The State of the Jews

What can I say? My friend David Keyes has something against tyrants:

It’s hard to believe in light of this Internet repression, but Iran’s president is himself a blogger. “Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Personal Memos” is the place where he goes to vent and stay in touch with the common folk. He says he allots himself 15 minutes a week to write on his blog, but admits that at times he exceeds this limit.

Ahmadinejad wrote of his blog that “The magnitude of the reception and acclamation from the viewers was beyond expectations.” It is a half truth at best. The English version of the site is full of scathing critiques by readers. Nicholas from the United States writes “You’re one of the most stupid president [sic] ever. I’m sure about half of the comments posted on this blog are just totally fake and used as propaganda.” Gary from Great Britain adds “Why would anybody want to listen to you. You’re suppressive.” Jack opines: “I hope someone puts a bullet in your head very soon.”

What sort of tyrant allows for open debate and harsh critique on the front-page of his own blog? Someone who has clearly studied the playbook of Yasser Arafat. The Palestinian leader mastered the art of offering platitudes about peace in English while simultaneously rallying his people to jihad in Arabic.

I asked one of Britain’s leading Iranian bloggers to help me translate the Farsi version of Ahmadinejad’s Memos. His homepage in Farsi contained not a single negative comment by readers. The closest one gets to criticism is “Homayan” who wrote prior to the June election: “Last night by seeing your supporters in the streets I realized that you will win. I wanted to say as someone who opposed you to congratulate you . . . I had a lot of criticism but I feel none of them are that important to stop me from voting for you. It’s interesting to me how you turned your opponent into your supporter.” One Canadian-Iranian student gushed: “I am proud to be the citizen of a country who has a brave President like Ahmadinejad.”

Though the Islamic Republic of Iran desperately wants to be seen as a world power, all the military parades, blustering rhetoric, and menacing threats cannot drown out the fact that the government in Tehran is terrified of men and women typing on computers.

In case you missed it, Tom Gross caught it on Wednesday:

Not only did Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, today say that negotiating with the United States would be a “naive and perverted” thing to do (Khamenei revealed President Obama has approached him several times through oral and written messages which he has not replied to).

Not only did Israeli commandos today intercept a ship carrying hundreds of tons of Iranian weapons intended for Hezbollah in Lebanon – the biggest ever seizure of arms on their way from Iran to its client terrorist militia, Hezbollah, which Iran plans to use as one element in its attempt to wipe the Jewish state off the map (BBC story and video here).

Mohammad Ali Ramin

Not only did Iran brutalize pro-democracy demonstrators once again on the streets of major Iranian cities today (there are several videos if you scroll down here from France 24, and a report here by BBC Persian).

But in addition Iran has appointed as its new deputy culture minister, in charge of media and communications, Mohammad-Ali Ramin, who previously served as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s top advisor on Holocaust matters and is known as “the brain” behind the president’s strategy of Holocaust denial.

Incidentally, an interesting piece on the possible philosophical roots of Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust denial ran in the Forward last month. You should read it.

Russia is not on our side when it comes to Iran, according to chess champion and anti-Putin dissident Garry Kasparov.

Washington’s conciliatory steps have given the Kremlin’s rulers confidence they have nothing to fear from Mr. Obama on anything that matters.

And nothing matters more to Mr. Putin and his oligarchs than the price of oil. Even with oil at $70 a barrel, Russia’s economy is in bad straits. Tension in the Middle East, even an outbreak of war, would push energy prices higher. A nuclear-armed Iran would, of course, be harmful to Russian national security, but prolonging the crisis is beneficial to the interests of the ruling elite: making money and staying in power.

The Obama administration’s foreign policy has directed a great deal of optimism and good will toward friends and foes. Such a cheery outlook is commendable as long as it does not clash with reality. Unfortunately, there were several clashes in the past week.

…

Like many Russians, I was encouraged by Mr. Obama’s inspirational speech in Moscow last July, but he must know there is more to statesmanship than printing money and making speeches. Inflated rhetoric, like inflated currency, can lead to disaster. The goodwill bubble Mr. Obama is creating will burst unless there are real results soon.

There’s a lot of talk lately about a few Iranian nuclear scientists who may have defected – or who had defection thrust upon them – to the US.

The Iranian regime-run website Tabnak quotes Asharq Alawsat (cleaned up translation):

Asharq Alawsat quoted Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying, “We will present our complaint regarding the kidnapping of our nuclear scientists to international organizations.”

The London-based Arab newspaper added: “Mottaki believes that the four Iranian nuclear experts have been kidnapped and that they are presently being held by the US in a country of the US’s choosing.” Based on the report, an individual by the name of Shahram Amiri is believed by Mottaki to have been kidnapped last month in Saudi Arabia and so far has not been heard from.

Mottaki also claims that Alireza Asgari, former deputy defense minister, was also kidnapped in Turkey. The third individual, known only as Ardebili, is said to have been kidnapped in Georgia. The fourth nuclear scientist allegedly kidnapped is Nasrollah Tajik, the former Iranian ambassador to the UK.

Asharq Alawsat also claims that these four were the source for the discovery by Western intelligence of the second uranium enrichment installation near Qom, and that the Islamic Republic is extremely upset by this development. Though the news of Shahram Amiri’s kidnapping has been previously discussed by a Mottaki spokesman, it is the first time anything has been publicized about Ardebili.

On September 8, the Kayhan news service quoted the government-controlled Press TV about one of the missing scientists:

Saudis Not Cooperative on Missing Pilgrim

TEHRAN (Press TV) – Iran said on Monday that it has not received any clear response from Saudi Arabia’s officials regarding a missing Iranian pilgrim.
“We have provided Saudi Arabia’s police, security officials and Hajj Organization with all information and documents regarding the pilgrim (Shahram Amiri) who went missing in the Saudi land,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said.
“But, we have not received any clear response from Saudi Arabia’s officials regarding the case,” he went on to say.

And finally, Meir Javedanfar wondered yesterday about the significance of these media stories:

In the current war of intelligence between Iran and West, distinguishing between rumors and real genuine breakthroughs is sometimes difficult. The case of Mr. Amiri and Ardebili are a perfect example. The West could have scored major victories, if they are nuclear scientists. However at the same time, it may at the end be proved that both were innocent cases which received excessive media coverage.

Iran analyst Meir Javedanfar pokes so many holes in the Daily Telegraph story about Ahmadinejad’s Jewish origins that, well, it sinks.

Upon closer inspection, a completely different interpretation of “Sabourjian” emerges. According to Robert Tait, a Guardian correspondent who travelled to Ahmadinejad’s native village in 2005, the name “derives from thread painter – sabor in Farsi – a once common and humble occupation in the carpet industry in Semnan province, where Aradan is situated”. This is confirmed by Kasra Naji, who also wrote a biography of Ahmadinejad and met his family in his native village. Carpet weaving or colouring carpet threads are not professions associated with Jews in Iran.

According to both Naji and Tait, Ahmadinejad’s father Ahmad was in fact a religious Shia, who taught the Quran before and after Ahmadinejad’s birth and their move to Tehran. So religious was Ahmad Sabourjian that he bought a house near a Hosseinieh, a religious club that he frequented during the holy month of Moharram to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hossein.

Moreover, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s mother is a Seyyede. This is a title given to women whose family are believed to be direct bloodline descendants of Prophet Muhammad.

I stand by my question from yesterday about the possibility of a Jewish past for the Holocaust-denying theocrat: Who cares?

So claims a brand new American Jewish Committee survey:

The AJC survey revealed that 56% of American Jews would support, and 36% would oppose, United States military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. A year ago, the AJC survey found that 42% would support the U.S. taking military action against Iran, while 47% were opposed.

And, in another sign of heightening concern about Iran’s nuclear program, 66 percent would support, and 28 percent would oppose, Israel taking military action against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

On the peace process:

In response to a new AJC survey question, 94% of American Jews agree that the Palestinians should be “required to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in a final peace agreement.”

Demonstrating American Jews’ skepticism of Arab intentions regarding Israel, 75% agree, and 19% disagree, with the statement, “The goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel.” In the 2007 survey, 82% agreed and 12% disagreed.

Nonetheless, regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state, 49% favor that outcome, and 41% are opposed. In AJC’s 2007 survey, 46% were in favor and 43% opposed.

On settlements:

The AJC survey found that a majority, 51% of U.S. Jews, disagree with the Obama Administration’s call for a stop to all new Israeli settlement construction, while 41% agree with that tactic.

Among the denominations, 74% of Orthodox, 62% of Conservative, and 46% of Reform Jews disapprove of the call for a full settlement freeze.

Still, there is wide recognition among American Jews that the question of settlements is a topic to be resolved in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. When put in that context, most American Jews say Israel should be willing to dismantle all (8%) or some (52%) of the settlements as part of a permanent peace settlement with the Palestinians. 37% oppose dismantling any.