'Palestinians' threaten members of UNESCO World Heritage Committee over Jerusalem vote
It's not the first time that the 'Palestinians' have
threatened seemingly stronger countries to kotow them to do their bidding. But it's certainly one of the most blatant instances. There's a vote of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee coming up tomorrow that would once again deny the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount. And in light of comments about last week's vote made by Mexico, Brazil and Italy (none of which have a vote tomorrow), the 'Palestinian Authority' is
making sure with threats that UNESCO's World Heritage Committee toes the line.
The resolution, which refers to the Temple Mount solely by its Muslim
name of Al-Haram Al Sharif, is expected to be approved by the committee
at its 40th session.
But in light of public statements on such resolutions made last
week by Italy, Mexico and Brazil, the Palestinians want the resolution
to pass by consensus, with the full support of all 21 member states of
the World Heritage Committee (WHC).
On Monday, they sent a letter to committee members asking them to submit their positions on the resolution by noon Tuesday.
“Otherwise,
the delegation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the delegation of
Palestine would and according to the rules of procedure be obliged to
consider other options,” they stated.
Without pledges of a
consensus approval, the Palestinians and Jordanians plan to resubmit a
text with language that was even more problematic to Israel, explained
Israel’s Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama-Hacohen.
Wednesday’s
vote, had initially been scheduled to take place in Istanbul in July,
but the failed coup in Turkey cut that session short.
At the
time, the Palestinians and the Jordanians had worked out a consensus
text which they understood had the support of the European Union and the
WHC.
In their letter, they reminded WHC members of this
agreement and said, “At the beginning of the current WHC40 session, we
learned that a few member states are still hesitant whether they can
commit to our agreement in Istanbul or not.”
The Jordanians and the Palestinians said that they understood this “hesitance as a retreat from the consensual language.”
Shama-Hacohen said in response that “the Palestinians and the Arab states understand that after Mexico and Italy there might be more unpleasant surprises."
“They
are broadcasting a message that says don’t abandon us or we’ll burn the
house down with extremist anti-Israel resolutions,” said Shama-Hacohen.
He added that such resolutions would only cause tremendous damage to
UNESCO, under whose umbrella the WHC operates.
Just so totally shocked to hear UNESCO approves living a lie.
Labels: Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Temple Mount, UNESCO
Not just anti-Semitic: UNESCO rewrites Christian bible
It's been busy and I have not had time to post....
On Thursday, in a blatantly anti-Semitic move, UNESCO 'decided' that the Jewish people have no connection to the Temple Mount. You know - this place:
Incredibly, France, which considers itself an impartial peacemaker, abstained, as did Italy, the home of the leader of Catholicism.
How bad is this? Yair Rosenberg
explains:
The Palestinian-drafted resolution, which
passed 24-6 with 26 abstentions, claims that the site of the two Jewish
Temples is sacred solely to Muslims. It refers to the area only by its
Islamic names: Haram al-Sharif and Al-Aqsa Mosque (the shrine situated
on the site). This is essentially the equivalent of passing a resolution
airbrushing Muslim ties to Mecca, a move which would rightly be deemed
Islamophobic. (Incidentally, in 1925, the Islamic Waqf overseeing the
Temple Mount published
a pamphlet stating that “the identity of the site with Solomon’s Temple
is beyond dispute.” Obviously, the Waqf did not anticipate the
ingenuity of the United Nations.)
Unsurprisingly, the United States, Britain, Germany, Estonia,
Lithuania, and the Netherlands voted against the resolution. Shamefully,
the other three European countries on the UNESCO executive
board—France, Sweden, and Spain—could only bring themselves to abstain
in the face of textbook anti-Jewish bigotry. (They had each previously
voted for a previous incarnation of the same resolution, before realizing how bad it made their countries look.)
Adding to the bitter irony of UNESCO’s anti-Jewish turn is the fact
that yesterday was Yom Kippur. Predictably, the liturgy of Judaism’s
holiest day makes repeated reference to Judaism’s holiest site. One of
the most frequently cited verses in the day’s lengthy prayers is Isaiah 56:7, in which the prophet imagines an interfaith utopia on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount:
וַהֲבִיאוֹתִים אֶל־הַר קָדְשִׁי וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים בְּבֵית
תְּפִלָּתִי עוֹלֹתֵיהֶם וְזִבְחֵיהֶם לְרָצוֹן עַל־מִזְבְּחִי כִּי בֵיתִי
בֵּית־תְּפִלָּה יִקָּרֵא לְכָל־הָעַמִּים׃
I will bring them to my sacred mount and let them rejoice in my house of
prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices shall be welcome on my
altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
The UNESCO resolution is perfectly in keeping with Isaiah’s ecumenical sentiment, as long as one adds in “except the Jews.”
To be fair, perhaps the resolution’s supporters—which included such
noted experts on Judaism as Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and Qatar—were not
familiar with this particular verse of Isaiah, nor the myriad of other references to the Temple Mount in Judaism, nor the extensive archaeological and other evidence
for the Jewish Temples that stood there. But one would think they’d be
familiar with the famous prophecy of Isaiah carved into the wall outside
the United Nations in New York.
The full prophecy reads:
And
the many peoples shall go and say: “Come, Let us go up to the Mount of
the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in
his ways, and that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction shall come
forth from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Thus he will judge among the nations and arbitrate for the many peoples. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war.
Simply beyond belief.
Labels: anti-Semitism, feckless French, France, Italy, Pope Francis I, Temple Mount, UNESCO
Israel's other weapons sources
Those of you who recall the story from 10 days or so ago when it was disclosed that the United States had
denied Israel Hellfire missiles for use in Gaza, and who are aware that Britain and Spain have placed an embargo on weapons sales to us, might be wondering whether Israel has sources for weapons other than the United States and Western Europe. Unfortunately, while we have such sales
they are negligible.
According to Defense Ministry figures, around one-quarter of the
output of the Israeli defense industry is intended for IDF use. The rest
is exported.
Despite official Israel’s reluctance to get specific
about its arms trade, reports submitted by various states to the UN’s
Register of Conventional Arms shed some light on the matter. For
example, Ukraine’s official reports state that two years ago, Ukraine
sold Israel 193 missiles and 32 launchers. According to reports made as
part of the voluntary disclosure mechanism, in 2010 Ukraine sold Israel
four Strella (SA-7) missiles and two launchers, about 75 Igla missiles
of various models and 10 launchers for them. It is not clear why Israel
purchased so many Russian-made shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles.
The assumption is that they are being acquired as part of Israel’s
development of systems to counter them, such as the aircraft-defense
system. As recently as February, Defense Ministry officials and Elbit
Systems announced the successful completion of tests of the Sky Shield
system, which is intended to protects civilian aircraft from
shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Arms experts have said it likely
that Russian-made missiles were used in the test. Still, the number of
missiles Ukraine reported selling to Israel is relatively large even for
that purpose. Defense Ministry officials declined to comment for this
report.
Reports in the UN Register that were examined in recent
years point to some more interesting acquisitions, mainly for
Soviet-made arms that are not considered at the forefront of technology.
For example, in 2008 Ukraine reported that it sold Israel a launcher
for BM-21 rockets — a launcher that the Israeli army used in the past
after it was captured as booty in the Yom Kippur War and used during the
first Lebanon War. Hezbollah uses it to fire Grad rockets. In 2006, the
Czech Republic sold Tochka tactical missile systems to Israel. Two
years previously, Bulgaria sold Israel six 130 mm artillery systems
about which no further details were provided.
Against the backdrop of reports about Britain and Spain examining their
arms sales to Israel, an expert characterized the amount of arms that
Israel purchases from countries other than the United States as
“negligible.”
...
Israel has signed several significant defense contracts with other
countries in recent years. Germany provides Israel with submarines from
its HDW shipyards in Kiel. Israel has purchased six submarines so far,
three of which are in use by the Israel navy. The IDF has taken delivery
of two submarines, with additional deliveries scheduled through the end
of 2019.
Italy last year arranged to sell 30 M-346 training
aircraft to Israel. The first of these are already making their first
flights. As part of the deal, Israel sold Italy several defense
products, an Israeli-made satellite and a deterrent aircraft produced by
Israel Aerospace Industries in a deal estimated at $2 billion dollars.
Last
month, the Defense Ministry issued an international tender for the
purchase of “defense ships,” which will be used to protect the offshore
natural-gas drilling rigs in the Mediterranean Sea. According to an
Israeli Navy plan for the protection of the rigs that the defense
minister and the chief of staff approved about two years ago, four more
large vessels will be required to secure the area properly, at a cost of
roughly 100 million dollars per ship. The names of several foreign
shipyards — in Germany, Italy, the United States and South Korea — were
mentioned in the past as possible makers of the ships that would protect
the natural-gas fields.
There are two answers. In the short term, export less and use our own arms. That will help only when the arms in question are arms that we produce domestically. Obviously, there are things (like submarines) that we do not produce domestically, and for which we will still be dependent on other countries.
But in the long run we should be developing our own military industry more than we have been. If we have learned nothing else in the last six years, we should have learned that there are even situations where we cannot count on the United States. We should not be dependent on anyone. Not even the United States. What if Hillary Clinton - or possibly worse Elizabeth Warren is the next President? We would have 4-8 more years of pressure and unreliability. It's time that we learn to cope on our own. We're a big enough economy to pull it off.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Britain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Elizabeth Warren, Germany, Hillary Clinton, Italy, military equipment, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, United States, weapons acquisition
Jewish housing starts in Judea and Samaria go 'poof' UPDATED
Haaretz is reporting that most of the 1,800 housing starts in Judea and Samaria that were announced last week have gone '
poof.'
Following pressure by Western European diplomats, the Civil
Administration decided on Wednesday to delay the recently announced
plans to move forward on construction of 1,800 settlement homes.
The
only plans approved by the Civil Administration's High Planning Council
concerned 381 housing units in Givat Ze'ev. Those involving
construction in Ariel, Har Bracha, Alfei Menashe, Oranit and other
settlements were put off, along with plans in the settlement outpost
Al-Matan.
Planning
council chairman Daniel Halimi said he received instructions for the
delays shortly before the meeting, and a source who attended the session
said, "Apparently the decision came from high up."
On
Tuesday, British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould and French
Ambassador to Israel Patrick Maisonnave told National Security Adviser
Yossi Cohen that their countries wanted Israel to hold off on advancing
plans for the 1,800 settlement homes, which had been frozen for many
months.
Gould
and Maisonnave told Cohen that Germany, Italy and Spain would be
conveying the same message, which the Italian and Spanish ambassadors
did to the Foreign Ministry later that day, while German Ambassador
Andreas Michaelis weighed in with Cohen early on Wednesday.
Israeli officials admit the delay but deny that it was the result of European pressure.
"Most of the deliberations set for today's original agenda were
discussed, except for a plan that was removed at the request of the
council and an additional plan that was postponed because of a
publishing process that was not implemented as asked," said the
officials.
Envision a pretzel soaked in warm water overnight floating around in a cup. Envision Prime Minister Netanyahu's backbone. Pretty similar, aren't they?
UPDATE 1:31 PM
I just found the retweet below in Barak Ravid's (the author of the report above) Twitter feed. Translation follows:
Translation: Planning sources admit that there is an overall instruction not to bring up any plan for consideration in the [Israel Land] Authority's Planning Committee that includes houses outside the 'settlement blocs.' Political sources say that this is due to [Yair] Lapid's veto.
Thank you Naftali Bennett for giving Lapid so much power by refusing to go into the government without him a year an a half ago.
Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Britain, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Judea and Samaria construction, Matthew Gould, Naftali Bennett, Spain, Yair Lapid
Ireland ♥'s Hezbullah?
In an unusual step, unnamed Israeli government officials have
accused Ireland of leading the charge in the European Union to prevent even the 'militant wing' of Hezbullah from being declared a designated terror organization.
According to the officials,
Ireland – which holds the EU’s rotating presidency – was supported in this
position by Sweden and Finland at a working group on Tuesday that debated the
issue.
...
A spokesman at Ireland’s embassy in Tel Aviv,
when asked if his country was indeed spearheading opposition to the move, said
that a formal proposal to designate the “military wing” of Hezbollah had been
made by one member state “and is currently being considered within the relevant
working group known as CP931, which Ireland chairs as the current EU
president.”
The spokesman said that an initial discussion was held on
Tuesday, and that further discussions would be required to see whether the
working group “can arrive at an agreed position on the proposal.”
That
meeting, the spokesman said, was scheduled to take place within the next couple
of weeks.
He did not reveal Ireland’s stand on the
matter.
However, one Israeli government official who said Dublin was
leading the opposition charged that this position was “unusual,” given that
Germany, France and Spain – which all have large contingents in UNIFIL – now
back the move.
Media outside Israel have claimed that there are other countries trying to save Hezbullah's fundraising sources.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Austria was also
opposed, while Lebanon’s Daily Star reported that Italy was leading European
opposition.
The claim of Italian opposition was dismissed by Israeli
government officials as “unsubstantiated rumors.” A formal request to the
Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv for a response went unanswered.
The Europeans' total lack of courage is hair-raising. They cannot even agree to declare Hezbullah's
fake 'military wing' a terrorist organization. What could go wrong?
Labels: Bulgaria, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Hezbullah, Ireland, Italy, Sweden
Italy's new Mussolini thinks he's funny
Giulio Meotti reports that the leader of Italy's largest party in the most recent elections is a
Nazi-like anti-Semite.
This populist Europhobe got one fourth of the popular votes. He is
the idol of Italy's youth. He is the anti-corruption crusader. He is the
guru of the Internet.
But Beppe Grillo is also a demagogue with a virulent hatred for
Israel and the United States. And his popularity, despite his despicable
remarks, shows that the word "Jew" has become an accepted insult once
again in Europe's public square.
Mr. Grillo does not hesitate to say that “talk of Israel is a taboo,
as is talk of the euro. Just touch it, they will tell you that you are
racist and anti-Zionist”.
He declared that “all that in Europe we know about Israel and
Palestine, is filtered by an international agency called Memri. And
behind Memri, there is a former Mossad agent. I have the evidence: Ken Livingstone,
the former Mayor of London, has used Arabic texts with independent
translations and he discovered a completely different reality". Then he
goes on, alluding specifically to a 'Jewish conspiracy' and the need to
"check" all information on the Middle East.
Grillo also said that his Iranian father-in-law explained to him that
“the translations were not accurate …”, referring to Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad’s expressed desire to erase Israel from the map.
According to Grillo, Ahmadinejad’s regime is not like the one
described by the Western media: "Those who escape, are opposed to it.
But those who remained do not have the same concerns that we have
abroad. The economy there is okay, people work. It’s like South America:
before it was much worse. I have a cousin who builds highways in Iran".
On the executions ordered by Ahmadinejad: "One day I saw a person
hanged on a square of Isfahan. I was there. I asked: what is this
barbarity? But then I thought of the United States.
They too have the
death penalty: they put one on a diet, before killing him, because his
head is not shrinking. And then: what is more cruel?".
During a show, Mr. Grillo declared: "There is a saying that 'where
Attila has passed through, no grass will grow'. We can say 'where the
Israelis have passed, no Palestinian will grow''".
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Beppe Grillo, European anti-Semitism, Italy
Report: Zygier not the only Australian recruited by the Mossad
Germany's
Der Spiegel reports that
at least two other Australians were recruited by the Mossad around the same time as Ben Zygier.
There are no answers, but Zygier and two other Australian Jews who
also worked for the Milan firm were reported to have been successful
agents. "The nature of their business gave them access to military and
secret installations," said an Austrialian intelligence source.
Zygier's case provides insight into the methods of Mossad. It shows how the service recruits agents and masks operations.
As a young man, Zygier got involved with the "Community Security
Group" in Melbourne, a kind of Jewish citizens' defense league. These
groups often have links to Mossad and are instructed by agents. Ben
Zygier was probably recruited in this way. At around the same time, Paul
Y. and David Z. were recruited.
Australian Jews are particularly attractive to the Mossad because of a
quirk in the law: Australians are allowed to change their first and
last names once a year. It's a wonderful way to adopt a new identity.
After he completed his education, Zygier emigrated to Israel. Y. and
Z. also moved there. The three of them -- all holding Israeli and
Australian citizenship -- got jobs with the Milan-based firm. Back in
Australia, they applied for new names. Ben Zygier got the names Benjamin
Burrows and Benjamin Allen. Y. and Z. also changed their names at least
twice.
All three men visited Iran. One of them visited Syria, Egypt and Dubai. (Okay, I know other Israelis who have visited Dubai and I know many Israelis who have visited Egypt - including me in 1980). Zygier's two colleagues are said to be living in Israel.
I suspect that the company in Milan, which sold satellite communications equipment, was passing bad equipment to the Iranians (something about which there has been speculation in the media here). If so, they did it quite well.
I don't know why the Mossad arrested Ben Zygier, and I doubt anyone who does know is saying. The Mossad is not known for giving explanations. Nor should they be.
Labels: Australia, Iranian nuclear threat, Italy, Mossad
Report: Zygier gave Mossad secrets to Australian intelligence
A report from Australia's ABC television indicates that Mossad agent Ben Zygier was arrested in early 2010 because he
exposed a Mossad operation in Italy to Australian intelligence.
ABC, which originally broke the story of Zygier's suicide in an
Israeli jail under a fake name last week, reported Monday that Zygier
gave detailed information about various Mossad operations, including a
major operation in Italy, that had been planned over a period of several
years.
According to the report, Zygier had applied for a work visa to Italy on one of his trips back to Australia.
ABC emphasized that it was not clear whether Zygier or ASIO had initiated the contact.
It is likely that one or more investigations into Zygier's tenure with the Mossad, and into his arrest and suicide in the isolation area at Israel's Ayalon prison, will be opened.
Haaretz adds:
Zygier reportedly met a number of times with agents of the
Australian Secret Intelligence Organization and shared comprehensive
details with them about Mossad's operations abroad, including his own
work in Australia and a long-planned secret mission in Italy, according
to reporter Trevor Bormann who last week broke the story of the Prisoner X affair.
Bormann said it was not yet clear whether Zygier initiated contact with
the ASIO or was summoned for investigation. Reports from the last few
days indicate that Zygier was detained by the ASIO for a long period of
time while he was studying for his MBA at Monash University.
The ASIO's suspicions into Zygier reportedly began after he changed his
surname in his Australian passport four times. Since the beginning of
this affair, various conjectures have emerged suggesting that Zygier was
in fact a double agent for the Mossad and the ASIO.
Bormann's latest report claims that during Zygier's visit to Australia,
long before he was arrested in 2010, he submitted a request for a work
visa in Italy. According to the ABC report, Zygier – together with two
other Australian passport holders – set up a straw company in Italy to
trade communications equipment with Iran and several Arab states.
The Mossad discovered that Zygier was in contact with the ASIO and
worried that he would – or already had – exposed to them the existence
of the straw company in Italy.
Hmmm.
Labels: Australia, Australian television, Iranian nuclear threat, Italy, Mossad
Fiamma Nirenstein won't run for reelection, making aliya instead
Italian MP Fiamma Nirenstein isn't running for reelection.
She's making aliya to Israel instead.
You mentioned bipartisan relations here, but you really didn’t like a decision in particular that Monti made …“On
one side I can express satisfaction with the bipartisan works in the
committee on Anti-Semitism and on many other issues; nonetheless I was
deeply disappointed by Monti’s indication to vote for the Palestinian
non-member observer status at the UN”.
Why do you think he made such a decision?
“In the
prospective of a better relationship with the left. He believes, like
many others, that the pro-Arab ante might pay off. I am concerned that
should a new D’Alema be appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy
would once again plunge in a backward position, with a distorted view of
the issues of the Arab world and Israel”.
Any plans for the next future?
“I want to go back to Israel and take the citizenship. I have good reasons to do so. January 27thwill
be Holocaust Remembrance Day; nevertheless, widespread anti-Semitism
still persists across the world, Israel is the only really secure
homeland for the jews. Plus I also think that Israel is the only country
offering nowadays a cultivated and intelligent future, a country where
people lead a simpler and more naturallife, in solidarity, finding its
strengths in the love of the nation and a deep meaning of life”.
Welcome home Fiamma!
Labels: aliya, Fiamma Nirenstein, Italy
American yeshiva student brutally beaten by Muslims in Venice
The picture may be funny, but the story is not. An American yeshiva student was
brutally beaten in Venice on Tuesday by a Muslim-Arab gang. The student is in Venice to visit his family, which lives there.
The student was knocked unconscious on Tuesday when he strolled late
at night in the center of the city. A band of 15 Arab youth pounced on
him, dragged him into a dark corner and pummeled him, using sharp
weapons.
The student lost consciousness, and the attackers fled when a passerby spotted them and called police and medics.
The police are investigating, but have but have not caught the attackers.
The Milan-based Center for Jewish Documentation's Observatory on
Anti-Jewish Prejudice reported last month that the number of
anti-Semitic episodes in the country soared last year.
The incidents ranged from street insults and swastika graffiti to physical aggression.
''We observed approximately 70 cases so far this year, most of them
graffiti and online attacks, over 40% more than last year,'' said
Observatory researcher Stefano Gatti. ''The boom might be due partly to
more efficient data-gathering, but the episodes have undeniably
increased,” he added.
Gatti also pointed out that Italian pundits and politicians ''such as
Silvio Berlusconi, Beppe Grillo or Piergiorgio Odifreddi'' are now
writing discriminatory posts and telling racist jokes. ''Making certain
issues seem normal, even funny, is one of the root causes of the rise in
anti-Semitic episodes in Italy,'' Gatti said.
Such incidents are
allegedly rare in Venice.
An individual at the Chabad House in Venice who did not wish to be named
told The Algemeiner that the student was recovering and that such
incidents were rare in Venice. The source also indicated how the Jewish
community would respond. “We will answer evil with kindness,” the source
said.
Of course, Chabad of Venice
might have an interest in Jewish tourists continuing to come there.... Just sayin'....
Israel's chief rabbis have responded by calling on the European Union to establish a commission to
investigate anti-Semitism in Europe.
“Since [the March 2011] Toulouse massacre we
often hear of violent attacks against Jews. They are testament to an
underlying problem that requires examination and a solution,” Chief
rabbis Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar wrote in a letter to EU President
Herman van Rompuy.
Last year, French-Algerian Mohammed Merah
gunned down a rabbi and three children outside a Jewish school in the
southern French city of Toulouse. He died after a prolonged standoff
with French police.
In September, in a Rosh Hashanah greeting, the
president of the European Commission warned of a rise in racism and
anti-Semitism in Europe.
“At a very difficult time, both economically
and socially, when some people, even within Europe, are tempted to
reconnect with old demons — populism, racism and anti-Semitism — we need
more than ever to uphold, to protect and to promote together our common
ideals of peace, tolerance, reconciliation and respect for human
dignity,” Jose Manuel Barroso wrote in a message sent to the European
Jewish Congress.
The ADL reported last March that anti-Semitism
in Europe is at “disturbingly high levels,” with an average of nearly
one-third of those surveyed across 10 countries holding “pernicious
anti-Semitic beliefs.”
The study found large swaths of the population
subscribing to classical anti-Semitic notions such as Jews having too
much power in business, being more loyal to Israel than their own
country, or “talking too much” about what happened during the Holocaust.
Investigate and do what about it? Given that Europe is being
overrun by Islam, do we really need an investigation to tell us that Europe is becoming more anti-Semitic?
And to think that Venice is one of the few places in the world to which Mrs. Carl has admitted she would like me to take her....
Labels: anti-Semitism, Arab anti-Semitism, Chabad House, Eurabia, Italy, Muslim anti-Semitism, Muslims in Venice, Silvio Berlusconi
Busted! Italians stop Gaza arms shipment based on tip from Israel
Why is the theme from
Love Boat (which I cannot listen to right now because I don't listen to music this year) going through my head?
Italian authorities raided a shipment of weapons that was headed for Egypt over the weekend. The shipment's ultimate destination was likely
Gaza and Hamas.
A shipment of weapons bound
for Egypt has been intercepted by Italian authorities in the port of
Naples, the Italian news agency ANSA reported on Saturday.
The report, confirmed by Italian police, said
that the operation to seize the weapons was based on information Italy
received from Israel.
One Egyptian national was taken into custody by Italian police, according to the report.
The shipment in question reportedly included five containers, one of which held a rocket launcher.
The five containers are being examined in an area of the port cordoned off by Italian security forces.
Still dreaming about taking Mrs. Carl on the Love Boat.... Not this year I'm afraid....
Labels: Italy, weapons smuggling
100 Italian MP's sign petition against government's vote for 'Palestine'
100 Italian members of parliament have signed a petition against their own government's vote in favor of 'Palestine' at the United Nations General Assembly last week. This story came to me by email from Italian MP Fiamma Nirenstein (pictured above).
Statement by Hon Fiamma Nirenstein,
Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs
Committee
"To my
satisfaction, a staunch opposition against the Government’s decision to vote on
November 29th for the
unilateral recognition of a Palestinian non-member state has been translated
into political value by one hundred signatures of PDL Members of Parliament.
This open letter, whose first subscriber is Fabrizio Cicchitto, Chamber PDL
group leader, harshly criticizes both methods and contents of the government’s
choice” explains Nirenstein. “First of all, regarding the methods: the political
stance of the Parliament that the current government ought to represent has not
only been totally disregarded, but actually overturned. Secondly, the avail to
the Palestinian rejection to relate with Israel, hence to recognize it as a
Jewish State, is fully inconsistent with the Italian position which promotes the
peace process through negotiations. The government choice dismantles
negotiations, falling in line with one of the usual automatic decisions of the
United Nations, which never miss a chance to delegitimize
Israel.”
Rome,
December 7th, 2012
Hmmm.
Labels: Fiamma Nirenstein, Italy, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, United Nations General Assembly
Catharsis, but nothing more
Israel's cabinet
unanimously passed a resolution on Sunday rejecting Thursday's events at the United Nations and the declaration of a 'state' of 'Palestine.'
"The Jewish people have natural,
historical and legal rights to its homeland with its eternal capital
Jerusalem," the resolution stated. "The State of Israel as the state of
the Jewish people has rights and claims to areas are under dispute in
the land of Israel."
The cabinet decision says that the UN
resolution does not change the status of disputed areas and does not
detract in any way from Israel and the Jewish people's right to those
areas.
Furthermore the resolution said that the UN resolution will not be a basis for future negotiations.
There's been a lot of surprise in the media, especially abroad at the vehemence of the Israeli reaction to the General Assembly decision on Thursday. For the last couple of weeks, we've been seeing stories that Israel would not go ballistic over the resolution passing and that it would not take what the 'international community' sees as 'drastic' steps against the 'Palestinians.' Now, we're seeing that Israel is taking - or at least saying that it will take - some pretty harsh steps.
The answer to that lies in the Europeans. It was a foregone conclusion that the resolution would pass because the 'Palestinians' have an automatic majority in the United Nations. What was unexpected was that the only country in Europe to vote with us would be the Czech Republic. If England, Germany, Italy and France had voted with us (and not just abstained as the first three did), I don't think we'd be seeing quite as strong a reaction. At this point, the government is trying to make sure that there will never ever be another vote like this.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, England, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, United Nations General Assembly
British woman, Moroccan man tried to blow up synagogue
A 40-year old British woman and a 20-year old Moroccan man were arrested in England and Italy, respectively, and charged with
plotting to blow up a famous Milan synagogue (Hat Tip:
Memeorandum).
The 40-year-old woman, who has not been named, was held in a dawn raid by officers from Scotland Yard and at the same time Italian police arrested Mohamed Jarmoune, 20, following months of undercover detective work that involved monitoring a secret Facebook account.
Metal worker Jarmoune was held at his home in Brescia, northern Italy and video footage released by police showed officers with sniffer dogs carrying out an extensive search of his apartment and he was also shown being led away.
Officers took away several items including his computer as well as several Nazi flags that were found in the apartment, which was in the centre of city and which has been the scene of several anti terror investigations in the past.
Tonight he was being held on suspicion of plotting an attack on the Jewish synagogue in Milan with the use of information that he had downloaded from the internet and police revealed he had images of the building stored on the hard drive of his computer.
He had detailed security measures for the synagogue and a pencil diagram appeared to show a series of four gas canisters connected to a battery, which was also linked to a mobile telephone, while other images showed the preparation of explosives.
...
Anti terror officers in Brescia also said that they had intercepted messages on various Islamic extremist websites and discussion boards, from Jarmoune in which he spoke of carrying out a 'jihad mission'.
Although the woman's role in this story is unclear to me, it sounds like there's a whole lot about the man (who is pictured in the article) that they are not telling us.
Unfortunately, it's probably just a matter of time before a Jewish target is attacked in Europe. There's way too much hostility to us there.
Labels: Eurabia, Islamic terrorism, Italy
Take that Turkey!
Take that Turkey! Within the next month, the
Greek and Italian air forces will be here in Israel for a joint exercise with the IAF (Hat Tip:
Joshua I).
Last year, the IAF was in Greece for joint exercises, and a security official said on Thursday that the reciprocal visit from Greece is very significant.
In addition the IAF will host the Italian Air Force next month for a training session at the Uvda Airport in the Negev. This will be the second time that the Italian air force will train in Israel.
“The Israeli Air Force sees the Italian and Greek air forces’ visits as a step up in strategic cooperation,” a security source said on Thursday.
The announcement on the joint exercises with Italy and Greece came one day after an IAF delegation returned from Sardinia following a week-long joint training exercise with the Italian Air Force.
The delegation included pilots from the “Knights of the North” and “First Jet” squadrons operating the F-16C air superiority fighter, along with pilots from the "Valley" squadron, who operate the F-16D.
The fighter pilots were accompanied by a crew from the “Dakota” control squadron, flying a Gulfstream 5 G-550 radar plane.
The Italian Air Force used its advanced “Eurofighter Typhoon” fighters during the exercise, in which two Israeli pilots were granted exclusive backseat rides.
The exercises, planned months ago, concluded amid a storm of speculation from Israel’s media that leaders in Jerusalem are planning a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The stated goals of the joint exercises were to strengthen ties with the Italian Air Force, learn from NATO's combat doctrine, and practice combat abilities in unknown, vast lands and to leave a positive impression for both sides. A similar exercise took place last year.
Who says we're isolated?
Labels: Greece, IAF, Italy, Turkey
How Italy sold out its Jews
No, this is not about Italian collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. Giulio Meotti documents how the Italian government has collaborated with the 'Palestinians' since the 1970's.
In Rome’s “ghetto”, the Jewish quarter, the memory is still fresh of an attack on the synagogue in October 1982, when Palestinians threw grenades and opened fire on worshippers.
It was Sheminì Azeret, the day after Sukkot, and the synagogue was full of children. A 3-year-old boy, Stefano Gay Tachè, became the first Jewish victim in Italy since 1945, when most of Rome’s Jews were burned in Auschwitz’s crematoriums.
The Jewish community distributed a placard in the ghetto, blaming the attack on “the Italian politicians who flirted with Yasser Arafat”, “the newspapers which compared Zionism to Nazism” and “the labour unions which threatened to ‘burn the Zionist dens’”.
A few days ago, the president of the Jewish community, Riccardo Pacifici, attacked the Italian authorities: “Why did the Italian government never insisted on the extradition of the terrorist? Why didn'the Italian police patrol the synagogue that day?”.
The Jewish building was mysteriously left unprotected the day of the attack. The brother of the victim, Gadiel Taché, now says that “Italy has drawn a veil of embarassed silence on the massacre” and his father, Joseph Taché, declares that “the story of the attack has been buried under sand”.
Now that Muammar Qaddafi (who protected Abu Nidal’ terrorist group responsible for the massacre) has been killed in Lybia, many voices are asking Silvio Berlusconi’s government to reveal the secrets of the Italian appeasement to anti-Jewish terrorism and to proceed with the extradition of Abdel Al Zomar, the only terrorist convicted for the attack who is living as a free citizen in Tripoli.
“We must reopen the investigation”, says the mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno.
As some of you may recall, 'Palestinian' terrorists were allowed to roam freely in Italy in the 1970's and 1980's.
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Italy, Muammar Gaddafi, Palestinian terrorism
Why Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador from Syria
In an earlier post, I reported that Saudi Arabia has
withdrawn its ambassador from Syria. Brian Whitaker makes a good point about the
Saudis' motivation.
These are the strongest comments made so far by any Arab leader, and on that basis we should probably welcome them – especially if they encourage other countries in the region to take a stand. But, as one Twitter user noted, the king's denunciation of the Assad regime does make him sound a bit like Al Capone condemning the Kray twins.
Back home, King Abdullah has shown no inclination towards the "quick and comprehensive reforms" that he is now urging upon Syria; Saudi Arabia has nothing to teach Syria about democracy, and protest demonstrations in the kingdom are totally banned. So the king's message to Syria betrays more than a little irony.
Perhaps more troubling, though, is the negative role that Saudi Arabia has been playing during the "Arab spring" – a role that now it seems to be extending to include Syria.
...
Which brings us to Syria and the question of Saudi intentions there. King Abdullah's call for swift reform and an end to the killings is unlikely to be heeded, but perhaps it is not meant to be. Perhaps it's meant to do nothing more than distance Saudi Arabia from the Assad regime, in preparation for its fall.
Saudi Arabia has no interest in promoting democracy or human rights in Syria; it does have an interest in promoting Sunni Muslim influence and combating Shia influence (as embodied at the international level by Iran). Considering the Assad regime's ties with Iran, this suggests a motive for Saudi Arabia to become involved now – in the hope of driving a wedge between Iran and a post-Assad Syria.
Sounds right to me.
But it's still more than any western country other than Italy has done thus far.
Labels: Iran, Italy, our friends the Saudis, Syrian uprising
Czech Republic, Italy and the Netherlands pull out of Durban III
On Friday, the Czech Republic announced that it is
pulling out of the Durban III conference, which is scheduled to take place in New York on September 22.
The Czech Republic’s move comes three days after U.N. negotiators quietly circulated a draft of the final declaration that will be adopted at the conclusion of Durban III. Although the writing had been on the wall for a very long time, the alarm bells could no longer be ignored. The “political declaration” focuses particularly on what it calls “victims of racism.” And the Durban Declaration emanating from South Africa names only one state victimizer – Israel. The Palestinian people are listed as victims of racism.
The Zionism-is-racism mantra, the Durban formula being its most recent incarnation, has been circulating around the U.N. for decades. It is the cornerstone of the effort to delegitimize the Jewish state and invoke lethal politics when other weaponry falls short. These days, the campaign is headquartered in a working group of the U.N. General Assembly that is tasked with squaring the circle: reaffirming the contemptible message of the Durban Declaration under a veil of human rights gibberish.
The Czech Republic’s diplomats, however, can read. The current draft of the final declaration for Durban III says that the U.N. must “incorporate the implementation of the Durban Declaration into the human rights mainstreaming in the UN system” and demands an intensification of “efforts at the local, national, regional and international levels aimed at the full and effective implementation” of instruments like the Durban Declaration and beyond.
And there’s more. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation managed to insert a demand for “cultural diversity, solidarity and harmony.” That’s the typical U.N. prescription for stifling free speech—avoiding any action to stop Syrian butchers, for example—and generally keeping criticism of Islamic anti-human rights predilections off the table.
The countries from the so-called non-aligned movement, which comprises 115 developing countries, have also incorporated into the political declaration a claim that “poverty,” “underdevelopment,” and “economic disparities” are “closely associated with racism and racial discrimination.” That’s a familiar form of extortion that starts by labeling donor countries racists.
The Czech Republic rightly decided they’d had enough. The next round of "negotiations," at which Western states are dressed-down and manipulated by the racism charge coming from the Islamic world and others, will be held at U.N. headquarters on July 28.
Read the whole thing.
Norway, where a double terror attack took place on Friday, is among the leaders of the Durban III conference.
On Saturday, the Netherlands and Italy announced their withdrawal. The Netherlands had already warned previously that it would not participate unless the final declaration disavowed the condemnation of Israel in the original Durban conference. Obviously, that's not going to happen.
I received this by email.
Italy and The Netherlands announced over the weekend that they will not take part in the notorious United Nations Durban III meeting scheduled for September 22, 2011 in New York City.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini pointed out that “The [Durban] Process has been transformed … into a tribunal for accusations against Israel.”
As the main reason for boycotting Durban III the Italian foreign minister pointed to the anti-Israel elements of the Durban Declaration and its progeny. In the past few days, UN negotiators - who are currently drafting a final political declaration for Durban III - signalled rejection of Czech, Italian and Dutch proposals to denounce the anti-Israel portions of the original Durban Declaration. The Italians had asked that Durban III “explicitly recognize that past references, in the context of the Durban Process, to the specific situation of the Middle East are not part of the international commitment against racial discrimination.”
According to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands, Italy and the Czech Republic all wanted to include in Durban III a statement that "all participating states emphatically distance themselves from the linking of subjects that have nothing to do with the fight against racism." Their request was ignored by conference organizers, who are largely being driven by Arab and Islamist states, as well as South Africa and UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay, herself a native of Durban.
The real question is why the United States is allowing this conference to take place on American soil. Oh, I forgot. The US has a President whose middle name is Hussein who insists on pandering to Muslims. Yes, I know that the US is not participating in the conference. It's 13 and a half months before the Presidential election.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Czech Republic, Durban III, Holland, Italy
It's the economy, stupid!
Caroline Glick finishes off a description of the impending
collapse of much of the world economy with this:
DUE TO the economic policies implemented by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu since his first tenure as prime minister in 1996, in the face of this economic disaster, Israel is likely to find itself in the unlikely position of standing along China and India as among the only stable, growing economies in the world. Israel's banking sector is largely unexposed to European debt. Israel's gross external debt is 44 percent of GDP. This compares well not only to European debt levels of well over 100 percent of GDP but to the US debt level which stands at 98 percent of GDP.
Assuming the government does not bend to populist pressure and take economically hazardous steps like reducing the work week to four days, Israel's economy is likely to remain one of the country's most valuable strategic assets. Just as economic prosperity allowed Israel to absorb the cost of the Second Lebanon War with barely a hiccup, so Israel's continued economic growth will play a key role in protecting it from the economically induced political upheavals likely to ensue throughout much of the Arab world and Europe.
Aside from remaining economically responsible, as Israel approaches the coming storms it is important for it to act with utmost caution politically. It must adopt policies that provide it with the most maneuver room and the greatest deterrent force.
First and foremost, this means that it is imperative that Israel not commit itself to any agreements with any Arab regime. In 1977 the Camp David Agreement with then Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in which Israel surrendered the strategically invaluable Sinai for a peace treaty seemed like a reasonable gamble. In 2011, a similar agreement with Assad or with the Palestinian Authority, (whose budget is largely financed from international aid), would be the height of strategic insanity.
...
So too, with the US's weak economy, Obama's Muslim Brotherhood friendly foreign policy, and Europe's history of responding to economic hardship with xenophobia, Israel's need to develop the means of militarily defending itself from a cascade of emerging threats becomes all the more apparent.
The economic storms may pass by Israel. But the political tempests they unleash will reach us. To emerge safely from what is coming, Israel needs to hunker down and prepare for the worst.
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Arab spring, Barack Hussein Obama, economy, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Tunisia
Hamas condemns Ramallah fashion show
Hamas has condemned a
fashion show that was held at Ramallah's Movenpick hotel over the weekend to showcase the work of Jamal Taslaq, an Italian designer of 'Palestinian' descent.
The Italian women who participated in the show wore clothes that combined modern designs with Palestinian heritage, including the colors of the Palestinian flag.
The show was sponsored by the Italian Consulate-General and the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Culture.
Hamas representatives reacted with outrage to the event, dubbing it “immoral and corrupt.”
Yunis al-Astal, a Hamas legislator from the Gaza Strip, lashed out at the PA leadership in Ramallah, accusing it of corrupting young men and women by holding such fashion shows and beauty contests and licensing casinos and night clubs.
“These acts are aimed at normalizing ties with the occupation,” al-Astal said. “This is a new crime that will be added to the many crimes of the Palestinian Authority against its people.”
Sheikh Hamed Bitawi, a prominent Hamas figure in the West Bank, said that the fashion show was in violation of Islam and the interests of the Palestinians.
He added that the show was “harmful” to the Palestinians because it presented to the world a people living in comfort and with time to organize fashion shows. He too accused the PA leadership of spreading “corruption” among Palestinians.
Israel had nothing to do with the fashion show.
Labels: fashion show, Hamas, Italy, Jamal Taslaq, Movenpick hotel, Palestinian Authority, Ramallah
