South Africa concert attack update

More details about the attack on the Yom Ha'atzmaut concert in South Africa are coming out. While BDS South Africa claims that Jewish security guards attacked them (!), the truth can be seen here:

On Monday evening, April 15th, attempts to sabotage the Israeli Independence day celebrations at the Gold Reef City Lyric Theatre were carried out by over one hundred BDS, COSATU, PSC and MSA members.

The members of these groups together with collaborators began to protest outside of the venue from 6pm. They were shouting, “Down with Israel” slogans, singing and blowing vuvuzelas. One speaker at the event made it clear that these movements are “going to make it so uncomfortable for Zionists to exist in this country” (South Africa) and another speaker stated that, “this will be the last year that they will be celebrating Israeli Independence.” (Which can be viewed as a direct threat to most Jews in SA).

From there, certain members of BDS, the MSA and the SRC’s from three Gauteng universities tried to get into the event as people were arriving. A source has said that “they managed to call the Lyric Theatre office and bought tickets; they even managed to get into the venue however some were stopped at the door by the heavy security (supplied by both the Jewish Community and Gold Reef City) as they looked suspicious.”

A second source has reported that some of the members of the Anti-Israel groups who were stopped at the door by Security (CSO) at the venue, began to cause a fuss saying that “being denied entry is pure racism and unjust” even though these BDS members had a plan to disrupt the concert. “They used the race card against us even though they were planning something sinister” says the source.

However, security measures did not prevail as an hour into the show, a group of the BDS/MSA/PSC ruffians made it into the venue intimidating members of the audience and shouting swear words, “down with Apartheid-Israel – Free Palestine” and “You suck” to the current performer.

Security forces managed to remove them but a sense of uneasiness had already begun to settle within the crowd, “An elderly lady behind me fell to the floor in shock as these guys started intimidating the audience. Her husband had to console her throughout the rest of the concert. It was terrible” says one witness.

Another witness, close to the commotion stated that he had to help settle a shocked woman down. “She was quite a heavily pregnant lady and she started having cramps and pain as a result of the fright caused from the commotion. It was in such bad taste.”

During the closing ceremony of the concert, while world-renown singer Yaniv D’Or’s performed “Eli-Eli”, a Holocaust song written by Hannah Senesh, one of the female protestors who had managed to infiltrate the concert got up and ran on stage screaming “free Palestine” slogans. She together with other members, who had managed to gain access to the concert as well, began to set off stink bombs around the venue, shouting “Israel-Apartheid stinks.”

At this point Yaniv who had very bravely carried on his performance hoping that they would leave, made the heroic decision to pick up the protestor and removed her off the stage while continuing to sing. He handed her over to security forces that were waiting by the stage.

A number of BDS members were arrested on the scene after this disruption, including the daughter of a senior COSATU official. They spent Monday evening in jail and were released at 4am the next morning.

MyShtetl adds:

Gold Reef City had received a bomb threat on Monday night the SAZF has revealed today, while SAPS, CSO & Gold Reef security were trying to contain illegal protesters. SA Jewry is “entitled to celebrate without intimidation and our rights being trampled on!” said the Fed today.

The Fed insists that claims of a violent assault on protestors at Monday’s night’s Yom Ha’atzmaut concert at Gold Reef City “are false and defamatory. On the contrary, it was the protestors who engaged in illegal disruptive actions at a private function, thereby blatantly infringing the right of the Jewish community to celebrate its culture and heritage,” says the Fed.

The Fed claims that Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS-SA) protesters gained access to the event under false pretences, threw stink bombs into the audience, attacked and injured an elderly woman and forced themselves onto the stage, where they attempted to attack the performers.

At Wits University, which saw similarly ugly attacks last month that shut down a concert that featured an Israeli-born pianist, things went a bit better this time:

On a more positive note, celebrations at the Wits Yom Ha’atzmaut party were not disrupted at all as the university implemented a ban on any members of these groups coming anywhere near the festivities. They were threatened with serious disciplinary action. There was also a large contingent of security around the event which deterred any unruly action from taking place. A wonderful time was had by all.

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Hamas hypocritically pretends to be against attacking civilians

Hamas' Al Qassam website published an essay by known  UFO advocate Khalid Amayreh, denouncing the Boston terror attack:

There is no doubt that that the bombing at the Boston Marathon was a decidedly criminal act which ought to be condemned in the strongest terms. There is nothing more evil than targeting innocent people. No legitimate grievances or causes justify murdering or maiming innocent people.

This is why our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this violence and their families.

He goes on to say:

I feel that as a Palestinian and Muslim, I must warn against the voices of hate and racism in the U.S. which are taking advantage of this tragic incident to incite against Muslims.

These are not truly patriotic American voices. I am not in a position to teach Americans the true meaning of patriotism. However, I believe there is a difference between true patriotism and inciting people to hate and murder.

This hateful incitement doesn't fall under freedom of speech since freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom to urge people to murder or harm innocent people.

It is touching that Hamas is suddenly concerned about the lives of innocent civilians. After all, their Arabic filled with tales of glory of terror attacks that killed in total hundreds of Israeli civilians. They issue press releases bragging about targeting Israeli civilian targets. They publish posters threatening Israeli civilians with rockets.

Khalid Amayreh's concern over incitement to hate is equally touching. After all, he has said this about Jews:

• the Jewish-controlled media and show biz have been inciting against Islam for ages.
• duplicitous, dishonest and disobedient Jews who views the rest of mankind as cattle.
• This satanic calf has effectively morphed Jews, or most Jews, into mass murderers, certified war criminals, child killers, land thieves and pathological professional liars.
• a real alliance is being forged between Zionism and European neo-Nazism
• Israeli Nazism has a fixation, namely controlling the world by controlling governments and regimes, as is already the case in the United States, Canada and several other western countries.

He has also written articles that were calls to incite a new violent intifada. If that isn't enough, he tried to get Egypt to declare war on Israel as well.

Tellingly, Amayreh's article pretending to denounce terrori does not appear on the Arabic version of the Hamas Al Qassam website.

(h/t EB)

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Another nice Yom Ha'atzmaut video

From AIPAC:



(h/t Avi Mayer)

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Unspeakable photo essay on desecrated Jewish gravestones in Poland

I am rarely emotionally affected by something I view online. However, Tablet magazine has an article and photo essay that should leave anyone speechless.

Between 2008 and 2012, photographer Łukasz Baksik—itinerant documentarian and questing typologist—traversed his native Poland, painstakingly documenting the ways in which Jewish gravestones, or matzevot, had been looted and appropriated, both in rural villages and cities, since the 1940s. “Quarried” from cemeteries during World War II (by the Nazis), the decades that followed (by Poles), and even up until the present day, matzevot had been and continue to be used in any instance in which ordinary stone might normally, mundanely, and practically suffice.

The matzevot Baksik photographed had been repurposed (a tricky verb in this context) as paving stones for courtyards and passageways, or else to patch crumbling walls and curbstones in need of reinforcement. They had been shaped into querns and grindstones; had been used to construct a cowshed, a pergola in a city park, a sandbox for children; had ended up as “recyclable” tablets for new Catholic gravestones—the Jewish gravestone was simply carved into again, like a palimpsest—and as a path for monks who, Baksik relates, “had become used to walking on a paved path, and not through the mud.”

...[T]o live and work in close proximity to looted gravestones, and with apparent spiritual equanimity, is only possible if the matzevot themselves do not register as being representative of fellow human beings.

Watch the slideshow. Now.

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Wednesday Links Part 2

From Ian:

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Carter and Tutu won’t bring peace to Holy Land By Abraham Cooper, Harold Brackman

In 2003, Tutu became a patron of Sabeel International, founded by Palestinian cleric Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek, who has declared: “It seems to many of us that Jesus is on the cross again with thousands of crucified Palestinians around him... The Israeli government crucifixion system is operating daily.”
“Elders” like Carter and Tutu, who demonize the Jewish nation, who deny the Jewish people’s past in the Holy Land, who refuse to acknowledge Israel’s right to defend herself, are neither peaceseekers or peacemakers. Apartheid slanderers and boycott campaigners will only succeed in further emboldening the extremists who have already turned much of the Middle East’s Arab Spring into an international nightmare.

Israellycool: Death To Israel Facebook Page

Although many people have indicated Facebook refuses to take down the page – despite it openly calling for genocide and containing vile antisemitism like the previous photos – more people reporting it might just do the trick.

Temple Mount: Jews Strip-Searched to Avoid Israeli Flags

Three yeshiva students were strip-searched Tuesday when visiting the Temple Mount, Temple Mount activists have reported.
The students were reportedly pulled aside by a commander of the police unit for protection of holy sites. They were asked to remove clothing and their bodies were searched for an Israeli flag.

BBC says it won't use "anti-Semitism" because the word is... too long?!

Many queried the BBC's reporting of the incident at the time. In fact, the odd headline, "Labour peer Lord Ahmed suspended after 'Jewish claims'" is still currently live. Instead of using "anti-Semitism", the Beeb opted for "Jewish claims", making the story seem like there were claims by Jewish people leading to Lord Ahmed's suspension.
Call it clumsy journalism, intentional stupidity, whatever you want - it doesn't explain the following e-mail exchange that one reader of The Commentator had with the BBC complaints team. Check it out:

Wiesenthal Centre Demands Cancellation of Pro-Barghouti Rally

The Wiesenthal Centre has sent a strongly worded letter of protest to the Association of French Mayors after learning from Arutz Sheva of their planned rally for Marwan Barghouti - and its guest list.
The Centre's press release on the subject was vehemently phrased, saying, "On Israel's Independence Day, the Suburban Paris Municipality of St. Denis will Host and Honour Convicted Palestinian Terrorists - Stop this Outrage as a Threat to Public Order".

Paris suburb Wednesday to honor Palestinian who killed Israeli minister

A French town is scheduled to host a ceremony on Wednesday honoring several Palestinian terrorists.
Among the terrorists are Allam Kaabi and Salah Hamouri, who are are scheduled to appear at the Bourse de Travail building, which belongs to the municipality of St. Denis, a suburb of the French capital.

Michigan Arab Editor 'Tarnishes Integrity' of University
Michigan State University urged to reconsider induction of Arab American newspaper editor into Hall of Fame due to anti-Semitic diatribes.

“The fact that Osama Siblani consistently allows his publication to be a forum for hate should call into question his fitness for the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “The Arab American News has repeatedly published anti-Semitic diatribes and rhetoric and Mr. Siblani has publicly stated support and sympathy for terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hizbullah.”

Brooklyn College Criticizes Itself Over Anti-Israel Event

To repeat: at a public college, in an event co-sponsored by one of its academic departments, four students were likely expelled from the event because of their political beliefs. Presumably this finding will cause even the president of the college, Karen Gould, to publicly apologize to Brooklyn’s student body. But given Gould’s performance to date, this may be expecting too much.
The Schaffer Report also brought to light at least four previously unreported facts:

ADL Downplays Controversy Over Anti-Israel Texts in Curriculum of Newton, Mass.

According to the Newton School Superintendent David Fleishman, the Arab World Studies Notebook was removed from Newton’s public school curriculum. Nevertheless, many parents and other citizens have expressed concern about other anti-Israel materials they say remain in distribution. Local ADL leaders, however, are downplaying the uncertainty as to which anti-Israel texts are still being used in Newton classrooms.

This research, which was obtained by JNS.org, reveals the presence of controversial texts in the Newton curriculum that include the following: A Muslim Primer, which claims that astronaut Neil Armstrong converted to Islam, but that the anti-Muslim U.S. government warned him “to keep his new religion to himself or he could be fired from his government job;”

65 years of innovation, from Rummikub to the ‘God Particle’

While a great deal of international and media focus has been placed on Israel’s military conflicts, the country quietly has become an energetic, ambitious incubator of entrepreneurialism and invention. What follows is a timeline chronicling some of the most important and interesting innovations produced by Israelis during their country’s 65-year existence.

Teshome Solomon’s arduous, triumphant trek to the Knesset

In Ethiopia, his parents gave him an Amharic name that means ‘he got promoted.’ He certainly did. Now Shimon Solomon is battling for the Ethiopian community, and against racism, as a member of parliament for Yesh Atid
When he was 10 years old, Shimon Solomon and his family walked for weeks from Shire Indaselassie, a small town in northern Ethiopia, to the Sudanese border — the start of a journey they believed would end with the life they were meant to live in Israel.

How an unwieldy romantic poem and a Romanian folk song combined to produce ‘Hatikva’

Romanian oxen and a chronic alcoholic are not the likeliest progenitors of the Israeli national anthem. But that’s “Hatikva” for you.
The globetrotting Galician poet who wrote it died over a century ago from drink, but his words live on despite numerous attempts to oust them for more socialist, divine or nonpartisan verse. As for the oxen, more on them later.

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Jordanian newspaper: Jews are behind Boston bomb - and everything else (UPDATE)

I was going to try to convert this Google auto-translated gibberish into readable English, but on second thought I think the machine-translated version is more poetically accurate.

It captures the crazed mind of a typical Arab anti-semite really, really well. It includes conspiracy theories, Holocaust denial, 9/11 trutherism, Jews controlling the world - all in one nice practically indecipherable bundle.

As you try to interpret this insanity, you find yourself thinking "Is he really trying to say...? Oh, yeah, he is."

Oh, this is an op-ed in Jordan's Ammon News (Amman). It is entitled "Boston explosions .. Look for Jews".

Enjoy, along with the Wordle version:

As is known, the United States, has become for some time for quite some time, in the eye of the planned Jewish messes, on the road to removal from the throne of the world, as the only superpower, by thinking exploitative Jewish, and it will not be better off than Great Britain, uterus, which was born from Israel, as that the Arab countries that facilitated the creation of Israel, will not be the other in isolation from planning Jewish in order to removal. Britain is the

superpower that penetrated all the laws of the Laws of Nature and man-made laws, and Israel has established in order to get rid of the Jews, and the establishment of English Christianity pure does not exist for the Jews which, however Having the intensified helped the Jews in Palestine, due to emigration and sale of Arab rulers, then to the Jews of the Arab countries, Jews were expelled Britain from Palestine and considered an occupied country, and here they are today undermining Arab regimes that stood with them. allied with Hitler's Nazi who is the first Western leader to prepare the Jews in Palestine , and agreed with him on his extradition patients of the Jews and the elderly to get rid of them the way to his liking, versus allowing them to charge the Jewish youth to Palestine, I do not know if he knows, or he was deceived in this scheme, as the Jews then extorting Germany their claim that Hitler burned Jews, and that is a long story. claimed the beginning that Hitler burned 40 million, but the international community din from the horror of a lie, so they had to review their accounts, and declared the second time that Hitler's Nazi burning of 24 million Jews, but the international community din again to Hall misrepresentation, Fajvadwa figure to six million did not back down. never forget bombings atheist th of September 2001 terrorist attacks that hit America, and the realization of the mind, it is clear that the Jews and their allies from the American right are the ones who carried out the heinous crime, in order to implicate America in the wars exhausted in Afghanistan and Iraq, and not to enable them to capture breath for further American pressure on Israel to resolve the Palestinian issue the establishment of a Palestinian state, has repeatedly tried with President Obama to strike Iran, to be the judge for America, but he refused, and in his recent visit to the region, promised to move hard for a solution to the Palestinian issue, and the most dangerous Israelis that the Foreign Minister John Kerry is a proxy U.S. for peace in the region. From this standpoint, the bombings, the twin towers were to involve America in the Middle East, and the bombings in Boston and will be followed, it would be to deter the United States from trying to put pressure on Israel, in order to move the file peace in the Middle East. Ironically, in this area, that the Bush Jr. announced the identity of the bombers atheist th of September and they are the rule, and their passports in his hands, after found under the rubble of the twin towers, knowing that the fire gutted steel and not iron, but - Hallelujah - unable to burn passports travel paper, but President Obama was smarter than his predecessor, and seems to understand the game, and did not announce the perpetrators did not accuse anyone, and was told that the process is internal?! story and where that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, I will not forgive U.S. President Obama, who imagines an enemy of Israel and a friend of the Arabs , but it has mobilized Netanyahu and American right and lobbies pressure such as AIPAC and MEMRI in Washington, to prevent President Obama from winning a second term, but was a disappointment Znnounam and returned to the White House, and stood before him at any step he wanted to do, such as appointment of the CIA Director and the Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance. Based on the foregoing, the bombings Boston terrorist At the end of the line of the Boston Marathon is the imprint Jewish privilege, a message to President Obama to stop messing with Israel, and most likely that these bombings will not be the first warning and the last to President Obama, as they will not call congratulated mandate The second and perhaps Astahedvoh personally. According to U.S. sources, the police in Boston, a week before the start of the marathon is the help of sniffer dogs trained to extinguish fires in the area, these bombings but are in a series of bombings to witnessed America in Oklahoma and others. would not let the Jews and their allies of the American right - which is not hatred of a large non-whites, and still يتحسرون because the president "black" sat on the throne of the White House - President Obama spends his second so and without problems, Vihod As Didnhm not safety them, nor the fulfillment of those who served Valgdr described.

UPDATE: If you want an accurate translation, MEMRI has it. Here's the beginning:

"It has been known for quite some time that the U.S. is at the epicenter of a Jewish plan to harm it by removing it from its throne as the world's only superpower – [a move that is] in accordance with the exploitative Jewish approach. [America's] fate will be no better than that of Great Britain, the womb from which Israel emerged. Nor will the Arab states that allowed the establishment of Israel be saved from the Jewish plan to annihilate them.
"Britain is the superpower that violated all laws, both natural and man-made, when it established Israel in order to rid itself of the Jews and create an English-Christian state purged of Jews. But after they grew strong in Palestine by emigrating [there], they expelled the British from Palestine, seeing [Britain] as an occupying state. And now they are destroying the Arab regimes that supported them.
"They [the Jews] made an alliance with the Nazi Hitler, who is considered to be the first Western leader who promised Palestine to them. They agreed to hand over the old and sick Jews, to be disposed of as Hitler saw fit, and in return, he allowed them to send the young Jews to Palestine. I do not know if [Hitler] did this knowingly, or was misled by the Jews, because after the war the Jews looted Germany on the grounds that Hitler had burned the Jews…
"At first, they claimed that Hitler had killed 40 million [Jews], but the international community was outraged by the magnitude of this lie and they were forced to recant it. Then they claimed that Hitler the Nazi had exterminated 24 million Jews, but this lie too outraged the international community, so they reduced the number to six million, and did not back down [from this claim].

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Salafists release video of rocket launch to Eilat

The Salafi group Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem released Wednesday a documentation of two Grad rockets at the direction of Eilat in Israel's south.

After presenting masked men as they are firing the rockets, the video features with the image of US President Barack Obama during his visit to Israel, as he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are reviewing the Iron Dome system – with a caption reading "The cardboard domes will not protect you."

The video later presents images signifying, according to the group, "The Judaization of Jerusalem and the torture of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons."

The group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday morning for firing rockets at Eilat, according to Arab media.

The IDF is looking into the failure of the Red Alert siren to forewarn Eilat residents from the rockets. Some witness accounts indicated the siren sounded moments after both rockets fell to the ground, causing massive echo across the southern Israeli town.

Am I crazy, or were both Grads pointed in different directions?

Also note how the jihadists take all the time in the world to set the rockets up.

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Terrorist released in Shalit deal tried to hire WB terrorist to shoot Israelis

Ma'ariv reports:

A terrorist released in the Shalit deal and deported to Gaza planned to attack Israel and convinced a Nablus resident to attack for a large sum of money, after the two met two months ago in Mecca.

The Shin Bet recently stopped Amir Barakat, resident of Nablus, after returning from the his Hajj trip to Mecca. Barakat admitted that during the pilgrimage he met Amir Dokan, a former resident of Balata refugee camp, who was released in the Shalit deal and deported to Gaza. According to Barakat, Dokan offered an enticing proposition: to shoot at the Nablus bypass road or throw a grenade at the Hawara checkpoint in exchange for $6,000.

After Barakat returned home to the territories he contacted Dokan andtold him that he agreed to the proposal and began to try to obtain a gun. The Shin Bet said today that the incident shows once again the attempted terrorist terrorist activity in the West Bank, with increasing involvement of prisoners from the Shalit deal. According to the GSS, the pilgrimage to Mecca made ​​it a meeting place for activists to talk and swap ideas and planning of terrorist activity. Shin Bet said today (Wednesday) that there was an increase in prisoners who left Gaza after the Shalit deal. "This is a blatant violation of release agreement signed with Egyptian mediation, and certainly when actions are performed from the territory of the Gaza Strip, the Hamas government [is responsible for upholding the agreement] " said the GSS.

I couldn't find Dokan's name in any of the lists I have of prisoners swapped for Shalit, so I don't know what he did to land in prison to begin with.

(h/t Kramerica)

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Wednesday Links Part 1

From Ian:

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Roger Waters: ‘I Am Considering my Position’ on Anti-Israel Boycott
That's a lot of thinking for a rock musician, you must give him that.

Still, Waters has not changed his views on who is right and who is evil in the Arab-Israeli conflict. No surprises there: “The occupation and the settlement building is an impregnable obstacle to peace,” Waters said. “There can never be peace unless the occupation ends and the settlement building ends.”
Of course, in the nearby Gaza Strip there’s no peace at all, in fact, there’s been a whole lot of extra war after the occupation and the settlements all ended. But you can’t confuse this Pink Floyd ace with the facts.

Benghazi to Boston: Glenn Greenwald’s hypocrisy in condemning ‘rush to judgement’ over marathon attack

Further, Greenwald repeated completely unverified (and ultimately false) claims that the film-maker (Sam Bacile) was “an Israeli real estate developer living in California” and that he had made the film with “the help of 100 Jewish donors.”
Greenwald’s wild speculation about the cause of the attack, and the putative Israeli and Jewish connection (also parroted by the Guardian’s Julian Borger and Caroline Davies), however, was completely unfounded.

Salam Fayyad and the "Major Blow" to Peace by Khaled Abu Toameh

The claim that Fayyad's resignation is a major blow to the peace process is not only untrue, it is ridiculous. Such claims are intended to create the impression, totally false, that were it not for Fayyad's resignation, the peace process would have been salvaged.
The truth is that Abbas was the one who decided to boycott the peace talks until Israel meets his conditions, including a full cessation of settlement construction and recognition of the pre-1967 lines as the future borders of a Palestinian state.

Fayyad’s resignation

Fayyad’s departure from Palestinian politics is significant not just because it ends hopes, at least for the time being, of an alternative approach to resolving the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The incident also reveals the unsettling reality that to truly succeed in Palestinian politics it is not enough to work for the betterment of the Palestinian people, one must be a devoted and preferably violent enemy of Israel.

Salam Fayyad pleads for new elections, unity

Outgoing PA prime minister, in farewell address, says new vote would heal the rift between the West Bank and Gaza Strip

The Jordanian-Palestinian confederation

The equation that is emerging following Obama's visit is a return to the pre-1967 borders[sic]: Egypt gets the Gaza Strip, Jordan gets the West Bank. Abdullah is safeguarding the Palestinian nationalistic claim to Jerusalem. The current process gives the Palestinians, including in Jerusalem, space to flex their sovereignty, a privilege that derives from the Palestinian right to self-determination. King Abdullah's brave vision is betting, it seems, on the Palestinians at the expense of his previous supporters. It appears that, along with Israel and the U.S., the king is forming a Palestinian-Jordanian confederation to pre-emptively strike against the radical Islamist threat.

Gantz: Coordination with Egypt Has Gotten Better

The security coordination between Israel and Egypt has not only continued despite the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power but has even gotten better, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said on Tuesday.

Greek Jews protest TV airtime for neo-Nazi lawmakers
Recent polls indicate Golden Dawn now has 14-18% of the population’s support

The program also was condemned by the prominent Union of Athens Daily Press Journalists, and social activists have launched a social media campaign calling for a boycott of the products sold by companies that sponsor shows in which Golden Dawn members appear.

Council of Europe: Greece could ban Golden Dawn

The Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights said Tuesday that Greece has the legal right to ban the far-right Golden Dawn party, the first time an international rights organization has raised the prospect of a ban.

They love the Merkava, in Moldova

Aviel Krutinsky made aliya from Moldova in September and now lives in Eilat. Back home last year, he and his bandmates, Eugen Scobioala and Dumitru Demciuc — their band’s name is Iron Dome, for the Israeli rocket interception system — recorded their first single. It’s about an Israeli tank Krutinsky fell in love with last year.

Our man in Beirut: The remarkable story of Isaac Shushan

At the moment of Israel’s creation 65 years ago, Isaac was a Jewish refugee from an Arab country who was in a different Arab country pretending to be an Arab refugee from a Jewish country. The multiplicity of lost homes and the layers of displacement in his story contain something essential about the country he helped found — a home for homeless people — and about the wars and loss among Jews and Arabs that have been part of its existence since then. Between the lines of his account, one can also discern the idea that perhaps the easy division between Jews and Arabs might not be as firm as we tend to think.

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Miftah keeps showing its commitment to "open dialogue" - with censorship

Yesterday I noted that a number of people politely asked Miftah on Facebook to explain how they could justify not apologizing in Arabic for their blood libel article.

Since then, Miftah deleted every single post on that thread, except for one that simply says "peace and harmony."

Most Orwellian is that Miftah's statement that people were commenting on states "Comments, including constructive criticism, are welcome on this page."

As you can see from my post, there is no way that most of those comments constitute "hate language and slander."

So I added my own comment:

At this moment, Miftah still has both English and Arabic articles on its website that justifies the publication of the blood libel article (and attacks me, incidentally, for noticing it.) The post says that the original blood libel article simply "fulfill[s] its mandate for open dialogue" and that you removed it simply to avoid "misunderstanding." Do you still stand by that statement?

Within an hour, this comment was deleted as well! And I was banned from commenting further. which is apparently what happened with the others that commented.

It's almost as if they act in ways completely at odds with what they say.

But a respected NGO that receives hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple Western sources would never act that way, would they? I mean, they say they are transparent, that they have high ethical standards and that they are interested in respectful dialogue, so they must really mean it, right?

Really, it is past time for some reporter to get an interview with their spokesperson, and with their donors who have not responded to email queries. If Miftah thinks this is going to go away, they are very, very mistaken.

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Egyptian cleric says Boston terror attack seems a "message" to the West

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian Salafi cleric Sheik Murgan Salem, which aired on Tahrir TV on April 16, 2013:

Interviewer: Today, we will be talking about the Boston bombings, which took place yesterday, during the marathon. There were casualties. People were wounded and killed. What is your analysis of what happened?

Murgan Salem: In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Obviously, I do not know who carried out that operation, but if it was done by the mujahideen, it serves as a message to America and the West: We are still alive. Contrary to what you say, we have not died. The [Americans] wanted to send a message to the entire world that they had finished off the mujahideen – not just the mujahideen of Al-Qaeda, but the mujahideen all over the world. I do not know who carried out this attack, but if it was indeed the mujahideen, it was meant as a clear message to America and to the West.
Interviewer: But do you think that this could have been an Al-Qaeda operation?
Murgan Salem: No. this was not up to the standards of Al-Qeda. It was extremely amateurish. The standards of Al-Qaeda are much higher. By the way, I was not a member of the Al-Qaeda organization. But I knew all the people who belonged to it.
Interviewer: You were close to Sheik Osama and Dr. Ayman…
Murgan Salem: We were like one family. I am happy and proud to have been a friend of these brothers, but I cannot claim to have had the honor of being an Al-Qaeda member. The standards and techniques of Al-Qaeda are much higher. From what I saw on the news, this was the work of amateurs. I do not know who did it, but they have managed to get the message across: We can reach you whenever and wherever we want.
[…]
Over the past 30 years, there has been a qualitative leap in the war with America. American is waging a war in our countries, and we are the ones who reap its fruits. Those courageous heroes have shifted the battle over to America’s own turf.

I do not rule out the possibility that this was carried out by people born in the U.S. I do exclude the possibility that it was done by the Al-Qaeda organization. This is not the work of Osama Bin Laden or Ayman Al-Zawahiri. I think it was done by people resentful of the policy and arrogance of America and Europe. It is not just America.

The Americans have passed their arrogance over to France. France, which led the first Crusade, is now leading the war against Islam and the Muslims. They must taste the bitter retribution for their deeds. This is not a threat, but a warning of what might happen to them.

Interviewer: To America and the West?
Murgan Salem: To France in particular, and to America and the entire West.
Interviewer: Why?
Murgan Salem: Because the [French] are leading the war against us. What brought France to Mali? Or America to Afghanistan and Iraq? Why don’t they let our nation be? Have we ever interfered in their affairs?
[…]
France has accepted the banner of arrogance and enmity to Islam, so it will taste what it deserves. I cannot be held responsible for over one million [Muslims] in the West, who were harmed by French and American policy. More than one million [Muslims] were born in the West. I cannot be held responsible for them. I do not know what they may do. The [Westerners] are facing a deluge, and they will be destroyed.
Interviewer: Destroyed?
Murgan Salem: There is no doubt about it. The U.S. has completely collapsed, even if they are not hurrying to admit it. The American debt has reached how many trillions of dollars? They have a huge debt. Now poverty is spreading throughout America.
[…]
We say to the Western peoples: Force your stupid governments to refrain from supporting the tyrants. France’s intervention in Mali will not go unanswered. I don’t think it will. I do not have any specific information, but I am sure it will not go unanswered – just like their intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan did not go unanswered. They will suffer catastrophes for this.
[…]
With the utmost stupidity, France has accepted the banner of enmity [to Islam] – from the days of Sarkozy to Hollande. This stupidity will bring catastrophes upon them, just like it did upon America. Although I am not from Al-Qaeda, I can say, as someone who has known these people, that the path of Al-Qaeda is the path of the Koran, which calls upon [Muslims] to wage Jihad against infidels who attack them and intervene in their affairs. This is the path of Islam and the Koran, and not something invented by Osama Bin Laden.

No, it was not invented by Osama or Ayman. It was sent down by Allah, and anyone who thinks he can defeat this path is delusional.

[…]
Interviewer: Who do you consider to be an infidel?
Murgan Salem: Anyone who does not accept Islam. They are either original infidels, like the Jews and Christians, or apostates, like the secularists, liberals, Communists, or socialists. Whoever does not accept Islam is an infidel. Allah said so, not me.

I don't see much daylight between "if it was done by the mujahideen, it serves as a message to America and the West" and " "Though no one knows author of Boston Marathon attack, if it was Islamists did we think we could kill Muslims with impunity without a response?"

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Quiz: Who has banned fishing off Gaza's coast?

Hint: It isn't Israel.

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas security forces in Gaza have banned fishermen from working since Monday, a human rights center said Wednesday.

Naval security forces in the coastal territory imposed a ban on fishing at 5 a.m. on Monday for "security reasons," according to Al-Mezan center for human rights.

Mahfouz al-Kabariti, chairman of the Palestinian Association for Fishing and Marine Sports, told Ma'an that fishermen were notified about the decision.

Palestinian sources in Gaza told Ma'an that it is likely the ban was imposed after three prisoners escaped from jail on Monday.

Israel has limited how far out Gaza boats can go, but to my knowledge they have never banned fishing altogether. Only Hamas has.

When will we see the tearjerking articles in the media about how Gazans are dependent on fishing for their food and how Hamas is starving them? When will we hear Human Rights Watch call this "collective punishment"?

Ha!

It is also noteworthy that this information came from a Gaza NGO, not from one of the many reporters in Gaza who work for Western news agencies. Why is that? There's a story there about how reporting is done in Gaza, but we will never hear it...because the people complicit in hiding stories from Gaza are the reporters in Gaza.

Moreover, note that the possible reason for the ban implies that people can sneak into and out of Gaza via boat. If so, Hamas' "security reasons" for the ban is far less compelling than Israel's security reasons to limit the zone where boats can sail.

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The twisted mind of Richard Silverstein

Israellycool and Legal Insurrection  noticed this tweet, written by Richard Silverstein, showing the bizarre way that "progressive" Israel-haters' minds work:

Yes, Dickie wants to pre-emptively justify a (possibly) Islamist terror attack!

This must be his way of "repairing the world."

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A loving mother greets her son after 27 years in prison (photos)

Last week, Israel released Islamic Jihad terrorist Ibrahim Baroud after he completed his 27 year prison sentence.

It was a touching scene as he saw his loving mother...

...and as he greeted his old friends.

Love is all around! It's just disguised as submachine guns.

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Poor Ali Abunimah, upset at Anonymous

Ali Abunimah, of Electronic Intifada, is upset with "Anonymous":

M. arrived at work last Friday morning in a city in the north of present-day Israel. As she walked in, one of her colleagues approached her with a look of concern and asked her to step outside. “Your name is on a list of Mossad agents,” M. recalls the colleague saying.

“ ‘Then congratulate me,’ I said, thinking this was all a strange joke,” M. recalls responding.

But then M. found that many other people at her workplace were talking about a list, a file obtained by hackers and circulated on social media purporting to contain the names of agents of Israel’s notorious spy and assassination agency Mossad.

The vast majority of names of the list are Hebrew names of Israelis.

“I looked at the list, it had my name on it, my ID number and other details. By the end of the day everyone knew about it and was talking about it.”

M., however, is a Palestinian, a citizen of Israel, with an Arabic name – although like all the other names on the list her name was written in the Hebrew alphabet. She was stunned.

The false accusation or suspicion of being an Israeli agent can be absolutely devastating for any Palestinian.

...It is clear that circulating this list was not harmless. It does real damage to real people like M. and the people she knows, Palestinian citizens of Israel, who are guilty of no greater crime than doing what many of us do with little thought every day: buying something online, or perhaps, filling in a form to get a coupon.

Now, you can look at the last paragraph and think that Abunimah is saying that hacking the personal information of Israeli Jews - credit cards, email and home addresses - is admirable, and only hacking the Israeli Arab information is reprehensible.

Which would be textbook anti-semitic.

But it is possible that the reason that he is upset over only the Arab names revealed by the low-level Anonymous hack is because only the Arabs on the list are in real danger.

From certain people who would consider anyone who "collaborates" with Israel to be deserving of death.

Who might those potential murderers be?

Hmmmm.

Abunimah apparently doesn't have a problem with the Arabs who target other Arabs for being "collaborators." He seems to fully support that.

 He is only upset at people who leak information that could lead Arabs to mistakenly target other Arabs for being "collaborators." That would be awful!

It would really be a shame if Abunimah, one of Mossad's best agents, were to be exposed....Oops!

(h/t WarpedMirrorPMB)

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"Don't jump to conclusions that Muslims did it! Only Jews push that lie!" (updated)

The Media Review Network is a South African news watchdog organization that looks for anything degrading to Islam in the media.

The aspiration of the Media Review Network is to dispel the myths and stereotypes about Islam and Muslims and to foster bridges of understanding among the diverse people of our country.

Their press release in the wake of the Boston terror attack is classic:

The Media Review Network deplores bombings in Boston and expresses our shock and outrage that untested allegations blaming "Islamists" have emerged without any shred of evidence.

We find it equally reprehensible that a number of mainstream Western media have resorted to blame-games seeking to pin the atrocity on Muslims.

The method used is entirely disingenuous for by using so-called "terror experts" to profile perpetrators, it invariably results in raising suspicion against Muslims, thereby fuelling Islamophobia.

The Media Review Network cautions media to be more responsible in its coverage rather than the gung-ho style that reinforces racist stereotypes.

That's fine; they are doing their job in making sure that no one jumps to conclusions.

But then they sort of go against their credo to "foster bridges of understanding:"

We also urge media to be mindful of the possibility of a deliberate orchestrated campaign by any number of right-wing groups possibly allied to Israel.

Israel's secret service and intelligence agencies are known to possess a huge foot print within many right-wing circles primarily devoted to a campaign of vilification of Islam and Muslims.

Immediately after (rightly) complaining that the media shouldn't jump to conclusions, the MRN then tells the media to consider that any evidence that does implicate Muslims are a Jewish (sorry, Zionist) conspiracy!

I'm surprised they didn't also ask the media to "consider" that the Boston bombing was a false flag Mossad operation. You know that is what they want people to think.

The rest of the press release is meant to say that the real victims in the world are always Muslim:

The Boston tragedy reflects pain and suffering that unfortunately has become a routine experience of many innocents in areas such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Palestine resulting from aggressive military terror by the United States and Israel.

(sorry, forgot who sent this to me)

UPDATE: MRN also seems to be into Holocaust denial, 9/11 revisionism, and other interesting theories.

UPDATE 2: Israel Muse looked at a whole bunch of MRN lies a while back.

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Tuesday Links Part 2

From Ian:

---

As Israelis Mourn, Jordanians Glorify by Alan M. Dershowitz

As Israelis mourn the 23,000 soldiers and defense personnel who have been killed in the course of defending the Jewish state against aggression and terrorism, Jordanian leaders (not including the king, at least thus far) are making a hero out of a Jordanian soldier who murdered 7 Israeli school girls and wounded 6 others during a peace program in 1997. Ahmed Daqamseh, who expressed pride in his mass murder, was convicted of these crimes but spared the death penalty, despite the fact that Jordan executes large numbers of criminals for relatively trivial offenses.

Israel can strike Iran nuclear targets alone, IDF head says

Gantz told Israel Radio that Israel had the capabilities to strike Iranian nuclear targets on its own if no country came to its aid, and that intense, thorough discussions between the military and political leadership on the matter were ongoing.
“The Iranian challenge is very significant and we must approach it with a responsible long-term strategy. We will do what is necessary when it is necessary,” Gantz said, adding that Israel was following nuclear developments in Iran closely.

Iranian Official Repeats Threat to Raze Haifa and Tel Aviv

He played down statements by the U.S. and Israel that all options are on the table in dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat, and said such statements signify their passive stance.
Last month, Khamenei said that Iran will "annihilate" the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if it comes under attack by the Jewish state.

Ahmadinejad: 'We Don't Need Atomic Bomb'

"We don't need an atomic bomb. ... And besides, it is not atomic bombs that threaten the world, but Western morals and culture declining in values."
Iran continues to deny Western allegations that it is covertly developing the capacity to produce a nuclear bomb, claiming instead that its program is for energy and medical purposes.

Korea, Iran, and the Dual-Loyalty Myth

Yet no one of any significance is accusing Korean Americans of putting the interests of South Korea above those of the U.S. A Korean equivalent to the pack of lies contained in the book The Israel Lobby, by academics John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, has yet to be written, let alone make the New York Times bestseller list.

Glenn Greenwald and Israel’s booming anti-Zionism tourism trade

While it’s impossible to know how many of the record 3.5 millions tourists who visited Israel in 2012 (who brought $4.6 billion into the Israeli economy) were anti-Zionist activists, it seems that, contrary to Greenwald’s claims, foreign travelers who are “critical of Israeli actions” or “supportive of Palestinian rights” don’t have too hard of a time gaining entry into the state.
If there is a concerted effort by Israeli authorities to bar anti-Zionist activists from entering the country, they’re obviously doing a very poor job.

Israeli Start Up is Securing the High Seas (VIDEO)

Ami Daniel is CEO and co-founder of Windward Maritime Solutions, an Israeli start up that combines satellite imagery with intelligence data to predict where potentially dangerous ships might strike.
“Most governmental intelligence agencies, as well as business intelligence organizations, act on information they have,” wrote Daniel in a recent issue of Common Defense Quarterly.

"Bloomberg" Shekel strongest currency in first quarter

"Bloomberg" reported yesterday the shekel had the best performance of the 31 currencies monitored during the first quarter of 2013, because of Israel's stable growth and in anticipation of gas flow from the Tamar field, which is expected to have a favorable impact on the Israeli government deficit.

Sun power to purify polluted water

Thousands of years ago, sailors would spread seawater in flat beds aboard ship to let the sun evaporate it to separate out the salt. The same principle is behind a modern Israeli technology that relies on sun power to distill clean water for drinking and agriculture.
“About 97 percent of the world’s water is saltwater or polluted water,” says Shimmy Zimels, CEO of Jerusalem-based SunDwater. That is why some 750 million people in 45 countries need to drill expensive wells, buy bottled water or even use contaminated water despite the huge health risks.

Stand With Us: Stand Together For Israel

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"Shut up," Miftah explains (updated)

As I have been reporting, the Miftah NGO published an article in Arabic - on Passover - saying that Jews drink Christian blood on that holiday.

First, Miftah silently removed it.

Then they claimed (in English and Arabic) that my revelation of the article was a "smear campaign" and defended the article as part of robust debate, but explaining that they took it down because it might be  "misunderstood."

Then as they saw their donors and other prominent organizations questioning their decision to defend the article and they issued an apology, but only in English.  Their Arabic-speaking readers never saw the apology, although they still see their attack on me.

Now, look how they respond to people asking about this:

From the Miftah Facebook page, in response to some strident questions about the episode:

MIFTAH · 1,094 like this

7 hours ago · 

• Dear Friends,
  Comments, including constructive criticism, are welcome on this page. However, we will not tolerate hate language or slander. These comments will be removed. Thank you.

  
  

  • 

    Gad Grunwald You claim in your mission to want "an active and in-depth dialogue, the free flow of information and ideas" if so, may i ask why your apology from 1 April wasn't posted in your Arabic website (onlly posted in English). The antisemitic article of Al Zaru’s was on your Arabic website. It seems your apology is just for your English public whom never read the article, and the Arabs whom have read it have no idea that Miftah doesn''t support the Jewish blood libel during Passover.

    
    
  • 

    MIFTAH Once again, MIFTAH does not need to explain itself any further on this subject. Any further comments on this subject will be removed.

    
    

This is Miftah's idea of an "active and in-depth dialogue!"

UPDATE: Gad's comment was indeed removed. That was followed with:

• Sol Robinson I kinda feel like in fact you DO need to explain yourself further. Why was there no arabic language apology? Why when it was pointed out that you had in fact published antisemitic literature was your response to call the pointing out of said publishing a "smear campaign?" Why was it possible for this to get published in the first place? I would appreciate an answer.

  37 minutes ago
• 

  MIFTAH MIFTAH offered an answer to its readers. It was not an article published by the organization's writers and it was taken down when the mistake was realized.

  33 minutes ago
• 

  Omri Schwarz Why was the apology only written in English?

  15 minutes ago
  
  
  

  • Gad Grunwald why was my comment removed ? Or are you making a point that MIFTAH stands for "active and in-depth dialogue, the free flow of information and ideas"

    1 · 21 minutes ago · Edited
  • 

    Jonathan Simon I believe what people would like to see is an Arabic-language apology for the blood libel along with an explanation for the Arabic audience about the history of the Passover blood libel and how it is a hateful lie. It would have to amount to a complete denunciation of the message posted. Anything short of this will be inadequate. Who wrote the article does not matter. That MIFTAH was the mouthpiece for it does matter.

    3 · 23 minutes ago

Someone needs to keep track of the comments Miftah is deleting.

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