Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Wednesday links

From Ian:

Col. Richard Kemp Former British Troops Commander on Possible Israel-Hamas Ceasefire: “I’m Skeptical” of How Long it Can Last

“There is a very effective anti-Israel propaganda machine and there has been for some time. It’s partly from the Palestinians, partly from other Arab states and many people in the West—from Europe in particular but also the United States—see Hamas as the underdog and Israel as the bully and their natural inclination is to side with the underdog; but it’s to misunderstand the reality: Hamas is not a small group of lone freedom fighters. Hamas is a terrorist organization supported, financed and directed by Iran. Israel on the other hand is not a bully. It has shown amazing restraint—far more restraint than most other countries would show in the face of this sort of provocation.”

Pillar of Defense: Seventh Day Recap VIDEO

Rockets kill soldier, Bedouin civilian in Eshkol region
Army posthumously promotes Yosef Fartuk to corporal

Fire from Syria strikes IDF vehicle in the Golan Heights
No injuries reported, but truck sustains minor damage; army files protest with the UN

Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group launches Multiple rockets into Israel from the Sinai VIDEO (broken)

"We Are David Up Against Islamic Fundamentalist Terror": Leonie's Letter From Israel

"We are not the Goliath in this story, we are David up against Islamic fundamentalist terror supported by Iran. Support Israel and you support the democratic and humanist values of the free world.
Support our enemies and you undermine those very values and play into the hands of those who despise freedom and love."

In Rishon and Ashkelon, ‘safe rooms’ save lives in two direct rocket strikes
Rocket with 90 kilos of explosives smashes through three floors of an apartment building in Israel’s fourth-largest town — and nobody is badly hurt Video

Iran official: Gaza fighters need to be 'equipped'

Nasrallah slams Arab countries for not arming Gazans

Egypt intercepts 108 warheads from Libya to Sinai and Gaza
Egyptian security officials say trucks carrying explosive warheads and a variety of small-arms ammunition smuggled from Libya were confiscated Pickup trucks were reportedly carrying some 108 warheads for Soviet-designed Grad rockets.

While fighting rages between Israel and Hamas, Hezbollah watches and waits
Analysts say domestic considerations and fallout from the Syrian civil war keep the Lebanon-based organization on the sidelines

Israel demands 15-year lull, Morsi guarantee
According to reports in Cairo, Israel put forward six key demands for ceasefire, threatened ground offensive in Gaza if no response within 48 to 72 hours

US blocks UN Security Council call for Gaza cease-fire as unbalanced against Israel
"The draft press statement failed to address the root cause of the current escalation — the continuing barrage of rocket attacks from Gaza against Israel," the spokeswoman for the U.S. Mission to the U.N., Erin Pelton, said in a statement.

Israel ‘outshouts’ Hamas TV, radio
In a little-heralded aspect of Pillar of Defense, the IDF hijacks the Gaza airwaves and sends its messages to residents

The ‘Kids’ Behind IDF’s Media
Young Israeli soldiers have pushed older commanders into adopting a more aggressive social media strategy

Melanie Phillips: Yet more (real) news
Here’s yet more information about the war between Hamas and Israel that unaccountably you may not have come across in today’s UK mainstream media. Today’s entries are all for the Hall of Shame, which is getting mighty crowded.

Beware of Beinart

"According to an insidious article he penned this week, Hamas is the victim of backwards-looking Western policy. Inverting cause and effect, Beinart asserts that Hamas is obstructionist and violent because it hasn't been fairly and properly "engaged." Poor Hamas, you see, has never been given an "incentive" to abide by a cease-fire."

Honest Reporting: Hamas Using Hospital As Cover for Rocket Launch

"Hamas officials at the hospital were asked how firing rockets from such a built-up area could be justified as it is likely to provoke Israeli action. One said Palestinians were merely defending themselves, another that it was probably the work of the Islamic Jihad militia."

IDFBlog: Senior Terrorist in Gaza Disguises Himself as Journalist
"When terrorists disguise themselves as civilians, it can only end badly for civilians. Today, a senior Hamas operative was targeted while driving a press vehicle, effectively disguising himself as a reporter. By doing so, he risked the lives of all journalists in the Gaza Strip." [poster coming up -EoZ]

CIF Watch: The Guardian’s Seumas Milne defends Palestinians’ right to kill Israelis

“So Gazans are an occupied people and have the right to resist, including by armed force (though not to target civilians), while Israel is an occupying power that has an obligation to withdraw – not a right to defend territories it controls or is colonising by dint of military power."

BBC Watch: BBC’s Kevin Connolly: Hamas missiles are “antiquated”
What Connolly ‘forgets’ to point out of course is that Hamas’ weapons are aimed exclusively at civilians.

CAMERA: Ten Things The Huffington Post Got Wrong About Gaza (Actually Thirteen, but Who’s Counting?)

HuffWatch: HuffPost enables torrent of anti-Semitic user comments in response to its incitement against Israel

Hamas moderates and Israel’s celebrities By Seth J. Frantzman
Another outcome of this round of fighting has been the need of the Israeli Left to find a reason to critique the operation.

Anti-Israel protesters frustrated, burning out
TORONTO – Anti-Israel agitators expressed frustration and hinted at burn-out at a protest across from the Israeli consulate last week.

MEMRI:
Child Preacher Ibrahim Adham Longs for Martyrdom, Fighting alongside the Palestinians VIDEO

Egyptian Hulk Hogan Wannabe Threatens: I Would Go and Fight Israel Right Now VIDEO

Landmark court decision opens way for claims against Palestinian Authority
Israeli man twice kidnapped and tortured by PA security forces wins the right to sue for damages; terror victims may follow suit

French Jews turn out en masse to show support for Israel
2,000 attend rally in Paris linking terrorism against Jews in both countries

Teens arrested after prayer books burned in French Jewish cemetery
Graffiti targeting Jews and pro-Palestinian activist appears in Paris and near Lyon

Gravestones destroyed at Polish Jewish cemetery
Jewish community head afraid some of the damage is irreparable

Poles thwart anti-Semite’s plot to blow up parliament, president and prime minister
Security agents arrest academic researcher accused of planning massive explosion in the heart of Warsaw

Israel Daily Picture: The Return of the Palace Hotel to Jerusalem

"Early in the construction, one of the Jewish contractors wrote in his memoirs, workers discovered buried human remains, apparently from an ancient section of the Mamilla Muslim cemetery across the road. Husseini (the Nazi, Mufti of Jerusalem) instructed the contractor to quickly and quietly rebury the bones lest his political rivals discover the desecration. But they did find out, and a nasty public relations and religious court battle ensued."

[More on that incident at EoZ here.]

From the quiet of Ethiopia to the explosions of the south
Stesyahu Alema and 90 other new immigrants head straight into the conflict zone upon arrival

"None of them would refuse an opportunity to move to Israel, he said. Many Ethiopians see Israel as a land of plenty and a way out of Africa’s desperate poverty. For many, aliyah is the realization of a lifelong dream.“Every beginning is hard, but the hardship gets canceled out because of the happiness,” Bahta said. “You realized the dream. What, they shouldn’t come? There’s nothing like that. This will change their lives.”

Also:
Have people gone mad?

Baby-killers vs. innocent baby-killers

Arab Columnists Criticize Firing Of Rockets From Gaza As Reckless Escapade Serving Iran, Not Palestinians (MEMRI)

Targeted Killings and Double Standards (JCPA, PDF file.)

And, by popular request, a classic EoZ video to tweet every time you hear someone call Gaza "the most densely populated place on Earth."

Text of ceasefire agreement (updated)

Challah Hu Akbar grabbed the text of the cease-fire agreement that is supposed to be going into effect right about now:

Understanding Regarding Ceasefire in Gaza Strip

1. a. Israel shall stop all hostilities on the Gaza Strip land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals.

b. All Palestinian factions shall stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel, including rocket attacks, and attacks along the border

c. Opening the crossings and facilitating the movement of people and transfer of goods, and refraining from restricting residents free movement, and targeting residents in border areas and procedures of implementation shall be dealt with after 24 hours from the start of the ceasefire.

d. Other matters as maybe requested shall be addressed.

2. Implementation Mechanism:

a. Setting up of the zero hour for the Ceasefire Understanding to enter into effect.

b. Egypt shall receive assurances from each party that the party commit to what was agreed upon.

c. Each party shall commit itself not to perform any acts that would breach this understanding. In case of any observations, Egypt – as the sponsor of this understanding – shall be informed to follow up.

Fairly generic as far as I can see. One immediate issue, though, is that it sounds like it is requiring Israel to no longer enforce the buffer zone - the 300-to-1000 meters that Israel requires to remain clear so that there won't be any attempted explosives along the fence or other attempts to infiltrate Israel.

I can see that being a problem, and possibly it will be interpreted differently by each side.

Not that I am optimistic that this will last the night anyway - there are enough nutty jihadist groups that will be happy to lob a few rockets to prove their manhood.

UPDATE: So far, 23 minutes after the "cease-fire" was to go into effect, there have been rockets towards Hof Ashkelon, Beer Sheva, Shaar HaNegav and Eshkol. It appears that this is the world's definition of a cease fire - only Israel can break one.

Jaabari's bodyguard's kids say they want to be martyred too

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from a TV report featuring the family of Hamas member Muhammad Al-Homs, who was killed alongside Ahmad Jaabari. The report aired on Al-Aqsa TV November 16, 2012.

Brother of Muhammad Al-Homs : Allah be praised, all the young Muslims in Gaza love martyrdom, just as our enemies, the infidel Jewish dogs, love life. We continue on the same path and pray to meet him in Paradise.

[...]
Mother of Al-Homs : This is the martyr's youngest boy. His name is Mash'al. He named him after the great leader Khaled Mash'al. Allah willing, little Mash'al will become like the big Mash'al. We are all moving forward for the sake of Allah.

Daughter of Al-Homs : I want to fire missiles at the Jews and be martyred like my father.

Mother of Al-Homs: We all hope to become martyrs for the sake of Allah. Even if they kill us all, we will continue to fire missiles. We will not stop the Jihad.

Son of Al-Homs : I am following the path of Jihad and want to be martyred like my dad.

I'm most proud of my "infidel Jewish dog" status when I see the alternative shown here.

Saudi man marries schoolgirl. And her teacher. And HER principal. And their supervisor!

Time to go off-topic...

From Al Arabiya:

Imagine a schoolgirl attending class, knowing that both her teacher and principal share the same husband. Awkward much?

Well, for a Saudi man who married the three women, it may just be an example of love conquering all.

The man, 50, was not named by the Saudi-based Okaz newspaper which reported the marital muddle.

But his attraction to all things academic does not end there. The man is also married to a fourth wife, who works as an educational supervisor, mostly supervising the school that her husband’s other wives attend and work at.

Meanwhile, the schoolteacher told the newspaper that the way she interacts with her husband’s wives at work is “no different” to how she treats other students and superiors.

Video: Hamas TV glee at possibility Israelis were killed

Hamas TV broadcast its delight at the news that civilians in Israel were targeted. (From IDF YouTube channel)

Hamas claims "spies" are turning themselves in, urges Gazans to ignore warning leaflets

Palestine Today reports that the Hamas interior minister announced that some Gazans have turned themselves in for being spies for Israel.

The minister, Islam Shahwan, said that they are being kept safe in exchange for their cooperation.

Six suspected spies were executed and their bodies mutilated yesterday by this same, thoughtful Hamas government.

Islamic Jihad reported on a vigilante lynching of a "collaborator" in Gaza City on Friday as well.

Shahwan also warned Gazans about Israeli intelligence using emails and phone calls to turn them into spies. He said that some will impersonate government officials.

Furthermore, Shahwan warned Gazans to ignore any Israeli leaflets that are dropped, warning them that bombs will be dropped in their area. He urged them to stay home instead.

The 1977 Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions requires that, if possible, civilians must be warned:

Effective advance warning shall be given of attacks which may affect the civilian population, unless circumstances do not permit.

But Hamas is telling citizens to ignore warnings meant to save their lives.

Is there any further proof needed that Hamas wants to see Gazan civilians killed?

Hamas knows that every dead baby - on both sides - is a victory. It is a shame that the media hasn't yet caught onto that simple fact.

Hamas war crimes poster (6) - the Tel Aviv bus bombing

Sixth in a series:

How did the baby Omar Mishrawi die?

One of the most iconic - and tragic - photos from the current fighting in Gaza is surely this one, showing BBC Arabic journalist Jihad Mishrawi mourning his dead son:

PCHR described the incident this way:

[At 16:15] an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a house belonging to Ali Nemer al-Masharawi in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. Two members of the family (a woman and a toddler) were killed: Hiba Aadel Fadel al-Masharawi, 19, and Omar Jihad al-Masharawi, 11 months.

Electronic Intifada reported this as a "missile strike" but described it this way:

According to neighbors and witnesses, a mass of fire hit the roof of the Masharawi family home in a densely packed area in southern Gaza City.

“Our area is void of any suspicious activity and I can assure you there are no armed persons here and the area is always calm and inhabitants know each other,” Jihad said, showing the missile’s damage to his home. “I never imagined that my home would be an Israeli target. Why has it been hit?”

The Washington Post looked deeper into the story:

An Israeli round hit Misharawi’s four-room home in Gaza Wednesday, killing his son, according to BBC Middle East bureau chief Paul Danahar, who arrived in Gaza earlier Thursday. Misharawi’s sister-in-law was also killed, and his brother wounded. Misharawi told Danahar that, when the round landed, there was no fighting in his residential neighborhood.

“We’re all one team in Gaza,” Danahar told me, saying that Misharawi is a BBC video and photo editor. After spending a “few hours” with his grieving colleague, he wrote on Twitter, ”Questioned asked here is: if Israel can kill a man riding on a moving motorbike (as they did last month) how did Jihad’s son get killed.”

Danahar also shared the following photos of Misharawi’s small Gaza home, which appears to have been heavily damaged. The place where the round punctured his ceiling is clearly visible.

In the first picture, doesn't the hole in the ceiling look a lot like what Qassam rocket damage looks like when they hit homes in Israel?

I am far from a munitions expert, but these photos look nothing like the damage to Gaza buildings from purposeful Israeli airstrikes that we've seen over the past week.

On Wednesday, when Omar was killed, the media was not attuned to the idea that Hamas rockets sometimes fall short. As the comments above show, even the Arabs living there were wondering how Israel with its pinpoint accuracy could have failed so badly - yet no one considered that this could have been because of Hamas rockets falling short, as was the case with Mahmoud Sadallah.

I received an email from someone with serious military experience. Here is the analysis:

First of all, Israel isn’t using incendiary weapons, and won’t, so any “mass of fire” that hits anyone is going to be a secondary effect from the original high-explosive effect, and will involve something like a propane container, chemical container, etc. Israeli bombs and air-to-surface missiles don’t produce masses of fire hitting people’s roofs.

Second, if the “round” of an Israeli weapon had literally come through the roof where the hole is visible in the photo, there’d be no house to take pictures of now. Compare the photos of the Masharawi house with the photos of the wreckage of the Al-Dalu (Doula) house. Then compare the Masharawi photos with photos of the Israeli homes hit by Hamas rockets.

Dalu home

Qassam damage in Israel

This isn't definitive, of course, and there are other things to consider, like whether Hamas rockets were flying at the time. [Which they most definitely were on the first day of the operation - EoZ].

OK, now I’m looking at the second photo of damage. If the blast from an Israeli weapon had occurred inside this home, the wood on the windows would be entirely gone. No trace left. The walls wouldn’t be intact. Their top portions, at least, would be a pile of rubble around the base of the wall. The iron grilles on the windows would probably be lying on the ground somewhere.

The story doesn’t hang together. An Israeli bomb could not have penetrated the roof of this structure, then exploded, and have left the structure looking as it does: charred on some surfaces, but still intact.

I note that a Hamas rocket could have done exactly this damage, including the projectile-through-the-roof feature. There are other conceivable scenarios in which secondary damage could have been done by an Israeli hit nearby, but in no case would it have been possible for an Israeli weapon to penetrate the roof as described, and then do nothing more than char the surfaces and rearrange the furniture.

I want to stress that I am not nearly as certain about this as I was about Mahmoud Sadallah. But to my mind, this appears far more consistent with a Hamas rocket that then ignited something highly flammable inside the house. Most Gaza homes rely on propane heaters and gasoline-powered generators, and they have to keep the fuel somewhere - in fact, unless I'm mistaken, there appears to be a damaged fuel can on the top shelf of the first photo from inside the house above.

A lot has happened since then and it seems doubtful that anyone is going to revisit this on the ground, but someone should at least ask Paul Danahar from the BBC whether he even considered that this could have been the work of an errant Gaza rocket.

And if not - why does he rule it out?

Hamas war crimes poster (5)

Fifth in the series:

Al Jazeera correspondent sees rocket barrage live in Ashkelon (video)

This Al Jazeera reporter was not expecting to have such a dramatic live report:

(h/t O)

Here come the staged Gaza doll photos!

We saw them in Lebanon, and now - they're back!

What would a conflict be without photographers staging photos?

And what better staging is there than dolls?

A Palestinian boy holds a doll as he walks amid the rubble of a destroyed house after what witnesses said was an Israeli air strike, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip November 20, 2012

A Palestinian man picks up a doll lying on shattered glass in a damaged house following an Israeli air raid in Gaza City on November 17, 2012. (AFP)

A Palestinian boy salvages a stuffed toy from a building destroyed by an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip (Picture: EPA)

A Palestinian man carries a stuffed toy through a street littered with debris after an air raid on a sporting center in Gaza City on Monday. (CNN)

A ridiculous amount of links. And all of them are really good.

From Ian:

IDF Chief Benny Gantz Preps Soldiers:
“When you go in take a look backwards once to remember why you are doing it, look at Sderot, Ofakim and the communities you do not see–and from that moment stop looking backward and look only forward,”

IDF Blog: Pillar of Defense: Sixth Day Recap

The man who keeps Tel Aviv safe from rockets
Commander of newest Iron Dome battery ensuring Fajr-5 rockets don't hit city.

"Maj. Itamar Abu is keeping the millions of residents of the greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area safe from death and destruction.

Lebanese Army Disarms Two Rockets Aimed at Israel
Two Katyusha rockets aimed at Israel from southern Lebanon were discovered and disarmed by the Lebanese army, a security official told the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star.

Dealing with Hamas’s human shield tactics
Pilots often ordered to call off air strikes at last moment.

"The IAF is dealing with an enemy keen on using the densely populated Gaza Strip as a rocket base, often shooting the projectiles from the tops of residential buildings, or near schools, mosques, and other public places."

Hamas' Tactic: Require Israel to Cause Civilian Casualties by Alan M. Dershowitz

"Hamas's tactic is as simple as it is criminal and brutal. Its leaders know that by repeatedly firing rockets at Israeli civilian areas, they will give Israel no choice but to respond. Israel's response will target the rockets and those sending them. In order to maximize their own civilian casualties, and thereby earn the sympathy of the international community and media, Hamas leaders deliberately fire their rockets from densely populated civilian areas. The Hamas fighters hide in underground bunkers but Hamas refuses to provide any shelter for its own civilians, whom they use as "human shields." This unlawful tactic puts Israel to a tragic choice: simply allow Hamas rockets to continue to target Israeli cities and towns; or respond to the rockets, with inevitable civilian casualties among the Palestinian "human shields."

Gaza proves Golda right

“Peace will come to the Middle East when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us,” then Foreign Minister Golda Meir said in 1957, during an address to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

UN WATCH: Israel sent 19 letters to U.N. on Hamas rockets in 2012, before responding militarily

Assad tells U.N. he cares about suffering of people in Golan, while killing thousands of Syrian civilians

Bigotry on the Beeb by Douglas Murray

"Well, one reason is that so many British politicians, including Britain’s favourite idiot granny Shirley Williams, tell them lies about Israel which the BBC allows to go out uncorrected. Here is Shirley Williams in reply to the bigoted question with which (unlike the excellent two conservative voices on the panel) she had absolutely no problem.
Shirley Williams told the audience that Gaza is ‘a slum’ and then went on to say the following:
‘It’s crowded out to the gills. It’s full of people struggling to find a box in which to live. It’s full of people who see their land slowly eaten up by more and more Israeli settlements.’

The ABC (Australia) is at war with Israel, too
The World Today also had Diana Buttu, calling for more rocket attacks on Israel:

“The reason that people are now firing back is because of the fact of the assassination and I think if anything, rather than people saying to Hamas that it’s time to stop, it’s actually quite the opposite.”Israel’s killing last week of a Hamas military commander was a response to the rocket attacks, not the trigger for them. This was not put to Buttu. Nor was she queried at all about her demand that rather than call on Hamas to stop firing rockets, “the opposite” should occur.

AP Reporter Slams State Department For Silence On Israel

"Lee concluded, "But you won't stick up for your ally Israel when the Turks, another one of your allies, say that they're engaged in terrorism in Gaza..." The exchange goes on for nearly three minutes, while Nuland is left defenseless against the charges of silence from the press pool."

State Dept Refuses to Say If Israeli Ground Assault Counts as Self-Defense

"In a little-noticed exchange from the State Department on Friday, State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland openly refused to say whether an Israeli ground assault on Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip would fall under the Israeli right to self-defense."

EU: Israel has right to defense, but should stop operations

"The Council of the European Union on Monday released a statement in which it both reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself and demanded an end to all hostilities between Israel and Gaza."

Majority of Americans support Israel’s operation in Gaza
Republicans and males are most likely to believe it’s justified, CNN poll finds

Israel Museums Hide Art to Protect It From Rockets

The Onion Goes Anti-Semitic

So now The Onion, celebrated for their zany approach to the news, has fallen under the spell of the radical left and has become one more mouthpiece for anti-Semitic propaganda. In their latest attempt at humor, The Onion posted this piece of Palestinian propaganda:
“8-Year-Old Palestinian Boy Pleasantly Surprised He Hasn't Been Killed Yet”

CIF Watch: ‘Comment is Free’ publishes an essay by a Hamas leader…again.

"In fact, later that same day, Nov. 18, a ’Comment is Free’ essay by the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, Musa Abumarzuq, was published – one out of several members of the Islamist terror group who has been published by the paper which aspires to be the ‘world’s leading liberal voice’."

Huffington Post Promotes Anti-Semitic Cartoonist, Carlos Latuff

"The Huffington Post, allegedly a mainstream, balanced news media outlet, has covered and promoted the work of anti-Semitic cartoonist Carlos
Latuff. The Huffington Post, its editors, and its owner, Arianna Huffington, have created a safe, welcoming space for all manner of Jew haters to spread their rhetoric and ideas."

Has the US Administration Decided to Get Rid of Jordan's King Abdullah? by Khaled Abu Toameh

"Unless the US clarifies its position regarding King Abdullah and reiterates its full backing for his regime, the Muslim fundamentalists are likely to step up there efforts to create anarchy and lawlessness in the kingdom. Washington needs to reassure King Abdullah and his followers that it will not allow the creation of an Islamic terror republic in Jordan."

Antwerp protesters: 'Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas'

Anti-Semitism is alive and well in Antwerp (Belgium), where protesters outside a concert hall on Sunday night shouted 'Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas.'

Muslim Savages, Leftards, Jewish Traitors, and Hungarian Fascist Rally for Hamas in Toronto

Daphneanson: "Blood On Your Hands!": Protesting Batsheva & Gaza in Old London Town

"Here are scenes from outside Sadler's Wells last evening, when a seething raucous mob of usual suspects screamed intimidatory invective at people arriving to watch the Batsheva Dance Company. "Shame on you!" yells the mob. "Blood on your hands!"

IAEA: Iran Increases Underground Nuclear Enrichment Capacity

According to the IAEA’s quarterly report issued on Nov. 16, Iran’s work on the deep underground nuclear site, Fordo, near the holy city of Qom, is nearly complete. It now has the full capacity of 2,784 centrifuges, an increase of 644 since the last IAEA report in August.

Smartphones and websites help keep Israelis safe in wartime
Want to know if your area is being targeted by Hamas rockets, and where to go, if so? There are apps for that

"As citizens of one of the most connected countries in the world, Israelis have been relying on their smartphones since the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense, with new apps and sites popping up to help keep them safe and informed."

Sweet diesel! Discovery resurrects process to convert sugar directly to diesel

"A long-abandoned fermentation process once used to turn starch into explosives can be used to produce renewable diesel fuel to replace the fossil fuels now used in transportation, UC Berkeley scientists have discovered.
Campus chemists and chemical engineers teamed up to produce diesel fuel from the products of a bacterial fermentation discovered nearly 100 years ago by the first president of Israel, chemist Chaim Weizmann. The retooled process produces a mix of products that contain more energy per gallon than ethanol that is used today in transportation fuels and could be commercialized within 5-10 years."

His mother's from Surbiton but he was blown up near the border with Gaza
Family of British-Israeli soldier relive the attack that helped trigger the current crisis

B'Tselem: 41 of 105 dead are civilians
I guess the IDF figures have been the most accurate. What a surprise.

BDSFail: UC Irvine rejects divestment from Israel

Yaacov Lozowick has been getting back into blogging during the fighting, and he is always worth reading.

Martin Kramer shows yet again that Juan Cole is an idiot

Small arms, big problems (Foreign Policy)

Neat find by Challah Hu Akbar from 2009

If you are into stupic, non-scientific polls, feel free to go here and vote.

Kids from Israel play a reality-based game in a playground:

A poster:

The Al Qassam Martyrs Brigades Twitter account is often very funny. Here is their tribute poster to Ahmad Jaabari:

Finally, a story from The Propagandist:

My friend Joe Z., a long-time Jerusalem resident, had just taken his little boy out to play in the park when the air-raid sirens began. They took cover and waited for the explosion before going to back to play. (Yes, it sounds, and is, surreal – from bombs to play in less than 10 minutes. Believe me – it isn’t easy, but we do it. Life goes on).

“I couldn’t understand why I kept hearing more ‘rockets’ until I looked over towards the Old City and East Jerusalem," Joe said. "The fireworks display was amazing – and horrifying. The Palestinians were out in force on the rooftops celebrating the possibility that Jews might have been killed, that a bomb might fall on the Holy City. We heard the music, the laughter, the shouts of joy. I was aghast at their unrestrained ecstasy at the tragedy that might have been – that they hoped might still be. My little boy played happily on the swings, enjoying the free firework show; innocent, sweet and precious. My blood ran cold.”

Hamas war crimes poster (4)

Fourth in a series:

Video: Arab protest at Hebrew U ends when sirens sound

Arab students were protesting against Israel at Hebrew University in Jerusalem today.

But the protest was cut short by incoming rockets from the Hamas terrorists they love so much.

They look so brave as they run, don't they?

(h/t Dave)

Egypt pretending to want peace - but allowing jihadists to join Gaza terrorists

From an Al Monitor translation of a story in Al Masry al Youm:

Islamic leaders said that the majority of Salafist jihadists in the Sinai traveled to the Gaza Strip to join the Palestinian resistance. Jihadist leaders in Cairo held a meeting yesterday [Nov. 18] to examine the possibility of dispatching a second group to Gaza to resist the Israeli Defense Forces and prevent the aggression against Palestinians from continuing.

This comes as well-informed sources within the Muslim Brotherhood confirmed that a delegation of 10 youths from the Brotherhood in the Sinai traveled to Gaza to join the resistance. The sources said that a number of youths from the Brotherhood decided to travel yesterday [Nov. 18] to join the Al-Qassam Brigades and their struggle against Israel.

Salafist leader Sheikh Mohammed Muftah, known as Abu Yahya, revealed that the majority of Salafists in the Sinai traveled to Gaza since the first strike was launched by the “Jewish enemy.”

He said, “The Islamists are preparing themselves to fight for the cause of Allah,” adding that the coming days will see Salafist youth traveling from all Egyptian provinces to the Gaza Strip.

The Salafist jihadist operatives held an emergency meeting yesterday [Nov. 18] to discuss ways to support the people of Gaza and prepare those who would travel to Gaza after that the first group recently traveled across the border.

Morgan Salem, a leader of the Salafist jihadists, said, “Supporting the people of Gaza is a constant activity with different mechanisms; this is either provided materially or in the form of jihadists.”

For his part, the Hazem Abu Ismail movement's spokesman, Gamal Saber, launched an initiative to support Gaza designed to send youth from the Islamic movement to the Palestinian territory to to assist the people of Gaza in confronting the enemy and to provide fighters in Palestine with sufficient money and weapons to fight “the enemy of God.”

The story notes that the Muslim Brotherhood is discouraging its members from joining the fighting, which is a bit different than what a Freedom and Justice Party official said that MB youth were poised to enter.

Either way, it is clear that Egypt is aware of many Egyptians who want to fight in Gaza, and there is no indication that it is stopping any of them from traveling there.

The US needs to have this issue clarified as soon as possible. An Egypt that supports the jihadists cannot be an honest broker between Israel and Hamas.

(h/t Lachlan)