Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Arabs celebrate more murderers' bodies being returned (update)

I mentioned recently that Israel was returning the body of one of the terrorists responsible for the attack at the yeshiva in Otniel in 2002, where 4 students were killed. Palestinian Arabs celebrated the return of the murderer.

Israel quietly released the other terrorist of the same attack, and naturally there was a large celebratory funeral.

He was buried next to his fellow terrorist.

It is still unclear why Israel is releasing the bodies of terrorists now. While the state was taken to court to release the bodies, apparently there was never a ruling forcing their return. And Israel is being very quiet about these releases of terrorist remains.

It sure sounds like something that John Kerry pressured Israel to do, in order to keep the sham negotiations going. So instead of getting something real in return, Israel is seeing its peace partner praising terrorists who killed Jews in cold blood.

What a deal.

UPDATE: PMW has the video of another funeral for a terrorist with remarks by a PA official praising him. This one killed three teenagers in Itamar in 2002.

(h/t Ian)

The Arab definition of "peace," 1948

This comes from a July 8, 1948 memo from the Arab League to UN mediator Count Bernadotte rejecting the extension of the truce during Israel's War of Independence. (I found this in a 1962 book of Arab League documents.)

The Arab States, however, were again disappointed when they received the proposals of the Count which he had based on partition, on the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, and on recognition of what has been called the "accomplished" fact brought about by the Zionist gangs. We do not think that the Mediator is unaware that the present struggle is directed against the idea of partition and against the establishment of a Jewish state. Yet he soon took this as a basis for his proposals, (thus) disregarding the rights of the Arabs.

The Zionists are going ahead with the establishment of their so-called "state". There is nothing in this to encourage the prolongation of the cease-fire and the finding of a peaceful solution. The Mediator himself is fully convinced, as he has said on one occasion, that there is no hope of convincing the Jews to give up their state.

This means that the cease-fire will not enable us to find a peaceful solution.

Even then, the Arabs would use Western concepts of "peace" when talking to the West - but as they made clear, their definition of peace means no Jewish state.

02/17 Links Pt2: Oxfam’s Middle East blinders; Responding to the J Street Challenge

From Ian:

Gerald M. Steinberg: Oxfam’s Middle East blinders

Oxfam also distorts economic analyses of the West Bank and Gaza, repeatedly arguing that that the sole impediment to Palestinian development is Israeli policy, ignoring intra-Palestinian limitations and factors, as well as immoral mass-terror attacks. Similarly, Oxfam uses its power and access to lobby the European Union to sanction Israel. In 2009, four years after the last Israelis left Gaza, Oxfam International’s director, Jeremy Hobbs, demonized the Jewish state for creating “the world’s largest prison” and erasing geography (Gaza shares a border with Egypt), and blamed it for Hamas’ policy of diverting humanitarian resources to fund terrorism.
For all of these reasons, the criticism of Oxfam’s role in the anti-Israel boycott industry is clearly justified. An organization based on promoting moral principles cannot support and enable one-sided boycotts and double standards that demonize and single out Israel. To go beyond the rhetoric of “reducing poverty and addressing injustice,” and put these words into action, Oxfam must end its involvement in all forms of demonization, and win back Scarlett Johansson’s heart.

Responding to the J Street Challenge

This reality is implicitly acknowledged in “The J Street Challenge,” a critical documentary film about the organization that has just been released by Americans for Peace and Tolerance, a Boston-based group run by the well-known anti-slavery activist Charles Jacobs. And it is a reality that, Jacobs and his co-producers insist, needs to be grappled with through honest debate and discussion.
The key question raised by the film is what it means to be “pro-Israel” not on a personal level, but within the context of the political lobbying and advocacy that swirls around American policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (or, as Harvard Professor Ruth Wisse more accurately terms it in her interview in the film, “the Arab conflict with Israel”). And when you examine J Street’s record, it becomes very hard to dispute Professor Alan Dershowitz’s assertion that the organization—despite its much-vaunted tagline—is “neither pro-Israel nor pro-peace.” Trailer

Orthodox Jew? Hate Israel? The New York Times Wants To Interview You

In “A Conflict of Faith: Devoted to Jewish Observance, but at Odds With Israel,” the New York Times wants to disabuse readers of the minority-antiZionist-380x252notion that observant Jews are all pro-Israel. So they highlight four who oppose not only Israel’s policies, but even favor the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
Of course, the article does reference the fact that their views are at odds with family and friends. But it begs the question: Why would the New York Times publish a feature piece — in the “beliefs” section no less — about people whose views are in an extreme minority?

Why Anti-Zionist Jews Are a Minority

What the overwhelming majority of Jews know that these five people and their adoring audience at the Times don’t is that opposition to Israel’s existence—as opposed to criticism of it—is taking a stand against the right of the Jewish people to life. While there is a portion of the ultra-Orthodox community that also holds to anti-Zionism because of their own bizarre interpretation of Judaism (which strangely goes unmentioned in the article), non-Haredim who do so are fighting common sense, history, and the basic principles of fairness. If those who adopt such positions are a minority, it is not due to any resistance on the part of the majority to ethics or concern for others but because of the implausibility of their beliefs. (h/t NormanF)

Commenter "Rabbi Burns" wrote to UK Aid concerning a story I covered last month about a TV show on the Ma'an network that celebrates murderers of Jews. UK-Aid is one of the funders listed by Ma'an.

Their reply:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your email of 28 January 2014 about funding for Ma'an Network TV. I have been asked to reply as I work in the Department for International Development (DFID).

The UK Government deplores any anti-Semitic discourse – whether in speech or writing – along with any other form of racist expression. DFID does not currently provide funding to the Ma’an network.

We deplore incitement on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including any comments that could stir up hatred and prejudice in a region that needs a culture of peace and mutual respect.

Yours sincerely

[Name]

Department for International Development

"Rabbi Burns" responded:

Many thanks for your very helpful reply.

Might I also suggest that it would be in the interests of everyone who seeks a peaceful solution to the Israeli/Arab conflict if you were to request of Ma'an Network TV that it remove the UK Aid logo from its list of "Partners and Donors" (see link below). I fear that the continued presence of the logo may reflect badly on the UK government's involvement in the region.

http://www.maannet.org/modules/publisher/item.php?itemid=7

Yours sincerely,

R. Burns

So is Ma'an lying?

Has anyone contacted any of the other funders listed?

UPDATE: Yenta Press found the UK government site that dealt with the funding of Ma'an. It was a three year project:

Ma’an Network
GTF Number 095

Empowering transparency through effective secular media

Key facts:

Start date: 1 September 2008
End date: 31 August 2011
Amount of DFID funding £2,110,233
In this 3-year project, Ma’an Network aims to strengthen independent secular media as a catalyst for governmental accountability and responsiveness in Palestine.

Using media to amplify public demands for accountability and facilitate citizen input in governance processes in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, we hope to contribute to building a culture of demand for good governance.

The project will focus on investigative and participatory journalism, utilising television, radio, and online reporting to increase access to information, institutionalise dialogue between Palestinian citizens and decision-makers, and give voice to marginalised groups.

The project will also establish a research unit at Ma’an to survey public needs and attitudes on media and governance, monitor public reaction to our media productions, and evaluate our programming quality and impact.

Key outputs include providing Palestinians with more independent information and detailed reporting on governance issues, and increasing the possibility for citizens to hold government officials accountable.

Saeb Erekat admits he is a Jordanian Bedouin, not a "Canaanite"

On February 2, after Saeb Erekat claimed to be descended from 10,000 year old Canaanites, I was the first to show that his family actually came from the Huwaitat tribe which was on the Arabian peninsula, between what is now Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Apparently, an Israeli columnist at Israel Hayom mentioned this as well a week later, and the Arab media picked up on it. (Here is a case where Arab media was more aggressive than Western media in confronting Erekat on his lies.)

So Erekat responded that, sure, he is a Jordanian and a Bedouin and he is proud of it.

The head of the PLO’s negotiations department, Saeb Erekat said: “It is an honor for me to be a Bedouin and to be a Jordanian.”

This was said in an interview he gave to the Dunya Al-Watan newspaper, answering rumors spread by Hebrew newspapers. He (Erekat) added: ”The Israelis said that my mother was Jewish, and they accused me of having a relationship with Livni."

The top Palestinian negotiator said: “It is an honor for me to be a Bedouin, an Arab and a Jordanian. I have a special feeling that Allah bestowed an honor upon me and gave me a gift for which I thank him, namely that I was born a Palestinian. I was born a Palestinian only as a gift from Allah”.

He added: “We were born Palestinian so we can regain Palestine with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital city.”

Reuven Berko, the political analyst at the “Israel Hayom” newspaper said: “Erekat is a Jordanian Bedouin from the Huweytat tribe, and not a Palestinian.”

He's a Jordanian/Bedouin/Canaanite/Palestinian/Arab, so he can pick and choose whichever self-definition he finds more appropriate at any point in time. There is nothing "Palestinian" about him except an accident of where he was born.

What a liar.

What a "negotiating partner."

(h't Ibn Boutros)

02/17 Links Pt1: Renowned scientists debunk myth Arafat was poisoned; Egypt rejects Israeli Medics

From Ian:

Renowned scientists debunk myth Arafat was poisoned

What was this blood disorder mentioned by Palestinian officials?
Arafat’s personal physician, Dr. Ashraf al-Kurdi, had already answered this question in 2007. Arafat’s blood contained the HIV virus, he said while insisting that the virus had been injected into Arafat’s body close to his death.
When al-Kurdi claimed this in an interview with Al-Jazeerah, the network cut short the live interview. Al-Kurdi was kept away from Arafat when his situation began to deteriorate and was refused entrance to the French hospital where Arafat died.
Roth may have laid to rest the claim that Arafat was poisoned by Israel once and for all. But it seems we are likely to see the myth continue to live on in the Arab world and poison the minds of Palestinians.

Palestinians: The Invented People

“The history of the Palestinian people goes back as far as”… This is where Arab “historians” disagree.
Some say the “Palestinian people” have a proud 4000-year history; others say 10,000 years, 30,000 years, and even –don’t laugh- 200,000 years, which makes the Neanderthals pretty young people compared to the “mysterious Palestinians”. But although Arab historians do not agree on the “insignificant” details like the age of the “Palestinian people”, they do agree that this people is incredibly ancient-far more ancient than Jews, Romans or Greeks.
In the glorious history of the “Palestinian people”, there is only one “small” problem; nobody in history ever found them. (h/t Bob Knot)

David Singer: Kerry Confronts Ghosts In State Of Confusion

US Secretary of State John Kerry and the US State Department apparently missed – or deliberately ignored – the demise of the Palestinian Authority.
Kerry obviously believes he has been involved in negotiations under the agreed negotiating framework with a Palestinian Authority President, a Palestinian Authority negotiator and a Palestinian Authority – that clearly no longer exist.
The War of the Letterheads should serve as a clear signal to Kerry that he is negotiating with ghosts – not a legally constituted and accountable entity under the agreed negotiating framework.
Kerry – in preparing his own eagerly awaited framework agreement – needs to take notice of this fundamental change wrought by Abbas – who no longer wears a hat or name tag designated “Palestinian Authority”.

Could Israeli water expertise bring Mideast peace? Of course not!

Wishful thinking in a NYT op-ed by Seth M. Siegel:

Nuclear proliferation, religious militancy and income inequality are all major threats to Middle East stability. Sadly, a new one is brewing: water scarcity.

The human causes are clear: rapid population growth, antiquated infrastructure, the over-pumping of aquifers, inefficient crop practices and pollution from fertilizer and pesticides. Then there are the factors that climate change is accelerating, like evaporation of lakes and rivers and diminished rainfall.

One country in the region might have a solution to these water woes: Israel. It shares the same problems of climate and desertification as its neighbors, but it has mastered the management of water resources, such that it can endure periodic droughts while supporting a growing population. Its water management can not only be a model but can even reduce regional tensions.

Wasteful farming practices — in particular, flooding a field to irrigate it — are the biggest factor behind the regional water shortage. Starting in the 1960s, Israeli farmers abandoned this technique in favor of drip irrigation, which reduces the loss of water to evaporation, gets water to roots more efficiently and, critically, produces crop yields vastly greater than those with conventional irrigation. Israel also treats household sewage as a precious resource, reusing more than 80 percent of it for agriculture. In Iran and many Arab countries, sewage is dumped, which can threaten public health by contaminating wells and aquifers.

...No one should wish for a water crisis anywhere. But as water problems grow, one hopes that ideology will give way to pragmatism and may open a door to an Arab and Islamic outreach to Israel. A partnership that starts with engineers and extends to farmers could contribute to deal making, even reconciliation, among leaders. Rather than seeing Israel as a problem, Israel’s antagonists would be wise to see it as a solution.

When are people going to wake up?

Arabs don't just hate Israel - they are emotionally invested in maintaining hate for Israel. This includes Israel's "peace partners" in Egypt and Jordan. There may be some tactical cooperation, and some under-the-table relationships blooming based on common interests, but they can never translate into real peace the way normal people define peace.

Every Arab country has organizations dedicated to fighting "normalization" with Israel. Every Arab country routinely insults Israel in international bodies. Practically no Arab media will publicly oppose antisemitism or Holocaust denial (there was a very rare exception last week.)

The atmosphere is toxic, and three generations so far have been raised with this insane hate. Occasionally, some Arabs will notice that Arabs treat each other worse than Jews treat Arabs, but those are not exactly meant as compliments.

Just this morning an idiotic tweeter responded to my pointing out that Arab nations planned to persecute their Jewish population before the UN partition vote in November 1947 by claiming that it was a reaction to Jews kicking Arabs out of their homes. (The only people kicked out of their homes in Palestine before the partition vote were in fact Jews.)

Arab lies about Israel are not only meant to demonize Israel and Jews. They are meant to assuage Arab shame at losing wars to the Jews. Westerners simply cannot understand the centrality of honor/shame in Arab culture. Israel's very existence is shameful and a reminder of Arab impotence (which is why they use over-the-top words like "Naqba" and "Naqsa" to refer to wars lost to Jews, but never for far deadlier intra-Arab wars or wars fought by Western powers in the Arab world.)

This is a problem that cannot be solved short of Israel's destruction.

All Israel can do is to ensure that it offers such technologies to its neighbors where they can relabel them as if they came from Europe - and keep up their public stance of hating Israel.

Arab governments will privately be happy that Israel exists, because the alternative is another Libya or Syria and no one wants that at their borders. Countries like Morocco will continue to quietly trade with Israel. treaties about specific common topics - including water - will sometimes be drafted under the auspices of third parties. But Arab nations will not and cannot accept Israel as a permanent nation in their midst.

The only proof you need is that Israel can and does offer, today, far more than water technology, and the Arab world refuses to take advantage of it, even though it would help them immensely. Nothing would thrill Israel more than sending professors to Arab universities to teach or to Arab governments to advise about technical issues like farming and medicine and disaster preparation. To Arabs, publicly accepting help from Israel would be another instance of Arab shame.

Peace is impossible. Détente is the ideal, and to a large extent, is already here. And the only thing that can make it more ideal is Israeli strength where its existence is accepted as a fait accompli, not Israeli concessions that give Arabs hope that they can reverse the "naqba" and avenge their shame.

(h/t Ronald)

Saeb Erekat spoke at the Oxford Union on Friday night, although for some reason his statements do not seem to have been reported in English.

Arabic media reports that he resorted to his usual threats unless Israel caves to the demands of the people they supposedly oppress. (It is remarkable how the "oppressed" act like they have the upper hand, isn't it?)

This time, Erekat said that at the stroke of midnight on April 29, the PLO "will resort to international courts, and United Nations bodies and we will join calls for an economic boycott" of Israel.

He added that the Palestinian Authority is preparing an "attack" of lawsuits against Israel in The Hague, where the PLO has prepared 50 petitions to be ready in the event of the likely failure of the negotiations.

Then he said that after April 29, "You can not maintain the [PA] government at its current status. If Kerry's negotiations fail, the government will collapse and Netanyahu will be forced to take control of the West Bank, and this will be very ugly."

Of course, if the PA/PLO/"State of Palestine" collapses, then who will bring all of these lawsuits to the Hague?

If Israel is so hell-bent on expansionist policies, then why is threatening to dissolve the PA a threat - wouldn't Israel want to re-occupy the entire Judea and Samaria?

But consistency is not something to expect from a liar like Erekat. The chances that Abbas will willingly give up his power base is exactly as low as it was the many previous times that he threatened to do that.

Commemorating when the Arab countries decided to persecute their Jews

From JPost last July:

February 17 will be the national day of commemoration for Jewish refugees of Arab countries, according to a bill authorized on Sunday by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

The bill, proposed by MK Shimon Ohayon (Likud Beytenu), states that an official date will be held to honor the 850,000 Jews who were forced out of or fled homes in Arab countries in the mid-20th century.

Ohayon chose February 17 because it was the day in 1948 when the Arab League approved a law for member states to place sanctions against their Jewish population.

The MK also sent a letter to Arab League Secretary-General Dr. Nabil el-Araby Sunday, saying his organization should “accept historic accountability for the humiliation, the suffering and the losses incurred by innocent Jewish victims of the Arab world’s declared war on the State of Israel.”

“As a matter of law and equity, the Arab League must assume full responsibility for ensuring rights and redress for Jewish refugees, the direct result of the collusive actions,” he added. “This is an important element of any future peace and reconciliation between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East.”

I cannot find direct reference to this decision in the February 17, 1948 meeting of the Arab League. They did decide on "political, military, and economic measures to be taken in response to the Palestine crisis, including withholding petroleum concessions and other possible sanctions against countries aiding the Zionists."

However, it does appear that this was when a draft plan to persecute Jews did get realized. This draft plan was written in 1947 and was approved by Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia by January:

The Arabs made no secret that they were threatening Jews in Arab countries during the debates before the UN partition vote in 1947. Heykal Pasha, the Egyptian delegate, said, “The United Nations ... should not lose sight of the fact that the proposed solution might endanger a million Jews living in the Moslem countries. ... If the United Nations decided to partition Palestine they might be responsible for very grave disorders and for the massacre of a large number of Jews.”

The New York Times reported on the dangers faced by Jews in Arab countries in May, 1948:

It is clear that this was a coordinated effort by Arab countries, using the excuse that it would be a popular uprising against local Jews.

In the end, 99.5% of Jews were ethnically cleansed from their homes in Arab states.

Lots more information in this publication by Justice for Jews in Arab Countries.

(h/t Rudi)

Abbas playing out his strategy on destroying Israel - and Israel's Left is doing its part

Last month I mentioned that Mahmoud Abbas had written a strategy as early as 1977 of meeting with Israeli outsiders in order to help split Israeli society. At first, he recommended meeting with Mizrahi Jews, thinking (quite wrongly) that their marginalization in Israeli society at the time would lead them to be more conciliatory with Palestinian Arabs.

Then, he changed the strategy to target the Israeli Left as a means to weaken Israeli society. The PLO mentions this explicitly in their current strategy documents.

Sunday he met with left-leaning Israelis again, carefully lying to people who already adore him and not allowing any surprise questions to embarrass him.

The event was co-organized by the One Voice association and Labor MK Hilik Bar, who heads the Knesset Caucus for the Promotion of a Two-State Solution for the Israeli-Arab Conflict. Interestingly, more than one participant explained to me that they did not "trust" the Palestinians, but were motivated to push for vast territorial concessions because they saw no other option. None could explain how a lasting peace could be made with a partner you do not trust; and this strange desperation to believe was to underline much of the subsequent proceedings.

...Buoyed by the sympathetic, largely left-wing audience, Abbas exhibited a rhetorical deftness for which he is less well-known than his Israeli counterpart and nemesis, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu - but unjustifiably so. For artfully woven in between the diplomatic platitudes was some breathtaking double-talk, historic revisionism and sugar-coated incitement - executed with a charm that was almost endearing.

..When, during the Q&A session, one of the carefully-vetted questioners asked how Abbas could assure that an influx of "refugees" - in whatever context - would not tear the demographic fabric of the Jewish state, the veteran diplomat simply grinned and offered a revealing tongue-in-cheek response: "What, do you want to impose birth control on us?"

Hilik Bar shifted uncomfortably in his seat, cleared his throat, mumbled something about it not exactly answering the question... and urged proceedings along.

The Israeli Left is being played like a banjo - and they are either too stupid to notice, or too far gone to care.

I once wrote up a quick list of questions that anyone meeting Abbas should ask him:

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 in front of the UN?
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 lots more, of course:

You used to support Lebanese Palestinians' rights to become citizens in Lebanon. Then you changed your mind and said you are against it. What do you really believe, and why?
More generally, if a Palestinian Arab wants to become a citizen of his Arab host country, should he be allowed?
Do you consider the West Bank to have been occupied by Jordan from 1949-1967? Why or why not?
Did the PLO really nullify the sections of the Palestinian National Covenant that denied Israel's right to exist? If so, can you point me to an official copy of the current charter? It doesn't seem to exist anywhere.
What exactly is the legal basis for your being president for over ten years?

Magicians and psychics carefully use misdirection and make their own rules to trick people. Abbas is the same - he creates situations where he can avoid or bypass answering hard questions without fear that anyone will be persistent and he can pre-emptively answer questions that aren't being asked but that people addicted to wishful thinking will pretend are substantial answers.

The questions I list are not meant for conservative Zionists. They are meant for Zionist liberals to ask. After all, if Abbas is a partner to be trusted, shouldn't be honestly answer these questions rather than brush off the easy ones?

Terrorist planned to be jailed so he could get a salary from the PA

From Palestinian Media Watch:

Imprisoned Palestinian terrorist Husni Najjar explained to Israeli Police that he planned a second terror attack in order to be captured and imprisoned by Israel a second time, so that he would receive the salaries the Palestinian Authority pays to prisoners while in jail and following their release. In his signed statement given to the police following his second arrest, a copy of which is in the possession of Palestinian Media Watch, he explains that the money he received from the PA as salary during his first prison term amounted to only 45,000 shekels. However, the salary he would receive following his second prison term and subsequent release would leave him with "135,000 shekels." "And thus I would cover my debts," the terrorist explained his motive for planning the attack.

The testimony of this Palestinian terrorist confirms PMW's contention that the PA's policy of paying high salaries to terrorists during their imprisonment in Israel and after their release not only rewards terror, but also constitutes a motivation for terror.

In his statement, the terrorist showed precise knowledge of the payments the PA gives to those arrested for terror. He explained that PA law grants terrorists imprisoned for more than five years a salary of 4,000 shekels a month, which continues for three years following their release from prison. This is in addition to monthly salary payments while in prison. The terrorist explained that because his first imprisonment for planning a suicide terror attack (which was foiled) lasted less than five years, it was not enough to prompt the 4,000 shekels monthly salary upon release. He therefore planned another attack in order to reach a total of five years in prison, which would entitle him to the additional salary upon his second release, which would cover his debts, he explained:

Prisoner Najjar: "And after [my] release [from prison]... I had a bank account with 45,000 shekels from [my] salary from the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs... and there remained a deficit of 30,000 shekels for the wedding... I decided to arrange an imaginary plan for the Israeli Shabak [Israel's General Security Service] so that I would be arrested... After I would spend five years [in prison] I would receive a salary of about 4,000 shekels [upon release], and this amount would be for three years. That means there would be a total amount of 135,000 shekels (the correct amount would equal 144,000 shekels - Ed.) and then I would cover my debts."
[Testimony of suspect, Israel Police interrogation transcript, Aug. 18, 2013]

Husni Najjar is currently in prison awaiting trial. It should be noted that the terrorist prisoner is already receiving a PA salary, since PA law stipulates that the salary "will be paid to the prisoner from the date of his arrest." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 15, 2011]

Now, if the Mahmoud Abbas is against ongoing terrorism as he constantly claims, wouldn't he suspend its "cash for prison" program?

Yet another question that Abbas will never be asked by clueless journalists.

(h/t Josh K)

Islamic Jihad publishes book-sized guide to the IDF

The Al Quds Brigades, part of terror organization Islamic Jihad, has just published an illustrated book about the IDF to help its fighters understand the enemy.

Chapter 1 gives an overview of the IDF, ranks and levels in the organization. Chapter 2 concentrates on the infantry, Chapter 3 the navy and Chapter 4 the air force.

The book also analyzes the IDF's strategy for fighting to it can be ready for the next war.

As far as I can tell, there are no secrets in the book. But I would be surprised if it wasn't directed and bankrolled by Iran.