CNN's Nick Robertson speaks with some of the apparently religious Muslim protesters who advocate the destruction of Israel as a consequence of freedom.
"[Mubarak] is supporting our enemy, Israel. We hate them all."
(paraphrase: once the revolution frees Egyptians, people have to be free elsewhere in the Arab countries, including Palestine. The Palestinians have to destroy Israel.)
" The United States [and the European governments] supports Mubarak ...The country that controls that United States is Israel."
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWcKewmyh_o&feature=player_embedded
(h/t http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Jewish communities in Egypt are apparently safe
The Jewish community in Cairo and Alexandria both declined to speak with the media, but told The Jerusalem Post that all of its members were safe and going about their daily routine as normally as possible.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Arab riots in Jaffa refported.
Arabs, leftists protest 'Jewish settlement' in city; Protestors vow to 'liberate Jaffa with blood'
Yoav Zitun 01.29.11, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4020787,00.html
About 1,000 Jaffa residents hit the streets Saturday to protest the "phenomenon of Jewish settlement" in the mixed city located just south of Tel Aviv.
Muslim and Christian residents, as well as Jewish left-wing activists, are charging that religious settlers who moved to Jaffa are abusing Arabs in town and stirring provocations.
Many protestors carried Egyptian and Palestinian flags, chanting "Allahu Akbar" and "we'll liberate Jaffa with blood."
One Jewish protestor, Matan Kaminer, said that demonstrators "need to learn from the Egyptian people how to rise up. Maybe that way our struggle will succeed." An Arab protestor, Said, added: "Both in Egypt and in Israel they are trying to continuously, methodically repress the people in the same way. We fully support the Egyptian people's struggle against the corrupt regime there."
"Only through Intifada and mutiny can revolutions be achieved," he said. "Jaffa is just like Cairo for us."
Hundreds of demonstrators slammed Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, while urging him to quit. Signs held up by the protestors included messages such as "Beware, the mayor supports racists," "We won't abandon Jaffa to the settlers," and "No to apartheid."
The demonstrators including Hadash Knesset Member Dov Khenin, who said: "We came to say no to racism and to settlement in a clear voice. Justice and equality will defeat racism and the settlers."
Later Saturday, some 50 people hit Haifa's streets for a rally of solidarity with Egyptian protestors. The demonstration, organized by communist movement Balad and the Village Sons organization, featured Palestinian and Tunisian flags, as well as signs reading: "Freedom for Egypt, liberty for Palestine."
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Dershowitz: Obama and "The U.N. Gangs Up on Israel- Again"
The U.N. Gangs Up on Israel-Again
Only a U.S. veto can prevent the adoption of a resolution that will make
peace harder to achieve.
By ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ Wall Street Journal January 26, 2011
Although I have opposed Israel's civilian settlements in the West Bank since
1973, I strongly believe that the United States should veto a resolution
currently before the U.N. Security Council that would declare illegal "all
Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory." This
condemnatory resolution is being supported by all members of the Security
Council other than the U.S. So it will pass unless the U.S. exercises its
veto power.
There is a big difference between a government action being unwise, which
the Israeli policy is, and being illegal, which it is not. Indeed, the very
Security Council resolution on which proponents of the condemnation rely
makes it clear that the legal status of Israel's continued occupation isn't
settled.
Passed in 1967, Resolution 242 (which I played a very small role assisting
then-U.N. Ambassador Arthur Goldberg in drafting) calls for Israel to return
"territories" captured during its defensive war of 1967. The words "all" and
"the" were proposed by those who advocated a complete return, but the U.S.
and Great Britain, which opposed that view, prevailed.
Even partial return of captured territories is conditioned on "termination
of all claims of belligerency" and "acknowledgment of the sovereignty . . .
of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure
and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."
Resolution 242 does not mention the rights of nonstates, such as the
Palestinian Authority, Hamas or Hezbollah, the latter two of which do not
accept the conditions of the resolution. (Nor do Iran and several other
states in the region.) It would be wrong for the Security Council
retroactively to rewrite Resolution 242, which is the foundation for a
two-state solution-Israel and Palestine-44 years after it was enacted.
But the real reason the U.S. should veto this ill-conceived resolution is
that it is inconsistent with U.S. policy, which has long advocated a
negotiated resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute. As Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton has put it: "We continue to believe strongly that New
York is not the place to resolve the longstanding conflict."
A negotiated resolution will require the Palestinian Authority to
acknowledge that some of the land captured by Israel from Jordan, after
Jordan attacked Israel, rightfully belongs to Israel. These areas include
the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem and the Western Wall-which were illegally
captured by Jordan in its aggressive and unlawful 1948 war calculated to
undo the U.N.'s decision to divide the area into Jewish and Arab homelands.
Additionally, there will have to be land swaps that recognize the realities
on the ground. Areas such as Ma'ale Adumim and Gilo, for example, have
become integral parts of Jewish Jerusalem.
Finally, Resolution 242 explicitly requires that Israel have "secure and
recognized boundaries," an implicit recognition that its pre-1967 boundaries
were neither secure nor recognized. Some territorial adjustments will be
essential if Israel is to remain more secure than it was in the lead-up to
the 1967 war.
The Palestinian Authority seems to understand at least some of these
realities, as reflected in the recent disclosure of 1,600 internal documents
by Al Jazeera. In one 2008 document, Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurie is
quoted proposing that Israel annex all settlements in Jerusalem, with the
exception of the Jewish areas of Har Homa and part of the Old City of
Jerusalem. Some on the Security Council, however, clearly don't understand.
The current draft of the proposed resolution condemns "all Israeli
settlement activities." Read literally, this condemnation would extend to
the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, the Western Wall, and those areas that even
the Palestinian Authority concedes must remain under Israeli control. Israel
will not, and should not, return "all" such territories. The U.S. does not
believe it should, nor do reasonable Palestinians.
So what then is the purpose of the utterly unrealistic resolution now under
consideration? It simply gives cover to those Palestinians who do not want
to sit down and negotiate directly with Israel. It is also a stalking horse
for the Palestinian effort to secure a further U.N. resolution unilaterally
declaring Palestinian statehood-a result that neither Israel nor the U.S.
would recognize.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered to negotiate without
any preconditions. He promises generous proposals, which could lead to
Palestinian statehood relatively quickly. The Palestinian Authority,
however, has set preconditions to any negotiations, most specifically a
second freeze on all West Bank and East Jerusalem construction. While I
favor such a freeze, I do not believe that it should be a precondition to
negotiations.
Let serious discussions begin immediately about the borders of the two
states. As soon as the borders are decided, Israel will stop building in all
areas beyond them. This is the only way toward peace. A Security Council
resolution unilaterally deciding the central issue of the negotiations will
only make matters worse.
Mr. Dershowitz is a law professor at Harvard. His latest novel is "The
Trials of Zion" (Grand Central Publishing, 2010).
Only a U.S. veto can prevent the adoption of a resolution that will make
peace harder to achieve.
By ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ Wall Street Journal January 26, 2011
Although I have opposed Israel's civilian settlements in the West Bank since
1973, I strongly believe that the United States should veto a resolution
currently before the U.N. Security Council that would declare illegal "all
Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory." This
condemnatory resolution is being supported by all members of the Security
Council other than the U.S. So it will pass unless the U.S. exercises its
veto power.
There is a big difference between a government action being unwise, which
the Israeli policy is, and being illegal, which it is not. Indeed, the very
Security Council resolution on which proponents of the condemnation rely
makes it clear that the legal status of Israel's continued occupation isn't
settled.
Passed in 1967, Resolution 242 (which I played a very small role assisting
then-U.N. Ambassador Arthur Goldberg in drafting) calls for Israel to return
"territories" captured during its defensive war of 1967. The words "all" and
"the" were proposed by those who advocated a complete return, but the U.S.
and Great Britain, which opposed that view, prevailed.
Even partial return of captured territories is conditioned on "termination
of all claims of belligerency" and "acknowledgment of the sovereignty . . .
of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure
and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."
Resolution 242 does not mention the rights of nonstates, such as the
Palestinian Authority, Hamas or Hezbollah, the latter two of which do not
accept the conditions of the resolution. (Nor do Iran and several other
states in the region.) It would be wrong for the Security Council
retroactively to rewrite Resolution 242, which is the foundation for a
two-state solution-Israel and Palestine-44 years after it was enacted.
But the real reason the U.S. should veto this ill-conceived resolution is
that it is inconsistent with U.S. policy, which has long advocated a
negotiated resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute. As Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton has put it: "We continue to believe strongly that New
York is not the place to resolve the longstanding conflict."
A negotiated resolution will require the Palestinian Authority to
acknowledge that some of the land captured by Israel from Jordan, after
Jordan attacked Israel, rightfully belongs to Israel. These areas include
the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem and the Western Wall-which were illegally
captured by Jordan in its aggressive and unlawful 1948 war calculated to
undo the U.N.'s decision to divide the area into Jewish and Arab homelands.
Additionally, there will have to be land swaps that recognize the realities
on the ground. Areas such as Ma'ale Adumim and Gilo, for example, have
become integral parts of Jewish Jerusalem.
Finally, Resolution 242 explicitly requires that Israel have "secure and
recognized boundaries," an implicit recognition that its pre-1967 boundaries
were neither secure nor recognized. Some territorial adjustments will be
essential if Israel is to remain more secure than it was in the lead-up to
the 1967 war.
The Palestinian Authority seems to understand at least some of these
realities, as reflected in the recent disclosure of 1,600 internal documents
by Al Jazeera. In one 2008 document, Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurie is
quoted proposing that Israel annex all settlements in Jerusalem, with the
exception of the Jewish areas of Har Homa and part of the Old City of
Jerusalem. Some on the Security Council, however, clearly don't understand.
The current draft of the proposed resolution condemns "all Israeli
settlement activities." Read literally, this condemnation would extend to
the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, the Western Wall, and those areas that even
the Palestinian Authority concedes must remain under Israeli control. Israel
will not, and should not, return "all" such territories. The U.S. does not
believe it should, nor do reasonable Palestinians.
So what then is the purpose of the utterly unrealistic resolution now under
consideration? It simply gives cover to those Palestinians who do not want
to sit down and negotiate directly with Israel. It is also a stalking horse
for the Palestinian effort to secure a further U.N. resolution unilaterally
declaring Palestinian statehood-a result that neither Israel nor the U.S.
would recognize.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered to negotiate without
any preconditions. He promises generous proposals, which could lead to
Palestinian statehood relatively quickly. The Palestinian Authority,
however, has set preconditions to any negotiations, most specifically a
second freeze on all West Bank and East Jerusalem construction. While I
favor such a freeze, I do not believe that it should be a precondition to
negotiations.
Let serious discussions begin immediately about the borders of the two
states. As soon as the borders are decided, Israel will stop building in all
areas beyond them. This is the only way toward peace. A Security Council
resolution unilaterally deciding the central issue of the negotiations will
only make matters worse.
Mr. Dershowitz is a law professor at Harvard. His latest novel is "The
Trials of Zion" (Grand Central Publishing, 2010).
State Dept broadcast re: anti-Semitism, Fri., 2:15 pm CST online
Join a Discussion on Recent Trends in Anti-Semitism Around the World
On Friday, January 28, 2011, Elisa Massimino, President and CEO of Human Rights First, will hold a conversation with Hannah Rosenthal, the Department of State's Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, on the recent trends in anti-Semitism around the world. The discussion will be moderated by Cheryl Benton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. The event will be streamed live on DipNote, the Department of State's official blog, at 3:15 p.m. (EST). You will have the opportunity to participate through the submission of questions, some of which will be selected for response during the live webcast. Submit your questions now in the comment section of this entry.
Source: http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/discussion_anti-semitism
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Ackerman blasts JStreet support for UN Condemnation of Israel
Top House Democrat Gary Ackerman: JStreet is not an organization with which I wish to be associated http://scr.bi/g578Ea Blasts J-Street Support for UN Condemnation of Israel.
US State Dept characterizes Turkel Report as credible
Flotilla Violence Was Self Defense, [Israeli] Panel Finds
http://www.investigativeproject.org/2522/flotilla-violence-was-self-defense-panel-finds
US State Department Turkel Report as credible
MR. CROWLEY: ...We have been supportive of this effort by Israel, and there has been a – we think that this is an independent report, credible and impartial and transparent investigation that has been undertaken by Israel.
Erdogan dismisses Turkel report
Netanyahu, of opposite opinion, says 'every time Israel must defend itself it is accused of war crimes' AP and Roni Sofer
Latest Update: 01.23.11, 19:51 / Israel News
Monday, January 24, 2011
Iranian executions
Iran: 76 executions this month to date. 103 in the previous Persian month of daee (ended jan 20) #iran #humanrights #terrorism #israel
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Sunday, January 23, 2011
PPs: Never enough for Abbas
WaPo: Israel offers Pals 97% of WBank, land swaps, capitol in Jerusalem, Abbas rejects, "gaps are wide" http://ow.ly/3IQRb #palestinepapers
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Gaza flotilla probe debunks myths
"The panel's two foreign observers, Brig. Gen. Ken Watkin of Canada and Lord David Trimble of Northern Ireland, have both signed off on the report's conclusions."
Israel's Gaza flotilla probe: IDF soldiers acted in self-defense
First part of Turkel Commission report finds that Israel's naval blockade of Gaza does not break international law.
By Barak Ravid Ha'Aretz 1/23/11Israeli soldiers who took part in a raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla last May which resulted in the deaths of nine people had acted in self-defense, according to the first part of a report by an Israeli panel of inquiry into the incident, which was released Sunday.
The Turkel Commission also determined that Israel's three-and-a-half year blockade of the Gaza Strip does not break international law.
Source:
Reut: BDS Movement promotes delegitimization against Israel
A report, issued in June of 2011 by the Reut Institute on the so-termed
'Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" Movement targeting Israel's
legitimacy. Reut asserts that BDS measures go beyond legitimate
criticism of Israeli policies and that even partial BDS measures serve
the end goal of, bluntly, removing Israel as the Jewish state. Their
full report is online at
http://www.reut-institute.org/data/uploads/PDFVer/20100612%20ReViews%20-
%20BDS%20Issue%2016_1.pdf -- Mark Finkelstein, jcrc@dmjfed.org
'Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" Movement targeting Israel's
legitimacy. Reut asserts that BDS measures go beyond legitimate
criticism of Israeli policies and that even partial BDS measures serve
the end goal of, bluntly, removing Israel as the Jewish state. Their
full report is online at
http://www.reut-institute.org/data/uploads/PDFVer/20100612%20ReViews%20-
%20BDS%20Issue%2016_1.pdf -- Mark Finkelstein, jcrc@dmjfed.org
The BDS Movement Promotes Delegitimization against Israel
The wave of cancellations by international artists and the increasing
calls to boycott Israel are being led by the BDS Movement which under
the disguise of a progressive liberal movement is in practice promoting
delegitimization. The issue of Reviews reveals the true nature of the
BDS Movement.
In theory, the BDS Movement promotes human rights, international
justice, and peace. In practice, it advances the delegitimization of the
State of Israel by undermining - whether explicitly or implicitly - its
right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.
Since Operation Cast Lead in early 2009, there have been increasing
efforts within global civil society to isolate Israel. The BDS Movement
- an umbrella organization composed of loosely coordinated
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals - stands behind
these attempts to isolate Israel. These efforts - which consist of
pressure on individuals and organizations to economically or culturally
boycott Israel, institutions and organizations to divest from Israel,
and governments to sanction Israel - peaked in the aftermath of the
flotilla affair on May 31, 2010.
It is very probable that many, and maybe even most, BDS supporters do
not consider themselves to be delegitimizers, and genuinely aim to
criticize Israeli policies. Their association with the Movement results
from a purposeful effort advanced by the BDS Movement catalysts to
depict it as apolitical and akin to progressive human rights movements,
in order to harness the liberal European and North American elite and
enlist wide public support.
However, in this document we seek to demonstrate how the BDS Movement
Catalysts are clear delegitimizers, in many cases stated outright, and
in others demonstrated by their: consistent singling out of Israel,
efforts to undermine Israeli-Palestinian cooperation, promotion of the
right of return, and comparison between Israel and apartheid. In
addition, as far as BDS Movement catalysts are concerned, even selective
or partial boycotts serve the overall goal of delegitimization.
Source:
http://www.reut-institute.org/Publication.aspx?PublicationId=3868
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tobin: JStreet backs effort to condemn Israel at UN
@Daroff: #JStreet Backs Effort to Condemn #Israel at the UN by Jonathan Tobin http://goo.gl/fb/KIm43
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Hunegs: Concern for Christians in the ME also needed
| |
| Source: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/114318894.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUvDEhiaE3miUsZ |
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Clinton: Arab resolution on Israeli settlements submitted to UN not helpful
Ha'aretz: Clinton: Arab resolution on Israeli settlements submitted to UN not helpful http://bit.ly/fO4BjW
Map of political freedom in the Middle East
A map of political freedom in the Middle East for dummies: A primer for Guardian readers
January 20, 2011 by Adam Levick For map, see http://networkedblogs.com/dge5h
Freedom House recently released its 2010 survey of freedom in the world, and the results are relatively intuitive, unless of course, you’re someone who actually takes the Guardian’s coverage of the Middle East seriously.
Here’s Freedom House’s categories:
A Free country, according to Freedom House, is one where there is broad scope for open political competition, a climate of respect for civil liberties, significant independent civic life, and independent media. (Green: That tiny patch of land next to Egypt, which you can hardly see)
Partly Free countries are characterized by some restrictions on political rights and civil liberties, often in a context of corruption, weak rule of law, ethnic strife, or civil war. (Yellow: Lebanon, Morocco, and Kuwait)
A Not Free country is one where basic political rights are absent, and basic civil liberties are widely and systematically denied. (Lavender: Every other country)
South Sudan's majority votes for independence!
Through JCRC, our community has conveyed our congratulations to the people of South Sudan, who, through referendum, have voted for independence from Sudan. //Mark Finkelstein
From: GOANAR CHOL
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 11:05 AM
Subject: RE: South Sudan's majority votes for independence!
Thank you for the message for Congratulating the People of South Sudan.Subject: RE: South Sudan's majority votes for independence!
It is very exciting for us and I personally thank God and all the People who support us to be able to see this day.
Khartoum Arabs have treated the People of South Sudan in a way indescribable in human language. I saw teachers murdered as a child in 1967 and many of us began bearing dead People at 11 years old because the Khartoum Government.
I personally give great appreciation for the People and Government of Israel for the support given to us in 1970s and the People of the United States for supporting the Sudanese in many ways.
I would like these realtions to continue and I am aware that Khartoum will turn their brutal attention to Darfur, Jubal En Nuba from which My wife Batul come and other marjinalized areas.
Please continue to pray
Rev. Goanar J. Chol
Sudanese Ministry Resource Person.
Presbytery of Des Moines
Presbyterian Church USA.
S. Sudan hits majority needed for independence
Bishop Paul blows into a vuvuzela (trumpet) after casting his vote on South Sudanese independence at a polling station in Juba. South Sudan has achieved the majority needed to break away in an independence vote, partial preliminary results collated by AFP show, with many counties still to report.
AFP - South Sudan has achieved the majority needed to break away in an independence vote, partial preliminary results collated by AFP showed on Wednesday, with many counties still to report.
The figures gathered from state and county referendum commission chairmen showed that 2,198,422 votes for independence have already been returned, comfortably exceeding the simple majority of 1.89 million votes needed for secession on the 96 percent turnout of the 3,932,588 registered voters.
Monday, January 17, 2011
What's happening in Tunisia?
http://blogs.jpost.com/content/whats-happening-tunisia
"Tunisia’s population of 10m and reduced risk of Islamic takeover means that the possibility of a new, more progressive government may actually make America’s case for Arab reform easier."
Ehud Barak leaves the Labor Party. Labor likely will fracture
Tunisia, earthquake. These are the words used by former senior Labor Party members to describe the party's situation following the resignation of party chairman, Ehud Barak. "The Labor Party is like Tunisia – divided into militias," former minister Moshe Shahal told Ynet.
[It is reported that Barak and some of his followers are forming their own party. Remaining Labor party members might join [centrist party ] Kadima. Others might gravitate to the Left, joining Meretz.]
Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4014868,00.html
Sunday, January 16, 2011
NYT: Stuxnet - an American-Israeli project to thwart Iran's nuclear program
Iran is a patron of terrorist organizations with a world-wide reach. Stopping Iran's nuclear program is in the highest interest of American national defense. That America has worked with Israel to produce a non-lethal means to neutralize Iran's nuclear program indicates just how closely aligned are U.S. and Israeli national security interests.
Israel Tests on Worm Called Crucial in Iran Nuclear Delay
By WILLIAM J. BROAD, JOHN MARKOFF and DAVID E. SANGER
Published: January 15, 2011 New York Times
"Though American and Israeli officials refuse to talk publicly about what goes on at Dimona, the operations there, as well as related efforts in the United States, are among the newest and strongest clues suggesting that the virus was designed as an American-Israeli project to sabotage the Iranian program."
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/world/middleeast/16stuxnet.html?_r=2&hp
Brookes: Iran's Latin American Incursion (12/16/10)
Iran's Latin Incursion
Published on December 16, 2010 by Peter Brookes
Some folks are alleging that Tehran and Caracas have inked a deal that will establish a joint ballistic missile base in Venezuela, where Iranian missiles, potentially capable of reaching the United States, would be stationed.
If true, this would certainly be cause for alarm.
Of course, while we dig deeper into the matter to learn more, we really shouldn’t be surprised by such a move as Iran is already making significant inroads into Latin America — especially Venezuela.
Not only have Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez become close friends, they’ve also fondly talked of a post-America world and declared an “axis of unity” against the United States.
Iran has also looked to Venezuela to help it evade U.N. economic sanctions on its nuclear program in a number of ways, including the establishment of joint venture banks that help Tehran circumvent international financial restrictions.
But the Tehran-Caracas axis actually goes deeper than this. According to press reports, they’ve signed agreements, pledging military support and cooperation, which may include, among other matters, the aforementioned missiles.
For instance, in 2008, Turkish authorities seized more than 20 containers of “tractor parts” bound from Iran to Venezuela. But instead of tractor parts, the containers were carrying materials used in the production of explosives.
Other security ties seem pretty tight, too, including the reported embedding of Iranian “advisers” with the Venezuelan military.
Moreover, a 2010 Pentagon report to Congress on the military power of Iran stated:
IRGC-QF [Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Forces] maintains operational capabilities around the world. … [R]ecent years have witnessed an increased presence in Latin America, particularly Venezuela.
Especially interesting is how Iranian advisers and agents are likely getting to Venezuela.
As far back as 2007, Iran Air and Conviasa (Venezuela’s national airline) began a regular, co-chaired “commercial” flight linking Tehran, Damascus and Caracas, with occasional stops in Beirut to pick up “passengers.”
That’s not all.
Some are saying Iran and Venezuela are also cooperating on some nuclear issues such as basic research and the mining of uranium ore in Venezuela that is then being made available to Iran — once again in violation of U.N. sanctions.
But it’s not just Venezuela that Iran is courting.
Iran has also enhanced its relations with other elements of the anti-American Latin Left in Nicaragua, Bolivia and Ecuador, which are countries run — not surprisingly — by leaders close to Venezuela.
As a gesture to these new-found friendships, Iran is reportedly providing “diplomatic training” in Tehran to government workers from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador and the Communist Party of El Salvador.
But instead of the art of negotiating, international relations theory and how to work a room at an embassy cocktail party, the Latin visitors are instead being taught intelligence, counterintelligence and crowd control.
But it’s not just Iran that is coming to the region: Its “friends” are, too.
Peter Brookes is a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
Friday, January 14, 2011
SosClinton: Israel has reasons to be cautious
Hillary Clinton told Al Jazeera that Israel makes its own decisions.
Clinton pointed out that Israel has reasons to be cautious. “You often make decisions based on your own experience and history,” she said. “And when the Israelis pulled out of Lebanon they got Hezbollah and 40,000 rockets and when they pulled out of Gaza they got Hamas and 20,000 rockets.” AP
Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Clinton-Israel-makes-its-own-decisions-954104.php
(Hat tip: Meryl Yourish yourish.com)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Lebanese gov't falls when Hizballah withdraws members
Lebanon in crisis: Hizballah quits government, US-French buildup, Israel on standby
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 12, 2011, 12:28 PM (GMT+02:00)
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 12, 2011, 12:28 PM (GMT+02:00)
USS Enterprise heads for Lebanese shores
With backing from Tehran, Hizballah and its Christian ally Michel Aoun abruptly quit the Lebanese unity government Wednesday, Jan. 12, in a move that could pave the way for their seizure of power in Beirut. They struck as the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's prosecutor Daniel Bellemare prepared to hand over to the pre-trial judge "within hours or days" indictments naming Hizballah officials in the case of the former premier Rafiq Hariri's assassination in 2005.
Hizballah is committed to defying those indictments and refusing to hand over its top officials for extradition by the government.
As the Lebanese crisis raced towards it climax, President Barack Obama, Saudi King Abdullah, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri held intense consultations in Washington and New York on a united front against Iran-backed disruptions in Beirut by Hizballah and its allies.
Iran's supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said repeatedly that the STL and its rulings are "null and void" because they serve "foreign interests."
As the US, France and Israel made military and diplomatic preparations to thwart a clash, Obama scheduled a meeting with the Lebanese Prime Minister for Wednesday night, Jan. 12, to decide how the US, France and its allies would act in a conflagration.
Over the weekend, the US president ordered US vessels to buttress the Sixth Fleet stationed in the eastern Mediterranean with the USS Enterprise carrier and its strike group with 6,000 sailors and marines aboard and 80 fighter-bombers. Already deployed there is the USS Bainbridge missile destroyer.
On Monday, Jan. 10, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a tour of the Persian Gulf, expressed concern over the situation in Lebanon. Clinton said: "I'm deeply worried about the efforts to destabilize Lebanon. We should do everything we can to make sure those warnings are not accurate."
American military moves in the Mediterranean are intended to signal to Tehran and Hizballah that Washington will be prepared to use force to defend the Saad Hariri government in Lebanon and if necessary deploy aerial forces and the marines to avert a Hizballah takeover in Beirut. The French fleet was also ordered to bolster its naval strength opposite Lebanon.
But Hizballah got its move in first. Its resignation from the Hariri government showed that its leaders and Iranian sponsors were not fazed by the US-French military moves off the Lebanese coast and were moving ahead with their plans.
debkafile's military sources add that a comment by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Tuesday, Jan. 11, fit into the picture taking shape in Washington, New York and Paris. He remarked to foreign journalists that 60,000 missiles and rockets, all of Iranian and Syrian origin, were now pointing at Israel.
Last week, Meir Dagan, at a ceremony marking the end of his tenure as head of the Mossad, said that only 10 countries in the world have firepower on a par with that of Hizballah.
According to our sources, it is definitely on the cards for an Iranian-Hizballah move in Lebanon provoking a US-French military response to evolve into a clash between Hizballah and Israel, providing an opportunity for the destruction of Hizballah's might missile arsenal.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
ADL: Palin took 'blood libel' out of painful, historical context
[Historically, the false accusation that Jews used the blood of Christians in the making of matzoh was a pretext to attack and murder Jews. --Mark Finkelstein]
ADL Statement on Sarah Palin's Response to Tucson Tragedy
New York, NY, January 12, 2011 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today responded to criticism of former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for using the term "blood-libel" in her statement on the tragic shootings in Tucson, Arizona.
Abraham Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
It is unfortunate that the tragedy in Tucson continues to stimulate a political blame game. Rather than step back and reflect on the lessons to be learned from this tragedy, both parties have reverted to political partisanship and finger-pointing at a time when the American people are looking for leadership, not more vitriol. In response to this tragedy we need to rise above partisanship, incivility, heated rhetoric, and the business-as-usual approaches that are corroding our political system and tainting the atmosphere in Washington and across the country.
It was inappropriate at the outset to blame Sarah Palin and others for causing this tragedy or for being an accessory to murder. Palin has every right to defend herself against these kinds of attacks, and we agree with her that the best tradition in America is one of finding common ground despite our differences.
Still, we wish that Palin had not invoked the phrase "blood-libel" in reference to the actions of journalists and pundits in placing blame for the shooting in Tucson on others. While the term "blood-libel" has become part of the English parlance to refer to someone being falsely accused, we wish that Palin had used another phrase, instead of one so fraught with pain in Jewish history.
Source: http://www.adl.org/PresRele/Mise_00/5962_00.htm
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Motive cited
@Daroff: FoxNews: Dept of Homeland Security memo cited #Giffords' #Jewish identity as a motive in shooting http://bit.ly/grLYqa (@talk2jta)
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Monday, January 3, 2011
Doubts raised as to truthfulness re: death of woman in the West Bank
[Summary] Irregularities and inconsistencies have fueled suspicion that a woman from the town of Bil'in, in the West Bank, died on Friday from other than having inhaled tear gas fired as a means of riot control by the IDF.
Among the details being scrutinized by the IDF at present are the following:
The hospital’s records listed the official cause of death as “inhaling gas from Israeli soldier according to the family.” Her family’s report that she was “hurt by Israeli gas” was not corroborated by any other source.
The hospital admission record stated that the woman had never been to the hospital before, but Israeli officials have confirmed that Rahma had been treated there many times over the last month, and indeed was on various medications – including one commonly used to treat leukemia.
If suspicions are confirmed and the woman died from other than exposure to tear gas on the scene of a pre-meditated riot, contentions by the Palestinians of Israel's commission of a war crime will be chalked up as yet another example of anti-Israel propaganda.
You may wish to scan the continuing coverage of this matter online at ynetnews.com
//Mark Finkelstein jcrc@dmjfed.org
Sunday, January 2, 2011
SWU: Israel IQ at UCLA
Please view this brief video.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_2SbkRybBk
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_2SbkRybBk
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