Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Egypt arrests student for atheism

An Ismailiya misdemeanour court has ordered the detention of a Suez Canal University student for 15 days, pending investigations on accusations that he insulted religion, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) said.

Sherif Gaber was arrested on Sunday after his university administration filed a report against him saying he formed a Facebook group for atheists.

Article 98 of Egypt's penal code says anyone convicted of offending religion in any form can face up to six years in prison.

That's funny. I never heard of that law being enforced against any insults to Judaism, Christianity or any religion besides Islam.

10/30 Links Pt1: The US Would Never Free Terrorists, Assad's Starvation Campaign

From Ian:

Is a cold war reprise coming in the Middle East?

The withdrawal of US aid from Egypt was a shock; the whole Middle East (the rational part, that is), knew full well the implications of a Muslim Brotherhood president in such an influential nation, yet the mighty US punished Egypt’s military for removing him and attempting to restore some semblance of order to the country.
In Syria, President Assad unleashes one of the worst weapons created by man. The world tweets for a couple of weeks before effectively letting him off the hook with a (Russian-inspired) solution that probably allowed the Syrians to hide as many of their chemical shells as they wanted to. Russia 1 – 0 USA .
New Iranian president Rouhani smiles pleasantly at the world and opens talks with the Americans. This is such a shock that the world immediately thinks about slackening sanctions; maybe even before all the centrifuges spin down. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan… and Israel – all look on aghast at the apparent naiveté of the West.

Toward Peace and Prosperity in Middle East

Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Foreign Minister of Egypt for seven years, stated in a televised interview in response to President Obama's idealism, that democracy is almost impossible in the Middle East because of its culture and because of democracy's conflict with sharia laws. Unlike the American model of democracy that is based on the separation of church and state, in Egypt, the constitution clearly affirms that Islam is the official religion of the state and Sharia law is main source of legislation. Many intellectuals in the region apparently agree with Mr. Aboul-Gheit's assessment.
In addition, the Middle East, they say, particularly Egypt, is missing the essential pillars of a democratic society. Political and religious tolerance, the rule of law, accountability and transparency, freedom of expression, civil society, an effective education system, and limited government simply do not exist in the majority of the nations in this region.

'US would Never Free Terrorists'

Prof. Avi Diskin, an expert on political science at Hebrew University and the Shaarei Mishpat College, says Israel is among the only countries in the world that frees terrorists, if not the only one.
"We are truly unique," he told Arutz Sheva. The United States never did anything like that. It's true that it is truly very very important for us to be in sync with the Americans. It is true that we are extremely dependent on them, and that in order to placate them we free terrorists, but this is a process they would never undertake in their own country.”

Arab MK: Israel Must Submit to Arab Demands or Disappear

On Wednesday MK Ibrahim Sarsour of the Arab Ra'am-Ta'al party accused the Israeli government of endangering Middle East stability in failing to make peace with the Palestinians, declaring that Israel must either submit to Arab demands or disappear.
He further claimed Israel was the "sole cause" preventing advances in the peace talks because it continues to refuse to withdraw to the 1949 ceasefire lines, divide Jerusalem and let Arabs who fled in 1948 return with their descendants.

PA Takes Issue with Israel's Demand for Security

According to the report, senior Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official Yasser Abed Rabbo said that Israel had adopted hardline positions and negotiations had so far produced "no tangible progress."
The so-called “hardline positions”, according to Abed Rabbo, are Israel’s demands that any agreement with the PA will ensure the continued security of Israeli citizens.

"The 1948 lands (i.e., Israel) are occupied" - Fatah official on behalf of Abbas

Israel to UNHRC: Release of Palestinian terrorists shows we're serious about peace

Israel’s willingness to release Palestinian prisoners who killed its citizens shows that it is serious about peace, Ambassador Eviatar Manor told the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, as his country made its first appearance before that Geneva based body since it cut off ties a year-and-a-half ago.
“All of them have blood on their hands; all of them have murdered Israelis. Their release, I believe, illustrates Israel’s determination to reach an agreement with our Palestinians neighbors that will, once and for all, end the conflict,” said Manor. He is Israel’s representative to the UN in Geneva.

Cardassians versus Israel at U.N.

Unconscionably, Israel was pressured diplomatically to participate especially by the United States and Germany. In the case of the United States it is disappointing that President Obama did not stand up for Israel. In the case of Germany there’s another reason this is particularly galling.
NGO-Monitor lately has documented the degree to which Germany – both the government and foundations – fund anti-Israel NGO’s. Part of the UPR process involves the testimony of stakeholders, in this case, NGO’s. Among the German funded NGO’s are Adalah and Miftah, both of whom are listed as stakeholders.
In short, Germany’s saying, “Go stand for trial; we’ve paid for the witnesses against you. But don’t worry.”
By comparison, Cardassian justice almost seems fair.

UN's Falk Seeks Int'l Court Decision on Israeli 'Occupation'

Richard Falk, the United Nations’ human rights expert who has a history of anti-Israel statements, is at it again.
On Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, Falk said that if renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) fail, the UN General Assembly should turn to the International Court of Justice and seek an opinion on “the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of land claimed by the Palestinians."

BBC promotion of the myth of a non-violent first Intifada

Beyond the blatantly political use of the phrase “Israel occupation army” which is obviously inappropriate for an organization which professes to adhere to standards of impartiality, Kafala clearly intentionally misleads audiences by inaccurately stating – very insistently, one notes – that those involved in perpetrating the violence of the first Intifada were “at no stage armed with guns”.
Adopting the Palestinian narrative of “resistance”, Kafala goes on to state:
“Much of the Palestinian resistance was non-violent. It included demonstrations, strikes, boycotting Israeli goods and the civil administration in the occupied territories, and the creation of independent schools and alternative social and political institutions.”

Al-Jazeera's not-so-secret agenda

The absurdity in all this is that the emir of Qatar, who owns the supposedly democracy-loving al-Jazeera, sentenced the Qatari poet Mohammed al-Ajami to life in prison, which has since been transmuted by pardon to 20 years.
He was found guilty of insulting the emir and calling for his ouster through his poems. Meanwhile, Qatar's emir calls for the release from Egyptian prison of al-Jazeera reporters who incited against Sisi.

Report: Terrorists to Set New Record in 2013

The report cited the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), which reported that terrorism hit a record high in 2012, and that so far attacks have been even more frequent in 2013.
There were over 8,500 terrorist attacks worldwide in 2012 and nearly 15,500 people were killed by terrorism, the group reported. The data showed a major increase compared to 2011, with attacks up by 69% and fatalities up by 89%.
The previous high for attacks was set in 2011, while the previous year in which the most people were murdered by terrorists worldwide was 2007.

Syria's Assad unleashes 'Starvation Until Submission Campaign'

At an army checkpoint that separates government-held central Damascus from eastern suburban towns earlier this month, a thin, teenage boy on a bicycle circled a soldier and begged to be allowed to take a bag of pita bread, a staple food, into the eastern suburbs. The soldier refused but the boy kept begging for "just one loaf".
The soldier finally shouted: "I'm telling you, not a single morsel is allowed in there. I don't make the rules. There are those bigger than me and you who make the rules and they're watching us right now. So go back home." The soldier, visibly upset, exhaled quietly and deeply when the boy slipped out of sight.

The Syrian War is Not What Romantics Want it to Be

The opposition also has to consider the relative strength of Bashar Assad. Assad started with a base of support that cannot switch sides; more than one-third of the Syrian population is Kurdish, Christian, or members of other minority groups that rely on the secular, nationalist Assad government to protect them. The FSA’s hopes that the U.S. would enter the battle have been dashed, and any hope that Israel would do so was never realistic. Today, Assad is a partner to the U.S.-Russian agreement on OPCW and the removal of the chemical weapons arsenal; it was a small price for Assad to pay to ensure that the U.S. wouldn’t attack militarily. Russia again supplies the government with arms openly. And Israel’s “red lines,” while effectively maintained, have not helped the rebels at all.
The FSA is literally between the rubble and mass graves, and the choices are stark: to continue fighting both Assad and the jihadist militias while watching its fighters defect and its people suffer ever more death and destruction, or to admit defeat by Assad and negotiate a new arrangement to try to oust the jihadists. It will be an enormous victory for Iran, Russia, and Assad, and a corresponding loss for the Saudis (and other Sunni interests) and, of course, the Syrian people. But it cannot be unthinkable.

Groan: Prince Charles Blames Civil War In Syria On Global Warming…

The Prince of Wales used his keynote speech at the 9th World Islamic Economic Forum in London this evening to warn of the political and economic dangers of climate change, and used Syria as a “terrifyingly graphic” example of the adverse effects of climate change on vulnerable populations.

Syria: 'Over 60,000 Iranians fighting alongside Assad forces'

"In Siria, there are over 60,000 fighters from Iran," said Ahmad Jarba.
For this reason Iran should not attend Syrian peace talks dubbed Geneva II scheduled to take place next month, Jarba said.
"Iran cannot take part in 'Geneva II' while it is killing the Syrian population," he told Arab and western foreign ministers gathered in London to meet Syrian opposition officials.

Dennis Ross: How to negotiate with Iran

Finally, do not waste time. Iran will likely attain an undetectable nuclear capability by mid-2014, and perhaps even earlier, leaving scant time to both negotiate and verifiably implement a deal. It appears that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif may have offered a timeline at Geneva for wrapping up negotiations. But given Iranian nuclear progress over the last 18 months and earlier unexplained activities, negotiators ought not accept a schedule that stretches beyond the point when it becomes impossible to prevent a nuclear Iran by other means. Implementing and making known a strict deadline for talks can dissuade Iran from using diplomacy as a cover while sprinting for the bomb, and reassure Israel so it does not feel compelled to act alone.

Experts: Iran May Be Readying Ruse To Activate “Invulnerable” Plutonium Reactor

A heavy-water plutonium reactor that Iran has committed to bringing online would become “invulnerable to military attack” once Iranian scientists activated it, according to analysis conveyed today by TIME. The explanation is straightforward:

Because it is not yet up and running, the Arak heavy-water reactor has remained in the background of the nuclear controversy. But it looms larger every day. The reason: once Arak goes online, the option of destroying Iran’s nuclear program with air strikes becomes moot. The reactor is essentially invulnerable to military attack, because bombing one risks a catastrophic release of radioactivity. In the words of Israel’s last chief of military intelligence, Amos Yadlin, who piloted one of the F-16A’s that cratered Iraq’s Osirak heavy-water reactor in 1981 before it was due to become operational: “Whoever considers attacking an active reactor is willing to invite another Chernobyl, and no one wants to do that.”

Iran shuts down newspaper, cites anti-Islamic article

State TV reported Monday that Iran's media supervisory body banned the daily Bahar, citing a law authorizing media closures over articles deemed to violate Islamic values or insult Islam.
Bahar published an op-ed article on Wednesday that expressed doubts the Prophet Muhammad had appointed a successor — a statement that contradicts the beliefs of Shiite Muslims.

Iranian envoy prompts removal of Finnish university report highly critical of Tehran

Iran’s ambassador to Finland, Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, intervened at the Finnish National Defense University to compel the removal of a research paper from the university’s website, because the document critically examined Iran’s nuclear program and its treatment of Israel, women and minorities.
The research paper was removed on Saturday.
The Iran expert and researcher Alan Salehzadeh wrote in his 42- page study, entitled “Iran’s Domestic and Foreign Policies,” that “ Iran does not approve of the existence of Israel and wishes to see it destroyed.”

Palestinian Arab propaganda art - at the Israel Museum

Al Quds has an article today about how the Israel Museum is erasing Palestinian (Arab) history in its exhibitions, by either "stealing" archaeological artifacts from Canaanite times or by not mentioning the history of Arabs in the region.

I don't know how accurate the article is, but I looked at the Israel Museum website and found this:

Mona Hatoum

Current Disturbance, 1996

Mona Hatoum, Palestinian, born Beirut 1952, lives in London
Current Disturbance, 1996
Installation: Wood, wire mesh, lightbulbs, computerized dimmer switch, amplifier, four speakers
280 x 550 x 504 cm
Gift of Wendy Silverman, Thomas Schulhof, and Michael Schulhof, in honor of their parents Hannelore and Rudolph Schulhof, New York, to American Friends of the Israel Museum
B98.0017

Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum creates deeply personal and political works relating to the body, the artistic language of Minimalism, and the condition of exile. In Current Disturbance, she used varying electrical current in lightbulbs to generate effects of sight and sound. The bulbs fade on and off randomly and at various levels of intensity. Sometimes the current makes a crackling sound, and at other times a humming. It is like a malfunctioning nerve center in which some of the synapses fail to connect.

In formal terms, the rather pure geometric grid is minimalist; in associative terms, it recalls a prison cell, a camp, territory that is out of bounds. There is no entrance or exit, so viewers can only walk around this closed-off no-man’s-land, an empty inner space that nevertheless implies a human presence or absence. The flickering lights, like hundreds of tiny lighthouses, transmit a message of warning but perhaps also of hope of rescue.

The installation has traveled to museums throughout the world but it is apparently owned by the Israel Museum.

I'm not saying that this isn't art - it looks like a powerful piece, even if it is overtly political and anti-Israel. I would question whether it belongs in this museum at all.

The point is that even the Israel Museum is hosting anti-Israel Palestinian Arab art, so the charge that it erases the PalArab viewpoint is clearly baseless.

Yemen's Sheikh Abd Al-Azim Al-Huthi has declared that the jihad against the "Houthi infidels", the Shiite sect in Yemen that has been waging a civil war against the government over the past decade, "is better than the jihad against the Jews." because these Shiite rebels "are enemies of Allah and His Messenger"

"It does not make sense to fight the Jews as long as the Houthi group exists," said Sheikh Huthi.

Don't worry - the Houthis won't become Judeophiles any time soon. Their logo says "God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Damn the Jews, Power to Islam."

(There are rumors that Tehran instructed the Houthis to get rid of the "Death to America" part of their slogan! The rest of it is OK, though.)

It's so comforting to know that my people are now second in line for slaughter by Yemeni Sunnis. This makes them moderate!

Perhaps the well-known Islamic slogan should be changed to "First the other Friday people, then the Saturday people, and only then the Sunday people."

Moderate peace-loving Abbas happily poses with murderers of Jews

The purported leader of a state that virtually the entire world agrees must exist greets people who have murdered Jews.

That's not news anymore.

What is amazing is that no western leader finds these images to be disgusting.

No academic notes the hypocrisy of a "peace partner" welcoming, in person, murderers and terrorists.

No mainstream journalist or editorialist says the obvious - that a people who lionize murderers are clearly not deserving of any Western support, let alone a state.

There is not one word of condemnation from the enlightened West that Mahmoud Abbas - personally and proudly - poses with and praises people with blood on their hands.

Photos that would instantly torpedo the career of any other politician on the planet are not newsworthy when the politician is "President of Palestine."

The world agrees: Palestinian Arab leaders are moderate, peace-loving victims and that the people that their people murder are evil colonialist oppressors who deserved to be shot, stabbed and bludgeoned to death.

There is no other interpretation.

At the end of this video showing the celebrations, one of the murderers says, to the cheers of the crowd, "All of Palestine from the river to the sea":

Belgian Minister of Culture defends antisemitism on Facebook page

A Belgian professor wrote an opinion piece on the website of RTBF, Radio Télévision Belge Francophone, saying that Israel is a racist state. (He based this mostly from reading Ha'aretz.)

RTBF has a Facebook page as well, and this article was linked there as well.

Some of the comments, predictably, are insanely antisemitic.

You know, having killed Christ is not enough for them...the Jews in France are also racist! :)

Every Jew is racist to another human because for Jews they are like dogs ... they can kill a non-Jew and will not be condemned ...

Goldstein refused to do anything to save the life of a Gentile - this was not a personal quirk, but simply an command of the Talmud on which it is based.

These comments remain up on the page after moderation.

The Philosemitism blog reports that the person in charge of the page, Ms. Françoise De Their, answered that "Comments are moderated as soon as possible by the editorial departments concerned, in accordance with professional, legal and ethical requirements."

The French Community of Brussels Minister of Culture and Media, Fadila Laanan, responded that "I was assured that the comments are still on RTBF page of this social network are within the limits of the debate and are acceptable."

Incidentally, Laanan's parents were born in Morocco.

(h/t Rudi)

10/29 Links Pt2: Levy Report Campaign, Straw canard, Erdogan is an autocratic Islamist bigot

From Ian:

Restoring Israel’s Rights: The Levy Report

In modern times there are legal precedents for establishing the Jewish claim to Israel: This is with reference to the San Remo Conference, the Mandate for a Jewish Homeland in Palestine, confirmed in international law, and more.
These Jewish rights have certainly not diminished over the years. Yet there is a prevailing perception that this is the case – that there has been a rethinking of what properly accrues to the Jewish State of Israel. A revisionist perception, we might say.
...
And now, at long last, the Levy Report Campaign is kicking off.
The Campaign Committee is operating with the assistance of Regavim, a fine Israeli organization that works “to ensure responsible, legal & accountable use of Israel’s national lands and the return of the rule of law to all…aspects of the land.”
The campaign is envisioned in two stages – first within the Knesset and then more broadly within the public domain.

Jpost Editorial: Straw canard

Now, apparently, it is Straw’s turn to fight back using the same ammunition. Straw’s attack on AIPAC follows in the footsteps of John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt who in 2007 published The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy.
Indeed, Straw, responding Monday in an e-mail to The Jerusalem Post’s Henry Rome, noted that his comments about AIPAC ’s influence on US policy are essentially based on Mearsheimer’s and Walt’s book. Straw also notes that in his 2012 memoir Last Man Standing he quotes in pages 445- 447 from these two men’s “critical study of AIPAC .”

I’m not remotely anti-Semitic, says ex-British FM Straw

“I am not remotely anti-Semitic. Quite the reverse. I have all my life strongly supported the state of Israel, and its right to live in peace and security,” Straw wrote in an email.
The veteran Labor politician reportedly said during a debate in the British parliament last week that the greatest obstacles to peace between Israel and the Palestinians and her Arab neighbors are the “unlimited” funds available to Jewish organizations and AIPAC in the US, as well as Germany’s “obsession” with defending Israel.

Meet the Founder of Sabeel. He's an "Ecumenical" Zion-Loather

Ateek is the Anglican founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre in Jerusalem and a leading exponent of campaigns of boycott, divestment and sanctions aimed at Israel. He has called the establishment of Israel in 1948 “a relapse to the most primitive concepts of an exclusive, tribal God.” He has accused the Israeli government of crucifying Palestinians in the occupied territories, writing that “the Israeli government crucifixion system is operating daily.” He has compared Israel to the Nazis and accused Israel of committing a Holocaust against Palestinians. He sent out a Christmas message that likened Israel to Herod and the occupation to the slaughter of the innocents.

The New York Times: Telling Readers How to Think About Israel

“Shrill.” “Strident.” “Stubborn.” “Abrasive.” “Derisive.” “Cynical.” These are adjectives used by New York Times journalists this month to describe Israel’s prime minister or cabinet ministers.
And that was just in news articles. New York Times editorialists added a few additional descriptors to that list – “aggressive,” “combative,” “sarcastic,” “eager for a fight,” and “sabotaging diplomacy.”
In fact, the only Israeli political party that merited a positive characterization by the Times was the far-left Meretz party, which was described in a news article as “peace-seeking.” The Meretz party with six seats of 120 in the Knesset is hardly representative of the mainstream. And while nearly all other Knesset members, including those in power, claim to be seeking peace, The New York Times is not having any of that. Nor do they want their readers to.

Peace Talks Will Fail Because Palestinians Don’t Want Peace

In short, the PA has a long-established policy of duplicity about its anti-peace intentions. In these circumstances, not only are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict negotiations convened under American auspices foredoomed, but in pursuing them, the Obama Administration has embarked on a fool’s errand. Furthermore, by pressuring Israel to make further concessions––like the freeing of jailed Palestinian terrorists, merely to get the PA to the negotiating table––it is endangering an ally.
This is a moment for the Congress to act. It can produce a detailed list of Palestinian bad faith statements (of which we have provided here only a fraction) and call upon the PA to explicitly retract each statement to its own public. It can make further aid to the PA conditional on verifiable Palestinian reforms, like outlawing terrorist groups, arresting terrorists and ending the incitement to hatred and murder that feeds the conflict. And it can withhold aid until these prerequisites for a genuine peace are forthcoming.

Abbas said to soften stance on interim peace agreement

Abbas is no longer completely opposed to such a deal, which would create a framework for two states but likely postpone the resolution of the toughest issues such as final borders, shared sovereignty over Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees, according to a Tuesday Israel Radio report, which gave no further details.
Palestinian Authority officials, and Abbas himself, have repeatedly said they were strongly against an interim peace agreement with Israel. In September, speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Abbas said the current round of negotiations were “the last chance” to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians but rejected “the dizzying exhilaration of interim agreements” in lieu of a permanent resolution.

Isi Leibler: Candidly Speaking: Turkey's Erdogan - An autocratic Islamist bigot

The reality is that while the inveterate anti-Semite Erdogan has his way, he will veto any efforts to improve relationships with Israel, despite the major strategic and economic benefits that would accrue to both countries.
Thus, even if the US clings to the fantasy that Turkey represents a moderate, democratically influenced form of Islam, we should not delude ourselves. Erdogan is running an anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli regime that supports Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. As long as he remains in power, Israel-Turkish relations will remain cold at best.

Anti-Israel ads placed on Denver buses during JNF conference

Advertisements accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing” are appearing on Denver-area buses while the Jewish National Fund holds its national conference in the city.
The ads, which include the slogan “Want peace? Stop ethnic cleansing in Palestine,” are sponsored by the website Notaxdollarstoisrael.com and the Colorado BDS Campaign, the Intermountain Jewish News reports.

BDSers Target Charles Azvanour

On 23 November his audience will be in Tel Aviv, at the Nokia Arena.
But not if Omar Barghouti's Palestine Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and its eager accomplices in the West have their way. They want Monsieur Aznavour to cancel his plans.
That's despite the fact that, as the Jerusalem Post reported on 1 October, as soon as the French singer's impending visit was announced: "Aznavour will dedicate his trip to promoting the peace process and increasing public support for it."

Simon Wiesenthal Center Calls on Daily Show Host to ‘Give the Jon Stewart Treatment’ to Roger Waters

Calling on The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, who is Jewish, to similarly voice objection of the former Pink Floyd bassist’s attitude towards Israel Cooper said, “Come on Jon– give the Jon Stewart treatment to Waters and his pig, he’s earned it…”
In January of this year Waters appeared as a guest on The Daily Show. Although Waters’ activism was discussed, Stewart was roundly criticized for not bringing up his anti-Israel views. “Stewart asked specifically about Waters’s political activities, but failed to bring up Waters’s most controversial political cause: his radical campaign against Israel,” wrote Joel Pollak at Breitbart.com.

Jews bashed allegedly by Pacific Islanders

I thought it suspicious that police and the press gave no description of the youths wanted for bashing five Jews in Bondi (Australia). That already suggested an ethnic dimension. Sure enough:

The two boys were part of a group of eight mainly Pacific Islander youths charged with attacking the family, including a 66-year-old father and a 62-year-old mother, and friends walking home from a Sabbath dinner.

Racist Attacker Assaults Israelis - For Speaking Spanish

A 23 year-old man has been arrested over a racially-motivated assault in which he punched two Israeli men - because he thought they were speaking Spanish.
Dylan T. Grall of Janesville, Wisconsin attacked the two men, who were conversing in Hebrew, on Madison street on Saturday morning.

Analysis: Druse state in Syria could be Israeli ally

Whether one wishes it or not, Syria may be on the way to partition or some kind of de facto break-up along the lines of ethnic division, regardless of what locals or the West want.
Would such a break-up work in Israel’s favor?
According to some analysts, weak Arab states with internal strife and divisions, as well as the break-up of the existing Arab state order, plays to Israel’s strategic advantage.

Druze Families Remember Loved Ones Who Fought for Israel

Originally known as the IDF Minorities Unit, the ‘Herev’ Battalion was formed by Druze and Jewish leaders in 1948 during Israel’s War of Independence. Recently, the Herev Battalion invited the bereaved families of the unit to come together on the eve of Eid il-Adha, the religious Muslim festival known as Feast of Sacrifice, which was celebrated this year in mid-October.
These Druze families gather together every year to remember loved ones that they have lost in operations and wars to defend Israel, numbering in the hundreds.

‘Seraphim Sense’ Creates ‘Guardian Angel’ Wristband To Monitor Health

Trust Israelis to transform an ancient religious belief into a bio-medical reality that can be worn around the wrist. The Angel Health Monitor is a biofeedback wristband that senses motion and acceleration, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation and heart rate. Just like the mythical guardian angel, it monitors your every move to make sure that you are in good health. The health band is synced to a user’s smartphone and laptop via Bluetooth to provide real-time updates on their body’s internal workings.

Report: Simon Cowell, Lauren Silverman Agree on Jewish Wedding; Cowell Taking Israeli Dance Lessons

“Simon and Lauren have spoken very openly about marriage and he’s told pals he may even propose by the end of the year,” Heat‘s source said.
The source added that Cowell “agreed they could be blessed by a rabbi and partake in Jewish traditions, including the bedecking ceremony [where the groom identifies the bride in a room just before the wedding]. He’s even said he’ll have some Israeli dancing lessons for the party afterwards.” (h/t Yoel)

Munich launches virtual stumbling blocks memorial app

Visitors to the Bavarian capital can now see the biographies of hundreds of Jewish victims of the Holocaust as they pass by their former homes, thanks to a new app launched last week called Stolpersteine Muenchen, or Munich Stumbling Blocks.
Martina Bachmann, who is not Jewish, launched the app with business partner Sacha Bertram, who has a Jewish father. Bachmann told JTA that the aim is to create a digital memorial to all Munich victims of the Nazi regime, using 8,000 biographies. “Every person who was victimized and for whom we can find the biographical information,” Bachmann said.

90 years ago

From the JTA archives, less than a century ago:

VIENNA (May. 29, 1923)
The formation of an international anti-Semitic body which will unite the Hakenkreuzler and Fascisti societies of many European countries, in contemplated in a resolution adopted at the party council of the Austrian Hakenkreuzler.

Declaring the present anti-Semitic activities as “inadequate”, the Council decided to create a “united anti-Semitic front”, one of whose purposes will be to prevent the election to the parliaments of the various countries of Jewish candidates of such as are known for their friendliness to Jews.

Leaders of the German National Party report that delegations have arrived from all Balkan countries with the object of obtaining information of Hakenkreuzler methods which have proven successful in keeping down the Jews in Austria and Bavaria.

Fascisti organizations are said by the visitors to have been established in their countries, who desire to work together with all Hakenkreuzler bodies abroad. The “National Socialists” announce they are prepared to join the international union of anti-Semites.

Sunnis boycott Shiite products, and the great Arab electricity boycott of 1923

Elaph has an amusing article by a Saudi writer that talks about how Sunni Muslims are publicizing among themselves not to buy this brand of juice or that brand of milk, because the owners of the company are supposedly Shiite.

This is strange, he notes, "because we use products made by Jews and Christians, from the car to the needle as well as mobile phones and technology and tablet devices, but each is manufactured in countries populated mostly of Buddhists or atheists as is the case in the East..." - yet no one boycotts them! Eastern religions are considered idol worship my Muslims, and are far worse theologically than Judaism or Christianity.

This sounds familiar - the people advocating boycotts always choose products that won't really affect their lives, but they will threaten and attack others who dare to sell or buy them. It's been this way since the Arab League started its boycott of Jewish goods in 1946 and even earlier.

Although, I must admit, in 1923 the Arabs even decided to boycott "Jewish electricity."

Arab extremists are waging their fight against things Jewish even to the point of refusing the use of electricity derived from a “Jewish” station.

The Jaffa municipality has decided to stick to the old hand, foot and horse power rather than utilize any of the electrical power derived from the Buttenberg station at the Auja.

Efforts by the government to convince the Arabs that electricity was neutral and knew no politics proved unavailing.

But in 1923, that wasn't much of a sacrifice for them.

Hamas, on the other hand, boycotted Israeli fuel to Gaza for a year or so - until the Egyptian fuel supply dried up. Its lofty standards were only so lofty.

An intriguing idea - Israel should celebrate historic invasions of its land!

It isn't often that I hear a new idea, but this one, from commenter Andrew, has some real brilliance behind it:

All Israel needs to do is pick some date with some historical relevance to the time of the Roman occupation, then make a festival (just celebrate an unsuccessful rebellion of the Jews against Roman rule or something), celebrate the great influence Jews and Romans had on history (this will remove an anti-Italian slant from the festival and allow Christians to celebrate with us), and prepare speeches and texts in both Hebrew and Latin.

In the texts refer to Romans and Jews very very often and use the Latin word "Palestina", the Roman name for the protectorate/province in place of Hebrew "Yisrael".

In fact we can use this method a few more times to reach other goals.

Celebrate the Muslim invasion because it allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. Invite the Hashemite king to the celebration.

Celebrate the Persian invasion and the Great King.

If our enemies use made-up history against us, just celebrate real history choosing occasions where we celebrate our enemies' ancestors and their stay in our land.

It will be difficult for the Arabs to condemn us for celebrating the Muslim invasion. And as long as we celebrate the invasion they cannot pretend that it wasn't an invasion and say that Jerusalem is Arab, not Jewish.

It will be difficult for the Iranian regime to erase Israel from the map, if Israel celebrates Iranian rulers of the past. They would have to erase those rulers from history as well and lose their past as they want us to lose ours.

And it will be difficult to pretend that "Palestine" was an Arab state that existed before Israel was "founded", if we celebrate the fact that our country was once the Roman province of "Palestina".

So, are we going to start a new holiday at the end of April to celebrate the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 637 - which did indeed allow Jews to return to their capital after the Byzantines defeated them a decade earlier? (If anyone can find the actual date, Gregorian or Muslim, I'd appreciate it.)

10/29 Links Pt1: Abbas's "Diplomatic Intifada", AI & HRW Whitewash Terror, Egyptian 'Puppy Bombs'

From Ian:

Khaled Abu Toameh: Abbas's "Diplomatic Intifada" Against Israel

The next steps the Palestinian Authority is planning include seeking full membership in the United Nations General Assembly and other international agencies and conventions, especially the International Criminal Court. The Palestinian Authority says it has prepared a list of dozens of Israelis that it hopes to prosecute as "war criminals."
The anti-settlement drive should be seen in the context of the Palestinian Authority's massive efforts to isolate Israel in the international arena. Palestinian Authority leaders are hoping that international pressure will force Israel to its knees and prompt it to accept all of Abbas's demands, first and foremost a withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines.
With such an intifada raging against Israel, it is hard to see how the peace talks could ever result in an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Abbas obviously does not believe that the talks will produce an agreement. That is why his strategy these days is, with the help of the international community, to try to impose a solution on Israel.

HRW and Amnesty Int´l Whitewash the PFLP Terror Group

In a press release protesting Israel’s alleged “harassing” of members of Palestinian NGO Addameer, Human Rights Watch (HRW) referred to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a terror group responsible for hundreds of horrific attacks against civilians, as a “banned political organization (Israel: Military Harassing Rights Group Staff, October 27, 2013). HRW accuses Israel of “apparent persecution” of Addameer employees because of their supposed human rights work, erasing the clear “security risk” posted by membership in a terrorist organization.
Amnesty International also called the PFLP “an organization which Israel has banned” – ignoring the wide recognition of its terror status (Israel must drop charges against Palestinian human rights lawyer released on bail, October 24, 2013). Amnesty’s Middle East Programme Director, Philip Luther, accused Israel of “prosecut[ing] activists because of their peaceful work in defence of human rights” and of “harassment of Palestinian human rights defenders.”

‘Mail & Guardian’ parrots description of Marwan Barghouti as a “political prisoner”

This euphemism of course distorts the clear meaning of a term widely understood as referring narrowly to those imprisoned merely for their political beliefs. In fact, earlier in the year CiF Watch was able to gain corrections at both the Guardian and The Independent after they initially referred to the pre-Oslo Palestinian prisoners (who Israel agreed to release in order to resume peace talks) as “political prisoners.”
More recently, while monitoring press coverage of Israel’s latest announcement that they will release 26 additional pre-Oslo prisoners, we noted that a major South African newspaper used this distorted term in a story about Desmond Tutu’s support for a campaign calling for the release of convicted Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti.

Bereaved Sister: We Are Not a Gesture

Also speaking was Gila Molcho, sister of Ian Feinberg who was murdered in Gaza while working in the European Union building. One of Feinberg’s murderers was released in 2011 as part of the Shalit deal, a second murderer was released in the first release of terrorists three months ago. The next release wave will see a third murderer being released.
Molcho said that Israeli and Jewish blood can’t “be sold as a gesture.”
“We are not a gesture,” she said. “There is no peace process at the moment, and we cannot pay the price. Bibi Netanyahu needs to wake up and realize that our youth is getting a terrible message, that their blood is no longer sacred.”

Abbas vows to continue efforts to release all Palestinian prisoners

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas vowed on Monday to pursue his efforts to secure the release of more Palestinians from Israeli prisons.
“We won’t have comfort until they are all released,” Abbas said in reference to the prisoners.

Palestinian minister: Israeli concept of 'life in prison' has collapsed

"The second phase of the prisoner release is a great achievment for the Palestinian leadership, for Abu Mazen [Abbas] and for the Palestinian people because it represents an extra step toward the release of all the prisoners from the Israeli occupation's jails," Karaka stated.
During a visit to the families of prisoners set to be released in Nablus, Karaka said that "the Israeli concept of 'life in prison' has collapsed, because the prisoners who are set to be freed were sent, according to this concept, to be locked up behind bars for the rest of their lives."

The Independent Constructs a “New Settlement”

No wonder an uninformed observer could get the impression that Israeli settlements are multiplying at a rapid pace. Take this paragraph from an article in The Independent about the release of Palestinian terrorists from Israeli jails:

To appease Israelis who oppose the move, which will see detainees involved in killing Israelis freed, the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the construction of a new settlement on the West Bank.

CAMERA: Ha'aretz on Prisoners: A Correction, and An Error

As first noted yesterday on our Snapshots blog, the front-page article by Barak Ravid and Jonathan Lis had erroneously reported:

The Prime Minister’s Office stated that all of the prisoners slated for release were involved in attacks before the Oslo Accords were signed, and all received sentences of between 17 and 27 years in prison.
All of the prisoners slated to be released tomorrow received sentences longer than 27 years. While prisoners slated to be released served 19 to 28 years, almost all received at least one life term. The exceptions were Mukbal Mahmed Badawi Najach (38 years), Ashur Masabach Khalil Mhamed (30 years), and Karan Azzat Musa Musa (28 years, the shortest sentence).

UN envoy files complaint over Gaza rockets

In the complaint, Ron Prosor accused Hamas of continuing to launch attacks against the Israeli people while Israel attempts to reach a deal with the Palestinians.
“Instead of committing itself to improving the lives of Palestinians, Hamas proves time and time again that its only commitment is to terrorism,” said Prosor in the complaint.
“While Israel works to advance peace, Hamas responds by firing on Israeli citizens.”
“While Israel brings trucks with construction materials into Gaza,” he added, “Hamas uses them to build terror tunnels.”

Hamas, circa 2013, is in a lot of trouble

Nevertheless, it’s too early to eulogize Hamas. Despite the difficulties it faces in ensuring the transfer of goods, it has succeeded in partially resuming its tunnel activities, especially south of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. The scope of the smuggling has lessened significantly, but several dozen tunnels continue to operate, mostly serving to transfer raw materials for Hamas’s military industry. And this industry has undergone a significant upgrade.
Instead of relying on long-range missiles from Iran or Libya, Hamas has opted to locally produce its M-75 rockets, which are capable of reaching Tel Aviv. According to reports, Hamas currently has several dozen of these readied, in case of an escalation with Israel.

10 Hamas Men Arrested in Samaria, Judea

"Ten Hamas operatives were detained overnight across the West Bank," an IDF spokeswoman told AFP, without giving any further details or reasons for the arrests.

'Free Officers Movement' Founded in Gaza

On the "Rebellion" movement's Facebook page the "Free Officers in Gaza" movement posted its first announcement, in which they warn the Hamas government about its attempts to suppress the popular demonstrations by force, demonstrations which according to the announcement are the legitimate right preserved for every nation.
The name chosen by the Free Officers in Gaza appears to be an allusion to the Free Officers' Movement of Egypt, which instigated the 1952 revolution that forced the unpopular King Farouk to abdicate as Egypt's leader in favor of General Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Song glorifies violence at memorial under auspices of Abbas
Sign: "Memorial under the auspices of Mahmoud Abbas, President of Palestine and Chairman of Fatah's Central Committee"

Iran 'already past point of no return,' warns ex-IAEA official

Dr. Olli Heinonen, a former deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned Monday that Iran's pursuit of military-grade nuclear capability has passed the point of no return.
According to a report in The Tower Magazine, Heinonen has reviewed the latest Institute for Science and International Security report assessing Tehran's nuclear progress, saying that Iran's use of its existing lineup of 19,000 IR-1 centrifuges and its plans to install an additional 3,000 IR-2 centrifuges in its enrichment facilities have reduced its breakout time -- the amount of time that would elapse between a decision to manufacture a nuclear weapon and actually possessing one -- to just a few weeks.

'Grand Day of Death to America' rally planned in Iran

Militant factions in Iran are reportedly planning a sweeping rally titled, “Grand Day of Death to America,” to coincide with the 24th anniversary of the storming of the U.S. Embassy there.
According to The National, Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri is saying the planned Nov. 4 convocation outside the long-shuttered and now-graffiti-covered diplomatic institution in the capitol city of Tehran will be organized by a newly created bureaucratic body called the “Death to the U.S. Committee.”

‘Syria had 1,230 missiles ready to be loaded with chemical weapons’

The organization estimated, based on Syria’s declarations, that the regime actually possesses about 1,000 tons of Category 1 chemical weapons, which do not have peaceful uses, along with 290 tons of Category 2 substances, such as toxins with industrial uses, according to the London Times.
The UN report also suggests that Syrian rebels may have obtained small amounts of chemical weapons. It reveals that “Syrian authorities have reported finding two cylinders not belonging to them, which are believed to contain chemical weapons.”

Beleaguered Syrian Christians fear future, increasingly targeted by jihadis

The shelling and recent rebel assaults on predominantly Christian towns have fueled fears among Syria’s religious minorities about the growing role of Islamic extremists and foreign fighters among the rebels fighting against President Bashar Assad’s rule. Christians believe they are being targeted — in part because of the anti-Christian sentiment among extremists and in part as punishment for what is seen as their support for Assad.

Nasrallah Blames Saudis for Syria's Problems

"Today, political dialogue and the search for a political solution are enjoying international, regional and interior support ... but there is a state in the region which is furious (about the proposed Geneva II peace conference), and its name is Saudi Arabia," Nasrallah charged.

Iran, UN Envoy Agree on Syria Solution

According to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen television network, an aide to Iran’s Foreign Minister on Monday said that Iran and the UN envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, have reached an agreement on a political solution to the crisis in Syria based on internationally supervised elections.
Brahimi, who arrived in Damascus Tuesday, has been trying to arrange the "Geneva II" peace conference to deal with the Syrian issue, but until now has not achieved much success.

'Puppy Bombs' Rescued from Egyptian Violence

Two puppies from Egypt were rescued just moments before they were to be used by the Muslim Brotherhood in their protests as "puppy bombs" dipped in gasoline and set on fire.
The revelation about the Brotherhood's cruel tactic used two weeks ago at Tahrir Square during demonstrations against the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi's was made known by Robyn Urman, a pet rescuer in Tenafly, New Jersey, as reported by CBS 2.

What happened when anti-FGM campaigner asked people in the street to sign a petition in favour of mutilating girls

Leyla Hussein, 32, said many were scared to speak out against FGM because they were worried about criticising another culture.
She decided to conduct an experiment to see “how crazy political correctness has become” but was left in tears by the end.
Approaching shoppers with the petition supporting FGM, she told them she wanted to protect her “culture, traditions and rights”.
In only 30 minutes 19 people signed it with some saying they believed FGM was wrong but because it was part of Ms Hussein’s culture they would add their names. Only one person refused to sign.

The PA announced that starting in 2014, it will start adding an electronic chip to all "Palestine" passports to reduce fraud.

There is something bizarre about the idea of adding security to passports of a nation that will happily issue those same passports to convicted terrorists and murderers.

Then again, this could make those passports very popular among certain groups. If you want to bomb a plane or an airport - just get a Palestinian passport and you don't have to worry about the hassle of forging one!

It's 100% halal!