Religiösa ledare från olika religioner mötte president Rivlin och uttalade sig mot våld.

'All those who love Jerusalem must do utmost to prevent religious war in holy city' (Jerusalem Post)
Religious leaders of different faiths join Rivlin in condemning violence, terror and incitement.

Yaakov Salameh,  the head of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Religious Communities, read out a joint declaration in Hebrew and Arabic whereby all those present  affirmed their commitment to the sanctity of life and denounced all forms of physical or verbal violence against the innocent, in particular when such acts were committed in the name of religion.

The declaration also confirmed support for Rivlin in all his endeavors for the unity of all the people of Israel.

Kristen historia utplånas på palestinska områden

Hamas och de palestinska myndigheterna för båda en politik som kommer att göra att kristna försvinner från de palestinska områdena skriver Khaled Abu Toameh.
Den senaste händelsen som upprört palestinska kristna är att Hamas förstört ruinerna efter en kyrka som sägs vara 1800 år gammal i Gaza.
Ruinerna upptäcktes i samband med byggandet av ett köpcenter i centrala Gaza city och bulldozrar användes för att köra över och krossa stora delar av allt som grävts fram.
Palestinska kristna känner sig besvikna över att varken FN, UNESCO, Vatikanen eller andra kristna organisationer visat något intresse av att hjälpa dem bevara sitt kulturarv. De ser också förstörelsen av de bysantinska ruinerna som ytterligare ett försök av de muslimska ledarna att utplåna den kristna historien och tecken på kristna närvaro på de palestinska områdena.

Palestinier utplånar kristnas historia

Tiden efter Abbas

Marwan Barghouti sitter i israeliskt fängelse dömd för mord. Det hindrar  inte honom och hans medhjälpare att planera för tiden efter Abbas, när Barghouti planerar att överta Abbas plats som ledare för palestinierna.
Times of Israel skirver att Barghoutis medhjälpare, Hamas och Islamsk Jihad har kommit överens om hur man skall gå till väga efter att Abbas tid är förbi.
Målet kommer att vara att tvinga bort Israel från alla områden utanför Gröna linjen (vapenstilleståndslinjen från 1949) och upprätta en palestinsk stat. Planen går bland annat ut på att säga upp Oslo avtalet och skapa kaos och blockera all trafik till  de israeliska bosättningarna och skada deras infrastruktur, el, telefon och internet.

Barghoutis familj har också startat en internationell kampanj för att nominera Barghouti för Nobels fredspris.

From Israeli jail, ‘nonviolent’ bid to ‘free Palestine’ takes shape

Islams förföljelse av kristna

Läsvärd artikel om förföljelsen av kristna i Mellanöstern och västvärldens reaktion på den. Trots att judar och kristna har funnits längre i Mellanöstern än muslimerna (islam är en betydligt yngre religion) verkar många anse att området tillhör enbart muslimer.

Column One: Inconvenient genocide

Abbas: "Vi har varit ockuperade i 67 eller 68 år"

I en intervju på palestinsk TV påstod att Mahmoud Abbas att palestinierna levt under ockupation i 67 eller 68 år. Alltså sedan Israels grundades. Det är ännu ett exempel på att han anser att hela Israel är palestinskt område.
Kort historia:
Fram till första världskriget hörde Israel och de omkringliggande områdena till det Ottomanska riket (turkarna).

Enligt beslut från Nationernas Förbund förvaltade Storbritannien efter första världskriget området mellan Jordanfloden och Medelhavet som ett mandatområde där judarna skulle upprätta sin nationalstat. Området öster om Jordanfloden gav Strobritannien på eget bevåg till araberna.

När Storbritannien efter andra världskriget inte längre ville stanna i området röstade FN:s generalförsamling för att området skulle delas mellan judar och araber. Judarna godkände delningen men inte araberna. Omröstningen hade ingen juridisk betydelse men fick ändå till stånd att judarna fick en egen stat på en del av Palestina mandatets område. De övriga områdena ockuperades olagligt av Jordanien och Egypten. De palestinska araberna framförde aldrig några krav på att västbanken skulle bli ett självständigt "palestinskt" område. Tvärtom PLO sade i sina första stadgar att man inte eftersträvade någon förändring på dessa områden.

Vid kriget 1967 fick Israel kontroll över de områden som Jordanien och Egypten ockuperat (Judéen, Samarien (västbanken) och Gaza).

I samband med fredssamtalen på 1990-talet gav Israel palestinierna rätt till självstyre och ungefär 90%  av den palestinska befolkningen bor på självstyrelseområdena. Gaza vid gränsen till Egypten styrs av terroristorganisationen Hamas och västbanken styrs av Fatah som egentligen också borde kallas för terroristorganisation.

Med kunskap om historien är det lätt att se att Abbas målar upp en falsk bild när han pratar om 67 eller 68 år av ockupation. Palestinierna har aldrig haft någon stat man kunnat ockupera och området han pratar om har genom internationella beslut getts till det judiska folket för att de där skall återupprätta sin stat.
Judarna är det enda folk som tidigare haft en egen självständig stat i området med Jerusalem som huvudstad.Deras historia börjar redan med Abraham och med kung David som för 3000 år sedan gjorde Jerusalem till huvudstad och religiöst centrum för judarna.

PA Chairman Abbas:

All of Israel is an "occupation"

FN utställning om Israel censurerad (uppdaterad)

I dag borde en utställning om Israel ha öppnats i FN högkvarteret. Utställningen har sammanställts av Israels FN delegation i samarbete med organisationen StandWithUs.
Under veckoslutet bestämdes det i FN att tre av de tretton utställningsskärmarna inte får ställas ut.
Det som inte får visas i FN högkvarteret är material som visar på judarnas koppling till Jerusalem, material som visar att araberna i Israel är fullvärdiga medborgare och  material som förklarar vad sionism går ut på.
FN uppför sig i alla fall konsekvent, eftersom organisationen ständigt ljuger om Israel skulle det vara dumt att låta Israel visa fram de riktiga uppgifterna.
UN censors Israeli exhibition featuring Zionism and Jerusalem

I Paris vandaliserade BDS aktivister reklamskyltar för en israelisk utställning "Open a Door to Israel".

BDS activists vandalize ad for 'Open a Door to Israel' Paris exhibit

FN backade lite och har nu tillåtit planschen med information om sionism.

UN partly backtracks on censorship of Israel exhibit

Danmark väljer att blunda hårt

När man inte vill se något kan man välja att blunda, men det är inte så bra när politiker i ledande ställning gör det.

(Se också det tidigare inlägget)

PMW

Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs chooses to ignore

evidence of Fatah terror promotion and glorification

in Palestinian Media Watch report

 

Ministry refuses to comment on Fatah terror support:

"We have nothing more to contribute"

• Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs never intended to reassess Fatah's status as moderate, even if it was proven that Mahmoud Abbas' movement is promoting terror. 
• Ministry states it "does not share PMW's interpretation" that Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs implied that were such evidence presented, it would be cause for Denmark to reconsider its assessment. 

• PMW presented report to Danish ministry documenting numerous examples of top Fatah leaders promoting and glorifying terror attacks against Israelis

•  "We have nothing more to contribute," ministry says when urged by PMW to comment on the specific examples of Fatah terror promotion. Ministry's official response to PMW was mostly a standard EU declaration, that ignores the reality that Fatah openly promotes terror, saying merely:

Denmark "firmly condemns the terror attacks and violence from all sides and in any circumstances.  We call on political leaders to work together through visible actions to contribute to calm and address the underlying causes of the tensions."

 

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Click here to read PMW's full report as a PDF

 

Earlier this month, Palestinian Media Watch sent an open letter and report detailing Fatah terror promotion and glorification to the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs. The report was prepared as a response to an answer Minister Kristian Jensen had given in Danish Parliament, dismissing a specific example of terror glorification by a Fatah official as not representing Fatah. The minister further implied that were Fatah or the PA glorifying terror, Denmark would "reassess" their categorization as "moderate."

 

PMW's report brings clear evidence that this is the case: Fatah and its senior leaders promote terror and glorify murderers of Israelis.

 

However, the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has chosen to completely ignore the numerous examples in PMW's report. "We have nothing more to contribute," the ministry replied when urged by PMW to comment on the specific examples of terror promotion and add to the ministry's first answer - a general statement, which incorporated paragraphs from an EU declaration from January this year. It condemns terror and violence in the conflict, advocates resumption of dialogue and mentions Denmark's support of the Palestinians' state-building. (Full Danish statement below.) The ministry's excuse for not commenting on the examples in PMW's report or reassessing Denmark's view of Fatah was that the ministry "does not share the interpretation" by PMW that the minister indicated Fatah would be reassessed were it promoting terror:

 

"We do not share the interpretation of [question and answer] S507. That is purely PMW's own interpretation. We have nothing more to contribute - they [PMW] are welcome to publish the forwarded answer."

[Mail from Middle East - Israel/Palestine Conflict Department,

Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, March 29, 2016]

 

On Jan. 22, 2016, the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs described a terror promoting statement by Fatah official Abbas Zaki as "a sad example of inflammatory rhetoric," stating he "opposes," it. However, the minister added that he would not reassess whether Fatah remains a "moderate" partner for Denmark because Zaki is "a Fatah member residing in Lebanon, who is not considered to have spoken on behalf of Fatah, the PLO, the Palestinian Authority or the Palestinian government." This information is incorrect, as shown in PMW's report. The minister continued: "The statement does not give the [Danish] government any reason to reconsider the assessment of Fatah and the movement's leader, President Abbas." [Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jan. 22, 2016]

 

PMW understands the minister's statement in Parliament as clearly implying that were Fatah or its leaders, or the PA or the PLO found to be promoting terror, the Danish government would reassess its evaluation of them.

 

But this is not the case. Despite PMW's detailed evidence that Fatah and its leaders encourage terror attacks and endorse them when they have occurred, the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs does not find any reason to even comment on the widespread Fatah terror promotion documented in the report, let alone reconsider the ministry's evaluation of Mahmoud Abbas' terror promoting movement.

 

The ministry's only response was the general statement, which included the following:

Denmark "firmly condemns the terror attacks and violence from all sides and in any circumstances.  We call on political leaders to work together through visible actions to contribute to calm and address the underlying causes of the tensions."

The ministry took pains to continuously create a false symmetry between Israel's and the Palestinians' conduct toward one another, using phrases such as "the parties" and "both sides" when addressing the issue of violence and incitement. Never did the ministry address Fatah's terror promotion directly:

 

"We urge all parties to refrain from any action that would worsen the situation by way of incitement or provocation"

 

"[We] call on the parties to condemn attacks when they occur and adhere strictly to the principles of necessity and proportionality in the use of force." 

 

"We call on both sides to jointly and resolutely fight incitement and hate speech."

 

The only direct mention of the Palestinians did not concern Fatah's terror promotion either. It vaguely encouraged Palestinians to "engage in good faith" for the purpose of reaching statehood, and was concerned about internal relations in the PA, rather than the Palestinians' conduct toward Israel:

 

"We urge all Palestinian factions to engage in good faith in the reconciliation process which is an important element for reaching the two state solution.  The positive results of the past must not be lost and Palestinian institutions must continue to grow stronger, more transparent, more accountable and more democratic.  In this regard we call upon the Palestinian government to work towards genuine and democratic elections for all Palestinians."

 

The ministry's answer to PMW went on to mention the fact that Danish aid focuses on "state-building, including at the local level, and on promoting human rights" and ended by saying that "the increased threat from extremist, militant groups in parts of the Arab/Muslim world makes the need for progress on the Middle East peace process all the more urgent as the unresolved conflict is used as a recruitment tool in the propaganda of such groups." 

 

Click here to read PMW's full report as a PDF

 

The following is the answer sent by the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to PMW as its official and only response to PMW's report, and the ministry's refusal to comment on PMW's specific examples of Fatah terror promotion:

 

The Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to PMW, March 29, 2016 (1):

"Re: Open letter to the Danish Foreign Minister about his minimizing terror promotion by Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Movement (UM id: 1337990)

To Palestinian Media Watch, 

In response to your open letter dated March 2016 (attached) to the Danish Foreign Minister I am pleased to provide you with the below information. 

Yours sincerely,

 

JENS-OTTO HORSLUND  / JEHORS@UM.DK

Head of Department / Middle East and North Africa"

 

"The cooperation within the EU is a cornerstone of the Danish engagement in Palestine and in the Middle East Peace Process; both within the political and developmental spheres. In this context, Denmark operates within the general framework set out by international law and EU policies.

 

Denmark remains deeply concerned that the continuing cycle of violence has led to a serious loss of human life in Israel and the Palestinian territory in recent months. Denmark firmly condemns the terror attacks and violence from all sides and in any circumstances. We call on political leaders to work together through visible actions to contribute to calm and address the underlying causes of the tensions.

 

In particular, we urge all parties to refrain from any action that would worsen the situation by way of incitement or provocation and call on the parties to condemn attacks when they occur and adhere strictly to the principles of necessity and proportionality in the use of force.  We call on both sides to jointly and resolutely fight incitement and hate speech.

Denmark is strongly encouraged by the fact that the Israeli government and the Palestinian government are upholding security coordination in the light of an extremely challenging situation.  It is a key factor in addressing the risk of further and more violent developments.

 

We are convinced that only the reestablishment of a political horizon and the resumption of dialogue can stop the violence. Security measures alone cannot stop the cycle of violence. The underlying causes of the conflict need to be addressed.

 

Also, we urge all Palestinian factions to engage in good faith in the reconciliation process which is an important element for reaching the two state solution. The positive results of the past must not be lost and Palestinian institutions must continue to grow stronger, more transparent, more accountable and more democratic. In this regard we call upon the Palestinian government to work towards genuine and democratic elections for all Palestinians. 

 

Specifically with regard to Denmark's engagement with Palestine following the Oslo accords in 1993 and 1995, I would like point to the following aspects:

The Danish development engagement, together with that of other likeminded donors, has from the outset consistently focused on support for state-building, including at the local level, and on promoting human rights.  In addition, the international community continues to provide long term humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian refugees - which constitute a bigger group than the Palestinian non-refugee population - especially through UNRWA.

 

The Danish engagement in Palestine, and with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, aims to improve the livelihood and security of Palestinians as well as Israelis. But the increased threat from extremist, militant groups in parts of the Arab/Muslim world makes the need for progress on the Middle East peace process all the more urgent as the unresolved conflict is used as a recruitment tool in the propaganda of such groups." 

 

PMW to the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, March 29, 2016 (1)

"Dear Mr. Horslund,

Thank you very much for your general response. 

We would very much like to publicize your response to the specific issue of Fatah terror promotion and glorification as documented in our report.  

 

The Foreign Minister implied in his answer to question S507 that were Fatah involved in terror promotion it would be cause for Denmark to reconsider its assessment of this movement headed by Mahmoud Abbas. 

 

We are looking forward to hearing from you,

Kind regards"

 

The Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to PMW, March 29, 2016 (2):

"We do not share the interpretation of [question and answer] S507. That is purely PMW's own interpretation. We have nothing more to contribute - they [PMW] are welcome to publish the forwarded answer

Kind regards,

Henrik, pt"

[Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MENA - Middle East - Israel/Palestine Conflict)]

 

The following final attempt by PMW to receive a response from the Danish Foreign Ministry to the specific examples of Fatah terror promotion and glorification has gone unanswered

 

PMW to the Danish MFA, March 29, 2016 (2):

"Dear Henrik,

Just to make sure we understand correctly:

The Danish Foreign Ministry does not wish to comment on the many specific examples of Fatah's terror promotion and glorification as documented in PMW's report? 

Kind regards"

• Council of the EU's conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process, Jan. 18, 2016