Fwd: תחקיר "המקור" על העיתון "ישראל היום"

http://gorillavid.in/1xsfc26b5pjj

https://kat.ph/israel-hayom-hamakor-ts-t7059938.html

http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=790068

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yoel <qumranqu@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 4:13 PM
Subject: Fwd: תחקיר "המקור" על העיתון "ישראל היום"
To: Qumran <qumranqu@gmail.com>

http://news.nana10.co.il/Category/?CategoryID=400299

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yoel <qumranqu@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 2:13 PM
Subject: תחקיר "המקור" על העיתון "ישראל היום"
To: Qumran <qumranqu@gmail.com>

Fwd: The Jordanian Option: a federation between Jordan and Palestine

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=299205

Prominent Israeli Knesset candidates, many of them most probably part of the next coalition, are in these days of vigorous campaigning attempting to highjack us into their fata morganas (mirages) regarding the future of the West Bank; be it Naftali Bennett with his ridiculous proposal to annex 60 percent of the West Bank to Israel; or Binyamin Netanyahu's efforts to do everything in his prime ministerial power to prevent a two-state solution through settlement expansion to the dismay of the whole world; or be it Arieh Eldad and Itamar Ben-Gvir's suggestion to transfer the Palestinians from their lands, probably on trains and buses.

These proposals, though lacking any real political and moral basis, reflect the authentic worldview of today's Israeli Right. One that believes in Jewish superiority, not considering Arabs as equals; one that sees strength in the crude use of force and weakness in democracy, respect for human rights and appealing to the world. If this will indeed be the pervading view of our next government, we risk endangering both our very Jewish and democratic being as well as our place among the family of nations.

On January 23, we will all wake up to reality; a reality in which seven million Jews and five-and-a-half million Arabs live between the Sea and the River; a reality in which Palestinians are demanding their national rights in opposition to Israeli occupation, some with pragmatism, some with growing extremism – rights that are being recognized by the entire world, believing, along with the United States, in a two-state solution; a reality in which, given our size and economy, we are highly dependent on the world, primarily the United States; a reality in which history teaches us that racism and lack of morality lead to catastrophe.

It can be safely assumed that Netanyahu, most likely our next prime minister, in between his authentic right-wing ideological views and his grasp of reality, will opt for a national unity government.

It will be up to the next government to come up with a plan that takes into consideration the reality that we face, our real interests, and those of our No. 1 strategic ally, the United States. This need arises against the backdrop of a looming crisis in the Palestinian Authority.

The fact that so far we have been able to offer assets only to the extremist Hamas – a withdrawal from Gaza, negotiations, cease-fire, prisoner release – while "punishing" the more moderate Palestinian Authority of Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) – with no withdrawal, no negotiations, no prisoner release, no transfer of funds and only settlement expansions – has led to the strengthening of Hamas and the weakening of Fatah. Palestinians in the West Bank are frustrated and are giving up hope for a political solution and may turn to support Hamas and rise in opposition to Abu Mazen and Israel.

Many in the Israeli Right see such a scenario as a welcome self-fulfilling prophecy.

Given this challenging reality and convoluted composition of views and expectations, it is highly urgent to think of new formulas to lead us and the region to a realistic plan of peace and security in favor of a two-state solution. It has lately been speculated in the Arab press, for example in the beginning of January in the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi, that King Abdullah of Jordan has discussed with President Abu Mazen the possibility of a Palestinian-Jordanian confederation after the establishment of a Palestinian state.

These speculations may or may not be true, but the option deserves serious consideration. There is a clear and close link between the West Bank and the East Bank. About 70 percent of Jordan's population is of Palestinian origin, almost two million of them in refugee camps, but generally they are well integrated into Jordanian society. Leading Palestinian businessmen play a key role in the Jordanian economy. The queen of Jordan, Rania, happens to be of Palestinian origin. There are often close family relations between West Bank and East Bank Palestinians. Many influential West Bank Palestinians have a second home in Amman. The infrastructure is often shared, at least in potential, for example transportation, energy, water, etc.

Yet what needs to be clear to anyone contemplating this option, and it also allegedly came up in Netanyahu's most recent secret meeting with King Abdullah, is that no institutional link between West and East Bank is possible before the establishment of an internationally recognized Palestinian state. The last thing Palestinians will opt for is to move from Israeli rule to Jordanian rule. It seems that King Abdullah understands this and is open-minded toward the Palestinians and knows that a solution to the Palestinian problem is of prime interest to his kingdom's stability and security.

There are many advantages to a confederative solution between a State of Palestine and the Kingdom of Jordan from the perspective of Palestinians and Jordanians, of Israel, and of the international community led by the United States.

From a Palestinian perspective, it would be a way forward to the creation of a Palestinian state, prior to confederation, while sharing some responsibilities with an experienced and internationally respected partner.

Jordan gained independence in 1946. Its leadership is viewed positively in the United States and in the world as moderate and pro-Western, which would probably accelerate the peace and negotiation process. Jordan, which is also respected in the Arab fold, would abide by Palestinian decisions regarding the creation of an independent state, borders, settlements and Jerusalem, on which the Palestinians and Jordanians in any case have identical views.

A Palestinian-Jordanian confederation would be a better basis on which to develop the economy for a new state in relation to infrastructure, trade, foreign investment, tourism and even the absorption of refugees. Given the effectiveness of the Jordanian security forces, the eventual confederation would contribute to Jordan's security as well as to regional and anti-terror security arrangements.

Such a historic decision would strengthen the hand of the pragmatists on the Palestinian side at the expense of the fundamentalist organizations which cannot offer a horizon of statehood.

Jordan already has a peace treaty with Israel, signed in 1994, that can be a further basis for the establishment of real peace in the region. Peace with Israel is of prime interest for the Palestinians as the development of a more prosperous and democratic Palestine is also conditioned on peace. As Israel needs to rid itself, in its own interest, from occupation, the Arab states must rid themselves of their rejection of Israel and hostility toward the Jewish state. Peace is not a favor to Israel, but a Palestinian interest; it is also the only basis upon which the Palestinians can develop their democracy and economy.

Many of these factors are also in Israel's favor, as this is not a zero-sum game. The Jordanians and their leadership are by far the most popular Arabs in the mind of Israel's government and public alike.

This stems from the days of King Hussein and the respect he knew to show Israelis for their legitimate aspirations and security concerns. For years before the peace treaty, the Hashemite king conducted secret talks with Israeli leaders, and he also enjoyed close personal relations with Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. This was never at the expense of his Arab patriotism and his solidarity with the Palestinians.

His son has inherited these characteristics.

It would be far easier for any Israeli leadership to convince its public of a solution to the Palestinian issue which includes a massive evacuation of settlers, a border based on the '67 boundaries, and Jerusalem as a shared capital if Jordan would ultimately be partner to such a solution.

Israel's legitimate security concerns would be addressed better in such a regional arrangement. It would make the security arrangement in the Jordan Valley easier and not necessitate a long-term Israeli presence along the river. Regional security can also be based on what is contemplated in the Jordanian- Israeli Peace Treaty, "a conference on security and cooperation in the Middle East" based on the EU model.

There are aspects of the relationship – in the aftermath of the creation of an independent Palestinian state and thereafter the Palestinian-Jordanian confederation – that could be dealt with in a trilateral way; this would include federative economic relations of free trade and major joint economic ventures, along the Dead Sea, for instance, addressing the need for water and energy. Moreover, trilateral security arrangements would facilitate addressing the difficult issue of border crossings as well as cooperation against terrorism. And a good peace relationship with economic development would send a strong signal of cooperation to the whole region.

The United States, in a second Obama term, has a strategic interest in a viable peace process with a realistic vision of regional peace that would undermine the rise of fundamentalism and radicalism in the region. A long-term prospect of a Palestinian- Jordanian confederation could ignite an American-orchestrated peace process in the foreseeable future.

While the advantages of this proposition are for all sides, the decision on the establishment of a confederation must fall only to Ramallah and Amman.

The leaders in the region, Arabs and Israelis alike, need to understand that on January 23 a long year of election campaigns in the United States and Israel will come to an end. This means a return to reality, rather than slogans, demagoguery and empty promises, and it's a reality that demands fresh thinking and ideas from all sides.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yoel <qumranqu@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 27, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Subject: The Jordanian Option: a federation between Jordan and Palestine
To: Qumran <qumranqu@gmail.com>

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=295837

Palestinian Authority officials confirmed Thursday that they were studying the possibility of establishing a confederation with Jordan, but stressed that this would take place only after the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the pre-1967 lines.

The officials were commenting on a report in the London-based Al-Quds al- Arabi newspaper that claimed that PA President Mahmoud Abbas had asked senior Fatah leaders to prepare for the formation of a confederation between a Palestinian state and Jordan.

The newspaper said that Abbas has instructed his advisors to provide him with "detailed strategic reports about the best way to conduct negotiations with Jordan about reviving the confederation plan."

Abbas reportedly met with seven top Fatah and PA figures and discussed with them the idea, the report said, adding that the PA president had asked that the meeting remain confidential.

The report quoted an informed Palestinian source as saying that Abbas told participants that the confederation plan would come soon "and we must be prepared for it."

Jordan and the PA are scheduled to launch talks on their future relations on February 21, the report revealed.

On Saturday, the Fatah Central Committee is expected to discuss the confederation plan during a meeting in Ramallah, according to the source.

Jordanian politicians quoted Abbas as saying that the Palestinian state would not be able to survive without forging a confederation with Jordan.

Abbas hinted that he discussed the idea with Jordan's King Abdullah, when the latter visited Ramallah earlier this week.

Abbas's rapprochement with Jordan is the result of a Saudi-Qatari-Turkish alliance that backs Hamas and ignores the PA, the politicians noted.

Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudaineh, said in response that the confederation idea would be discussed only after the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Abu Rudaineh said that the idea was first discussed in 1988 and the two sides agreed that when a Palestinian state is established this option would be on the table.

He said that any decision taken by the PA leadership would be brought before the Palestinians for approval through a referendum.

PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Yusef said that the confederation plan was just a "study" during the current phase.

Abu Yusef said that any talk about the confederation plan now would hinder efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state within the pre-1967 lines "because Israel is hoping that a Palestinian state would be part of Jordan."

Any confederation would be announced only after a Palestinian state is established, he added.

"What is happening now is only a discussion and a study about future options of a Palestinian state."

Diplomatic sources would not comment on the report.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/talk-of-palestinian-jordanian-confederation-irks-observers-on-both-sides-of-the-river/

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2012/al-monitor/confederate-palestine.html

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2012/12/palestinian-confederation-jordan-disaster.html

http://www.haaretz.co.il/literature/prose/1.1848242

אז מה הפתרון? מדינה אחת? הערבים יהפכו בה לרוב וידכאו את המיעוט היהודי. שתי מדינות? המדינה הערבית תשמיד את המדינה היהודית. המסקנה ההגיונית היא שאין פתרון - וזוהי אכן סיסמת הדגל של הימין הציוני בימינו.

אבל מוריס לא מרגיש בנוח עם מסקנה זו. לכן, כאילו ברגע האחרון, הוא מדביק לספר, ממש בשני העמודים האחרונים, פתרון הזוי: שהגדה המערבית תצורף לירדן באיזושהי פדרציה, וכך ניפטר מכל העניין. "האופציה הירדנית" הנשכחת, שהומצאה אך ורק כדי לקבור את הבעיה הפלסטינית, חוזרת בדלת האחורית.

אילו בילה מוריס - ולו שבוע אחד - בירדן, היה יודע שזה פתרון מגוחך. יש ישות ירדנית, והיא לא חולמת להתאחד עם הפלסטינים. למעשה, אין רעיון המטיל על הירדנים אימה גדולה יותר. בוטרוס בוטרוס ראלי, המצרי הקופטי שהיה שר החוץ בפועל של מצרים ואחר כך מזכיר האו"ם, אמר לי פעם: "המומחים הישראלים לעניינים ערביים הם הטובים בעולם. הם קראו את כל הספרים, המאמרים והנאומים. הם יודעים את הכל - ולא מבינים כלום".

http://on-the-left-side.org.il/?p=1916

http://www.amalnet.k12.il/meida/history2/hisi3053.htm#5

http://www.news1.co.il/Archive/003-D-42816-00.html?tag=15-22-07

http://www.herzliyaconference.org/?CategoryID=228&ArticleID=1683

http://social.huji.ac.il/content/newsletter/may07/Asaf_David.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peres%E2%80%93Hussein_London_Agreement

http://www.archives.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/DDEDC327-51E0-45E3-BABC-ACB0605609CA/0/shamir07aENG.pdf

http://www.archives.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/D3BE2327-CBDC-4710-B505-0155C57DB161/0/shamir07a.pdf

http://m.ynet.co.il/Article.aspx?id=3894644

http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/086/671.html

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.co.il/2012/11/fatah-official-oslo-dead-after-un-vote.html

http://www.israelhayom.co.il/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=7083&newsletter=23.09.2011

http://jordantimes.com/jordan-palestine-sign-free-trade-agreement

Jordanian and Palestinian officials held talks on Thursday, during which a number of agreements were signed.

The most prominent of these was a free trade agreement, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh and his Palestinian counterpart Salam Fayyad announced the agreements at a joint press conference in Ramallah.

Tarawneh was in Ramallah on a short visit to take part in the third session of the Joint Jordanian-Palestinian Higher Committee.

Formed in the 1990s, the panel held its second session in 1998 when Tarawneh's first government was in office.

The prime minister also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the committee meeting.

Talks covered the "deep-rooted ties" between Jordan and Palestine, in addition to Jordan's keenness on building on the current relations to benefit both sides.

At the press conference, Tarawneh reiterated Jordan's support for the Palestinian Authority and people, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on its own land, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

But the premier said the trade volume between Jordan and Palestine remains "below aspirations", standing at around JD75 million in 2011 and called for resolving the "technical difficulties" to increase trade levels.

He also called for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and for a two-state solution that is entrenched within a regional context that would achieve peace and stability in the region.

The prime minister said the Kingdom will continue to support the Palestinians politically and help them confront Israel's attempts to Judaise Jerusalem.

He emphasised Jordan's role in preserving Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem.

Tarawneh also conveyed His Majesty King Abdullah's greetings to the Palestinian president, government and people.

Also at the press conference, Fayyad said emphasis should be placed on the difficult financial situation of the Palestinian Authority under the Israeli occupation.

He reiterated that Palestinians will not be swayed from their cause of establishing their own independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Lebanese Writer Farid Salman: Jordan and West Bank Should Become Palestinian State

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.co.il/2012/10/some-jordanians-still-claim-west-bank.html

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=289948

Farouk Kaddoumi, a veteran PLO official, dropped a political bombshell Wednesday with a call for "returning" the West Bank to Jordan.

Kaddoumi, who is based in Tunisia, said he supported the idea of a federation or confederation between the West Bank and Jordan. His remarks, which came during an interview with the London-based Al- Quds Al-Arabi newspaper, are the first of their kind to be voiced by a senior PLO figure in decades.

Kaddoumi is one of the founders of Fatah, and for decades served as head of the PLO's "political department." He is one of the few PLO leaders who refused to move from Tunisia to the Palestinian territories after the signing of the Oslo Accords, which he had strongly opposed.

Kaddoumi told the newspaper, during an interview in his office in the Tunisian capital, that giving the West Bank back to Jordan would be a "positive move." He added, nevertheless, that the Palestinians should not drop their demand for a right to return to Israel proper.

"We launched our revolution for all of Palestine, and that's why we need to be very cautious," Kaddoumi said.

"We must safeguard our people's right to return," he stressed. "We must insist on the right of return for all refugees, because this is the minimum that we could accept."

Kaddoumi launched a scathing attack on the Palestinian Authority and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, for abandoning the armed struggle against Israel and failing the Palestinian people.

"Undoubtedly, the Palestinian Authority has reached a dead end," he stated, adding that the peace process had failed because Israel was seeking to dictate its terms and conditions to the Palestinians.

Referring to economic hardships in the West Bank, Kaddoumi said that Palestinians' lives had become a tragedy due to "widespread starvation and harsh conditions." He also said the Palestinians had lost hope of reaching an agreement with Israel that would ensure them their minimal rights.

"Unfortunately, Israel has seized most of the lands of the West Bank and the only way left for us is the national resistance," he said. "Regrettably, the Palestinian Authority and its president do not want any kind of resistance after they got rid of the fighters who say that resistance is the only want to liberate the land."

He acknowledged that Fatah had been weakened due to its failure to reform and return to the path of armed struggle. He also slammed Abbas for "cutting my salary." The PA president made the decision several years ago following harsh criticism against him by Kaddoumi.

He also scoffed at Abbas's renewed statehood bid at the United Nations, saying the PLO had obtained membership in the international organization in 1974. In addition, he noted that the UN had recognized the Palestinian state declared by Yasser Arafat in 1988, adding that 105 countries had since lent their own recognition.

"By going back to the UN, Abbas is falsely creating the impression that he is making achievements that were already achieved," he said.

Kaddoumi's remarks about returning the West Bank to Jordan apparently came in response to recent statements made by Jordan's Prince Hassan bin Talal, who served as crown prince between 1965 and 1999.

At a meeting with Palestinians in Amman, the prince said the territories of the West Bank were actually part of the Hashemite Kingdom. He added that the two-state solution was now irrelevant.

Jordan officially renounced its claim to the West Bank in 1988 when the late King Hussein announced his kingdom was cutting off its administrative and legal ties to the area.

Times: Israel’s strike on Syria last month killed top Iranian general

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/world_news/Middle_East/article1220354.ece

http://www.timesofisrael.com/top-iranian-general-said-target-of-israeli-strike-in-syria/

http://israelmatzav.blogspot.co.il/search?q=shateri

9-11's best kept secret: Hizballah and Iran were also involved

Yediot Ahronot (7 Days, pp. 22-30, 26.8.2011) has an amazing exposé that blows the lid off the US's best kept secret about 9-11:

"The Iranian job" by Ronen Bergman

Caricature of the day (June 6, 2011)

A great caricature from NRG that illustrates what Israel is up against these days:

Video: Jerusalem just moments after the Six-Day War

Egyptian justice minister: Israel destroying the revolution, planned to smuggle Mubarak out of Egypt

Anti-Israel incitement continues in post-revolution-"democratic" Egypt. The Egyptian paper Al-Wafd quotes Egypt's justice minister Abd al-Aziz al-Jundi as saying (auto-translation here, Hebrew here) at a political conference that Israel planned to smuggle Mubarak out of Egypt. He also accused Israel of "trying to create anarchy and civil war in Egypt" by paying thugs to sow violence and disorder in the country. He went on to say that "Israel wants to destroy the revolution and is also trying to destroy Egyptian society and harm the state's security by sending thugs. People who are in contact with elements outside the country, including Israel, are behind the latest violent events in Egypt" he said. According to him it all started after Netanyahu's speech.

This is in contradiction with what another Egyptian paper reported:

According to Rose al-Yousef, an Egyptian weekly magazine, Mubarak made phone calls to US President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, head of Mossad Tamir Pardo and several European officials in late February, but none of them offered him any support.

When Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for 30 years under direct support of the US and Israel, contacted to talk to Obama his call was disconnected, the report said.

The Egyptian dictator also called Netanyahu by a satellite mobile phone -- with a Saudi-based service provider -- to ask for his assistance, but the Israeli premier said there was nothing he could do about it.

The head of Israel's Mossad also rejected Mubarak's request, citing fears that any interference by Tel Aviv will aggravate anti-Mubarak sentiments.

According to the report, Mubarak contacted Israeli officials every one hour on a certain day, but all his calls were dropped the day after.

Other European leaders, whom Mubarak approached, reportedly gave similar responses, arguing that according to international protocols he was not the president of Egypt anymore.

So one Egyptian paper says Israel tried to help Mubarak while another says it didn't. Go figure.

The IDF's boarding of the "Victoria" - the videos

Iran's weapons smuggling operations suffer a severe blow

After Nigeria and the IDFcaptured Iranian arms shipments so did Egypt:

CAIRO - Security officials say Egyptian armed forces have seized five vehicles carrying weapons into the country from Sudan, apparently headed for Gaza.

The officials say the vehicles were intercepted inside Egypt Sunday near the border with Sudan, following a shootout during which the truck drivers fled. They said the trucks were carrying large quantities of mortars, rocket propelled grenades, rifles and explosives. They said they were headed to Hamas-ruled Gaza through smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border.

The officials spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity under government regulations.

Israeli intelligence officials say Sudan is a major route for Hamas weapons. Last year Sudan accused Israel of carrying out airstrikes on smugglers inside Sudan. Israel did not comment on that report.

Turkey:

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's government says a cargo plane from Iran has been required to land in Turkey so its shipment could be searched.

But the Foreign Ministry denied a Dogan news agency report that Turkish military jets forced the plane to land at Diyarbakir airport on Tuesday night to search it for an alleged cargo of arms from Iran to Syria.

The ministry says it is standard procedure for Iranian cargo planes to request permission to fly over Turkey and sometimes be required to make unscheduled landings to be searched.

Turkey's official Anatolia news agency confirmed that the plane, heading from Tehran to Aleppo, Syria, was searched Wednesday.

But Anatolia and the government did not say what the cargo plane was found to be carrying.

Singapore and South Korea:

South Korea and Singapore have intercepted suspect nuclear and weapons materials bound for Iran that breach UN sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic, diplomats said Thursday.

The two seizures, made in the past six months but only revealed now, add to a growing list of alleged Iranian attempts to breach an international arms embargo, which are bringing mounting pressure to tighten sanctions, they said.

"South Korea authorities found more than 400 suspicious tubes in a jet cargo at Seoul airport in December," one diplomat said, giving details from a report to the UN Iran sanctions committee.

The tubes could be used for nuclear facilities, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the seizures haven't been made public.

"In September, aluminum powder that can be used for rockets was found on a ship in Singapore harbor," the diplomat added.

In each case the product was destined for Iran.

The details were confirmed by a second envoy at the UN who said the sanctions committee would study them when it discusses the latest report from Iran experts monitoring the sanctions regime.

All this shows just how global and far-reaching Iran's illegal arms trafficing really is.

IDF stops Gaza-bound ship

From the IDF blog:

Israeli Navy Uncovers Weaponry On-Board Cargo Vessel

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Israel Defense Forces

A short while ago, IDF Navy fighters intercepted the cargo vessel “Victoria” loaded with various weaponry. According to assessments, the weaponry on-board the vessel was intended for the use of terror organizations operating in the Gaza Strip. The vessel, flying under a Liberian flag, was intercepted some 200 miles west of Israel’s coast. This incident was part of the Navy’s routine activity to maintain security and prevent arms smuggling, in light of IDF security assessments.

The force was met with no resistance from the crew on-board and the vessel is now being led by the Israeli Navy to the Israeli port in Ashdod for further searches and detailed inspection of the cargo.

The vessel was on its way from Mersin Port in Turkey to Alexandria Port in Egypt. The IDF would like to note that Turkey is not tied to the incident in any way.

The operation was approved as necessary in accordance with government directives in light of the Chief of the General Staff’s recommendations.

Earlier this morning, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz updated the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, about the findings on-board the vessel.

The IDF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs alerted about the interception of the “Victoria” to the German authorities, due to the German ownership of the ship. In addition, the government of Liberia, whose flag it was flying under, was notified, as well as France, due to the French shipping company.

The operation was under the command of the IDF Navy Commander, Maj. Gen. Eliezer Marom, and the interception was under the command of the Navy Special Forces Commander.

Update:

According to shipment documents and crew questioning, the vessel initially departed from the Lattakia Port in Syria, and then proceeded to Mersin Port in Turkey. The IDF emphasizes that Turkey has no connection to this incident regarding the weaponry uncovered on-board.

So Syria used a French shipping company and a German ship flying a Liberian flag to arm Hamas via Turkish and Egyptian ports without (?) all of the involved knowing it. Mmmm. Isn't that breaking international law? I wonder if there will be a UN investigation (not!).

Video: jihadist demo in front of Tunisian synagogue

The synagogue in the video is the Great Synagogue of Tunis. The facebook page from which the video is taken says that the demonstrators belong to Hizb ut-Tahrir. I don't know if this is related to the disputed attack on the El Hamma synagogue near Gabes.

(HT Atlas Shrugs)

Is this the new Egypt?

After the Egyptian army's statment that "The Arab Republic of Egypt is committed to all regional and international obligations and treaties" did not mention "peace" and "Israel" and after Obama declined to mention peace in comments on the resignation of Mubarak there are even more disturbing statements and actions coming from Egypt. A retired Egyptian General called Mahmoud Khalaf said on February 3rd that

[...]

The armed forces of the people are considered to be the tenth most powerful military power in the world. I ask the Arabs: Against who was it built? It is no secret that the combat doctrine of the Egyptian military forces considers the enemy to be to the north-east of Africa. That is, and will remain, the main enemy. As Israel knows full well, it will continue to be Egypt's main enemy, until it withdraws from all the Arab lands.

[...]

The Egyptian armed forces operate quietly, under the assumption that the war with Israel might take place tomorrow. I swear by Allah that they are quietly working under this assumption. We will respect the peace treaty as long as the other side does, but in our hearts, we consider it to be no more than a piece of paper.

[...]

Mohamed El-Baradei in an interview with Der Spiegel on February 6th said that

At the moment, they [the Israelis] have a peace treaty with Mubarak, but not one with the Egyptian people

IDF Radio reported yesterday that the Israeli flags on the Israeli embassy in Cairo and on the embassador's house were removed for "security reasons".

Yesterday Ayman Nour of the liberal and democratic El-Ghad Party said that

Much can be said about the Camp David accords. We believe that we should abide by our international commitments, but we should also make the others abide by our rights and by their own international commitments.

With regard to the Camp David accords in particular, the situation is complicated. In practice, the Camp David accords have come to an end. More than 30 years have passed since this agreement was signed, and many things on the ground require amendments. These amendments must be conducted in keeping with the interests and decisions of the Egyptian people. We will not impose anything on the Egyptian people, but I personally believe that if it were up to me, I would ask to conduct a referendum among the people with regard to this agreement, and we would abide by the decision of the people.

[...]

We want true participation of the people, and to gauge the people's position on all the significant issues, one of the most important of which is the Camp David accords. Some people believe that this agreement is a thing of the past, and that it must be developed in a correct manner. They believe that some of the terms are humiliating to the Egyptian side. I belong to this group of people.

Other people believe that the Camp David accords give Egypt certain guarantees on the ground, and that these must not be jeopardized at present.

I don't maintain this position, but at the end of the day, my opinion is not the only one that counts. We should hold a referendum.

If even Egyptian liberals and military men (and not the Muslim Brotherhood) who, we are told time and again, are supposed to uphold the peace treaty see it nothing more than a piece of paper (those are Mubarak's words BTW) the future of Israeli-Egyptian relations is very bleak indeed.

For more on this subject go here.

An Israeli naval commando was injured during a secret operation

From INN:

An IDF soldier has been critically wounded in a top-secret mission abroad, according to Channel 10 news. The soldier is a member of the elite Shayetet 13 naval commando unit.

Commanders who reported the incident did not give information regarding the mission, or the incident in which the soldier was wounded.

“These missions are very complex,” one commander explained. “They are planned with precision, and often include preparation in Israel.”

“What must be understood is that these are among the finest soldiers in Israel,” he continued. “These are brave fighters who know that they are going into the heart of danger, often far from the borders of Israel.”

May he recover quickly. I wonder what mission he was on and where. I guess we'll never know. Anyway, here's a video showing a bit of how the Shayetet 13 train and footage from one of the soldier's helmet cam during the Marmara raid:

Is the Mossad operating in Gambia?

According to reports in the predominant Muslim west African country the answer is yes. This report claims that the Mossad and the CIA are training Gambia's National Intelligence Agency (NIA). An ex-NIA agent called Serg PMJ Banjul said that

After this order [to arrest and murder Omar Bah, former news editor of the pro-government Daily Observer] by [Gambian president Yahya] Jammeh on May 29, I also swear that if it happens, then all the trainings I received from the Mossad and CIA did not benefit me at all and I was going to resign all my commission and retire from the service. Now this is it- an order from a monstrous bloodthirsty dictator.

This report claims that

an Israeli Jew called Danny Shinn has become very active in the operations of the NDEA [National Drug Enforcement Agency]. "Danny" as he is popularly known is widely rumored in the intelligence community to be the Israeli spy agency Mossad's representative in The Gambia. Danny has penetrated The Gambia's security establishment by providing allowances to security officials who have been fired. For example, both Benedict, Kunji, and even Lang Tombong all received allowances something totaling 30,000 dalasi per month whilst they were unemployed.

Danny was actually detained at the NDEA last December as he was suspected to be the source of the leak to the CIA that resulted in the Iranian arms being intercepted in Lagos. Danny has however turned the situation around to the point that he now is providing some of our intelligence officers such as Yusupha Jatta and others written questions that are to be used in interrogations. He is also providing them tips he learnt from torture of Palestinians to be applied to Gambian detainees. He is in regular contact, from his mobile (xxxxxx withheld) with his assets such as Benedict, Kunji, and Yusupha.

The level of corruption and abuse of power at the NDEA is the worst our country has ever seen. Even previously honest Benedict has been so corrupted that one has to now believe the adage "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Benedict for example, has installed one of his mistresses in a villa at the Taf Estate that was seized illegally from a drug suspect. Additionally, he awarded Danny a contract to supply CCTV to the new NDEA offices without any bid or adherence to GPPA [Gambia Public Procurement Authority] regulations. It is unclear to me whether Danny is here as part of a secret agreement with the Israeli government or if it is just because of Ben.

Danny's cover is that he owns a company that supplies military hardware and surveillance equipment in The Gambia.

Editors note: The Freedom Newspaper was able to reach Mr. Danny Shinn on the cellular phone number provided to us by our source. The Israel born native first demanded to know who the caller was, and our Editor identified himself to him. Mr. Danny then enquired how we managed to get his cell number, and we told him that as journalists, we had access to multiple sources—thus allaying his curiosity.

We demanded his reaction to the report mentioned above: his ties with the NDEA, him training NDEA officers, his alleged affiliation with the Israel Mossad Intelligence outfit, the CCTV contract he reached with the NDEA, and the alleged monies given to former sacked security officers, such as Lang Tombong Tamba, Ben Jammeh, and Kunji, Mr. Shinn rejected the report—saying don’t make me laugh. He demanded to know what media organization our Editor worked for, and he was told the Freedom Newspaper. It took him few seconds to figure out the Freedom newspaper as a new organization. But he finally affirmed with an exclamation—remarking “ oh Freedom, Freedom.”

“What newspaper are you representing? Or the Freedom, yes, yes, Okay…” signaling that he is aware of a newspaper called the Freedom Newspaper. Mr. Shinn would also not discuss his alleged detention by the NDEA back in December of 2009, following the interception of the Iranian arms destined for President Jammeh’s Kanilai Farm. He will also not explain what he was doing in The Gambia. He merely said that he was a freeman, otherwise he wouldn’t be talking to us on the phone. But was told that the alleged detention took place in December of 2009, but Danny wouldn’t elaborate on the matter.

When asked about the CCTV contract deal he allegedly signed with the NDEA, and the supplying of military hardware to the Government of The Gambia, Mr. Shinn hung up the phone. This particular query never went down well with him. He hung up the phone without notifying us. That ends our phone conversation with Mr. Shinn.

And this report claims that

The Mossad's Station Chief for Gambia, Danny Shinn, fled the country on Thursday. This follows the story on Freedom Newspaper that blew his cover. His departure from The Gambia was a big blow to the Mossad according to Western Embassy sources. Danny was not only Station Chief for Gambia, but was responsible for managing Mossad espionage activities in the whole Anglophone West Africa. According to these sources, the Freedom exposure made it impossible for Danny to meet his agents in The Gambia anymore.

Danny's tenure in The Gambia was a very storied one. He was easily considered as running the best intelligence operation in The Gambia. Taking advantage of the insane hire and fire policies of Jammeh, he recruited agents who had been fired from government service in the hopes that they would be rehired. He provided them allowances whilst they were unemployed and in dire need of money. Once these agents were rehired into the government security service, they would forever be beholden to him. This for example, was how he got his most valuable asset, Benedict Jammeh.

After Benedict was fired as IGP [Inspector-General of Police], he started providing him an allowance of 30 thousand a month. Once Ben got rehired as DG [Director General] of NDEA, he provided Danny with first class intelligence. Danny also relied on the fact that most of the security agents live beyond their means. For example, another important agent, Yusupha Jatta of the NDEA has 3 wives and 15 children. His meager salary is not able to sustain such a big and expensive family. So, Danny would once again provide the allowance.

Because of his good network, Danny was able to get bugs implanted in the State House in Banjul and record sensitive conversations. Practically all of Ben's briefings with the president were also recorded. This is how the information about the Iranian arms were discovered and passed to the xxx. This is also how the drugs cache in Bonto was discovered and passed on to the MI-6.

At some point, Danny was suspected by Jammeh of being a spy and he ordered Ben to have the NDEA to arrest him and investigate. Ben investigating Danny was like the proverbial fox guarding the hen house. Despite the fact that Danny was detained for over 3 weeks, he had an ace up his sleeve.

Danny, the clever Jew, learnt that Ben was going to seize a drug suspect's house at the Taf estates and give it to his mistress, a prominent television personality. Before she could move in, he arranged to install a surveillance camera in the master bedroom. He captured a lot of compromising videos of Ben.

Jammeh even ordered that Danny be deported. But Danny made sure Ben knew that any negative actions by Ben would result in his total exposure. So, Ben just played games and left Danny alone until the Freedom article surfaced and exposed his game. Danny on the other hand had nothing but contempt for what he termed "the Jola Boys". He thought that they were the most stupid tribe in Gambia and nicknamed Jammeh as "Baboon". He felt that Jammeh was only after his own personal interest and was not interested in developing his country.

Danny continued supporting Ben including giving him the money to pay for his mistresses debt when she was sued in court for failing to pay for an air ticket. At the end though, the Freedom article was just too powerful and he had to leave the country.

Editor’s note: Mr. Danny could not be reached by phone for immediate comments. His cellular phone is apparently turned off. Per, the State House insider, he has left The Gambia. Mr. Danny would be accorded the opportunity to respond to the allegations linking him to spying if he so desired. Thanks for your attention.

Mmmm. These reports seem to have some grain of truth in them (the highlighted portions) with a lot of smear, disinformation and a bit of racism. It seems Gambia was about to get arms from the Iranians and the Mossad succeeded in preventing this and this is what is behind the smear campaign against the Mossad.

An Israeli Arab speaks the truth about Israel

And here's another pro-Israel Arab, this time an American:

The Saudis threatened Obama

Fron The Times:

 

Saudi Arabia has threatened to prop up President Mubarak if the White House tries to force a swift change of regime in Egypt.

In a testy personal telephone call on January 29, King Abdullah told President Obama not to humiliate Mr Mubarak and warned that he would step in to bankroll Egypt if the US withdrew its aid programme, worth $1.5 billion annually.

America's closest ally in the Gulf made clear that the Egyptian President must be allowed to stay on to oversee the transition towards peaceful democracy and then leave with dignity.

"Mubarak and King Abdullah are not just allies, they are close friends, and the King is not about to see his friend cast aside and humiliated," a senior source in the Saudi capital told The Times.

Two sources confirmed details of the King's call, made four days after the people of Egypt took to the streets. The revelation of Saudi concerns sheds new light on America's apparent diplomatic paralysis and lays bare the biggest rift between the nations since the oil price shock of 1973.

The tough line from Riyadh is driven by concern that Western governments were too eager to shove aside Mr Mubarak when the uprising began, without proper consideration of what should follow him.

"With Egypt in chaos, the kingdom is Washington's only major ally left in the Arab world and the Saudis want the Americans to remember that," said a source in Riyadh.

Egypt is the fourth-highest recipient of American aid after Afghanistan, Pakistan and Israel, with most of the money going to the Armed Forces. Slashing this was seen as a key weapon in Washington's armoury should it wish to force Mr Mubarak from office, but Riyadh's intervention seriously undermines America's leverage.

The White House declined to comment yesterday, saying that the Administration did not divulge what other leaders said to Mr Obama. The King is in Morocco, recuperating from surgery on his back late last year in New York. Behind the scenes, however, the octogenarian monarch has been sticking his neck out for his longstanding friend in Cairo -- the pair are believed to be speaking daily.

Immediately after his phone call with Mr Obama, the King issued a statement of support for Mr Mubarak, blaming "intruders" for meddling in Egypt's security "in the name of freedom of expression, exploiting it to inject their destructive hatred".

Riyadh is feeling increasingly hemmed in by Iran and its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah. The expulsion of the Mubarak regime would not only remove a key Saudi and American ally in the region but a major bulwark against Iranian expansionism."[The uprising] is a very dangerous phenomenon. If we encourage it, anything could happen. Iran or al-Qaeda might take advantage," said a Saudi official.

The inconsistent messages from American politicians since the crisis in Egypt began have also irritated the kingdom. "There is certainly quite strong disagreement with the Americans on the messaging. They can understand why Western countries have taken the positions they have, but they are not convinced it's been thought through. They see the Americans as abandoning long-term allies," said a Western analyst in Riyadh.

Behind the scenes, the Saudi leadership has been urging Mr Mubarak for some time to begin the process of reform and was dismayed that last year's parliamentary elections were so blatantly rigged. Many Saudi citizens express private admiration for the courage of the protesters in Tahrir Square. In the interests of stability, however, the kingdom has insisted that Washington should deal with Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian Vice-President, and not undermine him. The signs are that Washington has heeded the appeals for caution from Riyadh and elsewhere. The Administration, which appeared ready last week to sever America's 30-year alliance with Mr Mubarak, is now placing greater emphasis on stability in its public statements, while keeping up pressure on Mr Suleiman to push ahead with reforms.

The White House expressed frustration last night with the "lack of steps" Cairo has taken to meet protesters' demands. "It is clear that what the Government has thus far put forward has yet to meet a minimum threshold for the people of Egypt," said Robert Gibbs, President Obama's spokesman.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, accused the US of "imposing on a great country like Egypt", and brushing aside American calls for more freedom as "unhelpful".

MB leader: prepare for war with Israel (UPDATED)

From the JPost:

Muhammad Ghannem reportedly told Al- Alam that the Suez Canal should be closed immediately, and that the flow of gas from Egypt to Israel should cease “in order to bring about the downfall of the Mubarak regime.” He added that “the people should be prepared for war against Israel,” saying the world should understand that “the Egyptian people are prepared for anything to get rid of this regime.”

Ghannem praised Egyptian soldiers deployed by President Hosni Mubarak to Egyptian cities, saying they “would not kill their brothers.” He added that Washington was forced to abandon plans to help Mubarak stay in power after “seeing millions head for the streets.”

Ghanem also said that the Egyptian police and army won’t be able to stop the Muslim Brotherhood movement. The original Arabic article is here, the Google translation is here.

UPDATE: Here's the clip of MB leader which has info not icluded in the above reports:



And here's the transcript:

Following are excerpts from an interview with Muhammad Ghanem, Muslim Brotherhood representative in London, which aired on Al-Alam TV on January 30, 2011:

Muhammad Ghanem: Hosni Mubarak and his regime are over, but he does not know it. In the beginning, we said that we wanted Hosni Mubarak to go. Now, we say that Hosni Mubarak, his VP, and prime minister must go. Now there are three of them.

In addition, the commanders of the army are still going back and forth to America. The American position has changed, and we hope that the position of the military will change as well, but reality proves that Hosni Mubarak will not leave unless he is forced to, that Omar Suleiman is more dangerous than Hosni Mubarak, and that the appointed prime minister... They all come from the military, and they share the same interests. Like we say in Egyptian Arabic: They will not bite one another.

I don't want to speak ill of anyone, but Hosni Mubarak will not hesitate to kill the entire Egyptian people in order to remain in power. This is a maneuver of which we must beware. Hosni Mubarak is trying to stabilize his position. He is in Sharm Al-Sheik, protected by the Zionists, by the state of Israel. There is a helicopter ready to fly him to Israel.

We do not take the situation lightly. The situation is difficult. The Egyptian people will not allow anyone to rob them of their revolution. This blessed revolution will not subside. As the Egyptians are chanting: "We will not go away. This is our country. Mubarak should go."

[...]

As for the possible return of the security forces – this is inconceivable. If the people see members of the security forces, they will kill them all. These security forces are not part of the Egyptian people. Their allegiance lies with Hosni Mubarak.

[...]

I am absolutely certain that this revolution will not die, and that the next step must be one of civil disobedience. This civil disobedience will generate strife among the Egyptians. This disobedience must include halting passage through the Suez Canal, stopping the supply of petroleum and natural gas to Israel, and preparing for war with Israel.

[...]

News briefs

Synagogue in Tunisa set on fire

Hamas fires rockets at Israel

Israeli embassy in Cairo attacked by mob on Sunday

Security around Egyptian embassy in Tel-Aviv boosted

Egyptian army, MB plot Mubarak removal


UPDATES:

The king of Jordan sacked his government amid street protests

The MB admit Baradei is just for show

Was a UFO hovering over Temple Mount?

Israel slowly becoming focus of protests

"ISRAEL TO HEAD FOR DEATH"

From YNet's print edit:

Yediot Ahronot, 31 January 2011, pp. 2-3

"Traitor, go to Israel"

Eldad Beck

The moment of truth of the Egyptian "rage revolution" is near. The winds blowing in Cairo's streets are getting ever more extreme and Israel, who was out of the picture until now, is slowly being inserted into the political storm that is shaking Egypt and the entire Middle East. To the dozens of hate graffiti against Mubarak and his family sprayed on the ruling party's burnt building in the heart of Cairo a new slogan was added: "This is the end of all the Jews". On one of Cairo's main bridges the following was written: "Mubarak, you traitor, go to Israel".

Also the multitude of protesters that continue to flock to Tahrir Square are arguing about Israel's involvement in the dramatic events. For many Israel is behind the gangs of looters that broke into shopping malls, stores, private homes and even the national museum, stealing everything they laid hands on and sowing destruction. Al-Jazeera [...] is trickling inciteful propaganda against the Zionist state. "Experts" such as former MK Azmi Bishara talk about the US "Zionist lobby"'s role in preserving Mubarak's regime. The opposition continues to argue vehemently that Mubarak and his new vice, Omar Soliman, are agents of Israel and the US, and on the front page of one of the opposition papers the headline reads: "International Zionism is behind the civil war in Egypt".

In the stormy Tahrir Square I sit next to Muhammad, a 37 year old doctor [...] who doesn't hide his support for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). The more time goes by and the protests don't wane the more the MB show their presence. [...] Also the slogans at the demostrations are becoming more and more religious. [...] "We want a national rescue government which will draft a new constitution and the MB should be a part of it" [says Muhammad].

"Who says the MB should be in the government", she [Yasmin, a 29 year old] cries out. "There will be democratic elections and the people will decide who they want" [...].

"And how will this affect the relations with the US and the peace with Israel?" I ask. "The relations with America will be according to Egypt's interests", states Muhammad avoiding mentioning Israel. [...] "We don't know if Obama is with the people or with Mubarak", says Yasmin. "If other states will support the Egyptian people and help us build Egypt we'll welcome them". Yasmin doesn't blame Israel. "We're used to of saying that Israel is behind all our problems. But that's nonsense. We are responsible for what happens to us", she declares. "The Israelis are so succesful and what do we have? Nothing".

From the JPost:

The protests have lacked a clear leader to unite them and provide an alternative to Mubarak, and demonstrators are beginning to focus their wrath not just on Mubarak and the country’s widespread corruption, but also on the United States and, to a lesser extent, Israel. They blame Israel and the US for supporting a government because it is convenient for them, not because it is good for the Egyptian people.

“The USA does not support democracy; they’re supporting Israel, which is like their baby,” said Ahmed, a 26-year-old Cairo resident. “They think Egypt is functional because it’s in favor of their considerations.”

“I don’t care if we have peace [with Israel] or not,” Ahmed continued, echoing the indifference of many demonstrators who don’t have a clear agenda for what they want a future Egypt to look like, as long as it does not include Mubarak. “But will Israel allow us to have a real president? For example, Turkey elected an Islamic government, but it was their choice. Will Israel give us the freedom to make the same choice?” he asked.

The conflicting voices of the Egyptian revolution

On the one hand we have this (the relevant part starts at 1:18):



And on the other hand we have this:



The first video seems to express an honest desire for democracy, even though the Egyptian people never experianced it and thus don't really know what democracy is and what obligations come with it. The second video expresses the desire for an Islamist Egypt and a war of extermination against Israel. What is the true and prevalent voice of this revolution only time will tell but I have a feeling that it is the second one.

UPDATE: Note the picture of Husni Mubarak with a Star of David on his forehead at 1:28 in the first video.

UPDATE: It seems that Mubarak with a Star of David is a recurrent theme in the protests:

UPDATE: Here's the picture of Mubarak with a Star of David from the first video:

UPDATE: I have found another picture of Mubarak with a Star of David: