Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tuesday Links Part 1

From Ian:

Netanyahu the ‘Churchill of Our Times’ for Iranian Threat, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warnings on the Iranian nuclear threat make him the “Churchill of our times,” said Steinitz, who recalled that many world leaders ignored British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s warnings about German rearmament prior to World War II. Steinitz said Israel’s situation now is similar in important ways to that of Britain before World War II, “despite all the differences.”

CAMERA: New Documentary Highlights NY Times' Holocaust Coverage

Emily Harrold, a 22-year-old filmmaker, has produced an 18-minute documentary about the New York Times' failure to adequately cover the Holocaust. Inspired by Laurel Leff's book Buried by the Times: The Holocaust and America's Most Important Newspaper, Reporting on The Times: The NY Times and the Holocaust was just screened at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival as well as the Nashville Film Festival.

CIF Watch: Jewish “terrorists” vs Arab “fighters”: An open letter to the Guardian’s Richard Norton-Taylor

The very characterization of Jews as “terrorists” and the Arabs as “fighters” when it was Arab terrorist violence that launched the 1947-48 war to start with reveals a deep prejudice that belies any semblance of objective reporting.

The Cost of Inaction in Syria

Sometimes the U.S. cannot choose the conflicts it enters; sometimes conflicts choose the U.S. and require American leadership to solve. The reality of what is happening in Syria requires more than passive support of a non-lethal nature. Despite Barack Obama’s aversion to becoming involved in Syria, he will likely have no choice as the massacres continue. He set his own red line and as he said, “the world is watching.” And so America’s credibility is at stake in a region that continues to value the strong horse.

‘World’s intelligence agencies know full well that Assad used chemical weapons’

Top Israeli official says the evidence is indisputable; former Israeli defense minister claims weapons of mass destruction are already leaking to Hezbollah

Two Missiles Target Russian Passenger Plane Over Syria: Report

Unidentified assailants fired two land-to-air missiles at a Russian passenger plane carrying over 150 people when it flew over Syria on Monday, the Interfax news agency reported, citing an informed source in Moscow.

Hamas slams Abbas announcement on unity gov't talks By Khaled Abu Toameh

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied that his movement was part of the consultations over the formation of a new government.
Fatah, for its part, said that Hamas’s position showed that the Islamist movement was not serious about the implementation of the Qatari-sponsored reconciliation deal.

Debunking Five Myths of Washington’s Leverage in Egypt

While Egyptians are creating a new order, pundits in Cairo and Washington choose to deny this reality and Egyptians’ ability to create it. Some in Washington prefer to revel in the illusion of their own importance, threatening to cut off assistance to a country that they need perhaps more than it needs them.

‘Salon anti-Semitism’ spreading in Germany, film festival head says

Germany’s worsening economic situation is strengthening the far-right, German actor Christian Berkel, co-patron of the Jewish Film Festival Berlin & Potsdam, told a local newspaper.
It is not just neo-Nazis who are susceptible, said Berkel, 55, noting a kind of “salon anti-Semitism” that is increasingly acceptable in mainstream society. “Criticism of Israel is used as an indirect means to comment negatively about Jews in general,” Berkel told the daily newspaper Märkische Allgemeine, on the eve of the festival’s opening Monday.

Dustin Hoffman a No-Show, But Sent Love via Audio to Israel-Hater

Dustin Hoffman was unable to attend their Gala, so the Muslim Public Affairs Council found another Jew to present the co-director of the anti-Israel propaganda film with their Media Award.
That film is riddled with half-truths and full omissions, but because it fits the standard Hollywood position of “Israel bad, Arab Palestinians good,” its lack of veracity and documentary standards did not prevent it from being nominated this year for an Academy Award for “Best Documentary.” At least it did not win.

Tata injects $5 million in technology, R&D at Tel Aviv University

India-Israel collaboration to commercialize research in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, clean-tech, food security, the environment, engineering and software.
India’s Tata Industries will invest $5 million in Tel Aviv University’s Ramot technology fund, as part of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to generate leading edge ‘commercialization ready’ technologies in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, clean-tech, food security, the environment, engineering and software.

Fosun Pharma pays $240m for Alma Lasers

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical, a leading healthcare company in China, has paid $240 million to acquire 95.6% shareholding of Israel’s Alma Lasers, a leading manufacturer of laser, light-based, radiofrequency and ultrasound products with integrated product portfolios for aesthetic and medical applications.

Also:
Stop calling J-Street "pro-Israel"

Is Israel really Pakistan's enemy?

Israeli company plots moon launch

(h/t Zvi)

Let's visit the bright college students of Israel's neighbors

The best and the brightest of Jordan:

Four people died and over 30 were injured on Monday in clashes that erupted between students at Al Hussein Bin Talal University in the southern governorate of Ma'an.

Police and anti-riot gendarmerie forces intervened to restore order in the university campus, vacating the campus from all students and employees.

In details of the incident, an "open day" to celebrate the anniversary of the University's founding on Monday at Al Hussein bin Talal University in Ma'an, 220 kilometers south of Amman, turned bloody as students from two different groups clashed.

Gendarmerie forces used tear gas to disperse the scuffling students, but as the clashes intensified, security forces worked to vacate all students and university personnel from campus.

Over 22 people were arrested as of Monday evening for suspected involvement in the clashes, Minister of Interior Hussein Majali announced.

Clashing students used fire arms, including automatic weapons, and knives in the brawl.

The clashes continued in the city of Ma'an, with local residents using fire arms and live ammunition to attack gendarmerie forces that cordoned off the campus, police said.

Fire Department cadres were able to contain several fires that were ignited during the clashes, including two vehicles that were set ablaze in acts of vandalism.

Observers have been warning of an increasing wave of university violence. Monday's incident comes less than a month after the Higher Education Council suspended classes at Mu'tah University in Karak governorate over riots and acts of violence and vandalism that erupted over student union election results. One student, a fourth year engineering student, died during the clashes and several others were injured.

There were riots in Egypt's Al Azhar University as well, but for a different reason - food poisoning.

According to the health ministry, 131 people were admitted to hospital after eating at the university dormitory.

The general prosecution has opened an investigation into the incident.

The mass food poisoning is the second of its kind at Al-Azhar University this month. It has triggered reactions from officials, student union members and others.

According to a statement released by the Muslim Brotherhood, President Morsi has contacted Egyptian Student Union deputy leader Ahmed Abdel-Rahman El-Bakry, who is also head of Al-Azhar Student Union, to check on the students’ health.

El-Bakry, a Brotherhood member, said in a statement that he had informed the president of the students’ demands which include the dismissal of the head of Al-Azhar University and his replacement with an elected leader rather than one appointed by the president.

Hundreds of students blocked Nasr Road late Monday in protest at the incident. Some chanted against Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb, just as they had done after the previous mass food poisoning on 1 April. Police used teargas to disperse the students.

After the first food poisoning incident, thousands took to the streets in support of El-Tayeb and against what they believed was a Brotherhood ploy to use the incident to force his sacking and further “Brotherhoodise” Al-Azhar.

“The repeated poisoning of Al-Azhar students, the blocking of roads and chants against the Al-Azhar [grand imam] is like a bad movie and whoever is responsible for it should be held accountable for political stupidity,” Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights leader Hafez Abu-Seada stated via Facebook.

The entire Arab world is a tinderbox, and anything can set it off.

I love it when posts write themselves:

An Iranian regime official and a website close to the regime have recently accused the Jews of engaging in sorcery and of employing it against Iran.

Mehdi Taeb, Official Close to Khamenei: 'So Far, [The Jews] Have Not Used The Full [Scope Of] Their Sorcery Against Us'
Speaking on April 20, 2013 to students at a religious seminary in Ahwaz, Mehdi Taeb noted: "The Jews are currently subjecting us to an unprecedented trial. As you read in the Koran, [King] Solomon ruled the world… and God ordered a group of sorcerers to come out against him. The Jews have the greatest powers of sorcery, and they make use of this tool.

"All the measures that have been brought against us originate with the Zionists. The U.S. is a tool in their hands. So far, they have not used the full [scope of] their sorcery against us. Sorcery was the final means to which they resorted during the Ahmadinejad era, but they were defeated. This ability of the Jews was eliminated by Iran. Five years ago they tried to oust Ahmadinejad [by this means]."

Rasanews.ir, Website Associated With Qom Seminaries: The Jews Believe They Can Use Sorcery To Control God's Decisions

The article on Rasanews.com, published March 7, 2013, stated: "The Jews have always tended to resort to divination, [a practice] that has its roots in astronomy, astrology and sorcery, [which they picked up] when they consorted with various peoples in the course of history. They cherished this [knowledge] like a treasure, generation after generation. In most cases, they base their predictions on the holy book [the Old Testament], especially on the book of Daniel, and they create an ideological climate in which the appreciation of sorcery and the yearning for it increase.

"The [Jewish] people think that ruling over man, nature, and divine traditions can be achieved only by means of sorcery. They believe that it is possible to conquer nature and control the world, and even to control God's decisions, by using sorcery methods…

"Sorcery is known to be a practice of which the divine books [i.e., the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Koran and] and the monotheistic religions disapprove. But Jewish mysticism regards it as a [legitimate] means to uncover the secrets of the holy book [the Old Testament]."

Now you can understand how Jews managed to train squirrels to infiltrate and spy on Iran - we use our powers of sorcery to speak to the squirrels! Sort of like Parseltongue, but with a completely different accent.

Iran's earthquakes? All we have to do is point our magic wands at the general direction of Iran and say "Persae terraemotus!"

Do you think that it was Stuxnet that slowed down Iran's nuclear weapons program? No, it was the famous Kabbalistic spell, "Exploratio centrifugus!"

And when I need material like this for the blog, I simply use the famous curse "Missa stultitiae!"

As far as the charge that we can influence God's decisions, well, we have a secret Talmudic method for that too.

The Jew that Sheikh Qaradawi couldn't stand to be near

I noted last week that Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, influential Muslim preacher and terror supporter, refused to attend the 10th annual Doha Conference for Interfaith Dialogue" because he did not want to share the stage with Jews, who he blames for "usurping Palestine."

So who is the Jew who he snubbed?

Apparently, the only Jew to attend this conference - and he has attended it for years - is Reuven Firestone, a left wing reform rabbi, professor of medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College, and founder and co-director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement. He has written books about Judaism for Muslims and about Islam for Jews.

In 2007, Firestone was invited to give a lecture at Ain Shams University but he ended up causing an uproar when it was revealed that he was Jewish - and a rabbi, to boot.

The furore has caused ripples beyond academia, with 20 parliamentary members quick to jump on the bandwagon and demand that the speaker of the People's Assembly summon members of the parliament's Educational Committee for an urgent meeting to determine who is responsible for the convening of such seminars.

They have also demanded that Hani Helal, the minister of higher education, be sacked.

"We are not going to allow Jews to desecrate our universities, spread their Zionist views and brainwash our students," railed independent MP Gamal Zahran.

A video tape and Arabic translation of the lecture are currently being studied by a committee formed by the university to investigate whether there is any substance to claims that the lecture was offensive to Islam.

His book about Judaism for Muslims (available online in Arabic for free) also came under withering attack in major Arab media, aghast that a different perspective is available where Muslims might accidentally read it.

Firestone is as pro-Islam as it is possible for a non-Muslim to be, but his very existence is threatening to many Muslims - because he is a Jew.

He wrote a paper about "contextualizing" anti-semitism in Islam. I don't have access to the full text, although in the first page extract you can see that he admits that there is plenty of Jew-hatred in Egypt, where he lived for a time. I would love to know how this specific brand of hate can be "contextualized."

But no matter how he can find excuses for Islamic Jew-hatred, it will never make the haters like him one bit more.

By the way, the anti-semite Qaradawi plans to visit his Gaza fans on May 8.

"Moderate" Fatah behind terrorist murder in Tapuach Junction

From YNet:

A 31-year-old Israeli man was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist Tuesday morning at a bus stop at the Tapuach Junction in the northern West Bank. The victim was identified as Evyatar Borovsky, a father of five from the settlement of Yitzhar.

Shai Sub-District Police said the terrorist apparently stabbed the Israeli and then snatched his gun. The terrorist proceeded to open fire at Border Guard officers, who returned fire and moderately wounded him, according to police.

Magen David Adom spokesman Meidan Ben Yoash said Borovsky was pronounced dead after efforts to resuscitate him failed.

Ynet learned that the terrorist is a Fatah operative from a village near Tulkarem. He was imprisoned in Israel for three years after being convicted of stone throwing and was released less than six months ago.

The terrorist's brother is currently jailed in the Palestinian Authority for allegedly collaborating with Israel.

Palestine Today identifies the terrorist as named Abu Salam Salam - or "Peace Peace," which might ironically be his nom de guerre. Ma'an arabic says his name is Salam Asaad Mohammed Zaal.

On the Ma'an English website - representing the most educated, secular Palestinian Arabs - the death is being celebrated by commenters and the victim is being called a criminal.

Apparently, a checkpoint 30 meters away from the attack was removed recently, and the area has been the scene of other attempted attacks in recent weeks and days - which most people don't hear about.

The story of a tablecloth

On Monday, at Sotheby's, the first part of a highly anticipated auction of Judaica - the Steinhardt Judaica Collection - was held.

While there are exquisite pieces of all types, including a beautiful illustrated Mishneh Torah worth millions of dollars, today's auction included an unanticipated bidding war over a 19th century tablecloth.

The estimated price for this piece was between $20,000 and $30,000. It sold for an astonishing $137,000.

Here is what it looks like and the explanation:

This colorful Sabbath tablecloth embroidered with images of the holy sites of Israel is one of an exceptional group of decorative textiles created in the Holy Land in the nineteenth century. In the central panel, the artist has featured an idealized vision of the sacred sites of the Temple Mount; the Midrash Shlomo (Solomon’s school) Bet Ha-Mikdash (The Temple) and the Kotel ha-Maaravi (the Western Wall). Surrounding the central panel are ten pavilions each denoting a tomb of one of the famous men or sages of Israel. In addition, the well of Miriam is also depicted and a fanciful chained lion represents the tomb of Rabbi Solomon Luria (known by his acronym as Ha-Ari = the Lion). In the outside corners are depictions of the tombs of Rachel, Samuel, Hulda the prophetess and the Kings of the House of David. Several prayers recited on Friday evening at the start of the Sabbath meal, (including Shalom Aleichem) are decoratively inscribed in concentric circles.

Scholarly research has identified a total of only nine clothes created in this style; these include seven highly similar tablecloths:
1. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. First half of the nineteenth century (161/58)
2. The Jewish Museum, London. First half of the nineteenth century (no. 366)
3. The Jewish Museum, New York. First half of the nineteenth century (F1789)
4. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Dated 1850 (755-1900)
5. The Wolfson Museum Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem. Dated 1906 (#2185)
6. The Wolfson Museum Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem. Early twentieth century (#257)
7. The Jewish Museum of Greece, nineteenth century

and one related Torah Ark Curtain in the collection of the Jewish Museum, London (#53).

The present cloth is the only one of this group to be both signed by an artist, Nachman the son of Hillel the Yerushalmi, as well as dated, 1821. More importantly, it is both the earliest example of this genre as well as one of the earliest extant dated objects of Judaica to be created in Jerusalem in the modern period.

Why would a tablecloth sell for such an astonishing amount?

Perhaps because this is simple yet powerful proof of the centrality of Jerusalem, and specifically the Temple Mount, to Jews - a truth that too many people nowadays downplay or ignore. The tablecloth also displays a small inkling of the richness of Jewish history in the Land of Israel, and it beautifully demonstrates how Jews and their land are inexorably linked.

(h/t D)

Monday Links Part 2

From Ian:

Boston bombers and 'liberal' cringe

Obviously, neither the Jews nor the American far right were responsible for the Boston marathon bombings, as some Middle-Eastern media outlets have hilariously claimed. In the West, blaming the Jews can be a sign of paranoia, but coming from the Middle-East, it’s usually a cynical tactic to appeal to those same Western paranoid types.
Judging by some British reporting of the Boston terrorist attack, one might get the impression that the British liberal media establishment wished it could blame anyone but those involved – Chechen jihadists.

Multiculturalism and the Decline of American Values

Liberal academia has always displayed a notoriously poor track record of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism. So it should come as no surprise then that professor emeritus of international law and practice at Princeton University and United Nations Human Rights “expert” on Palestine, Richard Falk, declared moral bankruptcy on Tuesday, when he blamed the Boston terrorist attack on America.

Barry Rubin: The Truths About Terrorism Whose Names They Dare Not Speak

The current conventional wisdom about terrorism, Islamism, and the Middle East is being bent, but not broken, by two events. On one hand, there is the Boston bombing; on the other hand, developments in Syria and to a lesser extent Egypt. What’s happening?
In the Middle East, the misbehavior of Islamist movements is becoming more apparent. In Egypt, there is the repression of the Muslim Brotherhood regime, which may actually intend to create a non-democratic Sharia state! Parallel behavior in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Turkey is under-reported but occasionally surfaces.

Harriet Sherwood and Phoebe Greenwood take steps towards understanding Palestinian incitement

As such, it was encouraging to read a recent story by the Guardian’s Harriet Sherwood, entitled ’Gaza schoolboys being trained to use Kalashnikovs‘, April 28, which reports on news that Hamas is now providing Gaza schools with military training for young boys. The program, which includes the use of firearms and explosives, will likely be extended to girls next year.

BBC discovers the word antisemitism

In the ‘Sussex’ category of the ‘England’ section of the UK page on the BBC News website we find a report entitled “Crowborough UKIP candidate Anna-Marie Crampton suspended” dated April 25th. Somewhat surprisingly – given its record when reporting similar recent cases of antisemitic remarks made by other politicians and public figures in the UK – this time the BBC has found itself able to accurately describe the nature of the statements made.

Polish politician to receive Elie Wiesel Award

Bartoszewski was a former Auschwitz concentration camp prisoner, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs and an honorary citizen of Israel. He is currently the Secretary of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. During the World War II, Bartoszewski was involved in the rescue of Jews for which he received the Righteous Among the Nations medal from Yad Vashem in Israel.

Israeli startup powers the sensors that power agriculture

Sensor-based innovations are helping farmers grow more food, and Sol-Chip’s technology is helping them do it more efficiently

Int'l Company Brings Optic Solution for Bandwidth Challenges

The Ciena company has announced the launch of its new network architecture, aimed at bringing a solution to bandwidth challenges.

What Israel Did for IBM and What IBM Did for Israel

An interview with Meir Nissensohn, former general manager of IBM in Israel.
Doug interviews Meir Nissensohn, former general manager of IBM in Israel. Mr. Nissensohn explains why IBM came to Israel, what investment opportunities Israel offers to large, multinational companies and what these companies can give to Israel in return. Also find out why Israel has so many startup companies and why businesses and the Israeli economy continue to prosper on the second part of this week’s Goldstein on Gelt podcast.

Several Israelis "discreetly" visited Tunisia during Djerba pilgrimage

This past weekend Jews from throughout the world descended to Djerba, Tunisia for an annual pilgrimage festival to the ancient El Ghriba synagogue there.

Tunisian authorities pulled out all the stops to ensure that the event would not be marred by violence or terror
attacks. Tourism is an important part of the Tunisian economy, and tourists are skittish about visiting in wake of the Islamist government there, so the leaders wanted to be especially careful about this event - because if Jews can visit Tunisia safely, all the more so should everyone else feel safe there.

According to one Egyptian site, about 20 Israelis of Tunisian origin managed to "discreetly "visit during the weekend as well, flying via Rome to Tunisia.

There are a number of groups in Tunisia that oppose "normalization with the Zionist enemy" and they tried to add a paragraph to the new constitution to criminalize any contact with Israel.

By the way, there was also at least one Jewish pilgrimage to Morocco yesterday; my guess is that it was to the grave of Rabbi Amram ben Diwan although there are a number of such pilgrimages on Lag B'Omer in Morocco.

Ha'aretz allows antisemitic comments on its Facebook page

For the past nine days, on Ha'aretz' Facebook page, you can see comments like:

I recall 100 million Christians being killed last century by Jewish Bolshiveks

Maybe you also forgot about the Armenian Holocaust in 1915? The event the coined the term "genocide" The 1.5 million who were slaughtered by the "Young Turks" who in fact were all Crypto-Donmeh Jews.

Heil Hitler, I wish he was still around! At least Israel would have not existed.

Granted, there are many idiots on Facebook, from all sides, and it is hard to police every comment.

But a year ago, Haaretz slammed Binyamin Netanyahu for allowing racist comments on his Facebook page in the hours after he expressed his condolences for a horrific crash that killed ten Arabs. And they also condemned Walla for allowing similarly disgusting comments.

Netanyahu expressed sorrow over the accident, but his aides did not remove the racist comments from his Facebook page or denounce them.

Eventually, the comments were removed from Netanyahu's page.

So why exactly are hate statements considered unacceptable by Ha'aretz for some online forums - but perfectly OK on Ha'aretz' own page? Is Ha'aretz not obligated to remove or denounce hate statements on its own forums?

Or is Ha'aretz-style morality only applicable to people it doesn't like?

(h/t Miguel)

If only we understood their motivations, we can soothe their anger!

Another loss for Ha'aretz

I noticed today that Avi Issacharoff, one of Ha'aretz' few remaining good reporters, now writes for Times of Israel.

Curious as to when his last article for Ha'aretz was, I looked at Google News and found this:

But clicking on the link one finds that Issacharoff's name has been scrubbed from the article!

Classy! Far from acting like the "New York Times of Israel," this is the sort of stunt that one would expect to see from the National Enquirer of Israel.

Perhaps this helps explain why Ha'aretz' website analytics have been going steadily down while Times of Israel's has been on its way up:

Monday Links Part 1

From Ian:

UN Watch: Victory: UN Reverses Course, Condemns Richard Falk
Falk defenders lash out: “UN Watch crafted the smoking gun, better watch itself”

Falk’s defenders, outraged at UN Watch, have now begun to rally, lashing out against us in lengthy manifestos. “UN Watch crafts the smoking gun,” screams a headline on Mondoweiss, a leading anti-Israel website. “UN Watch Better Watch Itself,” warns the headline of an essay by Jeremy Hammond, the publisher of Falk’s article.
Why are they so angry?
Because thanks to UN Watch pressure, their hero, the world body’s most vicious hater of America, Israel, and Western democratic society, was exposed, denounced, and shamed by world leaders—including by the head of the United Nations himself. And rightfully so.

UN’s Disgraced Richard Falk to be Honored Tomorrow by Famed US Financier in Beirut

A famous San Francisco tech finance pioneer is being called upon to cancel his sponsorship of a lecture tomorrow night that will honor a UN official who was denounced by world leaders last week for suggesting that the Boston bombings were somehow the fault of the U.S. and Israel.

Richard Falk’s Publisher ‘Foreign Policy Journal’ is just a 1-man, Truther-run website

In reality, “Foreign Policy Journal” appears to be a one-man website, dedicated to extremist anti-American and anti-Israeli rants, with that one man, Jeremy R. Hammond, who describes himself as self-employed and living in Cross Village, Michigan, being a prolific 9/11 Truther.

VIDEO: Ken Livingstone makes excuses for Boston bombers

Labour's former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has used his Press TV pulpit to make anti-imperialist excuses on behalf of the Boston bombers

Bombers’ mother told older son to go to ‘Palestine’

In a conversation tapped by Russian authorities, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva suggested that her sons go to Palestine during a discussion about jihad. The Russian security service intercepted the 2011 phone conversation as part of a wider monitoring programme, the fruits of which have now been turned over to US officials.

Glenn Greenwald on the sage foreign policy wisdom of the ‘Underwear Bomber’

In addition to smearing as ‘Islamophobic’ anyone who suggested, in the early hours and days of the investigation into the attack which left 3 dead and over 200 injured, that the culprits may be Islamists, his reaction once it seemed clear that the terrorists were radicalized Chechnyan Muslims was to argue, in a fashion similar to Richard Falk, that such attacks should ‘inspire’ us to reflect on US policy in the Mid-East.

European activist attacks IDF officer in Hebron

A Palestinian youth and a European activist were arrested by IDF soldiers near Hebron on Sunday for throwing rocks.
According to the IDF, the foreign activist resisted arrest and attempted to grab an officer’s weapon. He also reportedly attacked another IDF soldier before being subdued.

Hamas terrorist gets 24 yrs for shootings, bombings

IDF announces the Samaria Military Court convicts Muhammed Haruyash for involvement in and attempts to carry out terror attacks.

Syrian PM 'Survives Damascus Car Bombing'

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi survived a bomb attack that targeted his convoy in central Damascus on Monday.

Oren: Syria Military Action 'Very,Very Complex’

Oren said air strikes on chemical weapons bases pose a risk of collateral damage to civilians if agent is dispersed, and under international law the attacker would be at fault.
"That's why Israel is not making, urging any action by the United States in Syria, because we understand the complexity of it and we share the concerns of the United States and our neighbors," Oren said on Fox News Sunday.

What is the Motivation Behind Erdogan Visiting Gaza and Snubbing Kerry?

In the same manner as countless Middle Eastern leaders before him, Erdogan figures that going on the offensive on the Palestinian front will win him back some much-needed credibility. According to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the purpose of Erdogan’s trip is to secure precisely the outcome that the U.S. and the PA fear will be set back—namely, reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.

Defected Syrian general confirms chemical weapons use, says Iran helping weaponize them

Al Arabiya in English reports:

The Syrian government ordered the use chemical weapons against the Free Syrian Army (FSA) during select battles with Syrian regime forces, a defected general told Al Arabiya late Saturday.

A former army general from the chemical weapons branch, Zahir al-Sakit, said he was instructed to use chemical weapons during a regime battle with the FSA in the southwestern area of Hauran.

But instead, Sakit disobeyed the orders and swapped the chemicals with disinfectant water he called “Javel water.”

“I was given orders to execute the use of poisonous chemicals in caves and tunnels that are used by the Free Syrian Army, but I mixed all chemicals with water and used Javel water instead,” Sakit said.

According to Sakit, prior to his defection, no chemical weapons were used on his watch in battles against the FSA.

“I assure you that I ordered all chemical weapons to be buried and I can point out the exact locations of those chemicals,” Sakit added.

His actual interview in Arabic, however, also says that he knows specifically where and when chemical weapons have been used by Syria:

Following are excerpts from an interview with Syrian army defector Brigadier-general Zaher Al-Saket, former head of chemical warfare in the 5th division, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on April 27, 2013:

Zaker Al-Saket: There are three types of chemical weapons: harassing chemical agents, incapacitating agents, and lethal agents. When the demonstrations started, the regime used harassing agents, like any country in the world using tear gas to disperse demonstrations. As for incapacitating and lethal chemical agents - the regime used incapacitating agents at first, but when the world remained silent about this, and the regime thought that the international community did not care, it used lethal [chemical] weapons in more than 13 locations. The last incident was in Utaybah. The regime used sarin gas on three occasions, and I am increasingly afraid that they will use agents more powerful than sarin. They have VX gas and mustard gas, also known as iprit.
[…]
The regime's accusation that the opposition has used chemical weapons is the most compelling proof that the regime itself has used them, because the opposition does not have the means to use chemical weapons. The means of using chemical weapons are known to the whole world: airplanes, missiles, helicopters, and artillery. Worst still, this regime has binary chemical weapons. The world must understand that there are binary chemical weapons in Syria, and [Bashar Al-Assad] will use them against his people, because he is the Nero of our age.

Binary chemical weapons consist of two non-toxic agents, which are placed in incubators that are loaded onto artillery shells. Then, the shells are launched, and when the two agents mix, a toxic substance is formed.
[…]
[Al Assad] has a complete arsenal of chemical weapons. Some came from the former USSR, and some are being manufactured right now.
[…]
Iranian experts are working with Syrian officers in the Mazzeh military airport. They manufacture incubators for the toxic substances, which will be loaded onto warheads carried by airplanes. When these warheads hit the ground, they release a toxic cloud.
[…]
I was given an order to use these substances, but I replaced them with liquid bleach. This was the reason for my defection from Al-Assad's army.
[…]
In the Amoud Horan battle in Busra Al-Harir, I was given an order to launch toxic agents into the trenches and caves to which the F.S.A. was heading. But, Allah be praised, I replaced this substance with liquid bleach, which I diluted with water and launched into the trenches.
[…]
I buried these substances with my own hands, so my commander would not find out and send me to prison.
[…]
In Utaybah, near the Damascus international airport, the regime used sarin gas three times, because it is close to the airport. The next time chemical weapons were used was in Khan Al-Assal. First, they used incapacitating agents, and then they used lethal agents, because the F.S.A. forces had managed to reach the military academy, which is the main regime stronghold.
[…]
The chemical weapons are kept in heavily fortified places in the mountains. I know exactly where they are.
[…]
The U.S. can seize control of these weapons right now, but if I reveal their location in the media, they will vanish immediately.
[…]
The chemical weapons are kept in several places: In Aleppo, in the Hama region, in Damascus, and in Latakia. The chemical weapons are there.

Many media outlets reported the sanitized Al Arabiya version, but none seem to have noticed that the full interview was more damning.

Hamas and Fatah "unity" sham goes on - and Fatah leaders get bombed

Hamas and Fatah are still trying to negotiate a framework for negotiating a way for them to have meetings that are meant to lead to more talks to give gullible observers the pretense that they are interested in unification.

The latest is that some mid-level members of Hamas and Fatah will meet in Cairo to discuss the composition of an interim government even though they disagree on whether or when actual elections should take place after the supposed creation of this government. The talks are described as "crucial."

Prime minister Fayyad has not been replaced, and he is seemingly still doing what he was doing before he "resigned." Given how unlikely it is that Hamas and Fatah will agree on a new government soon, I think he will be the "outgoing prime minister" for months to come.

But to know how things really are doing between Hamas and Fatah, just check this out:

Assailants bombed the car of a Fatah leader in the southern Gaza Strip at dawn Monday, police said.

The attackers planted a 500-gram explosive device targeting the car of Monther al-Bardawil outside his home in Rafah, said police spokesman Ayman al-Bandakji.

Witnesses told Ma'an the explosion shook the neighborhood.

The Fatah official's car was damaged but no injuries were reported. Al-Bandakji said police had opened an investigation into the incident.

Earlier in April, assailants set fire to the car of Fatah's secretary-general in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Mahmud Hussein's car was torched outside his home in Rafah on April 18.

That is a more accurate barometer of how much Fatah and Hamas want to work together than any number of preliminary meetings.

Report: Qatari royal to visit Israel in November

Israel's business site Calcalist reports that Prince Khalifa Al-Thani, the a member of the royal family of Qatar, is expected to visit Israel this November. This would be the first official visit of the Qatari royal family to Israel, and is meant to promote high-tech cooperation between Qatar and Israel.

Al-Thani will visit Israel to launch the Israel-Palestine Commercial Arbitration Center (also known as the Jerusalem Arbitration Center), a venture led by the President of the International Chamber of Commerce Oren Shachor and Palestinian Arab businessman Munib al-Masri, which is meant to solve disputes between Israeli and Palestinian businesses for amounts of up to seven million shekels.

There are unofficial trade relations between Israel and Qatar but they generally do not include high-tech products. According to the Calcalist, the Qatari government is interested in strengthening its local high-tech sector by acquiring knowledge and technology and by encouraging the Israeli high-tech companies to export jobs and development projects to Qatar, rather than to India or Eastern Europe.

Al Thani and Shachor

The visit was set during a meeting last weekend between Al Thani and Shachor to promote commercial relations between the two countries. The prince is considered very close to the Emir and other Qatari leaders.

Qatar has been in the forefront of sending aid to Hamas-ruled Gaza, both fuel and building materials.