The Palestinian was transferred to security forces for further interrogation."
zaterdag 28 juli 2007
Palestijn bij checkpoint met twee bommen
The Palestinian was transferred to security forces for further interrogation."
Iran: "Holocaust grootste leugen en vervalsing uit de geschiedenis"
CIDI, 19 juli 2007
Iraanse nieuwsbladen: Holocaust is de grootste leugen en vervalsing uit de geschiedenis
In het Iraanse weekblad Sobh-e Sadeq is maandag een artikel verschenen waarin gesteld werd dat de Holocaust de grootste leugen en vervalsing uit de geschiedenis is. In het artikel dat de titel "De Holocaust - De Grote Leugen" draagt, wordt gesteld dat 'de Joden deze leugen gecreeerd hadden' en dat 'de Joden geloofden dat hun miserabele situatie de internationale gemeenschap ervan zou overtuigen om voor hen een staat te creeren.' Het weekblad Sobh-e Sadeq is een spreekbuis van de Iraanse religieuze leider Ali Khamenei en wordt verspreid onder de Revolutionaire Garde.
In het eveneens aan ayatollah Khameini gelieerd nieuwsblad Kayhan Daily verscheen eerder deze maand een artikel van dergelijke strekking. Hierin werd gesteld dan ten tijde van het Nazi-regiem er geen gaskamers bestonden.
© CIDI, 2007
Palestijnse nationale beweging in diepe crisis door kloof Fatah - Hamas
De machtsstrijd tussen Fatah en Hamas heeft catastrofale vormen aangenomen nu zij tot een ideologische en politieke scheiding tussen Gazastrook en Westelijke Jordaanoever heeft geleid. De Palestijnen hebben er al een term voor: Wakseh.
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The great Palestinian downfall
Palestinian national movement faces deep crisis over Fatah-Hamas rift Ronny Shaked
Published: 07.27.07, 12:49 / Israel Opinion
Following the Nakba (the 1948 defeat and the State of Israel's establishment) and the Naksa (the 1967 defeat,) the Palestinian split and the disconnection from the Gaza Strip are being referred to as "Wakseh". The word means humiliation, ruin, and collapse as a result of self-inflicted damage.
The term expresses the great downfall of the Palestinian national movement and Palestine's division into two ideological camps the national camp and the Islamic camp.
The latest term, Wakseh, joins a series of political terms that have been etched into the collective Palestinian conscience and memory. In the Arab tradition, Wakseh is worse than Naksa because it is not caused by an external enemy, but rather, constitutes a self-inflicted wound that is almost akin to suicide.
In national terms, the Wakseh has brought Palestinians to one of the worst low points in their history. The Palestinian national movement has regressed 50 years to the reality of 1948-1967. It is back to a period of Palestinian geographical dispersal in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian diaspora in Arab countries, an era of national disintegration and focus on a daily struggle for personal survival.
'Catastrophic situation'
This time the split is ideological: The Hamas movement aspires to unite the West Bank and Gaza under the banner of Islam, while Fatah wants them united under the banner of democracy. This unification will apparently have to wait for many years.
The Wakseh has left the Palestinian street depressed and hopeless. Public life has collapsed and the average Palestinian is occupied with personal survival.
The Fatah movement, which started disintegrating following Arafat's death, has collapsed and shattered. Its leaders are still members of the "old Tunisian guard" Mahmoud Abbas and his group. The changing of the guard between generations has skipped over the Palestinians. The transitional generation is tired and broken. The Fatah young guard no longer exists.
"We are facing a catastrophic situation," says Kadura Fares, who can still be referred to as one of the leaders of Fatah's transitional generation. Marwan Barghouti has turned into a savior and messiah, yet even if he is released from prison it is highly doubtful whether he would be able to heal the Palestinian rift.
Abbas, who is counting the days to the end of his term in office, did not appoint a successor but continues to talk about an agreement and a diplomatic solution, as if nothing happened to the Palestinians.
He keeps repeating the usual mantras: An independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, the right of return, and removal of the settlements. In practice, he is no more than the ruler of the Muqata, the government compound in Ramallah.
'Days of mourning'
Abbas' government is replete with ministers of tourism, transportation, agriculture, and other important ministries. Yet everything is virtual. The Palestinians in the Territories refer to the Salem Fayyad government as the "government of salaries."
Indeed, the Palestinian Treasury has enough money to pay salaries for many months to come. The Western world, which views radical Islam as the enemy, blindly follows Abbas' declarations and continues to hand over large sums of money. Abbas sends the money to Gaza and helps stabilize the Hamas rule there.
Muhammad from Jabaliya doesn't care who pays his salary Abbas or Haniyeh, Israel or Iran. For him, the important thing is that the money arrives and enables him to buy food for his children.
Meanwhile, the Hamas rule in Gaza is stabilizing, partly thanks to the money Israel has transferred to Abbas, who proceeded to transfer it to more than 100,000 Gazans in the form of monthly salaries.
Hamas is conducting itself very wisely. Law and order prevails, there are no weapons on the streets besides the ones held by government forces, and no clan disputes. Even the market stalls at Palestine Square have been removed, and traffic is flowing. The introduction of Islam by the regime is being undertaken at a slow pace, but consistently and with determination. Hamas has no shortage of money either, and it pads the pockets of its new supporters with welfare and aid funds.
Gaza residents have become used to Hamas and do not miss the corrupt Fatah officials. More than any other nation, the Palestinians are able to quickly adapt to changing situations.
One of the leaders of the transitional generation of what is left of Fatah, who asked to remain anonymous, told us with great sadness and pain: "The Wakseh took us back 50 years. National hope has been lost. Those are days of mourning."
Getuigenis van een Joodse vluchtelinge uit Libië
vrijdag 27 juli 2007
De subtiele gekleurdheid van de BBC website
* Wanneer Israël de agressor is wordt dit direct zo benoemd: "Israël schiet raketten af op Gazastrook". Wanneer de Palestijnen de agressor zijn wordt vaker de passieve vorm gebruikt of in het midden gelaten wie het precies heeft gedaan: "Veel doden door geweld in Gaza", "Israëli komt om in Jeruzalem."
* In de vele artikelen die het perspecief van de 'man op straat' (M/V) lieten zien, betrof de overgrote meerderheid dat van de Palestijnse man (19 van de 23 artikelen).
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EXCLUSIVE - SIX MONTH ANALYSIS
BBC: THE SUBTLE BIAS
The BBC is an organization under pressure. Over the past few weeks, the international broadcasting giant has seen its reputation reach its lowest ebb as a result of:
· Allowing an openly anti-Semitic posting to remain on a messageboard, which falsely claimed that Jewish Talmudic law allows Jews to lie to non-Jews and that Zionism is a racist ideology. Only after pressure from UK Jewish organizations did the BBC eventually remove the offensive posting.
· Faking phone-in competition winners on a popular children's TV show and a major charity fundraising event (more examples of faked phone-ins are also coming to light).
· Editing a documentary trailer that falsely made the Queen look like she had stormed out of a photo shoot.
No other international media outlet elicits as many complaints of bias from our readers as the BBC. If the organization is capable of showing such little respect for the British monarch and the British public (which pays a compulsory license fee for the privilege of funding the BBC), is it any surprise that it consistently treats Israel with utter disdain?
HonestReporting took a snapshot of BBC reporting of the Arab-Israeli conflict over the first six months of 2007.
BBC Reporting During the First
Six Months of 2007 - Summary of Findings:
· Headline selection for stories in relation to violent incidents is inconsistent.
· 15% of stories about Palestinian violence named the aggressors while 60% of articles about Israeli operations accused Israel directly.
· Greater attention is paid to Palestinian voices and opinions than Israeli ones.
19 out of 23 articles and picture series capturing the "man on the street" perspective were from the Palestinian viewpoint.
This is the first in a new HonestReporting series that will analyze whether specific media outlets demonstrate a discernible bias over the long term.
Bias in the mainstream media can sometimes be patently clear deliberately manipulated or staged photographs, articles comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa, or sympathetic descriptions of terrorists, to name but a few. We try to respond to all of these cases, encouraging you, our readers, to contact the media directly and ask why the facts are not being reported accurately.
However, bias is often more subtle. There is nothing inherently suspect about a picture of a Palestinian civilian or a human interest story detailing the life of a Palestinian child. An account of a Palestinian shopkeeper's life can be useful in shedding light on how the conflict affects ordinary people. Articles and photographs can be 100% accurate and, taken at face value, are completely within the realms of professional journalism.
Yet, a closer examination of specific media outlets over a longer period of time can reveal troubling patterns which indicate a more subtle and potentially more harmful bias.
When pictures and accounts detailing only one side of a conflict are given prominence on an almost daily basis, it is a classic example of a bias so deep that it colors a media organization's entire reporting.
HonestReporting's researchers recently completed a six month study of articles appearing on the BBC News website. We monitored 286 articles and pictures appearing on the BBC News website from January 2007 until June 2007. What we saw was a clear pattern of showcasing the Palestinian perspective, at the expense of Israeli voices.
Headlines and Grammatical Style
in "Hard News" Articles
Finding: BBC headlines and text tend to use a style that describes Palestinian violence ambiguously (only naming the aggressor 15% of the time) while being much more direct in cases where the Israeli military is involved (Israel is mentioned in 60% of these cases.)
Editors often create extremely succinct headlines to refer to complicated stories. The headline can take a variety of styles. An "attack" can name the attacker, the victim, or both. The headline can utilize a strong, active verb such as "attacks", "kills", "shoots", etc. Or it can be more subtle i.e.: "man dies after attack." But is there consistency? The results of our study are revealing in that they show that there is a different style that is used depending on the subject of the headline.
For example, On May 7, 2007, the BBC covered Palestinians firing Qassam rockets into the Israeli town of Sderot. In response, the Israeli Air Force struck a car carrying two men on their way to launch more Qassams. The BBC article carried a strong, active headline: "Israel air strike hits north Gaza". It was only in the fourth paragraph that the Qassam attack that precipitated the air strike was mentioned.
In isolation, the use of the active tense does not indicate any sort of bias. However, compare the above headline with a story from May 15, 2007 describing a Hamas attack which left eight Palestinians dead. Rather than a headline similar to the one from May 7, the BBC employed a softer approach with "Eight killed in 'ambush by Hamas'". The second paragraph details how "16 people have died (emphasis added) in Gaza since Sunday."
Other headlines that describe Palestinian-initiated violence were either written without naming the aggressor at all, or written in the passive tense: "Gaza unrest gains own momentum" (May 16), "Gaza erupts in renewed violence" (May 17), "Threatened at a Gaza roadblock" (May 18), and "Fresh violence hits Gaza Strip" (May 19). In many cases, passive language described the event in the opening paragraph ("At least 20 people have been killed"). The two reported cases (in May, 2007) of Palestinian attacks against Israelis featured similar headlines: "Israeli dies in Gaza rocket raid" (May 21), "Casualties in Jerusalem shooting" (May 26). Technically, these articles are not incorrect. If an Israeli died after a rocket attack, it is not wrong to use a headline such as the one above.
However, in the vast majority of articles reporting on Israeli actions, the headlines were more direct: "Israel launches raids into Gaza" (May 17), "Fresh Israeli air strike on Gaza" (May 19), "Israel backs tougher Gaza action" (May 20), "Israel hits Hamas politician home" (May 21), "Israel strikes at Hamas in Gaza" (May 23), "Israel renews strikes across Gaza" (May 26), and "Israeli raids follow PM's warning" (May 28). While all these headlines appeared during the month of May (a month in which there was a great deal of reporting on violent attacks), the pattern is consistent.
In fact, during the first six months of 2007, out of 26 articles reporting on violent attacks perpetrated by Palestinian groups (on either Palestinians or Israelis), the group responsible for the violence was mentioned in only 15% of the cases. By contrast, in 38 articles where an operation was carried out by Israel, Israel was directly named in 60% of the headlines.
Selection of Perspectives in "Soft" News
Finding: The BBC consistently highlights Palestinian perspectives at the expense of Israeli voices. In twenty-three articles containing pictures and interviews of random subject, nineteen were of Palestinians.
Another form of subtle, long term bias can be detected in "human interest" stories. For statistical consistency, we discarded all articles written in response to a specific news event. We also did not include articles that solely featured the viewpoint of a government official, either Israeli or Palestinian. Instead, we examined those focused on the Palestinian or Israeli "man on the street". For example, a January 19 article ("Frustration over Ramallah violence") gives the perspective of three Palestinians. Another January article ("Voices: Palestinian faction violence") gives four Palestinian perspectives. In February, "Gaza viewpoint" interviews a Palestinian mother who describes the violence in Gaza. While she does not mention Israel in the short piece, it is linked to her blog, in which she makes clear her opinion that even the fighting between rival Palestinian groups is Israel's fault.
During this same time period, there are interviews with Israelis, but these are centered around issues not directly concerned with conflict (such as internal Israeli political events). In fact, the perspective of Palestinians was highlighted with far greater frequency than Israelis. Over the six month period, there were ample opportunities where a "Voices" piece could have focused on Israeli families living under constant rocket attack in Sderot, for example.
Conclusions
· While the BBC does not overtly distort facts in its Middle East coverage, a number of subtle biases combine to create a false impression of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. As a result, the British public and the BBC's many international viewers are poorly equipped to assess the situation accurately.
· By presenting coverage that builds empathy for the Palestinians at the expense of Israelis, the BBC is manipulating public opinion rather than promoting open debate the foundation of democratic action.
· Readers should insist on coverage that allows all relevant voices equal time and space to present their views. Only then is the public good truly being served.
· Contact the BBC and demand more balanced coverage in its reporting of the Middle East.
donderdag 26 juli 2007
Hamas TV met Nahoel de Bij en sleutel clip
Nahool: "You and we will liberate the sad Al-Aqsa that is waiting for us. Yes, we will liberate Al-Aqsa from the filth of the criminal Jews, who killed my grandfather, and killed Farfur, and history will bear witness to that…"
A young caller, Sabah, is asked what she wants to be when she grows up.
Sabah: "Journalist."
Saraa', girl in studio: "Wow, journalist! Nahool, we need journalists."
Nahool: "Why? So that… so that they will photograph the Jews when they are killing Farfur and the little children?
Saraa': "Yes, Nahool."
Another young caller says: "We will go on [the path] of Jihad when we grow up."
Nahool: "Yes, we are all Jihad warriors.
Saraa': "Allah willing."
[Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), July 20, 2007]
Nahoel de Bij is de neef van de onlangs door de Joden vermoorde Farfoer Muis, een Mickey Mouse lookalike, die de kinderen eveneens opriep tot de heilige strijd tegen de vijanden van de islam. Saraa is de gastvrouw in het programma, die telefoontjes van de jonge kijkers beantwoordt. Verschillende kinderen belden om hun woede te uiten over de moord op Farfour door de Joden.
Om de een of andere reden mag je dit soort dingen van links niet aan de kaak stellen, want dan doe je aan 'islam bashing'. Ik ben links, en ik vind dit walgelijk. Zo wordt een generatie Palestijnen opgevoed tot haat. Hoe kun je voor vrede zijn in het Midden-Oosten, voor respect voor alle volken en religies, en hier geen aanstoot aan nemen??
Ratna
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Syrische pers bekritiseert vredesinitiatieven Arabische landen
"The Lebanese Judas Iscariot is the individual or group that rejects national unity and attempts to keep [Lebanon as a fragmented] federation of ethnic cantons, based on the advice of the Elders of Zion... The Lebanese Judas Iscariot is the one who accuses Syria of [any] crime, assassination, or bombing seconds after it occurs and prior to any criminal investigation, in violation of both logic and law. [He does this] not out of concern for Lebanese interests, nor in solidarity with the martyrs and victims, nor even out of any narrow interest – but solely because he, like Judas Iscariot, wants to crucify Lebanon and the Arab identity for the sake of the [Lebanese] 'neoconservatives' who brandish the emblem of the cedar, and in order to serve the old-new American-Zionist plan for the region."
"The Palestinian Judas Iscariot is everyone who disregards the national interest and raises a weapon against his Palestinian brother. He is everyone who serves the interest of the enemy, whether he admits to it or not, and who renounces resistance, opting instead for compromise and defeatism [referring to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas]".
Een compromis in plaats van gewapende strijd, dat moeten we natuurlijk niet hebben. En de problemen in Libanon en Palestina, daar zitten de Wijzen van Zion achter, dat is toch duidelijk?
"The rift between the majority of the governments and their people has widened, and the governments, which started out with the three no's of the [1967] Khartoum summit, ended up signing separate peace and surrender treaties, falling as low as the Arab initiative [i.e. the March 2005 Saudi peace initiative]... This initiative was undertaken in 2002, that is, after southern Lebanon was liberated through the efforts of the resistance, and after the Israeli army was defeated, [leading] to its subsequent withdrawal, without exceptions, conditions or agreements.
Die goeie oude tijd, toen de Arabische staten nog onomwonden 'nee' tegen vrede met en erkenning van Israël zeiden, toen ze nog onomwonden opriepen tot oorlog en de vernietiging van de Joodse staat. Kom daar nu maar eens om. Jammer alleen dat men die oorlogen vroeger nooit kon winnen, dat hopen soldaten omkwamen en men ook nog land verloor, dat dan weer in een nieuwe oorlog bevrijd moest worden. Maar je moet wat over hebben voor je idealen. Beter eindeloos blijven vechten dan vrede sluiten met die vieze Joden...
Ratna
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Special Dispatch-Syria
July 25, 2007
No. 1666
Harsh Criticism of Arab Countries in Syrian Press
To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit:
http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD166607.
Recently, the Syrian government press has been directing harsh criticism against some Arab countries, claiming that they are helping the U.S. implement its plans at the expense of the Arabs. The columnists have also condemned the Arabs for rejecting the policy of resistance – which they said had proven its effectiveness in Lebanon – and for normalizing relations with Israel. The writers used harsh terms to describe certain elements within the Arab countries, calling them "Judas Iscariot," Arab "neo-cons," "forces of evil," and "Jews within [the Arab world]."
The following are excerpts from the columns:
Some Arabs Are Acting Like "Judas Iscariot," Instigating Internecine Wars Among Arabs
Editor of the Syrian daily Teshreen 'Issam Dari wrote: "The Arab citizen does not see the connection between the overwhelming chaos that is spreading throughout the Arab world and the long-term plans and projects proposed [by the West]. [When] he hears of [plans such as] 'The New Middle East,' 'Constructive Chaos,' or 'Preventive War'... he places the responsibility on the Great Superpower, since he cannot conceive that some of his own [brothers] are involved in the past, present and future plans directed against the Arab nation. He [therefore] suppresses this thought out of wishful thinking [and blames the West alone].
"Indeed, we had hoped that those who take part in formulating these conspiracies would not be from among our own [nation]. But [the fact is that] 'Judas Iscariot' is in our midst, fully involved in conspiracies directed against [our] nation. He can be found wherever there is rift, tension, explosion, or chaos. At times he acts openly, and at other times surreptitiously – but [either way] he often works against supreme Arab interests, instigating internecine wars and resentment, sowing chaos, inciting to anarchy and to conflict among brothers, planting mines and driving wedges in relations among Arab countries, enlisting foreigners to act against his country and against other [Arab] countries, treating a brother as an enemy and Israel as a friend – [all] with the protection of the U.S...
"The Lebanese Judas Iscariot is the individual or group that rejects national unity and attempts to keep [Lebanon as a fragmented] federation of ethnic cantons, based on the advice of the Elders of Zion... The Lebanese Judas Iscariot is the one who accuses Syria of [any] crime, assassination, or bombing seconds after it occurs and prior to any criminal investigation, in violation of both logic and law. [He does this] not out of concern for Lebanese interests, nor in solidarity with the martyrs and victims, nor even out of any narrow interest – but solely because he, like Judas Iscariot, wants to crucify Lebanon and the Arab identity for the sake of the [Lebanese] 'neoconservatives' who brandish the emblem of the cedar, and in order to serve the old-new American-Zionist plan for the region.
"The Palestinian Judas Iscariot is everyone who disregards the national interest and raises a weapon against his Palestinian brother. He is everyone who serves the interest of the enemy, whether he admits to it or not, and who renounces resistance, opting instead for compromise and defeatism [referring to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas].
"The Iraqi Judas Iscariot is everyone who murders people based on their [ethnic] affiliation [referring to Sunnis who murder Shi'ites]; everyone who perpetrates massacres and despicable acts of terrorism against innocent people; everyone who encourage resentment and internecine wars; and [everyone] who acquiesces to occupation and accepts his fate.
"The Arab Judas Iscariot is everyone who disregards the dangers [that threaten] the nation, striving to save his own skin and cling to his seat; everyone who forgets his people and its interest and adopts... principles and declarations of defeatism in order to justify [his] negligence and impotence."(1)
"The 'Jews' Within [the Arab World] Strive to Destroy the Spirit of Resistance"
Syrian columnist 'Abd Al-Karim Al-Na'em wrote in Teshreen: "This time, the joint plan [formulated by] Washington and Tel Aviv is being implemented by others, who are supposed to be [loyal to] the nation and the motherland. The U.S. has managed to set up a natural experiment and a model for dividing society throughout the entire [Middle East] region. The 'Jews' within [the Arab world] have thus begun to destroy the spirit of resistance. Stubborn rejection of all Arab initiative is a clear sign of what the near future will bring. It is a contemptible act of hate which aims to eradicate all the achievements of the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine [and to prevent] the shedding of American or Zionist blood in these countries. Those who believe in opposing the American-Israeli plan have only one remaining option – namely, resistance."(2)
Teshreen columnist Hanan Muhammad wrote: "Some in the Arab world have exploited the desperation permeating [the Arab countries] in order to yield to the statement that 'the enemy is invincible'... They delayed reaping the fruits of victories that had been achieved, starting with the October [1973] war – where the victory was wiped out through a government decision [i.e. the Egypt-Israel peace agreement] – and ending with the victory of July [2006, in the recent Lebanon war], which caused an earthquake within the Zionist entity.
The majority of Arab regimes responded to this victory with doubt and criticism. Even when they did concede to regard it as a victory, they sabotaged [every chance] of capitalizing on it so as to change the balance [of power] in the conflict – specifically by rejecting resistance as an option that had proved effective in achieving liberation. Moreover, they remained inactive, arguing that it is impossible to attain a balance of power vis-à-vis Israel...
"The rift between the majority of the governments and their people has widened, and the governments, which started out with the three no's of the [1967] Khartoum summit, ended up signing separate peace and surrender treaties, falling as low as the Arab initiative [i.e. the March 2005 Saudi peace initiative]... This initiative was undertaken in 2002, that is, after southern Lebanon was liberated through the efforts of the resistance, and after the Israeli army was defeated, [leading] to its subsequent withdrawal, without exceptions, conditions or agreements.
"The revival [of the Arab initiative] followed the victory that was dearly won by the resistance... At the same time, the resistance was subjected to pressures, both from within and without, intended to distort its image and blur the distinctions between resistance and terrorism. The members [of the resistance] were portrayed as individuals who seek death and hate life – their own and that of others. The initiators of this program [to distort the image of the resistance] and their followers resorted to lies and deception, sparing no effort to remove the halo of sanctity from the emblems of resistance."(3)
Columnist 'Ali Sawaha, writing in the Syrian daily Al-Thawra, protested against those among the Arabs who questioned the ability of the resistance: "Our nation, at the moment, is experiencing disintegration and a rift of unprecedented proportions, and is [especially] in need of resistance values and culture... We have no choice but to return to the culture of resistance, now that Iraq has been turned into a kind of American state, and Lebanon into a backyard of the White House, and in view of what is being planned for Syria, Sudan, and all Arab countries as part of the American-Zionist plan.
"In our Arab media today, destructive voices can be heard, sowing desperation among the Arab population and officials, so as to dampen the [Arabs'] aspirations and question their ability to resist their enemies."(4)
The Forces of Good Within the Arab Nation are Stronger Than the Forces of Evil
Columnist for the Syrian daily Al-Ba'th Elias Murad wrote: "The American-Israeli plan in the region has now reached its peak, and it is no secret that its success will be at the expense of the Arabs and their existence. Consequently, we must ask some crucial questions: Where is the Arab counter-plan [that is designed] to confront the American-Israeli [plan], which is spreading like cancer? Are we to deal with the American-Israeli plan by silently acquiescing to the siege on the Palestinians? Are we to deal with it by allowing [the Americans and the Israelis] to shape our present and future existence and to draw the borders of our countries? Or by supporting those who believe that redemption lies in foreign occupation and that the foreign forces are our [saviors]? Or by asking for an international peacekeeping force, [as though] we never fought the imperialist [forces] to liberate our countries and are not celebrating our independence? Or by turning our back on active and important elements in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq?
"[On the contrary], we must stand by their side and lend them support... We shall not lose hope, for the forces of good hidden within the nation are far stronger than those of evil."(5)
Arab "Neoconservatives" Are Collaborating With the U.S.
Nasri Al-Sayigh, columnist for the Syrian daily Teshreen, wrote: "The U.S. gave us the gift of 'constructive chaos,' drowned Iraq in a blood-soaked democracy, gave its blessing to the civil war in Palestine, and 'issued a fatwa' permitting the killing of the resistance [fighters]. Furthermore, it provoked the Lebanese people into perpetrating illegal acts, rendering chaos the only permitted option... Arab neoconservatives enthusiastically collaborated to promote an American future in the Arab land... and to renounce [Arab] principles under the pretext of modernization."(6)
Some Arabs Grant Israel a Character Reference, and Believe Iran is More Dangerous Than Israel
Al-Ba'th columnist Dr. Khayr Al-Din 'Abd Al-Rahman wrote: "[Recently], a group emerged from among the Arabs that takes the issue of Israeli nuclear weapons lightly. They have adopted the rationale of the Israelis, who claim that what matters is who actually has the weapons and uses them, and how prudent they are in handling the weapons, rather than the danger inherent in the weapons [themselves]...
"Then there emerged another group, which, adopting the same line of reasoning, purports that Iran and its nuclear weapons are more dangerous than Israel...
"Saudi intellectual 'Eid bin Mas'oud Al-Jahni, dead of the Arabian Gulf Center for Energy and Strategic Research, stated: 'Some Arab leaders hastened to normalize relations with Israel, and some intellectual writers announced the advent of a new age – one of peace, brotherhood and unity, of trade, economic and cultural relations, and of intellectual dialogue with Jews.' In spite of the tragedies they suffered at the hands of Israel, some Arabs have failed to learn their lesson and continue to gamble on peace."(7)
Endnotes:
(1) Teshreen (Syria), June 16, 2007.
(2) Teshreen (Syria), July 1, 2007.
(3) Teshreen (Syria), June 4, 2007.
(4) Al-Thawra (Syria), June 19, 2007.
(5) Al-Ba'th (Syria), June 24, 2007.
(6) Teshreen (Syria), June 20, 2007.
(7) Al-Ba'th (Syria), June 19, 2007.
*********************
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request.
MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with proper attribution.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org
Hamas boos over gestolen schoenen
Gelukkig waren het geen dure schoenen en ze waren gestolen tijdens het gebed, en niet terwijl Haniyeh baadde in de zee bij Tel Aviv of tijdens een luxe etentje met Condoleeza Rice, zei een woordvoerder van Hamas als sneer naar het Fatah leiderschap, dat als decadent en collaborerend met Israël en de VS wordt gezien.
Jul. 23, 2007 1:58 | Updated Jul. 23, 2007 11:04
Hamas angry over footwear faux pas
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1184766037347&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Who stole the shoes of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh while he was attending Friday prayers in Gaza City?
This is the question that Hamas's security apparatus has been trying to answer since last Friday.
The incident has embarrassed Hamas, whose leaders tried on Sunday to play down the case by claiming that the theft was the work of a child.
Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip accused Fatah leaders in Ramallah of exploiting the incident to defame Haniyeh.
The shoes were stolen after Haniyeh and his entourage arrived at a mosque in Gaza City for Friday prayers. Ever since he was appointed prime minister, Haniyeh has been delivering Friday sermons in various mosques in the Gaza Strip.
In line with Islamic tradition, worshipers are required to take off their shoes upon entering mosques.
Following the prayer, Haniyeh discovered that his shoes were missing. His nervous bodyguard immediately began searching for the missing shoes and all worshipers were required to remain inside the mosque until the search was over.
"It was a very embarrassing situation," said a Palestinian journalist who was present at the scene. "Hamas sent reinforcements to the area and a frantic search for the shoes began."
The shoes were discovered minutes later in the possession of a Palestinian child who admitted that he had stolen them, a Hamas official in the Gaza Strip told The Jerusalem Post.
"The kid did not even know that the shoes belonged to the prime minister," he said. "He saw shining and neat shoes and decided to take them."
According to the official, the boy was released immediately without punishment. "We didn't take the case seriously because this is not the first time children have stolen shoes of worshipers during the prayers," he said.
Asked if Haniyeh's shoes were expensive, the official said: "These are cheap shoes made in Egypt. I don't think the boy stole them because they looked expensive. He simply saw neat shoes and decided to take them. Haniyeh does not wear Armani suits and Italian-made shoes."
Another Hamas official told the Post he did not rule out the possibility that Fatah activists were behind the theft.
"These Fatah people are doing their utmost to discredit Hamas," he said. "It's possible that the boy was sent by some Fatah activists to steal the shoes to embarrass Hamas. But for us this is not a big issue and we have nothing to hide. Haniyeh's shoes were stolen while he was praying inside a mosque and not while he was swimming on the beach of Tel Aviv or eating in a fancy restaurant with Condoleezza Rice."
dinsdag 24 juli 2007
Hezbollah weigert informatie over ontvoerde soldaten te geven
De enige remedie tegen deze morele chantage is te stoppen met gevangenendeals. Gevangenen kunnen om twee redenen worden vrijgelaten: omdat hun tijd erop zit of omdat Israël ze vrijwillig amnestie verleent, zoals de 256 gevangenen afgelopen vrijdag. Ontvoerde soldaten moeten, hoe pijnlijk ook, worden beschouwd als verloren, net als alle andere soldaten die tijdens de Tweede Libanonoorlog zijn gesneuveld. Uiteindelijk zal dit meer levens redden dan het ingaan op de eisen van de ontvoerders.
_________________________________________
'Hizbullah's military might is restored'
JPost.com Staff, THE JERUSALEM POST Jul. 23, 2007
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1184766044844&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Hizbullah has restored its military capability and replenished its stockpiles of weapons and missiles since the end of the Second Lebanon War, Israel Radio quoted a senior defense official as saying Tuesday morning.
The official claimed that Syria was transferring weapons to Hizbullah with the full knowledge of the Lebanese army and behind UNIFIL's back.
He said that Hizbullah didn't want to ignite the region at the moment but preferred a period of quiet so that it could restore the sites from which the rockets were launched during last summer's war.
On Monday, Hizbullah Chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah refused to say whether kidnapped reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were alive.
"The French foreign minister understood that they are alive, but our people do not tend to answer questions of this kind," said Nasrallah in an interview with Al Jazeera, broadcast by Qatari-based satellite television.
The head of the guerrilla group was referring to a recent statement made by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner who said that he "understood" the soldiers were alive after talks with Hizbullah officials in Paris last week.
Nasrallah claimed that he was the sole official authorized to give details on the matter and added that "for every utterance such as this we can receive human compensation, and therefore there is no reason that we would give information for free."
During an earlier section of the same interview released Sunday, Nasrallah announced that Hizbullah had the ability to launch rockets against any point in Israel.
Hizbullah had the capability to strike every part of Israel during last summer's war, and retains that capability, he said. "Even in the months of July and August 2006 there was not one place in occupied Palestine that we could not reach, every point and every corner," Nasrallah was quoted as saying. "I stress that we can do this today as well."
maandag 23 juli 2007
Iraanse oud-ambassadeur: VS zat zelf achter 11 september
Hossein Sheikholeslam: [The Americans], using their creation, Al-Qaeda, carried out the events of 9/11.
De huidige situatie is bepaald niet wat de Amerikanen in gedachten hadden toen zij Irak binnen vielen, en men wil nu vooral zonder al teveel gezichtsverlies weer weg zien te komen, erkent ook Sheikholeslam. Hoezo is de huidige situatie dan een scenario dat vantevoren is voorbereid? Logica is niet de sterkste kant van extremisten.
Hossein Sheikholeslam: In my opinion, the Americans created this situation, and what is happening today, is a scenario prepared in advance. Now the conflict in the elections between the Democrats and the Republicans focuses on seeking a way to get out [of Iraq].
Zijn visie op Israël is opmerkelijk: In tegenstelling tot veel islamisten, erkent hij dat Israël onder internationale druk staat en de laatste tijd kleiner, en niet groter is geworden, verwacht hij dat het zich verder terug zal trekken tot achter de 'muur' en erkent dat het heeft gepoogd vrede te sluiten. Maar, zoals ook na de terugtrekking uit Libanon en Gaza veelvuldig was te horen, interpreteert hij dit alles als teken van Israëlische zwakte; een zwakte die tot haar ondergang zal leiden.
________________________
MEMRI
Clip # 1512 - Hossein Sheikholeslam, Former Iranian Ambassador to Syria and Member of the Foreign Policy and National Security Council in the Iranian Parliament: The Americans Perpetrated 9/11
Hossein Sheikholeslam: [The Americans], using their creation, Al-Qaeda, carried out the events of 9/11. 9/11 prepared the ground for their attack on the region, using all possible means. One good question that arises is: If nobody knew in advance what time the first airplane was supposed to hit the first tower, how come there were several professional cameras that zoomed in to film the event? This is understandable with regard to the second tower, because the first tower was already in flames. All the journalists present were zooming in on the first tower, when the second plane came and hit the second tower. That's how they filmed it. But professionally filing the attack on the first tower, from different angles, if nobody had prior knowledge that it was going to happen
[The Americans] carried it out, at the expense of the region and the American people, and at the expense of the Europeans and others. That is how they got us to the current situation. Fortunately or unfortunately, they cannot even get out of there, end this battle, and leave.
Interviewer: Do you think that the Americans anticipated that it would come to this?
Hossein Sheikholeslam: In my opinion, the Americans created this situation, and what is happening today, is a scenario prepared in advance. Now the conflict in the elections between the Democrats and the Republicans focuses on seeking a way to get out [of Iraq]. But America in its entirety - both the democrats and the Republicans - is incapable of resolving this problem, because it got itself stuck in a quagmire, from which it cannot get out.
[...]
Since the victory of the Islamic revolution, the pressure exerted on Israel is so great that Israel, which was growing bigger and bigger in the past, is now growing smaller and smaller. It has withdrawn from Lebanon - from Beirut and from the occupied strip in South Lebanon, the security zone - and it has withdrawn from Gaza. Now it is building a wall, which, by the way, we oppose. What does this mean? It means that [Israel] plans to move behind this wall. All their theories of Arab and Zionist coexistence have collapsed. If the pressure continues - and Allah willing, it will - Israel will cease to exist. They will have to return to where they came from.
TO VIEW THIS CLIP: www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1512
***********************
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Hezbollah leider: Onze raketten kunnen heel Israël treffen
"Even in the months of July and August 2006 there was not one place in occupied Palestine that we could not reach, every point and every corner," Nasrallah said. "I stress that we can do this today as well."
The 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted following the July 12 abduction of two Israel Defense Forces soldiers by the militant group and the deaths of eight others.
Hezbollah ontvoerde op 12 juli vorig jaar niet alleen twee Israëlische soldaten, maar vuurde ook verschillende raketten af op Israël. Nasrallah maakt duidelijk dit opnieuw te kunnen doen. Iedereen die vorig jaar zo fel tegen de oorlog was zou deze dreigementen hard moeten veroordelen, maar ik verwacht op dit punt weinig van alle anti-oorlog comité's en linkse parlementartiers.
Ratna
____________________________________________
Hezbollah chief: Our reach spans every point in Israel
By Yoav Stern and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents
Hezbollah claimed Sunday that it is able to strike at every part of Israel, and had the same capability during the Second Lebanon War last summer.
The leader of the Iranian and Syrian-backed organization, Hassan Nasrallah, made the comments to Qatari-based Al-Jazeera satellite television, in an interview to be aired in its entirety Monday.
"Even in the months of July and August 2006 there was not one place in occupied Palestine that we could not reach, every point and every corner," Nasrallah said. "I stress that we can do this today as well."
The 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted following the July 12 abduction of two Israel Defense Forces soldiers by the militant group and the deaths of eight others.
Meanwhile, Israeli military sources say that Hezbollah has moved its short-range Katyusha rockets into built-up areas in southern Lebanon, mostly in Shi'ite villages, to hide them from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Since its reinforced deployment after the cease-fire last August, UNIFIL has carried out extensive searches in southern Lebanon's open brush areas, where Hezbollah built up extensive underground fortifications and set up launch pads for its rocket attacks against Israel.
In recent months, more than 90 percent of these areas have been searched, and UNIFIL patrols have found and destroyed Hezbollah arms, including Katyusha launchers, Katyusha rockets and explosives.
Details of the UN operations in southern Lebanon are in reports sent from UNIFIL to the organization's headquarters in New York.
During searches after the war, 33 such areas - which the IDF euphemistically terms "nature reserves" - were located.
These included bunkers and underground tunnels, some of which are sufficiently complex to include sub-systems, all built by Hezbollah south of the Litani River during the six years following the IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Most of the rockets fired against Israel during the war last year were launched from the "nature reserves."
Military Intelligence had information on the location of most of these areas, but not about the extent of the fortifications built by Hezbollah there.
Throughout the war the General Staff - and particularly Northern Command - restricted the offensive operations into these areas following the initial encounter July 19, 2006, during which two soldiers were killed in a confrontation with Hezbollah in the "nature reserve" code-named Shaked near the town of Maroun al-Ras.
The UNIFIL searches have revealed that the condition of the bunkers and fortifications in the "nature reserves" has deteriorated - suggesting that Hezbollah fighters have not tried to return to these permanently. However, it is also clear that some Hezbollah fighters do occasionally return to the area to maintain some of the fortifications.
As an alternative to the "nature reserves," Hezbollah is trying to transfer significant numbers of its rockets into built-up areas, mostly in the dozens of Shi'ite villages south of the Litani.
Most of the organization's long-range rockets are kept north of the river, but there is a continuous effort to smuggle missiles into southern Lebanon, controlled by UNIFIL.
Israel has recently issued a number of warnings to Lebanon that if in the future there is an outbreak of hostilities and Hezbollah launches rockets from built-up areas, the IDF will not hesitate to bomb - and even totally destroy - urban areas after it gives Lebanese civilians the chance to flee.
UNIFIL's efforts have touched a raw nerve with Hezbollah, and Israeli analysts have interpreted the recent attack against a UN armored vehicle, in which six soldiers of the Spanish battalion were killed, as being directly linked to the pressure the peacekeepers have put on the extremist Shi'ite organization.
Nasrallah's visit to Damascus on Thursday, where he met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was something Israeli intelligence was not aware of in advance.
Israëlische onderwijsminister keurt vermelding Nakba in schoolboeken goed
Education Ministry okays new textbook featuring Nakba
Ministry gives go-ahead for use of book acknowledging Nakba in Arab schools. 'Book offers Arab pupils a balanced picture' says Minister Yuli Tamir
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3428223,00.html
The Education Ministry has authorized Arab schools to use a history book featuring the establishing of the State of Israel as a disastrous to the Palestinians, Israel radio published Sunday.
The third-grade book, Living together in Israel, states that some Arab residents were driven out of their homes and became refugees and that Israel confiscated many of their lands.
Controversy
The book's authors made it a point to state that it was the Arabs that refused the United Nations offer to divide the land between the Palestinian and the Jews (UN resolution 181), while the Jews accepted it.
"When the war ended, the Jews prevailed and Israel and its neighbors signed a truce. the Arabs call the war the 'Nakba', meaning the war of disaster and destruction. The Jews call it the War of Independence."
A balanced picture
Education Minister Yuli Tamir told Ynet Sunday that the ministry's decision was "part of a new curriculum, which has been in the works for a number of years and includes mentioning the Nakba.
"The book underwent an evaluation by a professional viewing board and was sent to dozens of readers prior to being approved for distribution," said Tamir.
"The book offers the Arab pupils a balanced picture, so that they may put what they exposed to in their home environment in the proper context," she added.
The national board of education geography supervisor, Dalia Pening, said the new curriculum is meant to be uniform for all school sectors.
"This program features the term 'Nakba'. When the Hebrew book was translated, we need to make some cultural adjustments," she said. "Writing a version detached from reality is counterproductive to our goal of creating a joint sense of relevance."
Tamir's decision sparked harsh criticism: National Religious Party Chairman MK Zevulun Orlev called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to fire Tamir immediately saying her decision was "anti-Zionist and goes against the very existence of Israel as a Jewish state."
Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman slammed Tamir's decision as well "Tamir is like Avraham Burg. She expresses not only the post-Zionist spirit but also political masochism. The political left is constantly looking for ways to justify the other side, when we have nothing to apologize for."
Former Education Minister MK Limor Livnat (Likud) called the decision "miserable" adding that "once the Arab pupils are taught that the establishing of Israel was a disaster, they might infer that they should be fighting against us. our very own educational system may be raising a fifth column," said Livnat.
This isn't the first time Tamir authorized a controversial book be added to the schools curriculum. In December 2006 she ordered new textbooks featuring the Green Line - Israel's borders prior to the Six Day War - be distributed
____________________________________
Orlev: Fire Tamir over Arab text book approval
By JPOST.COM STAFF
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1184766030067&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Orlev said that allowing the Palestinian version of events into school books was erasing Jewish history and granting the Arabs legitimacy in refusing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
zondag 22 juli 2007
Stop de Bezetting eist ontslag 'pro-Israëlische' Afshin Ellian
http://www.elsevier.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel.asp?artnr=161322
NRC zal 'pro-Israëlische' Ellian niet ontslaan
Dat laat hoofdredacteur Birgit Donker weten in een reactie aan elsevier. nl.
Emoties
'We begrijpen dat de emoties hoog oplopen in dit debat. Maar wij vinden niet dat onze columnist grenzen heeft overschreden. We zijn niet van plan de vrijheid van onze columnist in deze in te perken, net zo min als die van mensen die het tegenovergestelde beweren,' schrijft Donker.
Wijenberg verwijt Ellian dat hij hem en andere 'vredesactivisten' beschuldigt van antisemitisme. Wijenberg doelt daarbij op Ellians column 'Vergeet Gaza', van zaterdag 7 juli (niet toegankelijk op internet).
'Het is onaanvaardbaar dat de NRC aan iemand met een dergelijke mentaliteit ruimte in haar kolommen biedt,' schrijft Wijenberg in zijn brief van 15 juli.
'Verbijsterd'
Afshin Ellian is 'verbijsterd' over het nieuws, zo laat hij elsevier.nl vanuit Italië weten. Wegens vakantie was hij nog niet op de hoogte van de brief van Wijenberg, die aan hem was gecc'd.
Ook Elsevier had een afschrift gekregen, omdat Ellian met Leon de Winter een duoblog bijhoudt op deze site. Hoofdredacteur Arendo Joustra piekert er niet over Ellian zijn blog te ontnemen.
'Ik ben verheugd dat NRC en Elsevier onomwonden hebben laten weten dat zij het recht op de vrijheid van meningsuiting hoog in het vaandel dragen,' zegt Ellian.
Maandag zal hij in zijn weblog nader op de zaak ingaan.
Meer daarover:
http://www.elsevier.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/asp/artnr/161286/index.html
De gewraakte brief van Wijenberg:
http://www.elsevier.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/asp/artnr/161285/index.html