Media-o-crity of the Week
“President Obama was considering clemency, but I told him, ‘Over my dead body are we going to let him out before his time.’ If it were up to me, he would stay in jail for life.”—US Vice President Joe Biden (President Obama’s chosen spokesman to the Jewish Community), in a Rosh Hashanah meeting with 15 Rabbis, vehemently opposing the release from prison after 25 years of Jonathan Pollard. The Israeli spy was convicted in 1986 for passing classified information to an ally during peacetime, an offense which in other cases has garnered an average sentence of 2-4 years. (NY Times, September 30.)
Weekly Quotes
“Israel welcomes the Quartet’s call for direct negotiations between the parties without preconditions, as called for by both President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu. While Israel has some concerns, it will raise them at the appropriate time. Israel calls on the Palestinian Authority to do the same and to enter into direct negotiations without delay.”—Statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Office, formally accepting the Quartet’s proposal for restarting negotiations with the Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post, October 2.)
“‘Palestine’ meets none of the four legal requirements under international law for a state. It has completed none of the three Phases under the “Performance-Based Roadmap” the UN adopted as the basis for a state.… It has not even been able to implement the one hallmark of a democratic state: hold an election. So how, you ask, could the UN [recognize ‘Palestine’]? The answer was effectively provided during the hearing held last week by the House Foreign Affairs Committee to review U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority. The following colloquy occurred between Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) and Elliott Abrams: POE: I agree with Ambassador Dore Gold, Israel’s former UN ambassador, when he said if there was a resolution whose first clause was anti-Israel and whose second clause was that the Earth was flat, it would pass the United Nations.… Of course Palestinians aren’t motivated to talk to Israel when they’ve got the UN on their side.… ABRAMS: …As the Israelis say, anything the Palestinians put forward, they get the automatic vote of every Muslim state, and Israel gets the automatic support of every Jewish state.”—Rick Richman, in “How Could the Flat Earth Society Do That?”, describing the UN’s inherent anti-Israel bias, a reality manipulated by the Palestinians to the detriment of the Jewish State. (Contentions, September 23.)
“First we should free Palestine and then establish a country in it.… Palestinians must resort to resistance no matter how costly it is, until Palestine is free and Israel is destroyed.”—Hamas Politburo chief, Khaled Mashaal, reaffirming Hamas’ anti-“two state” “position of resistance until the Zionist regime is defeated.” (Ynet News, October 1.)
“Our demand is freedom of Palestine not part of Palestine. Any plan that seeks to divide Palestine is totally rejected.”—Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, at the 5th International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada, calling for the total liberation of Palestine and the eradication “of the cancerous tumor [Israel].” (Independent Media Review and Analysis, October 1.)
“We have been strong allies, we have been strong partners. We have always made a commitment to do everything we can to support the security of Israel and as the Secretary of Defense, I intend to continue that commitment.”—US Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, during his trip to Israel, reaffirming the US’ “continuing commitment to the security of Israel,” and declaring that the two countries will “stand together to try to confront [their] difficult and common challenges.”(Independent Media Review and Analysis, October 3.)
“The Gilo construction critics expect that we discriminate [against] Jews and only allow Arabs to build.… It appears they are not aware that we approve construction both for Arabs and Jews.… In the neighborhood of Arnona, we recently authorized 1,000 apartments for Jews and 1,500 for Arabs. So what do they want? That we freeze construction for everyone? For Arabs too? And leave the natural growth issue unanswered? Or only ban Jewish construction, in violation of Israeli and international law?”—Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat, defending last week’s decision by the Jerusalem Planning and Construction Committee to approve the construction of 1,100 new homes in the Jewish neighborhood of Gilo, and stressing the importance of ongoing building in both Arab and Jewish neighbourhoods in Jerusalem “as the only solution to the housing crisis.”(Ynet News, October 4.)
“It has become common for foreign leaders to invite large delegations to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Most delegation members are not diplomats, have no business at the UN, and are in New York only for the shopping and partying. For friendly countries, providing these add-on delegates visas is both a courtesy and good for business. Adversaries, however, should receive no such courtesy.… Alas, no one told the good folks at Foggy Bottom. The State Department evidently granted not only Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s son but also his daughter-in-law a visa.… Secretary of State Hillary Clinton owes the American people an explanation.”—Michael Rubin, describing the US State Department’s issuance of visas to members of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s family. (Contentions, October 3.)
“Like the arrogant powers that are present near our marine borders, we will also have a powerful presence close to the American marine borders.”—Iranian Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, announcing that the Islamic Republic plans to move vessels into the Atlantic Ocean to start a naval buildup “near maritime borders of the United States”. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, October 1.)
“If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv.”—Syrian president Bashar Assad, threatening to attack Israel should NATO forces intervene in Syria to stop Assad’s ongoing brutal crackdown against anti-government protestors. (Ynet News, October 4.)
“We condemn this unwarranted attack in the strongest possible terms. Ambassador [Robert] Ford and his aides were conducting normal embassy business and this attempt to intimidate our diplomats through violence is wholly unjustified.”—US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, condemning an attack by pro-government Syrian protesters on the U.S. ambassador in Damascus, an assault the State Department claims is part of an “ongoing campaign to intimidate U.S. diplomats.” (Haaretz, September 29.)
“Because we refuse to marginalize women in society in all roles that comply with sharia, we have decided, after deliberation with our senior ulama (clerics) and others…to involve women in the Shura Council as members, starting from the next term.”—Saudi ruler, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, announcing that women in Saudi Arabia will in future be allowed to participate in municipal elections. Yesterday, however, a Saudi court sentenced a woman to 10 lashes for driving a car. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, September 25 & National Post, September 28.)
“Instead of fulfilling this goal and combating anti-Semitism—both part of the Foundation’s mandate—EVZ has funded German and Arab student programs that present distorted views of the Arab-Israeli conflict, compare Israeli policies to those of previous, repressive German governments, and developed student materials with anti-Semitic images and texts.”—Prof. Gerald Steinberg, president of the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, condemning the German Remembrance Responsibility Future (EVZ) Foundation for misusing public money “to fund programs that actually contribute to the delegitimization of Israel.” The EVZ was founded in 2000 with a contribution of 5 billion euros by the Federal German government and German industry to compensate former slave laborers during the Nazi period. (Jerusalem Post, October 4.)
Short Takes
RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN’S SYRIA MOVE—(United Nations) Russia and China have vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have condemned Syria’s bloody crackdown on an uprising seeking to overthrow the regime in Damascus. In an attempt to garner unanimous support, the Western-backed resolution was watered down from a draft including targeted financial sanctions and an arms embargo on Syria to merely a call for the Council to “consider” unspecified “measures” against Syria after a 30-day period. Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, called it an “outrage” that the Security Council had “utterly failed” to support the Syrian people.” Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s UN ambassador, said the resolution “could have provoked full-scale civil war” in Syria. (Wall Street Journal, October 5.)
EFFORTS TO ANNEX SETTLEMENTS GAIN MOMENTUM IN KNESSET—(Jerusalem) Efforts to annex areas of the West Bank are gaining momentum in Israel’s Parliament, a response to the Palestinian attempt to gain a unilateral declaration of statehood at the UN. In a letter written to Israel’s Prime Minister, the Knesset Land of Israel caucus and the heads of four factions urged Netanyahu to consider the move to show the Palestinian Authority that “Israel will not agree to be its punching bag.” The letter calls for a gradual annexation of settled areas in Judea and Samaria, as well as increased building and development of the region. In addition, MK Danny Danon (Likud) plans to bring a formal annexation bill to a preliminary vote in the Knesset when the summer recess ends next month. (Jerusalem Post, September 27.)
REPORT: U.S. BLOCKS $200 MILLION IN AID TO PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY—(Jerusalem) According to the U.K’s Independent newspaper, the United States Congress has blocked nearly $200m in aid to the Palestinians, in response to the Palestinian Authority’s UN gambit. “There must be consequences for Palestinian and UN actions that undermine any hope for true and lasting peace,” affirmed Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ghassan Khatib, chief spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, condemned the move, saying “this is not constructive at all.” (Haaretz, October 1, & Associated Press, October 2.)
DRONE KILLS TOP AL QAEDA FIGURE—(San’a, Yemen) Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen and one of the most wanted terrorists on a U.S. target list, has been killed in Yemen by an unmanned aircraft. The death of al-Awlaki eliminates a leading figure in Yemen’s branch of al Qaeda, marking another significant blow to the terrorist group following the killing of Osama bin Laden earlier this year. Awlaki was one of Al Qaeda’s top recruiters, best-known for his ability to couch extremist views in ways that appealed to Western youth. He was linked to suspects in the 2009 Fort Hood, Texas, shooting spree and the botched bombing of a Detroit-bound jet that Christmas. The U.S. State Department has issued a travel alert saying that the killing of al-Awlaki raises the risk of anti-American violence worldwide. (Wall Street Journal, October 1.)
U.S. MEETS WITH EGYPT’S MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD—(Cairo) According to reports, US officials have met with “high-level” members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Egyptian political party. Washington announced its intention to have direct contacts with Egypt’s biggest Islamist group in June, portraying this position as the continuation of previous US policy. However, many analysts believe such contact reflects a new approach to the way the US will deal with a group which deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak banned from politics. The US’ decision has caused concern in Israel, as terror groups like Hamas, a progeny of the Brotherhood, stand to benefit from the Brotherhood’s increasing influence. (Independent Media Review and Analysis, October 2.)
NGO REPORT: 93,000 COPTS LEFT EGYPT SINCE MARCH—(Cairo)According to the Egyptian Federation of Human Rights, nearly 93,000 Coptic Christians have fled Egypt since the March 19 uprising began, a number that is forecasted to increase to 250,000 by the end of 2011. Naguib Gabriel, head of an Egypt-based Coptic NGO, said that the current trend of Coptic immigration endangers the structure of Egypt’s population, and urged the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Egyptian cabinet to work on curbing the phenomenon. Analysts attribute the Coptic emigration trend to hardline Salafi groups seeking to apply Islamic law and deny Copts senior government posts. Coptic Christians form nearly 10 percent of Egypt’s population. (Al Masry Al Youm, September 25.)
AFGHANISTAN GIVES UP ON TALIBAN TALKS—(Kabul) Afghan President Hamid Karzai has abandoned efforts to conduct peace talks with the Taliban, concluding that the Pakistan-based insurgent leaders are not serious about negotiations. The move comes less than two weeks after a purported Taliban envoy killed Afghanistan’s top peace negotiator, former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, in his Kabul home. Karzai and his aides have instead decided to focus their efforts on putting pressure on Pakistan, which has provided aid and sanctuary to Afghan insurgents. The decision effectively sidelines the work of the High Peace Council, a year-old body created to explore the prospects for opening direct peace talks with the Taliban and its allies. (Wall Street Journal, October 1.)
ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS IN U.S. RISE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE ‘04—(New York) According to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual audit, the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States has increased for the first time since 2004. The recently released ADL Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents showed that there were 1,239 incidents in 2010, up slightly from the 1,211 reported the previous year. The audit tracks assaults, vandalism and harassment reported during the calendar year in 45 states and the District of Columbia. “The good news is that we have continued to enjoy a period of relative calm, where the overall numbers are mostly unchanged and the incidents isolated,” said Abraham Foxman, ADL’s national director. “But the bad news is that for all our efforts to educate, to raise awareness and to legislate, anti-Jewish incidents remain a disturbing part of the American Jewish experience.” (JTA, October 4.)
LIEBERMAN, UKRAINE PRESIDENT MARK BABI YAR MASSACRE—(Jerusalem) Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich have presided over a ceremony in Kiev to mark the 70th anniversary of the massacre at Babi Yar. “It is difficult to fully comprehend the events that occurred in Babi Yar. It is difficult to find the words to express all the depth of our condolences and sorrow,” Yanukovich said at the ceremony, attended by hundreds of descendants of the victims, as well as survivors. Some 33,771 Jews were murdered by Nazis in the Babi Ravine on the last two days of September in 1941. (Jerusalem Post, October 3.)
‘FIRST JEWISH GLOBAL 24 HOUR NEWS CHANNEL LAUNCHES—(Brussels) Jewish News One (JN1), the world’s first Jewish global 24-hour news channel offering “a new vision of current affairs,” has launched. The channel owners are Igor Kolomoisky and Vadim Rabinovich, respectively President and Vice President of the European Jewish Union (EJU), a body dedicated to promote Jewish life in Europe. Jewish News One presently has news bureaus in Tel Aviv, Brussels and Kiev; in the coming months the channel is planning to open additional offices in Washington, Paris and London. (Jerusalem Post, September 18.)
ISRAELI TRAUMA PROGRAM TO HELP JAPAN TSUNAMI VICTIMS—(Jerusalem) A unique Israeli program will soon be implemented in Japan to help children recover from the effects of this year’s tsunami. Hibuki, meaning ‘hug’ in Hebrew, is a post-trauma recovery program created by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Education and the Department of Psychology at Tel Aviv University, following the 2006 Second Lebanon War. So far in Israel, 50,000 children have been treated using this method, and a recent Tel Aviv University study found there were high rates of reduction in post-traumatic responses and distress among those children. (Jerusalem Post, September 8.)
ISRAEL BECOMES ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF SCIENTIFIC GROUP CERN—(Jerusalem) Israel has been accepted as an associate member of the prestigious European nuclear physics lab CERN. The laboratory, known for its giant underground atomic collider, the Large Hadron Collider, signed an agreement Sept. 16 in Geneva making Israel an associate member, paving the way to Israel’s acceptance as CERN’s first non-European full member after a two-year waiting period. “The agreement is testimony to Europe’s recognition of Israel’s scientific and technological capabilities, of the quality of its scientists, and of its contribution throughout many years to the research activities of CERN,” Aharon Leshno-Yaar, permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations Office, said in a statement. (JTA, September 19.)
DEAD SEA SCROLLS DEBUT ONLINE—(Jerusalem) The Israel Museum, in conjunction with the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Google R&D center in Israel, has launched the Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Project, which provides Internet access to high-resolution images of the scrolls, as well as additional data and background information. The project features five of the eight scrolls it digital form—the Great Isaiah Scroll, the Community Rule Scroll, the Commentary on Habakkuk Scroll, the Temple Scroll and the War Scroll. Ardon Bar Hama, one of the world’s premier experts in photographing ancient texts for online viewing, used a $50,000 camera that captured the scrolls at a resolution of 1,200 megapixels—compared to 12 megapixels for a standard camera—and that exposed the parchments to light for only 1/4,000th of a second. (Jerusalem Post & JTA, September 26.)
