7/05 Links Part 2: LATMA, 4th of July in Israel, Alicia Keys Fires Up Tel Aviv and Morsi IS Jewish

From Ian:

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LATMA: Tawil Fadiha sins of peace and John Kerry explains his plan


Freedom lovers will bring prosperity to Middle East, Netanyahu says

“In the Middle East today, there are many people who seek liberty, and they are our natural peace partners and provide hope that the great turbulence that is rocking the Middle East… will hopefully result in a bright future for all people in the region,” Netanyahu said. “It won’t happen overnight, but if it does, prosperity and peace will be provided for all.”

U.S., IDF Soldiers in Tel Aviv July 4 Party

Thirty American soldiers and officers celebrated American Independence Day together with over 150 IDF Lone Soldiers who made Aliyah from the United States, with the assistance of Nefesh B'Nefesh, FIDF, the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and Tzofim Garin Tzabar.
These organizations maintain their relationship with the soldiers throughout their military service and provide them with personal and financial support.

IDF Blog: IDF’s Druze Battalion Tests New Techniques for Fighting Hezbollah

The IDF’s Herev Battalion, made up of members of Israel’s Druze community, has gained many years of experience performing unique missions near the Israel-Lebanon border. In the 2006 Second Lebanon War, for instance, Herev was the first force to cross the border and the last to return – exhausted from completing a range of complex missions that earned the unit a citation.
The Herev Battalion, referred to as the IDF’s “spearhead on the Lebanon border”, used its wealth of operational experience in the region to develop new combat techniques for fighting against Hezbollah. These new techniques were tested last week for the first time in an intensive battalion-wide exercise.

Navigating to Freedom: 37 Years since Entebbe

The IDF’s history is filled with many notable events, from the unforgettable triumphs to the heartbreaking hardships. Today (July 4th), we celebrate an epic chapter of the IDF’s history by recalling an incident that gained international acclaim and respect for the heroism of Israel’s soldiers.
Read on for a remarkable account of the successful completion of Operation Entebbe 37 years ago today, as Lt. Col. (res.) Avi Mor – the navigator of three of the four planes sent to rescue the hostages in Uganda – describes in detail his experience in directing 103 Jewish hostages to freedom.

July 4 Entebbe Memories

I will forever remember that the French crew was offered the chance to leave with the Christians… and chose to stay. The deadline was approaching. The terrorists were threatening to kill the passengers. At any moment, I expected to hear that explosions and gunfire had been heard coming from the compound.

July 4, Day of Operation Entebbe, Israel Upgrades Uganda Airport

July 4 is not only US Independence Day. It also is the anniversary of Operation Entebbe. An Israeli firm this week won a contract to return to Entebbe, ironically to upgrade its systems and security.

Yes, President Mohamed Morsi is Jewish

This is OK'ed for publication now, though it is with a heavy heart that I am doing it. The brilliant career of one of our best field agents is coming to an end, after 62 years of nurturing, training and managing our man in Cairo. Besides, he was outed as our agent by young Assad anyway and the counter-intelligence in Egypt is getting too close for comfort. And only his unshakable determination to end his days as a martyr for the Elders' cause and his absolute refusal to be extracted gave way to this public revelation, so alien to the traditions of our ancient establishment. (satire)

CIF Watch: Anti-Zionism of fools: What Egypt and the Guardian can learn from Israeli democracy

The Guardian’s ideologically inspired legitimization of the Arab world’s hostility towards Israel nurtures their continuing social pathos and sclerotic economies, and ensures that, whatever party takes power in the next Egyptian government, the shining example of diversity, tolerance sober, and liberal self-government to their north will never be leveraged to their advantage.
The anti-Zionism of fools makes it more probable that the ‘Arab Spring’ will continue to be merely a chimera.

Willow Creek Church's Involvement in Anti-Israel Group Raises Concerns

Since the creation of the modern Jewish state, American evangelicals have proudly been among Israel’s most vocal supporters. Millions of these supports are members of the more than 11,000 congregations which belong to the Willow Creek Association--an umbrella organization formed by Willow Creek Community Church. Yet a co-founder of this megachurch, Lynne Hybels, has become one of the most outspoken critics of Israel through her work with a controversial advocacy group, Christ at the Checkpoint.
Christ at the Checkpoint hosts a myriad of religious leaders at a biannual conference in the West Bank under the guise of promoting peace and spreading the gospel. Yet a look at the conference keynote speakers, public pronouncements, and agenda betrays the true agenda of these activists.

German newspaper apologizes for ‘Moloch’ drawing

A cartoon purportedly showing Israel as a greedy “Moloch,” published in a major German daily, has set off a firestorm of protest, despite an apology by the newspaper.
Artist Ernst Kahl said he was shocked to learn that the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily newspaper used his drawing of a greenish, horned monster being served breakfast in bed by a pale, plump maid — originally created for the German gourmet magazine Der Feinschmecker — to illustrate a review of two new books on Israel, according to German news reports.

Suicide bomber film boycotted by Arab states

This week the Jerusalem Film Festival will be screening a film called The Attack which tells the story of an Arab-Israeli surgeon in Tel Aviv who discovers that his wife is a suicide bomber.
But the film has been banned in much of the Middle East because its Lebanese director shot the film in Israel with Israeli actors contravening a 1955 Lebanese Anti-Israel Boycott Law.
The director maintains the real reason the film was banned is because it does not demonize Israelis. Talking Movies' Tom Brook reports.

Samsung buys Israeli Web TV startup Boxee for $30 m.

Samsung acquired the Israeli streaming media startup Boxee for $30 million. The Israeli high-tech website TheMarker reported the acquisition by the Korean electronics giant on Wednesday. The report said Samsung will continue to employ Boxee’s 40 employees.

Israel's Startup Culture Lures MBAs

“I think the key reasons to go to Israel are that you learn about innovation and how to create an environment for innovation, which is a lifelong valuable skill,” says Rafi Musher, founder and chief executive of Israel & Co., adding that Israel partially subsidizes the trips. “[Visitors] also see that everyone is working on something that’s big and is a problem—not just a cool app.” (h/t Zvi)

Legs for paraplegics, and other startups from Israel’s ‘Silicon Wadi’

When U.S. President Barack Obama visited Israel in March, he stopped at the Israel Museum.
But in addition to a tour of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Mr. Obama met with seven groups of inventors whose products exemplify the best of Israeli innovation.
As part of the demonstration, a paraplegic, strapped into ReWalk, a battery-operated exoskeleton suit created by Argo Medical Technologies, walked confidently around the room. Students from the Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology, operated the Robotic Snake, a miniaturized camera-equipped robot that can slither into hard-to-access disaster sites. And scientists from Mobileye showed how their collision-prevention system can help drivers navigate more safely. (h/t Zvi)

Alicia Keys bares her heart and soul for Tel Aviv

Light on choreography but heavy on charisma, the show, part of her “Set the World on Fire” tour, included beloved hits like “Fallin’” and “Unbreakable,” as well as lesser-known, newer fare like “Brand New Me” and “Tears Always Win.”
Concertgoers had been told a special guest would be joining Keys on stage, and roared with delight when Idan Raichel, the wildly popular Israeli world-music maven, joined her on stage for a one-song mash-up of her “Fallin’” with his chart-busting hit “Mi’ma’amakim.”

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Jihadist group says it shot rockets at Eilat, aiming at Jewish civilians

From TOI:

A number of loud explosions were heard near the southern resort city of Eilat shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday night.

There were no reports of injuries. Security forces were dispatched to the area to determine the source of the blasts, but their searches yielded nothing suggesting a possible rocket attack.

They resumed searching on Friday morning.

It was not clear if the explosions were the result of missiles being lobbed at the city from the Sinai Peninsula.

Reports differed as to how many blasts there were. Initial reports indicated two explosions, but an Eilat resident told Ynet news that three were heard.

According to El Bashayer Online, a Sinai jihadist group called Ansar Al Quds has taken credit for shooting rockets.

They said that they launched two "Crayfish" rockets crayfish on Thursday night to Eilat, "targeting fuel tanks and a residential area in the city," shooting at "the enemies of God, the Jews, forcing them to flee to shelters thanks to God and his strength, which was sanitized in the Jews' coverage on it and they hid their losses as usual...."

The statement added that "The Jews know that our attacks on them and our jihad will not stop any circumstance. In the situation in Egypt, where the Jews have the upper hand in inciting them, will not stop the the wheel Jihad ever."

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Jordan increasing censorship of news

From AFP:

The Jordanian government said on Tuesday that it had blocked 254 unlicensed news websites, 16 of them in the previous two days, using powers under a 2012 law criticized as a threat to freedom of expression.

Fayez Shawabkeh, head of the Press and Publication Department said: “16 local news websites were blocked in the past two days after carefully examining their situation.

“This brings the total number of sites the PPD blocked recently to 254, while 111 sites have obtained licenses.”

On June 3, authorities said they would block nearly 300 out of 400 local news websites “for failing to obtain the necessary licensing,” under last year’s controversial legislation.

The law gave the government powers to regulate “electronic publications,” requiring them to register with the PPD and obtain a license.

It stipulates that the chief editors of news websites must be members of the Jordan Press Association, giving the government the right to censor content and hold journalists liable for comments posted on webpages.

The PPD has insisted “the decision does not seek to restrict freedoms,” and that “the objective is to organize the work of these websites.”

Journalists accuse the government of seeking to control who can publish news.

One of the sites blocked in the past two days is 7iber, Arabic for “ink.”

Its editor, Lina Ejeilat, told AFP 7iber was an interactive website that published reports and features from contributors, and said it should not be covered by the legislation.

“We are a blog and definitely not a news website,” she said.

Shawabkeh disagreed, saying that “7iber is registered at the trade and industry ministry as a news website and posts news and political analyses about Jordan, which means that the law applies to it.”

The PPD’s decision drew renewed criticism of Jordan from international human rights watchdogs, as well as from journalists, activists and the main opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, who saw it as an attempt to impose censorship.

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7/05 Links Part 1: Israel’s reviled strategic wisdom, Fatah calls for the overthrow of Hamas

From Ian:

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Caroline Glick: Israel’s reviled strategic wisdom

In a Middle East engulfed by civil war, revolution and chronic instability, Israel is the only country at peace. The image of Kerry extolling his success in “narrowing the gaps” between Israel and the Palestinians before he boarded his airplane at Ben-Gurion Airport, as millions assembled to bring down the government of Egypt, is the image of a small, irrelevant America.
And as the anti-American posters in Tahrir Square this week showed, America’s self-induced smallness is a tragedy that will harm the region and endanger the US.
As far as Israel is concerned, all we can do is continue what we have been doing, and hope that at some point, the Americans will embrace our sound strategy.

Dore Gold: Kerry and the struggle over the Jordan Valley

Speaking before the U.S. Congress on May 24, 2011, Netanyahu stated that while the precise delineation of Israeli-Palestinian borders must be negotiated, he added: "Israel will not return to the indefensible lines of 1967." Since that time there has been a struggle underway in which both the Israelis and the Palestinians are presenting their diplomatic narratives to Western diplomats, who have been predisposed to accepting the Palestinian narrative on territory and the Israeli narrative on security. This struggle has direct implications for the future of the Jordan Valley.

The U.N.’s Institutional Bias against Israel

It is not just the U.N.’s Human Rights Council that has an institutional bias against Israel, in the form of its infamous Agenda Item 7. Almost every U.N. agency has one or more special agenda items or reports that single out Israel. As a form of widespread bias, the gross and systematic singling out of Israel damages the credibility of the United Nations and calls into question its commitment to the the organization’s own principles of equality, universality, and impartiality.

Amnesty calls on Israel to stop 'bullying' activists

This is the "latest in a litany of human rights violations against Nariman Tamimi (aka Shirley Temper’s Mother), her family, and her fellow villagers. These arbitrary restrictions should be lifted immediately and the charges should be dropped," said Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International.

Indy reporter misleads on Israel’s security barrier

Of course, Israel’s security barrier (mostly consisting of chain link or barbed wire) was built between ‘Israeli citizens’ and the Palestinians of the West Bank, not just the state’s “Jewish citizens and the Palestinians” as McCarthy claims. In addition to the state’s roughly six million Jews, Israel is home to 1.3 million Muslims, 155,000 Christians and nearly 130,000 Druze.

What now for Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood?

The Muslim Brotherhood has called for mass protests following Friday prayers and this may provide a window into which direction the wind is blowing. Radical Salafi supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi have indicated that violence and terrorism will be their response.
Mohammad Zawahiri, the Egyptian-based brother of al-Qaida leader Ayman Zawahiri, called for the organization to wage a jihad to save Morsi and his Islamist agenda for Egypt, according to a report by Raymond Ibrahim at the Gatestone Institute.

David Horovitz: After Morsi: 6 thoughts on the ouster of an undemocratic, elected president

American hesitancy, the Brotherhood’s extreme anti-Semitism, and how the short-lived leader was the architect of his own downfall

Obama avoids calling Egypt leader's ouster a coup

President Obama said Wednesday that he was deeply concerned about the military overthrow of Egypt's first elected president, although he avoided describing the ouster as a military coup, which would trigger automatic cuts in U.S. aid to a longtime ally that is key to U.S.-backed regional security accords.

Egypt: El Baradei Favored to Head Interim Government

Muhammad ElBaradei, the former head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, is the leading candidate for the position of prime minister of the interim government in Egypt, 24 hours after Mohammed Morsi was deposed by the military as the country's president.

Egypt crisis: Video purports to show mob attacking soldiers

Amateur footage from Egypt appears to shows two soldiers being set upon by a large group of Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

Russia, Turkey criticize Egyptian democracy

Turkish officials call Morsi’s ousting anti-democratic, ‘backward’; Russian lawmaker suggests democracy may not come easily to non-Western states

Sadat's Daughter: Thank You for Avenging my Father

Egypt's new transitional government has received thanks from Rokaya Sadat, the daughter of former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat.
“I thank the Egyptian people for the demonstrations of June 30 that led to Morsi’s downfall. I thank you, because you have helped to avenge my father’s blood,” she said.

UN human rights chief worried over Brotherhood crackdown

The UN’s human rights czar expressed worry Friday over the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, calling for the end of “arbitrary detention” of the Islamist group’s members.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay also criticized Egypt for failing to “move towards a truly tolerant and inclusive society,” and said she was disturbed by the reports of sexual violence on the streets in Egypt.

Fatah calls on Palestinians to overthrow Hamas in wake of Morsi's fall

Palestinian Authority leaders on Thursday expressed joy over the downfall of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s regime, with some calling on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to follow suit and topple the Hamas government. (h/t MTB)

ZOA Chief: Can't Decide Who's Worse in Syria

Morton Klein, who heads the Zionist Organization of America, tells Arutz Sheva in a special interview that the reason the U.S. is not becoming involved in the Syrian civil war is that it does not know which side is worse than the other.
“We're not sure which side is better,” he explained.

Russia Blocks UN Demand for Access to Syrian City

Russia on Thursday blocked a UN Security Council demand that Syria allow immediate access to thousands of civilians trapped by a government offensive on the city of Homs, diplomats said, according to the AFP news agency.
According to the diplomats, Russia's opposition to the statement proposed by council members Australia and Luxembourg was a new sign of a growing international split over the 26-month old conflict.

Seeking to Expand South American Terror Network, Iran Now Targeting Bolivia

Bolivia is not unique. A recent State Department report outlined Iranian efforts across South America. Terrorism expert Matthew Levitt emphasized that the report not only documented Iran’s continuing efforts “to expand its presence and bilateral relationships with countries like Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela,” but also the infiltration of “a network of intelligence agents specifically tasked with sponsoring and executing terrorist attacks in the Western Hemisphere.”

Pakistan Bankrolls Terrorist Group

Pakistan has just allocated over $4,000,000 for a Center, a "Knowledge Park" and other initiatives for the Islamist parent body of the banned terrorist group that attacked Mumbai, India, in 2008.
The Pakistani provincial government of Punjab included in its budget for fiscal 2013-14 a sum of 61.35 million Pakistani Rupees ($616,000 USD) to fund the largest Center of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) -- the Islamist parent body of the banned terror organization Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT), which committed the Mumbai attacks.

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Egypt's backlash against Hamas begins

Egyptian police closed the Rafah crossing from Gaza today, after attacks on Egyptian army positions this morning. The closings will remain in effect "until further notice."

So far, no "human rights" agency has condemned this clear violation of the rule against collective punishment against Gazans. They seem to only get worked up over one country allegedly doing that.

Palestine Press Agency quotes a German press agency as saying that Egyptian excavators and bulldozers demolished a number of smuggling tunnels on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Thursday. Eyewitnesses saw much earth-moving equipment, alongside a number of armored vehicles of the Egyptian army carrying heavy machine guns.

It looks like Egypt is taking Gaza smuggling seriously, years after Israel rang the alarm.

Also, the Egyptian Attorney General decided to investigate former president Morsi on charges of collaborating with foreign bodies. Which foreign bodies? Hamas! The accusation is that the Muslim Brotherhood collaborated with Hamas in the jailbreaks of many Brotherhood members as the Mubarak regime was falling.

In Gaza itself, Hamas instructed its spokespeople to remain mum on the entire topic of Egypt, afraid that someone will say something that will give Egypt an excuse to further disenfranchise the group. But privately Hamas has been meeting around the clock to watch developments and come up with a strategy on how to handle them. One of the immediate pressing issues is that Hamas was able to get materials from Egypt at the Egyptian subsidized prices, and now they have to pay full price to Israel for the same goods.

Hamas already recently lost its Iranian patron. Losing Egypt could cause Hamas to be unable to pay salaries, and that could make things very interesting in Gaza over the next few months.

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Extremist Abbas shows his intransigence in interview

Yet again, Mahmoud Abbas shows his extremism and intransigence in an interview and the Western world
looks the other way.

In an expansive interview in Lebanon's Al-Joumhouria, Abbas reiterated the points he has made many times before - points that ensure that there will never be a Palestinian Arab state unless Israel allows itself to be destroyed.

Abbas reiterated that the so-called "right of return" is "sacred," and he is against resettlement of Palestinian Arabs in other Arab states. He indicated that Israel wanted Syrian refugees who went to Gaza to forfeit the "right" to move to Israel, and he refused (presumably, preferring them to rot in Syria if given the choice.)

He also said that if Jerusalem does not become part of "Palestine" then there will never be peace. He is representing Jerusalem as not just a Palestinian Arab issue but an issue for the entire Islamic and Arab worlds - you know, the people who ignored it when it was under their control.

On the topic of reaching out to American Jews to influence Israel, he stated that he felt that many Jews in America are not supporters of Netanyahu and that Palestinian Arabs "must speak with them in order for them to understand the Arab point of view, and I think that some of them began to understand that Israel is intransigent."

He admitted that the news from Arab countries has put the topic of Palestine on the backburner, but he bragged that even so he got 138 votes in the UN to declare "Palestine" a non-member state.

One bizarre answer he gave, to the question of why he is reluctant to use the word "resistance" in his written statements, is that "my authority as president finished, and I demand to conduct legislative and presidential elections." He seems to run away from questions he would rather not answer by falling back on the fiction that he wants elections, even though he is in the ninth year of his four year term.

When pressed, Abbas said he is against armed resistance, saying "I'm not ready to launch an absurd missile to destroy my country, we are with the peaceful resistance popular." "Popular resistance" includes Molotov cocktails and stones thrown through car windshields. Note again that his objection to terrorism is not moral but practical - because Israel responds with force to being attacked. If he thought he could achieve a state by murdering every Israeli civilian, the implication is that he would have no problem with that.

Abbas denied acting as a dictator. Keep in mind that he did his UN stunt without the backing of the PA and PLO government committees that according to their own laws must approve any moves like that. Not to mention his assaults on freedom of the press and freedom of expression. He said that the best proof that he is not a dictator is that he did not force the "prime minister" to stay on when he resigned. Of course, he appointed him to begin with, the way a dictator would.

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While Europe dawdles, Gulf states discuss sanctions against Hizballah

The Daily Star (Lebanon) Monday reported on Monday:

The European Union is unlikely to make a decision on blacklisting Hezbollah for “a least five [or] six months,” Italy’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development Cooperation Lapo Pistelli said Wednesday. Pistelli spoke to The Daily Star as he rounded out a three-day visit to the country with a brief tour of the National Museum, which included sneak peeks at a selection of exhibits not yet on public display.

The deputy minister listed the debate between member states over evidence of Hezbollah’s involvement in a terror attack in Bulgaria in July 2012 as one of the main reasons he believed the organization, or part of it, would not be added to the bloc’s terror list in the immediate future.

“At the preliminary discussion in Brussels [earlier this month] there were some arguments raised by the Bulgarian government and the Cypriots about the proofs and evidences [pertaining to] blacklisting the organization ... so it seems to me this decision will require time,” Pistelli said.

The EU has come under increasing pressure from the U.S. and some of its members to add Hezbollah, or at least its military wing, to its terror list.

Pistelli described this debate as “very sensitive,” and was clear that, regardless of discussions in Europe, Hezbollah is a very “relevant player” in Lebanon and could not be excluded from a “real national unity government.”

More details on the opposition within Europe to declaring Hizballah a terrorist organization can be seen here.

While Europe effectively legalizes the terrorist organization, the Gulf Arabs in the region are moving forward with sanctioning it:

Senior Gulf Cooperation Council officials met in Riyadh on Thursday to coordinate sanctions in the six member states against Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah movement over its support for the Syria regime.

The meeting was “to develop mechanisms to monitor movements, financial transactions and business operations of Hezbollah,” said Bahraini deputy interior minister Khaled al-Absi.

The GCC monarchies decided on June 10 to impose sanctions on Hezbollah, targeting residency permits and its financial and business activities in reprisal for the group’s armed intervention in Syria.

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Of course, it isn't that the Gulf countries are suddenly more sensitive to terror than Europe. They would never sanction Hamas or any other Palestinian terror group.  It is that they are Sunni and they hate Shiites, represented by Hizballah, and the organization's adventurism in Syria is giving them the excuse they want to sanction it.

Even so, it is jarring to see Muslims in the forefront of taking actions against other Muslims while Europeans can't figure out what to do.

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Interim president of Egypt accused of being Jewish (update)

A number of Arabic media are saying that the new interim president of Egypt, Adli Mansour, is actually a Jew!

They get this little factoid from a Facebook post by Ahmed Mansour (presumably no relation,) an Al Jazeera reporter who is clearly a fan of Mosri.

According to the post, Adli Mansour is really a Seventh-Day Adventist. This means, according to this well-informed journalist, that Adli is really Jewish.

If that isn't evidence enough of Adli's guilt, Ahmed says that Adli approached the Coptic pope for baptism and was turned down. I'm sure that's relevant.

Ahmed Mansour ends off his post by saying "Congratulations, [Egypt], you are now ruled by Jews and Christians."

UPDATE: Everyone is denying everything, and Ahmed Mansour says that his Facebook page was faked. It has been around for over a year, with tens of thousands of "Likes," so this is a pretty elaborate deception and surprising that Mansour never complained about it before.

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Archaeology news 3: Samson mosaics found in Galilee

From Israel Antiquities Authority:

A monumental synagogue building dating to the Late Roman period (ca. 4th-5th centuries C.E.) has been discovered in archaeological excavations at Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee.

The excavations are being conducted by Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and David Amit and Shua Kisilevitz of the Israel Antiquities Authority, under the sponsorship of UNC, Brigham Young University in Utah, Trinity University in Texas, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Toronto in Canada. Students and staff from UNC and the consortium schools are participating in the dig.

Huqoq is an ancient Jewish village located approximately two to three miles west of Capernaum and Migdal (Magdala). Thissecond season of excavations has revealed portions of a stunning mosaic floor decorating the interior of the synagogue building. The mosaic, which is made of tiny colored stone cubes of the highest quality, includes a scene depicting Samson placing torches between the tails of foxes (as related in the book of Judges 15). In another part of the mosaic, two human (apparently female) faces flank a circular medallion with a Hebrew inscription that refersto rewards for those who performgood deeds.

“This discovery is significant because only a small number of ancient (Late Roman) synagogue buildings are decorated with mosaics showing biblical scenes, and only two others have scenes with Samson (one is at another site just a couple of miles from Huqoq),” said Magness, the Kenan Distinguished Professor in the department of religious studies in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Our mosaics are also important because of their high artistic quality and the tiny size of the mosaic cubes. This, together with the monumental size of the stones used to construct the synagogue’s walls, suggest a high level of prosperity in this village, as the building clearly was very costly.”

The University of North Carolina describes a different Samson mosaic; I'm not sure if it is from the same site or the one nearby:

Very high resolution image; click to see detail

In summer 2012, a mosaic showing Samson and the foxes (as related in the Bible’s Judges 15:4) was discovered in the synagogue’s east aisle. This summer, another mosaic was found that shows Samson carrying the gate of Gaza on his shoulders (Judges 16:3). Adjacent to Samson are riders with horses, apparently representing Philistines. Although he is not described as such in the Hebrew Bible, Samson is depicted as a giant in both scenes, reflecting later Jewish traditions that developed about the biblical judge and hero.

Biblical scenes are not uncommon in Late Roman synagogue mosaics, but only one other ancient synagogue in Israel (at Khirbet Wadi Hamam) is decorated with a scene showing Samson.

“The discovery of two Samson scenes in the Huqoq synagogue suggests that it was decorated with a Samson cycle — the first such cycle known in Israel,” said Magness. “A cycle is a series of scenes about Samson, in which different episodes relating to Samson are depicted.”

Another portion of mosaic discovered in the synagogue’s east aisle preserves a scene that includes several male figures and an elephant. Below that is an arcade, with the arches framing young men arranged around a seated elderly man holding a scroll. The strip below shows a bull pierced by spears, with blood gushing from his wounds, and a dying or dead soldier holding a shield.

This mosaic differs in style, quality and content from the Samson scenes, Magness said.

“It might depict a triumphal parade or perhaps a martyrdom story based on Maccabees 1-4, in which case it would be the first example of an apocryphal story decorating an ancient synagogue,” she said. “Apocryphal books were not included in the Hebrew Bible/Jewish canon of sacred scripture.”

(h/t L. King)

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7/04 Links Part 2: Israeli Arab Christian Soldiers, Mandela and the Jews, Sabra dips into the NFL

From Ian:

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Arab Christians: Israel only state worth fighting for

Arab Christian residents of Nazareth who proudly serve in the Israeli army and encourage their children to do the same are coming under increasing attack, and Israel is starting to take notice and come to their aid.
For a number of years now, a group of Nazareth Christians who are officers in the Israeli army have been actively recruiting young local Arabs to follow in their footsteps and serve the Jewish state. (h/t Zvi)

Mandela and the Jews

Jewish lawyers were prominently involved in defending Mandela in the various political trials in which he was involved, among them Isie Maisels (later a member of the governing body of the Jewish Agency), Arthur Chaskalson, Joel Joffe and Sidney Kentridge. He also worked closely with the journalist Benjamin Pogrund, who later made aliya and in addition to promoting Israeli- Palestinian dialogue has been a staunch defender of Israel in the propaganda war against it.
After Mandela’s release from prison in 1990, he and the mainstream Jewish leadership forged a cordial relationship and many leading Jewish businessmen were brought on board to assist in addressing the legacy of poverty and inequality left by the apartheid system.

IDF chief visits UK for first time in a decade

Following Israel’s assassination of Palestinian arch-terrorist Salah Shehadeh in 2002, pro-Palestinian groups spurred efforts to have Israeli military and political figures arrested in Britain for alleged war crimes committed abroad, exploiting a loophole in British law enabling universal jurisdiction.
In 2011, however, the law was amended so that Britain’s director of Public Prosecutions would be required to give his consent if a group calls for an arrest warrant to be issued on the grounds of universal jurisdiction, effectively closing the loophole. Livni eventually visited Britain in 2011 to meet with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

ADL Raises Alert for White Supremacist ‘Freedompalooza 2013'

The event, “Freedompalooza 2013" is a gathering of white supremacists, anti-Semites, anti-government extremists and conspiracy theorists, according to the ADL.
Scheduled for the July 4-6 weekend, it is being organized by Paul Topete, an extremist lead singer of the band “Pokerface,” and sponsored by the “American Free Press,” published by Willis Carto.
The list of invited speakers includes two former members of Congress, both of whom have a history of hatred against Israel. Cynthia McKinney has long promoted anti-Israel rhetoric, and accused the pro-Israel lobby of sabotaging her political career.

‘Christian Century’ Under Fire for Ties With Editor From Magazine Accused of Anti-Semitism

The Christian Century, a mainline Christian magazine based in Chicago, has come under fire from the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) for its ties to James M. Wall, an associate editor at the controversial Veterans News Now (VNN),who appears on The Christian Century’s masthead.
According to CAMERA, VNN is a magazine that “traffics in ugly anti-Semitic tropes and imagery,” including several recent pieces that highlighted “Jesus’ Aryan identity” and a pro-Iran piece titled “Abraham is Not My Father.” On the front page ofVNN on July 3, an article titled “Earth’s alpha predator: Zionist Mafia” argues that the American public has been “brainwashed by lies” from the Zionists.

Dumb and Dumber About Antisemitism in Germany

Really, what could be antisemitic about picturing Israel as an ugly greedy monster with horns? Why on earth would anybody take offense to see Israel caricatured like this as illustration for an article recommending two books highly critical of the Jewish state in one of Germany’s most influential newspapers?

Egypt’s ‘biting’ wrestler suspended

Wrestling’s governing body says it suspended an Egyptian athlete who allegedly bit her Israeli opponent during a bout.
Enas Moustafa Youssef Khourshid also reportedly disrespected wrestling protocol by refusing to shake the hand of Ilana Kartysh of Israel before or after their semifinal match at a Grand Prix event last month in Sassari, Italy.

Remembering Howard Grief

On 2 July, the stone-setting for Howard Grief took place in Jerusalem, and I should like to pay tribute to this extraordinary man, and the unique legacy he left to the Jewish people in his book, “The Foundation and Borders of Israel under International Law“, published in 2008 —– the product of more than 20 years of research.
It is a work of profound scholarship, yet the documentation of the Jewish legal rights to the land set in a historical narrative, make it a compelling read. Each titled chapter within it is a stand-alone, with the first being the most important.

StandWithUs Launches New Pro-Israel Campaign

Pro-Israel advocacy and education group StandWithUs has launched an advertising campaign for the month of July on San Francisco’s Muni bus system to counter the latest round of anti-Israel ads.
“Anti-Israel groups attempt to misinform the public in order to undermine American support for Israel. Their ads typically demonize Israel and blame it for the lack of peace. They ignore context including the continued deadly actions and ideology of Palestinian terrorist groups like Hamas,” Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs, said in a statement reported by the JNS news service.

Satire: Yet another modest proposal for a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign

In a move widely expected to spark considerable controversy, one of the UK’s leading university unions, the National Union of Teachers, Trainers and Education Research Staff (known cheekily by some rebels within the union as ‘NUTTERS’) will announce a proposal that Britain’s university teachers and researchers take the unusual step of boycotting themselves.
A spokesperson for the union told CiF Watch the following:
“We realise this may seem drastic, but the gravity of the crimes being committed in the name of UK universities leaves us no choice. We have reliable information that several UK universities have collaboration programmes with educational facilities in such anti-democratic, misogynistic and apartheid states such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar. We also know of several other British institutions which have received substantial donations from such puppet organisations as the Qatari Foundation and the King Faisal Institute.

Sabra Hummus is the Official Dip of the NFL

Rejoice, hummus lovers (and football fans), because Monday Night Football will never be the same. That’s because hummus is now the official dip of the National Football League—Sabra hummus, that is, from the PepsiCo-owned Sabra Dipping Co.—and soon the entirety of this great country will finally know what you’ve known all along: that hummus is delicious.
Bloomberg reports that the sponsorship comes at the same time that the company approved its first U.S. television commercials, presumably part of a wider campaign to make the Middle Eastern spread more palatable to the American masses:

Pictet attracted by Israel's 8,500 millionaire families

In November 2012, Pictet & Cie executives prepared the gala opening of the Swiss bank's Israeli branch. These were the early days of Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza, and for a moment, Tel Aviv was a city under missile attack. Rebuffing instructions from the Swiss Embassy, Pictet Wealth Management Israel manager Karen Schwok, went ahead with the event. "We opened under conditions of uncertainty, just when missiles began to fall here. All of the bank's eight partners and senior executives came to Israel for three days. We held meetings and events, and every time we all ran to the stairwell," she told "Globes" in an interview. (h/t Zvi)

Hebrew U, Singapore U Create Joint PhD Program

The National University of Singapore (NUS) and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem are launching a Joint Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program in biomedical science beginning in August 2013.
Prof. Tan Eng Chye, Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost at National University of Singapore, and Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson, President of the Hebrew University, signed the joint degree agreement at NUS, in the presence of Ambassador of Israel to Singapore Her Excellency Amira Arnon and 30 invited guests.

Intel Considering $10 Billion Investment in Israel

Intel, the world’s top computer chip manufacturer, is in talks with the Israeli government about a $10-billion (U.S.) investment in Israel, a senior government official told the Hebrew-language Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Tuesday.

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Archaeology news 2: Possible evidence of the Mishkan at Shiloh

From Israel HaYom:

The Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting -- which, according to the Bible, housed the Ark of the Covenant -- was a temporary structure made of wooden beams and fabric, not materials cut out for thousands of years of survival.

Nevertheless, undaunted, archaeologists have searched for evidence of the Tent of Meeting for years, which they posited would be found in ancient Shiloh (next to the settlement of Shiloh in the Binyamin region). Now it appears their efforts have borne fruit, yielding assumptions that the Tent of Meeting indeed stood there.

The findings, which will be presented at a conference of the Shiloh Association scheduled to take place this week in ancient Shiloh, include the discovery of holes carved into the ground which could have held the beams of a temporary structure.

Because the Tent of Meeting and Ark of the Covenant were portable, archaeologists are considering the possibility that the Tent of Meeting stood there. The Tent of Meeting served as a place of prayer and sacrifice until the First Temple in Jerusalem was built by King Solomon.

Near the holes, in the northern part of Tel Shiloh, structures were unearthed that correspond to the dates when Joshua first settled the land of Israel until the period of King David's reign.

One of these structures was found to contain ceramic vessels as well as three large taboon clay ovens.

"This is not something that was common in private residences and therefore we do not believe these structures served as family dwellings," explained Hananya Hizmi, staff officer for archeology in the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria.

Keep in mind that the Mishkan (tabernacle) was in Shiloh for 369 years.

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Archaeology news 1: Indirect proof of Esther?

From JPost, an interesting article that might be indirect proof for the story of the Book of Esther:

Just a hundred years ago, they were searching for it desperately. German, French and Italian archaeological expeditions were mounted to comb the lower stretches of Elephantine Island in the Nile River, in southern Egypt, but without success. They had been activated by the publication in 1911, two years earlier, of papyrus documents from the area that contained personal stories of members of a Jewish military colony in the area from the 5th century BCE. According to the document, there had been a temple in their midst of the colony. But where, exactly? Was it real or a myth ? Where was the colony, exactly, and why was it there at all? With the advent of World War I in 1914, the search was called off. It resumed after 1918, but again without success.

The papyrus scrolls were specific. The Jewish colonists lived in peace with their Egyptian neighbors, and they kept the Jewish laws. In fact, the Persian Emperor Darius II had commanded them to keep the Passover feast of unleavened bread in 418 BCE and not to drink beer for seven days after Nissan 14, according to one of the papyri. The area at the time was under Persian control; it had been captured by Cambyses in 525 BCE, and the Jewish colony was under Persian jurisdiction.

They occupied a whole row of mud-brick houses, some of them married Egyptian wives, some did not, and altogether they lived their lives in peace and quiet. Why were they there? They were a military unit serving there to guard Egypt’s southern border. They were on Elephantine Island, opposite Aswan on the mainland, and it was here, at the first cataract of the Nile, that Egypt had always had to defend itself against infiltrators from the south, where the poorer nations were desperate to enter and enjoy the riches of their wealthy neighbors.

Why would Darius II, a Persian king, instruct Jews to keep Passover?

Maybe because many scholars identify Darius II was the son of Queen Esther!

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7/04 Links Part 1: A ‘P’alestinian Inconvenient Truth, Egypt Roundup and Assad's Hypocrisy

From Ian:

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A ‘P’alestinian Inconvenient Truth

In the ongoing “battle of the narratives” between Israel and the Palestinians, one minor, but telling, detail rarely gets mentioned: the Arabic alphabet, the abjad, lacks the letter “P.” Until the “P”alestinians, no people in history had ever adopted a name for themselves, or for their country, that cannot be written in their own language. By itself, this detail establishes that the “P”alestinian national narrative is a wholly modern invention.
In Arabic, the “P”alestinians call their country “Filastin” and themselves “Filastiniyun,” but this doesn’t validate their narrative; in fact, it underscores the simple truth about “P”alestine that the world ignores.

PM: Palestinian leaders think its possible to destroy Israel

Speaking at a memorial session marking the 73rd anniversary of Jabotinsky’s death, Netanyahu said the Irgun and Betar founder’s realism should be kept in mind today.
“The obstacle to peace between us and the Palestinians is not just fundamentalist terrorist organizations, but the belief that it is possible to destroy the State of Israel,” the prime minister explained.
“These organizations, states and leaders plant hopes in their nations that we can be beaten by sword, gun and bomb. We cannot be defeated by any those means or any others.”

Analysis: Hamas grows stronger in Gaza, again

Eight months after the IDF’s Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza, events in Syria, Egypt and Lebanon have turned the Strip into an arena of secondary importance for many observers.
Despite the relative quiet in the Gazan arena, much is taking place there. Hamas is entrenching itself further as the sovereign, and rearming itself with rockets. It once again has thousands of short-range rockets – around 5,000 of them – and possesses medium-range rockets which can strike greater Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Hamas’s rocket arsenal places 70 percent of Israelis within range.

UN calls for end to Israeli restrictions on Gaza

Israel’s Foreign Ministry brushed aside the criticism and laid the blame at the doorstep of the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip.
“As soon as Hamas reaches out to Israel and asks to sit with us to coordinate lifting the restrictions, we will be able to say what is possible and what is not,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told The Times of Israel. “As long as Hamas continues to speak about Israel only as the target of rockets, speaking of lifting restrictions sounds particularly hollow.”

Israelly Cool: Hamas Would Rather Their People Suffer Than Benefit From Israeli-Produced Goods

Hamas has closed a gas canister factory in Gaza.
The crime? Selling canisters of the same color as Israeli-produced canisters.

4 Hamas operatives arrested in Cairo

Four Hamas operatives were arrested at their home in a Cairo suburb on suspicion of planning a terror attack, Egypt’s Al-Ahram reported early Wednesday.
Security forces found explosives in the apartment, as well as military and police uniforms.

Barry Rubin: Obama Administration Middle East Policy: See What I've Been Trying to Tell You?

A self-interview
First, I want to apologize that I have often used intemperate language to describe U.S. policy and the people making it in the last 4.5 years. Perhaps I have put off some of you who would otherwise have been persuaded that something is very wrong. Therefore, I have tried to do another version of this approach. Remember, I'm not responsible for the way the questions are phrased here.

A victory for young revolutionaries, but not for democracy

But for Hamas, the news out of Cairo Wednesday night was especially grim. The Palestinian organization is losing its most substantial ally, one that gave it vital political support. The Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas’s parent organization and in many ways its “Godfather,” lost its power to a military establishment that is hostile to the Palestinian group’s goals.
Hamas, which has clashed with Syria and Iran over the course of the last year, now finds itself nearly isolated in the Arab sphere. Perhaps the new reality in which it finds itself will lead the weakened Hamas to conclude its reunification with Fatah.

Morsi’s fall is a blow to Mideast Islamists

Egypt was the centerpiece of the Islamist movement’s vault to power in the Arab world’s sweeping wave of uprisings. Winning election after election here, the Islamists vowed to prove they could govern effectively and implement their vision of political Islam, all while embracing the rules of democracy.

Police raid Brotherhood as new leader calls for inclusion of Islamists

Adly Mansour sworn in as president; Police seeking Muslim Brotherhood head, have already arrested Morsi and 300 other senior party members; ElBaradei heads list to lead interim government

Morsi role at Syria rally seen as tipping point for Egypt army

Mr Morsi himself called for foreign intervention in Syria against Mr Assad, leading to a veiled rebuke from the army, which issued an apparently bland but sharp-edged statement the next day stressing that its only role was guarding Egypt’s borders.

At Pro-Morsi Rally, Supporters Chant Anti-Jewish Slogans Threatening Massacres

Pro-Morsi protesters at Cairo University – which was the scene of bloody clashes overnight – were heard chanting an anti-Semitic slogan threatening massacres against Jews:

“Pro-Morsy protesters at Cairo University chant the anti-Jewish slogan: "Khaybar, Khayber, O Jews, the army of Mohamed will return."

The chant is a reference to the 7th century events around the oasis of Khaybar in modern-day Saudi Arabia, in which Muslims massacred and expelled the town’s Jewish population.

Revenge: Coptic Church Set Aflame for Morsi

True to their vows, pro-Morsi Muslims are attacking Egypt’s Christians for participating in the anti-Morsi protests. The St. George Coptic Christian Church in a village in al-Minya, Egypt, has just been set on fire by “pro-Morsi” forces. Copts are reported to be in a state of “fear and panic.”
Days earlier, a letter was circulated in al-Minya, which has a very large Coptic population, calling on Copts not to join the protests, otherwise their “businesses, cars, homes, schools, and churches” might “catch fire.”

American Islamists Rally Behind MB Amid Egypt Protests

Millions of Egyptians are in the streets demanding the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood regime in Egypt for their totalitarian theocratic policies. But many of America's leading Islamists are sticking by Morsi and condemning the protesters on social media.

Syria's Assad says political Islam being defeated in Egypt

Relishing the possible downfall of one of Assad's most vocal critics, Syrian television carried live coverage of the huge street demonstrations in Egypt demanding the departure of President Mohamed Mursi.

Turkey’s Ruling Party, Opposition Unite to Condemn Egypt Coup

In a rare show of unity, both Turkey’s ruling AK Party and its opposition Republican People's Party have condemned Wednesday's overthrow of Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi following protests by millions that led to a military coup d'etat.
AKP spokesperson Huseyin Celik told reporters that the coup was a sign of "backwardness," and accused some Western nations of having supported the overthrow.

Saudi Arabia Congratulates New Egyptian Ruler, West ‘Concerned’

Saudi Arabia’s king has already congratulated Egypt’s new transitional head of state, while Western leaders express concern and call for “dialogue.”
Saudi King Abdullah sent a message of congratulations to Supreme Constitutional Court chief justice Adly el-Mansour on Wednesday immediately following his appointment as the new head of Egypt’s transitional government by Egyptian Army Commander General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the hours after the overthrow of Muslim Brotherhood-backed President Mohamed Morsi.

Catholic priest NOT among three beheaded on video by Syrian rebels, says head friar

A Catholic priest was not among three men graphically filmed being beheaded in Syria last week a friar overseeing the Franciscans in the Middle East has told CNN.
Father Francois Mourad, a Syrian originally named as victim of a merciless mob, was instead shot eight times on June 23 when a group of rebels stormed his monastery, said Friar Pierbattista Pizzaballa, head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. He was buried that same day.

Hanging Out With Hezbollah

The intervention—Hezbollah’s first full-scale battle to reinforce Assad in Syria—suggests a new direction in the war and has seemingly prompted the U.S. to rush supplies to the rebels. It has also fanned fears that Hezbollah’s involvement will drag Lebanon deeper into the Syrian quagmire and possibly ignite a sectarian civil war between Sunnis and Shiites within Lebanon itself.
But the idea that this may be treacherous territory isn’t foremost in the mind of the Hezbollah commander. To him this is opportune training ground. “What we are doing in Syria in some ways is a dress rehearsal for Israel,” he says.

Gulf States Slam Hezbollah for Syria Fighting Conducted “Under The Banner” of Iran

Gulf states are again slamming Hezbollah over the Iran-backed terror group’s role in bolstering the regime of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad:

Chechen terror leader calls for attacks on Winter Olympics

A Chechen Islamist leader, described in Russia's media as the country's most wanted man, has issued a dramatic video broadcast threatening "maximum force" to disrupt the Winter Olympic games next year in the Russian resort town of Sochi.
Doku Umarov, leader of the so-called Caucasus Emirate group which has killed dozens in high profile bomb attacks at airports and metro stations, sought to rally his supporters and allies, saying:

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Writer of "Khaybar" says the series reveals Jews' evil throughout the ages

Note the photo behind him

On Al Jazeera, the screenwriter of the "Khaybar" miniseries that will be aired this month in many Arab countries described its antisemitic motifs in detail.

Yusri al-Jindi tells the network that "Khaybar" raises two issues.

The first is that the Mohammed set up a state with equality between citizens, including Jews.  The Islamic state is the finest with respect to equal rights and, what he would say, is "democracy," in ways that modern man can learn lessons from.

The second issue is that despite these civil rights, the Jews didn't respond with equal goodwill. Instead, the Jews greeted the benign Muslim rule with with treachery and intrigue, and outright treason.

Al-Jindi notes that the series emphasizes that Jews are Jews, still practicing their treasonous nature throughout the centuries, and they have wrought havoc in every society they have lived. They were the first to fight against this "civil Islamic state", and stand now against the restoration of the Umma for its civilization and glory.

The Jews have been consistent with this opposition to their hosts, such as in Babylon, with the Romans in the Levant, in Tsarist Russia, in Arab states and in Hitler's Germany.

The current crisis experienced by the Arab world is, he says, the best witness to this fact, and here the series takes its modern meaning.

Once again, it is clear that "Khaybar" is meant to incite Arabs against Jews today.

Please "like" our "Condemn Khaybar" Facebook page and sign the petition urging Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to condemn this series before it goes on the air.

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Hamas columnist blames Egyptian coup on..The Jews!

You knew this had to happen.

In Hamas' newspaper Felesteen, Dr. Fayez Abu Shamala (they are always "doctors" for some reason) spins a worldwide conspiracy theory to take down Egypt's democratically elected government, and - as usual - the Jews are central to the plot.

Shamala states that the coup was not done by the Egyptian people who are united and hate division, but rather "what is happening on the land of Egypt is a purely Zionist initiative with a Jewish seal and laminated by America," where they managed to find some Egyptian puppets to help Israeli sabotage against Egypt's energy industry (I guess to create long lines for fuel.)

This is especially funny since Egyptians damaged the gas pipeline to Israel many times!

The writer goes on:

What is happening on the land of Egypt is an intercontinental conspiracy, and the results go beyond the borders of Egypt, to affect the Arab Middle East as a whole, this is not only an Egyptian affair but Arabic and Islamic, which has an effect on each region. Israeli Knesset member Ben-Eliezer when he spoke to Israel Radio, said: "Egyptian society was a secular society with songs, movies and tourism, and suddenly someone comes along trying to turn the clock back by 400 years."

The Jews have lost this bet, and the Zionists lost the battle in Egypt, because the Egyptian society is a Muslim society that lives on dignity and chivalry and has high motivations, a community that clings to Arab morals, and is proud of its place of leadership in Islamic history, and is pouring all his energies to the next stage. Egypt will triumph, and will emerge from the crisis, and move beyond the trap installed by Jews towards Arabs and Muslims on the land of Egypt. ..Egypt will not retreat backwards again, and will not put Zionist restrictions on its wrist again.

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