The descent of “human rights” into parody

Posted on 10/16/2009 by Soccerdad

There’s something perverse about a group of tyrants – who deny their own people the right to vote – claiming the mantle of moral legitimacy on account of achieving a majority vote. But that’s what happened today at the UN Human Rights Council, where the member nations voted to implement the recommendations of the Goldstone Commision Report. The New York Times reports:

The resolution endorsing the report, which took place after two days of debate, passed by a vote of 25 to 6, with 11 nations abstaining. The resolution, virtually identical to a Palestinian proposal introduced earlier in the week, gained a slimmer margin in the 47-member council than its backers had hoped. Both the United States and Israel have warned that any progress on the report would undermine the prospects for peace talks with the Palestinians.

The six nations that voted against the resolution included the Netherlands, Italy and the United States. Five others, including France and Britain, both of which had asked for the vote to be delayed, were officially recorded as absent and not included in the vote totals at all, according to the secretariat of the council.

The Washington Post includes some information that the Times omits:

The Palestinians’ allies plan to press the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. Secretary General early next week to support prosecution by the international court if Israel does not act. But Sudan’s U.N. ambassador Adbalhaleem Mohamad, who is acting as this month’s chairman of the UN bloc of Arab nations, conceded that there was little support for such action within the Security Council, and that the matter would likely be addressed in a special session of the U.N. general assembly, possibly late next week.

“I think any intransigence, especially by the United States, will be looked on as if its it is only perpetuating the view that the Israelis are always above the law,” Mohamad said. “If you follow the debate in the Security Council, and read between the lines, there is a reluctance to deal with this issue,” he said.

The Sudanese diplomat said that an alliance of third world organizations, including the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab Group, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, have already begun discussions on a General Assembly resolution that would seek a ruling on Israel’s conduct by the court.

This is unbelievable chutzpah. The man who represents a country whose leader is an indicted war criminal declares that Israel is above the law.

Back in April in an editorial the Washington Post observed:

So it was interesting to see what else was in the latest statement issued by the kings, princes and authoritarian presidents of the Middle East and North Africa. First there was a call on “the international community to prosecute those responsible” for alleged “war crimes” committed by Israel in its recent offensive in Gaza. Then came an ardent defense of Sudanese dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir — who was welcomed to the Doha summit despite an outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court on multiple war crimes charges.

“We stress our solidarity with Sudan and our rejection of the decision” of the ICC, said the communique, which Mr. Bashir welcomed in a bombastic address to the summit plenary. Leader after leader declared fealty. “We must also take a decisive stance of solidarity alongside fraternal Sudan and President Omar al-Bashir,” said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr. Abbas is hoping that the Obama administration will pressure Israel to stop building “illegal” settlements in the West Bank; the next time he utters the phrase “double standard” in the presence of a U.S. diplomat, we suggest a query about Mr. Bashir.

The Arab world and its allies have embraced a genocidal tyrant. It is not justice they seek but the destruction of Israel. And all those who continue to bash Israel in the name of human rights have to explain why they ignore the vast crimes of Mr. Bashir and focus on the mistakes of Israel.

Human rights is no longer about the protection of innocents from tyranny, but about the demonization of Israel. The term has be stripped of all meaning.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel | Tagged , | 2 Comments

UNHRC: Ignoring human rights abuses (unless they’re Israel’s)

Posted on 10/16/2009 by Meryl Yourish

The UN Human Rights Council voted to send the Goldstone Report to the UN Security Council for further consideration. Of course they did. The fix has been in since the biased mandate was given last year—the mandate that the news media all pretend was evenhanded.

The resolution – which also condemns recent Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem – endorses the report’s recommendation that both sides in the conflict should show the Security Council within six months that they are carrying out credible investigations into alleged abuses. If they are not, the matter should then be referred to prosecutors at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.

Both sides are in violation of… well, something. Both sides must carry out “credible” investigations. And if not, both sides will be referred to the ICC. Shall we start a pool now on how, in six months, Hamas doesn’t even come up in the resolution to refer Israel to the ICC?

But let’s step back a moment and see exactly how the UNHRC works. In particular, let’s take a look at part of the report on the review of the Central African Republic. (For some light background reading, you can read this 23-page report at Human Rights Watch. Or just read the summary here.)

Here are a few choice bits of the draft of the UNHRC report from the current (12th) session:

219. In relation to recommendation 35, the delegation indicated that all press offences had been abolished, while noting that journalists may be guilty of common law offences, such as defamation and press offences defined by the High Communication Council.

221. Regarding recommendations 25 and 33, the delegation underlined that, in accordance with the Constitution, the judiciary was a branch power which independence was guaranteed through a number of management bodies. Despite some problems, such as arbitrary arrests, corruption and other irregularities, several projects were being undertaken, with the financial assistance of the United Nations Development Programme.

223. In relation to recommendations 11, 16-19, 27-29, and 30, the delegation underscored that the Central African Republic had ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Female genital mutilations are not practiced throughout the territory and are prohibited by law. However, cultural beliefs/practices and the interests of practitioners made its full implementation challenging. The Family code was being reviewed to ensure its compliance with international standards, and with a view to either maintaining or abolishing polygamy. The delegation stressed that due to cultural concerns, the Central African Republic was not ready to sign a declaration on discrimination based on sexual orientation, adding that no law prohibited or authorized it.

Let us note that the Central African Republic is shutting down press freedom, making arbitrary arrests, has a thoroughly corrupt judiciary, refuses to end discrimination against homosexuals, and insists that female genital mutilation is not a state problem, but rather a cultural phenomenon. Hold those thoughts, though, because this is my personal favorite part of the report:

224. On the recommendation to remove reference to the crime of witchcraft in the penal code, the delegation indicated that witchcraft was a reality in Central Africa. The Government envisaged training prison wardens who committed violence against women suspected of witchcraft and developing sensitization programmes to modify behaviours of the population and of the justice system.

Now, remember this. The representatives of the CAR told the UNHRC that witchcraft is a reality in Central Africa, and therefore, they will not remove the laws against witches on the books. They might, however, educate prison guards to stop raping women who are in prison for being accused of witchcraft. That is, they “envisage” it. Could happen. Someday.

What was the result of this review of a major human rights offender?

228. The Russian Federation congratulated the Central African Republic for having given its consent to approximately two thirds of the recommendations and for having expressed its willingness to study others. It noted the voluntary commitments taken by the State including the adoption of the national plan of action for the promotion and protection of human rights and a new criminal code. It wished the Central African Republic maximum success in realizing all accepted commitments and future progress in promoting and protection of human rights.

229. Egypt welcomed the comprehensive presentation by the Central African Republic. It stressed that despite many challenges and constraints, the government had made efforts to promote human rights, which resulted in considerable progress and the attainment of stability since the adoption of the 2004 Constitution. It appreciated the responses given to recommendations and reiterated its call that the State continue its efforts to promote all universally agreed human rights and fundamental freedoms and to resist attempts to enforce any values or standards beyond the universally agreed ones. It also encouraged the State to implement its penal code in conformity with the universally agreed human rights standards, including the application of the death penalty.

230. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya commended the government for its efforts, including regarding poverty reduction, economic reforms, ratification of most human rights international instruments and reforms aimed at guarantying women’s rights. It stressed that support from the international community was important to reach the Millennium Development Goals and to promote human rights. It considered that voluntary commitments made by the State during the presentation of its national report were highly important.

232. The United States welcomed the Central African Republic’s efforts to improve human rights. It remained concerned about the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of human rights abuses in the security forces, including the presidential guard. It strongly supported the recommendations to investigate abuses and hold those responsible of violations accountable, and to incorporate human rights training into the military training. It appreciated the State’s efforts on the issue of child soldiers and to undertake reforms of the justice system, its willingness to work with human rights organizations and encouraged the State to continue allowing special procedures to visit the country. It welcomed the national action plan on gender-based violence.

Compare this to what the same states say about Israel on a regular basis. And then, tell me there is no anti-Israel bias in the United Nations. No, I’m not speaking to my regular readers, who already know that. I’m speaking to the rest of the world. J’accuse.

Posted in Israeli Double Standard Time, United Nations | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Mia Farrow: Newest member of Legion of Morons

Posted on 10/15/2009 by Meryl Yourish

It almost makes you like Ruth Gordon in Rosemary’s Baby. Mia Farrow joined the Legion of Morons by denouncing Israel for the Gaza blockade while whitewashing the reason for it. The direct quote about firing rockets into civilian areas (which, by the way, devastated especially Sderot’s children, but Israeli children aren’t on the UN goodwill ambassador’s list of needy children.

In criticizing militant rockets, Farrow advised Gazans not to “give the international community ammunition to view you in a negative way.” Stopping them, she said, could lead to greater international aid.

Got it? Don’t stop firing rockets at Sderot’s schoolchildren because it’s immoral, illegal, and outright wrong. Stop firing rockets so that you can get more money.

Way to be a goodwill ambassador.

Asshat.

Posted in Gaza, Hamas, Israeli Double Standard Time | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Snarking

Posted on 10/15/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Turk to Israel: No, really, we love you, you baby-killing bastards: Yeah, right. The Turkish producer of a film about Palestinians that depicts IDF soldiers murdering young girls for no apparent reason other than they’re Zionist child-killers says that just because the uniform looks like the IDF, and just because it takes place in Gaza, doesn’t mean that the show is about IDF soldiers murdering innocent Palestinian children. He defends his thesis by bringing up Mohammed al-Dura and 300 dead children from the Gaza war. I guess his show must be about Shmisraeli ShmIDF shmoldiers, not Israeli IDF soldiers.

Hezbollah: That was no missile, that was a door! I really want to see their video footage. They’re claiming that the group of Hezbollah terrorists seen loading a long, metallic object onto a truck were carrying a metal door. Uh-huh. I’m also eagerly awaiting UNIFIL’s explanation as to why their men were watching Hezbollah load a “metal door” onto a pickup truck. What? UN peacekeepers ignoring Hezbollah UN Resolution violations? No! You don’t say!

Khameini in a coma? Or dead? I hope it’s true. But if it is, well, Iran ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Revolution? That won’t be the half of it. It might be great news to Israel, depending on who wins the power struggle. We can always dream that client states Syria and Lebanon get left out in the cold.

Those wily Jews: While the Arabs and Muslims in the region continue their important work in improving the many ways you can carry a suicide bomb, Israelis are developing things like a battery that will last thousands of hours in hearing aids and the like. Oh, and the battery will be cheaper and cleaner than those currently on the market. No wonder Israel has more Nobel prizes than the entire Arab world combined.

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Why Abbas is failing

Posted on 10/15/2009 by Soccerdad

The Washington Post describes how Mahmoud Abbas has lost popularity.

First there was the failure to achieve a cost free advantage.

Obama named Mitchell as his peace envoy just one day after taking office in an effort to demonstrate to Arabs and Europeans that he was deeply invested in achieving a peace deal. Mitchell was given instructions to set the stage for talks by negotiating a package deal that included an Israeli settlement freeze and incremental steps by Arab states toward normalization of relations with Israel.

But the settlement push backfired. It raised hopes among Palestinians, who began to demand nothing less than a full freeze, and led to severe tensions in U.S.-Israeli relations. Obama abruptly shifted course last month at the three-way meeting, calling for immediate talks, but it has since become apparent that both sides were dug in.

Then there was a sign of moderation:

At Palestinian insistence, the U.N. Human Rights Council is scheduled to debate the war crimes report Thursday — a discussion that two weeks ago the Palestinian Authority had agreed, at U.S. insistence, to put off for six months.

That delay proved to be a critical misstep for Abbas, undermining his political standing at home and his ability to lead Palestinian society into new negotiations with the Israelis.

What does the Goldstone Commission report have to do with the peace process? My guess is that the Palestinians are so used to using “international law” as leverage in negotiations with Israel, many of them are eager to press their advantage with Goldstone. Netanyahu isn’t buying though. It’s an interesting ploy. A movement that gained its popularity through terrorism, (“If they do such terrible things, their situation must be unbearable”) uses international to gain advantages in negotiations.

Additionally instead of preparing his people for peace even the “moderate” Abbas (as he’s mischaracterized in the Washington Post report) officially perpetuates Israel as the enemy.

So instead of taking advantage of the most sympathetic administration towards their cause in a decade or more, the Palestinians have instead decided to blame the Obama administration for failing to get the results they want. As Barry Rubin observes:

Now if the Palestinian Authority and Fatah aren’t happy with Obama they are going to have a very difficult time ever finding a U.S. government they like.

And even given this attitude, their “job” is to court the U.S. government, give it incentives to help them, show they are compromising in order to win its favor, and prove they can deliver benefits for American interest. But they have no concept of such a strategy.

“Concrete benefits” of the peace process for the Palestinians mean more Israeli concessions with no moderation on their part. Having convinced themselves that the benefits were coming to them with President Obama in office – and with no effort on their own – are now disappointed. Of course, Abbas gets blamed for his one act of moderation, but that’s a function of the immoderate nature of Palestinian politics.

If he really were seeking peace and statehood, Abbas would be successful. But bashing Israel
is his overriding interest. Given that, peace talks will get nowhere.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

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

The Goldstone media narrative gains steam

Posted on 10/14/2009 by Meryl Yourish

The AP has published an analysis of the unintended consequences of the Goldstone report on the Israeli peace process. About halfway through, the analysis declares that this is a main reason the report is creating an uproar in Israel:

One of the reasons the report has caused such an uproar in Israel is its author’s background. Goldstone is Jewish and has supported a number of Israeli causes, including serving as a trustee of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The narrative continues. It isn’t the report’s many inaccuracies. It isn’t the refusal of the Goldstone Commission to take Israeli information into account. It isn’t the Goldstone Commission’s ignoring evidence that counters Palestinian “eyewitness” claims (many of these “eyewitnesses” were actually members of Hamas, certainly not unbiased in any way) about war crimes. It even refuses to take photographic evidence into account. The report may very well bring war crimes trials of Israelis to the Hague, but that’s not the main reason why Israel is in an uproar. No. It’s because Goldstone is Jewish, and pro-Israel.

I told you just two days ago that this meme is going to catch on. The AP is working it to death. Other media apparatuses will as well. It’s the reverse of saying that critics of Israel’s critics (that would be people like me) jump too quickly on the anti-Semite accusation. Because if you can say, “See, a Jew led the commission that wrote this report, therefore, it has to be true and right, because he’s not anti-Israel,” what you have done is what the magician calls “misdirection”: Watch my left hand as my right hand palms the handkerchief. As long as the media can proclaim falsely that the report must be true because a Jew wrote it, and ignore the many factual errors and outright lies, the report will steamroller its way to the ICC.

Step one is tomorrow, at the UN Security Council debate. We shall see if the Obama administration intends to keep the words he spoke in front of AIPAC while he was a candidate, and veto any resolution against Israel over this flawed, biased, anti-Israel atrocity of a report.

Posted in Gaza, Israel | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Snarky, briefly

Posted on 10/14/2009 by Meryl Yourish

J-Street Blues: World’s smallest violin concerto for Jeremy Ben-Ami, the anti-Israel pro-Israel guy who can’t get Michael Oren or anyone in the Netanyahu administration to give him the time of day. Hm, let’s think. It’s a supposed pro-Israel lobbying group that is against Iranian sanctions, was against the Gaza war, thinks that Israel is ultimately just another country in the group of nations… hm. I can’t figure out why Oren doesn’t want to talk to them. Let me go read Six Days of War by Michael Oren again and see if I can figure it out.

Awesome! Separately signed Palestinian unification agreements! Yes, it’s true. Fatah and Hamas are getting back together again, but they’re doing it so well that they refuse to have a joint signing ceremony. And Hamas is saying that it’s not really sure it’s going to sign the truce.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said his organization would not be pressured into signing a truce deal Fatah had already signed. “Things happened that our public opinion cannot accept, and the Goldstone affair is still shaking up the atmosphere,” he said.

You can’t make this stuff up. I wish them all they deserve, and would like to know who gets to keep the cat in the divorce agreement. (Can’t be a dog. Unclean, Muslim, and all that.)

Turkey and Syria, together again: Now Syria will be holding joint military exercises with Turkey. I hope the Turkish pilots are good at ducking, because the Syrian Air Force is pretty crappy overall (80 Syrian jets downed by Israel, zero Israeli jets by Syria, in that dogfight in the Lebanon war). Good luck with those exercises, Turks! You deserve each other. (Wait—wait—just did more than skim the article. Land exercises only. Can we get a BWAHA! from the crowd?)

The Quartet’s still around? Apparently, there is no statute of limitations on any Israeli-Palestinian agreement. They’re still yammering about Oslo and the Road Map, and now, there’s actually a news story that references The Quartet (the U.S., Russia, the EU, and the UN). And now that I think about it, that isn’t four parts. It’s two states, the EU, and the EU and two states all over again with the UN. So that means that everyone in the EU gets two votes, Russia and the U.S. get three votes, but states that aren’t in the EU and aren’t Russia or the U.S. get only one vote. I think that’s wrong. You should subtract the EU, subtract Russia, and right now, subtract the U.S. because our leadership is filled with morons when it comes to Israel. Um. I completely forgot what I was going to mention about the Quartet. Oh, yeah! They’re saying that the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement has to abide by the Road Map, meaning Hamas has to renounce violence, recognize Israel and respect past agreements. So, anyway—the Quartet’s still around?

Posted in Gaza, Hamas, Israel, palestinian politics, Terrorism, United Nations | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Snarky, briefly

Breaking UN resolutions only counts if you’re Israel

Posted on 10/14/2009 by Meryl Yourish

How many times have we heard the tired old argument that Israel is in violation of dozens of UN resolutions? The fact that the resolutions that most people think of are nonbinding makes no difference; Israeli is in violation of that dreaded shibboleth, international law.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah is in plain violation of an actual, binding resolution, and nobody but Israel seems to notice or care. The explosion last month of a weapons depot underneath a home in southern Lebanon raised no angry response from the UN, or even lifted eyebrows from UNIFIL, who are, uh, right there in southern Lebanon. Israel has complained. Nothing happened.

The explosion this week of another house in southern Lebanon has once again raised no apparent concern in the UN, or with UNIFIL, or even with Nobel peace prize winner Barack Obama, who is very, very concerned about peace in the middle east—when it comes to Israel’s actions, anyway. In fact, UNIFIL has sprung into action in the usual UN way.

UNIFIL said it was aware of an explosion and was in contact with the Lebanese army. “We are looking into the circumstances of the incident,” UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane said.

Ah. They’re investigating. That’ll show Hezbollah.

This time around, Israel is launching an all-out effort to see if the UN and the world will cease its hypocrisy. Instead of imagined war crimes as found in the Goldstone report, this is an actual violation of UN 1701, forbidding Hezbollah from arming south of the Litani. And Israel has proof that was what they were doing.

Of course, the AP has to spin it negatively. Note the language implying that Israel doesn’t really have proof. The IDF just said that’s what happened. It could be any old film of anyone smuggling weapons into any house, right?

The Israeli military released footage it said was shot by one of its drones in the area. It said the video shows Hezbollah members sealing off the explosion site, recovering dozens of rockets from the home and driving them away in two covered trucks.

You can go online and see the footage for yourself. Ynet has it. It’s at the IDF website. Israel isn’t just saying that Hezbollah is smuggling weapons. They’re proving it. But since it isn’t a Palestinian eyewitness supplying the testimony, obviously, it can’t be believed. (I’m feeling very sarcastic this morning, yes. Why do you ask?)

Posted in Israeli Double Standard Time, Lebanon, United Nations | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Breaking UN resolutions only counts if you’re Israel

An invitation to decline

Posted on 10/14/2009 by Soccerdad

J-Street in an effort to increase its relevance, has been lining up well known speakers for its upcoming convention.

Such efforts to delegitimize the organization appear to have failed, with 160 congressional lawmakers endorsing its conference. The slate of scheduled speakers includes several former top Israeli officials.

In addition, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, who leads the country’s largest synagogue movement, the Union for Reform Judaism, is co-chairing the main event — a town hall meeting on Israel’s relationship with American Jews. U.S. Reps. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), leaders in Congress’ unofficial Jewish caucus and close to President Obama, are taking part in a panel that examines how one to expand the definition of “pro-Israel” on the Hill.

Most notable, perhaps, is the participation of Yoffie, who tussled earlier this year with J Street over its equivocation over naming Hamas as the villain in Israel’s Gaza war. He told JTA that J Street’s views deserve a hearing in the wider Jewish community, and praised the group for doing more than many more established groups to promote the Israeli position of a two-state solution.

(Wexler, by the way, is resigning his seat – via memeorandum. So Maryland will have one less Democratic congressman.)

But there’s one big fish that J-Street has yet to land – Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren. J-Street’s executive director, Jeremy Ben Ami wrote an open letter to Amb. Oren in the Jerusalem Post.

MR. AMBASSADOR, what J Street shares in common with you far outweighs that on which we disagree. J Street, on behalf of the many Jewish Americans who share our views, urges you to join us as we discuss, debate and – in the best tradition of the Jewish people – argue over how best to ensure the health, safety and vibrancy of the Jewish people and of Israel for generations to come.

Your attendance – even to clarify some of our areas of disagreement – will be respectfully welcomed, and we promise you an open hearing as we hope and expect you will welcome us at the embassy one day to present our views and opinions in that same spirit.

Despite Ben Ami’s friendly tone, this is an invitation that the ambassador ought to decline. When Israel was fighting Hamas earlier this year, J-Street was opposed the war. If one of the sessions at the J-Street conference will be how to expand the definition of “pro-Israel,” the organization must be well aware that it’s current stance, by any reasonable standard, is anti-Israel. As such Ambassador Oren ought to stay away rather than grant J-Street recognition by his appearance.

(I’d add that in addition to being anti-Israel, isn’t strongly Jewish in its makeup either.)

In case one remains unconvinced of where J-Street stands, recall its founding. It was founded by – among others – George Soros (who is no longer associated with the group). who decried the excessive influence of the “Israel Lobby” on American politics.

Michael Oren is far smarter and more persuasive than I am. Perhaps he will go to the conference and rebuke his hosts. That would be an interesting approach.

Otherwise Oren ought not to go. J-Street’s advocacy for peace immediately when peace is not at hand is a recipe for disaster. Official recognition of the organization by the Israeli government will only strengthen its hand.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Turkey turns on Israel

Posted on 10/13/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Another Muslim country has decided that years of good relations with Israel must be sacrificed to the altar of the Palestinians.

In the last week, Turkey banned Israel from an annual multinational army drill, causing the U.S. to pull out and Turkey to cancel the drill. Turkey signed a civil and defense pact with Syria. And Turkey’s prime minister accused Israel of using phosphoros against “innocent children” in Gaza.

Barry Rubin says the Israel-Turkey alliance is over. I’m no expert, just a collecter of information. I agree. And it’s very bad for Israel.

Posted in Gaza, Israel | 6 Comments

Another 1701 violation

Posted on 10/13/2009 by Soccerdad

Israel Matzav noted that there was an explosion in southern Lebanon and covered it from a Lebanese news source. (via memeorandum)

Ha’aretz reports that Israel is going to the UN.

Israel has demanded that the United Nations investigate the explosion at the Hezbollah official’s house, which it said proved munitions were being stockpiled in violation of a truce.

Hezbollah has denied that the explosion that rocked the south Lebanon house was serving as a munitions bunker, and immediately rejected media reports that a senior group official was killed in the blast.

An Israel Defense Forces source said the explosion indicated the Iranian-backed guerrilla group Israel fought in a month-long war in 2006 was keeping “banned ammunition” in southern Lebanon.

“The Israeli military has asked UNIFIL to open an investigation,” the source said, using the acronym for a United Nations peacekeeping force that has patrolled the troubled Israeli-Lebanese border area for more than three decades.

If this sounds familiar it should. There was an explosion in southern Lebanon three months ago. This was one of a series of incidents in southern Lebanon that led to a UN condemnation of Hezbollah. (via IPF)

For the first time ever, the United Nations on Thursday accused Hezbollah of violating the UN-brokered cease-fire that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon war, fought between Israel and the Shi’ite militant organization.

The UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy, said Hezbollah had been operating a weapons depot in south Lebanon that was the site of an explosion last week.

He told member states there was solid evidence that the cache belonged to Hezbollah, but added that it was not known whether the weapons had been stockpiled there before or after Resolution 1701, which called for the cease-fire, was passed.

(This does not appear to be a formal condemnation, rather a criticism of Hezbollah.)

While the UN criticism of Hezbollah was welcome, it apparently hasn’t much deterred Hezbollah.

Mere Rhetoric expects that the next explosion in southern Lebanon may have a source south of the border.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel, Lebanon | Tagged | Comments Off on Another 1701 violation

The Goldstone Effect

Posted on 10/12/2009 by Meryl Yourish

The Goldstone Commission is having its desired effect. With these few lines in an AP report, it explains exactly why Richard Goldstone was chosen to head the commission.

Israeli officials across the board have condemned the report, saying their country had little choice but to take harsh action against militants who were terrorizing southern Israel. They also blame Hamas for civilian casualties, saying the Islamic militant group took cover in residential areas during the fighting. However, Goldstone’s strong credentials as a respected South African jurist, his Jewish faith and past support for Israeli causes have made it hard for Israel to dismiss the claims.

Last year, when the UNHRC was looking for someone to head the inquiry into Gaza—the mandate of which was as follows:

“to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by the occupying Power, Israel, against the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, due to the current aggression,”

it couldn’t get its number one choice to head the commission. Mary Robinson, who is known to be an unfriend to Israel at best, refused, saying the mandate was a foregone conclusion against Israel alone. But Judge Richard Goldstone, eminent jurist from apartheid South Africa, self-proclaimed Zionist, and Jew, did not refuse. When the UNHRC tapped him, they won the lottery. If Israel objected to the report, the UNHRC could point out the facts. Goldstone is Jewish, he’s pro-Israel (even though we haven’t found much more than he and his daughter saying he’s very pro-Israel), and he says he’s a Zionist. These facts allow the UNHRC to counter the anti-Israel card in one fell swoop. The logic goes like this: Since Goldstone is not biased against Israel, how can he submit a report that is biased against Israel? Indeed, that is exactly what the commission’s defenders are saying.

But it’s so much more than that. The media are also doing much of the water-carrying for the UNHRC. The fact that 26 out of 32 UNHRC resolutions concern Israel is never brought up. The fact that the OIC dominates the council is irrelevant. What is relevant is that Richard Goldstone is a Jew who says he is pro-Israel and a Zionist, and therefore, the report cannot be anti-Israel.

And so, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decries the Goldstone Commission’s report, the AP explains that Israel is going to have a hard time disproving the report because Goldstone is Jewish and pro-Israel. When you have Israel’s supporters across the world pointing out the many errors, obfuscations, and outright lies in the report, you get Israel’s detractors pointing out that Goldstone is Jewish and pro-Israel, and therefore, the report can’t be biased.

Look again at the quote above. The AP does not refute Netanyahu’s statements that Hamas used human shields and hid within civilian areas. The AP does not refute Netanyahu’s statement that Hamas was terrorizing Israel. Instead, the AP emphasizes that Richard Goldstone is Jewish, pro-Israel, and a respected judge from apartheid South Africa—and therefore, Israel is going to have a hard time “dismissing” the report. In other words, Goldstone is Jewish and pro-Israel, and therefore the report can’t be biased.

It’s one of the logical fallacies. It’s known as “argument from authority,” and it is utterly vapid and meaningless. But the world is full of people who take what they read in the newspaper at face value, so this meme is going to succeed in its goal. The Goldstone Commission report’s job is to delegitimize Israel in the eyes of the international law crowd. The Palestinians will be pushing for trials at the Hague as hard as they can, and if the Obama administration doesn’t push back hard enough, the trials will happen.

That will be the slippery slope down which Israel must not go. The Arab and Muslim nations are trying to defeat Israel in the international arena, because they cannot defeat her on the battlefield. They are using a strategy that has been used against Jews for thousands of years: They found one of our own to be the figurehead for their anti-Jewish actions. Because if a Jew is speaking out against other Jews, well, then, he can’t possibly be biased. Just ask known Israel-haters Gilad Atzmon or Noam Chomsky. They’re Jewish. They can’t possibly be biased.

Right.

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Media Bias | Comments Off on The Goldstone Effect

Lightly posting

Posted on 10/12/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Hm, let’s see… spend an hour or two posting, or shower and meet up with Sarah and the kids?

Tough one.

Later, dudes.

Posted in Life | 1 Comment

No sympathy for Goldstone – in Sderot

Posted on 10/12/2009 by Soccerdad

In Moshav Yated Journal, Isabel Kershner of the New York Times reports:

According to the Israeli military, some 3,300 rockets and mortar shells were launched from Gaza at southern Israel in 2008, compared with fewer than 300 since the end of the war.

So then you wouldn’t be surprised to learn:

“People scoffed” at the Goldstone report, said Sasson Sara, the owner of a newspaper store in Sderot, the border town hit by thousands of rockets. “What does he understand? He sits in an air-conditioned room and he writes.”

Yafa Malka, a glamorously made-up Sderot hairdresser, said she felt “pain and humiliation” when she heard about the report.

“I am very sorry for all those who were killed in Gaza,” Ms. Malka said, “but I expect my country to defend me no matter how.”

Imagine that, the UN (Human Rights Council) considers it scandalous (not to mention illegal) for Israel to defend its citizens.

This was essentially the message of Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, last week:

The Goldstone Report goes further than Ahmadinejad and the Holocaust deniers by stripping the Jews not only of the ability and the need but of the right to defend themselves. If a country can be pummeled by thousands of rockets and still not be justified in protecting its inhabitants, then at issue is not the methods by which that country survives but whether it can survive at all. But more insidiously, the report does not only hamstring Israel; it portrays the Jews as the deliberate murderers of innocents–as Nazis. And a Nazi state not only lacks the need and right to defend itself; it must rather be destroyed.

Matthew Yglesias, of course, willfully misinterprets Oren. (via memeorandum) The rules of war, which are routinely invoked when Israel defends itself seem tailored (and applied) only to prevent Israel’s self defense. Rarely are they ever invoked in reaction to countries who completely ignore them.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel, Israeli Double Standard Time | Tagged | Comments Off on No sympathy for Goldstone – in Sderot

The Best of The Jewish/Israeli Blogosphere

Posted on 10/11/2009 by Jack

The 238th edition of Haveil Havali, the weekly blog carnival of the JBlogosphere is now live.

It contains a plethora of posts on politics, Israel, Judaism and much more. You can find it right here.

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