Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Why Hamas named their operation "Shale Stones"

Since I discussed yesterday the Jewish source for the Hebrew name of the current war, which translates to Operation Pillar of Cloud, it i snow time to explain why Hamas chose its own name, Operation Shale Stones.

The source is, naturally, the Quran. The 105th chapter is called Sūrat al-Fīl, The Elephant.

Background:

It describes the Ethiopian army attacking Mecca in the year 570, the year in which Muhammad was born. In verse 4 it says that Allah sent birds against the people/owners/companions of Elephants (depends which translation of the Koran you listen to), a reference to the Ethiopian army. These birds dropped "sijjil stones" on the Ethiopian army - most English translations translate this as "baked clay stones", as can be seen here:

Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant? [1] Has He not turned their plan into nullity? [2] And He sent upon them flying birds in flocks, [3] throwing upon them stones of baked clay, [4] and thus He turned them into an eaten-up chaff.

Here's an unintentionally funny video illustrating the chapter.

Although the translation "Shale Stones" is the exact translation, the Arabic "Hijjarat As-sijjil" implies this Quranic meaning.

Gawker and "Jewish Voice for Peace" managed to find nefarious, offensive meanings in the Hebrew title that is - as any Jewish schoolchild knows - a reference to a story where the Israelites are saved by a miraculous cloud that defends them.

Will they have anything bad to say about Hamas' clear choice of naming their war after an episode where Allah attacks and destroys the enemy with projectiles until the adversary is nothing but chaff?

(thanks to Al-Gharqad)

Videos of Ron Prosor at UN, Avital Liebovich on AJ

Israeli ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor making a statement yesterday and taking questions at a press conference:

IDF spokesperson Avital Liebovich to a hostile interviewer on Al Jazeera:

(h/t Josh)

Lost in translation: Islamic Jihad's religious glee at shooting at civilians

While the media try to keep things "even-handed" or even emphasizing (as the BBC did) "the total disparity of force between the two sides," no one is reporting the actual words of the terrorists.

Yes, as JPost notes, Islamic Jihad took credit for shooting rockets at Tel Aviv. But you cannot understand the conflict unless you understand the mindset of the Islamic supremacists who rule Gaza, and you cannot understand their mindset without reading their actual words.

So here is Islamic Jihad's announcement of responsibility for shooting rockets at Tel Aviv:

The Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, announced the bombing of the occupied city of Tel Aviv with a Fajr-5 rocket for the first time in the history of the conflict between the Islamic Jihad military wing with the Zionist enemy.

The Al-Quds Brigades said that its rocket unit managed by the grace of Allah Almighty the bombing of the occupied city of Tel Aviv, which has heard a huge earthquake-like blast with the city sirens still reverberating after the holy jihad bombing.

Quds Brigades confirmed that it will teach the enemy a lesson in the art of jihad and fighting.

The earlier announcement of when it shot rockets at Rishon LeZion referred to them as "blessed resistance missiles."

The Western media rarely report on the fanaticism and hate behind the terrorists. The leftist narrative that everyone is pretty much the same with similar desires and goals and world outlook is so ingrained in the minds of the reporters that they believe that reporting on the words of hate and Islamist supremacy is vaguely Islamophobic or racist. So instead, we are treated to vanilla descriptions, often in passive voice, watering down the seething hate and fanaticism that drives the haters of Israel.

They are not motivated by land, nor conflict, and certainly not to defend their people's lives. Their motivation, as their words indicate clearly, is simply pure seething hate for anyone who is not a Muslim extremist and who does not willingly submit to the rule of Islamists.

When journalists dilute the motivation, they are not reporting the story, but rather what they hope the story is. And that is not only a disgrace to journalism but it is a major disservice to the public.

Arab students at Haifa U. hold vigil in memory of Jaabari

Arab students at the University of Haifa, and reportedly at other Israeli universities, held a moment of silence in memory of arch-terrorist Ahmad Jaabari today.

While a million Israelis are worrying about their loved ones being killed by rockets, these Haifa students then started singing songs about how "Palestine" is their homeland:

Zionist students responded by singing Hatikva, and some held a counter-demonstration:

Many photos at the "Arabs48" website .

Latest IDF videos

Targeting a rocket warehouse in Gaza. Lots of secondary explosions:

Hamas video showing them firing from civilian areas:

And two slick pieces of hasbara (which, you will recall, I do not consider a bad word :) )

How does the IDF minimize civilian casualties?

What gives Israel the right to defend itself?

(h/t Yoel)

From Egypt Independent, in English:

Hundreds of protesters rallied in front of the Arab League in Cairo against the Israeli assault on Gaza Thursday, chanting slogans and carrying Palestinian flags, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.

But what were those slogans they were chanting?

For that, you have to read the Arabic media:

"To Jerusalem we go, martyrs in the millions"

"Khyber Khyber oh Jews .. The Army of Muhammad will return"

"From Liberation of Palestine .. one people not two peoples"

"Jihad, Jihad .. Is the solution"

And the banners they were holding said slogans like

"Zionists, be patient - Egyptians will visit your graves"

"Islamic revolution"

"Zionism and Syria, two sides of the same coin"

"Revenge, O Qassam Brigades"

Video: Rocket launched live behind Al Jazeera reporter

At 4:13 of this video you can see - and hear - a rocket being fired right behind this al Jazeera reporter in Gaza City

(h/t Gidon Shaviv)

Pallywood in BBC report

Look at this guy being carried because he is "injured" in this BBC report:

Thirty seconds later:

It's a miracle!

(h/t Jason)

Overnight Pillar of Defense news

I'm not liveblogging like Muqata, but here is the news from last night:

4 Israelis were killed - including two women - and a baby injured in a rocket attack on Kiryat Malachi.

3 Hamas terrorists were killed on a motorcycle/taxi in Gaza. This makes 11 killed in Gaza so far, 7 of them terrorists.

There have been over 130 rockets from Gaza in the past 24 hours. Iron Dome intercepted 13 since midnight and about 28 yesterday.

Hamas, which has been making up stories from the start, warns Gazans not to believe Israeli "rumors." Presumably the interior minister is referring to pamphlets the IDF is dropping warning Gazans to stay away from terrorists who are about to be toast. He also said there is plenty of food and fuel, and warned shopkeepers not to price-gouge customers.

Here is video of the IDF targeting underground Fajr rocket launch sites:

Hamas has now named its rocket firing barrage "Operation Shale Stones." Which indicates that they will be burning for a long time.

Hamas also claims that it will air footage of firing a long-range Fajr rocket that they pretend hit Tel Aviv on its TV station. Amazing how not a single Israeli in Tel Aviv heard even a siren, let alone an explosion.

If you want to see what Ahmad Jabari looked like dead, Hamas websites have lots of photos.

The impression I am getting is that most Arab nations really don't care anymore. There are very few outraged articles and even fewer official statements that go beyond the boilerplate. The only people really upset are the usual Western anti-Israel leftists who see this as an excuse to hold protests and people like Max Blumenthal who fume that the Israel Lobby is hushing up all criticism. Yup, we control the Arab press too!

An interesting omission

From the UN:

The Secretary-General spoke by telephone today with President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt about the worrisome escalation of violence in southern Israel and Gaza and the need to prevent any further deterioration.

The Secretary-General expressed strong support for the leadership being exercised by Egypt to restore calm in the region.

Isn't it interesting that the Secretary General didn't mention the missiles that were fired from Egypt into Israel Wednesday morning, before the IDF killed Ahmad Jabari? Missiles that Egypt admits came from her territory?

ROFL: "Golda Meir slept with Arab leaders"

Now that the false rumor that Tzipi Livni slept with Arab politicians for extortion purposes gain has been fully believed by stupid Arabs, the obvious next step is for them to wonder what other prominent Jewish women did the same.

An article in Sudanese Online gives us the answer.

First, it mentions the treacherous Queen Esther, that beauty who ruthlessly seduced a Persian king, forcing him to marry her in order to save her people from genocide.

The article then fast-forwards to more recent times, saying that many girls slept with Moshe Dayan in order to further their careers, apparently using "pulsating lust."

We learn that Golda Meir also slept with Arab kings and leaders, which directly led to the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948, and later caused these Arab leaders to treat Palestinian Arabs poorly.

Surprisingly, the article failed to mention Monica Lewinsky, who is the usual Arab poster child for Jewish sexual ambition.

Jordan riots: Policeman shot in face, rioter killed, firebombs

The second night of riots in Jordan may have more far-reaching implications than Israel's actions in Gaza.

The riots started yesterday in reaction to government ending fuel subsidies. But both the rioters and Jordanian police have turned violent:

Riots renewed in the southern governorate of Karak Wednesday evening with protesters clashing with anti-riot police and torched the old governor house.

Public Security Department (PSD) media center said that protesters placed burning tires in the abandoned governor home, adding that protesters used Molotov cocktail and improvised incendiary weapons against gendarmerie forces, who used tear gas to disperse crowds.

The protest in Karak witnessed harsh slogans against the government, and critical chants against King Abdullah II.

One gendarmerie policeman is in critical condition in the intensive care unit after being shot by unidentified assailants late Wednesday night in Shafa Badran district in Amman.

The policeman, a corporal, received a gunshot wound to his face when unknown assailants fired gunshots in a drive-by shooting at the police station using automatic weapons.

In Irbid, north of Jordan, one citizen was killed and 16 others were injured, including 12 policeman, PSD said.

A security station in Al Wasatiyah district in Irbid was attacked, reportedly by an armed group late Wednesday night who attempted to storm into it.

Clashes erupted between police and the rioters, leading to the injury of 12 security personnel and four of the attackers.

One member of the armed group was pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital, after sustaining fatal wounds, PSD added.

Just as in Egypt, it looks like the Islamists are fanning the flames from a distance, but poised to swoop in as soon as it appears that the ruler is going to fall.

The situation might literally explode in the coming days.

Hamas lies are adding up (updated)

First, Hamas claimed that they killed three Israelis in Beersheva with the hundred or so rockets they shot on Wednesday. They didn't.

Then they claimed that they killed an Israeli on a warship off the Gaza coast, using a guided missile, and this was confirmed by Israel. They didn't.

Finally they claimed to have shot a rocket at Tel Aviv. And not a Grad or a Fajr, but a home-made rocket! They even published a photo!

However, they didn't. And the photo was taken at Netivot during one of their rocket barrages earlier this week.

We saw this same pattern of ridiculous lies during Cast Lead as well, where Hamas tries desperately to put a good face on the fact that their leaders scurrying like rats from one hiding place to another.

UPDATE: Another lie, from Hamas' Al Qassam Brigades Twitter account:

Actual photo came from Syria last month .

Wednesday links

Yeah, I know, there's a lot going on, but that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of other things going in...

From Ian:

Fmr. Israeli Ambassador: Patience Running Out, Israel Will Soon Have to Retaliate

“Gillerman warned that there’s only so much more Israel can take before the country will retaliate. He said, “Patience is running out. Israel every day, I think, feels more and more like a villa in a jungle. We have hundreds of rockets being launched at schools and kindergartens and homes in the south. We have Assad butchering over 30,000 civilians and slaughtering his own people in the north.”

This is How IEC Powers Up Gaza Terrorists

Photographs show Israel Electric Company worker hiding behind a large metal wall hoisted by a crane as he fixes Gaza power cable.
"The operation, which of course is carried out by Israel for the benefit of Gazans, has to be carried out with military protection, because Gaza terrorists regularly target Israelis on the perimeter fence, including those they know are trying to assist them by fixing infrastructure or letting in goods. Numerous Israelis have been killed and wounded in precisely this way since 2000."

Years after infamous intifada ‘hoax,’ French-Jewish crusader fights on

Despite an ever-growing list of enemies, Phillipe Karsenty won’t back down in one-man campaign to exonerate Israel in Mohammed al-Dura killing
"Karsenty speaks of the al-Dura affair as a quest for justice and truth, but the businessman in him knows it has not been cost-effective. Karsenty says he has spent an “obscene” amount of money — so much he will not quantify it. Though he earns some money from lectures he has delivered in Europe, the United States, China, India and Australia, he says he has still registered a huge loss.
He says he would let the matter drop were it not for the fact that so many, especially Israel’s enemies, still believe al-Dura died at the hands of Jewish soldiers."

FM threatens to overthrow Abbas, cancel Oslo Accords if Palestinians go ahead with UN statehood bid
By seeking the status of a nonmember state, the PA declares all agreements with Israel ‘null and void,’ government official says; opposition MK slams the idea as ‘ridiculous’

“Palestine” Does Not Qualify as a “State”

"Once again, “Palestine” is all set to be a failed state, no more ready for statehood than it was a year ago. Article 10 of the Montevideo Convention provides that the “primary interests of states is the conservation of peace.” The Palestinian gambit at the UN is not intended to produce peace, but to provide a platform for law-fare. It will do nothing to bring the Palestinians closer to the state they could have had long ago, if a state were really what they wanted, and it will in fact put peace further away."

‘Absolutely no way’ Arafat was poisoned, says top doctor who teaches at Paris hospital where Palestinian leader died
Arafat was tested for radioactive poisoning, and symptoms would have been ‘impossible to miss,’ Roland Masse, a specialist on radioactivity and professor at Percy military hospital, tells Times of Israel

Israel Bombarded by Rockets, Human Rights Watch Nowhere in Sight by Arsen Ostrovsky

"While Israel is being bombarded by rockets from Palestinian terrorists in Gaza, placing more than one million civilians in danger, Human Rights Watch (HRW) is nowhere in sight. Apparently the human rights of Israelis are just not a concern to them. This is just another example of how HRW has not just lost its moral compass, but how the anchor has been thrown overboard as well."

On Winning Re-Election to the UN Human Rights Council by Elliot Abrams

“The United States was elected to membership again, with 131 votes; and Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela was elected, with 154 votes. Besides telling us something about how much popularity Obama foreign policy has won the United States, this vote and the election of Venezuela tell a good deal about the Council and how it is seen around the world. By the way, despite its human rights record Pakistan was also elected to membership.”

Egypt's Brotherhood slams Israel over Gaza strikes

"The killing of tens of our innocent Palestinian brothers is part of a link in a chain of oppression and Judaization that seeks to impose itself on the ground, and that will never materialize with God's will," it said.

Egypt lawmaker: FJP working on draft to amend Israel treaty

"The legal committee of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) is working on a draft law to amend the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, FJP member Osama Suleiman was quoted by Egypt Independent as saying Tuesday."

Egyptian Daily Details Sinai Arms Trade
An article published today in Egypt’s Al-Akhbar daily provides a comprehensive look into the booming arms market that has arisen in the Sinai Peninsula over the last decade.

Syrian rebels seize territory north of Golan Heights

NATO chief says alliance will defend Turkey over Syria

Did the BBC Purposely Fail to Warn Hungarian Jews of Nazi Threat?

"The conclusion the article arrives at is that Macartney’s “policy of silence on the Jews was followed right up until the German invasion in March 1944. After the tanks rolled in, the Hungarian Service did then broadcast warnings. But by then it was too late.”

Norway nixes award for 'anti-semitic' charity head
Linstad, 69, is a former communist activist who converted to Islam and has published texts warning of Jewish influence on media and lobbying.

German Jews slam party for working with Fatah
The head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany blasted the country’s second-largest political party, the Social Democrats (SPD), for forming a “strategic partnership” with Fatah.

Punking Anti-Israel Activist MP George Galloway

For a while I’ve had a theory that opponents of Israel will get behind anything anti-Israel, without giving the accuracy of it a moment’s thought. So, on Sunday evening after I wrote this post about rocket attacks on Israel, I thought I’d put my theory to the test.

Israel Daily Picture: Calling on Jerusalemites: Can You Find These Buildings 110 Years Later?

Also, Jacob's Sons in the Bishop's Palace at Jewish Ideas Daily

And some humor: Hamas Accuses Israel of Stockpiling Civilians at Mightier Than the Pen

The Islamist Hamas movement unleashed a new round of criticism at Israel today, accusing the Jewish state of amassing over seven million civilians.

“The Zionist enemy’s military power comes from its civilians,” said Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, using the organization’s term for Israel, whose legitimacy it does not recognize. “The enemy has been amassing them for decades, while the international community does nothing to stop it. But the Islamic Resistance will continue to strike at this vital Zionist resource,” he told reporters.

Why "Pillar of Cloud"?

Sigh:

Israel Names Its New War After Biblical Story About God Terrorizing Egyptians

If you speak Hebrew, the Israeli Defense Forces would like you to refer to the wave of assassination strikes it commenced in Gaza today as "Pillar of Cloud," a Biblical reference to the form God adopted in order to protect the Children of Israel and strike terror into the heart of Egyptians. If you speak English, it would prefer you to use the less fanatical "Pillar of Defense."

Here's what "Pillar of Cloud" means: According to the Bible, during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, God took the form of a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night, in order to light their way and to frighten the Egyptian army.

Exodus 14:19-20:

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel.
Exodus 14:24

During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.

So that's what a Pillar of Cloud is: A worldly instantiation of an all-powerful, vengeful God seeking to demonstrate the primacy of his chosen people, to guide them in their affairs, and to confound their enemies. And that's what the people who conceived and executed this wave of strikes against Hamas officials and Gazan civilians chose to call them. If anyone was worried about the increasing religious and ethnic fanaticism of the Israeli leadership, they should still be worried. Did Israel launch this attack because there was no other rational route to maintain its security? Or was it pursuing a broader agenda rooted in ancient mysticism?

Wow. Look at how bloodthirsty those Israelis are!

Gawker adds a later communication:

Update: An IDF spokesman emailed to say that "Operation Pillar of Defense" was not intended as a "direct, word-for-word" translation of "Pillar of Cloud."

The name is not a direct, word-for-word translation. Like most translations, it is an attempt to convey the spirit of the name, rather than a simple Google Translate.

Regardless of the religious implications, the Bible plays an important cultural role in Israel. I think that every example of Bible quotes you cited has defensive connotations, rather than "vengeful."
Just my two cents.

Indeed, Jews who study the Torah often cannot easily distinguish between the basic meaning of the text and the commentaries given on the Torah. And in this case, one of the most famous commentaries - one that is taught to every schoolchild studying the stories - is from the commentator par excellence (and the one whose image I use in my icon), Rashi.

Rashi, on Exodus 14:19, explains why the cloud would move from in front of the Israelites at day to behind them at night:

To separate between the Egyptians’ camp and the Israelites’ camp and to catch the arrows and the catapult stones of the Egyptians.

Ask any child in a Jewish school what the clouds did, and he or she will answer exactly that - they protected the children of Israel from the projectiles of the Egyptians who were trying to annihilate them.

That is what the Hebrew name of the operation connotes - an attempt to protect the Israelis from the missiles of terrorists who want to destroy Israel. This is true even if the IDF spokesperson didn't consciously know that this was a famous Rashi (and probably Midrashic) commentary.