Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Tailor (video)

It is not too often that a joke gets turned into a six minute video. But this one is done very, very well.

From the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival:

(h/t jzaik)

Iran unveils underground missile silos

From NYT:

Iran unveiled underground silos on Monday that would make its missiles less vulnerable to attack, marking the country’s latest show of force in the long standoff with the West over its nuclear program.

State television broadcast images of an unspecified number of silos deep underground, saying they held medium- and long-range missiles ready to hit distant targets. Subterranean silos are considered harder to destroy than surface installations, and Iran hailed them as a defensive asset meant to thwart attackers.

Col. Asghar Qelichkhani said the silos “function as a swift-reaction unit.” State TV quoted him as saying that the missiles were permanently in the vertical position and “ready to hit the predetermined targets.”

The silos were presented as Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards began 10 days of military exercises.

Western powers have long cited evidence that Iran was investigating the design of nuclear warheads for its missiles, a charge Tehran denies. It insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

The state TV report showed footage of an underground launching pad for what it called the Shahab-3 missile, which has a range of about 1,250 miles. The report also showed a large metal roof opening atop the silo to allow the firing of the missile.

Here's the video of the silos as well as test firings of missiles:

Iran explicitly announced that the missiles can reach Israel, as well as American interests in the region.

(h/t David G)

PA mulls switching from shekels to dollars

From Ma'an:

A leading Fatah figure has revealed some of the means that might be used in the event the UN declines to take a positive decision on Palestinian statehood and its membership in the Security Council.

"The Palestinian leadership will be pushed to take decisions with strategic dimension in dealing with this matter, including the use of the US dollar as the main currency in the Palestinian markets instead of the Israeli shekel," said Muhammad Shtayyeh on Monday, speaking at the Justice Ministry in Ramallah.

Hey, Hamas has a lot of experience using American currency.

UNESCO shows its anti-Israel bias

From YNet:

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee decided to accept a petition by Jordan and issued an official censure of Israel over the archeological excavations near the Mughrabi Gate in the Jerusalem's Old City.

UNESCO's censure calls for the immediate cessation of all renovation work done on the Mughrabi Gate bridge, which leads from the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem to the to the al-Aqsa Mosque and Temple Mount.

Israel and Jordan had previously agreed that the existing bridge must be razed for safety reasons. Israel plans to build a new bridge on the site.

Jordan's petition was also signed by Egypt, Iraq and Bahrain. The decision was carried with a unanimous vote by UNESCO 21-member nations. Australia, Switzerland, Brazil and Mexico voiced their reservations over the strong anti-Israel language used in the resolution, but did not oppose it in the vote.

The four, along with Sweden and Estonia asked the committee to defer its debate on Jordan's petition, but were denied.

Israel's ambassador to UNESCO Nimrod Barkan, which has an observer's status, attempted to address the committee, but Egypt objected and he was denied the floor.

Jerusalem sources told the newspaper Israel was "shocked" and "furious" over Jordan's scheme. "The Jordanians lied to us and to the Americans in an unbelievable way… The most astonishing thing is they don't even mention the agreement between Israel and Jordan," Barkan said.

As far as I can tell, UNESCO has never said a word in relation to the Waqf's wanton destruction of huge amounts of priceless archaeological relics on the Temple Mount.

Germany confirms that Hamas rejected Shalit deal

From AP:

Germany says Israel accepted a proposal by a German mediator to free a soldier captured by Hamas-linked militants in Gaza five years ago, but Hamas did not sign off on it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he had accepted the proposal, but Hamas rejected the deal. It is thought to include hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the soldier, Sgt. Gilad Schalit.

Hamas said Netanyahu was lying about the mediation effort.

On Monday, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert confirmed that Israel had accepted a German-mediated offer.

He said that “so far, Hamas regrettably has not yet accepted this proposal.” He gave no details of the proposed deal.

This fits in with yesterday's story about Hamas prisoners rejecting the deal after Hamas leaders accepted it.

Hamas/Fatah "unity" comatose

From YNet:

Senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar said Tuesday that the reconciliation efforts between his organization and Fatah have come to a dead end.

According to al-Zahar, the bone of contention revolves around the structure of the PLO, government and legislative council.

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Al-Zahar also denied reports stating that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal traveled to Turkey last week in order to resolve their differences.

In an interview with Jordanian newspaper al-Dustur, al-Zahar blamed Fatah for "taking actions opposite to what was agreed upon."

Fatah, he added, is trying to unilaterally impose facts on the ground and "If this continues, we will unable to form a unity government."

Despite statements to the contrary, Fatah and Hamas have been unable to bridge any political gap which would see a unity government come to fruition.

Khaled Abu Toameh adds:

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has officially decided to go to the United Nations in September to ask for recognition of a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines.

But how can Abbas go to the UN in New York when he cannot even go back to his home in the Gaza Strip, which has been seized by Hamas?

How can he go to the UN when he cannot visit the Gaza Strip, where more than 1.5 million Palestinians live?

How can Abbas go to the UN when he cannot even visit a refugee camp in the West Bank, Lebanon or Syria?

Even if the UN votes in favor of a Palestinian state in September, how does Abbas plan to implement the decision on the ground? Can he really convince Hamas and Palestinian refugees to accept the two-state solution and abandon the "right of return" to Israel proper?

Hamas, which represents many Palestinians, has made it clear that it would never recognize Israel's right to exist or accept the two-state solution. Hamas will, of course, reject any UN resolution calling for the establishment of a state "only" within the pre-1967 lines.

Hamas's goal is to replace Israel with an Islamic state that may allow some Jews to live under its jurisdiction as a minority. Hamas wants all the land, from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River. That is why any resolution adopted by the UN would not bring everlasting and comprehensive peace to the Middle East.

Most refugees, for their part, will also oppose any UN resolution that does not call for their return to their original homes and villages inside Israel. For them, recognition of a state along the pre-1967 lines would mean depriving them of their right to return to their original homes and villages. Already now, many refugees are expressing concern over the September statehood bid.

Abbas has failed to consult with all Palestinian factions and representatives of his people about his controversial statehood bid. It is highly likely that he doesn't want to do so because he is afraid that he would not enjoy the backing of a majority of his people for such a move.

True, Abbas has secured the support of Fatah and the PLO for his statehood initiative, but who said that these two bodies are representative and have a mandate to make such important decisions? The two groups are dominated by Abbas loyalists who receive funding from the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah.

It is obvious by now that the September initiative would not advance the cause of peace in the Middle East. On the contrary, it would further complicate matters for both Israel and the Palestinians, plunging the region into another vicious cycle of bloodshed and violence.

Abbas has raised the expectations of many Palestinians to a dangerous level, as many are now expecting to wake up in September to see a new state where they live in peace and security. But when that does not happen, and the Palestinians realize they have been once again sold false promises, they could turn to violence not only against Israel, but also against their leaders in the West Bank.

(h/t Silke)

"Peace Takes Two" SWU logo competition - win an iPad

From EoZ partner StandWithUs:

StandWithUs is proud to announce a brand new campaign on campus for the 2011-2012 academic year! Our new initiative is called “Peace Takes Two.”

“Peace Takes Two” highlights the fact that an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only be realized if both parties resolve the issues together on a bilateral level. The campaign’s goal is to show that Israel is actively seeking a partner in peace. This campaign will be launched for the beginning of the Fall 2011 semester. The expert StandWithUs campus staff will explain and provide further details about the campaign in the coming months.

How can you be involved? Simple! Here is the first step: StandWithUs is introducing a logo competition for our new “Peace Takes Two” campaign. Here are the easy rules to follow:

•All work must be 100% original by the person submitting the logo

•Winner agrees that StandWithUs has full rights and ownership to the logo (and can make alterations as it sees fit)

•Use your imagination! Remember we are looking for a unique brand for this campaign

•One Submission per person - If there is more than one submission, only the latest entry will be reviewed

What’s in it for me?

•A brand new iPad 2 64GB Wifi enabled, with retail value of over $700! The winner will receive this prize once all submissions are in and the StandWithUs campus staff picks the top logo!

When can I start submitting my logo?

•The competition opens June 20th, 2011-July 24th, 2011. The StandWithUs campus staff will not review any late submissions.

Where do I send my logo?

•Please send all logos along with your full name, address, and phone number to: Avi.Gordon@standwithus.com

Videos: Gaza deprivation and PalArab celebration

One of the better Gaza videos I've seen:

And, from Aish - Celebrate?

Brilliant lawsuit to stop flotilla

I received this via email from Shurat HaDin:

Israeli human rights group, the Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin) has now filed a civil action in the Florida State Court in Miami against the UK and US based global satellite company Inmarsat, alleging that it is providing communications services to ships used by suspected terror organizations in the Gaza flotilla planned in the coming days.

The suit was filed by Attorney Isaac Jaroslawicz. The plaintiff, Michelle Fendel, a resident of the southern Israeli town of Sderot, asserts in her complaint that under US law, Inmarsat and is officers have aided and abetted terrorism by providing satellite services to the Gaza-bound ships.

Prior to filing the lawsuit, the attorneys for Fendel sent Inmarsat a warning letter demanding that it discontinue all satellite services to the boats being utilized to engaged in hostile operations against Israel. The letter noted that by providing services during the upcoming flotilla, Inmarsat and its corporate officers were violation of US criminal statutes prohibiting the provision of material support for acts of violence and terrorism (18 U.S.C. § 2339A and § 2339B) and the provision of material support for naval expeditions against U.S. allies (18 U.S.C. § 960 and § 962), and would also be held civilly liable for any damages or harm caused by participants in the flotilla.

Inmarsat provides the communications worldwide for virtually all ships' AIS (Automatic Identification Systems). The systems identify exactly where the vessels are, and are a necessary part of marine traffic. For any ship to receive a country flag, it must be equipped with AIS.

Without Inmarsat, it would be very difficult or impossible for the ships to sail.

Inmarsat UK already said that it does not believe that it is in breach of any laws because Hamas doesn't own the ships, but American anti-terror laws seem to be more stringent. (h/t J. E. Dyer)

Here is the complaint:

EoZ postcards at San Francisco Pride Parade

I am told that EoZ partner Stand With Us distributed over a thousand of my graphics in the form of postcards at Sunday's Pride Parade in San Francisco.

Here is one from the parade that I didn't publish on the blog until now:

Flotilla participants planning chemical warfare?

From JPost:

IDF sources claimed Monday night that new intelligence information obtained by Israel in recent days shows that participants of the flotilla planning to break Israel’s sea blockade over the Gaza Strip later this week plan to kill IDF soldiers who board their ships.

According to the information obtained by the IDF, some of the participants have prepared a number of sacks with sulfur, which they plan to pour on the soldiers as they board the vessels.

“This is a chemical weapon and if poured on a soldier it can paralyze him,” an IDF source told The Jerusalem Post Monday night. “If the sulfur is then lit on fire, the soldier will light up like a torch.”

The information was obtained from closed meetings held by participants on the ships during which some voiced their intention to “murder Israeli soldiers,” according to the IDF. Also, despite earlier predictions that members of the Turkish organization IHH would not participate in the flotilla, it now appears that some members will sail with the ships alongside additional radical Islamic activists.

Ha'aretz adds:

Israeli officials claim that two activists participating in the flotilla have connections to Hamas. They named the first one as Amin Abu Rashad, who they claim is one of the head Dutch organizers for the Gaza flotilla and had served in the past as the head of the Hamas’ Charitable Foundation in Holland. The foundation closed down following Dutch authorities’ probe into its involvement in funding terror activities.

The second activist is Mohammed Ahmed Hanon, which Israel claims is a Hamas activist who stands at the head of the ABSPP, which is involved in transferring funds to terrorists.

A Hamas-oriented website says that there will be a Jordanian ship joining the flotilla:

Wael Al-Saqa, the head of the Jordanian lifeline committee, has announced the purchase of a small ship to the tune of 560000 Euros to carry Jordanian activists to the Gaza Strip as part of the Freedom Flotilla II.

Saqa said, in a press release on Saturday, that the ship would carry 35 Jordanians out of 70 activists from five Arab countries, adding that the ship was registered as “Noor” company.

He said that the ship, which can accommodate up to 200 passengers, would be one of eight ships that compose the Freedom Flotilla II.

If this is true, this Arab ship would be the 2011 equivalent of the Mavi Marmara - the one ship populated with people who would happily become martyrs for the cause, and whose entire purpose would be to kill any IDF soldiers who come aboard - or die trying, creating a huge PR victory.

And since the 2010 flotidiots claimed that a group of 40 men with iron bars, chains and guns were "humanitarians," no doubt they will push that same line this time.

(h/t J. E. Dyer, Challah Hu Akbar)

New Israeli Android app does...nothing

A new app by an Israeli software developer named Nir Yaniv does...nothing.

It costs 99 cents.

From its description:

How many times have you paid nothing and got something back? Now we offer you a unique opportunity: pay something and get Nothing back!

This application does absolutely Nothing. By purchasing it you will help us prove that Nothing is indeed worth Something!

One reviewer gave it five stars:

This is the best App I ever got. It does exactly what it promised to do! Nothing!!!

Due to its success, the developer came out with Nothing Pro,for $9.00:

This is a PRO version of our the NOTHING application! It is lighter in size, easier on both the memory and the CPU, and it does Nothing way more smoothly and efficiently than the regular consumer version.

DISCALIMER: THIS APPLICATION REALLY DOES NOTHING AT ALL.

It is indeed much smaller and more efficient - only 13k, as opposed to the 500k of the regular version.

You can read an interview with the developer in Hebrew on YNet, where he reveals plans for an iPhone version of Nothing.

I think that we can expand on this concept. for example, a deluxe edition of Nothing that shows:

Every Palestinian Arab concession since 1988
Every example of Mahmoud Abbas' "moderation"
Every Palestinian Arab "human rights group" that calls for an unconditional release of Gilad Shalit
Every benefit that a Palestinian Arab state would bring to the world
Every mention of Jerusalem in the Koran
How important Jerusalem was considered to the Arab world between 1949 and 1967
How much the PA has reduced incitement on TV since Oslo

There could be a whole series of Nothing apps!

Nothing ticks off Arabs more than Aliyah

From Ma'an:

The Palestinian Authority on Monday slammed Israel's decision to bring Jews from northeast India to Israel.

According to Monday’s issue of Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the ministerial committee convened under Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and decided to bring 7,300 Jews from India to Israel.

The report highlighted that up until 2007, 1,700 Indian Jews were brought to Israel, and immigration stopped since then.

PA spokesman Ghassan Khatib said the decision came in line with Israel’s policy to bring non-Israeli Jews to Israel at the expense of the Palestinian people.

The Arab complaints about Jews living in the Middle East have not changed one iota since 1870.

They are upset at Jews moving to the Land of Israel.
They are upset at Jews owning land in Israel.
They are upset at any trappings of Jewish sovereignty in Israel.
They are upset at any Jewish economic success in Israel (even when it benefits Arabs.)

Here, for example, is part of a newspaper article from 1922:

Nothing has changed, and nothing ever will.

Now the flotidiots are saying that Israel blocks air from Gaza

From the latest hysterical Free Gaza press release:

There is no question that Israel’s near hermetic closure of the Gaza Strip is illegal...

A hermetic seal is, by definition, airtight.

So now Israel is depriving Gazans of air itself!

There are similarly bizarre pronouncement in the press release:

We will carry nearly three thousand tons of aid...

In the past, they have been known to exaggerate the amount of "aid" they were bringing by an order of magnitude. I am certain that this is true this time as well, as they really didn't spend too much time gathering aid for this "aid flotilla."

Recent steps taken by Israel to address the concerns raised in the public eye by the Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human initiative, including last week’s announcement of authorization for construction materials for 1,200 homes and 18 schools in Gaza, prove that flotillas work.

Israel long ago announced that it would approve construction projects requested by UNRWA and other NGOs. Nine days ago, Gazans protested UNRWA for not rebuilding their homes, and even disrupted UNRWA summer camps. As a result, UNRWA requested to have their homes rebuilt and Israel readily acceded. It has nothing to do with the Flotilla. The fantasy of self-importance that these flotidiots have is amazing, but par for the course for "activists" who need to pretend that their acts make a difference.

Therefore, despite intimidation, pressure, and threats of violence from the Israeli government, which is not ashamed to boast that it will use snipers and attack dogs against unarmed civilians, we will sail.

Oh, please show me where the Israeli government boasted that they were going to sic attack dogs and shoot unarmed civilians! I try to follow the news but that little detail must have eluded me. I promise I'll headline a blog post with that stunning information!

After all, who could possibly think for a moment that the flotidiots are liars?

(h/t Challah Hu Akbar)

UNRWA continues to defend the indefensible

In Ma'an, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness continues to whitewash UNRWA's unconscionable role in perpetuating the so-called refugee problem. But if you read between the lines, you can see where he is dancing:

He tries to pretend that UNRWA and UNHCR treat refugee problems similarly by quoting UNHCR documents:

Established principles and practice – as well as realities on the ground - clearly refute the argument that the right of return of Palestine refugees would disappear or be abandoned if UNHCR were responsible for these refugees.

Over decades of international practice, refugee situations have been resolved in three principal ways: local integration, resettlement in third countries and voluntary repatriation. Of these, the voluntary return of refugees to their country of origin has come to be recognized by refugees, states and international agencies as the optimal solution to the plight of refugees.

It is equally recognized that for refugees everywhere, a precondition for solutions to refugee situations is the resolution by political actors of the underlying causes of dispute and conflict.

This point is made in the 2008 UNHCR document, Protracted Refugee Situations: A discussion paper prepared for the High Commissioner’s dialogue on Protection Challenges. Paragraph 7 of the document observes that "Protracted refugee situations are usually created and sustained by the failure to resolve … differences in a peaceful manner and in a way that respects human rights."

...
Conclusion 4 of the report to UNHCR’s Executive Committee of 2005, on Local Integration states "Voluntary repatriation, local integration and resettlement are the traditional durable solutions and […] all remain viable and important responses to refugee situations;" "voluntary repatriation, in safety and dignity, where and when feasible, remains the most preferred solution in the majority of refugee situations;" a combination of solutions, taking into account the specific circumstances of each refugee situation, can help achieving long lasting solutions."

Al of this is true. However, UNRWA is dedicated to only the first solution of repatriation - a "solution" that is no closer today than it has been for 63 years. It is obvious that Israel will not commit voluntary suicide by allowing millions of descendants of refugees to immigrate to the country, and it is equally obvious that Israel is not "Palestine" which is the area that they left. However, UNRWA does not even make an attempt to implement the only two realistic solutions, those of local integration and resettlement.

Ma'an should have asked him, given that the first solution is not viable, what is UNRWA doing to help bring about the other two solutions?

[R]efugee families everywhere retain their status as refugees until they fall within the terms of a cessation clause or are able to avail themselves of one of three durable solutions already mentioned -- voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement in a third country.

UNHCR has detailed cessation clauses - ways for refugees to lose their status. UNRWA does not, as far as I could tell in reading their materials. Ma'an should have followed up by asking that question.

Another question they didn't even ask was about the completely different definitions of refugees between UNRWA and UNHCR.

The UNRWA definition is "any person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the
period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." UNHCR's definition is "any person who is outside their country of origin and unable or unwilling to return there or to avail themselves of its protection, on account of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular group, or political opinion."

The differences in definitions means that even those Palestinian Arabs who live within Mandate Palestine are still considered "refugees!" Even Palestinian Arabs who have citizenship in other countries like Jordan are considered "refugees!" These two categories comprise some 80% of UNRWA's so-called "refugee" population, and combined with the lack of UNRWA cessation clauses mean that, by definition, UNRWA "refugees" cannot lose their status!

Those are the issues that Ma'an should have asked Gunness, rather than allowing him to dance around by selectively quoting UNHCR documents.