Comments on News 6/24 I

Ya’alon sent last week to Geneva for talks with Turks

Likud minister told Turks that Israel would be willing to pay compensation to 'Marmara' victims' families, but not apologize, Channel 2 reports.

FP: Was I right or what? Israel did not like it when Saddam Hussein compensated the families of killed terrorists; it does not like when the PA does the same for “martyrs”. But it pays them itself. Unbelievable. What is more, see next.

'Erdogan to Abbas: Turkey will support PA statehood bid'

Turkish president reportedly calls for global support of Palestinian unity gov't; Erekat says Turks to enlist more nations to back state, Ma'an reports.

FP: Let’s beg Erdogan for friendship.

Muslim Brotherhood Creates Super-Coalition

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has created a coalition of 17 parties, including liberal and secular groups, to form a common platform ahead of legislative elections, Egyprian state media said Wednesday.
The new political alliance, including the Brotherood's Freedom and Justice Party, the liberal Wafd party, the left-leaning Tagammu, and the newly formed Salafi (Muslim Fundamentalist) Noor party, say they joined forces to "channel their efforts... into building a state of law based on citizenship, equality and sovereignty of the people."
In a statement, the parties outlined their common principles including "freedom of belief and worship", freedom of expression and a free media, the independence of the judiciary, and "an economic system based on social justice."
The members also reportedly discussed the idea of a unified list in the coming legislative polls, but disparate sectarian goals and worldviews between the party's may render such a move unrealistic.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egypt's interim junta which took power following president Hosni Mubarak's ouster on February 11, has scheduled parliamentary elections for September.

FP: If I were to guess what is behind this, I would say that the MB is using the other parties to gain power, after which they will either play by its rules, or be abandoned; they can also be useful as a blame target given the impossibility of addressing Egypt’s economic woes. As to the coalition platform, the terminology it uses should be interpreted in its Islamist, not Western sense. There is no way they will allow freedom of religion other than for Islam (as the post-Mubarak eruption against Copts has already demonstrated, and their anti-semitic stance is well known). And Islamic (sharia) social justice is nothing like Western social justice.

PA Will "Tolerate" Limited Israeli Construction

PA officials said they were willing to tolerate limited Israeli construction in Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem during future talks.

FP: The process of “moderate” statements to persuade the West to support a Palestinian state continues. Are these statements made in Arabic to the Palestinian street? What about the right of return and Hamas?

Police Report: All

Norway’s police issues report with amazing statistic: all assault rapes in Oslo in 2010 were perpetrated by Muslims.

FP: Norway has brought on itself an advanced version of the PostWest.

Hezbollah says it finds 3 CIA-recruited spies within group

"The Israelis failed to penetrate the structure of Hezbollah so they have turned to the CIA for help," Nasrallah claims, says spies were not from within senior leadership and did not pose threat to group's security.

FP: The media had just mentioned a multitude of Israeli spies within Hezballah, now they’re claiming Israel failed? And they rely on CIA???? Please, give me a break. Looks like Iran complements Iran’s US accusations to help Assad and incite the Arab street against the US. Let’s engage them.

Hamas: Revoking prisoners' privileges is against int'l law

Group responds to Netanyahu's announcement he will revoke privileges from Palestinian prisoners in bid to pressure Hamas over Schalit deal.

FP: Don’t know whether to laugh or cry. But the expected international reaction that I predicted in a previous post, it’s not funny.