Israel's Response To Goldstone Report Is Out

It is available online as a PDF document, and is embedded in this post, below.

Here is the summary of the report:

GAZA OPERATION INVESTIGATIONS: AN UPDATE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. This Paper describes Israel’s process for investigating alleged violations of the Law of Armed Conflict. It focuses in particular on investigations, legal proceedings, and lessons learned in relation to the actions of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza from 27 December 2008 through 18 January 2009 (the “Gaza Operation,” also known as “Operation Cast Lead”).

2. The Paper supplements and updates a paper Israel released in July 2009, The Operation in Gaza: Factual and Legal Aspects, which addressed a range of factual and legal issues related to the Gaza Operation. The earlier paper included detailed accounts of Hamas’s incessant mortar and rocket attacks on Israel’s civilians (some 12,000 such attacks in the 8 years prior to the Operation) and the steadily increasing range of such attacks; Hamas’s suicide bomb attacks; and Hamas’s smuggling of weaponry and ammunition through tunnels under the Egyptian-Gaza border, as well as Israel’s attempts to address these threats through non-military means, including diplomatic overtures and urgent appeals to the United Nations.

Forget About The Israel Lobby--The Real Problem Is The Angry Jewish Street!

Jeffrey Goldberg reacts to a post by Andrew Sullivan, who praises Daniel Larison ("treads where angels fear to") for bravely discussing the connection between US support for Israel and terrorism.


Writes Goldberg:

Abbas: If Hamas Can Rebut The Goldstone Report, We Can Too!

In Hamas finds itself innocent. What a surprise, Elder of Ziyon examines the Hamas response to the Goldstone Report--and dissects the lies behind the claims Hamas makes.

Of course, there is no reason for Hamas not to lie and manufacture evidence--after all, no one really assumes that the UN is actually going to follow up against Hamas with any real sanctions or measures to enforce, let alone that any report from Hamas actually be truthful.

Now, seeing how easy it is for Hamas to make up a response to the Goldstone Report, Abbas is going to try his hand at it at well:

The Middle East: The New York Times Hasn't Learned It's Lesson--And Now It's Teaching It

Out of curiosity, I signed up for a feature from The New York Times where they send out lesson plans for Social Studies classes, based on source material from NYT and its website.


So I checked out  The New York Times Learning Network for January 9, 2009--and here is a curriculum on how to teach about last year's Gaza war:

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students consider the current conflict in Gaza and explore multiple perspectives on the conflict through an image- and document-based writing activity.

Exploring multiple perspectives--that sounds good.
Let's see just what resources The New York Times is suggesting in order to do that:

Ten Most Absurd Holocaust Statements

In other words--there are others...

The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
News Release:  January 26, 2010
For more information, contact:
rafaelmedoff@aol.com / 202-434-8994

Apologists for FDR Top List of 2009's

Ten Most Absurd Holocaust Statements

WASHINGTON -  Authors claiming that President Franklin Roosevelt was helpless to rescue any Jews from the Holocaust topped the 2009 annual list of ten most absurd statements about the Allies' reaction to the Nazi genocide.

The annual list for 2009 was released this week by The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, in conjunction with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is commemorated on January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

"Despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, some FDR apologists still claim there was nothing he could have done to rescue Jews from the Holocaust," said Wyman Institute director Dr. Rafael Medoff.  "Like the last Japanese soldier holding out on a remote island years after World War II ended, these diehards simply refuse to face the facts."

Medoff said the purpose of the annual list is to "expose the most severe misrepresentations of the Allies' response to the Holocaust, so that the public will have an accurate and balanced account of those crucial historical events."

The nominees were judged by a panel of scholars who have researched the Allies' response to the Holocaust:  Prof. David S. Wyman, author of The Abandonment of the Jews; Prof. Laurel Leff, author of Buried by 'The Times'; Dr. Racelle Weiman, founding director (emer.) of Hebrew Union College's Center for Holocaust and Humanity education; Prof. Bat-Ami Zucker, author of In Search of Refuge; Prof. Judith Baumel-Schwartz, author of Unfulfilled Promise; Dr. Alex Grobman, author of Denying History; and Wyman Institute director Medoff, author of Blowing the Whistle on Genocide.

* * *

The Ten Most Absurd Statements in 2009

About the Allies' Response to the Holocaust

1. "The only meaningful way to save the intended victims of HItler's murder machine was to win the war as quickly as possible."

(William J. Vanden Heuvel, longtime president of the Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, on NewYorkTimes.com, 5 October 2009.)

[COMMENT:  There were, in fact, a variety of ways that Jews could have been saved before the war ended, such as using empty troop supply ships returning from Europe to bring refugees for temporary shelter to the United States; bombing the Nazi death camps or the railway lines leading to them; and pressing the British to open Palestine to Jewish refugees.]

More Bias in US Against Muslims Than Other Faiths (Sort Of...) [Updated]

The headline couldn't be clearer:

More bias in US against Muslims than other faiths

Americans are more than twice as likely to express prejudice against Muslims than they are against Christians, Jews or Buddhists, a new survey found. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they have little or no knowledge of Islam. Still, a majority dislike the faith.

There Were No Palestinian Suicide Attacks In 2009

According to The Media Line, this is the first time in 10 years that there has not be a single suicide attack in Israel.

Since the end of Operation Cast Lead, the three-week Israel military assault against Hamas in the Gaza Strip last January, one Israeli civilian was killed inside Israel by Palestinians and four in the West Bank. Ten Israelis, including five civilians, were killed during the Gaza operation.

Israel's Rebuttal of The Goldstone Report Coming Soon

The New York Times last week gave a preview of what to expect from Israel's rebuttal of the Goldstone Report.

The overall goal of Israel's response is to address the main overall claim of the report that Israel deliberately targeted civilians.

Among the particular charges that Israel will refute:

Fellow Blogger Offering Credit Card Processing And Merchant Services

As you may know, Jewish Blogmeister moved to Houston last year. After being laid off, he has started his own business--Prestige Market Services--in his area of expertise: merchant services and credit card processing:

Prestige Merchant Services offers the lowest rates on Credit Card Processing, guaranteed! We specialize in offering small and medium sized businesses the same great rates on merchant accounts that were previously reserved for larger companies. Whether you need a point-of-sale, wireless or E-commerce/Internet, we can help expand your business with one of our merchant service solutions. Give one of our knowledgeable sales representatives a call for a Free Consultation. Be sure to read our credit card blog  which  offers an inside look at the merchant service industry.

Check out his site for programs, testimonials and policy towards high risk accounts.
And of course, don't forget to check out his credit card blog, with various money-saving tips on:

• Websites and SEO: Expanding Your Business Locally
• Accepting Credit Card VS Cash Only
• Debit Card Processing and Technology: BIN $mart
• Hotels and Credit Card Processing: Saving Money
• The problem with PayPal : Reasons for a Merchant Account.
• What is a Downgrade? How can I avoid them and save money?

Prestige Merchant Services: check it out!

Technorati Tag: Credit Cards and Merchant Services

Short Hiatus

Sorry for not posting the last few days. Have been busy with a project.
(I also promised my wife I would not blog for week)

Plan on blogging again on Sunday.

BTW, blog-withdrawal isn't all that bad--once you get past the hives and hallucinations.

Would You Want A Palestinian State In YOUR Backyard?

THE PROBLEM

Rabbi Avi Shafran


The lives of dedicated Israel-bashers, especially those who hate the Jewish State because it’s no longer acceptable to just hate Jews, can’t be easy. The glaring contrasts between Israeli and Palestinian behavior have to make it hard to keep up the “Israel is the problem” chant, in the hope the weed-words find places to grow.

Recent events are illustrative. When a mosque in a West Bank village was torched at the end of the year, allegedly at the hand of an Israeli settler angered by his government’s construction freeze, a delegation of Israelis from West Bank settlements brought copies of the Koran to residents of the village and expressed sorrow over the crime. Shortly thereafter, Israeli Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Rabbi Yona Metzger visited the village to express his “revulsion at this wretched act of burning a place holy to the Muslim people” and compared the arson to “how the Holocaust began.”

Then, ten days later, a 45-year-old Israeli father of seven, Rabbi Meir Chai, was shot without provocation as he drove his vehicle on a public road. Although the group taking “credit” for the murder claimed affiliation with the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, a group connected to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, the Palestinian leader did not extend condolences to the murdered man’s family. He didn’t care, for that matter, to disassociate Fatah from the murder.

Is Blogging As Deadly As Watching TV?

I came across a post on FuturePundit: Television Watchers Die Sooner:

TV kills.

Study highlights:

A study found that every hour spent in front of the television per day brings with it an 11 percent greater risk of premature death from all causes, and an 18 percent greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
The findings apply to both obese and overweight people as well as people with a healthy weight because prolonged periods of sitting have an unhealthy influence on blood sugar and blood fat levels."

Now of course, it is not the TV itself that is doing the damage--rather it is the prolonged sitting. It just so happens that watching television is associated with prolonged sitting. So TV is not a cause, rather it is a marker.

Come to think of it, blogging is also associated with prolonged sitting...

And of course, you can't blog without sitting and reading the news and what other bloggers are writing...

Maybe if I just write shorter posts?

[Hat tip: Instapundit]
Technorati Tag: Blogging and TV.

Hamas Branches Out Into Cartoons--With Predictable Results

Hamas is making cartoons now:

"Hamas' terrorist TV channel -- which routinely indoctrinates kids by portraying Israelis as ghouls -- is launching a new cartoon series that depicts another enemy, the Palestinian Authority police.

A pilot episode shows a toadyish Palestinian officer watching as a Jewish character machine-guns a group of West Bank children to death and drinks their blood.

'You killed our children before my eyes,' the officer says meekly. 'I will respond with even more peace.'

Of course, since it's a cartoon instead of the usual live actors, there is the possibility for special effects--something that Hamas has not failed to take advantage of:

The Hamas version of kids TV

So, how has this all gone over with the Palestinian version of 'Nielson' families?

The grotesque six-minute pilot was a big hit when tested on Gaza Strip viewers this month by Hamas' video mouthpiece, Al Aqsa TV, and will be expanded next month, officials in Gaza City said.

..."We received hundreds of letters from inside and outside [Gaza] asking for the program to be shown again," a network official told Agence France-Presse. With Post Wire Services

Hamas has another hit on their hands.


Note: I wonder if any of those letters come from Great Britain:

Jihadists groom children in the UK under 10

Police have identified children as young as seven being groomed for terrorism, with some expressing a wish to become suicide bombers.

Up to 10 primary school pupils, aged between seven and 10, have been placed on a government outreach programme for individuals considered at risk of being radicalised and turning to violence.

Some have taken inspiration from jihadi websites or after viewing extremist material in Islamic bookshops.

[Hat tip: Meryl Yourish]
Technorati Tag: Hamas Television and Child Abuse.

From HAL To Chaim: Israel And The Robotic Age Of Warfare--And International Law

According to the Wall Street Journal, when it comes to the robotic age: in Israel, the future is now:

Israel is developing an army of robotic fighting machines that offers a window onto the potential future of warfare.

Allies: The US and Israel; The UN and Hamas

Despite their friction over the issue of the creation of a second Palestinian state, it's good to see that the US is still an ally of Israel:

American Arms Stockpile Available to Israelis in Case of Emergency

The U.S. military has decided to double the amount of arms and military materiel stockpiled in Israel. According to a report in Defense News, the $800 million worth of armament will be available to the Israeli military in the event of an emergency situation. The program is not exclusive to Israel, but is part of an American policy to stockpile arms in areas where U.S. troops might need them and to allow the allies on whose land the weapons are stored to have access to them under specific circumstances

It's all an issue of trust--which is no less than that special bond of trust the UN had with Hamas last year:

The Results Of Diversity In Great Britain: Only About One Quarter Feel Positive About Islam

According to Websters, diverse means "differing from one another : unlike"--and diversity is supposed to be a positive thing where differences are recognized, respected and celebrated.

Well, that's the theory at least.

The Sailor and the Survivor Go to Washington

Reprinted with permission.
This post appeared originally on The-Word-Well, by Sara K. Eisen.

The Sailor and the Survivor Go to Washington

If you are on anyone’s mass e-mail list, by now you’ve probably heard of Harold B. Estes. For those of you who delete anything not work-related before reading, Estes is a very sharp-witted, conservative WWII vet in his mid-90’s who wrote a strong letter of criticism to President Obama, virally distributed by e-mail in November.

His opening shot: “…I am amazed, angry, and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish. I can’t figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies…”
The full text of the letter is here.

When I read it, the letter reminded me very much of my Grandmother.

Arab Writers Set To Fight The Influence Of Hebrew

Apparently, these Arab writers mean business:

The Arab Writers Union formed a Damascus bureau meant to prevent the infiltration of Hebrew terms into Arab culture, Israel Radio reported on Sunday, adding that the new group said it would prevent the "normalization" of cultural ties with Israel.

Now Ahmadinejad Wants Reparations Too!

First Iraq demands reparations from Israel for destroying the Osiraq nuclear reactor, now Ahamdinejad wants reparations from the West--for World War II:

Iran suffered immensely after it was invaded by the Allies during World War II and deserves reparations, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a live broadcast on state television Saturday.

Good News: Imams Issue Fatwa Against Terrorists. Now The Bad News...

First of all, this fatwa is very specific on where its directed:

Twenty imams have issued a “fatwa” against any Muslim who would attempt to commit an act of terrorism in Canada or the United States.

Via Cooliris: Gaza In Pictures, The Kind The Media--And Protesters--Don't Show You

These pictures are from November 26, 2009: Less than a year after Operation Cast Lead:
A Palestinian newspaper tells a very different story from what we are accustomed to: :

According to the Google translation, the title is

From my / lens "Palestine Today" pick up the Gazans scenes preparations for Eid al-Adha

Technorati Tag: Gaza

If This Is What It Takes To Create Jewish-Arab Dialogue, We're In Trouble

Back in December, Ethan Bronner wrote an article in The New York Times entitled A Mideast Bond, Stitched of Pain and Healing, which I wrote about here.

Apparently the idea of Jews and Arabs bonding is so popular that The New York Times tried it again: Princeton Players Are Divided by Heritage, United by Basketball. It's a nice theme: how 2 girls--Niveen Rasheed, who is Palestinian-American and Lauren Polansky, who is Jewish--with different heritages from cultures that are caught in a conflict with each other can get along and be friends.

But there is something wrong here.

"The Underwear Bomber" May Be The Nicest Nickname They Give To Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab (Update)

After seeing a handful of different nicknames the media have given to Mutallab, I got a little curious--and found some of the other nicknames they are giving to Mutallab (in no particular order):

What Is Causing Terrorism? It's Not Poverty

Andrew Cline has an article in The American Spectator addressing the issue of what drives the Muslim world to terrorism. After quoting Obama--who claims that terrorism is a social issue driven by poverty, Cline provides the contrary evidence:

Last week, President Obama said of the Christmas bomber, "We know that he traveled to Yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgencies."

Yemen's crushing poverty? Abdul Mutallab isn't even Yemeni; he is Nigerian, and an affluent one, at that. Apparently, the president is suggesting that poor, unsuspecting Abdul Mutallab wound up in Yemen and was radicalized by Muslims there who were themselves radicalized by Yemen's "crushing poverty." Why mention it if that is not the general theory he is putting forth?

Yet there is a little problem with that theory.

An Example Of A 'Peaceful' Hamas Protest

It was a peaceful protest against the wall and to let the lifeline convoy enter Gaza. Salah Bardawil, Hamas official

Since only one Egyptian was killed, I guess it must have been downright Heimish by Hamas standards:

The riot along the border came a day after several hundred international activists clashed with police in the Egyptian port city of El Arish when they were told that a portion of their aid convoy would be allowed to enter Gaza only through Israel.

In response, the Hamas movement that rules Gaza called on supporters to demonstrate Wednesday against both Egypt's interference with the aid convoy and its construction of an underground barrier designed to block tunnels used to smuggle goods and weapons into the coastal strip.

...Several hundred protesters gathered in the city of Rafah began throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Egyptian security forces across the border, who responded with gunfire, witnesses said. In the midst of the chaos, a Palestinian sniper shot and killed the Egyptian guard, officials said.

Iran's Windfall If Israel Actually Does Bomb Its Reactors

Iran is probably smiling when reading this news report and considering its win-win situation whether Israel bombs their reactors or not:

Iraq to pursue compensation for 1981 Israeli airstrike

The Iraqi government continues to seek redress for an Israeli airstrike against a 1981 Israeli airstrike against an Iraqi nuclear reactor, an Iraqi lawmaker said in remarks published Tuesday.

And Now A Word About Those 'Palestinian' Immigrants

Responding to recent comments by Arab members of the Israeli Knesset Jamal Zahalka and Ahmad Tibi that Jews are immigrants in Palestine, Assaf Wohl responds with a brief history lesson on Arab immigration to 'Palestine':

It is noteworthy that both Zahalka and Tibi have a Ph.D. Yet whatever their areas of specialty are, history of the Land of Israel is certainly not one of them. Two such intelligent people are unaware of the basic history of the country where they reside. After all, Kfar Qara, where Dr. Zahalka resides, was only established in the 18th Century under the auspices of the Arab occupation of Eretz Yisrael. Meanwhile, Arabs only arrived at Taibe, where Dr. Tibi hails from, in the 17th Century from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as attested to by the last names of some residents.

Do they truly believe that the “Palestinians” nobody heard of until the 20th Century, truly grew from the land?

Are We Allowed To Criticize President Obama?

Jeff Poor of Newsbusters notes that apparently criticizing Obama threatens national security:

The liberal intelligentsia are often all too eager to accuse conservatives of being fear-mongers, purveyors of hate speech, etc. But when they engage in what they accuse conservatives of doing, it's a different set of rules.

Take Newsweek columnist and MSNBC regular Jonathan Alter for example. In an appearance on MSNBC's Jan. 5 "The Rachel Maddow Show," Alter took it to former Vice President Dick Cheney for being critical of the Obama administration - saying the President made us "less safe," which according to Alter, "emboldens" the terrorists (emphasis added).

What Goldstone--And The World--Can Learn From An 8 Year Old Gazan Girl Named Marya

Back in December, The New York Times had a piece by Ethan Bronner entitled A Mideast Bond, Stitched of Pain and Healing:

He can be impulsive. She has a touch of bossiness. Next-door neighbors for nearly a year, they talk, watch television and explore the world together, wandering into each other’s homes without a second thought. She likes his mother’s eggplant dish. He likes her father’s rice and lamb.

Marya, a Palestinian, and Orel, an Israeli, are 8-year-old neighbors at Jerusalem's Alyn Hospital.

Friendship often starts with proximity, but Orel and Marya, both 8, have been thrust together in a way few elsewhere have. Their playground is a hospital corridor. He is an Israeli Jew severely wounded by a Hamas rocket. She is a Palestinian Muslim from Gaza paralyzed by an Israeli missile. Someone forgot to tell them that they are enemies.

When Orel arrived here a year ago, he could not hear, see, talk or walk. Now he does them all haltingly. Half his brain is gone. Doctors were deeply pessimistic about his survival. Today they are amazed at his progress although unclear how much more can be made.

Marya’s spinal cord was broken at the neck and she can move only her head. Smart, sunny and strong-willed, she moves her wheelchair by pushing a button with her chin. Nothing escapes her gaze. She knows that Orel is starting to prefer boys as playmates and she makes room. But their bond remains strong.

Evelyn Gordon writes that though the article tries to point out a symmetry between the 2 children and their situations, there is a difference. Consider the case of Marya:

Young Children Who Are Smacked 'Go On To Be More Successful'

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Proverbs 13:24

From The Daily Mail:

Young children who are smacked by their parents grow up to be happier and more successful than those who have never been hit, research claims.

It found that children who are smacked before the age of six perform better at school when they are teenagers.

They are also more likely to do voluntary work and to want to go to university than those who have never been physically disciplined.

Video: Chinese Jews Arrive From Kaifeng--A Jewish Community Dating Back To 960CE

There is an article in the Jerusalem Post describing their arrival at the airport.

The Nazis Came To Skokie--Now The Islamists Are Coming To Wootton Bassett

Remember back in 1977:

The National Socialist Party of America (a Neo-Nazi group) planned a march in the town of Skokie, Illinois, a largely Jewish community. Some Skokie residents were Holocaust survivors. The neo-Nazi leader, Frank Collin, originally had proposed a march in Marquette Park on Chicago's Southwest side where their headquarters was located. The Park District asked for a huge insurance bond to indemnify them against any damage caused by the anticipated violence hoping that this requirement would dissuade them from marching. The neo-Nazis then threatened to march in Skokie.

Now it seems that a similar kind of group is making a similar kind of threat in Great Britain:

Contrary To Goldstone, In Israel, High Judicial Standards Come--Standard

David Benjamin--a reserve lieutenant-colonel, former senior legal adviser to the IDF, as well as advocate, consultant and lecturer in international law, the law of armed conflicts and counterterrorism--takes a look at Israel's justice system and wonders why Judge Goldstone wants Israel to lower its standards:

Goldstone says our investigations should be conducted in conformity with "international standards." We shouldn't have a problem with this demand, since it means, in effect, that we can drop our standards. The fact is that Israel probably has the highest level of accountability of the military under the law in the world.

LET'S TAKE a look at the investigation process as stipulated by Israeli law:

Obama Administration Executed 300 Criminals Last Year Without Due Process

If there really is no war on terror and these "militants" are entitled to their day in court--why are they being shot on site? Cliff May writes:

The Obama administration has used drones to kill “more than 300 people in the past 12 months.”  Those killed are believed to be terrorists but, clearly, they were not prosecuted and convicted before the death sentence was imposed.

Obama's Executive Order, INTERPOL and Israel

Obama, who promised transparency, recently signed a little-publicized executive order:

Obama Surrenders U.S. Sovereignty: His INTERPOL Executive Order

At ThreatsWatch.org, Steve Schippert and Clyde Middleton have dug up the bizarre and unsettling issuance of an executive order recently signed by President Barack Obama.Executive Order — Amending Executive Order 12425, signed December 16 and released a day later, grants the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) rights on American soil that place it beyond the reach of our own law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Schippert and Middleton note that Obama’s order removes protections placed upon INTERPOL by President Reagan in 1983. Obama’s order gives the group the authority to avoid Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests — which means this foreign law enforcement organization can operate free of an important safeguard against governmental abuse.

Jordan Asserts Its Claim To The Dead Sea Scrolls--And So Do The Palestinians

I don't recall ever hearing international law being invoked so often and in so many different contexts:

Jordan asks Canada to seize Dead Sea scrolls

2,000-year-old Hebrew artifacts, which Jordan claims were illegally taken by Israel in 1967, are on display in Toronto

Jordan has asked Canada to seize the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea scrolls, on display until Sunday at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, invoking international law in a bid to keep the artifacts out of the hands of Israel until their disputed ownership is settled.

...While Jordan has acted only recently in asking Canada to take custody of the scrolls, the Palestinian Authority has made its position known since April, when Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, wrote to Prime Minister Stephen Harper concerning what it argues is the illegal use of the scrolls.

But it wasn't the issue of international law that caught my eye, rather it was the conclusion of the article:

Israel's Moderate Peace Partner Celebrates Birthday Of Terrorist Who Murdered 37 Civilians

Looks like that wacky peace-loving Abbas is at it again:

This week Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas once again honored the memory of the terrorist Dalal Mughrabi - this time by sponsoring a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of her birth. Mughrabi led the worst terror attack in Israel's history in 1978, when she and other terrorists hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians. Present at the ceremony were Palestinian dignitaries and a children's marching band. Earlier this year, Abbas sponsored a computer center named after Mughrabi.

90% Increase In Number Of Arab-Israelis Volunteering For National Service.

From YNetNews.com:

A report published by the Shlomit - National Service Placement Organization indicated that the past year has seen a 90% increase in the number of Arab-Israelis volunteering for National Service.

In 2009, 1,400 Arabs joined the National Service program, compared with only 580 in the previous year.

CODEPINK--They Make Clear What They're Against, But What Are They For?

Eric Trager writes in the Huffington Post about CODEPINK's cause selection in the Middle East:

Is CODEPINK for Hamas using the tunnels that run from Gaza into Egypt for stockpiling anti-aircraft missiles and longer-range rockets, rather than importing food and medicinal supplies? Are its activists for Hamas being strengthened once Israel opens the borders? If this yields renewed Hamas attacks against Israel, will the activists finally be for Israel's self-defense? Will these "Freedom" marchers declare that they are for Gazans' freedom from Hamas' imposition of strict Islamist codes; or for a Gazan government that develops its economy, rather than its arsenal; or for a Palestinian government that -- if nothing else -- holds its "democratic" elections on time?

Video: Dore Gold On Israel's Right to Build in Jerusalem

The simple facts--that need to be repeated over and over--

Technorati Tag: Jerusalem.