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Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

Media-ocrities of the Week

 

As a traveler, I am not a particularly choosy person. I will go pretty much anywhere, anytime. Wander on horseback into the mountains of Kyrgyzstan? Why not? Spend the night in a sketchy Burmese border town? Sure!… In fact, of all the world’s roughly 200 nations, there was only one…that I had absolutely zero interest in ever visiting: Israel. This surprised friends and mildly annoyed my parents.… As a Jew, especially one who travels constantly, I was expected at least to have the Jewish state on my radar, if not to be planning a pilgrimage in the very near future.… But to me, a deeply secular Jew, Israel has always felt less like a country than a politically iffy burden. For decades I’d tried to put as much distance between myself and Judaism as possible, and the idea that I was supposed to feel some connection to my ostensible homeland seemed ridiculous. Give me Montenegro, Chiapas, Iran even. But Israel was like Christmas: something I’d never do.”—Matt Gross, in “Lost in Jerusalem,” an article appearing on the front page of the New York Times’ Travel section, prefacing a discussion of his first trip to Israel by challenging the sensibility of the Jewish people’s national aspirations. Gross goes on to describe his trip as “walking a tightrope between belonging and individualism,” and being particularly affected by the “sinuous, ominous wall separating Israel from the West Bank,” as well as the “Israeli guards in the Old City [who] would interrogate and search [him] on the way back to [his] guesthouse.” Overall, Gross was “amazed at what true believers will do, and submit to, in the name of their faith.… [Israel] was an experience for other people, not for [him].” (NY Times, January 13.)

 

It is an act of deliberate vandalism to the basic premise on which negotiations have taken place for years and years and years.”—British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, at a press conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, describing Israeli settlement construction as “vandalism,” and accusing Israel of undermining attempts to broker a Middle East peace. In response, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon blasted the “ill-informed” Clegg, calling his comments “gratuitous,” “ unfortunate,” and “irresponsible.” [NB: There is no stipulation in the Oslo Accords that requires Israel to halt or curb settlement construction. Nor did building in settlements in any way inhibit Israeli-Palestinian negotiations between 1994 and 2008. Rather, the halting of Israeli construction beyond the Green Line became a precondition for talks only after US President Barack Obama demanded in 2009 that Israel implement a total “construction freeze” to jump-start negotiations, a position adopted and still assumed by Abbas—Ed.]. (Haaretz, January 12.)

 

We condemn any assassination or attack on an innocent person, and we express our sympathies to the family.”—US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, denouncing the assassination last week of an Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran. Tommy Vietor, spokesman for the National Security Council, denied any U.S. involvement, saying, “The United States had absolutely nothing to do with this. We strongly condemn all acts of violence, including acts of violence like this.” Iran blamed Israel, primarily, for the attack and threatened revenge. (JTA, January 12.)

Weekly Quotes

 

The sanctions employed thus far are ineffective, they have no impact on the nuclear program. We need tough sanctions against the central bank and oil industry. These things are not happening yet and that is why it has no effect on the nuclear program.”—Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, claiming the existing sanctions against Iran have not curbed its nuclear program, and calling for hardened measures against Tehran’s central bank. (Ynet News, January 16.)

 

The normal trade relations and energy cooperation between China and Iran have nothing to do with the nuclear issue. We should not mix issues with different natures, and China’s legitimate concerns and demands should be respected.”—Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister, Cui Tiankai, confirming China will maintain normal trade ties with Iran. (Independent Media Review and Analysis. January 10.)

 

For the American government, the crash of the RQ-170 drone in Iran was an embarrassment. For the Iranian government, it was a propaganda victory. And for at least one company…it could be a windfall. An Iranian firm, seeking to capitalize on the frenzy that followed the crash of the drone—and American calls to have it returned—is now producing miniaturized toy versions of the craft. Most of the toys…have already been snapped up by Iranian government organizations.… At least one model—a pink one—has been reserved for President Obama. ‘He said he wanted it back, and we will send him one,’ said Reza Kioumarsi, the head of cultural production at the Ayeh Art group.”Thomas Erdbrink, describing the production and distribution by an Iranian company of mock replicas of the US stealth drone that crashed last month in Iran. (Washington post, January 17.)

 

I withdrew because I found myself serving the (Syrian) regime. How was I serving the regime? I was giving the regime a greater chance to continue its killing and I could not prevent that.”—Anwar Malek, explaining he quit the Arab League observer mission to Syria after witnessing “scenes of horror,” and confirming the monitoring team was not acting independently. According to the General Committee of the Syrian Revolution, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on protests continues unabated, and that “the regime’s victims have exceeded the 6275 barrier since the outbreak of the revolution.” (Reuters, January 11 & Independent Media Review and Analysis, January 16)

 

The Arab League and their monitors failed in their mission and though we respect and appreciate our Arab brothers for their efforts, we think they are incapable of improving conditions in Syria or resisting this regime. For that reason we call on them to turn the issue over to the UN Security Council and we ask that the international community intervene because they are more capable of protecting Syrians at this stage.”—Riad al-Asaad, a Turkish-based leader of the Free Syrian Army, calling for foreign intervention in Syria due to the failure of the Arab League mission to curb the violence in the country. Syria’s Foreign Ministry immediately denounced al-Asaad’s] assertion, issuing a statement saying “The Syrian people refuse any foreign intervention in any name. They will oppose any attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Syria and the integrity of its territory. It would be regrettable for Arab blood to flow on Syria’s territory to serve known [interests].” (Reuters, January 17 & National Post, January 18.)

 

The radical axis is trying to retain its power.… Iran and Hezbollah are increasing their efforts to help the Assad regime survive by providing intelligence, weaponry, and other capabilities—to the point where they are actively involved.”—Head of Israel’s Military Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, confirming that Iran and Hezbollah are actively assisting in Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests. (Jerusalem Post, January 11.)

 

I am deeply concerned about the military capacity of Hezbollah and also concerned about the lack of progress in disarmament.”—UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, reaffirming his concern over Hezbollah’s military prowess, and urging Lebanon to reconvene talks on disarming the terrorist group. In response, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah dismissed Ki-moon’s statements, reiterating “firmly, decisively and with the greatest conviction…the choice of armed resistance.” (AFP & Reuters, January 14.)

 

That’s a major concern because I don’t know who is going to own those the day after. Up till now, what has been transferred to Hezbollah? What will be transferred to Hezbollah? What will be divided between those factions inside Syria? What is that going to create?…”—Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, head of the Israeli military’s planning division, voicing Israel’s concern over the eventual fate of Syria’s “huge stockpiles of chemical [and] biological [as well as] strategic capabilities that are still going into [the country].” Last week, a Russian ship bound for Damascus was stopped in Cyprus and found to be carrying 60 tonnes of arms. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, January 17.)

 

Obviously when you have a country that is being ruled by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists, when you start seeing that sort of activity against their own citizens, then yes, not only is it time for us to have a conversation about whether or not they belong in NATO, but it’s time for the United States, when we look at their foreign aid, to go to zero with it.”—Republican presidential candidate, Rick Perry, comparing Turkey’s AKP government, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to Islamic terrorists and questioning whether Turkey should remain in the NATO alliance and continue receiving US aid. The US State Department, which typically does not comment on domestic political campaigns, condemned Mr. Perry’s allegation, with spokesman Mark Toner saying, “We absolutely and fundamentally disagree. Turkey is a strong partner in the region…and it is often cited as an example of so-called Islamic democracy in action.” (Reuters & National Post, January 18.)

 

Short Takes

 

OBAMA WARNED ISRAEL AGAINST IRAN STRIKE—(Jerusalem) According to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth, the Obama administration is working frantically to prevent an Israeli strike on Iran, after Israeli state officials publicly stated that the sanctions against Tehran were not sufficient. Last Thursday, US President Obama reportedly spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warned him of the serious consequences of a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Additionally, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other top American officials have allegedly sought assurances from Israeli leaders that no action would be taken without US consent. However, the Israeli response has allegedly been noncommittal, leading to speculation that Netanyahu is planning to carry out an attack. US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey is scheduled to meet with Israeli military officials in Tel Aviv this week, with Iran expected to be the main focus. (Ynet News, January 15.)

 

IRAN WARNS SAUDIS NOT TO USE SPARE OIL CAPACITY—(Montreal) Iran has warned Saudi Arabia to withdraw an offer to increase oil output should sanctions placed on Tehran’s central bank cause market shortfalls. Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, urged Riyadh to “reflect” on its “not friendly” pledge to use its spare capacity to compensate for any reduction in Iran’s oil sales that could result from efforts to tighten sanctions over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program. Meanwhile, diplomats in Brussels said the European Union could have an embargo on Iranian oil imports in force by July, as a compromise takes shape between champions of tougher sanctions and member states that rely heavily on purchases from Iran. The 27-nation bloc consumes approximately 450,000 barrels per day of Iranian oil. (Gazette, January 18.)

 

IDF PREPARING FOR MAJOR GAZA ACTION WITHIN MONTHS—(Jerusalem) The IDF General Staff has ordered the Southern Command to prepare for a possible large Gaza operation that could occur within the next few months—including finalizing operational plans and distributing them to various units that would be deployed inside Gaza. The Gaza Division, under the command of Brig.-Gen. Yossi Bachar, is spearheading the preparations for the prospective operation, which senior officers say could be significantly larger than Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009. According to a senior IDF official, “Gaza has changed and the weaponry in Hamas’s and Islamic Jihad’s hands has significantly grown in quantity and quality.” In 2011, 680 rockets and mortar shells were fired into Israel from the Strip, including 80 long-range Grad-model Katyusha rockets compared to just 2 Grads in 2010. (Jerusalem Post, January 16.)

 

APOLOGY SOUGHT FROM B.C. PAPER OVER ANTI-ISRAEL EDITORIAL—(Toronto) Canadian Jewish organizations are demanding an apology from a British Columbia community newspaper that published an editorial calling Zionism a cancer and saying U.S. policies on the Middle East are a result of Jews who “monopolize most of the academic and intellectually demanding positions.” The column, “Racism, Capitalism, And Zionism Are The Worst Cancers Affecting The World,” appeared in the Surrey-based Link newspaper and urged readers “to compare the percentage of Jews amongst doctors, attorneys, university professors, and scientists in America to any European country, and even to Canada, [claiming] the result of this situation is that America has taken an anti-Islamic, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab stand.” Paul Dhillon, editor-in-chief of the twice-weekly paper, said the Link published Dr. Sawraj Singh’s piece as his arguments were deemed debatable. (National Post, January 11.)

 

ISLAMIST SET TO BE EGYPT’S NEW PARLIAMENT SPEAKER—(Cairo) Leading Egyptian political parties are backing Mohamed al-Katatni, Secretary-General of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), to assume the role of House speaker. The prime task of the new parliament will be to pick a 100-strong assembly to write a constitution, and liberals fear that sweeping gains by Islamists in the recent elections will lead to more religious strictures. Unofficial results of Egypt’s three-stage election suggest the FJP secured 232 seats, or 46 percent, while the Islamist Nour party on 113 seats, or 23 percent. Members of parliament will formally choose the speaker when they gather for the first time on January 23. (Reuters, January 16.)

 

US HOLDS HIGHEST-LEVEL TALKS YET WITH BROTHERHOOD—(Jerusalem) The chief assistant to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met with leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood—Washington’s highest-level talks yet with the Islamist. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed that Deputy Secretary of State William Burns met with the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, along with several other party representatives, at its new headquarters in Cairo. According to reports, Burns’ visit is meant to lay the foundation for “re-engagement” with the Brotherhood, after the party claimed approximately 40 percent of votes in elections that followed the February overthrow of Hosni Mubarak. (Jerusalem Post, January 11.)

 

EGYPT CANCELS ANNUAL ISRAELI PILGRIMAGE TO JEWISH TOMB—(Cairo) Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has told Israel that it will be “impossible” for Israeli pilgrims to make an annual visit to the tomb of a 19th-century Jewish holy man in the Nile Delta “because of the political and security situation in the country.” Ceremonies at the tomb of Rabbi Yaakov Abu Hatzira have triggered yearly political sparring in Egypt throughout most of the last decade, with opponents criticizing the government of pursuing an unpopular policy of normalization with the Jewish state. Gamal Heshmat of the Muslim Brotherhood, the organizer of protests against the pilgrimage, said that visiting Abu Hatzira’s gravesite would be a “suicide mission” for Israelis, and stressed that “normalization (of relations) with Israel is forced on the people, and the visits come against the will of the people and despite popular rejection.” Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, denounced Egypt’s attempt to “curb religious freedom of Jews.” (Associated Press, January 11.)

 

BULGARIA FOILS ATTACK AGAINST ISRAELIS—(Jerusalem) A suspicious package found on a bus carrying Israeli tourists from Turkey to Bulgaria has caused Israel to boost security for its citizens traveling overseas. Bulgarian authorities have reportedly launched an investigation to determine what was inside the package and who placed it on the bus, and has also increased its presence at the country’s top winter resort called Bansko, which is frequented by Israelis. Israel is concerned Hezbollah will try to attack Israelis abroad in the coming weeks and ahead of the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh, attributed to the Mossad. Over the years there have been reports of a number of Hezbollah plots that were thwarted, including an attempt to bomb the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan. (Jerusalem Post, January 8.)

 

ISRAEL ISSUES SEVERE WARNING AGAINST TRAVEL TO BANGKOK—(Jerusalem) Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau has issued a “severe travel warning” to nationals, advising against travel to Bangkok “in the near future” and to “avoid congregating at known spots favored by Israelis, watch out for suspect items and not to accept packages from strangers in Bangkok.” The warning followed an announcement by Thailand’s deputy prime minister Chalerm Yoobamrung that Thai authorities arrested a Lebanese citizen after being warned by Israel of a possible attack. “A Lebanese suspect from the Hezbollah group has been taken into custody…and police are investigating further,” Yoobamrung confirmed. Thailand’s Defense Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha said Thai and US intelligence officials are monitoring the movements of other individuals and are stepping up precautions in areas deemed to be at risk. (Reuters, January 13.)

 

FIREBOMBS THROWN AT SYNAGOGUE IN NEW JERSEY—(Jerusalem) Law enforcement officials have urged New Jersey residents and religious institutions to be vigilant after a synagogue and its rabbi’s sleeping quarters were firebombed last week—the fourth such incident within a month being investigated as a hate crime against a Jewish center or institution in Bergen County. According to US Prosecutor John Molinelli, the most recent attack is being classified as an attempted murder, as n incendiary device was thrown into Rabbi Nosson Schuman’s bedroom on the second floor of Congregation Beth El. (Haaretz, January 12.)

 

SECOND ITAMAR MURDERER SENTENCED TO 5 LIFE TERMS—(Jerusalem) Israel’s Samaria District Military Court has sentenced Amjad Awad, one of two cousins convicted of brutally murdering five Fogel family members in Itamar last March, to five life terms and seven years. Awad and his cousin, Hakim Awad, entered the home of the Fogels, stabbing and shooting to death parents Udi and Ruth, and killing three of their children: Yoav (4), Elad (11), and four-month old baby Hadas. “I don’t regret what I did, and would do it again,” Amjad Awad said of the murders. “I’m proud of what I did and I’ll accept any punishment I get, even death, because I did it all for Palestine.” Hakim, 18, received five life sentences and five years in September. (Jerusalem Post, January 16.)

 

ACRE-AREA DIG UNEARTHS 1,500-YR-OLD ‘BREAD STAMP’—(Jerusalem) Israeli Archeologists digging near Acre have uncovered a menorah-emblazoned ceramic seal they believe was used by a 6th-century village baker to certify his bread as kosher. The diminutive “bread stamp,” the first of its kind to be found in a controlled archeological excavation in which its origin and date of manufacture can be precisely determined, “testifies further to the existence of a Jewish community in Uza in the Byzantine-Christian era,” lead archeologists Gilad Jaffe and Danny Syon said. The seal shows a seven-branched menorah of the kind used in the Temple in Jerusalem. (Jerusalem Post, January 10.)

 

ISRAEL HONORS THREE POLES FOR HOLOCAUST-ERA HEROISM—(Jerusalem) Israel’s Yad Vashem has posthumously awarded three Poles with “Righteous among the Nations” medals for having saved dozens of Jews from the Nazis during the Second World War. Holocaust memorial honored Katarzyna Sikora for having risked her family to save four Jews, Stanislaw Grocholski for having hidden 16 people and Jozef Kulpa for rescuing two Jewish families. “They were real humans at a time when humanity in Europe was in the dark ages. They proved that even during the worst of times, human beings still existed,” Israel’s ambassador to Poland, Zvi Rav-Nera, said at the awards ceremony in Rzeszow, southeastern Poland. Yad Vashem has awarded 6,350 medals to Poles for risking to aid Jews escape Nazi-German genocide in occupied Poland during the Second World War. The Nazis had imposed the death penalty for entire families of Poles, should one of the family members be caught helping Jews. (AFP, January 18.)

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