Gaza Flotilla and the Blackouts: Two Kinds

Photo credit: Honest Reporting

The Aftonbladet propaganda machine has cranked out another anti-Israel slam in one of its articles  written by Olof Svensson.  This one is about the Gaza electric power situation and not surprisingly, it is confusingly full of misinformation:

-“The idea was that the money would be paid back as the power plant began generating electricity - and money. But because it is destroyed, the Palestinians are asked to avoid paying back the loan, something Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for International Development Cooperation, thinks is reasonable. Part of the loan has already been paid back because the Palestinians purchased power equipment from Swedish companies.”

 The post refers to the Gaza Power Plant (GPP), or more correctly, the Gaza North Substation which was bombed by the Israeli Air Force in June 2006. So, first of all, it’s old news even though Aftonbladet chose to publish the article in June 2011.  Israel later repaired the power station even while its technicians were under sniper fire, yet this is, of course, something which Olof Svensson fails to acknowledge.

While this plant is often described as Gaza’s only power plant, it is important to note that 70% of Gaza’s electricity is supplied by Israel, and also Egypt supplies additional electricity. Israel supplies the electricity to Gaza continually, even during hostilities. Significantly, a 2007 UN report noted that Israeli electricity costs less than the Gaza-produced electricity, because the Gaza plant uses diesel to generate electricity. (That’s pretty interesting since you would think the Palestinians’ OPEC supporters could give them a discount on the diesel.)

-“The plant has actually been used at lower utilization rates than anticipated, partly because of the high cost of power from the plant when it is run on gasoil [diesel] relative to the cost of power from IEC [Israel Electric Corporation]. In June 2006, for example, the cost of fuel for generating electricity from GPP (including capacity charge) was US$0.213/kWh… whereas the cost of power supplied by IEC was about US$0.08/kWh.”

The UN report also noted that “About half of the current annual payment of about US$30 million is for generating capacity that cannot be used because of the prevailing transmission constraints.” So, besides poor planning, what are donors paying out for? And how is the surplus cash used?

Claims of power outages in Gaza have generally been propaganda exercises—the photo at the top from Honest Reporting shows Palestinians “in the dark” with candles, while at the left edge of the photo, sunlight streams in the window around the curtains. Other photos available on the internet show candle-lit street protests, but with lights on in shops.  The fact that major media outlets carry these obvious fakes is pretty outrageous.

But an actual blackout was reported by the Elder of Zion (EoZ) blog at the end of April; the post was titled “Hamas instructs its media not to report on Syria” and cited  “Firas Press and other Arabic news sources”  which claim Hamas initiated a media blackout on the uprising in Syria:

“Reliable sources close to media officials in Hamas [state] that they have issued strict instructions to all departments, editors of all news sites, forums, and radio TV that belongs to them not to cover or publish any news about events taking place in Syria and massacres there against unarmed citizens.”

Why is this significant to our story? The situation is desperate in Syria.  As EoZ quotes from a Now Lebanon tweeter reporting on the situation in Syria:

“Electricity is only available for three hours per day at the most. There is water available in Daraa al-Mahatta. Telecommunications are cut in the entire province of Daraa without exception. Electricity, water, food, and communications are still cut in Daraa al-Balad. Trash is lying around uncollected and the snipers are still deployed in the mosque minarets and on buildings’ rooftops. The [Syrian]army and security forces have not withdrawn from Daraa.”

That’s a blackout Aftonbladet should have covered. But, given the dictatorial sympathies of the biased government-supported media in Sweden and the leftist enthusiasm for the second Flotilla, we can soon expect to see even more misleading and false stories about Israel in the Swedish media.



Video: Israel reconstructs Gaza infrastructure including electric power 70% of which is generated in Israel and which was continually supplied.

http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=58&ar=gaza-electricity-V&ak=null

by Chanah Shapira

Swedish Ship To Gaza—“No Basis In Reality”

Two days ago Per Gudmundsson wrote an interesting op-ed in Svenska Dagbladet (Svd)  where he correctly stated that the Swedish Ship to Gaza movement isn’t based in reality.

It was recently revealed by the Turkish Ship to Gaza organization, IHH, that the envoy which was planning to set sail from Turkey to the Gaza Strip this summer might be cancelled. According to the IHH, the cancellations are due to ongoing problems  of the “Arab Spring”, with the predominating issue being the slaughter of thousands of civilians in neighboring Syria. Due to the ongoing massacres currently taking place in Syria, Turkey has received a large stream of refugees and this has with no doubt affected the Turks and their “humanitarian priorities”.  

While Swedish Radio’s foreign correspondent to the Middle East, Cecilia Udden reported in May that the material shortcomings aren’t a problem in Gaza, the Swedish Ship to Gaza movement still claims that Israel currently is the largest humanitarian problem in the region. This, even though the Israeli government currently is the only country in the region which allows for democratic freedoms similar to what exists in Sweden.

As Gudmundsson argued, the Ship to Gaza movement could not care less about the Arab Spring violence and deaths or the dictators in the Middle East who now are executing innocent civilians. Nor do they care that the border with Egypt to the Gaza strip is open. Instead the prefer to obsess over the arms smuggling blockade between Israel and the Gaza strip showing that human rights clearly is not the base of their agenda.   

The positive news are that the Israelis might not have to worry about another ship of Jihadi warriors sent from Turkey. The bad news are that they still have to waste time redirecting a boat of simple-minded Swedes who claim to be fighting for human rights, while in reality this is far away from their true agenda.

Karlskrona Handball and Hatred Still Have IHF Go-Ahead

IHF: "Sweden and sports fits well"
SWC: Danger to Jews

This innocuous-looking announcement dated June 1^st is now up on the International Handball Federation (IHF) website: 

-“IHF and TV rights holder UFA Sports offer handball fans all over the world a special online service during the Men’s World Championship in Sweden: In cooperation with the application specialist Motain, IHF and UFA Sports bring all highlights and news of the XXII Men’s World Championship on your iPhone, iPod and iPad.”

The question is: Will sports fans see the anti-Israel riots too on their i-toys?

While promising,

-“great matches staged in a fantastic atmosphere, accompanied by exciting fans cheering up their home team, by fairness demonstrated towards all participating nations and by the sheer joy to experience fine handball," the reality will not match the hype for the Israel-Sweden match.

Last week we reported that there are clear threats of a repeat of the 2009 Davis Cup riots which took place during an Israel-Sweden match played without spectators in Malmö. The announcement means that the IHF and its sponsor organization are plowing ahead and not cancelling the match—despite the not likely but expected hate fest that will accompany the June 12^th scheduled match. The haters on both the far-right and far-left will have a chance to show their anger at the pre-game anti-Israel “Day of Rage” protest.

It appears that cancelling what are probably lucrative sponsor contracts is not an option for the IHF, despite warnings from the Simon Wiesenthal Center to the IHF, the European Handball Federation, and the nine corporate sponsors. The letter from the SWC made these points (our emphases):

This announcement means that the IHF and its sponsor organization are plowing ahead and not cancelling the match—despite the not likely but expected hate fest that will accompany the June 12^th scheduled match. The haters on both the far-right and far-left will have a chance to show their anger at the pre-game anti-Israel “Day of Rage” protest.

It appears that cancelling what are probably lucrative sponsor contracts is not an option for the IHF, despite warnings from the Simon Wiesenthal Center to the IHF, the European Handball Federation, and the nine corporate sponsors. The letter from the SWC made these points (our emphases):

·         "Neo-Nazis and Radical Islamists Call for 12 June Day of Rage at Sweden-Israel Match in Karlskrona - Centre Urges Corporate Sponsors Intervention and Maintains Travel Advisory"

·         "Palestine Solidarity Group Chairman, Per Gahrton -who reportedly took credit for that Malmo travesty - according to current flyers, will, on 12 June, address the stadium one hour before the European Men's Handball Qualification between Sweden and Israel in Karlskrona."

·         "Karlskrona, whose UNESCO Heritage port was, ironically, developed by its first Jewish community in 1785 - is today Sweden's neo-Nazi capital."

·         "12 June promises to turn the city into a mecca for far right and left extremists, together with radical Islamists, in a "day of rage" hatefest, endangering Jews, moderate Muslims and the Swedish general public."

·         "we expect you and your European regional Federation to keep hate out of handball by, sadly, keeping the 2011 Handball Championship out of Sweden."

·         For further information contact Dr. Shimon Samuels on 0033(0)609770158

We will continue to keep you posted—we hope that the IHF/EHF and its corporate backers will see some sense and “pull the plug” on what promises to be an unsporting event.

By Chanah Shapira

Anti-Israel Lecture in Malmö Public Venue

Followers of Harun Yahya (a.k.a.  Adnan Oktar) advocating Koranic creationism have been touring Europe and lectured in Malmö yesterday. The lecture was held at "Folkets Hus" (People's House), a municipal venue and conference center in Malmö. The event was apparently in cooperation with the "Ahel Al Sunnah" congregation in Helsingborg (about one hour from Malmö).

Yahya is also a Holocaust denier—he wrote a book titled Holocaust Deception: The Secret History of the Zionist-Nazi Collaboration and the True Story of the 'Jewish Holocaust’ which was the first major Holocaust denial work published in Turkey.

In 2008 Yahya produced a suave but highly fake account of why Zionism is a.) another product of the Darwinism he denounces and b.) nothing that actual religious Jews believe in. The video (below)shows a handful of Neturei Karta lunatics as "the real Jews".  This group is so anti-Israel that they went to be useful idiots at an Iranian anti-Zionist conference.  They are a tiny fringe group which is in no way representative of any stream of normative Judaism.

When Yahya says that no real religious Jews are Zionists that is a lie, as evidenced by the large pro-Israel religious streams in Israel and abroad.

The Anti-Defamation League calls Harun Yahya:

“an anti-Semitic Turkish writer who denounces Zionism as a fascist movement akin to Nazism, as well as ‘a racist and colonialist ideology’that is based on ‘Social Darwinism.’"

On top if it all, "the Turkish courts, under pressure from Harun Yahya...banned WordPress" because there are anti-Yahya blogs on WordPress, reports a blogger.While Yahya’s movement is described as anti-Darwinian, it’s also just plain old Islamist anti-Zionism. So why did the city of Malmö rent out a municipal property for this bigoted nonsense?

The contact person for the event was: Edin Limani 

By Chanah Shapira

Another Flotilla—Mankell Sails Again

The Local reports that Henning Mankell, the Swedish thriller writer, has announced that he will be cruising along with a group of Swedish nationals on the next Gaza flotilla. Twenty Swedes are expected to join the cruise to Gaza at the end of June. As in last year’s event, the Swedish government will be represented unofficially by the participation of a Swedish parliamentarian.



The ISM (International Solidarity Movement) has requested “experienced” and “non-violent” protesters to sail with 1,000 passengers and crew aboard two ships in the flotilla. They will be screening applications for non-violence, because last year the IHH failed to do so. In fact, IHH seemed to have recruited the opposite kind of “protester”—the kind which knew that cutting up ship railings would add to the knives and clubs already in their arsenal. Bad P.R. hit the Flotilla when this “protest activity” was caught on ship security video and aired by the BBC’s Panorama program.


The Local states that: “Israeli marines swarmed aboard the Turkish flagship of the flotilla bound for Gaza, killing nine Turks in international waters “. Maybe the Local’s editors should watch the BBC documentary—if they did they would see that the Israelis did not “swarm” but rappelled down from helicopters, one at a time, with paintball guns for riot control. On deck they were met by “protesters” who not only beat them with the cut-up ship railings, but knifed them, threw them off the top deck, and shot at them with a seized weapon. Only after the attempted lynchings did the Israeli commandoes resort to firing on the “protesters” with handguns.


The Local also reprinted Mankell’s old sneering challenge to the Israeli military, "What will happen next year when we come back with hundreds of boats? Will (Israel) fire a nuclear bomb?" Seems the Local still sees Mankell as a real threat to the IDF!


In response, many talkbacks took a poke at Mankell—here are a few:


“Now I remember him telling how he saw activists of the last flotilla being shot while sleeping... when the truth is that he was on board the Sofia, a vessel in which nobody was shot.”


“Hope they all know how to swim. Hypocrites!”


“Pro Terrorist and Proud of it ! Wow.......”


“We could have a fundraising party to purchase a TORPEDO for the Israeli navy to sink the ship and get rid of every self appointed, hypocritical, annoying, pontificating lunatic in Europe, all in one go.”


Let’s hope this year’s Flotilla is the last!

By Chanah Shapira

Another Big Mall Opening Soon in Gaza

Photo credit: ISAFA

More News You Won’t See in the Swedish Press

Despite the much-bemoaned Israeli blockade which is supposedly preventing the Gaza population from rebuilding, somehow a Gaza developer has managed to scrape together enough concrete to build an even bigger mall this year than the one which opened up in Gaza last summer.  The 3,000 square meter, 3-story complex will include a large supermarket on the first level, with shops, dining, children’s entertainment and a movie theatre on the upper levels.  The construction, which began in August of 2010 and has progressed smoothly and without interruption in the flow of building supplies, is expected to be complete by next month.

Once again, the alleged shortages of consumer and construction goods in Gaza are shown to be a function not of Israeli control, but of Hamas management. This mall would not have been built without the approval of the Hamas government—it’s hard to imagine that this project could have gone ahead without some financial advantage to the powers that be in Gaza.  As the totalitarian authority in Gaza, Hamas is responsible for the welfare of its people—those who lack can point to Hamas, not Israel, for their woes.

By Chanah Shapira

Upcoming Sweden-Israel Handball Match— More Violent Protests than 2009 Davis Cup?

The following preliminary information is for a Sweden-Israel handball match which is to take place in Karlskrona, Sunday, June 12.

According to information from the Israel Friends group in the city of Karlskrona in southern Sweden, there is already an unbridled propaganda war against Israel. The match is to be held on June 12, and distribution of flyers and posters has already whipped up feelings of hatred. There are clear signs that the anti-Israeli demonstrations might be better organized than those at the tennis match in Malmo 2009. The earlier match  was accompanied by a massive police presence due to security considerations—even though the authorities prohibited spectators from attending the game. PGS [Palestinian Solidarity Group] chapters from all over Sweden are planning massive presence, as well as various Muslim, extreme left and Nazi groups (Nazis are strong in Karlskrona).

According to the flyers, PGS head Per Gahrton (formerly of the Green and Liberal Parties) will speak in front of the stadium at 5:00 p.m. (game starts at 6:00 p.m.) PGS therefore, are publishing this information BEFORE they get police permission for the demonstration

For more information on the Karlskrona-based Nazi organization:
http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/hogerextrem-grupp-deltar-i-protest-mot-dc-matchen_2554553.svd