Israel’s UN envoy: If Mali is on France’s doorstep, Gaza is in our living room
France’s foreign minister said this month that his country was fighting to prevent the creation of an Islamist terrorist enclave ‘at the doorstep of France and Europe.’ If Mali is on France’s doorstep, Gaza is in Israel’s living room,” Ron Prosor said at the UN Security Council’s monthly open debate on the Middle East.
“Make no mistakes: France’s principled stand should be commended. We only ask that France and all the countries who are supporting its principled stand today, support Israel tomorrow when we fight Islamic terrorism on our borders.”
Turkey: Syrian bombardment of citizens a war crime
Foreign minister calls for greater access for aid groups, says he expects UN Security Council to step in, stop bloodshed
Denial still is a river in Egypt
"Denial, it turns out, really is a river in Egypt. I refer not to the world's longest waterway, but the world's largest outpouring of pious expressions of confidence in Egypt by American and European politicians. Infusions of real cash, to be sure, could delay Egypt's deterioration into a failed state, but not by long, because the country requires more than US$20 billion a year simply to meet its basic needs, and Western governments will not provide that much money."
The OIC Needs to Show It’s Serious About Human Rights
"You speak of human rights. Instead of standing behind the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, your organization has been pushing the United Nations to endorse a different document, the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights (CDHR). Article 22 states: ”Everyone shall have the right to express his opinion freely in such manner as would not be contradictory to the principles of Sharia.” What happens those who do not believe in Sharia? The Universal Declaration takes for granted the equality of men and women. Article 6 of your document, however, says that a woman, although equal to a man in human dignity, “has her own rights to enjoy.” Those rights rights do not yet extend to driving a car in Saudi Arabia, or to girls seeking education in Afghanistan, or the right of a girl to avoid rape in the form of child marriage – a right that may disappear under the new Egyptian Sharia-based constitution."
‘Comment is Free’ contributor claims 1967 Six Day War was act of Israeli aggression
"Shehadeh didn’t waste any time contextualizing what he characterized as Palestinian indifference to the particular results of the Israeli election by evoking the political parallel of disenfranchised blacks under South African apartheid, and soon pivoted to the following additional fiction:
“Since the beginning of the occupation more than 44 years ago, no Israeli government has indicated willingness to accept that its status is that of an occupier of territory acquired through a belligerent war, and consequently been willing to withdraw from these areas and hand them over either to the surrounding Arab states or to a newly created sovereign, independent Palestinian state.”
The idea that Israel acquired territory in June 1967 though a “belligerent war” is a gross historical lie."
Promoting the BBC’s preferred Middle East narrative: how is it done?
"What we see here are two methods used by Davies to promote a specific agenda by framing a story in a particular manner. The first method is by use of carefully chosen language: terms such as “illegal under international law” and “occupied Palestinian Land” do not stand up to scrutiny, but when used frequently enough without presentation of the opposing point of view, they become accepted – though erroneous – terminology which steers audiences towards a preferred narrative."
Threat to Israel Explained on Capitol Hill
Over 80 Congressional staffers, diplomats and activists receive lesson on threats facing Israel.
"The Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET, which is Hebrew for “truth), held a series of discussions on Capitol Hill Thursday, to a standing room only crowd of over 80 Congressional staffers, foreign diplomats and citizen activists, focused on the geopolitical and ideological threats facing the nation of Israel."
IDF jeep firebombed, troops' fire kills Palestinian
Jeep struck by Molotov cocktails in Al-Arroub near Bethlehem; 21-year-old woman killed by return fire in clashes.
Palestinians warn of recourse to the Hague over E1
Malki says PA may lodge complaint with ICC if Israel proceeds with plans to build housing on sensitive E1 corridor in West Bank.
Hamas plays hardball ahead of unity talks with Fatah
As rivals prepare for meeting next week, PA’s security coordination with Israel and the issue of ‘political arrests’ by Fatah are two of the thorniest issues
Christian Egyptian Convert and Her Children Sentenced to Prison
"An Egyptian woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison together with her seven children for converting to Christianity. Her supporters are now appealing to the U.S. government to stand up for religious minorities being persecuted in the Middle East."
Survey: 40% of France Holds Anti-Semitic Beliefs
Amid the rise in hate crimes in France, the World Zionist Organization calculated the level of anti-Semitism among French citizens
"The survey also found that 47% of the population believes that "French Jews are more loyal to Israel than the country where they live."
Claims that Jabba's Palace set resembles Istanbul's Hagia Sophia mosque (originally an Orthodox Cathedral)
Describes Star Wars character Jabba the Hutt as resembling a 'terrorist'
19th Knesset Record-Breaker for Women, Religious MKs
Israel’s new parliament will see more female Knesset members time around than previously -- another record-breaker for this election.
Israeli promoter: Springsteen will perform here
Shuki Weiss tells 'Post' that logistics, not boycott, behind inability to bring the Boss to Israel thus far.
Israeli Daily Picture: Tu B'Shvat, the Jewish New Year for Trees, Is Celebrated on
Saturday
One major activity of the JNF, or in Hebrew the Keren Kayemet LeYisrael, was the planting of trees on Jewish-owned land in Palestine. Many a Jewish home had the iconic JNF blue charity box, or pushke, in order to buy trees. In its history, the JNF is responsible for planting almost a quarter of a billion trees.
The photographers of the American Colony recorded the JNF's efforts.
Also:
Remembering the Holocaust (The Asians)