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Today’s Top Stories
1. Worth reading: A former interpreter for Iran’s foreign ministry (now living in exile) warns the world not to be fooled. Iran wants a nuclear weapon. Ahmad Hashemi writes in the Times of Israel:
While at the Iranian foreign ministry, I served as interpreter for visiting dignitaries, diplomats and officials. I paid close attention to public proclamations and official statements. And I was present at inner-circle conversations in which a number of high-profile Iranian officials made no secret of their intention to go atomic . . . .
Using a well-known concept in Shiite jurisprudence known as the expedient or altruistic lie, Iranian officials are perfectly willing to lie when it comes to their intentions and programs. The enlightened nations would do well to understand the religious underpinnings of Iranian diplomats’ big lies in contrast with European negotiators. Once the extent of the deception is understood, the question should be not whether Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful but rather when and how the program can be safely terminated.
2. Memri (transcript) posted another Morsi video. In this one, Morsi calls Obama a liar and urged Muslims “to nurse our children and grandchildren on hatred towards those Zionists and Jews.” More at the Times of Israel. See also Aayan Hirsi Ali’s commentary in the NY Times.
3. Fatah’s armed gangs are back. Recent thuggery has them at odds with the PA — the Gulf News described a tense standoff at the Balata refugee camp, near Nablus.
4. HonestReporting Hits the Weekend with Three Media Appearances. Simon Plosker had two op-eds published, and HR was singled out for praise by another.
Israel and the Palestinians
• The Seeds of a Media Intifada:
In sacrificing their sons by sending them out to confront the IDF without guns and bombs, the Palestinian leadership has the international media in the palm of hand.
• Once again, Hamas and Fatah agreed to implement previous unity deals. Let’s see what happens. Read more about it at the Jerusalem Post before the understandings collapse over voter-registration, control of weapons, or whatever else . . . .
• Khaled Abu Toameh on Facebook shutting down his account:
Many Palestinian journalists, and those in the Middle East, are forced to use Facebook to publish what their own media will not accept. But the problem becomes worse when Facebook itself starts removing material that bothers dictatorships and tyrants. One can only hope that the same Facebook employee who “accidentally” removed the article will make the same mistake and and close down the accounts belonging to terrorist organizations and their leaders. It is the duty of Facebook and Western societies to side with those seeking freedom, and not to be complicit in suppressing their voices.
• Robin Shepherd weighs in on the BBC Trust’s ruling for pro-Palestinian activist Ben White.
Bear in mind that the (fairly) new chairman of the BBC trust is former European Commissioner Chris Patten, a well known Israel basher. So, in this case, essentially, the complaints procedure broke down as follows:
Anti-Zionist fanatic makes complaint to watchdog organisation run by Israel basher that broadcaster already well-known for anti-Israel bias is not being biased enough. Watchdog organisation run by Israel basher upholds complaint made by anti-Zionist fanatic and warns broadcaster well known for anti-Israel bias that it should be careful to be more biased in the future.
You couldn’t make it up.
