EU roadmap for ties with Iran accused of ignoring antisemitism, terrorism

JTA

Iraqi Shi’ite Muslim men from the Iranian-backed group Kataib Hezbollah wave the party’s flags as they walk along a street painted in the colours of the Israeli flag during a parade marking the annual Quds Day. (photo credit:REUTERS)

The European Parliament is set to vote on a roadmap for relations with Iran that critics charge sidesteps Tehran’s endorsement of antisemitism, terrorism, and calls to destroy Israel.

Compiled by Richard Howitt, a member of the European Union’s legislative arm for Britain’s Labour Party and a close ally of party leader Jeremy Corbyn, the draft report on “EU strategy towards Iran after the nuclear agreement” is scheduled to be voted on Thursday by the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Brussels.

The draft document, which sets principles for normalization of European Union relations with Iran following the agreement to lift sanctions from Tehran in exchange for the scaling back of its nuclear program, contains one single criticism of Iran, regarding its use of the death penalty. It does not mention Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism, support for Holocaust denial, and threats to destroy Israel.

“Iran’s revolutionary legacy and its constitution as an Islamic state must not be an impediment for finding common ground on matters related to democracy or human rights,” the document states. Omitting reference to Iran’s support for the Hezbollah military wing, which is on the EU list of terrorist groups, the document “welcomes Iran’s contribution to the fight against ISIS.”

The report in its current form “is a serious blow to the standing of the European Parliament as a defender of human rights, justice and freedom,” Daniel Schwammenthal, director of the American Jewish Committee’s EU Office, the AJC Transatlantic Institute, said in a statement.

Iran has been accused of fueling sectarian violence that has killed hundreds of thousands of people in Syria and Iraq.

Many EU sanctions on Iran have been lifted, along with other international sanctions, under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — the formal name for the deal reached last year between six major world powers, led by the United States, and Iran, exchanging sanctions relief for a rollback of nuclear development in Iran.

Israel has opposed the deal, claiming it will pave Iran’s way to nuclear offensive capabilities rather than block it, as US President Barack Obama said the agreement would.

The document devotes considerable attention to the benefits of trade between Iran and Europe following the lifting of sanctions and notes that “European investments are key” for Iran’s stated objective of achieving a yearly growth rate of 8 percent.

Iran has faced criticism over its support for terrorist groups, persecution of minorities, state-sponsored torture, persecution of dissidents and journalists, and other human rights violations. In addition, it has been condemned for hosting last year the Second International Holocaust Cartoon Contest in Tehran. The event was decried as anti-Semitic by UNESCO, Germany and the United States, among others.

Noting this, the Transatlantic Institute wrote in its Oct. 3 statement that it is “deeply concerned over the European Parliament’s failure to mention let alone criticize in its draft Iran report Tehran’s anti-Semitic propaganda and repeated calls for the destruction of Israel; its support for international terrorism, and illegal ballistic missile tests.”

Szymon Peres nie żyje. “Urodził się w świecie, w którym państwo Izrael istniało tylko w snach”

Anna Mokrzanowska

Szymon Peres / Źródło: Newspix.pl / fot. ABACAUSA

Były prezydent Izraela i jeden z twórców tego państwa Szymon Peres zmarł w wieku 93 lat. Od kilkunastu dni przebywał w szpitalu, gdzie trafił z powodu udaru mózgu. Peres był jednym z najbardziej szanowanych i popularnych polityków zarówno w Izraelu, jak i na świecie.

Szimon Peres, a właściwie Szymon Perski, urodził się w dniu 2 sierpnia 1923 w polskiej miejscowości Wiszniewo, w biednej żydowskiej rodzinie. Jego ojciec handlował drewnem, a matka pracowała w szkole jako nauczycielka. Peres dorastał ucząc się języka polskiego i polskiej literatury w szkole, co ukształtowało jego późniejsze dorosłe życie. Ilekroć mówił po hebrajsku, przebijał się jego polski akcent. – Sposób, w jaki mówił, jego akcent zawsze wszystkich ujmował w Izraelu. Ten piękny, poetycki hebrajski z głębokim polskim akcentem, miał znaczenie symboliczne związane z założycielami naszego państwa – mówił Jonny Daniels, założyciel i prezes Fundacji From The Depths działającej na rzecz budowania relacji polsko – żydowskich.

W 1934 roku Peres wyemigrował wraz z rodziną do Palestyny, gdzie w 1947 r. wstąpił do paramilitarnej organizacji żydowskiej Hagana. W wieku 29 lat został mianowany dyrektorem generalnym ministerstwa obrony narodowej. Dzięki jego wysiłkom Izrael rozpoczął budowę reaktora nuklearnego Dimona, a także wszedł w sojusz z Francją i Wielką Brytanią, czyli państwami, z którymi interweniował na Półwyspie Synaj w 1956 roku w czasie tzw. kryzysu sueskiego. Jego kariera polityczna na dobre rozpoczęła się w 1959 roku, kiedy po raz pierwszy został wybrany do Knesetu.

„Kiedy poczułem, że Arabowie są otwarci na negocjacje, powiedziałem, że ja również”

Były prezydent Izraela był wielkim orędownikiem pokoju na Bliskim Wschodzie. Peres wypracowywał również porozumienie pokojowe z Egiptem i Jordanią – jedynymi krajami arabskimi, z którymi Izrael podpisał traktaty pokojowe. Mimo wcześniejszych raczej ostrych wypowiedzi, z czasem opowiadał się za wypracowaniem “terytorialnego porozumienia” i wprowadzenia środków pokojowych. Zmianę nastawienia tłumaczył tym, że „przede wszystkim sytuacja stała się inna ”. – Kiedy poczułem, że Arabowie są otwarci na negocjacje, powiedziałem, że ja również – tłumaczył. Gdy w 2009 roku desygnował na urząd premiera Benjamina Netanjahu, zaapelował o podwojenie wysiłków na rzecz dialogu z Palestyńczykami. – Rozwiązanie polegające na istnieniu dwóch państw, izraelskiego i palestyńskiego, żyjących w pokoju, jest jedyną możliwą ścieżką, ażeby położyć kres terroryzmowi, przemocy i nienawiści – mówił kilka miesięcy temu Peres w rozmowie z tygodnikiem “Time”.

„Czujemy, że wygrywamy wojny, ale co ważniejsze wygrywamy życie”

Peres to także jeden z twórców historycznego tymczasowego porozumienia z Oslo z 1993 r. między państwem żydowskim a Organizacją Wyzwolenia Palestyny. Dokument ten stworzył podwaliny pod utworzenie Autonomii Palestyńskiej. W 1994 roku jako minister spraw zagranicznych za wkład w osiągnięcie porozumienia z Palestyńczykami otrzymał Pokojową Nagrodę Nobla. – Mało ziemi, niedostatek wody, wrogie otoczenie, żadnych surowców, po prostu nic poza niebezpieczeństwami. Ale jednak ten kraj pokazał, że człowiek może bardziej wzbogacić ziemię, niż ziemia wzbogacić człowieka. Czujemy, że wygrywamy wojny, ale co ważniejsze wygrywamy życie – mówił w trakcie 64. rocznicy niepodległości Izraela.

„Mamy wobec niego ogromny dług wdzięczności”

Szymon Peres działał również na rzecz wzmocnienia sojuszu izraelsko – amerykańskiego. – Mamy wobec niego ogromny dług wdzięczności, ponieważ nikt nie zrobił więcej niż on dla rozwijania relacji pomiędzy Izraelem i USA. To dzięki Peresowi udało się stworzyć sojusz, który jest obecnie silniejszy niż kiedykolwiek w historii – powiedział prezydent Barack Obama na wieść o śmierci byłego przywódcy Izraela. Z kolei George Bush zwrócił uwagę na to, iż „człowieczeństwo Peresa było inspiracją dla ludzi na całym świecie. W ten sposób pomagał on wytyczać ścieżkę pokoju dla wielu przyszłych pokoleń”.

„Polska jest jednym z najlepszych przyjaciół Izraela w Unii Europejskiej”

W 2004 roku Peres przyjechał do Polski jako prezydent Izraela. Podczas przemówienia w polskim parlamencie chwalił pozytywne zmiany polskiej postawy wobec Izraela, wyróżniając w tym względzie Lecha Wałęsę, a także ówczesnego prezydenta Lecha Kaczyńskiego. W swoim wystąpieniu ubolewał nad losami polskich Żydów w czasie drugiej wojny światowej. Mówił również o istocie polsko – izraelskich stosunków. – W świetle dobrych wspomnień i w cieniu złych, możemy dążyć razem ku przyszłości pełnej pokoju, braterstwa i sprawiedliwości. Nowa Polska jest jednym z najlepszych przyjaciół Izraela w Unii Europejskiej – tłumaczył wówczas.

Żoną Peresa była Sonia Gelman, urodzona na Wołyniu, który w tym czasie był jeszcze częścią Polski. Po ślubie w 1945 roku para wspólnie pracowała w kibucu Alumot. Podczas II wojny światowej wstąpiła do brytyjskiej armii. Była pielęgniarką i stacjonowała w szpitalu w Egipcie. Po roku wysłano ją na kurs prawa jazdy i do końca wojny była wojskowym kierowcą. Peres był także kuzynem aktorki Lauren Bacall.

– Jego życie było niezwykle symboliczne. Urodził się Żydem i wychował poza naszą ziemią. Urodził się w świecie, w którym państwo Izrael istniał tylko w snach. Szymon Peres nigdy nie stał z boku, walczył i odmienił świat, wśród wielu innych wielkich ludzi pomógł uczynić państwo Izrael pięknym miejscem jakim jest dzisiaj – powiedział szef Fundacji From The Depths

Israel consortium signs ‘historic’ 15-year, $10b
gas deal with Jordan

Tamar Pileggi and AFP

Amman electric company to purchase 45 billion cubic meters of gas from Leviathan field in the Mediterranean

An aerial view of the Israeli ‘Tamar’ gas processing rig 24 km off the Israeli southern coast of Ashkelon. Noble Energy and Delek are the main partners in the oil field, October 11, 2013. (Moshe Shai/FLASH90)

An Israeli gas consortium on Monday signed what Israel called a “historic” $10 billion deal with the Jordan Electric Power Company to supply the Hashemite Kingdom with natural gas for 15 years.

The agreement will provide Jordan with a total of approximately 45 billion cubic meters of gas from the Leviathan offshore gas field, turning Israel into its largest gas supplier.

The Leviathan consortium, which includes the US-based Noble Energy and Israel’s Delek Group, aims to bring the massive Leviathan oilfield online in 2019. The field is thought to contain over 500 billion cubic feet of gas and is expected to transform Israel into a regional energy powerhouse.

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud) on Monday praised the deal as “an extremely important national achievement.”

“This is an important milestone in strengthening the ties and strategic partnerships between Israel and Jordan and the entire region,” he said, according to Channel 10.

Delek Drilling CEO Yossi Abu said the deal marked “a historic day,” according to the Hebrew-language NRG website. The agreement “establishes the Leviathan oilfield as a serious player on the energy map,” he said.

“Supplying natural gas to Jordan will enable our neighbors in Jordan to benefit from efficient, clean and cheap energy, just like the citizens of Israel,” he said. “It will contribute to the prosperity of Israel and Jordan and will strengthen ties and active partnerships between the two.”

“The Leviathan consortium will continue to push forward additional deals including with Egypt, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority,” he added.

One of the sticking points of the deal had been who would build the pipeline between the two countries, according to the Financial Times. The 26-kilometer (16 mile) pipeline is expected to cost around $70 million. It was not immediately clear whether the issue was resolved.

In 2014, Israel signed a separate deal with Jordan to supply $500 million worth of gas to the Hashemite Kingdom from the Tamar natural gas field in the Mediterranean.

Leviathan, discovered in 2010, is estimated to hold 18.9 trillion cubic feet (535 billion cubic meters) of natural gas, along with 34.1 million barrels of condensate.

Development of its own energy resources is seen as a major strategic asset for Israel, which has no oil and little water.

Noble-Delek’s proposed deal to develop Leviathan and number of other natural gas reserves discovered offshore Israel in recent years has faced persistent opposition from critics who say the partnership would create a monopoly in the gas market and lead to higher prices for Israeli consumers.

Over the last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has performed political cartwheels to override Knesset and public opposition to the consortium’s proposal before finally pushing an amended deal through the cabinet in May.

Netanyahu touts the gas deal as having the potential to bring would bring energy self-sufficiency and billions of dollars in tax revenues and transform Israel into a regional energy powerhouse.

Israel is reportedly in gas exportation talks with Turkey, Egypt, the Palestinians and the European Union.

Tamar Pileggi and AFP contributed to this report.

גד אלבז – פותח את ידיך – Gad Elbaz – Open Up

Remembering the 1929 Hebron massacre

BEN BRESKY

Perhaps Schissel summed it up best: “I think it’s impossible to understand the reality we face today, without knowing the history of Hebron.”
Tzipi Schissel, curator of the Hebron History museum, leads a tour of the site and discusses her personal connection to the massacre Photo By: BEN BRESKY

Before the mid-1980s, if a crowd gathered at the site of the Avraham Avinu synagogue in Hebron, they would have found crumbling walls and a sheep pen. The synagogue, build in 1540 by returning Sephardi Jewish exiles from the Spanish Inquisition, was abandoned after the infamous 1929 massacre.

But last week Hebron was filled with people snapping photos of the original Torah scrolls, which date back hundreds of years. Now reconstructed, the house of worship has daily services, using the same Torah scrolls used by the community that once lived there.

Dr. Yinon Elmakias, who lectured about the Torah scrolls, was one of the academics who led the seminar marking the 87th anniversary of the 1929 massacre that took 67 lives and resulted in the expulsion of the Jewish community. Young and old walked through the now inhabited Jewish quarter in the city that suffered from the worst of the disturbances that year.

The conference took place on August 10, and began at Midreshet Hevron, a college in Kiryat Arba. Prof. Gershon Bar Kochba, a Hebron resident, spoke about what was called the Jewish ghetto of Hebron, the only place in Israel referred to by that name. With copious notes and photos of the neighborhood – including maps and diagrams of what 1920s Hebron Jewish life was like – Bar Kochba described a traditional, tight-knit, humble community on a lower economic stratum.

The next speaker was Dr. Yuval Arnon-Ohana of Ariel University. In contrast to the previous speaker, he was clean-shaven, bare-headed and spoke almost without any notes. He fascinated the crowd by his lecture on Arab riots, which were instigated by Haj Amin Husseini, the mufti of Jerusalem.

Arnon-Ohana explained that Husseini’s excuse for the riots was the increase in Jewish immigration. He countered, however, that in the late 1920s, Jewish immigration was at one of its lowest points. He argued that the real reason was a bid for power by Husseini, who sought to consolidate Arab factions by whipping them into a frenzy over a common enemy.

Husseini later became a supporter of Hitler, as evidenced by the famous photo of the two sitting together in Germany.

The cause and details surrounding the riots have filled volumes. Why did neighbors slaughter neighbors? Although tensions existed in the city between Jews and Arabs over generations, daily interaction was a fact of life. For example, the chief rabbi of Hebron, Rabbi Eliyahu Mani (c.1818-1899), mentioned frequently in the lectures, was revered by Jews and Arabs alike as a spiritual leader. The Chabad matriarch Menucha Rochel Slonim (1798–1888) was also respected, and offered advice to both communities despite her seemingly outsider status as an immigrant from Russia.

Sarah Tzipporah Segal (left) (Ben Bresky)

In the riots of 1921, also instigated by Haj Amin Husseini, Hebron was calm. This led to a lax attitude seven years later. But on that fateful Shabbat on August 24, 1929, mobs of Arabs broke into Jewish homes, torturing, raping and murdering 67 people. Their bodies were mutilated and their homes looted. Although many claimed they were only seeking revenge on “The Zionists” or “the strangers,” both Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews were murdered. Young and old, long-time residents and new immigrants were targeted. The remaining community was rounded up by the British Mandate authorities and sent off to Jerusalem. The memorial to the victims was later vandalized, and the cemetery plowed over.

One of the most violent and dramatic episodes of the riots involved that of Eliezer Dan Slonim, from the famous Chabad family that helped revitalize the backwater community when they immigrated en-masse in the mid-1800s. Slonim spoke fluent Arabic, and was the only Jewish member of the Hebron city council.

He was manager of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, and well-known by both Jews and Arabs. It was for this reason that Jewish community members sought refuge in his home.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported on October 9, 1929, in an article titled “Hebron, Five Weeks After the Massacre,” that “it could not help hearing reports of the mob’s demand that Slonim should surrender the ‘foreigners,’ meaning the yeshiva students sheltered in his house, if his and his family’s lives were to be spared, and the martyr’s historic answer, ‘We Jews are one.’” Slonim and his family, including his wife and young children, were killed. One child, one-year-old Shlomo Slonim, survived. He was found with a knife wound in his forehead in his dead mother’s arms.

Shlomo Slonim, who died in 2014, used to attend the memorial in Hebron every year. This year, the few remaining survivors are all in the 90s.

In April of this year, one of the more vocal survivors, Miriam Sasson, died at the age of 92. She was part of the Castel family, whose roots in Hebron go back to the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Her family was in the group that returned to the city from 1931 to 1935, before the British again deported the Jewish residents amid countrywide rioting in 1936.

It was an Arab neighbor who saved Miriam and her family from the massacre by hiding her in his butcher shop. However another member of the Castel family, 60-year-old Rabbi Shlomo Castel, was burned to death by the mob.

The irony of some Arabs risking their lives to save their neighbors while others brutalized the defenseless has been debated for decades.

One lecturer at the conference had a more personal connection to the story. Tzipi Schissel, curator of the Hebron History museum, led a tour of the site located in the historic Beit Hadassah. The building, originally built in 1893, served as one of the first Hadassah hospital branches and treated residents of all backgrounds.

In 1929 it was the site of violence, and was subsequently ransacked.

The participants of the conference viewed the new 4D movie titled Touching Eternity, about the history of Hebron. As dramatic as the film was Schissel’s description of what her grandmother went through in those dark days. Standing in a hall dedicated in memory of the victims, she told the group about Sarah Tzipporah Segal, whom her family affectionately called “Tzippora’le.”

“She was approximately 14 years old during the pogrom,” Schissel stated. She and her sisters survived with the help of an old man named Abu Shaker Amru, who refused to allow the rioters to enter his house. But the rioters were so cruel that they attacked him and chopped his leg off.” Abu Shaker is mentioned in detail for his heroism, in the book Year Zero of the Arab-Israeli Conflict 1929, by Hillel Cohen.

Dr. Yinon Elmakias lectures about the Torah scrolls in Hebron’s Avraham Avinu synagogue, some of them dating back almost 500 years (Ben Bresky)

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