Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Monday, September 23, 2013

25 Palestinian Arab women reportedly murdered in "honor killings" this year. So far.

Twenty-five women have been killed so far this year in Palestine in so-called honor crimes, the Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling says.

The latest victim, Thamar Zeidan, was found strangled on Saturday in the Tulkarem village of Deir al-Ghosoun, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights reported.

Her father allegedly admitted that he killed her.

[An activist] said that in 2012, 13 women were murdered in 'honor killings' while in 2011 four women were killed.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights on Sunday issued a statement condemning the killing of Zeidan and calling for a serious investigation into the murder.

I read the Arabic media daily and this number is a complete surprise. Nowhere near 25 "honor killings" were reported in the Arab media this year. In fact, PCHR counts only 3 - two of them this month:

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Saturday afternoon, 21 September 2013, the body of (S. M. Z.), 30, from Deir al-Ghosoun village, north of Tulkarm, in the northern West Bank, who was killed by strangulation, was brought to Tulkarm Hospital. The victim's father surrendered to the Palestinian police claiming he committed the crime. The Attorney General’s office opened an investigation into the crime and issued an order to keep the body and refer it to the Forensic Medicine Department.

In the same context, on 12 September 2013, the body of (S. 'E. A.), 21, from Beit Omra village, west of Yatta, to the south of Hebron, in the southern West Bank, who was killed by strangulation as well, was brought to Abu al-Hassan al-Qasem Hospital in Yatta. The Palestinian police arrived at the Hospital and opened an investigation. Moreover, the police referred the body to the Forensic Medicine Department in al-Quds University – Abu Dees. According to the police, the victim's mother was arrested as she claimed she had committed the crime.

It should be noted that a similar crime was committed in al-Nusairat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on 08 March 2013, as a result of which (H. S. 'E), 23, was killed. Thus, the number of crimes to "maintain family honor" in 2013 has mounted to 3.

Assuming that the Women's Center is being accurate, this means that the vast majority of "honor killings" in the territories are now being hidden as accidental deaths.

(h/t Barry)

"Moderate" Dictators in the New York Times

There is a history of the most ruthless dictators making moderate noises to improve relations with the West. Historically, these moves are met with skepticism on the pages of the New York Times, or as tactical, cosmetic moves.

Historically, the skepticism was well-founded.

September 29, 1946. Stalin's moderate statements are received skeptically.

September 7, 1957: Nasser's moderate statements are received skeptically:

February 16, 1971: Qaddafi's moderate statements are received somewhat skeptically.

July 30, 1978: Saddam Hussein's attempts at sounding moderate are treated skeptically as well.

Now, the NYT reports on Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, with no skepticism whatsoever:

Iran Moves to Mend Ties With West

Iran’s supreme leader seemed to put his authority behind Iran’s moderate new president on Tuesday, calling for “heroic leniency” in navigating the country’s diplomatic dispute with the West.

The president, Hassan Rouhani, was elected in June on a moderate platform of ending the nuclear standoff with the West and increasing personal freedoms. In a speech to the Revolutionary Guards, considered stalwarts of the conservative wing of the government, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said he was “not opposed to proper moves in diplomacy.”

Enlarging on that theme, he said, “I agree with what I called ‘heroic leniency’ years ago, because such an approach is very good and necessary in certain situations, as long as we stick to our main principles.”

Perhaps the NYT should look in its own archives more often.

A bullet that landed a little too close to home

The Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Judaism's second holiest site, is divided into two sections. The much
larger section is generally accessible to Muslims, while a smaller part is accessible to Jews.

The Jewish section includes the cenotaphs of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob and Leah, while the Muslim side has those of Isaac and Rebecca.

On ten days a year, Jews have exclusive access to the entire building. On ten other days of the year, Muslims have full access, and Jews are barred. The Muslims, on their exclusive days, have routinely desecrated Jewish religious objects and books.

Today was one of the rare days that Jews could visit the room dedicated to Isaac and Rebecca. Thousands of Jews came to visit the holy site.

My son, Junior Elder, was one of them.

Shortly after my son left Hebron, an Arab sniper killed an Israeli soldier - who was there to defend the visitors at the holy site.

A Palestinian sniper shot dead a soldier stationed the Tut Atarek Junction, across from the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron on Sunday.

The soldier was named as Gavriel Kobi, 20, from Tirat Carmel. He was promoted to St.-Sgt. Maj. upon his death.

The gunman fired at Kobi and another Givati Brigade infantryman positioned to defend the Jewish community, as part of the army’s holiday preparations. The soldiers were positioned near the pharmacy intersection and Beit Hamachpela, defending the road used by Jewish residents of the quarter in Hebron.

“From what we see, the shooting occurred over a long distance,” a senior IDF source said. “At this stage, we have no clear direction as to the identity of the shooter.”

The murderer was upset that Jews have access to their own holy site. His gunshot was meant to deny Jews that right. No doubt, he would not have cared if he shot a child, a woman, or my son.

Freedom of religion is a human right. The murderer, and indeed most Muslims in the Middle East, insist daily that Jews do not have the right to worship in their holiest places - the Temple Mount, the Cave of the Patriarchs, Rachel's Tomb, Joseph's Tomb. Each of these holy sites, all of which predate Islam, have been usurped by Islam and converted into mosques, an effective desecration of sacred Jewish sites.

Even so, the Jewish state bends over backwards to allow Muslims to gather and worship at these places that they have effectively stolen from Jews.

But in the Arabic media, there is daily incitement to riot and violently oppose the Jewish right to worship in these sites.

This is an issue of human rights. Freedom of religion is accepted by the UN, the EU and indeed the entire Western world. But the same people who pretend to energetically defend human rights, like Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, are mute about the daily incitement to deny Jews those very rights. In fact, they effectively support the Muslim desecration and usurpation of Jewish holy sites by saying that the land underneath every single site is "illegally occupied" and should be, effectively, Judenrein.

HRW and Amnesty want to deny my son, and thousands of other Jews, the right to worship at and respectfully visit their holy sites.

They effectively support the same goal as the murderer of Gavriel Kovi.

In the end, they don't care about human rights. They care about politically correct human rights.

Their silence in the face of daily incitement against Jewish religious rights speaks volumes.

Remember when Goldstone distinguished between Hamas and "armed groups?"

Back in 2009, the Goldstone Report asked Hamas about whether they were responsible for rocket attacks on Israel. Hamas humbly responded:

1635. In response to questions by the Mission, on 29 July 2009, the Gaza authorities stated that they had “nothing to do, directly or indirectly, with al-Qassam or other resistance factions” and stated that they were able to exercise a degree of persuasion over the armed factions in relation to proposed ceasefires. While noting that the weaponry used by the armed factions was not accurate, the Gaza authorities discouraged the targeting of civilians.

The report did not express any skepticism over this absurd distinction between Hamas and the Al Qassam Brigades.

If there are still any idiots that cling to the idea of a separate, unaffiliated "armed wing" of Hamas that has nothing to do with the "political wing," here's a photo for you:

This shows Hamas "political leader" Ismail Haniyeh taking part in a parade organized by the Al Qassam Brigades in the Shati camp west of Gaza City.

Then again, Goldstone would probably have said that Haniyeh is just the "Grand Marshal."

9/22 Links: Danon - Soldier's Murder due to PA Incitement, Separation Fence Gap Enabled Abduction

From Ian:

'Failure to condemn soldier's murder proves PA not seeking peace'

MK Avigdor Lieberman says PA leaders encourage murders of Israelis. Deputy Defense Minister Danon says murder was a result of incitement on behalf of Palestinian leadership. Housing Minister Ariel: Release of Palestinian prisoners results in bloodshed.

Separation Fence Breach Enabled Abduction

The murderer and his victim passed throught the breach, members of the Council said, in order to reach the Arab villages next to the community. Thousands of PA residents pass through the same breach daily, on their way to work in Israel. “Residents of the communities in the area warned repeatedly that terrorists could pass through the breach but the security establishment did not take action to stop the phenomenon,” activists said.

Man who Murdered Soldier Tried to Kidnap Before

“Nidal apparently was planning this for a long time,” she told Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio). “He didn’t target Tomer right away, he tried to take other people at first. But apparently Tomer was talked into it, because he was an innocent guy.”
She added, “I think that as soon as Tomer got in the cab and realized they were going to Kalkilya and there was no business deal or anything, he must have tried to run.”

Murdered Israeli soldier nameless in BBC report

Notably, whilst the suspected murderer is personalised with his name and age, the soldier is not. He remains a nameless, faceless, ageless entity for BBC audiences.

Fresh gunfire in Kenya mall as death toll climbs to 59

The radical rebel group al-Shabab from neighboring Somalia claimed responsibility for the attack, which specifically targeted non-Muslims, saying it was retribution for the Kenyan forces’ 2011 push into Somalia. The group threatened more attacks.
After assaulting the mall Saturday afternoon, the attackers were surrounded by a combined police and military force throughout the night. Trucks brought a fresh contingent of soldiers from the Kenya Defense Forces to the mall shortly after dawn Sunday morning.
Kenyans and foreigners, including French and Canadian citizens, were among those confirmed dead. “Violent extremists continue to occupy Westgate Mall. Security services are there in full force,” said the US Embassy in an emergency text message issued Sunday morning.

BBC backgrounder claims Palestinian leadership renounced terror twenty five years ago

Only in September 1993 did Arafat undertake to have the articles in the Palestinian National Charter which deny Israel’s right to exist brought to the PNC for removal, although it took over five more years before any action was taken, even according to the most optimistic accounts. The BBC’s claim that the PNC accepted a two-state solution in 1988 is therefore highly tendentious. The BBC article fails to point out to readers that its cited “UN resolution 181 in 1947? – which was never more than a recommendation – has no legal standing, having been rejected by the Arab states.
And what of the claim made in this article that the Palestinian National Council “renounced terrorism” in 1988? The declaration itself – as one would expect from the legislative arm of a terrorist organization – extols terrorism in no uncertain terms:

Islamic Movement leaders warn of 'Israeli plan to destroy al-Aksa Mosque'

Tens of thousands of Israeli-Arabs attended the "Al-Aksa is in Danger" rally in Umm al-Fahm on Friday, organized by the Islamic Movement's northern branch.
The festival came some two weeks after Sheikh Raed Salah, the leader of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, was arrested and subsequently ordered by the Jerusalem District Court to stay at least 30 kilometers away from the Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount. Salah had given an inflammatory speech, calling for violence against Jews at the Temple Mount.

Arab MK: Prevent Jews from ‘Contaminating’ Temple Mount

In a televised interview with Arab media, Tibi can be heard saying he is “confident” that the Israeli “occupation” of Jerusalem will end, “and our voice will rise up here at the Al-Aqsa mosque, and we won’t let these people [Jews] contaminate it.”
In a separate interview, Tibi argued that attempts by MK Miri Regev (Likud) to gradually change the status quo on the Temple Mount to give Jewish worshipers more rights constitutes a “declaration of war.”

Lebanon: End to Hezbollah Reign as Army Steps In

Lebanon’s government has announced that it will send the national army to secure Hezbollah-dominated suburbs in the south of the country, including the terrorist movement’s stronghold in the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut.
The decision to send soldiers into Lebanese cities comes in the wake of multiple recent bombing attacks. The attacks have left more than 70 people dead and over 1,000 wounded.

US and allies target Hezbollah financing, ties in Africa

The United States and its allies are clamping down on suspected Hezbollah activity in West Africa, which Washington says is a major source of cash for the Lebanese group as its patron Iran feels the pinch of sanctions.
The push coincides with Hezbollah's deepening role in Syria, where it has dispatched thousands of fighters to back President Bashar Assad. It also comes in the wake of attacks outside Lebanon linked to Hezbollah that Western experts say are part of global campaign that could soon include Africa.

A sneak peek at the IDF units who would be key in future Iran strike

Nestled deep in the maze of an Israel Air Force base, secretive units form an essential component in any Israeli air strike in enemy territory with air defenses.
Indeed, they would have been an inseparable part of recent air force strikes in Syria, attributed to Israel by foreign media reports, to stop the transfer of sophisticated missiles and air defenses to Hezbollah.
No potential future air campaign in Iran, against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites, would be possible without the units.
This is the Electronic Warfare (EW) Section, which is made up of two units.

Iranian Military Parades Missiles Capable of Hitting Israel

Iran paraded 30 missiles with a nominal range of 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) - the first time it had displayed so many with the theoretical capacity to hit Israeli targets.
The missiles on show included 12 Sejil and 18 Ghadr missiles, at the annual parade marking the 25th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
The stated range of both missiles would put not only Israel but also US bases in the Gulf within reach.

US reassures Israel it won’t fall for Rouhani’s charms

Administration officials have had several conversations with their Israeli counterparts recently to assure them that Rouhani’s outreach — which has seen the new Iranian president give a US TV interview, pen an op-ed in the Washington Post, and send other conciliatory messages to the US — will not prompt a reduction in sanctions pressure designed to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive, Israel’s Channel 2 reported on Friday night.

Rouhani says Iran must retain right to enrich uranium in any deal with West

The new Iranian president said on Sunday that Tehran was ready for negotiations with Western powers provided they set no pre-conditions.
Rouhani spoke about negotiations with the West when addressing the military parade on Sunday to commemorate the annual "Sacred Defense Week".
"In these talks all the rights of Iran, including nuclear and enrichment rights on our own territory should be accepted within the framework of international law," he said, according to state news agency IRNA.

Muslim Brotherhood Official, Former Clinton Foundation Employee Arrested

A senior Muslim Brotherhood official who, until recently, had been employed by the William J. Clinton Foundation was arrested in Cairo on Tuesday and charged with inciting violence.

Turkish Court Sentences World-Famous Pianist, Government Critic to Jail for Blasphemy

World-renowned Turkish pianist Fazil Say has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for blasphemy, following a retrial over social media posts he made criticizing Islam:

Finland: Apology for 'Anti-Semitic' Athletics Ruling in 1938

In a small but symbolic gesture, the Finnish Amateur Athletic Association (SUL) has apologized for revoking an obvious 100 meter victory from a Jewish athlete in Helsinki in June 1938.
"Any manipulation of the results is shocking and goes against our fundamental values in sports ...On behalf of the SUL, I present my sincerest apologies to those who have suffered injustices and to their families," SUL chairman Vesa Harmaakorpi said in a statement published late Wednesday.

Tel Aviv University to open Israel studies research center at Shanghai university

Tel Aviv University has established the first research center for Israel Studies in China, at Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, which was inaugurated last week in the presence of both university presidents.
JTU President Zhang Jie said the center aims to “achieve three main goals: Research on contemporary Israel and Sino-Israeli relations; promotion of academic and students exchanges; as well as technological cooperation.”
Jie also stressed the importance of “the long historical relations between Shanghai and the Jewish people.” (h/t Zvi)

How serendipity in an Israeli lab led to drought-resistant plants

Plant biologist Shimon Gepstein did not set out to find a revolutionary technology that has been successfully producing drought-resistant rice, wheat, sugar beets, cotton, millet and other food crops in several countries.
He and his staff were tinkering with the “juvenile” plant hormone cytokinin to see if they could grow tobacco with a longer growth period and shelf life. The experiments worked beautifully — and then they neglected to water the genetically engineered plants for a few weeks. Surprisingly, after being re-watered they bounced back to life.
And so Gepstein discovered that cytokinin also increases a plant’s ability to withstand drought. Scientists across the world have long looked for biological plant mechanisms that can be engineered to boost drought resistance.

The inhumane Egyptian siege of Gaza continues:

Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah crossing with Gaza on Saturday, officials said.

"Egypt is concerned about the security of Palestinian citizens as Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid continue to blaze with explosions occurring from time to time," an Egyptian security official told Ma'an.

The crossing had been operating at a reduced capacity since Monday, after being closed for seven days due to the security situation in Sinai.

Isn't it sweet of them to imprison Gazans for their own security?

Meanwhile, Israel issued 1,177 permits for people to cross the Erez crossing two weeks ago.

Israel-hating organization creates curriculum for Irish students

Ma'an reports:

Iconic British musician Roger Waters launched an education resource on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Dublin this week, an Irish solidarity group said.

Mr Waters told a packed audience in Dublin that he "wholeheartedly endorsed" a teaching pack entitled 'Palestine & Israel – How will there be a Just Peace?', which was co-produced by Sadaka – the Ireland Palestine Alliance.

The resource is the first curriculum approved teaching module on Israel/Palestine in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and provides a critical analysis of the conflict in a context of human rights.

"I have studied the education pack... and it is extremely well laid out, extremely informative and eloquent in a way that kids will understand," Waters said.

Marie Crawley, chair of Sadaka, said that Waters' endorsement of the pack is "immeasurable in its importance and will be hugely influential with young people around the country as we encourage schools to use this resource."

The home page of Sadaka includes The Map That Lies, just so you know what Irish students are in for.

The curriculum itself pretends to be even-handed. It is pretty much what Israel haters would consider even-handed, without actually subjecting themselves to the opinions of mainstream Israelis.

Here is how the history of the land looks to Sadaka, and now to the Irish school system (p. 16). along with my notes about how literally every timeline event suffers from either huge bias or gigantic omissions.

1897: Growth of Zionist movement - the Basle Declaration (1897) which was agreed at the ﬁrst Zionist Congress, declared that the main objective of Zionism was the “colonisation of Palestine by Jewish agricultural and industrial workers”.

Nothing about the ancient nations of Israel and Judea. Nothing about the Bible, the Patriarchs, King David, the Temple. Nothing about Jews longing to return to Zion for millennia. But they do take out one sentence of the Zionist Congress that uses the word "colonisation," which sounds a lot like "colonialism" even though they have completely different meanings.

1917: The Balfour Declaration in which Britain stated that they would support a homeland for Jewish people. At this time the population of Palestine was approximately 90% Palestinian and 10% Jewish

No, it was 90% Arab, not "Palestinian." Jews were called Palestinians then, more often than the Arabs were. This curriculum doesn't mention that. So the Palestine Symphony Orchestra, the Palestine Post, the Palestine Exhibit at the World's Fair all sound, to these students, like they were run by Arabs. They weren't. They were all run by Palestinian Jews.

1930s: Jewish immigration to Palestine increased greatly after WW1, especially in the 1930s. By the end of the 1930s, Jews made up nearly 30% of the population.

Arab immigration, especially illegal Arab immigration also increased dramatically because of the increased standards of living that the Jews brought.

Not a word about the Arab rebellion that killed thousands in the 1930s. Nothing about the British methods to stop Arab disturbances, like executions and collective punishments that far exceed anything Israel could ever be accused of doing. In fact, the British Mandate itself is essentially ignored! So are the massacres of Jews by Arabs in 1929 and earlier.

1942-1945: The Holocaust takes place in Europe: 6 million Jews and up to half a million Roma Gypsies were killed by the Nazis.

The mention of Gypsies seems deliberately included to minimize the goal of the Holocaust - to destroy all Jews in the world. After all, they don't mention homosexuals.

The Holocaust began before 1942.

Nothing about the British White Paper that limited immigration (to appease Arabs after the 1936-39 revolt) and the hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives lost because they had no safe haven to escape to. This is critical background information and it is ignored.

1945: World War 2 ends

1945-47: Greatly increased Jewish immigration from Europe after WW 2 into Palestine

Immigration that was illegal because the British tried to prevent it, breaking their promises from the Balfour Declaration.

1947: UN partition plan - granting 56% of the area to a Jewish state, even though they only comprised 1/3 of the population and owned less than 6% of the land. Outbreak of war between Israelis and Palestinians.

The White Paper also limited the ability of Jews to buy land, which is why Jews owned so little.

Arabs also privately owned little, perhaps 20% of the land. The false implication is that Arabs owned 94%.

Most of the Jewish state under the UN partition plan was desert.

The Arabs didn't accept partition, and the Palestinian Arabs started massacring Jewish civilians literally hours after the partition plan passed.

For the most part, the war wasn't between Israelis and Palestinians, but between Jews and the Arab states. Most of the Palestinian Arabs fled before seeing any fighting as Arab armies attempted to destroy Israel.

1948: Proclamation of the State of Israel. 750,000 Palestinian refugees ﬂed homes. West Bank and East Jerusalem came under Jordanian control. Gaza Strip came under Egyptian control.

Jordan expelled literally every Jew from its occupied lands, including Jerusalem, where Jews had lived continuously for well over a thousand years. Its annexation of the West Bank was considered illegal by virtually the entire world.

1948-1951: In 1948 all restrictions on Jewish immigration to Palestine were lifted. Between 1948 -1951, 700,000 Jews arrived from Europe, including two thirds of the Jews displaced after World War 2.

Not a word about the 800,000 Jews who were expelled or forced to flee Arab countries, as this sham of a curriculum attempts to make Israel look like it is filled with only European Jews.

Nothing about the founding of the PLO in 1964, about terror attacks before 1967, about the constant state of war between Israel and her neighbors, about the Arab League boycott of Jews (later Israel,) about daily Arab incitement to destroy Israel.

1967: ‘Six-Day’ War - Israel occupies Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinians in those areas living under military rule. Israel began to build settlements in Palestinian areas.

When exactly did those areas go from being Egyptian/Jordanian to "Palestinian"? A little sleight of hand here.

Nothing about the wave of Palestinian Arab terror against the world in the early 1970s.

Nothing about the Yom Kippur War. Nothing about peace between Israel and Egypt, including Israel giving back some 90% of the land controlled by Israel for peace. Nothing about how Judea and Samaria are the cradle of Jewish civilization. Nothing about how Jews were returning to areas that they lived in a mere 19 years before.

Nothing about the increase of life expectancy and decrease of infant mortality under "occupation." Nothing about how Jews and Arabs coexisted before the first intifada.

1993: Oslo Accords – Palestinian Authority was created, with limited powers. Israel still occupying West Bank and Gaza.

Nothing about how Arafat spurned the Clinton parameters and chose instead to start a terror war that ended up killing thousands. Not a word about suicide bombings or terrorism - even before the second intifada.

2005: Withdrawal of Israeli settlers from Gaza strip. Israel still controlling all access to area.

Of course, Egypt shares a border with Gaza.

Nothing about rocket attacks from Gaza.

2009: A ban on new Israeli settlements in the West Bank was agreed

A ten month freeze on new construction that was never agreed to be permanent. It was meant to re-start negotiations, and the PLO refused to negotiate until the last minute so they could storm out when the deadline passed.

2010: The ban on Israeli settlements in the West Bank ends. Palestinians now only have access to less than one-third of the West Bank territory.

Nothing about how tens of thousands work in Israel - or in the Jewish communities in the territories. Nothing about PLO intransigence.

The rest of the curriculum is just as bad, with highlights of "good Jews" like Jeff Halper and nothing about any Israeli human rights.

The entire coursework is filled with one-sided pseduo-facts and startling omissions that shows it to be simple propaganda masquerading as a school curriculum.

The fact that the Irish school system accepts this sham as legitimate shows how ignorant Europeans are about the facts and how willing they are to accept any anti-Israel narrative.

UPDATE: I made a poster about this, pointing out the irony that a songwriter who rails against "thought control" in the classroom is guilty of exactly that.

UPDATE 2: Israellycool also looked at the curriculum. Besides not mentioning terrorism, the entire pack doesn't mention Hamas once - except in the glossary, which no one would see because it isn't mentioned in the text!

Gaza exported Lulavim to Israel

Two years ago, Hamas blocked the exports of lulavim (palm fronds used during the current Jewish holiday of Sukkot) to Israel - and Gaza farmers lost roughly a million dollars.

As far as I can tell, there were no Gaza exports of lulavim last year, but this year - according to COGAT - at least one truckload of palm fronds were exported in August to Israel:

Exports of lulavim from Gaza and etrogim from Morocco? What would the BDS movement think?

"Sex jihad" (updated x2 - a skeptical view)

From AFP:

Tunisia's women's ministry said Saturday it would come up with a plan to counter the growing number of women traveling to Syria to wage so-called "sex jihad" by comforting militants.

Interior Minister Lotfi ben Jeddou told the National Constituent Assembly on Thursday that Tunisian women had gone to Syria where "they have sexual relations with 20, 30, 100" militants.

"After the sexual liaisons they have there in the name of 'jihad al-nikah' – [sexual holy war, in Arabic] -- they come home pregnant," he told MPs.

Ben Jeddou did not elaborate on how many Tunisian women had returned to the country pregnant with the children of jihadist fighters.

On Saturday, the health ministry statement said it had noted "an increase in the number of young women leaving for so-called jihad al-nikah", although it did not give any figures.

Jihad al-nikah, permitting extramarital sexual relations with multiple partners, is considered by some hardline Sunni Muslim Salafists as a legitimate form of holy war.

Media reports have said hundreds of Tunisian women have gone to Syria for this purpose, in addition to hundreds of Tunisian men joining jihadists battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Earlier rumors of "sex jihad" in other contexts have been bitterly disputed and called hoaxes, but Tunisia's government seems to be confirming it in this case.

It is not hard to imagine that single Muslim women who have already lost their virginity might be interested in turning their statuses from potential outcasts to heroic jihadists.

UPDATE: MEMRI has the video of Jeddou's speech:

UPDATE 2: This post casts doubt on the story, and notes that no corroborating evidence has been found yet. (h/t Gidon)

Video: French diplomat punching IDF soldier in the face (updated)

Over the weekend, there have been accusations that the IDF "manhandled" NGOs and diplomats trying to build an illegal Bedouin village in Area C.

Here is the IDF version of the events:

Yesterday, following an illegal attempt by Palestinians and foreign activists to erect tents in Samaria’s Hemdat area, in the northern Jordan Valley, security personnel responded to the site with the intent to implement a standing Supreme Court Decision. At the site, Palestinian and foreign activists violently objected, throwing stones and striking Israeli security forces. The security personnel contained the violence with riot dispersal means, seized the tents and detained three Palestinians who were the main instigators, forcefully objecting to the activity. Reports that foreign diplomats abused their diplomatic privileges are currently being reviewed and, if required, complaints will be filed with the relevant authorities.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Paul Hirschson, said a formal complaint might be filed with the French over the involvement of French diplomat, Marion Castaing. “If she did participate then a formal complaint will be filed because that is not the way diplomats behave,” he said.

The IDF notes that a PressTV video shows that the French diplomat Marion Fesneau-Castaing actually punching an IDF soldier (0:52) of this video. (UPDATE: Video is gone; excerpt is here.) A colleague actually tries to hold her back.

I turned it into an animated GIF:

This video of the incident, lightly edited, shows that the IDF only acted when it was provoked. Soldiers politely shooed away the activists until they kept pushing past them. It also shows some activists smiling after getting "manhandled" because they wanted it to be caught on camera.

Castaing is seen on the ground (2:45) apparently lying there voluntarily, or as part of a protest; she certainly doesn't appear to be trying to get up and no one is forcing her on the ground. She is seen smiling at around 3:15 after her supposedly terrifying ordeal. Similarly, an activist who ignored IDF orders to stay away from the truck and who was pushed away is grinning at 2:17.

It is all a play, where the Israel-haters know that the IDF won't do anything serious to them and they are hamming it up for the cameras.

UPDATE: Here's another angle, showing Castaing getting out of the truck at 6:05. It looks like she is hanging onto the IDF and then dropping to the ground; the soldiers seem to be ignoring her as they are looking at the other activists. If the soldiers grabbed her and dragged her out, it was not a very tense scene. Then a minute later, she simply gets up.

9/21 Links: IDF Soldier Murdered in WB, Anti-Israel vote fails at IAEA, Rouhani the 'moderate'

From Ian:

IDF soldier Tomer Hazan, kidnapped and killed in West Bank

An IDF soldier was murdered by a Palestinian acquaintance who lured him to a village near Qalqilya in the West Bank, Israeli authorities said Saturday. The soldier was named Saturday night as 20-year-old Bat Yam native Sgt. Tomer Hazan.
Hazan was lured on Friday to the village of Beit Amin, south of Qalqilya, by a 42-year-old Palestinian resident of the village, Nidal Amar. Amar worked at an Israeli restaurant, in Bat Yam, where Hazan also worked part-time. (h/t Jewess)

UN shoots down Arab push to condemn Israeli nuclear policy

The bid, against which the US spoke out this week, reflects mounting frustration in the Arab world over the deferment of an international conference on the banning of atomic arms in the region, Reuters reported Friday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency rejected the initiative by a vote of 51 to 43 at its annual meeting in Vienna. 32 nations abstained.

Khaled Abu Toameh: Does Jordan Want Palestinians In Control of The Border?

Although the Jordanians are not part of the ongoing peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, they are hoping that Israel will not rush to abandon security control over its long border with the kingdom. Understandably, the Jordanian monarchy cannot go public with its stance for fear of being accused by Arabs and Muslims of treason and collaboration with the "Zionist enemy."
The Egyptians today know what the Jordanians have been aware of for a long time -- that a shared border with Fatah or Hamas or any other Palestinian group is a recipe for instability and anarchy. The Egyptians surely miss the days when the Israel Defense Forces were sitting along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

Europe: Anti-Israel or Anti-Semitic?

Member of the Knesset for the Jewish Home Party, Ayelet Shaked, told the European politicians attending the conference that she feared the evacuation of West Bank settlements and the creation of a Palestinian state would only lead to increased missile attacks against Israel:

Europe's forcing us to cede land, in order to achieve the type of agreement it sees fit for the Middle East, will only mean that these missiles will continue to rain down on Israel not only from Gaza, but from Qalqilya and Ramallah [Palestinian cities in the West Bank] as well.
If Europe thinks Jews will return to the days where we were forced to mark our products, you can forget it. Delegitimization of parts of Israel by Europe is the new anti-Semitism. The old anti-Semitism led to the destruction of our people in gas chambers. We will not allow the new anti-Semitism to hurt us.

Caroline Glick: Syria, Iran and the North Korean model

Like North Korea, Iran will negotiate until it is ready to vacate its signature on the NPT and test its first nuclear weapon.
The critics are correct. And the danger posed by Obama’s decision to seek a false compromise rather than accept an unwanted confrontation following Syria’s use of chemical weapons will only be removed when the US recognizes the folly of seeking to wish away the dangers of weapons of mass destruction through negotiations. Those talks lead only to the diminishment of US power and the endangerment of US national security as more US enemies develop and deploy weapons of mass destruction with the sure knowledge that the US would rather negotiate fecklessly than contend responsibly with the dangers they pose.

EU diplomats say IDF manhandled them in West Bank, violated humanitarian law

IDF soldiers clashed with Palestinians and foreign activists attempting to raise a makeshift tent encampment near Hamdat in the northern Jordan Valley in the West Bank on Friday.
The IDF called the incident a "disturbance of the peace," and a provocation," while European diplomats said they were "manhandled" and illegally prevented from delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians by the IDF. (h/t Jewess)

Israel to Double Supply of Water to Thirsty Gaza Strip

Israel will build a pipeline that doubles the amount of water sold to the Palestinian Authority for Gaza Strip residents, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
The new pipeline will increase supplies to the Gaza Strip to 10 million cubic meters, spokesman Guy Inbar said today in a phone interview. The West Bank water allotment will rise by 4 million cubic meters to 57 million.(h/t Zvi)

U.N. Nominee Given 72 Hours to Confess Lies on Qaddafi Prize

Controversial U.N. Human Rights Council nominee Jean Ziegler was today given a 72-hour ultimatum to confess that for the past month he has been engaged in a massive cover-up by lying to the Swiss media over his ties to the Qaddafi Prize, and to withdraw his nomination for the election to be held next week. See below the UN Watch letter sent today to Jean Ziegler.

CNN Update: Some Errors Fixed, Some Remain in “10 Things” Feature

Still, factual errors and distortions remain, including the false claim that the Western Wall is "the last structure remaining from the Jewish Temple," the anachronistic claim that the Al Aqsa mosque, a structure that was built after the Quran was written, is mentioned in the Quran, the reference to "biblical Palestine," and the assertion that "the international community deems Israel's presence in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as an illegal occupation."

Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown - Jerusalem" Serves up Palestinian Propaganda

Did Bourdain and his producers intend the show to transform into Palestinian grievance theater? It’s possible that Bourdain was easily manipulated in an unfamiliar environment. But it is more likely that Bourdain felt compelled to play to the perceived political orientation and pro-Palestinian sympathies of his audience. It is an approach that can’t be bothered with the facts, especially when they don’t support emotion-laden preconceptions. Bourdain should apologize to his audience for allowing his show to be hijacked by a political agenda. But don’t hold your breath. As he said at the outset, "Here goes nothing."

Assad calm, comfortable and clearly delusional in Fox News interview

Assad’s performance was chilling considering he so easily and comfortably lied about his government’s actions and intentions. And yet, his demeanor was so measured that he appeared to be anything but angry about the chaos around him. He is clearly feeling empowered by the Russians’ diplomatic success.

Syria's Real Threat: Biological Weapons

Chemical weapons are calculated, while biological weapons are living organisms and do not distinguish national boundaries. Monitoring Assad's chemical-weapons stockpiles is far more transparent than locating biological programs, which are run out of both military and civilian facilities, in Syria's veterinary labs, its pharmaceutical industry, agroindustries and public-health institutes.

Key facts link Assad regime to chemical attacks

The trajectory of the rockets that delivered the nerve agent sarin in last month’s deadly attack is among the key evidence linking elite Syrian troops based in the mountains overlooking Damascus to the strike that killed hundreds of people, diplomats and human rights officials said Wednesday.

McCain answers Putin’s New York Times broadside

Republican Sen. John McCain is accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of corruption, repression and self-serving rule in an opinion piece for Pravda that answers the Russian leader’s broadside published last week in an American newspaper.

Putin: I’m not 100% sure Syria will comply with US-Russia deal

Russian president says Damascus WMD cache built in response to ‘Israel’s nuclear capabilities,’ calls Aug. 21 attack ‘sly rebel provocation’

UN Hits Back at Russia on Syria's Chemical Weapons

"The terrible facts speak for themselves," AFP quoted UN spokesman Martin Nesirky as having told reporters.

Syria Confident UN Won't Adopt Chapter VII Resolution

Syria is confident the United Nations will not adopt a resolution on its chemical weapons under Chapter VII, which could allow the use of force, its deputy foreign minister said Wednesday.

Military option on Syria must remain open: NATO chief

Anders Rasmussen welcomed a U.S.-Russian agreement on the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons, but said it was essential for keeping momentum in the diplomatic and political process that the military option remained on the table.

Germany Admits Exporting Chemicals to Syria

Germany said on Wednesday that it exported 111 tons of chemicals to Syria between 2002 and 2006 that could be used in the production of sarin gas, according to a government document cited by Reuters.

Egyptian General killed as Army Retakes Islamist-Held Town

The raid on the town follows the killing of 11 police officers in Kerdassa last month. Police said that 55 suspected terrorists were arrested in today's raid.
According to local reports, General Nabeel Farrag was killed when gunmen opened fire from the rooftops of schools and mosques they had seized.Forces were then drawn into a gunfight within a built up area of the town.

Netanyahu: Iran continues to deceive while centrifuges spin

“The Iranians are continuing to deceive so that the centrifuges continue spinning. The real test lies in the Iranian regime’s actions, not words,” said Netanyahu in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office...
In response to Rouhani’s vague answer to his interviewer about Holocaust denial, in which he said he was “not a historian, but a politician,” Netanyahu said that Rouhani, “like Ahmadinejad, was not prepared to recognize the existence of the Holocaust. You don’t have to be a historian to recognize the existence of the Holocaust; you have to be human.”

Iranian president brags about deceiving the West VIDEO

Despite the recent charm offensive in the American media, a recently revealed video of an interview prior to the June Iranian election shows him bragging how he, in his role as Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, deceived the West during negotiations on Iran’s illicit nuclear program even as Iran expanded its nuclear power. At the same time, Rouhani managed to relieve pressure by the West, especially in convincing the Europeans to avert possible military aggression by the Bush administration.

Rouhani: Iran will never develop a nuclear weapon

In NBC interview, Iranian president says he has full authority to make deal with West; cites ‘positive’ letter from Obama

‘Israel brought instability to the region,’ says Iranian president

In second portion of NBC interview, Rouhani accuses Jewish state of ‘war-mongering policies’ but says he ‘does not seek war with any country’

Rouhani casts “moderate” degree of doubt on whether the Holocaust happened

The journalist’s omission isn’t an isolated mistake but, rather, part of a broader pattern at the Guardian (which we’ve posted about previously) of running interference for the Iranian leadership, and attempting to impute moderation to a regime which is among the world’s leaders in exporting terrorism, and has repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction.
Would a genuine political “moderate” ever deny or in any manner cast doubt upon the Nazis’ extermination of six million Jews?

Iranian President Dodges Questions on Whether Holocaust Happened

Sukkah City Film Captures Competition that Explored New Twists on an Ancient Structure

When author Joshua Foer conjured up the idea to hold the world’s first international Sukkah design competition, Sukkah City, in 2010, the prospect of 650 people from more than 40 countries, many of them non-Jews, jumping at the chance to enter, or real luminaries in the field of architecture and design, people such as Thom Mayne and Ron Arad, eagerly joining the jury responsible for picking the participants, seemed as equally preposterous as the contest itself.

Israel Daily Picture: Celebrating Sukkot in Jerusalem 100 Years Ago

The photographers of the American Colony Photographic Department took photos of sukkot structures over a 40 year period, preserving pictures of Bukharan, Yemenite and Ashkenazi sukkot.
Even though the sukka is a temporary structure, some families moved their furniture and finery into the sukka, as is evident in some of the pictures.
Bukhari Jews, shown in pictures from around 1900, were part of an ancient community from what is today the Central Asian country Uzbekistan. They started moving to the Holy Land in the mid-1800s.

Chag Sukkot Sameach!

Wishing my Jewish readers a wonderful Sukkot!

Ushpizin wall hanging from here.

I'm spending part of the afternoon printing cool artwork to decorate my Sukkah (I was looking through some artists from Tzfat/Safed; I like this guy) and I just decided to make something original. So here it is: