Thursday Linkim

From Ian:

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Isi Leibler: Liberal Jewish Israel bashers: Ignorant or malicious?

One becomes increasingly convinced that many Jewish liberals have closed minds and do not wish to be enlightened.
“One would wish to believe that much of the condemnation of Israel by liberal Jews, compounded by purportedly being grounded on Jewish values, is not malicious but based on ignorance. The blame for such behavior could then be directed solely toward Israel’s failure to convey the reality of our situation.
Yet sadly, one becomes increasingly convinced that many Jewish liberals have closed minds and do not wish to be enlightened, because their principal motivation is to demonstrate to their “progressive” friends that they are more open-minded, universal and tolerant than their “bigoted” Israeli kinsmen.”

"There is no two-state solution" says Palestinian Ambassador to Britain

The Palestinian Ambassador to the UK last night told an audience in the British Parliament that Israel cannot exist forever 'as a pariah state' and that the country 'nurtures on conflict'
"In a controversial speech hosted by the virulently anti-Israel Member of Parliament, Jeremy Corbyn, Manuel Hassassian reportedly told an audience of around 100 people that, “there is no two state solution”.
The event was organised by the controversial Palestine Solidarity Campaign and hosted Labour’s Shadow Justice Minister Andy Slaughter, as well as Lib Dem MP and former government minister Sarah Teather."

Abbas needs to be replaced

"This is nothing new; in the past, Palestinians have rejected attempts to alleviate the conditions of their refugees by resettling. They kept the refugees, and millions of their descendants, as a political card. Moreover, the refugees constitute an important element in their self-propagated image of victimhood and martyrdom.Instead of helping his people in distress, Abbas, in the best Palestinian tradition, prefers to cling to the right of return – a demand that no Israeli government is ever going to accept. Moreover, most of the international community rejects this Palestinian demand, understanding that there is broad consensus in Israel against a mass influx of Palestinians that could destroy its Jewish character."

Freed Terrorist to Head Fatah in Gaza
In a surprise move, Abbas names former terrorist prisoner as secretary gen. for Gaza, angering current Fatah leaders.

50 Arabs Attack Rachel's Tomb
About 50 Arabs hurled pipe bombs, fire bombs and rocks at security forces. One soldier lightly hurt.

Israelis Safe After Road Terror in Eastern Gush Etzion
PA Arabs hurled rocks at Israeli motorists in another road terror attack on a road in eastern Gush Etzion Wednesday afternoon.

CIF Watch: Guardian readers, and Holocausts real and imagined

"The Guardian’s attempt to provide a thoughtful and appropriate article about a praiseworthy attempt by UK footballers to provide schools with a serious and sensitive Holocaust educational film documenting what they learned from a trip to Auschwitz (‘England’s football stars feature in Holocaust educational video film for schools, Jan. 14), was quickly hijacked, as we noted earlier, by Holocaust deniers."

BBC Watch: BBC tones down Morsi’s support for terrorism against all Israelis

"The BBC article states: “In the clip from Palestinian broadcaster Al-Quds TV, Mr Morsi referred to Jewish settlers as “occupiers of Palestine” and “warmongers”.
He called for a “military resistance in Palestine against these Zionist criminals assaulting the land of Palestine and Palestinian”.”
"Secondly, Morsi makes no reference whatsoever to “Jewish settlers” in his antisemitic, terror-glorifying rant: that phrase is an invention by the BBC. In fact, Morsi speaks of “Zionists”, by which he means all Israeli Jews – regardless of whether they live on one side or the other of the ‘green line’ – the existence of which Morsi clearly says he does not recognize."

[UPDATE: The BBC issued a correction.]

Arabic Rapper Says U.S. and Israel to Blame for Palestinians Not Sending Man to the Moon

"Tamer Nafar of the Arabic hip hop band DAM says the group’s latest album was inspired by the contrast between NASA’s space exploration and the digging of smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt. He tells the pro-Palestinian website Electronic Intifada that the “occupation” and the U.S. are to blame for hindering Palestinian space exploration ambitions."

Rand Paul: Obama ‘arrogant and presumptuous’ about Israel

“That’s an arrogant and presumptuous point of view and doesn’t further progress on anything,” the senator said, and he returned to that view throughout the call as he discussed the location of Israel’s capital and Israeli settlements. Paul decried U.S. politicians who display “this flippant and arrogant” attitude about internal Israeli affairs, saying that “no one can really know as much as people in the region” about such matters. “It is not up to the U.S. to dictate” to mayors and West Bank officials where housing goes, Paul added."

Iran to deploy warships to Mediterranean in show of force
Navy commander says 24th fleet to fan out across the region and ‘counter threats’ to the Islamic Republic

German court convicts Holocaust-denying bishop
Richard Williams fined $2,400 for claiming Jews weren’t killed in gas chambers

Google Play App Offers ‘Inspiring’ Hitler Quotes

"Available on Google Play, the app store for Android products, one app that goes by the name, Infamous Adolf Hitler Quotes opens with this description: “Looking for Adolf Hitler Quotes?? Then this is the App for you!”

Italian soccer players honor coach killed in Holocaust
Mayors of Milan and Bologna attend tribute to Arpad Weisz, who led squads from both cities

EU places Holocaust memorial on official calendar
Commemoration will honor the Warsaw ghetto uprising and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg

Homegrown jet defense system proves successful
Elbit says its new anti-missile system, designed for use on commercial aircraft, passed muster in tests

Meet René: The IDF’s First Ever Swiss-Bedouin Medic

"Sgt. René Elhozayel is a perfect example of what the IDF calls the ‘kur hituch’, or melting pot. One of his parents is Bedouin, and the other a Swiss Jew — he celebrates both Eid al-Adha and Passover. One day, he hopes to become a doctor. René agreed to sit down with us and talk about his unique IDF journey. Here’s his story."

In Israel, Clean Tech is Not a New Thing

"Sounding more like a clean tech venture capitalist than a head of state, David Ben Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, once said that Israel requires “the study of desalination, massive utilization of solar energy, preventing waste of useful rainwater and maximization of power from wind turbines.”

Israel Daily Picture: Eureka! Pictures Beneath the Temple Mount Now Online

The Israel Antiquities Authority Pictures Taken after the 1927 Earthquake

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Also:
A Morsi moment in the media, by Simon Plosker (h/t Josh)

French ambassador to Israel: Sometimes, the use of force is necessary
...but what about when Israel does it? (h/t Yoel)