Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Nice shooting

Today Israel killed 7 members of the "Army of Islam" in Gaza in three separate strikes.

Yesterday, Israel killed four Islamic Jihad members in two separate strikes.

No civilians have been accidentally killed by Israel in any of these five attacks.

The most exaggerated "humanitarian crisis" in history

The definition of a "siege" and "blockade" are:

Siege, blockade are terms for prevention of free movement to or from a place during wartime. Siege implies surrounding a city and cutting off its communications, and usually includes direct assaults on its defenses. Blockade is applied more often to naval operations that block all commerce, especially to cut off food and other supplies from defenders.

Here is a list of what Israel allowed to be shipped to Gaza during the first half of June:

The Unit for Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories reports daily on the general humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The data for the supplies transferred via the Karni and Sufa crossings are based on the reports of Palestinian merchants.

Two-way traffic at the Erez Crossing of international organizations' staff, Gaza residents seeking medical treatment together with the people accompanying them ("medical evacuations"), and Palestinian civilians has been permitted for humanitarian and medical aid since 18 January 2007 and occurs almost daily.

Via the conveyor at the Karni Crossing, hundreds of tons of grain - wheat, barley, soy beans, corn and animal feed - are transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip every week.

Via the Nahal Oz fuel depot, diesel fuel for transportation and the local Gaza power station, petrol, and gas for cooking and heating are transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip, according to an assessment of civilian needs mandated by the Israeli court.

Via the Sufa Crossing, the following supplies are transferred by truck from Israel to the Gaza Strip: food, including: baby formula and food, rice and legumes, fruits and vegetables, meat, chicken and fish, dairy products, flour and yeast, oil, salt and sugar; hygiene products; raw materials for essential infrastructures; medicines and medical equipment; and a myriad of other items - ranging from school books to wheel chairs - needed by the civilian population.

The Kerem Shalom Crossing has been closed since 19 April 2008, due to terrorist attacks directed at it.

June 15, 2008
17 trucks delivered 456 tons of food to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. At the Nahal Oz fuel depot, 212,000 liters of diesel fuel for the power station were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip.

In addition, 53 people (patients and their companions) crossed into Israel at the Erez crossing for medical treatment.

June 13, 2008
51 trucks carrying mostly food products were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing. Via the Nahal Oz crossing, 510,000 liters of diesel fuel for the power station, 130,000 liters of diesel fuel for transportation, and 173 tons of gas were delivered.

In addition, 55 people (patients and their companions) crossed into Israel via Erez crossing for medical treatment.

June 11, 2008
38 trucks carrying fruit and vegetables and other food products as well as materials for humanitarian infrastructure were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing.

In addition, 54 people (patients and their companions) crossed into Israel via Erez crossing for medical treatment.

June 10, 2008
59 trucks carrying food, materials needed for infrastructures, and medications were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via the Sufa crossing. 24 trucks carrying 888 tons of grain were transferred via the Karni crossing. Via the Nahal Oz crossing, 280,000 liters of diesel fuel for the power station, 100,000 liters of diesel fuel for transportation, and 88 tons of gas were delivered.

In addition, 66 people (patients and their companions) crossed into Israel via Erez crossing for medical treatment.

June 8, 2008
521,800 liters of fuel and 84 tons of heating gas were transported via the Nahal Oz terminal.

In addition, 10 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing for medical treatment.

June 4, 2008
50 trucks carrying food and hygiene products were transferred from Israel to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. 64 trucks carrying 2,409 tons of wheat, corn, soy beans and animal feed were transferred via the Karni crossing. Cooking gas was transferred via the Nahal Oz fuel depot.

In addition, 17 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip via the Erez crossing for medical treatment.

June 4, 2008
Medical evacuation: A Palestinian worker was critically wounded by a mortar bomb fired by Palestinian terrorists towards the Nahal Oz fuel depot. He was rushed to hospital in Gaza City. Due to the critical wounds the worker suffered and the deterioration of his condition, an urgent request was forwarded to the Israeli Coordination & Liaison Administration at the Erez crossing, to refer the wounded man for further treatment in Israel.

Colonel Nir Press, Head of Israel's Coordination and Liaison Administration at Erez Crossing, approved the evacuation to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon as per the request. Co. Press stated that evening: "The attack earlier today caused the casualty of one Palestinian, and ultimately forced the early cessation of pumping of fuel and gas. The Hamas campaign against the Gaza Strip crossings primarily inflicts suffering on the people of the Gaza Strip."

June 3, 2008
60 trucks carrying food, and raw materials for essential infrastructures were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. At the Nahal Oz fuel depot, 261 tons of gas and 1.124 million liters of fuel for transportation and electricity were transferred.

In addition, 32 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel for medical treatment.

June 2, 2008
64 trucks carrying rice, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, dairy and other food products, and raw materials for essential infrastructures were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. 71 trucks carrying 2,577 tons of wheat, soy beans, corn and animal feed were transferred via the Karni grain depot. At the Nahal Oz fuel depot, 260,410 liters of fuel for transportation and 732,400 liters of fuel for the power station, and 210 tons of heating and cooking gas were transferred to the Gaza Strip.

In addition, 13 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel via the Erez crossing for medical treatment.

June 1, 2008
30 trucks carrying vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, dairy and other food products, medications and medical equipment, and raw materials for essential infrastructures were transferred to the Gaza Strip via Sufa crossing. 64 trucks carrying 2,500 tons of wheat, soy beans, corn and animal feed were transferred via the Karni grain depot. At the Nahal Oz fuel depot, 1.038 million liters of fuels and 262 tons of gas were transferred to the Gaza Strip.

In addition, 29 people (patients and companions) crossed into Israel via the Erez crossing for medical treatment.

Total (June 16, 2007 - June 15, 2008):
24,375 trucks; 579,491 tons

I still have not found a single case of someone starving to death in Gaza.

This has to be the most exaggerated "humanitarian crisis" in history.

Hamas stealing from kids' charity

Palestine Press Agency reports (autotranslated):

Hamas militiamen today stormed the Charitable Society for Development in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, and seized at gunpoint on all its contents.

Eyewitnesses said that "dozens of Hamas gunmen stormed the headquarters and confiscated dozens of devices and equipment."

Local sources said that the militia confiscated food and juices and recreational materials were earmarked for summer camps serving 600 children.

Ho hum.

Aw, terror propaganda arm running out of money

The "International Middle East Media Center" is a propaganda organ of Palestinian terrorism masquerading as media outlet that "provides fair and comprehensive coverage of events and developments in Israel-Palestine."

A quick glance at this site shows that it is anything but fair, its journalistic standards are laughably poor, and it will always refer to Palestinian Arabs hurling stones at Israelis with slingshots as "peaceful protesters," and it consistently will blame Israel for "work accidents."

So imagine what a tragedy it is that this sick excuse for a "news" organization is now begging for donations to survive:

URGENT APPEAL FOR FUNDS!

The International Middle East Media Center is in danger of closing unless we raise needed funds immediately. YOU can help the IMEMC continue!

Since my readers are in such a giving move, may I suggest that money may be better spent here or here.

UN wants to pretend to be evenhanded so it can bash Israel more

The UN Human Rights Council's "Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967," Richard Falk, addressed the Council today.

The HRC has been incredibly anti-Israel and Falk recently compared Israeli actions to those of the Nazis. He descibed Israeli policies as having "genocidal tendencies." He replaced the equally execrable John Dugard in this post.

Naturally, many people have complained about the incredible one-sidedness of the Council and their clear anti-Israel agenda. This has made the HRC into a joke that is not being taken seriously even by Europeans as they see that it ignores essentially all human rights abuses by African or Islamic nations.

So, Falk proposed today that his role should be expanded to also investigate human rights abuses against Israelis by Palestinian Arabs in the territories, something that Israel has long demanded.

But he makes it very clear why he wants this to happen:

He respectfully asked the Council to consider expanding the mandate to also encompass inquiry into Palestinian violations of international humanitarian law, but not of alleged violations of human rights within the Palestinian territories. The mandate along these lines would enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the reports presented by the Special Rapporteur, and would respond in a constructive way to criticisms that had been made in the past, and yet maintain the focus of attention on core concerns of the Human Rights Council with the suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people as a result of the prolonged Israeli occupation. It was a delicate issue to be raised, but one that needed to be confronted as directly as possible, to both achieve the purpose of the mandate and to insulate the Human Rights Council from those who contended that its work was tainted by partisan politics.

This is an incredibly cynical ploy that Falk is openly advocating in the confines of his friendly audience at the HRC. He wants to make it clear that he wants to continue to slam Israel for every possible problem in the Middle East, but since the criticisms have hit close to home he wants to place a fig leaf on top of the HRC to make himself appear to be "even-handed" - something that he clearly is not. The fact that he does not want to include Palestinian Arab-on-Arab human rights abuses proves quite conclusively that all he wants is the ability to continue to insult Israel publicly and he cares nothing about real human rights.

As the UN at large does, he will then issue a perfunctory report condemning rocket attacks against Israel civilians for a sentence or two and then spend the next 200 pages railing about supposed Israeli crimes and abuses.

Although we have seen this methodology used before by traditionally anti-Israel but ostensibly even-handed NGOs in the past, rarely has the goal been stated so nakedly - saying that the goal was to insulate themselves from criticism even as they continue on their one-sided anti-Israel path.

Falk's continuing bias is made clear by another comment he made:

He said, however, he would not want to investigate abuses by Palestinians against their own people.

"I think the (U.N.'s) special attention to the occupation has to include resistance to the occupation," he said. "That is why I favor expanding the mandate, but not expanding it to include what Palestinians do to each other."

Without shame, Falk has fully accepted the terrorist newspeak of "resistance to the occupation" when in fact Gaza rocket attacks are terror, not resistance, and Gaza is not legally occupied.

To think that extending his mandate will make any difference whatsoever in the HRC's hateful bias would be the height of delusion.

(By the way, Reuters wrote a surprisingly good article about this, so we have to give credit where credit is due.)

UPDATE: Smooth Stone has video, and shows UN Watch asking Falk about his denial of Arabs attacking the US on 9/11.

Biggest threat to Hebron peace? "Peace activists"

YNet reports:

"The activity of some leftist organizations in Hebron is more dangerous that which is being conducted by their right-wing counterparts," a senior Shai District Police official told Ynet Monday.

"Organizations such as Bnei Avraham (which is committed to 'disturbing the occupation, disrupting the segregation and apartheid regime') and Breaking the Silence are wolves in sheep's' clothing", the official said in light of the growing tensions between left and right-wing activists in the West Bank city.

The head of the Israel Police's Hebron district, Commander Avshalom Peled told Ynet that "from my experience in the Hebron and Gush Etzion area, the activity on the part of the militant left can be severe and dangerous."

Hebron police have recorded a drop in disturbances involving Jewish settlers over the past year and noted an improvement in the dialogue between the settler community and police.

"The leftists antagonize the settlers in the hope that the settlers will attack them," a police official said.

"The left-wing organizations have become an even greater threat than the anarchists."

Bnei Avraham callas themselves "peace activists" on their Google Groups page, and "Breaking the Silence" only mentions that they provide "tours" to Hebron without saying that the purpose of the tours is to cause the types of trouble that they pretend to be against.

Perhaps it is time for right-wing organizations to call themselves "peace" organizations as well, since the word has clearly no meaning to the Left.

Who says PalArabs have no culture?

Palestinian Arabs are just as likely to appreciate poetry as anyone else.

But they are somewhat more likely to appreciate the poetry of Libyan dictator and all-around nutcase Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

From Palestine News Network (autotranslated):

Qalqiliya / PNN - amid attend the rally and conclude a distinguished academic in the town of Qalqilya Palestinian literary conference on the first literary works (the stories) by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi "Commander of the Revolution September," the Libyan Jamahiriya, has participated in the first conference of its kind in the Palestinian territories selected Palestinian academics from universities and national success Quds Open, Hebron and Palestine is the eligibility of cultural events inside the Green Line.

The conference was opened by General Coordinator of the Movement of revolutionary committees Palestinian speech welcoming the audience and thanked them for their concern and their interaction with the conference theme and also transfer them greetings from the brother of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and warm appreciation for their efforts in this area and then head of the conference Prof. Dr. Yahya Jabr, who assumed management of hearings and debate After.
This conference was held in two acts occur in the first Professor Dr. Adel Al-Osta professor of modern Arab literature Najah University and Dr. Isa Abdul Khaliq Chief Arabic-Najah University and Dr. Zaher Hanani professor of modern Arab literature Quds Open University and then Dr. Zeidan paper from inside the Green Line and Dr. Raid Abdul Rahim from the Arabic Language Department Najah University.
The House debate on the statement in papers researchers At the second meeting spoke of Dr. Hassan Abu Lord and Dr. Adnan Ayyash of Al-Quds Open University and Dr. Yahya Jabr.
Then read papers Professors Dr. Said Coahnh of Hebron University and Dr. Sadik Dabbas Chief of the Arabic language at the University of Palestine civil ensuing discussion on the papers presented. Papers and conference centered around several axes was highlighted by the irony in the work of Colonel Gaddafi literary and artistic techniques and Lamia title at the stories It also addressed the religious dimensions and leftist there.
At the conclusion of the conference participants recommended the need to hold more conferences and seminars aimed at introducing thinking Muammar Gaddafi and Dubai truly away from what prevailed in some quarters of negative attitudes towards Colonel Gaddafi and his ideas and projects It is worth mentioning that the movement of Palestinian revolutionary committees in the near future is planning to hold a conference On the draft peace: perspectives and dimensions.

Le Figaro: Over 350 tunnels between Egypt and Gaza

France's Le Figaro reports that there are over 350 tunnels between Gaza and Rafah - and goes on to swallow Hamas propaganda that they are only used for food and fuel: (autotranslated)

One year after the seizure of power by the fundamentalists, over 350 have been dug underground to escape the blockade of Israel and import food from Egypt.

At the surface, the facades of buildings in Rafah aligned along the border with Egypt were turned into Swiss cheese by five years of Israeli mitraille. Until the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in September 2005, the frontline here ran along the 'axis Philadelphia "controlled by the IDF.

The dreams of opening, which had preceded the departure of Israeli troops are no longer a distant mirage. Within a year of power of Hamas in Gaza, the basement has been transformed into a real mouse. At the foot of buildings, tents sheltering the entrance of spinning smuggling tunnels to Egypt have grown like mushrooms.

...The Islamists took control traffic tunnel have industrialized. Rafah, a town of outlaws, became the capital of "import-export" version gaziote.

Now, more than 350 tunnels connecting Rafah to Egypt. The din of drills and engines running pulleys to trace the goods now accompanies the buzz of Israeli surveillance drones. The houses are filled with border sandbags and it does even bother to hide the freshly turned earth. "The Hamas government allows us to dig tunnels to break the siege imposed by Israel, said Abu Jendal, co-owner of two tunnels. "The key is not to put us kneel facing the Israelis. "

Two teams of ten men take turns day and night for him spawn a new underpass. They share a salary of 100 dollars for every metre widened to death drills and trowels. They will have four months to travel the 800 meters to win the opening in Egypt."Some diggers, very famous, earn more," said Mahmoud 22 years, which has already drilled a dozen galleries. That is a pittance compared to the risks involved. I lost four comrades in landslides since I do this work. But in Rafah, work in tunnels is the only one that relates. Thousands of people are employees and everyone lives g hanks to the tunnels. But because Israel, we are forced to live like earthworms. "

The intercom from the tunnel rings. A delivery arrives. The pulleys busy to go up in the pit 25 meters deep cans of petrol and diesel, which are badly in Gaza. In Rafah, just Egypt: chocolate, coca, medicines, computers, engines, spare parts, oil, sugar, houmos, canned food, cigarettes… As long as demand is strong enough, the cost of transport (350 dollars per bag goods) is profitable. The importer shall telephone number of his contact the Egyptian owner of the tunnel and it is responsible to deliver the goods. A guard of Hamas monitors everything that passes through tunnels.

"The importation of drugs, alcohol, weapons and people is prohibited," says the bearded supervisor, equipped with a walkie-talkie to call for reinforcements or to be alerted in case of attack Israeli. The Islamist movement, which draws in passing a tax ranging from 20 to 30% depending on the goods, and found in such trafficking as a source of funding comfortable.

However, these goods represent only a drop of water in relation to the needs of the Gaza Strip. "Since Hamas is in power, we lack everything: food, gasoline, drinking water, medicines," said Samir, a trader. The products are sold in Egypt to triple their prices, while 70% of the population lives below the poverty line. The survival has become our daily concern. The most important rule is to never get sick. Due to lack of medicines and medical care effective, any disease can prevail. "

The role of Hamas is reduced to manage shortages. Thus, the Islamist government distributes the past two months ration tickets, which are essential to get a few litres of fuel at the pump. The only success on the assets of Hamas is to have foiled forecasts in bringing order and security in Gaza, where armed gangs were mafia law.

The order has a price. The associations defending human rights denounce a dark years in Gaza, for individual freedoms.

The last paragraph of skepticism doesn't make up for the reporter's unbelievable parroting of the lie that no weapons or people go through the tunnels - Egypt has been discovering plenty of large weapons caches near the tunnels.

Unfortunately, it appears that Israel's blockade has not hurt Hamas at all. While Israel is not obligated to provide food and fuel to its neighboring enemy territory, the stated goals of the blockade (to force a popular uprising against Hamas) have not materialized and on the contrary, Hamas has managed to profit from it.

Weeds - the video

This is an experiment to see how many more people will watch a video on YouTube than read an entry on my blog.

Earlier this year I had two popular posts called "Weeds." This is a video version of those posts.

Funeral shooting and clan clash!

From Ma'an:

A Palestinian child was killed on Friday afternoon after he was hit by a bullet fired in the air during a funeral procession in the Shuja'iyya neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City.

Palestinian medical sources told Ma'an that 5-year-old 'Ubeida Habib died from head injuries sustained during the funeral procession of one of the Hamas fighters killed in an Israeli air strike on the Jabalia refugee camp earlier on Friday.

There was also a clan clash south of Hebron, killing one, so the 2008 PalArab self-death count is now at 95.

Followup on yesterday's "work accident"

YNet reports:

Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades confirmed Friday that the operatives who died in Thursday's explosion in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya were making last-minute preparations for a “special mission”, a Hamas codename for a “high-quality” attack.

According to the statement, the dead were operatives of a special Hamas unit. The organization promised that its people will “continue following in the path of those killed.”

A Hamas gunman who was wounded in Thursday's died Friday morning. Hamas’ announcement does not refer to the blast's circumstances even though the group's media has begun using the term “explosion” and not just “attack,” the term repeatedly used on Thursday.

Hamas was quick to blame Israel and reacted with a heavy rocket fire on the western Negev. Recent statements, however, have omitted placing the blame on Israel.

On Thursday, Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida said that as a result of the IDF denying it's involvement, the military wing will conduct an investigation into the blast and make its results public immediately.

Hamas’ announcement confirmed Ynet reports saying that Ahmed Randur, commander of the Izz el-Din al-Qassam Brigades in north Gaza was present at the time of the explosion and lightly injured as a result.

Additional senior Hamas officials were present at the scene including Beit Lahiya Hamas Area Commander Ahmed Hamouda, whose house is the one which exploded. His daughter was killed in the blast. Hassan Abu Shakfa and Ashraf Mushtaha, both senior officials in Hamas’ military wing were killed as well.

A neighbor who lives adjacent to the exploded house said that the presence of Hamas’ senior officials at the scene of the incident and at the hospital immediately after it occurred, proves that those present at the blast were very high-ranking. “The fast arrival of the civilian leadership and of the firefighters proves that extreme pressure was felt due to the identity of those injured.”

Hamas identified 6 of its members who died in the explosion.

Keep in mind that this apparent bomb factory was built in a residential house in a crowded neighborhood, and if Israel would have attacked it the world community would have been unanimous in its condemnation.

Also, in this case as with others, there were "eyewitnesses" that Israel had done this (the Saudi-based Arab News all but blames Israel completely,) proving yet again that Palestinian Arabs simply lie, repeatedly and consistently.

Freedom of the press, PalArab style (XII)

The Palestinian Arab WAFA news agency reports:

A person who claimed to be speaking on behalf of Hamas, this evening, threatened the news agency 'Wafa', if it does not stop the dissemination of news about the practices of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The person said in a telephone conversation with the Agency's headquarters in central Ramallah that he speaks on behalf of Hamas movement and gave the Agency until next Saturday to stop the reporting of news about Hamas in Gaza.
.
He added : 'You know that Hamas is capable of implementing its threat'.

Ironically, West Bank-based Palestinian Arab news sources are more accurate in their reporting about Hamas than any of the wire services.