Push for humanitarian aid to Palestinians ignores terror links

Jewish World Review ^ | April 29, 2002 | Jonathan Tobin

[SJackson]

In the past weeks, Palestinian Arab towns and cities were the scenes of intense combat as Israeli forces fought to track down terrorists and destroy their hideouts and bomb factories. The vast stores of armaments, explosives and paraphernalia of suicide bombers, as well as the presence of the terrorists themselves, show that Israel was entirely justified in attacking these sources of terror.

But in the aftermath of the fighting, the devastation of war has left many of the inhabitants of these places destitute and homeless.

For those who think that Israel has no right to defend itself against terrorism, any Israeli counterattack was unjustified. In this spirit, the European media, the International Red Cross and various other human-rights organizations and the United Nations have seized upon the debris of combat and the resultant casualties among Palestinians - including the armed terrorists and those who supported them - as proof of atrocities, even though Israeli forces put themselves at risk to limit civilian casualties.

Nevertheless, the privations experienced by Palestinians have evoked the sympathy of the world. While Saudi Arabia holds telethons to benefit Palestinian homicide-bomber "martyrs" and their families, who take pride in the human sacrifice of their children, even the United States has promised aid to alleviate Palestinian suffering.

But before the flow of funds to the area resumes, we should take a good look at who will administer that aid and what it will be used for. Over the past 54 years, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency has supervised the refugee camps (such as the Jenin terror base), where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were held hostage to a war on Israel. It long ago morphed into the social-services branch of Palestinian nationalism and has helped to facilitate terror.

Nor can we treat the International Red Cross, whose former president Cornelio Sommaruga has been appointed to a "fact-finding" mission about the fighting in Jenin, as an honest broker here either. The IRC has been a consistent critic of Israel, condemning every Israeli act of self-defense and doing nothing about the fact that Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances have been used by terror groups as transport for weapons and suicide bombers.

It should also be remembered that the IRC has blackballed Israel's Magen David Adom - the Red Star of David - from membership in its international group because it will not accept a star of david symbol alongside the already approved crosses and crescents. This policy, which is opposed by the American Red Cross, has led to the IRC becoming a symbol, not of mercy for the sick, but of the growing anti-Semitism that pervades Europe these days.

Even worse, the Palestinian Authority, has proven to be nothing less than a criminal terrorist organization masquerading as a government. The billions donated to this entity by foreign governments, including the United States, have done nothing to help ordinary Palestinians, but instead have lined the pockets of Yasser Arafat's kleptocracy.

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[knighthawk]

BUMP

[Catspaw]

Here are some terror links (from Arutz Sheva):

 

02:12 Apr-29-02, 17 Iyar 5762

Hamas Continues Raising Funds Via Internet in the USA

(IsraelNN.com) The Hamas terror organization continues to use the World Wide Web to promote its terrorist agenda against Israel in the USA. The URL www.qassam.org is registered in the USA, in Texas, the home state of US President George W. Bush. The site is hosted at Everyones Internet, Inc., 2600 Southwest Frwy Suite 500, Houston, Texas.

Other terrorist sites are also hosted in the USA. Activists are urging US citizens to contact their elected officials to pressure firms to immediate shut off the sites that are possibly violating US laws as well as promoting global terrorism.

Some of the other sites include:
Hizbullah -- Baltimore MD --
http://www.hizbulla.net/english/frames/index_eg.htm

Hamas -- Milford, CT --
http://www.palestine-info.com/hamas/index.htm

Taliban -- Houston, TX --
http://www.taliban-news.com/article.php?sid=245

Al-Qaeda -- Houston, TX --
http://www.azzam.com/

Islamic Jihad -- Chicago, IL --
http://www.qudsway.com

Tanzeem (Kashmir/India/Pakistan) -- Louisville, KY --
http://www.tanzeem.org/main.htm

Laskar Jihad (Indonesia) -- Brookfield, WI --
http://www.laskarjihad.or.id/

Al-Qassam Martyr's Brigade
(Military wing of Hamas) -- Houston, TX --
http://www.qassam.org/

And then there's this creep: Apr. 29, 2002 US talk show host: Boycott Timberland over Israel support By The Jerusalem Post Internet Staff A US radio talk show host, who supports Palestinian claims, has issued a call to boycott products made by the Timberland shoe company. Host Andy Martin, who works for WPBR-AM in West Palm Beach Florida, suggested the company change its name to "Murder Inc." in light of CEO Jeffrey Schwartz' call for supporting Israel. "I just threw my Timberland boots in the garbage,"and April 30th I will issue a call for an international boycott of Timberland. I also think people should picket Timberland company stores," Martin said. "The CEO of Timberland wants to bring Israeli murderers to the United States to brag about the rape of Jenin. He spent 96 hours in Israel and becomes an expert. Palestinians have lived in the Holy Land for thousands of years and they are being dispossessed by Russian invaders who have no ties to the land," Martin said. "I suggest Mr. Schwartz change the name of his company to 'Murder Inc.' in honor of the Sharon junta and the IOF rampage in Palestine which vandalized Palestinian businesses, banks, insurance companies and government offices. "It is precisely Schwartz' stereotype that American Jewish businessmen seek to link their shareholders' money to Israeli politics that creates the underpinnings of anti-Semitism. We must not travel that road again, despite Mr. Schwartz' invitation. I think stockholders should condemn Schwartz' demand for Israeli propaganda experts to come to the United States. We already have AIPAC to do the job. "Schwartz says Israel has not built a 'brand.' "Israel's 'brand' has been built for fifty-four years. It is increasingly becoming a pale replica of the swastika. Mr. Schwartz's views can be read in full in the Jerusalem Post for April 26th," Martin said, according to a WAFA Palestinian Authority news agency release.