Fatah and Hamas met with factions on Saturday in Gaza on Saturday to discuss the reconciliation agreement reached in Cairo to reunite the Palestinian territories.
Islamic Jihad invited the parties to its Gaza City offices to review the details of the surprise agreement. It was the first meeting between Hamas and Fatah since the deal was announced in Cairo on Wednesday.
Isn't it wonderful to know that unrepentant terrorist group Islamic Jihad is so supportive of Hamas/Fatah unity, and how the two sides happily accept that venue?
So Qaddafi always thought this could happen, even 42 years into his rule. He feared someone might slice away the myths — Arab nationalist, African unifier, all-powerful non-president — and leave him, disrobed, a little man in a vast vault with nowhere left to go. In the twisted mind of the despot now derided here as “the man with the big hair,” his own demise was the tousle-coiffed specter that would not go away.
Strange, then, that the United States and Europe never thought this could happen — not to Qaddafi, or Mubarak, or Ben Ali, or any of the other murderous plunderers, some now gone, others slaughtering their own people, here in Libya, or in Syria, or Yemen. Policy was based on the mistaken belief that these leaders would last forever.
They were paranoid about their fates. We were convinced of their permanence.
Of course it was not just a conviction about their inevitability that drove U.S. policy toward these dictators. It was a cynical decision to place counterterrorism and security at the top of the agenda and human rights — in this case Arab rights — at the bottom. It was about Big Oil interests. And, to some degree, it was about the perception of what served the security of America’s closest regional ally, Israel.
I just looked through decades of Roger Cohen's columns, and he seems to have missed that Qaddafi might be in danger one day as well. How could he have missed it? Strange, then, that he never thought this could happen!
Equally strange is that he is not predicting that the same thing could happen to Mahmoud Abbas, or the Saudi royals, or Turkey's leadership, or Iran's. No, Cohen can blame the US for bowing to Zionist perceptions in their blindness, but his brilliance - where he can confidently predict what the US and Europe are too stupid and shortsighted to see - is still being obscured.
Come on, Roger - tell us who's next!
And why didn't you sound the alarm in, say, 2008? Wasn't it all so obvious to pundits who don't have the Zionist and counter-terrorist smoke in their eyes?
Today's bit of paranoia out of Iran from FARS News:
CIA and Israeli spy agency, Mossad, have set up a number of drug laboratories along Iran's Eastern borders to produce and smuggle hallucinogenic drugs to Iran, sources reported.
"The CIA-Mossad Joint Staff has started setting up hallucinogenic-drugs production centers at Iran's Eastern borders (with Afghanistan) to produce and smuggle huge drug cargos to Iran through collaboration with the drug mafia operating on the other sides of Iran's Eastern borders (in Afghanistan), " Researcher and investigator Majid Abhari told FNA on Wednesday.
The source said this joint staff has embarked on encouraging drug-traffickers to smuggle these cargos to Iran through odd methods like credit transaction, because drug dealers and traffickers do all their transactions in cash, and credit transaction is meaningless as far as drug deals are concerned.
Earlier, Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar had warned that the Zionist and CIA agents are seeking to boost drug-trafficking in Iran.
"Zionists and CIA's intelligence and security agents stationed in the region are helping drug-traffickers to cross Iran's shared borders with Afghanistan," Mohammad Najjar said last month.
He added that the so-called human rights advocate (the US) is so furious at Iran that it has made large investments to replace traditional drugs with industrial drugs to change drug addiction habits in Iran.
The destructive effects of industrial drugs, like crack and Morphine, is more than the traditional ones and the enemy has planned to spread drug addiction, specially addiction to these industrial narcotics, in Iran, Mohammad Najjar warned.
I think we have proof positive that some Iranians are on crack, from just this article.
Of course, this idea goes to one of the false presumptions of our time: that people on the political left are motivated by good intentions even when they do bad things, while people on the political right are motivated by bad intentions even when they do good things. So a cartoon promoted by Charlie Hebdo may be thought to be provocative in a constructive way, whereas one promoted by AFDI can only be thought if as being provocative in an unconstructive way. Whether people are willing to admit it or not, this is one of the main problems that underlies the reaction to the Texas attack. Such a distinction is, needless to say, a colossal mistake. When people prefer to focus on the motives of the victims rather than on the motives of the attackers, they will ignore the single most important matter: that an art exhibition, or free speech, has been targeted. The rest is narcissism and slow-learning. It does not matter if you are right wing or left wing. It does not matter if you are American, Danish, Dutch, Belgian or French, or whether you are from Texas or Copenhagen. These particularities may matter greatly and be endlessly interesting to people in the countries in question. But they matter not a jot to ISIS or their fellow-travellers. What these people are trying to do is to enforce Islamic blasphemy laws across the entire world. That is all that matters. If we forget this or lose sight of it, not only will we lose free speech, we will lose, period.
Michael Lumish: Say Hello to the Devil
If Pamela Geller is a racist I have yet to see the evidence. What I see is a much maligned woman standing up to the enemies of the Jewish people and to the enemies of the infidel west. What I also see are a whole bunch of moral cowards who defame this woman even as they turn a blind eye to the rise of political Islam throughout the Muslim Middle East. The rise of political Islam during the Obama administration may be the single most significant geo-political event in world history since the demise of the Soviet Union. The Muslim Middle East is moving from a period of secular-authoritarian nationalism, as exemplified by people such as Gamal Abdel Nasser, to a period of rising theocratic-authoritarianism in the name of Islam. This, it should be emphasized, is not an improvement. On the contrary. While Hosni Mubarack may have been a dictator he, at least, did not believe in some Allah-given right to slaughter Jews and he did not set himself up as an enemy of the United States and the west. This is what the Muslim Brotherhood has done and it is precisely what Geller opposes. Of course, it should be something that anyone who believes in secular democracy should oppose, but they don’t. Mainstream media throughout the United States and Europe largely pussy-foot around political Islam despite the fact that it represents everything that the secular west allegedly opposes. Devotees of political Islam (or “radical Islam” or “Islamism”) oppress women, hang Gay people from cranes, and promises the slaughter of the Jewish people and they do so in the name of Allah. What’s not to like? Ask Pamela Geller, she’ll have some words.
‘Draw Muhammad’ Winner on Growing Up in Islam and Defeating the Jihad
Breitbart News spoke with Bosch Fawstin, an accomplished artist, cartoonist, and anti-Jihad activist who won first prize at Sunday’s “Draw Muhammad” free speech event in Garland, Texas. The event came under attack by AK47-weilding jihadists, who were neutralized by a police officer before they could commit mass murder against the free speech art display’s attendees. Fawstin talked about his unique experience growing up in the Bronx as a Muslim, how his life changed after the 9/11 attacks, and he shared strategies to defeat the global jihadist movement. His artwork is featured throughout the interview. Breitbart News: You won first prize at the Muhammad Cartoon Contest? What inspired your first-place artwork? Bosch Fawstin: Quite simply, I wanted to do something different because I’ve been drawing Muhammad for a long time. Ever since the Danish cartoons, and after the Charlie Hebdo attack. Every time something horrific happens. If free speech was under assault, under siege, I drew Muhammad. This drawing of Muhammad showed him threatening me. He says, angrily, ‘You Can’t Draw Me,” with a sword in his hand. I respond, ‘That’s Why I Draw You.’”
A Reset Button for Israel?
In the coming weeks, President Obama may announce his support for—or at least his non-objection to—a U.N. Security Council resolution defining the terms of a Palestinian state. This would represent an unprecedented break with Israel and mark the culmination of the Obama administration’s six years of confrontation with and animosity toward the Jewish state. Yet President Obama’s campaign against Israel also provides an opening for those vying to be the next president to describe a pro-Israel agenda. Because American public opinion is solidly pro-Israel, the next president—Democrat or Republican—will be able to move quickly to repair much of the damage caused by the current administration. What kinds of initiatives should 2016 candidates who are friends of Israel consider making part of their foreign policy platforms? The first thing the next president, Democrat or Republican, might consider doing is downgrading the peace process as the central feature of the U.S.-Israel relationship. On Inauguration Day 2017, the peace process will be more than 25 years old—with very little progress to show and in some cases, such as Gaza, with a situation much worse than before. The pursuit of Palestinian statehood over the past quarter-century has damaged U.S. credibility. It has committed our country to a diplomatic proceeding whose expectations have always been set too high, and in which corrupt and violent figures are promoted as peace partners while an ally is set up to play the role of scapegoat.
Ramallah blasts new Netanyahu government as ‘against peace’
The new right-wing religious coalition government formed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be belligerent and will work against peace, a senior Palestinian official said on Thursday. The government “will be one of war which will be against peace and stability in our region,” Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP. “This government will set its sights on killing, and reinforcing settlement activities,” he said of Israel’s ongoing construction on land the Palestinians want for a future state. His remarks came after Netanyahu managed to hammer together a coalition just ahead of a midnight deadline, giving him a knife-edge majority of just one seat in parliament.
Palestinians push to put Israel on UN list of child abusers
The Palestinian Authority is spearheading an effort to have Israel added to a UN list of human rights violators. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, on May 1 sent Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a letter asking him to add Israel to the list of entities committing “grave violations against children.” The secretary-general releases the list in conjunction with his annual report on children and armed conflict. In a report Tuesday, Middle East Eye, a news site, said Ban is due to release the report in the coming weeks. A petition led by Palestinian solidarity groups is due to arrive on Ban’s desk by Thursday. Adding Israel to the list would put it in the company of the Taliban, Congolese militias that exploit child soldiers and the Islamic State jihadist group, or ISIS.
Is Iran Really a Partner?
The international community is failing to respond to Iran's weapons and terrorism networks. In recent years, Iran's networks have been expanding significantly, most often with deadly results for the region. While Iran's nuclear program is the focus of intense global attention, the international community frequently overlooks the sophisticated Iranian transnational weapons smuggling and terrorism networks, currently fueling wars and instability across the Middle East. Weapons ships disguised as cargo vessels, Iranian airlines that carry arms, and ground convoys ferrying missiles, rockets, guns, and ammunition are all used to arm members of Iran's regional network. The lack of attention to these acts of aggression is quite startling in light of the scope of destructive influence they have, not just for the Middle East, but for international security as a whole. Today, it is possible to look at a number of battles raging in the region; what connects them to one another in this network more often than not is the spurring influence of Iran.
Lifting Sanctions Will Pave Iran's Way to Regional Hegemony
A strengthened Iranian economy in the wake of sanctions removal might carry very negative implications for the situation in the Middle East. While Iran continues to be a major sponsor of terrorism, it has been forced to reduce its assistance to terror groups throughout the Middle East because of economic constraints. An improvement of Iran’s economic situation and increasing oil exports would bolster Iran’s political and military power in the region. In the Middle East, three state blocks are currently competing for power: The Saudi-Egyptian axis, Turkey, and the Iranian Shiite axis. The Obama administration’s behavior is strengthening Iran – a grave policy blunder that could allow the country to more efficiently spread its revolutionary ideology. A nuclear deal and the end of sanctions would facilitate Iran’s power ambitions in the region. Iran has an estimated GDP of $406 billion, which is the second largest in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 80 million people, making it the second-most populous country in the Middle East after Egypt. Saudi Arabia, which has an extremely tense relationship with Iran, may face a challenging strategic outlook over the long-term. With the decline of U.S. dependence on Riyadh’s oil, Iran is well set to become the dominant regional power if a nuclear deal is reached and sanctions are removed.
How I learned to love the Iranian bomb
Tehran's largest cemetery, Behesht-e Zahra, contains the graves of thousands of Iranians killed in battle. There's also a polished stone monument bearing this inscription: "To the memory of two Muslim Lebanese youths who on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 23, 1983, in two simultaneous martyrdom operations, with trucks carrying explosives, attacked the headquarters of American occupiers [in south Beirut] and headquarters of French occupiers [in west Beirut] killing 241 American marines and 48 French paratroopers. Their names we do not know, but we will continue their path." We do know the name of the man who planned those mass murders, which were not against "occupiers," but against international peacekeepers working under U.N. auspices at the request of the Lebanese government. Imad Mughniyeh was a commander of Hezbollah, Iran's Lebanon-based terrorist proxy. Among other attacks for which he was responsible: the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 and the prolonged torture and eventual murder of CIA Beirut station chief William Buckley. In 2008, Mughniyeh was assassinated. Last year, Iran's foreign minister laid a wreath on Mughniyeh's grave in Beirut. And recently New York University held an event titled: "A Conversation With His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran." What did he say in response to questions about the tribute he paid to Mughniyeh? Not a word. No one thought to ask.
Iran Arrests Leading Rights Activist, One Week After FM Says No One Jailed for Opinions
Narges Mohammadi, a leading Iranian human rights activist, was arrested on Tuesday. The arrest comes after Iran’s foreign minister and lead nuclear negotiator, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that “the Islamic Republic doesn’t imprison journalists or dissidents over their views” last week. The New York Times reported: Ms. Mohammadi is one of the best-known activists remaining in Iran. For more than a decade, Ms. Mohammadi, 43, has worked with the Defenders of Human Rights Center. The group was founded by Shirin Ebadi, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Political pressure forced Ms. Ebadi to leave Iran, and she now lives in Switzerland. This week, Ms. Mohammadi, 43, who has been sentenced to prison terms on multiple occasions for her human rights work, was scheduled to appear in court in connection with a new case filed against her by the Iranian authorities. A request for a delay in that case was denied, leaving her lawyer no time to study the charges against her, Baharnews reported.
Is there a deal with Iran on Stuxnet too?
In light of the malware attacks against their nuclear program, it seems extremely unlikely that Iranian negotiators would agree to a nuclear deal with the United States without reliable assurances that such attacks would stop. Did the US provide such assurances – even verbally – and did the US also provide assurances that it would use its technical assets to blunt similar Israeli attacks? And what of an attack on Iran's nuclear sites by the Israeli air force? It seems extremely likely that between human intelligence assets in Israel and spy satellites and other "national technical means," the US would pick up telltale signs that Israel was preparing to launch an attack. Did the Iranians demand, and did the US offer assurances, that such an attack would be prevented by, for example, leaking the information to the media? These are extremely important and sensitive questions, and it would be foolish to expect the administration to offer answers publicly. But behind closed doors one might expect the relevant committees in both the Senate and the House to insist that senior administration officials give full and forthright answers.
Iran reportedly releases seized Maersk cargo ship
Iran has released the Maersk Tigris cargo vessel seized by its patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz last week over a business dispute, official media said Thursday. “An informed source at the Ports and Maritime Organisation said the Maersk ship was free” to leave the country, the IRNA state news agency reported. It gave no further details but said an official statement would be issued later on the vessel’s release. Iran has said it seized the container ship because of a commercial dispute with Denmark’s Maersk group, which chartered the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel.
Eugene Kontorovich: Release of ship by Iran is really a ransom
News reports suggest that Iran may release the Maersk Tigris, which it has held for a week, in a few days – upon receiving payment from Maersk, the vessel’s charterer. It appears Iran is essentially seizing vessels for ransom, or charging a selective toll on transit through international straits. (The crew has reportedly just been released, but the ship is still detained.) Iran purports to have seized the vessel to satisfy a debt. As I’ve explained, this argument fails on its own. Moreover, fundamental rules of international law prohibit the arrest of vessels in transit for the debts incurred on prior transits or by other vessels. This is codified in Art. 20(2) of the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, to which Tehran is a party. The Islamic Republic has no legal authority to seize the ship. Releasing it on payment of money is not piracy, because that can only committed by non-state actors, but it is definitely a shake-down, and an assertion of general sovereign rights over international shipping lanes. It is likely not the last such ransom Iran will demand.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Takes in Gullible Media
The silence about Iran’s piracy is important as it goes to its overall trustworthiness. Earlier this week The Wall Street Journal published a poll saying that Americans favored a deal with Iran over continued sanctions (the administration’s way of framing the issue) by 54% to 37%. But what if the first half of the polling question had been along the lines of “would you prefer a deal with a nation that violates international law with impunity?” By not properly describing the nature of the Iranian regime, Americans can’t possibly make an informed choice in a poll. But the problem is deeper than Americans perceptions of Iran. If Iran doesn’t abide by international conventions (even as it seeks to cloak its actions in home highly selective and subjective definition of the rule of law) how can we expect it to keep its word on a future nuclear deal? That’s the question the administration doesn’t want to address and that’s the question that most of media chooses to ignore. One other thing that’s important to remember is that Zarif (and President Hassan Rouhani) are often portrayed as moderates struggling against hardliners. Zarif’s endorsement of piracy is a reminder that he, too, is hardliner. Or as Victor Davis Hanson calls him, the Westernized Anti-Westerner.
Kerry says US remains concerned about Iran's destabilizing actions in region
Saudi Arabia proposed a five-day humanitarian truce in Yemen on Thursday after weeks of airstrikes and fighting, but said a ceasefire depended on the Houthi militia and its allies also agreeing to lay down arms, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said. US Secretary of State John Kerry, addressing a news conference alongside Jubeir in Riyadh, welcomed the proposal and added that neither Saudi Arabia nor the United States was talking about sending ground troops into Yemen. Hundreds of civilians have been killed in air raids and fighting since a Saudi-led coalition began strikes against the Houthis on March 26, aimed at pushing the Iranian-allied militia back from captured areas and restoring President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government. Kerry added that he was "very, very concerned" by Iranian activities in Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere.
Israeli hiker killed in Nepal quake laid to rest
Or Asraf, the Israeli backpacker killed in the earthquake in Nepal last month, was laid to rest in his hometown of Lehavim in the Negev Wednesday afternoon. Thousands attended the funeral of the only Israeli casualty of the massive earthquake that devastated the Himalayan nation and killed more than 7,600. “You’re probably in heaven now hugging Yuvi and Yifrach (Yuval Dagan and Tal Yifrach were soldiers in Or’s IDF unit who were killed in last year’s war in Gaza), so no matter what — you’ll never be alone,” one soldier from Asraf’s elite Egoz unit said at the funeral, according to Ynet. Asraf, who was injured in the war, was hiking in the Langtang area north of the capital, Kathmandu, when the quake struck. Members of the relief team that recovered Asraf’s remains on Sunday included nine of his comrades from Egoz. They carried his body across dangerous terrain, hit hard by the earthquake, to the nearest village on Sunday night. “The journey’s over, you’re finally home, but how do you fold up 22 years of life into a coffin?” Asraf’s father, Patrick, said in his eulogy.
Expert: Oil Industry Has Solutions for Israel's Tunnel Problem
Speaking Wednesday at an army gathering discussing military defense techniques, Langosky, a winner of the Israel Prize, said that terrorists relied on the “tunnel option” as their ace in the hole against Israel, because they know the country has been unable to prevent their use. “The terrorists continue to dig tunnels in Gaza and Lebanon. Ten years ago, I told Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, who was then Northern IDF Commander, that Hezbollah was already digging tunnels," he said. “The greatest danger of these tunnels is if a terror group would seize an area, especially one important for national defense,” said Langosky. “It would be easy for them to kidnap soldiers or civilians from sensitive sites.” Can the problem be solved? Yes, said Langosky – but the IDF and defense establishment are going to have to do some rethinking. “The key element is to identify tunnels, and there are technologies to do this in use in the oil industry. Tunnel digging creates seismic signals, and there are solutions to detecting these, even deep underground, that have been in use for more than a decade. With a network of sensors near the border, it would be possible to cover the entire area and get alerts on digging activity,” he said. Langosky said that he and others have been trying to warn the IDF about the dangers – and suggest solutions - for at least a decade. In a sharp debate that followed, Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Naveh said that it was unfair for him to make those accusations without an authorized individual from the IDF who was familiar with the matter present.
IDF to follow up on claims of Gaza tunnel under kibbutz
Amid reports that Hamas has been rebuilding its subterranean infrastructure, the IDF will investigate a possible attack tunnel running below a Gaza border town, following up on ongoing complaints by residents of Kibbutz Nirim that they have been hearing underground construction noises. A resident of the Israeli border community with the Gaza Strip decided to turn to a private company to evaluate the site, and it concluded that a tunnel was indeed being constructed underground, prompting the army inquiry, Channel 10 reported Wednesday. The inquiry comes amid sustained efforts by Hamas to rebuild its offensive capabilities against Israel, including the conscription of new fighters, rehabilitating its cross-border attack tunnels and restocking its rocket arsenal with longer-distance rockets. “A number of side entrances to a tunnel were identified with 70 percent certainty. The tunnel route was mapped out and marked with geo-physical means,” the private report stated. “The findings support the residents’ claims.”
Israel holds naval drill with US, Greece
The Israel Navy took part in a trilateral exercise with the US and Greek navies this week. The exercise, the largest of its kind, dubbed Noble Dina, involved air-sea maneuvers and the use of a variety of naval vessels. It began on April 27 and will reach its conclusion on May 14, the IDF Spokesman’s Office said. Three Israeli missile ships – the INS Lahav, a Sa’ar-class ship, and the INS Keshet and the INS Romah, both Sa’ar-4.5 class missile ships – took part. Israeli dolphin submarines and a naval helicopter also took part. “On April 29 navy forces reached the Greek island of Crete and held combat exercises as well as technical anti-submarine warfare drills,” the IDF stated.
Report: Hamas Set to Conduct Paragliding Attacks Against Israel
Hamas is developing an air attack capability – by recruiting Palestinian students in Malaysia to carry out attacks on Israel using paragliding equipment, a report by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. The report reveals two incidents in which Hamas was found to be conducting training of Palestinian students for such attacks in that country. In a recent indictment against a terrorist from Hevron, Wasim Kawasme, it was revealed that he was recruited with other students from Judea and Samaria to train for such attacks. Kawasme was arrested in the Khan Yunis area, arrested for terror activity after he was involved in terrorist attacks on behalf of Hamas. He admitted under questioning that he had undergone air attack training in Malaysia, as part of a group of ten terrorists. Security officials say that Hamas is apparently operating under the radar in Malaysia, away from the eyes of authorities. The terror group is apparently operating under the guise of “social” and “educational” organizations in Malaysia. Many of the groups are being operated by Hamas terrorists, investigators learned from their questioning of Kawasme. At least forty students have been recruited in this manner.
Khaled Abu Toameh: Hamas arrests dozens of Islamic State supporters
Hamas has arrested dozens of Salafi-jihadists who are affiliated with Islamic State, sources in the Gaza Strip said. They said the arrests came following a series of bombings, which were reportedly carried out by the Salafi-jihadists in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Hamas demolished a mosque frequented by Islamic State supporters in Deir el-Balah. Hamas said that the mosque was a tent, and not a concrete structure, that was used by the extremists as a meeting venue. Islamic State supporters have accused Hamas of waging a massive crackdown on their men. They issued a warning to Hamas to release the arrested men within 72 hours or face the repercussions of its actions. The Salafi-jihadists also issued a warning to several top Hamas security officials in the Gaza Strip who are responsible for the crackdown.
US may sell Saudis bombs once only offered to Israel — report
Amid American efforts to allay Sunni Arab concerns over the nuclear deal with Iran, officials are reportedly considering selling Saudi Arabia bunker buster bombs, which are currently only offered to Israel American officials said privately this week that the Obama administration is considering selling GBU-28 bunker buster bombs to the Gulf monarchy, the Washington Times reported this week. Talks for the sale are taking place in secret, since according to a 2008 congressional mandate, the US must ensure Israel’s military superiority in the Middle East. But the American administration is also anxious to reassure its Sunni allies in the region that it is not abandoning them. In addition to the sale of bunker buster bombs to Saudi Arabia, the US is also considering selling F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, according to a recent report. Analysts say the weapons sales could erode Israel’s military edge in the region.
Lebanese Writer Criticizes Houthis' Persecution Of Yemeni Jews, Calls On Hizbullah Leader Nasrallah To Condemn It
In an April 20, 2015 article in the Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal, writer Wissam Sa'ade criticized the persecution of Jews in Yemen by the Houthis. Noting the January 2007 expulsion of 45 Yemeni Jews from the Houthi stronghold of Al-Salem and another expulsion of Jews, in July 2014, from the town of Raydah in the 'Amran governorate, Sa'ade said that the Houthis were bullying a small group of impoverished rural Jews in the name of their war against Israel and Zionism and under their motto "death to America, death to Israel, a curse on the Jews, and victory for Islam." Sa'ade also criticized Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, a supporter of the Houthis who considers them part of the resistance axis, and called on him to have the courage to distance himself from these Houthi acts and to condemn the Houthis for persecuting Yemen's Jews. "When Mr. Hassan Nasrallah deals with Yemen, he presents Ansar Allah [i.e. the Houthis] as one of the movements fighting Israel in this [Arab] East. But which Israel is this group fighting against? "This is not the Israel that was established imperialistically on the land of Palestine. This is a different kind of Israel, with but a few hundred residents; unlike the Zionist state, it and its citizens have lived in the mountains [of Yemen] for centuries. [This Israel] has neither nuclear weapons nor Merkava [tanks]. Most of its residents have never been on an airplane, and most are members of the same clan.
Hezbollah Under Pressure After Facing Losses in Syria, Opposition in Lebanon
According to the latest reports from officials in Syria, in the last few days Hezbollah lost four senior commanders in the field, among them Hezbollah’s Qalamoun regional commander, Ali Khalil Alian, whose death was first reported by Arab media on Tuesday. Today, three other senior commanders were added to the list of Hezbollah’s losses, according to reports cited by Israel’s NRG news. They were: Tawfiq Al-Najjar, Hassan Adnan Al-Asi and Hussein Luweis. Media outlets affiliated with Hezbollah denied that the Shia organization was taken by surprise, claiming Hezbollah was able to successfully turn the tables on the Nusra Front and its allies. In addition to the hardships on the battlefield, criticism of Hezbollah has been mounting inside Lebanon, mainly due to a persistent campaign launched by Hariri, one of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s staunchest opponents in the country. Hariri has repeatedly claimed that Hezbollah’s actions endanger Lebanese security and threaten the country’s borders. Hezbollah has also been confronting a relatively new phenomenon: strident criticism from its Shia base. Many Shia families see the war in Syria as a war that is not theirs and have criticized Hezbollah for sending their sons into battle.
Carter: Syria Safe Zone Would Require 'Combat Mission'
Turkey has long called for a safe area to be set up along the Syrian-Turkish border to protect civilians but President Barack Obama's administration has yet to endorse the idea. [Defense Secretary Ashton] Carter emphasized the challenges involved in establishing a buffer zone, and warned that other regional governments might not be ready to contribute to the effort. "We would need to fight to create such a space and then fight to keep such a space and that's why it's a difficult thing to contemplate," Carter told members of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee. Carter was asked about the option by Senator Dick Durbin, one of four senators to send a recent letter to Obama calling for setting up a safe area in Syria. "Though this may not be a genocide by classic legal definition, it is the humanitarian crisis of our time ... with no end in sight," Durbin was quoted by AFP as having said. Carter said such a safe zone would be "contested" by the Islamic State (ISIS) group and other extremists on the one hand and the Syrian regime's forces on the other. The "practicalities" would be "significant," he said.
Syria Is Using Chemical Weapons Again, Rescue Workers Say
Eyes watering, struggling to breathe, Abd al-Mouin, 22, dragged his nephews from a house reeking of noxious fumes, then briefly blacked out. Even fresh air, he recalled, was “burning my lungs.” The chaos unfolded in the Syrian town of Sarmeen one night this spring as walkie-talkies warned of helicopters flying from a nearby army base, a signal for residents to take cover. Soon, residents said, there were sounds of aircraft, a smell of bleach and gasping victims streaming to a clinic. Continue reading the main story Two years after President Bashar al-Assad agreed to dismantle Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, there is mounting evidence that his government is flouting international law to drop jerry-built chlorine bombs on insurgent-held areas. Lately, the pace of the bombardments in contested areas like Idlib Province has picked up, rescue workers say, as government forces have faced new threats from insurgents. The Assad government has so far evaded more formal scrutiny because of political, legal and technical obstacles to assigning blame for the attacks — a situation that feels surreal to many Syrians under the bombs, who say it is patently clear the government drops them.
US to UN: Investigate Syrian Chemical Weapons Use
The United States wants the UN Security Council to set up an investigation on the use of chemical weapons in Syria following reports of chlorine gas attacks, diplomats said Wednesday. The investigation would be carried out by a team of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and tasked with establishing who is to blame for the attacks. "There is mounting evidence of repeated use of chlorine" in Syria, a Security Council diplomat said. "There is a proposal for a mechanism which would allow relevant experts to have the right kind of access to answer the questions about attribution," said the diplomat. The United States is taking the lead for the proposal that is set to be discussed at the Security Council on Thursday, according to AFP. Western diplomats are in contact with Russia, Syria's ally, to discuss whether Moscow would be prepared to support a draft resolution setting up the UN investigation.
Students Gather Packages for Christian Refugees Fleeing ISIS
The Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum led by Father Gabriel Nadaf, the Im Tirtzu movement, and Rescuers Without Borders traveled across Israel and visited several college campuses this week to assist Christian refugees fleeing Islamic State (ISIS). "It is a dark time in the Middle East, and my heart goes out to the countless victims of our time," Nadaf stated. "Extreme Islamist ideology has taken hold in the Middle East and is their mission to destroy our Christian history, culture and identity." "Many Christian brethren are with the Lord now, and the others have fled their homes," he continued. "The rest of us pray." Nadaf announced the project's name as "The Emergency Mission for Christians in the Middle East," with the aim to "provide immediate aid to persecuted and victimized Christians across the Middle East."
The similarities in suppression tactics employed by Baltimore and Israeli security forces are no coincidence.
Under the cover of counterterrorism training, nearly every major police agency in the United States has traveled to Israel for lessons in occupation enforcement, including many of the agencies active in Baltimore last week.
In 2002, Baltimore city police officers went to Israel on a junket organized by the neoconservative Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), where they studied Israeli occupation tactics used against Palestinians, including “crowd control, and coordination with the media,” according to a JINSA press release. “Participants resolved to begin the process of sharing ‘lessons learned’ in Israel with their law enforcement colleagues in the United States,” boasted JINSA.
Baltimore city police returned to Israel for more occupation training in a 2009 trip arranged by the American Jewish Committee’s Project Interchange.
On a 2007 training session in Israel, Baltimore County police reportedly “received valued lessons from Israeli officials…about gathering human and electronic intelligence” that can “apply to investigations into organized crime and gangs.”
The Montgomery County Police Department, which sent dozens of police officers to assist in the Baltimore crackdown, has attended several training sessions in Israel, including one in 2010 and another in 2012, both hosted by Project Interchange.
This is phenomenally stupid on multiple levels.
First of all, the programs that Khalek highlights are not for riot control. One of them mentions a demonstration of "crowd control" during a terror attack - not a training session - but most of the training was for counterterrorism techniques such as intelligence gathering and operations to capture terrorists before they begin their operations; border security, mechanisms to delay terrorists on their way to a target such as checkpoints; and site security - the protection of the restaurants, shopping malls and buses that are the preferred terrorist targets, preventing bombings, securing airports and border crossings and performing mass rescue operations.
Secondly, even if Israel did offer training in riot control, it is up to individual police departments to decide on their techniques. They wouldn't photocopy Israel's manual for riot control. They take the lessons that they like and incorporate them into their own programs. One has to be thoroughly consumed with hate in order to blame Japan if someone kills another with a karate kick. (In fact, I am very surprised that Khalek didn't notice that the Baltimore police offers krav maga seminars. )
(For those interested, here is a blog post from someone who took Baltimore cop riot training in 2000, with a comment from someone who took it in 2008. Nothing about Israel, of course. )
According to Khalek's moronic logic, there is another organization responsible for Baltimore police actions:
The United Nations.
Yes, the UN offers police commander training, and one of the sessions was attended by a major in the Baltimore Police Department. Clearly the UN is culpable for the Baltimore riots.
Do you hear how stupid that sounds?
That is how stupid Rania Khalek's argument, the same argument used by other Israel haters, is.
But it isn't stupidity that animates Khalek's half-baked theories. It is pure hate.
The Electronic Intifada readers who buy this argument, however, are truly stupid.
It is not just the Saudi king who will be skipping the Camp David summit of U.S. and allied Arab leaders. Most Gulf heads of state won't be there.
The absences will put a damper on talks that are designed to reassure key Arab allies, and almost certainly reflect dissatisfaction among leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council with Washington's handling of Iran and what they expect to get out of the meeting.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced late on Sunday that newly installed King Salman will not be attending. The ostensible reason was because the upcoming summit on Thursday coincides with a humanitarian cease-fire in the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Shiite rebels known as Houthis.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who is also interior minister, will lead the Saudi delegation and the king's son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is defense minister, will also attend.
President Barack Obama had planned to meet King Salman one-on-one a day before the gathering of leaders at the presidential retreat but the White House did not take his decision to skip the summit as a sign of any substantial disagreement with the United States.
Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, a professor of political science at Emirates University, said Gulf leaders were staying away from the Camp David gathering to signal their displeasure over the nuclear talks.
"I don't think they have a deep respect, a deep trust for Obama and his promises. There is a fundamental difference between his vision of post-nuclear-deal Iran and their vision," he said. "They think Iran is a destabilizing force and will remain so, probably even more, if the sanctions are lifted. ... They're just not seeing things eye to eye."
I have yet to read a single commentary saying that a coordinated snub of the President of the United States is an "insult," or that it is "increasing tensions."
But in the same article:
Netanyahu has been an outspoken critic of the deal, raising tensions with the White House.
Israel expressing its opinion on Iran is couched in terms of how terrible and ungratefully Netanyahu is acting towards the US. But oil-rich Arab states don't have to worry about anyone saying anything bad about them in the media.
Israel-haters are wasting no time in politicizing the two new "Palestinian" saints. From Ma'an:
Rifaat Kassis, a prominent political community activist and coordinator of Kairos, a local Christian group, says the canonization is significant on many levels, notwithstanding the recognition that Palestinians under Ottoman rule were part of a diverse, productive society, contrary to the mainstream sidelining of Palestinians from the region's history.
"This puts Palestine on the map, among not only the catholic world, but the whole world, and I think this will also help people to understand Palestine and the occupation," he told Ma'an.
Were these poor Catholic women under brutal Israeli occupation? Did anyone call them "Palestinian" before 1970?
But there is one fact in the life of one of the new saints, Sister Mariam Baouardy, that could be understood in a completely different context.
Betrothed in an arranged marriage at age 13, she refused to go along with it, insisting on a religious life. As punishment for her disobedience, her uncle hired her out as a domestic servant, making sure she had the lowest and most menial of jobs. A Muslim servant with whom she worked began to act as her friend with an eye to converting her from Christianity. On 8 September 1858, Mary convinced him she would never abandon her faith; in response he cut her throat and dumped her in an alley. Mary lived, an apparition of the Virgin Mary treated her wound, and she left her uncle’s house forever.
So this Catholic saint had her throat slashed by a Muslim because she didn't want to convert to Islam.
Perhaps Sister Mariam's canonization indicate that the Catholic Church considers Islam to be a violent, intolerant religion!
From Ian: Rescue team: Body of missing Israeli found in Nepal
The body of missing Israeli trekker Or Asraf was located in Nepal early Sunday morning, an Israeli relief team announced, over a week after he disappeared following a devastating earthquake. Relatives, friends and rescuers had held out hope of finding Asraf alive — he was the last unaccounted-for Israeli in the country — but a statement from the ZAKA emergency organization said his body had been located on the Langtang ridge. “We regret to report that during the morning hours the team located a body identified as Or Asraf’s. The complex rescue operation will likely take place tomorrow morning,” the group stated on its Twitter account. The Foreign Ministry did not offer official confirmation that Asraf’s body had been found, but did not deny the report.
JPost Editorial: Iran’s chutzpah
Whenever we assume that Iran’s chutzpah can get no more egregious, Tehran’s powers-thatbe spare no effort to prove us wrong. On the face of it, Iran can claim moral equivalence. But this is a counterfeit claim. Iran and like-minded allies – to say nothing of the powers now negotiating a deal with the ayatollah regime – all know that Israel is as prudent a democracy as exists anywhere. If Israel actually has the bomb, then it has had it for more than 50 years – almost as long as the original “Atomic Club” members. In all that time no wrongful use was made. Iran is the diametrical opposite to Israel – a regime professing extreme Islamist doomsday theology whose bywords are volatility and unpredictability. There’s no evenhandedness between a self-defending democracy and an expansionist, apocalyptic tyranny. Moreover, it is outrageous to ignore the variety of WMD deployed in the internecine Arab massacres but speciously concentrate on the Middle East’s one beleaguered democracy. The implication is that democratic Israel can be pressured while autocratic Iran will get away with flagrant obstructionism. The good-guy will be disarmed while fanatic aggressors are armed to the teeth. The danger is that bona fide democracies seem willing to play along with Iran and misdirect the frustration it foments by spotlighting Israel.
Rowan Dean: Don't worry Israel our MPs are mates with Palestine too
Dear Mr Fooley (or may I call you Luke?) Just got back from my Labor parliamentary excursion, dividing my time equally between Israel and the Palestinian territories, as you requested. What a trip! My feet hardly touched the ground! Monday: Arrived at Lod Airport, after circling around to avoid being blasted out of the sky by IS, Hamas, Hezbollah, and a bunch of other peace-loving friends of the Palestinian People's Struggle to Wipe The Perfidious Jew Off The Face Off The Earth Praise Be To Allah. Grabbed some duty-frees and headed into downtown Tel Aviv. Looks just like Surfers Paradise meets Surry Hills. Cool hipsters and hot chicks everywhere. Grabbed a quick beer and a burger, bought some fab new apps and software and … Oops! Time to go to Palestine. Drove into downtown Ramallah. Looks like Mogadishu meets the Mudgee tip. Litter everywhere. Armed guards and machine gun-wielding Mafiosi types wandering around everywhere, too. Try to grab a quick beer, but, er … Oops! Gotta get back to Israel. Meet some scientists who invented the smartphone industry, or all the cool stuff like Viber and Waze. Plus they invented all this bionic stuff that helps paraplegics and things that stop crib deaths and things that cure … Yikes! Gotta get back to Palestine. Meet a bunch of dudes who invented the grievance industry. They explain how Israel has been oppressing them for decades. I ask them in what way exactly and they explain, "by existing".Cripes! Back to Jerusalem. Beautiful old city. Visit the Wailing Wall, which is all that's left of the original 3000-year-old Jewish temple where the dudes in black hats go and nod. Anyone can go but you gotta be careful coz Arab kids like to chuck rocks at you when you're praying.
UN guilt and Hamas war crimes
Even the UN has now admitted that its buildings and schools were used by Hamas to fire rockets at Israeli civilians during last year's Gaza operation. But the mainstream media and many UN institutions like UNRWA still play a very dishonest game against Israel, and in favour of terrorists The hypocrisy, or deliberate ignorance, of officials of UNRWA, whose premises were the subject of the inquiry, remains unabated. In spite of the clear evidence to the contrary, Chris Gunness, spokesman for UNRWA, said that its schools had been hit by the IDF though no weapons were discovered or fired from their premises. He stated that if militants did fire rockets from the schools, he would condemn them. The reality, as found by the Board of Inquiry, was that three UNRWA schools were used by Palestinians to store weapons and that firing by a Palestinian armed group from them “probably” occurred in two of the schools. A number of schools used by Palestinian fighters were mentioned. Among them are the Maghazi Preparatory Girls School, the Deir El Balah School, the Beit Hanoun Elementary, the Zaitoun Girls School, El Azhar Islamic College, the Abu Nur School, the Jabalia Elementary Girls School, and Rafah Boys School. The defense of a senior Hamas official was that Hamas had no choice but to use residential areas from which to launch missiles into Israel. Hamas had pre-positioned weapons and military equipment and prepared fighters to move if hostilities occurred and to blend into the civilian population.
Carter says Hamas leader committed to peace, Netanyahu not
Former US president Jimmy Carter called Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal a strong proponent of the peace process Saturday, and said he wasn’t meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because it would be “a waste of time.” The president, who has been visiting Israel and the West Bank, met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Saturday but didn’t meet with Netanyahu or President Reuven Rivlin. He told reporters that he didn’t ask to meet with Netanyahu or his government, and never has, because it would be a “waste of time.” He told Channel 2 in an interview broadcast Saturday that he requested to meet Rivlin, but the president’s office declined. Israel officials said last week that Netanyahu and Rivlin had refused invitations to meet with Carter, who was described by an Israeli diplomatic source as “a disaster for Israel,” who holds “anti-Israel positions.” Carter, who cancelled a planned visit to Gaza on this trip, said Saturday he “deplored” criminal acts by members of Hamas, but said he was looking to support moderate members of the group, which he said wasn’t a terrorist organization. “I don’t believe that he’s a terrorist. He’s strongly in favor of the peace process,” Carter said of Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal. He said Mashaal expressed interest in the Saudis hosting a “peace meeting” and that the Doha-based Hamas leader would recognize Israel’s right to exist based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Some of IDF team to leave Nepal, as search persists for missing hiker
Dozens of members of Israel’s emergency mission to Nepal will return home Sunday, as soldiers, rescuers and relatives keep up the search for Or Asraf, who has not been heard from since the devastating earthquake struck the Himalayan country over a week ago. A Nepalese official said late Saturday that there was little hope that anyone who had not yet been found had survived the 7.8-magnitude temblor, but friends and relatives of Or Asraf have remained optimistic as they attempt to zero in on the trekker, Israel’s last remaining citizen unaccounted for in the disaster. Police officials in Nepal raised the death toll early Sunday to 7,040 as more bodies were found in the debris. Home Ministry official Laxmi Dhakal said hopes of finding any more survivors were fading away. “Unless they were caught in an air pocket, there is not much possibility,” he said.
450 treated, 5 births at IDF hospital in Nepal
Rescue and relief organizations from Israel have assisted in dramatic rescues. IsraAID personnel led a 10-hour effort by search-and-rescue teams from France, Norway and Nepal to reach Krishna Devi Khadka, a 24-year-old maid trapped in a hotel for five days in an air pocket covered by a corpse. “When the young woman was finally extracted and carried away to a waiting ambulance, it was to the great relief of the large crowd that had gathered, bringing hope that others may yet be alive,” reports IsraAID founder and director Shachar Zahavi. Nepalese teenager Pemba Lama also was rescued after five days under debris. Like Khadka, he was treated at the Israel Defense Forces’ field hospital, set up on April 29 in Kathmandu. The field hospital’s multidisciplinary Israeli medical team has so far treated about 450 patients in its trauma, pediatrics, OB/GYN, medical, surgical, orthopedic and intensive care units. The doctors and nurses have performed 33 lifesaving surgeries and aided in five births, including three Cesarean sections.
IDF Field Hospital Activity: Caring for Patients and Families
UN Condemns Israel for Occupation of Nepal (satire)
Following reports that more than 250 Israelis have made their way to Nepal in order to assist in recovery efforts following a devastating earthquake, the UN has issued its latest condemnation of the Jewish State for its sudden occupation of the South-Asian nation. “We are dismayed to learn that Israeli forces are currently using the chaos in Nepal to colonize the country, and we order all these Israeli settlers to leave at once,” the UN Human Rights Council said in a statement over the weekend. “The people of Nepal are authorized to use all means available to repel the Zionist invaders.” The UN condemnation was followed by a letter, written by Pink Floyd singer Roger Waters, and signed by Penelope Cruz and husband Javier Bardem, as well as self-declared revolutionist Russell Brand, condemning Israel for committing genocide and apartheid in Nepal, a statement from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry calling the Israeli presence in the country “unsustainable” and a host of celebrities tweeting #FreeNepalfromZionism. Hamas, meanwhile, fired a series of rockets towards Nepal, though most landed somewhere in the Jordanian desert.
BDS Movement Advises Nepalese Quake Victims to Boycott Israeli Aid (satire)
In the wake of a massive earthquake that left thousands dead, injured, homeless, and without basic necessities in Nepal this week, leaders of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) offered some advice to the small nation. “If you see people offering help under an Israeli flag in the coming weeks, we ask that you simply seek assistance elsewhere,” said BDS leader Yoni Katz. Israel sent about 2,000 aid workers to Nepal, the largest personnel contribution of any nation. While many have praised the efforts, a number have criticized Israel for them. “Never is Israel’s inhumanity and brutality on clearer display than when they are helping those in need,” stated Katz. “Think of all the other places in the world that need help,” said another BDS supporter. “It’s just, like, so evil that Israel would help Nepal and ignore so many other suffering peoples. It just makes me sick,” she concluded before vomiting on the floor with vigor. The BDS movement is therefore advising that Nepalese earthquake victims reject any aid in any form from the Israeli delegation. “Nepalese people should keep in mind that every child rescued by Israeli doctors is equivalent to supporting the occupation of Palestine,” Katz continued earlier today. “Plus, think of how great it will be when the people who reject Israeli aid die, and then we can blame their deaths on Israel not helping enough!”
‘Not too late’ to thwart bad nuclear deal, Netanyahu says
In a message published on YouTube marking the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s 30th anniversary, the prime minister warned that the international community “cannot afford to let the planet’s foremost sponsor of terrorism have nuclear capabilities,” cataloging Iran’s backing of terrorist groups on Israel’s borders. “But it’s not too late,” he said. “Countries around the world must have the courage and the resolve to hold out for a better deal, one that will actually do the job of blocking Iran’s path to the bomb.” Netanyahu dismissed assertions by US President Barack Obama that the deal would make the world a safer place, saying that if implemented, the framework agreement reached on April 2 in Lausanne “will endanger Israel — big time. But it’s not just Israel that will be in danger: The Middle East and the entire world will be threatened.” “A better deal is necessary. A better deal is possible. A better deal must and can be achieved,” Netanyahu said, repeating his outcry against the framework agreement with Iran. “But if not, no deal is better than this bad deal.”
Critics of Iran deal are guilty of ‘hysteria,’ Kerry tells Israeli TV
In a rare interview with Israeli television, US Secretary of State John Kerry pledged Saturday that inspections to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons would stay in place “forever,” and accused critics of the emerging deal with Iran of “hysteria.” Evidently seeking to placate the public in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a bitter and relentless critic of the deal, Kerry pledged: “We will not sign a deal that does not close off Iran’s pathways to a bomb and that doesn’t give us the confidence — to all of our experts, in fact to global experts — that we will be able to know what Iran is doing and prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon.” “I believe that where we are heading will in fact protect Israel,” Kerry told Israel’s Channel 10 news, in an interview at the State Department in Washington. “President Obama has absolutely pledged they will not get a nuclear weapon… We will have inspectors in there every single day. That is not a 10-year deal. That’s forever.” In an apparent reference to Netanyahu — who has called the West “comatose” and “delusional” in its negotiations with the Iranians, and who has charged that the US-led negotiations will yield a deal “paving the way” to an Iranian nuclear arsenal — the secretary urged critics to look at the facts of the emerging accord.
Congressmen call for sanctions against Russia
Leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee urged US President Barack Obama to consider using sanctions to stop Russia’s planned delivery of missiles to Iran. Republican Representative Ed Royce from California, the committee chairman, and Democrat from New York Representative Eliot Engel, the committee’s ranking member, sent a letter to Obama concerning the proposed delivery of the S-300 surface to air missile system to Iran. “If completed, the transfer of this sophisticated weapons system would significantly bolster Iran’s military capabilities and introduce new obstacles to our ability to eliminate the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon,” the legislators wrote. While the UN Security Council does not prohibit the transfer of this weapons system to Iran, the Iran-Iraq Arms Nonproliferation Act and the Iran Sanctions Act do give Obama authority to sanction countries deemed to be aiding Iran’s efforts to acquire weapons, according to the congressmen.
The Maersk Tigris game change: Iran’s big little maneuver in the Strait of Hormuz
Two points to take this forward on. First, the Maersk Tigris, the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship detained by Iran on Tuesday, is still being held by Iran. The situation remains unresolved. Second, the U.S. Navy will begin accompanying U.S.-flagged commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz (SOH). This is not the robust use of force it may seem to be, nor is it a repeat of the tanker-escort operation (Earnest Will)* in 1987-88, during the Iran-Iraq war. It’s a tacit surrender, in fact. The decision to accompany U.S.-flagged shipping in the SOH is a finger in a dike, and what it actually means is that the international convention that has governed safe transit of the Strait of Hormuz for decades has already collapsed. Appointing a U.S. Navy escort in the conditions of 2015 is an acknowledgment that there’s nothing we can do about the chaos that is now cracking the pillars of international order. We can try to protect our own shipping, but there will be no enforcement of a principle of safe passage through international straits, as a basic building block of order among the nations. The circumstances of 2015 are very different from those of the 1980s. One of the key ways they’re different is that there has been no war-related threat to Persian Gulf shipping in the 2010s. Although Iraq is basically in a civil war, there is no war between nations spilling over into the Gulf, and no generalized threat of mine, missile, or air attacks on shipping. Instead, Iran is breaching the conventions of the Law of the Sea in order to assert a hegemonic veto over shipping in the SOH. Iran purports to be at war with no one, and hasn’t claimed a national-defense need to take the unusual and arguably criminal step of detaining a ship exercising the right of innocent passage in an international strait.
Ice Cream Party Celebrating Iran's 1,000 Hangings (h/t IsraellyCool)
Israel warns of terror attack against Jews in Tunisia
Israeli officials warned citizens Saturday night to stay away from Tunisia, citing “concrete threats” of terror attacks against Jewish or Israeli targets in the country. The Tunisian government quickly denied the claims, saying no such threats existed. “Information indicates that there are plans for terrorist attacks against Israelis and/or Jews in Tunisia,” a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. But a senior official in the Tunisian interior ministry, who asked not to be named, told AFP: “We have nothing on that. There are no threats.” Jews of Tunisian descent were planning a pilgrimage to the island of Djerba, off the coast of Tunisia, for later this week to celebrate the holiday of Lag Ba’Omer.
Hamas 'No Longer Wants' Technocratic Government
A senior official in Hamas on Saturday called on Palestinian Arabs to “resolve the suffering of Gazans” by forming a national unity government comprising all Palestinian factions, the Ma’an news agency reported. Ismail al-Ashraq, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said that Hamas no longer wanted the technocratic government composed of politically-independent members following that the "failure" of that government in ending Palestinian division. He reiterated Hamas' call for elections, the report said. Al-Ashraq's comments came a week after a government minister announced that the unity government had cut off contact with Hamas following a high-profile visit to Gaza that ended in disarray on April 20. The visit had been aimed at resolving an employee dispute between the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority and Hamas, but the delegation of eight ministers alleged that Hamas had prevented them from leaving them the hotel or meeting with anyone.
Palestinian Preacher Issam Amira: We Should Launch a Decisive Storm to Topple Arab Regimes
In a sermon delivered in Jerusalem, Palestinian preacher Sheik Issam Amira said: "It is a duty incumbent upon us to lead a pure, loyal, honest, and serious Islamic decisive storm, which will blow away their false entities, topple their oppressive thrones, and finish off their tyrannical rule." The sermon was posted on the Internet on April 3, 2015.
Palestinian hairstylist wins Israeli contest
Hairstylist Asma Massimi of Nablus defeated hundreds of competitors from Israel and around the world recently when she won the first place in the "everyday hairdo styling" category in an international championship organized by OMC – the Israeli association for national hairdressers, makeup artists and beauticians, which was held at Tel Aviv University. Massimi brought along a model from Nablus and designed the hairdo on her head. While hairdressers from Jordan and Turkey boycotted the competition, she had no hesitations. "I attended the competition in the past, and this time I decided to participate. I brought a lot of respect to Palestine," said Massimi, who won high-quality Japanese scissors worth NIS 6,000 (about $1,550).
Kenya is building an apartheid wall! Where’s the outcry?
When Israel built a wall in response to constant attacks by terrorists, it was quickly labelled an “apartheid wall” by the Israel haters, despite the fact that it was mostly fence and its purpose was to protect its multi-racial, multi-religious population from attacks by terrorists – who ironically do practice religious and racial apartheid. So would the Kenyan wall – which will also separate the diverse Kenyan population from its terrorist neighbours – also be dubbed an apartheid wall, and if not, what is the difference? Very little it would appear, as Kenya’s genocidal neighbour shares an ideology with Hamas and other jihadi groups. We know that enemies of Israel don’t believe she has the right to defend her people against terrorists. If Kenya goes ahead and builds a separation wall, would it also be subject to a boycott by the Greens, as Israel was in 2010?
Gideon Levy's Swimming Pool Falsehood Resurfaces
Nearly seven years to the day after Haaretz's Gideon Levy falsely reported that West Bank Palestinians have just one single place where they can learn to swim (Banana Land water park near Jericho), this weekend he extends the fallacy to the Gaza Strip. "There are no swimming pools in the Gaza Strip," wrote the veteran journalist Friday ("When my Gazan friend saw a private swimming pool for the first time"). It's possible that the two Gazans have never previously laid eyes on a swimming pool, private and otherwise. But the reason is not because there are no pools in the Gaza Strip. As reported by Maan News Agency, the Olympic-sized al-Sadaka pool, the Gaza Strip's first Olympic-sized pool, opened in 2010. In addition, the al-Nour Resort, a Hamas-affiliated facility located near the former site of the Netzarim settlement, has two swimming pools, according to Al-Monitor. Last summer, The New York Times' Jodi Rudoren referred to a swimming pool in that area in an article about the Palestinian hopes for a Gaza port: "The designated site, next to a wedding hall and a swimming pool not far from the former Israeli settlement of Netzarim . . . "
US-led strikes targeting the Islamic State (IS) group have killed at least 52 civilians, including seven children, in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo, a group monitoring the conflict said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitor also reported deadly violence elsewhere in Syria, including a rebel rocket attack that killed 15 civilians and wounded dozens in Aleppo. SOHR director Rami Abdelrahman said the death toll from Friday's strike was the highest civilian loss in a single attack by US and Arab forces since they started air raids against hardline Islamist militant groups in Syria such as IS. US-led forces are also targeting the group in Iraq. The SOHR said the raid had mistakenly struck civilians in a village on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River in Aleppo province, killing members of at least six families. Kurdish militiamen and Syrian rebel fighters were clashing with IS jihadists in a town roughly two kilometres away from Birmahle at the time of the strikes. "Not a single IS fighter" was killed in the strikes on Birmahle, Mr Abdelrahman said, adding that the village is inhabited by civilians only with no IS presence.
Saudi-led coalition probably used cluster bombs in Yemen
The Saudi-led coalition carrying out air strikes in Yemen has probably used cluster bombs which are banned by most countries, the international monitoring group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Sunday. The coalition includes eight other Arab states and is receiving logistical support from the United States, Britain and France. It has been bombing Yemen's Houthi militia and allied army units for a month in an effort to restore the government. "Credible evidence indicates that the Saudi-led coalition used banned cluster munitions supplied by the United States in air strikes against Houthi forces," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement. It said it had not been able to obtain information on possible casualties from the attacks. Saudi Arabia's coalition spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the report.
Saudi Arabia send ground forces into Yemen
Saudi Arabia led at least 20 ground troops into Aden, Yemen Sunday to support loyalist militia fighting rebels, an official said. “A limited coalition force entered Aden and another force is on its way” to the southern port city, said the government official and militia commander. The Saudi-led coalition has been conducting an air war against the Houthi rebels and their allies since March 26 but this is the first reported ground deployment inside the country. Officials and witnesses in Aden said the black-clad and masked troops landed Sunday in a central area between the city’s neighborhood of al-Mansoura and the airport. They said helicopter gunships hovered above the landing area.
Expert: Obama “Siding with Iran” in Yemen Conflict
Badran noted that a number of administration officials, while publicly claiming to support the Saudis, have actually “tilted much more toward Iran.” Last week, for example, one administration official said that Saudi Arabia should stick to defending its border. “At some point, an air campaign has diminishing and marginal returns,” another official told columnist David Ignatius the following day. “Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the Yemen conflict will have to be solved politically.” At the same time, other administration officials played up Iran’s supposedly positive intentions, claiming that Tehran had in fact discouraged the Houthis from taking over Sanaa. Once the Saudis did announce an end to Operation Decisive Storm, the administration quickly took credit, leaking that it was US pressure that made Riyadh back down. “The Saudis,” a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, “understand that the path forward here needs to be dialogue.” Obama was signaling a kind of indirect partnership with Tehran, which the Iranians were quick to exploit. On Tuesday, hours before the Saudis even made their announcement, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian preemptively declared “that in the coming hours, after many efforts, we will see a halt to military attacks in Yemen.” With this seemingly innocuous statement, the Iranians showed the world that they are negotiating with the Americans over the heads of the Saudis.
UN Report: Iran Helping Houthis Since 2009
Iran has been shipping weapons to Yemen's Houthi rebels since at least 2009, according to a confidential UN report seen by AFP, which reported about it on Friday. The report indicates that Tehran's support for the rebels dates back to the early years of the Shiite militia's insurgency. The report, by a panel of experts, was presented to the Security Council's Iran sanctions committee last week as the United Nations seeks to broker an end to the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen and a return to peace talks. The panel of experts reported on the findings of an investigation into the 2013 seizure by Yemeni authorities of an Iranian ship, the Jihan, that was carrying weapons.
Iranian Plane Breaches Saudi No-Fly Zone in Yemen
An Iranian civilian plane breached the Saudi-led Arab coalition's no-fly zone in Yemen, leading coalition forces to bomb a runway at the Sana'a airport on Tuesday to prevent it from landing. The no-fly zone has been in place since Operation Decisive Storm - meant to weaken via airstrikes the Iran-backed Shi'ite Houthi militia that seized power in Yemen - began on March 25, reports Al Arabiya. The incident is particularly concerning given the high likelihood that Iranian planes will provide weapons and support to the Houthis, given that it has backed the group in their push to conquer Yemen. While the Saudi operation was declared completed last Tuesday, it has morphed into a new phase termed Operation Restoration of Hope, as the Saudi-led military intervention continues. "Iranian actions towards Yemen are irresponsible. Defying the no-fly zone doesn't serve the interest of Yemenis," Saudi operation spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri told Al Arabiya.
Gay Muslim director threatened over Mecca documentary
An award-winning Muslim documentary-maker and prominent LBGT activist said he received death threats ahead of the premier at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto earlier this week of his film, A Sinner in Mecca, which follows his personal experiences during a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. India-born Parvez Sharma, who is openly gay, filmed his trip to Mecca for the hajj, a pilgrimage to the holy city which Muslim believers are required to go on at least once in their lifetimes. The film deals with the conflict between Sharma’s sexuality and his faith. According to the Guardian, Sharma received “a barrage of hate mail” from Muslim countries before the film was even screened on April 29, “including direct threats.” The threats prompted the organizers of the festival to heighten security measures for the screening.
Irish Bachelor Party Revelers Wear Hitler Masks, Verbally Abuse Locals Near Prague’s Jewish Quarter
Participants in an Irish bachelor party donned Hitler masks and verbally abused locals who confronted them just feet away from the Jewish Quarter in Prague, the Irish Mirror reported on Friday. The incident occurred on April 24 when a group of 25 to 30 men from the Irish city of Cork gathered at the patio of a bar in the Czech capital, said pub owner Frank Haughton. He said the revelers harangued people who approached them about the inappropriate masks, saying “we can do whatever we want.” The rowdy group also groped Haughton’s female staff and made sexually offensive comments. “They were a disgrace to themselves, their families, and a huge embarrassment to Ireland,” he told the Irish Examiner. “The sad part is that these guys were of mixed ages, some of whom should have known better. But their language, their inability to have any respect for anything, was repulsive. These guys just didn’t give a damn.”
PreOccupiedTerritory: The Nazis Lost, So Caricaturing Them Is “Punching Down” By Garry Trudeau, cartoonist (satire)
People trying to defend Charlie Hebdo’s artists on free speech grounds might have an argument, but the exercise of free expression carries responsibility. One may not abuse that right just to offend a persecuted minority – which is why I pose the question: with the Nazis out of power and long ago subjected to humiliating defeat, who among us would now exploit that downtrodden Nazi status by caricaturing them? That would be punching down, when satirists must always punch up. That such a question, rhetorical as it may be, should even be asked speaks to the troubled nature of our times. The Charlie Hebdo caricaturists forgot an important rule of ethics in opting to depict Muhammad and thus offend large numbers of Muslims: never kick a man when he’s down. Just because we can offend does not mean we should – do the Muslims among us need reminding that their culture is still associated with genital mutilation, repression of dissent, racism, naked conquest, tribal warfare, forced conversion, mass rape, mass killing, and economic failure, when right here in the Western world they might not be allowed to attend school in a headscarf? We should know better. The same goes for Nazis. When did you last see a Nazi exerting any kind of political power? They lost in 1945, and never again wielded control. The rest of us, then, had better think twice before using a Nazi as an object of ridicule or caricature. It unnecessarily offends the powerless.
Gal Gadot is the new face of Gucci Fragrances
“Guess who is the new face of @Gucci Fragrances?” Israeli model, director and actress Gal Gadot recently posted on her Facebook page. Followers of her page quickly responded with ‘congratulations’ and over 127,000 likes. The 29-year-old, who will be starring as Wonder Woman in the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, added the new high-profile gig to her resume. Gadot, a former Miss Israel, will promote Gucci’s upcoming Bamboo fragrance.
40,000 Israelis let pop star Robbie Williams entertain them
Some 40,000 people packed Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park Saturday night to watch, cheer and sing along with British songster Robbie Williams. Williams kicked off the concert with his 1998 hit “Let Me Entertain You,” which is also the name of his 2015 world tour. Decked out with tattoos, devil horns, black leather and bright red backlighting, Williams gave the concert a deliberate “Doesn’t it feel good to be bad?” vibe. “Do you feel me, Israel?” he asked his tens of thousands of fans. They did. With the crowd sufficiently riled, the Stokie singer started into some of his classics: “Rock DJ,” followed by “Monsoon” and “Come Undone.” Williams did not respond directly to Rogers’ piece during his concert, but did make sure to properly praise Israel and the adoring fans. “I’ve been here for two days and when I go back home and they ask me how Israel was,” he told the gathered masses, “I’ll tell them it was f__king amazing.”
More love from the religion of peace, from Egyptian cleric Saad Yusuf Abu Aziz in Al-Zawiya Al-Gharbiya Mosque in Ghamrin.
If past history is any guide, the visceral disgust and outraged reactions from peaceful Muslims in reaction to this naked hate and antisemitism should come, just about....never.
