Pages

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

8/28 Links Pt2: PA Violates Oslo Accords, PA Lying About Cancelled Talks, Raising Nemo in the Desert

From Ian:

Khaled Abu Toameh: The Palestinian Authority's "Israeli Affairs Committee"
Instead of preparing Palestinians for peace with Israel, the Palestinian Authority leadership has decided to focus its efforts on winning the support of the Israeli public for a peaceful settlement based on the two-state solution.
In the context of its efforts to "convince" Israelis to accept the two-state solution, the Palestinian Authority recently established a special "Israeli Affairs Committee" with the goal of promoting the idea among the Israeli public.
The committee's main task, in fact, is to scare Israelis that failure to accept all Palestinian demands would plunge the region into another cycle of violence and bloodshed. The Palestinian Authority is hoping that to avoid another intifada, intimidated Israelis would put pressure on their government to comply with Palestinian demands.
Opposition To 'Abbas Emerging Within Palestinian Authority
Senior Fatah Members Criticize Government For Anti-Democratic Methods, Corruption
Recently, several senior Fatah members have sharply and openly criticized the nature of the Palestinian Authority (PA) government, headed by President Mahmoud 'Abbas. Essentially, they accused 'Abbas of concentrating in his hands a great number of functions and powers; this, they say, constitutes an infringement of democratic rule. They also alleged that there is corruption in the PA and its security apparatuses, and that they are exceeding their authority and suppressing freedom of expression by intimidating anyone who dares to speak out against 'Abbas.
PA official Rajoub calls Israelis "bullies" and "you Nazis"


Prosor: Peace Depends on Next Generation Wanting Peace
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, said on Tuesday that peace in the Middle East would only be possible if the Palestinian Authority stops educating its children towards hatred of Israel and towards jihad against Jews.
In a post on his Facebook page, Prosor mentioned the UNRWA-sponsored children's camps which educate young PA Arab children to wage war against Israel.
“The next peace agreement depends on the next generation wanting peace,” he wrote.
“This summer, Palestinian children as young as 5 attended camps where they were taught to hate Jews, glorify suicide bombers and fight a 'holy war' against the State of Israel,” added Prosor.
Israeli Minister Tells Norway That Palestinians Are Violating Oslo Accords
Elkin asked the foreign minister of the country where the 1993 Oslo Accords were signed to discourage the Palestinian Authority from taking unilateral steps that violate the agreement.
“If the Oslo agreement said specifically that the Palestinian Authority will not take unilateral steps to establish an independent state, and after about 20 years it goes to the U.N. and asks for recognition of a Palestinian state, who will ensure that if we sign an agreement they will uphold its conditions?” Elkin said, according to Israel Hayom.
Palestinian Authority Accused of 'Lying' as Talks Continue
On Monday, a senior PA spokesperson declared that the talks had been cancelled, in response to events in Kalandia.
"The meeting that was to take place in Jericho... today was cancelled because of the Israeli crime committed in Kalandiya.
"What happened today in Kalandiya shows the real intentions of the Israeli government," said PA Chairman president Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeina.
MK Tibi: Mob Attack on Soldiers was ‘Legitimate Self-Defense'
MK Ahmed Tibi, who is no stranger to controversy, may have outdone himself with a new Facebook post justifying a violent attack on IDF soldiers – and calling the soldiers war criminals.
“Throwing rocks at a military jeep full of armed soldiers who came to kill in a refugee camp (Kalandia this time, Jenin two weeks ago) is legitimate and is a form of self-defense,” Tibi wrote.
Foreign Ministry slams UNRWA for 'jumping to conclusions' in Kalandiya incident
In an unusually blunt attack on the United Nation’s Relief and Works Agency, the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called on the organization to “return to its original humanitarian agenda” and refrain from “one-sided political advocacy.”
Only in this way, the statement said, could UNRWA “hope to be taken seriously – both by Israel and the international donor community.”
The Foreign Ministry was responding to a press release the organization issued Monday condemning Israel for the death of UN worker Rubin Zayed, a 34-year-old father of four. The agency said this occurred during the IDF operation Monday in Kalandiya where three Palestinians were killed after security forces came under attack while carrying out an arrest.
The ‘hate fest’ of the year coming to a university near you!!
On Wednesday 11th September and Thursday 12th September, our National University in Canberra is hosting a conference for “Human rights in Palestine”.
This conference/hate fest is associated with a project on ‘Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories’ funded by the British Academy and the Australian National University. The British Academy has provided funding for the project with the aim of encouraging debate and understanding.
The Australian: Peace body promotes conflict
One of the many benefits of the rule of law is that everybody is entitled to their day in court. Faced with a complaint of breaching the Race Discrimination Act, two Sydney academics have decided to stage a protest rally instead.
It means that peaceful, law-abiding scholars at the University of Sydney will have their day disrupted by another arrogant display by the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. Sydney Peace Foundation director Stuart Rees and Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies director Jake Lynch would do better to start preparing their defence for the Australian Human Rights Commission hearing they are due to face this week. The Tel Aviv-based Israel Law Centre, Shurat HaDin, has lodged a complaint that the academics' support for the BDS movement breaches race discrimination laws.
BDS groups protest Israel Philharmonic in Buenos Aires
Pro-Palestinian groups held an anti-Israel demonstration outside a Buenos Aires theater during a charity concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Some 50 demonstrators outside the Colon Theatre on Monday called for a boycott, disinvestment and sanctions against Israel.
A statement from the Federation of Palestine-Argentinian institutions and the Association for Human Rights in Palestine — the groups that organized the protest — said Israel “kills one Palestinian child every three days” and that Israel is carrying out a policy of “ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
Indy legitimises ludicrous charge that Israel is ‘ethnically cleansing’ Jerusalem
As you can see, whatever your views on Israel’s decision to build homes in communities in “east” Jerusalem (parts of the city previously controlled by Jordan), the charge that such construction, on lands which are currently uninhabited, constitutes the “ethnic cleansing” of either Muslims or Arabs is nothing but a lie.
If the toxic influence of pro-Palestinian propaganda wasn’t so severe, the charge that Israelis are engaged in anything resembling the ethnic cleansing of Muslims or Arabs would be regarded with the suspicion and contempt that typically greets other discredited anti-Zionist and antisemitic conspiracy theories.
BBC R2 promotes and mainstreams anti-Israel Greenbelt Festival
Near the beginning of the programme Clare Balding remarks on the “lovely feel” to the festival and her interviewee, the festival’s creative director Paul Northup, describes the event as “inclusive” and engaging”. However, any stray Israelis who happened to stumble upon it would probably find the event decidedly less than inclusive.
Balding makes no mention of the fact that one of the festival’s ‘attractions’ was a “giant interactive floor game for all ages” titled “Occupation”.
The Truth about the Siege of Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip is under a cruel siege which takes no account of the basic needs of the population, Yet the world is silent. Already under the role of now-deposed President Morsi, the Egyptian Army began an operation to destroy and flood the smuggling tunnels. Now, in addition to the fishing areas, the border has been sealed, with no indication of plans to re-open it. At the other end, the State of Israel allows the transfer of people and goods to the Gaza Strip, providing both electricity and water to a territory it itself defines as a “hostile entity”
US student says racist campus postings a ‘joke’
A college student acknowledged posting anti-Islam fliers and racist cards around the campus of the historically liberal Oberlin College earlier this year, saying he meant them as a “joke” to provoke a reaction, according to statements he made after being detained by campus security. The student also took credit for the display of a large Nazi flag, which he also said he meant as a joke, and posting the face of Oberlin’s president onto a picture of Adolf Hitler, according to the statements contained in an Oberlin city police report.
Adjudicator Rules Against BDS-Infected Academia
An Israeli student won a significant victory against Britain’s BDS-infected academia.
The background: Smadar Bakovic had repeatedly complained to Warwick University that she wasn’t comfortable with pro-BDS professor Nicola Pratt supervising her Master’s degree dissertation on Israeli Arab identity. Eventually, Pratt gave a low mark to Bakovic’s dissertation, Bakovic had it re-evaluated on appeal, and received a substantially better mark.
Man charged with threatening Fargo synagogue
A man is facing federal civil rights and threats charges after officials at the Department of Justice said he called the synagogue here and left a message suggesting he was affiliated with Hamas and claiming Islamic Jihad against the head of the synagogue.
Dominique Jason Flanigan, 41, of Fargo, also known as Kadafi Al Sadar, was arraigned Monday on two counts of transmitting threatening communications and one count of interference with a federally protected activity, the highest count of which is a felony, according to court documents.
Book Sounds Alarm on Modern Anti-Israelism and Anti-Semitism (REVIEW)
Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld sounds the alarm. His new book, “Demonizing Israel and the Jews,” consults a diverse selection of prominent authors, bloggers, politicians, psychiatrists, historians and other expert professionals, gauging the current climate.
This survey is extensive, and it is important. By highlighting his colleagues’ research, Gerstenfeld examines the roots of persistent old-world anti-Semitism and demonstrates how new, hate-fueled, uncompromising, and even genocidal ideologies propagate rapidly.
Israel and China agreement takes direct flights to new heights
Under new deal, Israel and China can operate 14 regular weekly flights and seven cargo flights between the two countries • Until now, El Al has operated just three weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Beijing, while Air China does not operate any.
PrePex chosen to circumcise 20 million men in Africa
Fourteen African nations with high rates of new HIV infections are hoping an Israeli medical device for non-surgical voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) can curb the epidemic and save lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified the PrePax method as part of its widespread HIV prevention programs on the continent.
PrePex is the only adult circumcision method, other than conventional surgery, to gain WHO accreditation. The method requires no sutures, no injected anesthesia and sees no blood. Moreover, PrePex can be used by both trained physicians and mid-level providers, such as nurses.
Raising Nemo in the desert
Desert fishing seems like an absurd notion. Yet the lucrative tropical fish-growing industry in Israel’s Negev desert is one of the best, and most environmentally friendly, in the world.
Click on the video to see Arava Research and Development Center Director Alon Gadiel explain why this arid region has become a world leader in the fancy fish industry.
Growing fish in Israel's desert