September 2004 ~ Elder Of Ziyon

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Chag Sameach!

The blog will not be updated during the next few days as I celebrate Sukkot. Have a great holiday...

Why are Palestinian refugees different?-(MMN)

The Palestinian refugees who abandoned their homes in 1948 were casualties of a war started by the Arab world with the objective of preventing the creation of a Jewish state. Some of the refugees fled at their own initiative; others were, in modern parlance, ethnically cleansed. The nascent State of Israel was fighting a war of existential survival. It owes no apologies for its behavior in 1948. UNGAR 194 was adopted in 1949 with the aim of ending...

Israel Divestiture Spurs Clash (Wash Post)

Jewish Leaders Condemn Move by Presbyterian Church Jewish and Protestant leaders clashed over Israel yesterday as the heads of several major U.S. Jewish organizations condemned the Presbyterian Church's decision to begin selective divestiture in companies operating in Israel. After a polite but tense meeting in New York, Presbyterian officials and leaders of the Reform and Conservative branches of Judaism promised to continue their dialogue. But...

Saudi Man on the Street Interview - Would You be Willing to Shake Hands with a Jew?

Interviewer: 'Would You, as a Human Being, be Willing to Shake Hands with a Jew?' I like the phrase "as a human being," meaning that of course Jews aren't human. Nice touch, Akhmed! - EoZ Respondent 1: "Of course I wouldn't be willing to shake hands with a Jew, for religious reasons and because of what is happening now in Palestine, and for many reasons that don't...

The Heart of Darkness (NRO)

...A meeting of the International Moral Court was held in the French capital September 23-25 to expose the crimes of the theocracy in Tehran. Having lived under religious fascism, I prepared myself psychologically for three days of horrific stories and images. ... Following the administrative procedures a film was shown; smuggled out of Iran, it pictured scenes of despicable horror. We all watched the unwatchable: a man lay on a stretcher while...

Suicide bombers supported by Norwegian Muslim leader

A highly respected Muslim leader in Norway supports suicide bombers if the aim is to kill enemies. Basim Ghozlan, the manager at Det Islamske Forbundet, one of the largest Muslim organizations in Norway, stated that suicide bombers are accepted if they kill enemies. «If the goal in itself is accepted, than this should also be accepted,» Ghozlan said to the Norwegian radio channel Kanal 24. In a Q&A section at the Muslim website islam.no,...

1,017 Israelis killed, 5,600 injured during four years of intifada

Since the intifada erupted four years ago, 1,017 Israelis were killed, of them 70% were civilians and 30% members of Israeli security forces, data published by the ISA this (Monday) afternoon after four years of confrontation reveal. According to the data, Palestinian militants perpetrated 13,730 shooting attacks and 138 suicide bombings. Nearly 5,600 Israelis were injured during the time period, of them 82% civilians and 18% security forces personnel. The...

Terrorist was also PA security officer

Further evidence emerged Monday of the direct link between the armed wing of Fatah, Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and the Palestinian Authority. Obituary notices distributed in the West Bank town of Salfit by Fatah and the PA's General Intelligence Force revealed that the local commander of the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, who was killed on Sunday when his M-16 rifle exploded, had doubled as a security officer. Jihad Hassan, who is also known as Abu Naaim,...

Iranina Nuke Capability by November? (AP)

JERUSALEM - Israel would not be able to destroy Iran's nuclear installations with a single air strike as it did in Iraq in 1981 because they are scattered or hidden and intelligence is weak, Israeli and foreign analysts say. Israeli leaders have implied they might use force against Iran if international diplomatic efforts or the threat of sanctions fail to stop Iran from producing nuclear weapons. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said this...

The Debate about Leaving Gaza (JCPA)

The current focus in Israeli discussion on whether some Jews have to leave their homes makes consideration of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza disengagement plan unnecessarily and harmfully divisive and misses the real issue of whether the current proposal improves or worsens Israeli security now and for the future. The widespread agreement among Israelis that ultimately Gaza should not be part of Israel is virtually irrelevant to the...

Qurie: Reconsidering the Intifada

The Palestinian Authority prime minister called on his people to 'reconsider' their fight against Israel. 'This anniversary should make us all -- the people, factions, and Palestinian Authority -- reconsider the past four years, where we went wrong and where we went right,' Ahmed Qurie told reporters in Ramallah on Tuesday, referring to an armed revolt launched on September 28, 2000. Many Palestinian moderates have urged for an abandonment of terrorism...

From Jenin To Fallujah? (Washington Post op-ed)

By Jackson Diehl Monday, September 27, 2004; Page A19 Two and a half years ago this week, the Israeli army launched an offensive against the Palestinian towns of Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah and Bethlehem -- which, it said, had become havens for extremist groups and suicide bombers who made daily life in Israel unbearable. Images of flattened houses and civilian casualties soon filled the world's television screens: Palestinian spokesmen claimed, falsely,...

Nadia Matar's "incitement" Letter (Israpundit)

Read the whole thing; it is long but a good encapsulation of how Israel's Left (which now apparently includes Sharon) responds to challenges from the Right. - EoZ What Is Really Shocking, and Who Is Really Inciting? by Nadia Matar Last week I sent a letter to the head of the Deportation Administration, Mr. Yonatan Bassi, in which I wrote that the fact that he plans to send a personal letter to each of the inhabitants of Gush Katif designated for...

Analysis of Israel's kiilling Khalil in Damascus (JPost)

The tactical benefits of hitting Izz al-Din al-Sheikh Khalil are marginal. But the psychological and strategic benefits are great. In keeping with tradition, Israel will never directly acknowledge that it had a hand in Sunday's assassination. Nevertheless, the strike came after repeated finger-pointing and warnings by Israel that it would widen its war on terrorists and that no place was immune. Perhaps Israel's Mossad was helped by a subcontractor?...

Maariv International Al Hayat: Arab country assisting Israel against Hamas (Maariv)

This is a fascinating if somewhat implausible story. - EoZ Maariv InternationalLondon based Arab daily claims Arab intelligence service providing the Mossad with vital information. The respected London based Arabic daily Al Hayat reports that an Arab intelligence agency has been cooperating with the Mossad, providing it with significant and sensitive information about Hamas, especially its international activities. According to the report, the...

The Fruits of French Appeasement

Frenchman Killed in Jidda JIDDA, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 26 (Reuters) - A French technician for a defense contractor was shot dead here on Sunday, in an attack security officials said might have been carried out by Islamic militants. The police and hospital employees said the shooting happened around 1 a.m. near a supermarket. The victim, Laurent Barbot, a 41-year-old resident of Jidda who was a technician for the French defense and electronics company...

Part of Dome of the Rock may collapse?

An Israeli minister has warned that part of a holy site in Jerusalem sacred to both Muslims and Jews may collapse beneath the weight of worshippers. Thousands of Muslims are expected to make the pilgrimage to the al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, during Ramadan. But Israel's interior security minister says the the site must be strengthened or numbers of pilgrims must be limited. Muslim authorities say it is an attempt to seize...

Hamas threatens to target Israelis abroad

GAZA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The Palestinian militant group Hamas threatened on Sunday to target Israelis abroad after blaming Israel for the killing of a Hamas official in Syria. 'We have let hundreds of thousands of Zionists travel and move in capitals of the world in order not to be the party which transfers the struggle. But the Zionist enemy has done so and should bear the consequences of its actions,' said the statement by Izz el-Deen al-Qassam...

New Iran missiles can reach London (WorldNetDaily)

Iran said today it has successfully test-fired a long-range 'strategic missile' and delivered it to its armed forces, saying it is now prepared to deal with any regional threats and even the 'big powers.' Iran's new missiles can reach London, Paris, Berlin and southern Russia, according to weapons and intelligence analysts. If there is anything bad about US involvement in Iraq, it is that we are less likely now to confront Iran, which is proving...

Syria brokers secret deal to send Iraqi atomic weapons scientists to Iran (Daily Telegraph)

Syria's President Bashir al-Asad is in secret negotiations with Iran to secure a safe haven for a group of Iraqi nuclear scientists who were sent to Damascus before last year's war to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Western intelligence officials believe that President Asad is desperate to get the Iraqi scientists out of his country before their presence prompts America to target Syria as part of the war on terrorism. The issue of moving the Iraqi...

Israelis Win 7 Paralympic Medals

The Israeli Paralympic team has brought home seven medals, three of them gold, in what has been Israel's most successful Paralympic performance ever. Israel's sailing team, made up of members Dror Cohen, Arnon Ephrati and Benny Vexler, has dominated the sonar division, coming in first place after finishing fourth in the in the seventh leg and first in the eighth leg of the nine-race competition. They won their final race today. “We are very happy...

Egypt bans Madonna after Israel visit

Egypt has issued an order barring pop star Madonna from entering the country because she visited Israel. Members of Egypt's parliament have demanded Madonna, who has not requested entry into Egypt or announced any plans to visit the country, be barred from entering Egyptian soil. The parliament directed Egyptian embassies abroad to deny any visa requests from Madonna. Egypt gets $2 billion annually for its Camp David "peace" with Israel. - EoZ...

G'mar chatima tovah

For those who observe Yom Kippur, have an easy fast and may we all be sealed for a great year...

Jordan plans to build 5th minaret on Temple Mount

It is appearing that Israel's government has lost interest in having anything Jewish about the "Jewish state." Politics should not decide what happens to Judaism's most holy site. - EoZ Jordanian Wakf officials are planning on building a fifth minaret on the Temple Mount, and Israel has not objected to the proposal, a senior Jordanian official said Tuesday. "We informed the Jerusalem police chief the day before yesterday that we are going to build...

Hizbollah upset over Iraqi-Israeli handshake

I found it interesting that the BBC doesn't identify exactly who is criticizing the handshake in the headline, implying that the entire Arab world agrees. Maybe they do but the only criticism comes from Hizbollah, which is hardly newsworthy. - EoZ Iraq's interim prime minister is facing some withering criticism for shaking hands with Israel's foreign minister at the United Nations general assembly. Lebanese militant Hezbollah group said Iyad Allawi's...

No to another terror state (Joseph Farah)

There is an opportunity right now to weigh in on one of the greatest and most important issue of our time – whether the world should create a Palestinian Arab state. A group called Global Israel Alliance is attempting to mobilize opposition to this misguided plan now, prior to the November elections. If the turnout is high enough, the organizers believe it might help reverse U.S. support for the so-called Mideast "roadmap." What's wrong with the...

Iran Moves to Roll Back Rights Won by Women

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, women have been forced to cover their heads and wear long, loose coats in public. But many had defied the restrictions since Mr. Khatami's election in 1997 and started wearing tighter and more colorful coats and showing more hair. In recent months, though, newspapers have reported that scores of women have been arrested in Tehran, the capital, and around the country because they were wearing what the authorities...

"Non-Violent" PSM at Duke won't condemn terrorism

Nice to see them exposed for what they are, yet again. - EoZ The planners of a pro-Palestinian student conference at Duke University will not sign a statement condemning terrorism as Jewish groups on campus have requested, a spokesman said. Condemning Palestinian organizations methods would violate the guidelines of the Palestinian Solidarity Movement, said Rann Bar-On, a member of the affiliated Duke group Hiwar. 'We don't see it as very useful...

Arabs continue to support kidnappings, beheadings; but worry about PR

Muslim outrage over killings found lacking By Paul Martin THE WASHINGTON TIMES LONDON — The beheadings of two Americans in Iraq this week have been treated as unwelcome developments in the Arab press, but the concern has been more for the image of Muslims than for the victims. Most organizations continued to cast the outrage as a small part of a wider conflict in which the United States is seen as the prime culprit. "There has been little...

French Reiterate Support for Arafat

UNITED NATIONS - Disagreeing with US officials, France’s foreign minister said on Thursday that no progress could be made in the Middle East peace process by marginalizing or not negotiating with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. “There are a number of political authorities who say that nothing can be done with Yasser Arafat,” said Michel Barnier, answering a question on whether he was concerned that recent calls by US President George W. Bush...

Powell: World Getting Tired of Waiting for Arafat to Cede Power

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday the international community is growing weary of waiting for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to hand over control of security forces to an empowered prime minister. He suggested this could mean reduced outside aid for the Palestinians. Mr. Powell made no specific threats for cutting aid and set no deadlines. But at a news conference on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, the Secretary suggested...

Disgusting Reuters article gloriying suicide bomber

Lots of gnashing of teeth about the family of the monster, not a word about the families of the people blown up. Way to go, Al-Reuters. - EoZ 'I don't know what's happening,' said Abu Salem's 12-year-old brother Tarek, in disbelief that his sister had died. 'I don't know where she is. She isn't at home.' Abu Salem, whose photographs show her as a brown-eyed girl in a white headscarf with a slight smile, blew herself up near a hitch-hiking post...

Suicide Bomber Was Children's TV Show Hostess

The young 18-year-old female suicide terrorist, Zeinab Ali Isa Abu-Salem, who murdered two Israelis yesterday and wounded some 30 others, was none other than a children's TV show hostess on a local station in Shechem. Ofra resident Debbie Segal, who noticed the terrorist approaching the bus stop moments before she blew herself up, described her as 'extraordinarily beautiful.' She comes from a very wealthy Arab family in Shechem, which owns the TV...

"Humiliating" her saved maybe twenty lives: Questions for President Bush

President George W. Bush: When an Israeli border policemen, Mamoya Tahio and Menashe Komemi approached Zainab Ali Issa, 18, asking for identification and then demanding that she be searched, is this what you were referring to yesterday at the United Nations as the "daily humiliation" of the Palestinian people? So what was the poor girl to do? She had come all the way from Jenin with her explosives. She was no doubt carrying her bag as a fashion...

Heroes who blocked bomber to be buried today

Two Border Policemen killed Wednesday while barring the path of a female suicide bomber, an action which police officials said may have saved dozens of lives, are to be laid to rest on Thursday. The funeral for Border Policemen Yonatan (Mamoya) Tahio, 20, of Rehovot will be held at the military cemetery in Rehovot on Thursday at one P.M. The funeral for Menashe (Meni) Komemi, 19, of Moshav Aminadav, will take place Thursday afternoon at four PM at...

French lawmakers amused by Sharon's disengagement expectations

At least someone is laughing. Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin recently told the national-religious Hatzofeh newspaper the following anecdote about his last visit to Paris, where he had been invited to meet the heads of the French Parliament. 'I came, and after a few words of courtesy, they asked me, 'Tell me, Mr. Israeli Parliament Chairman, you are known as one of Prime Minister Sharon's close friends, so why is it that you do not support his disengagement...

MADRE - Ford Funded NGO Leads Demonization of Israel

Founded in 1983, and based in the United States with 23,000 members, MADRE describes itself as an "international women's human rights organization that works in partnership with women's community based groups…to develop long term solutions to the crisis they face." In practice, however, MADRE's activities reflect an extremist political and ideological agenda that also justifies terror. Nevertheless, and despite its high-profile role in the 2001...

Hizballah broadcasts propaganda to North America via Al Manar

Hizballah broadcasts a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week stream of Iran-inspired propaganda to North America via the Al Manar TV channel, using the American company Intelsat's Telestar 5 satellite. Broadcasts to Europe and North Africa are made via Eutelsat of the European Space Agency, now operated by a private French company. Additional Al Manar broadcasts are carried to North Africa and Europe by the American firm New Skies Satellites. Al Manar broadcasts...

Israel demands change to IAEA resolution, threatens boycott

Israel has threatened to boycott an international conference on a nuclear free Middle East sponsored by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) if a resolution calling Israel a nuclear threat is not removed from the agenda. The conference, scheduled for January 2005, will be attended by representatives from several Middle Eastern countries including Iran, as well as non-government organizations and a number of independent experts. The conference,...

Zarqawi's Mentor Killed

The spiritual mentor of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed in a US air strike, associates and relatives said yesterday. Omar Youssef Jumah, known as Abu Annas al-Shami, a Muslim cleric who justified Zarqawi's alleged beheading of hostages in Iraq, died last Friday while heading to the west of Baghdad, they said. The report could not be independently confirmed. Shami called himself the grand mufti, or spiritual guide, of Zarqawi's Tawhid wal Jihad...

Pals to US: "We Know who Killed Americans and We Won't Arrest Them"

Gen. Musa Arafat, the overall commander of the Palestinian Authority's National Security Forces in the Gaza Strip, said Wednesday that the PA security forces know the identities of the perpetrators of last October's attack on a US diplomatic convoy in which three Americans were killed. However, Arafat told Reuters that the PA security forces cannot act against the suspects while fighting with Israel continues. The US called the comments 'outrageous'...

Sharon's deepening crisis of legitimacy

This month, as the right massed in tens of thousands to assail Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the conduct of his disengagement campaign, denouncing his drive to evacuate settlements as lacking all legitimacy, one of the most respected advocates of the withdrawal initiative lent her voice in unlikely backing for the prime minister's critics. 'The central question is that of legitimacy,' said Ruth Gavison, one of Israel's foremost professors of...