Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Monday, March 09, 2009

Happy Eid al-Msakr!

As I mentioned yesterday, Purim was translated into Arabic as Eid al-Msakr. I was trying to figure out what hebrew word might be cognate to "mskr" to figure out what it meant, and Suzanne in the comments noted that the M might mean "of" in Arabic. Her guess was that "sakr" means "satire," but I think I came up with a much more likely root word:

שכר

It is the festival for getting drunk!

Have a freilichen Purim, everybody!

Galloway makes it to Gaza; aid goes through Israel

Despite George Galloway's insistence that all of the aid of his "Viva Palestina" convoy go through Rafah, he ended up caving - all the while declaring victory:

An agreement was reached late Sunday afternoon between the Egyptian authorities and Galloway that medical aid and all 500 convoy members were to go through Rafah, while non-medical aid such as food, toys, and clothes would be emptied from Viva Palestina trucks and repackaged by the Red Crescent to enter Gaza from the Awja border, which Israeli security controls.

Israel requires specific packaging of non-medical supplies so the trucks had to be emptied in Arish and the supplies repackaged in 120 cm. wide wooden boxes and wrapped, Ahmed Orabi, Head of the Red Crescent office in Sinai, told AlArabiya.net. Israeli security officials then scan them on the Israeli side of the Awja border before taking the boxes to Karam Abu Salem border to be delivered to Gaza.

This is exactly what Galloway vowed not to let happen just yesterday:

To give in to this would be to admit to Israeli command and control, which we can't do....we can't accept a special favour from Israel which, for almost two years, has sealed the borders and starved the Palestinian people, a communal punishment which is illegal under the Geneva Conventions.

Well, telling the truth was never exactly one of Galloway's strong suits.

Proving Islam is a religion of peace (Tawfik Hamid)

From the WSJ:

Many Muslims seem to believe that it is acceptable to teach hatred and violence in the name of their religion -- while at the same time expecting the world to respect Islam as a religion of peace, love and harmony.

Scholars in the most prestigious Islamic institutes and universities continue to teach things like Jews are "pigs and monkeys," that women and men must be stoned to death for adultery, or that Muslims must fight the world to spread their religion. ...We must blame the leading Islamic scholars for having failed to produce an authoritative book on Islamic jurisprudence that is accepted in the Islamic world and unambiguously rejects these violent teachings.

While many religious texts preach violence, the interpretation, modern usage and implementation of these teachings make all the difference. For example, the stoning of women exists in both the Old Testament and in the Islamic tradition, or "Sunna" -- the recorded deeds and manners of the prophet Muhammad. The difference, though, is that leading Jewish scholars agreed to discontinue these practices centuries ago, while Muslim scholars have yet to do so. Hence we do not see the stoning of women practiced or promoted in Israel, the "Jewish" state, but we see it practiced and promoted in Iran and Saudi Arabia, the "Islamic" states.

...So, Islamic scholars and clerics, it is up to you to produce a Shariah book that will be accepted in the Islamic world and that teaches that Jews are not pigs and monkeys, that declaring war to spread Islam is unacceptable, and that killing apostates is a crime. Such a book would prove that Islam is a religion of peace.

This has been one of Robert Spencer's main points for years - there is as of yet no authoritative denunciation of the more barbaric of Islamic practices from within a valid interpretation of the Quran or of Sharia itself. Islam can only reform in ways that are consistent with its source materials, and until recognized Islamic scholars find a way to do that, all of the Muslim apostates and reformers will never make a dent.

Of course, Islam as a personal religion is not nearly as problematic as Islam as a political movement. Islam itself does not distinguish between the two, even though Westerners automatically consider religion to be a personal matter.

Hence the liberal reticence to criticize Islam. As long as religion is considered a private matter, it is natural for Westerners to be reluctant to criticize people's personal beliefs. But Islam is not just a personal religion in the Western sense; it is a dangerous worldwide political movement that is absolutely antipathetic towards liberal ideas like equal rights, freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

To ask Islamic scholars to re-interpret Islam as a purely personal religion is to ask them to abandon a major part of Islam. Islam is not going to be remade into a personal religion; it cannot be. Muslims living in the West have to accept their status as "just another religion" because they have no choice, but those in Muslim-majority countries - or Muslim-majority areas where they can begin to practice some level of autonomy - will invariably start to add the pan-national, political aspects to their religion as they believe it must be practiced.

And as a political movement, Islam is worse than communism and comparable to Nazism. It is way past time for the West to recognize that the danger of Islam is not so much in its private, West-defined religious aspects but in the political and military sphere.

Jews "storm" their own holy site

Ma'an reports:

Dozens of Jewish settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound from the Moroccan Gate (Bab Al-Maghariba) Monday afternoon, according to the Al-Aqsa foundation for Waqf and Heritage.

The foundation said in a statement that Israeli police guarded settlers who were led by a Rabbi. The group toured the compound starting from the southern mosque to the Marwani mosque in the east. Then they went to the Bab Ar-Rahma (Compassion Gate) in the north, then they headed west then to the (Chain Gate) near the Dome of the Rock staircase. Several settlers tried to enter the Dome of the Rock, but were prevented by the guards.

During the tour, settlers performed prayers and rituals, and a heated argument was observed when Muslim worshippers tried to prevent the settlers from performing some of the rites on the holy Islamic area. Israeli police intervened in the altercation and prevented it from escalating.

The Arabic version is a bit more strident:

Dozens of members of Jewish groups stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque via the Moroccan Gate and held prayers before noon on Monday.

Notice that the Arabic version doesn't use the word "settlers", since the intended audience is offended by any Jews who decide they want to go to the holiest spot on the planet. The English-speaking readers of Ma'an wouldn't see the big problem with Jews in the Temple Mount, so Ma'an needs to refer to them as "settlers."

Islamic Jihad's mouthpiece Palestine Today is even more upset:

Dozens of members of extremist Jewish groups on Monday afternoon after prayers, 9-3-2009, broke into the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the gate, under the custody of the Israeli police, and led by one of the "rabbis" of Jews.

During the raid, the members of these groups began to perform religious rituals in several places, and when some of the (Muslim) congregation tried to prevent the settlers from carrying out this ritual, Israeli police intervened in favor of the extremists and the Jewish groups completed their rituals under strict protection.

It is almost as if they pretend not to know what was on the Temple Mount way before the Quran was written.

Roger Cohen: Hamas wants peace, Israel doesn't

Roger Cohen, heady from all his newfound publicity and trying very hard to supplant Thomas Friedman as the NYT's wise man of the Middle East, decides that Hamas and Hezbollah need to be legitimized by the West:

The 1988 Hamas Charter is vile, but I think it’s wrong to get hung up on the prior recognition of Israel issue. Perhaps Hamas is sincere in its calls for Israel’s disappearance — although it has offered a decades-long truce — but then it’s also possible that Israel in reality has no desire to see a Palestinian state.

This paragraph is the perfect example of anti-Israel bias.

Hamas says explicitly, in many ways and at many times, that its goal is to destroy Israel. Israel, for better or worse, has explicitly accepted the idea of a Palestinian state for the past sixteen years.

Yet Cohen is willing to overlook Hamas' position - in fact, its entire raison d'etre - and assume that Hamas really wants to live in peace with Israel. His assumption, not borne out by even a wisp of a fact, is his basis for accepting Hamas.

But Israel really wanting peace? No, no, that's crazy! When Israelis says they want peace, they are lying! You can't trust those Israelis! They are much worse warmongers than Hamas terrorists are! As Cohen helpfully adds:

The Gaza war was a travesty; I have never previously felt so shamed by Israel’s actions.

Cohen, in a single paragraph, bends over backwards to exonerate Hamas for terror and implacable hate while at the same time accusing Israel of worse terror and implacable hate.

When Cohen calls for negotiations, he is asking for a process to begin where people's words have meaning; where the representatives of each side are assumed to be telling the truth and are putting their positions forth in good faith. Negotiations without the ability to trust the words of one of the sides is worthless. Cohen, however, calls Hamas leaders liars for saying they want to destroy Israel and calls Israeli leaders liars for saying they want to live in peace with Palestinian Arabs.

And he wants both sets of liars to negotiate!

This must be an example of that nuance that we keep hearing about from enlightened liberals - it means that they can read minds and extract the real, deeper truth that is at odds with all facts and explicit statements.

There's lots more to find disgusting about this piece; see Soccer Dad.

Galloway ties himself up in his own "logic"

Moonbat George Galloway explains why all that "desperately needed aid" for Gaza has strings attached:

The problem is that the authorities are insisting that some of the vehicles, led by the big red Manchester fire engine and the truck carrying a generator, should cross through an Israeli checkpoint, rather than this one.
Egypt is extremely sensitive to Israeli demands, no doubt with US leverage as well. But our attitude is that we've come all this way together and we're not going to be split now. All for one, one for all.

Now, there's an attitude that "starving Gazans" can understand: a quote from The Three Musketeers!

Perhaps sensing that this reason might not fly, Galloway offers another:

To give in to this would be to admit to Israeli command and control, which we can't do.

And yet, he just admitted that Egypt controls the border, by allowing some of the vehicles to cross through Rafah. So Galloway needs to offer yet a third reason to keep those Gaza residents waiting for their aid:

But we can't accept a special favour from Israel which, for almost two years, has sealed the borders and starved the Palestinian people, a communal punishment which is illegal under the Geneva Conventions.

So the ambulances, generator, food and medicine is less important than Galloway's pride at accepting a "special favour" from Israel, which during the course of his trip from England has delivered 47,000 tons of aid and millions of liters of fuel.

Not only that, but much of the aid that Israel sent through its crossings came from Jordan and Dubai - whose interest in helping Gazans is more important to them than the fact that Israel is the conduit. Is Galloway more pro-Gazan than the Arabs who send aid through Israel?

Or is his own ego more important than Gazans getting aid? After all, he happily reports being greeted by sheep and goats:

It's frustrating, but we wait. A game of football has started between Brits and Libyan drivers who have joined our convoy. Earlier, a massive cheering crowd of thousands of local people, as well as hundreds of goats and sheep, greeted us when we arrived.

He pointedly didn't mention the Egyptians who pelted his convoy with stones and sprayed anti-Hamas slogans on the trucks. As is often the case with moonbats, their own sense of self-importance trumps the needs of the people they pretend to want to help.

More proof of Galloway's ego taking precedence over the aid:

This has been an amazing journey. The only slight blemish has been the neglect of it in the press back home, with some notable exceptions.
The Guardian even unearthed a Trotskyist in Egypt - the only one, surely - to pour ordure on me. I bet it wouldn't have happened to Bono.

And I bet Bono would have happily sent aid through Israel.

The intifada against Galloway's convoy

It is amazing how one's perspective on stone-throwers can change when you are the target:

A British convoy led by MP George Galloway with medical relief for Gaza was pelted with stones and vandalised in the Egyptian town El-Arish on Sunday, an organiser said.
The convoy, which set out from London last month carrying relief supplies valued at one million pounds (1.4 million dollars), arrived in El-Arish, about 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the Rafah passage to Gaza, on Saturday.
"It's an absolute disgrace," convoy organiser Yvonne Ridley told AFP. "The power was cut. During cover of darkness members of our convoy were attacked with stones.
"Vandals also wrote dirty words and anti-Hamas slogans," she said. "Several people in the convoy were injured in the attack."
A security official told AFP that during a power cut, which is a frequent occurrence in the town, children had pelted the convoy with stones.

How can Ridley call children throwing stones a "disgrace?" Isn't that what she and her fellow moonbats tell each other is how the proud Palestinian Arab "resistance" brings Israel to its knees?

(Iran's PressTV is reporting that the stone-throwers were associated with Fatah, which hardly seems likely.)

Egypt is telling the convoy that medicines can go through Rafah but food needs to go through the Israeli crossing at Kerem Shalom. And here is where the moonbats let the world know that Gazans really don't need food that much.

Apparently, ordinary Egyptians are not so enamored of Hamas' beliefs and methods as the Europeans are. The closer you are to Hamas, it appears, the less you like Hamas..

In the shameless pursuit of gratuitous page hits, I once again present Rule 5 Sunday, where I follow The Other McCain's Rule 5 and find interesting pictures of women that I can somehow pretend belong on this blog.

Today's entry comes from a Lebanese fashion show, shown in Al Quds newspaper.

Apparently, one of Al Quds' readers associated such filth with...Jews. Here's the auto-translated comment, which I must confess I don't quite understand:

The Jews only Msoat including the gain back on your hands

No wonder why the punishment inflicted on you ... . Box of sex work.

Cryptic, yes, but I think we might be getting the gist of it.

Speaking of fashion, Hamas members have now introduced a new type of mask. Much more comfortable than the standard ski mask, it appears to be made out of...panty hose?

This rally was in solidarity with Sudan's President al-Bashir. Because Darfur is nothing compared to Israeli "crimes."

Galloway's group starts fight with Egyptian police

From DPA:

Multi-national activists belonging to British MP George Galloway's "Viva Palestina" humanitarian aid convoy clashed on Sunday with Egyptian security forces in the north Sinai town of al-Arish, close to the border with Gaza. Clashes erupted after the convoy was refused entry to the crossing point at the town of Rafah, which is bisected by the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Egyptian authorities on Sunday said they would allow Galloway and members of the convoy to enter Gaza through Rafah, but that entry of the convoy itself would have to be coordinated with Israel. As members of the convoy refused to follow orders, they returned back to al-Arish where a row erupted with security police that led to the injury of two activists.

Peace activists sure like to start fights, don't they?

And once again we are left to ponder: if they are trying to bring aid to Gaza, why not coordinate with Israel? One must conclude that they don't give a damn about Gazans getting that aid, but only about their own political posturing against Israel.

Convergence of idiots at Rafah

Today, three separate groups have descended on Rafah in Egypt, trying to get into Gaza to call attention to how evil Israel is, and to give some token humanitarian aid to Gaza:

American and European delegations attempting to enter Gaza via the Rafah border crossing remained at the gate Friday after being consistently denied passage.
The 10 members of the American delegation, titled the Gaza Medical/Mental Delegation, camped in front of the Rafah gate Thursday night but their efforts to pass through into Gaza have been repeatedly thwarted by authorities at the crossing.
“The answer is always no,” American activist from the delegation Inaya Khalil told Daily News Egypt in a telephone interview.
Besides the 10 Americans, there are 19 Italians, 14 British, two French and one Swiss national also at the crossing not being permitted entry into Gaza. The delegations are made up of doctors, social workers and filmmakers.
Despite the lack of success in their fourth attempt in four days to enter Gaza, Khalil indicated that the delegation had no intention of leaving and would remain at the crossing.
“Egyptian authorities are telling us that they have enough medical relief inside Gaza but that’s not what I’ve heard,” Bryant said. “This is a typical thing that the US and Israel have done in several areas, it’s ethnic cleansing. What’s a wall for? It’s collective punishment.”
Another 60-strong American delegation arrived at the gate Friday night, spearheaded by the Code Pink foundation, a grassroots women’s initiative, carrying with it 2,000 gift baskets for the people of Gaza. The delegation is traveling at the invitation of the UN Relief and Works Agency for its Gaza Gender Initiative. [This is the one that Rachel Corrie's parents are a part of - EoZ]
Another delegation headed by British Respect MP George Galloway entered Egypt from Libya Thursday and is expected at the crossing on Sunday.

Concerning the Galloway convoy, some interesting details from Al Arabiya:

“A lifeline from Britain to Gaza,” is the motto of Viva Palestina, which started out with 110 trucks from London but was doubled in Libya after the Gaddafi Foundation for Charity and Development donated 100 trucks laden with aid.
Yvonne Ridley, award winning journalist who accompanied the convoy, reported that Israel pressured Egypt to divert the convoy to go through Israeli borders.

"Israel is putting huge pressure on Egypt to force the convoy which is now doubled in size, a British-Libyan venture, through Israeli territory," she said at the conference.
Meanwhile, four Viva Palestina convoy volunteers were reportedly refused entry into Egypt for security reasons.

Stephen Gray, Richard Burton, Shams Suppin Razaq and Azam Hussein left to Tripoli, in Libya from where they will fly to the UK via Amsterdam Sunday.

Ridley, by the way, is there as a correspondent for - Iran's Press TV.

Today may be interesting as we see exactly what Egypt does with these terror-cheering moonbats.

Today's PalArab media roundup (3-8-09)

Another man died from a tunnel collapse a month ago.

The Corrie family is in Egypt en route to Gaza to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Rachel Corrie's death at the house she was "defending."

George Galloway's aid convoy has made it to Rafah after its incredibly long journey from England.

Hamas is said to have had a meeting with Islamic Jihad to clarify their policy of firing rockets at Israel.

Hamas is denying that there are any secret prisons in Gaza, inviting human rights agencies to visit - the non secret prisons.

Morocco severed diplomatic relations with Iran, based on Tehran's territorial ambitions towards Bahrain as well as Shi'ite proselytizing in Morocco.

The 2009 PalArab self-death count is now at 50.

The perfect Purim costume - Mohammed

Yerushalimey sends me an interesting entry from a calendar of local Jerusalem events today:

From: McLean Eliyahu

Hello friends, Come join us on at 8PM for a special evening to honour the convergence of 2 holy days, the Jewish Holiday of Purim and the Muslim Holiday of Mawlid al-Nabi, the birthday of the profit Muhammad. In a time when politics tends to divide our peoples, the convergence of the holy days can perhaps can serve as a bridge. Come and share insights about these traditions and celebrations. There will also be teaching about these holy days by special Jewish and Muslim teachers. Also joining will be a special guest, David Heinemann - Author of Sufi Therapy of the Heart. Please bring: a kosher vegetarian dish to share, as this will be the last meal before the Fast of Esther. You are welcome to bring musical instruments in the sprit of celebration for this time of joy for the Abrahamic family.

Yes indeed, today is Mawlid, supposedly Mohammed's birthday (although I see it is also supposed to be the anniversary of his death, perhaps a final Islamic borrowing borrowing of a Jewish tradition about Moses.) According to Sunnis, Mohammed was born/died on the 12th of Rabi'-ul-Awwal, according to Shi'ites, on the 17th.

Notice that in Jerusalem, some Jews try to actually bridge the gap between Islam and Judaism, as misguided as they might be. As Yerushalimey points out, "I wonder how many Muslims thought to make a similar joint celebration..." After all, we are supposedly both "divine religions," right?

(Speaking of, I have finally heard a Jew refer to Judaism as a "divine religion." He was none other than "rabbi" Ahron Cohen of Neturei Karta, speaking in Iran at an anti-Zionist conference last week.)

Purim, for some reason, is called "Eid al-Msakr" in auto-translated Arabic. I couldn't figure out what word that might really be ( المساخر ) , although I would like to believe that it is meant to come from the word "masquerade."

The upshot of all this is that, just like wearing green on Purim is an interesting tradition when it coincides with St. Patrick's Day, wearing a Mohammed costume should be appropriate this Purim.

60 years ago: You can't always believe the experts

From the Palestine Post, March 7, 1949:

Dr. Solomon Zeitlin, considered the pre-eminent authority on the Second Jewish Commonwealth, dismissed a set of Hebrew writings found in Israel as "not an important discovery, and possibly a hoax."

Of course, these were the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Today's PalArab news (3-7-09)

In a move that may indicate that a combined Hamas/Fatah unity terror government is closer to reality, PA prime minister Salam Fayyad has resigned. He is the only Palestinian Arab leader in history to not have been tainted by obvious associations with terror, and under his government the PA received billions in Western aid, and took concrete steps to show responsibilty for security. His reign was far from perfect - the PA continued to payroll Hamas and shield terrorists from responsibility for their actions, they continued to praise terror and even pay terrorists in Israeli jails - but the past few months showed the fruits of Fayyad's labors, as Israel loosened restrictions on West Bank Arabs and their economy started to bounce back after the disaster of the intifada. People will look back at the past two years as being the best chance that Palestinian Arabs ever had for some sort of autonomy, as they will now slide back towards the terrorism that is part of their historical DNA.

Firas Press reports on a video going around Israel that claims that Israeli rabbis killed Gamal Nasser with Kabbalh-based "black magic."

Israel has been flooding mobile phones in Gaza with offers of $10 million for information on the whereabouts of Gilad Shalit.

Hamas found and dismantled a bomb placed in front of Al Jazeera's Gaza offices.

The Martian invasion

"Mr. President?"

President Mitchell slowly turned away from the Oval Office window, to see his Chief of Staff, Bill Rojas. Rojas was clearly agitated, but these days, who wasn't?

"Bill, don't be so formal. Come in, sit down. Maybe Laura can get you a coffee."

"No, thanks, Rob. It's just that the Martians..."

"Yes, I know. They are almost here. Richmond just disappeared."

Rojas exhaled. "And Norfolk. And Raleigh-Durham."

President Robert Mitchell paled slightly, but quickly regained his composure. "They aren't invincible, you know. We just have to find out their weakness. And I think I know what we can do to stop them."

"Really, Rob? What is it?"

"Give them Minnesota."

The room was silent for a moment.

"Give them....."

"Yes, Minnesota. Look, they clearly want land, right? They aren't conquering us for fun. The Martians have legitimate grievances against us, and it is time we treat them like human beings. We have been disrespectful to them, you know, calling them "bug-eyed" and shooting rockets at their warships - warships which are legal under international law, by the way."

"But Rob..." Bill sputtered. "How do you know they would be happy with Minnesota?"

"Bill, Bill. You've known me for years. I didn't become President because I did things unilaterally. I understand people, Bill! I have crafted compromises in the State Senate, in the US Congress, and I am sure I can compromise with the Martians as well! They aren't that different from you and me, after all. They have two eyes, just like us. They like to eat, just like us...."

"Rob, they eat people!"

"Come on, Bill, have you never heard of cannibals? Or those people from the plane crash who were stuck in the Andes? Seriously, you have to stop being so judgmental."

"But, Mr. President - how do you know they would be happy with Minnesota?"

Robert Mitchell sighed. "It is a nice place - lots of lakes, healthy people to eat, and cold, just like their planet. Besides, Minnesota didn't vote for me," he added with a chuckle. "Seriously, Martians didn't build interplanetary spaceships because they are stupid. If they are that advanced, of course they will compromise with us. Minnesota is just a beginning position to bargain with. Maybe they'll want North Dakota, too...but we'll never know until we start a dialogue with them. And negotiation means compromise, so we have have to offer something in our opening stance."

Bill Rojas, hesitantly, asked, "And if we give them Minnesota - they'll leave us alone?"

President Mitchell straightened up to his full 6'2" height. He never looked so presidential.

"I am sure about it, Bill. They are an advanced people; they will negotiate with us and take only what's fair. They aren't savages, and they have their pride. Everything can be discussed between adults of good will.

"We, as a people, desperately want the fighting to stop. We will have to make painful compromises for peace. But the peace, when it comes, will last forever."