Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

Weekly Quotes

 

“I’m sending [U.S. Middle East envoys] David Hale and Dennis Ross back to the region in the next days to meet with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas.… We all know that no matter what happens or doesn’t happen at the UN is not going to result [in] the kind of changes the United States wishes to see that will move us toward the two state solution.… The only way of getting a lasting solution is through direct negotiations through the parties and the route to that lies in Jerusalem and Ramallah not in New York.”—U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, confirming that the U.S. [see first Short Take below—Ed.] is attempting to avert the Palestinians’ upcoming bid to obtain a unilateral declaration of statehood at the General Assembly by “redoubling [its] efforts…to create a sustainable platform for negotiations.”(Ynet News, September 13.)

 

“Among the very first foreign leaders [U.S.] President Obama called after entering the Oval Office on Jan. 21, 2009, was the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. The last time the two men spoke was in February, when Mr. Obama failed, in an awkward, 55-minute phone conversation, to persuade Mr. Abbas not to go to the United Nations to condemn Israel for building Jewish settlements. The 25 months between those calls demonstrate how Mr. Obama’s relationship with Mr. Abbas has withered—and along with it, Mr. Obama’s hopes to make Middle East peacemaking one of his signature achievements. Later this month, the Palestinians seem determined to go to the United Nations again…but Mr. Obama has no plans to call Mr. Abbas…because it is clear that the president can say little to stop him.”—NY Times columnist, Mark Landler, in “Obama and Abbas: From Speed Dial to Not Talking,” describing the deterioration of U.S. president Obama and PA president Abbas’ relationship. (NY Times, September 9.)

 

“The subject is not settlements, or Palestinian independence or the rights of the Palestinian people, or halting the criminal violations perpetrated by the settlers against the Palestinian people. All this is being ignored and the only issue has become the issue of us not going to the United Nations. This shows not only disdain for the Palestinian position, but also scorn for what is happening in the Arab region.”—Senior Palestinian Liberation Organization official, Yasser Abed Rabbo, condemning the United States for trying to avert the Palestinians’ UN gambit. (Jerusalem Post, September 7.)

 

“I think it would be in the best interest of the two people to be separated.”—Palestine Liberation Organization’s ambassador to the United States, Maen Areikat, affirming that a future Palestinian state should be Judenrein (Jew-free). Elliott Abrams, a former U.S. National Security Council official, referred to this Palestinian demand as “a despicable form of anti-Semitism,” saying that “no civilized country would act this way,” and that the creation of such a state would evoke memories of Nazi Germany. (USA Today, September 14.)

 

“We will, of course, be voting for any of the Palestinians’ proposals.”—Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, confirming for the first time that Moscow will vote in favor of declaring a Palestinian State at the United Nations. (Jerusalem Post, September 12.)

 

“Did President Obama’s positions on Israel cost him a seat in the House? The Republicans have scored an upset victory in a House race that started as a contest to replace…Anthony Weiner…but became a referendum on US President Barack Obama’s policies. Retired media executive and political novice Bob Turner defeated Democratic state Assemblyman David Weprin…in the special election to fill the seat vacated by Weiner.… According to the New York Times, Turner took advantage of the discontent among the Jewish community with Obama’s policy toward Israel and his handling of the Middle East peace process.… The heavily Democratic district, which spans parts of Queens and Brooklyn and is 40% Jewish, had never sent a Republican to the House. The race was supposed to be an easy win for Democrats, who have a 3-1 ratio registration advantage in the district. Several voters who spoke to the New York Times said that the Israel issue was a major factor in their decision to support Turner, who repeatedly criticized Obama on Israel.”—Excerpts from an article, entitled “Obama’s Israel Policy Seen as Factor That Cost Him House Seat,” describing Republican Bob Turner’s upset victory in a New York congressional race, a result widely attributed to U.S. President Barack Obama’s dubious support for Israel. (Ynet News, September 14.)

 

“There are other threats out there, but that is the one that I can tell you occupies the security apparatus most regularly in terms of actual terrorist threats.… When people think of Islamic terrorism, they think of Afghanistan, or maybe they think of some place in the Middle East, but the truth is that threat exists all over the world.”—Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in a Canadian Broadcast Corporation interview about how 9/11 changed Canada, affirming that “the major threat [to world security] is still Islamicism.” (CBC News, September 6.)

 

“Today, we mark exactly one decade since that monumental terrorist attack in which almost 3,000 innocent civilians of various nationalities were murdered in New York and Washington. That Al-Qaeda attack on the US [initiated] a wave of terrorist attacks, which continued in Madrid, London, Bali and Mumbai.… This is not a conventional war. This is a war of terrorism—by the forces and regimes of radical Islam. Radical Islam…threatens the very existence of the State of Israel and in its linking up with radical regimes, it brings the tools of terrorism—rockets and missiles—to Israeli civilians.… The struggle against radical Islamic terrorism, which is, in effect, a description of the past decade, is at its peak; it is not yet over.”—Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, describing radical Islam’s continued assault on Israel, and calling on democratic countries to “unite…and act in concert against this blight.” (Independent Media Review and Analysis, September 11.)

 

“Early this morning, at about 5:00a.m., a complex rescue operation was safely completed to free the staff  of the Israeli Embassy in Cairo.… Immediately at the beginning of the incident, I ordered that all the Embassy staff and their families in Cairo be put on a plane and returned to Israel. At the same time we worked together with Egypt and the American government to assure that our remaining staff at the Embassy would be rescued without harm. I would like to express my gratitude to the President of the United States, Barack Obama. I asked for his help. This was a decisive and fateful moment. He said, ‘I will do everything I can.’ And so he did.… This attests to the strong alliance between Israel and the United States.”—Statement released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, describing the successful evacuation of personnel from the Israeli Embassy in Cairo following an attack perpetrated by Egyptian protestors, and praising U.S. president Barack Obama for “us[ing] every considerable means and influence of the United States to help.” (Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, September 10.)

 

“Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable the agency to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.”—UN atomic agency chief, Yukiya Amano, saying he is “increasingly concerned” about possible military aspects of Iran’s nuclear program, and announcing plans to publish “extensive and comprehensive” information backing up his belief that Iran is working to develop a nuclear warhead. (Jerusalem Post & wall Street Journal, September 12.)

 

“I think Iran represents an existential threat, and they’ll do whatever they have to do to guarantee their survival and their security.”—Former US vice president Dick Cheney, in an interview with US news outlet Newsmax, reiterating his belief that Israel will launch a military attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities in order to prevent the Islamic Republic from creating a nuclear weapon. (Jerusalem Post, September 12.)

 

“With regard to Syria, let me note that, according to reliable sources on the ground, the number of those killed since the onset of the unrest in mid-March 2011 in that country, has now reached at least 2,600.”—UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to the 47-member UN Human Rights Council, confirming that at least 2,600 civilians, including children, have been killed by Syrian president Bashar Assad’s forces since pro-democracy protests broke out in March. (Jerusalem Post, September 12.)

 

“According to Shariah (Islamic law), non-Muslims…are discriminated and treated as second-class citizens, or dhimmis. As the Quran clearly states, non-Muslims must ‘feel themselves subdued’ (Sura 9:20).… Turkey’s Islamist Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has taken it upon himself to show Israel as being a “dhimmi state.…” As soon as he was elected to office in 2003, Erdogan adopted a hostile policy toward Israel as exemplified by the following: In March 2004, Erdogan called Israel a ‘terrorist state’ following the elimination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. In February 2006, he received Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Ankara. In January 2009, he publicly humiliated Shimon Peres at the Davos conference. In October 2009, the Turkish state television started airing fiction series showing Israeli soldiers intentionally murdering Palestinian children. In November 2009, Erdogan declared that he’d rather meet Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir than Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. In March 2010, Erdogan claimed that the Temple Mount, Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem were never Jewish sites.

While Erdogan’s hatred of Israel is authentic, his public outbursts…are the easiest way for him to be acclaimed as a hero by Islamists both in Turkey and around the world. The Israeli government made the right decision by refusing to behave as a dhimmi state[by apologizing to Turkey].… While Erdogan must be made to understand that Jews are no longer dhimmis, we Israelis have to realize that the end of ‘dhimmitude’ does not only mean the end of humiliation. It also provides the ability—and perhaps even the duty—to make our enemies get a taste of their own medicine.”—Tel Aviv University professor, Emmanuel Navon, in “Erdogan’s Dhimmi Problem,” attributing Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hostility towards Israel to his Islamic faith. (Jerusalem Magazine, September 11.)

 

Short Takes

 

U.S. TO VETO PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD BID—(Washington) The Obama administration has for the first time unequivocally stated it will veto any U.N. Security Council resolution recognizing Palestinian statehood. “If any such resolution were put in front of the Security Council, then we would veto it,” Wendy Sherman told the U.S. Senate in confirmation hearings for her nomination to become undersecretary of state for policy. Until now the Obama administration has said it strongly opposes Palestinian efforts to secure statehood recognition at the United Nations, but Sherman’s was the first indication it would definitively use its veto to quash it. (JTA, September 8.)

 

QUARTET TO SUBMIT PEACE PROPOSAL, SAYS OFFICIAL—(Jerusalem) According to Fatah Central Committee member Mohammad Shtayeh, the Quartet is planning to submit a peace proposal that would allow resumption of negotiations with Israel and avert conflict over the Palestinian UN bid. However, Shtayeh, who is also member of the Palestinian negotiating team, said that such a statement would not stop the Palestinians from going to the UN. Instead, Shtayeh confirmed that PA president Mahmoud Abbas will submit the Palestinian application for statehood to Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the United Nations, two days before Abbas’ September 23 speech at the UN General Assembly in New York. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, September 13.)

 

FRANCE MIDEAST ENVOY: OPPOSITION TO PALESTINE BID COST MY JOB—(New York) France’s special envoy to the Middle East is claiming she was fired because of her opposition to the Palestinian Authority’s plan to obtain a unilateral declaration of statehood at the United Nations. Valerie Hoffenberg learned of her dismissal via a French Foreign Ministry announcement, after telling an Israeli official that she was against the Palestinian statehood declaration, believing a Palestinian state should arise through bilateral negotiations. Hoffenberg, who is Jewish, had been in the position since 2008. (JTA, September 7.)

 

HAMAS CALLS FOR OVERTHROW OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN OSLO PEACE ACCORDS—(Jerusalem) The Hamas terrorist organization has officially called for the overthrow of the Israeli-Palestinian Oslo interim peace accords, referring to the 1993 deal as a “dangerous event.” In a statement released on the 18th anniversary of the signature of the accords, Hamas said it “was the most dangerous agreement on the Palestinian cause and the rights of our people.” Hamas, which has administered the Gaza Strip since 2007, consistently refuses to recognize Israel, and calls for it to be destroyed and replaced by an Islamic state covering all of historic Palestine (Haaretz, September 13.)

 

SHIN BET: HAMAS OPERATING IN TURKEY, CHINA—(Jerusalem) The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has revealed that Hamas has established a command post in Turkey that is being used to recruit new operatives and oversee various operations in the Middle East. The agency also confirmed that Hamas is active in China, its activities there mainly comprising financial transactions, including money laundering and procurement of equipment. The extent of Hamas’s presence in Turkey became known during the Shin Bet’s recent investigation into 13 terrorist cells operating in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon accused Ankara of cooperating with both Hamas and Iran. (Jerusalem Post, September 8.)

 

FATAH CALLS FOR MASS MARCHES AHEAD OF UN VOTE—(Jerusalem) The Fatah “revolutionary council” has called for a state of “general alarm” in the Palestinian territories, calling for mass marches in West Bank cities in solidarity with the upcoming statehood bid. In its statement, the Fatah council called for turning September 21 into a day of “national struggle,” and called on Palestinians to stage “political” marches at 12 p.m. in all city centers. Fatah spokesman Osama Qawassmeh urged all Palestinians to support the UN initiative, saying “[PA] president [Abbas] is going to the UN carrying with him the trusteeship of the refugees, Jerusalem, martyrs, [and] prisoners.…” (Jerusalem Post, September 13.)

 

TALIBAN TIME BLAST TO 9/11—(Kabul) The Taliban has marked the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by detonating a powerful truck bomb outside a major military base in eastern Afghanistan, killing five Afghan civilians and wounding 77 American troops. The Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said in a statement, “each year, 9/11 reminds the Afghans of an event in which they had no role whatsoever” and that prompted “the American colonialism to shed blood of tens of thousands of miserable and innocent Afghans.” The insurgents pledged to consign the American invaders “to the dustbin of the history.” (Wall Street Journal, September 12.)

 

AL QAEDA ACQUIRES STOCKPILE OF WEAPONS IN LIBYA—(Jerusalem) According to the EU’s counter-terrorism coordinator, Gilles de Kerchove, Al-Qaeda’s north African branch has acquired a stockpile of weapons in Libya, including surface-to-air missiles that are threatening air travel.Due to the turmoil in Libya, members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have “gained access to weapons…which are extremely dangerous because they pose a risk to flights over the territory,” de Kerchove was quoted as saying at a news conference marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, September 6.)

 

ASSAD DECLARES STATE OF WAR—(Jerusalem) Syrian President Bashar Assad has declared a state of war and issued a general mobilization of troops. According to Al-Quds newspaper, Operation “Bayrak al-Assad” has been implemented secretly, and is a “major military operation” comprising concentrated offensives on cities across the country. The stated goal of the campaign is “the elimination of armed rebellion, proclaimed by terrorist organizations against the civilian population and elements of the army and security forces for several months.”(Jerusalem Post, September 9.)

 

SOURCE: SYRIA’S ARAB LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP UNDER THREAT—(Cairo) A well-informed source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, has revealed that the Arab League is considering freezing Syria’s membership due to President Bashar al-Assad’s continued use of violence to suppress Syrian protesters. The source stressed that the Arab League will take “severe resolutions against the Syrian regime, including freezing its membership…if it continues to delay and refuse to deal with the Arab initiative.” Last week, Syria asked Secretary General Nabil Elaraby to postpone his visit to Damascus, a move that “shocked” the Arab League. (Asharq Al-Awsat, September 8.)

 

NEW TYPE OF ROCKET LAUNCHED FROM GAZA IN RECENT FIGHTING—(Jerusalem) Maj.-Gen. Eyal Eisenberg has revealed that Palestinian terror groups used a new and advanced rocket in their attacks against Israel during the recent round of fighting in the Gaza Strip. “We discovered a new weapon and as a result we instructed the public to take extra precautions and to seek cover under two roofs and not just one,” Eisenberg said. The home front commander refrained from revealing the identity of the new weapon but defense officials confirmed that it was an advanced rocket that carried a significantly larger warhead packed with a larger quantity of explosives. (Jerusalem Post, September 6.)

 

NEW NIF FUNDING DETAILS: DELEGITIMIZATION CONTINUING—(Jerusalem) According to the New Israel Fund (NIF) 2010 financial report, approximately 26% of the NIF’s $16.4 million in authorized grants went to highly politicized groups involved in Israel delegitimation campaigns. In September 2010, NIF published new funding guidelines, declaring, in part, that groups working “to deny the right of the Jewish people to sovereign self-determination within Israel…[will] no longer be eligible [for funding]”. However, the 2010 grants do not reflect any apparent changes or implementation of the guidelines. (NGO Monitor, September 7.)

 

NEW YORK PROCLAIMS GILAD SHALIT DAY—(New York) On the 1,900th day of Gilad Shalit’s captivity, September 7, New York proclaimed Gilad Shalit Day in the city. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn along with Jewish leaders and Israel’s general consul in New York read and presented the framed proclamation to Shalit’s father, Noam. New York joins San Francisco (August 28.) in proclaiming Gilad Shalit Day. (JTA, September 7.)

 

US COLLEGES RECEIVE WARNING LETTERS ON ANTI-SEMITISM—(Jerusalem) Hundreds of US college and university presidents have received warning letters, instructing them of their legal obligations to prevent anti-Semitism on campus and to ensure that university funds are not diverted to unlawful activities directed against the State of Israel. Civil rights group Israel Law Center (Shurat HaDin) is carrying out the campaign in response to “an alarming number of incidents of harassment and hate crimes against Jewish and Israeli students on US college campuses.” Lawyer Kenneth Leitner, Israel Law Center’s director of American affairs, said “perpetrators of hate” are exploiting academic ideals, and “by condoning it, college administrators have allowed an environment of intimidation and hostility against Jewish students and faculty to fester on campus.” (Jerusalem Post, September 8.)

 

N.Y. SYNAGOGUE BOMB PLOTTER SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS—(New York) The last of four men convicted in a plot to bomb two New York synagogues has received the minimum mandatory prison sentence, 25 years. Laguerre Payen and three other co-conspirators were convicted last October of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction for planning to blow up the Riverdale Jewish Center and the Riverdale Temple in the Bronx. The men, all from Newburgh, N.Y., were arrested in 2009 as part of an FBI sting operation. (JTA, September 8.)

 

S&P RAISES ISRAEL’S CREDIT RATING FROM A TO A+—(Jerusalem)International credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s has raised Israel’s credit rating from A to A+, a decision reflecting the government’s responsible economic policy. Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said that the increased credit rating is a “badge of honor” for the country and a reward for steps taken during the global financial crisis. Bank of Israel Governor Professor Stanley Fischer praised the decision, saying “This is particularly important given the complex global economic reality.” Despite the global economic crisis, the Israeli economy remained relatively stable while economies across the world crumbled over the past couple years. (Jerusalem Post, September 9.)

 

OBAMA’S APPROVAL RATING HITS NEW LOW—(Toronto) According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News study, U.S. president Barack Obama’s poll numbers have crashed to new lows. The poll found that Obama’s overall approval rating has sunk to just 44%, with only 37% of those asked satisfied with his management of the economy and 54% believing that Obama is facing a long-term setback from which he is unlikely to recover. Peter Hart, who conducted the poll, warned that if the president’s political fortunes do not turn around soon, “Obama is no longer favorite to win re-election.” (National Post, September 7.)