Former Egyptian minister accuses "the Jews" of assassinating Sadat

Former Egyptian Housing Minister, Hasaballah Al-Kafrawi, has accused "the Jews" of assassinating Anwar Sadat on Egyptian TV.

If I follow his bizarre reasoning, it is because Menachem Begin suffered depression late in his life so Israel decided to make him feel better by killing Sadat.

The video can be seen here (not translated yet.)


I love how the host nods.

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Egypt doesn't seem to trust Hamas (Via Meadia)

From Walter Russell Mead:

Not even the Muslim Brotherhood trusts Hamas. In a surprise move yesterday, Egyptian forces blocked a network of tunnels that run between Egypt and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip by flooding them with water. The tunnels, used to smuggle everything from fuel to cement to weapons, are now inoperative. Imagine the global outcry if Israel did anything like this:

“We are using water to close the tunnels by raising water from one of the wells,” [an Egyptian security official] said, declining to be named. […]

The tunnellers fear the water being pumped underground might collapse the passage ways, with possible disastrous consequences.

“Water can cause cracks in the wall and may cause the collapse of the tunnel. It may kill people,” said Ahmed Al-Shaer, a tunnel worker whose cousin died a year ago when a tunnel caved in on him.

But what this really shows is that not even Egyptian President and Muslim Brother Mohamed Morsi trusts Hamas in Gaza. And yet much of the world continues to think the “blockade” of Gaza is an evil Israeli plot. Israel is no more able to blockade Gaza, which shares a border with Egypt, than Russia is able to blockade China. But none of this stops the myth of a cruel and wicked Israeli blockade of the suffering Gaza Strip from being an article of faith for people all over the world.

Egypt has enough on its plate without having to worry about policing the Sinai for militants from Gaza. This latest action looks to be a way of putting a leash on Hamas.

More evidence that this thesis is correct:

Egyptian security forces rejected a Muslim Brotherhood request to establish a Hamas office in Cairo after it had left its Damascus headquarters, according to Egyptian security sources quoted by Iraqi paper Azzaman on Tuesday.

The security sources were quoted as saying that they put national security considerations first, especially now when Egypt is facing unrest and the new office could lead to further disturbances.

(h/t Silke, Ian)

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Egypt accuses Israel of stealing nearly half a trillion dollars of oil

The Egyptian Minister of Petroleum, Osama Kamal, is accusing Israel of stealing Egyptian oil from the Sinai between 1967 and 1977.

How much was this oil worth? The minister claims it was worth $480 billion.

Crude oil prices are roughly $100/barrel today. This means that this well-informed minister is claiming that Israel "stole" some 4.8 billion barrels of oil in that period.

However, Egypt's total proven oil reserves is about 2.9 billion barrels of oil. The entire Sinai contains at best only 20% of Egypt's total oil reserves, which means that the total amount of oil in the Sinai is one tenth of the amount the minister is claiming Israel stole.

Israel, of course, did not pump anything close to the half billion barrels in that short time. Just as obviously, the topic of the Sinai's oil was one of the agreements made in the context of Camp David.

For all we know, Kamal is including the oil Egypt sold Israel since Camp David. Even so, the numbers are absurd.

But who cares about being truthful when the target is Israel?

Danny Ayalon also ridiculed the claim.

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Saturday Links Part 2

From Ian:

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Lone voices against Terror

The institutions of liberalism, which ought to be their friends and donors, have been taken over by anti-liberal men and women. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch look with horror on those who speak out about murder, mutilation and oppression if the murderers, mutilators and oppressors do not fit into their script. The Guardian, New Statesman and BBC turn away with embarrassed coughs. The police want to keep the natives of the East End quiet by cooperating with Islamic Forum Europe. Although Labour ministers, particularly Labour women ministers, tried to speak out against the double standards during the last government, the policy of the Labour establishment has been to do nothing to upset the ethnic block vote. The Liberal Democrats meanwhile are as reliably anti-liberal on this issue as on so many others. It tells you all you need to know about the debased state of liberal-left politics that Sahgal and Tax are more likely to get a fair hearing from Cameron than Miliband or Clegg.(h/t Silke)

Barry Rubin: True Belief, Cynical Manipulation, Peer Pressure: How Arab Governments Manage the Israel Issue

"Peace Process": The Palestinian movement followed a different course and in doing so had some influence on the states. It advocated the creation of a Palestinian state that would not be bound or limited by any commitments to institute a second stage, using the territory and assets it possessed, to wipe out Israel. Until 1993 it was unable to make even the minimum steps necessary to bring this about. Yet while a handful of moderates and a larger group of cynics and those seeking economic benefit were ready for a deal with Israel, the overwhelming majority of the political leadership wasn’t.
Briefly, they wanted to follow a two-stage solution through a temporary two-state “solution” but were unwilling ultimately—as seen in the 2000 Camp David meeting—to take the compromises and commitments necessary to get a state. The creation of Hamas put Peer Pressure on them.

Diplomacy: Unlinking the linkage... again
Netanyahu wants to see more US action on Iran; Obama wants to see more Israeli action with the Palestinians. Don’t be surprised if linkage between the two issues is raised again during the US president’s upcoming visit.

Lerman said linkage between the Iranian and Palestinian issues implies that a nuclear Iran is an Israeli problem, not a global one, which is patently not the case. The reason why the discussion of how to solve the problem centers around Israel and the US – and why the US and Israel spend so much time and energy discussing the matter – is “because these are the only two countries capable of taking action, not because it is an Israeli problem.”
The only linkage between the two issues, Lerman said, was the ability of Israel to look out at the region with a greater degree of confidence after the Iranian threat was removed and, in that situation, believe that in a safer world it might be able to take certain risks.
Lerman’s words reflect what is clearly the thinking inside the Prime Minister’s Office on the eve of Obama’s visit: the Iranian cloud severely limits Israel’s capacity to take any significant risks with the Palestinians.

Into the Fray: Intellectual warriors, not slicker diplomats
Israel’s greatest strategic challenge, its gravest strategic failure, its grimmest strategic danger is the (mis)conduct of its public diplomacy.

For international understanding of Israeli policy and IDF actions, Israel must portray its adversaries – particularly the Palestinians – as they really are.
Unless this is done, such policy and action may well appear excessive.
To employ a rather stark metaphor – and without wishing to impute canine qualities to humans of any kind, if one insists that one’s antagonists are “cuddly poodles” rather than “vicious rottweilers,” one cannot expect others to understand why “rottweiler” action is appropriate.
Clearly, however, Israeli diplomats cannot portray Palestinian society in its true light: as a cruel, brutal society where women are suppressed, gays are oppressed and political dissidents are repressed; a society where journalists are harassed, press freedom is trampled, political opponents are lynched, honor killings of women by their male relatives are endorsed or at least condoned, and homosexuals are hounded.
That must be left to civil society intellectual warriors.

Widespread Palestinian rioting erupts in West Bank
Hundreds of Palestinians throw rocks, Molotov cocktails at IDF soldiers near Ofer security prison in support of hunger strikers.

Widespread rioting erupted in the West Bank on Friday in support of hunger striking Palestinian prisoners, with groups of Palestinians hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails at IDF soldiers, who responded with various riot dispersal means.
In Betunia, west of Ramallah, near the Ofer security prison, some 300 Palestinians rioted and threw rocks at the IDF. Two soldiers were lightly injured by rocks thrown, an army spokeswoman said. Four Palestinians were lightly injured by rubber bullets in the clash.

IDF arrests suspected Palestinian shooters
Soldiers detain two men shortly after they fired shots in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc

Soldiers in the IDF’s Kfir Brigade arrested two Palestinians overnight Friday for attempting to perpetrate a shooting attack in the Gush Etzion region of the West Bank.
The suspects were caught with an improvised weapon near the Migdal Oz settlement, southwest of Jerusalem, according to Israel Radio. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that soldiers detained the two men in the village of Bayt Fajar shortly after they had allegedly fired shots in an unknown direction.

Arab Israeli Woman: Jews Do Not Rape Arabs, Arab Men Do

Posting on a Facebook event page devoted to protesting the rape and torture of female activists in Egypt, Anet Haskia rejected comparisons between Israel and Egypt that others on the page had made. On her own page, Haskia had this to say:
“We are talking about the rape of Arab women in Egypt and other Arab states, and you still try to make a connection to Israel? Jewish men do not rape Arab women and girls! It is Arab Muslim men who are raping you, so focus this campaign on them and leave Israel alone.”

The ‘Epidemic’ of Sexual Harassment—and Rape—in Morsi’s Egypt

Since the “Arab Spring” came to Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood assumed power, sexual harassment, abuse, and rape of women has skyrocketed. This graph, which shows an enormous jump in sexual harassment beginning around January 2011, when the Tahrir revolts began, certainly demonstrates as much. Its findings are supported by any number of reports appearing in both Arabic and Western media, and from both Egyptian and foreign women.

Nick Xenophon detained in Malaysia

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has been detained in Malaysia as a ‘‘security threat’’ and is to be deported back to Australia within hours.
Senator Xenophon, who has raised serious concerns about the probity of the upcoming Malaysian elections, was stopped by immigration officials this morning on his arrival at Kuala Lumpur airport and told he was on a "watchlist".
Senator Xenophon was in Malaysia leading a bipartisan visit of Australian politicians for talks with the country’s opposition party about electoral systems. He has been highly critical of preparations for the election to be held later this year.

'Israel offered to lay pipeline through Turkey'
Ankara reluctant to accept Israeli offer for natural gas pipeline because of political tension, Turkish minister says.

Israel has offered to lay a natural gas pipeline through Turkey, but Ankara is reluctant to accept due to ongoing bilateral tension, Hurriyet quoted a Turkish energy ministry official as saying Friday.
“Israel has made a bid to build a pipeline to Turkey within the last two weeks,” Hurriyet quoted the official as saying. “But we have a policy regarding Israel and the claim that Turkey leans towards this idea is not true.”
The pipeline would allow Israel to sell gas to Europe, but the Turkish government has not given a response because of the tensions between the countries.

UK’s Chief Rabbi Praises Rupert Murdoch, Warns of Spreading Antisemitism in Europe

Making his last official visit to Israel this week, the UK’s Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, praised media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, declaring that Israel did not have “a better or more significant friend in the world.”
Sacks was speaking at the Tel Hai academic college in Kiryat Shmona. During his talk he said that the “number one problem” facing the Jewish world is the return of antisemitism to Europe.

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Saturday Links Part 1

From Ian:

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Missing Peace: Haniyeh: Palestinian reconciliation dependent on non recognition of Israel

On Thursday Gaza’s Prime Minister Ishmael Haniyeh made clear that for Hamas Palestinian reconciliation is dependent on non recognition of Israel. Haniyeh said that Hamas wants reconciliation that ‘does not concede national constants and will not serve policies that have proven failed’. A clear reference to the Oslo peace accords.
Meanwhile Fatah Central Committee Azzam Al Ahmad called upon the international community to support the Palestinian reconciliation which he called a ‘stabilizing factor’.
It is hard to phantom how this reconciles with Haniyeh’s demand for non recognition of Israel.

Israel and Hamas said to hold indirect talks in Cairo
Senior Israeli officials negotiate easing of Gaza blockade with Islamist group’s officials, working through Egyptian intermediaries

Israel and Hamas have been engaged in indirect negotiations in Egypt, most recently on Thursday, to resolve the remaining details of the ceasefire agreement that ended November’s Operation Pillar of Defense.
Senior Israeli defense officials have met in Cairo over the past several weeks to negotiate, indirectly with Hamas, the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to construction materials and basic commodities such as gasoline, Channel 10 reported Friday night. Egyptian defense officials have served as the intermediaries in the contacts.

Hamas Slams Bulgaria for Expelling its Delegation
"Zionist pressure" led to a Hamas delegation being expelled from Bulgaria, claims the terror group.

The Hamas government in Gaza on Friday condemned Bulgaria's expulsion of a delegation on its behalf that was visiting the country, the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency reported.
The terror group reportedly blamed Israeli pressure for Bulgaria’s move.
Bulgarian security forces on Friday raided the hotel rooms of a visiting Hamas delegation, ordering them to leave the country, a party statement quoted by Ma’an said.
"We condemn this act, which reflects the scale of compliance with Zionist pressures," Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu said, according to Ma’an.
Hamas leader and MP Yahya al-Abadseh said the Bulgarian government's actions were contrary to all diplomatic norms.

Hundreds protest joint Iran-Argentina bombing probe
Legislators in Buenos Aires scheduled to ratify establishment of ‘truth commission’ in late February

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA) — Some 300 people attended a protest rally against Argentine-Iranian cooperation in investigating the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center.
Among the protestors on Feb. 14 in the Argentine capital were relatives of the survivors of the bombing of the AMIA center. Israeli and Argentinean justice authorities blame Iran for the attack.
“We ask Argentine society’s forgiveness for wasting a great privilege that democracy gave us,” Sergio Bergman, a lawmaker and Reform rabbi, said in a speech at the rally. “We had the first Jewish foreign minister and that is why we say sorry.”

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Certain Hizbullah was Behind Attack
Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov: We know the real name of the Burgas terrorists.

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov reiterated on Friday his belief that two of the attackers in the July 2012 bombing in Burgas are part of the Hizbullah terror group, the Sofia News Agency reports.
"The Burgas bombers were maintaining part of Hizbullah’s structures in Canada and Australia and had contacts with other representatives of this organization," Tsvetanov said in an interview with the local TV7 network.
The Bulgarian Interior Minister first announced he had "grounded reasons to believe" that "Hizbullah’s military wing" is involved in the Burgas bus bombing on February 5, stirring international controversy.

Not even the Nazis did what Assad’s doing, says ex-Syrian PM
Defected leader claims Iran is ‘actively running’ Syria days after reports surfaced that Islamic Republic, Hezbollah are building networks of militias there

The former prime minister of Syria delivered a harsh critique of the country’s president during an interview with al-Arabiya Friday, claiming that “not even the Nazis did what Bashar Assad’s doing in Syria.”
Riad Hijab, who defected from his post in Damascus six months ago, also told the Arabic-language news outlet that Iran is “actively running” Syria.
“Syria is occupied by the Iranian regime,” he said. “Who runs the country isn’t Bashar Assad but Kassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s al-Quds Brigades [within the Revolutionary Guards].”

Iran calls allegations it transferred weapons to Somali militants an 'absurd fabrication'

Iran's U.N. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council obtained Thursday by The Associated Press that the allegations in a report by experts monitoring sanctions against Somalia and Eritrea were part of a "malicious campaign."
According to a U.N. diplomat, the report links Iran and Yemen to the supply of weapons to al-Shabab militants. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been publicly released.

Iran temporarily bans exports of pistachios to control prices on home market

Iran has ordered a six-month ban on pistachio exports to try to control the price of the nut, which doubled in the past month.
Pistachios are among Iran's top non-oil exports and widely consumed at home, bringing in an average of $1.5 billion a year and providing work for hundreds of thousands of people. Iran was long the world's largest pistachio exporter, with over 200,000 tons a year, but was surpassed last year by the United States.

Egypt foils smuggling attempt of 2 tons of explosives, weapons
In separate incident, undercover Israeli border guards seize 250 kg of hashish heading from Sinai to Israel

Egyptian forces foiled a smuggling attempt that included two tons of explosives and weapons in the Sinai Peninsula Friday.
Police forces intercepted a truck that was carrying the objects, Ynet reported. An unnamed Egyptian senior security official told local media that the police were tipped off about the attempt and that the weapons were to be used by terror groups in Sinai or smuggled into the Gaza Strip.

Turkey arrests 8 ex-officers over ouster of Islamic government in 1990s; more questioned

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s state-run news agency says authorities have arrested eight more retired officers over their alleged involvement in the ousting of an Islamic-led government in the late 1990s.
Anadolu Agency reports say the eight, including seven retired generals, were detained on Wednesday and late Thursday pending a trial over a military campaign that forced former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan to resign. No trial date has been set.

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Friday Links Part 2

From Ian:

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LATMA: The Tribal Update discusses Obama's travel plans and the EU's Hezbollah problem

The dishonesty of ‘The Gatekeepers'
The film sends a 'simplistic political message,' implying that Israel's occupation of the West Bank stands between terrorism and peace.

Dror Moreh’s documentary, The Gatekeepers, could have been a profound film.
Instead, Moreh uses his interviews with six former directors of Israel’s top security services to send a simplistic and deeply partisan political message: If Israel withdraws from the West Bank, terrorism will subside and peace will break out.
To promote this message, the documentary engages in intellectual dishonesty and omits critical context. While most Israelis know the wider context, the average viewer probably does not, and therefore is vulnerable to the filmmaker’s biased version of the facts.
Though the film tries to portray Israel’s antiterrorism policies as counterproductive and cruel, the interviews inadvertently tell a different story. The six directors are well-spoken, deeply thoughtful, and genuinely self-critical.”

The Palestinians Never Wanted Fayyadism

The Palestinians are choosing, as they have always chosen, to refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state no matter where its borders are drawn. Having come into existence solely in order to oppose the return of the Jews to the country, Palestinian nationalism appears incapable of redefining itself in such a way as to give Fayyad a chance. The example of the independent Palestinian state in all but name in Gaza — which has become a platform for terrorism — makes it impossible for Israel to consider further withdrawals that would duplicate that situation in the West Bank.
Were it in the power of either the United States or Israel to make Fayyad the leader of the Palestinians they would do so. But his constituency has always been in Washington, Jerusalem and the international media not among Palestinians. Someday they may be ready for a Fayyad, but that day is not in the foreseeable future.

PMW:Is the PA lying to European governments in order to receive European funding?
European and US money donated to the PA's general budget is paying salaries not only to all Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons but also to 4,000 former security and terrorist prisoners

Palestinian Media Watch has seen statements by both the British and Norwegian governments defending their payments to the Palestinian Authority's general budget for salaries. These statements came in response to two PMW reports documenting that thousands of imprisoned terrorists are among the recipients of PA salaries. In their statements, both the British and Norwegian governments say that the PA has informed them that the PA does not pay "salaries" to terrorists in Israeli prisons, but social "assistance" payments to the prisoners' families. Minister of State Alan Duncan on behalf of Britain's Department for International Development (DfID) said: "The second [PA] payment scheme [to prisoners] is intended to assist families in need of assistance." Both governments have written that this information was received from the PA.

4,000 former prisoners receive full monthly salaries - PA Minister of Prisoners Affairs VIDEO

How US Military Aid to Fatah Actually Bolsters Hamas

Now there is evidence of Fatah-Hamas coordination in parts of the West Bank. The PA has lifted the ban against Hamas rallies, and Hamas has gained control of many West Bank mosques. Israel’s intelligence community has determined that Hamas politburo Chief Khaled Masha’al has ordered the establishment of military cells to take over the West Bank.
What Israel now faces is a worst-case scenario: PA security forces have a history of turning on Israelis. With the increased cooperation between the PA and Hamas, the likelihood of this happening again grows more likely. Statements of late by PA officials suggest such cooperation. Former PA Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, for example, has called for unity with Hamas that would “win further victories for us.” With Hamas cooperation, he said the PA would escalate “the struggle against Israel” in 2013.
However, should there be a repeat of prior attacks by PA forces, bolstered by cooperation with Hamas, dealing with the situation will be far more difficult than it has been previously. Now those PA forces are far better equipped and trained, thanks to a US policy that may have been ill-advised from the outset.

Watchdog says Iran upgraded centrifuges for nuke program
Installation represents a dramatic upgrade in the country’s controversial uranium enrichment program

VIENNA (AP) — Adding weight to its announcement of a nuclear upgrade, Tehran has shown high-level UN officials high-tech equipment positioned at its main uranium enrichment site meant to vastly accelerate output of material that can be used for both reactor fuel and atomic arms, a senior diplomat said Thursday.
The diplomat spoke to The Associated Press shortly after the officials returned from Tehran, acknowledging that their latest in a series of trips to the Iranian capital that began over a year ago again failed to reach a deal to restart an investigation into suspicions that Iran is pursuing nuclear arms.
Herman Naeckerts, who headed the International Atomic Energy Agency team that visited Iran, said “remaining differences” scuttled attempts to finalize an agreement on how such an investigation should be conducted. He declined to say whether there was progress.

Zygier was granted all his rights, and was no ‘Prisoner X,’ says legal official
Justice Ministry source says negligence charges may be filed against those who failed to prevent Mossad spy’s suicide in jail

Ben Zygier, the Melbourne-born Mossad agent who committed suicide in his cell at Ramle’s Ayalon Prison in 2010, had been granted all the rights and protections due to him under Israeli law, a top Justice Ministry official told reporters on Thursday.
Even the unusual fact that his identity was kept secret was a security measure to which Zygier himself consented, the official said, recognizing that this was beneficial to national security and to his own and his family’s protection.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide details of why Zygier was arrested, and what charges had been leveled against him. Avigdor Feldman, a defense lawyer who met with Zygier a day or two before he died, said the 34-year-old father of two had been charged with “serious criminal” offenses and faced long years in prison.

Israel Daily Picture: The Jews of Tiberias Revealed in 100-Year Old "Medical" Photos

David Torrance arrived in a very poor, economic backwater town in the 1880s. Under Ottoman rule, Tiberias had little in the way of employment opportunities or basic hygienic infrastructure.
Tiberias was nonetheless a center of Jewish life over the centuries, particularly after the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans. It emerged as one of Judaism's holy cities after Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed. Rabbis of the Talmud and Maimonides are buried in Tiberias. And over the last few centuries pious Jewish families and scholars made it their home.

Airport debris detector tops Israeli innovation list
XSight bids bye-bye to junk on runways

Israel’s XSight Systems, which detects runway debris that can endanger planes and passengers, has been called one of Israel’s most innovative companies by US tech magazine Fast Company. “Foreign Object Debris (FOD) costs the aviation industry around $13 billion per year,” and is a major safety risk, Fast Company wrote about XSight, naming it one of the top 10 Israeli innovators for 2013. The XSight system “has emerged as one of the leading solutions, using hybrid radar and electro-optical technology to detect junk on runways,” the magazine wrote.

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Friday Links Part 1

From Ian:

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Bulgaria security forces raid, expel Hamas delegation

Raid on residences of visiting Hamas delegation allegedly prompted by Israeli, US, British pressure; Bulgarian government denies meeting with Hamas, says Palestinians were in Sofia on "private visitation."
Bulgarian security forces on Friday raided the temporary residences of a visiting Hamas delegation in Sofia, and then expelled the officials from the country, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.
The Hamas delegation arrived in Bulgaria on Wednesday to present the “Palestinian narrative and expose the false Israeli narrative on the Palestinians and Hamas.” The visit was the first of its kind by Hamas officials to a member of the EU.

MEP to Ashton: Make Efforts to Name Hizbullah a Terror Group

Polish MEP Michal Tomasz Kaminski on Thursday called on EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to step up Europe’s efforts to designate Hizbullah a terrorist organization after last week’s Bulgarian’s report that the Lebanese group was behind the terror attack on Israeli tourists in Burgas in July 2012.
The European Jewish Press (EJP) reported that in a written question to Ashton, ahead of Monday’s meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers where the issue is likely to come under discussion, Kaminski asked why the EU remains “reluctant to call Hizbulllah by its proper name”, after Ashton’s official response to the Burgas findings expressed “the need for a reflection over the outcome of the investigation.

Cruel joke: an Iranian on UNICEF’s board

Khazayee’s election to the governing body of UNICEF is a moral scandal. Iran, as reported frequently by international organizations, executes more people than any other country in the world, per capita. In 2011, 676 people were executed in Iran. During the first half of January that year, 47 prisoners were hanged; that is, an average of a prisoner every eight hours. In 2012, 480 people were executed, 12 women included. Fifty-five executions were held in public.

UK Charity Commission Whitewashes Questionable Charities

The UK's Charity Commission works on a premise that undermines any investigation before it starts. If members of a charity openly associate with extremists or terrorists, for example, instead of challenging the charity's status, the Commission defends the trustees, thereby legitimizing the charity's misconduct. As a consequence, government bodies empower extremist groups by presenting them as honest actors.

Well, that worked out well: 92% of Pakistanis now dislike America

After four years of Barack Obama's diplomatic 'leadership' and billions of dollars in attempted friendship aid, a new public opinion poll reveals that 92% of Pakistanis now disapprove of the United States.
The results could have been worse. Not much. But a little. Fully four Pakistanis out of 100 do approve of the United States, President Obama and his policies. They, however, seem to keep kind of quiet about their views in that rowdy land. That's the lowest favorable rating Pakistan's citizens have ever given their ostensible North American ally.
The new Gallup Poll, out this morning, reports that the recent high point of Pakistani approval of the United States came in the spring of 2011 when 27% approved. But then public opinion went south on North America.

CIF Watch: Peter Beaumont’s absurd political analogy regarding Israel and ‘Prisoner X’

Though Prisoner X likely represented a serious security risk for Israel, he was afforded due process in a manner which certainly seems consistent with democratic norms.
To evoke a comparison with the USSR – where, for instance, several million Soviet “enemies of the state” died (due to overwork, starvation, torture or summary executions) after being sent, without trial, to Gulag camps spread out across the entire country – is beyond parody.
Indeed, it’s likely that the true identity of Beaumont’s unnamed commentators comparing Israel’s handling of the spy case to that of the most repressive totalitarian regimes of the 20th century will prove to be far more elusive and mysterious than the identity of Prisoner X himself.

What Harriet Sherwood missed while in Gaza: Hamas to demolish 75 ‘illegal’ Palestinian homes

I guess it’s safe to say that some Palestinian victims of home demolitions are more deserving of sympathy than others, at least according to the Guardian correspondent covering Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

Russia fights Islamists at home, backs them abroad
Analysis: Moscow’s influence abroad continues to erode, despite its attempts to ally itself with forces opposed to the West.

Moscow’s influence abroad continues to erode, despite its attempts to ally itself with forces opposed to the West and it is this game that could become costly in the long-run. The Sunni insurgents on Russian soil hold an ideological affinity with Sunni Islamists, such as those fighting the Russian-backed Syrian regime as well as al-Qaida-linked groups active throughout the region and beyond. Thus, Russia has set itself up to be opposed by the rising Sunni Islamists in the region, led by the increasingly influential Muslim Brotherhood movement and its offshoots.

Israeli delegation visits Cairo for security talks
Defense officials reportedly hold brief meeting with Egyptian counterparts while their aircraft waits on the runway

An Israeli delegation of defense officials reportedly visited Cairo on Thursday to meet with Egyptian counterparts and discuss regional security issues, including terrorist activities in the Sinai Peninsula and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
According to a report in Egypt’s Al-Masry al-Youm, the delegation arrived in Cairo in a military aircraft that waited for them on the runway. The delegation reportedly numbered four Israeli officials.

Health Crisis Building in Jordan Due to Syrian Refugees
Jordan’s health system is beginning to crack under the strain of caring for 340,000 Syrian refugees. Amman is seeking help with the effort.

The pressure is beyond the health sector’s strength to continue providing services for the refugees,” Jordanian Health Minister Abdul Latif Wreikat said bluntly on Thursday, according to Bernama, the Malaysian national news agency.
Chronic diseases have been discovered among a large number of the Syrians who fled across the border to safety in Jordan as well, Wreikat said. This has led to a drop in supplies of medicines in some of the hospitals and health care centers, he warned. “We welcome any assistance to help enhance our capability to provide services to the Syrian refugees,” Wreikat said.

Israeli Officials Concerned Over Fate of Tunisian Jews
Israeli officials have expressed serious concerns over the safety of the Jewish community in Tunisia, in the wake of unrest in the country

Israeli officials have expressed serious concerns over the safety of the Jewish community in Tunisia. Some 2,000 Jews still live in the country, and the Foreign Ministry's office for fighting anti-Semitism said that instability in the country could have serious negative effects on the country's Jews.

Saudis arrest 53 Christians at private worship service
Saudi authorities have continued to persecute christians in the country, in a stark example of the lack of freedom of worship in the Kingdom

Saudi Arabian authorities have arrested 53 Christians, mostly women, who were attending a worship service in the private home of an Ethiopian in Dammam, the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
The Christians, 46 women and six men, including three church leaders, were arrested at ten in the morning last Friday, a close relative of one of those arrested told the WEA. The three church leaders were produced in an Islamic court in Dammam the same day when authorities alleged they were converting Muslims to Christianity.

France to Return Stolen Art to Jewish Owners

France will return seven paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries to the heirs of two Jewish families whose artworks were stolen during World War II, the French culture ministry told AFP on Thursday.
Six paintings by Italian and German artists will be returned to Thomas Selldorff, the octogenarian grandson of Austrian textile magnate Richard Neumann, who was forced to flee his country in 1938.

Morocco Restores Ancient Synagogue in Nod to Jewish Heritage
Morocco held a ceremony on Wednesday to inaugurate the completion of renovations to an ancient Jewish synagogue in the historic city of Fez.

The two-year restoration of the Slat al-Fassiyine (Prayer of the Fesians) synagogue was part-financed by Germany. The ceremony included Morocco’s Islamist prime minister, Abdelilah Benkirane, as well as German parliament speaker Norbert Lammert, according to Global Post.
The restoration of the ancient synagogue in Fez, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is part of a larger effort by Morocco to come to terms with its Jewish community. The new constitution that was adopted in 2011 amid the Arab Spring recognized Morocco’s Jewish heritage.

IDF Blog: Did You Know? Last week, 42,898 Tons of Goods Entered Gaza

The IDF coordinates the delivery of a variety of humanitarian aid and development assistance to the population of the Gaza Strip.
During the last week alone, 42,898 tons of goods and gas entered Gaza from Israel in 1,445 truckloads.
Think Gaza is under siege? Think again.

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How I spent Thursday (plus a little request)

While part of my visit to Israel is personal, a great percentage of it is dedicated to doing stuff for the blog. Thursday was a whirlwind of activity, which should generate at least three separate video posts when I get a chance to edit them.

My first appointment was with Yisrael Medad, blogger at My Right Word, for a visit to the Har HaBayit (Temple Mount.) This requires some preparation ahead of time. The Israeli guards did not let me bring in all my video equipment, and since the line to enter the area is ridiculously long, it looked like I wouldn't make it up at all. Yisrael nicely convinced the guard to watch my stuff while I took my camera with me.

I haven't seen all the footage yet, and the Israeli police officer who accompanied us was rushing us a bit so the video is not as smooth as I had hoped, but with luck you will get to see a video tour of the (perimeter of the) holiest spot in the world. That will take time to edit well so it might not be until I return to the US.

Then I met with NGO Monitor. Mrs. Elder and I did a video interview with its president, Gerald Steinberg, and then we got to meet the whole staff for a lunchtime Q&A.

After that, we went to visit the Ministry of Strategic Affairs in the Prime Minister's Office where (after going through a grueling security check) I met with Brigadier-General Yossi Kuperwasser, its Director General. I interviewed him as well. He was familiar with my work, which is pretty cool, and we discussed his ministry and how Israel is trying to, belatedly, fight against the delegitimization attempts by her enemies.

So eventually I'll get the videos out. My Friday is very busy with personal stuff and if I was sane I would be sleeping instead of writing this. Sunday, I'm back to doing meetings as Elder.

Since I have no desire to navigate Israeli traffic, I am taking taxis everywhere. This is very expensive. I know that my normal request for donations isn't due for another month, but I would appreciate if you guys can pitch in and contribute.

If all goes well, the material I gather during these two weeks should provide first-hand insights into Israel that you simply cannot get anywhere else. If you believe that this is valuable, please click on the Donate or Subscribe buttons on the upper right corner of this blog and be a partner in getting the truth about Israel published and disseminated.

Here's a preview video to whet your appetite:

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HRW can't wait to publish hit pieces on Israel

From The Volokh Conspiracy:

Human Rights Watch has just released a report on Israel’s recent “Pillar of Defense” operation to suppress rocket fire from Gaza. The report concludes that 18 airstrikes violated international law by not being properly targeted. I do not know if 18 is a little or a lot for an operation of this scale, as there an no good comparative data (though the report is released as Afghanistan says yet another NATO airstrike hit a house with innocent women and children inside.)

The report, by its description of its methods, appears to be a hit piece. Here is what the report said about the group’s investigative method (emphasis added):

Human Rights Watch sent detailed information about the cases to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on January 14, 2013, requesting further information. At a meeting on January 24 and in subsequent phone conversations, the military spokesperson’s office told Human Rights Watch that the military chief of staff had ordered a general (aluf) to conduct an “operational debriefing” (tahkir mivtza’i) concerning “dozens” of Israeli attacks during the conflict, including the cases Human Rights Watch investigated, which would be completed by late February.

Because previous Israeli “operational debriefings” involving attacks were not conducted by trained military police investigators or dedicated to investigating alleged laws-of-war violations, Human Rights Watch has decided to publish its findings rather than wait for their results.

In other words, HRW received high-level and consistent cooperation. A meeting between HRW and the IDF took place on Jan 24 (just 10 days after HRW asked for further information), and were told that the IDF would have a more detailed response by late February after its own investigations were over. One month is not a long time to wait, certainly not covering an incident that occurred months ago.

It is completely baffling why HRW would rush to publish their report a mere two weeks before they could hear in full Israel’s response to their allegations. Furthermore, HRW’s explanation why they chose not to wait lacks any coherence. What is so special about designated military police as opposed to other investigators? And even if the IDF investigations were not conducted by trained military police, it is unquestionable that the IDF investigators would have access to sources HRW does not. One would expect that an organization whose influence is completely based on their reputation for objectivity and thoroughness would wish to have all the facts before rushing to publish.

Well-meaning observers are often puzzled why Israel sometimes does not cooperate with the multitudinous foreign investigations into its military operations. The minimal lack of procedural fairness investigations such as HRW’s is surely one reason for their reluctance.

NGO Monitor went into more detail:

HRW possesses neither the military expertise nor the appropriate fact-finding methodology to make these assessments and conduct proper investigations. Such judgments require knowledge of the military intelligence possessed by Israeli commanders at the time of the strikes, and information on intent of the officers. In contrast, HRW’s “evidence” consists solely of its inability to identify “indication[s] of a legitimate military target at the site at the time of the attack” and Israel’s refusal to explain its operational decisions to the NGO.

HRW’s press release is its seventh document relating to the November 2012 fighting in Gaza and Southern Israel. The disproportionate obsession and political agenda are further seen by HRW’s decision to conduct “field investigations” on that particular conflict, at a time when the UN estimated that over 10,000 people were killed in the Syrian civil war in the month of January 2013 alone.

HRW’s statement also denounced Israeli investigations, claiming that they “were not conducted by trained military police investigators or dedicated to investigating alleged laws-of-war violations.” Therefore, HRW did not wait for a response from the IDF, dealing with HRW’s cases and other attacks, which is anticipated “by late February.”

In fact, Israeli investigations meet international standards, as noted by Judge Mary McGowan Davis (empanelled by the Human Rights Council to lead the follow-up committee to the Goldstone Report), Judge Richard Goldstone, and the Turkel Committee. The real reason HRW does not want to wait for the IDF report is because it will demonstrate that HRW’s claims are baseless, as happened with Israeli responses to the 2009 Gaza conflict and the 2006 Lebanon War.

I visited NGO Monitor in Jerusalem on Thursday, and asked them about the supposed expertise of the "field investigators" HRW sends into Gaza. They are not completely transparent on who writes and contributes to many of their reports, but apparently they rely on people who live in Gaza to fill out much of the information in these reports - and they, in turn, rely on biased sources like PCHR and the Gaza Health Ministry to get the "facts" about particular incidents to them.

One of their Gaza researchers, Fares Akram, also has written for the New York Times - even about HRW itself, without disclosing his affiliation in the article!

This incestuous relationship between native Gazan "investigators," news organization stringers and reporters, and biased "human rights" organizations and NGOs is sorely unreported.

One other fact that NGO Monitor noted to me that is terrifically important: HRW does not have a published methodology on how they conduct these "field investigations." Without a rigorous and known methodology, bias isn't only possible - it is inevitable. Facts that conform to the "researcher"'s preconceived notions will naturally get highlighted and anything that contradicts it will be silently ignored. This is natural, after all, the news media do this all the time. But an organization like HRW must adhere to the higher standard it demands from others. Its standards must be far greater than that of journalists. In this case, there was no "deadline" that forced HRW to release this report before waiting for the official investigation by Israel. They simply decided to ignore any response before the fact.

HRW claims that Israel's investigations do not reach some arbitrary level of professionalism and objectivity that they made up. Yet if HRW would investigate itself with the same standards, it would come out far, far worse. Its bias has been exposed over and over again, here as well as elsewhere. HRW never admits it was wrong,  and when caught doing something unethical itself.

This is not the way an organization dedicated to the truth should act. But  it is exactly how a biased organization with an agenda would act.

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The Hurva is stunning at night

I had seen photos of the restored Hurva synagogue, rebuilt after Jordan destroyed it (along with some fifty other synagogues in Jerusalem) in 1948.

But until not, I never saw it in person. And its lighting at night is beautiful.

This photo does not do it justice. I might have a better one, but  for now this will have to do.

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Thursday links part 2

From Ian:

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NGO Monitor: Pure Speculation: HRW Statements on Gaza and Prisoner X

"HRW possesses neither the military expertise nor the appropriate fact-finding methodology to make these assessments and conduct proper investigations. Such judgments require knowledge of the military intelligence possessed by Israeli commanders at the time of the strikes, and information on intent of the officers. In contrast, HRW’s “evidence” consists solely of its inability to identify “indication[s] of a legitimate military target at the site at the time of the attack” and Israel’s refusal to explain its operational decisions to the NGO.
HRW’s press release is its seventh document relating to the November 2012 fighting in Gaza and Southern Israel. The disproportionate obsession and political agenda are further seen by HRW’s decision to conduct “field investigations” on that particular conflict, at a time when the UN estimated that over 10,000 people were killed in the Syrian civil war in the month of January 2013 alone.
HRW’s statement also denounced Israeli investigations, claiming that they “were not conducted by trained military police investigators or dedicated to investigating alleged laws-of-war violations.” Therefore, HRW did not wait for a response from the IDF, dealing with HRW’s cases and other attacks, which is anticipated “by late February.”
In fact, Israeli investigations meet international standards, as noted by Judge Mary McGowan Davis (empanelled by the Human Rights Council to lead the follow-up committee to the Goldstone Report), Judge Richard Goldstone, and the Turkel Committee. The real reason HRW does not want to wait for the IDF report is because it will demonstrate that HRW’s claims are baseless, as happened with Israeli responses to the 2009 Gaza conflict and the 2006 Lebanon War."

Prisoner X
"HRW’s Israel-based staffer Bill van Esveld was quoted extensively in an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) exposé on “Prisoner X,” reportedly an Australian-Israeli Mossad agent who hanged himself in prison in 2010. As noted by most media reports, the entire episode remains unconfirmed and speculative."
"In fact, as reported in Israeli media and contrary to van Esveld’s claims, Prisoner X was represented by a lawyer, was informed of the charges against him, and was in the process of negotiating a plea bargain shortly before he committed suicide. His family was aware of his imprisonment and was in contact with him. Moreover, Israel’s Supreme Court was also aware of the arrest and ruled on whether the security circumstances warranted a “gag order.”

The Arab Spring is great, says leading Israeli analyst
Yigal Carmon, founder of MEMRI, believes the current revolutionary shift is an essential first step in the Arabs’ long road ‘to ‘join humanity’

“People were warning us about the rise of Islamism, but from day one my attitude was exactly the opposite: I was shining,” said Yigal Carmon, founder and president of MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute. Carmon’s assessment, as someone who hails from the heart of Israel’s security establishment, might bear particular significance.
“It is indeed an Arab Spring,” he told The Times of Israel this week, “where people are fighting for freedom, putting their lives on the line every day against dictatorship. There can be no other name for it.”
Before the Arab Spring, Carmon said, the Middle East was “a frozen swamp of repression, on every level.” But that stagnation, which he said left Arabs and Muslims “outside the world in its progress,” is gone, never to return.”

Is Israel really to blame for Gaza's water shortages?
Israel has met and exceeded expectations in terms of the supply of water to the Palestinian people. So why are Palestinian and British politicians still playing politics with this issue?

"An argument that makes as little sense in theory as it does in practice. To get the facts straight from the outset is important, as misinformation propagated by the delegitimisers of the Jewish state often leads to erroneous beliefs being implanted in the minds of journalists, activists and, importantly, legislators. Take a look at what passed between Israel and Gaza just last week, here. and here.
How else could an Early Day Motion in the British Parliament have been tabled blaming the Israeli government for a situation that the World Bank claimed in 2009 would make the Gaza strip ‘uninhabitable’? But the World Bank didn’t blame Israel and a similar report by the United Nations stated that while Operation Cast Lead intensified the problems already faced, Gaza’s problems were “due to underinvestment in environmental systems, lack of progress on priority environmental projects and the collapse of governance mechanisms.”

Belgian Nazi Parade Makes Mockery of Holocaust
ADL expressed outrage that participants in UNESCO-affiliated festival dressed as Nazis and paraded through the streets of Belgium.

“The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has expressed outrage that a group of participants in the UNESCO-affiliated Aalst festival dressed as Nazi SS officers and paraded through the streets of Aalst, Belgium on a rail car reminiscent of those used to deport Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust.
Photos in the Belgian media showed the men dressed in full Nazi regalia with a Hassidic Jewish boy character on a rail car, decorated with posters depicting pails labeled, “Zyklon,” the chemical used in the Nazi gas chambers.”

Yaalon Hizbullah Armed, Waiting
Israel must not be lulled into false security by quiet in the north, Yaalon warns.

"While northern Israel is now enjoying relative quiet, “we must not be lulled into false hopes,” Yaalon warned. “Hizbullah is armed with tens of thousands of rockets and missiles and is supported by Iran,” he explained, “and in Syria the civil war and instability continues, and is likely to bring unrest to the border near to where we stand right now.”
“Now, too, the best of our sons and daughters are ready to deal with the threats from north and south, from near and far, and with our enemies’ unwillingness to recognize our right to exist in peace and security as the national homeland of the Jewish people, in any border” Yaalon declared."

Rocket Preparedness Drill to be Held in Schools
Israeli children will practice moving briskly to their “safe spaces,” getting to a shelter and hiding from rockets on Thursday.

"Israeli children will have the opportunity to learn a new lesson on Thursday as they practice moving briskly to their bomb shelters and hiding from rockets in as many other safe spaces as possible.
The Ministry of Education is holding the nationwide exercise in kindergartens and schools to test the preparedness of every educational institution in Israel in the event of a rocket or missile attack while children are playing outside during recess."

Jewish Israeli Soccer Star Banned from Training With Club in Dubai

"Jewish Israeli soccer star and Swansea City (UK) striker Itay Shechter has been forced to miss his club’s week-long training decampment because it’s taking place in Dubai. The UAE and Israel do not have diplomatic relations and Shechter could have been arrested and deported if he tried to enter Dubai as the United Arab Emirates does not recognize Israel as a state."

Israeli helps India rehabilitate polluted river
Technologies developed in Israel to recycle the country’s precious water resources are being used to help save India’s Noyyal River.

“Prof. Yoram Oren first saw how chemicals from textile dyeing factories were poisoning India’s Noyyal River during a year-long stay in the country’s southernmost state three-and-a-half years ago.
Oren, an expert on water desalination from Ben-Gurion University, spent his sabbatical year setting up a water research laboratory at Karunya University in Tamil Nadu state. A passionate advocate of water rights, he saw the effects of river pollution on local people, agriculture and wildlife and decided to return to Tamil Nadu and help local water experts save the dying Noyyal.”

Savior of Thousands of Jews Honored Posthumously
Varian Fry, an American journalist responsible for aiding thousands of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, was honored posthumously.

"The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) posthumously honored Varian Fry, an American journalist responsible for aiding thousands of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, with the ADL Jan Karski 'Courage to Care' Award.
The award was presented posthumously to Fry on February 8 during the League’s National Executive Committee Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, where it was accepted on behalf of the family by his son, James Fry."

Richard Silverstein gets owned and duped on twitter.
Israelly Cool: Australian Foreign Minister Rips Silverstein a New One

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Islamic Jihad leader says they have no problems with Jews, but a third intifada is on the way

Sheikh Bassam Saadi, an Islamic Jihad leader recently released from prison, says that his movement has nothing against Jews.

Saadi said, "We do not hate Jews, and Jews were living among us for hundreds of years."

He goes on to say that there will be no solution except that Jews would accept to live in an Arab Palestinian state as second-class citizens "like any other sect."

As long as Jews are second-class citizens in a Muslim, happily paying their jizya and not talking about their right to national self-determination, then everything is hunky-dory!

Saadi also said that all indications point to a "third intifada on the way", and if the unity talks go nowhere, the people will take the initiative to fight against Israel.

I wonder if any of these Arabs might target those Jews that they love in this third intifada?

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Thursday links part 1

From Ian:

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NYT OpEd: Palestine’s Democratic Deficit By David Keyes

“It should come as no surprise that the Palestinian Authority is cracking down on basic freedoms. From the top down, a culture of repression reigns supreme. President Abbas’s term ended four years ago. He has clung to power as an unelected autocrat for nearly half a decade. In November, a senior adviser to Mr. Abbas, Mohammad Shtayyeh, told me that Mr. Abbas had no desire to continue ruling, but that he simply could not leave because of the divisions in Palestinian society. Suppressing criticism by resorting to a 50-year-old Jordanian law — designed to punish critics of Jordan’s monarchy when it ruled over the West Bank — has not helped burnish the questionable democratic credentials Mr. Abbas so often claims when meeting Western leaders.”

Karl Vick: Spy Fail Why Iran Is Losing Its Covert War with Israel

“Created to advance Iran’s interests clandestinely overseas, the Quds Force has lately provided mostly embarrassment, stumbling in Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Kenya and most spectacularly in Thailand, where before accidentally blowing up their Bangkok safe house, Iran’s secret agents were photographed in the sex-tourism mecca of Pattaya, one arm around a hookah, the other around a hooker. In its ongoing shadow war with Israel, the Iranian side’s lone “success” was the July 18 bombing of a Bulgarian bus carrying Israeli tourists — though European investigators last week officially attributed that attack to Iran’s Lebanese proxy, Hizballah. That leaves the Islamic Republic itself with a failure rate hovering near 100% abroad and an operational tempo — nine overseas plots uncovered in nine months — that carries a whiff of desperation. A Tehran government long branded by U.S. officials as the globe’s leading exporter of terrorism may be cornering the market on haplessness.” (h/t RK)

Member of UK Parliament's International Development Committee says British government should 'end relationship' with anti-Semite aid recipients
Pauline Latham, a member of the Department for International Development's Select Committee has responded to The Commentator's article from this week

“Pauline Latham, Member of Parliament for Mid Derbyshire said: "DfID need to be able to ascertain how exactly UKaid partners are spending our aid donations. These examples of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic vitriol from the Ma’an Network – a UKaid partner – will do nothing to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians and the British government should certainly not be funding this sort of incitement. I hope that after further investigation, the DfID will see fit to end its partnership with the Ma’an network."

British MP Asks Liberal Democrat Leader to Condemn His Party’s Anti-Semitism (VIDEO)

“Will my Honorable friend take action against those MPs who use the conflict in Israel to make inflammatory statements about Jews, and does he not realize that his party is getting a reputation, sadly, amongst some of its senior members for being hostile to Jewish people?” Halfon asked.”

Israel blamed for death of Iranian general in Lebanon
Hassan Shateri of the Revolutionary Guard assassinated by ‘Zionist mercenaries,’ news site claims

"An Iranian independent news website reported early Thursday morning that Israel killed a senior commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon.
The website, mashreghnews.ir, said Gen. Hassan Shateri was killed by “mercenaries of the Zionist regime,” but provided no details about his death. The semi-official FARS news agency confirmed the report a few hours later.
Shateri led Guard forces in Lebanon and oversaw Iranian-financed reconstruction projects there, aiding Hezbollah both financially and by training its members.
A second senior Iranian official was reported killed Wednesday in an attack on his car after he crossed from Syria into Lebanon."

'Tehran removing key intel material from Damascus'
Intelligence said to include secret agreements, minutes of meetings reports relating to Iran’s support of Hezbollah.

“Sources in the Syrian opposition claim that Iran has already begun transferring its diplomatic and intelligence archives from Syria, according to the Iraqi paper Azzaman on Monday.
The intelligence is said to include secret agreements between Tehran and Damascus, minutes of meetings of senior officials and reports relating to Iran’s support of Hezbollah from Syria.”

‘Iran tried to buy game-changing centrifuge parts’
Large order of magnetic rings from China would greatly expand the country’s nuclear enrichment capacity, Washington Post reports

“Iran attempted to purchase special magnets used for uranium enrichment, components which experts believe would enable the regime in Tehran to upgrade its centrifuges and greatly expand its nuclear program, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
Iran has been under heavy sanctions from the international community for the past few years due to its drive to acquire nuclear weapons.
Recently, the Islamic Republic sought to purchase 100,000 units of the highly specialized ring-shaped magnets, which are banned from export to the country under a number of UN resolutions, the report said.”

Russia Sends More Arms to Prop Up Syria’s Assad
Moscow is continuing its export of military hardware to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Russian government confirmed.

“We are continuing to carry out our obligations on contracts for the delivery of military hardware,” Isaikin told reporters at a news conference in Moscow, adding there were no attack weapons among the hardware, such as helicopters or planes."

Almost 1,000 Palestinians dead among 70,000 Syria death toll

UN states that death toll in Syria may be as high as 70,000, with Palestinian deaths almost 10 times higher than Hamas-Israel conflict of last year

MEMRI: Released Lebanese Terrorist Samir Al-Quntar Calls to Kill Collaborators with Israel VIDEO

Egyptian officials accused of covering up torture

Opposition suspects foul play in recent deaths of anti-government activists, which investigations attributed to accidents

Egypt Approves New Controversial Protest Law

Egypt's cabinet approves a new draft law regulating public demonstrations that is slammed by rights groups as restrictive.

Egypt's Central Bank Governor Narrowly Escapes Carjack Attack

Three masked gunmen killed the bodyguard of the Governor of Egypt’s Central Bank and stole his car on Wednesday. The driver survived.

MEMRI: Egyptian Cleric: Christian Women who Go to Tahrir Square to Get Raped Are Not Taboo

The war against Valentine's Day in South Asia
The fact that people prioritise campaigning against Valentine's Day in a part of the world with so many problems is absurd and disturbing

“It is a harmless bit of fun that can help a relationship along or even help start a new one. But it seems not everyone shares my cosy or perhaps naïve perspective.
With endemic poverty, illiteracy, corruption, poor health care and sectarian violence to deal with, one would think political and religious activists in South Asia have enough on their plates as it is. But never underestimate the twisted and illogical priorities of some. Against all the odds, certain political/religious groups in South Asia have managed to find time to organise protests against Valentine’s Day. Yes, Valentine’s Day!
Pakistan's premier Islamist agitators, Jamaat-i-Islaami, managed to organise a large protest in Peshawar, demanding that Valentine's Day be outlawed and replaced with a 'modesty day'. I'm not quite sure what people are expected to do on a modesty day in a city where most of the women already wear a burka and free-mixing of the sexes is strictly taboo. Who knows, maybe even further 'modesty' is just what that place needs in order to make progress.”

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Iran Photoshops its fighter jet

From The Telegraph:

Iran has been accused of dissembling after a picture apparently showing its latest fighter jet patrolling the skies was dismissed as a fake.


Iranian bloggers were quick to claim that the picture, which purports to show the Qaher-313 jet soaring over a snowy mountain and which was posted on Iranian site Khouz News, had been altered using PhotoShop.

The angle of the shot, as well as the reflections of light and shadows on the plane’s wings, appear uncannily similar to a publicity shot of the jet taken at its unveiling earlier this month.

The background also strongly resembles a stock image of Iran's Mt Damavand available elsewhere on the web.

No word on whether the Iranian bloggers who discovered this are in prison yet.

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Kotel plaza panorama

Using an iPhone:

It is a great feeling to come back home.

The place I live 95% of the time never feels as permanent or as natural as Israel does.

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If you enlarge the photo, you can see two things that Muslims are seething about: the refurbishing of the restrooms and tourist visiting area on the right, and the fence marking off where work is apparently being done under the wooden bridge to the Temple Mount.

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