Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Israeli director gets attacked by Arabs at France film festival

Yariv Horowitz, who directed the film "Rock the Casbah" is currently being featured at a film festival in France, was attacked by a group of Arab youths while winning the best film award.

Horowitz, who represents Israel and directed the film festival "Aoviin" held European country, was attacked immediately after the screening of the film in place by a group of Arab youths. The director lost consciousness, was treated there and after recovering from the blows he received, he returned to the festival area in good condition.

After the violent incident, which apparently was racially motivated, Horowitz's film won the Special Prize of the Jury for Best Picture.

The film "Rock the Casbah" follows the story of young soldiers in the first intifada in Gaza, wh0 are stationed on the roof of a Palestinian family whose son is involved in the murder of one of their battalion.

Here is the trailer to the film:

The film is apparently critical of the IDF but it is not one-sided. Horowitz told Ha'aretz recently:

"It happened there, on the roof, when I was a 19-year-old child in a combat helmet and protective vest," Horowitz says. He starting thinking about the enormous amount of restraint it took for the soldiers to cope with the spitting and the cursing, the rocks and the concrete. "What you want most at that moment is to bash them in the face with your rifle butt," he says. "But in most cases the soldiers didn't do that, at least not near me, perhaps in part because I was holding a camera."

"I went up on the roof and I said to myself, it's absurd, this story must be told from the inside. It cannot be the case that 19-year-olds are being asked to make split-second decisions that the Supreme Court could take months to decide ... whether or not to shoot, to shove, to use 'moderate physical force' or immoderate force. If a child throws a concrete block on them, for example, and flees into some home, they have to decide quickly whether or not they're allowed to force open the door or not, whether it's legal or not. I saw some [soldiers] who broke in without thinking, but others who held themselves back and didn't. These are difficult ethical decisions that can stay with them for years to come."

(h/t Kramerica)

Cardboard Chanukiah cutout causes consternation among Muslims

Multiple Muslim and Arab sources are reporting about a cardboard cut-out found on the Temple Mount:

A closer look:

The Al Aqsa Foundation condemned the cut-out, saying "This incident is a serious incident and has its symbolism, and such practices indicate that the Israeli occupation is involved in the implementation of schemes aimed at al-Aqsa mosque, and is trying to impose a fait accompli by placing multiple pictures in the al-Aqsa mosque." It also mentioned the "Talmudic rituals" that "settlers" often engage in.

Notice that this part of the Mount is strewn with debris from previous Waqf destruction of structures there. I documented some of that in my video tour of the area. The part pictured here seems to be from about the 14 minute mark of the tour.

The cut-out doesn't even depict the Temple Menorah, which had seven branches, but rather a Chanukah menorah, which has nine.

Maariv reports that Israel has established a field hospital at the Syrian border in the Golan to treat people
injured in the Syrian civil war who ask for help.

As of last month, at least eleven Syrians have been treated by Israel; eight have returned to Syria. A couple of others could not be saved.

Israeli authorities anticipate an increase in injured Syrians seeking help in coming months.

(h/t Avi Mayer, who wrote an article that addressed Israel's desire to help people no matter who they are.)

Passover blood libel in Hanan Ashrawi's "Miftah" website (UPDATE)

Miftah describes itself this way:

Established in Jerusalem in December 1998, with Hanan Ashrawi as its Secretary-General, MIFTAH seeks to promote the principles of democracy and good governance within various components of Palestinian society; it further seeks to engage local and international public opinion and official circles on the Palestinian cause. To that end, MIFTAH adopts the mechanisms of an active and in-depth dialogue, the free flow of information and ideas, as well as local and international networking.

Hanan Ashrawi, a darling in the Western media, remains the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Miftah.

In Miftah's Arabic edition there is an article railing against President Obama's speech to Israeli students. But one part of the speech particularly raised the ire of the author, Nawaf al-Zaru.

Obama said:

I also know that I come to Israel on the eve of a sacred holiday – the celebration of Passover. And that is where I would like to begin today. Just a few days from now, Jews here in Israel and around the world will sit with family and friends at the Seder table, and celebrate with songs, wine and symbolic foods. After enjoying Seders with family and friends in Chicago and on the campaign trail, I’m proud to have brought this tradition into the White House. I did so because I wanted my daughters to experience the Haggadah, and the story at the center of Passover that makes this time of year so powerful.

It is a story of centuries of slavery, and years of wandering in the desert; a story of perseverance amidst persecution, and faith in God and the Torah. It is a story about finding freedom in your own land. For the Jewish people, this story is central to who you have become.

Al-Zaru asks:

Does Obama in fact know the relationship, for example, between "Passover" and "Christian blood" ..?!
Or "Passover" and "Jewish blood rituals..?!
Much of the chatter and gossip about historical Jewish blood rituals in Europe are real and not fake as they claim; the Jews used the blood of Christians in the Jewish Passover ...

He then quotes a 2007 Haaretz article on a book by a Bar-Ilan University professor that bizarrely claimed that a few blood libels could have had a basis in fact, without noting that the same professor recanted those claims a year later.

The upshot is that a journal run by "moderate" Hanan Ashrawi is pushing the Passover blood libel, and you will be hard pressed to find a "moderate" Arab condemning this article. I couldn't.

Unfortunately, CNN won't think to ask her about this the next time they trot her out on TV.

UPDATE: NGO Monitor has this about Miftah:

Funding: Donors include the Anna Lindh Foundation (funding from the EU), Ford Foundation, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Austria, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Heinrich Boell Stiftung, UNFPA, Konard Adenauer Stiftung. In 2009, Miftah’s budget was $891,685.

The financial support from Anna Lindh and Ford Foundation, as well as previous funding from the EU, is for a joint project with Israeli NGO “Keshev,” “which aims to improve media discourse in both Palestinian and Israeli media through monitoring, research, advocacy and lobbying activities.”

UPDATE 2: The article has been taken down.

Of course, I have screenshots of both the original Arabic and the English auto-translation. Click to enlarge.

UPDATE 3: I have an update here.

UPDATE 4 :MEMRI translated the article, which was published elsewhere. If anything, it is even worse than what I wrote.

Latest Pallywood

Aussie Dave at Israellycool caught this egregious example of Palestinian Arab child play-acting a few days ago:

At the beginning of the video, a few kids are walking normally. Then at 0:05, one complains about his leg. A few seconds later, and the three kids are standing around, seemingly quite relaxed. Then the previously complaining kid – standing on the right - points to his right leg. At 0:14 he slides to the ground, sobbing.

Fast forward to 1:03, where the middle kid, who has been fine until now, seemingly starts to cry. Then at 1:45, the kid who complained about his leg seems to be walking normally. But at 1:48 – presto! He’s limping. Then at 1:54 he’s lying on the ground. Thirty seconds later in the ambulance, he’s getting his right arm (not leg) - seemingly fine until now – bandaged.

Notice also how the video description claims the kids were beaten, but this is never shown on the video.

Based on previous experiences with Pallywood, I strongly suspect that is what we see in the video. The kid seem fine and then seem to be hamming it up for the camera, only to forget himself when he is walking. In the ambulance, the medic, perhaps unaware of what ailment the kid was pretending to be suffering – goes for the photo opportunity and bandages his arm!

All the world might not be a stage, but Palestinian Arab territories sure seem to be.

Bahrain declares Hezbollah a terror group

While the EU can't quite figure it out....

Bahraini lawmakers voted on Tuesday to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization, the Lebanese news outlet Now Lebanon reported.

The parliament in Manama voted unanimously to pass the bill, which had been presented by 30 MPs. It now moves to the Bahraini cabinet for a vote.

“It is time we join the world in outlawing this group, which has terrorized the region enough and has been instrumental in spreading evil among us,” said lawmaker Shaikh Jassim Al Saeedi, who has been one of those at the forefront of the legislation, Bahrain’s Gulf Daily News website said on Wednesday.

The Bahraini daily Akhbar Al Khaleej stated that the bill cites Hezbollah as having sought to destabilize Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, and accuses it of murdering innocent civilians in Syria in order to support the regime of the beleaguered Bashar Assad.

Then again....

Bahrain blacklisted Hezbollah on Tuesday; for the wrong reasons.

MP Khaled Abdul Aal summed it up very well on CNN: “It is because Hezbollah is Shiite, despite being a resistance against Israel.”

No wonder. The Arab Spring also awakened the Shiite majority of Bahrain. Rallies have been held across the tiny Gulf Island asking for a transitional government and the prime minister, who has been running the small country since 1974, to step down.

Human rights organizations reported that police regularly use violence against protesters and even the medical personnel who treat the wounded. More than 80 people have died since the pro-democracy protests erupted in February 2011.

Wednesday Links

From Ian:

IDF Soldiers Wish You A Happy Passover!

Palestinians Impose Severe Restrictions on Foreign Media by Khaled Abu Toameh

It's official: the Palestinian Authority does not want foreign journalists to work in territories under its control in the West Bank unless they receive permission in advance from the Palestinian Ministry of Information.
The decision was taken earlier this week by the Palestinian Ministry of Information and the Palestinian Journalist's Syndicate -- a body controlled by Fatah-affiliated journalists.

Another 'Pallywood' propaganda fail as boy with hurt leg gets arm bandaged

Regardless of that, the ending of the video is somewhat bemusing. A boy who has been complaining about his leg and his stomach for the entire video somehow ends up in an arm sling in an ambulance. Very odd - and reminds us of the epic Pallywood propaganda fail in November last year.

Palestinian 'journalist' calls Obama 'Uncle Tom'

Imagine the furore if anyone else had attacked a black president with such a heinous racial slur...

Caroline Glick: The Meaning and Consequences of Israel’s Apology to Turkey

On Saturday, the Arab League convened in Doha, Qatar and discussed Israel’s apology to Turkey and its ramifications for pan-Arab policy. The Arab League member states considered the prospect of demanding similar apologies for its military operations in Lebanon, Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

Ankara billboard thanks Erdogan for Netanyahu apology

Turkish authorities have been quick to design and post billboards thanking their prime minister for the "pride" experienced after Israel's apology

Erdogan: Homosexuality ‘contrary to Islam’

Speaking in the Netherlands, Turkish PM fiercely objected to Dutch lesbian couple adopting a nine-year-old Turkish boy.

Morsi issues ominous warning to Egypt opposition

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi threatened on Sunday to take unspecified steps to "protect this nation" after violent demonstrations against his Muslim Brotherhood, using vague but severe language that the opposition said heralded a crackdown.

Settlers give pre-Passover bread to nearby Palestinians

3rd year of symbolic goodwill program; ‘why burn good bread when you can distribute it to your neighbors?’ asks Yaki Fried from the settlement of Ofra

Egyptian Jews record more recent ‘second Exodus’

Fearing new Islamist leaders are trying to blot out their history, authors of a new book compile their own story

Imagine a land where even one Jew is one Jew too many

There will be no Passover Seder in Libya tonight.

IDF Blog: A 21st Century Exodus: Dina’s Journey From Alexandria to Jerusalem

PASSOVER INTERVIEW: Dina Ovadia has come a long way from her childhood in an Arab country, with no knowledge of her Jewish heritage. Today, she serves in the IDF. There are Cinderella stories and there’s the Passover Haggadah – but Dina’s story is a bit of both.

Chag sameach!

I wish all of my readers a wonderful and meaningful Passover holiday!

I will not be blogging until at least Wednesday night.

Some historic Haggadah maror trivia

The Seforim Blog had a fascinating article last year about the illustrations in old Haggadahs.

One is that the maror, or bitter herb, was identified as an artichoke in some ancient illuminated Haggadahs:

Sarajevo Haggadah

Brother to the Rylands Haggadah

But this part is mind-blowing. Quote:

Setting aside the issue of what marror is, another custom related to marror can be found in both printed and manuscript haggadot. In the Prague, 1526, the first illustrated printed haggadah, there is a picture of a man pointing at his wife with the legend, “there is a custom that a man points to his wife when mentioning marror based upon the verse Ecclesiastes 7:26 “Now I find woman more bitter than death.”

A.Y. Hyman the scholar of Jewish liturgy was appalled when he came across this. In his autobiography, he claims that there is no basis whatsoever for this “custom.” Hyman is wrong.[5] If you look at the Brother to the Rylands Haggadah you can see that it shows this custom. As does the Washington Haggadah.

Likewise, the Rothschild Miscellany shows the same custom.

It’s worth noting that the Rothschild Miscellany shows another custom at the time, mid-14th century, that of mixed dancing.

The mixed dancing is that of couples, husband and wives dancing with each other, and not that of unmarried men and women dancing[6] In Italy, where this manuscript was composed, mixed dancing was apparently common during this period.[7]

Returning to the gesturing at one’s wife at marror, in the Hiluq and Biluq Haggadah this custom takes on a somewhat more humorous dialogue with the wife no longer passive but instead returns the compliment. In that haggadah it includes speech balloons and they record the following: The husband states “touching marror I must recall that this one, too is bitter [as gall].” To which the wife replies, “It is you [my husband] is one of the causes of bitterness as well.” After which, we have a play on the 13 attributes of Rabbi Yishmael and the haggadah provides that “the third comes between them [perhaps the marror itself] and makes a stink” - or in Hebrew ve-yavo ha-shlishei ve-yakhriach benehem.[8]

It is a really great read, and the comments (questioning the artichoke issue, for example) are illuminating as well (pardon the pun.)

Virtual underage prostitution for Syrian refugee daughters

From The Star (Toronto):

Um Majed sets down small cups of hot Turkish coffee to ease the tension. Nezar is a Syrian refugee and looking for a husband for her daughter. She lists the girl’s qualities.

“She is tall and pretty,” she tells Um Majed. “She finished the seventh grade.”

“There is one available. He is Saudi,” Um Majed answers.

This is what Nezar wants to hear. Saudis, flush with petrodollars, will pay well. She has high hopes for this Saudi.

So does Um Majed who will earn a $287 fee if the two sides agree to the match.

..Nezar too was a homemaker in Homs who arrived in Jordan last year. Her husband was a taxi driver but he can no longer work because he has a heart condition. Her son is badly injured.

Her daughter Aya is their best hope.

“My daughter is willing to sacrifice herself for her family,” Nezar says. “If the war had not happened I would not marry my daughter to a Saudi. But the Syrians here are poor and have no money.”

Nezar’s daughter is 17. The Saudi groom is 70.

...Grasping for the security of a husband and home, hundreds of girls are being sold into early marriage. These are undoubtedly forced marriages but the truth has several shades of grey: some mothers believe they are protecting their daughters from further hardship and violence, others are desperate to pay the bills. Yet their voices are rarely heard because their lives are lived behind closed doors, their private tragedies not shared with outsiders.

“If you see how Syrians here live you will see why they marry their daughters to whoever will take them,” Um Majed says. “People are poor and they will do anything to pay the rent.”

The surplus of desperate Syrian refugees means marriage has become a buyer’s market with some grooms offering as little as $100 cash for a bride.

The legal age of marriage in Jordan is 18 but some religious clerics will marry underage girls for a small fee. This puts the girls at even greater risk for exploitation because some of Um Majed’s clients want a temporary union lasting a few weeks or months after which the girl is returned to her parents.

In other words, it is religiously sanctioned prostitution.

“One of my brides has been married three, four times,” Um Majed says. “She is 15.”

...“I have 10 families looking for grooms,” she says. “Their girls are between 12 and 21. The grooms are always in their 40s, 50s, or 70s. They want beautiful girls, the younger the better.”

She pauses and takes a drag of the cigarette.

“The Saudis usually ask for 12-year-olds.”

(h/t PMB)

Monday Links Part 2

From Ian:

Isi Leibler: Candidly Speaking: Obama’s visit to Israel
Obama irritated many Israelis by referring to Palestinian suffering without relating it to terrorism and incitement, as well as by praising the PA as a genuine peace partner.

In the short term, a peace settlement remains a mirage. However, transitory agreements can be implemented which would improve the relationship between Palestinians and Israelis.
The new Israeli government is in an ideal position to move in this direction.
If instead of pressuring Israel to commit to final borders or make further unilateral concessions, the Obama administration endorsed its efforts to create interim or partial agreements providing the Palestinians with improved quality of life, this would represent considerable progress. Over time, it may even encourage the emergence of a moderate Palestinian leadership willing to negotiate towards a comprehensive peace settlement.

Forget the Smiles: U.S. and Israel Still Divided on Iran

This, then, is the new public American-Israeli stance. The US will not let Iran go nuclear, but is willing to let its sanctions experiment play out, while Israel, because of its more limited strike capabilities, cannot wait much longer before it loses the ability to act.
Because Israel's core defense doctrine is based on the principle of never entrusting the Jewish people's fate to others – even the best of allies - Israel may go it alone, with American approval, if Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei does not freeze his nuclear program soon.

Blood Libel Alive and Well in the Muslim World
Unfortunately, the “matzah blood libel” is alive and well, says Prof. Moshe Sharon of Hebrew University.

One of the reasons Arabs can get away with this is because Israel allows them to, said Sharon. “If we were a country that was sensitive to issues of honor, as the Muslim states are, we would demand an apology for such propaganda” as a precondition for any negotiations. “When the Palestinians talk about the IDF killing Arab children, it is the theme of the blood libel they have in mind, and it is that image they want to convey to Europe,” he added. “The fact that there have not been any pogroms in the Muslim world over blood libel accusations is because of Israel's military strength. If Israel was not perceived of as a formidable force in the Middle East, such pogroms would spread like wildfire,” he said.

Does the BBC’s Mardell think the language spoken in Israel is called “Israeli”?

Mardell spends a considerable part of the article advancing his own rather flowery interpretations – psychological and otherwise – of Obama’s words and actions during the trip, but one rather bizarre sentence stands out.
“Before the visit, several American commentators urged him to learn to speak Israeli – now his fluency is almost frightening.” [emphasis added]

5 suspects arrested over Ariel attack

Palestinians from nearby town of Kifel Hares arrested in connection with stone throwing attack that left Adele, 3, in critical condition, six others moderately wounded

Hamas Sentences Man to Death for Spying for Israel

Gaza’s Hamas terrorist rulers have sentenced a man to death for collaborating with Israel.
A statement on Sunday by Gaza’s Interior Ministry, translated by Arab affairs expert Dalit Halevi, had said that a military court had sentenced the man to death by strangulation. He was, according to the statement, convicted of providing information to “hostile elements” in Israel.

Monument with ‘Palestine’ replacing Israel was hidden from Obama
Palestinian authorities in Bethlehem removed ‘State Monument,’ put peace dove in its stead, three days before president came to pray at Church of the Nativity

The Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah first reported the removal of the map — commemorating the successful UN bid for non-member status last November, and “the outbreak of the glorious revolution” in 1965, a reference to the first PLO/Fatah terror attack against Israel – on March 19. Obama visited the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem three days later.

Rome Jewish leader compares politician to Hitler

Rome Jewish community president Riccardo Pacifici provoked an uproar by comparing comic-turned-politician Beppe Grillo to Hitler, saying Grillo’s new party is “more dangerous” than the fascists and that Italian Jews should pack their bags.
Grillo’s Five Star Movement, or M5S, a protest party without a unified agenda, won about 25 percent of the vote in last month’s general elections. Both Grillo and some of its members have been quoted as making anti-Semitic or anti-Israel statements.

Israel Daily Picture: The Jewish Legion Celebrates Passover in Palestine in World War I

The British army captured Jerusalem from the Turks in December 1917 and continued their Palestine campaign for another year until the capture of Damascus. Meanwhile, the Jewish Legion, consisting of Jewish volunteers, sat in Cairo chafing at the bit to join the fight in Palestine. They finally joined Allenby's forces in June 1918 and fought against the Turks in the Jordan River Valley.
The Jewish battalions of the Jewish Legion were manned by volunteers from Palestine, Europe, the United States and Canada, soldiers stirred by the call to action by Zionist leaders Zev Jabotinsky and Yosef Trumpeldor. Colonel John Henry Patterson, the unit's first commanding officer, described the Legion:

Muslims have more "proof" the Star of David was "stolen" from them

A few months ago I reported that Egyptian "antiquities expert" Dr. Rahim Rihan claimed that the Star of David was originally a Muslim symbol but the Jews stole it - in the 17th century.

Al Fajer TV and other Arab media report that Rihan has added to his theory, saying that Saladin used the six-pointed star in a castle in Ras Sudr 230 kilometers from Cairo:

Saladin lived in the 12th century.

The funny part is that some of the other Arab media that picked up this story, like Raya.ps, illustrated it with this star:

Which is, as I had previously pointed out, the front of the Leningrad Codex Hebrew Bible - which predates Saladin by 150 years!

However, another site has scientific proof that the star really originates from the Mahdi. I cannot say I understand the proof, but apparently if you write some Arabic letters (I think Mohammed with an extra M) in a circle in a certain way, they sort of make something approaching what might slightly resemble a six pointed star if the lighting is bad. Here is the proof in black and white:

See? it is so obvious!

It is endlessly amusing that people who claim that Jews are stealing their culture are so obsessed with, well, stealing the culture of Jews.

Monday Links Part 1

From Ian:

David Frum: Israeli-Palestinian dispute is an inescapably local matter — not some master-key to world peace

Here’s the problem in its truest form. The Palestinian problem is not a problem about the region or about coexistence between Muslims and the West. It’s a problem that raises the question of the kind of country Israel will be in future — and about the security and prosperity of the people who live in Israel’s immediate vicinity.
As for the problem that truly threatens regional security — the security of Israelis and Arabs alike — that is the Iranian nuclear threat. About that, President Obama again spoke unambiguously: “I do believe that all of us have an interest in resolving this issue peacefully. [But] I’ve made the position of the United States of America clear. Iran must not get a nuclear weapon. … America will do what we must to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.”
That’s the sound bite to remember from this visit. It’s the pledge by which President Obama’s Middle East policy will ultimately be judged.

Michael Totten: Lebanon's Pro-Hezbollah Government Collapses

He has indeed proved his skeptics wrong. He also proved Hezbollah wrong since they thought they could use him.
And they couldn’t.
Now the country is without a government. Mikati has called for a “caretaker government” to take over until the next elections are held. Maybe Lebanon will get one and maybe it won’t. Either way, the country is closer now to collapse than it has been at any time since the civil war ended. (h/t Zvi)

Unrepentant: The Guardian’s latest Mavi Marmara propaganda

The selectively edited clip of the incident (as with the subsequent text by Sherwood and MacAskill) would leave the reader unaware that Israeli soldiers, who were enforcing a legal blockade against Hamas, were ambushed by terror-abetting activists determined to instigate a bloody confrontation. The video, as with the Guardian’s coverage of the incident and it’s aftermath, more resembles the propaganda of pro-flotilla activists than anything approaching serious journalism.

Ex navy chief skeptical of Israel apology to Turkey

"I'm not sure that the apology will be worthwhile for Israel... I don't think that tomorrow morning relations between us and Turkey will go back to what they were," he added.
"It's very important for soldiers to receive backing before, during, and after operations," the ex-Navy commander said.
Israel's naval blockade of Gaza is in line with international law, and is aimed at preventing arms shipments to terror organizations, Marom pointed out. "The Turkish government and other elements, despite requests by me... and government officials, preferred to let the IHH - a terrorist organization that is accused of supporting Al-Qaida in Turkey itself - it allowed a flotilla of hate for Israel [to proceed]," Marom added. "They attacked us."

Erdogan Says Gaza Blockade Must Be Lifted Before Full Normalization With Israel

Erdogan had accepted Netanyahu’s apology and told the Israeli leader that he would begin working towards full restoration of ties.
But in a public address following the apology, Erdogan called on more concessions from Israel before full relations could be restored. The Turkish leader said “there will be no normalization” without financial compensation for the flotilla incident from Israel as well as the lifting of the Gaza blockade, the Associated Press reported.

Arab League reportedly gives Syria’s seat to rebels
Official says vacant seat to go to opposition delegate ahead of Tuesday meeting; FSA’s Colonel Riad al-Asaad wounded in Syria

The Arab League transferred the Syrian seat in its 22-member bloc to the Syrian opposition, an Arab official told AFP on Monday, ahead of a scheduled meeting in Doha on Tuesday.
The move represents a blow to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose seat has been vacant since its suspension in November 2011, several months after the unrest in the country began.

Syrian Jihadist Rebels Seize Jordan-Israeli Buffer Zone
Syrian rebel forces have seized a 25-kilometer (15 mile) buffer zone stretching from the Jordanian border to the Golan Heights.

“The fighters seized the site after regime forces retreated,” the statement continued. “The 25-kilometer area located between the towns of Muzrib (near the Jordanian border) and Abdin (in the Golan Heights) is now out of regime control,” AFP reported.

Mubarak May be Freed from Jail in 3 Weeks

If prosecution does not resubmit charges regarding Tahrir Square killings, Mubarak will go free.

German neo-Nazi cell bigger than thought

According to a report in the Bild newspaper on Sunday, security officials have compiled a list of 129 people who are suspected of helping the group, accused of murdering eight ethnic Turks, a Greek and a policewoman between 2000 and 2007.

Precedent Chavez: What the future looks like for the Jews of Venezuela

Far from the elation that some may have thought would occur after the demise of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's vulnerable communities have been left with a sense of trepidation following the strong-arming of the country by his succesor, Nicolas Maduro.
Chavez may be gone, but the Jews of Venezuela are apparently not resting any easier.
Just this weekend, incidents of anti-Semitism were reported after grafitti was found scrawled on the walls and doors in the San Bernadino section of Caracas, the country's capital city. The graffiti contained messages such as “Jews are murderers, Jews out,” and several comments that implied that it was the Jews who were responsible for the death of Chavez.

A topical Haggadah 'vort'

From YU's Pesach-to-Go compilation of divrei-Torah, with Rabbi Michael Taubes discussing some of the insights of Rav Soloveitchik on the Haggadah:

[If the Holy One had not taken our ancestors out of Egypt, we, our children and our grandchildren] משועבדים היינו -..would still be enslaved [to Pharaoh in Egypt]

The Ba’al HaHaggadah [author of the Haggdah] states that had G-d not taken us out of Egypt, we and all of our descendants would have remained “meshubadim,” “enslaved” to Pharaoh. Is it not possible, however, that somewhere along the line, one of the Pharaohs might have released the Jewish slaves on his own, as indeed happened on other occasions in history in other places?

The answer is that had that happened, we might indeed have been politically free as a nation, but we would have owed a constant debt of gratitude to whichever Pharaoh it would have been who set us free. In that sense, we would never be able to become completely independent. This explains why the word used here is “meshubadim,” “enslaved,” and not “avadim,” “slaves”—we indeed would not have been slaves, but we would have been enslaved, in the sense of indebted, to Pharaoh.

This is my problem with US policy on Israel.

Certainly, the President said all the right things on his trip last week. Certainly, the US has increased its spending on helping Israel defend itself. But there are always strings attached; in this case the idea that Iron Dome and Patriot missile batteries and other defense systems will help Israel decide not to be pro-active in eliminating threats to her security.

Not to blame the US - it is acting in its self-interest, as any nation should. And the carrot is much more tasty than the stick. But there is an element of gratitude and reciprocity that Jews in general are meticulous in offering.

If US generosity results in a foreign threat getting stronger over time, then it is not a gift at all. It might end up a time-bomb.

By the way, Jewish appreciation for good done to them by others, hakorat hatov, is in stark contrast to the Arabs, who feel that any Western money that comes their way is an entitlement - and never enough. For just one of many examples, see my previous post.

Egyptian cleric says US aid to Egypt is a "jizya" tax

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian cleric Dr. Khaled Said, which aired on Al-Hafez TV (via the Internet) on March 17, 2013.

Khaled Said: If the revolution declares a framework for dealing with the West and America – they will accept it, kiss our hands, and double the aid they give us. We consider this aid to be jizya [poll tax], not regular aid.

Interviewer: Is this the rhetoric of the revolution?

Khaled Said: It certainly is.

Interviewer: The aid the Americans give us is the jizya tax they have to pay?

Khaled Said: Yes, it is. They pay it for the right of passage through our airspace and territorial waters.

Interviewer: They pay to keep us quiet?

Khaled Said: They pay so that we will let them be.

Interviewer: Is that a fatwa?

Khaled Said: Indeed. The aid constitutes jizya.

[…]

We must strive to realize the goals of the revolution, and to establish a sovereign, Arab Islamic state in Egypt. Then this state will impose payment of aid upon America as jizya, in exchange for allowing it to realize its interests – the ones that we approve, get it?

They must pay reparations for destroying our country and the Islamic nation – them and others in the West – so that we will agree to cooperate with them.

Interviewer: But this is not what jizya means.

Khaled Said: Nevertheless, I call it jizya.

This mentality explains why Arabs are so upset when the US puts even the lightest restrictions on aid - they don't consider it aid; they consider it reparations.

It is unclear who caved during the USAID kerfuffle in 2011, where Egyptian media reported that they formally reject USAID money because of its restrictions. USAID is still giving money to many specific Egyptian projects, that generally are pro-democracy and pro-freedom.