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Wednesday, May 11, 2022

05/11 Links Pt1: Palestinians Lie to Murder Jews; U.S. Rewards Them; PA incited riots, violence, and terror - leads to death of Al-Jazeera journalist; Knife-Wielding WB Attacker Saw Violent Incitement in High School

From Ian:

Bassam Tawil: Palestinians Lie to Murder Jews; U.S. Rewards Them
The terrorists and their families are saying that they actually believe the lies of the Palestinian leaders that the mosque is being attacked, violated and desecrated by Jews. They are saying that this is the reason they are sending Palestinians to murder Jews on the streets of Israeli cities.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, with whom the Biden administration is currently talking, even had the gall to repeat the blood libel against Israel and Jews when he issued a statement "condemning" the murder of Israeli civilians in Elad.

Please note: in the very same breath that Abbas "condemns" the murders of Israeli civilians, he continues to push his people to murder Jews for allegedly desecrating the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Palestinian leaders not only normally lie to their people about the fictitious "danger" facing the mosque; they also lie to the Americans and Europeans, who continue to believe that Abbas and his team are sincere about making peace with Israel.

Americans and Europeans additionally fail to grasp that by using the Aqsa Mosque as a pretext for terrorism against Jews, the Palestinian leaders are also aiming to rally Muslims against Western "infidels" around the world.
PMW: PA incited riots, violence, and terror - leads to death of Al-Jazeera journalist
PA repeatedly incited terror during Ramadan, retelling its libel that Al-Aqsa is being “desecrated” by the presence of Jews on Temple Mount

PMW will be releasing a bulletin tomorrow documenting 15 additional examples of PA demonizing any Jewish presence on the Temple Mount and/or calling for violence and terror in the name of defending the mosque

PMW has already released numerous bulletins in the last two months documenting the incessant recent terror promotion of the PA

Responding to PA incitement to murder, Palestinian terror, mostly originating from the region of Jenin, has murdered 19 Israelis across Israel

This morning Israeli forces entered Jenin for the purpose of arresting additional terrorists before they could commit more terror attacks

Israeli forces were fired on by Palestinian terrorists. During the firefight Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh was shot and killed. It has not yet been determined how she was killed.

Regardless of whose bullet killed the journalist, the Palestinian terrorists who initiated the gunfight and the Palestinian Authority itself which called for the violence bear full responsibility for all casualties.
IDF chief announces special panel to investigate death of Al-Jazeera journalist
Defense Minister Benny Gantz addressed the Knesset plenum on Wednesday just hours after Al-Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was killed while covering IDF activity in Jenin, saying Israeli forces would never deliberately target a journalist.

"I would like to express my sorrow over her death; Israel considers it paramount to protect human life and freedom of the press," Gantz told lawmakers. He added, "IDF troops would never deliberately hurt journalists, and any attempt to suggest otherwise lacks any validity."

He also defended Israel's public diplomacy campaign to explain the unfolding of events that led to the tragic death of the reporter, whose circumstances are still being investigated. "The MKs and others who are lamenting the work of our information agencies and the IDF SPokesperson's Unit are making baseless accusations; I would like to lend my support to the fighters and the entire gamut of units that have been partaking in this effort to provide security for Israelis and to reveal the truth as it is," Gantz said. He noted that "according to an initial investigation the IDF has conducted over the past several hours, it appears that no [Israeli] fire was directed toward the reporter, but we will continue our investigation; in fact, footage taken at the scene shows massive and indiscriminate fire by Palestinian terrorists."

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi announced the creation of a special panel to investigate the incident.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the Al-Jazeera offices in Israel in order to express his condolences on the death of Abu Akleh. "Palestine lost one of its truth warriors, someone who tried to convey the Palestinian story to the world and was witness to the crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people," Abbas said.

A senior official in the Palestinian Authority told Israel Hayom that Ramallah categorically rejects the Israeli assertion that Palestinian terrorists were responsible for Abu Akleh's death. The official added that the PA plans to petition the US in order to launch an independent investigation that would include Palestinian investigators but no Israelis.
Bennett: PA accusing Israel of reporter's death without concrete evidence
Following the death of Al-Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on Wednesday during a clash between IDF troops and terrorists in the West Bank city of Jenin, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett refuted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' attempts to blame Israel "without any concrete evidence."

The Qatari news channel alleged Abu Akleh and Ali Samoudi, who was wounded, were hit by Israeli fire, but the IDF said that the two were casualties of Palestinian fire. The military said it was investigating the incident.

Abu Akleh, 51, was covering the clash when she reportedly suffered a single shot to the face. Samoudi, who sustained a gunshot wound to the back, was hospitalized in stable condition.

In a statement, the IDF said its troops had shot back after coming under "massive fire" in Jenin, an infamous Islamic Jihad stronghold, and that "there is a possibility, now being looked into, that reporters were hit – possibly by shots fired by Palestinian gunmen."

A second statement posted on Twitter read, "In the last few hours, IDF and Israeli security forces conducted counterterrorism activity to apprehend terror suspects in the Jenin refugee camp. During the activity, dozens of Palestinian gunmen fired at and hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers. The soldiers responded with fire toward the gunmen and hits were identified. The IDF is investigating the event and looking into the possibility that journalists were hit by Palestinian gunmen."

Al-Jazeera blamed Israel for Abu Akleh's death, tweeting, "Our colleague was killed by the Israeli army while covering the attack on the Jenin refugee camp."


Palestinian Authority nixed joint autopsy into death of Al Jazeera journalist - Bennett
The Palestinian Authority refused an Israeli request to hold a joint autopsy into the death of veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an exchange of fire between IDF soldiers and Palestinian gunmen in Jenin, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told the Knesset on Wednesday.

'To uncover the truth, there must be a real investigation, and the Palestinians are currently preventing that. Without a serious investigation, we will not reach the truth," Bennet said.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid both said they have reached out to the PA on this matter. One of the messages, Gantz said, was sent to PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

The US Palestinian Affairs Unit and US Ambassador Tom Nides tweeted that they encouraged "a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death" early Wednesday in the West Bank city of Jenin while she was covering an IDF operation to arrest suspects connected to the spate of terror attacks that have claimed 19 lives this year.

Gantz told the Knesset that Israel has also sent messages to its allies and countries that it does not have relations with, including Qatar which broadcasts Al Jazeera, to explain that it is highly likely that Abu Akleh was killed by Palestinian gunmen.

"Preliminary findings from the investigation conducted by the IDF in the last several hours indicate that no gunfire was directed at the journalist," Gantz said.

"On the other hand, we have seen footage of indiscriminate shooting by Palestinian terrorists, which is likely to have hit the journalist.

The investigation is ongoing and "we will communicate our findings in a clear and transparent manner to our American friends, as well as to the PA," Gantz said.

The PA and the Arab world have been quick to condemn Israel and to blame the IDF for her death, with Jordan's Foreign Minister issuing a condemnation.

PA Minister Hussein al-Sheikh denied that Israel had requested a joint autopsy.

"We hold the occupation government responsible for the assassination of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh… We deny what the PM of the occupation government announced that they were turning to the #PA to [jointly] conduct an investigation into her assassination," al-Sheikh tweeted.

He added that the PA plans to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court.
Seth Frantzman: Death of journalist in raid raises questions about IDF use of hi-tech - analysis
Israel isn’t doing this in a vacuum. Armies all over the world are becoming more digitized. Israel’s large defense companies and smaller start-ups often offer technology abroad or partner with companies and defense industries abroad to offer systems that are operationally proven in Israel.

One of the myths of the use of new technology, going back to the Gulf War and the “revolution in military affairs” is that technology can make war more “clean” by reducing casualties to near-zero.

Indeed, the US war on terror was an attempt to show that using things like drones meant war could be waged far from home and enemies could be neutralized using intelligence.

However, even when the US was leaving Afghanistan last year, Washington conducted a drone strike that killed 10 civilians. That means that despite intelligence and technology, civilians will still be killed.

However, a wider question about Israel’s use of intelligence and technology is whether the technology is being pushed to the front and whether that technology is actually working and whether it can be brought into the investigation and bring correct information to the public.

It is natural that Israel wants to keep secret some of the details of how it gathers information and its videos during an operation. However, that doesn’t mean that some of this information can’t help to set the record straight on this tragedy.

Why is it that foreign media and NGOs might know more than the authorities? Israel knows that it faces an uphill struggle in the information conflict, but needs to pushback against false information or disinformation. So why after all the years invested in “public diplomacy” is it that the IDF is still so slow?

Even if Israel is in the wrong and Israeli troops killed a journalist that doesn’t mean that releasing details and admitting to faults isn’t worthwhile.

If Israel is in the right and it has information it is better to release some of the details, even if it can’t release all the details jeopardizing the operational security of these operations.

It’s clear that future warfare provides operators and officers with many new tools for precise targeting that will reduce collateral damage; the question is whether it can also help to provide answers in critical incidents like the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh.

Ostensibly all this hi-tech should be reducing casualties and also providing answers when things go wrong. If it isn’t performing these basic functions, it may raise questions about whether the battlefield of the future has truly arrived.
HonestReporting: Blame Israel First, Ask Questions Never: Media's Mangled Coverage of Al Jazeera Reporter's Death
A reporter for Qatar's Al Jazeera network on Wednesday was killed when Palestinians opened fire on Israeli forces seeking to carry out arrests in the West Bank city of Jenin. Shireen Abu Akleh was reportedly shot in the head while covering the violence in the narrow streets of Jenin's UNRWA-run refugee camp.

While the circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, some were quick to blame Israel. Al Jazeera's assertion that Akleh's death constituted "murder" was parroted by numerous news outlets.




UN, EU, US mourn Palestinian journalist killed in Jenin, call for investigation
The United States, the international community and neighboring Arab states called for an investigation into the killing of veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli raid in Jenin on Wednesday.

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry and Palestinian witnesses, including other journalists, charged that Israeli troops raiding Jenin on Wednesday morning fired the gunshots that killed Abu Akleh.

Israeli leaders claim she was likely killed by Palestinian fire. Defense Minister told parliament on Wednesday afternoon that preliminary findings showed “no [Israeli] gunfire was directed at the journalist” whereas “we have seen footage of indiscriminate shooting by Palestinian terrorists, which is likely to have hit the journalist.”

United States Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides called for a “thorough” investigation into the death of Abu Akleh, a US citizen.

“Very sad to learn of the death of American and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. I encourage a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and the injury of at least one other journalist today in Jenin,” he said.

A US embassy spokesperson called Abu Akleh “deeply respected by many Palestinians and others around the world” for her coverage.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the US demands an “immediate and thorough” investigation into the killing.

“We are heartbroken by and strongly condemn the killing,” Price said.“Those responsible must be held accountable.” he said.

“Her death is an affront to media freedom everywhere,” he said.

United Nations Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland similarly called for an “immediate and thorough investigation,” without specifying who was responsible.

“I strongly condemn the killing of Al Jazeera’s reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot with live fire this morning while covering an Israeli security forces’ operation in #Jenin, in occupied West Bank,” Wennesland said.


AFP Amends Headline With Unverified Claim About Killing of Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Aqleh
Associated Press, another leading wire agency, published the cautious, careful and accurate headline: “Al Jazeera journalist killed by gunfire in West Bank.”

Shortly after CAMERA’s communication with AFP regarding the headline and the additional unreported information, AFP published an updated story (8:45 am GMT) accompanied by a headline which no longer accused Israeli troops of the killing: (“Al Jazeera journalist killed during Israel West Bank raid“).

Yahoo, which had published AFP’s original story, commendably replaced it with updated, more informative version. The amended story also contains improved text.

The original story began:
Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh was shot dead by Israeli troops Wednesday as she covered a raid on Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the network said.

Al Jazeera said Abu Aqleh, 51, a prominent figure in the channel’s Arabic news service was shot “deliberately” and “in cold blood,” by Israeli troops.

The revised article reports Al Jazeera’s unsubstantiated charge lower down in the second paragraph, alongside Israel’s speculation that she was killed by Palestinian fire. The first paragraph reports only established facts:
Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh was shot dead Wednesday as she covered an Israeli army raid on Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Qatar-based TV channedl said Israeli forces shot Abu Aqleh, 51, deliberately and “in cold blood” while Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it was “likely” that Palestinian gunfire killed her.

Additional information which appeared in the later version includes:
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said Israel was seeking a “joint pathological investigation into the sad death of journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh.”

“Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth,” Lapid added. …

The Israeli prime minister said Palestinian gunmen in the camp were likely responsible for Abu Aqleh’s death.

“According to the information we’ve gathered, it appears likely that armed Palestinians – who were indiscriminately firing at the time – were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist,” Bennett said in a statement.

Update, 9:23 am EST: Barron’s Pulls AFP Story

Barron’s, which had published AFP’s earlier story with the problematic headline, has removed the article in response to communication from CAMERA.


Indy corrects headline stating, as fact, that Israel killed Al Jazeera journalist
Earlier today, we complained to the Independent about the following headline, which states, as a fact, unverified claims that IDF soldiers killed Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during clashes with Palestinian terrorists this morning in Jenin.
In contrast, the Guardian, for instance, was far more cautious, publishing an article on the incident with the following headline: “Al Jazeera accuses Israeli forces of killing journalist in West Bank”.

As we noted to Indy editors in our complaint, their headline wasn’t supported by the article itself, which noted only that the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera and (initially) the Palestinian Authority claimed that Israel was to blame, whilst also reporting Israeli statements that it was likely Palestinian terrorists shot Abu Aqla, The Indy article also reported that Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid offered the Palestinians “a joint pathological investigation into the sad death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh”. However, Palestinians later refused Israel’s offer, and Abu Akleh was buried a few hours later.


Israel says it foiled Hamas attempt to smuggle arms production parts via sea
Israeli security forces thwarted an attempt to smuggle weapon production materials from the Sinai Peninsula through the Mediterranean Sea to the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip several weeks ago, the military said Wednesday.

Three Palestinians, including one previously jailed in Israel for similar offenses, were arrested when Israeli troops stopped a vessel allegedly involved.

Details of the operation, which occurred on April 8, were barred from publication until Wednesday.

The Israel Defense Forces said the operation was a “joint intelligence and operational effort by Israeli Navy forces and the Shin Bet security service, along with Military Intelligence.”

According to the military, in the evening hours of April 8, after receiving intelligence information, troops halted the vessel as it attempted to cross into Egypt’s territorial waters from the Gaza Strip. The three men on board were taken to the Shin Bet for further questioning.

One of the three was Mahmoud Bakr, whom the military identified as a senior smuggler who worked with a number of terror groups in the Strip. Bakr was indicted in June 2020 after he was arrested during a similar attempt. He was jailed in Israel for a year before being released to the Hamas-run coastal enclave.

The other two smugglers were named as Ahmed Ismail Fasih and Mahmud Nahad Silawi, fishermen and residents of Gaza’s coastal area, who were also involved in smuggling activities, the IDF said.
Attempted stabbing attack thwarted in Jerusalem's Old City
An attempted stabbing attack was thwarted near the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem on Wednesday afternoon, after a terrorist who attempted to stab a police officer was shot.

According to police, a suspect arrived at the Cotton Merchants' Gate of the Temple Mount and ran at soldiers while shouting "Allahu Akbar" and moving his hands in stabbing and assault motions. Police officers responded with fire and neutralized the suspect. No Israeli forces were injured.

The suspect was a Palestinian resident of the West Bank. The suspect received initial treatment at the scene and was transferred for further treatment in critical condition. An investigation into the incident is being conducted. Police did not state if the Palestinian was armed.

Police officers entered the Temple Mount shortly after the attempted attack and clashed with Arab worshippers at the site.

The attempted terrorist attack comes just days after a stabbing attack injured a Border Police officer at the Damascus Gate of the Old City and an attempted terrorist attack in Tekoa was thwarted by a resident who shot a Palestinian armed with a knife who was trying to jump over the fence of his home.
Israel's political crisis ends: Ra'am returns to coalition
Ra'am (United Arab List) head Mansour Abbas announced at a Knesset press conference on Wednesday that his party would end the freeze on its membership in Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's coalition and resume backing the coalition.

Abbas froze the party's membership in the coalition last month following police activity on the Temple Mount near al-Aqsa Mosque.

"We reached understandings for the betterment of Arab society and Israelis in general," he said. "We decided to come back and give an opportunity for the coalition agreements to be implemented."

Abbas blasted the rival Arab Joint List party for being willing to vote to disperse the Knesset and initiate an election. He said Ra'am joined the government to help improve the lives of Israeli Arabs on issues like housing and fighting crime.

"We initiated a political partnership to give solutions to Arab residents," he said. "Ra'am took this initiative and responsibility to help them and stabilize Israeli politics after four elections.

Likud officials said they would not bring to a vote the preliminary reading of its bill that would disperse the Knesset unless it was completely clear that Ra'am would not vote against it and would allow it to pass. Had the bill been defeated in the Knesset plenum, the Likud would not have been able to bring a Knesset dissolution bill to a vote again for six months.
Group of Insurance Agents Denied Entry Into Jordan Due to Bagged Religious Items
A group of 40 Israeli insurance agents traveling to Jordan was stopped from entering the country because some of them had packed tefillin and tallitot with them, reported Arutz Sheva news.

Jordanian inspectors near the border with the Israeli resort city of Eilat checked their bags and found the Jewish ritual items in their luggage. The inspectors told them they could not enter the country with it, claiming that it was for their own safety.

As a result, the tourists who were carrying the items canceled their planned three-day trip to Jordan.

This isn’t the first time that Jordanian border agents refused to allow Jews carrying religious articles into the country.
Jordanian FM challenges Israeli sovereignty on Temple Mount
"Israel has no sovereignty over the holy sites in Jerusalem," Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Tuesday evening, in response to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's comments on the status quo on the Temple Mount.

"Israel has no sovereignty over the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is a Muslim place of worship, only the Jordanian Waqf has full authority over the management of the compound," the minister argued, further adding, "This is occupied Palestinian land."

Safadi, however, expressed hope for a return to calm, saying that "the way forward is to respect the status quo."

He accused the Jewish state of "making difficult all Waqf measures to maintain security in Al-Aqsa Mosque and interfering with the duties of members of the organization. The Waqf office has appointed dozens of new workers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, but Israel is putting obstacles in their way."

As part of its peace treaty with Israel, Jordan is afforded control of the Islamic Waqf – an Islamic religious trust best known for controlling and managing the Islamic edifices on and around the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

About six weeks ago, a request from Jordan was rejected to increase the number of Waqf guards on the Temple Mount by about 50, Prime Minister's Office announced on Tuesday.

It has also been reported that over the past few weeks, six Hamas-backed Waqf guards were removed from the Temple Mount.

"There is no change or new development in the situation on the Temple Mount – Israel's sovereignty is preserved," the Prime Minister's Office said.
Israelis plan to “destroy” the mosque and “build alleged Temple” – PA TV host

Knife-Wielding West Bank Attacker Saw Violent Incitement in High School, Says Education Watchdog
A 17-year-old Palestinian assailant who was shot dead after attempting to invade a West Bank home while armed with a knife attended a school that taught students “gruesome content, directly instructing pupils to kill Israelis,” Israeli education watchdog IMPACT-se revealed on Tuesday.

The Sunday terror attack, thwarted by a resident of Tekoa, in the West Bank, came hours after a police officer was wounded in Jerusalem by a knife-wielding terrorist, and follows a string of attacks that have killed 19 Israelis.

According to the Israeli non-profit, the 12th-grade attacker’s school, A-Zeer Boys High School in the Bethlehem Governorate, used textbooks that promoted “Jihad and martyrdom” and called Jews “dangerous” and “perverted in nature.”

The textbooks, issued by the Palestinian Authority (PA), were the subject of a May 2021 report by IMPACT-Se and of heated debates in the European Parliament over the body’s financial support for the PA. In March, 32 EU parliamentarians issued a letter describing the situation presented by the PA’s curriculum as “simply intolerable.”

IMPACT-se said Tuesday that the problematic material at A-Zeer Boys High School was reinforced by other forms of literature. In February 2020, for example, teachers students assembled students to hear a poem that said, “The blood of the martyrs calls us … we did not write with ink or pencils or crayons, but with guns.”

“We wrote the headlines with our blood,” it continued. “Give me a Kalashnikov, an [M-] 14, an axe and a knife.”
Min. of Edu on PA curriculum:We won’t trade our sovereign decision for any kind of financial support

“Mother of the Martyr, what joy you have merited” - Palestinians at funeral of “Martyr”

Terrorist who was “martyred” is “advocate with Allah” for his family



Nasrallah rejects Israeli-born US envoy to maritime border talks with Jerusalem
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, expressed his fierce opposition on Monday to the US-mediated talks aimed at settling a maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel — in particular lashing out at Washington’s Israeli-born envoy to the negotiations, Amos Hochstein.

Longtime foes Israel and Lebanon have been engaged in US-led talks over the past year aimed at demarcating offshore exclusive economic zones.

The disputed area, hundreds of square miles wide, is thought to contain large deposits of natural gas, a potential game-changer for Lebanon, which is mired in a devastating economic crisis.

“I am saying to the Lebanese state: If you want to continue negotiating, go ahead, but not in Naqoura, and not with Hochstein, Frankenstein, or any other Stein coming to Lebanon,” the terror chief said in an address to the Lebanese government.

“The path of negotiations, and especially via the conspiring, collaborating, and dishonest American broker who supports Israel, will not lead us to any results.”

Nasrallah’s statements appeared to contradict reports earlier this year that he had given the green light to the talks.

Nasrallah warned that if Israel prevented Lebanon from extracting the gas from the disputed areas, Hezbollah would prevent Jerusalem from doing so too.

“I can guarantee you that no international firm would dare come to the Karish gas field or to anywhere else in the disputed area if Hezbollah issues a clear and serious threat in this matter,” he said.




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