Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Forget the Palestinians: Arab states have too much else to worry about
Eyad Abuchaqra, a prominent Lebanese commentator and TV personality, cites another reason for dwindling interest in the Palestinian issue. “One might call it Palestinitis,” he says. “Arabs realize that there are many other issues that affect their lives, indeed their existence.”UK Jews wary over Labour candidate’s support for Hamas, Hezbollah
The idea that it is now Iran and not Israel that poses an existential threat [?] to Arabs receives almost daily confirmation with outlandish statements by Khomeinist leaders in Tehran. “Iran is trying to create a Persian Crescent as the core of its empire,” claims Lebanese Interior Minister Nihad Manshouq. “That now represents the principal threat faced by Arabs.”
“Today, it is Iran and not Israel the Arabs ought to worry about,” says Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Afghan Hizb Islami (Islamic Party) who was sheltered, financed and armed by Tehran for decades.
Not surprisingly, Iran’s leaders try to keep the Palestine issue on the front burner by casting themselves as the “liberators of Jerusalem.”
That was the theme of the “Jerusalem Day” events last week presided over by President Hassan Rouhani and inaugurated with a message from “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei. Both men promised to “liberate Palestine” and wipe Israel off the map.
But their show attracted less attention than at any time in the past 30 years. The Khomeinist regime’s TV station in Tehran complained that global media had ignored “Jerusalem Day” but could hardly restrain its jubilation when reporting a small pro-Iran gathering in Jerusalem itself, where some posters of Khamenei were distributed among visitors to the Al Aqsa Mosque.
The Khomeinists missed the irony of Israel being the only government in the Middle East, outside Iran itself, to allow such a demonstration. (h/t Norman F)
Britain’s pro-Israel community is viewing the race for the Labour Party leadership with concern after the UK’s biggest union, Unite, threw its weight behind the hard Left MP, Jeremy Corbyn, who has expressed open support for Hamas and Hezbollah.Jeremy Corbyn’s cantankerous interview on his ‘friends’ in Hamas
Corbyn, MP for the inner city London constituency of North Islington since 1983, was a surprise addition to the leadership race, set for a September vote. Corbyn was encouraged to put his name on the ballot by Labour MPs who are unlikely to vote for him, but felt that the debate should be widened.
But Corbyn’s very difference from the other candidates — former health secretary Andy Burnham, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (wife of ousted shadow chancellor Ed Balls, who lost his seat in the May election), and Shadow Health Care and Older People Minister Liz Kendall — has brought him into prominence.
Commentators say that where Israel is concerned, Burnham is the candidate most obviously akin to Labour’s former leader Ed Miliband, who led the party to an unexpectedly heavy defeat to Prime Minister David Cameron’s ruling Conservatives in May’s elections.
Jeremy Corbyn is finally receiving the scrutiny he deserves. On Channel 4 News this evening, the hard-left Labour leader hopeful was quizzed by Krishnan Guru-Murthy on comments about engaging with ‘friends’ in Hamas and Hezbollah over the Middle East conflict. Corbyn refused to apologise for using the word ‘friends’ and snapped several times at Guru-Murthy for not letting him finish a long-winded answer:Jeremy Corbyn: 'I wanted Hamas to be part of the debate'
‘I’m saying that people I talk to, I use it in a collective way, saying our friends are prepared to talk.
‘Does it mean I agree with Hamas and what it does? No. Does it mean I agree with Hezbollah and what they do? No. What it means is that I think to bring about a peace process, you have to talk to people with whom you may profoundly disagree.
‘There is not going to be a peace proccess unless there is talks involving Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas and I think everyone knows that.’
The clip of the exchange is worth watching, not least for how easily Corbyn is riled by a perfectly acceptable line of questioning. If Corbyn inexplicably wins the Labour leadership contest, television interviews will become tedious.
Fate of Americans jailed in Iran not part of nuke deal
The United States may have just lost its best leverage to secure the release of four citizens held in Iran.CNN: Many Original Obama Administration Standards for Nuclear Deal Are Not Met With This Agreement
Monday’s nuclear agreement with Iran includes no provisions for the release of three Americans known to be detained in Iran and a fourth thought to be held captive by the Islamic Republic.
“What happened today makes a bad deal even worse,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. “We will now focus our attention on convincing Congress to reject this deal.”
Secretary of State John Kerry, who led the U.S. side of negotiations for the deal, did address the plight of former Marine Amir Hekmati, Washington Post Iran Bureau Chief Jason Rezaian, Christian pastor Saeed Abedini and ex-FBI Agent Robert Levinson during his press conference announcing the nuke deal.
“We continue to call on Iran to immediately release the detained U.S. citizens,” Kerry said. “These Americans have remained in our thoughts throughout this negotiation. And we will continue to work for their safe and their swift return. And we urge Iran to bring our missing Americans home as well.”
CNN national security correspondent Jim Sciutto laid out various ways that original “standards of success” laid out by the Obama administration for a nuclear deal with Iran were not met after long negotiations culminated in an agreement Tuesday morning.Engel: ‘Very Possible’ Iran Nuclear Deal Sets off Arms Race in Middle East, U.S. is ‘Taking a Gamble’
“What you have to look at here is the administration’s own standards of success on this deal … The administration sets standards like inspections anytime, anywhere,” he said on New Day. “And what we know about this deal says that’s not going to happen, that Iran is going to in effect have a veto on when those inspections might happen.”
Sciutto said even White House officials would have said they had given up too much if they could have foreseen the measures the United States would eventually cave on, such as Iran keeping centrifuges and nuclear facilities like its secret one at Fordow.
“If at the start of these talks you and I and all of us sat around the table and said Iran would be able to keep all these nuclear facilities, including, for instance, the one at Fordow, which Iran kept secret from the international community and was only revealed due to intelligence work, they get to keep it,” Sciutto said. “They even get to keep centrifuges inside that facility. If you said that two years ago or even a year ago, you would say wait a second, and even some administration officials and supporters would say, wait a second, we’re not going to go that far.”
NBC foreign correspondent Richard Engel reported there was anger across the Arab world at the nuclear deal struck between Iran and world powers Tuesday morning, and that it was “very possible” that the accord would set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.Financial Times gives ‘three cheers’ to Iran nuclear deal, calls Bibi ‘delusional’
“In many capitals in the Arab world, there is deep distrust with this agreement,“ Engel said. “Basically the Arab world and Israel both do not think that Iran will abide by the deal, that it will cheat and that this agreement will give Iran more money, more power, more political clout to continue its policies in the Middle East that are causing a lot of instability right now in Syria, in Yemen, in Lebanon.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his strong opposition by stating that the billions of dollars in sanctions relief Iran will receive will be used to “fuel the terror machine” and it now has a “safe path to nuclear weapons.”
One of the first in the inevitable string of op-eds in the British media in support of the deal was published at the Financial Times by their chief political commentator Philip Stephens (Three cheers for a flawed deal, July 14). After applauding the deal in the first paragraph as “more unpalatable” than all the other alternatives, Stephens jumps to attacking the Israeli prime minister’s opposition to the agreement.Honest Reporting: BBC Shocker: ‘Iran Not a Threat to Israel’
Benjamin Netanyahu will not agree. The Israeli prime minister’s fulminations against the Tehran regime have grown louder and, it must be said, somewhat delusional. The other day, Mr Netanyahu said that Iran’s goal “is to take over the world”. Iran has been ruthless in promoting its Shia proxies as much of the Arab state system has fallen into collapse, but taking over the world? Mr Netanyahu’s answer to Tehran’s nuclear programme has long been to start another war.
Of course, Netanyahu has not campaigned “to start a war with Iran”, despite the regime’s long-standing threat to wipe the Jewish state off the map. He, along with Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum, has argued that the world powers should hold out for a better deal, one which keeps sanctions in place until the Islamic Republic – a leading state sponsors of terror according the US – actually rolls back its nuclear program.
With the announcement of the Iranian nuclear deal, there’s plenty of media coverage including Israel’s reaction. BBC Newshour on BBC World Service radio interviewed Israel’s Minister of Science, Technology and Space, Danny Danon.MEMRI: Gulf Journalists: The West's Current Paralysis Vis-à-vis Iran Parallels Its Inability To Deal With Nazi Germany Prior To WWII
Danon stated that Israel was “keeping all options on the table.” The presenter asked Danon to explain. Her reaction is both shocking and disturbing:
But you’re not under threat by Iran. Nobody in Iran has threatened you for a very long time. You’re harking back to a time when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened Israel directly.
Just what reality is the BBC presenter living in? Only a few days ago, on July 10, Iran observed “Al-Quds Day” as reported in The Times of Israel:
In his March 19, 2015 column in the Saudi Al-Jazirah daily, Dr. Hamza Al-Salem compared the "Iran of the ayatollahs" to Nazi Germany, and warned that the Nazis' secret military buildup prior to World War II could be repeated in much the same way by Iran.MK: Cancel Oslo Accords, Make PA a Regional Council
Al-Salem noted that in the 1930s, the Allies focused on rebuilding their economies following World War I, and chose to disregard the Nazi regime's military buildup – even after the latter invaded Austria and Czechoslovakia – and thus enabled it to occupy all of Europe. He wrote that Iran is now secretly developing destructive technology, just as the Nazis had, and went on to warn that it could deceive and distract the world. He also compared the inaction and apparent paralysis of the Obama administration in this situation to that of the Allies prior to World War II.
Ahmad Al-Jarallah, editor of the English-language Kuwaiti newspaper Arab Times, compared the nuclear deal with Iran to the Munich Agreement signed with Hitler in 1938. He wrote that, just like Nazi Germany, Iran is managing to swindle the world and obtain a deal on its own terms. The only question that remains, he said, is which Arab country will take the place of Austria or Poland and be the first country to succumb to Iran's expansionist ambitions.
Israel must nullify the 1993 Oslo Accords, MK Mickey Zohar (Likud) stated to Arutz Sheva on Tuesday morning, just one day after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu admitted he has no plans to expand Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.No, Israel Did Not Clear A Refugee Camp Inside Syria
"When an Arab petitioner pleads to the High Court, right before my eyes, the rights of Jews disappear - the right to property, the right to freedom, and the right to live in their own country [...] all because of bureaucratic matters," Zohar fumed.
"All of these issues are related to the Oslo Accords, which have set the precedent for us to say the things that we 'should' say," he continued. "The Accords are contrary to what is happening on the ground and what we believe should be."
"We have a problem and need to take care of it at the roots, and only then will we find solutions."
The Oslo Accords, he said, are an agreement "signed by a left-wing government that had done tremendous damage to the Jewish public in Israel, that [still] hurts us today."
What strikes me at first glance is that none of the locals seem threatened, have an urge to flee, or are running away, even though they are 20 meters away from IDF tanks. Furthermore, with at least 3 cameras and probably several more in any mobile device, there are no videos of IDF forces demolishing tents. Using the places shown in the videos, on can easily geo-locate all the elements in the video:Likud denies Netanyahu said West Bank construction frozen
You can see in the videos that no clearing was done east of the north-south dirt track. What actually happened was that the IDF cleared a forest adjacent to the border as a preemptive measure against terrorism originating from Syria.
Several times before in the past 4 years, attacks on the IDF and Israeli civilians were perpetrated at or near the fence. Having a wooded area within 100 meters from the fence is dangerous at best, criminal negligence at worst. What happened on Wednesday July 8th was IDF clearing a wooded area to prevent possible terror attacks, nothing more, nothing less. The border fence in most cases is not the actual border, and usually stretches several tens or hundreds of meters inside Israel. The fact the military vehicles crossed the fence does not mean they crossed the border.
The Likud party denied Tuesday reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told West Bank Jewish leaders that international pressure effectively froze settlement development in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.Defense minister rules out 'deal' with Hamas for return of Israelis in Gaza
During a closed section of a Likud faction meeting Monday, the prime minister reportedly said Jewish settlements could “no longer be developed and we must preserve that which exists.”
According to local council leaders, Netanyahu made the remarks after a heated discussion regarding a building project in the settlement of Beit El that the High Court of Justice ruled would be demolished because it was built on private Palestinian land.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu’s Likud party issued a statement rebuffing the reports, stating that “the prime minister said he would advance housing projects in Beit El by evacuating a nearby Border Police base,” according to a report in Ynet.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon ruled out on Monday any possibility of a prisoner swap deal with Hamas for the return of two Israelis who entered the Gaza Strip of their own accord over the past year, and called on the Gazan regime to release them.UN Chief Urges Gazans to Provide Information on Missing Israelis
“Of course we are not talking about a deal. A deal is not on the agenda and we demand that Hamas returns them to us without conditions,” Ya’alon said, speaking at a conference held by the Israel Democracy Institute and Makor Rishon.
Ya’alon said both Israelis currently being held by Hamas suffered from mental health issues, and that Israel has attempted to covertly secure their release on humanitarian grounds in recent months.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel viewed Hamas as responsible for the safety of 26-year old Avera Mengistu and a Beduin Israeli who are both missing in Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called on Palestinian Arabs in Gaza with knowledge of two missing Israeli civilians to provide information about their possible whereabouts and conditions, reports The Associated Press (AP).New Video Shows Iron Dome Blasting High-Altitude Drone Out of the Sky (VIDEO)
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Monday the secretary-general is also calling for prompt action to facilitate the safe return to their families of Avraham (Avera) Mengistu and a Bedouin Arab from southern Israel who has not been identified.
Dujarric said Ban "underscores the responsibility of all parties to protect and respect the rights of civilians," and will continue to closely monitor developments, according to AP.
He said the United Nations will continue to closely monitor developments.
Leading Israeli defense contractor Rafael released a new video on Monday showing the Iron Dome missile defense system successfully intercepting a high-altitude drone, Israel’s NRG reported on Monday.Breaking: Trump Picks Netanyahu as Running Mate for 2016 (satire)
In the video, a drone is seen taking off from a launching pad, and then, in slow motion, the Iron Dome interceptor makes contact in mid-air, and destroys it.
The video then shows other tests of Iron Dome drone interceptions at various altitudes, demonstrating the system’s effectiveness against the unmanned aircraft at different heights.
Speaking to The Israeli Daily via Skype, the Trumpster wasted no time.MK Zoabi Gives Second Hamas Interview in a Week
“I chose Bibi to be a part of my powerful Right Wing Dream Team. In a field of seventeen Republicans contenders, you gotta stand out. It’s not a clown car. It’s a clown bus,” he said.
“Beyond the hair issues, we share similar views on real estate and immigration. As a result, we are The Boycotted Brothers. The Mexicans have chosen to cut commercial relations with me and the Obama administration is snubbing the Prime Minister. Haters gonna hate.
The controversial and unprecedented move comes as no surprise to many political pundits. One female MSNBC news commentator shrugged off the news saying, “Eh, Trump just loves to stir shit up.”
Radical Arab MK Hanin Zoabi of the Joint Arab List gave an interview to the Hamas paper Palestine on Tuesday, marking her second interview with the propaganda paper of the genocidal terrorist organization in the space of a week.Hamas Apologizes for Tunneling to Mexican Drug Lord’s Prison Cell (satire)
In the interview, as in her last talk with the paper, the pro-Hamas member of Israel's Knesset accused Israeli leaders of "war crimes."
"The international reports of the UN confirm that the occupation (Israel - ed.) committed war crimes in the Gaza Strip. But on these crimes not a single Israeli official has been put on trial in the international courts," said Zoabi, referencing a recent UN report that has been thoroughly debunked by experts.
"Israeli diplomats and military officials with authority who ordered to kill and destroy in the (Gaza) Strip are still in their posts without being put on trial, and that's proof that Israel was not punished."
Mexican authorities at the Altiplano maximum security prison were embarrassed on Sunday when their most notorious inmate, drug kingpin Joaqin “El Chapo” Guzman, escaped his cell through a tunnel dug beneath it. The prison guards were bewildered when from the tunnel emerged Khafir Babori, recently of Gaza City, and said: “Wait, this can’t be Tel Aviv, I don’t see a single gay person! F#cking Google Maps!”ISIS blow up a booby-trapped BABY while teaching militants how to use explosives, says head of Iraqi security committee
Khafir told the investigators that he was originally planning to tunnel to Israeli territory but got “carried away” with the digging. “A couple years ago I accidentally dug to London. The British were very nice, they gave me a pint of beer and even organized a spontaneous mass-protest against Israel keeping Palestinians hungry and thirsty in underground caverns. The next year I ended up beneath Moscow and had the Russian cops chase me for being in the subway without a ticket. I barely got out with my life from that one.”
In the meantime, Khafir assured the Mexican authorities that Guzman will be back in his prison in no time after getting a glimpse of the living conditions in Gaza. “The blockade, the drones, the targeted killings, and worst of all: it’s full of Gazans. There’s no way El Chapo will hang out there a minute longer than he has to. Do you guys mind if I catch some R&R here in the meantime? It seems like you have this cell vacant for the next few days anyway and I heard Mexican food is awesome.”
An orphaned baby was reportedly strapped to a booby trap device and blown up as part of a sickening ISIS training camp exercise on improvised devices.Islamic Theologian: ‘Advanced Oral Sex’ Has Driven up Turkish Divorce Rates
The sadistic act is thought to have taken place near ash-Sharqat in the northern Iraqi province of Salahuddin, where ISIS still holds considerable territory.
Using a remote control detonator, the baby was destroyed by the explosives to show the trainee terrorists how to assemble improvised explosive devices.
'The booby-trapping of the baby was a training mission for Isis to teach its elements the booby-trapping mechanisms,' according by Sadiq al-Husseini, head of the security committee in Diyala province.
al-Husseini claims the baby's father had been arrested and swiftly executed for killing several ISIS militants. It is unclear what happened to the baby's mother.
As punishment for its father's attack on ISIS fighters, the baby was brought to the training camp and used as part of a horrific demonstration on assembling booby traps, al-Hussaini told Iraqi news.
An Islamic theologian has become the brunt of countless jokes on social media after comments he made regarding oral sex live on late night Turkish television.California legislature urges campuses to condemn anti-Semitism
Ali Riza Demircan, a well-known theologian, was on Turkish state television’s late-night show when he said that “advanced oral sex,” “sadistic sexual acts,” and “anal sex” are forbidden by Islam, and their prevalence is the cause of the increased number of divorces.
The show’s hostess, Pelin Çiftçi, could barely hold back her laughter at Demircan’s outspokenness about sexuality.
“Pelin, sister, you had been talking so comfortably. But now you can’t even ask a question!” Demircan said after the hostess began laughing so hard she could barely speak.
He defended his bluntness by saying that Muslims should speak the truth, even when it might be difficult or embarrassing.
Some on Twitter took to mocking Demircan shortly after his comments. One user posted a picture of a man with a cage around his head, presumably to prevent “advanced oral sex.”
California’s state Assembly on Monday passed a resolution urging the University of California to condemn all forms of anti-Semitism.Investigating Indy claim that 511 Gazans died ‘after their ambulances were obstructed’
The motion came in response to several anti-Semitic incidents at UCLA in recent months, including swastika graffiti at a Jewish fraternity and a Jewish student almost being disqualified from serving on the campus Judicial Board due to her faith.
The American Jewish Committee welcomed the decision.
“We applaud the California Legislature for unanimously passing this important resolution,” said AJC Los Angeles Regional President Dean Schramm.
“Anti-Semitism must be confronted without any equivocation, for it threatens not only Jews but the values Americans cherish. We join with the Members of the California State Senate and Assembly in urging the UC Board of Regents and all UC campuses to swiftly adopt resolutions condemning anti-Semitism and to work toward a more secure and friendly environment for Jewish students.”
Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah is the Chief of Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at American University of Beirut Medical Centre. He’s also an anti-Israel activist. Abu Sittah recently wrote an op-ed for The Independent based on his experiences as part of a surgical mission in Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital for the NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).Toning down Islamic Jihad terror BBC style
The July 2nd op-ed included the following headline.
"As a surgeon who worked in Gaza last year, hearing that 511 Palestinians died after their ambulances were obstructed doesn't surprise me"
Abu Sittah’s claim that “511 Palestinians died after their ambulances were obstructed” is of course quite dramatic, and the op-ed began by recounting one alleged incident involving a 7-year-old boy.
Interestingly, Palestinian Center for Human Rights tells a different story about the death of Anas ‘Bader’ Hatem Qdeih. They make no claim that the boy died as a result of the ambulance obstruction or that he died “in the back of an ambulance”, only that he was killed by Israeli shelling in Khuza’a village, and that his body was “brought to the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Yunis”.
Moreover even this one highly disputed example serves to illustrate a larger point in the op-ed: that 511 Palestinians died after their ambulances were obstructed.
Uninformed readers may of course by now have concluded that the most important thing they need to know about Adnan is that he was a “hunger striker” but of course that is only a sideline to the story.Anti-Semitic attacks in France up 84% in early 2015
In the body of the article Adnan is described as follows:
“Khader Adnan, 37, an Islamic Jihad activist, had been held for more than a year without charge under the Israeli “administrative detention” policy.”
Readers are not informed anywhere in this report that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is an Iranian funded terrorist organization which is designated by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. Neither are they told that the PIJ is dedicated to the violent destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian state in its place – despite the fact that the BBC has been aware of that agenda at least since 2001 and documented PIJ terrorism during the second Intifada.
Likewise, no information is provided to inform BBC audiences what the description “activist” actually means. Does Khader Adnan organize coffee mornings or petitions on behalf of the PIJ? Does he paint placards, fold flyers or write letters to the editor? Here is just one example of Khader Adnan’s ‘activism':
The number of anti-Semitic attacks recorded in France during the first quarter of 2015 increased by 84 percent over the corresponding period last year, a watchdog group said.BlazingCatFur: Zionism responsible for every Muslim terrorist group you care to name says local crazy Muslim
The SPCJ security service (Service de Protection de la Communauté Juive) of France’s Jewish communities released the figures Monday in a quarterly report that counted 508 anti-Semitic acts recorded between January and May.
In the first four months of 2014, SPCJ recorded 276 incidents between January and May out of a total of 851 that year, making 2014 second only to the 974 incidents recorded in 2004 by the service. In all of 2013, SPCJ documented 423 incidents.
“The Canadian Shiite cleric of Al-Mahdi Centre, Syed Asad Jafri, portrayed Zionism as the cause of all evils in the world. “We’re obsessed with ISIS, we’re obsessed with ISIL, we’re obsessed with Taliban, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, al-Nusra, al-Shabab so on and so forth. We consumed our energy towards the branches of the tree, while we don’t realize that every other branch is going down to the root, and the root of any act of injustice in this world is Zionism.”Samsung Condemns Antisemitism After South Korean Media Blames ‘Jewish Money’ for Opposition to Merger Deal
“If you want to uproot the oppression in the world, leave ISIS alone, leave al-Qaida alone, leave a-Nusra alone, leave Boko Haram alone, follow the path to that institution, that ideology that breeds this group, that feeds this group, that plump this group up with all sort of military weapons and medical treatment. Conquer that point and everything else will begin to fall all by itself. We’re consuming branches. I ask you now to uproot the tree of Zionism today. Down with Zionism.”
Korean business conglomerate Samsung denounced all forms of antisemitism on Sunday after South Korean media blamed “Jewish money” for opposition to a proposed merger between two subdivisions of the company.World Jewish Athletes to Gather in Hitler’s Stadium July 28
“We are a company that is committed to respect for individuals and enforces strict non-discrimination policies,” Joo Hwa Yoon, CEO of Cheil Industries, and Chi Hun Choi, CEO of Samsung C&T, claimed in a July 12 letter to Jewish human rights group the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). “We condemn antisemitism in all its forms.”
At least two South Korean media outlets published antisemitic claims blaming Jews for attempting to block the merger of Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T, according to the ADL. One publication promoted allegations of a “robust” Jewish power network, while another said that “Jewish money has long been known to be ruthless and merciless.”
Last week, the ADL called on the South Korean government to condemn the remarks.
In response to the letter, the watchdog on Monday welcomed the “clear and public stand against antisemitism” by both South Korean companies involved in the merger.
On July 28, Jewish athletes from around the world will demonstrate the power of generational victory as they gather to compete in the Berlin stadium built on Hitler’s orders for the 1936 Olympics.Israel and India in Throes of a New Romance
In a stadium still haunted by images of swastika flags surrounding the Nazi salutes of the crowd in its stands, The Maccabi Games will be held in Berlin for the first time since the Holocaust.
It’s been 70 years since the fall of Nazi Germany. For the generations whose lives have been touched by the horror of Hitler’s hell, however, it will never be long enough.
“When I entered the stadium for the first time a year and a half ago, even I wondered if it’s right to host the games here,” admitted the president of Maccabi Germany, Alon Meyer.
“I still get goosebumps when I imagine what happened here, who stood here and what they were shouting. It’s unbelievable.
“But now we are returning to the very same place and saying, ‘You have failed; we are the ones who won.’”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the first Indian head of state to visit Israel, in the latest demonstration of the growing romance between Israel and India. Arms sales are on the increase, and India even recently abstained from a vote condemning Israel at the Human Rights Council.IsraellyCool: Waze “Terminated”
India is the largest buyer of Israeli defense equipment, especially drones. Of the total of eight billion dollars of Israeli arms exports abroad, $2.5- $3 billion dollars is sent to India.
“All top three Israeli defense providers – Israeli Aerospace Industries, Elbit and Rafael all have large offices and a large presence in India,” David Keinan, vice chairman of the Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce told The Media Line. “India is the largest customer for different equipment from Israel and Israel is the second-largest total provider of equipment into Israel after Russia.”
Earlier this year, Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon visited India and attended the Aero India Defense Trade Exhibition in Bangalore. The two countries are cooperating on producing the Barak 8 Air and Missile Defense System that will be used by both the Israeli navy and Indian army.
In addition, Israel and India have a total volume of bilateral trade of almost $4.4 billion and the two countries are negotiating an extensive bilateral trade agreement. There are also extensive agricultural exchanges.
“We have set up 28 centers of excellence in nine states in India,” Ohad Horsandi, the spokesman at the Israeli Embassy in New Dehli told The Media Line. “We bring Israeli technology and adapt it to local conditions in India. Yields of fruits and vegetables have increased by at least five times as much in these areas.”
Navigation application Waze – sold to Google in 2013 – is a huge deal here in Israel. It seems everybody with a vehicle uses it (I can’t speak for people in countries outside of Israel – maybe readers can help me there).Why did two Israelis pose as Arab sheiks in Dubai?
Recently, Arnold Schwarzenegger lent his voice to the app as Terminator Genisys, so people like me who choose this setting get to hear things like the following when driving around in our cars:
There are some real classics not caught on these videos, like:
“Hazard reported ahead. Get down!”
“There’s traffic up ahead. I see everything.”
And my favorite:
“At the roundabout, take first exit. Human.”
Police in Dubai were probably surprised to spot two “sheiks” speaking Hebrew in a busy street in the city this week. What they were witnessing was in fact, the implementation of a dare by a United Hatzalah donor to the emergency services organization's president Eli Bir. The latter accepted the challenge to walk the streets of Dubai dressed as an Arab Sheik in return for two motor ambulances valued at more than quarter of a million shekels. Bir, joined by United Hatzalah's Operations Manager Dubi Maisel, documented the deed with pictures and a video, which he cut short when he saw police approaching the duo.Israel Volunteers to Mediate Germany-Greece Negotiations (satire)
The dare isn't quite as random as it sounds - Bir was in Dubai meeting with representatives of international volunteer organizations as the Israeli medical volunteer network seeks to expands its operations abroad. United Hatzalah plans to help establish identical organizations to itself in Dubai, India and Bangladesh.
During his visit, Bir met with Shafi Maher, founder of the Indian ambulance company ZIQITZA. An agreement was reached between the Israeli and Indian organizations, which will see the establishment of "sister organizations" of United Hatzalah in India, Dubai and Bangladesh. ZIQITA is the largest organization of its kind in India, boasting 1,600 ambulances and a large branch in Dubai.
Bir returned to Israel in good spirits, pronouncing: "I believe that together we will save the lives of many people in additional places in the world."
As German and Greek politicians were in a last ditch effort to grevent the Greeks for grexiting the European greekommunitiny, the mood in both capitals was resentful and antagonistic. However, there’s cause for cautious optimism as Israel, a veteran of mediated negotiations, has volunteered to step in.
“We are very thankful for the long history of European moderation in our negotiations with the Palestinians,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We truly believe that those negotiations work as evidenced by our long and lasting peace with the Palestinian Authority. Of course, the German-Greek conflict goes back centuries if not decades, but we hope that we can bring both sides to a fruitful discussion. It is important not to let this recent European conflict blind us to the ancient European values of democracy, freedom, and a budget deficit below 8% of nominal GDP.
The Israeli negotiator continued, “I am willing to personally oversee the negotiations and I can do everything that may be asked of a mediator: be fully ignorant of the history of the region, look good in photo-ops, express my disappointment at the reticence of both sides and boldly claim that an agreement is around the corner two days before the rockets start flying. I can even bring Shimon Peres along with me, he was there when Athens was negotiating with Sparta in 405 BC and his experience will be invaluable.”
