Contents: | Weekly Quotes | Short Takes | On Topic Links
NYC Aftermath: To Stop Terrorism, Destroy the Ideology: Elliot Friedland, Clarion Project, Nov. 1, 2017
When it Comes to Israel, the Arab World isn’t a Good Sport: Raphael Ahren, Times of Israel, October 26, 2017
British Elites Regret Israel's Very Existence: Giulio Meotti, Arutz Sheva, Oct. 24, 2017
The Impact of Academic Boycotters of Israel on U.S. Campuses: AMCHA Initiative, Oct., 2017
WEEKLY QUOTES
“It is forbidden to apologize for successfully destroying terrorists…Let’s be clear – these were terrorists involved in digging an attack tunnel inside Israeli territory with which they intended to kill Israeli women and children…As a member of the cabinet which has been working since Operation Protective Edge to remove the threat of the tunnels, I give my full support to the army’s actions. The purpose of the IDF is to defeat the enemy, and it should continue to do so.” — Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett. On Monday, the IDF blew up an attack tunnel that had entered Israel from the Gaza Strip. At least seven terrorists, including two senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders, were killed in the blast and its aftermath, a dozen more were wounded and, as of Tuesday, five were still missing. An IDF spokesperson said that the operation was intended only to destroy the underground infrastructure and was “not in any way” meant to assassinate terrorist leaders. In response to the comment, Bennett accused the military of “apologizing” for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders’ deaths. (Times of Israel, Oct. 31, 2017)
“I assure the leadership of [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad: blood for blood, destruction for destruction.” — Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh said the terror group intends to respond with violence to the deaths of seven Gaza terrorists Monday after Israel blew up an attack tunnel that stretched into Israeli territory, but suggested the response would be delayed as Palestinian factions work toward reconciliation. Earlier this month, the two factions signed an agreement in Cairo allowing for the PA to resume control of Gaza by December 1. “The response to this massacre is to move forward toward the restoration of national unity because the enemy knows that our strength is in our unity and no people under occupation can win if they are not united,” Haniyeh said. (Times of Israel, Oct. 31, 2017)
“I told you many times before that we are developing breakthrough technology to deal with the tunnel threat…We are implementing it. Today, we located a tunnel, and we destroyed it.” —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel has been working on new technology to detect and destroy tunnels since its 2014 war with Hamas, when the group used underground warrens to launch attacks and defend themselves from airstrikes. Israel also is constructing an underground barrier to prevent tunnels from crossing into Israel. (Washington Postd, Oct. 30, 2017)
“Everything that happened in the Gilad Shalit deal will not repeat itself…I think everyone knows this today.” — Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. Shaked clarified that as long as her party is in the coalition, terrorists will not be released as part of a prisoner exchange with Hamas. Shaked’s remarks came after Shin Bet’s Yaron Blum, who was involved in the Shalit prisoner exchange, was named as the new coordinator for the release of the Israeli citizens held by Hamas. (Jerusalem Online, Oct. 24, 2017)
“The time has come for the European Union to recognize all branches of Hezbollah as a terror organization and not just its military [branch].” — Former Shin Bet chief Yaakov Peri. Iranian operations in the region, Hezbollah, the Greater Jerusalem bill and more were all discussed between delegates of the European Parliament and Knesset members from across the political spectrum. Among the key issues during the talks were those raised by Peri regarding hostile Iranian activity in the region, as well as the status of Hezbollah as perceived by the EU. The EU only lists Hezbollah’s paramilitary militia as a terrorist group and not the entire organization, which includes its political wing that has 14 seats in the Lebanese Parliament and two ministers in the government. (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 31, 2017)
“We are now a displaced people, a completely marginalized people — and it’s getting worse by the day…We have a corrupt government controlled by a foreign power, at the expense of Sunnis.” — Hamid al-Mutlaq. Fourteen years after the U.S. invasion ended decades of Sunni dominance in Iraq, Iraq’s Sunni Arabs are struggling to reclaim influence. Al-Mutlaq, who represents the Karmah region in the Iraqi Parliament, said the government was more focused on working with Iran and Iranian-armed Shiite militias than helping Sunnis. Iran, the hard-line Shiite theocracy next door to Iraq, now wields tremendous influence over Iraq’s economy, military and government. (New York Times, Oct. 26, 2017)
“Sunnis have no unified leadership…And Sunni politicians seem to care only about narrow personal interests.” — Wathiq al-Hashimi, the head of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies in Baghdad. A Kurdish referendum on independence last month has divided Sunnis. Most opposed it, preferring to keep Kurds inside Iraq as a counterweight against Shiite domination; virtually all Iraqi Kurds are Sunni. Many Sunnis cheered the government takeover of contested areas, where Sunni Arabs had seethed under Kurdish control. (New York Times, Oct. 26, 2017)
"As an immigrant, I celebrate this country and its values and the freedom of speech…I'm proud of this country." — Mehak Saini, a student at Dalhousie University. Saini is speaking out against what she calls an "anti-Canadian" motion passed by the school's student union. A debate engulfed the university after the student union pulled out of Canada 150 celebrations in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. Student leader Masuma Khan tabled a motion to opt out of the festivities, calling the celebration an act of ongoing colonialism. In response to criticism, the Khan said on social media she would not stand with "privileged white people," or be proud of "over 400 years of genocide," with the hashtag “whitefragilitycankissmyass." Saini said some students disagreed with Khan but refrained from voicing their dissent out of fear of being labelled a racist. "She's using discrimination and power as a tool to silence us…There is no place for racism, period. Not from a minority, not from a majority." Saini added: "We should criticize the past and colonialism. But to criticize a whole race and say they can kiss your ass is not the way to go about it." (Globe & Mail, Oct. 30, 2017)
“On (Oct. 23), three students were removed from the Board of Directors of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), McGill’s main student government. All three were targeted for removal either because they are Jewish or have vocally opposed anti-Jewish discrimination on campus. This episode is utterly unacceptable, and is merely the latest in a long string of antisemitic incidents at your university…Antisemitism at McGill does not emerge from a vacuum. Rather, it has been nurtured in part by a toxic campus press, especially the McGill Daily, a publication which openly refuses to publish any “Zionist” content. In practice, this prevents McGill’s Jewish community from defending itself against the absurd attacks to which it is subjected. If the Daily is committed to systematically excluding the voices of an ethno-religious community on campus, then it cannot continue to receive automatic student funding, as it does now.” — B’nai Brith, in an open-letter to McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier. McGill has launched an investigation and set up a hotline after a Jewish student was voted off the student government’s board of directors last week, with no debate or argument, after he was identified by BDS supporters as politically active in support of Jewish causes. Noah Lew was one of three student directors removed from the board. (B’nai Brith, Oct., 2017)
“The pro-BDS network at McGill University, which regrouped and organized a campaign called "Democratize SSMU," showed it’s true colors in this week’s vote at the annual General Assembly. Those who voted to oust the 3 members of the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors, displayed a blatant “use and abuse” approach to the democratic process. Clearly, it was an anti-Semitic act, anti-Jewish and against all those who disagree with them on issues concerning Israel, the center of Judaism. It is appalling to see how Israel, a beacon of democracy in the war-torn Middle East, is singled out for ongoing assaults and denunciations by those who wish it harm. They are using anti-Semitic canards and motions disguised as anti-Zionism to deny the freedom of expression and speech to all those who disagree with them, while pretending to defend these very values, sometimes by violent means. Indeed, it is an upside down world!” — CIJR National Chairman, Jack Kincler. (CIJR, Oct. 27, 2017)
"While the state would not have arisen without settlement, sacrifice and a willingness to fight for it, the international impetus was, undoubtedly, the Balfour Declaration." — Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Balfour Declaration turns 100 this week. The November 2, 1917 declaration by then British foreign minister Arthur Balfour said his government viewed "with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." It was only one sentence of 67 words, but it was the strongest support yet from a world power for the goals of the Zionist movement — Jews, including those facing persecution, resettling in the land of their ancient ancestors. Netanyahu said that the declaration "advanced the international moves that established the state of Israel". (Daily Mail, Oct. 31, 2017)
“The Balfour declaration is not something to be celebrated — certainly not while one of the peoples affected continues to suffer such injustice…The creation of a homeland for one people resulted in the dispossession and continuing persecution of another — now a deep imbalance between occupier and occupied…The balance must be redressed, and Britain bears a great deal of responsibility in leading the way. Celebrations must wait for the day when everyone in this land has freedom, dignity and equality.” — PA President Mahmoud Abbas. With Netanyahu headed to London to celebrate the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, Abbas lamented the document, accusing it of setting in motion a process that led to a century of Palestinian suffering, and urging the British government to take steps to remedy it. Netanyahu will hold meetings with Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, both of whom have stated that the UK will mark the document’s anniversary “with pride” but also sensitivity toward Palestinian grievances. (Times of Israel, Nov. 1, 2017)
SHORT TAKES
8 KILLED AS TRUCK PLOWS INTO PEDESTRIANS IN NYC TERROR ATTACK (New York) — A terrorist in a rental truck sped for nearly a mile down a popular bike-only path in lower Manhattan on Tuesday — killing eight people in the shadow of the World Trade Center. Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old immigrant from Uzbekistan, was shot by a cop after getting out of his car at Chambers and West streets with two realistic-looking guns while screaming “Allahu Akbar” — Arabic for “God is great.” Saipov had a note in the truck that said, “ISIS Lives Forever,” according to a report. (New York Post, Oct. 31, 2017)
AT LEAST 23 DEAD, OVER 30 INJURED IN SOMALIA ATTACK (Mogadishu) — Security forces ended a siege at a hotel in Somalia's capital after a bombing and shootout that killed 23 people, and the government fired its police and intelligence chiefs amid the extremist attacks. The Cabinet action came hours after the end of the attack on the Nasa-Hablod Hotel and two weeks after more than 350 people were killed in a massive truck bombing in Mogadishu in Somalia's worst-ever attack. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack and said its fighters were inside the hotel. (CBC, Oct. 28, 2017)
BARZANI SAYS HE WILL STEP DOWN IN WAKE OF FAILED BID FOR INDEPENDENCE (Baghdad) — The president of the Iraqi region of Kurdistan said that he intends to resign, a month after he led a referendum on independence that triggered a military response by the Iraqi government. Masoud Barzani had promised that the vote on independence from Baghdad would be a vital step in a century-long fight for self-rule. Instead, it unraveled many of the gains the Kurds had made in carving out a semiautonomous region in Iraq. Barzani denounced the global reaction to the vote as a betrayal of the Kurdish people. He suggested that his political opponents had worked with Baghdad and the U.S. to stamp out a peaceful democratic exercise by Kurds seeking full autonomy. (Washington Post, Oct. 29, 2017)
NK NUCLEAR TEST SITE TUNNEL REPORTEDLY COLLAPSED, KILLING 200 (Pyongyang) — A tunnel at North Korea’s nuclear test site reportedly collapsed days after the state’s sixth nuclear test in September, killing up to 200 people. In the days after the test, which was said to have been a hydrogen bomb, experts said the detonation caused several landslides at the country’s only known test site. Kim Jong Un and his regime are believed to have carried out at least five of the country’s nuke tests at the site, which prompted a Chinese scientist to warn days after the test that the next one could collapse the mountain resulting in a massive radiation leak. (Global, Oct. 31, 2017)
UAE APOLOGIZES TO ISRAEL FOR JUDO SNUB (Abu Dhabi) — The United Arab Emirates’ top judo official apologized to his Israeli counterpart after a tournament in Abu Dhabi saw Israeli athletes repeatedly snubbed by their hosts. The president of the UAE’s Judo Federation apologized over the fact that an athlete from the UAE refused to shake hands with an Israeli judoka after a match. Several medals were won by Israelis at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam judo tournament. However, Israeli symbols were banned during the competition, the flag did not appear during medal ceremonies, and the national anthem was not played for Israel’s gold medalist Tal Flicker. Flicker sang out his own private “Hatikvah” under the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) flag. (Times of Israel, Oct. 29, 2017)
FIFA SAYS IT WON'T SANCTION ISRAEL (Paris) — Israel scored a rare win as the Palestinians lost their bid to oust six West Bank soccer clubs from the global body governing the sport. The Palestinians had hoped FIFA would censure Israel over the settlement teams, thereby forcing them to either drop the clubs from the Israel Football Association or risk losing FIFA membership. Instead FIFA said it had no intention of taking action against the teams. The Palestinian Football Association had argued that the FIFA statutes which state that a member country’s teams cannot play matches on the territory of another association without permission. The PFA has also complained that Israel limits the movement of players between the West Bank and Gaza. (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 29, 2017)
PRESSURE FROM U.S. BEHIND GREATER JERUSALEM BILL VOTE DELAY (Washington) — A senior Washington official said that the US requested that the Greater Jerusalem bill not be put to a vote during the Sunday Ministerial Committee for Legislation meeting. According to the bill, the number of settlements under the jurisdiction of Jerusalem’s municipality would increase. The bill is based on similar laws that exist in various places throughout the world such as London and Paris. The bill was supposed to be put to a vote Sunday but at the last minute, it was removed from the committee’s agenda. (Jerusalem Online, Oct. 29, 2017)
KUSHNER, GREENBLATT VISIT PA OFFICIAL RECOVERING FROM SURGERY (Jerusalem) — Two senior Trump administration officials leading a US push for peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians paid a visit to a senior PA official recovering from surgery this week. Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, and Jason Greenblatt, the president's special representative for international negotiations, visited top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat after he underwent a significant lung transplant operation at a hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, late last month. The operation was successful and Erekat is responding well. (Jerusalem Post, Nov. 1, 2017)
UNRWA DEMANDS END TO TUNNEL BUILDING UNDER ITS SCHOOLS (Jerusalem) — Palestinians must stop building tunnels under Gaza schools, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East said, as it made public the presence of a new tunnel under one of its schools. UNRWA said it first discovered “what appeared to be a tunnel” under one of its schools on October 15. It sealed the tunnel and reopened the school on October 25. The terrorist group has increasingly focused on the construction of concrete tunnels to launch attacks against Israel. In June, UNRWA similarly reported it had discovered a tunnel that passed under two of its primary schools, which had already closed for the summer. That tunnel has also been sealed. (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 29, 2017)
JORDANIAN WITH RECORD OF ANTISEMITISM REWARDED WITH UN POST (Amman) — A Jordanian businessman who traffics openly in antisemitic conspiracy theories has been appointed as a “special ambassador” by a UN agency. The UN World Tourism Organization announced that it had named Talal Abu Ghazaleh as Special Ambassador of Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals. Abu Ghazaleh has never hidden his antisemitic views. He is a proponent of a popular Arab conspiracy theory; that the Al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001, were the consequence of a “Zionist plot.” Additionally, the businessman appears to be tied to anti-Zionist organizations, including the Electronic Intifada website and Zochrot, a Tel Aviv-based pro-Palestinian group. (Algemeiner, Oct. 29, 2017)
UN LAUNCHES $1.3 BILLION LEGAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISRAEL (New York) — The United Nations has earmarked some $1.3 billion to fund Palestinian legal campaigns against Israel and to support the creation of a Palestinian state, in what experts are calling an unprecedented act singling out Israel at the world body. A document that was recently signed between the U.N. and the Palestinians outlines a “strategic programming framework” in the disputed territories from 2018-2022, and states that the U.N. will work to advise the PA on how to exploit “international accountability mechanisms” in order to hold Israel accountable for alleged violations of international law. (JNS, Oct. 30, 2017)
REPORT: I.S. BEHIND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON HAMAS SECURITY CHIEF (Gaza) — The assassination attempt on Tawfik Abu Naim, the commander of Hamas' security forces in Gaza, was most likely done by I.S., Channel 2 News reported. Abu Naim was injured when a bomb detonated in his car. Two days earlier, he reportedly received a threatening phone call from an I.S. member, who demanded that Hamas stop persecuting I.S. members in the Gaza Strip and release two detainees. Following the attempted assassination, a Hamas spokesperson vaguely implied that Israel may be responsible for it, though he also spoke of other possibilities. (Jerusalem Online, Oct. 29, 2017)
CORBYN TO SKIP BALFOUR CENTENNIAL DINNER WITH NETANYAHU (London) — UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has reportedly declined to attend a dinner in London this week with Prime Minister Netanyahu celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, which pledged Britain’s support for a Jewish national home. Although no reason was given for Corbyn’s decision to skip the event, the Labour chief has long been a staunch Israel critic and has been dogged by accusations of tolerating antisemitism in his party’s ranks. Palestinian officials in recent weeks have stepped up calls for London to retract its support for a Jewish homeland in the area of the former British mandate, arguing that the land didn’t belong to Britain. (Times of Israel, Oct. 29, 2017)
RUSSIA TWEETS ABOUT 'NAZI' MONUMENTS IN CANADA (Ottawa) — Moscow has been tweeting to Canadians about “Nazi” monuments in Canada in an apparent extension of its conflict with Ukraine. Posts from the Twitter account of Russia’s embassy to Canada included images of Ukrainian monuments in Oakville, Ont., and Edmonton, Alta. The Oakville monument commemorates fighters from the Ukrainian Galicia Division of the SS, the military arm of the Nazis. The Edmonton monument is a bust of Roman Shukhevych, the leader of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Shukhevych also commanded a battalion responsible for murdering thousands of Jewish people. (National Post, Oct. 25, 2017)
NYC Aftermath: To Stop Terrorism, Destroy the Ideology: Elliot Friedland, Clarion Project, Nov. 1, 2017—Tuesday’s terrorist attack in New York was carried out by a 29-year-old man who rented a Home Depot truck and drove it onto a bike path. Such forms of attack are extremely simple to carry out. They need no planning, no coordination with a central organization and are not difficult to obtain equipment.
When it Comes to Israel, the Arab World isn’t a Good Sport: Raphael Ahren, Times of Israel, October 26, 2017—Last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s relations with the Arab world were better than ever. “There is cooperation in various ways, on various levels, but is not yet out in the open. But what is not yet out in the open is much greater than in any other period in Israeli history. This is a major change,” he gushed.
British Elites Regret Israel's Very Existence: Giulio Meotti, Arutz Sheva, Oct. 24, 2017 —The refusal of Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the English Labor Party, to attend the dinner in London for the centenary of the Balfour Declaration is the confirmation of what many have always suspected (for the occasion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be in the British capital to thank the UK for that gift made in 1917 to the Jewish people).
The Impact of Academic Boycotters of Israel on U.S. Campuses: AMCHA Initiative, Oct., 2017—Coordinated internationally by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), the academic boycott of Israel calls for college and university faculty to “boycott and/or work towards the cancellation or annulment of events, activities, agreements, or projects involving Israeli academic institutions.”
