Contents: Weekly Quotes | Short Takes
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Appreciation: King of No-Man’s Land: Amotz Asa-El, Jerusalem Post, Feb. 11, 2013
Canadian Suspect in Bulgaria Bus Bombing Related to Terrorist who Died Planting Explosives: Stewart Bell, National Post, Feb 12, 2013
ZOA Chief: US Jews Shied Away From Hagel Row: Sam Sokol, Jerusalem Post, Feb. 13, 2013
“We will stand steadfast with Israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace.”—U.S. President Barack Obama in his State of Union speech, to a standing ovation. He did not, however, mention the Palestinians in his reference to a lasting peace. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 12, 2013)
“[Pope] Benedict XVI has profoundly bolstered the positive trajectory of Catholic-Jewish relations launched by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Benedict, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, worked closely with John Paul during his 26 year papacy, developing a historic new relationship between Catholic and Jews as “loving brothers and sisters” after centuries of tragedy. Pope Benedict XVI reconfirmed the official Catholic position that God’s covenant with the Jewish people at Sinai endures and is irrevocable. He said that the Catholic Church should not try and convert Jews.”—Abraham H. Foxman, Anti Defamation League national director, who had five audiences with the pope during his nearly eight years as pontiff, in a statement of praise following Benedict’s sudden resignation on Feb. 11. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 12, 2013)
“We had gone to a remote beach half an hour from Honolulu. The waves there were high, huge breakers about four meters high, and as the minutes passed, the waves got stronger and even higher. As we neared the children we saw that they had been swept out to sea and were being pounded by the huge waves. On the shoreline we saw the mothers watching powerless as their children were drowning in front of them. Yair [Naftali] and I, who were at that point together in the water, tried with all our might to reach the group to try to get them away from the strong waves.”—Tzvika Elias, one of three Israelis, including Yair Naftali and Gabi Liptz who took 40 grueling minutes to save eight children aged 12 to 14 years old from drowning in huge surf off the coast of Honolulu. They were hailed as heroes by the childrens’ parents. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 10, 2013)
“AJC, AIPAC, ADL [and] the Conference of Presidents never came out and said we oppose this man because he is horrible on Iran, he is horrible on terrorism, horrible on Israel, horrible on fighting radical Islam. I was called by major Jewish leaders, personally called, and [they] told me to stop our campaign against Hagel.”—Morton Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America on Tuesday [Feb 12] in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. Klein said that his counterparts at other organizations said that he was “making this a Jewish issue,” which they considered “bad for the Jews.” The fact that he got these calls, he says, shows that “we are still a frightened group of Jews even as successful as we are in America.” (Jerusalem Post, Feb 13, 2013)
"Egyptian prosecutors are investigating a popular television comedian for insulting the president. That could never happen here [in the U.S.]. When do popular television comedians insult the president?"—National Review’s The Week. (National Review, Jan.24, 2013)
"Syria is basically disintegrating as a nation, similar to how Lebanon disintegrated in the '70s into ethnic components, and as Iraq did. It's going to be very hard to put Syria the nation back together."—Paul Salem, director of the Beirut-based Mideast Center of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Washington Post, Feb. 10, 2013)
"The Iranian president [should] respect Bahrain as a brotherly Arab nation, and not interfere in the affairs of Gulf states."—Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar University, considered the world's seat of Sunni learning, to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Shia Muslim, on his historic visit to Egypt, Tuesday [Feb 5]. (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 5, 2013)
"[A]ncient history of Palestine bore witness to the invasion of the Israelites, led by Joshua, and to their battle with the Canaanites and the Palestinians. King David fought the Canaanites and the Palestinians and built his kingdom on part of the Palestinian land."—from a Palestinian textbook taught in Palestinian Authority schools. (Israel Hayom, Feb. 10, 2013)
“Argentina’s move did more than evoke shock and concern in Israel… It was clear to all that the Iranians and their Hezbollah minions were involved in the attack” and bringing the Iranians into the so-called “truth commission” was equivalent to “inviting the murderer to participate in a murder investigation.”—Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon responding to the Argentinean government’s announcement that it had struck a deal with Iran to jointly investigate the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in March 1992 in Buenos Aires which killed 29 and wounded 242 people and a second bombing in July 1994 which targeted the Jewish community center (AMIA) killing 85 and injuring hundreds. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 10, 2013)
"I am going to do everything in my power to make sure there will be civil marriages in Israel. The complete dominance of the Orthodox rabbis in Israel over divorces and marriages is an insult."—Yair Lapid, Yesh Atid leader, addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations in Jerusalem, Tuesday [Feb 12]. (Ynet News, Feb. 12, 2013)
“My brother was assassinated. I am desperate and depressed. I accuse Rachid Ghannouchi [leader of the influential Islamist Ennahda Party] of assassinating my brother.” —Abdelmajid Belaid, brother Tunisian secular opposition leader, Shokri Belaid, 48, murdered outside his home in Tunis on Feb 6. (National Post, Feb 7, 2013)
The Syrian government "must read history and grasp its immortal message: It is the people who remain and those who put their personal interests before those of their people will inevitably go."—Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, addressing an Islamic summit in Egypt Feb. 6. (National Post, Feb 7, 2013)
“We have a very poisonous situation at hand [in Canada]. I have no reason not to believe that it’ll turn violent one day, it’s just a matter of time and numbers…. The Muslim population is growing and, with that, people are bringing in their issues. The danger that is going to happen in the future is that they’re going to make every tragedy in the Muslim world into a Jewish conspiracy. They’re going to make the Jewish community, who have nothing to do with this, look like the villains in Canada. The US and Israel are the scapegoats of every tragedy, whether it’s a tsunami, an earthquake or a human tragedy brought about by Muslims themselves. [It’s happening in] Shia mosques because of the Iranian influence [and in] Sunni mosques because of the Wahhabi influence.”—Sohail Raza, director, Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow, a group of self-described moderate Muslims attempting to push back against the rising tide of Islamist anti-semitism. (Jewish Tribune, Feb. 7, 2013)
“The verdict under shariah for those who seek corruption on earth is to be fought, or crucified, or have their arms or legs cut off or be exiled from earth. Strike with an iron fist. Otherwise, the country will be lost at your hand and they’ll say it is your fault. They’ll say Islam doesn’t know how to rule and that it’s the Islamists who wrecked the country.”—Wagdi Ghoneim, a hard line Egyptian cleric in a video statement pleading with President Mohammed Morsi to crack down heavily on opposition groups protesting outside the presidential palace.
“They are going there to get raped. These are devils named women…. They speak with no femininity, no morals, no fear…. Learn from Muslim women, be Muslims.” —Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah, another hard line cleric who, on Egyptian TV, justified a string of mob sexual assaults on women protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. (National Post,Feb. 8, 2013)
“We all recognized, first of all, the right of Israel to exist and second, we realized that the prevailing antisemitism in some of the Muslim Diaspora in Canada, particularly, is impeding our thought process. Some Muslim groups show hatred towards our fellow community, the Jewish community, [and] that’s not the right approach. We feel that our community should denounce any sort of antisemitism in Canada. We need to keep our eyes and our ears tuned for these kinds of activities so we can confront hatred against Jews [because] that’s not the way we should live in a civilized world.” — Tahir Gora, general secretary of the Muslim Canadian Congress, founder and director of Canadian Thinkers Forum, and recent founder of a new group, Muslim Committee Against Antisemitism. (Jewish Tribune, Feb. 7, 2013)
“Mr President, when I spoke with you in 2010, I asked why the US administration condemns repressive practices in Iran while remaining silent when Arab regimes engage in the same violations. Over recent months, statements by your administration have similarly failed to address violations and have even blamed protesters and victims for violence committed in the context of demonstrations. Indeed, the stances of your administration have given political cover to the current authoritarian regime in Egypt and allowed it to fearlessly implement undemocratic policies and commit numerous acts of repression.”—Bahieddin Hassan, director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, in an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama published in Egypt’s Al-Ahram Weekly. .
“Is not anyone in the [U.S.] Department of State aware that Egypt is now run by an Islamist zealot from the bowels of the Muslim Brotherhood whose goals differ profoundly from those of Americans?” —Daniel Pipes, president of Middle East Forum, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.
The US cannot “end funding [arms to Egypt] even if it wanted to, because of the way the foreign aid is structured.” There is financing that allows them to “fund weapons systems over a multi-year period. If congress freezes this, then US businesses get hit, which are producing $1.3 billion in arms per year.”—David Schenker, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 13, 2013)
POPE BENEDICT XVI ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION—(Vatican City) Pope Benedict XVI's unprecedented announcement today [Feb 11] that he will resign Feb. 28 brings to a close one of the shortest papacies in history, for which the pontiff will leave a legacy as a leader with views in line with church tradition, but also as one who worked during a controversial reign to advance religious links cross the globe. The pope's decision, which he announced in Latin today during a meeting of Vatican cardinals, makes him the first pontiff to resign in nearly 600 years. (ABC News, Feb. 11, 2013)
EGYPT STRANGLING GAZA BY FLOODING SMUGGLING TUNNELS—(Gaza City) Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood regime has been flooding Hamas smuggling tunnels for three days in a move that may be aimed at punishing Sinai terrorists who threaten Cairo’s authority but also may be a warning to Hamas of who is the boss. The smuggling tunnels have long been a source of up to one-third of goods and merchandise, including diesel fuel, for Gaza. They also are a vehicle for terrorists to travel between Gaza and the northern Sinai and for the flow of advanced arms and explosives. It is estimated that up to 35% of the tunnels have been closed down as a result of Egypt’s move.(Jewish Press, February 13th, 2013)
OTTAWA CONFIRMS CANADIAN 'DUAL NATIONAL' INVOLVED IN BULGARIA BUS BOMBING—(Ottawa) The federal government is confirming that a Canadian dual national based in Lebanon has been linked to the bombing of a bus filled with Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said he learned last week of the Canadian citizen’s alleged involvement in the matter, although details about his links to Canada remain unclear. (Globe and Mail, Feb. 5, 2013)
OBAMA WILL MAKE FIRST TRIP TO ISRAEL AS PRESIDENT THIS SPRING—(Washington) U.S. President Barack Obama will go to Israel in the spring, marking his first visit to the staunch U.S. ally since becoming president. The White House has not released the date of Obama’s trip or details about Obama’s itinerary, but Israel’s Channel 10 reported that the trip had been scheduled for March 20. “The start of the president’s second term and the formation of a new Israeli government offer the opportunity to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds between the United States and Israel and to discuss the way forward on a broad range of issues of mutual concern, including Iran and Syria,” said National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor. (National Post, Feb. 5, 2013)
MERKEL LOSES MINISTER: SCHAVAN STEPS DOWN AMID PLAGIARISM SCANDAL — (Berlin) German Education Minister Annette Schavan announced her resignation on Saturday, just days after a university moved to strip her of her Ph.D. title in a plagiarism scandal surrounding her doctoral dissertation, whose subject was "the formation of conscience”. She announced her decision during a joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Annette Schavan offered me her resignation last night," Merkel said, adding that she had accepted the resignation with deep regret. "She knows that brains are the capital of people in this country. And she knows that good study conditions are just as important as promoting excellence." (Spiegel, Feb. 9, 2013)
SENATE PANEL APPROVES HAGEL NOMINATION AS PENTAGON CHIEF—(Washington) A Senate panel approved Chuck Hagel as President Barack Obama's new secretary of defense on Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote on his confirmation by the full Senate, possibly this week. After acrimonious discussion of the former Nebraska Republican senator, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 14-11 along party lines to advance Hagel's confirmation to succeed Leon Panetta as the civilian leader at the Pentagon. (Reuters, Feb 11 2013)
U.S. MEMO DETAILS RULES FOR APPROVING DRONE STRIKES—(Washington) An unclassified U.S. Justice Department memo reveals that the Obama administration has had more lenient rules than publicly known for when drone attacks can be launched to kill U.S. citizens working abroad with terrorists. The government does not need evidence that a specific attack is imminent, the newly disclosed Justice Department white paper says, only that the targeted suspect is involved in ongoing plotting against the United States. "The threat posed by al-Qaida and its associated forces demands a broader concept of imminence in judging when a person continually planning terror attacks presents an imminent threat," the document says (Vancouver Sun, Feb. 6, 2013)
IRAN AND HIZBULLAH BUILD MILITIA NETWORKS IN SYRIA IN EVENT THAT ASSAD FALLS—(Damascus) Iran and Hizbullah, its Lebanese proxy, are building a network of militias inside Syria to protect their interests in the event that President Assad's government falls. A senior Obama administration official cited Iranian claims that Tehran was backing as many as 50,000 militiamen in Syria. "It's a big operation….The immediate intention seems to be to support the Syrian regime.” (Washington Post, Feb. 10, 2013)
TEAM WANTS ISRAEL TO BE THIRD COUNTRY TO REACH MOON—(Tel Aviv) A team of scientists and space enthusiasts is aiming to make Israel the third country to reach the moon. Team SpaceIL has developed a nanorocket, and is entering the Google Lunar X Prize – a global lunar competition whose prize is a whopping $30 million. SpaceIL’s ship is designed to be the smallest spacecraft in the world, built using the latest nanotechnology, and the first ever nano-spaceship to land on the moon. The competition requires entrants to successfully land a robotic spacecraft on the moon. The spacecraft must then travel across the surface of the moon, and send data back to Earth. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 12, 2013)
ISRAELI TEAM WINS ICE HOCKEY WORLD CUP HOSTED BY TURKEY (Istanbul) The Israeli ice hockey team took home the winning title in the U-18 World Championship, which was hosted in Turkey’s Kocaeli. South Africa placed second after losing 3-1 to Israel in the finals while Turkey finished third. An awards ceremony closed out the tournament with Turkey’s Ice Hockey Federation President Orhan Duman attending. The Israeli team made headlines when Turkish fans attempted to rile them up during their match against Turkey on Feb. 10 in İzmir, which they won by an impressive 6-1. (Hurriyet Daily News, Feb. 11, 2013)
ISRAEL PUTS CONFLICT ASIDE TO SAVE PALESTINIAN LIVES—(Jerusalem) According to a 2012 World Health Organization report, Israel approved 91.5 percent of Palestinian applications from Gaza to receive medical care in Israel proper. In total, 210,469 Palestinians received medical treatment inside Israel proper in 2012. Many democratic states don’t provide so much medical assistance to the civilian populations who are citizens of nations that they are in conflict with. Yet Israel has adopted a different approach, to value all human lives, including the lives of Palestinian civilians, despite the adversarial comments and actions taken by their leadership. (United With Israel, Feb 11, 2013)
NORTH KOREA TESTS NUCLEAR WEAPON—(London) The seismic magnitude of an "explosion-like event" in North Korea on Tuesday [Feb. 12] was roughly twice as large as that of a 2009 nuclear test in the country, an international nuclear test monitoring agency said. "We can assume this is roughly twice as big in magnitude," Lassina Zerbo, director of the international data center division of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) told a news conference. (Reuters, Feb 12, 2013)
SARAH BRAVERMAN, PIONEER PARATROOPER, DIES AT NINETY-FIVE—(Jerusalem) Sarah Braverman, z”l, a founder of the IDF Women’s Army Corps, passed away on Saturday at the age of ninety-five. Surika, as she was known, was one of the first women to join the Palmach, the elite striking arm of the Hagana militia, the forerunner of the Israeli army. She was also one of only three women among a select group of thirty seven volunteers from the Yishuv, Israel’s pre-state Jewish community, who, with Hannah Senesh, were parachuted into Nazi controlled territory during the Second World War. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 10, 2013)
JEWISH PHILOSOPHER RABBI DAVID HARTMAN DIES—(Jerusalem) Rabbi David Hartman, z”l, founder of the Shalom Hartman Institute, died on Sunday morning at eighty-one. Hartman was considered to be one of the pioneers of liberal Orthodox Judaism who deeply influenced Jewish thought and education, as well as thousands of people in Israel and around the world. Hartman established the Shalom Hartman Institute in 1976, named after his father, and developed an approach that departed from more traditionally conservative Orthodoxy. (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 10, 2013)
Appreciation: King of No-Man’s Land: Amotz Asa-El, Jerusalem Post, Feb. 11, 2013
Having contrasted between two schools of Jewish thought, the medieval one which said God can take no human form, and an earlier one that said God could possess “an emotional interior,” David Hartman took sides. The earlier school, he explained, allowed him “to cite God’s shift from being a figure of complete and total authority to a figure who works in concert with human beings.”
Canadian Suspect in Bulgaria Bus Bombing was Related to Terrorist who Died Planting Explosives: Stewart Bell, National Post, Feb 12, 2013— A Canadian suspected of organizing the bombing of a bus full of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria is a relative of the unidentified terrorist who died while planting the explosives.
ZOA Chief: US Jews Shied Away From Hagel Row: Sam Sokol, Jerusalem Post, Feb. 13, 2013—American Jews are “frightened of making an issue seem more important to Jews than others,” said Zionist Organization of America President Morton Klein on Tuesday. In Israel as a member of a delegation organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Klein sat down to speak with the Jerusalem Post in the lobby of Jerusalem’s Inbal hotel to provide his take on the issues facing organized American Jewry.
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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