Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Followup on South Africa hatefest at piano concert

The South Africa Jewish Report has an article by Yossi Reshef, the Israeli-born pianist whose concert was shut down by haters at Wits University earlier this month:

The sight before me on the evening of March 12, 2013 was one I will never forget. As I was trying to overcome the sound of noise, singing and vuvuzelas coming from the outside with Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Tempest” Sonata, I was already feeling quite ill from stress.

The moment the perpetrators broke in [to the hall] was somewhat of a relief; at that moment I could stop this fight knowing they had beaten me. Never before as an artist did I ever feel that I needed to fight evil and ignorance but here I was forced to confront a moment in my life where I had to face ugliness and chaos. The music stopped, chaos prevailed.

A classical pianist schedules performances months (sometimes years) in advance. This tour was planned a long time ago after months of hard work and preparation on both my side and that of the organisers.

The Israeli Embassy took no active part, but assistance was offered by Tararam, the South African/Israel Culture Fund, solely with my airfares. Anyone who knows the cost of coming to South Africa and the relatively low fees paid, would understand my gratitude when offered this assistance.

I also felt that it was important for me and for the organisers to show another side of Israel - that of culture - which is not often portrayed in the media. I was warned that there might be protests, but at no point was an “Israel Apartheid Week” (a ridiculous idea in itself, as Israel is one of the world’s finest
democracies) mentioned.

At no point was I ever asked by anyone to postpone or cancel my performances. This fact alone proves that my concerts were a mere platform on which this organised act of violence could occur.

I am a musician, not a politician. I am an Israeli (and a very proud one), but does this make me a representative of my country’s policies? The fact that in many places it is mentioned that I live in Germany (and I am very happily making music there) seems to have no relevance. Had I been living in Tel Aviv, would
that have justified any of these protests?

It is also quite obvious that the perpetrators are fully unaware of my activities which support dialogue and the peace process in the Middle East, among them my eight-year coaching of Israeli and Arab students (Palestinian, Syrian, Jordanian and so on) in the “Playing for Peace” project organised by the Apple Hill Chamber Centre in New Hampshire, USA and my concerts with an Egyptian pianist as part of the European Mozart Academy.

However, this clearly made no difference to those bent on disrupting my performances simply because I originate from Israel.

My mission as I see it, is to deal with beauty. I spend most of my waking hours trying to decipher the meaning and content of the great masterpieces, their technical solutions, and their metaphysical realm.

Interrupting with the sound of vuvuzelas at the very end of a Beethoven sonata, one of humanity’s greatest treasures, is no less than a clash of cultures. The violence and hatred seen in the perpetrators’ eyes is something I will never forget.

I feel more hurt for the many people who came to the concert than for myself. An artist can earn no greater honour than the people who display their gratitude by coming to listen to him.

And for this, in fact I am thankful.

I am thankful for all the support I received during this tour, and I want to return to this beautiful country once again to play my music.

On my concert in Stellenbosch, three days later, heavy security was put outside the hall. The demonstrators were already confronted by some of the concert-goers and the concert took place without interruption. I feel there is still hope.

There are also come details on what happened outside the Wits concert:

I have never felt so ashamed to be a Witsie tonight. The artist/pianist who lives in Berlin and carries an Israeli passport, came to Wits as one of (the Department of Music’s) scheduled concerts to give a performance in the Atrium.

Our concert organiser, Prof Malcolm Nay, acted in good faith and was assured by the acting dean, that if there were to be protests, (and it was likely that there would be), the mob would be kept behind a barrier away from the guests and audience who had paid to come and hear an international pianist of repute.

Guests and the audience arriving for the concert, were manhandled, shoved by the student protesters and utterly traumatised - some were in tears and shaking.

What values do we espouse at Wits? We talk glibly about freedom to express oneself. A protest does not mean freedom to smash windows to get into the basement, nor does it mean breaking the door to the Atrium, so that a mob can break through into the hall where a civilised classical music concert was in progress.

The music department was assured that the public and the students at the concert would be protected. A group of wellmeaning but utterly helpless security guards could not control the mob.

Our music students were traumatised by the swearing, threats and intimidations in the Atrium when the mob burst in screaming and with vuvuzelas and went berserk.

Is this the kind of freedom for which Wits stands? Is this the kind of message that Wits sends out to the public - that if we don’t like something we are entitled to disrupt and destroy it? Of course the concert had to stop. This was not a political rally - it was a concert.

As much as the students had a right to a peaceful protest, so did the concert have a right to take place.

(h/t Israel Muse)

Analysis of the apology (Zvi) (update)

From Zvi:

Erdogan is a repulsive anti-Semite, and apologizing to him because soldiers defended their own lives against violent rioters masquerading as "activists" angers me.

But I don't think that Netanyahu would have done this for no reason, or just because he was pleased by Obama's visit.

The following is speculation.

I notice that the "reconciliation" happened very late in the visit, but that it was far from spontaneous; the diplomatic push began 2 weeks ago, purportedly triggered by a letter that 89 senators sent to Erdogan after his recent anti-Semitic rant:

On March 12, 89 members of the U.S. Congress wrote a letter to Erdoğan and asked him to retract his words on Zionism, which he did not; he said he stood behind what he said but he had been misunderstood.

It seems that letter triggered the U.S. move, since the White House wanted to see its two main allies in the region work together once again as they did until the “one minute” incident in Davos in 2009.

Additional steps were taken in the background.

Turkey's foreign minister said:

I spoke with Kerry six times over the last week. We talked about the negotiations on the texts [of the apology]," he said. Davutoğlu noted that during the last week Turkey had only been in contact with U.S. officials, who mediated the final agreement before U.S. President Barack Obama's Israel visit. "We agreed that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu would call the Turkish prime minister accompanied by President Obama. Each word of the agreement has been studied. We worked on it until the morning and at noon we got a clearer picture."

Erdogan appears to have sought the approval of Hamas and Fatah before he accepted the call - which speaks volumes. Turks may well ask who is the final arbiter of Turkish foreign policy. But I won't go off on that tangent. Hurriyet:

Davutoğlu also said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called both the Hamas prime minister of Gaza and the leader of the Palestinian Authority to get their approval before accepting Israel's formal apology for the Mavi Marmara raid. He explained that the conversations took place moments before Netanyahu's call. He added that Erdoğan also called Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. "The tripartite meeting started afterward. Netanyahu began, then passed the phone to Obama. [Other sources say that it was the other way around - Zvi] I did not count the minutes, but the call lasted between 20 and 30 minutes," Davutoğlu said.

The "reconciliation" was evidently an important objective of the visit, but this has not really been acknowledged. For most of the visit, the press babbled on about the Palestinians and all but ignored Israel-Turkish relations. Even afterward, Obama almost seems to be deemphasizing the Israeli-Turkish meeting, though he is clearly pleased with it.

Which leaves me thinking about Syria, and about Iran.

In Jordan, after leaving Israel, Obama said, "I am very concerned about Syria becoming an enclave for extremism because extremists thrive in chaos, they thrive in failed states, they thrive in power vacuums."

The situation in Syria is going critical. Israel, Jordan and Turkey are Syria's neighbors. Chemical weapons are being used by the regime, and maybe by some of the rebel groups. Did Obama tell Netanyahu that a new phase has arrived, and that the only way to prevent the spread of chemical weapons among al-Nusra (closely aligned with al Qaeda in Iraq), and throughout the failed Syrian state and the region, is for Israel to work together very closely with Turkey, at the highest levels? I don't know.

Netanyahu has always been a pragmatist. He has never been the strongest-willed leader, but he does try hard to save Israeli lives. I can easily imagine him agreeing to the lesser of two evils - a formula that includes an apology for any mistakes made, as long as the soldiers are protected from revenge harassment by the Turkish state - if it might achieve something that is far more important. I can easily imagine that with really solid US guarantees, he would have been willing to pick his battles and set aside the fight with Erdogan in order to save thousands of Israeli lives.

In Jordan, Obama also indicated that he would ask Congress to provide more budget support for the kingdom, which currently houses 460,000 Syrian refugees. This is consistent with a deep concern in Washington about the civil war raging in Syria, especially if one expects the situation to grow much worse before it improves.

After meeting with the Jordanians, John Kerry will return to Israel. But he won't return to Ramallah. The president's conversation with King Abdullah concerns Syria at least as much as it concerns the Palestinians, and probably much more.

At the same time, Turkey is reaching out to the Kurds, and Abdullah Ocalan has responded.

Things are shifting in the region, some of them below the radar, and I think that meltdown of Syria lies very close to the center.

And then there is Iran.

Turkey's subsequent behavior will tell us a lot about the strategic importance of this "reconciliation." If Erdogan demonstrably ends his attacks on Israel and actively promotes cooperation, then that will tell me that Turkey views reconciliation as strategically vital. If not, then Erdogan's regime views all of this as a "political football," all speculation aside.

Bülent Yildirim of the IHH claims that the trials of the Israeli soldiers in the ICC will go ahead; but this is apparently incorrect.

Sometimes, when the risk of fire is high, you need to establish firebreaks that can prevent a conflagration from getting out of control. Obama and Netanyahu both know this. Erdogan may be thinking along the same lines.

UPDATE: See also The Daily Beast. And Foreign Affairs.

Saturday Links

From Ian:

Sarah Honig: Another Tack: Bad Jews = Good story

Hypercritical news-purveyors need to own up that their heartstrings are never tugged by the indisputably intentional murders of Israeli babies like ten-months-old Shalhevet Pass or three-months-old Hadas Fogel (and way too many others).
Israeli babies whose lives were cut short by Arab rockets, by suicide bombers, by fire-bombers, by rock hurlers, by snipers who coolly pulled the trigger or – close-up and gruesomely personal – by knife-wielding butchers, didn’t inspire tearjerker coverage about their lost smiles or their family’s grief. Their images never dominated the front pages. At most they were described as generic “Israelis” or “settlers” but never as sympathy-stimulating real individuals, with specific ages, names and faces.

David Horovitz: Obama stirs young Israelis with the passionate speech of a left-wing Zionist

The core premise of the president’s address was that if Israel only pushes harder for reconciliation, regional hostility will gradually melt. Israelis are thoroughly divided on that, and he was at rhetorical best in trying to move them

Daphne Anson: "Yesterday, Mr President, You Promised Us We Are Not Alone; Don't Be Too Late": The Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv To Barack Obama (video)

US unblocks $500 million in aid to Palestinians
State Dept. announces move on the heels of Obama’s visit to Israel, West Bank; US president asks Abbas to avoid ICC, says report

In a meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in Ramallah, however, Obama reportedly asked the Palestinian leader to refrain from turning to the International Criminal Court “for any reason,” including settlement expansion. The PA has consistently threatened to address its grievances against Israel at the Hague in recent months.

Jerusalem speech through lens of Arab media: 'Obama the sycophant'

Arab world has slightly different take on US President's Jerusalem speech, claiming he fawns over Israel and seeks to please Israeli leaders and public

Media Report Arab Heckler as Pro-Pollard Jew

When President Barack Obama was heckled during a speech to Israeli students in Jerusalem on Thursday, the U.S. media reported that the heckler was a student calling for the release of convicted spy Jonathan Pollard. On CNN, Wolf Blitzer even devoted an entire segment to the issue. However, Israeli media reported that the hecker was apparently an Israeli Arab student, shouting at Obama about the Palestinians rather than about Pollard.

Oppressed Palestinian People Too Busy Training Suicide Bombers to Train Musicians

It goes without saying that I blame Israel for this amazing musical rendition of the National Anthem. If only it wasn’t for the occupation, Abbas could have used all those billions of dollars in foreign aid to train a marching band above the level of your six-year old’s tin can orchestra.

Memri: Syrian Cleric on Hizbullah TV: I Support Blowing Up American and Israeli Targets around the World VIDEO

The systematic obliteration of Islam's cultural heritage

It's a sad reality that we can expect most Muslims to continue focusing on cartoons and YouTube videos whilst Islam's cultural heritage is systemically wiped out
A report by Jerome Taylor, that appeared in the Independent last Friday, stated:
The Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates that 95 per cent of Mecca's millennium-old buildings have been demolished in the past two decades alone. Dozens of key historical sites dating back to the birth of Islam have already been lost and there is a scramble among archaeologists and academics to try and encourage the authorities to preserve what little remains.

Selective BBC reporting on hacking of its own Twitter account

In actual fact, some of the Tweets were considerably less benign than the BBC tries to make out in this article, with one making a Helen Thomas-style suggestion that residents of Haifa should “return to Poland” and another portraying a nuclear attack on Tel Aviv.

Palestinian Authority in freefall as Abbas claims he will "sack Fayyad"
Reports have claimed that even with Obama's ringing endorsement of Abbas and Fayyad, the former is due to sack the latter due to an ongoing dispute

Meanwhile, Fatah senior leader in the Gaza Strip, Amal Hamad, described salary cuts to Fatah members in Gaza as "a disaster" with "disastrous consequences for the citizens who live in an already deteriorated economic situation."
The Washington Free Beacon reports that Abbas reportedly stopped talking to Fayyad in April 2012 after Fayyad refused to deliver a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The PA’s major donors, chief among them the United States, have long made it clear that they do not want Abbas to push Fayyad out of the government.

6 children wounded in Gaza explosion

Cause of blast still unknown, witnesses claim they saw an object fall from the sky near a house in Rafah

Hamas files complaint with Cairo over fishing ban

Mujahideen Shura Council, al-Qaeda-linked group responsible for Thursday’s rocket barrage, says Hamas arrested two of its members

Lebanese PM resigns over dispute with Hezbollah
Resignation announced just three months before planned election; Mikati says move will "pull Lebanon out of an unknown tunnel."

Mikati resigned just two hours after a cabinet meeting in which Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies blocked the creation of a supervisory body for the parliamentary vote and opposed extending the term of a senior security official.
Major General Ashraf Rifi, head of Lebanon's internal security forces, is due to retire early next month. Rifi, like Mikati, is a Sunni Muslim from Tripoli, and is distrusted by Hezbollah.

New ADL ‘World Without Hate’ Video Imagines Daniel Pearl Still Alive and Reporting (VIDEO)

Passover-themed 50,000 domino structure (video)

From Israel21c:

The Passover story has been told in a myriad of media. Two young Israelis recently gave the holiday narrative a new rendition in the form of a 50,000-strong domino chain.

(h/t Ian)

Friday Links Part 2

From Ian:

LATMA: Yonit Levy and an Israeli soldier responds to the world

Calling for Protests in Israel

If the President told young Palestinians in Ramallah to demand that the PA "take risks" in "voices louder than" the opposition, it is likely that the Fatah government of Mahmoud Abbas would fall to the more radical and more popular Hamas. After years of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic indoctrination in the schools and the general media, it is not realistic to believe that Palestinians desire what the President told Israelis to desire: "A future in which Jews, Muslims and Christians can all live in peace and greater prosperity in this Holy Land." And maybe that is why the President did not say it to the Palestinians.
President Obama, perhaps inadvertently, made the case for U.S.-Israel relations grounded in the most fundamental shared values. Israel -- like the United States -- is that rare country in which the government does not fear the protest of the people, and the people do not fear protesting.

Barry Rubin: As Obama Continues Visit, His Themes Are Confirmed

Other than wishful thinking, how does Obama think that Israel can make new big concessions and take risks in the face of radical Islamist regimes in Egypt, Tunisia, the Gaza Strip, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, and Syria? This is especially true when none of these regimes--except for Iran and to some extent the Hamas regime in Gaza—is strongly opposed by the current U.S. government?

Obama Compares Israeli-Palestinian Conflict To Disagreements Between U.S. And Canada…

Hmm, I’m having problems recalling the last time Canada fired rockets at America.

78 senators call on Obama to stand by Israel ahead of trip

More than three-fourths of the U.S. Senate have signed on to a letter urging President Obama to stand by Israel ahead of his first visit to that country as president.
The letter, spearheaded by the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), asks the president to sternly warn the Palestinians against using their new status as a United Nations observer state to take action against Israel.

Bennett on Obama’s speech: No Nation Is Occupier of its Homeland
"It's time for new, creative concepts to resolve the conflict in the Middle East."

Minister of Economy and Trade Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home), sounded a great deal less enthusiastic about the president’s speech, when he told Maariv: “Obama’s statement certainly came out of concern for Israel and out of true friendship, but we’ve seen only this morning the results of our previous withdrawal (from Gaza) in Sderot (where a missile landed on the backyard of a local home), as well as in thousands of victims over the years. It’s time for new, creative concepts to resolve the conflict in the Middle East, including the idea that a nation isn’t the occupier of its own homeland.”

Obama heckler: His speech was extremist and Zionist

The Israeli-Arab student who shouted a pro-Palestinian slogan, interrupting US President Barack Obama's speech at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on Thursday, said Friday that he had done so because he found the speech to be "extremist and Zionist."
Speaking in an interview with Channel 10, Rabia Eid said that "Obama talked about a Jewish state, and that is unacceptable to me and to the Arabs of the world."

Special Feature: The Israeli Technologies Presented to Obama
Prime Minister Netanyahu showed US President Obama a series of technological products by Israel’s high-tech industries.

The products were chosen from among proposals presented by Israel’s universities in keeping with their degree of innovation, impact on humanity and presentability. The committee forwarded its recommendations to Gil Shefer, the head of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s bureau.

US president meets Intel’s wannabe future head — an Israeli Arab, 26
On his Israel Museum visit, Obama impressed not only with the technology, but also with a program to help Arabs get hi-tech jobs

Harif was there representing Intel, as well as Maantech, the hi-tech “finishing school” for Israeli Arabs, which was developed to help them become more integrated into Israel’s hi-tech scene. Haruf told Obama all about Maantech, which helps train Israeli Arabs to interview, prepare resumes, and improve their Hebrew and English skills.

It's obvious, Cyprus should adopt the Israeli Shekel
It could be that when Syria and Lebanon settle down they too would be wise to adopt what could well become the main currency of the Eastern Med region. Think of the trade and political benefits all this would bring about

So, that's the euro and that's Cyprus. Oh, and the latest mad idea is that Russia could do the bailing out meaning that the whole house of cards is only remaining upright because it's being underwritten by Vladimir Putin's Kremlin.
Now, here's an idea that is actually grounded in sanity. Cyprus should ditch the euro and adopt the Israeli Shekel. Think about it.
It's one of the best managed currencies in the world and is already used by default by 2 or 3 million Palestinians. Another 1 million Cypriots would not make much difference.

Exhibition Looks Back On Kubrick, Legendary Director Who ‘Knew He Looked Jewish’

The films of the late Kubrick, who died in 1999 at age 70, have served as an inspiration to other renowned Jewish directors such as Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen. “Stanley Kubrick,” an exhibition running through June 30 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), is the first retrospective of the filmmaker. Developed in collaboration with the Kubrick estate, the show is getting its North American premiere in California after previously being seen in Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Brussels, Amsterdam and Melbourne.

First rabbi to enter liberated Buchenwald dies
Herschel Schachter, a former chairman of the Conference of Presidents, was 95

Rabbi Herschel Schachter, a former chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, has died.
Schachter, the first US Army chaplain to enter and participate in the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp, died Thursday. He was 95.

Today's joke from Egypt: MB is an "NGO"

From Al Ahram:

Egypt's largest Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has been officially registered as a non-governmental organisation by the ministry of social security.

The move came after a 'comprehensive' request submitted by the group on Tuesday, Minister of Social Security Nagwa Khalil told state news agency MENA on Thursday.

The Islamist group met all the requirements of law 84/2002 regulating non-governmental organisations, Khalil said.

The ministry would oversee the group's funding now it is officially registered as an NGO, asserted the minister.

Some analysts argue that the abrupt registration is in breach of the law 84/2002 that forbids NGOs from taking part in political activities, raising doubts about the transparency of the process.

So the party that effectively controls the country is an NGO.

Must help them avoid taxes.

Friday Links Part 1

From Ian:

Palestinians: We Hate You, So Please Pay Us More by Khaled Abu Toameh

The answer is simple. Palestinians badly need U.S. money. They know the U.S. will never endorse all of their demands or cut off its ties with Israel. Yet they will continue to ask for U.S. money, largely because their Arab brothers have turned their backs on them and are refusing to help.
The U.S., of course, will continue to shower hundreds of millions of dollars on the Palestinian Authority. In return, Palestinians will continue to harbor hatred for the U.S.

Douglas Murray: Somehow, I’m agreeing with Mehdi Hasan

I won’t often say this, but there is a must-read article at the Huffington Post today. Titled ‘The Sorry Truth Is That the Virus of Anti-Semitism Has Infected the British Muslim Community’ it is a reflection on the recent anti-Semitic outburst by Lord Ahmed of Rotherham. It an admirably honest piece of writing the author says:
‘It pains me to have to admit this but anti-Semitism isn’t just tolerated in some sections of the British Muslim community; it’s routine and commonplace

BBC Watch: Donnison’s ‘woman in the Ramallah street’: professional anti-Israel campaigner

The Friends School in Ramallah is of course associated with the Ramallah Quakers: significant players in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign and other operations designed to delegitimize Israel, and with close connections to Sabeel and PACBI among others. Predictably, Jon Donnison does not trouble his viewers with that information, just as he does not bother to correct or edit the hyperbolic claims made by his interviewee.

BBC glosses over terrorism yet again in Donnison ‘human interest’ puff piece

In other words, what Donnison euphemistically calls “involvement” in “bomb attacks” is actually the organization and overseeing of suicide bombings in which Israeli civilians were brutally murdered during the turbulent seven-year period between the signing of the Oslo Accords and the commencement of the Second Intifada, when rejectionist terror organisations including Hamas tried to derail the peace process.

In Ramallah, an anti-Obama demonstration turns anti-Abbas
‘The American president came here to divide Palestinians,’ a Hamas demonstrator tells The Times of Israel

Europeans and Palestinians stood around, chatting. Near them, the students chanted “O Abbas, what is wrong with you? What has Obama done to you?”
Hamas was modestly represented at the demonstration, too, with four students wearing green scarves around their shoulders.

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood says it rejects violence

Group says it is willing to hand over members to authorities for questioning over a recent assault on activists and reporters
In the incident last weekend, Brotherhood members beat protesters spray-painting graffiti outside the group’s headquarters.
Hussein refused to apologize for the assault, saying the Brotherhood will only do that if the courts find its members guilty of assault. He said the building’s guards were provoked by the protesters.

European Jihadists: The Latest Export

After his release from captivity, Cantlie expressed astonishment at the number of "disenchanted young Britons" fighting in Syria. In an account of his experience published in The Sunday Times on August 5, 2012 (site operates behind a pay wall), Cantlie wrote: "I ended up running for my life, barefoot and handcuffed, while British jihadists -- young men with south London accents -- shot to kill. They were aiming their Kalashnikovs at a British journalist, Londoner against Londoner in a rocky landscape that looked like the Scottish Highlands. Bullets kicking up dirt as I ran. A bullet through my arm, another grazing my ear. And not a Syrian in sight. This wasn't what I had expected."

Major terror attack on scale of 7/7 foiled every year in UK, police reveal
Police and MI5 are foiling a plot as big as the July 7 attacks every year, the country's second most senior terror officer has revealed.

He said the threat is constantly changing with al-Qaeda inspired Islamic extremists now plotting in smaller, harder to detect groups.
The danger is coming from an increasing number of hot spots around the world and there is also a growing threat from republican groups in Northern Ireland, who would attack mainland Britain if they could.

French Jewish Students Step Up Legal Action Against Twitter
A Jewish student group announced it will be taking further legal action against Twitter over failing to comply with court order.

"Twitter is playing the indifference card in not respecting the decision of January 24," when a Paris civil court gave the company two weeks to relinquish the requested information, said Jonathan Hayoun, president of France's Union of Jewish Students (UEJF), according to the AFP news agency.

Racist Hungarian Journalist Returns State Prize

A Hungarian television presenter, known for his anti-Semitic remarks, has handed back a prestigious state award after public outcry.

The Day the Secret Service Almost Shot Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

The intelligence brief on the apparent accident was three sentences long, and it scared the hell out of White House officials.
The agent was adjusting the side-mounted shotgun on one of the motorcade’s armored follow-up Suburbans when it discharged. “Everyone just stopped. The Iranians looked at us and we looked at the Iranians. The agent began to apologize. Ahmadinejad just turned his head and got into his car.” And that was it.

Also, Turkey's Erdoğan and the Zenith of Hypocrisy at American Thinker, somewhat relevant to today's news:

Indeed, Israel - and America, for that matter - would do history a great justice if they reminded Turkey in the strongest language possible, of the Turks' bloody crimes against their own minorities, instead of sitting back and allowing Turkey to pontificate about Israel's nonexistent "crimes against humanity." Continued silence will only strengthen bullies and thugs like Erdoğan, lend credence to his outlandish slander, and allow Turkey to continue to rewrite history in its own image.

Israel apologizes to Turkey for "operational errors" on Mavi Marmara (UPDATE)

From WSJ:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized Friday to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a raid on a Turkish flotilla ship, a move that will help restore strained ties between the countries.

The incident was a subject of talks between Mr. Netanyahu and President Barack Obama during the president's trip to Israel this week, officials said.

Senior U.S. administration officials said that Mr. Erdogan accepted the apology, describing the phone call between the two leaders as the "first step toward normalization of relations" between Turkey and Israel.

The 2010 raid killed nine passengers, and Mr. Erdogan has long sought an apology. The incident was a subject of talks between Mr. Netanyahu and President Barack Obama during the president's trip to Israel this week, officials said.

Mr. Netanyahu met Mr. Obama at the airport before he departed Israel Friday, and the Israeli prime minister placed the call to Turkey from a trailer there, speaking to Mr. Erdogan for about 30 minutes. Mr. Obama also spoke to Mr. Erdogan, officials said.

In a statement, Mr. Obama said he welcomed the call between Israeli and Turkish leaders.

"The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security," Mr. Obama said. "I am hopeful that today's exchange between the two leaders will enable them to engage in deeper cooperation on this and a range of other challenges and opportunities."

This sounds like it might have been one of the objectives of the Obama visit.

JTA reports on the Israeli statement:

"The Prime Minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life," said the statement from Netanyahu's office. "In light of the Israeli investigation into the incident, which pointed out several operational errors, Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized to the Turkish people for any errors that could have led to loss of life and agreed to complete the agreement on compensation."

....The statement concluded by saying that "The two leaders agreed to continue to work on improving the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories."

I wonder if the US arm-twisted Erdogan as well as Netanyahu.

Recently, a Turkish Red Crescent aid shipment was allowed into Gaza through Israel, in a story that the media missed.

UPDATE: From Hurriyet Daily News:

The Turkish Prime Ministry issued a statement, saying the two prime ministers had agreed to conclude agreements on compensation and non-liability over the Mavi Marmara flotilla raid, Anatolia news agency has reported.

"Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has issued his apologies on behalf of his state and the Turkish prime minister has accepted his apology in the name of the Turkish people," the statement said.

"Restrictive measures over the entrance of goods into the Palestinian Authority's territories have been lifted starting today, and this position will be maintained as long as tranquility is preserved,” the statement said.

I am not sure what exactly the last paragraph means, as the only restrictions I'm aware of are things that can make bombs and the quantities that can be physically sent through Kerem Shalom every day, something that Israel has been working to increase.

Sheikh Abu Muhammad, a Muslim Brotherhood religious leader in Egypt, today gave an antisemitic sermon.

Noting the anti-Brotherhood protests in recent days, Muhammed blamed the Jews, saying the Jews are behind the strife in Egypt, and he called for the Muslim masses not to respond to this "sedition" which would allow Jews to overthrow Egypt.

He also attacked the media and Iran for encouraging the protests and attempting to overthrow the regime.

I'm not sure if this means that the Shiites and media are Jewish or if we are just conspiring together. Maybe next week he'll explain further.

Syrian jihadists at Israel's border

From AFP:

Syrian rebels have gained ground in the Golan Heights, which is partly occupied by Israel, launching coordinated attacks in the area and in nearby Daraa province, a watchdog said on Thursday.

"It appears that the rebels launched coordinated attacks on multiple parts of the Golan, taking control of areas and villages in the province of Quneitra," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Overnight, the Observatory said, "rebels took control of the Mashati al-Khodr and Dawar Khan Arnaba regions, as well as artillery bases" after heavy fighting in Quneitra province.

"Violent clashes have also been underway since this morning in the areas of Sahem and Wadi al-Yarmuk" in Daraa province, in southern Syria, the group said.

Rebels seized an officers' club in Jaline village, "after the withdrawal of soldiers," while regime forces shelled the town of Sahem al-Jolan.

JPost adds:

Israel has long been on high – yet quiet – alert on its border with Syria, as the IDF observes the battles taking place. Contingencies the IDF is prepared to deal with include a permanent withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping force stationed in the Syria- Israel buffer zone; the peacekeepers have already ceased their patrols.

Other scenarios include coming face-to-face with radical jihadi elements across the frontier.

Groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra (“The Salvation Front”), a rebel organization set up by al-Qaida in Iraq, are among the rebels gaining ground.

Keep in mind that under the Assads, the Syrian border had been the quietest border in Israel for decades. When Syria turns jihadist, that seems unlikely to continue.

Why does Obama differentiate between Hamas and Hezbollah?

In President Obama's much-heralded speech in Jerusalem yesterday he briefly talked about both Hamas and Hezbollah - but his remarks about these two terror groups were starkly different:

When I consider Israel’s security, I think about children like Osher Twito, who I met in Sderot – children, the same age as my own daughters, who went to bed at night fearful that a rocket would land in their bedroom simply because of who they are and where they live. That’s why we’ve invested in the Iron Dome system to save countless lives – because those children deserve to sleep better at night. That’s why we have made it clear, time and again, that Israel cannot accept rocket attacks from Gaza, and have stood up for Israel’s right to defend itself. And that’s why Israel has a right to expect Hamas to renounce violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist.

I think about five Israelis who boarded a bus in Bulgaria, who were blown up because of where they came from; who were robbed of the ability to live, and love, and raise families. That’s why every country that values justice should call Hezbollah what it truly is – a terrorist organization. Because the world cannot tolerate an organization that murders innocent civilians, stockpiles rockets to shoot at cities, and supports the massacre of men, women and children in Syria.

The US still officially considers Hamas a terror group. Yet, in this speech, Hamas is considered capable of renouncing violence and recognizing Israel, while Hezbollah is considered irredeemable.

This is even more jarring because on the very same day that Obama made this distinction, the "political arm" of Hamas - not the Al Qassam Brigades, but the "pragmatic" Khaled Meshal - issued a major policy document that re-affirms Hamas' commitment to terrorism and to never accept Israeli sovereignty over a single square inch of land.

Obama is doing no one any favors by being conciliatory towards Hamas. On the contrary, he should have made it clear to Abbas that any unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas would put Fatah in the same terrorist category - because, if Obama was clear-sighted, he would know that Hamas' principles are far stronger than Fatah's quasi-acceptance of Israel is, and it is not possible for Hamas to ever change.

In fact, today is the ninth anniversary of the death of Hamas founder and master terrorist Sheikh Yassin, and the pro-Fatah media is singing his praises. If anyone is going to bend their principles in a unity agreement, it won't be Hamas.

Obama spent a lot of time talking about how important peace is to the Israeli people, as if they don't know that already. Yet his downplaying of Hamas' terrorism, indeed his refusal to call Hamas a terror group and to insist that other countries do the same, is a major reason that peace is impossible.

Evil must be called out and confronted, not accommodated and swept under the rug. Obama's asking Hamas to accept Israel is as absurd as asking Al Qaeda - or Hezbollah - to do the same.

While the president said a lot of good things, this shows that he still doesn't get it.

Thursday Links Part 2

From Ian:

The UN is objective, the Pope is Jewish and pigs can fly

The official tour of the UN building was highly revealing regarding the UN policy of “balance” and fair play. The UN guide led me through the General Assembly room, complete with its “Palestine” “country sign,” during a session. I was then led to a floor with a display of the results of violence. Some of the highlights included exhibits on landmines, nuclear conflict, and a small display on the Holocaust. The official UN guide did not mention the Holocaust exhibition, but did stop at the display titled “Palestine.” I asked her why she did not talk about the Holocaust exhibition, and she answered that it was “too controversial.” This did not stop her, and every other guide stopping and explaining the “Palestine” exhibition. This large display, on a bright orange background was full of half-truths and misconceptions. It was nothing less than crude Palestinian propaganda, which was lent a veneer of legitimacy by being part of the official UN tour.

Film on Egyptian Jews Cleared For Screening

A documentary on Egyptian Jews that had been blocked by the country's security service will screen in theaters at the end of the month, the film's director said on Wednesday.
"Jews of Egypt on the 27th of March in movie theaters. We won the war against National Security. We got the permit," wrote the director, Amir Ramses, on his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

French philosopher barred from Libya for being a Jew

Bernard-Henri Levy was to join former French president Sarkozy; Tripoli says he could have raised risk of Islamist attacks

Gazan Woman Killed In Suspected Honor Crime

Hiyam, a 23-year-old Palestinian woman, was killed at the hands of her father and brother at dawn on March 8 under the pretext of a so-called honor killing. Her mother Souad, 44, spoke with Al-Monitor at the family's home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the heart of the Gaza Strip. Looking gray with fatigue, and so worn out she could not even stand, Souad said, “They wronged my daughter Hiyam. She was my eldest daughter and the sweetest of them all. May god avenge her father and brother.”

Tough To Be Female Terrorist Ex-Con in Gaza

PA Arab women terrorists who serve time in Israeli prisons and then attempt to return to Arab society don't have it easy.
The women released from Israeli jails face difficulties in their families and within their villages once reinstated into society and returned to “normal life,” reported Ma’an, a PA news agency based in Bethlehem.
In many cases, the female ex-prisoners either become divorced or, if single, remain that way for the rest of their lives.
According to one, Wafa’a al-Bis, the women face marginalization, exclusion and degrading treatment in return for their so-called sacrifice for holy cause of jihad promoted to them since their youth.

Turkish PM doubles down on Zionism comments

Erdogan says he doesn't take back remarks that Zionism is crime against humanity, but calls uproar a "misunderstanding."
However, Prof. Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies, told The Jerusalem Post that the Turkish leader’s comments to the paper were little more than damage control.
“Erdogan’s reaction is part of a concerted effort to minimize the damage of his ‘Zionism equals crime against humanity’ statement that attracted a lot of international criticism,” he said. “He simply tries to tone down his anti-Semitism when it harms his and Turkey’s standing in the world community.”

Why is President Morsi helping Israel, not Hamas?

Washington Watch: Hamas expected Morsi to end Mubarak’s cooperation with Israel’s blockade of Gaza, but if anything the noose has tightened.
“The message Morsi sends to Hamas is ‘if you expected because I am a Muslim Brother I will share in your irresponsibility and I will bring relations with Egypt and Israel to the brink of eruption, I will not play your game,” Schueftan said. “And this message to a large [degree] is responsible for the relative tranquility we have now surrounding Gaza since the fighting.”

Jewish Delegation Receives Special Nod At Pope Francis Installation

Pope Francis opened his speech by saying he was speaking “with the permission of the diplomatic corps, the Jews who are with us and all the rest,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
Many in the Jewish community hope Pope Francis will continue the strong legacy of his predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, in strengthening Catholic-Jewish relations.

Book by pope and rabbi to be translated to English

A book on topics important to Judaism and Catholicism co-written by Pope Francis and a rabbi from Argentina will be translated into English.
“On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the 21st Century,” will be available in the United States and Canada on May 7, according to its publisher, Image Books, Reuters reported.

Bar Refaeli ad aired over army protests

Days after a high-profile row with the IDF over Bar Refaeli’s army service, the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday released a pro-Israel ad starring the international supermodel.
On Sunday, news of Refaeli’s participation in the planned PR campaign spurred IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai to write a letter urging the Foreign Ministry to consider “the negative message sent out to Israeli society by the inclusion of Bar Refaeli, who did not complete national service, as Israel’s representative in a public relations campaign.”

Making water better, molecule by molecule
Israel’s BGU will collaborate with UChicago to solve the world’s water problems using nanotechnology

Israel’s got one of the most advanced water desalination programs in the world and dozens of successful water conservation and reclamation projects. Now, cutting-edge Israeli research on water technology will make its way to American academia, as the University of Chicago and Ben-Gurion University have signed a partnership agreement to create new water production and purification technologies for deployment in regions of the globe where freshwater resources are scarce — based on nanotechnology.

A lollipop that helps you lose weight
Say goodbye to pills and hello to fortified confectionery. An Israeli company has developed candies with health benefits.

Carmit Candy Industries recently unveiled its original line of fortified confectionery products at the Natural Products Expo West industry event in the United States. The innovative lollipops, wafers and toffees are formulated to help shed pounds, boost the immune system and promote bone health.
“Healthier food, and the importance that diet has on health, is a major consumer trend for many years,” says CEO Steve Grun.

Celebrating Passover with 50,000 dominos
Pyramids came tumbling down in Israel’s record-breaking domino chain, set up in Beersheva.

The Passover story has been told in a myriad of media. Two young Israelis recently gave the holiday narrative a new rendition in the form of a 50,000-strong domino chain.
It took Ben-Gurion University of the Negev mathematics student Yogev Levy and his friend Nissim Lopaz, a manager at a Jerusalem bike shop, 72 hours to set up the enormous Passover tableau in the lobby of the Samuel and Milada Ayrton University Center in Beersheva.

Major report released on anti-semitism in Facebook

The Online Hate Prevention Institute released a major new report into antisemitism on Facebook to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which is today.

There are some stunning examples in the report of truly vile anti-semitic imagery in Facebook. Many have been removed by Facebook but only when they saw an advanced version of this report or saw mention of the offending items in the media, but they had previously responded that it didn't violate their standards. Here is one example that was only deleted after publicity:

Others are still on Facebook:

The report argues that Facebook is using a very narrow definition of anti-semitism, allowing many hateful cartoons and memes to be published there.

Here is the full report:

Recognizing Hate Speech: Antisemitism on Facebook by Andre Oboler

The Elder of Ziyon Haggadah - still free to download!

A few years ago I grabbed a bunch of Haggadah commentaries online, mostly on the theme of redemption and Zionism, and formatted them into this, the Elder of Ziyon Haggadah:

Elder of Ziyon Haggadah 5769

A couple of thousand people had downloaded it but I just put it up on Scribd so you can browse through it without downloading the whole thing. But it looks good printed in color and bound.

Enjoy!

Thursday Links Part 1

From Ian:

Israeli Apartheid Week Project Shows True State of Israel’s Arabs

The Mida information and news site asked its readers to document incidents of discrimination, segregation, humiliation and exclusion of Arabs from Israeli public life.
The findings were staggering and proved that the claims heard internationally against Israel are no more than a farce.

Local Arabs who used the buses have praised the new service. Chaim Levinson, a Haaretz reporter, writes that thanks to this reform, thousands of workers who were previously exploited by private services have finally received professional and orderly services provided by the State of Israel.
Levinson interviewed Halil, a construction worker from Hevron, who was once forced to sleep away from home to get on time to his job. The new bus service enables him to sleep at home and saves him a large sum of money every month.

Jewish Anti-Semites Finally Come Out of the Closet

There you have it, Israel is more evil than the former white South African regime. Is it possible that Israel’s attacks on Gaza had something to do with the fact that Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, has in its official charter an exhortation to kill Jews and destroy the State of Israel? Did it have anything to do with the fact that Palestinians fired more than 2000 rockets from Gaza into Israel in 2012? When asked about the rocket attacks, Ehrenreich replied: “Rockets? What rockets? I don’t see any rockets. Do you see any rockets?”

My Conversation With J Street’s Jeremy Ben-Ami by Roz Rothstein is the CEO of StandWithUs.

Looking back at the evening’s discussion, I am saddened that Mr. Ben-Ami insists that he and J Street are helping Israel, when in reality the actions of his organization are only hurting Israel and the advancement of peace. While we all wish for a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, J Street’s work only emboldens Palestinians to continue their history of rejectionism and incitement. J Street encourages Palestinian refusal to return to negotiations because it does not require any accountability from them and does not seek to change hateful attitudes towards Israel—both of which are prerequisites for a lasting peace.

Obama in Israel Says He is in ‘Historic Homeland of the Jewish People’

Obama said, “More than 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people lived here, tended the land here, prayed to God here. And after centuries of exile and persecution, unparalleled in the history of man, the founding of the Jewish state of Israel, was a rebirth, a redemption, unlike any in history. Today, the sons of Abraham and the daughters of Sarah are fulfilling the dream of the ages: to be masters of their own fate in their own sovereign state. Just as we have for these past 65 years, the United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend.”

Honest Reporting: Five Media Spins to Watch for During Obama Visit

While most media reports ahead of the visit noted the Obama administration’s desire to “reboot” relations between the US and Israel, there are a number of issues that often come up whenever some of media report on Israel in the diplomatic arena.
The following are five of the main media spins to watch for in coverage of the Obama visit.

Large Arab Anti-Obama Protest as President Goes to Ramallah

As U.S. President Obama arrived in Ramallah for talks with PA officials, Arabs staged a large anti-Obama demonstration.
Israel Television reporter Yoram Cohen said that the demonstrators shouts could be heard at the site where PA chief Mahmoud Abbas greeted Obama and his entourage, who had arrived from Jerusalem by helicopter.

PA Official: 'Obama Not Wanted in Ramallah'

PA Arabs are not happy that U.S. President Barack H. Obama is paying Ramallah a visit Thursday
“Obama is not wanted here,” said Rassam al-Massry, a top PA official and an organizer of protests against the President's visit. “He declared that he will not pressure Israel to return to negotiations, and he thwarts every attempt by the Palestinians to condemn Israel in the UN,” he said.

BBC opens comments on Obama visit article, quotes flotilla organiser

Sharp-eyed readers will also notice that the BBC’s article quotes Huwaida Arraf, describing her as a “demonstrator”.
The article fails to point out to BBC audiences that Huwaida Arraf is one of the founders and leaders of the ‘International Solidarity Movement’ (ISM) and the flotilla-organising ‘Free Gaza Movement’, both of which provide support to Hamas, and who was an active participant in the ISM support group to the Palestinian terrorists who took over the Church of the Nativity in 2002.

While Obama’s on Tour, Congress Sends Tough Love to PA

This proposed legislation requires several things of the Palestinian Authority without which it will not receive certain U.S. benefits including significant financial aid and the privilege of being referred to as anything other than "the areas controlled by the Palestinian
Those actions which the PA will be expected to do and to cease doing include: end government corruption, regularly condemn terrorism, confiscate unauthorized weapons, bring terrorists to justice, end incitement to violence and hatred in PA media, schools, mosques, cease all boycotts of Israel, conducts diplomatic relations with Israel just as it does with any other country, and refuse to co-govern with Hamas. The Accountability Act also directs that “no United States document may refer to the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority as ‘Palestine’ until the secretary of state has certified to congress” that the foregoing conditions have been met.

Egyptian leaders fear ‘Muslim Brotherhoodization'

Egyptian military academy director Maj.-Gen Esmat Murad revealed that students affiliated with Islamist political factions have been accepted into the academy, according to a report on Wednesday in the London-based daily Asharq al-Awsat. This includes Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s nephew.
Murad told a press conference on Tuesday that the academy’s graduating class includes 109 members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egypt judges recommend dissolution of Brotherhood

Legality of President Morsi’s party has been the subject of a lengthy dispute

Ex-Hezbollah member leads movement against terror group

Hezbollah's Shiite policies and involvement in Syrian crisis raises outcry in Lebanon; new movement from group's stronghold presents national alternative

Cyprus criminal court convicts Hezbollah member

His conviction is the first time that a Hezbollah member has been found guilty of criminal activity with respect to the targeting of Israeli citizens in a European court.
Yaacoub faces eight charges in the criminal court in the city of Limassol. The court is slated to sentence him on March 28.