Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Sometimes, auto-translation fails me

Sorry, but I cannot figure out this autotranslated article:

Translating the Arabic words in the headline individually doesn't help much:

The Fleecing
Of constructive
Erotic
Work

Shahar Peer wins again in Dubai; reaches semi-finals

From Sky Sports:

Israel's Shahar Peer continued her remarkable run at the $2m Dubai Championships with a quarter-final victory over Li Na.

Peer was leading 7-5 3-0 against the world number 10 before the Chinese player retired with a lower-back injury.

Peer is the first Israeli to compete in the United Arab Emirates and has caused a huge security concern for officials following the recent Dubai assassination.

The world number 22 has played each of her four games on the outside courts, which provide easier coverage for security officials, and her semi-final clash is also likely to be played away from the 5,000 seat main arena.

"We have to take it day by day," said tournament referee Alan Mills. "The tournament has said that security is paramount. And it is the security and police who dictate what happens.

"So we will have to wait and see. We have already said - if she gets to the final, where are 5,000 people going to sit? It's something that they have obviously got in hand."

Peer will play the winner of the quarter-final between defending champion Venus Williams and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

AFP adds:

Peer extended her career-best sequence to a victory over Li Na, the world number ten from China, who retired while trailing 5-7, 0-3, increasing the possibility that the Israeli will now be scheduled on to the centre court for the first time.

That might afford less protection for Peer than the secluded, tree-lined, limited access outside court on which she has so far played.

And with the political fall-out from last month's Dubai assassination, and the finger being pointed at Israeli agents, the temptation will be not to take this risk.

At the same time, with Venus Williams a favourite to win her quarter-final against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the same half, there will be pressure for new plans to be considered.

About 5,000 people have bought centre court tickets for semi-finals day expecting to see one of the world's leading players - and Williams, the five times former Wimbledon champion, is the only big name left in the tournament.

Increase in West Bank "honor killings"

Firas Press quotes a women's legal advocacy group as saying that so far this year, 7 women have been murdered in the West Bank with five of them likely to have been killed for reasons of "family honor."

This is interesting, not only because this is a huge increase for the past seven weeks, but also because the Palestinian Arab media I monitor did not mention this many deaths. So far this year I only saw 4 women murdered in the territories; if these numbers are correct it indicates that many murders of women are simply not being reported in the Arab media.

Almost as if it isn't newsworthy.

Egyptians find huge cache of explosives bound for Gaza

Palestine Press Agency reports that Egyptian authorities yesterday uncovered a major cacheof explosives in the Sinai desert.

3.5 tons of explosives were found near the Gaza border, already divided up into 79 bags for easy transport through tunnels to Hamas.

The Egyptians opened up an investigation to find who is responsible on the Egyptian side.

UNRWA trying to create a "Palestine"-in-exile

AFP reports:

Finding a solution to the plight of millions of Palestinian refugees in the Middle East is key to peace in the region, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said in an interview on Thursday.
"UNRWA has no political role, but it does have the moral role of reminding all parties involved and all governments with a say in the peace process that there will be no peace without a fair solution for refugees in line with UN resolutions," the agency's Commissionner General Filippo Grandi told AFP.
"It is tragic that the international community has not yet found a solution to this problem," Grandi, who was appointed to the post in January, said on a visit to Beirut.

Yet, an Arabic report on his speech adds an interesting point. He said that the resettlement of refugees "is not on the table not a topic of debate. The refugees could stay refugees, but with more rights including the right to work legally" in Lebanon.

In other words, the UNRWA is committed to solving the refugee problem - as long as the Arab states that they have lived in for generations have no responsibility for that permanent solution.

As far as UNRWA not having any political role, Grandi is already on the record as saying

One of my key priorities will be to continue to advocate strongly on behalf of the 1.5 million Gazans, and to do so not only until the end of the blockade and the occupation, but also until a just and lasting solution to the plight of the refugees is achieved.

“Despite some recent economic improvements for some, the lives of most Palestinians in the West Bank continue to be made almost impossible by obstacles, walls, movement limitations and other restrictions, and by the expanding threat of settler violence. For those residing in East Jerusalem, as I do, it is cause for daily anguish to watch the situation deteriorate rapidly under our very eyes, especially the ruthless evictions of Palestinians from their homes. UNRWA will continue to stand with the affected families and all of those in need of our protection and will tirelessly lend our voice to their calls for justice.”

This goes way beyond a purely humanitarian mission - this is an almost purely political statement.

UNRWA's more assertive moves away from humanitarian purposes and more into politics can be seen from a recent conference. During an otherwise predictable speech by UNRWA director Michael Kingsley-Nyinah (at an international meeting on "Israel-Palestinian peace" in the island of Malta - a great excuse for many vacations at taxpayer expense) he said something that might signal UNRWA's new direction:

We call for a process that is inclusive in its representation and comprehensive in its coverage of priority issues, including the question of Palestine refugees. We call attention to the fact that under universal refugee protection principles, informed individual choice is the foundation on which durable solutions for refugees are implemented and redress provided, and we maintain that this principle should equally benefit Palestine refugees. Given the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian context, informed choice must be the essence of any effort to sift through and clarify the range of varying Palestinian expectations and rights. With these precepts in view, we support the initiation of arrangements to ascertain and record refugee interests and concerns.

Such arrangements should include mechanisms that will project the refugee perspective into the negotiation arena in a manner that protects and promotes their ability to exercise informed choices. We acknowledge that a process inclusive of the refugee constituency would pose significant challenges. Yet we believe that those challenges are surmountable, provided we remain guided by relevant principles and by the benefits of enhanced legitimacy which an inclusive approach will bring to the negotiation process and to its outcomes.

Those benefits should not be underestimated. The refugees of whom we speak constitute a substantial reservoir of human capital across the Middle East, and they stand poised to contribute significantly to the socio-economic viability of the region and of a Palestinian State. Those registered with UNRWA are currently around 4.7 million strong, with an additional four to six million estimated to reside in the Palestinian Diaspora. Given their numbers and human development potential, Palestine refugees are a formidable constituency for peace with a substantial stake in the Israeli-Palestinian future. Excluding the refugee voice disenfranchises the refugee constituency, which means we forego a wealth of insights and risk the credibility and sustainability of the peace process.

Palestine refugees – their human rights, their aspirations and their concerns – are bound to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in complex and profound ways that place them in a position to influence the realization of durable solutions. The Palestine refugee presence is a stark reality, a reality whose significance and power genuine peacemaking efforts can no longer afford to ignore. Recognizing and harnessing the refugee constituency is a necessity that is consistent with principle, and which could also pay handsome dividends to the credibility and efficacy of the search for peace.

For over sixty-years, Palestine refugees have endured the indignities and insecurities of exile in an environment often steeped in instability and conflict. As an international community, we often proclaim our commitment to address their anguish and to resolve their plight, and we profess allegiance to the UN Charter objective of settling disputes by peaceful means “…in conformity with the principles of justice and international law”.

Distinguished colleagues:

If we are serious about these solemn commitments, and truly devoted to the cause of peace, then the least we can do is to give refugee issues prominence in the peace process, and afford Palestine refugees the dignity of being heard.

This means that UNRWA wants to create a quasi-Palestinian Arab political entity that would represent the PalArab "diaspora" during any negotiations with Israel. It is clear that the PA has no interest in helping out the "refugees" in Lebanon or Syria, and no one is advocating for them. UNRWA seems to be saying that a new PalArab "refugee" organization should be created and treated as an entire country in exile for the purposes of pressuring Israel further.

UNRWA seems to have already pre-judged what Palestinian Arabs in the camps want:

The refugees and host communities share an implicit understanding that the sojourn of Palestine refugees is temporary – and that this transient state is unchanged by the lengthy duration of their exile. As a corollary, “refugee consciousness” is strong among Palestinians, including the younger generation. The passing years have left intact a sense of injustice, a demand for acknowledgement and a desire for their travail to be justly resolved. Across the Middle East, Palestine refugees define themselves (and are defined by others) by reference to the historical experience of exile.

The irony is that the same system that Kingsley-Nyinah is advocating - of actually asking Arabs with Palestinian ancestry what they want - could be used to help resettle millions of them in Gulf states or other Arab nations, which could actually use their formidable human capital that he speaks of.

Unfortunately, this solution is not likely what UNRWA is planning to do. UNRWA's decision not to seek and push for permanent resettlement in Arab countries proves that UNRWA has no interest in actually advocating for the human rights of these stateless pawns. Instead, UNRWA is trying to do exactly what Arab states have done since 1948 - use the artificially-created third generation of fake "refugees" for purely political purposes and not try to find a real solution for them as individuals.

Hamas infighting?

The anti-Hamas Palestine Press Agency is claiming that a Hamas leader was poisoned by other Hamas leaders, and is close to death.

The agency reports that Assif Kahil is in Shifa Hospital in a state of clinical death from poisoning. According to the report, senior Al Qassam Brigades leaders - including Ahmed Al-Jabari and Ahmed Al-Ghandour - visited Kahil's house on Sunday night and then Kahil was rushed to the Shifa Hospital on Monday. Apparently, he was involved in a financial dispute and disagreements over weapons transactions.

Did Egypt flip a Hamas terrorist?

Back in 2007, there was outrage that Egypt had released a Hamas terrorist wanted by both the PA and Israel. The Jerusalem Post reported then (no longer online, recovered here):

The Egyptian authorities have released a top Hamas operative wanted by the Palestinian Authority and Israel for his involvement in terror attacks over the past few years, PA officials told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

The officials expressed outrage over the release of Nahro Massoud - one of the commanders of Hamas's armed wing, Izzadin Kassam - who fled to Egypt more than a year ago. At the request of the PA, Massoud and several other Hamas fugitives were arrested by the Egyptian security forces and held without trial.

At this time, Nahro Massoud is under arrest in Syria for suspicion of helping finger Mahmoud Mabhouh for assassination.

A key security operative of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas was under arrest in Syria tonight on suspicion of having helped an alleged Israeli hit squad identify Mahmoud al-Mabhouh before he was assassinated in Dubai, the Guardian has learned.

Palestinian sources in the Gulf confirmed Nahro Massoud, a Hamas security official, was in detention and under interrogation in Damascus in connection with the 19 January killing, which is now widely assumed to have been mounted by Israel's Mossad secret intelligence service.

Massoud's name first surfaced in the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Siyasah which quoted "a well-informed source" in Dubai as saying he had been with Mabhouh until he was killed, raising questions about his involvement.
"Hamas suspects that he [Massoud] passed on the information that led to Mabhouh's killing," a senior Palestinian source told Israel's Ma'ariv newspaper.

So did Egypt - or Israel - work on getting Massoud to be a collaborator, and then release him to help with plots like this one?

The story gets better every day.

Iran training Hamas in Sudan?

A Sudanese news website is saying that Iran's Revolutionary Guards are training Hamas members in the Sudan.

A new report prepared by [the security device west?] claims that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is training members of the Hamas movement to fire ground-to-ground rockets in the Sudan.

The report adds that the first session focused on the preparation of 14 members of Hamas, who had arrived in Sudan from the Gaza Strip early last December. Some of the graduates returned to the Gaza Strip through tunnels to form the spearhead as leaders and trainers in the cells of the rocket fire. These training sessions are confidential, as a very limited number of employees of the Sudanese armed forces areaware of their existence. And the [Iranian] Quds Force has allocated a budget amounted to $170,000 to cover the costs of the courses in the Sudan, has also allocated a monthly stipend of $300 payable to trainees Hamas while they are in the Sudan.

It will be recalled that last year, a large weapons convoy was bombed in the Sudan near the Egyptian border, with weapons that are presumed to have been meant for Gaza.

What a surprise: Hamas vows revenge for Mabhouh

Hamas' Al Qassam Martyrs Brigades website has a statement where Hamas is swearing revenge for the presumed Israeli assassination of Mahmoud Mabhouh in Dubai.

The Brigades of the Martyr Izz el-Deen al-Qassam, military wing of Islamic Resistance Movement of Hamas, confirmed the decision to respond with revenge for the martyrs and the great leader Mahmoud Mabhouh has been made, God willing. We are guardians of the blood, our retribution is coming, and your mission is to live in panic and terror and we will keep you obsessed with fear.

The Qassam Brigades will determine the appropriate mechanism for implementation of our vengeance. We will not tell you how and where and when you will receive our fire of anger, and our masterly performance will be in the time and place of our choosing.

We are very aware of what we say, we do not speak empty words or gestures, but the words are a reflection of what will come. today you hear our words, and tomorrow you will see a fire and bullets and acts of reality, so long as you you take the path of treachery, murder and criminality.

I do not understand why you return throughout history to respond with the assassinations of al-Qassam Brigades leaders and the leaders of our people and Mujahideen. ...[the statement goes through the history of Israeli directed killings of major Hamas leaders, saying that Hamas always came back more powerful and with more innovative methods of killing than before.]

This is less than half the statement, which you have to admire for its almost poetic language of death and terror. In Arabic, they are not shy at all about making threats. You won't find this in the English-language Qassam website, meant more for Western eyes.

My Mamilla discovery gets some traction

The Palestine Post article I found on Sunday that showed that the Supreme Moslem Council in Jerusalem planned to build a business center - and its own new headquarters - on top of the Mamilla Cemetery in 1945 has been getting some play.

The Jerusalem Post wrote an article about it, linking back to my find.

JTA quotes the Wiesenthal Center's reaction to the find, as well as Jerusalem Dispatch.

Missing so far is any reaction from the crowd of shrill people who were writing op-eds worldwide about how holy the site is. I imagine that they will soon claim that the Palestine Post lied in 1945 - even though it was against the proposed building complex.

Saudi Vice Squad employee gets busted

From Al Arabiya:

A Saudi court has sentenced an employee of the kingdom's religious police to 120 lashes for marrying six women.
The man said he was not educated enough to know that Islam does not allow men to marry more than four women at any one time, said an official at Ahad al-Massarha court in the southern province of Jazan.

"The judge did not believe him. Nobody believed him. I honestly did not," the official told Reuters.
The court banned the man from standing as a preacher and leading prayers, ordered him not to travel abroad for a five-year period and to memorize two chapters from the Koran.

The accused, in his fifties, is not a member of the Saudi Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice's morals squad but holds an administrative position there, the official said.

Who knew the Muttawa had an Internal Affairs unit?

Egyptian professor in trouble for putting Israel on a map

A geography professor at Helwan University in Egypt recently lectured about agriculture and crops in the Middle East, and referred to Israel as a country. Her map mentioned Israel and not "Palestine."

Naturally, the students were aghast. They complained to her about it - after all, as a geography professor, she should be committed to propaganda rather than facts. She answered them that when she said Israel, she meant Israel, which is a nation that is recognized by the whole world, and to rename it Palestine is a delusion.

So, the students went up the chain of command, to the university president. They also started a Facebook campaign against the professor, and have held meetings stressing that such maps should never say "Israel" as this is a form of normalization with a state that they have officially been at peace with for over thirty years.

(corrected "him" to "her", h/t Suzanne, and more information here.)