יום רביעי, 12 במרץ 2014

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Major Sephardic rabbi permits Jews ascending to Temple Mount

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 06:00 PM PDT

Rabbi Meir Mazuz, a major Sephardic leader, has issued a ruling that under certain circumstance Jews would be allowed to visit the Temple Mount.

He is the first major rabbi from outside the religious-Zionist circle that has allowed this.

The Kipa website quotes that he answered a question about the issue last week, saying that it is allowed halachically, although there are practical issues with knowing the exact parts of the Mount that one is allowed to visit, and one needs expert advice on the matter.

He also said that Jews should not bow down towards the site of the Holy of Holies when on the Mount because it would appear as if they are bowing to the mosque at the Dome of the Rock.

Mazuz was close with former chief rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who had prohibited Jews from visiting the Temple Mount.

While this story did not get very much coverage in Israel, Arabic websites are fuming with multiple stories on the topic. It was denounced by a Christian and Muslim Arab association, saying this gives permission for Jews to "storm" the site.

03/11 Links Pt2: 3rd Anniversary of the Fogel Family Massacre; More criticism of Judis, TNR

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT

From Ian:
Three Years Later: Fogel Family Massacre Commemorated in Itamar
The three-year Hebrew anniversary of the infamous Fogel family massacre, which took place in the West Bank town of Itamar, was memorialized on Monday, Israel's Channel 2 reported.
An official commemoration was held at Mishkan Ehud, a study and prayer complex built in honor of the slain family members.
On March 11th, 2011, two teenage cousins from a nearby Arab village scaled the security fence surrounding Itamar. They crawled through the window of the Fogel home and, once inside, murdered parents Udi and Ruth, and their children: 11-year-old Yoav, 4-year-old Elad and 3-month-old Hadas.
Three children survived: 14-year-old Tamar, 10-year-old Roi and 4-year-old Yishai.
Ex-TNR Editor Blasts Magazine for Anti-Israel Writer
Martin Peretz, the long-time editor-in-chief of the New Republic until 2010 and owner until 2012, slammed the magazine on Sunday for publishing an excerpt of an anti-Israel book written by senior editor John Judis.
TNR was known for its liberal, pro-Israel editorial line under Peretz's 35-year stewardship. However, it has moved away from this position under its new owner and editor, Mark Zuckerberg's college roommate Chris Hughes.
The magazine recently published a chapter of Judis's new book, "Genesis: Truman, American Jews and the Origins of the Arab/Israeli Conflict," which reportedly questions the legitimacy of Israel's founding and attributes American support for the Jewish state to pressure from the Israel lobby.
'Summit to Reassess the U.S. – Israel 'Special Relationship" Held at National Press Club, C-Span Re-Broadcasts
A first-ever conference called the "National Summit to Reassess the U.S. – Israel 'Special Relationship'" was held at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C. on Friday, and the event is now being re-broadcast on C-Span.
The conference echoed many of the controversial themes of the Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer book on 'The Israel Lobby.' Walt was a speaker on one of its panels.
The program included sessions, such as "How does the Israel lobby influence Congress?", "Does Israel and its lobby exercise too much influence on U.S. decisions to wage war in the Middle East?", "Does the 'special relationship' transcend rule of law?", "History: How did the 'special relationship' come to be?", "Has the lobby captured political parties and news media?", and "Is Israel really a U.S. ally?"
Author Warns of Racist Movement in Israel Looking for 'Right to Kill Non-Jewish Children'
Author and syndicated columnist Allan Brownfeld, speaking at Institute for Research's Middle East Policy conference on Friday, warned the audience of the rise of "racism" in Israel against non-Jews. He said that there is a popular movement in Israel which takes its cues from a popular book, "financed by the Israeli government," arguing for the right of Jews to kill non-Jews. Brownfeld added that this extremism dates back to early 19th Century Europe.
"In Israel itself, there is a growth of racism," Brownfeld began. "There is a growth of religious extremism. (h/t Effect)



All-Powerful Zionist Conspiracy Apparently Really Bad At Covering Its Tracks (satire)
Experts are divided on what accounts for this major oversight, considering that by now, the Elders of Zion should have been expected to notice the error and institute some adequate concealment policy. "It might just be laziness," said Indolnt Fakir, a Turkish analyst. "I'm sure it's hard work engineering 9/11 and making sure all the Jews escape, all while planning a second invasion of Iraq and infecting Palestinian children with AIDS – after harvesting their organs," he added.
Others disagree. "This is clearly a case of plain old arrogance," asserted Ahmad Windbag, a Palestinian journalist who follows reports of the Zionist conspiracy in Arab media. "The Jews – I mean the Zionists; we're not allowed to publicly hate Jews anymore – probably think we're all too stupid and backward to figure it all out, and even if we did, too powerless to do anything about it, so it's even crueler."
Windbag said he could elaborate, but was afraid of being overheard by Zionist agents who would continue to do nothing to him.
Anti-Israel Hackers Plan Mass Attack for April 7 (Video)
Hackers attacked an out-of-date Israel credit card website Monday and are planning a massive attack on websites and mobile phones on April 7, according to experts of the Aman group, ClearSky and Terrogence.
Next month is "Hacktivists month." In this day and age of suicidal liberalism, when will there be a National Terrorists' Month?
Islamic states try to hold up Human Rights Council appointment because of absence of known anti-Israel bias
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has objected to the top candidate proposed by a cross-regional group to replace Richard Falk as the UN special rapporteur on Israel. Pakistan, acting on behalf of the OIC, has circulated the following letter on March 6, 2014:
"Excellency, I am writing this letter to you in my capacity as the OIC Coordinator on human rights and humanitarian issues. I would like to invite your attention towards recently recommended list of the mandate holders by the Consultative Group...
Unfortunately, the Consultative Group has recommended the name of a candidate as a Special Rapporteur on the 'situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967' who has no expertise nor relevant experience of the Middle East situation. This recommendation of the Consultative Group is a violation of the IB package. It is, therefore, unacceptable to the OIC."
Palestinian PM woos Chinese firms for oil exploration
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah called on China to encourage Chinese companies to join a bid for petroleum exploration in the Palestinian territories.
Al-Hamdallah said in a news statement after his meeting in the West Bank with the Chinese special envoy to the Middle East Wu Sike that his government has recently approved a bid to invite international companies to explore for oil in the West Bank. He added that another bid is being prepared for exploring offshore gas in Gaza. "We hope the Chinese government would urge Chinese companies to help enhance investment," read the statement.
CAMERA Calls for New York Times Corrections on "Jewish State" Issues
CAMERA has called on The New York Times to correct two substantive factual errors appearing in a March 6, 2014 Op-Ed by a former Palestinian Authority official.
The Op-Ed, "Defining the Jewish State" by Ali Jarbawi, claims that Israel's call for the Palestinians to recognize the country as the Jewish state is both a new demand by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an Israeli precondition to negotiations.
Stockholm High School Vandalized With Swastikas, Anti-Jewish Slurs (PHOTOS)
A Stockholm, Sweden, high school was plastered overnight with anti-Semitic graffiti, Nazi Swastikas and anti-Jewish slurs, Swedish English-language newspaper The Local reported on Monday.
Concerned parent Calle Nathanson told The Local: "My 13-year-old daughter was on the way to school and she saw that one of the entrances was totally bombed by graffiti."
Written in Swedish, the graffiti included the words "Jewish swine" and "disgusting Jews," swastikas, and the number 1488, which is a symbol for white power and the Nazi greeting Heil Hitler.
Putin Plays the Anti-Semitism Card in Ukraine Crisis
Step back for a second, and you can see the rich historical irony at work here. One European nation with a long and bloody history of anti-Semitism has engaged in aggression against another European nation, also with a long and bloody history of anti-Semitism. When this happened almost a century ago, during the horrendous civil war that followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, pogroms wracked Ukraine; now, while there have been anti-Semitic incidents and speeches reported in Ukraine, there is certainly no state policy of anti-Semitism on either side, much less an event that could deservedly be called a pogrom.
At the same time, western intellectuals and activists who instinctively scorn the charge of anti-Semitism when it crops up in the contexts of Zionism and Israel are actually arguing that we should take Putin's claims seriously! For example, there's Professor Stephen Cohen of New York University, a leading nostalgist for the Soviet era, who compared Ukrainian nationalists to the Nazis in an interview with CNN. And then there's Michael Lerner, whose Tikkun magazine and its associated "spiritual progressives network" are the closest thing we Jews have to a cult, waxing lyrically about his favorite bete noire: "The neocons seem all too willing to ignore the fascistic and proto-Nazi elements in the coalition that last week overthrew the democratically elected and pro-Russian government."
France to Return Three Looted Paintings to Rightful Owners
France will return on Tuesday three paintings seized by the Nazis to their rightful owners, AFP reports.
This is just the tip of an iceberg in a country where nearly 2,000 such artworks remain unclaimed, the report noted.
All works of art identified as having been stolen by the Nazis are kept in French museums that are required to report them and put them on display in the hope that the previous owners, their heirs or assignees will spot and claim them.
Holocaust haunts French railway's US business
Seventy years after the Holocaust, Rosette Goldstein and many fellow Americans are still seeking reparations from French rail firm SNCF for transporting their loved ones to Nazi death camps.
Goldstein, now 75, was in Maryland on Monday to testify before state lawmakers, who have threatened to prevent SNCF bidding for a major public contract over its role in the World War II genocide.
Clutching a register of those transported by France's state-owned rail company, a still emotional Goldstein showed where her father's name was entered.
Football Jihad: who's who in the new battle ground (updated)
The campaign to demonize Israel is relentless and operates, as I have reported for years on this blog, not just in politics and the media, but in art, cinema, theatre, and sport. Anti-Israel activists - operating under the guise of being 'pro-Palestinian' - prey especially on the ignorant in society who easily believe the lies told to them. One example of such a group being increasingly targeted are footballers, because an anti-Israel message from them can have instant worldwide impact. Hence, there has been a steadily increasing number of footballers taking part in what I call the 'football jihad' - and they are by no means all Muslims. The non-Muslims are typical of the ignorant youngsters you see at any university meeting or rally protesting against Israel - with their Hamas supporting T-shirts and kaffiyas, repeating unquestioningly the same lies told to them.
I have decided to maintain a log of these footballer and (as per my log of anti-Israel charities) I have awarded a number of Arafats (rather than stars) to each (where 5 Arafats is the worse possible). The list - ordered by the fame of the player - is by no means exhaustive but will be updated over time.
PointGrab puts you in gesture control
Thanks to an Israeli startup called PointGrab, life has just gotten exponentially easier.
Now, you don't have to press the buttons on your remote control to channel surf; nor do you have to get up to switch songs on the computer across the room. Your bare hands can do the trick.
This is made possible by PointGrab's advanced gesture recognition software, on the market since 2010, which offers an intuitive way of interacting with consumer devices. Through finger, hand and two-hand movements, the software (available on Android, iOS, Linux, OS X and Windows) communicates with the standard camera of PCs, tablets, smartphones and TVs for a whole new user experience.
Its Hybrid Action Recognition technology – which won the Frost & Sullivan 2013 European Technology Innovation Award – was introduced last July and can accurately and reliably anticipate, detect and analyze shapes and movements up to 17 feet away.
Cameron to make 1st visit as UK leader to Israel
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron plans to make his first visit as British leader to Israel and the Palestinian territories this week.
Cameron's Downing Street office says he will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and deliver a speech at the Knesset on Wednesday.
He also is scheduled to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his two-day trip.
FDA approves Israel-developed stem cell 'factory' for research
An Israeli-invented process to speed up injury repairs got a big boost last week when the FDA approved the use of mass-produced manufactured therapeutic stem cells produced by Pluristem Therapeutics for use in studies on treating injuries. The Placental Expanded (PLX) stem cell products, derived from human placenta, will be produced in a large facility in northern Israel. With the manufacturing process approved, the next step, the company hopes, is widespread FDA approval for use of the cells in treating injuries and muscle diseases.
It was actually the second big regulatory "win" for Haifa-based Pluristem in recent weeks. In February, Germany's Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), which regulates medical treatment in the country, approved in January the company's manufacturing process for production of mesenchymal-like adherent stromal cells (ASCs) derived from full term human placentas. The approval came just after the company announced positive results in a study where patients who suffered from a muscular injury were successfully treated with Pluristem cells.
14,000 people see Israeli innovation showcase at AIPAC Policy Conference
The four Israeli companies invited to present their futuristic technologies in front of 14,000 attendees of the 2014 AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington last week received an enthusiastic response from the largest gathering of America's pro-Israel community. Jews, Christians, African Americans and Latinos from all 50 states were in attendance, including thousands of college students.
The Israel Innovation Showcase has become a favorite highlight of twice-yearly AIPAC national events. ISRAEL21c's Nathan Miller was at the Policy Conference to speak with the four executives, whose groundbreaking companies have all been featured on ISRAEL21c for their potential to improve lives.
"We are overwhelmed by the positive reaction and interest," ElMindA CEO Ronen Gadot told Miller.
The instant test that lets you diagnose your illness
Imagine waking up one morning with a cough or a sinus headache. Should you go into the office? Instead of trying to get a doctor's appointment to find out if you are contagious, you go to the nearest pharmacy for an instant test to determine what kind of virus, bacteria or fungus you may have.
This scenario is not far from becoming reality, thanks to the Jerusalem-based subsidiary of Azure PCR. The company's disruptive technology has streamlined the process of detecting, diagnosing and tracking infectious diseases.
"This is really important in terms of drug-resistant diseases," says British-born CEO Aron Cohen, recalling how Muppets founder Jim Henson died in 1990, at age 53, from a drug-resistant bacterial infection before doctors had time to pinpoint the disease strain. "Had he been diagnosed right away, he might still be alive today."

Big work accident!

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 01:00 PM PDT

From Ma'an:

Four People were killed and six others suffered injuries after an explosion in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, a medical official said.

Ashraf al-Qidra said that Mohammad Tayseer al-Hamdeen, 26, Bilal al-Hamdeen, Jafaar Odwaan and a fourth unidentified man were killed in the explosion.

Six others were injured including two children and a woman in critical condition, he added.

The four were all affiliated with Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, and they arrived dead at the hospital, a Ma'an reporter said.

The house was severely damaged, and the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.

Earlier, an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip, the same official said.

Al-Qidra told Ma'an that three resistance fighters were killed by the airstrike in southeast Khan Younis near the Sufa crossing.
Palestine Today says that the explosion was on the third floor of a family house. It helpfully adds that the bodies of the "martyrs" were "cut to shreds."

This is the photo they published, although they sometimes recycle file footage without identifying it.

Felesteen reports of a separate explosion at a Gaza City corner market that injured four, including a child.

I think  Hamas has to find a better supplier of explosives. The current batch seems to be too dangerous. Where's the Gaza consumer protection agency when they need it?

Anyway, things are really busy in the "playground of death" today!

Introducing the Open Muslim Students Association

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PDT

Since Purim is coming up....

As a result of the Open Hillel initiative, where the Jewish student groups throughout North America will invite anti-Israel speakers to offer talks in the name of open communication, the Muslim Students Association of North America has been inspired to start its own Open MSA group.

To kick off the new Open MSA, the Princeton Muslim Students Association will hold a special seminar to be taught by David Wilder, right-wing settler and advocate of Israeli rule over all the territories.

"We are quite excited to be on the cutting edge of Muslim openness," said Sarah Qari, president of Princeton MSA. "We respect all viewpoints and it is only natural that we should be able to listen to what the evil usurper settler Wilder has to say, while keeping an open mind," she added.

"Open MSA does not adhere to any particular political point of view, and all viewpoints are welcome - even those of genocidal Jews!" Qari stated

Other similar programs are being planned throughout the US and Canada.

The Yale Muslim Students Association will host a special performance of the Batsheva Dance Company. "There is no reason for us not to enjoy the beauty of the arts that are being performed by the hated Zionist enemy," says Didem Kaya, president of the Yale MSA board, as he prepared the stun grenades that will be tossed on stage as a sign of appreciation.

The University of Texas MSA has joined the Open MSA bandwagon as well, inviting Rabbi Yehuda Glick - who advocates Jewish access to the Temple Mount - to speak. "His opinions about his desire to destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque and replace it with a so-called Third Temple are very important to us. And Glick doesn't have to worry about a thing - we will provide the security ourselves!" said president Usama Khan.

Omar Zaki, chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said that he welcomed the Open MSA initiative, saying it was a natural extension of Islam's openness to others' ideas.  "Islam is quite accepting of others.  To be honest, I was reluctant to join the 'open' movement, but then I read the words of Rashid Khalidi, where he said there should be no political litmus test on speakers and artists. Inshallah, we will invite Robert Spencer to keynote our next annual conference," he declared.

Open Hillel spokesperson Naomi Dann from Vasser was still cautious about the new Open MSA initiative. "I don't know about this. The people they are inviting are a bit outside the mainstream, if you know what I mean," she said. "I mean, David Wilder? Yehuda Glick? As open-minded Jews, we would never consider listening to what they have to say!" she declared.

"I'll be happy to give Open MSA a list of acceptable, righteous Jews for them to invite, if they want."

03/11 Links Pt1: Why Abbas Will (Again) Say No; 66% of Israeli Jews don't trust Kerry on security

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

From Ian:
Khaled Abu Toameh: Why Abbas Will (Again) Say No
Now Abbas is going to mislead Obama into thinking that he is coming to meet with him not only as the "rightful" leader of the Palestinians but also as a representative of the Arab world. Never mind that the Arab League, which issued the statement, is considered extremely inefficient and incompetent and that no one in the Arab world takes it seriously.
But the Obama Administration does not seem to care. Obama and Kerry seem to want a deal at any cost, even if it is with a president who lost his legitimacy many years ago and even if the deal will unravel the day after.
Abbas also believes he can say no to Obama because the U.S. Administration will not take any retaliatory measures against the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinians do not take Obama seriously, especially in light of his failure in dealing with the crises in the Arab world and Ukraine.
Arafat Recognized Jewish State, Why Won't Abbas?
The Arab League is endorsing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' refusal to accept Israel as a Jewish state as a part of any peace agreement.
But in taking this position, Abbas – considered by the Obama administration to be a moderate Palestinian leader with whom a deal can be struck – is not going as far as his predecessor. Yasser Arafat recognized Israel as a Jewish state at least twice. In an undated video, Arafat said the PNC (Palestine National Council) accepted two states. One Palestinian, and a "Jewish state... Israel."
"The PNC has accepted two states. Palestine state and Jewish state... Israel."
Arafat also unequivocally accepted Israel's Jewish character during a 2004 interview. Asked whether Israel should endure as a Jewish state, Arafat's reply simply was, "Definitely."
Poll: Two-thirds of Israeli Jews don't trust Kerry on security
Sixty-six percent of Israeli Jews and 53% of Israeli Arabs do not trust US Secretary of State John Kerry to take Israel's security into account in the American framework agreement he intends to reveal next month, according to the monthly Peace Index poll sponsored by the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University, which was published Tuesday afternoon.
Thirty-one percent of Israeli Jews and 32% of Arab Israelis do trust Kerry to take into account Israel's security. Among Israelis who consider themselves left-wing, the number was 79%.
Sixty-one percent of Jewish Israelis and 56% of Israeli Arabs believe that Kerry's main motivation for reaching a framework agreement is a personal interest in making history as a statesman where others before him had failed. Only 22% of Jewish Israelis and 16% of Arab Israelis believe Kerry is motivated by honest concern for the future of the two parties. Eight percent of Jewish Israelis and 14% of Arab Israelis believe he is equally motivated by the chance to make history and concern the parties.



In Rejecting Israel as 'Jewish State,' Arab League Destroys Obama's Peace Efforts
Though Israel cautiously welcomed the Arab Peace Initiative, it did not consider it a serious proposal, partly because it meant giving up Jerusalem, and partly because it did not solve the problem of Palestinian "refugees" from the 1948 war that Arab states started against Israel (few of whom are actual refugees from that conflict). Their suspicion was that the Arab League would use Palestinian refugees to overwhelm, and hence end, Israel.
That suspicion turns out to have been well-founded. In rejecting Israel as a Jewish state, the Arab League has proved conclusively that it was never serious about peace, but merely seeking another way of destroying Israel. Rather than end the conflict, the Arab League has instead deferred to the Islamic concept of Dar al-Islam, according to which lands once conquered by Islamic empires can never be returned to non-Muslim control.
Moreover, the Arab League has effectively sunk President Barack Obama's latest push for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry made clear last year that they saw the Arab Peace Initiative as the basis for their renewed efforts. Yet if the Arab Peace Initiative cannot contemplate accepting Israel as a Jewish state, there is no reason for Israel to consider it a serious proposal, nor for Palestinians to compromise.
PM: Palestinian obstinacy moving us further from peace
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Palestinian obstinacy is diminishing the prospects for a peace agreement.
Speaking at a Likud faction meeting, Netanyahu said that in light of recent Palestinian statements, "we are farther away from an agreement, because of the Palestinians. They said this week that they will never recognize a Jewish state and will never give up on the right of return."
"I want to make clear that I won't bring forth a deal that does not negate the right of return and does not require Palestinian recognition of a Jewish state. For the State of Israel, these are fundamental conditions that are legitimate and essential," Netanyahu said.
"The Palestinians are not showing any signs of willingness to enter a practical and fair agreement."
Fatah refuses to recognize Jewish state
The Revolutionary Council of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday unanimously endorsed his rejection of demands to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, officials at the meeting told AFP.
"President Abbas has reaffirmed his refusal to recognize the Jewishness of the State of Israel and council members stood up to hail this decision," a senior Fatah official said from the meeting in Ramallah.
Abbas said in his speech to delegates that "at 79 years old, he wasn't going to back down on his people's rights or betray their cause," despite the "great pressure being exerted," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
State Department Spokeswoman Denies Jewish State Comments Reported by Palestinian Paper
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Monday said a Palestinian publication recently "distorted" a statement she made last week about Israel's demand to be recognized as a Jewish state.
The Jerusalem-based paper Al-Quds quoted Psaki as telling one of its reporters during a press briefing on Friday that recognition of Israel as a Jewish state by the Palestinian Authority "is not necessary", according to The Times of Israel.
Psaki dismissed the claims via Twitter, writing, that the publication "distorted/fabricated my quote," and that she "did not do an interview with Al Quds."
Islamic Jihad says Israeli air strike kills 3 Gaza operatives
The Israel Air Force struck an Islamic Jihad cell in southern Gaza on Tuesday minutes after it was identified as being behind an attack on an IDF unit on the Gaza-Israel border.
According to military sources, the terrorists fired a mortar shell at soldiers who were conducting routine security measures near the frontier.
The Islamic Jihad said that the Israeli strike killed three of its operatives.
The IDF confirmed the aircraft's hit on the terror cell. The aircraft then returned safely to its base. The army added that it would not tolerate any attack on military forces operating along the border.
IDF kills Palestinian, says he threw rocks at cars
"During an ambush operation to catch rock throwers near Beit El, an IDF force opened fire on a Palestinian who was throwing rocks at an Israeli vehicle and a bus," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit confirmed in a statement. "The Palestinian was killed. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation."
According to the IDF, the location, on Route 60 near the Givat Assaf outpost, is a popular spot for throwing rocks.
IDF: Slain Jordanian attacked soldier with metal pole
The Jordanian judge shot and killed by IDF forces at the Allenby border crossing Monday had attacked an Israeli soldier and tried to steal his weapon, according to the IDF.
"The preliminary conclusion of the investigation indicates that the terrorist attacked the soldier. He charged at the soldiers with a metal pole shouting 'Allah Akbar,' and then attempted to seize a soldier's weapon, prompting the soldiers to respond by firing towards his lower extremities, in line with standard operating procedures," the IDF said in a statement.
"The suspect then began to strangle a soldier and the force resorted to using live fire once again."
Israel 'regrets' killing Jordanian-Palestinian judge
"Israel regrets the death of Judge Raed Zeiter yesterday at the King Hussein (Allenby) bridge and expresses its sympathies to the people and government of Jordan," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
The death that's provoking a storm in Amman
On the heels of the death of a Jordanian citizen Monday morning from Israeli fire on the Allenby Bridge, a complex storm brewed, not unexpectedly, in Amman.
The level of hostility towards Israel is constantly on the increase in Jordan, and Monday's incident allowed locals to let off some steam by marching towards the Israeli Embassy and attempting to break into it.
The protesters demanded that the Israeli ambassador be expelled from Jordan and that the embassy be closed. Some of them burned Israeli flags. However, Jordanian security forces managed to maintain control.
Jordanians Demand Investigation on Terrorist's Shooting
Jordan's foreign minister summoned the Israeli charge d'affaires to "strongly condemn" the shooting and demand an immediate probe, a statement said. "The Jordanian government is expecting a comprehensive report on the incident from the Israeli government. Jordan wants an immediate investigation without any delay," a statement quoted Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh as saying. The Palestinian Authority also strongly condemned the incident and demanded an "international investigation" into the circumstances of Zeiter's death.
Around 200 people demonstrated outside the Israeli embassy in Amman, demanding the Jordanian government expel the Israeli ambassador."We don't want a Zionist embassy on Jordanian territory! Down with the peace agreement" between the two countries, they chanted.
Context-Free Headlines
Not everybody reads articles. You just see headlines as you quickly your news sites and social media feeds.
Which is why this AP headline contains all the info most people will know about yesterday's incident at the Allenby Bridge border crossing.
"ISRAELIS SHOOT, KILL JORDANIAN JUDGE AT BORDER"
You have to read the article to find out that Raed Zueter tried to grab a gun from a soldier.
AFP's no better. "Israeli troops kill Jordanian judge at border crossing"
White House finally condemns Iran for arms shipment
The Obama administration publicly rebuked Iran on Monday over a shipment of Gaza-bound missiles that was intercepted last Wednesday in the Red Sea by the Israeli Navy.
Given the five days it took for the White House to issue an official condemnation, it appeared as though the administration needed time to reconcile evidence of Iran's state-sponsorship of terrorism with the ongoing diplomatic push to reach a deal on capping Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
"It is important to make clear that even as we continue efforts to resolve our concerns over Iran's nuclear program through diplomacy, we will continue, in coordination with our partners and allies, to push back against Iranian support for terrorism, threats against our friends and partners, and violations of human rights," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said at a briefing.
Netanyahu blasts 'hypocrisy' of the West on Iranian arms cache
Surrounded by a cache of missiles, part of an alleged Iranian arms shipment to the Gaza Strip seized on board the Klos-C last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly rebuked the international community Monday for clinging to what he said was the illusion of a changed Iran, even after an Israeli raid to intercept the ship uncovered the cache of advanced arms.
Before making his statement, Netanyahu was briefed by military officials among the rows of weapons, marked with Iranian seals, neatly arrayed at the port. The arms, the officials said, included M-302 missiles with a range of up to 160-kilometers (100 miles). The officials said the Iranian-shipped, Syrian-made missiles were capable of causing more damage than the Iranian-made M-75 or Fajr-5 missiles used by Hamas against Israel in the past.
IDF Seizure of Gaza-Bound Missiles Sheds Light on Non-Nuclear Elements of Iran's Strategy
While much international attention continues to focus on the Iranian nuclear program and diplomatic efforts to address it, the Israeli Navy's March 5 interception of an Iranian ship full of Syrian-made missiles bound for Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza sheds new light on other dimensions of the Islamic Republic's strategy.
"The nuclear program is the fast mover in international discussions, but the delivery capabilities are extremely important," Ilan Berman, vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC, told JNS.org. "The Iranians are working very diligently on expanding the scope and legality of their missile program (a delivery vehicle for nuclear weapons)."
Report: Hamas, Iran Strengthen Ties After Weapons Ship Raid
Hamas announced renewed diplomatic relations with Iran on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after Israel broadcasted the list of contents of the Islamic Republic's weapons shipment to Gaza.
"The Hamas movement and Iran have taken special measures and we will see many changes in these relations soon," senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahar announced Monday.
Semi-official Fars​ news agency noted that the announcement came just two days after Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani announced that Iran's relationship with the terror organization had begun to normalize.
Palestinians retract charge against IDF in West Bank death
Palestinian security sources retracted Tuesday an accusation, made earlier in the day, that the IDF had fired on a Palestinian driver in the West Bank, killing him and causing his car to crash.
According to a Ma'an News report, driver Fidaa Muhye Addin Majadlah was killed and passenger Ibrahim Adnan Shukri was seriously injured after their car went off the road and flipped over. Both men were from Tulkarem.
A Palestinian security source had initially told AFP that IDF forces had fired on the vehicle. The news agency retracted the story after the Palestinians notified them that "their information on army gunfire was incorrect."
EU Foreign Affairs Chief Denies Being 'Forced' To Wear Hijab to Iran Meetings
The office of the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has denied that the EU boss was forced to wear a hijab at meetings held in Iran alongside Mohammad Javad Zarif, her Iranian counterpart.
Though the meetings were criticised by some for Ashton's failure to acknowledge Iran's ongoing state-sponsorship of terrorism, others have also noted that Ashton's 'choice' to wear hijab at the meetings, in deference to a custom which is argued to oppress Muslim women.
The incident comes just over a month after Italy's foreign minister, Emma Bonino, was reported to have been 'forced' to wear the hijab at meetings in Iran. Iranian press reported that after Bonino's plane landed in Tehran, an official carrying three head scarves boarded and asked Bonino to put one on before getting off the plane.
Iran warns Austrian embassy over Ashton meeting with rights activists: IRNA
Ashton met several human rights activists including the mother of Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti at the embassy on Saturday, which coincided with international women's day. Beheshti died in jail a few days after he was arrested in 2012 over a blog critical of the government.
"These actions (the meeting) will lead to an increased suspicion between our people and the West and it doesn't help relations between Iran and Europe," Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Syria Set to "Miss a Major Deadline" in Dismantling Chemical Weapons Arsenal, Again
Prospects for smooth implementation of the deal grew even dimmer last Friday, with NATO announcing that it would halt joint missions with the Russians aimed at securing and destroying Syrian chemical weapons.
Observers working to unpack the implications of the Crimean crisis had already worried that the spiraling tensions – which have pitted the West against Russia – would negatively impact efforts aimed at dampening violence in Syria. The White House had been criticized before and after Russia's invasion of Ukraine for leaning too heavily on Russian President Vladimir Putin to assist in promoting a workable solution to Syria's almost three-year-long war.
Syrian TV blames you-know-who for crisis in Ukraine
Wondering what exactly is going on in the Ukraine? Wonder no more as Syrian TV station Al Ikhbaria has all the answers!
The Zionist Lobby has a strong presence on the field in the Ukraine, a fact which has been clear right from the beginning of the events. And its goal was also clear: ignite the Ukrainian arena and strike at the stability on Russia's Western border.
However it appears that this goal has other aspects which benefit Israeli interests. Sources state that the lobby is trying to get Ukrainian Jews to emigrate to the Occupied Lands. For the shaking of Ukraine's stability is nothing other than the creation of a state of fear among Ukrainian Jews, compelling them them to go to Occupied Palestine.
Turkey Observers: "Scandal," "Sad Day" as White House Flat-Out Denies Erdogan Boasts Regarding Obama Phone Call
A White House senior official late last Friday flat-out denied recent boasts made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, given to Turkish TV in a live interview, that had Erdogan instructing President Barack Obama to take "the necessary stance" against a U.S.-based foe of the Turkish political leader and Obama replying "we got the message."
Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have been locked in open political warfare with Turkish officials linked to U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, with Gulenists in judiciary institutions ensnaring a number of AKP elites in a series of graft scandals.
Turkish media quoted Erdogan bragging that he had told Obama that the U.S. had to take steps against Gulen and that Obama had "looked at [the demand] positively."
Turkish Jews accuse ex-minister of anti-Semitism
Çağlayan, a lawmaker from Turkey's ruling AKP party who was linked to the scandal in December, had said that he wouldn't be surprised if "Jews, Zoroastrians or atheists" were behind the investigation, as a Muslim wouldn't have opened the graft probe to begin with.
"This nation is aware what kind of a mentality we are struggling with," Çağlayan said Saturday at a public rally in Mersin, in southern Turkey. "If Jews, Zoroastrians or atheists do this to us, I would understand it. But if the one who does this [against us] is passing himself off as a Muslim, shame on him."
Turkey's chief rabbinate issued a harsh response to Çağlayan's comments, saying they constituted a crime against humanity due to their anti-Semitic character and accusing the ex-minister of "attacking" Judaism.

Gaza to run out of free fuel again, expect Israel to be blamed

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 07:00 AM PDT

Ma'an reported yesterday:
The last shipment of Qatar-donated diesel -- used to fuel the Gaza Strip's sole power plant -- is expected to run out within four or five days, a Palestinian official said Sunday.

The announcement comes after only around two months of steady electricity in the besieged coastal enclave, which suffers from a severe lack of fuel due to a seven-year-long economic blockade enforced jointly by Israel and Egypt.

Fathi al-Sheikh Khalil, deputy chairperson of the Gaza power authority, told Ma'an Sunday that the Qatari donation had helped operate two generators and made electricity available on the basis of eight hours on, eight hours off.

As the last of the fuel runs out, power availability will be reduced to six hours on, twelve hours off, as before the fuel was donated, Khalil said.
Yet only two paragraphs after blaming Israel (and Egypt) for Gaza's lack of fuel, the Gaza official freely admits why there really is a shortage:
"We asked the Ramallah government to provide Gaza's power plant with tax-free fuel because the money we collect in electricity bills isn't enough to buy fuel to run two generators," he said.
Nothing to do with Israel at all - it is the Hamas government being unable to pay the agreed-upon prices! If they pay, Israel can sell them all they need.

There is no blockade of fuel to Gaza from Israel. Media and NGOs that make this claim are lying.

I've documented this in detail since last November 1, when Gaza officials first announced that they don't want to pay regular prices for fuel.

Somehow Hamas finds the money to pay for monuments to terror, for weapons smuggling, and for other "essential" functions - but they can't find a way to pay for fuel. Because they have historically used the artificial fuel crises that they engineer to create heartbreaking photos of Gaza children in candlelight to pressure Israel and the PA. They couldn't care less about the welfare of their people.

And Hamas is secure in its knowledge that NGOs and the media will more often blame Israel (and, lately, Egypt) for its own cynical manipulation of their people.

"Jews control the President's breakfast and Supreme Court's music"

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 05:00 AM PDT

I know, it's almost Purim, but (just like the earlier story about Jews being behind triskaidekaphobia) this stuff is really being published in daily Arab newspapers.

JordanZad newspaper wrote up a typical Jewish/Masonic plot article, including quotes from antisemites about how US presidents bow down to Jews, and how the Jews have an entire government that is really running the US from behind the puppet government of the US Congress and executive branch. But as many times as I've seen this theme in Arab newspapers, they always manage to add their own amusing twists.

[The ADL] is headquartered in Chicago , the capital of crime and criminals, as you know, not only of America but of all the other countries of the world. Its main objective is to mute any voice of complaint about the Jews, using silenced pistols, and poison, and strangulation, and other methods that even Satan couldn't discover, and they control spy devices and control all sensitive facilities both official and popular, and they monitor every word uttered, every letter people write, and every image printed, and every film released, and every song written or composed, and they also have specialized equipment for defamation of undesirable celebrities....
You should know for sure that our battle with the Jews is not an ordinary battle; not a battle with creatures of flesh and blood only, but primarily a battle with the spiritual and intellectual powers which pollute our pristine pure waters. Here lies the danger: it is easier to fight your opponent man to man, and a weapon with a weapon!!! But the toughest fight is in the fields of thought and conscience!!! Especially if he is sneaking out to the minds and hearts of your children!!!!...

The American Jewish Committee is only one of several associations that is planning the official policy of the United States of America. They monitor everything that is said or written or published, and monitor churches, and attend religious classes for schools all from day one.

This committee oversees the president's breakfast, in addition to the selection of the clothes worn by members of Congress, and they choose the music heard by members of the Supreme Court and the Executive Office!!!!!

Fatah military leader assassinated in Lebanon

Posted: 11 Mar 2014 02:35 AM PDT

From Naharnet:
Unknown assailants on Monday assassinated a high-ranking Fatah Movement official in the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon.

"Fatah Movement official Brig. Gen. Jamil Zeidan died of his wounds after he was shot by unidentified gunmen in the al-Fawqani area," state-run National News Agency said.

According to LBCI television, two masked gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire at Zeidan.

A Fatah camp official told Agence France Presse that Zeidan was shot in front of his home.

"He was transferred to a health center but was pronounced dead on arrival," the official added, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.

A camp medic said Zeidan had been sprayed with at least 15 bullets.

Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) said tensions surged and armed men deployed in the streets in the wake of the murder.

On February 2, Wissam Abul Kel, a member of Fatah, died after masked men shot him near the camp's grocery market.

Ain el-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian camp in the country, is home to about 50,000 refugees and is known to harbor extremists and fugitives.
Ma'an only refers to him as a "Lebanese national security forces general," nothing about him being a member of Fatah or even Palestinian.

Fatah-leaning media are surprisingly low-key, or are ignoring altogether, this assassination of a Fatah general.

The media rule of "no Jews, no news" seems to be holding up rather well in this case.

Meanwhile, Lebanese ministers are debating a Hezbollah demand to insert language about "resistance" to Israel in their ministerial policy statement. Because it is much better to pretend that Israel is a threat to Lebanon than to worry about the real problems facing Lebanon, such as a large part of it being controlled by Iran.
פורסם על ידי zoom ב- 0:03

אין תגובות:

הוסף רשומת תגובה

הירשם ל- תגובות לפרסום (Atom)