Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, March 09, 2017

Rania Khalek and the impending implosion of the BDS movement (Y Mikarov)

An unprecedented event occurred last week – a unique one no doubt – but one which is surely to become par for the course in the future. One of the more prominent BDS activists in the United States, Rania Khalek, who travels extensively lecturing in support of BDS, had her talk cancelled by the SJP [Students for Justine in Palestine] chapter at the University of North Carolina.

The event was cancelled, as per SJP’s official statement, due to Khalek’s “unclear” views related to the ongoing Syrian conflict and genocide. Khalek responded claiming the cancellation was the work of “Syria Trolls” .

For those who don’t follow, Rania Khalek is very well-known among pro-Palestinian circles and has cultivated a career around slandering Israel even in the face of human suffering. Many have written about her vile, hypocritical attitude towards Israel. I’d like to use this last event as an example of what I believe lies ahead for the global BDS movement as I did in a previous article.

Lately, Rania Khalek has been harshly criticized for her support of the Syrian regime led by Bashar Al-Assad. I have criticized Khalek, and will continue to do so, for dismissing horrific reports of human rights violations, not only in Syria. My criticism also revolves around her support of Islamic terrorists groups such as Hamas. Khalek claims she would strongly advocate against Hamas, but since they “don’t use human shields and behead people”, it’s not worth her while. Quick reminder. Hamas publicly acknowledged in 2008 and 2014 that they use human shields. More can be read here. So apparently, horrific acts such as public street executions, forced child labor, oppression of women, advocating vehicular ramming attacks, stabbing children in their sleep, and blowing up civilian buses are not causes for concern or advocating against.

This latest event involving the UNC SJP chapter surprised many and created quite an uproar on social media. Equally surprising is the relative silence from former employer Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada, for whom Khalek worked as an editor until she stepped down. Rumors have it that Khalek was fired by Abunimah.

Much has been written about the U.S. based pro-Hamas publication known as “The Electronic Intifada”, which usually goes into damage control mode anytime the BDS movement runs into a roadblock. The “publication” is also widely considered to be the leading BDS propaganda tool on the internet today.

Criticism directed at Intifada and its propaganda “journalists” peaked after Khalek was invited to speak at an event sponsored by the British Syrian Society, a London based NGO founded by Bashar al Assad’s father-in-law. The event focused on sanctions directed at Syria. Some of the criticism even originated from colleagues within Intifada. Even Laurie King, an Intifada co-founder, felt disgusted by Khalek’s attendance.

Now that we have laid out some background, I want to focus on the reason we are seeing tension among those who promote BDS and why internal conflict and strife within the movement will continue to deteriorate.

Firstly, the global BDS movement does not screen applicants prior to joining “the cause”. This means that the door is open to literally anyone who chooses to get involved [and hates Israel – and in many cases, Jews]. As I mentioned in my previous piece , BDS has proven to be a haven for anti-Semites who are looking for a platform from which to spew their hate. And what better platform than the one which allows to vent hatred towards Jews under the guise of “anti-Zionism”?

Further, the open door policy means that activists joining BDS originate from different backgrounds. Some are Sunni, others are Shia... some pro-Assad, others reject him… some Alawite, others Salafai or Wahhabi. For now, I’m purposefully disregarding non-Muslims [i.e. anti-imperialist whites, etc.] who are just looking to raise a flag and grab a beer later. BDS leaders believe non-Arab support is the key to BDS success since past attempts at boycotting Israel have failed. During those failed boycott attempts, non-Arabs were generally not involved, hence the need for “intersectionality”. Cracks on that front have begun as well. Fiascos like Linda Sarsour leading a "Womens March" is a testament to that.

Khalek herself is Druze and pro-Assad, so she’s viewed by many as pro-Alawite. Alawis, a sect Shia Islam, are a minority [led by a non-democratic dictatorial dynasty] controlling the Sunni majority in Syria. Sunnis make up roughly 74% of Syria while the ruling Alawites number roughly 12%. It’s also important to note that Khalek supports Hamas. They are Sunni – and heavily funded by Qatar, who adhere to the Salafi branch of Sunni Islam. Khalek abhors Qatar and criticizes its government almost daily for funding Syrian rebels fighting the Assad regime. Apparently, it’s OK for Qatar to fund Hamas but funding Syrian rebels is a no-no. Perhaps if Hamas concentrated on fighting Assad, Khalek would be “advocating” against them. It also seems to be ok to staunchly support Linda Sarsour,who is partly funded by the Sharia-based Qatar Foundation.

What about Hezbollah? Well, they are Shia, and Khalek supports them as well. Hezbollah is also heavily supported by Iran - essentially a de facto client terrorist state. Let us not forget that Rania is a feminist, so naturally she would support Iran which is predominantly Shia as well. Iran also supports Hamas – but here again, not because they love each other, but because they share the same hate for Israel.

Before the Syrian Civil War began, Assad and his Alawite regime supported Sunni Hamas. Since then, Hamas has carefully expressed support for Sunni Syrian rebels, whom Khalek calls terrorists. According to Khalek, Hamas are not terrorists since they “don’t behead”.

In a 2012 Telegraph article, we read about Hamas’ support for Syrian rebels, which ultimately led to their exile from Damascus. Also in the article, Ismail Haniyeh [then-leader of Hamas in Gaza] visited a mosque in Cairo during Friday prayers. During the visit, he offered statements in support of “Syrian freedom fighters”. The crowd went on to chant, “No Hezbollah, No Iran – No Hezbollah, No Iran”.

Now, throw this into the mix: Khalek herself is secular! To be exact, she is a tank-top strutting [more power to her] Druze and a feminist atheist who happens to be vegan. If you thought your half-Yemenite half-Polish Jewish friend was confused, try living in Khaleks shoes for a day.

Khalek is but one example of many that are conflicted when it comes to who exactly they can or should support within the chaotic Middle East. Her support of Assad, and by association the mass genocide of Syrians, is precisely why her talk at UNC was cancelled.

Khalek is also due to speak later this month at the annual hate fest organized by BDS promoter Abbas Hamideh . Interestingly, just in the past few days we have seen tension within his Al-Awda organization. On March 4^th, Al-Awda released a rare statement regarding the hate rally. The title of the statement was “Clarification on Upcoming Support Palestine, Protest AIPAC Rally in Washington, DC”. Essentially, “Al-Awda National” is claiming they have no involvement or affiliation with the upcoming rally. Apparently, the bad press [perhaps partly due to my article] exposing how rabid-Antisemitism is creeping into Al-Awda resonated with some members.

Since the statement, Hamideh has taken to Facebook and lashed out at other Al-Awda members and is claiming that the rally is now organized by “Al-Awda's Ohio chapter and the Midwest regional affiliates”. He even went as far as to post screenshots of private text messages between himself and other members who demanded he tone it down.

I always hear the Abunimahs, Khaleks, and Hamidehs of the world tell us, “BDS is rapidly growing”. Well, that is true, but growing into what? Based on what we’re witnessing lately, the more BDS grows, the less effective it’s becoming in achieving its main objective – which is to destroy Israel. The amount of daily news items reporting on BDS defeats along with radical elements within the movement are growing rapidly. The future of BDS will prove to be historically consistent with what happened regarding past boycotting initiatives.

Lessons from past boycotts should be learned. Starting from the very first boycott within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in 1922 against Jewish owned-businesses in Mandatory Palestine, to the boycott declared by the Syrian-Palestinian Congress in 1933, through the Yishuv boycott by the Arab League in 1945 and the boycott of Jewish goods and cargo by King Farouk of Egypt in 1950, and followed by the Arab boycotts during the 1970’s. The countries who initiated these boycotts have all since either signed peace treaties with Israel or kept diplomatic relations on a low burner. Current Middle East geopolitics are pushing more and more Arab countries to search for “normalization” channels with Israel.

In summary, if future BDS events continue to include Nazi salutes and chanting “Adolf Hitler”, “Slaughter Jews”, and “Allahu Akbar”, it’s only a matter of time before a radical Islamic BDS splinter group accepts responsibility for ______________________.

As for online BDS propaganda hate sites like The Electronic Intifada, which will ultimately vanish into the dustbin of history, I see a bright and profitable future as an online merchandise retailer of “Oriental Gifts”.

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Memorial for the girls

From Ammon News:

An official in Jordan's government says a Jordanian soldier who killed seven Israeli schoolgirls visiting the country on a class trip will be released after serving 20 years in prison.

Spokesman Mohammed Momani said Tuesday that Ahmed Daqamseh is to be freed next week, possibly Monday, after completing his term.

Daqamseh killed the girls in a 1997 shooting rampage at the "Island of Peace" border post.

A military court deemed him mentally unstable and sentenced him to life in prison, which in Jordan typically means 25 years. Jordanian lawmakers lobbied in the past for his early release.

King Hussein, Jordan's ruler in 1997, paid a rare visit to Israel to express his condolences to the girls' parents.

The shooting came three years after Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty.

Jordan's parliament has been pushing to get Daqamseh released for years, with many Jordanians considering him a hero for murdering seven schoolgirls.

Apparently, that lobbying has resulted in an earlier release than the monster would have normally had. Obviously killing 7 Israeli girls is much less heinous than murdering a single Jordanian where one would get the 25 years in prison.

Because he is a "hero."

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From MEMRI last year:

In a lecture posted on the YouTube channel of Montreal’s Al-Andalous Islamic Center on June 17, 2016, Canadian Imam Wael Al-Ghitawi discussed the wife’s obligations toward her husband in accordance with Islam. Al-Ghitawi said that she must not refuse her husband's conjugal rights and must not leave the house without his permission. He cited a hadith according to which the Prophet Muhammad said that "if [a husband] has a boil oozing pus, anywhere from head to toe, the wife will not be doing him full justice even if she licks it clean."
Wael Al-Ghitawi: "In the hadith compilation of Imam Ahmad (ibn Hanbal) it says: 'No human being should bow down before another human being, but if this were allowed, I would have ordered women to bow down before their husbands, because of the magnitude of the husband's rights over his wife. By Allah, if (a husband) has a boil oozing pus, anywhere from head to toe, the wife will not be doing him full justice even if she licks it clean.' This is no trivial matter. These are the words of the Prophet Muhammad. Some people might find it difficult to stomach this hadith. I mean, if a man has a boil, does his wife really need to lick it? I am not saying that she must lick it. But the Prophet Muhammad demonstrated the magnitude of the husband's rights over his wife by saying that even if she licks the boil, she would not be doing him full justice.

[...]

"Another of the husband's rights is not to be refused when he summons his wife to bed. If the husband wants her, she must consent, in order to protect his faith from the temptations that lurk everywhere.

[...]

"The wife must not refuse her husband when he summons her to bed, as long as she is able, and does not suffer from any mental or physical condition preventing this, like menstruation or post-natal bleeding, in which case she may refrain from doing so. But even in such cases, the husband may enjoy her, avoiding the vagina. In order for both husband and wife to avoid Allah's curses, the wife must obey her husband and fulfill his needs, or else the angels will curse her and the Lord's wrath will be upon her.

[...]

"The (husband) has another right over his wife: She must not go out of the house without his permission. This is the husband's right according to the shari'a. What about the state law? I am not talking about that now. You are a woman who married according to the shari'a, so if your husband tells you not to leave the house--don't leave the house! 'How come he's allowed to prevent me?' you ask...Just don't leave the house! That's one of his rights. Allah granted him this right. So don't leave the house without his permission!"

Keep in mind that this sermon wasn't given in Saudi Arabia or Iran - it was in Montreal.

(h/t Irene)

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03/08 Links Pt2: Does Feminism Have Room for Zionists?; PSC Loving Hamas

From Ian:

Does Feminism Have Room for Zionists?

While the fairness of Ms. Odeh’s conviction is debated, the fact that she was a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which was categorized as a terrorist organization by the State Department, is not. The Anti-Defamation League referred to Ms. Odeh as a terrorist and raised concern that in recent years, “activism has been a tool for the legitimization of Rasmea Odeh, despite her criminal record in Israel.”
The organizers of the International Women’s Strike are not the first feminist group to position opposition to Israel as part of the feminist movement.
For example, in 2015, Columbia University’s anti-sexual assault advocacy group, No Red Tape, co-sponsored events connecting the experience of sexual assault survivors to that of Palestinians, and used its social media channels to promote anti-Zionist events hosted by the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. Julia Crain, a Columbia student who described herself as a former organizer in No Red Tape, denounced the move. “By picking a side, No Red Tape effectively politicized anti-sexual violence work on this campus. Doing so is detrimental to the cause and unfair to pro-Israel survivors,” she wrote in an op-ed for The Columbia Spectator.
That same year, the National Women’s Studies Association (N.W.S.A.), one of the largest academic feminist organization in North America, voted to endorse the boycott, divestment and sanctions (B.D.S.) movement against Israel, in part as an expression of feminism. That meant refraining from “economic, military and cultural entities and projects” that were sponsored by Israel, as well as academic partnerships and collaboration with professors or researchers at Israeli institutes. It is strange to see academic groups supporting the B.D.S. movement, which stifles the free flow of knowledge. But regardless of your opinion on the B.D.S. issue, it has nothing to do with feminism.
More and more frequently, my identity as a Zionist places me in conflict with the feminist movement of 2017. I will remain a proud feminist, but I see no reason I should have to sacrifice my Zionism for the sake of my feminism.

David Collier: An open question to Ilan Pappe: Why do you defend antisemites?

Question number one. How do you justify defending, or providing cover for such blatant Jew hatred, denying its existence, and weakening the Jewish defence against such antisemitic attacks, all in support of your ideology?
The second part relates directly to your absurdly fanciful political ideology. The utopian world that you describe, the one that provides the pillar for your entire political position. We both know that currently such a place does not exist. We also know (as people who study history) that we can call on many examples from the past, where such vision became a field of blood, as human failings overtook radical idealistic thought.
Surely, you should set about proving it possible elsewhere, and then invite the Jews to the party once it succeeds. One can hardly look at the Middle East, or anywhere currently on our planet, and gain confidence. How can anyone support the idea that within the current sea of blood, the Jews ‘of all people’, should rely on your assurance that human beings can live in peace and equality.
Don’t you think then, that it is incumbent on idealists such as yourself, and others that align with you, to create this utopian vision as a reality first? Or given Jewish history, don’t you think it absurd that you seek to use the Jewish state as a guinea pig?
I look forward to your response

PSC Loving Hamas

Just when you thought the Palestine Solidarity Campaign would want to lie low and try not to get much attention in the wake of David Collier’s devastating reports on antisemitism and nutcase fantasism in their ranks they go and tweet these:

Update: @PSCUpdates the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Twitter handle has just been pulled.
Update 2: @fiona_bowden of the PSC says that their Twitter feed has been hacked [LOL]: which is plausible. The PSC generally avoids these sorts of statements. They are more closely aligned with Fatah than Hamas. The picture of the PSC leadership, although genuine and from a PSC source, was published on Harry’s Place some time ago, and is probably the source for the original tweet.

Maajid Nawaz: I’m calling out the loons who make Israel bashing the mother of all virtues

Soon after London Fashion Week concluded, Israel Apartheid Week began. Another week, another obsessive focus on Israel.
The Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is mostly spearheaded in the West by people who have little to nothing attaching them to the Middle-East conflict.
Nothing, that is, beyond the fact that belonging to the hard-left and not supporting BDS has become the equivalent of claiming a love for fashion, while hating haute couture. Though unlike haute couture, BDS is an inelegant and simplistic solution to a protracted and incredibly complicated problem. But who cares for detail when you have a fabulous placard to wave?
The lazy analogy that BDS rests on is with South African apartheid. But unlike apartheid-era South Africa, Arabs make up 20 percent of Israel’s full citizenry. Most of these Arab-Israeli citizens are Muslim. There are mosques on Israeli beaches. Alongside Hebrew, Arabic is an official language of Israel. An Arab-Israeli judge has even impeached and convicted former Israeli prime minster, Ehud Olmert.

People have a bad habit of bandying about the term “occupation” in reference to the Arab population of Israel. They say it to mean the “Jewish occupation of Arab land,” which is the most nonsensical idea ever, considering the holy books of the world’s three major religions all refer to the Jews as the Children of Israel. Which means that if anyone is occupying someone’s land, it’s the Arabs occupying Jewish land. According to their own holy book, the Quran.

Nonetheless, people who really should know better, just buy the narrative, hook, line, and sinker, and make this claim, saying it with lots of passion in an assured sort of way, as if that makes it true, which it doesn’t. And who better to iterate a narrative with passion and assurance than an actor!

It’s brilliant. You don’t even have to know what you’re talking about. You only have to sound as though you do and if you’re a big enough actor, one who’s won lots of awards, for instance Richard Gere, well, then people will listen and believe and repeat it as the truth.

Even though it’s utter bull crap from start to finish.

And that’s exactly what happened Monday night.

Richard Gere spoke to Yediot Ahronot and went full out Arab narrative on us. That’s after a bunch of visits to Israel in the past, during which Gere remained neutral, preferring not to favor one side over the other. Well kids, Gere’s neutral period is over. He’s gone completely over to the other side, blasting Israel loud and clear.

Blasting Israel! Though it is Israel who has bent over backwards to be fair to this alien people who do nothing toward peace. Nothing. Quite the opposite. They murder Jews whenever and wherever they can, while the world, including Richard Gere, closes its eyes, and in many cases, has the audacity to underwrite the terror!

So just what exactly did Richard Gere say? He warned Israel that it is becoming an “Apartheid state.”

Tell me, Mr. Gere, have you ridden an Israeli bus of late? Oh no. You probably have a chauffeur-driven limo for the duration of your trip. So you wouldn’t have actually seen any evidence of what you claim.

And you haven’t spent time in any Israeli hospitals, so you wouldn’t see Arabs treated alongside Jews in the same rooms, or Arab doctors operating on Jewish patients. Being an actor, you haven’t pled a case to Israel’s High Court of Justice, so you wouldn’t have seen an Arab judge sitting in judgment of Israelis, alongside Jewish judges. And you wouldn’t have visited the Knesset during your short stay and seen Arab MK’s voting on and creating legislation for the State of Israel.

Tell me, Mr. Gere, what part of any of this qualifies as Apartheid?

Israel's Supreme Court justice Salim Joubran

No matter. You only have to say it with a lot of passion and assurance, and people will believe you. And Arabs will feel empowered to perpetrate even more terror attacks, to dig in their heels further and refuse to negotiate, refuse to recognize the Jewish State of Israel. Bully for you, Mr. Gere. Bravo.

But you didn’t stop there, did you Mr. Gere? No. You demanded that Israel put an end to the “occupation” and allow a “Palestinian” state to claim Jerusalem as its capital.

This, from a guy whose parents were both Mayflower descendants! Mr. Gere, your parents were no doubt Protestant which means you are a Christian by birth, whether by observance or not. Presumably you have read the bible. If so, you know that Jews are the Chosen people and the Children of Israel.

You know that the Jewish Temple stood in Jerusalem. You KNOW whose land this is.

Remnants of the 1st century Stairs of Ascent, discovered by archaeologist Benjamin Mazar, to the entrance of the Temple Courtyard. Pilgrims coming to make sacrifices at the Temple would have entered and exited by this stairway.

Read a history book or two? You know that the Jews lived in Israel before Mohammed was a gleam in his mama’s eye.

So how dare you suggest that Jews are occupying Arab land when you know that the opposite is true? You know darn well that Israel and Jerusalem are indigenous Jewish territory, that the Arabs are the encroachers, the ones who have no right to be anywhere on Jewish soil.

But then again, YOUR ancestors stole Native American land, so why would you ever be an honest broker?

Treaty of Penn with Indians by Benjamin West

It’s all just a performance—a way to prove your leftist liberal creds to your fellow actors. Or maybe you’ve just decided you really hate the Jews. Because your position makes absolutely no logical sense. "On my past visits to Israel, I always listened to all the viewpoints,” said Gere. “Now that's become almost impossible. I know that a lot of people won't like what I have to say, but these are things that must be said.”

Why must they be said, Mr. Gere, when these things are not true? Israel is not an Apartheid state and not becoming one any time soon. Israel is a democracy where minorities have their fullest rights, the right to religion, the right to vote, the right to shop alongside Israelis in Jerusalem malls. Why have you stopped listening to Israelis, to common sense? I’ll tell you why: because you don’t choose to do so. Your hate has taken over, or your desire to be more than just an actor, so you’ll use anything, even the dishonest Arab narrative, to get there.

Why must Jerusalem be the capital of two states, when there are 22 Arab states in the region and only one small sliver of land left for the Jews? Why must the Jews give more and more and more and the Arabs not a thing, not even recognition of the Jewish State? Do you hate us that much, Mr. Gere? We were expelled from our homeland, forced to wander, persecuted for centuries, systematically gassed and murdered by the millions, and now you want us to give up bits and pieces of our land to an enemy that has plagued us since the Muslim Conquest??

Why? You know this is our land. EVERYONE AND HIS DOG KNOWS THIS IS OUR LAND.

We settled the 800,000 Jews the Arabs expelled from their lands. Why cannot the Arabs settle their brethren inside their 22 states, many of them oil-rich?? All. That. Land.

We gave up some 77%of the Mandate for Palestine to be their state, Jordan, the population of which is at least 80% “Palestinian.”

We expelled 11,000 Jews from Gaza and Northern Samaria and gave Gaza to the Arabs, asking nothing in return except for peace. How much more of our teensy sliver must we give them??

You want us to give them Jerusalem? Why would we give our precious holy city to this evil, violent people? How could you demand it of us? You, Mr. Gere. The world? After all we have been through in our centuries of hell.

Let us breathe free in our land, Mr. Gere. This cannot be our burden. And yet, you were only getting started when you spoke about us cutting Jerusalem in two, like Solomon threatening to slice a baby in two. "Why do you need all of these provocations,” asked Gere, referring to the building of Jewish homes in Jerusalem and in Judea, and Samaria. “How is it that the settlers are running the Israeli government? And how is it that the State of Israel, of all countries, is ruling over another people? Many Israelis that I know say that the state has lost its way, and I think that every Israeli knows that."

Since when is building a home a provocation? Trust me when I say that no person who builds a home thinks, “What a fine provocation this will be!”

Did your ancestors think they were creating provocations when they seized Native Indian land and built homes thereon?

Did you study the housing situation in Israel? Are you aware there is a housing crisis?

And what is so terrible about Jews building homes, Mr. Gere? Unless you think that Jews don’t deserve homes. Do you hate us that much? Did the homes of the 11,000 Jews of Gaza and Northern Samaria serve as impediments to peace? Or was that the Hamas government, shooting tens of thousands of missiles into civilian Israel from the land we gave them as a unilateral gesture of peace. The land we stole from our own people?

A w:Qassam rocket displayed in w:Sderot town hall against a background of pictures of residents killed in rocket attacks

Gere asks, “How is it that Israeli settlers are running the Israeli government?”

Gere hasn’t a clue that the Israeli government is run by many different factions. He hasn’t a clue that Arabs and Israeli liberals are also part of the Israeli government. Quite different than the government your ancestors formed, Mr. Gere. How many Native Americans ran the government in the land your ancestors stole, Mr. Gere? How is it that your ancestors ruled over another people?

Put your own house in order, Mr. Gere. Give your land back to its rightful owners. Stop treating them like dirt while calling us to task.

How is it you come to the conclusion that “every Israeli” knows that Israel has lost its way? You don’t even know who you are and what your bible says. Have you even looked at polls of Israelis to see how they feel?

No. You haven’t. Because if you did, you’d know that the vast majority of Israelis have learned the hard way that the two-state solution cannot possibly work. The vast majority of Israelis have learned the hard way that land for peace is a dumb Western invention that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever

The more we give them, the more liberties they take. The more they MURDER us and our children.

You have no clue what Israelis think, Mr. Gere. Because you’re not smart enough to have read the bible. You’re not smart enough to listen to the other side, or read a history book, or look at poll results. You’re not smart enough to realize that your own rhetoric, the narrative you’ve adopted makes no sense. Houses as provocations indeed, Mr. Gere.

You’re here, saying these things, because you played a Jewish shyster in your latest film. You think that gives you the right to say these things. But let me tell you this: playing a Jew in a movie gives you no rights. Makes you no smarter about the 49^th article of the 4^th Geneva Convention, or about the Jews.

Occupation my foot. You’re not fit to play a Jew. You’re not fit to lick my boots.

I will not watch any more of your movies. I won’t give you any more royalties. You’re a bad person to use your talent to hurt Israeli Jews and I don’t want to support you or your work in any way, shape, or form.

No matter how passionate and self-assured you sound in your stupid sound bites.

Talk to the hand, Mr. Gere. Cuz this Jewish face ain’t listening.

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Palestinians Discover "Boys Clubs" Unrelated To Beating People With Sticks (PreOccupied Territory)

Our weekly column from the humor site PreOccupied Territory.

Check out their Facebook page.

Jenin, March 8 - A local youth organization with American sponsorship has been forced to close its doors due to lack of responsiveness from area teens and preteens, after the target audience discovered that the term "boys clubs" refers not to instruments of violence, but a group of people gathered informally for a common set of pursuits.

A USAID program aimed at providing Palestinian boys with after-school programs to keep them from being drawn into violent movements such as Hamas failed to appeal to its intended demographic cohort by selecting misleading terminology. The Boys Clubs of Jenin, conceived as an alternative to militant groups and as a way of informally steering Palestinian youth away from violent pursuits, failed to attract more than two interested families and was unable to justify continuing operations, a spokesman for USAID announced today. She disclosed that the main failing of the Boys Club initiative stemmed from the lack of connection between Palestinian expectations of the word "club" and the program's actual content.

Shuda Fnone, USAID Director of Palestinian Programs, told reporters that the organization attempted to recruit at least three dozen Jenin boys between the ages of ten and eighteen over the course of six months, with little success. "We met with quite a bit of initial curiosity, but then as we described the nature of our programs and their purpose, we could tell our interlocutors were losing interest," she recalled. "Boys Clubs coordinators reported that as they went into further detail about the clubs, Palestinian youths and parents who until that point had greeted them with enthusiasm began to realize that our use of the word 'club' differed from their expectations. Whereas we were providing a safe environment for basketball, volleyball, chess, and other extracurricular activities, it appears that the population of Jenin had seized upon the word 'club' as an invitation to practice using Jews an piñatas - or, in a pinch, anyone who dishonored the family, or could be accused of collaborating with Israel."

As a result of the failure of the program, USAID Boys Clubs will not be opened in other Palestinian cities, as originally intended, added Ms. Fnone. "We had hopes that this initiative could serve as a model that could be replicated elsewhere in the Palestinian territories, but that apparently is not in the offing," she lamented. "Palestinian youth do not need our programs to give them an outlet and indoctrination to violence. For that they have their own government and UNRWA."

She added that owing to cultural sensitivity, the program had initially been conceived as "Boys and Girls Clubs," but that putting the two in one sentence would violate local taboos.

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03/08 Links Pt1: The Western Plot To Treat Muslims As Dangerous Children; Danon: investigate UNRWA connections to Hamas

From Ian:

MEMRI: Palestinian President 'Abbas Meets With Terrorists And Terrorists' Families

Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Abbas met recently with Palestinians who carried out terrorist attacks and with the family of a terrorist. On March 5, 2017 he received in his office in Ramallah the family of Muhammad Al-Jallad, who died of his wounds after being shot while attempting to carry out a stabbing attack at a checkpoint in November 2016. 'Abbas also met with 14-year-old Osama Zaidat, who was shot while attempting to stab civilians in Kiryat Arba in September 2016 and who was recently released from detention, as well as with 'Imad 'Asaf, a member of Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, who took part in the Second Intifada in 2000 and was recently released from prison.
In one of the meetings 'Abbas said: "The aggression of Israel's arrest and murder [of Palestinians] will not keep the Palestinian people from adhering to its well-deserved rights and from establishing an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital... The Palestinian leadership will make every effort to end the suffering of our heroic brothers and release them from the occupation's prisons so they can take part in building the homeland for which they sacrificed."
It should be noted that 'Abbas often stresses the importance he ascribes to freeing the prisoners and emphasizes that the Palestinian leadership is making every effort to secure their release. For example, at an August 8, 2017 reception in Ramallah for the released prisoner Shadi Al-Baba of the Al-Qassam Brigades, he said: "The issue of the prisoners will continue to be a top priority for the [Palestinian] leadership, [which will act] to free all the prisoners and detainees. He made similar remarks in a December 28, 2017 meeting with Muhammad and Mahmoud Balboul, who were released from administrative detention following a 28-day hunger strike. At the Seventh Fatah Conference on December 1, 2016, he praised the Palestinian prisoners, especially senior Fatah and Popular Front operatives who were behind terrorist attacks, including the assassination of Israeli minister Rehavam Zeevi, saying: "We remember the martyrs, the wounded and the prisoners and their record... We salute our brave prisoners and respect them. We will not forget our fighting comrades Marwan Al-Baghgouti, Ahmad Sa'dat and Fouad Shubaki, or [our] glorious woman prisoners."

MEMRI: The Western Plot To Treat Muslims As Dangerous Children

One of the bizarre features of today's academic life in the West is the treatment of young adult college students as children. And not just any children, but fragile, delicate creatures who are easily upset by disconcerting ideas or words. The disparaging word "snowflake," originally taken from a Chuck Palahniuk novel, which is used to describe these sensitive people has itself now quickly become an outworn cliché.
This exaggerated care for the exquisite feelings of others has now even bled into the field of counterterrorism among a few experts, and among rather more non-expert journalists and pundits positing variations on the theme of "Trump is helping ISIS" or "Trump's policies will help ISIS's recruitment." Some of those making such an argument are important scholars worthy of respect. But used permissively by others with a political agenda, it actually demeans Muslims, as if they are easily swayed yet dangerous children susceptible to becoming terrorists because of immigration policy or harsh words that supposedly hurt their feelings.
Lacking in much of this coverage is the realization that the process of actual terrorist mobilization is a rather complex one. Any honest person with even a superficial exposure to the research would caveat any sort of sweeping charge with a bit of humility. After all, the great rise of the Islamic State itself and its explosive growth in 2013-2015 occurred with a Democrat in the White House and a Socialist in the Elysee Palace. And even earlier, the announcement of an organization called Al-Qaeda, and its first spectacular acts of mayhem, preceded Guantanamo or the 2003 invasion of Iraq or the rise of right-wing populism in the West. Al-Qaeda meticulously planned 9/11 in the era of President Bill Clinton – which should give us pause about glib claims of causality.

Caroline Glick: Avigdor Liberman vs. Israeli democracy

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman is in over his head.
Few had high hopes for Liberman when he was appointed to his post, but most observers on the political Right were willing to swallow the pill of having a man with an understanding of military and strategic affairs that began and ended with applause lines because his appointment solved two pressing political problems.
Liberman’s appointment to serve as defense minister brought his Yisrael Beitenu party into the government, which increased the size of the coalition from its razor-thin 61-seat majority to a more healthy 66 seats. Moreover, by appointing him, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was able to remove Moshe Ya’alon from the Defense Ministry. Ya’alon had become unacceptable to Likud voters due to his rush to convict IDF Sgt. Elor Azaria as guilty of criminal wrongdoing last March when Azaria killed a downed terrorist who had stabbed a fellow soldier in Hebron.
Monday morning Liberman showed that concerns about his suitability for his position were spot on.
Speaking to reporters at the Knesset, Liberman said that growing discussion among leading members of the coalition about applying Israeli law to parts of Judea and Samaria must stop.
“Anyone who wants to apply Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria needs to understand that such a step will bring immediate repercussions from the new US government,” Liberman alleged.
He added, “We received a direct – not indirect – message: ‘Apply sovereignty and you will be cutting ties with the new administration.”
Liberman’s statement was both ignorant and damaging.

Ben-Dror Yemini: Israeli rightists can stop celebrating

Op-ed: Defense Minister Lieberman’s statement, which was likely coordinated with Prime Minister Netanyahu, makes it clear that even the Trump administration is beginning to understand the catastrophe of the ‘one state’ vision.
Lieberman did not say that as an instantaneous whim. He knew what he was saying and why, and he wasn’t speaking on his own behalf alone. He was speaking on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s behalf as well, and the statement was likely coordinated between them. Netanyahu does not always favor the national interest over the political interest, but it happens sometimes, even if through a messenger. And it’s a good thing when that happens.
There is something unfortunate in the fact that Israel needs the American administration in order to protect itself from the fulfillers of the nightmarish “one state” vision, and there is no comfort in the fact that the Right is fulfilling the vision of Israel’s enemies. The common lie is that “that’s what the people chose.” That’s not true. There is no majority among the public or in the Knesset in favor of marching towards one state. That is neither the vision of the Kulanu party nor of the ultra-Orthodox parties, and it’s not Lieberman’s vision either.
And one more thing. The two-state solution is not on the agenda due to the Palestinian rejectionism. But it’s even more clear that the fact that the Palestinians are rejecting the two-state-for-two-people formula should not lead to the conclusion that we have to do what they want—in other words, one state. The American administration, it seems, is beginning to understand that. We can calm down.