יום שישי, 7 במרץ 2014

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Elder of Ziyon Daily News

Link to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

More of the interview with the "Zionist sheikh"

Posted: 06 Mar 2014 07:00 PM PST

A month ago, I wrote about a Jordanian sheikh who believes that Allah gave the land of Israel to the Jews. It was one  of my most popular posts ever.

Now, Mida magazine translated the entire interview that the sheikh gave that caused this uproar. Here are some excerpts:
Honorable Sheikh, could you tell us a little about your past and yourself? How do you see your place in the Kingdom of Jordan?

I was born and raised in the city of Amman in 1952. After I finished high school I continued on to Islamic Sharia studies at the College for Islamic studies in Amman. During my studies I worked in the Jordanian post office in a number of positions, until I resigned from my official position there in 1997. Since then I have dedicated myself to the book of God may He be praised (the Koran), and I expanded my knowledge of the Islamic religion and the life of the Islamic Ummah.

God may he be praised and blessed rewarded me with knowledge of His holy book and chose me to renew the knowledge of God and religion among the Islamic Ummah, and interpret that which needs interpreting in its verses, which most Islamic scholars misinterpret. Among these are the verses which deal with the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) and their rights in particular. There are a hundred holy verses in the Koran which contemporary scholars did not properly interpret. These are verses where there is no connection between their plain meaning and the meaning given by the latter. These verses prove and express God's will and his intentions: the will and desire for peace and harmony and His instructions for people to ensure them.
...
In response to our request to conduct an interview with you on our website, you quoted a verse form the Koran and called the Jewish People "cousins". What did you mean?

The Jews are our cousins and therefore we must pray for them and visit them, live alongside them, grant them respect and cooperate with them at the highest levels of esteem and appreciation. This, because we are not more God-fearing, smarter, or better than the Prophet Muhammad may he rest in peace, who lived alongside them and behaved honorably, mercifully and amicably with them. Let us state that it was permitted for Muslims to marry them.

Did your openness towards the People of Israel lead you to recognize their sovereignty of their historic land?

Indeed, I recognize their sovereignty over their land. I believe in the Holy Koran, and this fact is stated many times in the book. For instance "O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you," [Koran 5:21], "We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things." [Koran 26:59] and additional verses in the Holy Book.

And there are additional reasons: this people (Israel) is peaceful and peace-loving, is not hostile or aggressive; [they are] a people that defends itself only when necessary, while trying to minimally harm its enemies. In addition, I recognize the fact that God may He be praised gave preference to these people over humans and demons until the end of days. God does not give preference for nothing but grants all that which they deserve. God may He be praised never turned to any [other] people by name and grant them this honor, aside from the People of Israel, who are named for their ancestor Israel (Jacob), may he rest in peace, as it says in the Koran "O Children of Israel". In contrast, in approaching others it is said "O Believers" or "O people", which is a more general greeting.

....

In your opinion, how can we finally put an end to anti-Semitism among Arab and Muslim nations, who feel loathing and hostility to the Jews and refuse to recognize them and live alongside them?

In my opinion the way to end anti-Semitism is to concentrate efforts and call for peace, spreading knowledge and forthrightly educate people of the values of justice and truth in accordance with what appears in the books of God – the Torah, Tehillim, the Ingil [the Gospel] and the Koran, which admired the Israelites, clarified their rights, gave preference to them and bequeathed to them the Holy Land and their direction of prayer – to Jerusalem. The books testify that this is a peace-loving and peace-calling nation, and it is the first people for whom the Creator designated a role in order to serve as its messenger on this earth until the Day of Resurrection.

In the Koran, it is written "Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, they are the best of creatures." [Koran 98:7]. The intent in the word best is "the best among people", but regarding the Umma of the Koran – that is the Arabs and those who preach Islam – they have no recourse but to return to the straight and true voice as appears in the Koran that many of its scholars interpreted in a mistaken and deviant manner. They distorted the true will of God may He be praised, as it is expressed in the verses, in a false and fallacious manner to say that murder of Jews is part of the commandment of Jihad for Allah and that this land is not the Land of [the People of] Israel.

They continue to hold this villainous interpretation towards others, and there will be no true peace but with the return of the Ummah of the Koran to the book of the Koran, as God bequeathed to his adherents. My religious education allowed me to strengthen what I say, and I have merited much honor in succeeding in interpreting verses which scholars did not properly interpret. These are verses which spell out the obligations and rights of people and that which is required so that peoples not be hostile to one another.

Why do Jordanian media outlets tend to describe Israelis in a racist and negative manner which does not reflect reality?


...Anyone who calls them by names which Allah did not use is a sinner and a falsifier of the verses of the Koran. It was already said "Those who pervert the Truth in Our Signs are not hidden from Us." [Koran 41:40], and Ibn Abbas said in his commentary to this verse "the reference is to those who distort and replace and change the verses of God and stray from the truth". ...

Therefore, anyone who calls Israelis by names which Allah did not use is a villain for the following reasons:

1. He violated religious law, denied the verses of the Koran.

2. He disobeyed Allah's command, who commanded not to curse or call negative names.

3. If he does not repent and stop his crimes he is a criminal and a wicked man in every sense of the religion of Islam.

4. He acts against the efforts of His Majesty the King of Jordan and his initiative for harmony between religions and his call for peace.

5. He takes an active part in hindering the peace process and increasing hostility before other people.

Media outlets in Jordan, and in the Arab world in general, need to act in a God-fearing manner and call Israelis with names Allah used, and the name he gave to their land. They must stop acting like the five criminals we mentioned above, who bring the wrath of God upon themselves and their people.

...
As a man of religion, do you believe that those who call themselves "Palestinians" have a right to establish a state on the Jews' historic land?

Allah may He be praised wrote in the Torah that this is the land of the sons of Israel, he bequeathed the Holy Land to the sons of Israel and called the land by this name (the Land of Israel) and so it is stated by the Holy Koran: "O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin." [Koran 5:21]. This holy verse is a "Kushan" (deed) which confirms that this land is granted to the Jews. It is also said "We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things." [Koran 26:59], and in the following verse "And We said thereafter to the Children of Israel, "Dwell securely in the land (of promise)"" [Koran 17:104] and there are many additional holy verses which prove and confirm this.

So in an answer to your question, how can they (the Palestinians) have the right to establish a State on the Jewish Land of Israel, which Allah granted and bequeathed to the Jews? More than that, even if all the inhabitants of the land forgot their right, or went crazy and collaborated with those who call themselves "Palestinians" to establish a state for the latter, they won't succeed, and Allah will not allow this until the Day of Judgment, this because Allah Himself willed and specifically wrote in His book that this land will be the land of the People of Israel under Israeli sovereignty so that no-one would later dispute it.
Read the whole thing.

03/06 Links Pt2: Israel and the Rest of the World; Mairead Maguire deported from Egypt

Posted: 06 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PST

From Ian:
Israel and the Rest of the World
Whatever its detractors may say, Israel declares loudly that it is a country where the best Western values are honored, where democracy, the rule of law, the creation of new laws through an elected parliament, the fair treatment of all minorities, rights for women, for gays, for all citizens, Jews and non-Jews alike, are demanded. But say it is also a Jewish country based on Jewish ethics, and someone of limited intellect will come along clutching a copy of the Torah, the Talmud, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, or anything else they can lay their hands on, and declaiming that they can prove Judaism is a bloodthirsty religion that has always worked to defeat and mistreat non-Jews. In the past years, I have only known a violent and angry Islam; yet the world is silent. The world excuses Islamic murder, but focuses on flaws, often imaginary, on the part of Israel.
The very establishment of a Jewish state stood for more than even its founders guessed. It was open defiance of the universal impulse to persecute and kill Jews.
Israel: A failed state (satire)
I grew up in South Africa and left for Israel in the 1970`s. So I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable on South African apartheid. In view of the criticisms of Israel as an apartheid state, I felt it my duty that my understanding and knowledge of apartheid should be put to good cause by exposing the evil manifestations of apartheid in Israel.
I started in my neighbourhood. I went to the municipal park. In South Africa, only whites would have been allowed to enter. I could not believe my eyes. Arabs and Jews were mixing peacefully, Arab and Jewish children socialising and shouting at each other in their home languages. This cannot be, where is the separation? So I went to the shops and restaurants of the adjoining mall. What a major let down! Arabs and Jews shopping together as customers, Arabs and Jews employed together in the shops as assistants and cashiers, Arabs and Jews sitting in restaurants, an Arab dentist with his sign for all the world to see and the only missing ingredients were the "blankes alleen – whites only" signs. Clearly, in matters of commerce and common use of public and transport facilities, open to all, Israel is a failure in implementing apartheid: there is clearly no South African style apartheid to be found in public areas.
Expert bashes UN's 'politicized' West Bank numbers
Claim that 300,000 Palestinians live in areas under full Israeli control is not quite true, says ex-official who drew the map
The OCHA report did not hide the fact that many of the Palestinian communities surveyed are located mostly within Areas A and B. One table in the report indicates that just 241 "residential areas" lie completely within Area C, while 291 residential areas lie partially within Areas A and B. Nearly 176,000 Palestinians cited in the report live in communities which lie mostly outside Area C, while only 67,000 Palestinians live in residential areas that lie entirely within Area C, according to the report.
OCHA carried out a "vulnerability study" on communities located entirely within Area C back in 2008, together with UNRWA. It was not immediately clear why the criteria were changed for the new study. No comment was available by the organization at time of publication.



"Advocating for Palestinian Rights in conformity with International Law: Guidelines" - A Layman's Guide to Lawfare
According to the report, the accusation of "occupation" is insufficient for political purposes because "occupation per se is lawful, and an occupation regime may remain lawful even if certain policies and practices of the occupying power are illegal or constitute war crimes" and because it "suggest[s] that Israeli violations of Palestinian rights under international law are limited to the OPT."
Instead, activists are encouraged to allege Israeli "colonialism, apartheid and ethnic cleansing," dating to 1948 and earlier, in an attempt to undermine the existence of Israel. This language was also chosen to attract political allies (specifically Africans and Latin Americans) and to bolster campaigns for ICJ and ICC cases against Israel.
In other words, activists are directed to invent legal claims and alleged violations that undermine Israel's existence and more effectively contribute to political warfare campaigns.
Egypt bars Nobel laureate from entering Gaza
Egypt detained and deported Northern Irish Nobel Laureate and peace activist Mairead Maguire on Wednesday and held up others who had been planning to go to neighboring Gaza, the activists and officials said.
Maguire had intended to join a delegation of women activists going to the blockaded Palestinian enclave on Thursday.
The group could embarrass the military-installed government, which is at odds with Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, yet does not want to be seen as party to a siege of Palestinians, blockaded by Israel. (h/t Yenta Press)
Jewish Groups Express Concern About Anti-Semitism at California State Colleges
The event, titled "Report and Discussion From Members of the North American Based Academic and Labor Delegation to Palestine 2014," features a seven-person delegation consisting of SFSU professors Rabab Abdulhadi and Joanne Barker, along with five other academics and activists who are "leading advocates for the academic boycott of Israel."
According to the letter, the Jewish groups are particularly concerned about meetings the delegation has had with Palestinians who argue "for the use of armed violence against the Jewish state," and about the fact that "at least two of the meetings were with individuals affiliated with U.S. State Department-designated terrorist organizations responsible for the murder of numerous Jews worldwide."
The Jewish groups asked the California education officials, including SFSU President Leslie Wong, to "speak out forcefully against this event" and to monitor for "anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli animus."
Israeli Law Center Expands Fight on Oxfam's Alleged Ties to Terror Funding
An Israeli organization is mulling taking a legal fight against Oxfam International to the global aid conglomerate's donors, in an attempt to cut off a source of funds it says is ending up in the hands of people allied with terrorist groups.
Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center is considering bringing the terror funding issue to the attention of foundations that fund Oxfam, companies like Coca-Cola, and Oxfam's global ambassadors.
"They have a lot of celebrities who serve as their ambassadors," Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director and founder of Shurat HaDin, told JNS.org. The warning, said Darshan-Leitner, is that such entities "may pay directly or indirectly to fund a terror organization if they fund Oxfam."
Defying BDS Calls, Promoter Shuki Weiss Brings Big-Name Performers to Israel
Musical guests attracted to Israel by the company have included Metallica, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Madonna, David Bowie, and Eric Clapton. The trend continues this summer, with Neil Young, Soundgarden, and the Pixies all signed by Weiss to perform in Tel Aviv, and The Rolling Stones tentatively booked by Weiss but still unconfirmed.
"I'm not getting the message from the artists that they are feeling the pressure [from the BDS movement]. While that might have been true in the past, that's not the case today," Oren Arnon, the head promoter for Weiss's company, tells JNS.org.
Weiss has also signed the international circus troupe Cirque du Soleil, which is bringing its "Quidam" performance to Tel Aviv this summer.
How not to keep Neil Young away
Israelis actually have much in common with Native Canadians. In the case of Canada, the Europeans who came to her shores had no prior connection to the land. However, archeological discoveries have proven time and again the 3000 year old connection of the Jewish People to the Holy Land. Neil's involvement and important work promoting First Nation rights has touched the hearts and minds of many Israelis, due to similarities between the two nations. Both have experienced genocide, exile and continued persecution, yet both nations continue to defy the odds and strive to reaffirm their culture in their ancestral homelands.
Although the indigenous and First Nation population in Canada is not unified in its approach toward Israel, the Israeli example of an indigenous people returning to its homeland continues to serve as an inspiration for key figures in Canada's First Nation people. Only last year, the Chief of the Canadian Cree Nation, the Grand Chief of Manitoba and the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations visited Israel and expressed support for the nation and strengthening these bilateral ties. Chief Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations, stated that "Indigenous people in Canada have much in common with the people of Israel, including a respect of the land…".
Academic Left Silent On Russian Imperialism; 'It's Not Israel' (satire)
In an address to a conference of the Harvard-Yale-Princeton-Oxford- Columbia-Radcliffe-International Team of Educators (HYPOCRITE), Professor Lisa Duggan told HYPOCRITE attendees that they must be careful not to object too loudly to Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, lest the world get the idea that there are problems worthy of addressing that do not lend themselves to direct demonization of Israel.
"While no one disagrees that Russia's behavior is less than perfect, we as academics have a responsibility to keep international attention focused on the evil that is Israel and the ways in which we can delegitimize Israel," she said. "Since no major elements of the Russia-Ukraine crisis can be directly attributed to Israeli crimes, our attention to the crisis must remain at most perfunctory." She said an academic boycott of Russian institutions was out of the question.
BBC employs smoke and mirrors in report on Iranian weapons smuggling ship
In conclusion, BBC audiences are actively misled by this report in that they are encouraged to view Iran's long and well documented history of arming and financing terrorist organisations as a debatable Israeli claim. The repetition of obviously ridiculous Hamas propaganda and citation of barely veiled accusations of war crimes from unidentified "critics" does nothing to lend 'balance' or 'impartiality' to the article and distracts from the actual subject matter. The deliberately equivocal presentation of the actions of terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip and the responses of the armed forces of a nation protecting its citizens from that terrorist activity is clearly politically motivated.
BBC not sure people firing missiles at civilians are 'militants'
On March 4th a short report appeared on the Middle East page of the BBC News website (and oddly also on its US & Canada page) under the headline "Two killed in Israeli air strike in northern Gaza Strip".
The sources of those "conflicting reports" – used to justify the BBC's absurd reluctance to classify two men caught in the act of firing a missile at civilians as "militants" – are not made clear to readers.
However, the terrorist organisations themselves were on hand with claims which should clear up the BBC's angst.
90% of missile attacks from Gaza Strip in February ignored by the BBC
Of the attacks originating in the Gaza Strip, the thwarted IED attack was ignored and only one of the ten different incidents of missile fire or attempted missile fire was partly reported, but without it having been made clear that an attack was in progress. In other words, 90% of missile fire at Israeli civilians from the Gaza Strip during the month of February was ignored by the BBC.
That of course means that BBC audiences continue to be denied information concerning the vast majority of attacks by terrorist groups on Israeli civilians in southern Israel and hence lack the background and context to enable them to be able to reach informed opinions on the subject of Israel's responses to the activities of terror organisations on its southern borders.
The New York Times Persists in Emphasizing IDF Defensive Strikes While Downplaying Palestinian Terrorism
CAMERA's monograph, Indicting Israel: New York Times' Coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, noted the newspaper's consistent emphasis on Israel's defensive military strikes while downplaying Palestinian violence. During our 6-month study, Palestinian attacks –including those that killed Israelis – were never featured prominently, but the newspaper repeatedly highlighted Israeli military actions or vandalism by radical Israelis. While 12 headlines implicated Israel for killing Palestinians none referred to Palestinians killing Israelis even though 14 Israelis were killed by Palestinians during that time. (See: Indicting Israel, Chapter 4 "Violence Double Standards", page 57)
Well, it seems this pattern of coverage is endemic to The New York Times. Correspondent Jodi Rudoren, recently back from a speaking jaunt in the U.S., just published an item about an IDF air strike on an Islamic Jihad rocket squad about to fire missiles into southern Israel. The problem is, the article was headlined "Israeli Airstrike Kills 2 in Gaza"
Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard hospitalized
Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard was hospitalized on Wednesday morning after a deterioration of his medical condition.
Pollard had been suffering from various medical ailments and has suffered from extreme pain for an extended period of time.
Sources close to him hope to receive more information when it is morning in United States.
Israel treats man injured in Ukraine unrest
A man injured in Ukraine was brought for treatment to Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, Israel on Wednesday, the first to arrive from the conflict region so far.
Alexander S. was admitted for bone reconstruction surgery after suffering injuries in Kiev's Independence Square during the riots.
His treatment was approved after Dr. Valeria Bivitzchik, who volunteered with the Red Cross in Ukraine, arranged for injured citizens to be flown to Israel for medical care. (h/t Zvi)
Statue of Liberty upgrades with Israeli digital video surveillance
The Statue of Liberty National Monument has added a state-of-the-art surveillance system that includes Israeli technology. Total Recall Corporation, a video-centric security technology provider specializing in surveillance solutions, brought together nine top technology vendors including BriefCam.
The award-winning IP-based, digital video surveillance solution offered by Total Recall is being used by the US Park Police, National Park Service and the Department of Interior to enhance public safety and improve operational efficiencies at the recently renovated Statue of Liberty National Monument and Liberty Island.
Israel's Briefcam was chosen for its unique Video Synopsis software solution that enables law enforcement and security personnel to review hours of surveillance video in minutes.
House of Representatives Passes U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Bill
The American Israel Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Wednesday applauded the adoption of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 by the House of Representatives.
The passage of the bill in a 410-1 vote comes after AIPAC held its annual policy conference this week in Washington, D.C.
PM signs pro-business deal with California governor
During a meeting at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, the two emphasized their joint interests in cybersecurity, energy sources and water conservation, and suggested Israel — an arid country with a growing population — might be able to help California cope with its ongoing drought.
"California doesn't need to have a water problem," Netanyahu said. "Israel has no water problems because we are the number one recyclers of waste water, we stop water leaks, we use drip irrigation and desalination."
Brown said he would welcome their ideas.
Age gap fades as IDF's oldest paratrooper dons red beret
The uniformed teenagers, dozens of them, awaited the start of a ceremony that would award them red berets and mark their official entry into the IDF's Paratroops Brigade.
Among them, one man stood out. He wasn't from Israel nor was he surrounded by family — and at 29, Private Isaac Moyal was the oldest person to ever join the paratroopers.
New Israel-China fund closes $100m financing round
China-Israel business relations got a huge boost last week, when Israel's Catalyst Equity Management and Hong Kong-based China Everbright Limited investment fund announced the closing of a $100 million round of financing for their new Catalyst CEL Fund. The fund will invest in Israeli companies that have technologies, products, and services that China needs — and those needs are legion, said Shangyan Fan, Head of Strategic Investment and Development at China Everbright Ltd., and a Managing Director in Catalyst-CEL.
The deal was closed in a special ceremony at Catalyst's Tel Aviv office, attended by top executives of Catalyst and Everbright. "China has a lot of needs, and we believe that Israeli companies are in unique position to bring in many of the solutions China needs," Fan told The Times of Israel in an exclusive interview. "We are concentrating on bringing in companies that have established solutions in areas like technology, environmental and water technology, manufacturing, and even consumer needs."
Chinese Automaker Qoros Challenges Europeans on Home Turf
Chinese upstart Qoros Auto Co. is out to challenge Volkswagen AG (VOW), PSA Peugeot Citroen (UG) and other Europeans on their home turf, signaling a broader push by the country's car manufacturers to target western customers.
Qoros, a joint venture between China's Chery Automobile Co. and Tel Aviv-based holding company Israel Corp., presented the midmarket 3 Hatch in Geneva this week, a year after creating buzz at the show with a sedan, its first model ever.

Egyptian lawyer sues to declare Israel a "terrorist state"

Posted: 06 Mar 2014 01:00 PM PST

From Hezbollah's Al Manar:

An Egyptian court has slated March 26 for the first hearing of a lawsuit demanding that Egypt sever ties with neighboring Zionist entity and designate it a "terrorist state," according to the lawyer who raised the lawsuit, World Bulletin website reported.

Lawyer Hamed Seddiq told media outlets on Thursday that he had filed a lawsuit requesting that Egyptian authorities ban all "Israeli activity" in Egypt and declare the entity a "terrorist country."

The ban, said Seddiq, would include shutting down Tel Aviv's diplomatic offices in Egypt, including its Cairo embassy.

On Tuesday, the same Cairo court that will preside over the case released a verdict outlawing the activities of Palestinian resistance faction Hamas in Egypt and ordering all of the group's Egypt offices closed.

"The real terrorists are the Israelis, who have killed Palestinians and Arabs for refusing to recognize them," Seddiq said, adding that "listing Israel as a terrorist state is a national duty to protect [Egypt's] territorial unity."
What Al Manar doesn't mention is that this lawyer, Hamed Seddiq, is the Muslim Brotherhood's lawyer!

From what I can tell, Egyptian courts have thrown out every case he had brought since the coup. But anti-Israel sentiment is very high in Egypt, so this might be worth watching - if Seddiq isn't thrown in jail beforehand....

A new football stadium in Gaza "to alleviate suffering"

Posted: 06 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PST

Palestine Today reports that a new football stadium is being built in Gaza.

Scheduled to open in May in front of political and sports leaders, the stadium will have lights, an iron fence and a new carpet of natural grass.

The purpose of the stadium is to "alleviate the suffering" of the existing Gaza soccer teams who don't have enough stadiums to play in.

Just like a concentration camp!

Soccer fields have traditionally been favorite venues for terrorists to launch rockets at Israel.

03/06 Links Pt1: Israel hopes missile-ship intercept will expose Iran; Op. averted threat to millions

Posted: 06 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PST

From Ian:
Israel hopes missile-ship intercept will expose Iran
From the statements of officials, like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said a secondary goal of the interception had been to expose Iran's true face, it seems the operation was about more than stopping missiles, it was about painting Iran and Hamas in as harsh a light as possible, not unlike was done to Yasser Arafat in 2002, after the Karine-A arms shipment was uncovered.
Maj. Gen. (res) Amos Yadlin, the former head of military intelligence, called the intelligence work, the operational capacity and the decision-making that went into the raid "fantastic," noting on Army Radio Wednesday that thousands of ships sail across the Red Sea daily and that it would be "embarrassing" had Israeli troops intercepted an innocent vessel in international waters.
IDF intercepts deadly Iranian arms shipment in Red Sea
There's more. There's a sense in which various national policies colluded to suffer these arms to be shipped from Iran, and quite possibly – absent the alertness of Israeli intelligence and the IDF – to get to Gaza.
First of all, Syria manufactures these weapons as a modified version based on China's WS-1 MLRS. China began exporting missile and rocket technology to Syria in the late 1980s, shortly before Syria first began manufacturing the M-302. China is now Syria's largest trading partner, although Syria's largest arms suppliers are Russia, Iran, and Belarus, which together provide 89% of Syria's foreign-sourced weaponry.
The official flow of arms traffic may be a bit misleading today, as some Chinese arms, like the C802 anti-ship cruise missile, make their way into Syria via Iran. The M-302 has been manufactured in Syria long enough, however, that the "proliferation" occurred some time ago, and directly. (The U.S. in fact imposed sanctions on computer and other IT sales to China because of Beijing's arms sales to Syria in the 1980s and 1990s. The sanctions were later relaxed under Bill Clinton.)
The Iran connection highlights another global facet of the arms-to-terrorists problem. Iraq and Sudan are serving as conduits for Iran's arms exports (and now for an attempted Syrian-Iranian export to Hamas). Egypt's uncertain control of the Sinai Peninsula is another key piece of the arms route. It's worth reiterating that Iran is prohibited by UN Security Council Resolution 1737 (2006) from exporting arms.
Behind the Scenes: IDF Mission to Stop Iranian Terror





US, Israel shared intelligence on weapons shipment
State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the Pentagon had made its own plan of action to interdict the Klos-C vessel, though Israel ended up carrying out the operation on its own.
"Soon after becoming aware of the imminent movement of the suspected vessel, the White House directed the Department of Defense to monitor the vessel and to develop concepts of operation for a range of options in order to be prepared to take unilateral steps if necessary," Psaki said in a press briefing Wednesday.
"This is part of, of course, a robust effort on the part of the Administration. We were closely coordinated, our intelligence and military activities, with the – with our Israeli counterparts, who ultimately chose to take the lead with this case."
The US was one of three nations to know about the operation before it became public.
Seized arms ship to dock in Eilat Saturday
A ship allegedly carrying advanced rockets from Iran to Gaza that was intercepted by the Israeli navy will reach the port of Eilat on Saturday evening, the military said.
"This ship, which was transporting dozens of M302-type rockets with a range of 150 to 200 kilometers (more than 100 miles) is currently north of Port Sudan and will arrive in Eilat on Saturday evening," Brigadier General Motti Almoz told Army Radio Thursday.
"The ship may be carrying other weapons as well but we can only know this when it reaches Eilat," he said, referring to the resort city at the southernmost tip of Israel.
IDF Blog: Iran's Simple 4-Step Plan to Threaten Israel
Early Wednesday morning, the Israel Navy intercepted an Iranian weapons shipment carrying dozens of long-range Syrian rockets. Iran's intentions were clear and simple: to help Gaza terrorists attack Israel and threaten millions of civilian lives. Fortunately, our soldiers foiled Iran's plans and kept Israeli civilians safe.
#IranFail: Iran's History of Unsuccessful Weapons Smuggling
Early Wednesday morning, the Israel Navy intercepted an Iranian shipment of advanced weapons intended for terrorist organizations in Gaza. This is not Iran's first attempt at smuggling weapons. Previous attempts, had they been successful, would have armed local terror organizations with vast amounts of high-quality weaponry. Here is a select number of cases.
IDF COS Gantz VIDEO
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon VIDEO

'Raid on Weapons Ship a Great Achievement for Intelligence'
Yadlin said that the IDF should be commended for its operation to foil the shipment.
"There are thousands of ships in the Red Sea, and to be able to know about the location of a specific ship and its cargo is nothing short of a great achievement for military intelligence," he said. "Imagine the embarrassment had the soldiers boarded the wrong ship and found nothing. This operation was highly impressive."
Defense minister: Navy operation averted threat to millions
An arms cache said by Israel to have been sent from Iran and intercepted by Israeli forces would have placed millions of Israelis in the line of fire had it fallen into the hands of Gazan terror groups, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Wednesday evening.
"This operation thwarted a significant threat to Israeli citizens," Ya'alon said. "Those missiles that have been uncovered would certainly have threatened millions of Israelis had they reached the Gaza Strip."
Peres Calls Iran's Bluff, Asks International Community to Follow
"The capture of the ship carrying arms to Hamas was a brilliant military operation and an extremely important act," he stated. "We can see the quality and courage of those who took part and we are proud of them."
"It is also an important message to the world, beginning with Iran," he continued. "Iran must stop bluffing."
Peres, like Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, noted that the operation "exposes the true face of Iran - which says one thing but does the opposite."
"They put on an innocent face and send the most dangerous missiles to a terror organization that kills innocents, in violation of international law," Peres stressed. "Iran must make up its mind - either to tell the truth and respect international law or admit that it is all camouflage and we cannot trust their policy or declaration."
Israel will Complain About Iran To Security Council
The weapons were intended for Palestinian terror groups in Gaza, who would use it to harm Israeli civilians, as they have done in the past.
"Thus, Iran repeatedly violates Security Council resolutions 1747 and 1929, which forbid it to export any kind of military material. By smuggling weapons to the Gaza Strip it violates Security Council resolutions 1373 and 1860.
"Iran continues to endanger international navigation routes and brazenly violates a number of Security Council resolutions with the aim of destabilizing the region and disseminate terror and war.
"Smuggling is carried out by the 'Quds Force', which is part of the Revolutionary Guards. This is a state branch operating under authority and clearance of the Iranian government, led by (Iranian President Hassan) Rouhani.
"Israel will lodge a formal complaint with the Security Council and with the sanctions committee, established under Security Council resolution 1737.
Iran denies sending intercepted weapons to Gaza
An Iranian official denied an Israeli report that Tehran had sent "advanced weaponry" for Palestinian terrorists in Gaza on a ship intercepted by Israel in the Red Sea on Wednesday.
"We completely deny this report which is totally without foundation," an unnamed military official said, quoted on state-run Iranian television's Arabic-language Al-Alam channel.
Zarif mocks 'coincidence' that arms ship seizure coincided with 'AIPAC anti-Iran campaign'
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif on Thursday scoffed at Israel's announcement that it captured a ship sent by Iran to deliver missiles to terror organizations in the Gaza Strip.
"An Iranian ship carrying arms for Gaza. Captured just in time for annual AIPAC anti Iran campaign. Amazing Coincidence! Or same failed lies," Zarif said via his Twitter account.
Israelly Cool: El Doucherino Guns For Approval Of Iranian El Presidente
In the wake of Israel's interception of the Iranian arms shipment destined for Gaza, anti-Israel blogger Richard Silverstein has diverted himself from harassing African-American and homosexual Israel supporters to post that the Iranian government was not behind the shipment.
White House: Nuke talks 'appropriate' despite arms bust
Negotiations with Iran will continue as planned, even after the discovery of a weapons-laden ship traveling to Gaza from Iran, White House officials said Wednesday. While acknowledging that Iran is a major state sponsor of terrorism and implying that the US had also been willing to take action against the ship, White House Spokesman Jay Carney said that talks were still "appropriate" to try to reach a deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program.
"Even as we continue efforts to resolve our concerns over Iran's nuclear program through diplomacy, we will continue to stand up to Iran's support for destabilizing activities in the region, in coordination with our partners and allies, and made clear that these illicit actions are unacceptable to the international community and in gross violation of Iran's UN Security Council obligations," Carney told reporters Wednesday.
Carney denied that there was any contradiction in the US policy of continuing nuclear negotiations while Iran was engaged in such activities.
Reuters: How a Typo Can Create a Conspiracy Theory
It's not unusual to find anti-Semites and conspiracy theorists lurking in the nether regions of the web who will always try to claim that Israel mounts "false flag operations" to discredit its enemies. In the case of the Iranian weapons ship seized by the IDF, this would entail Israel planting the missiles on board in order to serve its own nefarious propaganda.
While this sort of fringe lunacy can be readily dismissed, it isn't helpful when a reputable media outlet makes an error that might assist in the construction of such a conspiracy theory.
Take Reuters, which initially reported: "Israeli television footage showed what appeared to be marines inspecting a rocket on the floor of a ship hold, with cement bags labeled "Made in Israel" in English next to it."
Cruel Israeli Commandos Intercept Poor, Defenseless Missiles (satire)
The missiles were sent to Iran and repackaged as a shipment of cement in Iraq, just to disguise them from those snooping Israelis. But the nefarious Zionist forces intercepted the Panamanian freighter anyway, putting the poor explosive projectiles at risk of not being used to endanger the lives of Jews.
"This act of piracy is an absolute outrage," says Mahmoud Jibril, who was waiting to welcome the rockets in Gaza. "The missiles were lying there in crates, harming no one, and all of a sudden these Zionist commandos commandeer the ship, rifle through the cargo, and expose those M-302s to the harsh light of day."
"When will the international community put a stop to these repeated Israeli attempts to protect Jews, at the expense of weapons lovingly manufactured to kill them?" wondered Islamic Jihad rocket engineer Marwan Alwaliki. "The shamelessness of the Zionist regime knows no bounds, ranging 1,500 kilometers into international waters just to deprive the rockets of the opportunity to do the one thing they know how to do."
Liberman: Palestinians torpedoing peace talks
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman on Thursday blamed the Palestinians for the deadlock in the peace talks that began last July, rejecting Ramallah's preconditions for extending the American-moderated negotiations past April.
"The Palestinians are the ones torpedoing the talks by setting conditions," he said in an interview with Israel Radio, adding that "Israel will not agree to any further conditions for the continuation of talks."
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that he would only continue peace negotiations past the April deadline if Israel agreed to freeze construction in West Bank settlements and free additional prisoners.
US Bars Shin Bet, Mossad Agents from Visiting
The United States has quietly instituted a policy of denying visa requests from members of Israel's security services, Maariv/nrg reports.
Senior security personnel who spoke to the paper said that over the past year they have seen hundreds of cases in which members of the Shin Bet and Mossad, and workers in Israel's defense industries, have been told they cannot visit America.
The situation has been discussed in Israeli defense circles, they said. No official statement has been forthcoming from either U.S. or Israeli leaders. (h/t Zvi)
Rockets from Gaza fired toward southern Israel, no injuries
Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip attempted to fire multiple rockets toward southern Israel Wednesday night.
The Code Red rocket alert siren sounded in Sderot and surrounding communities around midnight.
Security forces were searching for the remains of a projectile.
PA Complains to UN Over Temple Mount
The Palestinian Authority (PA) complained to the United Nations on Wednesday over Israel's actions at the Temple Mount.
Kol Yisrael radio reported that the PA's observer in the UN, Riyad Mansour, said he expects the UN Security Council to prevent Israel's "illegal activities" at the Temple Mount.
A statement posted on the website of the PA's mission to the United Nations said that the PA was "particularly concerned by the increasing incursions by Israeli extremists and political leaders, including government officials, on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound."
Report: Egypt seeks Russian arms that could undermine treaty with Israel
Despite the fact that Egypt has maintained the peace deal with Israel since 1979, a transfer of such advanced weapons "would degrade Israel's qualitative military edge," said the report, titled "Egypt's arms deal with Russia: Potential Strategic Costs," by David Schenker and Eric Trager.
"To be sure, the strategic cooperation and level of trust between Israel and Egypt, particularly on Sinai, has never been better. But changing the status quo could undermine that trust and perhaps even the Camp David peace treaty," it said.
Egypt completed a $2 billion arms deal with Russia, financed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, an Egyptian newspaper reported last month.
Iran says it won't shutter heavy water reactor
Zarif said Iran would not shutter the unfinished Arak heavy water reactor, a concern to the West because Tehran could extract weapons-grade plutonium from its spent fuel if it also builds a reprocessing facility.
This would give it a second route to a nuclear bomb.
On Tuesday, Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran's refusal to shutter Arak showed it was covertly pursuing nuclear weapons.

NYT: Palestinian intransigence is Israel's fault

Posted: 06 Mar 2014 06:53 AM PST

Any relationship between New York Times editorials about Israel and reality is purely coincidental.

In remarkably blunt comments, Mr. Obama said that he had not heard a persuasive case for how Israel survives both as a democracy and a Jewish state absent a negotiated two-state solution, since in Israel and the West Bank "there are going to be more Palestinians, not fewer Palestinians, as time goes on."
Funny - I was not aware that Israel was negotiating against the creation of a Palestinian Arab state. Every single detail about Israeli negotiations since 2000 showed that they agree with having such a state, but disagree over borders, "refugees," Jerusalem and so forth. Any Palestinian Arab state, no matter what the borders, would end the "demographic problem." So why are people who supposedly care about peace keep pretending that Israel is against a two-state solution and using this nonsensical argument?

He also warned that given Israel's aggressive settlement construction — 2,534 housing units were begun in 2013 compared with 1,133 the previous year — Palestinians may soon decide that a contiguous state is impossible and America's ability to help manage the consequences will be limited.
Can anyone at the NYT give us an estimate of much land was taken from Palestinian Arabs for these 2,534 housing units? My estimate is that it is approximately zero square meters, give or take zero. Virtually all of the housing built since 1990 has been within existing settlement blocs. The fact that the NYT doesn't know these basic facts shows just how ignorant it is.

But here comes the doozy:

Negotiators have largely kept silent on details of the talks. But there are fears that the principles might tilt toward Israel, which would mean the final negotiations simply won't get off the ground.

In the universe inhabited by the New York Times, Palestinian Arab intransigence is not only expected - it is blamed on Israel! PalArab red lines are sacrosanct; Israel's are meant to be destroyed by US negotiators. Any negotiation that does not result in Israel's total capitulation to Palestinian Arab demands is unfairly tilted towards Israel.

This is the answer to the first question. The NYT isn't interested in a two-state solution. No, the Times wants Israel to surrender every single negotiating point, because Israel is assumed a priori to be in the wrong while Palestinian Arab demands that have nothing to do with them having their own independent state are righteous.

Not only that, but any appearance by the US that it might accept some of Israel's own demands as being reasonable - that it might pressure both sides to compromise - means, in the Times' bizarro world, that Palestinian intransigence is Israel's fault for having the gall to make demands to safeguard the security of the Jewish state.

It would be funny if the NYT was not still considered a mandatory religious text to be read every day for every self-respecting liberal, no matter how divorced from reality it is.

(h/t Yaacov Lozowick)

Egypt may revoke citizenship of 13,000 Palestinians

Posted: 06 Mar 2014 05:00 AM PST

Ma'an reports:
Egyptian security services have started to collect information about thousands of Hamas members who were granted Egyptian citizenship during the rule of ousted president Mohamed Mursi, according to Egyptian media.

Egypt's Day Seven news website reported that Egyptian authorities plan revoke the citizenship of 13,757 Hamas members for being "affiliated to an offshoot of the terrorist group the Muslim Brotherhood."

Egyptian authorities are investigating whether Hamas members have been involved in what they describe as "terrorist attacks," adding that the prime minister has the right to revoke the citizenship of Hamas members without a court ruling if it is deemed that they endanger public security.

The Egyptian news site blamed Mursi for facilitating the entry of Hamas supporters into Egypt and granting them citizenship.
In 2011, Egypt started enforcing a law that children of Egyptian mothers may become citizens. Tens of thousands of Gazans eagerly applied, exposing the lies of UNRWA-and others that Palestinian Arabs do not desire to become citizens of any Arab state but would prefer to wait forever to "return."

How many Gazans became Egyptian citizens? About 13,000.

It seems highly unlikely that every single one of those is affiliated with Hamas. This means that Egypt is not planning merely to revoke citizenship of Hamas- (and Muslim Brotherhood-) members, but that of every Palestinian Arab who gained Egyptian citizenship!

While idiots loudly proclaim that if Israel is recognized by the PLO as a Jewish state then Israel would revoke the rights of Palestinian Arab citizens to live there, Egypt is considering doing exactly that today!

This proves once again that Palestinian Arabs - even those in the territories - are treated better under Israeli rule than they are under Arab rule.

This news follows Jordan also revoking citizenship of many of its Palestinian Arab citizens a couple of years ago.

One of the most under-reported stories in the Middle East is how much Arabs hate their Palestinian "brethren." Jordanian nationalists openly admit that they plan to expel all Palestinians if a Palestinian state is created. Lebanon places crushing restrictions on its Palestinian population. There are plenty of other examples. 

But it is not in the interests of Palestinian Arabs to make a big deal out of this because they are dependent on these same Arabs for monetary and political support, and they cling to the fiction that Palestinians don't want citizenship in Arab countries.  The West, wedded to the idea of "moderate Arabs, will not make this into an issue. "Pro-Palestinian activists" don't want to publicize this because it makes Israel look good by comparison, which is unacceptable.  And of course no NGOs will bother to advocate for Palestinians abused by their fellow Arabs because there is no one willing to fund an unpopular cause like that. The money is available for demonizing Israel, not uncovering inconvenient truths about Arabs.

It will be most interesting to see the reaction of the PLO to this story - since they are against Palestinian Arabs becoming citizens in Arab countries to begin with, in order to redirect their suffering and hate towards Israel. I doubt that they will publicly criticize Egypt over abusing their people.

Which  tells you a lot about how much the "Palestinian cause" is meant to help actual Palestinian Arabs.

BDSers write the most hypocritical petition in history

Posted: 06 Mar 2014 02:55 AM PST

BDS supporters like Judith Butler have signed a petition "condemning censorship."

Really.

This open letter from Butler and Rashid Khalidi - which Haaretz published in full even though it is an online petition with a mere 150 signatures - contains the most hypocritical passages one is ever likely to see:

Whether one is for or against Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) as a means to change the current situation in Palestine-Israel, it is important to recognize that boycotts are internationally affirmed and constitutionally protected forms of political expression. As non-violent instruments to effect political change, boycotts cannot be outlawed without trampling on a constitutionally protected right to political speech. Those who support boycotts ought not to become subject to retaliation, surveillance, or censorship when they choose to express their political viewpoint, no matter how offensive that may be to those who disagree.

We are now witnessing accelerating efforts to curtail speech, to exercise censorship, and to carry out retaliatory action against individuals on the basis of their political views or associations, notably support for BDS. We ask cultural and educational institutions to have the courage and the principle to stand for, and safeguard, the very principles of free expression and the free exchange of ideas that make those institutions possible. This means refusing to accede to bullying, intimidation, and threats aimed at silencing speakers because of their actual or perceived political views. It also means refusing to impose a political litmus test on speakers and artists when they are invited to speak or show their work. We ask that educational and cultural institutions recommit themselves to upholding principles of open debate, and to remain venues for staging expressions of an array of views, including controversial ones. Only by refusing to become vehicles for censorship and slander, and rejecting blacklisting, intimidation, and discrimination against certain viewpoints, can these institutions live up to their purpose as centers of learning and culture.

People who openly advocate curtailing the free speech of Israeli academics - no matter how dovish; people deny the right of Israelis to speak or perform in any venue worldwide; people who threaten artists who want to freely perform in Israel;  people who intimidate and attack audiences who want to go to Israeli cultural events; people whose very existence depends on censoring Israelis are claiming to be victims of "censorship." People who support shouting down pro-Israel speakers on campus, who interrupt performances by artists who happen to have been born in Israel, who insult and intimidate people who attempt to attend lectures and concerts - are whining about supposed limits to their free speech!

These "academics" don't even know what free speech means. Private institutions choosing not to allow specific people to speak is not an attack on free speech as long as they can find other venues.

Oh, and one of the signatories is Lisa Duggan, the ASA president-elect who creates academic conferences where pro-Israel voices are denied the ability to speak or even attend.

Hypocrisy doesn't even begin to describe this.

(h/t JW)
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