Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Saturday, December 29, 2012

400 killed in Syria on Saturday. Oh well.

Nearly 400 people were reported dead in Syria Saturday, including some 150 charred corpses that were found in Deir Baalba in Homs, according to activist media.

In Aleppo at least 20 people were killed amid flaring clashes between the regime's forces and members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

The Syrian Media Center reported that surface-to-surface missiles were launched on Mar'ea in the suburb of Aleppo.

Sana Revolution reported that a “massacre” took place in Khamsya town near Aleppo. The fighting in Aleppo forced Syria’s national airline to cancel a flight into the city.

3 or 4 Palestinian Arabs were among those killed.

The number of people killed in Syria over the past 18 months is now over 45,000.

Friday linkdump

From Ian:

LATMA: "Wonderful Country's" new season on Channel 2 and Nissim Mishal’s alter ego speaks

Iran Fears May Be Compelling Saudi Arabia to Begin to Tell the Truth About Israel

"If there were a prize for the Arab country that has done most to promote Arab-Israeli peace recently, I'd seriously consider nominating Saudi Arabia. Admittedly, that's a counterintuitive choice: Riyadh doesn't even recognize Israel and shows no signs of doing so anytime soon; moreover, it finances the spread of extremist Islamic ideology. But Saudi-funded papers have been doing something that may be far more important than another handshake on the White House lawn: providing a platform for Arab journalists and public figures to challenge the dominant Middle Eastern narrative of Israel as the root of all evil."

Wiesenthal ranks top 10 anti-Semites, Israel-haters
Muslim Brotherhood’s rise in Egypt catapults two religious figures into No. 1 spot on Simon Wiesenthal Center's year-end list.
Report: 2012 Top Ten Anti-Israel/Anti-Semitic Slurs: Mainstream Anti-Semitism Threatens World Peace

Why a two-state solution will never work
Original Thinking: What will happen when you have pressured Israel into allowing a Palestinian entity to take hold on the 1967 borders, an entity that is taken over by a radical Islamic force bent on Israel’s destruction?

Senior Hamas Official: Reconciliation Efforts With PLO to be Based on Rejection of Israel’s Right to Exist

"A Senior Hamas official said that his organization wants reconciliation efforts with the PLO to be based on the Palestinian Arab demand for a right of return, a demand that if implemented would effectively bring about the end of Israel as a Jewish state, as well the absence of recognition of Israel’s right to exist."

The True Face of Hamas and the Five Myths That Obscure It

"Indeed, the world must move beyond the media-driven myths above and recognize Hamas for what it really is: an Islamist terrorist organization dangerously allied with Iran in its mission to destroy Israel. Hamas states this goal in its charter and Iranian leaders declare their genocidal intentions publicly. These forces must be stopped before the doomsday described in my novel leaves the realm of fiction."

Arab MK Sarsour Meets Terrorist who Killed 30 Israelis

Arab MK Ibrahim Sarsour (Ra’am) met with several jailed terrorists, including one who was involved in the Park Hotel massacre in 2002.
"In the past Sarsour has called to establish an Islamic Caliphate centered in Jerusalem and has met with senior Hamas terrorists.
He recently chose to condemn Israel for responding to Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza, while failing to condemn Gaza terrorists for firing the rockets."

IDF Personnel Pelted With Rocks, Molotov Cocktails in West Bank as Unrest Persists

"Protesters near Yitzhar descended upon IDF soldiers, throwing stones, and in some cases even Molotov cocktails, before they were dispersed as well. There were other reports of stones being thrown at buses and Israeli vehicles. A security officer’s vehicle was stoned by dozens of Palestinian Arab rioters adjacent to the West Bank outpost of Horsha in the Binyamin Regional Council. Palestinian Arabs also hurled stones at IDF soldiers near the West bank outpost of Ein Kodesh, south of Nablus; there were no injuries"

Pollard’s Catch-22 By Esther Pollard

"While this travesty of justice may not have originated on President Barack Obama’s watch, it has been fully revealed under his tenure. It is precisely for cases like this, where the US justice system is unwilling or unable to correct itself that the American Constitution grants the president virtually unlimited powers of clemency. Justice requires that Obama use his powers of executive clemency to release Jonathan Pollard now."

Iran is in social and economic meltdown
With unemployment soaring and the advent of hyperinflation, the plight of ordinary workers just gets worse and worse

"Workers' strikes and protests are gathering pace in Iran. In 2012, there were more labor protests than for longer than many can remember. Vast numbers live below the poverty line. Non-payment of wages for months at a time is a fact of life for millions. Inflation is soaring. Beggars in veils line the streets.And this is not merely a product of sanctions, though they are certainly biting. Gross mismanagement by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government is doing terrible damage to the social fabric all on its own."

Ahmadinejad Sacks Cabinet's Sole Woman
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sacked Health Minister Marizeh Vahid Dastjerdi, the sole woman in his cabinet, state television reported on Thursday.

"The minister had proposed price hikes for a number of medications due to the plunge of the Iranian rial against the US dollar and Western sanctions imposed on the country over its disputed nuclear program, AFP reported."

Preacher in Iran re-arrested on Christmas

"Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was first arrested on October 19, 2009 for protesting against Iran's decision to force all children including his two sons to read the Quran in schools.
He was at that time charged with apostasy and evangelism to Muslims. He spent three years or 1,062 days in prison.
Nadarkhani was released in September of 2012 after Christians around the world prayed for his release."

Christian Politician Quits Egypt Upper House as Tensions Persist

"A Christian member of Egypt's upper house of parliament quit on Thursday, reflecting persistent political tensions just a day after the Islamist-dominated chamber took over legislative authority under a contentious new constitution."

CAIR Protests Saudi Radical's Exclusion From U.S.

"He belittled Muslims who failed to take action, including "harming the Jews." He invoked Israel's targeted killings of Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abdel-Aziz Rantisi, saying he prayed that Allah "will destroy the Jews and their helpers from among the Christians and the Communists, and that He will turn them into the Muslims' spoils. I praise the Jihad, the sacrifice, and the resistance against the occupiers in Iraq."

Hitler statue placed outside Warsaw Ghetto stokes outrage
Italian artist’s depiction of the Nazi dictator, previously shown in New York, draws condemnation after being moved close to site of mass murder

Israel grants scholarships to 66 outstanding Indian scholars

"Sixty-six post-doctoral scholars from India will travel to Israel in the coming months to pursue research at top universities. The researchers will be sponsored by the government of Israel which has announced three-year scholarships grants for Indian scholars.
According to officials from Embassy of Israel, this is the first programme of its kind, bringing advanced Indian researchers to Israel in a wide range of topics."

Who Was the 19th Century American Preacher Mendenhall John Dennis?
Actually, He Was a Jerusalem Watchmaker Named Mendel Deniss, Jerusalem's First Photographer

Jewish War Heroes comic book #3

This completes the series of vintage 1944 comic books from the Canadian Jewish Congress I have been posting for the past three weeks.

Jewish War Heroes 3

Two more Syrian generals defect

From Naharnet:

Two Syrian air force generals have defected from the regime of President Bashar Assad and joined opposition forces in Turkey, a diplomat said on Friday.

The generals, commanders of the Regional Air Force, have crossed the border and arrived in the town of Reylanli in southern Turkey, the Turkish diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The generals and dozens of lower-ranking officers and their families were taken to a separate camp where army defectors take refuge.

Turkish officials refuse to give an exact number of Syrian generals currently on Turkish soil as some are returning to Syria to join the active fighters inside the conflict-wracked country.

The latest defections come as Syrian rebel forces besiege Menagh air base northwest of Aleppo after months of clashes with loyalist troops.

Saudi authorities break up nefarious Christmas celebration plot

From Al Akhbar:

Saudi religious police stormed a house in the Saudi Arabian province of al-Jouf, detaining more than 41 guests for “plotting to celebrate Christmas,” a statement from the police branch released Wednesday night said.

The raid is the latest in a string of religious crackdowns against residents perceived to threaten the country's strict religious code.

The host of the alleged Christmas gathering is reported to be an Asian diplomat whose guests included 41 Christians, as well as two Saudi Arabian and Egyptian Muslims. The host and the two Muslims were said to be “severely intoxicated.”

The guests were said to have been referred to the "respective authorities." It is unclear whether or not they have been released since.

The kingdom, which only recognizes Islamic faith and practice, has in the past banned public Christmas celebrations, but is ambiguous about festivities staged in private quarters.

Saudi religious police are known to detain residents of the kingdom at whim, citing loose interpretations of Sharia and public statements by hardline religious leaders to justify crackdowns.

Saudi Arabia's head mufti Sheikh Abdel Aziz bin Abdullah had previously condemned “invitations to Christmas or wedding celebrations.”

A member of the Higher Council of Islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Mohammed al-Othaimin recently prohibited sending holiday wishes to "heretics" on Christmas or other religious Christian holidays.

The story goes on to show that in Saudi Arabia, there is no big stretch from amusing "Oddly Enough"-type stories to real abuse of human rights:

On Thursday, the Beirut-based Gulf Center for Human Rights reported that Saudi human rights defender Raef Badawi is at risk of execution on apostasy charges.

Badawi is co-founder and editor of the Liberal Saudi Network. When he first appeared before the district court in Jeddah, he was charged with “insulting Islam through electronic channels” and “going beyond the realm of obedience.” The Judge then referred the case to the higher Public Court on an apostasy charge, which carries the penalty of death.

The General Court in Jeddah proceeded with apostasy charges on December 22.

Badawi was arrested this June after the Liberal Saudi Network called for “a day of liberalism” in Saudi Arabia, which included a conference that was later canceled after a warning from authorities.

Earlier this week, controversial Saudi novelist and political analyst Turki al-Hamad was arrested for criticizing Islam and the royal family in a series of tweets.

Al-Hamad is an outspoken liberal who writes about sexuality issues, underground political movements and religious freedom. The offending tweets suggested that Islam be rectified in the same way that the Prophet Muhammad is said to have revised earlier Abrahamic religions.

(h/t Ian)

A "Saddam Hussein" party wants to run in Jordanian elections

From Ammon News:

The Board of Commissioners in the The Independent Elections Commission (IEC) rejected the name of a national list which chose former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's name, although it accepted the applications of the candidates provided that they change the name of the list.

The IEC in its meeting Wednesday decided not to accept the naming of the lists that contain personal names, or any name could spark sectarian, racial or political strife or contrary to public order or that could affect national unity and security of the nation.

The surprise did not stop at the name of the list, but the second surprise was that one of the candidates at the head of the list was named Saddam Hamdan Hussein.

He added that he will fight in the upcoming parliamentary elections, saying that "Saddam Hussein's name was chosen because people in Jordan loved him."

Muslim Brotherhood leader says Jews have the "right to return" to Egypt

Essam el-Erian, vice president of the Freedom and Justice party of the Muslim Brotherhood, called on Egyptian Jews to return to their "homeland" in Egypt - in order to give their Israeli homes to Palestinians.

On a Cairo TV show on Thursday, Erian said "that the right of return, especially if that leaves a place for a Palestinian [to move in], can not be denied and can not be waived at all," saying he calls for "Jewish Arabs and Egyptians, who Abdel Nasser expelled, to return once again to their country."

It sounds like Egypt really needs cash, and the jizya tax on dhimmis is the best way for them to raise it.

In response, Hafez Abu Saada, head of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, called Erian's remarks "catastrophic" because it would allow Egyptian Jews to sue for the properties that were stolen from them when they were forced out of Egypt.

How is this position consistent with "human rights?"

Simple. Jews are obviously not human, so they have no rights.

Deja vu: Abbas keeps lying and threatening

From Ha'aretz:

If diplomatic stagnation continues after the Israeli election and construction in the settlements doesn't stop, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will dismantle the PA and return responsibility for the West Bank to the Israeli government, he told Haaretz in an interview on Thursday.

"If there is no progress even after the election I will take the phone and call [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu," Abbas said. "I'll tell him, 'my dear friend, Mr. Netanyahu, I am inviting you to the Muqata [the PA presidential headquarters in Ramallah]. Sit in the chair here instead of me, take the keys, and you will be responsible for the Palestinian Authority."

"Once the new government in Israel is in place, Netanyahu will have to decide -- yes or no," Abbas said.

Now look at this other report:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas threatened to dissolve the Palestinian Authority (PA) if Israel does not stop building settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

"If Israel does not stop settlement building ... I will strive to end Palestinian self-rule in the occupied territories," he said.

"I cannot be the president of a non-existent authority as long as Israeli occupation of the West Bank continues," he said.

That quote is also from December - December, 2010.

Does this sound like a leader of a state? Abbas' idea of "leadership" is to keep threatening - threaten resignation, threaten to dismantle the PA, threaten to go to the ICC.

He said he would be willing to renew talks with Netanyahu immediately after the election, but would demand that Israel freeze construction in the territories for the duration of the talks, renew the transfer of tax proceeds that Israel collects on the PA's behalf, and release some 120 Palestinian prisoners who are imprisoned in Israel since before the 1993 Oslo Accords.

"These are not preconditions, these are commitments Israel already took upon itself in the past," said Abbas, and hinted that he needed some kind of gesture from Israel. "If Netanyahu will do these things, it would help [restart talks]. I only ask of him not to build [in the settlements] during the negotiations."

Abbas, as usual, is lying. Israel may have made gestures to restart talks in the past - but now Abbas is claiming that they are "commitments."

Once again, one has to ask: how can Israel negotiate in good faith with a person who lies as easily as he breathes?

The Redacted Iraqi Jews

An amazing article at Gatestone Institute by Nabil Al-Hadairi:

The recent Conference of Religions and Sects in Sulaymaniyah, organized under the supervision of Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, was an important milestone: The first such conference to take place in Iraq that seriously covered the defense of religions and sects after the collapse of the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein.

Present at the conference were Christians, Muslims (both Sunni and Shi'a) and other, smaller, minority groups. What was surprising was that there was not a single representative of Iraqi Jews to relate their glorious history, so full of great accomplishments for the glory of Iraq and its constitution. In their absence, they could not tell of the calamity that befell them when their citizenship was withdrawn, their money and property confiscated, their rights denied, and when they were subjected to being imprisoned or murdered while ethnic cleansing was committed by forcing the best of my Iraqi Jewish friends to emigrate.

At the conference, it was apparent that no one was available to represent them or mention this sensitive subject. Therefore, to balance the debate, I decided that this was going to be my discussion subject, as my solemn duty to repay some of our debt to them.

The Presidential Council, the ruling party, and Iranian agents in Sulaymaniyah all warned me not to raise such a subject and speak about it, and tried to forbid it. They claimed that it is too sensitive and dangerous, and that due to the current public mood, it should not to be spoken about in public.

...Despite the uncivilized methods used in attempting to suppress my presentation, the audience responded with full support and a standing ovation The address apparently caused considerable embarrassment to the conference's organizing committee, which then was forced to take the topic seriously.

Results were achieved when three paragraphs were adopted in the text of the final communique: The seventh paragraph states the importance of correcting the constitution to add Judaism as an official religion alongside Islam, Christianity and others, and restoring the Jews' citizenship. The ninth paragraph consists of ten points, of which article nine recognizes the rights of Jews in nationality and national belonging. Article five recognizes the crime of expulsion and its effects, and article five calls for Jewish heritage sites to be cared for, without tampering.

It is great to see one person making a difference.

(h/t Ian)

An Israeli car, sort of, gets ready for the EU market

From CarBuzz:

New automakers from China seem to be popping up left and right these days, but only a few will actually survive to export cars from the (ironically) decentralized local automotive industry. One of the new brands that's showing potential is Qoros, a joint venture between Chery Automobile and Israel Corporation. And now it has revealed initial images and details of its first model, the GQ3 compact sedan. Set for a live debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, the GQ3 is sized to compete with the likes of the Ford Focus and Honda Civic.

The GQ3 will be the first of a broader model lineup that will later include larger family cars. Along with a host of hi-tech safety features, the GQ3 seems like it may be one of the few Chinese-built cars that may have a realistic future outside of its native country.

Globes adds:

Israel Corp. has set up a company to manufacture mainstream gasoline cars and become "more European than Europe." While Israel Corp's partners are Chinese, car manufacturer Chery, and the factory is located in the Yangtze delta, but to all intents and purposes this is a standard development project that could have been implemented by Volkswagen or Hyundai. The engineers, designers, and even media strategists were hired in Europe. A large part of the basic engineering planning of the car was put in the hands of Austrian company Magna Steyr - an independent systems contractor for the European car industry. The gearbox and navigation systems and many other car components were purchased from known international manufacturers, and the car was planned to meet the most stringent European collision and emission standards and so on. Major effort was even put into the car's interior and exterior design to meet European consumer preferences with an unconcealed likeness to the Volkswagen Jetta.

The highly effective campaign to unveil Qoros is focused on Western Europe and especially the German market, which is a rock on which many previous Chinese cars have floundered.

"Shirley Temper" gets a "bravery" award in Istanbul

Remember Shirley Temper?

Her parents (who are, of course, well-known anti-Israel activists themselves) are now trotting her around the world so she can talk about her "bravery":

A 10-year-old girl who was featured in a video angrily punching an Israeli soldier has arrived in Turkey as a guest of the Başakşehir Municipality of İstanbul.

Ahed Tamimi has become a hero to many in Turkey after a video showing her hitting Israeli soldiers -- who remain nonchalant, possibly due to the presence of cameras at the scene, after her brother's detention -- was posted online on Nov. 28. She arrived in İstanbul on Monday. Her first words were “I am very to be happy to be in Erdoğan's country,” referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a beloved figure in Palestine for his staunch opposition to Israeli policies in Gaza.

Tamimi arrived in Turkey on a Jordan Air flight at 2 p.m. on Monday, accompanied by her mother, Neriman Tamimi. She was greeted by primary school students holding flowers and Palestinian flags. Ahed made a victory sign, posing at journalists' cameras, and said after her initial statement at the airport: “I didn't fear the Israeli soldiers at all. I showed them the courage of Palestinians.”

Tamimi will be presented the Hanzala Bravery Award by the Başakşehir Municipality. The 10 year old, who appeared to be shy during her interviews, will also attend a panel on Palestine.

Since Ahed is so brave, maybe she should start taking on the soldiers in Syria. Or even the Turkish soldiers as they attack Kurds. I'm sure they will be overcome by her natural charm and wouldn't hurt her when she yells at them and hits them.

(h/t Vandoren)

Thursday links

From Ian:

Barry Rubin: The Schoolmarms Tell the Terrorists to Play Nice

“The entertainment director on the ship of fools that constitutes so much mainstream analysis of the Middle East—I refer, of course, to Thomas Friedman—has produced a wonderful paragraph that beautifully characterizes the problem, exquisitely expressing a Western mentality that not only makes it impossible to understand the Middle East but even to set up the question in a way people that could help people even begin to confront the truth. So perhaps it is worth disassembling. Sound like fun? Let’s go!”

Egyptians want peace, says blogger visiting Israel
Maikel Nabil Sanad, an Egyptian blogger hosted by Hebrew University in Jerusalem says 'There is a peace-seeking community in Egypt'

"Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad, 27, carried an unusual speech at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and was interrupted by pro-Palestinian activists who broke into the hall and shouted at him "Shame on you, this is Palestine."
Sanad has been known to express views about Israel, which caused him to be heavily criticized in Egypt."

In Israel-US relations, settlements are entirely beside the point

"Most American legislators and policy makers understand that the strategic cooperation between Israel and the U.S. does not hinge on the Palestinian issue nor on the settlement issue not even on the overall conflict between Israel and the Arab nations. Rather, it is based on mutual and common interests in the Middle East and the world over such as Iran’s nuclear threat, counter- terrorism, missile defense, intelligence-sharing, battle tactics, defense and commercial industrial research, where Israel has a competitive edge over any other country in the world.”

With eye on Sinai, IDF establishes brigade to defend Eilat
Southern Command head says soldiers represent final piece of security puzzle for Red Sea resort town

"In recent years, several attacks on Israel originated from the neighboring Sinai peninsula, targeting the large desert region to the north of Eilat. Rockets have also been fired at the town from Egypt, though most have landed in Jordan or in the sea."

Smugglers Galore
How Iran arms its allies.

"Israel’s next war with Hamas—a further confrontation is almost inevitable—may well feature not only Iranian missiles smuggled through Sudan, but NATO-quality small arms and shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles that come by way of Hamas’s most recent weapons supplier, post-Qaddafi Libya."

PMW "Jesus is a Palestinian par excellence" - PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein

"The Palestinian leadership’s falsification of history by presenting Jesus as an ancient Palestinian increased in regularity as Christmas approached this year. In the last month alone, the PA media has transmitted six additional PA misrepresentations of Jesus as a Palestinian"

Barghouti predicts he’ll be president of Palestine, says right of return is ‘sacred’

Most popular West Bank leader, serving multiple life terms for murder, tells Israeli TV Abbas would have been ‘finished’ had he not pressed ahead with UN membership move

Israel not renewing VIP cards of PA officials By Khaled Abu Toameh
Palestinian official tells 'Post' move a response to Ramallah's successful bid to upgrade UN status to non-member state.

"One of the PA officials affected by the new policy is Nabil Sha’ath, a member of the Fatah Central Committee and a former negotiator with Israel.
Sha’ath’s card was revoked after he visited the Gaza Strip to participate in Hamas’s “victory” celebrations in the aftermath of Operation Pillar of Defense."

Israel to boost Gaza imports under truce deal
Israel to begin allowing 20 trucks with construction materials enter Gaza daily; blockade easing part of ongoing ceasefire dialogue.

"Guy Inbar, of the Defense Ministry’s civil administration, said the changes came as a result of Egyptian mediation, and the ongoing calm in the South.
“As long as the quiet will remain in the South, our civilian policy and assistance to Gaza’s residents will continue,” he said."

US preparing attack option in Syria, top minister implies
Moshe Ya’alon says Washington would interfere to keep chemical weapons from falling into ‘irresponsible hands,’ hails Israeli cooperation with Jordan

Netanyahu visited Jordan with plans to destroy Syrian chemical weapons
Senior officials confirm visit; Israel’s neighbor said to oppose air strike or ground assault

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently held top-secret talks in Jordan regarding possible methods for destroying Syria’s sizable chemical weapons stockpiles, including air strikes or a ground assault, but so far Amman is reluctant to put its weight behind such action."

Syrian minister flees Beirut for fear of arrest
Meanwhile, top general in Assad regime switches sides, says he has joined ‘the people’s revolution’

"Syria’s wounded interior minister cut short his treatment at a Beirut hospital Wednesday and returned home for fear of being arrested by Lebanese authorities, while Syria’s chief of military police defected to the opposition, becoming one of the highest-ranking officers to switch sides.
The twin developments reflected the deepening isolation of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, which has suffered a number of setbacks on the battlefield as well."

SWC Issues Travel Advisory for Copenhagen Amid Warnings
The Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a travel advisory for Denmark in wake of warnings by Israel’s ambassador.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a travel advisory last week for Denmark in wake of warnings by Israel’s ambassador advising Jews and Israelis to refrain from wearing kippot, religious symbols, and speaking Hebrew on the streets of Copenhagen.

The Redacted Iraqi Jews
"Despite the uncivilized methods used in attempting to suppress my presentation, the audience responded with full support and a standing ovation The address apparently caused considerable embarrassment to the conference's organizing committee, which then was forced to take the topic seriously.
Results were achieved when three paragraphs were adopted in the text of the final communique: The seventh paragraph states the importance of correcting the constitution to add Judaism as an official religion alongside Islam, Christianity and others, and restoring the Jews' citizenship. The ninth paragraph consists of ten points, of which article nine recognizes the rights of Jews in nationality and national belonging. Article five recognizes the crime of expulsion and its effects, and article five calls for Jewish heritage sites to be cared for, without tampering."

Walking on Heroes’ Ground in Poland

WARSAW—“Zegota,” the official unit of the Polish Underground Army tasked with helping Jews in German-occupied Poland from 1942-1945, was commemorated on the occasion of its 70th anniversary earlier this month in Warsaw.

Notable EoZ blog posts of 2012 (part 2)

April:

Thomas Friedman and Ha'aretz whitewash a terrorist

Hamas leader: "Half of Palestinians are Egyptian, the other half Saudi"

Poster: Homocrites (and the post it was inspired by on "Homonationalism and Pinkwashing")

The "As-a-Jews" of the New York Times

How to misuse statistics: Israel accused of jailing too many journalists

Mike Wallace interviews Abba Eban, 1958

May:

Ben White proves the hypocrisy of the anti-Israel crowd (may be the post of the year)

Latest nonsense from Shlomo Sand - "The Land of Israel is a myth"

Purpose of J-Street is not to reflect US Jewish opinion, but to change it

June:

Arab political cartoons on the eve of the Six Day War (later turned into a video)

Gaza's kindergarten jihadist wannabes

Hilarious boycott of Israeli goods by tiny cafe in Olympia

Debunking the "Bride is beautiful, but she is married to another man" myth

Reuters vs. the truth about the Temple Mount

The Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights, a Geneva-based NGO, has released a 72-page report (Arabic-only) detailing the names, photos and details of 41 children they claim were killed in Gaza by Israel.

Some of the "children" listed were, in fact, adults.

Some were Hamas terrorists.

And at least one was killed by a Hamas rocket.

Here are some details:

Muhammad Hani Ibrahim Hani Al-Kaseeh was - according to Euro-Mid! - born on July 29, 1994, making him 18 years old when he was killed on November 14, 2012. PCHR admits that he was a terrorist, as the motorcycle he was on together with Essam al-Meiza was targeted.

Ahmed Taqfiq al-Nassasra was identified as a member of Hamas by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terror Information Center. He was 17.

Muhammad Kamel Salame Abu Udwan was born in March of 1994, making him 18 years old. I could not find him in the known lists of people killed.

Abdallah Tal'at Ahmad Ibrahim was also born in March 1994, making him 18 years old as well. I could not find him either.

Ouda Arafat al-Shindi was 17 years old, according to Euro-Mid. PCHR notes that he was a terrorist, but does not mention his age.

And Mahmoud Sadallah, 4, was killed by a Hamas rocket, a fact admitted even by HRW.

These are only the ones I could identify. But it shows a pattern.

These are not simply mistakes. The inclusion of all these names in this glossy, professional report is meant to serve only one purpose - to demonize Israel as much as possible. Very few people would question a report that looks as slick as this one does, replete with photos of the dead, and even fewer would bother doing research to see if it is accurate. The prestigious-sounding name of the NGO, its Geneva address, and the trappings of professionalism, together with an audience that is already predisposed to believe the worst of Israel, together creates a culture where anti-Israel "researchers" can lie with impunity and with little worry about being exposed.

The NGO itself is more than sketchy. I could not find out the sources of funding for the Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights, and its webpage doesn't even list the names of its founders or leaders. A press release mentions Dr. Ramy Abdu as the chairman of its board of directors, and he is also the head of the Council for European Palestinian Relations, which exists purely to pressure Europe to pressure Israel. The Twitter account of Euro-Mid says explicitly that the purpose of this report is to kick off an international campaign against Israel.

In any sane world, finding out that an NGO is purposefully fabricating its data should be enough to get it disbanded, to get its donors to cut off all funding, and to force the leaders to answer for their lies. But we don't live in a sane world.. Anti-Israel NGOs will continue to proliferate and attract attention with lying reports that convince those who want to be convinced.

(h/t Al Gharqad and CHA)

Egyptian secularists turn to satire

Now that the Egyptian constitution has become law, secularists in Egypt have turned to satire in order to keep their sanity.

At least, for as long as it lasts.

Jew-hatred increasing in even liberal parts of Turkey

From Die Welt, December 20, by high school student Ege Berk Korkut:

Jew-hatred has become an everyday phenomenon in Turkey. Although I live in Izmir, the most democratic city in Turkey, [even here there is] growing anti-Semitism. Everywhere I meet Jew-haters and enemies of Israel, listen to their prejudices on the daily bus trip or during a visit to a popular fast-food restaurants.

Many of them admired Hitler, wish he would have his "mission" brought to an end and not stop at six million murdered Jews. Though it disgusts me, I can do nothing. I belong to a minority in this country and I know that the government will not protect my rights, which is why it would not be a good idea to respond.

...I visit the twelfth grade of an [exclusive] high school. During a lesson the religious teachers talk about the operation "Pillar of Cloud" in Gaza.

Some students began to complain about Israel. They became more and more violent, and the teacher, an official of the Turkish state, said, "Do not worry, Israel will be destroyed one day, and the day is near that all Jews will pay for it." After the teacher had incited the students some students began to praise Hitler, while others expressed their readiness to drive the Israelis into the sea.

I was surprised. I did not expect that a teacher, a Turkish government official, would incite students to kill people just because they are different, especially in Izmir, where the people are known for their tolerance.

Jew-hatred is spreading and the influence of Sharia law have changed the secular society, even in the most advanced parts of Turkey, such that it is no longer possible to ignore it, at least as a Jew.

I have no hope that the situation will improve in the future. On the contrary, it gets worse every day. This is not surprising. Biased media and politicians spread the manipulative rhetoric, and the textbooks that are issued by the Turkish state are dripping with hatred of Jews.

In a country where children are taught to hate, true respect for diversity cannot thrive, which is the foundation of any free society. While the secular society collapses, the growing power of the Islamists continue every day. Therefore I am not pessimistic, but realistic when I say that Turkey's future is not rosy.

There were Arabic reports yesterday that the number of Turkish Jews moving to Israel have increased in the last two years, although I couldn't find the original article in Turkish.

(h/t Lachlan)

Hamas again outmaneuvers Fatah; no Fatah rally in Gaza

Fatah in Gaza has announced that it is canceling its planned rally to celebrate the 48th anniversary of its first terror attack.

Hamas refused to let Fatah use any of the large public squares in Gaza for the rally, Fatah was offered alternate venues, such as a soccer stadium, but they could not accommodate the expected 100,000 people Fatah was hoping for.

Fatah in Gaza decided not to complain too loudly about this in order to keep the facade of unity between Hamas and Fatah. Instead, they are calling on members to fly the yellow Fatah flag at their homes and to wear the keffiyeh, as a symbol of the movement.

This is actually a fairly big deal. Fatah allowed Hamas to hold a large public rally in Nablus. Which means the net effect is that Hamas is ascendant in the West Bank while Fatah is publicly invisible in Gaza. Hamas' refusal to allow a Fatah rally in the large public squares is being interpreted as a desire to ensure that Hamas has no visible competition in the sector.

"Unity," to Hamas, is only one way - for it to gain influence the West Bank without giving any quarter to Fatah in Gaza.

Once again, the Islamists completely outmaneuvered their opponents in the Middle East.

UNRWA closes three offices in WB following violence

From Ma'an:

UNRWA is closing three of its West Bank offices because protests are threatening the safety of its staff, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Wednesday.

The UN Relief and Works Agency said in a statement that it was forced to close the offices after protests shifted from peaceful demonstrations to "illegal acts."

During protests, demonstrators stopped UN vehicles and their drivers, and one vehicle was chased away by protesters carrying stones. A female employee was treated badly by protesters, the agency said.

Protests have been held in refugee camps across the West Bank over UNRWA's decision not to renew the contracts of 114 employees due to budget cuts.

"UNRWA reiterates that the decision related to the 114 contracts was the best possible choice we had. We wanted to avoid harming our services as a result of budget limitations. As we made clear before, the safety of our properties and our employees is a red line," the agency said.

UNRWA asked the Palestinian Authority to put an end to the protests, which it said were disrupting operations.

The statement is not on the UNRWA site.

It is unclear exactly what the protesters were doing - and whether UNRWA is downplaying their violence ("carrying stones" and treating someone "badly.")

I find it fascinating that UNRWA decides to stop providing services when their employees are under seemingly little danger. After all, the IDF still works to provide aid to Palestinian Arabs - during wartime - when literally under fire.

Does this mean that the IDF cares more about Palestinian Arabs than UNRWA does?

And the nation with the second highest percentage of Jews is....

Gibraltar?

Pew just came out with statistics showing the religious populations of every nation.

The nations with the highest percentage of Jews are:

1) Israel 75.6%
2) Gibraltar 2%
3) United States 1.8%
4) Monaco 1.7%
5) Belize 1%
6) Canada 1%

JTA looked at Gibraltar's impressive Jewish community a year ago:

Four synagogues, a mikvah, a kosher coffeehouse and separate boys and girls religious high schools.

Combined, they suggest a community far larger than just 750 Jews. But Gibraltar -- the tiny British overseas territory of 30,000 that sits at the foot of Spain and at the gateway to North Africa and the Mediterranean -- has spent centuries cultivating its individuality.

"We've got an infrastructure that could cope with a community of 2,000, and we've only got 700," said Mark Benady, a native Gibraltarian and vice president of the territory's Jewish community.

From the tables, we can also see how many nations have more Jews than Muslims:

Israel, United States, Monaco, Belize, Cayman Islands, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, San Marino, US Virgin Islands, Uruguay, Chile, and Hungary. Moldova is a tie, along with many nations that have less than 0.1% of both.

Notable EoZ blog posts of 2012 (part 1)

January:

An open letter to 17-year old Jesse Lieberfeld

HRW director finds fault with Israel for willingness to help Arabs

Latest libel: Israel's doctors are too careful with their patients' lives

To Reuters, they aren't just "Jewish settlers" anymore

February:

Fake photo of soldier stepping on girl goes viral

BDS professor at Penn explains how to demonize Israel IN EVERY CLASS and followup response from Penn

Disgusting BBC piece sympathizing with a child-killer terrorist

Criminal disingenuity from Peace Now's Lara Friedman

March:

Newspapers captioning Iron Dome as "firing rockets into Gaza"

Palestinian Arabs lie about teenager death

Turkish cosmetics company uses Hitler in commercial (This story truly went viral and was picked up by wire services. My video had over 225,000 views on YouTube)

972mag attacks Judaism

And:

Here's one that proves UN hypocrisy that for some reason was not very popular. Trying to give it a second chance .

I've also been tweeting some other posts that are worth revisiting..

Wednesday linkdump

From Ian:

Why Arabs Hate And Kill Palestinians by Khaled Abu Toameh

The Arab League did not hold an emergency meeting to discuss what Palestinians describe as "massacres " against the refugees in a Syrian camp, home to more than 50,000 people. Those who meddle in the internal affairs of Arab countries should not be surprised when bombs start falling on their homes. Palestinians are not always innocent victims. They bring tragedy on themselves and then want to blame everyone else but themselves.

After UN status upgrade, Palestinians seek to join other international organizations
Israel attempting to block move by pressuring Washington, host countries; Foreign Ministry memo reportedly warns EU will seek to impose Palestinian statehood, bypassing negotiations

"In the wake of its successful November UN status upgrade bid, the Palestinian Authority is now seeking to join other international organizations, Maariv reported on Wednesday. The list of organizations the Palestinians have applied to join include: the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO)."

How will European-Israeli relations look in 2013?

“Though Europe remains mired in a massive financial crisis, European capitals continue to fund NGOs that seek to undercut Israel’s democracy.
Prof. Gerald M. Steinberg, the head of NGO Monitor who teaches political science at Bar- Ilan University, wrote the Post, “Europeans also need to practice the values that they preach, particularly with respect to democracy and transparency. The recent confused decision of the European Court of Justice, which allowed the EU to keep all documents and procedures relating to funding of political NGOs as super-sensitive secrets, and the ECJ’s failure to hold a single session to hear oral arguments, highlights the gap between lofty principles and anti-democratic practice. After the Israeli elections in 2013, the conflict over EU secret funding for NGOs promoting political warfare against Israel is likely to intensify.”

A divided message of peace
Palestinian threats force Jews and Arabs to hold separate Christmas coexistence events.

"With the help of American aerial artist John Quigley, Israelis and Palestinians had planned to form a large human sculpture of a peace sign, with the concrete barrier running through it.
But at the last moment, threats from Palestinian hard-liners to sabotage the project forced organizers to scrap the barrier event out of safety concerns."

Palestinians allegedly planned to kidnap Israeli in the West Bank
Security services arrest 10 on terror charges; hostage was to be used as bargaining chip in bid to release jailed terror chief

"Two of the suspects were allegedly planning to kidnap an Israeli citizen or soldier. According to suspicions, the kidnapped Israeli was to be held as collateral and released in exchange for Ahmad Saadat, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine."

Stretch of West Bank Highway Has Become Known as “Roulette Road” After Increase in Arab Attacks on Israeli Drivers

"A stretch of Highway 60 that crosses the territory has become known as “Roulette Road” because of the threats travelers face while traversing it. Only last week three Israelis were injured while traveling down the road, including an IDF officer who suffered a wound to the head so severe that it required surgery. The latest incident, which left one Israeli lightly hurt, occurred on Monday."

Court: End of Free College for Terrorists
The High Court ruled Tuesday that terrorist security prisoners were not eligible for free university education in Israeli schools.

Senior Hamas leader calls for third intifada By Khaled Abu Toameh
Head of Hamas J'lem Dept calls for renewed confrontation with Israel over plans to build new housing units in e. J'lem.

Hamas outlaws contact with Israeli media outlets By Khaled Abu Toameh
Gaza-based terror group calls "zionist" media outlets "hostile," bans Palestinians from contact with Israel.

Haniyeh: Israel is a 'Cancerous Tumor'
"Israel is a cancerous tumor that must be removed and uprooted," Hamas's PM says in a conference on education.

MEMRI: Saudi Cleric Al-Munajid Issues Fatwa Permitting Hacking into "Jewish Websites”

CIF Watch: ’The Jewish State Which Ruined Christmas in Bethlehem’: A Guardian Production

"Yet, like a holiday ritual, Harriet Sherwood, in the spirit of Phoebe Greenwood’s ugly Guardian piece last year (‘If Jesus were to come this year Bethlehem would be closed’, Guardian, Dec. 22, 2011) chose to advance, as if by rote, a predictable Christmas tale of Israeli oppression against Christians."

Honest Reporting: Editor’s Picks: 10 Best Blog Posts of 2012

Report: Syria Converted Combat Aircraft to Drones with WMDs
A MiG-21 combat aircraft flown by a Syrian pilot who defected was found to have been upgraded back in Syria to carry chemical weapons.

"A MiG-21 combat aircraft flown by a Syrian pilot who defected to Jordan in June was found to have been upgraded back in Syria to carry chemical weapons and to fly without a pilot, the Yisrael Hayom daily reported on Tuesday."

Iran media report new cyberattack by Stuxnet worm
An Iranian semi-official news agency says there has been another cyberattack by the sophisticated computer worm Stuxnet, this time on the industries in the country's south.

Weapons of mass distraction
Female Russian technicians at Iranian nuclear plant violate dress code, have ‘corrupting’ influence on their coworkers

"A Tuesday report by the semiofficial ISNA news agency quoted Mahdi Mousavinejad, a representative of the southern Iranian port of Bushehr, where the plant is located, as saying violation of the dress code by the Russian workers has had a “corrupting and negative impact” on his constituency."

How soccer turned Russian Jews into Brits

In a new book, journalist Anthony Clavane explores how a single sport kickstarted a new, nuanced identity for an immigrant minority
"If you want to make the historical link between London’s Tottenham Hotspur soccer club and its famous Jewish following, a good place to start is Russia in 1881, the year Czar Alexander II was assassinated."

Sudanese minister says his country will not be ruled by "Jews and their conspirators"

During a national celebration, Sudanese Interior Minister Ibrahim Mahmoudh said that the conspiracy against Sudan with "Jews and conspirators" will not succeed in ruling the country.

Iran pays Russian women nuclear technicians to wear hijab

From Al Arabiya:

An Iranian lawmaker has complained that female Russian technicians working at the Bushehr nuclear power plant are not respecting the country’s dress code despite that they are being paid to wear the Islamic headscarf, known as the hijab.

Bushehr’s Russian women technicians receive a “hijab payment” but “do not properly observe” what is required by their contracts, said Seyyed Mehdi Mousavi Nejad, a member of parliament from Dashtestan in southern Bushehr Province, told Sepas News Agency.

He said despite that there is a “special gathering” for Russians in Bushehr but the female workers often appear in markets and streets without the hijab or with a “poor hijab.”

He urged Russian women to fulfill their “commitments” as written in their work contracts.

On the plus side, paying women to accept their second class status is somewhat better than arresting them for failing to do so.

The Arab woman and the rabbi

From Arutz-7:

The assistant director of the Kashrut department at the rabbinate of the northern Israeli city of Akko was attacked by Arabs on Monday evening.

The attack occurred as the man was standing and talking with the chief rabbi of the city of Akko, Rabbi Yosef Yashar.

"We concluded a working meeting this evening with the Kashrut department and as we stood near the building of the rabbinate, several young Arabs passed by, beat the assistant department head and fled," Rabbi Yashar recalled in a conversation with Arutz Sheva.

He said that he and the assistant director began chasing the attackers until "we encountered police officers nearby and they continued the chase and managed to arrest them."

Rabbi Yashar said that the attack is not a first, and that Akko's Jews have been suffering from violent attacks by local Arabs.

An Arab woman, Annette Haskia, was so upset over this attack that she met with the chief rabbi of Acre to express her disgust. They spoke in public; here is the audio and a rough partial transcript in English:

Anet Haskia: "..This is not my city [Acre] I don't live here but I have nephews and family [here] and by no means whatsoever do I want that they will start to think that the Jew is their enemy. Because he is not. I lived in the other side [the 'Jewish' side] for many years and that [perception] is wrong. I know that the Islamic movement is making inroads. It tempts the young. It buys [things] for them etc."

Rav Yashar: "I am happy to hear your words. There is a saying [in Judaism] 'words of truth are recognizable' (ניכרים דברי אמת). ... I think that there is a certain reality here that we encounter and it completely doesn't matter if we want it or not. There is what one wants and there is what one faces. It could be that according to what one wants, Jews want to live in a Jewish-only environment and the Arabs want to live in an Arab-only environment. That is what one may want. But the reality is not like that. The reality is that we all exist here. Muslims are here and Christians are here and Jews are here. Now, what should be done? To expel?"

Anet Haskia: "No"

Rav Yashar: "Should Jews expel the Arabs?"

Anet Haskia: "No. Definitely not."

Rav Yashae:"Should Arab expel the Jews?"

Anet Haskia: "Definitely not. Definitely not".

Rav Yashar: "It is not realistic. It is not human..."

Anet Haskia: "No. Right"

Rav Yashar: "And one should not even think in this way".

Anet Haskia: "Indeed. Indeed. I agree with you."

Rav Yashar: "We have here... We are all here and need to stay together and live together".

Anet Haskia: "Indeed".

Rav Yashar: "Of course, how do we live together [in peace]? Only... there is only one formula: when everyone recognizes and respects the customs of the other and the culture of the other and the religion of the other then ones can live together."

Anet Haskia: "Indeed".

Rav Yashar: "If I respect your religion and you respect my religion then it is fine".

Anet Haskia: "Indeed. It was like that".

Rav Yashar: "Now, I want to live my life..."

Anet Haskia: "Indeed".

Rav Yashar: "... that no one would interfere, exactly as you want to live your life."

Anet Haskia: "Sure. Indeed. Indeed"

Rav Yashar: "So why should we disturb each other?"

Anet Haskia: "Also, why live in fear?"

Rav Yashar: "And it also doesn't disturb me... Someone came and said that the muezzin [muslim call for praying] disturbs him. To tell you the truth, the muezzin does not disturb me. Really, it doesn't disturb me... When one makes it very loud then, obviously, it is deafening. But in principle - I respect [it]. For them, the Muslims, the muezzin is calling, so that's fine. I don't see anything bad..."

A comment from someone in the 'audience': "Yes, but I lived in Wolfson. They put a loudspeaker in Wolfson..."

Rav Yashar: "... I'm not talking about provocations. The religion [Islam] does not tell them to make a provocation. Does the Islam tell them to make a provocation? To put a loudspeaker there to annoy [people]? No. You can put loudspeakers. There are rules. There is religion. There is tradition. There are laws. There is Halacha. Now, as you say, we respect [the use of muezzin]. It does not disturb me. When I see the Arabs celebrating Ramadan should I come and disturb them deliberately? Absolutely not. I respect them and I also come to them. I come to respect them. And I want that they will also respect me, let me celebrate my festive days. Now, if I cannot celebrate my festive days we have a problem here and you are right... I fully believe that those who behind this [the recent attack on the Acre rabbinate by Arabs] are [motivated by] political factors..."

Anet Haskia: "Yes".

Rav Yashar: "... They want to gain a political gain of this. I don't believe that the residents... the ordinary Arab resident would do something like that. What one thinks it doesn't matter. An Arab is allowed to think that he would prefer to be here without Jews. To think so is fine. But you cannot do it. You would not expel the Jews from here..."

Anet Haskia: "No".

Rav Yashar: "...And the Jews would not expel the Arab from here. It would not help. We will live here together..."

Anet Haskia: "Indeed. There is the reality"...

(h/t and translation O)

Suha again says the intifada was pre-planned by Arafat

From MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from an interview with Suha Arafat, widow of Yasser Arafat, which aired on Dubai TV on December 16, 2012:

Suha Arafat: Yasser Arafat had made a decision to launch the Intifada. Immediately after the failure of the Camp David [negotiations], I met him in Paris upon his return, in July 2001 [sic]. Camp David has failed, and he said to me: “You should remain in Paris.” I asked him why, and he said: “Because I am going to start an Intifada. They want me to betray the Palestinian cause. They want me to give up on our principles, and I will not do so. I do not want Zahwa’s friends in the future to say that Yasser Arafat abandoned the Palestinian cause and principles. I might be martyred, but I shall bequeath our historical heritage to Zahwa and to the children of Palestine.”

She has said this before:

As have prominent PLO officials:

Palestinian Media Watch has an entire list of such statements.

There is a pattern of Israel's enemies attacking Israel in order to make political gains - effectively expecting to be rewarded for aggression. World leaders, and way too many Israelis, are eager to let them get away with it.

Hamas bans "Zionist media" from Gaza

From Reuters:

The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday forbade local journalists from working with "hostile" Israeli media, it said in a statement.

The weekly cabinet meeting decided "to ban work with all Zionist media and journalists," and to declare Israeli media "hostile."

The statement mentioned Israeli media and television stations which operate in Gaza through local Palestinian production companies, working with Palestinian journalists.

This was the first time Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2006, has issued such an edict, the statement noted.

It will be interesting to see if Reporters Without Borders or the International Federation of Journalists condemn this.

Muslims in India try to take over "Jewish" Masonic temple

From Two Circles:

Shia community has once again raised the demand for handing over the Free Masonic Temple situated at Ram Tirath Marg in Hazratganj at Lucknow. A signature campaign has begun by Shia-e-Haider-e-Karrar for staking claim over the campus.

The association aims to get over two lakhs signatures in support of their campaign. “We will hand over the signatures and memorandum to the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Shia clerics have also extended their support to our movement,” said Ehtisham Haider, an office bearer of the association.

Earlier on 12 September 2011, hundreds of of Shia Muslims led by Imam-e-Juma Maulana Kalbe Jawwad had staged protest to stake claim over Free Masonic Temple. Shias claimed it be to a mausoleum of their Imams and presently being illegally occupied by Jews.

As per the claims of the Shia Muslims, the Free Masonic Temple is waqf property registered by the name Waqf Karbala Moatmuddaula with Shia Waqf Board. It was constructed by King Naseeuruddin Haider in 1815. It came under the possession of East India Company in February 1856 and they handed it over to Jews."

According to them, Britishers confiscated the properties of Shias for their participation in independence struggle.

At the earlier rally in September 2011:

Regarding the Free Masonic Temple, they claimed that the organisation is anti national and is engaged in subversive activities. "There should be a vigil over their activities. We do not want such organisations to stay in India. However, if the government is desirous they can hand over another suitable location to them," said Jawwad.

Meanwhile, the local residents surrounding the complex remained apprehensive due to heavy police force and agitating Muslims. Many of them climbed on their rooftops and locked their doors.

It appears that Muslims in India believe that they have the right to any land they want through intimidation and false legal claims when in fact their only claim is based on a perceived loss of honor. The idea that "Jews" control an area that they regard as theirs is simply unacceptable.

But I'm sure that's only in India.

Somehow, zillions of reporters in Bethlehem missed this story

From Holy Land Missions, December 21:

Pressure from the local community is forcing the hands of the Bethlehem municipality to take down a large Christmas billboard sign that has Jesus on it.

"€œIn the birthplace of Christianity, we have seen over the years that the Christmas holiday has been reduced to snowmen and bells,€" said Pastor Steven Khoury of Holy Land Missions; the ministry behind putting the 1200 square foot sign up. He added, "€œThe essential message of the holiday season has been taken away for fear of what the dominant factors in Bethlehem would say."

Vandals had cut the electric cable surrounding the sign to ensure that it would not be lit up during the night. Barraged with phone calls from the local community, the municipality informed Pastor Khoury that many are campaigning asking us to take down the sign. ...The billboard sign is located at Manger Square with the slogan "Jesus born to die and rose again. Invite him into your heart so you might live - Merry Christmas"€ has caused some people to come out of their cars and take pictures.

Out of fear of repercussions, no one is willing to sell electricity access to the billboard. So Pastor Khoury has been going out with a portable generator and several high beam spotlights and lighting the sign up himself. Anticipating that the sign might be coming down any time, Khoury quickly did one last film next to the billboard sign.

How did every single reporter in Bethlehem miss a story about a pastor who was trying to put up a billboard with a Christian message?

It has an attractive protagonist, who speaks English well. It is an underdog story. It is about freedom of religion. It has the irony of Jesus being absent from Bethlehem. This story is made for TV and print media.

There must be a reason why the reporters ignored this story. Perhaps because of the types of people who are against the sign? Pastor Khoury doesn't identify them, so it is unclear who they are. All we know is that they are dominant in Bethlehem (so they can't be Christians), that they are from the local community (so they can't be Jews) that they are threatening those who support the message with violence (so they can't be Quakers,) and that reporters are reluctant to report when these people are acting against freedom of religion and freedom of expression.

This is a tough one.

(h/t Petra)

Saudi network says enemy sheikh needs a psychiatrist

From Al Arabiya:

The Middle East Broadcasting Center’s children entertainment channel MBC3 hit back on Tuesday at a prominent Saudi preacher who urged parents to prevent their kids from watching the channel because its content promotes “atheism and corruption” according to him.

Sheikh Mohammad al-Arifi, known for his controversial statements, wrote in a twitter post, "It is prohibited to enable your child to watch MBC3 children; its scenes are full of ideas of atheism and corruption; remove it now; your child is in your care.”

MBC3 issued a statement describing Arifi's twitter post as "tendentious and far from reality altogether."

The MBC3 statement pointed to a previous seen as preposterous religious edict by Arifi in which he said a daughter should not sit alone with her father for fear that she might tempt him into lusting after her.

"Words cannot describe such mentality and such rationale, especially that it is coming from individuals who should be at the psychiatric hospital to treat abnormal thinking instead of issuing fatwas,” the MBC statement added.

Sheikh Arifi had called on his followers on Twitter to boycott advertisers on MBC channels. Ironically as some commentators may see, the sheikh presents a religious show on another Arab television network which has a similar grid of programming and Western content.

"Mitzvah Day" in Detroit - for Jews and Muslims

Transcript from NPR:

Now we turn to a community in Detroit that's unexpectedly playing Santa Claus today. You may have heard the joke that Chinese restaurants get packed on Christmas Day with all the people who don't observe the holiday. About 20 years ago, the Detroit Jewish Community Relations Council decided to forgo the chop suey and instead spend the day serving the city.
The council now runs an annual Mitzvah Day that brings out close to a thousand people - mostly Jewish, but other faiths participate, as well. And they volunteer at homeless shelters, group homes and nearly 40 other projects around the city. We wanted to hear more about this service event, so we've called on two faith leaders in the Detroit area who've been involved for a number of years.
Micki Grossman is the co-chair of Mitzvah Day, which she's participated in for the past two decades. And Dr. Muzammil Ahmed has organized members of his Muslim community to pitch in, as well. He's head of the Michigan Muslim Community Council. Welcome to you both.
MICKI GROSSMAN: Thank you.
MUZAMMIL AHMED: Thank you.
HEADLEE: Micki, let's begin with you. We know about the Chinese food joke. That's been a long-running bit of humor. But how did this begin with the Jewish Community Relations Council? Why did the group decide to spend Christmas Day differently?
GROSSMAN: Well, first of all, I have to tell you that traditionally, in the Jewish community, synagogues and temples had independently picked up programs and would go into a soup kitchen and so forth on Christmas Day. They would have their men's club and sisterhood do something like that.
So there were a few congregations that did it. About 20-some years ago, it actually was a group of women who - Jewish women, who did volunteer work during the year who sat around and discussed the fact that: Why don't we do something big on Christmas Day? And see what we could do about it. And so we started out that way.
I didn't originate the plan, but I was on that steering committee. And we had about 200 volunteers that year, men and women.
HEADLEE: Well, for those of our listeners who are not Jewish, explain what mitzvah means and how a mitzvah is part of the Jewish faith.
GROSSMAN: Mitzvah is a commandment. It's become translated as a good deed, but it actually is a requirement that we have to do something to repair the world, to make life better for other people. Whether they're homeless, hungry, sick or poor, that's just one of the tenets of our faith. And so we use the word mitzvah. And so it became Mitzvah Day that we're going out and doing something good, and it's also a good way to spend the day or part of the day.
HEADLEE: So, Dr. Ahmed, does the Muslim faith have something like mitzvah? Is that also a commandment for Muslims?
AHMED: It certainly is. One of our five pillars of faith is giving zakat, which is charity. And as part of charity, we consider performing charitable acts and deeds something that is highly encouraged and very much an example that we want to set for ourselves and our families. So doing service work, doing small things and large things for the community is something that is an integral part of our faith.
HEADLEE: But why Christmas? How did the people in your Muslim community get involved, and why choose Christmas as the day for serving the community?
AHMED: That's an excellent question, and in some way, I think we're following the footsteps of the Jewish community in that many Muslims that have been in America have been doing a lot of charitable activities and functions over the years, but on Christmas Day, we don't necessarily celebrate Christmas, but we did want to recognize and respect the people around us that do have wonderful experiences on this day. And we wanted to share in that experience somehow, yet maintain our own independence and identity. And the Mitzvah Day seemed like a wonderful way to give back to the community at a time when they need it. And the community has always stepped forward to stand up for the Muslim community in recent months with different things that have happened. We thought this would be a great time to be able to give back.
GROSSMAN: Could I jump in for just a minute? Because...
HEADLEE: Of course.
GROSSMAN: ...about three years ago, the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council was having lunch with two leaders from the Muslim community, and they were just sitting around talking. And somehow, Robert told them about preparing for Mitzvah Day, and he had said, you know, this is something for us to do, because we don't celebrate Christmas the same way.
And so that's how it evolved. And it's ongoing. I mean, we have many partnerships that the Jewish and Muslim community do together, but this has become a spectacular event.

Tuesday links

From Ian:

Palestinians Burning Their Bridges

"The Palestinians and their leadership have spent the last 20 years converting a strong Israeli majority in favor of the peace process into one that regards the whole concept as a dangerous fantasy. Twenty years ago the Israeli left romped in an election that relegated the Likud to minority status. In next month’s Knesset elections, not even the Labor party will spend time advocating for more concessions to the Palestinians in exchange for the hope of peace. Terrorism, the second intifada, the rise of Hamas and the conversion of Gaza into a terror state have effectively destroyed the Israeli left. But rather than react to this somber shift in the mood of their neighbors with an attempt to restart peace talks or to convince them that their goal is to end the conflict rather than to merely continue it on more advantageous terms, the Palestinians are planning on doubling down on their negative image."

Majority in House: Punish PLO, Close Its Office
A majority of the House of Representatives wants to punish the PLO and close down its DC office, but the Senate rejected a similar move.

Maikel Nabil Sanad, Political Activist and Blogger Brings Tidings From Egypt to Israel

“I’m breaking a taboo coming to Israel, but I’m not the first Egyptian to do so,” said Maikel Nabil Sanad, a political activist and blogger who was jailed and tortured for 302 days for criticizing the Egyptian army post-Mubarak. He was pardoned by the Egyptian military in January 2012 following international pressure and efforts of several different human rights organizations including UN Watch.

As Hagel’s star withers, will a blunt-talking policy wonk drop her kids to take the Pentagon?

Michele Flournoy has been touted by conservatives, Israel supporters, women’s rights activists and Democrats for the US defense secretary post. But does she even want the job?
"A senior Republican Senate aide told Politico that Flournoy was well versed in Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system, which is partially funded by the US, as well as regional arms sales and the importance of Israel’s military edge over its neighbors.
On Iran, her views seemingly fall in line with the pentagon’s official position, that a military strike against Tehran’s nuclear facilities must be kept on the table, though the option is not an effective one."

Bethlehem's Christmas war on Jesus

"The Khoury's live in Bethlehem. Steven was raised there where his father, Dr. Naim Khoury, started Holy Land Ministries in 1980. During the past 32 years Steven, his family and the ministry's congregations have experienced opposition to the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, God's incarnate Word made flesh.
There have been threats and muggings, fire bombs and murder. Many believers have fled the region, but the Khoury's remain. Every Sunday, worship and teaching are broadcast from speakers atop their local church's steeple, clashing with Islamic calls to prayer."

Radical Muslims Take Anti-Christian Protest to St Paul's Cathedral on Christmas Eve

"A group of radical Muslims is planning to use St Paul's Cathedral to protest against the sins of British society and the fallacy of the Bible.
The protesters were due to gather outside the cathedral at 1pm, while a Christmas Eve Eucharist takes place inside.
Ahead of the protest, radical preacher Anjem Choudary claimed that Jesus belonged to Islam and that British society was riddled with "sin".

Honest Reporting: The 5 Best Articles of 2012

"I don’t want to let the curtain fall on 2012 without acknowledging that sometimes, Big Media gets the story right. While looking over content for the 2012 Dishonest Reporter Awards, I promised myself I’d follow up with a positive list. It’s my own subjective list, and I invite you to post your own list of articles in the comments section."

Eye on the UN: Antisemitism & The Latest Performance of Roger Waters

Egyptian Army Thwarts Rocket Smuggling to Gaza
Armed forces in the Sinai foiled an attempt to smuggle 17 rockets to Gaza.

"Armed Forces personnel in North Sinai, in cooperation with local Bedouins, foiled an attempt on Monday to smuggle 17 rockets to Gaza, the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.
A military source told the agency that the rockets are a French-made TDI model, caliber 68 mm, range three kilometers and can be used air to land or land to land."

‘Agent 15’ Paralyzing Syrian Victims
Assad’s forces probably are using “Agent 15,” which causes paralysis. The worse news is that Assad has more deadly chemical weapons.

Russian military presence in Syria poses challenge to US-led intervention
Advisers deployed with surface-to-air systems bolster President Assad's defences and complicate outcome of any future strikes

Assad’s Cash Problem: Will Syria’s Dwindling Reserves Bring Down the Regime?

"But it is the Syrian leader who faces total collapse in the face of bankruptcy. So dire are Assad’s finances, in fact, that in recent months Russia flew eight plane-loads of Syrian banknotes, printed in Russia, to Damascus, in a kind of rescue package estimated to weigh about 240 tons, according to flight records obtained by ProPublica, a U.S.-based non-profit investigative journalism organization."

Female Warrior to be Honored for Killing Terrorist
A female soldier from the Caracal unit who killed a terrorist near the border with Egypt will be given a citation on Tuesday.

"The Head of the IDF's Southern Command, Tal Russo, will award a citation on Tuesday to a female fighter in the IDF's mixed sex Caracal unit, who shot and killed a terrorist who carried out a terror attack near Israel's border with Egypt in September."

Spain, Israel plan to work on infrastructure projects

"Spanish Development Minister Ana Pastor Sunday opened the door to Spanish businesses and experts to participate in big infrastructure projects that Israel will put up for bidding in the near future at a total cost of more than 10 billion euros (USD 13.2 billion).
Expansion of ports, electrification of railroad lines, new highways, tunnels and even the construction of a mixed high-speed train line between the Mediterranean and Red Seas are some of the projects to which Spanish firms will aspire after the signing Sunday of a technical cooperation agreement between the two countries."

Sacramento City Council Members Who Resisted BDS Dedicating Ambulance to Ashkelon

"The ambulance was given as a gift to Ashkelon by Robert Leeds, a 13-year-old from the Los Angeles area who wanted to make a contribution to a worthy civic cause, according to a StandWithUs press statement. Attendees of Leeds’s bar mitzvah, instead of giving him gifts, were told to designate money toward the ambulance.
“The ambulance dedication is a thank you to the city of Sacramento for approving the newest sister city resolution with Ashkelon last August despite opposition from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in their on-going attempts to pariah the state of Israel,” Gail Rubin, representing the Sacramento-Davis area chapter of SWU, told JNS"

Israel Daily Picture: Christmas in the Holy Land 100 Years Ago
The photographs on this page were taken by the American Colony Photographic Department before and after World War I when the British captured Palestine after 400 years of Ottoman rule.