Saturday, January 16, 2010
Elder of Ziyon
Another in my continuing series of photographs of kids sent in to Firas Press by their proud parents....The comments are universally filled with praise for the smiling future martyr.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Elder of Ziyon
PCHR reports in a recent wave of bombings in Gaza:
The latest explosion took place at approximately 02:40 on Thursday, 14 January 2010, when unknown persons detonated a bomb near the entrance of a hardware store belonging to Sami Abdul Qader al-‘Ar’ir in al-Shojayea neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. As a result of the explosion, material damages were caused to the entrance of the store and to the glass windows of neighboring houses.But that's not all!
In a separate incident, at approximately 02:30 on Thursday, 14 January 2010, unknown persons detonated a bomb near the entrance of the “Friends Forum” billiard hall that belongs to Rabi’ Saleh Jaber in al-Nasser street in the north of Gaza city. The entrance of the hall was damaged and windows of neighboring houses crushed.
At approximately 20:10 on Wednesday, 13 January 2010, unknown persons detonated a bomb under a police vehicle while parking near al-‘Abbas police station in the west of Gaza City. The vehicle was badly damaged and no casualties were reported.
At approximately 05:00 on Wednesday, 13 January 2009, unknown persons detonated a bomb in a grey Skoda belonging to Mohamed Salam al-Ghussein while parking near his house in al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza city. Heavy damages were caused to the car, but no casualties were reported. Al-Ghussein is a captain in the marine police.
Not sure if it is the Salafist or Al Qaeda groups flexign their muscles against people who aren't as Islamic as they are, or if Gazans are just bored and this is the easiest way to kill time.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 06:00 on Sunday, 10 January 2010, unknown persons detonated a bomb at the Khalil al-Rahman Pharmacy, which belongs to Shadia Farouq Abu Saqer and is located in Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. As a result, the door of the pharmacy and all glass windows inside were destroyed. The police initiated an investigation of the attack.
Earlier, at approximately 01:00 on Saturday, 09 January 2010, unknown persons detonated a bomb in a computer gaming cafe belonging to Hamed Saleem al-Dabbas in the Sheikh Hammouda area of al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. The contents of the cafe, including 10 computers and their accessories, were destroyed. The police initiated an investigation into the attack.
In the same context, at approximately 19:15 on Wednesday, 06 January 2010, unknown persons detonated a bomb inside Tal al-Qamar coffee shop, which is located in the al-Maqqousi housing project in the north of Gaza City and belongs to Deeb al-Bal'awi and Rami al-'Ajrami. The coffee shop was damaged; police initiated an investigation into the attack.
- Friday, January 15, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten published last Friday reproductions of the Mohammed cartoons by Kurt Westergaard, after a crazed Muslim tried to assassinate him last week.
Tehran's response shows the bizarre Muslim logic of who is to blame for violent behavior. In the words of Iran's Foreign Minister:
The people who actually kill blasphemers are not responsible for their actions - only the governments have any responsibility, for allowing an excuse for crazed Muslims to exhibit murderous behavior.
Makes perfect sense!
Perhaps the best response comes from Westergaard himself, with this cartoon I had not seen before:
"Such blasphemous acts will not contribute to the establishment of world peace. They will only make the Norwegian government liable before the international community for failing to prevent provocative behaviors that are in violation of human rights."
The people who actually kill blasphemers are not responsible for their actions - only the governments have any responsibility, for allowing an excuse for crazed Muslims to exhibit murderous behavior.Makes perfect sense!
Perhaps the best response comes from Westergaard himself, with this cartoon I had not seen before:
- Friday, January 15, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
From Reuters:
Let's hope that there's an even funnier show occurring soon, and simultaneously, at Iran's nuclear facilities.Ahmadinejad accused the West of seeking to dominate the Middle East, saying the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States were used as a pretext to gain dominance over the region.
"The September 11 incident was very suspicious and complex ... One could see it was like a funny show," Ahmadinejad said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
- Friday, January 15, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
Asharq al-Awsat interviewed Abu Ahmed, spokesman for Islamic Jihad's Al Quds Brigades:
Abu Ahmed admitted that getting weapons into the Gaza Strip has become a difficult proposition, accusing some Arabs countries – who he refused to specify – and Israel, of cooperating to prevent the entry of weapons into the Gaza Strip. Abu Ahmed refused to disclose the state of the Islamic Jihad rocket stockpiles; however he did say that money and weapons reach the movement through "loyal sons of the nation."Islamic Jihad has been described as "the Palestinian organization most loyal to the Iranian revolutionary ideology" even though it is Sunni, not Shiite.
Abu Ahmed confirmed that the majority of aid coming to the Islamic Jihad movement comes from individuals and organizations abroad, rather than states. He also said that Iran is the country that most aids the Islamic Jihad movement, saying "Our relationship with Iran is a relationship built upon mutual respect, like the rest of our relations with the resistance and opposition forces in all parts of the globe. Iran is the country that most supports the resistance in every place, not just Palestine. This is an honorable position, one that can be attested to by those near and far and that is why we respect and appreciate Iran."
Abu Ahmed described the Iranian support as being "first class financial support and it is directed specifically towards the families of martyrs, prisoners, and the injured and for charity projects."
Abu Ahmed refused to answer a question about whether Hamas gets more aid from Iran [than the Islamic Jihad movement], saying "I do not know [the answer] to this, I do not know how much Iran aids Hamas or other resistance forces."
- Friday, January 15, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
work accident
From the English Al Qassam Brigades website:
There has been an increase in work accidents lately. In the past two months, I count nine terrorists who have been disappointed that there were no virgins for them where they went.
I count 20 deaths from such "work accidents" in 2009; there were 34 in 2008. We are up to 3 of them in 2010 already.
Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas movement, mourned at dawn on Friday January 15th, 2010, one of its members who was martyred while performing a jihadi task in Deir Al Balah in central Gaza strip.As usual, the Arabic versions say that the terrorist was "wed."
The Brigades confirmed in a military communiqué issued on Friday the martyrdom of the Mujahed Emad Sameer Al Salqawi (25) during his duty in the center of Gaza strip, noting that the Mujahed was martyred after a long path of jihad and sacrifice for the sake of their beloved Palestine.
There has been an increase in work accidents lately. In the past two months, I count nine terrorists who have been disappointed that there were no virgins for them where they went.
I count 20 deaths from such "work accidents" in 2009; there were 34 in 2008. We are up to 3 of them in 2010 already.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
- Thursday, January 14, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
Mahmoud Abbas is really big on making big, dramatic statements that get headlines but are meaningless.
The most famous recent example was when he claimed he would not run for President again. He said this with the full knowledge that there will be no elections in the near future, and that the president of the PA is subservient to the chairman of the PLO - which just so happens to be Mahmoud Abbas. He has no intention of relinquishing power any time soon, but when he makes threats like these (and he has done it numerous times before) he gets headlines and a modicum of support from the Fatah faithful (for whom he is also the leader.)
Today, he came up with a new one. He told an Egyptian newspaper that it is possible that Israel will assassinate him, just like they assassinated Arafat. He compared himself to Arafat by saying that just like Arafat was a man of peace who signed agreements with Israel, so is he, and just like Israel killed Arafat, so might he be killed by Israel. But he believes in Allah so it's no biggie.
In the interview he also made the claim that 50% of the Jewish towns in the West Bank are empty.
Which brings up another thing he has in common with Arafat: he is a skilled liar.
(The claim that settlements are half empty reminds me of a speech given by the first head of the PLO, Ahmed Shukairy, in 1960 to the UN, where his proposal for peace was based on the idea that "There are now thousands and thousands of Jews who are clamouring to get out from this tyranny and misery which is called Israel, if they are only given an exit visa...When the alien Jews are allowed to quit the country, the situation will go back to normal." He actually claimed that Israel was preventing some half of its Jewish population from from leaving Israel. [And he compared Israel to the Nazis even then.])
The most famous recent example was when he claimed he would not run for President again. He said this with the full knowledge that there will be no elections in the near future, and that the president of the PA is subservient to the chairman of the PLO - which just so happens to be Mahmoud Abbas. He has no intention of relinquishing power any time soon, but when he makes threats like these (and he has done it numerous times before) he gets headlines and a modicum of support from the Fatah faithful (for whom he is also the leader.)
Today, he came up with a new one. He told an Egyptian newspaper that it is possible that Israel will assassinate him, just like they assassinated Arafat. He compared himself to Arafat by saying that just like Arafat was a man of peace who signed agreements with Israel, so is he, and just like Israel killed Arafat, so might he be killed by Israel. But he believes in Allah so it's no biggie.
In the interview he also made the claim that 50% of the Jewish towns in the West Bank are empty.
Which brings up another thing he has in common with Arafat: he is a skilled liar.
(The claim that settlements are half empty reminds me of a speech given by the first head of the PLO, Ahmed Shukairy, in 1960 to the UN, where his proposal for peace was based on the idea that "There are now thousands and thousands of Jews who are clamouring to get out from this tyranny and misery which is called Israel, if they are only given an exit visa...When the alien Jews are allowed to quit the country, the situation will go back to normal." He actually claimed that Israel was preventing some half of its Jewish population from from leaving Israel. [And he compared Israel to the Nazis even then.])
- Thursday, January 14, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
Uncharacteristically, I bought the Google Nexus One phone without actually seeing it or waiting to see what problems other people have first. (This is mostly due to my wireless contract coming up and my desire to switch to T-Mobile anyway, where I save a lot of money using the family plan.) So this is my review after having it for a bit less than a day.
I already had an iPod Touch, so that is my main point of comparison.
So far, I think that the iPod has a better interface. Android isn't bad, but I miss multi-touch and sometimes the phone doesn't seem to register that I am touching the screen. The onscreen keyboard is almost as good as Apple's, but I don't seem to be able to type as quickly with it. Google has a much better system for guessing words, though.
I am indeed having the problems that others are complaining about with very spotty 3G coverage and the phone almost always goes to the very slow Edge network instead. I am assuming that Google and T-Mobile will get this squared away. (Junior Elder, who just got an older Android phone, is laughing at me as his is zipping along fine.)
The voice recognition is pretty nifty, but it requires a consistent Internet connection to work.
As I just discovered, I get zero coverage in the restroom at work, which is very frustrating (that is some of my best surfing time.)
Android Market is pretty good, but not nearly as complete as the Apple Store. for example, I couldn't find any free office automation apps.
The screen is gorgeous, but it attracts fingerprints.
Integration with Google applications (although not Google Apps) is pretty seamless. Google Talk, mail, contact lists and calendar work fine. It will automatically take the pictures from your Google contact list, which is cute. I was able to connect to other email sources, like an Exchange server, after a little playing. Yahoo Mail, for some reason, is not supported, but I downloaded a decent Yahoo browser app that makes it work well online. (I imagine Yahoo Mail Plus will work with POP.)
The battery seems to go low pretty quickly; I probably need to turn off some of the services to extend it. You need to be careful - if you keep Twitter on all the time, for example, that can suck out your battery quickly.
I am not a fan of iTunes, but I didn't like the interface to connect the internal MicroSD card to the computer. You have to "mount" the drive first, which seems silly, and I had problems accessing the files while it was plugged in to USB.
It uses a micro-USB cable, which is a bit of a pain.
The media player is competent but nothing spectacular. It can't play AVI files, for example (neither can the iPod, but I was hoping for better.) On the iPod I can change the size of the video display, but couldn't on the Nexus.
I love the form factor - it is only a little thicker than the iPod Touch and thinner than the iPhone. Don't have a good clip-on case for it, yet.
I still haven't gotten the GPS to pinpoint where I am, let alone get the supposed voice directions to work.
Still looking for a Siddur and the other Jewish texts I had on the iPod.
In short, it is not a bad phone, but not worth the amount I paid for it. Should have waited for the Nexus Two.
I already had an iPod Touch, so that is my main point of comparison.
So far, I think that the iPod has a better interface. Android isn't bad, but I miss multi-touch and sometimes the phone doesn't seem to register that I am touching the screen. The onscreen keyboard is almost as good as Apple's, but I don't seem to be able to type as quickly with it. Google has a much better system for guessing words, though.
I am indeed having the problems that others are complaining about with very spotty 3G coverage and the phone almost always goes to the very slow Edge network instead. I am assuming that Google and T-Mobile will get this squared away. (Junior Elder, who just got an older Android phone, is laughing at me as his is zipping along fine.)
The voice recognition is pretty nifty, but it requires a consistent Internet connection to work.
As I just discovered, I get zero coverage in the restroom at work, which is very frustrating (that is some of my best surfing time.)
Android Market is pretty good, but not nearly as complete as the Apple Store. for example, I couldn't find any free office automation apps.
The screen is gorgeous, but it attracts fingerprints.
Integration with Google applications (although not Google Apps) is pretty seamless. Google Talk, mail, contact lists and calendar work fine. It will automatically take the pictures from your Google contact list, which is cute. I was able to connect to other email sources, like an Exchange server, after a little playing. Yahoo Mail, for some reason, is not supported, but I downloaded a decent Yahoo browser app that makes it work well online. (I imagine Yahoo Mail Plus will work with POP.)
The battery seems to go low pretty quickly; I probably need to turn off some of the services to extend it. You need to be careful - if you keep Twitter on all the time, for example, that can suck out your battery quickly.
I am not a fan of iTunes, but I didn't like the interface to connect the internal MicroSD card to the computer. You have to "mount" the drive first, which seems silly, and I had problems accessing the files while it was plugged in to USB.
It uses a micro-USB cable, which is a bit of a pain.
The media player is competent but nothing spectacular. It can't play AVI files, for example (neither can the iPod, but I was hoping for better.) On the iPod I can change the size of the video display, but couldn't on the Nexus.
I love the form factor - it is only a little thicker than the iPod Touch and thinner than the iPhone. Don't have a good clip-on case for it, yet.
I still haven't gotten the GPS to pinpoint where I am, let alone get the supposed voice directions to work.
Still looking for a Siddur and the other Jewish texts I had on the iPod.
In short, it is not a bad phone, but not worth the amount I paid for it. Should have waited for the Nexus Two.
- Thursday, January 14, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
A Palestinian Arab researcher has written a study showing in stark terms Israel's technological edge over the combined Arab world.
Firas Press (Arabic) reports that Dr. Khalid Said, a Palestinian researcher from the Center for Informatics Research in Arab-American University in the West Bank, wrote a study comparing the scientific research and patents between Israel and all Arab countries.
Some of his findings:
Firas Press (Arabic) reports that Dr. Khalid Said, a Palestinian researcher from the Center for Informatics Research in Arab-American University in the West Bank, wrote a study comparing the scientific research and patents between Israel and all Arab countries.
Some of his findings:
[Research has] confirmed beyond reasonable doubt Israeli superiority in the field of science and technology to all Arab countries. Israeli universities have been centers are advanced at the global level by international classifications, especially the Hebrew University, which ranked 64 in the world, while no mention of any of the universities of the Arab League in the first five hundred.The article says that the number of research papers published between Israel and Arab nations is roughly equal, about 140,000 papers. However, the Israeli research is of a higher quality as judged by the number of times such research is cited by others, 1.7 million times versus Arab research being quoted 600,000 times.
There are nine Israeli scientists that have won Nobel Prizes, while the Arabs won 6 Nobels, three of them for political (not scientific) reasons.
Israel will spend on scientific research twice as much as the entire Arab world. The total amount spent in Israel on non-military scientific research is about 9 billion dollars, according to 2008 data.
Israel is spending 4.7% of its national output on research, and this represents the highest proportion of spending in the world, while Arab countries are spending 0.2% of their national income on research and the Arab States in Asia spend only 0.1% of their GDP on scientific research.
As for patents, the statistics are even more lopsided between the Arabs and Israel. Israel has recorded 16805 patents, while the Arabs as a whole have about 836 patents total, only 5% of the number of patents registered in Israel.
Just in 2008, Israel registered 1166 patents, more than all Arab states have done in history. [Arab nations had 71 patents in 2008. Luxembourg has more patents in history than the combined Arab nations.]
- Thursday, January 14, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
Israel again today allowed shipments of flowers and strawberries from Gaza, which has become a regular occurrence over the past couple of weeks.
One would think that such a loosening of the "siege" would be worth at least one article in a major newspaper or Western website. it represents a significant change in Israeli policy and it shows that Israel is not arbitrarily hurting Gazans; that its goals aren't collective punishment but Israeli security.
Yet the only English language stories that mention the exports are from Ma'an, with a very few mentions from other Arab media. The only non-Arab mention I could find was from Xinhua.
There is a simple reason why the Western press is not eager to cover this story: it is because it contradicts the memes that they have carefully constructed over the years of a heartless Israel collectively and arbitrarily punishing the poor, starving, innocent Gazans.
It directly contradicts the accusations of Goldstone and NGOs like Human Rights Watch that Israel's goals are to hurt Gazan civilians.
Naturally, reporters who have spent so much time constructing their lattice of lies about Israel are not keen on demolishing it by publishing mere facts. In fact, the Guardian never corrected its story that claimed that Israel bans all exports from Gaza even after I emailed them about it with proof.
Is this not a story worth reporting?
One would think that such a loosening of the "siege" would be worth at least one article in a major newspaper or Western website. it represents a significant change in Israeli policy and it shows that Israel is not arbitrarily hurting Gazans; that its goals aren't collective punishment but Israeli security.
Yet the only English language stories that mention the exports are from Ma'an, with a very few mentions from other Arab media. The only non-Arab mention I could find was from Xinhua.
There is a simple reason why the Western press is not eager to cover this story: it is because it contradicts the memes that they have carefully constructed over the years of a heartless Israel collectively and arbitrarily punishing the poor, starving, innocent Gazans.
It directly contradicts the accusations of Goldstone and NGOs like Human Rights Watch that Israel's goals are to hurt Gazan civilians.
Naturally, reporters who have spent so much time constructing their lattice of lies about Israel are not keen on demolishing it by publishing mere facts. In fact, the Guardian never corrected its story that claimed that Israel bans all exports from Gaza even after I emailed them about it with proof.
Is this not a story worth reporting?
- Thursday, January 14, 2010
- Elder of Ziyon
Last week, prominent sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi (who is on the record as supporting suicide terrorism) said that if Mahmoud Abbas can be proven to have instigated Operation Cast Lead as some Arabic reports have charged, he should be publicly stoned to death in Mecca. He clarified that it wasn't a fatwa, but just a call to research the circumstances.
The PA responded strongly, demanding an apology from Qaradawi. The PA also noted that Qaradawi had issued fatwas allowing Hamas to kill Fatah members in Gaza.
Hamas has now, predictably, come out in support of Qaradawi and it has slammed Fatah for instigating a campaign of slander against him.
Last year, Iran slammed Qaradawi for his anti-Shiite statements, calling him a "Zionist." Which just goes to prove that the world really is Zionist, as every Arab seems to have been accused of Zionism at some time.
The PA responded strongly, demanding an apology from Qaradawi. The PA also noted that Qaradawi had issued fatwas allowing Hamas to kill Fatah members in Gaza.
Hamas has now, predictably, come out in support of Qaradawi and it has slammed Fatah for instigating a campaign of slander against him.
Last year, Iran slammed Qaradawi for his anti-Shiite statements, calling him a "Zionist." Which just goes to prove that the world really is Zionist, as every Arab seems to have been accused of Zionism at some time.
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