Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Palestinian Arab media still blames Israel for Vittorio Arrigoni's death

It has been a year since Vittorio Arrigoni, Israel-hater and terror supporter, was murdered by an Islamic group in Gaza.

At the time, the usual anti-Israel crowd was quick to blame Israel for the kidnapping and murder. However, Hamas identified members of a Salafist group that took credit for the kidnapping and killed a number of them in a shootout.

Yet today, Palestinian Arab media is still blaming Israel for the murder - and this includes the "moderate" media.

Both the Fatah-leaning Palestine Press Agency and the independent Ma'an News Agency are reporting today that the group that killed Arrigoni was "working for the occupation."

Any resemblance between Palestinian Arabic media reporting and the truth is purely coincidental.

Welcome to Palestine!

Today, a bunch of anti-Israel activists are attempting to embarrass Israel by flying in to the country to hold protests. They call this stunt "Welcome to Palestine." So far, it looks like a spectacular failure.

It wasn't that long ago that there was a concerted effort to get people to visit Palestine, and the Palestinians at the time were actively seeking these visitors. But those Palestinians were Jews.

A few years ago I collected a series of posters created by the Jewish Palestinians of the 1930s meant to encourage tourism to Palestine. Here are some others that are most interesting, especially for those who think that Palestinians are identical to Palestinian Arabs.

There were a series of Levant Fairs held in Tel Aviv in the 1920s and 1930s, and the 1934 fair was considered a "World's Fair." Exhibitors came from many countries worldwide - including Arab countries like Egypt and Syria. Here is one poster from the 1936 Levant Fair that shows how things could be today if Arab nations accepted Israel:

And here is the Lebanese Pavilion in Tel Aviv:

Incidentally, the logo for the later Levant Fairs was a flying camel, because (the legend goes) the mayor of Jaffa told Mayor Dizengoff of Tel Aviv that a Levant Fair would only happen "when camels fly."

Thanks to the Palestine Poster Project for these images. (They have posters from both sides, including some of my own.)

Egyptian TV host spouts about the Protocols. And he's hardly alone.

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from an address by Egyptian TV host Hussam 'Aql, which aired on Al-Nas TV on March 23, 2012 :

Hussam 'Aql : The Zionist entity and the Zionist movement are constantly "playing" with revolutions. What does that mean? After the revolutions, the situation is very fluid – the state is on its knees, and its institutions are shaky. This is the perfect opportunity for the Zionist entity to deal its blow and to play its little game.

Whoever does not believe me can look at The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This is no book of poetry or stories. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a matter of undisputable science.

There was a meeting of the Freemasons in France, and a French woman managed to smuggle out some dangerous documents, which circulated in the meeting.

Between 1897 and 1951, the secret Zionist groups held nearly 23 meetings, one of which was a large gathering, which included over 50 Zionist groups. They issued several documents: How can we gain control over the world's minds? How can we gain control of the media? How can we turn the mighty national armies into cantons, which will fight one another? How can we gain control over the flow of capital? How can we gain control over the presidents and state leaders, and turn them into collaborators?

A French woman managed to smuggle out these documents, which serve as the backbone of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

When the world read these documents… A Russian scholar called Sergei Nilos was the first to read these documents. He looked at the documents in front of him, and then examined the political situation around him, and realized how the leaders of the Zionist entity were playing with the money, and with the means of pressure, and how they were trying to take over regimes and governments, as well as the nascent regional forces.

Look how Tel Aviv cannot keep its mouth shut when it sees Egypt on its way to become a regional power, and to restore the momentum of its activity and to lead the region. Tel Aviv cannot possibly keep its mouth shut. We do not want to be stupid or naïve.

Sergei Nilos issued a warning and wrote research. Then in the early 20th century, along came Victor Marsden and translated The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. We have read The Protocols, and we have detected the despicable, hellish, and Satanic plan to dominate the world and to humiliate the peoples and the nations.

Just like I am humiliating Mr. 'Aql right now by showing him to be an idiot! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

And if you think that this is somehow anomalous and that most Arabs know that the "Protocols" are a forgery, check out Al Wafd from two weeks ago with a long article on the topic that accepts the veracity of the work unquestioningly.

Or this recent article from pan-Arab newspaper Moheet. Or this even more recent article from a Jordanian newspaper As Sabeel.

All of which accept the Protocols as absolute truth.

All written by supposedly educated Arab journalists.

Iran offers a "friendly" threat to UAE

Last week, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited islands that are in dispute between Iran and the UAE, and the UAE was not happy:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recalled its ambassador to Tehran Thursday, state news agency WAM reported, after having protested over a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to a disputed island.

“The foreign ministry has recalled its ambassador to the Republic of Iran, Saif Mohammed Abid Al-Zaabi, for consultations,” it said.

Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahayan Wednesday slammed the visit to the island of Abu Musa as a “’flagrant violation of UAE sovereignty over its territories.”

This is a “setback to all efforts and attempts the UAE is making to find a peaceful settlement to Iran’s occupation of the three UAE islands,” the foreign minister said.

“This visit will not change the legal status of these islands which are part... of the UAE national soil,” the English-language statement said.

Sheikh Abdullah, who visited Iran in February, said Ahmadinejad’s move and “provocative rhetoric... expose Iran’s false allegations regarding its keenness to establish good relations... with the UAE and countries of the region.”

Iran's response is about as threatening as possible while pretending to be "friendly":

Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council advises the officials of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against singing the same tune as Zionist regime of Israel and to avoid hasty measures.

Mohsen Rezaei made the remarks on Saturday in reaction to the UAE protesting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent visit to Iranian island of Abu Musa.

“The President’s trip to the Iranian island of Abu Musa to visit Iranian citizens was the right thing to do,” Fars News Agency quoted him as saying.

Rezaei stated that UAE officials appear to be abusing Iran's friendship and brotherhood, adding, “If they think Iran has become weak, [they] are mistaken. Today, Iran is very strong and will crush any [act of] aggression.”

“Emirati officials had better apologize to Iran and not be dragged onto the same path as the Zionists because the region needs tranquility, peace and cooperation. If they have any objections, they can politely convey their objection to the Iranian government via diplomatic channels,” Rezaei said.

He went on to say that the UAE has been issuing statements on three Iranian islands - Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa - for years.

“The UAE government sometimes uses a fake name for the Persian Gulf, but Iran continues its friendship and collaboration with the UAE with patience and by ignoring such wrong behavior,” he added.

Rezaei said the UAE government has apparently misunderstood Iran's friendship or is trying to appease foreign parties due to pressures.

“It would better for the UAE government to maintain honest and friendly relations with Iran and not repeat its [earlier] mistake of cooperating with [Iraq's former dictator] Saddam Hussein,” he concluded.

It looks like the smile of a wolf as he circles his sheep neighbors.

Most Arab states have denounced Iran over this latest provocation.

Israelis saving the world, yet again

From Forbes India:

[E]mergency care is at a nascent stage in India. Demand outstrips the supply of ambulances and the crowded roads invariably delay their arrival. Often death strikes during this window. About 30 percent of deaths in accident spots are estimated to be on account of lack of pre-hospitalisation care. What happens between an event—it could be a road accident, a fall or severe chest pain—and the arrival of the ambulance is critical. Across the world, emergency care experts have been struggling to find a way to send expert help more quickly.

An Israeli organisation, United Hatzalah, might have just cracked the code. The idea is simple; it depends on a network of volunteers and smart use of technology. The organisation recruits volunteers, gives them 100 hours of training, equips them with a kit containing medicines and devices that fit on a two wheeler, and lets them get on with their normal lives. When an emergency strikes, it locates the volunteer closest to the scene and alerts him. The volunteer rushes to the scene and provides first aid. There are 1,700 volunteers across Israel and they arrive at the scene in a matter of minutes. Eli Beer, who founded United Hatzalah, says he is aiming to crunch this number to 90 seconds.

United Hatzalah has not only saved hundreds of lives, it has also had a positive impact on the social fabric. Recently, Al Jazeera aired a documentary on how the organisation brought Arabs and Jews together in a region that’s defined by extreme hatred. Mark Gerson, co-founder of Gerson Lehrman Group and chairman of United Hatzalah, says right now they have an oversupply of people wanting to volunteer in Israel. Beer and Gerson hope to replicate the model across the world, including India.

However, India might turn out to be different, given its size and background. Israel is a small country, and its population—7.6 million—is smaller than that of Hyderabad. What works in Israel might not work in India. But the size of the countries shouldn’t matter, says Gerson. The ideal way to go about it would be to take one city at a time, get the fundamentals right, put the system in place, and scale up over time.

In fact, in Brazil, they have started with Sao Paulo. The experience has been good—the volunteers were easy to come by and the technology works as well as it did in Israel. “We are looking to assist the Sao Paulo group to expand in Rio de Janeiro. Operational plans are already underway. United Hatzalah is assisting in a similar programme in Panama as well,” says Beer.

A bigger challenge in India will be in recruiting volunteers. Israel has a long culture of volunteerism, strengthened by mandatory military service. In Brazil, they were approached by members of the Jewish community who were impressed with the organisation’s operations and wished to replicate it. The community leaders made speeches and distributed flyers, says Beer. Word of mouth, however, was the most effective outreach tool. “There were more volunteers than [we] were able to initially accept,” he says.

But India is different from both Brazil and Israel. However, Beer doesn’t think that will matter at all. In fact, the two wheeler and mobile penetration in the country make the model adaptable. “The groundswell of good-hearted people wanting to help their communities is universal,” he says. “Given a chance to save a life, who will say no?”

Well, I don't think that Jordan, Egypt or the UAE is jumping to work with Hatzalah any time soon...

Of course, this is just another case of first-aid-washing.

(h/t Guest)

Major Egyptian presidential candidates reportedly disqualified

Interesting developments, reported by Egypt Independent:

The Presidential Elections Commission announced on Saturday that 10 presidential candidates are disqualified from the race. The commission said it would release the full list of qualified candidates at a later time.

State-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported that conservative candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, former vice president and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, and official Muslim Brotherhood candidate Khairat al-Shater, Ghad al-Thawra Party head Ayman Nour had all been disqualified. Also out of the running, it reported, were Ahmed Saidi, Mamdouh Qutb, Ashraf Baroma, and Ibrahim al-Ghareeb.

"The commission has disqualified candidates because they do not fill one or more of the required conditions," the electoral body said in a statement, AFP reported.

Meanwhile, Al-Masry Al-Youm quoted judicial sources as saying, “The most prominent names that have been excluded are Sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, General Omar Suleiman, former vice president," in addition to Shater.

Suleiman was reportedly excluded on the basis of the geographical distribution of his signatures of support, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm. A candidate must have 1000 signatures from 15 separate governorates to qualify.

Shater, who was released from prison in March last year, has been barred because of a law that states that candidates can only run in elections six years after being released or pardonned, Tarek Abul Atta, a PEC official, told AFP news agency.

Abu Ismail is out of the race because his mother holds another nationality, violating election rules, he said.

Others who have been disqualified include Ayman Nour, who caught the world's attention when he challenged ousted president Hosni Mubarak in 2005 presidential elections.

Nour was imprisoned shortly after those elections and released on health grounds in 2009. He was banned under the same rule as the Muslim Brotherhood's Shater.

The disqualified candidates have 48 hours to appeal the decision.

If the commission's decision stands, the remaining frontrunners will be former Arab League head Amr Moussa and former Muslim Brotherhood member Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh.

Meanwhile, there was a rally against Suleiman's candidacy. Naturally, the protesters claimed he was Zionist:

Anti-semitic T-shirts sold at Polish soccer stadium (UPDATE)

From JTA:

T-shirts featuring anti-Semitic slogans were discovered being sold outside a soccer stadium in the Polish city of Lodz.

The T-shirts were being sold outside the stadium of Widzew Lodz, which plays in Poland’s premier league, according to an April 12 article on the website of Polskie Radio.

The shirts featured slogans such as “This is Widzew territory, entry to Jews is forbidden” and “Curl hunters,” referring to Orthodox Jews’ payos.

A woman who works in the shop that sold the T-shirts told the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza that the shirts are popular. The shop is adjacent to the team’s official shop.

A third of Lodz’s population was Jewish before World War II.

Here is a sign outside the store:

And this graffitum saying "You will meet death:"

UPDATE: Lodz police arrested two workers at the shop, a salesman and a manager, for selling anti-semitic material (h/t Malgorzata)

Early weekend links

I will not be posting anything until Saturday night or Sunday, so have a great weekend/chag sameach!

To tide you over, here are some links:

Another British group supporting Habima playing at the Globe.

While there are a lot of Israel-haters in USC, it didn't stop a delegation from the school from visiting Israel in February.

Sarah Honig on the bigger picture around Gunter Grass.

Obligatory NYT piece about supposed "Islamophobia" following the Merah murders.

Time for the eight-state solution?

Good morning Tehran! Israeli radio station broadcasts in Farsi, and a lot of Iranians tune in.

The most profane bar mitzvah ever filmed.

The Titanic had a kosher kitchen!

(h/t DKrieger, Norman, Zvi, Ronald)

The birth of an new Muslim lie

From Al Resalah:

The Jewish settlers are desecrating the Ibrahimi Mosque in Passover this year through burning parts of it, resulted from the candles left behind by the extremist settlers.

"Thousands of Zionists broke into the Ibrahimi Mosque to celebrate the Passover," said Hassan Alrejoub, a Palestinian journalist. "Muslims were thoroughly denied access to the Mosque," added he, " and the Islamic section of the Mosque was burnt because of the candles the Zionists left behind".

Yet Palestine News Network even reported that the fire was accidental and caused no (or little) damage.

Israeli sources show that the fire occurred during early morning prayers on Monday, and from the photos is appears that it was apparently on the Jewish side of the building, inside a structure meant for candles. It was put out by Israeli police using sand and water. There was slight smoke damage. During the incident, Jews were not allowed to enter the building.

Al Resalah also doesn't mention that for ten days a year Jews are denied access to the entire building so Muslims can perform their "Koranic rituals." Nor does it mention that some 81% of the building is used by Muslims during the year.

Kuwait MPs approve death penalty for "cursing God"

Moderation!

From AFP:

Kuwait’s parliament on Thursday provisionally passed amendments to the Gulf state’s penal code stipulating the death penalty for those who curse God, Islam’s Prophet or his wives.

Forty-six MPs, including cabinet ministers, voted for the key amendments that will come into effect only after another round of voting and government approval. The second and final vote will take place in two weeks.

Four Shiite MPs voted against the law, a pro-Shiite Sunni lawmaker abstained, while two MPs refused to vote.

Shiite MPs have demanded that the new amendments also enforce the death penalty for anyone who curses their sect’s 12 revered Imams, but the Sunni- dominated parliament rejected their requests.

The move to stiffen penalties for religious crimes came after authorities last month arrested a Shiite tweeter for allegedly cursing the Prophet Mohammed, his wife and some companions.

This might get me in trouble:

Sinai Bedouin hijack a fuel tanker (photos)

Palestine Today has photos of how Bedouin in the Sinai yesterday hijacked a fuel truck that was meant to go to the international forces military base.

They siphoned out the fuel, they said, to distribute them to citizens who suffer from fuel shortages, saying they don't want the fuel to go to their "enemies."

Muslims continue to freak over Jews peacefully visiting Temple Mount

Every day this week, Jews visited the Temple Mount - and every day this week there were angry articles about those visits in the Arab media.

Today, the last day of Chol HaMoed Pesach, Muslims called for thousands of their people to go there are prevent Jews from doing any "Talmudic rituals." Specifically they called for "an extensive and significant presence to counter any attempt of desecration by Jewish extremist groups that have continued to storm the mosque today....They called upon the citizens who have access to the city of Jerusalem to be present early in the mosque to deal with the settlers and thwart their plans."

Here is one of their photos of those terrible Jewish "settlers" desecrating their holy spot. Simply because they are Jewish.

Their press releases go on to charge that Israel is planning to divide the Temple Mount, either into Jewish and Muslim areas or by banning Muslims to be there altogether at certain times of the day or year.

Because this week showed a strengthening of the Jewish presence on the holiest Jewish site, here's a video that is appropriate for the occasion.

Chorus:

Rejoice with Jerusalem, be glad about her,

be glad all you that love her,

all who love her.

On your walls, Oh city of David

I have stationed watchmen,

all day and night.

(repeat)

Chorus

Do not fear, my servant Jacob,

for your enemies shall be scattered before you.

(repeat)

Chorus

Look about you and behold; see all

as they are all gathering and coming unto you.

(repeat)

Chorus

And your people

are all holy

and forever shall inherit the land.

Chorus

Nablus governor bans Israeli potatoes, PA violating Oslo

From Ma'an:

The governor of Nablus on Wednesday prevented Israeli potatoes from being introduced to the Palestinian market, in line with an agriculture ministry decision issued this month.

Maj.-Gen. Jibrin al-Bakri said the decision aimed to protect national products and farmers' livelihoods.

The ministry decided this month to remove foreign produce from Palestinian markets, and the governor was implementing that decision, he told Ma'an.

The PA is trying to skirt around existing agreements that prohibit the PA from boycotting Israeli goods by pretending that they want to stop all imported produce.

But a glance at the speech by the PA Agriculture Minister shows beyond any doubt that this is meant to be a boycott to hurt Israel and to stop supporting "Zionist farms."

Up until now the PA was careful to say that they were only against "settler goods" and not Israeli products altogether because they did not want to violate signed agreements. It looks as if they are now no longer concerned about such public violations of Oslo.

When the economic agreement was forged between Israel and the PA, Israel let it be known that if the Palestinian Arabs wanted to implement boycotts or similar measures against Israel, then Israel would reserve the right to stop Palestinian Arabs from working in Israel - and a huge part of the Palestinian Arab economy is dependent on people working in Israel and for Israelis.

Saudi youth call for end of religious rule

On April 2 AFP Arabic reported on a new Saudi youth movement to get rid of the role of religious authorities in Saudi Arabia and to move towards democratic ideals.

The letter they wrote complained about the "bullying" that the Saudi religious authorities do to citizens.

2,100 people, mostly academics, including a large proportion of young women, signed the letter, which called for a rejection of "patriarchal" control exercised by the religious groups in Saudi society.

The letter talks about the inability of publicly speaking about ideas that run contrary to the official Saudi-approved groupthink.

It said, "We are young Muslims who reject this patriarchal muzzle which hinders our exercise of the right of free thought and research (...) We do not accept anyone that questions our patriotism or our Islamic identities."

It went on to "renounce all forms of incitement and bullying meant to remove the other [ideas] and we seek to build institutions of civil society to accommodate everyone," adding that they cannot accept anyone who "claims the monopoly of truth and righteousness on behalf of the law."

While the article was widely reported in Arabic media, so far it has not been reported anywhere in English.

BDS fail in Minnesota

From the Minnesota Post:

Ramsey County Judge Margaret Marrinan has dismissed a lawsuit that called for the state of Minnesota to sell the $18 million in Israeli bonds held in the state's portfolio.

Four groups and 23 individuals filed the lawsuit in 2011, claiming that the bonds were supporting settlements in Palestine and other activities in the West Bank that had been deemed illegal under international law.

They also claimed that Minnesota law does not allow investments in foreign countries other than Canada.

Marrinan threw out the suit, ruling that the plaintiffs do not have standing to file the lawsuit, and said that "the authority to make social, political and economic policy decisions of the kind Plaintiffs complain about in this case resides with the Legislature and the SBI [State Board of Investment], not this Court."

Even if the plaintiffs did have standing, the judge said Minnesota law does allow the State Board of Investment to purchase international securities.

Someone should really do a survey to see what percentage of BDS initiatives get anywhere. It appears to be in the low single-digits.

Unfortunately, the webpage of the Minnesota BDSers who devoted so many futile hours on publicizing their hate of the Jewish state has not yet been updated with the news of their latest failure.

(h/t The Jewish Press)

Mel Gibson calls Jews "oven dodgers," says Torah mandates killing Christian babies

From The Wrap:

Hollywood screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is accusing Mel Gibson, his recent collaborator on a movie about Jewish revolt, of “hating Jews” and using him to deflect his anti-Semitic reputation.

In an explosive nine-page letter to Gibson obtained by TheWrap, the screenwriter wrote that the director of “The Passion of the Christ” never intended to make the movie about Jewish heroism, called “The Maccabees.”

Instead, Eszterhas said, Gibson announced the project “in an attempt to deflect continuing charges of anti-Semitism which have dogged you, charges which have crippled your career.”

He added: “I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason you won’t make ‘The Maccabees’ is the ugliest possible one. You hate Jews.”

Eszterhas’ letter reveals a more complex dynamic, a disturbing picture of Gibson as a man yet again out of control, inflicting frequent rages on those around him, in the grip of an anti-Semitic obsession, and possibly dangerous to those around him.

Gibson’s anti-Semitic obsession was a leitmotif of working on the film together at Gibson’s homes in Malibu and Costa Rica, Eszterhas said.

"You continually called Jews 'Hebes' and 'oven-dodgers' and 'Jewboys.' It seemed that most times when we discussed someone, you asked 'He’s a Hebe, isn’t he?' You said most 'gatekeepers' of American companies were 'Hebes' who 'controlled their bosses.'"

The slurs continued, through their work:

“You said the Holocaust was 'mostly a lot of horseshit.' You said the Torah made reference to the sacrifice of Christian babies and infants. When I told you that you were confusing the Torah with The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, ... you insisted 'it's in the Torah -- it's in there!' (It isn't)."

And he said Gibson told him that his intention in making “The Maccabees” was “to convert the Jews to Christianity.”

(h/t @ChallahHuAkbar)

"Most Palestinian Arabs support a two-state solution" is a lie

While this is not the point of his article, Hussein Ibish writes in Open Zion:

[S]upport for a two state solution also represents, according to almost every existing poll, the Palestinian majority position, as well as that of the Palestine Liberation Organization (universally recognized as “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”.)

He's technically right, and he is very, very wrong.

When polls ask Palestinian Arabs is they support a two-state solution, indeed most answer yes.

However, when one pollster last year went a bit further and asked another question, it showed that the real answer is not "yes" but "as a means to destroy Israel."

The Israel Project commissioned a poll last year in the territories conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion and asked which of these two statements more closely matched the opinions of those being polled:

	The best goal is for a two-state solution that keeps two states living side by side.	The real goal should be to start with two states but then move to it all being one Palestinian state
Strongly agree	12%	22%
Somewhat agree	13%	30%
Total	25%	52%
Total for those who responded	32%	68%

In case you think that this question was too vague or unclear, here's one that leave little doubt of what Palestinian Arab intentions are:

	Israel has a permanent right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people.	Over time Palestinians must work to get back all the land for a Palestinian state
Strongly agree	4%	27%
Somewhat agree	4%	57%
Total	8%	84%
Total for those who responded	9%	91%

This poll proved that a large majority of Palestinian Arabs do not believe in the "two state solution" in the way that most Westerners (and probably Ibish) do. They want to have a state now as a means to destroy Israel.

This poll was ignored by the mainstream media.

This fact is simply too inconvenient for wishful thinkers to accept. It causes massive cognitive dissonance in the "peace camp." It is exactly the opposite from what we have been told over and over again by politicians and pundits. So they ignore it.

But that is the truth, and any sober analysis of how peace is possible must take these facts in mind.

The PLO and PA also appear to share the goal of destroying Israel as we saw only this week.

Whenever people claim that the majority of Palestinians want a peaceful solution, they are either ignorant or lying.

I'm not sure which category describes Ibish.

Germwashing! (Israelis saving the world, again)

From Times of Israel:

Consumers in the U.S. and Europe could soon benefit from the fruits of an Israeli technology that can prevent microbacterial infestation of foods and beverages. Ness Ziona-based Oplon has signed an agreement with a large multinational food manufacturer for the development of packaging materials based on Oplon’s technology. The 3-year deal is worth $8 million, not including royalties that may accrue based on the products developed, the company said.

Oplon specializes in the development of materials that ward off the growth of bacteria on surfaces. The coatings use a special set of molecules that create an electrical charge, zapping bacteria. According to Oplon, the packaging can keep food germ-free for days — and even weeks — without refrigeration or preservatives. An open container of milk, the company says, will keep for 30 days without refrigeration, with regular pasteurized milk capable of having the shelf life and attributes of UHT milk. Water stored in Oplon containers will be disinfected, even if it is drawn from contaminated sources.

Oh, it disinfects water? It might just happen to save thousands of lives for people who do not have reliable access to clean water, especially after natural disasters?

It gets better:

Besides food storage, Oplon is developing its materials for medical use. Patches, catheters and tubes made out of Oplon-developed material have the potential to significantly reduce infections in hospitals, and they are able to act effectively even against highly resistant strains of bacteria, like MRSA. Applied to agriculture, Oplon materials can be used to prevent rot in seeds or crops, and prevent the spread of disease in fields. Oplon has even developed a treatment for acne, which, when applied, kills the germs that cause pimples and rejuvenates the skin – showing results within hours, the company says.

It's merely a cheap, generalized way to destroy all bacteria. That's sort of huge. But of course Israeli researchers spend their lives working on these types of things in order to distract the world from their crimes, you know, by building houses on empty land and targeting people who are trying to kill them, which are of course grave violations of international law.

This is nothing but germwashing.

(h/t Mike)

Abbas may lose his citizenship. His Jordanian citizenship.

From JPost:

In a surprise move, Jordan has decided to revoke the Jordanian citizenship of Palestinian Authority and PLO officials, sources in Amman disclosed Wednesday.

The sources said that the decision would also affect the leaders of the PA, who would be granted temporary Jordanian passports to facilitate their travel.

The move coincides with a new electoral law in Jordan that seeks to limit Palestinian representation in parliament.

The latest steps are seen in the context of Jordan's 1988 decision to sever all legal and administrative ties with the West Bank, except for Jordanian sponsorship of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

The late King Hussein then justified the move by arguing that it was intended to help the Palestinians establish their own independent state.

The Jordanians have defended the decision to strip Palestinians of their Jordanian citizenship by explaining that it is aimed at "preserving the Palestinians' national identity and paving the way for their return to Palestine."

It's not known at this stage if PA President Mahmoud Abbas would be stripped of his Jordanian citizenship, the sources told the Saudi newspaper Al-Madina.

In 1988, all Palestinian Arabs who lived in the west bank of the Jordan lost their citizenship. I don't know if PLO officials were granted exceptions at that time, but last year there were reports that Mahmoud Abbas and other senior Fatah officials were granted Jordanian nationality.

In other words, they say publicly that they support keeping Palestinian Arabs stateless - for their own good, of course - but in private they held on to their Jordanian citizenship for dear life.

(h/t Josh)

UPDATE: Jordan denies the story (h/t Challah Hu Akbar)

Mid-day open thread

Taking a short break from bloggong while I eat a surprisingly good deli sandwich at Mr Broadway in Manhattan. Making edible bread on Passover is always an achievement.
Feel free to rant in the comments.