Contents: Weekly Quotes | Short Takes
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'PA Promotes Hatred, Terror Towards Israelis, Jews': Sam Sokol, Jerusalem Post, Feb. 6, 2013
Argentina-Iran Deal Makes a Mockery of Justice: Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, Jan. 30, 2013
How Water Became a Weapon in Arab-Israeli Conflict: Yochanan Visser, Jerusalem Post, Feb.3, 2013
"It is rather quaint to be lectured about settlements from the representative of a country which has ethnically cleansed the northern part of Cyprus and illegally settled 200,000 Turks in that territory."—an Israeli official, on Monday in response to yet another anti-Israel tirade by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who said that, “Israel has now been rendered by the international community a ‘pariah’ status for its expanding illegal settlements.” Turkey's leaders have become the "laughingstock of the international community with their self-righteous discourse," said the official, accusing Turkish leaders of “brazen hypocrisy.” (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 5, 2013)
"The attack in Burgas was only one of a series of recent terrorist operations against civilians in Thailand, Kenya, Turkey, India, Azerbaijan, Cyprus and Georgia. All this is happening in parallel to the deadly support given by Hizbullah and Iran to the murderous Assad regime in Syria. The attack in Burgas was an attack on European soil against a member country of the EU. We hope that the Europeans draw the necessary conclusions as to the true character of Hizbullah."—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement in response to the Bulgarian government's announcement placing blame on Hizbollah for the terrorist bombing in Burgas. (Israel Prime Minister's Office, Feb. 5, 2013)
“If they [Muslims] had gotten rid of the punishment [often death] for apostasy, Islam would not exist today.” —Yusuf al-Qaradawi, head of the Muslim Brotherhood and one of the most respected leaders of the Sunni world, recently on Egyptian television. (Gatestone Institute, Feb 5, 2013)
"The idea of establishing a 'truth commission' on the AMIA tragedy that involves the Iranian regime would be like asking Nazi Germany to help establish the facts of Kristallnacht," —David Harris, American Jewish Committee, commenting on a deal struck between Argentina and Iran to jointly investigate a 1994 terrorist attack against the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which according to Argentine prosecutors and Interpol was masterminded by top Iranian officials. (Miami Herald, Jan. 30, 2013)
“I could not agree more with the decision of the Israeli government to withdraw from this particularly disgraceful UN body [UN Human Rights Council]. I find it appalling and hypocritical in the extreme that the Council's "fact-finding mission" report would dare call for sanctions against Israel, even as they routinely ignore the grossest human rights violations of many of its member states, half of whom deserve to be investigated well before Israel.”— Nachman Shai, a member of Israel's Knesset for the Labor Party. (Ha'aretz, Feb. 1, 2013)
“The Palestinian Authority continues to promote incitement… and a culture of hate, terror, and non-acceptance toward Israelis and Jews. The Palestinians have a full system of indoctrination, including government-sponsored television programs, PA youth magazines and summer camps.”—Yosef Kuperwasser, the deputy director-general of the Strategic Affairs Ministry, presenting Israel’s response to an American-funded study that asserted that instances of demonization and dehumanization of Jews in Palestinian school books are “rare.” (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 6, 2013)
“There’s an unexplained feeling in our hearts, an overwhelming excitement, emotionally and spiritually. For over 2,000 years, we have been waiting for this moment. We know that we are the hopes of many generations. We are the ones who have the privilege of finally stepping foot back in the Land of Israel.”—Ephraim Manlun, a recently arrived member of the B’nei Menashe community from northeast India who came on the first flight of a renewed wave of aliya for this ancient Israelite tribe. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 4, 2013)
“The continuation of conflict, and the differences among the various political groups on the management of the country’s affairs, may lead to the collapse of the [Egyptian] state.” —Egyptian Gen. Al Sisi, in comments posted to the [Egyptian] military’s Facebook page, in response to the ongoing violence that has resulted in at least 60 people killed during protests against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. The General added that the violence and political deadlock “threaten the future of coming generations.” (Globe and Mail, Jan. 30, 2013)
“What is happening now in Egypt is natural in nations experiencing a shift to democracy. Nations take time to stabilize and in some countries that took many years. It has only been two years in Egypt and, God willing, things will stabilize soon.”—Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to reporters during a brief visit to Germany on Wednesday.[Jan. 30] (Washington Post, Jan. 31, 2013)
"There is no question when you start passing MANPADs [anti-aircraft missiles that can be carried by a single person] around, that becomes a threat—not just to military aircraft but to civilian aircraft. That is an escalation." —Leon Panetta, outgoing U.S. Defence Secretary to The Wall Street Journal commenting on the recent interception of a boat off the coast of Yemen carrying MANPADs said to have been supplied by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 2, 2013)
“The report disregards the thousands of suicide bombings, knifings, and other terrorist attacks committed by Palestinian Arab groups, failing to acknowledge how this violence brought about Israeli security measures in the territories that did not previously exist. The reality is that the HRC’s fact-finding enterprise is dedicated chiefly to attacking but one country: Israel. In the entire history of the HRC, there have been seven one-sided inquiry missions on Israel, and only five on the rest of the world combined. Mass atrocities committed by Iran, China, or Sri Lanka, for example, have never been subjected to a single HRC inquiry. In a week when the UN legitimized genocidal Sudan, by electing the regime as vice-president of a top human rights body, it is now focusing its scarce time, resources and moral outrage on yet another biased, politicized and one-sided report against Israel.”—Hillel Neuer, UN Watch executive director, commenting on the UN Human Right’s Council recent report which said that Israel was violating international humanitarian law under the Fourth Geneva Convention and that Israeli settlements are “a mesh of construction and infrastructure leading to a creeping annexation that prevents the establishment of a contiguous and viable Palestinian State and undermines the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.” (National Post, Jan 31, 2013)
“a kind of weapon for the Palestinians.”—Christine Chanet, a French judge and head of the UN panel behind the UN Human Rights Council report on Israel, characterizing a possible use that could be made of the report by the Palestinians if they decide to take Israel to the International Criminal Court, as they have repeatedly threatened to do. (National Post, Jan 31, 2013)
“Israel’s preference would be if a Western entity would control these weapons systems. But because it appears the world is not prepared to do what was done in Libya or other places, then Israel finds itself, like it has many times in the past, facing a dilemma that only it knows how to respond to.”—Tzachi Hanegbi, incoming Israeli Member of Knesset close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (National Post, Jan. 31, 2013)
“America keeps silent. The way we see it as Arabs: If you are silent, then you are agreeing with what is happening.”—Abdulkader al-Saleh, leader of the military wing of Al Tawhid, the largest antigovernment fighting group operating in and near Syria’s most populous city, Aleppo .
“All the world has abandoned us. If the revolution lasts for another year, you’ll see all the Syrian people like Al Qaeda; all the people will be like Al Qaeda.”—Abdel-Aziz Salameh, Al Tawhid’s political leader. (New York Times, Feb. 2, 2013)
“I don’t expect any serious strategic repercussions. There’s very little sympathy in the region for Syria and Iran, and I don’t think they’ll get any traction by escalating the conflict. Hezbollah is not going to retaliate either, and that would’ve been the easiest way for Syria to bring pressure on Israel.”—Gary Gambill, associate fellow at the Middle East Forum, commenting on recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria.
“Syria is in such a bad state right now that an Israeli retaliation to a Syrian action would be harsh and could topple the regime. Therefore Syria is not responding.”—Moshe Maoz, a professor emeritus who specializes in Syria at Hebrew University.
“There’s a huge imbalance of power, obviously in favour of the Israelis. It’s not a war Syria could win and it knows that.”—Bessma Momani, political science professor at the University of Waterloo and fellow at the Brookings Institution. (National Post, Feb. 1, 2013)
“While the world is discussing where and when the next meeting with Iran will be, Iran is rapidly advancing towards obtaining a nuclear bomb. The international community cannot allow Iran to arm itself with a nuclear weapon.”—a senior official from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in response to Iran’s announcement that it was planning to increase its uranium enrichment. (National Post, Feb. 1, 2013)
BULGARIA: HEZBOLLAH BEHIND BOMBING THAT KILLED FIVE ISRAELIS—(Sofia) After 7-month probe, Bulgarian interior minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, announced Tuesday [Feb 5] that two Hezbollah terrorists were involved in the Burgas suicide bombing of a bus transporting Israeli tourists from airport. "We have established that the two were members of the militant wing of Hezbollah," Tsvetanov said. "There is data showing the financing and connection between Hezbollah and the two suspects." The conclusions of the Bulgarian investigation may open the way for the European Union to join the United States in branding the Iranian-backed Hezbollah a terrorist organization since there is now a clear connection to an attack on EU territory.(Jerusalem Post, Feb. 5, 2013)
NGO MONITOR: FOREIGN GOVERNEMTS FUNDING ISRAELI NGOS—(Jerusalem) Jerusalem-based research institute NGO Monitor released a report analyzing submissions made by NGOs to the Israeli registrar of non-profits in Israel in 2012, as legislated under the NGO Transparency law. The reports for 2012 show that a total amount of 34,355,579 NIS ($9,161,000 CA) annually is being provided to 30 NGOs from a number of foreign governments. NGO Monitor highlights in our analysis the use of foreign government money to fund political advocacy NGOs based in Israel. As of January 27, 2013, 13 political advocacy NGOs reported grants from foreign governments totaling 21,671,115 NIS, these groups include B’Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, Gisha, and Yesh Din. (NGO Monitor, Feb. 4, 2013)
OBAMA TO VISIT ISRAEL ON PASSOVER EVE TO PUSH PEACE—(Jerusalem) President Barack Obama is planning to visit Israel, the PA and Jordan this spring, probably in March, the White House said yesterday, hinting at a new American effort to restart Israel-Palestinian peace efforts. Israel’s Channel 10 News cited a source in Washington that said the president will visit Jerusalem on March 20th—the week just before Pesach. (Jewish Press, Feb. 6, 2013)
HUNGARY ORDERS HOLOCAUST DENIER TO VISIT AUSCHWITZ—(Budapest) A court in Hungary ordered a Holocaust denier to serve a most unconventional punishment. He was instructed to visit either the Budapest Holocaust memorial center, the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp or the Yad Vashem memorial in Israel. Gyorgy Nagy, a 42-year-old unemployed computer technician, is the first Hungarian convicted under the country’s Holocaust denial law, which came into effect in February 2010. Nagy was arrested at a political rally in Budapest in 2011 when the local police read on the banner he was holding: “The Shoah didn’t happen.” The court also gave him an 18- month suspended jail sentence. If Nagy chooses to visit the local Holocaust memorial center, he will have to visit the place three times, and write down his thoughts and observations after his visits in order to complete his sentence. Holocaust denial is a crime in Hungary punishable by a maximum three-year sentence.(Jerusalem Post, Feb. 3, 2013)
ISRAELIS UNHAPPY WITH STUDY OF THEIR TEXTBOOKS—(Jerusalem) A [US] State Department-funded study to be released Monday [Feb 4] on how Israelis and Palestinians depict each other in textbooks says both sides are locked into narratives that portray the other side as the enemy and erase it from maps, yet do not dehumanize each other. The study was boycotted by Israel's Education Ministry, which refused to cooperate. The ministry called the study biased and said it was based on a false comparison between the Israeli and Palestinian school systems. Passages related to peace were extremely rare in Palestinian books, present in only 2% of those examined. Such passages were present in 25% of the books used in Israeli public schools. (Washington Post, Feb. 3, 2013)
EGYPT’S DIESEL RESERVE ONLY ENOUGH FOR THREE DAYS — (Cairo) Egypt’s strategic reserve of diesel fuel — used for trucks and group transport vehicles — can meet demand only for three days, according to an official at the Ministry of Supply and Domestic Trade, who added that the shortage would be resolved soon. “Though the strategic reserve of diesel fuel has dropped from five days to three days, it has helped curb the […] crisis,” Magdy Wasfy, director of the ministry’s subsidy department, told state-run news agency MENA on Tuesday. Since the January 2011 uprising, Egypt has suffered chronic fuel shortages, resulting in long lines of vehicles outside oil stations. (Egypt Independent, February 5, 2013)
IRAN'S AHMADINEJAD LANDS IN EGYPT ON HISTORIC VISIT—(Cairo) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Egypt on Tuesday on the first trip by an Iranian head of state since the 1979 revolution, underlining the thaw in relations since Egyptians elected an Islamist head of state. President Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood politician elected in June, kissed Ahmadinejad as he disembarked from his plane at Cairo airport. The leaders walked down a red carpet, Ahmadinejad smiling as he shook hands with waiting dignitaries. .(Jerusalem Post, Feb. 5, 2013)
ALEPPO EXECUTIONS: SEVENTY-NINE BODIES PULLED FROM SYRIA RIVER—(Aleppo)At least seventy-nine Syrian men and teenage boys, each with a single bullet hole to the head, have been found dead in a river in Aleppo in the biggest mass execution of the country’s two-year civil war. It was impossible to be certain who was responsible for their deaths. But those identified, at least half the total by nightfall, were from rebel-held districts, and locals blamed government checkpoints on the other side of the river. Most of them were young men, some dressed in military fatigues, and others in civilian clothes. The corpses of two young boys, no older than 11 and 15, were among the dead. (The Telegraph, Jan. 29, 2013)
SEPARATE CARS FOR WOMEN ON TRAINS STARTING WEDNESDAY —(Cairo) The Egyptian Railways Authority is set to enforce women’s-only train cars on several popular routes to and from the capital starting Wednesday. [Feb 6] The move is part of its efforts to curb sexual harassment, which is rampant across the country. Egyptian women are already afforded private metro cars in Cairo, which comprise the only public transportation that separates genders. In 2008, an Egyptian court dismissed a lawsuit filed by two lawyers demanding the end of women’s-only cars on the grounds that separating the sexes violates gender equality. The court ruled that allocating cars to women did not fall under its jurisdiction and added that Islamic law emphasizes respect for women, which obligates the state to protect them. (Egypt Independent, Feb. 5, 2013)
NAZI PLUNDER TRIGGERS FUROR ART DEALER’S ANCESTORS FIGHT FOR MASTERPIECES—(Berlin) The heir to a prominent Jewish art dealer who fled Adolf Hitler’s Germany urged the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to relinquish paintings by Paul Klee and Juan Gris that he says were lost due to Nazi persecution. Alfred Flechtheim was one of the earliest collectors of Pablo Picasso in Germany and among the best-known art dealers in Europe before the Second World War, representing Klee, George Grosz and Max Beckmann as well as the French Cubists. His great-nephew Mike Hulton, a medical doctor based in California, first contacted the Dusseldorf museum that houses the two works in 2008. (Bloomberg News, Jan. 29, 2013)
IRAN PLANS TO VASTLY INCREASE PACE OF URANIUM ENRICHMENT—(Vienna) In a defiant move ahead of nuclear talks, Iran has announced plans to vastly increase its pace of uranium enrichment, which can make both reactor fuel and the fissile core of warheads. Eager to avoid scuttling those negotiations, world powers are keeping their response low-key. Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency of its intentions last week, and the IAEA informed member nations in an internal note seen by The Associated Press on Thursday. The brief note quoted Iran as saying new-generation IR2m “centrifuge machines …will be used” to populate a new “unit” – a technical term for an assembly that can consist of as many as 3,132 centrifuges. (National Post, Jan 31, 2013)
EXHIBITION DETAILS HITLER’S RISE—(Berlin) On the 80th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to always fight for their principles and not fall into the complacency that enabled the Nazi dictator to seize control. Opening the exhibition Berlin 1933 – The Road to Dictatorship at the documentation centre Topography of Terror, on the former grounds of the SS and Gestapo headquarters in Berlin, the chancellor, Angela Merkel, said the rise of Hitler had been made possible because "the majority had, at the very best, behaved with indifference. The co-operation of the German elite and broad swaths of society" had allowed it, she said, speaking almost precisely to the minute that Paul Hindenburg, then the president of the Reich, had sworn Hitler in as chancellor eight decades before. (The Guardian, Jan. 31, 2013)
CANADIAN EXTREMISTS MORE LIKELY HOMEGROWN: 'SECRET' CSIS REPORT—(Ottawa) Violent Canadian extremists are more likely to be citizens than immigrants, according to a “secret” study by the federal intelligence service. And these radicals tend to be relatively young and well-integrated members of society. These findings appear in “A Study of Radicalization: The Making of Islamist Extremists in Canada Today,” a 21-page study released to The Globe and Mail under the Access to Information Act. Canadian-born radicals now “represent a plurality” of those identified as violent extremists. In fact, none of the radicals studied by CSIS were “assessed to be poorly integrated into Canadian society.” It adds that “the low incidence of refugee claimants would suggest that immigration trauma is not a significant driver for radicalization in Canada.” (The Globe and Mail Feb. 2 2013)
RABBI MARTIN PENN PASSES AWAY AT SIXTY-THREE. —(Montreal) CIJR notes with sadness the passing of Rabbi Martin Penn, in Montreal, on Monday, 21 January 2013, at age sixty-three. Rabbi Penn was one of the leader's of Montreal's Free Soviet Jewry movement, and at his passing he was co-rabbi of Congregation Shomrim Laboker. A fine scholar and religious leader, Rabbi Penn first fought back after a debilitating stroke, and then valiantly struggled against cancer. "May his memory forever be a blessing", Yish hassid v'zadik.
'PA Promotes Hatred, Terror Towards Israelis, Jews': Sam Sokol, Jerusalem Post, Feb. 6, 2013—Israel attacks study comparing Palestinian and Israeli textbooks, while Washington tries to distance itself from report. “The Palestinian Authority continues to promote incitement… and a culture of hate, terror, and non-acceptance toward Israelis and Jews,” government officials told foreign journalists on Tuesday.
Argentina-Iran Deal Makes a Mockery of Justice: Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, Jan. 30, 2013—Argentina has crossed a line by making a sweet deal with Iran to jointly investigate a 1994 terrorist attack against the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which according to Argentine prosecutors and Interpol was masterminded by top Iranian officials.
How Water Became a Weapon in Arab-Israeli Conflict: Yochanan Visser, Jerusalem Post, Feb.3, 2013—The conflict between the Palestinians and Israel is fought on many fronts nowadays. This is the result of a change in strategy decided on by the current Palestinian Authority leadership in 2008. A 2008 report by The Palestinian Strategy Group, which advises the PA, called “Regaining the Initiative” formed the basis of this strategic overhaul in PA politics vis-à-vis Israel.
Ber Lazarus , Publications Editor Canadian Institute for Jewish Research /L'institut Canadien de recherches sur le Judaïsme www.isranet.org Tel: (514) 486-5544 Fax: (514) 486-8284
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