Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

10/13 Links Pt2: Code Pink BDSer also leads pro-settler, pro-occupation group; Obama Has Given Up

From Ian:

Eugene Kontorovich: Notable Israel boycott activist also leads pro-settler, pro-occupation group

Code Pink is a prominent far-left group that is heavily focused on anti-Israel activities, and promoting boycotts in particular. One of its major campaigns calls for boycotts of Ahava beauty products on the grounds that they support “illegal Israel settlement” in the West Bank (a contention rejected by the United Kingdom Supreme Court last year).
But the mastermind of the boycott campaign, Code Pink member Nancy Kricorian, is also a leader of a pro-settler charity, as the Kohelet Policy Forum, a think thank with which I am associated, has discovered. Will Code Pink, the Electronic Intifada and other self-righteous “anti-occupation” groups sever their ties with Kricorian as a result? Someone should ask them, but I would not hold my breath.
The Armenia Tree Project, on whose executive committee Kricorian sits, promotes Armenian control of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area taken from Azerbaijan in a war in the early 1990s, which resulted in the flight of tens of thousands (or more) of Azeri refugees. Armenia has actively encouraged Armenians to move to the area, actions bitterly condemned by Baku. Indeed, the territory remains the site of occasional shootouts between the two sides.
The Armenia Tree Project supports various projects in the occupied territory (which they called Artsakh, the traditional Armenian name for the area, akin to Judea and Samaria).

Leading Anti-Israel Activist Supports Illegal Occupation Of Nagorno-Karabakh

A national staff member of the activist group Code Pink, which protests Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, is active in a group that promotes Armenia’s occupation of a region of Azerbaijan.
Nancy Kricorian is a leading proponent of boycotting Israel, especially products made by Ahava Cosmetics, calling them products of “illegal Israeli settlement.” Her husband, Oscar-nominated screenwriter and producer James Schamus, is on the board of directors of the organization Jewish Voices for Peace, which also promotes boycotts of Israel due to its settlement policy. But Kricorian is also on the executive committee of the Armenian Tree Project (ATP), a group that promotes the settlement of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was illegally seized by Armenia from Azerbaijan in a war in the early 1990s.
According to ATP’s website, its work “throughout Armenia and Karabagh is incredibly important. Armenia faces environmental and demographic threats.” To combat these threats, ATP has provided agricultural training to Syrian-Armenians seeking to settle in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.
In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 62/243, which reaffirmed “that no State shall recognize as lawful the situation resulting from the occupation of the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, nor render aid or assistance in maintaining this situation.”

Douglas Murray: The "Islamic Inquisition" and the Blasphemy Police

It took only ten years for most people across the West to learn about Islamic blasphemy -- and in the end to abide by it. Today there might be thousands of people willing to publish cartoons of Mohammed on their Twitter accounts, but most of them hide behind aliases and complain about the cowardice of others.
A few days before the Mohammed cartoons' anniversary, Mark Steyn, Henryk Broder and the Norwegian editor Vebjoern Selbekk addressed a conference in Denmark to commemorate the anniversary of the cartoons. It was held in the Danish Parliament, the only building there now deemed safe enough to withstand the now-traditional attack from the Islamic Blasphemy Police. Anticipating a terrorist attack, the UK Foreign Office and U.S. State Departments both warned their citizens to stay away from the area of the Parliament building that day. The restaurant in which we were meant to be having dinner cancelled the booking; they realized, when police and security officers scouted out the building in advance, who the guests might be.
Ten years ago, you could publish depictions of Mohammed in a Danish newspaper. Ten years later, it is hard for anyone who has been connected with such an act to find a restaurant in Copenhagen that will serve them dinner.
It is not just artists and writers who have learned the lesson; it is everyone -- from newspaper conglomerates to the people who serve food in restaurants. Our societies like to think that terrorism and intimidation do not work. They do -- or can -- but only if we let them. Over the last ten years, a couple of brief eruptions of sanctimonious point-missing aside, it turned out to be fear -- not Mohammed cartoons -- that went viral.
Freedom, however, was never defended by more than a handful of people. Most prefer their comforts and a quiet life to anything that looks like a fight. But there are still more than a few good people across the world, and more than a handful of them in Scandinavia. If, in previous conflicts, one looked to pilots or statesman to lead the way, in this war against the new "Islamic Inquisition," it is journalists, cartoonists, writers and artists who find themselves on the front lines and who need to lead. Some of them might be surprised to be in this position. They should not be. Freedom of expression and thought have always had vicious enemies. But the truth has always seen them off, and shall do again.

Jeremiah Wright Made a 30-Pieces-Of-Silver Sale

As a Black African advocate for Zionism, I often come face to face with the childish ad hominem “you are a coon/uncle tom/sell-out” or “how much is Mossad paying you”? Before, I used to get the former mostly from other Black people and the latter from mostly Asian Muslims. Now, recently, even White anti-Zionists are quite comfortable throwing such racist pejoratives at me. Anti-Zionism married itself with “the Black Struggle”, but few of us actually got the memo. We just woke up one day and found that if you are Black and you support the State of Israel as the Jewish homeland and believe in fostering greater ties between it and Black people all over the world, then that is tantamount to betraying the Black Struggle.
I thought about this as I watched a video clip from the recent Million Man March, in which Jeremiah Wright, retired Pastor Emeritus of the Trinity United Church of Christ, told his audience that “Please remember, Jesus was a Palestinian“. I could not help noticing that as Rev. Wright spoke these words, a Muslim woman took position behind him. I was to learn that she is called Linda Sarsour. Now, I am not suggesting that she was handling him as the term would be understood by a conspiracy-theory buff. However, it is what the retired pastor was saying that got me thinking: Who is the puppet now? Who is speaking for another?
Well, how else would you rationalise an instance where a pastor of 36 years departs from the accepted teachings of his faith, and repeats with a straight face the preposterous declaration that Jesus was a Palestinian while a non-Christian activist nods approvingly behind him?
I am hoping no one would ever want to rationalise this display. I am hoping, however, that other Black Christian leaders, especially in the United States, realise that they cannot continue to be part of a Silent Majority while such fundamental teachings of their faith are sold to causes that have no respect for Christianity or issues affecting Black people. I can accept that some Black Christians will support the Palestinian cause, for whatever reason. But to distort their own beliefs in order to do so, and appear in public as if at the behest of a Muslim woman, grabs any hold of any straws they may be clutching in order to back this position, and dips them in something nasty.

Albawaba reports that Jews are secretly touring Jordan in order to steal the country.

Locals in the ancient city of Petra in the Ma'an governate, say that there are increasing numbers of frequency of Israeli tourists to the area; where they are tampering with the archaeological and historical places and faking them to prove that Jews were there.

Journalist Joseph Ataiwreh reported on an "outbreak of the strong protests in the city recently, in rejection of the presence of Israeli tourists in archaeological sites."

Ataiwreh said in an interview for "Arabic 21": "Yes, Israeli tourists come to Ma'an, and are engaged in suspicious activities, and staying long days between the mountains and valleys and rugged places, under the pretext of living a nomadic life. "

Ataiwreh added that "the fear of the population is that these Israelis are burying forged Jewish manuscripts and coins in the area, and will then claim that they have a history and a presence, and thus begin to claim the land."

Another writer, Fayez Da'jah, says "the south of the kingdom is exposed to Judaization aimed at tampering with archaeological and historical places, and rigged to prove the existence of Jewish assets...."Aaron's Tomb in Petra is the most targeted area for this campaign, prompting the responsible authorities place it under permanent guard around the clock."

"Jewish activities are surrounded by a ring of secrecy and anonymity and the gathering of information by dealing with events and incidents over the past years confirm that the first wave [of Jews] consists each time of a few officers from the army, and the completion of their mission is a condition for the completion of passing their daunting training course held in Israeli military centers, " he explained.

"The second wave is of student scholars from Israeli universities and history who come to Wadi bin Hammad to complete a course of study under the supervision of specialist professors, and the two groups hide in civilian clothes, carrying fake passports and entering the country on foot under the cover of tourism without prior approvals. They around for several days in specific remote and rugged locations, with backpacks and maps and GPS devices and ropes to climb, water and food, and perhaps light bedding.

"They infiltrate the targeted areas surreptitiously and destroy archaeological sites or add new writings and fake buried artifacts and steal existing ones."

Jordanian officials are checking the rumors out, saying that the ost recent group held American passports but they saw some of them praying.

Of course, ancient Israel did include parts of today's Jordan.

“We know no spectacle so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodical fits of morality,” famously observed the nineteenth-century British historian and politician Lord Macaulay. These days, there is surely no spectacle more ridiculous than swarms of hard-core leftists across the Western world declaring their revulsion at “Islamophobia” and branding as “Fascists” or "Nazis" those worried about the spread of – er – Islamofascism. We’ve seen plenty of the latter type of ridiculosity here in Australia over recent days, in the wake of the latest jihadist atrocity to take place in this land.

Runners-up in the Aussie “ridiculous spectacle” stakes this week are the representatives of eleven leftist Jewish organisations: Aleph Melbourne; Ameinu Australia; Australian Reform Zionist Association; Habonim Dror Australia; Hashomer Hatzair Australia; Hineni Australia; Keshet Australia; Netzer Australia; New Israel Fund Australia; Progressive Judaism Victoria; and Melbourne’s Shira Hadasha Synagogue.

These have taken it upon themselves to fulminate about the forthcoming visit to Australia of the controversial Israeli political figure Moshe Feiglin, scion of a family well-known in the annals of Australian Jewry. He has been invited to address the Melbourne-based Beis Chabad Ohel Deborah. But instead of expressing their misgivings privately, much less waiting to learn precisely what Feiglin has to say before rushing to judgment, these eleven organisations have taken it upon themselves to stir the pot and court maximum publicity for themselves (and the Israel-demonising cause) by co-issuing a press release condemning the decision to invite him.

“Moshe Feiglin’s views on women, homosexuality and Palestinian citizens of Israel are inconsistent with Jewish values,” these eleven organisations thunder. “They have no place in a modern democracy such as Israel that was established on the principle of respecting the human rights of all its minorities.”

(Observes a prominent rabbi: “Let him speak in Australia and the community can respond. Australia is a robust democracy, it can handle diversity. I am sure Feiglin will not be as controversial as some groups hope.”)

Getting their fifteen minutes of fame via the self-indulgent press release are office-bearers of the organisations concerned, a mix of men and women.

People such as the president of New Israel Fund Australia: “The views of many people in the Australian Jewish community do not line up with Moshe Feiglin’s which is why it is important to point out when such anti-democratic values are being promoted. NIF is working hard in Israel to bring different sectors together, promote shared society and coexistence, and uphold the values of the Declaration of Independence.”

People such as the president of Keshet Australia: “The board of Keshet Australia, wishes to express our concern regarding the proposed visit by Mr Feiglin to Australia. Keshet aspires to encourage and teach inclusivity. Mr Feiglin’s philosophy is diametrically opposed to our core values. Mr Feiglin has expressed views which seek to oppose the inclusivity and rights of GLBT Jews. Keshet Australia believes his views are damaging and hurtful to people here and in Israel. We feel it is incumbent on us to highlight to the greater community that such views are not held or supported by most Jewish people in Australia or elsewhere.”

People such as the president of Progressive Judaism Victoria: “We are concerned about Mr Feiglin’s visit to Melbourne. He is a disruptive person in the Jewish world and shares few values with the Jewish community.”

People such as the acting president of the Australian Reform Zionist Association (ARZA): “ARZA Australia supports discussion about sensitive issues in Israel, including the treatment of minorities, the status of women and the issues of pluralism and sexual orientation. However, such discussions should be respectful and focussed on constructive dialogue. It is highly questionable if the views and presentation of Moshe Feiglin meet these basic criteria.”

(Indeed, the bloke who runs Aleph has fulminated additionally against the Jewish community’s representative bodies: “Any Holocaust denier or anti-Semite would be hounded out of town by the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and the Anti-Defamation Commission, yet despite these organisations calling for respect for LGBTIQ people, they have remained silent on this visit from a person who does not respect LGBTIQ people. That is unacceptable. This man represents intolerance and intolerance is unacceptable to a cohesive and safe community.”

[http://aleph.org.au/2015/10/09/mr-aleph-melbourne-expresses-alarm-at-melbourne-visit-by-moshe-feiglin]

I’m tempted to say, as would the late British film director Michael Winner in his catch-phrase: “Calm down, dear”. Anyway, according to this report http://www.smh.com.au/national/chabad-hosts-rightwing-israeli-extremist-moshe-feiglin-20151009-gk57pb.html the chairman of the ADL – a gung-ho supporter of Israel, so fear not, ladies and gentlemen – has expressed disapproval of Feiglin’s “misguided and divisive comments”.)

I hold no brief for Feiglin. But where were these concerned leftists and representatives of Progressive/Reform Judaism last year when, tossing female and LGBT equality aside, Australia’s largest Jewish congregation, Temple Beth Israel, hosted two representatives of the Islamic Research Education Academy (IREA), which is actively and centrally dedicated to da’wah – the proselytising of non-Muslims – to participate in a concert in the Temple last year? Where was their concern for “Jewish values” then?

As the Islamist pair’s subsequent remarks on social media showed, those two (whose views on women’s role and status and on gays would probably make Feiglin’s look like those of a Sensitive New Age Guy) could scarcely believe their luck in being given the opportunity to address a huge crowd of Jews, and their brothers in the IREA were suitably impressed.

An excoriating analysis of the Temple event appeared on the Jews Down Under site [http://jewsdownunder.com/2014/06/21/melbourne-jewish-temples-interfaith-deception/]. Written by Pam Hopf, it pointed out, inter alia, that a Temple description of the event went as follows: '[T]he second half of the concert took on a different dimension, bringing “something new to TBI’s sanctuary, the Muslim call to prayer, and a chanting of the 55th Surah of the Koran. With this recitation Abdul Aziz al Mathkour and Brother Waseem Razvi … revealed many points of commonality between Judaism and Islam in its languages and texts.”

As Ms Hopf observed: “Excuse my cynicism, but what points of commonality can possibly exist when Surah 55 describes how Muslim men will enjoy deflowering virgins in paradise, whilst the unbeliever will suffer the torments of hell. For a community that prides itself on being progressive, particularly with regard to gender issues, it’s hard to see how they can condone this Surah, especially as there is no promise that women can equally enjoy endless sex. The progressives constantly berate orthodox Jewry for separating men and women during prayer, yet apparently have no problem endorsing men using women for sex, which smacks of hypocrisy. Moreover, if they truly believe in interfaith tolerance, they should surely object to the fate that awaits non-Muslims....”

Regrettably, nobody from the Temple or from the Progressive/Reform organisations was man – or should I say woman? – enough to respond Ms Hopf’s reasonable and reasoned article (I know it was read), or to admit publicly that in its affront to feminine sensibilities the Temple had made an egregious mistake in inviting the two Islamists to participate. Yet imagine the furore that would erupt if a male Jew (Mr Feiglin perhaps?) wandered into the Temple and recited this traditional Orthodox morning recitation: "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast not made me a woman".

Incidentally, the IREA hit the headlines only last week, when the press – in IREA’s eyes unjustifiably dubbing it an “extremist” organisation – reported that it’s been on a da’wah mission at Deakin University’s Melbourne campus. That fact has not been lost on Paul Winter of Sydney, a Holocaust survivor and frequent contributor to the letters column of the Australian Jewish News. In deploring the press release put out against Feiglin by the eleven leftist organisations, Mr Winter comments on the antipodean new service J-Wire’s site [http://www.jwire.com.au/rlrvrn-organisations-object-to-feiglin-views/]: “Feiglin is indeed on the far right. So what? He is as entitled to his views as those on the far left… The signatories to the statement are beyond belief! We have Jews murdered in Israel, a junior jihadi murders a man in Sydney, the Islamic Research and Educational Academy holds a session in Deakin Uni and they say nothing … The statement is a sad reflection of a nasty social trend where the politically correct want to shout down anyone who does not toe their line. Feiglin is not coming to talk to Progressive Jews, but to Chabad. Don’t like him? Don’t go to his talk. And if the NIF is opposed to Feiglin, I’m for him. I believe Israel is living up to the promise of its Declaration of Indep[end]ence. I’ve read the document and I deplore NIF’s distorted interpretation of it.”

Observes another commenter: “I didn’t see a list of Jewish organisations issue statements and objections when [the NIF’s] Naomi Chazan was brought by organisations who support her views. Yet there are many organisations that would consider her views extremist, divisive, destructive, not in line with Jewish values, not constructive, not in sync with the majority of Australian Jews etc etc. These organisations [the eleven] cannot have it both ways. Free speech is OK until such time as the views of that free speech don’t sit comfortably with their ideals and therefore need to be shut down…”

And another: “The difference between Israeli society and Israel’s Arab neighbours is that Israel ostracized Moshe Feiglin, but if he held his views in Arab society he’d be called a moderate. SMH [Sydney Morning Herald, part of the Israel-bashing Fairfax newspaper empire] staff must be [overjoyed] at the opportunity to deride Feiglin. If only the SMH wrote about the contrast between Israel and her Arab neighbours with respect to the fact that Israel functions as an egalitarian society – women, LGBTs and all ethnicities are equally protected by law. Arabs have held high office. Jews who don’t ignore molehills such as Feiglin’s visit and contribute to the media’s anti-Israel opportunity should hang their idiotic heads in shame.”

Among the commenters on J-Wire are Michael Burd and Alan Freedman, who intend to interview Feiglin on their show on radio J-Air. Mindful of the damage the eleven have done in providing food – or should that be acting as fools? – for the eager consumption of the Fairfax press [http://www.smh.com.au/national/extremist-rightwing-israeli-politician-to-visit-synagogues-20151009-gk57pb.html] Burd writes: “You have to scratch your head whilst Israel is being vilified day and night in the media particularly by the Fairfax media these left wing loony Jews provide Fairfax’s SMH a free kick to publish more anti- Israel material … You have to ask do we really need Jews acting as Palestinian Useful Idiots. How does it help Israel’s cause particularly when one of the Looney groups NIF is one of the most controversial Jewish based anti-Zionist extremist organisation in [t]he world?”

Quite so, Mr Burd. Quite so.

10/13 Links Pt1: Bibi: 'Our enemies haven't learned: Terrorism will not defeat us'; Gaza Cleric: Stab Jews

From Ian:

'Our enemies haven't learned: Terrorism will not defeat us'.

On the same day that Palestinians carried out four terrorist attacks against Israelis, leaving a teenage boy in critical condition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the Knesset's winter session Monday with a fiery speech against ongoing incitement to violence.
"A hundred years of terrorism, a hundred years in which they have tried to destroy the institution of Zionism, and yet our enemies haven't learned: Terrorism will not defeat us, in fact just the opposite," Netanyahu said.
"'The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew,'" he said, quoting Exodus 1:12.
"We will also overcome the current wave of terrorism. We will punish every attacker, Jew and Arab alike, to the fullest extent of the law."
Netanyahu also addressed the tensions on the Temple Mount.
"They spread propaganda filled with lies about the Temple Mount to spark riots," he said. "We are committed to maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount and we rigorously safeguard the holy sites of all religions."
All the Knesset members belonging to the Joint Arab List left the room at the beginning of the prime minister's speech. Netanyahu criticized members of the party for encouraging the violence and undermining the state, singling out MKs Basel Ghattas and Hanin Zoabi.

3 killed, over 20 injured as terror attacks rock Jerusalem, Ra’anana

Two separate attacks hit Jerusalem in a matter of minutes Tuesday morning, when two Arab men attempted to stab passengers on a bus before being shot and a car rammed into a group of people in the center of the capital.
One person was killed and another wounded as a driver rammed into a crowd on Malchei Israel Street in the Makor Baruch neighborhood in the center of the city. The attacker reportedly stepped out of the crashed vehicle and attempted to stab the wounded. He was subdued by police, but was not killed.
In a separate incident minutes earlier, two male passengers were killed — a 60-year-old who died at the scene, and a 45-year-old who died in the hospital — and three others suffered gunshot wounds in a combined shooting and stabbing attack on Egged bus 78 in the neighborhood of Armon Hanatziv in southern Jerusalem.
Two assailants were involved in the Armon Hanatziv attack, and were shot and subdued by police. One terrorist was said to have been killed, and the other was caught by police.
Some 15 people were said to have been injured in the attack.

Cleric Tells Palestinians to Stab Jews: ‘Cut Them into Body Parts’

A cleric directed Palestinians to stab Jewish Israelis during a sermon last week at a mosque in Rafah, a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sheikh Muhammad Salah “Abu Rajab” during a sermon at Al-Abrar Mosque on Friday directed listeners to attack Jewish Israelis in groups and “cut them into body parts,” according to video obtained by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
Days after the sermon, Israeli authorities said that a young Palestinian man waged a knife attack on a border officer in Jerusalem. Police shot and killed the individual near Jerusalem’s Old City. The incident followed days of deadly confrontations in the city.
“Brothers, we must constantly remind the world and everyone who has forgotten … This is Gaza! This is the place of trenches and guns! This is the West Bank! This is the place of bombs and daggers!” Salah told his audience.
“Today, we realize why the [Jews] build walls. They do not do this to stop missiles, but to prevent the slitting of their throats.”
A few minutes into the sermon, he began wielding a knife.

Today, the UK Zionist Federation and British Board of Deputies are hosting a rally to support Israel during the current ave of attacks:

In the last few days there have been a seemingly endless number of attacks on Israelis. Whether with guns, knives, rocks or cars, every hour appears to bring news of a Palestinian murder attempt.

These attacks do not happen in a vacuum. They are promoted by a culture of incitement that encourages violence and glorifies terrorists.

We are standing together outside the Palestinian Mission to say: enough is enough. Join us to protest the incitement and commemorate the victims.

Who can be offended by that?

A group of "active British Jews," that's who. Proving how far many Jews have gone from caring about their own people, an open letter was written against this rally.

The reason? Because they feel that a demonstration valuing Israeli lives means it is inciting against the people who support the murderers!

Now is the time for people across the world to stand together in unity, and call for peace in the region, condemning all violence as counter-productive, evil and a chilul hashem (a desecration of the name of the Eternal One). To take what are presented as as uniquely Jewish troubles and lay them at the door of the Palestinian Mission in London creates a wholly unnecessary ‘Us vs Them’ narrative, which cannot possibly foster the good relations necessary for peace.

When Jewish organisations, who claim to represent the voice of British Jewry, say only that “#IsraeliLivesMatter”, it shames us as people who care about the lives of everyone in the region. When Jewish organisations use the loss of human life to pursue a political agenda, they tarnish our reputation as an ethical people. Our texts tell us that any loss of life is like the end of a world. Death, then, is not the basis for a campaign: especially a campaign which appropriates and offensively belittles the #BlackLivesMatter slogan on which it is (ironically) based.

To ‘protest the incitement and commemorate the victims’, solely in the framework of the importance of Israeli lives, itself incites hatred towards Palestinians, and shows no empathy towards their losses. As people who believe we are all made b’tzelem Elohim (in the image of the Eternal One), whether Palestinian or Israeli, Jew or Arab, this is unacceptable.

Yes, protesting incitement to kill Jews is offensive to the Jews the Palestinian inciters want to see dead.

You can't make this up.

The real reason they are upset is given later on - they are afraid that Muslims will be offended and might start a new intifada in England against Jews. So better to suck up and say that, no, they aren't like those Jews who actually value Israeli lives.

British Jewish organisations have an overriding responsibility to protect the interests of British Jews. Undertaking actions likely to inflame other communities and increase ethnic tensions on the streets of this country is not consonant with that responsibility. Positive dialogue is always a better way forward than hostile demonstrations.

The Zionist Federation replied, quite appropriately.

....One trigger for this has been the aforementioned media coverage, whereby there are now numerous examples of misleading headlines and stories that focus on Palestinians killed, rather than the Israelis they were trying to kill.

The other has been the quite frankly appalling reaction from many Palestinians to this spate of violence, and the related indifference of the Palestinian Authority. In fact, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) representative told the cabinet Sunday, that “senior PA and Fatah officials are involved in the incitement that is fanning the violence”. This is the reason why we have decided to hold our event outside the Palestinian Mission – the de facto Palestinian embassy. We wish to hold the Palestinian Authority to account, a decision that you describe as “itself incit[ing] hatred towards Palestinians.” Just so we’re clear, here’s a reminder of what actual incitement is.

It’s promoting on social media cartoons and videos encouraging Palestinians to stab any Jew they can. It’s Hamas imams and politicians calling on their followers to take up arms – the Hamas that is still part of the Unity Government. It’s calling for a Third Intifada.

It’s describing those killed whilst trying to indiscriminately murder Israelis as martyrs. It’s the paying of salaries to those arrested whilst trying to indiscriminately murder Israelis. It’s a Palestinian couple naming their baby after a man who indiscriminately murdered Israelis. It’s the Palestinian Bar Association giving that same man an honorary degree. It’s Mahmoud Abbas holding his tongue when Israelis are being murdered – and then condemning the deaths of Palestinians killed whilst murdering Israelis.

And last but not least, it’s the incessant lie that Al Aqsa is under attack, and that the only way to protect it is with violence. It’s Mahmoud Abbas saying, on Palestinian TV:

“We bless every drop of blood that has been spilled for Jerusalem, which is clean and pure blood, blood spilled for Allah, Allah willing. Every Martyr will reach Paradise, and everyone wounded will be rewarded by Allah.”

Remember Sohaib Fayyad, the UNRWA employee who changed his Facebook icon to a graphic of a "Like" icon modified to hold a stabbing knife?

He recently shared a video from "Jerusalem Intifada" on how to build a homemade bomb:

UNRWA yesterday issued a disgusting press release that condemned anything Israel is doing to defend itself from the current wave of stabbings, shootings, stonings and car rammings. It didn't mention the terror except for one sentence that was purposefully ambiguous enough to possibly refer to Israeli Arabs who are being shot during their knife rampages.

UNRWA is deeply alarmed by the escalating violence and widespread loss of civilian life in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel. Only robust political action can prevent the further escalation of a situation that is affecting Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

...According to the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials: “Law enforcement officials shall not use firearms against persons except in self-defense or defense of others against the imminent threat of death or serious injury, to prevent the perpetration of a particularly serious crime involving grave threat to life, to arrest a person presenting such a danger and resisting their authority, or to prevent his or her escape; and only when less extreme means are insufficient to achieve these objectives. In any event, intentional lethal use of firearms may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.”

Where alleged violations of international law occur, there must be a prompt, impartial, effective and thorough investigation of the events and full accountability in accordance with international standards.
...
The root causes of the conflict, among them the Israeli occupation, must be addressed. Across the occupied Palestinian territory there is a pervasive sense of hopelessness and despair resulting from the denial of rights and dignity. In the West Bank communities living under occupation feel profoundly marginalized. While in Gaza the latest demonstrations are evidence of a generation that has lost hope in the future; not least because of the lack of economic prospects -- youth unemployment is one of the highest in the world – but also because of the lack of reconstruction more than a year after the conflict. An entire generation of Palestinians is at risk. All political actors must act decisively to restore their hope in a dignified, secure and stable future.

That last paragraph justifies violence by saying it is a result of "feeling marginalized" and "hopeless" and other inanities.

Most of all, UNRWA is ignoring its own role in fomenting violence - by allowing its employees to teach and promulgate incitement against Jews in the classrooms and on social media.

Incitement is the root cause of the current violence - not Israeli actions. And it has been that way for decades. No one justifies terrorism anywhere else in the world the way UNRWA and others justify Palestinian terrorism.

And UNRWA is directly responsible for some of this, because it does not teach in any of its schools that Jews have the right to life.

(h/t Malel)

UPDATE: The Facebook page has been taken down.

Muslims blamed Jews for their "provocations" in 1929 too - but then, everyone knew the truth

The Arab playbook has not changed too much since 1929 - but the gullibility of the world for Arab lies certainly has.

Then, as now, the Arabs always could find some alleged Jewish "provocation" that justified deadly responses. Then, as now, the Arab leader claimed that they are trying to calm the situation but the Jews are forcing them to respond. Then, as now, the Muslims created the antisemitic frenzy by pretending that Jews were going to take over the Al Aqsa Mosque.

From JTA, September 9, 1929 (also reproduced in the New York Times)

An attempt to make the world believe that the Jews of Palestine have perpetrated upon themselves the massacres for which the Arabs are held responsible, was made by Amin el Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and president of the Moslem Supreme Council, in what is termed by Reuter’s News Agency an “authoritative statement of the Arab view concerning the controversy in Palestine,” in an interview granted to Reuter’s by the Grand Mufti.

“Jewish ambition and greed,” asserted the Grand Mufti in his interview with Reuter’s, “were deliberately, responsible for provoking the Arabs’ attack in order to gain the support of the whole world for reopening the question of the Wailing Wall and influencing the Labor government to amend the status quo as constituted by the White Paper.”

The Grand Mufti referred to the Jewish demonstration on August 15 (Tisha B’Ab, the day when the Jews commemorate the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple) before the Wailing Wall which, he said, “was not made from religious but political motives. Young Jews marched through the Moslem quarter bearing national flags and singing national songs, at the same time insolently threatening Arabs,” asserted the Grand Mufti.

“From that day until the fateful Friday, August 23, when the outbreak began, there were many incidents of Jews insulting and attacking and injuring Arab men, women and children. One of these incidents resulted in the death of a Jew from wounds he received. This was used by the Jews as an excuse for further demonstration, and threats continued to be levelled at Moslems until August 23, when large numbers of Moslems came to Jerusalem for prayer.

“Jews shut their shops and retired to their quarters. During and after the prayer, I called upon the Moslems to return to their villages quietly, but owing to the large number, with the usual Moslem sense of display, bearing swords, daggers and sticks, a Jew, taken by panic or deliberately, provoked the Arab attack by firing revolvers and throwing bombs, thus turning the peaceful demonstrators into a frenzied, uncontrollable mob.

“The news quickly spread throughout Palestine that Jews were attacking the Arabs and that the Holy Places were in danger. There is a consequent rising in the whole country.

“The fact that there were no armed forces available, except police, shows that the government also thought that no trouble would come from the Arabs. Had the attacks by Arabs been premeditated, other steps would have been taken for simultaneous attacks on all Jewish colonies and settlements, cutting the telegraph wires and similar aggressive measures,” the Grand Mufti declared.

The head of the Moslem Supreme Council showed the Reuter’s correspondent a number of Arab papers, alleged quotations from the Hebrew Jerusalem daily newspaper “Doar Ha’yom on a controversy about seven months ago between Ittamar Ben Avi was alleged to have said: “You are preparing the way for a Jewish massacre. The blood of all Jews will be on your head. You will be called to answer on the Day of Judgment.”

A well known American writer who came to Palestine to study the Zionist temperament stated, the Grand Mufti alleged, that they were precipitating a crisis.

“The Jews,” the Grand Mufti further asserted, “desecrated the tomb of Said Naoukash and another tomb of historic value. At the same place the Mosque covers were torn and all religious books, including the Koran, were torn up. The house of the Imman was broken into and looted. Moslems had previously asked for a guard for the Mosque. This was supplied in the form of two Jewish policemen who, at the time of the desecration, were either absent or asleep.

“In fairness to the Jews, I must mention that previous to this occurrence, a synagogue had been burned down. It was noticeable that individual Jews walked through Arab quarters without molestation, but Arabs, men or women, could not show themselves in the Jewish quarters without an escort.

“During the last nine days there have been several attacks by Jews on Arabs, which is going in the right way toward creating further trouble. It is very difficult to hold the Arabs from making reprisals,” the Grand Mufti said.

“The nature of the wounds inflicted,” he continued, “proves that the Arabs in most cases were armed only with sticks and knives, while the Jews had rifles and revolvers.”

It is pointed out here in Jewish circles that the Grand Mufti’s assertions are made for consumption abroad, as both Arabs and Jews in Palestine know the facts, which are in direct opposition to the Moslem leader’s presentation. It is pointed out that Auni Abdel Hadi Sij, secretary of the Palestine Arab Executive, only two days ago, in a public statement, frankly admitted that the outbreaks were not of a spontaneous nature and were the results of clever Arab anti-Jewish propaganda and that the Arab rioters had been instructed to “shoot at Jews only.” It is further pointed out that the assertion that the disturbance was caused by a Jew’s misconception of “Moslem display” of knives, daggers and swords, flies in the face of the facts that for two weeks prior to August 23 a great number of Jews in Jerusalem were stabbed and otherwise wounded by Arabs who were frequently apprehended by the police. The events showed a sequence and continuity pointing to a preconceived, organized plan.

The unusually great number of worshippers, armed with knives, sticks and swords, obviously unnecessary for the purposes of devotion, on that fateful day, was not explained by the Grand Mufti.

There is, however, a significant difference between 1929 and now.

In 1929, the truth was plain to see.

In 1929, there were some honorable Arabs who publicly denounced the Arab violence:.

One more difference: In 1929, while there were many anti-Zionist Jews, you could not find Jews who were on the side of the Arab terrorists.

But today you can find disgusting justifications for terror like this tweet from the head of Peace Now:

Dear Rightists,

Cry all you want, but the facts haven't changed: A people that is treated like garbage and has no rights will rise up in the end. This is the situation. Cause and effect.

(The tweet seems to have been since deleted.)

Today, the obvious truth is obscured and a bizarre set of justifications of Arab terror can be found among "peace activists" and "human rights organizations" who subscribe to the idea that Arab rage is more important to protect than the human rights of Jews. They would have been against Jews praying at the Western Wall in 1929 as well.

Today's sickening news reports that highlight Israel's shooting terrorists and minimizing the terrorism are the culmination of decades of Arab antisemitic propaganda, now accepted as truth by the very people whose job it is to uncover the truth.

(h/t Ahron Shapiro, Yoel)

Bret Stephens tells it like it is (WSJ)

From Bret Stephens in the WSJ:

Regarding the causes of this Palestinian blood fetish, Western news organizations have resorted to familiar tropes. Palestinians have despaired at the results of the peace process—never mind that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas just declared the Oslo Accords null and void. Israeli politicians want to allow Jews to pray atop the Temple Mount—never mind that Benjamin Netanyahu denies it and has barred Israeli politicians from visiting the site. There’s always the hoary “cycle of violence” formula that holds nobody and everybody accountable at one and the same time.

Left out of most of these stories is some sense of what Palestinian leaders have to say. As in these nuggets from a speech Mr. Abbas gave last month: “Al Aqsa Mosque is ours. They [Jews] have no right to defile it with their filthy feet.” And: “We bless every drop of blood spilled for Jerusalem, which is clean and pure blood, blood spilled for Allah.”

Then there is the goading of the Muslim clergy. “Brothers, this is why we recall today what Allah did to the Jews,” one Gaza imam said Friday in a recorded address, translated by the invaluable Middle East Media Research Institute, or Memri. “Today, we realize why the Jews build walls. They do not do this to stop missiles but to prevent the slitting of their throats.”

Then, brandishing a six-inch knife, he added: “My brother in the West Bank: Stab!”

Imagine if a white minister in, say, South Carolina preached this way about African-Americans, knife and all: Would the news media be supine in reporting it? Would we get “both sides” journalism of the kind that is pro forma when it comes to Israelis and Palestinians, with lengthy pieces explaining—and implicitly justifying—the minister’s sundry grievances, his sense that his country has been stolen from him?

And would this be supplemented by the usual fake math of moral opprobrium, which is the stock-in-trade of reporters covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? In the Middle East version, a higher Palestinian death toll suggests greater Israeli culpability. (Perhaps Israeli paramedics should stop treating stabbing victims to help even the score.) In a U.S. version, should the higher incidence of black-on-white crime be cited to “balance” stories about white supremacists?

Didn’t think so.

Treatises have been written about the media’s mind-set when it comes to telling the story of Israel. We’ll leave that aside for now. The significant question is why so many Palestinians have been seized by their present blood lust—by a communal psychosis in which plunging knives into the necks of Jewish women, children, soldiers and civilians is seen as a religious and patriotic duty, a moral fulfillment. Despair at the state of the peace process, or the economy? Please. It’s time to stop furnishing Palestinians with the excuses they barely bother making for themselves.

Above all, it’s time to give hatred its due. We understand its explanatory power when it comes to American slavery, or the Holocaust. We understand it especially when it is the hatred of the powerful against the weak. Yet we fail to see it when the hatred disturbs comforting fictions about all people being basically good, or wanting the same things for their children, or being capable of empathy.

Today in Israel, Palestinians are in the midst of a campaign to knife Jews to death, one at a time. This is psychotic. It is evil. To call it anything less is to serve as an apologist, and an accomplice.

10/12 Links Pt2: The Guardian celebrates Marwan Barghouti; The Ripple Effect of Media Bias

From Ian:

Guardian celebrates Marwan Barghouti, and obfuscates his support for ‘armed resistance’

Note the curious decision by Black to add the hashtag #Intifada, presumably to generate interest in the op-ed among the radical, pro-“resistance” crowd.
Last year, in a UKMW post exploring the likely reaction by the Guardian in the event a new Intifada began, we came to the following conclusion:
There are quite a few factors which lead us to believe that many Guardian reporters and editors will likely lend moral support to the Palestinians in the event they launch another deadly intifada.
Specifically, the paper has shown a clear tendency in the past to license extremist commentators who reject peace and reconciliation with Israel and legitimize (if not justify) Palestinian terrorism. Additionally, their binary moral paradigm in which Palestinians are seen as immutable victims of Israeli oppression further necessitates at least tacit support for the Palestinians’ recourse to violence.
The Guardian’s decision to publish an op-ed by an unrepentant Palestinian terrorists responsible for the murder of several civilians, and the promotion of that piece by their Jerusalem correspondent and Middle East editor, serves as additional evidence that the media group can indeed be expected to provide moral cover for the next coordinated Palestinian onslaught against innocent Jews.

UN official who was hit by rocks says, May Allah forgive them

A senior UN official who was hurt when Palestinians threw rocks at his car wrote on Facebook that “Allah will forgive the rock throwers,” according to a report in the website NRG.
Mounir Kleibo heads the bureau of the International Labor Organization in the Palestinian Territories, a UN agency.
According to NRG, Kleibo’s Facebook profile is bluntly pro-Palestinian, despite his being an official of the UN and as such expected to be impartial.
Kleibo’s cover picture shows the dome of the al-Aqsa Mosque and his profile picture is the word “Shuhada” [“Martyrdom”] on a black background.
In one of his posts, Kleibo wrote that “we mourn not only our shahids but also ourselves, our eyes, our hearts, our consciousness and our humanity.”
In a post published after the stone-throwing attack, and accompanied by photos apparently taken from his hospital bed, Kleibo says he is okay and so is his wife, Tamara, and writes, “May Allah forgive those who throw the rocks at night.”
A Foreign Ministry official tells NRG that “one must regret the fact that the UN did not explicitly condemn all Palestinian stone throwers, who hurt, among others, a senior UN official. One can be even sorrier that the same official, a victim of Palestinian violence, continues praising it on his Facebook page.” (h/t Bob Knot)

Daphne Anson: 'Twas Da Joos What Did It, Suggests Gorgeous George

Well, well, well! Here's Gorgeous George, speaking on Iran's satellite propaganda channel Press TV a few days ago (8 October), proving that behind those icy baby blues is a sense of humour and a vivid imagination!
I mean, he'd hardly be likely to advance a blood libel, would he?
(Incidentally, George, it's "Western Wall" not "Wailing Wall," the latter being considered an offensive term.)

Weeds on "Islam's third holiest site," circa 1960

Over the years I have documented how much the "third holiest site in Islam" was in disrepair before any Jews were on the scene.

Like this photo showing lots of overgrown weeds around the Dome of the Rock in 1901:

And I found video and photos from the 1954 showing the same thing:

I also made a video comparing how the ground of the Temple Mount was filled with weeds when it was Judenrein, compared to the floor of the Kotel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Now, reader Irene found more recent photos from 1960 showing the same weeds and neglect by Jordan for the holy site, both outside the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque:

No one willing to sacrifice their lives for "Al Aqsa" then. In fact, few Muslims seemed very interested in visiting it to begin with.

And this is when it was under Muslim rule, when there were no restrictions whatsoever on access by the devout West Bank Jordanians, or the East Bankers for that matter. Saudis and Yemenis could visit if they wanted. The only people who couldn't visit were Jews.

But the Muslims treated this holy site with contempt. King Hussein did fix up the Dome of the Rock and he re-gilded it, but that wasn't because of huge crowds that were coming - it was to attract more Muslim tourists who otherwise couldn't be bothered to visit.

Only when Jews arrived on the scene did this become one of the most important issues in the world. Only when Jews want to quietly visit the site do many Muslims decide that they must go into a murderous rage. Only when Jews tell the world that this was a Jewish site that was usurped by Muslims do the Muslims decide that perhaps they care about it after all.

Funny how that happens.

Terror on the Road to Tekoa (Estee Hart)

Today Estee Hart starts her new column for EoZ. Welcome!

Imagine waking up on a beautiful, cool October morning after the holidays here in Israel. You walk your daughter to school, kiss your husband goodbye, and proceed to the trempiyada here in Tekoa Israel. The Trempiyada as we Israelis call it is the bus stop and area where residents of my settlement hitch to various cities and towns in Israel; mainly Jerusalem and surrounding municipalities.

On a good day, I immediately get rides going to my ulpan in Beit Haam near Nachla'ot. Wednesday was just an ordinary day or so we thought. Once in the car with the lovely young couple, we proceeded to drive on the road Palestinians share with us. I say that because it's our country, and they should thank us and G-d for letting them use our roads.

Anyone who has driven these roads knows about the big red signs that forbid us from entering Area A of the PA Authority designated as Judenrein (Jew-free). We came upon a Palestinian car carrying four men. The driver attempted to pass them, however, they slowed down purposely and proceeded to start road blocking us from passing. If the driver went left, the PA licensed plate car went left, if we veered to the right, they went to the right. Silence descended upon all of us. I could feel tension rising in all of us. The blocking, slowing down brought me to visions of being ambushed. I really thought it was going to be a disaster if we didn't swerve away from this car.

In a matter of minutes, three lives could have been gone if this smart, young woman did not take the opportunity when there was no oncoming traffic in the opposite lane. Hashem gave us a way out, and it wasn't my time. In a matter of seconds a son, daughter, sister, mother, wife, brother, husband could have lost their lives at the hands of four Palestinian Arabs.

Fast forward five and a half hours later on the same road: I tremp back to Tekoa from the Har Homa bus stop, and I am always lucky to get a ride with a Tekoa resident who knows me. Passing by Beit Sahour, we saw rocks the size of boulders, concrete used for building and knew a car had been attacked. It happened at approximately 9:00 am in the morning. Minutes after we passed by this Palestinian village. It could have been me. It could have been anyone living in Tekoa and the surrounding settlements in Gush Etzion.

It was a 40 year old mother whose car was pelted with these weapons, dragged out of her car. They kicked, punched, and almost abducted her. If it wasn't for the bravery of Josh Hasten firing a warning shot into the air forcing these barbarians to disperse, there is no telling what would have happen to my fellow Tekoan resident.

Over fourteen stabbings in three days. The first would-be suicide bomber of the season, a brave police officer who risked his life to divert what could have been an untimely tragedy for all of us in our great Jewish homeland.

The world is silent. The UN is furiously coming up with recycled resolutions. Mogherini is useless in demanding a Palestinian State all so she can remain relevant in a continent that has no use for her EU position. John Kerry is morally equating the conflict.

Our military; the brave, young men and woman of the Israel Defense Forces are doing everything humanely possible to keep us safe from harm. My brothers and sisters, I beg you, now is the time no matter where you are in Israel, stop when you see a chayal or chayelet and thank them for putting their lives on the line so that we and our children can live.

10/12 Links Pt1: Palestinian parents celebrate terrorist children's Martyrdom, PA promotes it

From Ian:

PMW: Palestinian parents celebrate terrorist children's Martyrdom-death, PA promotes it

Amid the current Palestinian riots and wave of terror attacks, Palestinian Authority and Fatah officials continue to praise terrorist murderers as "Martyrs" and "heroes." Some also encourage Shahada - seeking death as Martyrs for Allah. Becoming a Martyr (Shahid) represents the highest religious achievement that can be attained by a Muslim.
Shortly after the murders of 4 Israeli civilians in two separate attacks on Oct. 1 and 3, Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul addressed Palestinian youth on his Facebook page. He encouraged them to "rise up against the enemies," calling the youth "potential Martyrs for the beloved Palestine":
"#Resist_boycott_rise up (literally "make intifada") #General_mobilization_Fatah's_Shabiba [student movement]
More resistance and escalation against the occupation everywhere. Let us make the country a hell for the enemies and tell them clearly, in a way that will split the sky - resist, boycott, advance, rise up, for our land is forbidden to the enemies, and all the members of the Shabiba (i.e., Fatah youth and student movement) are potential Martyrs for the beloved Palestine."
[Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul's Facebook page, Oct. 5, 2015]
In another post, Al-Aloul stated that "whoever loves the Shahada (seeking Martyrdom) is not afraid of the settler herds." He ended with the following words of encouragement: "and #let's_continue_the_attacks" [Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul's Facebook page, Oct. 5, 2015]

MEMRI: Fatah Officials, Palestinian Social Media, Palestinian Authority Dailies Encourage Continued Violence

Fatah seems to be speaking in two voices regarding the violent events of the last few days, which have been described variously as "an intifada," a "popular awakening," the "Al-Aqsa Rage" events, etc. Alongside statements by PA President Mahmoud 'Abbas expressing a desire to avoid escalation and continue the security coordination with Israel, the Palestinian media has been publishing statements by PA officials, especially Fatah officials, as well as op-eds, that advocate continuing the violence. Some described the stabbings as acts of self-defense and others called to maintain a high level of tension and conflict. In some cases, PA spokesmen even chose to deny that violent attacks have taken place, claiming that Israel was falsely accusing Palestinians of terrorism in order to justify their killing. For example, commenting on the attempted car bomb attack at the Al-Za'im checkpoint on October 11, Palestinian Authority (PA) security services spokesman 'Adnan Al-Damiri said that the vehicle had caught fire due to an electric malfunction. The PA daily Al-Ayyam claimed that "Israel concocted a false and deceptive story about an alleged [attempted] bombing, as it has done on numerous occasions in the past." Following the death of Mustafa Al-Khatib, who was killed on October 12 as he attempted to knife a soldier in Jerusalem, the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida stated that "the occupation forces usually accuse Palestinians of attempted knifings in order to justify shooting at them and killing them."
Additionally, a delegation of Fatah officials, including figures close to Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Abbas, paid a condolence visit to the family of a terrorist who was killed after he murdered two Israelis in Jerusalem's Old City. An investigative article in the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reviewed reactions by Palestinians on social media who expressed joy at the killing of Jews.

Video: Palestinians Asked 'Is Stabbing Israelis Heroic?

As part of his "The Ask Project," in which viewers are encouraged to field questions for him to ask random Palestinians or Israelis, amateur documentary maker Gil Corey-Shuster asked a random selection of Arabs in Hevron the following question: "Do you view stabbing Israeli soldiers and civilians as heroic?"
The answers were overwhelmingly supportive, with only one interviewee making any distinction between soldiers or civilians. Even that respondent however said that Israeli civilians who carry private weapons for self-defense are legitimate targets because "if he had the chance he would use his gun and shoot" Arabs.
The most commonly given justification for stabbing attacks was Palestinians' own sense of grievance against Israel - but when asked if according to that logic Israelis who lost loved ones could legitimately attack Palestinians, all responded in the negative.
Just one Palestinian man, a shopkeeper, said he did not support such attacks and in fact expressed his outright opposition to them.