יום חמישי, 13 בפברואר 2014

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

How the PLO politicizes water as a weapon against Israel

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:30 PM PST

Deutche Welle reports:

European Parliament President Martin Schulz came under fire Wednesday after making remarks in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, about the water usage of Palestinians and Israelis in the occupied West Bank.

In his speech, Schulz said that when he was in Ramallah earlier in the week, a young Palestinian had asked him "why an Israeli can use 70 cubic liters of water daily and a Palestinian only 17?" He then added, "I haven't checked the data. I'm asking you if this is correct."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his own address to the Knesset, accused Schulz of repeating claims without fact-checking. "Check first," he said.
Israeli media quoted Israel's national water authority as saying the figures quoted by Schulz were inaccurate with West Bank settlers consuming 1.7 times more water per person, instead of 4.2 times more.

This reminded me of an incident from 2011.

Ma'an reported at the time:
The head of the Palestinian Water Authority has condemned Israel's destruction of three water wells near Nablus, calling on the international community to intervene.

Shaddad Attili said the Beit Hassan wells were used to irrigate 2,000 dunums of land on which several families relied. "It is the ability of these families to stay on their land that Israel is targeting," Attili said.

He added: "My immediate concern is for the welfare of those Palestinian families and communities affected by the destruction of these wells. Getting water to them is my first priority."
Israel destroying wells! What more do you need to know?

Here's a 2012 letter from the head of infrastructure for COGAT at the time, explaining the truth. Of course, it didn't get the same coverage as the initial accusations:
A few days ago Dr Attili sent out a letter denouncing the Israeli destruction of a number of illegal wells located in Beit Hassan, using this as an explanation for his choice to withdraw from the desalination training program.

It is unfortunate that Dr Attili has chosen to take such action, not least as above all, as it is the Palestinian people alone who will suffer as a result of his decision.

In response to his accusation, I think it is essential to inform you of a number of crucial points that Dr. Attili has omitted, which highlight not only the difficulties that we face with regards to cooperation in the water sector, but also expose the customary tiresome Palestinian public relations tactics, which we are forced to deal with on a regular basis.

The decision to shut down the 3 illegal wells in Beit Hassan was agreed upon by both sides, Israeli and Palestinian, at the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Committee (JWC) meeting held on 2.12.2007, (see attached signed MoM, paragraph 3).

Several reminders of this decision were sent to the Palestinian Water Authority who reiterated their intention to execute the above-mentioned JWC decision and also promised to submit a report on its implementation (see attached signed JWC MoM from 7.7.09, paragraph 28).

On several occasions the Palestinian side emphasized its commitment to combat the phenomenon of illegal drillings, stating that it is in the best interest for both sides (see attached special decision of the JWC from 13.11.07)

In March 2011, four years after the original joint decision to close down the wells, we requested once more that the JWC decision be implemented (see attached letter). We received a most perplexing response to this in April, stating that "...any decision to demolish a well is unacceptable to the PWA...". On July 5th 2011 we reiterated the urgent need for the JWC decision to be implemented, in order to protect our joint asset.

The decision to shut down the wells in Beit Hassan, which was approved by the JWC in 2007, is not a matter of politics - it is a matter of survival - as it works towards protecting our largest and most important collective vital natural resource. A troubling reminder of the risks attached to unmonitored drillings is the destruction of the Gaza Aquifer, which came about as a result of the large amount of unauthorized drillings.

This cannot and this must not be repeated with the joint Mountain Aquifer, and it is a mystery to us why the Palestinian side does not value its own survival.

It is also important to emphasize that unauthorized drillings are in contradiction with article 40 of Annex III of the Interim Agreement, which Israel fully implements, even surpassing its obligations under the agreement, for instance by supplying the Palestinians with quantities of water far beyond its obligation. The steps taken by Israel in this matter were, as l am sure you would agree, the only remaining option after many efforts to find a solution to this issue through dialogue and negotiation - a solution that had already been devised and acknowledged by both sides - but which for some reason the Palestinians turned back upon. It would have been far preferable for the PWA to resolve this issue itself, as originally agreed.

We usually strive to resolve our disagreements within the JWC, as instructed by the Interim Agreement, rather than by dragging in third parties. While we would not normally respond to such public relations tactics, we feel that it is important that the facts be made clear to all, in order to avoid any potential misinterpretation. Israel gladly meets and will continue to meet with the Palestinian side in the framework of the JWC to discuss common issues, as set by article 40 of Annex Ill of the Interim Agreement as it has done before, for the benefit of both sides.

We hope that in time, the Palestinians will join us in thinking about, and acting upon, our collective vital interests rather than compromising them in the hope of raising public support.

Lt.Col Grisha Yakubovich
Head of Infrastructure Branch COGAT,
Ministry of Defense

A dissertation by Lauro Burkart contains this and many other memos that show how much effort Israel put into helping Palestinian Arabs obtain water. Many permits for wells were ignored by the Palestinian Water Authority, for example.

Burkart proves convincingly that the Palestinian side would consistently use the water issue to obtain political advantage at the expense of its people.

Assuming that water negotiations can be de-politicized, cooperation could improve the situation on the ground. A first area for cooperation is the treatment and reuse of wastewater. Out of the 52 mcm/y of wastewater generated by the Palestinian population, 17 mcm/y is flowing untreated into Israel and 33 mcm/y remains in the West Bank where it contaminates the shared groundwater resources. Hence, Israel has an environmental incentive to support and foster the Palestinian wastewater infrastructure. Nevertheless, the Palestinians claim that Israel is blocking their wastewater infrastructure. These claims are invalidated by two memoranda of understanding that were drafted in the framework of the JWC. They were pushed by Israel after the Intifada broke down the cooperation in the field of wastewater.407

The first claim is that Israel is demanding an unreasonable high level of treatment, BOD 10/10.408 The JWC memorandum of understanding from 2003, which was signed by both
parties, agreed on a gradual process to achieve this standard, but starting with the much lower level of BOD 20/30.409 This mutual understanding is reiterated in a second MOU, which has not been signed yet by the Palestinian side.410 Hence, the claim that Israel demands a level of treatment that is unattainable by Palestinian economic standards is false.

The second accusation is that Israel is not allowing the Palestinians to build treatment plants in area C. If the Palestinians want to drill a well in area C, they must obtain a permit of the C.A. in addition to the JWC approval. In the unsigned MOU it is stated that WWTPs will also be built in area C.411 The Palestinians submitted a list of 35 Palestinian wastewater projects. Seven of these projects for the area C are in the approval process. Four of them have an approval of the Sewage JTC,412 two were principally approved by the JWC,413 and one was approved by the ,CA.414 Furthermore, one is already in the process of construction.415 The will to support waste water projects in area C is emphasized also by the Civil Administration.416

Thirdly, it is claimed that Israel demands the wastewater plants to be treating water from the Jewish communities. As the unsigned MOU as well as the aforementioned list demonstrate, no such demands are made by Israel.417 After the Palestinians refused to build joint treatment plants for Jewish communities and nearby Palestinian villages, Israel started to build a network of small collection systems serving only Jewish communities in the West Bank.418 The Palestinian political leadership limited the cooperation in the field of wastewater, although this technology was desired by local municipalities.419 The cooperation clearly stopped with the advent of the second Intifada when the JWC became more politicized. While Israel conditioned other projects on the Palestinian progress in the wastewater sector, the Palestinians presented sovereignty-based objections against the wastewater technology.420
The story of Palestinian swimming pools is here
All the documents mentioned here are reproduced in the paper.

It is clear that the Palestinian Authority decided long ago to stop cooperating with Israel on water issues and instead politicize it at the expense of its people (and the entire region, by overdrilling and refusing to treat wastewater for crops and giving them scarce fresh water instead.)

This politicization is what drive bogus statistics about water, statistics that take a lot of effort to debunk.

But nearly every one has been shown to be a lie.

(h/t Josh K)

02/12 Links Pt2: A special thank you from Scarlett Johansson; Israel a Sanctuary for Migrating Birds

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST

From Ian:
A special thank you from Scarlett Johansson to YOU
Thousands and thousands of you rose to the occasion and CCFP cannot express our thanks deeply enough. And we're not the only ones. We have been given a note from Mr. Marcel Pariseau, Scarlett Johansson's publicist, thanking her fans for their support. This note of appreciation is from Scarlett to all of you:
Scarlett would like to extend her most sincere thanks to the many thousands of people who have supported her these past weeks. Your emails, comments, and tweets have been truly overwhelming and inspiring. It has been wonderful to receive messages from people all over the world who firmly believe that peace is possible.
And a big thank you to Creative Community For Peace for building a bridge between Scarlett and her fans.
Marcel Pariseau
TRUE PUBLIC RELATIONS
Scarlett Johansson to receive honorary French Oscar
The American star, who is engaged to French journalist Romain Dauriac, will receive her "Cesar" at French cinema's annual gala awards ceremony in the capital on February 28.
Johansson, 29, is being recognized for a career in which she has already made nearly 35 films, having first come to the world's attention as a 14-year-old in Robert Redford's "The Horse Whisperer."
Major South American Trading Bloc Accepts Israel as Observer State
The Pacific Alliance is a bloc of five Latin American member states – Costa Rica just joined the initial four members of Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico – designed to promote economic growth specifically by focusing on trade liberalization. Geopolitically, it sits opposite another South American bloc – the "Common Market of the South" (Mercosur) group – which includes Argentina, Venezuela, and Brazil, and which has political ambitions that often align poorly with American interests.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that the Jewish state has been accepted as an observer state of the Pacific Alliance. The move has benefits that go beyond the merely economic, and will see Israel strengthening its overall ties in the region: (h/t MtTB)



Netanyahu to Make Rare Visit to Colombia, Mexico
Netanyahu accepted the invitations of both Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to visit their respective countries.
The Pacific Alliance countries are considered pro-United States, anti-Iran, and friendly toward Israel. Among Netanyahu's goals for the visit is to strengthen ties between Israel and Hispanic communities, both those in their home countries and those in the U.S.
Israel joins Western states at UN human rights forum
Israel's Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor praised Israel's inclusion in the JUSCANZ group at the UN's Third Committee. The caucus is a subgroup of Western states that include Japan, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among others.
"It's repairing a historic injustice," he said in a statement. "It's a day of celebration not just for Israel, but for all who hold human close to their hearts. Israel's joining the group is another expression of international appreciation for Israeli democracy."
Power Promises to Fight to Get Israel on Security Council
Samantha Power, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, promised on Monday that she would fight and "not give up" to get Israel a seat on the UN Security Council.
Speaking to the AJC (American Jewish Committee) Board of Governors, Power said that the U.S. "strongly supports Israel's candidacy" for a seat on the Security Council.
"We have pushed relentlessly for the full inclusion of Israel across the UN system," Power said, according to a statement provided by AJC.
Pro-BDS Jewish-American: I'm on UN shortlist to replace Falk
In her article on Saturday for the Real News Network, Bennis, a native of California, listed under her description of good news "Oxfam's decision to sack[sic] superstar Scarlett Johansson because of her high-visibility endorsement of SodaStream."
Times reporter Catherine Philp falsely claims Oxfam cut ties with Johansson
Of course, the claim that Oxfam "parted company with Scarlett Johansson" is not true.
As statements by both Oxfam and Johansson - and every other media outlet and blog we are aware of – made clear, it was Johansson who 'parted company' with Oxfam after the highly politicized NGO criticized her decision to become the global brand ambassador for SodaStream.
We contacted editors at The Times concerning this false claim and are awaiting a reply.
Anti-Israel, Anti-UKIP, Anti-Thatcher Activist to Receive Taxpayer Funding
O'Hare, a student and unsuccessful student union presidential candidate at the University of Edinburgh, is known for his "direct action" which led to an Israeli diplomat having to cancel a speech at Edinburgh University in 2011.
Ismael Khaldi, a Bedouin Arab diplomat from Israel, was subjected to abuse when speaking at the university, being shouted down and called a "Nazi." O'Hare and his group, the Radical Independence Campaign, were also responsible for the disruptive, mob-type behaviour during UKIP leader Nigel Farage's visit to Scotland last year.
Professor Strips Thesis of Judith Butler Sourcing, Calls for RDS – 'Retractions and Disavowals in Scholarship' – to Oppose BDS
Israeli artist, playwright and professor Dahn Hiuni on Tuesday said he launched a new movement called RDS – Retractions and Disavowals in Scholarship – to encourage academics to revisit their work to excise references from scholars who have since lost credibility as public intellectuals because of their bias against Israel and support of BDS, the boycott, divestment and sanction movement, that threatens to isolate and punish Israel.
In Hiuni's case, his attempt to remove any mention of University of California at Berkeley professor Judith Butler from his 2005 doctoral thesis at Penn State was met with resistance by the school — "though, they had probably never had such a request," he admitted to The Algemeiner in an interview — so he began circulating a strongly-worded addendum via email and on the Internet, where it has received echo from other scholars also fed up with the anti-Israel tone from reflexively left-wing colleagues on campus.
New Princeton program subject to American Studies Assn Israel boycott
The American Studies Association has committed itself by Resolution to the full international boycott of Israel, but defends itself by saying it only actually will boycott Israeli academic institutions, their representatives, and their programs.
Even that purported scaled-back boycott includes boycotting individuals, both those who represent institutions and those who participate in the Israeli or joint programs (like the Cornell-Technion campus being built in NYC).
Here's a new joint program just established by Princeton that also will be subject to ASA boycott, as reported by The Tower:
A new program announced today will see the Woodrow Wilson School of Government at Princeton University launch a joint program with the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC).
A View from Down Under: Australia frontline of BDS campaign
This Wednesday a lawsuit will resume at the Federal Court in Sydney against Jake Lynch of Sydney University, who is a prominent supporter of the BDS campaign against Israel. The lawsuit was filed by Israeli legal center Shurat Hadin on behalf of an academic Dan Avnon from the Hebrew University. Avnon wanted to do research in Australia but Jake Lynch refused to sign the application, stating his support for the BDS movement. The lawsuit alleges that Jake Lynch is violating Australia's racial discrimination act by discriminating against Dan Avnon based on his 'Israeli national origin and his Jewish racial and ethnic origin'.
In a lawsuit like this, there are Jews in Australia who are for it and who are against it. Perhaps much of Jewish mentality throughout the ages has been to keep a low profile in the diaspora, but I believe that Jews need to fight back against the racist campaign of the BDS movement.
"Four Corners" Fudges Footage
"Four Corners'" decision to cut the footage of 11-year-old Karim throwing a rock is consistent with the broadcast's overall theme: Palestinian children and adults alike are merely non-violent victims, and not particularly responsible for having any role in the conflict. For example, Lyons falsely depicts the weekly violent clashes at Nabi Saleh as "non-violent":
"It quickly becomes clear that what the authorities really want is information about the non-violent protest movement in the town [Nabi Saleh], including Bassem Tamimi."
Yet, as the New York Times reported about Islam's interrogation, and the nature of the Nabi Saleh clashes:
"The young man, who seemed eager to please his interrogators, described how village youths were organized into nine "brigades," each assigned tasks like throwing stones, blocking roads and hurling unexploded tear-gas canisters back at the soldiers."
Moreover, according to a report in Ynet, Palestinian activists pay youths in Nabi Saleh and nearby villages to throw rocks at soldiers.
Bassem Tamimi's own daughter A'hd, 11, has taken an active role in the violent confrontations, for which she was honored by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
False Charge of 'Palestinian Kids in Cages' Lives On in Australian Documentary
For the past six weeks, since the Jerusalem Post article was originally published, CAMERA has appealed repeatedly to the newspaper's journalists and editors, urging them to correct the misleading story, but to no avail.
Unfortunately, the Jerusalem Post's inexplicable refusal to set the record straight has opened the door to the ongoing perpetration of an egregious falsehood, as evidenced by a vitriolic Australian documentary yesterday. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary, "Four Corners," promoted a narrative of brutal abuse by Israel of Palestinian children. It included the Jerusalem Post's story of holding children overnight in outdoor cages. At approximately 32 minutes into the broadcast, the documentary zooms in on the Post's print story, graphically underscoring just how much damage the uncorrected report inflicts:
Israeli Embassy in London responds to Harriet Sherwood feature
In her feature on Palestinian children, Harriet Sherwood writes at length about protests in Nabi Saleh (Weekend, 8 February). She mentions that at least 140 people from the village "have been detained or arrested as a result of protest activity", neglecting to mention terrorists, such as Ahlam Tamimi, who led a suicide bomber to a restaurant where he murdered 16 people, commenting later that she had hoped for a "larger toll". When she was released as part of the Gilad Shalit deal, there were celebrations in Nabi Saleh.
Sherwood concedes that Palestinian stone-throwing causes Israelis to die, and then claims that Nabi Saleh's protest leader Bassem Tamimi "neither advocates nor condemns it". Yet he is on record in boasting that "we see stones as our message" and "our sign is the stone". He was not arrested simply for "protesting"; he was accused of attempting to lead soldiers into an ambush, to be pelted with stones.
Alison Weir on Munich 1972
The Stop the War Coalition has republished an article by Alison (Blood Libel) Weir at the antisemitic website Counterpunch blaming Israel for the terrorist operation which killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and complaining that the Palestinian "victims" (i.e., terrorists) deserve to be remembered as well– "not just the 11 preferred ones."
Aboard Belgian train, Jews asked to get off and shower at Auschwitz
Unidentified passengers aboard a Belgian train used the speaker system to urge Jews to get off at Auschwitz and shower at the concentration camp.
The incident of Jan. 31 prompted the Belgian rail company SNCB to file a complaint with police over incitement to hatred, the RTL broadcaster reported Tuesday. (h/t Yenta Press)
Presbyterians Declare War on the Jews
Unlike past controversies in which Jewish groups sought to bridge the divide between the two communities, the distribution of a publication that is driven by sheer hatred and a determination to see Israel destroyed requires a more forthright response. The response to this screed should be unequivocal. Any Presbyterian Church USA that chooses to distribute it is not merely offending supporters of Israel. It is endorsing hate speech and seeking to spread a doctrine that seeks Israel's destruction and views Jews who do not reject Zionism as guilty of complicity in the "crimes" of the Jewish state. With this publication, the PCUSA has crossed a line that divides people of good will from those who promote racism or anti-Semitism. The many decent members of congregations affiliated with the PCUSA can no longer stand by mutely while the good name of their church is sullied in this manner. They must either actively reject this ugly publication or forever be tainted by association with the vile hatred to which their leadership has committed them. (h/t NormanF)
Enrico Macias to make aliya
The Jewish French-Algerian singer Enrico Macias announced on Monday that he will apply for Israeli citizenship and settle in the country permanently.
"I feel free, I feel babayit sheli [at home]," Macias told Channel 2.
The 75-year-old explained that the increased threat of European anti-Semitism spurred his decision to relocate to Israel.
Oramed announces successful oral insulin clinical trials
Oramed Pharmaceuticals has announced successful results from its Phase 2a clinical trial for its ORMD-0801 oral insulin capsule for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The trial – which met all primary and secondary endpoints — was conducted under a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug protocol.
Wheelchairs of Hope, from Israel with love
Virtually every household in Israel has a few Keter brand plastic chairs, so why not use a similar seat as a base for lightweight, inexpensive but sturdy kid-friendly wheelchairs?
After 30 years as a Keter executive, Pablo Kaplan decided to do just that. With his life partner and former coworker, Chava Rotshtein, in 2009 Kaplan founded the nonprofit Wheelchairs of Hope.
The couple aims to provide colorful, maintenance-free wheelchairs to the estimated five million children in the world who cannot attend school because of mobility handicaps. Central and South America, Africa, Asia and other Middle East countries are target markets.
Watch half a billion birds find peace in the Middle East (VIDEO)
Now Hula functions as a much-needed way station for cranes, which travel about 6,000 miles between their winter and summer homes. In the surrounding areas of the Mediterranean, the birds are shot at for sport, and in some cases for food. "In Malta and Cyprus you can buy pickled wild birds in jars on the streets," [Naday] Israeli says. People show off their killings on Facebook pages. "Since UNESCO declared the sport of falconry a protected part of "living human heritage " two years ago, Israeli says, "it's a massacre."
"Israel is the only place along the entire route where it is safe for them to land now," he adds. "In places where humans are killed, who cares about birds?"
When flying north over Israel, the cranes now rise up to 10,000 feet into the sky at the Lebanese border, to escape being shot.

95% of world's nations refuse to congratulate Iran on anniversary

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST

Here's the best list I could generate of countries that (according to reports) sent their congratulations on the 35th anniversary of Iran's revolution:

Turkey (an official spoke at a celebratory rally, not sure if official congratulations were sent)
Tajikistan
Kyrgyzstan
Azerbaijan (given by their transportation minister on behalf of the president)
Brunei
Armenia
Hungary
Tunisia (new ambassador, may have been shamed into it)
Venezuela
Afghanistan (second vice president)

That's it. Out of 192 nations in the UN, Iran apparently gets congratulated by only ten.

Some Hungarians are upset about being in such company, so they made this poster:


Hezbollah's congratulations are ironic given the weak list of countries that are friendly enough with Iran to send a form letter:

Islamic Revolution Has Made Iran Pivotal Country in Region, World

Top UN officials also congratulated Iran.

Iranian media, trying to make these pathetic numbers look more impressive, are printing messages of congratulations from "analysts" like this one in Pakistan.

(h/t Stanley)

Freedom, Turkish-style

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST

There have been two interesting recent news stories from Turkey.

From Naharnet:

A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced a group of protesters to two years in jail for chanting slogans deemed insulting to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, local media reported on Wednesday.

The decision comes as Turkey is being criticized at home and abroad for adopting new Internet restrictions seen as a fresh assault on freedom of expression.

Seventeen people in the city of Eskisehir were sued in 2012 for "insulting a civil servant" after chanting slogans during a small demonstration against the government's health policies, the newspaper Hurriyet said.

"Tayyip Erdogan: the servant of the IMF, the servant of the bosses," the group had chanted.

The court sentenced all 17 to two years in jail for "deliberately insulting the premier and not regretting their actions".

The defendants are not entitled to appeal the decision, Hurriyet said.
And from Hurriyet:

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has acknowledged that he called a media executive at the height of the Gezi protests to order the removal of news content, days after an alleged phone transcript of the exchanged was leaked online, sparking anger over political pressure on the media.

"About the phone call from Morocco, yes indeed, I called. I only made some reminders. And those
individuals to whom I conveyed the reminders regarding the news ticker did what was necessary," Erdoğan said Feb. 11 following a journalist's question during a joint press conference in Ankara with visiting Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy.

"When such insults are made, I or my friends call to tell [newspaper executives] … I don't know if it is wrong [telling them] this. But we have to teach such things because the insults that were being made were not ordinary," Erdoğan said.

In the recording, Erdoğan is heard demanding that private broadcaster Habertürk's executive remove a news ticker feed referring to a statement by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli at the height of the Gezi Park resistance last June. In the news ticker, Bahçeli called on President Abdullah Gül to "do his duty" and intervene in the Gezi protests, and it was not clear to which "extraordinary insults" the prime minister was referring.

Erdoğan's statements came after the editor-in-chief of daily Habertürk, owned by the same media group, also acknowledged regular phone calls from government officials, publicly claiming to be under constant political pressure.
Given how corrupt and dictatorial Turkey's leader is, I'm not so sure that a rapprochement from Israel with Turkey makes sense while he remains in office.

02/12 Links Pt1: Why does the EU fund anti-peace NGOs?; 200 Attacks on Rachel's Tomb in 2013

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST

From Ian:
The BDS folly
There is, after all, something decent and intimate in the reciprocal relations imposed by the discipline of the market. The idea that businessmen produce tolerance as a by-product of their self-interested innovations might be an oversimplification of the situation. There are extremists – particularly on the Palestinian side but not only – who are bitterly opposed to any form of normalization between Palestinians and Israelis. And the conditions under which Palestinian businesses must operate are hardly conducive to economic growth.
BDS is not, however, the solution. If anything it is more economic cooperation and mutual development.
Any two-state solution will inevitably entail strong ties between Israel and Palestine. Fostering such ties could even be a means of moving toward a two-state solution organically, gradually and with mutual respect. BDS only hampers this process.
NGO Monitor: Why does the EU continue to fund anti-peace NGOs?
For years, the EU has been providing millions of euros to radical political advocacy non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that, as repeatedly demonstrated, promote the images of Palestinian victimization and Israeli oppression. In many cases, the reports and lobbying efforts of these NGO are central to EU policy formation, forming a closed circle in which biased anti-Israel narratives are reinforced.
Although claiming to support moral causes such as human rights, democracy and peace, these EU funding policies actively promote boycott and isolation of Israel.
And as a result, the Palestinians have an easy alternative to the "painful compromises" necessary for peace.
'Nice country you've got there' (UK FM) Hague gets a soft ride on BBC's 'Hardtalk'
Sackur also conveniently refrained from dissecting Hague's cringingly transparent 'equality' chimera of EU or UK censure of the Palestinian Authority (the same body which was recently revealed to be holding explosives and weapons in a diplomatic mission on EU soil) should peace negotiations collapse. After all, as past experience shows, even when the PA actively sabotaged the Oslo Agreements by initiating and financing an unprecedented campaign of terror against Israeli civilians in 2000, the EU continued to fund that body and even raised its contributions to the tune of an annual average of 250 million Euros. Hence, there is little reason to anticipate an about-face this time around and just as little reason to anticipate any letting-up in EU and UK funding of anti-Israel NGOs or an end to the practice of paternalistic, diplomatically illiterate finger-wagging from the hand which still feeds sections of the BBC.



EU parliament head: We won't boycott Israel
The EU has not and will not initiate a boycott against Israel, said European Parliament President Martin Schulz in a speech Tuesday, after receiving an honorary doctorate at Jerusalem's Hebrew University.
"There is no boycott. In the European Parliament there is for sure not a majority for a potential boycott," he said.
Obama is Pressuring Israel to Gain Political Points Over Putin
With Putin's repeated victories on the world stage, it seems that pressuring Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu is the Obama Administration's best chance to regain political power internationally.
Clearly, America under the leadership of President Barack Obama is weaker – and getting the Israelis and Palestinian Arabs to make "peace" under the watch of Kerry and Obama would constitute a very major political victory on the world stage for this American Administration.
Before being overthrown, President Mubarak of Egypt asked whether Obama's America knows the difference between how to treat friends and how to treat enemies.
'State Dept. Opposes US Law, Kerry's Senate Record'
Weiss noted he was troubled by the State Department criticism, saying its "position runs counter to the provisions of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which makes clear that it is US law that a united Jerusalem is recognized as the capital of Israel, and called for the moving of the US Embassy to Jerusalem."
Given the existing legislation, Weiss points out the State Department is opposing US law. He adds that ironically, US Secretary of State John Kerry voted for the Jerusalem Embassy Act as a senator, and signed a letter urging then-President Bill Clinton to comply with the act and move the embassy.
U.S. complains that Afghanistan releasing dangerous prisoners
The United States has contended that of 650 prisoners still in custody at Parwan, 88 are a threat to security and should not be released. From that group, Afghanistan has decided to release 65 despite "extensive information and evidence" against them, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
"The release of these detainees is a major step backward for the rule of law in Afghanistan," the U.S. military said in a statement. "Some previously released individuals have already returned to the fight, and this subsequent release will allow dangerous insurgents back into Afghan cities and villages."
Jordanian MP: Kerry deal demolishes right of return
Millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants who live outside of the territories and hold foreign citizenship would be ineligible for a "right of return" to Israel under US Secretary of State John Kerry's proposed framework deal, a Jordanian lawmaker said.
Mohammad al-Qatatsha said that Kerry had revealed details of the proposal during a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday and that it contained "secret terms," the Ma'an News Agency reported on Wednesday.
Rachel's Tomb Hit By 200 Terror Attacks in 2013
He noted the 1993 Oslo Accords guaranteed Jews prayer access to the site, adding, "if this is what the agreements look like, we need to be very concerned." Massive Arab mobs frequently hurl explosives at visitors, police and soldiers at the site.
Azulai remarked that the roughly 3,500-year-old tomb has been surrounded by massive security walls, a step made necessary as around 200 terror incidents occurred at the site in 2013, with 119 explosives being thrown in the course of 78 of the incidents. (h/t Bob Knot)
Erdogan: No deal with Israel until 'Gaza siege' lifted
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan poured cold water Tuesday evening on mounting expectations of a nearing détente between Ankara and Jerusalem, telling reporters that reconciliation between the once-friendly nations was contingent on Israel lifting its blockade on the Gaza Strip.
"About the negotiations, we have not reached any agreement," he emphasized, according to Channel 10. "As long as the siege on Gaza isn't lifted, it won't happen. The siege must be lifted, and that must be part of the protocol, signed and agreed upon." (h/t Bob Knot)
Hamas can hit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem with dozens of rockets
The Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers have invested heavily in producing their own M-75 rockets, with a range of 75 kilometers and more, and now have an arsenal of dozens of the rockets, The Times of Israel has learned. They will have dozens more by the end of this year.
This means that the next round of conflict with Gaza will be focused on central Israel, with the Israeli military braced to defend the heart of the country against unprecedented salvos of M-75s directed at Tel Aviv, the rest of central Israel, and Jerusalem.
Hamas bashes UNRWA's human rights curriculum
Al-Minawi detailed the reasons for his ministry's objection to the UN curriculum. First, he argued, the curriculum was "completely detached from the reality of an Arab Muslim Palestinian student."
"The vast majority of examples [in the books] refer to [Mahatma] Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Helen Suzman, the Soweto Uprising, the Magna Carta and Apartheid, even though Islamic-Arab-Palestinian alternatives exist," Al-Minawi said. "There are many models which could be used which are closer to the students' understanding."
Hamas top official arrested on suspicion of corruption
In the first case of its kind since the establishment of Hamas, a top official of the Islamist movement has been arrested on suspicion of "financial and moral corruption," sources in the Gaza Strip said Tuesday.
The sources named the official as Ayman Taha, a former spokesman for Hamas and the son of one of the founders of the Palestinian Islamist movement.
Mystery surrounds discovery of Apollo statue in Gaza
A local fisherman says he scooped the 500-kg God from the seabed last August, and carried it back home on a donkey cart, unaware of the significance of his catch.
Others soon guessed at its importance, and the statue briefly appeared on eBay with a $500,000 price tag -- well below its true value. Police from the Islamist group Hamas, who rule the isolated Palestinian territory, swiftly seized it and say they are investigating the affair.
To their great frustration, archaeologists have not yet been able to get their hands on the work of art, and instead are relying on a few blurred photographs of the virtually intact god, laid out incongruously on a blanket emblazoned with Smurfs cartoon characters.
US Embassy confirms one of its local employees detained
A security source reported National Security arrested Ahmed A., a U.S embassy employee in charge of the political Islam file. The source added that the employee was in constant contact with Khairat el-Shater, First Deputy of the General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, when the group ruled the country.
The suspect was arrested while participating with others in marches and riots in Giza Governorate. He is being investigated by the National Security Agency to determine the dimensions of his activity.
Is Al Jazeera Innocent in Egypt Dispute?
At the same time, Al Jazeera reporters have sometimes violated basic journalistic ethics. On several occasions during the Iraq war, according to U.S. army officers, American servicemen received anonymous calls drawing them to a certain location, only to observe Al Jazeera reporters manning positions around what later turned out to be a massive booby-trap. Watching American servicemen murdered might make good ratings, but coordinating with insurgents and terrorists ahead of time certainly is not the proper role of journalists. Nor did Al Jazeera exemplify honest journalism when it threw a birthday party for Samir Kuntar, a Lebanese terrorist who had killed a four-year girl he had kidnapped by crushing her skull with a rifle butt.
Rouhani: There is 'no military threat' against Iran
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday called for "fair and constructive" nuclear talks with world powers as the nation marked the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution with massive rallies, complete with anti-American and ant-Israeli chants.
The crowd burned US and Israeli flags with pictures of President Barack Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and shouted "Down with the US" and "Death to Israel" — chants that are commonplace on most Iranian rallies but now come against the backdrop of Rouhani's policy of outreach to the West.
Ayatollah Leads "Death to America" Chants: Lying U.S. Leaders Don't Have the Guts to Attack Iran


Iran's military chief says ready for war with US, Israel
"We are ready for the decisive battle with America and the Zionist regime (Israel)," Iranian Armed forces chief of staff General Hassan Firouzabadi said, according to an AFP report citing Iranian media.
Firouzabadi also warned Iran's neighbors in the Gulf not to allow a US attack on Iran from their territory.
Pakistani Dailies: Saudi Arabia Has Asked Pakistan To Dispatch Two Army Divisions To The Kingdom
According to the Urdu-language daily Roznama Naya Akhbar, Saudi Arabia has asked Pakistan to dispatch two divisions of its army (some 30,000 troops) to the kingdom as part of a bilateral defense agreement currently being formulated between the two countries. The report has it that Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Gen. Raheel Shareef is currently in Saudi Arabia to promote the agreement. It also mentioned that there may be progress on Pakistan's sale of JF-17 Thunder fighter planes and Al-Khalid tanks to Saudi Arabia.
Intel Chief: Iran Will Have ICBM By 2015
Iran will have inter-continental ballistic missiles by 2015, a top intelligence official told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday.
"I think when the Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] talked about our assessment being in the 2015 timeframe, given the development that we've seen, that's accurate," Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn told Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah) at the hearing.
AP: Renewed Syrian Peace Talks Stumble Immediately
The Associated Press reported yesterday that renewed peace talks between Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime and opposition groups stumbled almost as soon as they began on Monday, with each side blaming the other for a spate of violence that has seen hundreds killed in just the last few days. Both Damascus and extremist rebel elements have been linked to recent massacres:
Olympics-Islamist group calls for prayers for earthquake in Sochi
A militant Islamist group has urged followers to pray for an earthquake in Sochi during the Winter Olympics to avenge Muslims who died there fighting "Russian infidels".
The appeal was made by a local branch of the Caucasus Emirate, a group which is waging an insurgency for an Islamist state in Russia's North Caucasus and called on supporters last year to attack the Games.
"All who are able to read this letter can supplicate that the Almighty destroys the land in Sochi with an earthquake, and makes the infidels 'drunk of water' before Hell and drown in a flood!," said the appeal posted online on Monday.

The truth behind the "State of Palestine"/Gaza patient story

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST

Patient from Gaza going to Israel
This story has been getting lots of play over the past couple of hours:
Israel has denied entry permits to some 50 Palestinian medical patients from the Gaza Strip because the words "State of Palestine" appears on the letterhead of their application, officials said on Wednesday.

Israel does not recognize a Palestinian state, whose creation it says should stem from peace negotiations. It voted against a U.N. General Assembly resolution in 2012 that gave de facto recognition to a sovereign Palestinian state.

"On Sunday (the Palestinians) filed a range of requests ... on a document that said 'State of Palestine'. On the spot, we returned it to them, saying they should refile the request on appropriate paperwork," said Major Guy Inbar, a spokesman for COGAT, the military-run authority that handles entry permits.

He said 10 Palestinians whose cases were urgent were allowed to enter Israel while about 50 others were not.

Israeli treatment for patients from the Gaza Strip - an enclave run by Hamas Islamists hostile to Israel - is arranged by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank.

Omar al-Naser of the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank city of Ramallah said the ministry had been using the "State of Palestine" letterhead for a year without any move by Israel to deny patients entry.
Gulf News adds:
The ban affects ill people using the Erez Crossing and has been labelled by Palestinians as "rude, barbaric, illegal" and "aimed at killing patients" for whom treatment, as the Israelis know, is not available in Gaza.

I spoke to the COGAT spokesperson for Gaza, and found out the real story.

For several months, the Palestnian Authority has been sending requests on the new letterhead. Every single time, COGAT rejected it, and each time they were resubmitted with the Palestinian Authority letterhead - and approved. This was not new, and the PA knows very well that this was the case.

As recently as Sunday, several patients whose requests were on the new stationery were rejected, and then the PA re-faxed the request the old way and they were approved.

Today's story is a propaganda ambush. Some 50-70 patients (apparently non-life threatening) were submitted on the new stationery at once, an unusually high number. As has been the case for months, they were rejected. But this time the story was leaked to the media. (There was a Haaretz story about this in January with only one patient, but it didn't get much coverage. Much better to use 50 or 70 if you want Reuters and AFP to take notice.)

Existing agreements are between Israel and the PA, not the fictitious "State of Palestine." It is obvious that the PA is trying to embarrass Israel and will happily use Gaza patients as a means to do so. It is equally obvious that the "State of Palestine" is a final status issue, and that Israel cannot act otherwise without jeopardizing its negotiating position.

As usual, instead of dealing with Israel directly, the PLO is passive aggressively using the media to demonize (and weaken) Israel on its behalf. And, as usual, the media is happy to play its part in this charade.

Mondoweiss really is hilarious sometimes

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST

Only a week ago, Mondoweiss, along with many others, was crowing over the Sodastream stock price going down 3%, finding an analyst that said it was based on fears of the company being boycotted.

At that time, SODA's stock price was $35.34.

Since then, Wall Street must have forgotten all about that "analysis," because SODA opened today at around $44.00, an astonishing 24% gain in six days.

For some reason, the Mondoweiss drones have stopped cheering.

I found something even funnier there, from 2012:
Almost a year ago, this site ran a brief post titled "We need to find Americans an alternative to West-Bank-based Sodastream." As it happened, I'd been doing research on that very problem, as part of the Economic Activism for Palestine project at Global Exchange in San Francisco, under the leadership of Dalit Baum of WhoProfits.org. So I responded to that post with a comment listing a slew of settlement-free home soda makers.

..On the negative side, a product I and several other commenters recommended last September, iSi's Twist'n'Sparkle, has been recalled. It turned out that the plastic bottle included in the kit had a tendency to explode. If you have one, stop using it and call the recall hotline at (800) 645-3595 to arrange a refund. (When I called, the rep told me she knew of no plans for a new, safer version of the product.)

...On the upside, there's now a better alternative – if you don't mind an indirect connection to Israel: Primo Water Corp. of Winston-Salem, NC, has entered the market with not one but two Sodastream-like countertop machines, the Flavorstation 100 ($69.99) and the Flavorstation 120 ($79.99, in either black or white).

...[T]hat Israel connection? In 2011 Primo announced a "strategic alliance" with SDS-IC ("Sparkling Drink Systems – Innovation Center"), a small Israeli company that's also taking on Sodastream. It was founded in 2009 by a couple of former Sodastream executives. Under the agreement, Primo and SDS-IC will distribute some of each other's products and collaborate in R&D, marketing, and manufacturing. SDS-IC's factory, however, is in China, not the West Bank.
And Mondoweiss has no moral qualms about buying products from China! But things built by well-paid, happy Palestinian Arabs when Israeli Jews might profit? No, that's immoral.
If you can't stomach any connection to Israel, or if you don't expect to drink soda water often, the "soda siphons" or other products listed on the Global Exchange page will probably meet your needs.

Or you could just drink plain water. 
See? There is an alternative! Thanks for enlightening us!

Review: New Gaza Salafi group makes boring video threatening Israel

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 05:03 AM PST

A new Al Qaeda-aligned Islamist group has announced itself in Gaza by releasing an unwatchably boring video filled with threats to Israel.



Nine masked members of "The Victory of the Islamic State of Jerusalem" group tried to act intimidating, by wearing suicide vests and showing off machine guns.

They attempted to make the video exciting by adding introductory graphics that we've all seen before. Frankly, that same style has already been used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad for years.

The director tried to make the video a little more bearable by changing camera angles every once in a while, but he couldn't hide the fact that it was essentially a guy reading a statement that said "Death to the Jews" over and over again in different ways. The spokesperson also reportedly criticized Hamas for not being sufficiently violent against "Crusaders and Arab tyrants and Shiites" which is slightly more interesting but ultimately still derivative of much better jihadi videos we've seen.

Finally, at 6:45 - way after most people will have moved on to YouTube videos of cute kittens frolicking - the nine terrorist wannabes chant something in unison that is meant to scare Jews who can't understand the non-subtitled work. Even this high point of the video isn't convincing; the terrorists appear to be just half-heartedly doing what is expected, in a performance that looks like it is phoned in.

Moreover, after this display we think that we will be treated to some juicy footage of shooting in the air or rocket launches - but no such luck, Instead, the director inexplicably shows the terrorists walking away from their grassy set, in slow motion, using a lens flare effect that does not match the scene.

Altogether, this is a poorly made video,. The handheld camera videos of previous years may have lacked professionalism, but they made up for it with their unpredictability and originality. This "Victory of the Islamic State of Jerusalem" video is a failure in every sense.

I am anxiously awaiting the explosive video that was made a couple of days ago in Iraq.
These guys can learn a thing or two about effective communication from that already legendary incident.

"Victory of the Islamic State of Jerusalem" - Zero stars.

Palestinian minister denies saying he would allow Jews to pray on the Temple Mount

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 02:00 AM PST

The Blaze reports:
The Palestinian Authority's Religious Affairs Minister says there will be no peace agreement with Israel unless all territories Israel captured in 1967, including the Western Wall – Judaism's holiest site – are moved under the sovereignty of a future Palestinian state.

"Every centimeter that was occupied in 1967 is part of the Palestinian state, including the blessed Al Aqsa mosque, including the Buraq Wall," Minister Mahmoud al-Habash told Israel's Channel 10 News on Monday night, using the Muslim name for the Western Wall.

"There will not be peace without Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. There will not be peace without an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967. Every piece of land that Israel occupied in 1967 is Palestinian land that belongs to the state of Palestine," Habash said.

Asked what about Jews who wish to pray at their holiest site, Habash said, "Welcome. Welcome. Without any problem, welcome. There will not be any limitations on freedom of worship. Worship is one thing, and politics are another."
The Hebrew makes it clear that the question was about the Kotel, and not Judaism's holiest site, the Temple Mount.

Hamas seized on Habash's words, and harshly criticized him as saying that he would allow Jews to pray on the Temple Mount. The Mufti of Jerusalem also condemned the statement, calling it a "major crime."

So Habash had to clarify, He says he was only referring to the Kotel, which he stressed is Palestinian, but in which Jews would be allowed to worship just like Christians are allowed to worship in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. However, the Temple Mount is obviously off limits from his "Welcome!" quote - Jews aren't allowed up there.

Obviously, this is all a sham. Muslim Arabs will not allow any Jew to get near any holy site that Muslims stole. Either Jews will be banned outright, for example on the Temple Mount, or they would be banned when Muslims stage violent demonstrations against Jews visiting, which would cause "Palestine" to ban Jews "for their own safety" or "to keep public order."

I am reminded of a claim made once by Ray Hanania claiming that Jordan respected Jews' rights to visit the Old City between 1949 and 1967, and that they only restricted Israelis but not Jews. In fact, Jordan required visitors to the Old City to present baptismal certificates before they would allow them in!

The idea that a Palestinian Arab state, whose constitution says that Islam is the main source for its laws and that that it is the official religion, would offer full access by Jews to holy sites is fantasy. There would be restrictions and outright bans, as there has been under Islamic rule since Islam began.

But Westerners just cannot believe that these nice people wearing suits and ties could ever lie to their faces.

Oh, by the way - the entire Land of Israel is a holy site to Jews.
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