Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

"Pepsi defies the occupation"

Last year I noticed that various soccer teams and tournaments in Gaza featured the Pepsi logo and advertising. Pepsi apparently didn't mind their association with Hamas terrorist leaders:

Further research showed that the sponsorships were done by a local Gaza bottling company, Yazegi, that apparently has permission to use the Pepsi logo when sponsoring sporting events and the like.

Pepsi never responded to inquiries about their public association with Hamas.

Now, this year, Gaza is again seeing the "Pepsi Cup" football championship during Ramadan. The Yarmouk Stadium that hosts the tournament was bombed by Israel during Pillar of Defense because it was used as a launch site for terror rockets aimed at Israeli civilians, and Yazegi helped repair or cover up the damage that is still there.

Yazegi represents itself as Pepsi in Gaza, and on their Facebook page they say, directly, "Pepsi defies the occupation" - "occupation" being the Arabic code-word for Israel itself.

Is this message one that the Pepsi corporation supports?

Perhaps Israeli sellers of Pepsi should inform the company that they don't appreciate being told that Pepsi is "defying" their country and supporting those who want to destroy it.

You can complain on Pepsi's US Facebook page. Demand that the company dissociate itself from the Gaza bottling company using its name to support terrorists and to promote messages of hate against Israel.

(The winner of the Pepsi Cup tournament was the Islamic Society of Gaza.)

Arab counter-spring in Tunisia with large anti-government protest

From AFP:

Tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets of the Tunisian capital to demand the resignation of the government as the political crisis in the north African nation deepened.

The country has been wracked by political unrest since the July 25 murder of opposition lawmaker Mohamed Brahmi and Tuesday's protests marked the biggest anti-government demonstration since the assassination.

A police official estimated that 40,000 people crowded the streets of Tunis to call for the government led by the moderate Islamic movement Ennahda to step down. Opposition leaders cited in local media put the figure at 100,000-200,000.

Earlier on Tuesday, the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) -- a body elected in 2011 to forge consensus on drafting a new constitution -- was suspended.

Brahmi's murder, as well as that of another opposition politician, Chokri Belaid, have been blamed on radical Islamists, with the Ennahda-led cabinet criticised for not doing enough to prevent them.

The demonstration attracted a mixed bag of opposition parties, ranging from extreme left to centre-right, and was timed to mark six months since Belaid was gunned down outside his home.

Protesters carried pictures of both Belaid and Brahmi and shouted slogans such as "The people want the regime to fall" and "The government will end today".

The Islamist Ennahda party has not been nearly as oppressive as the Muslim Brotherhood was in Egypt, so it is not clear that these rallies will topple the government. They have been growing steadily, however.

Also, elections are planned already for December. Whether they will be fair or not is anyone's guess, but right now there doesn't seem to be nearly as much anger and frustration in Tunisia as there was in Egypt.

There is no doubt that Egypt's successful coup has put the brakes on the Islamist revolution that appeared to be taking over the entire region only recently.

Perfect hypocrisy by the Arab League

Today, the Arab League condemned a demonstration by Jews in Israel to be allowed to freely worship on the Temple Mount. It denounced the idea of Jews visiting the holiest site in Judaism as being "provocative" and "against international law."

They are concerned that these Jewish "extremists" plan to build their own structure on top of the Mount, even though - they say - there is no historical evidence that there was any Jewish Temple on the site.

The League said that Jewish visits to the site were "gravely dangerous."

Immediately afterwards, the League also condemned Israel's practice of limiting access to the Mount for Palestinian Arabs who are under 40 years old. It says that such limitations are "contrary to international law and the right of citizens to worship anywhere, and the occupying power may not violate the freedom of worship guaranteed in the Charter of the United Nations."

The Arab League suddenly fervently believes in freedom to worship - right after saying that Jews have no rights to worship on the Temple Mount!

Hypocrisy in the Arab world is not hard to find, but to see such blatant hypocrisy within the same statement is a bit more notable.

By the way, the UN's International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has this to say about freedom to worship, in Article 18, paragraph 3:

Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.

So the League is lying yet again - Israel is perfectly within its rights under international law to restrict who can visit the Temple Mount to avoid violence and to ensure reasonably free access to all religions - a goal that the Arab League explicitly does not believe in.

The best news out of Egypt

From Al Ahram:

Egypt's interim president, Adly Mansour, had amended the law regulating the punishment for the crime of insulting the president.

His presidential decree stated that if found guilty, the accused could pay a fine of up to LE30,000 ($4,290) but no less than LE10,000 ($1,430).

This amends Article 170 of the Egyptian penal code, which dictated that an insult to the president lands the offender a minimum of 24 hours in jail but not to exceed three years.

Several activists, political figures and civilians were detained or forced to pay a fine for allegedly offending deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

The number of "insulting the president" lawsuits during Morsi's reign exceeds those filed under all Egyptian rulers since 1892, reveals the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) in a report issued in January.

Furthermore, it says 24 lawsuits for insulting then-president Morsi had been filed against journalists and activists since his inauguration in June 2012. Three of the lawsuits were filed by the president's office with the prosecutor-general.

Not too many national leaders, even interim leaders, would have the humility to pull this off.

Maybe the interim government can throw in laws that give women equal rights and other Western-style liberal laws that would be difficult for subsequent governments to overturn without looking bad.

8/06 Links Part 2: NYT Romanticizes Pal Stone Throwers, Israeli Christian Leader 'We Want to Defend the State'

From Ian:

The New York Times Romanticizes Palestinian Stone Throwers and Ignores Their Victims

Stones kill, maim, wound and change people's lives forever. Israeli infants have been slain, toddlers critically wounded and adults have sustained severe head injuries or were hospitalized with lighter injuries, all due to Palestinian stone throwers.
But the story of Israeli victims is not the one the New York Times prefers to tell and is certainly not the one Middle East correspondent Jodi Rudoren chose to recount in her latest front page, above-fold article about Palestinian stone throwers, entitled "‘My Hobby Is Throwing Stones': In a West Bank Culture of Conflict, Boys Wield the Weapon at Hand."
Quite the contrary, this was a story that romanticized and heroized the Palestinian perpetrators. It is they – not the Israeli dead and injured – who are presented as the victims, "provoked by the situation," forced into this type of "futile" hobby, only to be arrested and incarcerated by fierce, powerful Israeli soldiers.

The Independent’s Unbelievable Response to Complaint from Reader

The term “political prisoner” is widely understood to describe a person imprisoned for beliefs, not actions. If someone kills an innocent civilian in the name of a political cause – whether that be animal rights, abortion rights, or Palestinian independence – that person would be jailed because of the act of murder, not the political cause he supports. The distinction is important. Referring to a murder as a political prisoner grants legitimacy to the crime. It is a disservice to genuine political prisoners and to the victims of the violent criminals.
Gore’s reference to a “wider political game” is even more bewildering. According to this view, the designation of a political prisoner is not related to either the crime or its motivation. Instead, it is accorded if a third party believes it can gain politically by demanding the prisoners release.

The Guardian or PressTV? Iran’s president to export the Islamic Revolution ‘peacefully’

And, those genuine peace advocates among us may reasonably believe that it strains credulity to imagine a brave, new ‘dovish’ Islamist regime which will suddenly cease in its coordinated campaign of antisemitic propaganda, which includes Holocaust denial and incitement to genocide.
So, while continuing to export the Islamic Revolution by providing a military lifeline to the butcher in Damascus and sending sophisticated weapons to terror movements in Lebanon and Gaza, thus helping to destabilize the region, we are being asked to believe that the new President will, nonetheless, emphatically oppose all forms of “foreign intervention”.
Iranian imperialism with a ‘smiling face’, courtesy of the Guardian.

BBC self-conscripts to Peace Now campaigning yet again

As we see once again, the backbone of this BBC report is taken from a press release of the same date put out by the politically motivated NGO ‘Peace Now’, to which the BBC report also links. This is of course far from the first time that the BBC has rushed to promote the ‘Peace Now’ campaigning agenda as ‘news’ – see here, here, here and here. Yet again – and in direct breach of BBC guidelines on impartiality – the BBC fails to inform its audiences of the political agenda of the organization it describes only as a “watchdog”.
Clearly the main aim of this article is to persuade audiences of Israeli ‘intransigence’ and to continue the BBC’s already well-entrenched campaign to promote the notion of “settlements” as one of the main obstacles to a Middle East full of sweetness and light. The standard BBC template slogans on that subject are of course included in this article too.

Oliver Stone’s Son Says 9/11 Inside Job, Defends Hezbollah, Calls Israelis ‘European Settlers’

Sean Stone, son of controversial film director Oliver Stone, delivered a barrage of anti-Israel rhetoric on the Russia Today TV channel August 1st. He referred to Israel as a “crusader state” and repeatedly called Israelis “European settlers.” He said these “European settlers” don’t feel comfortable in what is “historically Palestine,” and they have no ties to Israel. He also referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an “American guy.” Stone, who is a convert to Islam, also claimed that the terror attacks on New York of September 11th 2001 were an inside job and were not carried out by Islamic terrorists led by Osama bin Laden. Sean’s positions are not entirely surprising, as Oliver Stone himself has a history of making anti-Semitic remarks.

Egyptian soccer player agrees to play match in Israel

Salah, 21, reportedly changed his mind after meeting with team officials. He has been under pressure from his fellow countrymen to boycott the match.
“I will fly to Israel,” he said in a statement. “Football is more important than politics and it is my job.
“In my thoughts I am going to play in Palestine and not Israel, and I am also going to score and win there. The Zionist flag won’t be shown in the Champions League.”
In the first match between the two teams, which Basel won 1-0, Salah avoided shaking hands with members of the Israeli team, which includes Israeli-Arabs. (h/t Zvi)

Rabbi shot in Russia released from Israeli hospital

Isakov was airlifted to Israel after being shot July 24 as he exited his car and headed into his home in Derbent, in the predominantly Muslim Republic of Dagestan, near Chechnya.
Authorities have said it was likely a terrorist attack by Muslim extremists.
Isakov, a father of four, told Israeli media he intends to return to Derbent as soon as he is well.

Panama and Israel: An Unlikely Friendship

Panama has stood by Israel from the beginning: Panama was one of the many countries to vote for UN Resolution 181, which created the State of Israel. Since then, Panama has consistently voted with Israel, including voting against Palestinian Statehood on November 29, 2012. Only nine countries, including Israel and the United States, voted against UN Resolution 67/19. Some, such as Max Fisher did, have speculated that the vote was more for the United States, because of conomic ties. However, Panama has more reasons than this to support Israel.
Panama has, unfortunately, experienced terror from Hezbollah, just as Israel has. According to Tracy Wilkinson’s 1994 Los Angeles Times article, “The day after Buenos Aires’ seven-story Jewish community center was reduced to rubble on July 18, a suicide bomber said to be Lebanese and unable to speak Spanish or English boarded a commuter flight in Colon, Panama, near the Atlantic end of the Panama Canal. When he detonated the bomb, all 21 people aboard were killed, including 12 Jewish and Israeli businessmen, and three U.S. citizens.” This attack not only devastated Panama, but led to even stronger ties between Israel and Panama.

UK, France to remake Israeli TV show ‘Mom and Dadz’

Israeli-made television show, Mom and Dadz, has been bought by British and French production companies and is set for remakes in English and French. The comic drama features a gay couple raising a child with a single woman and the complex dynamics of the characters that goes with this mission.
Although the show may at first sound like the now defunct NBC show, The New Normal, Mom and Dadz stays away from the one-liners that accompanied the American series and instead “focuses on the complex dynamics of the parental triangle, layering their insecurities and complicated emotions with wry humor,” according to the New York Times.

Israel Waives US 'Iron Dome' Funding

Despite pledges by US President Barack Obama and key congressional leaders to shield the Israeli Iron Dome from sequestration cuts, Israel has offered to waive funding protection, reports Defense News, which says Israel has been “insisting it should bear its share of the burden.”
“Our position is we must bear the burden that our American friends are bearing,” Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador in Washington, told the website in an interview to be published in an upcoming edition. Sources from both countries told the website that this is “a painful, yet pragmatic price for the goodwill to be generated among longtime supporters in Washington.”

United Hatzalah Head Tells TED Crowd About Israeli Lifesavers

After witnessing a terror attack in Jerusalem as a child, Eli Beer decided that he wanted to be a doctor and help people, the director of United Hatzolah told an audience at a recent TED conference.TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences are gatherings where innovative ideas, theories and projects are presented to thousands of viewers, both live and on-line. Beer spoke at a recent TEDMed conference, which concentrates on medical issues. (h/t Zvi)

UN makes Holocaust documents available online

Scholars, campaigners and lawyers can for the first time readily access more than 2,200 documents from a largely unknown archive housed at the United Nations that documents thousands of cases against accused World War II criminals in Europe and Asia.
The unrestricted records of the United Nations War Crimes Commission were put online in early July by the International Criminal Court after an agreement with the UN, a move spurred by British academic Dan Plesch, who has been leading the push for greater access to the archive. The documents relate to more than 10,000 cases.

Across Forbidden Border, Doctors in Israel Quietly Tend to Syria’s Wounded

The identity of the patients is closely guarded so they will not be in danger when they return to Syria. Soldiers sit outside the wards where the adults are to protect them from possible threats and prying journalists. But doctors granted access to the children in the closed intensive care wing, on the condition that no details that could compromise their safety were published.
Like many Israeli hospitals, this one serves a mixed population of Jews and Arabs; its staff includes Arabic-speaking doctors, nurses and social workers. In the lobby, a glass display case contains the remnants of a Katyusha rocket that was fired from Lebanon and hit the hospital’s eye department during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The rocket penetrated four floors but nobody was injured because all the north-facing wards had been moved underground.
With more than 100,000 people estimated to have died in the Syrian civil war, Dr. Barhoum, an Arab Christian citizen of Israel, acknowledged that the Israeli medical assistance was “a drop in the ocean.”
But he said he was proud of the level of treatment his teams could provide and proud to be a citizen of a country that allowed him to treat every person equally. He said the cost of the treatment so far had amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars and would be paid for by the Israeli government.

Christian Leader: 'We Want to Defend the State'

In the face of severe opposition – some would say persecution – by the leaders of his church, Father Gabriel Nadaf, a Greek Orthodox priest from Nazareth and spiritual leader of a forum for the enlistment of Christian youth in the IDF, continues to advocate for a strong connection among Arab Christians with the State of Israel.
On Monday, Nadaf met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to discuss issues affecting his community, and ways the state could help him encourage greater participation of Christian Arab youth in Israeli society. (h/t Zvi)

Librarians visiting "Palestine" show their ignorance

The entire idea of librarians supporting boycotting Israel is an oxymoron. How can people who are dedicated to acquiring, categorizing and disseminating knowledge even consider boycotting an entire nation of people who are so instrumental in creating that same knowledge?

Yet a group of Israel-hating librarians recently visited "Palestine" to drink up and then regurgitate the lies being fed to them by their propaganda-spewing hosts.

It is remarkable that self-described librarians can write a paragraph like this with a straight face:

We are an independent group of librarians and archivists who traveled to Palestine from June 23 – July 4, 2013. We come from the US, Canada, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, and Palestine. We bore witness to the destruction and appropriation of information, and the myriad ways access is denied. We were inspired by the many organizations and individuals we visited who resist settler-colonialism in their daily lives. ... In all our travels and work, we respected the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel and did not partner with any organization that violates this call. As librarians and archivists, as people who believe in access to information, we affirm that institutional academic and cultural boycotts are appropriate responses to curtailed freedoms and are effective tools for change.

Librarians who voluntarily censor others' opinions are not librarians.

As a result of their indoctrination during their trip, you can see howlers like this on their blog:

[A]bout 25% of Israelis in pre-67 borders are Palestinians, who are “residents” of Israel, but denied citizenship and legally discriminated against, thus it is important to distinguish between Israelis and Israeli Jews...

These librarians are so brainwashed that they believe that there are no Arab citizens of Israel!

If they had bothered to speak to any Israeli, they could have found out that they were taught and then spread lies, which should bother any real librarian. Actually, if they would have bothered to read any books about Israel they would have known that this was nonsense. However, these "knowledge workers" prefer to work without knowledge. Their BDS overlords told them to boycott any books that tell actual truth about Israel.

The group happily posed with drawings of terrorists:

Another photo they proudly took symbolizes the ethnic cleansing of Jews from their homeland (unless the graffiti is referring to the dog breed.)

This photo of theirs shows a map that erases Israel and helpfully enshrines violence with the PFLP logo along with two rifles:

Support for violence? Spreading lies? Romanticizing terrorism? What kind of "librarians" are these, anyway?

Indeed, these "librarians" have no problem violating their own code of ethics:

The core mission of librarians and other information workers is to ensure access to information for all for personal development, education, cultural enrichment, leisure, economic activity and informed participation in and enhancement of democracy....Librarians and other information workers are strictly committed to neutrality and an unbiased stance regarding collection, access and service. They seek to acquire balanced collections, apply fair service policies, avoid allowing personal convictions to hinder the carrying out of their professional duties, combat corruption and seek the highest standards of professional excellence.

One of the leaders of the group, although she didn't participate in this visit, is "Jenna," who wrote many of the blog posts on behalf of the tourists. Librarians for Fairness fills in the details:

Jenna's father, whom we will refer to as Mitch, is one of the most prominent librarians in the world. He is also a former president of the American Library Association. We doubt that anyone would call Mitch an ardent Zionist, or for that matter, a Zionist. But Mitch accepts Israel's right to exist. We believe Mitch to be a fair-minded man...

Mitch communicated to Jenna in December of 2012, during the early planning stages of Librarians and Archivists to Palestine. He asked Jenna if respecting the BDS Movement was a requirement for acceptance in the delegation. Mitch wisely asserted that if it was, that in and of itself would be "oppressive." Well, we in LfF know that supporting the BDS Movement is, indeed, one of the mandates for inclusion in Librarians and Archivists to Palestine. And the BDS Movement (founded by Omar Barghouti, who, ironically, holds a graduate degree from Tel Aviv University) does, in fact, call for the annihilation of Israel. Mitch also expressed his view that the de-legitimization of Israel was "deeply wrong." And he further pointed out that Israeli Arabs are treated a lot better than Jews in Arab lands have been treated, since the 1940's. Moreover, in his criticism of BDS, Mitch noted that he does not see anyone doing a BDS against Saudi Arabia.

Jenna, why haven't you listened more to the wise words of your Abba (Dad)? Jenna, do not your father's admonitions indicate that he may very well feel that Librarians and Archivists to Palestine is more about de-legitimizing Israel, than helping Arab libraries and archives?

The vast majority of real librarians should be ashamed of this group.

(h/t Dan)

Egyptian paper says Iron Man story is from the Quran

In the middle of a rambling article in Egypt's New El Fagr newspaper, we learn that the movie Iron Man was actually inspired by the Quranic story of the Prophet David.

You will recall that Tony Stark created his first Iron Man suit by painstakingly smelting and welding metal in the mountains of Afghanistan.

This is just like David, who, the Quran informs us, was the first to create armor! As Wikipedia notes:

Islamic belief holds that God taught David the making of armour. the Qur'an says the 'iron was made soft for him', through which David could make instruments for protection against enemies. However, the rule in this story is to use weapons of defense only in true war (e.g., if you are fighting for freedom of worship) and not to simply use weapons for degenerate violence. Later accounts in Muslim literature have references to David's armor-making abilities.God says in the Qur'an:

We favoured David with excellence, (and commanded): "O mountains and birds, glorify the greatness of God with him." And We made iron pliable for him.
"Make long coats of mail," (We said), "and fix their links, and do the right. I surely see whatsoever you do."
—Qur'an, surah 34 (Saba), ayat 10-11[9]

In addition, if i am understanding the article correctly, David was called "lion-hearted" - and Tony Stark replaced his heart with one that is not human either!

It's uncanny!

8/06 Links Part 1: Who Funds UNRWA?, Hamas Accuses Egypt of Turning Gaza into a “Big Prison”

From Ian:

John Kerry: Flying Everywhere, Getting Nowhere

The PLO and the Palestinians have nothing to do with problems facing the world. Kerry and Obama think otherwise.
Kerry got off the plane and apparently concluded: a. Syria’s war—the Palestinians; b. Iran’s bomb—the Israelis; c. Egypt’s unrest—the Zionists; d. problems with North Korea — the Israelis; e. trade crisis withChina—the Palestinians; and so on.
Before assuming Kerry bumped his head, like Hillary Clinton, we must recall that Obama sent Kerry abroad and also thinks “Palestine” is the center of the universe.

Report: Al-Qaida affiliate possesses highly undetectable liquid explosive

Al-Qaida, or one of its affiliates, may use a new liquid explosive in a possible attack in the near future, according to an ABC News report citing two unnamed senior US officials.
According to the report, clothes may be dipped into the liquid explosives, and become explosive themselves once the liquid dries.
This type of "ingenious" explosive is particularly worrying to security agencies because it would be very difficult, perhaps impossible, to detect, the officials warned.

US orders citizens out of Yemen due to ‘extremely high’ threat

Earlier Tuesday, US drones targeted members of the international Sunni terror group in Yemen, reportedly killing four operatives.
It was unclear whether or not the rash of strikes was connected to a recent heightened security alert that has included the temporary closure of 19 US embassies in the Middle East and four additional American missions in Africa.
On Monday, Yemeni authorities released the names of 25 wanted al-Qaeda suspects, saying they were planning terrorist attacks in the capital, Sanaa, and other cities across the country.

Israel formulating response to EU settlement guidelines before start of Horizon 2020

The EU threw a wrench into Israel’s participation in the 80 billion euro program when it published guidelines last month prohibiting any EU funds in the form of grants, prizes and financial instruments from going to Israeli entities beyond the pre-1967 lines, and also mandating that any future agreements between Israel and the EU incorporate a territorial clause stipulating that the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights are not part of Israel.
Horizon 2020 is the EU’s innovation flagship program, meant to create jobs and fuel economic growth.
Israel is the only non-EU country that has been asked to join as a full partner, and is expected to pay some 600 million euros over the next seven years to take part. This is considered a worthwhile investment, because for every shekel Israel contributes, it is expected to get back NIS 1.5 in research funds and other inbound investments.

63% of Israeli Jews oppose major West Bank pullout, poll finds

Most Israeli Jews would oppose a peace agreement with the Palestinians if it included a full West Bank pullout with land swaps to let Israel retain major settlement population centers, according to a new poll that appears to contradict the conclusions of other recent surveys.
The poll, released Tuesday by the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University, found that 63 percent of Jews in Israel oppose a withdrawal to the 1967 lines with land swaps as part of any peace arrangement with the Palestinian Authority, even if it meant Israel would hold onto the Etzion Bloc, directly south of Jerusalem; Ma’aleh Adumim, east of the capital; and Ariel in the central West Bank about 34 kilometers (21 miles) east of Tel Aviv.

Whose taxpayers fund UNRWA?

The total UNRWA budget for 2012 was $907,907,371. The permanent and hysterically supportive rhetoric for the “Palestinian cause” from the Muslim world might lead one to expect that UNWRA is mainly funded by Muslim countries. The truth, however, is that UNRWA is almost entirely funded by Western taxpayers. With a total of $644,701,999 in contributions, the US, EU, UK, Sweden, Norway, Germany, The Netherlands and Japan pay 71 percent of the annual UNRWA budget.
And don’t forget that the funds from the second-largest donor, the EU, are of course already composed of EU taxation of member states.
So where do the Muslim states rank? First in, at No. 15, is Saudi Arabia.

Israel allows 285 trucks with goods to enter Gaza

Hamas, meanwhile, accused the Egyptians of turning the Gaza Strip into a “big prison” because of the continued closure of the Rafah border crossing and the destruction of most of the smuggling tunnels.
Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas representative, said that Egyptian restrictions and security measures have reduced the number of travelers through the Rafah terminal from 1,200 to fewer than 200 per day.

‘Voice of Donald Duck in Arabic’ Calls for Israel to be ‘Demolished’

The man who “voices Donald Duck in the Middle East” got all “quacked up” over Israel Sunday, taking to his Twitter account to call for the Jewish state to be “demolished,” and insulting its inhabitants as “a bunch of Polish/ Ethiopian immigrants roughly 70 years old.”
“I truly wish #Israel is demolished, I hate Zionism, I have so much hate inside me with every single child they murder or land they seize!” Wael Mansour, who identifies himself as the voice of Disney’s Donald Duck character in the Middle East, posted to his Twitter account.

Egyptian Brotherhood leaders to face trial for inciting murder

Egypt's army-installed government said on Sunday it would give a chance for mediation to resolve the crisis brought on by the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, but warned that time was limited.
At the same time, a Cairo court announced that the leader of Morsi 's Muslim Brotherhood and his deputy will face trial in three weeks' time for crimes including incitement to murder during protests in the days before he was toppled.

Egypt Independent: Exclusive: Obama agrees to meeting with Brotherhood, sources say

Obama would reportedly meet with Brotherhood officials to "hear their opinion" on developments in Egypt, in the presence of Turkish diplomats.
Egypt Independent heard from sources inside the Muslim Brotherhood that Islamist-linked billionaire Hassen Malek requested a meeting through Obama's office manager.
The meeting with Turkish officials is expected to take place this month.
Turkish diplomats are expected to push for Mohamed Morsy's reinstatement as Egyptian president, sources said, if not that the Muslim Brotherhood would be assured of political survival following a month-long violent stand-off with the armed forces in the wake of Morsy's overthrow.

Turkey Jails 275 High-Profile Opposition Leaders for Allegedly Plotting Overthrow of Erdogan

Turkey jailed 275 opposition leaders today, including army and police officers, journalists, writers and lawyers, for allegedly plotting a military coup to overthrow Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel’s Walla News reported.
Tear gas was used to disperse hundreds of protesters outside a special court set up at the Silibri prison, west of Istanbul, Walla News said.
The two main defendants in the case were Army General Lee Kuzuk and journalist Tonz’ai Aosekan, both sentenced to life imprisonment for heading this underground movement.

Fleeing Syria, Palestinians find little support from their brethren in Lebanon

But only 7 percent of Palestinian refugees from Syria have regular income, and almost all of them are living with host families whose employment prospects are equally dismal because Palestinians in Lebanon are banned from working in the public sector and in many professional fields, says Yasser Daoud, executive director of the child advocacy nonprofit Naba’a, which works in eight Palestinian refugee camps, including Ain al-Halwah.

Damascus suburbs report chemical attack by regime

Syrian activists accused the Assad regime of using a potentially lethal gas against two Damascus suburbs on Monday morning, injuring at least 30 civilians, Arab media reported.

Report: Syrian Army Gunship Fires Rockets into Lebanon

A Syrian army helicopter fired several rockets Monday at an illegal border crossing in northeast Lebanon, Lebanese security sources told The Daily Star.
At least three rockets were fired by the Syrian aircraft into Khirbet Daoud, sources told the newspaper.

Official: Israel capable of unilateral strike on Iran, if US not committed

Although, such a strike would render less effective than one conducted by America, the unidentified official said.
The diplomatic official doubted US intentions to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons at all costs.
American conduct regarding Syria, contrary to declarations by President Barack Obama, shows Israel that it cannot rely on US assurances, the Israeli source said.

Rouhani’s facade

The mullahs who run Iran and a large percentage of the masses that support them truly do see the West’s secular culture as an imminent danger to their fundamentalist version of Shi’ite Islam. And they are right. Western ideals that value human dignity for both men and women, protect against religious persecution and uphold freedom of expression are an obstacle to the implementation of the mullahs’ reactionary dream of creating caliphates throughout the Middle East and beyond.
No surprise that in his books on foreign policy, Rouhani belittles the Christians in the West for caving in to secularism without a fight; sees the Islamic Republic and the US as countries locked in a permanent conflict; and views Israel as “the axis of all anti-Iranian activities,” according to the above mentioned Times profile.

Plus:

The head of Algeria's Guidance Bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mustafa Belmehdi, came out with an entertaining rant about who is behind all of the problems.

He accused the Jews of trying to undermine national stability, stressing that "Jews look at Algeria as an enemy," adding that "their fingers are planted" in the country with Jewish involvement in the arms trade, drug trafficking and corruption.

Belmehdi said, during a seminar on Palestine yesterday in the capital, that what is happening in the countries of the Arab Spring are an "anti-democratic revolution" aimed at striking the stability of these countries, which is the result of a global Jewish conspiracy.

I'm glad that the MB in Algeria hasn't yet figured out that Belmehdi is in fact on our payroll.

Jordanian columnist: "How to destroy Israel without war"

An op-ed in Jordanzad discusses how to get rid of Israel without defeating it militarily.

You see, the Arabs need to do to the Jews what the Arabs think the Jews did to put the Arab nations in disarray.

So, according to writer M. Mamedabid, the Arabs should secretly create and fund an extremist Jewish organization that would make Al Qaeda look like Girl Scouts. This organization should openly advocate the murder of all Arabs, Christians and Muslims in the Middle East. Using secret Arab funding, it will go on terror sprees and murder gentiles all over the region.

Meanwhile, the Arab states would publicly declare their support for the "moderate" Israeli parties, therefore adding to the power of the Jewish terrorist groups.The Jewish extremists will start killing the secular and leftist Jews, causing a civil war. Eventually the extremist Jews will take over the country, thanks to the secret Arab petrodollars funding them, and the West will turn against Israel, which will have been revealed to be a disgusting racist state, and it will then disappear in a cloud of infighting and civil war.

I can't wait for the first checks to be surreptitiously sent from Amman to the zealots of the Temple Mount Faithful to implement this brilliant scheme.

Another Palestinian Arab hero

From Ma'an:

The Palestinian minister of prisoners’ affairs on Tuesday warned of possible deaths among hunger-striking prisoners and highlighted that their health had seriously deteriorated.

Issa Qaraqe said any tragic results at this stage would result in serious escalation amid prisoners and lead to negative consequences which could affect US efforts to restart peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel.

Hanan al-Khatib, a lawyer from the ministry of prisoners’ affairs, who visited the Jordanian hunger striker Abdullah Barghouthi in hospital, confirmed he was in real danger after 95 days on hunger strike.

According to al-Khatib, Barghouthi “can’t feel his left hand and can’t stand up.”

He also suffers from spells of dizziness, she added, highlighting that he also has symptoms of kidney and liver troubles and could face kidney failure if he continues with the strike.

Barghouthi has already lost 30 kilograms, according to al-Khatib quoting his doctors.

He has been hospitalized at Haemek Medical Center in Afula in northern Israel since shortly after he started a hunger strike on May 2.

Al-Khatib had noted earlier that he was chained to his hospital bed by his legs and his left hand.

Poor Abdallah Bargouthi! He must be a good guy for the Palestinian minister of prisoners' affairs to be so concerned for his well-being.

An earlier Ma'an article, from July 20, gives slightly more details:

A lawyer for the PA ministry of prisoners' affairs said Barghouthi, a Jordanian citizen, could go into a coma at any moment.

"I saw him breathing very heavily and he began to have fainting spells," Hanan al-Khatib said Friday after visiting him in Afula Hospital.

...Barghouthi is serving 67 life terms, the highest sentence ever handed down by an Israeli military court. He has been detained since March 2003.

A Hamas leader, Barghouthi was convicted of involvement in multiple attacks in Israel.

Oh, you mean he was a terrorist? Who would've guessed?

I wonder what attacks he was involved with?

Nothing big. He just built the bombs for the Sbarro pizza shop bombing, the Moment Cafe bombing, the Hebrew University bombing, the Zion Square refrigerator bombing, and the Rishon LeZion nightclub bombing. In other words, he was Hamas' chief bombmaker and responsible for the deaths of 66 Israelis.

Note also how the PA is working so hard on behalf of a Hamas bomber. There's unity for you!

One more detail:

He has been on hungers strike since May 2 and is demanding to serve the remainder of his sentence in a Jordanian jail, under the Wadi Araba agreement between Jordan and Israel.

I can find nothing in the Wadi Araba agreement that mandates prisoner exchanges.

It is a shame that Barghouti is starving himself to death. He deserves a much more painful demise.

Luckily, the media has grown tired of the prisoner hunger strikes (especially when none of them ever seem to actually die, since these are "modified" hunger strikes, whatever that means) and no one really cares any more about these publicity stunts.

UPDATE: Ma'an has an adoring profile of Barghouti and his terror attacks in Arabic.

EoZ Resources page hacked by SpongeBob

From Irene (mostly):

SquarePants Achieves Daring Infiltration of Database

Early this morning, a lonely and desperate SpongeBob SquarePants hacked the EoZ Resources database, in a daring and bold assertion of his desire for continued affiliation with the ElderOfZiyon blog.

“I had no idea Bob had such sophisticated cyber capabilities,” Elder said. “His expertise is especially astonishing given that he lives in a watery environment that causes most electronic equipment to short out.”

The security breach was discovered by the crack team of research specialists who are updating and expanding the database. When apprehended, SquarePants was attempting to insert a large photo of himself into a small field.

SpongeBob vowed that he will continue to hack the EoZ blog until allowed to return. Elder, for his part, says that he does not negotiate with terrorists.

"SpongeBob has gone rogue, and I will not reward such destructive behavior. He was a trusted member of the team for over five years, but we had to let him go," said Elder.

The Resources page, whose link is visible on the left sidebar of the EoZ webpage, is meant to provide a place where pro-Israel advocates can find information that would be helpful for contacting the media and other relevant organizations and figures. SpongeBob spammed the database with links to videos and articles about him.

“We cannot yet assess the significance of Bob’s actions. It is unlikely that they will delay the completion of the database project, which is proceeding at an improved leisurely pace,” said Elder.

U.S. President Barak Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry issued a joint statement to the press. “SpongeBob SquarePants is an entity like Jerusalem. We can neither confirm nor deny its existence.”

ElderToons: Roger Waters' defense

For those who missed the ridiculous Roger Waters defense of his use of the Star of David on a pig during his concerts, here is the major point he made:

Centrist Pakistani politician sues rival over being labeled "Zionist"

First, background from Wikipedia:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a centrist, nationalist and communitarian political party in Pakistan, which was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party is an anti-status quo movement advocating for an egalitarian and modern model of Islamic democratic welfare state.

Now:

Chairman [of] Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, says he has decided to sue Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman, for his "Jewish lobby ties" remarks, Geo News reported.

"Mualana Fazl-ur-Rahman will now have to take the stand in the court of law to prove that I am pursuing a Zionist agenda. A libel lawsuit will soon be filed against him", said Imran talking to media here on Sunday.

Khan, who was flanked by party leaders Shireen Mazari and Assad Umer, said, it's time Fazl evidenced his allegations in the court that he (Imran Khan) was an agent of Jews, adding everyone very well knew whose agent Fazl was.

Citing one of the WikiLeaks released diplomatic wires, the PTI leader said that Fazl should not forget that it was he who begged a US ambassador to install him (Fazl) as Pakistan's prime minister in return of 'any service.'

I imagine in a few decades we will be seeing similar lawsuits from politicians in Europe upset at being described as "Zionist."

8/05 Links Part 2: UN accredits NGO whose head is ‘glad to be labeled anti-Semitic’

From Ian:

UN accredits NGO whose head is ‘glad to be labeled anti-Semitic’

At a session in New York last week, the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People officially granted accreditation to five civil society organizations, among them the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, which was founded by Mahathir Mohamad.
Mohamad, who served as Malaysia’s prime minister from 1981 until 2003, has repeatedly sparked controversy with his anti-Western and anti-Semitic comments. In a 2003 speech, he said that “the Jews rule the world by proxy” and get “others to fight and die for them.” During the same speech, he further stated, “They invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong so they may enjoy equal rights with others. With these, they have now gained control of the most powerful countries.”

Australian ex-deputy PM slams ‘Jewish lobby’ over Pius criticism

A former deputy prime minister of Australia attacked the “Jewish lobby” for what he considers unfair treatment of pope Pius XII, prompting Jewish groups to accuse him of anti-Semitism.
In an interview with Australian media, Tim Fischer suggested that a “Jewish lobby” controlled by Israel silences attempts to defend the wartime pope’s record. This lobby needed “momentum and profile” and had become “increasingly shrill” in its criticism of the pope, he said.

Sunnis Boycott Al-Quds Day in Ontario

Expert and blogger Jonathan Dahoah Halevi, who witnessed the event, wrote afterward that “Besides the regular and expected manifestation of hatred towards Israel (“From the river to the sea Palestine will be free”, “IsraelHell” etc.) and Zionism (“Down with Zionism”) demonstrators proudly carried and waved the flags of Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and Palestine, the flag of the Mahdi (Muslim Messiah) as well as pictures of Ayatollah Khomeini.”
The staunch support for Iran, Syria and Hizbullah was not dampened by the fact that all three parties are accomplices in the horrendous genocide of the Sunni Muslim community in Syria, Halevi noted.

Lunatic At Toronto Al Quds Day Rally Says Israelis Should Be Given 2 Minute Warning To Get Out Or They Start Shooting

"Elias Hazineh, Former President of Palestine House, attended the annual Quds Day rally that took place on August 3, 2013 in Toronto. In his speech to a crowd of hundreds holding anti-Israel banners and waving the flags of Palestine, Iran, Syria (Assad regime) and Hezbollah, Hazineh uttered a threatening message to the Jews living in Israel, while talking in favor of endorsing a strategy that will give the Israeli Jews an ultimatum to leave immediately the country or to be shot dead."
Palestine House is an anti-Semitic NGO defunded by the [Canadian] federal government.

Ultra-Orthodox man who offered to spy for Iran served in IDF

An ultra-Orthodox man accused of offering to spy for Iran on Israel previously served in the Israel Defense Forces but was released for reasons of mental health.
The man, a member of the anti-Zionist fringe group Neturei Karta, was remanded for two days during a hearing at the Jerusalem District Court Monday.

Egyptian anti-Obama video goes viral, blames him for siding with Muslim Brotherhood

An example of the vitriol in the country can be seen in a new video clip featuring a song by Egyptian performer Sama Elmasry. Titled “You Obama, Your Father, Mother,” it attacks the US president for allegedly preferring Islamic radicals over the army. It has gone viral, with over 160,000 views since last week.
The clip features Obama in traditional Islamic dress. Elmasry curses him while mentioning that he had called for former president Hosni Mubarak to leave immediately, seeming to imply that this proved he was pro-Brotherhood.
The song also mentions Obama’s support for Islamistled Turkey as well as Israel. It is highly nationalistic in tone and ends with a photo of Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the anti-Morsi coup.

IDF Enlists New Robot to Defend Israelis from Explosives

Yahalom, the elite special force of the Combat Engineering Corps, operates in various terrains. It specializes in robotics, diffusion of bombs, minefield neutralization, and destruction of enemy infrastructure and outposts. It is also trained for active combat, such as the planting of bombs in enemy territory. The unit’s explosives disposal detachment is to begin using the Talon IV robots in the near future, bolstering its ability to thwart attempts to kill and injure Israelis using planted explosives.

Top 10 Israeli apps that are revolutionizing your journeys

Whether it’s a navigation aid you’re seeking, or a city bus or parking, these apps have you covered. One will check your tire pressure and another checks your breath to gauge if you’re too tipsy to drive – and it’ll even hail you a cab if you are.

Tadir Gan wins $45m Volkswagen contract

Tadir-Gan (Precision Products) Ltd. (TASE: TDGN), controlled by First Israel Mezzanine Investors Fund (FIMI), has won a $45 million contract from Volkswagen AG (DAX: VOW) to supply engine parts over eight years from 2015. The contract is the result of two acquisitions by Tadir Gan earlier this year.
Tadir Gan will supply aluminum components produced at its plants in Afula and Germany and magnesium products from its plant at Kibbutz Neve Or. The components are designed for large engines for Volkswagen's high-end models.

Veto on Disease

A little tolerance can go a long way. If the immune system, for instance, could be coaxed into tolerating foreign tissue rather than rejecting it outright, a variety of blood disorders could be treated by bone marrow transplants. Immune tolerance could also help extend these transplants to people who are currently too frail to receive them; in addition, it could facilitate the transplantation of kidneys, liver and other body organs.
An international team led by Weizmann Institute researchers has recently managed to induce a certain degree of immune tolerance by making use of so-called veto cells. These are naturally occurring immune cells that exert veto power over their own destruction: When attacked by the recipient’s immune cells, they launch a pre-emptive strike, destroying the attackers.

Israeli Researchers Invent Spray to Stop Hospital-Acquired Infections

One out of every 20 hospital patients in the United States contracts a hospital-acquired infection, with infants in intensive care and the elderly facing the highest risk of infection and death. Israeli researchers have invented a new spray that can help stop hospital-acquired infections.
The spray stops microorganisms from sticking to the surface of objects and reproducing, a process known as bio fouling. (h/t Jewess)

Dr. Mehmet Oz praises ‘coexistence’ at Israeli hospital

America’s favorite physician, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, recently wrapped up a 10-day tour in Israel that included all the main tourist sites and a stopover at the world’s largest and most advanced “fortified hospital” at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.
Dr. Oz, the Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon who hosts The Dr. Oz Show, toured the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital and Rambam’s state-of-the-art shock-trauma ward, prior to hosting a public lecture on health, morality, religion and culture.

Jews were interned in Indonesia during WWII

From Asahi Shimbun:

A Dutch woman has come forward to confirm that occupying Japanese forces rounded up and placed Jews in Indonesia into a separate internment camp during World War II, where they were subject to beatings and near-starvation rations.

Anne-Ruth Wertheim, 78, a former senior high school teacher who is now living in Amsterdam, confirmed its existence as a living witness of the camp.

“When I was in Indonesia in my childhood, I was put in an internment camp for Jewish people,” she said in an e-mail.

At her home in Amsterdam, Wertheim talked about her past while clutching her mother's diary.

She was born in Batavia (current Jakarta) in Indonesia, which was then a colony of the Netherlands. Her father, who was Jewish, was the principal of a law school. Her mother was not Jewish.

Japan occupied Indonesia in March 1942 in an attempt to secure oil supplies and shore up its defense lines in Southeast Asia. Wertheim's father was sent to an internment camp for Dutch and other civilians in Indonesia. At that time, other family members were allowed to remain at home.

In January 1944, however, Wertheim was sent to an internment camp for women and children in Jakarta along with her mother, older sister and younger brother. At that time, she was 9 years old.

In September 1944, a Japanese officer told internees in the camp, “If even one drop of Jewish blood flows in your bodies, tell me.”

Her mother wrote in her diary, “Though I am not Jewish, I wrote my name in the list of Jewish people in order not to be separated from my children.”

In December 1944, Wertheim and her family members were transferred from Jakarta to an internment camp in Tangerang, in the western part of Java Island. Two-thirds of the people in the camp were Jewish. The remaining detainees were members of the Freemasonry fraternal organization, and those who had belonged to the ruling class.

In the camp, iron bars were installed on the windows. Boards, each measuring only about 50 centimeters in width, were placed in rows to serve as beds.

“The living conditions in the camp were clearly worse than those in the previous camp,” Wertheim said.

Meals in the camp, which consisted of only one scoop of rations, were decreased from three times to twice daily. On such near-starvation rations, women stopped menstruating and children's growth became stunted.

Harsh disciplinary measures were observed in the camp. If internees did not bow sufficiently to Japanese soldiers, they were struck by camp staff. In addition, all the prisoners would then be forced to stand in the hot sun for many hours to take collective responsibility for a breach.

The article gives some background material:

Aiko Utsumi, director of the Center for Asia Pacific Partnership of Osaka University of Economics and Law, has detailed knowledge of Japan’s policies concerning wartime internment camps in Indonesia. Among historical materials she copied at the national archives of the Netherlands, there was a list of names of Jewish internees.
...
After the end of the war, employees of the Japanese Justice Ministry visited released war criminals and interviewed them. The records of the interviews were also found in the National Archives of Japan.

According to the records, one of the former war criminals said about the former section chief, “As a researcher of Jewish issues, he clamped down on Jewish people and, as a result, he angered them.”

During the war, the former section chief contributed several articles to The Java Shimbun, a newspaper published on Java Island by The Asahi Shimbun, and also gave interviews. One of the articles read, “Jews and Freemasons are plotting to control the world.”

Judging from these historical materials, Utsumi said, “It is certain that there were internment camps exclusively for Jewish people in Indonesia that was under the occupation of Japan.”
...
According to Ikuhiko Hata, an expert on modern history, the view that Jews and Freemasons were plotting to control the world was spreading widely in Japan during the war.

There was a conference on this topic in 2010:

A key aspect in the factors leading to Jewish suffering in Indonesia was one known in other areas too. Indonesia’s economic position and the ongoing war inevitably led to a severe financial crisis. As part of the Japanese effort to pacify the local population in these difficult times, a scapegoat was targeted: the Jew. With a Muslim majority, anti-Semitic incitement and mobilizing a war on the Jewish “enemy” was no great challenge.

“This distinctive combination of causes led to greater suffering for the Jews of Indonesia, compared to the other minorities – including Jews – in other regions under Japanese occupation. Unlike the calculated German racial doctrine, this was not part of some Japanese ideology or planned policy; but the results were tragic for the Jewish community,” Prof. Kowner summed up.

(h/t Yoel)

Palestinian Arabs, visiting Israel, find their local merchants have been gouging them

Al Hayat al Jadida reports that hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs have received permits to enter Israel during Ramadan - and they are finding that identical items of food and clothing are a fraction of the cost that they are charged back home.

Mothers who spent a large amount on Ramadan clothes in the West Bank are upset at seeing the same clothes, or clothes of better quality, for half the price in Tel Aviv.

One woman said, "It's a scandal for our merchants ... I bought clothes for my kids from shops in Ramallah at high prices, but when I went to the shops in the Israeli cities and found the same clothes, but the price difference is substantial...It's incredible and unjustifiable what our merchants are doing to exploit citizens, and the official institutions in power do nothing to stop this."

The writer estimates that if every Arab visiting Israel spends only 200 shekels, that means that 50 million shekels are being spent in Israel instead of in the PA-administered territories.

While the PA stated that Israel issues the permits just to gain economically, others aren't buying their line any more. The head of a consumer protection agency in the West Bank says that the local merchants have no incentive to keep prices low because they simply have no competition.

Merchants, not surprisingly, claim that they have too many expenses, in rent, workers and taxes, and cannot compete with Israeli prices. While I don't know how much they are taxed, it is obvious that Israeli workers get paid about double the rate that Ramallah shopkeepers pay, and the rent in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem is no less than in Ramallah, so this argument doesn't hold much water.

Meanwhile, Gazans can only wish for the ability to visit Israel as freely. But this year they don't have much money anyway. Hamas has delayed paying salaries to its workers before the upcoming Eid, causing much grumbling. Hamas knows very well that the economy has been a major component in some of the Arab upheavals bu it seems to have lost its Iranian and Egyptian patrons for now, so it is scrambling for its very life.

8/05 Links Part 1: Reuters Kills the Mideast Domino Theory, The Return of Al Qaeda

From Ian:

Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinians Dismiss Prisoner Release as a "Bribe"

The prisoner release could benefit Abbas in the short-term. But in the long-term, many Palestinians will continue to see it as part of an Israeli-American scheme to extract concessions from Abbas and the Palestinian Authority leadership.
After the celebrations over the release of the prisoners end, Palestinians will continue to criticize Abbas for "succumbing" to US pressure and going to the peace talks against the recommendation of the PLO leadership. And of course they will continue to attack Israel for not fulfilling all their demands, including a settlement freeze and the release of the rest of the prisoners.

Palestinians, Breaking Kerry’s Promise, Reveal Timetable for Prisoner Release

Although U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said last week that the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams would keep the details of their renewed talks confidential, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Saturday said Israel would release 26 Palestinian prisoners on Aug. 13, Israel Hayom reported.

‘Boycott Israeli sports,’ urges PA official

Departing starkly from messages of peace and coexistence expressed by Israeli President Shimon Peres as he welcomed the Barcelona FC soccer team on Sunday, Fatah official and Palestinian Soccer Association head Jibril Rajoub took advantage of “the most important event in the history of Palestinian sports” to call for a sports boycott of Israel.
Speaking to journalists at the entrance to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Saturday, Rajoub said that sports were the best means to combat racism. He then proceeded to call for a sports ban on Israel, which “incites against anything Arab.”

Dore Gold: The Return of Al Qaeda

In the meantime, internal security in Iraq has been deteriorating with about 80 car bombs and suicide bombing attacks employed. Over 1,000 Iraqis have been killed in May, the highest number in five years. Understanding that the escape of al-Qaeda operatives from an Iraqi prison had broader implications beyond Iraq itself, Interpol issued an alert that the escape constituted a “major threat to global security.” The New York Times ran an editorial on July 29 with the title “Al-Qaeda in Iraq scores big,” which reached the conclusion that the “attacks showed the fearsome and growing strength” of the organization.

US reopens Tel Aviv embassy, but extends closures across region

The US State Department on Sunday announced the extension of the closure of 19 US embassies and consulates across the Middle East and Africa through to Saturday August 10, but removed its Tel Aviv posting from the watch list.
Over the weekend, security forces closed roads, put up extra blast walls and increased patrols near some of the 21 diplomatic missions in Asia and Middle East — including Israel — that Washington had ordered closed following warnings of a possible al-Qaeda attack.

Honest Reporting: Reuters Kills the Mideast Domino Theory

More than 100,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict and violence has flared again in Iraq, with over 1,000 killed there in July alone, many at the hands of al Qaeda. Tensions over Iran’s disputed nuclear program have also risen, while a struggle for power between Islamists and the military is playing out on the streets of predominantly Sunni Egypt.
Arguably, none of these crises will come any closer to being settled should, by some miracle, Israel and the Palestinians finally agree to divide the land where they live . . .
In public, Muslim leaders have traditionally railed against Israel, happy to fan ordinary Arabs’ sincere anger about the plight of the Palestinians – and perhaps deflect criticism of their own failure to make badly needed reforms.
Arab leaders can no longer get away with this.

Michael Totten: Hezbollah Plays the Israel Card

Hezbollah desperately needs the Israel card, but it won’t work this time unless Israel invades Lebanon. Yet Israel won’t invade Lebanon unless Hezbollah starts something. And Hezbollah wouldn’t dare start something now while it’s busy in Syria. The last thing it needs is open-ended conflict on two fronts at once. Hezbollah isn’t a superpower. It only has a few thousand fighters.
It’s obvious to just about everyone now that Nasrallah needs a distraction, but the truth is that his relentless war against Israel has always been partially a distraction. His hatred of Israel is real, no doubt, but it serves a dual purpose. It papers over the dangerous rift between Sunni and Shia Muslims that has led to so many wars, the majority of which the Shia lost.

CiF asks Palestinian supporter of ‘armed resistance’ her views on the peace process

An August 1 essay at ‘Comment is Free’, titled ‘The Middle East peace talks are back to disappoint‘, by Gaza based blogger (and Electronic Intifada contributor) Rana Baker didn’t include anything particularly surprising – at least by ‘CiF’ standards.
In her column, Baker, an activist from Gaza, demonizes Israelis as ‘colonisers’ who administer an “apartheid-like system in impoverished Bantustans”, dismisses the newly relaunched peace talks as an act of surrender and exercise in futility, and mocks as “irrelevant”, weak and spineless Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

BBC tones down Iranian rhetoric and extremism

Why the BBC should find it necessary to tone down Rouhani’s remarks in a manner which it presumably thinks makes them more palatable to Western audiences is anybody’s guess, especially as other members of the Western media managed to report the geographical intentions of Rouhani’s words accurately.
The problem is, of course, that the BBC has invested much in educating its audiences with regard to its own definition of “occupation”, but rarely bothers to clarify the fact that for other parties – including Iran and its terrorist proxies – “occupation” means every last inch of Israel. Hence, average readers would be liable to fail to grasp the real significance of Rouhani’s words quoted later on in the article:

Lebanese Christian Leader: Hizbullah Fired on Palace

One of the rockets struck within the security perimeter of the Presidential Palace, and the other exploded within the security perimeter of the Army headquarters. The attack came hours after a speech by President Michel Suleiman on Lebanon's Army Day.
“The rocket attacks came the same day of the president’s speech on Army Day. They were launched from areas that come under the military control of a certain party,” Geagea said, in a reference to Hizbullah.

Israel, US have vastly different takes on Iran's Rouhani inauguration

The US hoped the new Iranian government would “heed the will of the voters by making choices that will lead to a better life for the Iranian people,” Carney said.
This conciliatory tone was at odds with the tone coming from Jerusalem, where Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu again urged the world not to be “taken in” by Rouhani’s perceived moderation.
“On Friday, the Iranian president said that Israel ‘has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world,’” Netanyahu said at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting.
“The president of Iran has been replaced, but the goal of the regime has not been replaced, it remains as it was,” he continued. “Iran’s intention is to develop a nuclear capability and nuclear weapons in order to destroy the State of Israel, and this constitutes a danger not only to us and the Middle East, but the entire world, and we are all committed to prevent this.”

Iran May Try New Path to Nukes

Iran may be preparing to use a heavy water reactor for producing weapons-grade plutonium, according to U.S. and European officials cited in the Wall Street Journal. This is an alternative method for reaching a nuclear bomb, which joins its existing uranium enrichment project.
A heavy-water reactor is an easier target to hit than the underground facilities that house Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities, the newspaper notes.

PLO threatens to sue Volkswagen over old, fake commercial

About nine years ago some enterprising video producers created this brilliant fake Volkswagen commercial:

Today, the the PA's Foreign Minister Dr. Riyad al-Malki is threatening to sue VW - for a commercial it never made.

Al-Malki, who is currently in Tehran (which is interesting in itself), stated, "We are going to ask our embassy in Germany to discuss the issue with the company, in addition to that we will called the German ambassador to PLO."

He added, "We will demand the company to withdraw its commercial and apologize to the Arab public on this abuse."

"I have not seen the commercial yet, but if it contains inflammatory material, we will take all legal action against the company."

Yes, PLO ministers make public statements and denunciations based on nothing more than rumor.

Snopes has the story behind this video, including that VW intended to pursue legal action against the producers.

Egyptian siege continues - only two groups visited Gaza in July

Palestine Today reports that there has been a sharp drop in outside parties visiting Gaza over the past month, with only two delegations allowed into the Hamas-ruled territory during July.

In contrast, some 27 groups visited in June and 20 in May.

Officials said that this is because of much stricter Egyptian rules allowing people to cross the Rafah crossing.

According to Aladdin Batta of Hamas' ministry of foreign affairs, the lack of visitors hurt the education and medical sectors.

I still have not seen anyone referring to Egypt's near-total isolation of Gaza as being a "siege" or a "blockade."

Meanwhile, Israel isn't only allowing medical patients and their families to come into Israel from Gaza, but also some families to visit relatives in the West Bank:

Many other Gazans cross into Israel to visit relatives living in Judea and Samaria. Each month, IDF officials help more than 3,000 Palestinians pass through the crossing to visit their families. This month, as Palestinian Muslims observe the holiday of Ramadan, higher numbers of travelers are visiting Israel to celebrate the holiday with family members.