Wednesday Links Part 1

From Ian:

---

PMW: Americans behind 9/11; Hitler greater than Roosevelt - the PA’s welcome to Obama
Official PA daily: History is written by the victors, therefore "Muslim terrorists" are falsely blamed for 9/11 and Nazism is prosecuted instead of honored

Two days before US President Barack Obama's visit to Israel and the PA, the official PA daily chose to print anti-American hate speech along with pro-Hitler comments in an op-ed:
"Our history is replete with lies... [including] the lie about Al-Qaeda and the September 11 events, which asserted that Muslim terrorists committed it, and that it was not an internal American action by the Freemasons."
The PA daily op-ed further asserts that negative attitudes toward Nazism are not objective but the result of the West's victory:
"Had Hitler won, Nazism would be an honor that people would be competing to belong to, and not a disgrace punishable by law."

Palestinian anti-Obama protesters, police clash By Khaled Abu Toameh
Rioters try to march toward compound, but pushed back by anti-riot police; protesters angry at Obama for not visiting Arafat's grave.

Dozens of Palestinians protested in Ramallah Tuesday against US President Barack Obama’s visit to the West Bank.
Some of the demonstrators carried pictures of Obama dressed in IDF uniform with an Israeli tank in the background. Others carried placards that read: “Obama, we will never forget Iraq” and “America is the head of the snake.”

Ahead of Obama visit, PA prohibits reporting from Hebron
Measure imposed to avoid anti-Obama displays; demonstrators in Ramallah attempt march to Muqata’a

The Palestinian Authority issued a ban on releasing photos and videos from the West Bank city of Hebron ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit, which begins Wednesday, Channel 10 reported Tuesday night. The Palestinian media is expected to comply with the PA’s directives, according to reports.
Hebron residents are reportedly opposed to the US president’s visit and the Palestinian Authority is attempting to avoid embarrassment over hateful displays in the city.

Israeli bus firebombed on road Obama set to travel

A Molotov cocktail was hurled at an Israeli bus near the outpost of Givat Asaf on Route 60 late Tuesday evening. The road is on US President Barack Obama’s route when he travels to Ramallah on Thursday.

Israelis more likely than Americans to support Palestinian state

Gallup figures suggest that Americans may be more skeptical of the need for a Palestinian state than Israelis.
According to figures gleaned from the early February Gallup World Affairs survey, released on Monday, 44 percent of Americans favor establishing a Palestinian state, while 37% oppose the idea.

Kerry expected to revive 2002 Saudi peace initiative

Former deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon, who was the foreign policy adviser of then-prime minister Ariel Sharon, said that although the government rejected the offer, it did make efforts to further explore the idea.
“He sent me to find out if the Saudis are serious,” Ayalon told reporters recently, adding that he tried to arrange, through middlemen, a meeting with Adel Jubeir, who at the time was an adviser to Abdullah. “We almost met in a restaurant in Washington and in the last-minute he didn’t want to meet,” Ayalon recalled. “We promised it would be under the radar, it would be very low-profile,” but the Saudis reneged on the scheduled meeting.

Stop Using the Inaccurate Term “Two State Solution”

It also falsely implies that both sides are getting the same thing. Yet Israel is already a state and its legitimacy stands independent of whatever political solution might one day emerge.

CiF Watch prompts correction at ‘The Independent’ to Omar Misharawi story

We appreciate the prompt response by editors at both The Indy and Daily Mail.
Of the papers we reviewed, only The Sun hasn’t, thus far, issued a retraction or published a new story in light of the new information.

U.S. Rep. Rogers: High Probability Syria Used Chemical Weapons
There is a high probability that Syria used chemical weapons against rebels, says chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee.

Rogers' statement comes as the specter of chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian civil war emerged Tuesday, with the government and rebels each blaming the other for using such munitions.
State media reported that "terrorists fired rockets containing chemical materials on Khan al-Assal in Aleppo province," and Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi called the attack a "dangerous escalation," according to AFP.

Syrian Rebels Pick U.S. Citizen to Lead Interim Government

Mr. Hitto and his wife, Suzanne, an American schoolteacher, have four children, all born in the United States, where Mr. Hitto advocated for Muslim Americans after 9/11 as a representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

US Official: Iraq Turns Blind Eye to Iran Arms Flights to Syria
Baghdad is "looking the other way" as Iran sends military equipment through Iraqi airspace to Syrian regime, says American official.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called on Iraq to randomly search Iranian planes flying to Syria, and said Washington had complained to "all levels of the Iraqi government" about the lack of inspection.

Lifeline for US law that aided Soviet, now Iranian Jews
Jewish groups are among those advocating a stronger status for effort to shelter persecuted religious minorities

In recent years, the primary beneficiaries of the provision have been Iranians. Under the amendment, religious minorities in Iran may apply for visas to travel to Austria, where US officials consider their eligibility. The program processes some 2,000 applicants a year, mostly from Iran, although some former Soviet Union applicants also are accommodated. Iranians eligible under the amendment include Jews, Christians and Baha’is.

Dutch Government Fueling Anti-Semitic Feelings

Following the airing of the interviews with the Turkish youths, the Simon Wiesenthal Center wrote to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, urging him to "take action on a broad front to investigate the presence of anti-Semitic attitudes in Dutch society." If the Dutch government were to distance itself from the BDS agenda, rather than support it, that would be a good first step. Allowing Dutch taxpayers' money to flow once again to websites such as the Electronic Intifada, which propagate anti-Semitism, would be a clear indication not only of the Dutch government's unwillingness to fight anti-Semitism, but of its willingness to support it.