Saturday, February 08, 2014
Richard Millett: Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi apologises for comparing Gaza to the Holocaust
The response to Qureshi’s remarks from the Labour Party itself was an utter disgrace:Truman, The Jewish State, and the Decline in New York Times Standards
“These remarks were taken completely out of context. Yasmin Qureshi was not equating events in Gaza with the Holocaust. As an MP who has visited Auschwitz and has campaigned all her life against racism and anti-Semitism she would not do so.”
However, soon after, Qureshi must have had a pang of conscience and came out with this apology:
“The debate was about the plight of the Palestinian people and in no way did I mean to equate events in Gaza with the Holocaust. I apologise for any offence caused. I am also personally hurt if people thought I meant this. As someone who has visited the crematoria and gas chambers of Auschwitz I know the Holocaust was the most brutal act of genocide of the 20th Century and no-one should seek to underestimate its impact.”
So Qureshi is “personally hurt”? Poor her. Not as “personally hurt” as those who were in Auschwitz or Belsen etc or lost family there.
The New York Times referred to this presidential statement twice in the past five years, and the way the did so exposes an unfortunate decline in the newspaper's standards. In both articles, reporters mentioned recent Palestinian attempts to cast a last minute change in the language of the statement — one of the letter's two references to "Jewish state" was changed to "State of Israel" — as supposedly showing that Truman did not support the idea of a Jewish state. But while the earlier article gave some clarifying context that suggested Palestinian leaders are misusing the letter, the more recent piece relayed the misinformation with no qualification, leaving New York Times readers severely misinformed about Truman's position.Melanie Phillips: Scarlett, soda and Samaria
But, as the attacks on her by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions crowd reached fever pitch, Ms Johansson stunned everyone by sacking Oxfam, on the grounds that she was a supporter of “economic co-operation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine”. Which, by implication, Oxfam was not.
With this put-down, she achieved more than all the anti-BDS activists put together (not to devalue their heroic efforts). For the first time that I can remember, a glamorous personality went on to the front foot against the peddlers of anti-Israel bigotry.
She did not adopt a cringing, defensive posture. She strode on to the moral high ground and, at long last, delegitimised the delegitimisers.
For Oxfam’s part, it dug itself further and further into its ridiculous hole. Its mantra that Israeli “settlements” such as Ma’ale Adumim – the city to which Mishor Adumim belongs — are illegal under international law is simply false.
Oxfam on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Gazans are held blameless for their predicament. Gazans elected a terrorist organization that diverts desperately needed international aid to build mile long tunnels into Israel laden with explosives; that launches thousands of rockets into Israel while ignoring the critical needs of its own population; that alienates its powerful Arab neighbor, Egypt, by supporting terrorism there. None of that matters to the Oxfam moralizers.Former Spanish PM Aznar: Israel Needed by European Union, Should be Accepted as Member State
Nor do they mention that the West Bank and Gaza rank above average for all Arab states in the United Nations Human Develoment Index, higher than neighbor, Egypt.
At an event co-sponsored by the Henry Jackson Society think-tank and his own foundation, the Friends of Israel Initiative, Aznar said, “Simply put, Europe must defend Israel if we want to preserve the West as we know it.”US Jewish leader criticizes Israel boycott drive
“Look at the changes sweeping the region,” Aznar said. “Uncertainty is the dominant factor. And Israel is both more important to the West today – and more besieged by hostility – than at any time in recent memory.”
A top American Jewish leader on Thursday called on Western governments to combat the growing international campaign to boycott Israel over its settlement activities, saying the phenomenon is one of the greatest challenges facing Israel.Norman Finkelstein Hits Hard Times
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told The Associated Press that the drive masks a "politically correct" form of anti-Semitism and urged "zero tolerance" of the boycott.
I’ve mentioned Norman Finkelstein quite a bit on here over the years, for his hatred of Israel which has even manifested itself with a meeting with Hizbullah terrorists. And while he has slammed the BDSholes, there is no doubting his anti-Israel credentials.US officials leave Tunisian ceremony over Iran jab
But now it looks likes Rat Fink has hit hard times, if his answers during this interview with The Writer’s Corner are anything to go by.
For instance, his books don’t sell:
In his address to the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), Iran’s parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani accused arch foes the United States and Israel of seeking to thwart the pro-democracy uprisings that swept the region in 2011. He also referred to Israel specifically as a “cancerous growth in the region.”Boycott supporters plead for Universities to ease pressure on American Studies Association
“What was intended to be a ceremony honoring Tunisia’s achievements was used by the Iranian representative as a platform to denounce the United States,” the embassy said in a statement.
“The US representatives present at the NCA departed the ceremony due to the false accusations and inappropriate comments made by the Iranian representative present regarding the United States.”
From the earliest days, the ASA has played victim, mistaking harsh criticism of its boycott as an infringement of its academic freedom. ASA’s incoming President, NYU Prof. Lisa Duggan, also has accused one critic, an author at Forbes, of homophobia. Others have accused Israel Lobby money of being behind the backlash.Rocket from Gaza explodes in southern Israel
All the while, ASA as an organization has sought to put on a happy face, as if none of this troubles them and all is well.
But there are significant signs that the backlash is being felt at ASA. First, the ASA activism caucus issued an urgent request to BDS supporters to join the organization to increase individual memberships. Next, ASA has increaed the activity of its non-profit legal advisers to speak out on the subject, defending ASA’s boycott.
Three rockets exploded in open areas of southern Israel on Thursday, also without causing any casualties.Former U.S. Ambassador: Turkey Ignored Calls Made at “Highest Levels” to Assist in Counter-Terrorism, Blocking Al Qaeda
Israel often responds to such incidents with air strikes on the Gaza Strip, but it has not yet launched any retaliatory attacks.
Revelations have been steadily emerging for months that Turkey is harboring Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas’s West Bank chief and the one reportedly responsible for overseeing an uptick in violence in the territory. Recently leaked evidence also connects Erdogan to Saudi businessman Yasin al-Qadi, who the U.S. has designated for being an Al Qaeda financer. In one example, al-Qadi was provided VIP treatment and protection by Erdogan’s security detail as he traveled through Turkey. Ilhan Tanir, the Washington correspondent for Turkey’s Vatan outlet, specifically called attention to quotes in the piece from former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, who represented Washington from 2008 to 2010. Jeffrey was quoted describing efforts at “the highest levels” to ask Ankara to detail Al Qaeda members transmitting through Turkey, and notes that Turkish officials not only largely failed to comply but in fact “use terror if Turkey sees their political goals as commendable.”Turkish paper says journalist expelled for criticising Erdogan
A Turkish newspaper said on Friday one of its journalists had been ordered to leave the country for criticising Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Twitter, raising concerns about media freedom a day after Turkey tightened internet controls.AIPAC Clarifies Position on Iran Sanctions Bill in Letter to Supporters
Today's Zaman said its online editor Mahir Zeynalov, 27, from Azerbaijan, was escorted onto a plane in Istanbul by police. The paper is close to influential U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, locked in a feud with Erdogan revolving around a corruption scandal shaking his government.
I am writing today to correct some mischaracterizations in the press regarding our position on the Senate Iran bill. Some have suggested that by not calling for an immediate vote on the legislation, we have abandoned our support for the bill. Nothing could be further from the truth.http://www.thetower.org/calls-grow-strong-congressional-voice-shaping-iran-deal/
In fact, we remain strongly committed to the passage of the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act. This legislation is one important part of a broad strategy that we have pursued over many years to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. As negotiations for a final agreement with Iran begin, we must—and will—continue our efforts on every front to ensure that any deal with Iran guarantees the dismantlement of its nuclear infrastructure and blocks its path to a bomb.
Senators from across the political spectrum, including some who have largely stayed on the sidelines during recent debates revolving around Iran, on Thursday called on the White House to ensure that Congress is given a significant voice is shaping a comprehensive nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. Politico conveyed a letter to White House and State Department officials from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).The UK’s Pro-Iran Lobby
At a recent meeting of the British Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Iran, a strange tone dominated proceedings. Not only was the atmosphere unmistakably leaning toward an attitude favorable to Iran, but there were open expressions of anti-American and anti-Israel views from the parliamentarians. Some of the members seemed so pro-Iranian that they even made sure to take a good swipe at Saudi Arabia, Iran’s primary rival in the Islamic world. Nor were these expressions coming from fringe members of the House, but from Conservative and Labour politicians who have held some of the highest offices in the land.
Iranian warships en route to US territorial waters
The commander of Iran’s Northern Navy Fleet, Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad, was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that the vessels have already begun the journey to the Atlantic Ocean via waters near South Africa.Israeli hospital treats injured 13 year-old Syrian boy
“Iran’s military fleet is approaching the United States’ maritime borders, and this move has a message,” the semi-official Fars News Agency quoted him saying. (h/t Bob knot)
The young victim was taken to the Ziv Medical Center, likely after receiving some initial care in the field, according to Walla news. He was suffering from shrapnel wounds to his eyes and limbs.French court clears Dieudonne of incitement on Ilan Halimi remarks
The hospital has now treated 238 wounded Syrians since the beginning of the civil war nearly three years ago. More than 130,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the bloody conflict between President Bashar Assad’s government and opposition fighters.
A French court cleared comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala of charges connected to a video in which he called for the release of a man who brutally murdered a Jew.Norwegian Islamist soccer referee convicted of anti-Semitic hate speech
The Correctional Court of Paris acquitted Dieudonne on Friday in connection with a video what was recorded in April 2010, in which Dieudonne called for the release of Youssouf Fofana, who is serving life for the 2006 torture and murder Ilan Halimi. Fofana and more than a dozen accomplice criminal gang had abducted Halimi for ransom.
In the video, Dieudonne said Fofana’s incarceration “shows the power of the Jewish lobby,” according to a report Friday by Le Parisien daily.
An Islamist football referee in Norway has been convicted of hate speech after apparently threatening to shoot Jews for complaining about anti-Semitism, a prominent English language news outlet in the country reported on Friday.Israel, India Announce Co-Operative Anti-Missile System
Norway's The Local said Ubaydullah Hussain (pictured on the football field above) was sentenced to 120 days in prison after posting the following remarks on his Facebook page when, in 2012, Jewish groups in the capital city of Oslo asked for increased protection from the police following a rise in anti-Semitic incidents across Norway:
Israel and India will collaborate on a new, integrated anti-missile system to be deployed against Chinese nuclear and conventional missiles, reports Defense News.Space, science center named for Ilan Ramon planned
The co-operative effort – of which details are to be finalized over the next six months – marks another step in an ever closer relationship between the two countries. Joint efforts over agricultural technology, intelligence, and even space-based initiatives have seen the two nations moving closer together over the past decade.
A new educational center for space, technology and science named for the late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon will be built in central Israel.
The Ramon Campus is a joint project of the Ramon Foundation and Bar-Ilan University. A meeting to launch the project was held Thursday at the university.
Ramon was a payload specialist aboard the US Space Shuttle Columbia, which disintegrated upon reentering the earth’s atmosphere in February 2003.
