Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

Media-ocrity of the Week

 

“The newest heroes of the Palestinian cause are not burly young men hurling stones or wielding automatic weapons. They are gaunt adults, wrists in chains, starving themselves inside Israeli prisons. Each day since April 17, scores of Palestinian prisoners have joined a hunger strike that officials say now counts more than 1,500 participants.… [Last] Thursday in Ramallah, 300 women marched to Al Manara Square, chanting, ‘Yes for hunger strike, no to submission’ and ‘Down with the olive branch, long live the rifle.…’—NY Times Jerusalem bureau chief Jodi Rudoren, praising the “hero[ic] resistance” of Palestinian prisoners. On Monday, Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously rejected petitions by two hunger-striking Palestinians to overturn a military court ruling to extend their administrative detention. Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, both referred to admirably in Rudoren’s article, are suspected of extensive involvement in terrorism as members of Islamic Jihad. (NY Times, May 3 & Jerusalem Post & JTA, May 7.)

 

Weekly Quotes

 

“Canada is always positive, never indifferent, never neutral. I feel that Canada…supplies Israel, in fact the entire world, fresh and clean hope.”—Israeli President Shimon Peres, on a four-day state visit to Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal, describing Canada as an “extraordinary friend” to Israel. (Postmedia News, May 7.)

 

“We need to look at all the outstanding issues, but Parchin is the priority and we should start with that.”—Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announcing that gaining access to Iran’s Parchin military facility will be a major priority when nuclear negotiations resume with Tehran on May 23. (Reuters, May 4.)

 

“The new activity seen in the satellite image occurred outside a building suspected to contain an explosive chamber used to carry out nuclear weapons related experiments.”—Excerpt of a report by the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based think-tank focusing on nuclear proliferation, claiming new satellite imagery shows Iran “sanitizing” its Parchin military complex, a site the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly been denied access (Reuters, May 4 & 9.)

 

“Neither sanctions, nor military actions…will stop the enrichment.… One thing is clear: the enrichment in Iran will never be suspended.”—Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, affirming that Iran will never abide by Western and UN demands to halt enriching uranium. (Reuters, May 4.)

 

“When they’re enriching uranium to 20 per cent…it obviously wouldn’t take long to make the decision to do it… They could certainly dash to the end which could be done in as few as nine…months.”—Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, estimating Iran could build a nuclear bomb within months, the ramifications of which he described as “unfathomable.” (CBC News, May 7.)

 

“If the regime’s intransigence continues, the international community is going to have to admit defeat and work to address the serious threat to peace and stability being perpetrated by the Assad regime.”—White House spokesman Jay Carney, accusing Syrian President Bashar Assad of making “no effort” to honor a UN-Arab League-brokered peace plan, and suggesting that a new approach may be necessary in Syria in order to expedite “political transition.” (Reuters, May 4.)

 

“There is a profound concern that the country could descend into full civil war. For geopolitical reasons, we should all be concerned.”—U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, warning that Syria is on the brink of war, and suggesting that the international community “may well conclude that [peace plan] doesn’t work and a different tack has to be taken.” (Wall Street Journal, May 8.)

 

“Egypt is going down the drain.”—Former Egyptian presidential candidate, Mohamed ElBaradei, after violent clashes between “thugs” and anti-military protesters near Cairo’s defence ministry left at least 20 people dead. (National Post, May 3.)

 

“The capital of the caliphate—the capital of the United States of the Arabs—will be Jerusalem.… Our capital shall not be in Cairo, Mecca or Medina. Millions of martyrs march toward Jerusalem.”—Islamic preacher Safwat Higazi, to thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Cairo, claiming “the dream of the Islamic caliphate is being realized…by Dr. Mohamed Mursi,” the Brotherhood’s Egyptian presidential candidate. Upon taking the stage, Mursi assured the crowd that “Yes, Jerusalem is the goal. We shall pray in Jerusalem, or die as martyrs on its threshold.” (Jerusalem Post, May 8.)

 

“I support Dr. Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh as president of the republic for many reasons. Most important, he will be president of all Egyptians, bringing us together instead of dividing us.”—Wael Ghonim, the “liberal” Google executive who became the face of the protests that toppled former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, endorsing a four-decades-long Muslim Brotherhood veteran who was ousted from the organization last year for defying an initial ban on members running for president. (Jerusalem Post, April 30.)

 

“This treaty has only legitimized Zionists’ illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and has opened the door to official attempts to encourage other Arab and Muslim states to recognize Israel.”—Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood Spokesman Jamil Abu Baker, calling for the cancellation of the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace accord. Hundreds of Jordanians burned Israeli flags in Amman last week during demonstrations against the newly sworn in government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Tarawneh, who played a key role in the Israeli-Jordanian peace process. (Jerusalem Post, May 4.)

 

“I think we are losing the argument, if we have not already lost the argument.…”—Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, conceding the Palestinians may have “lost the argument” on the international stage for an independent state. According to Fayyad, the Palestinians’ “marginalization…is unprecedented.” (Independent Media Review and Analysis, May 8.)

 

“I will do all I can to justify the faith of millions of our citizens. I consider it to be the meaning of my whole life and my obligation to serve my fatherland and our people.…”—Vladimir Putin, after being sworn in as Russia’s president for a new six-year term. (Reuters, May 7.)

 

“My life is in your hands, Mr. President. If you accept the demands, I live; if you don’t accept the demands, then I die.”—Warren Weinstein, a 70-year-old Jewish-American aid worker kidnapped nine months ago in Pakistan, confirming in a new video released by al-Qaeda he will be killed unless US President Barack Obama agrees to the terrorist group’s demands. White House spokesman Jay Carney reiterated the U.S. will not negotiate with al-Qaeda. (Associated Press, May 8.)

 

“Governor Romney…has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime.”—Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, endorsing his one-time fierce rival Mitt Romney. (Reuters, May 8.)

 

“I didn’t like what I saw, so I decided to step up and run myself.… I’m the only candidate for the seat who is pro-Israel.”—American-Israeli Itamar Gelbman, announcing he will run in the May 29 Republican Primary in Texas’s Sixth Congressional District. Gelbman is the first ever American-Israeli to run for Congress. (JTA, May 6 & Jerusalem Post, May 7.)

 

“We do not foresee any commemoration during the opening ceremony of the London Games.”—Head of media relations for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Emmanuelle Moreau, announcing the IOC’s decision not to commemorate at the upcoming London games the 11 Israeli athletes who were murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Ankie Spitzer, the widow of Andrei Spitzer, an Israeli fencing coach killed at the Munich Games, recently issued a heartfelt appeal to the IOC for “one minute of silence…to promote peace,” as “forty years is long enough to wait.” (Jerusalem Post, May 3.)

 

“Part of the solution is Israel having the ability to stand up and do something about it, and at the UN, I succeeded in changing our code of conduct. Most of the time, we were sitting in different committees in silent mode, writing cables back to Jerusalem asking how or if to respond. That’s changed; I said ‘we don’t have a choice,’ we have to respond to everything that’s said against Israel.”—Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, describing a pro-active strategy, newly implemented at the UN, to combat against the delegitimation of Israel. (Jerusalem Post, May 5.)

 

“Israeli para-athlete Moran Samuel won an international rowing competition in Gavirate, Italy. The organizers weren’t expecting her to win, so they hadn’t bothered to secure a recording of the Israeli national anthem, ‘Hatkivah.’ When Samuel found out there would be no anthem played when she was on the podium, she asked for the mic and started singing herself.”—Uri Fintzy, in “Israeli Wins Gold, Saves The Day With Rendition Of ‘Hatikvah.’” [To view the video click HERE.] (JTA, May 3.)

 

Short Takes

 

NETANYAHU, MOFAZ TO FORM UNITY GOV’T, CANCELING EARLY ELECTIONS—(Jerusalem) Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Shaul Mofaz have approved a last-minute deal to form a national unity government that will postpone early elections. In a press conference on Tuesday, Netanyahu and Mofaz highlighted four priorities for their unity government: first will be “replacing the Tal Law with a historic, just and equal solution” to integrating haredim into army service; second is to develop a “responsible budget addressing security, economic and social issues;” third is “changing the structure of government” so that serving out its term will become “the rule and not the exception;” fourth is to “move forward responsibly in the peace process.” Kadima’s inclusion brings Netanyahu’s coalition to 94 seats (out of 120), the largest in Israel’s history. (Jerusalem Post, May 8.)

 

IRAN SEEKS TO SCUTTLE U.S.-AFGHAN PACT—(Kabul) Iran is raising pressure on Afghanistan to scuttle a newly signed security accord with the U.S., threatening to deport Afghan refugees and migrant workers if Afghanistan’s parliament ratifies the deal. Signed last week by Presidents Barack Obama and Hamid Karzai, the deal outlines what military and political role the U.S. will play in Afghanistan after most foreign forces withdraw in 2014. Abdul Samad Hami, Afghanistan’s deputy minister of refugees and repatriation, said Iran is home to around one million registered Afghan refugees, and a “moving number” of undocumented migrants, giving Tehran significant leverage over the fragile government in Kabul. Tehran has made no secret of its displeasure with the accord; Ramin Mehmanparast, the spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, recently said that the presence of U.S. forces was destabilizing the region, and called for the complete withdrawal of foreign troops. (Wall Street Journal, May 8.)

 

SYRIA UNIVERSITY RAID KILLS AT LEAST FOUR STUDENTS—(Beirut) Syrian security forces have killed at least four students at Aleppo University, raising further doubts about the viability of a UN-Arab League-brokered peace plan. The attacks at Aleppo University began after some 1,200 students gathered to protest in a dorm complex next to the main campus. After a half-hour, security forces and regime loyalists stormed the demonstration and began firing live ammunition and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The university raid capped a week of escalating government attacks on civilians and opposition forces. (Wall Street Journal, May 3.)

 

HAMAS REPORTEDLY TALKING WITH FIVE EU COUNTRIES—(Jerusalem) According to Hamas official Osama Hamdan, the terror organization has been holding secret political talks with at least five European Union member states in recent months. Hamdan’s comments, the first ever by a Hamas official about purported contacts with Western governments, were followed by those of three other Hamas officials in Gaza, who reportedly named Britain, France, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden among the countries involved in backchannel talks. Hamdan revealed that in the talks Hamas is seeking assurances that European countries will recognize the outcome of future Palestinian elections, and said that the resurgence of Islamist movements in the Middle East has prompted some European countries to review their policy towards Hamas. (Israel National News, May 3.)

 

CIA THWARTS NEW AL-QAEDA UNDERWEAR BOMB PLOT—(Sanaa) The CIA has thwarted a plot by al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using an upgraded version of the “underwear bomb” that failed to detonate on a jetliner over Detroit in 2009. Intelligence officials have confirmed that the would-be bomber was actually a double agent who spent several weeks working inside al Qaeda before convincing the members of the Yemeni terror group that he wanted to carry out a suicide mission. Upon receiving materials and instructions for carrying out the attack, the double agent left Yemen, contacted US authorities, and turned over the bomb and fresh intelligence to officials. Meanwhile, last weekend Fahd al-Quso, a senior al-Qaeda leader, was killed in a drone strike in Yemen. Al-Quso, believed to have replaced Anwar al-Awlaki as the group’s head of external operations, was wanted in the U.S. for his role in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, in which 17 American sailors were killed. (Associated Press & Wall Street Journal, May 7 & 9.)

 

POLICE INVESTIGATING ISLAMIC SCHOOL OVER CURRICULUM COMPARING JEWS TO NAZIS—(Toronto) Police are investigating Toronto’s East End Madrassah school, whose curriculum encourages boys to exercise so they are “ready for jihad,” refers to “treacherous Jews” and contrasts Islam with “the Jews and the Nazis.” According to materials found on the website of the Islamic school, “Ever since the Prophet [Muhammad]’s entry into Madina, the treacherous Jews had vehemently opposed him and his Islamic call.… The crafty Jews…conspired to kill Prophet Muhammad despite the fact that he was lenient towards them and had treated them kindly.… Eventually as Jewish plots and aggressions increased, [Muhammad] had no choice other than to take up arms against them, in order to protect Islam and the Muslims.…” The Toronto District School Board said in a statement it was cooperating with police and would “take appropriate action pending the conclusion of the investigation.” Spokesman Ryan Bird said the board could revoke a school permit if the holder was found to be promoting hatred. (National Post, May 7.)

 

CANADIAN PROTESTANTS CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL—(Toronto) Canada’s largest Protestant denomination has called for a boycott of goods produced in “illegal” Israeli settlements, including eastern Jerusalem. In a 26-page report released May 1, the United Church of Canada called for “a church-wide campaign of economic action directed against…products that can be identified as produced in or related to the settlements or the occupied territories.” According to Very Rev. David Giuliano, former head of the Church who chaired the three-member working group that wrote the report, “To buy settlement products is the same as buying stolen goods; in other words, benefiting from the crime.” The report will be considered by the Church’s General Council in August, at which point a formal vote will be taken on whether to adopt the report’s recommendations as policy. (JTA, May 3.)

 

HOLLANDE BECOMES NEW FRENCH PRESIDENT—(Paris) François Hollande has won the French presidential election, beating incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy by a margin of 51.9% to 48.1%. Hollande becomes France’s second Socialist Party head of state elected under the Fifth Republic, following François Mitterrand in 1981. Following his defeat, Sarkozy announced his “retire[ment] from political life.” He is the ninth European leader to be ousted since the start of the continent’s debt crisis. (Jerusalem Post, May 7.)

 

HAGAI AMIR FREED—(Jerusalem) Sixteen-and-a-half years after he entered prison for helping his brother Yigal plot the assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, Hagai Amir has been released. Hagai was sentenced for conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm for helping his brother assassinate Rabin at a peace rally in Tel Aviv on November 4th, 1995. In 2006, he was sentenced to an extra year in prison for threats made against the life of former prime minister Ariel Sharon. Yigal Amir remains in solitary confinement serving a life sentence. (Jerusalem Post, May 3.)

 

ISRAEL GETS FOURTH DOLPHIN-CLASS SUBMARINE FROM GERMANY—(Jerusalem) Israel has taken ownership of a fourth Dolphin submarine from Germany, slated to begin operating in the Mediterranean in 2013. According to sources, the Dolphins are equipped to carry Israel-made cruise missiles with a range of 1,500 kilometers and the ability to carry nuclear warheads, providing Israel with a “second-strike” capability in case of a nuclear attack. Israel is scheduled to receive two additional Dolphin subs from Germany in the near future. (Haaretz, May 3.)