Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

Media-ocrities of the Week

 

“The Forward thought there was no better artist [than Neshama Carlebach] to launch a musical conversation about whether and, if so, how the words of ‘Hatikvah’ could be altered to include all Israel’s citizens.… [We] propose…a careful adjustment of a few problematic words and phrases. In the opening stanza, ‘nefesh yehudi’ becomes ‘nefesh yisra’eli,’ the soul of a Jew becoming the soul of an Israeli. And the eye that ‘looks for Zion’ (‘le-tsiyon’) can be altered to yearn ‘for our country’ (‘l’artseynu’).…”—The editors of the Forward, conveying the paper’s decision on Israeli Independence Day [!] to rewrite the Jewish state’s national anthem, “Hatikvah,” including striking any mention of the word “Jew.” (Forward, April 26.)

 

“Independence Day is a day of mourning for the Palestinian people and on this day we remember the victims of the banishment.”—Arab Knesset member and leader of Israel’s Balad faction, Jamal Zahalka, denouncing “Zionist hegemony” at a “Nakba [Catastrophe] Day” demonstration on Israeli Independence Day. For his part, Arab MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta’al) explained that there are two sides to Israel’s Independence Day—one that celebrates and one that has “memories of destruction and shattering of a community.” (Jerusalem Post, April 27.)

 

“We need all [of] Palestine.… It’s a matter of time.”—Falastin Jaber, mother of Khaled Jaber, the Palestinian youth who was a major inspiration for Peter Beinart’s decision to write his book The Crisis of Zionism. Falastin also called Israel a “European colonial imprint” that would someday disappear. (Jerusalem Post, April 30.)

 

“[The] harsh reality endured by millions of Palestinians requires people and organizations of conscience to divest from those companies…profiting from the occupation and subjugation of Palestinians.”—Archbishop Desmond Tutu, urging the United Methodist Church to divest from Israel ahead of a vote on the policy at the Church’s quadrennial General Conference. The United Church of Canada this week released a report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that also calls for a boycott of Israeli goods produced in “settlements.” (Jerusalem Pos & National Post, May 2.)

 

“F–king Jews! F–king Jews!”—Detroit Tigers baseball player, Delmon Young, who was arrested last week in New York for attacking a group of men and making anti-Semitic remarks. Young has been suspended by Major League Baseball for seven days without pay. (JTA, April 27 & 30.)

 

Weekly Quotes

 

“Slowly and systematically we have been able to decimate the ranks of al Qaeda, and a year ago we were able to finally bring Osama bin Laden to justice.”—US President Barack Obama, marking the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death with an unannounced visit to Afghanistan. Hours after Obama left Kabul, Taliban suicide bombers attacked a Western compound in the capital, killing at least 7 and wounding 17 others. (Reuters & Jerusalem Post, May 2.)

 

“After the waves of Islamic Awakening [‘Arab Spring’], the Zionist regime has been entangled in a very hard situation and feels the tide of the nations’ hatred for its policies…”—Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ramin Mehman-Parast, warning Arab and Islamic countries to be “smart” and unite in the face of Israel’s “main goal of…disturbing regional security.” (Independent Media Review and Analysis, April 24.)

 

“Sinking an aircraft carrier is not a complicated task.…”—Senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, claiming Iran could easily target and “incapacitate” US aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, April 28.)

 

“Egyptian authorities informed concerned parties at the Saudi foreign ministry of the details of the plot, but the Saudi side opted to keep silent on the matter.”—Legal adviser to Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Cairo, Sami Jamal, alleging that Egyptian authorities several months ago “arrested three Iranians planning to assassinate the [Saudi] ambassador [to Egypt], Ahmed Kattan.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry denounced the claim as “absolutely incorrect,” saying the “manufacturing [of] such issues can only help divisions among Muslim countries and benefit the Zionist regime.” (Jerusalem Post, May 1.)

 

“Zionists will inevitably demise in and out of Palestine.… We have to prepare ourselves and our youth for that day.”—Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader, Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, urging Muslims to “not accept humiliation and disgrace” by hastening the demise of “Zionist entity.” (Independent Media Review and Analysis, April 29.)

 

“This accord is dead and buried.”—“Moderate” Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Moussa, describing the status of the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty. (Times of Israel, April 30.)

 

“We should work hard to get [Israeli] prisoners in our hands in order to secure the freedom of our prisoners.”—Khaled Al-Batsh, a senior member of Islamic Jihad, calling on “all armed factions” in the Gaza Strip to kidnap Israelis and use them as bargaining chips to secure the freedom of jailed Palestinians. (Reuters, April 27.)

 

“We did not give our consent on that issue.… We deem it not appropriate for Israel to be around.”—An anonymous Turkish official, confirming his country’s refusal to allow Israel to participate in a NATO summit in Chicago on May 20-21. (Reuters, April 23.)

 

“The inclusion of Israel on this list is an absurd decision that demonstrates UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s limited knowledge of Israel and reflects the powerful lobby of Israeli political advocacy NGOs in European and UN frameworks. In her statement, Pillay references what she calls a ‘recently adopted Foreign Funding Law.’ Legislation regarding foreign funding was proposed last year but was rejected in the democratic process and never reached the floor of [Israel’s] Knesset.… Pillay also appeared to [have] referenc[ed] the ‘NGO Funding Transparency Law,’ which passed the Knesset in February 2011. This law simply adopts financial reporting requirements for non-profits and contains absolutely no restrictions on NGO operations.… Pillay’s comments show that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is again guilty of blatantly ignoring facts in order to isolate and demonize Israel.”—Excerpt of a statement issued by Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, slamming UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay for including Israel on a list of countries that ‘curtail the freedom[s] of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).’ Israel’s Foreign Ministry described the inclusion of the Jewish state alongside the likes of Egypt, Belarus, Venezuela, Algeria and Ethiopia as “absurd.” (NGO Monitor & JTA, April 30.)

 

“My principles and my values require me to leave the Kadima faction in the Knesset. I have always said a seat is not everything, and at this point I must leave my seat in the Knesset.”—Former Israeli Opposition and Kadima leader, Tzipi Livni, resigning from the Knesset and her political party. (Jerusalem Post, May 1.)

 

“He had the courage to meet me, so I very much appreciate that.”—The Dalai Lama, praising Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for holding a private meeting with him despite ongoing pressure from China on world leaders not to associate with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. (National Post, April 28.)

 

“There has…been an alarming number of Canadians who have travelled, are planning, or have expressed a desire to engage in terrorist activities.”—Richard Fadden, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, informing a Senate committee that as many as 60 Canadians have journeyed abroad to train as al-Qaeda terrorists, and sounding a warning over the group’s shift to a much harder to detect “lone-wolf” style of attack. (Globe & Mail, April 24.)

 

“Tell the International Olympic Committee: 40 Years is Enough!”—Excerpt of a petition featured at Change.org, urging the International Olympics Committee to observe one minute of silence at the upcoming London Games in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Munich Olympics. (Jerusalem Post, April 24.)

 

“The Urban Outfitters clothing store…has sunk to new depths by marketing a Holocaust-themed t-shirt.… The chain’s ‘Wood Wood Kellog Tee’ is a yellow t-shirt with a Star of David on the breast pocket that is a dead ringer for the same [yellow] insignia Jews were forced to wear by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust.… Those who normally purchase clothing from this chain ought to make it clear to them they won’t continue to support a business that thinks it can make a few extra bucks by exploiting this horror.”—Jonathan S. Tobin, in “Urban Outfitters’ Yellow Star of Shame.” (Contentions, April 24.)

 

“Apparently, the government of Dubai did not want Israelis there.”—Prof. Chaim Lotan, head of cardiology at Israel’s Hadassah University Medical Center, after a dozen Israeli cardiologists who had been invited to a Dubai conference of the World Heart Federation were denied entry visas by authorities at the last minute. (Jerusalem Post, April 24.)

 

“We believe that Rutgers must take responsibility for having allowed an environment to take seed and grow where Jewish students—particularly when they speak up against anti-Semitism and Israel-bashing—are perceived as permissible targets, because the university will not take the necessary steps to protect them.”—Excerpt of a letter written by the Zionist Organization of America to Rutgers President Richard McCormick, urging the university to do more to combat anti-Semitism on campus after the university-funded, student-run Daily Medium published a column titled, “What About the Good Things Hitler Did?” (JTA, April 20.)

 

“The Holocaust began with boycotts of Jewish stores and ended with death camps.… It is time for supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) to ask themselves what they did to contribute to the atmosphere of hate that spawned these and other murders of Jews.”—Excerpt of an advertisement placed in the NY Times by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, accusing supporters of the BDS movement of contributing to anti-Semitism worldwide. (Arutz Sheva, April 27.)

 

Short Takes

 

BEN-ZION NETANYAHU PASSES AWAY—(Jerusalem) The father of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Professor Ben-Zion Netanyahu, has passed away at the age of 102. Ben-Zion, born in Warsaw on March 25, 1910, moved to Israel with his family in 1920. In 1944, he married Tzila, with whom he had three sons—the late Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, who fell during the Entebbe raid; Ido, a doctor, author and playwright; and Binyamin. Prof. Netanyahu was among the great historians of the Jewish People, his research focusing primarily on the history of the medieval Spanish Jewish community and the history of Zionism. Prof. Netanyahu was the editor-in-chief of the Hebrew Encyclopedia for over a decade, and served as Professor of Jewish Studies at various US universities, concluding his academic career as Professor Emeritus at Cornell University. A disciple of and later secretary for Ze’ev Jabotinsky, he was instrumental in persuading the Revisionist Zionist leader to relocate to the US given that the country, the rising world power, in would be crucial in mobilizing support for the Jewish state. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, April 30.)

 

COALITION, OPPOSITION PARTIES AGREE TO DISSOLVE KNESSET—(Jerusalem) Following agreements by parties in Israel’s coalition and opposition, a bill to dissolve the Knesset and bring early elections in Israel will be put to a vote next week. The bills, to be formally tabled by Labor and Meretz, will likely have their first, second and third readings next Tuesday, with the last day of the 18th Knesset the ninth of May, during which final bills are expected to pass. Although the date of an early election has yet to be decided, sources in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Office say the goal is to hold the vote as soon as possible, which would be mid-August. A poll conducted last week by Yedioth Ahronoth showed Netanyahu’s Likud party winning 30 of 120 parliamentary seats if a ballot were held now, up from the 27 it currently holds. (Reuters, April 30 & Jerusalem Post, May 2.)

 

U.S. SIGNALS MAJOR SHIFT ON IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM—(Washington) US President Barack Obama is considering allowing Iran to continue enriching uranium to 5% purity if the Islamic Republic agrees to unrestricted inspections, strict oversight and numerous safeguards that the United Nations has long demanded. According to US officials, a consensus has gradually emerged within the White House that Iran is unlikely to agree to a complete halt in enrichment and that maintaining an unconditional demand that it do so would preclude reaching a negotiated deal to stop the country’s nuclear program. The question of whether to permit even low enrichment is a highly contentious issue, opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, as doing so might enable Iranian scientists to gain the knowledge and experience to someday build a bomb. World powers are scheduled to resume talks with Iran in Baghdad on May 23. (LA Times, April 27.)

 

RUSSIA, CHINA SEEK DRONE DATA FROM IRAN—(Tehran) According to Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency, Russia and China have asked Tehran to provide them with information on a U.S. drone captured by the Islamic Republic in December. U.S. officials acknowledged losing the RQ-170 Sentinel, but claimed Iran would have difficulty exploiting its data and technology because of measures taken to limit the intelligence value of drones operating over hostile territory. Earlier this month, the Iranians claim to have decoded the intelligence gathering system and memory hard discs of the stealth aircraft. (Associated Press, April 19 & Independent Media Review and Analysis, April 22.)

 

OBAMA LIFTS FREEZE ON AID TO PA—(Jerusalem) US President Barack Obama has signed a waiver to lift a ban on financial aid to the Palestinian Authority, justifying the move as “important to the security interests of the United States.” The US Congress froze the $192 million aid package after PA president Mahmoud Abbas defied US pressure and sought to attain UN endorsement of Palestinian statehood last September. According to White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, the aid will “ensur[e] the continued viability of the moderate PA government.” (Times of Israel, April 28.)

 

SAUDI ARABIA CLOSES EMBASSY IN EGYPT—(Cairo) Saudi Arabia has closed its embassy in Cairo amid protests by hundreds of Egyptians, sparking the first diplomatic crisis between the once-strong allies since Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow last year. The Saudi Embassy has been the site of protests for nearly a week, after a Saudi judge sentenced Ahmed el-Gezawi, an Egyptian lawyer, to a year in prison and 20 lashes for allegedly “insulting” Saudi King Abdullah. The official Saudi Press Agency reported that Ambassador Ahmed Qattan was recalled to Riyadh for “consultations” over “unjustified demonstrations and protests” which “violate the inviolability [of] sovereignty.” The incident marks the worst escalation in diplomatic tensions between the two countries since Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel. (Wall Street Journal, April 28.)

 

BIN LADEN FAMILY LET INTO SAUDI ARABIA—(Jeddah) Saudi Arabia has allowed the family of Osama bin Laden into the kingdom on “humanitarian grounds,” almost a year to the day after U.S. special forces killed the al Qaeda leader. Pakistan reportedly deported the family last week, ending months of speculation about the fate of bin Laden’s wives and children who were detained by security forces after the May 2 raid in Abbottabad. The Saudis did not reveal how many family members arrived in Jeddah, but reports suggest that three widows, seven children and four grandchildren were deported. Their movements are reportedly being followed closely, over Pakistani concern they could shed light on how the al Qaeda leader managed to hide inside Pakistan for so long. (Reuters, April 28.)

 

SA JEWS CALL FOR FIRING OF PRO-NAZI BANKER—(Pretoria) The South African Israel Public Affairs Committee (SAIPAC) has called for the director of the South African Reserve bank, Stephen Goodson, to be fired, after he expressed his admiration for the Nazis and claimed the Holocaust was a “huge lie” invented by Jewish bankers to extract money from Germany. David Hersch, head of SAIPAC, said Goodson “should be fired immediately or [be] made to resign immediately” and urged the South African government to issue a clear statement “condemning Goodson’s…statements, opinions, his denial of the Holocaust and adherence to anti-Semitic hate speech.” (Jerusalem Post, April 24.)

 

GAZA ZOO PUTS DEAD ANIMALS ON DISPLAY—(Montreal) A Palestinian zoo has started displaying dead animals alongside living creatures. An emaciated lion, a monkey missing an eye and a porcupine left with a hole in its head from botched mummification are among 10 animals so far embalmed at the Khan Yunis Zoo. The park’s owner, Mohamed Awaida, said he had been left with no option after hunger, disease and neglect decimated the zoo’s population. Awaida blames Israel’s legal blockade of Gaza for his predicament. (Gazette, April 23.)

 

NETANYAHU AMONG WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE—(Jerusalem) For the second year in a row, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been ranked by TIME Magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. In a corresponding article, US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor called Netanyahu “one of those iconic Israelis, a strong, determined leader who has excelled during a lifetime of service to the state of Israel.” He also credited Netanyahu with drawing the attention of the international community to the Iranian threat, and praised him for being “the right partner for America.” (Jerusalem Post, April 18.)

 

ANCIENT SEAL FOUND IN JERUSALEM—(Jerusalem) A small stone seal at least 2,600 years old and bearing the Hebrew name Matanyahu, “gift of God,” has been found near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. “Finding something like this is like getting regards from a real person who lived here thousands of years ago,” said Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Eli Shukron. Approximately two dozen such seals have been found since excavations began in Jerusalem in the 1800s. (Times of Israel, May 1.)