Sunday, July 13, 2014
Israel says cease-fire possible only if it ensures long-term quiet
Israel is not ruling out a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip if it results in a significant change in the situation inside Gaza and a restoration of quiet to the South, diplomatic officials said Saturday night.Hamas rejected Egyptian proposal to hold fire
Israeli officials were not speaking of the conditions they would demand for a cease-fire, but among the ideas that have been discussed are the dismantling of the rocket capabilities inside Gaza, similar to the manner in which the chemical weapons were dismantled in Syria; developing a mechanism to enforce the cease-fire; and a restoration of Palestinian Authority – not Hamas – control over the area.
As part of Egypt’s efforts to halt the fighting between Hamas and Israel, Cairo proposed to the Palestinian organization’s leadership and to the Israeli government that they mutually stop the fire for 40 hours, after which a broader ceasefire agreement would be discussed — but Hamas rejected the offer, The Times of Israel learned from Israeli and Hamas sources.What Stands Behind the IDF's Targets in Gaza?
The offer was presented to the deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, Moussa Abu Marzouk, by Egyptian intelligence officers last week. Abu Marzouk rejected it after a brief consultation with the terror group’s military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam brigades, the sources said.
Our Mission: Stop Hamas Terrorism
A Blurred Picture Can't Hide the Truth
Netanyahu finally speaks his mind
He made explicitly clear that he could never, ever, countenance a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank. He indicated that he sees Israel standing almost alone on the frontlines against vicious Islamic radicalism, while the rest of the as-yet free world does its best not to notice the march of extremism. And he more than intimated that he considers the current American, John Kerry-led diplomatic team to be, let’s be polite, naive.Bennett urges Americans to 'understand' rocket attacks threatening Israelis
Netanyahu has stressed often in the past that he doesn’t want Israel to become a binational state — implying that he favors some kind of accommodation with and separation from the Palestinians. But on Friday he made explicit that this could not extend to full Palestinian sovereignty. Why? Because, given the march of Islamic extremism across the Middle East, he said, Israel simply cannot afford to give up control over the territory immediately to its east, including the eastern border — that is, the border between Israel and Jordan, and the West Bank and Jordan.
The priority right now, Netanyahu stressed, was to “take care of Hamas.” But the wider lesson of the current escalation was that Israel had to ensure that “we don’t get another Gaza in Judea and Samaria.” Amid the current conflict, he elaborated, “I think the Israeli people understand now what I always say: that there cannot be a situation, under any agreement, in which we relinquish security control of the territory west of the River Jordan.”
Not relinquishing security control west of the Jordan, it should be emphasized, means not giving a Palestinian entity full sovereignty there. It means not acceding to Mahmoud Abbas’s demands, to Barack Obama’s demands, to the international community’s demands. This is not merely demanding a demilitarized Palestine; it is insisting upon ongoing Israeli security oversight inside and at the borders of the West Bank. That sentence, quite simply, spells the end to the notion of Netanyahu consenting to the establishment of a Palestinian state. A less-than-sovereign entity? Maybe, though this will never satisfy the Palestinians or the international community. A fully sovereign Palestine? Out of the question.
Speaking from Tel Aviv, Bennett told the Fox News weekend talk show with Mike Huckabee that Israel did not see the international community responding to the threats facing the Israeli populace.
"We understand that we are on our own, and we will defend ourselves, and we will win," he said.
Bennett displayed the remains of a Grad rocket fired at Israel from Gaza and appealed to the US viewers to "imagine how they'd feel if one of these [rockets] fell in their neighborhood, their children's kindergarten or school, or God forbid their own home. That is what Israel is facing today."
Israel Navy commandos raid long-range rocket facility in Gaza
Israel Navy commandos raided a facility from which Hamas fired many long-range rocket at Israeli cities, the IDF said early Sunday. During the raid, the commandos were shot at by Hamas gunmen, and returned fire. "The facility was hit and damaged," the army said.Times of Israel Live Blog: Massive rocket barrage fired at center, north of Israel; several shot down
Four commandos sustained light injuries during the special operation. They have been evacuated to a hospital in Israel.
Earlier on Saturday night, two rockets were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel and landed in open areas north of Nahariya. Rocket alert sirens sounded in the area of the attack in Nahariya and Shlomi. No injuries were reported in the attack. The IDF, in response, attacked the rocket launch zones in Lebanon with artillery fire.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza targeted wide areas of the country with barrages of rockets throughout the weekend, firing more than 100 projectiles and wounding several civilians, one seriously, as well as causing extensive damage to several homes.
Operation Protective Edge entered into its sixth day Sunday, with no end in sight. Hamas fired rockets throughout Saturday and Sunday, hitting southern and central Israel. In Ashkelon, a teen was critically injured by shrapnel from a rocket, and for the first time, rocket sirens from Gaza sounded in Nahariya, though the attempt fell far short.Israel's New Hero: the Father of Iron Dome
Israeli forces told residents of the Gazan town of Beit Lahiya to seek safer ground, ahead of a possible operation. Palestinian reports say over 160 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, including some 20 in a strike late Saturday aimed at Hamas’s Gaza police chief, and more Sunday morning.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Dr. Danny Gold, former head of research and development at the Defense Ministry, is Israel's current hero and media darling, and the man receiving most of the credit for the development of the Iron Dome anti-missile system.Iron Dome hailed as 'more popular than hummus'
Also receiving credit is MK Amir Peretz, who selected Iron Dome over other systems as the IDF's weapon of choice against rockets, when he was defense minister.
Dr. Gold insisted on pushing forward research and development of the system, together with Rafael Systems, despite official decisions to freeze funding for the project, and fierce criticsm from competitors who insisted that the system is worthless. His steadfastedness in advancing the program proved crucial in making the system ready for use in Israel's 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense and the current Operation Protective Edge. (h/t Jewess)
The Associated Press called the invention "a game-changer," saying that not only does it prevent numerous civilian deaths, but it also provides "a much-needed sense of security on the homefront."David Singer on Mahmoud Abbas's Culpability for War Crimes Committed in Gaza
BusinessWeek published an article Friday titled "Israel's Iron Dome is Amazing, and That's a Problem," in which journalist Peter Coy writes that the "Iron Dome is more popular in Israel than hummus and falafel," but explains that its outstanding performance at saving lives has left Israeli citizens with little sympathy from the rest of the world, despite ongoing rocket attacks.
Meanwhile, Israelis from all over the country are delivering home-cooked meals and treats to the soldiers who operate the Iron Dome batteries as thanks for their hard work defending the country. Some people also brought their children along to "show them how it all works."
Mahmoud Abbas – Head of the Government of National Consensus in Gaza since 2 June – faces prosecution in the international criminal justice system for aiding and abetting war crimes involving the indiscriminate firing of 384 rockets and missiles from Gaza into Israeli population centres reaching as far away as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem over the past four days.PA Official Admits: Israel Follows International Law, We Don't
This latest barrage – which sees no signs of ending – comes after more than 10,000 similar rocket attacks on Israeli civilians from Gaza – then governed by Hamas – following Israel’s unilateral disengagement from Gaza in 2005.
Abbas and his Government now however bear primary responsibility for preventing war crimes emanating from Gazan soil.
In a pre-recorded message aired on Palestine TV, Abbas said the new government was transitional.
This lame excuse cannot enable Abbas to abdicate his responsibility to prevent war crimes being committed in Gaza.
The Palestinian Authority's envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has said the PA has no hope of pressing charges against Israel in international courts - because Palestinian terrorist groups are far worse violators of international law themselves.Palestiinan Envoy to UNHRC: Israelis Warn Civilians Before Attacks, We Don't
Noting concerns that Israel could launch legal offensives of its own against the PA should it sign up to the ICC, the presenter asked whether such a move would be realistic. The response was unequivocal.
"The missiles that are now being launched against Israel - each and every missile constitutes a crime against humanity, whether it hits or misses, because it is directed at civilian targets," said Khreisheh.
IDF Drops Evacuation Leaflets on Gaza (Translated)
8:03am IDF Spox: The IDF has been dropping leaflets on Northern Gaza… (Translation by Jameel from Hebrew….not the Arabic).Teenage Boy Seriously Injured by Rockets in Ashkelon
To the residents of Beit Lahiya:
The IDF intends to attack terror targets and terrorists in the area East of Al-attara and Al-Salatin road….and North and West of Maabascar Jabalia.
Residents have till 12:00pm on 13/7/2014 to head southwards to Jabalia…
The IDF strike will be short.
Whoever does not listen to the instructions of the IDF endangers their lives and those of their families.
Be advised…and you will be safe. (h/t Yenta Press)
A 17 year old boy has been seriously injured during the last volley of rockets fired on the city of Ashkelon, according to multiple sources, along with a 60 year-old man who suffered light injuries.Israel Responds With Artillery to Rocket Fire From Lebanon
Both have been transferred to Barzilai Hospital for immediate medical treatment.
Islamic Jihad, not Hamas, has accepted responsibility for the rocket fire
The Israeli military says it has opened fire into Lebanon in response to rocket fire. The military said two rockets were fired into Israel late Saturday from Lebanon. It said there were no injuries or damage.The surreal war of the TV broadcasts
It said it responded with artillery fire toward “the source of fire.” There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
At 8pm, in an announcement timed to coincide with Israel’s main nightly news broadcasts, Hamas declared that an hour later it would be firing a new generation of rocket at Tel Aviv — the J80, named after Ahmed Jabari, its terror chief who Israel killed at the start of the previous round of conflict in 2012.‘Sderot cinema:’ Israelis watch latest from Gaza
Israeli braced for the worst, and a little after 9pm, the hefty barrage of rockets was indeed launched from Gaza. We knew this as it was happening because Israeli TV camera crews are monitoring the skies over the Strip, on constant lookout for signs of rocket launches. So we all saw the lights in the sky, little orange balls heading for Israel. We then, mercifully, all saw other lights in the sky, as Iron Dome fired its interceptors and took out the Hamas rockets, one after another, all across central Israel.
So confident was Hamas of its impending “success,” however, that it was broadcasting Israel’s Channel 2 on its Gaza Al-Aksa TV station — hoping it would be relaying scenes of Israelis dead and dying. Channel 2, for its part, used the opportunity to interview the Al-Aksa presenters in mid-broadcast, minutes after Iron Dome had proved itself again.
So our screens showed Channel 2 broadcasting Al-Aksa TV, which was broadcasting Channel 2 TV, with Channel 2′s Ehud Ya’ari — live, on both channels, of course – attempting to speak to the Hamas TV presenter, who told Ya’ari curtly that he didn’t want to speak to him. (Confused? You should be.) Indeed, the Hamas man said the appearance of the Israeli reporter on Hamas TV screens was absurd, and also accused Channel 2 of falsely broadcasting scenes of Israeli life as usual when the reality was of an Israel cowering under fire.
Vague, blurry photo taken at night showing a handful of people from Sderot is now making the rounds as proof that Israelis are cheering the damage done to GazaGaza militant group warns airlines it will target Israel's main airport
Sderot is on the front-line of the Gaza rockets. If anyone be happy to see the rockets avenged, it would be them. Meanwhile, the article ignores videos of crowds of Palestinians rejoicing on the Temple Mount, even though they started it.
Islamist Hamas's armed wing has warned airlines that it intends to target Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport with its rockets from Gaza and has told them not to fly there, a statement by the group said on Friday.Gaza shows (again) how the underdog can be wrong
The airport, Israel's main international aerial gateway, has been fully operational since Israel began an aerial offensive on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian militants intensified their cross-border rocket fire.
International airlines have continued to fly in, despite now-daily rocket salvoes at Tel Aviv that either have been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system or hit areas where they caused no casualties.
Sometimes the underdog is wrong. The ruthlessly brutal regimes of Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, and Idi Amin were all weaker than the forces that ultimately vanquished them.A Message to World Leaders: Put Yourself in Israel’s Shoes
But for decades the Palestinians have mastered the art of persuading everyone that because they die in greater numbers and have inferior arms, they are more deserving of sympathy and support in their conflict with Israel. Here's why they're wrong:
1) Israel's military edge safeguards its survival in the world's toughest neighborhood. But if a SWAT team is better armed than a wild gunman they must neutralize, does that mean that they're at fault when the gunman dies?
2) Israel's casualty figures are smaller because Israel tries to protect life by investing in anti-missile defense, shelters, and early warning systems to minimize the deaths caused by Palestinian rocket attacks.
3) By contrast, Palestinian terrorists purposely endanger life by targeting Israeli civilians while using Palestinian civilians as human shields (to maximize the PR benefits of any Israeli reprisals).
Recently, we at the World Jewish Congress asked the governments of the world to put themselves in Israel’s shoes.Second Lesson From the Gaza War: Keep the Checkpoints
“If it were your cities under attack, we know you would agree that a sovereign government has a duty to defend its citizens,” we wrote to the world community in a letter to ambassadors to the United Nations, those detailed to the United States, foreign ministers of the European Union and Latin American countries, and others.
“This is the time to show your solidarity and support to the people of Israel and the State of Israel,” we urged.
On the first day of the Gaza war, Philip Gordon, the Obama Administration’s “Coordinator for the Middle East,” lectured the Israelis on why they should make more concessions to the Palestinians, including apparently taking down security checkpoints in the territories.Khaled Abu Toameh: Egyptians Hoping Israel Will Destroy Hamas
On the third day of the Gaza war, the Palestinians reminded everyone why those security checkpoints should be kept in place – and even expanded.
Over the past week there are voices coming out of Egypt and some Arab countries -- voices that publicly support the Israeli military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.Playing the death card
They see the atrocities and massacres committed by Islamists on a daily basis in Iraq and Syria and are beginning to ask themselves if these serve the interests of the Arabs and Muslims.
"Thank you Netanyahu and may God give us more [people] like you to destroy Hamas!" — Azza Sami of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram.
Isolated and under attack, Hamas now realizes that it has lost the sympathy of many Egyptians and Arabs.
This much we know: Israel lives under constant threat from terrorists who would like nothing better than to exterminate the Jewish state that they consider an outright abomination.World leaders are beginning to understand
This much we have also come to understand: In polite society, it is increasingly fashionable to roll one’s eyes or outright indict Israel for daring to defend itself against those who aim to indiscriminately kill its people and undermine its right to exist.
The cycle continues as Hamas fires hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities, and Israel responds with far more precise and effective salvos at terrorists. All too predictably, international condemnation is starting to come Israel’s way.
International media may not be embracing us (what else is new?), but leaders around the world are showing some understanding for Israel's current operation in Gaza. Jerusalem may not be getting a blank cheque from the international community, but it is definitely getting some credit. Limited credit, but credit all the same.Elliott Abrams: The sick math of the Gaza war
Seeing the reactions of French President Francois Hollande (even if he qualified his support for the operation within 24 hours due to pressure from the Left), German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was enough to make you understand that the patience displayed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government before Operation Protective Edge was launched paid off in the diplomatic arena.
It has been a while since the international community has been so limited in its abilities to maneuver and broker within the Middle East. This can be explained in part by a certain "waking up from the rosy dream" of a "new Middle East," in which everyone loves one another. The slaughter in Syria, the events in Egypt and the Islamic State group (formerly known as ISIS) in Iraq have contributed to this change in attitude.
As I write, the Hamas rockets are still flying -- unguided missiles aimed toward populated areas in the hope of killing civilians. How long Israel can put off a ground incursion is anyone's guess. But if that happens, here's something you can count on: The twisted moralists will be back, comparing the numbers of casualties on both sides and accusing Israel of war crimes for the "disproportionate" use of force.Christie says Obama partly to blame for Israeli-Palestinian clash
Remember this: In World War II, the United States suffered 416,000 combat deaths, or about 0.32 percent of the population. Germany suffered 4-5 million combat deaths, or about 5 percent of the population. The death ratio was 10 to 1. Did that make the war unjust? Does that mean the United States inflicted "disproportionate" numbers of casualties? Unfortunately the Israelis know "world opinion" will never be on their side in these arguments. Let's just hope the United States is.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie blamed the current Israeli-Palestinian flare-up in part on President Barack Obama, saying the president has not spoken firmly and forcefully on Israel's behalf and that Israel no longer trusts it has the full support of the United States because of him.Isi Leibler: Obama's shameful behavior toward Israel
The Republican governor's remarks came as Israel continues Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip, which was launched last week in response to ongoing rocket fire by Hamas and other terrorist groups.
Christie, who is considering a 2016 presidential bid, said organizations like Hamas that were engaged in such conflict with Israel "need to be dealt with, and dealt with firmly." Obama has not done so during his presidency, Christie told reporters while attending a meeting of the National Governors Association.
We are now reconciled to the fact that in any conflict -- even when we are exercising our right of self-defense -- we will either be condemned or, at best, accused of acting disproportionately.San Francisco Stands With Israel
However, the latest round of hypocrisy by Western leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, beats all records.
Despite anger and condemnation from many of his constituents, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, until last week, effectively been acting as a supplicant by virtually pleading for a cease-fire, assuring Hamas that Israel would abide by a new truce. Responding to their missiles with "restraint" and reacting on a tit-for-tat basis, bombing empty sites, Israel dispensed with any pretense of implementing genuine deterrence.
A beautiful multi-generational crowd gathered in San Francisco's Justin Herman Plaza today for a noon solidarity with Israel rally. While the Israel supporters sang songs of Peace, young jihadis in the plaza chanted for endless war and for IntifadaKnesset hosts 500 children from South
Five hundred children from the south visited the Knesset Sunday, where they met Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and Deputy Education Minister Avi Wortzman.Dumisani Washington’s Church Congregation Evacuates Building To Show Solidarity With Israel
"The joyful atmosphere here speaks for itself. The children are smiling and feel at ease and calm in the Knesset," Edelstein observed.
The Knesset hosted activities for the children from Sdot Negev, Ofakim, Kiryat Malachi, Even Shmuel, Eitan, and Sa'ad, which included a magic show, a play, a tour of the Knesset and more. There will be three days of activities for children in the Knesset this week.
Today, Dumisani Washington, a pastor, composer, author and music teacher from Northern California, showed solidarity with Israel, along with his church congregation.Sydney leader rapped for email accusing Hamas of ‘war crimes’
They evacuated the building as the ‘Red Alert: Israel‘ app let them know that Israel was being attacked. On his Facebook page he says that they stand with the Jewish State and want peace for all involved. They also condemn Hamas for using Palestinians as human shields and targeting civilians, both Palestinian and Israeli.
A senior Jewish leader in Sydney, who also holds a government post, is under fire for an email that accuses Hamas of “war crimes” but avoids reference to Palestinian deaths from Israel’s operation in Gaza.Morocco: Rabbi Attacked 'Because of Gaza'
Vic Alhadeff, chief executive of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies and chair of the Community Relations Commission, was reprimanded by Mike Baird, the premier of New South Wales, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Saturday.
In an email to the Jewish community last week titled “Israel Under Fire,” Alhadeff wrote that Hamas was guilty of “war crimes” while Israel “is operating with care to avoid civilian casualties.”
The rabbi of the Jewish community in Casablanca, Morocco, Rabbi Moshe Ohayon, was badly beaten on Friday as a retaliation by locals for Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza.Canada Rejects UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Criticism of Israel’s Response to Rocket Attacks from Gaza
According to Channel 2 News, a young man whose identity is known to the police, waited for the rabbi as he was walking to synagogue, then confronted him and kicked him.
The assailant then continued to beat the rabbi, breaking his nose and causing serious injuries in his ribs. The rabbi said that he begged for help but the passers-by ignored his cries.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:Neil Young concert in Tel Aviv canceled due to rocket fire
“Canada rejects UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s uncalled-for criticism of Israel’s response to rocket attacks from Gaza. Focusing her comments on Israel is neither helpful nor reflective of the reality of this crisis.
“There must be no moral equivalence between Hamas, a listed terrorist organization, and its blatant disregard for human life, and the liberal democratic State of Israel’s duty and obligation to defend its people from cowardly and indiscriminate attacks.
The long-awaited Neil Young concert scheduled for Thursday in Tel Aviv has been canceled due to security concerns about the ongoing rocket fire from Gaza.WATCH: Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder launches anti-Israel diatribe during concert
Though organizers tried until the last minute to get permission for the concert to take place, it was determined unsafe to have tens of thousands of people gathered in one place given the current security situation.
"It is with great sorrow that we are forced to announce the cancellation of the Neil Young and Crazy Horse concert that was to be staged this coming Thursday," the concert organizers said in a statement.
In a video clip posted on YouTube, Vedder begins to address the tens of thousands of spectators in attendance in the middle of his band’s rendition of the hit song “Daughter.”Report: Israel Faced Over 1 Million Cyber Attacks on First Day of Operation ‘Protective Edge’
“What the f---? What the f---?” Vedder said, alternately taking sips of wine from a bottle he was holding on stage. “We can have this many people having a peaceful time. We can have modern technology. We can reach our friends. We know what they’re thinking before they’re thinking it. The advertisers know what we’re thinking before we’re thinking it. We have technology – all this in our hands.”
“At the same time that something this positive is happening, not even that far away, people are f---ing dropping bombs on each other.”
According to the Convention, on the first day of Israel’s ongoing Operation Protective Edge, aimed at halting the attacks, there was a 900 percent increase in cyber infiltration attempts against Israeli government sites.Challenge to UK media: name an army that goes to greater lengths than the IDF to protect civilians
“We deal with an average of 100,000 attacks a day, and in the last day we have been faced with 1,000,000 attacks,” said Major-General (res.) Yitzchak Ben Yisrael, head of the Cyber Center at Tel Aviv University, early last week. Ben Yisrael pointed out that the attacks originate from all over the Muslim world and aren’t solely the work of Gaza’s Hamas, whose hacker unit is still primitive.
Ben Yisarel indicated that the actual volume of attacks is probably even higher.
Humanitarian tactics employed by the IDF include dropping leaflets, placing phone calls and sending text messages to Palestinians in harm’s way, and the ‘knock on the roof’ tactic.IDF Graphic Shows New York, Empire State Building Under Rocket Fire (PHOTO)
It’s also worth noting, in the context of such reports imputing Israeli culpability in Palestinian deaths, that the Indy has thus far failed to note that almost all of the more than 800 rocket attacks on Israeli towns since the war began have been fired at civilians – each, therefore, clearly constituting a war crime.
The real story of the war – one which the UK media won’t tell – is how Hamas uses tactics which maximize the danger to their own civilians and intentionally targets all Israeli civilians, while the IDF goes to extraordinary lengths to protect both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
On Twitter recently, we asked a source cited in a Guardian Live Blog (who had criticized as ineffective IDF tactics of warning civilians prior to an attack on a terror target) to respond to a simple question:
"Name one army in the world that goes to greater lengths than the IDF to protect civilians during war."
We’re still awaiting his response.
A graphic published by the Israel Defense Forces to illustrate what life is like under rocket fire shows missiles raining on New York City.MSNBC, NBC Ignore Hamas' Human Shields
The image, captioned “what would you do?” shows the Empire State Building surrounded by raging fires as smoking missiles fly overhead.
Over the last several days, NBC and MSNBC have repeatedly emphasized what broadcaster Brian Williams has called “a rather lopsided conflict”: Israeli citizens have bomb shelters, sirens and an Iron Dome to keep them safe from incoming rockets, Gaza civilians have none of these means of protection against Israeli airstrikes, the networks report. While this is all true, NBC and MSNBC ignore the true lopsidedness of the conflict: that Israel has invested heavily in both technology and construction to safeguard its citizens and to provide them with critical life-saving warnings as well as high-tech and low-tech protection, while the Hamas government of Gaza, which has not taken steps to safeguard its people, has actually gone of its way to endanger them.Israel Not to Blame: False Photo Caption Corrected
In the first caption, the fire at the Karni Crossing was attributed to shelling while the second photo caption was more specific, claiming that the cargo terminal was “shelled by Israeli tanks.”BBC Watch uncovers the sources of Jeremy Bowen’s cited casualty figures
It would be unthinkable that Israel were to attack its own crossing through which cargo goods enter the Gaza Strip. Indeed, the IDF has confirmed that the fire was a result of a Palestinian rocket that fell short.
Credit to the Daily Telegraph for promptly amending the captions when informed of the error by HonestReporting.
BBC Watch telephoned the person who complied that report in order to find out.What are the dominant themes appearing in BBC filmed reports from the Gaza Strip?
Katleen Maes informed us that UN OCHA’s three primary sources are B’Tselem, the PCHR and Al Mezan – all of which are political NGOs with a less than pristine record on impartiality in Israel-related matters. Maes added that the secondary sources used by UN OCHA to arrive at its 77% civilian casualty rate figures are the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, the Palestinian Red Crescent and the local Arabic media in Gaza, some of which is also run by Hamas and with the rest operating with Hamas consent, of course.
We also asked Katleen Maes if those casualty figures include civilians killed by short-falling missiles launched by terrorist organisations which land in the Gaza Strip and she replied that they do, but that so far they had no knowledge of any such incident in this particular round of conflict. In other words, UN OCHA figures for civilian casualties in Gaza – currently being used by the BBC as ‘evidence’ of Israeli ‘wrongdoing’ – would also include those killed by Palestinian terrorist organisations.
As we see from the examples of reports above, the BBC’s main themes in its reporting from the Gaza Strip so far have been as follows:Pallywood swings back into action for Gaza conflict
Promotion and amplification of false claims of targeting civilians and collective punishment made by politically motivated interested parties.
Promotion of unverified casualty figures from Hamas sources with a failure to distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Portrayal of Israeli strikes on houses without adequate clarification of the practice of use of residential buildings as command centres and weapons storage facilities by terrorist organisations.
In the propaganda war against Israel, fakery is key. Pallywood is the longest running series in the history of fiction.Columnist: Israel's Iron Dome Provides Unfair Advantage Against Hamas
In the July 2014 Gaza conflict, even the BBC — notoriously hostile to Israel — has reported that many of the photos circulating in social media are fake, old, or based on conflicts elsewhere, or all of the above:
When I saw this photo of an Israeli soldier stepping on a Palestinian child circulating on Twitter, I knew it was fake:
Israel's Iron Dome has a "90 percent... success rate" and Bloomberg Businessweek's Peter Coy claims that makes the Israelis "look worse in the eyes of the world."Toronto – Anti-Semites and Terror Supporters Rally against Israel
In other words, Israel has an unfair advantage in being able to defend itself.
According to Coy, the "astonishingly effective Iron Dome air defense" has allowed life in Israel continue unabated even under rocket attack:
A large rally against Israel took place yesterday in front of the Israeli Consulate in response of the new developments in the Middle East. After being bombarded for months with Hamas rockets, Israel finally responded and decided to liquidate the terrorist bases in Gaza. Naturally, anything that Israel does (other than roll over and die), causes an enormous rage in the hearts and minds of those who hate the country. And there are plenty of them.Pro-Palestinians protest in Asia to support Gaza
According to the event’s Facebook page nearly 3,000 people were supposed to show up, but the actual number was probably around 1,000. After the fiasco during the demonstration at Palestine House a few weeks ago, the Toronto Police took the issues more seriously – they started building a buffer zone between the rally (at the Royal Ontario Museum) and the counter-rally of Jewish groups and their supporters across the street. The police presence was heavy, with plenty of officers, vans ready to transport the arrested, and even horses.
Thousands of protesters from Australia to India rallied to voice their support for Palestinians on Sunday, as Israel mounted a ground assault in Gaza against Hamas rocket fire and the death toll from air strikes climbed.Violent Berlin protest against Israel broken up by police
In Sydney an estimated 3,000 people demonstrated outside the city’s Town Hall to condemn the military offensive, shouting “Free, free Palestine; free, free Gaza” and holding signs declaring “Shame Israel Shame.”
Police in Berlin say about 1,000 demonstrators, most of them Palestinian, held an unregistered march protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza.Alleged collaborator 'executed' in Gaza City
Up to ten demonstrators were arrested for breach of the peace and for trying to forcibly free others already arrested in Saturday’s melee, a police spokesperson said. Rocks were thrown during the disturbance and a police officer was struck but not injured.
An alleged collaborator with Israel was executed by Palestinian fighters in Gaza City on Sunday, local sources said.The 'victories' of Hamas, according to Gaza TV
Witnesses in the southern city of Rafah reported seeing gunmen killing a man in the middle of the street in what appeared to be the execution of someone suspected of collaborating with Israel.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility from any of Gaza's armed factions. (h/t Bob Knot)
"Seven Israelis die in Zikim," "Ten injured in Haifa after rocket explodes," "All of Tel-Aviv is in shelters," and "Hamas succeeds in causing malfunctions to the Iron Dome system," - these are just some of the headlines that Gaza residents have been hearing in recent days on Hamas radio and television broadcasts.Why Gaza Doesn’t Have Bomb Shelters
But none of the news items mentioned above actually happened. Seven Israelis did not die in Zikim, instead it was five Hamas terrorists that died. No one was injured in Haifa, and Tel Avivians are still going to work, enjoying the beach and sitting at cafes, not locked in shelters.
The assumption is that the Hamas-run strip is too poor to afford building shelters and safe rooms for its civilians, a point that adds to the impression that the Palestinians are helpless victims who deserve the sympathy if not the help of the world in fending off Israel’s assault on Hamas’s arsenal.
But the assumption is utterly false. Gaza’s tyrants have plenty of money and material to build shelters. And they have built plenty of them. They’re just not for the people of Gaza.
Kids on Hamas TV: "We want to die as Martyrs"
Palestinian Duo Returns with a Sequel to Its "Strike a Blow at Tel Aviv" Song
Hamas TV Song in Hebrew: Annihilate all the Zionists, Exterminate the Coackroaches' Nest
Rockets Launched at Israel from Sinai, Too
The Ansar Bayt Al-Makdis terror organization, which identifies ideologically with Al Qaeda, published a video Friday allegedly documenting the launching of five 107 mm rockets at Israel.Brave Hamas Fighters Courageously Hiding Among Children (satire)
The launch took place in the Sinai peninsula, south of the Egyptian city of Rafah. The rockets were apprently fired on Wednesday, and were aimed at an Israeli community in the Negev desert.
In what military experts around the world are calling a bold, gutsy strategy, militants of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip are bravely taking the risk of positioning themselves among noncombatants, despite the risk that as a result Israel might not attack them for fear of harming civilians.MKs Fear War Costs Will Hurt Terrorism Apologist Budget (satire)
Researchers at West Point and the Nikita Khrushchev School of Applied Military History in Moscow both published articles today remarking on the unexpectedly daring move on the part of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, which exposes the fighters to increased risk of annoying questions and ceaseless insipid singing, in addition to the very real chance that they might not be killed or horribly maimed by Israeli strikes.
Legislators in Israel’s parliament voiced concern this morning that the continuing offensive against terrorist fighters and armaments in the Gaza Strip may deprive the government of funds it needs to pay government officials who excuse or enable terrorism.Times Square Billboard Commemorating Slain Israeli Teens Prompts Outpouring of Support (PHOTO)
Of particular concern is MK Haneen Zoabi, who refused to call the abduction and murder of three Israeli teens last month terrorism at all, characterizing it as a legitimate means of resistance to military occupation. Her continued pronouncements against the legitimacy of Israel’s measures to defend its citizens from harm might no longer be funded by taxpayer money if the war continues at its present pace for more than two weeks and its costs mount.
The rabbi of an Upper West Side synagogue, which funded a billboard in the heart of Times Square in memory of three murdered Israeli teens, said publicity from the sign has prompted a flood of support for the families of the youths.Google Glass gets Gaza rocket siren update app
“Obviously we’re all davening (praying)… but we wanted to do something concrete and this kind of gave people a little bit of something that they can feel like they are making some sort of impact… and I think it did serve a purpose that was positive,” Rabbi Dovid Cohen from Young Israel of the West Side told The Algemeiner recently.
Google Glass users who want to keep up with the Gaza rocket attacks on Israel can download a new Glass app (“glassware”) that sends attack warnings as they are issued by Israeli security officials. Similar to apps like “Red Alert: Israel” for smartphones, the new Glass app pushes siren alerts, providing a visual notification of where and when a warning siren is going off.Synagogue firebombed near Paris in renewed violence
The new service comes as most of Israel comes under rocket fire by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza. Rockets have reached as far north as the outskirts of Haifa. Israel’s unique “Iron Dome” defense system has brought down most of the rockets headed for populated areas, and casualties have been further limited by Israelis racing to bomb shelters or protected areas, given from 15 to 90 seconds by the alert system to reach safety.
A firebomb was hurled at a synagogue near Paris, part of a string of anti-Semitic incidents in Western Europe coinciding with Israel’s assault on Hamas in Gaza.Pre-World Cup, Argentine team commemorates AMIA bombing
The firebomb went off Friday night at the entrance to the synagogue of Aulnay-sous-Bois, a northeastern suburb of the French capital, according to the National Bureau for Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism, or BNVCA. No one was hurt and the fire resulted in minor damage, Le Monde reported.
Players from Argentina’s national soccer team are featured in a photo commemorating the victims of the 1994 AMIA bombing.GAZA: A history you may not know
Most of the players of the team, which will play Sunday in the World Cup Finals in Brazil, posed for the picture in which they hold a red banner reading: “The national team does not forget that 17 years ago, 85 people were killed in the bombing of the AMIA. You shouldn’t forget either.”
Among the players featured was Lionel Messi, the Argentine team’s celebrity forward. The banner the players held for the camera also read: “This as an attack against forgetting.”
Continuing Roman excesses against the Jews led to the Second Jewish Revolt under the command of the charismatic Bar Kochba, known in Aramaic as Son of a Star. The Emperor Hadrian's legions destroyed the Jewish state in 135 AD, decimating the Jewish population in an enormous slaughter, and sending thousands into slavery and exile from the Roman slave markets of Gaza.
Under the subsequent harsh Byzantine rule, Gaza's restored Jewish community nevertheless managed to flourish and during the 4th century Gaza served as the primary port of commerce for the Jews of the Holy Land.
It is interesting to note that in 1967, archaeologists discovered the beautiful mosaic floor of a 6th century synagogue situated on the Gaza seashore, attesting to the size and prominence of the Jewish community of the time.
The great medieval kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Azoulai lived in Gaza where he authored his famed work, Hesed L'Avraham, along with a commentary on the Torah (the first five books of the bible). The Jewish inhabitants made Gaza a great center of study and towns and villages from Rafah to Yavne sprung up as centers of Talmudic learning. (h/t Bob Knot)
