Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Worst Photoshop ever? (Palestine Today)

Palestine Today (Arabic) has an article on US funding for Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Their illustration shows a knitted kippah, with the IDF logo, protecting a building from rockets.

I have no idea if they made that horrendous Photoshop themselves or if they grabbed it from some Israeli blog, but it is a really strange picture to accompany the story.

Study: Palestinian Arab institutions hugely corrupt

From Ma'an:

One person in four worldwide paid a bribe during the past year, according to a study released Thursday to mark International Anti-Corruption Day.

The study, by the Berlin-based non-governmental agency Transparency International, focuses on small-scale bribery and was put together from polls conducted among more than 91,000 people in 86 countries and territories.

In the past 12 months, one in four paid a bribe to one of nine institutions, such as health, education or tax authorities, according to the 2010 Global Corruption Barometer.

Countries topping the list for reported bribe payments over the year were Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cameroon, India, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, the Palestinian territories, Senegal, Sierre Leone and Uganda, where more than one person out of two said they had handed out financial sweeteners to officials.

The study itself says that 51% of Palestinian Arabs paid a bribe to get services in the past year. They didn't list every Middle Eastern country, so it is unclear how the PA and Hamas compare with Jordan or Egypt, but Lebanon's score was 34%.

Israel's score was 4%, slightly lower than the US score of 5% and tied with Canada.

Denmark's score was zero, the only country to hit that level (the UK and Norway were next at 1%.)

Excerpt: EoZ's Hasbara 2.0 lecture

Here is a small part of what I said on Tuesday night at my Hasbara 2.0 lecture, part 2 of my 14-part section on "How to Be a Reporter."

I added an example, and when I get to making a video of the entire speech I will try to annotate and show examples in the video that I did not necessarily show during the lecture.

It will be a few weeks before I can get the entire speech ready for distribution, but this is how I envision the video will look.

What inspired me to create this section right now was an email I received from an Israeli activist I know who saw my Huckabee video, which mirrored one of the points I spoke about:

Thanks very much for making and posting the video - if it weren't for you, those wonderful speeches would disappear into thin air.

(I'm surprised that the Bet El didn't post the official video they made of the event. I will try to make that happen)

Would you have a video of the first 5 min or so of Huckabee's talk? I know it was just warm-up material, but I'd like to include it when showing your videos to people who weren't at the dinner.

So we have an example of effective Hasbara in action: the Huckabee videos I uploaded have already been viewed more than 3000 times, an Israeli activist is showing it to more people, and he makes a request that I am more than happy to fulfill (Huckabee's first five minutes were mostly jokes - some pretty good ones - but I didn't think they were relevant and they would have put my Part 1 video past YouTube's time limit so I had edited it out. Now because it would help someone, I uploaded it to YouTube here.)

This was the sort of stuff I spoke about - practical, relevant ways that individuals or groups can help Israel from their own desks, all at little or zero cost, and how these actions can be amplified and multiplied to reach the greatest number of people possible.

Saudi princes know how to par-ty!

The latest Wikileaks cable from Jeddah is a fun read:

Behind the facade of Wahabi conservatism in the streets, the underground nightlife for Jeddah’s elite youth is thriving and throbbing. The full range of worldly temptations and vices are available -- alcohol, drugs, sex -- but strictly behind closed doors. This freedom to indulge carnal pursuits is possible merely because the religious police keep their distance when parties include the presence or patronage of a Saudi royal and his circle of loyal attendants, such as a Halloween event attended by ConGenOffs on. [DETAIL REMOVED] Over the past few years, the increased conservatism of Saudi Arabia’s external society has pushed the nightlife and party scene in Jeddah even further underground. End summary.

Elite party like the rest of the world,
---------------------------------------

just underground
-----------------

Along with over 150 young Saudis (men and women mostly in their 20’s and early 30’s), ConGenOffs [officials of the US consulate - EoZ] accepted invitations to an underground Halloween party at PrinceXXXXXXXXXXXX residence in Jeddah on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Inside the gates, past the XXXXXXXXXXXX security guards and after the abaya coat-check, the scene resembled a nightclub anywhere outside the Kingdom: plentiful alcohol, young couples dancing, a DJ at the turntables, and everyone in costume. Funding for the party came from a corporate sponsor, XXXXXXa U.S.-based energy-drink company as well as from the princely host himself.

Royalty, attended by “khawi,” keep religious police at bay
--------------------------------------------- -------------

Religious police/CPVPV (Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) were nowhere to be seen and while admission was controlled through a strictly-enforced guest list, the partygoers were otherwise not shy about publicizing the affair. According to a young Saudi from a prominent Jeddah merchant family, the Saudis try to throw parties at princes’ houses or with princes in attendance, which serves as sufficient deterrent to interference by the CPVPV. There are over 10,000 princes in the Kingdom, albeit at various levels and gradations -- “Royal Highnesses” (“Saheb Al Sumou Al Maliki”) signified by direct descent from King Abdulaziz, and mere “Highnesses” (“Saheb Al Sumou”) from less direct branches of the Al Saud ruling family. Our host that evening,xxxxxx (protect), traces his roots to Thunayan, a brother of Mohammad, Amir of Diriyyah and Nejd (1725-65), King Abdullah’s direct ancestor, six generations back. Although PrinceXXXXXXXXXXXX is XXXXXXXXXXXX not in line for the throne, he still enjoys the perks of a mansion, luxury car, lifetime stipend, and security entourage. (Note: Most of the prince XXXXXXXXXXXX’s security forces were young XXXXXXXXXXXX men. It is common practice for Saudi princes to grow up with hired bodyguards from Nigeria or other African nations who are of similar age and who remain with the prince well into adulthood. They are called “khawi,” derived from the Arabic word “akh,” meaning “brother.” The lifetime spent together creates an intense bond of loyalty. End note.)

Availability of black market alcohol, prostitutes, and drugs
--------------------------------------------- ---------------

Alcohol, though strictly prohibited by Saudi law and custom, was plentiful at the party’s well-stocked bar, well-patronized by Halloween revellers. The hired Filipino bartenders served a cocktail punch using “sadiqi,” a locally-made “moonshine.” While top-shelf liquor bottles were on display throughout the bar area, the original contents were reportedly already consumed and replaced by sadiqi. On the black market, a bottle of Smirnoff can cost 1,500 riyals when available, compared to 100 riyals for the locally-made vodka. It was also learned through word-of-mouth that a number of the guests were in fact “working girls,” not uncommon for such parties.

Additionally, though not witnessed directly at this event, cocaine and hashish use is common in these social circles and has been seen on other occasions.

Comment: Saudi youth get to enjoy relative social freedom and indulge fleshly pursuits, but only behind closed doors -- and only the rich. Parties of this nature and scale are believed to be a relatively recent phenomenon in Jeddah. One contact, a young Saudi male, explained that up to a few years ago, the only weekend activity was “dating” inside the homes of the affluent in small groups. It is not uncommon in Jeddah for the more lavish private residences to include elaborate basement bars, discos, entertainment centers and clubs. As one high society Saudi remarked, “The increased conservatism of our society over these past years has only moved social interaction to the inside of people’s homes.”

It will be very interesting to see if and how the Saudi media reacts to this.

Arab-American leaders defend Helen Thomas, show their own bigotry

From The Detroit Free Press:

Arab-American leaders met today with Wayne State University officials, asking them to reverse its decision last week to pull a journalism award named after journalist Helen Thomas after she made controversial remarks. And they defended Helen Thomas against those who say she made anti-Semitic comments Thursday in Dearborn.

"Helen Thomas is not now and never has been anti-Semitic," Imad Hamad, regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said tonight. "She has worked her entire career, 60 years, to bring truth to the American public and she is simply continuing to do that."

Which means that the official position of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee - who say with certainty that Helen Thomas only speaks the truth - is that Israeli Jews must leave the country that they were born in and that "Congress, the White House, and Hollywood, Wall Street, are owned by 'the Zionists.'"

Not once as far as I can tell has an Arab American leader or spokesperson made the slightest noise that Thomas' comments were offensive.

And this reaction is telling:

The Arab-American group said in a statement that unless the situation "is properly addressed and corrected, this hastily-made decision will negatively impact relations between the university and the Arab American community for many years."

In other words, the group is threatening Wayne State University for exercising its right for free expression - to distance itself from a person now widely recognized as a bigot and an anti-semite, not just by Jews.

Arabs threatening people who do something they disagree with? Who would have thought it?

Your votes for the best Elder posts of the year

In conjunction with the Hasby People's Choice awards, I also asked my readers to vote on which of my posts would be considered the best example of hasbara, from a choice of 16:

Third place:
The Abbas/Apartheid Poster Series

Second place:

The humanitarian crisis of the Gaza Mall

And in first place (from December 2009, but within the last 12 months:)

"Civilians"

It was a very close vote.

If I had to choose a winner, I would choose for second place:

Gaza: The "staggering quality of the very ordinary"

in which, in one post, I think I cover the major problems with how the world's attention on Gaza has been missing the truth. The only problem was that this post did not achieve the wide readership I think it deserved.

In first place I would choose

The Mamilla Cemetery: Arab hypocrisy at its worst and Mamilla Update (also, The Mufti, The Hotel and The Cemetery)

because that story got pushed into the wider media and helped in a very real way defuse the lies that were being said about the Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance and the supposed "sanctity" of a cemetery that Muslims had already shown they didn't care about themselves. My research made it into the Jerusalem Post and other media in this case, and therefore fits my definition of "effective" for hasbara.

Thanks for voting!

Israel's fire-fighting squadron - "Elad"

From People's Daily Online: (for some reason, I cannot find much on this in the English-language Israeli media:)

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has planned to establish a fire-fighting squadron that would operate under its command after a wild bushfire that raged through the Carmel Forest in northern Israel last week, local Ma'ariv daily reported Tuesday.

IAF Chief Maj.-Gen. Ido Nechushtan has directed military attaches abroad to inquire about various models of fire-fighting aircraft and costs, the report said.

According to a story in Firas Press, Netanyahu wants to make this a regional effort, asking Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and possibly other countries to join in a joint squadron. He discussed the idea with the prime minister of Greece who was enthusiastic about the idea and promised to bring it up to the EU.

The squadron would be named Elad, after 16-year old Elad Riven, a volunteer firefighter who lost his life fighting the flames.

Just another miracle from Israel

Jeffrey Goldberg, for some reason, watches Glee - and learns about an amazing Israeli device that can help paraplegics walk.

(h/t Alex)

2010 Hasby Award Winners

As announced last night in my live presentation in New York, here are the winners of the 2010 Hasby Awards:

People's Choice Runner Up with over 2000 votes:
Pilar Rahola's article, "The Anti-Israel Hysteria"

People's Choice winner, with over 2700 votes:
Paris Zionists' unique protest against the anti-Israel Gaza photo exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris:

Hasby Awards Fifth Place:

The IDF releasing video of soldiers being attacked on the Mavi Marmara within hours of the event, causing most viewers to see that the "peace protesters" were hardly peaceful:

Hasby Awards Fourth Place:

RabbiLIVE revealing Helen Thomas' anti-semitism and ending her career:

Hasby Awards Third Place:

Gabriel Latner's speech at the Cambridge Union Society debates arguing "Why Israel is a Rogue State."

Hasby Awards Runner Up:

16-year old Elad Daniel Pereg facing off, alone, against an angry anti-Israel mob in Los Angeles with an IDF shirt and Israeli flag:

And the Hasby Awards Winner for 2010 is....

Latma TV's We Con the World:

Rationale:

Good hasbara, as I mentioned yesterday, must be effective in having people change their perspective of the conflict, and must be accessible to a large audience. My talk also emphasized the importance of more visceral media (i.e., live events, video) compared to text.

Latma's We Con the World has over 2.4 million views on YouTube so far, and its use of humor in order to get through to people who are ambivalent or unaware of Israel's viewpoint was extraordinarily effective.

Gabriel Latner's speech, had it been on video, would probably have made it to second place, but the emotional impact of watching Elad Daniel Peleg take on a screaming crowd of Israel-haters is much higher than reading any speech, no matter how good or how compelling the back-story.

The Helen Thomas video (literally) revealed the ugly face of anti-semitism in a major media figure. It was public and effective in removing her from her job, and it set the stage for her to prove her bigotry again and again.

The IDF was very quick to release the videos showing soldiers being beaten on the Mavi Marmara, and that speed was what made them deserve the award. If they had released it a day later it would have been too late and the media, hungry to make an instant decision as to who was at fault, would have already turned against the IDF.

While I would not have chosen the Pilar Rahola article or the museum protest as winners, mostly because they did not reach a mass worldwide audience, both are noteworthy because they resonate with European Zionists who feel besieged by the constant demonization of Israel they are exposed to every day. In both these cases, it allowed them to feel empowered to be able to fight this scourge of one-sided and very disproportionate Israel-hatred. So while those entries are not "hasbara" per se, they were both very important in shoring up and galvanizing Israel's defenders in Europe, which is a critical but separate issue. (I would modestly put my blog in that category as well - it is not hasbara, as I explained yesterday, but it is empowering for those who want to enter the front lines of the battle.)

Congratulations to all the winners!

Wikileaks is only starting

Only 1,060 of 251,287 documents - 0.42% - have been released so far, according to the Wikileaks Cablegate website (one mirrored here.)

Gaza, December 6, 2010.

From a photo essay in the Hamas-run Palestine Times.

At the Daphne Anson blog, a thorough survey of how Palestinian Arabs and Israel-haters are destroying history to demonize Israel around Christmas-time.

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign offers a ten-card set depicting the madonna in Palestinian colours, holding her infant; I think she’s intended to convey the impression that she and her son – no introductions are required – were Palestinian rather than Jewish. The same PSC also offers a ten-card set depicting the Three Wise Men unable to get into Bethlehem owing to Israel’s “Wall”.

I cannot possibly do this piece justice by excerpting it. Read the whole thing.

Wikileaks: Saudis wanted Arab/NATO alliance to destroy Hezbollah

From The Guardian:

Saudi Arabia proposed creating an Arab force backed by US and Nato air and sea power to intervene in Lebanon two years ago and destroy Iranian-backed Hezbollah, according to a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks.

The plan would have sparked a proxy battle between the US and its allies against Iran, fought in one of the most volatile regions of the world.

The Saudi plan was never enacted but reflects the anxiety of Saudi Arabia – as well as the US – about growing Iranian influence in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East.

The proposal was made by the veteran Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, to the US special adviser to Iraq, David Satterfield. The US responded by expressing scepticism about the military feasibility of the plan.
Here is what the cable said:
Opening a discussion with S/I Satterfield focused largely on Iraq, Saud first turned to Lebanon and stated that the effort by "Hizballah and Iran" to take over Beirut was the first step in a process that would lead to the overthrow of the Siniora government and an "Iranian takeover of all Lebanon." Such a victory, combined with Iranian actions in Iraq and on the Palestinian front, would be a disaster for the US and the entire region. Saud argued that the present situation in Beirut was "entirely military" and that the solution must be military as well. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were too fragile to bear more pressure; they needed urgent backing to secure Beirut from Hizballah's assault. What was needed was an "Arab force" drawn from Arab "periphery" states to deploy to Beirut under the "cover of the UN" and with a significant presence drawn from UNIFIL in south Lebanon "which is sitting doing nothing." The US and NATO would be asked to provide equipment for such a force as well as logistics, movement support, and "naval and air cover."

This happened during Hezbollah's siege of Beirut in 2008.

I guess, in the parlance of that part of the world, Saudi Arabia must be considered Zionist...

Hezbollah says it can destroy any ship en route to Israel

From Now Lebanon:

“Our missiles can track any ship heading toward Israel and destroy it,” an unnamed Hezbollah source said in an interview published on Wednesday.

“Any ship heading toward Israel can be destroyed by a rocket carrying 514 kilograms of highly explosive material,” the source told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai.

The source added that Hezbollah “is not in need” of P-800 Yakhont anti-ship missiles “because it has enough cruise missiles for an upcoming war.”

And, of course, these cruise missiles are coming via Syria - and Russia is selling cruise missiles to Syria.

Israel needs to make clear, especially in wake of the Wikileak from Syria I mentioned yesterday, that any attack from Hezbollah will result in retaliation against Damascus. Syria still holds some influence over Hezbollah and that regime does not want to fight a direct war against Israel except through proxy.

Wikileaks: Concern about IHH in December 2009

In a recently released cable dated December 4th, 2009 it is mentioned that the Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes raised concerns about IHH, the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation. The same organization which purchased the Mavi Marmara and joined a flotilla of ships going to Gaza in May 2010.

The cable states that the IHH is "a large NGO providing material assistance to Hamas". [NAME REMOVED] surprisingly said to the Assistant Secretary that he was not familiar with the NGO but would look into the matter.

The same person whose name is removed from the cable states that Turkey and private Turks "sympathize with the needs of people in Gaza" and will send money directly to the people and work to "convince our Israeli friends to send help also".