Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Will Obama release Pollard before the 2012 elections?

A longtime national activist in the fight to free convicted spy Jonathan Pollard believes his sentence will be commuted by President Barack Obama.

“I believe it will happen sooner rather than later,” said Farley Weiss.

Weiss said he based that assessment on several factors, including support from four prominent political leaders with access to classified information regarding the case. They are former Arizona Sen. Dennis DeConcini, former head of the Senate Intelligence Committee; former CIA director R. James Woolsey; Philip B. Heymann, former deputy attorney general under President Bill Clinton; and Clinton White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum.

Moreover, the movement to free the former naval intelligence analyst has picked up the support of hundreds of legislators, legal scholars, and a large segment of the Jewish community, said Weiss. (Earlier last month, Robert Wexler, a former Democratic congressman from Florida and one of Obama’s closest Jewish confidantes, urged the president to release Pollard.)

Pollard has served 26 years of a life sentence for passing classified materials to Israel, longer than anyone else convicted of espionage on behalf of a U.S. ally.

Weiss suggested that Obama could use a Pollard pardon to shore up his faltering support among Jews who are wary of his policies toward Israel.

“This is an era of political expediency and a lot of people think he will do it because it’s politically beneficial,” said Weiss. “There is no constituency opposing Pollard’s release. So when it’s in their political interest and also the right thing to do, eventually a politician will do it.”

Releasing Pollard would definitely make political sense, especially when Obama is being increasingly seen as anti-Israel by the Jewish community and as the Republicans are increasing their attacks on the president because of his Israel policies.

Syrian death toll over 5000!

From IRIN:

Twice as many people have allegedly been killed in Syria - since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began six months ago - than the current UN estimate, and three times the regime's official tally, according to new statistics from human rights researchers and opposition activists in Syria.

The report by Avaaz, the global campaign group and its partner Insan, a leading Syrian human rights organization, said over 5,300 people have been killed.

A team of 60 human rights researchers verified the names of 3,004 people killed in over 127 locations across Syria from 18 March to 9 September, while an additional 2,356 people were registered as dead, but have not yet been verified, the report said.

Each of the 3,004 recorded killings was triple-sourced in line with international protocols for recording casualties of conflict, by at least one family member and two other contacts, such as friends, community leaders, clerks or imams of mosques.

The other 2,356 names have been recorded as killed but Insan researchers have not yet been able to triple-source each case, as the deaths were either reported in the Syrian state media or the bodies were taken away following injury or death and later not acknowledged by the authorities.

The total figure of 5,360 people killed is roughly double the current figure of 2,600 given on 12 September by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, while Amnesty International has documented the deaths of 2,121 people, not including members of the security forces.

The government acknowledges only 1,400 casualties.

“We knew the official numbers were way below,” Avaaz’s Henrietta McMicking said. “The 3,004 names have been verified, while we know that the 2,356 additional people are definitely dead, but we have not been able to verify their names under our stringent criteria.”

The as yet unverified figure includes 308 names of people reported killed in Syrian state-run media, 674 names of military personnel the authorities have reported killed, and 1,374 names of people who have been reported dead, but whose bodies have never been found.

I guess Western-educated ophthalmologists who marry glamorous women can be mass murderers as well. Who would have guessed it.

(h/t Benjamin)

"Non-violent" PalArab protest injures 16 month old baby

From YNet:

Hundreds of Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in several locations in the West Bank on Wednesday, as the Palestinian Authority launched its official statehood celebrations across West Bank cities.

A 16-month-old Israeli baby suffered light injuries when a stone struck her head in a riot between Tapuah and Migdalim junctions. She was taken to Schneider Hospital in Petah Tikva. Three Palestinians were arrested during clashes, and an Israeli citizen was lightly injured from stones hurled at him while he was travelling near the West Bank city of Halhul.

Around 40 Palestinians clashed with IDF forces near Beit Omar, and dozens of others rioted near the Qalandiya checkpoint.

Some rioters set tires on fire and stoned security forces, who used crowd-control measures to control the scene, including sonic cannons and tear gas.

In another incident, some 200 Palestinians rioted near Zif Junction, east of Hebron. Demonstrators stoned security forces, who used crowd-control measures there, as well.

Here's a photo of the baby:

The 1954 Miss World pageant was won by - Miss Egypt

Al Arabiya has an interesting article:

A sizable portion of Egypt’s intelligentsia tends to compare the years 1954 and 2011, both being transitional stages following revolutions that deposed a regime and changed the history of the country.

The protagonists of the two periods are always at the center of the comparison. Both Maj. Gen. Mohamed Naguib, Egypt’s first president, and Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the Higher Council for the Armed Forces, showed support for a democratic state and a multi-party system and advocated the army’s return to its barracks to give way to a civilian rule. Comparisons focus on one power that exercised non-negligible influence in both years – the Muslim Brotherhood, under the leadership of its Supreme Leader Hassan al-Hodeibi in 1954, and its political wing the Freedom and Justice Party, headed by the group’s prominent members Mohamed Mursi and Essam el-Erian.

Despite the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood as a player in the Egyptian political scene following the 1952 Revolution, a remarkable difference can be detected between the way religion was dealt with now and then.

More tolerance prevailed, linking religion to state never seemed that necessary, and the Muslim Brotherhood were the only Islamist group in 1954, whereas in 2011 moderation is quickly diminishing, fanatical interpretations of Islam are gaining ground, and another religious faction emerged as the Brotherhood’s rival and has become more popular in the Egyptian street: the Salafis.

A 1954 beauty pageant is a simple, but important, example of the absence of religious fanaticism at the time. In that year, Egyptians chose Antigone Costanda, an Alexandrian of Greek origin, to be Miss Egypt, and in the same year she was crowned Miss World and appeared on stage dressed in a bathing suit in the ceremony held in London.

It is easy to blame all of the Arab world's fanaticism on Islam, but 1954 Egypt was no less fanatic in hating Israel that today's Egypt - but it was in no way Islamist.

Obama: Peace requires compromise. Abbas: We'll never compromise. (poster)

President Obama's speech at the UN today had some good lines.

Here's one that nicely shows the difference between the Western mindset and how the Palestinian Arab leadership has been acting throughout their history.

Ramallah rally shows map of all of Israel as "Palestine State"

Here's a screen shot from a BBC video report on the rally in Ramallah today.

It shows one of those symbolic chairs decorated with a map of all of British Mandate Palestine - including Israel - as the "Palestine State."

Notice how the headline writer is completely at odds with the plain meaning of the video.

(h/t Anon)

Why a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state is a bad idea (video)

From Jewlarious, a video I missed last month but quite relevant:

"We don't want you in Palestine" (poster)

Based on this article.

Yes, Palestinian Arab leaders have no desire to dismantle refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan or even in "Palestine" after they declare a state - and they specifically refuse to give citizenship to their own people in the camps!

The reason is because they want to continue to use their own people as pawns to pressure Israel even after they have a state.

The goal of a "State of Palestine" has nothing - and I mean nothing - to do with helping a single Palestinian Arab who lives outside the borders of such a state, or those who are considered "refugees" by UNRWA within such a state. On the contrary - they will do everything they can to keep them miserable. No passports, no citizenship, no rights.

In fact, the only state in the Middle East that grants full rights to Palestinian Arab refugees from 1948 is Israel. And that will remain true even if a Palestinian Arab state is declared.

Dershowitz lecture: Defending Israel in the court of public opinion

A September 15th lecture by Alan Dershowitz can be heard (or downloaded) here (M4A) or here (MP3)

(h/t Russell)

All of the PLO's historic anti-Israel documents are on their UN website

The UN website of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine contains all of the major PLO foundational documents.

These include such classics as the PLO's 1964 Charter - before the "occupation" - where they say:

Article 24: This Organization does not exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the Gaza Strip or in the Himmah Area. Its activities will be on the national popular level in the liberational, organizational, political and financial fields.

And their 1974 10-point program where they proclaim:

4. Any step taken towards liberation is a step towards the realization of the Liberation Organization’s strategy of establishing the democratic Palestinian State specified in the resolutions of the previous Palestinian National Councils.

Interestingly, they have hidden the 1968 PLO Charter that said:

Article 9: Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. This is the overall strategy, not merely a tactical phase. The Palestinian Arab people assert their absolute determination and firm resolution to continue their armed struggle and to work for an armed popular revolution for the liberation of their country and their return to it. They also assert their right to normal life in Palestine and to exercise their right to self-determination and sovereignty over it.

Article 10: Commando (Feday'ee) action constitutes the nucleus of the Palestinian popular liberation war. This requires its escalation, comprehensiveness, and the mobilization of all the Palestinian popular and educational efforts and their organization and involvement in the armed Palestinian revolution. It also requires the achieving of unity for the national (watani) struggle among the different groupings of the Palestinian people, and between the Palestinian people and the Arab masses, so as to secure the continuation of the revolution, its escalation, and victory.

Article 11: Palestinians have three mottoes: national unity, national (al-qawmiyya) mobilization, and liberation.

It is not under the link of the 1968 Palestine Charter but under "Decisions and Actions Related to the Palestine National Charter."

Under the 1968 Charter it says:

1. The PNC met in a special session on 26 April 1996 to consider the issue of amending the Palestine National Charter and adopted the following decision:

A. To abrogate the provisions of the Palestine National Charter that contradict the letters exchanged between Chairman Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of September 9 & 10 1993.

B. To mandate the legal committee of the PLO to present a new text of the Palestine National Charter.

The decision was adopted by more than the required two-thirds majority by a vote of: 504 in favor, 54 against, and 14 abstentions.

Yet nowhere can one find a list of which articles of the 1968 charter were abrogated, nor may one find the text of any subsequent charter.

And of course the PLO never did remove the denial of Israel from the charter. (h/t CHA)

(h/t Asher)

Poster: The PLO's strategy

Nabil Sha'ath said a lot of similar statements before and after the PLO supposedly embraced the two-state solution in 1988.

The insistence on the "right to return," Jerusalem and a Judenrein Palestine is nothing less than the realization of this long-standing PLO policy of destroying Israel in stages.

Source

Kosher BBQ competition in Memphis attracts Muslims as well

From JTA:

If there’s anything that can bring the Jews of Tennessee together, it would be barbecue.

This past weekend, the 23rd annual Kosher BBQ Contest and Festival drew thousands of Jews from Tennessee and around the country.

It attracted a group of Muslims, too. Turns out they're not bad at cooking kosher brisket: The Memphis Islamic Center’s team, the "Halal Smokers," won a third-place award for their brisket entry.

The commingling of Jews and Muslims among tables heaped with baked beans, hamburgers and ribs provided a counterpoint to anti-Muslim protests in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and death threats aimed recently at mosques elsewhere in this state.

“This is what America is all about,” Adam Itayem, who manned the Halal Smokers’ booth, said during the event. Itayem is also the owner of Tom’s Bar-B-Q in Memphis.

“People from all over the community feel comfortable coming year after year,” observed Rabbi Joel Finkelstein, the rabbi of Anshei Sphard-Beth El Emeth, the Orthodox synagogue that organizes the annual event and holds it in its parking lot.

Every May, this Mississippi River city hosts the famed World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, held each year on a Saturday. That contest has an overwhelmingly porcine character.

The synagogue cooked up its contest more than two decades ago so that its Shabbat- and kosher-observant members could get in on the barbecue action.

“It is the only event I know that brings the entire Jewish community together,” said Steve Kaplan, a longtime organizer of the event. He estimated that 3,000 people in all came to the festival.

The kosher barbecue contest has become so popular that attendees from far and wide are trying to copy the Memphis model.
The Memphis Islamic Center’s booth drew a lot of curious Jews who chatted with the cooks about the similarities and differences of the laws governing halal and kosher meat.

I was wondering how the kosher status is assured, as well as other details, and I found out - from a local Memphis newspaper:

Attaining the kosher seal of approval requires that all teams use the synagogue's own kettle-style grills that are stored year-round under lock and key. Teams also must preorder meat, cooking supplies and spices through the synagogue so that event staff can ensure that they are kosher.

Everything from the meat to the salt must be inspected by the rabbi and certified as kosher. Finally, the utensils must undergo a mikvah, or ritual cleaning.

Without access to personal smokers, and with a limited amount of time to cook, the playing field is somewhat leveled. Even the most confident backyard griller must succumb to the limited space and heating capabilities of the kettle. The fear of overcooking the meat is palpable. Teams are primarily judged on taste (45 percent) and tenderness (45 percent). Looks aren't everything, just 10 percent.

Unfortunately, I cannot find any recipes online.

Ma'an reports on the planning for the rallies in support of a unilateral declaration of "Palestine" tomorrow in Ramallah.

It says that all government workers are being given off to attend the rallies.

The rallies will include concerts to attract more people.

Classes will be cancelled so students from grade 7 and up can attend, including those at Bir Zeit University.

Stages are already set up, complete with lots of flags, at Clock Tower Square.

Free buses are available.

So when you see the throngs of crowds in Ramallah tomorrow, you'll know that it would be an act of will for people to stay away, and that it does not reflect any serious popular support for the UN stunt. Not that the media will notice.

(I wonder if UNRWA is shutting down for this....)

"Debunking the Palestinian Lie" (video)

Really good:

(h/t Sophie and Daled Amos, via Pajamas Media)

Abbas the totalitarian dictator

Independent Palestinian Arab media has been somewhat lukewarm about the unilateral declaration of independence that Abbas is planning this week at the UN, and one major reason is that they felt that he was not including anyone else in the decision making.

I have pointed out that at least one PLO Central Council member has complained that no other institutions were informed about the move, even those that are supposed to be the official decision making bodies of the PLO.

And plenty of Palestinian Arabs, in the entire political spectrum, have said either that they are against the bid or that they have serious reservations about the potential repercussions.

Looking again at Abbas' interview on Fox, one is struck about how he is speaking:

"You promised me a state by September 2011. I hope you will deliver."‬

"I felt there is no way for negotiations..."

Everything is in the first person singular.

He is not speaking as if he is representing his people - he is speaking as if he is the only person whose opinion matters.

Like a dictator.

This is not a one-time thing. Challah Hu Akbar noticed this Ma'an article yesterday:

President Mahmoud Abbas says he does not plan to form a new cabinet on his return from New York, where he will submit an application for full UN membership.

Asked by Ma'an if he would form a new government on his return to Ramallah, the president said he would only consider doing so when the situation was "more stable."

The Palestinian Authority cabinet resigned in February, but Abbas swiftly reappointed Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and tasked him with reforming the Ramallah cabinet.

Despite several announcements that the new cabinet was imminent, it has not yet been formed. Since February, the resigned cabinet has been acting in a caretaker capacity.

It was the third time Abbas had designated Fayyad to form a new Palestinian Authority government since June 2007, when Hamas split from the government and took power in Gaza.

No elections have been held since 2006, and the mandate of the president, legislative council, municipal leaders and cabinet have ended. Analysts, and Hamas, said that disbanding the cabinet in February was a tactical move in response to concerns raised about the government's legitimacy as a wave of popular protests swept the region calling for the ouster of unrepresentative leaders.

And Jonathan Schanzer wrote last week (also from CHA)

With the arrival of Salaam Fayyad, then finance minister and now prime minster, the PA began to experience a degree of accountability and transparency. Indeed, it appeared the PA was cleaning up its act. However, in recent years, Fayyad has been sidelined by PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas has consolidated power, and he is now abusing it.

One egregious example is the Palestine Investment Fund. The PIF was created in 2002 to manage and distribute the money and commercial interests owned by the PA.[10] The bylaws were established so that its operations would be transparent, since the PIF effectively functions as a sovereign wealth fund. The PIF succeeded in bringing hundreds of millions of dollars of commercial assets in the Palestinian budget into the light of day. The PIF's operating procedures call for the Fund to operate as an independent vehicle for economic stimulus for the benefit of the Palestinian people. In recent years, however, Abbas changed the charter, installed his own choices for board members, placed the PIF under his full control, and neglected to have the PIF audited by outsiders. Today, Prime Minister Fayyad has zero oversight of the PIF, despite his celebrated mandate for transparency.[11]

The "moderate" monicker becomes less and less relevant every day. Abbas has more in common with Syria's Bashir Assad than with any Western leader.

Maybe that's why the anti-Syria protest yesterday in Ramallah fizzled. No support from the government.