Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Efraim Karsh: It's Anti-Semitism, Stupid
The truth of the matter is that since anti-Semites have never really distinguished among Zionists, Israelis and Jews (notwithstanding repeated protestations to the contrary), and since Israel is the world's only Jewish state, it has been tacitly construed as epitomizing the worst characteristics traditionally associated with Jews and has attracted the full brunt of anti-Jewish bigotry and hatred hitherto reserved for individuals and communities, not least because it has reversed the millenarian Jewish condition of dispersal, minority status and powerlessness. If prior to Israel's establishment Jews were despised because of their wretchedness and helplessness, they have hitherto been reviled because of their newly discovered physical and political empowerment.Hamas manipulated and intimidated the media in Gaza. Why was that kept from us?
So much so that 64 years after its establishment by an internationally recognized act of self-determination, the Jewish state remains the only state in the world whose right to self-defense, indeed to national existence, is constantly challenged.
In Lord Byron's memorable words: "The wild dove hath her nest, the fox his cove, mankind their country – Israel but the grave."
Let's review what we know.Doublas Murray: Are "Integrated Muslims" Integrated?
Indian television station NDTV broadcast and posted on its internet site on 5 August a report by Sreenivasan Jain showing rockets fired from a tent next to his hotel. In the accompanying text on NDTV’s website, Jain wrote that it was published "after our team left the Gaza Strip – Hamas has not taken very kindly to any reporting of its rockets being fired. But just as we reported the devastating consequences of Israel’s offensive on Gaza’s civilians, it is equally important to report on how Hamas places those very civilians at risk by firing rockets deep from the heart of civilian zones." In an article published subsequently, Jain wrote of "the fear which hobbles the reporting such material: fear of reprisals from Hamas against us", asking "how long do we self-censor because of the fear of personal safety in return for not telling a story that exposes how those launching rockets are putting so many more lives at risk, while the rocket-makers themselves are at a safe distance?"
The long Hamas record of shutting down news bureaus, arresting reporters and cameramen, confiscating equipment and beating journalists has already been documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists. In the latest conflict Hamas wanted to reduce the reports coming out of Gaza to what Reinhold Niebuhr once called "emotionally potent over-simplifications". Journalists from India, America, Norway, Italy, Spain, Australia, Canada and elsewhere are complaining. Will we now hear from the Brits?
Examples such as these seem to demonstrate what many people had already begun to observe on the streets among the anti-Israel crowds: that the protestors, who turn out in their thousands to spend weekend after weekend screaming hatred against Israel and Jews, are perhaps not, in fact, Islamists. Certainly, some of them are, but many are simply enraged Muslims. Some – just like Zayn Malik of One Direction – are people whom you would ordinarily have described as models of integration. Yet if it comes to any action of Israel's, they behave in a way no ordinary British person does or would.Noa Tishby: Artists without borders. Or facts.
This of course makes the challenge vastly bigger than many people may have thought. The problem is that a whole generation -- perhaps several -- has been taught to hate. What is notable, though, is that in a country such as Britain, most Muslims are descended from the Indian sub-continent. What is "Palestine" to them? It should have been nothing, or at least no more concern of theirs than anywhere else. But they do care differently about it. Perhaps it is part of the anti-Semitism that one British Muslim recently admitted to being "rife" and "the dirty little secret" among British Muslims.
What seems clear is that these otherwise '"integrated" people hate Israel and Jews because they have been taught to. They have been trained to carry over a bigotry and a bias that they may not even be aware of. It is a lot of hate to tackle, but it needs to be tackled, and it is important to start. The best place might be by tackling the lies and defamations that are allowed to go on underneath everyone's noses, such as the wholly frivolous -- and false -- accusations of Israeli "genocide," "war-crimes" and the like. It is going to require a lot of work, leadership, and the realization that the problem is worse than anyone had thought.
It is challenging for someone who did not grow up in the region, as I did, to decipher what the hell is going on over there. However I wonder if Cruz and Bardem got a chance to read the Hamas Charter before signing their letter. They would’ve found that when Radical Political Islam reaches Spain – and we all know that it eventually will – Ms. Cruz and Mr. Bardem may find themselves on the very wrong side of history. After all, folk singer Pete Seeger and actor Paul Robeson did find Stalin to be highly admirable at first, and when American POWs claimed to have been tortured by the North Vietnamese, Jane Fonda rushed to publically call them hypocritical liars. They were in fact brutally tortured. And I don’t think I need to get into Stalin.
Media is to blame as well: it covers Israel and Palestine obsessively, largely because Israel, as a flourishing democracy, provides a safe place from which to do that. You won’t see Selena Gomez make fact-finding tours in, say, Syria or Iraq. Skewed coverage results in skewed perception and artists are as susceptible to misinformation as much as everyone else.
Should public personalities choose to get acquainted with the facts, they will also find out that Israel is the only Western Democracy in what is effectively a whole region of failed states. More so, they may actually decipher values from propaganda. What do these people you say you support stand for? What do they want? How naked does Rihanna think she can get if Political Islam achieves its international goals? (h/t Yoel)
Separating fact from fiction and dispassionate legal analysis from propaganda
In armed conflict, fact and truth are often trumped by emotion. Sober analysis gives way to crude comparisons of body counts that disregard the fighting methods of the combatants or their differing regard for human life. Graphic images of death are posted on social media with little understanding of the true story behind them, in an attempt to compel us to condemn one side and beatify the other. The language of international law is misappropriated to confer emotional condemnations of one side with the false veneer of impartial analysis.How to Make the Case That Israel’s Actions Are Just and Proportionate
Take for example, the accusation that Israel’s response to Hamas is “disproportionate”. British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg made the claim in a recent opinion piece, in which the Liberal-Democrat leader also urged Israel to negotiate with Hamas, an entity constituted for the sole purpose of bringing about Israel's demise.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof made the same accusation, relying on a simplistic comparison of civilian casualties. “One principle of international law is proportionality of response,” Kristof said, “but so far Israel has lost three civilians, Gaza has lost 1033.”
Proportionality in armed conflict has nothing to do with equality of casualties, or even equality of firepower. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, proportionality weighs the direct anticipated military advantage of a strike against the expected incidental loss of civilian life.
The “anticipated military advantage” of Israel’s military actions in Gaza is clear. It is the removal of the direct threat posed to the lives and wellbeing of 8 million Israeli citizens (Jewish and Arab) by Hamas rocket attacks and the new and arguably greater threat posed to Israeli civilians by an elaborate network of tunnels from Gaza which lead directly to towns and villages on Israel’s sovereign territory.
Some of the same media outlets that rushed to portray Israel as using disproportionate force have belatedly acknowledged that fighting-age men are vastly overrepresented among Gaza’s dead, strengthening Israel’s claims all along that it has done its best to target combatants and avoid civilians.ISM operative Joe Catron aids Hamas Command and Control
Israel’s restraint is all the more remarkable given the genocidal intent of its enemy, as clearly stated in the preamble to Hamas’ covenant and demonstrated by Hamas’ genocidal missile attacks on Israel’s nuclear reactor. Would the U.S. military be as careful as Israel has been to avoid civilian casualties when confronting an enemy trying to kill millions of Americans and destroy the U.S.?
In the end, Israel must protect its citizens from an Iran-backed terrorist army that is disproportionately willing to kill Israeli and Gazan civilians, while facing disproportionate blame despite Israel’s disproportionate efforts to defend its population more humanely than any state in history has. Only if Israel decisively defeats Hamas can real peace come to Gaza – one more reason to let Israel’s soldiers finish the job, before granting them the Nobel Peace Prize.
It is illegal for US citizens to aid Hamas. Yet as this war in Gaza roils on, the ISM has human shields rubbing elbows with Hamas command and control. Of particular note is one Joe Catron, a US citizen.Israel, US, and the world community face upcoming diplomatic clash
Catron tries to come off as some starry-eyed anarchist peace activist, but he clearly knows more and in Hamas activities, does more than a simple radical might do. An interview in a communist party newspaper online reveals Catron’s knowledge goes beyond simple demonstrations.
In the article Catron discusses movements by Hamas forces against the IDF and other military matters that show he is rubbing elbows with the Hamas leadership for whom he is acting as a human shield. He is falsely described as a “journalist” and activist at the bottom of the article, but he writes for no reputable journals. He does appear on Iranian propaganda TV occasionally to promote the Iranian smear program against Israel, the US and Jews in general. He could, in fact, be functioning as an Iranian agent.
The US will likely clash with Israel over what constitutes effective demilitarization. Israel’s past experience with international forces and false promises in this regard justifies any skepticism on its part. UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was supposed to keep southern Lebanon missile-free after the Second Lebanon War in 2006. UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) allowed nearly 100,000 Hezbollah missiles to enter Lebanon over an eight-year period (2006- 2014), and intercepted none.6 Phrases the Jew hating media uses that really piss me off the most
Similarly, UN Resolution 1860 called for the prevention of “illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition” to Gaza after Operation Cast Lead in 2008.
Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012 and Operation Protective Edge in 2014 clearly demonstrate the ineffectiveness of international guarantees for demilitarizing Islamist terrorists. A bipartisan American Congress has been much wiser and realistic about whom to call America’s friend in the region, and it is not the administration’s choice of Qatar and Turkey, Hamas’ main supporters.
The media’s coverage of the Gaza war would almost be comical if it wasn’t so dangerous…their pathetic coverage helped spark the outrage of people all over the world, who in turn used it for their own anti-semitic purposes. While in Prague watching CNN I literally had to fight back the vomit I could feel coming as each segment seemed to get more despicable than the one before. I can’t even count how many times one scumbag reporter made sure to remind the public that Gazans, UNLIKE ISRAELIS, don’t have the luxury of bomb shelters and Iron Domes. Here are a few of the comments that irked me the most during this latest round of fighting, I’m sure some of you will agree with these!At London rally, Guardian editor accuses ‘terrorist’ Israel of ‘industrial-scale’ killing
Here’s a clip of the speech given by Guardian Associate Editor (and former Stalinist) Seumas Milne in front of tens of thousands of anti-Israel protesters at Hyde Park in London this past Saturday. During the four-minute speech, Milne explicitly justified Palestinian terror attacks on Israelis (a refrain from his Guardian column in mid-July), and accused ‘terrorist’ Israel of “industrial scale” killing in Gaza.Vital statistics: stealth changes made to the BBC’s Gaza casualty figures article
Clearly somebody was unhappy with the wording of certain parts of that article. Notably, the reference to the UN Human Rights Council and the doubt expressed regarding that organisation’s allegations of “indiscriminate” Israeli attacks has been completely erased. In addition, passages have been added and wording changed in a very transparent attempt to create the impression that the over-representation of young men among the casualty figures in the Gaza Strip might not be the result of their being members of terrorist organisations, but because they popped out to the corner shop to buy milk.BBC inaccurately labels Israeli missile warning system as weapon
The bulk of the changes to this article are dated August 11th. However, the UNWRA spokesman Chris Gunness sent a series of consecutive Tweets apparently relating to the same article which are date-stamped August 12th.
On August 7th the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet produced two items on the same theme – one filmed for BBC television news and one written – both of which appeared on the BBC News website’s Middle East page. The written item (still in place at the time of writing) is titled “Israelis along the Gaza Border keep calm and carry on“. At the head of that article appears the photograph below with the following caption:BBC’s Gaza border restrictions campaign continues: the Yolande Knell edition
“Israeli firepower – such as this Raz battery – is clear to see along the border”
The Raz is in fact a radar system – brought into use in 2010 – which identifies the launch location (in this case in the Gaza Strip) of incoming missile and mortar fire to Israel and calculates the expected landing site. It forms part of the early warning defence system and hence its description by the BBC News website caption writer as a component of “Israeli firepower” is inaccurate – not least because it doesn’t fire anything.
Knell’s claim that “the Israelis impose tight controls” is of course a woefully inadequate and misleading representation of the situation. She fails to inform viewers that the only import restrictions are on weapons and dual-use goods which can be used for the purposes of terrorism – surely a highly pertinent point of background information given that less than a month has passed since the discovery of Hamas’ thirty-two cross-border attack tunnels. Also in line with the usual BBC policy, Knell neglects to inform audiences why restrictions were imposed in the first place and her presentation predictably fails to include the word terrorism at all, meaning that viewers are herded towards the misunderstanding that border restrictions are the product of some sort of Israeli vindictiveness rather than a means of trying to protect Israeli civilians by curbing the flow of arms and other materials for terrorist activity into the Gaza Strip.Why Almost No Photos or Videos of Hamas?
Likewise, Knell’s portrayal of the situation at the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt also fails to inform viewers of the reasons for restrictions imposed by Egypt.
Is her claim true that the lack of Gaza photos wasn't unusual because there also weren't "lots of pix of Iraq insurgents vs US occupation"? Does this make her case that there wasn't a pro-Palestinian bias or bending to Hamas threats?Hewitt Slams Soledad O’Brien for Being Paid By Hamas’ Top Funder
In fact, Barnard and her like-minded colleagues are dead wrong, because a quick google image search for almost exactly her term, "Iraqi insurgents," reveals numerous such photos.
Let's start with this one, of Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah, which garnered the 2005 Pulitzer Prize:
Hugh Hewitt grilled reporter Soledad O’Brien Monday evening for accepting money from the government of Qatar, which is the top financier of the terror group Hamas and also has provided funds to other Islamist groups.One Year In, Al Jazeera America Cuts Back Programming, Staff Amid Falling Ratings
Hewitt asked O’Brien, who does work for the Qatari government’s Al Jazeera news station, how she justified being paid by a government that supports terrorism.
“Businessweek, has a story on Qatar, which owns Al Jazeera, and the headline calls Qatar a patron of Islamists,” Hewitt said on his radio program. “It says that Qatar funds and arms Islamists fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad and bankrolling Hamas in the Gaza Strip. So here’s an honest question. How can you take money from them?”
Despite its funding by the deep-pocketed government of Qatar, Al Jazeera America is following up a round of layoffs in April with “a smaller round of layoffs” in the near future.Why is the SNP endorsing Israel haters?
Late last year, BuzzFeed noted that the station “has already lost more than half the viewers of its notoriously low-rated predecessor,” Current TV, which had 31,000 viewers.
While Al Jazeera often boasts of its editorial independence, last year dozens of staffers resigned from the network in Egypt in protest over Qatari interference . In the past, a Qatari official boasted that Al Jazeera is “an informal tool of [Qatar's] foreign policy.”
Take this poster advertising a ‘Women for Gaza’ rally in Glasgow this Saturday.South Africa's Mbeki, Mugabe's Accomplice, Calls for Israel Boycott
The headline speaker is Nicola Sturgeon MSP. She is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland and leading light of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP).
And one of the two other scheduled speakers is Yvonne Ridley — the notorious convert nutcase with whom I have had cross words before. Ridley used to be most famous for expressing solidarity with the leading al-Qaeda beheader and wedding-bomber Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. In recent days she has re-entered the fray by calling for a ‘Zionist-free Scotland’ (an extension of her ‘Respect’ party leader’s call for an ‘Israeli-free Bradford’).
It is to be expected that Ridley, Galloway et al should utter such fulminations. But why is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland endorsing such sentiments by sharing a platform with their proponents? Does Scotland’s Deputy First Minister also want to make Scotland ‘Zionist-free’? I suppose she will say that she is simply showing support for the women of Gaza, in which case she ought to join a rally against Hamas rather than an anti-Israel one.
Former South African president Thabo Mbeki has joined his country's rabid anti-Israel chorus by calling for a boycott of Israeli goods, the BBC reports. Mbeki, who during his abortive tenure in office guarded Zimbabwean tyrant Robert Mugabe as he plundered his country into famine and murdered his political opponents, had frequently been a critic of Israel but had never before called for South Africa to cut off trade relations.Belfast plaque marking Herzog’s birthplace removed
Ironically, given Mbeki's carefully contrived status as an economic policy wonk, South Africa would be hardest hit by a boycott of Israel. The country has enjoyed a significant trade surplus with Israel recently.
The blue plaque honoring Herzog, Israel’s president from 1983 to 1993, was taken down in the Irish capital out of concern for the safety of those living nearby, the Belfast Telegraph reported.Opposition leader Herzog calls to reinstate plaque on father's Belfast home
“Attacks have included the scrawling of anti-Israeli graffiti on the building and items being thrown at the plaque and the house,” Brian Kingston, a local official, told the Telegraph.
“Recently some youths were stopped in the process of trying to remove the plaque with a crowbar.”
The removal of the plaque, which was mounted in 1998, came a month after a north Belfast synagogue was vandalized.
On Wednesday, Herzog said he "can only regret the decision, as my family's history is intertwined with the history of Belfast and Jewish history in Belfast, where there is a unique Jewish community."Snubbed in Scotland, Israeli performers decry fringe fest protest
Herzog's father Chaim was born on Cliftonpark Avenue in Belfast in 1918 to Irish Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Halevi Herzog, who eventually became Chief Rabbi of Israel, and Sara Herzog, founder of the religious-Zionist women's movement, Emuna.
The opposition leader pointed out that his grandfather is "revered for his role in the Irish War of Independence," in which he supported the Irish Republican cause and earned the nickname Sinn Féin Rabbi.
The Herzog family moved to British Mandate Palestine in 1935, and Chaim Herzog served in the British Army in World War II.
The group, which receives a small grant from the Culture Ministry, was first kicked out of its original venue in Edinburgh because of threats from pro-Palestinian protesters, and now has been left high and dry by the festival’s organizers.Dutch Justice Ministry Employee: ISIS a Zionist Conspiracy
“They’re not giving up,” said Eshet, speaking from Edinburgh. “The guys are performing in every little place they can find. They did a silent show in the street as a protest for freedom of speech and now there are petitions going around for freedom of speech.”
The entire situation is a sham, said Eshet.
Yasmina Haifi, a project leader at the Dutch Justice Ministry’s National Cyber Security Center, made the assertion Wednesday on Twitter, the De Telegraaf daily reported.Kurds Join Pro-Israel, Anti-Hamas Protest Outside White House (VIDEO)
“ISIS has nothing to do with Islam. It’s part of a plan by Zionists who are deliberately trying to blacken Islam’s name,” wrote Haifi, who described herself on the social network LinkedIn as an activist for the Dutch Labor party.
She later removed her original message, explaining, “I realize the political sensitivity in connection with my work. That was not my intention.”
Two right-wing lawmakers have asked the ministry how a person with such views reached a prominent position within the ministry. The lawmakers, Joram van Klaveren and Louis Bontes of the VNL faction, asked whether the minister thought Haifi’s employment constituted a security risk. (h/t Canadian Otter)
A group of Kurds joined a pro-Israel demonstration outside the White House on Saturday to show solidarity and denounce Gaza-based terror group Hamas.Kurds Stand with Israel Against HAMAS at the White House!
The protesters chanted “No Hamas, no war,” “Down, down Hamas,” “Long live Israel” and “Long live Kurdistan.” Some of the Israel supporters waved the flag of Kurdistan while others carried Israeli and American flags.
“U.S.A., Kurdistan, Israel: true allies,” they also shouted. “We support Kurdistan. We support Israel. Our true friends.”
Calgary police lay charges in pro Palestinian rally assaults
Assault charges have been laid against three people ─ and are expected against a fourth ─ after a rally for Gaza in downtown Calgary turned violent last month.Charges laid against anti-Israel rioters
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian supports had converged outside city hall July 18 when a small group of Israeli supporters showed up across the street.
A series of scuffles broke out and three people were assaulted.
It took police nearly a month to lay charges, Insp. Cliff O'Brien said, because of the complexity of the investigation.
Archdeacon Slams George Galloway for 'Israel-Free Zone' Comments
The local Telegraph & Argus paper reports that Canon Guy Wilkinson made the comments as an online petition at change.org calling for Galloway to be prosecuted reached 4,100 signatures. Campaigners say that Galloway should be prosecuted under section 5(1) of the Public Order Act 1986, which criminalises threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour.Watch: Israelis 'Infiltrate' UK City Declared 'Israeli-Free'
Canon Wilkinson, who is now vicar for the Anglican parish of St Andrew's, Fulham Fields and Area Dean of Hammersmith and Fulham in London said:
"It's an absurd thing to say anyway and completely unjustified.
"I saw these statements made by Mr Galloway and it seemed to me that they did nothing for the reputation of Bradford. It has always been open to all kinds of people.
"It was a thoroughly disgraceful thing for him to say that Israeli people were no longer welcome in Bradford.
"Bradford does not need that type of reputation. But it needs to build on the reputation that it welcomes all people. Bradford needs to flourish."
The Jewish activists - including both British and Israeli citizens and led by Israeli-born Rabbi Shneur Odze - visited Bradford and waved Israeli flags, handed out Israeli-made snacks and made a point of being served at a local Starbucks after showing their Israeli passports.Infiltrating the Israel Free Zone
Contrary to the declaration by their city's extremist MP, there was no policy to discriminate against Israelis, and most passersby were friendly - with the exception of a small group of anti-Israel activists who mounted a counter-protest at one point.
"I must confess to being rather anxious as to what kind of reaction we’d get," said Odze. "However, I’m pleased to say, a few shouts from across the road aside, the reception was almost exclusively positive, with many coming over to wish us well, welcome us and almost everyone, unprompted seemed to know why we were there."
He added that another protest - "with a twist" - is scheduled for next Sunday.
Jeeps Graffitied in Spain With Anti-Semitic Slurs
A group of Israeli tourists was shocked to discover that their rental jeeps had been graffitied Wednesday, in yet another example of a hate crime in Europe over Israel's self-defense operation in Gaza.Soccer Star Urges Fans to 'Punch Jews in the Nose'
The jeeps' tires were slashed, and the words "Israeli murderers" (Spanish: asesnios Israel) were smeared on the windows in bright red paint, according to a Walla! report.
The Geographical Tours Co., who organized the trip, said that the tires were fixed, a police complaint was filed and that the travelers have already continued on their way.
Irish soccer player Tommy McGuigan became the latest sports figure to spew anti-Semitism two weeks ago, as flagged by the Britan-based Campaign Against Anti-Semitism.'F*ck Off', 'You F*cking Rag Heads': Football Fans' Tirade Against Palestinian Protest
"If you are lucky enough to know or work with a Jew, punch him right on the nose tomorrow," wrote McGuigan, along with an expletive hashtag adding foul language to his anti-Semitic rant.
Palestinian protesters in London have been subjected to a tirade of abuse at the hands of some angry football fans, as they marched through the city. A video posted on the Evening Standard website showed activists walking past The Green Man pub on Euston Road being called “rag heads” and told to “f*ck off”.CAIR-Affiliated Protest: ‘We Are Hamas!’ (VIDEO)
The video was shot on Saturday shortly before Leeds United Football Club played Millwall in a league match. Football fans were drinking outside the pub when they took the opportunity to express their pointed views on the validity of the Palestine protest.
Some are heard chanting “Leeds” over and over, at the same time others shouted “scum” at the protesters. Two of the loudest comments from the Leeds fans were: “F*ck off and fight in your own country you f*cking rag heads” and “go on you smelly b*st*rds.”
The event’s Facebook page indicates additional coalition sponsors including Al-Awda Coalition, National Lawyers Guild (South Florida) and CAIR, among others. The same page declares the purpose of the event was “to support peace, liberation, and human rights.”Exclusive: Anti-Israel Protestors Rally for "Peace" & Hamas
And initially, one mostly heard peaceful-sounding slogans like “Viva, Viva Palestina” and “No more killing, no more war.” These were interspersed with others like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which means eliminating the Jewish State.
The “peace” aspect, however, was completely forgotten whenever a suspected Zionist appeared. One such man filming the event was accosted in a threatening manner by about six protesters, with one grabbing his arms from behind. The police had to calm the crowd as some rushed towards a passing vehicle carrying an Israeli flag. Later in the day, a small group of about eight Israel supporters arrived. At that point, the anti-Israel demonstrators shifted their focus to the pro-Israel group (watch video):
Are All Dead Children Created Equal?
While furious mobs of leftists draped in Keffiyahs and corn syrup were shrieking about Gaza in the public squares of every major city, ISIS was continuing its genocidal advance on Baghdad. In the last 24 hours, the Yazidis, a non-Muslim minority, fled ISIS to a mountaintop where their children are dying of thirst.Minorities need a land of their own
The stark reality of their plight, caught between thirst and a genocidal army, is in sharp contrast to the phony claims made about Gaza where truckloads of goods continue passing from Israel during wartime, where the malls have iPhones and the five star hotels offer cakes so tall they can only be cut from a crane.
The dead Yazidi children won’t inspire any protests or much in the way of outrage. The hysterical rallies for Gaza won’t suddenly turn into anti-ISIS rallies. If any of the angry white hipsters with dead baby posters are asked about it, they will offer some variation on, “It’s Bush’s fault” or “It’s Tony Blair’s fault.”
A clear lesson that the Yazidis and Christian Assyrians have learned is that without a patch of land for oneself, and soldiers to protect it, no people is safe.Divest This!: The more things change: Hallmark tricks of the manipulative propagandist.
Ten years ago, when the pogrom against Iraq’s Christians began with a number of church bombings and sectarian murders, Christian leaders in that country proposed an administrative area in the Nineveh Plains where Iraq’s minorities, including the Assyrians and Yazidis, and smaller but equally persecuted groups like the Shabak and Mandeans, would have political and military autonomy, with a police force composed of minorities to protect them.
Iraq’s more powerful groups rejected the idea, and the Americans did nothing to help; the counter-argument was that Iraq’s minorities should be encouraged to remain part of a multi-denominational country, and that a safe haven would be a magnet for jihadis. The former argument is fine in theory, but the latter looks rather irrelevant now.
A fellow named Rich Cowan wrote a couple of articles a few years back on “Confronting Right Wing Actions and Arguments.” Part of the work he posted to the Internet referenced “seven hallmark tricks of the manipulative propagandist” originally described by The Institute for Propaganda Analysis, a now-defunct organization created to help counter right-wing propaganda in the 1930s.Shaheen Under Fire for Taking J Street Money
Below is a list of Institute’s seven “tricks” along with excellent examples of how such tricks have been used in Somerville’s current divestiture debate:
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D., N.H.) is facing a fierce backlash for accepting thousands of dollars and the endorsement of the liberal Middle East advocacy group J Street, which has long stirred controversy for political candidates and recently came under fire for accusing Israel of “fanning growing flames of anti-Semitism.”Israel supporters should boycott Ottawa's terra20 stores
Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has taken at least $4,300 from J Street’s political action committee (PAC), which funnels money to candidates that J Street believes will carry out its fringe policy objectives in Congress.
While many members have avoided being endorsed by J Street—which Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have described as a dangerous albatross in foreign policy circles—Shaheen, and a handful of other far left Democrats, have risked their pro-Israel credentials to back the group.
terra20, a two-store outfit in Ottawa that sells eco/organic products announced last week that it will cease to sell Israeli-made Sodastream products because, they say, of "concerns held by a number of individuals and groups with regards to Sodastream operating a production facility in a West Bank settlement."Watch: Muslims Force Closure of Temple Mount for Jews
The "individuals and groups" so described tend to be anti-Semitic and/or virulently anti-Israel, and devoted to the elimination of the Jewish State, but I suppose that would be a minor detail for terra20's corporate leadership. As of the publication of this post, terra20 is still selling Sodastream accessories on its website, since their "ethical stance" evidently doesn't extend to not wanting to maximize its profits on existing stock.
Three Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount on Tuesday were met by a throng of rabidly chanting Muslim visitors, who attempted to intimidate them off the holiest site in Judaism, and succeeded in forcing police to close Jewish access to the holy site.Indictment: Arabs Beat Jewish Driver, Demolish Car
Towards the start of the video from the incident, which was uploaded by the Joint HQ for Temple Movements, one of the Jews is observed approaching the police, arguing that the raucous chants constitute incitement.
The Merkaz (Center) District Attorney's Office filed indictments to the Lod District Court Wednesday against three residents of Qalansawe, located near Netanyah, finding them guilty of attacking Jews in "revenge" for the murder of 16-year-old Arab teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir.Detroit judge quits case over share in Israel stores
Taar Makhlouf, 21, Fawzi Abu Kishk, 20, and Suleiman Salbaya, 23 are facing charges of aggravated assault against the backdrop of racism or hostility toward the public and malicious damage to property in relation to racism or hostility to the public.
In addition, Salbaya is accused of arson, and Makhlouf and Abu Kishk are accused of causing serious injury and aggravated assault.
A Detroit federal judge withdrew Tuesday from the case of a Palestinian immigrant accused of lying about her role in a fatal terrorist attack, saying he just learned his family had an investment in the Jerusalem supermarket she helped bomb in 1969.Pro-ISIS Agitators Take to the Heart of London's Tourist District
U.S. District Judge Paul Borman issued an order recusing himself from the immigration fraud case against Rasmieh Odeh. The 67-year-old, also known as Rasmea Yousef, is associate director at the Arab American Action Network in Chicago. A hearing before Judge Gershwin Drain was scheduled for Sept. 2.
An Israeli military court convicted her for two bombings, one of which killed two men at a SuperSol store. She spent 10 years in prison before Israel released her in a prisoner swap with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Pro ISIS agitators have been pictured in one of London's busiest tourist districts, Oxford Street, this afternoon.Egypt's Grand Mufti: IS is Damaging Islam
The gaggle of men were standing in front of signs that read 'Khilafah' (caliphate) 'The Dawn of a new Era'. They were said to be handing out flyers that read the following:
"After many attempts and great sacrifices from the Ummah of Islam throughout the world, the Muslims with the help of Allah have announced the re-establishment of the Khilafah and appointed an Imam as Khaleef".
Egypt's top religious authority on Tuesday condemned the armed group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which has taken over parts of Iraq and Syria and is now calling itself the Islamic State (IS).Yazidi writer: ‘Defend us from the massacres’
According to Reuters, Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam described the group as a corrupt, extremist organization that is damaging Islam.
“An extremist and bloody group such as this poses a danger to Islam and Muslims, tarnishing its image as well as shedding blood and spreading corruption,” said Allam, Egypt's most influential Muslim cleric, was quoted by the state news agency MENA as having reported.
Khalida Khalil, an independent Yazidi writer, academic and consultant in the Kurdistan Parliament, who is living in Arbil, but born in Sheikhan, Iraq, said to the Post on Sunday that she called on “the international community to save us” and “defend us from massacres occurring in Sinjar now.”Swastika daubed on car at murdered rabbi’s memorial
Khalil said that there were around 200,000 stranded people trying to survive in the mountains – hanging between life and death – hoping that they can be saved from slaughter.
Khalil said that no precise statistics were available, but she claimed that thousands of Yazidis have gone missing and that 200 children starved to death or have been murdered by the Islamic State.
A swastika and Iron Cross were etched Sunday on a BMW owned by the mourner, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. The Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating the vandalism.3D Systems buys Simbionix for $120m
The service at the Bais Menachem Chabad synagogue was held a day after Raksin was shot and killed while was on his way to Sabbath morning services there. Raksin, 60, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was in south Florida visiting his daughter and her family.
On Tuesday, hundreds gathered in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn for the funeral procession for Raksin, a father of six who was a leader in the Orthodox community. His hearse passed Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters there.
The Israeli company Simbionix, the global leader in 3D virtual-reality surgical simulation and training, is being acquired by South Carolina-based 3D Systems for $120 million.Old City to Become Disabled-Friendly, After 3,000 Years
Simbionix is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, with a research-and-development center in Israel. The company’s products are used in simulation centers, hospitals, colleges and other educational facilities in more than 60 countries.
“Simbionix is a perfect match for our healthcare business and its powerful technology, products, channels and domain expertise expands our 3D healthcare capabilities from the training room to the operating room, and extends our first mover advantage in this fast-growing vertical,” said 3DS President and CEO Avi Reichental.
Accessibility ramps and other improvements are being added throughout Jerusalem's Old City, allowing the disabled easier access to the Western Wall 3,000 years after Solomon built his Temple there, the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) announced Tuesday.In Major Coup, Israel to Host TEDMED Video Lecture Series (VIDEO)
A special project of the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Office, the Jerusalem Municipality and Social Security, the project will see ramps built in the Jewish Quarter, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the City of David - places that were previously inaccessible to the handicapped. The project will cost, in total, roughly 20 million shekel ($5.75 million).
In a first for the TED organization, the TEDMED conference will be live-streamed from Israel this September, alongside the World Conference in Washington, DC and San Francisco, organizers said.GetTaxi raises $150 million
Israel is the first country in the world to be granted a parallel event to the US-based webcast. Not only that, but starting next year, Israel is scheduled to be one of seven international centers to webcast TEDMED lectures worldwide.
The greatest challenge of the medical world today is finding solutions to problems faced by health systems in an era of increasing life expectancy, eroded health budgets, and decreased quality of life for patients.
Israeli ride-hailing application GetTaxi has announced a $150 million funding round that will help it start a service in New York for corporate customers and expand its service to new European cities.Safari welcomes first Israeli-born fennec fox kits
The company says it will also invest in expanded services in New York City and London.
Vostok Nafta, a Swedish-based investment company, was named as one of the latest funders with its $25 million investment. “Although competition is ripe everywhere, we think a conservative scenario is that GetTaxi becomes the leading player in Russia and Israel,” Vostok Nafta said in a statement.
It was a tunnel digging campaign that had everyone on staff at the Ramat Gan Safari on eggshells as Penny and Louie, four-year-old fennecs, busily dug out dens in their enclosure to protect two Israeli-born fox kits.Lauren Bacall, Hollywood’s sultry siren, dies at 89
After a 15 year wait for locally born fennec kits, a Safari press release heralded the recent birth of these two cute fur balls. The new kits, not yet named, were born exactly 50 days after Penny, who came from a zoo in England two years ago to the Ramat Gan establishment, and Louie mated.
Safari staff covered the fox enclosure with material so as to give the young parents privacy and is now slowly introducing the foxes to the public.
Fennec foxes are not threatened by extinction and can be found both in zoos and as exotic pets.
Born Betty Joan Perske in New York, daughter of Jewish immigrants was a first cousin to Shimon Peres
‘The Look.” Her voice. That line. Lauren Bacall, the sultry femme fatale who at 19 entranced Humphrey Bogart and taught him to whistle, hypnotized the world from the moment she burst onto the silver screen in the 1940s.
With her smoldering gaze and deep, husky voice, the legendary American actress, who died Tuesday after a stroke at the age of 89, was a scorching-hot property both in Hollywood and on Broadway.
Searing an indelible mark in the Hollywood fabric through her roles with husband Bogart, the smoky seductress landed on the American Film Institute (AFI) list of the top 25 actress legends and was named by People magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.
