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09/22/2009

Snark news briefs, good news edition

Filed under: Iran, Israel, The One, United Nations — Tags: , , , , — Meryl Yourish @ 7:21 pm

So many wonderful things, so little time. (Actually, there’s plenty of time; work’s done for the day.)

Sucks to be you, Part 1: The anti-Israel (some might say “anti-Semitic” Egyptian minister of culture lost his bid to become the director of UNESCO. Gee, guess building those synagogues for the six Jews left in Egypt just didn’t convince the west that he’s changed. Or maybe it’s just the year of the woman—a Bulgarian woman won the job. I will point out that Israel did not oppose the Egyptian’s election, at least, not publicly. It was a private election. I’m guessing they didn’t vote for the bastard who said that he only wanted Israeli books burned that “insult Islam.” Oh, that makes it all better, then.

Sucks to be you, Part 2: What’s a dictator to do? First, the Helmsley Hotel chain cancels Mad Mahmoud’s banquet reservations and tells him he’s not welcome in any of their hotels. Then the Libyan mass-murderer-slash-dictator finds himself barred from most hotels in the city (on top of being banned in NJ, and yay, Garden State!). So he’s decided to sleep at the Libyan embassy. And Mad Mahmoud is going to be staying at the Essex House—unless the protests get too overwhelming for the hotel.

Sucks to be you, Part 3: Lowered expectations you said, lowered expectations you got! Obama told Israel that it needed to make “important steps to restrain settlement activity.” I do believe that goes into Netanyahu’s column as a “win.” Poor, poor Stephen Walt. He must be so disappointed today. Then again, he can use this as more proof of that invincible Israel Lobby in his next book. And I’m thinking that Barack Obama’s having a very, very bad day today overall. Not that I think that’s a good thing, because his screwing up international relations is a very bad thing for America. Maybe he’ll use this as a teachable moment, and learn from it.

Naaaaaaaah. Just kidding.

Barack Obama’s Great Adventure

Filed under: Israel, The One, United Nations, World — Tags: , , — Meryl Yourish @ 10:30 am

President Obama will be spending most of the day today meeting with world leaders in New York. Even the AP is writing that little will come out of these sessions. But of course, the focus will be on the trilateral talks between Obama, Bibi Netanyahu, and Mahmoud Abbas—who has already said he will not negotiate with Israel without a complete settlement freeze.

No one in the White House, the Israeli government or among Palestinian officials is publicly predicting a breakthrough out of the three-way Mideast meeting that President Barack Obama is hosting here. And yet the session Tuesday is seen as a crucial step for Obama.

Why it’s a crucial step, the AP says:

One reason to have the meeting is the need to get momentum going.

“The U.S. wants to and the U.S. needs to negotiate in public,” said Jon Alterman, a senior fellow in Middle East policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former State Department official in President George W. Bush’s first term. “There’s a perceived need for the U.S. to visibly be involved in making progress on Arab-Israeli issues.”

Ah. Appearances. Well, Obama is great at appearances. But not so great at getting results. In fact, the world has been essentially stiffing him on everything.

But eight months after his inauguration, all that good will so far has translated into limited tangible policy benefits for Mr. Obama. As much as they may prefer to deal with Mr. Obama instead of his predecessor, George W. Bush, foreign leaders have not gone out of their way to give him what he has sought.

European allies still refuse to send significantly more troops to Afghanistan. The Saudis basically ignored Mr. Obama’s request for concessions to Israel, while Israel rebuffed his demand to stop settlement expansion. North Korea defied him by testing a nuclear weapon. Japan elected a party less friendly to the United States. Cuba has done little to liberalize in response to modest relaxation of sanctions. India and China are resisting a climate change deal. And Russia rejected new sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program even as Mr. Obama heads into talks with Tehran.

But hey, the world likes our president again, and that’s the important thing, right? It’s much better to be popular than accomplished.

As for the trilateral meeting, well, nobody’s expecting anything in Israel, either.

Sources in the PM’s entourage said the meeting between Netanyahu, Abbas and Obama would likely be symbolic in nature, adding that they do not foresee any diplomatic achievements during the General Assembly’s session.

But don’t worry. Jimmy Carter, Stephen Walt, and their anti-Israel followers will all be happy to place the blame squarely on Israel’s shoulders. The fact that Hamas said only yesterday that they will not respect any deal made by Abbas during this summit is irrelevant. Hamas rejectionism isn’t a problem, you see. Only Israeli settlement building.

At least Pee-Wee Herman found his bike at the end of his great adventure. Barack Obama will be coming out of this with nothing.

07/28/2009

UN demands Israel supply terrorists in Gaza

Filed under: Gaza, Israel, United Nations — Tags: , , — Meryl Yourish @ 12:00 pm

Once again, the UN is demanding that Jews contribute to their own destruction.

I particularly like this insistence by John Ging that there’s no way, really, no way in hell, that the concrete and iron rods would be diverted by Hamas and turned into tunnels and rockets. No way.

“We account for every sack of flour and we can equally account for every bag of cement,” he said. “It’s just a matter of political will to move forward on this issue. We’d like to get on with the job, and then be held accountable on whether we are achieving it or not.”

All right, John. Kindly explain this Reuters video, taken years ago, of Palestinian terrorists in Gaza using UN ambulances to escape from the IDF.

You don’t get to be the ones accountable for Israeli deaths. That would be the Israelis themselves, who have the responsibility to protect their citizens. Urge away, UN and NGOs. Just don’t issue the dreaded strongly-worded statement.

06/12/2009

UN wants to fine Israel, Israel should bill UN

Filed under: Israel, United Nations — Tags: , , — Meryl Yourish @ 12:00 pm

The leader of the organization that helps supply Hamas with funding for the missiles that rain down on Israel (see: UNRWA and related organizations that help pay Hamas members’ salaries) wants to fine Israel for responding to the missiles.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday it was “critical” that Israel halt all settlement activity. He added that he was considering fining the state $11 million for damage it did to UN facilities during the Gaza war.

Ban says the fine was recommended by a committee elected to investigate damage done by the IDF to UN structures during Operation Cast Lead.

I think it’s critical that Israel send the bill for what it cost to send in the IDF, as well as the damages of years of kassams and mortars into Israel, to the UN.

Say, Ban, good luck collecting on that fine. I’m thinking Israel is going to just ignore it as just another anti-Israel action from the anti-Israel echo chamber that is the UN.

03/18/2009

Drubbing Durban II

Filed under: Anti-Semitism, Israel Derangement Syndrome — Tags: , — Soccerdad @ 7:00 am

In a rather bland paragraph the New York Times informs us that Changes Ahead of Talks on Racism:

Countries preparing for a United Nations conference on racism have removed references to Israel and religious defamation from its draft declaration, potentially clearing the way for Western states to attend.

Apparently the threats of the West have had an affect. Or maybe not. Anne Bayefsky reports that while most specific references to Israel have been removed, one major stumbling block remains.

On some of these counts, the document makes substantial changes. It is somewhat shorter, removes grotesque allegations like calling Israel an apartheid state and deletes the words “defamation of religions.”

But most important, it refuses to disavow the 2001 Declaration. On the contrary, it “Reaffirms the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) as it was adopted at the World Conference against Racism … in 2001.” That declaration says Palestinians are victims of Israeli racism–with Israel the only U.N. state found guilty of racism. And though today’s draft divides provisions into the negotiable and non-negotiable, it announces that reaffirming Durban I is text which does not “remain to be negotiated.”

This “new and improved” document, therefore, breaches President Obama’s key conditions. It “reaffirms in toto the flawed 2001 Durban Declaration.” In so doing, it does not satisfy the demand that no country or conflict be singled out. Unsurprisingly, behind the scenes, Palestinian negotiators in Geneva are expressing satisfaction with today’s result.

In short, the organizers removed specific references to Israel, but re-affirmed the 2001 declaration that has all those references. Their hope is to finesse the issue and encourage Western countries to return while leaving the flawed premise of the conference intact.

Bayefsky calls on President Obama to denounce the proceedings and ignore the phony changes.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

01/09/2009

UNSCR 1860: Not worth the paper it’s written on

Filed under: Gaza, Hamas, Israeli Double Standard Time, United Nations — Tags: , — Meryl Yourish @ 10:00 am

UN Security Council Resolution 1860 is a waste of time and space. It’s not a Chapter Seven, so it’s nonbinding. It makes no mention of Hamas whatsoever, so it’s bullshit. And Israel is treating it as such.

Israel’s Operation Cast Lead will proceed, despite the UN Security Council’s resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Friday.

In an announcement published following the cabinet meeting on the matter, Olmert said, “The rocket attacks this morning on the residents of the south only prove that the UN’s resolution is not practical and will not be upheld by the Palestinian murder organizations.”

The prime minister added that “Israel has never allowed any outside source to determine its right to defend its citizens. The IDF will continue to act to defend the citizens of Israel and carry out the missions laid before it in the operation”.

Well, that’s not entirely true. Israel allows it far too much. But at least here, Israel will be ignoring world opinion and carrying on with the business of tearing apart Hamas.

Deputy Premier Eli Yishai was more blunt, saying, “The word has turned into Haniyeh and Hamas’ lobbyist. It is no matter for concern if this resolution stays on paper. Our interest is all that matters.”

I love the understated charm of this description:

Israel has shown a certain level of apathy to the resolution, and Hamas has also stated it is not bound by and will not accept the decision.

“Israel has acted, is acting, and will continue to act only according to its calculations, in the interest of the security of its citizens and its right to self defense,” Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said.

Not a word about Hamas. So Israel is doing what she should do, and continuing to take apart Hamas.

11/25/2008

Asking the arsonist to put out the fire

Filed under: Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Israel Derangement Syndrome — Tags: — Soccerdad @ 9:00 am

Israel’s foreign minister has asked the UN to take a stand against the continued rocket fire from Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni demanded in a telephone conversation with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday that the world stop ignoring attacks on Israel by Gaza militants.

Livni “demanded that the international community stop applying a policy of ignoring acts of terror aimed at hurting innocent people,” her office said in a statement.

“The international community must sound its voice and influence more clearly and decisively,” she said.

Yesterday the UN just commemorated International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People – as if having at least 12 organizations devoted to (perpetuating) the “Palestinian problem” isn’t enough. Mahmoud Abbas recently elected “President of the Palestinian State” gave a speech at the event yesterday that included a graphic (.pdf) – in the upper right hand corner – portraying all of Israel as Palestine.

Let’s remember of course that even if the UN and Palestinians complain about the lack of goods in Gaza, there’s one commodity that doesn’t suffer: rockets.

Inside this storage hold, the walls and windows had been decorated for our visit with the group’s black flags emblazoned with emblems and Arabic script. The Al-Nasser Brigades are an armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, indoctrinated by generations of Gaza’s Islamic resistance, and these days loyal to Hamas.

The room bristled with rockets in varying sizes and stages of readiness that three faceless men in balaclavas quietly choreographed in a showcase of firepower. There was even a spotlight to afford better lighting for the camera. Large red warheads filled with explosives were screwed into place atop black metal tubes and hoisted onto their launching stands.

Each rocket was labeled by hand with white paint to identify its brandname and strength: According to the group, the al-Nasr 2 reaches a distance of four kilometres. The slightly better al-Nasr 3 rocket can go nearly three times as far. t is the al-Nasr 4 — at a daunting two-plus metres in length — that is the triumph of their development efforts.

The rocket has a range of 20 kilometers, proven last May when one of them careened into a shopping mall in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. It happened to coincide with a visit to Israel by US president George W. Bush.

The famous tradeoff of guns and butter has been altered to today’s Gaza where the new paradigm is flour and rockets. From what I can tell, the rockets are winning.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

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