Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Friday, February 10, 2012

BDS professor at Penn explains how to demonize Israel IN EVERY CLASS

At the PennBDS conference last weekend, there was a breakout session on the "Academic Boycott of Israel."

One of the panelists was Amy Kaplan, professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania.

At the Q&A session, another teacher asked Kaplan how to incorporate the BDS memes of demonizing Israel into college courses, even when the course has nothing to do with "Palestine."

And Professor Kaplan answered him.

Here we have a professor at an Ivy League university explicitly calling on like-minded educators to shoehorn hate of Israel into every one of their classes.

For these academics, college is not about teaching but it is merely a platform for them to spout their political views at their captive audience.

Watch this (audio courtesy StandWithUs)::

Do you think that this reflects the policy of the University of Pennsylvania?

For a fuller description of how the PennBDS conference was more about pushing hate than about dialogue, see this report from Guy Herschmann at JWeekly.

UPDATE: This looks like one of the courses that Kaplan "made up" more for its propaganda value than its educational value. But, of course, she is "even-handed" in including some Israeli authors as well.

Fall 2010

English

016.402

Contact and Conflict: Literatures of Palestine and Israel

UPDATE 2: The UPenn English chair responded to this post.

So why is Gaza running out of fuel? Because of Hamas' stupidity!

As a follow-up to my post earlier about Gaza's latest fuel crisis, where I pointed out that Gaza has refused diesel fuel from Israel for a bit over a year, I did a little research on why Gaza does have a shortage.

The answer is that it is all because of their own stubbornness combined with problems with their good friends, the Egyptians.

There have been big clashes in the Sinai between the Bedouin and the Egyptian security forces - today some 18 policemen were kidnapped. The disagreements are over the smuggling of goods (and people) to Israel and Gaza. Egypt is trying to curb illegal smuggling and sometimes they kill the smugglers.

Meanwhile, as I've reported, northern Egypt is suffering its own fuel crisis - mostly for butane used by consumers and especially the cylinders they are stored in. Residents are rioting and upset. So Egyptian security is cracking down on smuggling to Gaza, and it looks like their efforts are affecting the power plant fuel as well.

Because, believe it or not, when Hamas decided they don't need fuel from Israel any more, they were not relying on a steady supply of diesel from Egypt being sent in trucks through Rafah - but illegally smuggled diesel going through makeshift pipes underground!

Putting all this together, Hamas has created this crisis because of its hate for Israel - a country more than willing to supply Gaza with fuel at market rates.

Meanwhile, Egypt's ambassador to the PA says that Egypt will do what it can to ease the crisis - but it will not tolerate smuggling. Egypt's plan, as I have previously reported, is to hook Gaza up to its own power grid. That will take some time. Meanwhile, there is no easy way to get fuel to Gaza - except through Israel.

It is not inconceivable that Hamas is hoping to take advantage of this crisis to plunge Gaza into darkness and create pathos-laden wire service photos of poor people with candles illuminating homes and hospitals. They have already used that playbook when they created an artificial shortage of flour just to get the media to show the poor Gazans standing in line for bread.

(h/t G)

The Hamas prime minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, is on Friday to make a visit to Iran, which is celebrating the anniversary of its 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranian government officials said.

The Palestinian leader was to be received by Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, the officials said, without giving other details or the duration of the visit.

Media said Haniya would hold talks with Iranian officials and receive an honorary degree from Tehran University.

But sources close to Haniya, currently on a tour of Arab states in the Gulf, could not confirm the visit, which the Palestinian daily Al-Quds said leaders in the Gulf were urging him to call off because of their strained ties with Tehran.

I wonder what the honorary degree will be in. Murder? Terror? Extortion? Ruthlessness?

Haniyeh's visit coincides with Iran's celebrations of the anniversary of the revolutionaries declaring victory over the Shah.

His current tour includes Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

I imagine he'll be returning with a suitcase full of cash. If it is in Iranian rials, he'd better spend it quickly.

Interesting reactions to Madonna's upcoming Tel Aviv concert

Right after the Super Bowl, Madonna announced that she is kicking off her next tour in Israel:

Pop icon Madonna will launch her upcoming world tour in Israel, her Israeli show producer, Shuki Weiss, announced Tuesday.

The tour for Madonna's new album, MDNA, will set off on May 31 at Ramat Gan Stadium.

Unlike her last two concerts in Israel, where general admission cost NIS 490 per ticket, most audience members will pay between NIS 240 and 490 for the MDNA concert. Like last year, VIP entrance will cost between NIS 1,500 and NIS 2,500.

On Sunday night, the 53-year-old singer crazed Super Bowl audiences with her half time show, where she performed the songs, "Vogue", "Like a Prayer", "Music" and "Give Me All Your Lovin'" – from MDNA, which is set to be released in March.

According to numbers released by NBC Sports on Monday, Madonna's performance was the most-watched Super Bowl half time show featuring entertainment on record - and actually edged out the game's averages in both ratings and total viewers.

This will be the fourth performance by the Queen of Pop in Israel. Her first show was in 1993, and in her last world tour, "Sticky & Sweet", Madonna brought her mix of provocative music and spirituality to the Holy Land with two concerts in 2009.

Madonna also visited Israel in 2004 and 2007 on private pilgrimages, along with other Kabbalah devotees. She's been dabbling in Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism, for more than a decade and has taken on a Hebrew name, Esther.

The Material Girl will arrive in Israel two weeks before the concert, accompanied by an entourage of more than 300 people, to carry out intensive lastminute rehearsals. While she will visit certain sites and take advantage of being in Israel, Weiss explained that Madonna is taking the show seriously and plans to spend most of her time preparing for the big event.

“It isn’t even a regular visit anymore when she comes,” the local producer said. “It’s as if she is the process of making aliya.”

What does the BDS movement say?

Their protests seem, well, desultory. LondonBDS' Facebook page only has a couple of comments on the story. The number of foul-mouthed complainers on her web page is also minimal. It seems that since she spends so much time in Israel anyway, they've given up.

A completely different reaction is reported by AAP:

"Please don't stop the music!"

That's the plea of one Israeli fan of Madonna who has set up a Facebook group calling for Israel to delay until after the diva performs here in May what some fear will be an attack on Iran.

"Bibi! No war with Iran until after Madonna's performance on May 29," the anonymous enthusiast pleads in Hebrew in the newly created group, using a popular nickname for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

(I couldn't find that Facebook page. It still amazes me that any bozo that puts up a Facebook page can gain news coverage.)

Anyway, BDSers have their work cut out for them this year. I wanted to get a list of acts going to Israel thsi year, but "Australians for Palestine" already did an even better list of concerts in Israel planned (or maybe rumored) for this year. Thanks, guys!

Kenny Barron (Jazz piano, Philadelphia) is scheduled to play in Tel Aviv on 13 January
Janis Ian - 20 January (could be hopeless. she celebrates her Jewishness, and she’s posted this: ”Third Israel show added! How fantastic is this?! Sold out beyond belief”)
The Uri Caine Ensemble [USA] is scheduled for January 19 in Eilat Harbor.
The Karl Seglem Quintet is scheduled for January 20 in Eilat Harbor.
Bad Plus [Minneapolis, USA] is scheduled for January 20 in Eilat Harbor.
Anonymous 4 is scheduled for January 20 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Kora Jazz Band is scheduled for January 21 in Eilat Harbor.
Bela Fleck and the Fleckstones are scheduled for January 21 in Eilat Harbor.
Arch Enemy is scheduled for January 24 at the Barbie Club in Tel Aviv.
Ana Moura [Portugal] is scheduled for January 27 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
James Blake [UK] is scheduled for January 27 at the Block Club in Tel Aviv.
K’s Choice (Belgium) – 23 January (again, they played here last year, and could be supporters of Israel)

Oran Etkin is scheduled for February 24 at the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival.
Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares (choir) is scheduled for February 24 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
The Kit Downes Sextet is scheduled to tour israel from February 26-march 1.
Oli Mustonen is scheduled for March 17 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Justin Bieber is scheduled for April 14 in Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv.

The Jasmine Vardimon Dance Company (UK) is scheduled for May 24-25 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Michel Tabachnik is scheduled for May 27 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Alexandra Soumm is scheduled for May 27 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Madonna is expected to perform on May 31 in Tel Aviv.

Bruce Springsteen is scheduled for June at Ramat Gan Stadium.
Marty Ehrlich is scheduled for June 1 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Drew Gress is scheduled for June 1 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Roberto Dani is scheduled for June 1 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Momix Dance Company is scheduled for June 6-9 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (based in London) is scheduled for June 7th-12th in the magical setting of Masada.
The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan is scheduled for June 13-16 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.

Andreas Staier and Alexander Melnikov are scheduled for July 4 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Kynan Johns is scheduled for July 24 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
Peter Donohoe is scheduled for July 24 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.

Stefani Germanotta is scheduled for August at Petah Tikva Stadium.
Cirque du Soleil is scheduled for August 8th-18th at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are scheduled for September 10 in Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv.

I can add to that list "Cat Power" on February 12 (although now it looks like she caved), The Scorpions on May 7, and Lamb of God on May 30.

(h/t OnionTearsNews)

Galloway defends Syrian regime, blames Israel

Those 6000 people murdered in Syria? That's not the issue.

From George Galloway's radio show:

(h/t Yoel)

IDF foiled 5 kidnap attempts since Shalit was freed

From the IDF:

Since the soldier abducted by Hamas terrorists and kept in captivity in the Gaza Strip for five years, SFC Gilad Shalit, was returned to Israel, there were over five attempts to kidnap soldiers in northern Israel.

"There is a direct link between Shalit's return and the kidnapping attempts," said Northern Command's military police commander, Lt. Col. Nir Golan and explained: "Terror organizations know that Israel will pay a high price for kidnapped soldiers and their motivation to abduct additional soldiers is on the rise."

The abduction attempts were reported by soldiers. After such an attempt is reported, it is conveyed to the IDF criminal investigation division for further investigation. "The reports that could not be proven false are considered to be kidnapping attempts," said Lt. Col. Golan.

The military police began intensified preventative operations, such as mock abductions and raising awareness among soldiers. "Every day there are undercover teams looking for hitchhiking soldiers," said Lt. Col. Golan.

I was curious as to who would be attempting to kidnap soldiers in the north - Hezbollah? Hamas? Israeli Arabs?

I asked the IDF spokesperson and the reply I received was "The kidnapping attempts were executed by Israeli Arabs, sympathizers with terror organizations. That's all we can say about the subject currently."

More on Hezbollah denying taking orders from Iran

As a followup to my post about how Hassan Nasrallah is denying that Hezbollah takes any orders from Iran, I got an email from Zach that showed:

The Wilayat al-Faqih claims worldly, political and social authority over all Shia. As scholar Hassan Mneimneh recently put it in an article on the Arab reception of the concept: “Wilayat al-Faqih entails the recognition of the absolute worldly authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader (Rahbar), in whom the ultimate executive, legislative, and judiciary powers [are] supposed to reside.”

Hezbollah’s own experience lends support to Mneimneh’s remarks. Not only did Hezbollah seek Khamenei’s permission to enter parliamentary politics in 1992, but the party’s deputy secretary general, Naim Qassem, has written in his book on Hezbollah that “the wali al-faqih alone possesses the authority to decide war and peace.”

And:

Yahya Rahim Safavi, former commander of the Revolutionary Guards and military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Guide, Ali Khamenei, declared that in case of an Israeli attack on Iran, the Iranian retaliation will come from Lebanon, “because all the Zionist cities are within the range of our ally Hezbollah's Katyushas.”

And in a Q&A with Hezbollah's former secretary general, Sheikh Sobhi Tufayli:

Analysts have repeatedly raised the possibility of an armed conflict with Israel if the Assad regime were to fall. Do you believe Hezbollah would be willing to wage another war with Israel?

Tufayli: This decision is neither in the hands of Hezbollah nor the Lebanese people. Iran will play the Lebanese card according to its own interests. War is a possible option; however, I do not foresee a conflict in southern Lebanon for now.

Do you believe Iran’s political goals in Lebanon have changed over the past decade? Has Iran abandoned its Wilayat al-Faqih [Guardianship of the Jurist] project?

Tufayli: No country in the world will ever forgo its strategic interests. Iran will not abandon its dream of creating a Wilayat al-Faqih in Lebanon.

Again, it is disappointing to see terror leaders and would-be genocidal murderers who are so willing to lie. What ever happened to morality?

Gaza power plant running out of fuel - but not because of Israel

Palestine Today reports that "the city of Gaza will sink into darkness within 72 hours" if no fuel is found to run the power plant.

The Energy Authority in Gaza sent out a distress call to the Arab and Muslim countries for urgent intervention to resolve the crisis.

Of course, they can get plenty of fuel - from Israel. It used to be that this was exactly where they received the heavy diesel to run the power plant. But about a year ago they started refusing to use that evil Zionist fuel and instead relied on receiving the fuel from Egypt.

It is nice to see that Hamas is so principled that it will happily make its own people miserable and put them in danger rather than accept fuel from the hated Zionist entity.

Shhhh! Jews and Arabs from territories plant trees - together!

Here's another example of co-existence that the Leftists don't want people to see:

School children from the Efrat settlement and residents of the neighboring Palestinian village of Jurat al-Shama planted trees together in an initiative that promoted co-existence in the West Bank, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday.

The event, held on the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shvat, aimed to block the hazardous dust that is being disseminated by a nearby tree-processing plant.

The factory's owner and a resident of Jurat al-Shama, Abu-Taled, relented recently to residents' complaints and built a stone wall that blocked the dust; but the barrier proved bothersome to both the Palestinian and Jewish residents of the area.

When a new traffic circle was installed at the entrance to Efrat recently, Mayor Oded Ravivi decided to level the land between the plant and the settlement, and replace the wall with a small forest.

"We met with Abu-Taled, and agreed to plant a grove on Tu B'Shvat in order to block the dust," Ravivi said. "Abu-Taled was very enthusiastic, and promised to bring friends and employees.

"This is how we could fulfill the mitzvah while also tightening our ties and work towards peaceful co-existence," he said, refering to the Jewish custom of planting trees on the nature-oriented holiday.

According to Ravivi, the sides are currently considering the possibility that Efrat security personnel would guard the factory at night, as part of the effort to cultivate a neighborly relationship.

To the Israel-hating Left, "co-existence" means attending conferences where Jews and Arabs can both attack Israel equally.

They hate real cooperation and co-existence between Jews and Arabs in Judea and Samaria, because it exposes them as hypocrites.

The idea of Jews with kippot working next to Arabs in keffiyehs does not make them smile. On the contrary, it makes their blood boil.

Proving once again that the Israel-hating Left is anything but liberal.

Analysis of Fatah-Hamas Doha agreement (JCPA)

JCPA's Jonathan D. Halevi has published an analysis of the latest agreement between Hamas and Fatah signed at Doha, and it is a nice expansion of things I have been writing as well.

The agreement makes Abbas the supreme authority for all PA institutions. In addition to heading Fatah, Abbas serves as leader of the PLO, chairman of the PA, and soon as Palestinian prime minister as well. Although appointing “the president” as prime minister contravenes Palestinian basic law, it served as a compromise to overcome Fatah-Hamas disagreement on this issue.

Although the words sound weighty, their practical significance is small since the Doha Declaration, similar to the Cairo reconciliation agreement that preceded it, does not express genuine Hamas recognition of Abbas’ leadership or his authority as leader of the Palestinian people. Instead, it is merely verbal, expedient recognition for tactical reasons, intended to enable Hamas’ official entry into the PLO in the framework of new elections for the Palestinian National Council and to pave the way for presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Hamas leaders are trying to implement the strategy of the Arab Spring in the Palestinian arena. They assume they will win an overwhelming majority in the elections to the representative Palestinian institutions and, thereby, complete their historic takeover of the Palestinian national movement. In other words, they view Abbas as the doorman who opens the gates to the Trojan horse.

Hamas sees no political significance in the envisaged Abbas-headed transition government. This is evident from the fact that its powers are limited to carrying out the presidential and parliamentary elections and working to rehabilitate Gaza. From Abbas’ perspective, his appointment as prime minister, in addition to president, will enable him to maintain the international recognition of the Palestinian government despite the agreement with Hamas, and give him room to maneuver in contacts with the international community, both politically and in terms of keeping the aid money flowing.

The Doha Declaration, like previous Fatah-Hamas agreements, emphasizes the need to implement the agreements between the sides – once again demonstrating the difficulty of achieving institutional unity in the Palestinian arena in light of Hamas’ declared ambition to assume senior status in representing the Palestinian people. The two sides will have to show great creativity to overcome the many obstacles facing the holding of elections, from unifying the separate civilian and security institutions in the West Bank and Gaza, to budget allocations.

Both sides have a basic interest in joining forces. Hamas, as noted, sees the move as an opportunity to attain seniority and rebuild its infrastructure in the West Bank. Fatah is drawn into the reconciliation by force of circumstances and awareness of the lessons and implications of the Arab Spring, which has led to the loss of its Egyptian support and the rise in power of the Muslim Brotherhood, the parent-movement of Hamas. It appears that the Fatah leaders prefer swimming with the current to sinking beneath it. Abbas thereby buys himself some quiet for an interim period. When it ends, though, he will likely find himself without assets and in a minority in the representative institutions of the Palestinian national movement.

Abbas’ cooperation with Mashaal, and his uncompromising refusal to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, illustrates the strategic choice he has made. He does not prefer the path of a political settlement but, rather, to link up with Hamas and the other regional forces emerging in the Arab Spring and thereby use them as a force multiplier against Israel without having to offer political concessions. The release of the 64 prisoners is not only a gesture to Hamas but also an implicit message that the security cooperation with Israel is secondary in Abbas’ eyes to the old-new alliance with Hamas.

BDS hypocrites (poster)

As I noted last year, BDSers want you to boycott tons of exports of strawberries, peppers and cherry tomatoes grown by Palestinian Arab farmers - simply to hurt the Israeli exporter they rely on to reach the European markets.

These hypocrites would rather see thousands of Arab farmers unemployed.

Pakistan official hints they would support Iran in a war

From The Sun:

Pakistan's High Commissioner to Britain Wajid Shamsul Hasan told The Sun in an exclusive interview that his country's relations with America are at their lowest ebb....

On Iran, Mr Hasan said: "We would not like Israel to attack any country, irrespective of whether it's Iran or any nuclear country. We wouldn't like to be seen as part of Israel's campaign against any country. If Israel attacks Iran, it will have an impact on Pakistan as well.

"We will have to safeguard our own interests. We also have a Shia population in Pakistan who will not take it lying down."

He warned that India and Gulf countries could also get involved in any conflict.

Edgar Davidson thinks his statement is even worse.

UPDATE: From AP a few days ago:

A European diplomat based in Pakistan, permitted to speak only under condition of anonymity, said that if Israel attacks, Islamabad will have no choice but to support any Iranian retaliation. That raises the specter of putting a nuclear-armed Pakistan at odds with Israel, widely believed to have its own significant nuclear arsenal.

(h/t Yoel)

Book that debunks "Protocols" translated to Farsi

From ITIC:

On February 8, 2012 the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center posted a 400-page Farsi translation of Hadassa Ben-Itto's book The Lie That Wouldn't Die: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It can be accessed at http://terrorism-info.com/book/ The Introduction includes a section written by the author specifically for Iranians.

Judge Ben-Itto's book has already been translated into ten languages: Hebrew, English, German, Russian, Spanish, Dutch, Romanian, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Arabic. The Arabic translation was issued by Kul Shi Publishers, Haifa, in July 2010 and posted on the ITIC website, and was widely reviewed by the Arab media.

...In Iran, the Protocols were issued several times either by the regime or by institutions affiliated with it. The first was in the summer of 1978 during the events which led to the Islamic Revolution, and they were used as a weapon against the Shah, Israel and the Jews. In 1985 a new edition was printed and widely distributed by the Islamic Propagation Organization of Tehran's department for international relations. A foundation called "The Shrine of the Imam Reza" in Mashhad funded an edition which was published in 1994, and excerpts appeared in the Iranian media. The Islamic Propagation Organization's edition was also displayed at the book fair in Frankfurt in 2005.

One of the versions of The Protocols was translated from Arabic into Farsi by Hamid Reza Sheikhi and published in Iran by the Islamic Research Foundation with the title The Protocols of the Elders of Zion: World Zionism's Work Plan. The third edition of that version was issued in Iran in 2005-6 and catalogued in the Iranian national library (No. 1062209). It was a Farsi translation of a version edited and translated by Ajaj Nuwayhid, a Lebanese Druze (his translation was published in several versions in Beirut and Damascus and circulated throughout the Arab-Muslim world, including the Palestinian Authority).2

Disseminating The Protocols and its themes are part of the Iranian regime's policy of anti-Semitism, which includes Holocaust denial, the call for the destruction of the State of Israel, and hate propaganda directed at Israel and the Jewish people. Iran also exports its anti-Semitism to the West, and example of which was the international book fair held in Frankfurt in 2005, where Iran sold a selection of its anti-Israeli books, some of them in English.

Judge Ben-Itto's book traces the roots of The Protocols and their circulation from Russia to Europe and throughout the world. The book proves that The Protocols were plagiarized.

The translation of Hadassa Ben-Itto's book into Farsi is particularly important. For the first time since the Second World War, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion have been used as a strategic weapon in the hands of a state regime, in this case the Iranian regime as part of its deliberate plan to destroy the State of Israel. Moreover, the existence of "the Jewish conspiracy: to take over the world has been made part of Iranian perception to the point where it is considered absolute, irrefutable truth.

The Farsi translation of The Lie That Wouldn't Die sets a precedent in exposing the Iranian reader to a new perspective on The Protocols, completely different from what he has become accustomed to. The book was written by a judge and involved vast amounts of careful research. It is easy to read and presents every Iranian reader from whom the truth is important with the genuine facts behind The Protocols.

Any Iranians who want to read the book can find the whole thing here.

By the way, Abbas becoming prime minister violates PA law

From the Jerusalem Post:

Palestinians across the political spectrum on Tuesday criticized the Qatar-sponsored Hamas-Fatah reconciliation agreement according to which Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would also serve as prime minister of an interim unity government.

They pointed out that it was Abbas who in March 2003 called for amending the Palestinian Basic Law so that the PA president would not be in charge of the government.

Backed by the Americans and Europeans, Abbas then sought to limit the powers of his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, who also served as the de facto prime minister.

On March 10, 2003, the Palestinian Legislative Council approved the proposed amendment to the Basic Law, creating the position of a PA prime minister.

The hope back then was that the changes in the Basic Law would lead to the separation of the powers of the president and the prime minister.

By agreeing to be prime minister of a unity government, Abbas is acting in violation of the same amendment to the Basic law that he fought to pass 12 years ago.

Abbas supporters, however, defended the move, arguing that ending the power struggle with Hamas was “more important than respecting any law.”

This is not the first time that Abbas has acted in violation of the Palestinian Basic Law.

In June 2007, following the collapse of the Fatah-Hamas unity government and the Islamist movement’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip, Abbas appointed Salam Fayyad as prime minister, citing “national emergency.”

Fayyad’s government was never approved by the Palestinian legislature in accordance with the Basic law.

Anis al-Qassem, a constitutional lawyer who drafted the Basic law, was among many Palestinians who criticized the appointment of Fayyad as “illegal.”

Palestinian political analyst Hani al-Masri pointed out that the Doha Declaration that was signed on Monday between Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal was in violation of the Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation agreement that was reached in Cairo in May 2011.

The Egyptian deal envisages the establishment of a government that is dominated by independent figures, Masri noted. “That’s why the announcement that President Abbas would head the unity government came as a surprise to many,” the analyst said.

Another political analyst, Khalil Shaheen, said the appointment of Abbas as prime minister meant that the Palestinians were “marching backward.” He added that the move was illegal and in violation of the [Egyptian-brokered] reconciliation pact between Hamas and Fatah.

A top Fatah official in Ramallah said there was “strong opposition” in his faction and the PLO to the Doha Declaration, mainly because of the intention to appoint the 76-year-old Abbas as prime minister.

“This is a scandal not only because it violates the [Palestinian] Basic Law, but also because it turns Abbas into an autocrat with absolute powers. This is unacceptable at a time when the Arab world is witnessing popular uprisings against dictators,” the official said.

Abbas already holds at least four titles: PA president, head of the PLO Executive Committee, chairman of the Fatah Central Committee and Overall Commander of the Palestinian Armed Forces.

Some Palestinians resorted to Facebook to voice their opposition to the appointment of Abbas as prime minister.

In a sarcastic comment, Palestinian activist Ruba al-Najjar wrote: “Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas congratulates the new prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and invites him to meet with the chairman of the Fatah Central Committee, Mahmoud Abbas, under the auspices of the head of the PLO Executive Committee, Mahmoud Abbas, at the home of the overall commander of the Palestinian Armed Forces, Mahmoud Abbas.”

Hamas media is noting this as well.

This Photoshop is going around of Abbas appointing himself Prime Minister, as the law states the President must do.

Arabs claim photos of a Jew urinating on Temple Mount

The Al Aqsa Heritage Foundation has another series of photos of Jews, and especially IDF soldiers, "storming" the Temple Mount.

Most of it is pretty typical stuff:

One photo, apparently taken inside one of the buildings, is clearly a different set of tourists but meant to make people think that the soldiers barged in:

The Muslims are accusing the Jews of performing "Talmudic rituals" as usual.

But there is a new twist here. They claim to have photos of a man from the group urinating on an outer wall of the compound:

I did not see this man in any of the other photos that would show that he was part of this group. (One man in the group dressed similarly but wore a kippah and glasses and carried a cane, so this wasn't him.)

Obviously, if someone did urinate there (and I cannot find a stain on the wall showing he did,) it would be an outrageous act of sacrilege both for Muslims and for Jews. Needless to say, no religious Jew would ever consider doing such a thing. Even pretending to do so is astonishingly bad taste and poor judgment.

Or, it could be a set-up, in order to enrage Muslims against Jews, something the Al Aqsa Foundation tries to do literally every day.

The annual festival of hate towards Israel, absurdly called "Israel Apartheid Week," is coming up. The schedule as I understand it is:

Europe February 20 – March 10
West Bank March 12-19
United States February 26 – March 3
Canada March 5-9
Arab World March 5-11
South Africa March 5-11

Yes, it is a month long "week." Because you just can't fit all that vitriol into a measly seven days.

So, just a reminder that you can get lots of posters here to use in your own communities for pro-Israel rallies and counterprotests.

And here is a spoof of this year's poster:

(h/t 5 Minutes for Israel)

Israelis broadcasting messages of peace to Iranians

From Israel HaYom/AP:

While Israeli leaders are increasingly sounding belligerent warnings of a potential military strike against Iran’s nuclear installations, a group of Iranian-Israelis are transmitting a different message.

Radio RADISIN, a private Persian-language station based in Tel Aviv, airs Iranian music, poetry and current affairs shows aiming to spread peace between the Israeli and Iranian people - regardless of who is in power in Tehran.

“We, the people in Israel, are a peaceful nation and not an enemy, or the ‘little Satan’ as we are described by the Iranian regime,” said Shay Amir, the station’s 42-year-old CEO, who left Iran for Israel after the 1979 Islamic revolution. “For 32 years, the regime has poisoned its people against Israel. We are here to tell the truth.”

RADISIN broadcasts 24 hours a day via the Internet, satellite and cable TV. It says 100,000 listeners tune in daily, including an undisclosed number from Iran, where Internet speeds are slow and many sites, including those of political opposition groups, are blocked.

It is not the only Israeli media directed toward Iran. Israel’s state-run radio station has been broadcasting in Persian for 50 years from a spartan studio off a narrow Jerusalem alleyway.

It also chats with Iranians via a switchboard in Germany to get around a ban on calls from Iran to the Jewish state. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has even named the “Zionist broadcast” as among those behind civilian unrest in his country.

RADISIN relies mainly on anonymous sponsors and donations and it airs some commercials. It takes calls from Iranian listeners who often criticize the regime in Tehran and express affection for Israel.

For fear of exposing these callers - and having them branded as collaborators by the Iranian regime - the station asked The Associated Press not to record the conversations.

Others in Iran have been less enamored by the Israeli broadcast. “Twice from Iran, they hacked our website and caused damage, and because of this we decided to switch and air via satellite,” Amir said.

Hezbollah improbably claims not to take orders from Iran

From Reuters:

Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged on Tuesday for the first time that his armed movement received financial and material support from Iran, but denied it took instructions from the Islamic Republic.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah previously only confirmed Iranian political and moral backing because it did not want “to embarrass our brothers in Iran”, but had changed policy because Iran’s leadership had announced its support in public.

“Yes, we received moral, and political and material support in all possible forms from the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1982,” Nasrallah told supporters by videolink in a speech marking the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed.

“In the past we used to tell half the story and stay silent on the other half ... When they asked us about the material and financial and military support we were silent.”

Nasrallah said Iran had not issued orders to Hezbollah since the movement was founded 30 years ago, adding that if Israel attacked Iran's nuclear sites, the leadership in Iran “would not ask anything of Hezbollah.”

He said if that were to happen, Hezbollah’s own leadership would “sit down, think and decide what to do.”

Sure.

Some vintage posters for Tu B'Shevat

Today is Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish New Year for trees.

Here are some vintage Zionist posters with the theme of fruit:

Hebrew Watermelons!

Sometimes, no one cares when Palestinian Arab homes are demolished

30 homes were destroyed in the territories yesterday - and there is no outcry.

The reason, of course, is that the homes were in Gaza City and it is Hamas doing the destruction.

Palestine Press Agency (seemingly now only on Facebook as a result of hackers) reports that Hamas bulldozers destroyed 30 homes and displaced dozens of families last night, because they built them on government land, sending the families into the cold without notice.

It will be interesting to see if Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch issue any reports about this.

Even more so, I look forward to seeing the condemnations from all those supposedly "pro-Palestinian" organizations who issue mountains of press releases on behalf of their beloved oppressed pets when they perceive any injustice against them.

Any injustice, that is, as long as they can blame Jews.

Did Iran send 15,000 troops into Syria?

From Ha'aretz:

A top Iranian military official is activily aiding the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad in suppressing popular unrest throughout the country, a top member of the National Syrian Council said on Monday.

According to the Syrian official, Kassam Salimani, commander of the Quds Force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard special forces unit, has arrived in Syria recently and has taken up a spot in the war room which manages army maneuvers against opposition forces.

The war room is also reportedly populated by Assad himself, as well as his brother Maher, brother-in-law Assaf Shaukat and cousin Rami Makhlouf, with the Syrian chief of staff's authority reportedly restricted and divided up between other military commanders.

The Quds Force includes 15,000 elite soldiers who operated, among other locations, in Iraq during the war, and the specialty of which is engaging in unconventional warfare on foreign soil. Among other duties, the Quds Force is in charge of traning and funding Hezbollah.

Turkey's Sabah, however, reports that all 15,000 Quds Force troops are being sent to Syria.

Al-Arabiya picked up on it:

Media sources said that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard recently sent 15,000 troops of its elite Qods Force, armed to the teeth, to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad, who is facing a popular revolt spread throughout the country to force him to step aside and make way for the establishment of a democratic, pluralistic system, instead of one-party system which ruled Syria for more than four decades.

I don't know how reliable Sabah is, and I wonder whether it simply misunderstood Ha'aretz' description of the Qods Forces. That story was datelined a half hour after Ha'aretz'.

Too often I see that reporters playing the children's game "Telephone." This might be one of those cases.

I think if 15,000 Iranian troops were in Syria, the opposition would be noticing it and publicizing it directly.

The Al Arabiya story does quote another source saying that 65 Iranian military specialists were sent to Syria along with four planeloads of weapons and ammunition hidden in normal civilian aircraft traffic. That seems more likely.

(h/t Yoel)

Arabs boycotted Einstein lecture in Jerusalem in 1923

From the JTA Archives, February 9, 1923:

A very representative gathering of notables, with the exeption of the Arabs, gathered to hear Professor Albert Einstein lecture on his theory of relativity at the Hebrew University House on Mt. Scopus, Wednesday night. Prominent Arab residents declined the invitation presumably because they did not wish to honor the Jewish scientist.

Speaking in Hebrew, M. Ussishkin welcomed the Professor on behalf of the Jewish community. Prof. Einstein began his speech in Hebrew and continued in French evoking great enthusiasm, as he touched on the phases of his theory. Sir Herbert Samuel, the High Commissioner, thanked the Professor for his work in the interests of humanity. He added: "It is a good sign for the Hebrew University that the first lecture is delivered by the greatest physicist in the world".

Zionism is not only a spiritual movement. Its practical work in Palestine is of equal consequence, Prof. Einstein told a Jewish audience at a reception arranged by leading organization here. The address of welcome was delivered by David Yellin, President of the Council of Jerusalem Jews who handed the Professor an illuminated testimonial with the signatures of the representatives of Palestine Jewry.

"The international recognization of Zionism has strengthened my belief in its success", the Professor said in the course of his address.

This was two years before the official opening of Hebrew University in 1925, but it is considered the first lecture ever given there.

According to this book, the lecture was attended by "English, French, Americans, etc., Catholics, Protestants, Templars, and the majority: Jews."

Links

I am not as optimistic as this paper, but the Institute for Middle Eastern Democracy thinks that if Assad falls, Hezbollah might give up their weapons.

"The Jew is a Satan in human form" says a Palestinian Arab scholar in Lebanon.

Egypt's parliament to boycott all events with Israeli officials?

Hacked emails showing George Galloway sucking up to Assad.

Hollywood producer setting up a "content incubator" in Israel.

UNRWA, and the EU by funding it, are the real obstacles to peace.

Arguing against the arguments against attacking Iran.

In the wake of the historical revisionism we've seen in recent years pretending that Israel was at fault for the failure of the Clinton parameters, here is a nice video with Bill Clinton explaining in his own words how Arafat destroyed chances for peace:

Seen in Ramallah (via email, not confirmed):

(h/t Yoel, CHA, EG, Ian)

No business like "Palestine business"

By Adam Reuter at YNet:

The Palestinian Authority recently claimed that Israel gravely harms the PA economy. In fact, Palestinian officials argue that the Israeli occupation exacts a heavy price from their economy, offering a conservative estimate of $7 billion in the past 10 years.

The above estimate includes the frozen economic activity in Gaza as result of the blockade policy, the lost income from natural resources used by Israel given its control of most of the occupied area, additional Palestinian costs as result of restrictions on movement, and further limitations on local production.

Let's forget for a moment why a blockade was imposed on Gaza, why roadblocks have been erected in Judea and Samaria, and why is it that our communities surround themselves with a fence, rather than Palestinian communities. Let's assume that the Palestinian claims are fully accurate, and that the accumulated economic damage they incurred indeed totals $7 billion. As it turns, this is still a good deal for them.

I argue that the Palestinians have turned their misery into an economic strategy that benefits them. As result, they receive more money than all the damage they allegedly incur. Moreover, the current situation is economically beneficial for them, to a great extent.

The Palestinians fail to note that at this time they receive, both directly and indirectly, some $3-4 billion in annual international aid. This is more than double the annual damage to their economy as result of the occupation.

The Palestinians are world champions in per capita aid. On average, each one receives donations of some $1,000 per year. More than 60% of the Palestinian Authority's production originates from global donations. Statistical figures show that in the years 2009 and 2010, the PA received donations totaling some $4 billion per year. The scope of donations more than doubled itself since 2005.

That is, if we count all the funds received by the Palestinians from all sources only in the past 10 years, we reach an amazing sum approaching $25 billion. This is about $18 billion more than their own accumulated damage calculations.
...
The Palestinians claim that the conflict with Israel harms them economically. There is no doubt this is true. Yet on the other hand, it seems they profit much from the conflict. Had it not been for the conflict, the Palestinian would barely receive any global aid. So do they have a genuine economic interest in putting an end to the conflict?

Their entire culture is built on the idea that they deserve unlimited amount of Western aid, because - as they said sixty years ago - they blame the West and the UN for their situation, and they won't do anything to fix it themselves.

(h/t zozosophie)

Did a Gaza rocket terrorist blow himself up this morning?

GANSO has an intriguing message on its site:

I saw nothing about any Israeli airstrike in Gaza last night, so this sounds like a terrorist tried to shoot a rocket to Israel and it blew up on him.

UPDATE: The Arabic version indicates two separate incidents; the "operative" was killed by an unknown gunman in Rafah. (h/t GH)

Sinai Bedouin claim Israel sent them jeans that caused infertility

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from a debate on the "invasion" of Israeli products into Sinai, which aired on Egyptian Dream2 TV on February 1, 2012:

Muhammad Al-Mane'i, Sinai Bedouin: There was a time when they would bring us jeans. These pants used to have belts. If you looked at these belts from the front, you'd find a secret compartment, and when you opened it, you would find a magnet inside. When we asked what these magnets were, we were told that they cause sterility.

Interviewer: In other words, it causes infertility.

Muhammad Al-Mane'i: Exactly.

Interviewer: There was a time when these jeans with belts would invade us from Israel, and we used to take the magnets out and chuck them away.

[…]

Interviewer: Israeli products contain lethal poison. You might not feel this poison now, but you will in the future. Israel will remain an enemy lying in wait for Egypt, no matter what happens and regardless of the agreements, because Israel has its eye set on Egypt.

With all these great Israeli inventions that painlessly cause sterility in men, why do people still get vasectomies?

The Palestinian refugees of 1936 were...Jews

Here are photos of Jewish houses in Tel Aviv destroyed by Arabs of Jaffa at the outbreak of the "non-violent" riots in 1936:

Thousands of Jews were forced to flee their homes:

Some Jews were forced to move their belongings to a public park in Tel Aviv:

Here is a refugee camp near Rishon LeZion for the Jews who lost their homes during the riots.

All these photos were done by Zoltan Kluger.

I found them at this Israeli photo archive website that just became public - although the website was created in 1998, and it shows.

Palestine Today reports that Gazans are starting to panic over rumors of new, onerous taxes to be imposed by Hamas on consumer goods and construction materials being smuggled in through the tunnels.

Vendors are not raising prices yet but some consumers are starting to buy good now ahead of time.

Hamas authorities denied the rumors, saying that they are only imposing taxes on imports of goods that are also locally manufactured, in order to protect the local markets.

Indian authorities arrest Chabad couple for "spying"

From The Times of India:

An Israeli couple who came to the city on March 3, 2010, will be deported for "suspicious activities". Shneor Zalman and Yaffa Shenoi came on a multiple-entry visa and rented a house on Rose Street, Fort Kochi, for Rs 50,000 per month, far higher than the market rate.

"Central intelligence got an alert about a covert operation being carried out by suspected Israeli agents after the 26/11 terror attacks in which south Mumbai's Chabad House came under attack and six Jews, including a Rabbi and his pregnant wife, were killed. A communication was sent to all states and it was our wing in Kerala that traced this couple at Fort Kochi," an intelligence officer here said.

Indian agencies will question two suspected Israeli agents before they are deported. "We have traced the couple's financial transactions. Preliminary investigations suggest similar Israelis are camping in various parts of the country," an official said.

In their report, the state intelligence department said a group of people turned up at the couple's rented house regularly and held meetings.

"These meetings lasted for hours in the night. They were under close surveillance".

The deportation order was slapped on Zalman and Shenoi last Monday after undercover Kerala Police officers tracked them for a year, questioned them and filed a report to Ernakulam collector P I Sheik Pareeth.

Fort Kochi is a major hub for foreign tourists next to the neighbourhood of Mattancherry, famous for its Jew Town. This is the historical part of town where Jews set up their first trading outpost centuries ago and built the country's oldest synagogue in 1568.

"A monthly rent of Rs 50,000 is disproportionately high, even in Fort Kochi. This is one of the main factors that made us suspicious," the intelligence source said. "They have been in the country from March 3, 2010. When their visas expired on March 3 last year, they went out and returned on April 1, 2011 on a new visa."

From JPost and YNet:

Chabad emissaries in the southern Indian city of Kochi on Tuesday vehemently denied a report that appeared in local media earlier in the day accusing them of being part of an Israeli covert operation.

Rabbi Shneor Zalman and Yaffa Shenoi told The Jerusalem Post they were stunned by a story run by the Times of India in which unnamed Indian security officials said they were secret Israeli agents that would soon be deported from the country.

“I was invited here by the Jewish community of Kochi with the full knowledge of local authorities,” said Zalman, a 27-year-old rabbi from Jerusalem. “I have no idea how they got the impression I was part of a Mossad operation.”

He said he and Shenoi ran an outreach center catering to Jewish travelers in the popular tourist destination as well as to the city’s remaining 50 Jews, part of a once much larger community whose origins date back to the 16th century. Zalman insisted their sole motivation for being in the country was to provide religious services to local members of the Jewish community and had nothing to do with Israel.

Shenoi speculated the report might be related to an upcoming hearing on their visa status but said she was unaware of claims they were Israeli agents before the story appeared.

The report said the couple also aroused suspicions when people arrived at their home for late-night meetings. "It's pretty strange," Yaffa said, "apparently the report is talking about Shabbat dinners with Israelis and local Jews."

Addressing the high rent, the Israeli woman said, "This is a large house that is designated for Chabad activities. It only costs $1,000 a month – not an insane amount. Local police spoke to us a few times and asked that we do not hold large gathering in the house; nothing out of the ordinary.

Of course, any Jew who knows the slightest bit about the religion would know that someone named "Shneor Zalman" is from Chabad.

Syria update: Assad interview notes hacked; wife defends him; hundreds more dead (UPDATE)

From Ha'aretz:

Hundreds of emails from Syrian President Bashar Assad's office were leaked on Monday after an attack by the hacker group Anonymous. One of the email files, which Haaretz has obtained, was a document preparing Assad for his December 2011 interview with ABC's Barbara Walters.

Assad's TV interview with Walters was memorable for his repeated denials that Syrian citizens were being killed. "We don't kill our people ... no government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person," Assad told Walters.

About 10 days before the interview, Sheherazad Jaafari - a press attache at the Syrian mission to the United Nations - sent a long email to former Al Jazeera journalist Luna Chebel, who now works in Assad's bureau. She also sent the email to an aide of Shaaban's. Jaafari, who was involved in arranging the interview with Walters, also happens to be the daughter of the Syrian ambassador to the UN, Dr. Bashar Jaafari.

Jaafari Jr. wrote: "The major points and dimensions that have been mentioned a lot in the American media are: The idea of violence has been one of the major subjects brought up in every article. They use the phrases 'The Syrian government is killing its own people,' 'Tanks have been used in many cities,' 'Airplanes have been used to suppress the peaceful demonstrations,' and 'Security forces are criminals and bloody.'"

She advised: "It is hugely important and worth mentioning that 'mistakes' have been done in the beginning of the crises because we did not have a well-organized 'police force.' American psyche can be easily manipulated when they hear that there are 'mistakes' done and now we are 'fixing it.' It's worth mentioning also what is happening now in Wall Street and the way the demonstrations are been suppressed by policemen, police dogs and beatings."

Jaafari also recommended that Assad say: "Syria doesn't have a policy to torture people, unlike the USA, where there are courses and schools that specialize in teaching policemen and officers how to torture."She advised using Abu Ghraib in Iraq or execution via electric chair as more examples.

She added that that mentioning the talkbacks on articles in the American media are a useful tool, saying that "the Americans are asking their government to stop interfering in other countries' business and sovereignty and to start taking care of American internal issues."

"It is worth mentioning that when Obama asked H.E. to step down he himself have had a 70% decrease of his popularity in the States," Jaafari wrote.

"It would be worth mentioning how your personality has been attacked and praised in the last decade according to the media. At one point H.E. was viewed as a hero and in other times H.E. was the 'bad guy'. Americans love these kinds of things get convinced by it."

Jaafari also stressed that Facebook and YouTube are important to "the American mindset" and advised to mention that "the face that Facebook and YouTube are open now – especially during the crisis – is important."

Assad's wife, who was famously profiled along with her wonderful dictator husband in the Vogue puff-piece a year ago, has now come out publicly in support of the regime:

The British-born wife of Syria’s president has spoken in support of her husband for the first time since the 11-month uprising against his regime began, a British newspaper reported Tuesday.

“The President is the President of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role,” The Times quoted Asma al-Assad as saying in an email sent via an intermediary from her office.

The email is her first communication with the international media since the uprising against Bashar al-Assad’s regime began, The Times said.

“The First Lady’s very busy agenda is still focused on supporting the various charities she has long been involved with and rural development as well as supporting the President as needed,” the email reportedly continued.

“These days she is equally involved in bridging gaps and encouraging dialogue. She listens to and comforts the families of the victims of the violence.” it added.

Stylish and charismatic and with a degree from King’s College in London where she was raised, the former investment banker had helped promote the soft side of an iron-fisted regime.

Meanwhile:

Heavy bombardment of the Syrian city of Homs resumed on Tuesday after violence in Syria killed as many as 128 people as Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov started a visit to Damascus.

“The bombardment is again concentrating on Bab Amro. A doctor tried to get in there this morning but I heard he was wounded,” Mohammad al-Hassan, an activist in Homs, told Reuters by satellite phone.

“There is no electricity and all communications with the neighborhood has been cut,” he added.

Monday’s deaths included 19 children and 15 women. At least 61 people have been killed in Homs alone, as the neighborhoods of Bayyada, Ensha’at and Bab Amro are still bombarded by all kinds of rockets and mortar shells, Al Arabiya reported citing Syrian activists.

A member of the main opposition Syrian National Council said Assad’s forces killed scores of people people in a sustained bombardment of Homs, a center of armed opposition to his rule, two days after activists reported more than 200 people were killed in shelling.

A resident of Homs told AFP the latest assault began shortly after 0400 GMT Monday, with unprecedented barrages of rockets, mortar rounds and artillery shells.

“What is happening is horrible, it’s beyond belief,” said activist Omar Shaker, reached by telephone as loud detonations were heard in the background.

“There is nowhere to take shelter, nowhere to hide,” he said. “We are running short of medical supplies and we are only able to provide basic treatment to the injured.”

One video posted on YouTube apparently showed a field hospital hit by shelling in the Baba Amro district and wounded patients lying on stretchers on the floor amid pools of blood and shattered glass.

Footage shot by a BBC undercover team in Homs showed buildings ablaze in rebel neighborhoods as they were pounded with heavy weapons.

UPDATE: Speaking of Asma Assad, you can check out her hypocrisy here:
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/02/07/asma-assad-stand-by-your-man/

(h/t Yair)

Fatah Facebook page glorifies 1975 Savoy Hotel terrorists

From Palestinian Media Watch:

Fatah has chosen to use its official Facebook page to glorify terrorists.

Fatah's page currently displays a poster with the pictures of 8 terrorists who carried out a terror attack on the Savoy Hotel in Tel Aviv in 1975, that was posted by the Fatah administrator.

8 Israeli civilians and 3 soldiers were killed in the attack.

Text on poster:
"The Tel Aviv operation, March 6, 1975 ; The Palestinian passage to the homeland"

The text under each terrorist's picture reads:
"The heroic Shahid (Martyr)" followed by the terrorist's name.

This is the official Fatah Facebook page as announced in PalArab media on February 1.

The Fatah terrorists arrived by sea from Lebanon. They had intended to attack a different target, but they got lost and chose this hotel because it was the only building lit up on the street.

The dead included two Swiss, a German, a Somali and a teenage boy from the Netherlands. The Fatah terrorists set off explosive charges when Israeli forces raided the hotel; one Fatah member survived and initially claimed to have come from Egypt (in order to frustrate any peace agreement between Israel and Egypt) before admitting that they came from Lebanon.

Fatah took responsibility, saying that they wanted Israel to release some 10 terrorists from prison.

These are the heroes of today's "moderate" Fatah.