Al-Reuters Runs Anti-Israel Propaganda (Again)

So al-Reuters reported on a protest in Gaza of the sort which takes place every Friday after khutba.*

This protest was unusual (and therefore newsworthy), however, because the demonstrators had “expected to be joined by 1400 foreign peace activists” who were refused permission to cross into Gaza by the Egyptian authorities.

As for these “peace activists,” Reuters, seemingly determined to provide the most one-sided coverage possible, conveniently failed to report on their Hitler salutes and screaming for intifada.

They did, however, manage to show terrorist sympathizers in their best light while providing them with a platform from which to spout their anti-Israel rhetoric, such as the following soundbite:

“People in Gaza are starving! The conditions are really bad and the siege here, and the demonstrations … global demonstrations as well as the demonstration here is to raise awareness to say this must stop!”

Yes, we know what those “demonstrations” typically call for.

By “anti-Israel rhetoric,” I am also referring, of course, to the repeated and unchallenged use of the word “siege” in reference to Israeli … something. It is such a nonsensical slur that I honestly do not know whether these “peace activists” are referring to the blockade (which allows legal aid in and keeps terrorist aid out) or the small, targeted military actions on Israel’s part which must be carried out in order to maintain some semblance of peace in southern Israel.

Either way, nobody is starving and no other nations are bending over backward to let Hamas within their borders. This is about old-school leftist anti-Semitism, not some deep concern for the well-being of the people in Gaza or promoting actual peace. They want to cross into Gaza to deliver aid to an international terrorist organization whose ideological foundation is largely rooted in genocidal intentions.

The International Coalition to End the Illegal Siege of Gaza, shown in the linked video, is Code Pink, by the way.

Reuters does manage to mention that the crossing from Egypt is also closed, although they present this as an anomalous event rather than the status quo, which it actually is.

So in Reutersland, these poor, oppressed “peace activists” were barred from delivering aid to terrorists humanitarian aid, but apparently no blockade normally exists on Egypt’s side, and if it did, I somehow doubt that it would qualify as a “siege.”

Why don’t these “peace activists” condemn Egypt for cutting off international terror organizations, the very people whom these moonbats are there to aid? Their fellow terrorist sympathizers were right across the border, prevented from entering. Israel is not to blame for that. But don’t expect al-Reuters to raise basic questions like this.

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Jimmy Carter: 'I Confess For Stigma I Created Against Israel'

Controversial former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has written a letter to the the Jewish people, asking for forgiveness for stigmas he caused against Israel as a result of his agenda for Arab-Israeli peace.

In a letter sent to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) in time for the Christmas season, Carter wrote: "We must recognize Israel’s achievements under difficult circumstances, even as we strive in a positive way to help Israel continue to improve its relations with its Arab populations, but we must not permit criticisms for improvement to stigmatize Israel.

As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an 'Al Het' for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so."

"Al Het" (literally "for the sin") is a fundamental component of the Yom Kippur prayer service, in which penitents ask for Divine forgiveness for sins committed against G-d. However, the term could also be used to mean a general plea for pardoning.

Carter's position on Jews and Arabs in the Land of Israel has been controversial since his presidency.

During his term, Carter directed the signing of the Camp David Accords by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, which resulted in the forced expulsion of Jews from the Sinai town of Yamit, as well as the transfer of the giant Sinai region to Egypt.

In 2006, Carter authored the book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," in which he lauded former PLO chief Yasser Arafat; said modern U.S. administrations have been "submissive" to "powerful political, economic, and religious" pro-Israel advocates; compared Israel's development of Judea and Samaria to South African anti-black apartheid; and called the biblical heartland of Israel "Palestinian land", saying the Jewish state must retreat to the 1949 armistice lines.

In June 2009, Carter visited Arab leaders in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria, receiving the Palestine International Award for Excellence and Creativity. During the ceremony, he told attendees, "I have been in love with the Palestinian people for many years" and promised to bolster Palestinians "as long as I live, to win your freedom, your independence, your sovereignty and a good life." He also visited with Hamas' leadership in Syria.

Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), quickly called Carter's missive "welcome", saying it comes from a "significant individual" and would signal "beginning of reconciliation."

INN

AIPAC rival 'J Street' tied to Qatar, George Soros

WASHINGTON — A new Jewish lobby that claims to be supportive of Israel has been linked to Qatar.

A former Israeli diplomat has asserted that J Street has been connected to Qatar through the U.S. public relations firm of Fenton Communications.

Lenny Ben-David, a former diplomat and now consultant, said J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami, a senior vice president at Fenton until the lobby's establishment in 2008, could have been involved in a March 2009 project by Qatar to undermine support for Israel in the United States.

The Fenton contract with Qatar was disclosed as J Street, regarded as close to the administration of President Barack Obama, was preparing its first annual conference, said to include 150 members of Congress. The lobby failed to ensure the attendance of Israel's ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren.

"In early 2009, Fenton signed contracts with a Qatari foundation to lead an 18-month long anti-Israel campaign in the United States with a special focus on campuses," Ben-David said in an open letter to Ben-Ami.

"Did you sever your ties with Fenton when you began J Street? Do you retain any role or holdings in Fenton today? Did you play any role in introducing Fenton to the Qatari agents or play any role in facilitating the contract? Were you aware of the negotiations or the contract signed on March 12, 2009?"

Ben-David said J Street's 160-member advisory board included those listed as foreign agents for Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Middle East Newsline reported. His letter also cited J Street's ties with U.S. billionaire George Soros, said to have long sought to undermine the traditional pro-Israel lobby in Washington.

"So, it appears that Soros has created an organization that competes with AIPAC, calls for inclusion of Hamas, and opposes sanctions against Iran," Ben-David said. "His people sit on J Street's board, and his other offspring from the New America Foundation and the National Iranian American Council, work in lockstep."

The Fenton contract with Qatar was disclosed as J Street, regarded as close to the administration of President Barack Obama, was preparing its first annual conference, said to include 150 members of Congress. The lobby failed to ensure the attendance of Israel's ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren.

"These questions are relevant because it's important to know if J Street's refusal to support Israel's anti-Hamas military campaign was influenced by your ties with Fenton, whose promotional material claims: 'We only represent people and projects we believe in,'" the letter, titled "Showdown on J Street," said.

J Street has reported more than 30 contributors, many of them with ties to Arab-American organizations and Iran. The lobby has fought Israel's efforts for U.S. sanctions on Iran.

"Heads of other pro-Arab organizations, such as AMIDEAST, and Arab foreign agents are contributors to the PAC," Ben-David said. "But Mr. Ben-Ami claims that no organizations or foreign governments contribute. They don't need do; their representatives do."

On Oct. 20, the Israel embassy in Washington said Oren would not attend J Street's conference, scheduled to begin on Oct. 25. In contrast, the White House has sent National Security Advisor James Jones to give the keynote address.

"In response to the question about J Street's invitation to participate in its conference, the Embassy of Israel has been privately communicating its concerns over certain policies of the organization that may impair the interests of Israel," the embassy said in a statement. "Accordingly, the embassy will send an observer to the conference and will follow its proceedings with interest."

Source: World Tribune

H/T: GH

While Raising Money in Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch Boasts About Israel-Bashing

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an organization that routinely attacks Israel, is trying to raise money in Saudi Arabia. The Arab News, a Saudi English-language newspaper, reported that Sarah Leah Whitson, director of HRW's Middle East and North Africa Division, was given a welcoming dinner in Riyadh hosted by a prominent Saudi businessman and attended by "human-rights activists."

The Saudi businessman, Emad bin Jameel Al-Hejailan, said the credo of human rights was rising in Saudi Arabia. He commended Human Rights Watch for its work on Gaza – which included issuing a report depicting Israel as violating human rights and international law during its recent military campaign against the terror group Hamas.

"Human Rights Watch provided the international community with evidence of Israel using white phosphorous and launching systematic destructive attacks on civilian targets," the Arab News quoted Whitson as stating. "Pro-Israel pressure groups in the U.S., the European Union and the United Nations have strongly resisted the report and tried to discredit it."

After NGO Monitor (a website that documents the anti-Western, anti-Israel bias of many nongovernmental organizations) publicized the Arab News story, the Wall Street Journal reprinted a blog posting on the site by George Mason University law professor David Bernstein. Now the Israeli government is pointing to the story as an example of HRW's fervent anti-Israel bias

"A human rights organization raising money in Saudi Arabia is like a women's rights group asking the Taliban for a donation," a spokesman for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Jerusalem Post on Monday. "If you can fundraise in Saudi Arabia, why not move on to Somalia, Libya and North Korea?" Read more ...

Source: IPT Blog