Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Sunday, January 23, 2011

A'jad whines, threatens about Zionists. Again.

A day after multifaceted talks between Iran and the P5+1, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad advises the six major world powers to stop following up the path of Israel.

Addressing thousands of enthusiastic people in the northern city of Rasht on Sunday, the Iranian president said certain arrogant Western powers, including the US, are not interested in resolving issues with Iran.

He added that Iran repeats to the officials of the P5+1 (Russia, China, France, Britain and the US plus Germany) to get rid of pressure by certain "narrow minded" Zionist individuals “if you wants talks to bear fruit.”

“In that case, grounds will be prepared for further interaction,” Ahmadinejad stressed.

The Iranian chief executive emphasized that talks should be based on justice and respect, saying, “Negotiations should lead to the recognition of legal rights of the Iranian people and other nations.”

He warned that animosity with Iran and the Iranian nation would be to the detriment of Western interests and noted that the Islamic Republic welcomes “cooperation and interaction.”

The Iranian president further cautioned the P5+1 against the continuation of their previous path and said, "Now that Iranians have become a nuclear nation, hundreds of (countries) like you will not be able to force them to retreat one iota from their positions."

The comments are fun to read as well.

Open thread

Going on a short day trip with Mrs. Elder, so carry on without me....

Kuwaiti paper extols the benefits of camel milk plus urine

A Kuwaiti newspaper describes a vacation in the desert, and then says:

Camel herders brought fresh [camel] milk directly to us, and when we were reluctant to drink, [they told us that] the research conducted on camel milk has proven that it cures diseases, suxh as autoimmune blood disorders, ascites, hepatitis, tuberculosis, ulcers, colitis and skin cancer, and recommended a cup of camel milk mixed with a cup of urine to recover from these diseases.

The comments section adds many more diseases that camel milk and urine cures, including dandruff, baldness, gangrene, cancer and a penis disease.

Bottoms up!

Turkel on whether Gaza is "occupied"

Here is a section of the Turkel report that discusses whether the Gaza Strip is legally "occupied" by Israel, as Amnesty and other organizations continue to bizarrely insist:

In Al-Bassiouni v. Prime Minister, the Supreme Court of Israel held that since the disengagement in 2005, Israel does not have ‘effective control’ over the Gaza Strip. Because of the importance of this conclusion, the actual wording of the Supreme Court is cited below:

‘… since September 2005 Israel no longer has effective control over what happens in the Gaza Strip. Military rule that applied in the past in this territory came to an end by a decision of the government, and Israeli soldiers are no longer stationed in the territory on a permanent basis, nor are they in charge of what happens there. In these circumstances, the State of Israel does not have a general duty to ensure the welfare of the residents of the Gaza Strip or to maintain public order in the Gaza Strip according to the laws of belligerent occupation in international law. Neither does Israel have any effective capability, in its present position, of enforcing order and managing civilian life in the Gaza Strip.’
In its judgment, the Supreme Court further held that the main obligations imposed on the State of Israel vis-à-vis the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip derive from the existence of an armed conflict between Israel and the Hamas organization; the degree of control exercised by the State of Israel over the border crossings between it and the Gaza Strip; and the relationship of dependency that was created - at least in certain spheres, such as the electricity supply to the Gaza Strip - during the long period of military rule in the Gaza Strip.

The court also held, in accordance with the position presented by the State, that Israel is subject to the rules of customary international law that apply in armed conflict, including the requirement to permit the passage of ‘food and basic humanitarian supplies necessary for the survival of the civilian population.’

As previously noted, notwithstanding the Supreme Court's holding, several organizations have adopted the position that despite the disengagement, the Gaza Strip continues to be under Israeli occupation. This position is mainly based on the claim that although Israel no longer has a permanent military presence in the Gaza strip, Israel’s control of several areas that effect the fabric of life in the Gaza Strip amount to ‘effective control’ of the Gaza Strip. For example, the organization Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement presented before the Commission its position that Israel effectively continues to control the Gaza Strip for six reasons: (i) Israel controls movement to and from the Gaza Strip via land crossings; (ii) Israel exercises complete control over Gaza's airspace and territorial waters; (iii) Israel controls movement within Gaza through periodic incursions and a "no-go zone"; (iv) Israel controls the Palestinian population registry; (v) Israel exercises control over Gaza's tax system and fiscal policy; (vi) Israel exercises control over the Palestinian Authority and its ability to provide services to Gaza residents. A similar position was also presented by the representatives of the B’Tselem organization in their testimony before the Commission.

Indeed, academics have diverging opinions as to whether Israel has ‘effective control’ over the Gaza Strip. Certainly, the adoption of the position that Israel continues to be an occupying power in the Gaza strip requires an unjustifiably flexible and novel interpretation of the term ‘effective control.’ In other words, this interpretation would have to be based on the understanding that two different opposing powers can exercise ‘effective control’ in a territory at the same time: the Hamas and Israel. Moreover, the interpretation of the term ‘effective control’ needs to be assessed against the currently accepted approach in international law
that ‘occupation’ does not merely require military forces to be stationed in a certain territory, but also that the occupying power performs the functions of an existing government.

Indeed, during the long period that Israel had the Gaza Strip under effective control, the Gaza Strip did become dependent on Israel in certain spheres. However, as the Supreme Court of Israel held in Al-Bassiouni v. Prime Minister, this dependency is insufficient to establish ‘effective control.’ It should also be stated, inter alia, that insofar as the conclusion that Israel is an occupying power in the Gaza Strip derives from Israel’s control of the airspace of the Gaza Strip, there is no support in international law for the proposition that the control of airspace amounts to ‘effective control.’

With regard to land access to the Gaza Strip, it should be noted that the Gaza Strip also has a border crossing with Egypt (the Rafah crossing), even though Egypt, for its own reasons, also exercises control of the crossing from its territory into the Gaza Strip. Similarly, the imposition of a naval blockade does not create a situation in which the laws of occupation come into effect. It should be emphasized that the very lack of ‘control’ over the land territory in the Gaza Strip in the traditional sense of this term is what makes an external naval blockade necessary to control access to and egress from that territory. As a comparison, a land siege does not automatically result in the besieged city being held under occupation. States, and particularly those that might employ navies or air forces, either unilaterally or within the framework of a coalition, will
likely be wary of accepting the argument that the mere imposition of a naval blockade or influence over events on the shore of a State by the use of military power automatically creates a situation of occupation.

If Israel did indeed have effective control over the Gaza Strip, then it would have the power to act as the authority responsible for maintaining order in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli forces would then be able to wait on the coast of the Gaza Strip and intercept the vessels there. In practice, however, Israel does not control the coast of the Gaza Strip. This area is under the ‘effective control’ of the Hamas. The lack of effective control

over the Gaza Strip, including the ability to impose order there, and the security threat that the Hamas presents to the naval forces operating near the coast of the Gaza Strip, clearly indicate the underlying logic of international law that permits the enforcement of a naval blockade at some distance from the coast. Similarly, it is difficult to see how the Gaza situation differs in a practical sense from Lebanon in 2006, when the blockading Israeli warship INS Hanit was hit by a missile launched by Hezbollah from the Lebanese coast.

In light of the fact that the territorial waters of the Gaza Strip contain mainly small vessels that are capable of moving at high speeds, Israel’s naval forces are confronted with a significant risk. Examples such as the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 in Yemen and the attack on the French supertanker Limburg in 2002 highlight both the threat presented by small vessels and the difficulty in stopping them.

An examination of the arguments, both individually and cumulatively, therefore leads to the conclusion that Israel does not have ‘effective control’ in the Gaza Strip. Therefore, in alignment with the Supreme Court of Israel, the Commission takes the position that Israel’s effective control of the Gaza Strip ended when the disengagement was completed in 2005.

BBC's "whitewash"

Here is the entire BBC report on the results of the Turkel Commission:

An Israeli inquiry has found the country's army acted legally in a deadly raid on a flotilla of aid ships trying to reach Gaza last May.
The raid, in which nine Turkish activists were killed, attracted widespread international condemnation.
A separate UN inquiry last year said the navy had shown an "unacceptable level of brutality".
But Israel's inquiry found the actions of its navy "to be legal pursuant to the rules of international law".
There was widespread international criticism of Israel's actions, which severely strained relations with its long-time Muslim ally, Turkey.
The inquiry also found that Israel's naval blockade of Gaza was legal.
Whitewash

The Free Gaza Flotilla, which had over 600 pro-Palestinian activists on board, was trying to break Israel's blockade of the territory when it was intercepted by Israeli navy commandos on 31 May.
Israel says its commandos used live fire only after being attacked with clubs, knives and gunfire by activists.
But activists on board the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara, where all the killings took place, say the commandos started shooting as soon as they boarded the vessel.
In June, Israel set up a panel of inquiry headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Yaakov Turkel, with five Israeli members and two international observers.
It had a mandate to look into the legality of the raid, but critics attacked this remit as too narrow.
One of the inquiry's members died aged 93 during its hearings.
Correspondents say that for Israel's critics, the internal investigation had little credibility and has been written off as a whitewash.
'Four shots in head'

The inquiry heard testimony from high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and army chief General Gabi Ashkenazi.
None of the soldiers involved in the raid was authorised to provide testimony.
In August, Mr Netanyahu told the inquiry that Israel "acted under international law" when it intercepted the flotilla.
He said the Gaza blockade was legal and that Israeli troops only used force when their lives were in danger.
Turkey has described the attack - which took place in international waters, about 80 miles from the Israeli coast - as a violation of international law, "tantamount to banditry and piracy" and described the killings as "state-sponsored terrorism".
Results of Turkish post-mortem examinations have suggested that a total of 30 bullets were found in the bodies of the nine dead activists, including one who had been shot four times in the head.
After criticism from its allies over the flotilla incident, Israel considerably eased its blockade of Gaza - allowing in more food and humanitarian goods.
Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade on the coastal territory when the Islamist militant group, Hamas, seized control of it in 2007.
Israel says it is intended to stop militants in Gaza from obtaining rockets to fire at Israel.
The restrictions have been widely described as collective punishment of the population of Gaza, resulting in a humanitarian crisis.

I italicized the biased part of the report. But that's not the worst part, by far.

Part One of the Turkel Commission report is online, and it is 295 pages long. One only needs to read it for a couple of minutes to see that it is far from a whitewash and it takes its mandate seriously. It goes into great detail on the events of May 31, 2010 as well as background information on the history and legality of the blockade, whether Israel is legally occupying Gaza, what happened on the Mavi Marmara as well as the other ships, and much more. It specifically addresses the critics of the naval action in great detail.

But the BBC dismisses the entire report with one word :"Whitewash." And the only other subhead it uses in this report is the (unconfirmed) charge of "four shots in the head."

Astonishingly, the BBC does not mention the name "IHH" once in its report. It also does not mention that there is a second UN inquiry underway, only referring to the hopelessly biased and ridiculously fast UNHRC inquiry.

Nothing is quoted from the Turkel report.

Even worse, although the BBC itself documented that Israel's claims were essentially all true and the activists were caught lying, this report ignores the facts uncovered by this same news organization to give credence to unnamed "critics" of Israel and giving them more space and attention than the actual subject of the report.

To BBC readers, this is par for the course. But it is unconscionable for an organization as supposedly prestigious as the BBC to write such a tilted, uninformed report that summarily dismisses the serious work of many people over many months. The BBC in this article gives more space to the the unnamed Israel-bashing "critics" than to the supposed subject of the article!

(h/t T34)

UPDATE: The BBC has changed the story a bit, and changed the subheads as well. However, they added a new, very similar article on the Turkish reaction. (h/t Biased BBC)

Egypt says Gaza's "Army of Islam" behind Alexandria bombings

From Al Masry al Youm:

An Al-Qaida-linked group in Gaza was behind the New Year's Day suicide bombing that killed at least 21 Christians and wounded about a hundred outside a church in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, the country's interior minister Habib al-Adly announced Sunday.

Al-Adly said "conclusive evidence" showed that the shadowy, Gaza-based Army of Islam was behind the planning and execution of the attack, which sparked three days of Coptic rioting in Cairo and several other cities. It was the deadliest attack against Copts in Egypt in more than a decade.

He also suggested that the group recruited Egyptians in the planning and execution of the attack, but that this could not conceal the role it played in the "callous and terrorist" act.

The state-run media said al-Adli briefed President Hosni Mubarak on the evidence and the suspects' confessions before the start of the Police Day celebrations.

Army of Islam was responsible for the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit.

The group denies its involvement, although it praised the bombing.

Jed in the comments points out that the media is careful not to say "Palestinians" but rather "militants from Gaza."

Abbas pardons and forgives female Hamas terrorist

From JPost:

How can you not forgive this face?

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday ordered the release of a Hamas woman who had been arrested by the PA security forces in the West Bank on suspicion of planning attacks on senior Palestinian officials.

The woman, Tamam Abu Saud, was part of a Hamas cell that allegedly planned to assassinate the PA governor of Nablus and attack various Fatah-affiliated institutions in the West Bank.

PA security sources said that Abbas decided to release Abu Saud after she appealed to him and asked for forgiveness.

The sources claimed that Abbas accepted her appeal although she had previously confessed to the charges against her.

“The release of the woman is a humanitarian gesture by President Mahmoud Abbas, who is the caring and passionate father of all Palestinians, including those who commit mistakes,” the sources said.

See? Abbas is a moderate! He can compromise with vicious terrorist organizations whenever he wants to!

Palestinian Soft-core Terrorist Theatre

Just for fun...

Work accident!

A Palestinian Arab worker was killed in a Gaza blast, and the Hamas medical authorities immediately blamed it in an Israeli mortar or tank shell.

The only problem is that Israel didn't do anything.

Chances are it was a misfired rocket or Hamas bomb.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how PCHR categorizes this in their next weekly report. (They already said that Jawaher Abu Rahma was killed by Israel.)

Who are the Palestinians? (video)

A decent Xtranormal animation.

(h/t Darcy)

Saddam Hussein's handwritten order to shoot rockets at Israel

An Egyptian newspaper has uncovered the original, handwritten order by Saddam Hussein to shoot Scud missiles at Israel, and the article is getting a bit of play in Arab newspapers and message board forums - often with great praise.

Fatah forums are praising Saddam as well, one person wishing that Saddam's Iraq had a direct border with Israel back then.

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Mercy-giving.

To Staff Brigadier General Hazim Abd ar-Razzaq,

Peace be upon you [as-Salam ‘alaykum!],

Go ahead with God’s blessings and strike targets inside the criminal Zionist entity with the heaviest possible fire, making sure to be careful about the possibility that you might be spotted. And carry out the strikes with the usual conventional warheads on the missiles. Let the launching continue until further notice.

Saddam Hussein,

[Signature]

17 January 1991

Zionist plots of the past month (updated)

Here is a list of Zionist plots mentioned in the media within the past month.

Probably not a complete list...

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon
...and the Hariri assassination
Vulture spies in Saudi Arabia
Harry Potter
Referendum on independence for southern Sudan
...and using the Nile River to blackmail nations into doing its bidding
Israeli doctors treating eye diseases in the Maldives
Anti-hijab law in Azerbaijan
9/11
Purim
Wikileaks
Alexandria Coptic church blast
The proposed Islamic center in Manhattan
Everything happening in Iraq
The supposed death of a former Iranian general in Israeli prison
Control of UK politics
Fierce, orchestrated attacks on Goldstone
The film "V"
The Holocaust
The Tea Party movement
People in Egypt putting themselves on fire (h/t Folderol)
The taking down of Hamas' Facebook pafe (h/t Challah Hu Akbar)

Israel's "Miss Fat and Beautiful" winner crowned

From AFP:

A group of women primp and preen in front of the mirrors, adjusting their outfits as they prepare for a beauty contest with a difference: Israel's annual "Miss Fat & Beautiful."

In a cultural centre in the southern desert city of Beersheva, the contestants tweak their hair and apply makeup, laughing together as they sing in Hebrew: "We are the most beautiful women in the world. We are Miss World!"

To qualify for the contest, hopefuls must weigh at least 80 kilograms (176 pounds), and 2011's contest includes several who weigh in at around 120 kilograms (264 pounds).

Unlike your average beauty pageant, which tends to conform to a strict lean-and-lithe standard, here curves are queen.

Ahead of the show, the atmosphere backstage is one of excitement.

"I'm very beautiful and I'm going to win," 23-year-old Tanya Fayman confidently tells AFP.

"I'm very proud of myself and my body and my beauty, and no one has the right to dictate my weight, so why should I be skinny?"

For the evening wear section, Fayman sports a skin-tight strappy dress, high heels and strings of necklaces, her dark hair falling pin-straight to her shoulders.

Proud of her figure, she shows no sign of embarrassment when the side of her top splits open slightly as she talks, simply grabbing a needle and thread to stitch up the tear.

The Russian-born beauty's confidence was well-founded. After two rounds in which the 20 contestants strut their stuff in ball gowns, and a trouser-and-top ensemble, Fayman was crowned the winner.

Better than camels.

Weekend links

Michael Oren on what is needed for peace.

A YNet op-ed on bringing back an Israeli Left that is actually proud of the country.

Hamas is razing 180 houses in Gaza to build an Islamic center, forcing many families to live in tents. But Reuters is not likely to be interested. (h/t Zach via Facebook)

One of the people that wrote the critique of the PA's state-building also co-wrote a very good essay on Gaza's economy. (h/t Silke)

An analysis of the Labor Party implosion, by Barry Rubin.

Israel as the victim of "mobbing"

There has been a growing awareness in recent years of the phenomenon of workplace bullying, known as "mobbing."

Commenter Mario noticed that the attributes of mobbing mirror almost exactly what Israel is forced to endure on a daily basis.

Here is one list of mobbing indicators and some links that show examples:

By standard criteria of job performance, the target is at least average, probably above average.
Rumours and gossip circulate about the target's misdeeds: "Did you hear what she did last week?"
The target is not invited to meetings or voted onto committees, is excluded or excludes self.
Collective focus on a critical incident that "shows what kind of man he really is".
Shared conviction that the target needs some kind of formal punishment, "to be taught a lesson".
Unusual timing of the decision to punish, e.g., apart from the annual performance review.
Emotion-laden, defamatory rhetoric about the target in oral and written communications.
Formal expressions of collective negative sentiment toward the target, e.g., a vote of censure, signatures on a petition, meeting to discuss what to do about the target.
High value on secrecy, confidentiality, and collegial solidarity among the mobbers.
Loss of diversity of argument, so that it becomes dangerous to "speak up for" or defend the target.
The adding up of the target's real or imagined venial sins to make a mortal sin that cries for action.
The target is seen as personally abhorrent, with no redeeming qualities; stigmatizing, exclusionary labels are applied.
Disregard of established procedures, as mobbers take matters into their own hands.
Resistance to independent, outside review of sanctions imposed on the target.
Outraged response to any appeals for outside help the target may make.
Mobbers' fear of violence from target, target’s fear of violence from mobbers, or both.

While the analogy is not perfect - Israel does have one strong friend at this time, and the country is not cowed by the hypocrites - the behavior of the mobbers is eerily similar to the behavior of the Israel-haters.

It is notable that all of these behaviors also fit in excellently with traditional anti-semitism.

Bullies are, by nature, insecure, and easily threatened by someone they perceive as being different or better. Israel fits that role. Combined with the omnipresent threat of terrorism for those who associate with Israel, it is very easy for even third parties who are otherwise sympathetic to be forced into silence when confronted by the bullies.

This idea deserves a much longer treatment.

The all-encompassing Zionist lobby in Azerbaijan

From Armenian website Panorama.am:

Iran’s Parliament deputy Hamid Rasain has deeply condemned Azerbaijan’s ban on wearing hijab at schools.

Azerbaijani faktxeber.com reports that Rasain has declared that the interference of Zionist lobby is obvious on the decision to ban wearing of hijab.

He said: “US has a military base in Azerbaijan. Thus, they manage to have certain impact on Baku’s decisions. The ban of hijab in the educational institutions is planned by US and Zionists, since the Islamic scarf dangers the interests of both USA and Israel. Official Baku is always guided by messages and wish of those lobbies.”

I haven't visited the Azerbaijan section of the Elder compound for a few years, I really must go over and congratulate them!

PA continues to make terrorists into heroes

PMW once again documents how PA TV - controlled by the government - has shown music videos praising Dalal Mughrabi, the leader of one of the deadliest terror attacks in Israel ever. Both of these were shown within the past month.

This is the textbook definition of incitement to terror.

Latest Latma (1/21/11)

Most of the humor is at the expense of Labor and Ehud Barak.

Palestinian Arabs snubbed at Arab League Economic Summit

Asharq al Awsat reports that the Palestinian Authority is frustrated at the refusal of the Arab nations to give some $430 million it requested for projects in Jerusalem.

The PA delegation, headed by Riyad al Maliki, said it regretted that the summit ignored the Jerusalem issue. The economic ministers decided to table the idea until the next summit in March in Baghdad.

Maliki said "we tried to re-focus on the issue of Jerusalem, and to remind Arab leaders that Jerusalem was waiting for them...alas, they rejected it."

Maliki said that the summit in Sirte last year resulted in pledges of $500 million to support the Arab claim to Jerusalem - and only 7% of those pledges were actually paid.

We have seen this happen before. As the West has been accelerating their throwing cash at Palestinian Arabs in the cause of "peace," the Arabs have written off the Palestinian Arabs as a waste of money and time. They will make statements of support - and there were statements in support of Jerusalem at the summit as well - but they will no longer put their money where their mouths are.

This trend accelerated dramatically after the Fatah/Hamas split, as Arab nations asked themselves why they should support an entity that couldn't even keep itself together.

Perhaps the West should look more carefully at the Arab calculus to write off the Palestinian Arab cause.

Two small potential martyrs

From Ma'an:

Families of prisoners gathered in protest on Friday, throwing shoes and eggs at the car of French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie as she arrived in Gaza via the Erez crossing in the north.

Carrying signs reading "Get out of Gaza" they stopped her car shortly after it passed through a Hamas checkpoint in the northern town of Beit Hanoun, surrounding it and hammering on the sides with their fists.

The protest was over a statement which was mistakenly attributed to the French minister when she met with the parents of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in Jerusalem a day earlier.

Here's a telling detail that didn't make it into the wire-service version of the story:

As the demonstrators shoved toward the car, two children, terrified and crying, were flung to the ground floor in front of the wheels of the lead vehicle convoy of white 4x4 jeeps, and stayed there for several minutes before being hauled away by their families.

More photos here.

Several minutes???

Doesn't it seem like perhaps the crowd wanted the jeeps to run over the children?

In fact, PalPress mentions that some protesters lied down on the road in front of the convoy.

I'm sure it was chaotic, but it seems a pretty good bet that at least some of the protesters were trying to get the kids killed.