Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

07/22 Links Pt1: Hamas is Gaza’s worst enemy; 20,000 attend funeral; 21 ways you can help Israel today

From Ian:

Golani soldier Oron Shaul caught in Gaza ambush is MIA

The IDF has identified only six of the seven soldiers caught in a deadly ambush in Gaza City’s Shejaiya area earlier this week, the army announced Tuesday. The seventh soldier, named Tuesday afternoon as Oron Shaul, would appear to be missing in action. There is no definitive evidence of whether he is alive or dead.
“The identification process of six of the soldiers killed has been completed and confirmed,” the army said in a statement. “The efforts to identify the seventh soldier are ongoing and have yet to be determined.”
The announcement came several days after Hamas announced that it had abducted a soldier. “The Israeli soldier [name deleted] is in the hands of the Qassam Brigades,” a Hamas spokesman said more than 12 hours after the battle.

Times of Israel Live Blog: Soldier killed Tuesday morning; Kerry calls for immediate ceasefire

Netanyahu says Israel will continue to defend itself; army names Oron Shaul as missing soldier presumed killed in Gaza fighting; Hamas claims it kidnapped soldier; IDF death toll rises to 28; over 600 Gazans said killed so far

Hamas is Gaza’s worst enemy

Amid their grief, Palestinians must begin to look beyond the immediate conflict to question why their leaders, especially Hamas, have delivered them little but poverty, chaos and destruction. The answer, as US commentator Alan Dershowitz wrote in Saturday’s Inquirer, is the real enemies of the Palestinian people are Hamas leaders who love Palestinian children less than they hate Israel: “That’s why they are prepared to use these children as human sacrifices in their efforts to destroy the nation-state of the Jewish people.’’
Without a credible ceasefire, the toll will rise, especially as Hamas refuses to allow civilians to shelter in Gaza’s many tunnels, which are the preserve of its fighters. Despite the naivety of much of the Western media in seeking to blame Israel alone for the high casualty rate, some Palestinians realise Hamas is putting their lives at risk. For years, it has also shown scant concern for their quality of life, heavily arming itself while ignoring the local economy and food production. Any legitimate ceasefire must acknowledge Hamas’s culpability in starting the conflict with its kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers last month. Long term, Gaza residents must understand they are on a hiding to nothing with Hamas.

21 ways you can help Israel today

Israel is at war, and over the last few weeks, I have received requests from across the Globe from friends, family, friends of friends and friends of family, asking me if I know any ways that they can help Israel in her time of need. There are so many ways to help, and particularly for those not in Israel and who are therefore not able to send physical items through local collections, here are some of the many reputable websites through which you can donate:
Please note, before you send food or pizza to places, it is worth checking if it is needed or even wanted. I have been in touch with a number of bases that are overflowing with unwanted toiletries and junk food. Some bases, on the other hand, are far out and would really appreciate some decent food and some cans of deodorant! If you are sending food, please don’t send fresh goods that spoil, or chocolate that melts. High on the food request list are energy bars, dried fruit and black coffee, but a lot of soldiers would prefer fresh underwear, socks, towels, undershirts (black or olive colored), toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, razors, deodorant, wipes and mosquito repellent.
Thank you, and may all of our soldiers come home to us speedily, safely, and having completed their mission.

Israel treating injured 16 year old terrorist. Also witnesses see 13 year olds with suicide belts.

Unreal.

From Times of Israel liveblog:

A 16-year-old Palestinian terrorist is being treated in an Israeli hospital after being captured during a pre-dawn Monday terror attack on southern Israel when he emerged from one of Hamas’s cross-border tunnels.

The 16-year-old Hamas assailant is being treated in Ashkelon’s Barzilai Hospital and is described as being in moderate condition, Israel Radio reports on Tuesday afternoon.

He was unconscious when hospitalized, the report says.

The teenager was captured after emerging from a tunnel dug from Gaza into southern Israel along with several other terrorists. In the pre-dawn attack, two groups of Hamas terrorists emerged from two tunnel exits, one inside the Israeli border near Kibbutz Nir Am, and the other near Erez, also on Israeli territory, several kilometers northeast of the Gaza city of Beit Hanoun.

It is unclear which squad the teen belonged to.

A second Hamas terrorist is also in an Israeli hospital, Beersheba’s Soroka Hospital, the report says.

The report adds that IDF soldiers being treated in Israeli hospitals for injuries sustained while fighting in Gaza said they encountered 13- and 14-year-old Palestinian children running at them wearing explosives-laden suicide-bomber belts.

OK, so now we have children being used as suicide bombers and terrorists.

And Israel treating their injuries.

More details and other incidents:

Wounded soldiers have given shocking testimony regarding Hamas’ use of young children as human shields.

Parents of wounded soldiers spoke to Kol Yisrael on Tuesday and shared some of the disturbing stories they had heard from their sons. They said soldiers have repeatedly seen young children in Sheijaya, Gaza, be sent out into the streets with guns to try to attack IDF troops.

One parent reported that terrorists had run at IDF soldiers with a gun in one hand and a baby in the other, apparently in hopes that the soldiers would see the child and hold their fire. If soldiers fired, the parent added, the child’s death could be used as propaganda against Israel.

“They’re continuing the same trick of using children as human shields, just as they did in Operation Cast Lead,” one father said. Women are used as human shields as well, he added.

He expressed frustration at figures on the Israeli far-left who have accused IDF soldiers of committing war crimes. Israel’s soldiers do everything they can to avoid hurting innocent people, he said.

But let's not let that cloud the thinking of those who want to characterize Israel as a Nazi state and Hamas as liberal freedom fighters. They want to be outraged, and they don't want their outrage to be diluted by facts.

(h/t Harold)

Videos of terrorists escaping in ambulances

From the IDF:

And another:

I don't know if these are Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulances. It appears that many ambulances in Gaza are either from the Ministry of Health - run by Hamas - or from specific hospitals.

One of the PRCS' "principles" is "In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Red Crescent may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature."

So will they condemn this cynical use of ambulances in Gaza? After all, they have "principles," right?

Surely they are against this war crime. And we all know that the PRCS cares a lot about war crimes. And we know they say they are neutral. So naturally we can expect a condemnation, just as much as we can expect one from HRW, Amnesty and the ICRC.

If only the IDF had Mujahadeen Magical Munitions®

The IDF spends hundreds of millions of dollars and untold thousands of man-hours on high-tech weapons and low-tech methods meant to ensure the absolute minimum of innocent lives lost in a conflict. Advanced visual systems, multiple layers of legal consultation, and even thousands of pamphlets - all designed to keep innocent people alive while targeting the terrorists hiding among them.

But it turns out that the Jewish state could have saved lots of that money and time. Because Hamas and the other terrorists have the most sophisticated, advanced weapons known to man.

Mujahadeen Magical Munitions® are specially designed not to hurt anyone but the enemy. And, judging from the reports coming out of Gaza, they are 100% effective.

I'm reading lots of news stories and tweets from journalists in Gaza, and practically every one states without any qualification that every bullet, mortar round and shell that hurts innocent people comes from the Israeli side.

A few of the journalists noted that the battles in the streets of Gaza have been heated and fierce. Hamas uses mortars, RPGs, anti-tank missiles, AK-47s, booby trapped houses, grenades, and exploding donkeys.

Yet the only victims of Hamas' weapons are Israeli soldiers, if you believe the news reports from journalists embedded in Gaza hospitals looking for the dead child that will bring them their Pulitzer prize.

While highly trained Israeli troops who are doing everything possible to minimize civilian deaths sometimes can't avoid hurting the innocent, Hamas and Islamic Jihad and the other mujahadeen who seemingly have no regard for the lives of their neighbors are really equipped with the most amazing weapons known to man.

These magical weapons must be brand new, because in the first six months of this year I counted over 30 Gazans who were killed by errant rockets and "work accidents" - when there were no active battles. Now, based on reports from journalists whose careers are dependent on their being unbiased and fair, that number has plummeted to zero. Every single casualty is from the Israeli side - Israeli tank shells, Israeli gunships, Israeli airstrikes. Every single one.

It's good that we have such professionals reporting (and editing) the dispatches from Gaza, or else we would be completely unaware of the Mujahadeen Magical Munitions®.

Still, the journalists have not yet talked explicitly about these miraculous weapons. Perhaps you might want to tweet them to ask them to cover this amazing story - maybe they can even volunteer to be shot with one of these remarkable mujahid RPGs that never kill the innocent.

Guaranteed, they would become famous.

Ken Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, proves his anti-Israel bias in an absurd tweet intended to show HRW is unbiased!

No one is saying that Israelis "poor, helpless, defenseless" - that is Ken Roth's own hate of the Jewish state revealing itself quite publicly.

Because the evidence of HRW's, and Ken Roth's bias against Israel is incontrovertible.

The quick answer to his tweet is the huge amount of resources and attention HRW has given to castigating Israel (and the US) compared to every other country on the planet. Multiple, huge reports are written about events with death tolls that are a fraction of those in other areas of the world. Here I compare HRW's attention given to every country compared to their Freedom House scores - there is no correlation.

Here are only some examples I've written about over the years:

HRW condemned Ariel Sharon for his indirect role in Sabra and Shatila when he died - but never condemned the Christian Phalangists who actually did the killings. It never condemned any other world figure at the moment of their death.

HRW does not support equal rights for Palestinians in Lebanon who want to become citizens.

HRW twists international law in regards to Israel repeatedly.

HRW has one definition of "occupation" for Israel, and another for the rest of the world.

Ken Roth insulted Israel when it announced plans to save the lives of Syrian Alawites, even as no other country in the world was doing anything for Syrians.

Ken Roth wrote an article castigating Israel that had quite a few lies. he tried to weasel out of some but never admitted his errors.

HRW never answers whether they believe Jews have the right to pray on their holiest spot.

HRW once had its employees write pro-HRW comments on numerous websites pretending that they were ordinary people - engaging in "sock-puppetry" - in defense of their employee with the Nazi memorabilia obsession.

The Sunday Times once showed HRW's obsession with Israel out of proportion to every other conflict.

A HRW researcher falsely claimed Palestinian Arabs in the territories live in "shanties" while Jews live in "spacious villas."

This is beyond looking at their reports and press releases on Israel and the numerous patterns of bias, ignoring any facts that contradict their pre-conceived anti-Israel bias, as well as proof of their ignorance of military methods, every time.

Ken Roth likes to speak about Israel's "impunity" but HRW is not transparent about their methods of information gathering and reporting, about how they hire their Middle East "experts,"or really about their methods altogether - even as they demand the same from everyone else. It is HRW that acts with impunity against Israel.

Ken Roth never answered these charges - because he can't. Instead he tweets snarky comments insulting the very nation he claims he is not biased against.

Arab columnist demands Moroccan Jews condemn Israel...or else?

In the major Moroccan newspaper Hespress, a columnist is making implicit threats against the Moroccan Jewish community if they do not publicly condemn Israel for protecting its citizens from Hamas rockets.

Mustafa Elfenn says that the only time that the Moroccan Jews publicly protested anything was in 2003, when they held a rally against terrorist bombings carried out by Muslim extremists in Casablanca.

Elfenn asserts that all Moroccans across the spectrum, with the exception of the Jews, "condemned and denounced the aggression that targeted unarmed Palestinian civilians."

"The silence of the Jewish community of Morocco about developments taking place in Gaza raises the question about the ambiguous relationship between some of this community with the Jewish state," he says. He quickly adds "We do not question the loyalty of any one of our citizens" but he is troubled by this silence.

Not that he is calling for Moroccan Muslims to attack Jews. Of course not:

We are against any violence targeting any Moroccan citizen... but the silence of the Moroccan Jewish community to condemn the massacres of the Israeli aggression against Gaza is abuse to the Jewish religion itself. Rather, this silence gives justification for some to ask questions about the limits of the similarity of some Moroccan Jews with the positions of the state and society for crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity committed by Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip against international law.

Nothing justifies the attack on the Moroccan Jews, justice will reach all who dared to touch the security of any Moroccan whatever faith, but on the other hand Moroccan Jews should not have their silence allow people to doubt them. In other words, silence is not worthy of you, because Israel is not a threat to the Arabs or Muslims only, but is a danger to Jews and Judaism as well.

How comfortable Moroccan Jews must feel knowing that their media is telling them that if they don't publicly side with anti-Israel fanatics, their status as citizens are suspect.

Terrorists are 2848% more likely to be killed in Gaza than civilians

Here is a statistical analysis by Ilya Zhorov on Facebook, translated via Yenta Press (by "Enrico the Sailor's girlfriend) in the comments here:

Lately I’ve encountered many who claim that the IDF is attacking Palestinians “indiscriminately”. Watching Al Jazeera one can see that the majority of those who were killed in Gaza were young men. This does not go hand in hand with the claim that the killing is random, considering Gaza’s demographics.

With that in mind, yours truly decided to carry out some simple calculations in order to test the claim that the IDF kills combatants and civilians indiscriminately.

First, let us look at the size of the population in Gaza, which is estimated at 1,805,000 (based on the 2010 census + extrapolated population growth).

The size of the various armed organizations in the Gaza strip is estimated at 25,000. This is also the figure the Hamas boasts (the Zionists have larger estimates, but why trust them?)

Therefore the number of uninvolved civilians in Gaza is 1,780,000.

At this point, according to the press, the number of Palestinian casualties in Gaza is 572, with 28% being combatants and 72% being civilians.

Therefore, as simple calculation shows that the odds for being killed by the IDF is 0.0064 if you’re a combatant/terrorist and 0.000247 if you’re a non-involved civilian.

That means your odds of being killed by the IDF if you’re a Hamas terrorist (or combatant, depending on one’s point of view) is 28.48 times greater than if you’re a civilian. It appears that there is a very cut and clear distinction with the IDF specifically going after Hamas and not civilians.

Some people, not familiar with the basics of the science of probability may ask, “So how come there are more dead civilians than combatants?” The answer is simple. Most of the people in Gaza are non-involved civilians. The terrorists are only 0.0138% of the population.

Consider this: Had the IDF truly been killing people indiscriminately in Gaza, considering there are only 1.385% Hamas terrorists in Gaza, one would expect to see only 7 dead terrorists out of the total of 572 fatalities.

Of course, Zhorov is accepting the Hamas-created statistics as to who is a civilian and who is a combatant at face value. In fact, evidence shows that the number of terrorists killed is probably around double these figures, so the actual chances of being killed if you are a Hamas terrorist is closer to 50 or 60 times the chances of being killed if you are a civilian.

Anyone who claims that the IDF fires "indiscriminately" is either completely innumerate, or a liar.

07/21 Links Pt2: The Inside Story of the Kerry Peace Plan; To the Fake “Human Rights” Activists

From Ian:

The Explosive, Inside Story of How John Kerry Built an Israel-Palestine Peace Plan—and Watched It Crumble

Recounting the history of the Kerry effort, he sounded almost wistful. “We definitely tested the proposition that American involvement, creativity, high-level engagement with the leaders, intensive negotiations—all of the things the U.S. can bring to the table—could achieve peace,” said Indyk. “And it wasn't enough.”
Nearly everyone we interviewed felt the same way: that Kerry was absolutely correct to attempt a deal. The outlines were clear; the cost of inaction too great. “I always tell American secretaries of state that you get points for trying,” said Tony Blair, now a Middle East envoy. But they also believed that, for any agreement to be reached in the future, something major, something fundamental would have to change—the leaders, the American approach, the terms of reference, the external pressures.
There's no shortage of ideas, in other words. And some of them—particularly that last—may bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to a deal than Kerry got this time. But few of the people we spoke to expected progress any time soon. With Netanyahu entrenched, Abbas on his way out, settlements and rocket ranges expanding, and the populations increasingly hardline, we seem to have reached the end of an era in the peace process. And no one harbors much hope for what comes next.
“I see it from a mathematical point of view,” said Avi Dichter, the former chief of Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency. “The American effort will always be multiplied by the amount of trust between the two leaders. So if Kerry's pressure represents the number five, and then Obama's help brings the American effort to ten, it really doesn't matter. You’re still multiplying it by zero. The final result will always be zero.”

To the Fake “Human Rights” Activists

While I see or hear about all of the above, you then proceed to claim that you’re standing up for human rights. You claim that you are fighting “oppression” against the Palestinian-Arabs face on a daily basis. You claim to fight for freedom. You claim that you seek peace in the region. For some of you, you claim that you are upholding Jewish values by supporting these actions. Most importantly, you claim that you are standing up for the Palestinian-Arabs themselves. Here is the reality: You lie, and you have always lied.
True human rights activists do not spew Jew-hatred like it is second nature. They do not compare Jewish self-determination to racism. They do not hold double-standards against a people undergoing rocket fire at a rate unprecedented in the modern era. They do not stand in defense of a group of people who use their own citizens as human shields while firing rockets into another civilian population. They do not support diabolical terrorism bent on destroying the self-determination and the existence of another people. They do not stand by while propagandists emit vitriolic anti-Semitism against a state that has not only demonstrated peaceful intentions, but restraint against additional civilian casualties.

Fascism in the 21st Century: Why are so many people waving Hezbollah flags?

The late Christopher Hitchens infamously saw no difference between radical Islamism and European fascism. As he put it, ‘both movements are based on a cult of murderous violence that exalts death and destruction and despises the life of the mind.’
In London, symbols of fascism are brandished in public without any public concern. Our MPs are too busy critiquing ‘Israeli war crimes’ in the comfort of Westminster than they are stopping intimidating displays of racism around the corner.
That man on the bus was not a humanitarian or a pacifist. He was expressing his admiration for an ideology akin to fascism.
Fascists are not humanitarian. This is such an old point, but where are the demonstrations against Assad? Where are the rallies against Putin? It is only the Jews which fascists are so disturbingly obsessed with.

Chloe Valdary: ‘When we speak Zionism, we speak freedom’ (Video)

Chloe Valdary is a New Orleans-based pro-Israel student activist. Here is a clip of her short yet powerful speech at a Rally for Israel on July 18th held at Boston Common. (Valdary was reportedly assaulted at a rally last week outside the Israeli Embassy when 100 or so pro-Palestinian counter-demonstrators swarmed Israel supporters.)

When We Speak Zionism, We Speak Freedom

Depravity: Music video celebrating "kidnap" of Israeli soldier

Hamas continues to claim that they captured an Israeli soldier "Shaul Aron" without any proof. (Oron Shaul is the name of one of the soldiers killed on Sunday. UPDATE: IDF says it does not have the body of one of the soldiers.)

But the nebulous claim is enough to cause great celebrations in Gaza - and Ramallah.

Now a singer has put out a music video to cash in on how happy Arabs are at committing a war crime. It has gone viral - over 130,000 views in just a few hours.

Disgustingly, the video is filled with images of Oron Shaul taken from his Facebook page, causing his family immeasurable grief.

Lies outweigh facts in Palestinian Arab media

Usually I can glean some interesting facts from the Palestinian Arab media. And, believe it or not, one of the best in terms of accuracy has been Palestine Today, which is run by Islamic Jihad.

But nowadays the Arabic media is nothing but propaganda, and they are reporting more lies than facts.

Across the board, the Arabic media is reporting the supposed abduction of an Israeli soldier as fact, even though a person with that name has been declared dead and the IDF has denied any soldier was captured. (UPDATE: IDF says it is still looking for one body.)

Up until this morning, Hamas' Al Qassam webpage showed a fake picture of the "capture" that was actually part of a Hamas kidnap training session from 2008.

Palestine Today announced that Ghassan Alian, the Druze commander of the Golani Brigades, had died from his injuries. In fact, his injuries were upgraded to "light" and he is anxious to return to the front.

And, of course, the Arab media is not reporting any casualties among the mujahadin.

Those who rely on Arab media reports for their accusations are looking even more idiotic than usual.

The Paris pogroms continue

From The Independent and Business Insider:

Fears are growing that the Gaza conflict could transfer to the streets of France after Jewish-owned shops were burned and pillaged last night during a second violent pro-Palestinian demo in the space of two days.

In the Paris suburb sometimes nicknamed "little Jerusalem" for its large community of Sephardic Jews, the rally descended into chaos when dozens of youth -- some masked -- set fire to bins and lit firecrackers and smoke bombs.

Eighteen people were arrested after looters wrecked shops, including a kosher foodstore and a funeral home as protesters shouted: "Fuck Israel!".

A pro-Gaza demonstration in a town with a large Jewish population began peacefully but degenerated into attacks on Jewish and Chaldean businesses and four hours of running battles between youths and police.

Several cars were burned. Three shops, including a Kosher grocery, were burned and pillaged. A railway station was severely damaged.

The interior minister, Bernard Cazeneve said today: “When you menace synagogues and when you burn a grocery because it is Jewish-owned, you are committing anti-semitic acts… That is intolerable. Protest against Israel is legitimate. Nothing can justify such violence.”

The riot in Sarcelles - which was for many years run by disgraced French politician, Dominique Strauss-Kahn – followed violent scenes during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in northern Paris on Saturday afternoon.

Thirty people were arrested and 18 policemen slightly injured when youths pelted police lines with stones and bottles. Another 18 youths were arrested in Sarcelles last night.

The Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, warned at the weekend that France faced “a new form of anti-semitism”, fomented by the hard left and by political activists like the comedian Dieudonne who blame “Jews” for all the world’s ills.

"We have never seen such an outpouring of hatred and violence in Sarcelles," said the mayor Francois Pupponi. "This morning people are stunned, and the Jewish community is afraid."

Roger Cuikerman, head of the French umbrella groups of Jewish organisations, CRIF, said there was a growing anxiety amongst French jews. Protest against Israeli government actions was one thing, he said. Attacks on Jews for being Jews were “deeply disturbing”.

“They are not screaming 'death to the Israelis' on the streets of Paris,” he said. “They are screaming ‘death to the Jews’. They are attacking synagogues which are places of prayer.”

It was only last week that Israel haters at Mondoweiss pretended that a group of these gangs attacking a synagogue were not antisemitic - because they found some video of some Jews fighting back, which is unnatural and very disturbing to those who prefer their Jews to die like sheep to a slaughter. (Here's the truth.)

The other reason that the moral midgets at Mondoweiss hate stories like these is because is shows that a Jewish state is necessary, as hundreds of French Jews who moved to Israel last week proved. That drives them nuts because they base their anti-Israel arguments on the claim that antisemitism is a thing of the past.

(h/t Bob K for photos)

(Etymology note: I've seen definitions of pogrom both for organized massacres against people and against property. I am using only the latter definition. Thank God.)

07/21 Links Pt1: Golani: First to fight, first to pay the price; Ban Ki-Moon Please Don’t Be a Terrorist

From Ian:

Times of Israel Live Blog: Peres consoles bereaved families; large rocket barrage at south

The Times of Israel is liveblogging events as they unfold through Monday, the 14th day of Operation Protective Edge. Israel thwarted early morning attacks by Hamas gunmen emerging from tunnels. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Israel’s actions in the Hamas stronghold of Shejaiya were “atrocious.” The IDF announced Sunday evening that 13 Golani Brigade soldiers died overnight in fighting in Gaza, raising the Israeli army death toll to 18. The soldiers were killed in heavy combat in Shejaiya, which also left over 70 Palestinians dead, Gaza Health Ministry officials said. Israel said the neighborhood is a Hamas stronghold, and that the army had warned residents to evacuate

How many Israelis must die before we are ‘allowed’ to defend them? (From The Guardian!)

As Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Daniel Taub, said recently: “We don’t have to apologise for Israelis not being killed.” Indeed, one wonders quite how the media would want to even up the scores. Perhaps Israel should switch off the early-warning systems that notify Israelis of missiles, and stop using Iron Dome until more Israelis have been killed than Palestinians? Only then, having satiated the media thirst for Israeli blood by dying in sufficient numbers, would Israel be “allowed” to resume its protective operation to let Israelis live peaceful lives free from terror.
Israel both has the right to defend our citizens with military operations, and to protect the lives of our citizens with bunkers and anti-missile systems. Until our operations are over, the media ought to drastically rethink the irresponsible way they are discussing proportionality.

Brendan O'Neill: Can everyone please stop posting photos of dead Palestinian children all over the internet?

It all has the look and feel and sound of moral pornography, designed less to enlighten people about what is going in Israel-Gaza – war harms children? Who didn’t know this? – than to provide something shocking for us all to stare at and be collectively horrified by. There is a terrible irony to this widespread publishing of photos of battered Palestinian children – the aim seems to be to show that we the right-minded folk of Twitter and the Western media really care, but the question it immediately raises in my mind is this: “Well, if you care about children so much, why didn’t you publish photos of dead kids from the Congo? Or Aleppo? Or Sri Lanka? Do you only care about one group of children – Palestinians – and no others?” So a photo-sharing frenzy aimed at advertising our caring tendencies actually has the opposite effect: it makes one wonder why this alleged caring instinct is so picky, so partial , attaching itself firmly to the child-victims of one conflict but rarely finding expression in relation to any other conflict.

PM Netanyahu's message to the people of Gaza

Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinians: The Arabs Betrayed Us - Again

Since 1948, the Arab countries and government have been paying mostly lip service to the Palestinians.
"They have money and oil, but don't care about the Palestinians, even though we are Arabs and Muslims like them. What a Saudi or Qatari sheikh spends in one night in London, Paris or Las Vegas could solve the problem of tens of thousands of Palestinians." — Abdel Bari Atwan, Palestinian editor.
"Some Arabs were hoping that Israel would rid them of Hamas." — Ashraf Salameh, Gaza City.
"Some of the Arab regimes are interested in getting rid of the resistance in order to remove the burden of the Palestinian cause, which threatens the stability of their regimes." — Mustafa al-Sawwaf, Palestinian political analyst.
"Most Arabs are busy these days with bloody battles waged by their leaders, who are struggling to survive. These battles are raging in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Libya and the Palestinian Authority." — Mohammed al-Musafer, columnist.
"The Arab leaders don't know what they want from the Gaza Strip. They don't even know what they want from Israel." — Yusef Rizka, Hamas official.

Hamas terrorist seen dressed as a woman (update)

Janis Mackey Frayer of CTV tweeted this yesterday:

Inside Shejaiyya we also saw several #Hamas gunmen. One passed dressed in a woman's headscarf... tip of a gun poked out from under cloak.
— Janis Mackey Frayer (@janisctv) July 20, 2014

This happens to be a war crime.

The 1977 Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 , article 37, defines "perfidy" as "(c) the feigning of civilian, non-combatant status."

Too bad there are no photos, but my impression is that most photographers in Gaza are Gazan stringers.

UPDATE: Hebrew media reports that a Hamas member dressed as an old man and approached IDF soldiers on Saturday morning, begging for medical help. As troops approached him, he then started throwing hand grenades, and the soldiers killed him. (h/t Yoel)

Last week, Dr. Mads Gilbert - known 9/11 conspiracy theorist and spinner of bizarre tales about secret Israeli weapons being used in Gaza - returned to the region to spread his poisonous lies.

Renounced Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert on Sunday (7/13) accused the Israeli army of using internationally banned weapons in its ongoing offensive against the Gaza Strip.

Gilbert told a press conference in Shifa Hospital in Gaza City that examinations of the bodies of the Palestinian victims showed that they had been subjected to internationally banned weapons.

Unverifiable accusations like this one enhance Gilbert's celebrity among reporters, and the Independent yesterday published without any comment an article by Gilbert about the "rivers of blood" in Shifa Hospital (the hospital that is Hamas de facto headquarters.)

He's a doctor, he is in a war zone, he is a volunteer, UNRWA praises him, so who will question such a man?

But some of his statements can be verified as lies, if only the media would know enough to ask.

So, here is proof that Mads Gilbert is a liar (and that reporters are usually too lazy to check out the facts:)

Israel says it allows in medical supplies except for “dual-use” items — anything it suspects could be diverted by Hamas for military purposes — but won’t say what it has blacklisted.

Gilbert, the Norwegian volunteer, helps out at Shifa several times a year. This time, he brought headlamps, useful for surgeons, but says they are on Israel’s list of banned items.

A few months ago I published the official list from the IDF of everything banned to be exported from Israel to Gaza. Literally everything.

Needless to say, headlamps are not on the list.

Here it is, for reporters who don't want to bother asking the IDF themselves:

Missile equipment and munitions have been strictly forbidden from entering into Gaza as declared in the Defense Export Control Order of 2008.

Controlled Dual Use Items:

1. Fertilizers or any mixture containing choleric potassium with concentrations greater than 5%.
2. Fibers or textiles containing carbon (carbon fibers or graphite fibers), including:
a. Chopped carbon fibers.
b. Carbon roving.
c. Carbon strand.
d. Carbon fabric tape.
3. Glass fiber-based raw materials, including:
a. Chopped glass fibers.
b. Glass roving
c. Glass strand.
d. Glass fabric tape.
e. S-glass.
f. E-glass.
4. Vessels.
5. Fibers or fabrics featuring polyethylene, also known as Dyneema.
6. Retro detection devices.
7. Gas tanks.
8. Drilling equipment.
9. Equipment for the production of water from drillings.
10. Vinyl esther resins.
11. Epoxy resins.
12. Hardeners for epoxy resins featuring chemical groups of durable or reliable types, including:
a. DETA – diethylenetriamine.
b. TETA – thiethylenetramine.
c. AEP – aminoethylpiperazine.
d. E-100-ethyleneamine.
e. Jeffamine T-403.
f. Catalyst 4,5,6,22,23,105, 140, 145,150,179,190,240.g. D.E.H 20,24,25,26,29,52,58,80,81,82,83,84,85,87.
h. XZ 92740.00
13. Vinyl esther accelerants, including:
a. DMA-dimethylaniline.
b. Cobalt octoate.
c. MEKP – methylethyl keyone peroxide.
d. AAP – acetyl acetone peroxide.
e. CuHP – cumene hydroperoxide.
14. M or H type HTPB, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene.
15. Water disinfection materials – solutions with a concentration of over 11%.
16. TDI - Toluene diisocyanate.

Dual Use Items for Projects (that may be imported into Gaza by NGOs such as UNRWA)

Portland cement (bulk or bags or drums).
Natural aggregates, quarry aggregates and all foundation materials.
Prepared concrete.
Concrete elements and/or precast and/or tensed concrete.
Steel elements and/construction products.
Concrete for foundations and pillars of any diameter (including welded steel mesh).
Steel cables of any thickness.
Forms for construction elements of plastic or galvanized steel.
Industrial forms for concrete pouring.
Beams from composite materials or plastic with a panel thickness of 4mm and thicker.
Thermal insulation materials and/or products excluding roof tiles, plaster/mortar glue, mosaic tiles, building stone/coating stone/exterior stone.
Concrete blocks, silicate, Ytong or equivalent (of any thickness).
Building sealing materials or products which include Epoxy or polyurethane.
Asphalt and its components (bitumen, emulsion) in bulk or in packages of any sort.
Steel elements and/or steel working products for construction.
Elements and/or products for channeling and drainage from precast concrete with diameters of over 1 meter.
Trailers and/or shipping containers.
Vehicles except for personal vehicles (not including 4X4 vehicles), including construction vehicles.

Everything not on this list can be imported into Gaza without restriction from Israel, as long as there is a Gazan willing to buy it.

The person in charge of the Kerem Shalom crossing told me that he has seen Jacuzzis and BMWs imported into Gaza through the crossing.

The facts are out there for anyone who tries to find them out. To bad the media is so willing to fall under the spell of a "humanitarian doctor" so much so that they don't check out whether he is also a liar.

For most reporters, there are no dead terrorists in Gaza

From Patrick Martin at The Globe and Mail:

As we arrived, we came upon the funeral of nine men, all in their 20s or early 30s, killed about 2 a.m. Saturday morning by a single missile apparently fired by an Israeli drone. The deaths helped put the total number of Gazans killed in this war well above 300.

The oration was pretty standard fare for Hamas or Islamic Jihad funerals. But what surprised us as we turned into the courtyard of Nasser Hospital where the event was taking place was that this was a funeral mainly conducted by Fatah, the party led by Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr. Abbas, known popularly as Abu Mazen, opposes the rockets being fired against Israel and is trying to de-escalate this conflict not intensify it.

But it was definitely the yellow flag of Fatah that flew above the crowd of 300 or so – flying upside down, by the way, whether by design or accident, I couldn’t find out.

And it was the flag of Palestine that was bloodied and wrapped as a shroud around the bodies of seven of the nine men – the other two were wrapped in the green flag of Hamas.
...

While Khan Younis might be called the original home of Hamas, it also has been a centre of the Fatah movement in Gaza. In the 2006 Palestinian election, the people of this city elected three Hamas representatives and two from Fatah, one of whom was Mohammed Dahlan, who led the party in Gaza and denounced Hamas’s election as a disaster. He even attempted to overthrow Hamas in 2007, but lost in the street battles between the two sides and left the Strip in Hamas’s control.

Yet, despite the bloody history between the two movements, today they stand allied.

A senior Fatah official told me earlier this week in Ramallah that Fatah has felt obliged to fire some rockets against Israel, lest it be seen as collaborating with the Jewish state.

Oh, so the scores of rockets Fatah groups have fired into Israel aren't meant to actually kill anyone. They are symbolic! Just like these Fatah rockets, fired from buildings!

The Israeli civilians who are under fire can breathe easy. It isn't personal, just politics.

Notice also that while the IDF has killed many terrorists like the ones mentioned here, practically all the reporters in Gaza have ignored them completely, implying that all of the dead are civilians. There are no photos of any victims who are not civilian, no reports from terrorist funerals (that would identify which terror group the dead belonged to) - nothing.

All those firefights don't result in a single dead Hamas or Islamic Jihad member. Of course, their webpages avoid any mention - except for a token "martyr" once every couple of days - of the names of their members killed by the IDF. The Hamas Interior Ministry and Health Ministry avoid mentioning how many dead are from terror groups that they admit they support. And reporters ignore all of this, willingly going along with Hamas' sham.

This article is the exception that proves the rule.

It is as if the world media is following Hamas' published guidelines on how to report from Gaza.

This is possibly the biggest scandal of the current fighting. It is because of irresponsible and one-sided reporting from Gaza that criticism of Israel is being hurled by the UN and other diplomats and pundits, people who have no idea of the realities of conflict in an urban area where terrorists are hiding among the general population.