John Minto is New Zealand's biggest tool

In case there was any doubt, it's now official.  John Minto is New Zealand's biggest tool.

Whale Oil was the first to break full details of the Anti Israel rally in Auckland.  Flag burning, Swastikas and racist rhetoric all on offer.

But John Minto and Mana alone were the only politicians defending the flag burning.

Minto said he was not aware of the burning, but did not believe it was inappropriate.

"I can't see what the problem is," Minto said. "Flags have been burnt in demonstrations and protests for hundreds of years so it's no big deal."

It was not an organised part of the protest and someone must have taken it upon themselves to do it, he said.

Burning the flag is not just an insult - it represents the destruction of the nation and its people, violently.

As well as glorifying violence from Hamas, John Minto is happy to promote violence.

One of my greatest wishes is to see the New Zealand people reject such behaviour at the ballot box in September.

How to criticise Israel without being anti-semitic

This link was posted by some Left Wing Jews who were sick of marching with Swastikas at peace rallies

I don't agree with much they say, but it highlights a lot about what they are faced with!

One point - should people criticize Israel in it's entirety? I think not - you can criticise the government, but not a wide stereotype of the entire country. e.g. If you don't like the policy of the Abbott government on say climate change or some such, you criticise the government, not the entire nation and it's people.

An open condemnation of the murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir

We unequivocally condemn the horrific murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir. It was unjustifiable under any circumstances. The killing was reprehensible and we hope that the criminals who did this sickening act are found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Israel is a country run by the rule of law. There are reports that Jews have been arrested for this crime. If a trial finds that Jews are indeed guilty of this unconscionable killing, our condemnation is redoubled. The idea that Jews could do such an act fills us with shame and horror.

The people who murdered Mohammed do not represent us in any way. It is not enough to dissociate ourselves from the dreadful act; we must also ensure that crimes like this are never repeated.

Just as the appalling murders of Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar do not in any way justify the hideous murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, neither does Khdeir's murder justify the violence, terrorism, destruction and incitement we have seen over the past few days against Israelis and Jews. 

We hope and pray that everyone, Arab and Jew, lives in peace and security in the region.

Signed,

TimG_Oz

TimG_OZ totally endorses this letter from Elder of Ziyyon and his invitation to any blogger, columnist or pundit to sign on to this letter in the comments section of his blog so he can add to the signature list. Bloggers are also encouraged to reproduce this letter on their own blogs.

Correction to maps showing the last 70 years

Can Stuff get their headlines correct

This headline appears in Stuff today "Israeli leader wants 'war'"

But, hang on - read the article.

This is not the statement of an Israeli leader, but a statement from a Palestinian "Official".

Can we get a correct headline please.  How about "Israeli leaders want their boys back".  This is in response to a terrible kidnapping, which Palestinian leadership is showing extreme recalcitrance.

Israelis / Palestinians - Who is Indigenous?

In Australia and New Zealand, the far left wing activists have tried to change the Palestinian narrative by using the word "Indigenous".  But who is Indigenous?

This article from IsreallyCool, makes an answer.

The argument that Palestinians are indigenous is incorrect for several reasons.

• Approximately 50% percent of Palestinian Arabs can track their ancestors back farther than their great-grandparents. Many are descended from Arabs brought to the Levant by the British to build infrastructure after World War I.
• The vast majority of Palestinians are Arabic speaking Muslims; the Arabic language is indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula, as is the Muslim religion. The Muslim religion’s holiest places are not in the Levant, but in the city of Mecca, located in the Arabian Peninsula. They have no specifically Palestinian culture that is completely Palestinian dating before the 1960s; in fact, prior to that, the majority identified as “greater Syrians.”
• Some Palestinians share common ancestry with indigenous peoples, but they neither follow indigenous traditions nor do they self-identify as those indigenous peoples. They share neither religion nor language with them. Blood quantum alone is insufficient to transmit indigenous status.
• The Arabs of the Middle East subsumed several indigenous populations, but no group can become indigenous through subsuming indigenous peoples. Rather, they conquered the entire region and spread their own language, customs, and religion. This is historical fact.

Now you might ask, why is this important? It is important to indigenous people because we cannot allow the argument that conquerors can become indigenous. If we, as other indigenous people, allow that argument to be made, then we are delegitimising our own rights.

If conquerors can become indigenous, then the white Europeans who came to my indigenous lands in North America could now claim to be indigenous. The white Europeans who went toAustralia and New Zealand could now claim to be indigenous. If we, even once, allow that argument to be made, indigenous rights are suddenly devalued and meaningless. This is somewhat peculiar, as those who are arguing for Palestinian “indigenous rights” are usually those who have little grasp of the history, and no understanding of the truth behind indigenous rights.

If you should encounter the argument that conquerors may themselves become indigenous to a region by virtue of conquering, direct those who assert the argument to this article, and help them understand not only is the argument wrong – it is dangerous to Indigenous people everywhere.

I remember reading that only the Nomadic tribes - i.e. Bedouin can be considered indigenous in the area.  Very interesting.

Are they serious?

Sadly this appears to not be an April Fools Joke.

An activist company called "Toothfish" have created a poster of John Key in Nazi uniform.  They want it published throughout the country before the September 2014 election.

It's very important to state how offensive this is.  The uniform still shows a skull and crossbones.  If these "activists" seriously think New Zealand is anything like the Genocidal state of Nazi Germany they need their heads read.  If they don't, then they should stand up and acknowledge how ridiculous and offensive this is.

If I was a National supporter, I'd be quietly happy.  It's so laughable and polarising, it's more likely to turn people off their cause.

Helen Clark impressed on first visit to Israel

It was good to see a lot of positive reports from Helen Clark's first visit as the UN Development Program. 

She visited both Israeli and Palestinian representatives, and generally held herself well.

I didn't see too much political comment, but lots of positive things like this article telling about how she was blown away by Israeli innovation.  From a former NZ PM, she would be very familiar with NZ innovation, so this is a big statement.

Given people are suggesting her as a possible head of the UN, it is good to see her not pulling political sides, as many in the past have suggested she may be anti Israel.

NZ Labour Party appoints Matt McCarten as Chief of Staff

The New Zealand Labour party has strangely appointed Matt McCarten as Chief of Staff.  This is a bizarre move if they actually plan to win government - surely they would need to chase the center vote.  This appears to be a move aimed at winning back the Green vote, maybe to shore up a shot at the 2017 election.

Chances are it may have the opposite effect, in that it drives the center left away. 

Given Matt McCarten's outwardly hostile and offensive comments towards Jews and Israel, I can only hope that Labour never get close to power while he is around.  While he is, the Green party are looking more centrist - especially when you consider he last came from Mana.

No evidence in Khazar theory

There's no chance this will convince people, but a study shows there is no evidence in the theory that Ahkenazi Jews are descended from Khazars.

The most important quote of course is this:

Of course, the fact that a major study finds no basis to the Khazar theory won’t make it go away. But next time you run into some academic promoting it, check their motives. they should be worn visibly on their sleeve.

Some of Auckland's gay community support their own persecution

This is really strange.  You think a Gay Pride march would be supportive of countries which support freedoms and equality, whilst against those which are against.

Not so a group in Auckland.  Someone compared "Queers for Palestine" a bit like "Turkeys for Thanksgiving".  It doesn't make sense.

Anyway, I look forward to them attending Gay Pride week in Gaza City.  I hope they like motorcycle rides, but it might not be quite what they expect.

Palestinians that are also Egyptian and Syrian

A lot of commentators, especially in Australia and New Zealand, like to refer to Palestinians as "indigenous".  This seems strange, when many come from other Arab countries.  This article has some interesting points.

• Arafat was born in Egypt
• Hamas Minister with large amount of Egyptian family wished to vote in Egyptian election
• Large influx of Egyptians in the 1800s

The (1831-1840) conquest, by Egypt’s Mohammed Ali, was solidified by a flow of Egyptian and Sudanese migrants settling empty spaces between Gaza and Tul-Karem up to the Hula Valley. They followed in the footsteps of thousands of Egyptian draft dodgers, who fled Egypt before 1831 and settled in Acre. The British traveler, H.B. Tristram, identified, in his 1865 The Land of Israel: a journal of travels in Palestine (p. 495), Egyptian migrants in the Beit-Shean Valley, Acre, Hadera, Netanya and Jaffa.

The British Palestine Exploration Fund documented that Egyptian neighborhoods proliferated in the Jaffa area: Saknet el-Mussariya, Abu Kebir, Abu Derwish, Sumeil, Sheikh Muwanis, Salame’, Fejja, etc. In 1917, the Arabs of Jaffa represented at least 25 nationalities, including Persians, Afghanis, Hindus and Balochis. Hundreds of Egyptian families settled in Ara’ Arara’, Kafer Qassem, Taiyiba and Qalansawa.

“Ibrahim Pasha, Palestine’s Egyptian conqueror, had left behind him permanent colonies of Egyptian immigrants at Beisan, Nablus, Irbid, Acre and Jaffa. Some 500 Egyptian soldiers’ families established a new quarter [in Jaffa], and that was only one among countless similar situations.

Julie Bishop: "Don't call settlements illegal"

Australia's Foreign Minister has repaired ties that Bob Carr tried to destroy with his moronic push for votes.

In an exclusive interview with the Times of Israel she questioned why settlements are illegal.

Asked whether she agrees or disagrees with the near-universal view that Israeli settlements anywhere beyond the 1967 lines are illegal under international law, she replied: “I would like to see which international law has declared them illegal.”

The position that settlements breach international law — adopted by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and many other states and international bodies, but rejected by Israel — is based on an interpretation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Article 49, paragraph 6, states that an occupying power “shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” Violations of the convention are considered war crimes under international law. Israel is a party to the convention and therefore bound by it.

“Our interest is in a negotiated peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians and we believe that every opportunity should be given to those negotiations to proceed to its solution,” said Bishop, who came to Israel on Monday to attend the funeral of former prime minister Ariel Sharon. “I don’t think it’s helpful to prejudge the settlement issue if you’re trying to get a negotiated solution. And by deeming the activity as a war crime, it’s unlikely to engender a negotiated solution.”

Her aim is a negotiated peace agreement.  Thankfully there seems to be unilateral support by the major parties in Australia,

 

Ariel Sharon Dies

Today we had the announcement that Ariel Sharon has passed away.

Much has been said about his legacy - he managed to defend Israel from annihilation, and was well on the road to creating peace with his Kadima party.

Many lies are also told, mainly on the Arab side. 

After 8 years in a coma, it seems he is at rest.  The world is a better place for his legacy.

Israel Pro-Palestinians rescued from Palestinians

A group of Pro-Palestinian Israelis needed to be rescued in the West Bank from a violent attack by Palestinians

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinians threw rocks Thursday at a West Bank hotel, shattering windows and breaking up a meeting of Israeli and Palestinian peace activists.

The conference was cut short and three dozen Israeli participants were rushed out the back door, put on Palestinian police buses and driven to safety, organizers said.

The gathering was to have marked the start of two days of meetings by a grassroots group bringing ordinary Israelis and Palestinians together for mock peace talks, organizers said.

Protesters said they object to attempts at normalizing Israeli-Palestinian relations at a time when Israel's military occupation of Palestinian lands continues.

The anti-normalization movement of Palestinians is totally against any existence of a Zionist state, and violence is their accepted means

About 35 Israelis and 50 Palestinians participated in Thursday's gathering, the first the group has held in the West Bank, said Palestinian organizer Ibrahim Enbawi.

Israeli and Palestinian flags were set up in the hotel's conference room.

After word of the gathering got out, about 30 protesters showed up outside the hotel. Protesters tried to enter the hotel, but found the doors locked, and then began throwing stones that shattered several windows and glass doors.

Israeli participant Rami Cohen, a former air force pilot, said he felt uncomfortable after the stone-throwing, but expressed understanding for the protesters.

"There is more anger here than in Israel because the Palestinians suffer more than us," said Cohen, 56, who works for a high tech company in Tel Aviv. "One day, I hope it will be safe for us here in Ramallah as it is safe for us in Tel Aviv."

Nice of him to be an apologist for those attacking him

Jamal Jumaa, a leading Palestinian activist, said he joined the protest because he believes such gatherings distort reality, but said he was not among those throwing stones.

"When they (Israelis) come like this to the middle of Ramallah, they have another agenda, which is to clean up the face of the occupation, to show that Palestinians and Israelis are co-existing when in fact they are not," he said in a telephone interview.

The invitation to the event had said each delegation would include 20 people reflecting the entire political spectrum. It said the objective was to produce a peace agreement in five sessions over two days. It was not clear if the meetings would continue.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been trying to forge agreement on the outlines of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, but more than five months after the start of the current round of talks, gaps remain wide.

If the two groups are serious about peace, then actually living together safely is key.