Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

Media-ocrity of the Week

 

“I don’t have an assessment yet. I’m not sure I’ll ever answer that question in the way you’ve just framed it.”—Jodi Rudoren, the incoming New York Times Jerusalem Bureau Chief, responding to whether she thinks Israel is an apartheid state. When asked if she is a Zionist, Rudoren answered, “I’m going to punt on that question.” Rudoren, who is Jewish, came under fire last week when on the first day after assuming her new position she reached out to Ali Abunimah, co-founder of Electronic Intifada. The online magazine has in the past published articles comparing Israel to Nazi Germany. (Contentions, February 16.)

 

Weekly Quotes

 

“There was a push on the car from behind and I saw the biker.… I even lowered the windowpanes to say something to him but he escaped by then.”—Tal Yehoshua-Koren, the wife of an Israeli diplomat who was injured in last week’s Iranian-sponsored attack in New Delhi, recounting to Indian investigators that a terrorist riding a motorcycle planted a bomb on her vehicle that exploded 30-40 seconds later. Koren, whose condition is stable, was transported last weekend to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv. (Jerusalem Post, February 17.)

 

“Iran today has the technical, scientific and industrial capability to eventually produce nuclear weapons. While international pressure on Iran has increased…we assess that Tehran is not close to agreeing to abandon its nuclear program.”—Lt.-Gen. Ronald Burgess, director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, to the Senate Armed Services Committee, confirming that mounting international pressure on Iran has not persuaded the Mullahs to consider aborting the country’s nuclear program. (Jerusalem Post, February 17.)

 

“I’m confident that they understand our concerns, that a strike at this time would be destabilizing and wouldn’t achieve their long-term objectives.… I understand that Israel has national interests that are unique to them…[but] we have not concluded that Iran is an existential threat.…”—US Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, downplaying the Iranian threat to the Jewish state, and reiterating the US’ position that talk of military strikes against Tehran’s nuclear program is “premature.” (CNN, February 20.)

“We estimate that in 2-3 years they will have inter-continental ballistic missiles that can reach the east coast of America. Their aim is clearly not only to be able to threaten Israel and the Middle East, but to put a direct nuclear ballistic threat to Europe and to the United States of America.”—Israeli Finance Minister, Yuval Steinitz, in a CNBC interview, claiming Iran is investing billions of dollars to develop inter-continental ballistic missiles that can reach the United States. (Jerusalem Post, February 22.)

 

“Our strategy now is that if we feel our enemies want to endanger Iran’s national interests…we will act without waiting for their actions.”—Mohammad Hejazi, the deputy head of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces, warning that Iran will take pre-emptive action against its enemies if the country feels threatened. (Haaretz, February 21.)

 

“Over at The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg says that the ‘most consequential news from the Middle East today’ is Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s promise to keep oil prices under $100 a barrel. Why does this matter? Argues Goldberg: ‘Because it clears the way for an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. I’m not suggesting coordination between Israel and Saudi Arabia on this.… I’m merely noting that one factor that inhibits Israel from striking at Iran is fear that an attack will cause…oil prices to skyrocket, which would, of course, generate a fair amount of anger directed against Israel.’
The ‘blame Israel first’ crowd continues to interpret the Iran-US crisis as an example of a sinister Israel lobby pushing the US into a war to serve the ambitions of the Jewish state. Not only does this analysis miss the vital US interests at stake in the region and the threat Iran poses to a balance of power the United States needs, it misses the reality that for several years now some of the strongest, most consistent pressures on Washington to act against Iran have come from the Arab world.… But the blame Israel firsters don’t care; if we have a war with Iran they will know who to blame.”—Walter Russell Mead, in “Saudis Sing It Too: Bomb, Bomb Iran.” (American Interest, February 7.)

 

“We see neighborhoods shelled indiscriminately, hospitals used as torture centers, children as young as 10 years old killed and abused. We see almost a certain [sic] crimes against humanity.”—UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, accusing Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime of perpetrating crimes against humanity, and calling on Syrian authorities to “stop killing their own people.” (Jerusalem Post, February 16.)

 

“To the extent that the Obama administration associates with these bigots, they’re going to lose a lot of support among Christians, Jews and others who think that American support for Israel is in the best interest of the United States.… There is not enough room under the big tent for people like me…and the bigots of Media Matters.… I could not vote for anyone who has anything to do with Media Matters, that’s clear.… That’s like asking me to vote for Hezbollah or asking me to vote for Hamas.… I won’t do it.… [Obama] has to terminate any association with Media Matters and with the intellectual thugs who are behind it.”—Alan Dershowitz, a key supporter of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential bid, announcing he will not vote to re-elect the President unless Obama severs his intimate ties with the controversial anti-Israel group Media Matters. (Contentions, February 15.)

 

“Five rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel [on February 15]. Thirty-two rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel since the beginning of 2012. These are acts of war. Why is it acceptable for the people of Gaza to fire rockets at civilians, schools and hospitals instead of building for themselves a peaceful society? And why does the media ignore it?”—CIJR supporter, David M. Sherman, strongly denouncing the ongoing, indiscriminate firing of rockets at Israeli population centers by Palestinians in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

 

“Adele, the big-voiced British singer-songwriter-guitarist, spoke a highly insensitive ethnic slur while trying to joke with the crowd during her show at Massey Hall in Toronto in 2009. She was telling a story about how she had bought two guitars from ‘a rude Toronto pawn-shop owner’ earlier in the day. ‘He wasn’t Canadian—he was Jewish,’ she said, before realizing that statement was incredibly offensive to Jews in the audience.… If Adele had said: ‘He wasn’t Canadian—he was black,’ I suspect the media and public response would have been quite different. Somehow, in recent years, it’s become acceptable to disparage Jews in public, and we are all to blame for allowing it to just happen.…”—Ronna Rubin, in “Rolling in the Racism,” describing Grammy-award-winning singer Adele’s anti-Semitic comment during a 2009 concert in Toronto. (National Post, February 14.)

 

“Phillip and Dorothy are probably the oldest olim [immigrant] couple that the State of Israel has ever absorbed, and they are proof that it is never too late to fulfill your dream and make such a significant decision in life.”—Erez Halfon, vice chairman of Nefesh B’Nefesh, a group that facilitates Jewish immigration to Israel, congratulating Phillip and Dorothy Grossman, ages 95 and 93, respectively, the oldest married couple ever to move to Israel. Phillip and Dorothy have been together for 71 years. (Jerusalem Post, February 14.)

 

Short Takes

 

SINGAPORE ASSASSINATION PLOT AGAINST BARAK FOILED—(Jerusalem) According to Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida, a plot to assassinate Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was foiled by Singaporean authorities during his visit to the country last week. The report claims that information regarding the plan was forwarded by the Mossad to security officials in Singapore, who then arrested three members of a Hezbollah-Iranian terror cell in connection with the plot. Al Jarida alleges that the cell was in possession of accurate information on Barak’s schedule and that it planned to assassinate the Defense Minister at his hotel. Following last week’s attacks in Georgia, India, and Thailand, Israel’s Counter-terrorism Bureau believes that Iran and Hezbollah are still trying to target Israeli and Jewish targets abroad. (Jerusalem Post, February 16 & 17.)

 

IAEA: TEHRAN TALKS FAILED TO SECURE AGREEMENT—(Vienna) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, has announced its failure to secure an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program during a two-day inspection earlier this week, the second such visit in less than a month. The IAEA also said in a statement that “During both…round[s] of discussions, the agency team requested access to the military site at Parchin, [but] Iran did not grant permission for this visit to take place.” According to IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, “It is disappointing that Iran did not accept our request.… We engaged in a constructive spirit, but no agreement was reached.” Amano’s spokesperson, Gill Tudor, made clear that no further meetings between the IAEA and Tehran are planned. (Reuters, February 22.)

 

UN ASSEMBLY ADOPTS RESOLUTION CONDEMNING SYRIA—(United Nations) The 193-nation UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a non-binding resolution that “fully supports” an Arab League plan calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step aside. The resolution, similar to the one Russia and China vetoed in the Security Council on February 4, received 137 votes in favor; Russia and China again were among countries, including Iran, North Korea and Venezuela, opposing the resolution. Unlike in the Security Council, there are no vetoes in the General Assembly, and its decisions lack the legal force of council resolutions. Nevertheless, the resolution condemns Damascus for “widespread and systematic violations of human rights,” calls for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from cities, and sets the stage for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a special envoy to Syria. (Reuters, February 17.)

 

U.S. POINTS TO AL QAEDA’S ROLE IN SYRIA UNREST—(Washington) According to U.S. intelligence officials, al Qaeda operatives are aiding the Syrian opposition. James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, confirmed at a Senate hearing last week that recent attacks in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo, “had all the earmarks of an al Qaeda-like attack…[and that] al Qaeda in Iraq is extending its reach into Syria.” US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the crisis in Syria has become “that much more serious,” and that “it does raise concerns for [the U.S.] that al Qaeda is trying to assert a presence there.” (Wall Street Journal, February 17.)

 

IDF FEARS SYRIA ATTACK AS PRESSURE BUILDS ON ASSAD—(Jerusalem) Concern is mounting within the Israel Defense Forces over the possibility that Syria will attack the Jewish state as pressure mounts on President Bashar Assad to step down. According to reports, the IDF’s Northern Command has drawn up a number of operational responses to a range of scenarios that could evolve along the northern front. Last week, the IDF Spokesman’s Office released pictures of OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Yair Golan and commander of the Northern Corps Maj.-Gen. Gershon Hacohen touring Mount Hermon and looking toward Syria. Israeli media interpreted the move as evidence the IDF is preparing for attacks along the border. (Jerusalem Post, February 16.)

 

EGYPT SETS TRIAL DATE FOR PRO-DEMOCRACY WORKERS—(Cairo) According to Egyptian media, the trial of 43 people charged with unlawfully conducting pro-democracy work in Egypt will begin Feb. 26. The announcement of a trial date for the defendants, including at least 16 Americans, came as the state-run newspaper, al-Ahram, published several stories portraying the work of non-government, pro-democracy organizations in Egypt as a threat to the country’s sovereignty. Al-Ahram also reported that Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had unsuccessfully lobbied Egyptian officials during a recent visit to release the Americans under indictment into his custody. Egyptian authorities continue to resist pressure from Washington to drop the charges despite warnings that $1.5 billion in yearly aid could be cut. (Washington Post, February 18.)

 

OBAMA TO SEEK WAIVER ON UNESCO FUNDING BAN—(Washington) The Obama administration has appealed to Congress to waive a ban on funding UNESCO over its recognition of Palestinian statehood. According to a footnote in the budget that the White House submitted to Congress this month, “The [US] Department of State intends…to seek legislation that would provide authority to waive restrictions on paying the US assessed contributions to UNESCO.” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, immediately opposed the motion, affirming that “Any effort to walk back this funding cutoff [would] pave the way for the Palestinian leadership’s unilateral statehood scheme to drive on, and send a disastrous message that the US will fund UN bodies no matter what irresponsible decisions they make.” US funding for UNESCO was halted late last year because of American laws banning contributions to any international organization that recognizes Palestinian statehood in the absence of a peace agreement with Israel. (JTA, February 16.)

 

US ARRESTS SUSPECT IN CAPITOL SUICIDE ATTACK PLOT—(Washington) An illegal immigrant from Morocco has been arrested for allegedly plotting to carry out a suicide attack on the US Capitol, the Washington building that houses Congress. According to US Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd, Amine El Khalifi, 29, was arrested while wearing an explosive vest that “had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement and posed no threat to the public.” US officials said the arrest capped a lengthy undercover operation in which the suspect thought he was dealing with members of al-Qaida. El Khalifi also considered as targets a federal building in Alexandria, Virginia, a restaurant and a synagogue. (Reuters, February 17.)

 

CANADIAN JOURNALIST’S ISRAEL REPORTING BIASED—(Toronto) The ombudsman for Radio-Canada, the French-language arm of Canada’s state broadcaster, has denounced journalist Ginette Lamarche’s reporting on Israel as biased and inaccurate. Ombudsman Pierre Tourangeau found that Lamarche used unverified facts and a lack of “diversity of opinion” in her coverage, leading him to overturn Radio-Canada’s earlier dismissal of complaints from Honest Reporting Canada that Lamarche often failed to show balance, impartiality, and accuracy as required by Canadian journalistic standards. (JTA, February 20.)

 

ENVOYS TO FIGHT ISRAEL APARTHEID WEEK ON CAMPUS—(Jerusalem) Israel’s Public Diplomacy Ministry is sending 100 Israelis abroad to represent and defend the state during Israel Apartheid Week. The “Faces of Israel” mission, which leaves this weekend, includes Arabs, artists, experts in national security, gay people, and immigrants from Ethiopia. The participants in the project have undergone several weeks of training in the Ministry, and will visit dozens of college campuses worldwide to battle the “apartheid” label. According Public Diplomacy Minister Yuli Edelstein, “Most of those who hate Israel have the same disease: ignorance.” Accordingly, the mission’s participants were chosen to show that Israel has a diverse society that values equality and human rights. (Jerusalem Post, February 19.)

 

JEWISH GROUPS SLAM ANTI-SEMITISM IN VENEZUELA PRESIDENTIAL RACE—(New York) Jewish groups have condemned Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for anti-Semitic attacks on the opposition’s presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles Radonski. Capriles, the grandson of Holocaust surviviors, was raised Catholic and describes himself as a fervent Catholic despite the fact his maternal grandmother was Jewish. Nonetheless, a column published last week on the website of state-run Venezuela National Radio said Capriles “has a platform opposed to our national and independent interests” and called on citizens to reject “international Zionism” by re-electing Chavez. Likewise, Chavez last week in a televised speech compared Capriles to a pig and accused him of hiding his ideological leanings. The Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center in separate statements called on Chavez and his supporters to refrain from using anti-Semitism as a political tool. (JTA, February 21.)

 

ANNE FRANK BAPTIZED IN MORMON PROXY RITUAL—(New York) According to reports, Anne Frank has been baptized in a Mormon proxy ritual, at least the third Holocaust victim discovered to have been baptized posthumously this month. The ceremony, discovered by Helen Radkey, a former member of the Mormon church who has become a whistleblower on such activity, allegedly took place last weekend in a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in the Dominican Republic. Posthumous baptism, also known as “baptism for the dead,” allows members of the church to stand in for the deceased to offer them a chance to join the movement in the afterlife. Earlier this month, it was discovered that the parents of Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal also were posthumously baptized, and that the names of the father and grandfather of Elie Wiesel had been submitted for the ritual as well. In an interview last week, Wiesel called on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to tell his church to stop performing the practice on Holocaust victims. (JTA, February 22.)

 

AUTHOR WINS $100,000 PRIZE FOR JEWISH HISTORY BOOK—(Jerusalem) The Jewish Book Council has awarded Gal Beckerman the 2012 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for authoring “When They Come for Us We’ll Be Gone,” a history of Jews in the Soviet Union. The Rohr prize, which honors “an author’s potential to make significant contributions to Jewish literature,” comes with a $100,000 award. This year’s runner-up was Abigail Green’s “Moses Montefiore.” (Haaretz, February 16.)

 

NEARLY 3 OF EVERY 4 AMERICANS VIEW ISRAEL FAVORABLY, POLL FINDS—(Washington) According to a recent Gallup poll, Israel is the eighth most-favored country by Americans, with 71 percent of Americans—a three-point increase over last year’s results—viewing Israel favorably. In addition, the poll found that Americans rated Iran as the least favored country, with 87 percent of Americans viewing the Islamic Republic unfavorably. Canada was the most highly favored country at 96 percent. (JTA, February 22.)