Ignoring the Ceasefire; Jan 29 2009

More liveblogging at IsraellyCool and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/muqata Keyword #GazaWar

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Jan 30: Treppenwitz has a post up with a video of Muslims marching in London, abusing the London police (violently) who are seen running away afraid, and in general acting like we've come to expect from the Muslim population in European countries.

My response is: Jews come home to Israel.

12:22 PM Sorry Jameel, but I'm busy working right now. Hopefully nothing will happen that will require a special update (in which case I will update it).

From somewhere in the hills of Judea,

JoeSettler

11:57 PM Good night people - I'm off to bed. Tomorrow morning, blogging will be lighter than usual due to an IDF local region security meeting I need to attend to. (Maybe JoeSettler will pick up the slack?)

From somewhere in the hills of Samaria,

Jameel

11:55 PM Channel 1 TV reports that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (Kadima) will be interrogated by Israel's police tomorrow (Friday) for the 12th time since he became Prime Minister of Israel, on suspicious of corruption, etc.

11:41 PM Turkish PM storms out of Davos' Gaza session, slams moderator, Peres, Israel, etc.

"My reaction here was towards the moderator. Such moderation will cast a shadow over peace efforts," Erdogan told reporters, adding the moderator gave each speaker around 12-15 minutes to speak but he allowed Peres to talk for 25 minutes.

Read more of the nonsense here. (or see the video of it for yourself, here)

11:25 PM Every night, Israel has the wonderful custom (and law) which allows for all electoral parties to get airtime on TV and radio. Pollsters have already proven that the effectiveness of these campaigns are limited (most of the time, it's usually people who already have made up their minds saying, "See, we really nailed that party with our commercial!")

Even parties like ultra-Orthodox Aguda/Yahadut Hatorah have TV commercials, despite that their constituency are not even supposed to own TVs!

Tonight, perhaps one of the strangest commercial's aired tonight, for one of the strangest parties. I'm embarrassed that such a commercial even exists, but I thought it prudent to show you want a thriving democracy Israel is, that such a commercial and party can even exist.

(Keep in mind, at Tel Aviv University's straw poll the other day, this party received 5 seats).



hat-tip: here, via R' Tzvi the nameless

10:56 PM Iranian Pirate Ship -- you know, the one the US was unable to confiscate the weapons aboard for "legal" reasons? The one headed to Hamas in Gaza, or Hizbollah in Lebanon?

Well, here's the update: Haaretz reports that Cyrpus successfully detained the ship tonight.

Cypriot authorities on Thursday detained an Iranian arms ship en route to Syria, a European diplomatic source said.

The move apparently came after Israel and the United States requested that Cyprus stop the ship. It is carrying a large amount of weaponry, including artillery rounds and rockets that Israel believes are destined for either Hezbollah or Hamas.

The vessel left the Persian Gulf a few weeks ago and reached about 60 miles from Cyprus' port city of limassol on Wednesday.

Since the ship was flying Cyprus' flag, the Cypriot authorities were the only ones authorized to confiscate its cargo.

According to the diplomat, Cypriot customs officials had contacted the Iranian boat and demanded that it sail to limassol to be checked.

The U.S. navy had earlier detained the ship in the Red Sea, but was forced to release it Tuesday when it became apparent that there was no legal basis for holding it.

More here.

8:45 PM When I'm not war-blogging, one of the frequent discussions on this blog is about the highly popular "Srugim" TV show, which follows the challenging lives of religious Jewish singles in the Jerusalem "Katamon swamp".

Srugim's director (and personal friend) Laizy Shapiro sent me the following email today about the showing of a documentary of his, aired tomorrow on Channel 10 TV in Israel. Totally worth it, if you have the chance. (The show is only 18 minutes, so it won't kill your whole pre-Shabbat schedule :)

Dear Friends, this Friday on channel 10 at 2pm there will be a screening of my short documentary film "Saving Private Finklestein". Please pass this message among your friends in Israel. Enclosed is some information about the film.
Take care
Laizy

"Saving Private Finklestein", Documentary, 18 minutes

The bite of a small, chubby, mongrel dog led to a series of events that resulted in uncovering the story, identity and family of a British soldier killed in the First World War. Although Jewish, he had mistakenly been buried under a tombstone marked with a cross in a British war cemetery thousands of miles from England.

Who was Private Finklestein? How was he killed? And why was he buried under a cross?

The director of this film, together with his father, undertook a search for the answers to these questions – a search that lasted ten years and ranged over three continents. No stone was left unturned until they solved this seventy-year-old riddle.

Photographer: Moshe Huri
Editor: Boaz Shahak
Producer/Director: Eliezer Shapiro


8:05 PM Contrasted: Arabs and Israel.

After the Disengagement from Gaza, Palestinian mobs burned, ransacked and destroyed all the Jewish holy sites which Israel left behind. The picture at left shows the Netzarim Synagogue burning after the IDF left Gaza.

During the second Intifada, Palestinian mobs destroyed Joseph's Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) -- here's a video of my return there last year so you can see for yourself the before and after photos.

Palestinians routinely deface and damage the Jewish holy articles in Hebron's Me'arat HaMachpela (Tomb of the Patriachs).

Jordanians destroyed the Mount of Olives ancient Jewish cemetery, using headstones to pave roads and for public bathrooms.

Contrast that to today: Israel bends over backwards, at it's own expense, to keep Muslim cemetery intact, in the heart of Tel Aviv.

A solution was found to a 35-year court battle over a Muslim cemetery in Jaffa Thursday. According to the plan, yet to be approved by the Israeli Land Administration (ILA), the entrepreneur who owns the land on which the cemetery is situated will receive rights to an adjacent plot, leaving the cemetery untouched.

The entrepreneur purchased the land 35 years ago in a transaction approved by the Board of Trustees, the organization responsible for Muslim property in Jaffa.

Since then, every attempt to build on the legally purchased land has been prevented by the Muslim Council, which waged lengthy court battles against the construction. Recently, Muslim residents of the city led a public campaign against the cemetery's destruction.

Now the Tel Aviv Jaffa Municipality has offered a possible solution to the stalemate, according to which the entrepreneur will receive the rights to a plot of land adjacent to the cemetery, which belongs to the ILA. Thus the cemetery will remain untouched, the entrepreneur will be able to build, and the ILA will retain its property rights. (ynetnews)

Shove that in the face of anti-Israel activists.

7:13 PM Pallywood Continues

ABALYA, GAZA STRIP — Most people remember the headlines: Massacre Of Innocents As UN School Is Shelled; Israeli Strike Kills Dozens At UN School.

They heralded the tragic news of Jan. 6, when mortar shells fired by advancing Israeli forces killed 43 civilians in the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. The victims, it was reported, had taken refuge inside the Ibn Rushd Preparatory School for Boys, a facility run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

The news shocked the world and was compared to the 1996 Israeli attack on a UN compound in Qana, Lebanon, in which more than 100 people seeking refuge were killed. It was certain to hasten the end of Israel's attack on Gaza, and would undoubtedly lead the list of allegations of war crimes committed by Israel.

There was just one problem: The story, as etched in people's minds, was not quite accurate. (see it all here)

hat-tip: Aussie Dave @ IsraellyCool

6:54 PM Russian Jews Demonstrate in Moscow on behalf of Israel.

As someone who used to participate in SSSJ rallies on behalf of Soviet Jewry, (even got arrested once with my shiur from Yeshiva College), and who attended Natan Sharansky's arrival in Israel, I find these pictures very significant.












Video:



Source via rotter

5:54 PM Important Update: Our personal hero, the critically newlywed IDF combat soldier and officer Aharon Karov, was able to walk today. With the help of a walker, Aharon was able to start taking steps around his room. With the help of his father, he was also able to put on tefillin as well.

Wishing him a continued full and speedy recovery. Please continue your prayers and positive thoughts for Aharaon Yehoshua ben Chaya Shoshana.

(source)

5:53 PM How to make a Hamas Hero



5:43 PM Rocket fell in an open area near Kibbutz Kfar Azza. No injuries or damage reported.

5:33 PM Color Red Alert of incoming Missile Launch at Western Negev Gaza community. Details to follow.

3:50 PM FM Tzippi Livni; I make the decisions, not the coffee. Really.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said in a meeting with students at the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Academic College, "In the decision room, I make decisions, not coffee." (Attila Somfalvi) . (ynetnews)

Thanks for the clarification.







3:26 PM Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition...or do they?

The Foreign Ministry has instructed a number of Israeli officials not to visit Spain after an international arrest warrant was issued against them on suspicion of committing war crimes.

A Spanish human rights organization, believed to be representing a Palestinian group, filed a lawsuit last week against Israeli officials involved in the assassination of senior Hamas member Salah Shehade six years ago. Sixteen Palestinians were killed in the airstrike in the heart of Gaza.

Nearly all heads of the defense establishment at the time of the assassination are included in the list of defendants: Former Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, former IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General (Res.) Moshe Yaalon, former Shin Bet Director Avi Dichter, former Israel Air Force Commander Dan Halutz, former head of the IDF Operation Branch Major-General (Res.) Giora Eiland, and former Southern Command Chief Doron Almog. (ynetnews)

2:38 PM Hamas thug Ismael Haniya announces on Al Manr TV that Israel has broken the cease fire by attacking Gazan targets. (source)

I guess if you repeat the same lie often enough, and ignore the fact that your people are shooting rockets DAILY at Israel, then enough people like Jimmy Carter will eventually believe you.



(hat-tip: IsraellyCool -- who's liveblogging as well)

2:01 PM False Alarm Sirens in Petach Tikva -- only heard in a few parts of the city. These are false alarms -- do not be alarmed! :-)

12:05 PM Some things never change (note the date at the bottom of this political cartoon -- click to see the cartoon in full screen.)

Courtesy of David Eisen.

11:58 AM Channel B /Reshet Bet Radio reports 8 Gazans wounded in IAF attack on targets in Khan Younis.

11:29 AM IAF striking multiple targets in Khan Younis (Gaza).

10:13 AM Terror alert (reported earlier) now focusing on Tel Aviv, as intelligence reports of a terrorist in the city. IDF and police responding accordingly. (source)

9:58 AM Apropos the rocket launches....someone did a good job with this wake-up warning video. (10:04 AM Update; This film was made by students at the Sapir college in Sderot...a message with a warning not only to the Israeli government, but to the people in Tel Aviv...like the student body of Tel Aviv University)



9:55 AM Rocket launched minutes ago located in open field. No injures, no damage, no reason for the IDF to retaliate...

9:52 AM Ooops Department; Secret US State Department documents sold at Israel auction

The US State Department today announced a formal investigation into how its consulate in Jerusalem sold a filing cabinet - containing hundreds of sensitive or secret documents - at a local auction.

It is reported that for more than three years no one noticed the files, listing private details of Marines and State Department staff stationed in Israel, were missing.

The documents, including a report labelled "secret" that described an encounter between a Marine and an Israeli woman at a bar in Jerusalem, were eventually returned after police threatened the recipient with prosecution.

Robert Wood, a spokesman for the State Department, said: "There is an investigation under way. I believe the components of the file cabinets have been returned. I believe they were purchased from - this was an auction that the consulate in Jerusalem held in December of 2005. We're reviewing them and investigating."

More here on FOX as well.

9:40 AM Rocket launches detected -- Air Raid Sirens in Western Negev communities.

9:33 AM Professor Shalom Rosenberg from the Hebrew University replied in an interview about the "proportionality" between the few killed IDF soldiers and the hundreds of Gazans:

Hamas themselves defined the [dis-] proportionality, if Hamas demands [the release] of 1000 jailed terrorists for the return of only one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, then Hamas themselves have defined that the life of an Israeli is equal to that of 1000 Gazans. If so, the rule of proportions state that to defend the life of one Israeli, we need to attack terrorists even at the risk of killing hundreds of civilians.

How can Gazans be not totally embarrassed that Hamas is demanding the release of a thousand terrorists in exchange for only 1 IDF soldier?

9:07 AM Israel's IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi saved a man's life in a sauna this past Friday. NRG reports: Trying to relax after the IDF cast-lead operation, Israel's Number 1 soldier went to the Kfar Saba country club and while in the sauna, saw an elderly man slump forward, unconcious. Ashkenazi grabbed the man from the steamy room, dragged him out, called for help, and started to administer first aid to the man. The man regained consciouness soon after.

9:00 AM Terror alert in Israel: Israel security forces receive intelligence reports of threat of terror attack; Police and IDF setting up roadblocks in major cities. (source)

8:55 AM In retaliation for yesterday's ongoing Gaza rocket attacks against Israel, last night Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered a strike on a Hamas rocket warehouse in Rafiah. No reports of Palestinian injuries. (NRG)

8:20 AM Channel 2 Israel TV reports (much to the dismay of the Israeli government, apparently) that at least 3 rockets were launched this morning at Israel, with one hitting the city center of Sderot.

Looks like we're going to need a new government to deal with the rocket problems from Gaza, since the current one lacks resolve, determination, and backbone.

Israeli elections coming soon...


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד