יום שני, 24 במרץ 2014

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Antisemitic clothing theme at H&M in Birmingham? (UPDATE)

Posted: 23 Mar 2014 06:00 PM PDT

A reader sent me this photo of a vest for sale, Sunday, at an H&M department store in Birmingham, England. I depicts a skull inside a Star of David.



She complained to the store manager, who didn't do anything. 

The H&M website for the United Kingdom did not have this shirt listed for sale.  


Sometimes the hexagram is used with a skull for showing occult-type symbols. I found (with some difficulty) this shirt for sale:


And I also found a skull inside a hexagram from inside a cemetery in Ireland:


But more often you will see this motif nowadays as an antisemitic theme:



It is fair to say that the image is highly offensive, and it seems disingenuous to think that any major Western clothing store would be blind to that fact. 

Perhaps someone can visit an H&M (especially in the UK) and ask a salesperson to look up on the computer the product information visible on the tag shown above. The description they give this shirt internally may shed light on whether this shirt was meant to be evocative of the Star of David or not.

(h/t O)

UPDATE: By coincidence, Eylon Aslan-Levy at Times of Israel blogs that he saw the same shirt in H&M in London on Sunday.

But whatever the designer may have been thinking (and God knows what he was thinking!), what an ordinary, reasonable person sees in this vest is a skull emblazoned over a Star of David – and that is why this item needs to be withdrawn from H&M stores immediately.

I doubt that there were anti-Semitic intentions on the part of the designer, but there is no escaping that the juxtaposition – no matter how accidental – of these two symbols is entirely inappropriate and offensive. The more I look at it, the more I am at a loss to explain how H&M commissioned or even approved this item. It is at minimum an extremely unfortunate oversight in the H&M department, which has displayed an egregious failure of cultural awareness and sensitivity. There is a long history of associating Jewish symbols with Satanic imagery, and this product inadvertently falls within this tradition.

H&M is so far refusing to withdraw this unpleasant item. Its customer services department assures me that it "did not mean to cause offence" and that it was certainly not the store's intention to "represent a star with… religious connotations": this assurance is entirely credible, and it would be a mistake to accuse H&M of anti-Semitism, but this design still has no place in British high street fashion, and the only appropriate response for H&M is to discontinue this item forthwith.
(h/t Lampshade Orange)

EU stupidity beyond parody, courtesy of Emer Costello (ElderToons)

Posted: 23 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT

From the same AFP article I quoted earlier today:

On Thursday, an EU parliamentary delegation urged Israel to release long-term Palestinian prisoners, saying it was crucial to move a fragile Middle East peace process forward.

"We believe that the release of prisoners... is central to the peace process," said Emer Costello, who headed the EU delegation on a three-day fact-finding mission on Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

It is truly a crazy world where this statement can be said by a public figure without a wave of derision for such unfathomable stupidity.

Hamas MP: "We Must Massacre Jews"

Posted: 23 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT

From MEMRI:



In a recent address, Hamas cleric and MP Yunis Al-Astal said that the Koran indicates that "we must massacre [the Jews]... to prevent them from sowing corruption in the world." Al-Astal further said: "We must restore them to the state of humiliation imposed upon them... They must pay the jizya security tax while they live in our midst." The address was aired on March 6, 2014, on the Hamas-owned Al-Aqsa TV, broadcasting from Gaza.

Following are excerpts:

Yunis Al-Astal: In today's show, we will discuss the demand that the Palestinian people recognize [Israel] as a Jewish state, so that the occupation will graciously hand them out scraps. I would like to begin by quoting what Allah said about them: "The worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are those who disbelieve. They are the ones with whom you made a covenant, but they break their covenant every time."

[...]

The obvious question is: What is the solution to this gang of people? The Al-Anfal chapter of the Koran provides us with the answer. After He said: "They are the ones with whom you made a covenant, but they break their covenant every time," Allah added: "If you gain mastery over them in a war, use them to disperse those who follow them that they may remember." This indicates that we must massacre them, in order to break them down and prevent them from sowing corruption in the world. They are the ones who still spark the flame of war, but Allah has taken it upon Himself to extinguish it.

[...]

We must restore them to the state of humiliation imposed upon them. They should be dhimmi citizens. This status must be imposed upon them by war. They must pay the jizya security tax while they live in our midst.

[...]

However, in Palestine, where they are occupiers and invaders, they cannot have the status of dhimmis.
The next to last paragraph is actually very important. While Muslims like to claim how well they treated second-class dhimmis over the centuries, al-Astal is admitting the truth: the entire point of dhimmitude is to impose a state of humiliation on Christians and Jews.

Which is why Muslims will never accept Israel. The idea that the weak, dhimmi Jews are more powerful than Muslims - in the middle of the Muslim world - is the worst humiliation that can be imagined. They can sort of accept that 2 billion Christians have a lot of power outside Muslim geographical centers, after all, that's been the status quo for 500 years. But 6 million Jews building a country that a billion Muslims cannot destroy? That cannot be accepted, no matter what.

And this is why these Jews in Israel are not even accorded dhimmi status, according to al-Astal. Their humiliation of Muslims is so egregious that the Koran itself must be interpreted to demand that they be massacred.

But the West still thinks that a couple of Muslim national leaders signing a piece of paper can change the entire Islamic psyche overnight or in a few years.

03/23 Links: Israel Trek Sponsor 'Shocked' by Arafat Grave Visit, Hamas Spams Israelis

Posted: 23 Mar 2014 10:00 AM PDT

From Ian:
Richard Millett: Boycotted at Ben White Amnesty event as David Hearst announces "I know who you write for".
Last night (shabbat) I was at Amnesty International's London HQ for the launch of Ben White's updated Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner's Guide. The event was chaired by David Hearst, former chief foreign leader writer of The Guardian.
After White's talk he had a Q&A with Hearst after which members of the audience were allowed to ask White questions. Well, most of them anyway.
I had my arm raised for half hour while Hearst took questions from those sitting around me, before taking questions from the other side of the room. While my arm was still raised Hearst called an end to questions.
Feeling rather frustrated I asked whether I could put a question to White. Hearst declined my request and replied:
"I know exactly what you're up to. And who you are. And who you write for." (h/t Yenta Press)
Paris Jewish teacher has nose broken, swastika drawn on chest
A Jewish teacher from Paris told police that three men had assaulted and cursed him in Arabic before drawing a swastika on his chest.
The attack occurred on Thursday night, according to a report by the Drancy-based Bureau for National Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism, a watchdog group known as BNVCA.
"They pressed him to the wall and hit his face, around the eyes and on his chest," the report said. The blows broke his nose and deformed it, according to the report.
"One of the perpetrators opened the victim's shirt and with a black marker drew a swastika on the man's bare chest," BNVCA president Sammy Ghozlan wrote in the BNVCA report.
Israel Trek Sponsor Apologizes to TruthRevolt Reporter, 'Shocked' by Arafat Grave Visit
Finally I need to say that I and many others were deeply shocked by the photo at Arafat's grave. While the dialogue with Palestinian leaders was essential to the purposes and success of the mission the photo at the grave was deeply offensive. Yasser Arafat was a vicious terrorist who caused the death of thousands of innocents but in addition, his hatred of Israel caused him to destroy a promising peace process and the hopes and dreams of Israelis and Palestinians alike for peace between our peoples.
Clearly the group was not there to "pay respects" but even the appearance of "honoring Arafat's memory" never should have happened and must never be repeated, a view that is clearly shared by our student leaders as well.



For The Israeli Left, Democracy Is Too Democratic
David Landau, one of the lions of Israeli journalism, published a stunningly revealing article in Haaretz at the beginning of February – one that gave perfect voice to the Israeli left's disgust with the nation's own democratic system.
Due to the efforts of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Landau wrote, "the dream of Israel's peace camp is coming true." The dream itself is the "most yearned-for and most oft-repeated" wish, though Landau cautioned it is only spoken of "in private."
There's a twist, though: The dream, it turns out, isn't a Palestinian state. A state is the culmination of the dream. No, the dream is "that friendly foreign governments summon up the political will to force Israel to end the occupation at last, in the interests of its own future as well as in the interests of world peace."
A call for anti-Israel academic boycotters to boycott themselves
In justifying the academic boycott of Israel, the faculty boycotters frequently cite the fact that they are responding to a request. Some even go so far as to suggest they would boycott U.S. universities if requested to do so.
Okay, I call on the anti-Israel academic boycotters to boycott themselves.
Using their own narratives of colonial domination, indigenous peoples' rights, and complicity of their universities in the military-industrial state, intellectual honesty and consistency compels them to boycott themselves.
Why Abbas wants Marwan Barghouti to go free
Though Abbas sees Barghouti's release as some kind of magic key, it is highly unlikely that anyone in Israel is willing to contemplate such a move, even as a means of keeping the talks going — which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants. Even now, well before the sides have begun to talk about Barghouti, the scheduled fourth release of veteran security prisoners has run into problems.
The prisoners are supposed to go free in barely a week's time. Most of them are not well-known to the Israeli public, and most are too old to represent any danger to Israel. Still, it won't be easy for Netanyahu to release the group demanded by the PA, which includes 14 Israeli Arabs, without knowing first that Abbas will continue talks beyond their scheduled April cessation.
Report: US could free Pollard to rescue Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
Citing Western diplomatic sources, Israel Radio reported that Obama administration officials have not ruled out Netanyahu's proposal that Pollard be released in exchange for Israel's agreement to free Israeli Arabs convicted of terrorist acts, as has been demanded by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The sources would not say whether they believed President Barack Obama would agree to such a move, according to Israel Radio.
Senior Israeli officials told Israel Radio that the peace process is in danger of collapsing. If no agreement is reached between Israel and the PA regarding the fourth installment of the prisoner release, which was originally scheduled to take place next week, the negotiations could break down completely.
Israeli officials blast EU, UN for condemning West Bank settlement plans
Israeli diplomatic officials slammed the EU and UN Saturday night for condemning plans for new settlement construction, but were silent in the face of maximalist Palestinian positions they say are jeopardizing the diplomatic process.
"Are they really putting their fingers on the real problem with these automatic responses," one official said. He questioned why the EU did not see fit to criticize Fatah for organizing a rally Thursday in Ramallah when Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas returned from Washington that "celebrated rejectionism, that celebrated 'not one inch,' a position that makes peace impossible."
The official said that "a few more housing units inside the settlement blocks will not change the final maps of peace, but it should be clear that the Palestinian refusal to show any flexibility in the talks is preventing things from moving forward."
Samaria Town Faces Demolition, Even Though Land Legally Bought
Much of the town of Migron was destroyed after Palestinian Authority resident Arabs claimed ownership of the land on which it had been built. Officials agreed to destroy the community even after the Arabs who claimed the land withdrew their lawsuit when requested to present proof of their claims. The Attorney General found that the claims could not be substantiated. Yet despite that fact, the Courts ruled that land not registered as state land is de facto not to be settled by Jews.
However, the government took a different approach regarding 17 homes belonging to Israeli residents who had documents proving that the land on which their homes had been built had been legally purchased. The Arabs registered as having sold the land to the 17 families disputed the sale, but the government agreed to wait and not to demolish the buildings for three months in order to allow their legal status to be determined. If the land sale was found to be valid, government officials were to have examined the option of allowing the buildings to remain as part of a small Jewish homestead.
After fatal Jenin face-off, there could be much worse to come
An incident like that which took place early Saturday morning in the Jenin refugee camp, in which three Palestinians were killed by the IDF, would have been the lead story on all of the Arab satellite news stations in the past.
But unfortunately for the Palestinians, in the twilight of the Arab Spring, the incident was pushed to the margins of the news — if it was reported on at all.
Netanyahu praises IDF operation that killed wanted Hamas man
"Our policy is to do harm to those who harm or plan to harm us," Netanyahu said in his opening remarks before the Sunday cabinet meeting.
"Over the weekend, our forces struck at a terrorist who arranged attacks on Israelis and planned attacks on innocent citizens," he added. "I want to praise the elite police units, the IDF, including the Haredi Nahal, and the Shin Bet for this important action to remove a man who endangered Israel's citizens."
Palestinian Arabs Try to Disrupt Jerusalem Marathon
Some 100 Palestinian Arabs tried to disrupt the annual Jerusalem Marathon on Friday, the Israel Police told AFP.
"Around 100 demonstrators holding Palestinian flags tried, at two separate parts of the course, to disrupt the race," police spokeswoman Luba Samri told the news agency.
Police arrested four of them and dispersed the rest "with ease," she said, adding that the race had "continued as normal."
UN: Who Says Gaza Kidnapping Tunnel To Be Used For Kidnapping? (satire)
The United Nations Security Council reacted this morning with dismay to Israeli efforts to destroy a tunnel from the Gaza Strip, denouncing Israel for collectively punishing Gaza residents by denying all of them the ability to sneak into Israel and sow destruction or kidnap soldiers.
"We condemn Israeli measures that punish the entire population of the Gaza Strip for the actions of a few," read a Security Council statement read, in part. "Preventing every single Gaza Strip resident from surreptitiously gaining entry to Israel and harming Israeli soldiers, civilians, or infrastructure constitutes a clear violation of the Geneva Convention," under which efforts to protect soldiers must include reasonable measures not to harm the civilian populace in the area. "Putting up barriers to the free movement of Gazans into Israel in order to harm Jews and Jewish interests unfairly targets those Gazans who have not done so."
Hamas sends threatening text messages to Israelis
The messages were sent in the name of Hamas. Saturday marked the tenth anniversary of the assassination by Israel of former Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Yassin, the spiritual authority who encouraged Hamas suicide bombings against Israel, was killed in a targeted air strike on March 22, 2004.
The messages may also have been a response to the killing of one of the terrorist group's West Bank operatives by Israeli troops early Saturday.
"A warning to the Zionists. The al-Qassam rockets are waiting for you," one message read in broken Hebrew, referencing Hamas's armed wing – the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. "If you want your life, then get out of our land."
The Vienna lesson
Iran's standing has been radically enhanced via the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Moscow has throughout been Tehran's main backer in the international arena.
Now that Russia is at loggerheads with America and Europe over Crimea, there is even less incentive for Russia to cooperate with the Western effort to curb its leading protégé in the Middle East, to put it mildly.
Since the bark of the Obama administration and its European sidekicks appears to be considerably worse than their bite, the Russians are hardly deterred by the ludicrous punitive measures adopted against them.
Moscow's fundamental geopolitical interests far outweigh denial of entry visas to its VIPs. The hectoring from Western capitals is as an irritating mosquito sting.
Iran: Evangelical Christians Are a 'Threat to National Security'
The Iranian government views evangelical Christians as a threat to national security and has imprisoned some of them for up to 8 years, according to a UN report. The report on the human rights situation in Iran also says that things have not improved for the country's religious minorities since the election of President Hassan Rouhani last year.
Presenting his report to the UN Human Rights Council, Dr Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said that President Rouhani had yet to deliver on promises to end discriminatory practices and grant minority citizens more rights.
The report features a list of known religious prisoners in Iran, including their sentences and reasons for conviction.
Among Christians imprisoned are Rasoul Abdollahi, serving three years for "collusion against the government and evangelism", Farshid Fathi, serving six years for "propaganda against the system... Undermining national security..." and Jamshid Jabari, accused of "insulting Islam".
After Iran's leader questions Holocaust, Liberman hits back at 'Hitlerian' Khamenei
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman lashed out at Iran on Sunday just days after its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, questioned the "certainty" of the Holocaust.
"The omnipotent ruler and spiritual authority of Iran, Ali Khamenei, denied the existence of the Holocaust over the weekend," Liberman wrote in Hebrew on his Facebook page on Sunday.
"After [former president Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad left the scene and after the charm offensive [of his successor Hassan Rouhani], a small, Hitlerian mustache continues to lurk underneath the ayatollah's beard. This is yet another reminder for those who think we are seeing another Iran."
In Europe, Anti-Semitism Looks Like Other Hate Crimes
Dimitrakopoulos explained that the report also highlighted differences among Jews from different countries. For example, while in Belgium and France Jews identified anti-Semitism as mainly coming from "people of a left-wing persuasion," in Hungary, Italy and Latvia they identified "people of a right-wing persuasion." But the internet was labelled by nearly all respondents as the main place where they encountered anti-Semitism. Other findings showed that most Jewish respondents did not view mere critique of Israel as anti-Semitic, but only when Israeli actions were equalled to those of German Nazi crimes.
But an astonishing 68 percent of those surveyed said they hide their Jewish identity at least occasionally. Nonna Meyer, of the Centre for European Sciences in Paris, indicated that French Jews were the most worried about anti-Semitism and had the largest group of Jewish citizens considering emigrating. Meyer noted that hate crime incidences in France were on the rise in general, and from nowhere more so than from right-wing circles. She also pointed out that among people of North African and Arab background by and large neither religion nor Israel was the basis of anti-Semitism, but rather an envy that had absorbed old anti-Semitic stereotypes, such as the belief that Jews looked after themselves and had more money, power and acceptance compared to others.

Norway museum to return Matisse looted by Goering
The 1937 painting, "Woman in Blue in Front of a Fireplace," has been the centerpiece of the Henie Onstad Art Center near Oslo since the museum was established in 1968 by shipping magnate Niels Onstad and his wife, Olympic figure-skating champion Sonja Henie.
The museum said in a statement Thursday that although it acquired the painting in good faith, it has "chosen to adhere to international conventions and return the painting to Rosenberg's heirs."
Preserving Jewish Calcutta
The once-influential Jewish community of Calcutta has dwindled to fewer than 20 members.
Jael Silliman, who in her late 50s is one of the youngest members, says she is on a mission to educate the community and document its 200-year history to preserve a record of its former glory before it is too late, the BBC radio program Outlook recently reported.
The first Jews arrived in Calcutta from Syria and Iraq, seeking business opportunities in the 18th century. The community prospered under the British Raj, exporting silk and indigo and playing a important role in the opium trade. Schools and newspapers were founded, and the community grew.
Chechen president dedicates Abu Ghosh mega-mosque
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov on Sunday dedicated a multi-million dollar mega-mosque built with Chechen donations in the Arab village of Abu Ghosh, just west of Jerusalem.
Kadyrov, a former separatist who is now an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, was in Israel mainly for the mosque ceremony and, according to material sent by the GPO, did not have a meeting scheduled with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Kadyrov said on Sunday that it was an honor to visit "this good and holy land" during a stop in Abu Ghosh.
Water-confident Israel can dry California's tears
In California, he says, one important difference is that treated wastewater gets dumped back into the sea. This water may not be good for drinking but it's perfectly good, even superior, to fresh drinking water for agriculture, as it has some added nutrients.
Using a two-system approach with pipes for both gray water and drinking water, Israeli farmers irrigate crops with gray water even in desert areas with practically no rain at all. Israel, he says, is now pushing 75 percent wastewater reuse and aiming for 90%.
No water from Israel's treatment plants gets discharged into the sea. The missing numbers can be accounted for from sewer overflow in the winter months.
Newton-based Desalitech announces partnership that will bring water solutions to Mexico, other countries
Desalitech, which was founded in Israel and relocated to Newton last year, offers high-recovery, low-energy water treatment solutions in the agriculture and the industrial sectors. Since 2008, Desalitech has expanded its industrial installation base. Desalitech's products use patented Closed Circuit Desalination Reverse Osmosis technology, able to reduce waste generation by up to 70 percent and energy consumption by 35 percent.
Russian search engine giant Yandex acquires KitLocate
Yet another multinational is setting up shop in Israel. Russian search engine giant Yandex this week acquired Israeli location technology start-up KitLocate. Details of the deal were not revealed, but sources close to KitLocate said that Yandex paid as much as $20 million for the Tel Aviv-based company.
Whatever it paid for his company, said KitLocate CEO Omri Moran, Yandex is going to get its money worth, and more. "Yandex is like Google, in that they are a search engine and have a lot of apps that provide many services, many of them geolocation and map based." KitLocate's approach to geolocation is different than that of others doing location technologies — resulting in not only a new set of services KitLocate can offer customers, but also in substantial battery savings, said Moran.
What drives Israel's serial entrepreneurs?
Israel has more serial entrepreneurs per capita than any other nation. ISRAEL21c uncovers some surprising motivating factors pushing them to succeed.
It's not about the money.
That's the surprising conclusion ISRAEL21c drew from several Israeli serial entrepreneurs – defined for the purposes of this article as people who have started at least three companies.
"I think that a common value underlying people who continue to generate startups is the love for creating value as opposed to the love of making money," says Hebrew University Prof. Amnon Shashua, a founder of Cognitens, OrCam and Mobileye. "Making money is a byproduct, not a goal on its own sake."

Abbas' latest threat (ElderToons)

Posted: 23 Mar 2014 07:45 AM PDT

From AFP:
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas demanded in talks with US President Barack Obama that Israel free key Palestinian prisoners, including Marwan Barghuti, a Palestinian official said Thursday.

Earlier this month, Abbas said Palestinians will not agree to extend peace talks with Israel beyond their April 29 deadline without Israel releasing more prisoners beyond the fourth and final tranche planned for later this month.

During his meeting with Obama in Washington on Monday, "President Abbas demanded the release of more prisoners and Palestinian leaders in Israeli jails, like Saadat and Barghuti and Shubaki," manager of the Palestinian prisoner club Abdulal al-Anani told the official Voice of Palestine radio.

He was referring to Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) leader Ahmad Saadat, former Palestinian Liberation Organisation finance official Fuad Shubaki and Marwan Barghuti, one of the main architects of the 2000 intifada.





And this isn't even the most ridiculous part. Stay tuned for the next 'toon later today. (Or check my Twitter feed if you can't wait.)

Unity! Fatah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorist joint funeral

Posted: 23 Mar 2014 05:00 AM PDT

Today there was a large funeral in Jenin for the three terrorists killed by Israel yesterday.

[T]he soldiers were greeted with gunfire from [Hamas leader] Al-Haija when they entered the compound. The soldiers asked the residents to exit the building, and shot warning rounds.

Meanwhile, the terrorist continued shooting at the Israeli soldiers. Within minutes dozens of armed Palestinians came to the location and opened fire on the IDF and Border Guard troops.

After a short intermission, the Hamas man exited the house while firing at the Israeli forces. Two Yamam soldiers were lightly injured from the shooting but managed to return fire, killing the 22-year-old terrorist.

At the same time, a gunfight raged between the troops and armed Palestinians that arrived at the scene. Two of the armed Palestinians were killed in the fire exchange, and seven others were wounded, one critically.
The two others killed were members of Islamic Jihad and Fatah's Al Aqsa Brigades.

Here are the three terrorists united in death wearing their respective terror flags::


The funeral was attended by thousands:



And, under the noses of PA security, masked and armed terrorists were openly roaming the streets:



(h/t Bob K)

NGO counts 38% of rockets exploding in Gaza

Posted: 23 Mar 2014 03:00 AM PDT

The Gaza NGO Safety Office tries to keep a count of rocket fire. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be accurate, but its tallies are still notable.

Islamic Jihad claimed to shoot some 120 rockets at Israel earlier this month. Other groups associated with Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah claimed about 20 more rockets. The IDF said more than 60 rockets landed in Israel.

According to GANSO, they counted 61 rockets and 14 mortars being shot during the entire two week period from March 6-19, not counting a few test rockets shot to sea. Of those 61, 23 of them fell short or exploded on the launch pad.

That is a 38% failure rate, virtually the same rate that I noted for a two-week period in January.

Even if GANSO is undercounting, the percentages are probably not too far off.

As we know, at least two rockets landed on houses during those two weeks, killing at least one and injuring several. Another rocket exploded while being built, killing 4 terrorists and a two-year old child.

And there have been many other Gazans killed by terror rockets over the years, a statistic that the media simply doesn't report.
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