Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Monday, May 11, 2009

The PalArab nutcase echo chamber

Sheikh Taissir Tamimi, the head of the PA's religious court, is completely insane.

For example, a couple of years ago he said "Israel is trying to hurt the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people also by means of exporting AIDS, drug trafficking, promiscuous norms, and making prostitution legal."

But he has no independent way of knowing that his consistent and absurd vilification of Israel is a bit crazy. His rants attract a great audience, his weekly screeds against Israel will get written up in the Arabic press approvingly, and he has fans who adore his crazy rhetoric. No one in the PA will ever stand up and say, "You know, this guy has a few screws loose."

The reason being that no one wants his crazy supporters to be angry at them.

So Tamimi, along with his similarly nutty Muslim and Greek Orthodox clerics, regularly gets only positive feedback as his rhetoric keeps getting ratcheted up. He knows that the crazier he speaks, the more popular he will become among Palestinian Arabs.

Every once in a while, the insanity that we get so used to in the Palestinian Authority - the craziness that is happily tolerated by the West as a minor issue that can be ignored - runs up against reality, and it forces people to notice, if only fleetingly, that these guys really are nuts.

Sheikh Tamimi, meet the Pope:

Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Notre Dame Hotel in east Jerusalem Monday night for a meeting with the heads of all religious represented in Israel was cut short by an unpleasant incident, after a Palestinian sheik interrupted his speech.
The meeting was attended by heads of the Rabbinate, Vatican State Secretary Cardinal Tarkisio Bertoni, heads of the various churches in Israel, Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal and Sheikh Taiseer al-Tamimi, head of the Palestinian Authority's Sharia Courts.
Patriarch Twal began the ceremony and then invited the pope to speak. Both clergymen spoke of the importance of unity, brotherhood and peace.
The pope's speech was suddenly interrupted by Sheikh Tamimi, who began crying out at his holiness, asking him to "see to a just peace. A just peace means a Palestinian state in which Israel will stop killing women and children and destroying mosques, like it did in Gaza."
Those present in the hall attempted to silence him, but he continued, slamming Israel for "destroying Palestinian cities and erecting settlements on Palestinian land. Jerusalem will remain the Palestinian people's capital," he said in Arabic, and called on the heads of the other religions present to "defend the Palestinians and their lands."
The pope left the room immediately after Tamimi was done, passing on the traditional exchange of gifts.

The Vatican responded:

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said: "The speech by Sheikh Taysir Tamimi was not scheduled by the organisers of the meeting. In a meeting dedicated to dialogue, this intervention was a direct negation of what a dialogue should be. We hope that such an incident will not damage the mission of the pope aiming at promoting peace and also interreligious dialogue."

It is not easy to tick off the Pope.

Is this how a cleric speaks to the head of the Roman Catholic Church? Tamimi is so completely clueless because of the echo chamber of approval that surrounds him - even among the so-called "moderates" of the PA - that he honestly thinks that he can do whatever he wants and will only get adoration.

And the funny thing is, within the Palestinian Arab community, his prestige will probably only increase after this.

Our tax dollars helping Hezbollah

Ha'aretz reports:

Lebanon arrested five people over the weekend suspected of belonging to an intelligence cell transmitting information about Hezbollah to Israel, the most recent arrests in a two-month crackdown apparently aided by American training and equipment.

...The United States has provided $1 billion in aid since 2006, including $410 million in security assistance to the Lebanese military and police. But U.S. officials have said they would review aid to Lebanon depending on the results of the June 7 election, which could oust the U.S.-backed government.

Israel has expressed reservations about American aid to the Lebanese army and security services, saying those organizations will ultimately be unable to contend with Hezbollah and that any aid is liable to serve Hezbollah's interests.

Let's see if we understand this: The US gives hundreds of millions to the Lebanese for security. The US presumably wants that money to be used against Hezbollah, not to help it. But in the end it is used to strengthen Hezbollah.

How exactly did this episode advance US strategic interests?

How often do we see the US or EU give money to questionable Arab regimes in order to "strengthen" them against the "radicals" only to find out that these regimes had more in common with the radicals than the Westerners had imagined?

The idea that giving money actually buys influence from people who hate you to begin with is perhaps one of the more naive aspects of Western foreign policy. And yet, the same mistakes keep repeating.

Pope politely did not call for PalArab state

Even though news headlines are saying otherwise, Pope Benedict did not call for a Palestinian Arab state in his address upon his arrival in Israel.

Ma'an writes:

Speaking at a red carpet welcoming ceremony, the pontiff called for renewed efforts for a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.

"I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstanding difficulties, so that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and internationally recognized borders," said Benedict.

The pope did not make reference to a Palestinian state in his first foray into the Palestinian-Israeli arena.

However, the Vatican is on the record as supporting a Palestinian Arab state. The New York Times notices his word choice and dismisses its significance:

While he did not use the word “state,” he made clear in a brief speech that he was underscoring the Vatican’s previous support for the creation of a Palestinian state, albeit with a stronger resonance imparted by the setting and timing of his remarks within minutes of arriving in Israel.

If Livni was still prime minister, chances are that the Pope would have had no qualms about using the word "state."

Which should be a lesson in diplomacy for Israeli leaders.

May 2009 rocket calendar

Q=Qassam (may include Katyusha-style rockets)
QS=Qassam landing short in Gaza
M=Mortar
F=Fatality (F=Gazan, F=Israeli)
(G)=Grad (included in Qassam count, not consistent yet)

MS=Mortar landing short
P - unnamed "projectiles"
(Paren) indicates unconfirmed Palestinian claims

* - Fatal non-rocket attack

K=Katyushas from Lebanon

May 2009

United Palestinian Emirates?

From Ma'an:

An Israeli researcher specializing in Arab-Israeli affairs at Bar-Ilan University, Dr Mottie Kedar, asserted on Monday that he would submit to the Israeli Knesset this week a proposal suggesting the establishment of a “Palestinian emirate state.”

Kedar told local Palestinian radio station “Ar-Raya FM,” which is based in Ramallah, that several Knesset members and party leaders welcomed his idea that he has worked on for some ten years studying the nature of Palestinian-Israeli relations.

“Today I promise both peoples that their complicated question will be solved through this proposal. My proposal suggests the appointment of a king or emir or caliph in each Palestinian city or village, which will have its own systems and its own army. These emirates could become richer than the Gulf states if the Palestinians wake up and invest in the gas reserve near the Gaza beaches."

However, Kedar rejected a withdrawal from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He said Israel would not allow these hilltops to become bases for Hizbullah.

As for Jerusalem, he said it would never be negotiable, and that if any Israeli prime minister were to seriously negotiate over Jerusalem, he would be assassinated immediately because Jerusalem is a red line "burning anyone who comes close to it."

This is a bit beyond simple autonomy but it is in intriguing idea that could instantly give Palestinian Arabs statehood, the promise of an economy and a much more direct way of taking responsibility for their own lives.

Which means it doesn't stand a chance.

They are still looking for how Arafat was "poisoned"

Last month I mentioned a new "commission," headed by Yasir Arafat's nephew, to determine that Arafat was poisoned by the nefarious and evil Jooos.

Apparently, they are not alone.

Farouk Kaddoumi, PLO political leader in Tunisia, is also forming a similar commission:

Head of the Political Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Farouk Kaddoumi, in a press statement released on Monday said that the search is still underway to determine the tools used in the "poison" the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat.

And on the formation of a commission charged with investigating the circumstances of the mysterious death of Arafat, Kaddoumi said "I have no knowledge of the formation of this Committee, but in the coming days, I will announce the formation of a commission of inquiry.

"As is well known, (former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon is the one who poisoned Arafat."

So they know who did it and how it was done. All they need is.... the tiniest shred of proof.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank....

Yesterday:

Quantities of homemade explosives were found in homes and mosques in Qalqiliya, a city in the northern West Bank, on Saturday, according to Palestinian Authority security services spokesperson Adnan Dmeiri.

He also insisted that the Palestinian Authority will not allow manufacturing and storing of explosives in residential neighborhoods, whatever the justification, because it endangers residents’ lives.

Dmeiri did not name any particular faction thought to be responsible for storing the explosives, however, he highlighted that statements were found near the explosives bearing the signature of Hamas’ militant wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades. He claimed that the statements included defamation against the Palestinian Authority.

Today:

A military court sentenced a Hamas militants in Nablus sentenced to one and a half years for possession of weapons and planning 'of a coup against the Palestinian Authority' in the West Bank.

So when you read things about how Hamas is willing to (temporarily) accept a peace plan engineered by the PA, keep in mind that they are planning to do to the West Bank what they did to Gaza, and that the PA is likely to be nearly as ineffective next time as it was last time.

(It is worthwhile to note that the PA did not feel threatened by the explosives found in the first story quoted - they assume that those are earmarked against Israel, and their concern was more for safety issues than for worries about a Hamas coup.)

In the Palestinian Arab universe, very few are passionate about Fatah - but many are passionate about Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terror groups. Decades of indoctrination against Israel and Jews have resulted in a profound ambivalence about any peace process, and even PA television glorifies "resistance" and not peace. Gaza became a terror statelet because popular passion was on Hamas' side, and even though a large number of Gazans were ambivalent and nervous about Hamas, they weren't keen on the Fatah government either - the only pro-Fatah passion being for the the Fatah al-Aqsa Brigades terrorists.

The billions that the West is pouring into the PA (most of which indirectly helps Hamas anyway) is money that is backing an ephemeral pseudo-government that will ultimately fall to Islamic extremists.

Hamas "civilian" of the day

The EoZ PCHR research team, tentatively titled the "haqq" team (Arabic for "truth',) continues to unearth more and more so-called "civilians" from the PCHR list that are anything but.

Today's civilian is #267 of the PCHR list of dead Gazans, Abdullah Talal Ibrahim Aal-Sane'. Intrepid researcher Suzanne found a picture of Mr. Aal-Sane':

Known as "Abu Hamza," Aal-Sane' was a sniper for the Al Qassam Brigades.

Doesn't he look like an innocent civilian to you?

(Kudos to Suzanne, who is methodically Googling the Arabic names of every victim and discovering facts like these.)

We are now up to 282 fake "civilians" from the PCHR list, and we are up to 62.5% (177/283, including ten that the PCHR listed) of all the "policemen" listed there being known members of the Al Qassam Brigades or the PRC.

The Jewish "objective"

An art critic in Kentucky named Andrew Adler writes about the challenges of being Jewish and being an objective observer:

How do I begin talking about an issue that is so close to me not just as a critic, but as a Jew? Consider the following:

In the Belgian city of Antwerp, the Flanders Opera is mounting a production of Saint-Saëns' "Samson et Delilah" in which the Philistines are portrayed as Westerners, with Samson and his fellow Hebrew fighters dressed as Arabs.

In London, Caryl Churchill's eight-minute "Seven Jewish Children — A Play for Gaza" has generated intense controversy over its alleged anti-Semitism and Churchill's unabashed sympathies for the Palestinian cause.
Meanwhile, in Israel, there continues to be an official ban on performances of music by Richard Wagner. On the rare occasions when orchestra conductors like Daniel Barenboim defy that ban, audience reaction ranges from grumbling acceptance to overt, audible outrage. It's been this way for decades.
The tension between religion and art has always been present, and Jews by no means have a monopoly on perceived prejudice rendered through culture. Yet there are times when being Jewish — and all the hypersensitivity accompanying that identity — seems to run counter to the cultural independence we hold so precious. Indeed, I sometimes wonder if we Jews have become so accustomed to the role of history's victim that we resist a better kind of aesthetic progress.

After some exposition, the critic finds that he, at least, can be objective:

I can hear a magnificent work like "Die Meistersinger von N√ºrnburg," capped by Wagner's plea to keep pure his "holy German art" in the midst of scurrilous outsiders, without having to cringe at the anti-Semitic back story. I can read and evaluate the worth of "Seven Jewish Children" without being derailed by Churchill's brand of Mideast politics. And I would hope that I could see that Antwerp production of "Samson et Delilah" without feeling as though I were being victimized yet again.

That, I hope, is art's truest imperative: to be brave, and encourage a bit of bravery in all of us.

Is this bravery?

It is perhaps unfair to pick on this writer, because I know nothing about his identification with Judaism, but too often one will find people who are Jewish and who will happily jettison the emotional aspects of their Jewish identity in the name of objectivity, or modernity, or even-handedness. Rarely does one get the idea that they are struggling on an emotional level with a deep attachment to Judaism. They are Jews, they freely admit this, but inevitably they decide that their Jewish identity is not as important as - or, often, is redefined as - secularism.

The result is that Jews who actually feel strongly about their religion and about defending it, whether culturally or politically, are put on the defensive and feel they have to play by the rules set by the secular Jewish majority.

Take a look at this article in the New York Times about Israel's restoration of Jerusalem as the Jewish capital of the world:

Israel is quietly carrying out a $100 million, multi-year development plan in some of the most significant religious and national heritage sites just outside the walled Old City here, part of an effort to strengthen the status of Jerusalem as its capital.

As part of the plan, former garbage dumps and once derelict wastelands are being cleared and turned into lush gardens and parks, now already accessible to visitors who can take in the majestic views, along with new signs and displays that point out significant points of Jewish history.

The parts of the city being developed were captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, but their annexation by Israel was never recognized abroad. As part of the effort, archaeologists are finding indisputable evidence of ancient Jewish life here. Yet Palestinian officials and institutions tend to dismiss the finds as part of an effort to build a Zionist history.

But notice who the article quotes that are against the plan:

Hagit Ofran of Peace Now, a leftist Israeli group that supports a two-state solution, contended that the plan aimed to create "an ideological tourist park that will determine Jewish dominance."

Daniel Seidemann, the founder of Ir Amim (City of Nations), an Israeli association dedicated to sharing Jerusalem, points to the Palestinian village of Silwan, built on the ruins of what is widely believed to be the ancient capital of the biblical King David. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the region, and is, according to Ir David -- which sponsors digs there -- "the place where it all began."

Jews are in the forefront of trying to stop Israel from beautifying, reclaiming and re-establishing Jerusalem as the center of Jewish history and longing. For these people, Jerusalem is not a Jewish city in an meaningful sense, and their version of Judaism is so watered-down that the idea of severing it from the Jewish state is not only tolerable but desirable.

One will never find Muslims who are so "even-handed" or "generous" with their claims. One will not find Christians who are so anxious to give up their holy sites for abstract concepts of an illusory peace that will never occur. But one cannot open up a newspaper without finding such Jews who consider themselves so "brave" as to embrace the viewpoint of Israel's enemies and to jettison any vestige of emotional connection they might have once had with Judaism.

The reasons that Jews should control Jerusalem are, ultimately, emotional. Emotional arguments are considered acceptable and even admirable when made by Muslims, but the underlying theme of articles like this one is that enlightened Jews should be beyond such superstitious and backwards nonsense as truly caring about their religion and history.

This is perhaps the biggest problem in the Jewish world today - a complete dismissal by many Jews of the emotional aspects of the religion and peoplehood, and instead the use of their nominal (often accidental) "Judaism" as a weapon against the hopes and dreams of their co-religionists who actually care.

Saudi judge faults women for domestic violence

From Arab News:

A Jeddah court judge’s approval of husbands slapping their wives on the face if they spend money lavishly on unnecessary things triggered a hue and cry during a seminar on domestic violence here recently.
“If a person gives SR1,200 to his wife and she spends SR900 to purchase an abaya (the black gown) from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment,” said Judge Hamad Al-Razine.
The judge made this comment in the presence of Princess Adila bint Abdullah, deputy chairperson of the National Family Safety Program, who attended the seminar on the role of judicial and security institutions in preventing domestic violence.
Al-Razine was explaining the causes of an increase in domestic violence in the country, adding that women were also equally responsible. “But nobody puts even a fraction of blame on them,” he said before making the controversial comment.
Al-Razine also pointed out that women’s indecent behavior and use of offensive words against their husbands were some of the reasons for domestic violence in the country.

This is the same logic that Arab men use to justify terrorism, riots and any sort of violence: they are always provoked into doing it and the victims deserve it.

It should come as no surprise that the same justifications used for Arab terrorism can be used for abusing women as well.

Today's insult to Islam

From The Malaysian Insider:

PENANG, May 8 — A lecturer with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) today lodged a police report over a video clip which allegedly insulted and belittled Islam.
The lecturer in the USM Communications Department, Prof Madya Muhammad Hatta Muhammad Tabut said the video clip lasting 1 minute 23 seconds was posted in the website YouTube by someone under the name ‘Streeticeshark’ about two months ago.

“The video clip shows a shirtless man wearing jeans praying toward a verse taken from the Al-Quran and saying, ‘sabda Rasulullah (saw.), marilah kita semua orang Melayu makan babi’ (the Rasulullah (Prophet) said, let us all the Malays eat pork).

“The video clip also showed him mimicking the ‘azan’ or Muslim call for prayer which had been watched by 9,032 visitors to the international video-archiving website,” he told reporters after making the police report at the Jalan Patani Police Station, here.

Muhammad Hatta said he had made an investigation and the Internet Protocol (IP) of the address showed that it was registered in Kota Baharu, Kelantan. — Bernama

So, of course, I have to bring it to you:

Not that I understand a word of it...

"More Zionist than the Zionists"

From Firas Press:

Mahdi Akef, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, defended Hezbollah, saying that Egypt had a duty to thank the party instead of to investigate members of the [alleged terror] cell, which was recently captured by Egyptian authorities. Akef also launched a scathing attack on all Arab regimes, saying they «have become more Zionist than the Zionists».

Akef said in a conference held by the parliamentary bloc of the Muslim Brotherhood under the title «Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque and the risks of the City», the «the duty to Egypt is to thank the Party of God, rather than investigating the cell. It was not the intention of Mr. Hassan Nasrallah to send vandalism or assault, but to support Palestinian resistance, which Egypt can not do, we have failed to do ».

Akef, however, expressed confidence in the innocence of the members of Hezbollah cell saying: «What is happening in spite of all the media noise about Hezbollah cell in Egypt, I am confident in the integrity of the Egyptian judiciary, and I'm sure charges against them will be dropped as happened in several cases beforehand ».

Akef launched a scathing attack on all Arab regimes, saying: «all the Arab regimes have become more Zionist than the Zionists, and have no agenda, the agenda of non-surrender. The Arab [peace] initiative does not achieve anything, and Jerusalem is destroyed and its people are leaving, and Egypt, its position is weak and shameful».

These guys are a heartbeat away from taking over Egypt.

PalArab news roundup 5-8-09

A Chinese newspaper reported that Hamas was ready to sign a ceasefire with Israel today, but this was strongly denied by Hamas.

An 18-month old girl in Khan Younis was shot in the head during a "family dispute," seriously injuring her.

The consensus among Palestinian Arab observers is that the Hamas member who was "martyred during a special Jihad mission" yesterday was really murdered in Hamas infighting.

The PA quasi government is gearing up to celebrate Nakba Day on May 14, the anniversary of something or other. It is interesting that they never commemorate the anniversary of Jordan's annexation of the West Bank.

Entertainment news!

The Cleveland Leader reports:

It was just last week that singer Chris Brown was rumored to have been bouncing between TWO new girlfriends, but this Tuesday it was a completely different story. According to X17, a source reveals that Chris and Rihanna reunited in the studio to work on their joint project.

The reunion, however, was short-lived - Chris packed up and headed home to Virginia on Wednesday. On this same day, Rihanna is said to have visited a psychic, "Madame Ziyon".

My mom's psychic abilities are pretty incredible, but I didn't know she was into celebrity readings.

Doublespeak from the UN

A press release from the United Nations in Syria:

Palestine refugees in Syria support peace through football

Thousands of Palestine refugee football fans gathered across the region last night to witness a moment of historic proportions as the Palestine national team competed valiantly against Belgium team FC Molenbeek Brussels.

Closer to home, in Yarmouk, over two hundred Palestine refugees gathered at Jarmaq school alongside representatives of the local community to watch the live broadcast. This event was one of many planned for 2009-2010 to pay tribute to six decades of UNRWA achievement.

“Tonight’s game demonstrated the power of sport in bringing together diverse groups of people who have a common interest in enhancing the welfare of Palestine refugees in Syria”, said Ms. Lisa Gilliam, Acting Director of UNRWA Affairs in Syria.

Dubbed ‘Goal for Peace’, the event saw emotions running high amongst spectators, most of whom were relishing in their first opportunity to see their national team play live. Although the Palestine national team fought determinedly, victory narrowly eluded them in the second half of the match, scoring only three goals to the Belgians four.

Supported by member states of the European community, the event was incorporated into the broader ‘EU–UNRWA Partnership for Peace and Humanity’ initiative.

In addition to the excitement generated by this match in Yarmouk, 7,000 people gathered in Brussels to promote sport as a tool for development and peace. Proceeds generated from a performance by Sabreen, a popular Palestinian musical group, will go directly to support the UNRWA Scholarship Endowment Fund.

The word "peace" is freely used, but what exactly does it mean in this context? Certainly not peace with Israel. Is it peace with the EU? Peace between Palestinian Arab factions? Hard to say.

Also, think about the phrase "six decades of UNRWA achievement." If the UNRWA is meant to solve the refugee problem from 1948, the fact that it still exists sixty years later is hardly an achievement - it is a colossal failure.

Unless you consider the establishment of a huge bureaucratic welfare system dedicated to perpetuating the stateless status of a single group of people and their descendants, unique among all the refugee groups in the history of the world, to be a great achievement.