03/14 Links Pt1: Funding the Palestinians — and Thus Condoning Terrorism

From Ian:

Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinians: Laughing Their Heads Off

As in any comedy, there is a clown, and Biden was played for a fool by a Palestinian Authority leadership that finds that it pays to point its finger at Israel.
Here is a dirty little secret: the Palestinian attackers were not driven to murder Jews because of "settlements" and "checkpoints."
Check their Facebook accounts: what fueled their hatred were the lies they had been fed for the past few years by President Abbas and other Palestinian leaders. Palestinian media outlets and spokesmen vomit poison against Israel.
And so the curtain rises on another act of the ceremonial, make-believe theater of the Middle East. In Abbas's sneaky script, it is about settlements. In reality, it is about the refusal of the Americans to read, speak or even translate Arabic.

The Moral Vacuum at the Heart of Palestine

The wave of random killings by Palestinians, male and female terrorists, began last October with a typically hysterical falsehood that Israel planned to bar Muslims from the sacred Temple Mount. It was another demonstration of how the Palestinians are trapped by their own history, by the heritage – and daily practice – of incitement against Jews. The virulence of their indiscriminate hostility has a clear line to Amin al-Husseini, the Palestinian Arab nationalist and Muslim leader in the mandated territory of Palestine. He was, of course, the grand mufti of Jerusalem from 1921 to 1937 and the ally of Adolf Hitler and his gang through World War II and the Holocaust. Even before the United Nations voted for Israeli independence, he polluted the well of Arab nationalism with the poison of anti-Semitism. In a 1943 speech, al-Husseini said: “It is the duty of [Muslims] in general and Arabs in particular ... to drive all Jews from Arab and Muhammadan countries. ... Germany ... has very clearly recognized the Jews for what they are and resolved to find a definitive solution for the Jewish danger that will eliminate the scourge that the Jews represent in the world.” A definitive – or final – solution: those are the words of the Holocaust and there is the image of the peddler into the Middle East of fascist anti-Semitism, paying homage to Hitler.
The collaboration has proved tragic for the Palestinian people. They could now be living peacefully and prosperously in their own state, alongside Israel, had they not absorbed the paranoia and refused to accept the right of the Jews to worship and live in Israel. Instead, Palestinians live miserably under occupation on the West Bank (by Israelis) and in Gaza (by Hamas), theoretically governed by an inept President Abbas whose four year term was supposed to end in 2009. The Canadian Muslim scholar Salim Mansur has bravely written that too many of his fellow Muslims “refuse to take responsibility for our role in history, [leading] to a pathological proclivity to blame others – especially the Jews – for misfortunes that are really of our own making.”
But the Palestinians have been betrayed, too, by a small group of Western academics who have carelessly fomented the genocidal anti-Semitic narrative of radical Islam. This malign influence on the Palestinian people, impressionable students and trendy leftist opinion, exemplified by the malevolent distortions of the so-called boycott and discrimination campaign, is well documented in “Global Anti-Semitism: A Crisis of Modernity” by Charles Asher Small, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy. He was the Koret Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, which in this regard gave shame to the anti-Semitic aura of Yale University and the imbecilic posturing and intimidation increasingly evident on the anti-Semitic left on campuses across America and which has left a shameful stain on the humanitarian vision behind the founding of the City University of New York.
The American people have consistently shown more common sense than the pseudo-intellectuals. Gallup reports that over the past 15 years Americans have become more sympathetic to the Israelis than the Palestinians. A poll released on February 29 reports that 62 percent of Americans say their sympathies lie with the Israelis and 15 percent with the Palestinians. From the poll, it seems that all the Palestinians have been able to achieve by random murder and rockets from Gaza is to reduce American support for an independent Palestinian state. The 58 percent who favored that in 2004 have shrunk to 44 percent in February 2016; in 2004, 22 percent were opposed. Now that number is 37 percent opposed.

New York Liberal Paper: “Obama Has Done Enough Damage to Israel Already”

As Obama begins a campaign against Israel in support of the Islamic terrorists running the West Bank by pushing his own terms through the UN, notes of protest are coming from unexpected sources. Like the New York Daily News. The News is a liberal tabloid notorious for its obnoxious front page rants about gun control or Republicans, but it endorsed Romney in ’12.
And it has some strong words for Obama on Israel.
“He must not go further down this path of ego, hubris and vengeance. He will not validate the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to him in 2009 and never earned. Undercutting the Jewish state, he will only make negotiations more impossible than they already are,” the News Editorial states.
“As just one example, Obama broke his predecessor George W. Bush’s commitment that any final agreement would include major Israeli housing settlements and the Jewish parts of Jerusalem within the Israeli borders. Instead, Obama demanded a deep settlement freeze, without imposing similar conditions on the Palestinians.”
“As a result, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas felt no pressure to come to the table. He could rail against Israel — and gain points with his people — without taking risks for peace.”
“Should Obama ask the United Nations to vote on a resolution endorsing similar terms — or any terms — he will enshrine the Palestinians as holding a moral high ground from which they would claim justification for shooting rockets into Israel.”
The editorial concludes, “Unconscionably, Obama would also tie the hand of his successor, who will have to labor to repair relations with Israel and rebalance the region’s expectations.”

JPost Editorial: Hamas's Rules

Qatar has committed tens of millions of dollars to building 1,040 housing units for homeless Gazans. But Hamas, which lotteried off the homes, is charging $40,000 per house.
When Israel seizes fishing vessels that sailed too far off shore, concerned they may being used by terrorists, and returns them to Gaza, Hamas confiscates the ships and charges fishermen to get them back.
Hamas members monopolize the smuggling of goods and arms into the Strip. Many have become rich while the vast majority of Gazans live in dire poverty.
Each day between 650 and 700 trucks go through the Kerem Shalom crossing carrying goods from around the world. But these goods are not distributed fairly and evenly.
All of this serves Hamas’s interests. By channeling nearly all available resources into rebuilding its military capabilities, the terrorist organization keeps the humanitarian crisis alive. Gaza is transformed into a pressure cooker ready to explode. At the same time, Hamas is able to keep its armed wing strong, which makes it possible for it to maintain control over the Strip and prepare for the next confrontation with Israel.
As long as Hamas runs the show, the next war is only a matter of time.

Funding the Palestinians — and Thus Condoning Terrorism — Is Not in America’s Interest

During the Iran nuclear deal controversy last year, critics of the agreement were frequently shot down by supporters who trotted out the “dual loyalty” canard and asserted that “America should do what is in the best interests of America, not Israel.” Only time will tell whether any American interests were actually served by the Iran deal (early indications, such as the recent use of prohibited ballistic missiles bearing the message “Israel must be wiped out,” suggest they were not), but let me tell you what is certainly not in America’s interest:
The Palestinian terrorist murder of American West Point graduate and combat veteran Taylor Force barely a mile from where Vice President Biden was making an appearance was both an insult and an injury to America and Americans.
Biden’s speech condemning it, though strongly worded, was a pathetic non-response: there was no diplomatic activity, no threat to withdraw funds or support. There was not even a statement from our president. Indeed, even the condemnation was embarrassing, since Biden “condemned” the attack and then “called upon” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to likewise “condemn” it. Naturally, Abbas (who makes no secret of his support, incitement and funding of terrorist attacks) ignored Biden. This is a gross insult to America. Continuing to have diplomatic relations with Abbas and his government is harmful to America’s prestige in the world, and is not in America’s interest.

Days of infamy

Amazing as it may seem and despite all the evidence to the contrary there are politicians, opinion makers, media and foreign funded NGO’s who remain oblivious to the stark truths staring them in the face. Following this week’s wave of terror, Abbas, our alleged partner, stated: “this intifada is a popular peaceful uprising. Israel is causing damage to the holy places of Islam and Christianity, undertaking arrests, house demolitions, killing, expulsion and carrying out a siege on Gaza. I will never recognize Israel as a Jewish State.”
Meanwhile the official PA controlled media laud and praise the murderers of Israelis.
Now what are the reactions?
The United Nations is more concerned with giving the Palestinian Arabs a free pass and enforcing Jew free areas in Israel’s Capital.
The US State Department issues a statement “we continue to encourage all parties to take affirmative steps to reduce tensions and restore calm.” All this as Israelis are knifed and gunned down. Note the obscene moral equivalency in this statement.
Shimon Peres says we are waging a battle for peace and a two State solution. The inane insanity of this remark in the face of all evidence to the contrary is supported by others whose primary belief is that we are to blame for our own misfortunes. Ironically the Jaffa/ Tel Aviv terror attack took place just down the road from where Peres and Joe Biden were engaged in a mutual admiration festival. Obviously the mayhem on the streets did not seem to induce any sort of sense of reality.
This warped original sin syndrome is also shared by a motley assortment of others from “left field” who excuse the terror against Israelis by saying that we must give the stabbers and murderers “hope.” Apparently as we are not rewarding their frustrations with enough suicidal gestures we deserve all we get.

Six months of terror: Former defense officials explain why the wave has not faded

The former officials all agreed that what is feeding the current intifada is, as mentioned, the internet, which enables simple and instant communication. "The internet creates an environment which is conducive to encouraging attacks more easily than through the mediums of radio and TV," said Major General (res) Giora Eiland, former head of the IDF Planning Branch during the second intifada, and the head of the National Security Council (NSC). "There is an atmosphere fed by ISIS, for example the use of knives, and the element of cruelty."
"What is happening now is largely driven by young people who are using social networks," adds Givati. "They are not breadwinners and their parents do not interest them. There is a complete collapse of authority - parental, educators, leadership. Think how terrible it is that a child did not belong to any organization and provider - makes an attack on a whim, and then destroy the house of his parents."
"If there is no change in what is happening on social networks, and I do not see this change happening soon, then the genie is out of the bottle and will not return," said Meitav. "This painful drip which we see on the streets today - it could be that it will become the routine in the coming years, and it is doubtful if anything can be done to stop it."
According to Meitav, there was a resounding example of this last week. "I met a woman from Nazareth," he says. "Muslim, very educated, very smart, very involved in Jewish life, but is convinced that Israel is digging under the Temple Mount. She told me: 'Of course it's true!' It's like a man coming to convince me that the moon shines by day and the sun at night. It is unreasonable. So factually, repeating lies over and over again, they are finally absorbed by intelligent ears, not to mention ears that seek to consume them."

Four soldiers lightly hurt in Palestinian attacks

Four Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded Tuesday morning in two shooting and car-ramming attacks outside the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, next to Hebron.
During the first incident, shortly before 7 a.m., two Palestinians plowed into a hitchhiking post at the Elias Junction with a car, emerged from the vehicle, and opened fire. One soldier was lightly hurt by gunfire.
Troops at the scene opened fire on the attackers and killed them, the IDF confirmed in a statement. A pistol and a makeshift rifle were found on their person.
Several minutes later, a second Palestinian vehicle plowed into soldiers at the scene of the first attack, lightly wounding one, the IDF said
The driver was also shot dead. Two knives were uncovered on the assailant’s person, according to the army.

Gun attack followed by car ramming near Hebron; 3 Palestinian terrorists shot dead

Three Palestinian terrorists were shot and killed during the course of two separate attempted attacks that took place within 30 minutes of each other Monday morning near the Kiryat Arba settlement located just outside of the West Bank city of Hebron.
In the first incident, a Palestinian vehicle containing two armed terrorists entered the settlement of Kiryat Arba, did a U-turn and came to a sudden stop. The gunmen exited their vehicle and opened fire, lightly injuring an IDF soldier.
The two attackers were shot dead in IDF return fire.
Magen David Adom paramedics provided initial treatment to the wounded soldier before transferring him in light condition to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Khaled Abu Toameh: Poll: 60% of Palestinians support attacks

Nearly 60 percent of Palestinians support the continuation of the current wave of attacks on Israelis, according to a public opinion poll published on Sunday.
Forty-one percent of respondents oppose it.
The proportion of those who favor the continuation of the attacks was highest in the Gaza Strip (75%), while in the West Bank only about half (51%) do so.
The poll, conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, covered some 1,200 Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It was conducted in the first week of March and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The results showed that the twostate solution remains the most acceptable resolution to the conflict with Israel among Palestinians, with a majority of nearly 70% opposing any change in the official policy of the Palestinian Authority in this regard.

Knesset Committee Hears Illegal Residents Carried Out 44% of Attacks in ‘Green Line’ Israel

The Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, chaired by MK David Amsalem (Likud), on Sunday debated the Entry into Israel Bill, which seeks to significantly stiffen punishments for employing or housing Arabs who reside in Israel illegally. The bill would also extend by two years the temporary order forbidding Israelis to transport illegal residents. On Monday the committee approved the bill for its final vote in the Knesset plenum.
The legislation consists of two bills that were cobbled together: one submitted during the previous Knesset by MKs Yakov Margi (Shas), and Mordhay Yogev, Nissan Slomianski and Shuli Moalem-Refaeli (HaBayit HaYehudi), the other bill is now being sponsored by the government.
Since the latest wave of terror began last September, 73 terror attacks occurred within the “green line” out of a total of 223 attacks. Of the attacks inside the “green line,” 27 — 44% — were carried out by illegal Arab residents. The figures were presented to the committee by the legal advisor to the Ministry of Public Security, Yoel Hadar, who called to increase the efforts against illegal residency as a means of reducing the number of terror attacks.

Arab-Israeli School Principal Launches Scathing Indictment of Arab MKs for Anti-Jewish-State Activism

The Arab-Israeli leadership prefers investing energy in and siding with Palestinian nationalism to confronting the internal problems of the sector it is supposed to represent, said Nael Zoabi, an Arab-Israeli school principal in the north of the country.
In an extensive interview with the Hebrew newspaper Makor Rishon, Zoabi — part of the large clan that includes controversial MK Haneen Zoabi of Mavi Marmara fame — insisted that many, if not most, Arabs in the Jewish state would like to work on peaceful coexistence and in bettering their societal standing. But, he asserted harshly, “Their voices are stolen from them” by their own Knesset representatives.
Zoabi bemoaned the fact that his philosophy of education at the Tamra Ha’emek Elementary School is antithetical to what the Arab politicians are preaching, accusing them of seeking “higher ratings.”

Muslim Temple Mount hate preacher finally jailed

A Muslim preacher who incited the murder of Jews during a series of anti-Semitic lectures on the Temple Mount has been sentenced to 11 months in jail.
Jerusalem District Court sentenced Khaled al-Mughrabi for fomenting racist and religious hatred against Jews so as to spur attacks against them in his bi-weekly sermons. The sermons came to light after the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) organization posted translated footage from several of his rants.
An indictment against the hate preacher was initially approved by former Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein late last year.
The indictment accused al-Mughrabi of aiming via his sermons to encourage racist attitudes towards Jews, to incite violence against them and to foment hatred on the basis of race, religion and nationality. It further stated that he fully intended for his words to be translated into violent action, in the form of terrorist attacks against Israeli security forces and Jewish civilians.

Australian ABC News Headline Fail

Today, there were two terror attacks near Hebron. In the first attack, two Palestinians rammed their car into a hitchhiking stop near Kiryat Arba, then exited the vehicle and opened fire. Both were killed when soldiers returned fire. Minutes later, a Palestinian rammed his car into the same location. He was shot and killed by soldiers as he emerged from his car.
Writing about the incident, the original Reuters article used the following, factual headline:

Yet when ABC published the article, they felt the need to change the headline to:

The original headline contains both relevant facts: Palestinians attacked Israelis and were then shot dead. Why would ABC only want to highlight to its readers the facts that the Palestinians were killed? In fact, without mentioning the attack, the headline implies that innocent Palestinians, minding their own business was shot dead.
Is this what ABC wants its viewers to know?

Israeli innovation could save countless stab victims

An Israeli researcher at Ariel University in Samaria has discovered a revolutionary new method to stop the uncontrolled bleeding common in victims of stabbings - a medical innovation which could save countless lives in Israel and worldwide.
Over the past several months Israel has been engulfed by a wave of Arab terrorism, the majority of which have involved stabbings, as well as shootings and car ramming attacks.
More than 30 people have been murdered in the attacks and hundreds have been wounded. Many of the victims - which have included the elderly, children and mothers - bled to death after suffering multiple stab wounds and the accompanying rapid blood loss.
Along with ceaseless incitement, Palestinian terror groups such as Hamas and Fatah have circulated detailed instructions on how to most "effectively" stab or slash a victim to cause maximum damage, and as a result the injuries inflicted to Jewish victims are often extensive and extremely dangerous.

The tragic toll of the two-state travesty – on the Palestinians

Over a considerable period, the Palestinians have proved themselves incapable of creating a system of effective self-government and/or sustainable economic activity, despite massive financial aid and overwhelming political endorsement of their cause.
In the past, national freedom movements, with far less funding, far less armaments and far less political support, have cast off mighty empires. By contrast, the Palestinians have failed to extricate themselves from the control of a tiny mini-state, beleaguered and berated by all – or at least, almost all.
By any conceivable criteria, they have “failed the test of history.”
It is time to end the cruel charade that Palestinians are a coherent and cohesive national body of any authenticity.
It is time to end the perverse pursuit – down to the last Palestinian – of the destructive delusion of two-states.
The most humane, honest and honorable thing two-staters can do is admit the terrible error of the their ways, plead in their defense that their intentions, however disproved, were good, and join the search for more appropriate and plausible solutions that will be more doable and durable.
Too many lives – of both Jews and Arabs – have already been lost as futile sacrificial offerings on the altar of the two-states-for-two-people “deity.”
The time has come to put a stop to it.

'Palestinian refugees are used as bargaining chips by their leaders'

Europe should see the Palestinian refugees as an example of what not to do in its current refugee crisis, MK Tzipi Livni said at the Global Baku Forum in Azerbaijan on Friday.
Speaking at the international conference on security matters, Livni (Zionist Union) compared the absorption of Jewish refugees from Arab states to the situation of Palestinian refugees, saying that the latter are “used as bargaining chips” by their own leaders.
“Refugee status is inherited, and the issue makes it difficult to solve the conflict. They’re waiting for a solution that will never be,” she stated.
The world can only learn from Palestinian refugees how to create a problem, Livni added, emphasizing that they are the only refugee population in the world in which the status is conferred to later generations.

Germany: 'Occupied territories' not part of Israel

Following a recent demand to Jordan Valley farmers that their products be labeled as "manufactured in territories occupied by the Israeli government," before export to Europe, Germany has reiterated the requirement for product labeling.
David Elhayani, the head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, reached out to German Ambassador to Israel Clemens von Goetze regarding widespread opposition to the demand.
Von Goetze responded over the weekend, saying that Germany is acting in accordance with the legal decision made by all European Union countries, which states that the "occupied territories" are not part of Israel. According to him, this means that produce from the territories cannot be treated with the same rules as produce from within Israel, including using the "Made in Israel" label.
Von Goetze stressed that Germany opposes any boycott efforts, and that the decision to enforce product labeling would not limit the amount of produce imported from Israel and the territories.

Violence hobbling Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, Kerry warns

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence could hamper French efforts to revive the peace process, but pledged “we are all looking for a way forward.
“The United States and myself remain deeply, deeply committed to a two-state solution,” Kerry said after a Paris meeting with his counterparts from France, Italy, Britain, Germany and EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini.
“At the moment it is a difficult one, because of the violence that has been taking place, and there are not many people in Israel or in the region itself right now that believe in the possibilities of peace because of those levels of violence,” he added.

Former Egyptian MP who met with Israeli banned from travel

Egypt’s Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek on Saturday banned former MP Tawfik Okasha from travel abroad, in what appears to be a consequence of his having hosted Israeli Ambassador Haim Koren for dinner last month.
Officially, the travel ban depends on the result of an investigation into the allegation that television presenter Okasha forged his doctoral degree – one of the documents he submitted to the electoral authority as part of his candidacy, Al-Ahram Online reported on Sunday.
Egypt’s parliament voted earlier this month to expel Okasha after he invited the ambassador to his home for dinner. The invitation, announced live on Okasha’s TV show, drew widespread criticism. One fellow MP assaulted Okasha with his shoe.

In first since 2010, Israel halts food imports from West Bank

Israel is preventing West Bank producers from transporting their goods into East Jerusalem, manufacturers said Sunday, in what appears to be the first move of its kind in over five years.
The staff of five Palestinian companies — whose goods have been prevented from entering Jerusalem — protested Sunday near Israel’s Ofer Prison outside Ramallah.
Israeli authorities reportedly told the pertinent firms last Wednesday that their products would not be allowed to pass through the commercial Beitunia Crossing, the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported.

Israeli Arabs ' Hezbollah dilemma

The Jewish population in Israel tends to think that the majority of the Arab population in Israel, and of course the extremists among them, automatically and unquestioningly support Hezbollah. On Thursday, however, Sheikh Kammal Hativ of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement expressed a different opinion.
While speaking about the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) decision to label Hezbollah a terrorist group and about the group's its involvement in the Syrian Civil War, Katib said that "in the past we of course supported Hezbollah and its fight for Lebanon. We saw in it an organization that managed to take Israel off of its high horse. But when its positions became clear to us, especially following the 'Arab Spring,' we decided that Hezbollah is a criminal organization. It supports murderous organizations in Syria and Iraq, and participates with the Syrian regime in the slaughter of the Syrian people."
Lest anyone think Katib has become a Zionist, he was quick to add that "Netanyahu is pleased with the decision of the GCC, but he commits crimes no less than Hezbollah. He is the last person who should talk about terror or terrorists."

EXCLUSIVE - Islamic State Rebukes Sinai Affiliate for Ties to 'Heretic' Hamas

The Islamic State’s leadership in Syria and Iraq has criticized ties between its affiliate in Sinai and the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, Salafi jihadist sources in Gaza told Breitbart Jerusalem.
In a letter to Abu Osama al-Masri, the leader of IS in Sinai, the jihadi commanders mentioned the concerns of Gaza Salafists, asking why IS militants in Sinai collaborate with the Hamas government while it cracks down on their brethren.
According to sources, the leadership wrote, “Collaboration with Hamas is unacceptable and contravenes Sharia law, because Hamas’ demeanor is incompatible with the principles of our religion, and cannot be seen as Islamic.”
The sources said that, despite the letter, IS in Sinai may maintain its ties with Hamas.
“The cooperation may well continue, because both sides face a common enemy: Egypt,” they said.

Gaza tunnel collapse kills member of Hamas military wing

A Gaza tunnel collapsed in Shujaiyyeh, in the eastern part of Gaza city on Monday, an area near the border with Israel, killing a Hamas operative who was inside.
Hamas's military wing, the Izzadin Al-Kassam Brigades, named the operative as 36-year-old Al-Salam Al-Batniji. It described the collapse as a work accident.
Earlier this month, the Jerusalem Post, citing Palestinian sources, reported that Hamas operatives were afraid to enter underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip fearing they will collapse.
Some of the operatives digging the tunnels believe Israel was involved in at least some of the recent tunnel collapses that claimed the lives of several Hamas men.

Hamas begs Egypt to stop destroying its tunnels

In light of these promises, the Hamas members asked Egypt to stop its anti-tunnel activity, which include flooding the area above the tunnels. The flooding collapses the tunnels, kills the Hamas diggers and sinks nearby homes.
Egypt responded that it will consider fulfilling some of the requests, but only if it is proven that Hamas has cut off its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, and as long as it promises not to act in Egyptian territory or to operate its own forces in an effort to bypass Egyptians.
Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and has been repeatedly linked to an ongoing jihadist insurgency against the Egyptian state in the Sinai Peninsula, spearheaded by the country's ISIS franchise, "Sinai Province."

Hamas conflict with Iran-backed group at its acme after closure of charity organization

In a controversial move, Hamas's Interior Ministry has ordered the Iranian-affiliated al-Sabireen Movement to close its charity organization operating in Gaza due to "the organization's engagement in political activities."
Al-Sabireen's charity association, al-Bakiyat as-Salihat, was established in Gaza in 2004 and provides humanitarian relief services to Gazan residents.
The association's president, the Shi'ite Sheikh Hisham Salem, released a statement on Saturday titled "The closure of al-Bakiyat as-Salihat – the slow execution ends with an outrageous decision."

In possible sign of thawing ties, PM condemns Ankara blast

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned a terror attack in Ankara Sunday night and said Israel identifies with Turkey following the suicide car bombing that killed at least 34 people and injured over 100 more.
The Netanyahu statement was a seeming about-face from a previous reported Israeli refusal to condemn a suicide bombing in Istanbul in January, with some seeing the move as a sign of nearing detente between Jerusalem and Ankara after years of frayed ties.
The blast close to Ankara’s main square, Kizilay was the latest in a series of bombings to target Turkey, which comes as the country is faced with an array of issues, including renewed fighting with the Kurdish rebels, threats from the Islamic State group and a Syrian refugee crisis.

Bahrain follows Saudi lead in banishing pro-Hezbollah Lebanese

The Saudi Interior Ministry released a statement on Sunday announcing that the kingdom's residents who support Hezbollah or operate within its ranks would be deported from Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi move is based, according to the statement, on the recent Gulf Cooperation Council's decision to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization as well as on the Tunisia Declaration – a declaration adopted by Arab interior ministers on March 2, condemning the "dangerous operations committed by Hezbollah in order to destabilize security and peace in several Arab states."
"Any Saudi citizen or resident who is affiliated with Hezbollah, supports it, spreads its propaganda, contributes to the organization, communicates with it or gives refuge to its members would face heavy sanctions according to terror-funding laws,” the Saudi statement read. “Any resident charged with such crimes would be expelled from Saudi Arabia."

PreOccupiedTerritory: ISIS May Have Obtained Holy Hand Grenade Of Antioch (satire)

Military analysts in NATO believe the Islamic State may have gained access to advanced weaponry such as the legendary Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, sources in the region are reporting.
Intelligence reports and analysis of satellite imagery appears to indicate that the radical Islamist group has seized the explosive relic and intends to replicate it for massed use against coalition forces and local populations, said Lt. Colonel Terry Jones at NATO Central Command in the Belgian capital.
“We have communications intercepts and imagery from both satellites and drones that seem to corroborate humint sources to the effect that the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch is in the hands of Daesh,” said the officer, using an abbreviation for “human intelligence” to refer to information gathered by agents on the ground. “We are attempting to determine whether these reports can be satisfactorily confirmed, and if so, what state the object is in, so that we can tell one way or the other whether the enemy can make use of it to significant effect.”