Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Midweek Links

From Ian:

The Neurotic Middle East
The world tacitly exempts the Middle East from the rules of civilized behavior.

“The world obsesses over Israel and the Palestinians because of the neurotic Middle East. The issue is not really the principle of a divided capital — or Nicosia would be daily news. Nor is the concern over refugees per se, since well over 500,000 Jews were religiously cleansed from the major Arab capitals following the 1948 and 1967 wars. No one cares where they went or how they have fared in the decades since. Is the global worry really over occupied territories? Hardly. Lately it seems that every desolate island between China and Japan is equally contested. Are there special envoys to the Falklands, and do the islanders receive international aid? Will there be a U.N. session devoted to the Kuril Islands? Does Gdansk/Danzig merit summits? We are told ad nauseam that the Arab minority in Israel suffers — would that the ignored Coptic minority in Egypt had similar protections and freedoms.”

A late-blooming Arab Spring in Jordan?

“Now, with large demonstrations planned for Friday in Amman – which organizers say will be the biggest the Hashemite Kingdom has seen in years – some question how long Jordan can remain immune from the demands for change that have swept through the region, sparking uprisings and unseating dictatorships.”

UK media watchdog rules: Tel Aviv is not the capital
Monday’s decision by oversight committee decides debate over Guardian apology for ‘wrongly’ giving Jerusalem the title

“The ruling set a precedent on British coverage of Israel, effectively barring all British publications from referring to Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital,” Honest Reporting, the British pro-Israel media watchdog group behind the complaint to the PCC, declared in a statement released Tuesday.
“Fatuous claims over the status of Tel Aviv as a means to delegitimize Jerusalem as Israel’s rightful capital will no longer be acceptable,” said the group’s CEO, Joe Hyams.

British politician slams ex-London mayor for ‘rich Jews’ quote

"Douglas Alexander, a former British government minister, has criticized former London mayor Ken Livingstone for allegedly saying Jews won’t vote for Britain’s Labor Party because they are rich."

Criticizing Islam taboo in academia: ex-Yale expert says

"Academics who study Islamic antisemitism are risking career advancement and younger scholars are shying away from the subject as a result, said Montreal native Charles A. Small, who headed a Yale University program in antisemitism until it was shut down last year amid controversy. "

PMW: The PA’s Jerusalem libel continues
Organizations and officials claim Israel plans to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque

"The Palestinian Authority continues to deny Jerusalem's Jewish history and the existence of the Temple, referring to the "alleged Temple." In addition, the PA continues to promote its Jerusalem libel"

IDF Blog: Israel Defense Forces: September 2012

September started off on a happy occasion — the celebration of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year — but turned tragic due to the death of Cpl. Netanel Yahalomi, who was killed while defending against a terror attack on the southern border. Here’s what the IDF faced this month.

Navy prepares to intercept Gaza activist ship

International rights group says Hamas' security forces in Gaza are committing severe abuses

Human Rights Watch says Hamas' security forces in Gaza are committing severe abuses, including torture of detainees, arrests without warrants, forced confessions, unfair trials and mock executions.

MP touts defeat of SA settlement product labelling

South African MP Meshoe hails victory in blocking bill requiring labeling of WB goods as from "occupied Palestinian territory."
South African parliamentarians blocked Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies’s bill requiring settlement products to be labeled as originating from “occupied Palestinian territory,” marking a “great victory,” South African MP Reverend Kenneth Meshoe said in Jerusalem Tuesday.

'To annihilate Israel we need 24 hours, an excuse'

Khamenei's Qods Force representative claims Israel could not win "war of attrition" and is desperate, "close to annihilation."

Iranian police clash with protesters over currency plunge

As the rial plunges to record lows almost daily, foreign exchange dealers in Tehran protest against Ahmadinejad's "failed economic policies," riot police use tear gas to disperse protesters.

Asylum-seeking cameraman defected after refusing orders from Iran delegation

Israel to build model farm in South Sudan

‘We happen to be experts in some fields and it’s wonderful to be able to contribute to the process of nation-building,’ says the Israeli ambassador.
"Israel is planning to build a model agricultural village in the new nation of South Sudan, aimed at teaching local farmers how Israel’s breakthrough agricultural methods and technologies can help the fledgling African nation survive and thrive."

Israel Daily Picture: Young Jewish Men and Women Are "Recruited" in 1939 in Response to British Restrictions on Immigration to Palestine
Presumably, they would later serve in the Jewish militias such as the Haganah or Irgun, and many would join the British army to fight the Nazis in Europe and North Africa. An estimated 30,000 Jews of Palestine fought in the British Army in World War II.

Also:
Hezbollah members (and probably Syrians) die in mysterious blast in Lebanon

Dozens of Syrians approach Golan border; tourists evacuated

Hilarious quote in JPost as Haaretz employees argue against a strike: (h/t JK)

A senior editor questioned the wisdom of strike, remarking: "What if, with no paper, people realize [that] they can do without Haaretz?"

Introduction to Krav Maga (or, an IDF woman kicking butt)

There was a demonstration against Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah last night, the Palestine Times and Firas Press reported.

PA police stopped the protesters from marching to the presidential compound.

The protesters chanted against Oslo, to release political (i.e., Hamas) prisoners and, as always, to destroy Israel.

The protesters chanted, "Ya Abbas Leave, Leave," "Down with the olive branch, long live the rifle" and "From Ramallah to Sakhnin, Palestine will be Free." (Sakhnin is an Arab town in Israel.)

When people say they want an "Arab spring" in Ramallah, just remember: As corrupt, hypocritical and dictatorial as the PA is today, there seems absolutely no chance that it would be replaced with anything better.

What kind of a "peace process" is it when the best choice is to sign an agreement with a morally bankrupt, lying Fatah that could be replaced at any moment by leaders who are even worse?

Breaking: Mass anti-government protests in Tehran (video)

BBC:

Riot police in Iran have clashed with protesters in the capital over sharp falls in the currency, the rial.

Tear gas was used to disperse the demonstrators, some of whom were setting fire to tyres and rubbish bins. There were many arrests, reports say.

Eyewitnesses told the BBC that scores of people gathered outside the central bank, calling for the governor to stand down, chanting anti-government slogans.

The rial has plummeted to record lows against the US dollar in recent days.

Money dealers were joined by traders from the nearby central bazaar, reports say.

Eyewitnesses told BBC Persian that riot police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.

Reports say many shops in the central Grand Bazaar have brought down their shutters in sympathy with the demonstrators.

Traders are angry at the lack of direction from the government in the crisis, which they say has led to more instability in prices, making trading almost impossible, commentators say.

A Facebook user, FreedomMessenger20, is documenting the anti-regime protest in Tehran today:

Protesters calling on store-owners in the bazaar to close their shops:

(h/t Tundra Tabloids)

Islamic Jihad brags that it can veto any peace agreement

Islamic Jihad is now celebrating its 25th anniversary in Gaza, with parades and other public events to publicize its commitment to destroying Israel. The celebrations are done with the full permission of Hamas, which even featured them on its website.

(According to the photo's EXIF information, that last picture may have been taken in 2009, and Islamic Jihad wanted to make the parade look more impressive.)

In an interview with Islamic Jihad media, the leader of the movement, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Najjar, "Abu Hazim," bragged that Islamic Jihad has not budged one iota from its founding principles of destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamist state.

Najjar said that this year's anniversary festival was a "referendum of resistance," meaning that it is proof that Palestinian Arabs still embrace terror as their means of destroying Israel.

He also bragged:

Praise be to God, the al-Quds Brigades of military force [of Islamic Jihad] is powerful enough to dictate its will to invalidate any agreement that does not do justice to the Palestinians and did not give them them the right to return to their entire land.

People who still cling to the idea of the sacred "peace process" never really discuss Islamic Jihad and how it has effective veto power even in the unlikely event that Palestinian Arab leadership can accept a reasonable compromise with Israel.

In the wisdom of Oslo, it is better to leave all the impossible issues for the end of the "process."

Video of Muslims harassing peaceful Jews on Temple Mount

Yesterday, there were some clashes on the Temple Mount as Muslims harassed and tried to attack peaceful Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount. Here is video from the Al Aqsa Foundation site:

As Arutz-7 reports:

Police ignored threats by Arabs to butcher Jews ascending the Temple Mount but arrested an Arab for trying to stab a police officer. The police also arrested Likud nationalist Moshe Feiglin for attempting to pray there.

A number of Jews, including those from the Our Land of Israel movement, went up to the holy site on Tuesday despite rumors Monday night that Arabs planned to cause problems. The police were alerted but provided no protection for the group of Jews.

“When we went up on the Temple Mount, we were greeted with cries of ‘Allah is Great,’” said Asaf Fried, one of the members in the group.

”The police again did nothing, even towards the end of the visit when the Arabs really came close to us and blocked our exit, shouting, 'We will expel the Jews in blood and fire and will butcher Jews.’

“The police still did nothing,” and the group of Jews escaped without harm.

The Arab media is reporting it quite differently, talking about Jews "storming" the site and performing "Talmudic rituals" as usual.

Here are some of those "stormers:"

Scary looking, aren't they?

Hamas demolishes "illegal" PalArab homes; shoot protesters. Human rights orgs silent.

From Palestine Press Agency:

Three civilians and two members of the Hamas police were wounded Tuesday, during clashes after bulldozers and security agents came to remove houses and structures for citizens in the village of Um al-Nasrr in the northern Gaza Strip, claiming that they were on government land.

Hamas police arrived Tuesday morning, broke into the area of Um Al Nasr north of Beit Lahiya and proceeded to demolish the homes of a number of citizens and their facilities saying they were built on government land.

Dozens of people stood up to the police force, refusing to allow the demolition of their homes, prompting Hamas police officers to fire live bullets towards citizens, wounding 3 people.

Dozens of people pelted Hamas forces with stones, which resulted in the arrest of a number of them.

Hamas police and bulldozers that accompanied them were able to remove the houses by force, despite an outcry from the owners.

So Hamas is bulldozing Palestinian Arab homes - and no human rights agency says a word.

And they shoot protesters with live ammunition - and no human rights agency says a word. (Laughably, they claim to have shot only in the air, but somehow the injured received gunshot wounds anyway.)

It almost makes you think that there is a double standard going on here, doesn't it?

Links while I was out

From Ian, October 1:

Blockade-running ship to set sail for Gaza next week
Foreign Ministry: Activists will not reach the Hamas-run Strip

"Activists said the schooner Estelle, which set sail from Sweden three months ago, was expected to reach the Gaza coast by mid-October. Since casting off, the Estelle has docked at several Europeans ports, where its passengers have held conferences to raise awareness of the situation in Gaza."

Israeli SARS Bio-Weapon is 'B-Movie Fantasy'
An Israeli spokesman says a leftist website accusing Jerusalem of attacking Arabs with the SARS virus is involved in a "B-movie fantasy."

"A leftist website that accused Israel of attempting to attack "specific Arab communities" with strains of the SARS virus" is involved in a "B-movie fantasy," says Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor. Israel's health ministry has warned local hospitals to be on alert for the virus since two cases, including one person who died of the illness, were identified in Saudi Arabia in the past several weeks."

Attempted Palestinian Terror Shooting on Israeli Road

British government pledges new cooperation with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

“So the question which naturally arises is on what, exactly, do Baroness Warsi and her British government colleagues intend to “cooperate” with the OIC? What “mutual goals” does the UK government think it has with an organization which seeks to limit universal human rights, curb freedom of expression, and establish its headquarters in the capital city of a UN member sovereign country?”

Jewish communities under threat in Malmo, Sweden?

"There is no doubt in my mind that the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Malmo is attributable, in large part, to local radicalised youth. However, matters are certainly not helped by local leftist activists, possibly a few far-right extremists and, perhaps more surprisingly, local political leaders.
Sweden today is a country that really excels in producing leftists of the type that are normally only found at Vanessa Redgrave’s dinner parties. These are leftists who leave the principles of the old left at the door as they enter a world of cultural relativism and faux radicalism in which the only guiding principle is the desire for an easy life."

Romney maps out new course for America’s Middle East policy
In scathing Wall Street Journal op-ed, the Republican presidential contender blasts Obama for his ‘incomprehension’ regarding Israel

Poll: 62% of Americans Support use of Force to Stop Nuclear Iran

Morsi and Erdogan join forces, speak out against Assad, Israel
With Hamas’s Mashaal in audience, Turkish PM refuses reconciliation until Israel lifts blockade of Gaza and apologizes for flotilla deaths

Morsi’s message

"Egypt’s new leader Mohamed Morsi is proving to be a cunning communicator, at least so far as what he puts across to undiscerning Western ears. He manages to sound exceedingly moderate and reasonable, while enunciating unreasonable, indeed radical demands that must be met or else. He in effect says that “it’s my way or the highway.”

Egyptian president’s adviser describes Israel as ‘occupied Arab Palestine’
‘This will remain its name till the end of time,’ aide says regarding Cairo’s future relations with Israel

Mashaal confirms he’s stepping down but downplays rift with Gaza leadership, takes a jab at Egypt
Hamas political chief receives standing ovation for speech in Ankara, in which he promises continued ‘resistance’ against Israel

The stalemate in Turkish-Israeli relations
How the rise of Turkey’s JDP party has reshaped Ankara’s foreign policy and its ties to Jerusalem.

Religions not the same by MICHAEL COREN

"The film about Mohammed is appallingly made, but does contain some truth about the man’s life.
The Christ in urine display is also appallingly bad, and says nothing of interest or authenticity about the life of Christ.
The Muslim response to the former is violence and demands for blasphemy laws, the Christian response to the latter a press release and indifference."

Thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims torch 10 Buddhist temples, 40 homes
Rioters infuriated by Buddhist boy’s Facebook photo of a burned Quran

Attackers of Hindu temple charged with blasphemy

KARACHI: In an extraordinary turn of events, Section 295-A was used to register a blasphemy case against Muslim men for damaging a Hindu temple during riots on Ishq-e-Rasool Day.

TDSB (Toronto District School Board) "Lesson" For the Canadian Islamic Congress's Islamic History Month Canada: Natually, There IS No Israel

“Natural Palestine refers to the region bounded in the west by the Mediterranean Sea, east by Syria and Jordan, north by Lebanon, and south by Egypt and the Gulf of Aqaba.”

Suicide Bombers 'martyrs' according to UK taxpayer-supported charity

"CADFA openly describes suicide bombers as ‘martyrs’ who were ‘killed’ by Zionists. Their website lists a number of persons responsible for death and destruction, and perversely describes their fate as ‘killed’. Two of them, Osama Mohammad Bahar and Nabeel Mohammad Halabiyeh conducted a suicide bombing in which 11 people were killed and 155 were wounded. CADFA makes no mention of their atrocities and instead pays homage to their sacrifice. Given the context, or lack thereof, it is not unreasonable at all to infer that CADFA supports these murderous attacks."

Amazon under fire over Nazi camp puzzle

Ahmadinejad’s cameraman defects, seeks asylum in US
Hassan Gol Khanban had accompanied the Iranian president on his trip to the UN General Assembly

Morissette to close out tour in Israel

Gaza Mom Chooses Israeli Hospital to Save Baby

After losing 3 babies to rare birth defects at Egyptian hospitals, a Gaza mother followed doctors' advice and took her fourth to Israel.

Israel Daily Picture: How a Family Celebrated Sukkot in Samarkand in 1870
Is This the Same Family in Jerusalem in 1900?

And from October 2:

After Abbas The End of the PLO's Old-Guard Monopoly by Khaled Abu Toameh

“Abbas's supporters have defended him by claiming that he is facing a "big conspiracy" to remove him from power. Although it is true that as long as the Israelis are in the West Bank, Hamas will not be there, Abbas's supporters have even gone as far as making the ridiculous claim that Hamas and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are working together to topple Abbas.
If Abbas really wanted to step down, he could have done so many years ago. But Abbas is interested only in one thing -- staying in power until his last day. His threats are only aimed at sending the following message to his followers: "If I go, the Palestinians will have no future."

PA expects UNGA vote on statehood by November By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
PLO Executive Committee member Ashrawi says she expects vote on November 29- International Day of Solidarity with Palestinians. [est 1977!]

'US calls on EU to oppose PA statehood bid at UN'

“The Guardian reported that the US communique described Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's UN move as "extremely counterproductive," and warned of "significant negative consequences" for the PA, including financial sanctions.
The memorandum purportedly also reiterated Washington's long-standing policy that Palestinian statehood "can only be achieved via direct negotiations with the Israelis," and thus urged EU governments "to support efforts" to block the bid.”

70% of Americans hold favorable view of Israel, new poll finds
Only UK cited more often as best US ally

Jordanian tribe slams new Israel envoy
Obeidat tribe condemns appointment of its member as Jordan's new ambassador to Jewish state, saying 'all red lines have been crossed'

The Afghanistanization of the Middle East

“The Middle East that we have grown used to is a colonial legacy. Its corrupt regimes with the derivative structures of modern states are being torn down by the Arab Spring. The Islamists can have democratic elections where they are the majority, but what they cannot have are strong militaries, and that leaves them with few options but to rely on Islamist militias to fight Islamist militias; turning the region back to before the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
Islamists saw Afghanistan as the future of the Middle East and they were right. Saudi Arabia and the oil states that backed the Arab Spring are Afghanistans with oil. Egypt, Tunisia and Syria are on the way to becoming Afghanistans without oil.”

Study: UN misconduct goes unpunished

"When U.N. staffers on peacekeeping missions were accused of misconduct or corruption over the last couple of years, more than two-thirds of them were exonerated by the U.N.'s internal tribunal system, according to research provided to AP by a whistleblower-protection group."

Turkey’s Ruling Party Celebrates Hamas

"That President Obama describes Erdoğan as one of his closest foreign friends is scandalous. Erdoğan has transformed Turkey from an aspiring democracy to a country which ranks below even Russia in terms of basic freedoms. And it has transformed Turkey from a country fighting terrorism to, in effect, a country cheerleading terrorists."

eyeSight puts your TV on digital steroids
The Israeli 2D gesture company’s technology will power a new set-top box from InnoDigital, which will soup up the capabilities of just about any TV set

Kinect technology firm PrimeSense envisions gesture-controlled office of the future
It was this technology that Microsoft took a punt on for its Kinect system, which uses both the processor system and the optical elements designed by PrimeSense.
Such sterling success for Microsoft with the device was obviously good news for PrimeSense, even if its name remains a relative unknown in the tech world.

Top 10 ways Israeli scientists are battling breast cancer
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ISRAEL21c has put together a list of the top 10 latest Israeli advances in breast cancer.

"Free Gaza" publishes, and deletes, unambigiously anti-semitic tweet

As if there was any doubt that the people behind the "Free Gaza" movement are motivated by anything other than pure Jew-hatred...

From Avi Mayer in Storify:

The Free Gaza Movement is the key actor behind the successive flotillas that have sought to violate the maritime closure around Gaza in support of Hamas. It is chaired by Huwaida Arraf, who also heads the International Solidarity Movement (and has endorsed the use of violence against Israel), and its Board of Advisors includes such luminaries as Naomi Klein, Peter Hansen, and Jenny Tonge. It has been endorsed by a range of organizations and individuals, including Desmond Tutu, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, the Palestine Red Crescent Society, the Rachel Corrie Foundation, George Galloway, and Neturei Karta International.

On Sunday, September 30, a disturbing tweet was posted by their official account (click to expand the image):

Akamaihd

16 hours ago

The tweet read, "Zionists operated the concentration camps and helped murder millions of innocent Jews," and contained a link. The link led to this horrifying video:

Zionists operated the concentration camps and helped murder millions of innocent Jews

91177info

9 hours ago

Among the shocking statements made in the video are the following:

"What is going on is the grand Nazi scheme. There's only one political party in the world today and that's called the Nazis. And you say, 'well, Adolf Hitler died in 1945 and that was the end of the Nazi Party.' But that's because you've never been told what the origin of 'Nazi' is. 'Na' is National Socialism, which was the German Nazis, and in 1923 there was a double agent who came to Hitler and he said to Hitler, 'look, your Nazi Party, your National Socialist Party, is not getting off the ground. You need an alliance.' And he suggested that they ally with the Zionist Party. So the 'Na' of National Socialism joined with the Zionist Party, the World Zionist Party, in 1923, and ever after was known as the Nazis, N-A-Z-I. The 'zi' was for 'Zionists. But of course no one knew that, because our popular mythology is that the terrible Nazis were attacking the Jews." (00:38-01:36)

"And of course Hitler, allying himself with the Zionists, he said, 'after all, you're right,' he said, 'we have the same goals.' And so he allied with the Zionist Party and the mission of the Nazis was to force the anti-Zionist Jews to accept Zionism. And this is what the concentration camps were about. They put the anti-Zionist Jews in the concentration camps and they were placed under the direct administration of the Sonderkommandos, who were the Zionist Jews. So the concentration camps were run by the Zionist Jews in order to punish and get rid of the anti-Zionist Jews, which they did. And of course that's a part of the Holocaust that you're never told." (4:04-4:48)

[...]
Disturbing Silence

It is disturbing to note that, by my count, not a single one of the individuals or organizations listed on the Free Gaza Movement website as being associated with the organization has (as of this writing) distanced themselves from the movement's apparent anti-Semitism or withdrawn their endorsement as a result of this shocking incident. Are we to assume that all the organizations listed here approve of Mullins's outrageous claims about the Holocaust? Can we assume anything else? It has now been more than 48 hours since the tweet first appeared.

Read the whole thing. (And there are lots of updates there as well, as Free Gaza leaders dig themselves deeper into the hole of lies and absurd claims.)

Islamist released in Egypt's "Spring" implicated in Libya embassy murders

From WSJ:

The revolutions that swept the Middle East and North Africa also emptied prisons of militants, a problem now emerging as a potential new terrorist threat.

Fighters linked to one freed militant, Muhammad Jamal Abu Ahmad, took part in the Sept. 11 attack on U.S. diplomatic outposts in Libya that killed four Americans, U.S. officials believe based on initial reports. Intelligence reports suggest that some of the attackers trained at camps he established in the Libyan Desert, a former U.S. official said.

Western officials say Mr. Ahmad has petitioned the chief of al Qaeda, to whom he has long ties, for permission to launch an al Qaeda affiliate and has secured financing from al Qaeda's Yemeni wing.

Of the new militant operatives, Mr. Ahmad is among the most worrisome to Western officials. Thought to be about 45, he is a native of Cairo's Shobra district, a densely populated, low-income neighborhood along the Nile that includes many Coptic Christians, said Barak Barfi of the New America Foundation, a Washington think tank, who recently interviewed several of Mr. Ahmad's associates in Egypt.

On returning to Egypt in the 1990s, a former U.S. official said, Mr. Ahmad became head of the operational wing of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which was then headed by Ayman al-Zawahiri, a physician who is now the chief of al Qaeda. Associates of Mr. Ahmad agree he was part of Egyptian Islamic Jihad but say he wasn't among its leaders.

Many of that group's fighters embraced a cease-fire with the government of former President Hosni Mubarak in 1997, but Mr. Ahmad earned a reputation as a hard-liner by rejecting it, according to Mr. Barfi.

"Unlike the organization's leaders who have reconciled with the state and have eagerly embraced the democratic process, Mr. Ahmad and his cohorts reject any semblance of compromise with the state they have fought for decades," Mr. Barfi said.

Former militants who knew Mr. Ahmad in an Egyptian prison, where he was locked up around 2000, describe a hardened inmate who showed belligerence toward the guards. While most prisoners submitted to random cell searches, Mr. Ahmad often refused to let guards remove items from his cell, the former inmates say.

Freed last year, Mr. Ahmad is building his own terror group, say Western officials, who call it the Jamal Network. They say he appears to be trying to tap former fellow inmates such as Murjan Salim, a man who, like Mr. Ahmad, has ties to al Qaeda's Dr. Zawahiri. Former associates of Mr. Ahmad said Mr. Salim is directing aspiring jihadis to Mr. Ahmad's camps in Libya.

Hundreds of "political prisoners" were freed from Egyptian prisons in the first weeks after Mubarak was toppled, and it appears that Muhammad Jamal Abu Ahmad was one of them.

Another benefit of the Arab Spring - the murder of Americans.

(h/t EBoZ)

Chag Sameach!

Another week, another holiday.

Here's wishing my readers a chag sameach!

I will not be blogging until Tuesday night.

Sunday links

From Ian:

Egypt’s Christians, facing the fate of Egyptian Jews

"After the Egyptian military took power in the country 1952, it started its campaign against Egyptian Jews, launching its propaganda against Jews in all the state-owned media. It freed all the terrorists who had committed violence against Jews before the coup, and jailed liberals and seculars instead. It encouraged aggression toward the Egyptian Jewish minority, which led to new terrorist attacks against Jewish individuals and properties in Egypt.
Between 1954 and 1956, 80,000 Egyptian Jews were expelled from Egypt, but not before they were robbed of their property. After that, Egypt revoked their citizenship, forbidding them from returning to their homeland. Of course, before they left, Egyptian authorities forced them to sign papers saying that they had been treated fairly and were leaving of their own will. There are currently around 300 Jews living in Egypt, isolated in an environment that is hostile to them."

Let them call me crazy

Mudar Zahran, a lecturer, publicist and Palestinian blogger attends international seminar on new media and public diplomacy given by the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry at Ariel University Center in Samaria, speaks to Israel Hayom about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinians mad Israelis included in ‘Bethlehem Walk’ By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

Youth groups express outrage over plans to allow the participation of Israelis in inaugural silent walk in Bethlehem.
"Some activists published on Facebook pictures of Palestinians involved in the planning of the event and called on the Palestinian Authority to take action against them.
“We won’t allow the Israelis to desecrate Bethlehem,” said one of the activists. “We will do our utmost to prevent this disgraceful event from taking place in our holy city.”

At U.N., Muslim world questions Western freedom of speech

Muslim leaders were in unison at the United Nations this week arguing that the West was hiding behind its defense of freedom of speech and ignoring cultural sensitivities in the aftermath of anti-Islam slurs that have raised fears of a widening East-West cultural divide.

First Person: Dinner with Ahmadinejad

"Our meeting is the most important of Ahmadinejad’s visit, Khazaee told us, because, “you are the people who will shape the future of the world and the United States.” That platitude unnerved me only when Ahmadinejad was greeted with a standing ovation by these “future leaders” when he entered the room. Likewise, I cringed when students later addressed him as “Your Excellency” during the question-and- answer session. One even prefaced her remarks by saying it was “a pleasure” to be in his presence. That’s when I felt my dinner beginning to come back up."

Anti-Semitism on the rise in the UK

Anti-Semitism in the UK is on the rise again, especially around the time of the Toulouse massacre
"A report published this week by the Community Security Trust (CST) shows that anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have risen in the months January- June 2012, compared with last year’s figures.
In the first six months of this year, 513 potential incidents of anti-Semitism were reported to the CST; of which the CST deemed 299 cases to be anti-Semitic."

[See also The Guardian acknowledges a degree of anti-semitism by Tom Gross - EoZ]

Retrieving Golan a key priority for Syrians, says Islamist preacher who fled Assad
To prevail over Damascus, rebels need more weapons, says Youssef Zoabi, who took refuge in Jordan last year. ‘Once we’ve won, we want an Islamist regime’

Russia said evacuating its personnel from base in Syria
Moscow pulls military staff and civilians out of Tartus, rebels claim

Germany's Gunter Grass defends Vanunu in new poem
Nobel laureate praises Mordechai Vanunu, who revealed Israeli nuke program, as "hero" because exposed the truth to the public.

3 trucks of Gazan furniture allowed into West Bank
Palestinian Authority orders the 35 tons of furniture from a Gazan factory for their West Bank schools.

Hamas cracks down on Gaza youths’ saggy pants
Several teens arrested for wearing Western-style trousers that expose their underpants

EMA approves MediWound burns treatment
Market sources believe that Teva will begin marketing the treatment in 2013.

“The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended approval of third degree burn treatment NexoBrid, developed by MediWound Ltd. This is a major achievement for the company, as this is the first time the EU has approaved a treatment that consists of an enzyme-based debriding agent for the removal of necrotic tissue from severe burn wounds, instead of surgical intervention.”

From Ethiopia to the Knesset: Shlomo Molla Lives the Israeli Dream

Few can understand the power of immigrants’ transition from life in Ethiopia to the promise and opportunity of Israel as well as Member of Knesset Shlomo Neguese Molla (Kadima). "Growing up in a Jewish village in Ethiopia, where Molla studied at a school sponsored by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), “next year in Jerusalem” was merely a lifelong dream. Now it is a reality, and then some. Many would call his story extraordinary, but Molla says it is simply a story of Israel—typifying what determination, reason and tolerance can accomplish."

Even though the ISM, Free Gaza Movement and others keep refusing to place any blame on Egypt for Gaza's economic isolation, Hamas knows when it makes sense to put some pressure on their fellow Islamists.

This morning, Hamas held a protest rally in Rafah against Egypt's closure of some smuggling tunnels and to try to convince Egypt to allow a free-trade zone in Rafah which would allow goods to enter Gaza more freely. A Hamas spokesperson said that the terror group would be willing to shut the tunnels immediately if the free-trade zone would be established.

Egypt is resisting the idea for a number of reasons: it doesn't want Israel to benefit by making Gaza less dependent on aid from the Israeli side, and it does not want to become responsible for Gaza itself. It also fears that the free trade zone will in effect become part of a de facto expansion of Gaza into the Sinai. Furthermore, Egypt fears that such a zone would make it even harder for Fatah and Hamas to ever reconcile.

For its part, Hamas is trying to shame the Muslim Brotherhood-led Egyptian government to show it really cares about Gaza, and isn't just engaging in lip-service. Banners at the rally feature supposedly suffering Gaza children.

Hamas outsources terror

The Hamas-affiliated Palestine Times has a photo essay of a Saturday parade in Gaza by the Saladin Brigades of the PRC:

The parade was for the 12th anniversary of the terror group.

Even the PRC website doesn't have all photos.

Since no one can march in Gaza without Hamas permission, and no one can import weapons without Hamas permission, the only conclusion is that Hamas has outsourced some of it terror activities to the PRC and other groups like Islamic Jihad which likewise have similar parades.

This way Hamas can try to portray itself as moderate and pragmatic when they publish op-eds in the New York Times and when they present themselves as the legitimate leaders of "Palestine" to Arab nations, but it can ensure that when it decides that rockets should be fired on Jews, rockets will be fired.

Gee, I hope this Palestinian Lebanese cleric doesn't get an aneurysm

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from an interview with Sheik Muhammad Zaghmout, head of the Palestinian Islamic Council in Lebanon, which aired on Mayadeen TV on September 7, 2012.

Sheik Muhammad Zaghmout: I say to myself, to the Islamic scholars, to the Muslims themselves, and to the viewers all over the world – from north to south, and from east to west: Oh Muslims, unite! Unite! Unite! Unity is the key to your strength, while disintegration will lead to your death.

Implement the words of Allah: "Prepare for them what force and steeds of war you can, to strike terror in the hearts of the enemies of Allah and your enemies." You shall not regain Al-Aqsa and Palestine without preparations, rockets, and guns. You shall not regain Palestine through negotiations, capitulations, kisses, or hugs.

The one thing that will restore Palestine to you is Jihad, Jihad, and more Jihad. Any nation that forsook Jihad was humiliated by Allah.

Interviewer: What about the sanctity of blood?

Sheik Muhammad Zaghmout: A Muslim is forbidden from harming a fellow Muslim – taking his life, the honor of his women, or his wealth. Allah deems the destruction of the Ka'ba to be less severe than the killing of an innocent Muslim.

In 2007, this same guy said

The Koran says: 'Make ready for them what strength you can...' But we say to Allah: We don't want to, because we're afraid that they will call us terrorists. If killing the Zionist Jews, the Americans, the English, and the French in Palestine, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan is considered terrorism – I am the number one terrorist.
[...]
The Prophet of Allah has promised us that the Jews will gather in Palestine, and that the Muslims will fight them, and totally kill them. Even the stone and the tree will say: 'Oh Muslims, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.' You might tell me that I am relying on supernatural hadiths. I believe this is not supernatural but is the core of our belief.

If he supports the immigration of Jews to Palestine, then doesn't that make him a Zionist?

It's getting easier and easier to be a Hamas "martyr"

The latest Hamas "work accident:"

Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades (E.Q.B) the military wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, mourned on Sunday morning, September 30th, 2012, the death of the Qassam member Mohammed Abdullah Hamad,22, from Al Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Central Gaza Strip.

The Brigades confirmed in a press statement released on Sunday morning, that the mujahid Mohammed was martyred during his duty, adding that he was martyred after a long bright path of Jihad, hard work, struggle and sacrifice.

Virtual candy all around!

I've noted before how Hamas "martyrs" no longer have to die while actually doing any fighting. But Hamas is now watering down it's definition of "martyr" to - pretty much anything:

Al Qassam Brigades mourns the death of the mujahed Eyad Barhoum

As Al Aqsa Intifada against the occupation assault on the Gaza Strip continues, Ezzeddeen Al-Qassam Brigades has its best men to be in the playground of death to defend their people from any attack by the enemy ... Today, Al-Qassam Brigades mourn the death of the Mujahed:

Eyad Juma'a Barhoum [39 years old]

Yibna neighborhood – Rafah City

The mujahid Eyad was martyred of heart disease in Egypt. He was martyred at dawn on Wednesday September 26th, 2012. He was martyred after a long bright path of jihad, hard work, struggle and sacrifice.

Now someone can be a martyr when they die of heart disease?

But wait...here's another:

Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades (E.Q.B) the military wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, mourned on Wednesday evening, September 26th, 2012, the death of the Qassam member Adham Ali Shahin,28, from Al Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Central Gaza Strip.

The brigades confirmed in a press statement released on Thursday morning, that the mujahid Adham was martyred in car accident several days ago, adding that he was martyred after a long bright path of Jihad, hard work, struggle and sacrifice.

Sounds like Gaza is going through "martyr inflation." Soon every Ahmad, Mahmoud and Hazim will be described as "martyrs" when they drop dead. We'll have cancer martyrs, killed-by-kerosene-heater martyrs, and being-shot-at-wedding martyrs.

If Hamas isn't careful, there will be a shortage of ugly perpetual virgins in Paradise to spend eternity with.