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Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has championed the American proposal for gradual normalization between the Arab world and Israel, given Egypt’s appreciation of its peace with Israel, attained after Israel gave away huge swaths of land it had captured while defending herself.
Updates (Israel time; most recent at top)
11:10PM: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has told UN Secretary General “Banky” Moon that we won’t cooperate with their interrogation into alleged Israeli war crimes.
And he raises a good point.
Rather than question Israel’s military activities during the Gaza war earlier this year, Barak told Ban Ki Moon, the United Nations should investigate why militant rocket fire has yet to stop after eight consecutive years.
9:23PM: Spot the difference (hat tip: Solomonia).
And here’s a more detailed look at the differences in body language.
8:58PM: The NY Times has reported that the Obama administration is considering a series of symbolic measures to force Israel to halt all construction in West Bank “settlements”, such as withdrawing automatic support for Israel in UN debates on the Middle East.
8:15PM: How stupid do you have to be to call yourself an Orthodox Jew, yet stand besides a man holding a vehemently anti-Semitic sign besmirching Rabbis? (thanks to Vicious Babushka in the comments)
8:08PM: Just retired Major-General (Res.) Elazar Stern is apparently no fan of Israeli supermodel Bar Rafaeli.
The retired general said he has stopped buying products advertised by supermodel Bar Refaeli, “ever since they decided to put a draft dodger on their products – external beauty overpowering internal beauty.
6:15PM: As was the case with last year’s Salute to Israel parade in NY, there were those who staged particularly offensive counter protests.
Here are some photos I found on a Muslim forum site.
No Jew hatred here. Just resentment of “Zionists,” right?
May God Send the Mushroom Cloud From the Sky. Yep, these are people with whom we can talk about coexistence! Also, notice the guy holding the Auschwitz poster. He sure looks familiar…
Here’s a better look. It is none other than Juice Guy from last year.
(By the way, the Yousef al Khattab you will see posting the offensive videos and images on the Muslim forum is a former Jew).
5:53PM: Here’s a Press TV report showing American students visiting Gaza.
Needless to say, a visit to Sderot, or any other attempts to truly understand the situation, are not part of the agenda.
3:42PM: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu refuses to be Mr Freeze.
The American demand to freeze settlement construction for natural growth is not reasonable, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Monday.
The premier thereby confirmed a exclusive Jerusalem Post report published Monday stating that despite intense pressure from the Obama administration to do so, Israel will not freeze settlement construction for natural growth.
Speaking to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in his first address since taking office, Netanyahu also confirmed the Post story according to which he would remove illegal settlement outposts.
Netanyahu said “we are ready to renew negotiations immediately and without preconditions. We are willing to pursue also a diplomatic track, not just the economic-security track. We do not wish to rule over the Palestinians, but we won’t allow them to build an army and to forge an alliance with Iran.”
“We will not build new settlements. Our intention is to dismantle illegal outposts. There are reasonable demands and there are unreasonable demands. The fate of the settlements will be determined in a final status agreement,” he continued.
1:43PM: According to the head of the research division of Military Intelligence, Iran could have enough fissile material for a first nuclear bomb by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, it looks like disaster will visit Israel in September.
6:08AM: Former IDF chief of general staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz yesterday revealed that we attempted to assassinate Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Unfortunately, all that happened is Nasrallah required a new pair of underwear.
In the conference at Tel Aviv University, Halutz also warned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu against engaging in a diplomatic conflict with the US.
6:00AM: Many of you may not have been aware that the people of Gaza have been experiencing power cuts over the past few days, a situation that is likely to continue until Wednesday this week.
That is because no-one is complaining they are short of electricity, and there are no photographs of palestinians holding vigils by candlelight like we saw when Israel reduced the supply of electricity to Gaza following the incessant rocket attacks on Israel from the Strip.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that the people of Gaza seem to have enough electricity for their needs.
5:50AM: Yesterday, tens of thousands of Israel supporters crowded Fifth Avenue for the Salute to Israel parade celebrating the birth of the modern day state of Israel in 1948.
