Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

How Gazans celebrate International Women's Day

Today is the hundredth anniversary of International Women's Day.

Naturally, Palestinian Arabs are celebrating along with the rest of the world. For example, the Guardian published an article about how a Gaza women's advocate marks the day:

Women in Gaza love life as much as other women across the world. Although we lack basic rights, partly due to the blockade and unfair policies, we are strong. We hope the world will pay extra attention so that Gaza's women can help rebuild Palestinian society.

The celebrations have a bit of a different flavor in the Arabic media, however.

Palestine Today marks the occasion by profiling a woman, Mrs. Dadhouh (not sure of her first name), whose main claim to fame is the fact that three of her children were Islamic Jihad terrorists that were killed by Israel.

Mohammad Al Dahdouh was a senior Islamic Jihad member killed in May, 2006. His brother Khalid Al Dahdouh, also known as Abu Walid, was killed three months earlier, and a third brother Ayman was killed in 2005.

Mrs. Dadhouh is, of course, proud of her sons:

I do not regret that three of my children are martyrs; we all must have the Certificate [of martyrdom], and be ready to continue on this path for Palestine and for the redemption of Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque....Palestinian women are willing to sacrifice and give all that they possess for Jerusalem and to walk on the path of the martyrs.

I wonder why the Guardian didn't interview Mrs. Dadhouh?

UNRWA youth facility names sports event after suicide bomber

The Al-Amari youth center, an UNRWA youth facility in the West Bank, has announced a football tournament for youth to be held later this week, named after the first Palestinian female suicide bomber Wafa Idris, Palestinian Media Watch reports. The Al-Amari youth center was established in 1953. Since its creation the center has been a subsidiary to the UNRWA youth club centers system.

Wafa Idris was the first Palestinian female suicide bomber. She blew herself up in Jerusalem, killing one and injuring more than 150 on Jan. 27, 2002. She was a volunteer for the Palestinian Red Crescent and as such, she was able to bypass Israeli security and enter Jerusalem in a Palestinian ambulance. Since her bombing, Israel has been forced to delay Palestinian ambulances entering Jerusalem at security check points.

The official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida of March 6, 2011 the following announcement of the Wafa Idris Tournament was made:

Headline: "Al-Amari plans to launch the 'Shahida (Martyr) of Honor, Wafa Idris' youth tournament."
"The administration of the Al-Amari youth center has announced its plans to launch a youth tournament (for 19-year-olds) to be named 'Shahida (Martyr) of Honor, Wafa Idris [tournament].'

The Al-Am'ari administration is maintaining contacts with the Palestinian Football Association for permission. [The tournament] will commence on March 10. Twelve teams will be participating."

Moreover, Palestinian Media Watch lists some more samples of how the Palestinian authority repeatedly presents Idris as a hero and role model in the past.

And the UNRWA continues to see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil....

Gaza park called "dangerous" because it is near Israel

Palestine Today has a photo essay of a park where Gaza kids can get away from the city and enjoy themselves:

But the article warns that the park "constitutes a real danger to their lives," because this area is close to the Gaza border with Israel.

The assumption is that IDF soldiers are going to start picking off Arab kids for fun, any day now.

Not that the article can find any examples of any kid being attacked, ever.

WaPo says Egypt's new FM will keep peace treaty, minister not so sure

From the Washington Post on Sunday:

Egypt on Sunday got its second new government in less than six weeks, including a new foreign minister who is expected to take a tougher line with Israel than the government of the ousted president Hosni Mubarak did.

In one of the most significant shifts, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egypt's foreign minister since 2004, was replaced by Nabil Elaraby, a career diplomat who won plaudits from demonstrators for joining the crowds in Cairo's Tahrir Square shortly before Mubarak resigned.

As a member of the team that negotiated the Camp David peace treaty with Israel in 1978, he can be expected to abide by all of Egypt's existing commitments to Israel, analysts and former colleagues said. But he is renowned for having voiced reservations about some of the treaty's clauses to then-President Anwar Sadat, and "will not be willing to accept Israeli excesses in the occupied territories," said Mustapha Kamel al-Sayyid, a professor of political science at Cairo University.

However, Elaraby wrote an article in Egypt's Shorouk News about this topic a couple of hours later:

It is time to review our foreign policy

International law allows states to re-consider its international obligations in two cases:

1 - If there was a fundamental change in circumstances. This has happened in Egypt twice in recent history.

First: when the Government of El-Nahhas Pasha in October 1951 to cancel the 1936 Treaty. And second: in March 1976, when President Sadat decided to cancel the Treaty of Amity, which he concluded with the Soviet Union in 1971.

2 - If there was a fundamental Material Breach one of the provisions of the Treaty [by one party,] the other party is entitled to suspend or terminate the treaty according to the severity of the violation of the other party of its provisions. This applies to all Egypt's international obligations, including obligations arising from the peace treaty with Israel if it is found that there is a breach of the provisions of this Treaty on its side.

Here's a textbook case of Western analysis coloring facts to reflect wishful thinking rather than reality.

In the end, it is possible that Elaraby will be forced to keep Camp David, for legal as well as practical reasons, but the fact that his first major statement is laying the groundwork to abrogate it is of more than a little concern.

Khaled Meshal: Any unity between Fatah and Hamas must be based on Jihad

From The Australian:

HAMAS political leader Khaled Meshaal yesterday praised the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia and expressed the hope that they would pave the way for a more militant stance towards Israel.

The Damascus-based Hamas leader urged that his organisation and the secular Fatah Party unite on the basis of jihad towards Israel.

"The first step (towards liberating Jerusalem) is refusal to negotiate with Israel and to establish a new, reconciled Palestinian position based on jihad."

I'm sure he means the peaceful, internal kind of Jihad.

ElderToons for the Iranian mission megillah reading

A brilliant idea: this Purim, people will read the Megillah outside the Iranian mission in New York.

So in honor of this event, here's my poster for the occasion:

(For those who don't get this at all, a beginning of an explanation can be deduced here.)

Newest "Apartheid?" poster

Omar Barghouti makes a wonderful subject for the poster series.

All "Apartheid" posters available here.

Hat tip אורי פלג on Facebook.

The irony of Viva Palestina

From Viva Palestina:

The Summer University of Palestine: The New Middle East - People power, democracy and Palestine

Viva Palestina Arabia is organising a seven day summer university in Beirut at the end of July with internationally known academics, writers, political figures and activists to discuss the unfolding revolutionary events in the Middle East and what they mean for Palestine and the international solidarity movement.

A message from George Galloway

"The great Egyptian people have spoken. Egypt is back and the winds of change are blowing through the Middle East and beyond, threatening to knock down the imperial architecture that has robbed the people of the region for so long. And chief among the outstanding injustices from the colonial epoch is Palestine. Now the struggle for a free and dignified Palestine takes place in the epic battle for a new Middle East and wider Muslim world that meets the hopes of its people.

"Viva Palestina Arabia gathered together academics, politicians and activists last year in the Bekaa Valley in our first Summer University of Palestine to discuss and coordinate the struggle for Palestinian rights. Now, after the heroic Egyptian revolution has overthrown the pharaoh Mubarak, this year's Summer University of Palestine has been reorganised to address the questions thrown up by the extraordinary events in Tunisia and Egypt, which are now rolling through the region.

"Book your time off work or college now - 23 to 30 July, just before Ramadan. The university will be in Beirut, upgraded and bigger than last year. It will again have world renowned speakers. This advance notice is to ensure that if you are making plans for summer now, you know to be in Beirut from the 23 July." The university will be hosted by the Palestinian social and cultural society at the American University of Beirut.

Yes, Viva Palestina will be holding a "university" conference this summer to berate Israel about its treatment of Palestinian Arabs - in the very country where Palestinian Arabs are massively discriminated against under Lebanese law! A country where the Palestinians are not allowed to own land, where they are essentially barred from leaving "refugee" camps, where they are abrred - by law - from many professions, where the nation would never consider naturalizing even the Palestinians who want to follow the laws and become citizens.

Once can be sure that Lebanon will not be criticized one bit at this conference. After all, one must be polite to one's hosts.

Afternoon links

Translating Jihad gives us the full Qaradawi speech in ahrir Square, ending with:

A message to our brothers in Palestine: I have hope that Almighty Allah, as I have been pleased with the victory in Egypt, that He will also please me with the conquest of the al-Aqsa Mosque, to prepare the way for me to preach in the al-Aqsa Mosque.

May Allah prepare the way for us to preach in the al-Aqsa Mosque in safety!

Not in fear,

Not in haste.

May Allah achieve this clear conquest for us.

Michael Weiss in The Weekly Standard writes what is so far the definitive critique of Human Rights Watch's treatment of Libya.

Christopher Hitchens is not too optimistic about the success of the Egyptian revolution.

The epic 9 hour Holocaust documentary, Shoah, is being translated into Farsi and will be broadcast via satellite to Iran.

Another moderate Egyptian Brotherhood leader is calling for Israel to be wiped off the map.

IsraeliGirl has another set of Facebook users who should be reported for hate.

There are reports in the Arab world that Gaddafi's wife owns some 20 tons of gold, which would make her (by my calculations) worth some $900 million. (corrected)

Swords and Molotov cocktails in Tahrir Square. Things are going swimmingly in Egypt.

More awful Israeli apartheid!

Meet the happiest man in America.

(h/t Silke, a tweeter whose name I lost, a Mere Rhetoric tweet, Zach N., Dave Bender.)

Meanwhile, in Qatar...

From the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information:

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, condemned the continued arbitrary detention of human rights activist and blogger Sultan Khulaifi , owner of the blog “http://binkhaleefa.blogspot.com” without trial early this month.

Security stormed Khulaifi’s house in Doha on March 1st , 2011 , they searched the house and car and then took him by force to an unknown location They informed his his wife that this was the decision of the Attorney General, despite the absence of any decision . So far, reasons for arresting Khulaifi were not announced.

However, it is expected that Khulaifi was arrested against the backdrop of his human rights activities in support of freedom and democracy on his blog . Arresting the blogger is a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of expression and an unacceptable breach to national legislations, treaties and international obligations.

The blog they refer to has a mere 4 posts, and has not been updated in over a year. I see no indication that posts have disappeared from it, so this does not look like it was a major or influential blog in the least.

The blog seemed to criticize Qatar from an Islamist perspective.

Now Israel is behind the Arab revolutions!

It gets so confusing. The Arab revolutionaries accuse the authoritarian governments of being in Israel's pocket, the governments are accusing the rioters of being Zionists, the liberals accuse Israel of not being supportive of these revolutions, others accuse Israel of sending mercenaries to fight the rebels.

It's time to get some clarity.

So here is Hesham Tillawi, an American of Palestinian Arab origin and host of a Muslim TV show called "Current Issues," being interviewed by Iran's PressTV:

The real problem is in the West Bank. The real problem is where Israel is building the settlements. By the time all this chaos in the Middle East settles down, which might take about five or ten years before the dusts settles down. Israel will have the whole of Palestine. Israel will have 1.5mn settlers in the West Bank. This is where the problem is. This is what all this distraction is. And is it worth it for Israel? Yes it worth it for Israel to have this chaos. It's not that they don't talk about it. They talked about it. They have a huge plan. These are people who have been under oppression and have been under these regimes for many years. The Arab world is waiting for a huge revolution.

But what are the aims of these revolutionaries in the streets? Is there a total liberation program with all these revolutions? I have not heard one. So who is going to benefit out of these revolutions? The only one that will benefit out of these revolutions is Israel. They will have the whole of the West Bank with another million settlers in the West Bank. In my opinion that is where we need to look at. If these powers can stop Muammar Gaddafi and say he is a war criminal and he's killing his people, just look what Israel did today. Isn't building settlements in the West Bank illegal under the international law? Yes it is. But we don't see anyone talking about it. We see them talking about this. Of course what Muammar Gaddafi is doing is definitely illegal under international law. But let us not take our eyes off of what Israel is doing, and Israel is choosing this timing when the world is looking the other way to basically do what it needs to do.

When the Arab revolution part I stopped, and they woke up to see what was really happening Israel was on the map. Israel was not on the map before. When this dusts settles, the West Bank which is supposed to be part of the Palestinian state, will be on the map of Israel. This is what the whole story is. You have to look at all the players and see what they will get out of it.

So now you know that Israel was behind the Tunisian guy who set himself on fire and with all the Tahrir Square protesters. It's all so clear, as long as you listen to this guy in Louisiana who got his doctoral degree in international relations from world-renowned Bernelli University in St. Kitts.

Take that, Roger Cohen!

Then again, a leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is more aligned with Cohen:

I say to every Muslim, Christian, and human being in these places: Protect your unity, your nation, and your honor, and do not let yourselves be humiliated. Get rid of the control of the US and Israel. This is a conspiracy aimed at destroying this region, starting with Afghanistan, and continuing with Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, and so on. Everybody must treat this matter seriously.

We must know who our enemies are and who our friends are, and we must all stand as one against the American-Zionist tyranny, which has penetrated our region and destroyed its foundations.

YNet needs to learn how to read polls

From YNet:

Israel is one of the least popular countries in the world, according to a survey conducted by Globescan for the BBC in 27 different states.

More than 28,000 people were polled between December of 2010 and February of this year in a survey designed to gauge attitudes towards various countries worldwide.

Just 21% of those polled expressed a positive opinion of Israel, while 49% expressed a negative attitude towards the Jewish state. However dismal, the numbers are still an improvement from last year, when just 19% were pro-Israel.

Of the 17 countries included in the survey, only three were found to be less popular than Israel – Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran – with 17% and 16% of those polled supporting them, respectively. More than 55% of those polled expressed a negative attitude towards these states.

When looking at a poll, it is critical to know the question being asked.

And the question being asked in this poll was not "how much do you like country X?" as YNet seems to imply. It was:

Please tell me if you think each of the following countries is having a mainly positive or mainly negative influence in the world:

That is a completely different question and it is not a popularity question (although some of the surveyed will of course think of it that way.)

Also, since the poll started, Israel's numbers have been generally rising! Amongthe bottom of the list, only Israel's ratings went up this year, while Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran went down.

The one troubling part is that while Americans who were positive about Israel's influence stayed the same, the number who were negative increased by 10%.

I'm not trying to say that Israel's numbers would be great if it was a popularity poll, but reporters need to learn to understand basic English.

One other thing: The poll only asks people about 17 countries. No Arab countries are on the list. How would Saudi Arabia, or Libya, or Syria, or even Egypt rank in this list? Who knows? But I would guess that the world does not have warm feelings for those countries' influence either. So when Arab news outlets trumpet this report that Israel is ranked so low, it makes one wonder how they would perform.

And how come the BBC doesn't think that they should be included.

Thousands of Muslims attack Christian homes, church in Egypt

From CBN News:

At approximately 3A.M. Saturday, a mob of several thousand Muslims attacked, burned and looted Christian homes and the Virgin Mary and St. George Church. Sources tell CBN News police did not respond to calls for help. Firefighters were reportedly turned away and an Egyptian Army unit nearby was slow to respond. When soldiers riding in three tanks finally arrived on the scene, some village elders insisted that everything was under control and they turned the soldiers away.

The Assyrian International News Agency reports that the Muslim mob chanted “Allahu Akbar” as it destroyed the church. No Copts were killed in the incident. The number of homeless Christians is unknown at this time.

And some background - the riots happened because of Muslims killing Muslims over whether they should perform an honor killing of a Muslim woman who had a relationship with a Coptic man:

Coptic contacts told CBN News, the Muslim mob that attacked the Christians did so at the urging of Mullah Ahmed Abu El-Dabah. They said during noon prayers at his mosque last Friday, March 4th, the imam told attendees the “kaffirs” (infidels) had caused a lover’s dispute that led to the death of two Muslims the day before. He allegedly incited Muslims to rid the town of all Christians.

40-year old Coptic Ashraf Iskander was reportedly in a relationship with a Muslim woman. Village elders— Muslims and Christians agreed that Iskander needed to leave the village. CBN News has learned that the woman’s father entered into a heated argument with his cousin and the cousin demanded that more be done. He insisted it was not enough for Iskander to leave the village—the woman had dishonored the family and should be killed. The woman’s father argued that his daughter not be killed; only Iskander should be required to leave. Guns were drawn and the cousin killed the woman’s father. The woman’s brother then killed the cousin to avenge the death of the father.

Muslims killing Muslims over whether they should kill another Muslim - and the Christians get attacked.

The latest Ma'an-fueled anti-Israel protest: EPIC FAIL

Ma'an once again is publicizing an otherwise marginal protest against Israel.

Just like last week's breathless story about a "million man protest" at Israeli embassies that was based on a tiny Facebook group that had only a few dozen followers, Ma'an yesterday reported on another way to fight Israel:

Young Palestinians have started a campaign on Facebook, encouraging others to write "Free Palestine" on Israeli currency in a new bid to spread the message.

According to the campaign's Facebook page, the initiative stems from the organizers' "firm belief in non-violent national resistance."

Israeli shekels are used in the West Bank and Gaza, and organizers say by writing on the bank notes Palestinians can advocate change and play a role in resistance to Israel's occupation and its unjust policies towards Palestinians.

This Facebook group is also minuscule, with 123 members - hardly newsworthy for anyone who knows anything about Facebook.

Alas, today Ma'an is forced to reveal that its latest attempt to help fuel protest rather than report real news is a bust:

The Palestinian Banking Society warned Sunday, against a new protest-tactic that would see Palestinians pen the phrase "Free Palestine" on Israeli bank notes, in a plan designed as a non-violent resistance tactic.

The plan, warned the society, could prompt Israeli banks to refuse the bills, making what a statement said would be a "costly protest."

On account of the problem, the statement said, Palestinian banks would not accept notes with the slogan written on them.

"With all appreciation due to the good intentions of the organizers if the initiative, the society urges all citizens to understand the negative impact the act could have on the Palestinian economy," the statement said.

Oops.

Not to worry. Maybe some 12-year old will come up with an idea to scrawl "Free Palestine" on all license plates, and Ma'an will be right there to report on this groundswell and make its audience think that it is a brilliantly new, innovative, major initiative.

Guess whose spies use fake passports?

A long, long time ago...at least eleven months now...

In a rare move by a friendly government, Britain expelled an Israeli diplomat on Tuesday to rebuke the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what it says was the fraudulent use of a dozen fake British passports in the assassination of a Hamas official in a Dubai hotel earlier this year.

David Miliband, the British foreign secretary, said there were “compelling reasons” suggesting that Israel was behind the misuse of the British passports and called Israel’s actions “intolerable.”

“The fact that this was done by a friendly country only adds insult to injury,” he said in remarks to the House of Commons. “The actions in this case are completely unacceptable and they must stop.”

A host of other lawmakers used even harsher language to excoriate Israel on the floor of Parliament, calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, urging criminal prosecution of those involved and going so far as to say that Israel was becoming a “rogue state.”

The British really are sticklers for the law, being so upset that alleged spies can even consider using fake passports from another country. Good for them, for being so principled.

Today:

Libyan rebels have released a British special forces team who were detained when a mission to contact opponents of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi went wrong, it was revealed tonight.

The eight-strong group, who were escorting a junior diplomat, has now left the country bound for Malta on board HMS Cumberland.

...According to reports, guards challenged the SAS team when they arrived at an agricultural compound in the eastern city of Benghazi.

They were detained after a search of their bags revealed ammunition, explosives, maps and fake passports.

The BBC says the passports were from at least four different nationalities.

I can't wait to see the debate in the halls of Parliament calling the agency responsible for account. After all, we know that the British would never be hypocritical towards Israel or anything like that.

(h/t Mike)
(Looks like Melanie beat me to this)