wednesday’s “news in review” round-up

WEDNESDAY’S “NEWS IN REVIEW” ROUND-UP

WEEKLY QUOTES

“Thank God that the fate of Israel and of the Jewish people is not decided in this hall. This resolution cannot but embolden those who are the true enemies of the Israeli and Palestinian people.”—Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman, criticizing the General Assembly’s approval of a resolution that called on Israel to obey the ICJ’s July 9 ruling to dismantle the anti-terrorist fence. Aside from Israel, the U.S., Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau and Australia voted against the resolution. Canada, Uruguay, Cameroon, Tonga, Vanuatu, El Salvador, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and the Solomon Islands abstained from voting. The European Union voted in favour of the resolution. (Jerusalem Post, July 21)

“After a thousand Israeli fatalities in the last four years, and 150 suicide bombing attacks, Israel has every moral right to complete the fence as planned.”--Foreign policy advisor to PM Ariel Sharon Dore Gold, arguing that the UN resolution is “fundamentally unbalanced and destabilizing because it calls on Israel to remove the shield protecting it without doing anything about the sword of Palestinian terrorism that remains drawn.” (Jerusalem Post, July 21)

“If I have to advise our brothers in France, I’ll tell them one thing–move to Israel, as early as possible. I say that to Jews all around the world, but there, I think it’s a must and they have to move immediately.”—Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, calling on French Jews to leave the country because of rising antisemitism. Sharon’s comments have caused a major uproar in France, which is demanding an explanation before it agrees to allow Sharon to make a possible visit to the country. (New York Times, July 19; National Post, July 20)

“For many months already, people have been begging president Arafat, the head of the Palestinian Authority, to carry out reform. President Arafat is responsible for this situation. We’ve had enough, and we insist on real reforms. We are fed up with this method of administration.”—PA Deputy Defense Minister Safian Abu Zaideh, criticizing Arafat for creating the increase in violence in the Gaza Strip. (Globe and Mail, July 19)

“Arafat is attempting to create an illusion of reforms, but he has no intention of implementing them. It’s a game of musical chairs with the same old familiar tune. The kidnappers view the kidnapping as an opportunity to pressure Arafat, who continues to retain all authority,””—Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, referring to the state of lawlessness that broke out over the weekend in the Gaza Strip. Israeli President Moshe Katsav called for Arafat’s resignation, claiming “Arafat would do the Palestinians a great service if he leaves his post to make way for sane forces with whom a settlement can be reached.” (Ma’ariv International, July 20)

“This summer--as many Canadian children are learning to paddle a canoe…Palestinian ‘campers’ aged between seven and 15 will be dressed in military uniforms and taught how to use guns and assemble explosives. Some camps are run by Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Some of the teachers are masked gunmen involved in terrorist activities, held up as role models for emulation. Generally, the camps’ curricula include such harmless activities as computers and sports. But the ideological focus in on martyrdom. A camp counselor, Muhammed al-Hattab, recently told television interviewers: ‘We are teaching the children that suicide bombing is the only thing that make[s] the Israeli people very frightened. Furthermore, we are teaching them that we have the right to do it.’… The Palestinian leadership’s systematic campaign to brainwash and recruit Palestinian youth helps show why Israel has taken strong steps to protect itself. No matter what happens to Mr. Arafat and his Palestinian Authority in coming months and years, their legacy of hatred and violence will remain in the hearts and minds of the children they’ve trained to become killers.”—Barry Rubin, Director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, on the exploitation of Palestinian children for terrorist activities. (National Post, July 21)

“I’m hopeful, I’m optimistic, I think all the ingredients for success are there. But I do want to stress this whole enterprise is in support of the Iraqi government and the people themselves. They’ve got the lead responsibility. They’ve assumed full responsibility, responsibility for the exercise of their sovereignty on the 28th of June. Really it’s a question of trying to enable them as rapidly as possible to meet these various goals.”—John D. Negroponte, the new American ambassador to Iraq, reaffirming Iraq sovereignty, while sidestepping the issue of American authority in the new Iraqi government. (NYT, July 18)

“The Al-Jazeera television network has broadcast a viewer e-mail describing Jews as ‘the sons of apes and pigs.’ On another program, a Saudi cleric blamed the 9/11 attacks on ‘Jewish evil and deception.’ Phone-in contributors to Al-Jazeera refer to the ‘Holocaust myth,’ described as the ‘the biggest lie of the 20th and 21st centuries.’… A controversial and, some suggest, biased television network…will be available from coast to coast. In its decision approving distribution of the Al-Jazeera signal and warning that content will be monitored, the CRTC quotes its own regulation prohibiting ‘any abusive comment or any abusive pictorial representation that, when taken in context, tends to or is likely to expose an individual or group of individuals to hatred or contempt on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or mental or physical ability.–Mike Boone, noting the hypocrisy of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s decision to pull a local radio license after one of their talk-show hosts made sexist and abusive comments on air, but to begin broadcasting Al-Jazeera in Canada. (Gazette, July 16)

“I think as a foreign policy, we’ve got it right in Canada.” Pierre Pettigrew, after being named Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister. Pettigrew added that “as a Quebecer, he would bring the ‘liberal’ outlook on the world, which many in Quebec hold, to his new job.” Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin included six other Quebecers to his new cabinet, Irwin Cotler, Stephane Dion, Liza Frulla, Jean Lapierre, Lucienne Robillard, Jacques Saada. (National Post, Canwest News, July 21)

“I am disappointed but not surprised by this flagrant denial of due process. Ambassador MacKinnon will be returning to Canada immediately.”—Outgoing Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham, after top diplomats and foreign media were expelled, for the second time, from the trial of Zahra Kazemi in Iran. The Iranian-Canadian journalist died after being severely beaten while in custody for photographing a protest outside of a Tehran prison. (National Post, July 19)