Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Turks scream "Death to Israel" at Mavi Marmara ceremony

From NPR:

Thousands of people crowded into a port area on Istanbul's European side Sunday to welcome the aid ship Mavi Marmara, scene of a deadly clash off the Gaza coast in May. Volunteers from the Islamic charity IHH (Humanitarian Relief Foundation) directed the crowd past huge posters of the eight Turks and one Turkish-American who died in the violence.

Chants of "Israel be damned!" rang out from the crowd as the ship was eased into dock. The anti-Israel sentiment threatened to undo tentative diplomatic efforts to restore Turkish-Israeli ties, which plummeted following the May 31 fatalities.

Israel's Channel 10 had a video report from Turkey where the reporter said that the protesters called out "Death to Israel" at the prompting of the speakers. The organizaers gave out buttons saying "Damn Israel" in Turkish, and some even had anti-Israel signs in Hebrew.

(h/t Joel)

PA backs down from banning PalArabs working in settlements

Last May I reported about how the PA was trying to ban some 25,000 people from working in jobs provided by Jewish employers in Judea and Samaria, saying that they would find alternative work or that they would simply become unemployed rather than work for their Jewish neighbors.

My comment at the time was that it would be interesting to see if Palestinian Arabs, working to provide for their families in an honorable fashion, would sacrifice their own personal dignity for the forcibly imposed "dignity" of the PA. My guess was that people still would prioritize their own dignity.

Ha'aretz's Avi Issacharoff reports that the plan to ban jobs working for pioneer Jews has hit a roadblock.

The Palestinian Authority has reconsidered a proposal that would have barred Palestinian laborers from working in West Bank Jewish settlements.

Although several PA officials, notably Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libdeh and Prime Minister Salad Fayyad, came out in favor of such a move at the beginning of the year, it appears the PA has decided not to push for legislation on the issue because it is unable to offer the workers alternative employment.

The settlements and laborers who work in them have a mutually beneficial relationship, and settlement construction relies on Palestinian labor. Many Palestinian workers who do not have permission to work in Israel proper find employment in the settlements.

According to Israeli figures from September 2009 that were provided to the PA's donor countries, 22,000 Palestinians were working with Israeli permission in the settlements, including the settlements' industrial zones.

Non-governmental organizations have said, however, that about 10,000 other Palestinians are working in the settlements without formal permission, mainly in seasonal agricultural work.

It also appears that since September 2009, the number of Palestinians employed in the settlements has increased to nearly 35,000. These workers support a Palestinian population of more than 200,000, and PA legislation barring employment in the settlements would be an economic blow to Palestinians in the West Bank following a rise in Palestinian living standards there.

So since the PA publicly spoke out against Palestinian Arabs working in Jewish towns, the number of employees have actually increased by some 40%!

Evil Zionist Jellyfish terrorize Egyptians

The Zionist Attack Zoo has a new member!

From MEMRI:

Following is an interview with Mustafa Ismail, an Egyptian diving instructor, which aired on Egyptian TV on December 5, 2010:

Interviewer: What do you think are the reasons for [the Sinai shark attacks]? I am concerned resident of Sharm Al-Sheik.

Mustafa Ismail: You want me to be frank?

Interviewer: Yes.

Mustafa Ismail: The fish that caused the problem is not a sea fish. This type of shark is not a sea shark.

Interviewer: What kind of shark is it?

Mustafa Ismail: An ocean shark. This type of shark migrates from South Africa all the way to the top of the Earth. They don't enter alleys. The Red Sea is an alley compared to the ocean.

Interviewer: That much we know. What made it go into this alley?

Mustafa Ismail: The real question is: Who made it go into the alley? I will talk about something else, and then come back to this. Do you remember that when we were kids, the jellyfish in Alexandria would sting? Back home, in Al-Ghardaqa and in the Red Sea, you could roll the jellyfish in your hands and nothing would happen. Okay? There are all kinds of jellyfish. We would cut them up with a knife and use them for fish bait.

For some years now, there is a phenomenon nobody is talking about. Killing, paralyzing jellyfish have appeared in Al-Ghardaqa and on the Red Sea. Who brought these jellyfish there?

Interviewer: Who?

Mustafa Ismail: Who indeed? Who brought the sharks there? Even if this is a baby shark that got lost and passed through the Mandab Strait, could it possibly have continued like a peaceful angel, flapping its fins, all the way to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Shark Al-Sheik, in order to attack there? Why didn't it attack at Masra Alam or Brothers Islands? Why didn't it attack there? I have been diving at Sharm Al-Sheik for 50 years, and there has not been a single shark attack on any living creature.

Go ahead and say it, don't make gestures. Out with it.

Interviewer: I already asked you who, and you started telling me jellyfish stories.

Mustafa Ismail: Who? I will be even more frank. I'm not afraid of anyone.

Interviewer: Go ahead.

Mustafa Ismail: Two or three months ago, an Israeli diver said to me...

Interviewer: What diver?

Mustafa Ismail: An Israeli diver. We work with everybody.

Interviewer: Without any problem?

Mustafa Ismail: It doesn't matter to us.

Interviewer: How can it not bother you?

Mustafa Ismail: Just listen to me for a moment. He told me that they had found a baby shark of a certain species opposite the Eilat port. Whey they found it, they saw it had a GPS device on it.

Interviewer: A guiding device?

Mustafa Ismail: Yes, on its back. Anyone else would have ignored it, but not us. Whoever brought these sharks to us from the ocean... From the Mandab Strait, there are about 4,000 kilometers, so how come there were incidents only around Sinai?

Interviewer: So how did it get all the way to Eilat?

Mustafa Ismail: You wanted to hear the true story, so I will tell you. There are some friendly neighboring countries, which do not wish us well at all. I am not talking about the conspiracy theories of the days of Abd Al-Nasser. This conspiracy continues and will continue to all eternity, until Allah bequeaths the land... The conspiracy continues.

For three months, we have been hearing that country [Israel] warning its citizens to leave the Sinai as quickly as possible. You can check how many Israelis left Sinai in haste at the Tourism Chamber. It was as if they were fleeing an Apartheid or something.

So now our Zionist Attack Zoo has dogs, pigs, wolves, lions, rats, sheep, squirrels, pigeons, sharks and jellyfish.

(h/t Serious Black)

New donation option for the Elder site

I just added a PayPal donation button on the top right side of the site.

So if you like the site and want to show your appreciation, simply click on the Donate button and go for it!

I do appreciate any and all donations. Thanks!

Trivia question of the day (ANSWERED)

What do would-be genocidal madman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, master terrorist Hassan Nasrallah, and despot Bashir Assad have in common with our favorite "moderate" Palestinian Arab leader Mahmoud Abbas?

Hint.

The answer? All of them have met with, and praised, Samir Kuntar, the terrorist who murdered a 4-year old girl along with her father as well as others.

"Built in a Day" (1938 video)

A video showing the building of Kibbutz Tirat Zvi, a tower and stockade settlement that had to be built in a single day to defend itself against terrorists and robbers.

Note that the Jews are greeted warmly by their new Arab neighbors.

Eldertoons/Poster: Abbas the Moderate

I've mentioned this a few times; don't know why it took me so long to make it a graphic:

My original post. Arabic source.

Arabic quote only slightly shortened in the poster:

هناك كثير من يتحدث عن الثوابت والتمسك بها وكثيرا يكون كلامهم مجرد شعرات لا يعرفون ما يقولون أنا
واضحا وثابتا وأقول لمن يتحدثون عن مسلسل التنازلات أتحداهم أن يجيدوا تنازلا واحدا لأي ثابت من الثوابت منذ العام 1988

Blizzard open thread

We Elders control the weather, of course, and I was proud of this snowdrift visible from Chez EoZ:

The hedge is about 3 feet (1 meter) tall. To the left of the photograph it gets covered completely.

Alas, I will need to go back to Round 2 of shoveling soon....

Greek bishop doesn't hate Jews. Just Judaism. (And Zionists.)

I had missed this story in the NYT following up on the anti-semitism of Greek Bishop Metropolite of Piraeus Seraphim where he "clarified" his remarks:

In response to the outrage caused by his remarks, the cleric posted a statement (in Greek) on his Web site in which he stood by his theories and described himself as a friend of the Jewish people but an enemy of Zionism, a Greek newspaper, To Vima, reported.

Here is an English translation of the bishop’s complete statement, first posted online by John Sanidopoulos, a Greek-American blogger, and verified by a Greek-speaking reporter for The New York Times:

2. I respect, revere and love the Jewish people like any other people of our world according to the teaching of the incarnated Son of God and the true Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior and Redeemer, who was heralded by all the Prophets and was incarnated through the Jewish nation.

3. My public vehement opposition against International Zionism refers to the organ that is the successor of the “Sanhedrin” which altered the faith of the Patriarchs, the Prophets and the Righteous of the Jewish nation through the Talmud, the Rabbinical writings and the Kabbalah into Satanism, and always strives vigorously toward an economic empire set up throughout the world with headquarters in the great land beyond the Atlantic for the prevalence of world government and pan-religion.

So that means that the bizarre bishop is all for the Judaism that he thinks existed two thousand years ago, but not the Judaism that spawned the Talmud, Maimonides, Rashi, the Ibn Ezra, the Vilna Gaon, the Ba'al Shem Tov or any other Jewish leader since Old Testament times.

Not only that, but he equates normative Judaism of the past two millenia to be Satanism. Naturally, that Satanism is linked to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion where we evil Talmudists and our minions are controlling the world from New York City, in that great land beyond the Atlantic. So according to the Metropolite, every major rabbi of the past two thousand years has been a satanist, hell-bent on taking over the world.

How's that for an apology!

Photographers staging a riot

From Getty Images:

It looks more like a fashion shoot than a news photographer.

"Just hold that pose, ok baby, beautiful, turn a little more towards me, try to look angrier, I know you are wearing a hood, can you flex your muscles a little, hold on, your sleeve is in the way of my lens, ok, now we're talking, can you get a bigger rock? No? OK, now let 'er rip!"

See also Israelycool.

Blind man can't find job in Ramallah, Israel blamed

From Al-Arabiya:

Ramzy Abul Jedian is a blind radio presenter who worked for the Gaza-based Sawt al-Erada (The voice of determination) station for the handicapped, the first of its kind in Palestine and the whole world.

The station was established by the Higher Committee for Defending the Rights of the Handicapped in the Deir al-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza Strip then was closed after Hamas took control of the strip in 2007.

“According to human rights activists, the station started facing pressure by the Hamas government and eventually had to close,” Abu Jedian told AlArabiya.net. “In October 2007, I left Gaza.”

Accompanied by his younger brother Ahmed, also blind, and Abul Jedian left for Ramallah, leaving behind his wife and children and hoping he would be able to find a job in one of Ramallah’s radio stations.

“I wanted a job that allows me to speak for my fellow handicapped, but the society still underestimates the handicapped and does not understand the role they can play in the media.”

After failing to secure the job he wanted, Abul Jedian now roams the streets of Ramallah with his brother, who he can’t leave alone at home, with coffee flasks in order to earn his living.

A sad story that shows the problems of the handicapped in any society as well as the problems from the Hamas takeover of Gaza.

But how does Al Arabiya introduce this article?

The sight of former Palestinian radio presenter Ramzy Abul Jedian selling coffee in the streets of Ramallah sheds light not only on the suffering of Palestinians under the Israeli occupation, but also the effects of internal divisions between Palestinian factions.

How exactly Israel is hurting Jedian is never mentioned. But then again, it is obvious that every Palestinian Arab who ever suffers must blame Israel. Israel is the one unifying factor that allows Palestinian Arabs to escape responsibility for their own shortcomings.

Thousands of Palestinian Arabs emigrating yearly

Palestine Today quotes a new study showing that some 32,000 Palestinian Arabs have emigrated from the PA between 2005-2009.

24% moved to Jordan, 20% to Persian Gulf states, and 22% to the US.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that make such a move difficult - the PA passports are not recognized in many countries, for example, so often the would-be immigrants need to show citizenship of another country. If Arab countries would eliminate their laws that discriminate against Palestinian Arabs from becoming naturalized, these numbers would skyrocket.

The false framework of the Gaza war

Today is the second anniversary of the beginning of Operation Cast Lead - but it is not the anniversary of the beginning of the Gaza War.

On the very first day of OCL, I pointed out something that has been all but ignored by the media (but that I had mentioned earlier): Hamas declared war on Israel on December 24th, a full three days before Cast Lead.

From Ma'an, December 25th, 2008:

The military wing affiliated to Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades released a statement on Thursday morning briefing the group's military activities over the first twenty four hours of an operation they called "Oil Stain" which started Wednesday morning.

According to the statement, a total of 87 shells have been fired at Israeli targets bordering the Gaza Strip including 54 mortar shells, 31 homemade projectiles which Hamas calls "Qassam", and two Soviet-made Grad missiles.

Al-Qassam Brigades threatened to enlarge the "Oil Stain" to get more thousands of Israelis "under fire". The group asserted that its fighters are "far greater than surrendering to Israeli threats and that they became much more prepared to counter Israeli aggression and to defend themselves than in the past."

Even after Cast Lead started, Hamas - in Arabic - continued to call the war "Oil Stain." For example, on December 30th, an article in the Palestine Today website brags that "Operation Oil Stain" had been expanded and a Grad rocket had reached Beersheva for the first time.

Hamas has since changed its tune. First, it renamed the operation during the war "Battle of the Criterion." And now that they have seen how much the Gaza war has hurt Israel's reputation, they have even changed their own history - in an article earlier this year on the Al Qassam website, they claim that Oil Stain was a reaction after Israel to reflect their deploying longer-range Grad rockets.

And there is a very good reason why Hamas has changed their history.

One of the most insidious ways that NGOs and the media attack Israel is by creating a false framework around events like Cast Lead. The issue isn't "competing narratives" - it is much bigger than that. By framing the issue in false terms, Israel looks like the aggressor without having to say it explicitly.Every time an NGO and newspaper says that the Gaza war started on December 27th, they really mean that Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians are not important and that Israel is the aggressive party.

Amnesty's history of the war starts on December 27th.

HRW characterizes the entire war as "Israel’s three-week-long military offensive in Gaza that began on December 27." It isn't even a war - it is simply framed as Israeli aggression. And this is in a report about Hamas rocket fire!

Goldstone's chapter headings show this false framework as well:

III. EVENTS OCCURRING BETWEEN THE “CEASEFIRE” OF 18 JUNE 2008 BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE GAZA AUTHORITIES AND THE START OF ISRAEL’S MILITARY OPERATIONS IN GAZA ON 27 DECEMBER 2008

VI. OVERVIEW OF MILITARY OPERATIONS CONDUCTED BY ISRAEL IN GAZA BETWEEN 27 DECEMBER 2008 AND 18 JANUARY 2009 AND DATA ON CASUALTIES

When the very framework of the issue is biased to begin with, anyone trying to take Israel's aide is already handicapped. It loads the dice before the game even starts, and it takes an effort to re-frame the argument - something that Israeli spokespeople have little opportunity to do when giving statements to the press or when answering questions about NGO accusations.

Even though Hamas wants to be known as a masculine defender of Arab rights in Arabic, and it was proud to take credit for starting the war back in 2008, it has realized the immense value of the false framework provided by Goldstone and HRW and Amnesty and the mainstream media. So it has adopted that framework simply because it puts Israel at a disadvantage.

This is one of the biggest issues that Israel faces when speaking to the world. The idea of Israel as aggressor is so ingrained in the fabric of the discussion that it is not easy for even Israel's defenders to recognize it when they see it. It is especially difficult in the heat of a debate to be able to step back and challenge the questioner as to their implicit assumptions.

One fact is clear - Hamas started the war, and they bragged about it. Any narrative of the Gaza War that does not recognize that simple fact is inherently biased from the outset. No mater how prestigious the NGO or media outlet that promulgates this lie - it is still a lie, and that lie must be corrected.

"Community" open thread

I spent many hours this weekend watching episodes of "Community." I got addicted to the show and now I must watch every episode. (Although none in real time. Commercials are evil.)

My favorite character on the show is Abed, who is an Arab. An episode where his sister visits from Gaza was nicely done. But Season 1 episode 17 was fantastic, and this season the show is going in all sorts of bizarre but funny directions.

I still have a couple of them to go, so this is an open thread until I get done.

Richard Falk admits his goal is to destroy the Jewish state

Richard Falk, the proven liar and twister of international law who explicitly supports terror against Israel yet still holds the position of "UN Rapporteur for Palestine," has written an article that make clear that the purpose of BDS is not to change Israeli behavior but to delegitimize Israel altogether in the international community.

The article in Al Jazeera - a fitting venue for his hate - refers to the current wave of efforts to demonize Israel in the international arena by BDS advocates and lawfare supports as a "Legitimacy War."

And although the headline in Al Jazeera makes it appear that he means a war for the legitimacy of the Palestinian Arab cause, the article says no such thing. In fact, an earlier article by Falk in a far-left journal that introduced the same expression makes it very clear what he means:

The essence of this legitimacy war is to cast doubt on several dimensions of Israeli legitimacy: its status as a moral and law abiding actor, as an occupying power in relation to the Palestinian people, and with respect to its willingness to respect the United Nations and abide by international law. Those that wage such a legitimacy war seek to seize the high moral ground in relation to the underlying conflict, and on this basis, gain support for a variety of coercive, but non-violent initiatives designed to put pressure on Israel, on governments throughout the world and on the United Nations to deny normal participatory rights to Israel as a member of international society.

Although he speaks in third person in this paragraph, it is obvious that he is a leading member of this very movement to eject Israel - and only Israel - from the community of nations.

Not Syria. Not Iran. Not China. Not Sudan.

No, in Falk's twisted mind, only the Jewish state is uniquely evil enough to be shunned and expelled from the international community.

And in that original article he makes it very clear that his desired goal is to destroy the Jewish character of the state!

Even if the Palestinians win the legitimacy war there is no guarantee that this victory will produce the desired political results. It requires Palestinian patience, resolve, leadership and vision, as well as sufficient pressure to force a change of heart in Israel, and probably in Washington as well. In this instance, it would seem to require an Israeli willingness to abandon the core Zionist project to establish a Jewish state, and that does not appear likely from the vantage point of the present.

One wonders why Richard Falk is so against a Jewish (nationality and/or religion) state and has nothing bad to say against states that define themselves as Arab (nationality) or Muslim (religion.)

(h/t Zach and Womble)