יום שלישי, 18 במרץ 2014

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Terrorists complain that Jews love Jerusalem more than they do

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 08:30 PM PDT

From Times of Israel:

Jewish love for Jerusalem drew unexpected praise from the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organization, who told religious leaders in Tehran that the Jews show their love for the city more than Muslims do, and quoted in Hebrew from an inspirational Israeli ballad to prove the point.

Addressing a clerical conference in the Iranian capital, Ramadan Shalah lamented that Palestinians and other Muslims showed insufficient love for Al-Quds, the Arabic name for Jerusalem, according to a recording obtained Monday by Israel's Army Radio.

Shalah contrasted the inadequate Palestinian and Muslim love of the holy city with the heartfelt attachment of the Jews, and — speaking in Hebrew and Arabic — quoted the famous Israeli ballad "Jerusalem of Gold," penned by Zionist songstress Naomi Shemer.

"What is the meaning of Jerusalem for us?" Shalah, who leads one of the most extreme terror groups in the world and is on the FBI's most-wanted terrorists list, asked the assembled clergy last week. "Learn from the Jews, from that accursed entity [Israel]. They love Jerusalem not just as a military matter, but as a cultural one," he declared.

"They have a song in the Israeli entity that their army sings on June 7, when they conquered the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Haram al-Sharif [the Temple Mount, in the 1967 Six Day War]," he added, and went on to quote part of the chorus of "Jerusalem of Gold."

"Jerusalem of gold. Jerusalem of bronze. Jerusalem of light," he chanted, saying each phrase in both Hebrew and Arabic.

"Every Israeli child and every accursed Israeli soldier says this song in their heart," Shalah told the crowd.

The ballad, one of the most popular Hebrew songs ever, was composed for a music festival in Jerusalem that was part of the May 1967 Independence Day celebrations. The song employs ancient references, including from the Book of Lamentations and the Mishnah, to lament that Judaism's holiest places – especially the Temple Mount – were closed to Jews by the Jordanian authorities who controlled the eastern half of the city at the time.




The song begins by describing a desolate Jerusalem, with a "wall" in her heart, a reference to the border wall dividing the Israeli and Jordanian parts of the city.

Within weeks of the song's publication to widespread acclaim, the Six Day War broke out and Israeli forces were able to capture Jerusalem's ancient Old City, leading Shemer to write a fourth, triumphant stanza that begins, "We returned to the water cisterns, the marketplace and the square / A ram's horn blows at the Temple Mount in the ancient city."
Keep in mind that Arab leaders have made a conscious effort to make Jerusalem a central feature of their worldview since the 1920s, when the Mufti started raising money to fix up the decayed and broken down Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. They have made numerous pronouncements and declarations, they put posters of the Dome of the Rock everywhere they can - but they still admit that they really don't love the city. In this case, Shallah even implies that to him it is merely a "military" matter.

Yet he still doesn't get it. Jews don't love Jerusalem because of a beautiful song; they love the song because it reflects how they feel about Jerusalem. (Of course, marginal Jews like those who write in Haaretz are doing all they can to sever the relationship between Jews and Jerusalem, because to them stripping the heart and soul of a people would help bring "peace.")

This video of mine seems appropriate:

Saudi cleric confirms that sun revolves around the Earth

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:00 PM PDT

His logic is impeccable:



In a recent interview, Saleh Al-Fawzan, a member of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, said that there is no doubt that the sun revolves around the earth. The interview aired on Saudi Channel 1 and was posted on the Internet on January 23, 2014. Following are excerpts:

TV host: Allah says in a Koranic verse: "And the sun runs towards its stopping point. That is the determination of the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing." Does the sun revolve around the earth?

Saleh Al-Fawzan: There is no doubt about it. The Koran says: "The sun runs…" Nevertheless, they say that the sun stands in place and the Earth moves. This contradicts the Koran.

[…]

Ignoring the Koran and adopting modern theories is not something a Muslim can do. A Muslim must follow the Koran.
And Allah knows best.

03/17 Links Pt2: The Goal of The Boycott Movement is Not Peace; The Esther Award goes to...

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT

From Ian:
The Goal of the Boycott by Russell A. Berman
The goal of the boycott movement is not peace: it is the elimination of the State of Israel. This is the logical implication of all its arguments. Its supporters refrain from spelling out this endgame in order to avoid scaring off moderates who would reject the eliminationist agenda, but the end of Israeli sovereignty altogether is the clear purpose of the movement. It will fail in this pursuit, and Israel will survive, but the radicalism of the boycott movement is succeeding in poisoning debate on the Middle East.
The boycott movement bases its animosity toward Israel on the twin claims that it is a colonialist state and that it relies on an apartheid system of racial segregation. These are not arguments but slurs, and an examination of the historical record shows that they are falsehoods.
The boycott movement ostensibly dodges the question of the political future of the region, claiming agnosticism between the two-state and one-state solutions. In fact its arguments subvert the possibility of a two-state solution — a secure Israel next to a sovereign Palestine. In its de facto opposition to the two-state solution, the boycott movement stands outside the mainstream of the political discussion about the future of the region.
The Esther Award goes to...
It is easy to spot Haman in today's world. The Iranian mullah's with their destroy-Israel infatuation, a few European NGOs who back killers under the slogan of human rights, a Palestinian Authority which teaches its children to hate Jews and to detest life, to name a few.
But who is this year's Esther? My vote is with Scarlett Johansson.
Scarlett, a world-renowned actress, and hidden Esther-like Jew, stood up against EU and UN-types when she said goodbye to Oxfam in favor of the Israeli SodaStream. There was an element of Purim-like turn around when Oxfam tried to pressure Scarlett to drop SodaSteram; it was they who got the cut.
Isi Leibler: Putin, Ukraine and the Jews
The international crisis created by Putin's military incursion into Crimea has also served to highlight, again, Russia's relationship to the Jews. The Russian president has included radical nationalism and anti-Semitism in the Ukraine as major justifications for his intervention.
I have personal experience of the feral anti-Semitism which pervaded the region from my direct dealings with senior Soviet authorities in the campaign to free Soviet Jewry, which was the central focus of my public life for many years. I have no doubt that both in the Ukraine and Russia, a substantial proportion of the population continues to hate and fear Jews.
Yet today it is almost surreal, particularly when recalling the major contribution of Soviet Jewish dissidents toward the downfall of the Evil Empire, to observe President Vladimir Putin, the authoritarian former KGB official, displaying overt friendship toward Jews and Israel.



Isi Leibler: Confronting Foreign Media Outlets on Anti-Israel Coverage
Over the past few years, I have followed John Lyons' Australian articles on Israel with increasing frustration.
With the exception of a few "fig leaves", his reporting has been distorted, biased, and clearly designed to demonize Israel. His most recent outburst in the Weekend Australian (08/3/14), one of the most biased diatribes against Israel that I can recollect the Australian ever having published, displays a total absence of journalistic integrity.
Lyon's reporting relies on untrustworthy and highly prejudiced sources. He utilizes false testimonies from Arab propagandists and extreme Israeli leftists. He quotes disgruntled retired Israel officials and highly questionable human rights organizations.
He even goes so far as to include obscene, uncorroborated accusations that Israeli soldiers beat a child "to a pulp".
Free Lance Fauxtography, Reuters Style
Last year's death of Molhem Barakat — a Syrian freelance photographer for Reuters who was under age and had previously sought to be a suicide bomber — continues to raise questions about the integrity of the wire service's images.
The talented teenage photographer was killed covering fighting in Aleppo last December.
Complaint Against BBC News Israel Story Upheld
The latest complaint relates to an item which aired on the Today programme in June 2011. The report, by Kevin Connolly, one of the BBC's Middle East correspondents, examined the legacy of the 1967 conflict between Israel and several neighbouring states.
According to the trust's findings, which were obtained by The Times, a listener alleged that the Today report wrongly gave the impression that Israel occupied land three times its original size as a result of the war, when it had given 90 per cent of the land captured in 1967 back to Egypt. The programme also, the complainant alleged, gave a misleading impression that Israel was not willing to trade land for peace, when it had reached peace deals with Jordan and Egypt that included transfers of conquered territory.
The trust found that the Today report had been inaccurate on both points and that the complaints should be upheld.
Fisking a Guardian claim that Bibi believes in "Israeli exceptionalism"
Nicholas Blincoe's bio at the Guardian notes that he is an author, critic, screenwriter and former advisor to Nick Clegg – who "divides his time between the UK and Palestine". Naturally, his time in Palestine is devoted to anti-Israel activism, as he is an enthusiastic supporter of BDS and has written a book sympathetic to the terrorist-abetting International Solidarity Movement – which he risibly suggested is a non-violent group.
His other observations about the region include a claim that Christians are leaving Bethlehem due to Jewish persecution, and that the mission of Israeli archeology is "to erase the traces of non-Jewish civilizations."
He also once claimed, at Comment is Free', that the Har Homa neighborhood (in Jerusalem) is in fact located in Bethlehem.
Al Jazeera America: Twisting Israel News, Targeting Opinion Makers
Profit isn't of much interest to Al Jazeera America. "That is the difference that will allow us to maintain our journalistic identity," the network's Palestinian-American interim CEO, Ehab Al Shihabi,told the Wall Street Journal.
Translation: Unlike its commercial competitors (such as ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and NBC), the network doesn't care that much about general viewer ratings. Rather, it aims to influence opinion makers like teachers, broadcasters, and editorial writers.
NGO Im Tirzu reports on Israelis taking part in Israeli Apartheid Week events
The paper, titled "Delegitimization Awareness Month: Information on Israelis participating in Israeli Apartheid Week events", was published this month.
Israeli Apartheid Week, according to its website, "is an international series of events that seeks to raise awareness about Israel's apartheid policies towards the Palestinians and to build support for the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign." It takes place on different dates in different countries, this year running between February 24 and March 29.
Alon Schvartzer, the head of policy at Im Tirtzu, told The Jerusalem Post in an interview, "We wanted to show that Israeli organizations and individuals are justifying the BDS movement, giving it legitimization, even if they are not on the front lines.
EXCLUSIVE: Convicted Terrorists Target UK Campuses Via New Islamist Front Group
Convicted Muslim terrorists have been targeting London universities in their latest attempt to propagandise for an Islamic state in Britain, Breitbart London can exclusively reveal.
Videos on the Need4Khilafah.com website shows the former Al-Muhajiroun member and convicted terrorist Abdul Muhid outside the London School of Economics (LSE), filming and speaking to students about Islamic Finance. The latest video was posted just two days ago, while the organisation has posted nearly 40 videos since its inception in December last year.
Many of the group's films promote radical preacher Anjem Choudary, while others show that the group is not just targeting the LSE, as another man identified as Abu Sayfullah quizzes students on the need for democracy outside Queen Mary University, London.
Arab states attempt to block Israeli from UN human rights post
In a move which smacks directly of antisemitism, the Arab Group of states is attempting to block the appointment of an Israeli as a UN human rights expert. The subject matter is the rights of the elderly. Dr. Israel Doron has been proposed to become the next UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.
The candidates for the UN independent human rights experts, called "Special Procedures", are vetted by the UN Human Rights Council Consultative Group which submits to the President of the Council a list of candidates "who possess the highest qualifications and meet the general criteria and particular requirements". On the basis of the recommendations of the Consultative Group and following consultations, the President identifies a candidate and presents it to the Council for approval.
The BNP's slow return to antisemitism
Two recent statements by the British National Party and its leader Nick Griffin, have added to a growing sense that the party is returning to its antisemitic roots.
Like several far right parties in Western Europe, the BNP has spent the past few years insisting that any antisemitism or neo-Nazism was in its past. This coincided with a focus on Muslims as the primary target for the BNP's propaganda. In 2006, Griffin even wrote a long article on the BNP website attacking "Judeo-obsessives" who see a Jewish conspiracy behind all the troubles of the world.
Israeli Couple Saved From Mob in Kiev
Zalman Hetzklovich and his wife were walking in Kiev's Independence Square in the center of the city, when eight Ukrainians wearing uniforms and holding sticks suddenly leaped out of a van at them.
The Ukrainians pointed at the couple, shouting in Russian for them to stop.
"I understood that if I didn't run at that moment it would be the end of us," reported Hetzklovich. "I stopped a taxi and got in with my wife, asking the driver to get us out of there. The attackers surrounded the car and demanded the driver stop."
Jewish Cemetery in Hungary Vandalized With Swastikas and Anti-Semitic Slurs (PHOTOS)
Unidentified vandals desecrated a Jewish cemetery in Hungary last week spray-painting swastikas and various anti-Semitic slurs on tombstones, Israel National News reported.
Residents of the Jewish community in Tatabanya were shocked to discover the offensive slogans on Friday, which included "STINKING JEWS!", "HoloLie" and "There was no Holocaust but there will be!!!"
Latvians honor Nazi allies from World War II
Former Environment Minister Einars Cilinskis, of the right-wing National Alliance, who was dismissed Friday for announcing he would participate in the procession, ignored Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma's orders not to attend.
The Jewish human rights organization, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, denounced the march and welcomed the ouster of Cilinskis.
"We welcome the steps taken by the Latvian government against the minister who indicated his intention to participate in the march," the group said in a statement.
Turkish Cypriot FM sees bright future for Israel relations
With a framework for a comprehensive peace agreement in hand and dreams of a central role in providing natural gas to Europe, Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Ozdil Nami visited Washington, DC, this week. Nami hopes that his small island, which has known its share of conflict in recent decades, can have a pivotal role in establishing regional ties, bringing Turkey and Israel together in a common economic partnership.
Nami believes that "the Cyprus issue holds the key to many developments including closer cooperation between Israel and Turkey, between Turkey and the European Union, and in the problem-free exploitation of hydrocarbon resources." Although he was wary about discussing the exact implications of Russian involvement in Ukraine, Nami emphasized repeatedly during a Tuesday afternoon meeting that natural gas was pivotal to unlocking Cyprus's regional potential.
A who's-that of biotechs snags $119M as the IPO market thunders on
At the end of a banner quarter of biotech IPOs that put millions into the pockets of drug developers, a few smaller players are sneaking out while the window stays open. Thanks to a prolonged public appetite for life sciences companies, the little-known Ignyta, Dipexium Pharmaceuticals and Galmed Pharmaceuticals have banked a combined $119 million to fund their top prospects.
First up, cancer biotech Ignyta ($RXDX) cleared $48 million in an up-sized offering of 5.2 million shares at $9.15 apiece. With the proceeds, Ignyta hopes to push its lead candidate, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor RXDX-101, into a mid-stage study. In preliminary Phase I results released last month, Ignyta's drug showed no dose-limiting toxicities and came through with promising signs of antitumor activity, the company said.
Israel to showcase achievements at upcoming nanotech show
A sure sign that Israel is establishing world-class nano-technology research infrastructure is the fact that, while Israel is experiencing a "brain drain" and the emigration of scientists in many other disciplines, top-flight nanotech scientists have been moving to Israel. In the past six years, according to INNI (Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative), 101 such scientists have come to Israel to take faculty positions at top Israeli universities.
That by itself is reason enough to celebrate, and INNI, along with nanotechnology centers at Israeli universities, the Ministry of Trade & Industry, the Foreign Ministry, and key companies and organizations in Israel and abroad, will hold NanoIsrael 2014, the fourth bi-annual event that gathers together scientists and industry officials to discuss the newest developments in nanotech. The event will take place in Tel Aviv at the end of March.
Israeli buys hugely popular London market for £400m
Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi has bought London's immensely popular Camden Stables Market for over £400 million ($665 million).
The deal between Sagi and businessmen Richard Caring and Israeli Bebo Kobo was reached after 18 months of negotiations. Sagi now owns 100 percent of the market's shares.
The Camden markets, or Camden Lock, are a well-known tourist attraction in north London. The complex includes several markets with the largest, the Stables Market, drawing in around 40 million visitors every year.
Exclusive: Arabic high-tech made in Israel
Six months after Clalit Health Services released a series of instructional Arabic-language videos about breast feeding on YouTube, the health fund was shocked by their popularity – the combined million views they racked up eclipsed the number of breast-feeding women among the country's 1.7 million Arab citizens.
Clalit found the solution to the mystery in the analytics: More than half of the views had come from Saudi Arabia, 16 percent from Egypt and 9% from Iraq. Only 4.5% were from inside Israel, while the vast majority came from countries that boycott its goods and refuse to establish diplomatic ties.
Arabic, which accounts for some 3.5% of online content today, is the fastest growing language on the Internet. It is projected to become the fourth-largest in 2015, up from seventh place at the end of 2012.
The growing market has created a unique opportunity for Israel's Arab citizens.

The IDF has some very loud noisemakers for Purim

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 01:00 PM PDT

Here is how some IDF troops listen to the Megillah on Purim:



(h/t Ruchie)

If you want to drive Israel haters crazy - do something good for Israeli Arabs

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PDT

Nothing gets under the skin of Israel haters more than Israel acting in ways that contradict the principle by which they live their pathetic little lives.

And when that happens, they have to twist theire brains into geometrically improbable shapes in order to pretend that Israel's actions to end discrimination are really actions to enforce discrimination.

A wonderfully convoluted post at Electronic Intifada by Yara Sa'di is today's example:

The phony pluralism of Israel's universities

Palestinian students at Israeli universities are likely to notice an increase in the number of scholarships they can apply for in the coming months. Various websites for academic institutions will also be translated into Arabic.

These changes are the result of a government decision to allocate some $82 million over the course of six years for integrating "minorities" into the higher education system.

At first glance, it may appear that Israel has undertaken a U-turn in policy following decades of discriminatory and exclusionary practices against Palestinian students.

Yet when deeper questions are asked, it becomes obvious that whatever intentions those who drafted this policy had, standing up for the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel was not one of them.

The new policy was devised as part of a project to boost "pluralism" in Israeli universities by ensuring greater access for minorities.

The Israeli Council for Higher Education, the body behind the project, has identified the minorities targeted as "Arabs, Druze and Circassians."
So if Israel making a serious investment to help minorities is not really to help minorities, what is it for?
Israel has realized that its policies towards Palestinians holding Israeli citizenship were having an adverse effect on its image abroad.
Ah, it is the Arab student equivalent of "pinkwashing!"

And in case you don't make that connection...
[This logic,] for example, underpins the "pinkwashing" campaigns undertaken by Israel, which depict Israel as a defender of gay rights in order to divert attention away from the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.

Sa'di goes crazy over a little seen (and excellent) video that Israel's Council for Higher Education released last year. Thanks to her, now far more people will get to see this video showing how Israel is helping its minorities than the 150 who had seen it up until now:



The video frankly acknowledges that Israeli Arabs have a harder time than Israeli Jews to reach their academic and career goals, for various reasons, and it shows how things are changing for the better. With Israeli Arabs taking center stage.

Isn't that horrible? They must all be brainwashed by the Zionist propaganda machine!

Not only that, but the video is guilty in "its refusal to acknowledge that Palestinian citizens of Israel live under a system of apartheid." It's also guilty of not acknowledging that the Earth is flat.

Of course, being Electronic Intifada, it takes as a given that Israel institutionalizes racism at all levels, and the many other initiatives being done to improve Arab education and career growth are ignored. Because they don't fit the narrative. When the evidence becomes too overwhelming, then they are dismissed as mere public relations - PR that costs tens of millions of dollars and directs hundreds of people to act towards a goal of eliminating discrimination. Yeah, that makes sense!

Sa'di ends off with:
So long as Israeli universities remain committed to Zionism, no amount of money will lead them to become "pluralist."
So unless Israel dismantles itself, it has no right to help Arabs, because that help doesn't really help.

Sa'di proves that she is the one who is bigoted against Arabs, not Israel.

For bigots like Sa'di, it is better that Arabs don't have any opportunities to improve their lives rather than work within a system that she believes is immoral to begin with.

Israel helping Arabs is immoral because it makes the Arabs less miserable and less likely to spend their entire lives with the same hate that she has.

This is the same racist logic that says that Palestinian Arabs in Arab countries must remain in misery as long as Israel exists, so they can be pointed at to prove Israel is at fault.

And Yara Sa'di is a "postgraduate student and activist from Haifa." Yet seeing other Israeli Arabs trying to reach new heights in this video fills her with anger and bile.

If that isn't bigotry, what is?

03/17 Links Pt1: Why Abbas thinks Jewish state is a ‘delusional myth’; Saudi Cleric Bans Buffets

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

From Ian:
PMW: Why Abbas thinks Jewish state is a 'delusional myth'
Abbas's denial of Jewish history and refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state are the ideological foundations for the PA teachings that the existence of the State of Israel constitutes a theft by "Zionist gangs" and that Israel's existence is temporary. This is not PLO rhetoric from the pre-Oslo days. This is current PA education and indoctrination and remains a most severe impediment to a genuine peace process.
Netanyahu's demand and the PA's refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state are clearly not just a quibble over semantics, and Netanyahu's demand is in fact a minimalist request. Any PA recognition – if it is to impact at all on peace – must include recognition that Israel is the continuation of thousands of years of Jewish history and therefore Israel has a right to exist. Furthermore, in order for these declarations to be more than mere embellishments to yet another insincere agreement, they must be immediately integrated into PA children's education and public discourse. Without this, Abbas' recognition of the Jewish state would be like Arafat's recognition of Israel in 1993: a meaningless ornament to a deceptive peace process that is cited regularly by the PA to create a façade of sincerity.
PA public recognition and education of its citizens to see Israel as a Jewish state with a history and right to exist are absolute necessities if there is ever to be a Palestinian population that accepts Israel as a neighbor and truly seeks peace. For now, while Abbas' recognition on the diplomatic level would certainly not be enough to affect this change, it is nonetheless a necessary first step in the right direction. (h/t Elder of Lobby)
Abbas defined Jewish history in Jerusalem as a "delusional myth"

Amb. Alan Baker: Arafat and the Jewish State: Setting the Record Straight
Kerry opined that he views Israel's position "as a mistake," considering that the "Jewish State" issue was "sufficiently addressed by UN General Assembly Resolution 181 of 1947, which recommended the establishment of independent Arab and Jewish states in Palestine."1 He said there are "more than 30–40 mentions of a 'Jewish state'" in the resolution, and added that the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat "confirmed that he agreed it [Israel] would be a Jewish state" in 1988 and in 2004.
It would appear that once again, as with previous one-sided and pre-judgmental statements, Secretary Kerry has either been ill-advised or is deliberately engaged in an effort to neutralize the "Jewish State" issue in the current negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He is doing so by attempting to determine that the question of Palestinian support for a Jewish state was already resolved by PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 1988, and is therefore redundant and unnecessary.
The debate is about our right to exist
This is what you found? A murmured response to the question by PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 1988, and an additional hum directed toward Haaretz journalists? And after this, they'll be angry that people talk about U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in terms of messianic obsession.
Why should it be necessary to search high and low for Palestinian recognition of a Jewish state? Because there is none. One can read the declarations of the Palestinian Authority and its leaders over the past 20 years. Indeed, opposing recognition of Israel as the national home of the Jewish people is more important to the Palestinians than land, since this is the true heart of the conflict, rather than the other territorial nonsense that the Left has been selling for years. It's not about territory and not about settlements and not about refugee rights, not at all. (h/t Bob Knot)
Are the Palestinians Prepared for Peace?
The Israelis remain hesitant and with good reason. It is unclear how long Mahmoud Abbas will remain in office; his presidency may easily be ended by a coup that will extend Hamas's power from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank.
Unfortunately, whenever Mahmoud Abbas speaks he contradicts himself, increasing Israel's reservations. The Palestinians are brainwashing the younger generation with hatred and hostility, and preparing them for continuing the conflict. We all understand Abbas's manipulations: talk about peace and prepare the Palestinians for the next war with Israel.



U.S. Wavers on 'Jewish State' Recognition While Cameron Endorses It
An Israeli official told the Times of Israel that the U.S. administration finds it easier to criticize Israeli positions rather than confronting Palestinian obstinacy. Even though the U.S. may perceive that symbolic recognition is futile, it is a major root of the broader conflict – insinuating that the Palestinian Authority and the majority of Palestinian society reject the fact that Israel exists as a Jewish State in any form. Continuously advocating for a 'Right of Return' of Palestinian refugees to pre-1967 Israel would upset the demographic balance in favor of the Arab population in Israel and would lead to the de facto destruction of the Jewish State.
Moreover, State Department officials told the Jerusalem Post that Israel's decision on whether to allow its final release of prisoners next week, as per the initial agreement that initiated direct negotiations, would be critical for discussions to continue.
In contrast, British Prime Minister David Cameron supported calls to recognize Israel as a "Jewish State" on Thursday. "That's what Israel is and that's what it will be," Cameron stated at a joint press conference with Abbas in Ramallah. "Jews were persecuted around the world, including those murdered in the Holocaust, and so the decision was taken that Israel should be the homeland of the Jewish people and this is what it is," he said.
Palestinians must recognize Jewish state, Labor chief says
Herzog, who also serves as Knesset opposition chief, didn't go as far as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in demanding that the Palestinian Authority recognize Israel's Jewish character as a central condition.
In recent months Netanyahu has insisted that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas recognize Israel as "a Jewish state" — something Palestinians are refusing to do, believing it would irrevocably torpedo chances for the return of refugees living in exile. Israel rejects any mass "return" of refugees and their descendants to Israel, since this could drastically alter the Jewish state's demographic balance, and says Palestinian refugees should become citizens of a Palestinian state.
As for the issue of Jerusalem's status in a final deal, Herzog said that the city should remain united but could still serve as both an Israeli and Palestinian capital.
Jews love Jerusalem more than we do, Islamic Jihad head complains in Iran
Addressing a clerical conference in the Iranian capital, Ramadan Shalah lamented that Palestinians and other Muslims showed insufficient love for Al-Quds, the Arabic name for Jerusalem, according to a recording obtained Monday by Israel's Army Radio.
Shalah contrasted the inadequate Palestinian and Muslim love of the holy city with the heartfelt attachment of the Jews, and — speaking in Hebrew and Arabic — quoted the famous Israeli ballad "Jerusalem of Gold," penned by Zionist songstress Naomi Shemer.
Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinian People's Message to Kerry: Go Away!
The Palestinians feel that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is not listening to what they have to say about his efforts to achieve peace in the middle East.
That Is why they have decided to express their views through a new song that is dedicated to Kerry personally.
A video of the song, by Qassem Najjar, was posted on YouTube and other social media outlets on the eve of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to Washington for talks with President Barack Obama on the peace process with Israel.
While heaping praise on Abbas, the singer mocks Kerry and accuses him of presenting a "Zionist plan" with the intention of eliminating the Palestinian cause.
Danny Ayalon: Can NATO guarantee peace in the Middle East?
Israel is kept safe because Hamas, Syria, and Hezbollah all know that Israel will not hesitate to send soldiers to the front lines, or conduct raids in light of suspicious activity, nor will it hesitate to fire back when fired upon. Can NATO truly guarantee that if things heat up in Jenin, or on the border of Syrian, that it will do all that is necessary to keep Israel secure, or will it, more likely, be a hindrance?
To make matters worse, if Israel were to leave the West Bank as part of a peace agreement without leaving a military presence, there would almost certainly be an inpouring of terrorist groups. We have already seen Hamas seizing power in Gaza after Israel withdrew in 2005, and we have already seen Al Qaeda enter the Sinai, despite the presence of the multinational force stationed there. Israel cannot afford for the same to happen in the West Bank, a few short miles from our major cities.
Minister Calls to Refuse Release of Terrorist Mastermind
"Abu Mazen [Abbas] will stand in the White House today and demand the release of Barghouti and other terrorists in exchange for continuing the talks. Israel needs to respond in just one word: no," Katz declared in a post to Facebook.
"Barghouti is a cowardly mass murderer who sent 'shaheeds' to blow themselves up among innocent civilians during the Second Intifada," Katz recalled. "He should rot in jail until he dies."
"I plan to act against terrorist release," he declared. It was a "mistake" for the government to agree to free terrorist murderers in order to bring the PA to the negotiating table, he added.
"It would be moral bankruptcy to free Barghouti and his friends in exchange for continuing talks," he argued.
Peres throws support behind 'good partner' Abbas
Countering recent comments by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, President Shimon Peres on Monday praised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as a serious peace partner while expressing hope for successful talks.
"President Abbas is a man of principle, he is against terror, against violence," Peres said in a meeting with Congolese human rights activist, UN Humanitarian Award winner Rose Mapendo. "He is a good partner and I'm glad that our government is negotiating with him. Disagreements are normal but we also agree on opposition to terrorism."
In an interview on Saturday, Ya'alon said there would not be peace in his era and decried Abbas as someone who is not a partner for a final agreement.
Israel Tightens Procedures After Malaysia Mystery
In the wake of "conclusive" suspicions of hijacking in the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished without a trace along with its 239 passengers last Saturday, Israel has decided to tighten its security measures for foreign aircraft entering Israeli airspace.
Security and airport officials discussed the changing security situation in light of the disappearance, and eventually decided to change regulations for foreign aircraft, which now will be required to identify themselves well before entering Israeli airspace, reports Channel 2.
Jordan king visits family of 'martyr' judge
King Abdullah II on Sunday visited the family of a Jordanian judge killed by Israeli soldiers to offer his condolences, the palace said on Twitter.
A picture on Twitter showed the king hugging the father of 38-year-old Raed Zeiter.
"His majesty King Abdullah II offers condolences to the family of martyr judge Raed Zeiter," reads the caption.
Mashaal: Suicide is our 'Life'
Hamas head Khaled Mashaal said on Saturday that there is no solution to the Palestinian problem, except through renewal of the spirit of jihad and self-sacrifice for Allah. He stressed that this would happen "soon."
Mashaal spoke at an event in Qatar, dedicated to the memory of Palestinians who were killed in terror attacks against Israel, whose remains were recently transferred by Israel to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
PA Leaves Gaza in the Dark Another Day
An anonymous Arab official revealed that "problems in transferring funds between the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the Hamas government in Gaza are to blame" for the delay.
The tensions between Hamas and the PA reportedly caused the power outage to begin with, as Hamas refused to pay the exorbitant fuel fee imposed by the PA on gas purchased from Israel for the Gaza government.
Those tensions were only display Sunday, when Hamas arrested 13 pro-PA demonstrators, allegedly beating them and others.
Gazan Sick Protest Egyptian Siege
Dozens of sick and disabled residents of Gaza protested the Egyptian siege on Saturday, demonstrating across from Egypt's Rafah Crossing leading to Sinai. Their demand -- passage to Egypt for ongoing medical treatment in the Nile state and other countries.
Roughly 1,500 sick and injured people in Gaza are waiting for the reopening of the Rafah Crossing, which has been closed for 36 days, reports a spokesperson for the protest group.
U.S. admits contact with terrorist Brotherhood org — to 'support people of Egypt'
QUESTION: So do you think that these contacts have any effect on the United States relations with Egypt? And are these just mere contacts or support? Because this is very important for the Egyptian public opinion. Thanks.
MS. HARF (State Dept): Well, they're contacts, and let's just – I'll put it in a little context here. We think it's important to have contacts with all the parties in Egypt, because all the parties in Egypt ultimately are going to need to be a part of Egypt's future, and that we want to help them be a part of that future and move Egypt out of the situation it's in today. So we think this is important to do. Do we always agree, do they always agree with what we're saying? Of course not. But we believe it's important to have the dialogue.
Lebanon car bomb kills two Hezbollah members
The attack in the Bekaa Valley was claimed by the jihadist Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon, as well as by a little known extremist Sunni Muslim group based in the region.
The bomb killed two Hezbollah members, including local official Abdel Rahman al-Qadi, and a woman and her husband who died from their wounds shortly after the blast, the source said.
Iran's Ramped-Up Cold War With Israel Is a Sign of Tehran's Weakness, Not Strength
This week, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inspected a cache of Iranian arms seized earlier this month from a Gaza-bound ship, he told the TV cameras accompanying him that the array of rockets represented "the true face of Iran." In a way, he was right: Tehran is months into negotiations over limiting the scope of its nuclear program in exchange for relaxing international sanctions but still decided to risk sending a shipment of advanced weaponry to terrorists in Israel's backyard.
But the cargo wasn't evidence of Tehran's incorruptible commitment to destroying the Jewish state. Rather, it was a window into the dynamics of intra-Muslim politics—and a sign that Iran is actually a weakened power desperately trying to hold on to regional influence among its Muslim neighbors and allies. It is telling that both the rockets on the ship, as well as the rockets fired into Israel over the past few days, are being tied not to Hamas, a fair-weather ally of Tehran and the undisputed power in Gaza, but rather to the much smaller Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
As Syrian War Enters 4th Year, Observers Focus on Targeting of Civilians, Collective Punishment
Reuters on Thursday conveyed estimates from human rights organizations calculating that the death toll in the Syrian conflict had passed 146,000, as the war was set to enter its fourth year this weekend. The figures come a few weeks after Syrian forces fighting on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime intensified aerial bombardments across the country's south.
The regime's targeting of civilians extends beyond indiscriminate bombing. AFP reported at the end of January that the Syrian government had "razed thousands of homes as 'collective punishment' of communities" linked to opposition elements.
Israeli Officials Worry Syrian Warfighting Boosting Hezbollah's Capabilities, Will Worsen Intensity of Future War
On the one hand, Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese Shiite organization that fought a monthlong war against Israel in 2006, is preoccupied with shoring up the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in its struggle against rebel forces, and is suffering losses.
But Hezbollah is also acquiring battlefield experience, and the only way for Mr. Assad, a longtime Hezbollah ally, to repay the group is by supplying it with sophisticated weapons, according to Israeli military officials and experts — strengths that could eventually be used against Israel.
"A Hezbollah with modern surface-to-air systems, with modern U.A.V.'s, with modern cybercapabilities, well, this is a different Hezbollah," the senior military official said, one that could have "much more appetite to taste another conflict with Israel."
Al-Qaeda Calls for Car Bomb Attacks on American Cities, Targets Abroad
The latest issue of Al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine contains an article about using car bombs in U.S. cities as well as abroad during election seasons, both presidential and congressional, as well as on Christmas and New Years Eve.
The cities and areas listed in the piece include Washington, D.C., New York, Northern Virginia, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Saudi Arabia bans prominent Palestinian authors from Riyadh book fair
Saudi Arabia reportedly banned hundreds of books and confiscated them from a Riyadh book fair including books by the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and other prominent Palestinians.
Organizers of the Riyadh International Book Fair announced before the event began that books deemed "against Islam or "undermining security" in the country would be removed from the event, AFP reported.
Saudi Cleric Issues Fatwa Against All-You-Can-Eat Buffets
Saleh al-Fawzan, an Islamic cleric in Saudi Arabia, has issued a fatwa (religious edict) against "all you can eat" buffets, saying they are un-Islamic. He said that the value and quantity of what is sold should be predetermined before purchase under Islamic law.
"Whoever enters the buffet and eats for 10 or 50 riyals without deciding the quantity they will eat is violating Sharia law," the cleric said on the Saudi-based al-Atheer channel.

Starvation death toll in Yarmouk is up to 133

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 07:00 AM PDT

According to the Action Group for Palestinians in Syria, the only organization that keeps track of these things, an elderly man starved to death this morning. This brings the number of people who died of starvation to 133, This was quoted in Palestine Today.

They also reported unconfirmed reports that food would be allowed in today.

The Gaza "siege" is around 8 years old now, and not one person has starved to death. But in a measly 9 months of the Syrian siege of far fewer Palestinian Arabs in Yarmouk, 133 have starved to death.

It's almost as if language itself is being manipulated to make Israel look bad.

But how can that be? If people were deliberately misusing words and phrases like "starvation," "apartheid," "siege," "concentration camp," "international law," "occupation," "war crimes" and others, just to demonize the Jewish state, wouldn't someone have noticed it by now?

Yet when there are documented cases of horrors committed against Palestinian Arabs by other Arabs, cases that dwarf the worst that anyone can say about Israel in their wildest dreams,  they don't get one percent of the coverage that Israeli actions do.

I'm sure there is a good explanation for this wild inconsistency. Let me think....Ah, I think I got it. Syria is acting in partnership with Israel to distract the world from Zionist crimes and the media has caught on to this trick and is therefore downplaying Syrian "massacre-washing" and "starvation-washing" because it is really Israel behind everything Assad is doing (except when Israel is behind what the rebels are doing.)

Whew. It all makes sense again. Now we can justify ignoring Syrian actions, because they only make Israel look good by comparison, and to many "pro-Palestinians,:" that is the real crime.

Unity! Hamas arrests Abbas supporters in Gaza

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 05:00 AM PDT

As Mahmoud Abbas prepares to meet with President Obama today, his party is organizing rallies to make it look as if he has widespread support at home.

Here is the only photo I could find of one of these rallies, in Jenin, from the official WAFA news agency. It doesn't look very impressive:


Note the maps of "Palestine" in the banner.

They did a little better in the rallies in Tulkarem and Ramallah.




Fatah tried to put together a demonstration in Gaza as well, but their friends in Hamas didn't take too kindly to the idea.  Reports say that "Hamas police severely beat members of Fatah and they confiscated pictures of President Mahmoud Abbas and the flags of Palestine and the Fatah movement." A number of men were arrested and supposedly some women were assaulted as well.

Also in Gaza, Fatah members were fighting - other Fatah members. Supporters of Mahmoud Abbas and supporters of Mohammed Dahlan clashed at Al Azhar, each burning photos of the others' heroes. Police had to intervene.

We've seen rallies of support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and they typically get tens of thousands of people. Fatah rallies rarely get those sorts of numbers.And you know that the people attending are government workers who are gently encouraged to attend - no one is taking off of work for a fake show of support for Abbas.

Someone should see how many Sodastream employees took the day off to attend one of these rallies!

Egyptian Israelophile arrested for "spying"

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 02:41 AM PDT

YNet reports:

Security forces in the city of Suhaj in southern Egypt arrested a 24-year-old man who was corresponding with an Israeli citizen on Facebook, al-Youm al-Sabaa reported on Sunday.

The man is suspected of adding "Israeli pages" to his account, such as pages about the Mossad and the IDF Spokesman.

The man also allegedly criticized Egypt and attempted to travel to Israel through Sudan.

The paper also reported that the man has a Star of David tattoo on his arm, and that a search of his home uncovered a Hebrew-Arabic dictionary.

According to the report, the man reached the Israeli embassy in Cairo in an attempt to get a visa to Israel, claiming he wants to visit Jerusalem, but was unsuccessful.
Egyptian media are of course covering the story. His name is Shenouda Ashraf Sobhy Zekry. Here is his tattoo (UPDATE: No, this photo is from a 2011 story. Egyptian media quality shines through. H/t Bob K)


According to the Egyptian reports, he met an Israeli girl named "Nicolas"(?) in Sharm el-Sheikh, slept with her, she paid him $150 and then he turned into a fan of Israel.

 He started a Yahoo account called ISRAEELLOVE579@YAHOO.com and tried to find Israelis to correspond with.

Zekry is charged with "collaborating with the state of Israel in order to damage the status of Egypt's military, political, diplomatic and economic situation, as well as acceptance of money from a foreign state for the purpose of committing an act detrimental to the national interest of the country, have also been a prosecutor charges correspondence with a foreign country in order to share secrets about the defense of the country." He is in jail for 15 days while they find more "crimes" to pin on him.

Sounds just like the Mossad, doesn't it?
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