Contents:Weekly Quotes|Short Takes|On Topic
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Clarifying the Misconceptions
“The challenge we have to face is the new shape of old anti-Semitism, a new system of legitimacy to express anti-Semitism that revolves around hatred of Israel and anti-Zionism,” — French-Jewish intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy speaking at a conference on the future of the Jewish people organized by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI). “For the moment they don’t have the means to wage total war; maybe they will never have it. But when you listen to Hamas, to Hassan Nasrallah, to the men in power in Tehran including the so-called moderates such as Rafsanjani, the words they speak have to be considered as a plan for a form of total war,” Lévy suggested. (Jerusalem Post, October 31, 2012)
“[I]f something were to happen to Israel, this democracy that protects everyone, the whole Middle East would be doomed….Arab members of Knesset are setting a fire. They feed off of the politics of division and don’t represent the Arab public. All the bad things they say about Israel and its supposed ill-treatment of Arabs is a lie, a bald-faced lie,” — Aatef Karinaoui a 42-year-old resident of the Bedouin city of Rahat in the Negev and who formed the first pro-Israel Arab party, El Amal Lat’gir — “Hope for Change” in Arabic— to run in the Knesset elections on January 22, 2013. “We want to prove that we are loyal and faithful citizens. I’m a proud Arab and a proud Israeli too. I’m not Palestinian.… Look at Syria. Look at Egypt, look at Libya, look at Tunisia, and look at Bahrain: the problem is not Israel, it’s the Arabs.” (Times of Israel, October 30, 2012)
"Our land was conquered and it is not disputed territory and this is true of all of the land that Israel conquered before June 1967." — PA President Mahmoud Abbas in an open letter…to the residents of Gaza. "The recognition of [the State of Palestine at the UN] will not free the ground the next day, but it will prove our just cause that our land is occupied and not disputed territory, and this is true in regards to all of the territories Israel occupied before June 1967." (Israel National News, October 23, 2012)
“There is also of course the risk of Hezbollah in Lebanon who are said to have 40,000 rockets attacking population centers in Israel, but personally I don’t rate that very high because the Iranians and Hezbollah know that these days, the Israelis don’t practice an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, they practice 10 eyes for an eye and 10 teeth for a tooth,” — Peter Jenkins, a former [British] ambassador to the International Atomic Agency and to the US. “The idea that a just war requires the use of force to be proportionate seems to be a Christian notion and not a Jewish notion.” Jon Benjamin, chief executive of the Board of Deputies [of British Jews] in response to Mr Jenkins said, “Mr. Jenkins’ comments rather give him away. Apart from the view that Israel’s response to attacks on its citizens is disproportionate, which shows a lack of understanding of the existential threat facing Israelis, he clearly sees Jews as having different moral compass that is irreconcilable with the Christian West. This is grossly offensive and palpable nonsense,”
(Jerusalem Post, October 31, 2012)
“Mr. Falk’s comments are both offensive and extremely unhelpful,” — Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, [John] Baird in condemning the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Richard Falk’s call for a boycott of companies doing business with Israel. “I wish this was the first time he has made such comments, or taken such actions, but it’s not. I think when people make these type of outrageous statements, they’ve got to be condemned. There’s a pattern here obviously that causes us great concern.” (National Post, October 26, 2012)
“It’s our view that there can be entirely valid, legitimate criticism of the policies of an Israeli government, but those efforts to single out the only Jewish country in the world for particular unfair treatment or to target it, that sometimes becomes very worrisome as to what’s really behind this,” — [Canadian Immigration Minister Jason] Kenney also responding to Richard Falk’s report. “I think there is an imbalance [at the UN Human Rights Council] that is very problematic and that I and the prime minister have identified as something that does not reflect the best values of human dignity,” Kenney added. “I believe that the Jewish people have a right to a homeland, that those who say that the Jews alone don’t have a right to a homeland have a lot of explaining to do.” (National Post, October 26, 2012)
“The one who assassinated Wissam al-Hassan is as clear as the light of day,” — Lebanese Sunni leader Saad Hariri to Future television network, saying that he held Syrian President Bashar alAssad responsible for the killing [of Maj. Gen Wissam al-Hassan, who headed the Information Department of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces]. “There will be repercussions, they will be severe, and I’m afraid the Sunni community will not accept this,” — Hilal Khashan, professor of political science at the American University of Beirut.(Washington Post, October 20, 2012)
“Syria is now open to all fighters, and Al Qaeda is playing on the chords of sectarianism, which will spur reactions from the Shiites, as happened in Iraq,” — Ihsan al-Shammari, an analyst and professor at Baghdad University’s College of Political Science. “My biggest fear from the Syrian crisis is the repercussions for Iraq, where the ashes of sectarian violence still exist.” (New York Times, October 27, 2012)
“I can tell that things are going to be crazy in Syria. It’s a sectarian war, and it’s even worse than the one we had here, which was between the militias and the political parties. In Syria, all of the people are involved. You can feel the hatred between the Sunnis and the Alawites. They will do anything to get rid of each other.” — Abu Sajad, a former fighter in Mr. Sadr’s Mahdi Army in Iraq, who moved to Damascus in 2008 and joined the fight after the [Syrian] rebellion began and who has since returned to Iraq. (New York Times, October 27, 2012)
“We render homage to a man of exceptional values, a hero that represents for always, in all circumstances, a model and a source of inspiration for all Montrealers.” — Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay in bestowing the posthumous title of Citizen of Montreal on Raoul Wallenburg in the year that he would have turned 100 years old. (Montreal Gazette, October 26, 2012)
“For indeed, Lebanon is under Iranian occupation. Hezbollah’s doctrine and its leaders’ statements identify the party as being part of “The Nation” rather than Lebanon. Also, Hezbollah does not hide the fact that it is an integral part of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Furthermore, the party is financed and armed by Iran, and unequivocally and unashamedly proclaims that it takes its orders from Iran’s Supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution. Moreover, the Lebanese state has no free access to the zone occupied by the Iranian militia, and the Lebanese air force is barred from flying in the area under the threat of being shot down. Hezbollah does not act as a Lebanese entity but as an Iranian militia staffed by Lebanese nationals.” — Carlos Eddé, head of the Lebanese National Bloc. “Therefore, if foreign occupation and violation of border integrity justify the right to bear arms, to be organized in an armed resistance movement and to be entitled to decide without consideration for anyone how, when and where to make use of these weapons, by the same logic, other groups may or should organize themselves into “resistances” to defend Lebanon from the attacks by the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Furthermore, maybe resistance organizations should be necessary to liberate Lebanon from Iranian occupation.” (Now Lebanon, October 29, 2012)
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NEW PROJECTION OF ELECTION RESULTS: ROMNEY 52, OBAMA 47 — (Washington)
The bipartisan Battleground Poll… is projecting that Mitt Romney will defeat President Obama 52 percent to 47 percent. The poll (taken before the recent East Coast storm) also found that Romney has an even greater advantage among middle class voters, 52 percent to 45 percent. While Obama can close the gap with a strong voter turnout effort, “reports from the field would indicate that not to be the case, and Mitt Romney may well be heading to a decisive victory,” says pollster Ed Goeas. The poll’s election model takes into account variables including voter intensity, age, and education, and voters who are certain in their vote. The race “remains very close in the surface,” Goeas said, “but the political environment and the composition of the likely electorate favor Governor Romney.” (Weekly Standard, October 29, 2012)
ISRAEL CAUGHT BETWEEN EU, RUSSIAN BIDS FOR GAS DEAL — (Tel Aviv) Israel’s recent discovery of massive natural gas deposits off its coast promises to be a windfall that will soon transform the nation and its place in the region, but the effort to quickly develop the infrastructure needed to get that gas to foreign markets has drawn Jerusalem into a diplomatic tug-of-war between the power blocs of Europe, Russia and China.…Israeli officials are involved in negotiations with regional partners Cyprus and Greece to decide which of these foreign powers will be brought in to help extract the vast amounts of natural gas and what markets the gas will eventually reach, with the likely winners being the European Union and China. (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 28, 2012)
250 BILLION BARRELS OF POTENTIALLY RECOVERABLE SHALE OIL — (Jerusalem)
Following the discovery of the Tamar and Leviathan mega-fields in the Mediterranean — the largest natural gas finds in over a decade — geologists have more recently announced preliminary findings that indicate the presence of vast amounts of petroleum trapped in rock layers beneath the Holy Land. The World Energy Council has issued a preliminary estimate that Israel might contain as much as 250 billion barrels of potentially recoverable shale oil, the third largest such reserves in the world behind the US and China, putting Israel on a par with Saudi Arabia in terms of its potential oil reserves. Analysts have speculated that if the gas and oil finds pan out as expected, Israel’s current array of allies, trading partners and enemies could drastically change, as could the geo-strategic map of the entire region. (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 28, 2012)
PA STATEHOOD BID A ‘POLITICAL SUICIDE’ — (Herzliya) According to Middle East expert Dr. Guy Bechor, the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral [statehood] bid to the United Nations is a political suicide. Dr. Bechor noted that the United States has warned Abbas that going ahead with the unilateral initiative would result in the closing of the PLO office in the U.S., the end of American funding to the PA and that he will be considered persona non grata in the U.S. Abbas has also been warned of harsh Israeli measures as a result of the UN bid, such as curbing the flow of funds to the PA, a move which would mean the end of the PA financially. [T]he U.S. informed the United Nations that there is a law that prohibits the U.S. from funding international organizations which recognize a Palestinian state, and that if the UN recognizes ‘Palestine’ it will no longer receive funds from the U.S., similar to what happened when UNESCO recognized ‘Palestine’. “It is well known that the Palestinians commit suicide every few years, but this time they can take the United Nations with them," he said. (Arutz Sheva, October 31, 2012)
REMAINING JEWS IN GONDAR TO BE BROUGHT TO ISRAEL — (Jerusalem) All eligible Ethiopian Jews now residing in the Jewish Agency camp of Gondar will be flown to Israel by Rosh Hashanah next year (Sept. 4) and the camp will be closed, a Jewish Agency representative said on Friday. These immigrants, termed Falash Mura, are descended from Jews who converted to Christianity under pressure from missionaries during the 19th and 20th centuries, and in recent years have returned to Judaism. A plane carrying 238 Ethiopian Jews from Gondar is scheduled to arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Monday, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to greet the new immigrants at the airport. (Israel Hayom, October 28, 2012)
IRAQI SECTS JOIN BATTLE IN SYRIA ON BOTH SIDES — (Baghdad) Militant Sunnis from Iraq have been going to Syria to fight against President Bashar al-Assad for months. Now Iraqi Shiites are joining the battle in increasing numbers, but on the government’s side, transplanting Iraq’s explosive sectarian conflict to a civil war that is increasingly fueled by religious rivalry. Some Iraqi Shiites are traveling to Tehran first, where the Iranian government, Syria’s chief regional ally, is flying them to Damascus, Syria’s capital. Others take tour buses from the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq, on the pretext of making a pilgrimage to an important Shiite shrine in Damascus that for months has been protected by armed Iraqis. While the buses do carry pilgrims, Iraqi Shiite leaders say, they are also ferrying weapons, supplies and fighters to aid the Syrian government. (New York Times, October 27, 2012)
EUROPEAN NGOS SEEKING BAN ON TRADE WITH ISRAELI SETTLERS —(Brussels)
Though Europeans enjoy the import of many products from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, a new effort on the part of a group of 22 European NGOs may put an end to the trade, in the name of supporting Palestinians. Der Spiegel reported that Israel’s government records an estimated €230 million ($298 million) in produce, toys, textiles and cosmetics exported to the EU yearly from Judea and Samaria — approximately 2% of all its exports to Europe, despite a European Court of Justice ruling in 2010 excluding Jewish products from Judea and Samaria from the EU’s international customs cooperation agreements. The new group seeking to boycott Jewish products from Judea and Samaria is pushing to require all producers from the area to label their products, so that the EU can deny them entry. (Jewish Press, October 31, 2012),
PALESTINIAN REPORTER ASMAA AL-GHOUL AIMS TO REMAIN A THORN IN HAMAS’ SIDE —(Tel Aviv) A secular, feminist Palestinian journalist, Asmaa al-Ghoul, 30, has been harassed by Hamas. She's also been beaten and arrested by Hamas police for protesting its Islamist policies and suppression of human rights. A vocal advocate of democratic reform in Gaza, she says that Hamas’ repressive policies hinder the national aspirations of Palestinians and peace with Israel. “I believe in peace. I hate war, and as a writer I cannot deal with war and revenge and blood. I don’t want to see people die again. Why should you hate the other?” Reporters Without Borders in its file on the Palestinian territories says that “journalists condemning Hamas policy remain targets for intimidation, assault, unfair arrest and abusive imprisonment.” (JTA, October 31, 2012)
UN TO CENSURE ISRAEL FOR SPLINTERS, STUBBED TOES —(Geneva, Switzerland) Arab nations have brought a resolution to the United Nations Security Council that denounces Israel for perpetrating stubbed toes and splinter injuries throughout the Middle East, in violation of international law. With the Palestinian Authority seeking yet again to establish itself as a non-member observer state some time during the coming year, Draft Resolution 4761 adds tension to an already volatile Arab-Israeli dynamic. In the proposed resolution’s current language, the Council “condemns Israel for continued victimization of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and in neighboring countries through the nefarious use of splinters and stubbed toes. The United Nations calls upon Israel to meet its obligations under international law and previous UN resolutions, and to cease causing injury to the innocent toes and fingers of oppressed minorities.” (Elder of Ziyon, October 30, 2012)
EGYPT BEGINS QUESTIONING 'NASR TERROR CELL' SUSPECTS — (Cairo) Security officials in Egypt began to interrogate eight men suspected of belonging to a terrorist cell in Nasr City, the Egyptian media reported. The suspects are accused of possessing weapons and plotting to assassinate public figures with the aim of overthrowing Egypt's government. Egyptian police killed one terror suspect and arrested eight others during a raid last Wednesday on an apartment in Nasr City, east of Cairo. Security forces suspect that the alleged terrorist cell planned to attack Egypt's interior ministry in Cairo and to assassinate political figures….(Jerusalem Post, October 31, 2012) (Top of Page)
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'A Defeat for Peace Now' : Gil Ronen, Israel National News, October 31, 2012
Nationalist land dealer Moshe Zar hailed the State Attorney's Office (SAO) reply to a High Court motion, in which the SAO said that radical leftist group Peace Now does not represent real-life Arabs when it files motions against Jewish outposts in Judea and Samaria.
Why Did Obama Refuse to Send Air Support?: Jed Babbin, American Spectator, October 31, 2012
What more does anyone need to know than that Americans are under attack before ordering a military response to suppress the attack and possibly rescue our people? Even if the initial response isn't exactly what you'd want it to be, even if you don't have every asset available that you might in a perfect world, isn't it your duty to do everything you can as quickly as you can?
Muslim Persecution of Christians: September, 2012: Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute, October 31, 2012
After Friday prayers, Muslims attacked, killed, and robbed the Christians in their midst, who account for a miniscule 1.5% of Pakistan's population. St. Paul's Church in Mardan was attacked by hundreds of Muslims armed with clubs and sticks. After looting and desecrating the church, they set it on fire
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