Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Hating Israel is a good career move in Egypt
02/08 Links: Scarlett, soda and Samaria; Truman, The Jewish State, and the NYTs Decline
Lecture by Shahar Azani of NYC Israel Consulate (video)

Hating Israel is a good career move in Egypt

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 08:30 PM PST

Here is a tweet from Wael Mansour a couple of days ago, who says that he was the voice of Donald Duck in Arabic-dubbed Disney films:

Here is the tweet that lead Disney to end my role as Donald Ducks official voice in Arabic dubbed cartoons in the ME pic.twitter.com/ZLdpN1NrMF
— Wael Mansour (@Wa2elMansour) February 6, 2014

In Arabic, he tweeted much the same thing, saying that Disney dropped him because of his anti-Zionist tweet, and he said both in English and Arabic that he is proud about this.

He received thousands of retweets for this.

Here's the funny part: His anti-Israel tweets were last August. The Washington Free Beacon got hold of Disney:

Mansour has previously done Donald Duck voiceover work but is no longer under contract with the company, a Disney spokesperson told the Washington Free Beacon.

"He was a third party contractor," the spokesperson said. "He doesn't represent the company in any way."

Mansour was not under contract with Disney when he made his controversial remarks about Israel, the spokesperson said.

Asked if Mansour would be hired for future voice over work, the spokesperson said, "What do you think?"

In other words, he was not fired from Disney - he wasn't working for them at all. However, they won't hire him again, for obvious reasons.

Now, this all happened six months ago. Apparently, Mansour decided to turn himself into a martyr now, and he (correctly) assumed that thousands of Egyptians would rally to support his desire to see Israel destroyed.

In other words, to publicly say you hate Israel in Egypt is a great career move!

Not that we didn't know this already.

In 2001, an overweight, third rate Egyptian singer made a hit record called "I Hate Israel."

In 2012, another Egyptian singer made a sarcastically titled song called "I Love Israel" with lyrics like "May it [Israel] be destroyed. May it be colonized. May it be wiped off the map. May a wall fall on it. May it disappear from the universe. God, please have it banished....May it dangle from the noose. May I get to see it burning, Amen. I will pour gasoline on it. I am an Egyptian man. I am not a coward...May it be targeted. May it go up in flames that will never subside. From the bottom of my heart – may a wall fall on it."

This is what "peace" looks like.

02/08 Links: Scarlett, soda and Samaria; Truman, The Jewish State, and the NYTs Decline

Posted: 08 Feb 2014 06:00 PM PST

From Ian:

Richard Millett: Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi apologises for comparing Gaza to the Holocaust

The response to Qureshi's remarks from the Labour Party itself was an utter disgrace:
"These remarks were taken completely out of context. Yasmin Qureshi was not equating events in Gaza with the Holocaust. As an MP who has visited Auschwitz and has campaigned all her life against racism and anti-Semitism she would not do so."
However, soon after, Qureshi must have had a pang of conscience and came out with this apology:
"The debate was about the plight of the Palestinian people and in no way did I mean to equate events in Gaza with the Holocaust. I apologise for any offence caused. I am also personally hurt if people thought I meant this. As someone who has visited the crematoria and gas chambers of Auschwitz I know the Holocaust was the most brutal act of genocide of the 20th Century and no-one should seek to underestimate its impact."
So Qureshi is "personally hurt"? Poor her. Not as "personally hurt" as those who were in Auschwitz or Belsen etc or lost family there.

Truman, The Jewish State, and the Decline in New York Times Standards

The New York Times referred to this presidential statement twice in the past five years, and the way the did so exposes an unfortunate decline in the newspaper's standards. In both articles, reporters mentioned recent Palestinian attempts to cast a last minute change in the language of the statement — one of the letter's two references to "Jewish state" was changed to "State of Israel" — as supposedly showing that Truman did not support the idea of a Jewish state. But while the earlier article gave some clarifying context that suggested Palestinian leaders are misusing the letter, the more recent piece relayed the misinformation with no qualification, leaving New York Times readers severely misinformed about Truman's position.

Melanie Phillips: Scarlett, soda and Samaria

But, as the attacks on her by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions crowd reached fever pitch, Ms Johansson stunned everyone by sacking Oxfam, on the grounds that she was a supporter of "economic co-operation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine". Which, by implication, Oxfam was not.
With this put-down, she achieved more than all the anti-BDS activists put together (not to devalue their heroic efforts). For the first time that I can remember, a glamorous personality went on to the front foot against the peddlers of anti-Israel bigotry.
She did not adopt a cringing, defensive posture. She strode on to the moral high ground and, at long last, delegitimised the delegitimisers.
For Oxfam's part, it dug itself further and further into its ridiculous hole. Its mantra that Israeli "settlements" such as Ma'ale Adumim – the city to which Mishor Adumim belongs — are illegal under international law is simply false.

Oxfam on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict

Gazans are held blameless for their predicament. Gazans elected a terrorist organization that diverts desperately needed international aid to build mile long tunnels into Israel laden with explosives; that launches thousands of rockets into Israel while ignoring the critical needs of its own population; that alienates its powerful Arab neighbor, Egypt, by supporting terrorism there. None of that matters to the Oxfam moralizers.
Nor do they mention that the West Bank and Gaza rank above average for all Arab states in the United Nations Human Develoment Index, higher than neighbor, Egypt.

Former Spanish PM Aznar: Israel Needed by European Union, Should be Accepted as Member State

At an event co-sponsored by the Henry Jackson Society think-tank and his own foundation, the Friends of Israel Initiative, Aznar said, "Simply put, Europe must defend Israel if we want to preserve the West as we know it."
"Look at the changes sweeping the region," Aznar said. "Uncertainty is the dominant factor. And Israel is both more important to the West today – and more besieged by hostility – than at any time in recent memory."

US Jewish leader criticizes Israel boycott drive

A top American Jewish leader on Thursday called on Western governments to combat the growing international campaign to boycott Israel over its settlement activities, saying the phenomenon is one of the greatest challenges facing Israel.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told The Associated Press that the drive masks a "politically correct" form of anti-Semitism and urged "zero tolerance" of the boycott.

Norman Finkelstein Hits Hard Times

I've mentioned Norman Finkelstein quite a bit on here over the years, for his hatred of Israel which has even manifested itself with a meeting with Hizbullah terrorists. And while he has slammed the BDSholes, there is no doubting his anti-Israel credentials.
But now it looks likes Rat Fink has hit hard times, if his answers during this interview with The Writer's Corner are anything to go by.
For instance, his books don't sell:

US officials leave Tunisian ceremony over Iran jab

In his address to the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), Iran's parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani accused arch foes the United States and Israel of seeking to thwart the pro-democracy uprisings that swept the region in 2011. He also referred to Israel specifically as a "cancerous growth in the region."
"What was intended to be a ceremony honoring Tunisia's achievements was used by the Iranian representative as a platform to denounce the United States," the embassy said in a statement.
"The US representatives present at the NCA departed the ceremony due to the false accusations and inappropriate comments made by the Iranian representative present regarding the United States."

Boycott supporters plead for Universities to ease pressure on American Studies Association

From the earliest days, the ASA has played victim, mistaking harsh criticism of its boycott as an infringement of its academic freedom. ASA's incoming President, NYU Prof. Lisa Duggan, also has accused one critic, an author at Forbes, of homophobia. Others have accused Israel Lobby money of being behind the backlash.
All the while, ASA as an organization has sought to put on a happy face, as if none of this troubles them and all is well.
But there are significant signs that the backlash is being felt at ASA. First, the ASA activism caucus issued an urgent request to BDS supporters to join the organization to increase individual memberships. Next, ASA has increaed the activity of its non-profit legal advisers to speak out on the subject, defending ASA's boycott.

Rocket from Gaza explodes in southern Israel

Three rockets exploded in open areas of southern Israel on Thursday, also without causing any casualties.
Israel often responds to such incidents with air strikes on the Gaza Strip, but it has not yet launched any retaliatory attacks.

Former U.S. Ambassador: Turkey Ignored Calls Made at "Highest Levels" to Assist in Counter-Terrorism, Blocking Al Qaeda

Revelations have been steadily emerging for months that Turkey is harboring Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas's West Bank chief and the one reportedly responsible for overseeing an uptick in violence in the territory. Recently leaked evidence also connects Erdogan to Saudi businessman Yasin al-Qadi, who the U.S. has designated for being an Al Qaeda financer. In one example, al-Qadi was provided VIP treatment and protection by Erdogan's security detail as he traveled through Turkey. Ilhan Tanir, the Washington correspondent for Turkey's Vatan outlet, specifically called attention to quotes in the piece from former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, who represented Washington from 2008 to 2010. Jeffrey was quoted describing efforts at "the highest levels" to ask Ankara to detail Al Qaeda members transmitting through Turkey, and notes that Turkish officials not only largely failed to comply but in fact "use terror if Turkey sees their political goals as commendable."

Turkish paper says journalist expelled for criticising Erdogan

A Turkish newspaper said on Friday one of its journalists had been ordered to leave the country for criticising Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Twitter, raising concerns about media freedom a day after Turkey tightened internet controls.
Today's Zaman said its online editor Mahir Zeynalov, 27, from Azerbaijan, was escorted onto a plane in Istanbul by police. The paper is close to influential U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, locked in a feud with Erdogan revolving around a corruption scandal shaking his government.

AIPAC Clarifies Position on Iran Sanctions Bill in Letter to Supporters

I am writing today to correct some mischaracterizations in the press regarding our position on the Senate Iran bill. Some have suggested that by not calling for an immediate vote on the legislation, we have abandoned our support for the bill. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, we remain strongly committed to the passage of the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act. This legislation is one important part of a broad strategy that we have pursued over many years to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. As negotiations for a final agreement with Iran begin, we must—and will—continue our efforts on every front to ensure that any deal with Iran guarantees the dismantlement of its nuclear infrastructure and blocks its path to a bomb.

http://www.thetower.org/calls-grow-strong-congressional-voice-shaping-iran-deal/

Senators from across the political spectrum, including some who have largely stayed on the sidelines during recent debates revolving around Iran, on Thursday called on the White House to ensure that Congress is given a significant voice is shaping a comprehensive nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. Politico conveyed a letter to White House and State Department officials from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).

The UK's Pro-Iran Lobby

At a recent meeting of the British Parliament's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Iran, a strange tone dominated proceedings. Not only was the atmosphere unmistakably leaning toward an attitude favorable to Iran, but there were open expressions of anti-American and anti-Israel views from the parliamentarians. Some of the members seemed so pro-Iranian that they even made sure to take a good swipe at Saudi Arabia, Iran's primary rival in the Islamic world. Nor were these expressions coming from fringe members of the House, but from Conservative and Labour politicians who have held some of the highest offices in the land.

Iranian warships en route to US territorial waters

The commander of Iran's Northern Navy Fleet, Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that the vessels have already begun the journey to the Atlantic Ocean via waters near South Africa.
"Iran's military fleet is approaching the United States' maritime borders, and this move has a message," the semi-official Fars News Agency quoted him saying. (h/t Bob knot)

Israeli hospital treats injured 13 year-old Syrian boy

The young victim was taken to the Ziv Medical Center, likely after receiving some initial care in the field, according to Walla news. He was suffering from shrapnel wounds to his eyes and limbs.
The hospital has now treated 238 wounded Syrians since the beginning of the civil war nearly three years ago. More than 130,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the bloody conflict between President Bashar Assad's government and opposition fighters.

French court clears Dieudonne of incitement on Ilan Halimi remarks

A French court cleared comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala of charges connected to a video in which he called for the release of a man who brutally murdered a Jew.
The Correctional Court of Paris acquitted Dieudonne on Friday in connection with a video what was recorded in April 2010, in which Dieudonne called for the release of Youssouf Fofana, who is serving life for the 2006 torture and murder Ilan Halimi. Fofana and more than a dozen accomplice criminal gang had abducted Halimi for ransom.
In the video, Dieudonne said Fofana's incarceration "shows the power of the Jewish lobby," according to a report Friday by Le Parisien daily.

Norwegian Islamist soccer referee convicted of anti-Semitic hate speech

An Islamist football referee in Norway has been convicted of hate speech after apparently threatening to shoot Jews for complaining about anti-Semitism, a prominent English language news outlet in the country reported on Friday.
Norway's The Local said Ubaydullah Hussain (pictured on the football field above) was sentenced to 120 days in prison after posting the following remarks on his Facebook page when, in 2012, Jewish groups in the capital city of Oslo asked for increased protection from the police following a rise in anti-Semitic incidents across Norway:

Israel, India Announce Co-Operative Anti-Missile System

Israel and India will collaborate on a new, integrated anti-missile system to be deployed against Chinese nuclear and conventional missiles, reports Defense News.
The co-operative effort – of which details are to be finalized over the next six months – marks another step in an ever closer relationship between the two countries. Joint efforts over agricultural technology, intelligence, and even space-based initiatives have seen the two nations moving closer together over the past decade.

Space, science center named for Ilan Ramon planned

A new educational center for space, technology and science named for the late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon will be built in central Israel.
The Ramon Campus is a joint project of the Ramon Foundation and Bar-Ilan University. A meeting to launch the project was held Thursday at the university.
Ramon was a payload specialist aboard the US Space Shuttle Columbia, which disintegrated upon reentering the earth's atmosphere in February 2003.