Tag Archives: Iran

Holocaust deniers’ conference in Tehran, December 2006

Holocaust denial, Iran-style (source: www.holocartoons.com)

The Holocaust denial policy has become one of the bones of contention in the Iranian presidential elections

President Ahmadinejad’s policy of Holocaust denial has become one of the bones of contention in the Iranian presidential elections, slated for June 14. In recent days it has been criticized by the president’s political rivals, who said that it causes damage to Iran’s foreign policy and plays into Israel’s hands. On the other hand, radical right-wing elements in the conservative camp have expressed support for the Holocaust denial policy, arguing that it is in line with the legacy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic revolution, and with the statements made by Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran.
The debate surrounding the policy of Holocaust denial resumed after the policy was criticized by the mayor of Tehran in a recent interview he gave to the press. The criticism was echoed by other potential candidates for president, including former Majles Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, former Revolutionary Guards Chief and Expediency Discernment Council Secretary Mohsen Reza’i, Deputy Majles Speaker Mohammad Hassan Abu-Torabi Fard, and Mohammad Shariatmadari, the former minister of commerce in Mohammad Khatami’s government. Media affiliated with the president’s political rivals also criticized his policy on the Holocaust. The president’s critics did not question the validity of his arguments and views, or bring up a moral and value-based argument that the Holocaust did happen.
On the other side of the debate, the criticism of the Holocaust denial policy drew strong reactions from elements in the radical right-wing faction of the conservative camp. Media affiliated with this faction – including some that in recent years have voiced reservations about the president’s policy and his association with the “deviant faction” – argued that Holocaust denial is consistent with the principles of the regime. Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, the presidential candidate for the Steadfast Front, also justified the policy of denying the Holocaust.
The Holocaust denial policy also became a controversial topic in the 2009 presidential elections. Then, as in the current election campaign, the criticism of this policy could be seen as part of a larger attack mounted by the president’s opponents against his provocative foreign policy, rather than as authentic criticism of making political use of the Holocaust to advance the regime’s objectives and delegitimize Israel.

President Ahmadinejad’s policy of Holocaust denial has become one of the bones of contention in the Iranian presidential elections, slated for June 14. In recent days it has been criticized by the president’s political rivals, who said that it causes damage to Iran’s foreign policy and plays into Israel’s hands. On the other hand, radical right-wing elements in the conservative camp have expressed support for the Holocaust denial policy, arguing that it is in line with the legacy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic revolution, and with the statements made by Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran.

The president’s political rivals and the Holocaust denial policy

The debate surrounding the policy of Holocaust denial resumed following an interview given to the press by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the mayor of Tehran, on April 23. Qalibaf, considered one of the president’s strongest political rivals, is one of the most notable potential election candidates in the conservative camp. In the interview given to the Tasnim News agency, Qalibaf said that denying the Holocaust has not served Iran’s interests, and that it has only given its Zionist enemies an excuse to mobilize broad-based international agreement against the Iranian policy, including the nuclear policy. He stressed that while supporting the Palestinians is one of the principles of Iran’s foreign policy, denying the Holocaust is not. The Iranians have never been opposed to Jews, only to Zionists, Qalibaf said. Iran has supported the aspirations of the Palestinian people for 30 years, but thanks to the wisdom of Khomeini and Khamenei, it has never been accused of anti-Semitism. The president’s bringing up the Holocaust issue has contributed nothing to the revolution or to the Palestinians (www.tasnimnews.com/Home/Single/45881).

The criticism was echoed by other potential candidates for president, including former Majles Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, former Revolutionary Guards Chief and Expediency Discernment Council Secretary Mohsen Reza’i, Deputy Majles Speaker Mohammad Hassan Abu-Torabi Fard, and Mohammad Shariatmadari, the former minister of commerce in Mohammad Khatami’s government.

Haddad Adel, who has partnered with Qalibaf and the Supreme Leader’s International Advisor Ali-Akbar Velayati in the conservative Coalition for Progress, formed for the presidential elections, announced at a meeting with students in Tehran that he did not agree with the president’s policy of Holocaust denial because it allowed the Israelis to use it as an excuse to act against Iran

(http://www.mehrnews.com/detail/News/2042506). Abu-Torabi Fard, member of the Coalition of Five, another conservative coalition formed for the elections, defined the Holocaust denial policy as “ill-considered” and argued that it did not do any good for the revolution (http://fararu.com/fa/news/147914). Mohsen Reza’i, who will likely run as an independent candidate in the coming elections, said at a student conference held at the Orumiyeh University in north Iran on April 18 that if he was president, he would choose another way to contend with Israel and would not be talking about the Holocaust (http://khabaronline.ir/detail/287756). Mohammad Shariatmadari, who is considered to be close to the reformist faction, also argued that bringing up the issue of the Holocaust has done no good for Iran, and that Ahmadinejad himself regretted the statements he had made on the issue, which is why he did not reiterate them later on. He noted that the argument according to which the Zionists occupied Palestine because of the Holocaust is incorrect, and that the occupation of Palestine has nothing to do with the Holocaust (http://www.etemaad.ir/Released/92-02-11/204.htm#237090).

Media affiliated with the president’s political rivals also criticized his policy of Holocaust denial, which he has promoted since assuming office in 2005. An article published in Tehran Emrooz, a daily affiliated with the mayor of Tehran, said that Iran has to pursue its struggle against its enemies in such a way that will not give them excuses to hit the main objectives of the revolution. The article, written by poet and journalist Mohammad Hossein Ja’farian, said that the manner in which the president brought up the issue of the Holocaust did not help the Palestinians and only damaged Iran’s vital interests. The Israelis themselves admitted, according to Ja’farian, that the Holocaust denial helped Israel win international support against Iran. The aspirations of the Palestinian people are to be supported by providing assistance to Hezbollah and Hamas, not by parroting perfectly useless remarks made by advisors

(http://tehrooz.com/1392/2/7/TehranEmrooz/1154/Page/16).

Farda News, a website affiliated with the pragmatic wing of the conservative camp, also argued that Holocaust denial has galvanized public opinion. In addition, not only it did not step up pressure on Israel, it also gave legitimacy to its illegal claims in Europe and the United States. The website noted that while pre-Ahmadinejad Iranian leaders also brought up the issue of the Holocaust, they did so to point out the hypocrisy of the Western countries when it comes to the freedom of expression, not to start a historical debate on the subject.

The website stressed that the criticism of Ahmadinejad bringing up the issue isn’t targeted at the substance of his claims about the reality of the Holocaust but rather at the use of bringing up the issue and the heavy price Iran had to pay as a result. Bringing up the issue was a contributing factor for the resolutions passed by the U.N. Security Council on the anti-Iranian sanctions. It also strengthened the anti-Islamic school of thought in the Western media. Israel, on the other hand, benefited greatly from it. The U.N. General Assembly approved the decision to put Holocaust deniers on trial and Israel took advantage of Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust denial to mobilize the Western countries and a considerable part of world public opinion to support its military threats against Iran (http://www.fardanews.com/fa/news/259097). However, the president’s critics did not question the validity of his arguments and views, or bring up a moral and value-based argument that the Holocaust did happen.

Support for the Holocaust denial policy from the radical right

On the other side of the debate, the criticism of the Holocaust denial policy drew strong reactions from the radical right-wing faction of the conservative camp. The Bibak News website argued that Qalibaf’s remarks go against the position of the Supreme Leader. The website listed several examples from speeches given by Khamenei these past several years in which he supported questioning the reality of the “Holocaust myth”, attacked the Western countries for their policy towards Holocaust deniers, and referred to the Holocaust as an excuse used by the Zionists to justify their aggression against the Palestinians (http://www.bibaknews.com/shownews.php?idnews=2681).

Rasa News, a news agency close to the religious establishment in the city of Qom, also strongly criticized the position taken by the president’s rivals on the issue of Holocaust denial. A commentary article published by the agency said that the Supreme Leader defined the offensive foreign policy pursued by Ahmadinejad’s government, including the policy of denying the Holocaust, as one of its strong points and expressed clear views on Israel and the Holocaust. The issue of the Holocaust is one of the most important factors underpinning the establishment of “the artificial regime of Israel”, and by bringing it up, the president helped erode the foundations of the Zionist regime and strengthen its critics across the globe. The presidential hopefuls would be advised to look into the statements made by Khomeini and Khamenei before expressing their opinions on various issues, the article said. Pertinent criticism of the government’s policy is acceptable, but attacking its successes is a strategic mistake that could hurt the regime. The candidates had better not play the game played by Iran’s enemies, but rather present programs aimed at solving the problems facing Iranians, raising the banner of Islamic pride and struggle against imperialism (http://rasanews.ir/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=163850).

Raja News, a website affiliated with the radical right, lashed out against Qalibaf and argued that his views are baffling and go against those held by Khamenei. It is unclear, the website said, how he can claim that bringing up the issue of the Holocaust is intended to give an excuse to Iran’s enemies, when the founder of the Islamic revolution clearly expressed the need to eliminate Israel and the Supreme Leader refers to the Holocaust as a “myth”. Raja News mocked Qalibaf, and wondered whether it is too hard for technocrats like him to understand the foreign policy principles of a conflict with the “world arrogance”

(http://www.rajanews.com/detail.asp?id=155852).

Presidential candidate Kamran Bagheri Lankarani also justified the policy of denying the Holocaust. Lankarani has recently been announced as a candidate for the Steadfast Front (Jebhe-ye Paydari), which is affiliated with the radical right wing of the conservative camp and is supported by radical cleric Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi. Speaking at a press conference held last week, Lankarani rejected the claim that the president’s bringing up the issue of the Holocaust was one of the weak points of his foreign policy. Denying the Holocaust and “criticizing Zionist thought”, he said, are based on the revolution founder’s principles, and these are the principles on which the Iranian diplomacy needs to be based

(http://www.rajanews.com/Detail.asp?id=155866).

Hojjat-ol-Eslam Mehdi Ta’eb, chairman of the central council of the Ammar Headquarters, a think tank affiliated with the radical wing of the conservative camp, also spoke out against those who criticize the Holocaust denial policy and said that bringing up the issue of the Holocaust is “Ahmadinejad’s strong point”. Ta’eb, who is affiliated with the Steadfast Front, voiced reservations about the president’s messianic views and his relationship with his controversial ally Rahim Masha’i, but argued that those who criticize his policy of Holocaust denial are mistaken (http://rasanews.ir/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=164121).

The Holocaust denial policy as a controversial topic in the 2009 elections

The Holocaust denial policy also became a controversial topic in the 2009 presidential elections. Ahmadinejad's opponents, particularly the reformist candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, strongly condemned the policy, claiming that it was isolating Iran on the international scene and serving Israel’s interests. On the other hand, Ahmadinejad and his supporters argued in favor of the Holocaust denial policy, and said that questioning the validity of the Holocaust and its extent was the way to undermine the Zionist identity and the very legitimacy of the State of Israel. Of all the presidential candidates, reformist cleric Mehdi Karoubi expressed particularly strong views on Holocaust denial. However, he, too, attempted to play down the Holocaust.^[1]

Then, as in the current election campaign, the criticism of the Holocaust denial policy could be seen as an inseparable part of a larger attack mounted by the president’s opponents against his provocative foreign policy, rather than as authentic criticism of making political use of the Holocaust to advance the regime’s objectives and delegitimize Israel.

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^[1] For more details, see our June 7 Information Bulletin, "The hate industry: Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust denial policy has turned into one of the controversial issues ahead of Iran’s presidential election” (http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/article/18267).

: launch event of world’s largest ice cream comes under intense social criticism

Fighting for ice cream but not for the political prisoners

‘’The ice cream movement’’ The demonstrators carry signs against Choopan Dairy

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Protesting for ice cream: launch event of world’s largest ice cream comes under intense social criticism

The launch event of the “largest ice cream in the world”, which took place in north Tehran on April 1, has become a subject of intense social criticism in the past several days. The event ended in a riot when the organizers refused to distribute ice cream from the giant tub to a crowd numbering tens of thousands. Masses of angry Iranians shouted protests against the company that had produced the ice cream, claiming that it had cheated them.
The incident quickly came under intense criticism from the media and social networks. The critics targeted both the conduct of the company and the behavior of the citizens during the incident, saying that it reflects the value crisis that is gripping the Iranian society. News website readers and exiled bloggers took issue with the fact that the people of Iran are willing to protest for ice cream even as they give up their fundamental rights and do not protest against the regime for violating their rights and denying their freedoms.
The claims about the citizens’ behavior during the incident are a reflection of intense social criticism made in recent years by Iranian intellectuals and journalists about the decline of values in the Iranian society, the lack of social solidarity, and the increasing tendency for individualism and escapism.

An Iranian company’s attempt to break the Guinness record for the largest ice cream in the world, which ended in a full-scale riot, has become a subject of intense social criticism in the past several days. Last week, April 1, Choopan Dairy unveiled a 5-ton tub of chocolate-flavored ice cream, claiming that it dethroned the previous record holder, U.S. producer Baskin-Robbins, which made a 4-ton tub of ice cream eight years ago. The tub made by the Iranian dairy measured 2 meters (6’6”) by 1.6 (5’3”) meters.

The launch event of the ice cream, which took place at the Tochal ski resort in north Tehran and attracted tens of thousands of Iranians, ended in a riot when the organizers refused to hand out ice cream from the giant tub to the numerous spectators, saying that the ice cream would be distributed to charities instead. Thousands of angry Iranians who arrived at the event during the Iranian New Year vacation hoping for a taste of the giant ice cream started shouting protests against the dairy and said that they had been cheated.

An announcement released by Choopan Dairy said that the organizers of the event had not anticipated that it would be attended by tens of thousands of people, which made it impossible to contain the riot that broke out at the scene. According to the dairy’s spokesmen, the company did intend to give away ice cream to the spectators; however, the size of the crowd and concerns that the situation could get out of hand led to a decision to distribute the ice cream to charities and hand out normal sized ice cream cones to the masses of people that came to the event. The company categorically denied claims according to which the ice cream wasn’t handed out because it wasn’t fit for human consumption, saying that the company directors and journalists had been documented by the media tasting the ice cream after it was produced at the Choopan Dairy factory. The company’s announcement went on to say that Guinness World Records representatives monitored the production process of the ice cream even though they were not present at the launch event itself.

“From liar Ahmadinejad to liar Choopan”

The incident quickly came under intense criticism from the media and social networks. The criticism was targeted both at the organizers of the event and at the behavior of the citizens who took part in it. Many of the critics said that the riot that broke out during the launch event reflects the value crisis that is gripping the Iranian society. Reports published on various news websites, including Baztab, Tabnak, and Alef, drew numerous comments from readers who expressed their anger and dissatisfaction with the conduct of the company and the behavior of the spectators during the incident.

Some website readers mostly criticized Choopan Dairy, saying the company was a “liar” and even calling to boycott its products. Some readers said that lies and deception have become a commonplace phenomenon in Iran, which can also be seen in government institutions. One reader noted that the conduct of the company shouldn’t come as a surprise, since acts of fraud are also common in the presidency of the Islamic republic. Another reader also associated the launch of the ice cream with political life, drawing a parallel between the Iranian citizens’ vote for “liar Ahmadinejad” in 2009 and eating the ice cream of “liar Choopan” in 2013. One reader cynically defined the incident as a “first manifestation of enthusiasm”, referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s announcement that the new Iranian year will be the “year of economic and political enthusiasm”.

Fighting for ice cream but not for the political prisoners

In addition to criticism of the company that organized the event, many news website readers expressed their regret at the behavior displayed by the tens of thousands of spectators during the incident, referring to it as immoral behavior. Some of them expressed their discontent with the fact that the people of Iran are willing to chant slogans and protest for ice cream even as they give up their fundamental rights. One reader wrote that a nation willing to make mockery of itself and suffer just to eat ice cream should be lamented. Another reader wrote that a nation that goes crazy and is willing to humiliate itself for ice cream is a cursed nation. He expressed his regret that the Iranian people, with their ancient historic legacy and such a glorious culture, should behave this way.

In a reference to the common Iranian practice of blaming all the country’s problems on its external enemies, several website readers cynically suggested that this incident, too, should be blamed on Iran’s enemies, including the West, “world arrogance”, the United States, Britain, “world Zionism”, and the Baha’is (readers’ comments were taken from http://www.baztab.net/fa/news/23627).

The launch event of the ice cream also drew critical remarks from a number of Iranian bloggers, one of whom posted sarcastic comments about the incident. In a post published on his personal blog, the blogger said that the thousands of Iranians shown by the media crowding and protesting were not calling for the release of political prisoners, protesting against the regime for violating their legal rights, fighting for equal rights for men and women, demanding knowledge or scientific research, or fighting for the freedom of expression, freedom of press, and democracy. Instead, they were demanding to be fed ice cream. When one sees the thousands of Iranians who came to the event organized by Choopan Dairy to eat ice cream, one understands, the blogger wrote, why the Iranian authorities continue raising the prices of products while the public keeps purchasing them (http://saeidpersian.blogspot.dk/2013/04/blog-post.html).

Another blogger published a post titled “Ice cream or Dr. Mehdi Khazali:^[1] which one do the citizens find more important?” In his post, the blogger wrote that, at a time when Dr. Mehdi Khazali’s supporters are marking 100 days since his arrest, the citizens of Tehran took to the streets not to protest for him but to watch the largest ice cream in the world. When they didn’t receive the ice cream that they wanted, they started shouting protests just a small distance away from the place where Khazali—who is fighting for his life—is imprisoned. Ice cream is more important for Iranians than the fate of Khazali, who has stopped eating and drinking. The reformists believe that Facebook “likes” are enough to show their support for the political prisoner, while the citizens find ice cream more important (http://zareh-bin.blogspot.ca/2013/04/blog-post_4.html).

Journalist Farvartish Rezvaniyeh also took advantage of the reports on the launch of the largest ice cream in the world to complain about the bleak situation of the Iranian society. In a post published on his Facebook page, the journalist wrote that he does not understand why it is that the Iranian people are always after the largest things: the largest sandwich, the largest cake, the largest soup, the largest bread, and the largest ice cream, and why they think that the largest things are also the best.

Rezvaniyeh wrote that even though the Iranians take pride in their glorious cultural legacy and the remnants of the ancient Persian Empire, Iran has contributed nothing to mankind in the past 500 years. Even Iranians who have achieved senior positions, such as NASA and Google directors, left their homeland when they were young. Had they stayed in Iran, they would not have been able to make the achievements that they have.

The journalist strongly criticized the Iranian society for the greed and materialism that have come to characterize it. He argued that the Iranians do nothing but eat, drink, and produce garbage, since they don’t know what they want from their lives and their country. The only thing they pursue is money, and anyone walking in the streets of Tehran and listening to what the people are saying into their cell phones will only hear conversations about money, checks, dollars, property, and lawyers.

The Iranians deposit millions of tomans into the charity funds scattered across the country, but those Iranians who are ill pass away since they are unable to purchase expensive drugs. The Iranians are willing to drive into incoming traffic to make a shortcut, they think that only those who live in Tehran are actual human beings, and they ignore people living in other cities. A person who smiles to another is considered insane, and a person who tells the truth is accused of being a liar. The Iranians believe that the only way they can be happy is through song and dance, think that heaven was made just for them, and are waiting for miracles (http://www.facebook.com/farvartish.rezvaniyeh).

The Iranian society: lack of solidarity and escapism

The claims brought up about the citizens’ behavior during the launch event of the ice cream are a reflection of sweeping social criticism made in recent years by Iranian intellectuals and journalists about the decline of values in the Iranian society, the lack of social solidarity, and the increasing tendency for individualism and escapism.

For instance, in March 2010 an Iranian journalist published an article on the “double lives” led by the Iranian middle class, who take advantage of every opportunity to “have fun, drink alcohol, and party”. Just one year after the 2009 riots, the journalist discussed the claim on the lack of social commitment among the people of Iran. A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War shared his sentiments with the journalist: “Soldiers were proud to lose an organ during the war, because they believed they were fighting for something holy. Children these days don’t feel this way. They don’t know what they are fighting for” (http://iwpr.net/report-news/double-lives-tehrans-middle-class).

In an article posted on the www.bamdadkhabar.com website on October 16, 2012, the reformist activist Alborz Zahedi also argued that the people of Iran, particularly the middle class, are unwilling to assume social responsibility and take to the streets to achieve their rights, and that they are not even willing to perform such simple tasks as cleaning the streets around their homes and show basic social solidarity. They only act for their own good, not for the good of others.

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[1]A reformist blogger and journalist detained in November 2012 for his activity against the government, currently on a hunger strike at the Evin prison.

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict* (March 13 – 19, 2013)

Published: 19/03/2013

Two terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. Crash caused by stones thrown near Ariel.

Victim of the shooting attack at the Qadoumim junction

A stone thrown at a civilian Israeli vehicle on Route 443, linking Modi'in and Jerusalem

The death notice issued by Hamas for Mahmoud al-Titi (Ajnad Facebook page, March 13, 2013).

Mahmoud al-Titi's funeral, where the flags of various Palestinian terrorist organizations (Hamas, Fatah, the PFLP, etc.) were carried to lend the event the appearance of an inclusive Palestinian funeral

Salah al-Bardawil (center) at a student meeting (Ma'an News Agency, March 14, 2013).

Palestinian demonstrators in Bethlehem walk on a picture of President Obama defaced with a swastika.

The Facebook page of Hamas in Judea and Samaria (Ajnad Facebook page, March 11, 2013).

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Overview

While the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip remains quiet, terrorist attacks and acts of violence continue in Judea and Samaria. Stones thrown at Israeli civilian vehicles near Ariel led to a car's rear-ending a truck and the injuring of the car's driver and her three daughters. One of them, three years old, was critically injured. Eight Palestinian suspects were detained by the IDF. At the entrance to the village of Qadoumim an Israeli civilian was shot and seriously wounded by Palestinians who stopped their car to talk to him.
The Israel Security Agency revealed that since Operation Pillar of Defense Hamas has attempted to carry out terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. The Israeli security forces exposed a terrorist squad planning to abduct an IDF soldier to be used as a bargaining chip for the release of Palestinian terrorist prisoners, to use IEDs and to fire improvised rockets. Interrogation of the squad's operatives revealed that Fathi Hamad, the minister of the interior in the de-facto Hamas administration and responsible for the enforcing the lull along the Gaza Strip border, was behind some of the planned attacks.

Terrorist Attacks in Judea and Samaria

Israeli Civilian Shot by Palestinians at Bus Stop

On the morning of March 17, 2013, a gun was fired from a Palestinian car at a 70 year-old Israeli man standing at the bus stop at the entrance to the Israeli village of Qadoumim (near Nablus). He was seriously wounded and evacuated to a hospital. Investigation of the attack revealed that the car stopped, its passengers conducted a short conversation with the man and then shot him. The car then sped away in the direction of one of the neighboring Palestinian villages. IDF forces initiated a search (Ynet, March 18, 2013).

Stone-Throwing Causes Serious Injuries to Mother and Three Daughters

On the evening of March 14, 2013, a woman was driving with her three daughters on the Trans-Samaria highway. At the junction near the city of Ariel stones were thrown at the truck in front of her, causing its driver to brake suddenly. The woman could not brake in time and rammed into the truck. One of her daughters, a three year-old toddler, was critically injured. The woman and her two other daughters, aged four and five, incurred serious injuries. The truck driver sustained minor injuries. An Israeli civilian bus passing by at the time was also attacked with a volley of stones. The driver sustained minor injuries, as did three passengers (Ynet, March 14, 2013).

Emergency rescue workers evacuate the wounded. Right: One of the stones thrown at the Israeli vehicles (Judea and Samaria rescue services, March 14, 2013)

On the night of March 14, 2013, IDF special forces detained eight Palestinians suspected of involvement in the attack (IDF spokesman, March 15, 2013).

The scene of the attack (Google maps)

The Situation in the Gaza Strip

Rocket Fire

Quiet continued along the Gaza Strip border this week. Since Operation Pillar of Defense ended, one rocket hit was identified in Israeli territory, on February 26, 2013. Since then there have been no additional rocket or mortar shell hits.

Judea and Samaria

"Popular Resistance" Attacks in Judea and Samaria

In addition to the two attacks above, a number of stones and Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli civilian vehicles as part of the so-called "popular resistance," including attacks along major traffic arteries:

On the evening of March 15, 2013, stones were thrown in the Bir Nabalah region on the road linking Modi'in and Jerusalem (Route 443). There were no casualties and no damage was reported (Ynet, March 15, 2013).

On the evening of March 14, 2013, two Palestinians threw Molotov cocktails at civilian Israeli vehicles near the Nitzanei Shalom crossing (near Tulkarm). Israeli security forces posted at the crossing shot at the Palestinians. One was seriously wounded and the other escaped (Ynet, March 14, 2013).
On March 13, 2013, during a confrontation between stone- and Molotov cocktail-throwing Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the Al-Fouar refugee camp (Hebron), Mahmoud Adel Fares al-Titi was killed. Hamas issued a death notice for him. His funeral was held in Hebron, attended by many Palestinians, during which there were confrontations between them and the Israeli security forces at a number of locations in Hebron (Safa News Agency, the Paltoday website, March 13, 2013). The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), also issued a death notice, claiming that al-Titi was one their operatives, calling for a new intifada (PIJ website, March 13, 2013).

Hamas Attempts to Initiate Terrorist Attacks in Judea and Samaria^{^[4]}

The Israel Security Agency revealed that since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense Hamas has increased its efforts to carry out terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. Among the attacks planned were suicide bombing attacks, the abduction of IDF soldiers and civilians, and mass-murder attacks. However, since Operation Pillar of Defense, Hamas had been careful not to attack Israel's south.
The Israeli security forces recently exposed a cell of Hamas operatives from southern Samaria. They planned to use IEDs, abduct a soldier or Israeli resident of Judea or Samaria and fire improvised rockets at Israeli targets. They used the Internet and telephones to maintain contact with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and received instructions about making weapons. They were specifically instructed to abduct an IDF soldier and take his weapon and cell phone for negotiations, and after that to kill him and bury his body where it could not be found. At the time of their detention, the operatives were in final stages of preparations for an attack and had already reported to the Gaza Strip that they would be ready to act in a number of days.
During interrogation the cell operatives revealed that some of the planned attacks had been orchestrated by Fathi Hamad, the minister of the interior of the de-facto Hamas administration and responsible for enforcing the lull in the Gaza Strip. Some of the operatives were in contact with Fathi Hamad's close aides. Fathi Hamad has said on several occasions that it was necessary to continue attacks against Israel. In recent years he has been involved in planning terrorist attacks (which were prevented) and smuggling IEDs. The interrogation also revealed that to carry out the planned attacks, Fathi Hamad involved his close Hamas operational aides, including the faction called the "Al-Aqsa Defenders," which he founded and sponsors.

Fathi Hamad, minister of the interior in the Hamas administration
(IDF spokesman, March 13, 2013).

Hamas rushed to deny the information about Fathi Hamad's involvement in the planning terrorist attacks:

Hamas official Musheir al-Masri said that the information issued was part of a campaign being waged by Israel against the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip. He said that an attack on senior Hamas figures by Israel was a "declaration of war" and the beginning of "new aggression" which Hamas would oppose with advanced equipment and weapons (Paltoday website, March 13, 2013).
Islam Shahwan, spokesman for the ministry of the interior of the Hamas administration, said that the information was false and that it was not the first time such claims had been made (Nahar al-Jadeed, March 14, 2013).
Ibrahim Salah, head of public relations and the media in the ministry of the interior of the Hamas administration said that the claims made by Israel against Fathi Hamad were groundless and part of Israel's propaganda war against Hamas (Palestine Online website, March 13, 2013).

Solidarity Campaign for the Palestinian Prisoners Continues

Despite the calls heard for demonstrations to be held as part of the "Day of Rage" planned for March 16, 2013, events in support of the prisoners have lessened somewhat. Issa Qaraqa, Palestinian Authority (PA) minister for prisoner affairs, said that the PA was planning to present the issue of the prisoners at the next meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 18, 2013. He said the PA would do so because it had an account to settle with Israel regarding what he called its "crimes against the prisoners." According to Dr. Jamal Nizal, in charge of Fatah information abroad, the Council would devote an entire day to the issue of the Palestinian prisoners. In addition, he said the Council would be given a report prepared by an international committee about the Israeli settlements (Palestine Online website, March 14, 2013).

Hunger-Striking Palestinian Terrorist Prisoner Released from Israeli Jail

Ayman Sharawneh, a hunger-striking terrorist operative in an Israeli jail, accepted Israel's offer to spend the next ten years in the Gaza Strip in return for his release. On March 17, 2013, after having been on a hunger strike for 261 days, he was released and entered the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing, where Hamas held a reception for him. Ismail Haniya, head of the de-facto Hamas administration, and Atallah Abu Sabah, Hamas minister for prisoner affairs, visited him in hospital and expressed their support for the Palestinian prisoners (Ma'an and Safa news agencies, March 17, 2013).
Ayman Ismail Salameh Sharawneh, a Hamas operative from Dura, was detained in 2002 for his involvement in the IED bombing in Beersheba in 2002 which injured 18 Israelis, an attempt abduct an IDF soldiers and his involvement in shooting at IDF soldiers. He was sentenced to 38 years in prison but released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal in October 2011. He immediately violated the terms of his release and returned to terrorist activity, and was redetained. A request was submitted to revoke his eased sentence and return him to prison to serve the remainder of his term. A request was recently submitted on his behalf, asking that he be permitted to stay in the Gaza Strip for ten years instead of serving the remainder of his sentence.The request was approved by the Israeli security authorities and the State Attorney’s Office.

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Terrorist operative Ayman Sharawneh (Filastin Al-'Aan, March 18, 2013).

Developments in the Gaza Strip

Egypt Continues Destroying Tunnels

Egypt continues destroying smuggling tunnels in the Rafah region. Major General Ahmed Ibrahim, commander of the Egyptian Border Guards, said that his forces had reached the difficult stage of locating tunnels inside houses in Egyptian Rafah. He said they were investing significant resources in stopping weapons and diesel fuel smuggling from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. In response to Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, who said that Hamas would continue smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip, he said that Egypt would not be dragged into provocative declarations but would prevent the smuggling. He added that the Egyptian army had told the Egyptian president that it intended to continue the operation and would not allow the Sinai Peninsula to be turned into military bases by either Palestinian or Egyptian terrorists (Filastin al-Yawm, March 12, 2013).
According to an Egyptian military source, during the destruction of the tunnels the Egyptian forces had been shot at from the Gaza Strip several times. So far, said the source, the Egyptians had not responded, but reinforcements had been sent and it was being made clear to Hamas that Egypt would respond to such attacks "with an iron fist" (Al-Watan, March 13, 2013).

Hamas-Egypt Accusations

In recent weeks, according to news items in the Egyptian media, Hamas has been interfering in internal Egyptian affairs. Hamas has been accused of sending hundreds of its military-terrorist operatives into Egypt, providing support for the Muslim Brotherhood, threatening to attack Egyptian military forces and involvement in the terrorist attack in the Sinai Peninsula which cost the lives of 16 Egyptian policemen and soldiers (August 5, 2012).
A short summary of the information in the Egyptian media:

Seven Palestinian operatives were detained at the Cairo airport while apparently returning from Iran. In their possession were pictures and sketches of vital Egyptian sites, such as the ministry of defense, the ministry of the interior, the radio and television building, the general intelligence headquarters, and more. The seven Palestinian operatives, who had apparently been trained by Hamas' military-terrorist wing and by Iran, had entered Egypt through the tunnels a number of times (Al-Watan, March 14, 2013).
Operatives of Hamas military-terrorist wing were involved in the attack in Rafah on August 5, 2012, in which 16 Egyptian soldiers and policemen were killed.^[5] The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, which published the item, verified it with "Egyptian security sources" (Al-Ahram, March 15, 2013).

Senior Hamas officials totally rejected all the accusations. They claimed the accusations belonged to internal Egyptian struggles and their objective was to blacken Hamas in the eyes of the Egyptian public and sabotage its relations with the Egyptian leadership. A delegation of senior Hamas officials headed by Khaled Mashaal, then met with Mohammed Badie, general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and with his deputy, Khairat al-Shater. The Hamas delegation said they would cooperate with Egyptian security to expose the true culprits (Al-Youm Al-Sabea, March 16, 2013).

Hamas-Iran Relations

Interviewed by the Qatari newspaper Al-Watan, Ahmed Yousef, a member of the Hamas Shura Council, spoke about various issues, among them Hamas' relations with Iran. He said that after Hamas had made its rejection of the Assad regime in Syria known, the Iranians had tried to stop the transfer of funds to the Hamas movement as a way of exerting pressure on it. However, he claimed, after a number of months the Iranians changed their minds, having realized that Hamas would not change its negative position toward the Syrian regime (Al-Watan, March 16, 2013).

PFLP Ends Military Training Course in Khan Yunis

On March 14, 2013, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the PFLP's military-terrorist wing, ended a series of military training exercises held in the region of Khan Yunis. According to media reports, they exercises were held on the ruins of Gush Katif, the former block of Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza Strip (Filastin Al-'Aan, March 14, 2013).

Military training exercises of the PFLP's Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades
(Filastin Al-'Aan website, March 14, 2013).

Hamas Declarations Stressing the Right to Continue Military-Terrorist Activities

While Mahmoud Abbas claimed that Hamas was committed to the lull in the fighting (see below), senior Hamas figures stressed the "right" to continue the armed campaign and smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip:

Ismail Haniya, head of the de-facto Hamas administration, told members of the Islamic faction of university students in the Gaza Strip that Hamas was committed to "not abandoning the rifle." He boasted of Hamas' rocket development capabilities, claiming to have bombed Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Al-Jazeera, March 17, 2013).
At a meeting of the Islamic block of Al-Aqsa University in Khan Yunis, senior Hamas figure Salah al-Bardawil said that Hamas would continue brining weapons into the Gaza Strip and "no one in the world could prevent it" (Ma'an News Agency, March 14, 2013).

Operatives from the Gaza Strip Join the Ranks of the Global Jihad in Syria

A Palestinian news site in Ramallah, basing its report on the German News Agency, reported that several dozen Palestinian operatives had recently joined the fighting in Syria on the side of Jabhat al-Nusra (The Support Front), which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the global jihad.^[6] They belong to a Salafist-jihadi network in the Gaza Strip, some of them former Hamas operatives. According to a source in one of the Salafist-jihadi networks in the Gaza Strip, since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense (November 2012) and the lull agreement between Hamas and Israel, operatives from the Gaza Strip have been joining the ranks of Jabhat al-Nusra. They make their way from the Gaza Strip to Turkey and from there join the networks fighting the Syrian regime. In addition, according to the source, two former Hamas operatives have recently been killed in the fighting in Syria (Watan news website, March 18, 2013).

The Palestinian Authority

Anti-American Demonstration for Obama's Visit

Dozens of Palestinians took part in a demonstration near the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where Barack Obama is supposed to visit, to protest American policy, which, they claimed, is biased in favor of Israel. The demonstrators threw shoes at pictures of President Obama, tore up pictures of him and drew swastikas on them, walked on them and finally burned them (Ma'an News Agency and Filastin Al-'Aan, March 18, 2013).

Left: Palestinian demonstrators in Bethlehem walk on a picture of President Obama defaced with a swastika. Right: Burning American flags and pictures of President Obama (Filastin Al-'Aan, March 18, 2013).

The Facebook page of Hamas in Judea and Samaria posted a protest against Obama's visit to the Middle East. It said, "We do not trust the USA. Obama is not welcome. He is an ally of Israel and an enemy of Palestine" (Ajnad Facebook page, March 11, 2013).

The Facebook page of Hamas in Judea and Samaria
(Ajnad Facebook page, March 11, 2013).

Mahmoud Abbas Goes to Russia

Mahmoud Abbas is on a visit to Russia, heading a delegation of senior Palestinian Authority officials. He has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Mahmoud Abbas visits Russia. Left: With Prime Minister Medvedev. Right: With President Putin (Wafa News Agency, March 14, 2013).

Interviewed by the Russians, he related to a number of issues, among them the following (Russia Today, March 15, 2013):

The possibility of a third intifada– Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians did not need to return to an armed campaign because the balance of power was not in the Palestinians' favor and thus it would not be beneficial. He said the Palestinian people had other weapons, i.e., the "peaceful" popular demonstrations and appeals to international forums.
Palestine's status as a UN non-member state – The main achievement for Palestine in being granted the new status was officially having it recognized as "a country under occupation." The Palestinians, he said, would exploit the status to appeal to UN agencies and the International Court.
The European Union's decision to add Hamas to its list of designated terrorist organizations– After Hamas' had committed itself to a ceasefire (hudna, according to Mahmoud Abbas) and following its announcement that it had adopted the "popular resistance," there was no difference between the policies of the PA and those of Hamas, and therefore there was no reason to add it to the list of terrorist organizations.

Propaganda Events

Legal Action against Israel on the Issue of the Dignity

On March 13, 2013, there was a hearing in a French court regarding legal action against Israel demanding the return of the Dignity. According to the Freedom Flotilla Italia website, French lawyers tried to prove that Israel had acted against norms and in violation of international maritime law. A lawyer for Israel argued that Israel had the right to seize the ship as an act of self-defense and that the owners of the ship had never demanded its return. The French judge did not allow the French lawyers to respond and announced he was postponing his decision to May 15, 2013 (Freedom Flotilla Italia website, March 17, 2013).
The French ship Dignity/Al-Karama was seized by Israel on July 19, 2011, after it tried to reach the Gaza Strip. The ship left the Greek island of Kastelorizo on July 16, 2011, officially heading for Alexandria, but its real intention was to sail to the Gaza Strip. The ship flew the French flag and was the only ship of the upgraded Freedom Flotilla 2 which actually sailed). It carried ten activists as passengers, most of them French, three journalists and three crewmembers. On July 19, 2013, the Israeli Navy took over the ship and brought it, with crew and passengers intact, to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod. That was done after direct and indirect appeals made to the ship not to approach the Gaza coast were ignored (IDF spokesman, July 19, 2011).

The French ship Dignity/Al-Karama (Freedom Flotilla Italia website, March 17, 2013).

Turning Terrorists into Role Models: the Glorification of Terrorist Dalal al-Magribi

On March 11, 2013, the Palestinians marked the anniversary of the death of Ms. Dalal al-Magribi, one of the Fatah terrorist operatives who carried out the Coastal Road Massacre on March 11, 1978.^[7] In preparation for the event pictures and announcements were posted on the Fatah websites, glorifying the attack and commemorating the terrorist. For example, the Fatah al-Yawm site, used by Fatah's department of organization and recruitment, posted an announcement entitled "The bride of Palestine, the female shaheed Dalal al-Magribi" (Fatah al-Yawm website, March 18 2013). The website of the Fatah office in Denmark posted an announcement showing Dalal al-Magribi in uniform (Fatah Danish website, March 18, 2013). produced a documentary movie of her life.

Left: Dalal al-Magribi in uniform (Fatah Danish website, March 18, 2013). Right: Picture of Dalal al-Magribi, "The bride of Palestine and female shaheed" (Fatah al-Yawm website, March 18, 2013)

Dalal al-Magribibecame a kind of national heroine for the Palestinian public during the era of Yasser Arafat. Her status remains unchanged under Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinian Authority has immortalized her in various ways, such as naming town squares, streets, schools and summer camps after her. Immortalizing her is part of a broad policy of Hamas, Fatah and the PA of turning terrorist operatives into role models.

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^[*^]Next week, Passover, the weekly update will not appear. We wish all our readers a happy holiday.
^[2] As of March 19, 2013. The statistics do not include mortar shell fire.
^[3] The statistics do not include mortar shell fire.
^[4] Information from the website of the Israel Security Agency, March 2013
^[5] On August 5, 2012, terrorist operatives broke into an Egyptian police station in the northern Sinai Peninsula. They killed 16 Egyptian soldiers and policemen, stole an APC and a truck, which they booby-trapped and used to break through the Israeli border near the Kerem Shalom crossing.
^[6] Jabhat al-Nusra (The Support Front) is a prominent organization affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the global jihad participating in the fighting on the side of the Syrian rebels.
^[7] The Coastal Road Massacre took place on March 11, 1978, carried out by a Fatah terrorist squad. In the morning an 11-man squad in inflatable rubber dinghies landed on the beach at Maagan Michael, about 30 kilometers, or 18 miles, south of Haifa. They happened upon Gail Rubin, an American nature photographer who was taking pictures at the time, and murdered her. They then continued eastward toward the Coastal Road, where two of them stopped a taxi and rode in the direction of Tel Aviv. The other terrorists took over a bus carrying Israeli tourists to Haifa, forced their way into the bus and ordered the drive to turn the bus around and drive to Tel Aviv. During the trip they shot at passing cars, killing four people. Near the Israeli coastal city of Hadera, about 20 kilometers, or 12 miles, to the south, they were joined by the terrorists in the taxi, who forced all the taxi passengers onto the bus, which continued driving south. On the way they stopped another bus and also forced its passengers onto the same bus with them. Police forces did not succeed in stopping the bus, but just north of the entrance to Tel Aviv they shot out the bus’ tires and it stopped. A firefight developed with the terrorists, which ended when the terrorists blew up the bus, killing most of the passengers, 13 of them children. Thirty-seven people were killed and 71 were wounded. In response Israel initiated Operation Litani against terrorist infrastructures in south Lebanon.

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (March 6 – 12, 2013)

Published: 12/03/2013

Riots on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem: Palestinians throw Molotov cocktails at Israeli policemen (YouTube, March 8, 2013).

The funeral of Muhammed Samih Asfour in the village of Aboud, with mourners holding green Hamas flags (Paltoday website, March 8, 2013).

The press conference. Left to right: Shawan Jabarin, head of the human rights organization Al-Haq and PFLP activist; Issa Qaraqa, minister of prisoner affairs; and Qadoura Fares, chairman of the Palestinian prisoners society (Wafa News Agency, March 10, 2013).

Turkish food packages enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing (Website of the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories, March 6, 2013).

Musa Abu Marzouq (left) meets in Tehran with Sayeed Jalili (far right) (Al-Alam TV, March 3, 2013).

The Mujahideen network holds military training exercises at a facility north of Rafah (Hamas forum website, March 8, 2013).

A display of suicide bombers (Filastin Al-'Aan, March 10, 2013).

Cartoon from a Hamas website (Filastin Al-'Aan, March 6, 2013).

Products allegedly manufactured in the settlements and confiscated from Palestinian merchants are burned (Filastin Al-'Aan, March 11, 2013).