Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

ElderToons: The Ayatollah and Rouhani Show

Who are the US Jews that Abbas met, and why are they so stupid?

From WAFA:

President Mahmoud Abbas urged leaders of the American Jewish community to support efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

He told a group of Jewish community leaders he met in New York Monday evening that this is the time to make peace.

“We have a real opportunity to achieve lasting, just, and comprehensive peace,” he said on the eve of the opening sessions of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). “We can do it, make no mistake. No one gains more from reaching an agreement than Palestinians, and no one loses more if we fail to reach an agreement. Failure in not an option for us,” he said.

“We need your support to ensure the successful conclusion of the peace negotiations so that the State of Palestine can live side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security on the 1967 borders,” said Abbas.

Abbas said that he speaks the same language everywhere in the world, urging the Jewish community leaders to listen to his speech at the UNGA in which he will reiterate the Palestinian position of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital along with resolving all final status issues.

I cannot find any mention of this meeting in the news media. (UPDATE: TOI has the story now, h/t Ian.)

Which brings up two questions:

Who are these "leaders" that are so eager to meet Abbas?

And if they are pro-Israel, why are they so ignorant that they cannot ask him any real questions?

For example:

If you are so interested in peace, why did you go out of your way to meet with child-murderer Samir Kuntar?
Why does the PA name institutions after terrorists who targeted innocent civilians?
Why is there still daily incitement on PA TV against Israel?
Do you believe, as Arafat did, that there was never a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem? Do you realize that this position is at odds with what Muslims said openly before 1967?
Do you agree with many of your people that there should be no "normalization" with Jews in Israel?
Why did you threaten your citizens who dared to shop in a Jewish-owned supermarket that has low prices?
Recently you said that you believe that the Holocaust occurred. You wrote a book that claimed that it was exaggerated. Were you lying then, or are you lying now?
Do you really believe that Jews are raising dogs and wild boars and training them to attack Arab farms, as you have stated?
Do you really believe that Hamas would accept Israel's existence if you reconcile with them? Do you actually read any of their material?
Why does the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group still exist, if you are the leader of Fatah? How do they get funded?
Do you agree with the Fatah platform that terrorism is legal under international law?
Why does some 6% of the PA budget go towards terrorist prisoners and released terrorists?
Do you consider the Mufti of Jerusalem who collaborated with Hitler to be a hero?

There are plenty more questions like these that an educated Zionist leadership should know to ask. I have lots of examples of Abbas' lies and outrageous actions through the years.

Any Western politician who could be accused of any one of these positions would be mercilessly pilloried if they met with these same "leaders," but Abbas is given a free pass with only perfunctory questions that he knows how to sidestep.

So were the "Jewish leaders" simply members of J-Street and writers for Open Zion, or were they clueless heads of local federations, or what? And even if they were J-Streeters or Peter Beinart's gang - shouldn't intellectual honesty force them to ask these questions of Abbas anyway?

A synopsis of Monday's UNHRC hypocrisy

On Monday, the UNHRC held yet another special session to demonize Israel.

The funny part is that the report that they hung this hatefest on also notes violations of human rights by the Palestinian Authority and by Hamas - but not one of the nations commenting on it mentioned this.

Neither the report nor any of the nations slamming Israel even mentioned Egypt's near-total blockade of Gaza.

Here are some of the worst hypocritical statements from the esteemed UNHRC delegates Monday who deigned to lecture Israel about human rights:

Palestine, speaking as a concerned country, said that it would have hoped to see Israel’s Ambassador in the Council’s room today. His absence showed the arrogance of Israel....The systematic occupation policy was the major cause of the human rights violations that occurred in Palestine. The blockade on occupied Gaza had to be lifted. A Special Procedure mandate should be created to study the effects of unilateral sanctions on human rights.

Syria, speaking as a concerned country, said that the continued culture of impunity in Israel had been attested to in many international commissions, and amounted to the recognition of war crimes. The defence, supported by the United States, was that Israel had a status that was somehow above the law; this did not enjoy any legitimacy. The treatment of prisoners, the abuse of the rights of those living in the Golan, and the destruction of the wealth of the occupied lands should all be ended. Syria called for a boycott of Israeli products made as a result of the occupation.

Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said that it was deeply concerned by the illegal conduct of Israel which was not consistent with its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel’s blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip, an integral part of Palestine, was an unlawful act of collective punishment. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation demanded an end to the illegal occupation of Syrian land, and violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

Iran, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, said that it appreciated the report of the Secretary-General and deeply shared his concerns on the recurrence of violations already highlighted in previous reports. The Non-Aligned Movement also condemned the persistent non-cooperation of Israel and its blatant disregard of its international obligations.

Venezuela said the rights of the Palestinian people to their land were age-old and Venezuela once again lamented the actions of Israel, as well as the impunity it was seemingly granted, which had caused so much suffering. The leaders of Israel must be held accountable for these acts. Venezuela called on Israel and its accomplices in the international community to uphold the right of resettlement for the Palestinian people and respect the 1967 borders.

Qatar condemned continuing Israeli violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people and called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to compel it to abide by international humanitarian law. Israel had to understand that the question of settlements was a major obstacle to negotiation efforts to ensure a just and comprehensive peace.

Kuwait reiterated its condemnation of Israeli violations of human rights and of the principles and rules of international humanitarian law as well as relevant Geneva Conventions on occupied Palestinian territory and other occupied Arab territories. There was a need to respect the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to address the issue of Palestinian refugees.

Libya said that for over six decades the peaceful people of Palestine had suffered untold assaults on their rights. These crimes had been committed as a result of the complacency of the international community. The continued “Judification” of East Jerusalem was among these crimes.

Egypt said that in spite of progress achieved since the establishment of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the international community seemed unable to achieve full compliance of the principle of equality, particularly the right to self-determination. There was no doubt that the continuation of the occupation of Palestinian land and the denial of their right to self-determination continued to be a violation of human rights. Israel bragged that it was the only democracy in the Middle East, yet it continued to occupy the lands of others.

Turkey said the Secretary-General’s report once again registered grave violations against the Palestinian people. The restrictions placed on Gaza were counterproductive and constituted collective punishment. The expansionist policy of settlements was a threat to the two-State solution and the impunity conferred to the settlers had to end. There was a compelling moral case to highlight the agonies suffered by Palestinian prisoners in particular.

Tunisia said the discriminatory laws enforced systematically by Israel against the Palestinians were reminiscent of South African apartheid.

Algeria said that the discussion of the situation of human rights in Palestine and the occupied territories was ever ongoing. In this respect the international community had to step up its efforts to urge Israel to live up to its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Its colonial aims with respect to the blockade of Gaza were to be deplored.

China said it supported the Council’s continued attention to the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem.

Iraq said that the report documented grave and systematic human rights violations carried out by the occupying power, Israel. Those were punitive measures imposed by the occupying power on the Palestinian population, including the destruction of homes and the forcible transfers of Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

Iran shared the concerns expressed in the Secretary-General’s report, including the forced evictions and destruction of homes. Iran regretted the non-cooperation of Israel with the Council and its mechanisms. The detention of children was a flagrant violation of international law. The continued occupation remained the main obstacle to the full enjoyment of human rights of the Palestinian people. The only solution was to put an end to the occupation.

Cuba said that the Israeli authorities continued to commit grave human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Oman said that the Palestinian cause continued to be a living image which embodied flagrant violations of human rights.

Saudi Arabia said that the continuation of Israeli occupation despite all United Nations resolutions was a scar on humanity’s conscience. Palestinians had the inalienable right to self-determination. Israel was a “heinous and racist entity” that had built an “apartheid wall”.

Yemen said that the situation of the Palestinian people under occupation was tragic. Murders and arbitrary detentions were committed every day and illegal settlements were built.

The absurd anti-Israel focus of the UNHRC has been documented many times, but it is worthwhile to actually read the garbage spewed in its name to understand the phoniness that has been allowed to not only fester there, but to thrive.

Roger Waters poster

My story about the anti-Israel curriculum that has apparently been approved by Irish schools (and approved by Israel-hater Roger Waters) was picked up by JNS.

Here's a poster I made for any campaign against it:

Isn't it ironic that the person who wrote lyrics against "thought control" in the classroom is now pushing exactly that?

(h/t MtTB)

9/23 Links Pt 2: Israel the 'Key Issue' Fizzles Out, SA MP no Apartheid in Israel, Elmo goes to Jail

From Ian:

Douglas Murray: Favorite "Key Issue" Fizzles Out

In three years of uprisings, overthrows, revolutions and counter-revolutions, barely a protestor in any country has come out onto the streets to express their irritation at current housing arrangements in East Jerusalem. In every instance they have come out to demand a say in their future or to demand work, fair pay, opportunities or simple amenities such as food. The demands of the Palestinian people and their propagandists in the West have not even been at the bottom of the list of demands in a single one of the Arab uprisings. And just as Israel has played no part in their revolutions, so it has played less-than-no part in their ensuing civil conflicts.
It is time to face up to the fact that in almost all Western countries, entire foreign ministries and political establishments have been caught repeating a motif so wrong-headed, so completely mistaken that if they had any shame, they should now be silent. In the meantime we should tell them that although it is possible we will listen to them at some point in the future, we will not do so until they have gone away for a time and successfully retuned. (h/t Sophie44)

Danny Danon: Oslo Accords Should be Annulled

Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon wrote in a New York Times op-ed published Sept. 20 that the 1993 Oslo Accords should be annulled.
“Only by officially annulling the Oslo Accords will we have the opportunity to rethink the existing paradigm and hopefully lay the foundations for a more realistic modus vivendi between the Jews and Arabs of this region,” Danon wrote.
Oslo’s failure “cannot be attributed to a lack of will and persistence by Israel,” according to Danon.

Guardian caption falsely claims “Jewish extremists” entered al-Aqsa mosque

As with the previous photo caption, the Guardian again allowed pure Palestinian propaganda regarding the al-Aqsa mosque – consistent with a larger anti-Zionist narrative advanced by extremists alleging that the mosque is threatened by Jews – to pass as straight news. Whilst the Guardian likely isn’t responsible for the photo itself (as such images are typically taken by photojournalists at outside agencies), their editors are indeed responsible for editing the caption for accuracy. In the last two examples we’ve highlighted, Guardian editors failed miserably at this task.

BBC presents one-sided report of incident involving European diplomats

The BBC News website clearly needs to revise this article considerably if it is to comply with BBC editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality because, as it currently stands, it is nothing more than one-sided propaganda for a very blatant political campaign.

Exec Director Of CAIR Michigan Attacks Israeli Special Forces Efforts To Help At Nairobi Mall

According to his bio, Mr Walid is the executive director for CAIR Michigan.
Shortly after I challenged his statement, Mr. Walid scrubbed his tweet, forgetting that time-honored maxim “Twitter is forever”.

Bennett to Christians: Stop the lies - Jerusalem isn’t occupied

The Bayit Yehudi leader called on the parliamentarians to “stand up and speak up. Whenever there’s an opportunity or a lie being told, don’t be silent.
“We’re being told that right behind this succa [the Old City of Jerusalem] is occupied territory, and we may be boycotted as long as we’re there.
Whoever thinks our capital of 3,000 years is occupied doesn’t understand anything. Stop the lies,” he said.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat reaffirmed his commitment to freedom of religion in the capital.

Kenneth Meshoe: A Black South African, Israel and Apartheid

Is the charge that Israel is an apartheid state valid or a slander? Who better to answer this question than someone who lived in a real apartheid state?

Saatchi Online promotes “anti-Israel” art

Saatchi Online, the official web presence of the Charles Saatchi owned Saatchi Gallery, is promoting what critics call “anti-Israel” propaganda, by artist Michal BarOr.
BarOr, Israeli herself, has called the work listed as “not for sale” on the gallery’s website, “The Map“.
The work of art is a photograph of a map depicting historical “Palestine” under British rule. BarOr writes of the work, “I hold a map of Palestine from 1947 – just before the invention of Israel – just before the Palestinian disaster. The hand is partly showing the map and partly discussed by it keeping it away from the unseen body. The map is no longer readable – folded like a dirty rag, become a leftover – a used object to be thrown away.” (h/t Sophie44)

“Dubula iJuda”…and the lid blew off

Words in the Xhosa tongue exposed the cover of anti-Zionists talking in mother tongues by the score. A riddle wrapped in a mystery – until the words are put into English.
‘Dubula iJuda:’ Kill the Jews, a boycott mob chanted at patrons of a campus jive in Johannesburg. The artists were Israeli and the promoter was a Zionist body – two combustible elements to ignite even a well-disposed mob. Dubula iJuda!
Boycott leaders had no choice but to recoil in horror. “We condemn any and all incitement to violence and racism -- including anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism” declared Farid Esack, Director of BDS South Africa. Not to be outdone by a Muslim, Jewish boycotters condemned the chant “in the strongest terms” and couldn’t fathom how Muhammed Desai, who runs BDS affairs, could defend the chanters.

Democrats Invite Spewer of anti-Israel Lies to Lunch in S. Dakota

Alison Weir is an infamous Israel hater. She started an organization called, “If Americans Knew,” which claims to provide critical information which – if only Americans knew it – would mean the end of poor little America being manipulated by the evil Israelis into supporting the “ZioNazi” Jewish State.
It is through this organization that the Democrats in Sioux Falls, South Dakota have invited her to break bread with them next week.

Dick Durbin's Dreamer: 'F*** Israel'

Alaa Mukahhal, the "Dreamer" who has been praised on the floor of the Senate by Dick Durbin (D-IL) as an activist "in the finest American tradition," wrote a short and obscene assessment of Israel and its supporters on her Facebook page that was "Liked" by a former congressional staffer named Lindsay Schubiner, also a Dream activist.

Anti-Israel flag at Oberlin just par for the campus course

Unfortunately, such discourse on campuses and elsewhere is par for the course in the anti-Israel movement. The attempt to single out Israel alone for boycott, and the false equation of Israel with Apartheid, fascism and Nazism, is part of the dialogue and accepted. Oberlin is one of only a handful of higher education campuses where the student government has endorsed the anti-Israel BDS movement and boycott.

British university to compensate Israeli after bias claims

An Israeli master’s student who charged that she had suffered prejudice at the hands of her thesis supervisor due to her pro-Israel views was awarded £1,000 (NIS 5,600) following an inquiry by England’s body for reviewing student complaints. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator also ruled that Warwick University must apologize to Smadar Bakovic, 37, for failing to find her a new supervisor, according to the Times Higher Education supplement.

The Top Ten Responses to Campus Anti-Semitism

Some of us are accustomed to criticizing government and campus leaders when they fail to respond properly to anti-Semitism. But what are these leaders getting right? As the new academic year begins, we would like to strike a positive note. The Louis D. Brandeis Center has developed the following top ten list of laudable actions recently taken to address the upsurge in campus anti-Semitism. We concede that some of these actions are debatable, and we agree that a few have had some flaws. Nevertheless, they all represent a step forward. We have commended some of these officials before, but we are happy to do it again.

French Muslim leader ousted over invite to pro-Israel Jewish lawmaker

Farid Belkacemi, former vice president of the League for the Judicial Defense of Muslims, resigned because of the presence at the September 16 opening event of Meyer Habib, a member of France’s National Assembly and former vice president of the CRIF umbrella organization of French Jewish communities, according to a statement by the League.

NYC’s ‘Anti-Semitic Elmo’ Pleads Guilty to Extortion Scheme

The Times Square Elmo who made headlines for heckling tourists with anti-Semitic rants pleaded guilty this week in a Manhattan court to attempting to extort $2 million from the Girl Scouts, the New York Post reported.

Israeli scientists make breakthrough in stem cell reprogramming

New Israeli research could help facilitate the production of stem cells for medical use, as well as advancing our understanding of the mysterious process by which adult cells can revert back into their original, embryonic state. Weizmann Institute’s Dr. Yaqub Hanna and his team have revealed the “brake” that holds back the production of stem cells, and found that releasing this brake can both synchronize the process and increase its efficiency from around one percent or less today to 100%.

Jerusalem's beauty captured in the most detail EVER: Stunning images from IMAX film exploring mysteries of the Holy Land

Throughout its checkered history it has been fought over more than any other place in history; conquered and destroyed, rebuilt and reinvented and remains to this day both a thriving modern city and a living museum to over 5,000 years of history.
‘Jerusalem,’ which is being distributed by National Geographic Entertainment, explores this ancient, enigmatic place on a grand scale. It has been shot especially in 3D for IMAX and Giant Screen cinemas which immerses audiences in a spectacular cinematic journey
Audiences get a rare glimpse of the storied city, as well as exclusive access to iconic holy sites including the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee and the mountain fortress of Masada.
Although a strict no-fly zone has existed over the region for many years, the filmmakers were granted special permission to capture aerial images using low-altitude planes.

Simon Schama: The Story Of The Jews Ep.4 Over the Rainbow

2 rockets, one mortar fired towards Israel yesterday

TOI notes:

A mortar shell from the Gaza Strip landed in an open area near Israel’s border with Gaza on Sunday evening. No injuries or damage were reported.

Aside for a Kassam rocket that landed near Ashkelon last Wednesday, the border with Hamas-controlled Gaza has been relatively quiet in recent months.

However, what the Israeli media didn't notice was that there were also two Qassam rocket launches yesterday - both of those rockets fell short in Gaza.

Gaza-NSO reports:

09/23/2013 08:30 23 SEP, 0800: Pal. ops. fired 1 HMR from N-E of Al Moghraqa area, MA, toward the Green Line; the rocket dropped short. No injuries were reported.

09/23/2013 08:10 MU, 23 SEP: Overnight, 1 Mortar fired from Beit Hanoun, NG, toward the Green Line. 1 HMR fired from E of Rafah toward the Green Line; the rocket dropped short. No injuries were reported.

[HMR="Home-made rocket." MA=Middle Area. NG=North Gaza. Ops="Operatives."]

It looks like Palestinian Arab terrorists are getting restless. The number of articles complaining about Jews visiting the Temple Mount is still increasing (Islamic Jihad is calling another rally tomorrow to protest it) but it seems more likely that these attacks, including the two fatal attacks on Israeli soldiers, are linked more to the "peace talks" and to Islamist groups, losing popularity because of Egypt, and trying to redirect anger into the usual, reliable Zionist enemy. (Avi Issacharoff predicted Hamas stirring things up in Gaza to help get out from under the Egyptian shadow.)

Are BDSers hypocrites, antisemites, or both?

Another Israeli innovation:

The next revolution in personal computing could very well come from the northern Israeli town of Yokne’am, where SolidRun...has developed a $45 PC that can do almost anything a “big boy” computer can do – with all design and manufacturing done in Israel.

“Our goal is to supply anyone anywhere who needs one with a low-cost, high-capability computer that has a low carbon footprint and can do just about anything the average person would need,” said [the] CEO of SolidRun. “That’s been our dream for a long time, and with our new CuBox-I computer, that dream is becoming a reality.”

The Cubox-I can be used for all sorts of things a regular PC can be used for – dedicated or general purpose – and save loads of energy, because it can replace computers that require a lot more power.

So the Israel-haters will want to ensure that this product is boycotted, right?

One slight problem, though.

The company is run by, and the computers manufactured by, Israeli Arabs.

Uh-oh. Does the CuBox-I computer go on the boycott list or not?

If it does, then the boycotters are hurting "Palestinians," and they are proven to be hypocrites.

If not, then the boycotters are admitting that their entire movement is really only aimed at Jews, not Israelis, and they are proven to be antisemitic.

I've already shown that Israeli-Arab owned businesses that are in "the territories" don't seem to be listed as problematic by the BDSers, Since they are only boycotting Jewish-owned businesses, this proves that they are antisemitic.

On the other hand, BDSers happily use Israeli technology and innovations every time they turn on their computers and cell phones, which proves that they are hypocritical.

On the third hand, BDSers are also against Palestinian Arab farmers making a living if their products are exported by Jews, which is both antisemitic and hypocritical.

That's the answer!

The oh-so-moral BDS supporters are provably both hypocrites and antisemites.

Antisemitic TV series to be rerun in Egypt for 40th anniversary of Yom Kippur War

"Knight Without a Horse," a notorious 2002 Arab Ramadan miniseries that used the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" as the driver for the plot, is going to be shown again on Egyptian TV this month.

Why would an antisemitic TV series be shown again? Because that is part of the celebrations of the Yom Kippur War, which Egypt considers a great victory.

But what does antisemitism have to do with the 1973 war? Well, officially, nothing. Officially, Arabs claim that they aren't antisemitic, that they are only anti-Israel. Officially, they have no reason to write, produce and air TV series that blame Jews for all strife and wars worldwide.

Yet there it is, being aired during the celebration of a war against Israel. Très intéressant.

The ADL has a synopsis of the series, which was 41 episodes long. At the time it was originally aired, Arabs felt that at least the first episode was extraordinarily boring.

The writer and lead actor of the series told Al Jazeera in 2002 that whether or not the "Protocols" was authentic, "Zionism exists and it has controlled the world since the dawn of history."

Ah. That explains it.

9/23 Links Part 1: The Price of Prisoner Swaps, Iran's Disinformation War, AI Slams PA Police

From Ian:

JPost Editorial: The price of prisoner swaps

Every time Israel agrees to an unequal prisoner swap, a dangerous dynamic is set in motion. If large numbers of prisoners are released in exchange for a few kidnapped Israeli soldiers – alive or dead – Palestinian terrorists such as Amar are encouraged to kidnap, and kill, more soldiers. Not surprisingly, Israel currently faces a concerted effort to do just that on the part of Palestinian terrorist groups. Twenty-seven attempts to abduct soldiers were foiled in the first six months of the year – twice as many as the same period in 2012.
And when prisoners – including those “with blood on their hands” – are released before they serve their sentences, it emboldens Palestinian terrorists such as Amar who rightly gamble that they too will be released early in a prisoner swap or a “goodwill gesture.” And they have good reason to be optimistic.

David Horovitz: Tackle incitement, stop the killings

So the relentless anti-Israel material continues to spew out in Palestinian-controlled media, streets and squares are named in honor of terrorist murderers, and Abbas demands the release of the most ruthless killers as a precondition for peace talks. Why would Abbas seek their freedom? Because in the unchanged Palestinian narrative, the killers are heroes in a struggle against Israel that, all too plainly, continues.
This is the cycle that has to be reversed if, 20 years from now, we are to find ourselves in a safer, quieter place. There has to be a change of climate — wrought by a change in what is taught and what is written and what is broadcast.

Bennett: Reconsider the Peace Negotiations

Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening, demanding that he reconsider the peace talks with the Palestinian Authority in the wake of the latest attacks on IDF soldiers.

Palestinian Authority refrains from condemning soldier killings

EU, US and UN denounce the attacks, Hamas hails them; PA’s foreign minister says they are no reason for Israel to divert from peace process
The Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister said Monday that the slaying of two Israeli soldiers by Palestinians in separate incidents in three days should not influence peace negotiations. The statement marked the only official comment on the issue from Palestinian officials, who refrained from condemning the killings.

Fatah Wing: We're Behind Kidnap, Murder of IDF Soldier

Fatah's military wing, the Al Aqsa Brigades, on Sunday took responsibility for the murder of IDF soldier Tomer Hazan Friday. According to Israeli officials, Nadal Amar, the terrorist who killed Hazan, was not affiliated with any terror group.

Netanyahu: Resettle Beit Hamachpela in Hevron

In the wake of the killing of an IDF soldier by a Palestinian sniper in Hebron Sunday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the immediate resettlement of Beit Hamachpela, a building near the West Bank city’s Tomb of Patriarchs which was previously boarded up by order of the Defense Ministry.
Sgt. Gal Gabriel Kobi, 20, from Tirat HaCarmel was shot in the neck at an IDF checkpoint near the Tomb of the Patriarchs and succumbed to his wounds in Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center.
“Those who try to uproot us from Hebron, the city of our forefathers, will only achieve the opposite,” said Netanyahu in a statement. “We will continue to fight terrorism with one hand, and strengthen settlements with the other.”

IDF still combing Hebron for sniper who killed soldier

Israeli security forces searched Hebron throughout Sunday night and into Monday morning in a hunt for a sniper who shot dead an IDF soldier, the second serviceman to die at the hands of Palestinian attackers in the West Bank in as many days.
Two suspects were reportedly arrested overnight and two hunting rifles confiscated in the course of the IDF’s operations in the city.

'An Amazing Son, a Wonderful Brother and a Good Friend'

One of Gal's friends, who studied with him at the Shipman School before his enlistment to the army, told Israeli newspaper Yisrael Hayom: "Gal was an amazing son to his parents, a wonderful brother and a good friend. He was the salt of the earth. Gal was so motivated about the army and always dreamed of serving in the Givati Brigade."

MK Regev: Ahmed Tibi A 'Traitorous Trojan Horse'

Knesset Interior Committee chairperson MK Miri Regev (Likud) on Sunday slammed Arab MK Ahmed Tibi, calling him a “trojan horse” who was working to destroy Israel from the inside.
Regev made the comments in the wake of a video publicized by Arutz Sheva, in which Tibi is seen saying that Jews should be prevented from visiting the Temple Mount, because they would “contaminate” it.

Rights group slams PA treatment of demonstrators

In a report, Amnesty detailed “unprovoked and unlawful attacks on peaceful protesters” by police and security personnel, and accused the Palestinian Authority of allowing them to do so with impunity.
“Standards during the policing of demonstrations in the West Bank continue to fall woefully short of those prescribed by international law,” said Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa director of Amnesty International. “As a result, the rights to freedom of expression and assembly are being severely eroded.”

Iran reportedly resumes backing of Hamas

On Monday, the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported that Egyptian security had stopped coordinating with Hamas, insisting on speaking solely to the “official Palestinian authority,” a reference to the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.
“Coordination with Hamas is out of the question at the moment, especially given the attacks on [Egyptian] police and army posts, and the plan to occupy Sinai in a bid to expand Hamas’s foothold for the benefit of others,” Al-Akhbar’s unnamed security sources said.

Flotilla Group IHH Slams Egypt for Gaza Suffering

An international anti-Israel group that has sponsored several flotillas to Gaza is now taking aim at Egypt, accusing the new government there of imposing a blockade on the area.
Since the deposing of President Mohammed Morsi by the Egyptian army, Egyptian soldiers have cracked down hard on the Muslim Brotherhood - arresting scores, including most of the movement's leadership, routing Islamists in Egypt's large cities and pursuing them into the Sinai Peninsula. At the same time, they have taken steps to prevent entry of Gazan Arabs – who are largely supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood – into the Sinai region.

How Iran Uses Terror Threats To Successfully Deter U.S. Military Action

Iran and its allies have proven their willingness to use force against America—as witnessed by the April 1983 bombing of the American Embassy in Beirut; the October 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut; the 1998 bombing of Khobar Towers, which housed U.S. servicemen in Saudi Arabia; and Iran’s war against American troops in Iraq, which lasted until Obama’s 2011 withdrawal.
And those are just the operations that the Iranians pulled off. Iran has also launched plenty of other operations against the United States and its allies that are no less menacing, even though they failed. In the last few years, Iran and Hezbollah have plotted attacks in, among other places, Thailand, India, Kenya, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. A recent bombing in Bulgaria and a terror plot in Cyprus sent the clear message that Iran has also resumed operations in Europe after many years of avoiding violence on the continent.

Anne Bayefsky: President Obama Doesn’t Understand Rouhani

Nevertheless, the person who really runs Iran — Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — has decided a new tone is in order. President Obama is clearly desperate for any lifeline. Why not toss him a “moderate” Iranian that the American president can use to avoid doing anything serious about preventing an Iranian nuke.
In light of Obama’s extreme reluctance to use “unbelievably small” force — as Secretary of State John Kerry described Obama’s Syria plan — manufacturing Rouhani’s moderate credentials is proving to be a piece of cake.

Iran's Disinformation War

In addition, in 2013, pro-regime activists established hundreds of fake social media accounts and blogs, purporting to belong to BBC journalists and their Iranian colleagues. Iranian agents even created an imitation BBC website, persianbbc.ir. The fake site mirrors the BBC's actual site in design and fonts, but includes stories such as, "Death of Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein: fabricated stories by Washington" and "BBC colluding with Israel to attack Iran." Further articles accuse the BBC and other Western press of censorship and media manipulation; blog posts within the sham website include articles by BBC journalists in which they supposedly confess to acts of sexual deviancy.
Meanwhile, relatives of BBC Persia's actual staff have been arrested and threatened by Iranian intelligence agents. Anonymous callers have also accused the BBC Persian staff of being drug dealers and apostates.

Syria: 'Bashar al-Assad ordered me to gas people - but I could not do it'

Gen Sakat says he was ordered three times to use chemical weapons against his own people, but could not go through with it and replaced chemical canisters with ones containing harmless bleach.
He also insists that all such orders had to come from the top – President Assad himself – despite insistent denials by the regime that it has never used chemical weapons.

Jews, Germany, Syria, and Poison Gas

In 1991, investigative journalist Kenneth Timmerman’s book, The Death Lobby, annotated in great detail the German businesses that sold poison gas components and missile technology to Saddam Hussein with the complicity of the German government. More recently Timmerman wrote, “The overwhelming majority of technical expertise, know-how, and design information of the Iraqi dictator’s chemical weapons plants came from German companies. The nerve and mustard gas was produced in German-built factories in Samarra and Fallujah.” Tens of thousands of Iranians and as many as 5,000 Kurds were killed by Saddam’s use of poison gas.
And along with the poison gas capabilities, German companies sold missile technology to Saddam. And not just to Saddam.

Russia Mulls Sending Troops to 'Monitor' Syrian Chemical Weapons

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has suggested his country could send a small contingent of military personnel to monitor the handover of Syrian chemical weapons to international observers.
Under the terms of a Russian-brokered deal, the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad would avoid western military strikes in response to a chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus which killed more than 1,000 people, by agreeing to hand over its entire chemical arsenal to international monitors. Following a comprehensive handover, the weapons would then be destroyed.

Fears Grow Over Potential Arab Pivots to Russia, China

Foreign policy watchers are increasingly fearful that U.S. policy in the Middle East is pushing long-time U.S. allies to pivot to American geopolitical rivals such as Russia and China. Tom Nichols and John R. Schindler, foreign policy scholars who make it clear that they agree on almost nothing, co-published an article this week in the National Interest that was perhaps the precise opposite of sanguine:

Pakistan: 75 Dead in Attack on Church

A double bombing at a historic Christian church in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least 75 people. The bomber struck as hundreds of worshipers walked out of church toward a food distribution area on the lawn outside.
The attack is one of the deadliest to target Pakistan’s Christian minority in years. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is widely assumed to be the work of a militant Muslim group.

Egypt's Al Ahram slams Hamas

Egypt's Al Ahram newspaper published a withering attack on Hamas today.

The deaths caused by members of the [Hamas] Qassam Brigades arrested in clashes with the Egyptian army in Sinai confirms unequivocally that Hamas and its leaders' claims not to interfere in the affairs of Egypt are false; the marches organized by Hamas in Gaza's streets features the yellow logo of the Fourth Square [where Egyptian MB members were killed]...

Hamas is pushing globally accusations that the Egyptian authorities shut down the Rafah crossing as collective punishment on the Palestinians in Gaza, saying it is against international law, yet they do not mention one sentence about their responsibility of the occupation of Gaza.

Egyptian authorities confirm that the closure of the crossing is due to security requirements, and to preserve Egyptian national security from those who abuse it, and it is a temporary condition and the crossing is open from time to time for humanitarian cases and for those stranded on both sides, students and patients.

As long as Hamas insists on its positions and its interference in the affairs of Egypt, there are no signs of a solution for the return of the Rafah crossing to work normally, and Hamas has to recognize that this policy has caused severe damage to the interests of the Palestinian people. The goal of political power should always be to provide all the demands of everyday life of the people and preserve their rights and to defend them, but Hamas instead use all residents of Gaza to be fuel for its policies of sectarianism.

Hamas is aware that there are treaties governing the work of international border crossings, which places obligations between sovereign states under international law. Agreements signed between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli side for the PA to manage the crossing is what bothers Hamas and makes a joke of their positions...

When President Mahmoud Abbas intervened with the Egyptian authorities to open the Rafah crossing for humanitarian cases and students who want to attend their universities, and patients who need treatment, Egypt responded by opening the crossing. The Palestinian ambassador in Cairo Barakat al-Farra working in coordination with the Egyptian authorities at the Rafah crossng arranged the logistics. Hamas' reaction was amazing as it banned the students from crossing, and even assaulted and arrested some of them under the pretext that their coordination was with the Palestinian embassy in Cairo! This action confirms that Hamas does not really want to solve the problem of the crossing and return it to normal, but it wants to keep it closed to be used in order to continue its assault on the Egyptian authorities for political purposes, The policy of Hamas aims only to increase the suffering of the Palestinian citizens and the continued blockade in Gaza; if Hamas was really serious in opening the crossing they would have been welcomed a move initiated by President Mahmoud Abbas that by Egyptian authorities responded to them.

Hamas is trying to twist the issue of the crossing to achieve political goals. They are presenting it to the world as a humanitarian issue and using language such as saying that Egypt is imprisoning an entire people, including students and pilgrims, and preventing patients from treatment and broadcasting videos of specific cases as a crime committed by Egypt...

Funny how these complaints about Hamas sound so familiar...

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

From Ma'an:

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.