Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Friday, September 03, 2004

Iraqi-Israeli ties?

A powerful lobby is developing in Baghdad to promote the idea of diplomatic relations with Israel, the new Iraqi ambassador to Great Britain told Haaretz on Thursday.

Dr. Salah al-Shaikhly, who was appointed two months ago, said that the issue will be raised after the general elections, and 'now is not the right time.' Al-Shaikhly told Haaretz that he did not have 'any problem with Israel or Israelis who wish to visit Iraq,' but he also noted, 'I really don't know what is the position of as yet, but you should know there is a strong lobby working for you in Iraq.'

When asked if he was referring to the Americans, Al-Shaikhly responded, 'No, I mean Iraqis, in Iraq, who want to establish relations with Israel, who are in favor of this idea. But the current situation is so uncertain, so volatile that any attempt to push this through, at this point, will most certainly backfire.

'The situation in Iraq is not directed at present by rational and clear thinking, but by strong emotions. The situation is very dangerous, like in the Israel-Palestine conflict and I would advise to proceed with caution. The right things need to be done at the right moment. We need to find the moment, like in music, when all the instruments are in tune. We have so many problems before we can consider the issue of Israel; we need to bring people together from all sections of the society, to persuade them violence never pays.'"

"Peaceful" ISM in Action

From Frontpagemag.com:
The photograph above shows an International Solidarity Movement volunteer interfering with an Israeli Defense Forces soldier in a military zone by warning terrorists of the soldier’s firing position. What army in the world would tolerate this besides Israel’s?

Israel might strike in Syria for Beer Sheva terror responsibility

Israel has reportedly provided the United States with 'concrete evidence' of Syria's involvement in Tuesday's double suicide bombing attack, in which 16 Israelis were murdered. 'When Syria is responsible, it must of course understand that there are some quite clear results,' Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said. Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim hinted that Israel might stage military actions within Syria.

The Hamas terror organization claimed responsibility for the Beer Sheva attacks and said they were a response to Israel's 'targeted killing' of Hamas leaders Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Abdul Aziz Rantisi. The army imposed a closure on the West Bank town of Hebron and launched raids against the Hamas infrastructure there, which was directly responsible for sending the two suicide bombers on their missions.

Israeli leaders, however, blamed the Hamas command in Damascus for ordering and financing the suicide bombing attacks.

'The fact that Hamas is operating from Syria will not grant it immunity,' Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's adviser Raanan Gissin told The Associated Press yesterday. Gissin said Israel had 'hard facts' proving that the Hamas command in Damascus was behind the attacks. "

Palestinian prisoners end hunger strike

Palestinian security prisoners ended a 18-day hunger strike today, claiming that Israel had agreed to meet demands for improving their conditions, the Associated Press reported. Israeli authorities confirmed that the strike was winding down, but denied giving in to any Palestinian demands, the AP said.

Canada's Pro-Israel Muslims (Daniel Pipes)

I am often asked questions along the lines of "Where are the moderate Muslims that you assure us do exist?" and I dutifully provide lists of names and organizations, then confess that they are largely fractured, isolated, intimidated, and ineffectual. Listing anti-Islamist individuals is one thing; learning that a respected pollster finds that a fifth of the Muslim population of Canada thinks "Israel is right on just about everything" is quite another. (And I am assuming that a Muslim who admires Israel is by definition a moderate.)

Conrad Winn, founder and president of Compas Polling, one of Canada's top political opinion surveyors, tells the Jewish Tribune that this conclusion stems not from a specific poll but from an analysis of many polls over the years. Winn explains it better than I can:

Quite often it is a reaction against what they would view as extremist leaders in their own communities or in their country of origin. This is not unusual; people who lived under the Soviet regime for many years believed that if the Soviet tyrant said that everything was awful in the United States and they knew that the tyrants lied about what went on the Soviet Union, that maybe everything was perfect in the United States and there was never poverty, potholes or crime. So quite often despots, whether they're leaders of despotic tyrannies where Muslims came from or their own community leaders for whom they don't have huge respect, will provoke some of the members of the community to the extreme opposite side. …

This pattern is not unusual in human nature. Quite often in societies that demand adherence to an official point of view you get people rebelling. … These people get very upset with, let's say, [Yasir] Arafat's corruption, and that sort of thing. Totalitarian communities are never entirely successful because they do make some of their members really upset. The people who are upset with the failures of their own communities and society often go to the other side.

How reliable is Winn's data? He is confident of standing on solid ground: "polls tend to be a pretty honest reflection of how people feel because people tend to think they don't have to fear anything when they're talking to an anonymous interviewer on the telephone."

This information does not come as a total surprise; in 1994, I published an article titled "Palestinians Who Praise Israel" and I have collected over the past decade many more such examples, but those concern Palestinians and other Arabs actually dealing with Israel, not Muslims living in Canada, totally abstracted from the harsh realities of the Middle East. This extremely positive piece of news deserves intensive study, both in Canada and elsewhere. (August 26, 2004)

Poll: Palestinians support suicide bombings inside Israel 58.6%:37.1%

www.pcpsr.org/survey/polls/2004/p12b.html
Total size of the sample is 1320 adults (835 in the West Bank and 485 in the
Gaza Strip) interviewed face to face in 120 randomly selected locations
24-27 June 2004. Margin of error is 3%.
...

16) In recent weeks there is a sharp decrease in the level of violence
exerted by both sides. In your opinion should Palestinians continue
nevertheless the suicide bombings inside Israel if an opportunity
arises?(Gaza Strip in parenthesis)
1) Definitely yes 21.9 (33.3)
2) Yes 36.7 (34.3)
3) No 31.6 (25.2)
4) Definitely no 5.5 (3.9)
5) DK/NA 4.3 (3.3)"

Fence hypocrisy

By Erick Stakelbeck

The resounding success of Israel's security fence in preventing suicide bombings apparently has spawned a legion of imitators.
Although their actions have received little attention, several countries have built or are in the process of building barriers similar to the ones erected by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza.
Oddly enough, the European Union, which has been perhaps the most vociferous critic of the Israeli fence, is at the forefront of this movement.
Tired of Tom?
Last week, the European Union announced that it is planning to construct a security fence that will separate new EU members Poland and Hungary from neighboring Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. The European Union said that the fence was being built not to keep out terrorists, like Israel's, but to "prevent the free movement of migrants seeking to enter" EU territory.
In other words, the European Union wants to prevent illegal immigrants from its impoverished, ex-Soviet neighbors from seeking economic opportunities in EU member states.
This is not an unprecedented move. In recent years, the United States has constructed miles of reinforced fencing along its border with Mexico for much the same reason.
The problem with the proposed EU fence is the utter hypocrisy that comes along with it.
Last month, the European Union voted in favor of a controversial U.N. resolution demanding that Israel dismantle its security fence in the West Bank.
The resolution — which passed by a margin of 150-6 — came after months of harsh criticism by EU officials regarding the Israeli barrier, which has been labeled "contrary to international law" by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
In the eyes of the European Union, the Israeli fence, which is the primary reason that there has been just one successful suicide bombing inside Israel since March, is illegal. But the EU fence, which is being built mainly for economic and not security reasons, is perfectly acceptable. Adding insult to injury, the European Union has, according to reports, even enlisted several leading Israeli contractors to aid in the construction of its barrier.
The European Union's double standard on the fence is nothing new. In 2000, it helped fund the construction of a barrier between the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa and neighboring Morocco.
The Spanish fence, like the one currently being planned for Poland and Hungary, is designed to protect EU member states from illegal immigrants. The European Union also has plans to build a similar fence around the Moroccan town of Melilla.
"It's incredible that the EU has no problem building a fence just to keep illegal immigrants out," a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon recently told the online magazine WorldNetDaily. "But when the Jewish State builds a security fence as a last resort for the purpose of keeping terrorists out and saving Israeli lives, we are blasted by them and the U.N."
Indeed, the United Nations — which has passed more than 400 resolutions against Israel since 1964 — has thus far not contested any of the EU fences. In fact, the United Nations has been silent about a number of security barriers around the world, including one that was, until recently, being erected by Saudi Arabia along its southern border with Yemen.
The Saudis, who have adamantly opposed the Israeli fence, began building their own barrier in 2003, purportedly to keep out smugglers. In February, the project was scrapped — at least temporarily — due to complaints from the Yemeni government.
In India, construction began several months ago on two security fences — one along its border with the disputed territory of Kashmir and the other along its boundary with Bangladesh. India's fences — much like Israel's —are designed to prevent attacks by Islamist militants. Nevertheless, India voted in favor of last month's U.N. resolution condemning Israel's West Bank barrier (which is almost completely comprised of chain link fencing, a far cry from the "apartheid wall" some of its opponents have dubbed it).
Turkey, which has fenced and mined close to 500 miles of its border with Syria, also voted against the Israeli fence. So, too, did Thailand, which is currently constructing a security fence along its border with Malaysia.
Even Botswana and Uzbekistan have erected barriers along their borders with, respectively, Zimbabwe and Kyrgyzstan. Yet both countries voted in favor of the U.N. resolution outlawing the Israeli fence.
None of these countries are locked in a struggle for their very existence, as is Israel. And none of them can even conceive of the nearly 1,000 deaths — most of them civilian — that Israel has suffered at the hands of terrorists since the intifada began nearly four years ago.
All of them, however, can lay claim to at least one thing: self-righteous hypocrisy.

The mensch and the maniac

By BRUCE S. TICKER

Sanity vs. lunacy, compassion vs. contempt.

Dueling words between a Jew and an Arab generated by the Beersheba genocide bombings distinguish one mindset from the other.

Israpundit:
Nissin Vakanin found himself on a guilt trip because another human being died in his place. An Arab woman was elated that her husband sacrificed himself to commit mass murder against Jews.

Vakanin is a mensch who cherishes life. The widow, who was not identified and lives in the West Bank town of Hebron, is a maniac who revels in death.

Their conflicting values – well, Vakanin has values – explain why Jews and Arabs have been killing each other for centuries. Jews love God’s gift of life and a high proportion of Arabs – certainly not all Arabs – can’t stand the idea of people who strive to live life to the fullest being anywhere near them.

The Arabs know full well that Jews are especially vulnerable because they seek to live, and many Arabs see it as their duty to die if it means eliminating Jews and other supposed infidels. How can any reasonable person sympathize with people who think that way?

This is not to justify all policies of the Israeli government, but whether an Ariel Sharon or a Shimon Peres runs Israel they must still contend with these dysfunctional attitudes.

On Tuesday, the 65-year-old Vakanin gave up his front-row seat on the No. 6 bus for a middle-aged woman, and minutes later the bomb exploded. It was one of two buses that were blown up.

“I saw her dead,” Vakanin told The Washington Post. “I saw the body of the guy next to her and it was all ripped up. Then I realized he was the suicide bomber.”

He added, “My conscience is not quiet. I feel guilty that she died and not me.”

The unidentified widow of one of the genocide bombers viewed the event differently. She hailed the bombings as “heroic” and said her husband was “happy in heaven,” according to the Associated Press.

The New York Times reported that in Gaza thousands of Hamas supporters celebrated the deaths of 16 human beings and Hamas distributed a leaflet saying, “If you thought that the martyrdom of our leaders would weaken our missions and discourage us from jihad, then you are dreaming.”

Can anyone imagine losing a loved one for this kind of reason? If they have children, that means they will grow up without a father. And for what?

PA recently released Beersheba bomber

Ahmed Kawasmeh, one of the two suicide bombers who carried out Tuesday's attacks in Beersheba, was released recently from a Palestinian Authority prison, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Sources in Hebron said Kawasmeh, 22, was arrested several months ago by the PA security forces in the city on charges of membership in Hamas and planning attacks against Israel.

They said Kawasmeh was held for several weeks before he was released. It's not clear why he was released or if he had been questioned about his plan to carry out a suicide attack.

A PA security source said he was not surprised when he learned that Qawassmeh was one of the suicide bombers. 'He was well-known as an enthusiastic member of Hamas and he apparently talked to friends about his desire to kill Jews,' he said."

Syria May Face U.N. Resolution

The United States and France introduced a Security Council resolution Wednesday demanding that 20,000 Syrian troops "withdraw without delay" from Lebanon and that Syria stop meddling in the country's November elections. It threatens to consider unspecified "additional measures" against Syria to ensure compliance.

The resolution reflects mounting frustration by Washington and Paris that Syria is seeking to rewrite Lebanon's constitution to guarantee that the country's pro-Syrian leader, President Emile Lahoud, can remain in power after his six-year term ends on Nov. 24.

"The sovereignty and integrity of Lebanon has been taken from it by Syria," said John C. Danforth, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Reuters openly supports Hamas

Here is my letter to Reuters:

In your article which can be seen on Yahoo at http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20040901/wl_nm/mideast_hamas_dc besides the sickening bias that permeates the article making it look like a recruitment letter for Hamas (praising it's will to shed Israeli blood, etc.) also had a number of falsehoods and misrepresentations:

There has not been a 6-month lull in suicide attacks, rather in *successful* suicide attacks *in Israel's pre-1967 borders*. Israel has intercepted many would-be bombers and suicide belts over the past 6 months. And there have been other attacks, including a suicide bomber on Sunday in Gaza killing 4. I know you don't consider settlers or Israeli soldiers to be human, but others may beg to differ. You should pretend to be unbiased occasionally.

Your paragraph " Palestinians regard the barrier, which the World Court has ruled illegal, as a grab of occupied land they want for a state. The World Court has ruled it is illegal." seems a little redundant. Perhaps if you would learn English better it would not appear that you are following Saudi news policy quite so closely.

You state, as fact, "the deaths of at least 3,000 compatriots killed by Israel" - a number which Israel disputes and which seemingly includes suicide bombers, "collaborators" and "work accidents" where Palestinians kill themselves or each other as being "killed by Israel." I suppose that you use the Palestinian definition of "martyr" are meaning "killed by the Zionist state" but, again, the facts show otherwise. Israel can list the name of every Palestinian killed - can your sources who claim "over 3000"? It may be a good idea to get off the editorial soapbox and try reporting - find out the real numbers, without mindlessly repeating Palestinian propaganda as truth.

The article was sickening in tone and reckless with facts. No wonder your "news" service is known as "al-Reuters."

Iran gets closer to the A-bomb

The United Nations said on Wednesday Iran planned to convert a large amount of raw 'yellowcake' uranium into uranium hexafluoride, which one nuclear expert said would be enough to build five atomic bombs.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in the confidential report circulated to diplomats and obtained by Reuters that Iran planned a 'larger test' of a uranium conversion facility 'involving 37 tons of yellowcake.'

David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector and currently president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said this could theoretically result in 100 kg of weapons-grade highly-enriched uranium.

Speaking purely hypothetically, Albright said: 'It's roughly enough for about five crude nuclear weapons of the type Iran could conceivably build.'"

A false calm

On June 26, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat announced he was committed to maintain the cease-fire during the Athens Olympic games, to preserve 'a noble ancient tradition.'

The Olympic games ended on Sunday. Two days later the bubble of false calm - which Israel enjoyed for almost half a year since the suicide bombing in the Ashdod Port on March 14 - burst. During this period, tourists returned to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem's hotels, and the headlines dealt with `A Star is Born' and the gold medal of surfer Gal Fridman.

The official sources do not accept this explanation. They say the attempts at suicide bombings did not cease for a moment, that the Palestinian motivation remained the same, and that during the false calm hundreds of similar incidents were prevented. The disaster in Be'er Sheva yesterday was that a suicide bombing managed to penetrate the Shin Bet and IDF defenses."