Bibi Congratulates Mr President Elect (video)

Speaking to Donald Trump by telephone, Prime Minister Netanyahu has congratulated President-elect Trump on his victory and told him that the United States has no better ally than Israel. Explains Mr Netanyahu's official Facebook page:

"The two leaders, who have known each other for many years, had a warm and heartfelt conversation. They also discussed regional issues. President-elect Trump invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to a meeting in the United States at the first opportunity.Prime Minister Netanyahu told President-elect Trump that both he and his wife Sara are looking forward to meeting him and his wife Melania."

 

Jew-Baiting in Edinburgh: "This is what these creatures are celebrating ... the rape of non-Jewish women" (video)

"How disgusting can you get?  How low can you sink?" screeches Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign chief Mick Napier.

Watch this video of anti-Israel fanatics in Edinburgh on 17 August to find out: loathsome, despicable stuff aimed at the organisers and attendees of the "Shalom Festival". And at Jews (the vast majority who are "Zionist" Jews) and Israel generally. 

"Your tickets are covered with Palestinian blood!" cry the assembled flag-waving, baying, jeering mob over and over again.

"This is what these creatures are celebrating ... the rape of non-Jewish women" we hear a male voice scream amid a lengthy rant that demands the "right of return" and extols BDS.  ("The original inhabitants of Palestine were Palestinians" the ranter earlier declares to wild cheers.)

"These people are here to support barbarism" thunders the hoary-headed chieftain regarding the festival attendees, in an odious address demonising Israel and "Zionist Jews" that follows an emotional diatribe in similar vein by a woman. 

 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E4TVvBcTCQ)

In London, Jews (and a Muslim) Challenge Antisemitic Lies (videos)

The story behind these videos of his is told by David Collier here

To  set the scene:

03 Nov 2016. I was inside one of the hot spots of radical Islam in London – SOAS. We came to hear Tom Suarez promote his book, State of Terror....

Suarez is an example of how someone can make a new career out of hating Israel without academic training or even a basic historical knowledge of the conflict. His methodology was clear, ‘I hate Zionists/Jews’, but to write a book, I need to make some citations, and he went off to find some....

From the moment Suarez opened his mouth, until his pillar of sand had been swept aside by several people in the room, Tom Suarez built a narrative that was dripping with hard-core antisemitic undertones....

[W]e are left with a rampant demonic force with global control and sinister intent, doing its will between 1937 and 1948. This as six million Jews died. His entire narrative depends on the existence of ‘Elders of Zion’ style control at the very same time as the world shut its doors to Jews and a genocide was committed against them. It is frightening in its sickening inter-dependency.

He gives Jews global control as they lay dying in Auschwitz. He suggest Zionist Jews ‘twisted’ Truman’s arm and Truman “always did as he was told”. There were brutally obscene comments, such as one discussing an atmosphere of diminishing global antisemitism in 1946 as Europe was knee deep in Jewish corpses....

 I lost count of the number of Nazi analogies. Everything the Zionists did was comparable to Nazi Germany."

Is it any wonder, then, that Jews in the audience reacted with emotional outrage?

Here's doughty Zionist stalwart Jonathan Hoffman, quick off the mark to ask the opening question from the floor:

Here's a lady, her voice breaking at times with hurt and indignation, demanding to know why Suarez ignores Arab violence.

Here's a Muslim gentleman with a message the Israel-demonisers would rather not hear, about Israel's diversity and egalitarianism:

Here's a lady with some home truths about the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands:

Stephen Sizer Chastised By His Bishop

It seems especially appropriate that, on the 99th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the Bishop of Guildford, Andrew Watson, has issued the following statement respecting the Vicar of Virginia Water's attendance at the Israel-demonising event chaired by Baroness Tonge (see my post here):

"In February 2015, Dr Stephen Sizer undertook to refrain from writing or speaking on themes relating to the current situation in the Middle East and to its historical backdrop for as long as he remained a parish priest in the Diocese of Guildford. Until now, this agreement has been upheld in letter and spirit, however Dr Sizer recently attended an event which clearly engages in these themes, and around which there has subsequently been understandable controversy. Additionally, Dr Sizer published a social media post relating to the event, also contravening his agreement.

 Dr Sizer has already given notice of his resignation as vicar of Virginia Water from Easter 2017, and said that he attended the event in question on the understanding that our agreement no longer stood now that his resignation had been tendered. This is certainly not the case. I have spoken with Dr Sizer to make clear that I am disappointed by his actions and to clarify that our agreement categorically must run until the end of his tenure of office.

 Dr Sizer is aware how seriously I view this and has stated to me that it was not his intention to break the agreement which he has upheld until now. However, with its terms now clarified beyond any doubt, Dr Sizer has been warned that any further breach of the agreement must result in his tenure of office ending with immediate effect." [Emphasis added]

Time to de-friend John Hannah and Harriet, vicar.

 The Board of Deputies of British Jews has responded:

"Stephen Sizer has breached the terms of the undertakings he gave to the Church of England by attending and publishing a social media post about a particularly ugly and inflammatory event with Jenny Tonge in the chair. Tonge was subsequently suspended from the Liberal Democrat Party as a result.

The terms of Sizer’s agreement – drawn up after he repeatedly shared antisemitic material on social media – required him to refrain from writing or speaking on themes relating to the current situation in the Middle East and to its historical backdrop for as long as he remained a parish priest in the Diocese of Guildford. By attending an event where the audience is alleged to have applauded the suggestion that Jews were responsible for the Holocaust, he clearly flouted the agreement, earning him a stinging public rebuke from his bishop in the Diocese of Guildford. The Bishop’s statement makes it clear that while Sizer intends to leave his post in 2017, his ability to reach that date by his own accord now hangs by a thread.

Board of Deputies Vice President Marie van der Zyl said: “A repeat offender in the trafficking of antisemitic slurs, the ‘soon-to-be-ex’ clergyman Stephen Sizer has spectacularly flouted his written undertaking to the Church of England by attending an event filled with toe-curling antisemitism. If he had any shred of decency, Sizer would have fulfilled the terms of the agreement and tendered his resignation with immediate effect. He now guarantees that he will end his clerical career under a cloud. The sad irony that this divisive figure is moving on to a charity called ‘Peacemaker Mediators’ is not lost on us.” [Emphasis added]

I guess that until his resignation on Easter Sunday the vicar will stop pressing the "Like" button on other Israel-bashers' social media posts, then, as in this "Like" regarding a comment from Baroness Tonge disparaging pro-Israel commenters who have taken to countering her anti-Israel observations on Facebook:

Pro-Women's Rights Baroness Cox Shouted Down by Muslim Leader

During an on-air discussion, Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadan Foundation in the UK, loses his cool.  He rants against Baroness Cox, doughty campaigner for the rights of Muslim women oppressed by Sharia Courts, calling her an Islamophobe, and attacking her ties to the "rightwing fascist" Henry Jackson Society and the Gatestone Institute.  He also drags in Jews and Hindus.

To quote the uploader:

"Debate is raging in the UK over the work of Sharia Councils often used by Muslims to settle family disputes and divorce.

Two inquiries have been launched into its practices after accusations of discrimination against women came to light.

Activists made their cases in the House of Commons on Tuesday..both for and against the Councils.

We put the issue up for debate with Baroness Cox, who raised a motion against Sharia law in the House of Lords today, and Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadan Foundation in the UK"

A 99th Anniversary

As the Israel-demonisers' pernicious campaign against the Balfour Declaration hots up (see, for instance, here and here and here ), there is a wonderful new online iniative here.

Below are some home truths from StandWithUs about the Declaration.

Simplified stuff that the most thick-headed Israel-hater is guaranteed to understand (but of course is unlikely to heed.)

To quote the uploader:

"100 years ago today, the Balfour Declaration was penned. The declaration confirmed the UK's commitment to and recognition of the right to a Jewish state in their historic homeland. Through this document, the re-birth of Israel became a reality for Jews already living in their homeland, and for Jews in the disapora who had been expelled historically.

Today, we celebrate and thank Arthur Balfour for writing the Balfour Declaration and believing in Israel!"

Learn more about the historical legitimacy and importance of the Balfour Declaration in this handy booklet

 Bonus video from the same source:

To quote the uploader:

"Enough of the bullying from the Palestinian Authority and other Arab nations in international bodies. These organizations were not created to promote racist xenophobic agendas, yet that is exactly what the PA and other UNESCO member states have used them for."

 More anti-Israel propaganda in the offing:

David Singer: Obama’s Islamic State Policy Uncorks Shiite Genie in Iraq

Here's the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.

He writes:

President Obama’s decision 14 days ago to approve Iraqi and Peshmerga forces undertaking the liberation of Mosul has well and truly blown up in his face with the news that the Iran funded Shiite Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) have now joined in the attack.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter certainly did not anticipate this development when announcing Obama’s decision:

“The United States and the rest of the international coalition stand ready to support Iraqi Security Forces, Peshmerga fighters and the people of Iraq in the difficult fight ahead.” 

Neither did Operation Inherent Resolve Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend who stated:

"But to be clear, the thousands of ground combat forces who will liberate Mosul are all Iraqis" 

The involvement of 15000 Shiite PMU militiamen – designated by the Iraqi Government as “an independent military formation” – could aggravate already existing sectarian divisions in Iraq.

This could eventually lead to a Shiite land grab of territory liberated by the PMU.

The retention of land conquered by the Peshmerga forces is also a realistic possibility.

Iraq as a distinct and separate territorial unit could be in real danger of being carved up.

Obama must be reeling after further reading on that:

“Ahmed al-Assadi, a spokesman for the Iraq-sanctioned paramilitary known as Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), said on Saturday that they will fight alongside Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces in Syria after finishing their battle against ISIS in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Al Arabiya News Channel reported"

Obama’s inability to remove Assad from power in Syria during the last five years has been a spectacular presidential policy failure.

His justified hatred of Assad – propped up by Russia and Iran – has seen him refuse to accept Russia’s invitation to jointly seek a United Nations Security Council Resolution to first take military action against Islamic State in Syria and then try to resolve Syria’s future after Islamic State has been defeated there.

Obama could not fail to be also very worried about Al-Arabiya’s further report:

“… Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesman for the Hezbollah Brigades, said they launched an offensive Saturday along with other large militias toward the town of Tel Afar, which had a Shiite majority before it fell to ISIS [Islamic State] in 2014. Iranian forces are advising the fighters and Iraqi aircraft are providing airstrikes” 

Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan said on 30 October that Ankara – which already has a military presence in Iraq – would act if forces from the PMU abuse civilians in their fight for the town of Tal Afar.

"Tal Afar is a very sensitive issue for us. We definitely do not regard it [Shia militia involvement] positively in Tal Afar and Sinjar"

Tal Afar is a totally Turkmen city, with half Shia and half Sunni Muslims. We do not judge people by their religious affiliation, we regard them all as Muslims.

But if Hashid Shaabi [PMU] terrorises the region, our response would be different."

In other parts of Iraq retaken from Islamic State – such as Fallujah and Ramadi – there have been allegations of Shia fighters mistreating Sunni civilians.

Iraq is fast becoming a tinderbox containing different elements and interests that could set Iraq ablaze – should Islamic State eventually be defeated in Mosul.

Obama’s decision to commence the attack on Mosul appears to have been made without any real thought to the possible involvement of the PMU and Turkey.

Why Obama thought it that urgent to commence the battle for Mosul at this late stage of his Presidency is a question that will be increasingly asked over the coming week – especially by Clinton and Trump.