Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Iran: Anyone who disagrees that Israel is a dirty microbe is a filthy Zionist

Iran hit out at the European Union on Tuesday for condemning President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s description of Israel as a “dirty microbe”, saying the bloc had given in to pressure from a Zionist lobby.

The EU’s Slovenian presidency had condemned as “unacceptable, damaging and uncivilised” a stream of anti-Israeli comments from Iranian officials since the murder of a top Hezbollah commander.

“The issuing of such a biased statement by the rotating presidency of the European Union is the result of pressure from the international Zionist lobby,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.

“World powers have created a black and dirty microbe named the Zionist regime and have unleashed it like a savage animal on the nations of the region,” Ahmadinejad [had] said.

The foreign ministry warned the Slovenian EU presidency “not to fall into the trap of the Zionist lobby.”

Ah, but Iran has already fallen into our Zionist trap, as we force them to publicly make themselves look even dumber than they already had!

February Qassam Calendar

As usual, this is far from complete, and it is more to show how ignored the Qassam issue is rather than to show how many are being fired. Many Qassams never make it in the news, and the rare times that the IDF publishes statistics shows that I am usually undercounting by about 50%. Also, these are Qassams that make it to Israel; many that are fired explode in Gaza itself.

This list does not include mortars being shot from Gaza, which are usually much more numerous on any given day. It also does not count the occasional rocket from Lebanon. It does count Grad-style rockets that come from Gaza, often to Ashkelon.

February

288 this month.

Previous calendars:

January 2008

December 2007
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February

Saudis try to increase tourism - with polygamy

The New York Times wrote a glowing article about how much fun it is for adventurous people to visit Saudi Arabia:

As part of a group of reforms, the kingdom is trying to develop the country as a tourist destination, first for domestic travelers and later for international ones. Westerners are starting to visit the country on small group tours, a process that has become easier with loosened visa rules.

The country’s starkly different customs are part of the appeal for visitors — some even claim to see advantages in wearing the abaya, the formless black robe that women must wear in public. So are its intact culture, historical sites and unexpected diversity of climate and topography.

...It is a closed country, but a wealthy one, with a mix of modern buildings and ancient architecture. Although non-Muslims cannot see Mecca and Medina (and those with Israeli stamps on their passports cannot enter the country at all), most can visit the old souks of cities like Jidda, which is well-preserved.

...But the biggest draw of Saudi Arabia may be the closed nature of the country itself. The tour operators interviewed for this article said that the majority of clients who went on their Saudi tours were exceptionally well traveled, many having visited 100 countries. Saudi Arabia at this point is a place Western tourists go when they’re looking for something totally different, a culture little touched by the Western world.

The country’s leaders are interested in encouraging the Saudis themselves to move around in their country, believing that the growth of a domestic tourism industry would actually solidify their culture. Families would have more options for traveling together and could see the diversity of their country, which Prince Sultan bin Salman thinks would make them recognize their national unity as “nothing less than a miracle.”

The Saudi desire for increasing internal tourism was discussed in a public meeting ten days before this article was published, so it seems unlikely that the NYT reporter was unaware of one specific proposal raised on how this could be accomplished: by encouraging men to marry multiple wives and keep them far away from each other.

From Youssef Ibrahim:

Here’s an official plan submitted to invigorate tourism in Saudi Arabia: Marry four women, domicile them in corners of the kingdom, travel to visit each during the year, and — boom — you’ve stimulated airline business, hotel occupancy, and car rentals. This was submitted by none less than Hassan Alomair, director of self-development in Saudi Arabia, at a Jeddah conference for the development of internal tourism.

The project combines piety with efficacy by uniting Sharia’s entitlements to multiple wives with economic stimulus, Mr. Alomair argued. Sharing the dais was the female dean of the school of literature at King Faisal University, Dr. Feryal al-Hajeri, who remained silent as he prescribed his harem-induced economic scheming.

Not so with the readers and bloggers on the Saudi daily Al Watan’s website, which lit up on February 12 with commentary. “Why not make it four cows? He can fly around to milk them,” one said. “If that is the mentality of our director of self-development,” another asked, ”how are the others in that department?” There was plenty of accord with Mr. Alomair too. Some saw his idea as a “pillar” for building a true Islamic society, a “refuge” for unmarried Saudi women, and a “cure” for a widening spinster phenomena.

(The entire article is worth reading.)

But the NYT tries to spin the ancient misogynist culture as just part of the fun:

FOR the time being, the experience of visiting Saudi Arabia includes conforming to its norms. No alcohol, pornography or proselytizing materials can be taken into the country. A woman under 30 cannot enter the country without a husband or brother. Women cannot walk about unaccompanied, and they must keep their bodies covered with abayas.

And the Saudis aren’t kidding about it. On a tour she led in 2006, Ms. Zawaideh said, she noticed some Europeans walking around with their husbands, probably business travelers, without abayas or head scarves, and she warned them that the husbands could be arrested for this offense. The women brushed her off, she said, and within an hour, she noticed security people talking with the couples, then taking the men away.

Ms. Zawaideh says that she has no such problem with her clients. Two women wore the abaya all the way to New York, and some found it had the advantages of helping them fit in and protecting against blowing sand.

Joyce Jolley, 76, a retired dental hygienist from Seattle, bought the most severe kind to take home, including a head covering with only an eye-slit opening and a sheer black veil to cover that — more than what Saudi women are required to wear. “It was kind of an adventure,” she said.

Obama vs. Likud

Barack Obama raised up a little dust in a speech to American leaders in Cleveland on Sunday night with this statement:

This is where I get to be honest and I hope I’m not out of school here. I think there is a strain within the pro-Israel community that says unless you adopt a unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel that you’re anti-Israel and that can’t be the measure of our friendship with Israel. If we cannot have a honest dialogue about how do we achieve these goals, then we’re not going to make progress. And frankly some of the commentary that I’ve seen which suggests guilt by association or the notion that unless we are never ever going to ask any difficult questions about how we move peace forward or secure Israel that is non military or non belligerent or doesn’t talk about just crushing the opposition that that somehow is being soft or anti-Israel, I think we’re going to have problems moving forward.

The bolded statement is interesting on a number of levels.

It is curious that Obama is adopting an apparently anti-Likud stance. Likud, after all, was responsible for Camp David and the surrender of the Sinai to Egypt; and Likud was in power when Gaza was abandoned.

Obama's statement seems even more naive when the latest polls in Israel show Likud handily beating Kadima and Labor. As Shmuel Rosner asks, does this mean that a President Obama would not support a Likud prime minister?

Also, as The American Thinker observes, the word "Likud" has turned into a generalized anti-Israel term by the far left, pretty much their equivalent to "Taliban." It is hard to read Obama's comment as anything but influenced by the strong anti-Likud stance of people who clearly are anti-Israel.

But even assuming that all he meant was that the Likud-like positions of the ZOA and other Zionist organizations have taken over the pro-Israel stance in America - not an unreasonable observation - Obama still needs to go a bit beyond this rhetoric and let us know what his specific ideas are about how a final peace agreement between Israel and the Arab world would look.

Americans, by and large, have the erroneous idea that most Israelis want to see essentially all settlements dismantled. However, both Bill Clinton and George Bush at one point realized that there is no realistic way for Israel to give up the major settlement blocs, and acted accordingly. Even the most dovish Israelis cannot countenance the Jerusalem Jewish suburbs and the large blocs being abandoned, but the US has lately been treating them the same as the most isolated settlements. Where does Obama stand?

Does Obama want to see Jerusalem divided again?

How does he expect Israel to deal with missiles shot towards all major Israeli population centers that would result if Israel withdrew from the entire West Bank?

Does he consider the possibility that Hamas could take over the West Bank, either politically or militarily? How should the US react to a democratically-elected Hamas PA government?

Does he consider Gaza as the PA's responsibility, or is it a separate political entity now that would not be included in any peace agreement?

Would further Israeli withdrawals help the "moderates" on the PalArab side - or the extremists?

These are the real questions that Obama - or any candidate - should answer. The answers would reveal whether they have actually thought through on the issues or are just hazily repeating the "land for peace" mantra that is too often used as a substitute for real thought.

Obama's flippant use of Likud as a rhetorical bogeyman indicates that he has not yet reached that stage.

The best autotranslated name

As I try to decipher Arabic articles that are auto-translated into English, proper names are often a problem - because the software translates the names rather than transliterates them. After some time I recognize a few:

French = Shalit
Singer = Mughniyeh
Exhausted = Livni

But I think I finally today deciphered the biggest mystery of all:

Syphilis = Fatah Central Committee member Abdullah Franji

I very often see quotes in the Arabic media from "Syphilis" and it was hard to figure out who he was, but an interview in Firas Press today with him told me his first name was "Abdullah" and showed a picture of him, which narrowed down the field. So here is Mr. Syphilis:

John Dugard, racist

The latest drivel from John Dugard, of the UN Human Rights Council, shows that he shares the same racist tendencies of all "human rights" activists that can "understand" Palestinian Arab terror.

Although the report will come out next month, it includes this gem:

While Palestinian terrorist acts are to be deplored, "they must be understood as being a painful but inevitable consequence of colonialism, apartheid or occupation," writes Dugard, whose 25-page report accuses the Jewish state of acts and policies consistent with all three.

So, like others before him, Dugard thinks that Palestinian Arabs have no ability to tell right from wrong, that they have no ability to think for themselves, and that they have an irresistible urge to perform acts of terror.

In other words, Dugard considers Palestinian Arabs to be akin to animals; they are subhuman beings who react instinctively but without any ability of thought. Their actions are understandable - but deplorable - exactly the way a rabid dog can be understood, but scolded, for biting people.

He makes a distinction between Palestinian terror and Al Qaeda terror, because, of course, Al Qaeda terror is "mindless" while Palestinian Arab terror is against the unjust Jews. Dugard can magically distinguish between the mindset of Al Qaeda and Islamic Jihad, knowing that blowing up Jews in Israel because Israel "occupies" Jaffa is much different than blowing up Spaniards in Madrid because Spain "occupies" Andalusia. Dugard is so amazingly smart that he knows that there is a world of difference where PalArab terror is understandable but Al Qaeda terror is outrageous. This is, as he states it, "common sense."

Certainly, Dugard can "understand" how Hezbollah is so upset over "occupation" that it can attack Jewish community centers in South America - because they obviously support Israeli "apartheid." This personification of human rights can discern very fine distinctions of what is considered "understandable" and what goes over the line. He can, after all, show a measure of empathy for one type of terror - because it is done by innocent, unthinking animals - while show horror for the other type of terror.

It takes a very strong commitment to human rights to distinguish between disco bombings in Bali and in Tel Aviv, and John Dugard is just the person to do it. Because when the bombers are Palestinian Arabs, or the victims are Jews worldwide, their rage can be understood and the blame can be placed on Israel.

The other cases of terror are just immoral.

Considering Palestinian Arab terrorists to be subhuman is just a single example of the racism of the Left - excusing and understanding the actions of those who, according to people like Dugard, are simply mentally unfit to be responsible for what they do.

Iranian anti-espionage video

This video was broadcast a year ago on Iranian TV (not, as some think, in the past few days) but it is a fascinating look at Iranian propaganda, not to mention its computer graphics skills.

It features a scary cabal of:

John McCain – a senior White House official, who orchestrates numerous conspiracies against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

George Soros – a Jewish tycoon and the mastermind of ultra-modern colonialism. He uses his wealth and slogans like liberty, democracy, and human rights to bring the supporters of America to power.

Gene Sharp – the theoretician of civil disobedience and velvet revolutions, who has published treatises on this subject. He is one of the CIA agents in charge of America's infiltration into other countries.

Bill Smith – one of the CIA's senior experts on Iranian affairs. For many years, he has maintained close ties with Iranian opposition groups.

It is hokey but it shows that Iran is very nervous about internal spies.

Particularly funny is the part where the spy's sister gets told that his sentence will be lenient because he helped the investigators. Yeah - they'll behead him a little quicker.

Hamas attacks woman student in Gaza university - with an axe

The near-total news blackout that Hamas enforces on Gaza makes it very hard to find stories like these.

IMEMC reports:

Sources within Fateh movement reported on Monday that Hamas security forces attacked a with an axe female student of Al Azhar University in Gaza after breaking into the campus.

The sources stated that Hamas gunmen and security men broke into Al Azhar University and struck Tharwat Abdul-Qader with an axe on her head inflicting serious wounds.

Fateh stated that this attack is part of several recent attempts carried by Hamas-controlled forces and gunmen to control facilities controlled by Fateh movement.

The Fatah-leaning Al-Hayat al-Jadida (Arabic) mentions the attack, saying that the university re-opened today after the incident. Al-Hayat makes it sound like the student was struck in the chest with a hatchet.

Canada gives welfare for Muslim polygamists?

I missed this story from a couple of weeks ago, originally in the Toronto Sun:

Hundreds of GTA [Greater Toronto Area] Muslim men in polygamous marriages -- some with a harem of wives -- are receiving welfare and social benefits for each of their spouses, thanks to the city and province, Muslim leaders say.

Mumtaz Ali, president of the Canadian Society of Muslims, said wives in polygamous marriages are recognized as spouses under the Ontario Family Law Act, providing they were legally married under Muslim laws abroad.

"Polygamy is a regular part of life for many Muslims," Ali said yesterday. "Ontario recognizes religious marriages for Muslims and others."

He estimates "several hundred" GTA husbands in polygamous marriages are receiving benefits. Under Islamic law, a Muslim man is permitted to have up to four spouses.

However, city and provincial officials said legally a welfare applicant can claim only one spouse. Other adults living in the same household can apply for welfare independently.

The average recipient with a child can receive about $1,500 monthly, city officials said.

In addressing the issue of polygamous marriages, the preamble to the Ontario Family Law Act states: "In the definition of 'spouse,' a reference to marriage includes a marriage that is actually or potentially polygamous, if it was celebrated in a jurisdiction whose system of law recognizes it as valid. R.S.O. 1990, c. F.3, s. 1 (2)."

"There are many people in the community who are taking advantage of this," Ali said. "This is a law and there's nothing wrong with it."

Immigration officials said yesterday that polygamous marriages aren't allowed in Canada, but that contradicts the provincial law.

"Canada is a very liberal-minded country," Ali said. "Canada is way ahead of Britain in this respect."

He said Britain recently began permitting husbands to collect benefits for each of their wives.

The British government recently admitted that nearly a thousand men are living legally with multiple wives in Britain. Although the families are entitled to claim social security for each wife, the department for work and pensions said it has not counted how many are on benefits.

In Canada, Ali said, the man and his main wife and children enter Canada as landed immigrants. The other spouses are sponsored or arrive as visitors to join their husband to share one home.

The families receiving benefits didn't want their identities released because it can lead to questions by authorities on how they entered Canada and can mean an end to their benefits, Ali said.

Brenda Nesbitt, the city's director of social services, said benefits are only paid to one spouse and names and addresses are cross-checked for possible fraud.

"There may be polygamous cases we are not aware off," Nesbitt said yesterday. "They can apply as single people and we won't know."

Palestinian children take part in a human chain protest near Erez crossing with Gaza, calling for an end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip February 25, 2008. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Palestinian youths gather at a fence during a protest calling for the end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip near the Erez Crossing in Beit Hanoun, Monday, Feb. 25, 2008. Israel deployed thousands of troops and police officers along the volatile border with the Gaza Strip on Monday, fearing a mass demonstration by the Hamas militant group against Israel's blockade of Gaza would turn violent and spill into Israel. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Quick - where do you think this fence is?

If you answer that it is obviously the border fence between Gaza and Israel, you lose. While this is clearly the what the photographers want to imply in showing poor, photogenic Palestinian Arab kids on the "other side" of some fence, this is clearly not the border. It was certainly easy enough for the photographers to walk around to the other side of this fence.

In the unbelievably sickening LA Times article about the fizzled "human chain" protest yesterday ("The demonstration is mostly peaceful, though 11 rockets are fired into Israel.") it mentions that "Palestinian organizers ... ordered demonstrators to stay at least 1,100 yards from the border."

So this fence that the wire service photographers are showing was over a half mile away from Israel. While the captions did not explicitly say that this was the border fence that handsome Arab boys were pasting their faces against, the implication is obvious.

Yet another way that pictures can lie.

Satellite channel to "defend the Prophet"

Saba News says,in broken English:

Prime Minister Ali Mujawar called for international resolution that criminates any insult against religions and enhances the respect for beliefs of peoples.

...Mujawar added that publishing the drawings is not among concepts of freedom of expression and insults regions of others under this pretext which is against human values and laws of human rights.

He urged scholars, academicians and media to highlight life of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) among society.

Scholar Mohammed al-Hajari delivered a speech on behalf of Yemeni scholars saying hat any insult against prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is an insult for other prophets too, calling on Parliament to issue decision to ban any ties with any one insults Islam.

For his part, chairman of the Al-Iman University, sheikh Abdul-Majid al-Zandani revealed that the university is working to set up a satellite channel in Arabic and English to highlight features of Islam.

This satellite channel will not only preach, though. From Al-Yemen.org (autotranslated):

Yemen announced on Monday, the inauguration of the satellite channel to defend the Holy Prophet peace be upon him, and to monitor all the abuses and coordination with the Islamic and international response thereto.

Al-Sheikh said: "The waiting abusers of the Arab nation and the Islamic answer, in order to be useful and answer reactions are safe and permanent, we announced the formation of the Yemeni defence of the Prophet peace be upon him; to monitor abuses and coordination with the Islamic and international response to the to be moving at the cultural and media in each incident, in addition to try to cause boycotting Danish. "

So the channel will dig through all Western sources it can find to look for insults of Islam, and plan appropriate responses - like riots, or boycotts.

Because nothing shows the glory and power of your god than to have to defend him from some cartoons.

The biggest recent events in the political JBlogosphere

Members of the political JBlogosphere often are frustrated that our message is not "getting out" to a larger audience, and that we are preaching to the choir (so to speak.) While sometimes one of us hits a "home run", for the most part we are part of an echo chamber.

In the past few weeks, while there has been no sea-change, the echo chamber has expanded significantly. The reason? The new feature at Little Green Footballs that allows any registered user there to post interesting links.

I don't know about others, but my hit count has roughly doubled since I started posting links to selected articles here, and judging from the number of links I'm seeing by many other JBloggers I suspect that their numbers have been impacted as well.

Now, LGF mostly attracts readers who are pro-Israel anyway, but it does become a showcase for news stories and original posts that otherwise would have a much more limited audience. The links there have become a great place to find other news items as well.

For me, there is a slight downside, as I see that my postings now tend more towards unearthing news stories that most wouldn't have seen and only posting brief comments, as opposed to longer articles. I'm not sure if this is because of LGF or just me being busier with other things. Both types of posts are, I think, valuable.

Another recent event of note is the start of Israel ENews, an on-line magazine that showcases a large number of authors from the far right to the far left, and one where a few JBloggers have gotten to write articles as well. (They offered to have me write for them, but I am trying to figure out how to do it while staying anonymous.) I do not see too much discussion in the articles listed there and I don't know if it has gained any traction, but it is listed as a news source in Google News which ensures a more eclectic readership.

Writing a blog is great and rewarding, but we need to come up with ways of increasing our influence and making a difference. G-d knows Israel is clueless in making its own case.

The Incredible Stretching Palestinian Arabs

From Arab News:

Thousands of Palestinians formed a human chain yesterday morning, stretching 41 kilometers along the border with Israel from north to south, in protest against a crushing Israeli blockade.
The human chain extended from the Salah Al-Deen Gate on the border between Gaza and Egypt in the south until the “Eretz” crossing point in the north of the Strip.
Organizers had forecast 40,000 to 50,000 participants but only about 4,500 people turned out in inclement weather.

So first the Arab News says that the "human chain" stretched for 41 kilometers, and then it says that 4500 people showed up.

Which means that each person must have taken up over 9 meters of linear space (about 30 feet.)

Now, that's flexible!

Also, for context:
Hamas got 4000 protesters last Friday in an anti-Mohammed cartoon rally.
Tens of thousands protested the Annapolis talks late last year.
Thousands typically come out for funerals.
Fatah's rally last November attracted 250,000 people.
Hamas' rally in December got 200,000 participants.

And the 4500 included thousands of children bussed in by their schools.

Which means that Gazans pretty much choose to protest only when the rallies are close to home.

Blood on his hands - literally

Ma'an Arabic, in a story about a possible reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas yesterday being negotiated by Yemen, bizarrely illustrated the article with this picture:

The caption was: "Palestinian on his hands the blood of sacrificial lamb."

But, besides that, they are just like us!

Even when Israel does hasbara, it stinks

I saw this article in the Arabic Palestine Press Agency: (autotranslated)

In light of the presence of dozens of foreign journalists near the crossing "Sufa" which is scheduled to be launched from smooth human blockade to protest the Gaza invitation of the People's Committee to meet the siege, the occupation authorities this morning, cargo trucks entering into the sector.

The Hebrew radio Assembly to the Israeli army located at the Sufa crossing allowed sixty truck packed goods pass to the Gaza Strip.

At first, I thought, "Finally! Israel is actually being pro-active!" It is high time that Israel gets journalists to see trucks filled with goods being shipped into Gaza, showing that the "siege" is not a siege. Why can Hamas and Hezbollah bring journalists to handpicked news events and not Israel? While it is hardly a huge story, it should deserve some exposure, right?

It was covered by Infolive TV and Arutz-7 , both Israeli news outlets. Indirectly, EuropeNews picked up on the InfoLive TV story.

And that's it. Even though there were journalists there, practically none converted it into a story.

Now, I don't know if PalPress is accurate in describing "dozens" of journalists there, but clearly there was a disconnect between what Israel tried to show and what the journalists saw. Palestinian Arabs can always find a "hook" that intrigues journalists - children holding candles or other made-for-the-camera staged events or protests. Every two-bit masked terrorist can call a press conference and guarantee a turnout of lazy journalists willing to take notes and photos.

Here, a real event occurred - not earthshaking, but certainly newsworthy - and it was ignored.

Is anyone in the Israeli government noticing things like this and following up?

The EuropeNews article points out indirectly part of the problem. It mentions:

Since June 16, 2007, when partial restrictions were imposed after the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip, 16,778 trucks have passed through the border crossings delivering 385,361 tons of goods and more than 29.3 million gallons (112 million liters) of fuel. [7]

Israel facilitates the transfer of supplies into Gaza, including food, medicine and fuel via five crossing terminals into the Gaza Strip: Erez, Karni, Nahal-Oz, Sufa and Kerem Shalom (see map below).

The crossings continued to operate on Feb. 21. During that time 3,649 tons were transferred through the crossings into Gaza including:

* 164 tons of rice;
* 293 tons of fruit and vegetables;
* 106 tons of flour and yeast;
* 1,872 tons of wheat;
* 504 tons of animal feed;
* 16 tons of medical supplies;
* 160,088 gallons (606.000 liters) of fuel;
* 306 tons of heating gas.[8]

The following goods have been transferred through the various crossings into Gaza since June 16, 2007 (information correct as of Feb. 21):[9]

Karni Crossing (goods): 132,786 tons, principally wheat and animal feed and also other raw commodities such as barley, corn and soya beans.

Sufa Crossing (goods): 155,539 tons, including general food products such as flour, rice, milk powder, fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy products, sugar and medicines.

Kerem Shalom Crossing (goods): 97,037 tons

Nahal Oz Crossing (fuel): 3,449 tankers with 32,429 tons of heating gas; more than 2.4 million gallons (9 million liters) of benzine (gasoline); more than 13.2 million gallons (50.1 million liters) of diesel for automobiles; and 16.7 million gallons (63.2 million liters) of diesel for the Gaza power station.

From Nov. 2007 - Jan. 18, 2008, 71 truckloads of flowers were exported from Gaza into Israel.

The reference it gives is to this website - in Hebrew only, hard to navigate, and one has to really dig to find out this information.

Why does the Government of Israel make good information so hard to find? This is a hasbara failure of massive proportions. As we have seen countless times when looking at media bias inthe Middle East, reporters will report news that is handed to them; most of them will not work hard for stories when they can be drinking instead.