Israeli Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein moved on Tuesday to open an investigation into remarks made recently by the PA appointed Jerusalem Mufti, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, which the AG suspects could be considered racist and incitement to violence. During a recent event to mark the 47th anniversary of the founding of the Fatah political faction, Hussein quoted a hadith (from a book of teachings of Mohammed) which reads “The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say, O Muslims, servants of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.” The same hadith is incorporated into Article 7 of Hamas’s 1988 Covenant. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Sunday lamenting the fact that Hussein’s words were largely ignored by the world’s major media outlets and not condemned by any of the governments which routinely condemn Israel for almost any action it takes.
Hamas complains ‘Israel has declared war on us’
The Islamist terror militia Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and has an extensive presence in the Palestinian cities of the West Bank, complained on Tuesday that Israel has declared a war on it by arresting several Palestinian parliamentarians with links to its political wing. “Israel has declared war on Hamas,” officials with the group declared. “But we won’t be deterred and we will continue to fulfill our duties.” Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri echoed the comments and called on human rights groups to intervene and pressure Israel to secure the release of “legislators who were elected by the people in a democratic vote.” In related news, officials of the Palestinian Authority announced on Wednesday that a fifth meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Amman scheduled for later in the day would be the final meeting, despite heavy pressure from the Quartet to continue.
Israel receives reassurance about ‘isolation’
In another blow to efforts to isolate Israel diplomatically and economically, an ambitious plan has been proposed by the global firm Quantum Energy to lay a 2,000 megawatt undersea cable, called the EuroAsia Interconnector project, linking Israel, Cyprus and Greece. The plan would allow the three countries to share energy and economize on natural gas production and use. The 1.5 billion Euro project might be partially financed by an EU development grant. In related news, the US aerospace giant Boeing celebrated the tenth anniversary of its partnership with Israeli Aircraft Industries this week, with Boeing Network & Space Systems President Roger Krone declaring "we are pleased to mark this 10-year milestone by expanding our cooperation on missile defense initiatives with our partner IAI."
Knesset leaders encourages strong ties with Evangelicals
The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense subcommittee on Foreign Policy issued a statement on Tuesday urging their Knesset colleagues to pursue stronger relations with Evangelical Christian supporters of Israel, especially in Latin America. Foreign Ministry representative Shmuel Ben- Shmuel explained that Hispanic Evangelicals are a growing force in the US and in Brazil and many other Latin American countries the revival in Evangelical churches is leading to a shift in political outlook, as the traditionally less supportive Catholic churches lose members and influence. He cautioned, however, that the Evangelical churches in Latin America, because they are a relatively recent phenomenon, are less well organized and politically active than their American counterparts.
Israeli movie receives Oscar nomination
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in Los Angeles on Tuesday that an Israeli movie, Joseph Cedar’s “Footnote” received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. “With all the expectations, pessimism is a way to survive,” Cedar told The Jerusalem Post. “So I become really pessimistic. And when it turns out it wasn’t justified, it’s such a relief.” Mo Israeli film has ever won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, though ten have been nominated. Footnote, is about the rivalry between a father and son who are Talmud scholars in Jerusalem. It has previously won Israel’s Ophir Award for Best Picture and the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival last spring.
EJC chief, ‘Sweden a center of anti-Semitism’
European Jewish Congress president Dr. Moshe Kantor told The Jerusalem Post Tuesday night, ahead of a ceremony at the European Parliament in Brussels to commemorate the Holocaust, that “Sweden, previously a calm country where there was no anti-Semitic problem just a few years ago, is a center of anti-Semitism,” adding that it was “unthinkable that in the 21st century Jews need to move from the city of Malmo to Stockholm and elsewhere.” Kantor also lamented the lack of response from the Swedish government to attempts to discuss the issue. “It’s a conspiracy of silence. They apparently think that if they say nothing, the problem will go away but we know it persists,” Kantor said. A spokesperson for the Swedish Prime Minister responded by calling the characterization unfair, citing the “four million Swedish crowns in increased security for the Jewish community” that the government has provided.
