zaterdag 28 januari 2012

Palestijnen willen nu niet onderhandelen met Israel

Abbas had in 2008 een redelijk voordelig vredesakkoord kunnen sluiten met Olmert, waarschijnlijk beter dan het laatste aanbod van Barak aan Arafat. Dat beide Israelische premiers op dat moment hun steun van een meerderheid in de Knesset al kwijt waren, en zeer de vraag is of die ermee akkoord zou zijn gaan, is een tweede; de bal zou dan bij Israel liggen.

Het probleem is dat Arafat en Abbas zo'n akkoord niet aan de Palestijnse achterban zouden hebben kunnen verkopen, zoals de 'Palileaks' ook aantoonden. Ze presenteerden zich immers altijd als standvastig vasthoudend aan de "onvervreemdbare Palestijnse rechten" in plaats van de achterban rijp te maken voor een historisch compromis. Dus in plaats van 'ja' te zeggen, keek men liever of men de druk verder kon opvoeren: Arafat door de Tweede Intifada te orkestreren, Abbas door Obama te bewerken en bij de VN te lobbyen voor erkenning. Met de vorig jaar onverwacht uitgebroken Arabische Lente erbij zal Abbas zeker liever tijd rekken, in de hoop dat de druk op Israel verder toeneemt. De overwinning van de islamisten in Egypte lijkt hem daarin gelijk te geven.

Wouter

____________

"Palestinians trying to derail peace talks with Israel" (The Telegraph)

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2012/01/palestinians-trying-to-derail-peace.html

From Con Coughlin in The Telegraph:

Most people in the West believe the main reason the talks are not going anywhere is because of Israel's refusal to compromise on its settlement building programme. But while the Netanyahu government's insistence on building settlements is certainly an obstacle, I am told by Western diplomats close to the exploratory talks that are currently taking place in Jordan between the two sides that the real reason they are running into difficulty is because the Palestinian delegation, led by the veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, is refusing to take the talks seriously.

For example, I am told by a Western diplomat working for the Quartet that when the Israeli delegation arrived for a meeting last weekend in Amman, the Jordanian capital, to present their latest security proposals, Mr Erekat simply refused to enter the room.

My man in the Jordan conference room says that he was surprised at Mr Erekat's behaviour, especially as the topic under discussion was supposed to be one of the two main topics the Palestinian delegation wanted on the agenda for the Jordan talks, which are a precursor for the more formal talks that are supposed to take place once both sides have agreed a negotiating framework.

Mr Erekat's refusal to enter the negotiating room and hear what the Israelis had to say does not bode well for the Quartet's attempts to get the two sides to resume full negotiations, and raises questions about just how serious the Palestinians are about getting a peace deal. With Israel feeling increasingly isolated as world attention focuses on the fall-out from the recent revolts in Libya, Egypt and Syria, there is a growing suspicion among Western diplomats that the Palestinians are working on the basis that, if they draw out the process, they will be able to strike a better deal with Israel.

If that is the case, then they are badly mistaken. The real enemy in the Middle East today is Iran, not Israel, and by playing into the hands of Islamist militants who seek Israel's destruction, the Palestinians could see their cause being overtaken by a far greater regional conflict.

I have previously shown that the Arabic press is saying the same thing, that the Palestinian Arabs never had any intent to negotiate seriously with Israel during this round of talks in Amman and instead have been planning their diplomatic and legal offensive against Israel.

Their lack of good faith has been clear from even before the start of these current talks, as they fought against the Quartet to even do these cosmetic negotiations since September.

(h/t P)

UPDATE: Abbas just said that he does not want to continue the Amman talks, trying (as usual) to blame Israel.

Invoer Gazastrook neemt toe

De titel hieronder van Elder of Ziyon lijkt mij niet correct; waarschijnlijk is het meeste geen hulp maar gewoon import waarvoor wordt betaald. Hoewel ik niet weet hoeveel ervan voor UNRWA is bestemd, dat wel een (nood)hulporganisatie is.

Twee- tot driehonderd vrachtwagens per dag lijkt heel wat, maar het schijnt maar een derde te zijn van wat vroeger de Gazastrook binnenkwam. Er wordt weinig in de strook zelf geproduceerd, dus het meeste moet geïmporteerd worden. Basisproducten zoals voedsel worden in principe weer ongelimiteerd toegelaten, maar de blokkade van Israel en de Gaza oorlog hebben wel de economie nagenoeg doen instorten, en de toch al hoge werkloosheid verder opgedreven. Er heerst daardoor voedselschaarste bij 5 tot 10% van de bevolking die de prijzen niet kunnen opbrengen.

Wouter

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New meme: Daily aid to Gaza proves it is a "ghetto"

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-meme-daily-aid-to-gaza-proves-it-is.html

Ma'an reports:

Israeli forces partially opened the Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza on Thursday in order to allow in 300 truckloads of commercial and agricultural goods.

Israel has also allowed two trucks of flowers and strawberries to be exported from the coastal enclave, Palestinian border crossing official Raed Fattuh told Ma'an.

Twenty-two cars will also enter Gaza together with communications equipment and cement for international projects, he said.

This is pretty much a daily event. Although Ma'an didn't mention it, yesterday there were 270 to 280 trucks loaded with aid and both commercial and agricultural supplies, including 12 trucks loaded with cement and iron for construction and 48 truck of gravel for UNRWA and USAID projects, as well as the construction of a French cultural center. On Tuesday there were 227 trucks of aid.

The amount of aid going through Kerem Shalom has been steadily increasing over the past year, almost doubling.

So how to the commenters at Ma'an view this?

Sarah from Holland says "Whenever I read this kind of messages, I think: feeding time! Say thank you! The zionists are so sick. They really forgot the holocaust, the getto's, how it feld to be humiliated and treated like animals. Zionists are NO Jews."

"AKeenReader" from the UK adds: "sarah/holland - your views are absolutley spot on. It seems they are taking revenge against the Palestinians for what happend to them, although if one experience such terrible acts you would expect them to understand human suffering. Seems they haven't learnt any lesson. Shame as they are digging their own grave. Maybe Iran's attitude towards Israel is to give some comfort to the Palestinains because Iran can deal with Israel unlike defenceless Palestinians. Soon time will tell."

These aren't Arabs saying this - they are "cultured" Europeans who are often more anti-semitic than the Arabs are. But their Jew-hatred is buried under the pretense of caring about Gazans, most of whom are doing economically better than the Egyptians just over the border (whom they naturally don't give a damn about. Guess why?)

By the way, Egypt closed Rafah yesterday to celebrate the January 25th revolution, and on Tuesday Gazans were complaining that there were extra restrictions on them passing through Rafah. Sounds like Egypt is imprisoning Gazans and treating it like a "ghetto," but you won't hear these European human rights defenders say a word about that. (They used to, claiming that Egypt was following Israeli policy, but they can no longer do that - so they just ignore it.)

vrijdag 27 januari 2012

Vrouw in Beit Shemesh aangevallen door ultra-orthodoxe extremisten

Correctie: de buschauffeur in de beschrijving van het incident knikte de vrouw die bleef zitten juist instemmend toe. Hij was het met haar eens, maar wellicht bang de halve bus over zich heen te krijgen als hij het voor haar op zou nemen. Volgens de huidige wet zijn buschauffeurs dat overigens wel verplicht. De scheiding van man en vrouw in de bus gaat in tegen de wet, en daarom heeft het hooggerechtshof besloten dat het alleen vrijwillig mag plaatsvinden en daarop moeten de chauffeurs toezien.
------------

Laatst vertelde een vrouw me dat ze al in 2006 in een bus in Jeruzalem werd aangevallen en bespuugd toen ze weigerde om achterin te gaan zitten. De buschauffeur keek instemmend toe.

She said before help arrived members of the crowd smashed her car windows and punctured the tires, before someone spilled bleach on her. "I thought, this was it, this is the end, I am going to die," she said, adding, "The look in their eyes reminded me of the lynching in Ramallah," an apparent reference to a 2000 lynching by two Israeli reserve soldiers by a group of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "I yelled to them, 'But I'm Jewish,'" she said. She said at that point one of the assailants leaned into the car and took the car keys.

Het is onbestaanbaar dat dit blijkbaar met enige regelmaat in Israel gebeurt, en de ultra-orthodoxe gemeenschap daar blijkbaar zelf geen korte metten mee maakt. Men kent elkaar in die gemeenschap, en men weet waarschijnlijk dondersgoed wie dit doen. Toch blijft het gebeuren, de voorbeelden zijn legio: fysiek geweld, en niet weinig, intimidatie, vernielingen van auto’s, winkels, posters, eigen regels instellen en met geweld handhaven, en spugen, heel veel spugen. Men heeft nergens respect voor en voelt zich boven de wet verheven.

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Woman in Beit Shemesh attacked by ultra-Orthodox extremists

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/woman-in-beit-shemesh-attacked-by-ultra-orthodox-extremists-1.409065

In latest incident sparked by 'immodest dress,' crowd of ultra-Orthodox men smash car of Natali Mashiah, 27, who says she believes they were going to set her on fire.

By Oz Rosenberg

A woman was attacked in her car in Beit Shemesh Tuesday by ultra-Orthodox extremists - the latest in a series of incidents apparently sparked by what members of the town's Haredi community view as immodest dress.

A crowd of ultra-Orthodox men jumped on 27-year-old Natali Mashiah's car in the Haredi Ramat Beit Shemet Bet neighborhood, she said. Members of the crowd smashed her car windows and punctured her four tires before spilling bleach on the inside of her car, said the Beit Shemesh resident, adding that she believed the men were going to set her on fire. As she fled the car, she said she was hit on the head by a rock thrown from very close range.

Police arrested three suspects when they arrived on the scene, and searched the area for other suspects. Although a crowd was said to have gathered during the attack, no one reportedly came to Mashiah's assistance.

The incident follows the highly publicized case of 8-year-old Na'ama Margolese last month, who was reportedly spat at for her supposedly insufficiently modest dress despite the fact that she comes from a religious family.

In a separate incident about a week ago, a third-grade American immigrant boy was attacked in Beit Shemesh by a group of young Haredim as he walked home from school.

The incident occurred at about 1 P.M. when Mashiah came to the neighborhood for her work, in order to post advertisements. Mashiah parked her car and set out to hang the ads. "All of a sudden a man came up to me and called me a shikse [a derogatory term for a non-Jewish woman] and a slut," she said, and told her to leave.

Mashiah said she then called the police, who told her to remain there until a police cruiser came, she recounted. She said she was then immediately approached from several directions by about 10 ultra-Orthodox men carrying rocks and bottles. She ran to her car, she said, but before she could start the engine, they jumped on her car and started pounding on it.

She said she begged them to stop and promised to leave the area. She also called her brother, Omri, a company commander in the Givati Brigade who was at the family home at the time.

She said before help arrived members of the crowd smashed her car windows and punctured the tires, before someone spilled bleach on her. "I thought, this was it, this is the end, I am going to die," she said, adding, "The look in their eyes reminded me of the lynching in Ramallah," an apparent reference to a 2000 lynching by two Israeli reserve soldiers by a group of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "I yelled to them, 'But I'm Jewish,'" she said. She said at that point one of the assailants leaned into the car and took the car keys.

Mashiah said she managed to get out of the car and started to flee the scene when she was hit on the head by a rock. She ran to a nearby building with members of the crowd in pursuit, but said that at that point the police cruiser arrived. "When they saw the lights of the police car, they ran away," she said.

At about the same time, Mashiah said, her brother arrived by cab. He said he was aware of what was happening before he got to the scene because he had been in constant contact with his sister from her cell phone. "I heard her screaming," he said. "I heard the sound of the smashing [windows]."

Gesprek Israël en Palestijnen in Amman was nauwelijks serieus

Het was te verwachten: Abbas heeft de verkennende gesprekken die in Amman werden gehouden en tot heuse onderhandelingen moesten leiden, beeindigd. Hij had geeist dat Israel de grenzen van 1967 accepteert als basis en dat in een eigen voorstel zou vastleggen, en dat had Israel niet gedaan.

Israël presenteerde deze week een 21 punten tellend document tijdens de gesprekken in Amman. De Palestijnen weigerden dat echter te accepteren, onder het mom dat zij zich geïntimideerd voelden door de onaangekondigde verschijning van een hoge Israëlische officier die het plan moest toelichten.

Onderhandelaar Erekat weigerde naar de beste man te luisteren en zei dat Israel maar met een schriftelijke verklaring moest komen. In een dergelijke sfeer is het natuurlijk moeilijk om het uberhaupt ook maar ergens over eens te worden. Abbas stelt zich steeds compromislozer op en heeft duidelijk geen zin in praten met Israel en het bijbehorende spel van geven en nemen. Hij weet dondersgoed dat de rest van de wereld overwegend aan zijn kant staat, dus waarom dan met een lastig Israel praten? Hij heeft de gesprekken vanaf het begin niet serieus genomen, net als de gesprekken in 2010 toen Israel een bouwstop van negen maanden had afgekondigd. Op het laatst is er toen heel even gepraat, maar ook dat stelde feitelijk niks voor.

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Analyse: Gesprek Israël en Palestijnen was nauwelijks serieus

http://www.refdag.nl/nieuws/buitenland/analyse_gesprek_israel_en_palestijnen_was_nauwelijks_serieus_1_618271

26-01-2012 10:28 | Mr. Richard Donk

AMMAN – De vredesbesprekingen met Israël zijn voorbij, verklaarde de Palestijnse president Abbas woensdag. De vraag is of er überhaupt van serieus overleg sprake was.

Onderhandelaars van Israël en de Palestijnen voerden woensdag voor de vijfde keer „verkennende gesprekken" in de Jordaanse hoofdstad Amman. Na afloop trok de Palestijnse leider Mahmud Abbas de stekker uit het overleg. Volgens hem zit er geen millimeter beweging in de Israëlische standpunten.

Het is allereerst de vraag waarom er „verkennende gesprekken" nodig waren. De partijen kennen na twintig jaar overleg elkaars posities zo langzamerhand wel.

Het heropenen van het overleg lijkt eerder een poging goede sier te maken naar het kwartet (de VS, de VN, Rusland en de EU), dat de partijen tot vandaag de tijd had gegeven om hun standpunten met betrekking tot de grenzen van een Palestijnse staat en veiligheidsvraagstukken kenbaar te maken.

Israël presenteerde deze week een 21 punten tellend document tijdens de gesprekken in Amman. De Palestijnen weigerden dat echter te accepteren, onder het mom dat zij zich geïntimideerd voelden door de onaangekondigde verschijning van een hoge Israëlische officier die het plan moest toelichten.

In plaats daarvan herhaalden de Palestijnen hun eis dat Israël een bouwstop afkondigt in de nederzettingen op de Westelijke Jordaanoever. Die eis blokkeert al twee jaar elk substantieel overleg tussen Israël en de Palestijnen.

Het is overigens de vraag of een bouwstop in de nederzettingen wél beweging in het vastgelopen vredesproces zou brengen. De Israëlische premier Netanyahu kondigde eind 2009 een tien maanden durende bevriezing van de uitbreiding van nederzettingen op de Westoever af. Die maatregel leidde echter niet tot enige vooruitgang.

Abbas gaat nu bij de Arabische Liga te rade voor vervolgstappen. De liga, die zich al maanden met grote onrust in de Arabische wereld geconfronteerd ziet, zal de Palestijnen nauwelijks soelaas kunnen bieden.

Dat zal de Palestijnen waarschijnlijk doen besluiten hun pogingen om VN-lidmaatschap te verwerven, te intensiveren. Vroeg of laat zullen zij daarbij op een Amerikaans veto stuiten, zodat ook die weg heilloos lijkt te zijn.

Maar wellicht worden er tegen die tijd weer „verkennende gesprekken" aangekondigd.

donderdag 26 januari 2012

Veroordeling van opruiende toespraak Palestijnse moefti is 'opruiing' volgens PA

Vorige week vloog de mufti van de Palestijnse Autoriteit flink uit de bocht met zijn oproep de Joden te doden. De kritiek die hierop kwam leidde er echter niet toe dat de Palestijnse Autoriteit (de mufti is door Abbas persoonlijk benoemd) hem duidelijk maakt dat dit niet acceptabel is, of, beter nog, hem de laan uitstuurt. Nee, hij wordt in bescherming genomen en de Israelische kritiek is ‘opruiing tegen de Palestijnse nationale en religieuze leiders’, het zijn ‘beledigingen van de Palestijnse religieuze symbolen’ en men noemde de Israelische veroordelingen ‘een grove aanval op Sheikh Hussein en een schending van het internationale recht’. Bij de Palestijnen is iedere kritiek een schending van hun rechten, symbolen en volk, en een belediging van alle moslims en hun heilige Jeruzalem, maar de manier waarop ze de volkomen gerechtvaardigde Israelische kritiek wegzetten als betrof het hier de grofste mensenrechtenschendingen, overtrof mijn verwachtingen. Het spreekt natuurlijk ook boekdelen over al die duizenden andere Palestijnse aantijgingen van het meest vreselijke wangedrag door Israel. Misschien kunnen Westerse journalisten, politici en mensenrechtengroeperingen deze eens iets kritischer gaan bekijken?

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PA Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Law, Sheikh Yusuf Ida'is:

"Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Law, Sheikh Yusuf Ida'is, emphasized that the decision by the occupation Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to open an investigation against the Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories and speaker at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, is an insult to Muslims, an escalation of Israeli measures against our people, and an attempt to silence and intimidate the voice that defends Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Ida'is emphasized that our people will not agree to insults to its religious authorities and symbols. He described Netanyahu's call as a political step designed to strengthen the occupation with its discriminatory laws, and as a dangerous precedent that joins the occupation's [other] precedents and repeated violations. He declared the occupation fully responsible for [protecting] Sheikh Muhammad Hussein's life. Idai's called for restraint of the official and unofficial Israeli mouthpieces which incite against Palestinian religious and national leaders. He demanded of the Islamic and Christian sources of authority around the world, legal institutions, and international human rights organizations to denounce the brutal attack against Sheikh Hussein, since it runs contrary to international law."

[Emphasis added, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 24, 2012]

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International condemnation of PA Mufti

following PMW exposure of religious hate speech

PA rejects condemnation as "incitement"

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=6196

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Palestinian Media Watch's exposure of the PA Mufti's speech citing the Islamic tradition (Hadith) that anticipates the killing of Jews by Muslims has brought Israeli and international condemnation of the Mufti and the Palestinian Authority.

The PA has rejected this international condemnation, calling PMW's exposure of the story and the responses "incitement" against Palestinian leaders, and called for "international human rights organizations to denounce the brutal attack against [Mufti] Sheikh Hussein, since it runs contrary to international law."

The following are some of the Israeli and international condemnations of the PA Mufti followed by a senior PA religious leader's rejection of the condemnations as "incitement," and the NY Times' coverage of the story:

Israeli President Shimon Peres to Justice Minister:

"President Shimon Peres met with Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman and asked him to take steps against the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Mohammed Hussein who called to kill Jews. 'Israel's law enforcement must use all means to prevent such calls,' said Peres."

[JPost.com, Jan. 23, 2012]

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu:

"The call to murder Jews simply because they are Jews is terrible from an ethical point-of-view and is an obstacle to peace. Incitement in general is an obstacle to peace. What is especially serious is that as of today, not only has the Palestinian Authority neither condemned nor taken exception to the remarks, it enabled them to be broadcast on official Palestinian television. I expect senior PA officials to condemn this act."

[http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/Spokesman/2012/01/spokelikud230112.htm]

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, in the Israeli Parliament:

"Today, most governments around the world are silent in the face of calls by the Palestinian mufti to kill Jews simply because they are Jews. What is most chilling is the fact that there is here a legacy of hatred and annihilation because this mufti is following in the footsteps of that previous mufti. [Mufti] Haj Amin al-Husseini was one of the architects of the Final Solution."

[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Speeches+by+Israeli+leaders/2012/PM_Netanyahu_incitement_Mufti_24-Jan-2012.htm]

UK Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt:

"I condemn the inflammatory words used by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and others at a recent event marking the 47th anniversary of the Fatah movement. To refer to the Jewish people in such a way and to talk of killing Jews is anti-semitism, pure and simple."

[http://ukun.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=719743582]

Americans for Peace Now:

"Americans for Peace Now strongly condemns the belligerent anti-Jewish comments made by the Palestinian Authority's Mufti of Jerusalem at a public event in the West Bank earlier this month... 'We are appalled by these comments, coming from the most senior Muslim cleric on the Palestinian Authority's payroll,' said Debra DeLee, APN's President and CEO. DeLee added, 'What we find particularly disturbing is that these vile comments were broadcast on the Palestinian Authority's official television channel, amplifying their inciting affect.'"

[http://peacenow.org/entries/press_release_apn_condemns_palestinian_muftis_offensive_comments]

PA Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Law, Sheikh Yusuf Ida'is:

[Emphasis added, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 24, 2012]

The following is the Mufti's words at the Fatah event that show the context in which he cited the Hadith, followed by excerpts from The NY Times:

Moderator at Fatah ceremony:

"Our war with the descendants of the apes and pigs (i.e., Jews) is a war of religion and faith.

Long Live Fatah! [I invite you,] our honorable Sheikh."

PA Mufti Muhammad Hussein comes to the podium and says:

"47 years ago the [Fatah] revolution started. Which revolution? The modern revolution of the Palestinian people's history. In fact, Palestine in its entirety is a revolution, since [Caliph] Umar came [to conquer Jerusalem, 637 CE], and continuing today, and until the End of Days. The reliable Hadith (tradition attributed to Muhammad), [found] in the two reliable collections, Bukhari and Muslim, says:

"The Hour [of Resurrection] will not come until you fight the Jews.

The Jew will hide behind stones or trees.

Then the stones or trees will call:

'Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.'

Except the Gharqad tree [which will keep silent]."

Therefore it is no wonder that you see Gharqad [trees] surrounding the [Israeli] settlements and colonies. This is Palestine, when we talk about it, from the beginning of the Jihad, with the continuation of the Jihad, with the struggle, and with the way of the Martyrs."

[PA TV (Fatah), Jan. 9, 2012]

Click to view

Following PMW's exposure, the Mufti and PA's Minister of Religious Affairs defended the Mufti's quoting of the Hadith, saying it was merely a quote from an Islamic source, not intended to incite to hatred, and not relevant for today's context. However, the Mufti's words introducing the Hadith and following the quote clearly shows that he intended to apply the Hadith about Muslims killing Jews within the context of today's conflict.

New York Times:

"Prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, called on the leaders of the Palestinian Authority to condemn remarks by its top cleric, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, who recently recited an ancient Islamic text at a ceremony broadcast on Palestinian Authority television advising that Judgment Day will come only when the Muslims fight and kill the Jews.

"Whoever wants peace should not permit such incitement and should not allow calls to murder Jews," Mr. Netanyahu said Monday. ...

The mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Hussein, addressed a crowd at an event marking the 47th anniversary of the founding of Fatah, the mainstream movement led by the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. He quoted a hadith, a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, stating: "The Hour will not come until you fight the Jews. The Jews will hide behind stones or trees. Then the stones or trees will call: Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him." ...

Mr. Netanyahu described the words of the mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Hussein, as "morally heinous" and compared the remarks to those of Haj Amin al-Husseini, the grand mufti of Jerusalem who notoriously aligned himself with Hitler in the 1930s. Palestinian television broadcast the mufti's comments on Jan. 9 and Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli monitoring group, drew attention to them on Jan. 15. An Israeli official said that the prime minister became aware of it only in the past few days.

The mufti denied calling for the killing of Jews, telling Israel Radio on Sunday that he was only quoting the words of the Prophet Muhammad. He told Voice of Palestine radio on Monday that "these allegations come within the Israeli incitement campaign against Jerusalem and its figures."

[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/world/middleeast

/israeli-police-arrest-2-protesting-palestinian-legislators.html]

woensdag 25 januari 2012

SGP: Palestijnse ophitsing bestraffen

Naar aanleidng van de ronduit walgelijke uitspraken van de mufti van de Palestijnse Autoriteit heeft de SGP kamervragen gesteld, en vraagt zij onze regering van de PA te eisen onmiddellijk afstand te nemen van deze woorden. Doet zij dit niet, dan moet de subsidie aan de PA worden verminderd, aldus de SGP. Jammer dat de SGP, een partij die tegen gelijke rechten voor man en vrouw en hetero en homo is, zoiets oppakt en niet een progressieve partij. Progressieve partijen zouden dit soort jodenhaat ook verschrikkelijk moeten vinden en dit aan de kaak moeten stellen, maar je hoort hen helaas alleen maar wanneer een Joodse haatbaard tekeer gaat.

De SGP wijst erop dat de Palestijnen conform de Oslo-akkoorden ophitsing actief moeten bestrijden. In het door Hamas gecontroleerde Gaza zijn deze oproepen normaal, maar in het gebied dat gecontroleerd wordt door Fatah tot op heden niet. Van der Staaij vindt dat Nederland de Palestijnse Autoriteit ter verantwoording moet roepen. Als die geen afstand neemt van deze woorden, moet de hulp aan de Palestijnse autoriteit worden beperkt. De SGP wil dat Nederland deze ophitsing ook op Europees niveau aan de orde stelt.

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Palestijnse ophitsing bestraffen

http://www.sgp.nl/Home/homelijst_1_11014/Palestijnse%20ophitsing%20bestraffen.wli

De Palestijnse autoriteit moet onmiddellijk afstand nemen van de ophitsende woorden van moefti Muhammad Hussein. Zo niet, dan moet Nederland snijden in de subsidie aan de Palestijnse autoriteit. Dat stelt SGP-fractievoorzitter Van der Staaij in schriftelijke vragen aan minister Rosenthal van Buitenlandse Zaken.

Aanleiding voor de SGP-vragen is wat moefti Muhammad Hussein op de Palestijnse Staatstelevisie zei bij de 47e verjaardag van Fatah. De presentator noemde de Joden “afstammelingen van apen en varkens.” De moefti, de belangrijkste geestelijke op de Westbank, citeerde islamitische geschriften: “De dag des oordeels zal niet komen totdat jij de Joden bevecht. De Joden zullen schuilen achter rotsen en bomen. Maar zij zullen roepen: ‘Oh moslim, dienaar van Allah, er is een Jood achter mij, kom en dood hem.”http://likud.nl/2012/01/palestinian-authority-mufti-calls-for-genocide-of-jews/

De SGP wijst erop dat de Palestijnen conform de Oslo-akkoorden ophitsing actief moeten bestrijden. In het door Hamas gecontroleerde Gaza zijn deze oproepen normaal, maar in het gebied dat gecontroleerd wordt door Fatah tot op heden niet. Van der Staaij vindt dat Nederland de Palestijnse Autoriteit ter verantwoording moet roepen. Als die geen afstand neemt van deze woorden, moet de hulp aan de Palestijnse autoriteit worden beperkt. De SGP wil dat Nederland deze ophitsing ook op Europees niveau aan de orde stelt.

Schriftelijke vragen van het lid Van der Staaij (SGP) aan de minister van Buitenlandse zaken over Palestijnse ophitsing ten aanzien van de Joden

- Heeft u kennis genomen van de oproep van de Moefti Muhammad Hussein – prominent uitgezonden door de Palestijnse staatstelevisie op de Westbank – tot het bevechten en doden van Joden? Hoe beoordeelt u deze oproep, die werd gedaan op een plechtigheid ter gelegenheid van de 47e verjaardag van Fatah?

- Hoe beoordeelt u het feit dat deze oproep werd gedaan in een context waarin ronduit gesproken werd over een bestaande oorlogssituatie tussen Palestijnen en Joden (‘de afstammelingen van apen en varkens’) en werd gestaafd met een letterlijk beroep op de islamitische leer?

- Is het bericht juist dat deze Moefti benoemd is door de Palestijnse autoriteit?

- Vormt deze oproep geen flagrante schending van de Oslo-akkoorden, waarin de Palestijnse leiding zich verplicht ophitsing tegen de Joden actief te bestrijden?

- Welke consequenties c.q. sancties verbindt u aan deze handelwijze van de Palestijnse autoriteit?

- Bent u bereid om de Palestijnse Autoriteit te vragen om klip en klaar afstand te nemen van de gewraakte uitspraken van de Moefti en zo mogelijk te bevorderen dat de Palestijnse autoriteit haar banden met de betreffende Moefti verbreekt?

- Bent u bereid – als de Palestijnse autoriteit niet onmiddellijk afstand neemt van deze ophitsing - de subsidie aan de Palestijnse autoriteit te beperken nu onvoldoende werk wordt gemaakt van het tegengaan van geweld en ophitsing (zoals onder meer is verzocht in de Kamermotie-Van der Staaij, 21501-02, nr. 1039)? Bent u tevens bereid dit ook op Europees niveau te bewerkstelligen?

Lawaaidemonstratie tegen Hamas en Fatah op 1 februari

Een Palestijnse demonstratie die niet gericht is tegen Israel of de bezetting. Het komt voor, maar opvallend genoeg stond dit bericht alleen op de Arabische site van Ma’an. Voor westerse media en publiek is dit blijkbaar niet interessant. Ik verwacht er ook geen aandacht voor van Meulenbelt, Pessoptimist en de andere zogenaamde sympathisanten van de Palestijnen. Als Israel er niet bij betrokken is, is men een stuk minder geëngageerd en betrokken. EoZ schrijft:

The protesters are smart, calling not for people to gather in central squares where they can be harassed by security forces but to protest loudly from their homes.

Aangezien ze niet op veel Westerse aandacht en sympathie hoeven te rekenen, kunnen de veiligheidstroepen van Fatah en Hamas (ik begrijp uit het bericht dat de actie op zowel de Westoever als in Gaza zal plaatsvinden) hun gang gaan, en kun je je daar dus maar beter op voorbereiden.

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PalArabs plan pots and pans protest against Hamas, Fatah

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2012/01/palarabs-plan-pots-and-pans-protest.html

I wrote this morning that I was astonished that the people in Gaza and the West Bank who protested against Hamas and Fatah selfishness had not caught on to the fact yet that their "unity" has been a sham to shut them up.

Now, Ma'an Arabic reports that 160 Palestinian Arab media figures and intellectuals are calling for a mass protest on February 1 against the PalArab leadership for precisely this reason.

Their document refers to the nearly five years of Palestinian division, their leaders' violations of human rights, the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It notes the reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo in May "which has not yet become a reality." It calls for a political system that offers a decent living and is "pluralistic and democratic, open to all cultures, a system that respects women and ensure their freedom and equality."

It goes on to say that "the use of methods of peaceful protest organized and sustained and directed clearly against both sides of the split is a key factor to the success of our campaign."

The first phase is to organize a pan-Palestinian Arab protest on February 1 at 7:00 PM where people will go in the streets and bang pots and pans on roofs and from open windows for ten minutes.

The document does not name Fatah or Hamas by name.

The protesters are smart, calling not for people to gather in central squares where they can be harassed by security forces but to protest loudly from their homes.

Last time, Hamas tried to sabotage the popular protests; it will be most interesting to see how they react to this, if it gains traction.

Hamas en de economie van Gaza

Soon after its 2006 electoral victory in Gaza, Hamas faced great financial difficulties, leading the group to smuggle millions of dollars in cash through Egypt. Today, however, Hamas has managed to develop local sources of steadily growing income, mainly by exploiting the huge aid sums transferred by the PA and international donors to sustain the general population. No effective mechanism is in place to prevent the group from taking advantage of the constant cash flow into Gaza; as a result, a significant part of the money intended to help alleviate the hardship of the region's inhabitants has gone to waste. More rigorous measures are needed to restrict Hamas's ability to siphon off such funding for its own purposes.

Kortom, de economische sancties tegen Hamas hebben nooit gewerkt en effect gehad. In tegenstelling tot critici van Israel, die altijd meenden dat de sancties averechts werkten en Hamas extra populariteit verschaften, waren ze in feite gewoon non-existent. Het artikel legt ook uit hoe Hamas van hulpgelden van de Palestijnze Autoriteit profiteert:

Where does all this cash come from? Many assume that substantial sums have been entering Gaza via the tunnels since 2008, but this can be only partially confirmed. Instead, the cash inflow seems to come primarily through banks. According to Palestinian banking officials, an average of $2 billion per year has been transferred into Gaza via the Palestinian banking system since Hamas's June 2007 military takeover. The PA alone wires an estimated $1.2 billion per year into Gaza banks, much of it as pensions and salaries for the 77,000 employees kept on the payroll even though they are not working. In fact, this estimate may be conservative; according to PA prime minister Salam Fayad, 54 percent of the PA's $3.17 billion 2010 budget went to Gaza. Most of that figure appears to be salaries, although it also covers what the PA pays directly for electricity, fuel, and water provided to Gaza by Israeli firms.

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Gaza's Economy: How Hamas Stays in Power

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=3287

By Ehud Yaari and Eyal Ofer
January 6, 2011

Since Israel's August 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Hamas has evolved from a relatively small movement into a well-funded conglomerate. Instead of being crippled by sanctions and siege, the organization has found ways to surmount early difficulties -- such as frequent payroll delays -- and establish an effective system of governance, ever tightening its grip over its fiefdom. As a result, Hamas has been able to empower loyalists while leaving the main burden of responsibility for Gaza's 1.6 million residents to others. Unfortunately, both the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) and international donors have tolerated this situation, effectively contributing, if indirectly, to Hamas coffers.

Gaza's Economy

Reliable data regarding Gaza's finances is very difficult to obtain. Hamas has tight lips, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) release little information, and international agencies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank generally aggregate Gaza and the West Bank when presenting statistics. Much of the information in this article is derived from Palestinian news reports and interviews with informed sources in Gaza; accordingly, most of the figures below should be treated as rough approximations.

The IMF estimated Gaza's 2009 gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 12 percent, an impressive number. According to a September 2010 IMF report, the total Gazan and West Bank GDP was $7 billion, while the gap in per capita income between the two areas was 48 percent; this data, combined with other relevant statistics, implies that Gaza's per capita GDP was around $1,400, much of which derives from payments by the PA. Transfers and remittances added 50 percent more income, implying that average total per capita income was, in fact, $2,100. Yet much of this income does not represent productive economic activities, and unemployment remains high -- probably around a third of the workforce.

One must also take into account the considerable trade conducted via the more than 800 tunnels into Egypt. Based on fragmentary evidence, this trade likely peaked at around $600-850 million per year. Much attention has already been devoted to the goods smuggled into Gaza, such as fuel and cement. Less well understood is the fact that, in exchange for these goods, cash has been steadily exported out of Gaza through the tunnels, at a rate of roughly $750 million per year. Cash is also flowing out of Gaza -- through the tunnels and via bank transfers -- to safe havens in Persian Gulf countries and Europe. The new wealthy class -- many associated with Hamas -- as well as established capital owners are concerned about keeping their money inside Gaza, preferring to move it abroad. And even with huge sums flowing out of the territory, there is still more cash than opportunities to invest it. In February 2009, for example, Gaza banks actually turned to Israel's Central Bank with an odd request: to deposit excess cash reserves in Israel.

In addition, the UN Relief and Works Agency annually transfers about $200 million in cash to Gaza, along with $250 million per year worth of goods, grains, and fuel. Cash is also transferred into Gaza by the 160 nongovernmental organizations operating there, by international organizations such as the World Bank, and by foreign government aid organizations, although much of what they spend arrives in the form of goods shipped via Israel.

Hamas Resources

Hamas officials consistently refuse to disclose budgetary details or any other information regarding their sources of income. One official, Jamal Nasser, claimed that the group derives only $60 million per year from fees and taxes, with the rest coming from gifts and foreign aid. That does not appear to be the case, however. According to Israeli military intelligence, Iranian subsidies to Hamas total around $100 million annually, or less than 20 percent of the group's proclaimed budget, stated to be $540 million in 2010. Iranian funds are directed mostly toward the Hamas Political Bureau in Damascus, primarily for weapons purchases and shipments, rather than toward Gaza. PA president Mahmoud Abbas has offered a much higher estimate, claiming that Iranian aid is approximately $250-500 million, but little evidence supports his figure.

Hamas likely raises as much as $250 million annually via taxes. The group has imposed all sorts of new fees and taxes, such as charging three Israeli new shekels (NIS) on every pack of cigarettes (which may generate around $80 million annually) and an NIS 1,400 auto registration fee (which may generate an additional $25 million based on estimates of 60,000 registered cars in Gaza). Hamas also regulates many types of businesses -- from street vendors to Gaza's twenty money-changing companies -- requiring them to pay license fees. In addition, taxes are collected on "luxury" goods coming from Israel, and even on motorcycles and carts.

Hamas also takes a hefty cut from the Egyptian tunnel trade, imposing high "customs" duties and a daily fee on local tunnel contractors. Such trade has been dramatically reduced since June 2010, when Israel quadrupled the number of trucks permitted to bring goods to Gaza through legal terminals. To replace lost tunnel income, Hamas is reportedly taking advantage of the relative drop in prices on goods arriving via official Israeli channels, imposing new taxes on various items. For example, from early July to September 20, 2010, the group barred the importation of new cars from Israel until the taxation issues were resolved.

Hamas is also exploiting its control over various Gaza resources, such as leasing government-owned heavy machinery to private contractors for a daily fee. This is one of many ways the group has been able to indirectly benefit from the international reconstruction funds flowing into Gaza.

Hamas Expenditures

In 2005, Hamas was a modestly sized organization of 4,000-7,000 military personnel, with a small charity and education network and a skeletal party bureaucracy. From 2006 to 2010, however, the funds at the group's disposal reportedly grew from $40 million to $540 million. At the same time, Hamas has gained full control over all government ministries and municipal councils in Gaza, as well as many civilian agencies. It also holds a monopoly of power over every security and intelligence service in the territory, such as the 10,000-strong "blue" police. In total, Hamas pays salaries to at least 35,000 employees, among them many of the 20,000-plus armed personnel. Given this apparent payroll and an estimated average monthly salary of NIS 1,500 ($425), the group may be spending -- according to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah -- as much as $300 million per year on salaries, a sum greater than the entire PA payroll. Hamas also claims that it allocates $30 million annually to its activities in the West Bank, without disclosing the methods by which funds arrive there.

To help curb illicit financing, the United States has designated the Hamas Islamic National Bank and the Gaza Postal Bank as "terrorist entities," but it is not clear how much this measure has affected their operations. Both banks continue to conduct business in NIS, and they seem to have developed ways of working with moneychangers used by individuals who receive their salaries in U.S. dollars. The Islamic National Bank even has sufficient liquidity at present to offer home mortgages. This state of play demonstrates Hamas's major success in overcoming the system of blockade, boycott, and denial of recognition and assistance imposed by Israel, the PA, most Arab countries (especially Egypt), and the West. In addition to its own direct spending, Hamas has been able to tap into financial resources transferred by the PA and aid agencies, ensuring payments to supporters who have replaced Fatah loyalists in government jobs. Lists used by donors to screen for terrorists include very few Hamas operatives; even if this problem were addressed, the screening of PA employees is largely done by Hamas sympathizers. In total, thousands of Hamas members, including many military personnel with fake civilian positions, are paid by outside donors.

The movement has also recently turned to purchasing all sorts of businesses and initiating new ventures, such as the Islamic Bank, the al-Multazim insurance firm, housing projects, hotels, a shopping mall, resorts, agricultural farms, and a fish hatchery. In fact, Hamas's economic mini-empire is fast becoming the main player in Gaza's private sector. The group often forces businesses to close down in order to eliminate competition. It also coerces owners into selling items for cheap or "contributing" to Hamas either in cash or in kind (e.g., building materials). Frequently, new Hamas businesses are registered under the names of straw owners or individuals from Hamas cadres. The group has also taken over all the land belonging to the former Israeli settlement of Gush Katif, along with parts of the Gaza beachfront.

Conclusion

Ehud Yaari is an Israel-based Lafer international fellow with The Washington Institute. Eyal Ofer is a researcher specializing in the Palestinian economy.