Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Abbas hanging Fayyad out to dry?

I noted yesterday that the protests that have been spreading throughout the West Bank all week have been directed at PA prime minister Fayyad.

Mahmoud Abbas decided to adopt survival tactics and yesterday said that he supports the protesters and their goals:

President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that the "Palestinian Spring" had begun, as Palestinians took to the streets across the West Bank in protest over rising prices.

"The Palestinian spring has begun, and we are in line with what the people say and what they want," Abbas said, addressing a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo.

The president said the protesters' demands to reduce costs of basic goods and for regular payment of salaries were "right and fair."

"Hunger is disloyal," Abbas said, quoting a Palestinian proverb reflecting that hungry people thought only of their need for food. "We are trying to do what we can do to reduce prices."

One reason he is jumping on this bandwagon can be inferred from this:

"We are here to say to the government enough is enough … We want a government which lives just as its people live eating what the people eat," Khalid, a protester, told Ma'an.

There was a recent report that Abbas owns some $8 million worth of land and property in Jordan.

In Abbas' full speech to the Arab League meeting, he spoke about a lot of topics with his usual lies - blaming Israel for the absence of negotiations, and claiming that Hamas has embraced non-violent resistance, for example.

But in his entire speech, he never said a word about supporting his handpicked prime minister!

It appears that Abbas is trying to distance himself from Fayyad, as Fayyad scrambles to survive himself. Fayyad even agreed to a debate with one of the leaders of the protests, which is about as close to desperate as one can get.

Fayyad, who is not a Fatah member, has been under attack from the start from both Hamas and Fatah. To survive, he has been forced to make Fatah-style outlandish statements (such as "Jesus was a Palestinian.") . Up until now Abbas has shielded him, mostly because the West likes Fayyad and he represents the only chance for the PA to act like a responsible government rather than a whining welfare quasi-state.

This time, though, it looks like Fayyad does not have any support at all.

Too bad, Tom Friedman. You are wrong again.

PalArab "experts" no better than Western pundits

Palestine Today interviews "experts" on Israeli affairs about Avigdor Lieberman's recent letter to the Quartet saying that Mahmoud Abbas is an obstacle to peace.

Nasser Lahham, one of these so-called "experts," said that Lieberman's remarks are serious, and may be a prelude to get rid of President Abbas in any way, "as happened with the late President Yasser Arafat." His brilliant analysis suggests that since Lieberman's party is important to Netanyahu's coalition, then Netanyahu will do anything to keep him in the government - presumably, including assassinating Abbas.

Samih Shabib, another of the "experts," says that Lieberman's position reflects that of the government. He says Israel is working to undermine Oslo and when Israel increases the number of permits for Palestinian Arabs to work in Israel, it is trying to convince the Arabs that they aren't so evil - and hoping that they get addicted to Israeli salaries so they wouldn't want a state which would mean borders and no more work.

Insidious!

Akram Atallah, yet another supposed expert on Israel, notes that Lieberman has floated his own unilateral withdrawal plan from the territories, and that his plan is consistent with demonizing Abbas. He also says that Abbas might be assassinated the way all Arabs are convinced Arafat was disposed of.

But before making fun of the cluelessness of these "experts," keep in mind that most Western pundits are just as clueless. In both cases, we see psychological projection at play.

The Palestinian Arab pundits project their own violent tendencies onto Israel, assuming that Israelis think the way they do - in this case, telegraphing their desire to kill leaders who are distasteful.

Similarly, Western "experts" project their own mostly-leftist values and attitudes onto the Arabs (and Iranian leaders), assuming that since they themselves want peace so badly and love negotiations, so must everyone else. And their analyses of Israeli attitudes are just as ill-informed.

For example, compare Tony Karon today with Chemi Shalev last week, and see which one understands Israelis and which is a blowhard.

When it comes down to it, at least nine out of ten of the so-called experts on either side are just riffing: trying to get paid for their quasi-expertise and hoping like hell that no one notices that they are frauds.

Yet as long as newspapers and cable networks need to fill up space and time, pseudo-experts will continue to dump their garbage into the minds of their consumers.

How's that Hamas/Fatah unity going?

We are now at 16 months since Fatah and Hamas signed their, um, historic unity agreement, and things couldn't be better!

Hamas has begun a training program for diplomats in the Gaza Strip where it rules, a senior official of the Islamist group said, raising the specter of divisions in the Palestinian national movement spreading to its representation abroad.

Hamas seized Gaza in a 2007 civil war with the Western-backed Fatah party that long dominated Palestinian politics and now rules parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. But Hamas has hitherto not challenged the PLO, dominated by Fatah and recognized by the United Nations as the Palestinians' sole representative abroad for almost 40 years.

It may be time to end that diplomatic monopoly, Hamas deputy foreign minister Ghazi Hamad suggested Wednesday.

"We have relations with some countries and we need to prepare our cadres and develop the diplomatic skills of staff to deal with those countries on joint projects," he told Reuters.

"The aim of such a step and training is to develop relations with world countries when time and conditions permit," said Hamad.

Hamas looks like it is preparing for the State of Gaza - or even to represent itself as the real government of Palestine!

Then again, this had been tried before - way back in 1948, in an episode of history that the Palestinian Arabs would like to forget.

Tourists jump on Temple Mount, upsetting Muslims

The latest outrage: A group of (apparently Christian) foreign tourists jumped and danced on the Temple Mount.

This was enough to elicit a press release from the Al Aqsa Heritage Foundation, where they condemned "the reprehensible repeated recent actions by foreign tourists who were encouraged and under the protection of the occupying forces. The tourists played games and performed disgraceful acrobatic movements and dances in the Al Aqsa Mosque, along with accompanying obscene words and resounding voices."

Apparently, dancing is disrespectful, but soccer and volleyball are OK. As long as the players aren't, you know, non-Muslim.

For good measure, they also complained about Jews defiling the Jewish holy spot.

This time they didn't mention Talmudic rituals, but the foundation did say that the Jewish visitors would bring with them posters that were biblical and Talmudic. Also that the Israeli government is trying to turn it into a public square.
This photo of a tour guide - again, probably Christian - really got under their skin:

Wednesday links

From Ian:

Where Is the Flotilla for Syria?

Assad's war has claimed four times as many victims in 20 months as have been killed in the Israel-Palestine conflict in the last 20 years.
"Far from criticizing the tyrants of the Middle East, the flotilla crowd often joins hands with them. Just this May, the British activist group Viva Palestina enjoyed the hospitality of Bashar Assad, making a pit stop in Syria on its way to trying to enter Gaza. Around the same time that Assad's thugs were gearing up for their massacre of children in Houla, members of Viva Palestina were proudly tweeting their whereabouts and posting photos on Facebook of themselves next to the regime's representatives.
Instead of dancing with dictators and tangoing with tyrants, what if the flotilla crowd actually set sail in the direction where aid is so desperately needed?"

"Pro-Palestinians" don't seem to be "pro-anyone"

"Had they truly been pro-Palestinian, one would have thought that they would have taken some of this 'unexpected' spare time in Jordan to visit Palestinians refugee camps and meet with some actual Palestinians. They might have learnt about the harsh living conditions the Jordanians impose on the 'refugees' (refugees in a country 60 percent Palestinian); they might have attempted to discuss with Jordanian officials the country's recent decision to revoke the citizenship of many thousands of Palestinians, as well as other Jordanian discrimination against Palestinians that has caused a lot of criticism in the country. They did not do any of these things, they simply went home."

[Actually, they did visit a camp beforehand - EoZ]

Study: Gap grows between Israeli Arabs, Palestinians

60 percent of Israeli Arabs say they would not want their daughter to marry someone from the West Bank in new survey.
“We asked Arabs of ’48 about their narrative, which is that they were loyal to their land when they didn’t desert it and stayed. The ’67 people look at the same issue, and they say the ’48 Arabs stayed on their land because they gave up and succumbed to the occupation without any resistance,” Sagy said."

Hanan Ashrawi’s war on history

The paramount object of Palestinian politics remains the nullification of Jewish statehood.
“SO WHY has Ashrawi chosen to risk looking petulant, dishonest and stone-hearted in refusing to speak the truth about the Jewish refugees? Because the paramount object of Palestinian politics remains the nullification of Jewish statehood. Since World War II, the plight of refugees the world over has been alleviated by resettlement rather than repatriation.”

Who are the Jewish refugees?

"She (Ashrawi) is obviously not aware of, or has chosen to ignore the fact, that on two occasions, in 1957 and again in 1967, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) determined that Jews fleeing from Arab countries were legally refugees who fell within the mandate of the UNHCR."

PMW Conflicting views in the PA about increased Israeli entry permits for Palestinians

"Israel's decision to allow 180,000 Palestinians to enter Israel for the Muslim holiday of Eid El-Fitr has drawn different responses in the Palestinian Authority. While the official PA daily newspaper said that the move was intended to hurt the Palestinian economy, the independent Al-Quds argued that more contact should be encouraged."

Richard Millett: Israel’s Batsheva dances on in Edinburgh despite PSC invasions.

IDF Blog: Israel Defense Forces: August 2012
IDF Veterans on the 2012 Israeli Paralympic Team
IDF Stories: Louis Miller, Paratrooper

Iran: Zionists spread homosexuality to control world

“This is especially ridiculous as in the Middle East, Israel is the only state where the gay community is safe and protected,” she (Saba Farzan) continued. “The Islamic Republic shows with this uncivilized world view how desperate it actually is.”

MEMRI Iranian News Website Fars Publishes Antisemitic, Anti-U.S. Cartoons On Non-Aligned Movement Conference In Tehran

Berlin police probing second anti-Semitic incident in a week

Berlin police said Monday that 13 girls from the Chabad Or Avner primary school were verbally abused with anti-Semitic slogans by four teenage girls fom the neighboring public school before their physical education class was to begin, according to the German news agency dpa. The Jewish school shares the gym with the secular school.

Tashlich on the Brooklyn Bridge, 1919

Antisemitism Alive and Well in Romania Or How the Holocaust Never Happened by Michael Curtis

Cytometric technique could eliminate need for blood samples

Andor Newton camera powers non-invasive probe capable of providing cell concentration and morphological data.

Israel Daily Picture Special Rosh Hashanna feature:

Israelis keep agreement on Cave of Patriarchs; Muslims complain

Ever since 1996, under the Wye River memorandum, Israel and the PA agreed to divide access to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

For most of the year, the Muslims have exclusive access to 81% of the site; the Jews have the other 19%.

For ten days a year, though Jews have exclusive access and for ten days the Muslims have exclusive access. (Jews cannot visit the cenotaphs to Isaac and Rebecca except for those ten days.)

So, naturally, when the Jews have access, the Muslims complain.

For Rosh Hashanah,Yom Kippur and the first days of Chol HaMoed Sukkot, Jews will be able to visit the entire site. This is apparently big news to Egypt's Youm7 site, which has a screaming headline about Israel "closing" the site.

Not only that, but they interview Zaid Jabari, an official in Hebron, who says that "the Ibrahimi Mosque mosque is purely Islamic in its entire area; none of it has any relation to the Jews at all, and all actions taken against it are false. This closure is not the first for the Ibrahimi, but comes within the series of attacks continuing against it. The occupation seeks to impose Israeli hegemony on the Ibrahimi Mosque by force of arms, and turning it into a synagogue."

He urged the international community to pressure Israel to give the entire shrine to Muslims.

It's really funny how a shrine that predates Islam and that is the resting place of the founders of the Jewish people is considered Islamic by Muslims.

And not a single Muslim would ever publicly disagree.

Keep in mind that under Muslim rule, non-Muslims were not allowed to enter the shrine at all. And even between 1967 and 1996, Jews who visited were often attacked by Muslims:

In 1968, a special arrangement was made to accommodate Jewish services on the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement. This led to a hand-grenade being thrown on the stairway leading to the tomb on October 9 in which 47 Israelis were injured, 8 seriously. On November 4, a large explosion went off near the gate to the compound and 6 people, Jews and Arabs, were wounded. On Yom Kippur eve, October 3, 1976, an Arab mob destroyed several Torah scrolls and prayer books at the tomb. In May 1980, an attack on Jewish worshippers returning from prayers at the tomb left 6 dead and 17 wounded.

Sanctions starting to hurt Iran - but is it enough?

The good news:

An apparent classified Iranian intelligence report that has been leaked online warns of an imminent financial crisis in the country that would cause nation-wide upheaval.

Excerpts of the report, posted this week on several Iranian websites, revealed that the government might not be able to pay the full salaries of its employees in the coming three months, which threatens the eruption of massive popular protests across the country.

Large portions of the population might suffer from starvation, the report said, adding that riots are expected to take place in border cities where living conditions are rapidly deteriorating.

According to the report, Iran’s reserve of foreign currency might run out within the coming six month owing to extreme budget deficiency.

Other official reports have stated that Iranian factories are working on only half their capacity, and that a large number of them have declared bankruptcy.

Under international sanctions, inflation in the country has reached 33 percent and prices of meat, chicken, and milk saw an unprecedented hike that reached 80 percent last year.

The European embargo on the purchase of Iranian oil is costing the country an estimated $133 million in daily revenues, and the Iranian riyal has also witnessed an unprecedented drop.

The governor of the Iranian Central Bank, Mahmoud Bahmani, has announced a raising the official rate of the riyal against the dollar over the next 10 days in order to deal with the “international developments.”

But according to Iranian bankers, the official rate – 12,260 riyals to the dollar -- was only a reference. There was a wide gap between the official and actual rates, which reportedly increased the prevalence of corruption within the Iranian government, since purchasing dollars with the official rates has become extremely profitable.

Also, Ahmadinejad admits that Iran is having problems selling some of its oil.

On the other hand, China is trying to buy all the oil it can from Iran, although limits on transportation because of Europe refusing to insure oil tankers is causing delays.

But even if there are riots in the streets of Iran, the one thing that Westerners don't seem to be factoring in is the pride of the mullahs. They have stated that Iran stands tall despite the sanctions and they have instructed their media to relay that message. That obstinacy cannot stop the pressure from mounting but it can delay, for a very long time, any practical change to their nuclear program.

Just look at how tenaciously Assad is holding on in Syria. That is how much Iran will prioritize their nuclear program, no matter what. It is a symbol of Iranian power, and symbolism is a lot more important in the Middle East than in the West.

I hope I'm wrong, and that the Iranian leadership gives in.

But optimistic pundits don't have a great track record in the region.

Photos: Burning Fayyad in effigy

I mentioned the anti-PA economic protests yesterday in Hebron (and there were some in Ramallah as well.)

Here are photos of the protesters burning an image of prime minister Salam Fayyad in effigy.

These aren't Islamists - these are secular Palestinian Arabs (the good guys, according to the media.)

The protesters don't blame Fatah's corruption for their economic woes. They don't blame their Arab brethren for reneging on their pledges for hundreds of millions of dollars. They aren't protesting the split between Hamas and Fatah.

No, they are directing their anger at the one politician who is truly moderate, who untainted by terror, who has a real background in economics and who knows that there is no way for the PA to survive unless it stops acting like a welfare state and the people start acting responsibly.

This is the problem: the Palestinian Arabs have been literally raised on the concept that the world owes them everything and that they have no responsibility for their actions. They are on a psychological par with typical four year olds who have not yet learned that they must brush their teeth before bed. Most would rather fantasize about their culture's superheroes - people like Samir Kuntar and Dalal Mughrabi and Yasir Arafat - than decide to so the work necessary to build a nation. They choose stunts and symbolism over reality, and indeed cannot distinguish between the two. When offered real, long term gains for compromising, they instead choose delusions.

Fayyad isn't the problem. His people are.

Translation of parts of anti-semitic Iranian film "Saturday's Hunter"

I wrote last year about a purely anti-semitic film that was a hit in Iran called "Saturday's Hunter."

In response to complaints, the director said "Judaism is the symbol of evil."

MEMRI has now translated some 20 minutes of the film, and it is even worse than the reports said:

Following are excerpts from an Iranian movie titled "Saturday Hunter." The movie was broadcast on Channel 1, Iranian TV, on August 17, 2012.
-----

A young boy, Benjamin, is brought to Israel by his mother, to be raised by his "blind" grandfather Hanan. He is awaited by a group consisting mainly of ultra-Orthodox Jews and armed uniformed soldiers.
The group exchanges greetings with Hanan:
Hanan: Shalom.
Man: Shalom.
Hanan: Shalom.
Man: Shalom.
An Arab man called Matin holds out a box with a pair of scissors to Hanan
Matin: It is ready, sir.
Hanan: Take this, Benjamin.
Benjamin takes the pair of scissors.
Hanan: When a person lives outside his homeland, he faces the energies and filth of evil Satanic spirits. In order to mark your magnificent return to your home and state of cleanliness, your soul must be purified.
Go and cut the ribbon.
Benjamin cuts a ceremonial ribbon, and immediately is showered with water from all sides as a sign of celebration.
Against the background sounds of Hasidic music, the crowd claps and celebrates.
Hanan: This is the beginning of the purification of the soul of a young Jewish man. Clothe him in the garments of the righteous believers.
Hanan removes Benjamin's baseball cap, and his jeans, red T-shirt, and sneakers are replaced by the black garments of the ultra-Orthodox. Hanan places a black hat on Benjamin's head.
[...]

The scene takes place in Hanan's home. Voices are heard from a room outside which Hanan stands.
Hanan: He is absolved.
Benjamin to Jacqueline the nurse: What are they doing?
Jacqueline: The sinners come here to be absolved of their sins.
Benjamin: How are they absolved?
Jacqueline: They pay indulgences. They pay money to your grandfather.
Benjamin: Can they be absolved of any sin?
Jacqueline: Yes, your grandfather can cleanse them of any sin.
Benjamin: Does my grandfather penalize them?
Jacqueline: No. He collects their money as a representative of God.
Inssde the room, Hanan and two other men sit at a table, and several people await their turn to be judged.
Hanan: This is the penalty for those who ridicule the laws of Moses. You have to pay these indulgences. In order to escape the law of God, you must pay this money.
The God of the Jews is too lenient with you. If I were in His shoes, I would take your lives, not just your money.
Hanan holds up some money in one hand and rings a bell with his other hand.
Hanan: Absolved!
A man comes to the table to be judged.
Hanan: What has this one done wrong?
One of the men on the committee whispers in his ear: He skipped some of his prayers, didn't fast, and drank alcohol. He went to the Temple of Solomon and cursed the rabbis.
Hanan: He's done wrong! He's done wrong!
Hanan holds up some money in one hand and rings a bell with his other hand.
Hanan: Absolved!
Next idiot!
[...]

Matin is teaching Benjamin how to fire a gun. Hanan, Jacqueline, and others sit nearby.
Benjamin: This way?
Matin nods, and Benjamin takes aim at targets in the shape of women and children.
Benjamin: should I shoot now?
Martin nods
Benjamin shoots and falls backward from the force of the recoil. Matin runs to inspect the targets.
Matin: It didn't hit the target. Never mind. Better luck next time! Never mind.
Matin returns running to Benjamin's side, and hands him another gun.
Now shoot with this one. Hold it tight.
Benjamin shoots, and Matin runs toward the targets.
Matin: It hit the target.
Hanan: Very good. There you go.
Benjamin: Grandfather, I'm tired.
Hanan: You will get used to it, my child. Shoot again. Shoot.
Benjamin: I don't like it.
Hanan: That doesn't matter. God will be pleased. Shoot, my son. Shoot.
Matin! Come and load the gun.
Benjamin shoots again, and Matin runs toward the targets. Benjamin shoots again and again and again, hitting the targets.
[...]

Hanan stands at the head of a table of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Hanan: This is good soil. How much of this land can you give to God?
Man: As much as He wants.
Hanan: God is not strict with the Jews. How about going 50-50?
Man: We thank God for blessing us with Hanan's kindness.
Men: Amen.
Hanan: Amen.
Men: Amen.
Hanan: Amen.
Benjamin walks in carrying cups of coffee.
Benjamin: Shalom.
Men: Shalom.
Benjamin: Shalom.
Men: Shalom.
Benjamin: Shalom, Grandfather.
Hanan: Shalom, Benjamin. Jacqueline, bring the Book of God. Benjamin, take care of your eyes. Watching God's military campaign is very enjoyable.
Jacqueline: Here is the Book of God.
Jacqueline hands it over to Hanan.
Today is Saturday.
Hanan: Yes, that's right. Indeed, today is Saturday, but in order to satisfy God, we are permitted to exert efforts even on the Saturday.
[...]

Scene takes place in a field. Hanan is riding in a car and taking shots at the Arabs, who are fleeing for cover.
Hanan: I spit on the terrorists! Damn the infidels! I spit on them! Damn you terrorists! I will destroy you all. I will kill you all. I will destroy all of you.
[...]

Outside a house, Hanan and Benjamin stand together with several Arabs.
Hanan to the Arabs: You have three minutes to leave.
Matin!
Matin: Yes, sir?
He takes Hanan's arm and leads him to the vehicle
Old man: We will never leave our land.
Hanan to Benjamin: Never look back.
Hanan's car careens through the land, and Arabs flee. Soldiers shoot at everybody.
Hanan to Matin: Drive through their land.
Fire rages through the home and the land.
[...]

A group of blind ultra-Orthodox Jews, led by Hanan with his hand on Benjamin's shoulder, goes down underground, whether ancient books are being forged.
Hanan to Benjamin: Now we are inside the luminous rock. Here God talks to me and reveals all the secrets and the new laws. He reveals them all here. The kohanim have the duty to write, and they fulfill this duty.
This new book will be the latest book written by God and myself, and it will contain all the laws and principles for the new Israel. Nothing will be left out. Very soon, you will be the new prophet.
Devout believers have the duty... for those still seeking old and dilapidated papers, our new book will be made to look old through and through. It will be as old as Creation itself.
Benjamin, do you know the latest good news from God?
Benjamin: No.
Hanan: "God and sow corruption among them, until men become women, and women become men." Then, no more children will be born, and the lineage of Jesus and Muhammad will cease to exist.
[...]

Scene takes place outside, where Hanan is driving through the land.
Hanan: I spit on the infidels. I spit on you infidels. Damn the terrorists. I spit on you. I spit on the damned infidels. Get lost. This is the Jewish homeland.
Elderly Arab man: Hanan, for many years you have been serving the children of Satan, not the children of Abraham.
Hanan slits the man's throat.
Hanan: "I will make the people who have been cruel to you eat their own flesh, and I will make them drunk on their own blood. At that moment, humanity in its entirety will know that I am the God who will set you free."
Hanan raises the Book of God high.
Carry out the law of God.
As Hanan and Benjamin leave, soldiers and ultra-Orthodox Jews fire at the house and then set fire to it.
[...]

Benjamin, dressed in army fatigues, is shooting his gun.
Hanan: Shoot, shoot. Don't be afraid. Shoot. Don't be a stupid idiot. You stupid idiot, shoot again. Shoot.
Benjamin: Grandfather, I can't do it.
Hanan: Don't be afraid. If god didn't want you to shoot, He would stop you right now. Shoot. Shoot.
Benjamin: The Torah says that murder is forbidden.
Hanan: You idiot. Only the murder of a Jew is forbidden. Nothing will happen to a Jew, even if he does not follow the laws of the Torah and the Talmud, and does not adhere to the Ten Commandments of Moses, or to the laws of God Himself. So shoot!
Benjamin shoots
Benjamin: I can't do it, Grandfather. In the name of God, let me go.
Hanan: Benjamin, are you shooting into the air? The whole world is waiting for you in silence. God Himself waits for you in silence, and you go and shoot into the air? Kill! Kill them before they kill you. Kill them, Benjamin!
Benjamin, crying, runs away
Hanan: In the name of God, I beg you...
Benjamin obeys his grandfather, and shoots again and again
[...]

An Arab boy, formerly a friend of Benjamin, approaches him
Arab boy: Benjamin, what are you doing here?
Benjamin slowly raises his head and shoots him.
[...]

Scene takes place within the ruins of a house
Benjamin to Hanan: I've killed them all.
Hanan: Well done.
I could see that my grandson would be able to do it.
Benjamin: So you are able to see, right?
Hanan: I can see much better than anyone with eyes can see. When people face somebody who is blind, they show their true colors more clearly, because they think that he cannot see them.
Sometimes you should let people think that you are deaf. Sometimes you should let them think that you are crazy. Then they reveal their true nature. You watch, you listen, and you understand.
These people are in a slumber, believing in what was promised to them.
Hanan throws the Book of God down into the water, then removes his hat, and his coat and throws them away too
One day, you will get rid of all of this, but you must never reveal what's within you to anyone, not even to me.
Trample on anything – even on me. As long as I live, you cannot be me.
Benjamin takes aim at his grandfather
Hanan: So trample on me too.
Benjamin hesitates
Hanan: Go ahead!
Benjamin shoots Hanan
Cut to the dead bodies lying outside the house

Hamas cracking down on Salafists in Gaza, and other news

From Ma'an:

Hamas security forces have detained 20 Salafi fighters in the Gaza Strip in a move to prevent rocket fire into Israel, a Salafi jihadist group said Tuesday.

The Salifist Jihadist Groups in the Environs of Jerusalem said 20 fighters were detained, and that security forces confiscated homemade projectiles and light weapons belonging to Salafi militants.

"Families of the fighters were assaulted by security forces during the arrests," the groups said in a statement, adding that several Salafi activists and leaders had been summoned by security services in Gaza.

The groups said Hamas security forces were seeking information about fighters affiliated to the Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem, which has claimed responsibility for firing cross-border rockets and a June attack on Israel from Sinai. Israeli forces have assassinated several Salafi leaders.

Salifist Jihadist Groups in the Environs of Jerusalem warned Hamas there would be consequences for targeting their militants and said Salafi leaders "will not turn themselves in at any price."

Hamas has come under mounting pressure to crack down on Salafi fighters since 16 Egyptian officers were killed in an attack in Sinai. Egypt said Palestinian militants were involved in the operation.

Meanwhile, a Salafist group in Egypt denied rumors that they were negotiating with the Egyptian security authorities on avoiding fighting; while they denied having anything to do with the murder of 16 Egyptian troops they refused to condemn the attack and want to keep the option open of doing whatever they want in Egypt.

In other news, a local Jenin politician was murdered:

The head of a popular committee for public services was shot dead near Jenin refugee camp on Wednesday, Jenin officials said.

Hisham al-Rakh was shot several times by unidentified gunmen while driving his car in a mountainous area near the refugee camp, Jenin governor Talal Dweikat told Ma'an.

And a man was killed, and another seriously injured, by a tunnel collapse in Rafah.

Side-by-side: Democratic and Republican platforms on Middle East

I made this as fair as I could, trying to find the best correspondence between respective statements and taking out some of the partisan rhetoric.

Democratic Platform	Republican Platform
*Israel*
President Obama and the Democratic Party maintain an unshakable commitment to Israel’s security. A strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States not simply because we share strategic interests, but also because we share common values.	Israel and the United States are part of the great fellowship of democracies who speak the same language of freedom and justice, and the right of every person to live in peace. The security of Israel is in the vital national security interest of the United States; our alliance is based not only on shared interests, but also shared values.
Despite budgetary constraints, the President has worked with Congress to increase security assistance to Israel every single year since taking office, providing nearly $10 billion in the past three years. The administration has also worked to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region…. We have deepened defense cooperation – including funding the Iron Dome system – to help Israel address its most pressing threats, including the growing danger posed by rockets and missiles emanating from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.	We affirm our unequivocal commitment to Israel’s security and will ensure that it maintains a qualitative edge in military technology over any potential adversaries.
President Obama and the Democratic Party seek peace between Israelis and Palestinians.	The U.S. seeks a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East, negotiated between the parties themselves with the assistance of the U.S., without the imposition of an artificial timetable. Essential to that process will be a just, fair, and realistic framework for dealing with the issues that can be settled on the basis of mutually agreed changes reflecting today’s realities as well as tomorrow’s hopes.
A just and lasting Israeli-Palestinian accord, producing two states for two peoples, would contribute to regional stability and help sustain Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state.	We support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state with secure, defensible borders; and we envision two democratic states – Israel with Jerusalem as its capital and Palestine – living in peace and security,
There will be no lasting peace unless Israel’s security concerns are met….We will insist that any Palestinian partner must recognize Israel’s right to exist, reject violence, and adhere to existing agreements.	The Palestinian people must support leaders who reject terror, embrace the institutions and ethos of democracy, and respect the rule of law. Israel should not be expected to negotiate with entities pledged to her destruction.
*Iran*
The President is committed to using all instruments of national power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.	Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons capability threatens America, Israel, and the world. … America must lead the effort to prevent Iran from building and possessing nuclear weapons capability.
President Obama believes that a diplomatic outcome remains the best and most enduring solution [for Iran.]. At the same time, he has also made clear that the window for diplomacy will not remain open indefinitely and that all options – including military force – remain on the table. But we have an obligation to use the time and space that exists now to put increasing pressure on the Iranian regime to live up to its obligations and rejoin the community of nations, or face the consequences.	We express our respect for the people of Iran, who seek peace and aspire to freedom. Their current regime is unworthy of them. We urge the next Republican President to unequivocally assert his support for the Iranian people as they protest their despotic regime. We must retain all options in dealing with a situation that gravely threatens our security, our interests, and the safety of our friends.
*Other Middle East topics*
President Obama is committed to maintaining robust security cooperation with Gulf Cooperation Council states and our other partners aimed at deterring aggression, checking Iran’s destabilizing activities, ensuring the free flow of commerce essential to the global economy, and building a regional security architecture to counter terrorism, proliferation, ballistic missiles, piracy, and other common threats.	We recognize the historic nature of the events of the past two years – the Arab Spring – that have unleashed democratic movements leading to the overthrow of dictators who have been menaces to global security for decades. In a season of upheaval, it is necessary to be prepared for anything. We welcome the aspirations of the Arab peoples and others for greater freedom, and we hope that greater liberty – and with it, a greater chance for peace – will result from the recent turmoil. Radical elements like Hamas and Hezbollah must be isolated because they do not meet the standards of peace and diplomacy of the international community. We call for the restoration of Lebanon’s independence, which those groups have virtually destroyed. We support the transition to a post-Assad Syrian government that is representative of its people, protects the rights of all minorities and religions, respects the territorial integrity of its neighbors, and contributes to peace and stability in the region. We offer a continuing partnership with the people of Iraq, who have endured extremist terror to now have a chance to build their own security and democracy. We urge special efforts to preserve and protect the ethnic and religious diversity of their nation.

FJP lawyer sues heavy metal at for "Satanism" in Egypt

From Al Ahram:

Controversy erupted in Egypt's cultural scene after Ismail El-Weshahy, a lawyer for the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), filed a complaint Saturday to the interior ministry against El-Sawy Culturewheel, the prominent cultural centre in Cairo's upscale Zamalek district, accusing it of hosting "Satanist" rock bands and events.

The allegations, observers say, are reminiscent of Egypt's infamous "Satan worshipers case" of the mid-1990s.

According to El-Weshahy, one of his clients attended a recent event at El-Sawy Culturewheel at which he claims to have seen young people wearing t-shirts adorned with what he described as satanic shapes and symbols. The lawyer said that his client had also filmed a group of people who he said were performing satanic rituals in the centre.

El-Weshahy insists that he does not represent the FJP in the case, but rather his two clients, both of whom are members of an independent anti-corruption NGO called 'We're Watching You."

For its part, the Culturewheel issued a statement regarding the 31 August heavy metal concert in which it denied claims by El-Weshahy and his clients.

"In our ten years of activity, the Culturewheel has not hosted any kind of practice that could be called Satanic," the statement asserted, going on to express doubt that Satanism in Egypt existed at all.

The Culturewheel also stressed in its statement that the centre's administration did not allow any kind of violation during its concerts, be it smoking or any other kind of unacceptable behaviour.

El-Sawy Culturewheel was founded in 2003 by Mohamed El-Sawy, an engineer and founder of Egypt's moderate-Islamist Hadara (Civilisation) Party. El-Sawy was appointed culture minister in the government of Ahmed Shafiq (ousted president Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister) over the objections of many intellectuals who considered him too conservative.

On 30 and 31 August, the centre hosted several Egyptian heavy metal and rock bands.

Nour Ayman Nour, the revolutionary activist and rock band member (and son of prominent reform activist Ayman Nour), slammed El-Weshahy on Twitter, demanding that the FJP declare that it was not responsible for the case against the culture centre.

Nour told Ahram Online that the issue reminded him of the State Security campaigns of the 1990s, in which, he said, the authorities would contrive fake controversies in an effort to distract the public from more pressing issues.

"Instead of filing complaints against metal bands and El-Sawy Culturewheel, why don't the FJP's lawyers focus on corruption cases that really matter?" Nour asked. He went on to call on the lawyers to refrain from judging young people based merely on their appearance.