Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

On Topic Links

 

Palestinian Crowd Attacks and Beats Jewish Protesters in Toronto (Video): Vimeo, July 5, 2014

IDF Kills 5 Hamas Terrorists Attempting to Infiltrate From the Sea (Video): Yaakov Lappin, Jerusalem Post, July 8, 2014

Iran’s Hand in Gaza: Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2014

Stunned by Israel’s Fierce Response, Hamas Sends Distress Signals: Khaled Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post, July 9, 2014

America Is the Arsonist of the Middle East: Lee Smith, Tablet, July 8, 2014

“…I have ordered the military to significantly broaden its operation against Hamas terrorists and against the other terrorist groups inside Gaza,” —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on national TV. “I call on you to display patience because this operation could take time,” he added. On Tuesday, Israel launched its largest offensive in the Gaza Strip in nearly two years, carrying out an aerial assault on scores of targets and killing 25 people in what officials called an open-ended operation aimed at ending weeks of heavy rocket fire. The offensive set off the heaviest fighting between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas since an eight-day battle in November 2012. (National Post, July 9, 2014)

 

“We intend to make sure there will be total silence – zero rocket fire – aimed at Israel when we are done this time. The situation on the ground has proved that Hamas does not want a truce,”  —Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon on Tuesday. Ya’alon assured Israelis that the IDF is determined to bring quiet to Israel, and especially to families in the south, with Operation Protective Edge, the codename for IDF military actions against Hamas and other terrorist organizations operating from Gaza. IAF fighter pilots flew sorties throughout the day, carrying out targeted air strikes aimed at eliminating selected Hamas military leaders and terrorists who operate rocket and missile launchers. Ya’alon said he told mayors in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area to “take into account there will be possible fire on their cities.” The Home Front Command search and rescue unit is preparing for deployment in the Tel Aviv area, officials said. (Jewish Press, July 8, 2014)

 

“I pledge that the perpetrators of this horrific crime, which must be resolutely condemned in the most forceful language…will face the full weight of the law,” —Prime Minister Netanyahu, reacting to the murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir by suspected Jewish extremists last Wednesday. Netanyahu noted the difference between Palestinian reactions to the murder of three Israeli teens, abducted on June 12 by Hamas terrorists, and Israeli reactions to the murder of Abu Khdeir “I know that in our society, the society of Israel, there is no place for such murderers. And that’s the difference between us and our neighbors. They consider murderers to be heroes. They name public squares after them. We don’t. We condemn them and we put them on trial and we’ll put them in prison…And that’s not the only difference,” Netanyahu continued. “While we put these murderers on trial, in the Palestinian Authority, there is continuous incitement for the destruction of the State of Israel. It’s a staple of the official media and the educational system…this is an asymmetrical conflict,” Netanyahu said. “We do not seek their destruction; they teach a very broad segment of their society to seek our destruction. And that must end.” Netanyahu concluded that Israel did not differentiate between either groups of killers, saying that “we will respond to all of them, wherever they come from, with a firm hand. We will not allow extremists from wherever they come to ignite the region and shed more blood.” (Algemeiner, July 6, 2014)

 

“Shame. That is the word,” —Sima Kadmon, a commentator in the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, on the discovery that Jewish men, including some minors, were suspected in the killing of Abu Khdeir. Kadamon added: “For the murder of Mohammed, there is shame. Immense shame and disgrace over the fact that such a thing happened among us, we who are so certain that it could not happen among us, that only Arabs can be so cruel.” (National Post, July 7, 2014)

 

“Israel confronts an undeniable reality: It cannot maintain military control of another people indefinitely. Doing so is not only wrong but a recipe for resentment and recurring instability,” —Philip Gordon, a special assistant to US President Barack Obama, and the White House coordinator for the Middle East, delivering the keynote address at the Ha’aretz newspaper’s “Israel Conference on Peace” in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Gordon added that “It will embolden extremists on both sides, tear at Israel’s democratic fabric and feed mutual dehumanization…the United States will always have Israel’s back. That’s why we fight for it every day at the United Nations.” Gordon asked the crowd: “How will Israel remain democratic and Jewish if it attempts to govern the millions of Palestinian Arabs who live in the West Bank? How will it have peace if it’s unwilling to delineate a border, end the occupation and allow for Palestinian sovereignty, security and dignity? How will we prevent other states from supporting Palestinian efforts in international bodies, if Israel is not seen as committed to peace?” (Times of Israel, July 9, 2014)

 

“The international community is totally disinterested. Yes, there were a few press releases from [UK Foreign Secretary] William Hague and a few others, but generally the world doesn’t show any particular interest in this,” —a senior Israeli diplomatic official, on Wednesday. “They’re either very tired of [the Israeli-Palestinian conflict], or their attention is elsewhere, or they want to go on a summer vacation and don’t think this story is important enough.” Hague and several of his counterparts in Europe and elsewhere have issued statements on the rocket fire and Israel’s Gaza offensive, as have the United Nations, the European Union and the White House. And yet, most world leaders are exhausted by the current conflagration in Gaza because they have “seen it again and again,” the Israeli official said. “Much worse is happening in the region, and people saw that we were attacked by Hamas rockets” and therefore are hesitant to come out with strong condemnatory statements against Israel. (Times of Israel, July 9, 2014)

 

“We denounce and do not accept the results of the fraudulent vote. I assure you people of Afghanistan that I will sacrifice for you, but I will never accept a fraudulent government,” —Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah, who told supporters Tuesday that he will declare victory in the country’s election, claiming massive fraud was responsible for preliminary results that put his rival in the lead. “We announce that only the government elected through clean votes will come to power,” he added. The Afghan Independent Election Commission on Monday released preliminary results from the June 14 runoff showing former finance minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai well in the lead for the presidency, but said no winner could be declared because millions of ballots were being audited for fraud. According to the preliminary results, Ahmadzai had about 4.5 million votes, or 56%, while Abdullah had 3.5 million votes, or 44%. Turnout was more than 50%. That was a sharp turnaround from the first round of voting on April 5 when Abdullah garnered the most votes with 46% to Ahmadzai’s 31.6% but failed to get the majority needed to avoid a runoff vote. (National Post, July 8, 2014)

 

Contents

IDF ACTIVELY BEGINS CALLING UP 40,000 RESERVES (Jerusalem) — IDF chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz requested the call-up of reserves in order to replace conscripted forces in the West Bank, and enable their deployment to the Gaza border. The cabinet approved the request and the IDF has already begun issuing reserve notices. Operation Protective Edge, which has seen the IAF strike some 100 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, came after more than 250 rockets were fired into southern Israel in recent weeks. The rocket fire continued on Tuesday, with dozens of rockets fired into Israel, including some which targeted Beersheba and Ashdod. Following high level security deliberations Tuesday morning Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to expand the military operation in Gaza, including beginning preparations for a ground operation. (Jerusalem Post, July 8, 2014)

 

ROCKETS STRIKE AS FAR NORTH AS HAIFA (Haifa) —A Hamas Grad Katyusha rocket was intercepted in the skies over Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, Wednesday afternoon. One other rocket fell harmlessly in an unpopulated area. Sirens sounded near Haifa in Hadera, Zikhron Ya’akov, Caesarea and Hof HaBonim on Wednesday afternoon – at least 45 kilometers north of Tel Aviv, and the farthest attack recorded from Gaza in the ongoing rocket barrage. Two rockets landed in the sea near Haifa, reports AFP, noting the city is 165 kilometers (102 miles) away from the Hamas stronghold of Gaza. One man has been lightly injured from shrapnel wounds from a rocket impact in the Zikhron Ya’akov area. Hamas has taken responsibility for the rocket fire close to Haifa, stating that the rockets fired were of the R-160 model. (Jewish Press, July 9, 2014)

 

ROCKETS TARGETING BEN GURION AIRPORT INTERCEPTED (Tel Aviv) —The Iron Dome missile-defense system intercepted at least two rockets near Tel Aviv reportedly aimed at Ben Gurion Airport. The rockets were intercepted during rush hour Wednesday morning, Israeli media reported, citing Palestinian sources. Heavy traffic stopped on main freeways into Tel Aviv as warning sirens were heard throughout the city. Forty rockets from Gaza were fired at Israel by early afternoon Wednesday, with Iron Dome intercepting eight. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the military struck about 160 of what it called “terror sites” throughout the Gaza Strip late Tuesday night as part of Operation Protective Edge, which began the previous night. Among the sites hit, the IDF said, were 118 concealed rocket launching sites; weapon storage facilities; 10 tunnels; six Hamas facilities; and 10 terror command positions. (JTA, July 9, 2014)

 

GAZA ROCKET HITS NURSERY SCHOOL/SUMMER CAMP (Sderot) —The small summer camp in Sderot, filled with young children, escaped injury and death by the grace of a bomb shelter door. The Color Red incoming rocket alert siren had been wailing off and on all night – in fact, all week long. The way to the shelter was a familiar one and this morning the drills and routines paid off. A Qassam rocket fired by Gaza terrorists at around 8:30 a.m. slammed into the private home that doubles as a children’s summer camp. The rocket blasted part of the home into rubble, but left the shelter intact. Just seconds before impact, the air raid siren had sent the young campers racing for the bomb shelter. All the children made it to the shelter in time and were safely inside when the rocket slammed into the house. (Jewish Press, July 3, 2014)

 

BBC INVESTIGATION REVEALS GAZA PICTURES NOT WHAT THEY CLAIM TO BE (London) —BBC Trending, the broadcasting service’s social media department, reported  Monday that many images posted on social media under the hashtag #GazaUnderAttack are not necessarily what the people who posted them claim them to be. A video created by BBC Trending shows that rather than posting photographs of the effects of current Israeli airstrikes, as the most widely shared photos are labelled to be, many of the most popular shared images were actually of past airstrikes, and sometimes were not even pictures of Gaza at all. Some photos, the investigation revealed, date as far back as 2009, while others are from conflicts in Iraq and Syria. (Israel Hayom, July 8, 2014)

 

ARABS ROB GAZA BANK CLEAN USING IDF ATTACK AS COVER (Gaza)  Criminal Geniuses? Overnight, as Israel finally began retaliating against Gaza for the 450 rockets launched at Israel, some enterprising Gazans used that attack to their own benefit, masking the noise of their own operation. Under cover of the sound from the rocket fire explosions, a group of Gazans blew open the entrance to Bank of Palestine in Gaza City. They cleaned out the bank and escaped. (Jewish Press, July 8, 2014)

 

MAYOR OF ISRAEL’S LARGEST ARAB CITY TELLS NATIONAL REPS TO STAY OUT OF NAZARETH (Nazareth) —Nazareth Mayor Ali Salim criticized Arab Knesset members Tuesday, accusing the latter of “sending young people out to demonstrate” but then disappearing when the community is forced to pay the price of having clashed with police. Salem also criticised the decision of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee to hold a massive demonstration in Nazareth on Friday. He told Israel Radio the march should be held “somewhere else,” and added that he hopes Jews will resume shopping in Nazareth soon. (Jewish Press, July 8, 2014)

 

BENNETT PHYSICALLY ATTACKED AT HA’ARETZ PEACE CONFERENCE (Tel Aviv) —Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett was allegedly punched in the back by an attendee at the Ha’aretz Peace Conference in Tel Aviv Tuesday. Bennett had to stop several times during his speech to the conference, as the audience shouted “murderer” and “fascist.” When Bennett left the stage, dozens of people ran toward him. One person managed to get close to the Bayit Yehudi leader and punched him in the back. After the incident, Bennett told The Jerusalem Post: “I represent a stance shared by millions of people and no one will silence me.” (Jerusalem Post, July 8, 2014)

 

HEZBOLLAH PREPARING TO REPEL SUNNI ISLAMISTS ON LEBANON’S BORDER (Beirut) —Security officials do not expect Hezbollah to become involved in the current round of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians, for the simple reason that the terror group is far more concerned about the possibility that rebels challenging the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad could spill over into Lebanon to challenge Hezbollah’s hold on the south of that country. The Hebrew-language Rotter website said Tuesday that “unusual” movement was detected amongst Hezbollah troops in south Lebanon, and quoted a source north of the border that said military vehicles, artillery and missile launchers were seen Monday moving towards the Syrian border in the northern region of the Beqa’a Valley, in order to “welcome” Syrian opposition fighters gathered on the Syrian side of the Syria-Lebanon border. (Jewish Press, July 8, 2014)

 

‘ISLAMIC STATE’ SEIZES KEY SYRIA OILFIELD  (Damascus) —The extremist Sunni jihadist group that declared a caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq has seized control of one of Syria’s most important oilfields after fighters from other factions switched their allegiance to support it. In a crucial strategic advance for the Islamic State (IS), the organization that is tearing Iraq apart, anti-government rebels in Syria who had been loyal to the rival Jabhat al-Nusra switched sides, handing over Al-Omar oilfield, which has the potential to produce up to 75,000 barrels of oil a day. The development represents a huge step up for the group, formerly known as ISIS, whose caliphate now stretches from Deir al-Zour, central Syria, to Abukamel on the Iraqi border. Within neighbouring Iraq, to the east, it holds the cities of Mosul and Tikrit, has free rein in Anbar province and is threatening to attack Baghdad. (National Post, July 3, 2014)

 

MORE THAN 60 NIGERIAN GIRLS, WOMEN ESCAPE BOKO HARAM (Maiduguri) —More than 60 Nigerian girls and women abducted by Islamists two weeks ago have managed to escape. A vigilante leader in Maiduguri said Sunday that 63 women and girls managed to get away on Friday while their captors were engaged in a major attack on a military barracks and police headquarters. Small-scale kidnappings by Boko Haram extremists had been going on for months when they drew international condemnation for the abductions of more than 200 schoolgirls from a school in Chibok town of Borno state on April 15. Some 219 of those girls still are missing. (Globe & Mail, July 7, 2014)

 

PALESTINIAN CROWD ATTACKS JEWISH PROTESTERS IN TORONTO (Toronto) —Last week a vigil was held at Palestine House in Toronto to commemorate the brutal murder of three Jewish teens near Hebron. The event was organized by JDL-Canada and attended by members and supporters. The people from Palestine House—an organization defunded by the Government of Canada for supporting extremism— responded by attacking the participants. A Japanese lady was pushed; somebody had his shirt ripped; a few of the Jews were beaten with sticks and one was sent to the hospital. Although there were plenty of police officers, none of the assailants was arrested, but one of the participants was taken into custody for no apparent reason. (Vimeo, July 5, 2014)

 

OUTRAGE AS NEO-NAZI JOINS EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CIVIL RIGHTS COMMITTEE (Berlin) —The seating of a German neo-Nazi on a key European Parliament committee has drawn an outraged reaction from European Jewry and a pledge from the parliament’s president to oppose him. Udo Voigt, 55, who took his seat on the parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee on Monday, is the former leader of the National Democratic Party of Germany, which is classified by German intelligence as a far-right extremist party. An attempt to have it banned on the grounds that its ideology is identical to that of Hitler is currently before the German courts. Voigt is on record as having praised Hitler and was convicted in 2009 for glorifying the Waffen SS. The son of a former Wehrmacht officer who famously tried to nominate Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate, Voigt once claimed that “no more than 340,000 Jews” had died in the Holocaust. (Ha’aretz, July 8, 2014)

 

NAZI’S ‘PERFECT ARYAN’ CONTEST WINNER REVEALED TO BE JEWISH (Berlin) —Hessy Taft, the winner of a 1935 contest commissioned by the Nazis in Germany to find the most beautiful Aryan baby, recently revealed that she is Jewish. Taft, now an 80-year-old professor, told Germany’s Bild newspaper that her parents moved to Berlin from Latvia in 1928 to pursue singing careers, but her father later lost his job at an opera company because he was Jewish and found work as a traveling salesman. In 1935, Taft’s mother took her to Hans Ballin, a well-known photographer, to have the 6-month-old’s picture taken. Unbeknownst to her, Taft’s image soon turned up on the cover of Sonne ins Hause, a Nazi family magazine. “It’s supposed to represent the perfect Aryan baby, but it was me, a Jewish child, on the cover of a Nazi magazine,” Taft explains. It’s believed that Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels chose the image himself. (Yahoo News, July 2, 2014)

 

OBAMA IS THE WORST PRESIDENT SINCE WWII: POLL (Washington) —A new Quinnipiac University survey found that voters rate Obama as the U.S.’s worst president since the Second World War. The poll also revealed that more voters now say GOP nominee Mitt Romney would have been a better choice in 2012. Quinnipiac found 45 percent of voters say the country would have been better off if Romney had been elected, while just 38 percent say Mr. Obama remains a better choice. Even Democrats aren’t so sure — just 74 percent of them told the pollsters Mr. Obama was clearly the better pick in the last election. A Zogby Analytics Poll released Wednesday also found Mr. Obama slipping — in that survey, to 44 percent approval, while his disapproval jumped 4 percentage points from last month to reach 54 percent. Nearly half of voters told the Zogby poll that Obama is “unable to lead the country.” (Washington Times, July 2, 2014)

 

Contents

 

On Topic Links

 

 

Palestinian Crowd Attacks and Beats Jewish Protesters in Toronto (Video): Vimeo, July 5, 2014

IDF Kills 5 Hamas Terrorists Attempting to Infiltrate From the Sea (Video): Yaakov Lappin, Jerusalem Post, July 8, 2014 —IDF units intercepted a Hamas commando unit that sought to infiltrate Israel from the sea at Zikim Beach, just north of the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.

Iran’s Hand in Gaza: Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2014—More than 200 Palestinian rockets have descended on Israel in recent days, triggering an Israeli counteroffensive that was still taking shape as we went to press Tuesday.

Stunned by Israel’s Fierce Response, Hamas Sends Distress Signals: Khaled Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post, July 9, 2014—Despite fiery statements issued by Hamas spokesmen over the past 48 hours, it was obvious Tuesday night that the Islamist movement was searching for ways to rid itself of the current escalation.

America Is the Arsonist of the Middle East: Lee Smith, Tablet, July 8, 2014—Events are moving so quickly in the Middle East that it seems like whatever you are reading is already outdated.