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1. 3,000 Show Their Support at Solidarity Event in Itamar
by Gil Ronen
The words in the video above are: "And this [belief in G-d, ed.] has sustained our forefathers and us, because not just one enemy has tried to destroy us, but the Holy One, Blessed be He, rescues us from their hands", words from the Passover Haggadah that are especially apt this holiday of Purim.
The video was filmed at the special show of support held Saturday night at Itamar, where five members of one family, including a 3-month-old baby, were savagely murdered eight days ago on Friday night by terrorists.
Organizers said that over 3,000 people attended, travelling to the community after the Purim holiday Megillah reading instead of going home for festivities. In addition, the students at Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where Purim is celebrated on Sunday night, cut their planned program short to travel to the town. Among the public figures who addressed the crowd were MKs Uri Ariel and Michael Ben-Ari of the National Union, and Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) who called on the government to protect Israeli communities and to realize that these stalwart people are the pioneering Zionists of today.
Buses brought people from around the country to show support for the community that has been the target of barbaric Arab terrorism on numerous occasions.
(Israel news photos: David Ha'ivri)
Rabbi Elyakim Levanon
Gershon Mesika, Samaria Liaison Council head
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by Gil Ronen
The words in the video above are: "And this [belief in G-d, ed.] has sustained our forefathers and us, because not just one enemy has tried to destroy us, but the Holy One, Blessed be He, rescues us from their hands", words from the Passover Haggadah that are especially apt this holiday of Purim.
The video was filmed at the special show of support held Saturday night at Itamar, where five members of one family, including a 3-month-old baby, were savagely murdered eight days ago on Friday night by terrorists.
Organizers said that over 3,000 people attended, travelling to the community after the Purim holiday Megillah reading instead of going home for festivities. In addition, the students at Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where Purim is celebrated on Sunday night, cut their planned program short to travel to the town. Among the public figures who addressed the crowd were MKs Uri Ariel and Michael Ben-Ari of the National Union, and Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) who called on the government to protect Israeli communities and to realize that these stalwart people are the pioneering Zionists of today.
Buses brought people from around the country to show support for the community that has been the target of barbaric Arab terrorism on numerous occasions.
(Israel news photos: David Ha'ivri)
Rabbi Elyakim Levanon
Gershon Mesika, Samaria Liaison Council head
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2. Israel Celebrates Purim 5771
by Gil Ronen
Israel, the world's oldest and mostly profoundly influential living nation, celebrates the holiday of Purim Monday. The holiday marks the miraculous turn of events by which the Jews of the ancient kingdom of Persia were saved at the last minute from a plan hatched by a top court adviser, Haman, to annihilate them. The wisdom and courage of two Jews - Mordechai and his niece Esther - turn the tables on Haman, who ends up dead along with his sons.
While many secular and non-Jewish people see the holiday mostly as an excuse for children to get dressed up in costumes, this is no "Jewish Halloween": rather, Purim is one of the most important holidays in the Jewish year and the Jewish sages have devoted countless learned debates over the centuries to the hidden meanings of the Scroll of Esther and the holiday's traditions.
Masquerading on Purim reminds us that Queen Esther did not tell the king she was Jewish until the end of the story, and may also symbolize, as do the traditional pocket foods eaten on the holiday--hamantaschen, stuffed cabbage and the Jewish won tons called kreplach--that the miracle of Purim was a hidden, seemingly natural deliverance from danger and not a visible wonder like the parting of the Red Sea..
The photos show celebrations throughout Israel, among religious and non-religious people.
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
Israel, the world's oldest and mostly profoundly influential living nation, celebrates the holiday of Purim Monday. The holiday marks the miraculous turn of events by which the Jews of the ancient kingdom of Persia were saved at the last minute from a plan hatched by a top court adviser, Haman, to annihilate them. The wisdom and courage of two Jews - Mordechai and his niece Esther - turn the tables on Haman, who ends up dead along with his sons.
While many secular and non-Jewish people see the holiday mostly as an excuse for children to get dressed up in costumes, this is no "Jewish Halloween": rather, Purim is one of the most important holidays in the Jewish year and the Jewish sages have devoted countless learned debates over the centuries to the hidden meanings of the Scroll of Esther and the holiday's traditions.
Masquerading on Purim reminds us that Queen Esther did not tell the king she was Jewish until the end of the story, and may also symbolize, as do the traditional pocket foods eaten on the holiday--hamantaschen, stuffed cabbage and the Jewish won tons called kreplach--that the miracle of Purim was a hidden, seemingly natural deliverance from danger and not a visible wonder like the parting of the Red Sea..
The photos show celebrations throughout Israel, among religious and non-religious people.
Comment on this story
3. Grad Rocket Strike in Ashkelon
by Maayana Miskin
Gaza terrorists fired a Grad Katyusha rocket at the city of Ashkelon on Sunday evening, just after the Jewish holiday of Purim was ending. The rocket slammed into a neighborhood in the city, but did not cause physical injury.
Two people suffered shock and one required hospital care.
The attack follows a massive mortar barrage on southern Israel on Saturday. Terrorists fired more than 50 mortar shells at Jewish communities near Gaza.
One shell hit a home, wounding two people.
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz met with commanders in southern Israel Saturday evening. He also met with the heads of local councils and assured them, “The IDF will continue to act, the situation is under control.”
On Saturday night terrorists struck again, firing six mortar shells at communities in the Eshkol region. No injuries were reported.
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by Maayana Miskin
Gaza terrorists fired a Grad Katyusha rocket at the city of Ashkelon on Sunday evening, just after the Jewish holiday of Purim was ending. The rocket slammed into a neighborhood in the city, but did not cause physical injury.
Two people suffered shock and one required hospital care.
The attack follows a massive mortar barrage on southern Israel on Saturday. Terrorists fired more than 50 mortar shells at Jewish communities near Gaza.
One shell hit a home, wounding two people.
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz met with commanders in southern Israel Saturday evening. He also met with the heads of local councils and assured them, “The IDF will continue to act, the situation is under control.”
On Saturday night terrorists struck again, firing six mortar shells at communities in the Eshkol region. No injuries were reported.
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4. Israeli Medical Team Heads for Japan
by Chana Ya'ar
Israeli doctors are headed to Japan in response to an official request by Tokyo for aid from Jerusalem, with a first responder team of two doctors and one officer from Israel's Home Front Command having departed from Ben Gurion International Airport Saturday night.
The delegation will do a needs assessment on site in advance of a second team slated to arrive later, with medical equipment, more doctors and other medical professionals. The Foreign and Defense Ministries also are set to ship blankets, coats, gloves and porta-pots to the city of Kurihara. Survivors of the disasters have been streaming in to the city, having been transferred from nearby Sendai, where most of the worst damage is centered.
The Japanese ambassador was among those present at the airport to wish the team well on their trip and to express his country's gratitude for the aid. He noted that Israel was one of the first countries to send a medical team to the disaster area.
Israel was also the first country to offer assistance, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu making a call to the Japanese government a scant hour after hearing news of the tragic 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami.
On Thursday, Israel sent 100 Geiger counters to Japan, to help gauge the radiation levels among civilians in contaminated areas around the stricken nuclear reactors. Another 200 of the devices will be sent next week as well, following an urgent request by Japanese police and fire officials, according to a report by a Hebrew-language newspaper. The devices will be supplied by Rotem Industries, the Negev-based firm that supplies technology to Israel's nuclear reactor in Dimona.
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by Chana Ya'ar
Israeli doctors are headed to Japan in response to an official request by Tokyo for aid from Jerusalem, with a first responder team of two doctors and one officer from Israel's Home Front Command having departed from Ben Gurion International Airport Saturday night.
The delegation will do a needs assessment on site in advance of a second team slated to arrive later, with medical equipment, more doctors and other medical professionals. The Foreign and Defense Ministries also are set to ship blankets, coats, gloves and porta-pots to the city of Kurihara. Survivors of the disasters have been streaming in to the city, having been transferred from nearby Sendai, where most of the worst damage is centered.
The Japanese ambassador was among those present at the airport to wish the team well on their trip and to express his country's gratitude for the aid. He noted that Israel was one of the first countries to send a medical team to the disaster area.
Israel was also the first country to offer assistance, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu making a call to the Japanese government a scant hour after hearing news of the tragic 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami.
On Thursday, Israel sent 100 Geiger counters to Japan, to help gauge the radiation levels among civilians in contaminated areas around the stricken nuclear reactors. Another 200 of the devices will be sent next week as well, following an urgent request by Japanese police and fire officials, according to a report by a Hebrew-language newspaper. The devices will be supplied by Rotem Industries, the Negev-based firm that supplies technology to Israel's nuclear reactor in Dimona.
Comment on this story
5. Qaddafi Arms Citizens
by Maayana Miskin
The international offensive against Muammar Qaddafi's regime in Libya continued Sunday. Leaders in Britain, France and the United States expressed satisfaction with the direction the offensive has taken, saying they have hit 20 out of 22 desired targets.
Libyan media announced that Qaddafi plans to arm at least one million citizens in response, allowing them to fight rebel forces.
Qaddafi also vowed to “exterminate” any Libyan who fought alongside foreign forces. He continued to rant against foreign leaders – after calling them “terrorists,” he went on to term them “the new Hitler” and to taunt, “You will be defeated like Hitler and Mussolini... You will die.”
U.S. and European officials said Sunday that they are not planning a ground invasion of Libya. Rather, they plan only to take out Qaddafi's air force, giving rebel troops a chance to oust the leader.
“This is all about creating the space for the Libyan people to take their own decisions for the future,” said British Chancellor George Osborne.
However, the international intervention faced opposition. The Arab League, which previously supported an international proposal to close Libya's skies, condemned the operation. “What we want is civilians' protection, not shelling more civilians,” an Egyptian daily quoted Arab League head Amr Moussa as saying.
Russia called Sunday to “stop indiscriminate use of force” by foreign states in Libya, and accused the states involved of going beyond a United Nations mandate. “We proceed from the inadmissibility of using the Resolution 1973 mandate... for ends that clearly overstep its framework, which stipulates only measure to protect the civilian population,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
For an in depth analysis of Russia and China's motives, click here.
Comment on this story
by Maayana Miskin
The international offensive against Muammar Qaddafi's regime in Libya continued Sunday. Leaders in Britain, France and the United States expressed satisfaction with the direction the offensive has taken, saying they have hit 20 out of 22 desired targets.
Libyan media announced that Qaddafi plans to arm at least one million citizens in response, allowing them to fight rebel forces.
Qaddafi also vowed to “exterminate” any Libyan who fought alongside foreign forces. He continued to rant against foreign leaders – after calling them “terrorists,” he went on to term them “the new Hitler” and to taunt, “You will be defeated like Hitler and Mussolini... You will die.”
U.S. and European officials said Sunday that they are not planning a ground invasion of Libya. Rather, they plan only to take out Qaddafi's air force, giving rebel troops a chance to oust the leader.
“This is all about creating the space for the Libyan people to take their own decisions for the future,” said British Chancellor George Osborne.
However, the international intervention faced opposition. The Arab League, which previously supported an international proposal to close Libya's skies, condemned the operation. “What we want is civilians' protection, not shelling more civilians,” an Egyptian daily quoted Arab League head Amr Moussa as saying.
Russia called Sunday to “stop indiscriminate use of force” by foreign states in Libya, and accused the states involved of going beyond a United Nations mandate. “We proceed from the inadmissibility of using the Resolution 1973 mandate... for ends that clearly overstep its framework, which stipulates only measure to protect the civilian population,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
For an in depth analysis of Russia and China's motives, click here.
Comment on this story
6. Uprising in Syria: Assad Begins to Yield to Pressure
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Unprecedented protests in Syria for political freedom have forced the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad to release 15 school children who were arrested in demonstrations, during which at least five people were killed.
Assad had been unable to suppress protests and withstand pressure that forced concessions from other Muslim countries in the past two months while toppling the regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and threatening the Bahraini and Libyan rulers.
Syrian security forces used to tear gas to break up anti-government crowds at a funeral for two protesters who were killed on Friday, when police gunned down five people in violent clashes. Approximately 10,000 people had gathered and demanded more religious and political freedoms.
Assad, whose regime is branded by the United States as supporting terror, has expressed confidence that his iron grip will not be threatened. "Syria is insulated from the upheaval in the Arab world,” he has stated, insisting that he “understands his people's needs and has united them in common cause against Israel."
The United States condemned the violence, and a White House statement said, “Those responsible for today’s violence must be held accountable. The United States stands for a set of universal rights, including the freedom of expression and assembly, and believes that governments, including the Syrian government, must address the legitimate aspirations of their people.”
Analysts doubt that the protests pose any near-term threat to Assad.
“Syria was always going to be a tough nut for pro-democracy activists to crack,” TIME magazine noted. “It is a country where NGOs and political parties other than the ruling Ba'ath have long been banned; and where dissent, however mild, is viciously crushed. The omnipresent secret police, who are much more visible these days, and the regime of President Bashar al-Assad they serve, have instilled a public fear so heavy, it's almost tangible.”
It added, however, that the protests Friday and Saturday represented a drastic change and quoted Syrian dissident Ayman Abdel Nour as saying, "It is the start of a Syrian revolution unless the regime acts wisely and does the needed reforms."
TIME concluded, “The barrier of fear Syrians must surmount is significant if they are to seriously take on the regime, but then again, as protesters in Tunisia, Egypt and even Libya have proven, so too are the opportunities."
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Unprecedented protests in Syria for political freedom have forced the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad to release 15 school children who were arrested in demonstrations, during which at least five people were killed.
Assad had been unable to suppress protests and withstand pressure that forced concessions from other Muslim countries in the past two months while toppling the regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and threatening the Bahraini and Libyan rulers.
Syrian security forces used to tear gas to break up anti-government crowds at a funeral for two protesters who were killed on Friday, when police gunned down five people in violent clashes. Approximately 10,000 people had gathered and demanded more religious and political freedoms.
Assad, whose regime is branded by the United States as supporting terror, has expressed confidence that his iron grip will not be threatened. "Syria is insulated from the upheaval in the Arab world,” he has stated, insisting that he “understands his people's needs and has united them in common cause against Israel."
The United States condemned the violence, and a White House statement said, “Those responsible for today’s violence must be held accountable. The United States stands for a set of universal rights, including the freedom of expression and assembly, and believes that governments, including the Syrian government, must address the legitimate aspirations of their people.”
Analysts doubt that the protests pose any near-term threat to Assad.
“Syria was always going to be a tough nut for pro-democracy activists to crack,” TIME magazine noted. “It is a country where NGOs and political parties other than the ruling Ba'ath have long been banned; and where dissent, however mild, is viciously crushed. The omnipresent secret police, who are much more visible these days, and the regime of President Bashar al-Assad they serve, have instilled a public fear so heavy, it's almost tangible.”
It added, however, that the protests Friday and Saturday represented a drastic change and quoted Syrian dissident Ayman Abdel Nour as saying, "It is the start of a Syrian revolution unless the regime acts wisely and does the needed reforms."
TIME concluded, “The barrier of fear Syrians must surmount is significant if they are to seriously take on the regime, but then again, as protesters in Tunisia, Egypt and even Libya have proven, so too are the opportunities."
Comment on this story
7. Sarah Palin Visiting Israel
by INN Staff
Sarah Palin, who ran for Vice President in the 2008 Republican campaign for the White House, will visit Israel this week.
The former Alaska governor has campaigned for several candidates associated with the Tea Party movement, and is a possible candidate in the 2012 presidential election.
According to IDF Radio, the conservative leader's visit is labeled as a private one, but she will be meeting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as well as other nationalist figures, including MK Danny Danon (Likud). The visit will probably be short, lasting less than two full days.
She is expected to visit the Kotel, as well as Nazareth, and will tour Israel by helicopter.
Palin recently expressed her strong support for Israel in a Fox News interview, in response to an initiative to cut all US foreign aid. "You know I'm sure that there's some waste and fraud in our foreign aid we need to find efficiencies and not give to any regime that would seek to harm Americans in any sense of the word 'harm,'" Palin said, "I don't support that kind of foreign aid at all. but when it comes to Israel - NO... I stand strong with Israel and unapologetically I say that America should keep this strong democratic ally that we have there in the Middle East and allow for protections around Israel."
Israeli mainstream media is left-liberal and uniformly anti-religious. Palin, as a conservative Republican, is usually portrayed in a less-than-flattering light by Israeli news outlets, which appear to see her as a threat, while US President Barack Obama enjoys favor on mainstream news.
Nonetheless, the press in Israel has been speculating recently on what it sees as a possible up-and-coming Israeli equivalent to the U.S. conservative movement. An 11-minute report on Channel 10 news last month focused on the activity of a pro-family-values movement called The Familists and labeled two women who have cooperated with it as potential "Israeli Sarah Palins." One is Daphne Netanyahu, editor of online magazine Mara'ah, who is also the sister-in-law of the Prime Minister. The other is MK Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich (Kadima), who has recently come out against what she termed "the feminist jihad" in Israel.
The Channel 10 report acknowledged that the 'familist' movement has suffered from mainstream censorship but predicted that it could become the surprise of the next election. A Channel 2 media analyst on news talk show "The World This Morning" said the movement enjoys "unbelievable popularity" and women's magazine At drew a parallel between it and the Tea Party movement.
Comment on this story
by INN Staff
Sarah Palin, who ran for Vice President in the 2008 Republican campaign for the White House, will visit Israel this week.
The former Alaska governor has campaigned for several candidates associated with the Tea Party movement, and is a possible candidate in the 2012 presidential election.
According to IDF Radio, the conservative leader's visit is labeled as a private one, but she will be meeting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as well as other nationalist figures, including MK Danny Danon (Likud). The visit will probably be short, lasting less than two full days.
She is expected to visit the Kotel, as well as Nazareth, and will tour Israel by helicopter.
Palin recently expressed her strong support for Israel in a Fox News interview, in response to an initiative to cut all US foreign aid. "You know I'm sure that there's some waste and fraud in our foreign aid we need to find efficiencies and not give to any regime that would seek to harm Americans in any sense of the word 'harm,'" Palin said, "I don't support that kind of foreign aid at all. but when it comes to Israel - NO... I stand strong with Israel and unapologetically I say that America should keep this strong democratic ally that we have there in the Middle East and allow for protections around Israel."
Israeli mainstream media is left-liberal and uniformly anti-religious. Palin, as a conservative Republican, is usually portrayed in a less-than-flattering light by Israeli news outlets, which appear to see her as a threat, while US President Barack Obama enjoys favor on mainstream news.
Nonetheless, the press in Israel has been speculating recently on what it sees as a possible up-and-coming Israeli equivalent to the U.S. conservative movement. An 11-minute report on Channel 10 news last month focused on the activity of a pro-family-values movement called The Familists and labeled two women who have cooperated with it as potential "Israeli Sarah Palins." One is Daphne Netanyahu, editor of online magazine Mara'ah, who is also the sister-in-law of the Prime Minister. The other is MK Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich (Kadima), who has recently come out against what she termed "the feminist jihad" in Israel.
The Channel 10 report acknowledged that the 'familist' movement has suffered from mainstream censorship but predicted that it could become the surprise of the next election. A Channel 2 media analyst on news talk show "The World This Morning" said the movement enjoys "unbelievable popularity" and women's magazine At drew a parallel between it and the Tea Party movement.
Comment on this story
8. PA Incitement ‘Concerns’ US – After 4 Days of Silence
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The United States, after four days of silence, expressed ”concern” over the Palestinian Authority’s naming a town square in honor of Dalal Mughrabi, the terrorist responsible for an attack that killed 35 Israelis in 1978. The Palestinian Authority honored her near Ramallah -- two days after the massacre of five Jews in the Samaria town of Itamar on the evening of March 11.
Mughrabi was killed while hijacking a bus on the coastal road between Haifa and Tel Aviv, where she directed the attack.
The expression of “concern” was the same one that the State Department used concerning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that in response to the terrorist attack, Israel will build 500 new residential units in Judea and Samaria.
The U.S. State Department initially declined to comment on the latest incitement, stating it was trying to "clarify" the report. Nevertheless, acting U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters last week that the Obama administration is disturbed by “reports” of the latest honor for Mughrabi, who has been celebrated several times, particularly in the past year.
“We condemn this commemoration of terrorism and have conveyed our deep concern about this incident to senior officials in the Palestinian Authority and have urged them to address it. We underscore that all parties have an obligation to end any form of incitement,” Toner said.
PA chairman and Fatah movement leader Mahmoud Abbas has denied Israeli charges that it continues to incite Arabs against Israel and Jews despite daily evidence to the contrary. He also blamed Israel for assuming that Palestinian Authority Arabs carried out the savage murders of Rabbi Udi and Ruth Fogel and three of their six young children, including a baby, nine evenings ago.
Consistent with minimal coverage of the murders and a general view that Israel is partly to blame for the attack because it maintains a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria, reporters questioned Toner about Abbas’ initiative to reconcile with Hamas and form a new unity government, instead of continuing on the subject of incitement.
Toner used the question as lever to bring up the topic of “trying to get both parties – both the Palestinians and the Israelis – back to the negotiating table.” He also declined to state whether a Hamas-Fatah unity government would hinder or advance the "diplomatic process," although Hamas is defined by the United States as an outlawed terrorist organization.
Toner’s comments followed complaints by several Jewish groups. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations complained about Toner’s early statement that it was seeking “clarifications” on the honoring of the mega-terrorist.
“Where is the outrage? Where is the indignation?" the statement said. “We hope that the U.S. Administration will demand that the Palestinian leadership live up to its commitment to end incitement of all kinds and will hold them to account for the failure to do so.
“The international community not only must condemn acts of inhumanity and brutality, but also must express unequivocal outrage at the ongoing incitement to hatred and violence. Mere words are insufficient; there must be real action and follow-up."
The Jewish group noted that “members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction were on hand for the unveiling of the plaque” honoring Mughrabi.
The Anti-Defamation League and the Zionist Organization of America also complained about the State Department’s initial low-key reaction. “We respectfully suggest that a forceful, unequivocal, and public condemnation of incitement must be heard around the world and should also be directed to all Palestinians through their media," the ADL said in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The ZOA said the Obama administration had "refused" to condemn the “almost Nazi-like Fatah ceremony” honoring Mughrabi despite pleas from the Jewish group. “We condemn him for this disgraceful failure and silence," the ZOA said.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The United States, after four days of silence, expressed ”concern” over the Palestinian Authority’s naming a town square in honor of Dalal Mughrabi, the terrorist responsible for an attack that killed 35 Israelis in 1978. The Palestinian Authority honored her near Ramallah -- two days after the massacre of five Jews in the Samaria town of Itamar on the evening of March 11.
Mughrabi was killed while hijacking a bus on the coastal road between Haifa and Tel Aviv, where she directed the attack.
The expression of “concern” was the same one that the State Department used concerning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that in response to the terrorist attack, Israel will build 500 new residential units in Judea and Samaria.
The U.S. State Department initially declined to comment on the latest incitement, stating it was trying to "clarify" the report. Nevertheless, acting U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters last week that the Obama administration is disturbed by “reports” of the latest honor for Mughrabi, who has been celebrated several times, particularly in the past year.
“We condemn this commemoration of terrorism and have conveyed our deep concern about this incident to senior officials in the Palestinian Authority and have urged them to address it. We underscore that all parties have an obligation to end any form of incitement,” Toner said.
PA chairman and Fatah movement leader Mahmoud Abbas has denied Israeli charges that it continues to incite Arabs against Israel and Jews despite daily evidence to the contrary. He also blamed Israel for assuming that Palestinian Authority Arabs carried out the savage murders of Rabbi Udi and Ruth Fogel and three of their six young children, including a baby, nine evenings ago.
Consistent with minimal coverage of the murders and a general view that Israel is partly to blame for the attack because it maintains a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria, reporters questioned Toner about Abbas’ initiative to reconcile with Hamas and form a new unity government, instead of continuing on the subject of incitement.
Toner used the question as lever to bring up the topic of “trying to get both parties – both the Palestinians and the Israelis – back to the negotiating table.” He also declined to state whether a Hamas-Fatah unity government would hinder or advance the "diplomatic process," although Hamas is defined by the United States as an outlawed terrorist organization.
Toner’s comments followed complaints by several Jewish groups. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations complained about Toner’s early statement that it was seeking “clarifications” on the honoring of the mega-terrorist.
“Where is the outrage? Where is the indignation?" the statement said. “We hope that the U.S. Administration will demand that the Palestinian leadership live up to its commitment to end incitement of all kinds and will hold them to account for the failure to do so.
“The international community not only must condemn acts of inhumanity and brutality, but also must express unequivocal outrage at the ongoing incitement to hatred and violence. Mere words are insufficient; there must be real action and follow-up."
The Jewish group noted that “members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction were on hand for the unveiling of the plaque” honoring Mughrabi.
The Anti-Defamation League and the Zionist Organization of America also complained about the State Department’s initial low-key reaction. “We respectfully suggest that a forceful, unequivocal, and public condemnation of incitement must be heard around the world and should also be directed to all Palestinians through their media," the ADL said in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The ZOA said the Obama administration had "refused" to condemn the “almost Nazi-like Fatah ceremony” honoring Mughrabi despite pleas from the Jewish group. “We condemn him for this disgraceful failure and silence," the ZOA said.
Comment on this story
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