Clone of Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

 On Topic Links

Video of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif: Youtube, Nov. 19, 2013   

Hot Mic Catches UN Interpreter Saying Anti-Israel Votes Are “A Bit Much”: Hillel Neuer, The Times of Israel, Nov. 14, 2013

The "Zionist regime" of Israel is the "rabid dog" of the region, is a threat to the world, is severely weakened and is doomed to decline. — Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said at a gathering of the Basij militia in Tehran on Wednesday. Khamenei added "It came from the mouth of the rabid dog of the region — Israel — that Iran is a threat to the world! No, the fake regime Israel and its allies are the threat," He added that Iran would not step back from its nuclear rights and his negotiating team had been set limits for talks over Iran's disputed nuclear program, to resume in Geneva later on Wednesday. "We do insist that we will not step back one iota from our rights…We do not intervene in the details of these talks. There are certain red lines and limits. These have to be observed. They are instructed to abide by those limits," he said. "They should not be afraid of what the enemy says," In a likely reference to United Nations, U.S. and European Union sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear activities, Khamenei added: "They intend to ratchet up the pressure on Iran. Iranians will succumb to no one under pressure. They should know that the Iranian nation respects all nations of the world, but we will slap aggressors in the face in such a way they will never forget it," Khamenei said, without referring to any specific country. Recounting a long litany of what he said were U.S. and Western historic crimes and present efforts to gain hegemony in the Middle East, Khamenei did however say: "We want to have friendly relations with all nations, even the United States. We are not hostile to the American nation. They are like other nations in the world." "Death to America," the militiamen chanted in response, repeating one of the main rallying cries for supporters of the Islamic republic. (Israel Hayom, Nov. 20, 2013)

French officials, Khamenei said in response to the hard line taken by France towards Iran’s nuclear ambitions, were "not only succumbing to the United States, but they are kneeling before the Israeli regime" ­—Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (The Guardian, Nov. 20, 2013)  

“We hope that France will not weaken… We salute (Hollande’s) consistent and determined position on the Iranian issue.” — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel told Le Figaro

daily in an interview. Nuclear negotiations with Iran are set to resume in Geneva today (Nov. 20).

(Jerusalem Post, Nov. 15, 2013)

“What is dignity? What is respect? Are they negotiable? Is there a price tag?…Imagine being told that you cannot do what everyone else is doing — what everyone else is allowed to do. Will you back down? Would you relent? Or would you stand your ground?” — Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif in a new video posted on a Youtube account listed under Mr. Zarif’s name on Tuesday: a slick five-minute production that lays out little new about Iran’s position on its right to pursue nuclear energy but which is notable for its timing and context. (New York Times, Nov. 19, 2013)

"What we are seeing is the future. I think where radical Islam is trying to take us is the past." He elaborated, "We are for modernity. They are for a dark medievalism…We're for opening up our societies for everyone – men, women, minorities, the right to be different," the Prime Minister continued, "They're for uniform suppression of a rigid doctrine and they want to back it up with weapons of death." — Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, at an Israeli-French technology conference Tuesday, contrasted Israel's goals with those of Islamic radicals as a matter of modernity and anachronism. (Arutz Sheva, Nov. 19 2013)

"When the U.S. and Israel are at fundamental odds, it weakens U.S. power in the region and sends very bad signals to America's other allies…Israel has more in common now with Saudi Arabia. It exacerbates an already fractious region." — Aaron David Miller, a former senior State Department official now at Washington's Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, commenting on the Obama administration's overtures to Iran that are straining the U.S. alliance with Israel. (Wall Street Journal, Nov. 17, 2013)

“A rare opportunity for a diplomatic resolution to the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program is at risk because many lawmakers, urged on by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, are insisting that Congress impose tougher economic sanctions, perhaps next week as an amendment to the defense bill…Constrained from selling oil, its main moneymaker, and boxed out of the international financial system, Iran is reeling economically. Oil export earnings have fallen from a range between $110 billion and $120 billion annually to a range of $40 billion to $50 billion, of which about half is available to the government. Hassan Rouhani, elected president earlier this year, believes he has a popular mandate — as well as support from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader — to seek an easing of these sanctions through negotiations. Even so, Israel, groups like the Washington, D.C.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies and lawmakers like Senator Mark Kirk, Republican of Illinois, want to ratchet up the pressure…President Obama deserves more time to work out a negotiated settlement with Iran and the other major powers. If the deals falls through, or if inspections by the United Nations unearth cheating, Congress can always impose more sanctions then. But if talks fail now, Mr. Netanyahu and the hard-line interest groups will own the failure, and the rest of us will pay the price.” — Editorial Board of the New York Times (New York Times, Nov. 15, 2013)

Israel could halt Iran’s nuclear capability “for a very long time,” and the air force has conducted “very long-range flights… all around the world” in preparation. “We are not the United States of America, of course, and believe it or not they have more capabilities than us…But we have enough to stop the Iranians for a very long time. We are not bluffing…We are very serious – preparing ourselves for the possibility that Israel will have to defend itself by itself.” — Former Israeli national security adviser Yaakov Amidror, who added that Israel could not, nor would it want to, “count on others to do the job if the others don’t want to do the job.” (Jerusalem Post, Nov. 18, 2013)

"I mean, I think when you have five statements, not five, like a total of ten resolutions on Israel and Palestine, there's gotta be something, c'est un peu trop, non? [It's a bit much, no?] I mean I know… There's other really bad stuff happening [around the world], but no one says anything, about the other stuff," — United Nations interpreter expressed on a "hot mic" the thoughts of many UN observers: that the incessant emphasis on condemning Israel – for crimes real or alleged – is uncalled for and excessive. (Arutz Sheva, Nov. 17, 2013)  

“I hope nothing bad happens to the interpreter, but in order to remove all doubt I can say that a place of employment is assured her in Israel if things go in that direction…Sometimes the veil of hypocrisy over the incessant attacks against us is ripped off, and this interpreter did that,” —Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel’s reaction to comments made by a UN interpreter. (Jerusalem Post, Nov. 17, 2013)  

 “I call on him from here today: let’s break the deadlock…Get up on this platform and recognize the historical truth: the Jews have a nearly 4,000-year-old link to the land of Israel…The Jews are a people with a right to self-determination. In real peace, all Palestinian claims regarding the State of Israel will end, including national claims on its territory and sovereignty.” — Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel, challenging Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas Monday to address the Knesset and recognize Israel as a Jewish state. (The Jewish Press, Nov. 19, 2013)

UN COMMITTEE CRITICIZES IRANIAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS — (New York) The UN General Assembly’s human rights committee welcomed pledges by Iran’s new president on some important human rights issues Tuesday but criticized serious rights violations including torture, frequent use of the death penalty and widespread restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression. A resolution urging Iran’s new government led by President Hassan Rouhani to address ongoing human rights violations was adopted by a vote of 83-36 with 62 abstentions. (Times of Israel, Nov. 20, 2013)

IRAN’S UN ENVOY SLAMS CANADA FOR SPONSORING RESOLUTION “DEVOID OF FACTS” — (New York) Canada’s UN Ambassador Guillermo Rishchynski, whose country sponsored the resolution urging Iran’s government to address human rights violations, said “human rights violations in Iran continue to be widespread and grave.” The resolution cites Iran’s use of inhuman punishments including flogging and amputations, its “alarming” high use of the death penalty against young people under age 18, its efforts to block or hinder internet access and content and to jam international satellite transmission, and its harassment of human rights defenders. “Following positive overtures and statements, the government of Iran must now act to demonstrate a real commitment to human rights reform,” Rishchynski said. Iran’s UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee accused Canada of brushing off “Iran’s enormous advancement” and presenting a resolution “devoid of facts.” (Times of Israel, Nov. 20, 2013)

MOTORCYCLE-DRIVING SUICIDE BOMBER TARGETS BEIRUT’S IRANIAN EMBASSY AS TWIN ATTACKS KILL 23 — (Beirut)An Al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings that struck outside the Iranian Embassy in Beirut on Tuesday, killing 23 people, including an Iranian diplomat. The obscure Abdullah Azzam Brigades said it carried out the midmorning bombings in a southern Beirut Hezbollah stronghold — the latest strike in the proxy battles that have played out in the region for decades and now intensified with the civil war next door in Syria. Attacks have targeted Hezbollah strongholds in recent months in what many see as retaliation by Sunni extremists for the Shiite group’s role in the fighting in Syria, now in its third year. (National Post, Nov. 19, 2013)

SYRIAN REBELS SORRY FOR BEHEDING WRONG GUY — (Aleppo) A group of Al Qaeda-linked Syrian rebels beheaded a fighter then triumphantly waved his head in the air as a trophy — only to discover the poor guy was actually one of their own. Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham are shown in a graphic video clutching the head of a bearded victim while claiming he was a hated member of an Iraqi Shia group fighting for President Bashar al-Assad. But the killers soon learned that the victim, Mohammed Fares, was actually an allied fighter for Ahrar al-Sham, a Sunni Islamist group that fights alongside their own group of Al Qaeda-linked thugs. (New York Post, Nov. 15, 2013) 

ISRAEL BLAMED FOR BEIRUT BLAST, BUT AL QAEDA TAKES THE CREDIT — (Beirut) Al Qaeda took responsibility for the double bombing at the Iranian embassy in Beirut Tuesday morning, minutes after Iran accused Israel of being behind the explosions that killed an Iranian diplomat and at least 22 others. The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Ghadanfar Roknabadi, said it was an “Israeli scheme” and that the attacks served the “Zionist entity.” (The Jewish Press, Nov. 19, 2013)

DEADLY KABUL BOMBING SENDS MESSAGE ON SECURITY PACT VOTE — (Kabul) A powerful car bomb that exploded near the site where Afghan elders are set to vote on a long-term security agreement with the United States killed at least 10 people on Saturday, rattling central Kabul and underscoring the insurgency’s desire to prevent an American presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014. The bomb exploded just a few hundred yards from the site where elders and other important Afghans have assembled to vote on the security agreement between Afghanistan and the United States on Thursday. The approval of the pact by the assembly, known as a loya jirga, is a vital step toward allowing United States forces to remain in the country and continue training the Afghan Army. (New York Times, Nov, 16)

AFGHAN VILLAGERS FIND THE BODIES OF SIX BEHEADED CONTRACTORS IN RESTIVE SOUTHERN PROVINCE — (Kabul) Afghan villagers discovered the beheaded bodies of six government contractors Sunday in the country's restive south, the apparent victims of insurgents who regularly target state projects, officials said. Kandahar police spokesman Ahmed Durrani said villagers found the bodies. He said the men were involved in building police compounds and checkpoints in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The Taliban have previously targeted contractors, warning Afghans against working for the government. (Montreal Gazette, Nov. 17, 2013)

LIBYA PROTEST TURNS DEADLY AS MILITIAS OPEN FIRE — (Tripoli) Dozens of people were killed in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Friday after militiamen opened fire on unarmed protesters, setting off some of the worst violence in the capital since the revolt against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi almost three years ago. The bloodshed at the protest on Friday afternoon quickly devolved into clashes involving armed citizens and rival militias, witnesses said. The protest that led to the violence was part of a rising tide of citizen anger against Libya’s multitude of militias, made up of thousands of men who fought Colonel Qaddafi’s forces and never laid down their arms. (New York Times, Nov. 15, 2013)

NIGERIAN INSURGENTS BRANCH OUT — (Yaounde) The cross-border kidnapping of a French priest by suspected members of Boko Haram this week shows how the Nigerian Islamic insurgency is evolving from a local menace into a regional threat. Late Wednesday, assailants rushed across the border from Nigeria into a small village in Cameroon called Nguetchewe, where French priest Georges Vandenbeusch had just celebrated Mass with his Catholic faithful, said Augustine Awah Fonka, the region's governor. The gunmen—suspected Boko Haram fighters—then fled on motorbikes with the priest to Nigeria, he said. The abduction came on the same day the U.S. State Department designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization, capping a years long debate over its international reach. (Wall Street Journal, Nov. 16, 2013)

SYRIAN KURDS CARVE OUT ZONE OF CONTROL, DRIVING OUT JIHADIS — (Damascus) Syria’s Kurds have dramatically strengthened their hold on the far northeast reaches of the country, carving out territory as they drive out Islamic militant fighters allied to the rebellion and declaring their own civil administration in areas under their control this week amid the chaos of the civil war. The moves could be a first step toward creating an autonomous region similar to one Kurds run across the border as virtually a separate country within Iraq. (Montreal Gazette, Nov. 14, 2013)

EGYPT HOSTS TOP RUSSIAN OFFICIALS, A SIGN IT IS TURNING FURTHER AWAY FROM ALLIANCE WITH U.S. —  (Cairo) Egypt edged further away from its traditional place within the U.S. sphere of influence Thursday, hosting Russia’s foreign and defense ministers in the highest-level talks between the two countries in years. The visit, which included discussions on strengthening military ties and diplomatic efforts on Syria, challenged the U.S. position as Egypt’s primary benefactor and was seen as a diplomatic swipe at Cairo’s increasingly estranged Western ally. (Washington Post, Nov. 15, 2013)

PA PAYS $27,500-$50,000 IN GRANTS TO RELEASED TERRORISTS — (Ramallah) To accommodate the PA’s precondition for resuming negotiations, Israel recently released two groups of imprisoned terrorists. Those terrorists will all receive financial grants from the Palestinian Authority, between $27,500 and $50,000. A prisoner is eligible for the grant if he has served more than five years in an Israeli prison. The longer the sentence served, the higher the grant: “The beneficiaries are released prisoners who served more than 5 years [in Israeli prisons]… One who served up to 10 years will receive $1,000 for each year [he was imprisoned]; between 11 and 15 years – it goes up to $1,500; between 15 and 20 years it goes up to $2,000, etc. The maximum total won’t exceed $50,000,” Director of the PA Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs Nael Ghannam explained. (The Jewish Press, Nov. 19, 2013)

ISRAELI HOSPITAL TREATS HAMAS PM HANIYEH’S GRANDDAUGHTER —  (Petah Tikva) The granddaughter of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was transferred on Monday to an Israeli hospital for treatment, sources in the Gaza Strip confirmed. The sources said the girl, Amal, had been in serious condition after being diagnosed with an acute infection of the digestive tract. She was admitted on Sunday to Schneider Children’s Medical Center for Israel in Petah Tikva, and was later returned to a hospital in Gaza City. She is the daughter of Haniyeh’s eldest son, Abdel Salam, who confirmed on his Facebook account that the one-year-old girl had been transferred to Israel. “Dear brothers, Amal has been transferred inside the Green Line,” the father wrote. “I pray to Allah for her recovery.” (Jerusalem Post, Nov. 19, 2013)

IDF TREATS HUNDREDS IN PHILIPPINES — (Bogo) Since the IDF delegation to the Philippines landed last Thursday, the unit has treated over 370 wounded – 150 of them children – in a hospital in the city of Bogo. IDF doctors at Bogo’s hospital have performed operations, used advanced medical equipment, and overseen 5 births. Typhoon Heiyan, which hammered the Philippines last week, has been estimated to have killed up to 10,000 people and has left hundreds of thousands wounded or missing. (Arutz Sheva, Nov. 16, 2013)

BRANDEIS SEVERS TIES WITH AL-QUDS UNIVERSITY — (Boston) Brandeis University has released an official statement on its website severing ties with Hamas-linked Al Quds University after a "Nazi-style" rally outraged students on the partner campus. The university has campuses in Jerusalem and its environs. The Washington Free Beacon reported earlier this month that Brandeis University has partnered with the Hamas institute as a means of allegedly holding "dialogue." Last Tuesday, the Islamic Jihad terror faction launched a fascist, Nazi-style march through Al-Quds University grounds. (Arutz Sheva, Nov. 16, 2013)

GEORGETOWN INVITES MEMBER OF EGYPT’S NAZI PARTY — (Washington) Georgetown University has come under fire for inviting a founder of the Egyptian Nazi Party to a conference planned for December on the future of Egypt. The proposed speaker, Ramy Jan, was advertised as a representative of Christians Against the Coup, a little-known group opposed to Egypt’s military rulers. But in the months after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Mr. Jan appeared on Egyptian television as a co-founder of the country’s nascent Nazi Party. On Wednesday a Georgetown representative said that Mr. Jan would no longer be involved in the event. (New York Times, Nov. 20, 2013)

NEW YORK TIMES ADMITS “PHOTO OF PALESTINIAN MOTHER WAS THE WRONG CHOICE” — (New York) Last week a 16-year-old Palestinian stabbed and killed an 18-year-old Israeli soldier, Eden Atias, while he was sleeping on a bus. The New York Times covered the story, which they've now admitted that their method of presenting it was “regrettable.” The Times’ Wednesday story, “Attack on Israeli Worsens Tensions With Palestinians” featured a picture of the mother of the stabber in an “attempt to add balance” to the story. Reaction from readers the world over, however, has prompted the Times to apologize. As the apology story says, the picture was “failing to put the focus where it belonged.” (New York Times, Nov. 19, 2013)

Video of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif: Youtube, Nov. 19, 2013

Hot Mic Catches UN Interpreter Saying Anti-Israel Votes Are “A Bit Much”: Hillel Neuer, The Times of Israel, Nov. 14, 2013 — The truth comes out when we think no one else is listening.

Rob Coles, Publications Editor, Canadian Institute for Jewish Research/L'institut Canadien de recherches sur le Judaïsme,   www.isranet.org Tel: (514) 486-5544 – Fax:(514) 486-8284. mailto:ber@isranet.wpsitie.com