יום רביעי, 22 בינואר 2014

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Jews of Judea and Samaria fighting boycott with website (plus video)

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 06:00 PM PST

The New York Times reports:
ELI, West Bank — Among the most ardent advocates of labeling products made in Israeli settlements are Gedaliah and Elisheva Blum, American-born religious Jews raising four children high on a hilltop here, in the heart of what most of the world envisions as the future Palestinian state.

The Blums have since 2009 run a website promoting small businesses — mechanics, real estate brokers, caterers, etc. — in the settlements generally viewed as illegal under international law, and last fall they unveiled an online boutique selling settler art. Their approach is an attempted antidote to the "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" movement that has been gaining ground lately — buy local, invest, celebrate.

"We wanted to use that same tool everybody else is using against us, for us," said Mr. Blum, 35.

...Their operation is admittedly small bore and symbolic. The "Orange Pages" — the color is taken from the campaign opposing the 2005 evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements — gets 1,000 hits a day. It lists 2,000 businesses, 700 of which pay about $14 a month for more prominent play. Mrs. Blum, who is 30, said some settler leaders told her "don't promote us, just keep quiet," but that only a handful of companies had ever declined to be listed.

The new art boutique has sold a dozen prints and one original, totaling $4,500. Profits are put into the Orange Pages — as Mr. Blum put it, "a man from Alabama buys a painting from Hebron and enables a plumber from Shilo to get more exposure."

Like many settlers, the Blums think Israel should annex the West Bank.

"If you created a time machine and you went back 2,000 years, the center of Jewish life was here, it was Judea and Samaria, it wasn't Tel Aviv," Mr. Blum said, using the biblical names for the territory. "If we don't want to fight for this land — I mean fight as in living and building — we're erasing our history."

Mrs. Blum moved at age 5 to Efrat, a settlement south of Jerusalem. Mr. Blum grew up secular in New Jersey, and came to Israel in 2000 on the first free trip for young diaspora Jews run by Birthright. When he came back with Birthright in 2003, she was one of two Israeli volunteers greeting the plane with rugelach from the famed Marzipan bakery. He decided that day they should marry.

They run the websites from their modest home, where Mrs. Blum's paintings — of an archway in Safed and a Kabbalistic interpretation of creation — adorn the walls and the children, ages 2, 4, 6 and 8, wander in and out.

"The message for our children is, you see something wrong, you fix it," she said. "We saw a boycott, we see injustice, then you do something about it. Even if it's just one little baby step."
OK, so now I feel guilty.

Because I interviewed the Blums nearly a year ago and I had never edited the video for the blog! (Although I did mention them last October when the English version of their website went online.)

Now that they are newsmakers, it is only right for me to try to make up for it.

Here they are in a house in Eli that they were renting at the time, talking about what life is like as Jews living in Judea and Samaria.




01/21 Links Pt2: Lies, bigotry and silence: Britain’s Stain, MLK: Israel a great outpost of democracy

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:45 PM PST

From Ian:

Melanie Phillips: Lies, bigotry and silence: Britain's permanent stain
British Jews who care about this sort of thing have had the disturbing experience of observing not one but three examples of public, home-grown anti-Jewish bigotry over the past few days.
First off the block was the former Labour Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who in an article in the Independent repeated not only his inexplicable belief that his idol, Iran's President Rouhani, was ushering in a new world order of peace and harmony, but also that the benighted Israelis were buying up Washington in order to frustrate this nirvana (I paraphrase, but you get the general idea).
Britain's Anti-Jewish Parliamentarians
Yet, this deep dislike of Israel stems not only from Israel's alliance with America and the West, but also from the fact that it is a Jewish state. For the decidedly post-nationalist British left, Zionism is an anathema–the idea that a people as cosmopolitan as the Jews would have set themselves on the wrong side of history by establishing a nation of their own. The Jews were once favored by the left, when they were poor and widely discriminated against. But as Britain's Minister for Education Michael Gove has explained of the left's mentality, "when Jews are successful, assertive, self-confident or, worst of all, conservative, then they move, metaphorically, beyond the pale."
Given the way in which those such as MP Grahame Morris would so casually associate the Israeli flag with Nazis, it would appear that there is a sense of growing confidence among the anti-Israel and anti-Jewish fringe in Britain's parliament. But with such views flying around among lawmakers, there must be concerns about the future diplomatic relations between the two countries. And more than that, the questions about the future of the British Jewish community become ever more troubling.
Labour and Hamas UK
The Labour Party's public position is that it has no truck with Hamas, or with those who seek the destruction of the State of Israel. As Ed The reality is somewhat different. Prominent Labour MPs continue to support high profile Hamas activists in the United Kingdom, and are happy to speak at the same rallies as Jenny Tonge.
This weekend, you could have attended a demonstration in support of Gaza which was addressed by Jenny Tonge and Labour's shadow Justice Minister, Andy Slaughter MP.
Palestinians Divided Over Boycott of Israeli Universities
A professor in the College of Pharmacy at Al-Quds, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue, said more than 50 Palestinian professors were engaged in joint research projects with Israeli universities, funded by international agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development. He said that, without those grants, Palestinian academic research would collapse because "not a single dollar" was available from other places. He rejected the call for a boycott as having no practical value.

As for travel restrictions on foreign academics seeking to enter the Palestinian territories, which include the West Bank and Gaza, Mr. Palmor acknowledged that access to and from "Hamas-controlled Gaza" is now rarely possible via Israel, but he said Israel had played no part in the tight control of Gaza's other border crossing, via Egypt.
For the West Bank, he said, academics are not routinely denied entry. "There is no ban on the entry to the West Bank of any lecturer, professor, or researcher. There never was."



Soccer player Anelka charged for anti-Semitic gesture
West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka was charged by the English Football Association on Tuesday for performing a racially aggravated gesture considered to be anti-Semitic while celebrating a Premier League goal.
The former France international, who faces a minimum five-game ban under the FA's anti-discrimination sanctions, has until 8 p.m. Thursday to respond to the charge.
British firm drops soccer team sponsorship over quenelle
The major sponsor of the West Bromwich Albion British soccer team has canceled a $4.93 million deal with the team over an anti-Semitic gesture by one if its players.
Zoopla, which is co-owned by a Jewish businessman, Alex Chesterman, had threatened to drop the company's sponsorship if Nicolas Anelka was not dropped from the roster for Monday's game against Everton in the Premier League. Anelka was included in the team and played for 77 minutes of the 1-1 tie before being substituted. He didn't score his team's goal.
Chile's Palestino soccer team to change uniform
Chile's top soccer league has penalized the Palestine Football Club with a fine after playing in three official matches wearing uniforms showing the entire map of Israel as Palestine.
On Monday, the National Association of Professional Football of Chile, or ANFP, by unanimous decision penalized the Palestino soccer team, which was founded in 1920 by Palestinian immigrants to Chile, some $1,300 for having the map on the back of the jerseys in place of the numeral 1. The ANFP also ruled that the team must redesign the uniforms to include numerals for player numbers.
Why Does HRW Support the Ummah Conference?
It's not surprising that Alkarama would advocate so fiercely for the Ummah Conference, and falsely attest to that group's moderation to Alkarama's partners in Human Rights Watch. Alkarama was founded by five like-minded individuals: Designated terror financier Abd al-Rahman Omar al-Nuaimi and Khalifa Muhammad Raban who, like Nuaimi, is a Qatari citizen, and three leaders from Algeria's Ummah Conference affiliate. Indeed, Mourad Dhina, one of the Algerian Alkarama founders and Ummah Conference members, was the supervisor of the executive office of Algeria's Islamic Salvation Front from 2002-2004. Readers should remember the Islamic Salvation Front as the front group for the Armed Islamic Group, one side of the Algerian civil war that engaged in gross violations of human rights and committed atrocities in the conflict that claimed perhaps 100,000 lives.
As a private organization, HRW can ultimately do what it wants, even if it loses credibility by corrupting human-rights reporting by enabling radical partners to inject political agendas into their reports, effectively rendering them into tools of propaganda rather than human-rights advocacy.
Judged, shunned and excluded
Often, the primary goal of BDS campaigns is to turn support for Israel from a widely supported fact to a controversial issue. In this respect publicly campaigning against BDS, and thus giving it more media attention, often undermines our position.
I believe the most effective way to combat delegitimization is a preemptive strike.
We must not be limited to reacting to threats but rather must work actively to make Israel a positive part of the public consciousness.
For this purpose, we have created the Face of Israel, a joint venture between the Foreign Ministry and Diaspora Jewry based on the successful model of Birthright. This new organization will be responsible for fighting Israel's image battle internationally under the guidance of the Foreign Ministry.
South Africa's Wits University Sentences 11 Students to Community Service for Anti-Israel Riot
Administrators of the University of Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, said the school sentenced 11 students to community service for disrupting a performance of Israeli concert pianist Yossi Reshef in an anti-Israel riot during "Israel Apartheid Week" in March 2013.
Reshef had been invited as a guest of Tararam, an Israeli culture initiative, but the concert ended abruptly after vuvuzela-blowing, screaming protesters, including members of the Muslim Students Association, broke into the auditorium to interrupt the event. Diplomatic guests were hastily removed by their respective security teams, while members of the audience reported being traumatized and manhandled.
BBC Northern Ireland amplifies inaccurate claims of anti-Israel activist
Right down at the bottom of the article the following information appears:
"A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in London said: "Mr Spedding's entry into Israel was denied due to his involvement in organising a violent protest in Queens University, Belfast, in which an Israeli representative was attacked, and others were forced to take shelter to prevent being hurt.
"No country has an obligation to allow foreigners who have been involved in violent activities targeting its nationals to enter its territory." "
Hence, self-proclaimed Middle East 'expert' and apparent political hopeful Gary Spedding has – with no small amount of help from the BBC – milked to the full the exposure and one-sided publicity he (and apparently his party) desired from this story.
CAMERA Prompts NY Magazine Correction on Sabra, Shatilla
CAMERA's Israel office has prompted correction of a New York Magazine article which erroneously stated that Israeli soldiers carried out the massacre in Sabra and Shatilla. As first noted on our Snapshots blog last week, Caroline Bankoff wrote in her obituary for Ariel Sharon:
Jewish Groups Rip Economist Over 'Anti-Jewish' Cartoon, ADL Calls for 'Full Apology' (UPDATE)
UPDATE: On Monday afternoon, The Economist removed the offending image from its website. An "editor's note" at the end of the page said, "The print edition of this story had a cartoon which inadvertently caused offence to some readers, so we have replaced it with a photograph." The cartoon still remains visible on the publication's Middle East & Africa landing page.
Do 'Sophisticated' Brits at the Economist Believe Jews Control Washington?
Regardless of the Economist's intent, it's difficult not to be dispirited by the fact that less than 70 years after the Holocaust, with Jews representing less than 2% of the U.S. population, tropes and graphic representations warning that Jewish 'pressure groups' are too powerful are once again becoming fashionable amongst the opinion elite – the herd of 'independent minds' who carelessly reinforce the idea, without being haunted by its lethal history, that Jews control Washington.
Antisemitism in Montclair
The Bay area is reputedly the most liberal area in the nation. Tolerance, diversity and individual human rights are valued. That is why the appearance on nearly every light pole in Montclair Village of flyers depicting a Jewish Oakland Councilmember emblazoned with swastikas was particularly shocking to community members. It was particularly ironic that these hurtful and offensive flyers made their debut on the day we commemorate the achievements and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Two Violent Anti-Semitic Attacks Alarm Ukraine's Jewish Community
Two violent anti-Semitic incidents that occurred in Kiev over the course of a week have alarmed the Ukrainian Jewish community. On Jan. 11, two men attacked 26-year-old Israeli teacher of Hebrew and Jewish tradition Hillel Wertheimer after he left a synagogue at the end of Shabbat. He did not suffer serious wounds. On Jan. 18, a 33-year-old yeshiva student from Russia, Dov-Ber Glickman, was also attacked after he left a synagogue.
Hungarian Jews demand resignation of Shoah revisionist
In an unusually strong statement posted Sunday on its website, the leadership of Mazsihisz, the official Hungarian Jewish umbrella organization, said they were "aghast and find incomprehensible" the "relativization of the Holocaust" by a new historical institute called Veritas, which the government established in November.
Mazsihisz demanded the resignation of Veritas Director Sandor Szakaly, who in a recent interview called the 1941 deportation of Jews to Kamenets-Podolsk, Ukraine "a police action against aliens."
Neo Nazi Jobbik Party Holds London Rally
I don't believe that any British anti-fascist organisations have yet noted this event.
Auschwitz Museum Launches Education Programs in Farsi, Arabic
The Auschwitz museum at the site of the former Nazi German death camp in southern Poland said Monday it had launched online Holocaust awareness programs in Arabic and Farsi, AFP reports.
"We want to address groups of people who often have little knowledge of this subject or who even advocate revisionist views," museum spokesman Pawel Sawicki told the news agency.
Israel leads the world in criminalising "revenge porn"
In a scarcely reported move from last week, Israel's parliament banned nude photos and sexually explicit films posted online without the subject's consent Monday, making it the first country to effectively ban what is colloquially known as "revenge porn".
The bill was introduced by Knesset member Yifat Kariv, after a video posted to WhatsApp of a man having sex with his ex came to her attention, according to Haaretz.
More Dispatches from the "Apartheid" State: Druze poet appointed Ambassador to Brazil
Druze historian and poet Dr. Reda Mansour has been appointed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman as Israel's next ambassador to Brazil. He will enter his new position in the summer.
Mansour was born in 1965 in the Druze village of Isfiya in northern Israel. He has a Ph.D from the University of Haifa's Middle East History Department and is a graduate of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Ambassador Mansour has received the Haáretz Annual Short Story Award, as well as the Haifa University Miller Award. He has published three books of Hebrew poetry and speaks 5 languages. (h/t Bob Knot)
Israel's Filipina 'X-factor' champ allowed to work as a singer
Rose Fostanes, the diminutive 47-year-old Filipina caregiver who became the newest star of Israeli reality television last week by winning the singing competition "X-Factor Israel," will legally be allowed to make money as a singer in Israel, the Ministry of the Interior stated Sunday.
Fostanes, who had been in Israel on a special work visa for caregivers which only allowed her to work legally in that one profession, was officially granted a permit to work as a singer in exchange for giving up her caregiver status. The proposal was made after Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar instructed the Population, Immigration and Border Authority to issue a singing permit for Fostanes.
A Record Year For Israel's Technology Market With Acquisitions And IPOs Totaling $7.6 Billion
The value of all successful exits in the Israeli technology market in 2013 reached a total of $7.6 billion, according to PwC Israel (PDF; in Hebrew). At $170 million, the value of the average exit was the highest it has been over the last ten years. These exits included M&A deals worth $6.45 billion—representing a 16% annual growth—with an average of $859 million per deal (the three largest deals totaled $2.6 billion); and IPOs worth $1.2 billion, with an average IPO of $198 million. The leading sectors were life sciences and the Internet.
Martin Luther King Jr: "Israel... is one of the great outpost of democracy in the world"

Iran still trying to unite (and lead) all Muslims in its superpower quest

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST

Back in 2005, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first entered office, I wrote a post that explained Iran's goal and strategy.

In short, Iran intended for many years to become a world superpower, and it wanted to use a combination of scientific expertise, military strength, and fearmongering to reach that goal. But above all - Iran intended to become the undisputed leader of the Islamic world, to move the center of the world's power from the US to Islamic lands.

While I made some mistakes - not realizing at the time how limited the powers of Iran's president were, and how Ayatollah Khamanei was really pulling all the strings, as well as underestimating the hatred that Sunnis and Shias have for each other - the analysis holds up pretty well for an 8-year old editorial.

Reading the tweets from Iran's Supreme Leader today one can see that this strategy has not changed at all.

Khamenei is, of course, pushing Islam as the enemy of the West and a liberator from Western ideas:




But he has also been spending a lot of time lately trying to heal the Sunni-Shia rift by emphasizing what they have in common and berating those who try to keep their conflict going. He even attended a recdnt pan-Islamic conference.




Of course, the evil US and UK are the ones behind the 1300-year old rift to begin with:


You can see that Iran only wants unity under its leadership, because unity is not meant to heal Islam, but to entrench Iran as the undisputed leader of Islam.

Given that the Shiite-Sunni divisions have only grown over the past couple of years, it seems unlikely that Khamenei will make any headway.  But an Iranian nuclear weapon - or clear demonstration that it could build one at will - would change the calculus of the region tremendously, especially since Sunni Gulf states are no longer feeling like the US is protecting them.

Note also how Khamanei creates a cult of personality around himself, with every single graphic featuring - him.

Just like every other autocratic dictator.

Arab countries worried about having to naturalize their Palestinian "guests"

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 12:15 PM PST

Assawsana (Jordan) reports that Jordan's trade unions are worried that John Kerry's frequent visits indicate that he intends to "liquidate the Palestinian cause at the expense of the people of Jordan and other Arab countries."

The trade unions rejected "any solutions which threaten the security of the homeland and do not give Palestinians the right to return to their homeland in addition to compensation, " stressing that the "right of return" is a sacred, legitimate right and may not be bargained or waived.

Is this because they love the Palestinians so much?

Oh, please. They say Kerry's supposed plan is "not a conspiracy against Palestine and its cause, but a conspiracy against Jordan."

Now, most Palestinians in Jordan are already Jordanian citizens, so what is the problem?

There are apparently two problems. One is that they don't want even the Palestinian Jordanians to stay in Jordan - they want an excuse to send them over the river!

The other one they hint at: "Resettlement and naturalization could empty the West Bank of the population and this is part of the liquidation of the Palestinian issue."

They are worried that if Arab countries tear up their existing bigoted laws discriminating against Palestinians and allowing them to become citizens, then the Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank might just decide they don't want to live in Palestine anymore, and move across the river or to other Arab countries.

If "Palestine" fails as a state, which is extremely likely given how incompetent and corrupt the PA is, then Arab countries will not only have to worry about their existing Palestinian "guests" - but they will face the prospect of five million more Arabs leaving Palestine to move their families to somewhere more stable.

To the Arab countries, the "right of return" really means "the right to keep our nations free of Palestinians." But they will swear up and down that they only mean to save the "Palestinian cause."


New Waqf pamphlet denies Jewish history in Jerusalem

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 10:30 AM PST

This is a new pamphlet being given out by the Muslim Waqf to visitors on the Temple Mount. I added two pages from the Waqf pamphlet of 1925 which shows how much they are lying nowadays. (Their 1950 pamphlet largely agreed with the earlier one; they changed history afterwards.)



(h/t Temple Institute Facebook page)

01/21 Links Pt1: Palestinians vs. Pro-Pal Israelis, UNESCO is slapping the face of every Jew

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

From Ian:

Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinians vs. Pro-Palestinian Israelis
There are a number of disturbing elements in the story of the "anti-normalization" advocates.
First, the protesters are acting against Israelis who openly support the Palestinian issue and are completely opposed to the policies of the current Israeli government. In other words, the Palestinians are "spitting in the face" of those Israelis who support their demands and are prepared to put their lives at risk by entering Ramallah to talk peace.
Second, most of the activists who are protesting against such meetings are affiliated, in way or another, with the same Palestinian Authority, which is conducting official peace talks with Israel under the auspices of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. So why don't the "anti-normalization" folks also turn out against the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah? Most probably because they are scared of being arrested or harassed by Palestinian security forces. Moreover, many of the activists are on the payroll of the PA and are afraid of losing their salaries.
UNESCO's scrapping of Israel exhibit 'a slap in the face of every Jew'
"I'm not going to hide the frustration in my voice when I say that this decision is a blow to peace, and a slap in the face of every Jew," said Rabbi Avraham Cooper, associate dean of the SWC and project director of the exhibition.
Cooper said the press conference was "a plea to Arab nations" that think that portraying Jews' historical ties to the land of Israel would be a barrier to peace negotiations in the Middle East, calling such thoughts "sheer nonsense."
Author of UNESCO's nixed Israel exhibit decries 'appalling betrayal'
Professor Robert Wistrich had bought a ticket to Paris to attend the opening of an exhibition he wrote about the Jewish people's connection to the Land of Israel, which was supposed to take place Monday at the headquarters of UNESCO. But after the exhibition was indefinitely postponed, without prior warning, due to Arab pressure, he canceled and decided to stay in Jerusalem.
"This is such a betrayal. To do it in this way is so disgraceful," fumed Wistrich, who directs the Hebrew University's Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism and is one of the world's leading authorities in the field. An "appalling act," the cancellation "completely destroyed any claim that UNESCO could possibly have to be representing the universal values of toleration, mutual understanding, respect for the other and narratives that are different, engaging with civil society organizations and the importance of education. Because there's one standard for Jews, and there's another standard for non-Jews, especially if they're Arabs, but not only."



Stephen Harper at Knesset: Canada Will Stand by Israel 'Through Fire and Water'
In his speech to the Knesset, Harper explained why it is important that Canada stand with Israel.
"Canada supports Israel because it is right to do so. This is a very Canadian trait, to do something for no reason other than it is right even when no immediate reward for, or threat to, ourselves is evident," said Harper.
"Support today for the Jewish state of Israel is more than a moral imperative. It is also of strategic importance, also a matter of our own long-term interest," he said.
Canadian PM Harper: Academic boycott part of "mutation of the old disease of anti-Semitism"
You can now add Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the growing chorus who recognize the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement for what it is — as former Harvard President Lawrence Summers put it, anti-Semitism "in effect" if not "in intent."
Harper addressed the Knesset today, and voiced unflinching support for Israel (video added at bottom of post). The part that addressed the international boycott movement was of particular interest, considering what has happened this past month with regard to the American Studies Association.
Israelis Demonstrate Their Support for Canadian Prime Minister
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Knesset on Monday for a positive purpose: to show gratitude and support for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his delegation, who has been visiting Israel since Sunday.
The group, mostly Canadian-Israelis, were seen happily singing Canada's national anthem and waving posters, flags, and banners.
Canada's visiting PM Harper pledges $66 million to PA
Under Harper, Canada has been seen as one of Israel's staunchest allies, backing the Jewish state at the United Nations and working to isolate Iran. But in Ramallah, Harper insisted that his government did not intentionally favor Israel, and said his country's policy was free of outside influence.
"Canada is a strong supporter of the peace process," Harper said.
"Our position is not an Israeli position or a Palestinian position; it is a Canadian position of principle supported by the overwhelming majority of Canadians. While Canada has its views, a settlement ultimately has to be decided through negotiations between the two parties."
American Group 'Delighted' by Australian Stance
"We were delighted by the comments of the Australian foreign minister," they stated.
"Minister Bishop made a critical point that the international community chooses to ignore," they explained, when she forthrightly questioned the assumption that there is anything illegal about Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
"The decision about whether to negotiate is a political one. But if there are going to be such negotiations, they must be based on legal realities. The Levy Report – which has concluded that the settlements are not illegal and that Israel is not an occupier – should inform and animate Israel's position," said Kushner and Daube.
The 1967 Lines Are 'Auschwitz Borders'
In recent months, we witnessed the instability that wreaked havoc in Lebanon, Egypt and Syria. We know all too well that our "friends" one week can be replaced by our enemies the next. As Benjamin Netanyahu said in his speech to the United States Congress in 2011, "For in our unstable region, no one can guarantee that our peace partners today will be there tomorrow."
As is axiomatic of Israel's military doctrine, Israel must be the final arbiter of its own destiny. Not only can Israel's national security not be outsourced, but it must be its own guarantor of its own security. That is why Israel cannot acquiesce to the reckless abandon of adopting the vulnerable pre-war armistice/Auschwitz lines.
Liberate Mount Scopus
Mount Scopus, adjacent to Issawiyeh, did not fare much better as a result of the fateful meeting. It became a demilitarized Israeli enclave in the heart of Jordanian territory, where once every two weeks an Israeli supply convoy was allowed in. Today the matter is abundantly clear -- Mount Scopus and the village of Issawiyeh both sit inside a unified Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Far less clear is the actual reality of the situation. The reality has become so blurred that it often seems as if Israel is still adhering to those old maps.
Romania: Palestinians should recognize Israel as Jewish state
Basescu, whose second and final term in office will end this year, landed in Israel on Sunday for his second presidential visit there. He said his objectives for the visit were to consolidate progress in bilateral relations with Israel and relations with Romanian-speaking Israelis, who number approximately 500,000, according to the president.
Basescu compared the situation to Romania's recognition of the Republic of Moldova as the homeland of the Moldavian people, despite the presence of a large contingent of Moldovans who consider themselves Romanians.
PA incitement is entrenched and getting worse
The solution requires refocusing away from statehood, and forcing Arab Palestinian leaders to choose between continuing incitement and support for their political and economic aspirations. No doubt the international community will continue to ignore this issue, as they have done for decades, but they must understand the consequences: it will embolden Arab intransigence, fuel more hatred and prevent any progress toward peace.
Ending incitement should be a prerequisite for any future financial support and political involvement, including diplomatic recognition. It is moral, reasonable and practical.
The struggle against PA and Islamist incitement, therefore, is one of the most crucial elements in the war against terrorism because it strikes at the motivation for people to murder "for the sake of Allah," and "Palestine."
IDF observing Hamas strides to deter Gaza rocket fire
The IDF was seeing substantial Hamas attempts to cease rocket fire emanating from Gaza by smaller terrorist factions.
Hamas has reportedly deployed hundreds of forces along the border fence with Israel in attempt to deter escalations and prevent further rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.
In light of the recent slew of rocket fire on Israel, the ruling organization in the Gaza Strip has pointed toward rogue elements as responsible for the attacks.
Three rockets fired at Eshkol, bomb detonates on Gaza border
Palestinian terrorists fired three rockets at the Eshkol Regional council in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The projectiles slammed into open fields and failed to cause injuries or damages.
On Tuesday morning, Palestinian terrorists detonated a bomb on the border between southern Gaza and Israel. IDF sources said the explosive was planted on the Gazan side of the fence, and was an attempt to kill soldiers in the area.
Egypt Tells Hamas to Stop Attacks, Says Report
Egypt has reportedly been talking to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza in recent days, in an attempt to get them to stop attacking Israeli civilians with rockets.
A senior Islamic Jihad source, quoted by Voice of Israel public radio, said Tuesday that his group, like Hamas, does not seek an escalation of the conflict with Israel. He told Al Hayyat that senior-level Egyptians had been communicating with senior members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, in an attempt to "stabilize the calm."
Gruesome Syria photos may prove torture by Assad regime
A team of internationally renowned war crimes prosecutors and forensic experts has found "direct evidence" of "systematic torture and killing" by the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the lawyers on the team say in a new report.
Their report, based on thousands of photographs of dead bodies of alleged detainees killed in Syrian government custody, would stand up in an international criminal tribunal, the group says.
"This is a smoking gun," said David Crane, one of the report's authors. "Any prosecutor would like this kind of evidence -- the photos and the process. This is direct evidence of the regime's killing machine."
Islamic law takes hold in northern Syria: Singing, smoking and pictures banned
A group linked to al-Qaida, emboldened by its recent victory over rival rebels in Syria, has imposed sweeping restrictions on personal freedoms in the northern province of Raqqa as it seeks to consolidate control over the region.
Reuters obtained copies of four statements issued on Sunday by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) prohibiting music being played and images of people being posted in public.
After uproar, UN withdraws Iran invite to Syria talks
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon withdrew his invitation to Iran to join this week's Syria peace talks, saying he is "deeply disappointed" by Iran's statements Monday.
A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon announced the withdrawal less than 24 hours after Ban surprised the US and others by saying he had invited Syria's closest regional ally.
The withdrawn invitation came shortly after Iran's UN ambassador declared the Islamic Republic wouldn't join the Syria talks if required to accept 2012 Geneva roadmap.
Only one in five Israelis trusts Obama on Iran
Asked if they agreed with the statement, "I trust US President Barack Obama to ensure that Iran does not achieve a nuclear weapon," just 22 percent of likely Israeli voters said yes.
Fully 64% in the survey, conducted by pollster Stephan Miller of (202) Strategies, said they did not agree with the statement, and 15% said they did not know or refused to answer.
Explosion hits Hezbollah neighborhood in Beirut
A large blast rocked Beirut Tuesday morning, hitting a Hezbollah stronghold in the capital's southern neighborhoods.
The explosion struck near a library in the city's Jerusalem street, according to Hezbollah's al-Manar news website.
Four people were killed, according to al-Manar.

Palestinian Arab leaders upset with Canada's prime minister

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

The Globe and Mail publishes an article by Nabil Sha'ath, Fatah foreign relations commissioner, member of the PLO Political Committee and former foreign minister.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has visited Palestine.

He has met with President Mahmoud Abbas, and he would have been received with the grace and generosity of spirit that is characteristic of Abu Mazen and his people. Mr. Harper will be able to say that he visited Mr. Abbas.

But other than this official meeting, nobody else is asking to meet Mr. Harper. This would not have been the case with a Canadian leader only a few years ago, and it is a shame that it has become the case today.

Unlike previous governments, the current Canadian government has done everything possible in order to undermine Palestine's international status and stand in the way of our right to self-determination, acting in disrespect for international law.

The past few years have witnessed a shocking voting record in the UN, which has left Canada almost alone in many instances. Canada has declined to vote even on basic, near-universally accepted resolutions, such as the illegality of Israeli settlements or the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

Meanwhile, actions such as Foreign Minister John Baird's meeting with Tzipi Livni in occupied East Jerusalem in June, 2013, and Canada's lobby against Palestine's UN bid have taken Canada outside of international consensus, making Canada part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
How many people reading this realize that Fatah still supports terrorism, today, and even insists that killing Jewish women and children is one of their rights under international law?

How many Globe and Mail readers realize that Sha'ath is on the record, multiple times, as saying that a Palestinian Arab state would be a springboard to taking over Israel?
Sha'ath and the entire PLO and Fatah leadership  looks at "Palestine " as a Trojan horse, which, together with the "right of return" will destroy the Jewish state. They really don't try to hide this. Too bad the Globe and Mail passed up their opportunity to expose him as a hypocrite.

Meanwhile, I imagine that the PLO isn't too happy with Norway either.
The new Norwegian government, which so far was considered one of the most hostile administrations facing Israel, is working towards bracing the ties between the two countries and enhancing mutual cooperation in an array of fields.

The conservative-progressive minority government, which was established some three months ago, included an article in its elections platform that states that the government will change its Middle East policy and implement a more balanced course of action. This is in stark opposition to previous leftist administrations, whose policy was clearly pro-Arab.

As part of the new policy, Norway's Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader Erna Solberg is expected to make a visit to Israel later this year. It will be the first visit of a Norwegian prime minister in over a decade. Solberg was also among the first world leaders to issue a letter of condolences following the passing of former prime minister Ariel Sharon.
Cue the outrage.



No, Jews didn't climb on the roof of the Dome of the Rock last week

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST

A couple of people have written to me about an insane story in Middle East Monitor. I briefly addressed the story last week when Ma'an published it but here is a more comprehensive answer.

MEMO wrote last week:

Israeli settlers have stormed repeatedly Al-Aqsa Mosque compound over the last two days, and on Thursday even climbed the Dome of the Rock Mosque. The settlers were led by the radical Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who is the former head of the Temple Institute. He was accompanied by a journalist on Thursday who carried a camera to document the attack, while settlers reportedly engaged in verbal altercations with angry Muslim worshipers defending the mosque. Witnesses reported that Rabbi Glick returned to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque twice on Friday, joined by groups of Jewish settlers whom he lectured to about the alleged Temple.

The settlers have now become accustomed to storming the mosque regularly, usually touring around the yards starting from the Mughrabi Gate and then going to Al-Marwani Mosque, Rahma Gate, Al-Asbat Gate and King Faisal Gate until the Alqtanin Gate, exiting from Al-Selselah Gate. However, this is the first incident where the settlers have climbed the Dome of the Rock Mosque.

The General Director of Muslim Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs, Sheikh Azzam Al-Khatib, has condemned the incident and described it as a provocative and dangerous step. Meanwhile, the Islamic-Christian Committee to support Jerusalem and its holy sites issued a press statement affirming that the incident represents "a flagrant violation against places of worship" and pointing out that the Israeli occupation authorities have almost completed their efforts to Judaise Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings and are preparing to announce it as a Jewish synagogue.

Source: Al Ghad
The story was also mentioned in Iranian.com and, of course, Mondoweiss.

Only one problem.

This never happened. It is pure fiction. It is absurd. The "eyewitnesses" are lying.

As Yisrael Medad mentioned, when large groups of Jews visit the Temple Mount, they are accompanied by Waqf guards. They would not let anything like that happen.

They are also accompanied by Israeli security guards who strictly limit what they can do (you know, sometimes those Jews actually try to pray!)

Yehuda Glick, who is now the number one bogeyman in every "Jews storming Temple Mount" story, would never go near the Dome of the Rock because it is near or on top of the "Holy of Holies" and off limits to religious Jews (although, as Medad points out, last year Israeli MK Moshe Feiglin anomalously found justification to go there, it hasn't happened before or since.)

Arab websites like iaqsa.com take dozens of photos every time a Jewish group visits the holy site. No photos or videos have surfaced of this alleged event - not even from the supposed journalist who took photos.

And, seriously - how would anyone climb up there? Did the Jews bring a ladder through Mughrabi Gate?

The story says Glick returned twice on Friday. Jews aren't allowed on the Temple Mount on Fridays at all.

It is just another Arab lie, even though it was commented on by Muslim and PLO officials.

MEMO is notoriously unreliable, it is a UK-based Islamist website.

The MEMO story has over 16,000 Facebook "Likes." So apparently this story has gone viral.

To get an idea of the restrictions on  Jews in the Temple Mount today, see this article.

A former Canadian minister who visited the Temple Mount on Sunday was shocked to learn of the discrimination shown by Israeli police officers towards Jews.

Stockwell Day, who served as Canada's Minister of Public Safety between 2006 and 2008, visited the Temple Mount following a coincidental meeting with a resident of Jerusalem, Yosef Rabin, who regularly visits the Temple Mount compound.

It's always worth reading Ron Prosor's speeches

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 02:00 AM PST

Israel's UN Ambassador Ron Prosor addressing the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, Monday:


The Middle East is known as the cradle of civilization – the birthplace of history's greatest empires and three world religions. The region was once admired for its stirring art, striking architecture and significant innovations.

Today, the world looks at the Middle East and sees a region shaken by violence. From the Arabian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, not a day goes by when we do not read about brutality and bloodshed or new threats looming on the horizon.

Amidst this sea of hostility, Israel is an island of stability and democracy. It is a nation in which the majority governs, but the minority enjoys equal rights; a nation that embraces diversity and welcomes diverse opinions; and, a nation that leads the world in human rights and encourages women to be leaders.

Israel is proud of its democracy and yearns for peace with its neighbors and security in its borders. The people of Israel are still mourning the loss of their legendary statesman and soldier, Ariel Sharon. He was a fearless leader who knew the heavy price of war and was willing to take bold steps for peace.

The State of Israel is still willing to take courageous steps for peace and is committed to serious and meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the United States and Secretary Kerry, in particular, for his tireless devotion to promoting peace in our region.
Mr. President,

Twenty years ago, I recall watching King Hussein and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin meet in the Arava desert to sign the historic peace treaty between our two countries. At the signing, King Hussein said (and I quote), "This is peace with commitment. This is our gift to our peoples and the generations to come."

Fifteen years after his death, King Hussein's legacy of peace lives on. Israelis from across the political and religious spectrum still admire King Hussein's towering morality and his profound belief in the sanctity of life and the dignity of every human being.

I and most Israelis will never forget the sight of King Hussein consoling the Israeli families whose children had been killed in a terrorist attack. After learning that a Jordanian soldier had murdered seven Israeli schoolgirls, King Hussein traveled to Israel to visit the homes of the bereaved families. One by one, he sat with the grieving parents, held their hands, offered words of condolence and hugged and kissed them.

King Hussein told them (and I quote), "I feel that if there is anything left in life, it will be to ensure that all the children enjoy the kind of peace and security that we never had in our times." This is the legacy that his son, King Abdullah, proudly continues today.

Contrast this picture, with a picture from just a few weeks ago. In December, Israel once again made the heartbreaking decision to release convicted Palestinian terrorists in an effort to advance the peace process.

The released terrorists were given a heroes' welcome by the Palestinians and embraced by President Abbas. Murderers were met with fireworks and festivities and showered with candies and congratulations. The Palestinian Authority is rewarding terrorists with tens of thousands of dollars. The motto of the PA's pension plan seems to be 'the more you slay, the more we pay.'

This is coexistence? This is tolerance? This is mutual respect? Grieving Israelis watched as Palestinians celebrated men like Abu Harbish who threw a firebomb at a bus, murdering 26-year-old Rachel Weiss and her three young children.

To everyone in this room I ask - how would you feel if you had to watch your family's murderers being celebrated? Would you call into question the so-called 'peaceful' intentions of your neighbors? President Abbas could learn a great deal from King Hussein of Jordan about demonstrating his commitment to making peace.

Since peace talks began in July, there have been hundreds of examples of Palestinian incitement against Israelis and Jews. From cradles to kindergartens and from schools to soccer stadiums, Palestinian children are besieged by messages of hate.

They are born in hospitals named after violent Palestinian groups, attend schools named after terrorists, and are taught from textbooks that describe Zionism as racism. In their free time, Palestinian children play on sports teams named after murderers and watch television programs that teach that Jews are "our enemies and should be killed."

Rather than condemning this incitement, the Palestinian Authority is amplifying the messages of intolerance. President Abbas's Fatah party regularly displays maps that erase Israel. In one map, for example, the Palestinian flag flies over the entire geographic area of the State of Israel. This map extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River and is entitled "Palestine."

In a speech on Christmas Day, President Abbas declared that Jesus was a (quote) "Palestinian messenger" and suggested Israel was to blame for the exodus of Christians from the Holy Land. This is a blatant attempt to rewrite history and erase any connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel. Today we are witnessing a mass exodus of Christians from the Palestinian territories and the Arab world because of the constant persecution and discrimination that they face by the Arab states.

Abbas's made-up maps and mythical accounts could join the fables of One Thousand and One Nights.

We have already lost an entire generation to incitement. How many more children will grow up being taught hate instead of peace; violence instead of tolerance; and martyrdom instead of mutual understanding? The international community must finally confront Palestinian leaders and publically demand an end to the incitement.

The glorification of terrorists combined with unrelenting messages of hate are having deadly consequences. In 2013, there were 1,500 attacks against Israelis, 700 of which occurred after peace negotiations began in July. In recent months there has been a sharp increase in terrorist attacks including the murder of five Israelis.

Just last month, a Palestinian sniper murdered 22-year-old Saleh Abu Latif, an Israeli Bedouin civilian. Two day earlier, a bomb exploded on a civilian bus in a suburb just outside Tel Aviv. Had it not been for the quick thinking of the bus driver and an alert passenger, dozens of people could have been killed. A successful attack could have had disastrous consequences for the peace talks.

In the face of this violence and bloodshed we have yet to hear President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, utter a single word denouncing these attacks. They even remained silent when it was revealed that one of the bus bombers was a member of the Palestinian police force. While most police forces have officers that uproot terrorism, this police officer was busy planting bombs.

The Palestinian leadership has yet to learn that real peace requires real commitment. You cannot condemn terrorism to international media and congratulate terrorists on Palestinian media. You cannot victimize others and then insist you are the victim. And you cannot use this forum to spread destructive messages and expect constructive results.

How many times have you heard that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the major conflict in the Middle East? 'You solve this conflict, you solve all the conflicts in the Middle East.' Some in this Chamber have even repeated this fiction.

Really? The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the major conflict in the Middle East? Wow. People who say this need an eye doctor to help them see clearly – beginning maybe with the ophthalmologist from Damascus, Bashar al-Assad, who is butchering his people every day. I'm sure that's connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Shiites fighting Sunnis fighting Alawites; extremist groups battling one another in Libya, Yemen and Tunisia; Al-Qaeda forces overrunning major cities in Iraq - all of this is caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? That's a revelation.

The truth is that Israel is an island of stability in a sea of tyranny. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose legacy is being celebrated today, once described Israel as (quote): "one of the great outposts of democracy in the world and a marvelous example of what can be done - how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security, and that security must be a reality."

I think it should be obvious that the violence and instability afflicting the Middle East has nothing to do with Israel. We must solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on its own merits because it's important for us. Solving this conflict isn't a prescription to cure the epidemic of violence plaguing the Middle East.

Despite what you constantly hear, the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has never been about borders or settlements. The major obstacle to peace remains the refusal of Palestinian leaders to accept the Jewish State in any border. You will never hear President Abbas or any Palestinian leader utter the phrase "two states for two peoples."

Let me understand this – the Palestinians call for an independent Palestinian state, but want millions of their people to flood the Jewish state? It will never happen. It is a complete nonstarter. Many in this Chamber are vocal about telling Israel what to do, but begin to stutter, mumble and fall silent when it comes to telling the Palestinians what they must do.

Each and everyone here must tell the Palestinians that there will never be peace as long as they refuse to recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people and insist on a so-called right of return.

Despite what many may believe, Israel dedicates a great deal of its energy and resources to assisting the Palestinian people. Today, more than 100,000 Palestinians earn their living in Israel and their income constitutes more than 10% of the Palestinian GDP.

Israel helps generate solutions to energize the Palestinian economy. We transfer millions of dollars in electricity, water and natural gas to power Palestinian homes, schools and hospitals. When a giant storm struck last month, Israel delivered humanitarian aid and water pumps and facilitated the passage of fuel and cooking gas to Palestinians in need.

Yet for every truckload in the name of coexistence, we seem to be feeding a Palestinian opposition that challenges our very existence. It is time for Palestinians leaders to lead. It is time for them to set a course towards coexistence. And it is time for them to build the Palestinian people up rather than tear Israel down.

The Middle East is plagued by a reign of tyrants and a drought in leadership. Millions of people have taken to the streets demanding better lives, better economies and greater opportunities. The first peaceful protests in the region were in the streets of Tehran, where the government brutalizes it citizens and throws innocent people into jail.

Many in the international community believed that the new Iranian president would set a new precedent. It has been almost six months since President Rouhani took office and Iran is still persecuting minorities, imprisoning journalists, and targeting political adversaries. The Iranian government has executed more of its citizens per capita than any other government. Last year alone, the regime executed almost 600 people, including 367 since President Rouhani took office in August.

Iran does not confine its violence and extremism to its own borders. From Buenos Aires to Burgas, Iran is the world's primary sponsor of terror. Just this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif paid tribute on behalf of the Islamic Republic at the grave of one of Hezbollah's most notorious murderers.

Rather than cleaning house, the new president believes he can sweep Iran's atrocities under the Persian rug by introducing UN resolutions that condemn violence and extremism. Iran's WAVE resolution may have made a splash at the UN, but messages of intolerance and violence continue to trickle down from the top.

Behind Iran's smiling façade, President Rouhani and Ayatollah Khamenei continue to preach hatred and provoke hostility. Ayatollah Khamenei recently appeared on state television and delegitimized Israel using disgusting profanity that doesn't bear repeating.

The ink is barely dry on the interim nuclear agreement and Iran is already showing its true colors. This is a regime that crosses red lines, produces yellow cake, and beats its citizens black and blue. Meanwhile, some in the international community are willing to serve Iran its yellow cake on a silver platter. Permitting Iran to keep its enrichment capabilities today means that Iran will retain the ability to breakout and build a nuclear bomb tomorrow.

Violence is encoded in the Iranian regime's DNA. It doesn't take a crime scene investigator to see Iran's fingerprints on the violence erupting in parts of the Middle East.

In the Gaza Strip, Iran backs the Hamas terrorist organization that uses Palestinian schools, hospitals and mosques to launch rockets at Israeli citizens. We are barely three weeks into the new year and Hamas has already launched 17 rockets at Israel – attacks that have closed schools and kept tens of thousands of children in Southern Israel at home.

The international community has yet to find the time to utter even a single condemnation of these attacks – attacks that could derail the peace process. It has also yet to condemn Hamas for deliberately exploiting children. Schools in Gaza have become the training ground for the next generation of terrorists. Last week, Hamas graduated 13,000 students from paramilitary camps geared at training children to fight Israel.

In Lebanon, Iran has helped Hezbollah hijack the Lebanese state and transform it into an outpost for terror. For years, Hezbollah insisted it needed a private army to defend Lebanon against Israel. Today, that army has sent 2,000 fighters to butcher the Syrian people and shoot rockets into Israel.

Hezbollah has positioned 60,000 missiles and rockets in the heart of Southern Lebanon's civilian population. General Hajizadeh, a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards recently boasted that Hezbollah has improved its missile capabilities and can now "hit and destroy any target" in Israel.

Hezbollah intentionally hides these missiles in the basements of homes, in the playgrounds of schools, and in the back rooms of hospitals. In doing so, Hezbollah is committing a double war crime - first by using Lebanese civilians as human shields and second by targeting Israeli citizens.

The Government of Lebanon cannot continue to ignore what is happening in Southern Lebanon and it can no longer ignore its international obligations under resolution 1701. Throughout December, armed terrorists fired shots across the Blue Line into northern Israel. In one incident, a member of the Lebanese Armed Forces shot Israeli, Shlomi Cohen, in a ruthless and unprovoked attack.

It is time for this Council to hold accountable all those that arm, train and harbor terrorists. It is time to speak out against those who callously disregard human life. As we have seen in Syria, the failure to do so has disastrous consequences.

The war in Syria is approaching its fourth year and the death toll continues to climb. The Syrian government has resorted to new depths of brutality by dropping "barrel bombs" packed with explosives, nails and other shrapnel on markets and hospitals. In just a few days, more than 700 people were killed and over 3,000 were injured.

The State of Israel and the Jewish people are deeply troubled by the suffering of the Syrian people and are reaching out to help them. While some in the region are aiding the murderous Assad regime, Israel is providing medical aid.

Sunnis, Alawites and Shiites are running to Israel – the so-called "enemy" because they know that Israel will treat anyone without prejudice and regardless of ethnicity, religion or gender. And we will continue to lend humanitarian assistance to the victims with open arms and an open heart.

Today, the Middle East stands at a critical juncture. There are two roads before us. The first is the future offered by Iran and Syria - a future of more extremism and greater violence. And the second is the road towards equality, reform and stability.

Study after study has shown the clear connection between advancing peace and advancing equal rights. When a woman receives an education, her children are healthier and more likely to get an education. And when a woman generates her own income she reinvests 90% in her family and community. But women can only help drive a nation's economy if they are allowed into the driver's seat.

As we begin this new year, the international community must call upon Arab leaders to choose the path of progress and abandon the road of repression. Tell them that tyranny will fail; tell them peace is built on tolerance; and tell them that every man and every woman is entitled to equal rights and equal opportunities.

As Winston Churchill said: "All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom... honor...hope." The international community must stand on the side of human rights and human dignity. You must speak up and speak out so that the people of the Middle East can finally enjoy freedom, honor and hope.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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