Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Le Monde: Hamas isn't really that bad!

An op-ed in Le Monde, written by a former French official, shows that there are still plenty of very stupid people in Europe:

Hamas is known as as "terrorist" or "resistant", the movement has become the central part of the dispute with Israel. The Islamist movement, this durable, politically and socially in the territories, will partner in the peace process.

I stayed in Gaza twice during which I met the political leadership of Hamas. I came away with the impression that the Islamist movement continues its transformation began in 2005 through its participation in municipal elections, then legislative elections in 2006 he won everything provided by membership in response to the failure of the Palestinian Authority and corruption which undermines Fatah. This commitment in the electoral process that previously excluded in the name of Islamic ideology has created tensions within the movement and is now considered anathema to Al Qaeda.
Since then, Hamas has evolved significantly in terms of ideology. It no longer refers to its charter inspired Islamist radical nor does the destruction of Israel and the extermination of Jews, but contains anti-Semitic references on the topic of global conspiracy that would have created the Hebrew state. When we suggest the abolition of the charter (written in 1987), leaders of the movement say that it "was not adopted by a Hamas" and that "only references are the platform and the election policy, "presented by Ismail Haniyeh during his investiture by the Palestinian parliament in January 2006.
Reading these two texts confirms the movement's ideological evolution in a more Islamist nationalism. The failure of national unity government in March 2007 and control by force the territory of Gaza in June led by radical Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, did not upset this trend .
The Europeans have put three conditions: renouncing violence, accepting past agreements between the PLO and recognition of the State of Israel. This is the dogma that closes any prospect....

You see? Murderers from Hamas told a French diplomat that they really don't hate the blood-sucking Jews, that their still-extant charter is not really very important, and that Haniyeh is just a cuddly teddy bear - so why shouldn't he believe them?

And how dare the stupid EU insist that Hamas recognize Israel, accept past agreements and renounce terror! That's just crazy talk, meant to punish the wonderful people of Hamas, and utterly unrealistic. Hamas is plenty moderate already - to ask them to stop murdering women and children is just humiliation!

When you are already infected with vile misozionistic or anti-semitic tendencies, the tiniest whispers of "moderation" take on huge new meanings and the pesky counterproofs are dismissed. For an example of the latter, here is what a cleric said on Hamas' own TV channel last month:

The Koran warns against the hostility of the Jews, whom it presents as the worst enemies of the Muslims: "You will find that the people strongest in enmity for those who believe are the Jews and the polytheists."

This verse exemplifies how deeply rooted is the Jewish enmity toward Islam and the Muslims. The fire of hatred was ignited in their hearts, when they realized that the Prophet who was sent was not one of their own. Beforehand, "they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve," but when he was sent, they denied him. Therefore, the Prophet waged a lengthy Jihad against them, which continues to this day, and will continue until the day of their annihilation, Allah willing.

The Jews are known to be treacherous. They murdered their own prophets. Ibn Mas'oud said: The Israelites would kill 300 Prophets in a single day, and then they would go shopping for vegetables. After killing 300 men, they would go to the market, as if nothing happened. Ibn Mas'oud said that the Israelites killed 43 Prophets in a single hour, first thing in the morning. When 170 Israelites enjoined the killers to be virtuous and to refrain from vice, they were all killed in a single hour at the end of the day. Killing comes naturally to them. We're talking about a time when they didn't possess the enormous military arsenal that they have today. All they had were swords. When the Prophet Muhammad went to Al-Madina... We don't harbor hatred toward anyone. We are hostile to the Jews only because they occupied our land and defiled our holy places. That's why we declared war against them.

We are honored to be the spearhead in defense of the honor of the Arab and Islamic nation in the face of these apes and pigs. This, however, does not exempt the Arabs from their responsibility, about which Allah will reckon with them on the Day of Judgment.

You see, since Hamas leaders didn't quote these words to him verbatim, and the words that they have written down that say the same thing were written in 1987, our brilliant writer just knows, deep in his heart, that Hamas doesn't agree with what it shows on the TV stations it owns and controls. We just need to show a little more trust with the terrorists, to understand them a bit better, to read their minds and between their words to know that they are really moderates who shout their Jew-hatred only to keep up appearances.

Don't believe what they say to their own people dozens of times a day - believe what they tell a gullible French sycophant who is just itching to show that he is relevant.

UN Follies of the Day

Folly #1:

Yesterday, the UN gave out a series of Human Rights Prizes, an event that happens every five years. One of the recipients is Ramsay Clark, who has been described as "the war criminal's best friend," for defending Nazi murderers, PLO terrorists (in the Leon Klinghoffer lawsuit), Slobodan Milošević, and Saddam Hussein.

Folly #2:

The current General Assembly President, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, upon learning that Israel's ambassador to the UN would be speaking on Human Rights Day as the rotating representative of Western nations, tried to stop her speech. When Europeans objected strongly, he decided to add speakers who are openly hostile to Israel.

This same person hugged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he visited the UN, and has called for a global campaign of "boycott, divestment, and sanctions" against Israel. He has never publicly condemned Hamas rocket attacks aganst Israel.

Folly #3:

In yesterday's UN press conference, the General Assembly President's spokesperson made very clear that Brockmann is attempting to restructure the UN so that the General Assembly resolutions become mandatory, not recommendations, thus rendering the Security Council ineffective and turning the UN into an even bigger joke than it already is, as it would be utterly hijacked by despotic regimes.

A 22-year old died from injuries he received in a tunnel fire under Rafah three days ago.

Israel is sending some 110 trucks of aid to Gaza today, marking the third day in a row that humanitarian aid is allowed to Gaza. This despite a Qassam rocket yesterday and a mortar the day before shot from Gaza to Israel.

Iran claims that they are sending a ship to Gaza.

And here are some pictures of poor, oppressed, starving Gaza kids celebrating Eid al Adha. Since the pictures were a little too happy, the photographer made sure he framed a picture to make it look like the amusement park was inside a prison.

The 2008 PalArab self-death count is now at 218.

Morning headlines

Here are some stories in the world press that you may have missed:

Rachel Ehrenfeld and Samuel Abady write the best case against Islamic ("sharia") banking I have seen yet, in the Washington Times.

While some Israel-bashing British academics frolic in Gaza, the University of College Union (UCU) in Britain voted against any boycott of Israeli universities:

Instead of pushing for a boycott of Israel, the UCU says that it will now research and publish a report on academic freedom in a number of countries, including the Palestinian territories.

Besides the third day in a row of humanitarian aid, Israel also approved transferring 100 million shekels to Gaza to stem their cash flow crisis.

Abbas: "Free Gaza" a joke, PA pays 70,000 Gazans

In a long interview with the Palestine Press Agency, Mahmoud Abbas was asked about the "Free Gaza" ships to break the "siege" around Gaza. Here was his answer:

This is a ridiculous game called "break the siege" ... Yes, there are ships that sail off the port of Larnaca, Cyprus. First the Israeli embassy takes all passports of the passengers of the vessel to ensure the identities of the passengers and then examine what assistance will be on the ship. Secondly the Israeli navy ensures those on the ship and cargo loaded, before allowing them to continue the trip to Gaza .. Where is the blockade being broken?. Some States said they would send ships .. Where are those ships?

... If you want to send aid to Gaza, why not Tersloha[?] via Egypt or Jordan .. Egypt reaches everything as well as Jordan. Consequently, this is cheap, false propaganda and not the first nor the last time.

He also admitted yet again that 58% of the PA budget goes to Gaza, something which surprised the interviewer:

Q: 58 per cent of the [PA] budget is spent on the Strip?

A: Yes, 58 per cent of our budget goes to Gaza, including the salaries of 77 thousand employees. A few days before, "one Hamas leader« island », Israel prevented the introduction of 240 million shekels to the Gaza Strip and the source of these millions is power. We say to them that there Kerem Shalom crossing, Karni and Erez and Sofer .. To work to open the crossings and keeping them open .. The Rafah crossing, we will try to reopen the agreement with all parties .. And respond to either open the Rafah crossing or all crossings remain closed .. Such as what happened in the case of pilgrims .. Their own logic was either go out to her Hajj Visa or one would not even carry the Visa ..

Which means that Gazans get twice as much of our tax dollars, per capita, than West Bankers.

"Slaughter the Jews"

Remember how Islamists always say to Western audiences that they are not against Jews, but only Zionists?

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from speeches by Arab Islamic leaders expressing solidarity with Gaza, which aired on Al-Manar and Al-Aqsa TV, December 3 and 5, 2008.

Sheik Himam Sa'id, Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan: Oh noble Gaza, raise your head high. You have made the Muslims raise their heads high. And you, people of Hebron – you are now waging a war against the Jews. You are well-versed in this. We saw how, on a day in 1929, you slaughtered the Jews in Hebron. Today, slaughter them on the land of Hebron. Kill them in Palestine. Arise, oh people of Palestine, all the people of Palestine – arise in defense of your Al-Aqsa Mosque, arise in defense of Nablus and Hebron. Arise and face the [PA] Preventive Security forces. Fear them not, for they are rabbits. They are wolves, so fear them not, oh lions.

[...]

Oh young men, what will you say to the Jordanian government? Expel the Jewish ambassador from Amman. Amman is pure, and the Jewish ambassador must not defile its soil. Recall the Jordanian ambassador from Palestine. Only mujahideen should be in Palestine - not ambassadors, not ministers, or any representative of this nation. Do not recognize the ambassador of this nation in Palestine. Palestine is the land of Jihad, of sacrifice, and of preparation. We say to this government: Stop normalization with the Jews. Stop all imports and exports with the Jews. Our markets are full of Jewish vegetables and Jewish fruits. Traders who bring these fruits and vegetables are traitors, collaborators. Tell them this. Make them hear our voice. The position of the religious scholars is that anyone who trades with the Jews is a traitor and collaborator.

[...]

Husan Abdallah, Lebanese Association of Islamic Scholars: I say on behalf of the Association of Islamic Scholars: The truce with the Zionist entity is meaningless. The solution is to renew the resistance in a stronger and more effective way. Let pure bodies blow up again in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and in all the cities of occupied Palestine, because this enemy understands nothing but the language of force.

[...]

To the courageous Egyptian people we say: Arise and bring down the artificial border, and bring food and medicine to your besieged brothers in Gaza. The Egyptian people is required to display an act of violence, even if they go to jail, even if they die – they will be martyrs for the sake of Allah.

[...]

Osama Hamdan, Hamas Representative in Lebanon: Our goal is to liberate all of Palestine, from the river to the sea, from Rosh Hanikra to Umm Al-Rashrash [Eilat]. From Gaza, gentlemen... We do not want a state 364 square kilometers in size, nor do we want a state which we had to beg for at the negotiating table. Such a state will never come to be. What we want is a free state, which maintains its dignity, 27,000 square kilometers in size – the size of Palestine in its entirety.

(h/t Israel Matzav via jhrhv)

Peaceful Palestinian Arabs, yet again

In Palestine Today's photo essay of Palestinian Arabs thronging to the courtyard of the Al Aqsa mosque during Eid al Adha, we see this giant banner draped over the entrance:

Looking closer, we see:

A map of "Palestine".

Which does not show Israel as existing.

Neither does it show any of historic Eastern Palestine, on the other side of the Jordan.

So no one can argue that they are just depicting a map of "Palestine" as it existed for centuries, because that map would look something like this the picture on the right.

The Negev isn't a part of it, and the western parts of Jordan are.

Once again, we see that the definition of "Palestine", according to "Palestinians," is whatever territory Israel happens to control at that point in time. It has nothing to do with age-old conflict nor does it have anything to do with historical facts - the desire for a Palestinian Arab state is simply the desire to destroy the Jewish state. Otherwise, they would be pining for much of Jordan.

The Palestinian Arabs have not the least compunction about publicly declaring their desire to see Israel destroyed, using huge signs, in full view of tens of thousands of people. (This is not even mentioning the Fatah logo, the maps shown in schools, and so on, which all echo the same desire to annihilate Israel.)

And the West refuses to notice.

A diplomatic victory

For once, Israel did something right:

The European Union's 27 foreign ministers unanimously approved upgrading relations with Israel on Monday, despite vigorous efforts by the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to thwart the move.

The first expression of this decision will be a first-of-its-kind meeting between Israel's prime minister and all the leaders of the EU member states in Brussels this April.

Separately, the ministers decided to shelve a proposed action plan for the peace process in 2009, in response to Israeli pressure.

Throughout some 18 months of talks on the upgraded relationship, Egypt, the PA and other Arab countries lobbied against it. At the least, the Arabs argued, the upgrade should be conditioned on an Israeli settlement freeze.

As a result of the upgrade in relations, Israel's foreign minister will start meeting three times a year with all 27 EU foreign ministers. Other ministers will meet once a year with their European counterparts. Israel and the EU will also conduct a strategic dialogue on issues such as the peace process, the Iranian threat, counterterrorism and organized crime. In addition, the EU pledged to help Israel integrate into UN agencies and to include Israeli experts in EU peacekeeping forces.

If I had to guess, Livni probably managed to convince the Europeans by saying that it would prop up her chances of staying in power rather than a more right-wing government.

Anyway, PA prime minster Fayyad is not happy:

Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad expressed disappointment at the decision of the European Council of Ministers on upgrading relations between the European Union and Israel.

Fayyad said 'appreciate that this decision missed a very important opportunity by the European Union to positively influence Israel towards the rules of international law, as well as abide by the agreement and the spirit of partnership between the EU and Israel, in terms of respect for human rights'

Was this picture drawn by:

A) A precocious fourth grader?
B) A mentally challenged 35-year old?
C) A prisoner taking an art class?

The answer is, of course, none of the above (although B is a possibility.) It is from our old friend Anis, proudly displayed on his website!

And if I know Anis, he'll threaten me for "copyright violation" by reproducing his "art" here.

"Free Gaza" sails again. No one cares.

It looks like Israel's decision to ignore the "Free Gaza" freaks is paying off. Their fourth boat of publicity hounds arrived in Gaza yesterday to the collective apathy of Gazans themselves, let alone the world.

Their "ton of medical supplies and high-protein baby formula" that it brought is dwarfed by the aid that evil Israel brought in to Gaza yesterday as well - some 70 truckfuls of food and other supplies, along with fuel pumped through Nahal Oz. (Another 55 trucks are due today. Each truck probably holds at least 3 tons.)

Only a couple of dozen Gazans came to watch the circus, and the only TV coverage came from Iran's Press TV.

Meanwhile, Free Gaza's debt continues to grow. They seem to be "cooking the books" - if you compare their bizarre thermometer graphic from October to the one on their website today, you will see that they are now claiming to have spent less total money than they had two months ago!

October:

Today:

Somehow, through the miracle of modern accounting, the total amount the have spent went from $740,000 down to $654,000!

If you assume that they really mean that they spent $866,000 that the graphic indicates, this means that their debt has increased to $430,000 today from $415,000 indicated in the October chart. Their business model, which is that they would make money from a combination of leftists and "passenger fees" (which seem to have disappeared - I doubt that the UK moonbat teachers on this boat ponied up $1,000 each for the voyage) is falling apart.

But given that they are now linking to Iranian news stories, and Iran is the only country that pretends to care about Gazans as much as the Freaks do, perhaps they are working on a deal with their tolerant pals in Tehran.

Neo-Nazis going bananas over Chicago Tribune story

The LA Daily points out some of the comments being made at "White Power" sites like Stormfront and Vanguard News Network in response to today's news that the Chicago Tribune is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Most interesting is this comments from "Bob R." which I reproduce in all its glory:

what this means is, this guy was nothing more than a front person for Jewish Bankers to buy up the media conglomeration that owns TV stations across the country. The Jew bankers are the ones who decided his 300 million dollars was enough equity to loan him 8 billion dollars, it's all a fictional, fairy tale rationalization for laundering money, but soon the Jews won't need to come up with any excuse for flooding the economy will bullshit money, because Americans will all be mulattos and MTV retards who don't understand anything I"m saying.

Jews do this to every business that gets fairly large, they simply have some rich, swaggering guy, as a front man go around and buy them up in 'leveraged' buyouts, but they are simply frontmen for the Jews, and they immediately fire all the white males, ship the factories to Mexico, start importing all their parts from Asia, begin using the corporation to hire niggers and hot white women and put them in the same room all day, and they slap their occult satanic logos all over the company.

John McCain's wife said her favorite show is the X-files. This show is mind scrambling non-sense that has very little plot continuity, soon we will have female governors and senators who can't figure out that the show doesn't actually make any sense.

He's got it all figured out!

Bob R. seems to be a regular commenter, with dozens of posts just today; here's another prime example of the mentality of today's deranged racists:

women have been driven insane by Jew/Nigger culture. White males don't go out having sex with black women in Britain, white women do, so of course they will have more 'partners'. 'Partners' is a totally faggified term , btw, homosexuals have destroyed our culture. These people belong in padded rooms in straight jackets so they cannot masterbate.

Eid: The festival of sexual harassment

From the Daily News Egypt:

More than 50 men were arrested on Monday, the first day of Eid Al-Adha, in downtown Cairo for alleged acts of sexual harassment targeting women in the street.
Fearing a repeat of acts that tend to happen on the first day every Eid, the Interior Ministry ordered a campaign to crack down on any further incidents, which led to the arrests.
The 50 were taken in and police reports filed against them for various offences including verbal harassment and catcalling, according to the local press. The men are currently in custody and will soon be referred to the prosecutor’s office.
Apparently, 15 of the men arrested are from governorates outside Cairo, including Menufia and Kafr El Sheikh, and had come to Cairo for the holidays.
On the first day of Eid El Fitr in October in Mohandiseen, 150 young men aged 15-22, physically attacked female pedestrians, tearing off some of their clothes. Thirty-eight of them were arrested; last month a teenager was sentenced to a year in prison for assaulting two women.
Two years ago the first case of organized sexual harassment occurred Downtown after a film premier, triggering a public debate over women’s safety on Egyptian streets and the inaction of police.
According to a survey conducted and released by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights, 83 percent of Egyptian women and 98 percent of foreign women in Egypt have been subjected to some form of sexual harassment.

Previous stories:
Hijab women get harassed more in Egypt
Honor/shame and sexual harassment in Egypt
40% of Egyptian women have been sexually abused

Egyptians against Jewish pilgimage to holy man's grave

An interesting article in Palestine Today that shows the real hatred that Egyptians have for Jews:

With the advent of the month of December each year comes the renewed desire of Jews to converge on the village of Dmitoh, in a province north of the lake Egypt, to the grave of "Abu Hatezira". Israelis and Jews come from Europe and the United States to commemorate the birth of the Jewish rabbi, blessed him and asking for miraculous cures.

The cause of headaches suffered by the people of the village is the strict security measures by the security forces to protect the Jewish revelers that anger the villagers, who doubt the existence of the Jewish Rabbi Abuhatzeira altogether, describing it as "another foothold of Jews in Egypt", as described, as well complaints about practices of the Jewish revelers from the "slaughter of pigs and drinking, dance and exercising unethical behavior," according to reports.

Politicians and activists and MPs are trying to collect one million signatures to demand a halt to the celebration of the birth of Abuhatzeira, to be held in the twenty-fifth month of January next year. A number of lawmakers involved in the campaign, their intention to progress a memo of protest to Dr. Ahmed Fathy Sorour, President of the People's Assembly, to stop this ceremony.

A number of bloggers, for the second consecutive year, also launched an online campaign against the celebration of the birth of Abuhatzeira,

The bloggers who are demanding to prevent celebrations by the Jews in Egypt said that the tomb of Abuhatezira had no visitors for a hundred years. A court ruling five years ago to abolish this celebration has still not been implemented.

A second group , in which the young owners of the Egyptians refused to establish a "birth of the alleged Abu Hasira," rejected "the Zionist set foot on Egyptian soil to the orgy," according to the expression.

Has announced a number of lawyers who succeeded in obtaining judicial rulings preventing stop-born Jews from the assembly; their intention to renew their jurisdiction to compel the government to implement judicial decisions, and to prevent "this harassment and moral pollution" caused by the Israelis and the Jews of Europe to the people of the village.

According to Jewish sources; Abuhatzeira is a Jewish cleric named Jacob Aharon, was born in Morocco in 1807 who came to Egypt and lived there, and died in 1880, which has the respect and appreciation of many sectors of the Jews.

But Mustafa Raslan, a lawyer and a son of the village of Dmitoh, filed a lawsuit in which he called for cessation of Jewish celebrations on the ground of his home town, which claims that Abuhatzeira was not Jewish, but a Muslim who lived in Marrakech, Morocco named Mohammed bin Yousef bin Yacob, who was a cobbler of shoes for the Egyptians, and completed seven of the Kaaba Hjat supervisor, according to his assertions.

But only since 1978, following the signing of the "Camp David", have the religious Israelis been seeking to formally organize trips to the village to celebrate the birth of Abuhatzeira that they allege to be "a man of blessings", sometime between December and February evey year.

The number of visitors has increased from a few dozen to a few hundreds and then thousands, arriving each year from occupied Palestine and the West and other countries, despite protests by Egyptian people about the unwanted visitors, which turned the lives of peasants in this village to "hell" because of the security measures that turn the village into a closed area involving searching every car.

And often start the celebration on 25 December get out of hand, where there is an auction for who will enter his tomb first [guess at translation - EoZ], followed by alcoholic operations spilled over the cemetery, and then the slaughter of sacrifices that are often sheep or pigs, roasting meat, and dancing. Celebrants then hysterically sing Jewish melodies as they become almost naked, and then say some prayers, entreaties and tears to the tomb, burning, beating their heads in the Wailing Wall and asked for their needs, according to witnesses.

The cemetery has seen some expansion with the increasing number of arrivals, and the covering of marble shrine, Jewish and fees, especially at the entrance to the tomb. Then he started annexation of some land and build a fence around it, and then the facilities like Balastrahat, a room equipped, and expanded the cemetery from 350 square meters to 8400 square meters. The Jewish parties also sought to purchase five acres adjacent to the cemetery, in order to build a hotel for the visitors to sleep during the celebration.

Observers believe that the Israeli government is keen via its embassy in Egypt to amplify and expand the size of the celebration, with the participation of diplomats, is bringing special planes carrying a large delegation of rabbis, as well as requests for financial aid to the Egyptian government to establish a bridge linking the village, where the shrine by Alawi access to the nearby city of Damanhour, so that the Jews access to it, and fired on the bridge also the name of Abu Hasira.

What increased the anger of the people of the village, a decision by the Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, was No. 75 of 2001, to incorporate the cemetery Abu Hasira to the Egyptian Antiquities Authority, which make the disposal or transfer as demanded by the people of the village difficult.

The lawyers opposed this decision in the courts, rendering the Administrative Judicial Court in Alexandria, the lake, on 9 December 2001 ruling to stop the Culture Minister's decision as the tomb of Abu Hasira and cemeteries around the village Dmitoh and stop the annual celebrations of the birth of Abu Hasira.

I cannot tell how exaggerated this article is; I could find very few references to pilgrimages to visit that grave and the numbers of people were far smaller. And slaughtering pigs?

From Arutz-7 in 2002:

Seventy Jews, attempting to pray at the graveside of the renowned Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira in Alexandria, Egypt, have been denied permission by the Egyptian authorities.

It is Jewish custom to visit the gravesite of a righteous man on the anniversary of his death. In years past, Islamic groups in Egypt insisted that the government prohibit Jews from visiting the grave. They claimed that the Jews behave in unbecoming ways and corrupt the local Muslims. Abuhatzeira is the father of the "Baba Sali" -- Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira -- who was a renowned kabbalist revered by millions in Israel and around the world.

And from the Jerusalem Post in 2007:

Hundreds of Israeli pilgrims motored in police-escorted convoys across the Nile Delta on Tuesday to pray at a 19th century Jewish holy man's tomb, where people received them with curious stares and a little resentment.

Egypt laid on exceptional security. Police special force troops with automatic rifles guarded the convoys of luxury coaches. The Israelis were not allowed to mingle with the residents of this western Delta town, 170 kilometers northwest of Cairo, but were confined to a cordoned-off parking area next to the shrine.

State Security officers refused to admit The Associated Press, and the government press office in Cairo, reached by cell phone, endorsed the refusal.

The pilgrims, some singing and clapping, made the two-hour drive from Cairo to see the tomb of Yaakov Abuhatzeira, a Moroccan rabbi who earned a reputation for healing people and died in 1880. His grandson, called "Baba Sali," is better known and his tomb in Netivot is a popular pilgrimage site.

Residents gawked from their windows and balconies as the big coaches slowly wound their way along the muddy road to the shrine. The authorities had just widened the road, leaving piles of rubble and freshly turned earth on the side, and had created a parking area in what had been a field of lush clover. A steamroller was leveling it as the first coaches arrived.

"I don't want to see them here," tire-repairman Mohammed Sharqawi said of the Israelis. "I watch television and I see what is happening in Palestine."

But, two stores along the main road, Ali Mohammed Tanani said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was one thing, the pilgrims were another.

"We have our sacred places. If they think it's a sacred place, they have the right to visit. They are our guests," said Tanani, who runs a small grocery shop.

Egypt guards the stone tomb, which stands in a small chamber, and allows visitors only for the January anniversary of Abuhatzeira's death. The pilgrims do not walk around Nekraha; they go to the shrine and leave.

But in 2003 a small group of pilgrims stopped at Tanani's shop and, using their interpreter, bought fizzy drinks and chocolates. "They were polite," Tanani recalled.

Abbas compares Hamas to infidels in Mecca speech

From Palestine Press Agency (Arabic):

President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a strongly-worded attack on the Islamic Resistance Movement 'Hamas', likening them infidels and heretics, in a speech from Mecca today, Tuesday.

President Abbas, in his Eid al-Adha speech, accused Hamas of preventing pilgrims from the Gaza Strip to go to the performance of their religious duty, saying that 'Hamas is responsible for those [Gazans] not coming to the Hajj.'

Mahmoud Abbas said in his speech 'Of course everyone here is in pain, and we know that it hurts everybody that these pilgrims cannot come to Mecca and Medina.'

The Palestinian President noted 'that Israel never stopped the pilgrims to come to the pilgrimage for a single day, but this was done by Hamas. Just as in the past when the Quraish infidels denied the Prophet, peace be upon him, to come to Mecca, as well as Alaqramtp , Who prevented the pilgrims for many years to come here, 'he said.

The Palestinian Authority President accused Hamas for being responsible for the siege, saying, 'We know that the siege of our people who live there is due to the Israeli government and Hamas'.

But what does he know? He's a "collaborator!"

Maybe if he gets on his knees

From Reuters:

Leaders of the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah have turned down a request to meet former U.S. President Jimmy Carter during a visit to Lebanon that began on Tuesday, a Carter spokesman said.

Carter had requested a meeting with the Iran-backed political and military movement, which is listed as a terrorist group by Washington, as part of a visit to assess whether his Carter Center will monitor a legislative election next year.

"I understand that some of the leaders of Hezbollah have said they were not going to meet with any president or former presidents of the United States," Carter said upon his arrival at Beirut airport, adding that he would meet other leaders.

A Carter spokesman confirmed a meeting had been requested with Hezbollah, whose guerrilla army fought a 34-day war with U.S. ally Israel in 2006. "They said they were not able to meet," Carter spokesman Rick Jafculca said.

Compared to Carter, it appears that Hezbollah actually has principles.