"A brief, more limited “mopping up” operation in Lebanon"

Via FLC

“…The emergence of a de facto sanctuary in northern Lebanon for the Free Syrian Army poses a particular challenge for the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Instructing the Lebanese army to seal off the border would be bitterly divisive domestically, but failure to act decisively could lead, sooner or later, to direct Syrian intervention.The signs are there. The Lebanese authorities have already received several warnings from Syria demanding an end to the flow of rebels and weapons across their common border. Journalists with access to decision-makers in Damascus relay the message that the Mikati government’s policy of “warding off evil” — i.e. formal neutrality — is no longer tolerable, …….Rifaat Ali Eid is the head of the pro-Syrian Arab Democratic Party and a leading political figure in the small Alawi community in Tripoli, which has come under attack from armed Sunni militants, reportedly backed by fugitive Syrian rebels. He has given the clearest signal yet of the Syrian government’s possible intentions: “If Lebanon enters the unknown,” he predicted in mid-May, “an Arab army will intervene … the UN will request the Syrian army to enter north Lebanon to resolve the situation there, because it is the most knowledgeable and capable Arab army in this regard.”

Eid is a marginal figure in Lebanese politics, but Syria’s intervention in Lebanon in 1976 followed the same sequence: private warnings delivered by former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Lebanese Left; public hints of Syrian intentions issued by Palestinian and Lebanese parties and media affiliated to the Syrian regime; and the claim that Syria was responding to an appeal for protection from Christian leaders. When these warnings failed [to produce the desired outcome], a Syrian armored brigade entered Lebanon and stopped just across the border. It was the forerunner of a major Syrian force deployment, which entered Lebanon two months later.

There are several obstacles to a significant Syrian intervention in Lebanon in 2012….. However, the Syrian regime may regard a brief, more limited “mopping up” operation in the border zone as a dual deterrent. This kind of operation could serve both to underscore to the Lebanese the potential costs of granting sanctuary to Syrian rebels, as well as to demonstrate the regime’s determination and capacity to act, thus discouraging other neighboring countries from allowing similar sanctuaries on their soil. A limited cross-border operation in northern Lebanon would act as a “dress rehearsal” for the wider armed conflict that may develop if the Syrian crisis degenerates into full civil war, or the Friends of Syria gear up for their own military intervention.

There would be other advantages to a cross-border intervention from the Syrian regime’s perspective. The United States would no doubt condemn an incursion into Lebanon, but its stance would be complicated by its own concern, shared by other Western governments, about the possible emergence of al-Qaeda-style jihadism in Tripoli. Its inclination to assist the Lebanese Army might similarly be tempered by a reluctance to get overly involved with a government in which Hezbollah is represented. Russia is likely to regard a limited Syrian operation as a legitimate act of self-defense, despite recent statements by its foreign minister holding the Assad regime primarily responsible for the bloodshed in Syria.

The reactions of Syria’s other neighbors would be no less complex. Turkey would certainly protest a Syrian incursion into Lebanon; but it has repeatedly sent its own military into northern Iraq in pursuit of guerrillas from the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK), and may yet claim the right to act similarly against them in northern Syria, where their presence has increased. Iraq, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Arab League’s council of foreign ministers, has its own problems with Sunni militants and is reported to have exchanged information with Syrian intelligence over the infiltration of jihadists from its territory into Syria. Jordan, whose king was the first Arab leader to call on Assad to step down last year, has tightened controls over the smuggling of arms destined for Syrian rebels across its border, and has seen its trade with Syria actually increase since the economic embargo was declared last November….”

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 9:32 AM

 

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Outraged Over Atrocities (Unless They’re Ours)

by JOHN LaFORGE

In the war fever being ramped up against Syria, there is broad public indignation over the massacre of more than 100 civilians in the town of Houla last weekend.

Would that the U.S. diplomatic corps and the commercial press were equally outraged over our own military’s atrocities.

While details of the Syrian massacre are unclear and still subject to dispute, Canada, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Australia, Germany, Spain and the United States have expelled Syrian diplomats in protest. The State Department called the rampage “despicable” and complained about a regime that could “connive in or organize” such a thing.

The department was silent on the U.S. killing four years ago of just as many Afghan civilians, including 60 children, in Azizabad. A draft UN Security Council press statement said about the Aug. 22, 2008 bombing that member nations “strongly deplore the fact that this is not the first incident of this kind” and that “the killing and maiming of civilians is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.” The crime wasn’t decried as a “massacre” by our foreign office which finds it easier to denounce indiscriminate attacks when the enemy du jour stands accused.

U.S. envoys weren’t thrown out of capital cities when Afghan villagers said between 70 and 100 civilians, including women and children, were killed May 5, 2009 by a U.S. raid against Bala Baluk. Our Foreign Service officers stayed comfy in their posts later that year when U.S. jets killed 99 Afghans when they bombed a pair of hijacked fuel tankers Sept. 4.

U.S. ambassadors weren’t dismissed from Paris or Rome when our jets attacked a wedding party Nov. 4, 2008 in Kandahar Province, killing up to 90 people and wounding 28. In July that year, the U.S had bombed a wedding party in Nangarhar leaving 47 civilian partiers dead, including the bride. On July 4, that year 22 civilians were blown up when U.S. helicopters rocketed two vehicles in Nuristan.

I suppose it’s not too late for civilized governments around the world to suspend relations with the United States to protest the killing of as many as 170 civilians that died under the U.S-led bombing of Helmand Province at the end of June 2007, or the 21 civilians that were killed in the same area on May 9 that year.

In Oct. 2004, Human Rights Watch estimated that 100,000 Iraqis had been killed since the U.S. bombing and invasion started in 2003. The State Department neglected to condemn this mass destruction of civilians, and the Pentagon responded to the report not with a denial but with an announcement that it did not keep a tally of civilian deaths.

The Security Council might have resolved some mild censure when its own investigators confirmed in October 2001 that U.S. warplanes had destroyed a hospital in Western Afghanistan — a blatant violation of the laws of war, since hospital roofs are clearly identified.

Of course U.S. bombardment of legally protected populations and civilian objects is always “accidental,” like when the Pentagon said its missiles had “mistakenly” killed nine civilians south of Baghdad Feb. 4, 2008. The same apologists regularly declare without irony that the U.S. Air Force is the finest and best equipped in the world.

Some will say the Syrian murders are far worse than “unavoidable wartime errors” because the government there is said to have attacked its own people. They will have to forgive the scoffing coming from descendants of enslaved African Americans, Native North American Indians, interned Japanese Americans, and the civilian victims of our human radiation experiments and nuclear bomb testing.

John LaForge is on the staff of Nukewatch and edits its Quarterly newsletter.

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Israel: Al-Qaeda in Syria May Operate Against Us over Time

“Israel” Warns of Possible Conflict with Syria, Fears Iran, Hizbullah

 

Local Editor

The “Israeli” Northern District Commander Yair Golan said Wednesday that “Israel” is in a constant battle with Iran in various channels.

“Iran is here. We are conducting an indirect war against it every day, as we do against Hamas in Gaza and against Hizbullah in Lebanon.”

“Iran’s negative influence is very significant to our region and its involvement is seen both here and in Syria,” he claimed.

Golan warned that the battle being waged in Syria between opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regime and al-Assad loyalists may have an effect on what is happening in “Israel”.

“Al-Qaeda related factors that are active there now and working against the regime may operate against us over time,” he said, according to the Channel 2 report. “The Syrian threat to “Israel” requires attention. It will not happen tomorrow morning, but it can occur within a few months.” 

Golan claimed, “Syria has weapons of mass destruction along with a very heavy arsenal of weapons, including surface-to-ground missiles and chemical weapons. The fact that Syria is a storehouse of weapons which fuels terrorists in the region is very unsettling.”

He noted that, should the need arise for “Israel” to launch a military operation in Syria, “The “IDF” has the power to take over the rocket launching areas that threaten the home front in a relatively short period of time and bring about the defeat of Hizbullah in each such area.”

Meanwhile, a senior “Israeli” military officer said recently that the ongoing conflict in Syria has made it easier for Hizbullah to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.” He added that there is concern that some of al-Assad regime’s stockpile of chemical weapons could end up in the group’s hands.

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The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!In a speech he gave at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Golan said,

International Bureau of Double Standards—The CNN/Iran File

Another great video from Anthony Lawson:

Posted by VINEYARDSAKER: at 18:03

This video looks at a CNN documentary (April, 2012 with repeats) about the Iran nuclear issue, and examines the role of the mainstream media in keeping the public uninformed about the real problem-nation in the Middle East: Nuclear-armed, Apartheid Israel.

Comments with abusive or insulting language will not be approved, including accusations of Hate Speech and/or anti-Semitism.

The original CNN programme “A Nuclear Iran: The Expert Intel” was download from the location given, below, but I cannot guarantee how long it will remain available:

http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/14/special-presentation-nuclear-iran-th…
Interesting link: Iran finance minister: ‘Rest assured’ record oil prices over nuclear sanctions
http://articles.cnn.com/2012-05-20/middleeast/world_meast_iran-nuclear_1_nucl…

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Russian Communist Party leader: Al-Houla Massacre Part of Western Intelligence Agenda

Local Editor

Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov considered the “al-Houla massacre in Syria as part of a foreign intelligence plot,” noting that some Western Politicians and media outlets created a hysteria on the massacre.

Zyuganov, in a statement, strictly condemned what he described as “a blatant provocation” in the al-Houla village, demanding an international investigation in the crime.

He further expressed that sooner or later, this will turn out to be related to Western intelligence, as it proved to be in Yugoslavia, Libya, and Afghanistan.

The Communist Leader also criticized the West for its quick accusation to the Syrian authorities of the massacre, even before the preliminary investigation results were out, especially that the journalists and international observers did not provide any evidence to the presence of heavy weaponry in the village.

Also, another prove to the absence of government heavy arms is that many of the corpses found were slaughtered by knives and had been stabbed. 

Russia Not to Shift on Syria, US to Moscow: You’re Contributing in Civil War

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Saudi Auction Sells Suicide Bombers for Syria

Activists have released video footage showing alleged potential suicide bombers being presented at an auction in western Saudi Arabia before being shipped off to Syria.

The video, leaked in early May, shows the auction taking place in a hotel in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, according to Press TV.
It shows a father putting his would-be suicide bomber son up for auction in exchange for the compensation he expects to be offered by the highest bidder.

The father, Abu-Salah, receives 1.5 million Saudi riyals (roughly USD 400,000), for offering his son, Khaled, as “sacrifice.”
Some sources say that among the bidders were high-ranking officials from the ruling Al Saud clan.

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Hazem Chahabi defects … again!

Via FLC

This ‘Honorary Consul’ (lool) guy, the son of Hikmat Chahabi (a Hafez Assad inner-circle-lifetime-member) defected (heart & soul) ages ago when his father was among the first Syrians to drink the Saudi ‘kool-aid’, along with Abdul Halim Khaddam, …etc. However, Chehabi pere was smarter than Khaddam : he did not sever all bridges with Damascus! Obviously now, with this ‘defection’, Chehabi fils is trying to save his hide!

But again, we have to laugh hard at how the LATimes turned this post into a diplomatic post of importance!

“Syria’s honorary consul general in California… Chehabi was one of Syria’s highest-ranking diplomats in the United States and is the first to defect from Assad…”

Next!

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 5:35 PM

 

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The Great Escape: Has Avaaz & Wissam Tarif Been Lying About Its Role In Syria?

Via FLC

Via ‘b’ of MoonOfAlabama: “… On the morning of February 28, the activist organization Avaaz reported that it had coordinated Conroy’s escape to Lebanon and that 13 activists within its network had been killed in the effort. “This operation was carried by Syrians with the help of Avaaz,” read the press release. “No other agency was involved.” By the end of the day, Avaaz founder Ricken Patel had been interviewed on CNN and the BBC, andThe Guardian had published a short profile titled, “The activist organisation behind Paul Conroy’s rescue in Syria.” Admiring profiles in Time and on NPR soon followed.A week after his escape, I called Conroy, who was recovering in a London hospital, to ask him about Avaaz’s role. “I can sum it up in one word,” he said. “Bollocks.” Conroy had never heard of Avaaz, he told me, until he “saw them on television, saying how [they] helped me get out.” Has Avaaz, a group that quickly became a darling among Arab Spring sympathizers in the West, been lying all this time?…”

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 2:39 PM

 

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Massive Cyber Attack in Middle East Believed to Be State Sponsored

A new computer virus, named “Flame,” is being called possibly the most massive cyber attack in history—targeting primarily Iran, it seems, although the following RT report mentions attacks upon Israel, as well.

Unlike the RT report, a report in the New York Times does not say anything about the virus effecting computers in Israel. In fact, the article seems to hint very strongly (perhaps with a touch of pride?) that the Flame virus was created by Israel. Here is an excerpt:

The virus bears special encryption hallmarks that an Iranian cyberdefense official said bear strong similarities to previous Israeli malware. “Its encryption has a special pattern which you only see coming from Israel,” said Kamran Napelian, an official with Iran’s Computer Emergency Response Team. “Unfortunately, they are very powerful in the field of I.T.”

While Israel never comments officially on such matters, its involvement was hinted at by top officials there. “Anyone who sees the Iranian threat as a significant threat — it’s reasonable that he will take various steps, including these, to harm it,” said the vice prime minister and strategic affairs minister, Moshe Yaalon, in a widely quoted interview with Israel’s Army Radio on Tuesday.

Interestingly, both the Times article, as well as this story at Y-Net, are accompanied by photos of a segment of the virus code, apparently courtesy of Russia’s Kaspersky Lab. And like RT, Y-Net also claims computers in Israel have been infected with the virus. There has of course been widespread speculation the Stuxnet virus was an Israeli creation, and even Wikipedia seems to give a great deal of credence to the theory. Stuxnet’s possible role in the Fukushima disaster has also been explored. See here , here , and here.

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BBC Wages Propaganda War on Syria

BBC Caught Using Iraq Mass Grave Photo As Syria Propaganda

“Western media basically rent their pages and screens to Western governments to plant whatever propaganda stories they wish”

 

• “So did anybody in the press account for the feverish propaganda lies and fabrications that preceded NATO intervention in Libya?

• What happened to the 100,000 civilians killed by Qadhdhafi’s bombs?

• What happened to the stories of mercenary armies?

• What happened to the story of that woman who claimed she was raped and then fled to Qatar before she was deported again?

• When Western governments plan or plot action against a developing country,

Western media basically rent their pages and screens to Western governments to plant whatever propaganda stories they wish. We see that over and over again.”

 

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 10:26 AM

BBC Wages Propaganda War on Syria

by Stephen Lendman

Millions globally follow BBC reports regularly. Most perhaps don’t know they get propaganda, not real news, commentary and opinion.

Since established in October 1922, it’s operated as a UK imperial tool. Its first general manager, John Reith, set the tone, saying:

“They (meaning the UK government) know they can trust us not to be really impartial.”

Straightaway he betrayed the public trust. Operating as a reliable business and government partner got BBC labeled the “British Falsehood Corporation.” Some today call it the “British Bombing (or Bombast) Club.”

Reith used BBC as a strikebreaker. He secretly wrote anti-union speeches. He refused air time for worker representatives. He and current officials represent elitist interests, not public ones media outlets are supposed to serve.

Job applicants are vetted to assure pro-government, pro-business credentials. Aberrant ones aren’t wanted. Whether on domestic or foreign issues, fair and balanced reporting isn’t tolerated.

How can it be when government officials appoint senior managers. Any stepping out of line get fired. Nothing changed from inception to now.

Its claim about “honesty, integrity (being) what the BBC stands for, free from political influence and commercial pressure” is willful, deceptive hype.

UK-based Media Lens offers independent, “authoritative criticism.” Its reports reflect “reality.” It’s free from corporate or government influence.

It covers BBC reporting. It once called it fundamentally one-sided, imbalanced, “biased, blinkered and culpable.”

“Anyone can spot the propaganda with a modicum of vigilance while watching the news.”

Western interests alone are represented. Viewers and listeners get one side only. They’re “clearly expected to identify with NATO.” They’re “asked to assume there is a moral basis to (its) killing.”

Attacking nations Washington and Britain declare “officially-decreed enemies” is supposed to be just and righteous no matter how lawless and indefensible.

BBC does what it’s told. It’s government funded, operated and controlled. It’s Britain’s official voice. It pretends to be independent and impartial.

“Propaganda merchants R Us,” says Media Lens.

“In each decade, from its inception to the present day, the BBC bears the scars of its entanglements with those in power.”

Media Lens quoted BBC news director, Helen Boaden. On June 10, 2011, she spoke the above words. She discussed the “value of journalism speech.”

She quoted Groucho Marx once saying:

“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing….And if you can fake that, you’ve got it made!”

Journalists are supposed to speak truth to power. Few, in fact, do it. None working for scoundrel media. BBC falls woefully short. It represents interests it’s supposed to confront and hold to account.

Instead it serves wealth and power. It’s a “propaganda system for elite interests,” says Media Lens. Viewers and listeners are betrayed, especially on issues mattering most.

What’s more important than war or peace? When Britain and America rage to fight, BBC marches in lockstep.

On February 1, 2012, the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) headlined “BBC Peddles War Propaganda,” saying:

BBC willfully misrepresents Iran’s nuclear program. For example, on January 26, it “explicitly stated that Iran has nuclear bombs!”

A “tirade of demonization and misinformation” followed. Spurious accusations claimed Iran threatens world peace. Question Time host David Dimbleby breached journalistic fairness and accuracy codes. He featured guests stating spurious misinformation, not truth and full disclosure.

Journalist Melanie Phillips claimed “Iran is threatening genocide against Israel virtually every week, and it means it.” She referred to the canard about wiping Israel off the map.

She continued saying:

“You are dealing in Iran with people who are not rational. You are dealing with people who believe that if they provoke the apocalypse, the end of days, they will bring to earth the Shiia Messiah, the Mahdi, and so they are in the business of provoking an apocalypse.”

“It does not matter to them that in a nuclear exchange they may lose half of their own country. It doesn’t matter. This is the mentality that you are dealing with. And the threat is to all of us.”

Broadcasting these type comments is unconscionable. Other guests say similar things. BBC features them. Viewers and listeners are misinformed. It repeats daily, especially when Britain and America plan war. CASMII had every right to complain. Doing so fell on deaf ears.

Last March, Alastair Crooke headlined his Asia Times article “Syria: Straining credulity?”

He quoted an unnamed US officer defining the future of warfare. In a 1997 US Army War College Quarterly article, he said:

“….we are already masters of information warfare. Hollywood is ‘preparing the battlefield.’ (We) will be writing the scripts, producing them, and collecting the royalties. Our creativity is devastating.”

“Hatred, jealousy, and greed – emotions, rather than strategy – will set the terms of (information warfare) struggles.” 

Media scoundrels play the same role. The Syrian conflict “is scripted in emotional images and moralistic statements that always….trump rational analysis.”

Baseless suspicions bring charges of crimes against humanity. Opposition and Western sources are cited. Warmongering officials write the scripts. Media scoundrels regurgitate their misinformation.

“Those who try to argue that Western intervention can only exacerbate the crisis are confronted (with images) of dead babies.”

Those who write the scripts set the tone. Who’ll contradict them without major media support? Expect none from BBC.

“Are we now to (believe) that armed opposition (insurgents are) motivated by” humanitarian concerns? “Will a Kosovo-type solution (improve things) in Syria?”

Does “anyone really believe American and European objectives in Syria (are) purely humanitarian?” Info-wars have other things in mind. At issue is regime change, not reform. It’s about isolating Iran. It’s about setting the stage for toppling its government after disposing of Syria.

“Do these reporters really believe” the agitprop they air? “Perhaps some do, but others (say things) to prepare the battlefield.”

It bears repeating. When America, Britain, and rogue partners go to war or plan one, media scoundrels march in lockstep. BBC’s done it for decades. Now it’s at it again.

Spurious accusations claim Iran is developing nuclear weapons. In fact, none exist, and Iran threatens no one.

On May 27, Houla’s massacre was featured. Reporting from Beirut, Jim Muir said:

“Some opposition groups are saying this could be a turning point.”

“Western nations are pressing for a response….”

America wants “an end to (Assad’s) ‘rule by murder.’ “

“The killings have sparked a chorus of international condemnation.”

US, UK, French, and UN officials were quoted. They all pointed fingers one way. So did BBC by featuring them. The blame game accuses victims. Perpetrators get scant mention. Heated interventionist calls increase. “(I)ndiscriminate and disproportionate use of force” was charged.

On May 29, BBC reported on “how a massacre unfolded,” saying:

“Anti-government activists, eyewitnesses and human rights groups – including the UN’s high commissioner for human rights – point the finger at the Syrian army and the shabiha, a sectarian civilian militia that supports the regime of Bashar al-Assad.”

BBC claimed army shelling began the attack. Syria categorically denies it. No tanks or artillery targeted Houla. None were positioned nearby. Hundreds of heavily armed Western-sponsored gunmen bear full responsibility.

Like other scoundrel media, BBC reported a tsunami of misinformation and lies.

On May 27, the London Telegraph headlined “BBC News uses ‘Iraq photo to illustrate Syrian massacre,” saying:

Willful deception was caught red-handed. The image used “was actually taken on March 27, 2003….” It “shows a young Iraqi child jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons found in a desert south of Baghdad.”

BBC posted it on its web site under the heading “Syria massacre in Houla condemned as outrage grows.” The caption suggests Houla bodies awaited burial.

Photographer Marco di Lauro

Photographer Marco di Lauro spotted the deception. He took the photo. When he saw it he said he nearly “fell off his chair,” adding:

“One of my pictures from Iraq was used by the BBC web site as a front page illustration claiming (Houla body images were) sent by an activist.”

BBC pulls stunts like this often. So do US and other Western media. Notoriously they misreport on imperial wars and events preceding them. Propaganda substitutes for real news and information. Apologies after the fact when caught don’t matter. Damage done can’t be reversed.

What could Assad gain by killing babies, young children, women and the elderly? How would cutting their throats or shooting them at point blank range help? Obvious questions go unanswered. Regurgitated lies substitute.

The pattern repeats when Washington, Britain, and rogue partners want independent governments toppled. Media propaganda promotes wars.

It rages against Syrian civilians. Insurgent death squad assassins target them. They’ve been doing it since early last year. Like other scoundrel media, BBC ignores truths and features willful misinformation and lies. Fake images are prominently featured.

Viewers and listeners are misinformed and betrayed. Many wonder what’s next. Domestic needs suffer to serve ravenous imperial appetites. No end of conflicts appear near.

Iran parliamentarians condemned the Houla massacre. They compared it to Israel’s Sabra and Shatila slaughter. They called it “blatant….terrorist acts (of) mass murder….” Insurgents bear full responsibility. Assad is wrongfully blamed.

America should be held accountable, they said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said it was done “to create chaos and instability.” It’s also about preventing peace and paving the way for war.

On May 29, Press TV reported that the Habilian Association human rights group said:

“We have conclusive proof and documents showing that the MKO (Mujahedlin-e Organization) has a strong and significant presence in Syria.”

“The terrorist group has begun, in an all-out fashion, acts of sabotage and terrorism against the Syrian government and nation, and has found major influence among the Syrian rebels.”

Washington is directly involved. So are Western and regional partners. MKO plans a “large-scale attack.” Preparations are underway.

Everything ongoing facilitates Washington’s war plans. The worst could erupt any time. First Syria, then Iran, then new targets in an endless cycle of violence, killing, and destruction. Expect it. It’s coming.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War”

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour.

posted by Steve Lendman @ 12:11 AM 

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May 30 – Jewish Heritage and gay lawmakers

Posted on May 29, 2012 |

In 2006, Dubya Bush declared May as the Jewish American Heritage Month, initiated by Jewish Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Both Bush and Obama have celebrated the event by throwing a gala party at the White House in honor of their pro-Israel Jewish donors. White House has announced that this year the party will be held on June 30.



On May 27, 2010, during the “American Jewish Heritage Month” celebration at the WH, Rabbi David Nesenoff  asked Helen Thomas if she had any comments on Israeli. Thomas replied, “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine… Remember, these people are occupied, and it’s their land; its not German, its not Poland’s.” “they should go home” to “Poland, Germany.”  “America and everywhere else.”



Two years ago, the Jewish Lobby got rid of America’s famous critic of Israel, Helen Thomas during the Jewish American Heritage Month party at the White House. This year, however, Jewish lawmakers will also be honoring their fellow homosexual lawmakers on May 30.

According to JTA (May 24) – the Jewish gay freshman, Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo) has invited folks to a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Compaign Committee honoring veteran Jewish gay lawmaker, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass), elected in 1980. The fundraiser event will be held on May 30, on the rooftop of El Centro DF, a popular Mexican restaurant in Northwest Washington, celebrating Frank’s 25th anniversary of his declaration of being ‘pink’! Frank will be joined by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Steve Israel (NY).

Tickets for the May 30 event range from $100 for an individual to $5,000 for PACs or those who want to co-host the event.

Jared and Frank are not the only openly homosexuals among the American lawmakers. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I), elected in 2010 is also gay and Jewish. Then, there is Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis), a lessbian with Russian-Jewish family roots. She was elected in 1998 for the first time. Tammy is a candidate in the 2012 Senate elction to succeed retiring Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wis), a Jewish millionaire and owner of Milwaukee Bucks. Herb also supports same-sex marriage. Rep. Zach Wyatt (R-Mis) came out of closet this month.

LGBT groups are pro-Israel in general – as they believe that both Jews and gay/lesbian have long been discriminated in the West. A recent world-wide survey by GayCities.com and American Airlines, 43% LGBT tourists voted Tel Aviv as their favorite city, followed by New York (14%), Toronto (7%), Sao Paulo (6%), Madrid and London (5% each) and New Orleans and Mexico city (4% each).

Israeli film director, Eytan Fox, has even produced a movie, ‘Yossi’s story‘ documenting the life of gays and lesbians in the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF). The film basically applies that Israeli military culture has become more progressive by accepting gays and lesbians.

“Yippee. So more people can be in the IDF comfortably, occupy land, homes and roads, fire rubber or real bullets, interrogate and imprison little children, all while being openly gay,”Dahlia Scheindin in Israeli magazine +972, May, 27, 2012.

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"The fact is that there is no uprising of the Syrian people against the government"

Via FLC

“… The fact is that there is no uprising of the Syrian people against the government. Nor have there been any major protests against Assad’s presidency in the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, where the only mass demonstrations to have been held at all have been pro-Assad.Some try to explain the absence of mass rallies by claiming that the tyrannical nature of the government prevents them, but this will not wash.

In Egypt, the police, army and security forces under President Mubarak were far stronger than those under Assad in Syria today, yet they still could not prevent huge popular protests.

There has been nothing like that in Syria, for the reality is that the opposition does not represent the will of the people. Instead, it is a largely Islamist force that wants to end Assad’s attachment to secular rule, under which — for all the regime’s other failings — the rights of religious minorities are respected.

The opposition’s co-ordinating body, the Syrian National Council, is dominated by the hardline Muslim Brotherhood, which supports the imposition of Sharia law. The council is strongly supported by armed jihadists on the ground who want to create an anti-Western Islamic state in Syria.

These zealots have been provided with both arms and financial backing by the fundamentalist Muslim regimes of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as both want to promote ultra-conservative Islamism across the region.

It is grotesque that our own Foreign Secretary thinks that we have a duty to take up the cause of these fanatics in Syria who have no interest in negotiation or democracy.

Hague is quite simply deluded if he thinks that we have anything to gain from intervention in the country.

Britain’s position is shot through with hypocrisy. Hague fulminates about human rights in Syria because the issue is dominating international news, yet says nothing about abuses of freedom in Saudi Arabia, just because the country happens to be our oil-rich economic ally.

He criticises Russia for backing Assad, yet remains silent about Qatar’s backing for the murderous jihadists.… (Continue, here)”

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 1:04 PM

 

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Israel’s Herzliya Center Sneaks Into Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak delivers a speech during the annual international conference on security and policy in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, on 2 February 2010. (Photo: AFP – Jack Guez)

 

By: Sabah Ayoub

Published Wednesday, May 30, 2012

When a civil society activist in Tripoli received an email invitation to participate in an all-expenses-paid Israeli-Arab dialogue in London, he was surprised to see that it came from a foreign journalist he had assisted as a fixer. One of the parties hosting the event is none other than the Israeli Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.

Rami (not his real name) is an activist from Tripoli, who works in Palestinian camps and with civil society organizations in northern Lebanon. A few days ago, he received an email inviting him to participate in an “Arab-Israeli” dialogue on “understanding and peace.”

The dialogue, organized by the International Center for the Study of Radicalism and Political Violence (ICSR) in London, will span four months with all expenses paid.

Rami’s shock was twofold. He was initially provoked by the title and content of the invitation. But then he was surprised to see that it was forwarded to him from a foreign journalist he had worked with as a translator during the Bab el-Tabbaneh-Jabal Mohsen clashes a few months ago.

“It was strange because she knows me and knows my principles, my position against the occupation, and my support for the resistance and the Palestinians. We spoke about this several times,” he says, looking surprised.

The Dutch journalist tried to encourage Rami in the accompanying email. “She said she had worked in the host center and considers me a perfect candidate to participate in the activity,” he explains.

A few hours later, Rami received a call from another friend and civil society activist in Tripoli. His friend told him that he received a similar “strange” invitation to the same conference from the same journalist.

As many activists in Beirut, Tripoli, and other areas with media attention in Lebanon, Rami and his friend moonlight as translators and fixers for foreign journalists who travel to the country. These young men and women are providing a service for foreign correspondents and assisting them in performing their jobs.

But it seems that some correspondents are relaying “useful” information about their assistants and are “classifying” them according to several criteria, in order to contact them “as needed.” The “need” is neither “innocent” nor journalistic or personal. It is a purely political assignment, such as what happened with Rami and his friend.

After viewing the email sent by the Dutch journalist to the activist from Tripoli and the attached invitation, Al-Akhbar investigated the identity of the hosts and their objectives. Apparently, Israel and the lobby that serves its interests around the world have identified “human targets” for recruitment. They use some journalists, with or without their knowledge, to get to their “targets” in what could be identified as hard to reach areas for direct recruitment.

Based on ICSR’s invitation letter, the declared target audience are “young leaders – typically from government, business, academia, and the media – who occupy positions from which they can shape politics and public opinion in Israel and the Arab world.”

The “Arab-Israeli dialogue” is part of an ICSR fellowship supported by the Atkin Foundation. The duration is four months in King’s College London and participants will subsequently become members of the center’s team.

“For the forthcoming intake, in addition to Israelis, we are looking for applicants from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria only,” the invitation says.

To apply for the fellowship, the candidate must answer the two following questions: “How will the fellowship impact your career and future personal development?” and, “In your opinion, what methods will have a positive impact on the Arab-Israeli conflict?”

Some might see this fellowship as a friendly opportunity to start a dialogue on peace and solving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Others, might innocently feel that they could send a positive signal to the Israeli “other” so they can perhaps build a better future together.

But a quick glance at ICSR’s partners and sponsors leaves no doubt about the identity of the center or the aims of its activities or scholarships, under a university-academic veil.

The London-based center claims to be a “unique partnership” including five equal stakeholders: King’s College London, Georgetown University (Washington, DC), University of Pennsylvania, the Regional Center for Conflict Prevention (Amman), and Israel’s Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC Herzliya), whose main principles and goals are rooted in Zionism. IDC Herzliya seeks “to train a future Israeli leadership…while maintaining a Zionist philosophy…and striving to strengthen the State of Israel” and organizes the annual Herzliya conference.

ICSR declares that its goals range between “conflict resolution,” “diplomacy,” “strategy,” “counter-terrorism,” and “security,” according to its website. The center considers the Atkin fellowship as one of its main activities through which it can contribute to “create networks of moderate leadership among young leaders on both sides of the [Arab-Israeli] conflict.”

The center’s staff includes Jordanians, Egyptians, Lebanese, and Israelis from various professional and scientific backgrounds. They are teachers, engineers, civil society activists, media workers, rights activists, and experts on Islamic movements and al-Qaeda.

One of them is a Lebanese activist called Sarah Kilany, a Lebanese American University (LAU) graduate. She is introduced as a civil society activist from Lebanon who previously worked with a women’s organization in Lebanon. She also participated in monitoring parliamentary elections with the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) before joining ICSR a few months ago.
Today, Sarah’s research focuses on “Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and the role of civil society in finding a solution to their socio-economic situation.”

The question remains how many Lebanese will take the bait and help IDC Herzliya and its big name partners build a Middle East with “a politically neutral environment” to “strengthen the State of Israel.”

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.

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‘Al Mayadeen’ transmitting the ‘alternative’, soon from Beirut to the Arab world …

FLC

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 9:56 AM

 

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Israel celebrates Jerusalem occupation, America brothers waiting Damascus "liberation"

“In recent weeks, the PA expressed a certain willingness to resume peace negotiations with Israel if the Netanyahu government agreed to suspend settlement expansion activities. The Palestinian gesture, which came as a result of financial and political pressure from donor countries, especially the US, was rejected by Israel as the Israeli government insisted on continuing settlement expansion.”

Khalid Amayereh

IN RECENT DAYS

Nato mufti waiting to lead prayers in Damascus

• HAMAS AND FATEH MET IN CAIRO FOR CONSULTATION. CONSULTATION IS PROGRESSING IN A POSITVE ATMOSPHERE.
•  Haniyeh blesses the update of the electoral register in Gaza
• Brothers of America calls for intervention in Syria, so did their puppet Ghaliyoun. 
• In case you missed it: Qaradawi: Syrians Can Call for Foreign Intervention to Topple Assad  

In case you missed it Ibrahim Hamai “Sincerely” Promised the pro-revolutionary regimes trading in everything, especially when the Syrian regime start “shaking” that “with every revolution to rejoice their defeat and our next gloat will be soon from free Damascus, God willing, that’s a promise!”

Israel celebrates Jerusalem occupation 

by Khalid Amayreh
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Israel continues to extend its control over Arab East Jerusalem, killing all chances of reviving the peace process,

With vows to keep Jerusalem “united”, under Jewish domination, Israel this week marked the 45th anniversary of its occupation of Arab East Jerusalem.

The city is home to some of Islam and Christianity’s holiest places. However, ever since the Israeli army seized the town from Jordan during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Israel has been carrying out an unmitigated campaign of Judaisation and de- Arabisation that many observers say has profoundly altered the face and demographic makeup of the city.

The annexation of Arab East Jerusalem by Israel is not recognised by the international community, including Israel’s guardian-ally, the United States, which refuses to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Earlier in the week, the Israeli government, perhaps the most rightwing in Israel’s history, held a special meeting to celebrate “Jerusalem Day”. During the celebratory meeting, the government decided to allocate $91 million to confiscating more Arab land in order to build parks and other facilities for the benefit of Jewish settlers.

Israel has transferred hundreds of thousands of Jews to live in East Jerusalem, mainly at the expense of the town’s native Arab inhabitants. The bulk of the town’s resources are also utilised to benefit Jewish settlers, not the town’s inhabitants as a whole.

Nonetheless, Israel has failed achieve its goal of reducing Arabs in the city into a negligible minority. Today, Palestinians constitute between 40-42 per cent of Greater Jerusalem, which includes East and West Jerusalem as well as adjacent and contiguous suburbs and neighbourhoods, such as Abu Dis and Eizariya.

This failure frustrated successive Israeli governments, forcing them to take stringent and draconian measures aimed at besieging Arab communities in the hope of forcing more Arabs to leave the city.

Dubious Israeli figures put the population of Jerusalem, East and West, at 800,000, of which only 35 per cent are Arabs. However, these figures deliberately overlook tens of thousands of Jerusalemite Palestinians who live in the peripheries of the city or those whose residency status has been cancelled.

Several insidious tactics are used by Israel to achieve its goals, including the demolition of Arab homes, denying building permits to Arabs, confiscation of residency cards from Arab citizens and cutting off East Jerusalem from its natural economic and demographic space in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. For example, while non- Palestinian Arabs and Muslims can visit the city, Palestinians who only live a few blocks away from Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine, cannot even hope to be allowed to reach the shrine, even for a five-minute prayer there. Israel, nonetheless, continues to claim to provide religious freedom for adherents of all religions, a claim that looks absurd in light of objective facts.
Marking the event, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu defended continued Israeli occupation of the city. He reiterated the sound bites that successive Israeli and Zionist leaders repeat to justify the illegal Israeli seizure of the town. “Israel without Jerusalem is like a body without a heart,” he said as thousands of religious Zionist youth marched through the Arab town, sparking off clashes with local Palestinian youths.

I know there are people who say there will be peace if we only divide the city; I don’t believe so, we will continue to build Jerusalem,
Netanyahu said.

Palestinians scoffed at his remarks, ridiculing his claims that Jerusalem is Israel’s heart. “He should seek his heart in Eastern Europe and Russia and Khazaria where he and the bulk of these lying Zionists came from to this Arab land as invaders,” said Yousuf Al-Khatib, a local Jerusalemite leader.

Netanyahu and ilk don’t belong here, they belong to Warsaw, Carrow, Riga, Vilnius and the Khazarr region, among other places. Look at their faces, they are Europeans, they are not Semitic, they are simply not part of this region’s anthropology. The fact that they have succeeded in seizing our land is a historical aberration that must be rectified sooner or later.

The Zionist Scenario: Now And In The Future

The same feelings were echoed by Ahmed Qurei, a former Palestinian Authority (PA) prime minister who lives in Jerusalem. He called on Arabs and Muslims everywhere to help the people of Jerusalem be steadfast and withstand Israel’s sinister tactics to empty the city of its Arab inhabitants.

Every day there is a confiscation drive; they simply don’t want peace. They tell the world they want peace, but everything they do here on the ground proves beyond doubt that peace is the last thing on their agenda.

The former PA official said there could be no peace and stability in the region and beyond as long as Jerusalem remained in Zionist hands.

Look, Jerusalem is not only a Palestinian issue. It is an Arab issue, a Muslim issue, and a Christian issue as well. We have to remember that hundreds of the Prophet Mohamed’s companions are buried in Jerusalem. Yes, we may not be in a position to militarily recover the city now, but things will change, and 60 or 70 years are nothing in the annals of history.

Meanwhile, the deputy head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Kamal Al-Khatib, has warned that Israel is planning to build a massive synagogue underneath Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its main entrance located near the Buraq Wall. A few weeks ago, the Israeli government organised a tour to the site for construction contractors to inspect the area where the $20 million structure is slated to be built.

Al-Khatib said Israeli plans would effectively end remaining efforts aimed at reviving the peace process.

I think it is futile and delusional to pin any hope on peace efforts. Israel simply doesn’t want peace. Anyone doing what Israel is doing doesn’t want peace.

In recent weeks, the PA expressed a certain willingness to resume peace negotiations with Israel if the Netanyahu government agreed to suspend settlement expansion activities. The Palestinian gesture, which came as a result of financial and political pressure from donor countries, especially the US, was rejected by Israel as the Israeli government insisted on continuing settlement expansion.

The unrelenting expansion of Jewish-only colonies is widely thought to have rendered the goal of establishing a viable and territorially contiguous Palestinian state unrealistic if not impossible.

Source: Ahram Weekly

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2012/1099/re2.htm

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‘Qatari Opposition: Responsible for Mall Fire, More Operations until Victory"

Local Editor
The Qatari opposition declared for the first time its responsibility of actions inside the country.
The so-called “al-Haq” (The Right) opposition group announced responsibility for the fire that broke out in one of the major malls in Doha Last Monday.

In a statement published by the Qatari Revolution “Face book” page, the spokesman for the leadership of the Supreme Military Council for “al-Haq”, Abu Habib Anzi announced Wednesday that “the battalion has carried out a qualitative operation in one of the most important economic facilities in Doha.”

“We targeted the Villagio Mall that is frequently visited by the Americans, their agents, and servants of al-Kahlifa Bin al-Thani,” Anzi said.

He added that ” the operation came as a response to what he viewed as targeting the Arab people in sake of the US-“Israeli” project aimed at destroying and sabotaging the Arab nation by the thieves of the country: al-Khalifa and their followers.”

Anzi named the operation as “Thar Allah” (God’s Revenge) and noted that “it led to the destruction of the whole mall in the presence of members of the ruling family, their bodyguards, and elements of the US occupation.”

“The fire is not the result of an electricity problem,” the man said and challenged the Qatari authorities to broadcast the live images of rescue operations, the collapse of walls, and pictures of the victims.

“”Al-Haq” Brigades won’t not calm down or rest until victory is achieved,” he vowed as he declared responsibility for operations in the Villagio mall, City Center, Aviation College, and Fatima Bint Walid School.

Source: al-Intiqad, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org

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Barak: Iranian Threat A Sword on Our Neck

Last updated 30-05-2012 – 10:57

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday that the Iranian threat has reached a point that constitutes “a sword on the neck” of the Zionist entity.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Institute for National Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv, Barak stated that the Israeli leadership felt like the “Jewish State had a sword to its neck prior to the 1967 Six-Day War”***, and felt their was no choice but to act. He suggested that the “Iranian threat” may have come to this point, or be nearing this point.

The defense minister, who has often employed the phrase “point of no return” in referring to Iran’s nuclear program, said that a sword on the neck traditionally has meant that one’s enemies have attained weaponry and are poised to strike. When speaking of nuclear capabilities, he added, the ability to obtain the weapon is enough to constitute a sword on the neck. If Iran has already obtained nuclear weapons, it will be too late to act, Barak said.

Barak said that while “nobody wants to go to war,” Iran was “methodically” working towards nuclear weapons capability. He reiterated the Israeli leadership’s stance that Tehran is buying time to place itself in a position to “pursue nuclear weapons”.

He said that the Iranian regime was disguising its actions so that the international community would not know when they had “passed the line in the sand.” “The Iranians are trying to lead the entire world astray and breach the directives of the IAEA,” Barak claimed.

****Fact check

There was no united front challenging Israel, no “Arab strategy.” Egypt, Syria, and Jordan distrusted each other. Tarring Israel as an enemy was pure propaganda, propaganda that segued into a policy of baiting, without the means to back up the threats.

“The creation of a new Israeli cabinet on June 2 brought in hawks such as Moshe Dayan as defense minister and hardliner Menachem Begin. They insisted that the bluff be called to put an end to Syrian threats, deflate Nasser’s prestige, and maintain the IDF’s credibility—all while achieving Israel’s geopolitical goals, that is, expanding the state’s borders and increasing its strategic depth. On June 4, the cabinet voted to go to war.”

“For five years,” IDF chief of operations Gen. Ezer Weizman recalled, referring to the surprise air strike against Egypt,

“I had been talking of this operation, explaining it, hatching it, dreaming of it, manufacturing it link by link, training men to carry it out.”

“The Egyptian army concentrations in the Sinai approaches,” Menachem Begin told the New York Times, “do not prove that Nasser was really about to attack us. We must be honest with ourselves. We decided to attack him.”

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Iran Warns of Military Action against Syria: Zionist Regime into Ashes

Local Editor
Iranian House Speaker Ali Larijani warned Wednesday the US and the Zionist regime of war mongering measures in Syria.
“The beginning of such adventurism might seem easy but the ending will certainly be very harsh for them,” Larijani stressed.

The Iranian top official commented on recent remarks of certain western officials, including Americans, on Syria by saying: “they are seeking to pave the way for a new crisis.”

He also stressed that “the US military officials are most probably suffering from an illusion regarding regional issues.”
Larijani further highlighted the fact that Syria is in no way comparable to Libya, stressing that plots to create another Benghazi will certainly burn down the Zionist regime into ashes.

As the Iranian Speaker questioned the absence of any move to end the military occupation of Bahrain, he wondered “why do the foreigners keep supplying money and equipment to Syria and do not allow things to go through their usual procedure?”

“The present Democrat president of the United States is seemingly repeating the same mistake the former US president Jimmy Carter made,” he added.

Larijani reiterated his country’s support for democratic reforms in Syria which could meet the demands of its nation. He also condemned the opportunistic interventions of certain countries in Syria as well as the unwise terrorist operations by the United States there.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org
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Zbigniew Brzezinski: ‘The Syrian uprising is largely a propaganda phantasm’

Via FLC

“… The media and (?) generated hysteria over the Sunni rebellion against the Syrian government has taken a new turn with the withdrawal of foreign ambassadors from Damascus and the expulsion of Syrian ambassadors across the world. Syria’s response is to expel the Dutch charge d’affaires from their capital. The Arab World is prone to signalling in international affairs. This expulsion is a signal that Syria is unimpressed by the “pressure” being exerted against her.As Zbig said today on “Morning Joe” The Syrian uprising is largely a propaganda phantasm occurring spottily across the country. The Saudis, the Turks and the neocons want Assad overthrown for particular reasons of their own and to that end are manipulating the “imaging” involving Syria in the pursuit of regime change.The Syrian military has largely held together, the government seems unmoved by external pressure and Russia is not yielding to pressure designed to eleicit condemnation of the Syrian government. Are the Russians providing military materiel to Syria? I doubt it. The country is saturated with weapons and ammunition. Is Iran continuing to supply Syria? Certainly. Why would they not? pl”

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 10:11 AM 
 

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‘When and How Was the Land of Israel Invented?’

Posted on May 30, 2012 |

Remember the ‘self-hating’ Jewish historian and author, Professor Shlomo Sand (Tel Aviv University), who pulled the rug underneath Zionist Jews in his 2009 book, ‘The Invention of the Jewish People’. Well, the good-old professor has just published a new anti-Semitic book, entitled ‘When and How Was the Land of Israel Invented?‘.

Dr. Sand proves once again that only a Jew can say such things and get away with the murder. His 2009 book had united the Israel-Firsters like Anita Shapira, Hillel Halkin, Jeffrey Goldberg, etc. They all condemned Shlomo Sand for challenging the Zionist myth about Jewish people.

Last year, the Zionist propagandists chased Gilad Atzmon for his book, ‘The Wandering Who?.

In the past, Arthur Koestler’s book, ‘The Thirteen Tribe’, French philosopher Roger Garaudy’s book, ‘The Founding Myths of Israeli Politics, and professor Gilbert Achcar’s (University of London) book, The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives, have similar message – that’s the Jews have no religious or historical right to occupy Palestine.

“Zionism plundered the religious term ‘Land of Israel’ (Eretz Yisrael) and turned it into a geopolitical term. The Land of Israel is not the homeland of the Jews. It becomes a homeland at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th – only upon the emergence of the Zionist movement,” claims Dr. Sand.

Dr. Sand in his book, The Invention of the Jewish People, claimed that the vast majority of Western Jews are not from the Israelite (Hebrew) tribes – but people of different nationalities who converted to Judaism during 8th-10th century AC. This made Zionists claim over Palestine being promised to them by biblical God – void and null.

Zionists’ anti-Arab campaign usually ignors the fact that while 150,000 German Jews were actively took part in Nazi Army – 233,000 of the 550,000 Free French troops landing on the Mediterranean coast in Nazi-occupied France in November 1944 were North African Muslims.

Annette Herskovits, PhD, a Holocaust survivor and author, in her recent article, entitled, ‘Nazism, Zionism, and the Arab World‘ (Dissident Voice, May 21, 2012) has debunked several of Israel Hasbara (propaganda) myths about Holocaust, Zionism, Israel and the Arab Muslims.

“As someone whose mother and father were murdered in Auschwitz, and who herself survived the Nazis’ barbarous nationalism thanks to the courage of a group of Catholics, Protestants, Communists, and Jews, I find the idea that defending the “Jewish state” supersedes all other human obligations both immoral and senseless. Nothing, not even the Holocaust, justifies Israel’s treatment of Palestinians or the continuing efforts of pro-Israel zealots to show Arabs and Muslims as less than human. Israel and its unconditional supporters are on a path leading to catastrophe not only for Palestinians, but in the not very long run, for Israel itself,” wrote Annette.

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