Thursday, July 31, 2014

Have you noticed the extreme bias in photo journalism on the web regarding the war between Hamas and Israel. There are a disproportionate amount of photos dealing with the conflict versus other world issues and the majority of photos from Gaza are of civilians and not of fighters. Nearly every picture from Israel depicts tanks, soldiers, or attack helicopters. Every picture of Gaza shows civilian anguish. It is a one-sided and misleading depiction of the Gaza battle. In many cases there are no images of Hamas fighters or rocket attacks on Israel, no images of the RPGs and machine guns recovered from attempted Hamas tunnel infiltrations into Israel. Hamas' strength is in the hate filled consciousness it raises amongst millions of Muslims world-wide. Look at Yahoo's "Photos of the Day" or the the more extreme LA Times. The LA Times piece doesn't even mention Hamas and when I looked, it wasn't until photo 47 of 93 that I saw my first Israeli. I hope when you see "journalism" like this you will write in protest. Seems Time.com might be one of the few sources to challenge Hamas' use of casualties as propaganda.


Australia
From The Long War Journal: Authorities estimate that 150 Australians are currently fighting in Syria and Iraq, and that about 60 of them have joined extremist groups. Attorney General George Brandis said Islamic extremism is germinating "within the suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne and Brisbane."

Denmark
Danish Prime Minister Refuses to Sign Nordic Letter Condemning Israel- Andreas Jakobsen (Copenhagen Post-Denmark)  Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has come under fire after refusing to sign a letter from all Nordic social democratic leaders condemning Israeli attacks on Gaza, Politikenreports. Party leaders in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland all signed the message.

Malaysia
Captured Hamas operative reveals paragliding attack plan – Adiv Sterman (Times of Israel) Terrorist confesses he trained in Malaysia to conduct raids on Israeli civilians from the air 

Gaza/Hamas
Hamas Shoots Protesters in Gaza - Ariel Ben Solomon (Jerusalem Post) Hamas shot 20 Palestinians on Monday night for protesting against Hamas for the massive destruction inflicted on their neighborhood in Sejaiya by the IDF in the past weeks, Israel Channel 10 TV reported on Tuesday.
From the Simon Wiesenthal Center: The Simon Wiesenthal Center is urging the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to investigate the death of at least 160 Palestinian children who were used by Hamas to build their terror tunnels.  “Hamas officials openly admitted that children were used to help build their terror tunnels and that at least 160 Palestinian kids died during so-called work accidents,” charged Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading Jewish human rights NGO.
Gaza Conflict Day 22: Hamas Rockets Hit Gaza Hospital (Honest Reporting)  “Both of those locations were struck by terrorist rockets that were launched towards Israel and fell short.”   The IDF also tweeted: “Since the beginning of the operation #IDF has documented approximately 200 rockets & mortars that landed short within #Gaza.”
As per Times of Israel: Three IDF soldiers were killed Wednesday morning in Gaza in an explosion at a booby-trapped UNRWA health clinic that housed a tunnel entry shaft.
Rockets Found at UN Gaza School for Third Time - Ilan Ben Zion (Times of Israel)
Hamas Threatens Journalists in Gaza(Times of Israel) This column reports news sources across the Miller globe removing information unfavorable to Hamas. See also: WSJ Reporters Delete Twitter Posts Implicating Hamas (CAMERA)

Iraq

Lebanon

Syria
Marijuana Cultivation Financing Syrian Rebels – Omar Abdullah (Syria Deeply/WorldCrunch)

United States
Ted Cruz, Kirsten Gillibrand Team Up on Hamas - Burgess Everett  (Politico)
Kerry Trying To Save Hamas, Restore Muslim Brotherhood – Khaled Abu Toameh (Gatestone Institute) The U.S. Administration's main objective in cease-fire talks is clearly to empower Muslim Brotherhood and its Palestinian branch, Hamas. By siding with Qatar and Turkey, the Obama Administration is effectively expressing its opposition to the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Moreover, the Obama Administration now finds itself on the same side with Iran, which is also vehemently opposed to disarming Hamas. By turning its back on the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Obama Administration has paved the way for Iranian intervention in the conflict. The PA, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would like to see an end to Hamas's rule over the Gaza Strip. Iran, Qatar and Turkey support Hamas.

Monday, July 28, 2014

With all the "thoughtful" celebrities weighing in on the Hamas war with Israel - It's worth remembering that while Israel seeks to defend its citizens against regular rocket attacks from Hamas, that terror group is committed in  its core to wiping out Israel and Jews. The IDF uses Irone Dome rockets to protect its citizens and Hamas uses citizens as human shields to protect its rockets. --Gary Rosenblatt, editor and publisher, JWNY
  
Armed Palestinians Move Under Cover of Gaza Humanitarian Truce - Patrick Martin (Globe and Mail-Canada) Several of the hidden Hamas tunnels discovered by Israel in the past three days were found to lead back to Sejaiya in Gaza, which is 1-2 km. from the Israel frontier. Almost 10% of all rockets fired against Israel during this conflict are said to have come from there.
Aerial Photos Identify Rocket Launches from Civilian Areas - Elior Levy (Ynet News) On Monday the IDF published photos displaying rocket launchers placed at a number of civilian sites, like playgrounds, schools, hospitals, and cemeteries. 
Gazan’s had lots of cement, but none was used for bomb shelters – just swimming pools  and tunnels to attack Israel:  Why Didn't Hamas Build Bomb Shelters? - Abdulateef Al-Mulhim (Arab News-Saudi Arabia)
What Really Happened at that Gazan UN School? (Honest Reporting)
On the reporting itself :
How the Media Is Helping Hamas - Bassam Tawil (Gatestone Institute)
“From the Moderate” Side:
Palestinian Media Watch reported on Thursday that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas had publicly declared the current conflict with Israel as a religious "war for Allah." On Friday, the Palestinian news service Ma'an printed an opinion piece that likewise interpreted the last lines of Abbas' speech as a call to West Bank Palestinians to initiate violence: 
 
Europe
And Now... Europe's Kristallnacht  - Douglas Murray (Gatestone Institute)

Egypt
Meet the Hamas Billionaires - Ella Levy-Weinrib (Globes)…The man pulling the strings from Egypt with the tunnels is none other than the number two man in the Muslim Brotherhood, Khairat el-Shater." 
 
Iran
Qods Day In Iran: Tehran Calls For Annihilation Of Israel And For Arming The West Bank -: Y. Mansharof. E. Kharrazi, Y. Lahat, and A. Savyon (MEMRI)
 
Turkey

United Nations
Ban Ki-moon's Shameful Message in Israel's Hour of Need - Anne Bayefsky (Jerusalem Post) He made no demand that Hamas "restrain" itself from fulfilling its goal of obliterating Israel. For the UN, no move that Israel makes, short of surrender to the Palestinian mob, will ever be sufficient. 
UN emergency session on Gaza: Hillel Neuer speaks out (UN Watch) Palestinians, Iran, Syria and Others Try to Silence UN WatchUN refuses to apologize for advocating cement used for terror tunnels (UN Watch)
 
United States
With news about immigration and tunnels running rampant, please consider: Examining the Terrorist Threat from America's Southern Border  - Scott Stewart (Stratfor)  
 Globes)

Monday, July 21, 2014

What's happening in Gaza and Israel? How is the “moderate” Fatah faction responding?
From Yarden Frankl at Honest Reporting: In the media, there is non-stop footage of bomb sites and casualties in Gaza. Perhaps that’s because pictures of Israeli children sitting protected in a bomb shelter don’t make good copy. So instead, the message the media broadcasts is that Israel should be condemned for using disproportionate force…Israeli actions are necessary and justified in light of the murderous intent of Hamas.
All the News Hamas Sees Fit to Print - Noah Pollak (Weekly Standard) The New York Times appears to be complying with a Hamas demand that the only pictures from Gaza are of civilians and never of fighters. The most influential news organization in the world is manufacturing an utterly false portrait of the battle - precisely the portrait that Hamas finds most helpful.
Hamas Guidelines to Social Media Activists (MEMRI)
UN agency handed rockets back to Hamas, Israel says - Raphael Ahren (Times of Israel)
UNRWA Strongly Condemns Placement of Rockets in School (UNRWA)
Abdullah Azzam Brigades (AAB) launches rocket attacks from Gaza - Oren Adaki (Long War Jounral) – Another branch of al Qaeda
Fatah hands out candy to celebrate "kidnapping" of Israeli soldier falsely claimed by Hamas- Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)
Hamas and Fatah defend demands that Palestinians act as human shields – Itamar Marcus and Nan Ziberdik (PMW)
While Israel Held Its Fire, Hamas Did Not - William Booth (Washington Post)
Media Death Count Encourages Hamas to Use Human Shields - Alan Dershowitz (Jerusalem Post)
Rockets from Lebanon Hit Northern Israel for Fourth Time since Gaza Operation Began - Yoav Zitun (Ynet News)

Gaza Fatalities Mostly Combatant-Age Males (CAMERA)
The Bizarre Moral Criticism Against Israel - Eric H. Yoffie (TIME)
If you've seen Dr. Mads Gilbert talking on the news, please read this story: A Maoist in Gaza by Ben Cohen in Commentary.

Bulgaria
Bulgaria Identifies Burgas Bomber as Lebanese-French National (Reuters) 

Egypt
Gunmen Kill 21 Egyptian Border Guards near Libya - (Ahram-Egypt) 

Iran
Hamas Official: We Have Good Relations with Hizbullah and Iran, and Cooperate Against Israel - Roi Kias (Ynet News)
Iran: The Regional Power behind the Hamas War Effort- Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall.(Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)
Desperately Seeking Iran’s ‘Exclusively Peaceful Nuclear Program’ - Claudia Rosett (Rosett Report) 

Iraq
Convert, Pay Tax, or Die, Islamic State Warns Christians (Reuters)
Islamic State overwhelms Iraqi forces at Tikrit in major defeat – Mitchell Prothero (McClatchy)
Iraqi military says it retakes control of key base in Tikrit – Bill Roggio (Long War Jounral) 

Qatar
In an interview with Al Jazeera TV, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) stated that there are not two sides to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict when Hamas is bombarding civilians. “Every rocket that is not aimed at a military target but is instead aimed at a civilian target, or just a city, is a war crime. Of course, it is a war crime committed by Hamas, and of course, the owners of this TV network help fund Hamas.” 

Sudan 
Sudan editor severely beaten after call for Israeli ties – AFP (Al Arabiya) 

Syria
More than 700 Killed in Syria in 48 Hours as ISIS Tightens Grip on East - Paula Astih (Asharq al-Awsat-UK)
U.S. Warns of Yemen-Syria Terror Collaboration (AFP)
Syria fights to free gas field from Islamic State – Mousab Alhamadee (McClatchy) Abu Bilal al Homsi, an official of the Islamic State, told McClatchy that after conquering the site Thursday, the al Qaida offshoot executed 200 government troops. 

United States
Missile "Diplomacy" U.S. Not Connecting the Dots - Peter Huessy (Gatestone Institute)

Monday, July 14, 2014

Please don't forget that the latest escalation in violence between Hamas and Israel started about a month ago when 3 teenagers were kidnapped and murdered by veteran Hamas operatives. There were 44 abduction attempts by Hamas in the last year and a half.


Why does Foreign Policy start off their report on the Hamas war with Israel with:  
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are fleeing their homes in northern Gaza in anticipation of an escalation of Israel's attacks on the territory.
rather than announcing all of Israel is under attack and if only Hamas and it's affiliates would stop bombing Israel, their own people would be out of peril. Nor does it explain that Palestinian women and children die in airstrikes because Hamas stores rocket launchers next to schools. At least Israel warns its enemy before an attack to prevent civilian casualties, unlike the Palestinians that officially target millions of civilians.


Abbas' Fatah movement continues to show support for violence against Israel and for the murder of Israelis – see this link to PMW and Where's the Coverage? "Moderate" Fatah a Partner in Terror (CAMERA)
Mahmoud Abbas is secretly plotting an all-out Palestinian war on Israel: Its ultimate challenge (DEBKA file)


Christian Embassy Delivers Bomb Shelters to Embattled Kfar Aza (Christian Embassy) On Thursday (10 July), the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem delivered two portable bomb shelters to the community of Kfar Aza along the Gaza border, which has been repeatedly targeted by Hamas rocket attacks over recent days. The delivery of the shelters came the day after an art school for the community's children suffered a direct hit by a Kassam rocket from Gaza and was completely gutted.
Iran's Aid to Hamas Has Bearing on Nuclear Talks, House Panel Chief Says - Howard LaFranchi(Christian Science Monitor)
Gazan Rocket Knocks Out Power for 70,000 Gazans - Sharon Udasin (Jerusalem Post)
Projectile Attack Prompts IDF Artillery Fire at Syrian Army Positions- Yaakov Lappin (Jerusalem Post
Lebanese Army Finds Rocket Launching Pad Targeting Israel (Al Balwaba - Jordan)

Canadian Prime Minister Harper Urges World Leaders to Side with Israel (Macleans - Canada)
Video: Dutch Prime Minister - Hamas Is a Terrorist Organization(YouTube - Dutch)


Jordanian Special Forces Operating Against ISIS in Iraq- Theodore Karasik (Al Arabiya)