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1. IDF Raids Two Ramallah Pirate TV Stations
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The IDF raided two Ramallah pirate television stations Wednesday morning and Communications Ministry officials confiscated their equipment.
One of the stations was operated by Watan TV, part of a communications empire, and the other was operated by the Palestinian al-Quds University's Quds Educational Television. No one was arrested, an IDF spokesman told Arutz Sheva.
He said that the raid followed numerous requests by the Communications Ministry that the stations cease broadcasting because of interference with Israeli broadcasting signals.
The spokesman said he had no information on whether the pirate stations interfered with intelligence communications or aircraft. He added that the confiscation of broadcast equipment, computers and documents was legal.
Foreign media reported that 20 soldiers were involved in the raid in the city that serves as the headquarters and capital of the Palestinian Authority, and which, ostensibly, is responsible for maintaining law and order in the city. The IDF conducts operations in Ramallah when the PA fails to arrest terrorists or uphold laws, such as those against pirate television stations.
The Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency reported that one of the television station’s employees said the 2 a.m. raid was a surprise. "They seized me and my colleagues and created a huge mess in the offices. They became very angry when they saw Khader Adnan’s photo hanging on our office’s wall,” the worker added.
Adnan is the spokesman for the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Judea and Samaria and was arrested by the IDF last December. He won international sympathy by staging a hunger strike until last week, when Israel agreed not to extend his administration detention that expires in mid-April.
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The IDF raided two Ramallah pirate television stations Wednesday morning and Communications Ministry officials confiscated their equipment.
One of the stations was operated by Watan TV, part of a communications empire, and the other was operated by the Palestinian al-Quds University's Quds Educational Television. No one was arrested, an IDF spokesman told Arutz Sheva.
He said that the raid followed numerous requests by the Communications Ministry that the stations cease broadcasting because of interference with Israeli broadcasting signals.
The spokesman said he had no information on whether the pirate stations interfered with intelligence communications or aircraft. He added that the confiscation of broadcast equipment, computers and documents was legal.
Foreign media reported that 20 soldiers were involved in the raid in the city that serves as the headquarters and capital of the Palestinian Authority, and which, ostensibly, is responsible for maintaining law and order in the city. The IDF conducts operations in Ramallah when the PA fails to arrest terrorists or uphold laws, such as those against pirate television stations.
The Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency reported that one of the television station’s employees said the 2 a.m. raid was a surprise. "They seized me and my colleagues and created a huge mess in the offices. They became very angry when they saw Khader Adnan’s photo hanging on our office’s wall,” the worker added.
Adnan is the spokesman for the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Judea and Samaria and was arrested by the IDF last December. He won international sympathy by staging a hunger strike until last week, when Israel agreed not to extend his administration detention that expires in mid-April.
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2. ADL: Farrakhan's Hate Speech 'Textbook Example' of Anti-Semitism
by Rachel Hirshfeld
Minister Louis Farrakhan, the racist leader of the Nation of Islam, once again echoed the anti-Semitic propaganda of which he has been widely accused.
Speaking to the Nation of Islam’s 82nd annual Savior’s Day celebration in Chicago on Tuesday, he accused Jews of controlling the media and “Zionists” of trying to push American into war with Iran.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) characterized his speech as “a textbook example” of the continuing potency of anti-Semitism and hatred that continues to exist in some segments of society to this day.
He echoed the typical anti-Semitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories, accusing the Jews of controlling the government, media, finance and entertainment but professed that he is “not anti-Semitic,” but rather “just telling the truth.
Addressing the crowd he announced, "I advise white and black America, Hispanic and Asian America, why would you send your children to die in a war engineered by Zionists who love Israel more than they love the United States of America?
"Don't send these children to war for the sake of Israel," he pleaded.
“In 100 years, they control movies, television, recording, publishing, commerce, radio, they own it all. Jewish people were not the origin of Hollywood, but they took it over," Farrakhan claimed.
"Farrakhan's annual address to the Nation of Islam was dripping with anti-Semitism and hatred and should stand as a textbook example of the continuing potency in some circles of anti-Semitism in America," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.
"Rather than laugh him off the stage, tens of thousands of supporters cheered him on and encouraged his anti-Semitism and bigotry. Not since Father Coughlin have we seen a religious figure so obsessed with anti-Semitism. In the past few years Farrakhan has turned his message and the mission of the Nation of Islam into a wide-ranging campaign to demonize and scapegoat Jews," according to Foxman.
“In addition to Farrakhan’s speech, the convention included a plenary session that sought to demonstrate disproportionate Jewish involvement in the slave trade. The session, titled ‘Business is Warfare: The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews,’ borrowed its name from a set of Nation of Islam books alleging that Jewish exploitation of blacks during the slave trade has caused deep and prolonged repercussions for African Americans,” the ADL reported.
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by Rachel Hirshfeld
Minister Louis Farrakhan, the racist leader of the Nation of Islam, once again echoed the anti-Semitic propaganda of which he has been widely accused.
Speaking to the Nation of Islam’s 82nd annual Savior’s Day celebration in Chicago on Tuesday, he accused Jews of controlling the media and “Zionists” of trying to push American into war with Iran.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) characterized his speech as “a textbook example” of the continuing potency of anti-Semitism and hatred that continues to exist in some segments of society to this day.
He echoed the typical anti-Semitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories, accusing the Jews of controlling the government, media, finance and entertainment but professed that he is “not anti-Semitic,” but rather “just telling the truth.
Addressing the crowd he announced, "I advise white and black America, Hispanic and Asian America, why would you send your children to die in a war engineered by Zionists who love Israel more than they love the United States of America?
"Don't send these children to war for the sake of Israel," he pleaded.
“In 100 years, they control movies, television, recording, publishing, commerce, radio, they own it all. Jewish people were not the origin of Hollywood, but they took it over," Farrakhan claimed.
"Farrakhan's annual address to the Nation of Islam was dripping with anti-Semitism and hatred and should stand as a textbook example of the continuing potency in some circles of anti-Semitism in America," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.
"Rather than laugh him off the stage, tens of thousands of supporters cheered him on and encouraged his anti-Semitism and bigotry. Not since Father Coughlin have we seen a religious figure so obsessed with anti-Semitism. In the past few years Farrakhan has turned his message and the mission of the Nation of Islam into a wide-ranging campaign to demonize and scapegoat Jews," according to Foxman.
“In addition to Farrakhan’s speech, the convention included a plenary session that sought to demonstrate disproportionate Jewish involvement in the slave trade. The session, titled ‘Business is Warfare: The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews,’ borrowed its name from a set of Nation of Islam books alleging that Jewish exploitation of blacks during the slave trade has caused deep and prolonged repercussions for African Americans,” the ADL reported.
Tags: ADL ,Abe Foxman ,Louis Farrakhan ,Anti-Semitism
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3. Israeli Jobless Drops to 30-Year Low
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Looking for work? Come to Israel. The jobless rate dropped to 5.4 percent in the last quarter, one of the lowest in the world and the lowest in Israel since 1980.
By contrast, the unemployment rate in the United States is 8.5 percent and is estimated in reality to be as much as twice as high when taking into account that millions of people simply have given up looking for work. Statistics are based only on those actively looking for employment.
The Israeli jobless rate for the previous quarter was 5.6 percent, compared with 6.6 percent for the year 2010, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics reported.
Geographically, the lowest unemployment rate for large cities was recorded in Tel Aviv, where the rate dropped to 4.4 percent from 5.7 percent in 2010.
High-tech employees made up slightly more than 10 percent of the civilian work force. Expansion of American-based firms’ Israeli operations has opened up hundreds of job opportunities, led by Intel. Microsoft and Google also have invested heavily in new tech centers in Israel.
Demand for engineers is expected to grow as Israel engages in the multi-billion project to pipe natural gas from giant off-shore fields that have been discovered west of the Haifa coast the past two years.
Clean tech is another growth area, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer told the National Green Growth Conference Tuesday.
“Israel has a comparative advantage” in clean tech, he said. “We accumulated experience in these areas even before the global green growth movement began, and I have the impression that we have lost the lead in these areas. We must attempt to come back and lead this industry, which can serve as a growth engine for the economy and vary the export sectors.
“Obviously, we must also invest efforts in improving the quality of the environment in Israel – we did it successfully in the past, for example in connection with educating the public to avoid picking wild flowers, and we can do it again in the future. And the future begins today.”
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Looking for work? Come to Israel. The jobless rate dropped to 5.4 percent in the last quarter, one of the lowest in the world and the lowest in Israel since 1980.
By contrast, the unemployment rate in the United States is 8.5 percent and is estimated in reality to be as much as twice as high when taking into account that millions of people simply have given up looking for work. Statistics are based only on those actively looking for employment.
The Israeli jobless rate for the previous quarter was 5.6 percent, compared with 6.6 percent for the year 2010, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics reported.
Geographically, the lowest unemployment rate for large cities was recorded in Tel Aviv, where the rate dropped to 4.4 percent from 5.7 percent in 2010.
High-tech employees made up slightly more than 10 percent of the civilian work force. Expansion of American-based firms’ Israeli operations has opened up hundreds of job opportunities, led by Intel. Microsoft and Google also have invested heavily in new tech centers in Israel.
Demand for engineers is expected to grow as Israel engages in the multi-billion project to pipe natural gas from giant off-shore fields that have been discovered west of the Haifa coast the past two years.
Clean tech is another growth area, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer told the National Green Growth Conference Tuesday.
“Israel has a comparative advantage” in clean tech, he said. “We accumulated experience in these areas even before the global green growth movement began, and I have the impression that we have lost the lead in these areas. We must attempt to come back and lead this industry, which can serve as a growth engine for the economy and vary the export sectors.
“Obviously, we must also invest efforts in improving the quality of the environment in Israel – we did it successfully in the past, for example in connection with educating the public to avoid picking wild flowers, and we can do it again in the future. And the future begins today.”
Tags: Intel ,Israel ,unemployment rate
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4. Arab Judge Refuses to Sing Anthem, Sparks Outrage
by Elad Benari
An Israeli Arab Supreme Court Judge caused an outrage on Tuesday, when he refused to sing Israel’s national anthem.
The incident occurred during the swearing in ceremony of the Israeli Supreme Court’s new president, Judge Asher Grunis. Grunis was sworn in Tuesday afternoon, several hours after outgoing president Judge Dorit Beinisch formally ended her term in office.
At the end of Grunis’ swearing in ceremony, everyone stood up and sang Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, together. Arab judge Salim Jubran, however, chose not to participate in the singing, according to a report on Channel 2 News.
The report cited the judge’s associates as having said that the issue of singing the anthem is a “very sensitive” matter for judge Jubran, but did not provide details on what exactly that meant. The Israeli anthem expresses the Jewish longing to return and be a free people in their homeland, Zion and Jerusalem, but does not in any way negate the presence of non-Jews in the country.
Jubran’s refusal to sing the Israeli national anthem was met with outrage, particularly among nationalist politicians, who told Channel 2 that it is unacceptable that a Supreme Court judge refuses to sing Hatikvah.
MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu), who chairs the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and is also a member of the Judge Selection Committee, announced that he plans to approach Justice Minister Ya'akov Ne'eman on Wednesday and demand that he fire judge Jubran.
MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) also condemned Jubran’s action and announced that he will submit on Wednesday a bill known as the Jubran Bill, which will stipulate that a person who did not serve his country, be it in the IDF or through national or civil service, will not be permitted to serve as a judge in the Supreme Court and, if already appointed, will not be allowed to serve as its president or vice president.
“Every Israeli citizen is committed to the anthem, and certainly those who hold senior state positions,” said Ben-Ari. “The fact that Jubran did not hesitate to degrade the state ceremony of the changing of the presidents is like spitting in the face of Israel. There are citizens who demand rights and government positions, but who scorn their national obligations with insolence and arrogance. This situation endangers the existence of the state and must be eradicated.”
Ben-Ari added, “Whoever does not like the national anthem should find a country with a suitable anthem and go there. I, for one, promise not to beg that person to remain here.”
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by Elad Benari
An Israeli Arab Supreme Court Judge caused an outrage on Tuesday, when he refused to sing Israel’s national anthem.
The incident occurred during the swearing in ceremony of the Israeli Supreme Court’s new president, Judge Asher Grunis. Grunis was sworn in Tuesday afternoon, several hours after outgoing president Judge Dorit Beinisch formally ended her term in office.
At the end of Grunis’ swearing in ceremony, everyone stood up and sang Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, together. Arab judge Salim Jubran, however, chose not to participate in the singing, according to a report on Channel 2 News.
The report cited the judge’s associates as having said that the issue of singing the anthem is a “very sensitive” matter for judge Jubran, but did not provide details on what exactly that meant. The Israeli anthem expresses the Jewish longing to return and be a free people in their homeland, Zion and Jerusalem, but does not in any way negate the presence of non-Jews in the country.
Jubran’s refusal to sing the Israeli national anthem was met with outrage, particularly among nationalist politicians, who told Channel 2 that it is unacceptable that a Supreme Court judge refuses to sing Hatikvah.
MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu), who chairs the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and is also a member of the Judge Selection Committee, announced that he plans to approach Justice Minister Ya'akov Ne'eman on Wednesday and demand that he fire judge Jubran.
MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) also condemned Jubran’s action and announced that he will submit on Wednesday a bill known as the Jubran Bill, which will stipulate that a person who did not serve his country, be it in the IDF or through national or civil service, will not be permitted to serve as a judge in the Supreme Court and, if already appointed, will not be allowed to serve as its president or vice president.
“Every Israeli citizen is committed to the anthem, and certainly those who hold senior state positions,” said Ben-Ari. “The fact that Jubran did not hesitate to degrade the state ceremony of the changing of the presidents is like spitting in the face of Israel. There are citizens who demand rights and government positions, but who scorn their national obligations with insolence and arrogance. This situation endangers the existence of the state and must be eradicated.”
Ben-Ari added, “Whoever does not like the national anthem should find a country with a suitable anthem and go there. I, for one, promise not to beg that person to remain here.”
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5. WikiLeaks: Russia Gave Israel Codes for Iran’s Missiles
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Russia gave Israel codes for breaking Iran’s missile defense system in return for codes of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Israel sold to Georgia, WikiLeaks claims.
The information was among 5 million emails released this week by WikiLeaks, which said it worked in cooperation with the Anonymous hacker group. The leaked information focused on the U.S.-based Stratfor global intelligence company.
A source identified as “A” was quoted in an e-mail from a Stratfor employee as having heard from a “former Mexican cop” and military analysts that "the Georgians are frantically looking for a replacement for the Israeli UAVs that were compromised.”
The Israeli-based Elbit company had sold UAVs to Georgia since 2007, and earlier this month Georgia said it is replacing the Hermes UAVs.
“Met with my Mexican source/friend again today and dude is getting shadier by the day. We followed up on our past discussion on Russia compromising the Israeli-made Georgian UAVs prior to the August war,” said one e-mail.
“I inquired more about the compromised Israeli UAVs,” it continued. “What he explained was that Israel and Russia made a swap -- Israel gave Russia the 'data link' code for those specific UAVs; in return, Russia gave Israel the codes for Iran's Tor-M1s [missile defense system].
“I asked about the S-300 (source tracks a lot of defense deals for Jane's). He doesn't think the Russians will give it to the Iranians. Besides, he said... Israel and Turkey have been collaborating very closely on the S-300s….The gist of what he said is that Turkey has been cracking the S-300 since the Crete sale and has been sharing intel on the S-300 with the Israelis to ensure that they retain an advantage over Iran should Iran get them from the Russians.
“SOURCE DESCRIPTION: MX301 - Former Mexican cop, Latam military analyst, writes for Jane's; SOURCE RELIABILITY: A
“The Russians got the data link for the UAV (there is some suspicion that the Israelis after the war may have given this to them…. So, since the Georgian UAVs were compromised, they then tried to sell them to the Azerbaijanis. I don’t know if that deal went through.”
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by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Russia gave Israel codes for breaking Iran’s missile defense system in return for codes of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Israel sold to Georgia, WikiLeaks claims.
The information was among 5 million emails released this week by WikiLeaks, which said it worked in cooperation with the Anonymous hacker group. The leaked information focused on the U.S.-based Stratfor global intelligence company.
A source identified as “A” was quoted in an e-mail from a Stratfor employee as having heard from a “former Mexican cop” and military analysts that "the Georgians are frantically looking for a replacement for the Israeli UAVs that were compromised.”
The Israeli-based Elbit company had sold UAVs to Georgia since 2007, and earlier this month Georgia said it is replacing the Hermes UAVs.
“Met with my Mexican source/friend again today and dude is getting shadier by the day. We followed up on our past discussion on Russia compromising the Israeli-made Georgian UAVs prior to the August war,” said one e-mail.
“I inquired more about the compromised Israeli UAVs,” it continued. “What he explained was that Israel and Russia made a swap -- Israel gave Russia the 'data link' code for those specific UAVs; in return, Russia gave Israel the codes for Iran's Tor-M1s [missile defense system].
“I asked about the S-300 (source tracks a lot of defense deals for Jane's). He doesn't think the Russians will give it to the Iranians. Besides, he said... Israel and Turkey have been collaborating very closely on the S-300s….The gist of what he said is that Turkey has been cracking the S-300 since the Crete sale and has been sharing intel on the S-300 with the Israelis to ensure that they retain an advantage over Iran should Iran get them from the Russians.
“SOURCE DESCRIPTION: MX301 - Former Mexican cop, Latam military analyst, writes for Jane's; SOURCE RELIABILITY: A
“The Russians got the data link for the UAV (there is some suspicion that the Israelis after the war may have given this to them…. So, since the Georgian UAVs were compromised, they then tried to sell them to the Azerbaijanis. I don’t know if that deal went through.”
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6. Prosor's Short but Clear Message:10 Days, 10 Rockets, 0 Action
by Elad Benari
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, tired of the international body’s failure to condemn the constant rocket fire at southern Israel, decided on Tuesday to protest that fact in an original way.
According to a report on Israel’s Channel 10 News, Ambassador Ron Prosor sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and to the members of the UN Security Council. Prosor has done this before, but this time he chose to make do with a laconic two-line message to express his despair at the UN’s silence on Israel.
“How long will you continue to be silent?” wrote Prosor. “Ten days, ten rockets, and not one condemnation.”
“The Red Alert siren in Israel’s southern towns should raise red flags in the Security Council. The Council must act, and do so immediately,” he demanded.
Prosor’s letter came after Gaza terrorists continued to fire rockets at Israel’s southern communities last weekend. While, luckily this time, no one was physically hurt, the psychological damage to citizens, especially children and the elderly, is profound.
The Israel Air Force carried out an air strike overnight Saturday night in retaliation for the latest attacks. IAF fighter pilots targeted a weapons factory and a smuggler tunnel in southern Gaza, according to the IDF spokespersons' office. Direct hits were confirmed in both operations.
More than 10,000 such rockets have been fired at Israel in the past decade, but the vast majority have been launched in the past six years, many of them from the very region where Jews once lived and thrived.
Last week, the UN Security Council condemned the recent terror attack on the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, India, as well as the attempted attack on the embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. It was the first time in seven years that the Security Council had condemned terror acts against Israelis.
Israel's delegation to the UN told Channel 10 following Prosor’s letter that “Prosor asked to send a short but clear message, in light of the continuing silence of the UN and the international community on the rocket fire from Gaza into southern communities.”
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by Elad Benari
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, tired of the international body’s failure to condemn the constant rocket fire at southern Israel, decided on Tuesday to protest that fact in an original way.
According to a report on Israel’s Channel 10 News, Ambassador Ron Prosor sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and to the members of the UN Security Council. Prosor has done this before, but this time he chose to make do with a laconic two-line message to express his despair at the UN’s silence on Israel.
“How long will you continue to be silent?” wrote Prosor. “Ten days, ten rockets, and not one condemnation.”
“The Red Alert siren in Israel’s southern towns should raise red flags in the Security Council. The Council must act, and do so immediately,” he demanded.
Prosor’s letter came after Gaza terrorists continued to fire rockets at Israel’s southern communities last weekend. While, luckily this time, no one was physically hurt, the psychological damage to citizens, especially children and the elderly, is profound.
The Israel Air Force carried out an air strike overnight Saturday night in retaliation for the latest attacks. IAF fighter pilots targeted a weapons factory and a smuggler tunnel in southern Gaza, according to the IDF spokespersons' office. Direct hits were confirmed in both operations.
More than 10,000 such rockets have been fired at Israel in the past decade, but the vast majority have been launched in the past six years, many of them from the very region where Jews once lived and thrived.
Last week, the UN Security Council condemned the recent terror attack on the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, India, as well as the attempted attack on the embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. It was the first time in seven years that the Security Council had condemned terror acts against Israelis.
Israel's delegation to the UN told Channel 10 following Prosor’s letter that “Prosor asked to send a short but clear message, in light of the continuing silence of the UN and the international community on the rocket fire from Gaza into southern communities.”
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7. Top US General Grilled on Iran Strike
by Gavriel Queenann
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey on Tuesday told a Senate panel he did not counsel Israel against attacking Iran over its nuclear program.
“We’ve had a conversation with them about time, the issue of time," Dempsey said, referring to his visit to Israel a month ago.
Grilled during a Senate Budget Committee meeting, Dempsey also defended his comment that Iran was a rational actor from Senator Lindsey Graham.
“We can’t afford to underestimate our potential adversaries by writing them off as irrational,” Dempsey said.
Asked pointedly by Graham if a military strike by the US was off the table, Dempsey responded, “Absolutely not."
He stressed the danger of nuclear weapons reaching terrorist groups and the beginning of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East involving countries threatened by Iran.
Observers say Graham's decision to corner Dempsey in committee and on the record on Israel and Iran wasn’t surprising.
Earlier this month, Dempsey said in a CNN interview that an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would be imprudent, destabilizing and would not achieve Israel's long-term objectives.
Those comments led Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to charge Dempsey as being "unwilling to aid Israel" in ensuring Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu said Dempsey's comments "served Iran."
Within hours Graham and fellow Senator John McCain, who had just met with Netanyahu, took Dempsey to task.
Graham told reporters that, while he respected Dempsey, “Obviously it’s not helpful if there is a well-publicized tension between the US and Israel. We would like to see the United States and Israel agree on a course of action that will lead us toward a goal we both share.”
"People are giving Israel a lot of advice here lately from America,” Graham said. “I just want to tell our Israeli friends that my advice to you is never lose control of your destiny."
"Never allow a situation to develop that would destroy the Jewish state," he added.
Standing next to Graham, McCain said, “There should be no daylight between America and Israel in our assessment of the [Iranian] threat.”
“Unfortunately there clearly is some,” added the Senator.
Over the weekend, McCain lashed out at the Obama administration’s handling of rising tensions between Israel and Iran.
McCain told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the administration intentionally leaked to the media the reason for the US national security adviser’s trip to Israel – to try to persuade the country not to attack Iran.
“The prime minister has every reason to be upset,” McCain said. “I can understand why relations are in very bad shape right now.”
In recent months Obama administration officials have leaked secret strategy meetings with Mossad chief Tamir Pardo on Iran, as well as Israel's theoretical timetable for an Iran strike.
They have also taken the unprecedented step of siding with Iran in accusing Israel of supporting the People's Mujahadeen of Iran in an assassination campaign targeting Iranian nuclear scientists.
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by Gavriel Queenann
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey on Tuesday told a Senate panel he did not counsel Israel against attacking Iran over its nuclear program.
“We’ve had a conversation with them about time, the issue of time," Dempsey said, referring to his visit to Israel a month ago.
Grilled during a Senate Budget Committee meeting, Dempsey also defended his comment that Iran was a rational actor from Senator Lindsey Graham.
“We can’t afford to underestimate our potential adversaries by writing them off as irrational,” Dempsey said.
Asked pointedly by Graham if a military strike by the US was off the table, Dempsey responded, “Absolutely not."
He stressed the danger of nuclear weapons reaching terrorist groups and the beginning of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East involving countries threatened by Iran.
Observers say Graham's decision to corner Dempsey in committee and on the record on Israel and Iran wasn’t surprising.
Earlier this month, Dempsey said in a CNN interview that an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would be imprudent, destabilizing and would not achieve Israel's long-term objectives.
Those comments led Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to charge Dempsey as being "unwilling to aid Israel" in ensuring Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu said Dempsey's comments "served Iran."
Within hours Graham and fellow Senator John McCain, who had just met with Netanyahu, took Dempsey to task.
Graham told reporters that, while he respected Dempsey, “Obviously it’s not helpful if there is a well-publicized tension between the US and Israel. We would like to see the United States and Israel agree on a course of action that will lead us toward a goal we both share.”
"People are giving Israel a lot of advice here lately from America,” Graham said. “I just want to tell our Israeli friends that my advice to you is never lose control of your destiny."
"Never allow a situation to develop that would destroy the Jewish state," he added.
Standing next to Graham, McCain said, “There should be no daylight between America and Israel in our assessment of the [Iranian] threat.”
“Unfortunately there clearly is some,” added the Senator.
Over the weekend, McCain lashed out at the Obama administration’s handling of rising tensions between Israel and Iran.
McCain told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the administration intentionally leaked to the media the reason for the US national security adviser’s trip to Israel – to try to persuade the country not to attack Iran.
“The prime minister has every reason to be upset,” McCain said. “I can understand why relations are in very bad shape right now.”
In recent months Obama administration officials have leaked secret strategy meetings with Mossad chief Tamir Pardo on Iran, as well as Israel's theoretical timetable for an Iran strike.
They have also taken the unprecedented step of siding with Iran in accusing Israel of supporting the People's Mujahadeen of Iran in an assassination campaign targeting Iranian nuclear scientists.
Tags: Martin Dempsey ,Pentagon ,Israel ,United States ,US Senate ,Lindsey Graham
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8. Noam Shalit Confronted by Anti-Terrorist Release Activists
by Elad Benari & Yoni Kempinski
A verbal confrontation broke out on Tuesday between Noam Shalit, father of freed soldier Gilad Shalit, and activists who spoke out against the deal Israel signed with Hamas to free Gilad, which saw 1,026 terrorists being released in exchange for one kidnapped soldier.
The confrontation broke out during a panel at the 9th Jerusalem Conference, sponsored by the Besheva magazine, which dealt with the price that Israel should or should not pay in exchange for its captives.
Participating in the panel, in addition to Shalit, were Attorney Zeev Dasberg, the Chairman of the Legal Institute for Terror Research, whose sister and brother-in-law's terrorist murderers were freed in the Shalit deal, Meir Indor who heads the Almagor Terror Victims’ Organization, and Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba, renowned halakhic decisor.
Rabbi Lior gave a Torah lecture at the start of the symposium and stated unequivocally, bringing many rabbinic sources to back him up, that freeing terrorists for a captured soldier was against halakha because of its dangerous results for the future.
Noam Shalit claimed during the panel that his family never asked the government to free terrorists and added, “We fought for our son’s life, and anyone else would have done the same. We did not demand that the government free even a single terrorist. We asked the government to bring Gilad back in whatever way the government chose.”
Shalit noted that his family led activists in attempting to bring pressure on Hamas in order to lower its demands, but that the government had foiled their plans. “We blocked the trucks bringing money to Gaza, but the Israeli government continued to transfer cash and food” he recalled.
He also said that the government and IDF must work now to deter terrorist kidnappings.
Shalit was criticized by Dasberg and Indor, with Dasberg noting that despite the fact that the Shalit family’s actions to bring Gilad back were appropriate for a father who sees the issue on a personal level, on the public level the Israeli government should not have listened to the family.He said that there was no basis in Israeli law for President Peres' signing pardons en masse for the terrorists.
Indor attacked Shalit and held up a newspaper which reported about some of the terrorists who were released in the deal and who have since returned to terrorism.
Dasberg later told Arutz Sheva that the main message coming from the panel is that Israel should not surrender to terrorists.
“The idea is to pressure them,” he said. “Stop the flow of electricity to them, stop giving them food and money and aid. Such pressure may make them realize that terror has no effect.”
Dasberg called on Noam Shalit, who recently announced that he would be running for the Knesset with the Labor party, to fight to ensure that Israel does not give in to terrorists. He noted that Shalit is obligated to do so especially because he is Gilad’s father. It is uncertain whether Shalit would do that kind of about-face after his own experience.
“As Gilad Shalit’s father, he’s supposed to fight against terror and to fight against kidnappings such as what happened to his son,” insisted Dasberg.
Indor told Arutz Sheva that he chose to attack Shalit at the panel because now that Shalit has announced his run for politics, he has laid himself open to criticism.
“We gave them a lot of respect so long as his son was in Hamas’ hands, but once he decided to go into politics and he’s carrying the flag of releasing terrorists, we decided to stop giving respect and tell Israeli society that this man, in our eyes, serves Hamas’ agenda,” said Indor.
“The victims of terror feel that this man is making a career on account of their sacrifice,” he added, rejecting Shalit’s call to be tougher on terrorists.
“He talked about the leaders on one hand, but on the other hand he said he was against making rules for the next kidnapping,” said Indor. “He said that in the Knesset. So his platform will be that when the next soldier is kidnapped, he can’t say to the next family that they can’t get what he got.”
During the Jerusalem Conference, the results of a poll conducted by the Ma’agar Mohot Institute and which surveyed the public opinion about the Shalit deal were presented.
The poll found that a large majority – 71 percent – believe that the Israeli government did the right thing when it agreed to release terrorists for Gilad Shalit. Only 29 percent said they believe that the government was wrong.
At the same time, the poll found that 74 percent of respondents believe that in the future, Israel must set a limit on the number of terrorists that can be freed in exchange for one kidnapped Israeli. Only 26 percent said they believe that no restrictions should be imposed on the number of terrorists that can be freed.
Dasberg said in response that legal issues, such as freeing murderers from jail, can not be decided by polls.
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by Elad Benari & Yoni Kempinski
A verbal confrontation broke out on Tuesday between Noam Shalit, father of freed soldier Gilad Shalit, and activists who spoke out against the deal Israel signed with Hamas to free Gilad, which saw 1,026 terrorists being released in exchange for one kidnapped soldier.
The confrontation broke out during a panel at the 9th Jerusalem Conference, sponsored by the Besheva magazine, which dealt with the price that Israel should or should not pay in exchange for its captives.
Participating in the panel, in addition to Shalit, were Attorney Zeev Dasberg, the Chairman of the Legal Institute for Terror Research, whose sister and brother-in-law's terrorist murderers were freed in the Shalit deal, Meir Indor who heads the Almagor Terror Victims’ Organization, and Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba, renowned halakhic decisor.
Rabbi Lior gave a Torah lecture at the start of the symposium and stated unequivocally, bringing many rabbinic sources to back him up, that freeing terrorists for a captured soldier was against halakha because of its dangerous results for the future.
Noam Shalit claimed during the panel that his family never asked the government to free terrorists and added, “We fought for our son’s life, and anyone else would have done the same. We did not demand that the government free even a single terrorist. We asked the government to bring Gilad back in whatever way the government chose.”
Shalit noted that his family led activists in attempting to bring pressure on Hamas in order to lower its demands, but that the government had foiled their plans. “We blocked the trucks bringing money to Gaza, but the Israeli government continued to transfer cash and food” he recalled.
He also said that the government and IDF must work now to deter terrorist kidnappings.
Shalit was criticized by Dasberg and Indor, with Dasberg noting that despite the fact that the Shalit family’s actions to bring Gilad back were appropriate for a father who sees the issue on a personal level, on the public level the Israeli government should not have listened to the family.He said that there was no basis in Israeli law for President Peres' signing pardons en masse for the terrorists.
Indor attacked Shalit and held up a newspaper which reported about some of the terrorists who were released in the deal and who have since returned to terrorism.
Dasberg later told Arutz Sheva that the main message coming from the panel is that Israel should not surrender to terrorists.
“The idea is to pressure them,” he said. “Stop the flow of electricity to them, stop giving them food and money and aid. Such pressure may make them realize that terror has no effect.”
Dasberg called on Noam Shalit, who recently announced that he would be running for the Knesset with the Labor party, to fight to ensure that Israel does not give in to terrorists. He noted that Shalit is obligated to do so especially because he is Gilad’s father. It is uncertain whether Shalit would do that kind of about-face after his own experience.
“As Gilad Shalit’s father, he’s supposed to fight against terror and to fight against kidnappings such as what happened to his son,” insisted Dasberg.
Indor told Arutz Sheva that he chose to attack Shalit at the panel because now that Shalit has announced his run for politics, he has laid himself open to criticism.
“We gave them a lot of respect so long as his son was in Hamas’ hands, but once he decided to go into politics and he’s carrying the flag of releasing terrorists, we decided to stop giving respect and tell Israeli society that this man, in our eyes, serves Hamas’ agenda,” said Indor.
“The victims of terror feel that this man is making a career on account of their sacrifice,” he added, rejecting Shalit’s call to be tougher on terrorists.
“He talked about the leaders on one hand, but on the other hand he said he was against making rules for the next kidnapping,” said Indor. “He said that in the Knesset. So his platform will be that when the next soldier is kidnapped, he can’t say to the next family that they can’t get what he got.”
During the Jerusalem Conference, the results of a poll conducted by the Ma’agar Mohot Institute and which surveyed the public opinion about the Shalit deal were presented.
The poll found that a large majority – 71 percent – believe that the Israeli government did the right thing when it agreed to release terrorists for Gilad Shalit. Only 29 percent said they believe that the government was wrong.
At the same time, the poll found that 74 percent of respondents believe that in the future, Israel must set a limit on the number of terrorists that can be freed in exchange for one kidnapped Israeli. Only 26 percent said they believe that no restrictions should be imposed on the number of terrorists that can be freed.
Dasberg said in response that legal issues, such as freeing murderers from jail, can not be decided by polls.
Tags: Noam Shalit ,Meir Indor ,Zeev Dasberg ,Shalit deal ,Hamas ,terrorists
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