Media-ocrities of the Week
“In retrospect, I probably should have used a more precise term like ‘engineered’ by the Israel lobby—a term that does not suggest grand conspiracy theories.…”—New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, responding to intense criticism over an inflammatory article he penned last week in which he invoked age-old ant-Semitic stereotypes by claiming that the congressional ovations received in May by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu were “bought and paid for by the Israel lobby.” Friedman’s comments elicited multiple rebukes, including one from Israeli ambassador to Washington Michael Oren: “The term ‘Israel lobby’ implies the existence of a Zionist cabal wielding inordinate economic and political power.… Friedman has strengthened a dangerous myth.” (Jerusalem Post, December 21.)
“Some Salafi leaders have made extremist statements—suggesting that women and Christians are unfit to be leaders, raising questions about the peace treaty with Israel, and denouncing the great Egyptian Nobel laureate in literature, Naguib Mahfouz, for sacrilege. But the voters I talked to were more moderate. Some did say that they liked the idea of an Islamic state or adopting some principles of Shariah law, but most viewed this as symbolic, a bit like ‘In God We Trust’ on American coins.”—Nicholas Kristof, in “Democracy in the Brotherhood’s Birthplace,” urging individuals to “not overdo it” with concerns regarding an Islamist takeover in Egypt, as such “fears [merely] reflect…mental hobgoblins.” Furthermore, during his dinner with members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo, Kristof was assured “that the Brotherhood is nondiscriminatory…and a terrific partner for the West.” (NY Times, December 10.)
Weekly Quotes
“Occasionally, critics of the government of Israel and of its American supporters put aside polite talk and bare their souls, and that can be an edifying if deeply unattractive moment. Such a moment arose [last week] in theNew York Times, where its columnist Thomas Friedman exposed the depth of his hostility: ‘I sure hope that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, understands that the standing ovation he got in Congress this year was not for his politics. That ovation was bought and paid for by the Israel lobby.’ Now, it is a fact that Americans remain extremely supportive of the State of Israel, as poll after poll has shown year after year and decade after decade. That support is near an all time high.… [So] what in the world except prejudice can lead Mr. Friedman to make the ugly charge?… Members of Congress in a country that is two percent Jewish stand to applaud Prime Minister Netanyahu because they, like their constituents, support Israel and want America to support Israel.… He owes an apology to hundreds of members of Congress who spoke for their constituents when they applauded Mr. Netanyahu, and to the millions of Americans Jews and Christians whom they faithfully represent.”—Elliott Abrams, reinforcing the fact that popular American support for the Jewish state is strong. (Council on Foreign Relations, December 14.)
“Basically, it’s inevitable. The Assad family, through their own behavior, have lost their last drop of legitimacy and put themselves beyond the point of no return with their brutal slaughter of their own people.… It might take many weeks, but it’s not a matter of months or years.”—Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, predicting the demise of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. (Washington Post, December 15.)
“Egypt’s interim prime minister literally broke into tears over the weekend trying to convey just how bad the country’s economy has gotten. Not a small part of that economic crisis is grounded in Egypt’s spiteful economic campaign against Israel, which has seen Cairo sever most of its industrial and agriculture ties with Jerusalem.… Despite facing an economic downturn of generational proportions, the Egyptian government even banned palm frond exports [to Israel] ahead of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot this year.… Just in case there are any agricultural ties left, Minister of Agriculture Mohamed Reda Ismail wants you to know he’ll be eliminating them. During a recent public discussion…he assure[d] Egyptians that “if I knew [of any] Israeli experts working in the agricultural field in Egypt, I would fire them immediately.” Israel is of course a global leader in agricultural innovation but…the Egyptian government has its priorities. Petulant anti-Israel campaigning first. Feeding Egyptians second.…”—Omri Ceren, describing Egypt’s concerted attempt to limit business dealings with the Jewish state despite facing an immediate and severe economic crisis. (Contentions, December 14.)
“Your choice of Israel for one of your first visits as president reflects the deep friendship and natural partnership between South Sudan and Israel. Ties between our two countries will continue to strengthen. There is great potential for cooperation between us…in many fields, including economic relations, agriculture, water, energy, and more.”—Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, welcoming to Israel a delegation from the Republic of South Sudan, including President Salva Kiir. Ayalon stressed that “The story of [South Sudan’s] independence should serve as a shining example for all those who seek to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East. A state cannot come into being as a virtual entity.” (Independent Media Review and Analysis, December 20.)
“Today, when there is a growing consensus in favor of Pollard’s release among former Pentagon and CIA officials, American figures, legal authorities, the Israeli government, and American Jewish leaders, the time has come to vigorously and loudly demand his freedom. Twenty-six years is more than enough.”—Jewish Agency chairman, Natan Sharansky, calling for the immediate release of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard. (Jerusalem Post, December 16.)
“A soft-spoken lecturer in Hebrew, Tammi Benjamin finds herself living and working in one of the nuttiest places in America: the University of California, Santa Cruz.… [The institution] incubates the ugliest sort of anti-Semitism, thanks to radical tenured faculty who use the public university to promote their pet ideological hatreds. For years, Tammi Benjamin has meticulously recorded and politely protested each instance of officially sanctioned Jew-hating. She’s documented the professors who recruit students for anti-Israel demonstrations and who soil their syllabi with hysterical, evidence-free accusations of massacres committed by Israeli troops. She’s carefully noted the more than a dozen events since 2001 dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, each sponsored by multiple academic departments. In her words, ‘all of them have been biased against Israel, often using highly tendentious and unscholarly rhetoric which demonizes Israel and encourages members of the audience to engage in actions to harm Israel.…’ In 2009, [Prof. Benjamin] filed a landmark complaint with the federal government, the first of its kind, charging that the Santa Cruz campus had become a hostile environment for Jews. In March 2011, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights agreed to launch a major investigation into Benjamin’s allegations.… [Recently, Prof. Benjamin] spearheaded a letter signed by over 5,200 people to UC President Mark Yudof, urging him to address the problem of anti-Jewish bigotry on UC campuses forcefully, publicly, and promptly. Yudof…ignored and then dismissed the letter. Tammi refuses to be deterred, writing back, ‘Please understand that the Jewish community will not remain silent while Jewish students are being intimidated and harassed at the University of California.’”—Stella Paul, in “Holy Chutzpah: 3 Jewish Heroes of 2011,” describing the steadfast and heroic pro-Israel advocacy work of professor Tammi Benjamin. (American Thinker, December 11.)
Short Takes
HAMAS CARRIED OUT 1106 OPERATIONS, KILLED 1365 ‘ZIONISTS’—(Jerusalem)
According to data released by Hamas on the occasion of its 24th anniversary, the Islamic terrorist organization has killed 1376 “Zionists” since its founding. The official statement by Hamas’ armed wing, the Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades, says that since 1987 the group has conducted 1117 “jihadist” missions, including 87 “martyrdom operations” [suicide bombings], and has targeted Israel with 11,093 homemade projectiles and mortars. At a rally in Gaza City to mark the anniversary, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told a crowd of 100,000 people, “The armed resistance and the armed struggle are our only choice to liberate the land, to liberate all of Palestine from the sea to the river and expel the invaders.” (Independent Media Review and Analysis & San Francisco Chronicle, December 14.)
PANETTA: IRAN CAN ASSEMBLE BOMB IN YEAR OR LESS—(Washington) According to US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Iran has reached the point where it can assemble a nuclear bomb in a year or potentially less. Just two weeks ago Panetta spoke out against a military strike on Iran, saying it could have severe economic repercussions worldwide, but he told CBS that the military option was not “off the table.” Asked about the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the defense secretary said, “That’s a red line…for the Israelis. If we have to…we will deal with it.” (Ynet News, December 20.)
ISRAEL CREATES ‘IRAN COMMAND’—(Jerusalem) Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, in conjunction with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, has created a new army formation to be known as the Depth Corps. Maj. Gen. Shai Avital has been named head of the new corps, which has already earned the moniker of “the Iran Command.” The new unit will be responsible for planning and leading operations in areas far beyond Israel’s borders, and could, in the future, assist in mobilizing special forces in the Iranian context. (Haaretz, December 18.)
ALMAGOR: GOVERNMENT MISLED PUBLIC ABOUT RELEASED PRISONERS—(Jerusalem) A suit filed by Israel’s Almagor Terror Victims Association to block the release of Palestinian prisoners in the second stage of the Gilad Shalit deal has been summarily dismissed by the High Court of Israel. Almagor filed the suit after a review of the prisoners’ legal records showed that 220 of those designated for release were classified as “heavy” terrorists, despite the government’s claim that no dangerous persons were included among those set to be freed. Almagor CEO Meir Indor slammed the decision, saying “the next time we appear before the High Court, we will bring with us pictures of the next victims of the murderers whose release the court authorized today.” 550 Palestinian prisoners have since been freed, completing the Shalit deal. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, December 18.)
QUARTET AGAIN CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF DIRECT TALKS—(Jerusalem) The Quartet has issued yet another call for direct Israeli-Palestinian talks, its third such declaration since September 23. The most recent statement by the Quartet—made up of the US, EU, UN and Russia—stressed “the important objective of a direct exchange between the parties without delay or preconditions beginning with a preparatory meeting and leading to the presentation of proposals on territory and security.” The wording of the statement seemed to support Israel’s interpretation that comprehensive security and territorial proposals were to come about through direct negotiations between the sides, and not be presented separately to the Quartet by the parties. Earlier last week, the Palestinians again rejected an Israeli call to begin direct talks. (Jerusalem Post, December 15.)
EGYPT’S GENERALS UNDER FIRE AS TAHRIR TOLL REACHES 14—(Cairo) Egypt’s ruling generals are coming under mounting criticism for the military’s use of excessive force against unarmed protesters, including women. At least 14 people have been killed in five days of clashes as troops used guns, tear gas and batons to suppress protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. A member of the military council defended the crackdown, attempting to discredit the protesters by questioning their motives and morals and speaking of a conspiracy to “topple the state.” Maj. Gen. Adel Emara also stressed that the military has a duty to defend the state. (Wall Street Journal, December 20.)
EGYPT’S ISLAMISTS CLAIM SWEEP OF SECOND ROUND VOTE—(Cairo) Egypt’s two leading Islamist parties have announced their separate party lists secured approximately three-quarters of votes cast in the second round of a parliamentary election, extending their lead in the three-stage vote. A source from the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) said it was on track to win about 40 percent of votes, whereas a spokesman for the Salafi al-Nour Party said its list received upwards of 35 percent of votes. In the first round of the six-week poll, the FJP won approximately 37 percent of votes and Nour secured about 24 percent. An official breakdown of the second-round results has yet to be announced. (Reuters, December 18.)
SYRIA SIGNS ARAB LEAGUE INITIATIVE TO ADMIT MONITORS—(Jerusalem) Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem has confirmed that Damascus signed an Arab League initiative that calls for withdrawing army troops from cities, freeing thousands of political prisoners, and commencing dialogue with the opposition. According to reports, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad signed the protocol, aimed at ending a nine-month government crackdown on protests, at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. Syria had for weeks stalled over signing the deal, which will also grant Arab League-designated monitors access to the embattled country. The signing of the proposal is being viewed as an opportunity for the 15-member UN Security Council to overcome a deadlock and deliver its first statement of purpose on Assad’s crackdown, which according to the UN has killed more than 5,000 people including at least 150 in the past two days. (Jerusalem Post, December 19 & Washington Post, December 20.)
CANADA DECLARES VOLUNTARY EVACUATION OF ITS CITIZENS FROM SYRIA—(Toronto) Canada has declared a voluntary evacuation of its citizens from Syria. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said that Canadians should leave the country as soon as possible while commercial flights are still available, after the Arab League imposed further sanctions reducing flights out of Damascus. Baird said the evacuation plan will open an express lane across government departments to help the approximately 5,000 Canadians currently in Syria obtain the documentation needed to leave immediately. (Associated Press, December 15.)
IRAQ CRISIS LOOMS WITH ARREST ORDER—(Baghdad) Iraq’s political crisis has taken an ominous turn with the issue of an arrest warrant against Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a leading Sunni Arab figure, for his alleged role in ordering and funding the assassinations of rival Shiite bureaucrats. A judicial panel, allegedly under the sway of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, ordered the arrest of Hashemi a day after the last convoy of U.S. soldiers left Iraq. The development marks the potential end to a government coalition of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions that was assembled with US help, following the deadlocked March 2010 elections. According to reports, Hashemi’s office in Baghdad’s Green Zone, home to top government officials as well as the US Embassy, has been cordoned off by Iraqi troops and military vehicles. The State Department in Washington is “urging all political sides in Iraq to work out their differences peaceably, politically, through dialogue.” Hashemi’s current whereabouts are unknown. (Wall Street Journal, December 20.)
HEZBOLLAH LAUNDERED MONEY THROUGH US USED CARS—(New York) According to US federal prosecutors, three Lebanese financial institutions linked to Hezbollah have laundered over $240 million through the United States used car market. The civil forfeiture claim by US prosecutors in New York accused the Lebanese Canadian Bank and two money exchange companies of buying and shipping used cars from the United States to West Africa, where the cars were sold and the cash smuggled into Lebanon by people acting as Hezbollah couriers. In February, the US Treasury department designated the Lebanese Canadian Bank as a “primary money laundering concern.” (Reuters, December 16.)
ACADEMICS SEEK TO KEEP OPEN ‘BIASED’ DEPARTMENT AT ISRAELI UNIVERSITY—(Jerusalem) More than 150 Israeli and international academics have asked Israel’s Council for Higher Education to ignore a call by an independent committeefor Ben-Gurion University to close its politics and government department due to its “anti-Zionist” bias. The Council for Higher Education last month endorsed the findings of the special committee, headed by Thomas Risse, a professor of international relations at the Otto Surh Institute for Political Science at the Free University of Berlin. Risse and his associates concluded that the department’s excessive post-Zionist activism was “imped[ing]…the study of politics as a scientific discipline” at Ben-Gurion, and called on the university to make significant changes including hiring more diverse faculty members. (Haaretz, December 20.)
ISRAEL TO EXPORT NATURAL GAS TO INDIA—(Jerusalem) According to India’s Economic Times, Israel’s Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz has offered to export natural gas to India, negotiations for which are set to intensify when India’s foreign minister visits Israel in January. Last week, at the Globes Israel Business Conference in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu predicted that the global economy would continue to stall, and said that Israel would concentrate its efforts on sending exports to China, India and Brazil. Netanyahu confirmed that the plan was already being successfully implemented, with the percentage of Israeli exports to developing nations rising from 30% to more than 40% over the last two years. Recent discoveries of gas in Israel’s coastal waters have the potential to turn the country into an important player in the natural gas industry. Estimates show that Israel’s Leviathan field has some 16 trillion cubic feet of gas, worth over $160 billion, whereas Tamar has an estimated eight trillion cubic feet of gas. (Jerusalem Post, December 19.)
ISRAEL-US TO HOLD LARGEST-EVER MISSILE DEFENSE DRILL—(Jerusalem) Israel is moving forward with plans to hold its largest-ever missile defense exercise this coming spring, amid Iranian efforts to obtain nuclear weapons. Last week, Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander of the US’s Third Air Force based in Germany, visited Israel to finalize plans for the drill, which is expected to see the deployment of several thousand American soldiers to Israel. The exercise, unprecedented in its size, will include the establishment of US command posts in Israel and IDF command posts at EUCOM headquarters in Germany—with the ultimate goal of establishing joint task forces in the event of a large-scale conflict in the Middle East. (Jerusalem Post, December 20.)
WIESENTHAL CENTER GROUP OPENS NEW FRONT AGAINST NAZIS—(Jerusalem) The Simon Wiesenthal Center has opened a new front against the Nazis, 66 years after the end of World War II. At a press conference in Germany, the global Jewish human rights organization launched “Operation Last Chance II,” aimed at bringing men who served in Nazi death camps and the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing squads) to justice. Efraim Zuroff, the center’s Israel director, categorically rejected the notion that he allow the perpetrators of crimes against Jews die in peace: “Old age does not exonerate murderers,” Zuroff said. “All of the victims deserve efforts to find their killers. It sends an important message to Nazis living freely that they will be brought to justice.” (Jerusalem Post, December 14.)
NETANYAHU TO ‘NEW YORK TIMES’: TAKE A HIKE—(Jerusalem) Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has refused an offer to pen an op-ed piece for The New York Times, signalling the degree to which he is fed up with the newspaper’s editorial policy on Israel. In a letter to the Times, Netanyahu’s senior adviser Ron Dermer wrote that the prime minister would “respectfully decline,” making clear that this had much to do with the fact that 19 of the paper’s 20 op-ed pieces on Israel since September were negative. Dermer wrote that “the opinions of some of your regular columnists regarding Israel are well known. They constantly distort the positions of our government and ignore the steps it has taken to advance peace.” Dermer also took the paper to task for running an op-ed piece by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in May claiming that shortly after the UN voted for the partition of Palestine in November 1947, “Zionist forces expelled Palestinian Arabs to ensure a decisive Jewish majority in the future state of Israel, and Arab armies intervened.…” Those lines, Dermer wrote, “effectively turn on its head an event within living memory in which the Palestinians rejected the UN partition plan accepted by the Jews, and then joined five Arab states in launching a war to annihilate the embryonic Jewish state.…” According to Dermer’s letter, this shows the degree to which the Times has not internalized former senator Daniel Moynihan’s admonition that “everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but…no one is entitled to their own facts.” (Jerusalem Post, December 16.)
