Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Onco-washing

From COGAT:

In the [IDF] Civil Administration they were hard at work in the last few weeks, preparing a special summer camp for cancer-stricken children from Judea & Samaria and from Gaza. 24 Palestinian children along with their parents departed, from Monday, July 2nd until Thursday, July 5th, for four days of fun in the Jordan Park, financed by the Civil Administration. These included horse riding, activities on inflated contraptions, music workshop and various other attractions.

The Jordan Park contains a combination of tourist, recreation and archeological facilities. The park, which extends over an area of about 1000 dunam, belongs to the Jewish National Fund and is administered by the Economic Association for Golan Settlements. The Health Coordinator in Judea & Samaria, Mrs. Dalia Basa, coordinated the children’s visit with the park management after having verified that the facilities in the park and the basic medical services exist and are adapted to the children’s special needs.

“We were happy to see how the children forgot, even if for a short time, the disease and connected to the summer camp experience during their summer vacation, just like all children throughout the world and in Israel.” summarized the Health Coordinator in Judea & Samaria, Mrs. Dalia Basa.

The civil Administration reported that different groups of Palestinian children and teenagers go out daily on excursions and visits of Israeli sites and that every year the wish increases to participate in summer camps, workshops, vacation days, etc., which combine visits in Israel and mainly organized excursions to the water sources in the North and in the Tel-Aviv area.

Obviously the IDF helps out cancer-stricken Palestinian Arab kids only to whitewash their crimes against, um, Palestinian Arab kids.

Only one problem: they do a really poor job publicizing it. Not a single story in any major Israeli newspaper about this. The only other places I saw it was the IDF website copying this article and a Christian organization.

So I guess that I am the main purveyor of Israel's evil onco-washing.

This joins Israel's evil pinkwashing, snow-washing, eye-washing, quake-washing, tech-washing, hunger-washing, med-washing, heart-washing, infection-washing, breast-washing, tumor-washing, germwashing, robot-washing....

All done, as any trendy Lefty knows, to cover up Israeli crimes.

Because that is the only way for tolerant über-Lefties and anti-Zionists to understand Israelis doing anything that is not a war crime.

(h/t Yerushalimey for robot-washing)

A Cyprus thought experiment

From Israel HaYom:

Cypriot police are continuing to question a 24-year-old foreigner arrested last week for allegedly plotting an attack on Israeli tourists visiting the Mediterranean island, Cypriot media reported on Saturday.

The man, said to be a Swedish passport holder of Lebanese extraction, was arrested on July 7 and was detained following remand hearings held in camera, Sigma TV reported. He has not yet been charged with any offence.

Sigma TV's website reported the man had been tracking the movement of Israeli tourists on the island, while Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros said he was attempting to pinpoint areas frequented by Israeli tourists and the buses they used.

A Cypriot government spokesperson confirmed the arrest of the Lebanese man, and according to media reports, the arrest took place after a "foreign intelligence agency" submitted information on the suspect to the authorities.

Police reportedly arrested the Lebanese man in his hotel room, where they also found photos and documents containing information on Israeli targets, including flight departure and arrival times for Israeli airlines. Sigma TV said the suspect arrived in Cyprus with the intention of carrying out a terror attack against an Israeli plane or tourist bus, and according to other reports, he spent time in the southern coastal city of Limassol where he photographed "Israeli targets."

Based on the suspect's Lebanese origin, it is increasingly believed that the man is a Hezbollah operative who was collecting information for a terror attack that was being planned by the Shiite group, seeking retaliation for the 2008 assassination of one of its senior leaders, Imad Mughniyeh, which they blame on Israel.

The Cyprus Mail notes:

The suspect arrived on the island almost two weeks ago.

Isn't it interesting that he arrived on the island so soon after Cypriot authorities allowed the Lebanese energy minister to expel an Israeli diplomat from a conference?

Is it possible that if the Cypriots had made a stand against the Lebanese bullying, that something like this wouldn't have happened?

Or would it have been more likely?

PalArab suspected of selling land to Jews "falls out of window"

From Now Lebanon:

A retired Palestinian security officer died on Sunday of injuries sustained after falling from a window while in Palestinian custody, security sources told AFP.

The unidentified 63-year-old man was pronounced dead at a Ramallah hospital, where he was transported suffering serious injuries, with one source saying it was unclear if he had fallen or was pushed to his death.

"This citizen is a retired security officer who was being held by the intelligence services in Ramallah on suspicion of corruption involving the sale of land," a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"He fell from a building and died, but we do not know if he fell or was pushed," the source added.

The details were confirmed by a second security source, who said the man was being investigated on suspicion of having "manipulated land records and sold land to Israel."

Ma'an adds:

Osama Akel Hassan Mansour, 49, was detained by security forces on June 19 as part of an investigation against corruption, a security statement said.

Mansour's wife told Ma'an that she believes her husband did not die naturally or commit suicide but was killed.

She had visited him on Friday and said he was in good spirits, joking and making people around him laugh.

That's a neat way to have the death penalty for selling land to Jews while keeping pesky human rights groups off your back.

"US pressuring against Pal UN bid - until after US elections"

The assistant secretary general of "Palestine" to the Arab League was interviewed about the severe PA budget problems and empty Arab promises to help, but he added something interesting.

Dr. Mohammed Sabih told Palestine Press Agency that the US was exerting "enormous pressure" on the Arab League and the PLO to postpone their latest bid to get recognized by the UN - until after the US presidential elections.

After the elections, he said, the US promised to be able to discuss "appropriate solutions" for the PLO.

He might be lying. But then again, he might not be. The PLO doesn't have much incentive to lie about this; if the US was pressuring the PLO to never go to the UN instead of postponing their bid for a few months, why wouldn't he say so?

Given that the initial hostility towards Israel by the Obama administration has been increasingly replaced by very public pro-Israel announcements as the election gets closer, it is easy to be cynical about the about-face.

Don't worry, most Arabs won't read the latest Arabic anti-semitic book

A book was just released in Egypt about how American Jews historically manipulated the US to the Zionist cause.

But you don't really have to read it, since all you need to know is on the cover:

Not to worry, though: Most Arabs don't read books. Ever.

From Al Arabiya:

Earlier this year, a debate on how to foster reading habits among Arab youth was prompted after the Arab Thought Foundation’s Fikr released its fourth annual cultural development report in January, saying that the average Arab child reads “six minutes” a year in comparison to 12,000 minutes its Western counterpart spends.

It also reported that an Arab individual on average reads a quarter of a page a year compared to the 11 books read by an American and seven books by a British person.

“If we adopt the minimum average time that youth is on the Internet, that gives us 365 hours a year, and if we compare that with the average time an individual Arab spends reading, which is six minutes a year, then the difference between the two becomes clear, and the importance of the Internet in youths’ lives becomes apparent,” the report said.

Another survey on reading habits in the Middle East in April 2011 made for a depressing read. Only one in five read on a regular basis and among those under 25 ─ nearly 65 per cent of the 3,667 questioned by Yahoo! Maktoob Research ─ about one in three seldom or never read a book for pleasure.

The survey’s results shows similar reading habits across countries. In an Arab League table of readers by nations, the United Arab Emirates placed fifth behind Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco and Iraq. In the UAE, just 22 per cent of people described themselves as regular readers.

So all those copies of Mein Kampf that are in Arab bookstores aren't actually being read. They are more for show.

Arabs only look at the pictures on the front.

My open letter to Henry Clifford, who bankrolled the anti-Israel ads (updated)

Henry Clifford is the person who put up $25,000 to place an anti-Israel ad in Metro-North train stations last week that I reported on.

In his interview with Fox News, he said "“There’s always room for discussion of different sides of every story, but there’s no room for discussion on fact. Anyone who challenges these maps and the content of these ads, it’s their obligation to show that they’re historically wrong. The ball is in their court.”

I received his email address (thanks to reader Greg) so I responded to him:

Dear Mr. Clifford:

In your interview with Fox News, you said:

“There’s always room for discussion of different sides of every story, but there’s no room for discussion on fact,” Clifford said. “Anyone who challenges these maps and the content of these ads, it’s they’re obligation to show that they’re historically wrong. The ball is in their court.”

I agree 100%. There is no room at all in discussion of fact. Which is why I responded to your ad on the basis of facts in my blog.

Here is my response:

I then pasted the contents of two blog posts that addressed the statements on the map (I slightly updated the one from last week to address that his first frame was not the same as the one on the famous anti-Israel map I originally responded to and that his second frame didn't accurately show Jerusalem from the partition plan.)

I then concluded:

So, Mr. Clifford, I've shown how every pixel in your posters is historically wrong.

Will you respond to me, or admit the truth?

This response is being posted on my blog, which receives about 150,000 hits a month. Since you claim that you are interested in facts, I look forward to your fact-based response to this email, or to your admitting that the ads are deceptive at best, and lying at worst. I will be more than happy to post your response on my blog where my thousands of daily readers can see it.

Because, I believe you will agree, facts are the most important thing. And if you can show any of my facts to be wrong, I will be more than happy to correct them publicly. Can I say the same about you?

In your own words, the ball is in your court.

Sincerely,

Eldad Tzioni

I will let everyone know if I receive a response.

I would be very surprised if I get one.

UPDATE: His initial response:

Unfortunately, your email did not contain maps however the text is sufficient for a discussion. I am absolutely flooded with correspondence and have other obligations to attend to but I will retain your email and try to respond. H. Clifford

Saturday night links

From Ian:

Behind the Lines: Serving from the heart

“The Nahal Brigade’s southern base is home to a growing number of lone soldiers, for whom the term ‘armchair Zionists’ is alien.”

Stand with Us Video: International Bloggers Visit Israel - Crazy Awesome Technion

An interesting article on the Levy Report. With a few examples of how land claims are settled, in Judea and Samaria.
The Edmond Levy revolution

“Levy even tackles Jordanian law, which forbids the sale of land to Jews in Judea and Samaria. He proposes that this law be invalidated by dint of a special military decree. If anyone wishes to get a better idea of what is being discussed, they could revisit the issue of the Machpelah House in Hebron, which was purchased by Jews but evicted on the orders of Defense Minister Ehud Barak because the Jewish buyers did not possess transaction permits and other documents, some of which Levy proposes be canceled.”

Islamist Generation Today’s Muslim youth are less Westernized than their parents were. By Mark Steyn

“In the first ever poll of Irish Muslims, 37 percent said they would like Ireland to be governed by Islamic law. When the same question was put to young Irish Muslims, it was 57 percent. In other words, the hope’n’change generation are less Westernized than their parents. Thirty-six percent of young British Muslims think the penalty for apostasy — i.e., leaving Islam — should be death. Had you asked the same question of British Muslims in 1970, I doubt the enthusiasts would have cracked double figures.”

(BTW Mark mentions and so have I, the report that Abd al-Latif al-Mahmoud from Bahrain called for Morsi to “destroy the Pyramids. Apparently this is a hoax from a satirical twitter account. soz.)

Another glimpse into delusional British attitudes to Israel

"A recent speech given by the British Ambassador to the Knesset reveals yet more about the FCO's underlying attitudes towards Israel"
“The FCO appears to be determined to proceed along its well-trodden route of failed policies based upon willfully blind misinterpretations of the Middle East tailored to protect its own perceived interests. Whether or not those interests are identical to those of a government purportedly seeking (for all too obvious reasons) to strengthen economic ties with Israel is another question. How the FCO's policies tie in with the current government's past statements regarding its commitment to Israel's security – as well as its own domestic struggles against extremism - is yet another. “

Cyprus detains Lebanese terrorist suspected of targeting ‘Israeli interests’

"Suspect carried Saudi passport; foreign governments helped thwart attack by sharing intel with Cyprus"

Quebec Muslim activist becomes first woman charged under 9/11 terror laws over Hezbollah gun-running plot

A Quebec activist who fought the stereotyping of Muslims was charged with supporting terrorism on Friday after an RCMP investigation linked her to an alleged scheme to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Mouna Diab, 26, was charged with committing a crime “for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group,” the RCMP said in a statement. She faces a possible life
sentence if convicted.

Bedouin captor holding 2 Americans vows more abductions

Turkey: Erdogan's party wants to limit press freedom,

Also, an in-depth report about the anti-Zionism (and occasional anti-semitism) of the uber-Leftist in Olympia, Washington.

The Atlantic on how anti-semitism has no place in debates over Israel.

Former Iranian general confirms nuclear weapons program

From The Guardian:

A former general of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards has accused the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of having blood on his hands over the brutal crackdown on the opposition, and described government claims that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful as a "sheer lie".

In a letter to prominent opposition activist Mohammad Nourizad (website in Farsi), the former officer gives a rare glimpse of political dissent within the ranks of the elite force in charge of the nuclear programme and Khamenei's personal security.

Identified only by his initials, the general says that he and a number of his colleagues were threatened with execution for disloyalty and then – after a series of secret courts-martial – dismissed "because we refused to participate in the betrayals and the crimes committed by our seniors".

"I'm writing this letter to you to tell our people that there are still many generals and members of staff within the Revolutionary Guards who are opposed to these crimes and are waiting to join the people," the letter reads.

Speaking to the Guardian by telephone from Tehran, Nourizad – who published the general's letter on his website – said he was convinced of its authenticity because it was handed to him in person by the former general.

"This is one of the many such letters written by senior figures within the Sepah [Revolutionary Guards] that I have received. I have refrained from publishing many of them because I was worried they might pose security problems," said Nourizad.

...The general also accuses Khamenei of lying about Iran's nuclear programme, which is now subject to an international dispute, the general casts doubt on what the regime officials claim to be "peaceful" activities, describing them as the country's "nuclear gamble".

"The inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency are fooling themselves if they believe that the nuclear facilities on and under the ground are only for peaceful purposes," he writes. "The leader said [in a fatwa] that Iran has only peaceful intentions with its nuclear activities. This is a sheer lie."

Wow, two confirmations that Iran has a nuclear weapons program in one day. Will this make the world wake up and take the threat seriously?

(h/t @IsraelActivism)

Best EoZ posts this week

Popular:
Debunking "The Map That Lies"
A very short essay on Zionism

Unearthing reference material:
Fourth Geneva Conventions, Article 49 - the Travaux Préparatoires
English translation of the legal arguments in the Levy Report

Irony alert:
Hamas demolishing homes of pre-1948 Arabs

Arabs rewriting history:
Jordanian official calls Jewish refugees from Arab countries "fabrications"

Most under-reported story:
Iran promises not to send athletes against Israelis in London. Will the IOC sanction them?

Media bias:
Israel welcoming black Jews as citizens, so AP reports "racism"

Book review (and interview):
"David & Goliath: The explosive inside story of media bias in the Mideast conflict"

Best linked article:
Europe's new anti-semitism (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks)

Best photo post:
Central Park 7/11

Also, this week I head about an Israeli company named Uppsite that automatically turns blogs into phone apps. There are some glitches they are working through so my blog is not a full-blown app yet, but you can see it as a "sub-app" if you download the Uppsite app from the Apple App Store and then search for "Elder of Ziyon."

You can compare it with how it looks under Google Currents, another app (Android and Apple, tablet and phone) that turns any blog into a very attractive magazine, optimizing it for size.

Elder posters at Pride Parade in Toronto

On July 1st, Toronto held a Pride Parade.

One pro-Israel group, Kulanu Toronto, marched in the parade - and they featured some of my "Real Liberals Love Israel" posters:

Thanks to Justine for setting this up!

Friday links

From Ian:

IDF Blog: Our Heroes: IDF Soldiers in Action

"At every hour of every Day, IDF soldiers are protecting the borders of Israel's, doing everything they can to keeping our citizens safe."

Caroline Glick: Obama's spectacular failure

“By calling for Abdel-Rahman's release, Mursi has aligned himself and his government with the US's worst enemies. By calling for Abdel-Rahman's release during his unofficial inauguration ceremony, Mursi signaled that he cares more about winning the acclaim of the most violent,
America-hating jihadists in the world than with cultivating good relations with America.
And in response to Mursi's supreme act of unfriendliness, US President Barack Obama invited Mursi to visit him at the White House.” (also covers Levy Report)

Walsh Withdraw Egypt Aid

“Thirty-five Republican members of Congress are calling on House leadership to “withhold all U.S. aid to the Egyptian government” until its new Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated president agrees to abide by “Egypt’s treaties, promote peace with Israel, and continue to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.”

Former Mossad Chief: Israel Must Prepare for Possible Military Action in Syria, Cites Bio-Chemical Threat

“The reports yield a bleak prognosis that is difficult to strategize against. Syria’s weapons are excessive in number, pervade the entire region, and are heavily defended by the Syrian army which is said to number 100,000 troops. According to a Pentagon study, uprooting Syria’s arsenal would require troops numbering 75,000.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Palestinian

“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has allegedly deposited nearly $13 million in U.S. taxpayer aid into a secret bank account, and routinely uses his political connections to profit from the stagnant peace process, according to testimony presented to Congress Tuesday by several Middle East experts.”

Iran warns media against reporting impact of sanctions

Genocidal Sudan to Win Seat on U.N.’s top human rights body

Echoes of Roman Legion style decimation orders.
Syrian troops ordered to kill 5% of participants at all protests, ‘ex-commander’ tells The Times of Israel

The Attacks on Israelis You Won’t Read About Anywhere Else, July 10-12

French Synagogue Vandalized For Third Time in Ten Days

Federal complaint alleges hostile environment against Jewish students at UC Berkeley

Alleging that "Jewish students have been subjected to a pervasive hostile environment and that the university has failed to take effective measure to cure the situation."

MEMRI French “Comic” Dieudonne: 'Muslims and Christians Should Unite' Against The Jews

"Together We Will Be Able To Fight This Satanic Spirit Which Now Heads The Highest International Institutions"

Jordan refuses entry to Israeli Islamist official

"Sheikh Kamal Hatib, deputy leader of radical Islamic Movement, had been invited to conference by Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood"

Turkey: Oldest Christian monastery at risk

"The lawsuit also claimed that the sanctuary was built over the ruins of a mosque, forgetting that Mohammed was born 170 years after its foundation."

'I was forced to hunt Jews', claims terror trial wife

Slain Terrorist Plotted Attack on London Jews

“Documents detailing a plot to attack Jewish neighborhoods in London were found on the
body of an African leader of al-Qaida.”

One more:
Born on the Fourth of June (Brett Stephens)

Latma short on Levy report

While exaggerated, this is a funny take on how critics of Israel refuse to actually answer the arguments given in the Levy report:

Days after the report was produced, no news organization or NGO felt it necessary to translate it into English. I had to get one of my Israeli readers to do it.

Apparently, the media and the NGOs are more interested in pushing their narratives rather than allowing people to read the source materials to make up their own minds.

MI6 chief: 'We foiled Iranian nuclear weapons bid in 2008'

Lots of people have been trying to claim that Iran's nuclear weapons drive is some Zionist fantasy.

Well, now they'll probably think the MI6 is Zionist.

From the Daily Telegraph:

Sir John Sawers said that covert operations by British spies had prevented the Iranians from developing nuclear weapons as early as 2008.

However, the MI6 chief said it was now likely they would achieve their goal by 2014, making a military strike from the US and Israel increasingly likely.

Sir John gave a secret briefing to the Cabinet in March about Iran’s growing military threat but this is the first time his views on the issue have been made public.

It is extremely rare for the head of MI6 to disclose details of operations by the intelligence service.

Sir John made the remarks at a meeting of around 100 senior civil servants in London last week in only his second public speech since he was appointed to the post in 2009.

Sir John said that without MI6’s work dealing with the threat, “you’d have Iran as a nuclear weapons state in 2008 rather than still being two years away in 2012.”

Sir John said it was up to MI6 to “delay that awful moment when the politicians may have to take a decision between accepting a nuclear-armed Iran or launching a military strike against Iran.”

Juan Cole will not be pleased. He was so sure that the Ayatollah's "nuclear fatwa" was proof that Iran would never, ever, ever even consider thinking about the possibility of perhaps one day starting down the path of anything remotely approaching a semblance of a nuclear weapons program.

(h/t Josh)

Hamas brags of its achievements: "The Gaza beach is Islamic"

Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh spoke at the inauguration of a new mosque in Gaza today. Here are the highlights of his speech:

Even though nothing has been said officially, he is certain that Egypt's new leader Mohamed Morsi will "lift the siege on Gaza."
Since Hamas took over Gaza, it closed cabarets, cafes and casinos where people could drink wine.
Hamas opened numerous mosques.
"We made the Gaza beach an Islamic beach we can be proud of."
The religious ministry also opened up Islamic chapels for vacationers.

The mosque that was opened was named after Said Seyam, former interior minister of the Gaza government, a major Hamas leader - and a former UNRWA teacher.

Israeli prisoner Tarabin plans to sue Egypt

We've discussed the plight of Israeli citizen Ouda Tarabin before, but he is hoping that the new Egyptian regime might treat him better than the last.

From Egypt Independent:

Ouda Tarabin, a dual Egyptian-Israeli citizen [sic] currently serving time for espionage, plans to file a lawsuit against the Egyptian government at the International Criminal Court for unlawful arrest. He demands to be released and to receive compensation of US$100 million.

Tarabin was found guilty of spying for Israel and sentenced to 15 years in prison at the Ismailia Military Court in 2000. He has been imprisoned in Egypt ever since.

In April, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported that Israel and Egypt were allegedly in talks to release Tarabin in exchange for the release of 60 Egyptian prisoners held in Israel, but the deal fell through.

According to an Israeli television channel, a team from the United Nations Commission of Human Rights has investigated Tarabin’s case, and recently stated that Tarabin was subjected to arbitrary arrest and had not received a fair trial.

The channel added that Tarabin’s lawyers are planning to use that recommendation to support their case against the Egyptian government.

Tarabin’s defense team sent a letter to President Mohamed Morsy demanding his release during Ramadan, or at least a retrial, the TV station claimed.

The channel reported that a delegation from the Israeli Embassy in Cairo has visited Tarabin twice in prison. They quoted the detainee as saying, “I lay all the hopes of my release on the new regime, and I am sure they will realize that my arrest was not fair.”

As far as I know, he is an Israeli Arab but he is not a dual Egyptian-Israeli citizen. (I don't think that is even possible.)

It is a disgrace that Tarabin's plight has not been publicized more. He should have been released as part of the Ilan Grapel deal last year. In fact, I have much more sympathy for Tarabin than for Grapel, whose naivete was reckless and ultimately dangerous.

UPDATED: The document above states he was born in the Sinai in 1981, Israel handed over control of the area in 1982 but it is unclear how or when his family ended up in Israel. (h/t Prof Ginzburg)