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1. Police Fire Rubber Bullets, Wound 15, in Outpost Destruction
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Hundreds of security forces wounded 15 civilians, most of them by
rubber bullets, early Monday morning after police pounced on the Gilad Farm
(Chavat Gilad) outpost while using two bulldozers to destroy an
”illegal” home, a second home that was almost completely built and a
third one under construction. A tent also was demolished.
Residents of the community, located in Samaria near Kedumim, tried to
resist the destruction, and clashes broke out, escalating to the point
that special police forces used rubber bullets and tear gas, generally
employed at mass riots. The police denied they used rubber bullets and
claimed that they employed paintball guns to against stone throwers.
The Women in Green and Committees for Judea Action issued a protest
statement on the use of rubber bullets. “Bibi, the injuries are your
responsibility. Stop hiding behind Barak," they said, referring to Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
The government has targeted Gilad Farm dozens of times the past several
years, although it is on private property owned by the Zar family, who
named the farm after their son Gilad, murdered by Arab terrorists in a
shooting attack several years ago.
Zar’s son Etai was among eight people who were arrested in Monday morning’s police raid.
The community is considered illegal by the government “because Barak
has not signed the papers approving construction,” David HaIvri,
director of the Shomron (Samaria) Liaison Council, told Israel National
News.
He added he does not understand how authorities determine which home to
destroy. Gilad Farm residents have pointed out several times that the
government does not raze hundreds of illegally built Arab homes in the immediate area.
The Israel Electric Company has not provided the community with a
hook-up for electricity, and the farm’s 28 families depend on an
expensive diesel-fueled generator - and are often forced to remain
without electricity during the winter nights.
Gilad Farm also has been the target of Arab terrorists, leftists and
anarchists, who have torched the farm’s fields and attacked residents
with firebombs.
2. Mubarak Banned from Fleeing Egypt, Assets Frozen
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The new military regime in Egypt has banned deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from leaving the country and frozen his assets, according to military sources quoted by the Egyptian Ahram Online website.
His
family faces criminal charges, and the military prevented his son from
fleeing Egypt on a private jet. He was reported to have traveled with
his mother to Britain after last month's uprising, but reports of his
flight now appear to be untrue.
Mubarak's massive wealth, estimated to be valued at billions of dollars, is being investigated by authorities.
At the outset of the populist revolution against his regime, Mubarak, who is dying from cancer, vowed he would not leave the country. “I will die in Egypt,” he said. Some opponents have called for Mubarak to be sentenced to death.
He is believed to be living in seclusion in the Sharm El-Sheikh resort on the Red Sea.
3. Video: Libyan Protesters Burn Pictures of Gaddafi
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
A new YouTube posting shows protesters in Libya burning photos of Muammar Gaddafi, who is desperately holding on to power from his sole power base in Tripoli as rebels form a transitional government.
Foreigners and Libyan citizens are crossing the Egyptian and Tunisian
borders to escape the savage onslaught from Gaddafi’s remaining loyal
soldiers and paid mercenaries. More than 2,000 people are estimated to
have been murdered in the uprising that began more than a week ago and
has cost Gaddafi support from virtually the entire world, including the
Arab League.
Officers who have defected from the armed forces have set up a command
station in the eastern part of the country, where most of the country’s
oil resources are located and which is under control by opposition forces. The
chaos has pushed up the price of oil on the world market to within 50
cents of $100 a barrel, the highest level since late 2008.
The United States and Europe’s leading countries are discussing the
possibility of military intervention to establish a no-fly zone in Libya
to prevent Gaddafi from resuming aerial bombing of opponents to his
regime.
Establishing a no-fly zone would require approval by the United Nations Security Council,
which last Saturday night imposed military and economic sanctions on
Gaddafi. European countries and the United States have frozen his
assets.
4. Wisconsin as Ground Zero of the Budget War
by Dr. Amiel Ungar
In the decade preceding the American Civil War, one of the
battlegrounds between pro-slavery forces and the Abolitionists was the
State of Kansas, where both sides sent in partisans to fight for their
opinions. The violence that resulted gave the state the unenviable name
of "Bleeding Kansas".
Hopefully, the only violence that will occur in Wisconsin's capital of
Madison after the deadline for clearing the demonstrators from the
capital has passed will be verbal violence and passive
resistance. Governor Scott Walker's plan to cut down the power of the
state civil service unions has mobilized both parties and unified them
in polarized form around the issue, with the Republican Party backing
Walker and the Democratic Party backing the unions.
If at first the Democratic National Committee tried to influence things
behind the scenes in favor of the unions, the committee's winter
meeting was an overt rally on behalf of the unions. The Cabinet's Labor
secretary Hilda Solis brought the DNC to its feet Saturday morning with
a rousing pro-union speech at telling the assembled that the "fight it
is on …We work together. We help those embattled states right now where
public employees are under assault.”
An American Secretary of Labor is traditionally the best friend of the
unions, just as the Secretary of Commerce serves as business' voice in
the cabinet. But in this case Solis is far from alone, as Democrats from
Barack Obama on down have entered the fight.
Rallying the Democratic base was the MoveOn.org, a group that managed
to organize events at all 50 state capitals to support the anti-Walker
protesters. It is worth recalling that this organization, representing
the left wing of the Democratic Party, originated during the Monica
Lewinsky affair when the Republicans tried to impeach Bill Clinton. The
organization was not particularly known for its empathy towards the
unions at the time. It seems that Wisconsin has united the Democratic
Party.
It has also done the same for the Republicans. The Republicans are just
as focused on the battle, making it part of their campaign to trim the
deficit and get the budget back under control. Wisconsin Republicans
have become the face of the national Republican Party. Its heroes are
Walker, Representative Paul Ryan and now former Wisconsin GOP chairman
Reince Priebus, who just replaced the embattled Michael Steele as
chairman of the Republican National Committee. Priebus was quick to tap
Rick Wiley as the RNC's political director.
The RNC is using Wisconsin to kick start a fundraising drive. The party
base is being solicited to provide the resources, advertising the need "
so we can stand behind leaders on the hill and governors across the
country who are leading on these issues instead of punting like the
Democrats.”
A another indicator of the fact that both sides are focused on
Wisconsin and the budget issue came last week when President Barack
Obama announced that the federal government would no longer defend the
"Defense of Marriage Act" in the courts. Normally, this decision in
favor of gay rights would have aroused cheers on the left and vigorous
denunciations from conservatives. Currently it only aroused a yawn.
Social and cultural issues have taken a definite back seat to the
economic issue.
A recent Gallup poll of US citizens who identified themselves as
Republicans or Republican-leaning, taken in the midst of the
current Mideast chaos, showed that care much less about the MIddle
East and Israel than they do about the economic situation inside the
USA. When asked which of four main issues interested them the most, 37%
said government power and spending, 31% replied business and the
economy, while only 17% said moral values and social issues and even
less participants, a mere15%, said foreign policy.
5. Cttee: Shehadeh Killing 'Faulty,' but Not Criminal
by Maayana Miskin
A committee charged with investigating the 2002 assassination of
arch-terrorist Salah Shehadeh has found that mistakes were made in the
strike, but ruled that the operation was not criminal. None of the IDF
personnel involved should be punished, according to the committee's
report, which was turned in to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on
Sunday.
Several innocent Gaza residents were killed in the blast that took out
Shehadeh, a senior member of Hamas who had coordinated terrorist attacks
in Israel and was planning additional mass-casualty attacks.
Committee members said the death of innocents was the result of faulty
intelligence. The death of civilians was “disproportionate” when weighed
against the need to contain Shehadeh, they said.
However, “the lesson was learned” by IDF commanders, and there is no
need to take action against the individuals involved, they ruled.
The committee, led by retired judge Tova Strasberg Cohen, also
determined that the use of assassination as a tool against terrorist
networks remains legitimate.
The IDF policy of pinpointed strikes against known terrorists succeeded
in eliminating some of the most dangerous terrorist leaders and their
followers, while attempting to avoid civilian casualties. The IDF often
cancelled planned assassinations when civilians were in the
vicinity, even though the terrorists are allowed to live with impunity
among these same civilians.
Some of Israel's senior military and political leaders have been
targeted by pro-Arab groups for legal action over the assassination. In
2009 a Spanish court agreed to conduct a probe of the incident at the request of a group of Gaza residents; however, Spain later moved to limit its jurisdiction, and the case was dropped.
6. Heb. U. Prof. Wistrich Awarded for Anti-Semitism Study
by Hillel Fendel
Prof. Robert Wistrich of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been
awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his lifelong contributions
to the study of anti-Semitism.
The Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA)
at Hebrew U announced today that Wistrich, the Center’s director, is to
receive the award from the Journal for the Study of Antisemitism (JSA).
At the same time, JSA named his magnum opus A Lethal Obsession the
“Best Book of 2010” on anti-Semitism.
A Lethal Obsession, an encyclopedic work spanning over 2,000 years of
world history, provides a definitive look at the various streams of
anti-Semitism through the ages, and explores the connections between the
resurgence of global anti-Semitism and contemporary social and
political issues.
“Because of his commitment to investigating anti-Semitism and fighting
it in all its emerging forms, the JSA is proud to acknowledge Prof.
Wistrich as the leading scholar in the field and present him with this
Lifetime Achievement Award,” the publication’s editors, Steven K. Baum,
Neal E. Rosenberg, Lesley Klaff and Steven L. Jacobs, said in a written
statement.
“We are appreciative of Prof. Wistrich’s scholarly efforts in the
ongoing struggle against anti-Semitism and believe such acknowledgment
is long overdue.”
Prof. Wistrich holds the Neuberger chair for Modern European History at
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is the author and editor of 24
books, several of which have won international awards. These
include Socialism and the Jews, The Jews of Vienna in the Age of Franz
Joseph (winner of the Austrian State Prize for Danubian History and
Antisemitism), and The Longest Hatred (recipient of the H.H. Wingate
Prize for non-fiction in the U.K.).
“His numerous books and articles and
invaluable contributions to landmark film projects set the standard for
other scholars and have paved the way for graduate students to continue
his work in the study of anti-Semitism,” the statement concludes.
For an INN interview with Prof. Wistrich, click here.
7. Obama Should Embrace Islam, Says Muslim Cleric
by Elad Benari
The British radical Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary said on Sunday that
U.S. President Barack Obama must embrace Islam as a way of life or face
the consequences of a trial under the Shariah Islamic court system.
Choudary, who spoke with investigative reporter Aaron Klein during his
radio program on New York’s WABC Radio, claimed during the interview
that Obama is waging a war against Islam.
“[Obama] has promised all Muslims to be released from Guantanamo Bay.
They are still languishing there even though he knows they are
completely innocent,” said Choudary. “On top of that, he’s increased the
number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, so he is a war mongerer just as
his predecessor was. And thirdly and more importantly, you know, the
Muslims don’t want democracy and freedom. Democracy and freedom are
anathema to Islam and the Sharia.”
Choudary also said that he is planning a protest in front of the White
House on Thursday in which he will call on American Muslims to revolt
against the country and implement Sharia law.
He added that during the protest he will also call on Obama and all
Americans to “embrace Islam, not only as a religion but as a way of
life.”
Choudary added: “At the same time, we will be issuing a warning that
the presence of U.S. forces and U.S. personnel in Muslim countries,
looking out for their interests, at the moment is very, very insecure. I
think the Muslims are boiling angry around the world. This is something
they (Americans) should take very seriously.”
Choudary also claimed that Obama was committing “crimes” against
Muslims in Iraq and in Afghanistan. “I do believe that the only way for
him to save himself in this life and in the hereafter is to embrace
Islam,” he said. “Islam will eradicate all his sins, he will be like the
day his mother gave birth to him. Otherwise, when we do implement the
Shariah, obviously he will face the consequences of a trial under the
Sharia court.”
Choudary founded two Muslim groups in Britain that were banned by the
British government as being terrorist organizations. He has threatened
British Jews who support Israel, stating that it is an “Islamic
obligation upon Muslims everywhere to support the Jihad against those
who fight Muslims anywhere in the world or who occupy Muslim land.”
He has often praised Muslim terrorists, referring to the September 11
terrorists as “magnificent martyrs.” In 2003 he endorsed terrorist
attacks by British Muslims and said that al-Muhajiroun, one of the
groups he founded, would “encourage people to fulfill their Islamic
duties and responsibilities.” He praised the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai and has called for stoning homosexuals and for assassinating the Pope.
Choudary has also previously called for prosecuting Queen Elizabeth
for genocide because “she is the one who applauds her sons and
daughters to go out and massacre hundreds and thousands of innocent
people.” He also declared that the Queen should be tried for “the
extermination of a nation.”
During Sunday’s interview with Klein, Choudary repeated his contention that the flag of Islam will fly over the White House.
“I do believe that as a Muslim every part of the world will be governed
by the Sharia,” he said. “So symbolically the flag of Islam will fly
from every single country, every single nation.”
8. Interview: Yesha Jews Have Rights, Too, Says Orit Strook
by David Lev
If police, the Knesset, and the justice system have more respect than
they used to for residents of Judea and Samaria – or, at least, more
willingness to treat them like other Israelis with rights, instead of
“second-class settlers” – it's largely thanks to the efforts of the
Yesha Human Rights Organization, headed by attorney Orit Strook. The
group has filed hundreds of complaints against police officers who
tended to release their frustrations on Jewish youth in places like
Amona and Gush Katif, and it has also pursued criminal and civil cases
against dozens of police officers guilty of police brutality. In
addition, it has lobbied for and successfully pushed through important
legislation that protects the rights of residents of Judea and Samaria.
“The government, the Knesset, the media and the left understand that
the Jews of Yesha have someone supporting them,” Strook told Arutz
Sheva. “We have made them sit up and take notice, ensuring that offenses
against Yesha residents will be dealt with thoroughly.”
The work is not limited to Yesha residents. A good example of what Strook means came last week, when the organization filed an NIS 100,000 lawsuit against
a police officer who was convicted – thanks to Strook – for beating up
an innocent bystander at the 2010 “Pride Parade” in Jerusalem. An
Orthodox man was filming a demonstration in the Geulah neighborhood –
far away from the parade – and recorded provocations by police against
some of the demonstrators from a rooftop. A policeman noticed the man
filming, and demanded that he hand his camera over. The man refused to
do so, and the policeman made his way to the roof and beat up the man,
grabbing the camera. After supplying evidence, testimony and legal
assistance, Strook got the officer convicted of police brutality – and
filed a civil suit against him as well.
“Tracking down police officers who mistreat citizens is one of the
activities on which we spend a great deal of time” says Strook.
“Theoretically, cases like these are supposed to be dealt with by the
police internal affairs unit (Machash), but they often suffer from a
lack of motivation – and even if the motivation is there, the resources
are not.”
The effectiveness of Strook's group is evident in the numbers, she
says. “About 2% of cases filed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs end
up generating an indictment, while about a third of the complaints we
file do. We end up doing a lot of the work Internal Affairs is supposed
to do, but cannot or will not do.” When the organization takes a case,
Strook says, they stick with it from beginning to end, ensuring that
justice is done – and that corrupt cops pay the penalty. “Once we're
done with a criminal case, we almost always proceed to a civil lawsuit,
in order to ensure that the policeman pays a stiff settlement out of his
own pocket.” That, says Strook, is how police learn that crime – in
their case, police brutality – doesn't pay.
One of the major projects taken on by the organization – dealing with the police brutality at Amona in 2006 –
is nearing completion. “As is well known, policed treated the
protesters with extreme violence, and hid their identities by taking off
their badges,” Strook says. At first, it appeared as if the subterfuge
by police had succeeded; nearly all the complaints of brutality were
dismissed because the specific officers that beat protesters could not
be identified. “We got involved and produced evidence and witnesses,
eventually identifying nearly all the offending officers. Our evidence
was accepted by the courts, and they have begun meting out punishments.”
Besides working police brutality cases, the also works in the
legislative arena. “Nowadays we are invited to all Knesset deliberations
on human rights.” The organization was also instrumental in passing a
law that expunges all charges against youths who were arrested in
protests during the Disengagement. The law has been challenged by
leftist groups in the High Court, and the organization has defended it –
successfully – numerous times.
One of the most important projects the organization has taken on, says Strook, is helping to establish the Land of Israel Lobby in
the Knesset. “We worked with numerous MKs to develop the Lobby, which
was recently named by Yediot Acharonot as the most effective lobby in
the Knesset,” Strook says. Her latest project is ensuring equal rights
and justice for farmers in Judea and Samaria. “The farmers there have
long suffered from both Arabs and police, who are very quick to blame
them for Arab provocations,” Strook says. That situation actually
follows the pattern set by the Justice Ministry, which, after much
research by the organization, was proved to be singling out Yesha
residents for harassment – at the order, it turned out, of Deputy State
Prosecutor Shai Nitzan. “We exposed the Nitzan situation, and we are
doing the same thing in order to protect the farmers,” Strook said.
The Yesha Human Rights organization subsists mainly on donations, and
volunteer work by attorneys the group works with. “At any one time, we
have about 100 cases going, so this is a fairly complicated operation.
There are many projects we'd like to take on that we cannot, because of
the lack of resources and time.” But difficult as the work may be, it's
necessary – and it's had an important impact on Israeli society. “Today
police, the courts, and the Knesset have learned that the residents of
Yesha are Israelis with rights. That's a big change from just a few
years ago,” says Strook. “That new attitude has made Israel more
democratic for everyone.”
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