Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
Terrorism
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
anti-semitism
From the Special Tribunal of Lebanon webpage:
Lebanese paper As-Safir digs up a much more shocking image of Mundis with his family:
Oh. My. Allah.
He's a...a..a....Jew! His wife and kids are, too!
Assafir digs deep, finding that Mundis' wife Deborah's maiden name is Leipziger and she had written for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, has written a book of poetry, is an expert on corporate ethics and is a member of Hadassah. She is, as Assafir notes, "no ordinary woman."
Their daughter Natasha had her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Sinai - which promotes trips to Israel!
The registrar works in financial and administrative issues, as well as protecting witnesses and media relations. The job has nothing to do with actually judging anyone. But Assafir is demanding that Mundis has a conflict of interest because the primary target of STL's prosecution is Hizballah, and it is very, very, very concerned that the objectivity of the proceedings will be compromised by having such a person working for them.
The overall impression I get is that Assafir feels more threatened from Deborah's accomplishments than Daryl's assumed lack of objectivity.
I have to admit, though, the mental picture of an Arab Jew-hating journalist poring over old Temple Sinai bulletins and Hadassah newsletters looking for dirt is hilarious.
Daryl A. Mundis was sworn in today as Registrar for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He was sworn in by the STL President Sir David Baragwanath in accordance with Rule 45 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.
Mundis is well acquainted with the overall functioning of international tribunals, having worked closely with the Registry. He was appointed Deputy Registrar on 14 January 2013 and became Acting Registrar on 18 April 2013. He has more than 15 years of experience in international criminal law and has served in the Chambers and Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Lebanese paper As-Safir digs up a much more shocking image of Mundis with his family:
Oh. My. Allah.
He's a...a..a....Jew! His wife and kids are, too!
Assafir digs deep, finding that Mundis' wife Deborah's maiden name is Leipziger and she had written for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, has written a book of poetry, is an expert on corporate ethics and is a member of Hadassah. She is, as Assafir notes, "no ordinary woman."
Their daughter Natasha had her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Sinai - which promotes trips to Israel!
The registrar works in financial and administrative issues, as well as protecting witnesses and media relations. The job has nothing to do with actually judging anyone. But Assafir is demanding that Mundis has a conflict of interest because the primary target of STL's prosecution is Hizballah, and it is very, very, very concerned that the objectivity of the proceedings will be compromised by having such a person working for them.
The overall impression I get is that Assafir feels more threatened from Deborah's accomplishments than Daryl's assumed lack of objectivity.
I have to admit, though, the mental picture of an Arab Jew-hating journalist poring over old Temple Sinai bulletins and Hadassah newsletters looking for dirt is hilarious.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
anti-semitism, Egypt
El Balad reports that a group called "Sons of Mubarak" will demonstrate their support for the deposed dictator in front of a police academy in Egypt during the next phase of his trial.
Only one reason is given for the rally.
Hassan Ghandour, spokesman on behalf of the "Sons of Mubarak," explained that all Egyptians are indebted to Mubarak because "he is the last remaining Muslim leader who had humiliated the Jews."
Only one reason is given for the rally.
Hassan Ghandour, spokesman on behalf of the "Sons of Mubarak," explained that all Egyptians are indebted to Mubarak because "he is the last remaining Muslim leader who had humiliated the Jews."
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
Abbas liar, Terrorism
Every single person released from prison by Israel on Tuesday was involved in murder.
Some went out to kill any Jew that would pass by; others targeted specific civilians. One killed a Holocaust survivor. Another killed an 84 year old man with an axe. Yet another targeted a 51 year old woman in the car where she would give rides to Arab workers.
These people are beneath contempt.
To Israel's "peace partner" Mahmoud Abbas, and to his people, they are heroes.
The idea of any sort of agreement with these people openly celebrating murderers is nauseating.
(If someone knows the names of the people in these photos with Abbas, please let me know.)
Some went out to kill any Jew that would pass by; others targeted specific civilians. One killed a Holocaust survivor. Another killed an 84 year old man with an axe. Yet another targeted a 51 year old woman in the car where she would give rides to Arab workers.
These people are beneath contempt.
To Israel's "peace partner" Mahmoud Abbas, and to his people, they are heroes.
The idea of any sort of agreement with these people openly celebrating murderers is nauseating.
(If someone knows the names of the people in these photos with Abbas, please let me know.)
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
Elder gets results
In July there were reports in Israeli media saying that Dutch supermarkets were boycotting Israeli settlement goods. I showed that they in fact were not boycotting anything.
Presspectiva, CAMERA's Hebrew watchdog site, picked up on my article and contacted the Israeli newspapers that reported it.
So far, The Marker and Ha'aretz (which copied The Marker's coverage) have corrected their stories.
(h/t Gidon S)
Presspectiva, CAMERA's Hebrew watchdog site, picked up on my article and contacted the Israeli newspapers that reported it.
So far, The Marker and Ha'aretz (which copied The Marker's coverage) have corrected their stories.
(h/t Gidon S)
From Ian:
New pro-Israel Arab party says EU boycott counterproductive
MEMRI: Criticism In Saudi Arabia: Placing Hizbullah's Military Wing On Terror List Is Not Enough
New pro-Israel Arab party says EU boycott counterproductive
Bishara Shlayan, an Israeli Christian Arab from Nazareth who is creating a new Arab political party, said that the EU boycott of Israeli businesses and institutions operating in the West Bank is counterproductive, since it mainly harms Arabs living there.Meeting with German FM, Netanyahu raps new EU rules
“The boycott is a big mistake – it is the livelihood for many, mainly Arabs in the West Bank,” Shlayan told The Jerusalem Post, adding that the absence of Israeli businesses will create more violence, as more Arabs will be left with no way to put food on their tables.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the European Union’s new anti-settlement directives Monday in a meeting with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who was on an official visit to Israel.You Only Live Twice By Michel Gurfinkiel
“Germany is a friend of Israel,” said Netanyahu. “We both want the same thing — to achieve peace. We’re committed to peace and we’re working for peace. I have to say, on a sad note, that I think Europe — the European guidelines by the EU — have actually undermined peace.”
“They’ve hardened Palestinian positions, they seek an unrealistic end that everybody knows is not going to happen, and I think they stand in the way of reaching a solution which will only be reached by negotiations by the parties, and not by an external diktat,” the prime minister continued.
Can it really be that European Jewry was reborn after the Holocaust only in order to die again? Can it be that, even as Jews, you only live twice? History, of course, is unpredictable except in retrospect. But it would be irresponsible in the extreme to brush off the possibility of demise; “unthinkable” is no longer a word in the Jewish vocabulary. The sober assessment of Robert Wistrich, the instincts of Samuel Sandler and so many other European Jews—these rest on firm foundations. The expiration date looms nearer, however slowly and by whatever intermediate stages it may finally arrive.Grounds for Hope? By Daniel Johnson
A mitigating view of today’s situation might have it that, at the very least, divine providence did beneficently afford to about two million European Jews a brief golden age, a true rebirth, which in turn brought fresh luster to European civilization as well as encouragement and inspiration to millions of their fellow Jews around the world, most especially in the Jewish state. True enough; but what is no less certain is that the end of European Jewry, a millennia-old civilization and a crowning achievement of the human spirit, will deliver a lasting blow to the collective psyche of the Jewish people. That it will also render a shattering judgment on the so-called European idea, exposed as a deadly travesty for anyone with eyes to see, is cold comfort indeed.
Gurfinkiel’s nightmare scenario is certainly possible. Entire regions where Jews had lived for thousands of years have witnessed mass expulsions and emigrations: think of North Africa, the Middle East (apart from Israel), or the former Soviet Union. But for Europe to revert to the pattern of the mid-20th century in its treatment of the Jewish people would imply the abandonment of Western civilization. This outcome is eminently preventable if European leaders make it clear to Muslims that while they and their religion are welcome, shariah law and Islamist supremacism are not.Why American Leaks Help Israel’s Enemies
Officially, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied these strikes, apparently in order to avoid placing the Assad regime in a position where it feels it must retaliate.Likud MK Asks Museum to Nix Ultra-Leftist Event
Indeed, plausible deniability, and a wish to avoid opening a second front in the midst of a civil war, have allowed Assad to ignore the alleged strikes, with the exception of isolated border incidents and a threat to retaliate against future strikes.
Yet, some in the United States seem not to share Jerusalem’s reported desire to keep the strikes low profile, and have gone on record to leak details of the incidents. Such leaks cannot be good for Israel, whether the sources intended to cause harm or not.
"It is obvious that this is a radical post-Zionist organization that is in the margins of Israeli society,” Israel Hayom quotes MK Akunis as saying. “This is a low provocation. If they had looked into the history of the place they would have found that Tel Kasila was the location of an ancient Jewish community, even before Sheikh Munis, and then this silly NGO could have saved itself and us this provocative gathering.”Popular Arab Facebook Page Pillories ‘Zionists’ for Allowing Jewish Child to Drink From Temple Mount Water Fountain
A status update posted Sunday on the popular Arabic “Damascus Gate Now” Facebook page shows a close-up of a Jewish child drinking from a water fountain atop the Temple Mount, with accompanying text attacking the child, accusing him of acting with “audacity and boldness,” as a “thief” stealing water from the mosque.IDF Blog: Tea Time With Hezbollah
The page, which boasts a cool 127,000 ”likes,” writes: “After the departure of Ramadan…in poured the Zionists,” adding, “the thief steals from our mosque to drink.”
MEMRI: Criticism In Saudi Arabia: Placing Hizbullah's Military Wing On Terror List Is Not Enough
Following the E.U. decision to place Hizbullah's military wing on the list of terror organizations, articles appeared in the Saudi press that criticized the E.U. for making a distinction between Hizbullah's military and political wings. The articles claimed that the distinction is groundless, since the organization's two arms are similar and since the military one is in fact subordinate to the political one; hence, the E.U.'s decision is hypocritical and is an insult to the public's intelligence. The articles claimed further that the decision would not prevent Hizbullah from continuing its present activities and posing a threat to Syria, Lebanon and other Arab countries. One article praised the decision as a good start but argued that it is not sufficient.The UPS Store collaborates with Israeli 3D printing systems
Israeli-American Stratasys, the leader in 3D printing and production systems, recently announced that it has been selected by The UPS Store to provide 3D printers in its test program for retail 3D printing services.A no-fuss, no-muss aid for obesity
UPS will install six Stratasys uPrint SE Plus 3D printers in the test program.
“3D printing technology is becoming increasingly accessible to a growing number of companies and consumers. Small businesses are beginning to realize how this revolutionary technology can help them to be more competitive,” said Stratasys Executive Vice President, Jon Cobb.
That obesity has become a major health problem is no secret; according to the World Health Organization, a staggering 35% of the world’s population is clinically obese (body mass index of 30 or more), with the US near the top of the list of obese nations.Who’s there? NokNok offers free cellphone calls worldwide
For health professionals, it’s a nightmare — but for entrepreneurs who can come up with a way to reduce obesity rates, it’s a major market opportunity.
According to Yaakov Nahmias, the director of The Hebrew University’s Center for Bioengineering, the MetaboShield, a gastric sleeve that is inserted into the intestine endoscopically (via the throat), could be the next big thing in heavy-duty weight loss. Researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, along with colleagues at Hadassah Hospital, have developed the first system that can dramatically help obese people get the pounds off, and keep them off, without surgery.
One blessed offspring of the telephony revolution — the marrying of voice calls to Internet technology — is the shattering of the phone monopolies. There are now a thousand and one ways to make phone calls and avoid high long distance and even local costs.Israel Hosts Global Conference to Promote Women’s Rights Attendees learned about Israel’s success promoting women’s rights.
That being the case, Israel’s NokNok may not seem like a big deal at first glance. But it has a big advantage over other apps that do some of the same things it does: With NokNok, you get to use your own phone number for all calls, local and long-distance, but you still get the low costs associated with IP telephony. Not only that; the company has a plan to democratize Internet access for everyone by making it cheap.
Rilwan Raji, a Nigerian doctor, emphasized that Israel “is an inspiration” with regard to women’s rights, noting that he is consistently impressed by women serving in high level positions in the IDF, the Knesset, and Israel’s foreign service. “Basically, the most important thing is how women are integrated into the political system, for the more women are in politics, the better will be the plight of the girl child. For me, it’s unbelievable that Israel has so much to offer despite the conflict. It shows that the security situation is not an excuse for lack of development,” he said. He claimed that Nigeria frequently uses the existence of the Boko Haram Islamist terror group, which attacks schools, healthcare clinics and churches, as a pretext for lack of development.Scenes emerge from lost Jerry Lewis Holocaust film
Jewish comedian Jerry Lewis promised that no one would ever see his self-described “bad, bad, bad” Holocaust film, “The Day the Clown Cried.”
Now, the 87-year-old’s lost movie has emerged for viewing, at least partially.
A little over seven minutes of the film and behind-the-scenes clips, from a Flemish documentary, were uploaded onto YouTube on Saturday. The footage, which originally appeared on a Flemish website in 2012, has garnered almost 150,00 hits in two days.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
Palestine Today, an organ of Islamic Jihad, has been a surprisingly good source for accurate news (that doesn't involve Islamic Jihad.)
They published a set of supposed guidelines for the "peace" talks starting this week, and they don't sound like someone's idea of misinformation.
So here they are, as best as I can translate them, and you can make up your own minds:
It is expected that negotiations will take 6-9 months and will be based on the following guidelines:
1) Bilateral talks without any preconditions but following the guidelines listed here.
2) Jordan will participate in meetings relating to refugees, Jerusalem and borders where necessary.
3) "The security barrier will establish a security border for the Jewish state and a permanent border for the Palestinian state, subject to change by mutual agreement" (h/t Ali) Not sure what this means unless they are saying that Israel's borders will not go beyond the Green Line, which is strange if there is a land swap.
4) Land swaps of roughly 8-10% of the territory of the West Bank
5) Israel freezes construction on some outposts, but not on existing settlement blocs including Maaleh Adumim, Har Homa, Gilo, Neve Yaakov, Ramat Shlomo, Kiryat Arba, and some others with large populations
6) Residents in the "frozen" settlements will be given the choice of citizenship at the conclusion of the process
7) At the end of the negotiations it will be announced that the conflict is over and there will be full normalization of relations between Israel and all Arab countries announced at an Arab League meeting; Israel recognizing Palestine within the borders mentioned above and Palestinian recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people
8) At the end of negotiations some Palestinian families will be allowed to re-unite in the WB and Gaza; others will get he right of compensation or immigration to Arab countries, especially Gulf countries, with them being naturalized in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar; not sure about the source of the compensation
9) Jerusalem will be placed under joint international/Palestinian/Israel/Jordanian rule for ten years with Israelis having the choice as to their nationality
10) I think that outstanding issues on specific land issues as well as citizenship issues both within the area and in Gulf countries will be pushed off to committees to speak about in coming years.
Also some details on prisoner releases , Palestinian elections, when the details of the agreement would be made public.
It sounds like this document might have been sent to Moscow by Abbas for consultations, and it might have been leaked that way.
Arabic readers can correct whatever I got wrong, or fill in any blanks for me.
UPDATE: Ali helps with #3.
They published a set of supposed guidelines for the "peace" talks starting this week, and they don't sound like someone's idea of misinformation.
So here they are, as best as I can translate them, and you can make up your own minds:
It is expected that negotiations will take 6-9 months and will be based on the following guidelines:
1) Bilateral talks without any preconditions but following the guidelines listed here.
2) Jordan will participate in meetings relating to refugees, Jerusalem and borders where necessary.
3) "The security barrier will establish a security border for the Jewish state and a permanent border for the Palestinian state, subject to change by mutual agreement" (h/t Ali) Not sure what this means unless they are saying that Israel's borders will not go beyond the Green Line, which is strange if there is a land swap.
4) Land swaps of roughly 8-10% of the territory of the West Bank
5) Israel freezes construction on some outposts, but not on existing settlement blocs including Maaleh Adumim, Har Homa, Gilo, Neve Yaakov, Ramat Shlomo, Kiryat Arba, and some others with large populations
6) Residents in the "frozen" settlements will be given the choice of citizenship at the conclusion of the process
7) At the end of the negotiations it will be announced that the conflict is over and there will be full normalization of relations between Israel and all Arab countries announced at an Arab League meeting; Israel recognizing Palestine within the borders mentioned above and Palestinian recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people
8) At the end of negotiations some Palestinian families will be allowed to re-unite in the WB and Gaza; others will get he right of compensation or immigration to Arab countries, especially Gulf countries, with them being naturalized in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar; not sure about the source of the compensation
9) Jerusalem will be placed under joint international/Palestinian/Israel/Jordanian rule for ten years with Israelis having the choice as to their nationality
10) I think that outstanding issues on specific land issues as well as citizenship issues both within the area and in Gulf countries will be pushed off to committees to speak about in coming years.
Also some details on prisoner releases , Palestinian elections, when the details of the agreement would be made public.
It sounds like this document might have been sent to Moscow by Abbas for consultations, and it might have been leaked that way.
Arabic readers can correct whatever I got wrong, or fill in any blanks for me.
UPDATE: Ali helps with #3.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
To the West, Arab states and Palestinian Arabs love to pretend that they are united and love each other.
This cartoon shows otherwise:
The figure on the left is a famous symbol of Palestinian Arabs by cartoonist Naji al-Ali who died in 1987. I don't know if this is an old cartoon of his or a more recent one using his character.
Either way, it is a powerful indictment of Arab hate towards their Palestinian "brethren."
I found it on the Facebook page of the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 9 more Palestinian Arabs were killed in Syria last week (during Eid) and no one really cared.
(h/t Ibn Boutros)
This cartoon shows otherwise:
The figure on the left is a famous symbol of Palestinian Arabs by cartoonist Naji al-Ali who died in 1987. I don't know if this is an old cartoon of his or a more recent one using his character.
Either way, it is a powerful indictment of Arab hate towards their Palestinian "brethren."
I found it on the Facebook page of the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 9 more Palestinian Arabs were killed in Syria last week (during Eid) and no one really cared.
(h/t Ibn Boutros)
From Ian:
Winning the Peace
X-ray technician at Western Galilee Hospital tells story of 12 year old Syrian patient at ICU, Shin Bet and more.
Winning the Peace
Israel has been engaged in a long drawn out struggle for the moral high ground. The moral high ground is to the modern Israel what the land of Israel was to their pioneer ancestors who drained swamps, built roads and shot bandits; some of whom were later discovered to be the oppressed peoples of the region, fresh from Syria or Jordan, and protesting the settlements built on that stretch of swamp that had been set aside in their revisionist history as belonging to their great-grandparents, complete with oversized house keys to some of the choicer logs in the swamp.Israel’s Neighbors Don’t Want Peace
Sadly the only way to win the moral high ground is by losing. Just look at the massive Arab armies who repeatedly invaded Israel, did their best to overwhelm it with the best Soviet iron that the frozen factories of the Ural could turn out, and lost the bid to drive the Jews into the sea, but won the moral high ground. Then their terrorist catspaws spent decades winning the moral high ground by hijacking airplanes full of civilians, murdering Olympic athletes and pushing old men in wheelchairs from the decks of cruise ships.
The 2013 Middle East — which is increasingly dominated by the 14-century intra-Muslim chaos, uncertainty, shifty policies and horrific intolerance — is incompatible with a 9- to 15-mile width of Israel, as espoused by the well-intentioned U.S. administration.Building blocs
The 2013 Middle East highlights the tenuous nature of Arab regimes, policies and agreements and the absence of intra-Arab comprehensive peace. However, Israel is pressured to ignore the nature of its Middle East neighborhood and retreat from the tangible mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria — which constitute its cradle of history and tower over Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and 80 percent of Israel’s infrastructures — in return for an intangible and tenuous Arab agreement.
Acquaintance with the Middle East environment, and its implications for vital U.S. economic and national security interests, while the U.S. withdraws and cuts its defense budget, warrants a stronger Israel, which is incompatible with the proposed Palestinian state and an Israeli retreat from the Judea and Samaria high ground.
Palestinians cannot expect Israel to turn back the clock over 40 years to a time when Jordan, not Israel, controlled the West Bank and there was little, if any, talk about establishing a Palestinian state there.HuffPo: The Soft Bigotry of Low Palestinian Expectations
The settlements that were built on the West Bank are just as much a product of years of rejectionism during which Arab nations and Palestinians opposed the very existence of, not to mention negotiations with, the State of Israel – not just after 1967 but from its very inception.
It might be convenient for Ashrawi, Barghouti and Shtayyeh to accuse Israel of “sabotaging” talks by building in established settlements and neighborhoods.
But the reality on the ground is not so simple.
At bare minimum, Palestinian discourse should strive to allow for constructive criticism in the hopes that it will improve existing living conditions and ripen the prospects for peace with its neighbour. It should not be far-fetched to expect Palestinians to openly condemn continued terror waged against Israeli civilians, such as a rocket fired from Gaza recently that the PA did not denounce, along with the need to disarm and dismantle terror organizations, like Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danon: Convict Release ‘Encouraging Next Generation of Terrorists’
Hamas, the terror organization that controls Gaza, should be encouraged to recognize Israel, renounce violence and respect previously negotiated agreements. A debate must ensue about Israel's requirement that it be recognized as a Jewish state.
When PA and Hamas news organs and educators incite and indoctrinate Palestinian youth towards martyrdom, Palestinian supporters should rebuke this practice front and centre. That would mean ending the glorification of Palestinian terrorists as "freedom fighters and holy warriors."
In an interview with The Algemeiner, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon said he was opposed to the demand for any pre-conditions to returning to the negotiating table, and was especially against the release of convicted terrorists.Ministers Ignored Shin Bet, Added Terrorists to List
“Leave aside the security issues, because that’s something debatable, whether those people will be a threat or not, even though we saw in the past that many people released went back to be active in terror, I think it is a moral issue and a wrong decision morally. By releasing them we’re encouraging the next generation of terrorists to become involved in terror activities,” the deputy minister said.
“The fact that they are going to go back to their villages and be heroes is wrong,” Danon said, adding, “Today the Israeli public is asking why?”
The Shin Bet had provided a list of 40 terrorists from which the ministers were to choose the terrorists they wished to release. The list was compiled with the goal of avoiding freeing terrorists who would pose a particularly high threat to Israelis.Poll shows Palestinians evenly split on support for talks
However, the committee led by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon reportedly decided to replace some names on the list it was given by the Shin Bet with other terrorists’ names, due to “Israel’s wish to strengthen the status of Abu Mazen.”
More than half of those asked (52%) said they oppose a two-state solution that includes East Jerusalem, with 45% saying they are in favor of such a deal.No human being is illegal: The Guardian’s vilification of settlers is immoral & illogical
When asked what approach they preferred to bring about the “end of the occupation,” 62% of respondents chose peaceful methods and 31 chose armed conflict. A further breakdown of the numbers revealed that of those who supported a peaceful end to the conflict, 25% chose direct negotiations, 20% chose a nonviolent popular uprising and 17% chose an international conference imposing a solution on both parties.
Ultimately, the disposition of settlements is a matter for final status negotiations. While one may legitimately support or challenge Israeli settlements in the disputed territories, they are not illegal, and demonizing Jews who live in communities across the green line is certainly not moral and does not help the peace process.BBC coverage of building tenders reaches hysterical highs
Harriet Sherwood’s ‘obstacles to peace’ have neither the size, population, nor placement to have a serious impact on sincere efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement on all issues related to the disputed territories.
That same notion was promoted on BBC television news in a filmed report by Kevin Connolly – also titled “New Israeli settlement homes anger Palestinians” and also featuring Saeb Erekat.Russia’s Anti-Gay Mentality? What about Palestine's?
Significantly, at no point in any of these reports does the BBC bother to inform its audiences that the announcement of tenders for these new apartments in no way contradicts the agreements so far reached with regard to the renewal of talks. Instead, it both parrots and amplifies to the point of near hysteria the tactical narrative promoted by PA officials and in doing so, creates a smoke-screen which conceals from BBC audiences issues far more detrimental to the success of the upcoming talks than tenders for houses which will not see the light of day for many months to come.
The past few days have seen a well-circulated public address from television quizmaster and tea connoisseur Stephen Fry, directed at Prime Minister David Cameron, Lord Coe and the Members of the International Olympic Committee, to boycott the upcoming Russian Winter Olympics in 2014. I myself shared Mr Fry’s address, and I also think that there is some merit to this kind of consciousness-raising political statement.IDF Blog: What Happened to the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza?
But if we criticize a nation like Russia for its laws and threaten to boycott one of the largest events on the international stage as a result of them, it is only fair that we focus the same level of scrutiny and condemnation upon others, like Palestine, which are guilty of not similar but much worse acts against homosexuals.
Despite what you may hear from the media, Gaza is not an “open-air prison.” This summer, Gazans are out in force, enjoying themselves in sparkling new malls, beautiful beaches and hotels, and doing their shopping in pristine grocery stores and markets heaving with fresh produce. Gaza even boasts an Olympic-size swimming pool.Turkey: Erdogan's Ergenekon "Victory"
Here are some of the places you can visit in Gaza on an ordinary summer’s day:
There is no longer room for doubt: through a pseudo-legal witch-hunt at home and deceitful propaganda abroad, Erdogan and the AKP are committed to totalitarian suppression of their political critics and opponents, both in Turkey and elsewhere. They feed an apparently insatiable Turkish appetite for conspiracy theories and, as may be observed online, assiduously spread disinformation about "threats to Turkey." Turkish commentators worry that the West ignores Erdogan's violations of civil rights out of the need for him as an ally in confronting the bloodthirsty Assad regime in Syria. But looking the other way while Turkey is transformed into an authoritarian Islamist state will in no way help the suffering Syrian people.Syrian opposition plans for life after Assad
Prominent Syrian opposition figures are presenting a plan for a political transition should President Bashar Assad’s government fall.Galilee: A Syrian Father's Tears of Gratitude
The report by about 300 activists, including military leaders and members of the main opposition group, calls for disarmament of militias and remaking security services. Under the plan, a new national assembly would draft a constitution based on an earlier one written in 1950. The final document would then go to a referendum.
The activists envision a government with both a president and a parliament to offer checks and balances, and recommend creating an independent judiciary.
X-ray technician at Western Galilee Hospital tells story of 12 year old Syrian patient at ICU, Shin Bet and more.
“The guard (a Druze who spoke Arabic) brought him to the side so I could do my job. Believe it or not, I have a very good bedside manner, especially with kids. After I was done, the guard came and told me that when he brought the guy to the side that he asked what I was with the getup and all. When he explained that I'm a very religious Jew and that's how we look, the dad got nervous. However, when he saw how nicely and kindly I treated his kid, he started crying and said that he can't believe that none of Syria's Arab neighbors like Lebanon or Jordan will take them in, but the religious Jew from Israel treats his kid like his own daughter.
“If only he would pass on his revelation to the rest of his country,” concludes Halevi.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
Linkdump
Last month I had written to the EU about its use of the incorrect term "1967 borders" in many of its documents. The response seemed to admit that they understood that they were not real borders:
So I wrote back to them asking them to correct their reports, both retroactively and going forward, since they seem to know that they are wrong. And I explained why this is critical:
Their response, received today, is outrageous.
From the Deputy Head of Division – Israel, oPt, MEPP, from the European External Action Service:
The EU is literally changing history in order to strengthen its political position, rather than changing its position to adhere to those pesky little things called facts. Their pathetic defense is that they all agreed to lie, therefore the lie is now the truth.
Maybe we should start calling the EU the "FU." After all, who cares what they claim now that they call themselves? I think they were called the "FU" since 1975! Facts are just tools to be manipulated to get what we want.
It is way past time for the Israeli government to step in and insist that any EU (FU) document that refers to imaginary borders is nothing more than fantasy, and that they will be pointedly treated as such..
As stated in various Council Conclusions, in the context of the Middle East peace process the agreed EU position envisages an agreement on the borders of the two states (Israel and Palestine), based on the June 4 1967 lines with equivalent land swaps as may be agreed between the parties. The EU has stressed that it will not recognise any changes to these lines unless agreed by the parties. Though essentially corresponding to the 1949 Armistice Line as far as these concerns the division between Israel and the West Bank, the reference to 1967 has become more customarily used by the international community.Note how they are careful here not to refer to them as "borders" but as "lines" and how they understand that they correspond mostly to the 1949 Armistice Line, which was obviously never an international border.
So I wrote back to them asking them to correct their reports, both retroactively and going forward, since they seem to know that they are wrong. And I explained why this is critical:
I assume you can appreciate the importance of being accurate in this matter. It is not merely a question of semantics. The 1949 armistice lines were never accepted as borders for a reason, even in UN resolutions, and giving them more importance after the fact - pretending that they had the legal standing of borders - is serious indeed. It is nothing less than changing history to fit better with the EU's current position, and that is what is offensive about this repeated reference to "borders."
Their response, received today, is outrageous.
From the Deputy Head of Division – Israel, oPt, MEPP, from the European External Action Service:
I am sorry you did not feel we had properly answered your question. You ask if we will stop using the term “borders” in the context to which you refer. However, use of this term is language agreed by all EU member states in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), most recently in the agreed FAC conclusions of December 2012 which I attach for ease of reference. Specifically, these stated in paragraph 4, “Recalling its parameters for the resumption of negotiations between the parties, as set out in previous Council Conclusions, including in December 2009, December 2010 and May 2011, the European Union reiterates that it will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties.” This text is an agreed position of the EU and we will therefore continue to use all the terms therein.Truth be damned! We all decided that they were borders, so they will continue to be called borders!
The EU is literally changing history in order to strengthen its political position, rather than changing its position to adhere to those pesky little things called facts. Their pathetic defense is that they all agreed to lie, therefore the lie is now the truth.
Maybe we should start calling the EU the "FU." After all, who cares what they claim now that they call themselves? I think they were called the "FU" since 1975! Facts are just tools to be manipulated to get what we want.
It is way past time for the Israeli government to step in and insist that any EU (FU) document that refers to imaginary borders is nothing more than fantasy, and that they will be pointedly treated as such..
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Elder of Ziyon
I mentioned last week that Abdallah Bargouthi, responsible for the murder of 66 people, was on a hunger strike in Israeli prison, along with other Jordanian prisoners.
His main demand was to be transferred to a prison in his native Jordan. Ma'an lists his other demands, from an article in July:
However, it looks like they downgraded their demands to declare victory over the Zionists.
Relatives will be able to visit for four hours in three weeks, and then a 90 minute visit each month afterwards while Israel will help them come over from Jordan.
Also, the prisoners will have access to Jordanian newspapers, magazines and TV channels.
Yes - these heroes who murdered so many didn't eat for a hundred days to be able to watch more TV. They must miss their soap operas.
Jordanian media is hailing this great victory, with no one noticing that the terrorists' original demands were rejected outright.
His main demand was to be transferred to a prison in his native Jordan. Ma'an lists his other demands, from an article in July:
Barghouthi is also demanding that Israel disclose the whereabouts of 20 missing Jordanian prisoners and wants Israel to remove the bodies of Palestinians who died in Israeli custody from nameless graves.Now they have ended their hunger strike, and apparently they didn't get any of their major demands.
However, it looks like they downgraded their demands to declare victory over the Zionists.
Relatives will be able to visit for four hours in three weeks, and then a 90 minute visit each month afterwards while Israel will help them come over from Jordan.
Also, the prisoners will have access to Jordanian newspapers, magazines and TV channels.
Yes - these heroes who murdered so many didn't eat for a hundred days to be able to watch more TV. They must miss their soap operas.
Jordanian media is hailing this great victory, with no one noticing that the terrorists' original demands were rejected outright.
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