Thursday Links Part 2

From Ian:

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New pope has history of good relations with Jewish community
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was first to sign petition demanding justice in AMIA bombing; rabbi calls him a ‘warm and sweet and modest man’

Rabbi David Rosen, the director of interfaith affairs for the American Jewish Committee, told JTA that the new pope is a “warm and sweet and modest man” known in Buenos Aires for doing his own cooking and personally answering his phone.
After the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in 1994, he “showed solidarity with the Jewish community,” Rosen said.
In 2005, Bergoglio was the first public personality to sign a petition for justice in the AMIA bombing case. He also was one of the signatories on a document called “85 victims, 85 signatures” as part of the bombing’s 11th anniversary. In June 2010, he visited the rebuilt AMIA building to talk with Jewish leaders.

Jewish Leaders Praise New Pope

Jewish leaders praised the new Pope Francis, Argentinean Jorge Mario Bergoglio, and expressed optimism for an improvement of Vatican-Jewish relations after he was elected Wednesday night to replace Pope Benedict XVI.
“We have every reason to be confident Pope Francis I will be a staunch defender of the historic Nostra Aetate, the declaration on the relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions of the Second Vatican Council, which forever changed the relationship of the Catholic Church and the Jewish people,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center

The Palestinians: Ten Points The U.S. Needs To Considerby Khaled Abu Toameh

Even if a Palestinian state were established in the West Bank, Hamas and other groups would work to take control of it and, with the help of Iran and Al-Qaeda, turn it into a launching pad for attacking Israel and other neighbors. The Palestinian Authority is in power thanks to the presence of the Israel Defense Force in the West Bank. Ironically, ending Israeli "occupation" would also bring an end to Abbas's rule.

Thomas Friedman Labels Obama’s Visit a ‘Tourist Trip’

Thomas Friedman is ho-hum about Obama’s visit to Israel, calls him a “tourist” and calls the Palestinian Authority issue a “hobby” for US diplomats. But does anyone care what Thomas Friedman says?
Of course, Israel does not have one and does not need one. It leaves that to the Arab world, whose long-term strategy of destroying Israel through diplomatic means, if not through war and terror, is fading into oblivion, somewhat like Thomas Friedman’s self-assumed mandate to rule Israel and the Middle East.
As for Obama’s visit, Friedman forgot to mention one small issue that will be discussed with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, but the Iranian nuclear threat apparently is not as dangerous as settlers.

British MP blames jail term on Jewish 'conspiracy'
Lord Nazir Ahmed, one of Britain's first Muslim peers, was jailed after causing deadly crash while texting and driving at high speed.

A British politician jailed for causing a deadly road accident while texting behind the wheel, has reportedly blamed his prison sentence on a Jewish conspiracy.
Lord Nazir Ahmed, 55, who became one of the first Muslim peers in the UK after former British prime minister Tony Blair appointed him in 1998, has said that his prison sentence was a result of pressure applied on the court by Jews “who own newspapers and television channels,” the Times of London quoted him as saying Thursday.

Fake bomb found near Jewish center in France
Those responsible ‘did everything they could’ to make device look real, official says

A store owner told police on Tuesday morning that while walking past the city’s Hillel Center, he found a contraption made of three metal cylinders connected with metal wires to what looked like a cellular phone, according to a report on the incident by the SPCJ security unit of France’s Jewish communities.

French mayor defends honoring minister’s assassin
Head of Bezons says outcry over honorary citizenship for Majdi Rimawi, jailed for killing Rehavam Zeevi in 2001, only strengthens resolve

Mayor Dominique Lesparre of the Paris suburb of Bezons said in a statement released Wednesday that his municipality’s vote last month to name Majdi Al-Rimawi an honorary resident was part of a “tradition of peace, solidarity and cooperation with the Palestinian people.”

Norway Admits It May be Funding PA Terrorists
Norway's Foreign Minister tells MPs they were misled when they asked for assurances about funding to the PA.

In a new reply to the Parliament, Eide writes:
"It is unfortunate that in retrospect, the information that was first communicated to the Parliament, which was in turn based on information obtained from the PA at the time, was imprecise."
Eide writes that the Norwegian authorities relied on information from the Palestinian Authority (PA), but that now they have been "made aware of the new information on this issue that differs from earlier information provided by the PA."
The Foreign Ministry will now investigate the question of where the money really goes, according to the report.

30 million fans of Israeli site builder can’t be wrong
Wix.com is one of the biggest Israeli Internet platforms in the world, thanks in part to its innovative App Market

Thirty-two new Israeli-made applications were born last weekend, as over 100 app developers participated in a 72-hour hackathon dedicated to developing new apps for the Wix.com platform. The apps will be included in the Wix App Store, and the winners will go on to fame, and a little bit of fortune.
Wix, with more than 30 million users worldwide (and growing at an average of a million more a month, the company says), is one of the most successful Israeli Internet applications. Wix provides a platform for the creation of websites without the fuss of high-level programming.

Eye-Tracking Tech Will Be Open to iPhones and Other Devices

Samsung Electronics won’t be the only company that gets a fancy eye-tracking feature. A start-up company called uMoove, which has been developing this type of technology for three years, says it will offer eye- and head-tracking to anyone, including device makers like Apple and software developers who make mobile apps.
Based in Israel, uMoove has been working on a technology for smartphones and tablets to track eye and head movements using a device’s front-facing camera. It said on Tuesday that very soon it would offer a software tool kit to apply its technology to applications.