Pages

Sunday, April 03, 2016

04/03 Links: Max Blumenthal recorded praising Hamas massacre; UN & EU support murderer-honoring NGO

From Ian:

Charity backing anti-Israel rallies has state cash pulled
The statement comes as the Telegraph obtained undercover recordings of events where anti-Semitism, demands for the destruction of Israel or naked support for terror were expressed by academics and others at meetings in some of Britain’s most prestigious universities.
One speaker, Max Blumenthal, the son of a close adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton, praised a massacre by Hamas as sending an “incredible message” and said that taking up arms should be “normal” for Palestinians. He compared Israel to the terrorist group Isil, describing it as “the Jewish State of Israel and the Levant, Jsil”.
At another rally – sponsored by War on Want – a speaker said that British government policy was created by “Zionist and neo-con lobbies”.
A second speaker at the same event spoke of a “rumour” that Israelis were harvesting dead Palestinians’ organs.
The meeting, at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), was the London launch of Israeli Apartheid Week, held across UK university campuses to “raise awareness about Israel’s ongoing settler-colonial project” and demand boycotts of Israel. They were secretly recorded and passed to the Telegraph.
War on Want, whose logo appears on publicity materials for Israeli Apartheid Week and the meeting, has received £260,000 in funding from Dfid over the last two years.
Clinton Confidante's Son: Palestinians Recover Their 'Dignity' In Violence Against Israelis


UK government halts funding to BBC quoted and promoted charity
As was reported here last year, this is not the first time that ‘War on Want’ has been active in the organisation of ‘Israel Apartheid Week’ in British universities and its activities include additional forms of anti-Israel campaigning.
Among the other bodies funding ‘War on Want’ is the charity ‘Comic Relief‘ which – as has been noted here before – receives considerable support from the BBC. In addition, BBC Radio 4’s charity appeals slot has featured ‘War on Want’ on several occasions.
In light of the circumstances which prompted the decision taken by the Department for International Development, one would of course expect that ‘Comic Relief’ and additional funders of ‘War on Want’ will be reviewing their position.
That same background should of course also prompt the BBC to ensure that on the fairly frequent occasions upon which it hosts representatives of ‘War on Want’ on its programmes, care should be taken to meet the existing BBC editorial guidelines on impartiality which require that audiences be made aware of the association of contributors with a “particular viewpoint”.



You pay two Palestinian terrorists who left this British woman for dead and killed her friend £9,000 each every year - as a 'REWARD'
Two Palestinian terrorists who repeatedly stabbed a British woman in a brutal attack and killed her friend are now each receiving at least £9,000 in ‘blood money’ every year with the help of UK aid.
Kay Wilson was left for dead in an orgy of violence in Jerusalem in which Kristine Luken, an American, was killed.
The attackers were eventually caught and, after admitting their crimes, were sent to prison.
But Ms Wilson was horrified to learn from news reports that her assailants were being paid a monthly stipend equivalent to £750 each effectively from the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Last week The Mail on Sunday exposed how ‘reward’ payments are going via the PA to thousands of terrorists and to hundreds of other prisoners in Israeli jails.
Ms Wilson, 51, and her friend were hiking in the Judean Hills in 2010 when the two men pounced on them, believing both women to be Jewish, although Miss Luken was Christian. After tying the women up the terrorists launched a savage attack. (h/t Elder of Lobby)
New York gives pro-terror Palestinian activist $500,000
Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American activist who recently raised an uproar for her open support of rock-throwing terrorism against Israel, has been awarded over $500,000 by the City of New York.
The activist, who is a longtime ally of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and has helped him get votes, has led the Arab-American Association of New York based in Brooklyn since 2005.
Her organization was selected as one of 14 groups by the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York to receive $10 million over the course of the next five years so as to integrate mental-health services into community programs, reports the New York Post on Saturday.
Sarsour is the daughter of Palestinian Arab immigrants. Last October she exposed her blatant anti-Israel bias during a Twitter debate with Queens Councilman Rory Lancman, who is Jewish.
Following the decision to award Sarsour, Lancman told the New York Post that the move "bears scrutiny," but he is "reluctant" to take action against it because doing so may harm people who need services.
In the Twitter war last October, Sarsour posted a picture of an Arab boy holding rocks in front of IDF soldiers, ready to throw them.
She added the text: "The definition of courage."
PMW: UN bodies and European governments support murderer-honoring NGO
UNDP, UNFPA, FAO, the Spanish government, the Dutch government and European NGOs are behind Palestinian NGO that organized chain of readers in honor of murderer of 3, Baha Alyan.
Murderer presented to kids as role model, Palestinian scout leader: He was "an example for every scout," "died as a Martyr while fulfilling his holy duty."
An-Najah University is 4th university to hold "chain of readers" event to honor killer.
Chains of readers have become a popular way in the PA to commemorate murderer Baha Alyan who together with another terrorist killed 3 Israeli civilians on a bus in Jerusalem in November last year.
Alyan himself organized a chain of readers in Jerusalem in 2014, and it is this initiative that is being repeated now to honor him as a killer.
One such chain of readers in which "female activists and mothers" participated, was organized in Hebron by the Palestinian NGO Rural Women's Development Society. [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 22, 2016]
UN censors Israeli exhibit about Zionism
The United Nations has decided to censor displays on the topics of Zionism, Jerusalem and Israeli Arabs included in a new exhibit about Israel, deeming them "inappropriate."
Israel's Ambassador to Israel Danny Danon, who organized the exhibit in cooperation with StandWithUs, wrote to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, demanding that the decision be revoked.
If the decision is not revoked, Danon said he will display the censored topics as part of an exhibit protesting the absurdity of the UN's decision.
The exhibit was scheduled to open on Monday.
"According to this outrageous decision, Zionism doesn't befit the United Nations and that is why I decided to protest," Danon said. "We'll work to distribute the censored content to millions across the world." (h/t Elder of Lobby + Bob Knot)
Caught In The Act! Pallywood Undone By Behind The Scenes Footage
The intention of the photos seems clear: to show “violent” IDF soldiers assaulting women, one of whom ended up on the ground crying in pain from her injuries.
Luckily we have the tape.
Here you see a group, including the woman in black and Shirley Temper, going towards the tear gas and army vehicle. Notice all the cameras on hand – they are there, once again, to capture what they hope will be a valuable propaganda scene. She then rants and seems to be digging a hole in order to plant a tree in front of the cameras and soldiers (knowing what will likely happen). The soldiers ask them to leave, and one grabs her. It is then that the first two of the three photos is taken.
At 3:57, you can see the woman in white slip and fall to the ground.
She then carries on like a pork chop for the cameras, with the young woman joining her for the third photo.
Thankfully, we have the video (from an anti Israel protester!) to confirm this is another case of (over)acting for the cameras.
Woman injured in Rosh Ha’ayin in terror stabbing
A young Arab Israeli woman stabbed a 30-year-old woman in the central Israeli city of Rosh Ha’ayin Sunday afternoon, the Israel Police said.
A security guard in the area who witnessed the attack, along with other bystanders, subdued the stabber without firing shots, and took the knife from her hand and another from her bag, police said.
The victim, approximately 28 years old, was lightly injured by the assailant, with stab wounds to the arm, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service.
The victim was “shocked” that such a thing could happen in Rosh Ha’ayin.


Poll: Majority of Israelis Believe Current Violence Worse Than Second Intifada
A poll found that a majority of Israelis believe “the security situation is more serious today compared to the Second Intifada,” Media Line reported.
Half a year after the onset of a wave of Palestinian knife attacks, shootings, and car-rammings against Israelis, a new survey conducted by the Smith Polling Institute found that 51 percent of Israelis think the situation is more serious today than the wave of suicide bombings that struck during the first half of the last decade.
A further 53 percent of the 500 respondents said they felt their personal security had declined in the last few years.
The survey was released ahead of the Israel Security Conference set to take place on April 12. The confab will bring together representatives from the private security sector and official institutions such as the police, intelligence agencies, and the Ministry of the Interior.
Misleading Terminology: HonestReporting's 8 Categories of Media Bias, Video#1 of 8


Vic Rosenthal: A geography lesson
There is a groundswell of support in Israel for the soldier that shot a ‘neutralized’ terrorist as he lay on the ground. Although he has been arrested and may be tried for manslaughter or at least violating rules of engagement, the spirit of the country is with him.
The usual suspects, like Gideon Levy, think that the soldier (and the country) are “monsters.” They are wrong. They are making a mistake in geography. They haven’t noticed that Israel is located in the Middle East; or, having noticed, they would prefer it to be elsewhere, like Europe. But you see how well that has worked out for Europe!
Liberal American Jews make a similar mistake. They would like Israel to be in California. I don’t think that would work out so well, either.
Israel is a Middle-Eastern country. An exceptional one, with highly advanced science and technology and a decent economy and a relatively free and democratic system of governance. But Middle-Eastern nevertheless.
I don’t know why Levy and his ilk are so surprised. Half of the population has recent roots in Arab countries. Our religion and ethical principles developed here, even though they took something from the years of Diaspora. Since before the founding of our state, our neighbors have been teaching us about life in the Middle East the hard way.
Herzl thought Altneuland would be a more tolerant version of Germany, but that isn’t what happened. Not surprising, actually.
Palestinian autopsy observer: Shooting by soldier suspected of manslaughter was killing shot
The Palestinian observer of the autopsy of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, the Palestinian stabber shot by an IDF soldier in Hebron around 10 days ago after he was already neutralized, said on Sunday that the autopsy which he had just observed had determined that the final shot after being immobilized was the killing shot.
If true, the determination significantly enhances the IDF prosecution’s case against the soldier, likely for manslaughter.
However, the IDF refused to confirm the determination or to comment on the autopsy pending completion of the criminal investigation and the IDF examiner was the official autopsy performer.
If the autopsy determination turns out to be the opposite and reveals that the original shooting of the terrorist, unquestionably in self-defense, caused a fatal wound, then the prosecution’s chances of proving manslaughter would be much more complex.
Cut funding to UN climate change convention, experts urge Obama
The Palestinian Authority has joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – and the United States should respond by cutting funds to the body, note senior researchers Brett Schaefer and Steven Groves in The Daily Signal.
The PA officially became the 197th party to the UNFCCC on March 17, 2016, 90 days after depositing their instrument of accession to the convention.
“As was the case when the Palestinians joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2011, this event should trigger provisions in U.S. law that will prohibit any future U.S. funding to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” wrote Schaefer and Groves.
In October 2011, hours after UNESCO accepted the PA as a member, the United States announced the administration had no choice but to cut its aid to the agency.
Schaefer and Groves note that the Obama administration requested $13 million for the UNFCCC in the 2017 fiscal year. It is unclear if the prohibition would also include much larger U.S. contributions to the Green Climate Fund, which is a mechanism under the UNFCC framework to assist developing countries in adapting to and mitigating the predicted consequences of climate change.
French Health Minister Visits Israel to Learn How to Treat Terror Victims
French Minister of Health Marisol Touraine visited Israel this week in an effort to learn from the Jewish state’s medical expertise on treating victims of terror attacks.
Touraine visited Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center on Thursday and met with her Israeli counterpart, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman. France needs to “think about the best way to prepare our hospitals in case of new attacks,” especially given her country’s “dramatic terror attack at the end of last year,” Touraine said in reference to the six coordinated Islamist shootings that killed 130 people in Paris last November.
Touraine also expressed her desire for greater cooperation between France and Israel, so that France can “learn from the Israeli experience,” the Associated Press reported.
Israeli beach volleyballers to compete in Qatar
Israel's top beach volleyball duo of Sean Faiga and Ariel Hilman will compete in the FIVB Qatar Open starting from Monday after arriving in Doha on Sunday.
Faiga and Hilman only received their visas to the Muslim state in recent days and their trip to Doha with Israel Volleyball Association CEO Yaniv Newman and national team coach Shaked Haimi was kept under wraps until their arrival on Sunday.
Faiga and Hilman will need to win two matches in order to advance to the main draw in Qatar as they continue their pursuit of precious ranking points in their bid to qualify for the Rio Olympics.
The road to Rio lasts until June 13, 2016 with FIVB World Tour events counting towards the Olympic Ranking in order to determine 15 of 24 spots for each gender that will take part in this summer's Olympic Games.
Kuwaiti Activist Nasser Dashti: Islamic Conquests Constitute Colonialism


Steinitz: Israel is a global leader in readiness for nuclear terror
‘Israel is one of the countries most prepared for scenarios of nuclear terrorism,” Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Saturday at a nuclear security summit held in Washington.
Steinitz said Israel has developed measures to prevent such attacks, including means to stop the smuggling of radioactive materials. The minister said the Jewish state was willing to assist all nations in the Middle East in preventing such smuggling — even those with which it does not have diplomatic relations.
He added that Israel has response teams trained to deal specifically with scenarios of nuclear terrorism.
“On the whole we can sleep soundly, relatively speaking, definitely when compared to other nations,” Steinitz said.
World leaders at the summit have warned of a persistent and harrowing threat of terrorists getting their hands on a nuclear bomb.
Military edge in peril as weapons flood region, general warns
A top Israel Air Force general warned that Israel may be losing its military edge amid a growing arms race in the Middle East, during a conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday.
Brig. Gen. Tal Kalman, chief of staff of the air force, warned that weapons flowing into the region could shift the balance of power away from Israel, hinting at growing Iranian hegemony without naming the country.
“There is the potential for the erosion of the IDF and IAF’s qualitative edge,” Kalman warned, alluding to a US commitment to make sure Israel is better equipped militarily than its neighbors.
Kalman called the air force the “dominant and central figure” in successfully defending Israel against the threats facing it, but warned that could change.
“Advanced Western and Eastern weapons have entered the equation and have been received by the countries surrounding us,” he said, referring to military equipment coming from Europe and the United States, as well as from China.
Report: Egypt asks Hamas about status of 'four Israeli prisoners of war'
Egypt has asked the Islamist organization Hamas for information regarding the status of "four Israeli prisoners of war" the terrorist group claimed were in their custody earlier this week, Arab media reported Sunday.
According to Egyptian daily Al-Arab Aljadid, Egyptian sources with direct knowledge of the ongoing situation said that a Hamas delegation sent to Cairo this week was asked about the four Israelis who died in action or went missing in Gaza.
Palestinian officials from the coastal enclave are in Egypt in an effort to rebuild tattered relations between the two parties.
Israeli officials said that Egypt and the Jewish state have enjoyed "the best relationship since the signing of their peace accord" in 1979, and remain optimistic that any new information Cairo receives will be passed along.
Snapshots from Concentration Camp Gaza. The Al -Jayyar chocolatier
More snapshots from Concentration Camp Gaza. The Al- Jayyar chocolatier.
Trigger warning:
The scenes of tragedy, suffering and deprivation can be overwhelming

Air France female cabin crew to Tehran told to wear headscarfs
A number of female Air France cabin crew are resisting an airline ruling that they should wear a headscarf while in Tehran, when flights to the Iranian capital resume on April 17, a union representative told AFP on Saturday.
“Every day we have calls from worried female cabin crew who tell us that they do not want to wear the headscarf,” said Christophe Pillet of the SNPNC union, which is asking Air France management to make it a voluntary measure.
Company chiefs had sent staff a memo informing that female staff would be required “to wear trousers during the flight with a loose fitting jacket and a scarf covering their hair on leaving the plane,” Pillet said.
According to Pillet, management has raised he possibility of “penalties” against anyone not observing the dress code.
Red-carpets laid out for Islam hate preachers at universities and NO-ONE challenges them
A report found 27 events had radical speakers in just four months, a rise of 35 per cent over the last year.
The shocking revelations come despite new legislation introduced last year requiring all universities to comply with the Government programme, Prevent, aimed at tackling extremism.
But most events went ahead as planned despite no one challenging the views spewed by the speakers.
Among the worrying messages peddled were Jews are “evil”, and a man wanting to marry a Muslim woman “should be executed” if he did not pray.
Others said homosexuality is “unnatural” and those who “fight against community … should be killed.”
Former Guantanamo inmate Mozzam Begg, director of campaign group CAGE which opposes the Government’s anti-terror programme, gave a speech.
BDS activists vandalize ad for 'Open a Door to Israel' Paris exhibit
Anti-Israel activists who belong to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) vandalized signs promoting an official Israeli exhibit in Paris on Sunday.
The incident took place just as the Carousel du Louvre was hosting a display staged by the Foreign Ministry titled “Open a Door to Israel.”
Gilad Erdan, the government minister who has been put in charge of coordinating the state’s response to BDS, released a statement reacting to the incident, saying: “BDS activists have once again shown their true colors. They are not human rights activists, but a group of extremist law-breakers whose goal is to silence anyone who supports Israel.”
“I will act to ensure that the truth about Israel is heard worldwide,” the minister said.
Diplomats, French officials, actors, artists and leaders of the Jewish community gathered at the Carousel du Louvre over the weekend for the launching of the unusual exhibit, which is composed of nine doors, each in a different color and design, all opening into huge interactive screens.
Open a Door to Israel


Jeremy Corbyn and a Case Study for Fascism
In the light of day it is difficult to tell the difference between what many on today’s progressive Left believe, how they act and how they differ from the good folk of 1930’s Germany who turned a blind eye to Nazism.
We arrived at this point because of our ignorance of global history.
Our knowledge of history’s villains is so poor that we recognize only a small part of the evil that has been committed in the name of the gods. Conquest and slavery are not only a Western malaise, but at least we recognize the errors of our past. We have ignored other colonial enterprises because they were not ours; we have dismissed superstitions and disregarded the prejudices of many nations that are erroneously labeled as third world or developing, because it complicated our guilt and our self-flagellation. Global history is a rich tapestry of good and bad. The terrible atrocities Islamic State has committed were already an acceptable part of a rich Muslim cultural tradition that, throughout history viewed the non-believer as worthy only of subjugation and conquest.
By excluding that tradition, by choosing to side with regimes that reject our way of life, we give them a green light to oppress their own people and to attack us until we submit to them.
This is not a multicultural paradise to which we should all aspire; it is a dystopian vision of hell.
Activist who derides critics as 'Zionist scum' admitted to Labour in latest anti-Semitism scandal to hit Party
Labour admitted a previously barred activist who refers to his critics as "Zio idiots" and "Zionist scum", and claimed that Jews supported the Nuremberg laws, it has emerged.
Tony Greenstein, a prominent campaigner from Brighton, was barred from entry to the Party last summer when vetting of new applicant was stepped up during the leadership contest to prevent a surge of "entryism" from groups who did not share the "aims and values" of Labour.
However, following Jeremy Corbyn's election as leader, Mr Greenstein slipped back into the party unnoticed.
Evidence compiled by Labour's compliance unit when Mr Greenstein attempted to join the party last summer, seen by The Telegraph, included his claims in online forums Margaret Thatcher was an "obviously legitimate" target for the IRA and that "Zionists collaborated with the Nazis".
John Mann MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Committee into Anti-Semitism said that it was "hugely inappropriate" for Mr Greenstein to have been admitted to the Party.
Don't cry for me Amnesty, Nah: A cry from the overlooked victims


IsraellyCool: Richard Silverstein Trolls Singer-Songwriter Donovan
Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan performed in Israel last night, to a small but enthusiastic crowd.
“I’m traveling the world to say thank you to my fans. The best thing about a 50th anniversary is being alive to celebrate it.”
Enter pathological Israel hater DouchebloggerTM Richard Silverstein, who proceeded to troll Donovan for performing here.
Note Donovan’s classy responses.
Will Guardian amend ‘feel-good’ Palestinian teacher story to note husband’s terror attack?
As reported by Israellycool, the Guardian failed to reveal that Hroub’s husband was a major accomplice in a deadly attack in 1980 which killed six peaceful Jewish worshipers in Hebron (and injured 16 others) as they were walking home from Sabbath prayers.
The victims had been “walking in a narrow alley” on their way home from the Cave of the Patriarchs when “PLO terrorists attacked them from the roofs of two buildings, first by hailing them with bullets from the rear and then by hurling hand-grenades and explosives at them from several directions”.
The story about the role of al-Hroub (also spelled Kharoub) in the killing was reported in both the Israeli and US media at the time of his arrest. A New York Times article on September 17, 1980. (Israel holds 10 Arabs for Hebron slaying of 6 Jews in May, David Shipler) noted the following:
Only one of the six Palestinians accused of helping the terrorists was identified: He was said to be Omar Kharoub, 30, a resident of Beit Jala and a graduate of Beirut University in chemistry, who worked in blood banks in Hebron and East Jerusalem.
IsraellyCool: Global Teacher Award to Hanan Al Hroub uncovers a massive media failure


Rabbi victim of stone throwing in Forest park in Brussels
A rabbi walking with his brother in law were victims of stone throwing when they were taking a walk in the Forest park in Brussels, according to information released by the south Brussels zone police station (Anderlecht/Saint-Gilles/Forest).
“A complaint has been made and investigation of the perpetrators is underway”, indicated spokesperson for the Police, Marie Verbeke.
The incident occurred in the Forest Park around 18h30 on Saturday 26th of March. The rabbi had come to visit from the Netherlands and was taking a walk in the park with his brother in law who lives in Brussels.
They were heading to the synagogue for Saturday prayers when they crossed three people in the park who started to throw rocks on them.
Following the incident, the two men tried to find a police officer.
Police is looking for video surveillance images in the neighbourhood to identify the perpetrators.
Cairo shopowner defends 'Hitler' name
Osama Farouq, the owner of a clothing store in a famous shopping promenade in central Cairo, has decided to name his shop "Hitler" after the infamous Nazi and employ a swastika as his logo. Farouq claims that he did not intend to offend.
The store is located on the pedestrian Shawarbi Street, nicknamed "Cairo's Champs Élysées." Farouq insists on the "innocuousness" of his branding and explained to Gulf News, "The name and the emblem drew my admiration, so I decided to put them up on the front of my store."
Farouq's choice has not been well-received by all. Egyptians and foreigners alike have criticized him, some spitting on the window. At least one person has attempted to remove his sign, but Farouq insists on retaining it.
Israel investing NIS 11 million in LGBT tourism
The Ministry of Tourism is preparing to invest an impressive NIS 11 million to promote LGBT tourism to Israel. The ministry is planning a campaign targeting multiple countries, including many in Europe, that is intended to promote Israel as a liberal country and entice members of the LGBT community to visit.
Tourism Minister Yariv Levin confirmed on Monday that his ministry, in conjunction with external organizations and in collaboration with the Tel Aviv Municipality, is examining the marketing plan for the LGBT community. However, unlike in past years, the plan is to extend beyond the Pride events during the month of June. The campaign's content and character has not yet been finalized, but its overriding goal is to increase LGBT tourism to Israel.
"We're building a plan for a long-term strategy," said the minister. "Different organizations that we work with have marked the LGBT community as one that has significant potential for growth, and I certainly want to break into larger numbers than we have today."
Levy further noted that, in recent years, thousands of young LGBT people have come to Tel Aviv's Pride events, and his ministry is aiming to produce additional, innovative marketing activities.
Weizmann-developed drug may be speedy prostate cancer cure, studies show
Scientists at the Weizmann Institute may have found the cure for prostate cancer, at least if it is caught in its early stages – via a drug that doctors inject into cancerous cells and treat with infrared laser illumination.
Using a therapy lasting 90 minutes, the drug, called Tookad Soluble, targets and destroys cancerous prostate cells, studies show, allowing patients to check out of the hospital the same day without the debilitating effects of chemical or radiation therapy or the invasive surgery that is usually used to treat this disease.
The drug has been tested in Europe and in several Latin American countries, and is being marketed by Steba Biotech, an Israeli biotech start-up with R&D facilities in Ness Ziona. The drug and its accompanying therapy were developed in the lab of Weizmann Institute professors Yoram Salomon of the Biological Regulation Department and Avigdor Scherz of the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department.
Based on principles of photosynthesis, the drug uses infrared illumination to activate elements that choke off cancer cells, but spares the healthy ones.


We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.