[Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News] 09/11 Links: Why does the Left care more about Islamophobia than antisemitism?; NYTimes charts "Jewish" opposition to Iran deal; 9/11 memorial in Israel

Ian could not do the linkdumps today.

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US House of Representatives threaten legal action against Obama to stop Iran deal

In the US House, conservatives have begun pressing the case that Obama broke that law by not providing the texts of secret so-called "side deals" to the accord.

On Thursday the House passed a measure finding that the president violated the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, and that the 60-day review had therefore not begun.
Congressman Peter Roskam issued a legal challenge to Obama following the vote, demanding that the House get access to two "side agreements" negotiated between the US and Iran as part of the terms of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act.
"President Obama broke the very law he signed by failing to provide Congress with the Iran-IAEA side agreements," Roskam said. "Withholding these documents from the American people and their elected representatives completely discredits the transparent review process the administration was legally obligated to provide. In light of this vote, I believe the House should pursue legal action against the administration for its blatant disregard for the law."
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, John Boehner, said Thursday that the House will use "every tool at our disposal to stop, slow and delay' the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal."

Why does the left care more about Islamophobia than anti-Semitism?

Why do leftists care more about Muslims than they do about Jews? If that sounds confrontational, consider this: this week, the Met Police released the latest hate-crime figures for London. They show that offences against Jews have risen by 93% over the past year, while offences against Muslims have risen by 70%. And guess which story the BBC, Guardian and Independent, those voices of the British liberal conscience, have chosen to flag up? Yep, the 70% hike in Islamophobic attacks, not the nearly 100% hike in anti-Semitic offences.

The BBC’s headline is ‘Islamophobic crime in London “up by 70%”‘. The Guardian‘s is ‘Hate crimes against Muslims soar in London’. The Indie opts for ‘Hate crimes against Muslims in London “up by 70%”‘. What about the crimes against Jews? Sorry, no room for those. They aren’t mentioned. Whether as a result of how the cops chose to press-release their new figures or how editors chose to interpret them, or maybe a bit of both, someone down the line has taken the decision that a bashed-up or verbally abused Muslim is more newsworthy than a bashed-up or verbally abused Jew.

‘NYTimes’ Lambasted for Charting Congressional ‘Jewish’ Opposition to Nuclear Deal

Jewish organizations slammed The New York Times on Thursday for publishing a chart listing the number of Jewish Congressional Democrats who oppose the Iran nuclear deal.
The chart divides the anti-deal Democrats in the House and Senate into columns, one of which is headed “Jewish?” Another is called “District and estimated Jewish population.”
According to the article in which it appeared, “Though more Jewish members of Congress support the deal than oppose it, the Democrats against the deal are more likely to be Jewish or represent Jewish constituencies.”
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, called the chart “a grotesque insult to the intelligence of those voting on the deal,” and warned against the connotations its publication evokes.

US, Israel near deal to produce David’s Sling missile shield

US Navy Vice Admiral James Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency, said the US and Israel would soon sign a draft deal on the production of the jointly developed David’s Sling system, Reuters reported.
Robert Scher, assistant defense secretary for strategy, plans and capabilities, noted that Washington has provided Israel with $3 billion in funds for missile-defense programs since 2001.
David’s Sling, also known as Magic Wand, was designed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the US defense firm Raytheon to thwart rockets and missiles fired from 100-300 kilometers (62-186 miles) away.
The system successfully passed a series of trial runs in April, and the Israeli Air Force has already begun training operators for the array, which is expected to become operational next year.

A prayer for 5776 (Caroline Glick)

The Obama administration’s animosity toward Israel is part and parcel of the world view that brought it to support Gaddafi’s overthrow and the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. So, too, the administration’s refusal to take action to overthrow the Assad regime or destroy Islamic State in Syria and Iraq on the one hand, and its facilitation of Iran’s rise to regional hegemony and nuclear empowerment on the other, is a clear indication that identity politics play a key role in determining the administration’s foreign policy.
But there is still reason to hope that things can change in America. The fact is that two-thirds of Americans oppose Obama’s nuclear pact with the mullahs and support Israel. Obama has only been able to promote his radical agenda by pretending it isn’t his agenda.
As Israel seeks to secure and advance its interests in the identity politics-riven West, we must understand that our ability to impact the views of the other side is limited. The moment a society embraces identity politics, its members become incapable of rationally pursuing their own interests.
And consequently, they are lost to Israel.
As far as securing our relations with the US is concerned, we must take every opportunity to strengthen those who fight against identity politics and for rationality and reasoned analysis of reality.
And while we pray for their success, we need to recognize that this is America’s fight to win or to lose. We cannot fight it for the American people.
And so, just as we build fences along our borders, we need to prepare for the worst in order to secure our survival.
Israel’s greatest strategic asset is our willingness to see things for what they are. It is my prayer for the coming year that our vision becomes ever sharper and that through our moral and strategic clarity we rally the Americans and other like-minded nations to our side in our fight for ourselves and for the noblest attributes of humanity.

Iranian Justice: Cartoonist to have 12-year Sentence Extended for Shaking Her Lawyer’s Hand

Iran’s treatment of artistic expression is, like its suppression of the free press, a violation of human rights intended to terrify its opponents into submission. Atena Farghadani, 29, was sentenced to almost thirteen years in prison in part for drawing this cartoon of certain members of the Iranian parliament:

The regime’s response to her satire has been quite harsh. The initial three month sentence was extended into a new set of charges after she wrote letters of protest to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and drew new cartoons critical of her treatment in Evin prison. The new charges against her included were “insulting the Supreme Leader, the President, Members of Parliament, and the IRGC,” meaning the Revolutionary Guards Corps, and “assembly and collusion against national security.” The government hand-picked the judge they wanted to try the case, a man named Abolghassem Salavati who is known to hand down especially harsh sentences, including numerous executions.
Her lawyer, Mohammad Moghimi, has been arrested and is also facing parallel charges of an “illegitimate sexual relationship short of adultery” and “indecent conduct” for the handshake. By charging her lawyer as well as her, the regime sends a strong warning to any lawyers who might consider working on her case in the future. The detention may also prevent her lawyer from being able to submit an appeal within the mandatory deadline period, which would prevent her appeal from coming before a court that could reconsider the harsh sentence.

Remembering 9/11 in Israel






The Iran charade on Capitol Hill (Krauthammer)

Congress is finally having its say on the Iran deal. It will be an elaborate charade, however, because, having first gone to the United Nations, President Obama has largely drained congressional action of relevance. At the Security Council, he pushed through a resolution ratifying the deal, thus officially committing the United States as a nation to its implementation — in advance of any congressional action.
Iran will be both unleashed — sanctions lifted, economy booming, with no treaty provisions regarding its growing regional aggression and support for terrorists — and welcomed as a good international citizen possessing a peaceful nuclear program. An astonishing trick.
Iran’s legitimation will not have to wait a decade, after which, as the Iranian foreign minister boasts, the U.N. file on the Iranian nuclear program will be closed, all restrictions will be dropped and, as Obama himself has admitted, the breakout time to an Iranian bomb will become essentially zero. On the contrary. The legitimation happens now. Early next year, Iran will be officially recognized as a peaceful nuclear nation.
This is a revolution in Iran’s international standing, yet its consequences have been largely overlooked. The deal goes beyond merely leaving Iran’s nuclear infrastructure intact. Because the deal legitimizes that nuclear program as peaceful (unless proven otherwise — don’t hold your breath), it is entitled to international assistance. Hence the astonishing provision buried in Annex III, Section 10, committing Western experts to offering the Iranian program our nuclear expertise.

“Visit Iran: America’s Newest Ally.”

On the eve of a dangerous deal with the theocratic and jihadist Islamic Republic of Iran– a deal that the White House has largely succeeded in chaining around the neck of the Democrat Party for generations– IranTruth is proud to present a new poster series, “Visit Iran: America’s Newest Ally.”

Mr. and Mrs. Iran are the Worst Neighbors Ever



"Why I Am A Jew," Rabbi Jonathan Sacks



Let’s Get Together on Thursday, November 2, 2017

Two years ago, I sent to the Prime Minister’s office, to several ministers and since then, to ministers in this new government an idea of mine which is to mark, celebrate and highlight the upcoming centenary of the Balfour Declaration.

53 Gifts Israel Gave the World in 2015

In Monty Python’s “The Life of Brian,” which depicts the events of the life of a man named Brian who is mistakenly thought to be the Messiah in ancient Judea, an argument breaks out among a revolutionary group, the People’s Front of Judea (or is that the Judean People’s Front?) along the lines of “What have the Romans done for us?” The conclusion is that, aside from roads, aqueducts, sanitation and sundry other benefits that improved the quality of life dramatically, the question remains, “What have the Romans done for us?” The skit could be redone, but instead of ancient Judean radicals, it could be depicted as an argument among members of BDS, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Picture a college campus in which a BDS group says Israel is the pits, it is the worst country on Earth, and aside from life saving drugs and medical procedures, the technology that powers PCs, handheld devices and the internet itself, cutting edge security and even a life-saving mask for a sick rhinoceros, “What has Israel done for us?” So to, educate the BDS crowd on what they are missing, and to give the rest of us something to kvell about, here are 53 amazing gifts Israel gave the world in 2015.

The University of California’s teachable moment on anti-Semitism

On Sept. 17, the Regents of the 10-school University of California (UC) system will discuss a statement of principles against intolerance. Alarmed by a rash of anti-Semitic incidents on UC campuses, a large number of Jewish scholars and activists have urged that the Regents adopt, in the context of their deliberations, the U.S. State Department’s working definition of anti-Semitism as an essential step in dealing with this grave problem.
What the incident count at UC schools demonstrates is that the intellectually modish anti-Zionism that animates campus activism on Middle East issues has effortlessly combined with anti-Semitic invective of the more traditional sort. “Zionists should be sent to the gas chamber,” as one bathroom wall scrawling at UC Berkeley declared, sounds like a slogan coined at a messaging workshop jointly convened by the American Nazi Party and Students for Justice in Palestine. In a similar vein, the grilling of a Jewish candidate for student government at UCLA over how her origins might impact her views on Israel brings to mind Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s disdain for “rootless cosmopolitans,” along with the brutal anti-Semitic campaign that accompanied it.

Op-Ed: Fiamma Nirenstein's Appointment is Good for Italy, not just Israel

Now, more than ever, Israel needs a strong voice to represent its interests abroad. Who on earth could possibly be better as Israel's next Ambassador to Italy than Fiamma Nirenstein? She is beyond perfect.
Some would have us think otherwise. Do not believe them.

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Posted By Elder of Ziyon to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News at 9/11/2015 12:00:00 PM