Thursday Links Part 1

From Ian:

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Israeli Checkpoints Stop Terrorists, not Elections by Khaled Abu Toameh

It is worth reminding those people who profess love the Palestinians that there are no Israeli checkpoints inside the Gaza Strip to foil either Palestinian elections or democracy, and that those in the West Bank do not foil elections or democracy, either.
But the anti-Israel spokesmen in the U.S., Canada and Europe are not going to let facts get in their way. They seem determined to continue spreading lies that are harmful not only to Israel, but also to Palestinians, who want see an end to tyranny and corruption in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

NGO Monitor: B’Tselem Condemns Terror Attacks, Other NGOs Silent

In response to the murder of an Israeli on April 30, 2013, B’Tselem released a statement “strongly condemn[ing] the stabbing attack” (“Israeli civilian killed in stabbing attack, northern West Bank,” April 30, 2013). B’Tselem emphasized that “There is absolutely no moral or legal justification for attacks that deliberately target civilians. Civilians must be kept separate from the fighting. This applies to countries, organizations and individuals.”

Muted Response to Hamas Jihad Program for School Kids

Western nations need to consider this indoctrination in any discussion of a prospective Palestinian unity deal, or of whether to accept Hamas as an acceptable player in peace efforts, Abu Toameh wrote. “By poisoning the hearts and minds of schoolchildren,” he wrote, “Hamas is raising an entire generation of Palestinians on glorification of suicide bombers, jihad and terrorism.”

Hamas leader dismisses Arab peace initiative

Khaled Mashaal claims Kerry-backed plan will benefit Israel while harming the Palestinian cause

Dumbing down terror for BBC audiences

For the BBC, this is a simple story of a “Palestinian militant” on a motorbike killed by an Israeli air strike. It apparently does not believe that its audiences need to know anything more than that.
So much for the BBC stated mission to “build a global understanding of international issues” and to “enhance UK audiences’ awareness and understanding of international issues”.

A letter to the Labour Party (Ken Livingstone et al)

Continued membership of Ken Livingstone (and other antisemitic, terrorist supporters) in the Labour Party

UNIFIL: Hizbullah Replacing Lebanese Troops Near Israel

According to the report, UNIFIL patrols are finding paths blocked and former temporary observation points suddenly out of bounds in what is being interpreted as Hizbullah seeking to flex its muscles on the ground.
UNIFIL officers are privately expressing frustration at the often humiliating confrontations with Hizbullah members, in which the peacekeepers feel compelled to back down.

Saudi Journalist Calls Hezbollah a “Tool of the Mullahs”

Opinion Editor Mshari Al-Zaydi says Hezbollah’s “resistance” slogan has been deceitful for “more than ten years” since the organization takes direct orders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Its blatant fighting on behalf of dictator Bashar al-Assad makes this clear.

Turkey: Iran Behind Syria’s Use of Chemical Weapons

A source in Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development party told Kuwait’s Al-Seyassah newspaper that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard were overseeing Syria’s chemical weapons and monitoring their use.

Iranian Officials: Iran Transferred Fajr-5 Missiles To Gaza, Which Were Fired At Israel

Iranian officials recently publicly acknowledged that Iran had sent military aid to Palestinians in Gaza, specifically Fajr-5 missiles with a range of up to 80 km, and expressed satisfaction with the damage they had caused to Israel during Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012.

BRING IT ON - Iran declares war on VEXNEWS

The extraordinary attack – and claimed litigation – by the notoriously vengeful regime comes as the Edwina Storie saga becomes an international embarrassment for Press TV, with dozens of reports appearing around the world based on our initial revelations. The story has been widely reported in Europe, in Greece, Spain, France, Australia’s Herald Sun, Daily Telegraph and Courier-Mail, the Sydney Morning Herald and perhaps sweetest of all, in too many Persian free-Iran websites and forums to list that it warms the heart that we might have contributed just a little bit to those who yearn for Iran to be free.

Greece’s Golden Dawn Neo-Nazi Party Blasts Prime Minister’s Planned AJC Speech

Greece’s neo-Nazi political party, the Golden Dawn, posted an article on its website condemning Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras for a planned visit to Washington, DC, next month, during which he will address the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Global Forum.

Turkish-Muslim TV Commentator Goes to Bat for Israel

Unfortunately, Ozbudak and her group in Istanbul that supports peaceful coexistence within Israel have been targeted by radical Islamists for their beliefs. Evidently, al Qaeda had a list of targets within Istanbul. The first on the list was a synagogue, yet Muslim scholar Adnan Oktar, with whom Ozbudak is affiliated, was number two on the list.