Sunday Links

From Ian:

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Elliott Abrams: Why Europe can't bring peace to the Middle East

This letter is a useful reminder of European attitudes, at least at the level of the Eminent: Blame Israel, treat the Palestinians as children, wring your hands over the terrible way the Americans conduct diplomacy. The Israelis will treat this letter with the derision it deserves, and the Palestinians will understand that because this kind of thing reduces European influence with Israel, the EU just can't deliver much. Indeed it cannot, and the bias, poor reasoning, and refusal to face facts in this letter all suggest that this won't be changing any time soon.

Blaming the victim for anti-Semitism

Of late we have witnessed a new methodology used to suppress those who speak out against anti- Semitism in academia. Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a Hebrew lecturer at UC Santa Cruz, and Ronnie Fraser, a lecturer in mathematics in London, have respectively taken on their schools and unions with regard to how anti-Semitism has infected their organizations and caused an uncomfortable, even hostile, environment based on the politics of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Blazing Cat Fur: NBC, Juan Cole Both Cite Crazy Jihadi Web Site As Reliable Source For Info On Terrorist Tsarnaev Brothers

NBC and Juan Cole have each cited the KavKaz Center, a Chechen Jihadi web portal, in stories about the Tsarnaev bothers. NBC did so in a story which claims the Chechen jihadi insurgents disavow any links to the Tsarnaev's. Similarly Juan Cole, a notorious apologist for militant Islam, cites the center in a report also denying the Tsarnaev's connections to the Chechen Jihadis.

IDF produces film to counter allegations raised in documentary 'Jenin, Jenin'

The Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's Unit is hard at work producing a film meant to counter allegations raised in the 2002 documentary film "Jenin, Jenin." The 2002 film was a Palestinian account of events during an April 2002 Israeli operation in a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin, during Operation Defensive Shield.
The film currently in production aims to "tell the true story of the battle waged by the IDF."

UN Watch: Times of London: Hamas razes historic site for ‘terror training camp’

EU is asked to act as ancient ruins in the Gaza Strip proposed as World Heritage Site are bulldozed by militants, writes Sheera Frenkel

BBC’s Donnison promotes Bethlehem Marathon as non-political event

Donnison makes no attempt to verify the accuracy of the claim that the event (due to take place on April 21st) has “nothing to do with politics” for his readers. A quick perusal of the marathon’s website would have been enough to inform him of the fact that the reality is quite different.

Police: Muslim Women Arrested for Anti-Jewish Provocation

Several of the Muslim women who repeatedly attempted to physically block Jews from visiting the Temple Mount were arrested, police have said.
Police commander Avi Biton reported the arrests in a letter to Michael Puah, who had sent a letter of complaint over the women’s provocative actions.

Morsi says he won’t visit or warm ties with Israel

Egyptian leader dismisses talk of increased cooperation with Jerusalem, noting, ‘Even enemy states coordinate on security matters’

Why US-Israel mission to thwart Iran could mean a leading role for China on North Korea

Defense Secretary Hagel’s Mideast visit this week will focus on Iran and Syria, but those crises should also be viewed through the lens of Beijing and Pyongyang

‘Israel seeks Turkish airbase to enable Iran strike’

Netanyahu’s national security adviser travels to Ankara offering advanced defense technology in exchange for an airstrike launching platform, the Sunday Times reports

European Jewish Congress Welcomes Report that Says Greece Could Ban Neo-Nazi Political Party

The European Jewish Congress (EJC) welcomed Thursday a report by the commissioner for human rights of the Council of Europe, which stated that Greece has the legal right to ban the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party.

Pope Francis visited Israel in 1973, just as Yom Kippur War broke out

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, then in his mid-30s, spent six days confined to his Jerusalem hotel, studying the Letters of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Ominous clouds hover once again over Europe

This speech was delivered on April 21, 2013, at Bergen-Belsen, Germany, marking the 68th anniversary of that concentration camp’s liberation.
We come here every year to assure the dead of Belsen that we have not abandoned them, that we will never abandon them. But equally important, we must recommit ourselves once again in this sacred place to do everything in our collective power not to allow the spiritual and ideological heirs of the National Socialist regime to arise anywhere in the world as a new scourge of humankind.