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Israel is reportedly holding talks with Egypt on a new cease-fire agreement in Gaza, due to fears that despite the relative calm in Gaza fighting might resume in the near future, and Israel’s ability to carry out another offensive like Operation Cast Lead is curtailed because of the likely opposition of the international community (especially the Obama administration).
Updates (Israel time; most recent at top)
10:28PM: Israeli Opposition leader Tzipi Livni has criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for trying to reach a new ceasefire with Hamas, or more specifically “formulating direct or indirect deals with Hamas, which could legitimize the organization in exchange for a mere few days of quiet.”
While I agree with her, I can’t help but think she just likes to oppose whatever Netanyahu does, rather than having any principles of her own.
10:22PM: Ha’aretz reports:
The Dead Sea will be eliminated next week from a contest to choose the seven natural wonders of the world, because of a Palestinian boycott over the participation of an Israeli settler council.
The New 7 Wonders of Nature is a global Internet contest under the slogan: “If we want to save anything, we first need to truly appreciate it.” In 2007 it chose the new seven man-made wonders of the world.
Its rules state that if a nominee site is located in more than one country, all countries in which it is located must form an Official Supporting Committee (OSC) by July 7.
Israel and Jordan have both done so for the Dead Sea, which they share, but the Palestinian Authority has decided against.
Meanwhile, I would like to nominate the PA as a wonder of the world, since although it is not a country, people treat it as such.
8:00PM: Interesting report about an Israeli-Persian radio station that is supporting the Iranian protesters.
Meanwhile, I am a bit late to the party with this next story, but it is worth reprinting in case you haven’t seen it yet.
Iranian anti-regime activists are hoping for an Israeli technological hand to help them fight the Islamic Republic. As of now, hundreds of protesters have been killed by the regime, which is evidently using Arabic-speaking armed thugs from Hizbullah to help perpetrate the violence.
“Dear Israeli Brothers and Sisters,” writes Iranian dissident Arash Irandoost, “Iran needs your help more than ever now. And we will be eternally grateful. Please help opposition television and radio stations which are blocked and being jammed by the Islamic Republic (Nokia and Siemens) resume broadcast to Iran. There is a total media blackout and Iranians inside Iran for the most part are not aware of their brave brothers and sisters fighting and losing their lives daily. And the unjust treatment and brutal massacre of the brave Iranians in the hands of the mullah’s paid terrorist Hamas and Hizbullah gangs are not seen by the majority of the Iranians. Please help in any way you can to allow these stations resume broadcasting to Iran.
“And, please remember that we will remember, as you have remembered Cyrus the Great’s treatment of you in your time of need,” Irandoost concludes, signing his blogged call for help “Your Iranian Brothers and Sisters!”
In an interview with Israel National News, Iranian expatriate pro-democracy activist Amil Imani said that Irandoost’s message represents the sentiments of much of the youth in the streets in Iran. They have a strong belief in the technological know-how of the Israelis to overcome the Iranian regime’s attempts to block communications.
“This is going to be the most massive, impressive revolution of the 21st century,” Imani said, “and we’re seeing it live.” However, he added, it is now too dependent on Internet communications, so the protesters are very much in need of outside assistance to fight the technological and information war.
More generally, Imani said, the Iranian people are lionizing any leader of any nation who comes out strongly against the Islamic Republic at this time.
According to Imani, at least 500 people have been killed by Iranian government forces, with another 5,000 injured. But the hospitals are no longer safe, he added, as the gunmen from the basiji militia enter the emergency wards looking for
We will remember, as you have remembered Cyrus the Great’s treatment of you in your time of need.Therefore, Imani said, sympathetic doctors have taken to treating the wounded wherever they can, including in private homes.
Even outside Iran, tens of thousands of protesters are out in the streets every day, especially in the United States and Europe. Imani said he thinks the phenomenon represents unprecedented unity in the Iranian expatriate community.
As for the basijis themselves, Imani reported, many of them are Lebanese and Palestinian Authority Arabs hired by the regime to do its bidding. Iranians reportedly captured seven basijis who spoke no Persian, only Arabic. According to Imani, 10,000 more Arab hired guns arrived in Tehran to serve the mullah-led regime.
But they are not the only ones thinking about guns at this point. Some Iranian protesters, Imani reported, have taken to threatening their oppressors, “God have mercy on you if we decide to [take up] arms!”
“There is no turning back,” Imani concluded.
7:50PM: Israel has warned the incoming Lebanese government that they will be held responsible for any incomings from Hizbullah.
5:46PM: Two face masks: The below palestinian man and Israeli woman are both wearing face masks, for completely different reasons.
One because of a swine flu scare, the other to demonstrate solidarity with the Iranian people.
Can you guess which is which? The captions hold the answer.
A Palestinian man wearing a face mask walks in Burka village near the West Bank city of Nablus June 28, 2009. Residents of the West Bank village took precautions on Sunday after Israeli media reported a family of 11 was infected by the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK HEALTH)
An Israeli woman lights a candle during a demonstration in Tel Aviv in support of Iranian opposition protestors. Iran’s opposition leaders rejected a panel set up to hold a partial recount in the disputed presidential vote as political deadlock continued to grip the Islamic republic. (AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand)
5:22PM: Introducing our latest weapon: Zionist Well Toxins of Death.TM
Israeli soldiers poured dirt, stones and toxic chemicals in the only well in the hamlet of Khirbat Makehl near the village of Ya’bad in the northern West Bank overnight on Saturday, according to Palestinians in the community.
The village’s official representative, Walid Hamdan, said soldiers riding in three military jeeps entered the community overnight and sabotaged the well. The chemicals caused the water to change color and taste, he said.
The 80 cubic-meter well is the only source of water for the village of 70 to 80 families, Hamdan said.
So the moral of the story is they should not throw the Jew down the well. We might just poison it.
5:12PM: Ynet reports:
Jackson fans in Israel mourn his death
Dozens of Israeli Michael Jackson fans gathered at Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv Saturday night to mourn the loss of their beloved pop icon.
Hardly a huge turnout.
Meanwhile, Michael Freund has some harsh words for him (hat tip: Shy Guy)
While much of the world mourns the untimely death of the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson, it is worth recalling one of Mr. Jackson’s more unfortunate qualities: he was an anti-Semite.
In case you think I am making this up, allow me to refresh your memory.
Back in November 2005, Jackson was caught on tape in a voicemail to one of his former business managers calling Jews “leeches”. The tapes were played on ABC’s Good Morning America program, and Jackson was heard saying, “They suck…they’re like leeches. It’s a conspiracy. The Jews do it on purpose.”
And in 1995, Jackson provoked a firestorm of protest when he released an album called HIStory containing a song entitled “They don’t care about us” which had the following lyrics: “Jew me, sue me” and “Kick me, kike me”. He subsequently promised to re-record the song and delete the offending lyrics.
But then, in February 1996, Jackson nonetheless released a video of the song in which he had re-instated the brazenly anti-Semitic remarks.
So before you go shedding a tear in Michael Jackson’s memory, take a moment and consider the hate that he spewed against Jews, both in private and in public.
And then maybe you’ll consider saving those tears for someone far more deserving.
6:15AM: Here is Israel’s Omri Casspi being selected by the Sacramento Kings at no.23, in the first round of the NBA draft.
