Monday, April 07, 2014
The Myth of the Thirsty Palestinian
The latest line of anti-Israel attack claims the Jewish state withholds water from the Palestinians. As usual, the haters have their facts wrong.Erekat: Hamas Not, and Never Was, a Terror Group
The issue of water rights in the West Bank is constantly raised in regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, appearing again and again in public discourse around the world. According to critics of Israel, the Jewish state selfishly exploits the area’s water supplies and denies access to the local population. In doing so, the critics say, Israel is not only abandoning its responsibilities to the West Bank Palestinians, but ruthlessly and illegally abusing the natural resources of the occupied territory. This idea has become extremely widespread in the international media, and was recently voiced from the Knesset plenum by the President of the European Parliament, Herman Schultz, causing a minor scandal in Israel and abroad.
As with all attacks on Israel, the truth is much more complicated and, to a great extent, precisely the opposite of what the critics claim. When one examines the relevant data, it becomes clear that, under Israeli rule, the Palestinian water supply has become larger, more technologically sophisticated, of higher quality, and much easier to access; almost entirely due to Israeli efforts.
The Palestinian Authority, controlled by the Fatah terror group, is once again trying its hand at “unification” with its sister terror group, Hamas. As a sign of Fatah's “goodwill,” Saeb Erekat, the PA's top negotiator and a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, called on Hamas to implement all previous agreements with Fatah in order to “fight together against Israel.”NATO’s new secretary-general: Problematic not only for Israel
Erekat made the comments Saturday at a conference titled “The Strategy of Resistance.” Erekat said that “we demand that Hamas, more than ever before, implement the Cairo and Doha agreements. The political movements have an obligation to resolve their differences at the ballot box, and not through bullets.”
“I hereby declare, in the make of President Mahmoud Abbas and the directorate of Fatah, that Hamas is a Palestinian movement, and is not and never was a terror group,” Erekat added.
Stoltenberg spoke at several meetings over the years in which there were brutal verbal attacks on Israel, while he remained silent. A prime minister indicates his support by not confronting these attacks.Stop UNRWA War Education : What You Can Do
The most recent case was at the May 1 celebration of the umbrella Trade Union LO in Oslo in 2013. Salma Abudahi from Gaza’s Union of Agriculture Work Committees (UAWC) spoke at the event. Earlier she had given an interview in which she called rockets a “symbol of resistance” and said that occupied people have a right to defend themselves. “It is important,” said Abudahi, “to understand the proportions. The Israelis are killing our loved ones all the time.” This was yet another example of Palestinian hatemongering.
Stoltenberg spoke after Abudahi at the meeting and ignored her incitement in his speech.
If NATO states believe that out of all potential candidates this person is the most qualified to coordinate the workings of the alliance and head its staff, this is indication of poor judgment. Regarding Israel’s contacts with this powerful organization, Stoltenberg’s anticipated appointment is at best moving several steps backward.
The collapse of talks with the Palestinian Authority leave an agency in tact which is capable of galvanizing nearly half a million Palestinian students into violent, direct action against Israel, under the slogan of the “right of return”.
That agency is UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
During the second week of March, 2014, education experts Dr. Arnon Groiss and Mr. Jonathan HaLevi provided academic presentations at venues in the US Congress and the British Parliament concerning lethal aspects of UNRWA education:
Isi Leibler: Blaming Israel for the collapse of the peace negotiations
In particular, this represents the most important challenge to the American Jewish leadership who must determine whether they are going to stand up and be counted or bury their heads in the sand. This is not a time for ambiguity or exclusive reliance on silent diplomacy.Why are we surprised?
Hopefully, as proud American Jews they will not feel intimidated and should the US apportion equal blame or hold us responsible for the breakdown, they will display the courage to confront the administration.
On our part, we should make it clear that we do not intend to extend further concessions to bribe the PA to negotiate with us. We remain willing to negotiate for the creation of a Palestinian state without preconditions.
When the Palestinians signal willingness to conducting bona fide negotiations, we will respond positively and again demonstrate a willingness to make sacrifices to achieve a genuine peace.
It is increasingly obvious that the two-state solution is close to obsolete, although it is still not politically correct to say so in polite diplomatic company. The two-state solution has little chance of coming into being, because the Palestinians do not want the constricted West Bank state that Israel can give them. And they are just not ready to close the book on all claims against Israel in exchange for a small West Bank and Gaza state.Bank of Israel chair: Failure of talks won’t hurt us
And so, PA President Mahmoud Abbas seized the first opportunity he could find to flee the negotiating room while blaming Israel. After all, Abbas never really wanted to join these talks in the first place. He certainly did not want, and still is not ready, to make any concrete concessions to bring about an end to the conflict with Israel.
Bank of Israel Governor Karnit Flug is unfazed by recent warnings from international leaders, including EU ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen, that Israel could face repercussions if the peace process breaks down, noting that the country’s economy has survived previous political storms and this time should be no different.Israeli Envoy: PA Violating the Conventions it Seeks to Join
“The more favorable the outcome of the talks, the better the prospects for the economy,” Flug said at a press conference Sunday morning. “We have had a lot of experience with geopolitical shocks, and our economy has shown great resilience.” Israel’s economy is well-integrated with the other Western economies and is strong enough to survive any financial consequences of the breakdown of peace talks with the Palestinians, she added.
Prosor, who spoke at the Jerusalem Post conference and was quoted by Army Radio, said that the PA wants to enjoy the privilege of being a member of the UN, but "they tend to forget the surprising concept that joining international treaties also includes obligations.”Group threatens to sue Palestinians in Hague over terror ties
Referring to the PA’s application to join the Geneva Convention, Prosor said sarcastically that he is sure that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “will call for a condemnation of Hamas over its use of schools, mosques and hospitals for the purpose of murderous terrorist attacks, firing at Israeli civilians and using innocent civilians as human shields.”
Referring to children’s rights, Prosor noted that the PA trains young children to use violence and terrorism.
Shurat HaDin, which pursues legal action on behalf of terror victims, prepared a series of indictments, also known as communications, alleging that senior Fatah and Hamas officials, including Hamas prime minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh, are liable for terrorism against Israeli civilians.A legendary Mossad commander steps from the shadows
Shurat HaDin founder Nitsana Darshan-Leitner told The Times of Israel Sunday that a senior Israeli minister approached the center last week asking it to accelerate its preparation of communications against Palestinian officials, an indication that at least some ministers see the legal avenue as a strategic front in the struggle with the Palestinians now that talks look doomed to fail.
At one point in the mid 2000s, Mossad commander Meir Dagan bestowed the intelligence agency’s highest honor on Michael “Mike” Harari, a legendary officer, for work he performed at the age of 80. The citation was given, Aaron J. Klein wrote in “The Master of Operations,” for his “important contribution to a unique operational activity.”Burgas bomber was Algerian, trained in Lebanon — report
Klein wrote nothing more about the matter. But a knowledgeable source confirmed to the Times of Israel that the mission was part of the Mossad’s clandestine efforts to thwart Iran’s nuclear program and that the work itself required Harari to spend many months abroad in reserves service for the Mossad. “The citation was not for bravery,” the source said, underscoring that Harari was not sent into enemy territory, but for “a creative solution to a problem that couldn’t be solved.”
The source said that young Mossad officers, “who weren’t even born when Mike retired, were left slack-jawed” by what he called an operational solution that resolved a seemingly insurmountable problem.
The suicide bomber who carried out a 2012 attack in Bulgaria that killed five Israeli tourists and their local driver was an Algerian trained in Lebanon, Bulgarian press reported Monday.IDF thwarts bomb attack along Gaza border
“The assailant was born in Algeria, lived in Morocco and was trained in camps in South Lebanon. He also studied at a Beirut university with the other two suspects,” Bulgarian daily Pressa reported, adding that the prosecutors office refused to comment.
The Sofia News Agency reported the same information, citing unnamed investigators.
The soldiers spotted two suspects carrying a suspicious object near the fence, and chased them away by firing warning shots, according to a statement from the army. As they fled, the suspects dropped the object, which exploded moments later.Shin Bet says 'Anonymous' hackers inflict minor damage on Israeli web sites
Militants regularly target IDF patrols with roadside bombs along the borders.
According to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the Internet onslaught which was announced by the group "Anonymous Operation Israel" has thus far produced minor slowdowns on dozens of official sites.Anti-Israel Hackers Get A Taste of Their Own Medicine
The Shin Bet opened a special cyber operations room in preparation for the hacking campaign, which vowed to cause major damage to key Israeli web portals.
The Arab branch of the hacker group "Anonymous" claimed to have brought down several Israeli news and governmental websites on Monday, after threats calling for a massive cyber-attack dubbed "OpIsrael" were made the day before, and in mid-March.Abandoned to Terror?French Hill Residents Feel Abandoned, Terrorized by Arab Thugs
The April 7 date of the attack was timed last year to fall on the eve of Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day. This year, Holocaust Memorial Day, which is determined based on the Hebrew calendar, will be April 28. However, the hackers chose to ignore this and to recreate the attack on April 7.
However, Anonymous may have come out the worse for its attack on Israel. Roni Behar, chair of cyber-attacks at Avnet Cyber and Information Security, said Sunday that Israeli hackers are returning fire, breaking into Muslim extremist sites.
"In particular, it can be noted as a morale boosting achievement that there was a breach of the operations site run by Anonymous, www.opisrael.com, with the contents there being changed to pro-Israel contents," revealed Behar.
Residents of the French Hill neighborhood in Israel's capital are increasingly threatened by their Arab neighbors in the neighborhood of Issawiya, and have experienced a slew of firebomb attacks – the most recent of which occurred Saturday night.Radical Cleric: Israel Has Been 'Occupied Territory' Since 1948
Although initial reports said that the firebombs targeted a nightclub or dance hall, it now turns out that they were actually thrown outside a Conservative synagogue. A section of the synagogue is rented out on Saturday nights and serves as a dance hall for senior citizens.
There have been four firebomb attacks in the neighborhood since January, and all are seen as nationalist terror acts.
Kamal Al-Khatib, deputy head of the radical Islamic Movement in Israel headed by Raed Salah, claimed on Sunday that Israel is “land that has been occupied since 1948.”Second Ring of Terror-Aiding Lawyers Busted by Security Forces
Speaking to the Hamas journal Falastin, Al-Khatib claimed that Israel is taking advantage of the troubles in surrounding Arab countries to “Judaize” Jerusalem.
He attacked a plan to establish a synagogue not far from the Al-Aqsa mosque, noting that even the dome which is planned for the synagogue reflects Israel's attempt to “copy the architecture that has characterized the Islamic buildings for centuries.”
Four suspects from Shechem, including two lawyers, and an Arab-Israeli lawyer from the village of Baana in the Galilee, have been charged with assisting terrorism by facilitating communications between jailed Hamas terrorists and operatives in Israel and abroad.Hamas Plans New Satellite Channel
They were reportedly indicted for membership in a terrorist organization, contact with a foreign agent and conspiring to commit a crime. Police have applied to extend their detention until the end of proceedings.
Hamas is launching its own satellite television station in order to spew its extremist propaganda on the international stage.Hamas soldiers to preach in Gaza’s mosques
The channel, which will be carried on al Ra’i satellite, will reflect Hamas’ policies, especially when it comes to the Palestinian issue, spokesman Ihab al-Ghussein said. “The satellite channel will convey a media message best serving the Palestinian cause and national agenda,” Ghussein told the Hamas-affiliated Felesteen newspaper.
Step by step, fascism is making its way into Gaza. After Hamas imposed several strange laws on the external appearance of its residents, the movement has now launched a new campaign calling for the replacement of mosque preachers with soldiers.7 killed in south Lebanon clashes
Gaza had been inundated with a flood of disciplinary campaigns initiated by the resigned [Hamas] government. But this time, it has planned a special type of campaign. In the past, the government had employed its security apparatus to chase after individuals wearing baggy pants, or with unusual haircuts. Today, the security apparatus is intruding on something else that is supposed to be sacred and kept away from militarism and security matters.
The officials say at least 10 others were wounded in Monday’s fighting in Mieh Mieh, which broke out between supporters of a former commander of the mainstream Palestinian group Fatah and members of a rival armed group, Ansarullah.UN: 1 Million Syrian Refugees Reshaping Lebanese Population
The officials say heavy machine guns and rocket propelled grenades were used in the fighting. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Fighting between rival groups is common across Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps.
The United Nations on Thursday announced that more than one million refugees have flooded into Lebanon from Syria, creating what The New York Times described as ”the highest concentration of refugees as a percentage of population in the world, with about one Syrian for every three Lebanese.”Hezbollah Sanctions Bill to Disrupt Terror Network
“The influx of a million refugees would be massive in any country. For Lebanon, a small nation beset by internal difficulties, the impact is staggering,” António Guterres, United Nations high commissioner for refugees, said in announcing the new number in a joint statement with Lebanon’s minister of social affairs, Rachid Derbas. “The Lebanese people have shown striking generosity, but are struggling to cope.”
House lawmakers on Monday are set to introduce a new bill that would greatly tighten economic sanctions on the terror group Hezbollah by going after its foreign assets, narcotics trafficking rings, and its media apparatus, according to information obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.Reports: Russia, Iran Working on $20B Sanctions-Busting Oil Deal
The new bipartisan Hezbollah International Financial Prevention Act aims to widen the scope of sanctions by going after Hezbollah’s drug trafficking and public relations arms, which until this point have operated with relative impunity across the globe, including in Latin America.
The sanctions also would disrupt Hezbollah’s fundraising channels and cut off the group’s ability to finance its international terror activities.
Reuters reported Wednesday afternoon that Russia and Iran were advancing on a scheme that would see the Iranians bartering roughly 500,000 barrels of oil a day in exchange for Russian goods, a plan that the outlet said would “enable Tehran to boost vital energy exports in defiance of Western sanctions” and which the White House had previously gone so far as to identify as the source of “serious concerns.” Iranian officials reportedly estimate that the oil-for-goods deal would be worth $20 billion to the Islamic Republic, gifting Tehran with revenue far beyond what was envisioned by the partial sanctions relief provided by the interim Joint Plan of ActionEU Blasts Iran’s “Systemic Violation” of Human Rights; Rejects Nukes-Only Approach
According to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran:'Camp David 35 years later : Peace treaty not peace'
"With the passage of the resolution, EU Strategy toward Iran, the EU has unequivocally signaled its rejection of Iran’s efforts to limit its dialogue with the West exclusively to the nuclear issue. Indeed, while expressing strong support for the Geneva interim agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, and for the continuation of efforts to reach a peaceful negotiated solution to the nuclear issue, the European Parliament forcefully proclaimed human rights will not be relegated to the back seat of foreign relations while the negotiations proceed.
The resolution drew particular attention to Iran’s lack of cooperation with UN human rights bodies, including the denial of a visa to the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, and called for “the release of all imprisoned human rights defenders, political prisoners, trade unionists, labor activists, and those detained after the 2009 Presidential elections.”
For the near future, nobody is expecting any serious changes in the profile of Egyptian-Israeli relations: a cold peace that is executed essentially at the official level and that fails to get Egyptians, even those who were born after the peace treaty was signed in 1979, to think of Israel as anything but an enemy state with which Egypt has a peace deal.Former Egyptian Diplomat Gamal Bayoumi in Support of Normalizing Relations with Israel
“They think because the history curricula in school does not refer to the horrors that Israel did to us in the years before the treaty and that it is still doing to the Palestinians that we will think of Israel as we think of any other state — well, no, we don’t think of Israel as anything but a hostile state,” said Sarah, a 21 year-old Egyptian who graduated last year from the law department at Cairo University. “Israel is built on the stolen land and broken lives of Palestinians; it is the enemy,” she said.
