Things you won’t see in the AP coverage

Posted on 12/27/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Regarding the terror attack last week that killed an Israeli father of seven, and the IDF raids that killed three terrorists suspected of carrying out the attack, well, it’s official: One of the dead terrorists owned the rifle that killed Rabbi Meir Avshalom Hai.

The police forensics lab determined that one of the rifles seized from the Palestinian terrorists who were killed in Nablus Saturday was used in last week’s murder of Jewish settler Rabbi Meir Avshalom Hai in the West Bank.

The M-16 rifle, which belonged to Tanzim member Anan Sabah, was found to be compatible with the bullet shells found at the scene of Hai’s murder. Sabah had been released from an Israeli prison as part of the amnesty deal with the Palestinian Authority in 2007, in which Israel agreed not to hunt down Palestinian gunmen who agreed to lay down their arms.

Five bucks says the AP doesn’t update its news on this subject with this information. No, ten bucks. I’m feeling lucky.

Posted in Israel, Media Bias, Terrorism | 1 Comment

Sunday snarks

Posted on 12/27/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Shorter Soccer Dad: NYTimes says: “Tough Military Stance Stirs Little Debate in Israel.” Meryl says: It works. Duh!

Al Qaeda’s nefarious plan succeeded: You know, it’s becoming apparent to me that al Qaeda’s real plan is to make flying the most uncomfortable means of travel possible. Forget blowing us out of the sky. They want us to stop flying altogether. Someone check to see if someone shorted Delta big-time last week.

Please, please, please make me relevant again: Really, Tzipi Livni should listen to her advisers, because nobody in Israel is listening to her. Tzipi who?

Galloway to Egypt: I want what I want when I want it! Egypt is making Georgie go the long way into Gaza, and he’s pitching a fit. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the Egyptian border guards will treat George Galloway the way they treat Sudanese refugees trying to get to Israel. Shoot him in the back or front, I don’t care. Rid us of this troublesome Jew-hater. (Of course, they won’t. He’s gold for the anti-Israel side.)

Hamas anniversary celebrations held in phone booth: Apparently, Gazans voted with their feet today on the anniversary of the Gaza war. Hamas couldn’t even fill the square they were holding the “victory” celebrations in. You would think that would give the world a clue as to how unpopular Hamas rule is in Gaza. But of course, that won’t stop gorge-rising Galloway from making his way to Gaz and giving Hamas more money and ass-kissing. Favorite part of the article: Hamas tried to co-opt the Israeli Memorial Day siren. Gazans kept on driving.

Three bombs, two dead Hamasniks in Lebanon: What is up with that? Someone is killing the terrorists while they’re on holiday with other terrorists? Hmmmm. If that was Mossad, well, good work, guys!

Just a thought before I go: How is it that the second terrorist attack on American soil in less than two months has gone completely unremarked by the president? It’s all well and good that he’s letting the media know that he’s being “updated” by all the agencies involved, but not even a quick statement from his Christmas hideaway in Hawaii? And they still talk about George W. Bush and “My Pet Goat.” Uh-huh. Effing hypocrites.

Posted in Gaza, Israel Derangement Syndrome, News Briefs, Terrorism | 1 Comment

What’s there to debate?

Posted on 12/27/2009 by Soccerdad

The headline and tone of this “news analysis,” Tough Military Stance Stirs Little Debate in Israel the New York Times is baffling. What is there to debate? If the doctrine is effective it’s working. The idea that an idea must be debated to be worthwhile is a prescription for paralysis.

In the year since Israel launched its devastating military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, the country’s political and military leaders have faced intense international condemnation and accusations of possible war crimes.

But Israel seems to have few qualms. Officials and experts familiar with the country’s military doctrine say that given the growing threats from Iranian-backed militant organizations both in Gaza and in Lebanon, Israel will probably find itself fighting another, similar kind of war.

Only next time, some here suggest, Israel will apply more force.

“The next round will be different, but not in the way people think,” said Giora Eiland, a retired major general and former chief of Israel’s National Security Council. “The only way to be successful is to take much harsher action.”

Such talk has raised alarm among some critics in Israel, but so far it has stirred little public debate.

Why, exactly, those critics who don’t have concern for Israeli citizen foremost in their minds, should be of concern to Israel isn’t explained by the reporter, Isabel Kershner, who acknowledges:

Both the three-week campaign in Gaza, which ended on Jan. 18, and Israel’s monthlong war in 2006 against the Shiite Hezbollah organization in Lebanon have brought relative quiet to Israel’s borders.

I would think that the article should have ended there.

Israel’s objective, according to Gabriel Siboni, a retired colonel who runs the military program at the Institute for National Security Studies, is to shorten and intensify the period of fighting and to lengthen the period between rounds.

Israel was accused of using disproportionate force in Lebanon, particularly after it flattened the Dahiya district in Beirut, a Shiite neighborhood that housed the command and control headquarters of Hezbollah. Over the month, more than a thousand Lebanese were killed.

But Israeli experts say that as long as the targets are legitimate ones, the whole point is to try to overwhelm the enemy with maximum force.

The destruction of Dahiya “sent a message to Hezbollah of the consequences” of confrontation, Mr. Siboni said.

Notice that she attributes this view simply to “Israeli experts” instead of acknowledging that this is a valid reading of international law.

Then she stacks the deck further against Israel:

The campaign in Gaza, intended to halt years of rocket fire against southern Israel, left up to 1,400 Palestinians dead, including hundreds of civilians. The human toll, as well as the extensive destruction of property, prompted a United Nations mission led by an internationally renowned judge, Richard Goldstone, to accuse Israel of deliberately attacking civilians and of violations of the international laws of war.

Israel rejected the Goldstone report as biased and fundamentally flawed. Israel says that while mistakes were made, it chose its targets on purely military merits and went to extraordinary lengths to warn civilians in Gaza to leave areas under attack.

One one side we had “Israeli experts,” now, on the other we have the “internationally renowned judge.” By now Goldstone’s flaws should be manifest. And even if Kershner couldn’t be bothered to read a whole website critiquing Goldstone, surely she could have made herself aware of Martin Kramer’s short and devastating critique of Goldstone’s credulity. She need not attribute Goldstone flaws to the Israeli government, she could see it herself, if she wanted to.

Kershner gives too much space to Israel’s self-interested and biased critics, but she does end her analysis well.

But Israeli officials and security experts contend that other Western countries are facing similar challenges in their conflicts abroad. What must change, they say, is not the Israeli military’s conduct but the interpretation and application of the laws of war by the rest of the world.

In the meantime, Mr. Siboni said, Israel’s wars “may produce more Goldstones, but that may be the price you have to pay.”

This isn’t just about Israel. It’s about the West’s ability to fight terror. An American expert, Johathan Keiler addressed this in a recent paper (.pdf):

“Disproportion” can be seen as the leading edge of an effort to delegitimatize any action by powerful western nations against weaker developing countries or nonstate actors. It is in the interest of the United States to generally reject these claims, for should they gain further acceptance, American military action and doctrines might be seriously hindered in the future, with potentially grave repercussions.

Unfortunately, it isn’t clear that Isabel Kershner got the message.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel, Israeli Double Standard Time, Media Bias | 2 Comments

T minus one day – one year ago

Posted on 12/27/2009 by Soccerdad

Israel Completes Preparations for Gaza Offensive Amid Continuing Rocket Fire – Mark Lavie
Israel wrapped up preparations for a broad offensive in the Gaza Strip Thursday after Palestinians fired about 100 rockets and mortar shells across the border in two days. Israeli Prime Minister Olmert made a direct appeal to Gaza’s people via the Arabic-language satellite channel Al-Arabiya to pressure their leaders to stop the barrages. Israeli defense officials said the operation would probably begin with surgical airstrikes against rocket launchers. Harsh weather conditions are currently hampering visibility and complicating air force missions. (AP/Washington Post)

Israel Opens Border Crossings into Gaza
Israel opened three border crossings with Gaza on Friday, allowing about 80 trucks filled with fuels and commodities into the Palestinian territory. Among the goods were 400,000 liters of fuel and 120 tons of cooking gas. The decision to open the crossings at Kerem Shalom, Karni and Nahal Oz came after requests from international aid groups and Egypt. (CNN)

Hamas “Military Industry” Working Overtime to Manufacture Rockets – Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff (Ha’aretz)
    For two years Hamas, with Iranian assistance, has been working hard on developing its military power.
    In recent years dozens of Gazans have traveled to training camps in Iran and Lebanon run by terror organizations and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
    Hamas has learned to create ammonium perchlorate compound, an advanced rocket propellant that extends Kassam rocket range beyond 20 kilometers and significantly increases a rocket’s shelf life.
    That means that, for the first time, Hamas can maintain a supply of rockets for months at a time.

A Separate Standard for Israel – Mark Silverberg
On any given day, Israeli prisons are hosting Red Cross representatives, journalists, lawyers, prisoners’ advocates, as well as family members of convicted Palestinian prisoners, while Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas on Israeli soil, is being held in isolation and denied any and all visitation rights from lawyers, family and even the International Red Cross in violation of his human rights and international law. So, where is the international outcry for Shalit?

(via Daily Alert)

From the Goldstone Report:

266. The intensified closure regime on the Gaza crossings which began in November continued in December, with imports restricted to very basic food items and limited amounts of fuel, animal feed and medical supplies. According to OCHA, many basic food items were no longer available and negligible amounts of fuel were allowed to enter Gaza. This resulted in the health sector in Gaza deteriorating further into a critical condition, with hospitals continuing to face problems as a result of power cuts, low stocks of fuel to operate back-up generators, lack of spare parts for medical equipment and shortages of consumables and medical supplies.151 On 18 December 2008, UNRWA once again suspended its food distribution programme for the rest of the month, owing to shortages.152
267. On 27 December 2008, Israel started its military operations in Gaza.153

From this brief chronology it’s easy to see factors that Judge Goldstone and his commission ignored or downplayed.

For one thing, Israel allowed in 80 trucks of aid right before launching Cast Lead. It’s possible that that fact is mentioned in the Goldstone report, but if it is, it is extremely well hidden. (Yes, I searched.) Certainly it would have been relevant to mention in the chronology cited above.

But then this went against something else the commission wished to convey, namely the first agenda item:

1. The blockade
27. The Mission focused (chap. V) on the process of economic and political isolation imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, generally referred to as a blockade. The blockade comprises measures such as restrictions on the goods that can be imported into Gaza and the closure of border crossings for people, goods and services, sometimes for days, including cuts in the provision of fuel and electricity. Gaza’s economy is further severely affected by the reduction of the fishing zone open to Palestinian fishermen and the establishment of a buffer zone along the border between Gaza and Israel, which reduces the land available for agriculture and industry. In addition to creating an emergency situation, the blockade has significantly weakened the capacities of the population and of the health, water and other public sectors to respond to the emergency created by the military operations.

By starting off the section, “Facts investigated by the Mission, factual and legal findings,” with the “blockade,” the commission served to undermine Israel’s rationale for attacking Hamas. It makes the focus Israel’s actions, not the arms smuggling that made the blockade necessary and certainly not the firing of rockets at Israeli civilians. Nor does it credit Israel for its massive transfers of humanitarian aid to a hostile entity, even at a time of war.

Finally by making its focus Israel’s blockade and conrtriving to call it a violation of humanitarian law, the Goldstone report effectively ignored the gross violation by Hamas of Gilad Shalit’s rights under international law. In fact it even made Shalit a reason to condemn Israel.

78. The Mission is concerned by declarations made by various Israeli officials who have indicated the intention of maintaining the blockade of the Gaza Strip until the release of Gilad Shalit. The Mission is of the opinion that this would constitute collective punishment of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.

99. . . Following the capture by Palestinian armed groups of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in June 2006, the Israeli armed forces arrested some 65 members of the Legislative Council, mayors and ministers, mostly Hamas members. All were held at least two years, generally in inadequate conditions. Further arrests of Hamas leaders were conducted during the military operations in Gaza. The detention of members of the Legislative Council has meant that it has been unable to function and exercise its legislative and oversight function over the Palestinian executive.

91. The Mission finds that these practices have resulted in violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including the prohibition of arbitrary detention, the right to equal protection under the law and not to be discriminated based on political beliefs and the special protections to which children are entitled. The Mission also finds that the detention of members of the Legislative Council may amount to collective punishment contrary to international humanitarian law.

189. In June 2006, a squad drawn from three groups – the Popular Resistance Committees, al-Qassam Brigades and the until then unknown Army of Islam – excavated a tunnel under the Gaza-Israel border and attacked the military base of Kerem Shalom inside Israel, blowing up a tank, killing two soldiers and capturing a third, Corporal Gilad Shalit. In reaction to the capture, the Israeli Government conducted a number of targeted assassinations of alleged militants belonging to Hamas and other groups; arrested Palestinian Authority cabinet ministers, Hamas parliamentarians and other leaders in the West Bank; attacked key civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, such as the main power plant, the main bridge in central Gaza and Palestinian
Authority offices; tightened the economic isolation; and carried out major armed thrusts into the Gaza Strip for the first time since August 2005.26

Compare those selected mentions with:

1340. The Mission asked the Gaza authorities to confirm the status of Gilad Shalit. In their reply, which the Mission considered to be unsatisfactory, the Gaza authorities denied being involved in any way with the capture and detention of Gilad Shalit and stated that they are not in possession of any information regarding his current status.

Gilad Shalit has not been allowed visits by the International Red Cross despite the Goldstone commission’s acknowledgement that he’s a “prisoner of war.” And yet the reports saves its outrage for Israel for responding to Shalit’s capture.

Here are the reports “legal findings and conclusions” on the subject of Gilad Shalit:

1343. The Mission is of the opinion that, as a soldier who belongs to the Israeli armed forces and who was captured during an enemy incursion into Israel, Gilad Shalit meets the requirements for prisoner-of-war status under the Third Geneva Convention. As such, he should be protected, treated humanely and be allowed external communication as appropriate according to that Convention. ICRC should be allowed to visit him without delay. Information about his condition should also be provided promptly to his family.
1344. The Mission is concerned by the declarations referred to above, made by various Israeli officials, who have indicated the intention of maintaining the blockade of the Gaza Strip until the release of Gilad Shalit. The Mission is of the opinion that this would constitute collective punishment of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.

So to review, looking back at the situation at the time Israel attacked Hamas last year, the Goldstone commission studiously avoided any major discussion of Hamas’s belligerence. Furthermore it found Israel in violation of international law in matters relating to the capture and holding of Gilad Shalit and effectively absolved Hamas for any legal responsibility.

I think that Israel would have had a better shot with the Red Queen.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel, Israel Derangement Syndrome | Tagged | Comments Off on T minus one day – one year ago

Unspinning the anti-Israel spin

Posted on 12/26/2009 by Meryl Yourish

If you read only the wire services, you wouldn’t understand exactly why the IDF killed three terrorists in the West Bank early this morning. Allow me to show you the depths to which the AP falls to justify the murderers, cover up terror attacks, and remove the blame from Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah, and the PA—and then how they blame the IDF for killing Palestinians and make it seem like the Palestinians were either blameless or just about to surrender before the IDF blew them away.

First, the AP report on the terror attack yesterday. The headline: “Gunmen kill Israeli in West Bank shooting attack.” Note that “Palestinian” does not appear in the headline at all. Neither do the words “Islamic Jihad” or “Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade,” both of whom claimed the terror attack that murdered a 45-year-old rabbi and father of seven. Neither group is “little-known.” Both are well-known, and Al-Aqsa is a part of Fatah. The fiction maintained by the media is that it is an “offshoot.” Note also that the AP report does not name the murder victim. The report also does not name the group that claimed the attack, calling it only “A Palestinian group” or “A little-known Palestinian militant group identifying itself as a faction of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement.”

Now, let’s look at the Israeli press and see what information we can glean that the AP is not providing. First, the name of the victim, Meir Avshalom, 45. Next, Ha’aretz gives us the details of his life—seven children, one of whom was estranged from him. Okay, that’s not important enough for the AP to pass along on the wire services, granted, but this is:

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades and the Islamic Jihad have both claimed responsibility for the attack.

This information is from yesterday’s article. Today, we find out that the three were well-known terrorists, one of whom, Anan Sabah, was included in the amnesty agreement that the PA negotiated with Israel. The agreement, you may remember, required that the terrorists receiving amnesty would cease terrorism against Israel. Another one, Raed a-Sarkaji, served seven years in prison for the murder of another Israeli. This next bit of information is important:

A rifle and two pistols were found on Salah’s body, and a large amount of weapons were found in the cache he was holed up in.

Today’s AP article has its own spin on the above:

The forces surrounded the homes of the three. Lerner, the army major, said all three turned down a chance to surrender. However, relatives of Abu Sharah and Suragji said they were killed without warning. Lerner confirmed that none of the wanted men returned fire, including Subeh, who had two pistols and two assault rifles on him.

There is no mention of the weapons cache. But there’s a lot of spinning. The AP makes it look like the IDF simply started shooting for no reason. They see no significance in the fact that everyone but the wanted terrorist evacuated the home, and he was found with weapons and ammunition on him, and hiding in a small space where he could shoot from a protected area. Then there’s the “Allahu Akbar” part—you know, the words that every terrorist seems to utter when he is about to attempt murder? And still, the AP wants to know why the soldiers opened fire. Gee. Let’s think.

In the third raid, troops ordered everyone to come out of the Subeh home, said Subeh’s brother, Jamal. The family evacuated, but Anan Subeh stayed behind.

Lerner said Subeh was hiding in a small crawl space in his home when he was killed. He said soldiers heard him shout “Allahu Akbar,” Arabic for God is great.

Asked why soldiers opened fire, Lerner said troops “had to operate under the assumption that they (the suspects) are dangerous.”

The suspects were dangerous.

Now let’s look at the usual mounting anti-Israel spin as the story is updated. First headline:

Israel kills 3 in West Bank raids

Updated headline:

Israel kills 6 Palestinians

Note that there is no context in either headline. Not even the word “militant.”

Lead one:

Israeli soldiers stormed homes in the West Bank on Saturday, killing three Palestinians allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of an Israeli and testing an uneasy security arrangement with Palestinian authorities.

Lead two:

Israeli troops blasted their way into the homes of three wanted Palestinians on Saturday, killing each in a hail of bullets and straining an uneasy security arrangement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The bolded words speak for themselves. Now to compare and contrast, the lead from the article about Meir Avshalom:

Gunmen killed an Israeli man in a shooting attack in the West Bank on Thursday as local attention was focused on Christmas celebrations in nearby Bethlehem.

A Palestinian group took responsibility for the killing.

Big difference, isn’t there? Welcome to the world of the anti-Israel media. Thanks to them, I’ll never run out of post fodder.

Update: And the latest AP updated headline?

Israel kills 6 Palestinians in surge of violence

Palestinians, not “militants.” Surge, not even the pathetic “cycle of” violence. Just a surge in violence, implying that Israel decided to go shoot a bunch of Palestinians for no reason. The lead, including the colorful “hail of bullets,” remains.

Posted in AP Media Bias, Israel, Terrorism | 3 Comments

Lazy day/Christmas open thread

Posted on 12/25/2009 by Meryl Yourish

If you’re Jewish and not working for your Christian coworkers today, here’s an open thread for you.

If you’re Christian and home for the holiday, or sneaking on your relative’s computer for your blogging fix, here’s an open thread for you.

I started a serious post. I got bored. I’m going to have a late, late breakfast (slept until 9:30, woo-hoo!) and then hit the shower, and should be seeing a movie later today.

On to synagogue tonight and tomorrow morning. It’s tough to get a minyan in Virginia during this time of year. Virginians go out of state this week for some reason. Jewish Virginians, too. As a former New Jerseyan, I’m a bit mystified. Probably because even though the kids are off, the parents generally are working during winter break there. Hey, my mother always worked for Eastern Airlines on Christmas day. She got doubletime and used it to take off for Passover. Wish I had that choice… I’d have worked today.

Oh, who am I kidding? I’d want the three-day weekend.

Posted in Life, Work | 2 Comments

A present for me!

Posted on 12/24/2009 by Meryl Yourish

It’s sheer accident, but this picture of Tig in my boot box is actually Christmas-y. So merry Christmas to my Christian readers, and no, you can’t have it. This one’s mine.

Tig in a boot box

In fact, I think I feel a song coming on for this one:

How much is that Tigger in the boot box?
The one with the plume of a tail?
How much is that Tigger in the boot box?
I’m sorry, he isn’t for sale!

A happy and safe holiday to all.

Posted in Cats, Holidays | 3 Comments

Jimmy Carter’s non-apology apology.

Posted on 12/24/2009 by Meryl Yourish

The Jimmy Carter apology is deeply suspicious and seems utterly insincere. In order for a person to receive forgiveness for his actions, he needs to atone for them. There is no atonement, as can be seen in his anti-Israel op-ed in the Guardian two days after he offered the “apology.” And the timing of the open letter is very suspicious. It coincides with his grandson’s run for office in Atlanta (though Carter denies this has anything to do with it), but it’s also nothing to do with Hanukkah.

In his JTA interview, Carter discussed “impressions” of his words:

Carter said he never meant to convey the impression that the pro-Israel lobby silenced criticism of Israel, only that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was the “most influential lobbying group” and that presidents including himself and congresses have historically been “totally committed” to Israel’s security. He was grateful for the rise of J Street, saying that the dovish group’s views were aligned with his own.

The “impression”? Well, let’s revisit Carter’s words.

You have to remember that the major Israeli lobbies, they’re not in favor of peace. They never have professed to be. What they are in favor of is protecting the policies of whatever government is in charge in Israel. If you look at their Web sites, they make that quite clear. So they’re for Israel, they’re not for peace between Israel and its neighbors.

Caught in a lie again, Mr. Carter. And there are more.

There would be no way a member of the House or Senate in Washington could make a public statement condemning Israel or supporting the Palestinians. They would probably be threatened with being out of office the next term.

I believe the word for that is “calumny”.

When Carter atones for all of his sins, we can begin to forgive him. Merely saying the words “al het” doesn’t make this apology sincere. And I’m not the only one who isn’t buying it.

In his interview with JTA, the elder Carter acknowledged that the negative impressions about his book and book tour had ruptured his relations with the Jewish community. Jewish friends, including Atlanta Rabbi Alvin Sugarman, prominent Atlanta lawyer Miles Alexander and Stuart Eizenstat, who was Carter’s chief White House domestic policy adviser, urged him to reach out to the Jews.

He attempted to do so by arranging a talk at a synagogue or another Jewish venue, Carter told JTA, but was rebuffed.

It sounds to me like it’s an apology of expedience, nothing more. Once again: Apology not accepted. I still think Carter’s problem with Israel is that there are Jews in it.

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Israel Derangement Syndrome | Tagged | 8 Comments

The Turkey-Syria lovefest (and Israel hatefest)

Posted on 12/24/2009 by Meryl Yourish

You have to read between the lines to really appreciate what the Turkish Prime Minister is saying at this press conference. The Bashar Assad stuff, well, it’s standard Bashar bullshit. The man responsible for the iron-fisted control over Lebanon, the murder of any Lebanese leader or journalist who stood in his way, and the one about to reassert Syria’s control over Lebanon is constantly accusing Israel of not wanting peace. He speaks perfect Orwell. But he’s the sideshow once you reach this quote:

Erdogan, for his part, said Syria was Turkey’s “gateway to the Middle East and our second homeland, while Turkey is the Syrians’ second homeland and its gateway to Europe.

“There is a historical and cultural kinship between the two countries, and we have strengthened it through strategic cooperation at the highest level,” the Turkish PM said.

Did he just say that Turkey and Syria have historical ties because Syria used to be a part of the Ottoman Empire? Why yes, yes he did. Did he just say that the Muslim conquest of Syria is the reason he considered that nation Turkey’s “gateway to the Middle East”? Why yes, yes he did.

If there’s one thing you learn to appreciate after spending years reading statements from Middle East leaders, it’s the heavy use of irony.

Posted in Juvenile Scorn, Lebanon, Syria | Tagged | 3 Comments

It’s the most Jew-hating time of the year

Posted on 12/23/2009 by Meryl Yourish

When last we left the anti-Semitic bastards in Moldova, they were tearing down a Hanukkah menorah, sprinkling holy water on the site, and putting up a cross. Now, we discover, it’s all the Jews’ fault that they had to do that. Because the “cult” of Judaism had the nerve to display its symbols where Moldova’s Christians could see them. In fact, they really should stick to keeping holy symbols only near places devoted to dead Jews, you see.

“We believe that this unpleasant incident in the center of the capital could have been avoided if the menorah had been placed near a memorial for victims of the Holocaust,” the church’s statement said, according to a report Monday by the Interfax news agency, reported UCSJ: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union.

What pleasant people. I guess they’re from the school that believes the only good Jew is a dead Jew. But wait. There’s more.

The church’s statement said it disagreed with the form of the protest, and that the church respects “the feelings and belief of other “cults” that are legally registered on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, and expects a similar attitude from their side,” according to the report.

“At the same time,” the statement continued, “we think it inappropriate to put a symbol of the Jewish cult in a public place connected to the history and faith of our people, especially because Chanukah is classified by the cult books of Judaism as a ‘holiday of blessing’ that symbolizes the victory of Jews over non-Jews.”

See, they respect the “cults” of other religions, but it’s not appropriate to display symbols of those “cults” where the good Christians of Moldova can see them.

Ask me again why the state of Israel is necessary. Tell me again how this is a post-Zionist world, where Jews are safe to practice their religion. Yeah. Really. Like in Jew-hating countries like Moldova?

Shyeah.

By the way, to the Jew-haters in the Orthodox Christian church of Moldova, I want to send out a hearty Yourish.com mantra: Anti-Semites of the world, just die already. It’s my Christmas present to you all. Choke on it.

Posted in Anti-Semitism | Tagged | 7 Comments

A Palestinian state: when?

Posted on 12/23/2009 by Soccerdad

As I noted yesterday, Barry Rubin published a timely essay recalling how the Palestinian blew a chance to prevent Israel from ever existing – 70 years ago. I didn’t think it required any further comment. But then I read something, which just confirmed his conclusion. This was the scenario 70 years ago:

Let’s set the scene. The British knew that another war was on the horizon with Germany and Italy ready to disrupt their control of the Mediterranean and Middle East. Fearful of Arab revolts in alliance with their fascist enemies, London was ready to give lots of concessions to them.

On the Palestine issue, the British government was so desperate that it offered an amazing deal. A single Palestine state (the British had conceded to Arab opposition over the word “federal”) would be established in ten years with an Arab majority. Land sales to Jews would be prohibited in most of the country and Jewish immigration would be strictly limited. If the Arabs had agreed, Israel would never have been established. As it was, the British implemented the immigration restrictions any way, dooming hundreds of thousands of Jews in Europe to horrible deaths.

But the Arabs in Palestine rejected the proposed political deal to put them in charge of the government with a timetable for turning the country over to them. They walked out of negotiations with Britain, ostensibly over the ten-year waiting period. Most importantly, they believed that their goals could be achieved more quickly and completely through a combination of an Arab uprising and an Axis military victory in the coming war.

Now read this interview with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

It appears Mr. Netanyahu has not accepted your conditions for resuming direct negotiations. As long as there are no talks, then what is your strategy for advancing the Palestinians toward statehood?

First, let me say that these aren’t preconditions. We don’t have conditions to go to negotiations. There is a road map binding on all and that all agreed to. There are obligations to Israel and obligations for the Palestinians. There is a part [of the road map] that talks about an independent Palestinian state and ending the occupation of ’67. The Arab peace initiative also became a main part of the road map. It calls on Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories and 57 Arab and Islamic countries will normalize relations with Israel.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu says ‘I call on Abbas to negotiate, but he has to understand that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel, that’s not up for discussion. The refugees — there will be no talk about them at all. He has to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.’ So who is putting conditions. I’m not putting them. He is putting conditions. Now the ball is in the international community’s court and specifically in America’s court. It should see how Europe addressed the problem. Europe stressed that the Palestinians’ lands of 1967 are occupied lands, and east Jerusalem is occupied and at Annapolis all the states participating without exception called for stopping the expansion of settlements. The international community supports our position, and so it’s up to them to move to apply international law and not to take a position just to take a position.

Forget for a moment that Abbas is reading a lot into 242 and 338 that just aren’t there. Here’s he’s abdicating any responsibility for creating a state. It’s up to the Americans, according to Abbas, to come to the biased position of the EU and force Israel to accept Abba’s definitions.

Of course his protestation that he’s for peace and has been since the 1970’s, is false. And his endorsement of Marwan Barghouti as “…a man who has a good reputation and a good history of resistance …” further erodes his claim to being for peace. Others have been keeping track of the PA’s compliance with the terms of Oslo. Again, contrary to Abbas’s claims, PA compliance is spotty at best.

The question becomes, when will it be in the Palestinians best interests to have a state of their own? Apparently we haven’t yet reached that point yet.

UPDATE: Elder of Ziyon catches another Abbas falsehood.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel, palestinian politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

Briefings

Posted on 12/23/2009 by Meryl Yourish

What, no articles about how Hamas is killing Christmas? That’s okay, the world media will spin this anti-Israel. Three hundred Christians are leaving Gaza to go to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. Huh. I didn’t know there were that many Christians left in Gaza. Islamists have been steadily killing and terrorizing them for years.

So this is what he was apologizing for: Carter has another viciously anti-Israel op-ed in the Guardian this week, blaming Israel for the lack of negotations and holding up the Palestinian preconditions as legitimate. He also uses a few logical fallacies along the way (“Israel has long argued that it cannot negotiate with terrorists, yet has had an entire year without terrorism and still could not negotiate.”) Really? So what were those rockets, shootings, and bombs being laid along the Israeli border with Gaza? Birthday presents? The man is such a liar. As for his “Al Het,” well, the problem there is you have to sincerely atone for what you have done, and he has not done that. So once again, Jimmy, apology not accepted.

Don’t count your Shalits before they’re switched: Yeah, here goes Hamas again with another refusal to bend in any way, shape, or form. They refuse to deport their murderers. Nope. They want them where they can be positioned to murder again. Death penalty, Israel. Think about it. These guys wouldn’t be on the negotiating table if they were dead. Of course, the good news is that these murderers stay in prison. The bad news is that so does Gilad Shalit.

Egypt vs. Hamas: The grudge match! Awesome. The wall that Egypt is building on the Gaza border is really pissing off Hamas. It’s a win-win situation for Israel. Too bad they didn’t build the wall the day Israel left Gaza.

Posted in Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Israel Derangement Syndrome | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Iran’s cat’s paw

Posted on 12/22/2009 by Soccerdad

When I first read this analysis of Lebanese President Sa’ad Hariri’s trip to Syria, Lebanon Drama Adds Act With Leader’s Trip to Syria , I was astonished by its anodyne language. After all what was being described was the capitulation once again of Lebanon to Syria. And yet the reporter focused on the “symbolism” of the visit.

For many Lebanese, the visit was a measure of Syria’s renewed influence over Lebanon after years of bitterness and struggle since the Syrian military’s withdrawal in 2005. That withdrawal came after Mr. Hariri’s father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was killed in a car bombing that many here believe to have been ordered by Syria.

The withdrawal was a blow to Syrian prestige, and afterward Saad Hariri seemed to have the entire Western world at his back as he built a movement for greater Lebanese independence and pushed for an international tribunal to try his father’s killers.

But since then, the United States and the West have chosen to engage with Syria, not isolate it. And Saudi Arabia, which has long backed Mr. Hariri and competed with Syria for influence here, reconciled with the Syrians earlier this year, leaving them a freer hand to guide politics in Lebanon as they once did.

All this has been known for months, but it was still tremendously important for Mr. Hariri to actually cross the mountains — in his first visit since before his father’s killing — and pay his respects in Damascus.

“The image of Syrian soldiers retreating was a huge blow to them,” said Elias Muhanna, a political analyst and the author of the Lebanese blog Qifa Nabki. “So the image of Hariri coming over the mountains means they’ve come full circle. It demonstrates to all the power centers in Damascus that Bashar has restored Syria’s position of strength vis-à-vis Lebanon.”

I suppose that the quote from Elias Muhanna doesn’t sugarcoat anything but casting the Hariri’s meeting with Assad as an act in a play dimishes the significance of Hariri’s action.

David Schenker, in the Murdered Father’s club eschews phony dramatic terminology.

So Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt, the leaders of the Cedar Revolution, whose fathers were all but certainly killed by Syria, are paying homage to Damascus. For Jumblatt, it was a pragmatic decision. For Hariri, it’s a decision taken under extreme pressure, and one fraught with political ramifications. Not only will the visit be seen as a humiliation by Hariri’s Lebanese Sunni supporters, it will likely be understood as Hariri absolving Damascus of responsibility for the murder of his father, a perception that could undermine support for the International Tribunal. Hariri is trying to mitigate the negative consequences of his trip by visiting Riyadh and Cairo prior to Damascus, but this will not blunt the impact.

Given Syrian resilience, perhaps this development was to be expected. After all, despite no perceptible change in Syrian behavior, and its ongoing violation of UN Security Council resolutions on Lebanon, Europe has made great efforts to improve relations with Damascus. In November 2009, the EU offered Syria an Economic Association agreement, essentially removing all human rights clauses from the pact to sweeten the deal for the authoritarian state.

Washington’s increased diplomatic and military engagement with Damascus also appears to have had an effect, decreasing March 14 confidence in its most ardent supporter. Perhaps the leading factor in March 14 leadership’s decision to return to Damascus, however, appears to be Saudi Arabia’s equivocating. Riyadh had been a leading force in trying to dissuade Damascus from playing its traditionally pernicious role in Lebanon. Recently, however, Saudi appears to have made a concession on Lebanon in order to improve relations with Syria.

It’s not exactly clear why Riyadh cut the deal with Damascus, but it appears that the decision was driven by concerns over Iran. To mitigate the threat posed by Tehran, Saudi Arabia is attempting to pry Syria away from its 30-year strategic ally, and the first Saudi down-payment in this ill-advised gambit has been its Lebanese allies. At least in part, this dramatic change in policy vis-à-vis Syria is related to the perceived U.S. weakness on Iran. Absent Saudi confidence that Washington will prevent a nuclear Iran, Riyadh is hedging.

Syria’s resurgent domination of Lebanese politics, then, is the result of a number of factors. One of which is the American rapproachment with Syria. Limited as that outreach has been it still has had an effect. Michael Young, a Lebanese columnist, wrote this three years ago:

But perhaps the best reason to isolate Syria is Lebanon. Assad’s deepest desire is to re-establish Syrian hegemony here. One reason for this, aside from Lebanon’s ability to again grant Syria regional relevance, is the United Nations’ investigation of Rafik Hariri’s murder. All the signs are that Syria will be accused of the crime, which could bring down the Assad regime. By dominating Lebanon, the Syrian president could stifle the investigation, which relies heavily on Lebanese judicial cooperation.

More generally, Assad would exploit any Western opening to seize power in Lebanon through his Lebanese allies, against the majority that forced a Syrian withdrawal last year. If this were to succeed, who would be the Praetorian Guard of that new order? Hezbollah. The party could, thus, preserve its autonomy, eliminate its domestic adversaries, and thrive under Syria’s sympathetic eye. This factor alone explains why Syria would never accept to diminish Hezbollah’s power. As Syria plots a return to Lebanon, it has no intention of harming its main ally in that venture.

Young’s prediction has come true.

So the EU, the Saudis, and the United States have all, in different ways and varying degrees of enthusiasm, strengthened Assad’s hand and he has happliy taken advantage.

But what’s most important to remember is that by strengthening Syria, and Hezbollah, the world is also strengthening Iran. Shimon Shapira writes:

The Lebanese flag, which was brutally trampled by Hizbullah during the 1980s, now occupies a place of honor alongside the yellow banner of Hizbullah. The impression is that Hizbullah has adopted the Lebanese state and in its self-appraisal has become an authentic representative of Lebanese national identity. There is a perpetual gap between the pragmatic spirit coming from the Hizbullah political manifesto and Lebanon’s political reality. Hizbullah’s vigorous position insisting that it retain an army of its own that does not heed the authority of the state but rather the representative of Iran’s leader in Lebanon makes a mockery of the clauses in the political manifesto about Lebanon being the eternal homeland. Furthermore, by building a state-like system parallel to that of the Lebanese state, and one that relies on aid and funding from Iran and Syria, Hizbullah does not contribute to the strengthening and health of the Lebanese homeland that Nasrallah says he wants to preserve and nurture. Finally, the subversive conduct of Hizbullah, which acts against the interests of the Lebanese state and sends forth subversive and violent elements into nearby countries such as Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan, makes the concept of loyalty to the Lebanese homeland void of any content.

It would seem, therefore, that the decision of the Lebanese government headed by Saad Hariri to recognize the continued legitimate existence of Hizbullah’s armed militia demonstrates less a case that Hizbullah underwent a process of “Lebanonization,” but rather that the Lebanese state has undergone a process of “Hizbullazation.” Parallel to adopting the Lebanese identity, Hizbullah preserves its essential link to Iran: its commitment to the Iranian leader as the source of authority surpasses any other commitment including on the political level. Hizbullah adopts decisions on war and peace taken by Iran, the sole recognized source of authority, and not only on theoretical and religious issues, as Nasrallah may wish to claim.

Hizbullah’s alleged move toward pragmatism is based to a large extent on an Iranian decision to create a new atmosphere in Lebanon that will allow it to work unmolested. After the Second Lebanon War that erupted at Israel’s initiative and caught Hizbullah by surprise, Iran ordered Hizbullah to restrain activities against Israel and intensify its integration into the political life of the Lebanese state. Iran is looking for strict silence in the Lebanese arena in order to enable Hizbullah to reconstruct its strategic capabilities (including long-range rockets and missiles) in Lebanon in order to deter Israel, and to make use of these capabilities at a time to be determined by Tehran in the event that deterrence fails. This is the main reason for the quiet prevailing in South Lebanon, and it seems that Israeli deterrence of Hizbullah plays only a minor role.

The meeting between Hariri and Assad doesn’t just mark a new high point in the Syrian domination of Lebanon. It also represents the transformation of Lebanon into Iran’s cat’s paw. That which appeases Iran only makes it stronger.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

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Tuesday real-life snarks

Posted on 12/22/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Apology not accepted: Jimmy Carter thinks that an apology will make up for his years of anti-Israel propaganda. Stop calling Israel an “apartheid” state, stop calling the security fence an “apartheid” fence, stop blaming Israel for all of the region’s ills, and I’ll think about not saying eff you to you every time I read your name. Oh. And recall all the copies of your anti-Israel screeds. Whoops, you can’t do that. So eff you. And by the way: What’s his agenda on this? He clearly doesn’t like Israel, and frankly doesn’t like Jews, so what’s up with the phony apology? Is the Carter Center losing funding? Surely the Saudis are still paying his salary!

1,000 to 1 odds: Gilad Shalit may actually be heading back to Israel, and convicted mass murderers will be heading to Gaza and the West Bank in return. But Hamas appears to be balking at the idea of not allowing the mass murderers in the West Bank (Israel wants them deported), where they will find it easier to go back to murdering Jews. The utter refusal of Arabs to compromise with Israel in any way, shape, or form seems to be making sure that this deal will never happen, though. And on the sidelines, a group of rabbis have drafted Halachic rules for prisoner swaps for the future. The rules will prohibit the exchange of live terrorists for dead Israelis. Good. Samir Kuntar should never have been released. Now, if only Israel will institute the death penalty for terrorist acts, these swaps would end.

Hamas condemns Egyptian Gaza wall: Hey, at least someone is condemning it. Don’t expect there to be weekly protests against it, though. Don’t expect the UN and EU to talk about how it’s an apartheid wall, yadda yadda, blah, blah, blah. Because it’s not being built by Jews.

Sweden will make you free? The Auschwitz sign was on its way to Sweden. I’m telling you, someone really has to see where Marc Garlasco was the last week or so.

Israel is killing Christmas! When you read the stories about how the separation fence is killing Christmas, refer everyone back to this interview with Mahmoud Abbas in an Arab paper, where he says this:

Let us consider Bethlehem as an example. Last year we received 1,400,000 tourists, and this year there are 2 million tourists. There are no empty beds at any hotel in the city; therefore there are preparations to introduce one thousand, perhaps two or three thousand, beds.

And what has changed in Bethlehem? Oh, that’s right. There aren’t any more terrorist attacks. Not that the MSM will acknowledge that as the real reason business has picked up there.

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Hamas, Israel, Terrorism | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Snarky even in my dreams

Posted on 12/21/2009 by Meryl Yourish

You know, even in my nightmares, it seems, I can’t put away the snark.

Last night, I was dreaming that I and several other people inadvertently witnessed a Mob hit. The gunman saw me, and started after me. So of course, I ran. It was a city (dream NYC, not real NYC), I ran this way, that way, down this block, and realized that the other people who had witnessed the shooting were right behind me. So I stopped, and said, “Seriously? You’re all following me? Split up, morons!” and continued on.

I think the snark, she is in my blood.

Posted in Juvenile Scorn, Life | 3 Comments