Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Gunfight in Cairo as arms dealer tries to smuggle weapons to Hamas

Egypt's Youm7 reports that an hour-long gunfight erupted in the Sheikh Zayed neighborhood of Cairo yesterday between an arms dealer and police.

The dealer was taking advantage of the voting for the constitutional referendum to try to smuggle a large quantity of ammunition, explosives and cash to Gaza.

According to police, the suspect, "Mohammed T." has set up a dummy company to smuggle weapons to his contact from Hamas in Gaza. The source of the arms is Libya and they were stored in Egypt en route to Gaza.

Egyptians upset that constitution gives Jews rights

The third article of Egypt's draft constitution, which appears to be on its way to overwhelming approval in this weekend's referendum, says:

The canon principles of Egyptian Christians and Jews are the main source of legislation for their personal status laws, religious affairs, and the selection of their spiritual leaders.  

On Thursday night, one of the members of the draft committee, Dr. Ahmed Darraj, held a rally against the word "Jews" in that paragraph.

He said that this mention would give Jews the right to visiting the tomb of Rabbi Abuhatzira in the village of Damanhur and exercise their "orgies" of dancing there.

Moreover, Darraj says, the paragraph was a "calamity," pointing out that there are only 87 Jews left in Egypt while the U.S. Constitution does not have any specific mention of Jews, although America has more than 6 million Jews. If the constitution would be approved, Darraj charged, it means recognizing the legitimacy of their presence within the country to practice their rituals and allowing them to claim that the Jews built the pyramids, possibly to claim ownership down the line.

He compared this constitution to the Balfour Declaration.

Darraj therefore urged Egyptians to reject the constitution - because it gives rights to Jews.

Saturday night links

From Ian:

Barry Rubin: American Journalists Decry Israel's Ability to Defend Itself as Blocking Peace
Following the logic of the Washington Post we should hope that lots of Israelis are killed by terrorists as a way to pressure those obdurate Israelis to make peace.

The Post article basically follows the same Palestinian political line that has prevailed since the 1960s: forget about a negotiated compromise, Israel must be defeated; Israelis made to suffer. The main goal is to get Israelis to give up altogether and abandon having a state; the shorter-term goal is to get Israelis to accept a Palestinian state unconditionally so it can get on with the task of finishing that job.

Human Rights Watch: War Crimes for Dummies

"Incidentally, the NATO campaign also included a strike on the headquarters of Radio
Television of Serbia (RTS), killing sixteen people and leaving many trapped for days in the damaged building. In this case, HRW was content to assert that this was an “inappropriate” target because “[the] risks involved to the civilian population in undertaking this urban attack grossly outweigh any perceived military benefit.”

NYT Excuses for Carnage: 'Rejection and Discrimination' in France Sent Islamic Killer of Jewish Children Over Edge

“New York Times Paris correspondent Scott Sayare reported from a predominantly Muslim slum in Toulouse, France on Thursday, following up on the massacre earlier this year by Mohammad Merah, a resident of the projects, of three soldiers, a rabbi, and three Jewish children. Sayare suggested that societal "forces of rejection and discrimination" against young Muslims wre at least partially to blame for the rampage, and sought out "understanding" for the massacre among Merah's former neighbors in "Neighborhood Is Torn Over a Killer’s Legacy."

Jewish Pundits Dominate Worst Columns List

"Friedman gets three demerits. David Brooks and Mitch Albom get two. Richard Cohen gets three. There’s Dennis Prager and some Phil Mushnick for good measure. Somehow…and perhaps it’s because bloggers don’t count as columnists, Glenn Greenwald only gets one.

Israel: Palestinians power-drunk
Foreign Ministry warns PA's pledge to take far-reaching steps against Israel if Right wins elections is 'delusional and suicidal'; Jerusalem gears for possible ICC backlash

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is seeking to incite a confrontation with Israel no matter what," the Foreign Ministry said Friday, following the Palestinian leader's announcement that Ramallah will actively try to isolate Israel in the international arena.

Soldier Attacked With Pepper Spray, Has Weapon Stolen in Kidnapping Attempt at IDF Base

This event made everyone very nervous,” a soldier serving on the base told Ynet. “We’re all very aware of the fact that this could have ended with an abduction or murder. No one understands how this could have happened.
According to a statement issued by the IDF, “a soldier was assaulted overnight by two Palestinians adjacent to A-Ram and then fled the scene with his weapon. They threatened him with a fake gun and used tear gas against him. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated."

CAIR Leader Teams with Radical, Jew-Hating Imam

Nihad Awad, co-founder and executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), shared a stage with Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader, during a news conference in Qatar earlier this week.

Canada Adds Iranian Quds Force to Terror List
Canada adds Iran's Quds Force to a list of terrorist groups, says the elite special operations unit arms the Taliban, Hamas and others.

He accused it of providing "arms, funding and paramilitary training to extremist groups, including the Taliban, Lebanese Hizbullah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.

Dozens injured in Egypt clashes as police fire tear gas at Morsi supporters and opponents

Police fired tear gas as scores of opponents of the constitution and thousands of Islamists hurled rocks across a security cordon separating them near a mosque in Alexandria that was the focus for violence last week.
"God is great," Islamists chanted when the clash began.

J’lem, Cairo hold quiet talks over new Gaza policy
Policy could lead to further easing of restrictions in Strip, prevent quick rearming of Hamas, help develop ties with Egypt.

Stand With Us: StandWithUs Achievements in 2012

Implementing the Balfour Declaration
T.E. Lawrence on British-Jewish- Arab cooperation

You won’t find this truth in the lengthy biography of Thomas Edward Lawrence, the legendary “Lawrence of Arabia” in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Don’t expect to hear about this on the BBC. The world remembers Lawrence as a guide, friend and champion of Arabs, but hardly knows that he believed in Zionism as a force to restore Palestine to its ancient glory, brought about by active British-Jewish-Arab cooperation.
T.E. Lawrence, an English officer, an Arab hero, an archeologist, orientalist and author who, precisely because he was such a devoted champion of the Arab cause, supported the Jewish settlement in Palestine.

US travel advisory says Israel, West Bank have gotten safer
State Department lowers alert, citing Tel Aviv and Haifa as particularly secure; government personnel still not permitted to use buses

New York orthodontist restores Jewish history, one grave at a time
Michael Lozman’s cemetery-rehabilitation project educates college students and helps to reclaim Eastern Europe’s Jewish past

In addition to his 11 completed restorations, Lozman works to commemorate victims of notorious Holocaust-era massacres, since many sites remain unmarked. With his focus on Belarus and Lithuania, Lozman works in what Yale historian Timothy Snyder recently labeled “the Bloodlands” of Europe — those Nazi-occupied countries where most of the slaughter took place.

Also:
Europe, face reality in Jerusalem by Nadav Shragai

Now, Miss Ashton, it is your turn. It's about time that you and your colleagues face reality. The Jerusalem you are talking about today is much different than that of 45 years ago, which seems to still be stuck in your heads. This city, part of the Jewish genome, is not up for debate, first and foremost because of the continuous Jewish connection to it throughout the ages and our rights of primogeniture over the city (which has never been an Arab political or cultural capital).

The truth about Christians in Bethlehem (video)

The PA Media Centre uploaded a propaganda video called "From Palestine on Christmas." While it is wordless, it tries to give the impression that Christianity is thriving under PA rule and that the only problems they are having is because of the separation barrier.

So I subtitled it, with actual facts.

Run of the mill anti-semitism in Saudi Arabia media

From columnist Anisa Al-Sharif Makki in Saudi government daily Al-Yawm, translated by MEMRI:

Since 1897, [the Zionists] have been planning to build a global Kingdom of Zion. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion [spell out] a very evil conspiracy against humanity. [It was concocted] in response to the oppression suffered by the Jews in 19th century Europe, which motivated them to find ways to avenge themselves upon all of mankind, for they believed that everyone had some part in their humiliation. Protocol 24 [describes how] they decided to use dirty and furtive means to occupy not only the land of Palestine, but the entire world. The world knew, and did nothing.

[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion] are the modern source that the Zionists use today, and from which they derive their ideology and their satanic plans. The worst of these devils met, in singles and in groups, in order to collaborate and compete with one another in concocting the most criminal plan to invade the world and destroy it. In Protocol [24], they boast that the best results in taking over the world are achieved by means of terrorism and violence – not by means of academic [discussions] – and that political freedom is not a truth but [only] an idea that [they] must know how to exploit when necessary, in order to entice the masses.

This is a criminal plan to overturn the global order and threaten its very existence by spreading anarchy and conflict and by undermining every foundation of religion and nationality and of [the entire] creation. This, in addition to sparking crises and global wars – not only the ones taking place today but [also those that have taken place] over the generations, [while] the world stood by. After securing their control on the ground, the sons of Zion implemented their satanic plan for world domination by taking an iron grip on global banking and media, and admitting: 'We Jews are the rulers, corruptors and hangmen of the world'...

[They believe that] they alone are God's chosen, while all others are inanimate objects they own and may use as they please. When the Jews win a battle, they are obligated to destroy their enemies to the very last one – as we saw today in Gaza [during Operation Pillar of Defense] – a war of extermination that the world witnessed with indifference. Any kind act that a Jew does for a non-Jew is [considered] a great mistake, while any evil act that a Jew does to a non-Jew is [considered] a sacrifice to God...

Then, after saying how hugely powerful the Jews are, we learn:

They are cowards, afraid of a stone in the hand of a child, though they themselves have destructive weapons. They fight the helpless and shake with fear in the face of Hamas's missiles, [which set off] panicked sirens in Tel Aviv. What would have happened had Hamas possessed [even] a tenth of the arsenal they possess?

The jihad in Palestinian is ongoing, and the resistance will continue until [the land] is liberated... [Whatever happens,] victory is near...

The Jews have taken over the world, caused every war, control the media and the money, brainwash billions of people - but they are nothing compared to Hamas!

There is only one explanation for this contradiction. The author is actually a Zionist operative who is trying to lure the Arabs into fighting the Jews so they can be destroyed once and for all. Since Jews own the media, no one will say a word against us.

And Saudi newspapers are part of the media!

Jewish War Heroes comic book #2

Last week I found this WWII comic book series; I'm uploading the three published issues on three successive weeks.

Jewish War Heroes 2

Friday links

From Ian:

LATMA: Debating war criminals

Converging toward Hamas

All the years, all the dollars, all the military training and assistance, all the political acceptance -- including an "embassy" in Washington and diplomatic status -- could not buy the United States one iota of political clout where it counted. It is an enormous American failure of understanding to think those things would trump the natural morphing of Palestinian leadership toward the convergence of politics, religion and "national origin" against the "foreign." The enemy of my enemy is not my friend…. Rather than face their lack of insight, the default position of the US Administration and the Europeans is to blame Israel.

Muslims Angry Over Spanish Citizenship for Jews

The Spanish government has announced that it will grant automatic citizenship to Jews of Sephardic descent, whose ancestors were expelled from Spain in 1492.
The measure has been welcomed by Jewish groups, who say the move is long overdue and that it rights a historic wrong.
But Muslim groups are now clamoring for reciprocity, and are demanding that the Spanish government grant instant citizenship to millions of descendants of Muslims who were also expelled from Spain during the Middle Ages.

Poll: PA Can't Be Trusted to Keep a Deal
A new poll shows that the vast majority of Israelis are opposed to an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, and do not trust the PA.

A new poll by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs shows that the vast majority of Israelis are opposed to an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. The poll, taken in November, showed that 76% of all Israelis (83% of Israeli Jews) do not believe that a withdrawal to the 1948 armistice lines will bring Israelis a secure peace.

Israeli ambassador urges UN to disarm ‘powder keg’ Hezbollah

Syrian chemical weapons could fall into the hands of Lebanese group, Ron Prosor warns
"Prosor also attacked the Lebanese group for concealing weapons in populated areas.
“Not only does Hezbollah continue to accumulate missiles and weapons, but it also uses civilians as human shields,” he said. “It’s no coincidence that the explosion in the storehouse took place only 300 meters from a school.”

Hold Iran accountable for incitement to genocide, Irwin Cotler urges
Canadian MP and former justice minister also calls on Sweden to sign the Ottawa Protocol to Combat Anti-Semitism

"Canadian MP and former justice minister Irwin Cotler on Wednesday called on the international community to hold Iran accountable for state-sanctioned incitement to genocide and violations of human rights."

New computer virus hitting Iran could be more potent than it looks
‘Batchwiper’ seems to be a simple Trojan, says Israeli expert, but so was the malware that apparently prefaced Stuxnet

Spanish Satellite Provider Bans Iranian Channel That Blamed Newtown Shootings on Israel

This is an important development in the worldwide effort to contain the defiant regime in Tehran, one we have been watching carefully for months and discussing with our friends in Spain,” American Jewish Committee (AJC) Executive Director David Harris said in a statement Dec. 20.

German official says Jews should go to Uganda

Tenenbom calls for dismissal of Holocaust memorial director who allegedly told him Jews should have set up state in Uganda.
"In an email to the Post on Tuesday, Dr. Clemens Heni, a leading German academic expert on contemporary anti-Semitism in the Federal Republic, wrote, "It is a scandal that the head of the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial and a recipient of the Heinz-Galinski award supports the Uganda Bar" in Jerusalem. This bar believes the idea is better that Jews should settle in Uganda than in the State of Israel. Knigge embodies the view of many Germans who mourn dead Jews but attack living Jews." Tenenbom was equally critical of Gaede, describing him as being "no better" than Knigge.
Daniel Gaede, an educator at the Buchenwald memorial camp, also came under fire from Tenenbom for his participation in anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian activities
"This man [Gaede] spends his free time demonstrating against Israel and in support of Gaza¹s Palestinians," wrote Tenenbom."

Iranian suspects claim innocence in alleged Bangkok anti-Israel terror conspiracy
Saied Moradi, who lost his legs in an attempt to throw a bomb at police, claims he was just trying to take cover

BANGKOK (AP) — Two Iranians arrested after a botched bomb plot that allegedly targeted Israeli diplomats say they’re innocent and were stunned to discover explosives stashed in a cabinet in their rented Bangkok home, a lawyer said Friday.

Stop extreme-right assembly, Jewish Italian lawmaker urges
Emanuele Fiano calls on country’s interior minister to block gathering of new anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant political party in Rome

Alba Dorata Italia, or Golden Dawn Italy, was formed in Trieste in November and has scheduled its constituent assembly for December 21 in Rome. The party uses the same ancient Greek logo as the Greek Golden Dawn, which has been compared to a swastika, and its platform also reflects anti-immigration and extreme nationalist positions.

Malaysia Lifts Restrictions on Christian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem
Malaysia has removed quotas and other restrictions on Christians making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

According to the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), however, the government imposed a quota of 700 pilgrims per year, with any one church only allowed to send one group of 40.
Visits were also limited to 10 days and pilgrims were only allowed one visit every three years, CFM executive secretary Tan Kong Beng told AFP Wednesday.

Canadian Man Stops Shaking for First Time in 10 Years After Israeli Manufactured Treatment

According to the Post: “Sunnybrook doctors hope the MRI-guided ultrasound technique could eventually be applied to a host of other problems, from brain tumors to Parkinson’s, avoiding the risk of infection and other complications of traditional surgery. The technology might even help diseases like Alzheimer’s better respond to medication by opening up the blood-brain barrier that prevents most drugs from being absorbed into the organ.

A Secret Jew in Jordan

In the Peace Corps, I hid my Jewish identity. But that didn’t prevent me from experiencing anti-Semitism.
I pushed the door open slowly, and my eyes drifted to the blackboard, which several students had peppered with small white swastikas. I scanned the silent room for perpetrators. Everyone was grinning. I wiped the board clean, shrugged off what appeared to be a prank, and began teaching the lesson as if nothing happened. But when I went home that day, I called our Jordanian security officer and asked for guidance. He told me that to many people in Jordan, Hitler is considered a hero. I said it was wrongheaded history but avoided telling him that the swastikas had bothered me so much because I was Jewish.

Members of a ‘lost tribe’ emigrate to Israel
Some 50 Jews from the Bnei Menashe community in India depart for the Promised Land

CHURACHANDPUR, India (AP) — A group of 50 Jews said to descend from one of the 10 Lost Tribes prepared Thursday to emigrate to Israel from their village in northeastern India.

Saudi columnist calls for Egypt to annex Gaza

From MEMRI:

In an article published in the official Saudi daily Al-Sharq, columnist Ibrahim Aal Majari called to annex Gaza to Egypt, as it was between 1948 and 1967 before being captured by Israel.

First, we congratulate the residents of Gaza for their victory, and we thank them for their persistent [stand] against this oppressive, criminal enemy [Israel]. This victory has pleased all Arabs and Muslims. Second, after the changes that occurred in the region, and especially in Egypt, and after the victory in the [Gaza] Strip, the conditions have ripened to present the idea of annexing Gaza to Egypt.

This idea is the best way to end the Israeli attacks on Gaza, and it should be realized, because [this situation has already existed] in the past. As you know, Gaza was under Egyptian control from 1948 until 1967, when Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and Sinai. For years following the [1967] war, Egypt demanded the liberation of its occupied territories – Sinai and the [Gaza] Strip – until President Sadat relinquished Gaza in the Camp David Accords and saddled its residents and the Palestinian people with the responsibility of negotiating for the liberation and autonomy [of Gaza].

Sadat's [decision to] relinquish an area that had been under Egyptian control for decades was a wanton act, [and it was perpetrated] by him and his associates alone, since most of the Egyptian people was displeased by this agreement that separated Gaza from Egypt. [Sadat] negotiated the [agreement] alone and signed it without presenting it to the Egyptian parliament or seeking his people's position [on it].

Annexing Gaza to Egypt will not contradict the peace agreements or the Arab initiative. On the contrary – it is an effective solution for Gaza residents, [because it will place them] under Egypt's patronage and protection. Furthermore, it is the best [solution] for Egypt, [because it will] relieve the ongoing tensions and conflict between Gaza and Israel – a conflict that negatively affects [Egypt's] national security and economy, and which causes [Egypt] embarrassment vis-à-vis the outside world, which insists that [Egypt's] borders with Gaza be supervised.

Annexing Gaza to Egypt will not meet with objections from Israel, the U.S., or even the U.N., because it is up to Gaza and its residents to decide their own fate. Moreover, Israelis want this annexation more than anyone, since it would rid them of the threat of armed groups, ensure Egypt's sovereignty over the [Gaza] Strip, and end the attacks on [Israel from Gaza].

There is also the geographic matter: How can the [West] Bank unite with Gaza despite the geographic separation? How can two entities separated by Israel comprise one homeland? [Does anyone really believe that] Israel will open passages for Palestinians between Gaza and the [West] Bank running through its territory, or that it will implement Defense Minister Ehud Barak's plan to dig a 57 kilometer tunnel for Palestinians to pass through? Can we envision a land swap in which the Palestinian Authority relinquishes territory in the [West] Bank in return for Israel giving the Palestinians land that connects the [West] Bank to the [Gaza] Strip? This is an unrealistic suggestion, because Israel would refuse to split in two. Therefore, the dream of establishing one homeland out of two entities that are geographically separated by more than 60 kilometers is a pipe dream and a mirage.

...
Egypt cannot focus on economic reforms and development, and cannot rid itself of this chronic headache, caused by repeated problems [relating to] Gaza, unless it annexes it. Instead of calling to open the Rafah border crossing, we must call to open all Egyptian crossings, schools, universities, hospitals, and markets to Gaza residents. Instead of remaining in the Gaza prison at the mercy of the opening [or closing] of the crossings, let them pass freely to the land of liberty and justice, the land of revolution and honor.

Does he advocate that Gazans become Egyptian citizens as well? That would be really novel - to have a columnist call to eliminate all discrimination against Palestinians in the Arab world.

A full month since the last rocket or mortar from Gaza

On the first day of Operation Pillar of Defense, the IDF announced:

"The first aim of this operation is to bring back quiet to southern Israel, and the second target is to strike at terror organizations."

It has now been a full month since the last rocket or mortar has been shot from Gaza.

If this continues, as Challah Hu Akbar has researched, December will be the first calendar month since at least 2004 that has not seen a single rocket or mortar from Gaza. (I don't know if there had been any 30 day periods of calm within that time period, but there certainly have been none for at least six years.)

For all of Hamas' bragging about their victory, it appears that Israel achieved its stated major goal for the operation.

Ashton apparently only has a problem with Jewish, but not Israeli Arab, "settlers"

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton made this statement earlier this week:

The approval of an additional 2610 housing units in the settlement of Givat Hamatos is extremely troubling, coming in addition to announcements made at the end of ovember and Monday’s approval of 1500 units in Ramat Shlomo. This plan for Givat Hamatos would cut the geographic continuity between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. I strongly oppose this unprecedented expansion of settlements around Jerusalem.

First of all, Ramat Shlomo and Givat Hamatos are in Jerusalem, not "around" Jerusalem.

But more interestingly is how there is one set of announced housing that Ashton did not mention, namely, the plan to add 688 units to the neighborhood of Beit Safafa.

Why would she mention some neighborhoods and not mention Beit Safafa? Because Beit Safafa is Arab.

But which side of the Green Line is Beit Safafa on? The answer is - both. The Green Line divided it into two. Before 1967, residents who were literally across the street from each other - even within the same family - were separated.

The ones in the north are Israeli citizens, the ones in the south generally are not (unless they choose to become citizens, as any Jerusalem Arabs have the right to do.)

Since 1967, Israeli Arabs have moved to Beit Safafa, including Christians from Jaffa and Nazareth, on both sides of the Green Line. The residents themselves are adamant that their neighborhood never be divided again, and certainly most of the Israeli citizens will refuse to become citizens of "Palestine."

Beit Safafa will never be divided and the Israeli Arabs who live there will not agree to change their citizenship.

So why does the EU not consider Israeli Arabs on the other side of the Green Line to be "settlers"? Why does Ashton not object to building in Beit Safafa?

Yaacov Lozowick looked at Beit Safafa in more detail and noted:

The odd thing is that in all the endless verbiage on the matter, no-one (NO ONE) ever calls the Israeli Arabs from Beit Safafa who moved in the same direction, settlers. Yet it can't be that Jewish Israeli citizens who crossed the Green Line to settle are illegally forbidden settlers, while the Arab Israeli citizens who did the exact same thing are not. That would make international law explicitly racist and antisemitic, and for all its silliness, it isn't those.

...In the decades since 1967 thousands of Israeli Arabs from elsewhere - Nazerath, Jaffa, Sachnin and so on - have moved to Jerusalem. It's a big city, it's got the country's largest university, it's got hospitals, government ministries, and all sorts of other things to encourage migration. Some of them have moved to Beit Hakerem or Rehavia, and that's all right. Others have moved to Beit Hanina, a wealthy area on the city's north side, so they're clearly legally forbidden settlers. Some have moved to Beit Safafa, because it's the one part of town that already had a community of Israeli Arabs and it felt hospitable. Of course, if they moved to the northern part of the neighborhood (it has long since ceased to be a separate village), no problem. If they moved to the southern part however, they're illegal settlers, as we've already seen. The thing is, when you walk through the neighborhood, there's no way of recognizing which it is, unless you happen to be old enough or savvy enough to remember where the long-defunct line ran. Most people aren't. Most people, that is, except for the teeming millions who know that Jerusalem must be divided.

..So now we've got the following situation. There are about 8,000 people in Beit Safafa. Some have been Israeli citizens since 1948, but they'll move or stay depending upon where they live now. Some have become Israeli citizens since 1967, but that's immaterial. If they're Arab (they are), and they live south of the Green Line (many do), they obviously yearn to live in a free Palestine, not Israel. No? Some are not Israeli citizens, merely permanent residents, but if they live north of the line, they can stay put, or move to Haifa, or move 25 feet to the south, and thus choose to live in whichever country they prefer. And then of course there are the non-Israeli citizens who moved in 1974, or 1983, or 1992, or 2001, or whenever it was, to Haifa or Kfar Kassem or elsewhere in Israel, and they won't be affected in any case, since they're inside the Green Line and thus impervious to the entire discussion. It's only Jews who are on the wrong side of the line who need to do any explaining or accommodating.

Ashton's omission of Beit Safafa is only a small part of the inherent discrimination that most of the world applies to Israeli Jews. Only Jews can be "illegal settlers," not Muslims or Christians.

I think there is a word for that.

(h/t David G)

Whoops! PressTV forgot to replace "Jews" with "Zionists"

A couple of days ago, Iran's PressTV received a lot of attention from Western media as they discovered what we all knew: it peddles bizarre conspiracy theories using Western "experts" as cover. The most recent example was when someone named Mike Harris claimed, on Iranian TV, that Mossad "death squads" were responsible for the massacre at Sandy Hook.

This same Mike Harris is back today - but he let slip that he is really against the Jews, not the "Zionists."

The surge in violence in the US is the result of Zionist-controlled Hollywood and news media which have been creating a culture of violence in the country over the years, an analyst tells Press TV.

“We have had a Zionist-controlled Hollywood, a Zionist-controlled news media that is the conduit to all of this violence...this imagery into every home in America, and so you wonder why there is a culture of violence? It is because it comes from the Jews in Hollywood. That is where the conduit of violence comes from,” Phoenix-based Mike Harris said on Tuesday.

“The culture as we are talking about here is Jewish-inspired, comes out of Hollywood, comes out of the Jewish-controlled news media,” he added.

Usually, the Iranian media is careful to make sure that they only blame hook-nosed "Zionists" for controlling the media, banks and Hollywood, faking the Holocaust and so forth. Their English editor must be on vacation.

By the way, PressTV says that Harris is the (Arizona) managing director of AMT Capital Partners. There is a webpage for AMT - that has not been updated in over ten years.

Guess who is giving out free Christmas trees?

The city of Jerusalem!

From the Jerusalem municipal website:

If Israel is hellbent on "Judaizing" Jerusalem, as we are constantly being told, they are doing a really poor job of it.

(h/t Shraga Simmons, who also tells me that the entire city of Jerusalem is being decorated with Christmas lights.)

Thursday linkdump

From Ian:

What Is Behind Salam Fayyad's Call for "Economic Intifada"? by Khaled Abu Toameh

Instead of seeking way to solve the financial crisis, Fayyad chose to call on Palestinians to boycott all Israeli goods. He is hoping that by calling for an economic intifada, he will succeed in diverting the anger and frustration on the Palestinian street outward to Israel. This has always been the Palestinian Authority's way of avoiding responsibility for anything that goes wrong — by putting all the blame on Israel.

Man in the Middle — Israeli Ambassador’s Inside Account of Obama-Netanyahu Relationship (Inc. Video)

In a lot of ways, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren has been the man in the middle. Oren was born in New York and raised in New Jersey but gave up his American citizenship to take on the position of ambassador — a role that puts him squarely between two leaders who don’t always see eye to eye.

UN Watch: U.N. to Endorse Hero of Holocaust Deniers, Alfred De Zayas

While a handful of these decisions were good, many were despicable. One stands out for its ignominy: the appointment of a top official whose life’s work—authoring books on World War II that make Germans the victims and the Allies the war criminals—has made him a hero to Holocaust deniers.

PMW: European-funded Palestinian NGO glorifies plane hijackings, terror, and hatred of Israel and the US
Poem read by hosts of youth program on PA TV funded by the EU, the World Bank, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden

Expect us always, expect us where least expected. We’re in every airport, and in every ticket…A small rifle in the hand of a small boy can kill the big one.

Fatah Official: Palestinians have not abandoned armed struggle VIDEO

PA TV glorifies terrorist mastermind of suicide attacks that murdered 31 VIDEO

BBC Watch: Myths and lethal narratives on the BBC website

.. what happens when that “permanent public record” is inaccurate or misleading? Should the BBC be obliged to clearly label it as such or even to remove the webpage?
One example of such BBC material still available on the internet are its many reports on the ‘Jenin Massacre‘ that never was.

Journalists in wartime: a legal view

The law of armed conflict distinguishes between different types of journalists:
1. Journalists who work for media outlets or information services of the armed forces..."
"The first category of journalists constitutes members of the armed forces. Accordingly, they don’t benefit from the protections afforded to civilians and their deaths don’t constitute a violation of the law.

2013: The year of Iran
Will the US president truly resort to force if all else fails to thwart Tehran’s nuclear program? Perhaps more important, does Israel’s PM think he will? By David Horovitz

He will be torn, furthermore, between a certain fealty to his late father’s fierce mindset — confront the threat, take action, use the Jewish nation’s hard-won restored sovereign power to strike down the latest advocates of Jewish genocide — and his own far more cautious inclinations, his tendency to talk the talk (on defying international pressure on settlements, refusing to negotiate with terrorists, ousting Hamas) but not always walk the walk.

Opposition to Hagel nomination grows, but supporters rally around likely defense chief pick
Washington Post claims Obama’s choice for Pentagon is ‘well to the left’ of the president, while defenders argue he is pro-Israel ‘but knows the grim costs of going to war without a plan’
(includes Emergency Committee for Israel video)

No-go Areas for Jews in Europe
Israel has room for all Jews and welcomes them, but that does not have any bearing on what is going on in Europe. Rabbi Lau predicted that European Jewish history is nearing its end.

Indeed, it seems a tragic but unavoidable process: Europe as a Jew-free continent or a realm of fear in which Jews will survive as "invisible", like during the Inquisition, where even lighting candles on Shabbath is a hazard because someone could see the holy flames from the street.

Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs: The “Day After” Scenario in Syria Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan D. Halevi,

After overthrowing the Assad regime, a potential military-terrorist threat to Israel will likely emerge in the transition period, which will be marked by governmental instability and a lack of central control over at least some of the fighting forces.

Destroyed Hezbollah Weapons Depot Held Missiles Capable of Being Equipped With Chemical Warheads

What should we make of these reports? First, the Syrian chemical-warfare capability may be even more dangerous than people had thought, because the weapons can be moved to other locations and mixed en route. And, second, there’s a significant risk of proliferation to other groups, such as Hezbollah, which could pose a global terrorist threat.

UN confirms Hezbollah fighting for Assad in Syria
Report warns that civil war fighting has split along sectarian lines, pitting ruling Alawites against majority Sunnis; investigators say conduct of both sides "increasingly in breach of international law."

Report: Morsi Suffering From Brain Tumor
Recently installed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is apparently suffering from a brain tumor, Egyptian media reported

Turkey Declared a 'Prison for Reporters'
Reporters Without Borders says Turkey has become the “world’s biggest prison for journalists.”

Tunisian Imam Accused of Inciting Hatred Against Jews
Tunisian group for minorities has lodged a complaint against an imam, accusing him of inciting hatred against Jews in a fiery sermon.

Racism behind defections from Al Qaeda in Mali

Racism is one of the main factors that motivate many young Africans from non-Arab to defect and resume their normal lives in their country of origin.This occurs at a time when the majority of these young Africans beginning to realize more than ever that the promises of equality, freedom and dignity advocated by the true Islam does not materialize in jihadist movements. (Google Trans)

Analysis: IAF preparing surprises for enemies
Upgrades to fighter jets creating operational capabilities that would have been considered fantasy years ago.

As a senior Air Force official stated on Tuesday, a single aircraft can now strike four different targets far away, with the push of one button, meaning that fewer sorties are required to level heavy damage on the enemy. The strike capabilities of several aircraft in the past are now possessed by a single warplane.

Keeping data safe on a billion and a half cellphones
Red Bend is the world’s most popular solution for safe over-the-air software updates for smart devices

An Israeli company is responsible for nearly three quarters of the wireless software updates for cell phones around the world. Red Bend, which has developed a secure firmware over-the-air (FOTA) system, allows users to get automatic operating system and firmware updates on their cellphones. It’s used by more than 80 mobile operators and device manufacturers to manage updates on more than 1.6 billion mobile phones.

Egypt's economy is royally screwed

From Egypt Independent:

Egypt has announced that it has changed from a gas-exporting to a gas importing country based on a decision issued by the Petroleum Minister that went into effect on 17 December.

According to the ministerial order, the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company would either import the gas itself from international markets or via contracting companies. The gas would be transferred via national networks with necessary approvals.

Petroleum expert Medhat Youssef said the decision was “unprecedented,” especially as Egypt would import gas from international companies in Qatar, not the Qatari government. The import price is expected to reach US$14 per 1 million thermal units, whereas the government sells gas to factories for no more than $4.

The Egyptian government exports gas to Jordan at $5.50 per one million units, while Qatar exports it at more than $9, Youssef said, arguing that Egypt administers its petroleum supply poorly and should reconsider prices.

Egypt's economy is already in the toilet, and yet it still subsidizes private factory energy by as much as 70%? And it will import gas to be able to export it to Jordan at a huge loss?

The free market might help a little. Just a thought.

Importing gas at international prices would affect industries such as cement and fertilizer production.

Meanwhile, Hany Suleiman, former Petroleum Ministry deputy for gas affairs, said gas production in Egypt does not meet demands, referring to expectations that the deficit would reach 3.7 billion cubic feet by 2018.

Daily consumption, according to Suleiman, will double by the fiscal year 2014/2015 reaching 25 million cubic feet, compared to around 12 million cubic feet in 2011/2012.

Importing gas requires infrastructure and facilities that would cost around $600 million to develop.

Egypt could be negotiating with Israel to import natural gas from the Mediterranean gas fields (Tamar is almost online, Leviathan expected in a few years). After all, it seems unlikely that Jewish terrorists would bomb the pipeline repeatedly as Islamists did when Egypt was exporting gas to Israel.

But Egypt would rather destroy itself than allow Israel to help.

Which is, when you think of it, pretty much the reason why the Arab world is doomed.