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Monday, November 18, 2013

11/18 Links Pt2: Can we mention the “I” word?, The Iranians behind the Israeli rescue missions

From Ian:

Can we mention the “I” word?
When Arabs were “incited” to murder in Hebron in 1929, was it hatred for Israel? Or was it perhaps hatred for Jews they were incited with?
Israel has built schools, hospitals, infrastructure and dramatically advanced the living conditions of the Arabs in the disputed territories. This receives no thanks and was delivered in the face of unremitting terror attacks. Without the strong security measures, how many more Jews would have been killed?
But the more Jews do, the more Jews give, the greater the hatred of Jews becomes. It’s a kind of jealousy: each one of our successes highlights their failures. Is it time to study, honestly, the contemporary theology that provided the basis for the indoctrination of this young murderer?
We can never surrender enough to placate this foe. We’re locked in an endless war. That doesn’t mean we have to give up living here or being proud, independent Jews. But we must never let ourselves fall asleep thinking we’re safe.
Danon: Stop Funding PA Until it Stops Funding Terrorism
Danon noted that the aid money which the PA receives is being used in large grants to terrorists, saying "the world thinks it's funding peace, but the Palestinians are funding terror."
The Deputy Defense Minister added that "the world needs to stop the money going to the PA until it stops funding terror."
Honest Reporting: New York Times Photo Outrage
For starters, it is ten paragraphs down before we even learn the details of the horrific attack on Atias while he slept on a bus in Afula. The majority of the article is devoted, despite the headline “Attack on Israeli Worsens Tensions With Palestinians,” to issues surrounding settlements.
But just to ensure against any notion that an Israeli could be the victim, the NY Times chose this photo to illustrate the story:
Not a photo of Eden Atias. Not a photo of his mother mourning the loss of a son.
We are treated instead to an image of the mother of the terrorist responsible for murdering Eden Atias, presumably mourning the fact that her son is now in Israeli custody.
In the eyes of the New York Times, Israeli victims of terror are mere footnotes to a one-sided narrative of Palestinian suffering and Israeli responsibility for that suffering.
Soldier who arrested Afula terrorist honored
The Israeli soldier who apprehended the terrorist who stabbed to death 19-year-old soldier Eden Atias last Wednesday has been commended for his action.
Kfir infantry brigade commander Col. Asher Ben-Lulu presented 2nd Lt. Yitzhak Maimon with a certificate of merit on Sunday evening for the courage he displayed at the scene of the Afula bus station terror attack.
The Return Of Shirley Temper
Everyone’s favorite palestinian propaganda child is back, although she takes a back seat to a smaller child who seems to be reciting a scripted poem (perhaps Temper junior?)
Notice how not frightened the children look (Shirley smiles at the camera at one point). You would think if the IDF soldiers were really the big, bad wolves Shirley and company have in the past tried to portray them as, the girls would not seem so comfortable.


IDF Blog: Hamas in Comics: Terror and Tyranny in Gaza
Since the day of its creation, Hamas has vilified the Jewish people, indoctrinated Gaza’s children and attacked Israel with suicide bombings and rockets. In November 2012, we were left with no choice but to stop Hamas’ terror through Operation Pillar of Defense. One year later, we show you the terrorist organization like you’ve never seen it before.
“Concentration Camp” Gaza Now Manufacturing Its Own Cars
Welcome to Gaza, the world’s only “concentration camp” which manufactures its own cars.
The Guardian is forced to correct a second false allegation by Antony Loewenstein
Recently, an alert CiF Watch reader noted a second correction to the same Loewenstein essay. Here’s the original passage:
Another front page story in the paper last week claimed that Hebrew University is a bastion of Jewish and Arab co-operation, yet ignored the litany of examples of the institution repressing Palestinian rights.
Now, that passage smearing Hebrew University has been amended,
Six hundred people at a meeting better held back in the Middle East
Hundreds of Muslims attending a community meeting in western Sydney were warned yesterday that they should refuse to co-operate with Australian governments and their agencies, including ASIO and the federal police.
The annual conference of Hizb ut-Tahrir heard speakers say the federal government had a covert plan to marginalise and suppress activist and traditionalist Islam under the guise of engagement and fostering harmony with moderates in the community…
Does Guardian columnist Michael Cohen regularly follow the hate site, Mondoweiss?
Mondoweiss also hosts the musings of Max Blumenthal, author the ‘Israel haters guide to the universe’ praised by such notable ‘activists’ as Gilad Atzmon and David Duke.
The politics of Michael Cohen have been revealed in previous ‘CiF’ essays – where he once suggested that terrorist attacks on Israelis may actually ‘help’ the peace process – but his legitimization of Mondoweiss suggests an especially troubling dynamic whereby antisemitic commentary typically associated with the extreme right garners increasing respectability by those who consider themselves ‘progressive’ voices on the Middle East.
BBC perpetuates themes from Operation Pillar of Cloud
Notably, the casualty figures cited above from Hamas and OHCHR sources suggest that fewer combatants – and hence, more civilians – were killed during the conflict than do figures from other sources. Clearly, the Hamas claim that the casualties were “mostly civilians” is not credible information and it is inappropriate for the BBC to promote it without independent verification.
It is evident even from this short introduction that the BBC did not carry out effective post-event examination of its coverage of Operation Pillar of Cloud and hence the same inaccurate themes are still being promoted one year on.
German collector wants his priceless trove of stolen art back
Der Spiegel said a reporter spent several days interviewing the collector while he traveled from his home in Munich to visit a doctor in a nearby city last week.
Officials are investigating whether Gurlitt may have “misappropriated” the pictures or committed tax offenses in connection with them. However, a spokesman for Augsburg prosecutors, who are handling the case, told The Associated Press last week that Germany’s 30-year statute of limitations may prove to be a stumbling block.
Simon Weisenthal Center Exposes European anti-Semitism
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, raised the findings of Manfred Gerstenfeld’s book, Demonizing Israel and the Jews with Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila on Wednesday.
The Cardinal was an important candidate in the recent Papal election and may become the first Asian Pope.
IDF treats over 300 people a day in the Philippines
On November 17, The IDF team based installed a water cistern on a nearby island that had no access to water.
The field hospital, which is attached to a local hospital, has incubators for the premature babies.
“I am not sure what would have happened if we had not been around,” said Lt.-Col. Dr. Ofer Merin, medical manager of the field hospital.
Merin repeatedly told the 148 officers and soldiers, doctors, nurses, lab technicians, psychiatrists, social psychologists, search and rescue workers, that “we are here to answer the call for help.”
The Iranians behind the Israeli rescue missions
And just days ago, Colonel Ramtin Sebti another Iranian commander in the IDF, commanded an Israeli rescue mission of a different kind: to the Philippines to help the victims of typhoon Haiyan. The mission consists of 148 specialists, a field hospital, 100 tons of humanitarian and medical aid.
Colonel Sebti, originally from Tehran’s Yousef Abad neighborhood, belongs to my generation of Iranian immigrants. He left Iran 26 years ago in 1987 at the age of 15, and was smuggled across the Iranian border to Pakistan, much like many of my school friends. Today he heads one of the most coveted forces in the Israeli army, the National Search and Rescue Unit. This unit is in charge of rescuing victims of missile attacks as well as natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons. It has taken part in rescue operations in places such as Haiti, Kenya, Turkey and now the Philippines.
Name me another country where Iranians have reached such high positions of power.
Apple reportedly buying Israel’s PrimeSense for $345 million
Apple is buying Israel’s PrimeSense for $345 million, the Calcalist business daily reported Sunday. The deal is expected to be reported officially by both companies within the next two weeks, the report said.
This is the second time a deal, or near-deal, between the two companies has been reported. Last July, it was reported that PrimeSense and Apple were in intense negotiations over a possible Apple acquisition. Sunday’s report was not immediately confirmed.
Israel Ranks Second on Global Dynamism Index Science and Technology Sector
Israel has been ranked second in the Global Dynamism Index science and technology sector of one of the world’s largest worldwide accountancy firms with a mark of 62.7. Israel moved up one place to second from third, lagging only behind South Korea with a mark of 64.2. Israel was ranked ahead of Finland (62.6), Sweden (58.8), and Japan (58.7).
U.S. Jewish Groups Shifting Resources to New Israeli Market Index Fund
Major Jewish organizations are investing heavily in a recently launched index fund that tracks companies with a significant Israeli presence, prompting speculation that literally billions of dollars may – according to Steven Schoenfeld, the founder and CEO of the BlueStar Israel Global Index fund – “be brought into productive investment in Israel”