Magazine names head of anti-Semitic Ukrainian political party its ‘Personality of the Year’
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Ukrainian politician Oleh Tyahnybok—whose politics have been compared to those of the Nazi party—has been chosen as “Personality of the Year” by the Korrespondent magazine.
Korrespondent is one of the most influential weekly news magazines in Ukraine. While the magazine does not endorse Tyahnybok—the leader of Ukrain’s far-right Svoboda party—or his views, 40 percent of readers nominated him because he is the leader of Ukraine’s opposition and regarded as one of the most charismatic figures in Ukranian politics. Many Ukrainians are disenchanted with the current government.
Nevertheless, Tyahnybok is known for his xenophobia, anti-Semitism and strongly nationalist views. Formerly a doctor, in 2005 Tyahnybok called on the Russian president to investigate “criminal activities of organized Jewry in Ukraine.”
In elections at the end of November, Svoboda won 37 seats in the Ukrainian parliament. His party’s members soon drew attention through several anti-Semitic statements. Among other things, the party claims that the word, “zhid,” a derogatory word for Jew, is an acceptable word. Previously, Jewish groups had asked the Ukrainian Justice Ministry to ban use of the word, after a member of Svoboda used the slur against American actress Mila Kunis, who is Jewish and of Ukranian descent.
The number-four man in the Svoboda party, Ihor Myroshnychenko, wrote about Kunis on his Facebook page: “She is not Ukrainian, she is a Jewess by birth. She is proud of this and the Star of David. But she says nothing and expresses nothing positive about the country in which she was born. I can’t bring myself to say she is Ukrainian. Let her love America or Israel, people must not attach her to the Ukraine!”
Palestinians plot ‘political track’ of isolation, Israel seeks ‘re-emergence’ of peace talks
(JNS.org) Equipped with upgraded nonmember observer state status at the United Nations, the Palestinians are plotting a series of steps to isolate Israel—including filing war crimes charges in international courts, mass demonstrations, and an end to security cooperation with the Jewish state—according to interviews Palestinian Authority officials gave the Associated Press.
The coming year “will see a new Palestinian political track,” Hussam Zumlot, an aide to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, told AP.
“There will be new rules in our relationship with Israel and the world,” Zumlot said.
Current prospects for peace indeed look dim, as only 28.2% of Israelis believe that Israel has a partner for peace in negotiations with the Palestinians, according to a recently released by Gal Hadash.
Yet, Israel in 2013 is committed to “the re-emergence of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating process,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman, Mark Regev, told AP.
“There is no substitute for direct talks,” Regev said. “You’re not going to make peace in resolutions at the United Nations or other international forums.”
If peace talks were to take place, 76 percent of all Israelis believe that not even a withdrawal to the 1967 lines or a division of Jerusalem would solve the conflict with the Palestinians, according to a survey released by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
On Dec. 20—the same day PA officials detailed their isolationist strategy to the AP—two Palestinians attacked an Israel Defense Forces soldier at the A-Ram checkpoint near Ramallah, spraying him with tear gas and taking his rifle, Israel Hayom reported. The soldier sustained minor injuries.
Spanish satellite provider bans Iranian channel that blamed Newtown shootings on Israel
(JNS.org) Two Iranian television channels, including one that recently blamed the Newtown, Conn., school shooting on “Israeli death squads”—were banned from Hispasat, a Spanish communication satellites group.
“This is an important development in the worldwide effort to contain the defiant regime in Tehran, one we have been watching carefully for months and discussing with our friends in Spain,” American Jewish Committee (AJC) Executive Director David Harris said in a statement Dec. 20.
Hisapat terminated the broadcasting of Iran’s Press TV and Hispan TV. In its “reporting” on gunman Adam Lanza’s murder of 26 people (20 children, six staffers) at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Press TV cited former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Michael Harris—an Arizona-based contributor to the anti-Semitic web site, Veterans Today—who said Israeli “revenge” and “rage” against the U.S. were behind the shooting. Lanza, the channel said, was Israel’s “fall guy.”
“This is another case where Israel has chosen violence and terrorism where their bullying in Washington has failed,” Press TV quoted Harris as saying.
AJC’s Harris said, “No satellite company in the Western world should enable the dissemination of propaganda from an Iranian government that denies human rights, supports terror organizations and is determined to achieve nuclear weapons capability.”
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UN confirms Hezbollah involvement in Syria
(JNS.org) As the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad comes under increasing assault by the rebels, a United Nations report says Hezbollah terrorists have joined the fight.
According to UN human rights investigators, the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah has confirmed it has members fighting in Syria on behalf of the government, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Hezbollah has long been suspected of aiding its Syrian ally along with Iran, which confirmed in September that Revolution Guards were fighting in Syria.
Meanwhile, rebel forces have begun pushing into minority Christian and Alawite strongholds near Hama, igniting fears of sectarian violence.
Many Christians have remained supportive of the government due to suspicions of hardline Islamists in the rebel groups. However, rebel forces are hopeful Christians will shift allegiance.
“We have been in touch with Christian opposition activists in al-Suqeilabiya and we have told them to stay downstairs or on the lowest floor of their building as possible, and not to go outside,” a Syrian activist told Reuters.
However, the Alawites present a more difficult challenge. Most are fiercely loyal to the government of President Assad, who hails from the sect.
Despite fears from world leaders, rebel commanders insist that they are fighting the government and not any particular sect.
“If we are fired at from a Sunni village that is loyal to the regime we go in and we liberate it and clean it,” a rebel commander said. “So should we not do the same when it comes to an Alawite village just because there is a fear of an all-out sectarian war? We respond to the source of fire.”
Survey: Three-quarters of Israelis do not believe territorial concessions will solve conflict
(JNS.org) The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs has released the results of a survey, “Views of the Israeli Public on Israeli Security and Resolution of the Arab-Israeli Conflict,” showing that 76 percent of all Israelis and 83 percent of Jewish Israelis do not believe that a withdrawal to the 1967 lines and a division of Jerusalem would solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The findings were derived from a representative sample of responses from Israeli adults, gathered by telephone this November.
Also according to the survey results, 61 percent of Israeli Jews think that it is more important for Israel to have defensible borders than to have peace that would ensure Israel’s security. This percentage went up from 49 percent in 2005. Seventy-eight percent of Israeli Jews also said they would change their vote if their preferred political party expresses willingness to relinquish eastern Jerusalem to Palestinian control. Fifty-nine percent of Israeli Jews feel the same way about the Jordan Valley.
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Preceding provided by JNS.org