Canada Remains Americans’ Favorite Country

With all due respect to Washington’s special relationship and shared values with Israel, Americans much prefer their neighbor to the north.

According to a new Gallup poll released over the weekend, Israel ranks fifth among the countries viewed most favorably by Americans, behind Canada, Great Britain, Germany and Japan.

A paltry 10 percent of Americans said they had a favorable view of Iran, which came in last place among a list of 20 nations. The survey was conducted among a random sampling of 1,025 respondents.

Americans’ perception of the Palestinian Authority has vacillated over the course of the last decade. In 2005, 27 percent of Americans held a favorable view, but that number dropped to 11 percent following Hamas’ election victory in 2006.

In 2009, the PA’s favorable rating recovered to 15 percent, and this year it increased further, to 20 percent. However, 70 percent of Americans still said they held an unfavorable view of the PA.

With regard to the foreign countries most often mentioned in the news, American public opinion did not significantly change with the Obama administration’s assumption of power.

Israel Unveils Drone Fleet That Can Reach Iran

Israel’s air force has introduced a fleet of huge pilotless planes that can remain in the air for a full day and could fly as far as the Persian Gulf, putting rival Iran within its range.

The Heron TP drones have a wingspan of 86 feet (26 meters), making them the size of Boeing 737 passenger jets and the largest unmanned aircraft in Israel’s military. The planes can fly at least 20 consecutive hours and are primarily used for surveillance and carrying diverse payloads.

At the fleet’s inauguration ceremony at a sprawling air base in central Israel, the drone dwarfed an F-15 fighter jet parked beside it. The unmanned plane resembles its predecessor, the Heron, but can fly higher, reaching an altitude of more than 40,000 feet (12,000 meters), and remain in the air longer.

“With the inauguration of the Heron TP, we are realizing the air force’s dream,” said Brig. Gen. Amikam Norkin, commander of the base that will operate the drones. “The Heron TP is a technological and operational breakthrough.”

The commander of Israel’s air force, Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan, said the aircraft “has the potential to be able to conduct new missions down the line as they become relevant.”

Israel’s military refused to say how large the new fleet is or whether the planes were designed for use against Iran, but stressed it was versatile and could adapt to new missions. The plane’s maker, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, has said it is capable of reaching the Persian Gulf, which would put Iran within its range.

Oy Vey! Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Might Have Jewish Roots – Or He Might Not

In America, when someone tries to discredit a political rival, they usually go after one’s sexual liaisons or financial transgressions.

In Iran, one would just say that their rival is Jewish.

All liaisons (and remember, there are no homosexuals in Iran, so that eliminates that area altogether) and transgressions would pale by comparison.

So it should come to no surprise that the son of Ayatollah Khazali, rival to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has written on his blog that good old Mahmoud has Jewish roots.

According to the younger Khazali, the Ahmadinejads changed their last name from Sabourjian, and that the origins of the Sabourjians should be investigated. You see, Sabourijan means “thread painter”, an occupation that was once supposedly associated with Jews.

A few months later, the story was investigated. And the findings were astonishing! Yes, the Ahmadinejad changed their name. And no, Sabourijan does not mean “thread painter”, but rather “weaver of Sabour”,  Sabour being a Jewish shawl!  So…

So what?  Why does the new translation prove (and why Sabour, a region of Pakistan, a country neighboring Iran, is not considered as a possible name origin)?  Seriously, so what?   There are many, many non-Jews with last names that seem obviously Jewish.  But Mahmoud himself is clearly not Jewish.  There’s no proof that his parents were either. Exactly how many generations do we have to go up that family tree to find that supposed Jewish thread painter or shawl weaver?

So is it possible?  Well, it’s not impossible that if a number of flimsy assumptions hold, Ahmadinejad would not be just an antisemite, but an antisemite… with Jewish ancestry.

But we doubt it.

Article courtesy of jewornotjew.com

Saudi Arabia: Did They Or Didn’t They?

Saudi Arabia denied a report in Britain’s Sunday Express that said the Kingdom offered the Israel Air Force flight paths to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

The Sunday Express reported this week that the Saudis had agreed to turn a blind eye and not interfere should Israel and the United States attack Iranian nuclear facilities via Saudi air space.

A senior Saudi official said that the report was baseless, adding that his country would demand that the newspaper print a retraction and apology.

The United States, France and United Kingdom demanded access last week to Iranian nuclear facilities after Iran revealed the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

A Real New York Welcome For Ahmadinejad

Throngs of people descended on the UN to protest the Iranian president’s anti-Israel diatribe at the General Assembly and to stand in opposition to human rights violations in Iran following the usurped June election.

Waving signs that declared “No Nuclear Iran” and “Ahmadinejad not wanted here,” they filed into Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at noon to denounce Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, just as other demonstrations were to take place in other US cities.

At New York’s “Stand For Freedom in Iran” demonstration – organized by the Jewish community in conjunction with labor groups and others – shouts of “Stop Iran Now” were punctuated by three shofar blasts, meant to summon world leaders to act against the Iranian nuclear threat.

On stage, four volunteers stood with tape across their mouths and carrying signs that read: “I’m gay and in Iran I’m killed” and “I’m a woman and in Iran I’m stoned.”

Protesters held clusters of green balloons and waved Iranian flags in solidarity with the opposition movement there.

Mansour Etehid, an Iranian Jew who traveled to New York from his home in California summed up in two words his reason for attending the rally.

“For freedom,” he said.

Iran Cracks Down On Curvy Mannequins

Iranian police warned shopkeepers not to use mannequins without headscarves or which exposed body curves, official news agency IRNA reported.

“Using unusual mannequins exposing the body curves and with the heads without Hijabs (Muslim veil) are prohibited to be used in the shops,” Iran‘s moral security police in charge of Islamic dress codes said in a statement carried by IRNA.

Iranian police have stepped up a crackdown on both women and men, boutiques and small companies which fail to enforce strict religious dress codes since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to office in 2005.

The measures are the latest in a country-wide campaign against Western cultural influences in the Islamic Republic, where strict dress codes are enforced.

“Both showing necktie and bowtie behind the windows … and (the) selling (of) women’s underwear by men are prohibited,” said the police statement.

In the past, crackdowns tended to be launched at the start of Iran’s hot summers and petered out soon after. But last year they extended into winter and included a drive against tight women’s trousers and even men with spiky “Western” hairstyles.

Those who violate dress codes are usually cautioned on a first offence, sometimes after a brief visit to a police station. But they can be detained for longer, taken to court and required to have “guidance classes” after repeat offences.

Dress codes are most often flouted in wealthier, urban areas. Conservative dress is the norm in poorer, rural areas.

Hugo Chavez Stands By His Man

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says that the world must respect Iran and the “triumph” of its incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the election.

“We call on the world to respect Iran because there are attempts to undermine the strength of the Iranian revolution,” said Chavez in his weekly radio and television address.

“Ahmadinejad’s triumph was a triumph all the way. They are trying to stain Ahmadinejad’s triumph and through that weaken the government and the Islamic revolution. I know they will not succeed,” Chavez said.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry also issued a statement blasting “the fierce and unfounded campaign from outside [of Iran] to discredit” Iran’s president.

Who Walked Out On Ahmadinejad?

Are you wondering what countries stood up to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and walked out during is anti-semitic and anti-Israel speech at the U.N. conference in Geneva?

Here’s the list:

These countries are boycotting the event and were not present during the speech:  United States, Israel, Germany, Italy, Holland, Poland, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

These countries were attending the event, but walked out on the Iranian president:  Austria, Ireland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, Hungary, Greece, Luxemburg, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Spain, Portugal, Findland, Czech Republic, France, Romania and Sweden.

Iran To U.S. Badminton Team: Stay Away

Iran invited the U.S. women’s badminton team to compete in a tournament then denied its players visas, saying there was no time to process their visa applications.

“Our athletes … are very disappointed that they will not be able to compete and meet new friends. Friendship through sport is a good thing that should be respected and cherished,” Dan Cloppas,  chief executive of USA Badminton said in the statement released on the organizations website.

The team’s participation in 4-day event starting Friday was to have been the first U.S.-Iranian exchange under the Obama administration. The two countries have not had diplomatic relations since the Islamic Revolution and the hostage-taking at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.

The U.S. team will not participate in the competition due to a “lack of enough time to process” its visas, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Hasan Qashqavi.

“We completed our visa applications over two months ago in plenty of time to meet all deadlines.  We were told our visas had been approved and were asked to secure them in Dubai,” said Cloppas .

The Obama administration was not pleased with the Iranian action.

“It’s hard to say what the Iranian motivation is here,” State Department spokesman Robert Wood said. “I would just say that this is a people-to-people exchange program. We are very interested in trying to improve relations between the American people and the Iranian people and this is not a good step forward in terms of trying to promote people-to-people exchanges.”

Heaven Help Us – Iran Launches Satellite

Iran’s successful launch of its first satellite into orbit suggests a strong desire to become both a space and nuclear power — and growing technological prowess toward that goal.

Omid (meaning ‘Hope’ in Persian) was sent into space by the Iranian-produced satellite carrier Safir 2 early on Tuesday.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Iran’s efforts to develop long-range missiles are of acute concern.

“The president is clear that he wants Iran to be a responsible member of the world community,” Gibbs said. “This action does not convince us that Iran is acting responsibly to advance stability or security in the region.”

Concerns were also raised in Europe.

“We’re concerned by the launch of this satellite — the technology is very similar to ballistic capabilities,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated his nation on the launch.

“Dear people of Iran, your children have sent Iran’s first domestic satellite into orbit… May this be a step toward… justice and peace,” he said. “Iran’s official presence in space has been added to the pages of history.”

Iran also plans to send its first astronaut to space by 2021.