Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Elder of Ziyon
Palestine Today reports that prominent Saudi Sheikh Awad al Qarni has offered a $100,000 reward to anyone who kidnaps an Israeli soldier.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011Elder of Ziyon“Turkish Passport” is an unusual story about the Holocaust; it is unusual simply by having the word “Turkish” in its title, since Turkey was a neutral country during WW II. The documentary, directed by former advertisement director Burak Cem Arlıel and written by Deniz Yeşilgün and Gökhan Zincir, is a surprising recount of Turkish diplomats in France and other European countries who had saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews by issuing them Turkish passports.
Based on extensive research of four years, “Turkish Passport” tells the story of Turkish diplomats and those saved by them through interviews with the survivors, the relatives of the survivors and the relatives of the Turkish diplomats, as well as re-enactments. It was definitely a period when Turkish bureaucracy was not as stalled, and when a Turkish passport was literally a lifesaver.
The film recounts stories of Turkish diplomats like Behiç Erkin, Turkey’s ambassador to France, who issued passports to French Jews of Turkish ancestry and helped ship them off to Turkey in rescue trains. The diplomats issued passports to anyone who could utter a few sentences in Turkish...
Tuesday, October 25, 2011Elder of Ziyon
ErekatSaeb Erekat said the statements of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who claimed that President Mahmoud Abbas is the biggest obstacle to peace and must be removed, are extremely dangerous and an invitation to assassinate and kill President Abu Mazen.Here's what Lieberman said:
Erekat told the radio station 'Voice of Palestine' that he made contacts with both the United States and the European Union and Russia to have them denounce these dangerous statements.
Erekat said, "We understand that there is a price for everything, but when it comes to public incitement to kill President Abu Mazen, this is what we reject."
If there is a true stumbling block to peace, it is Abu Mazen. When [Abbas] talks about quitting, it’s not a threat, it’s a blessing, I can only hope that he leaves soon. Anyone who replaces him will be better than he is.Incitement to kill Abbas?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011Elder of ZiyonTurkey is much better placed to deal with its latest earthquake since overhauling its emergency operations in the past decade, but international experts questioned on Monday its decision to rebuff many outside offers of help.How many lives could have been, and still could be, saved?
The country has plenty of experience in dealing with earthquakes after living through a "seismic storm" over the past century, but that hasn't always translated into prompt relief.
Disaster response has much improved since a 7.6 magnitude quake in the Western city of Izmit killed 17,000 people in 1999.
Nevertheless, experts said the region's rising economic power still lagged the level of organization seen, for example, in Japan -- raising questions about Ankara's rejection of foreign help after Sunday's 7.2 magnitude quake in southeastern Turkey.
"It would be better to accept all the help you can get," said Matthew Free, immediate past chairman of the Institution of Structural Engineers' earthquake field investigation team, who helped after the Izmit quake. "It's not a good time to be proud ... saving lives is the top priority."
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who flew to Van in southeast Turkey to assess the damage from the Ercis quake, said the country could cope by itself.
He declined offers of help from, among others, the United States, Britain and Germany, as well as neighboring Israel and Armenia, which both have strained relations with Ankara. Turkey has accepted help only from Iran, Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011Elder of ZiyonAbraham Shalom Yahuda was one of the most important collectors of Islamica in the world before his death in 1951.The National Library in Jerusalem is to begin displaying old Muslim religious texts from its collections, including some that are quite rare. Among the texts to be displayed as part of a special series on the history of Islam, are also two Korans from the ninth century, just 200 years or so after the writing of the first Koran.
In addition, the public will be able to view three Korans from the 11th and 12th centuries that come from Antalya, Andalusia and Persia. Most of the manuscripts are part of the collection of the Jewish scholar Abraham Shalom Yehuda. Upon his death, Shalom Yehuda, a prominent early 20th century Islamic studies researcher, donated his collection to the National Library. The collection includes 1,184 old manuscripts, of which around 100 are Korans, and is deemed one of the Western world's most important collections of ancient Muslim manuscripts.
Several of Shalom Yehuda's are among the most beautiful of the ancient Korans and feature unique decorations. "He had a great eye for books," says Dr. Raquel Ukeles, the curator of the National Library's Islam and Middle East collection and the initiator of the series.
The rare manuscripts will be displayed as part of a series of seminars at the library. Each day of the program will also feature the participation of researchers or Muslim clerics. According to Ukeles, there were no rejections of her invitation to come to the National Library from Arab clerics, only enthusiastic favorable replies. "Most Jewish Israelis, and even the Muslim Israelis, don't know much about Islam. For me, it's an opportunity to create an encounter between the university and other worlds, where they can get acquainted with each other," she said.
The program is part of the library management's relatively new policy which is aimed at opening its collections to the general public and not just to researchers. However, Ukeles also notes that even Muslim scholars are unaware of the Shalom Yehuda collection and its importance. "I discovered that it's a secret of sorts; hardly anyone knows about it. Part of the fun in the series is that we are opening it to the general public," Ukeles said.
Egypt and Israel said Monday they have finalized arrangements to exchange an alleged Israeli spy for 25 Egyptians held in Israeli jails, on the heels of a Hamas-Israel prisoner swap.
“Egypt has agreed to release Ilan Grapel and at Egypt’s request Israel has agreed to free 25 Egyptian prisoners,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
According to the statement, the Egyptians lined up for release –including three minors – are not security prisoners.
Egypt’s official MENA news agency said the swap is expected to take place “in the next two days.”Ouda Tarabin is still not being discussed.
The deal is subject to the approval of Israel's 14-member security cabinet which is due to convene on Tuesday, the statement said. But it is highly unlikely to reject the agreement.
Monday, October 24, 2011Elder of Ziyon
Monday, October 24, 2011Elder of ZiyonIt's quite something, the prisoner swap between Hamas and the Israeli government that returns Gilad Shalit to his family, and more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners to theirs. The deal is widely viewed as a victory for Hamas, the radical Islamist group that gained power in Gaza after years of frustration at the intractability of the "peace process". Conversely, it is being seen by some as a sign of weakness in Israel's rightwing prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu.I don't know, but I think that Israel would have accepted a deal where they only release one mid-level Hamas militant in exchange for Shalit, which would be a 1:1 exchange and might make Deborah Orr much happier that the lives of "chosen" aren't worth so much.
All this, I fear, is simply an indication of how inured the world has become to the obscene idea that Israeli lives are more important than Palestinian lives. Netanyahu argues that he acted because he values Shalit's life so greatly.
Yet who is surprised really, to learn that Netanyahu sees one Israeli's freedom as a fair exchange for the freedom of so many Palestinians? Likewise, Hamas wished to use their human bargaining chip to gain release for as many Palestinians as they could. They don't have much to bargain with.
At the same time, however, there is something abject in their eagerness to accept a transfer that tacitly acknowledges what so many Zionists believe – that the lives of the chosen are of hugely greater consequence than those of their unfortunate neighbours.
Monday, October 24, 2011Elder of ZiyonPalestinian Nasser Ziad explains why he thinks the [Shalit] deal was right.I don't know the specific attacks that al Ghoul participated in. A triple life sentence indicates that at least three Israelis were killed as a result of his attacks.
Among the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in the first stage of their exchange for Gilad Shalit, there was my close friend's father, Omar al-Ghoul.
I was very happy for all the prisoners and their families as they were reunited after years of unlawful separation and inhumane treatment, but especially for the al-Ghouls who live in Mughraga, central Gaza, close to the former Israeli settlement of Netzarim.
Omar al-Ghoul was a member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. He received a triple life sentence from an Israeli court 24 years ago for his role in attacks on Israeli targets in Gaza and for joining a secret cell of fighters.
My friend, Ibrahim al-Ghoul, was born six months after his father was detained. Until this week, he had not seen him for 10 years, since a prison visit in 2001.
Since talk of a possible prisoner exchange with Israel began five years ago, following the capture of Cpl Shalit, I have seen his face light up with hope only to turn to sadness each time a deal appeared imminent but then fell through.
It has been difficult to grow up without getting to know his dad. "It's like you are told you have a father but you have never seen him," Ibrahim told me.
There is so much catching up to do that he still does not know what stories he and his father will be able to share. "Let's see if I will get used to him quickly," he says.
Ibrahim's mother, Suheir al-Ghoul, has done her best to raise her children and look after 18 grandchildren in her husband's absence. For a long time, she depended on intermittent visits to the prison to see him and allow him to assume some fatherly duties. However the Israelis suddenly blocked these for the whole family 10 years ago.
Suheir has always said that her husband Omar is not a murderer, but a hero. He was fighting for our freedom and our dignity. He never wanted to fight anyone but living under the Israeli occupation is very tough.
She turned up at Rafah to meet her husband with her two sons, both wearing the uniform of the al-Qassam brigade.
As a Palestinian, I also perceive Omar and all the Palestinian prisoners as national heroes. They have sacrificed themselves for the Palestinian struggle.
I also believe Gilad Shalit was a legitimate target for capture.
Monday, October 24, 2011Elder of ZiyonPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to honor Palestinian prisoners who were released in last week’s Gilad Schalit exchange deal by rewarding them financially, Prisoners Affairs Minister Issa Qaraqi announced over the weekend.And here they are at their luxury Gaza hotel in a photo series at Palestine Times:
Hamas representatives, meanwhile, called for kidnapping more IDF soldiers so they could be traded for the remaining Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Qaraqi said that all prisoners would benefit from the grants, including those who were deported to the Gaza Strip, a number of Arab countries or Turkey.
PA governors and some “national institutions” have begun distributing the money to the released prisoners in accordance with PA regulations and laws, he said.
Qaraqi did not say how much each prisoner would get from the PA government.
Abbas’s decision follows a similar move by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who decided to give each prisoner a $2,000 grant.
Meanwhile, the prisoners who were deported to the Gaza Strip are staying at a five-star hotel at the expense of the Hamas government.
Monday, October 24, 2011Elder of ZiyonThe flow of natural gas from Egypt to Israel has resumed after a cut of several months due to repeated militant attacks, Israel's National Infrastructure Ministry said on Sunday.I think it is a safe bet that there will be more attacks on the pipeline in the near future.
It said gas began to flow in reduced quantities on Thursday night to test the system, before a resumption of full levels.
Egypt's Sinai desert pipeline which connects to Israel has been attacked by militants six times this year, and an Israeli official said the state has not received gas through the pipeline since a bombing in July.
Egypt supplies 43 percent of Israel's natural gas, which generates 40 percent of Israeli electricity.
National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau said in April that his country would have to find alternatives if the Egyptian gas exports did not resume.
Monday, October 24, 2011Elder of ZiyonTurkey declined an offer of aid from its former strategic ally Israel Sunday after a powerful earthquake struck southeast Turkey, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.This is stupid, of course. When lives are in the balance it is ridiculous to act macho at the expense of human lives. But if Turkey decided that it can do it alone, that is their right.
"I am under the impression the Turks do not want our help," Barak told Channel 2 News. "Right now (their answer) is negative but if they see they need more aid and don't have it, or if they rethink it, we have made the offer and remain prepared (to help)," he said.
A Turkish foreign ministry official said later that Turkey had received offers of help from dozens of countries after the magnitude 7.2 quake, and had so far declined assistance from all of them.
Iran’s Red Crescent has sent rescue teams, ambulances and a field hospital to Turkey to help out in the wake of a devastating quake there, the state news agency IRNA reported Monday.
Mahmoud Mozafar, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, was quoted as saying that “Turkish officials have defined an area in the Van region for Iranian rescuers to bring medical assistance to the injured.”
Iran has sent 20 rescuers, 20 ambulances, a field hospital, food supplies and 50 tents for emergency shelter to the quake-hit region in Turkey, which lies just over the border with Iran, Mozafar said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi telephoned his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, to express his condolences over the loss of life suffered in the disaster.
After visiting the quake zone, Erdogan returned to Ankara, where he is expected to chair a cabinet meeting to discuss the response to the disaster.
He said Turkey was able to meet the challenge itself, but thanked countries that had offered help, including Armenia and Israel, two governments that have strained relations with Ankara, Reuters reported.
Tents and rescue teams have come from as far away as Iran and Azerbaijan.
Monday, October 24, 2011Elder of ZiyonFifty-five of the detainees were required to sign documents promising not to return to terrorist activities and to obey the security conditions of their release. The security restrictions vary based on a risk assessment completed by the Israel Prison System, with some barred from leaving their village or city.Today's Maariv also confirms that most prisoners refused to sign the release form. The story is that one of the prisoners told Israeli security that he has no problem scuttling the entire Shalit deal by refusing to sign, and word got around to the other prisoners about his refusal, so they followed suit, some saying "we will free ourselves anyway." The Prime Minister's office, somewhat defensively, said that signing the form was never part of the agreement.
Those Israel is less concerned about will only be required to present themselves every two or three months at the nearest office of the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, says spokesman Maj. Guy Inbar.
For Nael Barghouti – who served 34 years in an Israeli prison, making him the longest held Palestinian detainee – that will mean visiting the Israeli settlement of Beit El.
Mr. Barghouti returned to his village of Kobar, near Ramallah, on Tuesday, and will not be allowed to leave the area again for three years. If he violates these conditions, Barghouti will have to return to jail to finish the life sentence he was given for his role in the death of an Israeli soldier in the West Bank in 1978.
Some say the restrictions are unfair, and that if the prisoners are truly freed, they should not be so tightly controlled.
“It’s not fair to make special conditions for some prisoners,” says Ziad Abu Ein, Palestinian Authority Deputy Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, pointing out that many prisoners will not even be able to travel to neighboring cities for work. “You released him, so you should give him all the opportunity to live like other people, to be married and have a house.”
Those with special security arrangements will essentially remain under direct monitoring of Israeli authorities, says Mr. Abu Ein. Israeli forces, who patrol the West Bank, will decide if prisoners broke the conditions of their release, he says.
But Israel says these restrictions are necessary to protect its citizens because, left alone, some of the former prisoners may soon begin plotting attacks again.
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PROTOCOLS: EXPOSING MODERN ANTISEMITISM
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