Israel Behind the News

Dr. Arnon Groiss* has prepared the following working document which summarizes the Anti Semitic motifs that have been used in the PA Schoolbooks used in UNRWA schools , ever since the new school books were introduced to UNRWA by the PA in September, 2000.

The following are references to Jews, Israel and to the perceived solution of the present conflict in Palestinian Authority schoolbooks currently used in UNRWA schools in the West Bank (including few schools in East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. This is an initial list, to be followed soon by a more detailed one, with the fully scanned material.

De-legitimization of Jewish presence the country in both past and present
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By David Bedein, Israel Behind the News

UNRWA, the United Nations Relief Works Agency administers refugee facilities for five million descendants of Arab refugees of the 1948 war. More than 1,200,000 of these refugee descendants dwell in UNRWA facilities in Gaza, where they have wallowed in “temporary” Gaza refugee camps for 66 years,while UNRWA focuses its energy on the right of Arab refugees to liberate Arab villages which have since been replaced by Israel.

Following the Israel-Gaza summer war, UNRWA has asked the Gaza donors conference for 1.6 billion dollars to rebuild their refugee facilitates in Gaza.

Donors may wish to predicate assistance to UNRWA on 4 reasonable conditions:
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This article focuses more on the problem than on the solution. Basicly it recognizes that sooner or later, ISIS will directly threaten Israel and it is in Israel’s interest to impede their progress. But the only suggestion the author makes is that Israel shouldn’t interfere with Assads efforts to do so. Big deal. Ted Belman

INSS Insight No. 616, October 15, 2014

Gabi Siboni

[..]
New strategic insights should form on the basis of the possibility that the risk inherent in radical Sunni jihadist organizations will sooner or later be turned against Israel. Israel is liable to find itself having to cope with ISIS and allied factions just across the country’s borders, such as in the Sinai Peninsula, Jordan, and the Syrian Golan Heights. Early worrisome signs of the effect of ISIS’s militant message have already been detected in the West Bank and even within Israel proper. Therefore, Israel must update its conceptual, intelligence, military, and political thinking so as to map the threat and identify a suitable response to the developing regional reality.
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, JEWISH POLICY CENTRE

War on ISIS
Despite daily American airstrikes, ISIS forces have made stunning advances, encircling the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Kobani along the Turkish border and conquering several Iraq military bases on the road to Baghdad. U.S. forces have been using Apache attack helicopters to hit ISIS targets, highlighting the American combat role. Meanwhile, French, British, and Australian warplanes have now conducted airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and Spain announced it would send 300 soldiers to help train the Iraqi Army.
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For the first time since Hamas’s takeover seven years ago, Israel allows export of produce to the West Bank

BY ELHANAN MILLER, TOI

In a dramatic but undeclared change of direction in its policy toward the Gaza Strip, Israel is significantly easing restrictions on the movement of commodities and people in and out of the Hamas-controlled territory following Operation Protective Edge.

For the first time since the Islamist movement took control of the coastal enclave in the summer of 2007, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the IDF branch responsible for civil Palestinian affairs, is allowing Gazan agriculturists and fishermen to market their produce in the West Bank. In another first, Israel is allowing thousands of tons of building materials to enter Gaza for reconstruction projects to be managed by private contractors. Previously, only the UN was allowed to import such materials.
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By Caroline Glick, JPOST

The outcome of the donor conference for Gaza reconstruction that was held in Cairo on Sunday was not surprising.

Representatives of 50 countries convened to pledge funds to Hamas and the PLO. The Palestinians had hoped to receive $4 billion in pledges. They raised $5.4b.

Most of the money will be transferred to the PLO-controlled Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas. But at least $1b. will go directly to Hamas, from its primary financier, Qatar.

With its $1b. Hamas will be able to pay its terrorist operatives and rebuild its terrorist forces.
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By Victor Davis Hanson, NRO

Obama’s unfortunate Middle East legacy was predicated on six flawed assumptions:

(1) a special relationship with Turkey;
(2) distancing the U.S. from Israel;
(3) empathy for Islamist governments as exemplified by the MB in Egypt;
(4) a sort of non-aggression agreement with Iran;
(5) expecting his own multicultural fides to resonate in the region;
(6) pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Let us examine what has followed.

Obama’s special relationship with Recep Erdogan proved disastrous from the get-go, as Erdogan immediately began to provoke Israel and promote Islamist revolutionaries. Turkey today not only dislikes the U.S., but also poses an existential problem for the West. It is a NATO member that is antithetical to everything NATO stands for: the protection of human rights and constitutional government against the onslaught of aggressive totalitarian regimes. Turkey is now operating like the old Soviet Union in using murderous proxies to enhance its own stature; for example, it finds ISIS useful in whittling down the Kurds. As a rule of thumb, any enemy of Erdogan’s Turkey — Israel, the Kurds, Greek Cyprus, Greece, Egypt — is likely to be far more friendly to the U.S. and NATO than are other nations in the region. If Turkey were attacked by ISIS, Syria, Iran, or the Kurds, would Belgium or Greece send in its youth under NATO’s Article V?
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By Ted Belman

This treaty, Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, was signed at the International Conference of American States in Montevideo, Uruguay on December 26, 1933. It entered into force on December 26, 1934. The treaty discusses the definition and rights of statehood.

Article I provides:

The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: a ) a permanent population; b ) a defined territory; c ) government; and d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.

Palestine doesn’t qualify as it doesn’t have a “defined territory.” nor does it have “the capacity to enter into relations with other states” due to the Oslo Accords.

A year ago Rene Louis Beres, a professor of political science and international law at Purdue University,  wrote Creeping toward Palestinian statehood said “U.N. nonmember observer status was only the beginning.”
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by Michel Gurfinkiel, PJ Media
October 10, 2014

http://www.meforum.org/4851/red-green-sweden-recognizes-palestine-as-state

It would be farfetched to expect most political leaders to be thoroughly knowledgeable of the issues they deal with, especially when it comes to international affairs; or to expect them to be particularly rational and ethical. Still, the new Swedish cabinet’s decision to recognize “Palestine” as a state must be singled out for its nastiness and nuttiness.

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, who leads a minority “Red-Green” coalition of social democrats and greens, explained the move in the following terms:

The conflict between Israel and Palestine can only be solved with a two-state solution, negotiated in accordance with international law. A two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to peaceful co-existence. Sweden will therefore recognize the state of Palestine.

Sweden is a member of the European Union, and members are supposed to coordinate their diplomatic moves, especially on such touchy matters as the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli conflict. So far, the EU has not made any common decision about recognizing Palestine as a state. Sweden’s Red-Greens do not seem to be aware of such niceties.
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The motion was “”This House believes that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution.” Not only is it non binding, it said nothing. It didn’t say what the borders are or when Palestine should be recognized

JPOST

Britain’s House of Commons overwhelmingly approved the initial stage of the UK recognition of a Palestinian State, voting 274-12 in favor of the symbolic motion.

The British House of Commons voted in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state late Monday in a move that will not alter the government’s stance on the issue, but that carries symbolic value for Palestinians in their pursuit of statehood.

Lawmakers in Britain’s lower house of parliament voted by 274 to 12 to pass a non-binding motion stating: “That this House believes that the Government should recognize the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution.”
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by Efraim Inbar,   Middle East Quarterly
Fall 2014 (view PDF)

http://www.meforum.org/4804/israel-challenges-in-the-eastern-mediterranean

See also: Kurdish Rebels Assail Turkish Inaction on ISIS as Peril to Peace Talks

Al Monitor

On Oct. 10, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura warned that if Islamic State (IS) forces take Ayn al-Arab (also known as Kobani), 12,000 Syrian Kurdish civilians trapped by the fighting will “most likely be massacred.”

The UN envoy appealed to Turkey to “allow the flow of volunteers at least and their own equipment to be able to enter the city and contribute to a self-defense operation. And if they can, to support the deterrent actions of the [coalition] through whatever means from their own territory.”

Despite de Mistura’s appeal, and following two days of meetings between John Allen, the US special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter the Islamic State (IS), and Brett McGurk, deputy assistant secretary of state, with Turkish officials in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered no steps to assist Syrian Kurds in Kobani and has — probably maddeningly for US military planners — yet to approve US use of the Incirlik air base for airstrikes against IS.

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By Daniel Greenfield

“We’re liberals! We’re liberals. We’re not crazy tea-baggers,” Bill Maher protested after his televised argument with Ben Affleck about Islam.

“We are not bigoted people. On the contrary, we’re trying to stand up for the principles of  liberalism!” Maher added. “I think we’re just saying we need to identify illiberalism wherever we find it in the world, and not forgive it because it comes from [a group] people perceive as a minority.”

But despite Maher’s protests, the majority of liberals would agree with Affleck that criticizing Islam is racist. Liberals claim that the Islamic State is Un-Islamic. It would be more accurate to state that liberals are illiberal. Liberalism, even the form that was in common usage not too long ago, is as dead as Lenin.

Ben Affleck isn’t a liberal. He’s an enthusiast of revisionist Communist historian Howard Zinn. The modern liberal of today is uninterested in identifying “illiberalism” since he is an illiberal man of the left. The most significant difference between the two is not simply political, but psychological. Liberals used to think about issues. Leftists respond to ideological cues while operating on a purely tribal wavelength.
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By Tova Lazaroff, JPOST

Some 363 Israeli left-wing public figures including former Knesset members called on the British Parliament to recognize the state of Palestine when it debates the matter in London on Monday.

They signed a letter which stated: ”We, Israelis who worry and care for the well-being of the state of Israel, believe that the long-term existence and security of Israel depends on the long-term existence and security of a Palestinian state.”

The document continued, “For this reason we, the undersigned, urge members of the UK Parliament to vote in favor of the motion to be debated on Monday 13th October 2014, calling on the British Government to recognize the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.”
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Large police force surprises Muslim rioters who tried unsuccessfully to prevent them from locking them in Al Aqsa.

By Yoni Kempinski, INN

The Jerusalem Police stormed the Temple Mount Monday morning and locked Arab rioters inside the Al Aqsa Mosque.

The police had gathered intelligence about Arab youths who had spent the night at the Temple Mount compound. The youths had collected rocks and fireworks and prepared firebombs, which they stored inside the Al Aqsa Mosque in order to use them against police and interfere with non-Muslim visits to the Mount.

In addition, they created obstacles to prevent the closing of the last open door into Al Aqsa. These included shoe cabinets that were nailed onto the mosque doors, iron bars, wooden planks and a barbed wire fence, also connected to the doors to prevent them from closing.
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I am also critical of Bibi’s inaction. He prefers defense to Offense. So he bobs and weaves, hoping to avoid a punch. Meanwhile the boxing ring is getting smaller. The international community is moving in for the kill. One way or another it is determined to force Israel back to the ’67 lines. Instead of paying lip service to the two states for two peoples formulization, he should be asserting, at a minimum, that Israel will never accept ’67 lines as her borders even with swaps. Instead she is silent on this issue and silence implies acceptance. Instead Israel makes the only issue our security. By doing so she is in effect saying Israel has no land claims. This must change. Ted Belman

By Aviade Kleinberg, YNET

The Netanyahu government is committing the sin of omission.

The intellectual laziness and the cowardice can sometimes be beneficial, as we learned in the recent war: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is always scared of doing, mostly wanted to get out of the situation he got entangled in and was praised for his moderation and maturity.

But Netanyahu is neither mature nor moderate. He is a coward. He was terrified by the fact that he suddenly got carried away in doing something. He rushed to give up on his fiery principles in order to return to his favorite pattern of action: Vigorously calling on others to take immediate and firm action while marking time through inaction, indecision and a failure to take responsibility.
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Israeli security source reveals transfer of Gaza crossings to PA will actually help Hamas attack Israel and build terror tunnels.

By Ari Yashar, INN

As international donors led by Qatar pledged $5.4 billion to Gaza on Sunday in Cairo, and Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces are posed to takecontrol of Gaza’s border crossings, Israeli security sources expressed concern that the new realities will only help Hamas commit more terror on Israel.

Israel is closely following discussions on how PA forces are to be posted at the Rafah, Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings.

A senior security source told Walla! the way authority is transferred to the PA from Hamas may pave the way not only for corruption, bribery and bureaucracy that may slow the crossings – but also for renewed terror tunnel attacks by Hamas, as it will no longer be held responsible for the crossings or keeping the quiet.

“Hamas is setting in motion a sophisticated process,” said the source. “It is raising a ‘people’s army’ of youth aged 15 and up, so as to distance criticism on its military arm, on which it will never give up.”
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Qatar pledged $1B so that they could greatly influence proceedings and protect Hamas. Whether they actually advance the money is another storey. It is noteworthy that no one attributes the destruction to Hamas’ policy of “resistance”. They are not blamed for anything. UN Chief Says ‘Occupation’ is to Blame for Gaza War.

“We must not lose sight of the root causes of the recent hostilities: A restrictive occupation that has lasted almost half a century, the continued denial of Palestinian rights and the lack of tangible progress in peace negotiations,” “I call on all parties to come together to chart a clear course toward a just and final peace. “Going back to the status quo is not an option; this is the moment for transformational change.”

Since only part of the money is for reconstruction, I believe that the balance is for projects in Judea and samaria that would promote the “peace process”. It may be that the reconstruction has been linked to achieving results in the peace process. The noose is tightening around Israel’s neck. Ted Belman

Only half of funds would be ‘dedicated’ to reconstruction; Egypt’s Sissi urges Israel: Now is the time to end the conflict. UN chief to visit Gaza on Tuesday.

By Jack Khoury and News Agencies, HAARETZ

A donor conference in Cairo to raise money to aid the Gaza Strip after this year’s war between Hamas and Israel ended with pledges of $5.4 billion, Norway’s foreign minister said Sunday.
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By Ofir Haivry, COMMENTARY

The old Middle-Eastern order has collapsed. Like a glacier that has been undermined gradually by hidden trickles from within and then subjected to a final spring thaw, it has come crashing down. The ongoing Arab uprisings that began in late 2010 have unseated or threaten to unseat every Muslim government in the region. Swirling conflicts have replaced former arrangements, and, from afar, these conflicts look like a shapeless free-for-all. But beneath the chaos, patterns are forming among regional players who are working to come out on top once things settle down.

The new Middle East is being built on the rubble of the old dispensation, but it is vastly different from it. For generations, there was an “Arab World” stretching from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Regardless of its internal rivalries and rifts, it shared a consensus about the identity of the region as Arab (and mostly Sunni Muslim) and tended toward autocratic and dynastic government. Non-Arab countries in the region, such as Turkey, Iran, and Israel, were deemed alien to this identity and for the most part were sidelined politically.
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