Hebron rioting moves into fifth day

 

JERUSALEM (JTA.org) 2/25/2010  -- Palestinian riots continued in Hebron five days after the city's Cave of the Patriarchs was designated an Israeli national heritage site.

As Palestinian schoolchildren demonstrated Thursday near the site, other Palestinian protesters set tires on fire and threw stones at Israeli soldiers and police.

More than 300 Palestinians in Hebron clashed with Israelis soldiers while commemorating the anniversary of the murder of 29 Muslims by Jewish radical Baruch Goldstein at the cave's Ibrahimi Mosque in 1994. Goldstein was beaten to death at the scene of the attack, which also injured about 150.

Israeli security forces responded with tear gas and stun grenades Thursday, according to reports.

Israeli Arab politicians who joined in the protest, including  Hebron Mayor Khaled Esseleh, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "lighting a fire" by declaring the cave a national heritage site.

Hebron's Jewish community was set to hold a prayer service at the cave Thursday to mark the Fast of Esther.

JCPA: anti-Israel movement needs to be confronted

JCPA Taking Direct Aim at Anti-Israel Boycotters

By Gal Beckerman

Published February 24, 2010, issue of March 05, 2010.  Excerpt

With anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions efforts gaining visibility, the Jewish community’s main public-policy coordinating body is for the first time confronting the BDS movement as a specific and stated priority.

At its recent annual plenum, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs passed a resolution stating that BDS should now “be regarded with the utmost seriousness and urgency.”

“This is a very serious matter,” JCPA’s executive director, Rabbi Steve Gutow, told the Forward. “We need to wake up, whether we are on the right, left or center.”

The JCPA, an umbrella body representing Jewish community relations councils across the country and more than a dozen leading national Jewish groups, adopted the anti-BDS resolution at its plenum in Dallas on February 23. Gutow said that JCPA member groups are planning to create a permanent body that would respond to the activities of the BDS movement.

Ahmadinejad: US staged 9-11, delaying the Mahdi

Ahmadinejad addresses rally

In the [ 2/23/10] speech, broadcast live on state television and circulated in several media outlets, Ahmadinejad reiterated his accusations that the United States was hindering the return of the redeemer of Islam, the Mahdi, local media reported.

“If the Mahdi does not come, this will mean that the battle of Karbala could be repeated. The Mahdi will face what the prophets faced and his life will be in danger,” he told the rally.

While pointing out that the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ousted the Shah and installed the current religious regime, is a prelude to the appearance of the Mahdi, Ahmadinejad argued that the arrogance of the United States is one the main obstacles to the Mahdi’s coming.

“The United States is an arrogant country that plunders the wealth of nations by invading them. It is also a criminal state because it supports Israel.”

Ahmadinejad accused the United States of planning and carrying out the September 11 attacks in order to gain the sympathy of the world.

“These attacks fed its propaganda and became an excuse for attacking Afghanistan under the pretext of fighting terrorism.”

This is not the first time Ahmadinejad refers to the Mahdi, which has earned him much criticism from Iran’s senior clerics and politicians.

In an earlier speech he gave in Esfahan in December, Ahmadinejad claimed he had documented evidence that the United States invaded Iraq in order to prevent the coming of the Mahdi and stressed that the Iranian people would prepare the ground for his coming forming the Mahdi Army.

In a meeting he held with cleric Ayatollah Jawadi Amuli, Ahmadinejad claimed a halo of light surrounded him while he gave a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, attributing this to the Mahdi’s support.

In Shiite faith, the Mahdi, an Arabic term for guided, is believed to be the redeemer of Islam who will come to earth before the Day of Judgment and, together with Jesus, rid the world of all tyranny and injustice. 

--

h/t Elder of Ziyon

Myth: "Advocates for Israel try to silence critics by labeling them anti-Semitic"

As addressed by Mitchell Bard.  2/24/2010

MYTH

“Advocates for Israel try to silence critics by labeling them anti-Semitic.”

FACT

Criticizing Israel does not necessarily make someone anti-Semitic. The determining factor is the intent of the commentator. Legitimate critics accept Israel’s right to exist, whereas anti-Semites do not. Anti-Semites use double standards when they criticize Israel, for example, denying Israelis the right to pursue their legitimate claims while encouraging the Palestinians to do so. Anti-Semites deny Israel the right to defend itself, and ignore Jewish victims, while blaming Israel for pursuing their murderers. Anti-Semites rarely, if ever, make positive statements about Israel. Anti-Semites describe Israelis using pejorative terms and hate-speech, suggesting, for example, that they are “racists” or “Nazis.” 

Natan Sharansky has suggested a “3-D” test for differentiating legitimate criticism of Israel from anti-Semitism. 

The first “D” is the test of whether Israel or its leaders are being demonized or their actions blown out of proportion. Equating Israel with Nazi Germany is one example of demonization. 

The second “D” is the test of double standards. An example is when Israel is singled out for condemnation at the United Nations for perceived human rights abuses while nations that violate human rights on a massive scale, such as Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, are not even mentioned. 

The third “D” is the test of delegitimization. Questioning Israel’s legitimacy, that is, its right to exist is always anti-Semitic.⁴¹

No campaign exists to prevent people from expressing negative opinions about Israeli policy. In fact, the most vociferous critics of Israel are Israelis themselves who use their freedom of speech to express their concerns every day. A glance at any Israeli newspaper will reveal a surfeit of articles questioning particular government policies. Anti-Semites, however, do not share Israelis’ interest in improving the society; their goal is to delegitimize the state in the short-run, and destroy it in the long-run. There is nothing Israel could do to satisfy these critics.

-----

footnote 41: Natan Sharansky, “Antisemitism in 3-D,”, Forward, (January 21, 2005), p. 9.

Arabs are important to Israel

Allan G. Ross | Posted: Tuesday, February 23, 2010

http://www.qctimes.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_a2c80a26-2027-11df-bd3d-001cc4c03286.html

Sgt. Major Ihab Khatib, an Israeli Arab Druze soldier, was murdered on Feb. 10 in a terrorist attack by a senior Palestinian policeman. Yes,  an Israeli… Arab …  Druze …  soldier.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy like this to remind us that Israel is replete with loyal Muslim, Christian and other minority citizens who make contributions and sacrifices for their country.

Besides serving in the military (some as generals), Israeli Arabs—including women— have the right to vote, their own

political parties, religious freedom and serve as doctors, lawyers, judges (even on the Supreme Court), ambassadors and members of parliament.

While this integration is not perfect yet and much work needs to be done, surveys reveal that most Israeli Arabs want to remain Israelis instead of becoming citizens of any future Palestinian state and 77 percent would prefer to live in Israel than in any country of the world.

As we mourn Sgt. Khatib, let us be proud of all citizens of Israel who protect and support the only democratic country in the Middle East and a strategic ally of the United States.

Allan G. Ross

Jewish Federation  of  the Quad-Cities

Rock Island

Israel's National Ballet Company's show in Vermont interrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors who force their way into theater


Pro-Palestinian groups headed by Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, staged a protest rally outside an Israeli Ballet performance in the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont, on Friday.  According to an Israel Radio report, four demonstrators eventually forced their way into the theater, waving signs.  Local police, who promptly arrived at the scene and escorted the demonstrators outside. The show resumed after a short intermission.


The Israel Ballet Company is currently touring the US as part of an official state campaign, and is scheduled to perform in [Brooklyn at Brooklyn College on Sunday ]Buffalo, Brookline and Washington.

-Adapted from a Ynetnews.com  report
 

Dallas Islamic Leader Deported

Dallas Islamic Leader, Former CAIR National Board Member,  Deported

Government links him to terror groups

By SCOTT GORDON

Updated 6:04 PM CST, Fri, Feb 19, 2010

An immigration judge in Dallas on Friday ordered an outspoken Islamic leader deported after the U.S. government alleged he had ties to terrorist groups in the Middle East.

Nabil Sadoun, a Dallas resident and former board member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, was deported to his native Jordan after he failed to appear at his immigration hearing. He entered the U.S. in August 1993.

Sadoun's attorney, Kimberly Kinser, said he was already in Jordan and was unable to return to Texas because the government had taken his permanent resident card, or green card.

She denied he was tied to any terrorist groups.

In the hearing, Judge Anthony Rogers of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, said Sadoun "made a decision to leave the U.S." and forfeited his right to fight his deportation. He said the decision was final and could not be appealed.

In court, the judge made vague references to the government's voluminous motion to deport him, including alleged involvement with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. The judge concluded Sadoun lied on government forms when he denied he was a member.

The judge also indicated there was evidence Sadoun contributed to the Richardson-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which was the largest Islamic charity in the United States. Prosecutors convicted the group of funneling money to terrorist groups and several of its leaders were sent to prison. In the case, CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator.

The judge's comments in court provided the only window into the allegations against Sadoun. The documents detailing charges made by the Department of Homeland Security were not publicly available.

Ibrahim Hooper, a CAIR spokesman, said Sadoun left the organization several months ago.

Asked the reason for his departure, Hooper said, "Board members come on, (and) they leave."

Over the years, Sadoun made public comments critical of Israel, but Rogers said he considered the remarks free speech and gave them no weight in the decision to deport him, "no matter how distasteful they are to this court."