New Violence on Temple Mount (Al-Haram A-Sharif)

Violence has again broken out on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Al-Haram A-Sharif. A police patrol came under attack by Arab youths hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails Sunday morning. Police with reinforcements responded, and at least a dozen arrests were reported by press-time. Police did not enter the mosque itself and there were no reports of rocks being thrown down on Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall below, as is often the case when violence erupts. On Saturday, the Islamic Movement distributed leaflets announcing it would provide transportation for Muslims willing to come to Jerusalem “to protect the area” of the Al-Aqsa mosque. Police chose not to limit the age and gender of those entering the Temple Mount for Sunday prayers, although that is the standard practice when violence is expected. Police found areas oiled in order to interfere with police reaction to rock and explosives throwers.  

House Resolution Calls Goldstone Report "Flawed and Biased"

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives will consider a bi-partisan resolution that calls on the President and Secretary of State to "oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration" of the U.N. Human Rights Council’s Goldstone report. The motion was submitted by Florida Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the committee’s ranking Republican; and includes committee chairman Howard Berman (D-Cal.), among its co-sponsors. The resolution calls the investigation mandate “flawed and biased,” accusing it of failing to mention “relentless rocket and mortar attacks,” and alleges that the commission included a member who had publicly announced Israel’s guilt prior to the actual investigation. The measure resolves that the Goldstone report is “irredeemably biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy”, and reaffirms American support for Israel’s right of self-defense. 

Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Spar Over Goldstone Response

Public bickering broke out between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak after Netanyahu raised the possibility of bowing to American and international pressure by conducting a domestic inquiry into the accusations made against the Jewish state in a report by the U.N. Human Rights Council. The Goldstone report has been at the center of political and diplomatic maelstroms, after charging that Israeli forces committed war crimes during last January’s military operation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government declined to have anything to do with the investigation when its mandate virtually announced Israel’s guilt prior to fact-finding and ignored the firing of thousands of rockets into Israel by Hamas. Since publication of the report, the United States and several European allies have urged Israel to conduct its own investigation into the charges made by Goldstone. Barack has been vehement in his opposition, and became furious after Netanyahu told the Washington Post that he is still considering it. In response, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a clarification on Sunday morning in which it said “no decision has been made” on this matter. Some cabinet ministers though are on public record as favoring an inquiry set up by the Attorney General. Defense Minister Barak again reiterated his insistence that "there is no other army in the world that investigates itself the way the IDF does," and rejected any further inquiry. 

U.N. Inspectors Arrive at Qom (Iran) Site

A team of United Nations nuclear inspectors has arrived at the location of the nuclear site that was revealed last month at the ancient Iranian city of Qom. News of the existence of the Fordo facility increased suspicion in western capitals that Iran does indeed have its eyes set on creating nuclear weapons. Fordo is a plant for enriching uranium, Iran’s second. Its existence was preemptively announced by the Iranians, who explained that it was a back-up facility set to go into operation if Israel or the U.S. destroyed its primary site at Natanz. A surface-to-air missile site is reported to be located near the nuclear facility. 

‘Abbas Sets Election Date

Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud ‘Abbas made good on his promise not to wait to set a date for elections if Hamas again failed to agree to an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation plan. On Friday, ‘Abbas said he would continue to seek rapprochement with Hamas, but decreed January 24, 2010, as the date for holding presidential and legislative elections in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Hamas immediately rejected ‘Abbas decree. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum called the decree “illegal and unconstitutional” because [Abbas’s] tenure is over and he has no right to issue any decree concerning [the election].  Another Hamas official accused ‘Abbas of “usurping power” and called for his arrest. 

White House Unveils Investment Fund for Muslim Nations

Making good on a promise made in his speech to the Muslim nations from Cairo last June, President Obama has unveiled a multi-million dollar investment fund for Islamic countries. Individual investments of between $25 million and $150 million will be made available through the fund. Known as The Global Technology and Innovation Fund, it was described in a White House statement  as intended to "catalyze and facilitate private sector investments" throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East.  Managed by OPIC - the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation – the fund will provide grants to companies advancing economic opportunity and creating jobs in fields including technology, education, telecoms, media, business services and clean technology. Initial grant recipients will be announced in June.

Conference by “Liberal Alternative” to Israel’s U.S. Lobby Kicks-Off

The pro-Israel world is showing internecine stress as the first major conference hosted by a new lobbying group described as the “liberal alternative” to the “establishment” AIPAC - self-described as “America’s pro-Israel lobby” - kicks-off this week in Washington. During the 18 months of its existence, J-Street, which has established a strong presence in a short time, makes its case as being “pro-Israel and pro-peace” while defending itself from Israel’s more right-wing supporters who insist the new lobbying group supports policies detrimental to the Jewish state. Many American Jews, the majority of whom are not part of the “organized Jewish communal world” reject AIPAC for a number of reasons and appear to be embracing the more liberal approach J-Street offers. J-Street and its conference received a windfall of publicity when Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, turned down an invitation to address the gathering. A poetry session was canceled when two participants’ writings were shown to equate the suffering of Jews during the Holocaust with Palestinians under Israeli control. The Washington Post reports that at least ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives changed their minds about attending amid the brouhaha surrounding the conference. The commotion comes at a bad time for the Obama administration which is trying to reverse the overwhelming perception in Israel that the American president is not – in the language of a recent poll - “pro-Israel”. The White House is apparently becoming aggressive in trying to deal with that perception, including announcing that President Obama will make an appearance at a convention of Jewish community organizations in November. The administration is sending its National Security Adviser James L. Jones to deliver the keynote speech at the J-Street conference on Tuesday. 

Lebanon Bests Israel, Delighting Those Encouraging “Make Hummus, Not War”

Lebanon has won a round over neighboring Israel without a shot being fired. A two-ton effort on Saturday by Lebanese chefs to regain from Israel the Guinness Book of World Records title for the largest plate of hummus appears to have been successful. The Associated Press quotes Fady Jreissati, Vice President of operations at event organizer International Fairs and Promotions group as saying "Lebanon is trying to win a battle against Israel by registering this new Guinness World Record and telling the whole world that hummus is a Lebanese product, its part of our traditions." 

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