Hurricane Sandy’s Ripple Effects on Israel
October 30, 2012 14:59 by Pesach Benson
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Today’s Top Stories
1. Hurricane Sandy’s ripple effects were felt in Israel: particularly by stranded travelers and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
In the US, quite a few news sites went down. But credit, the fourth estate for soldiering on in difficult circumstances:
2. Experts are divided on the number of Syrian refugees, according to McClatchy News. A by-the-numbers look at the diverse figures:
- 280,000: Syrians registered with the UNHCR
- 360,000: The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees’ estimate.
- 700,000: A UNHCR official to McClatchy.
- 1.2 million: UN estimate of displaced Syrians in Syria.
- 3 million: Assad regime estimate of displaced Syrians in Syria.
- 10 million: Opposition estimate of displaced Syrians in Syria.
3. Days after an (Israeli?) airstrike destroyed a Khartoum munitions factory, two Iranian warships were dispatched to the Red Sea, docking at Port Sudan. BBC coverage.
Israel and the Palestinians
• After Gideon Levy’s apartheid survey slander, it’s time for him to go: Haaretz’s “clarification” is too little too late.
• Ugly AFP headline:
• Israeli security busted a group of 30 Hamasniks trying to establish a branch of their organization in Ramallah. The Jerusalem Post writes:
The recruitment drive involved the establishment of student cells at West Bank universities in the Ramallah and Abu Dis areas. Hamas transferred large funds through student bodies, and some of the money was earmarked for Hamas prisoners and their families, according to the Shin Bet.
• Hamas released footage of its people firing rockets at Israel — from a civilian area of Gaza. Call it collateral damage waiting to happen.
Rest O’ the Roundup
• The (Israeli?) airstrike on Khartoum makes sense, argues Asharq al-Awsat editor Tariq Alhomayed.
• When a Tel Aviv-based think tank simulated a war game between Israel and Iran, New Statesman‘s David Patrikarakos was a fly on the wall. Spoiler alert: Israel absorbed some Shahab 3 ballistic missiles, but Iran failed to internationalize the conflict. Isn’t this a wishful outcome?
The Iranians, meanwhile, were not able to use their status as victims of an attack to have the sanctions on the country lifted, nor were they successful in lobbying to have sanctions placed on Israel; and with their nuclear programme devastated, were the clear losers.
• According to AP, Syrian rebels and government forces are fighting it out in the Yarmouk refugee camp, home of more than 148,000 Palestinians.
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Charles Gelfand
5:13 pm
Oct 30, 2012
They need a quick and decisive response
that they won’t soon forget.
It’s only through strength and swift retribution
that they deserve
To hell with the UNs recrimination
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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chanah
5:26 pm
Oct 30, 2012
Re: the statement in the Haaretz AP story on Syrian Palestinians that stated, “Syria is home to nearly 500,000 UN-registered Palestinians, and their descendants, who were expelled or fled from their homes during the 1948 war of Israel’s creation.” I’ve never been under the impression that any Arabs were expelled from Israel in 1948, but that they all fled on their own & by the order of Arab nations attacking Israel. The proof for this is the presence of many Israeli Arabs who stayed & were thus granted citizenship. I think since you recommended this article that you, Honest Reporting, should clarify this statement. What’s the truth on this issue? Were Arabs expelled in 1948 or not?
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Kibbitzer
5:40 pm
Oct 30, 2012
Gideon Levy is undoubtedly feverishly typing as we speak that Hurricane Sandy has Israel’s prints all over it.
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Hurricane Sandy’s Ripple Effects on Israel | Blogs about Israel aggregation
5:44 pm
Oct 30, 2012
[...] article can be viewed at Hurricane Sandy’s Ripple Effects on Israel on [...]
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Alex
6:04 pm
Oct 30, 2012
chanah, the reality was, as usual, more complex than black and white. Some Arabs were expelled by force or fear from their villages. Most of these had a chance to return; very few used this chance. Actually, less Arabs fled from their homes in ’67.
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