Israel en de (on)balans van 2009 - IMO

 

Op IMO blog vandaag een terugblik op 2009 en mijn wensen voor 2010 betreffende het Midden-Oosten.

 

Ratna Pelle

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Thursday, December 31st

Israel en de (on)balans van 2009

De zo gehoopte kentering in de berichtgeving over Israël en het conflict is er niet gekomen in 2009, om van een oplossing van dat conflict zelf nog maar te zwijgen. Dat laatste bleek overigens dichterbij dan gedacht, toen Olmert Abbas een serieus vredesaanbod deed, maar dat valt officieel onder 2008.
2009 Werd ruw ingeluid door de bombardementen en Israëlische acties in de Gazastrook tegen Hamas, die 1200-1400 doden tot gevolg had, en een ongekend negatieve en gekleurde berichtgeving, woedende demonstraties wereldwijd, een uitbarsting van antisemitische incidenten en veroordelingen door vele regeringsleiders en gremia. Nederland hoorde bij de minderheid die weigerde Israël te veroordelen voor 'disproportioneel geweld', en hield het bij een oproep tot een staakt het vuren. Hierom werd de regering overigens hard aangevallen door de oppositie.
Lees verder...

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Wensen voor 2010

Wat zal 2010 brengen? Meer gemiste kansen, meer oorlogen, meer antizionistische leugens en meer ad hominem aanvallen op mensen die het voor Israël opnemen? Het zit er dik in. Waarschijnlijk zullen Abbas en Netanjahoe uiteindelijk wel gaan onderhandelen, maar ik verwacht er geen enkel resultaat van. Netanjahoe zal niet meer bieden dan Olmerts voorstel dat Abbas afwees. De hardliners in Fatah en Hamas zullen ervoor zorgen dat, mocht Abbas al van mening veranderen (of door de VS onder druk worden gezet) en met een dergelijk voorstel akkoord gaan, dat niet uitgevoerd kan worden door een serie nieuwe aanslagen of raketten, mogelijk door Hezbollah (en dus Iran) gefinancierd.
Lees verder...

Schorriemorrie: wat deden de os en de ezel in de kerststal?

Schilderij van een anonieme schilder uit de achttiende eeuw. Links in beeld de os en de ezel.

 

 

Op de website van Christenen voor Israel een interessant artikel over de achtergrond van de os en de ezel die bij de geboorte van Jezus aanwezig zouden zijn geweest, en de anti-Joodse achtergrond daarvan. En zo leer je ook nog eens wat over de herkomst van bepaalde woorden.....

 

RP

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Schorriemorrie

http://christenenvoorisrael.nl/artikelen/artikelen/schorriemorrie.html

Geschreven door cvisuper

vrijdag 25 december 2009

Door ds. G. Hette Abma

Wist u dat er in de legendarische verhalen rond het verhaal van de geboorte van Jezus vaak een anti-Joods draadje geweven zit?

Dat begin je te zien als je je afvraagt hoe kunstenaars op het idee gekomen zijn om vlak boven het kind Jezus de koppen van een os en een ezel te schilderen.

De evangelisten vertellen geen van allen dat deze dieren de eerste getuigen zijn geweest van de geboorte van de Redder van de wereld. Ze zeggen niet eens dat Jezus in een stal ter wereld is gekomen. Wel meldt Lucas dat Maria haar eerstgeboren Zoon in doeken wond en neerlegde in de kribbe, of zoals de Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling weergeeft: in een voederbak.

Os en ezel
Al heel snel is er in de kerk een verbinding gezocht via die kribbe of voederbak met de profetie van Jesaja 1:3: "Een os kent zijn eigenaar en een ezel de krib van zijn meester, maar Israël heeft geen kennis, Mijn volk verstaat niet."

In het pseudo-Matteüsevangelie (uit de vijfde eeuw) kunnen we lezen: Nadat Maria haar Zoon in de kribbe legde, hebben een os en een ezel het Kind aanbeden. Dan volgt het citaat uit Jesaja. Die scherpe woorden zijn op dat moment bewaarheid: mijn volk heeft er geen besef van.

Origenes
Voor zover ik heb kunnen nagaan was Origenes (185-254) de eerste die bij de kribbe van Jezus dacht aan de profetie van Jesaja. Bij hem is er al sprake van een duidelijk anti-Joodse polemiek. Een os en een ezel kennen hun meester, maar Israël begrijpt niet waar het omgaat.

Wie heeft het ooit zo kras meegemaakt? Die domme beesten beseffen nog aan wie ze toebehoren. Hoe verblind zijn dan de Joden! Ze hebben geen oog voor het karakteristieke werk van God. Ze zien niet dat Jezus de beloofde Messias is.

Beeldenstorm
Verwacht van mij nu geen aansporing om onverhoeds de os en ezel in een romantische kerststal een kopje kleiner te maken, of een oud schilderij te beschadigen. Voordat we het weten begint er een nieuwe Beeldenstorm.

Het lijkt me beter zoveel mogelijk mensen erop te attenderen hoe diep het anti-Joodse sentiment er eigenlijk in zit. Laten we geïnteresseerde kinderen vertellen waarom ze vroeger die beesten erbij gehaald hebben: zij aanbidden het Kind in tegenstelling tot de Joden!

Catechese
Als ze dan met grote ogen kijken naar die os en ezel, kunnen we een uitgebreide catechese geven: kijk maar eens goed, dat zijn wij dus: schorriemorrie. Met dit woord zijn we gewend het uitschot van de maatschappij te benoemen. Het is een verbastering van 'de os en de ezel' in het Hebreeuws: schoor-we-chamoor. Zo'n ontdekking kan prima helpen als therapie tegen kerkelijke hoogmoed!

George Galloway verdedigt Hamas in Gaza

 

De controversiële Britse parlementariër George Galloway is organisator van de zogenaamde 'Freedom voor Gaza' mars die vindt dat Israel (en Egypte) de blokkade van de Gazastrook moet opheffen zodat Hamas ongelimiteerd wapens kan importeren en dat niet meer via die onhandige tunnels hoeft. Hieronder verheldert hij zijn visie op de zaak. Een citaat:

 

 "Two of the Arab world's beautiful daughters, Baghdad and Jerusalem, are in the hands of foreigners, to do with as they will. By Allah, the Arabs are in a very bad shape. They have everything: Oil, gas, water, all this land, 300 million people, one language, one religion, one God, one culture. The Arabs should be a superpower in the world. Nobody should be able to ignore the Arabs. Everyone should be saluting the Arabs in respect. But look what we have instead."[...]

 

RP

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MEMRI Special Dispatch | No. 2720 |December 29, 2009
Palestinians/U.S. & the Arab & Muslim World
Al-Jazeera, Hamas TV Interview Former British MP George Galloway; Viva Palestina's 'Lifeline 3' Convoy Meets with Hamas Rep and Rally Calling for Jihad - As U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee Chairman Calls For Investigating Viva Palestina's Finances


Viva Palestina was founded in January 2009 by a group that included British MP George Galloway, and it has branches in both the U.S. and the U.K.  From late March through early July, Galloway toured multiple U.S. cities and college campuses in order to raise money and promote Viva Palestina's July Gaza convoy.  Galloway also attempted to take the tour into Canada, but was denied entrance.[1]

On December 1, 2009, Chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, Rep. Brad Sherman, sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking the Department of Justice to investigate whether Viva Palestina funds were being funneled to Hamas.
Following are excerpts from various television reports on Viva Palestina's "Lifeline 3" convoy to Gaza, as well as from interviews with George Galloway from the Middle East. The reports and interviews aired on Al-Aqsa TV and Al-Jazeera TV over the past week.

 

To view this clip, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2313.htm.
To view the MEMRI TV page for George Galloway, visit
http://www.memritv.org/subject/en/615.htm.

Al-Jazeera TV, 12/22/2009

Former British MP George Galloway: "I believe that Hizbullah is a resistance movement, and that Nasrallah and all the resistance forces in the Palestinian revolution are a source of pride to all the Arabs, from Marrakesh to Bahrain. Indeed, people have pride in them, even when they do not have pride in their own governments. The children of the Intifada, the young men of the Iraqi resistance, the young men of the Lebanese resistance - and the women, for that matter - are a source of pride for all the freedom-loving people in the world.
[...]
"For 25 years, I used to pass the parliament room in which Sykes and Picot sat down to draw these maps to keep the Arabs divided and weak, the better to steal their wealth. Even Sykes and Picot could not have dreamt that almost 100 years later, the scheme, which they made over a cup of tea, would still be in existence, that these borders would have become sacred, that people would fight over these borders, and that the Arabs would remain divided and weak, the better for the others to steal their resources.
[...]
"Two of the Arab world's beautiful daughters, Baghdad and Jerusalem, are in the hands of foreigners, to do with as they will. By Allah, the Arabs are in a very bad shape. They have everything: Oil, gas, water, all this land, 300 million people, one language, one religion, one God, one culture. The Arabs should be a superpower in the world. Nobody should be able to ignore the Arabs. Everyone should be saluting the Arabs in respect. But look what we have instead."[...]

Al-Aqsa TV, 12/22/2009

Former British MP George Galloway: "Allah willing, one day, we will be together. To victory, to victory, to Jerusalem. Viva Palestina."
[...]
Hamas Deputy Leader Musa Abu Marzouk: "In this convoy, there are people of more than 17 nationalities, who have joined it on its way to Gaza. We salute Dr. Manayas, the deputy of Mahathir Mohamad from Malaysia, and we salute the Viva Palestine organization in the U.S., the Viva Palestine organization in Malaysia, and another Viva Palestine organization that will be established, Allah willing, in South Africa."[...]

Al-Jazeera TV, 12/21/2009

Hamas Representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan: "At other stops on your way, you might face pressure and attempts to prevent the convoy from moving on. You should draw strength to continue from here, where you are welcome."
[...]

Al-Aqsa TV, 12/27/2009
A welcoming rally for the convoy in Aqaba, Jordan
Speaker: "Allah is our goal."
Crowds: "Allah is our goal."
Speaker: "The Prophet Muhammad is our leader."
Crowds: "The Prophet Muhammad is our leader."
Speaker: "The Koran is our constitution."
Crowds: "The Koran is our constitution."
Speaker: "Jihad is our path."
Crowds: "Jihad is our path."
Speaker: "Death for the sake of Allah is our most exalted desire."
Crowds: "Death for the sake of Allah is our most exalted desire."
[...]
Speaker: "Oh Gaza of Haniyah and Al-Zahhar, oh Gaza of Mash'al, turn the land under their feet to fire, and make the oceans burn around them."

"Oh Gaza of Hamas, all the people bear witness on your behalf, and have elevated you above their heads. If those close to you have denied your rights, foreigners from afar have borne witness on your behalf. They have become a part of us, and we consider them to be of our own. We have a debt of gratitude to them.
[...]
"Our brothers in Gaza, oh the apple of our eyes, you are a light that has spread to all corners of the universe, and has shown the path of resistance to all the mujahideen. Oh disciples of Abdallah Azzam..."
Announcer: "Say 'Allah Akbar.'"
Crowds: "Allah Akbar."
Announcer: "Say 'Allah Akbar.'"
Crowds: "Allah Akbar."
Announcer: "Say 'Allah Akbar.'"
Crowds: "Allah Akbar."
Announcer: "Say 'Allah Akbar.'"
Crowds: "Allah Akbar."
Speaker: "Oh disciples of Abdallah Azzam, oh soldiers of the Al-Qassam [Brigades], oh brothers of Al-Rantisi and Yassin, oh brothers of Sallah Shehada and Yahya 'Ayyash, today we are all with you, on the first anniversary of your victory, and your steadfastness in the Furqan War. We ask Allah to let us gather in the years to come to mark new events, new battles, which will fill us with the spirit of the Yarmouk, Hittin, and 'Ein Jalout [battles].
"Our beloved in the Lifeline 3 convoy - we are grateful to you."

[1] According to a March 20, 2009 report in The Guardian, Galloway was "deemed inadmissible on national security grounds and would not be allowed into the country."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/20/george-galloway-banned-canada.

 

In 2009 tientallen terreur-infiltraties via Egypte voorkomen

 

In general, the Shin Bet noted a sharp drop in terror attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and from the Gaza Strip. In 2009, 566 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel in comparison to 2,048 in 2008. Out of the 566, 406 were fired into Israel during Operation Cast Lead in January, meaning that 160 have been fired in the past 11 months.

 

Deze ongekende rust is volledig voorbij gegaan aan de Nederlandse media, die slechts oog hebben voor Israels vermeende oorlogsmisdaden in Gaza. Ook de vele tientallen verijdelde aanslagen en gevonden explosieven bij chekpoints werden genegeerd.

 

Zorgwekkend zijn het feit dat Hamas langere afstandsraketten Gaza binnen heeft gesmokkeld en de toenemende aanwezigheid van aan Al Qaida verwante en gelieerde groeperingen in de Gazastrook.

 

RP

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'Dozens of terror infiltrations foiled'

Dec. 30, 2009
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST

Dozens of attempts by terror groups to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks via the porous Egyptian border were thwarted throughout 2009, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) revealed on Wednesday in its annual report.

The attempts were made by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The terrorists crossed into Sinai and then tried to enter Israel usually armed with explosives or weaponry. Last month, IDF troops thwarted an infiltration by a suspected terrorist across the Egyptian border. Searches along the border later uncovered a bag containing a sophisticated 15-kilogram bomb.

In general, the Shin Bet noted a sharp drop in terror attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and from the Gaza Strip. In 2009, 566 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel in comparison to 2,048 in 2008. Out of the 566, 406 were fired into Israel during Operation Cast Lead in January, meaning that 160 have been fired in the past 11 months.

The most common type of attack in the West Bank, the report noted, was the throwing of Molotov cocktails, which made up 90 percent of attacks in the territories in 2009.

While there were no suicide attacks in 2009, 15 Israelis were killed throughout the year, most of them during Operation Cast Lead. This is in comparison to 36 casualties in 2008. Last Thursday, Meir Chai was gunned down in a drive by shooting on Road 57 near the settlement of Shavei Shomron.

Hamas, the security agency said, was currently focused on rebuilding its military infrastructure that was damaged during Cast Lead and was working to obtain long-range rockets. The group recently tested an Iranian missile with a range of 60 kilometers.

The Shin Bet said that a majority of the infiltration attempts across the Egyptian border were made by Palestinian terrorists affiliated with groups in Gaza that are aligned with Al Qaida and Global Jihad. One case was in June when Talalka Rahman was caught crossing the border. He said that his plan was to carry out an attack deep inside Israel to undermine the quiet that was achieved following Cast Lead.

In general, the agency warned of Global Jihad's growing presence in the Gaza Strip demonstrated by the recent recruitment of dozens of operatives to the Al Qaida-linked groups.

This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364551100&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

 

Abbas verklaart 3 Palestijnse terroristen tot helden

 

Ik heb het altijd een vreemde constructie gevonden: een politieke tak die met 'de vijand' praat (het leiderschap van de PA en Fatah) en een militaire tak die doorgaat met de strijd (de Al Aqsa Martelaren Brigades), in dit geval in strijd met de afspraken. Je zou verwachten dat Abbas laaiend is op de Brigades, die immers de wapens zouden neerleggen en nota bene banen bij de Palestijnse Autoriteit hadden aangeboden gekregen en door Israel niet meer bestreden werden volgens de amnestie deal. Maar het is blijkbaar makkelijker (en veiliger) zijn woede op Israel te richten, en de gedode strijders als helden te eren.

 

Zowel op de officiële PA TV, als in de officiële reactie van Fatah worden zij eveneens geëerd en Israel van 'bloedige moord' beschuldigd. De Al Aqsa Martelaren Brigades zwoeren uiteraard wraak en ook daarover geen kritisch woord bij Abbas, die zelf eerder heeft gezegd tegen geweld te zijn en die door het westen als de koning der gematigdheid wordt gezien.

 

RP

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Palestinian Media Watch

Abbas and PA turn latest terrorist murderers

 into Palestinian national heroes

 

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

 

Rabbi Meir Avshalom Hai -- a 45-year old Israeli and father of seven children - was killed in a drive-by shooting last Thursday. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, part of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, took responsibility for the killing. On Friday night, Israeli forces located and killed three of the terrorists involved in the attack. The fourth surrendered to the PA police.

 

The response of the PA has been unequivocal support and backing for the terrorists. Since Friday, the leadership of the PA, the heads of Fatah, the heads of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the PA-controlled media have continuously portrayed the killers as Palestinian heroes and Shahids -- holy Martyrs -- while describing Israel's killing of the three terrorists as "murder in cold blood" and "assassination."

 

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas declared the killers "Shahids" (holy Martyrs) and sent his personal emissary to visit the families:

"Secretary General of the Presidents Bureau, Tayeb Abd Al-Rahim, conveyed condolences on behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas to the residents of Nablus and to the families of the three Shahids [Martyrs] for the Martyrdom of their sons, who were assassinated by Israeli occupation forces yesterday morning. He conveyed to the fighting families letters of condolences from the President [Abbas] and updated them as to [Abbas's] decision to declare them as Shahids [Martyrs] of the Palestinian revolution..."

Tayeb Abd Al-Rahim: "Without doubt, what the [Israeli] occupation authorities have carried out is a wild and barbaric act and a deliberate, malicious assassination in cold blood."

[PA TV (Fatah) News, Dec. 27, 2009]

 

PA Prime Minster Salam Fayyad went even further, personally visiting the families of the terrorists along with other senior PA officials.

"Prime Minister visits Nablus and conveys condolences to the families of the Shahids (Martyrs). Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad today visited the city of Nablus in the wake of the Israeli military operation, and presented condolences to the families of the three Martyrs who were murdered by the occupation forces.
Dr. Fayyad was accompanied by Internal Affairs Minister Dr. Said Abu Ali, leaders of the security agencies, and Police Director-General Major General Hazem Atallah, and they visited the house of mourning, which was held in the Trade Unions compound in the city... The Prime Minister condemned the Israeli military operation in the city."

[WAFA news agency, Dec. 26, 2009]

 

The Fatah movement is glorifying the terrorists:

"Mahmoud Al-Aloul, member of the Fatah Central Committee, said that the occupation murdered these three young men as well as another three in Gaza, in cold blood. He described them as '[military] commanders, brave heroes, and fighters.'"

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 27, 2009]

PA TV focused on the Fatah poster (above), signed with condolences of PA Chairman Abbas, honoring the three terrorists. The following is the text on the poster with pictures of the terrorists:

"With honor and admiration to those who are more honored than all of us."  [Reference to supreme honor of Shahids - Martyrs in Islam]

"The Palestine Liberation Organization, Fatah, accompanies to their wedding:"
[Reference to Islamic belief that Martyrs marry virgins in Paradise]

The Martyr, Commander, Hero: Rassan Abu Serah
The Martyr, Commander, Hero: Ra'ed Al Aschregi
The Martyr, Commander, Hero: Anan Sobh

The Director General of the Presidency expresses condolences to the Nablus Martyrs - in the name of the President [Abbas]

It's important to note that in condemning Israel's killing of the terrorists, the PA is not denying that those killed were responsible for the murder of Rabbi Hai:

"The Shahid Imad Mughniyeh group [named after Hezbollah terrorist] of the [Fatah's] Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades has denounced the [Israeli] crime of the assassination in Nablus, killing three Fatah activists, including Anan Sobh, who, according to the [Fatah's Al-Aqsa] Brigades, planned the Tulkarem operation which led to the death of the settler in a shooting operation."

[Ma'an News Agency, Dec. 26, 2009]

 

In the official announcement right after the terror attack, Fatah took responsibility, while calling the killers "Jihad Fighters" and warning of more "quality operations:"

"A group announcing that it belonged to the Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the shooting... 'The Jihad Fighters confirmed that the person who was in the car had taken a direct hit, and praise to Allah - the Jihad Fighters escaped unharmed...' The announcement said that 'this action is part of a series of operations; you can expect more quality operations [terror attacks] from us.'"

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 25, 2009]

 

After the terrorists were killed the Fatah changed from threatening more "quality operations" to warning that it would avenge the killing of the "Jihad Fighters:"

Headline: "The occupation murders three residents of Nablus in cold blood... the President's [Abbas's] Bureau denounces the Israeli crime..."

"The [Fatah's] Al-Aqsa Brigades announced:  'By the act of murdering an elite group of our Jihad Fighters in Nablus and in Gaza, the occupation is opening for itself the gates of Hell.' They threatened that 'our activists will not stand idly by while the blood of Jihad Fighters is spilled... The enemy will hear nothing from us but the language of blood and fire, and our Shahada [Martyrdom] Seekers will go out to [the enemy] from every place in order to turn his days into nights, and he will come to regret his crime. We shall not sleep over the blood of our Jihad Fighters, and our response will be swift... We affirm the continuation of our choice of blood and Martyrdom. The only choice, in the face of the repeated attacks against our people in the towns and villages and refugee camps of the occupied homeland. We shall turn the spilled blood of the Martyrs and the commanders into a torch of fury that will burn the forces of evil and aggression.''

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 27, 2009]

p:+972 2 625 4140     e: pmw@palwatch.org

f: +972 2 624 2803       w: www.palwatch.org 

 

PMW | King George 59 | Jerusalem | Israel

Lage opkomst bij herdenking Gaza Oorlog door Hamas

Both sides have claimed victory. Israel's southern communities have prospered with the halt of regular rocket fire.

For the first time in years, the children of southern Israel can grow up without the constant fear of an incoming rocket and running to the nearest bomb shelter, said Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev.

Gaza's Hamas rulers have gained strength in the past year, eliminating local rivals, bullying human rights and aid groups that appear to act independently, squeezing taxes out of businesses and banning residents from leaving the territory without Hamas permission.

 

Terwijl het eerste duidelijk een gevolg is van de Israelische operatie is dat bij Hamas positie in Gaza minder duidelijk. Zou Hamas minder hard hebben opgetreden tegen dissidenten en rivaliserende bendes wanneer zij niet zo hard was geslagen tijdens de Gaza oorlog? Het was Israel inderdaad niet gelukt om Hamas uit te schakelen, maar zij kwam er zeker niet ongeschonden uit. Of de oorlog haar populariteit heeft vergroot is ook de vraag: enerzijds kon Hamas de rol van martelaar voor het Palestijnse volk met verve spelen, anderzijds hadden de bewoners van Gaza mede door Hamas al deze ellende over zich heen gekregen. Hamas is er in ieder geval volgens de polls niet echt populairder door geworden.

 

RP

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Low turnout as Hamas marks Cast Lead anniversary
By The Associated Press

28 December 2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1138099.html

 

JABALYA, Gaza - A meager turnout at a well-publicized Hamas rally yesterday to mark a year since Israel's devastating Gaza offensive appeared to reflect public despair over grinding poverty, stalled reconstruction and discontent over the militant Islamic group's attempt to turn the occasion into a victory march.

Only about 3,000 people milled around a square in the northern Gaza town of Jabalya, well below expectations, and other events during the day were also poorly attended.

Israel launched its three-week campaign of air strikes and ground incursions on Dec. 27, 2008 to stop years of rocket attacks from Gaza.

The war left about 1,400 Palestinians dead, including many civilians, and brought heavy international criticism on Israel, including accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a U.N. investigation.

Thirteen Israelis were also killed in the conflict, and Hamas also faces war crimes allegations.

"Gaza was victorious. Yes, Gaza was victorious with its steadfastness, its firmness and strength of faith," said Gazan Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in a televised speech.

But the Hamas call to rally was met with indifference. Ignoring a siren meant to call for a minute's silence, cars whizzed by and pedestrians kept walking.

"I wish they had commemorated the war by opening a factory. That would have been better than this," said Gaza resident Rami Mohammed, 30.

It was hard to say whether the indifference reflected general despair over the difficult conditions in Gaza or outright discontent with the Hamas government.

Two weeks ago, tens of thousands of people turned out for a mass Hamas demonstration in Gaza City to celebrate the anniversary of the group's founding. The huge turnout signaled that the group still remains popular with its core followers and maintains a firm grip on power.

In a statement yesterday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Israel to lift the blockade, calling it unacceptable and counterproductive, and appealed to both sides to stop violence. He said the aftermath of the war showed that there is and can be no military solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Both sides have claimed victory. Israel's southern communities have prospered with the halt of regular rocket fire.

For the first time in years, the children of southern Israel can grow up without the constant fear of an incoming rocket and running to the nearest bomb shelter, said Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev.

Gaza's Hamas rulers have gained strength in the past year, eliminating local rivals, bullying human rights and aid groups that appear to act independently, squeezing taxes out of businesses and banning residents from leaving the territory without Hamas permission.

In Israel, there were no official observances of the war. Atara Orenbuch, a 37-year-old resident of Sderot, said life has definitely improved since the war, but the impact of eight years of rocket fire still resonates.

The mother of seven said her two youngest children still sleep inside a bomb shelter because of their lingering fears of attack.

Even so, she said the war has raised morale in Sderot. We feel that we are not alone, which is very important, she said.

Twee miljoen christenen op Arabisch schiereiland

 

Over godsdienstvrijheid gesproken.....

 

In Saoedi-Arabië is het christendom - evenals het jodendom - verboden. In mijn naiviteit dacht ik dat er DUS geen christenen of joden daar zouden wonen, maar ze zijn er toch wel, stiekeme christenen althans.

 

Wouter

_________________

 

The Jerusalem Post
Dec 27, 2009 11:04 | Updated Dec 27, 2009 11:06
Vatican's top cleric in Arabia walks a thin line
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364513193&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


The Vatican's top cleric in the heart of Muslim Arabia tends to a flock of 2 million Christians spread around six desert nations. But he has to do it quietly: Most of them must still pray in secret and are forbidden to display crosses and other symbols of their faith.

From his base in the emirate of Abu Dhabi on the Persian Gulf, Archbishop Paul Hinder travels the Arabian Peninsula, even slipping in and out of Saudi Arabia - the birthplace of Islam, where restrictions on Christians are the toughest.

"We are tolerated, but not popular here," Hinder said in an interview in the archbishop's living quarters inside a Christian compound in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

He spoke wearing the traditional hooded robe of his Capuchin order. The white garb blends in just fine with the Arab robes worn by men in the region, so he wears it in public - but without a cross around his neck or the belt of three knots that also mark the order.

"People here know who I am, although I never wear a cross when I go outside out of respect for local conditions," said Hinter, a Swiss citizen.

Still, he says, there are signs of slow change, even in Saudi Arabia, where small groups who in the past would have been punished or deported if caught practicing the Christian services are now left in peace to pray privately.

The UAE and the neighboring Gulf nations of Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have taken greater steps. They have allowed churches to be built on land donated by the countries' rulers, though there are no outward signs that the buildings are houses of worship.

On Thursday night, Hinder led a midnight Christmas Eve Mass for several thousand the faithful at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. Reflecting the diversity of the community, more than a dozen Christmas Day services will be held for 10,000 worshippers in at least eight different languages.

The cathedral is in a downtown compound that's also home to Anglican, Greek Orthodox and Egyptian Coptic churches. Crucifixes, icons, rosaries and other religious symbols are allowed within the walled compound. But the buildings' exteriors are spare and flat-roofed, avoiding any church-like architecture.

Besides Saudi Arabia, Hinder also oversees the needs of Catholics in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, and Qatar. The vast majority of the region's Christians are migrants from the Philippines, India and other Asian nations, many of whom work as maids, civil servants or in lower management positions at banks and businesses.

Yemen is the only country under his purview that had indigenous Christians. Except for two priests, however, all of Yemen's 10,000 Christians, most of whom lived around the southern port city of Aden, were driven out during communist rule in South Yemen in the 1960s.

Four old churches are slowly being restored there, though it is not clear how many indigenous Christians have returned, if any.

The first Catholic church in the Gulf was opened in Bahrain's capital, Manama, in 1939. Now there are seven in the UAE, four in Oman, three in Kuwait and one in Qatar, where five churches of other Christian denominations are under construction.

With no indigenous Christians, Gulf nations have long been the toughest in the Middle East in restricting Christian and other non-Muslim religious practices, though they rarely cross the line into outright persecution. In other Arab nations, Christians practice openly - though in Egypt, with the largest Christian minority, they often complain of discrimination at the hands of the Muslim majority.

Hinter said he is careful not to do anything that could be construed as proselytizing or seeking conversions - a major taboo in Islam.

Hinter, who has been in his post for seven years, says members of his flock are tested in areas beyond religion, particularly exploitation by their employers and fear of losing their jobs in the recession. Some are not allowed to attend a church service at all by their employers, who often strictly control the lives of their maids, gardeners, cooks, drivers and nannies.

"Their struggles are enormous," Hinder said. "They are often exploited and sometimes treated as human beings of second class."

The biggest congregation - about 1.4 million Christians - live and work in Saudi Arabia, which is home of Islam's holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, and is ruled under the strict version of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism. Hard-core Wahhabis vehemently resist any practice of Christianity or other religions in what they see as the heartland of Islam.

Hinder travels there several times a year, but only as a private citizen, not as an archbishop.

Bibles and crucifixes - and all non-Muslim religious symbols - are illegal and are confiscated at the border. The low-key Christian services that do take place cannot be led by ordained priests, so Catholics cannot attend a Mass or confess their sins.

Still, Hinter said conditions improved somewhat after Saudi King Abdullah visited the Vatican in 2007 and met with Pope Benedict XVI.

Christians now can gather in private houses in small groups for prayer, led by an unordained "community leader," he said.

"The climate is changing, but that does not mean there will be churches in Saudi Arabia tomorrow," he said.

Religieuze Zionisten moeten hun huis op orde brengen

Isi Leibner roept religieuze zionisten op, met veel oog voor nuance en al het goede dat de religieuze gemeenschap doet, om duidelijker stelling te nemen tegen de religieuze extremisten. Ami Isseroff is wat minder voorzichtig en is het feit dat zij het zionisme een slechte naam bezorgen en Israel in de beleving van velen qua religieuze achterlijkheid op een lijn weten te zetten met Iran, meer dan zat. Dat het zionisme van oorsprong bepaald geen religieuze beweging was en juist de meeste weerstand van de religieuzen kwam, lijkt lang vergeten.

 

Een probleem is dat de ultra-orthodoxen, die vaak antizionistisch zijn, een aantal privileges genieten, zoals eigen scholen en vrijstelling van de dienstplicht. Zij zijn bovengemiddeld werkeloos en daardoor ook armer dan gemiddeld, wonen in aparte wijken en gemeenschappen en staan in veel opzichten buiten de 'normale' maatschappij. Dit bevordert de vooroordelen over en weer. Als sommigen dan steeds vaker de staat in verlegenheid brengen en tegenwerken met oproepen om dienst te weigeren, en uitspraken die de ergste vooroordelen over Israel en het zionisme lijken te bevestigen, is voor veel seculieren de maat vol. De strijd tussen seculieren en religieuzen en hun soms radikaal tegengestelde opvattingen over hoe de staat ingericht zou moeten zijn, en hoe zij het conflict met haar buren moet oplossen, is een van de grootste uitdagingen waar het land zich voor geplaatst ziet. Uiteraard zijn er veel verschillende opvattingen binnen beide groepen, en zijn lang niet alle religieuzen (ultra) orthodox.

 

RP

-------------

 

Zionism vs Zealotry

http://zionism-israel.com/israel_news/2009/12/zionism-vs-zealotry.html

 

It really is time for religious Zionists to do something about the crazies who blacken Zionism. Isi Leibler is right. But more than that, it is long past time for the rest of the Zionst movement and the Israeli government to take effective and vigorous action to stamp out fanaticism, violence and lawlessness in the West Bank ("Judea and Samaria").

 

Refusal to evacuate settlements is the mildest transgression of the zealots. Some deny the legitimacy of the Jewish state and plan a "State of Judea." Some have thrown rocks at IDF soldiers. Many others regularly throw rocks at Palestinian schoolchildren. Rabbis, whose salaries are paid by the state, tell the world that Judaism considers that it is OK to kill "goyim." Violence against Palestinians goes unpunished. Surely it is the job of the state and of all of us to maintain law and decency, to ensure that Zionism is not demonized by "Zionists"  and to protect innocent people. Why put the entire burden on religious Zionists?

 

Ami Isseroff

=================

 

Candidly Speaking: Religious Zionists must disown the zealots

Dec. 23, 2009
Isi Leibler , THE JERUSALEM POST

 

 

Religious Zionists are confronted by an unenviable challenge which could permanently undermine their status in Israel. From being regarded by the mainstream as the voice of religious moderation and a force of societal unification - whose youth have earned the reputation as role models of devotion and dedication to the state and its defense - they are now teetering on marginalization at best, and stigmatized as zealots at worst.

 

The current impasse was an inevitable consequence of edicts issued by a number of rabbis proclaiming that forfeiture of territory in the Land of Israel constitutes a breach of Halacha. These rabbis refused to consider any exceptions to this decree - not even for pikuah nefesh, the requirement to safeguard human life, which overrides most halachic injunctions.

 

Nor were they willing to respect the authority of the majority of their rabbinical colleagues, who disagreed with their interpretation of Jewish law and also recognized the potential societal polarization it would create.

 

Indeed, such polarization came strongly to the fore in 2005, when former prime minister Ariel Sharon used IDF combat troops to implement the disengagement from Gaza. Among these were religious soldiers, many from settler families. That they were obliged to forcibly evacuate settlements naturally evoked bitterness and resentment. These emotions were subsequently compounded when it turned out that the whole endeavor only served to embolden the jihadists, who transformed the evacuated areas into missile-launching sites from which to attack Israeli civilians.

 

Now, a mere four years later, the settlement freeze has caused settlers to become apprehensive that another displacement is pending. It was in this context that small groups of hesder soldiers from the Shimshon and Nahshon battalions unfurled banners during military ceremonies proclaiming that they would never again take part in IDF evacuations of settlements.

 

They were jailed for insubordination.

 

Whereas most hesder rabbis and religious-Zionist spokesmen condemned or distanced themselves from these actions, a number of rabbis, headed by a rather unworldly Rabbi Eliezer Melamed of the Har Bracha Yeshiva, not only endorsed their actions but told students they would be breaching Halacha if they were to obey orders to evacuate settlements.

 

This led to hysterical media accusations against the entire hesder movement, and accusations that rabbis were taking over the IDF. Rabbis were even blamed for creating the climate for the recent desecration of the mosque in Yasuf, despite the fact that they were at the forefront of the nation's condemnation of that despicable vandalism.

 

In an attempt to stave off confrontation, Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave Rabbi Melamed every opportunity to backtrack with dignity. But Melamed rebuffed Barak's request for a meeting with undue arrogance, retorting: "I don't work for the defense minister." Fearing negative repercussions on army morale if he failed to act, Barak took the unprecedented step of severing the IDF relationship with Melamed's yeshiva. His response was to accuse Barak of "blood libeling." Regrettably, initially most hesder rabbis - including moderates - were reluctantly dragged into supporting Melamed. And more than 100 hesder yeshiva graduates announced that unless the army rescinded its decision to cut off the Har Bracha Yeshiva, they would refuse orders when called up for reserve duty. Now, belatedly, the rabbis have succeeded in pressuring Rabbi Melamed to withdraw his call on soldiers to disobey orders, but the damage has been done.

 

IN THE past, religious Zionists accepted the rulings of their rabbis on halachic questions, but refused to take instructions from them on social and political matters. This approach is now being challenged by an increasing number of rabbis, particularly in the hesder yeshivot.

 

However, the current debate is not as black and white as protagonists from both sides claim. Even IDF Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has repeatedly affirmed that a conscripted army like the IDF, which is continuously engaged in wars and other violent confrontations with deadly terrorists, should not be used by the state as a vehicle for evacuating civilians from their homes.

 

In most countries such activities are clear-cut civil issues and it is the police or other state-controlled entity that are tasked with implementing such policies. That may be difficult or even impossible in Israel. But there is surely a lack of compassion in forcing soldiers who hail from settlements to forcibly evacuate neighbors, friends and even their own family members from homes which the state not only sanctioned but promoted until the moment that a political decision was made to unilaterally withdraw from them and hand them over to the Palestinians.

 

Furthermore, religious soldiers are not the first group of inappropriately named "refuseniks" to emerge from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nor are their rabbis the first figures of moral and intellectual authority to call upon their "flocks" to disobey orders. Take, for example, the hundred or so university professors who exhorted their students to refuse to serve in the "army of the occupation." Even though rabbis undoubtedly carry greater weight with their students than professors, the double standard here is unmistakable. While no action was taken against universities for failing to take disciplinary action against such academics, Rabbi Melamed - who consistently remained adamant that his students serve in the IDF - was penalized for telling them to refuse to evacuate settlements.

 

This is not to suggest that there is room for sectarian militias in an army, certainly not in the IDF. In the absence of utter discipline, the military would be dysfunctional, to say the least, and the country endangered. As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, "If you want to close down the IDF, then promote refusal to obey orders, which could lead to the collapse of the state."

 

Religious Zionists - whose children, including those in hesder institutions, have volunteered for combat units in numbers greatly disproportionate to their population - understand this all too well. This was evident by their reluctance, in spite of great anguish, to defy orders during disengagement. It is still evident today. The fact is that the vast majority of religious Zionists are pained and infuriated by the recent behavior of Melamed and other rabbis - behavior which has jeopardized their highly sensitive relationship with the state carefully nurtured over the years.

 

The onus to correct this rests on the religious-Zionist community as a whole. It is urgent for them to put their house in order.

 

This does not deny them their democratic right to oppose such actions. But they should do so by fighting the battle in the civil-political arena where it belongs. With this right, however, comes responsibility - that of publicly denouncing anyone, rabbis included, who encourages soldiers to espouse insubordination which could lead to chaos within the IDF.

 

This will require courage and determination, particularly by moderate religious-Zionist laymen. These represent the vast majority of religious Zionists whose commitment to the state is unconditional, but have hitherto lacked the backbone to resist, condemn and ostracize the extremists. They must do so now, before this hesder-IDF imbroglio spins out of control, endangering the entire religious-Zionist enterprise. This would represent a great loss not only for the IDF, but for the entire nation.

 

 

Waarom keert Abbas niet terug naar de onderhandeltafel?

Eén reden voor Abbas' weigering te onderhandelen is het feit dat Amerika Israel onder druk heeft gezet om meer concessies te doen:

 

In an interview published this week in the London-based Asharq al-Awsat, Abbas explained that he could not afford a situation in which Obama appears more Palestinian than the Palestinians.

"Obama laid down the condition of halting the settlements completely," he noted. "What was I supposed to say to him? Should I say this is too much?"

Het is misschien een slimme verkooptruc van zijn onflexibele houding, maar helemaal ongegrond is het niet. Als twee partijen onderhandelen en een bemiddelaar neemt op een bepaald punt al helemaal de positie van een van beiden over, dan zal die geneigd zijn nog meer te vragen en wordt dus minder toegeeflijk. Overigens weerhoudt een en ander Abbas er niet van Amerika even later weer van een pro-Israel bias te beschuldigen, omdat het zich bij de uitzondering van Jeruzalem van de bouwstop zou hebben neergelegd. Ook heeft hij al een nieuwe voorwaarde klaar voor onderhandelingen, mocht Israel onverhoopt toch met een bouwstop voor Oost-Jeruzalem akkoord gaan:

Abbas's empty threats and zigzagging have hurt his reputation so badly that now he's being forced to play tough with Israel and the US. To demonstrate this uncompromising approach, Abbas most recently came up with a new condition for resuming the talks: That Israel and the international community recognize beforehand the 1967 boundaries as the official and final borders of the future Palestinian state.

Abbas's aides in Ramallah say that he needs a "major concession" from Israel before he returns to the negotiations. "President Abbas does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past," explained one aide. "If he succumbs and resumes the talks with Israel unconditionally, our people will throw him out."

Het is wel lef hebben. Olmert deed Abbas een royaal vredesaanbod, dat deze weigerde. Onder Olmert en Netanjahoe zijn er honderden checkpoints en roadblocks weggehaald, is de Palestijnse economie gegroeid, zijn reisrestricties opgegeheven of versoepeld (ook van Arabieren naar Israel), zijn gevangenen vrijgelaten, Netanjahoe heeft de tweestatenoplossing en de routekaart geaccepteerd en nou is er de bouwstop. En wat precies heeft Abbas in ruil geboden?

 

RP

---------------

 

 

Palestinian Affairs: Why is Abbas stonewalling?

Dec. 24, 2009
Khaled Abu Toameh , THE JERUSALEM POST

Hardly a day passes when Mahmoud Abbas does not reiterate his refusal to return to the negotiating table with Israel unless certain conditions are fulfilled. This has been Abbas's position since US President Barack Obama entered office earlier this year.

By setting conditions for resuming the peace talks, Abbas appears to have climbed a very high tree - one that he finds too difficult to climb down from.

Abbas and his top aides point the finger of blame at Obama. They point out that almost immediately after he entered the White House, he demanded from Israel a freeze of settlement construction.

In an interview published this week in the London-based Asharq al-Awsat, Abbas explained that he could not afford a situation in which Obama appears more Palestinian than the Palestinians.

"Obama laid down the condition of halting the settlements completely," he noted. "What was I supposed to say to him? Should I say this is too much?"

Responding to criticism that he had never made such a demand before Obama was elected, Abbas said, "Halting the settlements is the second article of the road map and it's something I want. At the end they blame me, and they say that the condition of halting settlement construction was not on offer during the negotiations with former prime minister Ehud Olmert. Bear in mind that at every meeting with Olmert, the issue of the settlements was discussed."

ABBAS SEEMS to be more worried about his credibility than the construction in the settlements. In the past year, his standing among his constituents was severely undermined because of his policy of zigzagging.

First, Abbas told the Palestinians that he would never meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu unless he recognized the two-state solution and halted all settlement construction in the West Bank. However, under pressure from Obama, Abbas was forced to sit with Netanyahu at UN headquarters in New York.

Second, Abbas's failure to back a resolution endorsing the Goldstone report on Operation Cast Lead drew strong condemnations from many Palestinians, including some belonging to his Fatah faction. As the outcry in the PA territories and the Arab and Islamic countries intensified, Abbas rescinded his decision and decided to back the resolution that was brought before the UN Human Rights Council. But as far as his critics and enemies are concerned, it was too little and too late.

Third, Abbas's frequent threats to resign or not run in a new election are no longer taken seriously, not even by some of his top advisers. As one aide put it, "Abbas has threatened to resign at least 40 times in the past few months alone."

Abbas's empty threats and zigzagging have hurt his reputation so badly that now he's being forced to play tough with Israel and the US. To demonstrate this uncompromising approach, Abbas most recently came up with a new condition for resuming the talks: That Israel and the international community recognize beforehand the 1967 boundaries as the official and final borders of the future Palestinian state.

Abbas's aides in Ramallah say that he needs a "major concession" from Israel before he returns to the negotiations. "President Abbas does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past," explained one aide. "If he succumbs and resumes the talks with Israel unconditionally, our people will throw him out."

According to one of his advisers, Abbas has reached the conclusion that there's nothing to talk about with the Netanyahu government, especially when ministers like Avigdor Lieberman, Moshe Ya'alon and Bennie Begin are among the prime minister's inner circle. To support his argument that there's no peace partner in Israel, Abbas shows visitors a copy of an article written by journalist Gideon Levy in Haaretz, entitled: "Netanyahu should admit Israel doesn't want peace."

Abbas also appears to be very disappointed with the Obama administration, on which he was pinning high hopes in the beginning. The Palestinian leadership in Ramallah was seriously hoping that Obama would force Israel not only to freeze settlement construction, but to pull back to the pre-1967 borders, including the entire eastern part of Jerusalem. But now Abbas and his officials are accusing Obama of "caving in to pressure from the Jewish lobby" by endorsing Netanyahu's stance. In this regard, the PA officials say, Obama has shown that his policy toward the Middle East is almost the same as that of his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Abbas is now hoping that the Europeans will counterbalance the US "bias" in favor of Israel by supporting the Palestinian leadership's demands. As one official put it, "The Americans can be on Israel's side, while the Europeans will be on our side. Let's turn it into a conflict between the Europeans and Americans."

It's hard to predict Abbas's next move as the man has been anything but consistent in his statements. Yet the question that many Palestinians have been asking themselves is not whether the talks with Israel would be resumed or not, but if there's anything left to negotiate about. And a growing number of Palestinians have long been wondering whether the man who is often referred to as the "governor of the West Bank," and whose term in office expired about a year ago, really has a mandate to negotiate on their behalf.

 

77% Vrouwen in Gaza heeft te maken met geweld tegen vrouwen

Er zijn natuurlijk weer zat excuses te bedenken waarom dit toch echt niks met Hamas en haar versie van de islam te maken heeft, maar met armoede, bezetting etc. die uiteraard niks met Hamas en haar bestuur te maken hebben maar alles met Israel dat al 4,5 jaar weg is uit Gaza. De mannen kunnen niet tegen die stress en moeten dan wel gaan slaan en intimideren, zoals mannen in Nederland niet tegen al die sexuele prikkels kunnen en ja, dan kun je niet altijd overal afblijven....

 

Het is vooral beschamend dat linkse mensen en voormalige vrouwenrechtenactivisten het geweld van Palestijnse mannen zo goed praten en bagatelliseren, of ook vooral gewoon negeren. Geweld en onrecht is alleen interessant als men Israel de schuld kan geven.

RP

----------------

The Jerusalem Post
Dec 29, 2009 17:17
Report: 77% of Gaza women face violence
By RACHELLE KLIGER / THE MEDIA LINE
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364538889&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


The vast majority of women in Gaza face violence of varying types, a new survey has found.

The study, by the Gaza-based Palestinian Women's Information and Media Center, found that violence against women in Gaza has increased since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in the June 2007 coup and Israel subsequently imposed restrictions on the coastal enclave.

The study found that 77.1% of Gazan women have experienced violence of various sorts, with almost half experiencing violence of more than one type.

A quarter of the women said they do not feel safe in their own homes because of violence and more than a third said they were unable to fight back as they had more urgent priorities to deal with.

67% of the women surveyed said they had encountered verbal violence, 71% mental violence, 52% physical violence and more than 14% sexual violence.

"I think the levels [of violence] are higher than they were in the Gaza Strip in previous years and compared to other countries, the rates are certainly higher," Huda Hamouda, Director of the PWIC told The Media Line. "It's hard to imagine a family living in dignity when seven family members are living on less than three dollars a day."

"Many say they suffer from disrespect and deprecation," Hamouda said. "There's also domestic violence, which is committed by relatives such as the father, the brother or the husband."

Women are exposed to hardships in every sphere be it financial, social, political or lack of security, she said.

"There's widespread unemployment and the number of female workers has gone down," Hamouda explained. "It was 14.5% in 2006 and now it's less than 10%."

The organization's researchers conducted interviews with 350 women from different districts of the Gaza Strip during the last quarter of 2009.

According to the report almost two thirds of the women who were interviewed were the breadwinners in their families and about the same number were dependent on handouts from international aid organizations.

Some 31% of the married women were either divorced or said their husbands were threatening to divorce them because of the financial situation.

"[Poverty] affects education and public participation," Hamouda said. "It limits their social standing. Add to that the social norms that prevail in society preventing women's freedom and covering up the violence. The authorities impose this culture."

The women's rights advocate said the Hamas government is trying to impose a certain ideology, which includes forcing women to wear the hijab, religious head covering, implying that this has eroded the standing of Gazan women.

"They're imposing their directives and they're encountering opposition from certain groups, human-rights organizations and unions," Hamouda said. "It's understood that in society there is no pluralism or freedom of thought. It's one side imposing its understandings on those under its control."

Last summer the chief justice prompted a public outcry when he decreed that female lawyers must wear the hijab in court. Recently the Hamas religious police have reprimanded women for dressing in what they considered to be immodest clothing and instructed beach goers to cover up.

Hamas denies it is imposing strict religious laws in the Gaza Strip but anecdotal evidence suggests the Gazan population is becoming more religious.

A Gazan woman working in the private sector, who spoke to The Media Line on condition of anonymity, said it was important to realize the feeling of intimidation was not necessarily representative of all women in Gaza.

"I don't cover my hair and I don't feel intimidated or scared to walk in the street," she said. "Maybe it's because I live in the city in an area where all the international organizations work. It would depend on the level of income, the level of education and the environment surrounding of these women. I'm one of hundreds of thousands and I could be an exception."

Palestinian women's rights activists have told The Media Line that domestic violence is not tackled adequately by the Palestinian police, who often turn a blind eye to such complaints.

There are few shelters for battered women in the Palestinian territories.

Hamouda said laws to combat violence against women were lax and contributed to a culture of impunity for perpetrators, especially in relation to honor killings.

Honor killings are cases in which women accused of bringing dishonor to the family are killed by relatives. Killings often involve women suspected of fraternizing with men who are not their husbands or relatives.

"The authorities do punish them, but they have a weak law," Hamouda said. "When it comes to so-called honor crimes, the articles of the criminal laws still mete out mitigated sentences to the perpetrators. The organization is trying to increase awareness of violence against women and make it a higher priority for rights organization, civil society organizations and factions."

We want them to help women participate in public life and make this an important part of their strategy," she said. "Not just a political slogan."

IDF ontmantelt explosieven bij hek Gazastrook

 

Palestijnse aanslagen verijdeld nummer 1384.

-------------

IDF Spokesperson

December 29th 2009
Following Weekend's Events:
Explosive Devices Discovered, Supporting Suspicion of Terror Attempt

 

Yesterday morning, Monday December 28th, IDF engineering personnel detonated three explosive devices, discovered late Friday night, December 25th, when four Palestinian suspects were identified crawling near the northern Gaza security fence in a suspected attempt to infiltrate Israel and execute a terror attack. The explosives were found along with a rope ladder during searches that followed the incident, firmly supporting the suspicion that the infiltrators intended to cross into Israel and execute a terror attack.

During the incident soldiers fired toward the suspects, who continued to move towards the security fence. In addition, the forces directed an aerial attack against the suspects. Three of the suspects were killed and one was injured.

The IDF would like to emphasize that in the past there has been terrorist activity along the security fence in Gaza, including infiltration attempts, gunfire against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, as well as the planting of explosive devices. Due to such incidents, the IDF remains cautious.

Verijdelde aanslagen en Palestijnse aanvallen

 

Ze gaan gewoon door, de pogingen tot aanslagen, het bekogelen van auto's met stenen en molotovcocktails, en andere gewelddadige aanvallen van Palestijnen. Hieronder weer een paar voorbeelden, van IsraNed en de IDF.

 

-----------

 

Aanslagen en stenengooierij: molotovcocktail naar bus gegooid

http://www.israned.com/2009/12/aanslagen-molotovcocktail-naar-bus.html

 

 

Ten zuiden van Hebron is zondagavond een 18-jarig meisje gewond toen Palestijnen een molotovcocktail gooide naar de bus waarin zij zat, op weg naar Nagahot. Zij liep tweedegraads brandwonden op. Dit was de tweede aanslag van dit type in een paar dagen: 25 december raakte een 4-jarig meisje lichtgewond toen er een brandbom werd gegooid naar de auto waarin zij zat.

 

In Hebron zelf raakten zondagavond Palestijnse demonstranten slaags met IDF-soldaten; zij vielen een wachtpost aan met stenen. 3 Soldaten werden lichtgewond. 1 van hen werd gebeten. Er werden twee stenengooiers gearresteerd. Ook zondagavond werden op drie plaatsen auto's met stenen bekogeld: bij Giv'at Ze'ev, bij Migdalim en bij Migdal Oz. De auto's werden beschadigd, niemand gewond. (Al deze meldingen van de IDF)

 

In Zuid-Libanon, dicht bij de Israelische grens, vonden Unifiltroepen zaterdag 12 kisten TNT-explosieven.

 

--------------------

Attempted Terror Attack Near Road 443 Thwarted
IDF Spokesperson 24 December 2009 , 19:01
http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/09/12/2404.htm


An explosive device and outline for attacks against Israeli cars by a Palestinian terror organization were found near Ramallah

When security forces found a homemade explosive near Road 443 on December 17, they also thwarted the plan of a Palestinian terror organization to attack cars driving in the area. Following sounds of explosions on the road, IDF and Border Patrol forces searched the area of Kfar Bir Naballa, south of Ramallah.

In their search, the forces found a homemade explosive device, with an attached plan detailing the use of the explosive to cause as much damage as possible to cars driven by Jews, together with an attribution to a Palestinian terror organization.

After this was found, the explosive was detonated in a controlled manner by IDF explosives experts. The photographs attached imply that the explosive was placed inside the body of a fire extinguisher made of metal, so that in the event of an explosion, this body would become dangerous shrapnel.

The IDF is emphasizing that the struggle against those determined to strike civilians of the State of Israel and members of its security forces will continue. As such, the IDF will work to prevent terror activities and to uncover devices used for such.

Vreemde verhalen uit Israel in 2009

 

Ook buiten het conflict met de Palestijnen gebeuren er genoeg absurde zaken in Israel, om te lachen of om te huilen.

----------------

 

Weird and Funny Stories From '09

http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/culture.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1117:the-weirdest-and-funniest-stories-from-09&catid=11:humaninterest&Itemid=1117
Date Posted: 2009-12-22 19:39:16

 

 

Israel is not just the place of stories about settlement freezes and army operations.

 

This unique country of 7 million people has its fair share of zany tales; here are a few from 2009.

 

The prize for weirdest move taken by Israeli politicians in 2009 probably goes to Netanya's city elders, who in August decided to dress up the city center with a fresh coat of bright purple paint on the main thoroughfare. By October the pricy paint job had faded in the Middle Eastern sun, reverting to black asphalt. A close runner-up in the category goes to the Hadera municipality, where a $5 million facelift for the city's congested central traffic circle added not just entry and exit lanes, but planned to have traffic lights playing Hebrew songs.

 

The award for the strangest Supreme Court case goes to an Israeli named Shlomo Avni, who petitioned the high court for the right to be eaten by wild animals after his death, saying he was only repaying a debt to nature as a lifetime consumer in the food chain. In their 772-word decision, three Supreme Court judges wished the 80-year-old plaintiff a long life and unanimously rejected Avni's petition. The justices quoted Jeremiah 9:21 and the prophet's warning of dreadful times when "carcasses of men fall as dung upon the open field." Avni said he'd take his case to the international court at The Hague.

 

The best item related to Israel's water crisis goes to the residents of a north Tel Aviv apartment building who found themselves paying huge water bills that were 10 to 100 times those of similar dwellings. After investigation, it was discovered that an underground connection from the apartment house was watering an adjacent municipal park.

 

While 2009 demonstrated no shortage of silly two-bit crooks and goofy cops -- including one nearsighted specimen who ticketed a driver because her Saint Bernard wasn't wearing a seatbelt -- the strangest theft occurred at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital. The hospital staff was puzzled when a huge oil painting by a well-known Israeli artist vanished from the walls of a well-trafficked corridor. Before they could canvas the hospital for the missing canvas, another large painting by another well-known Israeli artist disappeared, and then another canvas 24 hours later. Security cameras revealed that the same middle-aged woman had nonchalantly been taking down the canvases and coolly walking out the front door, no questions asked. She hung the works in her nearby apartment.

 

One candidate in the Softhearted Sabra category stands out among many. A court re-possessor who knocked on the door of a poor family in the western Galilee took one look around at the impoverished household and made a snap decision: Rather than taking whatever he could find of value, he scribbled "Nothing to repossess" on his form, opened his wallet and handed the head of the household $25.

 

The Loose Cannon award is a toss-up among a group of overzealous religious residents in Ashkelon. Several months after the end of the Gaza war in January, they decided to let everyone in their neighborhood know of Shabbat's arrival by sounding private sirens from their balconies minutes before sundown on Fridays -- causing widespread panic by residents who mistook it for an air-raid siren.

 

One story that really takes the cake involved the trend of turning birthdays into full-scale productions. A Netanya resident decided this would be a lucrative sideline and offered his business premises as a venue for kids' parties. The problem: the venue in question was a pistol range. Fliers promised target shooting with live ammunition -- up to 51 .22 caliber bullets per child -- at $20 a shot.

 

The prize for nutty motorists is given to the fellow pulled over for zigzagging down the highway to Petach Tikvah at 5:30 a.m. Not only was the driver three times above the amount of alcohol permitted while operating a motor vehicle, he also was engaged in an activity with his passenger that is usually reserved for the back seat. The driver argued -- to no avail -- that he was zigzagging only because his lady friend had blocked his field of vision.

 

From the religious world, a prize goes to the competition between the two sons of the former Sephardi chief rabbi, Ovadia Yosef, who argued over what blessing should be recited over the popular kids' peanut snack Bamba.

 

In the category of Israeli ingenuity, one Israeli created a DNA test for steer that could track a stolen animal even if it already had been reduced to hamburger.

 

The most incredible dilemma of 2009 came during the Gaza war last January: How do you feed two frightened and famished lions solely with battle rations? As an army unit hunkered down near an abandoned Palestinian zoo amid the fighting, its brigade commander frantically sought to move the lions out of the war zone or find a way to feed them.

 

The Israel Defense Forces has some weird posts -- including two stand-up comedians and a full-time magician -- but who thought the army would need a lion keeper? One idea was to mobilize personnel from the Ramat Gan Safari into the IDF, then embed them with the infantry unit on special assignment.

 

Nobody knows exactly how the IDF did it, but by the time the army pulled out of Gaza the lions were in their cages and doing fine.

 

via jta.org

 

Aliya naar Israel neemt in 2009 na jaren weer toe

Als er weinig aliya is, wordt dat tegen Israel gebruikt: zie je wel, Joden willen er zelf niet eens wonen, en prefereren andere landen waar het dus met het antisemitisme blijkbaar wel meevalt, dat sowieso vooral een Israelische uitvinding is om Joden naar Israel te lokken.

Maar als er veel aliya is, dan is het natuurlijk ook niet goed, want dat maakt de gemeenschappen in de diaspora kapot en zo doe je eigenlijk wat de antisemieten willen, die vinden dat Joden maar naar hun eigen land moeten oprotten als ze zoveel praatjes hebben.

 

Het doel van het zionisme is om het Joodse volk weer bij elkaar te brengen in hun historische thuisland, of dat nou tegen de wil van antisemieten (en andere niet-Joden) is of niet. Ik vind het zelf ook jammer als er steeds meer Joden uit Nederland vertrekken maar de vernietiging van de vele diaspora gemeenschappen is natuurlijk te wijten aan herr Hitler en niet aan de zionisten. Voor Israel is de immigratie om verschillende redenen van belang, zij wordt er sterker door en kan met meer recht namens Joden spreken en opkomen voor Joden, ook buiten Israel.

 

RP

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The Jerusalem Post
Dec 27, 2009 23:39 | Updated Dec 28, 2009 12:21
Aliya spikes in 2009 for first time in decade
By HAVIV RETTIG GUR
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364520311&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


Expectations for a rise in aliya due to the global financial crisis have come true, according to official figures from the past year announced by the Jewish Agency on Sunday.

Aliya rose by some 17 percent in 2009, according to the figures, from 13,860 in 2008 to some 16,200 this year.

The figures mark the first rise in aliya in a decade, and come as a welcome, if perhaps temporary, reversal of the trend in recent years.

They do not include Ethiopian aliya, since the remaining potential immigrants from Ethiopia are brought to Israel at a pace set by government decree, and so are not a measure of those who choose to make the journey.

In all, some 221,000 olim came to Israel in the past decade, a period marked by years of terror attacks and relative prosperity abroad.

The figures were announced Sunday afternoon in a joint press conference at the Jewish Agency's headquarters in Jerusalem, overseen by agency chairman Natan Sharansky and Absorption Minister Sofa Landver.

According to agency and ministry figures, the largest increase came from Eastern Europe and the states of the former Soviet Union. A total of 7,120 came from this region, a rise of 21% compared to last year's 5,867. The English-speaking world contributed the next-largest group, totaling some 5,300 olim in 2009, a rise of 17% compared to 4,511 last year.

Some 2,600 came from Western and Central Europe, a small increase from 2008's 2,402. Another 1,230 came from South America, up from 1,078.

Some 60% of the new immigrants are below the age of 35.

"Every oleh who arrives in Israel strengthens it and represents a crucial strategic asset for the country," said Sharansky.

Landver connected the rise in aliya with the 20th anniversary of the major Russian-speaking aliya that began in the wake of the fall of the Iron Curtain in the late 1980s.

"It is symbolic that a change for the better in aliya is taking place on the 20th anniversary of aliya from the FSU," she said.

"This comes at a time of unprecedented return of Israelis living abroad."

The rise in returning expats came with a massive program of financial benefits launched by the ministry in recent years, which includes tax benefits and employment assistance.

The aliya figures included a handful of Jews brought especially out of Arab states, where a small number remain, usually under the protection of the local governments.

Forty-seven Jews came to Israel from Yemen, where they have faced violence and discrimination by radical Muslims opposed to the government.

Another 25 came from Morocco, 13 from Tunisia, three from Lebanon and 90 in special missions from an assortment of other countries.

Some olim came from tiny communities, including four from Hong Kong, four from Mauritius, three each from Japan and China, two from Honduras and one each from Martinique, Madagascar, Kenya and Taiwan.

At the conference, Sharansky expressed the hope that the government would approve the aliya of some 8,700 Ethiopians awaiting aliya in Addis Ababa and Gondar, though their immigration is controversial since many belong to groups that had converted to Christianity generations ago. A flight of 250 Ethiopians is expected to arrive in Israel in January.