Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Monday, November 18, 2013

#BDSFail: Lots of BDS sites use Israeli web technology!

Wix is an Israeli company that recently went public on NASDAQ. It creates software that makes it easy to create websites.

And the anti-Israel crowd loves it!

Students for Justice in Palestine - Cornell University use it. Also, SJP in Denver. And Houston. And at Loyola.

So does the webpage of the "Museum of the Palestinian Holocaust." And "Palestine Forever." And "It IS Apartheid". Not to mention "Team Palestina."

Who wants to tell them that they better take down all these sites?

(h/t Zionist Federation, which noticed two of these; I found the rest.)

11/18 Links Pt1: PA claims Jewish medallion artifact is Arab, AQ Bio Expert Held in Israel for 3 yrs

From Ian:

David Singer: No Elections, No Solutions

Kerry obviously fails to appreciate that it is Hamas and its backers that will instigate a third intifada – especially if Israel and the PLO look like miraculously agreeing on anything.
Kerry should be focusing on the common denominator that has virtually guaranteed the failure of negotiations during the last seven years – the refusal of both Hamas and the PLO to allow the Palestinian Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank to hold fair and transparent triennial elections to determine who should represent them in final status negotiations with Israel.
Elections will end the culture of political impotency which has proved an impenetrable barrier to the Palestinian Arabs claimed right to self determination.
Without such elections – no final and binding agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs is possible.

Abbas rejects resignation of Palestinian peace negotiator Erekat

A PA official said that Abbas would urge Kerry during their meeting this week to “step up pressure” on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to change his policies regarding settlement construction.
The official said that Abbas would make it clear to Kerry that Netanyahu’s policies severely undermine the credibility of the PA and the entire peace process.
In a related development, Hamas called on the PA negotiators to “effectively” resign.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement: “We call on the negotiators to stop playing games and to resign effectively and immediately.”

Yaalon: The PA is No Different from Hamas

"I supported Oslo but smartened up when I realized that Arafat considered it to be yet another stage in the negotiations,” Yaalon said at an event in memory of former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan.
“To date, I’ve never heard any Palestinian leader, including Abbas, who was willing to say that a territorial compromise, even along the borders he dreams about, is the end of the conflict and an end to the demands, a recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and a waiver of the right of return,” Yaalon added. “Their unwillingness to recognize our right to exist as the national homeland of the Jewish people in some border, this is the obstacle to peace and is the root of the conflict.”

PMW: Jewish medallion artifact is Arab, not Jewish - Al-Aqsa Mosque Director on PA TV

Al-Qaeda biological weapons expert held in Israel for three years

According to the report, al-Barq was involved in planning attacks on Jews and Israelis in Jordan and also planned to teach Palestinian terrorists how to manufacture poisons.
“He has great knowledge in the field of unconventional weapons, with a focus on biological [weapons],” the State Attorney wrote in his response to the court against al-Barq’s release. “The army command is convinced that his release at this time will be a point of no return for the development of a significant global jihadist infrastructure in the area.”

'Abbas Involved in Arafat Poisoning'

Fahmi Shabane, a former officer in the intelligence service of the Palestinian Authority (PA), blames the PA leadership, including its chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, of being complicit in the "murder" of former chairman Yasser Arafat.
Speaking to Hamas's Al Quds channel, Shabane said that the data and evidence point to the involvement of Abbas and other PA leaders in the alleged poisoning of Arafat.

Honest Reporting: New York Times Continues Anti-Israel Crusade

So according to the NY Times, if the Iranians cheat, then the West can impose sanctions after the event. Maybe even after the Iranians have reached nuclear weapons capability. Does the NY Times consider the possibility that imposing more sanctions at that point might be too late?
But worse, the NY Times places all of the blame for any failure of negotiations on Netanyahu. To be clear, the Israeli PM is not opposed to the talks. He is opposed to a bad deal while the NY Times appears to be hell-bent on accepting any deal. If talks do indeed fail, perhaps this may be influenced by Netanyahu’s lobbying. Ultimately, however, the results of talks with the Iranians will be down to those sitting around the table and certainly dependent upon the credibility of Iranian intentions.

Guardian propagandist Jonathan Steele egregiously distorts the Israeli position on Iran

The politics of veteran Guardian “journalist” Jonathan Steele are so off-the-charts that he’s accused Muslims who opposed Islamist rule in Tunisia of ‘Islamophobia’, written a spirited defense of the ‘tragically misunderstood’ Robert Mugabe and has even run interference for Kim Jong Un’s totalitarian cult in Pyongyang. And, not surprisingly considering the ideological package he shows fealty towards, he’s also warned darkly of the Zionist influence on the U.S. media.
So, whilst nothing he writes anymore can surprise us, it’s nonetheless important to note that his Nov. 11 ‘Comment is Free’ essay (Iran: don’t let the naysayers prevail) blatantly misrepresented Israel’s position on the current talks to reach an interim nuclear deal with Iran.

BBC quietly removes misleading claim on Israel’s stance on P5+1 talks

On November 11th we noted here that an article appearing on the BBC News website the previous day included a misrepresentation of Israel’s stance on the P5+1 talks with Iran in Geneva, stating:

“Peace talks in Geneva have centred on a proposal to freeze the expansion of Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for relief from tough international sanctions.
Israel, which regards Iran as a security threat, has opposed the talks.”

Netanyahu to Hollande: Israel will not be bound by 'bad' agreement on Iran

Israel will not be bound by a “bad agreement” with Iran, and when it says “never again,” it means it, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday night at a press conference with French President François Hollande.
The press conference followed a visit Hollande, accompanied by Netanyahu, paid to Yad Vashem, and the prime minister evoked the Holocaust in explaining his thinking on Iran.
French President Francios Hollande and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu visit Yad Vashem museum, Nov. 17 2013.
“You said when you came out [of Yad Vashem] that the experience of the Holocaust places a very special responsibility on all of us,” Netanyahu said. “François, I want to tell you the burden it places on me. It is my duty to prevent anyone who credibly threatens to execute another Holocaust against the Jewish people. This is my obligation, but our common obligation for mankind and for our common future.”

Ex-IDF intel chief: Regional war unlikely if Israel strikes Iran

A regional war, coupled with a closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a series of terror attacks — the horror scenario commonly depicted by Western powers if Israel were to launch a limited strike against Iran — is highly unlikely, a former head of military intelligence wrote this week in advance of a third round of nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers. He also said talk of such a scenario was harmful to global diplomacy and, ironically, increased the likelihood of Israeli military action.
“Those who overestimate the threat of regional escalation damage the credibility of the military option and encourage a situation in which this becomes the only available option for preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon,” wrote Maj. Gen. (ret) Amos Yadlin, the director of the INSS think tank, and research assistant Avner Golov in a recent issue of Strategic Assessment.

Israel can strike Iran alone, says PM’s former security aide

Speaking to the Financial Times, Amidror said the Israeli Air Force has been conducting “very long-range flights…all around the world” in preparation for a potential strike on Iran, which could set back its nuclear program “for a very long time.”
Netanyahu’s former national security adviser, who stepped down earlier this month, said that there was “no question” the prime minister would make the unilateral decision to use military force should it become necessary.

Hezbollah Wants Iran Deal Almost as Much as Obama

So we are now confronted with a bizarre situation where Hezbollah and the United States are advocating the same cause and using the same panicky language, while the French, the traditional authority figures on appeasement, are showing some backbone. If that isn’t strange enough, the leadership void created by the administration’s vacillation and appeasement has generated a peculiar realignment of realpolitik whereby the Saudis, Kuwaitis, Qataris and other Gulf nations are looking to their traditional enemy, the Israelis, to protect their security interests.

Iran unveils what it says is its biggest drone yet

Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said the reconnaissance and combat drone Fotros has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles). That would cover much of the Middle East including Israel. The earlier Shahed-129 (Witness-129) drone is reported to have a similar range, but can only stay aloft 24 hours.
“This drone is able to carry out reconnaissance missions and carry air-to-surface rockets for combat operations,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Dehghan as saying.

Plan okayed to destroy Syrian chemical arms by July 2014

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said its council had approved a plan submitted by Damascus to remove chemical substances and precursors used to make arms by June 30, 2014, with the most dangerous elements taken care of by the end of 2013.
Under the plan, the weapons will be transported for destruction outside Syria to ensure their destruction in the “safest and soonest manner,” the group said in a statement.

Gunmen kill senior security officer in Cairo

A statement from the ministry said gunmen opened fire on a car carrying Lt. Col. Mohammed Mabrouk of the national security agency, killing him on the spot near his home in the eastern Cairo suburb of Nasr City. Mabrouk worked in the agency’s branch in charge of monitoring Islamist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, a security official familiar with Mabrouk’s work said.
Mabrouk is one of the most senior security officers to be targeted and killed in Cairo during the violence that has gripped Egypt since the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July.

Nasrallah gets a new security blanket

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, famously on guard against assassination attempts ever since the 2006 Second Lebanon War, made a rare appearance in public last week and was, for the first time, guarded both by an outer ring of Lebanon Army personnel and, within the inner ring of personal bodyguards, a suitcase that can pop open and provide a ballistic shield against gunfire.
The suitcase, he said, “was first seen on Wednesday, at an event in Beirut, and it serves as a sort of shield against gunfire and grenade shrapnel.”

Lebanon misspells independence

The 50,000-pound bill, worth almost NIS 117 (or roughly $33), features Arabic and French, but the French word independance is spelled with its English spelling, “independence.”
Banque du Liban, the country’s central bank, will roll out the banknotes on November 22, Lebanon’s Independence Day. The bank blamed the printing company for the error.

Jordan seeks UN Security Council seat after Saudi rejection

Jordan, which closely follows regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia on most foreign policy issues, wants to raise its international profile and win more recognition of its role in accommodating Syrian refugees, the officials said.

Mondoweiss seems to prefer dead Filipinos to Israelis saving them

The US is sending aid to the Philippines. Isn't that sickening?

I mean, how can the US army and navy, responsible for so many deaths in Asia since the Korean war, dare show their faces in that part of the world and dare to help people?

Even worse, the US Department of Defense and the Stars and Stripes news and other government agencies are publicizing what they are doing! It is all a huge PR stunt, as even the media admits that it helps the US image! The sheep-like reporters go along with this charade, putting out positive stories about what the US is doing without even once mentioning Agent Orange or the My Lai massacre or extrajudicial killings by drones in Pakistan.

Aren't you outraged?

OK, how about this: Other nations are using their media to publicize their typhoon relief efforts. Reporters are putting out positive stories! Countries are issuing statements! This is happening in countries that have wiped out their indigenous peoples like Australia and Canada, and even in the colonialist UK!

Even worse, Coca Cola publicized the $2.5 million they gave in aid to the ravaged country. They didn't bother to mention how much their products also contribute to obesity and heart disease worldwide. No, it was pure public relations.

Now, are you outraged yet?

No? You aren't????

Congratulations. You are not as filled with frothing-at-the-mouth hate that Philip Weiss of Mondoweiss and his many fans are consumed by.

He saw a positive piece on NBC News about Israelis helping hundreds of Filipinos and he couldn't stand it:

Nancy Snyderman is NBC’s medical correspondent. She’s been in the Philippines and tweeted this photo yesterday.

Waiting for a chopper to fly to Gobo, Philippines where the Israeli Defense Force has moved into a hospital @nbcnews pic.twitter.com/qAqX5fd6Oy
— Dr. Nancy Snyderman (@DrNancyNBCNEWS) November 15, 2013

The Israeli army’s spox for international media was also tweeting about the Israeli army’s achievement.

Since this morning #IDFinPhilippines mission has treated 200+ patients in the field hospital. #makingadifference
— Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) November 15, 2013

Snyderman got out a story fast, on the Today Show. She puffed the Israeli army:

We’ve heard a lot of sad stories. Now we’re starting to talk about hope. Today the Israelis opened up shop in an area that has had very little attention… Quietly with no fanfare, the Israeli Defense Forces arrived too. The Israelis are known for security, top notch medicine and moving quickly. Dealing with a disaster is no exception…

One hour after their doors were opened, the first baby was born… The baby boy’s name? Israel of course.

The IDF spokesman hopped on the news.

..It seems to have made Fox, too.

...The IDF can’t stop kvelling over the baby.

Snyderman now has a blog up at NBC, “in awe” of Israeli medics, “medicine at its very best” and humanitarianism of the highest order:

I’ve always been fascinated by how well the Israeli Defense Force, otherwise known as the IDF, delivers emergency response medical care in extremely poor conditions. My first experience with the IDF was in Haiti after the devastation of the earthquake there. They were remarkable then, triaging and treating patients in the midst of the devastation.

I wondered if they had found their way here — so we set off to find them. And when we did, it was in a place we least expected…

Smart. Sophisticated. Secure. This was what I had experienced with the IDF before. But now I was impressed with something else: the place they had selected. …

I asked the IDF Surgeon General in charge why they chose Bogo. He said it was because they were poor and their needs were great. As I left, I walked away in awe of this group of doctors: physician humanitarians, and medicine at its very best.

P.S. This is called hasbara, getting out the Israeli story for the world. I wonder when was the last time Snyderman did a report from the West Bank or Gaza.

Horrors! Not only is the IDF daring to save lives of non-Jews, but it is tweeting about it! Without mentioning the occupation!

This is only a tiny indication of the deep psychotic problems that the Mondoweiss writers, and most of its readers, suffer. Read the comments on that piece - you can almost feel the spittle that sprayed onto their keyboards and screens as the Mondo crowd vented their rage because Israel is saving lives, and they are forced to read about it.

This is all the proof you need to see that Israel-bashers aren't motivated by morality or rationality. They simply hate, and they build their entire lives around that hate. Their revulsion for everything remotely Zionist is indistinguishable from the hatred of racists and bigots throughout history.

Their hate is their defining quality.

(h/t Max)

UPDATE: Not surprisingly, Ali Abuminah and Max Blumenthal have the exact same mindset. (h/t Ian)

The heroes of Brighton

Thanks to a Hasby Awards nomination from Harvela, I saw this short video showing how many ordinary people come out every Saturday to counterprotest the BDSers in Brighton who are boycotting a Jewish owned shop that happens to sell Sodastream.

There are lots of videos there, definitely worth checking out.

The best way to get a job in the PA? Just murder a Jew!

From Times of Israel:

Palestinian prisoners, who were convicted of killing Israelis and then released by Israel as a goodwill gesture to grease peace talks, were given at least $50,000 apiece as well as a comfortable monthly salary from the Palestinian Authority.

Depending on the length of their jail term, the prisoners received more cash. Those who were held for over 25 years were entitled to $50,000, in addition to a position as a deputy minister or a promotion to the rank of major-general in the security forces, both of which earn them monthly wages of NIS 14,000 (nearly $4,000), Walla reported late Sunday.

Those who spent less than 25 years in Israeli prisons received a similar bonus as well as promotion to a deputy directorship in a government ministry or to the rank of brigadier-general, with a monthly wage of NIS 10,000 ($2,800) on the PA’s payroll, the report said.

Issa Abd Rabbo, the most veteran of the prisoners released, received a $60,000 bonus, with the PA reportedly also offering to foot the bill for a wedding should he choose to marry. He was convicted of murdering two Israeli hikers south of Jerusalem in 1984, after tying them up at gunpoint and placing bags over their heads.

We already knew that some 6% of the PA budget - a budget that is largely coming from Western aid - goes towards terrorists and their families.

But this is far more heinous. These released prisoners were the worst of the worst; in the last batch every single one was convicted of murder. The very fact that they murdered Jews is enough to give them not just a job, but a prestigious job - either a deputy minister in the government or a major-general in the army!

The PA may be the only government in the world where putting "murdered a Jew" on your resume guarantees you a job.

The idea of making peace with a government that openly lionizes those who murdered your brothers, sisters, parents and children is reprehensible. For all of Mahmoud Abbas' assertions that he is against terrorism and that he accepts Israel's existence, this shows it to be all a lie.

He'll say whatever he can to put his people in a position to continue in the heroic ways of these newest employees of the PA.

One other thing we know: Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International will not condemn this.

(h/t Bob K)

How many times can Ma'an use the word "extremist"?

From Ma'an:

Extremist Israeli group enters Al-Aqsa compound under police escort

Over 100 Israeli Jews accompanied by police entered Al-Aqsa compound through the Moroccan gate on Sunday afternoon.

The 104 Israeli Jews were described by witnesses as "settlers," and they included 33 Israeli intelligence officers led by extremist lawyer Yehuda Glick.

Glick called on all Jews to visit the compound, and proposed an initiative to schedule daily visits by extremists to the Jerusalem holy site.

Azzam al-Khatib, director of the Jerusalem office of the PA ministry of endowment said "it is obvious that Israeli police are being pressured by extremists to allow Glick to return to Al-Aqsa."

"Glick is a provocative man, and it is obvious that he is trying to create chaos at Al-Aqsa," al-Khatib added.

Yehuda Glick is an American-born Israeli and the chairman of the Temple Mount Heritage Fund, an extremist Jewish organization focused on "strengthening the relationship between Israel and the Temple Mount."

Ready to see the video of these "extremists" creating chaos? Here they are, from the Al Aqsa Heritage Foundation website.

They seem to be extremely polite. Extremely quiet. Extremely reverent.

Hey, maybe they are extremists!

Iran launches slick nuclear energy propaganda site

Iran has created a very professional English language website, NuclearEnergy.ir, that was launched right before the Geneva nuclear talks.

Based on its Twitter feed, it looks like the site is associated with Iran's Foreign Ministry.

It pretends to be a transparent description of Iran's nuclear program, answering questions in the FAQ such as:

Has Iran allowed IAEA inspections of the Parchin complex?

Yes, Iran allowed IAEA inspectors to visit several buildings at the site during two visits in 2005. It also allowed the inspectors to take a number of soil and environmental samples. In its February 2006 report, the IAEA said it “did not observe any unusual activities in the buildings visited, and the results of the analysis of the environmental samples did not indicate the presence of nuclear material at those locations.” Since then, however, Tehran has denied access to the site, insisting that the IAEA must first come up with a step-by-step roadmap for resolving all outstanding issues.

and

The IAEA has in the past raised several concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities. How cooperative has Iran been in addressing these concerns?

Tehran has addressed every concern raised by the IAEA. It has also allowed inspections of its sites when needed and provided explanations to clarify ambiguities.

These are all half-truths and 100% propaganda.

This, for example, comes from the latest IAEA report on Iran, from August, about Parchin:

[I]t is worth recalling that the Agency’s request for access to a specific location at the Parchin site was followed by Iran undertaking extensive activities at this location that have seriously undermined the Agency’s ability to conduct effective verification.

And about Iran's supposed cooperation with the IAEA:

In November 2011, the Board of Governors adopted resolution GOV/2011/69, in which, inter alia, it stressed that it was essential for Iran and the Agency to intensify their dialogue aimed at the urgent resolution of all outstanding substantive issues for the purpose of providing clarifications regarding those issues, including access to all relevant information, documentation, sites, material and personnel in Iran. In September 2012, the Board of Governors adopted resolution GOV/2012/50, in which, inter alia, it decided that Iranian cooperation with Agency requests aimed at the resolution of all outstanding issues was essential and urgent in order to restore international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. The Board of Governors also stressed that it was essential for Iran to immediately conclude and implement a structured approach for resolving outstanding issues related to possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme, including, as a first step, providing the Agency with the access it had requested to relevant sites. In light of these resolutions, between January 2012 and May 2013, Agency and Iranian officials held ten rounds of talks in Vienna and Tehran, including during a visit by the Director General to Tehran in May 2012, aimed at reaching agreement on a structured approach document. However, no concrete results were achieved.

The Agency has not been able to begin substantive work with Iran on resolving the outstanding issues, including those related to possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme. Since the Director General’s previous report, no further talks aimed at concluding the structured approach document have been held. However, another round of talks is planned for 27 September 2013 in Vienna.

Doesn't sound exactly the same as the Iranian answers, do they?

Iran's "charm offensive" is not charming. But it is quite offensive.

(h/t Irene)

When Muslim Brotherhood uses BDS methods against lectures sponsored by PalArabs

Yesterday's linkdump mentioned this:

A guest lecture at a London university was abandoned when protesters backing Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood chased the speaker from the stage.

Speaker Mohamed El-Nabawy had to be ushered off stage by security guards when around 30 demonstrators stormed a lecture theatre at Bloomsbury’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), which is part of the University of London.

They were said to have targeted the public discussion, focusing on the challenges facing Egypt, because of Mr El-Nabawy’s ties to the Tamarod group which opposed ex President Mohammed Morsi.

Footage which has emerged online shows the chaotic scenes as chanting demonstrators take control of the lecture theatre and guests are led to safety by security guards.

The scene is eerily familiar. It is exactly what the BDSers do when Israelis try to speak on campuses.

Yet here was the reaction from the sponsor:

A spokesman for the university’s Palestinian Society, which organised the event, said: “While we fully respect, and understand, the highly-charged context of any discussion on contemporary Egyptian politics, we believe that the disruptions pre-empted any possibility of fruitful exchange.

Do you think that the Palestine Society minds when Israelis or Zionists are interrupted and barred from speaking, or even playing music, at universities worldwide? Do you think that SOAS PalSoc ever said a word against that?

Zvi writes in the comments:

We have seen many times that terrorism has no "off switch" - that if a society condones terrorism as long as it is against unpopular people (Israel, Jews) or "in a just cause" (against Israel, Jews), then it itself becomes the victim of terrorism.

BDS and Academic Boycott proponents be warned!!!

The same is true of the soft terrorism - threats of violence - practiced by BDS supporters who regularly attempt to threaten and intimidate university speakers, artists and others who are related to Israel in some way. Society as a whole failed to oppose such tactics, even condoning them at the highest levels - and now they have metastasized, like the evil cancer that they are.

To university BDS advocates: YOU introduced tactics of violent violent intimidation into British universities in your war against the Jewish state. You created a climate of fear for Jews on campus. You created a climate that cheered the censorship of Israeli voices, and the intimidation of voices that dared to sing in Israel. And now those same tactics are being used elsewhere on your campuses, against someone else. Those same tactics will be used more and more frequently, targeting more and more people.

You should feel terror when you read about this event; it is a sign that you have created your own hell.

Jordan holds a beauty pageant. For goats.

From Ammon News:

Jordan hosted its second Levantine Goat Beauty Pageant on Friday, in which breeders from the Kingdom and Gulf States took part.

Levantine goats are distinguished from other breeds for their curved noses and soft hair. A levantine goat can sell for $25,000 in the Gulf States.

Yahia Abu Jaber, the organiser of the pageant, said 'the levantine goat represents old traditions for Arabs… the levantine goat has has many beautiful characteristics, and this goat differs from other goats in terms of body shape, height, the incline of its head and its wide-open eyes. This makes it more expensive, he noted.

The prices of levantine goats in the Gulf states can range between 100,000 and 200,000 Riyals, equal to between $25,000 and $2,000 US dollars.

The pageant was attended by Saudi, Emirati, Kuwaiti, Syrian and Palestinian breeders.

Don't get too smug. New York City hosted a goat beauty contest once, too.

11/17 Links: Joint Israel + Saudi strike on Iran?, NBC Reporter 'in Awe' of IDF Medics

From Ian:

'Hot Mic' Catches UN Disbelief at Anti-Israel Stance

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the mishap on Sunday at a cabinet meeting. "I hope nothing happens to the translator as a result, but I can assure her of a job here in the State of Israel, should it come to that," he stated.
"Sometimes someone can rip away at the veil of hypocrisy that exists in the ever-present attacks against us, and this interpreter had the courage to do just that." (h/t Kramerica)

Honest Reporting: Vote for the Dishonest Reporter of 2013

Now’s the time to vote for the Dishonest Reporter of 2013. It’s our annual recognition of the year’s most skewed and biased coverage of Israel and the Mideast conflict. Make your voice heard and we’ll announce the ignoble winners by the end of the year.

Canadian parliamentary c'tee calls to recognize Jewish refugees of 1948

A Canadian parliamentary committee has called upon Ottawa to recognize the Jewish refugees of the Arab-Israeli conflict, eliciting praise from the country’s Jewish community.
The committee’s report cited a correlation between spikes in anti-Jewish measures and “crisis moments” in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and said Middle Eastern Jews had faced discrimination, the revocation of citizenship, pogroms and expulsions, resulting in a mass exodus from countries where they had lived for millennia.

Abbas pleads with Erekat to stay on as top peace negotiator

Diplomatic sources in Ramallah told Israel Radio that unless Erekat changes his mind, Abbas will name a new team to head up talks with Jerusalem.
Nimr Hamad, a top political adviser to Abbas, told Israel Radio that both sides could begin discussions on the refugee issue after the nine-month period originally allotted for negotiations if the parties could come to agreement on the issues of borders and security arrangements.
Hamad told Israel Radio that the PA believes no breakthrough is possible in the negotiations so long as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu avoids altering the composition of his ruling coalition.

MK Shaked in DC: Judea Samaria Arabs will be Jordanian Citizens

Instead of the "failed two state solution," Shaked promoted a different solution of pushing economic growth in Judea and Samaria which supports local Arabs as well.
She further proposed that "in the distant future most of the Arabs who now live in Judea and Samaria will become citizens of Jordan, and the Gaza strip will be an independent entity or annexed to Egypt." (h/t Yoel)

A year after Pillar of Defense, it’s all gone dark in Gaza

Though it may be hard to believe, 1.5 million Palestinians have lived without electricity throughout most of the day in 2013. For the past two weeks, residents of the Gaza Strip have endured a cycle of six hours of electricity followed by a 12-hour power outage. Last Wednesday, the power went out at 6:00 am and was finally restored only late that evening.
This current crisis is not the result of a tighter “Israeli siege” or anything of the sort; it is caused by disputes between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority over the price of fuel since the tunnels connecting Gaza and Egypt were shut down or destroyed.

Hamas Tunnels 'Change the Balance of Power'

In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Ubaidah claimed that Hamas continues to dig terror tunnels from Gaza to Israel, and that the weapon would be a "strategic" move which could possibly "change the balance of power" in the event of another war.
According to Ubaidah, Palestinian Arabs under Hamas's tutelage are working 24/7 to extend the tunnels in advance of the next Hamas-Israel clash, and that they would present a formidable tactical advantage. He also warned Israel not to "do anything stupid" against the Palestinian Arabs.

Israel said to be working with Saudi Arabia on Iran strike plan

According to the Sunday Times, Riyadh has agreed to let Israel use its airspace in a military strike on Iran and cooperate over the use of rescue helicopters, tanker planes and drones.
“The Saudis are furious and are willing to give Israel all the help it needs,” an unnamed diplomatic source told the paper. (h/t Bob Knot)

PMO denies report of Obama-Netanyahu rift

The Kuwaiti paper al-Jarida reported Sunday that the rift between Israel and the US has deepened recently, nearly leading to a disconnect between the two governments. Quoting a “knowledgeable source,” the daily reported the Obama has stopped taking Netanyahu’s calls over the past two days, and instead directed him to speak with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

US-Iran Ties Bolstered over Cooperation in Syria

The United States and Iran appear likely to come together in an effort, sponsored by the UN, to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria, The Cable reported Saturday. It will be the most visible signal sent by the Obama Administration of its willingness to change radically the tone and manner of its relations with the Islamic Republic.

'NY Times' and Jerusalem battle over Iran policy

The Times editorial board has long championed an editorial line at great odds with Netanyahu’s policies.
This situation was not helped when the prime minister, during his speech on Iran to the UN in September, quoted from a 2005 Times editorial that applauded a diplomatic deal that it said would lead North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
“A year later, North Korea exploded its first nuclear weapons device,” Netanyahu said.

Senior Hezbollah Commander Dies in Syria

A senior Hezbollah commander died on Saturday after he was wounded in Syria several days ago, Al Arabiya reported, citing a pro-Hezbollah website.
“The Islamic resistance in Hezbollah proudly weds a new Knight...Ali Shabeeb (Abu Trab al-Rweis) who died as he was performing his sacred religious duty,” the website was quoted as having said. (h/t MtTB)

Syria: Islamists Seize Kurdish Village

An Islamist Syrian rebel brigade has uploaded a video to Youtube documenting the conquest of a Kurdish village, and demanding that Kurdish Muslims participate in "jihad".
The documentary captures the seizure of Kurdish village al-Mursifeh by the Islamist "Champions Brigade", and reveals some of the military tactics used by rebels in the fight for control of the country.

Thousands of Syrians flee fighting for Lebanon

Thousands of Syrians are fleeing from border towns where a high-stakes battle is raging, walking across valleys and ridges to reach safety in neighboring Lebanon, witnesses and the UN said on Sunday.

Libya Making Its Laws 'More Islamic'

The new 16 member committee will be nominated by the supreme court and the Mufti (Sharia legal expert) to make sure existing and new laws do not contradict Sharia law, reports Al Arabiya.
The move comes as Libya is embroiled in ongoing clashes between rival militia factions and government security forces, with some anticipating that the committee is meant to satisfy Islamist demands.

Possible anti-Semitism in Boston Area Schools; ADL Silent?

APT also provides evidence that the Newton, MA school district is being influenced by the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which seeks to delegitimize Israel and use a variety of means to exert pressure on Israel to acquiesce to pro-Palestinian pressures from the international community.
BDS involvement with Newton, MA is through Paul Beran, the director of the Harvard Center for Middle East Studies Outreach Center (CMESOC), a noted BDS supporter. In 2010, Beran instructed 80 history teachers from the Newton school district on how to teach their K-12 students about the Middle East.

Brooklyn: Anti-Semitic Attacks Continue in 'Game' to Hurt Jews

Anti-semitic violence has been rising in Brooklyn, NY since the middle of September, a Brooklyn rabbi reported to CBS News. The culprit: a systemic "game", by local gangs, to "knock out" Jews.
Brooklyn police say that over 8 attacks against local Jews have been reported within the past 2.5 months. Many of them appear to be similar to the September 29th attack of Tzvika Tzuker: a barrage of punches to the face and torso.

NBC’s Dr. Snyderman Visits IDF Medics in Philippines, Leaves ‘in Awe’ (VIDEO)

The base was set up in Bogo, a small village on the northern island of Mactan, a location the Israelis selected because the locals “were poor and their needs were great”, according to the IDF Surgeon General in charge.
“As I left, I walked away in awe of this group of doctors: physician humanitarians, and medicine at its very best,” Dr. Snyderman wrote for NBC. (h/t MtTB)

The Opening of the IDF Field Hospital in the Philippines

IDF aid mission treats 370 patients in Philippines field hospital

The IDF announced Saturday evening that its aid mission to the Philippines has so far treated some 370 Filipinos, including 150 children, in the field hospital set up in the country on Friday morning.
The IDF humanitarian mission completed the set up of the hospital early Friday, after departing for the storm-ravaged city of Daanbantayan, in the northern province of Cebu, late Wednesday with about 100 tons of supplies.

Israeli Ambucycles In New York City (h/t Israellycool)

Trafficking in Syrian girls reaches Lebanon - and cyberspace

We knew it happens in Jordan.

Now it is happening in Lebanon as well.

Some people make a business out of trafficking women for rich foreigners, says Ayman Hariri, a Syrian activist who settled in Akkar in 2011 when he had to flee Daraa fearing arrest. He used to run an NGO that provided aid for Syrian refugees, but he decided to close it down. Trying to provide aid is difficult, with some aid organizations using their small NGOs to sell 16-year-old girls to their Gulf sponsors in exchange for money.

“I can tell you about someone I know, I met him in person and he offered to bribe me. He posed as a sheikh with a Saudi benefactor. People soon found out his organization was actually what you call a whorehouse: He was getting girls for the Saudi sheikh. If he liked the girl, he would offer $10,000, he would marry her for a week, and then she would go back home with $1,000. The rest was given to the so-called Lebanese sheikh, who now owns a building and has several cars,” Hariri explains.

He says that Akkar is not like the Zaatari camp in Jordan, and the arranged marriages and cloaked prostitution aren’t nearly as frequent. “Jordan is closer to the Gulf, where girl-brides and early marriage are more common. Lebanon is farther away.”

But international organizations and NGOs in Lebanon say early marriage happens among the Syrian refugees as well as host communities. Stopping it is almost impossible, because Lebanese law allows child marriage, sociologist Rafif Rida Sidawi told NOW. “The Lebanese family code allows marriage for girls as young as 13-14. In some confessions, even as young as 9.” (Lebanon has 15 different family codes, almost one for each sect. Many of them allow child marriage.)

A Lebanese sheikh who requested to remain anonymous told NOW that he would never marry a girl under 13, although the law tells him that the minimum age is 9. “I need to see the girl, to see if she’s ready. I also need a medical certificate, and the father’s permission,” he explained.

But the Internet is also allowing rich Arab perverts to find and "marry" Syrian girls:

It is common to see on Arabic online forums requests by men "seeking marriage from Syrian girls". At a price ranging from 500 to 1,000 Saudi riyals (Dh490 to Dh980), girls are reportedly being taken from refugee camps in Jordan. Saudi Arabia is most often named as the destination, but a similar trend is reported in other countries including Iraq and Turkey.

The Saudi columnist Mohammed Al Osaimi, who first highlighted the online posts, wrote that parents feel compelled to marry their daughters off to strangers because they see that as a better option than staying in a refugee camp.

The trend was also triggered by clerics such as Sheikh Adnan Arour, a hardline Syrian cleric, who has issued fatwas to encourage men to marry victims of sexual assault and "cover their shame" through marriage. But the fatwas ironically have led to further sexual exploitation.

In these classified ads, men post brief requests on different websites, often leaving only their first names and email addresses. "I am looking for a Syrian wife," a man identifying himself as Asa'ad wrote on a website. "I am a man of means and I fear God. My Syrian sisters are decent and honourable."

Many other comments are far more demeaning. A man, who identified himself only as "Jordanian", sardonically wrote "no woman deserves sympathy these days", in reference to dishonesty. Another man who called himself Abdulsamad wrote a longer post explaining that his desire to marry a Syrian woman had preceded the conflict, apparently to present a better case.

Another man wrote: "This is not a question of exploitation. It is a question of supply and demand." He suggested a reduction in dowries to 100 dinars [Dh520] because of the increasing number of refugees.

Maher Abu Tair, a Jordanian columnist, wrote: "All we hear these days is talk about a Syrian wife who can be bought with 100 dinars. One could go to any of the areas of Al Mafraq, Amman, Ramtha, Irbid or Karak to pick for himself a Levantine houriya." (A Levantine houriya, or virgin, is a reference to women from the Levant known in Arab cultures for their beauty). He added that people are encouraged by the speedy, cheap and conditions-free marriages.

Amnesty falsely blames Israel for Gaza fuel woes

On November 1, I wrote:

Get ready for more heartbreaking photos of Gaza children using candlelight and riding donkeys and blaming Israel for the "siege".

The truth is, Israel has been providing all the fuel needed both for petroleum and for the Gaza power plant - but Gazans haven't been paying for it.

Right on schedule, Ma'an has both published the photos I predicted and blamed Israel:

The lack of diesel fuel is a result of the tightening of a 7-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.

No, it is because Hamas - which finds money for building terror tunnels - refuses to pay market prices for fuel (and the PA tacks on taxes Hamas doesn't want to pay).

But it is not only a second-rate Palestinian Arab newssite that is pushing the lie that Israel's blockade is responsible for Gaza's fuel shortage.

Amnesty International is, also, albeit a bit more subtly.

Yonatan Gher, Director of Amnesty International Israel, writes in (where else?) +972 magazine:

[I]f the fear of more deadly attacks wasn’t bad enough, those living in Gaza have to contend with the disastrous effects of Israel’s continuing land, sea and air blockade of the territory, together with restrictions imposed by Egypt. Gazans lack safe drinking water, face 12-hour power outages on a daily basis, and many struggle to access basic necessities such as adequate food and medicines.

These hardships were compounded on November 1 of this year when Gaza’s sole power plant was forced to shut down due to lack of fuel, further jeopardizing vital health and sanitation services.

“The world has forgotten Gaza, its women and children. The blockade is as bad as the war; it’s like a slow death for everyone in Gaza..."

The world continues to look the other way when it comes to the blockade on Gaza, which collectively punishes 1.7 million civilians. This stark violation of international law has been allowed to continue for more than six years. Unless Israeli and Palestinian leaders demonstrate political will to protect civilians –on both sides – the cycle of violations will become a recurring nightmare.

Let's recap the recent history of Gaza's power plant:

Israel was providing fuel up through at least the beginning of 2011. Hamas decided it wanted cheaper fuel so it stopped the shipments from Israel and converted the power plant to use cheaper, subsidized, smuggled fuel from Egypt. (It also restricted cooking gas from Israel.) Egypt offered to provide fuel but insisted that Hamas import it through Israel's Kerem Shalom, Hamas refused. It created an artificial "crisis" when Egypt started cracking down on fuel smuggling (even under the Morsi government, in 2012), and as a result Qatar provided free fuel for a while. After Egypt started destroying smuggling tunnels, some private Gazans started purchasing fuel from Israel again in August.

There have been no Israeli restrictions on fuel to Gaza for years. Kerem Shalom's pipelines into Gaza have not been operating close to capacity.

Similarly, there are no restrictions from Israel on food or medicines into Gaza. There were never restrictions on medicines and there have been no food restrictions since 2009.

Gaza's water treatment problems are, again, directly because of Hamas refusing to pay the higher prices for fuel and hoping, yet again, that Qatar or Egypt or someone else will be shamed into giving them free or subsidized fuel.

Yet Amnesty is placing the bulk of the blame on Israel. (It is not blaming Hamas here for its cynical part of the fuel crisis, but for rockets to Israel in order to appear even-handed.)

To Amnesty, Hamas has no culpability in creating an artificial fuel crisis for Gaza. Hamas has money for kidnap tunnels, and even shows them off on Al Jazeera, but "human rights organization" Amnesty is mum about that.

Egypt's role in shutting Gaza off completely is drastically downplayed, and is barely mentioned by Amnesty. (The Rafah crossing has now been closed for ten consecutive days, and Amnesty doesn't have a word to say about that either.)

Even Hamas doesn't blame Israel as much for the fuel shortage as Amnesty does!

From this article, Amnesty is showing that it isn't interested in solving the problems of Gaza nearly as much as it simply wants to reflexively blame Israel for all of Gaza's problems.

This isn't about human rights. This is pure anti-Israel advocacy.

Palestinian ambassador brags that PA security forces carried out most 2nd intifada terror attacks

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from a public address delivered by Mutawakkil Tahah, Palestinian ambassador to Libya, which aired on the Al-Jazeera network on September 27, 2013:

Mutawakkil Taha: Israel decided to gather the youth who had fought it in the first Intifada, and to organize them into security forces, showering them [with money], so that they would defend it, rather than Israel having to defend itself. But what really happened? When the 2000-2001 Intifada broke out, it turned out that 70% of the martyrs, and of the people who carried out attacks against the occupation, were members of the Palestinian security forces.

[applause]

In other words, even when [Israel] establishes [our] security forces, these security forces remain patriotic and continue to fight the occupation. They will continue to serve as a wall defending the Palestinian spirit and the Palestinian interests.

I don't know whether the statistic is true, but the fact that a PLO ambassador today is bragging about his people being behind terror attacks then is really the story.

It shows that no amount of negotiations or goodwill gestures could change the fact that, to the Palestinian Arabs, the existence of Israel is the issue, not the "occupation."

(h/t Josh K)

11/16 Links: The Phony Holocaust-Naqba Equation, The demise of Pax Americana, Bibi at 20

From Ian:

Fighting the Lies: The Phony Holocaust-Naqba Equation

Israel’s enemies – and even, alas, some who claim to be her friends – often chide us thus: “After all you people suffered during the Holocaust, how can the Jews treat the Palestinians so badly?”
The implicit comparison between the Holocaust and the “Palestinian” so-called “Naqba” never fails to anger me. Anger, did I say? No. Anger is too moderate a word. It enrages me, because quite apart from the clearly antisemitic implication that all Jews are somehow complicit in Israel’s supposed “crimes” (just as we are all guilty of crucifying Jesus), it is a comparison so blatantly preposterous as to be obscene.
We need to speak up and debunk this odious comparison every time it raises its head. To remain silent is to acknowledge its correctness by default.

Caroline Glick: The demise of Pax Americana

What happened in Geneva last week was the most significant international event since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The collapse of the Soviet Union signaled the rise of the United States as the sole global superpower. The developments in the six-party nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva last week signaled the end of American world leadership.
Global leadership is based on two things – power and credibility. The United States remains the most powerful actor in the world. But last week, American credibility was shattered.
Secretary of State John Kerry spent the first part of last week lying to Israeli and Gulf Arab leaders and threatening the Israeli people. He lied to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the Saudis about the content of the deal US and European negotiators had achieved with the Iranians.

Twitter account in Rouhani’s name issues ‘fun facts’ about world leaders

Using the hashtag Presidentat20, the account of @DrRouhani tweeted about US President Barack Obama: “Obama was continuing his education at university at 20. He is said to have been on alcohol and Marijuana then!”
It’s safe to assume that the twitter account in Rouhani’s name will not reveal to its followers that at age 20, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a team leader in the Sayeret Matkal special forces unit of the IDF.

Representing Israel at the UN

What is Israel’s future at the United Nations? There are voices that call for us to disengage, to walk out from the UN. There are many who believe that the automatic majority against Israel renders the UN a lost cause for us. Truly, we cannot stop the witch-hunt against Israel that regularly takes place at the United Nations today. But nor should we walk away from defending our cause in the global arena of the UN.
The United Nations is a parliament of the world. All nations are represented in it. But as the world is not a perfect place, its parliament cannot be perfect. The UN is – as Ambassador Susan Rice said – imperfect but indispensable.
Our voice needs to be heard. Even if we cannot change the attitude of our enemies, we need to strengthen our allies. We must help them, so that they can help us in keeping our standing in the world.
We should never desert or neglect the global arena. We must stay and fight back, committed to ensure the safety of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

‘Israel Apartheid Week’ Endorsed by University of Toronto Scarborough

The main campus of the University of Toronto was the first school to host Israel Apartheid Week in 2005, and since then the anti-Israel movement has spread to dozens of campuses worldwide, mainly in the U.S. and Canada.
“The passage of this racist resolution at the University of Toronto Scarborough is a clear declaration of hate and intolerance for Jewish and Israeli students, and an effort to add to the voices calling for the destruction of the Jewish homeland,” said Avi Benlolo—president of Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Canadian branch of the U.S.-based center—in a statement.

David Ward MP hints at yet another “Jewish power” slur

Ward, while tweeting about the Roma, said, “What a shame there isn’t a powerful, well funded Board of Deputies for #Roma.” An undeniable nod to the Board of Deputies of British Jews. There is no other such Board of Deputies, so the inference can easily be assessed.
The only people Ward found himself retweeted by? Three Zionists, and one pro-E.U. Lib Dem nut job.
As one Lib Dem source told me last week though, “Ward is very careful not to use the word ‘Jews’ anymore, because he knows doing so would mean his immediate expulsion from the Liberal Democrat party. In the meantime, the Lib Dems will let him get away with all sorts of other nods to his blatant anti-Semitism, for fear of losing a Member of Parliament they desperately need to shore up numbers in the House of Commons.”

Hamas Tells Fatah to 'Prepare for War'

At the parade by Hamas' "military wing", which marks a year since the IDF Pillar of Defense counter-terror operation in Gaza, Raeed Sa'ad, a high-ranking commander of Al-Qassam, called on Fatah and its military branch in Judea and Samaria to prepare for the next clash with Israel.
Sa'ad added that "jihad and struggle" were the only way to confront Israel, saying "don't be mistaken by the peace talks that won't bring anything but additional concessions."

Netanyahu to France: Don’t waver on Iran

His comments, made during an interview with France’s Le Figaro, came two days before French President Francois Hollande’s high-profile visit to Israel, his first trip to the country as head of state, and shortly before the next round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program scheduled for Wednesday in Geneva.
Netanyahu told Le Figaro that Israel stands behind France and called on Hollande “not to waver” on its objections to an interim nuclear deal with Iran. ”We hope that France will not yield in its stance toward Iran,” Netanyahu told the French daily.

Netanyahu tweets against ‘bad deal’ with Iran

In his latest salvo against making concessions to Iran, Netanyahu’s Twitter account featured a cartoon-like ad that detailed what he said the pending agreement included.
“The proposal enables Iran to develop atomic bombs and build long-range missiles to reach the US and Europe,” it read. “Iran is getting everything and giving nothing.”

Behind the IAEA report: Iran halted uranium enrichment for maintenance purposes

Iran has over the past year in effect kept the amount of its 20 percent reserve well below Israel's so-called "red line" by converting a large part of the uranium gas into oxide to make fuel for a medical research reactor in Tehran.
But conversion work was halted between August 20 and November 5, in part for maintenance reasons, according to the quarterly report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), issued to member states late on Thursday.

Iran deal may be inked as soon as next week

Netanyahu has been increasingly vocal in recent days about his opposition to a potential deal between six Western powers and Iran that would ease some sanctions while still leaving Iran with uranium-enrichment capabilities. Netanyahu has said he utterly rejects the brewing agreement and has been lobbying American allies in Congress to keep up sanctions.

Brushing Off White House Pressure, Bipartisan Calls for New Iran Sanctions Emerge in Both House and Senate

Foreign Policy’s longer write-up on the meeting noted that it succeeded “in solidifying [the] GOP” against the administration’s stance. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) had already last night blasted a deal reportedly offered to Iran last weekend by the international community as a “Chamberlain”-style agreement, and revealed Israeli assessments that Iran’s nuclear program would be set back “about 24 days.” Yesterday Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) piled on, rejecting the White House’s stance that sanctions should not be increased:

Fear and loathing in Riyadh

The Wikileaks revelations in 2010 made clear the extent of Saudi and Gulf concerns regarding Iran.
King Abdullah was famously quoted as demanding that the US “cut off the head of the snake” by launching military strikes against Iran’s nuclear program.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain, according to the cables, also argued for Western military action against the program.

JPost Ed: Russia and Egypt

The more persistent the denials, the clearer it is that a marked shift is taking place in international ties that until recently bound the world’s single superpower with the most populous Arab state. The Russian ministerial visits were preceded by a visit by the chief of Russian intelligence and by Russian naval vessels.
More important, the visits by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu involve a major sale to Egypt of sophisticated Russian military hardware – clearly a counter move to the American halting of weapons supplies.
The Egyptians are essentially saying that they can shop elsewhere and not have to shell out cash. According to reliable reports, another exasperated American ally, Saudi Arabia, is footing the bill for this transaction to the tune of $4b. The Russians may receive additional compensation in the form of access for their navy to port facilities on the Mediterranean.

Morsi: No stability in Egypt unless coup reversed

Morsi’s statement laid down a hard line, praising protesters for their “steadfastness” and vowing the coup would be reversed.
“The coup has begun to fall apart and will topple in the face of the steadfastness of the Egyptian people,” he said in the statement, read by the lawyers at a press conference. His lawyers stressed that they had taken notes from Morsi and articulated the message themselves.
He said Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who heads the military, had violated his oath of loyalty and committed “treason against God” and “treason against the whole nation by driving a wedge among the people of Egypt.”

Egypt Opens Bids For Nuclear Plants

A spokesman for Egypt's Ministry of Electricity and Energy announced plans on Thursday to issue an international tender in January for the construction of a nuclear power plant at Dabaa, near the Mediterranean coast.
Egypt put its nuclear program on hold in 1986 after the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in Ukraine. Twenty years later, an announced renewal of the program was again put on hold when President Hosni Mubarak was ousted during the "Arab spring."

Julio Iglesias still speaks the language of love

Iglesias added that he proudly proclaimed his Jewish heritage wherever he goes, and that in turn, he feels strengthened by it, especially when he visits Israel.
“The world understands that Jews are a race that use their customs and character to make the world a better place. And when I’m in Israel, I see something completely unique taking place. I see a very strong Jewish country and I see Spanish Jews, Russians, Argentineans all with one motivation – to keep Israel safe. And that touches my heart.”

Report: Simon Cowell plans to embrace Jewish faith, visit Israel

Music mogul Simon Cowell plans to embrace the Jewish faith of his girlfriend Lauren Silverman, who is pregnant with their first child, as well as make a secret trip to Israel, British tabloid The Mirror reported on Thursday, quoting sources close to Cowell.
The 54-year-old X Factor creator, judge and producer has Jewish roots - his father Eric was Jewish - but Cowell was raised Roman Catholic.

The man who turned a maybe-Mossad hit into a sabra caper

“When we were seeing pictures of the assassination three years ago, it was clear to me that it was the task of an ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ kind of team,” said Naccache. “I immediately thought, ‘This has to be made into a movie.’”
Fast-forward three years, and “Kidon” — or “Javelin,” as it will probably be called outside Israel — has just hit the local movie theaters. It’s fast-paced and complicated, particularly in its second half, and has some funny moments, particularly for Israeli audiences who will get the insider humor and enjoy identifying where the scenes were filmed.

Protecting Israel: One Year Since Operation Pillar of Defense

Today, the IDF marks one year since it launched Operation Pillar of Defense, a widespread campaign designed to combat Gaza terrorism and defend Israelis living under rocket fire.
On November 14, 2012, in response to incessant rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, the IDF launched a widespread campaign against terror targets in Gaza. The operation, called Pillar of Defense, had two main goals: to cripple terror organizations in the Gaza Strip and to defend Israelis living under fire.

An Incredible Moment on The Price Is Right on Veterans Day

Fatah "military wing" parades in West Bank, no one dares ask Abbas why he approves

Mahmoud Abbas is the head of the Fatah political party. He is also President of the PA. Nothing major can happen in the West Bank without his approval. He pretended to dismantle the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades years ago, but - he lied.

Today, there was a terrorist parade by Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Qalandia:

Is there anyone on the planet that thinks that Abbas didn't know about this? Is there anyone who thinks that he did not approve it?

Here's a video they released today showing their love of terror rockets and martyrdom:

And the EU and US diplomats just keep on pressuring Israel as if these terrorists don't exist and that Abbas doesn't approve of their actions.

Either that, or he cannot even control his own political party.

Whichever interpretation you prefer, it means that Abbas is not in any way, shape or form a viable peace partner.

Journalists are equally guilty. They spend so much time coddling and praising Mahmoud Abbas that they seemingly don't want to embarrass themselves - or him - by asking him very basic questions about this rock-solid proof that he at the very least tolerates the terrorism that these parades and videos are praising.

It's almost as if journalists are adhering to an agenda to make Abbas look good, rather than act as - journalists.