Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

 

Media-ocrities of the Week: “Centuries of European colonialism have provided the world with certain basic lessons about subjugating colonized peoples: The longer any colonial occupation endures, the greater the settlers’ racism and extremism tends to grow. This is especially true if the occupiers encounter resistance; at that point, the occupied population becomes an obstacle that must either be forced to submit or removed through expulsion or murder. In the eyes of an occupying power, the humanity of those under its thumb depends on the degree of their submission to, or collaboration with, the occupation. If the occupied population chooses to stand in the way of the occupier’s goals, then they are demonized, which allows the occupier the supposed moral excuse of confronting them with all possible means, no matter how harsh. The Israeli occupation of Palestine is one of the only remaining settler-colonial occupations in the world today…The Israeli left is a relic, all but extinct, and the extremist right is entrenched in the Israeli political establishment. Attacking the Palestinians has become officially sanctioned policy, embedded in Israeli public consciousness and politely ignored in Western political circles. There is now an extremist, racist ideological current in Israel that not only justifies the recent onslaught on the Gaza Strip, but actually encourages the use of enormous and disproportionate violence against civilians, which has led to the extermination of entire families…The rise in Israeli racism and extremism against Palestinians would not have happened without the unconditional support that Israel receives from its allies, most significantly the United States…”—Ali Jarbawi is a political scientist at Birzeit University and a former minister of the Palestinian Authority. (New York Times, Aug. 4, 2014)

On Topic Links 

 

Hamas Fires Rocket at Israel From Populated Residential Area (Video): Youtube, Aug. 5, 2014

The War That Was: Dry Bones Blog, Aug. 6, 2014

Is the Gaza Conflict Stoking Anti-Semitism in Europe?: Eric Reguly, Globe & Mail, Aug. 3, 2014

Abandoning the Kurds: Wall Street Journal, Aug. 4, 2014

 

“We do not have any obligation but our obligation to the security of Israel,” —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu angrily warned the White House “not to ever second-guess me again” on matters involving Hamas — and followed up by vowing that Israel will deal with Palestinian terrorists on its own terms. “We will take as much time as necessary and will exert as much force as needed,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel had dealt a “significant blow” to Hamas’ infrastructure in its Gaza campaign. Netanyahu was incensed that President Obama pressured him into a cease-fire that Hamas fighters broke after just 90 minutes Friday by attacking Israeli troops sent to destroy one of the tunnels from Gaza used to raid Israel. Hamas killed two Israeli soldiers in the attack and possibly abducted a third, who officials later said had been killed in a battle. Netanyahu issued the stinging rebuke in a heated phone call Friday with US Ambassador Dan Shapiro following the collapse of the US-brokered truce with Hamas. In other news, a phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry was mysteriously disconnected on Sunday. According to various media reports, the two have not spoken since, giving rise to increased speculation surrounding strained diplomatic relations between Jerusalem and Washington. Citing a communications issue,” US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that “their phone call was cut off.” (New York Post, Aug. 2, 2014) & (Breaking Israel News, Aug. 6, 2014)

 

“The secretary-general emphasizes that the conflict in the Middle East must not constitute a pretext for prejudice that could affect social peace and harmony anywhere. He firmly believes that the conflict needs to be solved through an immediate cessation of violence and negotiations,” —UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon, in a statement issued Sunday deploring the anti-Semitic attacks that have bubbled up around the world, particularly in Europe, since fighting began in the Gaza Strip nearly a month ago. Instances of anti-Semitism have also increased in the United States since fighting began in early July. Last week, Miami’s Torah V’Emunah Synagogue was spray-painted with swastikas. (Jerusalem Post, Aug. 5, 2014) 

 

“I am heartsick that people like Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem could incite anti-Semitism all over the world and are oblivious to the damage they have caused,” —American actor Jon Voight, condemning Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem over a recent letter accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in the Gaza Strip. Cruz and Bardem are among several Spanish actors who signed the strongly worded dispatch last week, which also called on the European Union to condemn Israel’s military actions. Cruz later sought to soften her stance on the issue after receiving harsh backlash for the letter. The actress wrote in USA Today: “I’m not an expert on the situation and I’m aware of the complexity of it. My only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both Israel and Gaza.” (CBC, Aug. 5, 2014)

 

“Just like Hitler, who sought to establish a race free of all faults, Israel is chasing after the same target,” —Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a recent campaign event. “They kill women so that they will not give birth to Palestinians; they kill babies so that they won’t grow up; they kill men so they can’t defend their country … They will drown in the blood they shed,” Erdogan added. On a separate occasion, Mr. Erdogan argued that Israel has been engaged in a Nazi-like campaign of “systematic genocide every day and every month” since its creation in 1948. Indeed, Mr. Erdogan apparently believes that the Israelis are worse than Hitler: Last month, he declared: “They curse Hitler day and night, but they have surpassed Hitler in barbarism.” (National Post, Aug. 6, 2014)

 

“When they threw out Fatah in their 2007 coup they became a sovereign government, rulers of a tiny yet definable enclave. At that moment Hamas went from a terrorist group to a legitimate government,” Huffington Post‘s Jonathan Russo, who believes Hamas’ terrorist reputation is a result of “Israel’s mislabeling and misdiagnosis.” Despite long-standing terrorist designations by the United States and European Union, to their defenders, Hamas is a “sovereign government,” a political party, a “humanitarian organization” or a “resistance” movement. In other news, Palestinian reports out of Gaza said that Gaza residents had attacked Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri Saturday evening, near the Shifa Hospital. Abu Zuhri arrived at the hospital for an interview with a news outlet. The hospital has often been featured as a backdrop for news interviews in order to elicit sympathy for the plight of Gazan civilians. However, this time, the civilians had had enough of being used for Hamas’s political propaganda. Residents of Gaza City, which has been heavily bombarded by Israel due to Hamas’s use of civilian neighborhoods to launch rockets at Israel, attacked the spokesman and blamed him and Hamas for the death of family members and for destruction of their homes. (Investigative Project on Terrorism, Aug. 1, 2014) & (Breaking Israel News, Aug. 6, 2014)

 

“In the name of humanity, I call upon all of you to save us! Save us!…Our families have been slaughtered as all other Iraqis were massacred,” —Vian Dakheel, a Yazidi member of Parliament, cried out during talks over the refugee crisis caused by fighters with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria seizing areas of northern Iraq. United Nations humanitarian officials said Tuesday that up to 40,000 civilians driven out of their villages remain trapped on Mount Sijar in northwestern Iraq near the Syrian border. Most of those who have fled to mountain are from the minority Yazidi sect, which melds Christianity with Islam and ancient Zoroastrianism. The displaced civilians risk slaughter by the Sunni extremist group if they come down from the mountain. They also risk dying of thirst if they stay put. “Children have died because of dehydration and lack of food,” Dakheel said. (New York Daily News, Aug. 6, 2014)

 

“Benghazi is an Islamic emirate under our rule from now on,” —Mohamed Al Zahawi, head of Ansar al Sharia, in a video statement. “God’s sharia will be imposed on everyone from all nationalities in the city,” Zahawi said, referring to the system of Islamic moral-code and law. The announcement comes a day after the Islamist group Ansar al Sharia defeated government troops, fighting alongside rogue former general Khalifa Haftar’s army, to take over the biggest special forces base in Benghazi. Fighting between Islamist militias and Haftar’s troops has intensified in Benghazi and the capital, Tripoli, leaving at least 200 people dead over the last two weeks. (Los Angeles Times, July 31, 2014)   

 

“…Today, we stand once again beside friends and allies whose sovereignty, whose territorial integrity — indeed, whose very freedoms and existence — are still at risk,” —Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War on Monday. Harper told a military crowd gathered at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa that “Nothing has changed. For our Canada is still loyal to our friends, unyielding to our foes, honourable in our dealings, and courageous in our undertakings. This remains the character of our country.” In all, about 620,000 Canadians enlisted during the First World War and about 419,000 went overseas. About 60,000 would never come home. “This great conflict on the other side of an ocean need not have involved us,” Harper said. “But then, as now, when our friends and the values we share with them are threatened, Canadians do not turn away.” A century later, Harper said, the world still grapples with the dreadful toll of the conflict. “We have had 100 years to contemplate this war,” he said. “And yet what it means to live mired in muck and disease, to fight through mud deep enough to drown a man, to lose thousands of lives in a single day, to gain what could be measured in yards … the sense of these things eludes us still. We can only imagine their fear, their courage.” Harper added: “Justice and freedom; democracy and the rule of law; human rights and human dignity. For a century, these are the things for which our fellow citizens fought. And this is the ground on which we will always take our stand.” (National Post, Aug. 4, 2014)

 

Contents

ISRAEL FOCUSES ON DEMILITARIZING GAZA AT CAIRO CEASE-FIRE TALKS (Cairo) —The security cabinet met in a long session Tuesday night to discuss Israel’s position on the negotiations in Cairo to put together a more-lasting arrangement, as well as the 72-hour cease-fire that went effect in the morning and held throughout the day. The cease-fire came into effect at 8 a.m. on the 29th day of Operation Protective Edge, and was the first of eight cease-fires over this period that Gazans did not violate with even a single rocket or mortar shell. While Hamas has a long list of demands it is presenting to the Egyptians, Israel – according to government officials – is concentrating on two main issues: preventing Hamas from rearming in the short term, and demilitarizing Gaza over the long run. With the tunnel threat neutralized, and Hamas’s rocket capabilities greatly diminished, Israel will insist on a mechanism to ensure that it is unable to rearm as it has done after previous campaigns. (Jerusalem Post, Aug. 5, 2014)

 

OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE BY THE NUMBERS (Jerusalem) —The IDF initiated Operation Protective Edge in response to incessant, indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza directed at Israeli civilians. Between July 8 and August 6: Terrorists in Gaza fired 3,360 rockets at Israel. 2,303 rockets hit Israel. 115 rockets hit populated areas in Israel. 584 rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome. 119 rocket launches failed. 475 rockets landed within the Gaza Strip. Before the operation, IDF intelligence assessed that terrorists in Gaza held approximately 10,000 rockets. 1/3 of these rockets were fired at Israel, and an additional 1/3 were destroyed by IDF forces. On July 17, IDF ground troops were moved into Gaza to locate and destroy the underground tunnel network used by Hamas to infiltrate and attack Israel. Between July 17 and August 5: IDF forces neutralized 32 terror tunnels. (IDF Blog, Aug. 5, 2014)

 

OBAMA APPROVES $225 MILLION IN IRON DOME FUNDING (Washington) —President Barack Obama signed a bill granting an additional $225 million in funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The defense system has been highly effective in the current round of violence between Israel and Hamas, intercepting hundreds of rockets headed toward major population centers in Israel. Israeli officials say it has a success rate as high as 90 percent. Israel requested the additional $225 million for the partially US-funded project, which is credited with saving dozens, possibly hundreds, of lives. The Iron Dome is also notable for its high operating costs which have heretofore largely been covered by the US. Iron Dome intercepts over the course of Operation Protective Edge have likely cost Israel tens of millions of dollars. (Times of Israel, Aug. 5, 2014)

 

INDIAN TV CREW FILMS HAMAS DELIBERATELY FIRING ROCKETS FROM POPULATED AREAS (Gaza City) —An Indian TV crew has captured rare footage illustrating how Hamas fires rockets from densely-populated civilian areas – but only after its operatives are safely out of the firing zone (to view the video follow this link—Ed). India’s NDTV managed to secretly film a group of terrorists planting a rocket launchpad just meters away from their hotel, “bang in the middle of what is a residential area full of hotels and apartment buildings.” It was not initially clear what the men caught on camera were doing, as they had erected a blue tent over the area in which they were working and covered up the evidence with foliage and mud before leaving. But the sharp-eyed Indian crew’s suspicion was aroused – suspicion which turned out to be well-founded, when a rocket was launched from that very spot as part of a last-minute barrage before a 72-hour ceasefire with Israel went into effect. The missile had apparently been timed to go off automatically a day after being set, ensuring the terrorists who planted it were safe from retaliation. Watch the video here: (Arutz Sheva, Aug. 5, 2014)

 

CAPTURED HAMAS URBAN WARFARE MANUAL ENCOURAGES HUMAN SHIELDS (Jerusalem) —The IDF has published excerpts from a captured Hamas combat manual on “Urban Warfare”, showing how the Islamist terrorist group exploits civilian casualties – and the knowledge that the IDF will seek to avoid them – to its advantage. The IDF says the manual was captured in Shujaiya suburb of Gaza City, which was the scene of particularly heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. Among other things, the manual urges Hamas fighters to exploit the IDF’s desire to minimize civilian casualties, noting: “The soldiers and commanders (of the IDF) must limit their use of weapons and tactics that lead to the harm and unnecessary loss of people and [destruction of] civilian facilities. It is difficult for them to get the most use out of their firearms, especially of supporting fire [e.g. artillery].” (Arutz Sheva, Aug. 5, 2014)

 

ALLEGED MASTERMIND BEHIND KIDNAPPING OF THREE ISRAELI TEENS ARRESTED (Jerusalem) —Israeli authorities said on Tuesday they had arrested a Palestinian suspected of being involved in the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in June. Hussam Kawasme, a 40-year-old resident of the West Bank city of Hebron, was arrested on July 11 in connection with the killing of Israelis Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Fraenkel and Eyal Yifrah, who went missing on June 12 and were discovered dead a couple of weeks later. Kawasme’s arrest was made public for the first time on Tuesday in a document from an Israeli court case over whether houses belonging to him and two other suspects – who remain at large – should be destroyed as a punitive measure. The court document said Kawasme had admitted to helping to organise the kidnapping – securing funding from the Hamas Islamist group in Gaza and purchasing weapons which he passed on to the two other suspects who carried out the attack. (Globe & Mail, Aug. 5, 2014)

 

BELGIAN DOCTOR REFUSES TO TREAT ELDERLY JEWISH PATIENT (Brussels) —A Belgian doctor manning an emergency phone system refused to treat a 90-year-old Jewish woman who had suffered a rib fracture and was in need of urgent medical help. “I will not! Send her to Gaza for a few hours, then she will not feel pain anymore,” the doctor told the woman’s son, who had called the emergency hotline, the Belgian daily Joods Actueel reported. According to the report, the doctor knew the patient was Jewish because of her name and her address in Antwerp, which has a large Jewish population, as well as the accent of her son. The woman’s grandson, Hershy Taffel, has filed a complaint of racism with police. “This reminds me of what we underwent in Europe 70 years ago, I never thought that day would ever be repeated,” Taffel said his grandmother remarked after the phone call. According to Forward, the doctor has denied knowing that the woman was a Jew. Along with the rest of Europe, Belgium has seen an increase in anti-Semitic incidents since the start of Operation Protective Edge. (Algemeiner, Aug. 1, 2014) & (Jewish Daily Forward, Aug. 1, 2014)

 

ITALY EXPELS MUSLIM CLERIC WHO CALLED TO ‘KILL JEWS’ (Milan) —Italy said Tuesday it is expelling a Moroccan imam caught on video inciting violence against Jews during Israel’s offensive against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The cleric was filmed during a Friday sermon in a mosque near Venice last month calling for Jews to be killed “one by one”, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which published the video on its website (to view the video follow this link—Ed). Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said he had ordered the expulsion of Raoudi Aldelbar “for seriously disturbing public order, being a danger to national security and for religious discrimination,” after experts carried out a thorough examination of the footage. Aldelbar, an imam in the town of San Dona di Piave in northern Italy, appeared in the video to launch into a diatribe against the Jews, in which he said: “Oh Allah, bring upon them that which will make us happy. Count them one by one, and kill them one by one.”  (Arutz Sheva, Aug. Aug. 5, 2014)

 

BOLIVIA DECLARES ISRAEL A ‘TERRORIST STATE’ (La Paz) —Bolivia’s leftist president has declared Israel a “terrorist state” because of its offensive in the Gaza Strip, and his government will now require Israeli citizens to obtain a visa to visit the Andean nation. President Evo Morales already broke off diplomatic relations with the Jewish state in 2009, calling Israel’s treatment of Palestinians “a genocide.” The action announced Wednesday will especially hit young Israelis, who often travel for extended periods, with South America a popular destination. Other South American countries, including Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, have recalled their ambassadors from Israel in protest over the fighting in Gaza. (Times of Israel, July 31, 2014)

 

AMERICAN 2-STAR GENERAL KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN ATTACK (Kabul) —An Afghan soldier killed a U.S. general and wounded 14 coalition troops in a machinegun attack at a military training facility in Kabul, a top Western and senior Afghan official said on Tuesday. ISAF, the international force in Afghanistan, said the attack took place at a British military training academy in the capital. It said one ISAF service member was killed, without giving details, and the incident was under investigation. The German military said 14 coalition troops had been wounded, including a German general. Such attacks have eroded trust between the allies and complicated efforts to train Afghanistan’s 350,000-strong security force. In a similar attack on Tuesday, several were wounded in eastern Paktia province when a policeman opened fire on international and Afghan forces. (Huffington Post, Aug. 5, 2014) 

 

IRAQ BACKS KURDISH FIGHT AGAINST JIHADISTS (Baghdad) —Iraq’s government sent its air force on Monday to back Kurdish forces struggling to blunt a jihadist advance, an extraordinary move that reflects alarm over the insurgents’ brash new offensive against Kurds in both Iraq and Syria. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s authorization of air support came after the Kurdish forces, known as Peshmerga, lost a string of towns over the weekend to “Islamic State.” The Peshmerga had held off the insurgents in northwestern Iraq without central Iraqi government forces for nearly two months. On Monday, the Peshmerga launched a counteroffensive to retake two towns—Sinjar and Zumar. The Kurds also drove the militants from two other towns, Wana and Rabia, Kurdish officials said, but fighting continued to rage and the situation appeared fluid. (Wall Street Journal, Aug. 4, 2014)

 

MOBILEYE SOARS IN TRADING DEBUT (New York) —Mobileye NV rallied in its trading debut, bucking an otherwise soft week for initial public offerings. Shares of the Jerusalem-based company rose $12, or 48%, to $37, the largest first-day gain for a U.S.-listed IPO raising at least $500 million since Twitter Inc. shares surged 73% in their November debut. The strong showing followed weakness in the broader stock market and choppy performance among IPOs this past week. Mobileye’s technology, used in vehicles made by General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and other auto makers, senses cars and lane boundaries in a driver’s path and alerts motorists of a potential collision. The offering was the largest ever U.S. IPO by an Israeli company and the fourth-largest technology company debut in New York this year. (Wall Street Journal, Aug. 1, 2014)

 

Contents

On Topic Links

 

Hamas fires rocket at Israel from populated residential area (Video): Youtube, Aug. 5, 2014

The War That Was: Dry Bones Blog, Aug. 6, 2014

Is the Gaza Conflict Stoking Anti-Semitism in Europe?: Eric Reguly, Globe & Mail, Aug. 3, 2014 —Parts of central London have been plugged with pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel rallies since the start of the Israel-Gaza war.

Abandoning the Kurds: Wall Street Journal, Aug. 4, 2014 —Another day, another Middle Eastern defeat.