Turkish Jewish community is in doubt

Turkey: Antisemitism Gets Out of Control

Professor Barry Rubin
Director, Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center http://www.gloriacenter.org

This has been sent to me by a very reliable friend who has agreed to distribution as long as his name is not used. You are invited to post or send to your list. It is not unthinkable that the future of the Turkish Jewish community is in doubt.—Barry Rubin

The Prime Minister in Turkey has encouraged hatred against Israel in his speeches which has become obvious anti-Semitic propaganda among the general public.

There are people around the clock besieging the Israeli consulate in Istanbul shouting their hatred against Israel and Jewish people. All around Istanbul billboards are full of propaganda posters against Israel like; “Moses, even this is not written in your book” and “Israel Stop this Crime.” On the streets the people are writing such graffiti as: “Kill Jews,” “Kill Israel,” “Israel should no longer exist in the Middle East,” and “Stop Israeli Massacre.”

The week-end before, some people wrote, “We will kill you” on the door of one of the biggest synagogues in Izmir resulted in the closing down of synagogues. Near Istanbul University, a group put a huge poster on the door of a shop owned by a Jew: “Do not buy from here, since this shop is owned by a Jew.” A group put posters on his wall saying that: “Jews and Armenians are not allowed but dogs are allowed.” Some young people are even threatening others with violence if they are seen as pro-Israel in social networking websites such as Facebook and Hi5.

The document attached is the official statement by the minister of education stating that tomorrow [January 14] at 11am in all the high schools and primary schools the students will pay homage to the women and children dead during the war and furthermore, the teachers of art will organize the session of painting and writing on the subject: “Humanity Drama in Palestine” and the winners will receive awards.

The Jewish community can do nothing in response to what has been going on for the last few weeks, except giving vague statements that the Turkish Jewish Community does not want the war to be continued any more.

We have previously faced some strong reaction regarding previous operations in Gaza and the West Bank but this time is really different from former ones. I feel open anti-Semitism and hatred from all these people. Nobody understood, Even some widely read columnists in Turkey are writing things that lead all these groups toward this hatred becoming much more dangerous day by day.

But I know one thing: that the world should know about the widespread and openly anti-Semitic propaganda which far exceeds anything happening in Europe.

Professor Barry Rubin

Director, Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center http://www.gloriacenter.org
Editor, Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal http://www.meriajournal.com
Watch on the Middle East http://www.watchonthemiddleeast.com
Editor Turkish Studies, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=t713636933%22

Muslim's video testimony in Sydney terror trial

Terrorist met Australian at boot camp

Michael Pelly
The Australian
January 13, 2009

A CONVICTED terrorist has told of how he met an Australian man accused of plotting an attack on Sydney at a training camp in Pakistan only months after September 11.
Yong Ki Kwon, 33, said via video link from the United States that he had prayed and shared meals with an Australian he knew as Abu Asad at the camp run by Lashkar-E-Taiba (LET) in early November, 2001.

Mr Kwon told the NSW Supreme Court said everyone had a beard and everyone was referred to as Abu - which in Arabic means son of - but the “foreigners” formed their own separate group.

Mr Kwon, who was sentenced to 11 years jail in the United States but served on 28 months after becoming an FBI supergrass, said he met “Abu Asad’’ as he moved to a different part of the camp in the final days on his 45-day program.

After Mr Kwon was led through his evidence, he was questioned extensively by Richard Button SC, the barrister for one of the accused, Moustafa Cheikho.

Mr Cheikho and fours others - his brother Khaled, Mohamed Ali Elomar, Abdul Rakib Hasan and Mohammed Omar Jamal have been charged with conspiring to commit an act, or acts, in preparation for a terrorist act. They have pleaded not guilty.

Mr Kwon said all trainees prayed five times a day and underwent extensive physical training and instruction on how to use weapons including guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

He said he went to Pakistan with three friends from Virginia at the urging of an Islamic cleric and planned to defend Afghanistan against the expected invasion from the United States after the terrorist attacks on September 11.

He identified Asad as Australian because of his accent and said he was about 178cm, with a thick-set build.

As he was preparing to leave, Mr Kwon said he was asked by a man he called “Disco Mujahadeen’’ if he would recruit for LET in the United States but declined the request.

He then went to South Korea, where he was contacted by the FBI and agreed to be questioned.

Mr Kwon will continue giving evidence tomorrow.

Johm Howard Man of Steel receives US Medal of Honour

Bush honours 'man of steel' John Howard

The Daily Telegraph
January 14, 2009

JOHN Howard has been presented with America's highest civilian award by George W. Bush.
The former prime minister grinned as the US President placed the Presidential Medal of Freedom around his neck this morning.

He was honoured at the White House along with former British prime minister Tony Blair and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

Mr Bush said all three were good friends to the US.

"They are the sort of guys who look you in the eye, and tell you the truth and keep their word."

He told them: "You'll always be welcomed in our country. And we hope to have you come down and visit us in Texas.

"As you probably have heard, we're changing addresses here in a little less than seven days."

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Australia:Three meter Great White shadows learner surfers

Great white shark circles learner surfers
By Malcolm Holland
The Daily Telegraph
January 14, 2009 12:00am

A SURF school owner has defended his failure to warn his class that a large shark was swimming close to teenagers on a popular NSW beach.

This amazing photo shows the moment the shark, believed to be a 3m great white, surfaced at Blueys Beach on the mid-North Coast on Sunday.

Silvio Rodriguez was photographing other surfers near the surf school students about midday when he noticed a large shadow. "At first I thought it was weed, but I kept an eye on it then out of the corner of my eye I saw the massive fin come up," Mr Rodriguez, 31, said. "It was only maybe 30m away from the nearest learner surfer."

"It was just having a cruise, it wasn't showing attack behaviour."

Former professional surfer Gary Hughes, who runs Gary Hughes Surface School of Surf and Surf Consultancy, said he was aware of the shark and had been monitoring it.
Our most shark-infested beaches "I did not tell the students because they just would have worried," Mr Hughes, 50, said.
"It was just having a cruise, it wasn't showing attack behaviour."
Gallery: Shark attacks man's leg