Winter Storms Collapse Gaza Smuggling Tunnels
January 10, 2013 14:59 by Pesach Benson
Everything you need to know about today’s coverage of Israel and the Mideast. Join the Israel Daily News Stream on Facebook.
Today’s Top Stories
1. A deal allowing Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria to return to the West Bank flopped. The Times of Israel explains why:
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Abbas that Israel agreed to the request, on the condition that the refugees sign a document in which they forgo the “right of return” to areas within Israel.
Abbas said he rejected that condition.
2. Mother Nature colludes with the Zionists: Winter storm floods, collapses Gaza smuggling tunnels.
The underground trade has halted during the stormy weather due to concerns that many tunnels remain unstable, the official in Egyptian Rafah said.
Meanwhile, YNet reports Palestinians stoned a snow-bound Israeli car near Hebron. The Kinneret’s water level rose a whopping 69 cm, adding “an estimated 100 million cubic meters of water to the lake.” CNN posted cool IDF footage of soldiers rescuing a family stranded on the roof of their Tayibe home.
3. Mohammed Morsi met with Khaled Meshaal and Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo. According to the NY Times:
The three main issues on the table are the formation of a national unity government (and who would lead it); the scheduling of presidential and parliamentary elections; and the reconstitution of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Mr. Abbas leads, to include Hamas and other militant factions.
Both sides say they support all three, but Hamas argues that the new government should be formed first, and lead the elections process, while Fatah wants elections first.
Israel and the Palestinians
• Hamas Flagship University Grooms Hebrew Teachers
• Worth reading: Zvi Gabay (Israel HaYom) on Jewish refugees from Arab countries:
Arab propaganda was able to conceal the population exchanges between Israel and Arab countries during the 1948 War of Independence from international discourse. Arab propaganda argues the validity of the right of return for Palestinians who fought against Israel, some of whom fled for their lives for fear of what might happen had they stayed. It has managed to instill in the public’s perception, on a global level, that the Palestinian Nakba was the only tragedy that took place at the time of the state’s establishment.
• Over at the NY Times Magazine, Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman had an extensive interview with Shimon Peres. The Q&A touched on all the usual issues; I was more impressed with Bergman drawing out things about Peres’ personal life he never really talked about. There’s a reason his late wife, Sonia, almost never appeared in public.
• The confessions of Hamas are a message to the Islamists.
Arab Spring Winter
• Jordanian elections are two weeks away, and fuel prices have doubled. So the government did the only sensible thing: it lowered cigarette prices.
“Some people are suckers for that, you know?”
• Bashar Assad’s speech didn’t get rave reviews in Aleppo for the simple reason that there’s no electricity and nobody knew or cared about it. The Media Line did learn something more important though. The rebels are losing popular support:
Many here can no longer tell the difference between the regime and the opposition fighting it. “Bashar is no worse than the Free Army (FSA),” says a man named Muhammad, referring to the band of rebels fighting the regime. “They do the same things Bashar’s men do.”
Rest O’ the Roundup
• A slew of Israeli election ads ruled “too offensive” for broadcast became big hits on YouTube. The Lede rounded them up.
(Image of Peres via Instagram/shimonperes)
For more, see yesterday’s Israel Daily News Stream.
Dany
6:00 pm
Jan 10, 2013
The refugees problem is a two way mechanism, Jewish refugees should be compensated for their losses before Arab refugees can claim compensation. All Arab countries must acknowledge and confirm that the land of Israel is for the Jews primarily and Arabs as citizens of said country, furthermore, this affirmation should get the UN’s anonymous declaration as well as the end of all conflicts and claims against Israel.
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Dany
6:12 pm
Jan 10, 2013
The PA and Hamas must first recognize the right of the Jews on this land, ERETZ ISRAEL, as referred and reaffirmed in the bible, stop all false propaganda, teach their offspring love and mutual respect for all humans of all faiths, and acknowledge their failures and past mistakes, use Islam as a peaceful religion and not warmongering as it is used today. Then accept to transfer to GAZA all their subjects from Judah and Samaria, with land swaps in equal amounts in the south with a piece of land from Egypt as a good will gesture (for once) and benefit from all that Israeli experience can provide. Thus we and the world at large can be certain of the intentions of these entity lacking identity!
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steve
6:53 pm
Jan 10, 2013
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Dany
8:55 pm
Jan 10, 2013
Steve,
You’re right on one count, the Palestinians Created a problem.
As for removing the el aksa mosque, it probably a good solution since it was erected on the holiest spot to the Jewish religion, the Temple Mount, by islamists conquerors a few centuries ago. This was done as an act of hatred to the Jewish faith and not to the glory of Islam.
As for limiting Arab birth rate, your suggestion recalls the worst nightmare the Jewish population endured in Egypt at the orders of the Pharoah.
We would never envisage solutions as such.
It would seem, Steve, that you are opinionated, however very badly informed on the history of this region and perhaps of the world too.
I refer you to the nearest library where you could be enlightened if you are not the biased kind that believes lies and lives by them!
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Carole
9:24 pm
Jan 10, 2013
Dany
I guess you don’t get sarcasm – obnoxious sarcasm- but sarcasm
none the less
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hfiers
9:32 pm
Jan 10, 2013
We are not in the biblical age. The recognition of current history and the Arab influence are a matter of maintaining Eretz Ysrael as a Jewish state TODAY. Our leaders must develop a peace of deterrence. The Arabs, Palestinians, and others who seek to destroy Israel are not going away. We could start by blaming Arafat for the world’s terrorism today. We need strong leaders and deterrence to let the world know that we are here to stay. We need to keep strong borders. We need to maintain the highest degree of political activism to regain our place and positive recognition in the world. If it comes to asserting our strong military, then so be it. We must deal with all the destructive forces in whatever fitting manner. However, let’s be realistic in today’s realistic world…..
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andrew
5:44 am
Jan 27, 2013
Interesting comment. “we are not living in the biblical age”, there are still prophesies written that have yet to happen, like all prophecy before that has ‘happened’, so will these ‘not yet seen’ events take place. Any person who truly believes God knows these will happen. One of these, God announces He will “take back His land of Canaan”, a look at the early history of Moses & Joshua, we will clearly see the borders that God designated to His people. sadly, disobedience has drastic consequences, as written, yet, God forgives and restores, He also destroys His enemies, the world can not fight or defeat God, the more His people are threatened and killed, the greater the punishment will be,
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