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Saturday, November 03, 2012

Saturday night links

From Ian:

Rabin's last Knesset speech by Dore Gold
When Rabin began detailing his map he began with what meant most to him: "First and foremost a united Jerusalem ... as the capital of Israel, under Israeli sovereignty." In 1994, he concluded the "Washington Declaration" with King Hussein, which stated that Israel “respects the present role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the Muslim Holy Shrines in Jerusalem." It added that "when negotiations on the permanent status will take place, Israel will give high priority to the Jordanian historic role in these shrines.”

School text book that mixed up Jews and Muslims withdrawn
A error-strewn school religious studies text book has been withdrawn after mixing up Jews and Muslims.
“Staff at the Jewish Free School, in Kenton, North West London, have issued GCSE pupils with a list of corrections. One angry parent of a JFS pupil told the Jewish Chronicle newspaper: "The textbook contains countless errors and general, confused assertions about Judaism. The factual errors are laughably bad."A section headed 'Reform Judaism' in fact talks about the practice of Orthodox Jews. A picture of a person kneeling in prayer, described as a Jew, is in fact a Muslim, while a picture of Jews ostensibly at a Seder table, is a Shabbat meal.”

Abbas: No justification for Gaza rocket attacks
In Channel 2 interview, PA president denounces Hamas, firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel; denies Fayyad resignation.
“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel in an interview with Channel 2 that aired in its entirety Friday night. The comments could deepen a rift between the PA and Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip and remains committed to terrorism as a tactic in its fight against Israel.
"There is no justification for rockets from Gaza or anywhere else," Abbas said. "Rockets attacks are in vain because they do not bring peace any closer."

Senior Palestinian official says UN upgrade will lead to suing Israel for ‘its crimes’
Nabil Shaath, of Abbas’s Fatah party, claims nonmember status bid will receive ‘overwhelming’ support
“Shaath’s belligerent remarks were in stark contrast to the conciliatory tone struck by Abbas in an interview televised Friday on Israel’s Channel 2, where he declared his willingness to restart peace negotiations.”

Haniyeh blasts Abbas over moderate remarks in Israel TV interview
Hamas PM says PA president’s statement that he does not have the right to live in Safed, where he was born, is ‘extremely dangerous’

UNRWA teachers in Jordan refuse to teach Holocaust
Refusal comes after the UN's Palestinian refugee agency said Holocaust studies would become part of the elementary school syllabus.
“It’s impossible that I would teach my students about the so-called Holocaust. UNRWA is planning to impose this on us, but we refuse to teach the history of our eternal enemies,” he insisted to The Media Line.

'Gaza Ark' flotilla set to break blockade from inside
A ship attempting to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip is set to sail from inside Gaza, taking goods to international markets in the early months of 2013, Ma'an News Agency quoted a Red Crescent official as saying on Friday.

Turkish PM in talks with Hamas to visit Gaza
Erdogan would become second head of state to visit Strip since Hamas takeover in 2007

Syrians choose war over Jordan Zaatari refugee camp
The Zaatari camp in northern Jordan was meant to be a place of refuge for 30,000 Syrians. But every day, dozens are choosing to leave the safety of Jordan and make the perilous journey back into the war zone.
“This place of refuge has become the setting for an increasingly ugly battle between Syrian refugees and their Jordanian hosts. Demonstrations inside the camp have, on at least one occasion, turned violent, prompting an exodus back into Syria.”

UK Raises Terror Level Threat in Egypt

Iranians mark 33rd anniversary of US embassy seizure
Students in Tehran chant ‘death to Israel,’ call Obama Jerusalem’s ‘loyal dog’; Revolutionary Guard commander urges Washington to stop supporting the ‘usurper Zionist regime’

Pelosi holds secret fundraiser with Islamists, Hamas-linked groups
Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi headlined a high-dollar fundraiser in May that was attended by U.S.-based Islamist groups and individuals linked by the U.S. government to the Hamas jihad group and to the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood movement.

West Bank security barrier to be adorned with pro-Israel art
As part of initiative, Israeli artists and schoolchildren will paint pictures on Israeli side of barrier depicting terrorist attacks that originated in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas • Public Diplomacy Minister Yuli Edelstein: From PR standpoint, security barrier has been a burden for Israel.