Elder of Ziyon Daily News

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Update on the blood libel/Visa story (updated) Posted: 19 Apr 2014 09:57 PM PDT As of this moment, Egyptian women's magazine El Kebar still has the article saying that Jews kill Gentiles to add their blood as an ingredient for Passover matzoh online. And it still has the same Visa pop-up ad, 48 hours after first being informed about it. So, whether they like it or not, Visa is still associated with perhaps the most offensive and libelous article against Jews imaginable. The Visa representative told me that he would keep me informed of what was going on, but I have not heard anything since Friday. Meanwhile, I looked a bit at Egypt Post, which is likely to be the Visa partner that actually placed the ad. It turns out that Egypt Post is not a newspaper as I had assumed, but in fact it is Egypt's postal service. They do offer Egypt Post-labeled Visa cards. It is a governmental organization.  Which means that at the very least, the Egyptian government is literally sponsoring the most vile antisemitism imaginable, in Visa's name. The chairman of Egypt Post is Dr. Ashraf Gamal El Din. He has degrees from British and Canadian universities, so he must know English.  Here is his Facebook page, in case you want to ask him about whether he supports the hate and bigotry that was in that article. UPDATE: Visa's spokesperson contacted me to say that they are working hard over the holiday weekend to identify and contact the right people to take the ad down, and he again emphasized that the article was intolerant and intolerable. On the other hand, he expressed frustration because (as I wrote Friday) Visa's hands are tied because they do not have a direct relationship with El Kebar and they have to go through proper channels, and within the context of their existing contracts, to try to take care of this, and it takes time.

04/19 Links: NYT Op-Ed Compares Hirsi Ali to Homophobes, Racists and Anti-Semites Posted: 19 Apr 2014 06:00 PM PDT From Ian: Liberman slams EU's Ashton for remarks on Israeli measures against Palestinians Liberman criticized the top EU diplomat for calling on Israel to reverse recent decisions made in regard to the West Bank and east Jerusalem, insinuating that she should concentrate on what he indicated were a multitude of more pressing issues. He denounced the timing of Ashton's statement at a time when he said "there are many other instances around the globe of charged confrontations and conflicts that claim human life," citing the crisis in Ukraine, the Syrian civil war and violence in Iraq. Liberman on Facebook sarcastically charged that "it was lucky that the European Union knows how to diagnose critical problems in the world and take care of them quickly and decisively." (h/t Yenta Press) NYT Op-Ed Compares Hirsi Ali to Homophobes, Racists and Anti-Semites Nesrine Malik, a contributing columnist at The Guardian, was featured in The New York Times Op-Ed pages likening women's rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali to racists, anti-Semites and homophobes and saying that free speech should be extended to all. She began by claiming that Hirsi Ali had built a career based on hatred: "The defense of free speech often hides a multitude of sins. Since Brandeis University withdrew an honor it had intended to bestow on the author and activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, many have flocked to her defense in the name of free expression — no matter how offensive. But implicitly they are suggesting that Islam and Muslims are worthy targets of Ms. Hirsi Ali's scorn. And their preciousness about the right to offend won't be credible until they advocate extending it beyond Islamophobes — to racists, anti-Semites and homophobes, too." New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson is still scheduled to receive an honorary degree from Brandeis University this May. Liberal Kirstin Powers Exposes Hypocrisy of Left Wing Attacks on Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ever since Brandies offered, and then rescinded, an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born women's rights advocate has been under attack from the progressive "thought police." In her Friday USA Today column, liberal columnist Kirsten Powers points out the hypocrisy of the attacks saying, "Condemning the Catholic Church and Christianity broad-brush is heroic. But a woman who breaks with and criticizes Islam is a mouthy, immature narcissist who must be silenced." Powers begins: "Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been a vocal critic of women's oppression under Islamic law. She's blasted arranged marriage, legally sanctioned domestic violence, genital mutilation, and the killing of adulteresses and rape victims. Despite being a supporter of abortion rights, an atheist, and an advocate of gay and women's rights, she is despised by many who claim to be defenders of women's rights. Over the years, they have worked to delegitimize her in the hopes that she will be silenced." USC Student: Brandeis U Betrayed Core Values USC sophomore Valerie Yu, writing in The Daily Trojan, asserted that Brandeis University was wrong to rescind the offer of an honorary degree to women's rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Yu called the actions of the university "cowardly" and contrary to the core values of the institution: Brandeis University's recent revocation of its honorary degree invitation to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born feminist and political essayist, has caused a firestorm of outrage. Though the university claims that its withdrawal of the invitation was due to Ali's radically Islamophobic views, the truth shows otherwise. Brandeis should have stood by the invitation it extended to Ali, a very apt speaker and representative of the university's motto: "Truth, even unto its innermost parts." John Bolton: Lessons Learned From Obama's Middle East 'Peace Process' Finally, the "opportunity costs" always are critical. While Obama and Kerry have been fiddling over Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Ukraine has been splintered; other former Soviet republics are at risk of the same; NATO is in disarray; Iran's and North Korea's nuclear-weapons programs proceed unhindered; Beijing's territorial claims in the East and South China Seas go unanswered; and the global threat of terrorism continues to metastasize. And that's just a partial list. It is simply not possible for mere human beings to invest as much time and energy as Obama and Kerry did in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and not thereby divert their attention from other problems and opportunities. Whether the Obama administration is capable of correcting its errors is highly doubtful. But as American citizens consider who should succeed Obama, they must urgently consider whether the various prospective candidates live in the real world or in a world of illusion. Caroline Glick: More demographic data proving the "demographic time bomb" is a dud As I explain in The Israeli Solution, far from being an existential threat to Israel, demography is one of the Jewish state's greatest strengths. Since the book was released last month, its most severe critics discount the demographic data that I present claiming that for Israel to stake its future on accurate data is too risky, better to trust the falsified numbers parroted threateningly by the Obama administration and its mouthpiece in the Israeli government, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni that claim Muslims are about to overrun Jews west of the Jordan River. Here's a recent interview that Dr. Guy Bechor, an Israeli Middle East scholar gave to Israel TV Channel 2 about the real demographic picture. As readers of my book will notice, the news just keeps improving. The real demographic balance between Israelis and Palestinians. How U.S. Foreign Policy Went Wrong and Why It is tempting to simply list all the ways the Obama administration — particularly Secretaries Kerry and Hagel – has been wrong on foreign and defense policy. After all, Russia/Ukraine, Syria, Iran, China, and Israel/Palestinians are nothing to sneeze at. But finding a common thread among the mistakes might be the beginning of a corrective policy — if not by this administration, then perhaps by Congress or the next administration. The common thread is hubris, the supreme confidence that what you think is what everyone thinks — they're just waiting for you to show up. Hubris is the natural state of affairs in the faculty lounges of major universities and, most likely, in the "World's Greatest Deliberative Body," in which the president, Hagel, Biden, Clinton, and Kerry all served. A subdivision of hubris is the conceit that words equal action; that what is said is what is done. It is a subdivision because if you think there is no political or economic or social disagreement, then everyone must just be waiting for you to perorate. Lessons from the latest tragedy It still isn't clear whether Baruch Mizrachi, a man who had devoted his life to protecting the Jewish people in their land, was targeted because of his job, or simply murdered because he was a Jew. It doesn't matter. The question is, when is enough enough? When does the State of Israel decide that the Palestinian Arabs are a hostile enemy and start treating them as such (my guess is that the people of Israel already understand this)? The police will be looking very seriously for the murderers, at least the ones that waited by the side of the road and pulled the trigger. When they find them, will they be hanged as justice demands? Or will they be jailed for a few years where they can take college courses and receive generous pensions from the Palestinian Authority, until they are released either as part of a ransom agreement or because of pressure from the anti-Jewish administration of Barack Obama? When will the State of Israel begin to act on the fact, which everyone knows to be true, that the Palestinian Arab leadership as well as the average Palestinian in the street, is dedicated to the Palestinian Cause of removing the Jewish presence from 'their' land, which includes everything from the river to the sea? Prisoner Releases Undermine Peace Process Those seeking to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians might conclude that adding more terrorists into the equation is unlikely to help matters. That much stands to reason for most people. Unfortunately, this simple truth seems to be lost on Secretary of State John Kerry and his assistant in the negotiations, Martin Indyk. They are currently putting pressure on the Israelis to release the next installment of prisoners being demanded by the Palestinians. Supposedly this will help advance the two sides along the path to peace. Caught up in the ludicrous process of negotiating about negotiating, Kerry and Indyk might benefit from taking a step back and asking themselves what kind of partner for peace demands the release of terrorists. Terrorists belong in prison, and no one interested in a just and secure settlement between the two sides would for a moment think otherwise. Yet Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas doesn't simply demand the release of these murderers; once they are released these individuals and their families are rewarded with fanfare and sizable cash payments. Congresswoman Meng Pushes State Department on Israeli Visa Crisis; Kerry Admits 32% of Post-Army Israelis Were Refused B-2 Tourist Visa In her letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Meng wrote: "Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that the State Department presumes that such Israelis seek to illegally sell Dead Sea products in shopping malls, and that this is the reason they do not receive tourist visas. This is upsetting." "But the current, apparent presumption of nefarious intent on the part of young Israelis seems unfair, and I urge you to end it," she said. Meng also described the post-IDF travel as "a time-honored and venerable tradition in Israel." "I am concerned with the negative presumption regarding the beautiful tradition of young Israelis traveling after the army and before college," Meng wrote. "If indeed there is a problem with young Israelis working illegally in American shopping malls, I would be happy to work with you to facilitate greater enforcement and public awareness of this problem in Israel." Arrest of Arab-Israeli Activist Puts Focus on NGOs Adalah, NIF The arrest of an Arab-Israeli human rights activist on suspicion of being recruited by Hezbollah threatened on Thursday to expand into a broader scandal over the role of a controversial U.S.-based non-profit that has been criticized for funneling money to anti-Israel organizations and activists, including to those that support waging economic warfare against Israel. Majd Kayyal was arrested as he returned to Israel from a trip to Lebanon, with Israel's Shin Bet security agency accusing him of illegally traveling to an enemy country and contacting Hezbollah. Kayyal is the editor of the website for Adalah, an organization that recently became prominent for spearheading eventually violent protests against a plan by the Israeli government to drive billions of dollars into underdeveloped areas of Israel's southern Negev region. As critics quickly pointed out Thursday afternoon, Adalah in turn receives funds from the New Israel Fund, a New York-based organization that has been widely criticized for acting as a clearinghouse for funds delivered to anti-Israel causes: Palestinians aim wrath at minister who condemned Passover murder of Israeli Palestinians in the West Bank are demanding the dismissal of a Palestinian Authority minister who publicly condemned last week's terrorist attack which claimed the life of an Israeli police superintendent near Hebron, Israel Radio reported on Saturday. Endowments Minister Mahmoud El Habash told Israeli reporters in Ramallah earlier this week that he was "pained" by the murder of 47-year-old Baruch Mizrachi as he was driving with his family to a Passover seder in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba. "We condemn the killing of all people irrespective of their background," El Habash was quoted as saying by Army Radio. "The idea of killing and violence is completely illegitimate." Al Habash has also been quoted as saying that "Palestinian blood, just like Israeli blood, is dear and humane" and "the color of Palestinian blood is the same as Israeli blood." Cairo Court Rejects Lawsuit to Ban All Israeli Activities in Egypt Cairo's Court for Urgent Matters said that it does not have jurisdiction to rule on a lawsuit that demanded all Israeli activities be banned in Egypt, Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported on Friday. The decision contrasts with a March ruling by the same court to, indeed, ban all activities in Egypt by Hamas, across the Egyptian border in Gaza, pending a verdict in a much larger case against the Muslim Brotherhood and its leadership, including ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi. Canada 'Tremendously Concerned' About the Muslim Brotherhood Canada is "tremendously concerned" about the Muslim Brotherhood, according to an announcement made shortly after the UK announced a probe into the terror organization. "Canada has taken an aggressive stand when it comes to listings [of terror groups] ... but there is a certain process," John Baird, Canada's foreign minister, said at a news conference in Cairo. "We are tremendously concerned about the Muslim Brotherhood ... but the listings are made on the basis of facts and intel." Jewish artifacts saved from smugglers in Egypt A hoard of Jewish ritual items were intercepted by Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities as they were on their way to be smuggled to Belgium, the Luxor Times reported Friday. The stash included 11 Torah cases, many of which were inscribed with Hebrew writing and inlaid with silver. There were also several bells that were used to decorate Torah scrolls, and metal pointers used by the congregant reading from the Torah. Obama signs law to bar Iran diplomat from serving in U.N. post President Barack Obama signed a law on Friday that effectively bars an Iranian diplomat from serving as an envoy at the United Nations because of suspicions he was involved in the 1979-81 Tehran hostage crisis. Obama signed a law passed by the U.S. Congress that blocks any individual from entering the United States who has been found to have been engaged in espionage or terrorist activity against the United States or if that person may pose a threat to U.S. national security. Lebanese Army Arrests High-Level Al Qaeda Operative The Lebanese Army arrested a high-level Al-Qaeda operative on Thursday, who is allegedly involved in the murders of UNIFIL soldiers in Arsal and the raiding of a large weapons depot in Tripoli. The suspect: Palestinian Arab Bilal Kayed, a suspected member of the Al Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades who has several arrest warrants out against him, a statement by the military said. The Army accused Kayed as being involved in the 2007 murder of several Spanish UNIFIL soldiers and several bombings. He is also accused of other counts of murder, attempted murder and arms smuggling, as well as several acts of vandalism. I Like Having Iran's Fist Up My Butt By Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah (satire) Another important point lies in the delicate ethnic balance of Lebanon: Christians, Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Unless we Shiites, with Iranian and Syrian help, have complete political dominance, genuine balance will remain elusive. Perhaps only because we would make the place a living hell for all the other denominations, but still. Balance. That's why our involvement in the Syrian civil war is so important. We must demonstrate our commitment to peace by assisting our ally Basher Assad in the deadly suppression of resistance to his dictatorial regime, thus maintaining a clear path for continued Iranian hegemony in Lebanon. Also, and I'm sure I speak for all Lebanese, I enjoy the feeling of the Ayatollah's fist up my rectum. Pakistan Library Renamed to Honor bin Laden A seminary for women in Pakistan renamed its library to honor the former al Qaeda leader whom they refer to as the "martyr" Osama bin Laden, according to a report in The Express Tribune. The Jamia Hafsia seminary in which the library is located is headed by Imam Maulana Abdul Aziz, who is the imam of Islamabad's mosque, Lal Masjid. "It is true that we have named the library after Osama bin Laden," a source told AFP on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity. "He might be a terrorist for others but we do not consider him as a terrorist. For us he was a hero of Islam." Jewish Human Rights Group Calls Out Kazakh Magazine for Venerating Hitler Jewish human rights group the Simon Wiesenthal Center on Friday wrote a letter to Kazakhstan President Noursultan Nazarbayev to protest Kazakh nationalist magazine Star House for venerating the Nazi symbols and Adolf Hitler, and threatening to besmirch the country's reputation. Dr. Shimon Samuels, the SWC director for international affairs, wrote, that "the offensive magazine is dedicated totally to Hitler's so-called 'positive contribution' to history, which would perversely include the Holocaust. This is a publication that violates Kazakhstan's obligations as a State Party member of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe." 7 Italians charged over anti-Semitic site After a lengthy investigation, seven people associated with the anti-Semitic website Holywar were charged in Italy this week with racial discrimination and defamation against a long list of public figures including Pope Francis. The suspects "depicted the pontiff in photoshopped images dressed as a bearded Orthodox Jew waving the Israeli flag with a swastika at the center of the Star of David," said the Italian news agency ANSA. Other targeted figures included Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi and the actor Roberto Benigni, who won an Oscar for his film "Life Is Beautiful," set during the Holocaust. How Dutch student exposed Holocaust taxes scandal Charlotte van den Berg was a 20-year-old college student working part-time in Amsterdam's city archives when she and other interns came across a shocking find: letters from Jewish Holocaust survivors complaining that the city was forcing them to pay back taxes and late payment fines on property seized after they were deported to Nazi death camps. How, the survivors asked, could they be on the hook for taxes due while Hitler's regime was trying to exterminate them? A typical response was: "The base fees and the fines for late payment must be satisfied, regardless of whether a third party, legally empowered or not, has for some time held the title to the building." Following her discovery in 2011, Van den Berg waged a lonely fight against Amsterdam's modern bureaucracy to have the travesty publicly recognized. Now, largely due to her efforts, Amsterdam officials are considering compensating Holocaust survivors for the taxes and possibly other obligations, including gas bills, they were forced to pay for homes that were occupied by Nazis or collaborators while the rightful owners were in hiding or awaiting death in the camps. Kansans form 'angel wall' to shield shooting victims' funerals More than 2,000 Kansas residents turned out Friday to form an 80-block-long wall surrounding the funeral of Dr. William Corporon and Reat Underwood, two of the three victims of last Sunday's shootings in Overland Park, Kansas. According to Rabbi Mendel Segal, the wall was both protecting the families from protesters of the Westboro Baptist Church and "standing for love and good and against hate and evil." At the funeral, Reat's mother, Mindy Corporon, said, "Something good is happening from this," before she recounted the beautiful and fulfilling 14 years that her son celebrated on earth. She described her son and her father as "hunting together in heaven."

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