Bezalel Smotrich och palestiniernas historia

 Senaste söndag uttalade sig minister Bezalel Smotrich om palestiniernas historia under en privat tillställning i Frankrike. Reaktionerna från omvärlden lät inte vänta på sig ,farligt, respektlöst, felaktigt var några av omdömena. Kan inte tolereras, sade EU.

Vad sade då Smotrich som var så hemskt? Kort sagt ingenting. (Smotrich är en politiker med extrema åsikter och borde inte enligt min mening sitta i en regering men det betyder inte automatiskt att allt han säger är fel.)

Smotrich:

- Det finns inget sådant som ett palestinskt folk. Vem är palestinier? Jag är, sade Smotrich vars förfäder bott i landet i 13 generationer och hans mormor/farmor  föddes där för över hundra år sedan.

- Det palestinska folket/nationen har existerat mindre än hundra år

- Det har aldrig existerat någon palestinsk kung, språk eller mynt

- När judarna började återvända till sitt land skapades den palestinska identiteten för att bekämpa judarna

-Palestinierna är araber från det kringliggande området som kom till Palestina samtidigt med den judiska immigrationen kom i gång

- Innan 1948 kallades området Palestina. Romarna gav området det namnet efter att de erövrat det.

Några fakta:

Det var romarna som gav området namnet Palestina efter att de förstört Jerusalem. Romarna ändrade också namnet på Jerusalem.

Efter första världskriget förvaltade Storbritannien området sedan  det erövrats av Ottomanska riket (Turkiet). Namnet Palestina bibehölls, det brittiska Palestina mandatet. Befolkningen i området bestod av araber och judar.

Ännu så sent som 1947 när FN gjorde upp en delningsplan för området fanns det ingen folkgrupp som kallade sig palestinier. Området skulle enligt FN delas mellan judar och araber, inte ett ord om palestinier som beteckning på araberna som bodde i området.

När PLO skrev sina stadgar på 1960-talet definierade de vem som var  palestinier. Man var noga med att poängtera att man var araber som bodde i Palestina och att Palestina var en del av det större arabiska hemlandet.

Det fanns inte några historiska fakta att hänvisa till när man ville definiera områdets gränser så man hänvisade till att hela det brittiska Palestina mandatet var Palestina (en knapp 30 år gammal gränsdragning).

Enligt PLO är en palestinier en arab som 1947 bodde på Palestina mandatets område. Alla barn som fötts efter det med en palestinsk far räknas också som palestinier.

En intressant detalj är att också en jude kunde räknas som palestinier, men bara om han bott i området innan den sionistiska invasionen började. När den invasionen började förblir oklart och det nämns inget om att barn till judar skulle räknas som palestinier. (Enligt PLO har alltså Smotrich rätt, nästan åtminstone. Hans mormor/farmor var palestinier enligt deras sätt att se på saken.)

Det står ändå klart att mellan 1947 och mitten av 1960-talet började araberna som bott på Palestina mandatets område kalla sig för palestinier med en klar betoning på att man ändå var araber. Araber var det man alltid hade varit och identifierat sig som. Precis som Smotrich säger kom den palestinska identiteten till för att bekämpa judarna. Det kommer fram klart i bl.a. PLO stadgan artikel 7.

Det mesta av vad Smotrich sade var alltså välkända och dokumenterade fakta. Ingenting att bli upprörd över. Tyvärr verkar omvärlden ändå välja att försvara den palestinska fantasihistorieskrivningen.

När Smotrich säger att palestinierna är araber från det kringliggande området som kom till Palestina samtidigt med den judiska immigrationen har han delvis rätt. Det finns araber som bott i området i hundratals år men det finns också många som flyttade till området eftersom den judiska immigrationen skapade många arbetsplatser. Men som sagt, om man bodde där 1947 räknas man som palestinier.

Trots att det historiskt sett inte funnits något palestinskt folk har det nu under flera årtionden byggts upp en palestinsk identitet. En identitet som långt grundar sig på en falsk historieskrivning men den finns i alla fall. Det är kanske något som Smotrich blundar för.

Fati Hammad, en minister i Hamasstyrda Gaza förklarade för tio år sedan följande:

Vem är palestinier?

"Allah be praised, we all have Arab roots, and every Palestinian, in Gaza and throughout Palestine, can prove his Arab roots - whether from Saudi Arabia, from Yemen, or anywhere. We have blood ties. So where is your affection and mercy?

[...]
Personally, half my family is Egyptian. We are all like that. More than 30 families in the Gaza Strip are called Al-Masri ["Egyptian"]. Brothers, half of the Palestinians are Egyptians and the other half are Saudis.
Who are the Palestinians? We have many families called Al-Masri, whose roots are Egyptian. Egyptian! They may be from Alexandria, from Cairo, from Dumietta, from the North, from Aswan, from Upper Egypt. We are Egyptians. We are Arabs. We are Muslims. We are a part of you."

Palestine Liberation Organization: The Palestine National Charter

Article 1 Palestine is the homeland of the Arab Palestinian people; it is an indivisible part of the greater Arab homeland, and the Palestinian people are an integral part of the Arab nation.

Article 2: Palestine, with the boundaries it had during the British Mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit.

Article 5: The Palestinians are those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or stayed there. Anyone born, after that date, of a Palestinian father- whether in Palestine or outside it- is also a Palestinian.

Article 6: The Jews who had normally resided in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist invasion are considered Palestinians.

Article 7:

That there is a Palestinian community and that it has material, spiritual, and historical connection with Palestine are indisputable facts. It is a national duty to bring up individual Palestinians in an Arab revolutionary manner. All means of information and education must be adopted in order to acquaint the Palestinian with his country in the most profound manner, both spiritual and material, that is possible. He must be prepared for the armed struggle and ready to sacrifice his wealth and his life in order to win back his homeland and bring about its liberation.

Israel's Smotrich: There is no such thing as a Palestinian people

US joins condemnations of Smotrich’s ‘concerning and dangerous’ Paris speech

Obehagliga röster från arabvärlden

 Röster från arabvärlden översatta av MEMRI

Article In Qatari Daily Incites To Terror Attacks Against Israelis: Surround Them, Pursue Them, 'Make It So That They Will Never Be Safe – Not In Jerusalem, Not In Tel Aviv'

In his March 12, 2023 column in Qatar's Al-Watan daily, titled "The Time Has Come For You To Get Out," Palestinian journalist Samir Al-Barghouti, who frequently writes in favor of armed struggle against Israel, stated that it was time to expel the Israelis "from Huwara to Tel Aviv...  from the river to the sea," and to fight them in brigades and with lone attackers.

Stressing that "people who sacrifice themselves are about to emerge from all the villages and the cities and from every neighborhood and street," he wrote: "Make it so that they will never be safe – not in Jerusalem, not in Tel Aviv, and not in their settlements."

In conclusion, he addressed the Israelis, saying: "We will fight [you] as long as we live, and you will never enjoy a good life on land that rejects you."

Hamas Daily: An Outsider Cannot Understand The Intensity Of A Palestinian's Joy At News Of A Terror Attack Against Israelis

On March 12, 2023, the Felesteen daily, which is identified with the Hamas movement, published an article titled "Deliverers of Joy – About the Younger Generation in the West Bank" praising terror attacks carried out by young West Bank Palestinians against Israelis. The article, written by Abdallah Al-Lidawi[1] and also published on the website of Hamas's military wing, 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, describes the rising joy and adrenalin that erupt in the Palestinian street following every terror attack against Israelis, such as suicide attacks and bombings of buses and cafes, and states that these operations are proof of the vitality, power, and glory of the Palestinian people. This joy, he writes, has a "special fragrance" and is expressed by people exclaiming in happiness and praise, gathering in public squares and streets, passing out sweets, and embracing, along with cries of praise for Allah via mosques' public address systems, and more.

The article goes on to state that today there is tremendous happiness among the Palestinians when they hear news of terrorist attacks being carried out by the young West Bank Palestinians, who "add their unique fingerprint to the shooting operations in the streets of the tranquil [Israeli] cities," who, with their deeds, are reviving the glory of the days of the Second Intifada and the widescale attacks of the era of Hamas's chief bombmaker and suicide bombing pioneer Yahya 'Ayyash[2] and are also rising up against the Palestinian Authority (PA) which attempted to prevent them from carrying out resistance and waging jihad.

Fatah Revolutionary Council Member Jamal Al-Huwail Compares Palestinian Militant To Hollywood Action Hero: 'We Are Not Only At War Israel, But We Are At War With The West And The Entire World'

Jamal Al-Huwail, a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council from Jenin, said on a March 8, 2023 show that aired on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) that Israel is a Western "enterprise" and that the Palestinians are not only at war with Israel, but also with the West and the "entire world." Al-Huwail spoke about a photo of a Palestinian militant, which was used as the backdrop for the speakers in the studio, comparing him to a Hollywood action hero. In the photo, which was taken during clashing between Israeli security forces and Palestinian militants in Jenin the day before, a masked militant could be seen hanging out of a window as he shoots a rifle at Israeli forces.

Gaza Islamic Scholar Dr. Muhammad Suleiman Al-Farra Issues A Fatwa On Hamas TV: Palestinian Authority Security Forces Are Religiously Obligated To Join The Jihad In The West Bank

Dr. Muhammad Suleiman Al-Farra, the vice dean of the Southern Branch of the Islamic University of Gaza, said on a March 1, 2023 show on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza) that members of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces are religiously obligated to join the escalating "activities" and Jihad in the West Bank. He emphasized that as a religious scholar, this is his fatwa on the matter, and he explained that these individuals already have the weapons and training to join the fight, unlike the "new generation" of 13-, 14-, and 16-year-olds who have been using knives, cleavers, screwdrivers, and small arms to carry out attacks against Israelis.

Egyptian Researcher Mahmoud Salem: The Jews Are Extremely Violent In Denying The Authenticity Of The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion; Anyone Discussing The Protocols Has Their Social Media Accounts Shut Down

Mahmoud Salem, an Egyptian researcher of history and civilization through the lens of Islamic law, said in a February 22, 2023 show on the Arabic-language Egyptian Muslim Broterhood-affiliated Channel 9 (Turkey) that the authenticity of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is denied in an "extremely violent" manner by the Jews. He said that those who discuss the Protocols have their social media accounts shut down, and that even Wikipedia falsely claims that the Protocols are a forgery. Salem explained that the Protocols were minutes from meetings held by rabbis in France in which they discussed plans for the "globalization of religion," and he said that they were published in Russia by a French woman who had obtained them.

Moroccan Islamic Scholar Sheikh Abou Younes Elfraani: The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion Have Been Translated Into Arabic, Yet The Arabs Do Nothing; The Jews Want Israel To Span From Nile To The Euphrates

Moroccan Islamic scholar Sheikh Abou Younes Elfraani said, in a video posted to his YouTube account on December 17, 2022, that the "schemes" of the Jews have been documented in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and translated into Arabic, yet the Arabs and Muslims do nothing in response.

Gaza Islamic Scholar Wael Al-Zard On Hamas TV: We Have Teams Planning What To Do With Israel's Nuclear Missiles Once We Liberate Palestine And Whether To Throw The Jews Into The Sea

Gaza Islamic scholar Wael Al-Zard said in a March 8, 2023 show on Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas-Gaza) that there are teams in Gaza that are making plans for the period that will follow the Palestinian's victory. He said that people in Gaza are deliberating what to do with the nuclear missiles they will "inherit" from Israel and with the multitudes of Jews that will be left in Palestine. He said: "What are we going to do with them? Will we throw them into the sea and make them into food for the fish?"

Mother Of Imprisoned Terrorist Wael Jaghoub To Palestinian Authority TV: The Gun Is The Only Thing That Will Restore Our Land And Free The Prisoners; For Every Man Who Is Martyred, There Is Another To Take His Place

On March 7, 2023, Palestine TV aired a brief interview with the mother of Wael Jaghoub, a Palestinian terrorist imprisoned in Israel. She said that every Palestinian stands with the "resistance" to the end and that for every man who is "martyred", there is another to take his place. She also said that the gun is the only thing that will restore the Palestinians' land and free the prisoners.

Vad händer i Israel och varför?

En artikel av Herb Keinon som lite förklarar vad som händer i Israel nu och varför.

The Jewish state hasn't figured itself out yet, 75 years after its inception

"On one side of an imaginary television screen, there could have been the chaotic scene at the “National Disruption Day” protest in Tel Aviv: the flag-waving protesters overpowering police barricades and attempting to block the country’s main road artery; the police’s forceful response, with officers on horseback, stun grenades, water cannons and dozens of arrests.

On the other side of the screen, there could have been a broadcast of the heartbreaking funeral in the Old Cemetery in Ra’anana of Elan Ganeles, murdered by Palestinian terrorists the day before as he was driving from the North through the Jordan Valley to a wedding in the Jerusalem area...

...THE PROTESTS against the judicial reform are a representation of the country – fully 75 years after its inception – still trying to figure out what it is. Is it a Jewish democratic state or a democratic Jewish state? What does it mean to be democratic? What does it mean to be Jewish? What is the right balance? How do you achieve that balance? What is the role of the legislature? What is the role of the courts?

At the core of the state’s identity, these questions should have been decided long ago, at Israel’s inception, but proved too difficult to solve.

The Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948, stated that a Constitution should be adopted by an Elected Constituent Assembly no later than October 1, 1948. The Elected Constituent Assembly met four times before morphing into the Knesset. October 1, 1948, came and went, but no constitution was ever adopted. Because of conflicting interests, beliefs, ideologies and passions, no agreement could be reached.

So Israel did what Israel does so well: it improvised; it schlepped along on an ad hoc basis without a constitution, until it couldn’t anymore; it kicked the can down the road until the can finally hit a wall.

And that is where Israel finds itself on the eve of its 75th birthday, in front of that wall and unsure of how to kick the can past it. The coalition’s controversial judicial reform plan, the passionate opposition to the plan, the protests, “National Disruption Day” – all of that is the sound of that can hitting the wall...

...The pain following the killing of Hallel and Yagel Yaniv was searing. The fear that Jewish mothers and fathers who ply the road through Huwara daily and live in fear of a rock or petrol bomb thrown at them and their children while traveling to and from their homes in Har Bracha, Itamar, Yitzhar and Elon Moreh is real and ever-present.

But for that there is the state; for that there is an army; for that there is Jewish sovereignty. Jews do not – should not, must not – randomly set out to burn, kill and destroy. It is wrong. It is immoral. It is inexcusable.

It also badly confuses the chicken and the egg, as evident in this headline to a Reuters news story on the Ganeles murder: “Israeli-American motorist killed in West Bank after settlers rampage against Palestinians.”

As if this was an example of cause and effect; as if Ganeles’s murder was a result of the rampage in Huwara; as if, had there not been a rampage in Huwara, a promising 26-year-old man from Connecticut with a Zionist heart would still be alive today.

The rampage in Huwara, too, provided the country with other split-screen moments.

On one side of the screen, Jews randomly setting fire to cars, homes and businesses; on the other side IDF soldiers working with Palestinians to extract people from their burning homes. On one side of the screen, Esti Yaniv speaking with almost superhuman grace and dignity as the bodies of her two slain sons lie at her feet; on the other side, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich bringing opprobrium upon Israel by saying that Israel should wipe Huwara off the map...

Nyhetsmedia klarar inte av att rapportera sakligt från Israel

 Efter att jag i flera tiotals år följt med händelserna i Israel och hur de rapporteras i Finland kan jag ganska bra förutse hur man i Finland väljer att rapportera olika händelser. Det blir i allmänhet en vinkling där Israel utpekas som angripare och skyldig till oroligheter oberoende av vad som hänt. Trots att jag vet att det är så nyhetsrapporteringen sker i Finland blir jag fortfarande besviken och ledsen.

Igår slog israeliska trupper till mot en terroristcell i Nablus. Bland dem som skulle arresteras fanns bland annat Hussam Isleem som var medlem i den grupp som dödade sergeant Ido Baruch i oktober. Guppen planerade nya attacker. Det utbröt en eldstrid mellan de israeliska trupperna och terroristerna. Åtminstone terrorister från Islamsk Jihad i Nablus anslöt sig till striderna. Bland de döda fanns terrorister från Islamsk Jihad, Hamas och Lions Den. En likadan händelse skedde i Jenin för en månad sedan.

Att Israel bekämpar terrorister är nödvändigt och statens skyldighet. Det gör också de flesta andra stater. Israel är bara betydligt mer utsatt än de flesta andra stater.

I Österbottens Tidning kunde man idag läsa en notis från TT- AP-AFP: Flera döda i räd på västbanken. I artikeln finns ingen förklaring till varför Israel utförde räden och inget nämns om terroristerna. Det nämns endast att tre av de döda var medlemmar av "organiserade militanta grupperingar". Nyhetsmedia drar sig i det längsta för att beskriva terrorister som terrorister trots att de tillhör organisationer som EU betecknar som terroristorganisationer.

När jag tittade på ÖT:s webbsida nu på eftermiddagen måste jag medge att jag blev positivt överraskad. Där fanns följande rubrik: Raketer mot Israel – flyganfall mot Gazaremsan. Jag tror det kan vara första gången någonsin som ett raketanfall mot Israel nämns i en rubrik och dessutom först. Normalt nämns Israels flyganfall och möjligtvis i slutet av artikeln nämns att det var ett svar på raketangrepp. I artikeln används både beteckningen  "misstänkta militanta grupperingar" och "misstänkta terrorister".

YLE håller sig däremot helt till vad man kan förvänta sig. 

Rubrik: Flyganfall mot Gaza – våldet trappas upp efter räd i Nablus Senare i texten kan man läsa att det var ett svar på att sex raketer avfyrats från Gaza. Naturligtvis nämner man inte att raketerna var riktade mot israeliska städer. Utan det effektiva israeliska försvaret hade raketerna kunnat förorsaka allvarliga skador.

 Yle talar också om "militanta palestinska grupperingar" när de syftar på terrorister.

En annan rubrik lyder: Israelisk militärattack i Nablus – minst tio palestinier dödades och cirka hundra skadades  Artikeln innehåller nästan ingen information om vad som hänt. Den nämner varken "terrorister" eller "militanta grupperingar". En stor del av texten behandlar Israels nya "extremhögerregering". Som vanligt inte ett ord om de palestinska ledarna med Abbas i spetsen, som stöder terrorismen. Palestinska dödsoffer under det senaste året nämns, men inte ett ord om judiska dödsoffer. Ett faktum man också kunde hålla fram är att judar som dödades var oskyldiga offer för terrordåd medan största delen av de palestinska offren var terrorister eller sådana som deltog i strider mot israelisk polis eller militär.

Österbottens Tidnings chefredaktör 2013  Margareta Björklund skrev i en kolumn i  ÖT om bra journalistik:

"Bra nyheter är tillförlitliga och korrekta. Granskade av professionella journalister. Yrkesmänniskor som är källkritiska och ambitiösa, som vet hur de skall gå till väga för att få fram fakta.

Ett av de viktigaste uppdragen vi journalister har, är att hitta primärkällan till en nyhet. Vad har hänt? När har det hänt? Vem har gjort vad? Hur gick det till? Först när en nyhet är faktacheckad och bekräftad blir den trovärdig och publicerbar.

...Varje dag lägger vi journalister ner åtskilliga arbetstimmar på att bena ut frågan: Hur hänger den här nyheten ihop? Vilka konsekvenser får den för människorna i vår region? Hur presenterar vi konsekvenserna av en komplex nyhet på ett begripligt sätt?"

Varför når inte professionella journalister upp till denna nivå när det gäller nyheter från Israel, kan man fråga sig.

En orsak är antagligen  okunskap om konflikten och förhållandena i området. En annan orsak kan vara bristande intresse. Konflikten har pågått i hundra år och man orkar kanske inte bry sig om att granska fakta.

Men eftersom den bristfälliga och ibland direkt felaktiga nyhetsförmedlingen fortsätter år efter år finns det säkert en mer grundläggande förklaring. Trots att Israel länge varit den enda fungerande demokratiska staten i området och mänskliga rättigheter respekteras på ett helt annat sätt än i grannländerna beskrivs Israel i vår nyhetsmedia som ond och skyldig till mer eller mindre allt ont som sker i området.

Journalister har ytterst sällan visat någon som helst intresse av att rätta till fel och misstag. Ett bra exempel är Jonas Jungar innehållschef på Yle, med ansvar för journalistik och etik, som i ett e-mail till mig konstaterade att har man sådana åsikter som jag finns det inget att resonera kring eller diskutera. Det verkar helt enkelt som att man inte ens vill få det rätt eller veta vad som egentligen händer.

När judarna och Israel beskrivs som onda och judarna görs skyldiga till allt det onda som sker, då är det bara en upprepning av en urgammal antisemitisk lögn. Tyvärr något som vi nästan dagligen får uppleva i nyhetsmedia.

President Herzog försöker få parterna att lugna ner sig och diskutera läget

 Herzog: Judicial reform raises grave concern for future of Israeli democracy

The Israeli president presented a five-point plan to kickstart a process of dialogue between the nation's leaders on the controversial judicial reform.

The president then presented the plan's five points:

• First, legislate a Basic Law: Legislation, that anchors the special status of Basic Laws and includes a special legislative process that includes wide agreement so that they will not be used for any purpose. The High Court then will not be able to hear cases on basic laws. Regarding regular laws, the court will have the power to cancel laws that contradict basic laws, but the Knesset will have the ability to override these in a mechanism to be negotiated between the sides.
• Second, come up with a broad plan, already in the upcoming budget, to decrease the immense workload of the courts, which leads them to be ineffective and for cases to drag on for years.
• Third, come up with a national plan to restore trust in the judicial system for those who lost it.
• Fourth, change the Judicial Appointments Committee so that it will include representatives from all branches of government as well as public representatives that are agreed upon by both the justice minister and the High Court of Justice chief justice. This, without giving any one of the branches complete control or an automatic majority.
• Fifth and finally, to define the Reasonableness Clause by negotiation such that it is not canceled completely but also restrains the courts from using it unnecessarily.

Förintelseförnekare

 Förintelsen förnekas av många. Iran går i första ledet.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day In Iran: Iran's Islamic Regime Denies The Holocaust

In Advance Of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Iran's Channel 4 TV Presents Series Of Interviews In English With U.S., British Holocaust Deniers And Conspiracy Theorists

On Traditional And Social Media Platforms, Holocaust Deniers In Arab, Muslim World Continue To Deny, Question And Justify The Holocaust, Accuse The Jews Of Benefiting Financially From It

American Writer E. Michael Jones On Iranian TV: Hollywood Created The Holocaust Narrative; Jews Were Not Gassed In Showers — These Jews Had Never Seen A Shower And Didn't Know What It Was; Auschwitz Had A Swimming Pool And Other Means To Make Life Better

Gaza - ord från invånare

Intervjuer med personer från Gaza.

TOI:

All interviews were conducted over the course of 2022.

The Palestinian speakers, all of whom currently reside in Gaza, describe arbitrary arrests, extortion, and violence by Hamas authorities. Some express longing for the time before Hamas seized power in a coup against the Palestinian Authority in 2007, when they were freer to express themselves and pursue a life path they chose. (The PA held partial authority in Gaza from 1994 under the Oslo Accords. Israel maintained overall control of the Strip until 2005, when it dismantled its 21 settlements there, evicted their 9,000 Israeli Jewish residents, and withdrew unilaterally to pre-1967 lines.)

According to CPC president Joseph Braude, the series “challenges those who justify Hamas violence to choose between supporting Hamas and supporting the Palestinians it oppresses. At the same time, it challenges those opposing Hamas to recognize that countless Gazans want a brighter and more peaceful future, and ask what can be done to empower them.”

Introducing ‘Whispered in Gaza’ — 25 short, animated interviews on life under Hamas

What’s life like under Hamas? ‘Whispered in Gaza’ offers unique, courageous testimony

‘Whispered in Gaza, Part 2’: When residents of the Strip tried to challenge Hamas

Darkest tragedy, unrealized dreams: ‘Whispered in Gaza,’ the final interviews

Gazablockaden - sanning eller lögn

 Blockaden av Gaza dyker allt emellanåt upp i rubrikerna. Den följande artikeln beskriver hur varor och personer rört sig mellan Israel och Gaza under 2022.

Närmare en halv miljon personer reste från Gaza till Israel under 2022.Antalet personer som besökte Israel för att få sjukvård uppgick till över 14000 personer.

Mer än 70.000 långtradare med olika handelsvaror körde in till Gaza från Israel.

The continuing lie of the “Gaza blockade” (PMW)

In 2022, United Nations officials and reports, many countries and their representatives, and the Palestinian Authority continued to perpetuate the lie alleging that Israel has applied a “blockade” on the “besieged Gaza Strip.”

While the lie was commonplace and even often embellished by claiming that “Gaza is the biggest prison in the world,” statistics released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the so-called “occupied Palestinian territory” (OCHA) reveal the truth.

According to the OCHA statistics, in 2022 there were 424,417 exits via the Erez crossing from Gaza into Israel. 14,909 exits were for Gazan patients, who were accompanied by 10,930 people, entering Israel to receive medical treatment. There were also 573 entries into Israel to visit imprisoned terrorists.

 [Website of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, accessed Jan. 18, 2023]

Alongside the entry of the Gazans into Israel, OCHA also reported that 74,096 truckloads of 

commodities entered Gaza from Israel via the Kerem Shalom crossing in 2022. According to the statistics, only 5% of the truckloads were carrying humanitarian products.

[Website of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, accessed Jan. 18, 2023]

In addition to the 74,096 truckloads of commodities, thousands of trucks entered Gaza from Israel carrying fuel:...

President Herzog uppmanar de politiska ledarna att ta sitt ansvar

 Det politiska läget i Israel har länge varit väldigt splittrat men nu har tudelningen gått så  långt att president Herzog sett sig tvungen att uppmana de politiska ledarna att ta ansvar och sätta sig ner och diskutera med varandra. Annars hotas hela landet slitas i tu säger han.

Herzog warns Israel’s leaders: Clash over judicial overhaul ‘could consume us all’ (TOI)

President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday warned that Israel is on course to tear itself apart, amid the government’s planned radical shakeup of the judicial system and mounting public opposition, and urged the country’s leadership to avoid confrontation and instead engage in patient dialogue and constructive debate.

“The democratic foundations of Israel, including the justice system, and human rights and freedoms, are sacred, and we must protect them and the values expressed in the Declaration of Independence,” Herzog said, addressing the Ashmoret education conference in Tel Aviv. “The dramatic reform, when done quickly without negotiation, rouses opposition and deep concerns among the public,” he said.

“I see the sides prepared and ready all along the front for an all-out confrontation over the character of the State of Israel, and I am anxious we are on the brink of an internal struggle that could consume us all,” Herzog said.

Herzog issued a plea to Israel’s leaders to “show responsibility… take the time needed for this critical discussion,” and warned, “The absence of dialogue is tearing us apart from within, and I’m telling you loud and clear: This powder keg is about to explode. This is an emergency.”..."

En israelisk minister besöker Tempelberget - FN:s säkerhetsråd sammanträder

 Israeliska ministern Ben-Gvir besökte Tempelberget för några dagar sedan. Besöket varade mindre än 15 minuter och skedde tidigt på morgonen utan något större mediauppbåd. Ben-Gvir besökte Tempelberget men inte Al-Aqsa moskén.

Redan innan besöket hade palestinierna varnat för ett religionskrig om besöket genomförs. Efter besöket fördömdes det av i princip alla världens nationer, ingen har i alla fall uttryckt sitt stöd för det.

I muslimvärlden beskrevs besöket allmänt som en stormning av Al-Aqsa moskén.

Otroligt nog sammankallades FN:s säkerhetsråd för att behandla att en jude besökt judarnas heligaste plats i judarnas historiska huvudstad.

Mötet resulterade inte i något uttalande eller resolution men deltagarna fördömde Ben-Gvirs besök och uppmanade till att bibehålla status quo på området. Detta är i sig en logisk kullerbytta eftersom status quo ger judarna rätt att besöka området.

Det är overkligt att västvärlden men sin kristna och humanistiska bakgrund inte försvarar judarnas rätt att besöka sin heligaste plats. Istället böjer man sig för den intoleranta muslimvärlden och kommer antagligen aldrig på tanken att fördöma den osakliga och våldsamma reaktionen därifrån. Västvärlden verkar totalt sakna moralisk ryggrad när det kommer till frågor om Israel.

Noteras kan att ungefär samtidigt firar Fatah att det gått 58 år sedan de utförde sin första terrorattack. Fatah är den palestinska myndighetens ordförande Mahmoud Abbas parti. I samband med firandet uppmanar man till flera våldsdåd och hedrar terrorister. Omvärlden reagerar knappt alls och ingen skulle komma på tanken att föra saken till FN:s säkerhetsråd. Men nog är det en betydligt allvarligare provokation än ett fredligt besök på Tempelberget.

‘Poison, lies’: Israeli, Palestinian envoys spar at fiery UN session on Temple Mount

Israeli actions on Temple Mount unacceptable, US tells UNSC (JPOST)

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said that the issue was antisemitism because what bothered the Palestinians and the Muslims was that Jews had set foot on the site, even though it was where their Temple had stood in biblical times.

“The Palestinians have turned the Temple Mount into a battleground time and again,” Erdan said. “The mosques are used as arsenals where terrorists keep rocks and explosives to attack Jewish visitors and security forces,” he added. 

“The hallowed ground is used as a platform for Palestinian incitement poisoning the minds of the youth and stoking the flames of violence,” Erdan said. He referred to the Palestinian Authority as the “Palestinian Terror Authority” and charged that it had weaponized the status quo, leveling false accusations to justify terror attacks against Jews, He said.

In the eyes of the PA, a Jew who sets foot on the Temple Mount deserves to be met with violence,” he said.

Palestinians urge UN Security Council to rap Israel over Ben Gvir Temple Mount visit

Arab FMs urge UN Security Council to ‘work immediately’ against Temple Mount ‘provocations’

Ben-Gvir's Temple Mount jaunt a sign of new Israeli gov't pragmatism - analysis (JPOST)

Reasonable people can debate whether National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who over the years has earned through his actions a reputation as a right-wing provocateur, should have gone to the Temple Mount on Tuesday. But even his detractors must admit that the way he did it – in the early morning, without fanfare, after sending signals that he actually would not go through with the visit – was, well, at least smart...

...Similar considerations were at play Monday in deliberations Ben-Gvir held with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the heads of the police and security services. To prohibit Ben-Gvir, a senior cabinet minister, from going to the site – a site he has visited on numerous occasions in the past – because of Hamas threats would send precisely the wrong message just as the new government was starting out: that it could be intimidated.

Wave of international criticism after Ben Gvir visits flashpoint Temple Mount (TOI)

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned the “provocative act by the Israeli minister of national security.”“We call on Israel to act responsibly to prevent such provocations that will violate the status and sanctity of holy places in Jerusalem and escalate the tension in the region,” Turkey said.

Qatar also blasted Ben Gvir’s visits and warned that Israeli policy would be responsible for further a deterioration in the security situation on the ground.

Bahrain’s foreign ministry said the visit was a “provocation against Muslims and a violation of international law.”

Jordan, which views itself as a custodian of the Temple Mount — a status Israel does not recognize, though it acknowledged the kingdom’s “special role” at the site in the countries’ 1994 peace treaty — castigated Israel over the far-right minister’s visit.

“Jordan condemns in the severest of terms the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and violation of its sanctity,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, according to the Reuters news agency.

The French embassy in Israel confirmed its “absolute commitment” to the preservation of the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem.

“Any gesture aimed at casting doubt on it carries a risk of escalation and must be avoided,” the French statement read.

The United Kingdom issued a similar statement, with Israel envoy Ambassador Neil Wigan tweeting: “The UK remains committed to supporting the historic status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem. It is important that all actors avoid actions at those sites that inflame tensions.”

Palestinians: Changing status quo at Temple Mount a ‘declaration of war’

“Ben-Gvir’s threat to storm al-Aqsa Mosque as security minister is a blatant and shameless challenge that requires a Palestinian, Arab and international response,” Sheikh said.

Mahmoud al-Habbash, religious affairs adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, said Ben-Gvir’s intention to visit the Temple Mount would ignite a “religious war.” The Palestinian leadership was taking steps in the international arena to “expose the practices and policies of the occupation government,” he said.

Hamas and other Palestinian factions urged Palestinians to “defend” al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli government would be held responsible for any escalation “if al-Aqsa Mosque is harmed,” senior Hamas official Haroun Nasser al-Din said. The Palestinians would foil any attempt to impose a new reality at the site, he added.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad said Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount would be seen as a declaration of war on the mosque.

Året som gick - utvalda artiklar från MEMRI

 MEMRI har vid årets slut valt ut några artiklar från året som gått. Topp- eller  bottennoteringar, i vilket fall som helst inget man läst i dagstidningarna.

Former Jordanian MP Tarek Khoury On Hizbullah TV: The Jews Killed Christ, Drove Nails Into His Arms And Legs; The Enmity Between Judaism And Christianity Is Eternal; Were Jesus Alive Today, He Would Lead The Intifada

Senior Hamas Official Mahmoud Al-Zahar: The Jews Were Banished From Every Country In The World, Sent To Palestine To Weaken Our Historic Islamic Movement; Ukraine Is A Jewish Country

Iraqi Islamic Scholar Fares Al-Azawi On Hamas TV: The Killing Of Six Million Jews In The Holocaust Is A Myth; The Nuremberg Trials Were A Sham; The Zionists Colluded With The Nazis

Palestinian Islamic Jihad Official Bassam Al-Agha: Arab Schools Should Teach The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion; Students Should Learn How The Jews Think

Friday Sermon At The Grand Mosque In Mecca By Imam Saleh Bin Al-Humayd: Oh Allah, Annihilate The Jews; We Take Refuge With Allah Against Their Evil

Indonesia-Based Islamic Scholar Dr. Quds Al-Samaraai: Allah Likened The Jews To Apes And Pigs To Teach Us That Only Force Is Effective Against Them

PA Presidential Advisor Al-Habbash Defends Mahmoud Abass's "50 Holocausts" Comment: He Was Speaking On Behalf Of Us All; We Are The Real Semites, The History Of The Jews Is Fabricated

Syrian Israeli Affairs Expert Muhammad Nasour: The Number Of Jewish Deaths In The 'So-Called' Holocaust Is Grossly Inflated; The Zionists Were Behind The Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki

Released Hamas Terrorist Ahlam Tamimi, Who Participated In The Jerusalem Sbarro Pizzeria Bombing Where Dozens Were Killed And Wounded: This Operation Is "The Crown On My Head... I Joined The Annals Of History By Committing The Best Act"

Pro-Palestinian Rally In Brussels: Rise Up, Throw Stones, Shoot Bullets – The Palestinians Will Redeem Themselves! The Israeli Ambassador Should Be Afraid; Israel Will Be Defeated, Along With America, Canada

Muslim-American Activist Dana Al-Hasan At Raleigh, N.C. Lecture: Martyrdom And Dying For Your Land Are An Integral Part Of Palestinian Culture; This Is An Important Religious And Cultural Element We Need To Tell Non-Muslims About

Canadian Activist Laith Marouf, Recently Deplatformed And Defunded For Antisemitism: Zionists Are Part Of The Western Ruling System; We Are At War, We Must Confront Them On All Battlefields

British Hizb ut-Tahrir Women's Section Director Dr. Nazreen Nawaz: The Islamic Caliphate Will Liberate Islamic Lands, Uproot Israel, Free Aafia Siddiqui

NYC Pro-Gaza Rally Speakers: Mayor Eric Adams Supports The Murder Of Palestinian Children; The Gates Of Al-Aqsa Mosque Can Only Be Opened By Martyrs

Friday Sermon in Yasuj, Iran By Iranian Imam Nassir Hosseini: Iran Has The Intelligence And Capability To Carry Out Attacks In Tel Aviv And In America

IRGC Qods Force Commander General Esmail Qaani: Israel Is A Cancer That Must Be Annihilated; The Jews Should Go Back Where They Came From

De nordiska länderna skämmer ut sig i FN - FN för Israels agerande till domstol

 I fredags röstade FN:s generalförsamling för en resolution som uppmanar Internationella domstolen i Haag att ge ett rådgivande uttalande angående "Israels långvarig ockupation, bosättning och annektering av palestinskt territorium".

FN:s generalförsamling består av 193 stater. Av dem är en majoritet stater som inte är fria demokratiska stater med värderingar som vi i västvärlden betraktar som normala. Därför borde västvärlden inte ta FN resolutioner på allvar utan betrakta dem som det de är: uttryck för de odemokratiska staternas åsikter. Västvärlden borde också enhälligt rösta mot resolutioner som ät absurda och strider mot våra värderingar.

De odemokratiska staterna håller bra ihop i FN, i synnerhet de islamska staterna när det kommer till omröstningar om Israel.

De demokratiska staterna och EU länder i synnerhet saknar moralisk ryggrad och röstar ibland med de odemokratiska länderna och ibland lägger EU länder ner sina röster. Väldigt sällan röstar de emot resolutionerna även om de är helt absurda.

Den senaste resolutionen riktad mot Israel röstade de europeiska staterna Albanien, Kroatien, Tjeckien, Estland, Tyskland, Ungern, Italien, Litauen, Rumänien och Storbritannien mot resolutionen. Det förtjänar de respekt för.

 Alla de nordiska länderna visade vad de går för genom att lägga ner sina röster. Vi sitter inte i FN för att se på när ondskan florerar utan för att ta ställning mot den. Det kunde man tro i alla fall, men så är det tyvärr inte. Vi lägger oss platt och håller tyst.

Terrororganisationer hyllar FN för resolutionen, det om något borde ge de nordiska länderna något att tänka på. 

En resolution som tar ställning till Israels agerande på "palestinskt territorium" borde inte kunna läggas fram i FN eftersom det inte existerar något palestinskt territorium i juridisk mening. Hela området mellan Medelhavet och Jordanfloden tillhör enligt internationella avtal judarna. Om araberna vill ha en stat på området är direkta förhandlingar med Israel enda lagliga vägen framåt.

Om FN på riktigt skulle bry sig om ockuperade områden kunde de t.ex ta upp Turkiets långvariga ockupation av Cypern sedan 1974. I det fallet ockuperades ett annat lands territorium men det är ingen som bryr sig om det och inga resolutioner i FN. Under det gångna året har 15 resolutioner antagits i FN:s generalförsamling mot Israel, inte en enda mot Turkiet.

Det senaste året har FN:s generalförsamling antagit 15 resolutioner mot Israel. Inget annat land har utsatts för samma behandling. (Bild UN Watch)

UN votes to request world court give legal opinion on Israel

Palestinians welcome UN vote on Israel's 'occupation' as 'a victory'

The Palestinians said they see the vote as another victory for the Palestinian people and their issue.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh praised the UN vote as “a new victory for the Palestinians and their just cause on the way to achieving their freedom and national independence.”...

...PLO Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh praised the UN vote as “a victory for Palestinian diplomacy.” According to al-Sheikh, PA President Mahmoud Abbas had come under pressure to withdraw or delay the Palestinian initiative at the UN, but refused to submit...

...Abbas’s ruling Fatah faction also welcomed the UN vote, describing it as a “victory for Palestinian diplomacy.” Fatah said in a statement that the resolution to ask the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the Israeli “occupation” would have “significant repercussions in favor of the Palestinian cause because it will pave the way for holding Israel accountable.”...

...Hamas also welcomed the UN vote, describing it as “an achievement and an important step toward ending the occupation and its assaults on the national rights of the Palestinian people.” 

Israel rejects UN vote seeking ICJ declaration Jews occupy the Holy Land

Netanyahu in rejecting the UNGA vote stated that "the Jewish people is not occupying its land and is not occupying its eternal capital Jerusalem. No UN resolution can distort this historical truth."

The UK opposes the resolution

A United Kingdom envoy addressed the UNGA on Friday, stating that his country did not feel that a referral to the ICJ was helpful in "bringing the parties back to dialogue."

He added that "it is inappropriate without the consent of both parties to ask the court to give an advisory opinion in what is essentially a bilateral dispute."

The envoy also explained that his country did not support the work of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry which had first bought up the matter of an ICJ referral, noting that the group's work helped exacerbated the "disproportionate focus on Israel" at the UN.

Separate from the ICJ inquiry, the British envoy said that his country also opposed the fact that the resolution "refers to the Haram al-Sharif Temple Mount site in Jerusalem in purely Islamic terms. 

"The UK has made clear for many years that we disagree with this approach," he said.

UN asks world court to weigh in on Israeli ‘occupation’ and ‘annexation’

The UN's vote against Israel and its historic contradictions - analysis

UN vote imperfect map of Israel's friends - analysis

Israel has claimed some wins in UN vote — but the ICJ process is a serious threat