Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Iranian nuclear deal reached, not many details yet, but looks bad (UPDATE: US factsheet)

From CNN:

A historic deal was struck early Sunday between Iran and six world powers over Tehran's nuclear program, a first step in ending a decades-long standoff over the country's nuclear intentions.

The agreement was expected to be signed within hours, capping days of marathon talks in which diplomats worked to overcome issues surrounding the wording of an initial agreement that reportedly would temporarily freeze Iran's nuclear development program and lift some sanctions while a more formal deal is worked out.

According to a senior U.S. administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, the deal halts Tehran's nuclear program, including halting the development at the Arak reactor and requiring all of the uranium enriched to 20 percent -- close to weapons-grade -- to be diluted so it cannot be converted for military purposes.

But there were conflicting reports about whether Iran's right to enrich uranium had been recognized.

The senior administration official said the deal does not recognize the right, while Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi -- on a Twitter feed commonly attributed to him by Iranian media -- said that "our enrichment program was recognized."

"Congratulation to my nation which stood tall and resisted for the last 10 years," Araghchi said in the post.

Iranian media imply that they made practically no concessions:

The interim deal allows for Iran to continue its activities in its nuclear sites in the cities of Arak, Fordo, and Natanz.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the agreement also stipulates that no additional sanctions will be imposed on Iran because of its nuclear energy program.

Iran will also receive access to USD 4.2 billion in foreign exchange as part of the nuclear deal.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, said the agreement recognizes the country's "enrichment program."

Araqchi had earlier emphasized that Tehran could not accept any deal that did not recognize Iran's enrichment right.

Farsi media are saying that some specific sanctions on oil, gold and other precious metals are being eased.

Early indications make this sound like a joke. The problem with reducing sanctions is that they are not easily reversible, while Iran's promise to only enrich to 3.5% is easily reversible.

The key is enrichment (plus the Arak reactor, which could be used to make plutonium.) And from the initial reports, the West received very little in the way of concessions.

As expected, it appears that the language is vague enough that Iran can claim that they have a "right" to enrich uranium, while the US can claim there is no such right - all the while allowing Iran to build more centrifuges.

It looks like Iran won because the West does not have the backbone to stick to its principles.

UPDATE: Here's the US version from a factsheet released by the White House:

Iran has committed to halt enrichment above 5%:

· Halt all enrichment above 5% and dismantle the technical connections required to enrich above 5%.

Iran has committed to neutralize its stockpile of near-20% uranium:

· Dilute below 5% or convert to a form not suitable for further enrichment its entire stockpile of near-20% enriched uranium before the end of the initial phase.

Iran has committed to halt progress on its enrichment capacity:

· Not install additional centrifuges of any type.

· Not install or use any next-generation centrifuges to enrich uranium.

· Leave inoperable roughly half of installed centrifuges at Natanz and three-quarters of installed centrifuges at Fordow, so they cannot be used to enrich uranium.

· Limit its centrifuge production to those needed to replace damaged machines, so Iran cannot use the six months to stockpile centrifuges.

· Not construct additional enrichment facilities.

Iran has committed to halt progress on the growth of its 3.5% stockpile:
· Not increase its stockpile of 3.5% low enriched uranium, so that the amount is not greater at the end of the six months than it is at the beginning, and any newly enriched 3.5% enriched uranium is converted into oxide.

Iran has committed to no further advances of its activities at Arak and to halt progress on its plutonium track.
Iran has committed to:

· Not commission the Arak reactor.
· Not fuel the Arak reactor.
· Halt the production of fuel for the Arak reactor.
· No additional testing of fuel for the Arak reactor.
· Not install any additional reactor components at Arak.
· Not transfer fuel and heavy water to the reactor site.
· Not construct a facility capable of reprocessing. Without reprocessing, Iran cannot separate plutonium from spent fuel.

Unprecedented transparency and intrusive monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program

Iran has committed to:
Provide daily access by IAEA inspectors at Natanz and Fordow. This daily access will permit inspectors to review surveillance camera footage to ensure comprehensive monitoring. This access will provide even greater transparency into enrichment at these sites and shorten detection time for any non-compliance.

· Provide IAEA access to centrifuge assembly facilities.

· Provide IAEA access to centrifuge rotor component production and storage facilities.

· Provide IAEA access to uranium mines and mills.

· Provide long-sought design information for the Arak reactor. This will provide critical insight into the reactor that has not previously been available.

· Provide more frequent inspector access to the Arak reactor.

· Provide certain key data and information called for in the Additional Protocol to Iran’s IAEA Safeguards Agreement and Modiﬁed Code 3.1.

As far as the easing of sanctions, this is the US spin:

[Iran agrees to] Not impose new nuclear-related sanctions for six months, if Iran abides by its commitments under this deal, to the extent permissible within their political systems.

· Suspend certain sanctions on gold and precious metals, Iran’s auto sector, and Iran’s petrochemical exports, potentially providing Iran approximately $1.5 billion in revenue.

· License safety-related repairs and inspections inside Iran for certain Iranian airlines.

· Allow purchases of Iranian oil to remain at their currently signiﬁcantly reduced levels – levels that are 60% less than two years ago. $4.2 billion from these sales will be allowed to be transferred in installments if, and as, Iran fulﬁlls its commitments.

· Allow $400 million in governmental tuition assistance to be transferred from restricted Iranian funds directly to recognized educational institutions in third countries to defray the tuition costs of Iranian students.

...Over the next six months, we will determine whether there is a solution that gives us sufﬁcient conﬁdence that the Iranian program is peaceful. If Iran cannot address our concerns, we are prepared to increase sanctions and pressure.

11/23 Links: Why die for Danzig (Israel)?, BBC invents Israeli Strike, Iran blames Israel for JFK

From Ian:

Caroline Glick: A vastly changed Middle East

“As a result of the regional upheavals, tribal, sectarian, and ethnic identities have become more pronounced than ever, which may well lead to a change in the borders drawn by the colonial powers a century ago that have since been preserved by Arab autocrats.”
Guzansky and Striem explained, “The iron-fisted Arab rulers were an artificial glue of sorts, holding together different, sometimes hostile sects in an attempt to form a single nation state.
Now, the de facto changes in the Middle East map could cause far-reaching geopolitical shifts affecting alliance formations and even the global energy market.”

Sarah Honig: Why die for Danzig (Israel)?

There’s every reason to assume that US President Barack Obama has never heard of the pre-WWII demagogic question “Why die for Danzig?” The same can be as safely assumed regarding his Secretary of State John Kerry.
Oddly enough, however, their policy appears to draw inspiration from the same ideological wellspring that gave the world the above rhetorical tease. (h/t Norman F)

Melanie Phillip: It’s 1938 all over again

The rationale being offered by US officials in background briefings is no less jaw-dropping. This is how it goes. Measures to stop Iran from making the nuclear bomb will make the regime even more determined to make the bomb. So it’s smart not actually to stop Iran making the bomb. But not stopping it making the bomb, allowing the centrifuges to spin and enrichment to continue, also means it will make the bomb. So it’s win-win for Iran. World loses.
How’s that hope’n’change thingy working out for you right now?
We are indeed now facing the unthinkable. Not just that Iran is on the verge of being allowed to proceed to nuclear capability. The really unthinkable reality is that the enemies of the civilised world are not just to be found in Tehran. They are also in London, Brussels and Washington DC.

JCPA Dr Jacques Gauthier The Jewish Claim to Jerusalem: The Case Under International Law

Open to interpretation

As UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer noted on the group’s site, “by the end of its annual legislative session next month, the General Assembly will have adopted a total of 22 resolutions condemning Israel – and only four on the rest of the world combined.”
That’s not to say that the UN doesn’t care about the Jews. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Auschwitz this week, where he paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.
Perhaps dead Jews go down better than those alive and kicking.

Group: UN Body Bars Jews from Entering Palestinian Meeting

“I have been following the U.N. for 30 years and this is the first time that the United Nations secretariat is barring access of a pro-Israel officially accredited U.N. NGO from a publicly-advertised open U.N. meeting,” Bayefsky said.
Bayefsky expressed a similar sentiment in follow up letter sent on Wednesday to the U.N.’s Feltman.
“As a senior U.N. official you are announcing that countries which do not recognize the self-determination of the Jewish people, embodied in the state of Israel, have a veto over the attendance at a U.N. meeting of a Jewish organization and its representative that are committed to the self-determination of the Jewish people (and to combating the anti-Semitism inherent in its denial),” she wrote in the letter.

BBC correspondent reports Israeli strike on Gaza that never happened

On November 19th, Rushdi Abu Alouf, a correspondent in the BBC’s Gaza office, sent this tweet (below) informing his 3,000+ followers that there had been an “air raid” on Gaza city, in the Gaza strip.
Abu Alouf’s Twitter bio lists him as a “#Palestinian journalist based in #Gaza , work for the #BBC“.
But BBC Watch reports that unfortunately for Abu Alouf and the BBC, there was no such air strike, and the tweet was either knowing propaganda by the BBC’s Palestinian producer, or a heinous violation of the simple principle of fact checking.
The injuries cited by Abu Alouf – and one fatality - were caused by an accidental explosion and had nothing at all to do with Israel, as verified by the Ma’an News Agency.

When Palestinians Violate the Boycott of Israel

But when people are calling for a boycott of a country that is not even being boycotted by those it allegedly oppresses? There is something very very wrong with such a movement. And something even more wrong with promoting only one side of it to impressionable students in the name of academic freedom.

Daphne Anson: Stop Hurting Israel: American pro-Israel group opens a petition

With the slogan "While Israel is negotiating peace ... Europe is hurting Israel," an American pro-Israel organisation has opened a petition, to which as many signatories as possible are obviously sought. Site: Stop Hurting Israel

French Left Party adopts BDS policy

A small leftist party in France announced that it is aligning itself with the international campaign to boycott Israel and Israeli products.
“The national bureau of the Left Party has convened on Nov. 16 and decided to engage the Left Party in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign,” read a statement placed this week on the party’s website.

‘If Israel is Forced to Stand Alone, Israel Will Stand Alone’

So far, the U.S. statements have not caused Iran to reduce its march to a bomb, and it has flagrantly refused to alter its course. It has treated the U.S. as a paper tiger. So why should anyone think that the direction of present negotiations offers any chance of success? In this posture, the negotiations appear to be a path to war.
There is only one way for the U.S. to convince Iran and others it is serious in its statements: that is, the path it followed recently in Syria. After it was established that Syria used chemical weapons in the present civil war, the U.S. issued an ultimatum backed with the threat of immediate attack on Syria with a request for Congressional support of the U.S. threat. Syria backed down and accepted the ultimatum.

Iran reportedly claiming world has recognized its ‘right to enrich uranium’

According to Israel’s Channel 2 news, Iranian participants in the talks claim the P5+1 nations have now recognized Iran’s “right to enrich uranium” — a major concession that Israel has warned would essentially legitimize the rogue Iranian nuclear program.

Rouhani to the West: Ignore Israel, Sign a Deal

As world powers and Iran continued talks in Geneva in hopes of reaching a deal about Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s president on Friday called on the West to ignore Israel and reach a deal with his country.
"The world powers should reach an independent decision that is disconnected from Israel’s position," President Hassan Rouhani tweeted.

On 50th Anniversary of JFK Death, Iran’s PressTV Blames Israel

As Israel pushes for the world to halt Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s state-controlled PressTV pushed back on Friday, mendaciously linking Israel’s efforts to become a nuclear power with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, ahead of the 50th anniversary of his death today.
“Israel and its global Zionist crime syndicate were major players if not THE main player in the JFK assassination,” PressTV columnist Dr. Kevin Barrett wrote.

Syria’s Christians Flee Kidnappings, Rape, Executions

Running from assault, abduction, and assassination at the hands of jihadists and FSA rebels, Syria’s ancient Christian community fears a religious pogrom is set to erupt.
Traumatized by what they have endured inside Syria and fearful for their future, Christians fleeing the 32-month-long civil war say the persecution of Christians is worsening in rebel-held territories in the country’s north—and that the kidnapping, rape and executions of Christians aren’t just being carried out by jihadist groups, but also by other Sunni Muslim rebels, including those affiliated with the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Ignoring the biggest massacre of Syrian Christians so far

The worst massacre of Christians in Syria so far -- complete with mass graves, tortured-to-death women and children, and destroyed churches -- recently took place at the hands of the U.S.-supported jihadi “rebels”; and the U.S. government and its “mainstream media” mouthpieces are, as usual, silent (that is, when not actively trying to minimize matters).
The massacre took place in Sadad, an ancient Syriac Orthodox Christian habitation, so old as to be mentioned in the Old Testament.

Egypt expels Turkish ambassador, scales back relations

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the Turkish envoy has been considered persona non grata and is being asked to leave the country because of what it described as Ankara’s continued “interference” in Egyptian affairs. It said it will scale back its diplomatic relations with Turkey to the level of charge d’affaires.

Pakistani doctor who helped U.S. find bin Laden charged with murder

Shakil Afridi, hailed as a hero by U.S. officials, was arrested after U.S. soldiers killed bin Laden in May 2011 in a secret raid that outraged Pakistan and plunged relations between the strategic partners to a new low.
Friday's murder charge, relating to the death of a patient eight years ago, dims Afridi's chances of going free and could further sour ties with the United States.

Moroccan Jewish leader: Bills to outlaw contact with Israel will fail

Joel Rubinfeld, a co-chairman of the European Jewish Parliament, condemned the bills as “a threat which could reverse Morocco’s extraordinary openness to Israel. The radicalism these bills reflect must not be allowed to gain the upper hand.”
Human rights groups this week denounced the planned legislation, including one Moroccan-based organization that called it “inhuman, anti-constitutional and antidemocratic” and suggested it was “influenced by Nazi tendencies.”

Nuremberg transcript donated to Holocaust Museum

Harold Burson covered the trials in 1945 and 1946 for the American Forces Network. He wrote extensive scripts for on-air announcers who were broadcasting to U.S. soldiers in Europe and to the English-speaking population in Germany during the first Nuremberg trial.
Burson, now 92, delivered his collection of 40 scripts to curators Tuesday. The broadcast recordings have been lost. After the war years, Burson went on to create the large public relations firm Burson-Marsteller.

French court bans anti-Semitic book in rare ruling

The court in Bobigny, near Paris, last week handed down a blanket ban on the publication and dissemination of one book, “The Anthology of Quotes against Jews, Judaism and Zionism” by Paul-Eric Blanrue.
The court said the book contained “incitement to racial hatred” and “denials of genocide,” which are illegal in France. Blanrue’s 321-page book contains “hundreds of anti-Semitic statements by well-known figures throughout the ages,” according to the news agency AFP.

Mapi Pharma patents new MS, pain-relief drugs

Only three years after going into business in Ness Ziona, Israel, Mapi Pharma has won US patents for two promising drugs in its pipeline – a slow-release form of glatiramer acetate for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms just once a month; and a new pill, Tapentadol, for relief of moderate-to-severe acute pain.
“We believe in two to three years they could be in the final stage of development, and about three years to market,” says Mapi Pharma president and CEO Ehud Marom.

‘Innovation Index’ puts a number to Israel’s tech prowess

The project has something for everybody, said Ann Liebschutz, one of the index’s architects. It will show Israeli entrepreneurs, American investors, and government officials from both countries that the US is still the best destination (for partnering, sales, or exits) for an Israeli start-up to set its sights on, despite very tempting offers from the Far East and Europe. For American companies, especially mid-size and smaller ones, the index will highlight Israel’s strength as a tech partner, seeking to encourage US businesses to further embrace Israeli tech companies and to partner with them.

Anti-Israel PalChristian organization accuses Zionists of "weaponizing the Bible"

From Ma'an:

"Anti-Palestinianism" has become a theological issue, Palestinian Bible scholar Yohanna Katanacho said at an international conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Hundreds of participants from all over the world gathered this week for Sabeel's ninth international conference, where theologians spoke about the Bible's role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The conference marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Sabeel, an ecumenical Christian community center that promotes Palestinian liberation theology.

"How do we really deal with the Bible when people are using it to justify the oppression of the Palestinians?" Sabeel founder Naim Ateek asks.

"One bad (theological) interpreter is worse than 100 terrorists," Katanacho said during a panel discussion.

He said that some Israeli theologians "strive to establish a particular reading of biblical history in order to gain political advantage."

"Such reading strategies put (Palestinians) at a disadvantage. They are perceived as the Canaanites or Philistines," he said, referring to enemies of the biblical Israelites.

First of all, it is Palestinian Arabs themselves who claim (laughably) to be descended from Canaanites.

Second, and more importantly, it is Sabeel that weaponizes the Bible, especially the Christian scriptures. Here's one egregious example:

[Sabeel publication] “Contemporary Way of the Cross – A Liturgical Journey along the Palestinian Via Dolorosa.”..., which draws straight-line comparisons between Israeli policies and the Stations of the Cross – a Christian liturgical meditation on the suffering and crucifixion of Christ – cannot be found on Sabeel’s website or anywhere else on the Internet, but can only be obtained from the organization’s Jerusalem office.

..The introduction of the liturgy states:
This ‘Contemporary Way of the Cross’ has been developed as an act of worship rooted in the land where Jesus was born, lived, and died, linking the original events of Good Friday with the continuing suffering of the occupied people who live in that land today. It seeks to help others to understand something of the events which have shaped this troubled place over the last century and draw attention to the very real and constant suffering of the Palestinian people. It strives to provide an honest account of the situation, and simply asks those who take part in this act of worship to listen, to pray for us and to pray with us as we look towards a just, comprehensive and enduring peace.
The un-named author(s) of the document then offer(s) several suggestions as to how it can be used in worship – “three or four stations a week throughout the whole of lent”; “two or three stations a day during Holy Week”; during Sunday school classes or “as a personal devotional tool.”

The structure of each “station” is the same: A pseudo-historical introduction that leaves out important information is followed by an “opening meditation” which compares an aspect of the current conflict to the suffering of Christ during his last day on earth. For example, Christ’s condemnation is equated with “The Nakba of 1948” and his death on the cross is compared to “devastation in Gaza.” These opening meditations are then followed by a mixture of scripture, first-hand testimony, prayers, poems and finally, a closing reflection. The overall effect is to portray Israel as a Christ-killing nation, and the Palestinians as innocent lambs of God who suffer for the sins of both Israel and for the failings of the international community.

...[T]he liturgy publishes a poem by Rima Nasir Tarazi which includes the following passage:

They defiled our holy places and violated our sanctuaries.
They crucified our humanity and trampled our aspirations.
They shut down our universities and surrounded our schools
To silence our young and to usurp our rights.

The message of this passage is obvious: Israelis have crucified the Palestinians, who have done no wrong.

Sabeel has been using the Christian Bible not only to demonize Israel but by implication to justify Jew-hatred.

11/22 Links Pt2: SWU Israeli Soldiers Stories, Syracuse University breaks ties with Al Quds

From Ian:

A water war in Israel? Hardly

Detractors of Israel often seem so overtaken with critical fervor that they miss the truths that may seem obvious to more fair-minded observers of the Middle East.
Take, for example, Saree Makdisi's attack on Israel for supposedly cutting off Palestinians' access to water. He wrote in his Op-Ed article Monday that Israel uses 80% of the West Bank’s groundwater and makes it practically impossible for Palestinians to find new sources of water.
Such misleading claims do a disservice to the Palestinians by diverting attention from steps that can bring about a real improvement in water access for Palestinians. Israel can be instrumental in bringing about such an improvement. Genuine friends of the Palestinians would do well to inform themselves of the real water situation in Israel and the West Bank rather than be misled by the same tired diatribes to which we have regrettably grown accustomed. They'll be surprised by what they discover.

Richard Millett: My provocative question to the panel at “Israel tortures Palestinian children” event.

With a room full of teachers, Abu Eqtaish who works for an organisation dedicated to child welfare and Abu al Reesh who has been able to make something positive out of his teenage rock-throwing and imprisonment I was hoping, although not expecting, that someone might have at least a word of sympathy for the family of one year old Yonatan Palmer, who now lies in his tiny grave because of another Palestinian rock-thrower.
And so I asked Abu al Reesh and Abu Eqtaish my “provocative question”.

'Damaged' New Israel Fund Plans New Campaign

The controversial New Israel Fund (NIF), which supports a variety of ultra-leftist organizations in Israel, admits it has taken a pummeling from the grassroots-Zionist Im Tirtzu group, but promises it will launch a new strategic drive in three months' time.
According to left-wing paper Haaretz, NIF President Brian Lurie, and CEO, Daniel Sokatch, describe as “momentous” an upcoming meeting of the NIF board of directors, scheduled to be held in Israel in February, at which, Sokatch says, “new strategic directions will be set.”

CAMERA: EAST JERUSALEM: Setting the Record Straight

Do Jews have a right to settle in eastern Jerusalem? What are the legal issues regarding sovereignty over eastern Jerusalem'? Is Israel's annexation of eastern Jerusalem legitimate? The media often blurs these distinct questions together as one, answered with the facile and misleading conclusion that Israel is guilty of breaking international law. But without looking at the complex historic and legal considerations that underlie each of these questions, the media prevents news consumers from understanding one of the primary issues in the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict.
This backgrounder addresses some of the common media misrepresentations regarding Jerusalem.

Obamageddon in the Middle East

The easiest way to tell that Obama has run out of things to do in the Middle East is his desperate pivot to the peace process. The never-ending peace process, which is now on its fourth administration and its sixth prime minister, is the gift shop in the museum of the Middle East. It’s the place you stop by on the way to the exit because it’s convenient and everyone back home expects some souvenir peace t-shirts.
In 2013, the West Bank and Gaza are more irrelevant to events in the Middle East than ever before. Like toddlers left alone in their high chairs, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have spent the last year whining that no one is paying attention to them. And no one in the Arab world is paying attention to them because suddenly killing Shiites has become more of a priority than killing Jews.

Natfali Bennett: Talks 'Aint Going Nowhere'

Speaking to veteran presenter Charlie Rose, Bennett spoke his mind about a range of topics; from his own political career to negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and the Iranian nuclear standoff - although for Israeli audiences not that much new was covered.
When asked what brought a successful hi-tech businessman into the gritty world of politics, the Jewish Home party head said he traced that decision "to one moment," after he was called up for military reserve duties during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

Palestinian negotiator Ishtayeh insists on resignation

On Thursday, PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi called on the Palestinian leadership in a radio interview to “prepare to turn to the UN without waiting for the failure of negotiations with Israel,” Palestinian daily Al-Quds reported.

Fatah: Israel is “the enemy of all nations of the world”

A Fatah official based in Lebanon recently explained that Yasser Arafat was involved in "all liberation movements in the world; in South America, in Asia, in Africa, and had a part in all these revolutions." The official, Fatah's Director of Communications in Lebanon Rifat Shanaah, claimed that Arafat "taught them" that Israel is "the racist entity, the enemy of all nations of the world" and that "it bears responsibility for insecurity everywhere because Israel exists in order to create conflicts - sectarian and ethnic conflicts in the Middle East."

34,600 Palestinians working in Israel without permits

The number of Palestinians from the West Bank working Jewish settlements there and in Israel has increased from ninety-six thousand in the first quarter of the year to 103 thousand in the third quarter.
The numbers were released in a report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.
51,000 of the Palestinian workers employed in Israel had work permits while 34,600 did not have permits, according to the report.

Palestinian Authority Builds Illegally in E1

The investigation of Regavim movement indicates that hundreds of portable structures have already been built around Ma'ale Adummim and Highway 1, which extends all the way to the Dead Sea. The buildings are made of metal plates, allowing rapid construction as the Palestinian Arabs generally operate on weekends, when the Supervisory Unit of the Civil Administration is on leave.
At first, the Palestinian Authority kept the buildings under black tarps, to prevent photos being taken and establishing proof of illegal building. Over time, these tarps have disappeared - revealing even more buildings in their wake. All of the buildings are in Area C - the area exclusively under Israeli control. (h/t Bob Knot)

PA shuts down Islamist seminar on women in Bethlehem

The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday night banned a radical Islamic group from holding a seminar in Bethlehem under the title: “Women’s groups and societies seek to corrupt women.”
The seminar was sponsored by Hizb ut Tahrir [Party of Liberation], a radical group whose goal is to create an Islamic state or caliphate ruled by Islamic law.

CAMERA: Thomas Friedman, Iran and the ‘Israel Lobby’

Of course, there are valid arguments on both sides of the sanctions question that can be debated. But Friedman, with obsessive tunnel vision, prefers to focus his target on Israel and her Jewish supporters (even throwing in a gratuitous, unrelated jibe about Israeli settlements), while treating French and Saudi objections as inconsequential. “If Israel kills this U.S.-led deal, then the only option is military,” warns Friedman.
This is not the first time Friedman has conjured up the ugly, anti-Semitic specter of a nefarious “lobby” that uses Jewish money and votes to corrupt American lawmakers in order to mold U.S. policy to Israel’s benefit and American harm.

Elliott Abrams: There Friedman goes again

This is awful stuff. It does not seem to occur to Friedman that those lawmakers simply agree with the Saudis (and many other Arabs) and Israelis that the Obama policy they oppose is dangerous for the U.S. They are not "taking Israel's side against their own president's" but taking America's side against a policy they see as foolish and dangerous. Does Friedman think John McCain and Lindsey Graham, two of the key critics of Obama's Iran policy, are beholden to "the Israel lobby" for their re-election campaigns, for donations, for future promotion?

Al Jazeera America Floundering Amid Low Ratings

Since its August 20 launch to 40 million US homes Al Jazeera America's TV channel has only averaged 13,000 viewers a day nationwide, equivalent to a public access channel, reports the New York Post.

Al-Quds president says Brandeis counterpart ‘gone overboard’ in row over rally

Lawrence called on Nusseibeh to issue in Arabic and English a condemnation of the demonstration. Unsatisfied with a statement subsequently issued by Nusseibeh in English and Arabic, which Brandeis called “unacceptable and inflammatory,” the Waltham, Mass. university on Monday suspended its partnership with al-Quds, which had been in place since 1998. Lawrence said the university would reevaluate the relationship in the future.

Brandeis Removes Al Quds’ Nusseibeh From Ethics Center

In a move reinforcing the basis for its decision to sever ties with Al-Quds University, Brandeis University issued a statement on Thursday, Nov. 21, that Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al-Quds University, will be removed from his position on the Advisory Board of the Brandeis International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life.

Syracuse follows Brandeis in halting ties with Al-Quds

Syracuse University “indefinitely” suspended its relationship with Al-Quds University on Thursday, making it the second American university to sever ties this week after Islamic Jihad held a Nazi-style demonstration on the Palestinian university’s campus.
“We are very disappointed and saddened to have learned of these recent events at Al-Quds University,” said Kevin Quinn, Syracuse’s senior vice president for public affairs, in an email to The Jerusalem Post. (h/t Bob Knot)

NY Jewish Leader: Working to Stop "Knockout Game"

In the "game," also known as "Get the Jew," gangs of black youths seek an unsuspecting vicitm and try to knock them out with one punch. The anti-Semitic attacks have seen an upswing in number since September.
Rabbi Behrman noted that in Crown Heights particularly easily identifiable religious Jews have been targeted. However, he noted that the "game" is being "played" throughout the US, and beyond simple anti-Semitism it bears testimony to a dangerously violent youth culture.

UAE book fair promotes Mein Kampf and Protocols of Zion books

The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) in the United Arab Emirates, which reportedly attracted 1 million visitors from across the region last week, reportedly featured several infamous anti-Semitic books, including the notorious anti-Semitic forgery, The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.
The ten-day book fair, which concluded last week, was organised by Department of Culture and Information — Sharjah Government. The mission of the fair, according to organisers, was “to cultivate the love for literature among people by enriching their experience of the written word.”

Saudi Man Arrested For Giving Free Hugs

Abdulrahman al-Khayyal was arrested by Saudi religious police after offering free hugs in the capital city of Riyadh. He apparently was inspired by a viral Youtube video of a fellow Saudi, Bandr al-Swed, offering free hugs. The clip has garnered nearly 1.5 million views in three days.

EasyJet to begin direct Tel Aviv-Berlin in February

Berlin will be the company’s sixth-operating route to Tel Aviv, after London Luton, Manchester, Geneva, Basel and Rome.
In April, the government approved an Open Skies Agreement to align Israeli flight rules with EU standards and bring about competition, a move that promised to benefit low-cost carriers.

Israel First Country to Sell Innovative 3D Printed Underwear (VIDEO)

There’s no need for Israelis to get their panties in a twist. That’s because Israel is set to become the first country in which 3-D printed underwear will be available for purchase.
Tamicare shot into the headlines recently after it was reported that Victoria’s Secret was in talks with the firm to produce underwear.

Israel Daily Picture: The Chatham Library Photo Treasures Part 2, the Walls & Gates of Jerusalem

The Chatham University Archives placed all 110 colored slides from the"Holy Land Lantern Slides"online, and in this posting we present a selection to focus on the collection's pictures of Jerusalem's walls and gates.

StandWithUs: Israeli Soldiers Stories Tour

Weekend roundup and administrivia

This was a very busy week here at EoZ. Some highlights:

Revealing the hypocritical demopathy behind BDS, in their own words,
Asking why the world ignores the Fatah terror army under Mahmoud abbas' rule
Proving yet again how Amnesty is more interested in bashing Israel than human rights for Gazans
Revealing Iran's nuclear energy propaganda site
A mini-rant on how Israel's peace partner idolizes murderers of Jews
Showing what complete losers the Mondoweiss crowd is, again
Expanding on a ZF scoop by finding many anti-Israel sites that use Israeli technology
A discussion on whether Iran has a "right" to enrich uranium, looking at primary sources
Following the Brandeis/Al Quds story
And also the incitement to violence by Palestinian Arabs at SFSU
Ripping apart Thomas Friedman
Revealing far more expert information on the Swiss Arafat report
An exclusive video interview with Dexter Van Zile of CAMERA
Another post revealing how much Arabs hate Palestinians even when they say they love them
The only report of how PalArabs make twice the salary from Israeli employers than PA employers
Finding the real story behind the photo in Khamenei's insulting tweet about Israel
Showing, using primary sources, how the ICRC is lying about Israel and international law
Two original editorial cartoons that are getting spread around
Finding the truth (maybe) about the reported Hamas spy balloons (thanks to Bob K)
Exposing Oxfam/UN hypocrisy on Gaza (yet again)

Not bad for a single week!

(As always, if you think that this information is useful, feel free to donate or subscribe!)

I am looking forward to Shabbat very, very much.

I plan to be in Israel for about 10 days in December. If you have any ideas of stories you want me to cover while I am there, feel free to email me. (And if anyone in Israel has a venue to host the Hasby Awards, that would be great!)

I still have one important video to edit from the last time I was there in February.

Speaking of, the deadline for nominations for the annual Hasby Awards is almost here. Please nominate, or second other people's nominations, at my Hasby post. And check out the latest nominations, too; there is some really good stuff there.

I admit I don't understand the appeal of Xmas window displays, but some other winter decorations in New York City are nifty.

This snowflake is suspended over a busy intersection in midtown:

11/22 Links Pt1: Arab Bank refuses to pay PA Terrorist, Iran calls war drill “Towards Jerusalem”

From Ian:

Arab Bank: Released Murderers' Stipend is 'Terror Money'

The Arab Bank's refusal to pay "terror money" to Musa Karan of Ramallah, a terrorist freed after 23 years in jail, was reported by a Hamas website. Karan's brother Mohammed told the site that Musa ran into trouble opening an account due to his being a freed terrorist.
The bank's designation of Karan's salary as "terror money" comes after Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon on Monday called for an end to international monetary aid to the PA until it stopped funding terror.

Hamas Launches Torture Campaign to Check Encroachment by Rival Fatah Faction

Hamas is in a state that some analysts are willing to describe as “hysteria.” Its position abroad and its domestic control are both eroding, and Israel has thus far managed to stymie the group’s efforts to bolster its image with a spectacular terror attack.
Fatah partisans sense weakness and are moving to exploit it. Hamas is now resorting to torture to check the encroachment:

Hamas: Our Rockets Will Reach North of Tel Aviv

Al-Masri, who spoke at an event organized by Hamas students to commemorate a year since the IDF's counter-terror Operation Pillar of Defense, claimed that Israel "will be surprised by the abilities of the Al-Qassam Brigades."
On Monday al-Masri similarly claimed that Hamas now has missiles with a 100 kilometer (62 mile) range, putting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in their sights.

Gaza in Deep Sewage, under Egyptian Siege

Hamas has refused to import Israeli diesel because of taxes imposed by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which is led by rival terror organization Fatah.
Gaza's residents now face daily power failures of 12 or even 18 hours. "Businesses have cut back production, hospitals are rationing electricity to keep dialysis and cardiac support systems running…" all because of Egypt's cutting off smuggling, and Hamas' refusal to pay Ramallah taxes.

Hamas Looking to Buy More Electricity - From Israel

He said the Hamas government submitted its proposal in this regard Israel's Electric Company through the private sector - and that an agreement has been made - but this also requires the restoration of local power grid at a cost of millions of dollars.
Egyptian politician Imad Hamdi, from the Egyptian Popular Front, has criticized the move, calling Hamas hypocritical. Hamdi pointed out that Hamas is guilty of using Israel's resources despite denying its very existence, and stated that Hamas is not effective as a resistance movement against Israel.

Neturei Karta Anti-Zionists Give Hamas a Shiny New Ambulance

Hamas has a new ambulance, thanks to the efforts of their Neturei Karta anti-Zionist comrades. How long will it take before Hamas tries to use it to smuggle terrorists into Israel?

Lion cubs born in Hamas-run zoo die

Mohammad Abdel-Rahman, acting manager of the zoo in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, said the cubs died of an unspecified illness. He said the zoo’s staff was unable to save them because they lacked experience in caring for newborn lions.
The cubs struggled from the outset, the Guardian reported. They were not feeding well, and their father displayed aggression toward them.
Zoo staff reached out to an Egyptian zoo in an attempt to procure food and equipment, but restrictions at the Egypt-Gaza border prevented the aid from coming through, a Gaza veterinarian told the Guardian. (h/t MtTB)

Michael Oren: Israel’s Oren in LA Times Op-Ed: ‘Netanyahu is Merely Doing His Job’ in Warning Against a Nuclear Iran

Oren notes that Netanyahu’s policies usually reflect the viewpoint of the Israeli intelligence services, rather than just his own opinions.
“Netanyahu may at times appear to stand alone on Iran, but he is backed by a world-class body of experts,” writes Oren.
As if to defend this statement, Oren demonstrates how Netanyahu has been ridiculed for his public stance, only to be vindicated later on.
“In 2011, these same analysts predicted that the Arab Spring…would be hijacked by Islamic radicals. They foresaw years of brutal civil strife. Netanyahu publicly expressed these conclusions and was denounced as a naysayer by many of the same columnists who are now lambasting him on Iran,” Oren said.

Iran Launches ‘Massive’ War Drills

Iranian military forces launched a series of “massive military drills” across nine provinces on Wednesday following an order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to state media reports.
The drills, codenamed “Towards Jerusalem,” will continue over the coming days and throughout the rest of the year.

White House Refuses to Condemn Khamenei’s ‘Rabid Dog’ Comments

Deputy White House press secretary Josh Earnest joined his administration counterparts in refusing to condemn Iranian Ayatollah Khomenei’s reference to Israel as a “rabid dog” Thursday in the White House press conference.
Earnest oddly denied the White House is concerned that condemning the rhetoric might imperil the Geneva talks. However, the Obama administration spokesperson still avoided explicitly rebuking Iran for the inflammatory comments:

Israel ‘unpleasantly surprised’ by mild US reaction to Khamenei’s vicious speech

US Secretary of State John Kerry did speak out against Khameini’s address, yet stopped short of issuing a forthright condemnation.
“Obviously we disagree with it profoundly,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It’s inflammatory, it’s unnecessary, and I think at this moment when we are trying to negotiate what can and can’t be achieved, the last thing we need is names back and forth,” Kerry said, according to ABC News. “Obviously we don’t believe that anything is served with, you know, names that challenge everybody’s sense of propriety and justice and rectitude. We’ve been through this before, as we’ve heard prior, very disturbing assertions regarding the Holocaust.”

US envoy to UN condemns Khamenei tongue lashing

Hours after Israeli officials expressed dismay over the mild American response to harsh comments from Iran’s supreme leader, a top US official condemned the remarks in unequivocal terms late Thursday.
Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said comments from Ali Khamenei painting Israel as a rabid dog were “abhorrent,” according to CNN.

Iran Infographic: Good Deal vs Bad Deal

Block writes that "to help educate and fight a dangerous deal, TIP (The Israel Project) has created (an) infographic...and a website laying out the terrible impact of deal that would breathe life into Iran's economy while leaving the world's leading sponsor of terrorism with the capability to build nuclear weapons."

AIPAC Applauds Harry Reid on Tougher Iran Sanctions Bill Despite Obama Plea

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he will go ahead with proposing a bill calling for tougher Iran sanctions early next month, despite President Barack Obama’s request to delay new sanctions during negotiations.

Smile -- and escape

It is not easy being an Iranian journalist these days. The Iranian journalists in Geneva are more open than ever, going along with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani's policy of smiles. This is entirely different from how they acted in the past in Turkey, Iraq and Kazakhstan. But on Wednesday, Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave a very aggressive speech, and this also influenced the Iranian journalists in Geneva. Should they smile like Rouhani or curse like Khamenei? To smile or not to smile, that is the question.
The same Iranian journalist who on Wednesday morning spoke to me knowing exactly who I was, even interviewing me for his media outlet, quickly came back to me later and asked me not to publish the picture I took with him during the interview. In the new Iran, there are still many shades of gray.

Iran Owes Terror Victims Billions of Dollars, Says Activist Lawyer

An Israeli lawyer who has won billions of dollars for relatives of terror victims has asked Obama administration officials why they are discussing letting Iran off the hook on sanctions while it owes American relatives colossal sums of money.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, who heads the Israel Law Center, has won billions of dollars for relatives of terror victims in lawsuits against the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organization as well as banks and other agencies that aid terrorists or act as a pipeline for funds for them.

Reporters Without Borders Criticizes Iranian Assault on Press

Over 100 days after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s election, Iran continues to crack down on the press and remains “one of the world’s biggest prisons for journalists and netizens” according to journalist advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.
The group said in a statement on Tuesday that it was “very disappointed by President Hassan Rouhani’s record on freedom of information,” noting that since Rouhani took office, at least 10 journalists have been arrested, 10 more have been sentenced to “a combined total of 72 years in prison,” and three newspapers have been shut down by the government.

Ya'alon: A stronger Iran means a stronger Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad

Ya’alon stated that the Iranian regime “is involved in every conflict in the Middle East and has also set up terror bases in Africa, Asia and South America. They want to defeat Western culture, and are prepared to sacrifice to achieve this.”
He added: “The Iranians want, under the cover of the nuclear umbrella that they will have, to advance their terror activities, such as using a ‘dirty bomb’ at various targets in the Western world. Therefore, we must not tolerate the possibility of a nuclear Iran. One way or another, Iran’s military nuclear project must be stopped.”

Jihadi Brit in Syria was imprisoned 2009 anti-Israel protestor

The violence in 2009 began when police tried to move protesters away from the gates of the Israeli embassy following increasingly violent protests during Operation Cast Lead. One police officer was knocked unconscious and two more were injured. There were reportedly running skirmishes between the officers and groups of young men, each time prompting a further charge from the officers and sending the crowd running screaming in the opposite direction.

At least one Iran embassy bomber a Palestinian

A Palestinian national was among the two suicide bombers who attacked the Iranian embassy in Beirut earlier this week, security sources told The Daily Star Thursday.
They said investigators were still trying to identify the second bomber.

Saudi Arabia urges citizens to leave tense Lebanon

Shiite-led Hezbollah has indirectly blamed Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia for Tuesday’s twin suicide blasts, which killed 23 people. A Sunni radical group linked to al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility.

Hezbollah-Backed Syrian Offensive Risks New Refugee Wave, “Catastrophic” Destabilization of Lebanon

The army’s offensive in the Qalamoun mountains surrounding Qara – enabled and backed by Hezbollah fighters – threatens to trigger a new refugee crisis that would see nearly 20,000 civilians may be driven into Lebanon.
Jean Ogassapian, a Lebanese politician closely linked to the country’s anti-Syrian March 14th movement, declared that Hezbollah’s continued support of the Syrian army, especially in the Qalamoun regime, risked “catastrophic repercussions in Lebanon” and a “total sectarian war.”

Iran Determines Hezbollah's Actions

Hezbollah Uses Civilians as a Human Shield

Krauthammer on the Iranian deal

The latest on the Iranian nuclear negotiations:

The US has said any interim agreement would see the bulk of international and US sanctions targeting Iran's nuclear programme remain in place.

Mr Obama said sanctions relief would be worth between $6bn and $7bn.

The essence of the deal would involve Iran making no more advances in its nuclear programme and agreeing to "more vigorous inspections", he said.

Analysts say a major sticking point is Iran's insistence on its right to enrich uranium - a process that yields material used to manufacture fuel for power stations, but can also be used for weapons.

Giving $6 billion for Iran allowing the IAEA what it should have been able to do all along?

Here is a great op-ed by Charles Krauthammer on this joke:

A president desperate to change the subject and a secretary of state desperate to make a name for himself are reportedly on the verge of an “interim” nuclear agreement with Iran. France called it a “sucker’s deal.” France was being charitable.

The only reason Iran has come to the table after a decade of contemptuous stonewalling is that economic sanctions have cut so deeply — its currency has collapsed, inflation is rampant — that the regime fears a threat to its very survival.

Nothing else could move it to negotiate. Regime survival is the only thing themullahs value above nuclear weapons. And yet precisely at the point of maximum leverage, President Obama is offering relief in a deal that is absurdly asymmetric: The West would weaken sanctions in exchange for cosmetic changes that do absolutely nothing to weaken Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

Don’t worry, we are assured. This is only aninterim six-month agreement to “build confidence” until we reach a final one. But this makes no sense. If at this point ofmaximum economic pressure we can’t get Iran to accept a final deal that shuts down its nuclear program, how in God’s name do we expect to get such a deal when we have radically reduced that pressure?

A bizarre negotiating tactic. And the content of the deal is even worse. It’s a rescue package for the mullahs.

It widens permissible trade in oil, gold and auto parts. It releases frozen Iranian assets, increasing Iran’s foreign-exchange reserves by 25 percent while doubling its fully accessible foreign-exchange reserves. Such a massive infusion of cash would be a godsend for its staggering economy, lowering inflation, reducing shortages and halting the country’s growing demoralization. The prospective deal is already changing economic expectations. Foreign oil and other interests are reportedly preparing to reopen negotiations for a resumption of trade in anticipation of the full lifting of sanctions.

And for what? You’d offer such relief in return for Iran giving up its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Isn’t that what the entire exercise is about?

And yet this deal does nothing of the sort. Nothing. It leaves Iran’s nuclear infrastructure intact. Iran keeps every one of its 19,000 centrifuges — yes, 19,000 — including 3,000 second-generation machines that produce enriched uranium at five times the rate of the older ones.

Not a single centrifuge is dismantled. Not a single facility that manufactures centrifuges is touched. In Syria, the first thing the weapons inspectors did was to destroy the machines that make the chemical weapons. Then they went after the stockpiles. It has to be that way. Otherwise, the whole operation is an exercise in futility. Take away just the chemical agents, and the weapons-making facilities can replace them at will.

Yet that’s exactly what we’re doing with Iran. It would deactivate its 20 percent enriched uranium, which besides being chemically reversible, is quickly replaceable because Iran retains its 3.5 percent enriched uranium, which can be enriched to 20 percent in less than a month.

Result: Sanctions relief that leaves Iran’s nuclear infrastructure untouched, including — and this is where the French gagged — the plutonium facility at Arak, a defiant alternate path to a nuclear weapon.

The point is blindingly simple. Unless you dismantle the centrifuges and prevent the manufacture of new ones, Iran will be perpetually just a few months away from going nuclear. This agreement, which is now reportedly being drafted to allow Iran to interpret it as granting the “right” to enrich uranium, constitutes the West legitimizing Iran’s status as a threshold nuclear state.

Don’t worry, we are assured. The sanctions relief is reversible. Nonsense. It was extraordinarily difficult to cobble together the current sanctions. It took endless years of overcoming Russian, Chinese and Indian recalcitrance, together with foot-dragging from Europeans making a pretty penny from Iran.

Once the relaxation begins, how do you reverse it? How do you reapply sanctions? There is absolutely no appetite for this among our allies. And adding back old sanctions will be denounced as a provocation that would drive Iran to a nuclear breakout — exactly as Obama is today denouncing congressional moves to increase sanctions as a deal-breaking provocation that might lead Iran to break off talks.

The mullahs are eager for this interim agreement with its immediate yield of political and economic relief. Once they get it, we will have removed their one incentive to conclude the only agreement that is worth anything to us — a verifiable giving up of their nuclear program.

Brilliant.

UNRWA, Oxfam "deplore" Israel for Gaza situation, have nothing bad to say about Hamas and Egypt

From AFP:

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated one year after a truce that ended fighting between Israel and the Hamas rulers of the Palestinian enclave, UN officials said Thursday.

"After 12 months the initial hopes for a significant improvement on the ground have not been realized," said James Rawley, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories.

"In fact I am sorry to report that the situation for Gaza's 1.7 million people is worse than it was before the hostilities a year ago" between November 14 and 21, he said.

Speaking at a news conference marking the anniversary, Rawley said the fuel and energy crisis was a primary cause of the situation.

Robert Turner, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, noted the impact of the demolition of smuggling tunnels under the border since Egypt's army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3.

"The closures of the tunnels has led to a near total collapse of private sector constructions, as it compounded the constraints due to the pre-existing ban on construction materials from Israel for the private sector," said the UNRWA chief.

The two officials deplored Israel's decision to ban the import of building materials – including to international agencies – from October 13, following the discovery of a tunnel that Hamas fighters dug to use for attacks.

Oxfam said Gazans were still "trapped under the Israeli blockade and largely cut off from the outside world" despite the ceasefire meant to allow the movement of people and goods in and out of the enclave.

"Exports allowed out of Gaza have dropped by half since 2012 and Palestinian fishermen and farmers continue to be prevented from accessing the most productive areas," it said.

In the past few months, Egypt has severely curtailed the movement of people and goods through Rafah. Egypt has nearly stopped smuggling through the tunnels especially of fuel and construction materials.

Israel started increasing the amount of construction materials into Gaza as a result of Egypt's crackdown, but then Hamas decided to use these materials to build tunnels meant to kidnap Israelis (a war crime.) As a result, Israel decided that it makes no sense to give Hamas materials that can be used to perform terror attacks. Israel still allows construction materials to enter Gaza for specific approved NGO projects, just as it did before.

Hamas has also chosen not to spend its cash on fuel, and is holding Gazans hostage to their negotiations with the PA to get cheaper fuel. Israel is willing to sell whatever fuel is needed.

During the year, Israel has worked closely with Gaza farmers to turn the export industry from one dependent on seasonal products like strawberries into a much more lucrative, year-round export industry of spices. Obviously, the price of spices per kilo is orders of magnitude higher than tomatoes. In October 2013, five truckloads of spices were exported, as opposed to zero in October 2012. That very well might explain why the number of trucks of exports have decreased, assuming it is true - the real question is how much those exports are worth.

But the only party that gets "deplored" by the UN and Oxfam is - Israel. They don't have a bad word to say about the Hamas terror tunnels, nothing negative about Hamas' cynical use of its own people as pawns to pressure others to give it cheap energy, nothing at all to say about Egypt's closing Rafah, and nothing bad to say about Egypt protecting its security by enforcing restrictions on movement to Gaza.

These NGOs swear up and down that they aren't biased against Israel, but their own words prove their one-sided view, day in and day out.

Al Azhar sheikh justifies Jew-hatred on Egyptian TV

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from an interview with Sheik of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayeb, which aired on Channel 1, Egyptian TV on October 25, 2013:

Ahmad Al-Tayeb: A verse in the Koran explains the Muslims' relations with the Jews and the polytheists. The second part of the verse describes the Muslims' relations with the Christians, and the third part of the verse explains why the Christians are the closest and most friendly to the Muslims.

This is an historical perspective, which has not changed to this day. See how we suffer today from global Zionism and Judaism, whereas our peaceful coexistence with the Christians has withstood the test of history. Since the inception of Islam 1,400 years ago, we have been suffering from Jewish and Zionist interference in Muslim affairs. This is a cause of great distress for the Muslims.

The Koran said it and history has proven it: "You shall find the strongest among men in enmity to the believers to be the Jews and the polytheists." This is the first part. The second part is: "You shall find the closest in love to the believers to be those who say: 'We are Christians'." The third part explains why the Christians are "the closest in love to the believers," while the Jews and the polytheists are the exact opposite.

[...]

[The Christians] are humble and are not arrogant.

Interviewer: They are not condescending, whereas the Jews say they are the Chosen People.

Ahmad Al-Tayeb: Right, they do not say that they are the Chosen People... That is why the Jewish religion is closed to others. They have no proselytism. They consider themselves to be the best creation, the Chosen People.

Interviewer: They consider everybody else to be inferior to them...

Ahmad Al-Tayeb: Extremely inferior. They even have very peculiar laws. For instance, they are allowed to practice usury with non-Jews. Some things are not allowed among Jews, but are allowed between Jews and non-Jews. They practice a terrible hierarchy, and they are not ashamed to admit it, because it is written in the Torah – with regard to killing, enslavement, and so on.

Therefore, they have generated a problem not only in their relations with the Muslims, but in their relations with all other people as well, and history has been clear on this.

Interviewer: There is even great enmity between them and the Christians.

Ahmad Al-Tayeb: Of course. These practices and beliefs have made people, even non-Muslims, hate them.

It's funny - Muslims usually say how wonderful their relationships were with Jews before Zionism, but now Al-Tayeb says that Jews (and Zionists!) have oppressed Muslims for 1400 years.

Of course, neither are true.

Nevertheless, antisemitism continues to be broadcast on mainstream Egyptian TV. Today.

Nominations open for 2014 Hasby Awards (updated)

It is that time of year again, where we will the celebrate the best Hasbara (Israel advocacy) with the 2014 Hasby Awards! Here is the latest list of nominees.

As with last year, we have a number of categories.

Here are the rules, such as they are:

Fell free to nominate in any category as many examples as you want in the comments. Please include URLs!
Self-nominations (or seconds) are welcome.
Only nominees that are seconded will be in the running. (Probably.) You can second them in the comments as well. The ones listed here must also be seconded.
If you have other categories, feel free to suggest them along with at least one nominee. Some others are listed in last year's nominations page.
Last year's winners are no longer eligible for awards in the same category they won.

It is obvious that I am not good at remembering specific videos/incidents over the past year, so please help me fill those in!
I decide who wins, but there will also be People's Choice awards based on a poll.
I'll put out a press release when the winners are announced, because some of the nominees last year asked me to.
I reserve the right to decide if a nominee is appropriate and will pare down the number of nominees if needed.
Please, no extraneous comments on this thread, only nominations, seconds and category suggestions. I will delete them.
This thread is not for voting. That will come later. If your favorite candidate is already seconded, don't comment further.
If someone can offer me a decent venue to give the awards as I did last year and in 2010, I'll be happy to give the awards out live! (I'll be in Israel from December 16-24, back on the East Coast before and after.) But if you do offer me a venue, you'll probably also be subjected to a speech.