Weekly Quotes
“As expected, the conference held today in Brussels for donors to the Palestinian Authority, endorsed the idea that the PA ‘is above the threshold of a functioning state.’ This statement echoed the opinion rendered by the International Monetary Fund…and the United Nations.… According to Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad, this all amounts to a ‘birth certificate’ for a Palestinian state.… The assertion that the PA could actually run a ‘functioning state’ ignores a fundamental truth about Fayyad’s regime. It is not merely dependent on massive foreign aid. It also could not function or survive without the protection afforded by Israel’s military presence in the West Bank, the very thing that Fayyad claims he wishes to eliminate.… An Israeli withdrawal would mean that the terror groups who constitute the real power in Palestinian society might obtain the ability to transform this territory into another terrorist launching pad like Gaza.…”—Excerpts from Jonathan S. Tobin’s article, Palestinians Get Donor “Birth Certificate”, denouncing the erroneous notion that Palestinian prime minister Salaam Fayyad has adequately prepared the Palestinians for statehood, by “somehow miraculously transform[ing the] Palestinian political culture,” which is still largely influenced by terrorist organizations. (Contentions, April 13.)
“Passover brings up the Ten Plagues of Egypt, which compelled the Egyptians to liberate the Hebrews from bondage. One of the questions that is not asked at the Seder, however, is why Egypt got ten plagues while Israel got Palestinians as neighbors. The answer is that Pharaoh had first choice:
(1) Water turned to blood. Given the Palestinian propensity for mindless violence toward one another as well as so-called infidels, nearby bodies of water tend to fill with blood as well.
(2) Frogs just croak, but Palestinians croak Israeli athletes at Munich, school children at Ma’alot, and senior citizens on the Achille Lauro.
(3) Lice or gnats are annoying but not deadly, unlike Qassam and other rockets
(4) Flies tend to gather on the bodies of Palestinian lynching victims.
(5) Disease of livestock is preferable to Palestinians who just kill every living thing in sight.
(6) Boils are definitely preferable to the injuries caused by Palestinian nail bombs, some of which are poisoned.
(7) Hail mixed with fire: there go those Qassam rockets again.
(8) Locusts destroy only what they eat, while Palestinians destroy even what they don’t eat. The ones in Gaza demolished synagogues that they could have used for housing or even mosques, along with greenhouses they could have used to raise food.
(9) Darkness. Candles or modern electric lights will fix that, but the darkness of ignorance that Palestinian schools deliberately propagate is a lot worse. While children around the world, even those in poor countries, learn reading, writing, and other skills that will help them in life, Palestinian children learn only irrational hatred of infidels and especially Jews. Role models like Farfur the Rat Imam teach violence and hatred, as opposed to simple math and reading skills that they might acquire from Sesame Street characters.
(10) Death of the first-born. Palestinian parents and teachers encourage all children, not just the first born, to be suicide bombers. Palestinian parents often celebrate when their sons and daughters blow themselves up, in contrast to Egyptian parents who mourned the deaths of their children.
In summary…it might in fact be reasonable to conclude that, if one’s country must ever choose between the ten plagues of Egypt and Palestinians, take the ten plagues.”—Israeli political analyst Bill Levinson, describing the ten plagues of “Palestine.” (Israpundit, April 19.)
“Iran’smilitary power today is unparalleled to anything in the past. Our armed forces have in their possession the most advanced military and defensive equipment, thanks to Iranian experts and scientists. There is no enemy nowadays that can attack Iran; it would be like committing suicide.”—Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, Brigadier-General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, speaking at a military conference in honor of Iran’s National Armed Forces Day, declaring that a military offensive against the Islamic Republic would be “suicidal.”At the main ceremony of the day, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad affirmed that the Islamic Republic’s army was one of the world’s most powerful forces, adding that “the age of Zionism has passed.” (Ynet News, April 20.)
“Just as the original report was celebrated by Arab cartoonists as ‘proof’ of the evil nature of Israel and Jews, so too has the decision by Judge Richard Goldstone to reconsider his findings inspired another round of hateful caricatures and stereotypes in the Arab Media. Newspapers across the Arab world have responded to the Goldstone developments with a series of hideous caricatures, many of them viciously anti-Semitic.”—Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-defamation League (ADL), describing the dramatic increase of anti-semitic cartoons in Arab publications following Richard Goldstone’s admission that Israel did not commit war crimes during the Gaza war. According to the ADL, one of the cartoon included a stereotypical Jew—with a large nose, beard and black hat and labeled “The Jewish Lobby”—holding a pair of scissors to Goldstone’s tongue (labeled the “Goldstone Report”). A sampling of the cartoons is available on the League’s website. (Ynet News, April 21.)
“If the United States had acted quickly and forcefully in the early days of the uprising, it’s quite likely that Qaddafi could have been removed from power, which would have been a good thing. But President Obama delayed, sent conflicting signals and then decided to intervene only at the 11th hour. That was bad enough; that Obama did so in a way that was irresolute and radiated weakness made things worse. And now we are where we are. Obama himself has conceded we now ‘have a stalemate on the ground militarily.…’ Right now, Qaddafi is humbling America and NATO, both of which look impotent. It turns out a community organizer [Obama] leaves something to be desired as commander-in-chief. Who knew?”—Excerpts from Peter Wehner’s article, It’s Obama’s Stalemate, describing U.S. President Barack Obama’s gross mishandling of the intervention in Libya “in almost every way imaginable.” U.S. officials recently confirmed that some of their assumptions regarding the Libyan conflict were “faulty.” Among them was “(a) the notion that air power alone would degrade Muammar Qaddafi’s military to the point where he would be forced to halt his attacks and (b) the U.S. could leave the airstrikes primarily to warplanes from Britain, France, and other European countries.” (Contentions, April 21.)
“Innocent people were targeted for killing. Hospitals and ambulances were attacked. Supplies of food and fuel were choked off. Water for hundreds of thousands of people was shut off. Cities and towns were shelled, mosques were destroyed and apartment buildings reduced to rubble. This is about Libya, but you would say the same logic should be applied to Gaza. Unfortunately, it is not. Revolutions are shaking the Middle East, and one big loser is Israel.… The Palestinian-led BDS movement is calling Israel an apartheid state, and the main refutation of this is that Israel allows Palestinians to vote. Apartheid is not defined according to whims of this or that scholar.… Israel is losing the battle for hearts and minds at the grassroots level… [and] competes with Iran and North Korea as the most hated countries in the world..”—Omar Barghouti, founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement,at the “Busboys and Poets” event in Washington D.C., comparing NATO’s intervention in Libya to Israel’s ongoing attempt to suppress terrorism in Gaza, and calling Israel an apartheid state, despite his acknowledgment that Palestinians have equal rights under Israeli law. Barghouti concluded his rant by recommending that everyone, including “Zionists,” read his new book. (Haaretz, April 17.)
“Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News is reporting that Turkey’s Jewish population is starting to decline: ‘Migration to Israel and a death rate twice that of new births are causing a decrease in the size of the Jewish community in Turkey, according to its representatives. Economic considerations are the main driver behind migration.…’ Curiously, the paper does not name the representatives with whom it spoke. Also strange is that Turkey’s economy is booming. That Turkey’s Jews stayed during recession, but flee during an economic boom suggests that perhaps economic motivations are not to blame. A much more plausible explanation—and one to which Turkish Jews attest privately—is that Turkey’s Jewish community is fleeing because of the flames of hatred fanned by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.… Alas, for Turkey’s Jews, ‘Next Year in Jerusalem’ may no longer be a declaration at the end of their Seder, but increasingly could become a plan for self-preservation.”—Excerpts fromaMichael Rubin article, describing the reversal of more than 600-years of Turkish tolerance towards Jews, and blaming Turkey’s “Islamist and fiercely anti-Semitic prime minister” for he ongoing mass exodus of Jews from the country (Contentions, April 19.)
Short Takes
ISRAEL CAPTURES FOGEL MURDERERS—(Jerusalem) One month after five members of the Fogel family were brutally murdered at their home in Itamar, the IDF has caught two of the killers in the nearby Palestinian village of Awarta. Hakim Maazan Niyad Awad, and Amjad Muhammad Fawzi Awad, high school students affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), have been arrested and charged. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, at least 5 accomplices have also been detained. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, April 17.)
SYRIA: ‘DON’T KILL MORE THAN 20 PROTESTERS IN ONE DAY’—(Jerusalem) A document allegedly drafted by top Syrian intelligence officers, which details strict guidelines for carrying out rebel assassinations, infiltrating anti-regime organizations and distributing propaganda sound bites and images, has been published on Facebook. Among the instructions handed down to security forces was an order to limit the number of protesters killed in one day to 20 people. The limited killing, the document says, was necessary in order to control international anger about the Assad regime’s use of force against civilians. The document also calls for anti-rebel forces to create links between government protesters and the U.S. and Israel. (Jerusalem Post, April 14.)
SYRIAN FORCES FIRE ON PROTESTERS AS CRACKDOWN INTENSIFIES—(Beirut) Despite lifting decades-old emergency laws in an attempt to quell intensifying demonstrations, the Syrian government has continued its violent crackdown on protestors. In the wake of the boldest rally in the month-long uprising demanding an end to the Assad family’s 40-year rule, government forces opened fire at hundreds of dissenters in the city of Homs, killing at least four. According to human rights groups, more than 200 people have been killed since the uprising began. (Washington Post, April 19)
EGYPT AND IRAN FOSTERING RELATIONS—(Cairo) Iran has appointed an ambassador to Egypt for the first time since the two sides froze diplomatic relations more than three decades ago, worrying the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia that renewed relations between the two countries could empower Iran and further upset the Mideast’s balance of power. The announcement followed a rare meeting earlier this month between a high-level Iranian diplomat and Egypt’s new foreign minister Nabil Elaraby, after which Elaraby told reporters that Egypt has “opened a new page” with Iran. (Wall Street Journal, April 19.)
MUBARAK’S SONS SENT TO PRISON—(Cairo) Deposed president Hosni Mubarak’s two sons, Gamal and Alaa, have been imprisoned for at least 15 days, during which time they will be questioned regarding accusations of corruption. Along with Mubarak’s two sons, Tora prison now houses Mubarak’s ex-prime minister, Ahmed Nazif; his longtime chief of staff, Zakariya Azmi; his interior minister, Habib el-Adly; the chairman of his National Democratic Party (NDP), Safwat el-Sherif, and former parliament speaker Fathi Surour. The military also announced that Mubarak himself has been detained in a military hospital, due to his poor health. (Seattle Times, April 13.)
EGYPT TO RAISE PRICE OF GAS FOR ISRAEL—(Jerusalem) Egypt General Petroleum Corp. has reached an understanding with the East Mediterranean Gas Co. Ltd. to raise the price of Egyptian natural gas sold to Israel. Egypt and Israel signed an agreement in 2005, for the supply of 1.7 billion cubic meters a year over 20 years; gas started flowing to Israel in May 2008. According to reports, the agreement is retroactive to 2008 and therefore requires the approval of the Egyptian Supreme Court. (Globes, April 13.)
EGYPT: MUSLIMS RIOT OVER APPOINTMENT OF CHRISTIAN GOVERNOR—(Cairo) Thousands of Muslims have staged three days of protests in Qena, demanding that the appointment of a Christian governor be reversed. Egypt’s interim military rulers selected Emad Mikhail last week as one of several new appointments to replace officials associated with Mubarak’s autocratic regime. According to officials, the demonstrations became aggressive when Salafi Islamists in the crowd began chanting, “we want it Islamic.” Some radicals threatened to kill Mikhail if he came to his office. (Reuters, April 17.)
COALITION FORCES TO SEND MILITARY OFFICERS TO LIBYA—(Paris) France, Italy and Britain have confirmed they are sending “liaison officers” to Libya, to advise and train Libyan opposition rebels. Asked about the decision to send military “advisers” into Libya, White House spokesman Jay Carney said U.S. President Barack Obama “believes it will help the opposition.” But, Mr. Carney added, “it does not at all change our—the president’s—policy on no boots on the ground for American troops.” NATO officials say the mission in Libya will continue until Col. Gadhafi’s forces are no longer a danger to civilians. (Wall Street Journal, April 20.)
ISRAEL TO ARM COMBAT SOLDIERS WITH CAMERAS—(Jerusalem) The Israeli military is considering equipping its combat soldiers with cameras, in order to document the IDF’s strict adherence to international law during times of war. The pictures, taken by embedded cameramen, would also be used to disprove and discredit those who charge Israel with committing war crimes. According military sources, soldiers from different units would take a two-week course to teach them photography and the international media. (Associated Press, April 11.)
PMO: HAMAS HASN’T ANSWERED SCHALIT OFFER FOR OVER A YEAR—(Jerusalem) According to a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office, Hamas has not responded to Israel’s most recent offer for a prisoner exchange deal to free captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit for over a year. The statement stressed that while efforts to secure the soldier’s release are continuing, Hamas’s failure to respond to Israeli offers proves that the terror group does not intend to make a deal. No information regarding the captured soldier had been released by Hamas since a September 2009 video tape. (Jerusalem Post, April 21.)
TUNISIAN POLICEWOMAN ACCUSED OF SLAPPING FRUIT VENDOR FREED—(Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia) A Tunisian court has freed the policewoman accused of slapping a young fruit seller, Mohamed Bouazizi, who triggered the revolutions across the Arab world by setting himself on fire. Bouazizi’s act of defiance sparked mass demonstrations in Tunisia, which resulted in the ouster of president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Before he fled, however, Mr. Ben Ali tried to quell public anger by ordering the arrest of policewoman Fadia Hamdi. Tunisia’s caretaker authorities have since renamed the main square in Tunis after Mr. Bouazizi. (Globe & Mail, April 19.)
‘SETTLEMENT’ WORKERS PAID DOUBLE AVERAGE WAGE—(Ramallah) According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Palestinians who work in Israeli “settlements” earn nearly double the average rate of their peers in the West Bank and Gaza. The PCBS report found that the average daily wage for settlement workers is 150 shekels (approx. $44), compared to 76.9 in the West Bank, and 46.2 in Gaza. The PCBS research is likely to concern Palestinian Authority leaders, who plan to outlaw Palestinians from working in Israeli businesses located across the Green Line by 2012. (Ma’an News Agency, April 21.)
SWISS COURT: BAN ON ANTI-ISRAEL SIGNS VIOLATES FREE SPEECH—(Jerusalem) A Swiss court has ordered the state’s national train service to allow members of the Palestine Solidarity Action group to hang anti-Israel posters in Zurich’s central station. The posters convey messages such as: “Sixty-one years of Israel, 61 years of injustice,” and “Israel was established with violence on Palestinian land.” The Swiss train service argued in court that its policy prohibits the distribution of materials on sensitive foreign affairs issues. The court rejected the claim, stating that a train station is a public place and as such, it is a place for the exchange of opinions. (Ynet News, April 13.)
