Iran Unveils New Missile Equipped with MRV Payloads

FARS NEWS

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force has equipped its short-range Zelzal missiles with newly developed Multiple Reentry Vehicle (MRV) payloads, a military hi-tech owned only by a handful of the world states.

 

The surface-to-surface Zelzal missile is equipped with thirty 17-kg bombs which can destroy a wide range of targets and is a proper option for targeting airport runways and equipments, installations and facilities on the ground.

The solid-fuel missile with a 300-km range is among the most important missiles which can attack enemy targets and bases in short distances.

Zelzal was unveiled on Sunday in the presence of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a two-hour tour of the IRGC's Aerospace Exhibition, where state-of-the-art equipment and hardware were showcased.

The missile was earlier test-fired in 2011 during the drills, codenamed Payambar-e Azam (The Great Messenger) 6, but it was then armed with regular payloads.

Egyptian Pop Star Chaaboula to Sing ‘I Hate Israel’ at Morocco World Music Festival Featuring Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake

Joshua Levitt

'I Hate Israel' Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi Alicia Keys Chaaboula Hey Arab Leaders justin timberlake Kool and the Gang Mawazine McDonald's Morocco Morocco Festival Palestinian Media Watch Ricky Martin Robert Plant Shaaban Abdel Rahim We Love Sisi

Egyptian singer Shaaban Abdel Rahim, known as Chaaboula. Photo: Mawazine Festival.

Egyptian singer Shaaban Abdel Rahim, known as Chaaboula, plans to sing I Hate Israel, the infamous song that ended his contract for McDonald’s in 2008, at Morocco’s Mawazine world music festival, which is also featuring international stars Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Ricky Martin and Kool and the Gang.
Egypt’s Youm7 news site reported on Saturday that Rahim said he will open his concert with I Hate Israel.
Arabic entertainment news site FilFan cited Rahim as saying that he’ll be wearing a costume with the colors of the Egyptian flag and will also sing his ode to former Egyptian defense minister and now presidential candidate Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, We Love Sisi.
Rahim was cited by FilFan as saying it’s “an honor for me to be the only Egyptian singer in the festival this year, it is the first time that I have taken part in such a big event.”

The Boko Haram Girls May Already Have Been Mutilated

 

---

by Phyllis Chesler 12 May 2014

Raw: Video Claims to Show Missing Nigerian...

A new video from Nigeria's Boko Haram militant network purports to show dozens of abducted schoolgirls, wearing hijabs and praying in Arabic. (May 12)

The entire world is focused on the captured Nigerian girls, many scenarios have been envisioned--and yet there is at least one issue no one has raised: That it is entirely possible that these poor girls have also been genitally mutilated. If so, that means that their rapes will be doubly torturous and traumatizing.

And make no mistake: They will be raped by their captors on their "wedding" night and/or over and over again by strangers if they are trafficked into a brothel.

Sharia for Dummies

EDWARD CLINE May 10, 2014

No, that's not the actual title. Sharia-ism is Here: The Battle to Control Women and Everyone Else might have been called that but doubtless Joy Brighton, the author, would have encountered brand or trademark infringement problems with the publisher of the popular and successful For Dummies series, John Wiley & Sons. I also suspect that Wiley & Sons would have been horrified by the idea of publishing such an "Islamophobic" book anyway. It has published Islam for Dummies and The Koran for Dummies, both of which, to judge by their Amazon descriptions, are treacly, inoffensive, sanitized guides to a highly "misunderstood" and "misperceived" religion-cum-ideology.

Have They no Shame?

  Isi Leibler
http://wordfromjerusalem.com/?p=5086

In terms of shameless personal corruption on a broad party political level, I doubt that anything can match the extraordinary efforts by MKs from the majority of political parties, who are promoting legislation calculated to damage or destroy the nation’s most popular and widely circulated daily newspaper.

The campaign against Israel Hayom is beneath contempt. It emanates from Noni Mozes, the publisher of Yediot Achronot which, prior to the advent of Israel Hayom, totally dominated the mass media.

Israel Hayom was established by billionaire philanthropist Sheldon Adelson, a friend of Prime Minister Netanyahu who is also probably today the greatest philanthropist to Jewish and Israeli causes. The paper is politically center-right and its editorial policies basically support the Netanyahu government. Yet it prides itself on opening up its pages to opposing viewpoints – ironically including op-eds from some of the MKs now seeking its closure. In contrast, Yediot was notorious for excluding any dissenting opinion whilst frenziedly promoting supporters, such as former discredited Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Obama: I want to reach out and save the kidnapped Nigerian girls

Bob Fredericks
New York Post

http://www.investigativeproject.org/4379/obama-i-want-to-reach-out-and-save-the-kidnapped

 

President Obama said he wakes up thinking of the Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Islamist extremists and facing a life as sex slaves, and wishes he "could reach out and save those kids."

"We only need to look at today's headlines — the devastation of Syria, the murders and kidnappings in Nigeria, sectarian conflict, the tribal conflicts — to see that we have not yet extinguished man's darkest impulses," Obama said at a Los Angeles fund-raiser late Wednesday.

"I have this remarkable title right now — president of the United States," Obama said. (He loves to say this; it makes him feel so powerful and what he says important even when he does not act.) "And yet every day when I wake up, and I think about young girls in Nigeria or children caught up in the conflict in Syria . . . there are times in which I want to reach out and save those kids."

Obama, speaking at an event for the Steven Spielberg-backed USC Shoah Foundation, was frustrated over the lack of a quick fix.

My JNF address (Part I): The ‘peace process’ – failure foretold

MARTIN SHERMAN

Between the River and the Sea there will exist either exclusive Jewish sovereignty or exclusive Arab sovereignty. This is not right-wing extremism or religious fanaticism, merely sound political science.

‘JERUSALEM POST’ editor-in-chief Steve Linde (center) leads the socioeconomic panel discussion at JPost Conference Photo: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST

Following my participation in The Jerusalem Post Conference in New York last month, I received an invitation from Russell Robinson, the CEO of the Jewish National Fund, to make a telephone address to major JNF donors across the United States, assessing the status of the peace process.

I shall devote this week’s and next week’s Into the Fray columns to sharing with Jerusalem Post readers the topics I raised and the analysis I made during that address, which took place as the solemn Remembrance Day drew to a close and the festivities of Independence Day began. (Some minor modifications and editorial tweaks have been made to accommodate the transition from oral to written form):

Shakespeare on the futility of self-deception

I believe that to adequately comprehend the situation we are in, we must understand the process that brought it about.

At the risk of being flamboyant, I should like to begin my explanation of the foretold futility of the “peace-process” with a quote from Shakespeare’s Richard II, Act I, Scene 3.

Although some might find the connection between the citation and the Arab-Israeli conflict e abstruse, I will explain the relevance shortly, and hope that, like myself, the Post readership will find it instructive in elucidating the defective rationale on which the entire peace process was founded.

Shariah Law: Good for Wall Street, Bad for Beverly Hills?

KYLE SHIDELER 

In Beverly Hills, California, feminists, actors and celebrities were rallying outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, in order to protest its owner, the Sultan of Brunei's, decision to institute harsh shariah law punishments, including the stoning of homosexuals and adulterers, and floggings and amputations for thieves and other violators of Islamic law.  TV star Ellen Degeneres announced a boycott of the Sultan's hotels on twitter, and comedian Jay Leno, together with his wife Mavis, leader of the Feminist Majority organization, led a protest outside the hotel.  The Beverly Hills City Council is expected to pass a resolution against Brunei's sharia laws, while the Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse called the laws "so barbaric" that the city council felt forced to act.

The Necessary War. Western leaders shrink from the challenge.

John Galt
World War III has begun, and the enemy is not the one we expected. America and the Western world are facing a danger they have never faced before. Our enemy is not a government or a country. We are fighting enemies who hate us so much that they are willing to kill themselves in order to kill us. This war puts our conventional military forces at a serious disadvantage. There is practically no defense against this kind of warfare. The enemy is Islam, and it is waging this war against our civilization. The Quran teaches its followers:
Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is their destination. Quran 9:73

Solidarity Against Female Genital Mutilation

Irfan Al-Alawi

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4302/female-genital-mutilation

"No victim files charges against her own parents." — Rayeyeh Mozafarian, University of Shiraz, Iran.
Muslims should take the initiative in opposing FGM; campaigns against this violation of women's rights are underway already in several Muslim lands.

Late in March, British authorities undertook their first prosecutions against female genital mutilation, which has been prohibited in the United Kingdom since 2003. As revealed by BBC News on March 21, "Dr. Dhanuson Dharmasena, 31, of Ilford, east London, will be prosecuted for an alleged offence while working at the Whittington Hospital in London. Hasan Mohamed, 40, of Holloway, north London, faces a charge of intentionally encouraging female genital mutilation."
The two accused appeared in Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 15, were granted bail, and ordered to present themselves at Southwark Crown Court on May 2. According to the BBC, director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders said the Crown Prosecution Service was asked by the Metropolitan Police to examine allegations that "following a patient giving birth in November 2012, a doctor at the Whittington Hospital repaired female genital mutilation that had previously been performed on the woman, allegedly carrying out female genital mutilation himself."

Peace goes by the name Hadassah

Qanta Ahmed 

It is spring in Rehavia. Leaving the twinkling lights of the King David Hotel, I walk to dinner. Jerusalem gleams from the recent rain. The city is fresh, the night breeze cool. Contemplating the plans I have for tomorrow, I run into a colleague from New York. Hearing my schedule, she says, “Tomorrow, you will see what Peace looks like.” Her words remain with me for the rest of my time in Israel. For a long time, I will think of nothing else.

I am in an elevator in Ein Kerem. Dr. Mickey Weintraub, chief of Hadassah Hospital’s Pediatric Hematology Oncology division accompanies me to the ward. In a brief silence, I stand stock still surrounded by my colliding worlds. To my right stands a veiled Muslim woman in full hijab and abbayya. To my left, a tall Hassid wearing his somber 19th century suit stands, looking ahead. Everyone follows the digital display of the changing floors, but all I can do is stare around me. What to me seems miraculous, to everyone else seems mundane. The short journey slows to a single potent memory: the dichotomous worlds where I have made my homes have condensed into this powerful moment, one where an Israeli Hassid stands next to a Western Heterodox Muslim who flanks a modern Orthodox Jew in ranks with an orthodox Muslim Arab woman. The tumultuous region, the turbulent ages kaleidoscope into a sharpness of extraordinary clarity. For a moment, I steal a first, numinous glimpse as she reveals herself to me: I see Peace.

The War Against The Jews

SHARI GOODMAN 

Nearly seventy years after the end of the Holocaust and its recent commemoration, Jews frequently recite the pledge of "Never Again"; yet, the war against the Jews continues and with the exception of a few lone voices, no one within government, Jewish leadership, the media, or authority is responding.
The war against the Jews did not end with the defeat of Nazi Germany.  While there may have been a respite for a few decades, it has raised its ugly head once again, and presently threatens European Jewry, Israel, and increasingly North American Jewry.  From Western European capitols to Ukrainian cities in the east, anti-Semitism is on the rise, while we in North America are witnessing an ever increasing climate of anti-Semitic hate on college campuses and the Internet.

Jordanian Journalist: Hitler Was A Million Times More Merciful Than Israel's Leaders

MEMRI

In an article posted on the website of the Jordanian daily Al-Sabil, which is owned by the Muslim Brotherhood, journalist Jamal Al- Shawahin stated that no more than a few hundred or a few dozen Jews and non-Jews were put to death in the Nazi gas chambers, as a punishment for committing treason, and that Jewish circles exploit this minor incident to this day to achieve political gains. Al-Shawahin also compared Israel to Nazi Germany and concluded that the former is currently the world's most criminal regime and that Hitler was "a million times" more merciful than former Israeli prime ministers Ariel Sharon, Yitzhak Shamir and Yitzhak Rabin. He added that Hitler and Palestinian leader Haj Amin Al-Husseini jointly struggled against the British mandate, which allowed Jews to enter Palestine and Arabs to be expelled from it.

The following are excerpts from the article:

Jamal Al- Shawahin (image: sahafi.jo)

"Why did the German leader Hitler hate the Jews and constantly threaten to cut out their dirty tongues, although they were of impeccable German origin? Why did he fear their activities [although] they constituted less than 500,000 citizens, over half of whom immigrated to Palestine prior to 1930 and of those remaining [in Germany] over half subsequently emigrated to the United States and other countries, so that by 1939 only a few thousand poor and totally destitute [Jews] remained? During World War II [those Jews] were dispersed or transferred to camps where they were allegedly burned in the gas chambers. This is questionable, because those killed in the gas chambers were no more than a few hundred or a few dozen people, [both Jewish] and others, who were accused of treason. But Jewish circles trade on them and obtain infinite dividends to this day."

"Humanitarian" Extremism: Aid Convoys under the Spotlight

Samuel Westrop

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4300/humanitarian-extremism-aid-convoys

Supporters of Al-Qaeda groups in Syria openly discuss receiving financial aid from British charities.
Once again, the line between non-violent, "humanitarian" extremism and "violent" extremism seems increasingly thin.

The UK Charity Commission has repeatedly issued warnings that charity "aid convoys" are being exploited by British Muslim jihadists who want passage to Syria. But are these charities really such innocent actors?
The British suicide bomber and jihadist, Abdul Waheed Majeed, did not arrive in war-torn Syria by himself. He was part of an "aid convoy" organized by the British charity, Children in Deen. Although British aid convoy charities deny purposely ferrying would-be jihadists to Syria, a closer look suggests that these so-called humanitarians are not as innocent as they might like us to believe.
Children in Deen is in fact -- along with two other "aid convoy" charities, the Abu Faisal Trust and One Nation -- funding projects in Gaza run by the Al-Falah Benevolent Society, which, according to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, is one of "Hamas's charitable societies." Al-Falah is managed by Ramadan Tamboura, whom the newspaper Ha'aretz describes as "a well-known Hamas figure."

“Celebrating at 66”

Israel is an ancient nation, celebrating the 66th year of her rebirth.

 

 

Credit: Hoops

 

And there is a great deal to celebrate, my friends.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Ben-Dror Yemini, writing about the paradoxes in how Israel is seen, says (emphasis added):

 

“...there is one thing [Israel’s founders] definitely didn't know: That the State of Israel would lead the contribution to humanity and would also become the most hated country by that same humanity.

 

“For almost a decade now, Israel has been leading, or has been among the leaders, in global surveys about negative contribution to the world...

“When we move from perception surveys to facts, the picture is reversed. Israel is one of the leading countries in the world in developing medications and irrigation and water purification systems (the first place in the world in sewage treatment), in patent applications (first place in the registration of patents of medical developments) and in scientific publications (second place in the world in the three most important journals). 
“These achievements are not only a cause for national pride. They are mainly a contribution to humanity.

Libya: Islamist Group Forms to Destabilize Egypt

Anna Mahjar-Barducci
May 6, 2014 

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4303/libya-free-egyptian-army

Unless the U.S. helps Cairo to contain civil chaos in Libya, it is likely to become "fertile ground for religious extremism." — Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt's former army chief.
U.S. and NATO members need to stop the growth of terrorism in Libya now, before the Islamist groups get organized enough to ignite the region and target Western interests.

Egypt seems to be becoming increasingly worried about the growth of Islamist movements in its neighboring Libya. Recently, Egypt's military leader and presidential candidate, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said that U.S. military aid was needed to help rid Libya of jihadi training camps near Egypt's border. Sisi stated that unless the U.S. helps Cairo to contain civil chaos in Libya, it is likely to become "fertile ground for religious extremism." He added that such an eventuality would have a "disastrous" outcome for the U.S.
Sisi further said that by refusing to deploy Western forces to help stabilize Libya after Western militaries overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi in late 2011, the U.S. and other NATO members had created a political vacuum that had left Libya at the mercy of "extremists, assassins, and murderers". "History will judge you severely," Sisi said.

Then-Defense Minister of Egypt, General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, speaks to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in November 2013. (Image source: U.S. State Department)

Hillary Language On Benghazi Identical To Rhodes Email — 1 1/2 Days Before!

Dick Morris

On September 13, 2012, — one and a half days before Obama aide Ben Rhodes sent an email advising UN Ambassador Susan Rice to blame the Benghazi attacks on a protest over an anti-Muslim Internet video — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used the identical language embedded in a statement about the attacks.

The congruence of the two word-for-word statements suggests, at the very least, a close coordination between and White House and Hillary Clinton to deceive the American people about the true nature of the attack in Benghazi. And it may also be evidence that Hillary Clinton engineered that decision immediately following the attacks. Was the cover-up Hillary’s idea? The emails beg the question. Now Congress must investigate and decide what the answer is.

Based on newly released emails, we know that Hillary Clinton was informed sometime before 9:45 on September 12, 2012 that the Benghazi attack was made by terrorists, not spontaneous protestors. Despite this information, she continued to publicly contradict that assessment and instead blamed the murder of the four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens on a phantom protest

Why would she do that? In order to deflect criticism away from the State Department’s inadequate security in Benghazi and to help the President perpetuate the myth that he had Al-Qaeda “on the run” as part of his election propaganda.

Hamas to kids: Shoot all the Jews

Robert Spencer  

Note: Mr. Kerry, Mr. Obama and all of your advisors and all my left of center colleagues, friends and not so friendlies-you know a climate must exist for any peace to have a chance-you know that ground must be fertile before anything grows-the following is THE reason why PIP (Peace Isn't Possible) at this point in history-until such time as all of you accept this fundamental principle, the status quo will continue-it is up to you to change!!
 
Teaching genocidal aspirations to young children ought to be considered a form of child abuse. But the international “human rights community” is too busy issuing condemnations of Israel and wringing its hands over “Islamophobia” to take notice of this, or to take the time even to stop according the “Palestinians” the moral high ground.
“Hamas to kids: Shoot all Jews,” by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch, May 5, 2014:

On Israel's 66th Independence Day, Peres is optimistic

Be it peace with the Palestinians, the increasingly problematic economic gaps in Israeli society or the fate of our Arab neighbors, President Shimon Peres, nearing the end of his term, is as optimistic as ever.

Yon Feder, Attila Somfalvi

Published:  05.06.14, 00:13 / Israel News

In less than five months, President Shimon Peres will leave the President's Residence in Jerusalem and move into a new office in Jaffa, overlooking the sea. At the end of an interview with Ynet, before he moves on, one thing remains crystal clear: Peres has no intention to enjoy his well-earned retirement, not even for a single day.

President Peres talks with with Attila Somfalvi and Ynet's former editor-in-chief Yon Feder (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

• Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter

What can you tell the Israeli public concerned with security and growing economic gaps?

"We have a young generation which will invigorate the energy needed. Our generation did what we had to do, and we can be proud."
But this young generation needs leadership?

"Not true, we do not need leadership. Leadership in the old sense has weakened, and this is true across the globe; because the state is no longer the central organ, all the decisions taken throughout history by any leadership cannot ignore its surrounding reality, there are larger forces in play.

"Economy is more influenced by globalization then by state governments and the globalization does not have any government at all. It is built on will – take the young man (Mark) Zukerberg, he has no state or government, he did not kill and did not jail anyone, and he led a massive revolution. Economy is built on good intentions; good products and good relations.

American Red Cross rejects Israeli blood donors, cites bureaucratic error as reason

Israel listed as country with risk of mad cow disease, Red Cross doctor explains, even though there's only ever been one reported case here.

For the past six months, the American Red Cross has been refusing to accept blood donations from people who have lived in Israel for five years or longer. The reason: a “bureaucratic misunderstanding” that marked Israel as a risk for mad cow disease.

Raz, an Israeli student at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, signed up for a university blood drive last month. According to Raz, who insisted on anonymity, when the nurse on duty realized he was Israeli she rejected his donation, saying that Israel is one of the 54 countries which Red Cross guidelines preclude from donating blood.

The rejection surprised Raz. "People there saw me leaving the station after a minute and I bet they wondered what could be wrong with my blood," he said.

Red Cross guidelines indeed list 54 countries, most of which are European, where there is risk of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD or vCJD), the human form ofbovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, but commonly referred to as mad cow disease).

Life under the Obama Doctrine

CAROLINE GLICK 

For most commentators, President Barack Obama's biggest achievement in his four-nation tour of Asia was the enhanced defense treaty he signed with Philippine President Benigno Aquino. The pact permits US forces to operate on Philippine military bases and sets the conditions for joint training of US and Philippine forces, among other things.
There are two problems with the treaty, however.
And they reflect the basic problem with US foreign policy generally, five-and-a-half years into the Obama presidency.
First, there is the reason that the treaty became necessary.
The Philippines has been under attack by China since 2012 when China seized the Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines. Despite its mutual defense treaty with Manila, Washington did nothing.
This non-response emboldened China still further.
And today China is threatening the Second Thomas Shoal, another Philippine possession.
So, too, late last year China extended its Air Defense Identification Zone to include Japanese and South Korean airspace. The US responded to the aggressive move by recommending that its allies comply with China's dictates.

In Newly Uncovered Audio, Young Senator Joe Biden Slammed Previous Administrations for Pressuring Israel to Make Concessions to Arabs

Sharona Schwartz

When Ronald Reagan was president and Joe Biden was a senator from Delaware, Biden criticized the Republican administration and President Jimmy Carter for pressuring Israel to make concessions that could threaten the Jewish state’s very survival, newly uncovered audio shows.
Israel’s Army Radio on Friday first reported on the existence of the recording from the mid-1980s in which Biden emphasized Israel’s delicate position in a hostile Middle East, comparing the Jewish state to a farm pig about to be slaughtered for breakfast ham.
TheBlaze has obtained excerpts from Biden’s speech which were found in the archives of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem.

Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the 2nd Annual Creativity Conference presented by the Motion Picture Association of America at The Newseum on May 2, 2014 in Washington, D.C.
(Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

Though almost three decades old, Biden’s remarks are noteworthy, because the Obama administration’s current push for a Middle East peace agreement spearheaded by Secretary of State John Kerry is predicated on Israel making wide territorial concessions to the Palestinian Authority.
Then-Senator Biden warned in his speech to Los Angeles Jewish leaders of the “grave injustice” were Israel to be pushed into a position where it had to say “no” to concessions, while he dismissed the notion that the Palestinian issue was key to tranquility in the Middle East, a worldview that has been promoted by Obama officials.

Israel haters really frightened by my posters

 Elder of Ziyon
Some Facebook idiot tried to refute one of my many posters proving that Israel isn't an "apartheid state" by creating this:

'
Unfortunately, as Israellycool points out,

Amy Kleinhans was crowned Miss South Africa in 1992, the year following the repeal of South Africa’s apartheid laws. It was the official end of apartheid that paved the way for her participation to begin with.

So the Amy Kleinhans poster actually reinforces the point about the Israel-Apartheid comparison being erroneous.

Remembrance Day at the Western Wall, May 4, 2014. Hundreds of mourners gather at Western Wall on eve of Remembrance Day

AAKOV LAPPIN, DANIEL K. EISENBUD

05/05/2014

Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz: Current security quiet is deceptive – any spark can cause a fire.

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz Photo: Courtesy Defense Ministry

 

Cast aglow by numerous incandescent spotlights below a crescent moon, the Western Wall last night once again served as center stage, as hundreds of soldiers and Jews from across the globe gathered before it to honor the country’s fallen on the eve of Remembrance Day.

As soldiers, past and present, surrounded the Wall amid several vertical Israeli flags, one was lowered to half mast as a haunting air raid siren followed by a muffled trumpet playing taps signaled the beginning of Israel’s national day of mourning.

Behind metal partitions, a cross section of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and secular Jews stood side by side as the nation’s leaders commemorated the dead.

“It feels good to look around and see the continuity of the Jewish people,” said Shmuel Eliwatt, of Beit Shemesh, who attended the ceremony with his wife, Miriam.

“Continuing Thoughts...”

 

I would like to pick up on the two topics I wrote about before Shabbat: accusations of Israel as “apartheid” and the debate about Israel as a Jewish state vs. democratic state. These subjects may overlap, but they are separate issues.

 

As to apartheid.  Warren Goldstein, chief rabbi of South Africa, offered an important take on the matter in yesterday’s JPost.  What Kerry has done in using the word inappropriately, he say, is to trivialize it, and desecrate the memories of those who truly suffered under the apartheid system.  “No one who truly understand the brutality and the systemic racism and denial of basic human rights that made apartheid nefarious could possibly use the the word in a discussion relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...”

 

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Sinai-today-Kerrys-sins-351102

 

The choice of this word, of course, is not accidental, nor does it originate with Kerry.  It has been the stock in trade of the Palestinian Arabs all along – part of the attempt to delegitimize Israel. Abbas, for example, in coming before the UN in 2012, spoke about Israel’s “apartheid policies.”  Just as an apartheid South Africa was read out of the community of nations, so must Israel be, he and his cohorts are implying.  Regrettably, on occasion it has even been picked up by Israelis – such as Livni – who are hungering for that Palestinian state.

 

Words have power. And it is our task to challenge all references to Israel as “apartheid.” We cannot ignore them.

Fatah official during peace talks: "Not a centimeter of Jerusalem will be liberated unless every grain of Palestinian soil is soaked in the blood of its brave people"

Negotiations with Israel only "the fighter's rest"

[December 2013] 

 http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=11379 

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Even at the height of the peace negotiations with Israel, in December 2013,

Fatah official Tawfiq Tirawi said that Palestinians were not committed to non-violence. Rather, he said that negotiations are just one option, and do not preclude use of the "rifle," which the Palestinians have never abandoned.

Last week, Palestinian Media Watch reported that Tirawi had essentially proclaimed the end of the peace process, saying that "the two-state solution does not exist." He further called for Israel's destruction, asserting that "Palestine is Gaza... the West Bank... and Haifa, Jaffa, Acre," meaning all of Israel is "Palestine."

Norway to introduce new regulations on circumcision

By JTA

Norwegian gov't to examine non-medical circumcision; Norway Children’s Ombudswoman: Non-medical circumcision violates minors' rights.

Baby undergoes circumcision Photo: REUTERS

Norway will promote new legislation to “regulate ritual circumcision,” the country’s health minister said.
Bent Hoie said the new legislation on non-medical circumcision of boys under 18 will be introduced before April 20, according to a report by the Norwegian daily Aftenposten.

“We will review submissions on the matter before we can decide what should be the government’s position. We aim to present a bill before Easter,” Hoie told Aftenposten last week. He did not say whether the regulations would introduce new restrictions.
His announcement follows renewed calls by Norway Children’s Ombudswoman Anne Lindboe to ban non-medical circumcision of minors without their consent, which she says violates their rights.
“This is not due to any lack of understanding of minorities or religious traditions, but because the procedure is irreversible, painful and risky,” Lindboe told Aftenposten.

Following steep rise in "honor killings," Abbas orders review of "laws that discriminate against women" and preparation of "the necessary amendments"

http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=11362 

  by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Following a steep rise in the number of "honor killings" of Palestinian women, Mahmoud Abbas has announced plans to improve protection of women's rights. The official PA daily stated that Abbas "ordered the government to establish a legal committee to comprehensively review all sections of the various laws that discriminate against women, and to prepare the necessary amendments." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 7, 2014]

Palestinian Media Watch reported recently that the Palestinian society has seen a 100% rise in the so-called "honor killings" during the last year.

This is not the first time, however, that Abbas has promised to change the laws that endanger and discriminate against women. For years, voices in the Palestinian Authority have complained about the leniency granted to murderers who claim their crimes were committed for "family honor," and in 2012, Abbas appointed a similar committee "to examine the law of personal status and others... [and] improve the laws and amend them, so Palestinian women's rights will be protected and defend them from oppression, violence, and discrimination." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 10, 2012]

Netanyahu: Learning the lessons of the past; J Street: The Pro-War Group

Elder of Ziyon

From Ian:

---

Binyamin Netanyahu: Learning the lessons of the past

Today, we are unafraid to speak the truth to world leaders. As is written in the Bible: "I will speak of your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed… listen, for I will speak the truth." Unlike the Holocaust, when the Jewish people were like a wind-tossed leaf and utterly defenseless, we now have great power to defend ourselves, and it is ready for any mission.
This power rests on the courage and ingenuity of the soldiers of the IDF and the men and women of our security forces. It is this power that enabled us, against all odds, to build the State of Israel. Look at the remarkable achievements we have made in the 66 years of our independence.
All of us – scientists, writers, teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, employees, artists, farmers – the entire people of Israel, each one in their own field – together we have built a glorious state. The spirit of the people of Israel is sublime, our accomplishments tremendous. Seven decades after the destruction of the Holocaust, the State of Israel is a wonder of the world.

Benghazi, Lies and Videotape

Nonie Darwish

Shocking White House emails released to the public Tuesday by government watchdog group Judicial Watch shed new light on the Obama administration’s brazen dishonesty with the public about the deadly Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. Statements from top Obama adviser Ben Rhodes confirm what critics have long alleged: that the Obama administration’s to priority in the wake of the attack was not to seek justice for the fallen or confront the threat to our nation, but to lie to the public about the nature of the attack in order to improve President Obama’s image in an election year.

It is the tragedy of our times that that the US government advocated the video excuse as a justification for the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi — or even the attack on the US embassy in Cairo on 9/11/12. It should be common knowledge to Western governments by now that Islamic leadership habitually justifies Islamic terrorism as a reaction to some kind of injustice or offense perpetrated against Muslims. This happens all the time in the commission of terrorist attacks or after they have been perpetrated. But instead of exposing the Islamic lie as usual, America facilitated the terrorists’ excuses. This is not a bad deal for jihadists who are only too happy to see nations victimized by terror defend jihad on behalf of Muslims.

Meet the Israeli Christians who actually want to be drafted

Israeli soldiers from the Golani Brigade take part in a military training exercise in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the border with Syria.

 
JERUSALEM (Global Post) — For the first time in its history, Israel's army is getting ready to send voluntary military enlistment notices to Christian Arab citizens when they turn eighteen.

The unlikely impetus behind the move is none other than the Arab Spring, the popular rebellion revolutionizing the Arab world and in the process recalibrating the relationship between Christian citizens and the State of Israel. Shocked by a new climate featuring violence against Christians in Egypt and Libya, among other countries, and displacement in Syria, some of Israel’s Christian Arabs are pushing for greater participation in their home state.

Sterling, Media and the Race Card -- a Confederacy of Dunces

Larry Elder

5/1/2014  - Larry Elder

A secretly taped conversation between long-time L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling and his then-girlfriend was released. The NBA has now banned Sterling from the league. The commissioner recommends that Sterling sell his team.
Goodness, what happened?
The old guy had a quarrel with his girlfriend, which she apparently -- surreptitiously -- recorded. The most eye-raising parts have to do with Sterling, 80, telling his less-than-half-his-age girlfriend that he doesn't want her attending games with black people, specifically with Magic Johnson. She can "f--k" anybody, he said, just don't bring "them" to the games.
His reasons appear to be that his girlfriend, who describes herself as black and Mexican, would look -- to others -- more white if she sat next to white people. I guess. I really don't know. He probably doesn't.
Despite his obvious anger, Sterling never says the "n" word, let alone calls her a "c" word. He expresses admiration for Johnson. He says to the girlfriend, almost in disbelief, "You think I'm a racist!" The now ex-girlfriend is currently being sued by the Sterling family for allegedly embezzling almost $2 million.

Fatah depicts unity with Hamas as unity between two terror organizations

"Men's shoulders were created only to carry rifles.

Either we will be mighty above the earth,

or we will be bones in it"

"We will not surrender;

we will win or die"

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=11344  

by Itamar Marcus Nan Jacques Zilberdik

On Facebook, Fatah welcomes the unity with terror organization Hamas, depicting it as a unity between two military organizations. On Fatah's "Main Page" a picture shows two masked men carrying machine guns. One wears the yellow headband of Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, while the other wears the green headband of Hamas' military wing, the Izz A-Din Al-Qassam Brigades. Both organizations are listed as terror organizations in the US, the EU and in other countries. The administrator of the page wrote, "Yes to unity and to ending the rift," while the text on the photo proclaims:

"Men's shoulders were created only to carry rifles. Either we will be mighty above the earth, or we will be bones in it." 

[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page" April 24 and 30, 2014]

Obama: Passover Wrap Up, "Next Year In Jerusalem ," Deemed "Provocative"

Shana Habbab (AP White House Correspondent)

(AP) — An unidentified Israeli official has confirmed that private discussions between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu included an urgent request from the President that the traditional closing refrain “next year in Jerusalem” be deleted during the upcoming Passover holiday, calling the ancient passage provocative and unhelpful for the future of peace talks. Calling it “an easy fix,” Obama strongly urged the Jewish People to replace it with “next year in peace” or “next year in Tel Aviv,” leaving the exact wording to final status talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Netanyahu is said to have balked at the request, indicating that the refrain dates back well before the UN Partition of 1947 and well before the U.S. Declaration of Independence, for that matter. The Prime Minister reportedly attempted to diffuse the situation by offering to remove it from the conclusion of the lesser-known Yom Kippur service, and suggesting the phrase was defunct anyway since Jews have controlled all of Jerusalem since 1967. However, a visibly irritated President Obama flatly rejected the compromise, adding it was another indication the “stiff-necked” Prime Minister did not appear “serious about peace.”

Blueprint's Discovery Fuels UK "Trojan Horse" Concerns‏

IPT News 

http://www.investigativeproject.org/4367/blueprint-discovery-fuels-uk-trojan-horse-concerns

While British officials investigate an alleged "Trojan Horse" plot to replace state school leaders with people sympathetic to Islamist ideology, the Telegraph reports that a 2007 blueprint "closely resembles what appears to be happening in Birmingham."

The 72-page document was published online by the Muslim Council of Britain, reports Telegraph London Editor Andrew Gilligan.

It was co-authored by Tahir Alam, chairman of governors at Birmingham's Park View school. The document called for "girls [to] be covered except for their hands and faces." Alam has also promoted gender segregation in some school activities and slammed a "multicultural approach" to collective worship.

Secular UK schools must "take account of Muslim sensitivities and sensibilities with respect to sexual morality," the document says, with "girlfriend/boyfriend as well as homosexual relationships" considered "not acceptable practices according to Islamic teachings."

Libya Urgently in Need of Military Intervention

Anna Mahjar-Barducci

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4289/libya-military-intervention

The West is leaving Libya on its own -- but another Afghanistan is on the way.
The Libyan security forces are struggling to contain the violence, but they are not large enough or strong enough.

In Libya, a descent into chaos, leading to the "disintegration of the state and its power," seems to be reaching a critical point.
"The current situation in Libya is a standing invitation for the intervention of foreign powers," according to Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat's deputy editor-in-chief, Ali Ibrahim. Ibrahim writes that armed militias, who often enjoy the support of sectors of local populations, are committing abuses and violations of human rights, while radical Islamist groups are taking advantage of Libya's chaos to transform the country into a home for training camps for militants. "In other words, Libya has become a security threat, with the effects extending even beyond its borders," Ibrahim states.

Libyan rebel fighters in 2011. (Image source: VOA/Wikimedia Commons)

Former Libyan Prime minister Ali Zeidan recently warned that Libya is in danger of becoming an Al-Qaeda terror base for attacks targeting European countries, in particular Britain, France, Italy and Spain.

Play video Dr. Guy Bechor discusses the actual demographic balance between Israel and the Palestinians on Israel TV Channel 2's morning show. His data are aligned with those set out in Caroline Glick's book: The… 00:08:04 Added on 4/18/14 6,949 views

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra879tN9pAA

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Secretary Kerry, please get the Jewish-Arab demographic record straight

Dr. Guy Bechor, a leading Israeli Mideast scientist

Israel TV Ch#2, http://youtu.be/Ra879tN9pAA, April 18, 2014 

The following TV interview, by Dr. Guy Bechor from the Herzliya Interdisciplinarian Center (IDC), one of Israel's leading Middle East scientists, sets the record straight on the Jewish-Arab demographic balance west of the Jordan River.

                                                              http://youtu.be/Ra879tN9pAA

Aggression - The Illegal Use of Force

29 April 2014 | Eli E. Hertz

UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 have never branded Israel as an occupier or aggressor. As a matter of fact, the UN rejected every draft resolution that attempted to brand Israel as aggressor and those calling on Israel to withdraw from all the territories.

The wording of UN Resolutions 242 and 338 clearly reflect the contention that none of the territories were occupied territories taken by force in an unjust war.

Because the Arabs were clearly the aggressors, nowhere in UN Security Council Resolutions 242 or 338 – the cornerstones of a peace settlement – is Israel branded as an invader or occupier of the Territories.

It is imperative to view Resolution 242, as finally approved, in distinction to draft resolutions that were more adamant of Israel and which none received the needed votes to become effective:

The Palestinian ‘Unity’ Deal: The Charade Is Up!

Sarah N. Stern


“Our aim is the liberation of all of historic Palestine from the (Jordan) river to the (Mediterranean) sea, even if the conflict continues for a thousand years or many more generations.” - Faisal Husseini, considered a great Palestinian moderate, in his last interview, shortly before his death in 2001.

A Rubicon has just been crossed. Wednesday’s announcement by Abu Mazen of the Palestinian Authority that he has joined a national unity government with Hamas has unmasked the nature of the Fatah beast, once and for all, and revealed the naked intentions of the P.A. The fig leaf has fallen, and it does not reveal an attractive picture.

Since September 13, 1993, the Palestinian Authority has been playing a double, duplicitous, and highly dangerous game of “Good Cop/Bad Cop”.  On September 13th, when the Oslo Accords were signed, the Palestinians pledged to refrain from acts of violence or from incitement to violence, against Israel. All subsequent agreements have been predicated along that same pledge.

Palestinian Arab Buildings On IDF Firing Range Demolished

Orly Harari

Security forces destroyed nine illegal Palestinian Arab structures east of Shechem, which were built directly in the line of fire on an IDF shooting range. 

Three of the buildings had been occupied - an active mosque, a public toilet, and a building being used as a warehouse. Two goat pens were also erected on the site. 

The Civil Administration indicated that the buildings were demolished after the owners filed a motion to the High Court of Justice, but that the petition was dismissed "in favor of upholding the law." The petitioners were given time to submit applications for official building permits or to evacuate, and this time had passed.

Kerry slams critics after 'apartheid' remark

MICHAEL WILNER

US Secretary of State: I have never said Israel is an apartheid state; despite Kerry's virtually flawless record in support of Israel, a tape released on Sunday night led to widespread outrage in Jewish community.

John Kerry Photo: REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State John Kerry issued a forceful statement on Monday night responding to fallout from his use of the term 'apartheid' to characterize a potential future Israeli political reality, should a two-state solution with the Palestinians fail to come to pass.
"I will not allow my commitment to Israel to be questioned by anyone, particularly for partisan, political purposes," Kerry said in the statement, issued by the State Department. "I do not believe, nor have I ever stated, publicly or privately, that Israel is an apartheid state or that it intends to become one."

"I have been around long enough to also know the power of words to create a misimpression, even when unintentional, and if I could rewind the tape, I would have chosen a different word," Kerry added.

UK: Sharia-Compliant Student Loans?

Soeren Kern
April 28, 2014 

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4287/sharia-compliant-student-loans

The documentary, filmed by the BBC, proved what had long been suspected: that Sharia courts... routinely issue rulings according to Sharia law that are at odds with British law.
Paragraph 2.3 of the guidelines of the Law Society of Britain suggests that Sharia law could overrule British law in inheritance disputes.
Critics say the controversy is just the latest example of how the British legal and financial systems are being steadily transformed to comply with Sharia law.

The British government has launched a public consultation on whether or not to introduce student loans that are compliant with Islamic Sharia law, which forbids loans that involve the payment of interest.
The move to seek input from the general public comes amid rising complaints from Muslim students, who argue that the existing interest-based student loan system is unfairly forcing them to choose between getting a university degree and staying true to their religious beliefs.
The government says the establishment of a scheme that would enable Muslim students to finance their degrees in a way that complies with Islamic principles would "ensure that anyone with the ability and desire can go to university."

"I want London to stand alongside Dubai and Kuala Lumpur as one of the great capitals of Islamic finance anywhere in the world." — UK Prime Minister David Cameron addressing the World Islamic Economic Forum in London on October 29, 2013. (Image source: 10 Downing St. Facebook page)

Critics counter that the dispute over interest-bearing student loans follows stepped-up demands for Sharia-compliant banking and insurance as well as credit cards, mortgages and pension funds, which—taken together—are contributing to the establishment of parallel Islamic financial and legal systems in Britain.

PM Netanyahu at Yad Vashem: do not repeat past mistake of ignoring reality

Translation -IMRA Address by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Yad Vashem
Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 27, 2014


The last time I visited Yad Vashem was with the Prime Minister of Canada
Stephen Harper, a great friend of Israel and the Jewish people. We went
through the exhibition rooms which present heartbreaking documentation of
the destruction of European Jewry.

Today in my office, I met Felah, an 82 year old Holocaust survivor. It was
important to her to tell me on this day of all days how her memories as a
child of seven who was forced to leave her two year old sister behind to
die, how those memories are always with her. She told me, "I don't remember
what happened yesterday or the day before that, but as is the way of
memories from that age, I remember the tearing, sad eyes of my two year old
sister".

I met Shalom, an 89 year old Holocaust survivor, who told me how he left
home at 18. He was 13 and the conditions in the ghetto were deteriorating so
he, a young boy, decided to leave. He said, "Mother objected and wailed and
Father was quiet. He stood and put his hand on my heard and blessed me and
told me to save myself".

Alert-request your assistance...

Dear friends, Rabbi Mirvis, the new Chief Rabbi of G.Britain

and a delegation of Rabbis from G.Britain are apparently coming on an important Israel solidarity trip in a few days time. Please let us know if you know or can find out anything of their itinerary; the concern is that the British Rabbis may boycott Yehuda and Shomron either inadvertently and/or out of fear of purported European sensitivities.

 

 Let us just make absolutely sure that we are worrying unnecessarily since it obviously would be quite an embarrassing state of affairs if Jewish rabbis excommunicate any portion of the Land of Israel or people of Israel. Direct question to Rabbi Mirvis's office has unfortunately not yielded any response so far. Thank you for finding out what you can about where the rabbis do intend to visit! Susie Dym, spokesperson for Mattot Arim, sddym@bezeqint.net

 

Chana Givon

in beloved Jerusalem

 

The Holocaust's foremost unsung hero

Moshe Kraus was behind one of the largest rescue operations of the Holocaust • Using his wits, initiative and unparalleled courage, Kraus saved between 40,000 and 100,000 of Budapest's Jews • So why has no one ever heard of him?

Emily Amrousi

Moshe Kraus | Photo credit: Beit Haedut Museum

<< 1 2 >>

In 1986, a 78-year-old man named Moshe Kraus died in Jerusalem. You probably don't recognize the name. He was never commemorated in any way. He is not mentioned in any Holocaust encyclopedias. But Moshe Kraus is responsible for the largest rescue operation during the Holocaust, on a huge scale. German industrialist Oskar Schindler, with his resourcefulness and courage, managed to save 1,200 Jews; Kraus saved tens of thousands.

Historians are divided on the exact number, but the most conservative estimate talks about at least 40,000 people, and some estimates are even as high as 100,000 Jews who escaped the Nazis in Hungary thanks to this daring man.

Abbas says unity gov't recognizes Israel, Hamas disagrees

Elder of Ziyon

Ma'an reports:

President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday that the unity government would continue to follow previous PLO policies and that he remains willing to extend peace talks with Israel, which halted the talks in response to a Fatah-Hamas unity deal signed earlier in the week.

"The upcoming government will obey my policy," Abbas told the PLO council. "I recognize Israel and reject violence and terrorism, and recognize international commitments."

What does Hamas have to say? So far, despite days of PLO officials promising that they accept existing agreements with Israel, Hamas has not uttered a peep except for an MP who disagreed vehemently.

In reaction to this speech, however, Hamas tried to distance itself from that part about recognizing Israel emphasized by Abbas:

Ehab Ghussein, spokesman for the Hamas government in Gaza, said that "the speech of President Abu Mazen is mostly positive, except for some things that need to be emphasized. That which was contained in the agreement relates to the government of national consensus, and the only agreements we made [Cairo and Doha] for a government of national consensus have nothing to do in regard to political [policy] and are and non-binding, [such as whether the unity government would] recognize or not recognize Israel."

60 Minutes Source Undermines Credibility of Segment Aired in 2012

CAMERA


The truth had to come out, eventually.

In 2012, CBS aired a notoriously dishonest “60 Minutes” segment about Christians in the Holy Land. In the segment, prominent Palestinian Christians tried to dismiss legitimate concern about the suffering of Christians in Muslim-majority Palestinian society as a “great selling point.”
Now, one of the sources who appeared in the segment, Christy Anastas, has stepped into the spotlight to reveal the truth about the suffering endured by Christians living under the Palestinian Authority, a truth that is completely at odds with the “60 Minutes” story.

Anastas, who appeared in the 60 Minutes segment along with her mother came forward earlier this month in a talk she gave at Uppsala University in Sweden and which is now posted on Youtube.