Shimshon 9

I already reported of the use of toilet water against rioters then I said it’s probably just an other libel, but now Israel has unveiled its latest device to control protests on the West Bank and it is causing quite a stink, literally.

“You can drink it if you want to. It’s a very good protein drink.” (Yumy, Yumy)

Of course the PalArab media is complaining about the new Skunk Spray:

Israel has always used disproportionate force in the occupied Palestinian territories

But isn’t it typical that when the Israelis come upon a non lethal way to control riots this place complains about it? Perhaps the Israelis should go back to REAL bullets.

A riot has broken out in the Israeli city of Acre after an Arab man was assaulted for driving his car during Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. (Sky News)

Cars and shops were damaged as Jews and Arabs clashed and police used force to disperse a crowd of several hundred people.

1. Update: The clashes resume this evening after the end of Yom Kippur.

2. Update: Hospitals prepare for large numbers of wounded in Acre violence (Haaretz)

An Israel Air Force airman captured in Lebanon in 1986 escaped two years later but probably died while trying to reach Israel on foot, the Hezbollah guerrilla group said in a report published by Maariv, an Israeli daily, on Wednesday.

The excuses get lamer and lamer as time goes by. We can only surmise that Arad was murdered. either in Lebanon or Iran. His body was probably hidden by his captors, who know they are in violation of Islamic law and international laws by killing their prisoner and simply don`t want to face justice.

However, what we see these days is a new form of Islamic law, where live prisoners have their heads cut off in front of movie cameras. We`re told that it`s western or American something or other that has forced them to do this, and it`s not really their fault for butchering people on camera. And, of course, they keep telling us that this is what they want to do to the entire world.

After Syria moved tank units up to the Lebanese Beqaa Valley border Tuesday, Oct. 7, Israel raised the alert level for Yom Kippur on its borders with Syria and Lebanon and placed its Air Force and emergency first aid teams on standby in the event of Syrian or coordinated Syrian-Hizballah attacks.

Israeli embassies and Jewish institutions worldwide were also placed on high terror alert. Hizballah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah said recently that his promised retaliation for the death of Imad Mughniyeh “is coming.” There is no backing off from this decision or from carrying out the “big surprise” against the enemy, he said.

Damascus and the Lebanese Hizballah are closely aligned.

DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Syrian tank concentration on the Lebanese border Tuesday was Damascus’ second military movement against its neighbor; three weeks ago, Syrian commando units took up positions on the North Lebanese border. In the first deployment, their tanks and armored vehicles were kept some 3-10 km to the rear of frontline commando forces. In the second, much closer to the Israeli border, armor and tanks have been deployed at the front.

These military movements sent Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak on an unannounced trip north Tuesday to check the state of readiness of the IDF’s disposition on the Syrian and Lebanese borders. He cautioned the outpost commanders to exercise maximum vigilance in the coming days. The border seems quiet, he said, but commanders must take care never to permit a repeat of the Yom Kippur War exactly 35 years ago when Israel was caught napping by a Syrian invasion.

Our sources report that Washington, Jerusalem and Beirut are taking into account the possibility of Damascus seizing the moment of the total shutdown in Israel for 25 hours from Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 8, to Thursday night, Oct. 9, for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) to launch its military forces against northern Lebanon or the Golan.

The West Bank was sealed off and Israel’s border terminals with Jordan and Egypt closed from early Wednesday, Oct. 8.

I hope that this time Israel is ready…

A new military group calling themselves the Hizbullah Brigades will begin operating in the Palestinian areas as a force against occupation, according to a Saturday statement.

The group will be made up of fighters from several other resistance factions that the statement accuses of “abandoning resistance.” Their stated aims are to “fight the enemies of Islam,” in the interests of the Palestinian national project.

“We are a new Islamic Sunni group which has nothing to do with the political process,” said the statement, “but we will not contradict with public Palestinian interests.”

With regards to the group’s ties with Hizbullah in Lebanon, the statement asserted that the group follows Hizbullah’s steps in resistance, but has no ties with the Lebanese Hizbullah. “All we have in common is Islam and our admiration of their resistance methods,” the statement explained.

The group stressed in their statement that they would not be involved in the ongoing inter-Palestinian rivalry. They also pledged to adopt the case of political prisoners, detained by factions in the West Bank and Gaza as one of their top priorities.

The statement concluded with a slogan used by Lebanese Hizbullah; “death to Israel, and death to the United States.” (Maan News)

Incredible that such a Terrorist group just starts operating without any oposition from the Palestinian Authority.

Ynet News reported that US and Egyptian soldiers paired up in recent weeks in a project to uncover Palestinian weapons’ smuggling tunnels; 42 tunnels discovered in less than a month.

But how many tunnel are there between Gaza and Egypt?

The Daily Telegraph reports that on some estimates there are now up to 500 passageways across to Egypt, mostly clustered around the town of Rafah, which straddles the border.

So lets do the maths:

42:500 = 8.4% - Oops!

That’s less than 10%. That doesn’t sound like American technology is stopping Hamas? No wonder the flow of weapons into Gaza doesn’t stop.

Lebanese media report organization has issued ‘travel advisory’ to its members following Mugniyah assassination, car bomb explosion in Damascus last Saturday. Senior Hamas members in Syrian capital on high alert as well (YNet)

Seems like even the Syrians are tired of Nasrallah and his ranting! We all know Syrian Security forces were behind all the assassinations both in Syria and Lebanon, they are doing so under orders from the regime to keep Assad in Power!

The media monitoring unit Muftah published the results of a July poll of local journalists over media coverage of the internal Palestinian conflicts on web-based news outlets.

Those polled were Palestinians working in print or electronic media outlets, the survey sample was 111.

Journalists were asked about the coverage of Ma’an News Agency, the Palestine News Network (PNN), the official Palestinian Authority (PA) news agency WAFA, and the Palestine Press Agency (PPA).

Results of the poll were as follows:

Asked whether each of the news agencies were biased, respondents answered:

Ma’an: 43% biased, 56% unbiased
PNN: 81% biased, 14% unbiased
WAFA: 87% biased, 13% unbiased
PPA: 85% biased, 10% unbiased

Asked about what sort of bias each of the news outlets had, respondents answered:

Ma’an: 34% Fatah, 9% Hamas, 55% no bias
PNN: 14% Fatah, 72% Hamas, 9% unbiased
WAFA: 94% Fatah
PPA: 79% Fatah, 10% Hamas, 8% unbiased

During the past year there have been accusations that media sources have inflamed and even fueled the factional conflicts between Hamas and Fatah. Asked their opinion on which news agencies were primarily responsible for this action, respondents replied:

Ma’an: 15% largely contributed (to factional rift), 27% average contribution, 30% slight contribution, 26% no contribution.

PNN: 51% largely contributed, 28% average contribution, 14% slight contribution, 6% no contribution.

The survey did not publish results for the WAFA or PPA contribution to factional tensions.

Asked whether media coverage affected Palestinians’ desire to strengthen national unity,

72% believed that media coverage “slightly affected” Palestinians’ desire for unity, while

27% believed that media coverage “largely affected” Palestinians’ desire for unity

Respondents’ were then asked whether their wish to support democracy and promote unity was a factor in media coverage,

81% said it was a “minor factor;”

17% said it was a factor

However, 65% of respondents said the desire to maintain good relations between media agencies was a factor in what was published with regards to the internal Palestinian conflict.

Who determines content

Asked who in the news agency or media outlet determined daily content, correspondents of editors, results  said:

Correspondents: 41% said they have most say, 57% said they have a minor role

Editors: 59% of respondents said editors played the major role in deciding content, while 38% said editors played a minor role in determining content.

Chief Editors: 90% of the respondents thought that it was chief editors who determined the content of coverage, and 10% said chief editors played a minor role in determining that content.

Credibility of sources

Journalists and media workers were asked to evaluate the credibility of several popular sources:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: 17% “high credibility”, 45% “moderate credibility” and 38% said his credibility was “low.”

Caretaker government in the West Bank: 15% “high credibility,” 52% “moderate credibility,” 37% “low credibility.”

Fatah spokespeople: 6% “high,” 40% “moderate,” 54% “low.”

Hamas spokespeople: 6% “high,” 43% “moderate,” 51% “low.”

Various Civil Society organizations: 23% “highly credible,” 55% “moderate credibility,” 21% “we rarely depend on these organizations as sources of information.”

Responding to a question about who was the source of information related to Hamas-Fatah clashes, 48% of respondents said Fatah information was taken from their spokesperson, who was trusted as a main source of information. For the Hamas spokesperson the number was 29%, with 59% saying that the Hamas spokesperson was used as a “partial” information source.

Does electronic journalism accurately describe the internal Palestinian conflict?

Of the journalists and media workers polled66% said Palestinian electronic media failed in its efforts to represent the internal Palestinian conflict, 73% said that electronic media outlets were unable to accurately portray the internal Palestinian conflict, while 28% thought that the portrayal was accurate.

Media Education?

The final question of the poll was whether educational workshops for journalists could improve electronic journalism, 70% said yes and 30% answered no.

HAMAS was formed in late 1987 as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood during the first Palestinian Intifada which began in 1987 and continued through 1993. HAMAS is an acronym of Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya, which in Arabic means “Islamic Resistance Movement.” HAMAS has executed large-scale suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks in pursuit of its goal: the destruction of Israel and the establishment an Islamic Palestinian state in its place.

The U.S. State Department first designated HAMAS a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997, and it continues to be so designated through 2005.

Since September, 2000, HAMAS has been responsible for at least 321 successful attacks in Israel, which have resulted in the deaths of 381 people and have injured 1,649 others.

The group’s leadership is dispersed throughout the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with a few senior leaders residing in Damascus, Syria and elsewhere. Iran and Islamic “charities” are among the primary sources of financing to the terrorist organization.

HAMAS has claimed responsibility or was found to be responsible for the deaths and injuries caused to numerous plaintiffs in the Linde, et al. v. Arab Bank, Plc and Coulter, et al. v. Arab Bank, Plc lawsuits. Following are only a few of the many victims:

Steven Averbach, one of the initial plaintiffs in the Linde, et al. v. Arab Bank, Plc case, was grievously injured when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives on a commuter bus in 2003;

Janis Ruth Coulter, age 36, Diane Carter, age 38, Benjamin Blutstein, age 25, and David Gritz, age 24 were killed in the bombing at the Hebrew University cafeteria that occurred on July 31, 2002. Many others were also killed and injured in the attack.

The Sbarro Pizzeria Massacre on August 9, 2001 resulted in the death of Judith Greenbaum, age 31; plaintiff Chana Nachenberg remains in a permanent vegetative state since the attack.

The Nathansen family lost their daughter Tehilla as a result of a suicide bombing on a bus on August 9, 2003; Several other members of the Nathansen family sustained injuries as well.

Israel’s population at Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year’s) 5769 is 7,337,000, of whom 5.54 million are Jews, 1.48 million are Arabs (20.1%), and 318,000 (4.3%) are non-Arab others, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported today (Globes).

Haaretz reports that Israel Police on Monday said a Palestinian shepherd found dead in the West Bank late Saturday was killed in an accidental explosion, not by settlers. This doesn’t really comes as a surprise, since the arab media was very quick on putting the blame on Israel. The Forensics experts say that he was killed when picking up an unexploded shell, but the other version would be that the “Sheperd” was on his way to a terror attack. This sound more logical and also fits into the time line of recent events.

With scores of terror warnings current for the Jewish New Year starting sundown Monday, Sept. 9, a beefed up Jerusalem Border Police squad detained a Palestinian from the West Bank of Jenin early Monday, on his way to a knifing attack on the route leading to the Western Wall in the Old City. In his pockets were a large knife and letters stating his intention to be a “martyr”. (DEBKAfile)

Greetings by the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres, to the Jewish People, on the occasion of the Jewish New Year 5769

A country as small in size as Israel has little alternative but to seek greatness in other facets. It must explore strength of spirit, depth of faith, the bid for innovation and the hidden promise of science.

Since its inception, 60 years ago, Israel has proven that despite the shortage of land and water, it developed one of the most advanced and resilient economies on earth. Facing challenges disproportionate to its territorial and demographic scale, as well as existential threats, Israel nevertheless persevered. It did so, through the mobilization of its human resources and military fortitude. It reinforced its democracy and desire for peace.

Israel went through seven wars in its sixty years. Outnumbered and under-gunned, it was self reliant and confident. Winning wars enabled Israel to triumph in its battle for peace and to sign peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. Today, it continues to negotiate with the Palestinians, never losing hope of making peace with the entire Arab world.

By promoting a policy of peace and being true to the Jewish ethic, “Love thy neighbour like thyself, maintaining a defense system that pre-empts danger, and a resilient democracy guided by the moral values of our tradition, we can prove that what was bestowed upon us on Mount Sinai was not lost in the desert.

The realization of the Zionist vision is a story that inspired both nation and state. With its establishment, the Jewish people entrusted Israel with the role of preserving and developing the Jewish historic heritage, on the moral platform, proclaiming that “All human beings are born in the image of the Lord. “

Committed to our faith and to the value of Tikkun Olam, Israel must continue to play a role in meeting the global challenges of tomorrow. Being small in size and people, we must be greater in the field of science and serve as a world laboratory in a quest for alternative energy, mostly from the sun, so as to decrease pollution and dry the petro-dollar swamp that breeds terror.

Humanity will have to generate water to meet growing human demand, prevent thirst and enable a harmonious and sustainable environment for man and nature. Israel excelled in that domain and we have to continue investing efforts in this pursuit.

We must also cultivate an innovative teaching system focused on thinking tools and capacities, rather than just on the accumulation of data. The historic strength of the Jewish people was, and must remain, anchored in learning and applying knowledge.

We have proven in the past, and we must do so again in the future, that the Jewish people can serve as leaders at the forefront of modernity and innovation, in order to tackle challenges such as violence and ubiquitous terror which the world now faces.

Likewise, we need to address the challenges which face Jewish communities throughout the world, such as assimilation, a growing gap between the different communities and a greater need to strengthen the ties between Jewish youth in the diaspora and in Israel.

It is precisely because we are a small nation, that the Jewish people must generate the greatness inherent in the human capacities.

Rosh Ha’Shana Sameach!

Shimon Peres

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The most creative/clever delivery of the new year!! Four friends on rollerblades follow a carefully planned route around Tel Aviv and record their tracks with a GPS device. The result is a stunning greeting for Rosh Hashanah across the entire city - Shana Tova!!

Palestinians fired at two Israeli vehicles near the West Bank city of Qaliqilya early on Saturday. One of the drivers was lightly injured and his car damaged. He was evacuated to a Petah Tikva hospital, and IDF forces began to search the area for the suspects.The incident took place at 3 am. Two cars driven by Israelis were making their way to the West Bank settlement of Alei Zahav, located south of Qalqilya. They were fired upon, apparently by Palestinians hiding in the area.