South American antisemitism

Posted on 02/09/2009 by Soccerdad

The Washington Post reports that a number of South American countries are becoming inhospitable to their Jewish residents.

Anger at Israel’s recent military strikes in the Gaza Strip against the Islamist group Hamas have sparked demonstrations here and in two countries closely allied with Venezuela: Bolivia and Argentina.

But Jews in these countries are concerned about the growing anti-Semitic tone of the protesters, who frequently equate Israel with Nazi Germany, a theme increasingly evident on placards that juxtapose the Star of David with the swastika and in some public pronouncements.

In Argentina — which has the largest Jewish population in Latin America, about 250,000-strong — Jewish leaders describe a tense climate in which swastikas have been painted on Jewish schools, and graffiti demanding that Jews leave the country have been scrawled on walls. Protests have taken place at the Israeli Embassy, and demonstrators have also gathered in front of the InterContinental Hotel, which is owned by a prominent Argentine Jewish businessman, Eduardo Elsztain.

“It has created a climate of worry, a climate of terror,” said Julio Schlosser, secretary general of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association, whose building was destroyed by a bombing in 1994 that killed 85 people. Prosecutors have accused the Iranian government and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in the attack.

I’m bothered that the article frames it in terms of a reaction to Israel’s war against Hamas. The ties between these countries and the Arab world is part of what’s driving the antisemitism. The recent increase in incidents may be attributed to the war in Gaza, but that’s because it’s a pretext that so many are willing to accept.

Prosecutors haven’t just accused the Iranian government in the terror attack, they’ve build a case against Iranian officials.

Regardless of the focus of the article it’s still a much needed look at an area where Jews are being scapegoated.

For more please see these two posts (via Haveil Havalim). Also see Venezuela: More antisemitism.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Jews | Tagged | 1 Comment

Voting for war?

Posted on 02/09/2009 by Soccerdad

Jackson Diehl starts off his latest (outrageous) column, A promise of War, with:

The past four Israeli elections have been won by a candidate who promised to end Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians. Tomorrow, for the first time in decades, Israelis may choose a prime minister who is promising to wage war.

The past four elections, that would be (in reverse order) Olmert, Sharon, Sharon and Barak. Yes Ariel Sharon promised peace, but in 2001, what he clearly promised was security, which, if Diehl remembers, was in the middle of the “Aqsa intifada,” which Arafat launched after failing to come to a peace agreement with Ehud Barak in 2000. Sharon won by campaigning that Barak’s diplomatic overtures to the Palestinians had been too generous. I don’t think that in 2001, the candidate “promising peace” was the one who proved victorious. And in 2003, Sharon won by campaigning against disengagement from Gaza, which he ended up adopting later. So it’s hard to see how Diehl’s snarky but superficial observation is correct.

(And I would conclude that fighting against Palestinian in terror did more to create peace – or the conditions for peace – than did the disengagement. But that requires an extra degree of analysis, something that Diehl isn’t interested in.)

What is Netanyahu for? Here’s Biur Chametz demonstrating an ability to comprehend what candidates are actually saying as opposed to projecting his prejudices onto Netanyahu.

From the Likud this time around I hear a substantial – and refreshing – change of tone. No more talk about working for a negotiated settlement or expectations of peace. Netanyahu is talking soberly about the challenges we face and the hard choices to be made. No more “I’ll bring you peace with security, or security with peace.” Netanyahu has put forward a plan for “economic peace”, suggesting that in the absence of real prospects for a diplomatic agreement we work on agreed steps to help the Palestinian economy. Frankly, I think that’s a crock, but it’s a potential way to maintain a diplomatic track which doesn’t entail unrealistic expectations or unacceptable demands. In other words, it may be a way to buy time while filling the diplomatic void with something concrete.

This is basically in line with what Barry Rubin writes (complete article here):

What is Israel’s consensus policy for the next government?

–To stress that we want peace, are ready for a Palestinian state, aren’t responsible for the conflict and violence continuing.

–To maintain deterrence and defend ourselves.

–To preserve the best possible relations with the United States, Europe, and other countries as long as it does not involve risks to Israeli national interests and citizens.

–Security cooperation with the PA to prevent terrorist attacks on Israel in exchange for helping them economically and against Hamas to ensure that it doesn’t take over the West Bank. Without illusions regarding Fatah and the PA, this effort seems to be working.

–To decide when to strike back at Hamas—and potentially Hizballah—based on any attacks on us. Precise response depends on timing, opportunity, and their behavior.

–To work for the isolation of Iran, Hizballah and Hamas.

Prof Rubin writes further:

Where are the main differences among the leading parties? They are more atmospherics than real: offering small concessions; making small demands. If much of the election revolves around personalities that is because strategy and policy are not hugely different among them. Bibi isn’t going to embark on a settlement-building campaign; Tzipi isn’t going to give away east Jerusalem.

The rest of Diehl’s column is Bibi-bashing fest. Hey, I’m not going argue that he was a great Prime Minister, but at least take the time to get things right instead of flinging as much as you can and seeing what sticks.

But here’s the Diehl’s central point:

In short, just at the moment that a new U.S. administration launches a policy aimed at addressing the multiple conflicts of the Middle East with intensive diplomacy, it may find itself with an Israeli partner that rejects negotiations with its neighbors and does its best to push the United States toward military confrontation with Iran and its proxies.

The chutzpah of Israel (or Bibi) for looking out for his nation’s interests!

At the end of his rant, Diehl leaves us with a story:

Still, it’s worth passing on Ross’s recollection of the last Israeli election night in which Netanyahu figured, on May 17, 1999. As Ross tells it in “The Missing Peace,” Abbas was staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City, and the two men agreed to watch the returns together. When Ross arrived, Abbas greeted him by saying: “Either we toast the outcome or we jump out the window together.” Netanyahu lost in a landslide, but Ross warned the jubilant Abbas, “In Israeli politics never say never . . . if there is a catastrophe [Netanyahu] can come back.” You have to wonder if the Palestinian president and the Obama administration’s new Middle East counselor will be standing by their windows tomorrow night.

When Netanyahu was elected in 1996, the peace process had no credibility because it was premised on Arafat’s purported change from terrorist to statesman. No such change took place and Israel was subjected to higher levels of terror in the two and a half years after Oslo than it had seen in years. When Barak defeated Netanyahu it was because during Netanyahu’s term in office, terror was down; the Israeli electorate was no longer afraid of concessions. During his term, the economic situation of the Palestinians improved and he ceded most of Hevron to Palestinian Authority control. In short, Netanyahu did a lot more to advance the peace process than he’s generally credited with. And he also has done a lot more than Abbas ever did. Abbas is an ineffectual party man whose main qualification is that he wasn’t Arafat and that he’s not now Hamas. He never opposed terror against Israel.

That Ross would consider Abbas more of a kindred spirit than Netanyahu, says a lot more about Ross and similarly minded peace-processors than it does about Netanyahu. That Diehl finds this story significant – when the Arafat was still alive – says something about him too. He’s for a process, but he can hardly be said to be for peace.

For comparison I wrote a post in advance of the 2006 Israeli elections criticizing a Washington Post editorial on the topic. Diehl, who contributes to the editorials, didn’t view Olmert much better then, than he portrays Netanyahu now. By now, it should be clear to anyone objective that peace isn’t in Israel’s hands to make. First and foremost the Palestinians have to change their orientation and take responsibility for building a functioning state. Whether peace will result from that will depend on what kind of state they build.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel, Israel Derangement Syndrome | Tagged | Comments Off on Voting for war?

Jimmy Carter: Lies, slander, and Jew-hatred

Posted on 02/09/2009 by Meryl Yourish

It isn’t enough that Carter has written yet another book slamming Israel. It isn’t enough that he slams Israel on a regular basis. His Jew-hatred is really starting to shine through. (H/T: Elder.)

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.

But it’s not enough to just foster more conspiracy theories. Carter also has to lie.

I know from personal experience and conversations with the top leaders that all of them want to see peace based on the two-state solution that’s been promulgated by the United Nations and by the International Quartet (the U.S., Russia, European Union and UN) and its road map and unanimously by all the Arab countries that offer Israel peace and security and trade and commerce if Israel will just comply with the two-state solution proposal.

And there are so many lies in this section, I have to take them one by one.

“I know from personal experience and conversations with the top leaders that all of them want to see peace…”

Lie.

Bardawil said Hamas would agree to halt its rocket fire towards Israel, but that “Hamas won’t agree on stopping smuggling weapons into Gaza because that would mean the end of resistance.”

“all of them want to see peace based on the two-state solution that’s been promulgated by the United Nations and by the International Quartet…”

Lie.

Mr Meshaal did not address the rockets issue directly but said Hamas would stick with armed struggle to regain occupied land.

Hamas refuses to recognise Israel but has offered the Jewish state a truce lasting decades if it withdraws from land it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war, including East Jerusalem.

“The Gaza war has re-enforced popular confidence in the resistance as the way to liberation. Nothing will restore our land and regain our Jerusalem except resistance,” Mr Meshaal said.

“…unanimously by all the Arab countries that offer Israel peace and security and trade and commerce if Israel will just comply with the two-state solution proposal…”

Lie.

The Saudi King Abdullah on Monday said the Arab initiative offering peace with Israel will not remain on the table forever.

The king stressed that Israel has to understand that the choice between war and peace will not always stay open.

And then he lies some more.

We had two facets of the agreement that I negotiated with (Israeli Prime Minister Menachem) Begin and (Egyptian President Anwar) Sadat. One was the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, not a word of which has ever been violated in the last 30 years. The other one was a commitment of Israelis to withdraw their political and military forces from the West Bank and to let the Palestinians have full autonomy. On that part of the process, Israel did not carry out their promise and President Reagan didn’t try to enforce the agreement that they had signed and that their parliament had approved.

One was the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, not a word of which has ever been violated in the last 30 years.

Lie.

2. Signatories shall establish among themselves relationships normal to states at peace with one another. To this end, they should undertake to abide by all the provisions of the U.N. Charter. Steps to be taken in this respect include:

a. full recognition;
b. abolishing economic boycotts;
c. guaranteeing that under their jurisdiction the citizens of the other parties shall enjoy the protection of the due process of law.

Lie.

Updated: 2005-03-18 09:42
Egypt returned an ambassador to Israel Thursday more than four years after Cairo recalled its envoy at the outset of a Palestinian revolt.

The restoration of full diplomatic relations between Israel and Egypt underscored improving ties ahead of Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip later this year and a de facto cease-fire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As for the last—Israel did withdraw its military from much of the West Bank. The result was the second intifada and a wave of bombings more terrible than Israel had ever seen. So now the IDF is back in the West Bank. Funny how Carter never seems to remember that part of the story.

Liar, failure, Jew-hater. What a legacy Jimmy Carter will leave behind.

Posted in Israel Derangement Syndrome, Israeli Double Standard Time, Politics | 3 Comments

Olmert’s success

Posted on 02/09/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Ehud Olmert bragged about the success of his operation in Gaza.

Some success.

A rocket landed in southern Ashkelon on Sunday afternoon. An air raid siren sounded in the area at around 1:50 pm, followed by a blast. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

You should see the pictures.

On Sunday morning, a Qassam rocket hit a parking lot in a kibbutz within the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council. There were no reports of injuries, but several cars caught fire. The Color Red alert system was activated in the western Negev at around 6:30 am.

On Friday, two rockets landed south of the city of Ashkelon and near a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council. The Israel Air Force responded to the attack by striking tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip.

No, really. Check out the pictures of the rocket damage by the “crude, homemade” rocket that landed in the kibbutz. Now imagine that the rocket had landed, say, in the kibbutz dining room during a meal. Crude. Homemade. And yet, still lethal.

Very successful, Ehud. I see by the February rocket calendar at Elder’s place that Saturday had no rockets. One out of eight days. What a success.

Posted in Hamas, Israel, Terrorism | Comments Off on Olmert’s success

B-Movie fun

Posted on 02/08/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Yesterday, a couple of friends of mine drove down from NorVA and spent the evening here in New Home in Richmond. They had previously seen both my old apartment and the outside of my new home, as I couldn’t very well ask the realtor to let me in a month before I owned it just so my friends could see what it looked like inside. Although he was pretty affable; if it hadn’t been a weekend, he might have done it. (If you need a realtor in the Richmond area, I highly recommend mine.)

So after we finished watching the new episode of BSG, I turned my DVR to a Sci-Fi movie, Journey to the Center of the Earth, thinking it would be some sort of halfway-decent remake of the classic Jules Verne tale (of which the James Mason version is my favorite, duck and all). We realized immediately that this would not be a good movie, because it started out with this team of six chicks in quasi-military gear (that would be they all wore the same t-shirts and pants that kinda sorta resembled a uniform). There was The Tough Chick. You knew she was tough because she grabbed The Scared Chick’s gun and threatened her with it. There was The Smart Chick, whom you could tell was smart because she was wearing glasss. There was The Reasonable Chick, who calmed down The Tough Chick, and who turns out to be The Scientist’s sister. There was The Hero, played by Greg Evigan, whose role, as far as I could tell, was to smile a lot no matter what. Probably couldn’t believe he actually got paid to be in this piece of crap. I am only going to describe four of the six chicks, for reasons that will become apparent later.

This was a really, really bad adaptation. See, the Chick Squad was apparently a group of volunteers for a science experiment in matter transportation. They were supposed to be transported to Stuttgart, and apparently, this matter transporter could only transport them directly through the center of the earth. Now, this plot device does not explain how you get to Germany from the United States by going straight through the center of the earth, as I’m pretty sure Germany isn’t on the exact opposite side of the planet from the U.S. But it did explain why they got stuck 600 kilometers inside the earth. And I am perfectly willing to suspend my disbelief for almost any Jules Verne story, because damn, they’re fun, whether it’s a man trying to go around the world in 80 days, shoot a rocketship to the moon, or build a submarine. Fun, fun, fun. This one? Not so much.

The Chick Squad—oh, I forgot. The movie never explains why there are no men on the Chick Squad. Perhaps the explanation was cut out of the script due to budget imperatives (“Hey! Let’s hire a known face like Greg Evigan and fire the scriptwriter. You don’t really need much of a script with this shit anyway, right?”). In any case, the Chick Squad arrives on a plain, where they promptly break Danger Rule Number One: They split up. Two of them immediately get eaten by a T-Rex, thus explaining why there were six chicks in the squad, but you didn’t get to know what the other two chicks’ cliches were. And by the way, unless you are dumber than a brick, I would think you’d be able to say, “Holy shit! They just got eaten by a T-Rex, and I thought dinosaurs were extinct!” instead of, “That THING ate whatshername and whosamacallit!” (sorry, I simply cannot be bothered remembering the names of two redshirts, even if they are part of the Chick Squad). It wasn’t until The Smart Chick called it a tyrannosaurus Rex that the chicks started calling it a T-Rex. You know, even a two-year-old knows it’s a dinosaur.

There were other pretty miserable moments that we mocked. There was the off-scene killing of the dinosaur by The Scared Chick (I think it was her; really, they just all blended together after a while into a single, four-sided chick) with, we think, a rock. No, it wasn’t her, because she was the one who was too scared to eat roast dinosaur at first, and yes, they did say, “It tastes like chicken,” but at least they had the decency to laugh at it. Maybe it was The Smart Chick who killed the dinosaur. With a rock. Really. A rock. Bashed its head in. The head was the size of a pony, but she killed it. With a rock.

There was the scene where The Scientist, who turned out, of course, to be Greg Evigan’s ex-wife, who was also currently having a thing with The Other Scientist, who turns out, of course, to value science more than human life. You will be shocked to hear that The Scientist clocks The Other Scientist and goes back to The Hero, I know. Also, that her baby sister survives. Also, that after giving Greg Evigan a schematic of the super drill that they’re going to take through 600 kilometers of the planet (including a sea of lava that had slugs in it, yes, slugs, and yes, in a sea of lava, and yes, they tried to eat the drill and the people inside it), she throws down a notebook filled with stuff and says “You have to learn this before we leave.” In, like, an hour or two. And that schematic? It was, um, a line drawing of the outside of the ship, with no technical specs whatsoever, but they were talking about it like it was an actual schematic. It greatly resembled a drawing that your special effects crew would use to, say, make a model of the drill so the computer guys can shoot it and then make their model of it for the special effects. Way to keep on budget, guys!

There was a giant spider, or maybe more than one. I had gotten bored by this time, and Janet seemd utterly intent on watching this movie to the bitter end, so I went into the kitchen to surf the net while glancing from time to time at the TV and making snide remarks. Chris fell asleep. Good man. Definitely a good comment on the movie’s quality. Just about all of our predictions came true. I told Janet that one of the four would die. “Why?” “Because someone has to die.” It’s for the sniffle factor, you see. So Scared Chick was apparently impregnated with baby spider sacs or something by the giant spider (I really wasn’t watching), and they hatched out of her just like a million little aliens, and yes, Janet got it so right when she predicted that one of the baby giant spiders was transported back with them. By the way, if you want to know why there were giant spiders in this movie, well, get in line. Maybe the scriptwriters had just seen The Fellowship of the Ring and said, “Cool! Let’s put a giant spider in the center of the earth. That’s like, Middle Earth, right dude?”

In any case. The ominous music indicated that the producers of this film (or maybe just the person who scored it) were extremely optimistic and think there will be a sequel. I’m going to have to go with: Not in a thousand years. It is, however, highly likely that before I die, I will get to see yet another wretched version of Journey to the Center of the Earth. Maybe someone will make a good one, too. After all, the Sci-Fi Channel’s version of Dune was pretty good. Too bad that team didn’t make this movie.

Posted in Juvenile Scorn, Movies, Television | 4 Comments

Israeli election primer

Posted on 02/08/2009 by Soccerdad

Do you want to know what the issues are in the Israeli election? I’m not going to pretend to present a comprehensive list of issues and candidates, but there have been a number of interesting articles that may give you a view of things that you wouldn’t get if you’re just reading American newspapers. Since my own politics go to the right, don’t expect much in terms of the parties of the Left. I’m sure others will cover those.

Here are the latest polling trends from Shmuel Rosner.

Though Daniel Pipes acknowledges that if he were an Israeli citizen he’d vote for Netanyahu,

Perhaps Netanyahu has matured as a leader but, the old adage, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,” implies Likud might have recruited a fresh face.

However Evelyn Gordon takes a more positive view of the current favorite:

Like all Israelis, I would prefer a perfect premier. But in reality, the choices are Livni or Netanyahu. The former has an unbroken record of failure in every position she ever held. The latter, despite his flaws, has recorded substantial achievements in every position he ever held. To me, that is a no-brainer.

Yaacov Lozowick might buy the “they’ve changed” argument, but then again he might not.

What does all this tell us? That Bibi and Barak both learned from their mistakes, or that they function well only when someone else is the boss? If the second, let’s vote for Tzipi, who will be the boss of Bibi and Ehud, for a perfect government. On the other hand, if she also needs first to fail at the top before doing fantastically one slot below, she’s the last of the three we should be voting for.

Shmuel Rosner argues that Avigdor Lieberman might be the most interesting candidate.

And if this is a personality contest, it’s quite clear why Lieberman will be the big winner. Of course, he will not have enough votes to become the Prime Minister. But with his bluntness, aggressiveness, sarcasm, (and, yes, Russian accent)- he has the advantage of being the only candidate with, well, a distinct personality.

A similar thought from Shiloh Musings.

Ehud Barak has a sense of humor. Does Hamas want a government of the Right? Why West Bank Mama is voting Likud. Life in Israel runs a debate between representatives of Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu. Also, an interview with Uri Bank from the National Union party.Here’s a primer on the post election finagling.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Posted in Israel | Tagged | 2 Comments

Haveil Havalim- Jewish/Israeli Blog Carnival is Live

Posted on 02/07/2009 by Jack

I am pleased to let you know that the latest edition of Haveil Havalim is now live. Haveil Havalim is the weekly blog carnival of the Jewish/Israeli blogosphere.

It is a fine way to get your finger on the pulse of the Jblogosphere.

You can find it over here.

Posted in Israel | Comments Off on Haveil Havalim- Jewish/Israeli Blog Carnival is Live

Saudis: Religious freedom for me, but not for thee

Posted on 02/07/2009 by Meryl Yourish

The Saudis are standing firm on their refusal to allow any religion besides Islam to be publicly observed in Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi Arabian official says mosques can be the only places of worship in his country, rejecting pressure to change heavy restrictions on religious besides Islam.

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, implements a strict version of Islamic law.

It told a United Nations meeting that the kingdom allows other religions in private.

But the vice president of the Saudi human rights commission said Friday that establishing houses of worship for non-Islamic religions was too sensitive an issue.

Zaid Al-Hussain tells the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that there could be no debate. Other countries have urged Saudi Arabia to abolish laws that breach basic human rights such as freedom from discrimination on the basis of religion or belief.

Say, you think the Human Rights Council is going to issue any kind of statement against the Saudis on this? Or are they too busy condemning Israel for, well, everything?

The next time you hear anyone call Israel a theocracy, laugh at them and point. Then tell them about this.

Posted in Israeli Double Standard Time, Religion | 5 Comments

Holocaust denying Bishop denies denial of denying

Posted on 02/07/2009 by Meryl Yourish

To recap: The Pope un-excommunicates a bishop of a conservative fringe group that seems like just the kind of guy I’d like to have dinner with (provide I can bring an aluminum bat with me and use it at will, like every time he says there was no Holocaust). The Pope, upon discovering his newly-un-excommunicated bishop is a pretty disgusting Holocaust denier, trying to make amends with Jewish groups and others who are horrified that the Pope’s vetting process is apparently just as bad as the Obama administration’s, tells the bishop to recant. So here’s the recantation:

Williamson made clear he does not plan to comply immediately, the weekly Der Spiegel reported. “Since I see that there are many honest and intelligent people who think differently, I must look again at the historical evidence,” the British bishop was quoted as saying.

“It is about historical evidence, not about emotions,” he added, according to the report. “And if I find this evidence, I will correct myself. But that will take time.”

And just to make sure you really understand the mendacity of this man:

The magazine suggested that he could make a personal visit to the former Auschwitz death camp. Williamson replied: “I will not go to Auschwitz,” it said.

No. Because why would you go and see with your own eyes the evidence of the gas chambers, and of the genocide? That would interfere with your ability to pretend to be a reasonable man.

I actually don’t give a damn who the Pope communicates or excommunicates. It’s not my religion. He can do what he wants. But when he brings a POS like this back into the fold, he can’t expect to have no consequences from the Jewish world. It is bishops like Williamson who caused the deaths of Jews by Catholics over the last two millennia. And it really hasn’t been that long since Catholic priests led the charge against Jews in Europe and in America. Poland is still full of Catholics in high places who blame the Jews—of which there are about 25,000 remaining of the millions who lived there in 1938—for all of Poland’s problems.

Bishop Williamson may say the words that the Pope requires. But he won’t believe them, and he won’t mean them. So for him, a chorus of the Yourish.com mantra (Anti-Semites of the world, just die already) is in order, with an extra special helping of: Kiss my shapely Jew ass. Deny the holocaust. Be a bishop. And eff off.

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Religion | 6 Comments

Al-Zahar comes out of his rathole; six more weeks of terrorism

Posted on 02/07/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Happy Hamas Groundhog Day! There will be six more weeks of rockets, then more terrorism to follow.

Gaza’s top strongman appeared in public Saturday for the first time since Israel launched its offensive against Gaza’s Hamas rulers six weeks ago.

Mahmoud al-Zahar led a Hamas delegation to a new round of ceasefire talks in Egypt. Apparently fearing Israeli assassination, al-Zahar had been in hiding during the three-week offensive and even after a tentative ceasefire took hold in mid-January.

[…] Al-Zahar, who is one of Gaza’s top two leaders, and three other Hamas officials crossed from Gaza into Egypt on Saturday, en route to Cairo. Still in hiding is Gaza Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.

So… if this was a Hamas victory, why are the leaders still in hiding? And who doubts that al-Zahar will go right back into his rathole as soon as he gets back to Gaza? Well, Khaled Mashaal, for one—another Hamas leader who never emerges from hiding unless he is surrounded by thousands of human shields.

Khaled Mashaal spoke before thousands of supporters at a Damascus rally. He repeated claims that the Palestinians had won the war in Gaza.

“It is impudence to try to reverse the results of the war, and to try to dictate the terms for negotiations on the ceasefire, as if the loser won and the winner lost,” the exiled leader declared.

“If we had lost,” he wondered, “would these thousands have arrived to celebrate? Who would celebrate a loss? It is a victory for the entire nation. It’s the first time the Palestinians have won a direct war with the enemy.”

I believe Bibi Netanyahu when he says he will topple Hamas. I think he’s going to use targeted assassinations. And so, I’m sure, does the Hamas leadership. They won’t be surfacing anytime soon.

Posted in Hamas, Israel | 1 Comment

Latest BSG episode, no spoilers

Posted on 02/06/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Wow.

That episode frakkin’ rocked.

So did last week’s.

The last ten episodes are looking to be the best ever in the entire series. Thank goodness, because the first ten sucked every time they went into Baltar’s religious spew.

This episode was chock-full of surprises. It had me talking to the TV set. “No—are you gonna—YES!”

I love it when they’re unpredictable, but follow the character’s logic.

No spoilers in the comments, please.

Posted in Television | 4 Comments

Country at war with Israel protests to UN that Israel won’t let its ships dock there

Posted on 02/06/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Is this the height of hypocrisy? Israelis are not allowed to set foot in Lebanon, and Lebanon is whining to the UN because the Israeli Navy stopped a Lebanese ship from traveling unchecked into Gaza—even though Israel and Lebanon are still officially at war with one another.

Lebanese diplomat Caroline Ziade urgently appealed to members of the 15-nation Security Council and to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, saying her government “calls on the international community to press Israel to immediately release the ship” and let it deliver tons of medicine, food and toys.

“My government condemns the Israeli actions and considers them a blatant and flagrant breach to international law and international humanitarian law,” she wrote.

I have a new game for my readers. Let’s play “Name That International Law!” Every time someone accuses Israel of breaking international law, we’ll all shout “Name that International Law!” Because, of course, they can’t. Elder of Ziyon catches an Arab op-ed that actually does name the laws Israel broke in Gaza—and it’s every single Geneva Convention. Yes. Every last one of them.

According to the human rights specialist Lyna al Tabal, there is not a single item in the Geneva Convention Israel did not violate.

That’s right – every single Geneva Convention! Israel must have done biological experiments against Gazans, shot at Hamas parachutists ejecting from damaged planes, and raped Gaza women, to name a few of the hundreds of Conventions.

Don’t be silly, Elder. Of course Israel did all that. They killed Arafat with poison, remember? Or was it the Zionist Death Ray? Poisoned balloons? I get my secret weapons confused.

By the way, the ship that was loaded with 60 tons of humanitarian supplies? Not so much. Go click that link, and then read the rest of Elder’s stuff. (I’m thinking of just copying his content and linking to his site on days that I’m too tired to post. Add up Elder and Omri, and I’m superfluous.) And even if it was 60 tons, that’s a drop in the aid bucket. (Really, click that link.)

What amazes me isn’t so much that the Lebanese and the Turks practice such utter hypocrisy. Even though I’ve been reading this drivel for years, it still amazes me that the wire services report this bullshit uncritically. I know, I know. I shouldn’t be surprised. But apparently, I have an undending reservoir of outrage to tap. Seven years of pro-Israel blogging hasn’t lowered the reservoir a millimeter.

Posted in Israel Derangement Syndrome | 2 Comments

Tzipi Livni is doubling down for the win

Posted on 02/06/2009 by Meryl Yourish

Either Tzipi Livni is one hell of a gambler, or she’s one hell of a bluffer. She’s challenging Bibi Netanyahu to a debate.

Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni challenged Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu to a debate ahead of Tuesday’s general elections.

“The Israeli public is eager for information on the candidates’ plan of action for the coming years,” she said Friday, in a letter addressed to the Likud leader. “I am writing to you because thus far you haven’t responded to my calls for a public debate. I don’t understand what you’re afraid of.

“I am certain that it is clear to you as well that a vote based on threats and anxieties is insufficient,” the Kadima chair added, “There is a justifiable demand from the premiership candidates to present their policies regarding the threats Israel is facing and how they plan to lead the country towards peace and a better future.

It reads just like an American candidate’s press release. The two candidates have learned well from the last election, and if Bibi is as smart as he seems, he’ll continue to ignore the debate request. But he’s a phenomenal speaker, and Livni would come off the loser in any debate.

Unless something significant happens in the next few days, Bibi is going to win. Israelis are tired of giving back land and being rocketed and shot at for it. If Ariel Sharon had not had his stroke, things might be different today. But he did, they’re not, and Kadima has had three years to show that they can give Israel security from Hamas and Iran. Two more kassams landed in southern Israel this morning. Kadima has failed. That’s one reason Yisrael Beitenu is looking to become the kingmaker in the Knesset.

Should the elections be held today, the Likud would win 25 mandates and Kadima – 23. Friday’s poll, which is the last one that can be published prior to Tuesday’s general elections, shows the political Right take a clear lead.

The poll also indicated that Yisrael Beiteinu stands to become the third largest party in the 18th Knesset with about 19 seats. Labor will win some 16 seats, making it the fourth largest party; Shas stands to have 10 mandates, United Torah Judaism follows with six, Meretz with five, Hadash stands to have four seats, as does the National Union, Habayit Hayehudi and United Arab List-Ta’al follow with three seats each and Balad stands to win two mandates.

By the way, countdown to the non-Israeli media calling Yisrael Beitenu “extremists” starts now.

And apparently, women may be the deciders.

According to the results’ analysis, 65% of the undecided votes are women’s. Women are also more likely to vote for Kadima, giving the party 13 mandates, as opposed to men, who only give it 10 seats. Shas is also favored by women voters and they constitute about two-thirds of its voters.

As for me, well, I’m hoping that a second Netanyahu premiership will be much better than his first one. It remains to be seen if he truly means it when he says he’s learned from his mistakes, or if he is, after all, just a great talker.

Update: Here’s the AP take on the poll, complete with those modifiers that an “objective” news organization loves to use:

One poll shows Netanyahu’s hawkish Likud party winning 25 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament. Livni’s centrist Kadima party gets 23.

The poll also shows that Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s moderate Labor party has been pushed out of third place by hard-liner Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party. It also predicts hard-liners winning a clear majority in parliament.

Say, have we ever seen those descriptions in any other country’s elections, or are they specific to Israel? Readers? A little help?

Posted in AP Media Bias, Israel | 2 Comments

Your morning Gracie

Posted on 02/06/2009 by Meryl Yourish

One more new picture of Gracie, to go with the new picture of Tig from the other day.

Gracie in bed

Princess Gracie deigns to say hello.

Posted in Cats | 3 Comments

Egypt takes Hamas millions, Olmert giving Hamas millions

Posted on 02/05/2009 by Meryl Yourish

The Hamas delegation that left Egypt without any progress on yet another “lull” came back into Gaza, only to be stopped on the border by Egyptian guards. They were trying to smuggle millions of dollars and euros into Gaza.

Hamas negotiators left Egypt without a long-term cease-fire with Israel on Thursday – but not before some members of the militant group’s delegation were stopped at the Gaza border carrying millions in cash.

The delegation walked away from the cease-fire talks because of disagreements over the blockage on Gaza and border security. Talks will continue at a later date.

An Egyptian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the group initially refused to be searched by Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing. When the group relented, authorities found $7 million and 2 million euros ($2.5 million) in cash in their suitcases. Another security official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said $9 million and 2 million euros were found. The discrepancy could not be immediately explained.

The money was later deposited in an account in Egypt by a Hamas member who stayed behind while the rest of the delegation was allowed to return to Gaza, the second security official said. It was not clear what would happen to the money.

They needn’t have bothered, because Olmert is going to give Hamas a lot more than that.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Thursday that Israel will transfer NIS 175 million (approximately $43 million) to Gaza on Thursday, despite heavy opposition by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

The funds, to be transferred immediately, are intended to be pay the salaries of Palestinian Authority workers in the Gaza Strip. However, since the region is controlled by Hamas, political and security forces believe that it is likely the funds will end up in the hands of Hamas or other terror organizations.

[…] Livni and Barak, during a three-way meeting with Olmert, expressed their disapproval for his decision. The two noted that while the Israel-PLO Economic Agreement, signed in Paris in 1994, requires Israel to transfer tax-generated funds to the PA, it is not the appropriate time to transfer money to workers in Gaza because of the likelihood of a Hamas appropriation.

“This is (the PA’s) money and they have the right to decide how to spend it. The money belongs to (Palestinian Prime Minister Salam) Fayyad and his employees in Gaza,” read a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Yeah. Because that’s how it always works. Hamas never gets the funds, right?

Yeah.

Posted in Gaza, Hamas, Israel | 3 Comments