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A MESS OF ISRAEL’S OWN MAKING
But Israel has only itself to blame for what happened. Mr. Abbas and his prime minister, Salam Fayyad, have been more moderate, and more open to serious negotiations with Israel, than any Palestinian leaders before. The Palestinian police have co-operated with the Israelis to contain violence in the West Bank. Improving the economy, rather than violent confrontation, has been the Palestinian Authority’s main concern….
Hamas also emerged as the moral victor after the latest military clash. Far from intimidating the Palestinians by bombing Gaza and mobilizing troops, the Israelis made Hamas look heroic in its resistance. Once again, Mr. Abbas looked feeble in comparison. This is why he desperately needed his victory at the UN. The diplomatic promotion of Palestine offered him a lifeline….
Israeli policies are not genocidal, as some commentators, not always free from anti-Semitic animus, like to claim. Many Palestinians have been killed under Israeli rule, but their number is not even close to the number of Muslim civilians who are still being tortured, murdered and maimed by Muslim governments every day. Israel, however, is a semi-imperial power, using traditional colonial methods: ruling by proxy, dividing potential rebels, rewarding obeisance and punishing opposition. (The Globe and Mail, Dec. 04 2012)
[Ian Buruma is professor of democracy, human rights and journalism at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., and the author of Taming the Gods: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents.]
AT ONE WITH ISRAEL: CANADA AND … PALAU?
Canada used to have a Middle East policy. Now, it has an Israel policy….On a scale of Palestinian politics, the Abbas government is as moderate as they come. The Netanyahu government, by contrast, is among the least moderate in Israeli history, reflecting shifts in Israeli public opinion. —Jeffrey Simpson. (The Globe and Mail, Dec. 05 2012)
HILLARY CLINTON AT SABAN FORUM: ISRAEL LACKING IN GENEROSITY AND EMPATHY FOR “OPPRESSED” PALESTINIANS
“So, look, I’m not making excuses for the missed opportunities of the Israelis, or the lack of generosity, the lack of empathy that I think goes hand-in-hand with the suspicion. So, yes, there is more that the Israelis need to do to really demonstrate that they do understand the pain of an oppressed people in their minds, and they want to figure out, within the bounds of security and a Jewish democratic state, what can be accomplished.” —Hillary Clinton at the Saban Forum on U.S.-Israel relations. (Algemeiner, Dec. 1, 2012)
“Today I want to make absolutely clear to [President Assad] and those under his command: The world is watching. The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable. If you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable.” —US President Barack Obama during a speech at the National Defense University in Washington. (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 4, 2012)
“Suffice it to say, we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality [Syrian use of chemical weapons] were to occur.” — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a trip to Prague, (New York Post, Dec. 4, 2012)
“The world watched a defamatory and venomous speech that was full of mendacious propaganda against the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] and the citizens of Israel. Someone who wants peace does not talk in such a manner.…The way to peace between Jerusalem and Ramallah is in direct negotiations, without preconditions, and not in the one-sided UN decisions. By going to the UN, the Palestinians have violated the agreements with Israel and Israel will act accordingly.” —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech to the UN. (National Post, Nov. 30, 2012)
“The root of the conflict is not the settlements; it is the very existence of the State of Israel and the desire to wipe it off the face of the earth. We can anticipate many developments and changes in this evolving Middle East that we face, and some of them are very, very disturbing. Therefore, our top public diplomacy mission is to explain that the root of this conflict is not territorial. It is over our very existence in any borders whatsoever. From 1967 until today, for 45 years, day in, day out, and hour by hour, they [the Palestinians] have been preaching the complete opposite. So certainly the lie has taken root, and there is no way to fight a lie except with the truth. We must tell the truth; it is the only thing that we can do and we must certainly do so.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressing a meeting of the National Public Diplomacy Forum in Israel. (Israel National News, Dec. 5, 2012)
“Well, look, I think Israelis have good grounds to be suspicious….The Palestinians could have had a state as old as I am if they had made the right decision in 1947. They could have had a state if they had worked with my husband and then-Prime Minister Barak at Camp David. They could have had a state if they’d worked with Prime Minister Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni….When Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to a 10-month settlement freeze I flew to Jerusalem.…I said it was unprecedented for any Israeli prime minister to have done that….[yet] we couldn’t get the Palestinians into the conversation until the tenth month. But in the last 20 years, I’ve seen Israeli leaders make an honest, good-faith effort and not be reciprocated in the way that was needed.” — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answering questions at the Saban Forum on U.S.-Israel Relations in Washington D.C. (Algemeiner, Dec. 1, 2012)
“I was actually on an Arab hit list, since when the Arabs see a Jewish shepherd walking in the Land of Israel – that endangers them, and pushes them back. When you have a flock you move beyond fences, and the Arabs understand that when a Jew walks on the Land, he controls the Land. Our roads in Israel aren’t our claim to the Land, it’s our fields.” —Avraham Herzlich, a resident of Samaria, commenting on the theft of his flock of goats by Arabs which he described as "agricultural terrorism." (Jerusalem Post, Dec. 4, 2012)
“I believe this [Canadian] government is more Israeli than the Israelis, more settler than the settlers,” he said “I think they have disqualified themselves from playing any role in the Middle East peace process.” —Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, commenting on Canada’s decision to send Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird to vote and speak at the UN and it’s threats of reprisal measures against the Palestinian Authority. (Globe and Mail, Dec. 1, 2012)
“There is so much danger out there now that many women are scared to leave their homes to get their hair done. Business is not working. Life gets more expensive. We really thought that things would get more stable after we elected a president, but the situation is actually getting worse. I cannot tell you exactly how much this has cost me. I can tell you that if it lasts much longer I will close my business.” — Mohammed Shabasi, a 66-year-old Cairo hairdresser. Summing up the gloom that is gripping Egypt an executive for a luxury hotel overlooking the Nile where the occupancy rate has plunged from 80% to 30% over the past two years said: “It has grown dark and there is no light at the of the tunnel.” (National Post, Dec. 3, 2012)
"We have accepted [our] death, so that Jerusalem will return. We are bombs, friends, when the homeland calls. My heart, with fury, exploded and scattered. The shrapnel of this life flew and the enemies were beheaded. Grieve not, Mother, shed no tears over my torn flesh. Gather [my] bones, Mother, return them to the earth…"—Voice of Palestine radio, the official Palestinian Authority broadcaster, broadcasting a song glorifying suicide bombings targeting Israelis. The song was played on the radio station two days after the PA was granted observer status at the UN. (Palestinian Media Watch, Dec. 5, 2012)
“Maybe the Palestinians got something on paper and morally, but he got something on the ground. Netanyahu is trying to enforce something on the ground and gain the hearts and minds of the Israeli public. It’s a strong message to the Palestinian leadership that Netanyahu is not without cards in his hand.” —Zakaria al-Qaq, professor of national security at Al Quds University and a resident of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. (New York Times, Dec. 2, 2012)
“I have sent warnings to many people who know who they are, who may be committing crimes against the homeland. If anybody tries to derail the transition, I will not allow them.”—Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in an interview with [Egyptian] state television on Thursday night, referring repeatedly to secret information about a “conspiracy” and “real and imminent threats” that he would not disclose. In a speech to supporters that unveiled his new push to seize control of the transition’s end, Mr. Morsi was even more zealous. “To the corrupters who hide under respectable cover, I say, ‘Never imagine that I can’t see you.’ I’m on the lookout for them and will never let them go.” he declared. (New York Times, Dec. 3, 2012)
THE UN’S NPT VOTE —(New York) In yet another anti-Israel vote backed by an overwhelming majority, the UN General Assembly singled out Israel – not Iran or Syria – for supposedly violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In a 174-6 with six abstentions vote, the General Assembly called on Israel Monday to join the NPT “without further delay,” and to open its nuclear facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Glibly calling for a “nuclear-free Middle East” ignores the predicament of Israel, a country built on the ashes of the Holocaust. Israel dismissed [the] a resolution…as a “meaningless mechanical vote” …brought to the General Assembly, and passed overwhelmingly year after year. (Jerusalem Post, Dec. 4, 2012)
U.S. BEARS DOWN ON TURKEY'S GOLD LINK TO IRAN—(Istanbul) Washington and Ankara are on a collision course over Turkey's surging sales of gold to Iran, as the U.S. Congress and Treasury focus on cutting off a trade they believe is emerging as one of Tehran's primary conduits to export natural gas and evade Western sanctions. The Senate on Friday [Nov. 30] approved a measure that would tighten sanctions against Iran, targeting suppliers of materials that could be used to build ships and taking further aim at the country's port and energy businesses. Among other provisions, the new legislation would ban the transfer of precious metals to Iran, including gold. (Wall Street Journal, November 30, 2012)
NATO TO INSTALL MISSILES ON TURKISH/SYRIAN BORDER—(Istanbul) NATO on Tuesday [Nov. 4] agreed to deploy Patriot missiles to the Turkish border to help defend Turkey against threats from Syria. “In response to Turkey's request, NATO has decided to augment Turkey's air defense capabilities in order to defend the population and territory of Turkey,” NATO foreign ministers said in a statement. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said concerns that Syria's beleaguered government might resort to using chemical weapons against the rebels added urgency to the issue. He called any use of chemical weapons “completely unacceptable,” and said it would cause “an immediate reaction.” (Voice of America, December 4th, 2012)
FLOW OF ARMS TO SYRIA THROUGH IRAQ PERSISTS—(Washington) The American effort to stem the flow of Iranian arms to Syria has faltered because of Iraq’s reluctance to inspect aircraft carrying the weapons through its airspace, American officials say. The shipments have persisted at a critical time for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who has come under increasing military pressure from rebel fighters. The air corridor over Iraq has emerged as a main supply route for weapons, including rockets, antitank missiles, rocket-propelled grenade and mortars. (New York Times, December 1, 2012)
ISRAEL’S IRON SHIELD FLASHES WARNING TO IRAN —(Tel Aviv) Israel is close to completing a a missile defence shield that will destroy Iranian ballistic missiles in space or on their launch pads. Israel’s Iron Dome rocket defence system successfully knocked out 421 rockets — an 84% success rate — in a stunning demonstration of its capabilities during the conflict with Gaza last month. It is one part of a multi-tiered missile shield being developed by Israeli scientists that will defend the Jewish state from the vast stockpile of rockets held by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Syria’s armoury of Scuds and SS-21 ballistic missiles. A second defensive system, Magic Wand – known outside Israel as David’s sling –will defend against medium-range missiles. A third tier consists of Arrow-2 and soon to be introduced Arrow-3 – interceptors designed to destroy Iranian long-range ballistic missiles in space before they re-enter the atmosphere. (The Sunday Times, Dec. 2, 2012)
EGYPT'S MURSI: NEW POWERS MEANT TO STOP 'WEEVILS'— (Cairo) Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi’s decision to assume sweeping powers caused fury amongst his opponents and prompted violent clashes in central Cairo and other cities on Tuesday [Nov. 21] Police fired tear gas near Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where thousands demanded Mursi quit and accused him of launching a “coup”. Angry youth hurled rocks at security forces and burned a police truck. Mr. Mursi’s speech came while thousands of opponents and supporters also clashed in the streets over the decree that critics fear allows him to be a virtual dictator. “Political stability, social stability and economic stability are what I want and that is what I am working for. There are weevils [from Mubarak’s regime], eating away at Egypt’s nation,” Mr. Mursi said, accusing some judges of planning to disband the upper house of parliament. (Globe and Mail, Nov.23, 2012)
EGYPT'S DRAFT CONSTITUTION APPROVED BY ISLAMIST-DOMINATED ASSEMBLY— (Cairo) Islamists have approved a draft constitution for Egypt without the participation of liberal and Christian members. [They were] seeking to pre-empt a court ruling that could dissolve their panel with a rushed, marathon vote that further inflamed the conflict between the opposition and the president, Mohamed Morsi. The vote by the constituent assembly advanced a charter with an Islamist bent that rights experts say could give Muslim clerics oversight over legislation and bring restrictions on freedom of speech, women's rights, the press and other liberties. (The Guardian, Nov. 30, 2012)
MEGA-DEAL TO PUT ISRAELI-MADE SOFTWARE ON CASH REGISTERS WORLDWIDE— (Tel Aviv) The past week has seen one of this year’s biggest buyouts of an Israeli company by a large multinational: NCR, which makes checkout systems for retail, automated teller machines, cash dispensers and the like, bought Israel-based Retalix, a provider of retail software and services, in a deal valued at about $650 million. Retalix was already the world’s leading point-of-sale software company in this field. In 2011, Retalix was ranked among the top four software vendors for grocery retailers and among the top 10 large software vendors to retailers by retail industry publications. Now that it is joining forces with NCR, its systems will soon go worldwide (Times of Israel, Dec. 3, 2012)
ISRAELI RESEARCHERS USE RUST TO STORE SOLAR ENERGY — (Tel Aviv) Using the power of the sun and ultrathin films of iron oxide (commonly known as rust), researchers at the Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology, have found a novel way to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The breakthrough, published this week in the scientific journal Nature Materials, could lead to less expensive, more efficient ways to store solar energy in the form of hydrogen-based fuels. This could be a major step forward in the development of viable replacements for fossil fuels. “Our approach is the first of its kind,” says lead researcher, Associate Professor Avner Rothschild, of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. “We have found a way to trap light in ultrathin films of iron oxide that are 5,000 times thinner than office paper. This enables achieving high solar energy conversion efficiency and low materials and production costs.”
ISRAEL TO BUILD 3,000 HOMES TO RETALIATE FOR PALESTINIAN UN BID—(Jerusalem) Israel is to build 3,000 new settler homes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank after the Palestinians won recognition as a non-member state at the United Nations, an Israeli official said on Friday [Nov. 30]. Asked if he could confirm a report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had decided to build the 3,000 units in response to the Palestinians success at the UN, he said: “It’s true – in (east) Jerusalem and the West Bank,” Some of the homes would be built in [area] E1, an area of the West Bank which links annexed east Jerusalem with the Maaleh Adumim settlement. (Globe and Mail, Nov. 30, 2012)
PA Radio Song Praises Suicide Bombings Against Israelis: Palestinian Media Watch, Dec. 5, 12— "We are bombs when the homeland calls…We strapped ourselves with explosives…and praised Him [Allah] for the Martyrdom"
The New Middle East’s New Problems: Joschka Fischer, Project Syndicate, Dec. 5, 12 —The political epicenter of this troubled region has shifted from the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians toward the Persian Gulf and the struggle for regional mastery between Iran on one side and Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and now Egypt on the other. In the emerging struggle between the region’s Shia and Sunni powers, the old Middle East conflict has become a sideshow.
A Scientist's Nazi-Era Past Haunts Prestigious Space Prize: Lucette Lagnado, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 1, 2012 —Every year since 1963, the Space Medicine Association has given out the Hubertus Strughold Award to a top scientist or clinician for outstanding work in aviation medicine. Dr. Strughold, a former scientist for the Third Reich, was listed as one of 13 "persons, firms or organizations implicated" in some notorious Dachau concentration camp experiments, according to a 1946 memo by the staff of the Nuremberg Trials.
The Gaza Operation: Less a War than an Anti-Iran Coup: DEBKAfile, November 28, 2012—The eight-day Gaza duel between Israel and Hamas was the showcase. Behind it, a coup went forward… whose aim was to abort the military ties Tehran was cultivating with Hamas before the Gaza Strip is grabbed as Iran’s springboard to Cairo.
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