Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Gaza tunnel stories the media has missed

Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights stated that 232 Palestinians have died while 597 others have been injured due to the working accidents in the tunnels at the Palestinian-Egyptian borders in Rafah, since 2006.

...Al-Mezan Center demanded the government in Gaza to search into the feasibility of continuing working in the tunnels in light of the continuation of human losses and the decline of its contribution to the Palestinian economy in the Gaza Strip.

You mean, the tunnels aren't the lifeline for the economy of Gaza any more? Gaza is getting its needs met from imports from the Israeli side? The media seems to have missed that story.

Of course, closing down the tunnels means closing down the arms trade to Hamas and other terror groups. So it isn't going to happen anytime soon until Hamas finds an alternative method of smuggling in weapons.

Another story they missed:

Terrorist organization Hamas is preventing the importation of goods into the Gaza Strip, as part the group`s policy seeking to reduce the importation of goods both from Israel and other external markets, without taking into consideration the needs and desires of the local population of the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Economy of Hamas announced its decision to prohibit the importation of several types of goods into the Gaza Strip, via the the Israeli crossings. The list of goods includes: Office furniture, various types of food, hygienic products, gas pipes, plastic bags, plastic, and clothing.

The local population in the Gaza Strip has voiced discontent over this decision, mainly due to the fact that the Israeli goods brought into the Gaza Strip are regarded as high quality and much more durable and resistant products than the merchandise smuggled into the Gaza Strip via the smuggling tunnels in the Rafah region.

Since Hamas charges high taxes from the smuggled tunnel goods it is obvious that tax revenue is more important to them than the lives of mere tunnel workers. Too bad Al Mezan didn't notice that.

Here's another Gaza tunnel story that the media is missing:
Egyptian authorities seized over 50 tons of explosives and weapons in the Sinai that were to be smuggled in those same tunnels.

Meanwhile, exports from Gaza to Europe continue to increase, with over 300 tons of strawberries and 52,000 flowers exported only last Thursday. Last Tuesday, three buses were imported to Gaza and five trucks of strawberries were exported today.

And one more Gaza tunnel story you won't see in the mainstream media today:

A Sinai security chief said Sunday that Egypt had detained ten Palestinians entering illegally from Gaza in the past three days, and would act to round up all Palestinians without permission to enter the country.

Maj. Gen. Sameeh Bashadi told Ma'an a list of names and descriptions of Palestinians who had entered Egypt through the tunnels had been distributed to all security bureaus.

He said Palestinians on the list were involved in issues related to Egypt's national security, without elaborating.

While Egypt pretends to be Hamas' best pal, the Egyptians themselves - including their security services - look at Gazans as being dangerous.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad poised to join the PLO

Dr. Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, said that it is expected that Hamas and Islamic Jihad would join the PLO after National Council elections.

This means that terror groups who urge the ethnic cleansing of Jews in the Middle East will be accepted as part of the international community at the UN. (The UN does not distinguish between the PLO and the "State of Palestine.")

The PA is subsidiary to the PLO, whose members are not elected by the people.

Islamic Jihad is even more extreme than Hamas, and their joining the PLO shows that the idea of "moderation" in that organization is a sham.

Interviewed in the Al-Quds newspaper, Majdalani said that the negotiations between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo are resulting in a mechanism for new elections not only in the territories but also for Palestinian Arabs who live abroad. In general, they are more radical.

Somehow, I'm missing the IDF abuse on this video (UPDATED)

The anti-Israel crowd is pushing this video of supposed IDF cruelty in arresting a mother with her baby:

It looks to me as if they arrested her as gently as humanly possible while she was screaming and treating her precious child like a rag doll (see 0:53.)

Not to mention taking her baby to a closed military zone in the first place where she knows very well that there is the possibility of tear gas.

As far as I can tell, the IDF is being more careful with the welfare of the baby than her mother is. In fact, I'd say that the mother is using her daughter as a human shield.

I also notice that there are some unexplained edits in the video. Usually, that means that the "victim" is pushing or hitting the IDF soldiers but the "activists" are careful to ensure that she only appears as a victim so they carefully cut out the problematic parts.

UPDATE: Aaron Gross found a longer version, but it still has two crucial edits. And the women is shown using her baby more as a prop than as a child:

Even in this longer version, the IDF is extraordinarily careful not to use undue force.

Saturday night links

From Ian:

Into the Fray: Liar
If integrity is a necessary quality for reputable journalism, Jeffrey Goldberg’s recent column is a disgrace to his profession – and an insult to Israelis’ intelligence.

"I apologize to my readers if the tone of this column is more abrasive that usual. But Jeffrey Goldberg’s column this week (January 14) published by Bloomberg titled “Obama: Israel Doesn’t Know What Its Best Interests Are,” is so infuriatingly impudent, so deceptively disingenuous, so maliciously misleading, so pretentiously pompous that it strains the bounds of civility to almost impossible limits."

Sarah Honig: Concern in Cairo

"The international community does not seem to care. Although they once honored and feted Mubarak, world leaders abruptly changed tack, branded him a tyrannical ogre and cheered his opponents as harbingers of the “Arab Spring.” The truth is that while hardly a democratic paragon, Mubarak was not the worst of Mideastern autocrats.
Furthermore, Morsi, who has officially put himself above the law, has seen demonstrators killed under his watch as well. Then there are his radical Muslim proclivities, including his recently disclosed past comments where he exhorted his compatriots to “nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred.” Elsewhere, he depicted Jews and Zionists as “bloodsuckers” and as “the descendants of apes and pigs.”

Behind the Lines: A Gulf apart

Gulf monarchies are sharply divided on how to respond to the Muslim Brotherhood threat. While Saudi Arabia, UAE see the Brotherhood as a danger to stability, longevity of the monarchies, Qatar embraces it as an ally.

Algerian Terrorists Demand Swap of American Hostages for Blind Sheikh

"House Homeland Security Committee chairman Rep. Michael McCaul told Breitbart News on Friday that it’s “no surprise” Algerian terrorists are demanding a swap of the Blind Sheikh for American hostages."

France’s Jewish Security Service Warns Mali Operation “Significantly Increases” Threat Facing Jews

“The situation requires we raise the level of protection around our community and double the level of vigilance around synagogues, Jewish schools, community centers and gathering places,” said a communiqué by SPCJ."

French city Lyon briefly evacuates metro on bomb alert

France is on high alert and has stepped up army patrols of public buildings and transport networks as Islamist militant groups have threatened revenge attacks for France's military campaign against al Qaeda-linked rebels in Mali.

Hagel funded group pushing talks with al-Qaida

"Secretary of defense nominee Chuck Hagel sits on the small board of a peace fund that finances an international “crisis management” group that long has petitioned the Algerian government to cease “excessive” military activities against al-Qaida-linked jihadists, WND has learned."
"ICG petitioned for the Islamist group to participate in the Algerian government.
Hagel serves on the board of The Ploughshares Fund, a George Soros-financed fund that pushes for a nuclear-free world."

CAMERA: NYT Indicts Israel's Democracy... Again

"A social media campaign by Arabs aimed at Arabs is not a sign that Israel’s democracy is sick. It is evidence of the freedom of political speech enjoyed by Israeli Arabs. And a frustration with ineffective politicians is again not a symptom of a weak democracy. It’s the universal condition of voters. The thesis of the article is that voter turnout among the Arab minority might dip below 50 percent and this is evidence that Israel’s democracy is under threat."

Turkish Construction Firm Goes Bankrupt After Sponsoring Antisemitic Films

"A Turkish construction firm that sponsored an antisemitic film and has featured the film’s actors in advertisement campaigns has gone bankrupt. According to Turkey’s Hurriyet daily, a court has passed an injunction protecting Ukra İnşaat against its creditors. The Istanbul-based firm recently requested a delay in proceedings, which will be considered at the conclusion of the current legal process."
"Actors Necati Şaşmaz and Gürkan Uygun, both of whom star in the “Valley of the Wolves,” film series, played in the firm’s commercials. The company also sponsored films such as “Valley of the Wolves Palestine” and “Av Mevsimi” (Hunting Season). According to the report, the company spent $2.5 million on a commercial with Uygun that ran last November."

Christian stores burned in southern Egypt after Muslim girl allegedly sexually assaulted

Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslim protesters outside a church in southern Egypt Friday. The demonstrators were demanding an investigation into allegations that a Christian man sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl.

UN Security Council split on Syria war crimes
While some member states urge the world body to send the problem to the International Criminal Court, others remain undecided

Jordan’s Islamists, opposition rally against vote
Muslim Brotherhood members and youth activists call for boycott of parliament elections, saying freedom is ‘not a royal gift’

Bail $1.22M for Saudi sergeant in Vegas rape case
Aircraft mechanic jailed since New Year’s Eve on charges of raping a minor will plead not guilty, says defense attorney

From Ben-Gurion to Africa with Love

"A delegation including nine BGU students are currently in the city of Makele in Ethiopia, taking part in an extensive educational medical program which aims to eliminate neglected tropical diseases. The program, led by Prof. Zvi Bentwich for the last four years, is being implemented by the Faculty of Health Science’s Center for Emerging Diseases, Tropical Diseases and AIDS (CEMTA) with the assistance of other bodies, including UN organizations, local government agencies and the Israeli Foreign Ministry."

Israeli technology perks up new Corvette
Plasan Sasa’s cutting edge technologies took central stage with the unveiling of the 2014 king of American sports cars.

"Plasan is a Kibbutz Sasa company better known for its very dense plastic composite product that affords ballistic protection without significantly adding to the weight of the vehicle. For years, the Pentagon has looked to Plasan to keep American soldiers safe in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In a bid to win back some of the Corvette’s glory, General Motors turned to Plasan’s technology to reduce mass while increasing strength.
Plasan’s handprints can be found on C7’s front fenders, doors, rear quarter panels, and the rear hatch panel that were all made with the lighter-density sheet molding compound than the car’s previous generation."

Latest photos of Concentration Camp Gaza

This is a photo essay of Islamic University in Gaza from Palestine Times:

More on this wonderful university, and its history with terrorism, here and here.

"Israel gives prisoners dog medicine"

Last week, Arabs Today came up with a new one:

A campaigner for the human rights group, the Hurriyat Centre has accused Israeli prisons of treating Palestinian prisoners who fall ill with dog medicine. In a statement Ibtisam Annata, a lawyer at the Centre said a prisoner had told her that he suffered with back pain during his detention in Raymond prison prompting the doctor in charge to prescribe him with medicine used to treat dogs.

He continued to take it for several years. Other inmates revealed that many of them had been prescribed the same medicine by prison doctors. Annata condemned the practice as “inhumane” and accused the doctors of“punishing and torturing the prisoners with a slow and painful death.”She added that she feared the prisoners put their lives at further risk by exposing these crimes to the media.

No worries on that last point, Ms. Annata. The only "media" to pick up on this laughingly stupid story was - you guessed it - Mondoweiss, where any anti-Israel rumor is swallowed and regurgitated no matter how obviously made up.

The website for the Hurryyat Center does not have this story, although it has plenty of unverified stories about how terrible things are in Israeli prisons. I'd love to hear a statement from them on this.

(h/t Dan)

Lotsa links for Shabbat

From Ian:

Latma: Shimon Peres on the elections and the campaigners behind the election ads

Facebook's "Accidental Mistake" and Free Speech in the Arab World by Khaled Abu Toameh

“Many Palestinian journalists, and those in the Middle East, are forced to use Facebook to publish what their own media will not accept. But the problem becomes worse when Facebook itself starts removing material that bothers dictatorships and tyrants. One can only hope that the same Facebook employee who "accidentally" removed the article will make the same mistake and close down the accounts belonging to terrorist organizations and their leaders. It is the duty of Facebook and Western societies to side with those seeking freedom, and not to be complicit in suppressing their voices.”

Chomsky and the Terror Masters

“Interviewed on Lebanese television, Chomsky gave further insight into his political allegiances. “The policies of Hamas,” he insisted, “are more forthcoming and more conducive to a peaceful settlement than those of the United States or Israel… The policies, in my view, are unacceptable, but preferable to the policies of the United States and Israel.” Viewers may well have been perplexed at the sight of this Jewish academic who apparently considers the demand for the murder of all Jews – clearly stated in the Hamas covenant – preferable to Israel’s official support for the two-state solution.”

Missing Peace: Hamas leader Abu Marzouq: never negotiations with Israel

"The intransigence of Hamas is no news but in light of the reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah Marzouq remarks should function as a wake up call to European leaders. They view Palestinian unity as an important element to reach a solution in the Mid East conflict."

Hamas Tries to Limit Israeli Imports into Gaza
Hamas bans certain types of Israeli goods into Gaza. Israel nevertheless continues supplying goods.

“Hamas’ Ministry of Economics announced this week its decision to ban the import of certain types of goods into Gaza through the Israeli crossings. These include office furniture, various types of foods, hygiene products, gas pipes, plastic, plastic bags and clothing.
The local population in Gaza expressed its dissatisfaction with the decision, especially since the Israeli products that enter Gaza are considered to be of much higher quality than the goods that are smuggled into Gaza from Egypt, through the tunnels in the Rafiah area.”
“In addition, noted COGAT, 301 tons of strawberries, and 52,000 flowers units were exported from Gaza this week. The export was coordinated by the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration through the Kerem Shalom crossing.”

Burgas bombing: It was Hezbollah
Israel's Channel 2 has announced that the Bulgarian foreign minister's report to Israel shows that Hezbollah was responsible for the Burgas bombing last year

"The Israeli Channel 2 further commented that Bulgarian Interior Minister,Tsvetan Tsvetanov also left the country to brief European leaders about the results of the investigation in the attack.
The Interior Ministry's press office reported Thursday that Tsvetanov was in Dublin for talks with European Union ministers and was expected to update Bulgaria's EU allies with the latest news. This has been interpreted as a step ahead in the effort to have the EU declare that the attack was masterminded by Hezbollah."

NYT Columnist Retweets Message Comparing AIPAC to Pigs
New York Times columnist came under fire for retweeting a message that referred to AIPAC and NRA as “the 2 most pig like lobbies” in US.

"According to Adam Kredo of The Washington Free Beacon, Columnist Nicholas Kristof on Wednesday afternoon retweeted the message written by longtime Israel critic M.J. Rosenberg, which recalled the recently unearthed statements by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi that referred to Jews as “pigs.”

CIF Watch: Jonathan Freedland’s Illusions About the Nature of Modern Antisemitism

"White supremacists, and other extreme right-wing groups, don’t have a platform at ‘Comment is Free’, while Islamist extremists who are affiliated with groups openly calling for the murder of Jews (and, no, not merely Zionists) are routinely provided a platform by Guardian editors – evidently motivated by the risible belief that such violent radicals are giving voice to genuinely “progressive” values."

BBC corrects Morsi video article
In addition to this very welcome step, it would of course be appropriate for the BBC to explain to its audiences how that very problematic reference got there in the first place.

BBC Q&A on US State Department promotes dead baby story from Gaza

"Did the BBC editor who selected the questions to be publicized in this Q&A session even bother to check out the obviously propagandist motivations of the questioner? Or was the chance to once again plug this much-touted item - the circumstances of which the BBC has still not bothered to verify - just too much to resist?”

MEMRI: Egyptian Cleric: War with Israel Is the Dream of My Life; No Such Thing as a Christian Religion

Moroccan Salafis condemn French war in Mali as ‘Zionist crusade’

"Another radical Islamist, Abderrazak Ajah, said Moroccans must “choose between supporting the Islamist fighters as best we can or the Zionist crusade and its agents,” also posting his comments on social media."

Egyptian protestors attack Morsi look-a-like
A 56 year old man mistaken for President Morsi was dragged toward a tent outside the Presidential palace, nearly beaten up, then posed for picture with his assailants

Netanyahu wins Norris nod
Action star comes out swinging, says Israel has its own ‘tough guy’ in prime minister

Peres: “I Stand in Awe” of Warsaw Ghetto Fighters

"Addressing those present who took part in the uprising, Peres said: “To sit between you is to sit between a legend and a dream. It is hard to fathom the heights of your bravery. One cannot understand the depth of the Nazi atrocities when compared alongside the heroic bravery of the Warsaw Ghetto fighters. I stand in awe of the heroism of the fighters and am shocked, to this day, by the Nazi hatred.”

Israeli Daily Picture: Tunisia, Another Vanishing Jewish Community in the Moslem World

We Uncover 150-Year-Old Pictures of One Family in Three Different Collections
"In the 1940s the Jewish population in the Arab world numbered between 850,000 and one million. They were integrated into their societies, although over history they were often subjected to religious persecution and even pogroms. Some Jewish families were wealthy and owned considerable property."

Also:

Our Syrian Allies Reveal Bashar Assad Is Jewish! (BlazingCatFur, via Sophie)

Don’t be fooled: Iran wants the bomb: (h/t Josh)

But a lie remains a lie, whether it is repeated ceaselessly in international forums or broadcast all day to the Iranian masses. As a former employee of the Iranian foreign ministry, I served as interpreter for visiting dignitaries, diplomats and officials. I paid close attention to public proclamations and official statements. And I was present at inner-circle conversations in which a number of high-profile Iranian officials made no secret of their intention to go atomic. I personally witnessed the following examples:

White House Confronting–Sort of–Egyptian President’s Frothing Hatred of Jews Reveals Its Deeper Policy Thinking (Barry Rubin)

It isn’t just pathetic but also weird that educated Euro-North Americans who are eager to destroy the career of anyone who has ever uttered a single sentence that was or can be portrayed as hate speech will accept those who issue whole reams of the stuff. What is truly ridiculous about this kind of controversy is the outrage or apologia over one statement. In fact, Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood leadership including leading figures in the ruling party have made hundreds of radical statements. They are either ignored or explained away as insignificant.

Petition: Denounce Arab Lawyers Union honoring suicide bomber (h/t HuffWatcher)

In October 2012, the Palestine Committee of the Arab Lawyers Union (ALU) awarded its "highest honor . . . in esteem for any lawyer in the Arab Homeland" to female Palestinian suicide bomber and law student Hanadi Jaradat. In 2003, Jaradat left the legal profession by blowing herself up at the Maxim restaurant in Haifa, Israel, killing 21 and injuring more than 50. Among the deceased were three children and an infant.

We, The Lawfare Project and other members of the legal community, urge ECOSOC, UNESCO, ILO, and other organizations affiliated with the ALU to sever official ties with the latter, as well as to publicly denounce the ALU's decision to praise a suicide attack.

Which Prime Minister Built the Most Homes in the Settlements? (Jewish Press)

PA plans future "Bab al-Shams"-type protests

From ArabsToday:

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad spoke to Arabstoday exclusively about the Bab al-Shams [“Gate of the Sun” in Arabic] Palestinian protest camp...

Fayyad said that “attacking the village and evacuating it is not the end of the battle. There will be more Bab al-Shams.”

The Prime Minister exclusively told Arabstoday that the Palestinian Authority’s Local Government Minister had been assigned with appointing a special committee for this end - to manage Bab al-Shams and other Occupy-style camps like it, with “all necessary measures” being taken to protect the project.

Sounds like another violation of Oslo by the PA, if anyone still keeps track of those.

The good news is that if the PA is now taking over the protests, we know they will go nowhere.

By the way, the name of the area is Mevasseret Adumim.

12 killed in airstrike on Palestinian Arab camp - and no one reports it

From Radio Sawa:

11 people were killed, including seven children and three women, on Thursday in an air strike that targeted a Palestinian refugee camp near Husseiniya of Sayeda Zeinab south of Damascus.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the warplanes targeted the camp with three missiles.

UNRWA says 12 Palestinian Arabs were killed.

Good luck finding any major Western media reporting this. The value of Palestinian Arab lives is directly proportional to the involvement of Jews in their deaths.

By the way, the International Solidarity Movement is completely silent on the 900 Palestinians killed in Syria so far. Their "solidarity" is quite selective, apparently.

What a surprise - Iran again denies IAEA access to Parchin

From VOANews:

The chief United Nations nuclear inspector says no deal has been reached with Iran to investigate that nation's controversial nuclear program, but that a meeting will take place next month on the issue.

International Atomic Energy Agency team leader Herman Nackaerts said Friday that two days of "intensive discussions" in Tehran failed to produce an agreement on access to Iranian nuclear facilities.

Citing unspecified "differences," Nackaerts said the two sides could not agree on a structured approach to resolve outstanding issues. He said another round of talks will take place February 12 in Tehran.

The IAEA had hoped to gain access to the Parchin military site, which Western nations suspect is related to nuclear weapons development. Iran says it is a conventional military site and that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.

No need to worry, though:

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that a religious decree issued by Iran's supreme leader banning nuclear weapons is binding on the Iranian government.

To see why the people who rely on this fatwa are idiots, read this.

(h/t Washington Guardian)

Max Blumenthal lies, again

Ha'aretz on March 22, 2006, reported:

Police and the Shin Bet security service foiled a suicide bombing yesterday that was planned for the Tel Aviv region. After a dramatic chase, police stopped a commercial vehicle carrying the suspected suicide bomber and eight other Palestinians near Kibbutz Sha'alvim, on Route 1, from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. Police said that the suspect, an Islamic Jihad activist from the Jenin area, was carrying a bag containing between five and seven kilograms of explosives.

The Islamic Jihad network in the northern West Bank claimed responsibility for the planned attack. That network has been responsible for the last seven suicide bombings, which killed 26 Israelis.

Here is a AP photo taken after the high speed chase when Israeli special forces stripped and handcuffed the suspects:

Now, seven years later, Max Blumenthal tweets:

Blumenthal is implying that this is how Israel's border police act all the time. And he has dozens of worshipful fans who believe every lie he spouts.

Blumenthal pretends to be a journalist, but even if he was not aware of the provenance of the photo, any journalist worth the title would do a tiny amount of fact checking. And any newspaper who employs a reporter who tweets something so outrageous without checking would fire him on the spot.

This all just goes to prove, yet again, that the Israel-haters care not one whit about telling the truth.

(h/t Huffington Post Monitor via Ian)

Arabs succeeding on Israeli reality TV

Al Monitor has an article by Shlomi Eldar claiming that Israeli Jews are increasingly racist and hateful towards their fellow Arab citizens.

[Arabs] are increasingly perceived by the Jewish majority as undeserving of even the most basic rights. The attitude taking root in Israel today is that Arabs are not part of the nation’s social fabric, that they should either be evicted or penned in, and that they deserve to lose their citizenship.

He then claims that the only place that Israelis see Arabs as human beings is reality TV.

His argument is a bit undercut when he shows how often Arabs are winning the reality TV audience voting. If Israeli Jews were such bigots, why would they vote for those that (Eldar claims) they hate?

It all began with "Project Y," the first reality show ever aired in Israel. The winner, Faris Huri, was a young Israeli Arab, and his victory was seen as an expression of pluralism and acceptance of the other. That show was aired more a decade ago. Since then, there has been increasing hatred and hostility in Israel. Nonetheless, the power of reality television to present an alternative Arab face has only gotten stronger.

In 2006, Niral Karantinji, a young Muslim from Haifa, participated in "Israel’s Next Top Model." On this show, the Israeli public was introduced to a beautiful, bold young woman, photographed in swimwear and revealing clothes and shattering conventions along the way. She may have been rejected by the other contestants, not least because of her origins — but the Israeli public voted for her anyway, and she ended up winning the show. She was the judges' choice, but she was the audience's choice as well.

Two years ago, Futna Jaber, a restaurant-owner from Jaffa, became a housemate on "Big Brother." Jaber later went on to become a popular celebrity on talk shows and cooking shows. In doing so, she presented a very different message about the status of Arab women than the preconceived notions that can be deeply rooted in Israel's Jews.

Then there is "A Star Is Born," which has emerged in recent years as the proverbial campfire where all of Israel gathers and shares its songs and stories in one big jamboree. This is a seminal show that shapes and influences Israeli society, and one of its contestants, Miriam Tukan from the village of Iblin, made it all the way to ninth place. Tukan performed Israeli classics with a thick Arabic accent, stunning the judges and audience alike. A beautiful young Israeli Arab took songs that are hallmarks of Israeli culture, plucked them out of their natural setting and put a whole new twist on them — and it worked. People loved it.

But beyond a doubt the person who showed off the Arab community in a way that many Jews had never seen them before was Salma Fayumi from Kfar Kassem, who was a contestant on "Master Chef." Fayumi, a nurse with a master’s degree, is a devout Muslim who wears the hijab. She is one of the most impressive reality stars to appear on television in years. Yes, she looks like an Arab, but apart from her appearance, it is virtually impossible to pigeonhole her. Her Hebrew is fluent and rich, and her sense of humor is tantalizingly self-deprecating. She is good-looking, educated and a wonderful cook. This is the stuff that reality stars are made on.

The supposed racism of Israeli Jews doesn't jive with these successes (and there are lots of other Arab contestants who have done well in Israeli reality shows as well.)

Of course there are Jews who are bigoted against Arabs, but too many on Israel's Left exaggerate the phenomenon in order to score points with their audience and to demonize parts of their own society.

I'm not seeing too many self-flagellating articles in the US media about racism in America today - even though a recent poll showed 51% of Americans have explicitly negative attitudes towards blacks. Somehow, they managed to elect a black President - twice.

Bigotry exists everywhere on the planet, but it is not a defining attitude in Israeli society just as it isn't in the US.

Too bad there are no Shlomi Eldars in any Arab countries who are willing to make a stand where it really matters. Maybe he can write about that one day.

Egyptian Hebrew professors accused of sexual harassment, extortion

From Egypt Independent:

Female students at the Ain Shams University Faculty of Arts sent a complaint to media outlets accusing their professors of sexual harassment. The National Council for Women demanded that the dean and the minister of higher education immediately begin investigations into the charges.

The students said they had to resort to the media because the university administration did not investigate the matter.

Leila Aboul Magd, head of the faculty’s Hebrew department, told the privately owned ONTV satellite channel on Wednesday that the students had shown her evidence of the harassment.

Other students are afraid to come out against the professors in case they are failed in their courses as retribution, she added.

At least five professors would extort either sexual favors or money from female students in order to access the same course materials that everyone else was able to get freely. One would troll female students' Facebook pages and make suggestive remarks based on their personal information.

All of the accused professors work for the Hebrew Language department.

Who would have thought that the people who are the supposed experts on the Zionist enemy would be so immoral?

Hagel and Shultz

One of the major reasons that pro-Israel groups are upset over the nomination of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense is his mention of the "Jewish Lobby" in the context that he, unlike his fellow senators at the time, was not beholden to those pesky Jews.

One of the best essays written that demolishes the idea of an all-powerful Israel lobby was written by George Shultz, former secretary of state in the Reagan administration, in 2007:

Israel is a free, democratic, open, and relentlessly self-analytical place. To hear harsh criticism of Israel's policies and leaders, listen to the Israelis. So questioning Israel for its actions is legitimate, but lies are something else. Throughout human history, they have been used not only to vilify but to establish a basis for cruel and inhuman acts. The catalog of lies about Jews is long and astonishingly crude, matched only by the suffering that has followed their promulgation.

Defaming the Jews by disputing their rightful place among the peoples of the world has been a long-running, well-documented, and disgraceful series of episodes across history. Again and again a time has come when legitimate criticism slips across an invisible line into what might be called the "badlands," a place where those who should be regarded as worthy adversaries in debate are turned into scapegoats, targets, all-purpose objects of blame.

In America, we protect all speech, even the most hurtful lies. We allow a virtual free-for-all by which laws are adopted, enforced, and interpreted. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent yearly to influence this process; thousands of groups vie for influence. Among these are Jewish groups that have come under renewed criticism for being part of an all-powerful "Israel lobby," most notably in a book published this week by Profs. Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer.

Jewish groups are influential. They also largely agree that the United States should support Israel. But the notion that they have anything like a uniform agenda and that U.S. policy in Israel and the Middle East is the result of this influence is simply wrong.

One choice. Some critics seem overly impressed with the way of thinking that says to itself, "Since there is a huge Arab Islamic world out there with all the oil, and it is opposed to this tiny little Israel with no natural resources, then realistically the United States has to be on the Arab side and against Israel on every issue, and since this isn't the case, there must be some underhanded Jewish plot at work." This is a conspiracy theory, pure and simple.

Another tried and true method for damaging the well-being and security of the Jewish people and the State of Israel is a dangerously false analogy. Witness former President Jimmy Carter's book Palestine—Peace Not Apartheid. Here the association on the one hand is between Israel's existentially threatened position and the measures it has taken to protect its population from terrorist attacks, driven by an ideology bent on the complete eradication of the State of Israel, and, on the other, the racist oppression of South Africa's black population by the white Boer regime.

The tendency of mind that lies behind such repulsive analogies remains and is reinforced by the former president's views, spread across his book, which come down on the anti-Israel side of every case. These false analogies stir up and lend legitimacy to more widely based movements that take the same dangerous direction.

Anyone who thinks that Jewish groups constitute a homogeneous "lobby" ought to spend some time dealing with them. For example, my decision to open a dialogue with Yasser Arafat after he met certain conditions evoked a wide spectrum of responses from the government of Israel, its political parties, and American Jewish groups who weighed in on one side or the other. Other examples in which the United States rejected Israel's view of an issue, or the view of the American Jewish community, include the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and President Reagan's decision to go to the cemetery at Bitburg, Germany.

The United States supports Israel not because of favoritism based on political pressure or influence but because the American people, and their leaders, say that supporting Israel is politically sound and morally just.

We are a great nation. Mostly, we make good decisions. We are not babes in the woods. We act in our own interests. And when we mistakenly conclude from time to time—as we will—that an action or policy is in America's interest, we must take responsibility for the mistake.

So, on every level, those who blame Israel and its Jewish supporters for U.S. policies they do not support are wrong. They are wrong because, to begin with, support for Israel is in our best interests. They are also wrong because Israel and its supporters have the right to try to influence U.S. policy. And they are wrong because the U.S. government is responsible for the policies it adopts, not any other state or any of the myriad lobbies and groups that battle daily—sometimes with lies—to win America's support.

The irony is that when Shultz was nominated for Secretary of State, the pro-Israel lobby was against him - especially his ties to Arab regimes through his position at Bechtel. He was replacing Alexander Haig, who was regarded as very pro-Israel, and he started off his term with some pro-Palestinian Arab statements.

Within a year, however, Shultz became very pro-Israel (a change that may have come about after the Hezbollah bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon.) His essay above shows his identification with the Jewish state. (The Arab lobby in Washington was absolutely crushed by Shultz' apparent change of heart.)

The chances that Hagel will end up with an epiphany like Shultz seem remote, unfortunately.

More likely, he will act towards Israel like the fellow Bechtel appointee and Secretary of Defense under Reagan, Caspar Weinberger.

Jordanian columnist uses "The Onion" as his news source

From the Ammon News (Jordan), by Jafar M Ramini:

Is the whole world under Zionist occupation? This might sound cynical, if not outright provocative but please bear with me.

I am sure that you are all aware of the fury of the Zionists over the appointment of Chuck Hagel as the new Secretary of State. A fury that made Mark Regef, spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu, say openly that if this appointment went ahead, Israel would wield the veto that it holds over Washington. Yes, little Israel has power of veto over the mighty goliath that is the United States of America.

Where is the source for this Mark Regev quote? Why, it comes from "America's finest news source," The Onion, in this satirical piece published last week:

Top-ranking government officials in Jerusalem confirmed Tuesday that Israel would exercise its longstanding, constitutionally granted veto power over American policy if U.S. lawmakers confirmed retired congressman Chuck Hagel as the United States’ next Secretary of Defense. “In light of Mr. Hagel’s worrying remarks on Israeli-Palestinian relations and questionable classification of Israeli interests as ‘the Jewish lobby,’ we consider him a highly inappropriate choice for Defense Secretary who stands far out of line with our national priorities, and therefore we are prepared to swiftly and resolutely use our official veto power over this U.S. action,” said Israeli government spokesperson Mark Regev of the legal maneuver that the small Middle Eastern nation has employed to block U.S. Cabinet nominees, U.S. legislation, U.S. international relations, and U.S. domestic policy over 1,400 times in its 64-year history. “Because congress does not possess the necessary nine-tenths majority to override an Israeli veto, they’ll have no choice but to head back to the drawing board and provide a Defense Secretary whom we find more suitable.”

When your entire mind is already filled with hate, there leaves little room for thinking.