April 2013 ~ Elder Of Ziyon

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Egyptian newspaper publishes TWO articles saying Jews drink gentile blood on Passover

Egypt's Misrelgdida ("New Egypt") newspaper features not one but two articles on Tuesday that promote the libel that Jews drink Christian - and Muslim - blood on Passover.

The first one is written by a Palestinian Arab, Mennat al-Sayed. He gives a "history" of Passover blood rituals that, he claims, continues, at least in some form, to this day against Arabs.

In the past, al-Sayed says , Christian neighbors of Jews were scared of the holiday because they were worried if they would travel they would be abducted and ritually slaughtered for their blood. Jews would hunt for Christian babies who never tasted wine and stab them to death in a ceremony in the synagogue, after which they would distribute the blood to drink four cups of "wine" during the Passover seder, while singing and dancing with their families.

Today, the writer goes on, the Jews are keeping this tradition by killing every single Palestinian in cold blood. Al Sayed says that the Jews' habits haven't changed and they continue to slaughter Arabs in every possible gruesome manner. He concludes by saying that Jews continue to (symbolically) eat food made from Palestinian Arab blood cooked with the flames of their suffering.

The second article is written more as a set of interesting facts about Jews and Passover. Written by Amr Abdel Rahman, the managing editor of the paper, it is entitled "When the Jews drank the blood of Egyptians on Passover."

Recently Jews celebrated their important Passover holiday, and this feast - for those who do not know - includes bloody and exciting rituals, and the most exciting of these rituals were probably still practiced secretly in Egypt by some members of the Jewish community ...

One visit to the Jewish Quarter brings controversial information, although it is not documented well - only signs and signals and tales on the tongues of some Egyptians who are afraid to talk about the customs and religious traditions of Jews while they lived here long ago, before finally departing in the late seventies.

"Uncle Hussein," a food seller, lives next to one of their synagogues. He says that that the Jews they had many holidays throughout the year and they were performing their prayers on a regular basis and they required to ten people to complete their prayers... Strangely enough, says "Uncle Hussein, "Despite being neighbors to them over the years, many of the rituals were carried out in the framework of mystery and secrecy and out of sight as they were held often in complete darkness, which made us wonder always about the nature of the rituals that take place inside the temple!"

For our part, we can not overlook the fact that the famous ritual for Jews, especially in their holiday of "Purim," which is followed by "Passover,", they would gather to celebrate and they required human blood in order to do their rituals. It is known that rumors in many countries of the world have talked about the children and girls who were abducted in the locations and times of this holiday in particular, where it is in accordance with the ritual of it has to be the shedding of the blood of people from "internationalist" communities as Jews call people who act contrary to their religion. It is known that these are considered - according to the counterfeit Torah - vile creatures or second-class and thus the Jews can use their blood, just as Muslims slaughtered sacrifices on Eid al-Adha!

"Hanafi Mohammed" - an elderly man - says that he heard from his father the story of a Jewish man who came to the city of Port Said in the late 19th century and lived next to a dealer of Greek nationality for a short period just before the date of Passover holiday. he forced the Greek's eight year old daughter to drink wine against her will. The next day the girl disappeared suddenly before they found her body with her throat cut and it seems to have been mutilated!

In the same context, says Dr. Umaymah Ahmed - a professor of ancient mythology - that during this feast of the Jewish people they are required to provide human blood in order to prepare pastries, in other words, they cannot perform their holiday ritual properly without draining the blood of mankind .. ..!!

This is historically a key reason that they were subjected to persecution and displacement .. In Europe and Asia during different times ..

The victim must be a non-Jewish young adult, of course, either Christian or Muslim. His blood is taken and dried to a powder so they may save the remainder for the next holiday .. The blood must be used where the Christians or Muslim victims are under ten years old...

They extract the blood with extremely sharp needles and put it in the barrel. These needles ensure that the blood exits the victim very slowly, and thus ensures the painful agony of the victim, his torment is pleasure for the vampire Jews who are keen to pursue this ritual in all its details, they love and enjoy it though it is difficult to understand!

The Jewish rabbi then brings to his countrymen complete happiness in their festival, presenting them with pancakes created with the blood of humans ..

It appears that the Muslim versions of the medieval blood libel are even more lurid and sickening than the Christian versions were centuries ago. And this one can be published on the Internet, instantly, to immediately create the next generation of antisemites who believe what they read in the newspaper.

This comes on the heels of the Miftah NGO publishing a similar screed in Arabic last month. Miftah has refused to publish an Arabic language apology for that article, ensuring that Arabic speakers continue to believe the most disgusting lies about Jews and contrary to its stated goals of peace and harmony.

The Misrelgdida newspaper describes itself by saying "We believe in credibility and transparency and strive to symbolize the new Egypt..The truth is the basis of our profession, and we believe in humanity and compassion, and that justice is the basis of our humanity, and believe in the future as long as we are alive."

Enlightened, progressive Westerners know that this is nothing to worry about. They know that all Arab antisemitism will go away if Israel just makes more concessions, and it isn't really antisemitism anyway but a sophisticated form of anti-Zionism, which is admirable.

Jews get so touchy when they are accused of ritually slaughtering Christians and drinking their blood, don't they?

Tuesday Links Part 2

From Ian:

New Research Sheds Light on Nazi Influence in Arab World

The Mufti was the most prominent Arab figure to support the Nazis, but he was not alone. “My research tracks the effort by the Germans, Italians, and Japanese to spread their propaganda and influence in Palestine and various Arab countries,” said Dr. Cohen, who was born and raised in Beirut and immigrated to Israel in 1995. “They worked hard at it and, to a significant extent, they succeeded.” Cohen has been combing through Arabic-language Nazi and Axis leaflets and radio broadcasts that were collected and analyzed by Haganah intelligence in the 1930s and 1940s.

Barry Rubin: The Region: The situation is looking better

What often seems to be the world’s most slandered and reviled country is doing quite well.
Face it: The obsession with the “peace process” is misplaced and misleading. The big issue in the region is the struggle for power in the Arabic-speaking world, Turkey, and Iran between Islamists and non-Islamists. And, no, the Arab- Israeli conflict has very little to do with these issues. Those who don’t understand these points cannot possibly comprehend the region.
Secretary of State John Kerry may run around the region and talk about big plans for summit conferences.
But nobody really expects anything to happen.

New Book Details Backlash Against "Zionism is Racism" Resolution

Daniel Patrick Moynihan blasted the United Nations resolution in a moment in history that made waves for more than just one moment.
A new book details the infamous "Zionism is Racism" resolution at the United Nations and the dramatic condemnation by United States ambassador to the UN Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Gil Troy is the author of Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight Against Zionism As Racism. Troy spoke to Arutz Sheva - Israel National Radio on the Derech Eretz Hour with Rabbi Elan Adler.

Let the French Pay for UNESCO
There’s no reason to waive U.S. laws to bankroll a wasteful, anti-American U.N. agency.

If UNESCO’s officials, in their lavish Paris headquarters, need the money, why not tell them to go lobby the French? France was among the member states that voted in 2011 to admit the Palestinians. The Gauls’ dues cover a mere 6.1 percent of UNESCO’s core budget, or about $20 million, compared with the 22 percent the U.S. was paying. Surely, if France appreciates UNESCO’s contributions to world peace (and French jobs) so much, the Quai d’Orsay could scrounge up a few more euros?

Debunking the ‘Palestinians as Native Americans’ Myth

In one anti-Israel protest outside of Nablus, Palestinians even dressed up like Native Americans in order to make a political point.
Various anti-Israel groups argue that the Palestinians are like Israel’s “Native Americans. However, the truth of the matter is that the Jewish people are the closest thing to an indigenous people within the Holy Land, while the Palestinian Arabs ancestors sprung out from centers of empire.

BBC documentary ‘Israel: Facing The Future’ tries to break the mould

Whilst the programme does have its inaccuracies, all in all it is clear that – for once – a genuine effort was made to present an objective, well-rounded picture of a complex subject and that a good deal of background research must have gone into making the documentary. Although the cameraman is not named on the relevant page of the BBC website, the film includes some stunning shots, often peppered with good humour.

At last moment, BBC drops documentary on Jewish exile

The BBC’s last-minute decision to drop a documentary that questions the extent of the Jewish exile after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE was a mixture of “incompetence,” “political naivete” and “lack of courage,” the Israeli filmmaker behind the project has charged.
The film “Exile: A Myth Unearthed,” which theorizes that many modern-day Palestinians could be partially descended from Jews who never left the region, was due to be shown in modified form by the BBC last week, but was pulled from the schedule at the last moment.

Hungarian Jewish leader beaten at soccer match

The head of Hungary’s Raoul Wallenberg Association said he was beaten at a soccer match in Budapest.
Ferenc Orosz told the Hungarian news agency MTI during a conference Monday on hate speech that “first he was verbally assaulted and then his nose was broken after a match at Budapest’s Puskas Stadium which he attended with his family” the previous day.

Suspicion grows that Boston bombers were behind 2011 murders

The families of three Boston-area men gruesomely murdered in 2011 have steadfastly declined to speak to the press even as suspicion has taken root that the men, two of them Jewish, were murdered by alleged Boston bomber and Islamist radical Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Israel Hi-Tech Firm Helped Capture Boston Bombers

Surveillance cameras were not enough to catch the Boston Marathon terrorists. The Israeli-based BriefCam firm “collapsed” an hour of video and focused on suspicious objects – and people.
An Israeli hi-tech company with an office in metropolitan Boston was instrumental in helping to identify and lead to the arrest of the Boston Marathon terrorists
BriefCam company’s technology enabled investigators to summarize an hour of surveillance video footage into only one minute and also zoom in on people and objects whose movements changed during the filming. The system then can track those movements form the beginning of the video.

As queen abdicates, Israelis like the Dutch very much

Israelis consider the Netherlands the second-friendliest country in Europe, according to a new survey published ahead of the occasion of the investiture of a new Dutch king on Tuesday.
One-fifth of respondents ranked the Netherlands as being the friendliest European country toward Israel after Germany, according to the survey, which was commissioned by the Dutch Embassy in Israel. Asked why, 86 percent of those who took part in the survey mentioned the country’s “continuing support of Israel regarding political issues.” About three-quarters cited “the low level of anti-Semitism compared to other EU member states.”

How fanatic are Palestinian Muslims? Pew survey says - VERY.

Select results from a new Pew survey of Muslims worldwide show that Palestinian Muslims are among the most religiously conservative and intolerant of all Muslim-majority countries.

Many of the questions showed that Palestinian Muslims rated behind only Afghanistan, Iraq and sometimes a handful of others in their levels of fanaticism.

Here are some of the survey questions with how Palestinian Muslims answered:

Please tell me if you completely agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree, or completely disagree with this statement: Members of your religion have a duty to try and convert others to your religious faith.
"Completely" or "mostly" agree 82%

Some people think that if a man engages in premarital sex or adultery it is justified for family members to end his life in order to protect the family honor. Do you personally feel that this practice is:
Often or sometimes justified: 33%

Some people think that if a woman engages in premarital sex or adultery it is justified for family members to end her life in order to protect the family honor. Do you personally feel that this practice is:
Often or sometimes justified: 37%

Which comes closer to your views? "Islam is the one true faith leading to eternal life in heaven" or "Many religions can lead to eternal life in heaven"?
Statement #1 89%

"Women should have the right to decide if they wear a veil" 53%
"Women should not have the right to decide whether to wear a veil" 35%

"Sharia law is the revealed word of God" 75%
"Sharia law is developed by men, based on the word of God" 16%

"Sharia law should be open to multiple interpretations" 42%
"There is only one, true understanding of sharia law?" 51%

Do you ever participate in inter-faith religious groups, classes, or meetings with Christians or not?
Yes 8% No 91%

"A wife should have the right to divorce her husband" 33%
"A wife should not have the right to divorce her husband" 57%

Agree or disagree? "A wife must always obey her husband"
87% "completely" or "mostly" agree (46%, 41%)

"Do you favor or oppose making sharia law, or Islamic law, the official law of the land in our country?"
89% favor 8% oppose

For those who answered "favor" - should Sharia apply to non-Muslims?
39% yes 43% Muslims only

"Who should have a greater right to parents’ inheritance – sons or daughters, or should both have equal rights?"
Sons 51% Daughter 1% Equal 43%

Is polygamy morally acceptable?
Yes - 48% No - 20% Not a moral issue - 17%

Is drinking alcohol morally acceptable?
Yes - 1% No - 92%

Is homosexual behavior morally acceptable?
Yes - 1% No - 89% Not a moral issue - 5%

Some people think that suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets are justified in order to defend Islam from its enemies... Do you personally feel that this kind of violence is:
Often or somewhat justified 40% Rarely or never justified 49% (highest percentages justifying suicide attacks of all countries surveyed)

Do you favor or oppose the following: the death penalty for people who leave the Muslim religion?
Favor - 62% Oppose - 29%

Do you favor or oppose the following: punishments like whippings and cutting off of hands for crimes like theft and robbery?
Favor - 72% Oppose - 23% (behind only Pakistan, Afghanistan and Niger)

Do you favor or oppose the following: stoning people who commit adultery?
Favor - 81% Oppose - 14% (behind only Pakistan and Afghanistan)

Those who claim that a Palestinian Arab state would be secular and democratic state are fooling themselves.

Those who pretend that a "one state solution" would respect the rights of a Jewish minority are knowingly lying.

UPDATE: I made an infographic about this report.

Not a single denunciation of terror attack in Arabic

When Israel haters need to find an easy "proof" that Jews and Zionists are racists, they go to Facebook or YouTube or any other uncensored comment forum and find some convenient anti-Arab or anti-Muslim bigot to quote. It is a lazy way to pretend to make a point, because every group has some idiots so the existence of idiots is used to generalize about the entire group. They ignore the denunciations of the bigots on those same forums, because that would ruin their thesis.

Of course, these "progressives" are engaging in stereotyping, and obvious dishonesty, which is a major crime when anyone else does it, but that doesn't matter to them. They pretend they are revealing a "higher truth," which is pretty much how they justify their own bigotry.

But in the aftermath of this morning's terror attack, and most* others, there is something striking about the Arab comments on various venues.

They are unanimously supportive of killing Israeli civilians.

I cannot find a single naysayer, a single person who says that killing a father of five standing at a bus stop is wrong. On the contrary, they will often try to justify it as a "right" or as if it is an obligation under international law.

Hundreds of Palestinians on the Fatah Facebook page are cheering the attack. (Palestinian Media Watch has more.) Every single person who identifies as "Palestinian" on Ma'an's English comment page is equally happy. (The official PA Wafa news agency reports the incident as the police shooting and wounding a Palestinian Arab around the same time that a "settler" was stabbed to death.)

Finding idiots on message boards where thousands of people gather is easy. But finding an Arab who is willing, on his own, to publicly condemn murdering a Jewish civilian is well-nigh impossible.

That is a real story that can be gathered from reading message boards and Facebook. And it is a story that Western media will not touch with a ten foot pole.

There is one exception I am aware of - the murder of the Fogel family in Itamar. While plenty of people praised the murderers as heroes, that was the one time I saw pushback on Arabic-language forums, since stabbing a baby was too much even for them.

Tuesday Links Part 1

From Ian:

Netanyahu the ‘Churchill of Our Times’ for Iranian Threat, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warnings on the Iranian nuclear threat make him the “Churchill of our times,” said Steinitz, who recalled that many world leaders ignored British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s warnings about German rearmament prior to World War II. Steinitz said Israel’s situation now is similar in important ways to that of Britain before World War II, “despite all the differences.”

CAMERA: New Documentary Highlights NY Times' Holocaust Coverage

Emily Harrold, a 22-year-old filmmaker, has produced an 18-minute documentary about the New York Times' failure to adequately cover the Holocaust. Inspired by Laurel Leff's book Buried by the Times: The Holocaust and America's Most Important Newspaper, Reporting on The Times: The NY Times and the Holocaust was just screened at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival as well as the Nashville Film Festival.

CIF Watch: Jewish “terrorists” vs Arab “fighters”: An open letter to the Guardian’s Richard Norton-Taylor

The very characterization of Jews as “terrorists” and the Arabs as “fighters” when it was Arab terrorist violence that launched the 1947-48 war to start with reveals a deep prejudice that belies any semblance of objective reporting.

The Cost of Inaction in Syria

Sometimes the U.S. cannot choose the conflicts it enters; sometimes conflicts choose the U.S. and require American leadership to solve. The reality of what is happening in Syria requires more than passive support of a non-lethal nature. Despite Barack Obama’s aversion to becoming involved in Syria, he will likely have no choice as the massacres continue. He set his own red line and as he said, “the world is watching.” And so America’s credibility is at stake in a region that continues to value the strong horse.

‘World’s intelligence agencies know full well that Assad used chemical weapons’

Top Israeli official says the evidence is indisputable; former Israeli defense minister claims weapons of mass destruction are already leaking to Hezbollah

Two Missiles Target Russian Passenger Plane Over Syria: Report

Unidentified assailants fired two land-to-air missiles at a Russian passenger plane carrying over 150 people when it flew over Syria on Monday, the Interfax news agency reported, citing an informed source in Moscow.

Hamas slams Abbas announcement on unity gov't talks By Khaled Abu Toameh

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied that his movement was part of the consultations over the formation of a new government.
Fatah, for its part, said that Hamas’s position showed that the Islamist movement was not serious about the implementation of the Qatari-sponsored reconciliation deal.

Debunking Five Myths of Washington’s Leverage in Egypt

While Egyptians are creating a new order, pundits in Cairo and Washington choose to deny this reality and Egyptians’ ability to create it. Some in Washington prefer to revel in the illusion of their own importance, threatening to cut off assistance to a country that they need perhaps more than it needs them.

‘Salon anti-Semitism’ spreading in Germany, film festival head says

Germany’s worsening economic situation is strengthening the far-right, German actor Christian Berkel, co-patron of the Jewish Film Festival Berlin & Potsdam, told a local newspaper.
It is not just neo-Nazis who are susceptible, said Berkel, 55, noting a kind of “salon anti-Semitism” that is increasingly acceptable in mainstream society. “Criticism of Israel is used as an indirect means to comment negatively about Jews in general,” Berkel told the daily newspaper Märkische Allgemeine, on the eve of the festival’s opening Monday.

Dustin Hoffman a No-Show, But Sent Love via Audio to Israel-Hater

Dustin Hoffman was unable to attend their Gala, so the Muslim Public Affairs Council found another Jew to present the co-director of the anti-Israel propaganda film with their Media Award.
That film is riddled with half-truths and full omissions, but because it fits the standard Hollywood position of “Israel bad, Arab Palestinians good,” its lack of veracity and documentary standards did not prevent it from being nominated this year for an Academy Award for “Best Documentary.” At least it did not win.

Tata injects $5 million in technology, R&D at Tel Aviv University

India-Israel collaboration to commercialize research in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, clean-tech, food security, the environment, engineering and software.
India’s Tata Industries will invest $5 million in Tel Aviv University’s Ramot technology fund, as part of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to generate leading edge ‘commercialization ready’ technologies in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, clean-tech, food security, the environment, engineering and software.

Fosun Pharma pays $240m for Alma Lasers

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, a leading healthcare company in China, has paid $240 million to acquire 95.6% shareholding of Israel’s Alma Lasers, a leading manufacturer of laser, light-based, radiofrequency and ultrasound products with integrated product portfolios for aesthetic and medical applications.

Also:
Stop calling J-Street "pro-Israel"

Is Israel really Pakistan's enemy?

Israeli company plots moon launch

(h/t Zvi)

Let's visit the bright college students of Israel's neighbors

The best and the brightest of Jordan:

Four people died and over 30 were injured on Monday in clashes that erupted between students at Al Hussein Bin Talal University in the southern governorate of Ma'an.

Police and anti-riot gendarmerie forces intervened to restore order in the university campus, vacating the campus from all students and employees.

In details of the incident, an "open day" to celebrate the anniversary of the University's founding on Monday at Al Hussein bin Talal University in Ma'an, 220 kilometers south of Amman, turned bloody as students from two different groups clashed.

Gendarmerie forces used tear gas to disperse the scuffling students, but as the clashes intensified, security forces worked to vacate all students and university personnel from campus.

Over 22 people were arrested as of Monday evening for suspected involvement in the clashes, Minister of Interior Hussein Majali announced.

Clashing students used fire arms, including automatic weapons, and knives in the brawl.

The clashes continued in the city of Ma'an, with local residents using fire arms and live ammunition to attack gendarmerie forces that cordoned off the campus, police said.

Fire Department cadres were able to contain several fires that were ignited during the clashes, including two vehicles that were set ablaze in acts of vandalism.

Observers have been warning of an increasing wave of university violence. Monday's incident comes less than a month after the Higher Education Council suspended classes at Mu'tah University in Karak governorate over riots and acts of violence and vandalism that erupted over student union election results. One student, a fourth year engineering student, died during the clashes and several others were injured.

There were riots in Egypt's Al Azhar University as well, but for a different reason - food poisoning.

According to the health ministry, 131 people were admitted to hospital after eating at the university dormitory.

The general prosecution has opened an investigation into the incident.

The mass food poisoning is the second of its kind at Al-Azhar University this month. It has triggered reactions from officials, student union members and others.

According to a statement released by the Muslim Brotherhood, President Morsi has contacted Egyptian Student Union deputy leader Ahmed Abdel-Rahman El-Bakry, who is also head of Al-Azhar Student Union, to check on the students’ health.

El-Bakry, a Brotherhood member, said in a statement that he had informed the president of the students’ demands which include the dismissal of the head of Al-Azhar University and his replacement with an elected leader rather than one appointed by the president.

Hundreds of students blocked Nasr Road late Monday in protest at the incident. Some chanted against Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb, just as they had done after the previous mass food poisoning on 1 April. Police used teargas to disperse the students.

After the first food poisoning incident, thousands took to the streets in support of El-Tayeb and against what they believed was a Brotherhood ploy to use the incident to force his sacking and further “Brotherhoodise” Al-Azhar.

“The repeated poisoning of Al-Azhar students, the blocking of roads and chants against the Al-Azhar [grand imam] is like a bad movie and whoever is responsible for it should be held accountable for political stupidity,” Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights leader Hafez Abu-Seada stated via Facebook.

The entire Arab world is a tinderbox, and anything can set it off.

I love it when posts write themselves:

An Iranian regime official and a website close to the regime have recently accused the Jews of engaging in sorcery and of employing it against Iran.

Mehdi Taeb, Official Close to Khamenei: 'So Far, [The Jews] Have Not Used The Full [Scope Of] Their Sorcery Against Us'
Speaking on April 20, 2013 to students at a religious seminary in Ahwaz, Mehdi Taeb noted: "The Jews are currently subjecting us to an unprecedented trial. As you read in the Koran, [King] Solomon ruled the world… and God ordered a group of sorcerers to come out against him. The Jews have the greatest powers of sorcery, and they make use of this tool.

"All the measures that have been brought against us originate with the Zionists. The U.S. is a tool in their hands. So far, they have not used the full [scope of] their sorcery against us. Sorcery was the final means to which they resorted during the Ahmadinejad era, but they were defeated. This ability of the Jews was eliminated by Iran. Five years ago they tried to oust Ahmadinejad [by this means]."

Rasanews.ir, Website Associated With Qom Seminaries: The Jews Believe They Can Use Sorcery To Control God's Decisions

The article on Rasanews.com, published March 7, 2013, stated: "The Jews have always tended to resort to divination, [a practice] that has its roots in astronomy, astrology and sorcery, [which they picked up] when they consorted with various peoples in the course of history. They cherished this [knowledge] like a treasure, generation after generation. In most cases, they base their predictions on the holy book [the Old Testament], especially on the book of Daniel, and they create an ideological climate in which the appreciation of sorcery and the yearning for it increase.

"The [Jewish] people think that ruling over man, nature, and divine traditions can be achieved only by means of sorcery. They believe that it is possible to conquer nature and control the world, and even to control God's decisions, by using sorcery methods…

"Sorcery is known to be a practice of which the divine books [i.e., the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Koran and] and the monotheistic religions disapprove. But Jewish mysticism regards it as a [legitimate] means to uncover the secrets of the holy book [the Old Testament]."

Now you can understand how Jews managed to train squirrels to infiltrate and spy on Iran - we use our powers of sorcery to speak to the squirrels! Sort of like Parseltongue, but with a completely different accent.

Iran's earthquakes? All we have to do is point our magic wands at the general direction of Iran and say "Persae terraemotus!"

Do you think that it was Stuxnet that slowed down Iran's nuclear weapons program? No, it was the famous Kabbalistic spell, "Exploratio centrifugus!"

And when I need material like this for the blog, I simply use the famous curse "Missa stultitiae!"

As far as the charge that we can influence God's decisions, well, we have a secret Talmudic method for that too.

The Jew that Sheikh Qaradawi couldn't stand to be near

I noted last week that Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, influential Muslim preacher and terror supporter, refused to attend the 10th annual Doha Conference for Interfaith Dialogue" because he did not want to share the stage with Jews, who he blames for "usurping Palestine."

So who is the Jew who he snubbed?

Apparently, the only Jew to attend this conference - and he has attended it for years - is Reuven Firestone, a left wing reform rabbi, professor of medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College, and founder and co-director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement. He has written books about Judaism for Muslims and about Islam for Jews.

In 2007, Firestone was invited to give a lecture at Ain Shams University but he ended up causing an uproar when it was revealed that he was Jewish - and a rabbi, to boot.

The furore has caused ripples beyond academia, with 20 parliamentary members quick to jump on the bandwagon and demand that the speaker of the People's Assembly summon members of the parliament's Educational Committee for an urgent meeting to determine who is responsible for the convening of such seminars.

They have also demanded that Hani Helal, the minister of higher education, be sacked.

"We are not going to allow Jews to desecrate our universities, spread their Zionist views and brainwash our students," railed independent MP Gamal Zahran.

A video tape and Arabic translation of the lecture are currently being studied by a committee formed by the university to investigate whether there is any substance to claims that the lecture was offensive to Islam.

His book about Judaism for Muslims (available online in Arabic for free) also came under withering attack in major Arab media, aghast that a different perspective is available where Muslims might accidentally read it.

Firestone is as pro-Islam as it is possible for a non-Muslim to be, but his very existence is threatening to many Muslims - because he is a Jew.

He wrote a paper about "contextualizing" anti-semitism in Islam. I don't have access to the full text, although in the first page extract you can see that he admits that there is plenty of Jew-hatred in Egypt, where he lived for a time. I would love to know how this specific brand of hate can be "contextualized."

But no matter how he can find excuses for Islamic Jew-hatred, it will never make the haters like him one bit more.

By the way, the anti-semite Qaradawi plans to visit his Gaza fans on May 8.

"Moderate" Fatah behind terrorist murder in Tapuach Junction

From YNet:

A 31-year-old Israeli man was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist Tuesday morning at a bus stop at the Tapuach Junction in the northern West Bank. The victim was identified as Evyatar Borovsky, a father of five from the settlement of Yitzhar.

Shai Sub-District Police said the terrorist apparently stabbed the Israeli and then snatched his gun. The terrorist proceeded to open fire at Border Guard officers, who returned fire and moderately wounded him, according to police.

Magen David Adom spokesman Meidan Ben Yoash said Borovsky was pronounced dead after efforts to resuscitate him failed.

Ynet learned that the terrorist is a Fatah operative from a village near Tulkarem. He was imprisoned in Israel for three years after being convicted of stone throwing and was released less than six months ago.

The terrorist's brother is currently jailed in the Palestinian Authority for allegedly collaborating with Israel.

Palestine Today identifies the terrorist as named Abu Salam Salam - or "Peace Peace," which might ironically be his nom de guerre. Ma'an arabic says his name is Salam Asaad Mohammed Zaal.

On the Ma'an English website - representing the most educated, secular Palestinian Arabs - the death is being celebrated by commenters and the victim is being called a criminal.

Apparently, a checkpoint 30 meters away from the attack was removed recently, and the area has been the scene of other attempted attacks in recent weeks and days - which most people don't hear about.

The story of a tablecloth

On Monday, at Sotheby's, the first part of a highly anticipated auction of Judaica - the Steinhardt Judaica Collection - was held.

While there are exquisite pieces of all types, including a beautiful illustrated Mishneh Torah worth millions of dollars, today's auction included an unanticipated bidding war over a 19th century tablecloth.

The estimated price for this piece was between $20,000 and $30,000. It sold for an astonishing $137,000.

Here is what it looks like and the explanation:

This colorful Sabbath tablecloth embroidered with images of the holy sites of Israel is one of an exceptional group of decorative textiles created in the Holy Land in the nineteenth century. In the central panel, the artist has featured an idealized vision of the sacred sites of the Temple Mount; the Midrash Shlomo (Solomon’s school) Bet Ha-Mikdash (The Temple) and the Kotel ha-Maaravi (the Western Wall). Surrounding the central panel are ten pavilions each denoting a tomb of one of the famous men or sages of Israel. In addition, the well of Miriam is also depicted and a fanciful chained lion represents the tomb of Rabbi Solomon Luria (known by his acronym as Ha-Ari = the Lion). In the outside corners are depictions of the tombs of Rachel, Samuel, Hulda the prophetess and the Kings of the House of David. Several prayers recited on Friday evening at the start of the Sabbath meal, (including Shalom Aleichem) are decoratively inscribed in concentric circles.

Scholarly research has identified a total of only nine clothes created in this style; these include seven highly similar tablecloths:
1. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. First half of the nineteenth century (161/58)
2. The Jewish Museum, London. First half of the nineteenth century (no. 366)
3. The Jewish Museum, New York. First half of the nineteenth century (F1789)
4. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Dated 1850 (755-1900)
5. The Wolfson Museum Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem. Dated 1906 (#2185)
6. The Wolfson Museum Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem. Early twentieth century (#257)
7. The Jewish Museum of Greece, nineteenth century

and one related Torah Ark Curtain in the collection of the Jewish Museum, London (#53).

The present cloth is the only one of this group to be both signed by an artist, Nachman the son of Hillel the Yerushalmi, as well as dated, 1821. More importantly, it is both the earliest example of this genre as well as one of the earliest extant dated objects of Judaica to be created in Jerusalem in the modern period.

Why would a tablecloth sell for such an astonishing amount?

Perhaps because this is simple yet powerful proof of the centrality of Jerusalem, and specifically the Temple Mount, to Jews - a truth that too many people nowadays downplay or ignore. The tablecloth also displays a small inkling of the richness of Jewish history in the Land of Israel, and it beautifully demonstrates how Jews and their land are inexorably linked.

(h/t D)

Monday Links Part 2

From Ian:

Boston bombers and 'liberal' cringe

Obviously, neither the Jews nor the American far right were responsible for the Boston marathon bombings, as some Middle-Eastern media outlets have hilariously claimed. In the West, blaming the Jews can be a sign of paranoia, but coming from the Middle-East, it’s usually a cynical tactic to appeal to those same Western paranoid types.
Judging by some British reporting of the Boston terrorist attack, one might get the impression that the British liberal media establishment wished it could blame anyone but those involved – Chechen jihadists.

Multiculturalism and the Decline of American Values

Liberal academia has always displayed a notoriously poor track record of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism. So it should come as no surprise then that professor emeritus of international law and practice at Princeton University and United Nations Human Rights “expert” on Palestine, Richard Falk, declared moral bankruptcy on Tuesday, when he blamed the Boston terrorist attack on America.

Barry Rubin: The Truths About Terrorism Whose Names They Dare Not Speak

The current conventional wisdom about terrorism, Islamism, and the Middle East is being bent, but not broken, by two events. On one hand, there is the Boston bombing; on the other hand, developments in Syria and to a lesser extent Egypt. What’s happening?
In the Middle East, the misbehavior of Islamist movements is becoming more apparent. In Egypt, there is the repression of the Muslim Brotherhood regime, which may actually intend to create a non-democratic Sharia state! Parallel behavior in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Turkey is under-reported but occasionally surfaces.

Harriet Sherwood and Phoebe Greenwood take steps towards understanding Palestinian incitement

As such, it was encouraging to read a recent story by the Guardian’s Harriet Sherwood, entitled ’Gaza schoolboys being trained to use Kalashnikovs‘, April 28, which reports on news that Hamas is now providing Gaza schools with military training for young boys. The program, which includes the use of firearms and explosives, will likely be extended to girls next year.

BBC discovers the word antisemitism

In the ‘Sussex’ category of the ‘England’ section of the UK page on the BBC News website we find a report entitled “Crowborough UKIP candidate Anna-Marie Crampton suspended” dated April 25th. Somewhat surprisingly – given its record when reporting similar recent cases of antisemitic remarks made by other politicians and public figures in the UK – this time the BBC has found itself able to accurately describe the nature of the statements made.

Polish politician to receive Elie Wiesel Award

Bartoszewski was a former Auschwitz concentration camp prisoner, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs and an honorary citizen of Israel. He is currently the Secretary of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. During the World War II, Bartoszewski was involved in the rescue of Jews for which he received the Righteous Among the Nations medal from Yad Vashem in Israel.

Israeli startup powers the sensors that power agriculture

Sensor-based innovations are helping farmers grow more food, and Sol-Chip’s technology is helping them do it more efficiently

Int'l Company Brings Optic Solution for Bandwidth Challenges

The Ciena company has announced the launch of its new network architecture, aimed at bringing a solution to bandwidth challenges.

What Israel Did for IBM and What IBM Did for Israel

An interview with Meir Nissensohn, former general manager of IBM in Israel.
Doug interviews Meir Nissensohn, former general manager of IBM in Israel. Mr. Nissensohn explains why IBM came to Israel, what investment opportunities Israel offers to large, multinational companies and what these companies can give to Israel in return. Also find out why Israel has so many startup companies and why businesses and the Israeli economy continue to prosper on the second part of this week’s Goldstein on Gelt podcast.

Several Israelis "discreetly" visited Tunisia during Djerba pilgrimage

This past weekend Jews from throughout the world descended to Djerba, Tunisia for an annual pilgrimage festival to the ancient El Ghriba synagogue there.

Tunisian authorities pulled out all the stops to ensure that the event would not be marred by violence or terror
attacks. Tourism is an important part of the Tunisian economy, and tourists are skittish about visiting in wake of the Islamist government there, so the leaders wanted to be especially careful about this event - because if Jews can visit Tunisia safely, all the more so should everyone else feel safe there.

According to one Egyptian site, about 20 Israelis of Tunisian origin managed to "discreetly "visit during the weekend as well, flying via Rome to Tunisia.

There are a number of groups in Tunisia that oppose "normalization with the Zionist enemy" and they tried to add a paragraph to the new constitution to criminalize any contact with Israel.

By the way, there was also at least one Jewish pilgrimage to Morocco yesterday; my guess is that it was to the grave of Rabbi Amram ben Diwan although there are a number of such pilgrimages on Lag B'Omer in Morocco.

Ha'aretz allows antisemitic comments on its Facebook page

For the past nine days, on Ha'aretz' Facebook page, you can see comments like:

I recall 100 million Christians being killed last century by Jewish Bolshiveks

Maybe you also forgot about the Armenian Holocaust in 1915? The event the coined the term "genocide" The 1.5 million who were slaughtered by the "Young Turks" who in fact were all Crypto-Donmeh Jews.

Heil Hitler, I wish he was still around! At least Israel would have not existed.

Granted, there are many idiots on Facebook, from all sides, and it is hard to police every comment.

But a year ago, Haaretz slammed Binyamin Netanyahu for allowing racist comments on his Facebook page in the hours after he expressed his condolences for a horrific crash that killed ten Arabs. And they also condemned Walla for allowing similarly disgusting comments.

Netanyahu expressed sorrow over the accident, but his aides did not remove the racist comments from his Facebook page or denounce them.

Eventually, the comments were removed from Netanyahu's page.

So why exactly are hate statements considered unacceptable by Ha'aretz for some online forums - but perfectly OK on Ha'aretz' own page? Is Ha'aretz not obligated to remove or denounce hate statements on its own forums?

Or is Ha'aretz-style morality only applicable to people it doesn't like?

(h/t Miguel)

If only we understood their motivations, we can soothe their anger!

Another loss for Ha'aretz

I noticed today that Avi Issacharoff, one of Ha'aretz' few remaining good reporters, now writes for Times of Israel.

Curious as to when his last article for Ha'aretz was, I looked at Google News and found this:

But clicking on the link one finds that Issacharoff's name has been scrubbed from the article!

Classy! Far from acting like the "New York Times of Israel," this is the sort of stunt that one would expect to see from the National Enquirer of Israel.

Perhaps this helps explain why Ha'aretz' website analytics have been going steadily down while Times of Israel's has been on its way up:

Monday Links Part 1

From Ian:

UN Watch: Victory: UN Reverses Course, Condemns Richard Falk
Falk defenders lash out: “UN Watch crafted the smoking gun, better watch itself”

Falk’s defenders, outraged at UN Watch, have now begun to rally, lashing out against us in lengthy manifestos. “UN Watch crafts the smoking gun,” screams a headline on Mondoweiss, a leading anti-Israel website. “UN Watch Better Watch Itself,” warns the headline of an essay by Jeremy Hammond, the publisher of Falk’s article.
Why are they so angry?
Because thanks to UN Watch pressure, their hero, the world body’s most vicious hater of America, Israel, and Western democratic society, was exposed, denounced, and shamed by world leaders—including by the head of the United Nations himself. And rightfully so.

UN’s Disgraced Richard Falk to be Honored Tomorrow by Famed US Financier in Beirut

A famous San Francisco tech finance pioneer is being called upon to cancel his sponsorship of a lecture tomorrow night that will honor a UN official who was denounced by world leaders last week for suggesting that the Boston bombings were somehow the fault of the U.S. and Israel.

Richard Falk’s Publisher ‘Foreign Policy Journal’ is just a 1-man, Truther-run website

In reality, “Foreign Policy Journal” appears to be a one-man website, dedicated to extremist anti-American and anti-Israeli rants, with that one man, Jeremy R. Hammond, who describes himself as self-employed and living in Cross Village, Michigan, being a prolific 9/11 Truther.

VIDEO: Ken Livingstone makes excuses for Boston bombers

Labour's former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has used his Press TV pulpit to make anti-imperialist excuses on behalf of the Boston bombers

Bombers’ mother told older son to go to ‘Palestine’

In a conversation tapped by Russian authorities, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva suggested that her sons go to Palestine during a discussion about jihad. The Russian security service intercepted the 2011 phone conversation as part of a wider monitoring programme, the fruits of which have now been turned over to US officials.

Glenn Greenwald on the sage foreign policy wisdom of the ‘Underwear Bomber’

In addition to smearing as ‘Islamophobic’ anyone who suggested, in the early hours and days of the investigation into the attack which left 3 dead and over 200 injured, that the culprits may be Islamists, his reaction once it seemed clear that the terrorists were radicalized Chechnyan Muslims was to argue, in a fashion similar to Richard Falk, that such attacks should ‘inspire’ us to reflect on US policy in the Mid-East.

European activist attacks IDF officer in Hebron

A Palestinian youth and a European activist were arrested by IDF soldiers near Hebron on Sunday for throwing rocks.
According to the IDF, the foreign activist resisted arrest and attempted to grab an officer’s weapon. He also reportedly attacked another IDF soldier before being subdued.

Hamas terrorist gets 24 yrs for shootings, bombings

IDF announces the Samaria Military Court convicts Muhammed Haruyash for involvement in and attempts to carry out terror attacks.

Syrian PM 'Survives Damascus Car Bombing'

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi survived a bomb attack that targeted his convoy in central Damascus on Monday.

Oren: Syria Military Action 'Very,Very Complex’

Oren said air strikes on chemical weapons bases pose a risk of collateral damage to civilians if agent is dispersed, and under international law the attacker would be at fault.
"That's why Israel is not making, urging any action by the United States in Syria, because we understand the complexity of it and we share the concerns of the United States and our neighbors," Oren said on Fox News Sunday.

What is the Motivation Behind Erdogan Visiting Gaza and Snubbing Kerry?

In the same manner as countless Middle Eastern leaders before him, Erdogan figures that going on the offensive on the Palestinian front will win him back some much-needed credibility. According to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the purpose of Erdogan’s trip is to secure precisely the outcome that the U.S. and the PA fear will be set back—namely, reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.

Defected Syrian general confirms chemical weapons use, says Iran helping weaponize them

Al Arabiya in English reports:

The Syrian government ordered the use chemical weapons against the Free Syrian Army (FSA) during select battles with Syrian regime forces, a defected general told Al Arabiya late Saturday.

A former army general from the chemical weapons branch, Zahir al-Sakit, said he was instructed to use chemical weapons during a regime battle with the FSA in the southwestern area of Hauran.

But instead, Sakit disobeyed the orders and swapped the chemicals with disinfectant water he called “Javel water.”

“I was given orders to execute the use of poisonous chemicals in caves and tunnels that are used by the Free Syrian Army, but I mixed all chemicals with water and used Javel water instead,” Sakit said.

According to Sakit, prior to his defection, no chemical weapons were used on his watch in battles against the FSA.

“I assure you that I ordered all chemical weapons to be buried and I can point out the exact locations of those chemicals,” Sakit added.

His actual interview in Arabic, however, also says that he knows specifically where and when chemical weapons have been used by Syria:

Following are excerpts from an interview with Syrian army defector Brigadier-general Zaher Al-Saket, former head of chemical warfare in the 5th division, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on April 27, 2013:

Zaker Al-Saket: There are three types of chemical weapons: harassing chemical agents, incapacitating agents, and lethal agents. When the demonstrations started, the regime used harassing agents, like any country in the world using tear gas to disperse demonstrations. As for incapacitating and lethal chemical agents - the regime used incapacitating agents at first, but when the world remained silent about this, and the regime thought that the international community did not care, it used lethal [chemical] weapons in more than 13 locations. The last incident was in Utaybah. The regime used sarin gas on three occasions, and I am increasingly afraid that they will use agents more powerful than sarin. They have VX gas and mustard gas, also known as iprit.
[…]
The regime's accusation that the opposition has used chemical weapons is the most compelling proof that the regime itself has used them, because the opposition does not have the means to use chemical weapons. The means of using chemical weapons are known to the whole world: airplanes, missiles, helicopters, and artillery. Worst still, this regime has binary chemical weapons. The world must understand that there are binary chemical weapons in Syria, and [Bashar Al-Assad] will use them against his people, because he is the Nero of our age.

Binary chemical weapons consist of two non-toxic agents, which are placed in incubators that are loaded onto artillery shells. Then, the shells are launched, and when the two agents mix, a toxic substance is formed.
[…]
[Al Assad] has a complete arsenal of chemical weapons. Some came from the former USSR, and some are being manufactured right now.
[…]
Iranian experts are working with Syrian officers in the Mazzeh military airport. They manufacture incubators for the toxic substances, which will be loaded onto warheads carried by airplanes. When these warheads hit the ground, they release a toxic cloud.
[…]
I was given an order to use these substances, but I replaced them with liquid bleach. This was the reason for my defection from Al-Assad's army.
[…]
In the Amoud Horan battle in Busra Al-Harir, I was given an order to launch toxic agents into the trenches and caves to which the F.S.A. was heading. But, Allah be praised, I replaced this substance with liquid bleach, which I diluted with water and launched into the trenches.
[…]
I buried these substances with my own hands, so my commander would not find out and send me to prison.
[…]
In Utaybah, near the Damascus international airport, the regime used sarin gas three times, because it is close to the airport. The next time chemical weapons were used was in Khan Al-Assal. First, they used incapacitating agents, and then they used lethal agents, because the F.S.A. forces had managed to reach the military academy, which is the main regime stronghold.
[…]
The chemical weapons are kept in heavily fortified places in the mountains. I know exactly where they are.
[…]
The U.S. can seize control of these weapons right now, but if I reveal their location in the media, they will vanish immediately.
[…]
The chemical weapons are kept in several places: In Aleppo, in the Hama region, in Damascus, and in Latakia. The chemical weapons are there.

Many media outlets reported the sanitized Al Arabiya version, but none seem to have noticed that the full interview was more damning.

Hamas and Fatah "unity" sham goes on - and Fatah leaders get bombed

Hamas and Fatah are still trying to negotiate a framework for negotiating a way for them to have meetings that are meant to lead to more talks to give gullible observers the pretense that they are interested in unification.

The latest is that some mid-level members of Hamas and Fatah will meet in Cairo to discuss the composition of an interim government even though they disagree on whether or when actual elections should take place after the supposed creation of this government. The talks are described as "crucial."

Prime minister Fayyad has not been replaced, and he is seemingly still doing what he was doing before he "resigned." Given how unlikely it is that Hamas and Fatah will agree on a new government soon, I think he will be the "outgoing prime minister" for months to come.

But to know how things really are doing between Hamas and Fatah, just check this out:

Assailants bombed the car of a Fatah leader in the southern Gaza Strip at dawn Monday, police said.

The attackers planted a 500-gram explosive device targeting the car of Monther al-Bardawil outside his home in Rafah, said police spokesman Ayman al-Bandakji.

Witnesses told Ma'an the explosion shook the neighborhood.

The Fatah official's car was damaged but no injuries were reported. Al-Bandakji said police had opened an investigation into the incident.

Earlier in April, assailants set fire to the car of Fatah's secretary-general in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Mahmud Hussein's car was torched outside his home in Rafah on April 18.

That is a more accurate barometer of how much Fatah and Hamas want to work together than any number of preliminary meetings.

Report: Qatari royal to visit Israel in November

Israel's business site Calcalist reports that Prince Khalifa Al-Thani, the a member of the royal family of Qatar, is expected to visit Israel this November. This would be the first official visit of the Qatari royal family to Israel, and is meant to promote high-tech cooperation between Qatar and Israel.

Al-Thani will visit Israel to launch the Israel-Palestine Commercial Arbitration Center (also known as the Jerusalem Arbitration Center), a venture led by the President of the International Chamber of Commerce Oren Shachor and Palestinian Arab businessman Munib al-Masri, which is meant to solve disputes between Israeli and Palestinian businesses for amounts of up to seven million shekels.

There are unofficial trade relations between Israel and Qatar but they generally do not include high-tech products. According to the Calcalist, the Qatari government is interested in strengthening its local high-tech sector by acquiring knowledge and technology and by encouraging the Israeli high-tech companies to export jobs and development projects to Qatar, rather than to India or Eastern Europe.

Al Thani and Shachor

The visit was set during a meeting last weekend between Al Thani and Shachor to promote commercial relations between the two countries. The prince is considered very close to the Emir and other Qatari leaders.

Qatar has been in the forefront of sending aid to Hamas-ruled Gaza, both fuel and building materials.

"Summer marriages" (Islamic prostitution) booming in Egypt under MB rule

From Now Lebanon:

Rich Gulf nationals go to Hawamidiyya, especially during the summer, to contract marriages for a definite period of time in return for a meager amount of money, some of which goes to the broker. The rest goes to the family of a young woman, often a virgin under 18 years of age, so that a rich man about the same age as her father can have sex with her while on vacation in Egypt.

During the years before the 2011 revolution, women’s and human rights organizations in Egypt followed several courses of action in their struggle to end such practices, including awareness-raising marches in areas where ‘tourism marriage’ is popular, in order to disseminate the dangers it entails. Rights groups have also advocated the promulgation of a law that criminalizes marriages if either one of the spouses is under 18 years of age. However, these efforts regressed after the revolution and such practices came back with a vengeance, against a backdrop of economic crisis and weak local authorities. Illegal practices, like changing the young woman’s age through falsified medical evidence attesting that she is over 18 years of age has also become widespread.

The growing phenomenon of ‘tourism marriage’ in Egypt’s governorates and towns was profiled in the US Department of State report on human trafficking last year, which estimated the number of such marriages to be in the hundreds. According to the report, “minor girls are entering into temporary marriages with Arab Gulf tourists during the summer in return for money” with “underage girls being taken into sexual slavery and forced to work as servants.”

Dr. Hoda Badran, president of the Egyptian Women’s Union, told NOW that poverty is the main factor behind the spread of this phenomenon, asserting that “tourism marriage is a form of slavery or of selling women.” Badran explained that she met with several “summer wives,” some of whom gave birth to children and struggled to inform the husband of his paternity. ‘Tourism marriage’ victims may have to abandon their newborns at an orphanage or childcare center so as not to become an ‘outcast’among her family members, the same people who may have sold her in the first place.

Nohad Abu al-Qomsan, president of the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights, told NOW: “Slavery and servitude have acquired a legitimate cover in some countries, including that of summer marriage, which has spread in many Egyptian villages, not only in Hawamidiyya, due to poverty and other pretexts.” Qomsan noted that, in many cases, a girl is married off several times in a sort span of time without heeding the customary waiting period, which might cause confusion as to the identity of the child’s father.

Qomsan argued that some Islamists want to “turn the poor into a pool of abominations, which can be traded on the pleasure market, with clients seeking multiple wives or marriage for pleasure.” She also underscored the phenomenon of marrying displaced Syrian women in Egypt.

This has been a problem for years, but there was some headway being made against the phenomenon before the Islamists took over Egypt. Now it appears to be back.

More Arabs move to Jewish neighborhoods than vice versa in Jerusalem

The world is up in arms over Jews moving to "East Jerusalem," with countless articles about this "illegal" settlement of Jews in Israel's capital city.

But there is a curious silence about Arabs who have been streaming into Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Not Arab citizens of Israel, but Arabs from across the Green Line who refuse citizenship but are still moving into the "Jewish" part of the city.

Israel's Channel 10 counts 2,537 Jews who moved to "Arab" parts of "east Jerusalem" - and 3,378 Arabs who are not even Israeli citizens who moved to "Jewish" neighborhoods.

Some move because it is cheaper, and less time consuming than waiting for building permits. Yet, even though there is some opposition to the moves by some Jews, this shows yet again that the idea that there is anti-Arab "apartheid" in Jerusalem is a lie.

(h/t Yoel)

Despite threats from haters, St. Andrews holds "Matzah Ball" party

As mentioned in Friday's linkdump, a hotel in Scotland canceled a Friday night party sponsored by two Jewish college organizations at St. Andrews after receiving threats from Israel haters upset that two of the charities that stood to benefit from the ball were Friends of the IDF and the JNF.

I had received word on Friday that the event would go on, but I was asked not to provide any details so the haters couldn't organize against it.

Here is what happened:

A charity ball held last night and organised by St Andrews’ AEPI Jewish fraternity and the Jewish Society was forced to change location from the Golf Hotel after staff received threats from protesters linked to the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and several other activist groups.

The activists called for the event organisers and hotel to end their support for two charities, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Friends of Israel Defence Forces (FIDF). Protestors labelled the JNF an “openly racist” organisation, claiming that the JNF takes over Palestinian land and does not lease or sell land to non-Jews. They also described the FIDF as an “occupation force that brutalises, humiliates, kills and maims Palestinians.”

Two days before the event was due to take place, the Golf Hotel cancelled the event over safety concerns. Fears arose that the protest would turn violent when anti-Semitic comments were posted on Facebook. One protester wrote: “Friday we send them into hell.” Another, commenting on the police’s presence at the ball, said: “Mi5 Mossad boot boys don’t stand a chance.”

We Are All Hana Shalabi, Scotland’s Youth and Student Palestine Solidarity Movement and one of the organisations connected with the protest, told The Saint that they had urged the hotel not to host to event but denied that those who threatened staff were linked to the official demonstration.

“We are encouraged that the call for the Golf Hotel to withdraw its support for the event was heeded, it illustrates the increasing anathemitisation of organisations such as FIDF and the JNF, and the scale of opposition to their activities.

The hotel only canceled because of the threats - and the haters are pretending that that their thuggish tactics had anything to do with it!

However, despite the reports, The Saint can reveal that the ball took place at a secret location. Guests were not told the venue but were picked up by taxis from pubs and bars around St Andrews. Six members of security were provided for the event, some of whom, a senior member of the organising committee told The Saint, were plain clothed police officers.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland confirmed that “appropriate measures” were taken in case there were protests but she would not confirm if plain clothed officers were present. Guests were asked at the door not to tweet or post on Facebook details of the venue.

The senior member of the organising committee told The Saint: “The safety and security of our guests was always our first priority and we worked closely with St Andrews police, a private security firm and volunteers to ensure that the event could go ahead as planned.

“At no point was the event cancelled and we are delighted that it was such a success, both in terms of the amounts raised for charity and the enjoyment of all our guests.”

The organisers had initially aimed to raise around £350 from the event. However, the change of venue and donations received from those who sympathised with the threatened students resulted in a final total of around £1,000. One man donated £230 to cover security and taxi costs to and from the venue to ensure the safety of guests.

A senior member of the Jewish society said she felt disgusted that the protesters had turned to threats of violence rather than engage the organisers in an open dialogue. She said: “I am a firm believer in freedom of expression but the problem came with their extremely offensive comments.

“They latched onto a party of 35 friends and decided that it was a massive Jewish conspiracy. I’ve lived in Israel, I’ve worked in Palestinian communities and I’ve never felt more threatened in my life by people who don’t even know who I am,” she said.

She described the Golf Hotel’s decision to cancel the event as “pathetic.” She added: “They [the Golf Hotel] had no right to violate their part of the contract. The Golf Hotel is scared of them. A victory does not come from bullying people into submission, it comes from engaging people and opening their minds.”

After speaking to Niall Thompson, the Golf Hotel’s manager, Paul Morron of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council reportedly said: “I conveyed the extent of the concern of the Jewish community that a hotel of its stature had caved in so easily to intimidation – something that would damage its reputation.”

“I contacted Inspector Meek, of St Andrews Police, and he told me that they had not had any serious concerns about policing the event.

“We regard this as a very serious incident, setting a worrying precedent in Scotland. “It’s not up to others to dictate to the Jewish community what charities they should support. That’s just not acceptable.”

Scottish Jewish Chaplaincy chairman Nicola Livingston added: “Students should be allowed to go about their ordinary business without fear of intimidation.

“This was purely a social event. Most of the charities are welfare ones, including Save a Child’s Heart, which saves the lives of children from around the world, including Palestinian children.

“Giving in to bully-boy tactics doesn’t do the reputation of the hotel any good at all.”

Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan discriminating against Syria refugees of Palestinian descent

Al Ahram reports:

Dozens of Palestinians refugees fleeing violence in Syria protested at the Palestinian embassy in Cairo, demanding better treatment from Palestinian and Egyptian authorities.

Gathering under a banner reading “don’t kill us twice,” Palestinian refugees began their open ended sit-in before the Palestinian embassy in Egypt on Tuesday morning, demanding to be recognised as refugees by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Children held signs spelling out the slogan while protestors broke out in various chants, including "down with the Ambassador." In the afternoon, protestors said they were threatened by police, who told them that “thugs” in the neighbourhood might attack them. Embassy bodyguards also secured the perimeters.

Frustrated over being denied refugee status by UNCHR, protestors, who previously lived in refugee camps in Syria, say that they should be given the same rights as Syrian refugees in Egypt.

“They [protestors] cannot register themselves as refugees. They can't put their children in schools. They’re not given healthcare nor do they have any kind of humanitarian services,” Hanine Hassan, organiser and Palestinian human rights activist said at the sit-in.

UNHCR cannot register the refugees because the Egyptian government does not officially recognise them as such. The agency refused to comment, saying that the matter lies entirely with Egyptian authorities.

Egypt is not one of the states that UNRWA works in, which means that the refugees from Syria who are ostensibly "Palestinian" have no agency that can help them.

But UNRWA's existence is not making Syria refugees of PalArab descent any more comfortable in Lebanon:

Palestinian refugees who have fled violence in Syria held their weekly sit-in outside UNRWA office in the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon, demanding the U.N. agency to do more.

With the tragic living conditions of Palestinians continuing to deteriorate in the camp, the protesters entered the UNRWA offices and disrupted work for two hours.

Representatives of the popular committees and institutions took part in the protest and demanded the U.N. carry out its duty in aiding the refugees, and devise an emergency plan aimed at providing temporary shelter or offer them allowances for rent.

The protesters also demanded health care coverage and the enrollment of Palestinians children in UNRWA-run schools and help college students.

UNRWA has said that more than 40,000 Palestinians from Syria had registered with the agency while activists estimate some 10,000 had not approached UNRWA.

Most of the refugees, who fled after the Yarmuk Refugee Camp in Syria was bombarded last year, are currently living in or near one of the country’s already overcrowded 12 refugee camps.

They warned they would take escalatory measures by threatening to enter the office of the UNRWA head, and forcefully turn schools and U.N. institutions into temporary shelters if UNRWA fails to meet their demands, primarily rent allowance.

Jordan also singles out Palestinian Arabs from Syria for "special" treatment:

Faced with surging numbers of shell-shocked Syrian refugees, Jordanian forces have begun turning Palestinian families away at the border, forcing them to return to a country ravaged by a ruthless dictator and to a civil war with no end in sight.

In a facility known as Cyber City near the border city of Ramtha in Jordan, 200 Palestinian families await their fate. Many of them have already been turned away from the neighboring Zaatari camp, which has stopped accepting anyone without Syrian identification. Anyone with a Palestinian ID is automatically directed to Cyber City, where they are detained until approved for asylum status. Eyewitnesses say the facility looks like a worn-down, six-story dormitory, its occupants forbidden from stepping outside its walls for any length of time.

At Salon, Bill Frelick of Human Rights Watch and Meera Shah at Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic describe the camp's deplorable conditions. In some cases, four families are squashed into one room -- and those are the families that have managed to stay together. The authors spoke with a Syrian refugee who recounted what the Jordanian authorities told him as he approached the border with his family:

"You can come, but she is not allowed because she's Palestinian." I told them our house is burned down and that we have no house to go back to. The Border Patrol officer said, 'That is not our problem.' I begged him. My wife and children were begging and crying not to be sent back. He said, 'It is impossible,' and put us in a military vehicle and took us to the border."

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, close to 4,569 Palestinians from Syria have managed to enter Jordan since the conflict in Syria began. But the number that have been turned away at the border is estimated to be significantly larger. However distressing, the government of Jordan has made no secret of its harsh policy of refusal. In October, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour announced the plan in the Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat, "Jordan has made a clear and explicit sovereign decision to not allow the crossing to Jordan by our Palestinian brothers who hold Syrian documents."

The common denominator is that a decision made some six decades ago to treat Palestinian Arab refugees differently from every other refugee in the world has repercussions, today. Two UN agencies, with differing goals, differing definitions, differing rules, different mandates and different budgets being played against each other and the entire Arab world happily discriminating against one type of refugee - all because they want to ensure that Palestinian Arabs remain miserable and stateless.

Sunday Links

From Ian:

Obama understands that Abbas doesn't want peace deal

"U.S. President Barack Obama understands today that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is not interested in reaching an agreement with Israel," a senior Israeli diplomatic source has said.
According to the official, a regular participant in policy-making, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to make significant progress toward a peace deal, but "everybody knows" that Abbas will not allow this.

Italian Jews irked by Abbas’s honor in Naples

PA president ‘denied the Holocaust… and never distanced himself from Palestinian terrorist attacks,’ says prominent rabbi

PA’s ‘Moderate’ Fayyad Calls to Free All Terrorists

PA second-in-command says it is wrong to imprison Arabs for terrorism against Israel.
The Palestinian Authority’s outgoing Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, called Saturday to free all PA resident Arabs imprisoned in Israel. Many are serving time for terror-related offenses, including murder and attempted murder; some were imprisoned for other violent crimes including assault and rape.

Marathon as political warfare

Palestinian Olympic committee member Itidal Abdul- Ghani told The Times of Israel on April 22, a day after the race, that “Israelis weren’t welcome to join the marathon while their military occupies Palestinian lands.” Haaretz reported that a number of Israeli runners were turned back and their registration fees returned.

Connecting the dots: Hezbollah, Iran’s web of plots

As the European Union grapples with a ban of the Lebanese Shi’ite organization Hezbollah within its territory, reports emerged last week of foiled Iranian and Hezbollah terror and criminal plots against targets spanning Bulgaria, Nepal, Canada and the US.
Will the mushrooming patchwork of global terrorism push the EU to include Hezbollah in its terror list? An EU designation could deal a one-two punch to the Lebanese group and its chief proxy Iran.

Bosnia expels two Iranian diplomats

Minister of security declares Iranian embassy secretaries "persona non grata"; unclear involvement in past terrorist plots.

Richard Millett: Jon Snow lunges for my phone while I question him about his “Jewish lobby” comment.

Last night Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow was at the London School of Economics to chair a panel of hardcore anti-Israel polemicists but as I was questioning him face to face about his own use of the term “the Jewish lobby” (Clip 1 below) he violently grabbed my mobile phone attempting to dislodge it from my hand accusing me of trying to secretly record our conversation. He then repeatedly called me “a creep” and claimed a breach of his human rights.

US, Israel plotting to oust Assad by June, Iranian official claims

Legislator in Tehran warns that American intervention would result in blowback against Jewish state

Syrian Army Ordered Chemical Weapons Use, Says Defected General

Syrian regime ordered use chemical weapons against the Free Syrian Army during select battles, a defected general told Al Arabiya.

IDF: Preparing for the unthinkable

Although millions of Israelis who are busy with the routine of daily life don’t feel it, there are 200,000 rockets and missiles pointed at the country’s population, and any future war could involve an initial onslaught of enemy projectiles.
Additionally, while the probability of a missile or terrorist attack on Israel involving unconventional weapons is very low, the threat cannot be dismissed out of hand.

This 1,000-Year-Old Minaret Was Destroyed in Aleppo Syria Last Week

With few signs of international action to stop the terrible harm to flesh and blood, we add another reminder here of the catastrophe: the great destruction to the mortar and stone of Syria's magnificent historical heritage. The minaret was built almost 1,000 years ago as part of Aleppo's Great Mosque.

Beirut bans award-winning Lebanese film shot in Israel

Doueiri dismissed the ban as "foolish and unfair", and noted that several Palestinian films shot in Israel with Israeli actors "and even with Israeli financing.. were allowed to screen in Lebanon."
"Why them and not this film? Are the Lebanese supposed to carry the Palestinian flag higher than the Palestinians themselves?" Doueiri asked.

Draining cash, Egypt on $30 billion search for aid

Egypt’s need for funds is dire. After the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak, foreign investment in Egypt shriveled and tourism — a top revenue source — took a heavy blow. Neither has recovered since, with investors and tourists still scared away by the country’s unrest and political uncertainty.

Record attendance at J'lem ANZAC Day ceremony

Aussie ambassador at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery: Peace and goodwill can flow from even the fiercest of conflicts.
It is customary for Australian and New Zealand diplomats to hold commemorative services for the ANZACs in the countries in which they served, and to pay tribute not only to them but to Australian and New Zealand Forces wherever they have served and died since.

Israel Daily Picture: Jews Celebrate Lag B'Omer This Week.

How was it commemorated 90 years ago?
Today Jews around the world are celebrating Lag B'Omer, the end of a month-long mourning period when traditional Jews refrain from weddings or joyous gatherings.