Archive for the 'Israel' Category

PA Daily: Mass Murderer is a Martyr

Published by
tieki rae
at March 9, 2008 in Israel, palestinians and terrorism. 1 Comment

From Jihad Watch,

Official Fatah newspaper:  jihadist who murdered students a “martyr”

Remember: Fatah is the moderate group, that sincerely wants peace with Israel. Fatah wants peace, this I know, for George and Condi tell me so. And remember: Islam is a religion of peace — George and Condi told us that also, and no number of stories like this will ever convince them otherwise. Celebrate a mass murderer as a martyr? Never! What are you, some kind of Islamophobe?

Nor is this a partisan matter either, of course. Everyone, just everyone, knows Islam is a religion of peace. Except, unfortunately, the glorious mujahedin and their allies who celebrate their heroic deeds in gunning down high school students.

Robert Spencer links to a story from Israel National News.  It is well worth the read — that is, if you’re curious about the US government giving foreign aid to regimes which support terror.

BBC: Palestinian “Radical Founder” Dies

Published by
tieki rae
at January 26, 2008 in Israel and palestinians. 2 Comments

In their “reporting” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the BBC is not exactly known for exhibiting the least biased journalism. That said, I am still shocked and disgusted every time they refer to a barbaric Palestinian terrorist as a “radical founder” instead of a cold-blooded murderer.

 

Palestinian radical founder dies

George Habash

George Habash supported violence against Israel

The founder of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), George Habash, has died in Jordan, associates say. Habash died of a heart attack, one of his former colleagues said. He was around 80 years old.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called three days of national mourning.

George Habash was the founder of the notorious Palestinian terrorist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. You might ask, what is the PFLP’s biggest achievement in the movement to liberate those innocent Palestinians from the evil Jews? Hijacking planes.

Habash is essentially the inventor of the terrorist method that killed thousands of Americans on September 11, 2001.

Great job, BBC.

Among the accolades of the late Palestinian leader:

Throughout his life Habash supported the use of violence against Israel.

One of the most deadly PFLP attacks was the gunning down of 27 people at Israel’s Lod airport in May 1972.

Forty-seven people were killed when a Swissair jet was bombed in 1970.

Question: What does it say about the so-called “moderate” Palestinian President Abbas when he calls for three days of mourning for such an evil man?

I believe Israel has always had the right answer. There is no partner for peace.

Goldwasser vs. Ahmadinejad

Published by
tieki rae
at September 27, 2007 in Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev, Gilad Shalit, Hamas, Hizbollah, Iran, Israel, ahmadinejad and media bias. 4 Comments

From YNet:  Goldwasser recounts confrontation with Ahmadinejad

Goldwasser managed to enter Ahmadinejad’s press conference at the United Nations building in New York on Tuesday, and told Ynet that the she was surprised by the treatment the Iranian leader received upon his arrival.”He came in and started to smile at everyone. The reporters gave him great respect… As he walked by me he said hi to me, because he still didn’t know who I was. He thought I was one of the supporting journalists, and that he was walking into a place where everyone loved him. He seemed very pleased,” Goldwasser recounted.

Goldwasser said she was not afraid to present the president with her question, and asked him, “Hello, my name is Karnit, the wife of Ehud Goldwasser, the soldier who has been held captive for over a year. Since you are the man that is behind the kidnapping due to the aid you grant Hizbullah, why don’t you allow the Red Cross to visit the two soldiers?” she asked.

The president ignored the question.

Goldwasser being escorted out of press conference (photo: Shachar Ezran)

“Now he knows that the kidnapped soldier’s wife can reach him too,” Goldwasser told Ynet, “he knows that he does not scare us.”

Good for her.  The way Karnit Goldwasser has led the fight to keep her husband and his fellow soldiers (who were kidnapped by Hizbollah and Hamas) in the attention of the media and international leaders is the definition of true loyalty and love.

I’m also a big fan of how she used this opportunity to stick it to both the media and Ahmadinejad.

As a side note, this is what my American Foreign Policy professor had to say about Bollinger’s introduction to Ahmadinejad’s speech on Tuesday:

“It was not very academic of him.  I would have started out by saying, ‘We have someone like you in our country too.  I think he’s wrong, and I think you’re wrong.’  That way we’re on the middle ground.”

The someone Prof. Katzenstein was referring to, of course, is President Bush.  Smooth?  I thought so.

If a Palestinian were President

Published by
tieki rae
at September 22, 2007 in AIPAC, Israel, academia, cornell, education and palestinians. 3 Comments

“I would rescue American foreign policy from special interest groups … [pause for effect] … like AIPAC.”

Well, isn’t that democratic of Dr. Hanan Ashrawi?  This moderate Palestinian legislator and so-called advocate of peace was visiting Cornell this week and speaking on “Peace in the Middle East:  Who Needs It?”  It’s good to know that we have individuals around the world believing in the right of citizens to organize themselves and lobby their governments.  (sarcasm /off)

Dr. Ashrawi spoke/ranted/whined for about an hour about the apartheid state of Israel and the horrific, against-international-law occupation of the poor, innocent, freedom-loving Palestinians.

Honestly, the best part was the Q&A session at the end.  Once I got past the groan-factor of snooty Cornell students and professors brown-nosing a Palestinian legislator (“Thaaaaank you, Dr. Ashrawi, for coming to Cornell.  This is such an honor…”), it was actually rather entertaining.

One of my favorite questions came early.  A student asked Ashrawi to clarify her comments about calling for an international boycott of Israel.  When national governments fail, asked this student, like the USA for instance, would Dr. Ashrawi advocate non-governmental organizations and institutions of higher education taking up the banner and boycotting Israel?  Part 2 of the question was directed to President Skorton.  Would President Skorton be willing to lead up an effort to get Cornell to divest from Israel?  Haha, let me just say it was a beautiful moment.

Of course, responded Ashrawi, Palestinians are grateful when individuals and organizations, like the British academia, boycott Israel on their own.  President Skorton, on the other hand, stammered over himself explaining how he doesn’t generally believe that institutions of higher learning should be used for political purposes.  Only twice in his professional career has he advocated divestment in reaction to a political / human rights situation:  South Africa and Darfur.  So, he does believe there is legitimacy in that method, but does not support the application in this particular case.  I was in love.  Right after Ashrawi rambled on about the importance of action by institutions like Cornell, Skorton basically says “in your dreams.”

Another winning question concerned her claim that the security wall built by Israel inhibits the peace process.  A student read to her the statistics of terrorist attacks before the wall and after the wall, essentially proving that Israel has protected its citizens with the construction of the wall.  Her response:  “Well, that seems like selective reporting.  After all, Hamas said last year that they no longer support suicide bombings.  It was their decision.”  Oh, yeah.  That big wall in their way probably had nothing to do with it.

All jokes aside, it frustrates me what views are presented as honorable and legitimate, all in the name of higher education.  Universities like Cornell bring in an individual from a people that terrorizes Israel night and day and wishes for its destruction.  Even if Ashrawi is a voice of moderation among Palestinians, she makes excuses for terrorists and wishes for the downfall of America’s greatest ally.  Columbia actually brings an authoritarian dictator who advocates for the destruction of not just Israel, but also the United States.  And we’re told, what a great intellectual opportunity!

American Universities Reject British Boycott

Published by
tieki rae
at August 13, 2007 in Israel, academia, boycott, british and ivy league. 4 Comments

From Phi Beta Cons:

American college and university presidents do something right. 

They signed a statement published in newspapers today chastising their British colleagues’ targeting of Israeli colleges and universities.

O’Brien links to an article in The Michigan Daily, “Colleges protest boycott with newspaper ad” -

University President Mary Sue Coleman and former University presidents Lee Bollinger and Harold Shapiro, along with presidents of other American colleges, endorsed an advertisement that appeared in the New York Times on Aug. 8 that argued against the United Kingdom’s University and College Union’s proposed boycott of Israeli universities.

The UCU, which has about 120,000 members, passed a resolution 158 to 99 in May that supported a boycott of Israeli universities. Some union members who are unhappy with Israel’s policies concerning relations with Palestine advocated the resolution.

Bollinger, who is now president of Columbia University, criticized the UCU’s decision in a statement entitled, “Boycott Israeli Universities? Boycott Ours, Too!” that was featured in the full-page advertisement. The advertisement listed about 300 names of presidents of higher education institutions who support Bollinger’s statement.

Robert Hornsby, Columbia’s director of media relations, said in an e-mail that Bollinger originally issued the statement featured in the advertisement on June 12.

In his statement, Bollinger challenged the UCU to consider the effect a boycott would have on colleges.

“If the British UCU is intent on pursuing its deeply misguided policy, then it should add Columbia to its boycott list, for we do not intend to draw distinctions between our mission and that of the universities you are seeking to punish,” Bollinger’s statement said.

Coleman first made public her position on the issue in July when she published a statement similar to Bollinger’s on the University website.

“At the University of Michigan, we have many valued connections with colleagues in Israel, and I for one am prepared to stand in solidarity with Israeli academics in the face of a boycott, should it come to pass,” Coleman’s statement said. “It is in the nature of academic boycotts directly to impede academic freedom and the intellectual discourse that are at the heart of our mission in higher education.”

Several prominent universities’ names did not appear in the advertisement, including Harvard University, Yale University and the University of Chicago.

University of Chicago spokeswoman Julie Peterson said in an e-mail that University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer sent his own letter to Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the UCU, on July 31.

“President Zimmer believed he could be most effective by articulating his position directly to the UCU,” Peterson said.

Representatives from Harvard and Yale could not be reached for comment.

Coleman’s statement said that the Association of American Universities, a group of 62 research universities in the U.S. and Canada to which the University of Michigan belongs, also opposes the boycott.

It’s about time.  I wrote about the UK boycott about 3 months ago and it appears that the vast majority of American universities have finally come out on the right side.  Better late than never, I suppose.

 

Interesting tidbit:  although Harvard and Yale have not released statements regarding the boycott, they are members of the Association of American Universities mentioned by Coleman, as are Cornell, Brown, UPenn, Columbia, and many other prestigious institutions.  The full list is here.  Doesn’t this imply that all of these universities are opposed to the boycott?  One can hope.  I can’t seem to find information on the AAU website confirming Coleman’s statement.

After 1 Year, Kidnapped Israeli Soldiers Still Missing

Published by
tieki rae
at July 29, 2007 in Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev, Gilad Shalit, Hamas, Hizbollah and Israel. 8 Comments

Five months ago, this is what I had to say about Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev, and Gilad Shalit:

Imagine if they were your family members, if they were American soldiers, being held by a terrorist organization for 7 months with out any contact with the outside world and with little to no media coverage or international political pressure.

It’s unimaginable. It would be unacceptable to Americans.

The latest “news” comes out of Lebanon, a report that one of the captive IDF soldiers held by Hizbollah is dead.

One of the two kidnapped IDF soldiers in Lebanon are dead, according to estimates by German security sources, who were quoted in the Lebanese newspaper, An-Nahar, Saturday.

“Security forces understood that one of the kidnapped soldiers is still alive, however, the other is dead,” An-Nahar reported.

According to the report, senior diplomatic sources in Berlin said that the German government had begun to get seriously involved in negotiations for the release of captive soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.

The report said that the Germans were in direct contact with the Christian general, Michel Aoun, who is currently in the midst of a presidential campaign in Lebanon.The diplomats were trying to get information regarding the fate of the two soldiers, who were kidnapped by Hizbullah last July. However, Aoun, who is cooperating with Hizbullah against the Siniora government, refused to comment on the issue.

If this were true, it would obviously be tragic news. The problem is that these reports tend have a lack of credibility. Since their kidnapping on July 12, 2006, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev have not been permitted visits from the Red Cross. They have had no contact with the outside world. No proof has been provided by Hizbollah that they even lived past the first day of captivity. Gilad Shalit’s situation with Hamas is not much better. In recent months, there have been some negotiations between Israel and Hamas that give the impression Shalit is still living. Hamas has also released some tape recordings of Shalit’s voice.

Perhaps I’m sounding repetitive, but how on earth is this tolerated by Israel and the rest of the civilized world? I cannot even come close to comprehending why the US has basically sat back and allowed Hizbollah (and Lebanon simply by association and lack of action) to do this to our greatest ally’s soldiers.

I can’t imagine what the families of the kidnapped soldiers are feeling right now, but I do think they are making the right move by publicly rejecting the report:

Goldwasser’s parents dismissed the report, saying Hizbullah was making “cynical use” of unsubstantiated information. “It’s a psychological game. If they want to transmit credible information, they should do so through ordinary channels,” said Miki Goldwasser, Ehud’s mother.“As for us, this information will only be real when the Red Cross visits them, or a tape is presented to us,” she added.

Karnit Goldwasser, Ehud’s wife, also released a statement:

Karnit Goldwasser, wife of kidnapped reservist Ehud Goldwasser, responded on Sunday to a report in the Lebanese media that one of the two captives held by Hizbullah was dead by saying that to her sorrow, she was “used” to such reports.

“They can’t play with my feelings, and I know that they wouldn’t just release information to [a] newspaper,” Goldwasser told Army Radio.

“I know Michael Aoun, so this report isn’t worth anything to me,” she said.

Karnit and Ehud were still newlyweds - married only 10 months - when all this began. Now, their 2nd wedding anniversary is approaching and she has devoted all of her time to find out whether or not Ehud is even alive.

Isn’t terrorism and international capitulation to terrorists wonderful?

Now, here is the part of the story that really infuriates me the most:

The issue of the kidnapped soldiers continues to make waves in Israel, as well as Lebanon. While Israel demands a sign of life from the two soldiers, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hasan Nasrallah said he would not give away information about Regev and Goldwasser for free.

“I’m the only one authorized to give information about their condition,” Nasrallah said in an interview with Al-Jazeera.

Are you kidding me?

Here in America, idiotic and traitorous liberals are whining and crying about the Gitmo detainees not having their Korans read to them at bedtime and all the while we don’t even know if these IDF soldiers who were kidnapped by terrorists are even alive.

I’ll ask again. Where is the international pressure on Lebanon and Hizbollah and Hamas to release these prisoners? Where is the outcry from human rights organizations about the refusal to provide medical care? Where is the non-stop media attention about this situation?

Hello?

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For more information on Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev, and Gilad Shalit, check out these websites:
Banim.org - “Thy children shall come again to their own border.”
Behind the Headlines - Information from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs