6/26 Links Part 2: UNESCO Rewrites History, UK Jewish Patrol Protects Mosques

From Ian:

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Op-Ed: How the U.S. gains from Israel alliance

Naysayers suggest the alliance with Israel has not been cost-free for the United States, particularly in the Muslim and Arab world. But measured in empirical terms, Arab ties with the United States, at both the official and popular levels, have boomed in the past decade. Arabs are coming as students or visitors in record numbers; anti-American street protests have fallen dramatically since the start of the Iraq war in 2003; and defense cooperation with most Arab countries is closer than ever.
Just as important, public opinion in every Arab or predominantly Muslim country polled has turned sharply against al-Qaida, notwithstanding the tight U.S.-Israel connection. Finally, Israel has been at most a very marginal factor in all the recent Arab uprisings. Even the new Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt is maintaining the peace treaty with Israel and decent working relations with Washington.

Douglas Murray: Lying and Getting Away With It

To study the history of extremist activity on UK campuses is to come to a number of irrevocable conclusions. Among them is the realization that there is a serious problem, and that British universities are breeding-grounds of the most appalling hatred against America, the UK, Israel, free-thinkers, "apostates" and religious and sexual minorities. It also spurs a realization that terrorism is never enough steps away from student Islamic societies as it is from, say student Labour Party clubs or any chosen sports society.

‘We’ve got to stand for what is right… We don’t worship at the altar of consensus’

In characteristically straightforward terms, Canada’s Foreign Minister John Baird explains why his country is so supportive of Israel, and why others aren’t

The woman Britain’s left loves to hate

The book chronicles her evolution from the one-time darling of the British left to one of its most hated figures – “she-devil of the Western world,” as Phillips puts it.
From her platform in Britain’s second-largest newspaper, The Daily Mail, she has become famous for stinging attacks on the establishment, accusing it of deliberately destroying the fabric of British life by promoting multiculturalism and denying the religious nature of Muslim terrorism. She is Israel’s staunchest defender in the British press, a global warming “denier” and an opponent of gay marriage.

IDF Captain Breaks the Silence on Smear Campaign

In an exclusive interview with Tazpit News Agency, Raz explained that he had had “enough with the nonsense that this organization [Breaking the Silence] represents.”
“Breaking the Silence is an immature and unprofessional organization,” he told Tazpit News Agency. “At the IDF we deal with many organizations that hold counter views, but they communicate with us – there is an open e-mail and phone exchange, and verification of issues that come up. Breaking the Silence does not engage in any of that and prevents the IDF from properly addressing any of their claims.”

Ex-Soldier: Since Jenin, We’ve Been Fighting for Our Names

The “Jenin, Jenin” law, which would defend IDF soldiers from slander, continues to make its way through Knesset. This week it gained the support of a former elite soldier who fought in the battles that sparked the vicious anti-Israel slander which ultimately led to the proposed law.

Yet Another Enemy of Israel Poised to Join US Foreign Policy Team

Robert Malley is so offensive, he was actually kicked off (despite the lipstick smear called “resignation”) the Obama election committee in 2008 for meeting with the terrorist organization Hamas, although he had been one of Obama’s closest advisors for Middle East issues until his affinity for Hamas became public.

Israel hits back at UNESCO in wake of condemnation

Israel has lambasted UNESCO over the passage of a Palestinian-sponsored resolution condemning Israel over its activities in Jerusalem, saying that such moves will eventually destroy the organization.
“This is a dark day for UNESCO, a day the organization will want to erase from its history as it demonstrates that it is acting outside the boundary of reality,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

FBI’s bus ads taken down over Muslim/terrorist stereotyping

The 16 men in the ad are affiliated with extremist groups around the world. Seven are from African countries, four are from the Philippines, one each is from Malaysia and Chechnya, and three were born in the United States.

Dutch rabbi says it’s Israel’s fault he was beaten up

A spokeswoman for the Amsterdam police told JTA that police are investigating but are not certain the attack was anti-Semitic.
“Currently we are assuming it is an argument about traffic that got out of hand,” she said.

Jewish Patrol Group Aids Wary Muslim Community in London Borough

A local British chapter of the Jewish patrol group Shomrim have offered up their services to mosques in their community, in a sign of solidarity, the Hackney (UK) Gazette reported Monday.

Israel Tied for Second Most Educated Country

According to Canadian newspaper The Windsor Star, Canada was ranked the most educated country in the world, with 51 percent of its population aged 25-64 possessing a college or university degree. Tied for second place are Japan and Israel, both with 46 percent. The United States, with 42 percent of its population holding college degrees, was ranked third.

Threat of rocket barrage pushes Israel’s largest hospital underground

With the Syrian civil war threatening almost daily to spill over the border into Israel, there is a quiet tension in the air at Rambam Health Care Campus.
Northern Israel’s largest hospital was at the heart of a month-long Hezbollah rocket barrage during the bloody 2006 conflict with the Lebanese militia and would undoubtedly be in the thick of action again if the Syrian regime or its Hezbollah allies turned their weapons south.

Israeli researcher helps alcoholics stay on the wagon

If you know someone who’s suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, a little amnesia might be just the thing to get them back on the wagon, researchers at Tel Aviv University have shown.
“One of the main causes of relapse in alcoholics are memories linking objects and places connected to alcohol consumption, such as shops, liquor bottles, and of course the smell and taste of alcohol,” said Dr. Segev Barak of Tel Aviv University, who is leading a team studying ways to prevent recidivism in addicts. By “disengaging” the memories associated with alcohol, Segev’s team found, it was possible to significantly cut the return rate for alcoholics.

Prince Charles attends ceremonies for Kindertransport

Prince Charles hosted a reception in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Kindertransport and attended a ceremony honoring Britain’s outgoing chief rabbi.
Sunday’s Kindertransport reunion was likely the last large gathering of its kind due to the age of the survivors. Some 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe entered Britain in 1938 during the Kindertransport rescue mission. The British Parliament agreed to waive immigration restrictions.

‘We will sing to the Nazis what we cannot say’

In a concentration camp designed by the Nazis to eradicate Jewish cultural life, among 120,000 of its inmates who would ultimately be murdered, a rising young musician named Rafael Schachter managed one of the miracles of the Holocaust.
Assembling hundreds of sick and hungry singers, he led them in 16 performances learned by rote from a single smuggled score of one of the most monumental and moving works of religious music — Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem Mass.

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Reuters quotes anonymous "activist" lies

Nidal al-Mughrabi at Reuters has a good sized article about Gaza's water woes.

A tiny wedge of land jammed between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean sea, the Gaza Strip is heading inexorably into a water crisis that the United Nations says could make the Palestinian enclave unliveable in just a few years.

With 90-95 percent of the territory's only aquifer contaminated by sewage, chemicals and seawater, neighborhood desalination facilities and their public taps are a lifesaver for some of Gaza's 1.6 million residents.

But these small-scale projects provide water for only about 20 percent of the population, forcing many more residents in the impoverished Gaza Strip to buy bottled water at a premium.

"There is a crisis. There is a serious deficit in the water resources in Gaza and there is a serious deterioration in the water quality," said Rebhi El Sheikh, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA).

There's nothing wrong with this topic, and this is accurate. But when the question comes up as to what is causing the problems, we read (paragraph 11):

Further complicating the issue is Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, which activists say has prevented the import of materials needed for repairs on water and waste facilities. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent arms from reaching Hamas, which is opposed to the existence of the Jewish state.

Notice how the second sentence seems to support the first, as if Israel's blockade is aimed at water infrastructure.

Has Israel ever stopped any water projects in Gaza?

Not that I am aware of.

COGAT's list of projects from 2010-2012 lists a Rafah wastewater treatment plant, pumps for a sewage station, re-activation and upgrading of Deir al Balah desalination plant, improving capacity of CMWU to monitor quality water supply, building the Tel Sutlan sewage pumping sttaion, sewage projects in Deir Balah, replacement of Beit Lahia water network, a solid waste management system for all of Gaza, complete wastewater networks installed in the Khan Yunis area, installing pipelines in Khan Yunis, reservoir construction - dozens of such projects approved by Israel and implemented by NGOs like UNDP, USAID, UNRWA, the ICRC and others.

Israel used to ship metal pipes directly into Gaza - which were promptly turned into rockets and shot back into Israel. Since then, Israel only sends in materials like that through recognized agencies that can oversee their proper use. But that doesn't mean that Israel is stopping life-saving water infrastructure from reaching Gaza, and Reuters indirect, anonymous quote claiming they are is simply not journalism.

So who are these "activists" that say that Israel has been preventing water infrastructure materials into Gaza, and what was not allowed? Reuters won't tell us, because it is simply repeating anti-Israel rumors with the assumption that they must be true.

Much later on in the article, in paragraph 28, after most readers have moved on to the next item, we find out that the "activists" are full of it:

Israel is trying to drum up aid for the territory, the senior security official said, alarmed at the prospect of a looming water catastrophe and possible humanitarian crisis on its doorstep in a few years.

"We have talked to everyone we know in the international community because 1.4 million people will be without water in a few years," he said, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

He said Israel, a leader in the desalination industry, was helping to train a handful of Gazans in the latest water technology, which the Palestinian Water Authority confirmed.

You mean, instead of Israel blocking projects to address Gaza's water woes, it is actually in the forefront of trying to fix it?

If that's the case, then why did Mughrabi quote the unnamed Israel-haters at all, let alone so much earlier?

This is a perfect example of how anti-Israel propaganda gets inserted by reporters with an agenda.  They have the conventional wisdom of Israel as the oppressor, and it is assumed to be true without any fact-checking.

But when an Israeli says the opposite, note that Reuters then runs to the Palestinian Arabs to confirm it!

(h/t Dan)

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6/26 Links Part 1: An International Law Quiz, UNRWA Textbooks, Turkey Reneges on Flotilla Deal

From Ian:

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Netanyahu tells troops northern training is ‘not theoretical’

The exercise came as an increasingly skittish Israel is preparing for the possibility of the Syrian civil war spilling across its borders. Earlier this month, rebels briefly took control of the Quneitra border crossing, bringing the two-year civil war to the Jewish state’s doorstep.
While stressing that he was not challenging anyone, the prime minister warned that “no one will attack the State of Israel without a strong and decisive response.”

Yaalon: Combat Units ‘Likely to Be Called Up Soon’

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon hinted Wednesday that Israel may call up its combat soldiers for a major operation in the near future.
Yaalon spoke as he and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu observed a Golani Brigade drill in the Golan.

A quiz for BBC journalists and editors

Seeing as BBC journalists are rather fond of telling their audiences what is or is not legal according to international law – at least in relation to Israel – they will surely all get top marks in this quiz on the subject of the application of international humanitarian law during wartime over on the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs website.

Knesset Review Reveals: Israel Does Not Exist in PA Textbooks

The textbooks used in UNRWA-funded schools never acknowledge any Jewish rights in “Palestine”, nor any Jewish past in the Land of Israel, said Dr. Arnon Groiss, a respected expert in the promotion of Tolerance in Education at a briefing in the Knesset reviewing the Palestinian Authority Textbooks used in UNWRA schools.
Israel is almost never shown on any map and no city is ever identified as a Jewish city, he said, reiterating the extensive history of Anti-Israel propaganda in Arab textbooks.

Majority of Israeli Arabs Reject Israel’s Right to be Jewish

70% of Israeli Arabs do not accept Israel’s right to have a Jewish majority, a new poll conducted by Haifa University and the Israel Democracy Institute has revealed.
The poll, which posed questions to 1,400 Jewish and Arab Israelis over a ten-year period, revealed that, despite the overwhelming rejection of Israel’s Jewish character, 55% of Arab Israelis would prefer to live there than anywhere else, though a large majority, 68%, say they fear being transferred out of the country.(h/t zozosophie)

Hamas Publishes Photos of Shalit Release

The Hamas terrorist group has released a new video on kidnappings in honor of the seventh anniversary of the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Shalit was released in late 2011 in exchange for the early release of more than 1,000 terrorists imprisoned in Israel, giving rise to much controversy on the possible precedent set and the expected - and already proven - return to terror of those freed.

IDF Blog: Seven Years Since Shalit Kidnapping: Motivation to Kidnap Still High

Earlier this year the IDF, in collaboration with the Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet), uncovered extensive Hamas terror infrastructure in Hebron. The infrastructure was part of an attempt by Hamas to establish a regional headquarters in Hebron. Approximately 20 terrorists affiliated with Hamas were arrested and their large cache of illegal weapons was seized. The terrorist network had plans to kidnap an IDF soldier to use as a bargaining chip for the release of more Hamas prisoners.

MEMRI: PA Religious Affairs Minister Habbash: Hamas "More Dangerous Enemy" than Israeli Occupation VIDEO

The Guardian and a tale of two hooded ‘Palestinian prisoners’

The imagery above does not represent leftist theatrical agitprop, but a genuine photo of one of two Palestinians just before they were hanged to death on Saturday on charges of ‘collaborating’ with Israel – two of at least 16 Palestinians who have been executed in Gaza for spying since Hamas seized the territory in 2007.

Haniyeh: PA Arabs Won't Recognize Israel

Haniyeh said Israel's “blockade” on Gaza aimed to limit the influence of the Islamic model outside Gaza and to isolate “Palestine” in an attempt to force PA Arabs to recognize Israel and accept the conditions of the Mideast Quartet.
The premier thanked activists who came to Gaza, describing solidarity visits as a holy duty and urging more supporters to come.

Rice slams UN Security Council's failure on Syria

"The Council's inaction on Syria is a moral and strategic disgrace that history will judge harshly," Rice chided the UN.
She also reasserted America's past and continued support for Israel. "We've forcefully opposed unbalanced and biased actions against Israel across the UN system, standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel on principle - regardless of whether such actions were popular in these halls."

Syrian death toll tops 100,000

It said a total of 100,191 had died over the 27 months of the conflict. Of those, 36,661 are civilians, the group said.

Minors wounded in Syrian fighting brought to Israel

The two boys, 9 and 15 years old, were transferred to Ziv Hospital in Safed for treatment. The 9-year-old suffered moderate injuries from shrapnel wounds across his body and lost his right eye, according to a report by Maariv. The 15-year-old was listed in serious condition, according to the report.

Nigeria ups charges of 3 suspected Hezbollah men

Nigeria’s military said in May that the weapons were to be used in attacks on American and Israeli targets.
Osagie said, “We have proofs that the applicants belong to the military wing of Hezbollah which is a terrorist organization and in the coming days, this country will know more about them.”

Egypt protesters look to army for support

Just a year ago, Egypt’s liberals and pro-democracy youth movements were demanding the military, which took over from the ousted Hosni Mubarak, leave power. But after a tumultuous year under a freely elected Islamist president, many of them are hoping for the army’s protection as they try to force out Mohammed Morsi with protests this weekend.
Morsi’s opponents calculate they can push him to go through the sheer number of people they bring into the streets Sunday — building on widespread discontent with his running of the country — plus the added weight of the army’s backing.

Turkish PM lashes out at protesters, BBC reporter

He targeted a Turkish BBC reporter who tweeted about a forum held by protesters, where participants reportedly suggested a six-month boycott of goods that they said would help slow down the economy. Without mentioning her by name, Erdogan accused Selin Girit of being “part of a conspiracy against her own country.”
“Their aim is to prevent democracy, to harm Turkey’s economy, to hit tourism,” Erdogan said.

Officials: Turkey humiliating Israel

However, following Netanyahu's apology, the Turks appeared to be in no hurry to fulfill their end of the deal. Israel agreed to pay $5 million in restitution, while Ankara demanded $40 million. During talks held over the past few days the Turks have expressed their agreement to receive $24 million from Israel, while the Israeli side raised its offer to $14 million - a regular Turkish bazaar.
And if this wasn't enough, the Turks announced they could not guarantee that IDF soldiers and officers who were involved in the raid, including former IDF Chief Lt.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi, would not be prosecuted, claiming that in Turkey the "executive branch cannot influence the judicial branch."
According to the Turks, Erdogan cannot act to stop the legal proceedings while anti-government protests are taking place because he does not want his constituents to view him as being pro-Israeli.

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Anti-Islamist bloggers banned from entering UK

From BBC:

Two prominent US bloggers have been banned from entering the UK, the Home Office has said.

Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer co-founded anti-Muslim group Stop Islamization of America.

They were due to speak at an English Defence League march in Woolwich, where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed.

A government spokesman said individuals whose presence "is not conducive to the public good" could be excluded by the home secretary.

He added: "We condemn all those whose behaviours and views run counter to our shared values and will not stand for extremism in any form."

The specific letters they sent to Geller and Spencer are most interesting. Here is Geller's:

I am writing to inform you about the British governments measures for excluding or deporting extremists under the Unacceptable Behaviour policy. The list of unacceptable behaviours covers any non-UK national whether in the UK or abroad who uses any means or medium including:
• writing, producing, publishing or distributing material,
• public speaking including preaching,
• running a website,
• using a position of responsibility such as a teacher, community or youth leader

to express views that:

• foment or justify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs,
• seek to provoke others to terrorist acts,
• foment other serious criminal activity or seek to provoke others to serious criminal acts,
• foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.

The list is indicative and not exhaustive.

The Home Secretary has considered whether, in light of this list, you should be excluded from the UK. After careful consideration on 25 June 2013 she personally directed that you should be excluded from the United Kingdom on the grounds that your presence here is not conducive to the public good. The Home Secretary has reached this decision because you have brought yourself within the scope of the list of unacceptable behaviours by making statements that may foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.

The Home Secretary notes that you are a prolific blogger, author, political activist and commentator, You co-founded Stop Islamization of America', an organization described as an anti-Muslim hate group. You also operate a number of websites including Jihad Watch and Atlas Shrugs.

You are reported to have stated the following:

• 'Al-Qaeda is a manifestation of devout Islam...it is Islam.'

• 'If the Jew dies, the Muslims will die as well: their survival depends on their constant jihad. because without it they will lose the meaning and purpose of their existence.'

The Home Secretary considers that should you be allowed to enter the UK you would continue to espouse such views. In doing so. you would be committing listed behaviours and would therefore be behaving in a way that is not conducive to the public good. You are therefore instructed not to travel to the UK as you will be refused admission on arrival. Although there is no statutory right of appeal against the Home Secretary's decision. this decision is reviewed every 3 to 5 years.

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 the Home Office treats all personal information in confidence. However, such information may be disclosed to other government departments. agencies. local authorities, the police, foreign governments and other bodies for immigration purposes or to enable them to perform their functions.

Spencer's letter has a different example of his writing:

"...it [Islam] is a religion and a belief system that mandates warfare against unbelievers for the purpose of establishing a societal model that is absolutely incompatible with Western society because media and general government unwillingness to face the sources of Islamic terrorism these things remain largely unknown."

Whether or not you agree with Geller's and Spencer's statements on Islam, there is no way that these writings reach the defined  level of "unacceptable behaviours" listed in the beginning of the letter.  To say that these opinions can incite people to terror acts is simply not defensible. To compare their statements with the hate speech and clear incitement that radical Islamic clerics spout in the UK against Jews, infidels and gays is a perversion.

Will Human Rights Watch and Amnesty defend Geller's and Spencer's right to enter Great Britain and to speak there?

Moreover, will the people who complain when Israel bans people from entering (on "flytillas") for the express purpose of combating Israel's existence and causing disturbances act equally outraged that England has a much looser standard for banning anyone who might act in a way that "is not conducive to the public good"?

After this disgraceful decision on the part of the UK we can expect a wave of hypocrisy from all the "liberals" who pretend that Israel is far worse.

This decision proves that a powerful nation, not under any direct threat from anyone,  is far more restrictive of basic freedom of expression than Israel is. Not that anyone from the Left would ever, ever admit it.

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Egypt charges 9 with spying for Israel

From AFP:

Egypt's public prosecutor on Wednesday referred nine people, including six foreigners, to trial for allegedly spying for Israel, the official MENA news agency reported.

Three Egyptians and six Israelis were referred to a criminal court, though it was unclear if any of them were in the country.

Four of the Israelis are said to be intelligence officers and two are Arab Israeli citizens, MENA said.

Investigations by the state security prosecutor showed the defendants had "passed on information to Israeli military intelligence services to harm Egypt's national security and the country's higher interests," MENA said.

The information pertained to the security situation in the Sinai peninsula and the presence and movements of extremist Islamist groups there, the agency reported.

Given Egypt's incompetence in figuring out who is a spy, I doubt highly that Egypt caught any real spies.

The names of the alleged spies have been published in Arabic; the ones I figured out are Danny Ovadia, Aharon Danone, David Jacob, Shlomo Sofer, Israeli Arabs Abdullah Salim Ibrahim Darokheeba and Omar Harb Abu Jarad, and Egyptians Salameh Hamed Abu Jarad and Mohammed Ahmed Abu Jarad.

My guess is that the Abu Jarads of Rafah are related (or assumed to be related) to the Israeli Abu Jarad, and Egypt built a "case" based on that.

One also cannot discount the idea that Egypt is trying to divert attention from the upcoming June 30 anti-government demonstrations by trying the tried-and-true "unite around hating Israel" card.

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Terror-supporting Islamist visits the White House

The Investigative Project on Terrorism reports:

Radical Egyptian cleric Yusuf Qaradawi is considered so radical that the United States bans him from entering the country.

Qaradawi, considered the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, has called for the killing of Jews and Americans.

That history makes the June 13 White House meeting with Sheik Abdullah Bin Bayyah all the more inexplicable. Bin Bayyah is vice president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), a group founded by and headed by Qaradawi. The IUMS has a long history of supporting Hamas –a top Hamas leader is an IUMS member – and of calling for Israel's destruction.

Bin Bayyah's website claims that he met June 13 with senior Obama administration officials at the White House.

Nonetheless, it was the Obama administration which sought the meeting with Bin Bayyah, his website's account said.

"We asked for this meeting to learn from you and we need to be looking for new mechanisms to communicate with you and the Association of Muslim Scholars (another name used for the IUMS)," Gayle Smith, senior director of the National Security Council, reportedly said.

Bin Bayyah's June 13 account placed other senior officials in the meeting, including:Rashad Hussain, the U.S. special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and White House spokeswomanJennifer Palmieri. But the account was later changed to delete the reference to Donilon's presence at the meeting.

Smith also thanked Bin Bayyah for "his efforts to bring more understanding amongst humanity" during the meeting, the Bin Bayyah account said.

The White House did not respond to repeated requests for comments between June 14 and Tuesday.

This was reported in Arab media, including Al Jazeera. There is no way to verify whether his report on what happened at the White House is accurate without the administration verifying or denying it.

Here's the largest photo I could find so people can identify who was there (click to enlarge):

While the major topic seems to have been Syria, Bin Bayyah is simply not someone the White House should be speaking with.

Interestingly, on his website Bin Bayyah seems to be a big advocate of Muslim dialogue with Western non-Muslims, as long as it can bring advantage to Muslims. He doesn't say that Muslims can learn anything from this dialogue; but rather they can speak to Westerners using the language of human rights and diversity to help the Islamic agenda, as well as to teach Westerners that issues like human rights and equality are Muslim values as well - but not absolute values, rather they must be interpreted within Islamic ideas of "justice."

(h/t Dennis)

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Muslims warn that Jews plan to build, um, second Temple

From Saudi Gazette:

Israeli authorities on Monday began new excavations near Al-Aqsa Mosque Complex in occupied Jerusalem, a Palestinian foundation said.

The Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage said that the Israeli authorities began the excavations in the southern part of Al-Magharebah Gate, the eastern part of the Umayyad palaces and at the entrance of the Wadi Hilweh neighborhood. The three sites are located in Jerusalem’s Old City.

The foundation said that its inspection teams documented the new excavations in the three sites. It added that these excavations take place at night and are covered with tents and plastic sheets.

It warned that the use of huge machines in the excavation work in the area puts in serious danger the foundations of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It added that the Israeli will build in the sites several facilities, including synagogue for women, restroom facilities, police station, tourists’ centers, a network of bridges and iron stairs.

The foundation stressed that goal of excavations “is to Judaize Jerusalem and the collapse of Al-Aqsa Mosque to build the so-called second temple on ruins of it.”

Hate to break it to ya, Aqsa Foundation guys, but if you want to prevent Jews from building the Second Temple, you are a tad late.

If this story seems familiar, that's because it is an evergreen story in the Arab media. Israel's imminent plans to destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque have been a weekly staple in Arabc media, even though coverage seems perfunctory nowadays. I mean, it is hard to maintain rage when all the previous predictions have been wrong.

Only last spring, we were warned that Israel planned to demolish the mosque ahead of Obama's visit to the region.

My favorite was the prediction that Israel would build the Third Temple on March 16, 2010, based on a completely stupid report from Haaretz. That was in the Arab headlines for months!

In fact, those crafty Jews keep faking out the Al Aqsa Foundation so that when they really are ready to build the Temple, no one will believe it. It is called Operation Cry Wolf. Working like a charm.

(h/t Gidon Shaviv)

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Arab Idol star: "I am a son of the camp." Why is that?

From Ma'an:

Mohammad Assaf declared himself a "son of the camp" on Tuesday as he returned to the Gaza
Strip, where thousands of jubilant fans awaited the arrival of the Arab Idol star.

Flag-waving crowds waited for several hours at the Rafah crossing on Egypt's border for 23-year-old Assaf, three days after he was crowned the winner of the popular regional singing contest.

Assaf bent over and kissed the ground as he crossed the border, an AFP correspondent reported, before holding a news conference alongside Hamas officials.

"I thank you for your wonderful welcome and hope the celebrations won't feature gunfire," Assaf said, alluding to the shots in the air that sometimes accompany celebrations in the Middle East.

Assaf said he was the son of Palestine and "son of the (refugee) camp," and told reporters he would continue to sing nationalistic songs and raise the Palestinian flag.

So the newest Palestinian Arab hero is a "son of the camp."

Will any reporter ask why these camps still exist in territory that is ruled by Palestinian Arabs?

Why can't Hamas or the PA dismantle the camps and mainstream the residents into more normal society? There is nothing stopping that from happening. They are not "refugees" by any definition because even the ones who are over 65 years old are living in the land they came from. (At worst, they are "internally displaced persons.")

So why do these camps, often hotbeds of terror, exist?

Netty Gross, in The Jerusalem Report in July 1998, asked an official why the camps there hadn’t been dismantled. She was told the Palestinian Authority had made a “political decision” not to do anything for the more than 650,000 Palestinians living in the camps until the final-status talks with Israel took place. (quoted here.)

Keeping the people crammed into these "camps" is a violation of their human rights, but no human rights organizations are calling for Hamas or the PA to dismantle them and end the discrimination that exists even within Palestinian Arab ruled territory.

Indeed, the UN has condemned Israel for attempting to do just that!

Where are the human rights activists demanding that the camps be demolished and the people given normal housing and services in line with everyone else, to live in their land as normal citizens? Why did Assaf have to grow up in such miserable conditions?

The sad fact is that the camps exist for one reason only - to purposefully keep hundreds of thousands of people in misery to make Israel look bad, even though Israel does nothing to keep a single person in a "refugee" camp.

Don't believe me? Then look at this quote from Palestine's ambassador to Lebanon, Abdullah Abdullah, in 2011, quoted in Lebanon's Daily Star:

The ambassador unequivocally says that Palestinian refugees would not become citizens of the sought for U.N.-recognized Palestinian state, an issue that has been much discussed. “They are Palestinians, that’s their identity,” he says. “But … they are not automatically citizens.”

This would not only apply to refugees in countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan or the other 132 countries where Abdullah says Palestinians reside. Abdullah said that “even Palestinian refugees who are living in [refugee camps] inside the [Palestinian] state, they are still refugees. They will not be considered citizens.”

Mohammad Assaf is part of the long tradition of anti-Israel propaganda where ordinary Palestinian Arabs are used as pawns and discriminated against even in places ruled by their leaders until Israel is destroyed. And that is the long-term plan - a plan that is apparently endorsed by the UN as well as by so-called "human rights" organizations who never say a word against the existence of these outdoor prisons for thousands of people.

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How KGB actions led to Arab and Muslim terror

From The Daily Mail:

The highest-ranking Soviet-bloc intelligence officer ever to defect to the West claims in a new book that anti-American Islamic terrorism had its roots in a secret 1970s-era KGB plot to harm but the United States and Israel by seeding Muslim countries with carefully targeted propaganda.

Yuri Andropov, the KGB chief for 15 years before he became the Soviet premier, sent hundreds of agents and thousands of copies of propaganda literature to Muslim countries.
'By 1972,' according to the book, 'Andropov's disinformation machinery was working around the clock to persuade the Islamic world that Israel and the United States intended to transform the rest of the world into a Zionist fiefdom.'

'According to Andropov, the Islamic world was a petri dish in which the KGB community could nurture a virulent strain of America-hatred, grown from the bacterium of Marxist-Leninist thought.'
Those claims come from former Romanian Lt. Gen Ion Mihail Pacepa and University of Mississippi law professor Ronald Rychlak.

In their book, titled Disinformation, Pacepa spills the secrets he kept for decades as head of Romania's spy apparatus and secret police, the DIE, before he secured political asylum in the U.S. in 1978.

Andropov began his leadership of the KGB just months before the 1967 Six-Day War between Arabs and Israelis, in which Israel humiliated the key Soviet allies Syria and Egypt. And he decided to settle the score by training Palestinian militants to hijack El Al airplanes and bomb sites in Jerusalem.

But more shocking, Andropov commissioned the first Arabic translation of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a Russian-forged 1905 propaganda book that alleged Jews were plotting to take over Europe - and were being aided by the United States.

Much of this was already known - see this post from last year.

I have also noted that a 1968 PLO document that created a blueprint for destroying Israel that seems to be mostly in place even today has all the hallmarks of being originally drafted by the Soviets.

(h/t/ Shlomedic)

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PressTV has a new columnist!

His name is Arif Hussain, and here is his bio:

Arif Hussain is a Pakistani journalist. A graduate of a prestigious military institution in Pakistan, Arif Hussain has been writing articles about international relations, global politics, Middle East and the expansion of Zionism across the globe.

Oh goody!

His first article informs us:

When human, religious and cultural values vanish from a society, it eventually changes into capitalism. Then murder, injustice, bribery, oppression and occupation becomes the practices of the society.

Zionists being totally deprived of all these values have put their all-out efforts to deprive societies from their highest religious and human values. To accomplish this dirty mission of spreading capitalism, they have been using pornography, bribery and interest-based banking systems worldwide. They kept on invading societies psychologically and enslaving them in a net of racism.

In the process of building puppet governments, the Zionist regime of Israel has been very successful in replacing many Arab and non-Arab governments so far. Under the slogan of democracy, Israel has toppled many governments which tried to resist its policies, and replaced them with its own versions.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain in the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey, Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan and other countries outside the Arabian Peninsula are by now standing under the Zionist Umbrella, offering their best services in return for its barbarism on the innocent people of Palestine.

Now that he gets to the second article, he can start to expand on his theme:

It has been almost two and half years when the enemies of humanity allegedly applied a well plotted mind-set in Syria. The aim was to topple the government of Bashar Assad, resultantly cutting blood supply to other organs of the resistance against Zionism.

The mechanism started with simple anti government peace demonstrations as usual. But a very few people knew that the wolves were hiding within the herds, with their skins changed. It was easy for the wolves to catch the black sheep; the black sheep then created havoc in the peaceful environment.

The false flag propaganda of nine eleven and the invasion of Afghanistan, the years long hunt for Osama and the final drama of his imprisonment in dark depths of sea, allegation of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and shameful return after mass destructing the country, the Libya's so called civil war, the war with Taliban in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen and friendly table talks with them in Qatar, the decades long so called hunt for Al Qaeda and support for them in Libya and Syria, the false flag Boston bombings and handling the self created situation with extreme un professionalism in nervousness, accusing other nations for spying and their own spies being caught and expelled by others, the so called nuclear talks with Iran and secret killing of its nuclear scientists. What else should i mention, every step they take is hypocritical, every decision they make is a double standard decision.

Why all these wars and everything else happen?

Well I am not going to write a paragraph on this. Everything is already mentioned and is as clear as water. I would rather prefer to write a single sentence.

All this happens to flourish a minute racist entity: the Zionist state of Israel.

I'm not one to brag, but placing Hussain at PressTV is definitely one of my best moves of the past month. I mean, its summer and there are no good original comedies on TV, so this is a great alternative.

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Egyptian sues to strip nationality of MB leader because of remarks about Jews

Last December, Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian suggested that when Israel is destroyed, Egyptian Jews should be allowed to return to Egypt.

Ever since then he has come under withering criticism from antisemitic Egyptians and other Arabs, of all political stripes, who are twisting his words to make it sound like he is a Jew-lover. Even this month the was criticized for his statement in the war of words between Egypt and the UAE.

Now, an Egyptian has brought a lawsuit to strip Erian of his Egyptian citizenship based not only on his record with the Brotherhood but also because of his statement about Jews. The suit states that his statement alone should be enough to strip his citizenship, by indicating that he would welcome the usurping Jews. This indicates, the suit says, that Erian has no pride in his land.

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6/25 Links Part 2: Pope Says Anti-Semites are not True Christians and Rihanna is Coming to Israel

From Ian:

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Barry Rubin: Unlike Madonna, the Middle East Isn’t a ‘Material Girl’

A reader pointed out that in the West, it is assumed to be obvious that Arabs understand that material advancement is necessary for progress and power. For example, Tom Friedman talked about the UN Arab Human development report written by Arab liberals. In other words, the Arabic-speaking world is shaped by the failure of leaders to understand that Western pundits know far more about their society than they do.
Understanding that Friedman doesn’t understand the Middle East, though he has persuaded a big audience otherwise, is the beginning of wisdom on the region.

French marines held over anti-terror probe

The men are accused stealing military-owned bullet-proof jackets and heavy-duty helmets.
They were arrested in connection with a probe into a terror cell implicated in an anti-Semitic bomb attack near Paris last September, it was revealed on Thursday.
A brother of one of the suspects is believed to be an Islamist extremist fighting with anti-Assad rebels in Syria.

Islamist Terror Cell Arrested in France

French police arrested six members of an Islamic terrorist cell early Monday suspected of planning attacks against well-known figures in France, sources close to the investigation told France 24.
The suspects are all in custody after coordinated raids across the Paris region, the news source said.

Who Firebombed Montreal's Kosher Restaurants?

Police have released surveillance video footage of perpetrators who firebombed two kosher restaurants in Montreal in the hopes that someone in the public might have seen the perpetrators and could offer investigators a tip on their identity.
Although no one was injured in the arson, both businesses were damaged.

‘Israel’ among keywords IRS used to target groups seeking tax-exemptions

The Internal Revenue Service’s screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than has been previously disclosed, the new head of the agency acknowledged Monday. Terms including “Israel,” ”Progressive” and “Occupy” were used by agency workers to help pick groups for closer examination, according to an internal IRS document obtained by The Associated Press.

Study: Almost half of Belgian, French, Hungarian Jews mull emigration

Despite the absence of state-sponsored anti-Semitism, and a renaissance of sorts in European Jewish life, Jews on the continent feel insecure about their future, two new studies show.
The studies show that almost half the Jews in Belgium, France and Hungary are considering emigrating, some to Israel, others to North America. For those who want to come to Israel, there is very little political will in Israel to help with immigrant absorption bureaucracy, and there is no effective European equivalent of the popular Nefesh B'Nefesh organization.

Anti-Semites are not true Christians, Pope says

Pope Francis condemned anti-Semitism during a meeting with representatives of the international Jewish community at the Vatican.
“Because of our commons roots, a true Christian cannot be anti-Semitic,” Francis said Monday at a meeting with a delegation of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, or IJCIC.
He added that the Catholic Church “firmly condemns hatred, persecution and all manifestations of anti-Semitism.”

Prince Charles warns of rising antisemitism

Prince Charles has warned that Britain was suffering from an "apparent rise in antisemitism, along with other poisonous and debilitating forms of intolerance", according to . He made the comments in a speech that praised the work of Lord Sacks, the outgoing chief rabbi, in promoting tolerance.
Charles said: "Running throughout your time as chief rabbi has been that all-important principle of which this country has long been an exponent – the principle of tolerance.

Israeli Tourists Shocked by Nazi Kitsch in Bulgarian Town

Perhaps even more startling was the response of one of the shop owners selling items such as Hitler mugs, wristwatches with swastikas, and an alarm clock with a picture of Hitler on its face: “There are people who want to buy the products, otherwise we would not sell them. We sell to those who want them, those who don’t, don’t have to buy them.”

Dutch to rule on Anne Frank letters amid archival spat

A Dutch court may rule this week whether some of the letters of Anne Frank, the Jewish girl whose posthumously published diary about her time in hiding from the Nazis made her a symbol of the Holocaust, should stay in Amsterdam or be sent to Switzerland.
The letters - together with about 10,000 photographs and other documents, but not the famous diary - are at the center of a long-running dispute between Anne Frank House, the Amsterdam museum dedicated to her memory, and Anne Frank Fonds, the Basel-based foundation set up by her father Otto.

Book reveals Wallenberg also helped armed resistance

Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews from Nazi-occupied Hungary, may also have had a secret military mission during World War II, a new book claims.

IDF Blog Startup Soldiers: from the IDF to High-Tech Success

The Israeli military’s ranks have included future politicians, celebrities, journalists and many other success stories. Some of the high-tech geniuses who have changed the world also wore the IDF uniform.
Behind almost every Israeli startup is an accomplished innovator who calls Israel home. But before setting out on the road to success, most of these brilliant minds served as IDF soldiers. Here we remember their roles in the IDF – and the accomplishments that followed.

Chicago mayor comes to Israel for H2O solutions

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is planning to purify his city’s water using new technologies created by a collaboration between the University of Chicago and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The two schools, which have been working together for the last 18 months, have come up with a series of proposals that would look at ways to purify water at the molecular level, making clean, fresh drinking-water more plentiful and less expensive by 2020.

SodaStream teaming up with Whirlpool’s Kitchen-Aid

Israel’s at-home carbonation specialist SodaStream has signed a deal with KitchenAid, a leading maker of premium kitchen appliances and culinary tools and a brand of Whirlpool Corporation, to launch a new at-home carbonation machine.
The new soda maker – that lets people make fizzy soda drinks at home — is expected to be available at retail in the fourth quarter of 2013. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Rihanna to shine bright like a diamond in Tel Aviv

International singing sensation Rihanna will bring her "Diamonds" world tour to Tel Aviv for an October 22 concert in Park Hayarkon, Bookmark Entertainment Agency announced Tuesday morning.
The six-time Grammy winner last performed in Israel at Tel Aviv's Bloomfield Stadium in 2010.

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