BREAKING NEWS:
South African jurist Richard Goldstone has confirmed that he will not seek nullification of his highly critical UN report on Israel’s 2008-2009 offensive in the Gaza Strip, contrary to the claims of Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai. Yishai told Israel’s Army Radio station that he phoned Goldstone to express his appreciation for Goldstone’s “courageous” reconsideration of his charges, and added that Goldstone promised him he would take additional steps to retract his UN report. Also speaking on Army Radio, Danny Gillerman, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN, who also participated in the phone call, quoted Goldstone as saying he was ready to take steps to change the status of the report, but first wanted to “wait for the dust to settle.” However, in an interview with The Associated Press Wednesday afternoon, Goldstone rebuffed the claims, alleging “there was absolutely no discussion about the Goldstone Report on the call,” and saying he did not intend to pursue the matter further. (Ynet News, April 6.)
“We know a lot more today about what happened in the Gaza war of 2008-09 than we did when I chaired the fact-finding mission appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council that produced what has come to be known as the Goldstone Report. If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.…”—Richard Goldstone, former chairperson of the UN fact-finding mission on the Gaza War,in a Washington Post editorial entitled Reconsidering the Goldstone Report on Israel and War Crimes, retracting his claim that the IDF committed war crimes during Operation Cast Lead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the momentous occurrence, saying “There are very few instances in which those who disseminate libels retract their libel. This happened in the case of the Goldstone Report. Goldstone himself said that all of the things that we have been saying all along are correct – that Israel never intentionally fired at civilians and that our inquiries operated according to the highest international standards.… This leads us to call for the immediate cancellation of the Goldstone Report.… We will act on the public diplomacy front, and on other fronts, with the international community and the UN in order to demand the justice that is due to Israel.” (Washington Post, April 1 & Independent Media Review and Analysis, April 3.)
“What we [the U.S.] want to see is for it [Goldstone Report] to disappear and no longer be a subject of discussion and debate in the Human Rights Council or the General Assembly or beyond. We see no need…for the report to be considered and now that its principal author has said what he said, frankly, our view is reinforced that this should go away and that’s what we’ll work to do.”—U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, at a congressional hearing in Washington, affirming that the U.S. would attempt to have the Goldstone Report rescinded at the UN. (Jersualem Post, April 6.)
“Goldstonism—Noun. Named after Jewish Judge Richard Goldstone, who drafted an anti-Israeli report utilized by global Islam’s propaganda in its war against the democratic Jewish state. Definition: The term refers to the ability to maneuver a person in a way that serves totalitarian ideologies by utilizing a collective sense of guilt and turning him into a ‘useful idiot.’”(Ynet News, April 3.)
“We have once again imposed sanctions on a company that doesn’t do any business in the US.… When we do that, I’m afraid we’re sending Iran a signal more of weakness than of strength, and we’re having no impact on their economy. Such impact is the very point of sanctions.”—U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Howard Berman, in a hearing with outgoing U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg, condemning U.S. president Barack Obama for deploying sanctions against Iran in a “symbolic” manner. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen backed Berman’s assertions, saying “the bottom line is that the [U.S.] State Department has not yet acted to fully implement and enforce our Iran sanctions laws.” (Jerusalem Post, March 31.)
“The welcome developments that have started taking place in our region are as a result of Iran’s resistance and in the future there will be many more shifts in the region. Almost all analysts around the world are noting that that movements currently sweeping through the Middle East and North Africa are as a result of the Iranian people’s revolution.”—Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, in a meeting with his top-ranking military commanders, calling the ongoing upheaval in the Arab world a victory for the Islamic revolution. Discussing Iran’s nuclear program, Khamenei affirmed that despite Western efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear drive, “After eight years of pressure, the Islamic Iran has won out.” (Pajamas Media, April 5.)
“Without loyalty, there can be no citizenship. Any person who harms the country cannot enjoy the benefits of citizenship and its fruit. The law will help confront the phenomenon by which there are those who take advantage of our democracy in order to undermine it, and by which those who are called citizens collaborate with the enemy.”—Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, commenting on the Knesset’s passing of the Citizenship Law, which enables Israeli courts to revoke the citizenship of, and issue prison sentences to, individuals convicted of treason, or committing terror against the state. Proponents of the bill believe its implementation will strengthen internal deterrence against would-be terrorists and traitors. (Jerusalem Post, March 28.)
“The World Energy Council estimates Israel’s shale deposits, located some 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem, could ultimately yield as many as 250 billion barrels of oil. For purposes of comparison, Saudi Arabia has proven reserves of 260 billion barrels.… There would be much surprise—and some justice—if Israel were someday to become the Mideast’s newest energy giant.”—Bret Stephens, in a Wall Street Journal article entitled Could Israel Become an Energy Giant, describing Israel’s discovery of an enormous shale deposit near Jerusalem, which has the potential to yield approximately 250 billion barrels oil. Together with Israel’s recent discovery of massive offshore natural gas reserves in the “Leviathan” and “Tamar” fields, estimated to contain 16 and 8.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, respectively, these immense finds have the capacity to transform Israel into a net exporter of energy. (Wall Street Journal, April 5, 2011 & Jerusalem Post, November 29, 2010.)
“We thank the people of Israel for praying for us and for the hospitality we received…and we thank you for the opportunity to visit Jerusalem and Bethlehem and immerse ourselves in the waters of the River Jordan and the Dead Sea. We take unforgettable memories with us back to Chile.”—Excerpt from a letter sent to the Israeli Tourism Ministry by a contingency of Chilean miners, thanking Israel for its hospitality following their recent 8-day, all-expenses-paid pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Last October, the Chilean miners were heroically rescued after being trapped underground for more than two months. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, April 5.)
Short Takes
ROMAN JEWS VISIT ITAMAR, SUPPORT FOGEL FAMILY—(Jerusalem) A delegation of Roman Jews, headed by community president Riccardo Pacifici, has visited Itamar to support the residents. Earlier this month, five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death in their beds by Palestinian terrorists. Rome’s Jewish community collected $25,000 (Euros) for the remaining members of the family, Tamar, 12, Roi, 8, and two-year-old Yishai. One of the members of the delegation said he would “adopt” the children from Italy in order to enable them to pursue higher education studies in the future. (Ynet News, March 31.)
PA STILL INTENDS TO PURSUE ISRAELI ‘WAR CRIMES’ AT UN, ICC—(Jerusalem) The Palestinian Authority has confirmed it still intends to use the Goldstone Report to push for condemnation of Israeli “war crimes” in Gaza, both at the United Nations and the International Criminal Court. Nabil Abu Rudaineh, a spokesman for PA President Mahmoud Abbas, said that Goldstone’s retracted findings will not change the fact that Israel had committed “massacres in the Gaza Strip.” Many Palestinians are accusing Goldstone of “surrendering to Zionist pressure and threats.” (Jerusalem Post, April 4.)
LIBYAN REBELS FRUSTRATED, BLAME NATO—(Benghazi) The top military commander of Libya’s rebels, Chief-of-Staff Gen. Abdel Fattah Younis, has concluded that opposition fighters are unlikely to make significant gains against Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s forces unless the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) responds more quickly to requests for airstrikes, and gives the rebels advanced weapons, including helicopters. Meanwhile, the coalition has moved forward on the diplomatic front, in outreach to rebels and to members of Gadhafi regime, who the U.S., U.K. and others hope will defect. U.S. officials have expressed reservations about training and equipping rebels, saying they still know little about the actual composition of rebel forces. (Wall Street Journal, April 5 & 6.)
LIBYAN WOMAN CLAIMING RAPE WILL FACE CHARGES—(Triploi) Iman al-Obeidi, the Libyan woman who made international headlines when she burst into a Tripoli hotel to tell foreign journalists that she was raped by Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s troops, will face criminal charges, as the men she accused are now suing her for damages. Mrs. Al-Obeidi claimed she was detained at a Tripoli checkpoint by 15 Gadhafi troops, who handcuffed and raped her. While conveying her story to the press, Mrs. al-Obeidi was tackled by government minders and dragged away from the hotel; she has since been missing. (Wall Street Journal, March 29.)
ELBARADEI: WE’LL FIGHT BACK IF ISRAEL ATTACKS GAZA—(Jerusalem) Egyptian presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei, has affirmed that “if Israel attacked Gaza we would declare war against the Zionist regime.” In an interview with the Al-Watan newspaper he said: “In case of any future Israeli attack on Gaza—as the next president of Egypt—I will open the Rafah border crossing and will consider different ways to implement the joint Arab defense agreement.” He also stated that “Israel controls Palestinian soil” adding that that “there has been no tangible breakthrough in reconciliation process because of the imbalance of power in the region.” (Ynet News, April 4.)
MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD ADVOCATES EGYPTIAN MODESTY POLICE—(Jerusalem) Officials of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood have called for the establishment of a modesty police to combat “immoral” behavior in public areas, a move secular Egyptians are calling another sign of growing Islamic self-confidence in the post-Mubarak era. Issam Durbala, a member of the Brotherhood’s Shura council, told the Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Youm, that he supported the establishment of a virtue police, or Hisbah, which had existed in medieval Islamic societies to oversee public virtue and modesty, mostly in the marketplace and other public gathering spaces. (Jerusalem Post, April 4.)
EGYPT AIR REMOVES ISRAEL FROM MAP—(Jerusalem) Egypt Air, the largest airline in Egypt, has removed Israel from the map on its website, by portraying Jordan as extending to the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the “omission,” Egypt Air continues to fly to Israel four times a week, and Air Sinai, a subsidiary of Egypt Air also flies to Israel regularly. (Ynet News, March 23.)
YEMENI PRESIDENT GETS POWER TO DETAIN FOES—(San’a, Yemen) Yemen’s Parliament, at the behest of embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has passed sweeping new emergency laws that suspend the constitution and enable Saleh’s remaining loyal security forces to arrest and detain his opponents, a move that political-opposition forces say heightens the threat of civil war. The action is the latest attempt by Mr. Saleh to remain in power even as more than half of the country’s top military commanders and powerful tribal and religious leaders have called for his resignation. Mr. Saleh has been in power for 32 years. (Wall Street Journal, March 24.)
U.S., ISRAELI LEADERS FIGHT TO PROTECT DESECRATED ANCIENT CEMETERY—(Jerusalem) Israelis and American Jewish leaders are demanding that the Israeli government increase protection to ensure that those buried on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives can rest in peace. Israelis claim Palestinians from surrounding neighborhoods attack visitors to the cemetery two to three times a week, sometimes stoning funeral processions. Arabs have also been accused of building illegally on top of graves, using tombstones as goalposts for soccer games, and lobbing firebombs to desecrate the cemetery. The Mount of Olives has been a holy place for Jews since the First temple period, more than 3,000 years ago. (Washington Post, March 23.)
ISRAEL FLAG OUTSIDE PRAGUE HOTEL IRKS IRANIANS—(Prague) The Iranian embassy in Prague has threatened to cancel an event at a well-known hotel in the Czech capital, due to the presence of an Israeli flag situated amongst other flags near the entrance to the hotel. Senior Iranian embassy officials requested that the flag be removed, however, the general manager, an Arab-Israeli from Nazareth, refused to oblige, saying “The (Israeli) flag will remain at the front of the hotel always. If you don’t like it, you are welcome to hold the event at another hotel.” The Iranian diplomats have accepted the hotel’s position, and the event is being held as scheduled. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, March 27.)
PALESTINIAN GROUP SEEKS PERES’ ARREST IN SWITZERLAND—(Jerusalem) A pro-Palestinian group has petitioned Switzerland’s attorney-general to issue an arrest warrant for visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres. The petition alleges that Peres should be held responsible for allegations made in the UN’s Goldstone report, which accuses Israel’s “leaders of committing war crimes and humanitarian crimes.” The Chairman of the Swiss-based group Rights for All, Anwar al-Gharbi, claims that “[Switzerland’s] humanitarian record obligates it to [arrest]” Peres. (Jerusalem Post, March 29.)
COLOMBIA: WE WILL NOT RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATE—(Jerusalem) After suffering a series of diplomatic defeats to the Palestinians in Latin America, Israel won a small victory when Colombia announced that it would not unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón told a delegation of the World Jewish Congress in a meeting in the Colombian capital of Bogota that his government would not recognize Palestinian statehood as “a matter of principle.” In the past half year the governments of a string of Latin American countries have recognized Palestinian statehood, including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Guyana, and Chile. (Jerusalem Post, March 31.)
POLICE MAKE TERROR ARREST AT TORONTO AIRPORT—(Toronto) Police have arrested a man at Toronto’s Pearson airport, who was allegedly travelling to Somalia to join Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked militia trying to overthrow Somalia’s transitional government. Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman Sgt. Marc LaPorte said the man was arrested as he was about to board a plane, and has been charged with attempting to participate in terrorist activities. Sgt. LaPorte said several youths from the Toronto area are suspected to have traveled to Somalia to join al-Shabaab. This is the first arrest in Canada. (Wall Street Journal, March 30.)
WASHINGTON HALTS ARMS DELIVERY TO LEBANON—(Washington) The U.S. has quietly frozen weapon shipments to Lebanon’s armed forces following the collapse of the country’s pro-Western government in January, underlining growing concerns about Hezbollah’s role there. Since 2006, the U.S. has provided more than $720 million in support to the Lebanese military, including equipment and advanced training. Congressional aides said new legislation is likely to be introduced in the coming weeks to cut off assistance if the next Lebanese government is dominated by Hezbollah. (Wall Street Journal, April 4.)
MUSLIM ANGER AT QURAN BURNING TURNS DEADLY—(Kabul) A frenzied Muslim mob, incensed by a Quran-burning ceremony in the Florida, U.S.A., has rampaged a United Nations office in northern Afghanistan, killing at least twenty people. The tumult erupted during an anti-Western protest only days after Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned as “disrespectful and abhorrent” the March 20 burning of Islam’s holy book by the church of Florida pastor Terry Jones. Rev. Jones, who had previously been dissuaded from holding the public ceremony, swiftly held the Islamic religion itself responsible for the attacks, saying “We must hold these countries and people accountable for what they have done.… The time has come to hold Islam accountable.” (Wall Street Journal, April 2.)
DYLAN SHOW CONFIRMED FOR JUNE IN ISRAEL—(Jerusalem) According to promoter Marcel Avraham, Bob Dylan will perform one show at Ramat Gan Stadium on June 20. The legendary performer has been rumored to be coming to Israel many times in recent years, but this is the first time a show has been confirmed since his last appearance in Israel in 1993. Born Robert Zimmerman, Dylan is considered to be one of the most influential musical artists of the modern era. (Jerusalem Post, March 24.)
