Saturday Links

From Ian:

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A Terrorist’s Dream – To have Jews as the Enemy
It must be any Arab terrorist’s dream come true that they have Jews as their enemy.

If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you can fire rockets by the thousands and finally receive a response you know will end prematurely and inconclusively. You face an Israeli enemy which, during a war, gives advance notice by flyers and phone calls to apartment residents that a specific building is being targeted, giving so called “innocent” civilians and yourselves enough time to escape with your life.

Aid Agencies in Gaza Protest New Exit Rules

About two dozen international aid agencies that operate in Gaza have suspended travel by their local employees to Israel and the West Bank to protest new exit permit requirements imposed by the Hamas-led government.
Leaders of several nongovernmental organizations said the permit requirements, announced April 4, were an effort by Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, to collect information about their groups through application forms and interviews. Hamas has also sought salary information for the local employees to collect income tax, and it wants to tax vendors providing materials to internationally financed projects in Gaza, which the aid agencies oppose.

Honest Reporting: How an Arab-Israeli Politician’s Efforts Inadvertently Dispel the “Apartheid” Myth

Jamal Zahalka is a shining example of why Israel is not an “apartheid” state. On top of being an Arab-Israeli citizen, Zahalka is a member of Balad, an Arab political party which is diametrically opposed to the existence of the state of Israel.
As a Member of the Israeli Knesset (parliament), Zahalka has actively tried to undermine the legitimacy of the Jewish state, calling for sanctions against Israel and holding meetings with and standing in solidarity with terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. If a Canadian MP were to meet with, endorse, and support members of Al Qaeda, that politician would likely be censured for seditious conduct, but in Israel, Zahalka is part of the Jewish state’s vibrant liberal democracy.

Minister warns against Muslim antisemitism in the UK
A government minister has spoken out against “antisemitism in the Muslim community” in Britain.

Baroness Warsi, the Minister for Faith and Communities, said that anti-Zionism was often a mask for anti-Jewish hatred.
“I am aware that anti-Israeli sentiment can sometimes be a cover for antisemitism. As the Community Security Trust will tell you, antisemitic attacks spiral in the UK when there is increased unrest in the Middle East.”

Guardian writer says new BBC news chief will have to "leave behind pro-Israel" views

So The Guardian, or at least its writers, believe that you can't be balanced and in favour of the Jewish state?
I knew that when James Harding was appointed BBC director of news this week, the Guardian would have something to say about it.

Nearly 80 percent of UK Jewish community sees BBC bias against Israel

Almost 80 percent of Jews in the Britain have reported that they believe the BBC is biased against Israel.
A new report published this week shows that 36 per cent of British Jews polled thought that the corporation was "heavily biased" against Israel while 43 per cent thought that it was "somewhat biased". Only three percent felt that the BBC favoured Israel and just 14 percent that its coverage was "balanced".

Eilat airport may be closed down because of missile threat

In the interim, Israeli passenger planes serving the city to be equipped with new anti-missile defense system, TV report says

Golan residents report blasts near Syria border

IDF forces reportedly looking for mortar shells possibly fired from the war-torn country; no reports of injuries

Reversing policy, US will sell Israel aerial refueling planes

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will finalize a huge arms deal with Israel during his visit starting Saturday, under which Israel will for the first time be permitted to purchase US aerial refueling planes and other ultra-sophisticated military equipment that could prove vital to any Israel strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Remembering Warsaw By Trashing Zionism

..in a curious act of revisionism, the New York Times commemorated the Ghetto Uprising today with an article that seeks to push back against this narrative and to replace it with one that downgrades the importance of Zionism in both the story of the Warsaw revolt and its place in Jewish history.

Dutch bounty hunters preyed on Jews during Holocaust, study shows

Dozens of Dutchmen preyed on Jews for cash during the Holocaust, according to a new study.
According to the research by Pinchas Bar Efrat, 82, as many as 80 bounty hunters roamed the Netherlands during the German occupation of 1940-5.

No regrets for UK Jewish academic who lost landmark anti-Zionism case

The UK is already known as a hub for the delegitimization of Israel, but the situation is about to worsen. According to Ronnie Fraser, there is likely to be an upturn in anti-Israel activity on university campuses and among trade union activists.