Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Should the Iranians trust Obama? (Vic Rosenthal)

Vic Rosenthal's weekly column:

Some 47 Republican senators led by Tom Cotton of Arkansas have written an open letter to Iranian leaders which points out that according to the US Constitution,

…we will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei. The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.

Like the Iranian missile program, Democrats have gone absolutely ballistic. Fresh from groping the wife of the new Secretary of Defense on camera (see also here), dignified Joe Biden thundered that the act was “beneath the dignity” of the Senate. The New York Daily News’ headline screamedthat the Republican senators were “traitors.”

But not only is the letter entirely correct from a constitutional point of view, there is a recent example of the US reneging on a similar executive agreement, in that case concerning commitments made to Israel.

In 2004, President Bush wrote a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in which he made two significant statements, which the Israeli government interpreted as commitments:

It seems clear that an agreed, just, fair, and realistic framework for a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue as part of any final status agreement will need to be found through the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the settling of Palestinian refugees there, rather than in Israel.

And

As part of a final peace settlement, Israel must have secure and recognized borders, which should emerge from negotiations between the parties in accordance with UNSC Resolutions 242 and 338. In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli populations centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949, and all previous efforts to negotiate a two-state solution have reached the same conclusion. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities.

But by 2008, even before Bush left office, the State Department was waffling on the latter commitment. National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley said in January 2008 that,

The president obviously still stands by that letter of April of 2004, but you need to look at it, obviously, in the context of which it was issued.

The "context," of course, was that at the time the letter was written, the administration wanted Sharon to withdraw from Gaza and some of Samaria, and it would help support that move.

By the time Obama made his Cairo speech in June 2009, the Bush letter had been rendered completely inoperative. Obama insisted that any construction across the Green Line, even within settlements in those areas that were expected to remain in Israel’s hands, was unacceptable. “Settlements must stop,” said Obama, without qualification. Shortly thereafter, instead of “secure and recognized borders,” the concept of an agreement “based on” the 1949 armistice lines was introduced. And the refugee question was now considered a “final status issue” that would need to be negotiated.

On June 1, 2009, Deputy State Department Spokesperson Robert Wood was asked (copied here) by a reporter whether the Bush letter was binding on the Obama Administration. Wood simply would not give a straight answer, no matter how hard he was pressed.

Elliott Abrams, who was National Security Council Senior Director for Near East and North African Affairs at the time (the position recently given to anti-Israel activist Robert Malley), recalled that both sides considered that binding commitments were made, and these commitments were documented in writing. But

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated on June 17 [2009] that “in looking at the history of the Bush administration, there were no informal or oral enforceable agreements. That has been verified by the official record of the administration and by the personnel in the positions of responsibility.”

Abrams, who was certainly in a “position of responsibility” and should know, disagreed. Plenty of documentation exists that there were mutual agreements, he said. But how would Israel “enforce” an agreement that the US had reneged on, he wondered? I suppose you have us there, Ms. Clinton!

So, dear Iranians, here is an example of what a commitment from the President of the United States is worth: take it to Starbucks with three bucks and buy yourselves a latte.

Vic Rosenthal lives in Israel and blogs at abuyehuda.com.

03/12 Links Pt1: Fatah: ‎“Collect your body parts and leave!”‎; The Fatal Myth of Appeasement

From Ian:

PMW: Fatah to Israelis: ‎“Collect your body parts and leave!”‎

Fatah took pride in the terror attack, calling the terrorists “heroes,” and posting a photo of the destroyed bus in which terrorist Dalal Mughrabi and other terrorists killed 37 civilians and wounded over 70 in 1978. As in another post glorifying the attack yesterday, exposed by Palestinian Media Watch, Fatah exaggerated the number of Israelis they murdered as “exceeding 80 casualties” in order to make the attack seem more lethal:
“Collect your body parts and leave!
On this day, March 11, in 1978, Dalal Mughrabi and her companions declared the birth of the Palestinian Republic in the heart of the occupied territories (i.e., Israel). The enemy admitted the death of 30 Zionists in the operation, yet according to the reports the number exceeded 80 casualties. Through this, Fatah heroes retaliated against the Verdun Operation (i.e., Israeli operation against PLO leaders, see below), following the retaliation by the Savoy [Hotel operation] members. Retaliation after retaliation and the windstorms will not subside.” [Fatah’s Facebook page, “Fatah - The Main Page,” March 11, 2015]
The Palestinian Authority and Fatah have turned Dalal Mughrabi into a role model for Palestinians.

Fatah Central Committee Member to PA TV: Dalal Mughrabi, Female Suicide Bombers, Are Our Role Models

In an interview on the official Palestinian Authority TV channel to mark International Women's Day, Fatah Central Committee member Amal Hamad said that Dalal Mughrabi, who led the 1978 Coastal Road terrorist attack in Israel, and female suicide bombers Wafa Idris and Rim Al-Riyashi were "role models." The interview aired on March 8, 2015.

Jake Lynch: A study in ‘Peace and Conflict’

Professor Jake Lynch, the director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPACS) and an ardent opponent of Israel, shouted in the faces of students, including at a senior officer of the Jewish student union. He then proceeded to stand on chairs and film attendees. Lynch screamed that attempts to remove the protestors was a violent attack on freedom of speech by security guards. When another academic suggested that he ask a question, Lynch responded that was not what this is about, only later opting to ask a question when invited by the Colonel.
One student commented that Kemp “hadn’t even mentioned Israel or Palestine” in the time he had to talk. Another student mentioned that she did not have strong views on either side of this issue, was studying international relations and had come expecting a talk, not an ambush.
After about 20 minutes of shouting, the protestors were finally removed from the hall, having objected loudly to their treatment by the security guards and some others present. Kemp, resuming as if nothing had happened, continued to speak on engagement with non-civilian groups in armed conflict. Concluding his talk, Kemp briefly addressed what he termed a “commercial break.”
“This protest was about my perspective on the IDF… I was in Israel during the 2014 summer conflict and I do believe that the IDF in their attack on Hamas in Gaza… were doing everything they could to protect civilians… People have told me I am wrong, but no one has told me what more steps Israel could take to minimize civilian casualties.”
Students, academics and other interested people had come from all over to hear an expert speak on a topical and important subject.

Anti-Zionist-Not-Antisemite Jake Lynch Needs To Explain This

You may recall last year Shurat HaDin Israel Law Centre sued Australian academic Jake Lynch for racial discrimination for his BDS activities. My friend Andrew Hamilton was the lawyer involved. Unfortunately, Shurat HaDin dropped the case and Lynch walked away.
At the time, Lynch denied his BDSholing was racially motivated against Jews.
So let him explain this.
That’s Lynch at a disruptive protest against Colonel Richard Kemp at the University of Sydney, holding money to the face of a Jewish student.
So Mr Lynch, I invited you to explain yourself. I mean, surely this was not an antisemitic gesture, right? Perhaps you just wanted change. Because your actions against Israelis are not racially motivated. I mean, you said so.

BDS PROTEST AT UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY 11/3/15

"Not a single house has been rebuilt in Gaza"

From the far-left NGO Gisha, last week:

March 4, 2015: Gisha executive director, Eitan Diamond, was interviewed (Hebrew) yesterday on Guy Zohar’s program on Israeli radio station 103FM, where he talked about Gaza’s reconstruction: “Six months after the fighting, not a single house destroyed during the last round of hostilities has been rebuilt.

As of January, Israel had imported some 50,000 tons of construction material, and in February probably 20,000 tons more - and they were delivered to residents directly under the protocol that Israel and UNRWA worked out:

So where is all the construction materials going?

Gisha, of course, blames Israel alone for the slowness (or absence!) of reconstruction. They are willingly ignoring the facts.

It appears that Gaza residents who lost their homes are preferring to resell their construction materials to rebuilding their homes. And you can be certain that much of that material is being used to rebuild terrorist tunnels - something Hamas and Islamic Jihad are bragging about.

Based on the photos coming out of Gaza recently, not only are no houses being built - but the heavily damaged buildings haven't even been removed!

Hamas knows quite well that the photos of Gaza devastation translates into cash that will be donated for reconstruction - for materials that Hamas will end up using for terror. So Hamas has no incentive to help rebuild Gaza.

And Gisha, HRW and other anti-Israel NGOs show by their emphasis on Israel that they don't give a damn about Gaza residents. They only want to demonize Israel.

If you want to see the real reason why Gaza is having problems rebuilding, read the Israel ambassador to the UK's article in CiF from last week.

And perhaps email AP or Reuters to investigate why the truckloads of construction materials entering Gaza every day has not translated to a single house being rebuilt.

Burning Israeli ice cream in Ramallah

Yesterday, in Ramallah, the Palestinian boycotters stepped on and burned a shipment of Israeli ice cream products from Strauss:

They took the products straight off the Strauss truck.

They opened up the cases in order to spill out the contents.

And bravely step on them.

And then they burned the ice cream.

I doubt that Strauss, knowing about the boycott of their products, would send in a truck unless they were paid in advance.

Which may mean that the boycotters paid an Israeli company in order to have this photo-op.

If not, and they stole the products off the truck, it would indicate that the PA is supporting theft. Which would be interesting in itself.

Latest Israeli outrage: allowing Gaza to export vegetables to Israel

From Reuters:

Israel imported its first fruit and vegetables from the Gaza Strip in almost eight years on Thursday, in a partial easing of an economic blockade maintained since the Islamist group Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory.

Twenty-seven tonnes of tomatoes and five tonnes of eggplants were trucked across the border under an Israeli plan to bring in around 1,200 tonnes of produce a month. The Palestinians welcomed the move, though the scale fell short of the some 3,300 tonnes they said they had previously exported to Israel monthly.

Israel has faced international calls to ease the blockade since a war with Hamas last year, the second in six years, that caused heavy devastation in Gaza and left more than 100,000 of its 1.8 million people homeless.

It had already begun to allow vegetables from Gaza as well as Palestinian merchants to transit across Israel to the occupied West Bank, and to allow Gaza's farmers to bring tractors in via Israel.

AP adds:

The Gaza vegetable exports will help devout Jews observe a farming sabbatical prescribed by the Bible that falls once every seven years.

So Gazans should be happy, right?

Ha!

Palestinian Arabic newspaper Safa describes how this is awful news for Gazans.

Produce sellers in Gaza, knowing that Israel pays more for the products than they do (2.5 shekels vs. 1.5 shekels per kilo of tomatoes) then they won't be able to get as much produce to sell, and it could drive up prices.

For their part, the Gaza minitry of agriculture says that they would block exports if the local prices increase too much - and they say they have already blocked exports to the West Bank of some products that affected the local economy.

Meanwhile, Israel is now allowing masonry mortar into Gaza for the first time since Hamas took over. I'm sure that someone will find an anti-Israel angle to that as well.

Cartoon shows Muslim woman beating Jew who wants to worship on Temple Mount (UPDATE)

The Israeli guard allows a stereotypical religious Jew, with a menorah, to worship on the Temple Mount while he stops a Muslim woman, who then outsmarts him and beats him - and the Jew - up.

UPDATE: In the comments, Ali provides the translation:

The video starts with the soldier muttering faux-Hebrew gibberish. Then the lady shows up and the soldier says "hey you, where are you going?" in broken Arabic. The lady then says "where do you think I'm going? I'm going to pray at the holy Dome of the Rock Mosque. Is there a problem 'boss'?" The soldier then says a very long sentence in gibberish and the lady asks what that means. So he says "it means 'not allowed'. Go home, it'll be better for you and for me." So the lady turns around and says an Islamic phrase that means "there is no power or way without God. Listen boy, aren't you a Jew?" So he says "yes I'm a Jew. A proud Jew." (The word for proud in that context also means "cough", so he starts coughing). The la dy then says "So why are you at the Dome of the Rock?" So the soldier dismissively says "what do you mean?" So the lady says "I'm telling you, go home, it'll be better for you and me." So the soldier says "boy, go home or I'll shoot you in the head." So the lady says "boy, how dare you lay hands on a woman, you coward, you son of a Jewess? Oh look, a rocket from Gaza!" So the soldier cowers in fear asking "where!?", so she proceeds to beat him up and then says "it's ok, lying to the enemy is halal (Islamically ok)." The video ends with the two Jews on the ground saying the Islamic saying that you say when you're done reading from the Quran "God is right".

In real life, of course, Muslims worship there by the thousands and Jews are the ones usually expelled if they even move their lips.

However, there are rare exceptions. Just found this video apparently taken very recently:

I'm very surprised the guards let him pray. Maybe there is hope after all.

03/11 Links Pt2: Fatah celebrates most lethal Palestinian terror attack; The ISIS Penal Code

From Ian:

PMW: Fatah celebrates murder of 80 (sic) Israelis in most lethal Palestinian terror attack

Yesterday, Abbas' Fatah party celebrated the anniversary of a bus hijacking in which Fatah terrorists murdered 37 Israeli civilians. On Facebook, Fatah posted a text glorifying the attack. A striking element of Fatah's glorification and celebration of the attack was the decision to exaggerate the number of Israelis killed, in order to make the "operation" seem greater and more successful:
"A huge self-sacrificing operation in Herzliya, Tel Aviv. 80 Israelis killed and over 100 wounded." [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page," March 10, 2015]
In March 1978, a group of Fatah terrorists from Lebanon hijacked a bus on Israel's Coastal Highway. Confronted by the Israeli army, the terrorists killed many of the passengers on the bus, in total 37 civilians,12 of them children, and wounded more than 70. The attack is known in Israel as the Coastal Road massacre.
In 2010, the PA dedicated a square in Ramallah to Dalal Mughrabi, who led the attack, by naming it after her. That square was also chosen this year by Fatah for a public event taking place today, celebrating its killing of Israeli civilians:

MEMRI: ISIS Campaign Of Executing Homosexuals – By Stoning, Shooting, Throwing Off Roofs, Public Torture

In recent months, the Islamic State (ISIS) has publicly executed men they have convicted of homosexuality in Iraq and Syria, including by burning them alive and by stoning them to death. The most common method of execution, however, has been throwing them off tall buildings; if they survive, they are usually shot or stoned, sometimes by the crowd of observers. This punishment for homosexuals was detailed, featured, and praised in the latest issue (published February 2015) of ISIS's English-language magazine Dabiq, in an article titled "Clamping Down on Sexual Deviance."
According to majority interpretations of Islamic shari'a law, homosexuality is indeed punishable by death; this has been clearly stated by well-known and highly influential Sunni Muslim authorities, sheikhs, professors, and Muslim Brotherhood leaders. These have included leading Sunni authority and head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi; highly influential Kuwaiti Islamic preacher and Muslim Brotherhood leader Tareq Al-Suweidan; Saudi cleric and Islamic University professor 'Abd Al-Qader Shiba Al-Hamad; and many others. Such punishments are also based on the Biblical story of Lot, which is often cited by both mainstream sheikhs and ISIS to justify the killing of homosexuals. These statements and teachings regarding the death penalty for homosexuality appear in Muslim school curricula, on mainstream television, and in mosque sermons across the Arab and Muslim world, and are also expressed by Muslim authorities in the West. They have also been expressed by jihadi leaders, including Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who was reportedly directly involved in the prosecution and death of a youth accused of homosexuality in the 1990s. Recent examples of executions of homosexuals by Al-Qaeda and ISIS using these methods – stoning to death, throwing off high buildings, and shooting – are documented in this report; it should also be noted that ISIS has continued to use U.S. social media, particularly Twitter, to disseminate to its supporters online images of its executions of homosexuals.
To date, there has been very little discussion in the Arab media about these executions, and there has been no significant Arab or Muslim religious or political leader who has denounced them.

Daniel Pipes: Why politicians pretend Islam has no role in violence

Why, then, do powerful politicians make ignorant and counterproductive arguments, ones they ‎surely know to be false, especially as violent Islamism spreads (think of Boko Haram, al-Shabab and the Taliban)? Cowardice and multiculturalism play a role, to be sure, but two other ‎reasons have more importance:‎
First, they do not want to offend Muslims, who they fear are more prone to violence if they perceive ‎non-Muslims pursuing a "war on Islam." Second, they worry that focusing on Muslims means ‎fundamental changes to the secular order, while denying an Islamic element permits avoiding ‎troubling issues. For example, it permits airplane security to look for passengers' weapons rather ‎than engage in Israeli-style interrogations.‎
My prediction: Denial will continue unless violence increases. In retrospect, the 3,000 victims of ‎‎9/11 did not shake non-Muslim complacency. The nearly 30,000 fatalities from Islamist terrorism ‎since then also have not altered the official line. Perhaps 300,000 dead will cast aside worries ‎about Islamist sensibilities and a reluctance to make profound social changes, replacing these ‎with a determination to fight a radical utopian ideology; 3 million dead will surely suffice.‎
Without such casualties, however, politicians will likely continue with denial because it is easier ‎that way. I regret this -- but prefer denial to the alternative.‎

A writers club in Mukallah, Yemen hosted a lecture by Humam Abdul Rahman Baabbad explaining everything Arabs need to know about the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.

He explained the history behind it, a brief description of all 24 protocols, and how Jews want to control the Arab and Muslim worlds. The latest Arabic edition apparently says that the Elders are working to extract all Arab wealth and smash all Arab values and ethics. He also showed how today's ZIonist leaders are following the protocols to a T.

Following his presentation, a series of scholars gave their on spin on these incontrovertible facts. The audience heard from Professor Salem Pars, Dr. Salah Bin Mdshl, Hashim Abdella Saqqaf, Mohamed Mounir Ben Haarharh, and finally Dr. Abdel Gadir Ali Baissy.

None of these professors were reported to have had any problems with regarding the Protocols as real.

The lecture was attended by a group of teachers and young people interested in thought and culture and the danger of Zionist colonialist schemes.

The audience did not seem too impressive, though.

Australian preacher calls to "uproot" Jews, "They Are the Most Evil Creatures of Allah"

From MEMRI:

In a Friday sermon, Ismail Al-Wahwah, spokesman for the Australian chapter of Hizb ut-Tahrir, said: "The Jews are the most evil creatures of Allah. Moral corruption is linked to the Jews." He further said: "There is only one solution for that cancerous tumor: It must be uprooted and thrown back to where it came from." The video was posted on the Internet on March 3 by the Hizb ut-Tahrir channel.

Following are excerpts from the video, which was posted on the Internet on March 3 by the Hizb ut-Tahrir channel.

Ismail Wahwah: Allah said [in the Quran]: "Fight them until there is no fitna ['strife'], and religion belongs to Allah alone." He said: "Fitna is worse than killing." Refraining from fighting and from waging Jihad against the Jews constitutes fitna. This fitna is worse than killing, because it means that the Israelites will rule the Muslims until Judgment Day.

Recognizing the Jews and giving them even a single inch of Palestine constitutes the epitome of evil, because this will strengthen that cancerous entity. They are the most evil creatures of Allah: "You shall find the strongest people in enmity towards the believers to the Jews and the polytheists." Refraining from fighting them constitutes widespread evil. It will enable them to kill Muslims and take over their countries, in order to spread corruption upon the land, and to capture and kill women and men. All forms of corruption are linked to the Israelites and their arrogance.

[...]

The wombs of this nation's women have not ceased to give birth to heroes. This nation is abundant in women giving birth to heroes and mujahideen. It has always been so and will continue to be so until Judgment Day.

[…]

Past, present, and future – since their inception, the Israelites have gone hand in hand with evil and disobedience. "They did not prevent one another from any wrongdoing." A Jew does not prevent another from wrongdoing. If [a Jew] criticizes another in the media, it is only to pull the wool over one's eyes. The Jews are in alliance and in concert with one another.

Some superficial Muslims tell you about some Jew who demonstrated against the corruption. As long he is in Palestine, that Jew is an aggressor like any criminal. His very presence in Palestine constitutes an aggression, because he is an occupier, no matter who he is.

We must not be deceived by this. The Jews are the most evil creatures of Allah. Moral corruption is linked to the Jews. Prostitution in the world began with the Israelites. Usury and gambling began with the Israelites. Killing who began with the Israelites. They slayed the prophets without just cause. Prophets must not be killed, yet the Israelites killed them.

[...]

If the Jews were given the whole world, they would want the heavens. That is the nature of the Jews.

[…]

It is a delusion to think that there can be peace and coexistence with the Israelites, with the Jews. It is a delusion to think that we can share one state or two states, and that the Jews can be our neighbors, as suggested by some self-proclaimed, yet deluded, "scholars." One such ["scholar"] claims that fighting neighbors is forbidden. He is one of them. Therefore, coexistence with Israel and the Jews is a delusion. There is only one solution for that cancerous tumor: It must be uprooted and thrown back to where it came from.

[…]

They have corrupted the world with their corrupt media. The Israelites have corrupted the world with so-called art, cinema, and corrupt films, and with sex trade, drug trade, and moral depravity. They have corrupted the world in every respect. These are the Israelites.

[…]

Whatever the outcome is of today's battle, it is not the final battle. There is a sea of blood between the Jews and us. They will pay with blood for blood, with tears for tears, and with destruction for destruction. They are deluding themselves if they think that this nation will ever surrender to a gang of foreigners.

UN OKs Hamas Refusal To Wear Uniforms In Combat: 'They Itch' (PreOccupied Territory)

Our weekly column from the humor site PreOccupied Territory.

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Geneva, March 11 - The United Nations Human Rights Council issued an interim directive today to the commission investigating possible war crimes during the Israel-Hamas conflict this past summer, instructing the team to make certain allowances in Hamas's favor when determining whether the organization's behavior in combat constituted violations of the Laws of Armed Conflict.

The Council issued an addendum to its instructions to the commission of inquiry, laying out several considerations that the commission may not have applied in its current investigation and analysis, specifically noting that the requirement under international law to have combatants wear clearly marked uniforms to distinguish them from the civilian population should be disregarded for Hamas, since the latter have complained that some of its fighters might be allergic to the fabric and experience itching.

"The commission will note that this Council views favorably the contention by Palestinian militant leaders that the requirement to clothe combatants in distinct garb places an undue operational burden on Hamas military command," read the addendum, in part. "The commission is hereby instructed to ignore such would-be violations by Hamas in its report, as it cannot be expected that the organization adhere to the uniforms requirement: overseeing and implementing such a measure from Central Command when Central Command is located in a sub-basement of a civilian hospital is a supremely difficult task."

Allowances are also to be made regarding the definition of "targeting civilians" where Hamas's offensive capabilities are concerned, says the addendum. "Because it was known that Israel had deployed its Iron Dome missile defense system in most of the targeted areas, the commission is to view Hamas rocket launches at Israeli territory as aiming at military equipment - namely, the projectiles that ultimately struck many of the incoming rockets. The fact that the Iron Dome system does not choose to intercept one hundred percent of incoming missiles and long-range mortar shells is not Hamas's concern." Iron Dome is programmed only to target missiles with a calculated trajectory that takes them to population centers.

No such flexibility in defining permissible combat operations should be afforded Israel, the Council warned. "An evenhanded report, or one that honestly acknowledges Israel's obligation to defend its citizens, would unduly create expectations of this Council, and of the United Nations as a whole, to fairly and effectively defend actual human rights," said the statement. "Such obligations are beyond any reasonable set of requirements of a body ill-suited to activities more demanding than grand pronouncements, catered receptions, and chickensh*t peacekeeping operations."

The commission, originally headed by Canadian professor William Schabas, announced later the same day (Tuesday) that it would delay its release of an official report until June. Observers believe the delay is necessary for two reasons: the departure of Schabas amid evidence of a conflict of interest has prompted a reexamination of the analysis, and, more importantly, the new directives in all likelihood necessitate a thorough reworking of the small portion of the report expected to discuss Hamas violations.

03/11 Links Pt1: AP's Botched Investigation into Gaza Deaths; BDSers Riot at Col. Kemp Speech

From Ian:

How the AP Botched Its Investigation of Civilian Deaths in the Israel-Hamas War

Publications, aggregation sites and broadcast outlets picking up the AP probe ranged from the New York Times to the Drudge Report and Al Jazeera America, from the Washington Post to ABC News (The AP provided subscribers with two versions of the article, a roughly 2,250-word story and one about half that size). The U.K.’s Daily Mail and The Independent both ran the piece, no doubt reinforcing the British public’s already dim view of Israel. Even Stars and Stripes, the newspaper for U.S. Armed Forces, ran the AP “exclusive.” The wide pickup was a coup for the oldest and most ubiquitous of wire services, which operates in more than 280 locations worldwide and counts 1,400 U.S. daily newspapers among his members, plus thousands of TV and radio broadcast members.
There is just one problem. The AP’s exclusive investigation was botched in just about every imaginable way.
We conducted an investigation of the AP investigation. We (the authors) have formed a nonprofit investigative project, The Mideast Reporter, that is going to do a lot of that kind of thing. We found that the news agency reached faulty conclusions based on selective information, cherry-picked quotes, and above all its “painstaking” survey was fundamentally flawed, and was set into motion by slanted, politically biased non-governmental organizations.
Some of it is Journalism 101 stuff, such as failing to write accurate headlines and failing to fully and fairly quote a principal source on a crucial issue. A lead photograph simultaneously exploited a 6-year-old child while inadequately identifying his father—a Hamas commander—as a “Hamas policeman.” And correcting captions violating its ethics rules only after we brought the issue to the AP’s attention—but limiting those corrections to an archive not usually accessed by the public, rather than the articles themselves.
A video segment, released concurrently, was even worse, and was structured almost as a kind of multimedia argument for bringing Israel to the International Criminal Court for war crimes, using as its principal source a fervent critic of Israel.
In its reporting, the AP disregarded its own code of ethics, as well as the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics.

Riot at Sydney University

The lecture was being given by retired British military officer Colonel Richard Kemp, a world-renowned expert on armed conflict, the Middle East and a prolific media commentator,
Colonel Kemp had been invited by the University to speak on “Ethical Dilemmas of Military Tactics” and “Dealing with non-state armed groups,” in light of Australia’s military engagement with non-state actors, including ISIS.
Kemp began his talk with a brief explanation of his career and a joke about England’s cricket loss to Bangladesh on Monday. He went on to discuss non-state militant groups in Ireland and Afghanistan and the obligations of soldiers when engaging with civilians and civilian groups. Before he could go into any detail or discuss any other issues, he was interrupted by over a dozen students bursting into the lecture hall screaming “Richard Kemp, you can’t hide, you support genocide.”
A demonstrator with a megaphone drowned out any attempts by the moderator to get the lecture back on track. Protestors wrestled with security guards who had asked them to leave and were then forced to remove them. Protestors stood on chairs, began to push students and shout loudly at those who objected to their behaviour.
Professor Jake Lynch, the director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPACS) and an ardent opponent of Israel, shouted in the faces of students, including at a senior officer of the Jewish student union. He then proceeded to stand on chairs and film attendees. Lynch screamed that attempts to remove the protestors was a violent attack on freedom of speech by security guards. When another academic suggested that he ask a question, Lynch responded that was not what this is about, only later opting to ask a question when invited by the Colonel.
One student commented that Kemp “hadn’t even mentioned Israel or Palestine” in the time he had to talk. Another student mentioned that she did not have strong views on either side of this issue, was studying international relations and had come expecting a talk, not an ambush.

Hamas Tries To Fool Israel And The West With New Ceasefire Proposal

There are several problems with the Hamas proposal and the assumption that Hamas has become more moderated and has altered its stance on reaching an agreement with Israel.
Only last week, Western Journalism reported that Hamas is preparing for a new round of conflict with Israel, building new tunnels under the Israel-Gaza border and replenishing its rocket arsenal.
A closer look at the Hamas document that was given to Blair reveals that it contained inflammatory language and false claims about Israel. The document speaks of the continuous Judaization of Jerusalem and claims that Israel attacks the el-Aksa mosque on the Temple Mount and maintains a suffocating blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The document furthermore contained profound untruths about Hamas’ ideology. Hamas does not cherish the respect for human rights nor does it believe in “a positive dialogue between different civilizations with no recourse to violence or oppression,” as the proposal claims.
Hamas has murdered thousands of Israelis and Palestinians since its founding and pursued the same aggressive Islamist agenda as Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. Article 7 in the Hamas charter calls for the genocide of Jews and underlines the universal character of its jihad that must result in Islamic world domination.
Hamas did not indicate that it would be willing to annul its charter, and that explains why the organization uses the word tahdiyyah when it speaks about a ceasefire.

Things are really bad in South Africa

From the South African Jewish Board of Deputies:

The SAJBD has repeatedly expressed concern that the BDS, by importing the Middle East conflict into South Africa, is creating a climate that encourages anti-Semitism while shutting down any possible and rational debate on Israeli – Palestinian issues.

The BDS demonstration held on Sunday, 8 March 2015, shows exactly how the dynamics of intimidation are at play.

In the video link below, the anger, potential for violence and antisemitism is clear. Speakers on the podium refer to the fact that they would shut down the conference. Supporters of Israel trying to attend the SA – Israel exhibition had to be escorted through the crowd by police to ensure their safety. They were jeered, boo’ed and called sell-outs. The protestors taunted private security, chanting “Takfir”, “Msunu wenja”, “Msunu Kanyoko”, “Go back to you Land”, and sang songs with words and titles such as Makuliwe (Let there be a fight), and it became increasingly clear that some BDS members and Cosas were out of control.

Here is part of a rally enthusiastically welcoming Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled to South Africa in February:

Last week, human rights activist Bassam Eid was not able to continue his lecture in the University of Johannesburg because "students barged into the venue and interrupted the speaker, calling him 'a liar and a sell-out.'

Here is the message that he had hoped to give:

The good news is that many South Africans are against the thuggery and antisemitism of the BDS movement, as this woman describes:

(h/t/ @SpotlightingSA)

Gunmen who are protesting the PA's arrest of members of terror groups have closed the entrance to the Balata camp near Nablus and there are clashes between them and the PA's security forces.

The gunmen are also Fatah, loyalists to Abbas rival Mohmmmed Dahlan.

This kind of thing has been going on for several weeks now, although the media is not reporting too much about it.

And it isn't only Dahlan supporters. Abbas is facing serious problems within his own government.

Al Monitor writes:

The West Bank is witnessing unprecedented security tensions. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has been arresting Hamas activists and partisans of ex-Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, and armed clashes between the youth and security officers have taken place.

Al-Monitor was able to secure a copy of the statement issued by one of Fatah’s organizational structures close to Dahlan, which read: “The PA arrested more than 20 supporters of Dahlan and attacked the offices of the Gaza members of parliament who live in the West Bank.”

Maj. Gen. Adnan al-Damiri, spokesman for the PA’s security apparatus, accused Israel, Hamas and Dahlan on Feb. 16 of conspiring together to stir chaos in the West Bank by forming groups to end the PA’s presence and get rid of President Mahmoud Abbas.

Paranoid much?

The security developments in the West Bank are not limited to a pursuit here and an arrest there. The PA is concerned about a local, regional and international scenario to turn Abbas’ page, given his multiple disputes with everyone, from Hamas to Dahlan and Israel. Fatah spokesman Osama al-Qawasmi said the PA seems to believe that these rivals might unite their interests temporarily to get rid of Abbas .

Fatah and parliament member Alaa Yaghi, who's close to Dahlan, warned on Feb. 27 of the deterioration of the security situation in the West Bank if the PA’s security campaign persists. The situation will worsen, just like the incidents in Gaza that led to the division in 2007. He said the security campaigns in the West Bank are based on a conspiracy theory and on spreading rumors that a huge network is attempting to stage a coup against the PA.

In the same context, a high-ranking official who frequently visits the PA’s headquarters, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity about “simmering deliberations between senior Palestinian officers against the backdrop of growing tensions in the West Bank. Some of the PA’s high commands are deeply concerned about the recent behavior of some senior officers with Abbas.”

In a phone interview from Ramallah, the official said: “Abbas received information stating that some high-level security officials are reporting to the US and Israel the details of the political steps he intends to take. Upon receiving these reports, the US and Israel warn him of the danger of taking such steps.”

However, Ismail al-Ashqar, Hamas leader and chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council's Security Committee, told Al-Monitor: “Abbas is to blame for the security chaos in the West Bank as it is in a state of loss and devastation. This could be a systematic sort of chaos that the PA is practicing to prevent Palestinians from defending themselves from the occupation’s soldiers.”

Al-Monitor has discussed that the increasing security tensions in the West Bank are annoying Abbas. Israel is threatening to cut him off and stop transferring funds to the PA’s treasury. He is afraid to see the scenario of Yasser Arafat repeated. Arafat was dismissed based on an Israeli decision and with the help of Palestinian pawns.

For this reason, Abbas is making significant changes in some security positions, especially those close to him, until he receives a verification of the reports about high-ranking officers playing a role in attempting to topple him. In the wake of the recent meeting of the PLO’s Central Council March 4-5 in Ramallah, the PA issued security warnings about a dirty game aimed at disturbing the Palestinian internal situation to weaken Abbas and make him lose credibility before the international bodies he is resorting to.

Al-Monitor received a Palestinian security report submitted to Abbas end of February that stated: “Political money is overflowing in the West Bank to make transitions that suit the interests of some parties and that serve suspicious foreign agendas to shake stability and security in the West Bank, in cooperation with Israel, Arab and European parties and with the US blessing. … Arab capitals accommodated meetings at governments’ headquarters and intelligence centers during which the terms of a plan to recommend an interim PA president and deputy were discussed. The first step would be by shaking the West Bank’s security to wreak havoc and form armed groups in the camps there.”

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said Feb. 6 that no party will be allowed to destabilize the West Bank or cause chaos and harm to the security of its citizens. But several refugee camps in the West Bank — especially the Balata refugee camp in Nablus — have been experiencing armed clashes between young Fatah members and security officers who tried to break into the camp to arrest them. Masked men burned tires at the entrance of the camp to prevent the advance of the officers who used their weapons multiple times.

A Palestinian security source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor, “News has been circulating in Balata camp that 50 gunmen ages 18-22 are in contact with Fatah leaders in the West Bank and abroad with Dahlan who funds them."

I'm sure that if there was no "occupation," then there would be none of these problems, and the PA would be a strong, secular, free, democratic state.

It's funny that Abbas is convinced of a huge conspiracy to get rid of him, when part of the reason for the crackdown to begin with is to help get rid of Israel's leader.

Yesterday, ISIS released another horrific video, this one showing a young boy murdering Mohammed Said Ismail Musallam, an Israeli Arab citizen who they claimed was a Mossad spy.

The claim is dubious, to say the least.

(The good news is that the incident will probably discourage Israeli Muslims from joining ISIS.)

But there is one aspect of Musallam's life that is not getting any attention: By any objective definition, he was an Israeli "settler."

Musallam lived in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Neve Yaakov.

Electronic Intifada calls Neve Yaakov "an illegal Jewish-only Israeli settlement in occupied East Jerusalem." Other anti-Israel groups have also characterized Neve Yaakov as "Jewish-only."

Musallam proves that they are lying.

Arabs can and do move into "Jewish-only settlements" like Neve Yaakov, Pisgat Ze'ev and French Hill.

If Musallam was an Israeli citizen living in an "illegal settlement," then he must be one of those fanatic Israeli settlers, right?

But you will not find any critics of Israel demanding that Israeli Muslims who live in those neighborhoods be expelled. No, they only want to ethnically cleanse those neighborhoods of Israeli Jews, not of Israeli Muslims. Which is a textbook definition of antisemitism.

How progressive they are!

See also
There are thousands of Israeli "settlers" that NO ONE condemns!
Ashton apparently only has a problem with Jewish, but not Israeli Arab, "settlers"

UPDATE: TOI says he lived in Beit Hanina. which is an Arab neighborhood across the Green Line.

A simple test to see if "progressives" are really "Pro-Israel" (poster)

This should be self-evident.

If you are a prolific tweeter, and yet cannot find the time to tweet a single defense of the nation you claim to love against its many critics, then you cannot claim to be "pro-Israel."

If you cannot write a single tweet saying pointing out the absurdity of Israel-haters calling Israel an "apartheid state," then you cannot claim to be "pro-Israel."

If you cannot compose a single tweet about Israel's beauty, culture, history, or accomplishments - then you cannot claim to be "pro-Israel."

So if you aren't pro-Israel and every single one of your Israel-related tweets is critical, what are you?