The Jordanian-Palestinian confederation
A friend of mine recently told me that this confederation idea was gaining traction behind the scenes. This info came from a high ranking Israeli official. One other benefit for the West is that Jordan could invite all refugees to return to Jordan and get full citizenship. Ted Belman
During its meeting last month in Qatar’s capital, Doha, the Arab League voted to grant the Syrian opposition a representative seat in the organization. The decision raised eyebrows in the Palestinian Authority because Ramallah is concerned that the Arab League could implement a “Syria scenario” whereby the League would recognize Hamas as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, thus severing the PA. PA officials have said openly that Hamas is seeking to eliminate the Palestinian Liberation Organization — which the United Nations and over 100 countries recognize as the sole representative of the Palestinian people — and replace it with something else.
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When is “hate speech”, hate speech
By Ted Belman
The Forward published a piece by Mitchell Plitnick, former Director of B’Tselem’s U.S. Office and former Co-Director of Jewish Voice for Peace, explaining, Why Pamela Geller’s Hate Speech Should Be Barred — But BDS Allowed. His thesis is predicated on this belief:
- Pamela Geller preaches venomous hatred of Muslims. She is one of the leading voices promoting the idea of “creeping Sharia” in the United States. Claiming that Islam, as a religion, is dedicated to eradicating Jews and eventually turning all others into Muslims by whatever means necessary is the very definition of hate speech.
As the video above points out, critics don’t attack Geller for what she says but makes false accusations about her and then attacks her for what they said she said.
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In reconciling with the Kurds, Erdogan takes a risky gamble
Conflict in the Middle East threatens not only the security of many of its states, but also their continued existence. Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and others, now gripped by sectarian fighting and tension, risk fragmenting into ethnic sub-states, in that way transforming a region whose political geography was drawn nearly a century ago.
Surveying the regional scene, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has conceived of an audacious plan to enhance Turkey’s regional standing and extend his own political dominance at home. Facing the end of a self-imposed three-term limit as prime minister, he is intent on changing the Turkish constitution to introduce a presidential system – with himself at the top as the first incumbent to wield much-enlarged power.
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Canadian Chuzpah – coffee in Jerusalem
Jonathan S. Tobin, COMMENTARY
The Palestinian Authority is up in arms over a cup of coffee consumed by Canada’s foreign affairs minister, John Baird. He was in the Middle East last week and made the requisite pilgrimage to Ramallah to give PA President Mahmoud Abbas a photo opportunity as well as a chance to beg yet another Western leader for more cash to keep his sinking ship afloat. But whatever success Abbas and company may have had in hitting up the Canadians for more money to squander is being overshadowed by their rage for Baird’s decision to meet with Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Since it was located over the green line in the part of the city that was illegally occupied by Jordan from 1949 to 1967 prior to Jerusalem’s unification, the Palestinians consider this a violation of international law. In consequence of this protest, Baird received a stern letter from the PA and a Canadian diplomat was summoned for another meeting in Ramallah where, after the scolding is finished, the Palestinians would, no doubt, have another chance to talk about more cash to spread around in no-show and no-work patronage jobs that enable the Fatah Party to maintain its hold on the area.
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Senators Approve Resolution to Assist Israel in Iran Strike
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted on Tuesday a resolution which stipulates that the U.S. will assist Israel if it is forced to take action against Iran.
The resolution, Senate Resolution 65, was introduced last month by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and was co-sponsored by 15 Senators, including Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York).
It states that the United States has a vital national interest in and unbreakable commitment to, ensuring the existence, survival, and security of the State of Israel; reaffirms the United States support for Israel’s right to self-defense; and urges that if Israel is compelled to take military action in self-defense, the United States will stand with Israel and provide diplomatic, military, and economic support in its defense of its territory, people, and existence.
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Leiberman: ‘Deal with Palestinians must include Israeli Arabs’
Liberman slams Arabs who take part in march mourning establishment of Israel, says they should be citizens of PA.
Yisrael Beytenu leader MK Avigdor Liberman on Tuesday harshly criticized Israeli Arabs who mourned the founding of Israel on Independence Day, saying that this provided further proof that they should be made citizens of the Palestinian Authority in any future peace agreement.
Liberman’s comments came after thousands of Israeli-Arabs took part in the annual “Right of Return” march near Umm al-Fahm in the Wadi Ara region of central Israel. The march mourns the founding of Israel on its Independence Day and calls for the right of return for Arabs who fled their homes or were expelled during the 1948 Independence War.
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Saudi terror cell, possibly al Qaeda, behind Boston Marathon bombings
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis April 16, 2013, 7:45 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags:
Police and agents search Saudi suspects apartment in Revere outside Boston.
FBI Special Agent Richard Deslauriers told reporters Tuesday, April 16, that the probe had no leads 18 hours after two explosions blew up at the annual Boston Marathon’s finishing line, killing three people and injuring 176 – 17 critically. DEBKAfile’s counterterrorism sources can disclose however that the investigation has in fact homed in on a suspected terror cell of three Saudi nationals, very possibly tied to Al Qaeda.
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ZOA: Jordanian Glorification of Jew-Killer Underscores Rejection of Israel By Israel’s Neighbors
April 16, NEW YORK — The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has noted the recent overwhelming call in the Jordanian parliament for the release from prison of Musa Mustafa Daqamseh, the Jordanian soldier who in 1997 went on a rampage and murdered seven Israeli schoolgirls. The Jordanian parliament’s lower house, which has 120 legislators, produced an overwhelming 110 votes in favor of Daqamseh’s release. Daqamseh was sentenced to 25 years in prison but many in Jordan have resented the sentence on this Jew-killer and demanded his release.
This includes Hussein Mjali, Jordan’s former justice minister, who has referred to Daqamseh as a “hero” and, two years, took it upon himself to agitate publicly for his early release. Mjali has said that “if a Jew killed Arabs they would have built a monument in his honor” (Rois Kais, ‘Jordanian parliament demands release of Naharayim shooter,’ Yediot Ahronot, April 12, 2013). In February 2011, Mjali has also called Israel a “terrorist state that will be destroyed” in an interview with Jordanian newspaper Al-Arab Al-Yom (Jack Khoury, ‘Jordan justice minister: Israel is a terrorist state,’ Haaretz, February 16, 2011). (Read more…)
Ted Belman
Jerusalem, Israel
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