Eyeless in Gaza: How Hamas controls the media in Gaza
For those of you who are in London on Monday night, here's a film you don't want to miss. It's called Eyeless in Gaza, and as the title of this post indicates, it shows how Hamas controls what's reported out of Gaza through intimidation. But that's only half the story. Here's a preview.
“It’s something I call ‘group think’,”
explains Himel. “Group think isn’t a malicious attempt to lie or
distort the truth, but there is a strong herd instinct of what is
allowable and what is not.
“When you look at reporting on the Middle East
in general, the same model is used. The Syrian conflict was described
as a fight for human rights and the Arab Spring was hailed as a revolt
against brutal dictators.
“What often happens is the group think will
significantly distort what’s really going on when you are reporting
something – and if you violate group think you can be in a lot of
trouble.”
As a case in point, the film highlights the
naval blockade and subsequent raid by Israeli forces on a Palestinian
freighter named Karine A in 2007. The vessel was found to be carrying 50
tons of weapons, including short-range Katyusha rockets, anti-tank
missiles and explosives.
But as the documentary notes: “Very little of
the weapons found…made it to the media. Instead, the news focused on
flotillas trying to break the naval blockade.”
Why, then, did journalists focus more on the flotillas than the success of the Karine A operation?
Himel explains: “The group think is that an
unjustified blockade is causing hardship for the people of Gaza. They
can’t get basic food, they can’t move around, they can’t get to family
in other places. The media will be attracted to things that strengthen
that assumption.
“So a flotilla coming in trying to save the
besieged people of Gaza, like those besieged in Leningrad in 1942, is
appropriate, whereas if you are talking about a naval blockade that’s
stopping arms getting in, you are instantly making the picture more
complex – and that doesn’t sit well with editors.”
The consequences for journalists who veered away from the accepted narrative can be extreme.
When RTV reporter Harry Fear tweeted that Gaza
rockets had fired into Israel, he was immediately expelled from the
area by Hamas officials, while Palestinian journalist Ayman al-Aloul was
imprisoned and tortured for being critical about the governing
authority in Gaza.
“You pay the price,” says Himel.
There is, however, also another element, which
Himel believes underscores the very reasons why the Israel-Gaza
conflict is reported in the way it is.
“The real story is there’s a really serious war of beliefs going on, that’s the basis for all of it.
“But editors don’t want to say it, because
that means it’s a religious war and you begin to realise how sensitive
and complex the whole issue is.”
That decision not to report the conflict as one based on religion has
also effectively blocked out mention of Hamas and its anti-Semitic
ethos.
I would say it's much more malicious than Himel thinks it is. Let's start with the Karine A. The Karine A happened in January 2002 before this blog existed, not in 2007 as Himel has it. But the 2007 date is convenient. The so-called 'blockade' of Gaza started after Hamas gained control of the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007. In January 2002, Israel actually controlled Gaza.
The 'flotillas' have nothing to do with the Karine A and everything to do with the anti-Semitic Europeans (who stand behind the flotillas), who promote the most pernicious lies about Israel and Jews. In fact, it is the Europeans who have done more to keep the dream of 'Palestine' replacing Israel God Forbid than even the Arab states. The Arab states have tired of the 'Palestinian' lies.
But like the inconvenient fact that our war with Hamas is a religious war, the media also prefers to ignore the inconvenient fact that Europe still dreams of finishing what Hitler started.
I would still go see Himel's movie, because it's important that someone is at least raising the issue (although Matti Friedman is the guy who really brought the issue up), but given his sloppy reporting on the Karine A, I have to wonder what the movie is really going to say.
To get you thinking, I want to show you the full video from 2014 by an Indian television crew - a video that is quite rare - of which you saw a small clip in the preview above.
Family of 'Palestinian' terror victim were Bob Kraft's guests of honor at the Super Bowl
I am sure that many of you recall Ezra Schwartz, the American yeshiva student (who studied at the same high school I did) who was murdered in a 'Palestinian' terror attack here in Israel a bit more than a year ago. More of you may recall that Patriots' owner Robert Kraft ordered a moment of silence to honor Ezra before a Monday night football game in Foxboro during the shiva, after Kraft himself had shown up at the family's home to pay a condolence call (and embarrassed then President Hussein Obama into calling the family).
On Sunday, the Schwartz family got to see one heck of a football game - as Kraft's VIP guests. That's right, the Schwartz's (pictured above) were Patriots' owner Robert Kraft's VIP guests at Super Bowl LI in Houston.
Oh, and this is far from the only not-so-random act of kindness on Bob Kraft's list. Remember Max Steinberg, the IDF lone soldier (who was killed in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in the summer of 2014) whose mother was asked by buffoon John Kerry how her day is going? Here's what Bob Kraft sent Steinberg's parents in Los Angeles.
In fact, many of Kraft's acts of kindness seem to connect football to Israel. This is from the third link above.
Kraft is also a huge supporter of Israel and routinely takes football
players to goodwill trips to Israel, even during the height of the
Second Intifada.
Kraft took Patriots players on the tours, including star quarterback Tom
Brady in 2006 – who, though not Jewish, keeps a menorah that Kraft gave
him in his Brookline home. These players in turn share stories and
photos of Israel to their millions of fans with counterbalance all the
negative press and opinions about Israel.
One of Kraft’s most distinctive philanthropic projects is supporting
American Football Israel, including Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem
and the Kraft Family Israel Football League.
Another project is an annual reception that Kraft continues to hold after his wife Myra's death (they used to do it together) for all of the kids from Boston who are in Israel on one-year programs. That one should be happening in the next month or two.
There's more too:
He takes time out of his busy schedule to
write letters to the families of fallen IDF soldiers and personally
doing the huge mitzvah of nichum aveilim (visiting the bereaved) Kraft
is nosei b’ol chaveiro ( carrying the burden of your people) by helping
these bereaved parents find some comfort with his condolence visit and
remembering them over a year later and flying them down to the Super
Bowl to be his personal VIP guests at the Super Bowl.
As Ezra Schwartz’s aunt Rachel said, he has a
“good neshoma” and is a true “mentch” in every sense of the word, it is
not for us to say that her theory of the last minute miraculous
turn-around in the Super Bowl is not somehow ordained from above,
although quarterback Tom Brady did famously say “God, [there’s] got to
be more than this” on “60 Minutes” in reference to winning his third
Super Bowl. Kraft indeed deserves credit where credit is due. (Hakaras
Hatov.) we just shared it with you, now share this story and the
inspiration. G-d Bless you, Mr. Kraft!
For those of you who root for other teams who find the Patriots' constant success frustrating and annoying, now you know why he merits it. Go out and perform acts of kindness for others like Kraft does, and maybe your time will succeed too.
Oh yeah, in case you missed, the Patriots came from down 28-3 with two minutes left in the third quarter to beat the Falcons 34-28 on Sunday night. Watching here in Israel at 5:30 am was quite sweet.
IDF thumbs its nose at Europe, US State Department seethes
Four and a half years ago, the Europeans commenced a new strategy to try to force Israel to commit suicide: They began building illegally for the 'Palestinians' in areas that are classified as Area C. At the time I wrote:
When Israel entered into the Oslo Accords in 1993-1995, the entire area
of Judea and Samaria was split into three parts. 'Area A,' which mostly
comprised the seven major cities in Judea and Samaria, and which
contained most of the Arab population of the area, was to be under
'Palestinian' control. 'Area B' was to be under 'Palestinian' civilian
control with Israel responsible for security. 'Area C,' which includes
most of the Jewish cities and towns in Judea and Samaria, was to be
under complete Israeli control.
Under the Oslo Accords, there
were no restrictions on Israeli building in Area C. Those who negotiated
the Oslo Accords envisioned an eventual 'Palestinian autonomy' within
Areas A and B. There was no intent to establish a 'Palestinian state,'
and certainly no promises from Israel that one would be established. In
fact, the opposite was true. This is from Prime Minister Rabin's last
speech to the Knesset - in which he was advocating for a Knesset
endorsement of 'Oslo 2' - on October 5, 1995:
We view the
permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will
include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule
of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which
will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza
Strip and the West Bank.
We
would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which
will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its
authority. The borders of the State of Israel, during the
permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the
Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.
And these are the main changes, not all of them, which we envision and want in the permanent solution:
A. First
and foremost, united Jerusalem, which will include both Ma'ale Adumim
and Givat Ze'ev -- as the capital of Israel, under Israeli sovereignty,
while preserving the rights of the members of the other faiths,
Christianity and Islam, to freedom of access and freedom of worship in
their holy places, according to the customs of their faiths.
B. The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.
C. Changes
which will include the addition of Gush Etzion, Efrat, Beitar and
other communities, most of which are in the area east of what was the
"Green Line," prior to the Six Day War.
D. The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.
That's a far cry from what the 'international community' and the Obama administration are attempting to push on us today.
For a long time, Israel ignored the illegal European building. But the Europeans are obsessed with destroying the Jewish state (that's the strongest lesson I am learning from Tuvia Tenenboim's Catch the Jew), and the IDF has finally decided enough is enough.
The IDF on Tuesday morning razed five unauthorized Palestinian modular structures in the South Hebron region of the West Bank, three of which had been funded by the European Union. [Note the EU flag on the trailer - CiJ].
...
The five structures in question were part of the village of Um al-Kheir,
which is located next to the settlement of Carmel. Three of them were
newly built, very close to the security fence around Carmel.
The non-governmental group B’Tselem, which has opposed such
actions, released a video of the demolition, which showed the shovel of a
crane taking down the structure within minutes as the villagers
watched.
Israel is apparently going to begin taking illegal 'Palestinian' building seriously.
On Sunday, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked visited the South Hebron Hills
to see the unauthorized Palestinian construction for herself.
“I
saw on this trip a tremendous amount of illegal Palestinian building in
Area C, with the help of foreign funding. We can’t allow for a double
standard when it comes to building. It’s not clear to me how those who
fight against Jewish building in Judea and Samaria are a leading force
in illegal Palestinian building,” Shaked said.
But on Monday - before the demolitions happened - the Obama-Clinton-Kerry State Department - the foreign policy czars of the self-proclaimed 'most pro-Israel administration evah' - was seething.
“We are concerned by the accelerated rate of demolitions undertaken by
Israeli authorities that continue in the West Bank as well as east
Jerusalem,” State Department Press Office Director Elizabeth Trudeau
told reporters in Washington at the daily briefing.
Funny - don't they demolish illegal buildings in the US?
Video: How the New Israel Fund trains IDF officers to worry more about 'Palestinian' terrorists (and human shields) than about their own soldiers
I apologize for the lengthy title to this post - it was the only way I could let some of you know what the video below is about.
I also apologize for the fact that the video below is solely in Hebrew, and I do not have the time to start translating and inserting subtitles - even if I knew how to insert subtitles.
This video should be translated and seen by Jews all over the world. It might even be named "How Israel Shoots Itself in the Foot."
IDF officers must attend 'training seminars' given by New Israel Fund grantees like the uber-Leftist Bina (one of whose founders calls Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman a fascist) and the Shalom Hartman Institute (whose head says that Netanyahu is living in 1938 Germany, and that our problems are far deeper and that the 'sick roots' in our society must be uprooted) in order to advance in rank. These seminars teach them that sometimes the IDF has to accept being routed in order to avoid civilian casualties. They are taught that avoiding loss of life among 'Palestinian' human shields is more important than avoiding casualties to IDF soldiers. An IDF soldier is surrounded by 'Palestinians' throwing firebombs and he cannot respond because he has no authorization to do so. I kid you not.
At this rate, we will lose a war to show how 'humane' we are.
There's a new 'tender' for the right to give these seminars in September. Will the New Israel Fund win again?
Let's go to the videotape.
Sickness. True sickness. Who will want to fight in our army if we continue to send soldiers to their deaths to show our 'humanity'?
Prime Minister Netanyahu is currently speaking at Entebbe Airport in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Entebbe Airport rescue which was led by his brother Yoni 40 years ago today. Below is the memorial to Yoni Netanyahu which (incredibly) now stands at Entebbe Airport on the site of the old terminal.
Defense Ministry employee dances on grave of IDF hero
Some of you may remember the story of Roi Klein HY"D (May God Avenge his blood), pictured here with his wife and children, who threw himself on a grenade at Bint Jbeil, Lebanon during the Second Lebanon War, thereby saving many other IDF soldiers.
I have no idea what precipitated the story below, but it is beyond disgusting and the Defense Ministry employee who did it ought to be dismissed.
Moshe Ben Zaken, an employee working in the office of Defense
Minister Moshe Yaalon, publicized (last week) an unusual post, in which
he slammed the conduct of heroic IDF soldier Roi Klein, who saved the
lives of his soldiers during the Second Lebanon War, when he lay over a
grenade during battle and was killed.
According to Ben Zaken, Klein jumped on the grenade, not out of bravery, but rather in order to cover up an operational error.
Don't try to wish Israel a happy birthday on Michigan Public Radio
Michigan Public Radio has refused a four-word advertisement wishing Israel a happy birthday, calling it 'radioactive.' This came via Honest Reporting.
For sponsoring a day’s broadcast of Michigan Public Radio, Lisa Lis
was told she was entitled to have a message broadcast on the air. She
chose a four-word sentence, “Happy 68th birthday, Israel.” The station
rejected that line as too radioactive, saying, “this message would compromise the station’s commitment to impartiality and that it crosses over into advocacy, or could imply advocacy,” reports Deadline Detroit.
My hope for Israel as it celebrates 68 years of statehood
is that the public will cease to treat any mention of Israel as a
controversial topic. A non-political offering of congratulations to Israel on its anniversary of independence should be taken at face value and not made into a controversy.
If you think Michigan Public Radio was 'winging it' in order to find an excuse for not carrying the message... you're right. Here's more from that Deadline Detroit link.
Lis, a self-proclaimed progressive and strong supporter of
Israel, whose husband is Israeli and whose son is in the Israeli Defense
Forces, wanted her message to celebrate Israel. Eventually she settled
on "Happy 68th Birthday Israel." Israel celebrates Independence Day this
year on May 12.
Initially, "blessing" was in her message, but the station said that
implied something religious, so she dropped that word. Then the station
said it couldn't accommodate the wish because it needed two months'
notice.
Then the station rejected the message outright. Alison Warren, associate director of development, wrote in an April 26 email:
Dear Lisa,
We will not be able to air your day sponsorship message as written.
We have determined that this message would compromise the station's
commitment to impartiality and that it crosses over into advocacy, or
could imply advocacy.
If there is another message, perhaps celebrating a birthday or
anniversary of an individual, please let me know and I'd be happy to
assist you.
"I'm very upset," said Lis, a daughter of Florine Marks of Weight
Watchers' fame. "It’s sad. There's plenty anti-Israel messages out
there, and they won't allow something for Israel." Lis said she and her
husband, Hannan Lis, donate $40 per month.
...
Last Friday, Lis took it to the next level, writing about the conflict in a weekly newsletter emailed to about 1,000 people.
I am in a battle with Michigan Radio to use my Day Sponsorship to wish
Israel Happy 68th birthday. They denied my request because they said it
would "compromise the station's commitment to impartiality and that it
crosses over into advocacy".
Why would Public Radio need to be impartial about a legally
recognized country other than the fact, many want her wiped from the
face of the earth. Would it be a problem if it were the birthday of
England, Norway or South Sudan?
Israel is a hot button country that the world has accepted as
questionable and debatable and the major infraction Israel has committed
is purely her existence. By the way, I truly look forward to expressing
my same salutation when Palestine can celebrate her birthday.
Deadline Detroit emailed executives at the station Sunday and left phone messages Monday.
Steve Schram, executive director and general manager, responded Monday:
The current request was denied because it doesn’t meet our day
sponsorship policies, which state “typical messages honor an
individual’s birthday, anniversary, retirement, graduation, or other
personal event.”
In accordance with our rules governing donor acknowledgments,
announcements containing political or religious messages are not
acceptable This was shared with the donor.
This policy is not unique to this station and is similar to other public radio stations across the country.
Michigan Radio describes itself as "the state’s most listened-to public radio service, . . .with a broadcast signal that reaches 80% of Michigan’s population." Its three stations -- WUOM in Ann Arbor, WFUM in Flint and WVGR in Grand Rapids.-- "serve approximately 500,000 listeners each week across the southern half of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula."
...
Interestingly, during the volley of emails, Larry Jonas, director of
development at Michigan Radio, responded about whether it would allow
"Happy Birthday Norway."
Jonas wrote to Hannan Lis:
The answer to your question about whether or not we would allow a
"Happy Birthday Norway" is no. . . . We would not air such a message.
Harmless as it may seem, it forces us to make the choice between which
countries or political bodies are worthy of on-air recognition and which
are not.
Mind you, in the initial response, the station said wishing happy
birthday to Israel "would compromise the station's commitment to
impartiality and that it crosses over into advocacy, or could imply
advocacy."
Jonas would be hard-pressed to find many groups protesting U.S. policy in Norway.
Maybe it's time for the Lis's to find a new charity to which to donate that $40 per month. Since their son serves in the IDF, how about American Friends of the IDF?
Exposed: 'Breaking the Silence' collects intelligence on the IDF - Does it reach their European masters?
Greetings from Boston where I have been working all week, and where the Sabbath does not start for several more hours. I will be here until Sunday morning. Sunday is a travel day, but I'm not heading back to Israel just yet. I'm heading West... (and should have WiFi access on the plane, so you may see a few more posts on Sunday). And for those who watch the weather reports, it looks like I will once again escape a serious winter snowstorm by the skin of my teeth, God Willing.
For those of you who have forgotten 'Breaking the Silence,' they are an organization that claims to be dedicated to exposing IDF abuses of 'Palestinians' in Judea and Samaria. They are funded by European governments, by the European Union (which awarded them the prestigious Andrei Sakharov prize) and by private American citizens (as well as by UNICEF and OxFam). Br'eaking the Silence' interviews discharged IDF soldiers and debriefs them regarding their IDF service. Or so they claim. It now seems that they do a lot more.
You might recall that recently, an organization called Ad Kan (Until Here) turned over video evidence to Israel's Channel 10 about human rights violations by 'human rights' groups Taayush and B'Tselem.Spreading the wealth, the group handed over material on 'Breaking the Silence' to Israel's Channel 2, which reported on it Thursday night (link and video in Hebrew). The material shows that 'Breaking the Silence' is collecting military intelligence which has no connection to 'human rights' violations in Judea and Samaria or anyplace else. And the unanswered question is 'with whom does 'Breaking the Silence' share that intelligence material?' That intelligence material could clearly and presently endanger the State of Israel.
In its investigation, Channel 2 cited unpublished testimonies from
Israeli soldiers that were obtained by the right-wing NGO Ad Kan, which
sent some of its members to join Breaking the Silence undercover. The
report claimed that Breaking the Silence collected “operational and
intelligence” information about IDF activities from both current and
former soldiers.
Channel 2 also broadcast videos of Breaking the Silence asking
soldiers “questions [that] appear to revolve more around their
operational activity rather issues regarding Palestinians and human
rights.”
While Breaking the Silence says it gathers anonymous testimonies from
Israeli soldiers about the IDF’s purported human rights abuses, these
testimonies have been previously criticized as being unsubstantiated and lacking context. In recent months, the group has come under increased scrutiny over the ethics of its practices.
In the wake of the new Channel 2 report, Breaking the Silence denied
any wrongdoing and emphasized that it works closely with Israel’s
military censor. Breaking the Silence CEO Yuli Novak added that several
organizations and members of the Knesset were trying “to silence” her
group.
And it seems that the next group to come under scrutiny may be 'rabbis' for 'human rights.'
The broadcast became headline news and the fallout
continued for weeks. Nawi was arrested at Ben-Gurion Airport when he
tried to flee the country.
A few days later, a follow-up program aired
more hidden-camera footage, this time showing Nawi with officials from
two other prominent “human rights” NGOs—Breaking the Silence (BtS) and
Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR). Both groups were shown giving money to
Nawi, who then handed out checks to Palestinians, apparently for taking
part in violent demonstrations. RHR claimed that Nawi was paid for
providing transportation services. BtS denounced everyone involved in
the program as “Stasi,” a reference to the notorious East German
intelligence service.
Steinberg observed that even before the broadcast of Nawi with
representatives of Breaking the Silence, there was growing criticism of
the group across the political spectrum in Israel.
Prior to the Uvda broadcasts, BtS and its patrons were
the particular focus of growing anger among many Israelis on the Right,
center, and even the center-Left. This anger followed a major jump in
the visibility of BtS, which reflected the group’s million- dollar
budget. BtS events in churches, universities, and national parliaments
around the world featured “anonymous testimony” that alleged systematic
immorality by IDF soldiers, with no corroborating evidence.
In response, hundreds of IDF reserve officers petitioned the Minister
of Defense, demanding that BtS activists be barred from speaking on
military bases. In parallel, relatives of terror victims and fallen
soldiers demanded that Education Minister Naftali Bennett prohibit BtS
from speaking to high school students. NGOs like B’Tselem were also
criticized. On Israel’s popular Saturday night satire program Gav Hauma,
host Lior Schleien did a ten-minute routine based on the issue,
primarily lampooning BtS and related NGOs.
I'm amazed that B'Tselem is allowed to speak on military bases.... But what Professor Steinberg says about anger coming from 'even the center-Left' is true. Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid has accused 'Breaking the Silence' of digging under the foundations of the State of Israel, and causing it both internal and external damage (link in Hebrew).
For those of you wondering why Israel feels the need to stop foreign governments from financing its NGO's, this is another data point.
What happens when Israel demolishes a terrorist's house
Here's what happens when Israel demolishes a terrorist's house:
Thousands of dollars and shekels were collected to rebuild the house of the terrorist Muhand El Halvi, from Kfar Surda,...
Posted by Alan Silver on Sunday, January 10, 2016
Here's hoping this one will not be rebuilt and that all that money will go to waste.
The only army ISIS fears is... not American or Russian... it's Israeli
German reporter Jurgen Todenhofer (right in the picture), who spent ten days with ISIS fighters around Mosul, Iraq, reports that there is only one army in the world that ISIS fears, and it's not American or Russian. It's Israeli. It's the IDF.
The claim from German reporter Jürgen
Todenhöfer, a former member of the German Parliament, came after he
spent 10 extraordinary days behind enemy lines in Iraq and Syria,
accompanied by his son Frederic. He returned saying the group behind the
Paris attacks was “preparing the largest religious cleansing in
history” and with a “pessimistic” view on what can be done to combat it.
But the author of My 10 Days in the
Islamic State told Jewish News: “The only country ISIS fears is Israel.
They told me they know the Israeli army is too strong for them.”
IS branded the co-ordinated attacks on the French capital that claimed 132 lives as “the first of the storm”.
Todenhofer claimed it is part of ISIS’
tactics to lure in Western boots on the ground and capture US and
British soldiers. “They think they can defeat US and UK ground troops,
who they say they have no experience in city guerrilla or terrorist
strategies. But they know the Israelis are very tough as far as fighting
against guerrillas and terrorists,” he said.
“They are not scared of the British
and the Americans, they are scared of the Israelis and told me the
Israeli army is the real danger. We can’t defeat them with our current
strategy. These people [the IDF] can fight a guerrilla war.
“In Mosul there are 10,000 fighters
living among 1.5 million people in 2,000 apartments, not in one place –
so it would be difficult [for western soldiers] to fight them. ISIS
fighters are ready to die in a war against a western soldiers.”
...
The journalist – who had contact with
ISIS supporters from the media department, judges, fighters and leaders –
said the group wants to conquer all the Middle East – except Israel –
in the first stage of its fight.
The second stage is conquering the
West. “They are a very strong danger for Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Libya,
while the West will be subjected to big acts of terrorism instead of a
full blown ISIS war because they say they don’t want too many battles at
the same time.”
Perhaps those who called Prime Minister Netanyahu the leader of the free world were not exaggerating. Hmmm.
Unfortunately, this is not very funny. In another setting, this might be called a road rage incident, or might be an attempt to steal the car. Not in this country. It's an attempt to murder a group of IDF soldiers.
Update: Pal. threw rocks at army car near Bethlehem. Soldiers exited car after it was hit. Pal. ran them over. 5 soldiers injured
Did the soldiers exit with their weapons, and if so, why didn't they use them? Let me guess: They weren't allowed to under the open fire rules. If yes, the open fire rules need to be changed. This is the second time that's happened in two days (the subject of that link was denied a weapons permit because...).
Within the last hour, a 20-year old Israeli was stabbed in the neck and critically wounded by a 15-year old 'Palestinian' terrorist outside Israel's National Police Headquarters.
UPDATE: Palestinian terrorist stabbed 20 y/o man in his neck seriously wounding him, terrorist shot and wounded. pic.twitter.com/kP2x6UYpzN
Each individual incident isn't exactly something you can anticipate. But so far, it's much more a police action than an army action that seems necessary to stop it.
UPDATE 1:36 PM
⚠URGENT⚠ - SHARE: Public asked to pray for ARON MOSHE CHAIM BEN CHANA, Israeli student stabbed in neck by Palestinian terrorist in Jerusalem
Shirley Temper 'rescues' her brother from the IDF, Papa is proud
Do you all remember Shirley Temper (real name Ahed Tamimi, and yes, from that Tamimi clan)? On Friday, Shirley and her mother attacked yet another IDF soldier to prevent them from arresting her little brother for throwing stones at soldiers.
The opening shots show a partially-masked soldier with a rifle in his
hand running after the boy, Muhammad Tamimi, across an empty brown
hillside filled with rocks and a few scattered olive trees.
The
soldier catches Muhammad from behind and places him in a choke-hold.
Muhammad screams and begins crying. The soldier pushes Muhammad onto a
rock and lies on top of him, as a young female activist with a gas mask
in one hand tries to pull the boy away.
The soldier pushes her back and tells her to leave the boy alone. Muhammad’s left arm can be seen in a cast.
The
soldier calls out for reinforcements as he holds one arm around the
boy’s neck and keeps his other hand on his gun. Within a minute,
Muhammad’s sister, Ahed, 14, and mother arrive, along with other women
and children.
Screaming, they hit the soldier, unmask him, and
try to pull the boy away. They succeed just as a second soldier arrives.
One of them throws a stun grenade at the Palestinians. Both soldiers,
however, walk away without arresting Muhammad.
The IDF said the
incident occurred during violent clashes between its soldiers and
Palestinians in which rocks were thrown at security forces. It said that
an attempt was made to arrest Muhammad after he was identified as one
of the stone throwers.
The IDF said that during the execution of
the arrest, a number of Palestinians, including women and children,
acted in a violent and provocative manner. It said that a commander
decided not to carry out the arrest as a result of this.
"We have the right to resist. Our children are doing their duty and must be strong," Bassem Tamimi told The Jerusalem Post,
when asked how he feels about his children's participation in West Bank
protests against soldiers. He noted, however, that they are not against
the soldiers, but against the occupation.
...
"There is no safe place to be," he tells the Post, making no
distinction between soldiers, settlers or Jewish extremists . "Because a
lot of time they target houses, and there is fire on the houses." He
gives the example of the Dawabshe family who were the victims of an arson attack
on their home in Duma in July, which killed a Palestinian toddler and
his father. The attack was allegedly perpetrated by Jewish terrorists.
It's actually far more likely that the attack was perpetrated by a rival 'Palestinian' clan but because our government is afraid to come out and say it, so is everyone else and we continue to be slandered.
Responding to comments made by right-wing Israeli politicians and
activists on the heels of Friday's incident, that IDF soldiers should
open fire immediately if they are attacked, Bassem Tamimi claims that it
makes no difference if they are attacked or not: "they will open fire
anyway," he asserts.
Surprise: Ehud Barak tells biographers Israel canceled plans to attack Iran in 2010, 2011 and 2012
Israel's Channel 2 television obtained recordings of former Defense Minister (and Prime Minister and IDF Chief of Staff) Ehud Barak telling biographers that Israel planned to strike Iran in 2010, 2011 and 2012... and then called off the strikes because someone in the IDF (Gabi Ashkenazi) or the cabinet (Boogie Yaalon, Yuval Steinitz) objected . You can watch a CNN report about the recordings here.
Here in Israel, there is outrage over the report. Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman is accusing Barak of giving away state secrets.
Liberman told Army Radio that he was “more
than surprised” at Barak, and said statements such as those given by the
former minister would ultimately strengthen Iran.
“I think that when moves and discussions that
should have been closely guarded state secrets are discussed by the
press, it relays that you are a talker, that you aren’t serious, that
you’re unreliable,” he said.
“That is why, among other reasons, Iran is
being coddled by the international community, and we have been backed
into a corner… These things should only have been discussed in closed
forums.”
Asked whether he believed Barak was guilty of
revealing state secrets, Liberman responded that he had “no doubt” that
was the case.
And the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is opening an investigation... into how the tapes got out.
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Tzahi Hanegbi (Likud) said on Sunday he intends to investigate whether information divulged by former Defense Minister Ehud Barak regarding a possible Iran strike was properly cleared for publication, and if so, why.
...
Speaking to Israel Radio on Sunday, Hanegbi said such publications do not serve Israel's security interests. When asked if Barak harmed Israel's security, Hanegbi refuse to answer, but said that as the head of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee he plans to summon officials from the censor's office and hear their explanation.
Barak spoke of the plans in conversations with his biographers, Dani Dor and Ilan Kfir. Excerpts from the recordings were aired on Israel Channel 2’s weekly news magazine on Friday.
Channel 2 said Barak did not want the material released, but the IDF military censor approved the publication.
Israel has "clear information that Hamas is supporting the Wilayat
Sinai, which belongs to Daesh," Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, the
coordinator of government activities in the territories, claimed,
referring to the Islamic State group in one of its acronyms.
He added that Hamas provided the Islamist group
weapons and logistical support, and even smuggled wounded militants for
treatment in the Gaza Strip. "I am confident in this [information] and I
have proof," he said.
The IDF has decided that this entire story is too close for comfort: Route 12 near the Egyptian border will be closed from 5:00 am Friday Israel time.
The decision was made by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon with the
recommendation of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot. The closing
of the road was defined by the military as temporary.
One of the attacks was carried out only four
kilometers from the border with Israel, an officer in the IDF Southern
Command said on Thursday. In response, the Israeli military has
intensified its intelligence gathering efforts in the area.
Temporary until what? Until ISIS is defeated? Until Hamas stops supporting them? Doesn't sound like much of a plan, does it?
The Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Egypt reopened on
Thursday after it was closed for 24 hours due to the battles raging in
Sinai. However, the Nitzana crossing remained closed.
The real question is whether the Gaza crossings are open - and if yes, why?
Tony Blair met Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal twice in Doha to discuss ways to end the Gaza siege, the Middle East Eye website has reported, citing unnamed sources.
The website reported on Monday that the pair last met prior to Blair stepping down from his post as the representative of the Quartet of Middle East power brokers in May.
It was reported that they discussed ways to end the Gaza siege,
including the possibility of a rolling ceasefire, and that Blair's
negotiations were being supported by the UK, the United States and the
European Union. Two Arab states and Israel were also reportedly aware of
the discussions.
Though Blair has stepped down from his post with the Quartet, the discussions are reportedly continuing.
Neither the recognition of Israel, nor the decommissioning of Hamas'
arsenal, would be a requirement for any potential deal, the website
reported.
Wonder which two Arab states? I'd bet on Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Note the reference to the concept of
belligerent occupation. Immediately after this paragraph, the Court
makes the following observations, under the heading ‘relevant
international law’ (para. 94):
Article 42 of the Regulations concerning
the Laws and Customs of War on Land, The Hague, 18 October 1907
(hereafter “the 1907 Hague Regulations”) defines belligerent occupation
as follows:
“Territory is considered occupied when
it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army. The
occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been
established and can be exercised.”
Accordingly, occupation within the
meaning of the 1907 Hague Regulations exists when a state exercises
actual authority over the territory, or part of the territory, of an
enemy state(1) . The requirement of actual authority is widely
considered to be synonymous to that of effective control.
Military occupation is considered to
exist in a territory, or part of a territory, if the following elements
can be demonstrated: the presence of foreign troops, which are in a
position to exercise effective control without the consent of the
sovereign.
According to widespread expert opinion physical presence of
foreign troops is a sine qua non requirement of occupation(2) , i.e.
occupation is not conceivable without “boots on the ground” therefore
forces exercising naval or air control through a naval or air blockade
do not suffice(3) .
Now, it almost goes without saying that the Court was not discussing Gaza. It was discussing an area called Gulistan on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But....
In para. 95 the Court then proceeds to
cite the ICRC Customary IHL Study as well as Article 49 GC IV regarding
rights of displaced persons. (The same text can be found in paras. 96-97
of the Chiragov judgment). But the really important bit happens in paras. 143-144 of Sargsyan:
143. At this point the Court considers
it useful to reiterate that Azerbaijan has deposited a declaration with
its instrument of ratification expressing that it was “unable to
guarantee the application of the provisions of the Convention in the
territories occupied by the Republic of Armenia” (see paragraph 93
above). In its decision on the admissibility of the present case, the
Court has held that the declaration was not capable of restricting the
territorial application of the Convention to certain parts of the
internationally recognised territory of Azerbaijan (Sargsyan (dec.),
cited above, §§ 63-65) nor did it fulfil the requirements of a valid
reservation (ibid., §§ 66-70).
144. The Court notes that under
international law (in particular Article 42 of the 1907 Hague
Regulations) a territory is considered occupied when it is actually
placed under the authority of a hostile army, “actual authority” being
widely considered as translating to effective control and requiring such
elements as presence of foreign troops, which are in a position to
exercise effective control without the consent of the sovereign (see
paragraph 94 above). On the basis of all the material before it and
having regard to the above establishment of facts, the Court finds that
Gulistan is not occupied by or under the effective control of foreign
forces as this would require a presence of foreign troops in Gulistan.
See what I meant? Replace “Gulistan”
with “Gaza”, and there you have it! In fact, I’m pretty sure that this
is at least one judgment of the European Court that Israeli governmental
legal advisors will be citing all the time, whenever the issue of
Gaza’s occupation is brought up (and good for them).
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
