Arab Mistreated at Airport But Which One?

myrightword

..."Arab citizens are immediately viewed as a security threat at airports. But we should go through the same procedures as Jewish citizens." That airport discrimination is at the heart of a five-year-old petition to the Israeli Supreme Court that challenges the harsh security measures targeting Palestinian citizens at airports within Israel as well as by the flagship Israeli airline, El Al, abroad. The court is expected to make a decision on the issue in the next two months.

More.

So, why did this happen at the Los Angeles airport?

"Occupation"?  'Apartheid"?  "Racism"?

PA TV removes terrorists' pictures from a video following PMW's exposure

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=8592

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Following Palestinian Media Watch's exposure of a PA TV video dedicated to "our brave prisoners" that included pictures of 7 terrorists who together are responsible for killing more than 100 Israeli civilians, PA TV has removed the pictures of the terrorists from the video.

In the new version of the video, which has been broadcast at least 18 times in recent weeks, the well-known terrorists' pictures have been replaced with footage of prisoners in jail.  

Click to view

The previous version of the video that included the terrorists can be viewed here.

The terrorists that were honored were:

Attacks on Jews soar 82% in France

French Jewish Leader: “The Number of Anti-Semitic Acts Has Exploded”
“Far from raising awareness, the attacks in Toulouse and Sarcelles were followed by a dramatic increase in anti-Semitic attacks,” the report stated. Of course, the Muslims are emboldened by the depraved and coldblooded attacks of Islamic Jew-hatred.

Contrary to the Muslim lies of Muslim Brotherhood groups like Hamas-CAIR, Jew-hating attacks are at worldwide record levels, while mythical islamophobia "hate crime" barely registers at all. Despite the realities, the enemedia traffics in this Muslim mythology, embarrassing themselves time and time again.

Meet Ben Hecht, Wisecracking Jewish Hero

Stella Paul

February 28^th marks the 119^th birthday of Ben Hecht, the wisecracking genius who invented the screwball comedy and gangster movie, and who raucously upheld the honor of American Jews in WWII.

Blasted into history from a more colorful age, Hecht began his career as a circus acrobat and virtuoso violinist, then seamlessly morphed into Chicago's star crime reporter and the most successful screenwriter in Hollywood history.

I love Hecht for the feast of intelligent entertainment he seemed to effortlessly concoct, from Hitchcock masterpieces like Notorious and Spellbound to Scarface, The Front Page, and the uncredited script of Gone With the Wind.

But I adore Ben Hecht for the incorruptible courage with which he championed the dying Jews of Europe, appalling his fancy Hollywood and New York Jewish friends with his outré chutzpah.

Iranian-Backed Terrorist Group in Iraq Emerging as a "Hezbollah-like" Organization

Iranian-backed militant group in Iraq is recasting itself as a political player

Karim Kadim/AP - Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr prayed recently in Baghdad. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a former militant group composed of disgruntled former Sadrists, is entering politics and is seen as a counterweight to the cleric’s influence.

Liz Sly,

BAGHDAD — The Iranian-backed Shiite group responsible for most of the attacks against U.S. forces in the final years of the Iraq war is busily reinventing itself as a political organization in ways that could enhance Iran’s influence in post-American Iraq — and perhaps beyond.
In recent months, Asaib Ahl al-Haq — the League of the Righteous — has been rapidly expanding its presence across Iraq, trumpeting the role the once-shadowy group says it played in forcing the departure of U.S. troops with its bomb attacks against American targets.

Intifada in Westchester?‏

Time to pay attention- gentle reminder:

[Sharia meets the law of the land and an unfortunate incident in a leafy New York suburb ensues. Keep a sharp eye out for the aftermath. If the authorities go to the apology stage, then move on to the sensitivity training stage, there will only be a few steps to go before we reach dhimitude. df]

New York Daily News, 8/31/11

Muslims, police scuffle at Rye Playland over amusement park’s head scarf ban; 15 arrests made

"It's clear, this all happened because we're Muslim."

Rye Playland was shut down Tuesday after cops scuffled with Muslims upset that women wearing head scarves were barred from the rides, witnesses said.

Fifteen people, including three women, were charged with disorderly conduct and assault in the chaos, authorities said.

The Westchester County park was packed with Muslims celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr -  the holiday marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. One woman, Entisai Ali, began arguing with cops over the amusement park's head scarf, or hijab, rule, said Dena Meawad, 18, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

The 'Epidemic' of Sexual Harassment - and Rape - in Morsi's Egypt

Raymond Ibrahim
FrontPageMagazine.com
February 15, 2013

http://www.meforum.org/3450/egypt-rape-sexual-harassment

Since the "Arab Spring" came to Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood assumed power, sexual harassment, abuse, and rape of women has skyrocketed. This graph, which shows an enormous jump in sexual harassment beginning around January 2011, when the Tahrir revolts began, certainly demonstrates as much. Its findings are further supported by any number of reports appearing in both Arabic and Western media, and from both Egyptian and foreign women.

Hundreds of Egyptian women recently took to the streets of Tahrir Square to protest the nonstop harassment they must endure whenever they emerge from their homes and onto the streets. They held slogans like "Silence is unacceptable, my anger will be heard," and "A safe square for all; Down with sexual harassment." "Marchers also shouted chants against President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood group from which he hails," wrote Al Ahram Online.

The response? More sexual harassment and rapes.

Beware Palestinian apartheid

Jonathan Dahoah Halevi


The Palestinian Authority is under heavy international pressure, mostly American, aimed at facilitating the transition from proximity talks to direct negotiations with Israel.

The written message recently sent by President Obama to Palestinian Chairman Mahmud Abbas indicated that the American administration is not content, to say the least, with the Palestinian foot-dragging in the peace process, or with what is perceived to be a lack of appreciation for American pressure on Israel (which led PM Netanyahu to accept the two-state solution and to temporarily freeze settlement activity in the West Bank and Jerusalem.)

"A Sick, Sick World"

In the midst of so much that is ugly, it is a great pleasure to report this: Little Zakkai will be going home today.  On Friday, his parents wrote: "Zakkai has impressed the medical staff and us with another miraculous recovery from surgery (two this time!). Thank God...

 

"In fact, he's doing so well that we are being discharged already, ahead of schedule." 

 

"Thank God" says it all.  The capacity of this young body to rally and heal is amazing. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Now if only the world could rally and heal. But there is precious little sign of this.  Anything but...

 

While the international community dithers and dallies -- still seeking "negotiations" with Iran -- that Islamist republic is rushing towards nuclear capability. 

My Life’s Work (Part Two), Free Books on U.S. Foreign Policy

Barry Rubin

In part one of this article I wrote about books on the Middle East I’ve made available that can be read in full for free on line here.

But I’ve also had other interests which intertwine with that one, especially U.S. foreign policy, a topic which is very much present in such books as Cauldron of Turmoil and Paved with Good Intentions.

This article discusses two additional books and includes links to their full texts available for free.

I grew up in Washington DC and had a lot of close contact and observation of the governmental process which has proven to be invaluable in my work. Academics often do not understand how policy is actually made and their attempts to develop theories on this point have made their made misunderstandings even worse.

Once, I gave a paper at a university on a very detailed comparison of U.S. decisionmaking on the Iranian revolution and Nicaraguan counterrevolution. It included such points as why specific individuals, even far down in the bureaucracy, had played a role at a certain point and how different agencies competed on pushing their agendas or perceptions. A professor stood up, said he taught U.S. foreign policy, and he had no interest in such “dirty” things. I replied that his view was like that of someone who would be a music expert who had never seen anyone play an instrument.

That’s why I wrote Secrets of State: The State Department and the Struggle Over U.S. Foreign Policy. The title was carefully chosen. The main title is a pun, of course, (Secrets of State/State Department) but also reflects a key theme: the greatest secret is how decisions are made, how they are implemented, and whether they are going to succeed or fail due to the particular choices selected.

Londonistan: Muslim ‘Young Mayor’ of Islamic Enclave Posts Violent Twitter Threats

creeping
via New Young Mayor of Tower Hamlets posts violent Twitter threats – Politics – East London Advertiser.

Mahdi Alam, who campaigned on a pledge to tackle youth crime and violence, took to the social networking site on Friday to launch an unexplained tirade, visible to all of his followers.

The tweets – which were later deleted – said: “Even if you beet me up, I’ll still be young mayor. So what do you achieve.. [sic]

“To be frank. You’ll always be the looser [sic]. As my boys will pretty much kill you. Pahahaa.”

Mahdi, who attends Stepney Green School, was unveiled as the winner of the young mayoral election at a Town Hall ceremony on January 31.

Response from US Jlm Consulate

MyRightWord

After many inquiries, and nudging, the Consulate has officially responded:-

U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem
Why the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem Posts Predominantly in English and Arabic
There have been a number of inquiries asking why we post in Arabic and not in Hebrew on our Facebook page; for those who have sent us private messages on the subject we’ve worked to answer you directly but for those who have posted public comments we’d like to take this opportunity to address this issue. 
Regarding consular services such as renewing passports or issuing visas, the Consulate General is responsible for providing these services to American citizens in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, as well as visa services for both Israelis and Palestinians in our consular district (Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza). For information on consular services, please visit our website (http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/). Content on that site is being made available in English, Hebrew, and Arabic.

Zygier publicity presents common interest for Israel and Australia

Warren Reed

Warren Reed was an intelligence officer with the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) for 10 years.  He was trained by MI6 in London and served in Asia and the Middle East. 

Close and long-lasting intelligence cooperation between Australia and countries like the US, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and also Israel have been successful in confronting international scourges like terrorism.
Yet it should never be forgotten that no matter how successful these alliances, nation states will do whatever they have to in order to protect their own interests.
On such occasions, they go about it with great stealth, and if necessary refrain from letting even a "friendly" spy service and the government it represents, in on the secret.
The case of Prisoner X, identified this week as Ben Zygier, a dual Australian/Israeli national, appears to be a case in point.

Palestine’s Democratic Deficit

DAVID KEYES

Published: February 12, 2013

LAST week, a 26-year-old Palestinian activist, Anas Awwad, was sentenced in absentia by a court in Nablus, the West Bank, to one year in prison for “extending his tongue” against the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, on Facebook. Thousands have joined a Facebook group to show their solidarity with Mr. Awwad, but the damage has been done. Free speech has been set back, and a chill sent throughout Palestinian society.

Nuclear holocaust denial

Ruthie Blum

One campaign slogan that U.S. President Barack Obama has upheld to the letter was the promise to restore hope. Indeed, America’s enemies have never been as blessed with this coveted commodity as they are now. Their rooting for Obama’s re-election, then, was completely understandable. But his behavior since then — including his choices of Chuck Hagel for defense secretary and John Brennen as CIA director — has exceeded their expectations, if not fulfilled their wildest dreams. Even if these appointments are not ultimately confirmed, the radical-Muslim world perceives them as an indication of presidential intent.

US government funding radical Israeli NGOs' information operations

Caroline Glick

Earlier this month NGO Monitor released its report on foreign government funding of radical political Israeli NGOs which work to undermine Israel's international standing and subvert Israeli society. Along with the usual European suspects who give millions of shekels (or Euros or pounds) to Israeli groups like this, it works out that the US government is also funding extremely radical organizations, courtesy of American taxpayers. Notably, the three groups that reported receiving funding from the US are all in the business of waging political warfare campaigns directed at the Israeli public.

According to the report, in accordance with the NGO Transparency Law which requires NGOs to report on donations received from foreign governments, three Israeli NGOs received funding from the US. 

"Downs and Ups"

Update on my update: Little Zakkai has had a tough time since last I wrote -- as, unquestionably, have his parents. 

 

On Monday he successfully came through surgery to remove growing tumor nodules on his spine.  Following the surgery, he was given what was supposed to be a routine MRI to be sure all was well.  But it was discovered that in spite of the diligence of the two surgeons who worked on him with great care, a nodule on the spine was missed.  The doctors recommended re-opening the incision, which had not yet healed. And so, yesterday, this 2-1/2 year old went under the knife for the second time in 48 hours.

Hating Valentine’s

Jamie Glazov

[Editor's note: This article is reprinted from our Valentine's issue of Feb. 14, 2012. It has been slightly updated and edited to fit this year's day of love.]
Today, Thursday, February 14, is Valentine’s Day, the sacred day that intimate companions mark to celebrate their love and affection for one another. If you’re thinking about making a study of how couples celebrate this day, the Muslim world and the milieus of the radical Left are not the places you should be spending most, if any, of your time. Indeed, it’s pretty hard to outdo jihadists and “progressives” when it comes to the hatred of Valentine’s Day. And this hatred is precisely the territory on which the contemporary romance between the radical Left and Islamic fanaticism is formed.

Did You Know? Last week, 42,898 Tons of Goods Entered Gaza

The IDF coordinates the delivery of a variety of humanitarian aid and development assistance to the population of the Gaza Strip.
During the last week alone, 42,898 tons of goods and gas entered Gaza from Israel in 1,445 truckloads.
Think Gaza is under siege? Think again.
If you found this post interesting, check out more about what’s happening in Gaza, or visit our official site. For real-time updates, follow us on Twitter.

Obama abstract on the Middle East, admits Jihadi expansion, ignores Taliban after 2014

DR. WALID PHARES February 13, 2013

In his State of the Union speech of 2013, President Barack Obama addressed several crises in the Middle East and on the front of fighting terror. On Afghanistan President Obama assessed the outcome of his policies as a weakening of the Taliban and committed to a sustained withdrawal from the country while helping the Afghan Government to take the lead in military missions. The role of the US after withdrawal in 2014, according to Obama will be to assist the fight against al Qaeda. There was no mention of a fight against the Taliban after 2014. Does that mean that there will be a political engagement or even a partnership with the Taliban while pursuing combat with al Qaeda? How will that be to short of having the Taliban and al Qaeda splitting off?

"Update"

I begin with a report on little Zakkai, who indeed was operated on yesterday.  It's been an incredibly tough haul for his parents, first because Zakkai had developed a cold and cough and there were consultations until the last moment regarding the advisability of doing the surgery. It was decided that going ahead was prudent.  And then, they had to get to Boston, where the hospital is located, and where there were huge amounts of snow.

 

Zakkai, thank God, came through the surgery well and the surgeons were satisfied. He is in an ICU unit but having considerable pain, for which he is being treated. Terribly hard not just for the child, but for the parents to witness.  ("Unnerving and deflating," is how it was put in an update.) Please God, he will get past these first few days and rally quickly.  He is quite a fighter. 

 

Please, continue to pray for him -- for his speedy and complete recovery. And I'll provide further updates.

 

Rephael Zakkai Avraham ben Yakira Avigael

John Brennan: "Jihad Is a Holy Struggle"

Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2010, pp. 70-74

http://www.meforum.org/2949/john-brennan-jihad-holy-struggle

On May 26, 2010, John Brennan, deputy national security advisor for homeland security, delivered a speech[1] at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.
The speech reads as something of a paean to Barack Obama from whom all inspiration for current security policies is deemed to flow (and, as such, echoes a speech Brennan delivered to the same center on August 6, 2009[2]). It draws on themes that Obama enunciated in Cairo in June 2009[3] when he tried to mollify Arab and Muslim opinion. He distinguished between "violent extremists" and "true Muslims"; he vaunted "centuries of coexistence" without mention of jihad or crusades, and he blamed recent tensions solely on "colonialism." He spoke of Islamic tolerance without any hint of rampant and extreme religious intolerance in Muslim countries. Islam, Obama argued, "is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism—it is an important part of promoting peace."

How not to Defend Israel

Mike Konrad

Experience has taught me that some of the worst anti-Israel polemics come from those who think they are defending Israel. In an age where large sections of the planet have access to the internet, the old methods for defending Israel will not work. Tired shibboleths will fail and prove to be counterproductive. Zionists are using old strategies to fight a new war; and Israel is losing the propaganda battle.
A classic case of this is Newt Gingrich's recent statement that Palestinians are an "invented people." Well, we all knew what he meant, and surely his motives were right; but the statement was abysmal.
We Americans invented ourselves in 1776. Prior to that, the colonials were fighting for the rights of Englishmen, not independence. The Argentines, Mexicans, Chileans, much of Latin America invented themselves in 1810 when revolution ripped through two continents. It didn't matter whether Newt Gingrich was right or not; what mattered was that his point was meaningless. Nations and peoples invent and reinvent themselves all the time. Instead of helping Israel, that statement backfired and Gingrich ended up looking foolish, except to stalwarts.

To Think or Not to Think: A Muslim's ‘Outrageous Fortune'

EDWARD CLINE February 11, 2013

In his penetrating essay on the futility of Islam's efforts to "reform" itself through revolution, "régime change," or purification, "Springtime for Islam" (February 5th), Daniel Greenfield noted:

There is a peculiar tragedy to a religion which cannot escape its own destructive nature, each time it reaches for some form of redemption, its hands come up dripping with blood and it all ends in more bodies and petty tyrannies.

"Reform," of course, means to change oneself or some institution for the better, from bad and corrupt to good and pure, or at least to the unobtrusive benign. But, as Greenfield points out and stresses, the Arab Spring is in reality a continuation of an ongoing "Arab Winter." The "Arab Spring" was fueled by Islam, and Islam is, by its foundational nature, destructive and self-destructive.

Egypt is also pushing "forced consumerism" on Gaza!

Elder of Ziyon

Right as Al Monitor published a truly absurd anti-Israel screed blaming Israel for providing Gazan merchants with high-quality Israeli goods that some Gazans cannot afford, Palestine Times published a photo essay of a new "mall" in Rafah.

I wouldn't call it a mall; it seems more like a well-=stocked warehouse store where smuggled Egyptian goods are sold to Gazans. I couldn't find a single Hebrew word on any of the many, many goods pictured.

The goods being sold seem to be the same types of things sold at other Gaza stores that are sourced in Israel - candy and cosmetics and packaged food.

The high cost of defending Israel

Alan M. Dershowitz

Whenever I speak in support of Israel or in criticism of its enemies, the dogs of defamation are unleashed against me. The attacks, all from the hard left, seemed coordinated, focusing on common ad hominem themes. They accuse me of being a plagiarist, a supporter of torture, a right wing Zio-fascist, a hypocrite, an opponent of the two-state solution and a supporter of Israel's settlement policies. All these allegations are demonstrably false but this does not seem to matter to those whose job it is to try to discredit me.
Let me begin with the charge of plagiarism—a charge originally made by the discredited academic, Norman Finkelstein, who has falsely charged virtually every pro-Israel writer with the same academic crime. In my case, the charge centered around a one-paragraph quotation from Mark Twain in my book The Case for Israel. I cited the paragraph to Mark Twain, but Finkelstein said that I should have cited it to a woman named Joan Peters, because he believes I found the quote in her book. But the truth is that I found the quote ten years prior to the publication of Peters' book and used it repeatedly in debates and speeches. When Finkelstein leveled his absurd charge, I immediately reported it to the Harvard University President and to the Dean of the Law School and ask that it be thoroughly investigated.

Beautiful Story

The brand new Rabbi and his wife were newly assigned to their first congregation to reopen a Shul in suburban Brooklyn. They arrived in early February excited about their opportunities. When they saw their Shul, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Erev Puirm. They worked hard, repairing aged pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on 8th of the Adar (February 17th) they were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On February 19 a terrible snowstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the Rabbi went over to the Shul. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The Rabbi cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Erev Purim service, headed home.

GREAT: A LETTER FROM A HOUSEWIFE

Thought you might like to read this letter to the editor of a British national newspaper. Ever notice how some people just seem to know how to write a letter?.
Here is a woman who should run for Prime Minister!
Written by a housewife, to her daily newspaper. This is one ticked off lady.

'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores i July 2002, and in New York Sep 11 2001 and have continually threatened to do so since?

Were people from all over the world, not brutally murdered that day in London , and in downtownManhattan , and in a field in Pennsylvania ?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a few Taliban were claiming to be tortured by justice system of the nation they come from and are fightin against in a brutal insurgency.

19 Christian Children Rescued from Trafficker Before Sold to Islamic Centers

February 10, 2013 by creeping
From the Frontlines with Steve Hill » Nineteen Christian Children Rescued from a Trafficker. via Persecution News.

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that 19 children, who were to be sold to fundamentalist Islamic boarding schools (madrassas), have been rescued. Traffickers lied to the children’s parents, saying they would take the children to Christian boarding schools in Dhaka, when in fact, they were intending to sell the children to various madrassas. Students from Dhaka University discovered the children and rescued them. This is not the first instance of Christian children being trafficked to madrassas, as upwards of 150 children have been rescued from similar situations since July 2012.

According to ICC sources, on Feb. 3, 19 children, ages 5 to 12, were rescued from a trafficker named Binoy Tripura. Binoy confessed that he “collected the kids from their parents with lies and convinced them that [he] will admit all the kids to a Missionary [Christian] school in Dhaka.” He then collected 15,000 Taka (Roughly $183 USD) from each of their parents and intended to receive payment from the madrassa upon delivery of the children.

Hamas blames Abbas after unity talks falter

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

Representatives of various Palestinian factions who met in Cairo over the weekend in a renewed bid to end the dispute between Hamas and Fatah concluded their discussions without reaching agreement on the formation of a Palestinian unity government and holding new elections, Palestinian officials said Saturday.

Musa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, held Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas responsible for the failure of the Egyptian-sponsored "reconciliation talks.

Abu Marzouk said that Abbas tried once again to raise issues which the two sides had already been agreed upon.

"If Abbas wants the reconciliation to proceed, he should refrain from raising issues that we had already reached agreement about," the Hamas official said. "Instead, Abbas should be implementing what has already been agreed upon between Hamas and Fatah."

CIA nominee Brennan urged AGAINST bin Laden attack before 9/11

creeping
via CIA Nominee Urged against Bin Laden Attack in 1998.

The White House’s nominee for CIA chief says he does not regret advising against a 1998 strike targeting Osama bin Laden a few months before the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa.

“The blasts killed 224 people, including 12 Americans. Some 5,000 people were injured.”

John Brennan said Thursday that the attack could have killed other people as well as bin Laden, and that the chances for success were minimal.

He also told the Senate Intelligence Committee the information supporting the attack was “not well grounded.”

Letter From the West Bank

Cliff May  

Ramallah, West Bank — It’s difficult not to like Salam Fayyad. The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority has an avuncular demeanor and old-fashioned professorial charm. He boasts a doctorate in economics from the University of Texas at Austin and remains loyal to the Longhorns. He speaks in charmingly accented, rapid-fire English. In a spacious conference room in the palatial government complex where he maintains his offices, he is generous with his time, answering questions from me and other members of a delegation of American national-security professionals on a wide range of issues.
One need not agree with everything Fayyad says to appreciate that he is the kind of Palestinian leader with whom Israeli leaders could make peace — if Israeli leaders could negotiate with him, and if he could deliver a majority of Palestinians willing to accept a compromise solution to the conflict. Fundamentally, here’s what that would mean: Palestinians would have to unambiguously recognize Israel’s right to exist within secure borders. In exchange, Israel would do everything possible to facilitate the development of a free and viable Palestinian state.

Obama CIA Nominee John Brennan Wrong for the Job

STEVE EMERSON, JOHN ROSSOMANDO February 8, 2013

America's top spy needs to be a steely-eyed realist, sensitive to emerging threats and keen about our foes' intent to deceive us.
Unfortunately, President Obama's nominee to head the CIA, Deputy National Security Adviser John Brennan, has shown a tendency to fall for the bait from radical Islamists. Globally, he repeatedly expressed a hope that "moderates" within Iran and its terror proxy Hizballah would steer their respective constituencies away from terrorism.
Domestically, he claims that radical Islam does not pose its own, unique threat to American security. He has helped strip language about "radical Islam," "jihad" and similar terms from government vernacular, choosing instead to refer to "violent extremism" in an attempt to deny terrorists religious credibility. When it comes to jihad, he stubbornly maintains the word does not belong in conversations about terror, no matter what terrorists themselves say.

"As Situations Stand"

Returning to little Zakkai for a moment.  The family has asked me to express gratitude to all those who wrote to me to say they were praying, wished him well, etc.  It matters to them a great deal.

 

Then I was asked to post these mitzvah opportunities in merit of good surgery and healing for Zakkai, for those who would like to participate:

 

challah baking: http://www.tziporahsnest.com/campaign.asp?id=164

25-hour tehillim rally: http://tinyurl.com/aepl2x3

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Turning to our world...

 

Barry Rubin has written a particularly important article.  Its title makes clear what he's talking about: "Not a Mistake, Misunderstanding, or Well-Intended Criticism But a Deliberate Campaign to Bash Israel."   (Emphasis is added)

EU Unlikely to Brand Hizbullah a Terrorist Organization

Elad Benari

The European Union is unlikely to bow to U.S. pressure to brand Hizbullah a terrorist organization in the wake of EU member Bulgaria blaming the terror group for an attack that killed five Israeli tourists, diplomats said Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday urged the EU to follow Washington's lead by designating Hizbullah as terrorists in a move that will notably lead to a crackdown on its fund-raising activities.

AFP reported that Britain is among EU member states in favor, but with key countries like France and Italy reluctant to countenance such a move, there is little prospect of achieving the consensus required for a change of policy in the 27-member EU.

Inappropriate Use of the Fourth Geneva Convention

Geneva, 12 August 1949

Eli E. Hertz | February 4, 2013

Background

The language of Article 49 was crafted in the wake of World War II and the Nazi occupation – an occupation that led to a war of aggression in which Nazi Germany attacked its neighbors with impunity, committing a host of atrocities against civilian populations, including deportation and displacement of local populations in occupied Europe. Millions were sent to forced labor camps and those of particular ethnic origin, most notably the Jews, were sent to their deaths in the gas chambers. The drafters of Article 49 were concerned with preventing future genocide against humanity.

Critics and enemies of Israel, including members of the UN and organs such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have come to use the Geneva Convention as a weapon against Israel, even when statements by authoritative analysts, scholars and drafters of the document contradict everything said by those who distort history for politically motivated reasons.

"Doing What We Can"

Several times now I've run information on Zakkai, a two-year old boy in the States who had to undergo three surgeries for a fast-growing (albeit benign) tumor against his spine and lungs.  The hope and prayer after the last surgery was that this would be the end.

 

But it was not to be, as tiny nodules that remained on his spine began to grow dangerously again.  This coming week, on February 11, Zakkai will again go under the knife. This time the tumors will not just be removed, some tissue around them will be excised as well, right against his spine.  His parents, who have several other children, including a nursing baby, are drained and beside themselves.

 

Please, start praying for Zakkai now, and let's hope that there will be good news in the days after the surgery:

 

Rephael Zakkai Avraham ben Yakira Avigael

About Chuck Hagel and US Foreign Policy

DIANA WEST February 6, 2013

About Chuck Hagel.
Watching yesterday's morning session of his Senate confirmation hearings on C-SPAN made me nothing if not uneasy. There are, I have to confess, aspects of Hagel's foreign policy that intersect with my own beliefs: those that stem from his apparently sincere drive not to see US troops wasted in foreign interventions that have nothing to do with American interests. I am alarmed, however, by his apparently visceral and unveiled attitudes toward Jews and Israel, which dovetail with the Arabist worldview.

This story should be passed on

This story is horrendous but maybe it is the only way to make the peaceniks understand our the enemy who wants us to accept his way of life.  There seems to be such complacency re what these men are permitted to do to the females in their orbit. 

 

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/02/saudi-preacher-spared-after-raping-killing-daughter

 

Saudi preacher spared after raping, killing daughter

A Saudi preacher who raped his five-year-old daughter and tortured her to death has been sentenced to pay “blood money” to the mother after having served a short jail term, activists said on Saturday.
Lamia al-Ghamdi was admitted to hospital on December 25, 2011 with multiple injuries, including a crushed skull, broken ribs and left arm, extensive bruising and burns, the activists said. She died last October 22.

Minority German children bullied by Muslims in their own schools

Minority German Children Bullied by Muslims in Their Own Schools

by Enza Ferreri

Just published on YouTube is a shocking video http://youtu.be/oX_h3gbARK0 of discrimination against German and Christian children in German schools. They are severely bullied by Muslim kids in a school where immigrant children are an astonishing 96 percent. Hardly anybody speaks to them, they become introvert. They are outcasts, not integrated into the schools of their own land.

Israeli strike on Syrian truck convoy also hit WMD research site

Rick Moran

You can tell how very worried Israel is getting about the conflict in Syria. To them, it doesn't matter who wins - both outcomes will be bad.

The IAF strike on a convoy of trucks presumably carrying sophisticated missiles to Hezb'allah also hit a facility nearby that was engaged in research for chemical and biological weapons.

New York Times:

While the main target of the attack on Wednesday seems to have been SA-17 missiles and their launchers - which the Israelis feared were about to be moved to Hezbollah forces in Lebanon - video shown on Syrian television backs up assertions that the research center north of Damascus also suffered moderate damage.

Air Strike in Syria - The Opening Move?

Yaakov Lappin

Proliferation of strategic weapons will not be tolerated, no matter what the price.

If, as international media reports say, Israel was indeed behind last week's air strikes in Syria, it can be assumed that the attack was the opening move in a longer-term strategy to contain quickly-developing threats emerging from Syria, as well as the broader Iran-Hezbollah axis.
The ball is now in the court of Syrian president Bashar Assad and his allies in Beirut and Tehran. If they attempt further weapons transfers to Hezbollah, more air strikes can be expected - a development that will result in a wider conflict.
Iran is also releasing threats of serious retaliation against Israel, a threat which, if realized, could easily lead to a regional escalation. Days before the airstrikes, Iran warned that it would view any attack on Syria as an attack on itself.

Haniyeh: Hamas will never give up right of return

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) – Hamas will never give up the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland, Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Monday.

"Those who abandon the right of return are not part of us. I say that I am from Asqalan, and I will return to my hometown," Haniyeh said at an event to welcome solidarity activists to Gaza.

"We will fight for the return of refugees."

US behind civil wars and atrocities in Arab countries

http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=8520

By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

The official Palestinian Authority daily newspaper has accused the United States of ordering radical Islamists to commit atrocities in order to justify America's war on terror and its actions against Arabs.

A recent opinion piece in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida claims that after the fall of the Soviet Union, the US needed "a new straw man, whose existence would justify all its wars, all its conspiracies and its policies of supporting oppression."

The writer, Fuad Abu Hajla, who is a regular columnist at the paper, alleges that the US subsequently "urged Islamist movements to commit atrocities that tarnished the image of Islam and Muslims in the world," thereby allowing it to use its war on terror as an excuse to overthrow Arab regimes.

ANTI-SEMITIC MAYOR OF MALMÖ SWEDEN ILMAR REEPALU STEPS DOWN, SAYS HE’S TIRED OF BEING LABELED AN ANTI-SEMITE…….

KGS

Bitter and unapologetic to the end.
Maybe he shouldn’t have tried so hard at being an anti-Semite. So long anti-Semitic chef, you spoiled one too many pots in your day, blaming others for your deep seated views is pathetic.

NOTE: Unfortunately, there are however, many more SDP politicians who are just as bad ready and willing to take up where Reepalu left off. From the comments:

The mayor turned his city into a globally recognised icon of anti-semitism; boycotted by Jewish tourists and boy scouts. The sort of place tourists to Sweden might pass right through for fear of being blown up by a bomb, attacked by a robber, shot by a gangster, or mistaken for a Jew and spat on by a Malmö citizen. The sort of place President Obama has to send his special anti-semitism representative to explain to the mayor how to behave. Let’s hope his long-overdue resignation will help detoxify this sad city’s rotten reputation.

Syria counterattack will send Israel into coma: Iran commander

Deputy Chairman of Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri

Sun Feb 3, 2013 5:40AM GMT

39

671

 

193

 

Syria’s response to the recent aggression of the Zionist regime (Israel) against this country will send this regime into a coma.”
Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri

A senior Iranian commander has condemned Israel’s recent airstrike on a military research center in Syria, saying Syria’s response to the attack will render the Zionist regime comatose.

“Syria’s response to the recent aggression of the Zionist regime (Israel) against this country will send this regime into a coma,” Deputy Chairman of Iranian Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri said on Saturday.

The Role of Hate Education in Promoting Violent Conflict

Gerald Steinberg <steinberg@ngo-monitor.org> wrote:

---------- Forwarded message ----------

I would like to share my thoughts and concerns about the Text Book Study in the light of the recent exchanges between Arnon and the Research Team, and my own notes to you in the last few months, including last night. I apologize for the delay but I needed some time to sort out the substance in the exchanges from the confusion in the last few days.  First I was personally appalled by the unfortunate Ministry of Education statement attacking Daniel and stand by him. But there are major unresolved problems with the Project, as Arnon has made clear, so I cannot endorse the Report as written What I say below repeats the points I have made over the past several months in personal letters to Bruce. Many –in rougher form--were in my very first comments to the group on the eve of our meeting in the Meridian.

50 Arabs Attack Rachel's Tomb

Their profession is chaos, attack, murder, destruction!  When will people realize this ?!!

 

http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=8994

About 50 Arabs mounted an assault on Rachel's Tomb, just outside Bethlehem, Wednesday evening. They threw pipe bombs, fire bombs and rocks at the security forces guarding the compound, injuring one soldier lightly.

The soldier, who was hit by a rock, received medical treatment on the spot and did not require hospitalization.

Chuck Hagel, Israel, and American Power

If the former senator thinks we should change our Israel policy, he should say so.

By Jim Talent 

Most of the debate over the Hagel nomination has focused on his views regarding Israel, and understandably so. The United States has a long history of strong support for the Jewish state. That policy has expressed itself in material aid to Israel, close partnership with the Israelis on defense and intelligence, public support for Israel’s basic strategy in dealing with the Palestinians, a clear if unspoken guarantee of Israel’s continued existence as a Jewish state, and consistent action to protect it from further international isolation and to lower the level of risk that it faces in the region.

"Hurray for Us"

Officially, Israel isn't talking. But in this case there is no mystery as to "who done it."  Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, the Israeli Air Force struck twice. 

 

First, it hit a convey headed for Lebanon that carried anti-aircraft missiles. This highly sophisticated and portable weaponry was something that Nasrallah of Hezbollah had coveted; it would have changed the equation with regard to Israel's freedom of movement in the area -- as when we eventually do go to war with Hezbollah.

Jerusalem, Capital of Israel: An Islamic Prophecy

Ali Salim

Jerusalem is the capital of the Children of Israel, now called the Jews; and it is forbidden for Musims to demand it, just as a married woman belongs only to her husband. Is it possible that Allah, who on His infinite mercy, calls them the Chosen People, and promises them the Holy Land, also plans to murder them, using the Muslims in Palestine as His intermediary? Every Muslim knows that Allah does not break His promises.

If you listen in Arabic to the hate-speeches made by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi; or to Turkish President Erdogan; or to the calls made from Qatar by Muslim Brotherhood leader Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi and from the Gaza Strip by the head of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal for the killing of the Jews, you will understand why Arabs and Muslims believe Allah is punishing them by having them kill each other: It is because His prophecies are not being fulfilled.

"On the Brink of Chaos"

Last I posted, I thought it was time for some upbeat news.  We all need that to sustain us.  But there is precious little that is "upbeat" regarding what I'm about to write here.  We are facing some very critical situations. 

 

In due course I will write further about the election results and the development of the coalition, with its closed-door negotiations and inter-faction tensions. But right now, that seems "small potatoes."  

An Anti-Semitic Agenda at the UN

ANNE BAYEFSKY

Israel has taken a stand against suffering through a review by a council that commends Syria and demonizes its southern neighbor.

 

PM Binyamin Netanyahu at UN Photo: REUTERS

Just days after the UN put on a show about Holocaust remembrance, it is business as usual in terms of demonizing and encouraging hatred of Jews in the present.  In Geneva, the UN’s top human rights body, the Human Rights Council, is conducting its so-called “Universal Periodic Review” (UPR), and Israel was supposed to arrive before the firing squad on January 29 to listen to Iran itemize the failings of "the Zionist entity."  The greater tragedy of modern anti-Semitism, however, is that the United States and almost every other Western government pressured Israel to participate too – for the sake of the reputation of the UN and the appearance of universality.  These goals were considered to be the greater good.

Hizbullah Seeks Syrian Missiles to Attack Israeli Bases, Gas Rigs

Yoav Zitun

Published:

01.29.13, 01:13 / Israel News

The Syrian president has paid $2-3 billion on military equipment in what the IDF defined as Syria's largest arms deal since the Yom Kippur War.



Scud launched by Syrian army against rebels

Israel fears that the balance of power between Hezbollah and the Jewish state will change dramatically should Syria's weapons reach the Lebanese Shiite group. Such a development may threaten Israel's aerial superiority in Lebanon's airspace, the IDF fears.

In this situation, the 60,000 missiles and rockets Hezbollah has already smuggled into Lebanon will be the least of Israel's concerns should a third Lebanon war break out. The transfer of advanced Syrian military equipment, such as radars, to Hezbollah may ignite the region and lead to an Israeli strike.

F-16′s in hand, Morsi cracks down on Egptians

Jennifer Rubin

It sure does not seem such a smart thing to have sent Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi those F-16′s. The Post reports: “Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi declared a state of emergency and nighttime curfew across three major cities Sunday after violence raged for a third straight day, leaving nearly 50 dead and hundreds injured nationwide. The deployment Saturday of government troops to the coastal cities of Port Said and Suez, which have seen some of the worst violence, failed to quell a public backlash against a court verdict and raised doubts about whether Morsi’s embattled government could contain the situation.”

Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi last April (Amr Nabil / Associated Press)

Anglo-Jewish Leaders partner anti-Israeli Charity

Isi Leibler
January 29, 2013
http://wordfromjerusalem.com/?p=4458

I rubbed my eyes as I observed yet another botched initiative by the well-intentioned leadership of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Its plenum, by a vote of almost to 2:1, endorsed a linkage with the British branch of Oxfam International, one of the largest global charity organizations with branches in over 90 countries.

The Board of Deputies will send 30 representatives to a training weekend with Oxfam where they will be taught how to raise funds in the battle against global hunger in order to “tackle injustices in the international food system”. The cost, about $13,000, will largely be borne by Oxfam.

by José María Aznar

José María Aznar: Supporting Israel

If Israel goes down, we all go down.

by José María Aznar

Anger over Gaza is a distraction. We cannot forget that Israel is the West’s best ally in a turbulent region

For far too long now it has been unfashionable in Europe to speak up for Israel. In the wake of the recent incident on board a ship full of anti-Israeli activists in the Mediterranean, it is hard to think of a more unpopular cause to champion.
In an ideal world, the assault by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara would not have ended up with nine dead and a score wounded. In an ideal world, the soldiers would have been peacefully welcomed on to the ship. In an ideal world, no state, let alone a recent ally of Israel such as Turkey, would have sponsored and organized a flotilla whose sole purpose was to create an impossible situation for Israel: making it choose between giving up its security policy and the naval blockade, or risking the wrath of the world.

Institute to shed light on Islamic anti-Semitism

Haviv Rettig Gur
NEW YORK — “The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them. They invented socialism, communism, human rights, and democracy so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so they may enjoy equal rights with others. With these [inventions], they have now gained control of the most powerful countries. And they, this tiny community, have become a world power.”

Those words, as clear an expression of classical anti-Semitic tropes as one could hope to find, were not uttered by white supremacists in an American prison or in a Bin Laden video broadcast from the mountains of the Hindu Kush.

UN's Falk Compares Hamas to French Resistance During WWII

 Rachel Hirshfeld

The United Nation's Special Rapporteur on the PA Territories, Richard Falk, has once again illustrated his lack of objectivity and deep bias against the State of Israel by comparing Hamas terrorists to French resistance fighters during World War II.



Richard Falk, who has become notorious for his blatantly anti-Israel views, made the comments in a piece posted on the Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine website, The Jewish Chronicle reported.

British MEP Claims Party Leader in 'Israel's Pocket'

Rachel Hirshfeld

A British Liberal Member of the European Parliment has accused his party leader of being “in Israel’s pocket” after the Liberal Democrat leadership condemned a party colleague for comparing Israel's treatment of the Palestinians with the Nazis' treatment of the Jews during the Holocaust.



Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat MEP for the North-West of England, posted a message to Twitter, defending party colleague and UK Member of Parliament David Ward, who said last Friday that he is “saddened that the Jews, who suffered unbelievable levels of persecution during the Holocaust, could within a few years of liberation from the death camps be inflicting atrocities on Palestinians in the new State of Israel and continue to do so on a daily basis in the West Bank and Gaza.” 

"Doing Positive"

Haven't started with an upbeat message in a posting for a while, and I think it's time. Especially is this the case as yesterday was Tu BeSh'vat.  In Jewish law this marks the cycle of trees (call it the birthday of the trees), but in popular culture it is a time for celebrating trees and their fruit -- with dried fruits and nuts popular. 

 

And it is a time of hope.  Now is when the first blossoms -- those of the almond tree -- appear, marking the promise of a new season.  The almond tree grows wild in Israel, and at its peak, is ubiquitous along roadsides and hillsides.

Likud officials: Netanyahu wants Bennett in government

Yuval Karni

Senior Likud officials who are familiar with the coalition negotiations leveled harsh criticism on Sunday at the Habayit Hayehudi party and its chairman Naftali Bennett, accusing him of coordinating a smear campaign against Benjamin Netanyahu. Despite Bennett's conduct, they said, the prime minister still plans to include Habayit Hayehudi in the next government. "Despite the incessant mudslinging, which continues even after the election campaign has ended, Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to form the broadest coalition possible to deal with the internal and external security challenges the State of Israel is facing," one Likud official said. "Such a broad government will include Habayit Hayehudi."

Daniel Greenfield

His timeline may not be exactly correct, but his reading of the regime certainly is.

An Iranian diplomat who defected in Norway in 2010 warned Israel on Friday that if the Iranians got the bomb they would use it against the Jewish state.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 2 TV, Mohammad Reza Heydari, the former Iranian consul in Oslo who resigned and obtained political asylum there three years ago, said that ”If Iran is given more time, it will acquire the knowledge necessary to build a nuclear bomb within a year.” Asked whether it would use the bomb against Israel, he said: “If Iran gets to the point where it has an atomic bomb, it will certainly use it, against Israel or any other [enemy] country.”
Regime leaders “believe that when they acquire a nuclear bomb, [others] will start to behave toward them as they do toward North Korea,” said Heydari.

A LibDem MP gives voice to Britain's national sickness

Melanie's blog

People have been expressing severe shock and revulsion at the ugly remarks by LibDem MP David Ward about Israel and the Holocaust.
As The Commentator reported, to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day Ward said the following:

‘Having visited Auschwitz twice – once with my family and once with local schools – I am saddened that the Jews, who suffered unbelievable levels of persecution during the Holocaust, could within a few years of liberation from the death camps be inflicting atrocities on Palestinians in the new State of Israel and continue to do so on a daily basis in the West Bank and Gaza.’

He dug himself further into the hole with this interview with Sky News. As far as he is concerned, it appears he believes he has said nothing wrong.