Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, October 24, 2013

10/24 Links Pt1: Totten - Saudi-American Rupture, Saudi Arabia Threatens Women Drivers

From Ian:

Michael Totten: The Saudi-American Rupture

All the existing Sunni Arab governments moved on from the Arab-Israeli conflict decades ago. Aside from the Palestinian Authority during the Second Intifada, only the Iranian regime and its network of allies and proxies—Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah, and Hamas—have fought Israel at any time during the last thirty years or so. The only exception occurred when Saddam Hussein launched a couple of SCUD missiles at Tel Aviv during the first Persian Gulf War in an attempt to fracture the Arab-Western alliance against him.
The majority of Arab citizens would surely think my analysis is nonsense on stilts, but aside from the (non-Sunni) regime in Damascus, Arab governments are behaving precisely in line with it. They learned quite a while ago that it’s time to set the ridiculous Palestinian conflict aside and deal with real
threats for a change.

WSJ: Saudi Arabia Scaling Back U.S. Ties Due to Administration’s “Syria, Iran and Egypt Policies”

Saudi Arabia intends to scale back the degree to which it cooperates with the United States in arming and training Syrian rebels, a decision that comes amid what the Wall Street Journal describes as ”a growing dispute between the U.S. and one of its closest Arab allies over Syria, Iran and Egypt policies.”

In Washington in recent days, Saudi officials have privately complained to U.S. lawmakers that they increasingly feel cut out of U.S. decision-making on Syria and Iran. A senior American official described the king as “angry.” Another senior U.S. official added: “Our interests increasingly don’t align.”

Saudi Arabia, the UN and the OIC

A stated Islamist goal, to replace Western civilization's liberal democratic order with a Sharia-governed Ummah [community of Muslims], now seems to involve an effort to delegitimize Western international organizations, as seen this week by Saudi Arabia's refusing a seat on the United Nations Security Council. Saudi Arabia's refusal likely reflects its view of itself as helping to establish an alternative international order based on Sharia law. For Islamists, the United Nations, like all secular international organs, lacks legitimacy.

Saudi Arabia warns of shift away from U.S. over Syria, Iran

Upset at President Barack Obama's policies on Iran and Syria, members of Saudi Arabia's ruling family are threatening a rift with the United States that could take the alliance between Washington and the kingdom to its lowest point in years.
Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief is vowing that the kingdom will make a "major shift" in relations with the United States to protest perceived American inaction over Syria's civil war as well as recent U.S. overtures to Iran, a source close to Saudi policy said on Tuesday.

Iran through Saudi eyes

The Saudis have a point. Those words do not flow easily from my pen. For more than three decades, the Arab royals have spent billions of petrodollars promoting Wahhabism, a poisonously anti-Western interpretation of Islam, of which the most lethal expression is bin Ladenism.
But now the Saudis are angry with the Obama administration. The reasons include "inaction over Syria's civil war as well as recent U.S. overtures to Iran," a source "close to Saudi policy" told Reuters on Tuesday. "The shift away from the U.S. is a major one," the source said. "We are learning from our enemies now how to treat the United States," Saudi security analyst Mustafa Alani told The Wall Street Journal last month.

For Palestinians, the other enemy is their own leadership

Today, the international community, led by the United States, is yet again pushing the Palestinians and Israelis toward a two-state solution. And Washington still has not learned its lessons. The State Department continues to give short shrift to the internal challenges dogging the PA, which is widely seen by the Palestinian street as a seal of approval for the ongoing abuses.

Abbas calls on Europe to boycott settlement goods

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said European companies should boycott Israeli goods manufactured in Judea and Samaria.
"I call on European companies and foreign companies doing business in the settlements to put an end to their activities," Abbas was quoted as saying by AFP. "Such activities are a violation of international law."

PMW: PA-associated youth magazine glorifies death

The PA-associated educational youth magazine Zayzafuna, whose advisory board include PA Deputy Minister of Education Jihad Zakarneh and the Head of the Media Department of the PA Ministry of Education, Abd Al-Hakim Abu Jamous, has published for the third time a poem glorifying Martyrdom death for Allah - Shahada. It has been published in the issues of January 2012, June 2013, and September 2013. Twice it has been attributed to an 8th grade student and once, as documented by Palestinian Media Watch, to an 11 year-old in 5th grade.

BBC terms bus bomb planner claimed as a member by 2 terror groups ‘militant’

In addition to the PIJ statement claiming Assi as one of its members, Hamas also claimed him as a member of its ‘al Qassam’ brigades on its website.
Hamas also released a statement claiming responsibility for the November 21st 2102 terror attack on a bus in Tel Aviv.
So here’s a question: how many internationally recognized terror organisations have to claim a person as one of their members before the BBC will stop euphemistically describing him as a “militant”?

UN reports widespread human rights abuses in Iran

Ahmed Shaheed’s report condemned a rise in the number of jailed journalists in Iran over the past decade — including 23 since January — and other restrictions against freedom of expression, including the blocking of up to 5 million websites. He expressed alarm about a law being considered that would allow a custodian to marry his adopted child. And he said minority religious groups are subjected to discrimination in employment and education, and are often arbitrarily arrested and tortured.

Iran must prove nuclear program peaceful, Kerry says

Before they sat down, Kerry said Iran would have to prove to the world that its nuclear program was not military, seeking to allay Israeli fears ahead of the meeting.
“We will need to know that actions are being taken, which make it clear, undeniably clear, fail-safe to the world, that whatever program is pursued is indeed a peaceful program,” Kerry told reporters in a brief press statement at the start of the meeting, which was originally scheduled for seven hours.
“No deal is better than a bad deal,” he added, echoing a statement he made earlier this month.

PM reportedly unmoved by Kerry’s reassurances on Iran

Netanyahu and John Kerry held a marathon meeting Wednesday evening in Rome. Before the two sat down, Kerry, apparently seeking to allay Israeli fears,said Iran would have to prove to the world that its nuclear program was not military in nature.
The prime minister was apparently unpersuaded by Kerry’s attempts to assure him of Washington’s resolve to maintain a tough position versus Iran despite the recently reinvigorated diplomatic process, The New York Times reported.

Iranian student takes her foreign minister to task over nuke policy

A rare public exchange between an Iranian student and her foreign minister over Iran’s nuclear program recently offered a unique glimpse into mounting public frustration experienced by Iran’s middle class, impoverished by nuclear sanctions.
On October 18, the student posted an anonymous letter on the Facebook page of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif — which is followed by over half a million people — responding to an update he posted on nuclear talks underway between Iran and the West in Geneva. The letter, which asks bitterly why the government is so preoccupied with “this nuclear energy,” was first picked up by an Iranian blog and translated by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

Netanyahu to Kerry: Iran Shouldn’t Have Enrichment, Plutonium Heavy Water Capabilities

Netanyahu also suggested that the Iranian problem should be addressed similarly to how the U.S. dealt with the recent Syrian chemical weapons crisis.
“I think no deal is better than a bad deal. I think a partial deal that leaves Iran with these capabilities is a bad deal,” Netanyahu said. “You wisely insisted there wouldn’t be a partial deal with Syria. You were right. If Assad had said, you know, ‘I am ready to dismantle 90%, 50% or 80% of my chemical weapons capability,’ you would have refused and correctly so, and I think in the case of Iran, it is essential that it be made to live up to Security Council resolutions that demand an end to enrichment and enrichment capability and an end to plutonium heavy water capability toward fissile material for nuclear weapons.”

Where's the Coverage? Many Countries Have Nuclear Power but No Enrichment

There are many countries that have nuclear power that do not have the capability to enrich their own fuel. They buy it from abroad and that’s what Iran could do. And that’s what the media are neglecting to tell you.
There are over thirty countries around the world that have nuclear power programs but according to the World Nuclear Association, only eleven have the capacity to enrich their own fuel.

TIME Magazine Flacks for Iran

If Iran has “good” reasons not to trust America, then America has great reasons not to trust Iran. And the four above don’t even scratch the surface. The Iranian regime has been hiding, lying about and violating international law regarding its nuclear program for decades. That sounds like a pretty darn good reason not to trust the regime as negotiations resume next month in Geneva.
As to why TIME Magazine would act as the public relations arm of the Iranian regime, there doesn’t seem to be any good reason for that.

Washington Post Columnist Gets Iran Right

In the Oct. 17, 2013 print edition of The Washington Post, syndicated columnist Anne Applebaum (“A New Iran? Hardly.”) highlights the fundamental issue when it comes to negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programs.
“We [the United States] oppose Iran’s nuclear ambitions for one reason: because we object to the Islamic Republic of Iran, a quasi-totalitarian state that since 1979 has been led by brutal, volatile men with no respect for the rule of law.” Exactly. And in their brutality and volatility, these quasi-totalitarian leaders have called for the destruction of Israel.

Saudi Arabia Threatens to Use Force Against Women Drivers

Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry has warned against “disturbing social peace” and has threatened to use force against a planned campaign by women to challenge a de facto ban on them driving, Al Arabiya reports.
“Regulations in Saudi Arabia prohibit any action that disturbs social peace and opens the door for sedition and responds to the illusions of prejudiced intruders with sick dreams,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.

Saudi Arabia slams Obama

From The Daily Mail:

Upset at President Barack Obama's policies on Iran and Syria, members of Saudi Arabia's ruling family are threatening a rift with the United States that could take the alliance between Washington and the kingdom to its lowest point in years.

Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief is vowing that the kingdom will make a 'major shift' in relations with the United States to protest perceived American inaction over Syria's civil war as well as recent U.S. overtures to Iran, a source close to Saudi policy said on Tuesday.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan told European diplomats that the United States had failed to act effectively against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was growing closer to Tehran, and had failed to back Saudi support for Bahrain when it crushed an anti-government revolt in 2011, the source said.

The shift away from the U.S. is a major one,' the source close to Saudi policy said. 'Saudi doesn't want to find itself any longer in a situation where it is dependent.'

It was not immediately clear whether the reported statements by Prince Bandar, who was the Saudi ambassador to Washington for 22 years, had the full backing of King Abdullah.

The growing breach between the United States and Saudi Arabia was also on display in Washington, where another senior Saudi prince criticized Obama's Middle East policies, accusing him of 'dithering' on Syria and Israeli-Palestinian peace.

In unusually blunt public remarks, Prince Turki al-Faisal called Obama's policies in Syria 'lamentable' and ridiculed a U.S.-Russian deal to eliminate Assad's chemical weapons. He suggested it was a ruse to let Obama avoid military action in Syria.

'The current charade of international control over Bashar's chemical arsenal would be funny if it were not so blatantly perfidious. And designed not only to give Mr. Obama an opportunity to back down (from military strikes), but also to help Assad to butcher his people,' said Prince Turki, a member of the Saudi royal family and former director of Saudi intelligence.

Saudi Arabia gave a clear sign of its displeasure over Obama's foreign policy last week when it rejected a coveted two-year term on the U.N. Security Council in a display of anger over the failure of the international community to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues.

Prince Turki indicated that Saudi Arabia will not reverse that decision, which he said was a result of the Security Council's failure to stop Assad and implement its own decision on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Now Lebanon adds:

But in the Middle East, hope was a far cry from the sentiment of many policy-makers in the region. Alarming reactions came from various Arab states, where the prospect of ending the 35-year-old hostility between the US and Iran is being interpreted as a major geostrategic shuffle in the world order. Saudi Arabia in particular refused to join the United Nations Security Council because it feels threatened by the US' recent diplomatic outreach to its adversarial neighbor, Iran.

According to Johnathan Schanzer, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, US foreign policy in the Middle East is at a turning point. “The administration seems to be so eager of disengaging from the region that it overlooks threats. Sometimes it even acknowledges them but allows them to continue. This is not a good sign for any of America’s allies in the [Middle East].”

Schanzer added, “I’ve been jokingly calling [US] foreign policy the Bizzaro doctrine; it plays off like the Seinfeld comedy show where everything that you think is going to happen, goes the exact opposite way. If you look at US foreign policy now, Iran appears to be pleased, the Syrian government appears to be pleased, even Sudan seems somewhat pleased.”

For the past few years, the Middle East had two main rivalries. Saudi Arabia on the one side felt reassured by its security alliance with the US. Iran, on the other, always played its Lebanese card (Hezbollah), and it slowly slid into a partnership with Russia.

Today, it is the Syrian war where the struggle for regional power is unfolding. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries back the insurgency against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, while Iran and Russia support the regime. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have asked the US to support military intervention in Syria and to aid the rebels. Iran and Russia, by contrast, have been supplying Syrian government forces with weapons and training.

But as policy-makers in Riyadh realized the US might not back Saudi Arabia’s regional aspirations, tensions have reached new heights between the two longtime allies. “The way Syria has been handled by Washington was a source of frustration for Riyadh. They have been begging Washington for intervention. The fact that Obama changed his mind again and again has triggered a lack of confidence from Saudi Arabia,” Schanzer said.

“For now, Saudi Arabia doesn’t have other choices. They don’t have other alliances that they can rely on. But what worries me now is that the Saudi [leadership] might choose other foreign policy options that take place more in the shadows. They might support radical groups and this would mean the return of the Saudi Arabia of the 1980s-1990s,” he added.

US diplomacy in the Middle East has been staggeringly incompetent.

But notice that even now, with Saudi Arabia and Israel on the same side of the Iran debate, the kingdom can't resist pretending that the situation between Israel and the PLO is still a key component to the region. Arab regimes have known for years that they could get support for their positions by invoking Israel, and old habits die hard.

Swimming association FINA warns Qatar, UAE over "stupid" anti-Israel actions

A followup to this story, from AP:

Swimming’s governing body has formally warned officials in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates for disrespecting Israeli swimmers at World Cup events.

FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the two organizing committees apologized for the “stupid” incidents in the past week.

Israel’s team protested when the country’s name and flag appeared to be censored in pre-race introductions and television broadcasts, Marculescu said.

The incidents raised questions about Qatar’s hosting the 2014 World Short-Course Championships in Doha. The governing body has rules prohibiting discrimination, including on grounds of religion or politics.

“Next year we have the world championships and these things will not happen anymore,“ Marculescu said in a telephone interview. “Every year we have events there and we never had things like this.”

Doha and Dubai are also scheduled to host further World Cup meetings ahead of the Dec. 3-7, 2014 worlds.

Marculescu said the problem was resolved during the events, held at Dubai last Thursday and Friday, and Doha on Sunday and Monday.

Israeli swimmer Amit Ivry won a medal at both meetings, though teammates noted that she seemed to be ignored by television cameras in some races.

Marculescu said local organizing committees were responsible for World Cup broadcasts. [which answers the question I had - EoZ]

“I think it was a good experience. No more is it going to happen,” the FINA official said, adding that medal ceremonies involving Ivry were conducted properly.

She won bronze in 100 meters breaststroke at Dubai, and took silver in 100 medley in Doha.

FINA seems to have been silent about the other flag controversy that Israellycool highlighted, where the Israeli flag outside the stadium was removed following complaints.

In 2009, Jimmy Carter wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post slamming Israel where he described a tunnel Hamas was building to kidnap Israelis was a "defensive tunnel."

Terrorists learn a lot from people like Carter.

Yesterday:

UN Under Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman said in a statement that digging underground tunnels from Gaza into Israel " is a violation to the ceasefire" agreement, brokered by Egypt in 2012 between Hamas and Israel.

Hamas' reaction? They just swiped Jimmy's argument. As a Hamas spokesman stated:

[The tunnel] is a way to protect the Palestinian people from attacks and crimes of the Israeli occupation. It does not make sense to deprive Palestinians from protecting themselves.

The resistance has realized that it has the right to find a way to protect and defend its people against the use of all weapons of death and destruction by the occupation.

Young Turkish Jews emigrating because of Erdogan

From Hurriyet Daily News:

The negative atmosphere and deteriorating relationship between Turkey and Israel is putting pressure on the small community of nearly 15,000 Jews in Turkey and prompting young Turkish Jews to emigrate from the country.

Anti-Semitism, triggered by harsh statements from the Turkish government, has led to the migration of hundreds of Jewish youngsters from Turkey to the U.S. or Europe, Nesim Güveniş, deputy chairman the Association of Turkish Jews in Israel, told the Hürriyet Daily News on Oct. 21.

This unease went before the Mavi Marmara incident, and was aggravated by the notorious “one minute” spat between the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Israeli President Shimon Peres in Davos, according to Güveniş.

“Is [Israeli President Shimon] Peres a man that could be told ‘one minute’? He is known in the world as a man of peace,” Güveniş said, recalling the Davos debate in which Erdoğan accused Peres of "knowing well how to kill" before storming out of the venue.

Güveniş is one of the 80,000 Turkish Jews in Israel who migrated in 1981. His primary reason for migrating was his two children’s unease in the politically tense Turkey of the late 1970s.

“They didn’t want to go to university where leftists or other groups were putting pressure on them to take sides at school. They went to university in Israel and we also had to move again after a couple of years. The first two years in Israel were difficult, and we had to learn the language. But I don’t regret it,” he said.

Güveniş also expressed unease on the remarks of Turkish leaders against Jews, which he says does not contribute to perception of Turkish people. “Look the environment in Turkey at the moment. We are uncomfortable with being ‘othered’ ... I am more Turkish than many. But we couldn’t make them believe it,” he said.

Israeli businessman now hesitate to make new investments in Turkey due to the atmosphere of enmity, Güveniş also noted, contrasting the present day with the past, when Turkey had much stronger relations with Israel.

Haaretz' Rihanna #fail (UPDATE)

Nope, she didn't sing what Haaretz said she sang. By now everyone is talking about it. The Algemeiner did a nice round-up:

Music fans in attendance at a Rihanna concert in Israel Tuesday night say that a claim made by a journalist, writing for Israeli daily Haaretz, that the Barbadian singer offered a nod to “Palestine” as she sang, is bogus.

“In ‘Pour it Up’ instead of ‘All I see is signs / All I see is dollar signs,’ she subbed in ‘All I see is Palestine,’” wrote Amy Klein, in a report now mirrored by the Huffington Post, UPI, BuzzFeed, Radar Online and multiple Arab outlets.

“I was amazed when I read the Haaretz story as it didn’t tally with my experience at the concert,” attendee Michael Dickson, who is the Director of advocacy group StandWithUs’s Israel office, told The Algemeiner.

Writing for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, journalist Simone Wilson said that in a poll of about 10 of her friends who attended the concert, “all of them agreed that Rihanna never used the word ‘Palestine.’”

Jerusalem Post reporter Lahav Harkov was the first to challenge the report when she tweeted “If every newspaper in the country sent ppl to the @rihanna concert & only Haaretz heard a pro-Palestinian comment, it probably didn’t happen.”

In amateur footage of Rihanna singing “Pour it Up,” at the concert, published on YouTube, the word “Palestine” can’t be heard.

Rihanna expressed enthusiasm about her trip to Israel in the lead-up to her appearance via her social media accounts, tagging her posts “#Israel.”

Amanda Silverman, Rihanna’s publicist, did not immediately respond to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.

The Haaretz newspaper has a history of running misleading reports and has been forced to issue embarrassing corrections in the past.
Footage of Rihanna singing ”Pour it Up,” at the concert can be viewed below at 06:00 approx:

Michael Dickson, who was interviewed above, wrote up his own post about it.

Isn't it interesting that the Ha'aretz reporter misheard the lyrics?

It seems like a pattern at that newspaper. Haaretz reports what it wants to believe instead of the truth a bit too often.

UPDATE: Haaretz issued a correction:

The original headline for this article has been changed (from “All Rihanna sees 'is Palestine,' but Israelis didn’t seem to care”) and a sentence was removed from the story ("Nor did they care when in “Pour it Up” instead of “All I see is signs / All I see is dollar signs,” she subbed in “All I see is Palestine,” or the fact that she just kept inserting calls of “Tel Aviv!” in every song – never once saying the word Israel.") Upon reviewing video footage of the show posted after publication, it is clear that the change in lyrics attributed to Rihanna was mistaken.

So far, HuffPo has not changed (now they have) its headline and RadarOnline has not corrected its story either.

10/23 Links Pt2: The ‘Zionist BDS’ Lie, Hollywood Insiders Counter Celebrity BDS, Rihanna in TA

From Ian:

‘Zionist BDS’ is a Lie

Peratis is not the only American Jew to have jumped into bed with the anti-Zionists. Some readers will have heard of, for example, MJ Rosenberg, a blogger who trades on the fact that he once worked for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and Richard Silverstein, another blogger who fuses a kind of hippie Judaism with full-throated defenses of the Iranian regime.
It leads them in farcical directions. Rosenberg, the man who popularized the anti-Semitic term “Israel-Firster,” has been complaining of late about anti-Semitism in the pro-Palestinian movement, while Silverstein has gone in the other direction, berating, on his twitter feed, a woman from Gaza for not being sufficiently supportive of Hamas!
For those of us watching this public spectacle of neurosis masking as political analysis, it’s all weirdly amusing. But nothing is so exquisitely ludicrous as Peratis’s view that you can be a Zionist and support an anti-Semitic movement at the same time.

Hollywood Insiders Form Group To Counter Celebrity BDS Campaigns

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which aims to isolate Israel because of its occupation of the West Bank, has often had trouble gaining traction on other fronts. But the performing arts have emerged as the one field in which calls to boycott the Jewish state have yielded some response. Roger Waters, Elvis Costello, Annie Lennox and Stevie Wonder, among others, have responded to calls from grassroots activists by canceling dates in Israel or declining to play there, or at Israel-related events, even as other performers, including Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Bob Dylan and Madonna, have pointedly ignored such calls.
But lately, a group opposed to BDS has been taking a notably different approach. Unlike its opponents, who focus on building grassroots pressure by fans, from the bottom up, the Creative Community for Peace has assembled an impressive roster of top entertainment executives supportive of Israel who are seeking to influence artists from the top down to perform there.

Towards a new ‘liberation theology’: Will progressives ever learn to embrace Jewish success?

The stubborn reality of a Jewish state, which adopts a democratic, open and largely free-market economy, vaunting impressive human development figures, while poverty and civil strife plagues those who reject such a paradigm, poses a life-threatening challenge to the progressive worldview.
If the failure of the Arab Spring has taught has taught us anything, it’s that our initial faith that freedom and prosperity will inevitably be the reward once Arab peoples are free from despotism, or even “occupation”, is indeed misplaced. While groups suffering from tyranny and under-development in the Middle East and elsewhere should continue to strive for political freedom and independence, they must realize that while they look outward at obstacles to their liberation, they must also look inward and strive to transcend the culture of fear, authoritarianism and scapegoating into one of openness, initiative and responsibility.

ADL raps Qatari organizers of swim competition over Israeli flag flap

“While it is notable that Israeli swimmers competed in the Swimming World Cup, the Qatari organizers surrendered to complaints and effectively whitewashed Israeli symbols from the competition,” ADL chief Abe Foxman said. “As more and more Arab countries host international sporting events in which Israeli athletes compete, this is an unacceptable gesture.”
“International sporting federations, who have guidelines mandating that all qualifying athletes be permitted to compete, must also now ensure that host countries guarantee that all participants and national teams – regardless of their nationalities – be treated equally, and that their national origin be fully recognized,” Foxman said. “Organizers of international sporting events cannot permit public opinion to politicize competitions, nor sully competitors."

What’s hiding behind attacks on circumcision?

In this context, connections between attacks on Jewish rituals and various anti-Israel measures emerge. The European Union greatly distorts international law when it comes to Israel. This has been exposed in a recent letter to Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, signed by more than a thousand jurists from many countries.
Now that the climate of hatred is widespread in Europe, anti-Jewish and anti-Israel laws are pushed through far more easily in many places. Battling attacks on Jewish rituals without confronting the root problem head-on is a highly mistaken policy for the Israeli government to pursue.

Satire Gone Too Far? The Onion Hurls Slurs At Redskins Owner

A satirical publication is making real news with its take on the debate surrounding the Washington Redskins nickname.
An article posted to The Onion’s website on Monday featured anti-Semitic slurs and stereotypes aimed at Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, who is Jewish.
Under the headline, “Redskins’ K— Owner Refuses To Change Team’s Offensive Name,” The Onion referred to Snyder as “hook-nosed” and “shifty-eyed.” The K-word was used three times, once in the headline and twice again in the story — and it wasn’t the only derogatory term used.

Finland Convicts Department Store Owner Kärkkäinen for Publishing Anti-Semitic Articles in Free Paper

A Finnish court convicted the high-profile owner of Helsinki’s Kärkkäinen department stores for publishing anti-Semitic articles in free paper Magneetti Media, which he also owns.
Juha Kärkkäinen was fined €45,000 for “inciting hatred against an ethnic group” and was ordered to take down the offensive articles from Magneetti Media’s website, according to Jewish human rights group Simon Wiesenthal Center, which alerted Finnish authorities, including the country’s president, to the hate literature being published by Kärkkäinen and assisted local organizations in filing the lawsuit.

Rihanna, perhaps the real mayor of Tel Aviv, entertains but doesn't sing

Maybe Rihanna should have run for mayor of Tel Aviv. This is only her second time performing in the White City, but she seemed to unite much of it, with an audience ranging from children to middle-aged couples, religious to secular, straight to gay.
Rihanna also shouted "Tel Aviv" about a dozen times, said she'd never forget the night, and did not stop flashing her megawatt grin for a moment, so she already sounds like she's a fan of the city. Plus, she couldn't be blamed for the low voter turnout, since she appeared on stage an hour late, minutes after the polls closed at 10 p.m.

MEMRI: Rihanna Photo Shoot In Courtyard Of UAE Mosque Sparks Media Uproar

On October 20, 2013, during a visit to Abu Dhabi as part of a concert tour in the UAE, the singer Rihanna sparked outrage by posing for photos in the courtyard of the emirate's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Though she was dressed modestly and wearing a hijab, the mosque authorities ordered her to leave, deeming her conduct inappropriate to a holy site. The photos were posted on Rihanna's Instagram account.
The incident was widely reported in the Arab media and social networks. Twitter users even launched a "Rihanna Defiles the Sheikh Zayed Mosque" hashtag, which saw a remarkable amount of activity. Reports published in the Arab media likewise criticized Rihanna for this incident, and also for her immodest performance in her Abu Dhabi concert later that day.

US university to open ‘peace campus’ in Nazareth

The Nazareth municipality has already designated a plot for the new campus, an offshoot of Texas A&M University, which is expected to cost $70 million and be completed by October 2015. It is still unclear, however, which academic programs it will offer.
President Shimon Peres and Texas Governor Rick Perry were scheduled to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of the campus on Wednesday morning.

The American Cartoonists Who Spoke Out Against Kristallnacht

Most American editorial cartoonists, like most Americans, exhibited little interest in the plight of Germany’s Jews. But there were exceptions. A handful of cartoonists used their platforms not only to express sympathy for the refugees but also to call for practical steps to help them.
Six days after Kristallnacht, Paul Cormack, staff cartoonist for the Christian Science Monitor, drew a cartoon titled “The Best Answer to Race Persecution.” It showed a large hand, labeled “Humanity,” handing a document titled “Assistance” to a crowd of Jewish refugees.

Reinventing wheels

For GM, much of the technology needed for the vehicle of the future is being developed at its Israel research and development facility.
“The technologies that will power autonomous vehicles including smart sensing, vision imaging, human machine interface, wifi and 4G/LTE communications, and much of that is being done at our Herzliya facility, in conjunction with GM’s other R&D facility in Silicon Valley,” said Gil Golan, director of GM’s Advanced Technical Center in Israel. “The industry is being driven by customer preference and demand, and in order to keep up, we need to develop these technologies and ensure we are meeting customer demand. To stay on top of the market you have to be versatile, and the Israel ATC helps the company to do that.”

Three Israeli TV formats headed to US screens

“We are delighted that the New York, Little Mom and Magic Malabi Express formats will be distributed to the US market. The shows have been wonderful additions to our catalogue having had great success in their domestic market, and they stand an excellent chance of replicating their success in the US. These formats can be easily adapted to other cultures across all continents, so we hope this international success can be extended in the future,” said Nadav Palti, President and CEO of Dori Media Group.
New York tells the story of the son of the head of a notorious crime family who rejects the subservience of badly exploited foreign workers and is determined to change it. In Israel, it was the most watched drama of all time on the ‘YES’ channel.

"Israeli missiles found in Syria" claims Iranian newspaper

From Al Alam (Iran):

Syrian army troops have confiscated a number of Israeli-made missiles, which were in the possession of foreign-backed militants.

According to Al-Alam reporter, the seizure was made near the village of al-Tabeh in the countryside of the southwestern city of Dara’a on Monday.

Despite the missile, the Syrian troops also seized a large amount of Israeli-made weapons and ammunition, including developed machine guns and wireless communication devices.

This is not the first time that government troops have made such a seizure.

Media sources have in the past showed arms with Hebrew inscriptions, which they said originated from Israel.

Here's the photo they claim shows Israeli weapons. No close-ups of Hebrew. Too bad!

In June, Hezbollah TV showed what it called an Israeli "bomb shell" with Hebrew writing purportedly found in Syria. It was a flare.

Max Blumenthal wrote a book to demonize Israeli Jews

There is a great blog called "Bad News from the Netherlands." The point is to publish every single story that can make the Netherlands look bad, without any balance or context, to show that in the aggregate the methods used by Israel-haters to delegitimize Israel can be used against literally anyone. Looking at only that blog, you would conclude that the Netherlands is a racist, crime-ridden state that flouts international law and has no redeeming characteristics.

Max Blumenthal does exactly the same thing in his latest book about Israel - except he is far less objective than that blog.

Blumenthal's anti-Israel screed is called "Goliath." From what I can tell he took every possible activity by every possible Israeli Jew that can be remotely construed as negative, adding some hyperbole and eliminating context, and threw it into a book that is being hawked by the usual misozionistic crowd as evidence that Israel is rotten to the core.

While "Bad News from The Netherlands" only copies news stories, Blumenthal layers his hatred for Israel onto every incident, every anecdote, every piece of hearsay that he can find - as long as it makes Israeli Jews look like fascists (a word that he repeatedly associates with Israel in the book, as the index indicates.)

I decided to browse a little on the Amazon preview of the book, and saw this little non-anecdote on page 42:

Before any trip to Israel-Palestine, I receive a dizzying array of advice from jour-nalist and activist friends on how to pass through Israeli security with minimal harassment. A Jewish-American writer for a Palestinian diaspora publication told me she always wore blue-and-white clothing—the colors of the Israeli flag—and a gold Star of David necklace, and flirted openly with security officers of the opposite sex. A left-wing Israeli activist advised me to behave in an irritable, churlish fashion, blurting out terse responses to questions from security officers to avoid creating the perception that I was overcompensating for any "anti-Israel" intentions. Other journalist friends warned me to erase any and all Arab contacts from my phone, and to delete any material I had published about the Israel-Palestine conflict from my computer hard drive. They reminded me about Lily Sussman, the twenty-one-year-old Jewish American college student detained in December 2009 by the Shin Bet at Israel's border with Egypt because she was carrying suspicious items, such as an Arabic phrasebook. After two hours of intense interrogation, a baby-faced Shin Bet officer appeared to inform Sussman,"I'm sorry, but we had to blow up your laptop:' He then handed her a Macbook riddled with bullet holes. Luckily for Sussman, the bullets missed her hard drive.

After deciding that I was too lazy to purge my computer and cellphone of Arab contacts, I concluded that I had nothing to hide and that the Israeli intelligence services could not possibly be foolish enough to treat me as a security threat. I then reminded myself that I was an Ashkenazi Jew who would be automatically afforded special rights according to the designs of Zionism.

My Jewish privilege would be borne out during many trips in and out of Ben Gurion Airport. Whenever a security officer greeted me with the requisite opening question, "Are you Jeweesh?" I have learned to casually respond, "Of course." If I were ever asked if I had any Israeli family, I would tell them about all my imaginary cousins in Tel Aviv or about my imaginary Israeli girlfriend. "Are you thinking of marrying your girlfriend," a young female security officer asked me once., sure am!" I said with a bashful smile, bringing a satisfied grin to the face of the officer. Because the maintenance of a Jewish demographic majority is Israel's national priority, the production of Jewish babies is a key national priority. With my promise to inject top-grade Ashkenazi Jewish sperm into the ovum of a young Jewish Israeli woman, I was marked with a level-one security classification.

Each time I reach the kiosk at passport control on my way into Israel-Palestine, I do my best to appear calm, and even a little bit bored, while the officer examines my documents. With bated breath I wait for the loud thump of the metal visa stamp when it meets the pages of my passport. Only with that noise will I know that I have gained admission through the fortified frontiers controlled by Israel. As a sense of relief washes across my body, a single thought enters my mind that is constantly reaffirmed throughout my time inside Israel-Palestine: I am a lucky Jew.

Blumenthal admits that he travels to Israel often. He admits that he has never had a problem entering Israel. He admits that no one ever looked at his cell phone or computer.

Yet he spins a tale of nervousness, of suspicion. He gratuitously makes fun of the Israeli accent. (Would he ever do that to an Arab?) He pretends to know that the polite reaction to his lie about wanting to marryhis fake Jewish girlfriend is proof of Israeli bigotry. (I have no idea what a "level-one security classification" is. I'm pretty sure he made it up, something he has done before.)

And, of course, his repeated easy entry into the country only proves how terrible Israel is. Yet for some reason, every single time he is about to visit Israel, his friends keep offering advice on how to avoid the inevitable harassment.

This gives a small inkling of how skewed Blumenthal is.

To be fair, he does mention the case of Lily Susskind. I don't know what happened there. It certainly sounds bad from his telling of the story. Clearly her "Jewish privilege" didn't protect her as Blumenthal claims it protects him.

Of course, Blumenthal - who pretends to be a journalist - doesn't bother to try to find out what really happened from the perspective of Israel's security. He implies that Susskind's Arabic phrasebook and equally innocuous items are the reason she was detained. What he doesn't mention is that Susskind was living in Egypt at the time.

Plus she had a visa for Syria on her passport. A country that Israel is technically at war with.

Plus a hand-drawn map of Jerusalem.

Plus a photo on her phone of a graffitum saying "Fuck" next to a Star of David.

But to Blumenthal, the Arabic phrasebook is the only thing worth mentioning as an unreasonable excuse for her to be questioned.

His intent isn't to document reality, but to propagandize.

If he would have been honest, and told that story straight with context, then we can be properly upset at what appears to have been a gross overreaction on the part of the border officials. I confess I don't understand why, if Susskind was considered safe enough to enter Israel, they had to (almost) destroy her computer.

Israel isn't perfect by any means, and it has to deal with problems that no other country has to worry about. I would find it hard to believe (in the absence of any other information) the the people who shot her laptop would remain in their jobs if this incident would have been pursued.

When 18 year olds are forced to grow up fast to help defend their country, sometimes they do very inappropriate things that would be considered normal pranks on any college campus. This doesn't justify it, but the country is a pressure cooker and blowing off steam is inevitable. It is not evidence of "fascism."

Nevertheless, even with all the pressures and insults and haters targeting the Jewish state, Israel consistently tries to improve. An honest journalist would mention that.

But Blumenthal isn't honest. He isn't a journalist but an Israel-hating ideologue who is willing to play fast and loose with the facts to get his point across. He doesn't want to expose problems so they can be solved, he wants everyone to hate Israel as much as he does. He doesn't want to improve the Jewish state, but to destroy it.

Which is pretty much all that you need to know about this book.

10/23 Links Pt1: Abbas Flirts With Assad, Iran Gives Russia Copy of US Drone, The Saudis UNSC Charade

From Ian:

Khaled Abu Toameh: Abbas, Hamas, Flirting With Syria's Assad

Like Abbas, Haniyeh also called for a "political solution and national understandings" in solving Arab disputes.
But while a rapprochement between Hamas and the Assad regime would only serve the Islamist movement's interests and help it rid itself of its growing state of isolation, especially in the aftermath of the downfall of the Muslim Brotherhood regime in Egypt, the renewal of ties between the Palestinian Authority and Damascus does not bode well for the future of the peace process.
The Assad regime is not going to change its position toward peace with Israel to appease Abbas and the Palestinian Authority. Abbas's gestures toward Assad will only bring him closer to Iran, Hizbullah and radical Palestinian groups that oppose any peace process with Israel.

Seth Frantzman Terra incognita: Saudi Arabia’s Security Council charade

The Saudis talk a good game about Islam and the Arab world, so why can’t they lead 22 Arab states and the 57 Muslim-majority states to do something about Syria? They whine about Iran, so why don’t they go fight the Iranians? When the Saudis had the chance to fight Iran they bribed the Iraqis to die in droves for them in the 1980s, then turned around and begged the Americans to fight Saddam in 1990. The whole world has been abused by the kingdom, but rather than stand up to its charade at the UN, the world begs and the analysts take their tantrums seriously.
The Saudis should never have been offered a seat on the Security Council. It is time to stop handing out presents to cruel and backward countries.

Why won’t Harriet Sherwood tell readers about the suspected terror affiliation of Shawan Jabarin?

To learn more about the story we contacted Anne Herzberg, NGO Monitor’s legal advisor, who told us, via email, that previous ICC prosecutors have already rejected similar arguments presented by Al-Haq (an NGO whose funders have included the Ford Foundation, Christian Aid, and the governments of Holland, Spain, Ireland, and Norway), and that it was unclear what they are hoping to accomplish.
Regarding Al-Haq, which has a history of characterizing terrorist activities as legitimate “resistance”, Herzberg offered the following comment:

Al Haq should be careful what they wish for. ICC jurisdiction over the situation in the West Bank would apply to Palestinians as well as Israelis. Given that Al Haq’s director Shawan Jabarin has been alleged by the Israeli Supreme Court to be a senior activist in the PFLP [Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine] terrorist organization, he himself could be a potential target for investigation by the court.

Facebook Lifts Ban on Beheading Videos

The social networking site Facebook has decided to allow users to post video footage of beheadings, reversing a temporary ban on the material.
The videos will be allowed to remain on the site if those posting them are condemning the beheadings, and not celebrating them. Images which “glorify violence” will still be banned.

Israel’s Peres: ‘Not All of the IDF’s and the Air Force’s Strength is Open to View’

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday warned the world that Israeli’s technology, especially as reflected in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market, where Israel is a leader, allows the Jewish state to keep the extent of its military power under wraps.
Visiting the UAV program at the Palmachim Air Force Base, along with IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz and GOC Air Force Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel, President Peres said, “Not all of the IDF’s and the Air Force’s strength is open to view. Whoever derides us and seeks to harass us should take this into account.”

Rock Attack: Arab Mob ‘Had Murder in Their Eyes’

Five people were injured Tuesday morning in a massive rock ambush near Jerusalem. An Arab mob hurled large stones at passing cars with Israeli license plates.
Arutz Sheva spoke to one of the injured, Rabbi Kfir Getz. In a conversation held as an ambulance took him to a Jerusalem hospital, Rabbi Getz recalled the terrifying attack, and the split-second change that he says saved his life.

Independent’s coverage of Palestinian terror again highlights perpetrator’s family

The Independent’s coverage of this latest terror incident consisted of the following photo (and accompanying caption) in a photo story titled ‘Pictures of the day: West Bank simmers as Palestinian anger builds in face of occupation’.
In addition to the misleading nature of the caption – which seriously downplayed the potentially lethal attack – the Indy’s decision to highlight the family of the perpetrator mirrors their use of photos in a story on July 28 about Israel’s decision to release 104 Palestinian ‘pre-Oslo’ prisoners – a group largely consisting of terrorists who murdered or attempted to murder Israeli citizens.

Arab American faces charges for 1969 J’lem bombing

An Arab-American community activist from the Chicago suburbs was arrested Tuesday on immigration charges for allegedly lying about her conviction for a deadly bombing more than 40 years ago in Israel.
Rasmieh Yousef Odeh, 66, spent a decade in an Israeli prison for her involvement in a 1969 attack that involved bombs planted at a crowded Jerusalem supermarket and a British consulate, according to a federal indictment. Only one bomb — one of two placed at the supermarket — exploded, killing the two people and wounding several others. Israeli authorities have said the attacks were planned by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

PA's UN Envoy Blames Israel for Lack of Progress in Peace Talks

Speaking during a debate in the Security Council on the Middle East, Riyad Mansour said that “tangible progress remains elusive” in the peace talks, The Associated Press reported.
Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor struck a similarly dim tone at the same debate. Both sides lashed out at each other for recent violence and gave no signs of budging on long-held stances that have obstructed peace prospects for decades.

Hamas Claims Responsibility for 2012 Tel Aviv Attack

Hamas on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a 2012 Tel Aviv bus bombing attack, hours after IDF and Shin Bet forces killed one of the attack’s planners.
In a statement, Hamas’s “military wing”, the Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, said that the attack was carried out by a terror cell consisting of three members, one of which was Mohammed Assi, the 28-year-old terrorist who was eliminated Tuesday after holing up in a cave near Dolev, in the western Binyamin region.

Druze community of Israel to President Peres: Help our brethren in Syria

Members of the Druse community are increasingly concerned about their brethren in Syria, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif told President Shimon Peres on Sunday.
In June this year, Druse leaders, following a meeting on the Golan Heights, sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with the request that their co-religionists in Syria be given a haven in Israel, especially those who as students left the Golan Heights to continue their studies in Syria.

Turkey Preventing U.S. Institution From Displaying Genocide-era Artwork

Turkey has reportedly pressured the Obama Administration into forcing the Smithsonian Institution to cancel an official display of the historic Genocide-era "Armenian Orphan Rug." The ANCA is deeply troubled that foreign interference, from Ankara, appears to be preventing the Smithsonian from displaying this historic Genocide-era artwork.
"We hope and expect that our government will, as a matter of principle, reject foreign efforts to censor how Americans view a truly pivotal chapter in the history of America's emergence in the early 20th Century - notably during the Armenian Genocide - as an international humanitarian power," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "Any barriers to the display of the Armenian Orphan Rug should be removed, and this important piece of artwork made available to the American public."

Turkey outing of Mossad a betrayal, say former spies

Such an incident by Turkey, a 60-year NATO ally of the United States, would be a betrayal of a Western fraternity of spies, he said.
"It's easy to imagine lots of Western countries shutting down an Israeli operation," he said. "I can't imagine any Western country ever ever cooperating with the Iranians to compromise and kill Israeli agents. That would never happen."
It's a sign that Turkey and its prime minister cannot be trusted with sensitive information and equipment, Gerecht said.
"If anything is going on with the Turks that you don't want the Iranians to know about, it should be stopped," he said.

Iran 'Gifts' Russia with Copy of US Drone

Iran has presented Russia with a gift of an exact copy of an advanced US spy drone.
The UK's Guardian newspaper has reported the copy of the US ScanEagle drone was given to Russia at a meeting between the two countries' air force commanders earlier this week in Tehran.

Egypt says Turkey is shipping weapons to Sinai jihadists

Egyptian officials say that they are seeing increasing smuggling of weapons from Turkey to Sinai jihadists, reports Al Ahram (and others).

The weapons arrive on ships arriving from Turkey arriving at multiple Egyptian ports along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Maj. Gen. Osama Askar, commander of the Third Army, said that the weapons and other supplies are reaching the Islamic militants through the ports at Alexandria, Damietta and Port Said.

He also said that the Egyptian army will increase its monitoring of ships that pass through the Suez Canal. Egypt has also seen weapons arrive from Libya

Hamdy Fakharany, a member of Egyptian parliament, called on Egypt to sever relations with Turkey saying that statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan against the coup in Egypt as well as statements that were apparently against the religious rulings of Al Azhar University.

Islamic Jihad admits that Mohammed Asi was behind Tel Aviv bus bombing

Yesterday the media reported:

An Islamic Jihad member, who took part in the planning of a 2012 Tel Aviv bus bombing during Operation Pillar of Defense, was killed in an exchange of fire with the IDF at a cave hideout near the West Bank village of Bil’in, security forces announced on Tuesday.

Muhammad Asi, of the Palestinian village of Bet Likya, was one of the planners of the bus attack that injured 29 civilians in Tel Aviv, the IDF said.

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) spent months tracking down his location, before homing in on his hideout in the cave, where he had been staying for several weeks.

Initially, Islamic Jihad admitted that Asi was a member but didn't say whether he was behind the bus bombing.

Today, they are bragging about it, as they declared him a "martyr." Apparently terror groups believe that if they don't declare someone a martyr, Allah won't know enough to place the deceased into paradise. That's why even terrorists who die of heart attacks and car accidents get declared to be "martyrs" as well.

Here is a photo from the press conference. You gotta love press conferences where the speakers are all masked and holding AK-47s.

Islamic Jihad declared that they will continue to fight Israel "until the last bullet." (The same source has a gory photo of Asi's body, too, if you are into that kind of thing, which apparently many terrorist fans are.)

When official PA news agency WAFA reported the news, they pointedly didn't mention a thing about the bus bombing. It was just an innocent Palestinian Arab man killed in cold blood by the IDF. Which makes them a great source for Mondoweiss-type "journalism."

IDF bombed Hizballah weapons shipment? Um, no.

YNet, Haaretz and Times of Israel all report:

Israeli warplanes hit a convoy of advanced missiles heading out of Syria and into Lebanon where they were to be delivered to Hezbollah, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, in the Kuwait-based paper Al-Jarida (Arabic), the attack was carried out earlier this week in the vicinity of the Lebanese-Syrian border.

However, the report, which relied on an unnamed “official source” in Jerusalem, did not say whether the targets were in Lebanon or Syria at the time of the strike.

Kuwaiti newspapers, and specifically Al Jarida, make stuff up all the time.

This is not the first time that Al Jarida reported huge scoops from Lebanon. Only a couple of days ago Al Jarida claimed that Iran had transferred missiles with a 1500 km range to Lebanon.

Last year, Al Jarida - again quoting a "high-ranking Israeli defense officials" - claimed that there was an assassination attempt against Ehud Barak in Singapore.

How is it possible that a Kuwaiti paper has such great connections with Lebanese and Israeli officials - better than any Israeli or Lebanese newspaper?

I found this interesting tidbit from 2011 where an analyst admits that Al Jarida and other Kuwaiti papers fabricate stuff, but then bizarrely claims that some of the their reports might be true anyway, because Hizballah operatives were imprisoned in Kuwait in the early 1990s, so I guess these newspapers kept in touch with them. Yeah, right. And they are really close with Israeli officials, um, why?

Journalists need to to some basic fact checks of their own before featuring such sources so prominently. True, they say that the reports are unconfirmed, but the salient fact is that Al Jarida's scoops are never confirmed.

Today, the PLO screwed its people yet again

This Jodi Rudoren article in the New York Times is far from perfect, but it echoes things I wrote recently:

Mayor Nir Barkat proudly trumpets the investments he has made over the past five years in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem: about $141 million for roads and infrastructure, $113 million to build 500 classrooms, more than $1 million for a single soccer field in Beit Safafa.

Mr. Barkat, a high-tech multimillionaire who is favored in Tuesday’s municipal elections here, did not, however, highlight these accomplishments in the actual Arab neighborhoods they benefit — because he, like his challenger, did not campaign at all in those places.

“You don’t focus on the ones that tell you they don’t intend to vote,” Mr. Barkat said with a shrug last week.

....As part of a broader “anti-normalization” campaign, the Palestinian leadership has for decades warned residents against casting ballots. So a vast majority do not vote, despite the possibility that their large numbers could win a solid blocking minority on the 31-member City Council, if not a winning coalition with sympathetic Israelis.

“The whole thing is not really rational,” said Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al Quds University, whose family has 1,300-year roots in Jerusalem. “It’s not by reason that people are guided; it’s by sentiments and feelings and fears and histories.”

Mr. Nusseibeh once advocated Palestinian voting, backing an Arab newspaper publisher who ran for mayor in 1987 but withdrew after his cars were burned and his home vandalized. Yet Mr. Nusseibeh himself has never voted here, either. And he said that the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, with the fate of Jerusalem among the contentious questions on the agenda, make people even more wary that voting could be seen as legitimizing Israel’s control of the city.

As I noted, at the same time the PLO threatens those who vote, it also complains that Jerusalem Arabs are disenfranchised.

In other words, the PLO is looking to score propaganda points far more than it cares about the welfare of its citizens.

According to early numbers, only about 1% of the Arab residents of Jerusalem across the Green Line voted.

And guess who is celebrating? The Palestinian Authority!

According to Al Watan (Saudi Arabia,) the low turnout was welcomed by the PA, calling it a "referendum."

If doing nothing except for complaining when things don't go your way is a referendum, then the PA has the market cornered.

10/22 Links Pt2: ADL's Top 10 Anti-Israel Groups, PA Youth Magazine Publishes List of Hitler Phrases,

From Ian:

Caroline Glick: Our World: A miracle and an outrage in Washington

The only lawful owners of the Iraqi Jewish archive that is being shown in Washington are the Iraqi Jews and their descendants, who are now overwhelmingly Israelis. The only place the archive should be sent is the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or Yehuda, the only museum in the world dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the 2,500-year-old Jewish community of Iraq.
Yet for the American foreign policy establishment, besotted by a quasi-religious belief that the establishment of a Jew-free Palestinian state on Israeli land will cure everything from Islamic jihad to the common cold, recognizing this simple truth is a bridge too far. Restoring the Iraqi Jewish archive to its Israeli owners would be tantamount to recognizing that the cause of the Arab world’s conflict with Israel is Arab anti-Semitism.

The Moral Incoherence of the Israeli Scholars Boycott Movement

More troubling with calls for an academic boycott against Israel, as Anthony Julius, British attorney and scholar of anti-Semitism, observed is that it reveals an obsessive inclination to demonize Israel, not to mention a breathtaking double standard in applying moral yardsticks to Israel not used to measure the political or social behavior of any other country—including those with far more dismal records of human rights abuses, racism, genocide, terrorism, and gender apartheid, among many other national pathologies. And in making a moral exception when Israel is the target of this collective moral opprobrium, those calling for a boycott against Israel are also not only violating some of the fundamental precepts of academia, but are repeating the impulses that have historically served to marginalize, demonize, and expel Jews from society—what Julius believes to be anti-Semitism.

College Professors Shamelessly Promote BDS Movement

It is also necessary to note that efforts to use professional societies and journals as vehicles to promote BDS are becoming routine. Another recent incident was the 2013 declaration of support for BDS by the Association for Asian American Studies. This marginal organization is one of the only ones to adopt a BDS resolution, but such efforts have been successful in British and more recently Irish academic unions.
Boycott proposals in other U.S. organizations, notably the Modern Language Association, have been proposed but to date have failed.
The Journal of Academic Freedom BDS issue demonstrates the extent to which American academic organizations continue to be an arena for BDS activists, many of whom move from one platform to another. This usefully demonstrates again the organized nature of BDS and the determination of activists to penetrate all aspects of academia. The use of “academic freedom” as a means to vilify and expel Israel from the global academic community is certain to intensify.

Arab Student Group Shows True Colors on Israel, Syria

SAIA [Students Against Israeli Apartheid] has had an increasingly conspicuous presence on campus. When the Syrian refugee fundraiser was posted on social media sites, it was a SAIA member that was the first to comment on the event, stating sarcastically that he was “always down to whitewash apartheid!”
Despite being well aware of their lack of respect for the ISA, it was still surprising to see members of SAIA handing out flyers and waving the Palestinian flag during our event.
Initially, they didn’t interact with us, and we managed to set up our area without any conflict. While we, the Israel Student Association, were attempting to raise funds for Syrian refugees, SAIA was handing out flyers for an event that documented “the torture of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention.” It was quite a convenient time and place to be advertising for such an event.

ADL Lists ‘Top 10 Anti-Israel Groups’ in the U.S.

In a statement, ADL National Director Abe Foxman said each of the groups is “fixated with delegitimizing Israel.”
“The Top 10 anti-Israel groups are the most significant players in the domestic anti-Israel movement today,” Foxman said. “The groups are fixated on delegitimizing Israel and convincing the American public that Israel is an international villain that deserves to be ostracized and isolated.”

No means too cheap to wipe out Israel

The far-left sees Islamism as the only movement capable of crushing capitalism and consequently uses every means to demonise Israel – the only country in the Middle East to grant equal rights to citizens of all religions and protect the human rights of gays and lesbians.
It is said that while it is hard to stand up to your enemies, it is even harder to stand up to your friends. I spent many years at the heart of left-wing politics and discovered, to my cost, what can happen when you begin to take a different view, when you do your research and realise that the accepted consensus isn’t necessarily correct; speaking out on this can result in rejection, expulsion from the club. (h/t IsraellyCool)

Toronto transit turns down ‘inaccurate’ anti-Israel ads

The Toronto Transit Commission rejected four anti-Israel advertisements for being “inaccurate and misleading.”
Brad Ross, a spokesman for the transit commission, told JTA on Monday that the ads were turned down because they were “inaccurate and misleading.” The ads were intended to run on buses and subways, as well as the commission’s shelters.
Proposed by the Montreal-based Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, the ads were similar to the “Disappearing Palestine” ad that ran this summer in Vancouver’s transit system. The Vancouver ad showed four maps, spanning from 1946 to 2012, that suggested Israel was taking over Palestinian land.

Toronto Star Columnist Wrongly Portrays Jesus as Palestinian

This is not only a distortion of Jesus’ personal history, but also an anachronism. The Romans changed the name of Judea/Israel to ‘Palestine’ 136 years after the birth of Jesus, to punish the Jewish nation after their unsuccessful rebellion. In another anomaly, Jesus is turned into a Shahid – a holy Martyr of Islam. Whereas Islamic teachings do view Jesus’ gospel as part of the Islamic prophetic tradition, nowhere does Islam refer to him as a Shahid.”
Writing in the Toronto Star on October 20, Ken Gallinger, dubbed an “ethically speaking columnist,” wrote the following non-sequitur statement: “Why are ‘good’ Christians so irredeemably more racist than their cousins outside the church? Incidentally, Jesus, the Palestinian, didn’t have blue eyes.”

Official Guardian editorial legitimizes a ‘one-state solution’.

Ignoring polls indicating that Palestinian residents of Jerusalem would prefer – in the event a Palestinian state were created resulting in a divided Jerusalem – to remain citizens or residents of Israel, their Oct. 21 editorial (Jerusalem elections: the ballot and the boycott) starts off by legitimizing the most radical and unrepresentative Palestinian voices:

Hamas claims tunnel, calls for new intifada, praises recent terror attacks: BBC silent

These latest additions to the BBC’s record of omission are of course less surprising when one considers that it elected not to include the issue of terrorism in its definition of the so-called “core issues” of the Middle East conflict.

PMW PA-associated youth magazine published list of sayings it claims are Hitler's

The PA-associated educational youth magazine Zayzafuna, whose Advisory Board include PA Deputy Minister of Education Jihad Zakarneh and the Head of the Media Department of the PA Ministry of Education, Abd Al-Hakim Abu Jamous, published a list of ten short wisdom sayings that it claimed were said by Hitler. The youth magazine gave no introduction or comment on the list other than the title "Among Hitler's sayings."

PA Official Boasts: Our Security Forces Responsible for Intifada

During a televised speech which featured on the pan-Arab Al Jazeera news network, translated by MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute), the PA's Ambassador to Libya, Mutawakkil Taha, boasted of the achievement, claiming that most terrorist attacks during the early days of the Second Intifada were carried out by members of the PA's own security forces.
"Israel decided to gather the youth who had fought it in the first Intifada, and to organize them into security forces, showering them (with money), so that they would defend it, rather than Israel having to defend itself," he said, essentially summarizing the doctrine of the Israeli Left at the time.

Lapid: We Must Fight Anti-Semitism

Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) stressed on Monday the importance of fighting anti-Semitism and hate.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Jewish Congress in Jerusalem, Lapid told the story of his father, former MK and government minister Tommy Lapid, who narrowly escaped being killed along with thousands of other Jews who were taken to the banks of the Danube and shot in public in the winter of 1945.

World Council of Churches Stands By As Christians Perish, Churches Wither

The World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva claims to represent and serve 345 churches worldwide. What has it done to help the persecuted churches in Iraq, Syria and Egypt? Or the flood of Syrian refugees into Jordan and Lebanon? Answer: it has devoted the whole of 2013 to promoting a World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel (September 22-28). That is, it has poured its Swiss francs into stirring up the one corner of the area that is currently almost calm.

Israel becomes major partner in EU satellite program

At a gala event Monday evening in Jerusalem, Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri and the head of the Israel Space Agency, Menachem Kidron, signed an agreement with European Union officials to give Israeli researchers and companies access to projects associated with the EU’s Galileo satellite program.

From DC to IDC: Ambassador Oren joins prestigious school

Dr. Michael Oren, who served as Israel's ambassador to the U.S. between 2009 and 2013 has accepted a faculty position at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya's Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy, the college announced on Monday.
The IDC Herzliya is a private institution modeled on the Ivy League universities in the U.S. Its faculty includes former Chief Justice Aharon Barak and former Education Minister Amnon Rubinstein as well as other known figures who served in senior positions in the public and private sectors. The IDC's annual Herzliya Conference is often the forum in which Israeli leaders make key policy addresses.

NYC mayor Bloomberg wins first ‘Jewish Nobel’

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was announced Monday as the winner of the first Genesis Prize, a $1 million award dubbed “the Jewish Nobel Prize.”
The inaugural award, bestowed upon “exceptional people whose values and achievements will inspire the next generations of Jews,” will be given to Bloomberg by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a Jerusalem ceremony in May.

How One IDF Commander Turned Back a Syrian Column in the Yom Kippur War

With just one tank, Captain Zvika Greengold withstood the might of the Syrian military. As the battle around him raged, he moved in and out of the darkness, firing at Syrian forces while remaining undetected. He persisted heroically for hours, throwing himself at the enemy in the face of almost certain death.

IDF Boasts First Bedouin Tank Commander

The IDF is about to receive its first Bedouin tank commander. While about 1,000 Bedouin Arabs serve in the IDF, most of them serve as trackers, or in the Bedouin reconaissance battalion. Cpl. Mustafa Tabash will become the first Bedouin tank commander in two weeks' time, once he completes the Tank Commanders' Course, reports the IDF Website.
About one in nine Bedouin men serve in the IDF. Tabash knew in high school that he intended to serve, but he planned to serve in one of the military's academic tracks. He was accepted to this track – but then changed his mind.

IDF Seeks to Bring More Women Into Combat Roles; Possibly Tank Division

The Israel Defense Force is seeking to increase the number of women in combat divisions, and may open its Armored Tank Corps to female soldiers, Israel’s Channel 2 reported, citing an officer involved in the changes.
The first move the IDF made to increase the number of women in combat divisions was to eliminate a running requirement, which they learned had been intimidating many female recruits. A decision to post women to the tanks units has yet to be made, the officer said.

IDF Blog: IDF Uncovers Hamas Terror Tunnel near Gaza Border

On October 7, 2013, the IDF uncovered the opening of a Hamas smuggling tunnel in Israeli terriory. The tunnel is used by Gaza terrorists to carry out attacks and kidnappings inside of Israel. Every day, terrorists are still preparing to attack Israel from Gaza. The IDF stands ready to combat Gaza terrorism and to protect the people of Israel.

Islamists going after Libya's weapons warehouses

From Al Arabiya:

An unstable country on the brink of civil war is not all former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi left behind after his death last year. A vast collection of weapons remains in an abandoned desert warehouse in southern Libya, The Times reported on Tuesday.

The arsenal reportedly includes 4,000 surface-to-air missiles, each capable of downing a passenger jet, and thousands of barrels of uranium yellowcake. An inventory collected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accounted for 6,400 yellowcake barrels.

Bharuddin Midhoun Arifi, a former human trafficker and now commander of 2,000 fighters in the city of Sabha, was one of the main inheritors of the regime’s abandoned weapon reserves.

“Sometimes I’m afraid that al-Qaeda will get me. Other times I fear that the Americans or French or British will fire missiles from the sea to destroy all I control.” Arifi told the Times. He claims that al-Qaeda had most recently offered 1 million dollars for some of the weapons, an offer which Arifi says he turned down. “I told them…this belonged to my government.”

Rows of the mortars and rockets stacked in crates, however, suggest some of the weapons have been shipped to Syria, along with hundreds of Libyans who have joined the rebel forces fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

No actions were taken to remove the uranium, which after intensive processing could become weapons grade, despite the U.N. mission in Libya suggesting its removal. Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammad Abdul Aziz echoed similar sentiments but with no avail.

The most pressing matter to Western officials, however, is the surface-to-air missile getting into the hands of al-Qaeda, an unchecked power in the region enjoying its new freedom in a post-Qaddafi Libya.

“Al-Qaeda was terrified of Qaddafi,” says Colonel Faraj Adem, a senior army officer. “None would dare try to enter Libya’s borders. But now Qaddafi has gone, and with him our border security, al-Qaeda is free to come and go as they please. They are choosing this area to rebuild their weapon stocks and become strong once more. There is no control of weapons stocks here. You want to buy a MANPADS? It’s easy.”

The weapon cache sits in an unguarded complex. Checkpoints between Sabha and northern cities are scarce and poorly manned by informal groups of youth.

As always, the Islamists benefit from power vacuums in the Middle East. And as always, the West cannot think more than one move ahead in the game of international chess.

American Muslims attacked during Hajj, Saudi police laugh

You know how Muslims always say how the Hajj rituals prove that they all treat each other equally and with respect? How Western nations could stand to learn a thing or two about human rights from watching Muslim pilgrims?

Well, not so much.

A group of Americans visiting Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj were threatened and attacked earlier this week on Oct. 16 by a radicalized group of extremists. On one of the nights where Hajj pilgrims are required to stay overnight in the city of Mina, a group of young men began asking different sets of pilgrims if they were from the United States.

When they encountered a group that identified themselves as not only Americans, but also as Shiite Muslims, they were threatened and attacked by the group of men, who were apparently armed with knives and other blades.

During the attack, the men reportedly shouted “Our [holy pilgrimage] will be complete once we have killed you, ripped out your hearts and eaten them, and [then] raped your women.”

In continuing the assault, the men also shouted “We’re going to do Karbala all over again,” referring to an important historical event to Shi’ite Muslims, wherein the grandson of the Prophet, named Imam Husain, was brutally attacked and killed, after he was forced to witness the killing of many of his family members. The survivors of the incident, mostly women and children, were immediately imprisoned in circumstances that resulted in the deaths of some of the prisoners.

The Americans fled the tent area, which the Saudi government had specifically designated for American and European pilgrims. During the escape, many of the group, almost entirely U.S. citizens and mostly hailing from Dearborn, Michigan suffered bruises (in one case, due to an attempted strangulation), concussions, broken bones, and black eyes.

Victims of the attack reported that nearby police refused to take action, and in some cases were openly laughing at the attack. The Americans approached other officers, including one described as a “lieutenant with stars on his shoulder pads.” They reported the attack and showed police video footage of the attack taken on cell phones.

The “lieutenant” confiscated the phones and immediately deleted the videos in front of onlookers. Without comment, he returned the phones to their owners and left.

Members of the group also turned to the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia for assistance, but were told help could only be provided if members of the group had died in the attacks.

Some victims even tweeted about the attack after reaching safety:

@seyedmg wrote “10 members of our group where attacked by 200 barbarian salafis for making salawat in Mina …. They need your [prayers].”

Later he tweeted, also referring to the incident of Karbala, “They attacked screaming kill them like Hussien [sic] and take there women as captives like Zaynab… We have people bleeding and women terrified”

“I personally thought it was the end,” said one of the victims of this attack, a dentist from Michigan, not wishing to be identified for fear of reprisal from the Saudi police or other extremists. Continuing sadly, “You always hear about how nice [Hajj] is supposed to be…
“Something needs to do something about [the attack]. If this wasn’t the House of God, I would say that I never want to come back.”

No witness has thus far been willing to identify themselves, each of them citing safety concerns.