much those exports are worth.

But the only party that gets "deplored" by the UN and Oxfam is - Israel. They don't have a bad word to say about the Hamas terror tunnels, nothing negative about Hamas' cynical use of its own people as pawns to pressure others to give it cheap energy, nothing at all to say about Egypt's closing Rafah, and nothing bad to say about Egypt protecting its security by enforcing restrictions on movement to Gaza.

These NGOs swear up and down that they aren't biased against Israel, but their own words prove their one-sided view, day in and day out.
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