From: Washington Free Beacon
Secretary of defense nominee Chuck Hagel said Israel is on its way to becoming an apartheid state during an April 9, 2010, appearance at Rutgers University, according to a contemporaneous account by an attendee.
Hagel also accused Israel of violating U.N. resolutions, called for U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas to be included in any peace negotiations, and described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “radical,” according to the source.
Kenneth Wagner, who attended the 2010 speech while a Rutgers University law student, provided the Washington Free Beacon with an email he sent during the event to a contact at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The email is time-stamped April 9, 2010, at 11:37 AM.
“I am sitting in a lecture by Chuck Hagel at Rutgers,” Wagner wrote in the email. “He basically said that Israel has violated every UN resolution since 1967, that Israel has violated its agreements with the quartet, that it was risking becoming an apartheid state if it didn’t allow the Palestinians to form a state. He said that the settlements were getting close to the point where a contiguous Palestinian state would be impossible.”
“He said that he [thought] that Netanyahu was a radical and that even [former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi] Livni, who was hard nosed thought he was too radical and so wouldn’t join in a coalition [government] with him. … He said that Hamas has to be brought in to any peace negotiation,” Wagner wrote.
AIPAC had no comment.
Wagner said the remarks were made during the Q&A session. The speech took place at the Rutgers School of Law in Newark.
Wagner, a pro-Israel activist, reiterated the account in an interview with the Free Beacon and called Hagel’s comments “pretty shocking.”
“I was very surprised at his attitude because I had been listening to politicians speak about the situation in the Middle East and the U.S. Israel relationship for about two decades,” Wagner told the Free Beacon. “And it was probably the most negative thing I’d ever heard anybody in elected office say.”
The news of the comments given during the 2010 speech comes at a time when the embattled secretary of defense nominee has been forced to respond to a report that he called the State Department an adjunct of the Israeli foreign ministry during the Q&A portion of a 2007 speech at Rutgers.
The Free Beacon reported Thursday on a contemporaneous account of another speech then-Senator Hagel gave at Rutgers in 2007. The report, written by Hagel supporter and political consultant George Ajjan, claimed Hagel had described the U.S. Department of State as an extension of the Israeli government.
Sens. Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte on Friday sent a letter to Hagel requesting an explanation of the alleged comments. The Anti-Defamation League also called on Hagel to explain, and the American Jewish Committee said, “Further Senate deliberation is called for before any final vote is taken.”
Hagel has disavowed the remarks and says he does not recall making them.
“I do not recall making any such statement, or ever making any similar statement,” he wrote in a reply letter to Graham and Ayotte on February 16. “I completely disavow the content of the alleged statement attributed to me.”
According to one of the 2007 event’s organizers, Hooshang Amirahmadi, who is currently running for president of Iran, Ajjan’s account of the 2007 speech is “complete nonsense.”
Amirahmadi told the Free Beacon that some of his “very good Jewish colleagues who are very pro-Israel” did not appear offended at any point during the speech.
The Daily Caller reported on Monday that Amirahmadi accepted funding grants from the Alavi Foundation, which federal law enforcement officials have called a front group for the Iranian regime.
Amirahmadi is also the head of the American Iranian Council, which awarded Hagel an expensive clock in 2002.
Another attendee at the 2007 speech, Rutgers Professor Charles Häberl said he is “certain” Hagel did not say the State Department was an adjunct of the Israeli government, BuzzFeed reported today.
When the Free Beacon contacted Häberl about the 2007 speech last Thursday, he said he was not the best person to talk to about the event.
“Have you been in touch with Hooshang Amirahmadi?” Häberl wrote in an email. “He’s the one who organized the event, and he would be the best situated to talk about it. At the time, I was just a lecturer.”
Meanwhile, Ajjan stood by his account and said he is the only person who has provided a written report from the time.
“If somebody comes out with a transcript and those words aren’t uttered, I’d be the first one to say, ‘My apologies. I wrote something down that was wrong—I misheard it, or I misreported it,’ if that’s the case,” Ajjan told the Washington Free Beacon.
“I’m a conscientious person,” Ajjan said. “When I was blogging at that time, I did my best to record things accurately … there’s no way that I would pick a phrase like ‘adjunct of the Israeli foreign ministry.’ That’s a pretty odd combination of words to use. I wouldn’t have just pulled those out of thin air.”
When asked about Häberl disputing his account, Ajjan said he wants to make it clear he is not trying to undermine Hagel’s confirmation or the Rutgers event. He said he is still a supporter of Hagel.
“I suppose [Häberl] thinks that I’m somehow trying to disparage Chuck Hagel or cast a dark shadow over his confirmation hearings. That’s not the case at all. And I certainly don’t wish to besmirch the people who organized the event,” said Ajjan. “I very much enjoyed the event, I appreciate the people who organized it.”
The Free Beacon is working to obtain transcript and video of Hagel’s comments during the question and answer sessions at Rutgers in both 2007 and 2010, and is continuing to speak to others who attended both events.
A representative for Hagel did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Showing posts with label Hamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hamas. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Missouri Pro Life Group Endorses 9/11 Truther
From: Family Security Matters
On June 14, the Missouri Right to Life Political Action Committee endorsed MD Rabbi Alam in the Democratic primary for Secretary of State to be held on August 7. The letter states that it "takes great care in choosing candidates to support in elections." The organization appears to have missed the fact that Alam has close ties to Islamist groups and appears to have made a posting on an Internet forum strongly suggesting that 9/11 was a Jewish conspiracy.
Alam was born in Bangladesh and served in the U.S. Army in Iraq until he was honorably discharged. He is the National Chairman of the U.S. National Democratic Party Asian American Caucus and the State Chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party Asian American Caucus. According to his campaign website, his brother, Shere, is running for state representative. A Facebook group has already been made promoting Alam as a Senate candidate in 2016.
On February 19, 2009, MD Rabbi Alam appears to have made a post on a Topix.com discussion forum that asks, "Was 9/11 a conspiracy?" The post links to a 9/11 conspiracy video titled Loose Change and then states:
"Now, I can say this much which is a big yes from my own understanding and own judgement. But there is always other side of the coin.
Few question to my readers,
Why 9/11 was a official holidy for all jewish people worked in the the WTC?
Who can tell me how many of the Jewish people died on the 9/11 tragedy?
Finally, who can tell me why there was a closed-end security and dog squad was implaced at the lower level of the WTC just a block before the 9/11?
What do you really think?"
The author of the post is listed as MD Rabbi Alam, is located in Kansas City and has a photo of Alam in his army uniform.
Alam's personal YouTube channel, which has videos of him rehearsing various speeches (this one is, by far, my favorite). One speech was uploaded on February 1, 2010 and it is prepared for a February 7 event with American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) where he declares his opposition to the War on Terror. He decries how foreigners have been treated since 9/11, giving the invasion of Iraq as an example. He says the "catastrophic War on Terror is nothing but a horror suffering for us as an immigrant." A second example he provides is the conviction of Dr. Sami al-Arian, who is in jail for his involvement with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group. Alam says he was "falsely accused and victimized by the War on Terror."
On June 14, the Missouri Right to Life Political Action Committee endorsed MD Rabbi Alam in the Democratic primary for Secretary of State to be held on August 7. The letter states that it "takes great care in choosing candidates to support in elections." The organization appears to have missed the fact that Alam has close ties to Islamist groups and appears to have made a posting on an Internet forum strongly suggesting that 9/11 was a Jewish conspiracy.
Alam was born in Bangladesh and served in the U.S. Army in Iraq until he was honorably discharged. He is the National Chairman of the U.S. National Democratic Party Asian American Caucus and the State Chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party Asian American Caucus. According to his campaign website, his brother, Shere, is running for state representative. A Facebook group has already been made promoting Alam as a Senate candidate in 2016.
On February 19, 2009, MD Rabbi Alam appears to have made a post on a Topix.com discussion forum that asks, "Was 9/11 a conspiracy?" The post links to a 9/11 conspiracy video titled Loose Change and then states:
"Now, I can say this much which is a big yes from my own understanding and own judgement. But there is always other side of the coin.
Few question to my readers,
Why 9/11 was a official holidy for all jewish people worked in the the WTC?
Who can tell me how many of the Jewish people died on the 9/11 tragedy?
Finally, who can tell me why there was a closed-end security and dog squad was implaced at the lower level of the WTC just a block before the 9/11?
What do you really think?"
The author of the post is listed as MD Rabbi Alam, is located in Kansas City and has a photo of Alam in his army uniform.
Alam's personal YouTube channel, which has videos of him rehearsing various speeches (this one is, by far, my favorite). One speech was uploaded on February 1, 2010 and it is prepared for a February 7 event with American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) where he declares his opposition to the War on Terror. He decries how foreigners have been treated since 9/11, giving the invasion of Iraq as an example. He says the "catastrophic War on Terror is nothing but a horror suffering for us as an immigrant." A second example he provides is the conviction of Dr. Sami al-Arian, who is in jail for his involvement with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group. Alam says he was "falsely accused and victimized by the War on Terror."
Israel Ignored at Obama’s Counterterror Initiative
From: CNSNews.com
As the Obama administration’s new international counterterrorism initiative develops, the exclusion of Israel becomes more glaring with each passing meeting -- most recently on Monday, at the beginning of a conference focusing on victims of terrorism.
Addressing the two-day Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) event in Madrid, an administration official mentioned a dozen countries in the context of victims of terrorism – but not Israel.
Launched last fall as a “signature initiative” in what the administration calls its “smart power approach to counterterrorism,” the GCTF comprises 29 countries, with the U.S. and Turkey serving as co-chairs.
Israel’s exclusion provoked comment from the outset, given the country’s long experience both as a target of and fighter against terrorism.
The State Department says future Israeli participation is not ruled out. Still, Turkey’s Islamist-leaning government – which disputes that Hamas is a terrorist group – has worked actively to isolate Israel in the international community.
Further, 11 of the 29 GCTF members are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), some of which are hostile towards Israel. All subscribe to the OIC’s 1999 Convention on Combating Terrorism which states that “armed struggle against foreign occupation, aggression, colonialism, and hegemony, aimed at liberation and self-determination in accordance with the principles of international law shall not be considered a terrorist crime.”
According to the State Department, Monday’s opening of the GCTF “High-Level Conference on Victims of Terrorism” in the Spanish capital “brings together government officials, civil society leaders and other stakeholders to discuss how countries can increase their support of victims of terror while cooperating to counter extremist ideologies.”
Addressing the event, U.S. undersecretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights Maria Otero noted that Spain, “like the United States and so many countries around the world,” has had firsthand experienced of terrorism and the pain it inflicts on society. Later, she referred to a documentary that was shown at the GCTF launch last September, recounting the stories of the victims of terror attacks in Pakistan, Jordan, Northern Ireland, Uganda, Turkey, Indonesia, India, Spain, Columbia and the United States.
Similarly, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed a GCTF event in Istanbul last month, she mentioned the challenge of terrorism in Turkey, Mali, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, the Maghreb and Europe, referred obliquely to Pakistan and Afghanistan, and commented on terrorist kidnappings in Latin America and the Sahel.
Israel was not mentioned, either by Otero in Madrid on Monday or by Clinton in Istanbul on June 7.
As the Obama administration’s new international counterterrorism initiative develops, the exclusion of Israel becomes more glaring with each passing meeting -- most recently on Monday, at the beginning of a conference focusing on victims of terrorism.
Addressing the two-day Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) event in Madrid, an administration official mentioned a dozen countries in the context of victims of terrorism – but not Israel.
Launched last fall as a “signature initiative” in what the administration calls its “smart power approach to counterterrorism,” the GCTF comprises 29 countries, with the U.S. and Turkey serving as co-chairs.
Israel’s exclusion provoked comment from the outset, given the country’s long experience both as a target of and fighter against terrorism.
The State Department says future Israeli participation is not ruled out. Still, Turkey’s Islamist-leaning government – which disputes that Hamas is a terrorist group – has worked actively to isolate Israel in the international community.
Further, 11 of the 29 GCTF members are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), some of which are hostile towards Israel. All subscribe to the OIC’s 1999 Convention on Combating Terrorism which states that “armed struggle against foreign occupation, aggression, colonialism, and hegemony, aimed at liberation and self-determination in accordance with the principles of international law shall not be considered a terrorist crime.”
According to the State Department, Monday’s opening of the GCTF “High-Level Conference on Victims of Terrorism” in the Spanish capital “brings together government officials, civil society leaders and other stakeholders to discuss how countries can increase their support of victims of terror while cooperating to counter extremist ideologies.”
Addressing the event, U.S. undersecretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights Maria Otero noted that Spain, “like the United States and so many countries around the world,” has had firsthand experienced of terrorism and the pain it inflicts on society. Later, she referred to a documentary that was shown at the GCTF launch last September, recounting the stories of the victims of terror attacks in Pakistan, Jordan, Northern Ireland, Uganda, Turkey, Indonesia, India, Spain, Columbia and the United States.
Similarly, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed a GCTF event in Istanbul last month, she mentioned the challenge of terrorism in Turkey, Mali, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, the Maghreb and Europe, referred obliquely to Pakistan and Afghanistan, and commented on terrorist kidnappings in Latin America and the Sahel.
Israel was not mentioned, either by Otero in Madrid on Monday or by Clinton in Istanbul on June 7.
Son of Hamas: 'Time to Expose Muhammad'
From: Jerusalem Post
Mosab Hassan Yousef stepped out of the airport terminal in a dark suit and tie, looking every inch the Hollywood darling. It’s perhaps not surprising then, that his close friend and the man who accompanied him on his trip to Israel this month, is producer and actor Sam Feuer. Feuer played the role of Yousef Romano in Steven Spielberg’s Munich, a movie about the aftermath of the Black September. Full of intrigue, spies, and clandestine operations—not to mention terror attacks on Israeli citizens—the plot of Spielberg’s cloak-and-dagger movie is not unlike Mosab’s own life as a secret agent.
Most people know the story by now, so I’ll be brief: In 1978, Mosab is born to the son of one of Hamas’ seven founders, Sheikh Hassan Yousef. Prepped to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a terrorist, Mosab starts asking questions until gradually, over the years, he becomes convinced that the ways of Hamas cannot be the truth. He subsequently converts to Christianity. He becomes an agent for Shin Bet. The intelligence he provides prevents terror attacks and leads to the incarceration of Hamas terrorists. In 2007, he leaves the West Bank in favor of the west coast. He gains political asylum in the US and remains there before coming back to Israel for a surprise visit last month.
Something about his life story—and indeed, certain aspects of his personality, including the fearless chutzpah with which he deceived Hamas—is distinctly reminiscent of Frank Abagnale, the real-life protagonist of yet another of Spielberg’s classics, Catch Me If You Can. But unlike the notorious confidence trickster, the former Shin Bet agent did not do what he did to advance his own interests (and neither did he forge millions of dollars worth of checks.) In his own words, Mosab Yousef did what he did in order “to save lives.”
Upon first meeting Yousef, there were a number of things I was curious to discover about his personality. Is he naïve or a realist? Is he extraordinarily foolish or extraordinarily brave? Has playing with fire become a way of life for him or does he take risks out of a sense of moral duty? More than once I was asked by other people, “Is he normal?” Considering the mind-boggling events that have shaped the life of Hamas’ prodigal son, the question is forgivable.
Normal or not, one thing about Mosab Yousef is that he is no politician. When asked whether he has any political aspirations, Yousef answers with a categorical “no.” Given his personality, his answer is hardly surprising. Yousef doesn’t seem to have a single trait that is conducive to being a politician. He has no sense of political correctness, and even though he is polite and refined, he lacks the diplomatic airs and graces of successful politicians. With utmost sincerity and an almost child-like earnestness, Yousef simply states the truth as he sees it.
When one considers that his upbringing was entrenched in a black-and-white value system (Israel is evil, destroying the Jewish State and its citizens is a divinely righteous pursuit, and so on), Yousef’s 180 degree turnaround seems rather miraculous. But then again, perhaps it is precisely because of his black-and-white upbringing that Yousef is now able to view things in such an uncomplicated manner, untainted by the confusion and ideals that so often color Western sensibilities.
Devoid of underlying messages or double entendre, he states his opinions eloquently. “I love Israel because Israel is a democratic country,” he has said on more than one occasion. Attending a panel on Israel’s future borders at the President’s conference last month in Jerusalem, Yousef loudly applauded the following statement from one of the panelists: “The issue is not whether the world can accept the Jews’ right to this land. The issue is whether Jews will accept their right to this land.” Regarding sovereignty, Yousef maintains an unequivocal party line: “All I can say is that the Israeli historic right to this land is obvious and clear to any person who can read.”
At a press conference a few days prior, Yousef caused a flurry with his explosive comments. “Islam is not a religion of peace, it is a religion of war,” he said. “If people don’t see the truth we will keep spinning an empty cycle of violence.”
But he balances his bombastic remarks by adding that Muslims themselves are a peaceful people. The problem, according to Yousef, is that most Muslims are not educated enough about their religion. “Out of 1.6 billion Muslims, perhaps only 300 million actually understand the language of the Koran,” he said. This is because for most Muslims, Islam is far more than a religion – “it is an identity and culture, it is everything they know.” He further posited that a full understanding of the text and of Mohammed’s life necessarily leads Muslims towards extremism and terrorism. According to Yousef, anyone who studies the life and the behavior of the prophet will arrive at the conclusion that Islam is a religion of war.
Yousef declares, “It is time to expose the life of Muhammed.”
Mosab Hassan Yousef stepped out of the airport terminal in a dark suit and tie, looking every inch the Hollywood darling. It’s perhaps not surprising then, that his close friend and the man who accompanied him on his trip to Israel this month, is producer and actor Sam Feuer. Feuer played the role of Yousef Romano in Steven Spielberg’s Munich, a movie about the aftermath of the Black September. Full of intrigue, spies, and clandestine operations—not to mention terror attacks on Israeli citizens—the plot of Spielberg’s cloak-and-dagger movie is not unlike Mosab’s own life as a secret agent.
Most people know the story by now, so I’ll be brief: In 1978, Mosab is born to the son of one of Hamas’ seven founders, Sheikh Hassan Yousef. Prepped to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a terrorist, Mosab starts asking questions until gradually, over the years, he becomes convinced that the ways of Hamas cannot be the truth. He subsequently converts to Christianity. He becomes an agent for Shin Bet. The intelligence he provides prevents terror attacks and leads to the incarceration of Hamas terrorists. In 2007, he leaves the West Bank in favor of the west coast. He gains political asylum in the US and remains there before coming back to Israel for a surprise visit last month.
Something about his life story—and indeed, certain aspects of his personality, including the fearless chutzpah with which he deceived Hamas—is distinctly reminiscent of Frank Abagnale, the real-life protagonist of yet another of Spielberg’s classics, Catch Me If You Can. But unlike the notorious confidence trickster, the former Shin Bet agent did not do what he did to advance his own interests (and neither did he forge millions of dollars worth of checks.) In his own words, Mosab Yousef did what he did in order “to save lives.”
Upon first meeting Yousef, there were a number of things I was curious to discover about his personality. Is he naïve or a realist? Is he extraordinarily foolish or extraordinarily brave? Has playing with fire become a way of life for him or does he take risks out of a sense of moral duty? More than once I was asked by other people, “Is he normal?” Considering the mind-boggling events that have shaped the life of Hamas’ prodigal son, the question is forgivable.
Normal or not, one thing about Mosab Yousef is that he is no politician. When asked whether he has any political aspirations, Yousef answers with a categorical “no.” Given his personality, his answer is hardly surprising. Yousef doesn’t seem to have a single trait that is conducive to being a politician. He has no sense of political correctness, and even though he is polite and refined, he lacks the diplomatic airs and graces of successful politicians. With utmost sincerity and an almost child-like earnestness, Yousef simply states the truth as he sees it.
When one considers that his upbringing was entrenched in a black-and-white value system (Israel is evil, destroying the Jewish State and its citizens is a divinely righteous pursuit, and so on), Yousef’s 180 degree turnaround seems rather miraculous. But then again, perhaps it is precisely because of his black-and-white upbringing that Yousef is now able to view things in such an uncomplicated manner, untainted by the confusion and ideals that so often color Western sensibilities.
Devoid of underlying messages or double entendre, he states his opinions eloquently. “I love Israel because Israel is a democratic country,” he has said on more than one occasion. Attending a panel on Israel’s future borders at the President’s conference last month in Jerusalem, Yousef loudly applauded the following statement from one of the panelists: “The issue is not whether the world can accept the Jews’ right to this land. The issue is whether Jews will accept their right to this land.” Regarding sovereignty, Yousef maintains an unequivocal party line: “All I can say is that the Israeli historic right to this land is obvious and clear to any person who can read.”
At a press conference a few days prior, Yousef caused a flurry with his explosive comments. “Islam is not a religion of peace, it is a religion of war,” he said. “If people don’t see the truth we will keep spinning an empty cycle of violence.”
But he balances his bombastic remarks by adding that Muslims themselves are a peaceful people. The problem, according to Yousef, is that most Muslims are not educated enough about their religion. “Out of 1.6 billion Muslims, perhaps only 300 million actually understand the language of the Koran,” he said. This is because for most Muslims, Islam is far more than a religion – “it is an identity and culture, it is everything they know.” He further posited that a full understanding of the text and of Mohammed’s life necessarily leads Muslims towards extremism and terrorism. According to Yousef, anyone who studies the life and the behavior of the prophet will arrive at the conclusion that Islam is a religion of war.
Yousef declares, “It is time to expose the life of Muhammed.”
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Hamas announces senior member is assassinated
From: Jerusalem Post
Hamas on Wednesday announced that one of its senior members was assassinated in Damascus and later blamed Israel.
The announcement, posted on the terrorist group's official website said it was unknown who killed Kamal Ranaja, also known as Nizzar Abu Mujhad, but that the group was investigating the incident.
A senior Hamas official later told AFP, "According to our information, Mossad was behind the assassination."
The official added that Ranaja was killed in his home, implicating "a group of people."
The statement on Hamas's website added that Ranaja died "in the service of his cause and his people," vowing that his blood would "not be wasted."
Hamas did not detail when Ranaja was killed.
In February 2008, senior Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh was killed by a bomb in his car in the Syrian capital, an attack the terror group blamed on Israel.
Mughniyeh was a Lebanese national who climbed the ranks of the Palestinian Fatah movement's elite Force 17 military force before moving to the Lebanese Shi'ite organization.
The announcement, posted on the terrorist group's official website said it was unknown who killed Kamal Ranaja, also known as Nizzar Abu Mujhad, but that the group was investigating the incident.
A senior Hamas official later told AFP, "According to our information, Mossad was behind the assassination."
The official added that Ranaja was killed in his home, implicating "a group of people."
The statement on Hamas's website added that Ranaja died "in the service of his cause and his people," vowing that his blood would "not be wasted."
Hamas did not detail when Ranaja was killed.
In February 2008, senior Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh was killed by a bomb in his car in the Syrian capital, an attack the terror group blamed on Israel.
Mughniyeh was a Lebanese national who climbed the ranks of the Palestinian Fatah movement's elite Force 17 military force before moving to the Lebanese Shi'ite organization.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Eric Holder Won't Turn "Holy Land Foundation" Docs
From: Family Security Matters
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is in the spotlight after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted to hold him in contempt because he is refusing to provide documents related to the Fast and the Furious scandal. But there's another scandal you should know about. For over one year, he has refused to hand over documents about the Muslim Brotherhood network in the U.S.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, confronted Holder about the matter on Thursday, June 21. Rep. Gohmert wants Congress to have access to documents from the trial of the Holy Land Foundation, the largest terrorism financing trial in U.S. history. Five Foundation officials were found guilty of funding Hamas and evidence introduced by the federal government shows it was set up by the Muslim Brotherhood's secret "Palestine Committee" in the U.S.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is in the spotlight after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted to hold him in contempt because he is refusing to provide documents related to the Fast and the Furious scandal. But there's another scandal you should know about. For over one year, he has refused to hand over documents about the Muslim Brotherhood network in the U.S.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, confronted Holder about the matter on Thursday, June 21. Rep. Gohmert wants Congress to have access to documents from the trial of the Holy Land Foundation, the largest terrorism financing trial in U.S. history. Five Foundation officials were found guilty of funding Hamas and evidence introduced by the federal government shows it was set up by the Muslim Brotherhood's secret "Palestine Committee" in the U.S.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Hamas War on Israel: 1,100 Missiles a Year
From: Israel National News
Hamas’ missile and rocket war on southern Israel is 11 years old today (Tuesday), 12,500 rockets later. More than 40 people have been killed, thousands have been wounded and property damage and economic losses has been immeasurable.
Since the beginning of 2012, terrorists from Hamas-controlled Gaza have attacked Israel with 269 rockets and missiles – a rate of more than two a day, according to the IDF.
Mainstream media usually focus on Israeli military retaliations and occasional large-scale aerial bombings of terroroists, but the “Oslo War,” also known as the Second Intifada, has been carried out on a day-to-day basis for more then a decade, leaving a new generation growing up with the almost daily trauma of running to bomb shelters and suffering shock amid explosions, some of them harmless physically and some of them lethal.
IDF spokesmen pointed out Tuesday that Gaza is the same area where the government headed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expelled 9,000 Jews and destroyed their homes in June 2005 as part of his “Disengagement” program. Farm facilities were turned over to the Palestinian Authority, which promptly turned most of them into training grounds for terrorist militias, while the IDF staged a total withdrawal from the area.
Years after the rocket barrage began, President Shimon Peres expressed his surprise that Hamas attacks southern Israel with missiles despite the expulsion, which Sharon and his supporters would end attacks from Gaza.
During the 11-year missile barrage, the IDF momentarily entered Gaza several times to try to put a stop to the attacks, and the three-week Operation Cast Lead campaign two years ago achieved a two-month lull, until missile attacks resumed.
Since then, the IDF took up a more defensive position and developed the costly Iron Dome anti-missile system, which has been proven highly effective in knocking out incoming missiles but leaves more than 1 million residents defenseless when the system fails.
The IDF said that the Iron Dome has intercepted 56 rockets of 73 that were directly threatening civilian communities.
Hamas’ missile and rocket war on southern Israel is 11 years old today (Tuesday), 12,500 rockets later. More than 40 people have been killed, thousands have been wounded and property damage and economic losses has been immeasurable.
Since the beginning of 2012, terrorists from Hamas-controlled Gaza have attacked Israel with 269 rockets and missiles – a rate of more than two a day, according to the IDF.
Mainstream media usually focus on Israeli military retaliations and occasional large-scale aerial bombings of terroroists, but the “Oslo War,” also known as the Second Intifada, has been carried out on a day-to-day basis for more then a decade, leaving a new generation growing up with the almost daily trauma of running to bomb shelters and suffering shock amid explosions, some of them harmless physically and some of them lethal.
IDF spokesmen pointed out Tuesday that Gaza is the same area where the government headed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expelled 9,000 Jews and destroyed their homes in June 2005 as part of his “Disengagement” program. Farm facilities were turned over to the Palestinian Authority, which promptly turned most of them into training grounds for terrorist militias, while the IDF staged a total withdrawal from the area.
Years after the rocket barrage began, President Shimon Peres expressed his surprise that Hamas attacks southern Israel with missiles despite the expulsion, which Sharon and his supporters would end attacks from Gaza.
During the 11-year missile barrage, the IDF momentarily entered Gaza several times to try to put a stop to the attacks, and the three-week Operation Cast Lead campaign two years ago achieved a two-month lull, until missile attacks resumed.
Since then, the IDF took up a more defensive position and developed the costly Iron Dome anti-missile system, which has been proven highly effective in knocking out incoming missiles but leaves more than 1 million residents defenseless when the system fails.
The IDF said that the Iron Dome has intercepted 56 rockets of 73 that were directly threatening civilian communities.
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Gaza-bound flotilla "Freedom Waves" leaves Turkey
From: Almasry Alyoum
Two boats set sail from the Turkish port of Fethiye on 2 November, bound for the Gaza Strip in another activist attempt to break the Israeli siege on the Palestinian territory.
Two boats set sail from the Turkish port of Fethiye on 2 November, bound for the Gaza Strip in another activist attempt to break the Israeli siege on the Palestinian territory.
The two boats, one Irish and one Canadian, were supposed to carry some 50 activists and journalists from around the world in an attempt to draw attention to the isolation Gaza has suffered since 2007. The number was reduced to about 25 at the port in Fethiye due to complications with Turkish bureaucracy.
The Canadian boat is carrying US$30,000 in medical aid.
“Stay human,” shouted David Heaps, a member of the boat’s steering committee, echoing the words of Vittorio Arrigoni, an Italian Gaza solidarity activist who was murdered in April.
The flotilla, called “Freedom Waves” by the organizers, sails after a flotilla of activist boats attempted to break the Israeli siege of Gaza in July but were prevented from leaving port by Greek authorities in a move that activists on board dubbed “Israeli outsourcing” of the Gaza blockade.
The two boats set sail separately but plan to meet in international waters.
"I am ecstatic that we are out of port. Hopefully both ships will get to Gaza and we will show the world that we can break the siege," said Kit Kittredge, an American activist on board.
Unlike previous flotillas, the organizers this time had decided to keep the mission secret until they reached international waters. And although they left from a Turkish port, they had no plans of coordinating with any state as they wanted to keep their action entirely civilian-based.
“We don't want to find out whether the Turkish government would feel some pressure to stop us. Our preference is not to engage any state actor. We're civil society and we prefer to act with as little interference as possible with state actors, even if that state, like Turkey, has taken a constructive approach in isolating Israel,” said David Heap, a member of the steering committee on the Canadian boat, which is called Tahrir.
In September 2011, Turkey expelled Israel's ambassador after the government in Tel Aviv refused to apologize for killing nine activists aboard the Turkish Mavi Marmara boat attacked by Israeli troops as it tried to break the siege on Gaza in June 2010. The attack caused a diplomatic rift between the two countries, which had previously had strong military and economic ties.
Organizers have made sure to keep the current trip secretive after reports emerged that the engine of one of the boats in a 10-ship flotilla that was supposed to set sail in July was sabotaged. The perpetrators of the sabotage went unknown, but most suspected Israel’s involvement.
Meanwhile, the Canadian delegation to the flotilla insisted on setting sail again in November. “We always said we will sail again, especially since we already own the boat; we have the main asset. In September there was a lot of attention on Palestine for political and diplomatic reasons. We felt it was important to keep pressure up,” Heap said.
The boat was acquired right after the Mavi Marmara incident, when Canadian activists insisted on acquiring a boat and attempting to break the siege again.
“People dug into their pockets, some stopped me on the street and gave me five dollars, others signed checks of US$5000. The Canadian boat is owned by all these people,” Heap said.
Besides the Canadian delegation, activists from Australia, the US and Denmark are part of the mission, as well as journalists from Al Jazeera, the independent New York-based program Democracy Now!, and the Iranian state-run Press TV.
Hassan Ghani of Press TV joined the Tahrir boat for his third trip on board a Gaza-bound solidarity flotilla. He was on board the Mavi Marimara when it was attacked in 2010.
“If I am not there I will feel a bit empty inside,” Ghani said. “There is always a possibility that there could be that one major flotilla that breaks through. I see it as one of those waves, and it's important to cover it because it's going to happen and people should know about it.”
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Florida Imam And Sons Arrested for Helping Finance the Taliban
From: Big Peace
The indictment can be read here, and features charges against the “spiritual” leader of the so-called Miami Mosque:
Hafiz Muhammad Sher Ali Khan is a US citizen and resident of Florida. Khan has been the imam, or spiritual leader at the Miami Masjid, also known as the Flagler Mosque, since at least 1999. At all relevant times, Khan solicited and distributed funds for the Pakistani Taliban, both personally and on behalf of others, and worked with co-defendants and others to support the Pakistani Taliban’s jihad.
Khan also supported the Pakistani Taliban, through a madrassa, or Islamic school, in Swat, known by various names, including Madrassa Arabia Ahya-al-Aloom. Khan founded the madrassa while living in Pakistan, and has since continued to control it. Khan has used the madrassa to provide shelter and support for the Pakistani Taliban, and has sent children from his madrassa to learn to kill Americans in Afghanistan.
Also according to the indictment, the patriotic, benevolent, ecumenical imam—once again, a US citizen,
On or about September 22, 2010 Khan participated in a conversation with an individual in which they discussed contact information for Pakistani Taliban militants in Karachi, after which Khan, upon hearing that mujahideen [jihad “warriors”] had killed 7 American soldiers declared his wish that Allah bring death to 50,000 more.
The indictment can be read here, and features charges against the “spiritual” leader of the so-called Miami Mosque:
Hafiz Muhammad Sher Ali Khan is a US citizen and resident of Florida. Khan has been the imam, or spiritual leader at the Miami Masjid, also known as the Flagler Mosque, since at least 1999. At all relevant times, Khan solicited and distributed funds for the Pakistani Taliban, both personally and on behalf of others, and worked with co-defendants and others to support the Pakistani Taliban’s jihad.
Khan also supported the Pakistani Taliban, through a madrassa, or Islamic school, in Swat, known by various names, including Madrassa Arabia Ahya-al-Aloom. Khan founded the madrassa while living in Pakistan, and has since continued to control it. Khan has used the madrassa to provide shelter and support for the Pakistani Taliban, and has sent children from his madrassa to learn to kill Americans in Afghanistan.
Also according to the indictment, the patriotic, benevolent, ecumenical imam—once again, a US citizen,
On or about September 22, 2010 Khan participated in a conversation with an individual in which they discussed contact information for Pakistani Taliban militants in Karachi, after which Khan, upon hearing that mujahideen [jihad “warriors”] had killed 7 American soldiers declared his wish that Allah bring death to 50,000 more.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
EU lawmakers pledge to take part in new Gaza flotilla
From: Haaretz
The organizers of a new Gaza flotilla on Tuesday vowed to carry out their plan to break an Israeli naval blockade and deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, in what an Israeli official warned would be a "political provocation."
The flotilla is expected to reach the waters off Gaza in the third week of June, Greek organizer Vangelis Pissias said at a press conference hosted by European Union parliamentarians in Strasbourg.
The attempt would come one year after Israeli commandos boarded a similar flotilla on the high seas and clashed with those aboard the main Turkish ship, resulting in the deaths of nine Turkish activists.
Several EU lawmakers have pledged to take part in the new flotilla, with organizers saying that their status will help protect others on board.
The ships will carry school materials, medical equipment and possibly construction equipment for Gaza citizens, according to organizer Manuel Tapial.
"Civil society has a responsibility, a responsibility when the political class is hesitant," the Spanish activist said. "I feel that this is the case here."
The organizers of a new Gaza flotilla on Tuesday vowed to carry out their plan to break an Israeli naval blockade and deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, in what an Israeli official warned would be a "political provocation."
The flotilla is expected to reach the waters off Gaza in the third week of June, Greek organizer Vangelis Pissias said at a press conference hosted by European Union parliamentarians in Strasbourg.
The attempt would come one year after Israeli commandos boarded a similar flotilla on the high seas and clashed with those aboard the main Turkish ship, resulting in the deaths of nine Turkish activists.
Several EU lawmakers have pledged to take part in the new flotilla, with organizers saying that their status will help protect others on board.
The ships will carry school materials, medical equipment and possibly construction equipment for Gaza citizens, according to organizer Manuel Tapial.
"Civil society has a responsibility, a responsibility when the political class is hesitant," the Spanish activist said. "I feel that this is the case here."
Thursday, May 05, 2011
UK, France lay red lines on terms for Palestinian state
From: Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu returns to Israel Friday having secured the support of two key European countries — France and England — against any Palestinian government that fails to renounce terror and refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Speaking to the press after his meeting with Sarkozy on Thursday, Netanyahu said that the French leader “spoke of his commitment to Israel’s security and the clear principle that those who want to make peace have to abandon the goal of destroying Israel and make peace with Israel,” Netanyahu said.
He added that according to Sarkozy, that included a recognition “Israel’s right to exist as the nation state of the Jewish people. He was very clear about that,” Netanyahu said.
"Just like any fair minded person, Israel can only make peace with those who have abandoned the goal of destroying Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Hamas has not done that, he said, adding that more to the point, it continues to fire rockets at Israel.
“An enemy that wants to destroy us is not a partner for peace,” he said.
Only the day before, Sarkozy had told French news magazine L’Express that he would consider recognizing a Palestinian state in September should no progress be made in the peace process.
Until last week when Fatah announced its intention to unity with Hamas, support for a unilateral Palestinian statehood in September had been gaining steam.
But European leaders who have long wanted to see both a Palestinian state, particularly one that unifies Fatah and Hamas, are hesitant to support a Palestinian government that is composed of a group which has not renounced its goal of destroying Israel.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu returns to Israel Friday having secured the support of two key European countries — France and England — against any Palestinian government that fails to renounce terror and refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Speaking to the press after his meeting with Sarkozy on Thursday, Netanyahu said that the French leader “spoke of his commitment to Israel’s security and the clear principle that those who want to make peace have to abandon the goal of destroying Israel and make peace with Israel,” Netanyahu said.
He added that according to Sarkozy, that included a recognition “Israel’s right to exist as the nation state of the Jewish people. He was very clear about that,” Netanyahu said.
"Just like any fair minded person, Israel can only make peace with those who have abandoned the goal of destroying Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Hamas has not done that, he said, adding that more to the point, it continues to fire rockets at Israel.
“An enemy that wants to destroy us is not a partner for peace,” he said.
Only the day before, Sarkozy had told French news magazine L’Express that he would consider recognizing a Palestinian state in September should no progress be made in the peace process.
Until last week when Fatah announced its intention to unity with Hamas, support for a unilateral Palestinian statehood in September had been gaining steam.
But European leaders who have long wanted to see both a Palestinian state, particularly one that unifies Fatah and Hamas, are hesitant to support a Palestinian government that is composed of a group which has not renounced its goal of destroying Israel.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
'Fatah-Hamas unity a blow to peace, victory for terrorism'
From: Jerusalem Post
The signing of the Hamas Fatah unity deal in Cairo is a setback for peace and an advancement for terror, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told reporters in London on Wednesday.
“What happened today in Cairo is a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism,” Netanyahu said.
“Three days ago terrorism was dealt a resounding defeat with the elimination of Osama Bin Laden. Today in Cairo it had a victory,” said Netanyahu.
He charged that in signing this deal, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had “embraced” an organization that had condemned American action against Bin Laden, who it considered to be a great martyr.
“When he embraces this organization which is committed to Israel’s destruction and fires rockets on our cities, this is a tremendous set back for peace and a great advancement for terror,” Netanyahu said.
“What we hope will happen is that we find peace and the only way we can make peace is with our neighbors who want peace."
“Those who want to eliminate us, those who practice terror are not partners for peace,” Netanyahu said.
He spoke in advance of a scheduled meeting late Wednesday night with the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron.
Israeli officials said that Netanyahu hopes to gain Cameron’s commitment that the United Kingdom will not support the deal unless Hamas accepts three principles set out by the Quartet a number of years ago.
Those principles include a demand that Hamas recognize Israel, renounced terror and abide by past agreements with Israel. Hamas refused to do so.
On Thursday, Netanyahu is expected to make the same request when he meets with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The signing of the Hamas Fatah unity deal in Cairo is a setback for peace and an advancement for terror, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told reporters in London on Wednesday.
“What happened today in Cairo is a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism,” Netanyahu said.
“Three days ago terrorism was dealt a resounding defeat with the elimination of Osama Bin Laden. Today in Cairo it had a victory,” said Netanyahu.
He charged that in signing this deal, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had “embraced” an organization that had condemned American action against Bin Laden, who it considered to be a great martyr.
“When he embraces this organization which is committed to Israel’s destruction and fires rockets on our cities, this is a tremendous set back for peace and a great advancement for terror,” Netanyahu said.
“What we hope will happen is that we find peace and the only way we can make peace is with our neighbors who want peace."
“Those who want to eliminate us, those who practice terror are not partners for peace,” Netanyahu said.
He spoke in advance of a scheduled meeting late Wednesday night with the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron.
Israeli officials said that Netanyahu hopes to gain Cameron’s commitment that the United Kingdom will not support the deal unless Hamas accepts three principles set out by the Quartet a number of years ago.
Those principles include a demand that Hamas recognize Israel, renounced terror and abide by past agreements with Israel. Hamas refused to do so.
On Thursday, Netanyahu is expected to make the same request when he meets with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Anti-Semitism as Thick as a London Fog
From: American Thinker
Anti-Semitism reached a new low in London earlier this month as the Hamas-affiliated International Solidarity Movement (ISM) successfully forced Israeli-owned AHAVA to close its London shop. For almost two years, the Israeli-based cosmetics company, a manufacturer of Dead Sea mineral skin-care products sold worldwide, has been targeted by street protests and in-store disruptive actions by the ISM and related groups committed to destroying the state of Israel.
The ISM actions against AHAVA were part of the ISM's broader anti-Israel activities. These have included demands for international sanctions against Israel, sponsorship of worldwide Israeli divestment campaigns, and orchestrated boycotts of Israeli products, academics and events. The ISM has advanced the false narrative of Israel as a Nazi-like apartheid state and mendaciously equated the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust with the plight of the Arab-Palestinians today. Like its partners-in-crime Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the ISM does not support the peace process and endeavors to eliminate Israel. Thus, the Israeli cosmetics company has been yet another political target as part of the ISM strategy to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish State using false accusations of "illegal" activities.
Last fall on two occasions, ISM members carried a concrete block into AHAVA's London shop, blocked the store entrance, and disrupted business for nearly seven hours. ISM operatives refused to leave and were later charged with trespassing and disobeying a police officer. In court, ISM defense attorneys denied that AHAVA's business had been damaged or any employees and customers intimidated. Participating ISM members justified their criminal actions by claiming that AHAVA operates in "illegal Israeli settlements" and thereby engages in "illegal business activities."
This tactic of disruptive actions against private individuals and businesses in retaliation for Israel's foreign and domestic policies has been widely used to suppress Israeli research and punish Israeli academics. Despite its organizational name, the ISM focuses only on what it calls "Israeli apartheid in Palestine," solely targeting Israeli Jews for fictitious atrocities and ignoring widespread global human rights abuses, including summary executions in Communist China, government-sanctioned enslavement in North Korea and Saudi Arabia, and the chemical genocide of the Kurds committed by the Turkish government.
In 2009, ISM members caused damages totalling nearly $300,000 when they ransacked an arms factory in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, to protest the alleged manufacture of arms for the Israeli air force in Gaza. They were later acquitted after arguing that their activities were legally justified given Israel's war crimes. The presiding judge, George Bathurst-Norman, who was later sanctioned by the Lord Chief Justice, injected his political bias into the court proceedings with another lie by referring to Gaza as a "giant prison camp."
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Goldstone Recants! Will the Left Follow His Example?
From: Commentary Magazine:
In what must be considered as shocking a turnaround as any we have seen in recent years, Richard Goldstone, the chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s fact-finding commission about the conflict in Gaza, has retracted his claim that Israel deliberately sought to target and kill Palestinian civilians.
A product of the Human Rights Council, an organization that is singularly dedicated to besmirching and attacking Israel while ignoring serious crimes elsewhere (including those committed by the nations that makes up its membership), the Goldstone Report was widely criticized for its one-sided nature and the inaccuracy of its claims. But with Goldstone, who is a prominent South African Jew, as its front man, the report became the centerpiece of a new round of efforts aimed at both delegitimizing the Jewish state and its right of self-defense. His claims were taken up by anti-Zionists across the globe and in particular by those American left-wingers such as the J Street lobby and Michael Lerner’s Tikkun, which have both sought to establish themselves as Jewish critics of Israel and its defenders in this country.
A product of the Human Rights Council, an organization that is singularly dedicated to besmirching and attacking Israel while ignoring serious crimes elsewhere (including those committed by the nations that makes up its membership), the Goldstone Report was widely criticized for its one-sided nature and the inaccuracy of its claims. But with Goldstone, who is a prominent South African Jew, as its front man, the report became the centerpiece of a new round of efforts aimed at both delegitimizing the Jewish state and its right of self-defense. His claims were taken up by anti-Zionists across the globe and in particular by those American left-wingers such as the J Street lobby and Michael Lerner’s Tikkun, which have both sought to establish themselves as Jewish critics of Israel and its defenders in this country.
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