Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Why is Gaza in the dark? Because Hamas refuses to pay!

Palestine Press Agency discusses the now week-old Gaza blackout.

It quotes Popular Struggle Front member Mahmoud Azzak as saying "The Hamas movement rejects up to now the obligation to pay what is needed for the price of industrial diesel needed to run the power plant, saying that Hamas does not pay one shekel for the electricity that feeds the Gaza Strip from Israel and Egypt."

Israel provides the bulk of Gaza's electricity, 120 MW. Egypt provides about 22 MW and the Gaza power plant, when operational, provides 60 MW. The PA pays Israel for the electricity, effectively indirectly funding the Hamas terror group with Western funds.

Hamas wants that same deal for fuel imported from Israel - it wants the PA to pay for the entire amount (or at least to not charge tax) so Hamas can stay in power for a while longer.

Meanwhile, Hamas is holding Gazans hostage, preferring to keep them cold and dark rather than pay whatever it takes to give them power. It would rather use them to pressure the PA to provide fuel at a discount.

When Hamas was smuggling fuel from Egypt, it taxed Gazans heavily to use it.

Tomorrow are the planned anti-Hamas protests in Gaza. It will be worth following.

Kuwaiti forfeits karate medal because competitor is Israeli

Al Masry al Youm reports that a Kuwaiti karate competitor has forfeited his match, and a chance for a bronze medal, rather than compete against an Israeli today.

The World Junior Karate and Cadet Championships are being held in Guadalajara, Spain, this year.

The Secretary General of the Karate Union in Kuwait said that players were explicitly told not to play any Israeli competitors.

It remains to be seen if the World Karate Federation will punish the Kuwaiti team for violating the spirit of competition the way the International Tennis Federation recently punished Tunisia.

Even when Israel builds the separation barrier along the Green Line, Israel-haters complain

You know how Israel haters say that Israel building a fence to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks is a "land-grab"?

They usually say that Israel would be perfectly allowed to build such a fence on the Green Line itself, but not to protect Israelis in who live across it even in areas that would never be part of "Palestine."

Well, it turns out that the Green Line is not so sacred to them when they don't like it.

Ma'an reports:

Battir is a Palestinian village southwest of Jerusalem famous for maintaining a Roman-era terraced irrigation system in continuous use for nearly 2000 years. The Hejaz Railway, an Ottoman-built track originally running from Damascus to Medina, winds through the valley intersecting the village.

Israeli authorities subsequently drew the Green Line along the tracks of the Hejaz Railway, tearing apart the village and leaving 30 percent of Battir's land on the Israeli side of the Green Line. [Jordan and the UN had a bit to do with drawing the Green Line. - EoZ]

However, after 1948 Battir residents struck a deal with Israeli authorities, allowing them to cultivate their lands over the Green Line in exchange for protecting the railway. This deal held even after Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967.

Israeli authorities are currently planning to build the separation wall through the village, effectively confiscating 30 percent of the lands and cutting across the village's ancient terraces.

This means that Israel is planning to build the barrier on the Green Line itself, exactly what its critics say they want - when it suits them. If a State of Palestine is created along the Green Line as the Arabs insist it must be according to international law, this is what would happen to Bittar anyway - which, incidentally, is the ancient Jewish village of Betar.

The fact is that the Green Line split a number of Arab villages. During the 2008 negotiations, the Israeli side suggested that splitting Arab towns along the Green Line - Beit Safafa, Barta’a, Baqa al-Sharqiyeh, Baqa al-Gharbiyyeh - is unacceptable and suggested that they get incorporated into the Palestinian Arab side as part of a land swap. Al Jazeera slammed the suggestion because Arab Israelis would become citizens of the PA! To them, the Green Line must split the villages when Israel suggests otherwise.

And then Israel would be blamed for that, just as this Ma'an article blames Israel and Israel only for drawing the Green Line to begin with!

To the Israel haters, the Green Line a sacred boundary only when it can be used to hurt Israel, even at the expense of "Palestine."

Israel returns stolen Egyptian artifacts

From Al Ahram:

Israel has returned a collection of stolen antiquities to Egypt after they were found on sale at an auction hall in Jerusalem.

The antiquities ministry said the collection contains 90 ancient Egyptian artefacts, including clay vessels, vases, ushabti figurines and stelae.

Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim told Ahram Online on Saturday the auction hall was exhibiting 110 artefacts but only 90 were recovered by the Israeli authorities. The remaining 20 were sold.

The minister said Egypt had asked the Israeli authorities to take legal procedures against the auctioneers and to trace the sold objects. They are willing to do this, he added.

Ali Ahmed, director-general of the Repatriation of Antiquities Department at the ministry, said the objects were first noticed during a routine internet search of international auction halls.

The recovery process began in September when Ibrahim sent an urgent letter to the foreign ministry asking them to act in collaboration with the Egyptian embassy in Jerusalem to stop the sale of 110 artefacts at the Eweda auction hall in Jerusalem.

Israeli authorities discovered the objects were stolen and had been illegally smuggled out of Egypt when the owner of the auction hall was unable to prove his ownership of the objects.

Can you imagine what would happen if the roles were reversed?

PalArabs even use "National Reading Day" to delegitimize Israel

From Ma'an:

The Palestinian Ministry of Education organized a national reading day in the West Bank's Cremisan Valley last week to coincide with the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.

The 1917 British declaration called for a national homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. Palestinians believe it paved the way for the Zionist colonization of Palestine and the eventual establishment of the Israeli state.

Why do you teach your kids to read? In order to combat Israel, of course!

11/09 Links: 29% of EU Jews wanted to Emigrate, Obama Turns on Israel, Kerry in Wonderland

From Ian:

FRA survey on discrimination and hate crime against Jews in EU Member States

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) today published its ground breaking survey of Jewish people’s experiences and perceptions of hate crime, discrimination and antisemitism in the EU.
The survey covers the UK, France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Italy Hungary, and Latvia: around 90% of the estimated Jewish population in the EU. It will enable European politicians to understand Jewish concerns and to better respond to them.
Across Europe, 27% at least occasionally avoid local places because they do not feel safe there because they are Jewish. Belgium (42%), Hungary (41%) and France (35%) are the worst places for this. 23% at least occasionally avoid Jewish events or sites for the same reason. 68% of respondents at least occasionally avoid wearing items in public that might identify them as Jewish. The figure for the UK is 59%; the highest figures were in Sweden (79%) and France (75%).
Across Europe, 11% have either moved or considered moving out of their neighbourhood in the past five years due to concerns for their safety as Jews. 29% have, at some time or other, considered emigration: this rises to 48% for Hungary, 46% for France and 40% for Belgium. In the UK, 18% have considered emigration..

World Jewish Congress leader: Kristallnacht lives on in modern anti-Semitism

Although “Germany and Europe “are a much better place than they were” during the Nazi era, Israel's neighbors today “slaughter hundreds of thousands of their own” and “we see the growing, visceral hatred of the Jewish state throughout Europe,” World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder wrote in an op-ed for the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

On Kristallnacht anniversary, Obama calls for speaking out against intolerance

“Kristallnacht foreshadowed the systematic slaughter of six million Jews and millions of other innocent victims,” Obama said.
“Seventy-five years later, Kristallnacht now signifies the tragic consequences of silence in the face of unmitigated hatred,” he said in a statement. “As we mark this anniversary, let us act in keeping with the lessons of that dark night by speaking out against anti-Semitism and intolerance, standing up to indifference, and re-committing ourselves to combating prejudice and persecution wherever it exists.”

Daniel Pipes Obama Turns on Israel

Barack Obama’s March 2013 trip to Israel had a too-good-to-be-true feel about it. While barely pressuring Israel, he instructed Palestinians not to set preconditions for negotiations and admonished them to “recognize that Israel will be a Jewish state.” It felt out of character, suggesting a price to be paid later.
Well, that price has now, eight months later, been revealed, and it has two components. If I might paraphrase the U.S. position as presented to Israel: “First, sit by quietly as we reach an accord with Tehran that freezes but does not dismantle its nuclear buildup. Second, stop the illegitimate residential construction on the West Bank or the Palestinian Authority will, with American acquiescence, start a third intifada.”

Sarah Honig: Another Tack: Glitch in Glion?

Those who seek to establish a spurious equivalence in effect urge that democratic Israel be leaned on while autocratic Iran be allowed to enjoy leniency. Soon their rallying cry will resound: Israel first. Nuclear disarmament’s endgame will be to weaken Israel’s deterrent and guess who wants that to happen?
Even less inimical countries, which themselves would never disarm, will readily demand Israeli disarmament. It’s tempting to blur the distinction between nations which covet WMDs for openly-hyped genocidal purposes and diminutive Israel – the only nation against which genocidal plots are actually hatched.
Therefore, Israel can ill-afford ostensibly inconsequential goodwill gestures or glitches – not in glorious Glion or elsewhere. True, if tiny vulnerable Israel is deemed intransigent, all nuke-stockpiling nations will posture resplendent in their self-righteousness and castigate its “obstructionism.” But so what? That’s nothing new.

Kerry in Wonderland

The crux of Kerry’s unhappiness was Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel would, as had been an agreed condition for negotiation, continue settlement expansion in return for its release of more than one hundred Palestinian murderers from prison. This was the pact with the devil that permitted the resumption of negotiations, now in their fourth month of mutual recrimination that is increasingly unlikely to produce the peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that Kerry so evidently wants to claim as his crowning achievement. Predictably, President Abbas backtracked and immediately threatened that unless Israel halted construction in Jerusalem and nearby settlements the peace negotiations would terminate “without results” and “the situation is likely to explode.” In translation, Israel’s reward for abiding by their shared understanding would be another intifada.

HERE IS ISRAEL - Doctor Kedar Presents: THE Obstacle to Peace...

In Geneva, the French hold out for tougher conditions on Iran

Iran and six world powers remain split on the terms of a nuclear deal because the French are holding out for tougher conditions on the Iranians, a Western diplomat who is in Geneva for the talks told The Associated Press Saturday.
The diplomat said that most of the six powers were agreed on their demands — with just France demanding stricter terms.
Earlier Saturday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tehran was resisting demands that it suspend work on a plutonium-producing reactor and downgrade its stockpile of higher-enriched uranium to a level that cannot quickly be turned into the core of an atomic bomb.

Our negotiators are not ‘compromisers,’ Khamenei tweets

The Iranian delegates are shown in color, while the Western delegates, headed by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, are blurred and in black and white.
In the top right of the photo is a caption which reads, “Children of Revolution: No one should consider our negotiating team as compromisers… These are the children of revolution.”

Obama’s Secret Iran Détente

The Obama administration began softening sanctions on Iran after the election of Iran’s new president in June, months before the current round of nuclear talks in Geneva or the historic phone call between the two leaders in September.
While those negotiations now appear on the verge of a breakthrough the key condition for Iran—relief from crippling sanctions—began quietly and modestly five months ago.
A review of Treasury Department notices reveals that the U.S. government has all but stopped the financial blacklisting of entities and people that help Iran evade international sanctions since the election of its president, Hassan Rouhani, in June.

Obama calls Netanyahu, restates vow to keep Iran from a bomb

Obama underscored Washington’s “strong commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon” and discussed the US’s “ongoing efforts to advance a peaceful resolution of the international community’s concerns.”
News of the call, coupled with the convergence of Western ministers in Geneva on Friday and the imminent arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and a Chinese deputy foreign minister on Saturday, deepened the expectation that a deal between world powers and Iran was reaching its final stages.

Dershowitz Warns Clintons: Blumenthal's a Problem for 2016

Noted defense lawyer, scholar, and pro-Israel advocate Alan Dershowitz has warned the Clintons that they will need to distance themselves from Sid Blumenthal unless he stops defending his son Max's anti-Israel book. The book, Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel, compares Israel to Nazi Germany. In recent years, Max Blumenthal has made a career of criticizing Israel and attacking its American Jewish supporters.

Swastikas, Slurs and Torment in Town’s Schools

For some Jewish students in the Pine Bush Central School District in New York State, attending public school has been nothing short of a nightmare. They tell of hearing anti-Semitic epithets and nicknames, and horrific jokes about the Holocaust.
They have reported being pelted with coins, told to retrieve money thrown into garbage receptacles, shoved and even beaten. They say that on school buses in this rural part of the state, located about 90 minutes north of New York City and once home to a local Ku Klux Klan chapter president, students have chanted “white power” and made Nazi salutes with their arms.

Abbas proposed Jerusalem united under supreme council, adviser says

Speaking to official Palestinian radio, Nimer Hammad said that the president’s recent proposal to make East Jerusalem the Palestinian capital and west Jerusalem the Israeli capital was received with “great international support,” while Israel continues to insist that Jerusalem remains united under its sovereignty.
“On the municipal level Jerusalem will remain united,” Hammad said. “A municipal council will be established for East Jerusalem, another for west Jerusalem, and a supreme council above both.”

Hamas Vows To Continue Building Terror Tunnels

A spokesman of the Al-Qassam Brigade military branch of Hamas recently expressed the organization's intentions to continue attacking Israel, promising that the Hamas terrorists will continue working in secret to dig new terror tunnels and continue fighting against the "occupation."

Christians threaten to quit Egypt constitution panel

Egypt’s ultraconservative al-Nour Party has pushed adding a portion defining the Islamic, or Sharia, law that will be recognized in the constitution. Critics warn doing so could allow for stricter interpretations of what Sharia is.
Safwat El-Bayadi, a representative of Christians on the panel, said Thursday they might withdraw to “voice our opinion.” The Islamist version of the constitution has yet to come up for a vote, but the Christians fear Islamists might push the issue.

Prominent cleric calls for jihad against Egyptian army

Jihadi cleric Sheikh Abu Mundhir al-Shinqiti has called on Egyptians to stop using nonviolent means such as protests, and instead to attack the regime and the “army of infidels” and “a collection of criminals.”
A prominent but somewhat shadowy jihadi thinker, the Mauritania-born Shinqiti wrote this in an article published on October 17 on the jihadi website Minbar al- Tawhid Wal-Jihad, according to a report Wednesday by MEMRI (the Middle East Media Research Institute).

Israeli Clinicians Develop Novel Way to Needle (VIDEO)

Fear needles? Well fear no more–Hebrew University students and Hadassah Medical Center clinicians have come up with a novel solution.
They “created a semi-automatic handheld device for rapid and safe IV insertion. Called SAGIV, the device uses infrared sights and electrical sensors to identify veins, insert the needle into the correct location, and withdraw it in a single, rapid robotic movement,” writes the website Nocamels.com, after interviewing Dr. Yotam Almagor, the group’s clinical expert.

Report: Israeli Actress Gal Gadot Tipped for Hollywood’s ‘Wonder Woman’ Role in 2015 Batman-Superman Film

Female crime fighters on the big screen should watch out, as IDF combat-trained actress Gal Gadot is atop a short list to play ‘Wonder Woman’ in a 2015 ‘Justice League’ reunion film being planned to star Ben Affleck, as Batman, and Henry Cavill, as Superman, Variety reported.

Has Israel abdicated security responsibility for Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem? (UPDATE)

Ma'an reports:

Palestinian security forces on Friday entered several Israeli-occupied neighborhoods and towns in the Jerusalem area for the first time since the Palestinian Authority was established, a PA security official said.

PA security spokesman Adnan Dmeiri told Ma'an that Palestinian police entered the occupied areas of al-Ram, Beit Hanina, Shufat, Anata, and al-Sawahira Friday and began a crackdown on criminal activity.

Twenty-five suspects have been detained so far, Dmeiri said.

Dmeiri told Ma'an that PA police forces intervened given Israel's neglect of its security responsibilities in the areas.

Israel "doesn't pay attention" to the security situation in these neighborhoods, Dmeiri said. They have become a refuge for fugitives and drug dealers.

"As a result, crime spread, endangering civil peace."

Given the rising frequency of armed robbery and property assaults, the PA asked its allies to mediate and convince Israel to allow Palestinian security forces to operate in these Jerusalem areas, Dmeiri said.

Dmeiri said offenses in some neighborhoods around Jerusalem have nearly reached the level of "organized crime," but that Israeli security has failed to address the problems.

"When we entered al-Ram, there were no Israeli (security) forces in the town."

There is no doubt that some Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem are very dangerous for Jews to enter. There have even been cases of stone throwing at Israeli ambulances. But that is not reason to abdicate security responsibility - it is a reason to increase it, especially during negotiations on Jerusalem's future.

Assuming this report is true (I couldn't find anything in Hebrew media about it), this is a most troubling sign.

UPDATE: Micky Rosenfeld, spokesman for the Israel Police, tells me that the report is inaccurate and that the PA security forces do not work in Jerusalem municipal boundaries, although they are allowed to work on limited items in Area C such as stolen vehicles and other thefts. But...

UPDATE 2: Times of Israel seems to partially support the Ma'an story:

Palestinian Authority security forces, with Israeli approval, have recently conducted broad operations in the streets of Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods.

Sources in both the Israeli and Palestinian security establishments confirmed to The Times of Israel that on Thursday of last week, PA security forces launched a major operation in a-Ram, a northern Jerusalem neighborhood that lies outside the municipal boundaries but borders Neve Yaakov, a Jewish neighborhood close to the IDF’s Central Command headquarters.

Palestinian security activity in Jerusalem area villages is not unusual. In recent months, PA security forces have conducted operations and actions in other villages, such as Anata (northwest Jerusalem), Dahit al-Barid (next to Ramallah), Izria and Abu Dis (East Jerusalem) and in Kfar Ekev and Samir Amis, villages in the northern Jerusalem area that are considered to be part of the municipal area of Jerusalem.

Nearly all the operations that are conducted in the area around Jerusalem are carried out in conjunction with Israel. All of these neighborhoods and villages are located on the Israeli side of the security barrier and many of their residents carry Israeli residency cards. However, the PA forces are not permitted to operate in the Old City, Beit Hanina or the Shuafat refugee camp.

(h/t Ian)

To the West, not all occupied territories are equal (UPDATE)

An interesting thing happened last week:

In today's meeting of EU Ambassadors, a majority of EU Member States indicated to favour the newly proposed EU-Morocco fisheries protocol, which opens for EU fishing in the waters of occupied Western Sahara.

Though many Member States voiced their concerns on the protocol, a majority could be reached in today’s COREPER meeting. The decision to sign the EU’s most criticised fisheries protocol will be formalised at a Council meeting in the coming weeks.

Throwing its massive voting weight in the scale, Germany ended up supporting the controversial protocol that the Spanish government has lobbied so hard for. As far as WSRW understands, the German government will issue a statement that their endorsement should not be viewed as uncritical support.

Five Member States could not agree to the proposed protocol. Sweden and Denmark voted against, while the UK, the Netherlands and Finland abstained. These countries’ stances were underpinned by concerns relating to sustainable management of the available fish stocks and EU fishing in non-Moroccan waters through a deal with Morocco.

The provisional protocol still has to pass through the European Parliament, which is not expected to express its opinion before December.

Here is a more detailed description of how the previous version of the protocol worked, and this one does not change these key points:

According to the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement, to which the Protocol sets the terms and conditions, fishing can take place in “the waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Morocco”. This is the core of the problem.

While no state in the world recognises Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara, Morocco itself views the territory as its own. Since the Agreement fails to stipulate the southern coordinates of the fishing zones, it is left to Morocco to interpret where the European vessels can fish.

The EU is saying that they can directly exploit natural resources in illegally occupied territories.

Its not only Europe, though. Last month Canada decided it can take natural resources away from the occupied people of Western Sahara, by dealing with a Moroccan company that does business over the border:

On 24 October, the bulk carrier Ultra Bellambi is scheduled to arrive at Vancouver. On board of the freighter are 60.000 tonnes of phosphate rock from the Bou Craa mines in Western Sahara. The cargo is worth almost $10 million. That money however, will not end up with the Saharawi people of Western Sahara - the original and sole people of the territory - but with the Moroccan regime that has occupied large parts of their country since 1975.

The phosphate rock was purchased by Calgary based Agrium Inc, under the terms of an agreement it concluded earlier this year with Moroccan state owned company Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP). Agrium confirmed to Canadian newspaper The Tyee that it would import one million tonnes each year until 2020, and that part of the imports will be sourced in Western Sahara.

A UN Legal Opinion on exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources is quite clear that such activity is illegal if not done in accordance with the wishes and the interests of the people of the territory - the Saharawi. The latter have unequivocally stated that they do not consent to Agrium's imports, through a letter by their political representation Frente Polisario to the company.

The EU made a big deal over saying that it had no choice but to adhere to guidelines restricting activity with Israeli companies that do business over the Green Line; international law demands it.

But it appears that it has no problem with such pesky legalities in the Western Sahara.

UPDATE: Eugene Kontorovich has more detail in a memo he wrote and sent me via email:

Differences With Israeli Agreements

1) Territorial Scope. The fisheries agreement applies not just to the “territory” of Morocco, but to all areas under its “jurisdiction,” which is understood to include Western Sahara. In agreements with Israel, however, the EU has only applied it to the “territory” of Israel, which is understood to exclude the West Bank, as well as Jerusalem. The new Funding Guidelines go further and exclude entities with operations in the territories. The guidelines claim that their approach is required by “international law” to avoid recognizing Israel sovereignty over the territories. The Moroccan case proves this concern false and pretextual.

2) Funding. The EU says that its “tax dollars” cannot be spent in occupied territory. Yet it pays Morocco specifically to exploit the scarce resources of occupied territory, against the wishes of its political representatives. This is much more severe than awarding science grants or prizes for, say, archeological research in the Golan.

EU Parliament’s Formal Legal Opinion: Essential Resource for Israel.

The agreement was adopted despite massive opposition from the political representatives of the Western Saharan people, as well as some European nations. As a result of the controversy, the European Parliament obtained an opinion from its legal advisor.[1] The official opinion, in brief, says international law does not prevent Morocco from exploiting the natural resources of the occupied territory, let alone merely doing business there. Despite the complete opposition of the Sawahari leadership, the incidental economic benefits of “development” (which the Sawahari deny exists) can be considered sufficient to satisfy Morocco’s obligation to them. Moreover, the opinion says it is legal for the EU to pay Morocco to exploit the resources of occupied territory.[2]

The Legal Opinion is consistent with all prior international law, including a 2002 opinion by the Security Council’s legal advisor, and a ruling of the French Court of Appeals. Indeed, the EU Parliament’s legal advisor may be a bit softer on the extent and nature of the benefit to the local population.

CONCLUSIONS

The positions adopted by the EU in its negotiations with Israel over grants and product labeling are inconsistent with those it has taken at the same time in its dealings with Morocco. While the EU does not recognize Israel’s control over the territories, and opposes it, the same is true of its policy towards Morocco in Western Sahara. Yet this policy does not require, nor does international law, the punitive measures adopted toward Israel. In particular, the EU has used entirely fabricated international law claims in its dealing with Israel, claims contradicted by its own legal advisors.

Perversely, the EU’s treatment of Morocco encourages Israel to conduct more economic activity in the territories. The EU was been under strong pressure to sign the deal with Morocco because of Spanish and French interests in the fish in the occupied territory. They simply did not want to lose an economic opportunity. Thus Israel’s problem may be not enough business in the territories, rather than too much. If significant Israeli defense, high-tech or biotech enterprises on which at least some European industries rely were relocated in eastern Jerusalem, the Golan or the West Bank, the Moroccan precedent suggests this would have the surprising effect of reducing diplomatic pressures on Israel.

[1] See Legal Opinion of Ricardo Passos, Director, Legal Service of the European Parliament, SJ-0665/13 (Nov. 4, 2013).

[2] The Opinion said international law would be satisfied if Morocco allocated “a certain amount of the financial contribution” fro Europe to the “population” of Western Sahara. Id. at Par. 31. By contrast, the EU settlement guidelines make a narrow exception for activities that “aim” at “benefiting protected persons,” an international law phrase intended to refer to Palestinians. Under the EU legal opinion, benefit to Moroccans in Western Sahara would suffice, and such benefit need not be the “aim,” but could be purely incidental.

11/08 Links Pt2: Students Obsession With Israel, Nazi Converts to Islam, Jordan takes UNSC Seat.

From Ian:

Stand With Us: Why Are Students Totally Obsessed With Israel?

Why is there an Israel Apartheid week in nearly two dozen campuses across the UK - yet there are no similar events drawing attention to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe or Venezuela? Why does the NUS want to send students on a 'humanitarian mission' to Gaza - yet it has refused to support a campaign fighting racism on campus? Above all, why is Israel the only country in the world which 18 year old kids believe has no right to exist (that is, when they're not stupidly drunk in a nightclub)?
It's a saddening question with a myriad of answers. A lot of university students are naive? True, but not a satisfactory answer. Anti-Semitism? A bit too simplistic perhaps - though Woody Allen has no problem with this explanation. Israel makes a good news story? It's embroiled in an iconic conflict?

Ad campaign tests pro-Israel group’s launch in Canada

The dueling ads from PAC and StandWithUs depict “Palestinian Loss of Land” and “Jewish Loss of Land” respectively. The PAC ads show an area marked “Palestine” being reduced in size from 1946 until 2012 and the text, “5 million Palestinians are classified as refugees by the UN.”
The counter ads depict the ancient Jewish kingdom dated 1000 BCE, the “Jewish homeland” under the Balfour Declaration in 1920 and the modern state of Israel with the West Bank and Golan Heights marked as “disputed territory.” (StandWithUs also ran a second ad with children waving Canadian and Israeli flags.)

Why Did so Many Wanted Nazis Convert to Islam?

There are Nazi grafts in Arab-Islamic terrorism.
At the top of the most wanted list of the Simon Wiesenthal Center there is a man who today would be one hundred years old. His name is Alois Brunner and he is responsible for the deaths of over 130,000 Jews. The Nazi hunters still place him in Syria, where he was last seen in 2001, protected by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Brunner was one of the most zealous ideologues and officials of the “Final Solution”, the plan for the extermination of the Jews. The idea haunted him to the point that in 1985 he said to the German magazine Bunte: “I regret that I didn’t finish the job”.

Obama Accused of ‘Crimes Against Humanity’

According to Egyptian newspaper El Watan, a group of Egyptian lawyers has submitted a complaint charging U.S. president Barrack Hussein Obama with crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court.
The complaint charges Obama of being an accessory to the Muslim Brotherhood, which incited widespread violence in Egypt both before and after the June 30 Revolution.

Jordan to take Saudi seat on Security Council

Jordan will replace Saudi Arabia on the Security Council for a two-year term starting in January after the Saudis’ unprecedented rejection of the seat hours after they were elected, a UN diplomat said Thursday.
The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal was made privately, said Jordan’s UN Ambassador Prince Zeid al Hussein was flying to Amman Thursday night to discuss Jordan’s new role on the UN’s most powerful body.
Earlier this week, Jordan dropped its bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, leaving Saudi Arabia a clear path in the now uncontested election next Tuesday.

Top EU Legislators Appeal Against UNHRC Candidacies of China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia

We, the undersigned members of parliament, human rights activists and non-governmental organizations, call on you to publicly oppose the candidacies of Algeria, China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, for seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council, elections for which will be held on November 12, 2013. We urge you to take action to defeat these manifestly unworthy candidacies, which threaten to cast a shadow upon the reputation of the Council—and of the United Nations as a whole.

Israel, US lose UNESCO voting right in dispute

Under UNESCO rules, the US had until Friday morning to resume funding or explain itself, or it automatically loses its vote. A UNESCO official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue, said nothing was received from either the US or Israel.
The suspension of US contributions, which account for $80 million a year — 22 percent of UNESCO’s overall budget — brought the agency to the brink of a financial crisis and forced it to cut or scale back American-led initiatives such as Holocaust education and tsunami research over the past two years.

BBC Trust Censures Show for Inaccurate Portrayal of Six Day War

The BBC Trust has decided that Dan Snow breached its Editorial Guidelines on accuracy when he implied that Israel had started the Six Day War in a film called ‘History of Syria,’ the BBC reported Thursday.
A complainant initially complained to the BBC that Snow’s statement that ‘In 1967, Assad was Minister of Defense when Israel launched a series of strikes against Egypt, Jordan and Syria…’ “vilified” Israel.

Guess who endorsed Max Blumenthal’s ‘I hate Israel handbook’?

It’s of course not surprising that the former Guardian columnist – whose history of engaging in antisemitic tropes is well-documented – endorsed a book by such a hateful anti-Zionist. However, in light of Greenwald’s star status within a segment of the progressive media, it’s important to continue documenting his propensity to sympathize with commentators who characterize Jews and the Jewish state in a manner indistinguishable from the rhetoric of decidedly illiberal extremists.

U.S., Jewish leaders condemn Hungary far-right for protest

The United States on Thursday strongly condemned a far-right party for unveiling a statue of wartime leader Miklos Horthy, who allied Hungary with Nazi Germany, an event which stoked concerns about a wave of anti-Semitism in the country.
The Jobbik party unveiled the statue on Sunday in Budapest.
"Those who organized and participated in the event, including members of Hungary's parliament, promoted not only their own intolerance, but also a dramatically negative image of Hungary," the U.S. embassy said in an e-mailed statement.

Controversial Film ‘Aftermath’ Confronts Poland’s Relationship With the Holocaust (INTERVIEW)

‘Aftermath’ elicited a harsh response from many Polish nationalists and right-wingers, who accused it of being “anti-Polish” propaganda and an attempt to rewrite history. Some local cinemas even banned the film and actor Maciej Stuhr, in a disturbing case of life imitating art, was, like the brothers in the film, on the receiving end of death threats and accusations of being Jewish.
Dariusz Jabłoński, the film’s producer, told The Algemeiner that the struggle to create the controversial movie took seven years, and the financial backing from investors in four countries.

Germany: The Greatest Double Robbery in the History of Art?

A full list of artworks will not be published online. "We prefer if people with a claim to lost artwork get in touch with us to say which picture they are missing, rather than the other way around." — Reinhard Nemetz, State Prosecutor's Office, Augsburg, Germany.
"I find it shocking they won't list everything they've found. Families don't always know exactly what they're looking for until they see an image of it." — Lawrence Kaye, Art Lawyer, New York.

South African cabinet: No ban on government travel to Israel

The South African government announced on Wednesday that it does not have a ban on government officials travelling to Israel, a week after International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the country’s ministers were not going to Israel as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinians.
“Government has not imposed a ban on travel to the State of Israel by government officials,” the cabinet’s official communiqué stated.

EU Ambassador Wants Cooperation with Israel

The European Union’s new ambassador to Israel has indicated that the EU is interested in continuing its collaboration with Israel in the field of science.
The ambassador, Lars Faaborg-Andersen, made the comments during a meeting on Thursday evening with Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Perry (Yesh Atid).

Israeli water tech comes to rescue of EU farmers

The green fields of Europe are struggling to stay watered. A number of factors, from climate change to population growth to government policies, have turned even areas where water was previously plentiful into thirsty regions, where irrigation and other methods to manage water have become necessary. For much of Europe the concept of water management is relatively new, which is why an Israeli company known for its expertise in water management technology is stepping in.

Two Israelis win French National Order of Agricultural Merit

An Israeli agro-hydrology researcher and a winemaker are the winners of the National Order of Agricultural Merit, awarded by the French Ministry of Agriculture.
Prof. Pedro Berliner, director of the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research on BGU’s Sede-Boqer campus, and Eli Ben-Zaken, maker of Domaine du Castel wines, will be awarded at an official ceremony on November 27 at the French Embassy.

Israel Daily Picture: The First Graduating Class of One of the Yishuv's Great Institutions, the Gymnasia Herzliya

The Hebrew Gymnasia Herzliya was formed in 1905 and was the first Hebrew-language school in modern history. We suggest that the date, 1900, written in the caption of Marks' photo of the school's first graduating class is mistaken by 10-15 years, considering that Rachel married David around 1919. [He was discharged from the British Army in 1920.]
The Gymnasia produced several of Israel's prominent leaders, such as Moshe Sharett, Israel's second prime minister.

Rupert Murdoch: World Freedom Dependent on Israel

News Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch told a Jewish gathering Thursday that the freedoms enjoyed by many of the world’s citizens are dependent on the existence of the state of Israel. “You know as I do that as Israel goes, so goes [...] our morality and our very existence as freedom loving citizens of the world” he said, addressing the founder of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), Pastor John Hagee, who was being honored at the event.
“This beleaguered nation and its people are beacons of hope and justice,” he said further, adding, “their enemies are our enemies, glorifiers of death, seeking to impose their bloody doctrine through violence.”

The truth about Israel's Bedouin plan

A lot of Israel haters pretend that Israel is planning to uproot hundreds of thousands of Bedouin away from their ancestral lands and force them into concentration camps, or something like that.

Israel's MFA has put together a nice and accurate picture of how they plan to solve the problem of the Bedouin in the Negev.

Recognizing that the Bedouin of the Negev need assistance, the government of Israel created a comprehensive policy aimed at improving their economic, social and living conditions, as well as resolving long-standing land issues.

This new policy constitutes a major step forward towards integrating the Bedouin more fully into Israel's multicultural society, while still preserving their unique culture and heritage.

The Bedouin in the Negev, numbering approximately 210,000, is one of many communities which comprise Israel's pluralistic society. Unfortunately, historically this community has been ranked low in socio-economic indicators.

Recognizing that the Bedouin of the Negev need assistance, the government of Israel created a comprehensive policy - called the Begin Plan - aimed at improving their economic, social and living conditions, as well as resolving long-standing land issues.

To this end, Israel has allocated approximately 2.2 billion dollars (8 billion shekels), including over 330 million dollars (1.2 billion shekels) for specific economic and social development projects.

This January 2013 policy - named after then-minister Ze'ev Binyamin (Benny) Begin - is designed to solve a wide range of problems affecting the Bedouin population. Among the numerous initiatives that have begun or are planned are the expansion of technological and adult education, the development of industrial centers, the establishment of employment guidance centers, assistance in strengthening Bedouin local governments, improvements to the transportation system, centers of excellence for students and support for Bedouin women who wish to work or start businesses.

Israel is working with the Bedouin community on all aspects of the Begin Plan. Indeed, the plan was developed through dialogue and in close coordination with the Bedouin: In an attempt to expand on the previous Prawer Plan, Minister Begin and his team met with thousands of Bedouin individuals and organizations during the development stage. As a result, Bedouin traditions and cultural sensitivities were taken into consideration, and a plan was formulated to reinforce the connection of the Bedouin to their culture and heritage.

Furthermore, contrary to some claims, Israel is not forcing a nomadic community to change its lifestyle. The Bedouin in the Negev, who moved to the area starting at the end of the 18th century, began settling down over a hundred years ago, long before the establishment of the State of Israel. By now, most Bedouin citizens live in permanent homes.

Still, one of the major problems facing the Bedouin is housing. Almost half of the Negev Bedouin (approximately 90,000) live in houses built illegally, many of them in shacks without basic services. Isolated encampments and other Bedouin homes may lack essential infrastructures, including sewage systems and electricity, and access to services such as educational and health facilities is limited.

There are solutions to this problem and to the many other difficulties facing the Bedouin. For example, under the Begin Plan, the government is giving every Bedouin family (or eligible individual) that needs it, a resident plot. These lands are being developed to include all the modern infrastructures and will be granted free of charge. Bedouin families can then build houses according to their own desires and traditions. Those that move will be offered their choice of joining rural, agricultural, communal, suburban or urban communities.

Most of the Bedouin citizens will remain in their current homes. 120,000 already live in one of the seven Bedouin urban centers or eleven recognized villages. Of the remaining 90,000 that live in encampments or communities that are not zoned, only 30,000 will have to move, most of them a short distance (a few kilometers at most). The other 60,000 will have their homes legalized under Israel's initiative, which will develop their communities and grant the residents property rights.

Much has been made of those Bedouin who will have to move. However, almost half of them (14,000-15,000) have settled illegally within the danger zone of the Ramat Hovav Toxic Waste Disposal Facility. Given the threat to their health, and even lives should there be an incident at the facility, the government of Israel has an obligation to relocate these families.

The Begin Plan will also resolve land claims made by a number of Bedouin in the Negev, most of which have been in dispute for decades. Currently, there are 2,900 land claims regarding 587 square kilometers (227 sq. miles). Although these claims have no legal basis under Israeli law (and were not recognized under the previous Ottoman or British land law systems), Israel wants to resolve the issue. It will do so by adopting a compromise according to which all the Bedouin claimants will receive compensation in land and money equivalent to the full value of the land claimed. The Bedouin will no longer have to engage in lengthy court cases while the compensation process will be based on the principles of fairness, transparency and dialogue

There have been attempts to attack the Begin Plan (which its detractors deliberately misname the Prawer Plan in order to associate it with an outdated proposal). Many of those acting in the international arena against Israel's plan for the Bedouin belong to the camp which seizes upon any opportunity to harm Israel's reputation. Others have purer motives, but have based their opposition on false information distributed by Israel's opponents.

This opposition is unfortunate, particularly for the Bedouin who will benefit greatly from the Begin Plan. This new policy constitutes a major step forward towards integrating the Bedouin more fully into Israel's multicultural society, while still preserving their unique culture and heritage.

Most importantly, the Begin Plan guarantees a better future for Bedouin children. No longer will they have to reside in isolated shacks without electricity or proper sewage. Now they will live closer to schools and will be able to walk home safely on sidewalks with streetlights, alongside paved roads. They will have easier access to health clinics and educational opportunities. Their parents will enjoy greater employment prospects, bettering the economic situation of the whole family. To oppose the Begin Plan is to oppose improving the lives of Bedouin children.

Here's an infographic

(h/t Irene)

11/08 Links Pt1: The assault on Resolution 242, Fatah - terrorists "They are our role models"

From Ian:

Dore Gold: The assault on Resolution 242

One of the intriguing aspects of Resolution 242 was that it said nothing about Jerusalem. In a letter to The New York Times on March 6, 1980, Arthur Goldberg wrote: "Resolution 242 in no way refers to Jerusalem, and this omission was deliberate." He explained that he never described Jerusalem as "occupied territory." Goldberg was reacting to the policy of the Carter administration, which was criticizing Israeli construction practices in east Jerusalem and misrepresenting Israel's legal rights. Goldberg believed that the status of Jerusalem had to be negotiated, but he insisted that "Jerusalem was not to be divided again."
Israel itself may have contributed to confusion about its rights in Jerusalem. The 1993 Oslo Accords formally recognized Jerusalem as a subject for future final status negotiations. Yet that did not mean that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was prepared to re-divide Jerusalem. Negotiability was one thing; withdrawal was something else. In his final Knesset address, on Oct. 5, 1995, one month before he was assassinated, Rabin declared: "The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six-Day War. We will not return to the June 4, 1967 lines." Rabin spoke the language of Resolution 242. He added that Israel would retain "a united Jerusalem."

Frustrated Kerry’s peace critique a heavy slap in Netanyahu’s face

Kerry seemed to place the blame for the failure to make rapid and major progress in negotiations overwhelmingly on Israel, with no acknowledgment — in his statements as broadcast Thursday — of two intifadas, relentless anti-Israel incitement in the Palestinian territories, the Hamas takeover of Gaza and the constant rocket fire from the Strip. (It is important to note that Channel 2 aired only part of the full interview on Thursday. More is set to air Friday evening.)
In lamenting the IDF’s presence in the West Bank, Kerry positioned himself directly opposite Netanyahu, for whom an ongoing Israeli security presence in the Jordan Valley is a stated crucial condition for an agreement. Perhaps more surprisingly, he showed no evident concern over the danger of a Hamas takeover in the West Bank were the IDF to withdraw, disregarding a widely held concern — borne of the rapid ease with which Hamas swept Abbas’s forces aside in Gaza in 2007 — that the official Palestinian Authority forces alone would not be able to hold sway.

Ya'alon: No need to fear Kerry's threats

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon responded to Kerry's statements in the interview. "There is no need to fear threats of whether there will or won't be a third Intifada," he said.
"We have been in an open and ongoing conflict [with the Palestinians], which as far as the Palestinians are concerned does not end in 1967 lines. There is Sheikh Munis -- Tel Aviv, Majdal -- Ashkelon. We got out of the Gaza Strip and they continue to attack us. They raise their youth to believe that Haifa and Acre are Palestinian ports and more. There is no sign of compromise here. Therefore we are likely not going to solve this based on what we thought. This does not mean we want to control them, they have political autonomy and good thing they do. We will have to be smart, and not fear threats of whether there will or won't be a third Intifada," he said.

Can Arafat sabotage peace from his grave?

Many parties would benefit from having the story of Arafat's poisoning stick. This would create the myth that he was a hero who not only fought for the Palestinians but died on their altar. The current story has no heroics involved.
But those who are behind this are politicians who want to extract political mileage. They have already asked Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to halt talks with Israel, as if Israel had already been found guilty.
Israel must prepare a contingency plan in the event that Arafat story sabotages peace negotiations. In 1994, when then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, then-Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Arafat arrived in Egypt to sign the Cairo Agreement, the Palestinian leader created a ruckus on stage when, at the last minute, he changed his mind and refused to sign part of the deal. This prompted then Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to yell at him, "Ya kalb [you dog], sign already!"

Palestinians: ‘Israel killed Arafat’

The Palestinians themselves could come under renewed scrutiny, since Arafat was holed up in his Israeli-besieged West Bank compound in the months before his death, surrounded by advisers, staff and bodyguards.
The Russian findings were summarized on Friday by a member of the Palestinian team, Dr. Abdullah Bashir. He said the Russian team also found that Arafat died as a result of a toxic substance, but did not find sufficient evidence to point to polonium as the “cause of radiation that led to the death.”
Bashir did not elaborate on the discrepancies.

Jerusalem journalists point the finger at Arafat’s inner circle

What they don’t know is where the poison came from, but they are keeping tabs on the story. They theorize that it was one of the powerful men in Arafat’s circle who accessed the polonium from either Israel or the former Soviet Union, where Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas spent time while working on his doctorate.

‘Arafat poisoned’ report may hamper Abbas in talks with Israel

Despite his status as father of Palestinian nationhood, Arafat was disliked by most segments of his society, Frisch said. As a result, Israel could expect little more than sporadic demonstrations or stone throwing on the Palestinian street in protest of his alleged poisoning.
“He’s a very controversial figure,” Frisch said. “Among supporters of Hamas there was no love for him, and Palestinian liberals and reformists considered him a dubious character.”

Former FM insists Israel had no hand in Arafat’s death

Silvan Shalom, who served as Israel’s foreign minister in 2004 when Yasser Arafat died, insisted Thursday that Israel had “nothing whatsoever” to do with the death of the Palestinian leader. Had Israel wanted to kill Arafat, Shalom said, it would have been “the simplest thing” not to permit him to leave Ramallah for medical treatment in Paris.

Facts about Yasser Arafat’s death and life the Guardian won’t report

The original ‘exclusive’ Al Jazeera report on the Swiss findings noted that, in the event Arafat was poisoned, his Palestinian rivals at the time of his death would have to be considered main suspects – a possibility not even mentioned in the more than 3200 words the Guardian devoted to the story.
Al Jazeera reported that though the evidence suggests poisoning, “no evidence has emerged that implicates [Israel]“, while the Guardian framed the findings as merely ‘not definitively proving that Israel murdered the Palestinian leader’.

Wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis washes over Judea and Samaria

An Israeli man and woman were wounded Friday morning when a Palestinian assailant threw a Molotov cocktail at their car as they drove by the Tekoa settlement in Gush Etzion. Both were treated by paramedics at the scene and were taken to Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem for further care. Their car was destroyed in the fire.
Friday's attack came after Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian on Thursday at the Tapuach Junction in Samaria, after he used a makeshift gun to shoot at Israelis, according to a witness and Israeli authorities.

Border Police shoot, kill knife-brandishing Palestinian at checkpoint near Jerusalem

The spokesman said the Palestinian man had brandished a knife at a West Bank checkpoint near Jerusalem and ignored calls from paramilitary Border Police officers to stop before he was shot and killed.

Shin Bet shuts down Hamas offices in east Jerusalem

Al-Quds Development ran one and Amara al-Aksa the other. Both organizations are part of the Islamic Movement in Israel, and managed from Nazareth and Umm el- Fahm, the Shin Bet said.

Fatah defends glorifying terrorists on Facebook: "They are our role models"

Palestinian Media Watch has documented many times that Fatah continuously uses its "Main Page" on Facebook to glorify terrorists. Recently, Fatah used this Facebook page to praise a murderer of two as the "nation's symbol."
Now, Fatah has responded to PMW's exposures and to criticism of Fatah by world leaders.

"Israel (i.e., Palestinian Media Watch) has been monitoring Fatah's main [Facebook] page and sending messages to friendly nations regarding what is written on the page. Israel claims this is incitement to violence," the administrator wrote. He addressed Israel, defending Fatah's practice of glorifying terrorists who have murdered Israeli civilians:
"Israel, you oppose our posting photos of Martyrs (Shahids) on our page, [but those Martyrs] are our role models for everything related to freedom."

Shalom threatens to cut off Palestinian electricity over unpaid bills

Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom on Thursday threatened to cut off Israel’s electric supply to the Palestinian Authority if it did not pay its massive debts.
“They have over a billion shekels of debt and they’ll need to pay them,” he told the Jerusalem Post at the Israel Democracy Institute’s Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society in Eilat. “We sent them a letter this week and if they don’t give the right response, we will be forced to act.”

Hamas Official: We'll Expel or Kill All the Zionists

A senior Hamas official declared on Thursday that his group intends to stick to its mission - “liberating” all of “Palestine” (meaning all of Israel).
The official, Khalil Al-Khiya, stressed that Hamas will never give up on one inch of “Palestine”. He made the comments during a memorial event for five Hamas terrorists who were killed by IDF soldiers in Gaza last week.
“This way (in which the dead terrorists acted) sends a message to the Zionists, according to which they have no place in the land of Palestine,” said Al-Khiya, who threatened, “We shall expel you from our land, we will fight on it against you, and we will either kill you or expel you from it after you surrender.”

Hamas: New Terror War ‘A Matter of Time’

Gaza Minister of Religious Affairs Ismail Radwan accused Israel of “raiding the holy Aqsa Mosque” and called for a holy war, Hamas’ Al-Qassam website reports.
Each “raid” on the mosque brings a third “intifada” terror war closer, he warned, using the term commonly used by extremist groups to describe Jewish visits to the Mount. Any attack on the mosque is an attack on “the Islamic nation and its dignity,” he declared.

Netanyahu urges Kerry not to sign deal with Iran

“Iran gets everything that it wanted at this stage and pays nothing. And this is when Iran is under severe pressure. I urge Secretary Kerry not to rush to sign, to wait, to reconsider, to get a good deal,” Netanyahu added. “But this is a bad deal, a very, very bad deal. It’s the deal of a century for Iran; it’s a very dangerous and bad deal for peace and the international community.”

Carney Claims No ‘Daylight’ Between U.S. and Israel on Iran; Netanyahu Disagrees

White House press secretary Jay Carney claimed Thursday that there was “no daylight between Israel and the United States” on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but that comment is contradicted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion that any deal with the Iranians would be a “mistake of historic proportions.”
Carney was asked about Netanyahu’s comment, but he nevertheless said the two countries were of one mind on the issue.

The Iranians are feeling the pinch

Sanctions are what have brought Iran to the table to talk in the first place. In 2012, the Islamic Republic’s net exports of petroleum dropped to their lowest level since 1990.
Its GDP has dropped for the first time in 20 years. The Iranian Central Bank acknowledged an annual inflation rate of 45 percent in late July 2013; many economists believe it is more likely in the 50-70 percent range.
In short, the Iranians are feeling the pinch. The sanctions are working.

Al Jazeera Paying for Exiled Muslim Brotherhood Leaders’ Hotel Rooms

Al Jazeera officials are keeping quiet following reports that the Qatari-owned news organization is funding hotel suites for the exiled senior leaders of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.
Following the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood-backed President Mohamed Morsi in July, many of the Islamist organization’s high ranking officials fled to Qatar, where they are now being hosted by Al Jazeera, according to the Washington Post.

Muslim Brotherhood Loses Appeal Against Ban

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood lost an appeal against a court decision to ban the group, Al Arabiya reported Wednesday.
The verdict bans all of the group’s activities and includes seizing its funds.

UAE preempts Muslim Brotherhood with trials

Concerned by the perceived threat of the Arab Spring as it washed over the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) opted to act defensively, eyeing its opposition as a possible third column. This week, 30 defendants – 20 Egyptians and 10 Emiratis – went on trial in the emirate Abu Dhabi, where they are accused of assisting the Muslim Brotherhood by creating a branch of the Islamist group.

Russian parliament passes tough new anti-terror bill

Russian parliament’s lower house on Friday approved new legislation that toughens punishment for terrorism and requires terrorists’ relatives to pay for the damages caused in attacks.
The document comes as Russia is preparing to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February amid concerns about security threats posed by an Islamic insurgency that has raged across the North Caucasus region.

PLO admits Russian Arafat report doesn't indicate polonium poisoning

From AP:

Israel is the only suspect in the 2004 death of Yasser Arafat, the chief Palestinian investigator in the case alleged Friday, a day after Swiss scientists said the Palestinian leader was probably poisoned by radioactive polonium.

The investigator, Tawfik Tirawi, said the probe would continue, but did not say what more the Palestinians could do to try to solve the mystery.

Just so you know how objective Tirawi is, he has been publicly charging Israel with the death of Arafat for years. Naturally,...

He did not present evidence of Israeli involvement, arguing only that Israel had the means and motive to do so. Israel has repeatedly denied it was behind Arafat's death, and did so again Friday, in light of the new allegations.

At Friday's news conference, Palestinian investigators summarized the findings of the Russian experts, whom Abbas had asked for a separate probe.

Dr. Abdullah Bashir, the medical expert on the Palestinian team, said the Russian scientists did not find sufficient evidence to determine that "polonium-210 caused the radiation that led to the death." He did not elaborate.

However, both teams determined that Arafat did not die of disease or old age, "but rather, by poisonous material," Bashir said, adding that "this supports our theory."

The Russians were also looking at the possibility of other poisons, Bashir said, adding that more study was required.

Tirawi, meanwhile, was evasive when asked repeatedly whether he believed Arafat was killed by polonium.

"It is not important that I say here that he was killed by polonium," he said. "But I say, with all the details available about Yasser Arafat's death, that he was killed, and that Israel killed him."

At another point, Tirawi described Israel as the "first, fundamental and only suspect in the assassination of Yasser Arafat."

In 2012, however, Tirawi stated that "We are certain that there are Palestinian hands that contributed to the elimination of Yasser Arafat," and that they "will be subject to severe penalties and doomed to death."

Simulation of missile attack on Israel broadcast on Iranian TV

From YNet:

An agreement between the United States and Iran over the latter's nuclear program seems imminent, but the charm offensive in Geneva is not mirrored at home. In Tehran, the Iranian government sent a different message with a broadcast on state television of a simulated missile attack on Israel.

The hour-long documentary program included segments about the capabilities of Iranian missiles and the possibility of their use in response to foreign threats. The program included a video simulation of a potential response by Iran to an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities.

The video showed computer-animated launches of Iran's long-range Sejjil ballistic missiles. The animations show Israel's air defense systems intercepting a few missiles as others penetrate the protective layer and destroy different strategic targets across Israel.

Among the targets shown are the Azrieli Towers and the Kirya in Tel Aviv, the IDF base Tzfirin in central Israel, a generic missile launch site, Ben Gurion Airport, and the nuclear reactor at Dimona. The targets were circled on Google Maps, and the video finished with real pictures of casualties from the Second Lebanon War.

The idea of making a video simulating different scenarios is not inherently bad. It would be expected in a Western newscast or documentary about the situation. But there are two things to note about this video.

One is that the patriotic, uplifting music shows that this isn't a situation that is looked upon reluctantly, but as an ideal. Attempting to destroy Israel is not considered a last resort and regrettable but it is portrayed as a nationalistic duty, only waiting for a plausible excuse.

The other is that Iran is publicly bragging that it would aim its missiles at civilians (the Azrieli towers, Ben Gurion airport.) The Azrieli Center is particularly interesting because it is Israel's equivalent to the World Trade Center in terms of symbolism.

Iran gloats that it wholeheartedly supports terrorism against Israelis.

Bibi: "A very, very bad deal" on Iran

From the Prime Minister's Office:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning, made the following remarks prior to his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry:

"I understand that the Iranians are walking around very satisfied in Geneva, as well they should be, because they got everything, and paid nothing, they wanted. They wanted relief from sanctions after years of a grueling sanctions regime. They got that. They are paying nothing because they are not reducing in any way their nuclear enrichment capability. So Iran got the deal of the century and the international community got a bad deal. This is a very bad deal. Israel utterly rejects it and what I am saying is shared by many, many in the region whether or not they express it publicly. Israel is not obliged by this agreement and Israel will do everything it needs to defend itself, to defend the security of its people. That is true also of our negotiations with the Palestinians. I will never compromise on Israel's security and our vital interests, not in the face of any international pressure. I think the pressure has to be put where it belongs, that is on the Palestinians who refuse to budge. But I think in any case, no amount of pressure will make me or the Government of Israel compromise on the basic security and national interests of the State of Israel. The people of Israel know this and they support it, as they should."

After the meeting with Kerry:

"I met Secretary Kerry right before he leaves to Geneva. I reminded him that he said that no deal is better than a bad deal. And the deal that is being discussed in Geneva right now is a bad deal. It’s a very bad deal. Iran is not required to take apart even one centrifuge. But the international community is relieving sanctions on Iran for the first time after many years. Iran gets everything that it wanted at this stage and pays nothing. And this is when Iran is under severe pressure. I urge Secretary Kerry not to rush to sign, to wait, to reconsider, to get a good deal. But this is a bad deal, a very, very, bad deal. It’s the deal of a century for Iran; it’s a very dangerous and bad deal for peace and the international community."

The Telegraph reports on the expected parameters of the deal. For a (presumed) six month period:

Iran would stop enriching uranium to the 20 per cent level that is close to weapons-grade – and turn its existing stockpile of this material into harmless oxide.

Iran would continue enrichment to the 3.5 per cent purity needed for nuclear power stations – but agree to limit the number of centrifuges being used for this purpose. There would, however, be no requirement to remove or disable any other centrifuges.

Iran would agree not to activate its plutonium reactor at Arak, which could provide another route to a nuclear weapons -capability, during the six-month period. Iran may, however, continue working on the facility.

Iran would agree not to use its more advanced IR-2 centrifuges, which can enrich uranium between three and five times faster than the older model.

In return, America would ease economic sanctions, possibly by releasing some Iranian foreign exchange reserves currently held in frozen accounts. In addition, some restrictions affecting Iran’s petrochemical, motor and precious metals industries could be relaxed.

All this comes after John Kerry was unusually blunt in criticizing all building of Jewish homes across the Green Line, no matter where.

Al Qaeda in Syria: "Killing you apostates comes before killing Jews and Christians"

This is an apparently authentic video showing a walkie-talkie conversation between fighters from al-Qaeda and the Free Syrian Army. Turn on closed captioning to see the translation:

ISIS talking: "You are (FSA) infidel, You're infidel"
ISIS: "You, Creature, you don't know Allah nor the Prophet and are corrupted person and we will kill and chop you"
ISIS [Describing how they would kill and chop FSA]
ISIS: "You claim to be a Muslim you are not a Muslim because you kill and rape women and men"
FSA: "If you think you are a man go fight Israel not us, why did you come to Syria"
ISIS: "You are apostate and fighting you (FSA) is a priority to us more than usual infidel"
ISIS: "You (Syrians) curse god and the prophet you are apostate infidel"
ISIS: "killing you apostates is a must and comes before killing Jews and Christians"
FSA: "Fuck you bastard and your masters in Qaeda"
FSA: "We're Jihadist against regime..." [cut..]
ISIS: "You're jihad (fighting) is in the sake of FSA, Syrian Coalition, Democracy and a Civil State??"
ISIS: "You deny Sharia and you're fighting us... we had better to kill you rather the original infidels."
FSA: "Bastard, pig, god damn you..." [Cursing Qaeda and its Leaders]
ISIS: "You, you who hear me, you know you're not Muslim you're infidel hate god and the prophet."
ISIS: "You're corrupted you don't pray and against Islam you're not Muslims"
FSA: "You're the corrupted and infidel you are god enemies and our enemies..." [inaudible]