update on israel May 30

Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Gaza

Al-Durra Case Revisited - Editorial (Wall Street Journal Europe)
It's hard to exaggerate the significance of Mohammed al-Durra, the 12-year-old Palestinian boy allegedly killed by Israeli bullets, whose iconic image crouching behind his father helped sway world opinion against Israel and fueled the last intifada. It's equally hard, then, to exaggerate the significance of last week's French court ruling that called the story into doubt. The whole incident may have been staged for propaganda purposes. If so, it would be one of the most harmful put-up jobs in media history. The judge's verdict said that media watchdog Philippe Karsenty was within his rights to call the France 2 report a "hoax."

The Missing Palestinian Moderates - Clifford D. May (Washington Times)
The need for balance between Israel and the Palestinians has become conventional wisdom. The problem with it: If my goal is to kill your two children and your goal is to keep them alive, a balanced position - one midway between the two - would endorse the murder of one of your kids. Such balance is relentlessly on view in the mainstream media. To commemorate Israel's 60th year of independence, the Washington Post ran a Page One feature on two men, one Israeli, one Palestinian, both born 60 years ago "into a land at war." The story neglects to mention how that war began: The UN passed a resolution that established Israel and called for an Arab state as well. Jewish leaders agreed. Had Arab leaders done likewise, Palestinians also would be celebrating 60 years of statehood - and there would have been no war and no refugees. The writer is president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

See Also: Hamas Leader: We Will Never Recognize Israel (Tehran Times-Iran)



Palestinian Governments in Gaza, West Bank Faulted for Rights Violations - Mohammed Daraghmeh (AP)
The rival Palestinian governments in the West Bank and Gaza are increasingly violating human rights in their territories in a quest for control. The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights said Tuesday it received more than 2,000 complaints in 2007, double the number from the previous year. The head of the group, Mamdouh al-Aker, said both Palestinian governments are increasingly arresting people on political grounds, raiding homes without warrants, mistreating detainees and restricting freedom of expression.

How the Arabs Failed in Bethlehem - Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed (Asharq Alawsat-UK)
At a conference in Bethlehem last week, the Palestinian Authority failed to attract the interest of Arab governments and major economic establishments to help it develop its economy. Most of those who came and most of the projects offered came from the Westerners whom we accuse of favoring Israel. The Arab side packaged the aid promised in the past and called them real estate projects. But what is the value of housing the Palestinians without an active economy?

Hamas Has Rockets that Can Strike Ashdod and Kiryat Gat - Barak Ravid, Avi Issacharoff and Yuval Azoulay (Ha'aretz)
Hamas has rockets capable of striking Ashdod and Kiryat Gat, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Yuval Diskin told the cabinet Sunday. "It is only a matter of time" before these long-range rockets are used.

IDF Considering Buffer Zone for Gaza - Yaakov Katz and Khaled Abu Toameh (Jerusalem Post)
The IDF is planning to move the Gaza crossings several kilometers deeper into Israel and away from the border, defense officials said Monday. There are currently four crossings into Gaza - Karni, Erez, Kerem Shalom, and Sufa. "We want to create a sterile area between the crossings that would reduce the risk of car bombs and other attacks against the crossings," said a defense official working on the project.


Iran

Iran Must Not Get the Bomb - Editorial (Christian Science Monitor)
A new UN report cites "serious" concerns about "possible military dimensions" to Iran's nuclear programs. The IAEA found "substantial parts of the centrifuge components were manufactured in the workshops of the Defense Industries Organization." It also describes evidence of detonators, testing systems, and missile configuration that can only go with a nuclear weapon. So much for last year's estimate by U.S. spy agencies that Iran suspended its weapons program in 2003. In 2006, the West offered Iran a generous and face-saving way to obtain nuclear energy if it ended its weaponization drive. Iran's rejection of that offer has only helped forge world opinion against it, bringing on tougher sanctions and widening splits between its hard-line and moderate conservatives. The U.S. presidential candidates should be demanding that the UN tighten the sanctions now. That might save the next president from taking tougher action later.

See Also: IAEA "Alarmed" by Iran's Nuclear Weapons Work (AFP)

See Also: Nuclear Agency Accuses Iran of Willful Lack of Cooperation - Elaine Sciolino (New York Times)

See Also: Iran Stonewalling UN Nuclear Inspectors - Editorial (Washington Post)

See Also: Egypt Eyes Iran's Overtures with Suspicion - Jeffrey Fleishman (Los Angeles Times)


Ahmadinejad Rival Elected Iranian Parliament Speaker - Nazila Fathi and Graham Bowley (New York Times)
Ali Larijani, who resigned as Iran's nuclear negotiator in October over differences with President Ahmadinejad, was elected by a vote of 232 to 31 as speaker of the Iranian Parliament on Wednesday. His lopsided victory appeared to be a rebuke of Ahmadinejad, who has faced growing dissatisfaction over grinding inflation and fresh memories of rolling blackouts last winter that left people without electricity and heat for hours at a time - even as the nation's oil revenues were soaring.


The Source of Instability

Iran in Secret Talks with Al-Qaeda, U.S. Officials Say - Jonathan Karl (ABC News)
Senior U.S. officials say that in recent months there have been secret contacts between the Iranian government and the leadership of al-Qaeda. The contacts are on the status of high-level al-Qaeda operatives who have been under house arrest in Iran since 2003. Intelligence analysts say the group in Iran includes al-Qaeda's management council, or "shura," and numbers about two dozen militants, including Egyptian Saif al-Adel, al-Qaeda spokesman Suliman abu Ghaith and some of bin Laden's relatives, including two of his sons, Saad and Hamza. Adel is on the FBI list of Most Wanted Terrorists and is a suspect in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The State Department has put a $5 million bounty on his head.

Iran "Paid Iraq Insurgents to Kill UK Soldiers" - Sean Rayment (Telegraph-UK)
Iran has secretly paid Iraqi insurgents hundreds of thousands of American dollars to kill British soldiers, according to a leaked government document. Jaish al-Mahdi (JAM) - also known as the Mahdi Army - one of the most violent insurgent groups operating in Basra, used money from Iran to recruit and pay young unemployed men up to $300 a month to carry out attacks against the British.

Diplomatic Moves Proceed

The World Must Ratchet Up Its Efforts to Stop Iran from Enriching Uranium (Economist-UK)
If there was an easier way to end Iran's nuclear defiance, Britain, France, Germany, America, Russia and China would have hit on it by now. Diplomacy through the UN is jammed; force is both unpalatable and unlikely to finish the job. The last UN sanctions resolution, just after the NIE was published, pulled all its punches. The next one needs to be tough enough to make Iran sit up and blink.


Germany: Need to Pressure Iran on Nuclear Issue - Kerstin Gehmlich (Reuters)
The UN nuclear watchdog's report on Iran this week showed the international community must push for a faster response from Tehran over its nuclear program, Germany said on Tuesday. "Open questions remain, where we have to push for an answer with more time pressure," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told members of NATO's parliamentary assembly meeting in Berlin.


Lebanon and Hizbullah

Lebanon President Praises Hizbullah's Fight Against Israel (Telegraph-UK)
Gen. Michel Suleiman, 59, speaking after being elected president of Lebanon Sunday, praised Hizbullah's fight against Israel. He also said he would seek friendly relations with Syria, Lebanon's former powerbroker which backs the opposition.

Hizbullah Employs Shock and Awe in Beirut - Borzou Daragahi (Los Angeles Times)
Whenever I've asked Hizbullah officials whether they are armed or trained by Iran, they say they actually think the Iranians are not that good at war. They boast that they train the Iranians.

See Also: Israel: UNIFIL Ignoring Hizbullah Violations in South Lebanon - Barak Ravid (Ha'aretz)

Hizbullah Image in Arab World Less Shiny - Raed Rafei (Los Angeles Times)
Hizbullah's offensive against mostly Sunni Muslim political rivals in Lebanon has sullied its image in the Arab world as an armed force engaged in a righteous struggle against Israel. But interviews with analysts and Arab news media accounts suggest that the Shiite Muslim group still came out ahead. It won major concessions from the Lebanese government after its assault and largely retained its popularity despite turning its weapons against fellow Muslims.

Homeland Security Chief: Hizbullah Makes Al-Qaeda Look "Minor League" (FOX News)
Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff, speaking at a terrorism forum in Jerusalem, said Thursday: "Someone described Hizbullah like the 'A-team' of terrorists in terms of capabilities, in terms of range of weapons they have, in terms of internal discipline....To be honest, they make al-Qaeda look like a minor league team."

See Also: Hizbullah in West Africa - W. Thomas Smith Jr. (World Defense Review)


Business News

Shekel Goes International - Tal Levy (Ha'aretz)
The Bank of Israel announced Sunday that the shekel has joined the international clearing system and can be converted to any of 16 major currencies.

Israel Economy Grows by 5.4% in Q1 (Reuters)
Israel's economy is showing little sign of slowing despite a global downturn, growing at an annualized rate of 5.4% in the first quarter, the Central Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday.
The economy grew at a 5.8% rate in the fourth quarter and 5.3% for all of 2007.

Unemployment Hits 13-Year Low - Moti Bassok (Ha'aretz)
Israel's unemployment rate hit a 13-year low in the first quarter of 2008, and now stands at 6.3%.



Israel - A Light Unto the Nations

Israel Sends Second Batch of Quake Relief Materials to China (Xinhua-China)
An Israeli cargo plane carrying relief materials left the country on Sunday, heading for the quake-hit Sichuan Province in southwest China.
The second batch of Israel-donated aid, worth $1.5 million, includes tents, blankets, water-purification devices and other materials. It follows the first batch delivered last week.

Third Israeli Relief Team to Leave for Myanmar (IMRA/Israel Foreign Ministry)
A third Israeli relief team departed on Wednesday for Myanmar, including medical personnel, training specialists, and logisticians who will continue IsraAID's relief efforts in the field.

See Also: Video: Israeli Rescue Teams in Myanmar [Burma] (YouTube)

Iraqi Mothers Laud Israeli Heart Operations for Their Sick Children, Fear Reaction at Home - Ali Rifat and Uzi Mahnaimi (Times-UK)
Aria, an 18-month-old baby from Kirkuk in northern Iraq, underwent a successful operation at the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Tel Aviv, where 11 Iraqi children are being treated. The surgery is sponsored by Save a Child's Heart (SACH), a humanitarian organization founded in Israel in 1996. Aria's mother, Paiman, paid tribute to the clinic and the surgeon, Dr. Lior Sasson, saying: "He saved little Aria's life." The mother of Mustafa, 4, from Kirkuk, who has undergone two heart operations in six months, said: "My only fear, which spoils my joy at my son's escape from death, is the revenge my family can expect when we go back to Iraq."

Chertoff Keen on Israeli Airport Security Technology - Avida Landau (Reuters)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Thursday he will seek to adopt novel Israeli methods, like behavior-detection technologies, to better secure America's airports. "That's a scenario where Israel has a lot of experience," he said.



Culture

Israeli Film Wins First Prize in Cannes' Short Film Category - Merav Yudilovitch (Ynet News)
The Israeli film "Himnon" ("Anthem") won the first prize in the Cinéfondation-Short Film category at the 61st Cannes Film Festival in France on Friday. It was directed by Elad Keidan of The Sam Spiegel Film and Television School. This is the first time an Israeli film wins in this category since it was created 11 years ago.


* Food

Kebabs (Small Hamburgers)

A classic Middle Eastern dish. There is hardly a restaurant in Israel which does not feature kebob at the head of its menu.

2 lbs. ground meat (beef or lamb)
1 tsp. ground cumin
chopped parsley
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
1 large onion

Mix meat with cumin, salt, pepper, and water. Knead well for 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and chopped parsley. Form a big ball and keep in refrigerator for 12 hours.

Before cooking, wet your fingers and form 3 in. x 1 in. stick-like hamburgers. Grill for 5-8 minutes. Turn from side to side until brown. Serve with fresh vegetable salad.


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ISRAELI VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

This fun song was chosen to mark Israel's 60th anniversary:

"Bat 60 - The Official Song for Israel@60,"
performed by Subliminal and Gevatron Choir


Israeli Blog

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www.isrealli.org