Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Monday, October 11, 2010

Fermale Al Azhar students protest full-body searches

Interesting story in Egypt's Al Masry al-Youm:

Female students at Al-Azhar University in the Nile Delta city of Zagazig on Sunday staged a sit-in on campus, claiming they had been assaulted by campus security after refusing to submit to body searches.

Police eventually dispersed the protesters, arresting ten male students that had been supporting their female colleagues.

According to one protester, female students were beaten by campus police after they asked to be searched by female security personnel.

Another student said protesters had been dispersed with fire hoses, claiming that ambulances had been prevented from aiding students injured in the melee. Only one student, reportedly suffering from internal bleeding, was allowed to be taken to hospital, the student said.

Nevertheless, female students have continued to demonstrate off campus, calling for the dismissal of University Dean Abdel Aziz Gibril for allowing the violations. They have also called on Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb to protect them from alleged security excesses.

According to one anonymous security source, students pelted security personnel with stones, injuring two men.

Sounds like a human rights issue. Yet there is no mention about these protests outside the Egyptian media.

Will Zionist expansionism never end?

From Iran's PressTV:

Iran's Ambassador to Armenia Ali Saqa'ian says Israel is creeping into the South Caucasus region and putting the safety of the entire region in jeopardy.

"The Zionist regime [of Israel] is covertly infiltrating into the South Caucasus region, posing a serious threat to regional security," Saqa'ian said on Sunday.

"This is an extremely important region, and this is why Western powers, the US, and even the Israeli regime have an eye on it," he was quoted by Mehr News Agency as saying.

I wonder if these Zionists are stealing land, or buying it?

Fears increase over Hezbollah designs for a Lebanon coup

Khaled Abu Toameh wrote last week:

Hizbullah and Iran now have a common interest in escalating tensions in the Middle East: Hizbullah, with the help of Iran, may be planning to stage a coup in Lebanon to cover up and divert attention from its role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

.Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's plan to visit Lebanon in the coming weeks should be seen in the context of Hizbullah's plot to take over the country. Some Lebanese have gone as far as condemning the visit as a "provocation," noting that it would also raise tensions between Lebanon and Israel because of Ahmadinejad's plan to tour the border between the two countries.

The UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon is about to publish the results of its investigation into the killing of the former prime minister. According to reliable sources, the report is expected to hold Hizbullah responsible for the assassination.

Now that its true face is about to be unmasked, Hizbullah is of course panicking and searching for ways to get out of the sinkhole.

Hizbullah's rhetoric and actions in recent weeks suggest that the Shiite organization is up to no good....

"Hizbullah does not acknowledge the Lebanese state as sovereign," said Michael Young, an opinion editor at Beirut's The Daily Star and author of "The Ghosts of Martryrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon's Life Struggle."

Young pointed out that Hizbullah had already staged something similar to a coup two years ago. "The armed takeover of Beirut in May 2008 confirmed that Hizbullah would fire on its fellow citizens and regarded state authority and the rule of law as thin veneers to be swept away when necessary," he said.

Ahmadenijad would of course welcome the opportunity to export the "Islamic Revolution" to Lebanon. Instability in the region would divert attention from his nuclear ambitions and allow him to fulfill his dream of wiping Israel off the map.

A victory for Iran and Hizbullah in Lebanon would also be a victory for Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic Jihad -- and Al-Qaeda.

We've mentioned a number of troubling stories in recent weeks in Lebanon, many of which Toameh details as well.

Ya Libnan quotes a Kuwaiti newspaper that echoes these concerns, and even puts on a date:

As soon as the Iranian president Mahmouad Ahmadinejad leaves the country Hezbollah is reportedly planning to oust the state and the government institutions.

“October 16 would be the start of the scheme of ousting the State and the government through creating discord and security tensions in areas that are apt to stir (sectarian) sensitivities, such as the Beirut area of Tariq al-Jdideh or the city of Tripoli, ” Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai reportedly quoted its diplomatic sources as saying.

Ahmadinejad will be arriving on October 13 on a 2-day official visit to Lebanon.

Arab diplomatic sources have reportedly warned against a deterioration of the security situation in Lebanon, saying “armed de facto forces may try to impose their political agenda by force.”

The sources added that “the Arab, regional and western countries following up on the Lebanese situation” have been directly and indirectly informed that Hezbollah and its allies “will not agree to any political settlement that contradicts with their goal of overthrowing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) .”

“They would implement their agenda of changing the regime in case they failed in overthrowing the tribunal,” the sources warned.

On Saturday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a denial of any plans for a coup - but that denial was also implicitly a threat. In his words:

[W]e must not run away and say that Hezbollah, Iran, and Syria want to implement a coup - this is vacuous talk, since we are not thinking about that. If we wanted to take over, we would have done it in 2005, but we do not want that and did not do it. Likewise, we would have taken over the country in 15 August 2006 if we had wanted that. So this talk has no basis- stop it, and do not go into side matters. Return to the foundational issue.”

The subtext is that Hezbollah can take over the country whenever it wants, so the rest of the country must toe Hezbollah's line - or else.

(h/t Samson for Toameh link.)

Gaza humor

Al Arabiya in Arabic has an article about the jokes that Gazans tell each other, to get an idea of how they think and what the political atmosphere is.

Thanks to Ali, I got them translated. (Auto-translslation rarely works for humor!)

The humor from the first set of jokes come from the fact that they are, in many ways, true.

1) Netanyahu has surgery in his foot in August. Various Palestinian factions declare responsibility. (This one reminds me of a very old Dry Bones, where a terrorist reads a newspaper about a gas explosion in Israel killing some kids, and asks his secretary to call the newspapers and claim responsibility, saying that terrorists must keep up on the news.)

2) Hamas forced students to repeat final exams in the Strip. The reason? 8 of the top 10 scores were from Fatah members and only 2 were from Hamas.

3) "Capture an Israeli soldier and receive a free Hummer! Offer valid until Israeli jails are emptied" (presumably from prisoner swaps.)

4) An Israeli soldier tried to search a woman. She told him, "Get out of my face or I'll make sure you are in the headlines."

The bulk of the recent jokes, however, are about the electricity shortages in Gaza:

5) Benefits of electric outages include:
* Helps students get to bed early.
* Allows for romantic time with your wife under candlelight.
* The frequent deaths because of fires and generators exploding increase the chance of men getting invited to funerals and houses of consolation, where they could receive free meals.

6) The Gaza electric company has been renamed. The new name is the "Sabotage of Electricity Company."

7) Advertisement from electric company: "We give you a good excuse for not accepting guests into your house: just say that 'We are saving our candles for birthday parties only.' "

8) Another ad from electric company: "Are you worried about your husband staying out too late? We insure he comes home early by cutting off the electricity on places where he could be hanging out with his friends!"

9) Another ad: "We cut off the electricity, so you can enjoy the great outdoors!"

10) Another ad: "We protect women's rights by ensuring that she receives her dowry, her ring, and her generator."

Washington Post pulls cartoon WITHOUT Mohammed

Last Sunday, the Washington Post refused to publish the following cartoon:

The catch is - Mohammed is not depicted in the picture at all.

Yet, the Washington Post and other newspapers refused to run the cartoon, out of the potential that some Muslims somewhere might be offended.

The WaPo's ombudsman writes:

[Cartoonist Wiley] Miller is fuming. The award-winning cartoonist, who lives in Maine, told me the cartoon was meant to satirize "the insanity of an entire group of people rioting and putting out a hit list over cartoons," as well as "media cowering in fear of printing any cartoon that contains the word 'Muhammad.' "

"The wonderful irony [is that] great newspapers like The Washington Post, that took on Nixon . . . run in fear of this very tame cartoon, thus validating the accuracy of the satire," he said by e-mail.

...Yes, Miller was trying to be provocative. But "Non Sequitur" followers expect that. And there's a difference between provoking anger and provoking readers to think.

Surely some may be displeased by "Where's Muhammad?" But unlike with the Danish cartoons, it's hard to imagine it would incite protests. Miller intentionally did not depict Muhammad, and the cartoon is not a blasphemous attack on the prophet. If anything, it's a powerful and witty endorsement of freedom of expression.

Post editors believe their decision was prudent, given the past cartoon controversies and heightened sensitivities surrounding Islam. But it also can be seen as timid. And it sets an awfully low threshold for decisions on whether to withhold words or images that might offend.

"Timid" is way understated. "Utterly dhimmified" comes a bit closer. At least the WaPo ombudsman gets it.

(h/t Jawa Report)

Palestinian Authority TV quiz show: Israeli cities are "Palestinian"

From Palestinian Media Watch:

The following are transcripts from this PA TV program,The Cedar and the Olive Tree,whose purpose was to reinforce the message that the Palestinian Authority does not recognize the legitimacy and jurisdiction of Israel anywhere. PMW is citing a number of examples from the program, including messages that recur, to demonstrate the use of repetition as one method of political indoctrination used by the Palestinian Authority and PA TV.

PA TV is under the direct control of the office of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

The following are transcripts from different days:

Host: "Name five cities in Palestine and we'll give you a prize."
Teenage Girl: "Haifa, Acre, Ramallah, Jaffa, and Jerusalem."
[Note: Haifa, Acre, Jaffa and Jerusalem are cities in Israel. The girl was rewarded $100 for correct answer.]

Host: "Can you name five cities in Palestine?"
Woman: "I'm here for a visit; I don't know."
Host: "You don't know five cities in Palestine?"
Woman: "No."
Host: "You mean you haven't heard of Jerusalem?"
Woman: "I've heard of Jerusalem."
Host: "But not Gaza? Ramallah?"
Woman: "And also occupied Palestine."
Host: "Palestine is completely occupied, and we want it liberated. Say the names after me: Jerusalem, Gaza, Ramallah, Haifa, Jaffa, Bethlehem."
[Note: Jerusalem, Haifa, and Jaffa are cities in Israel. The woman was handed $100 for correct answers.]

Host: "Haifa is a Palestinian city; can you name other Palestinian cities?"
Man: "Haifa, Jaffa, Acre, Nazareth, Gaza, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem."
[Note: Haifa, Jaffa, Acre are cities in Israel. Other residents gave similar answers and received $100 for correct answers.]

[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 12, 2010]

Host: "I want you to name five Palestinian cities."
Woman: "Ramallah, Jerusalem, Haifa, Acre, Gaza."
Host: "I want you to name five Palestinian cities that you've visited."
Woman: "Nahariya, Acre, Jenin, Gaza."
[Note: Jerusalem, Nahariya, Haifa and Acre are cities in Israel. Other residents gave similar answers and received $100 for correct answers.]

[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 13, 2010]

Host: "Can you tell me which countries share a border with Palestine?"
Man: "In the north - Lebanon and Syria; in the east - Jordan; in the west - the Mediterranean; in the south - Egypt and the Sinai."
[Israel was not cited as a bordering country, yet it was the "correct" answer and he was awarded $100.]

Host: "Can you name four Palestinian cities?"
Woman: "Acre, Haifa, Jaffa, Nablus, Ramallah."
[Note: Acre, Haifa and Jaffa are cities in Israel. The woman received $100 for correct answer.]
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 16, 2010]

Host: "Which countries share borders with Palestine?"
Man: "Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt."
[Note: Israel was not cited as a bordering country yet the host rewarded him with the $100.]
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 18, 2010]

Host: "Name three Palestinian cities."
Woman 1: "Haifa, Jaffa, Acre." [Note: all are cities in Israel.]
Host: "Which countries surround Palestine?"
Woman 2: "Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt."
[Note: Israel was not cited as a bordering country. Both received $100 for "correct answers.]
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 18, 2010]

Host: "Which countries share borders with Palestine?"
Man: "Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Syria."
[Note: Israel was not cited as a bordering country yet the host rewarded him with the $100.]
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 22, 2010

On Aug. 20, six different people were asked to define five cities in Palestine.
Their answers were:
1. Acre, Jaffa, Hafia, Gaza, Ramallah
2. Gaza, Jericho, Haifa, Jaffa, Acre
3. Acre, Haifa, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jenin
4. Acre, Haifa, Jaffa, El-Bireh, Nablus
5. Jaffa, Haifa, Acre, Jerusalem, Bethlehem,
6. Acre, Haifa, Lod, Nazareth, Ramallah
[Note: The respondents received $100 each for portraying Israeli cities Haifa, Jaffa, Lod, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Acre as Palestinian cities.]

[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 20, 2010]

Host: "Can you name five Palestinian cities?"
Woman: "Haifa, Jaffa, Acre."
[Note: Haifa, Jaffa and Acre are cities in Israel. The respondent received the $100 cash prize.]

[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 23, 2010]

Host: "Do you know which countries share borders with Palestine?"
Woman: "Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Mediterranean."
[Note: Israel was not cited as a bordering country yet the host rewarded her with the $100.]

Host: "Can you name three cities on the Palestinian coast?"
Woman: "Acre, Haifa, Jaffa."
[Note: All are cities on Israel's coast. In all cases, the respondents received $100 for "correctly" defining Israeli cities as Palestinian cities.]

[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 30, 2010]

Those evil settlers and their Zionist chemicals!

From the Hamas-oriented Palestine-Info (UK) site:

Zionist settlers destroyed tens of fruitful olive trees in Al-Mughir town, northeast of Ramallah, on Friday after spraying them with a chemical material.

Local sources said that the settlers spoiled 55 olive trees using a white chemical material unknown to locals, adding that the material dries the trees and slowly kills them.

They noted that farmers could not reach the area, which is adjacent to a Zionist settlement, fearing attacks by those settlers.

In another location, Zionist settlers attacked tents pitched by shepherds in the Jordan Valley and damaged drinking water ponds for cattle, witnesses reported.

They noted that the settlers infiltrated into the area under the cover of darkness on Friday night, adding that shepherds were not present at time of the attack.

So these religious settlers attacked on Friday night? And somehow damaged a water pond? (How does one do that, exactly?)

And, better yet, they sprayed an unknown chemical that slowly destroys olive trees - and the trees are already destroyed?

This steaming pile of garbage was, unsurprisingly, immediately picked up by Iran's ABNA news agency. And no doubt believed as absolute truth by the many who reflexively believe the most ridiculous anti-Israel stories without the slightest capacity for critical thought.

WSJ on Mabhouh investigation

It is worth reading the WSJ on how the trail to Mabhouh's killers has grown cold, as well as Haaretz' coverage.

Crazy Water Park re-opens

The Crazy Water Park in Gaza, which was torched last month, has re-opened.

But the lessons of the torching have not been lost on Gaza's upscale cafes and resorts.

An article in Elaph talks about Hamas' ban of women smoking hookahs in Gaza. Restaurants are enforcing that law against single women (apparently, women in restaurants with their families are allowed to smoke.) The restaurant owners are explicitly saying that they saw what happened to the Crazy Water Park, which irritated the Hamas theocrats and did allow women to smoke, and they do not want to have the same thing happen to them.

The good news, of course, is that the poor, suffering, starving, imprisoned Gazans - who are smuggling food out of Gaza to Egypt - now can relax and enjoy themselves again at a nice looking water resort.

Some notes on the staged rock throwing of Silwan

A few follow-ups on the video and photographs of the events at Silwan on Friday.

The photographs of the incident that do not show the entire context have been reproduced all over the place. I have yet to see any of the media mention that the stone-throwers smashed the rear windshield of the car with their peacful protest pebbles. In fact, from the video one can see that out of all the photographers that were there, only the videographer took footage of the car afterwards showing the damage; the rest rushed to the kid. (Most of the media showing the video do not bother to show that part of the footage either; Al Jazeera is the best example but even Fox only showed it momentarily after showing the kid being hit three different times.)

The driver was swerving to avoid a different stone-thrower. In other words, he had a car behind him and two kids in front of him; if he would have stopped he would have been in mortal danger.

The kid who was hit, Amran Mansur, recalls the incident in a way that is completely at odds with what we could see:

"I had just left the Friday prayers at the neighborhood's protest tent when I saw a car speeding towards me," remembers Amran Mansur, 11, who was ran over by David Be'eri, chairman of the Elad Association promoting Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem.

Amran was released from the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem early on Saturday. "I couldn’t run away in time, I didn't even have time to signal him with my hands," he says. "It was clear he did it on purpose. I was on the sidewalk, so there's no chance it wasn't deliberate."

Palestinian Arab kids learn how to lie to the media early. Of course, there was the earlier footage showing Mansur about to throw a stone at a different car, so he was at the scene for at least some time; he was running full-speed towards the car, not away, and he was in the middle of the street, not the sidewalk.

There were about six or seven journalists at the scene, possibly more than the number of stone throwers. It is hard to imagine that this event was not at least partially staged by them.

And while the journalists keep a "professional" distance from kids endangering the lives of Israeli motorists, they rush to help out the injured kid. Well, sort of. If he had been badly injured - say, neck or back injuries - their manhandling of him and forcing him into the car could have paralyzed him.

Someone should interview the photographers on the scene and ask them straight out: why were you so conveniently at that intersection at that time? Were the kids throwing stones because you were there? Did anyone tell them where to go or how to act? What news agencies were represented? Where is the rest of the footage between the first part and the second? How long were the boys there? How many other cars were stoned?

Even though this is a perfect example of a photograph not telling the truth, you just know that they are thinking Pulitzer and not the consequences of their actions.

UPDATE: See Media Backspin on why this looks like a set-up, from the perspective of a news photographer.

The dismantled Al Aqsa Brigades didn't get the memo

Yet again, the supposedly dismantled, Fatah-associated Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have shown up:

Fatah's armed wing the Al-Aqsa Brigades said Friday that their response to the killings of two Palestinians in Hebron was "only a matter of time."

In a statement, the Al-Aqsa Brigades cited the men as "friends" of the armed wing of Fatah, and said the two groups had participated in joint missions in the West Bank during the Second Intifada.

Where does the Al Aqsa Brigades get its funding from, if not from the "moderate" Fatah that supposedly dismantled it years ago?

Islamic Jihad leader in hospital for hunger strike against PA

An Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank was arrested on September 29th. He then started a hunger strike to protest his arrest. He claims that the PA tortured him.

He just entered a hospital because his condition was deteriorating.

This story is nearly nonexistent in the non-Arab media.