Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Egyptian media, president upset at Jon Stewart

Egyptian newspaper Rassd shows a video clip of Jon Stewart talking about Egypt's problems today, saying that he is "insulting Morsi". Here it is, subtitled in Arabic, and it is pretty funny:

This clip is being embedded in many other Arab news sites, although they are not nearly as upset.

The good news is that the YouTube video is getting a lot of "thumbs up" from the Arab audience.

The video was posted by the US Embassy in Egypt, drawing a reprimand from Morsi:

Egypt's Presidency accused the US Embassy in Cairo of engaging in "negative political propaganda" after the embassy posted an episode of the Daily Show in which the show's host, well-known American comedian Jon Stewart, slammed President Mohamed Morsy and expressed solidarity with Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef, who presents an Egyptian show modeled on Stewart's.

"It's inappropriate for a diplomatic mission to engage in such negative political propaganda," stated the official Twitter account of Egypt's presidency in reply to the US Embassy in Cairo.

(h/t Ian)

Wednesday Links Part 1

From Ian:

Where Is the Feminist Outrage Over Discrimination in Gaza?

Refreshingly, the feminist writers from The Nation and Ms. Magazine did not openly come out and lay the blame for this public relations debacle at the feet of Israel.
But I will buy a free dinner at the vegan, slow food, locavore restaurant of your choice, in the city of your choice, if you can find one article in either publication by a feminist writer that explicitly and substantially criticizes Hamas and the Palestinians for their terrible and discriminatory mistreatment of women in Gaza. And especially this most recent incident of discrimination against Palestinian women.

Raping Women in the Name of Islam by Khaled Abu Toameh

What happened to the two women in Libya is a big disgrace not only to Islam, but to all those who sympathize with fundamentalists and terrorists, including the "scholars" and "sheikhs" who authorize such crimes.
Moderate Muslims who fail to strongly condemn the Muslim terrorists and rapists also bear responsibility for the crimes that are being committed in the name of Islam.
The gang rape in Libya will also cause tremendous damage to the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. As of now, families of "pro-Palestinian" activists around the world will have to think ten times before sending their daughters on humanitarian aid convoys.

New Fatwa permits rape of non-Sunni women in Syria

Jordanian Sheih Yasir al-‘Ajlawni is certainly not the first cleric to legitimize the rape of infidel women in recent times. Calls to capture and rape non-Muslim women are appearing with increasing frequency and from all corners of the Islamic world.

Court finds stone-thrower guilty of murder

In a groundbreaking decision, a military court found a Palestinian man guilty of murder for throwing a rock at an Israeli car, causing it to crash and killing the driver and his infant son.
The court at Ofer military prison on Tuesday found Wa’al al-Araji, 25, from Halhul, to be directly responsible for the deaths in 2011 of Asher Palmer and his 1-year-old son Yehonatan.

Is Norway funding the murderers of Israelis?

"The country’s 3 largest opposition parties have asked for an investigation into Norwegian financing of the PA".

Too much of a good thing? Palestinians realize downsides of foreign aid boom

With food insecurity soaring and GDP declining, Palestinians in the West Bank are waking up to the fact that their foreign aid dependent economy is unsustainable.

The Tunnel Economy

Commercially speaking, these tunnels offer an opportunity to smuggle subsidized Egyptian goods and commodities that are banned from being exported, such as petroleum products or certain food items. Successive Egyptian governments have failed to find ways to reduce these subsidies—which deplete their budgets—for fear of social unrest. Likewise, these tunnels also represent an opportunity for more clandestine trades such as arms dealing.
The biggest beneficiaries of the tunnel trade may be the select group of families on both sides of the border, some of whom have transformed into millionaires, in addition to the Hamas government and what it collects from tax on smuggled goods.(h/t Zvi)

MEMRI: Egyptian Author Alaa Al-Aswany On Situation Of Copts In Egypt

In an ironic article, Egyptian author Alaa Al-Aswany describes what it is to be "a Muslim in Britain," metaphorically referring in fact to the state of the Copts in Egypt, who suffer from severe persecution and discrimination. The following are excerpts.

ElBaradei slams ban against Iranian tourists in (Egyptian) mosques

On Twitter, ElBaradei wrote, “How come we, Sunnis and Shias, perform pilgrimage together yet we talk about preventing Iranians from visiting some of the houses of God?”

Saudi man who paralysed his best friend in knife attack faces having his spinal cord severed in 'eye-for-an eye' punishment

The ultra-conservative desert Kingdom enforces Islamic law and on rare occasions issues punishments based on the ancient code of an ‘eye-for-an-eye’.
Ali Al-Khawahir was 14 years old when he stabbed his friend in the backbone and has been imprisoned for 10 years.

Lego denies discontinuing Jabba's Palace over race claims

Toy manufacturer Lego has denied claims by Austria's Turkish community that it is withdrawing one of its Star Wars products because of allegations it was riddled with racist stereotypes.

Also:
The Jewish “Occupation” of Judea?

One has to wonder why the international community decided to use the term West Bank even after the area was liberated. And the fact that all Jews were forced out of Judea and Samaria during Jordan’s illegal occupation is something you rarely hear in the media or anywhere else. I guess people want to maintain the false image of Jews in Judea and Samaria as “foreign occupiers”? Well, they are not foreign occupiers. Jews lived in the so called “West Bank” for ages…. That’s until all of them were either killed or forced out of the area after Jordan’s occupation started in 1948.

Child on PA TV: Jews "murdered children, raped women in city squares, defiled the Quran"

From PMW:

Earlier this month, Palestinian children were taught Islam-based hatred of Jews on the weekly PA TV children's show The Best Home. A young girl recited a poem filled with both Islamic hate messages and other libels demonizing Jews.

Girl: "Allah created me and formed me
He made me prouder and made me a Palestinian
He made defiance flow like blood in my veins
And I made the revolution burst forth like clay stones
I raised the flags of certain victory:
Allah's book [the Quran] and the tradition of the most esteemed among prophets [Muhammad].
I called in the voice of hidden justice
I lit a fire like volcanoes under their feet
I refused to be submissive and degraded
I rejected [everything] but dying with the honor that will give me life
From a nation that has forgotten the Muslims' heroism
- Omar ibn al-Khattab and Saladin - [Muslim fighters who conquered Jerusalem]
from between the whistles of the bullets I sing:
'Long live the nation of Fatah and Yasser Arafat'
Allah's enemies, the sons of pigs (i.e., Jews, in Islamic tradition)
Destroyed and uprooted the olive and fig trees
They murdered children with guns, like snakes
They cut off their limbs with stones and knives
They raped the women in the city squares
They defiled Allah's book [the Quran] in front of millions
Where is the nation of Islam?
Where are the nation of Islam and the Jihad fighters?
Where is the fear of Allah in Jerusalem, which has been defiled by the Zionists?"
PA TV host: "Bravo, applause, applause, applause to Hadeel."
[PA TV (Fatah), March 22, 2013]

Oxfam covers for Miftah's doubletalk

So far, most of the NGOs that fund Miftah have been silent during the blood-libel controversy I discovered.

Oxfam, however, just responded to a couple of my readers' inquiries (and then to mine) with a canned response which illustrates a troubling downplaying of the issue:

Thank you for making us aware that a blog post published on the website of one of our partners, the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH), included reprehensible anti-Semitic statements.

MIFTAH has removed the offensive blog post and issued a public apology on its website. MIFTAH has assured Oxfam that the individual behind the post has been reprimanded. Oxfam Is clearly on record as opposing the use of language or acting in ways which promote hate or discrimination.

Oxfam has worked with MIFTAH since 2010. Currently, MIFTAH and three other partners are implementing Oxfam’s regional project Supporting Women’s Transformative Leadership in Changing Times. The project targets marginalized women and men to support women’s rights and gender justice with the goal of increased empowerment, self-confidence, and leadership roles for women in public and private spheres.

Oxfam is surely aware that the section of Miftah's site where the offensive article was published was not a "blog" but an essay section where they republish articles they think are interesting for their readers. They even index the section so their readers can read other articles from the same author, and Nawaf al-Zaru has been featured five times.

Oxfam should also be aware that the "apology" was not issued in Arabic, the language of the hateful essay, meaning that Arabic-language readers of Miftah have no idea what Miftah's opinion on the medieval blood libel is, and for all they know Miftah supports that heinous lie.

Moreover, Oxfam must also be aware that Miftah did not issue its English apology until it felt under pressure to do so.

Finally, this response did not even address one of the writer's points about Miftah, that they have praised suicide bombers. And not in their "essay" section, either, but under their own name. (NOTE: Since that essay was discovered and publicized, Miftah has also silently removed that essay - but you can still find it archived at the UN!)

Clearly, Oxfam wants to find excuses for Miftah instead of holding it to a standard that it would hold any Western NGO.

Miftah silently removes its essay praising suicide bombers

I noted last week that Miftah, the NGO that published the medieval blood libel as "open dialogue," also published an essay - under its own name - that praised female suicide bombers:

Fighting Back

Palestinian women have also participated in the resistance. As the conflict grew more intense and young men were recruited to carry out military operations against Israeli targets, several young women also decided to join the ranks of the resistance movement. In January 2002, 28-year-old nurse Wafa Idrees, detonated a bomb in Jerusalem’s Jaffa Street, killing one Israeli and injuring 150 others. She was also killed in the blast.

This marked the beginning of a string of Palestinian women dedicated to sacrificing their lives for the cause. Over the next two years, seven other women carried out similar operations, the most deadly of which was carried out by Hanadi Jaradat, a 29-year-old attorney from Jenin. Hanadi detonated explosives strapped to her body in a busy Haifa restaurant, killing 19 Israelis and injuring 50 others.

As it initially did with the blood libel article when it was exposed, Miftah has now silently removed that piece as well.

No apology. No mention of why it published an essay that is purportedly against its own stated core values to begin with. Once again, Miftah is acting like a child caught next to a broken lamp, football on the floor, rather than an organization that takes responsibility for its actions.

In only one week, I am the one that prompted Miftah to remove the blood libel essay, I am the one that prompted Miftah to apologize for it, and I am the one that prompted Miftah to remove the essay praising terrorists (although NGO Monitor also called them on it.). If it wasn't for our shaming them, nothing would have happened. When is Miftah going to take responsibility for its own actions rather than waiting for "obscure websites" to "smear' them? I could find an encyclopedia of lies in the Miftah site - but why should I be the one doing this?

Miftah appears more concerned over Hanan Ashrawi's reputation than the truth. You can find the offensive essay archived at the UN's UNISPAL site (and, at the moment, in Google's cache.)

Miftah's problems are deeper than just one "junior level staffer" - they are systemic to the organization, and as long as its funding NGOs ignore the problem, things won't get any better.

Those Palestinian Arab "moderates" sure love to incite violence

Ha'aretz reports:

A 64-year-old Palestinian security prisoner died of on Tuesday morning at the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, sparking clashes in Hebron between protesters and Israeli security forces and the declaration of a three-day hunger strike by other Palestinians jailed in Israel. Security was beefed up in prisons in case of further unrest.

Maysara Abuhamdieh, from Hebron, had been serving a life sentence since 2002 for attempted murder, membership in Hamas and weapons possession.

After being diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in February, Abuhamdieh was under the medical care in Be'er Sheva. A week ago, after his condition was judged to be terminal, the Israel Prisons Service initiated an early release request for Abuhamdieh, who died before for the request could be processed.

I am deliberately quoting Ha'aretz because if there was the slightest possibility that Israel was responsible for Abuhamdieh's death, they would report it.

Mahmoud Abbas has no such qualms, as his official WAFA news agency reports:

The presidency Tuesday held the Israeli government fully responsible for the death of Palestinian prisoner Maysara abu hamdiya, who died due to medical negligence by the Israeli prison services.

President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that the arrogance of the Israeli government stopped in the way of responding to Palestinian efforts to secure the release of the prisoner Maysara Abu Hamdiya, who died in prison due to medical negligence by the Israel Prison Service.

“We tried working on Abu Hamdiya’s release due to his medical condition, but the Israeli government refused to respond to the PA’s efforts in releasing him, which led to his death,” he said.

What did our new favorite PA NGO, Miftah - that claims to be dedicated to the "philosophy of promoting accurate and credible information" - have to say?

Miftah said it deplored his death "following medical negligence in which he... did not receive the care and proper treatment by the management of prisons of the occupation."

This is similar to how both the PA and Miftah responded to the death of Arafat Jaradat. The same Ha'aretz article reports

In February Arafat Jaradat, a 30-year-old Palestinian prisoner, died of a heart attack in Megiddo Prison. Other inmates claimed that he was in good health and that his death was the result of torture while in prison at the hands of Israeli security forces. Poisoning and torture were ruled out as causes of death in Jaradat's autopsy.

How did Miftah report it?

His family, and frankly the entire Palestinian people, knows better. Jaradat, seen also by a Palestinian doctor who participated in the autopsy, was covered in wounds, bruises and contusions. He had two broken ribs – which Israel claims is the result of CPR efforts to revive him – and massive bruising on his chest, shoulders and face. According to Prisoner Affairs Minister Issa Qaraqe, Jaradat also had broken bones in his neck, arms and legs. During a court session in the middle of his interrogation process, his lawyer, Kameel Sabbagh said Jaradat was extremely fatigued and had complained to him of severe pains from the beatings and from being tied in the same position for several hours on end.

Other bits and pieces of Jaradat’s story are surfacing, all which incriminate Israel and its interrogators in his brutal death. According to his family members, the night he was arrested, an Israeli intelligence officer brought him briefly back to see his family so he could “bid them farewell.”

There is zero evidence for broken bones in his "neck, arms and legs," nor of alleged torture, nor of the absurd story about "bidding farewell." But Miftah reports them as fact.

The most absurd rumors and lies gain currency in the PA, not from fringe characters but from the PA itself as well as from Western-funded NGOs who will blindly believe the most absurd, uncorroborated reports and dismiss any information that comes from Israel.

Is inciting Arabs to start riots something you would expect from "peace partners" and from NGOs that claim to support peace and democracy?

Miftah apologizes for blood libel - but only in English!

Miftah, the somewhat obscure Palestinian Arab NGO founded by media darling Hanan Ashrawi, issued a belated apology for publishing an article that declared that Jews drink Christian blood on Passover.

From JTA/Times of Israel:

A Palestinian nonprofit organization has removed an article from its website that accused Jews of using “the blood of Christians in the Jewish Passover.”

The Miftah organization, founded by Palestinian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi and funded by European and Western governments, reportedly apologized for publishing the article, after first refusing to apologize and condemning the Jewish bloggers [sic] who publicized the article.

The apology was first reported by Adam Kredo at the Washington Free Beacon.

The apology expressed the organization’s “sincerest regret.”

“It has become clear to us after investigating this incident that the article was accidentally and incorrectly published by a junior staff member. The said staffer has been reprimanded and all our staff has been informed as to the disgusting and repulsive phenomena of blood libel or accusation, including its use against Jews. Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, as founder, has nothing to do with the day to day management at Miftah and was no way involved in this incident,” the apology issued Monday said.

The original article in Arabic by Nawaf Al Zaru was first exposed by the Elder of Ziyon blog. It criticized President Obama for his tribute to Passover, by holding a seder in the White House.

“Does Obama in fact know the relationship, for example, between ‘Passover’ and ‘Christian blood’..?! Or ‘Passover’ and ‘Jewish blood rituals?!’” read the article posted March 27. “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.”

Miftah on March 30 defended the publishing of the article in a statement on its website, calling it a “smear campaign.”

While the belated apology is welcome, it is obviously not sincere.

The apology says "We are whole-heartedly committed to fighting racism, hatemongering, discrimination and persecution of any kind wherever it should exist, and especially in our own society."

Yet the original offensive article was written and published in Arabic. Two days later, Miftah's Arabic website shows no indication of regret, apology or condemnation of the classic blood libel against Jews that it published. Readers of the Arabic website have only been exposed to the original blood libel article and to Miftah's justification for it but they have not been informed by NGO that claims to "fight hatemongering" that there was anything wrong about the original article.

(In fact, their attack against me and original justification for the blood libel article as part of "its mandate for open dialogue" remains on its website as well. Was that also written by a "junior staff member"?)

As we saw back in the days of Yasir Arafat, saying one thing in English and another in Arabic is a classic way to appease the West while keeping the status quo to the intended audience.

Indeed, Miftah has previously happily published the modern equivalents of the blood libel, parroting false claims that Israeli Jews targeted and stole organs from Palestinian Arabs, Ukrainians and Haitians. And Miftah itself ridiculed the idea that such accusations are in any way anti-semitic.

In other words, this apology rings hollow. But it was necessary, not because Miftah cares about doing the right thing, but because it was clearly under pressure from its donors to do something so as not to embarrass them. In fact, even UNESCO denounced the blood libel published in Miftah:

The U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which has partnered with Miftah on various projects, rebuked the group Tuesday.

“UNESCO condemns all forms of hate literature, including anti-Semitic articles such as the one Miftah published and later apologized for,” UNESCO spokesman Roni Ameland told the Free Beacon over email.

“UNESCO does not fund Miftah nor does it have any formal relations with it,” Ameland said. “UNESCO did support several gender-focused workshops and activities organized by Miftah in the past but its collaboration with the organization ended in 2011.”

UNESCO did not fund Miftah directly, Ameland said. “It just paid for specific contracts concerning specific projects.”

Miftah's about-face was not a result of an epiphany where it realized how offensive the article was. It was simply a belated attempt at firefighting.

That may be enough for its donors, anxious to fund seemingly liberal Palestinian Arab NGOs and unwilling to have the controversy reflect on them. And in one sense the insincere apology is still a victory because Miftah will be more careful about publishing anti-semitism in the future.

But don't be fooled into thinking that Miftah is sorry. If it was, it would apologize and educate the audience that the original article was addressed to - the Arabic speakers who still believe, based purely on what they have read in Miftah, that the medieval blood libel is true.

Tuesday Links

From Ian:

Free Beacon: This Blood Libel Brought to You by the West
Western-backed Palestinian nonprofit apologizes for anti-Semitic blood libel

Miftah, which has been criticized in the past for glorifying terrorism and advocating in favor of boycotting Israel, received support from the taxpayer-funded NED until 2010.
A NED spokesperson confirmed to the Free Beacon that it no longer funds the organization but would not provide the reason why.
Funding to the group has also been provided by Italy, Ireland, Norway, the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and a handful of Western nonprofits, according to NGO Monitor, a watchdog group.
Representatives of these organizations and governments did not respond to a Free Beacon request for comment regarding the controversy.

The Letter the New York Times Didn’t Print
Here's the response the New York Times didn't print regarding its feature on the Palestinian village that spawned the terrorist who killed our daughter.

The editors of the New York Times Magazine chose two weeks ago to publish a partisan, tendentious and extraordinarily selective piece of advocacy journalism about the village of Nabi Saleh. Located a few kilometers north of our home in Jerusalem, it’s a place that holds significance for us since almost all the residents have the same surname: Tamimi.
One of the Tamimis is the person who engineered the massacre of women and children in which our much-loved child Malki was murdered at the age of fifteen in August 2001 at Jerusalem’s Sbarro restaurant.

Jordanian singer cancels Jaffa gig after threats

Israel Radio reported that the Jordanian singer cancelled his performance after receiving death threats from pro-Palestinian organizations.
Taking to Twitter to voice his frustration, Khoury wrote that it was a shame that in these days, “peacemakers are considered traitors, and war criminals are considered heroes.”

UC Hebrew lecturer ties student groups to Hamas

Benjamin is shown describing students from the Muslim Students Association and Students for Justine in Palestine as often being foreign students arriving at American universities from Muslim countries where they are "fed on a diet of anti-Semitism."
She accuses these student groups of having strong ties to terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood, and adds that they take part in international campaigns to demonize and illegitimize Israel.

Lawrence Solomon: Christian exodus could fuel Middle East decline

Christians in their millions are leaving Muslim lands, a heartbreak for the region’s 12 million remaining Copts, Catholics, Chaldeans and other Christian communities, many of which predate Muslim communities. But their exodus also represents a great tragedy for the region’s Muslims: The Middle East’s Christians, with their free-wheeling, free-market orientation, have for centuries created prosperity in an otherwise stagnant Middle East; once the Christians are gone, an economic desolation is likely to revisit their historic homelands.

BBC advances political propaganda on Jerusalem

Once again we see the BBC adopting a narrative whereby Middle East history begins in 1967. That narrative of course completely ignores the Jordanian conquest of part of the city and its subsequent division for the first time in its long history, as well as the fact that the Jordanian occupation was never recognized as legitimate by the UN. The same narrative also ignores the expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem neighbourhoods during the waves of Arab violence in the riots of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as during the 1948 Jordanian invasion.

Hamas law bans mixed sex schools in Gaza Strip
New rules will bar men from teaching at girls' schools, mandate separate classes for boys and girls from the age of 9.

"Instead of hiding behind traditions, why don't they say clearly they are Islamists and they want to Islamize the community," she said.
Private and Christian schools, where classes are mixed until high school, would be the most affected by the decision. Gaza's government-run schools were already mostly gender-segregated.

Poll: Palestinians prefer Barghouti over Abbas By Khaled Abu Toameh

Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti would defeat Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in presidential elections, a public opinion poll published on Monday showed.

Egypt becoming a nightmare for Muslim Brothers

Investors have fled, tourists are scared. Hunger riots may not be far off. Yet the Brotherhood surges blindly on, not ready to let go of the golden prize achieved after nearly a century. And so the standoff goes on between the regime and the opposition, while quicksand threatens to engulf them all.

Start your engines: Formula 1’s coming to Jerusalem

For the first time, Formula 1’s internationally renowned race cars and drivers will traverse the capital’s streets.
The event, scheduled for June 13 to 14, is part of Formula 1’s “Peace Road Show” and will feature world-class cars and drivers representing Ferrari, Mercedes and Audi, among others. The cars will be exhibited before the show at the Old Train Station from June 9 to 13.

3 African-Israeli women hope to use their fame to bolster integration
Having overcome challenges themselves, a beauty queen, an actress and a singer aim to help others from immigrant communities and to showcase Israel’s diversity

When Yityish Aynaw immigrated from Ethiopia to Israel at age 12, she was thrust into an Israeli classroom. An orphan lacking Hebrew skills, Aynaw says she relied on other kids and her own sheer ambition to get through.
Ten years later Aynaw, 22, is the first Ethiopian-Israeli to be crowned Miss Israel — a title she hopes to use to showcase Israel’s diversity.

Top 10 Israeli strides against Parkinson’s
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Find out about the most promising research in Israel to find preventions, treatments and cures.

As many as 10 million people worldwide (one million in the United States alone) suffer the tremors, impaired balance and rigidity associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a chronic and progressive disorder caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain’s muscle-movement control areas. The cause is unknown and there is no cure, only medication to manage symptoms.
Against that bleak landscape, Israeli researchers are working hard to better understand, prevent and treat the brain disorder. Here are 10 exciting examples of Israeli ingenuity that could revolutionize options for PD patients.

Monday Links Part 2

From Ian:

Al-Dura: a lethal narrative that just won’t die

The utter refusal by France 2′s journalists and editors to examine evidence that contradicted their basic assumptions remains deeply disturbing. Enderlin not only conflated absence of proof with proof of absence, but justified willful blindness to certain facts as grounds to dismiss their very possibility. Even more disturbing, France 2 doubled down when confronted with its error, trying to legally straitjacket Karsenty for having the temerity to call out the al-Dura hoax for what it is. If the French court, for either political or technical reasons, sides with state-owned France 2 against a bold and correct critic, they strike a blow not only against press responsibility, but the very fabric of the civil society they ought to play such a key role in preserving. Such an abject failure on the part of both the media and the courts to correct this penchant for mainstreaming the enemy’s lethal narratives makes the world a much more dangerous place.

Daniel Pipes: On Second Thought, Maybe Israel’s Apology to Turkey was a Good Idea
Now that Israelis humiliated themselves and Erdogan is rampaging ahead, some are awakening to the fact that this apology only made matters worse.

Perhaps after all the apology was a good thing. For a relatively inexpensive price – some words – Israelis and others have gained a better insight into the Turkish leadership’s mentality. It’s not that they suffer from hurt pride but that they are Islamist ideologues with an ambitious agenda. If the misguided apology makes this evident to more observers, it has its compensations and possibly could turn out to be a net plus.

Likud MK demands Turkish apology for Struma sinking

Following Israel's apology to Turkey over the Gaza flotilla incident, Likud MK Moshe Feiglin calls for an apology from Turkey over the February 1942 sinking of the MV Struma in the Black Sea • More than 700 Jews died in the sinking.

Historic Damascus synagogue looted and destroyed

The 2,000-year-old Jobar Synagogue in the Syrian capital of Damascus — the country’s holiest Jewish site — was looted and burned to the ground.
The Syrian army loyal to President Bashar Assad and rebel forces are blaming each other for the destruction of the historic synagogue, according to reports on Sunday.

Richard Falk Bans Free Speech (For Some), Reveals David Singer

Professor Falk needs to understand that attempts by him to ban freedom of expression and free speech on his web site demean himself and his position as a UN Special Rapporteur.
Those in authority at the UN who repeatedly express their support for the protection of human rights must be prepared to act against one of their own by denouncing Professor Falk's actions in the strongest terms with a view to ending his crass attempt to deny the inalienable right of every human being to speak out and be heard.

Easter in Palestine Means Blaming Israel, Not Muslims, for Christian Woes

Yet, as the broadcast throws in as a throwaway line, Israel has granted 95 percent of all requests by West Bank Christians to enter Jerusalem. This is consistent with the fact that the only period in its history in which all faiths have had free access to all of the holy sites has been in the years since Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli rule. That’s a fact that is curiously absent from the discussions in the media of Christians in the Middle East.

Cologne Archeological Dig Revives Ancient Jewish Heritage
An archaeological dig in western Germany has unearthed myriad traces of daily life in one of Europe's oldest and largest Jewish communities.

After long being sidelined for Roman excavations, an archaeological dig in western Germany has unearthed myriad traces of daily life in one of Europe's oldest and largest Jewish communities.
From ceramic dishes and tools to toys, animal bones and jewelry, some 250,000 artifacts have so far shed light on various periods in 2,000 years of the city of Cologne's history, the AFP news agency reported.

IDF Blog: Passover Special: From Anti-Zionist to IDF Soldier

Lakewood, New Jersey. A city that boasts one of the largest yeshivas (religious seminaries) in the world and where half the population is made up of Orthodox Jews. The majority of the community is ultra-Orthodox and anti-Zionist.
But one girl, Hava Pisgosh Shama, decided at very young age not to take what her teachers and her friends told her at face value. At 16, she began a new adventure that brought the anti-Zionist Orthodox community of New Jersey and Division 300 of the IDF’s Northern Command into contact for the very first time.
While Hava’s journey led her to Israel, she hasn’t lost the religious faith she grew up with. Despite her decisions, Hava’s parents continue to support her. Every morning, they look at the photograph of their daughter in uniform on their fridge. They recently bought an apartment in Israel so they could visit her.

IDF - Protecting Freedom in Every Generation

Monday Links Part 1

From Ian:

PA, Jordan Ink Deal to 'Defend' Jerusalem Against 'Judaization'
Jordan, PA sign agreement confirming their "common goal to defending" Jerusalem and their opposition to so-called "Judaization" of city.

Jordan's King Abdullah II and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas signed an agreement on Sunday confirming their "common goal to defending" Jerusalem and their opposition to efforts to “Judaize” the eternal capital of Israel.

What the Guardian didn’t tell you about Palestinian youths arrested in Hebron

The Guardian reader – as well as those who came across the story on B’Tselem’s YouTube Channel, and at other news sites which reported the story - would be forgiven for believing that Israeli security forces arbitrarily arrested innocent Palestinian children on their way to school.
However, here’s the rest of the story – the full picture which the Guardian will likely never report:

Report: Mashaal re-elected chief of Hamas Political Bureau

According to media reports earlier this year Mashaal did not intend to stand for re-election for the chairman position because he was eyeing the presidency of the PLO, currently chaired by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

‘Israel tracked Russian navy in Syria’

Espionage equipment hidden on an island across from the Syrian city of Tartus was being used to monitor Russian naval movements and Syrian troop movements, The Sunday Times reported on Sunday.
The devices were discovered earlier this month by fishermen on Ant Island, near a naval base Russia considers a strategic asset.

Kuwaiti man jailed for 2 years for "insulting" tweets

A Kuwaiti man has been sentenced to two years in prison for "insulting tweets" by Kuwait’s lower court. Hamad Al Khalidi, known as an "opposition tweeter" was given two years in jail on charges of insulting the Gulf state’s ruler, The Commentator has learned.
“Al Khalidi has been sentenced to two years in jail with immediate effect,” the director of the Kuwait Society for Human Rights, Mohammad Al Humaidi, said on his Twitter account. The story swiftly follows the news that a Palestinian man was sentenced to six months in prison for an insulting Facebook "like" directed at Palestinian Authority officials.

Saudi Arabia may try to end anonymity for Twitter users

Saudi Arabia may try to end anonymity for Twitter users in the country by limiting access to the site to people who register their identification documents, the Arab News daily reported on Saturday.
Last week, local media reported the government had asked telecom companies to look at ways they could monitor, or block, free internet phone services such as Skype.

Saudi Arabia beheads murderer… and then CRUCIFIES his body

The execution, in the southern city of Jizan, was followed by crucifixion, a punishment used by the ultra-conservative country for serious crimes.

Iran blames Turkish soaps for divorce rise

Iran blamed steamy Turkish dramas for rising divorce rates in the country, saying that the TV shows have eroded the taboos surrounding divorce and have “destabilized the institution of family.”
According to The Sunday Times, Iran has the fourth-highest divorce rate in the world. In 2013 alone, the British newspaper said, Tehran saw a rise of 6% in couples who decided to call it quits.

The racist menace? Muslims declare victory in fight over ‘anti-Islamic’ Lego
Danish toy giant agrees to cease production of ‘Jabba’s Palace’ building set in light of complaints

Austria’s Turkish community claimed a victory in its fight against Danish toy giant Lego yesterday after the firm agreed to withdraw a Star Wars toy set featuring a mosque-like building inhabited by an obese, hookah–smoking alien, following complaints that it was anti-Muslim.

ADL, Wiesenthal Center slam Miftah for anti-semitic article

From The Algemeiner, following up on my scoop and Miftah's idiotic response:

Two prominent Jewish civil rights groups have slammed a Palestinian NGO for opting not to apologize for publishing an article which promoted the classic anti-Semitic Passover blood libel accusation on its website. Both the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center have voiced their dismay that MIFTAH, which is chaired by Hanan Ashrawi, a well known media personality in the West and which posted the article that claimed “Jews used the blood of Christians in the Jewish Passover,” has not apologized, and in fact asserts the publication of the blood libel was in keeping with its policy of “open dialogue.”

“They have compounded the offense, by now asserting they are the injured party,” the ADL told The Algemeiner.

“The MIFTAH statement defending the decision to post the blatantly anti-Semitic article by al-Zaru on its Arabic language Web site and claiming it is being “smeared” is outrageous. They made a bad mistake and they should have offered a full-throated and sincere apology,” added the 100 year old NGO.

“In defending its publication of an article on the Miftah website which hatefully invoked the oldest anti-Jewish canard of all, the Blood Libel to slander the Jewish nation during Passover, the Palestinian NGO cites its commitment to “open dialogue”. With whom? Genocidal Jew-haters?” Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told The Algemeiner in an email.

“Tragically, the publication of this Arabic language article is in keeping with the ongoing campaign to demonize the nation of Israel, Jews, and Judaism, once assumed to be the domain only of Hamas, The Muslim Brotherhood and Iran but that today taints the PA and some of its supporters,” he added.

Cooper also said that the publication of accusations such as this one hurt the cause of Peace. “It is not lost that the editorial decision by Miftah to provide a platform for this canard took place in wake of President Obama’s trip to the Holy Land where he tried to re-instill hopes for peace and reconciliation. Every anti-Semitic slander in the theological, academic and media domains further erode such hopes,” he said.

“Perhaps the editors of Ms Ashrawi’s Miftah should do exit interviews with Arabs, including those from Gaza, whose lives have been saved through blood transfusions at Icholov, Rambam, Shaare Tzedeck and Hadassah hospitals in Israel,” concluded Cooper

The ADL called out Ashrawi by name saying, “Hanan Ashrawi certainly knows better and so should those responsible for posting the highly offensive article.”

The organization also provided a list of complaints against the actions of MIFTAH highlighting multiple offenses. ”There are several things wrong here” wrote the ADL, “first, an irresponsible editorial decision to post the article containing the classical anti-Semitic blood libel charge – second, the article only appeared on the Arabic language site, makes clear it was intended primarily for an Arabic speaking audience – third, the completely unacceptable defense of the posting.”

I expect this story to explode in the next couple of days in the media as well as through watchdog groups. Unfortunately, I cannot blog again until Tuesday night because of Passover, so any media inquiries will have to wait until then before I can answer them. Until then, my previous posts on the topic should provide enough background and other information.

Chag sameach!

EoZNews video: Rami Levy supermarket, Binyamin

This is what co-existence looks like.

Unfortunately, the day I visited was Taanit Esther so most of the customers were Jews shopping for Purim. There are some Arab customers visible, though.

When the manager showed me the synagogue on premises, I asked if there was a mosque as well. He said that the Muslim workers generally pray individually and usually outside, so they are given as much time as they need to do their prayers.

Sunday Links Part 2

From Ian:

At Boston U: propaganda dressed as scholarship

Having a conference with the primary intention to demonize and delegitimize Israel, while promoting a legally- and morally-defective approach to achieving Palestinian self-affirmation, is not an academic exercise of any merit; it is propaganda parading as scholarship, and violates not only one of the basic precepts of scholarship but also the spirit of any university, which were conceived as places where faculty and students could debate – with academic integrity, reason, and an absence of bias – the important issues of the marketplace of ideas.

Israel Apartheid Week: The Dirty Product of a Grotesque Alliance

The blackening of Israel’s name on university campuses is the dirty work of a grotesque alliance between political “progressives” and reactionary Islamic fundamentalists. Among the warmest of hearts in both groups, there is always a cold spot for the Jews, so let us appeal to them not on moral grounds but those of self-interest. Have the Islamicists noticed (as President Obama did in his inaugural address of 2009) that the obsession of Palestinian Arabs with destroying somebody else’s society instead of building up their own (via education, commerce, public works, health care) has made them one of the most wrecked peoples on the face of the earth? Can the “progressive” do-gooders cease confusing doing good with feeling good about what they are doing?

From truth denied to truth be told

While the anti-Semites pitched their usual lies, distortions during IAW, an inspiring new leadership in Cape Town pitched a tent, preached peace.
However, this March at UCT, the IAW and BDS battle plan – mostly a repeat of the previous year – found less traction with a more enquiring and discerning public preferring to step into “Abraham’s Tent” on the central plaza before the monumental steps leading to the famous Jameson Hall. Welcomed in, they enjoyed ancient patriarchal Israeli hospitality. They also heard for the first time, another narrative where truth countered fiction.
They heard about Israel’s desire and overtures for peace. They met successful Israeli Ethiopian students from the IDC Herzliya, exposing the myth about apartheid. They heard how an Arab Judge convicted and sentenced to jail an Israeli State President and were asked: “Would this have happened in apartheid South Africa?”
They heard about an Arab being the captain of the Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer team and asked: “Would a black have been captain of the famed Springbok rugby team under apartheid?”

Palestinians Should be Engaged Honestly

There is a narrative that has been gaining adherents in America, that it is within Israel’s control to make peace with the Palestinians. If only it were so. The story says that the issue is territorial, and the “occupation” and/or settlements are the root cause of the conflict. Unfortunately it is the Palestinians who need to be confronted with a reality check.
The same people, who feel that Israel can magically create peace by itself, also feel that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is a man Israel can trust and is a partner for peace.

Young Woman Sustains Head Wound in Samaria Rock Attack

The woman, age 25, was treated at the scene by medics before being rushed to a hospital, where she was admitted in fair to good condition.
A baby that was also riding in the car was miraculously unhurt in the attack, but the vehicle was damaged by the large rock that struck the car.

Samaria Region Head Says 'Shoot to Hit' Rock Attackers

Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council head Gershon Mesika says it's time to take off the velvet gloves when dealing with road terror, and "shoot to hit" attackers who are trying to murder Israeli motorists traveling on the roads of Judea and Samaria.

Eve of Holiday, Muslims Hurl Rocks at Jews on Temple Mount

Once again, extremist Muslims tried but failed to prevent Jews from accessing the holiest site in the Jewish faith, with the threat of attacks.
Dozens of Arab teens hurled rocks Sunday morning at groups of Jews who were touring the Temple Mount.

Anti-Semitism in the Netherlands? By Barry Rubin
Despite Dutch history, the growing trend of European anti-Semitism is pervading through the Netherlands.

Here’s the bottom line: Given the fact that this hatred is endemic among Dutch Muslims; and given the fact that their proportion and influence in the country is increasing; and given the fact that there are literally no countervailing forces, is this viewpoint going to increase or decrease? Obviously, the former.
Even in the Dutch mass media there are shocking things written on a regular basis about Jews and Israel. If one cannot depend on the Netherlands to defeat this trend, there’s nobody who’s going to do better.

Navajo, Israel conference seeks farmers

They will be speaking during a free two-day conference "Navajo and Israel Agricultural Gathering for the First Nations," which will be at the Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center in Shiprock.
The couple's visit will be paid for by several local faith-based and non-government organizations. The same groups paid for Shelly's controversial trip to Israel last December.
Shelly toured the country looking for new ways to irrigate, fertilize and grow produce. He hoped Israel might be able to help find agricultural solutions because of its similar climate.

Biggest news of the day: Tamar field starts pumping gas

From YNet:

The moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived: After more than four years of drilling and pipe laying, the flow of natural gas from the Tamar gas field, located some 90 km (roughly 56 miles) west of Haifa, has begun.

The gas is travelling in pipes hundreds of kilometers south into the Yam Tatis gas field and from there will continue to an intake center in Ashdod, where it is expected to arrive in about 30 hours.

This marks a major turning point both for Israel's economy and society and will provide the state with energy independence at least until 2035.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "This is an important day for Israel's economy. On the holiday of freedom we are making an important step towards independence in the field of energy."

He further added, "In the past decade we have pushed the gas industry forward and this will benefit Israel's economy as well as Israel's citizens."

Upon its arrival to Israel, the gas will support the generation of electricity at power stations - owned both by the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) and private companies, as well as smaller factories - gradually allowing for prices to drop as Israel's electricity shifts from expensive, polluting and import-dependant materials, such as diesel and fuel oil, to its own natural gas.

The transition will also increase Israel's competitive edge in comparison to foreign industries and increase state revenue as royalties for the gas begin to roll in.

It is currently estimated that there are 270 billion cubic meters of natural gas at the Tamar field.

Energy and Water Minister, Silvan Shalom, said in response: "This is Israel's energy independence day. It is truly a historic event – Israel has received energetic freedom, and gas from Tamar will lead to a drastic decrease in the IEC's production costs, hence a future reduction in electricity costs for the average Israeli consumer."

Yitzhak Tshuva, the owner of Delek Group, which owns Delek Drilling, said: "Today should inspire pride. A vision has become reality. Today, once again, we leave enslavement towards freedom: From dependence on foreign energy sources to independence in locally-made natural gas.

"This is a momentous achievement for Israeli economy," Tsuva continued, saying a "new era| has begun, which "will change the face of the Israeli market" and "open new opportunities for Israel's economy, allowing it to take advantage of the natural gas in the environmental, geo-political, social and economical spheres, turning Israel into an important international player."

Charles D. Davidson, chairman and CEO of Noble Energy said: “I congratulate the people of Israel on this transformational achievement, which significantly moves them toward energy independence and away from reliance on imports. Utilizing natural gas from Tamar will provide cleaner air, save the state billions of shekels in energy costs and be an engine for economic growth."

Sunday Links Part 1

From Ian:

Jihadis' Exploitation of Muslim Girls by Khaled Abu Toameh

What is disturbing is that many Arab and Islamic human rights organizations have remained silent about the crimes committed against Muslim women throughout the Arab and Muslim world. By contrast, these organizations are often quick to denounce Westerners for "insulting" Islam by publishing photos depicting the Prophet Mohamed.
If anyone is really insulting Islam, it those the Muslim fundamentalists and jihadis who show no respect for Muslim girls and treat them as sex slaves.

BBC turns political activists into “aid workers”

The misappropriation of terms such as “humanitarian organization”, “human rights” or “aid worker” is an unfortunately common practice in the circles of anti-Israel campaigners seeking to co-opt the publicly acceptable image afforded by such terms to their political campaigns. It is regrettable that the BBC compromises its own reputation and breaches editorial guidelines on accuracy and impartiality by engaging in the same practice.
The assault of female members of the convoy in Libya is horrific enough as it is: there is no need for the BBC to embellish the story by erroneously depicting the women and the group with which they were travelling as “aid workers”.

Palestinian imprisoned for Facebook 'Like'

A Palestinian man who clicked "Like" on a Facebook status criticizing a Palestinian Authority official has been sentenced to six months in prison.
Anas Ismail, 29, of Salfit, near Nablus, was found guilty of "libel and slander."

Hebron cleric accuses Israel of plotting to rebuild temple

A leading figure in the Muslim religious establishment said Israel has a “manifest” plan to rebuilt the Jewish Temple on the ruins of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Sheikh Taysir Rajab al-Tamimi, who heads Hebron’s Sharia court, said in his Friday sermon that daily “intrusions” by Israeli MKs and Jewish leaders into the complex surrounding the holy Muslim site prove that such a plan exists, Arutz Sheva reported late Saturday.

Al Jazeera reporter attacked at Sakhnin Land Day march

At some point, pro-Assad protesters attacked an Al Jazeera reporter who was present at the scene, saying they resented the news network’s portrayal of the conflict in Syria. Other demonstrators tried to defend the reporter, and a brawl ensued, injuring three — among them an Israeli reporter. Women and children returned to their homes as MKs attempted to break up the violence.

Haniyeh in Cairo to Bemoan 'Israeli Truce Violations'

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya traveled to Cairo on Saturday to discuss "Israeli violations" of truce following Operation Pillar of Defense.
Last week, Hamas complained to Egypt that Israel was not keeping its end of the bargain after a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip led to Israel suspending part of the truce agreement by cutting access to fishing waters of the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing.

Potential Egyptian economic collapse on Israel’s doorstep

The Economist describes the current situation as:
Unemployment may be as high as 20%. The stock exchange this year has slumped by a tenth. Tourism, which used to account for 12% of Egypt’s GDP, has evaporated. Foreign investment has dried up. Foreign reserves have shrunk. Many of Egypt’s most dynamic businessmen have fled, fearing they will be arraigned for complicity with Mr Mubarak.

Acts of Torture Reveal True Nature Of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

During the clashes that erupted last Friday [March 22] between the Muslim Brotherhood and protesters in Mokattam, the Brotherhood arrested left-wing activist Kamal Khalil and detained him inside a mosque. He saw a number of demonstrators stripped of their clothes and brutally flogged in the mosque, to the point that most of them lost consciousness. Brotherhood members were using a big whip to strike their victims. Khalil asked the flogger [about it], who replied: “It’s a Sudanese whip. I soaked it in oil a while ago. … A single strike can cut through skin.”

Arrest warrant issued for ‘Egyptian Jon Stewart’

Popular TV satirist Bassem Youssef, whose show parodies Egyptian politics, targeted for allegedly insulting Islam and Morsi
Egypt’s state prosecutors ordered the arrest Saturday of a popular television satirist for allegedly insulting Islam and the country’s leader, in a move that government opponents say is aimed at silencing critics of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Also:
"To see the NY Times gloss over this travesty of justice is journalism of the most amoral sort"

Here below is the letter Frimet submitted - and that was rejected at the New York Times. Please consider passing it along to your friends, particularly those friends who read the Times and fall victim to its highly selective presentation - over many years - of the realities of the conflict between the Arabs and Israel.

Ben Ehrenreich's article ["Is This Where the Third Intifada Will Start?"] is a brazen quest for confirmation of his preconceptions about the Palestinian Israeli conflict: politics blended with fantasy and embellished with every tear-jerking cliche in the book. Smiling, frolicking children; poetic "activists"; generous hostesses plying their delicacies at every turn. It is a bucolic scene that is frequently painted in anti-Israel publications. But how does the NY Times publish a piece that plays so fast and loose with fact and history?

Sadly, I am well-equipped to offer some corrections and details omitted by Ehrenreich.