The Muslim War Against Christians

Noah Beck

http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/08/21/the-muslim-war-against-christians/

As Egypt’s Islamists blame Christians for the ouster of Mohammed Morsi, anti-Christian violence has reached epidemic levels, with an estimated 82 churches across Egypt attacked and heavily damaged by Morsi supporters in a mere 48 hours.

Unfortunately, the persecution of Christians is nothing new in Egypt or other Muslim-majority countries. But thanks to the mainstream media, few Westerners understand the true scale or nature of the horrors involved.

As you read this, Christians around the world are being murdered, raped, plundered, abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, or otherwise oppressed by Muslims. Christians in Muslim-majority areas are some of the most vulnerable and horribly oppressed people on Earth; they live at the mercy of the mob and receive little or no protection from the police or other government institutions.

The reach of this silent tragedy is sweeping – a global religious genocide on “slow burn” with occasional conflagrations that make it into the mainstream media. There are an estimated 100 million persecuted Christians.

Stephens: A Policy on Egypt—Support Al Sisi

In a zero-sum game, the U.S. should hold its nose and back the military.

• BRET STEPHENS

 

On the subject of Egypt: Is it the U.S. government's purpose merely to cop an attitude? Or does it also intend to have a policy?

An attitude "deplores the violence" and postpones a military exercise, as President Obama did from Martha's Vineyard the other day. An attitude sternly informs the Egyptian military, as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) did, that it is "taking Egypt down a dark path, one that the United States cannot and should not travel with them." An attitude calls for the suspension of U.S. aid to Egypt, as everyone from Rand Paul (R., Ky.) to Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.) has.

An attitude is a gorgeous thing. It is a vanity accountable to a conscience. But an attitude has no answer for what the U.S. does with or about Egypt once the finger has been wagged and the aid withdrawn. When Egypt decides to purchase Su-35s from Russia (financed by Saudi Arabia) and offers itself as another client to Vladimir Putin because the Obama administration has halted deliveries of F-16s, will Mr. Graham wag a second finger at Moscow?

The Palestinians' two-faced solution

 

Ruthie Blum | Tuesday August 20, 2013

 

The Palestinians' two-faced solution

Last week, while the first batch of Palestinian terrorists was being released from Israeli jails, the Palestinian Authority was too busy condemning Israel to express satisfaction. This is because the Israeli government had approved the construction of hundreds of new houses in east Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. 

The plans to build these new units were made public well before the start of the current pre-negotiation discussions, brokered by the United States. Furthermore, the additional housing is slated for areas that the Palestinian Authority ostensibly agreed would remain in Israel after a "two-state solution" was reached.

What the IDF Stands For: Defense of the State, Its Citizens and Residents

Israel Defense Forces

“The defense of the state, its citizens and residents” -  this seems like an obvious value for an organization called the Israel Defense Forces. Yet in the IDF, this value is  something much more fundamental. This is a concept that dates back to the source  and cultural essence of the Jewish people.

The defense of the state

Before the establishment of the State of Israel, the inhabitants defended their towns and villages themselves. As generations of Zionists arrived on Israel’s shores, they formed organized groups to defend Jews proudly as Jews. Once independence was declared, a new responsibility fell into the hands of the fighters who had now become IDF soldiers: they would have to defend the Jewish state, to respect its sovereignty and to serve its leaders.

Its Citizens

The most important part of defending a state is defending its citizens; both those living in Israel and those living beyond the country's borders. It is for this reason that the Israeli security services and intelligence community work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens in the four corners of the world. For example, the case of Operation Entebbe, in which the IDF sent soldiers to Uganda to rescue passengers of a flight hijacked by terrorists. Or the Sabena plane that took off from the city of Vienna, was hijacked by the terrorist organization Black September, and was rescued by IDF soldiers.

BLIND TO TERROR: THE U.S. GOVERNMENT’S DISASTROUS MUSLIM OUTREACH EFFORTS AND THE IMPACT ON U.S. MIDDLE EAST POLICY

Patrick S. Poole

Obama meets with members of his national security team following the Boston Marathon bombings investigation. Pictured, from left, are: FBI Director Robert Mueller; Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; Attorney General Eric Holder; Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken; and Vice President Joe Biden.

Why has the U.S. government called certain Islamic groups supporters of terror in federal court, and then turned around and called these same organizations “moderates” and embraced them as outreach partners? In a number of cases from the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations, the leaders of these organizations (some of whom are now in federal prison) were under active investigation at the same time they were meeting with senior U.S. leaders at the White House and the Capitol and helping develop U.S. policy. Now these same Islamic organizations and leaders have openly encouraged a purge of counterterrorism training that have effectively blinded law enforcement, homeland security, and intelligence agencies to active terror threats as seen in the inaction of the FBI concerning the Boston bombing suspects and other terror cases. This study poses serious questions as to the efficacy and even security concerns about U.S. government outreach to Islamic groups, which often turn out to be Islamist militants, enemies of Islamic moderation, and even supporters of terrorism.

Click here for PDF version

The aftermath of the April 15, 2013 bombings in Boston, Massachusetts, has focused attention on the failure of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to carry out an adequate investigation of the suspected bombers despite warnings from Russian authorities. This failure has partially been attributed to a full scale campaign of political correctness waged inside the bureau and throughout the U.S. government under the Obama administration against any attempt to link jihadi terrorism with anything remotely connected to Islam of any variety (the most radical versions included).[1] This has extended into other segments of the government as well, particularly the Department of Defense.[2]

Egypt Warns Hamas Over Jihadi Threats

John Rossomando 
http://www.investigativeproject.org/4126/egypt-warns-hamas-over-jihadi-threats

An Egyptian official has warned Hamas that Egypt will take "the appropriate measure" in response to its "silence" following calls by the Gaza-based Jaishal-Ummah (Army of the Nation) to wage "jihad" against Egypt's military rulers.
The Egyptian media has accused Hamas of conspiring to support the Muslim Brotherhood since Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Sisi deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, an accusation which Hamas has denied.

"Ironies"

Right now we are encountering ironies in a variety of situations, both predictable and unexpected.  

 

Among the predictable we have the behavior of the Palestinian Authority/PLO.  Once negotiations, which were supposed to be conducted under cover of a media blackout, started, I guessed that we'd be hearing from the Palestinian Arabs before long.  It took about 24 hours before Abbas announced at a press conference with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon in Ramallah that the first session had addressed all key issues, including Jerusalem, refugees, borders, settlements, security and prisoners. 

 

That was quick. It seems rather surprising that all these issues could have been addressed in just one session. But never mind.  The Palestinian Arabs were off to a start, with regard to talking publicly about the talks.  This is their style:  Not quiet, steady sustentative negotiations, but negotiations via public opinion.

A bank of centrifuges at nuclear facility in Iran Israeli officials: Iran talks do only one thing – give Tehran more time

By HERB KEINON

  

EU's Ashton says P5+1 is eager to restart nuclear talks.

A bank of centrifuges at nuclear facility in Iran Photo: REUTERS

 

The only thing talks between Iran and the world’s powers have achieved until now is buy Tehran more time, Israeli officials said Sunday, following EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s comment that the P5+1 group is eager to restart the talks.

“We are skeptical in the extreme,” one official said of a new round of talks. He said there was no hope the talks would help “unless the Iranians feel the pressure is being upgraded.”

Ashton phoned new Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday, just after he was inaugurated in his post, to congratulate him on his appointment. According to a statement put out by her spokesperson, Ashton “underlined her continued determination and commitment to seek a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.”

"Ugly and Horribly Wrong"

August 18, 2013

 

"Ugly and Horribly Wrong"

 

Were that this story did not need to be told -- because it is ugly.  But it does -- precisely because it is ugly.  We are dealing here with issues of how the State of Israel conducts herself in internal matters and how Israeli citizens are treated.

 

There is a man living in the community of Yitzhar in Samaria, whose name is Boaz Albert. He and his wife Irit have six young children and do grape farming. 

 

Credit: Yitzhar spokesman

 

Recently Boaz was put under administrative order to leave his home for six months.  And here, immediately, I must pause to explain:

 

There is on the books from the time of the British Mandate a law that permits a person to be detained or expelled from an area without explanation if there is a security risk. This applies today only in Judea and Samaria, and requires no court order, no due process. It is an order that proceeds from the Shin Bet (internal security).  It proceeds without hearing, i.e., the Shin Bet does not have to go into a court and present a case and secure permission to levy the procedure.  In this instance, IDF Central Region Commander Gen. Nitzan Alon gave the order.

Obama's Strange Dependence on Valerie Jarrett

Karin McQuillan

American Thinker

 

August 14, 2013

President Obama canceled the operation to kill Osama bin Laden three times before saying yes, because he got cold feet about the possible political harm to himself if the mission failed.  Instead of listening to advisors from the U.S. military, Defense, or even State, Obama was acting on the advice of White House politico and close friend Valerie Jarrett.  Valerie Jarrett? 

This account comes from Richard Miniter's upcoming book Leading From Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors who Decide for Him.  Miniter has written a half-dozen books on the war on terror.  He is relying on an unnamed source within the U.S. military Joint Special Operations Command who was directly involved in the operation and planning of the Osama bin Laden kill mission.

Al Qaeda in Iraq now Operating Out of Syria, Planning to Invade Lebanon and Iran

Daniel Greenfield


You might ask what the downside to any of this is. And it’s not readily apparent at first. AQI turned Iraq into hell back when we were there, but we’re no longer there, and its current plans for killing Shiites in Lebanon and even Iran, are not exactly cause for urgent action on our part.

A fight between Hezbollah and Al Qaeda ought to be welcomed and Al Qaeda’s swing into Takfirism is a great thing. It means Muslim terrorists killing each other as their first priority.

But on the other hand, the situation not only highlights the flaws of Obama’s Iraq policy, they pose a greater threat. For the moment AQI is happy to kill Shiites, but it’s gathering numbers and polishing skills that will be put to use against us.
The AQI chem weapons lab in Iraq that apparently panicked the Iraqi Shiite government into ordering a billion dollars worth of chem weapons gear from the US was first aimed at the Shiites and then at us.

In a game of terrorist vs terrorist, the losing side may have its capabilities degraded, but the winning side will emerge bigger and stronger and more dangerous than ever.

And AQI has to be seen through that lens.

Movement that Toppled Morsi Targets Peace Deal with Israel

Tamarod, the Egyptian movement which led the opposition to Morsi, is now calling to cancel the peace treaty with Israel.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 8/18/2013, 5:59 AM

Supporters and opponents of Morsi clash in Alexandria

AFP photo

Tamarod, the Egyptian movement which led the opposition to ousted President Mohammed Morsi, apparently now has a new target: the peace treaty with Israel.
Egyptian media reported on Saturday that Tamarod, which amassed 22 signatures to a petition demanding Morsi’s departure before the army ousted him in July, is now collecting signatures to a new initiative calling to cancel the peace treaty signed between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1979.
Tamarod’s latest initiative, according to the reports, comes in the wake of what they called the “unacceptable U.S. interference in Egypt’s political affairs.” The members of the group are demanding that the Israel-Egypt treaty be put to a referendum.
The opposition movement is arguing that the agreements with Israel prevent Egypt from deploying large-scale military forces to the Sinai Peninsula which has been rampant with terrorists.

U of M Strangely Uninterested in Appearance by Leftist Writer Who Believes Jews are Reptilian Space Aliens

Daniel Greenfield


I blame the Reptilian space alien control over America’s academic institutions for this sordid act of censorship.

Alice Walker is upset that her appearance was canceled because the donors that were supposed to be funding it showed a keen disinterest in having a woman who believes her enemies are a race of evil interstellar villains put in her appearance.

In Case You’ve Ever Wondered How It Is Done: Censorship by Purse String An Invitation to speak at the 50th Anniversary for the Center for Education of Women at the University of Michigan has been withdrawn
I’m saddened to write this because I’m a proponent of free speech and have been brought up to allow everyone to have their say. But I also realize that there are other considerations that institutions are faced with. This afternoon I was contacted by the University of Michigan instructing me to withdraw their invitation due to the removal of funding from the donors, because of their interpretation of Ms. Walker’s comments regarding Israel. They are not willing to fund this program and the university/Women’s center do not have the resources to finance this on their own.

What sort of comment misinterpretation could have led to this unfortunate series of events?
Alice Walker seems to think that the Jewish people are all an extension of her “evil” ex-husband.

A ‘two-state solution’ is a contradiction in terms

David Wilder

The Jewish Community of Hebron
August 16, 2013

It was exactly three years ago that I wrote Serving Israel on a Silver Platter. It is just as relevant today as it was then, but in the name of rejuvenation, a few more points can be added.

First, in speaking with groups here in Hebron, many ask me about the ‘two state solution.’ I explain to them that it is not going to happen. Why?

Hizbullah in the north, Syria to the east, and Egypt and Hamas to the south. And who knows how long it will be until Jordan faces the same issues. And let’s not forget Iran.

A Very Negative Oslo/Pro-Eretz Yisrael 53%

My Right Word

There's a new poll, conducted by Maagor Mochot and commissioned by Ma'ariv and the results are, after finding out that but 73% of the public knows what are the "Oslo Accords", that

57% believe that the Oslo agreements were injurious to Israel from a political, security and economic viewpoint and that 53% would not vote today in favor of an agreement that includes a withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, even if the Palestinians would recognize Israel as a Jewish state and give up the right of return.

The graphics:

"Egypt"

I tabled discussion about Egypt for some days, as I considered the release of terrorists from Israeli prison and related events here.  And in the course of those days, the situation in Egypt has escalated -- in some ways, inevitably, in some ways not.

 

The military regime of General al-Sisi had been threatening to take out encampments of Muslim Brotherhood resistance, if the people demonstrating for the return of Morsi did not disband.  Finally, Sisi acted.  As I write, some 500 people have died and the Islamists are not pulling back but rather responding with violence.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

I hesitate to endorse violence of this scale, and yet I champion the military in Egypt.  Al-Sisi acted when he understood that the growing strength of the Islamists in the street presented the specter of the Brotherhood again taking over -- something he was not about to tolerate. 

Defend Daniel Seaman!!‏

stevenplaut

Subj: Defend Daniel Seaman!!

 

   Israel's fascist Left has a new cause.  It is operating a jihad against the freedom of speech of poor Daniel Seaman.  He is the outgoing director-general of the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry and he is a man who speaks his mind.  Leftists do not mind people speaking their mind as long as their mind is speaking leftism.   But Brother Seaman speaks politically incorrect thoughts.

   Seaman is a Likud activist who has held a series of posts, including serving as head of the government press office.  What has the Left soiling its Pampers is that Seaman has been tapped to head a new experimental governmental program to recruit Israeli college students to serve as public relations activists on the internet, where they would fight anti-Israel demonization and hate propaganda and provide the Israeli side of events.   The Left hates that idea.  For the Left, the proper Israeli position should always be the position of the Palestinian genocidal terrorists.  The Left wants Israel to defend itself by adopting the Arab world's political agenda, not be supporting Israel's!

What is Really Behind Egypt’s Violence?

Night Watch

8/15/2013

 

 Egypt:Police used tear gas to disperse pro-Mursi supporters in a demonstration march in Cairo. The purpose of the march was to protest the appointment of 25 new provincial governors, most of whom are army or police generals. No governors appointed by Mursi remain in office. Two governorships are not yet filled.
The pro-Mursi marchers were confronted by residents along the route who called them "terrorists." That's when the rock and bottle throwing began, leading to the police intervention.
During subsequent clashes one person was killed and ten injured and some store fronts were smashed.
Comment:Security remains a high priority for many reasons, including revival of the economy. Consolidation of the chain of command to the provinces to ensure reliability and responsiveness is an essential step in preparations to stop the anti-government protests.

PA honored the killers of 238 Israelis

22 terrorist murderers chosen by PA and Fatah

for honor during Ramadan

 

17 of the terrorists were imprisoned

3 were suicide bombers

2 others were killed during their terror attacks

The honored terrorists killed 238 people

PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs:  

"The purpose of this visit during this month (Ramadan) is to emphasize the loyalty and love to the prisoners."

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=9554

by Itamar Marcus

As a major focus of its Ramadan activities, the Palestinian Authority chose to honor and glorify terrorist murderers.

In all, 22 terrorist murderers who killed 238 Israelis were glorified, along with numerous other terrorists who caused injuries. Those honored included suicide bombers, bomb makers, hijackers, snipers, stabbers, and planners of terror attacks. Palestinian Media Watch has reported that many of them have been honored numerous times in the past for their terror attacks.

"Demented"

 

That's the current state of affairs.

 

Yesterday, the High Court -- totally as expected -- rejected the appeals of families of terror victims and said that the State had the right, for diplomatic reasons, to effect the release of the first 26 Palestinian Arab terrorists.

 

And so, after midnight last night (the wee hours of Wednesday, the 14th) the arrangements were carried out by Prison Services, with some being bused to Ramallah and others to the Erez Crossing into Gaza.

 

For obvious reasons, Hamas forbid its populace to have public celebrations over the releases.  This would have been an acknowledgement that Abbas had achieved something in the lead up to negotiations, which they are dead set against.  (More below on this.)

 

For equally obvious reasons, the Palestinian Authority engaged in celebration as the prisoners were brought to the presidential compound.  Israel had specifically requested that the welcome of the released be kept low key.  But Israeli officials must have known they were blowin' in the wind when they made that request: Israel cannot prevent us from celebrating, PA officials retorted.  There was music, and there were fireworks.  PA officials were there along with families, offering welcome.

Arab Christian Party: Don’t Release Arab Murderers!

A new Arab Christian political party vehemently opposes BDS and the release of convicted Arab murderers, but whether it is the Holy Grail of Arabs fully supporting the Jewish State remains an open question
By: Lori Lowenthal Marcus
The Jewish Press
Published: August 14th, 2013


Bishara Shlayan is an Arab Israeli who says BDS harms Arabs most of all
Photo Credit: Facebook Photo

Could it be that the elusive needle in the haystack exists? Just what so many people have been looking for: Arabs who understand that people who don’t obey the rule of law are bad neighbors, bad classmates, and bad for business. Those bad guys are also more likely to kill other Arabs than law-abiding citizens who wish to create a strong, safe country that unifies people of all religions and races.

Eldad: ‘New’ Construction – from 2012

Maayana Miskin

The government has made a serious mistake by portraying the latest construction east of the 1949 armistice line as something Israel is doing in exchange for freeing terrorist killers, former MK Aryeh Eldad warned Tuesday.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Eldad explained why he was unimpressed with the government’s decision to allow limited new construction in Jerusalem and in select cities in Judea and Samaria (Shomron).

“These are recycled declarations. Netanyahu promised to build these same houses in November, 2012, after the Palestinians went to the United Nations – and he didn’t build them then, either,” Eldad accused.

“These are empty declarations meant to make up for the release of terrorists,” he said.

Lies, Democracy & Obama

Bruce Thornton On August 13, 2013

The great French political philosopher Jean-François Revel once wrote, “Democracy cannot survive without a certain diet of truth. It cannot survive if the degree of truth in current circulation falls below a minimal level. A democratic regime, founded on the free determination of important choices made by a majority, condemns itself to death if most of the citizens who have to choose between various options make their decisions in ignorance of reality, blinded by passions or misled by fleeting impressions.” If Revel is correct, the rapidly diminishing level of truth in our public discourse suggests that we are in dire straits.

I’m not talking about the sordid lies politicians tell in order to survive. Lechers like Bill Clinton or Bob Filner caught in the act have lied from time immemorial. But that sort of desperate lie, whatever larger damage it may do, is nothing compared to ideological lies of the sort corrupting our society. Those lies reflect peculiarly modern ideas, particularly the notion that since truth is relative, presumed noble aims in the service of some bright future of peace and justice make it acceptable to tell lies or ignore the truth.

A conspicuous absence

Ataollah Mohajerani

  Tuesday, 13 Aug, 2013

Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami did not attend Rouhani’s inauguration ceremony. I examined the faces of everyone in attendance while watching the event, which was held in the office of the supreme leader. Khatami’s absence raised a lot of questions. Why was he not invited? If he had been invited, why did he not attend?

The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officially endorsed Rouhani’s appointment to the country’s presidency for the next four years. The ceremony was attended by senior Iranian officials and political figures, including the chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, the head of the judiciary, Sadeq Larijani, the head of the Guardian Council and former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Former presidential candidates also attended, such as Mohammad Reza Arif, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Mohsen Rezaee, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Sa’id Jalili, Ali Akbar Velayati, and Mohammad Gharazi.

But Khatami’s absence was obvious.

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/palestine-history-of-a-name/

Palestine: History of a Name

Simcha Jacobovici 

I've recently condemned the focus on Reza Aslan’s religion – Islam – when talking about his new book about Jesus, “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”. I think there is no room for propaganda when reviewing history. No one is objective. But we can try to be truthful.  Putting aside the thesis of his book i.e., that Jesus was an anti-Roman Jewish revolutionary, in all his interviews, Aslan goes out of his way to refer to Jesus’ Judea i.e., the land of the Jews, as “Palestine”. For all I care, he can call it “Nebraska”, as long as he doesn’t give the impression that this is really what it was called by the inhabitants of Judea in Jesus’ time. But Aslan wraps this “Palestine” name with a veneer of history. When challenged on his use of the name “Palestine” for ancient “Judea”, his answer is that he’s using the “Roman designation” for the area. According to Aslan, this designation was “Syria Palestine”. This is absolutely wrong. More than this, it demonstrates a certain cynicism when manipulating history for the purpose of ideology. Let’s look at this word “Palestine”. Where does it come from? 

How did we get there?

With the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the Second Jewish Commonwealth came to an end.  From then until modern times, what had been Judah, and was renamed Palestina by the Romans, was only an appendage to one empire or another, never an independent country.

~~~~~~~~~~

San Remo

Jewish legal rights in the land in modern times began with the San Remo Conference and resultant San Remo resolution, which has been called the Jewish Magna Carta. 

For centuries, Palestine had been part of the (Turkish, Muslim) Ottoman Empire. With the end of WWI, the land of that Empire was taken by the Allies. Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan, with the US as observer, met in San Remo, Italy, to decide how it would be divided: Palestine was put under British Mandatory rule.

Read: San Remo Conference (April 1920)

~~~~~~~~~~

Balfour Declaration

At San Remo it was decided to incorporate the Balfour Declaration into Britain's mandate.  The Declaration, in the form of a letter, was an endorsement by the British government of the establishment of a Jewish home in Palestine.  Written in 1917 by the British Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour, and sent to Lord Rothschild, it stated:

"His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, , and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object."

Full text of letter: The Balfour Declaration

Democracy and Egypt: A "Brotherhood of Cains"

Salim Mansur
August 12, 2013 

Both the good and bad about democracy are inseparable from what people think about it, or their experience with it, their cultural predisposition when they go about demanding it be given to them, or how they practice it.

The recent spate of commentary in media about the troubles in Egypt illustrates how widespread is the confusion among the "commentariat" class in the West witnessing the "breakdown" of democracy when an elected president was unceremoniously removed by the military.

Releasing Prisoners, Appeasing Enemies

Michael Ledeen

PJM

Both the Israeli release of more than a hundred Palestinian killers and the American release of five Taliban killers  from Guantanamo are US policy decisions, so it’s fair to treat them as part of a single mindset.  There are many possible reasons for releasing prisoners, but most of the time, and especially in recent years, such actions are part of a bigger issue, as are these two examples. The prisoners are typically pawns on a geopolitical chess board.  Both Israel and the United States have been involved in this game for decades.  It all started as barter, but it has now become an embarrassing form of appeasement.

The Israelis have frequently released Palestinian prisoners [1], as a component in efforts to reach a stable agreement between the two enemies, but the practice began in 1971 as a simple one-on-one swap, when a terrorist from al Fatah was released in exchange for an Israeli night watchman who had been abducted by the Palestinians.

Willful Blindness, Mortal Peril

FRANK J. GAFFNEY, JR.

Diana West's splendid new book, "American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation's Character," is an expose of a practice that she persuasively argues has cost us dearly in the past and endangers our future. Former federal prosecutor-turned-pundit Andrew C. McCarthy calls it "willful blindness," and we indulge in it at our extreme peril.

Ms. West painstakingly documents how America's government, media, academia, political and policy elites actively helped obscure the true nature of the Soviet Union. She persuasively argues that such blinding began literally from the moment in November 1933 when Franklin Roosevelt normalized relations with the USSR in exchange for the Kremlin's fraudulent promise to forgo subversion against this country.

A Place to Sigh: Israel Memorial Day

Thousands of strangers come to the funeral of a soldier who was kidnapped, tortured and killed because of his Star of David.

by Yaffa Ganz

 

I once went to a funeral – a spring funeral – at the military cemetery in Jerusalem. An Israeli soldier had been killed. Another name was added to a list, a long list, of Jews who have given their lives in the past 60 years so that the Jewish State of Israel might live.

I didn't know this particular soldier, but it didn't matter. He was one of ours – our children, our soldiers, our sons, our people. His name was Jason.
He had come to Israel alone, from Montreal, and had joined the Israel Defense Force. Now his parents, stunned, bewildered, jet lagged, disoriented, had hurriedly come to join him one last time – for his funeral.

Egyptians Enraged by U.S. Outreach to Muslim Brotherhood

Raymond Ibrahim
PJ Media

In the eyes of tens of millions of Egyptians, Senators John McCain's and Lindsey Graham's recent words and deeds in Egypt—which have the "blessing" of President Obama—have unequivocally proven that U.S. leadership is aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egyptian media is awash with stories of the growing anger regarding this policy.
A top advisor to Egypt's Interim President Adly Mansour formally accused McCain of distorting facts to the benefit of the Brotherhood, dismissing the senator's remarks as "irrational"—or, more colloquially, "moronic." Ahmed al-Zind, head of the Egyptian Judge Club, called for the arrest and trial of McCain for "trying to destroy Egypt." The leader of the youth movement, Tamarod (or "Rebellion" against the Brotherhood) which played a major role in mobilizing the June 30 Revolution, said "We reject John McCain and call on the international community to let the [Egyptian] people decide their own fate." Another incensed secular political commentator, Ahmed Musa, asserted that "These two men have made more shameless demands than the Brotherhood themselves would dare," adding:

Thanks to Obama, Muslim Brotherhood Opens First Office in Syria

creeping
Could this have happened without Obama funding and arming the Syrian “rebels” – costing U.S. taxpayers more than $1 BILLION already with a deluge of  Syrian “refugees” being permanently settled in America?

via Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood Publicly Inaugurates Office in Aleppo.

The Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria announced establishing its first official office inside Syria, following decades of crackdown and prohibition by the Syrian regime.

"Despicable and Dangerous"

Last Thursday night, Secretary of State Kerry met for 90 minutes with a select group of heads of Jewish American organizations to speak about the "peace process."  Standing with him at this "briefing" were National Security Advisor Susan Rice and special envoy (Middle East "mediator?") Martin Indyk.

Present were representatives of AIPAC, J Street, the ADL, the American Jewish Committee, the Conservative movement (the Rabbinic Assembly according to the JPost, and perhaps also the United Synagogue), the Orthodox Union, American Friends of Lubavitch, B’nai B’rith International, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Jewish Federations of North America, Hadassah, the National Jewish Democratic Council, the National Council of Jewish Women and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Bereaved Families Ask: ‘Israelis, Where Are You?’

Maayana Miskin

Families of victims of terrorism marched through Jerusalem on Sunday in a protest against the government’s plan to approve the release of 26 terrorists.

They marched from the central memorial for terrorism victims, located in Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, to the Supreme Court building, where the court is to hear a petition against terrorist release filed by the Almagor organization.

Gila Molko, one of the marchers, could not hold back her tears as she called on the Israeli public to come join the victims’ families.

“Today I march alone, but tomorrow I hope that the nation of Israel will join me. I’m begging you to come, where are you, Israel?” she asked, speaking to Arutz Sheva.

“Don’t you understand?” she continued, facing the camera. “Don’t you understand that this is our blood, that he was part of our nation?”

“It’s not easy for bereaved families to come here,” she added. “It’s like having teeth pulled without anesthesia. We need your support.”

The parents of Lior Tubol, who terrorists kidnapped and murdered, expressed outrage at the plan to release their son’s killers.

Netanyahu Recovering After Emergency Surgery

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu underwent an emergency hernia operation overnight Saturday.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 8/11/2013

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was recovering on Sunday morning after undergoing an emergency hernia operation overnight, his office said in a statement.

The surgery, which took place at the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem, was successful and lasted about an hour, said the Prime Minister’s Office.

Netanyahu, 63, is expected to be discharged on Sunday afternoon. The doctors, who had originally planned to do the surgery under a local anesthetic, decided to perform it under general  anesthesia.

Until Netanyahu fully recovers from the operation, he will be replaced by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon.

Freedom to Criticize

Samuel Westrop

Hate preachers are allowed to address audiences with no complaint, but critics of these hate preachers are silenced.

Last month, a scholar and critic of Islam, Robert Spencer, was barred entry to the UK, while one of the objects of Spencer's disapproval, Muhamed Al-Arifi, was admitted to Britain with no objection at all from the British government.
Spencer's comments about Islamic extremism were apparently considered too incendiary; Arifi, however, describes the killing of "infidels" as a "great honour" and advocates the murder of Jews. On IQRA TV, he states that:

What was taken by force will be restored only by force, as conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad, who said: "You will fight the Jews." He did not say: You will conduct negotiations, they will make concessions, and then you will make concessions, and then we will reach a compromise and divide Jerusalem... By God, Jerusalem will not be divided. He said in the hadith: "You will fight the Jews and kill them." It was the Prophet Muhammad who said this, not me.

Spencer has never advocated killing anybody; and, incidentally, in British law, supporting the murder of others is a crime.
It seems that increasingly, especially when it comes to Islamism, there are those in the West who work to silence the critic rather than the criminal, and often more attention is paid to the critics of extremists than to the extremists themselves. It is true that our enemy's enemy is not necessarily our friend, but we need not apply such double standards in our response.

Israeli drone strikes Sinai, say Egypt

 http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-fires-drone-into-sinai-say-egypt-officials/

Missile kills five suspected terrorists, destroys rocket launcher near border; strike reportedly the result of unprecedented cooperation with Egyptian authorities; Israel remains silent

EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — An Israeli drone strike inside Egypt killed five suspected Islamic militants and destroyed a rocket launcher Friday, two senior Egyptian security officials said, marking an incredibly rare Israeli operation carried out in its Arab neighbor’s territory.

The strike, coming after a warning from Egypt caused Israel to briefly close an airport Thursday, potentially signals a significant new level of cooperation between the two former foes over security matters in the largely lawless Sinai Peninsula after a military coup ousted Egypt’s president. Egypt long has maintained that it wouldn’t allow other countries to use its territories as hotbed to launch attacks against other countries.

Israeli victim of a pre-Oslo prisoner: “If he is released, I will no longer be able to live”

Cifwatch
Below is an op-ed that was published recently in Yediot Ahronot by Adi Moses, who was injured when she was 8 years old in a Palestinian terrorist attack in which her pregnant mother and 5-year-old brother were burned alive. (It was translated into English by Daniel Seaman, and originally posted by Tom Gross, who granted us permission to repost it here.) 

“You know the story of my family. In 1987 a terrorist threw a firebomb at the car my family was travelling in. He murdered my mother and my brother Tal, and injured my father, my brother, his friend and myself. It is a story you know. But… Me, you do not really know. I was 8 years old when this happened.

(From left to right: Tal, Nir and Adi Moses  several years before the attack.)

While my father was rolling me in the sand to extinguish my burning body, I looked in the direction of our car and watched as my mother burned in front of my eyes.
This story did not end that day in 1987. This story is the difficult life I have led since then. I am still 8 years old, hospitalized in critical condition. Screaming from pain. Bandaged from head to toe. And my head is not the same. No longer full of golden long hair. The head is burnt. The face, back, the legs and arms, burnt. I am surrounded by family members, but my mother is not with me. Not hugging and caressing. She is not the one changing my bandages. In the room next door, my brother Tal in lying. Screaming in pain. I call out to him to count sheep with me so he can fall asleep. Three months later, little Tal dies of his wounds. I am seated, all bandaged up, on a chair in the cemetery and I watch as my little brother is buried.

Kerry Briefs Jewish ‘Leaders’ (Cheerleaders?) on MidEast Talks

Lori Lowenthal Marcus
The Jewish Press
Published: August 9th, 2013
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Jewish "leaders" to promote talks between Israel and Arab Palestinians

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Jewish "leaders" to promote talks between Israel and Arab Palestinians
Photo Credit: Lori Lowenthal Marcus

Secretary of State John Kerry met with what the Jewish Telegraph Agency described as “Jewish leaders” to “brief” them on the resumption of Israeli-Arab Palestinian talks on Thursday evening, August 8.

Although the briefing was off the record, the JTA quoted unnamed attendants who said several things.

First, that the meeting was dominated by Kerry’s “enthusiam for the resumed talks, and the serious commitment he said [sic] saw from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.”

Saudi Intelligence Chief Meets US, Israeli Officials for Terrorist Operations in Syria, Lebanon

FARS News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- US, Saudi and Israeli top security officials have agreed in their secret meetings to strike several targets in Lebanon and Syria, media reports disclosed on Wednesday.

Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, the Saudi National Security Council Secretary and Head of the Saudi Intelligence who is Riyadh’s man for forming, arming and orchestrating terrorist groups in the region, had a meeting with top US security officials in Washington a few weeks ago, Palestinian weekly al-Manar quoted informed sources as saying.
The sources told al-Manar that Bandar Bin Sultan held talks with US vice-presidents during his visit to Washington asking them to let Saudi Arabia supervise operations in Syria and Lebanon.

BDS absurdity in South Africa

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.540261

Coming in from the cold: Can Israel and South Africa restore warm ties? - Diplomacy & Defense - Israel News | Haaretz

The absurdity that sometimes occurs when politics clash with pragmatism was on display in Johannesburg recently, when hatred for Israel clashed with saving lives and fighting AIDS. South Africa’s Department of Health, which is battling the HIV/AIDS scourge and trying to prevent young black men who undergo ritual circumcision from dying when their wound turns septic, recently began using a non-surgical Israeli circumcision device called PrePex. It is approved by the World Health Organization and ranked among the best such devices available.
But that didn’t matter to Patrick Craven, a spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) – one of the three partners in the country’s governing coalition. "The point is not whether this device is the best or not,” he said. “There should be a wholesale boycott of all products from Israel, including this one."

NY Times “correction” on Israeli settlements gets the facts wrong

Ali A is upset!!

The Electronic Intifada

 

Ali Abunimah on Wed

The New York Times today issued this correction to its 4 August article “Israeli Decree on West Bank Settlements Will Harm Peace Talks, Palestinians Say” by Jerusalem bureau chief Jodi Rudoren:

An earlier version of this article misstated the United States’ view of the West Bank settlements seized by Israel in the 1967 war. While much of the rest of the world considers them illegal, for several decades the United States has not taken a position on the settlements’ legality; In a statement on Tuesday, the State Department said, “We do not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity.”

But the “correction” is wrong. Even if the United States does not now dare to say that Israeli settlements are illegal, it has done so clearly in the past, including in binding UN resolutions.
UN Security Council Resolution 465 of 1980, for instance, states:

"Will We Ever Learn?"

There are times when it must be doubted.

 

The Israeli government agreed last week to release 104 Palestinian Arabs in Israeli prisons since before Oslo; many are vicious killers of innocent Jews.  Let's leave aside for the moment whether this was a good idea or an abysmally bad one.  The stated goal was to bring the PA to the table, for this was Abbas' bottom line demand.  (See Minister Silvan Shalom on this: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/170584 )

 

Without question, the decision by our government was made in response to considerable arm-twisting by the Obama administration; Kerry, in particular, was so eager for the "victory" of bringing the parties to the table.       

 

Got it? To bring the PA to the table. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

Dempsey's Bombshell: No US Attack on Iran, Ever

A letter about Syria is really a smokescreen for a message to Israel about attacking Iran.

Mark Langfan

The writer, who often writes on security issues, has created an original educational 3d Topographic Map System of Israel to facilitate clear understanding of the dangers facing Israel and its water supply. It has been studied by US lawmakers and can be seen at www.marklangfan.com.

On 19 July 2013, Martin E. Dempsey, the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered an unclassified letter to Senator Carl Levin concerning the risks of US military  intervention in Syria.  http://www.levin.senate.gov/download/?id=f3dce1d1-a4ba-4ad1-a8d2-c47d943b1db6.  While the letter is was ostensibly delivered to the Senate, it actually delivered the equivalent to ten American thermonuclear bombs hitting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem simultaneously.
While the letter was supposedly written by Dempsey, it was surely approved and intensely vetted by President Obama himself.  So while the letter had Dempsey's signature, it was Obama's policy.  The Dempsey/Obama letter outlined all the catastrophic effects which would occur if the US militarily intervened in Syria to defeat Assad.

However, Obama's real addressee was not Sen. Levin, but Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Obama's real message: Bibi, forget about an American attack on Iran.

Op-Ed: The Whys and Wherefores of Israel Boycotters, Part II

Part 2 of a three-part analysis: A Faith gone Bad.

Steve Apfel

The writer is director of the School of Management Accounting, in Johannesburg and is the author of, 'Hadrian's Echo: The whys and wherefores of Israel's critics.' SBPRA 2012, and a contributor to a new book: "War by other means: Israel and its detractors." Israel Affairs, 2012

For part I, click here.

A piano recital at a campus hall in Johannesburg was invaded for no better reason than the artist was born in Israel. A boycott mob burst onto the stage and blew football hooligan horns, forcing Yossie Reshef to flee and patrons to go home shocked. At a theme park outside Johannesburg, a jamboree to mark Israel Independence Day turned chaotic when boycotters threw stink bombs, clashed with security and contrived a bomb scare.

Clearly, not merely the events were violated but freedoms and principles. And, lest we forget, Jews fell on both sides of the evil; they were the victims and also among the perpetrators.

The human rights violated are simple – security, gathering, equality and so forth. But they open no window into the mind and soul of a boycotter, except for one.  Rights allow another peep at the perfidy tucked into the depths of that kabbalistic mission (Part 1 of series) The boycott campaign, we were told, “is a global movement which works in peaceful ways..”

Navy undergoing ‘unprecedented’ upgrade in capabilities

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

 Force to receive 2 more advanced German Dolphin-class submarines in 2014, and a long range air defense system.

Dolphin-class submarine Photo: Baz Ratner/Reuters

“We will upgrade the weapons of these new submarines,” a source in the Israel Navy stated, as the military prepares to receive two more advanced submarines In 2014, the INS Tanin – Israel’s fourth German-made Dolphin-class submarine – will enter the navy’s service.

A few months later, the INS Rahav will join the fleet. The sixth new generation Dolphin is still being manufactured at a German shipyard.

The navy has been working with Israeli defense companies to develop a range of sea and underwater combat technologies, from radars to electronic warfare capabilities.

Despite budget cuts, the IDF is in the midst of a multi-year force buildup process, and the navy is going through an unprecedented phase marked by weapons upgrades, the source said.

Canada: Muslim speaker at Al-Quds Day protest calls for murder of Israelis: "We say get out or you are dead"

Jihad Watch

Yet still they always assume the moral high ground. "Statement on Call for Murder of Israelis at Al-Quds Day Protest," from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, August 5 (thanks to Kenneth):

OTTAWA, Aug. 5, 2013 /CNW/ - On Saturday, the annual Al-Quds Day protest in downtown Toronto included a speaker, reportedly identified as Elias Hazineh - former President of Palestine House, who called for the murder of Israelis. Video footage appears to show Hazineh declaring: "We have to give them an ultimatum. You have to leave Jerusalem. You have to leave Palestine...When somebody tries to rob a bank the police get in, they don't negotiate and we have been negotiating with them for 65 years. We say get out or you are dead. We give them two minutes and then we start shooting and that's the only way they'll understand."

PA leaders to discuss second round of peace talks set for August 14

KHALED ABU TOAMEH

08/06/2013 

Palestinian officials condemn Israel’s intention to pursue construction in settlements despite resumption of negotiations; Fatah official Muhaissen blames the US for failing to exert pressure on the Israeli government.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas at PLO meeting in West Bank, January 29, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamad Torokma

 

Palestinian Authority leaders are expected to meet in Ramallah Tuesday to discuss the second round of talks with Israel, scheduled for August 14 in Jerusalem.

Jamal Muhaissen, member of the Fatah Central Committee, said that the leaders would assess the outcome of the first session of the talks, which took place in Washington last week.

He said that the PLO and Fatah leaders would also discuss “preparations” for the second round of talks.

Muhaissen added that the Palestinians continue to stick to their demand that the negotiations with Israel be conducted on the basis of the pre-1967 lines.
He also reiterated the Palestinians’ opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state with provisional borders, adding that the talks should be concluded within nine months.

Op-Ed: I Don't Dress My Sons With Suicide Belts

Arabs do - and that is the symbol of the unbridgeable gap between us.

Giulio Meotti

The writer, an Italian journalist with Il Foglio, writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Frontpage and Commentary. He is at work on a book about the Vatican and Israel.

"If you want to destroy everything, do not save their legs", professes Bazarov, the nihilist character of Turgenev. It seems a perfect description of the Palestinian Arab society, which sanctifies death and self immolation.
Palestinian children are not innocent. Their parents are not. Their political leaders are not. Their school teachers are not. Their religious imams are not. Their street friends are not. Their doctors are not.
Of the approximately 4,000 Palestinians currently in Israeli custody, 193 are children. According to a Shabak report, about 292 Palestinian children have been involved in terrorism.

Ted Belman


Mammoth petition delivered to Catherine Ashton states: ’1967 lines’ don’t exist.
By Gil Ronen, INN
A mammoth jurists’ petition delivered to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton states that the EU is wrong in holding that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are illegal, and that the term “1967 lines” does not exist in international law.
The letter is signed by over 1,000 jurists worldwide.

Among the signatories are former justice minister Prof. Yaakov Ne’eman; former UN Ambassaor Dr. Meir Rosen; Britain’s Baroness Prof. Ruth Deech, Prof. Eliav Shochetman and Prof. Talia Einhorn. They include legal scholars from the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, Czechoslovakia, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Malta, Holland, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Taiwan, South Africa, Sweden and, of course, Israel.
The man behind the initiative is Dr. Alan Baker, Israel’s former ambassador to Canada and legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry, who currently heads the International Action Division of the Legal Forum for Israel.

Some Israelis Dread Peace Talks

Israeli parliament employees set up a Palestinian flag (L) next to an Israeli one as they prepare ahead of a meeting between Israeli parliament members and a delegation of Palestinian politicians and businessmen, aimed at encouraging Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, July 31, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Baz Ratner)

By: Einat Wilf for Al-Monitor Israel Pulse

בעברית

I am writing the following as a citizen — not as an analyst of Israeli and regional politics, and not as a politician with a worldview. I am writing the following as an Israeli citizen who sits in cafes with friends, buys pizza for her children and gets stuck in traffic behind buses: The renewal of talks between Israelis and Palestinians fills me with dread.

About This Article

Summary : The renewal of negotiations brings no guarantees, while the status quo of the last few years offered relative security to both Israelis and Palestinians.     Author: Einat Wilf Posted on: August 1 2013 Categories : Originals Israel   Palestine   Security

Analysts of the peace process, pleased by their renewed relevance, speak of the guarded hope, general skepticism and mostly indifference of Israelis and Palestinians, who believe little will come of the renewed talks. What I feel is neither hope, nor skepticism, nor indifference.
For more than 20 years, peace talks meant more terrorism and more death. The more serious the talks got, the greater the number of violent deaths.
The closer the negotiations came to addressing the core issues that have been tearing apart Israelis and Palestinians for decades, the worse the violence became. The more gut-wrenching the decisions that were discussed, the more the crazies on both sides emerged from their holes to kill, maim and send all chances for peace up in flames.
Negotiations for peace have become so associated with terrorism that in the 1990s, its victims were called “victims of peace.” We on the left, myself included, were so obsessed with peace that we insisted that negotiations continue despite the vicious acts of terrorism, as proper tribute to those “victims of peace.”

July: 38 Israelis Wounded in Terrorist Attacks

Babies and children among the injured in summer terror wave. At least 55 firebomb attacks on the roads.

By Maayana Miskin

First Publish: 8/4/2013

Jerusalem riots

The IDF and Shin Bet have released their report on terrorist attacks in the month of July. Over the course of the month, 38 Israelis were wounded in terrorist assaults.
Among the wounded was a young toddler who suffered a head injury when Arabs hurled stones at a Jewish family near the Old City of Jerusalem.
An eight-year-old Jewish boy was also injured in a rock-throwing attack in the Old City, and a baby girl was wounded in a rock attack on a bus heading for the Kotel (Western Wall).
There were additional injuries in rock attacks near the Shechem Gate of the Old City, and on Uzi Narkis Street in Jerusalem. One man was wounded when an Arab attacker hit him in the face during a carjacking north of Jerusalem.

Netanyahu: Do Not Release Jailed Terrorists

Netanyahu: Do Not Release Jailed Terrorists

By: Benjamin Netanyahu

Published: August 3rd, 2013
Latest update: August 4th, 2013

Photo Credit: Book Cover: Fighting Terrorism,, Benjamin Netanyahu

An Excerpt from "Fighting Terrorism", 2001 Edition, by Benjamin Netanyahu, page 144.

Among the most important policies which must be adopted in the face of terrorism is the refusal to release convicted terrorists from prisons. This is a mistake that Israel, once the leader in anti-terror techniques, has made over and over again.

Release of convicted terrorists before they have served their full sentences seems like an easy and tempting way of defusing blackmail situations in which innocent people may lose their lives. But its utility is momentary at best.