Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Free Gaza marketing custom books memorializing terrorists

On 21 September 2012, the International Day of Peace, the Nomadic Memorial Cast Lead was first performed in The Hague, City of Peace and Justice. From the 30st October till the 2nd of November 2012, the nomadic monument was shown in Bozar, Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels. For the finissage on the 2nd of November 2012 - All Souls' Day - the acknowledged Palestinian playwright and actor, Taher Najib gave a lecture-performance.

Reminiscent of a graveyard, the Cast Lead installation consists of 1430 unique books 'floating' above the floor in battle-array. Each copy of the book has the name of one of the casualties of Operation Cast Lead, carried out by the Israel Army in Gaza during 2008/2009, on its cover. The books contain texts by writers, artists and thinkers from both the East and West. Each of these books is a monument filled with knowledge that proved incapable of changing the course of events.

Would you like to cooperate in the realisation of this work of art? For the price of €65, you will receive your own unique book as part of the work of art.

Free Gaza elaborates:

The 1430 books are now for sale, and only one person/book will ever be sold. You will have a unique piece of artwork and a remembrance of one of the people who lost a life and will now never be forgotten.

The artists are raising money for a traveling presentation to be opened in Paris in 2013, but these books, the first ones, will be the only copies offered for sale.

Would you like to purchase one of these pieces of art? For €65 ($85.00), including taxes and shipping, you will receive your unique book. The holidays are coming. This gift is perfect for people who have wondered how to memorialize the names of the dead of Operation Cast Lead.

Out of those 1430 books, roughly half are memorializing the names of terrorists. (Some are memorializing people killed by Hamas. Some are memorializing people who weren't killed in Cast Lead at all, since the number of real victims was less than 1430. Shhhhh. )

And Free Gaza and the other sponsors have no problem with this.

Yes, you can buy a book with the name of Nizar Rayan.

Or you can even get a book memorializing this wonderful Gaza soul, Suhaib Asafah:

Because when you hate Israel enough, everyone who is also against Israel is beautiful, kind person who deserves to be memorialized on your moonbat leftist bookshelf..

Writer accuses Jews of wanting to expand into Jordan

Al Madenah News has an article by Dr. Sheikh Salim bin Eid al-Hilal claiming that Jews, today, are coveting the land of Jordan.

He puts a few real facts together with his fantasy:

Early Zionists were interested in settling both sides of the Jordan. Of course this is true, before the early 1920s there was never any political boundary between eastern and western Palestine - it was all one unit, which brings up the question of why today's Palestinian Arabs are only interested in the western part for their state.
Early Zionists purchased land in Transjordan. Also true.
The Revisionist Zionists felt cheated out of the East Bank land after the British partitioned it off and called it Transjordan. True as well.
Jews say that parts of Jordan were parts of Eretz Israel. This is basic history, although this writer doesn't believe it.

Then he goes a bit crazy, claiming that a 1968 military clash between Israel and Jordan was an attempted land grab. And that Ariel Sharon planned to invade Jordan during the second Gulf War.

Now, he is nervous that Jewish tourists visiting Jordan aren't really interested in Jordanian attractions - but in the (false, he claims) history of Jews in the area during the days of Joshua and King David!

Instead, he claims, not only have Jews failed to find any archaeological evidence of their ever being in the east bank of the Jordan River, but none on the west bank either!

Finally, the best part: The Jews, he says, are releasing wild pigs, and hamsters, and wild dog/wolf hybrids, along the border and into Jordanian farmland, in order to vex the Jordanians and (presumably) to drive them out so the Jews can swoop in and take the land from them.

How deliciously evil we are! Not only do we breed pigs and wolves (and hamsters) that can distinguish between Jewish and Jordanian farmland, but we train them to swim as well across the river!

Tiferet Israel synagogue to be rebuilt. Muslims seething.

From JPost:

The Jerusalem Municipality awarded initial approval to a plan to rebuild the Tiferet Israel synagogue in the Old City’s Jewish Quarter, a magnificent domed synagogue from the 19th century which was destroyed in the 1948 War of Independence.

The project will recreate the three-story-tall synagogue as well as the iconic dome on the top, with only minor changes to the original, such as the introduction of an elevator to make the building more accessible.

On Tuesday, the municipality’s Local Planning and Building Committee approved the plan for the next step of the process, where it must receive the approval of the Interior Ministry.

An anonymous donor who has been active in previous rebuilding projects in the Old City donated nearly NIS 50 million needed for reconstruction, said Shlomi Attias, the Old City project manager for The Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem Ltd. (JQDC).

The JQDC is a public company under the auspices of the Construction and Housing Ministry.

The synagogue is located just a few hundred meters from the Western Wall Plaza, in the same plaza as the Hurva.

Ashkenazi Hassidim bought the land for Tiferet Israel Synagogue in 1843, though the building wasn’t inaugurated until 1872. The synagogue is also known as the Nissan Bek synagogue, after its founder.

Here's a model of what the rebuilt synagogue, destroyed by the Jordanians in 1948, will look like:

The Al Aqsa Heritage Foundation is freaking out, claiming that the building is being built on the ruins of an Islamic chapel. (Isn't everything?) It also says that this synagogue, along with the Hurva and Ohel Yitzchak, are on areas belonging to the Islamic Waqf. (Isn't everything?)

I once made a video of a "flyover" of Jerusalem in the 1930s, based on high-resolution photographs. Tiferet Israel is prominently featured, right near the Hurva Synagogue.

It is worth mentioning that besides the fact that Muslims object to synagogues in Jerusalem altogether, they are especially peeved that this one - together with Hurva - are so tall, giving the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque competition in the Old City skyline (the Jewish Quarter is situated on a hill.)

Doesn't look like a toy gun to me

According to a number of websites, this is Ahmad Jaabari's youngest son.

Ma'an has details on how the seven people brutally murdered for "collaboration" in Gaza were all already in custody, and how the initial claims of Hamas that they were "caught red-handed" in spying for Israel during the recent fighting is an obvious lie. It also pretty much proves that Hamas purposefully handed them over to the murderers.

One quote is noteworthy, though:

Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahhar dismissed criticism from Palestinian human rights groups.

"We will not allow one collaborator to be in Gaza, and let human rights groups say whatever they want. A human has rights if they have honor and not if they are a traitor," he said Saturday.

Which pretty much sums up Hamas' attitude towards human rights. They only apply to people they agree with.

And if "collaborators" with Jewish Israelis don't have human rights, then the Jews themselves obviously don't, either.

I'm sure that human rights groups have roundly criticized Zahar's statements by now. I mean, he said it on Saturday. There must have been a bunch of press releases and outraged tweets since then. I just must have missed them.

Today's fake PCHR "civilians"

From PCHR:

At approximately 17:45 on Sunday, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a group of Palestinian civilians near al-Rahma Mosque in al-Nussairat refugee camp. As a result, 2 civilians were killed: Atiya Abdullah Mubarak, 56; and Hussam Hussein Abu Shawish, 37.

Hamas' Al Qassam website describes Atiya Mubarak as one of their mujahadeen, despite his age. He joined Hamas in 1998 and the Al Qassam Brigades in 2007. He participated in Cast Lead and worked on logistics behind sending terrorists to battle, "competing with the youth in jihad for the sake of Allah."

PCHR again:

At approximately 16:30, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a number of Palestinian civilians in al-Salatin Street in Beit Lahia, killing one of them, Fadi Mousa Sameer al-Qatanani, 29, and 6 others, including two children, were wounded.

The Al Qassam website says that "since Fadi was a child, he wished to carry a gun to fight the enemies of God, the Jews; constantly repeating slogans of jihad, his eyes yearning to jihad and martyrdom, and the castles of glory and honor and dignity."

He was a member of the Qassam Brigades for over ten years, working in smuggling tunnels as well as "repelling invasions" from Israel in northern Gaza.

Hamas says they are mujahadeen. PCHR says they are civilians.

Keep in mind that there are only several thousand Al Qassam Brigades members at the most, among a population of some 1.6 million in Gaza. If Israel was just randomly firing into "civilians" the odds of hitting a Qassam Brigades member is about one in 300.

As I have mentioned before, there are two major things Abbas is trying to accomplish.

One is to use the status of being a "non-member state" to be able to prosecute Israel in the International Criminal Court. (Sort of how he used UNESCO membership also not for anything positive for his people, but to delegitimize the Jewish claim to the Land of Israel.)

The other is to throw language about the mythical "1967 borders" into the resolution, so that he can claim that the UN General Assembly has declared the borders of his state - even though it has no legal right to do so.

Previous postings:

Abbas' latest game: will he fool the world again?

Some thoughts on Abbas' upcoming UN gimmick

Abbas again says the goal of the UN stunt is to establish borders

Here's the full text of the draft resolution.

Remember - this is also the 65th anniversary of the unanimous Arab rejection of the UNGA resolution calling for the partition of Palestine that would have created a Palestinian Arab state.

Arabs think that there should be no consequences for their actions and that they can roll back the clock whenever they want to in order to erase their mistakes, whether the mistakes were made in 1947, 1948, 1967 or 2001.

Sadly, much of the world agrees with them when the only party that stands to lose is Israel.

Hamas media says Egypt in battle against "Jews and their loyalists"

An op-ed in Hamas mouthpiece Felesteen claims that the current protests in Egypt are, of course, a Jewish plot.

Playing off the recent Arab obsession with Tzipi Livni, the article quotes an interview with Al Quds al Arabi editor Abdel Bari Atwan a few days ago claiming that Livni met with Amr Moussa, former head of the Arab League and failed Egyptian presidential candidate, on November 4 in Ramallah. During that meeting, Livni was said to demand that Moussa start a series of internal problems in Egypt to overwhelm the Morsi government, and Moussa - obeying his Jewish master (or mistress) - did exactly that.

I think Livni might now qualify as an Eldress. Her powers of persuasion are truly awesome. Arab men in particular seem to find her irresistible.

Meanwhile, the article charges, other minions of the vast Jewish conspiracy did their part, like an interview that Mohamed elBaradei had with Der Spiegel saying that the ruling government bans music at weddings and has members who deny the Holocaust, and editor of Asharq al-Awsat Tariq Hamid "and his ilk" who are writing articles critical of the Egyptian regime.

Midweek links

From Ian:

How Hamas Is Trying to Fool Everyone by Khaled Abu Toameh

"Mashaal told CNN's Christiane Amanpour: "I accept a Palestinian state according to 1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital, with the right of return [of millions of Palestinians to Israel]."
The Hamas leader's remark has since been misinterpreted by some Westerners as a sign that the radical Islamist movement, which was established 25 years ago with the declared goal of destroying Israel, has now abandoned its ideology and is on its way to endorsing a softer approach.
But while Mashaal was speaking on CNN, several Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip were talking -- in Arabic -- about their intention to pursue the fight against Israel until the "liberation of all our lands, from the sea to the river."

Melanie Phillips: Sanitising Hamas in the worship of power

"The commitment by Hamas to destroy Israel and wipe out every Jew on earth is considered all but irrelevant. There can only be a solution if Hamas is involved, goes this thinking, because it is in power over the Palestinians – and there can only be a solution that is brokered between Israel and the Palestinians."

Daniel Pipes: Next Time Israel Must Retake the Philadelphi Corridor

"To permit Israeli soldiers effectively to prevent armaments from reaching Gaza, David Eshel of Defense Update argued in 2009 for the IDF taking back the Philadelphi Corridor and increasing its size to “a fully sterile security line of about 1,000 meters,” even though this would mean having to relocate about 50,000 Gaza residents. Interestingly, the Palestinian Authority’s Ahmed Qurei privately endorsed similar steps in 2008."

Free Gaza—from Hamas

"Anyone who is actually concerned about the welfare of the people of Gaza, and does not belong to the church of “it’s all Israel’s fault” would have focused the generous resources provided by foreign donors (including the New Israel Fund and anonymous European government officials) on liberating Gaza’s citizens and Israelis from Hamas."

Hamas’ Lifeblood: Money
Saudi charities fund terrorists and their families—including Hamas’ late military chief Ahmed Jabari

"Why do Western governments like Great Britain, France, Italy, and Austria continue to allow radical Islamic charities to operate freely on their soil and to fund Hamas institutions like Jabari’s Al Nur Prisoners Society? Why do EU governments, facing their own fiscal cliffs, continue to fund the Palestinian Authority’s enormous subsidies to terrorists and their families? Only when Europe and the United States get serious about stopping the flow of money to men like Ahmed Jabari can there be any realistic hope of writing a less grim ending to this conflict."

Following Gaza ‘victory,’ Hamas sets its sights on the West Bank
Haniyeh says territory controlled by rival Fatah is central to the ‘struggle with the occupation’, makes plain ultimate aim of armed effort to destroy Israel

Report: Egyptian Security Seizes Shipment of Weapons on Way to Gaza, Including Anti-Aircraft Artillery
A preliminary investigation indicated the shipment contained 185 bullet crates, anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery, rockets, RPG launchers, land mines and explosives – collectively worth some 20 million Egyptian pounds (roughly $ 3.3 million).

TA bombing suspect related to 1978 terrorist
Man suspected of placing bomb on Tel Aviv bus last week related to family of Dalal Mughrabi, who carried out attack that killed 35 Israelis in 1978

David’s Sling success caught on film
Defense Ministry publishes video showing anti-ballistic missile defense system in action

JPOST Editorial: Misguided UN bid

"The PLO’s UN bid is misguided and wrongheaded and will do nothing but add to the long list of historic mistakes made by Palestinian leadership which date back at least to November 29, 1947 when Palestinians failed to grab their chance for nationhood and self-determination."

Why I Don’t Want a Palestinian State
The reason I don’t want a Palestinian state is because they will make a big fat mess of it.

Britain heads for Israel sell-out at the UN
The prospect of Britain backing the Palestinian UN bid shows just how deep anti-Israel feeling goes at the Foreign Office

"Britain should vote no to the Palestinians' diversionary tactics at the UN. If we do vote in favour, never again do I want to hear British officials garbling on about being friends of Israel, or Israeli officials talking about Britain being the "responsible adult in the room".

Israellycool: Must-Read Thoughts Of a Palestinian
Remember the palestinian who supported the IDF getting rid of Hamas and retaking the Gaza Strip?
Well, he’s back, this time publishing a post on the shoddy treatment of palestinians throughout the Arab world, especially when compared to their treatment by Israel.

In wake of Gaza conflict, anti-Israel activity on campus is rising, ADL says

Future Palestinian state to try Israel at ICC for Arafat killing, official says
Head of panel probing leader’s death says ‘those whose policy is assassinations’ will be brought to justice

Muslims Claim Netanyahu Plans to Build ‘False’ Holy Temple
Netanyahu’s latest building plan for Jerusalem is none other than for the Third Temple, claims Al Aqsa Foundation.

Group demands UN probe IDF strikes on journalists
International Federation of Journalists claims IDF deliberately targeted journalists in Gaza during Operation Pillar of Defense.

CIF Watch: Seumas Milne tells thousands at London rally that Palestinians have a right to kill Israelis

Journalist interviews Hamas TV spokesman about PMW VIDEO
"Journalist Suroosh Alvi from Vice magazine interviews a spokesman from Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas TV). Alvi tells the spokesman about PMW, an Israeli organization that monitors channels like Al-Aqsa TV in order to expose "how radical the people in Gaza are." The spokesman responds, "They also say to their people that killing a Palestinian is good. So this [is] a different way to see [things]."

Debunking the media lies - Syrian and Israeli pictures recycled as pictures from Gaza VIDEO

More media lies exposed VIDEO

Claims Muslim Brotherhood are rounding up activists

Hungarian rightist: List Jews who pose security risk
Marton Gyongyosi of Jobbik party calls for list of Jews who are threat to country; Jewish groups: Reminiscent of Nazi policy.

We feel safe here’
Pastor Umar Mulinde, who was attacked with acid in Uganda for supporting Israel, is receiving treatment at Sheba Medical Center.

"Pastor Umar Mulinde’s love for Israel has only grown since he began treatment here for the burns he sustained in a horrific acid attack in his home country of Uganda on Christmas Eve last year."

Mumbai Jews mark fourth anniversary of killings at Chabad House
Israel’s consul general speaks at commemoration of terrorist attack

"Among those on hand for Monday’s ceremony was Israel’s consul general in Mumbai, Orna Sagiv, who was in Mumbai at the time of the 2008 massacre, in which members of a Pakistan-based terror group attacked several sites in the city, including luxury hotels, a train station and a popular cafe. More than 170 people were killed in the attacks."

Also:

(h/t Vandoren)

Is Egypt headed for civil war?

From Al Ahram:

Over 100,000 defiant protesters occupied Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday to demand the cancellation of President Mohamed Morsi's controversial Thursday decree. Egypt’s ruling Islamists, however, showed no sign of backing down, suggesting that continued political deadlock is inevitable.

Facing his most serious domestic test since assuming power on 30 June, Morsi finds himself embroiled in a battle – with leftists, liberals, socialists, and several other influential political sectors – after issuing a decree that would shield his decisions from legal challenge until a new parliament is elected.

His decree also protects the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly (tasked with drafting the country's first post-revolution constitution) and the Shura Council (the upper house of Egypt's parliament) from dissolution. It also relieved Egyptian Prosecutor-General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud of his duties, bringing in Judge Talaat Abdullah as Mahmoud's replacement.

In rallies that remained largely peaceful, thousands took to the streets in Cairo, Alexandria, Assiut, Tanta, Mahalla, Mansoura, Luxor, Suez and Port Said, in scenes reminiscent of last year's 18-day uprising that unseated autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi, backed by Islamist parties and groups, has so far withstood immense pressure to reverse his decision, which has prompted opponents to brand him Egypt's "new Pharaoh."

He has also incurred the wrath of Egypt's judges, many of whom vowed to challenge his decree by calling strikes. Many journalists and lawyers were similarly infuriated by the president's latest move, which they believe poses a threat to democracy.

Thousands of lawyers marched from their syndicate to Tahrir Square, the cradle of last year's revolt, chanting "The people want the fall of the regime" – a slogan frequently heard during Mubarak's final days in power.

The Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, launched an attack on Morsi's opponents, accusing them of "not caring about the country's national interests."

"On January 25, united Egyptians [Islamists, liberals and leftists] revolted against autocracy, supported by millions across the country. Today is politics," the Islamist group declared on Twitter.

"When ordinary Egyptians across the nation see pro-Mubarak [elements] protesting in Tahrir along with Islamists' rivals, they know this isn't January 25," the group added. "The opposition thinks the significance of today is of Tahrir protestors; they should brace for millions in support of the elected president.”

The Brotherhood had initially planned to hold parallel demonstrations on Tuesday, but backtracked at the last minute to avoid potential clashes with its political rivals.

The Muslim Brotherhood website has articles supporting Morsi's decree, calling it "truly patriotic," saying it "protects the revolution," and calling the protesters "thugs" who are Mubarak supporters.

If the voting for Egypt's parliament is any guide, the 100,000 protesters are no match for what the Islamists can muster if they just say the word. So far, the protesters have been largely peaceful, and the Brotherhood has (wisely) chosen to avoid counterprotests that could easily devolve into violence.

Moreover, the protesters have no central idea unifying them outside of opposition to Morsi's decree. They are all over the map politically and even if they force new elections, the results would be the same. So right now they are limited to clever slogans and quips (“Shave your beard and show us your face, so we can see your true disgrace: you look just like Mubarak!” "“It used to be soccer distracted us from lousy presidents. Now lousy presidents are distracting us from soccer.”)

Morsi himself has given no indication of backing down in the least, and he even indirectly issued a veiled threat against the protesters:

President Mohamed Morsy will not retreat on the controversial constitutional declaration he issued Thursday, according to his chief of staff, Mohamed Refaa al-Tahtawi.

In an interview with Al-Hayat 2 satellite channel late Tuesday, Tahtawi claimed that Morsy’s supporters outnumbered his opponents, the tens of thousands of protesters in Tahrir Square and around the country notwithstanding.

“No going back. I do not want to speak menacingly, but we are prepared for any escalations,” said Tahtawi. He added that the president’s office welcomes peaceful freedom of expression, but warned, “Any attempt to stir trouble outside of peaceful protesting will not be faced leniently.”

Indeed, journalists have been prominent fixtures at the protests as well, and at least two journalists were beaten by Morsi's security.

So far, it looks like Morsi will ride this one out, as at least the secularist protesters are not the types to mount a violent uprising, and nothing short of that will change anything.

Muslims uncover nefarious Jewish p0rn plot

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from a show featuring Egyptian cleric Abd Al-Fattah Abu Zayd, which aired on Tahrir TV on November 23, 2012.

Abu Zeid: Our enemies conspire against us. Conspire or you shall be conspired against. When our enemies used armed force against us, they failed ignominiously. They realized that the use of armed force against Muslims is futile, because Muslims have the element of confrontation, the element of resistance, the element of Jihad for the sake of Allah. They realized: Armed force would be futile against those Muslims, because they love death as much as we love life. So they replaced the armed force with soft power.

Do you know what "soft power" is? It is urges, sex, women and 4.2 million porn websites on the Internet. Just imagine – 4.2 million porn websites, the number one purpose of which is to corrupt the nation of Muhammad. Brothers, who finances those 4.2 million websites? This is just the number of websites. The number of internet porn pages is 420 million, the purpose of which is to corrupt the nation of Muhammad, to corrupt you. When the use of armed force failed them, they decided to use soft power, to invade the hearts and minds of the nation of Muhammad.

It was said in The Protocols of the abominable elders of Zion that alcohol and prostitutes would be capable of destroying Muslim youths more than a thousand cannons. They will drown them in urges and desires. That is their plan.

I have a feeling that this preacher is familiar with more than a few of the 4.2 million websites.

I'm still getting dozens of hits a day from people searching for "Arab six video" .Here are a few recent ones:

The plot is working!

Richard Falk calls rockets towards Jerusalem "survival cries"

Richard Falk outdoes himself again with his embrace of terrorists and seething hatred for the Jewish state.

In a November 18th article he wrote for - where else? - Al Jazeera, Falk liberally sprinkles lies on top of a serving of half-truths to come up with conclusions that would be universally considered the ranting of a lunatic if the object of his vitriol would be anything besides Israel.

It is too tedious to fisk completely - I've done that many times, and life is way too short to spend on someone as already thoroughly discredited as Falk - but for those late to the game of exposing this United Nations Special Rapporteur, here are some quickies:

Referring to Israel's attack on Ahmad Jaabari, Falk writes:

Such an extra-judicial killing...remains an unlawful tactic of conflict, denying adversary political leaders separated from combat any opportunity to defend themselves against accusations...

Yes, Falk is saying that the leader of Hamas' terror wing, the Al Qassam brigades, is a "political leader." Falk knows this and lies.

Gaza, which is one of the most crowded and impoverished communities on the planet...

People living in Egypt, only a few miles away, are far more impoverished. As are large swaths of Africa, Asia, and South America. Gazans have malls, supermarkets, luxury hotels, plenty of food, tons of goods, nice cars and more. Not to mention that the "refugees" get free medical care and education. Falk knows this and lies.

Israeli removal of troops and settlements [in 2005] was little more than a mere redeployment to the borders of Gaza, with absolute control over what goes in and what leaves...

Two words: Egypt and tunnels. Falk knows this and lies.

From an international law point of view, Israel's purported "disengagement" from Gaza didn't end its responsibility as an Occupying Power under the Geneva Conventions...

Wrong. Very wrong. Falk knows this, and lies.

600,000 armed settlers

Really? every man, woman and child in Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem is armed? Falk knows this is a lie, and lies anyway.

The top Hamas leaders have made it abundantly clear over and over again that they are open to permanent peace with Israel if there is a total withdrawal to the 1967 borders and the arrangement is supported by a referendum of all Palestinians living under occupation.

Hamas has never, not once, even implied a permanent peace with Israel. Ever. And its terms for a truce include the destruction of Israel by allowing millions of fake "refugees" to flood it and become citizens.

Falk knows this, and lies.

But even if you can excuse a UN representative for his constant lies, his anti-semitism, his embrace of Hamas terrorists - just check out how he describes medium range Iranian rockets, with 100 kg. of explosives, being fired at population centers of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem:

It is truly alarming that now even the holiest of cities, Jerusalem, is threatened with attacks, but the continuation of oppressive conditions for the people of Gaza, inevitably leads to increasing levels of frustration, in effect, cries of help that world has ignored at its peril for decades. These are survival screams! To realise this is not to exaggerate!

Yes. Shooting rockets at women and children aren't mere war crimes, but they should be understood to be survival screams.

What a reprehensible excuse for a human being Richard Falk is.

He fits right in to the UN.

(h/t Real Jerusalem Streets)

UK pulls Sodastream ad - because of Pepsi or BDS?

From Globes:

SodaStream International Ltd. (Nasdaq: SODA) insists that the ban of its new global advertising campaign in the UK is absurd, and censors the company for trying to save the environment.

Clearcast, the organization that pre-approves UK television advertising and is jointly funded by the UK's major broadcasters, notified SodaStream that the ad campaign would not be allowed to air in the UK. The decision was made just before the commercial's premier in the UK on November 22. Although the ad is already aired in the US, Sweden and Australia, Clearcast deemed it inappropriate for UK audiences.

The ad shows different scenes of soda bottles disappearing instantaneously as people use the SodaStream soda maker, delivering a powerful message about waste and sustainability. The spot closes with commentary of 'with SodaStream you can save 1000 bottles per year.'

Clearcast said, "The majority decided that the ad could be seen to tell people not to go to supermarkets and buy soft drinks, instead help to save the environment by buying a SodaStream. We thought it was denigration of the bottled drinks market."

"This decision is absurd, and the explanation given is totally unreasonable," said SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum. "Are we really being censored for helping to save the environment? This might be the first time in the world when an environmental approach has been shut down by the media to protect a traditional industry. Of course we're competing with bottled beverages, but why is offering a game-changing approach denigrating? It is like saying that iPod ads denigrate the Walkman or that car ads denigrated the horse and buggy. Clearcast's decision is disappointing and disturbing for any democratic society."

The reasons given are nothing short of ridiculous. Would Clearcast say that ads for electric cars denigrate gas guzzlers?

But I'm sure that some BDS idiots will regard this as a victory since Sodastream is an Israeli company they constantly call to boycott, with manufacturing in a Jerusalem suburb that Arabs claim is theirs.

The joke is on them, because the publicity is worth more than the ad itself.

The timing for SodaStream could hardly be better. The Israeli company has dramatically improved distribution over the past year with a series of high profile retail partnerships. The holidays are upon us, and the company is promoting a new, easier to use carbonator – the SodaStream Source. While the SodaStream ad campaign is not running in the UK, an appeal could put it back on the air next week, and it’s already running globally. Media attention over the clumsy UK move will only help SodaStream build awareness.

Of course it’s difficult to argue that a product whose entire existence is based on the premise that traditional soft drinks create unnecessary waste is not denigrating to the existing industry. But that’s hardly the kind of denigration that deserves censorship. And in any case, the unintended consequence of this ban will be to give little SodaStream another injection of PR adrenaline to power through the holidays.

Video: Spectacular precision bombing of a Gaza house

Obviously, the residents of this Gaza house were warned that it would be bombed, so someone set up a video camera to watch the fireworks:

Note how well the bombing was calibrated to only destroy the house, and little else.

And the cameraman- less than a block away - knows this quite well, with no fear of filming out an open window.

(h/t Yoel)

Hamas bears legal responsibility for EVERY civilian death in Gaza.

I just came upon a quick review of the Laws of Armed Conflict written at the beginning of Operation Pillar of Cloud, written by David French, an expert in that topic.

It should be required reading for every single reporter, pundit, politician and critic who opines on Israel's actions.

The fundamental aim of LOAC [Laws of Armed Conflict] is to prevent unnecessary casualties and destruction within the context of military conflict. In pursuit of that goal, three principles govern: necessity, distinction, and proportionality. In general, “necessity” requires that combatants only attack targets necessary to accomplish military objectives. “Distinction” requires that combatants not only distinguish between civilians and combatants, but they also distinguish themselves from civilians (through the wearing of uniforms, use of clearly identified military vehicles, etc.). Finally, “proportionality” requires a combatant to use only that force necessary to accomplish the military objective. It does not require you to use the same force as your enemy (you can bring a JDAM to a gun fight). Applying these principles to the Gaza conflict, three truths emerge:

1. Every Hamas rocket attack is a war crime. Hamas rocket attacks — which are aimed directly at Israeli civilians — clearly violate the rules of necessity and distinction. In fact, it’s difficult to discern any true military purpose for attacks that are more likely to hit schools and homes than they are military targets. Worse, there’s no indication that Hamas even tries to aim its rockets at military targets. But there’s an additional, less obvious manner in which these rocket attacks constitute war crimes: Because they’re conducted from civilian areas by men wearing civilian clothes, Hamas violates its obligation to distinguish its own noncombatants from combatants. Wearing civilian clothes and blending in to the civilian population is a violation of the laws of war. In fact, the wearing of civilian garb is a war crime even if Hamas attacks only military targets.

2. Hamas’s use of civilian buildings changes the status of targets from civilian to military. It is vital to understand that obligations under LOAC are not unilateral and unconditional; they are often reciprocal and conditional. For example, a civilian object can be converted to a legitimate military target when used for military purposes. Even buildings specially protected under international law — including mosques and hospitals — lose their protected status when used for military purposes. So when Hamas fires a rocket from a school, or reinforces its fighters by transporting them in ambulances, that school and those ambulances become legitimate military targets. They are no longer “civilian” in any meaningful sense.

3. Hamas bears legal responsibility for civilian deaths in Gaza. Unless there is evidence that Israel clearly and intentionally targets civilians, Hamas is responsible for the civilian deaths that result from its decision to wear civilian clothes and launch rockets from civilian buildings even when Israel makes mistakes. In other words, but for Hamas’s decision to use human shields, those civilians would not be in the zone of conflict or subject to military targeting. Any other legal construct would only further incentivize Hamas’s violations of laws of war by placing on Israel an impossible burden — the burden of certainty in the face of illegal obfuscation.

For some time the international community has viewed the laws of war as a one-way ratchet — always tightening Israeli (and American) rules of engagement even as they’re deemed irrelevant to terrorists. This is the essence of “lawfare” — the abuse of international legal norms to accomplish otherwise unattainable battlefield objectives — and it only prevails when Western governments and militaries allow it to prevail. Even in the fog of war there can still be legal clarity, and it is clear that the criminal entity in Gaza is Hamas, not the Israeli Defense Force.

Every time an anti-Israel activist talks about the number of civilian casualties in Gaza - which were historically low given the number of Israeli airstrikes and the locations of the legitimate targets - the proper response is that every single civilian death is the result of war crimes committed by Hamas, and Hamas has legal culpability for each and every one.

People who refuse to accept that argument are people who have revealed their disinterest in real justice.