Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Friday, November 16, 2012

Hamas war crimes, illustrated

Geneva Conventions

Protocol IAdditional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, 8 June 1977

Article 51:

2. The civilian population as such, as well as individual civilians, shall not be the object of attack. Acts or threats of violence the primary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilian population are prohibited.

A volunteer goes through the apartment in Kiryat Malachi were three where killed Thursday, and looks for remains. November 15 2012. Photo by Yossi Zeliger/Flash90

4. Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited. Indiscriminate attacks are: (a) those which are not directed at a specific military objective; (b) those which employ a method or means of combat which cannot be directed at a specific military objective; or (c) those which employ a method or means of combat the effects of which cannot be limited as required by this Protocol; and consequently, in each such case, are of a nature to strike military objectives and civilians or civilian objects without distinction.

Rockets being fired from Gaza indiscriminately towards Israeli communities

5. Among others, the following types of attacks are to be considered as indiscriminate: ... an attack which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.

Ultra Orthodox Jewish men gather around the body of Mirah Sharf who was killed in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi by a rocket thought to have been fired [!] by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, during her funeral in Jerusalem, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012.

6. Attacks against the civilian population or civilians by way of reprisals are prohibited.

Tel Aviv residents bracing themselves as rocket alarm sirens sound Thursday

7. The presence or movements of the civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military operations.

A rocket launched by Palestinian militants towards Israel [from a heavily populated area of Gaza] makes its way from the northern Gaza Strip, seen from the Israel Gaza Border, southern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

How many times has Hamas "opened the gates of hell"?

You remember how Hamas promised on Wednesday to "open the gates of hell" in response to Ahmed Jaabari's killing?

It is a habit with them.

Longtime blogger Meryl Yourish used to do a "Open the Gates of Hell" watch so I decided to do a quick search of when else Hamas and other terror groups made that same promise.

November, 2001 - in response to Israel's killing of Mahmoud Abu Hanoud

January 2002 - Fatah warning Israel not to hurt a terrorist in custody

September 2003 - after an unsuccessful attempt to kill Sheikh Yassin

March, 2004 - after the successful attempt to kill Sheikh Yassin

July 2005 - after Israel killed 7 Hamas terrorists

November 2005 - After Israel killed a member of Fatah and Hamas

February 2006 - when Israel withheld money transfers to Gaza

June 2006 - by the PRC after their founder was killed

April 2007 - a general warning against an Israeli invasion of Gaza

May 2007 - after Israel fired at the house of Ismail Haniyeh

August 2008 - Islamic Jihad general warning against Israel

December, 2008 - Hamas threatened this before Cast Lead

March 2011 - threat against UNRWA if it started teaching about the Holocaust in Gaza schools

It looks like every time the terrorists "open the gates of hell," they fall right in.

(h/t Omri)

Video: Iron Dome taking out 12 rockets at once...

...taken from a Beersheva wedding on Wednesday.

It might not be perfect, but it has already saved a lot of lives.

(h/t O)

Wildcard in Syria: Kurds take over several towns

From Al Arabiya:

Kurdish militiamen and residents have wrested control of yet another town in northeastern Syria near the Turkish and Iraqi borders, in what an activist said was part of an anti-Turkey “dirty game” by the regime.

Hundreds of people gathered Tuesday outside the town of Derik’s security headquarters, the last building abandoned by the army and police, blasting out Kurdish music and hearing speeches in the officially banned Kurdish language.

“We tried to tell Assad's people to leave peacefully. We are a peaceful people”, said Abdi Karim, a 56-year-old officer in the People’s Defense Units (YPG), the militia involved in regaining the town.

The takeover came just days after Kurdish residents backed by militia from the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) took control of three other towns near the border with Turkey as pro-government forces pulled out without a fight.

North and northeast Syria are home to most of the country’s two million-strong Kurdish minority, whose militias operate independently of the rebels’ Free Syrian Army (FSA).

“There are differences between Kurdish anti-regime forces and the Arab opposition, mainly over the question of Kurdish nationalism and recognition of Kurdish as Syria’s second most widely spoken language,” independent Kurdish activist Massud Akko said.

On the ground, YPG member Karim made clear the separation. “If the FSA comes as a guest, we will allow them,” but the non-Kurdish rebels would not be permitted to take over the town, he said.

“We will protect our people from the Turkish, the FSA and Assad,” said Karim.

Akko said Assad's regime forces were handing over territory to the PYD deliberately, saying this explained the relatively peaceful takeover of towns in the region.

“The regime’s handing over of institutions to the PYD is a dirty game,” he said. "It is a message to Turkey, because Turkey is helping the Syrian opposition.”

“I am not saying the party is collaborating with the regime. But the two sides do tolerate each other,” Akko added.

“The Kurds do not have the military capacity to take control of the Kurdish areas. The province of Hasakeh, for one, is Syria’s second-largest region (after Homs).”

Kurdish civilians backed by militia have quietly taken control of a string of towns in Hasakeh, leaving just two of its main cities under the control of President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

So Syria is tacitly giving Kurds their territory, just to upset Turkey? More likely they are thinking that they can use their troops better elsewhere.

Even so, it looks like the Kurds may be the one winner in the Syrian mess, and they are playing all sides well against each other.

Will they try to unify with Iraqi Kurdistan?

Thursday links

From Ian:

Restoring Israeli deterrence by Gerald Steinberg

"Israel owes its survival to effective and continuous deterrence. Confronted with uniquely narrow borders and destructive threats from all directions, the threat of large-scale response has been Israel’s most effective insurance policy. When the IDF has acted effectively to deter the threats of conventional attacks from large armies, mass terror campaigns and missiles aimed at cities, Israeli citizens have been protected."

Douglas Murray: Who started it?

"If you read most of the British media that may well be what you think. After all there has been barely any previous mention in the British papers of the massive escalation in rocket fire into Israel in the last month or the even swifter escalation this week. Certainly no British paper or broadcaster has come close to giving these attacks the front-page publicity they grant to Israel’s response today."

We must back Israel over Hamas terror chief killing

"The Foreign Office came out with the standard, dithering rubbish effectively refusing to take sides. The FCO tweeted:
"We continue to call on all sides to exercise restraint to prevent a dangerous escalation that would be in no one’s interests. #Gaza"
It could have been worse, of course. It could have been a response from the BBC."

IDF Disperses Warning Leaflets Over Gaza Strip, in Effort to Limit Civilian Casualties (VIDEO)

IDF Warning to Hamas: Don't Show Your Faces Above Ground
IDF spokesman said there will be further military operations in the coming days and said he expects more rockets from Hamas

Missiles Fired on Nuclear Reactor in Dimona

The New York Times Dismissing Palestinian Rocket Attacks on Israel?

The Times wrote that those attacks were "called rocket attacks" by Israel as if the Israeli's were simply making unsubstantiated claims about the attacks.

Guardian ‘Live Blog’ on Gaza accuses IDF of “chest thumping” over killing of Hamas terror chief

Protesting Israel’s Gaza operation, Egypt withdraws ambassador from Tel Aviv
Atef Salem arrived less than a month ago, telling President Peres he came to work for ‘mutual trust and transparency’

Aid amid austerity: Egypt to receive over $6bn in aid from EU

How "Moderate" Palestinians Succumb to Threats by Khaled Abu Toameh

"This radicalization — to a point where they are not ready to hear about any concessions to Israel — is the direct result of decades of anti-Israel incitement and indoctrination, spearheaded, ironically, by the "moderate" Palestinian Authority leadership that is publicly talking about making peace with Israel."

Palestinian Authority unable to pay salaries, even as it pursues statehood
The Palestinian drive for non-member state status at the UN could trigger Israeli economic retaliation that would end the viability of the Palestinian Authority.

Beinart banned from Atlanta’s Jewish book festival
"Beinart was then scheduled to speak in a smaller venue in downtown Atlanta, nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the festival site at the suburban community center. The 200 seats allotted for his talk quickly sold out."

Talk-show host grabs local trivia show
Ellen DeGeneres liked Dror Refael’s ‘Anybody Home?’ show so much, she bought the concept for her own program

Stem cells could be used to make biological pacemaker for heart patients
Injections of heart muscle created from patients’ own skin cells could save them from needing surgery to implant artificial pacemakers that regulate their heartbeat, following new research.

A breakthrough in bone marrow failure?
Pluristem’s PLX placenta-based cell therapies may provide hope for patients who have reached the end of the line.

Israel Pioneers New Type of Liver Cancer Treatment

"The method applies a direct flow of high-voltage electrical currents to the malignant tumor and has raised new hope for patients diagnosed with the disease. Until now, a cancerous growth in the liver has been considered a death sentence."

Wine Enthusiast Names Golan Heights Winery “New World Winery of the Year”

"Winemaker Victor Schoenfeld added: “Our proudest achievement is our ongoing effort to work in tune with our natural elements, making high-quality wines that are a true reflection of our unique combination of latitude, high altitude and beautiful volcanic soils. We continue to realize what an amazing region we have, and how much the potential seems limitless.”

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?