(Saudi interior minister Prince Mohammed bin Naif. This first cousin of Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was last noted
in this blog for ordering the arrest last month of a Saudi novelist,
Turki al Hamad, for tweeting that Islam required a "correction." Al
Hamad now faces the death penalty for apostasy.)
From Al Arabiya: Saudi Arabia and the United States have signed a “Trusted Traveler” agreement to facilitate and accelerate the trusted passenger screening on the principle of reciprocity in both Saudi and U.S. airports.
The Saudi state agency reported that Minister of Interior Prince Mohammed bin Naif and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano “signed an agreement on arrangements relating to the implementation of a program of the 'Trusted Traveler' between the two countries.” Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Secretary Napolitano also released a joint statement affirming ongoing cooperation on cybercrime, maritime security and infrastructure protection, and cooperation on cyber security, which is critical to both nations’ economic competitiveness and national security. (Does "cybercrime include "tweeting"?)
(Carl)The Republican presidential candidate also slammed Obama, alleging without mentioning specifics, that officials in his administration had leaked details of American cyber-attacks on Iran, and for, as he perceived, not succeeding sufficiently at undermining Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
that explains why Obama is now saying there is a MOLE in the WHITEHOUSE
(Livia Acosta Noguera, the Venezuelan consul in Miami)
Anna Mahjar-Barducci (stonegateinstitute.org) Tensions are mounting between the U.S. and Venezuela as the State Department decided to expel Livia Acosta Noguera, the Venezuelan consul in Miami, declaring her "persona non grata." The Venezuelan consul was implicated in an alleged plot to launch cyber attacks on U.S. nuclear power facilities. The decision was taken as a direct result of the revelations made by the documentary The Iranian Threat, aired by the U.S Spanish language channel Univision.
In the film, the Venezuelan consul was caught on camera backing Iranian-sponsored cyber-attack against U.S. targets in 2007, when she was vice-secretary in the Venezuelan Embassy in Mexico. According to the documentary, these cyber-attacks would be "worse than 9-11." The State Department did not want to comment on this decision. However, a U.S. high official stated that this expulsion is a serious issue, as "we do not take it lightly when we declare somebody persona non grata."
Before the expulsion, four members of the Congress -- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican), Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican), David Rivera (Republican) and Albio Sires (Democrat) -- wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, expressing their "grave concern" over the "diplomatic credentials" of the Venezuelan Consul. "According to a documentary by Univision Network titled 'The Iranian Threat' […] [the Venezuelan consul] interacted with members from the Iranian and Cuban embassies and with students posing as extremists […] in order to coordinate a cyber attack against the United States Government and our critical infrastructure systems at the White House, FBI, and CIA. If true, these actions demonstrate [Venezuelan consul's] willingness to undermine U.S. interests and potential threat to our national security posed by [Venezuelan consul's] activities. With this is mind, we respectfully request the Department of State to investigate these allegations, and if found true, declare her a persona non grata and require her immediate departure from the United States," they wrote.
Congressman David Rivera also revealed that Washington has information that members of the Venezuelan diplomatic corps are also active officers of the Venezuelan intelligence services. This would mean that Venezuelan spies are allegedly acting freely in the U.S soil. Congressman Rivera warned that there should be an immediate investigation into further Venezuelan threats to the U.S. national security, especially given the cooperation between the Venezuela's intelligence and Iran's.
It seems clear that the State Department found these allegations to be true. According to Venezuelan media, the Venezuelan consul has been in Venezuela since December, having left the U.S. soon after the airing of the documentary. "We already knew that this was going to happen, and so she has been in Caracas in order to avoid situations, possibly even dangerous ones," said the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, during a press conference.
Chavez added that the expulsion is a demonstration of "the ridiculous empire's arrogance…..[The Venezuelan consul] is a very dignified professional, who was attacked, slandered and demonized by extremist groups and now by Barack Obama's government," he said, adding that - "She will continue working for our foreign service as she has done for many years." Venezuela's Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro further stated that Venezuela is going to give a clear, firm and timely response about the issue.
The U.S. action against the Venezuelan Consul comes exactly at the time Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Venezuela. It therefore seems a clear signal of disapproval that Washington wanted to send to Venezuela, given that the Venezuelan consul is accused of having backed an alleged Iranian plot to attack the U.S.
Ahmadinejad's visit indicates the further strengthening of relations between Venezuela and Iran. During the visit, Ahmadinejad and Chavez took the opportunity to laugh at the U.S.'s concern over Iran's nuclear program. "They accuse us of being warmongers," said Chavez. "They, the Americans, are the threat." Chavez also commented o being honored by Ahmadinejad's visit. "Now Washington's spokespersons are saying that it is not convenient for any country to get close to Iran. Well, the truth is that this makes us laugh,"Chavez said.
In a Univision interview, U.S. President Barack Obama declared that the Venezuelan government's relations with Iran did not serve the interests of the Venezuelan people. "Ultimately, it is up to the Venezuelan people to determine what they gain from a relationship with a country that violates universal human rights and is isolated from much of the world. The Iranian government has consistently supported international terrorism that has killed innocent men, women and children around the world – including in the Americas. It has brutally suppressed the Iranian people simply for demanding their universal rights. And Tehran continues to pursue a nuclear program that threatens the security of the Middle East. Here in the Americas, we take Iranian activities, including in Venezuela, very seriously and we will continue to monitor them closely," Obama said.
Chavez, however, seems not at all worried, and is evidently willing to keep on cooperating with Iran, even if this will lead to more U.S. sanctions. During the meeting with Ahmadinejad, the two heads of state agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of industry, science and nano-technology, as well as economy. They also called on the "imperialist and extremist powers to stop interfering in the internal affairs of other countries."
It is clear, that despite the expulsion of the Venezuelan Consul, the U.S. should keep high alert, as other threats against the U.S. can come from Venezuela, in cooperation with Iran.
...the enraged reaction shows that this certainly registered an emotional response...
...This was what was seen on Noah David Simon dot com on Wednesday September 23rd 2009. GoDaddy was warned that Loren Feldman was Cybersquatting and Harassing with bigotry and continues to promote his hate speech. ...here is an example of the harassing messages Loren Feldman sends to me from the domain name he is stealing and defaming. This is not parody. this is harassment....
Godaddy_it_was_agreed between us that noahdavidsimon.com should not be on your servers at which time you wrongly switched the server to "MediaTemple". I contacted your organization about 6 months ago about a man who is cybersquatting my name and business and is sending harrassing and at times Anti-Semitic messages from my own rightfull domain name ( this was witnessed by the Jewish Internet Defense Force and also many members of the Jewish online community. http://twitter.com/JIDF/statuses/3680124281 ) here is the icann report. Loren Feldman 1938media.com ICANN Abuse | Cairo cai.icann.org
Here is a another video of Loren Feldman harassing Igor Berger and buying his name as well as mine. Please allow me to buy my own name. What you are doing with the cybersquatting is enabling Anti-Semitism by allowing Loren Feldman to broadcast his bigotry from my name and business name. It should not take a legal team for you to do the right thing. Noah Madieros of your company suggested I take this action, but I am hoping that in light that Loren Feldman is breaking the law and is harassing the Jewish community through Anti-Semitic jokes from the domain, that action should be taken because of principle. I am also sending a copy of this email to Jewish Groups like the JIDF [PROOF] cordially, NoahDavidSimon
...This was the original beef that I had with Loren Feldman. he defended a Hiemietown joke on Strumpette known as @AmandaChapel on twitter that I complained about. I had the Amanda Chapel name on facebook destroyed because it isn't an actual person. @AmandaChapel is really a man named Brian Connolly who tried to frame myself "Noah" for rape. Strumpette is BrianConnolly's blog.
backup: The data contained in GoDaddy.com, Inc.'s WhoIs database,Registrant:
1938 Media
Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: NOAHDAVIDSIMON.COM
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.MEDIATEMPLE.NET
NS2.MEDIATEMPLE.NET
Loren Feldman 1938media.com ICANN Abuse
Loren Feldman is a Cyberbully who abuses ICANN policy against Anticybersquating. See the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act. Loren Feldman abuses people on the Internet by hateful attack on them via his website and domain names of his victims. Some of the prominent web people that he attacked are Dave Winer, Robert Scoble, Jason Calacanis, and Shel Israel (Loren Feldman bought and registered www.shelisrael.com with GoDaddy.com), so GoDaddy was aware of his behavior before they allowed him to by Noah and Igor's property. Loren Feldman attacked and made fun of Shel Israel via a Puppet parody, both on 1938media.com and Shelisrael.com ...Because Noah David Simon and Igor Berger stood up to Loren Feldman and alerted the Internet Social Media community of his Cyberbullying, he started attacking. He registered Noahdavidsimon.com and Igorberger.com with Godaddy.com (Loren Feldman stated in his Ustream live video that he will use the sites for parody to attack) He even said that on Igor's domain that he will make fun of Igor's dead mother who passed away a month before Igor's and Noah's name was bought. Here are the videos where he claims to have bought the domain in order to terrorize. Loren Feldman's video message to Noah David Simon and Loren Feldman's video message to Igor Berger These videos were originally posted by Loren Feldman on seesmic. Igor download the videos from Seesmic and uploaded them to his Youtube account as evidence. Noahdavidsimon.com is registered by 1938media Loren Felman. @salzano Corey Salzano bought Igorberger.com with Loren Feldman. He works together with Loren Feldman @1938media Loren Feldman in his Ustream live video asked Corey Salzano to buy Igorberger.com then he in Seesmic video said Loren Feldman of owned Igorberger.com
Salzano and Feldman's relationship was recorded on Twitter. Whois record of Igorberger.com registrant is Salzano. Loren Feldman Tweeted and tormented Igor about his dead mother in a video right after his mother died by threatening to speak Latin Curses on his name by buying Igor's and Noah's intellectual property. Loren Feldman gloated on Twitter over getting the domain name. Corey Salzano admited he and Loren bought these domain to terrorize. Loren Feldman and Corey Salzano must return these domains to the registrar because as per Anticybersquating he cannot use these domains of other people names to profit from. Loren Feldman promotes his brand 1938media through the domains he Cybersquates on.
Defense Secretary nominee, CIA Director Leon Panett
The next great battle America faces is likely to involve cyberwarfare, Leon Panetta, the Central Intelligence Agency director, warned senators Thursday, predicting that “the next Pearl Harbor that we confront could very well be a cyberattack that cripples" America’s electrical grid and its security and financial systems.
Panetta – who as CIA director has stepped up the number of US drone strikes on insurgents in Pakistan – said relations with Pakistan remain “one of the most critical – and yet one of the most complicated and frustrating – relationships that we have.” He added, “They are a nuclear power and there is a danger those nuclear weapons could end up in the wrong hands.’
In Iraq, Panetta told lawmakers he believes it would be wise to support the request of Iraqi leaders for US troops to stay beyond their scheduled December pullout date, if they ask. “I have to tell you, there are a thousand Al Qaeda that are still in Iraq,” Panetta said. “It continues to be a fragile situation, and I believe that we should take whatever steps are necessary to make sure that we protect whatever progress is made there.” via csmonitor.com
The Obama administration recently unveiled its proposal for global cybersecurity. Statements from the Pentagon have also indicated that the government will consider cyberattacks originating from foreign countries to be equivalent to acts of war meriting military response.
The cyber-warfare operation was launched by MI6 and GCHQ in an attempt to disrupt efforts by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular to recruit “lone-wolf” terrorists with a new English-language magazine, the Daily Telegraph understands.
When_followers tried to download the 67-page colour magazine, instead of instructions about how to “Make a bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom” by “The AQ Chef” they were greeted with garbled computer code.
The code, which had been inserted into the original magazine by the British intelligence hackers, was actually a web page of recipes for “The Best Cupcakes in America” published by the Ellen DeGeneres chat show.
Written by Dulcy Israel and produced by Main Street Cupcakes in Hudson, Ohio, it said “the little cupcake is big again” adding: “Self-contained and satisfying, it summons memories of childhood even as it's updated for today’s sweet-toothed hipsters.”
It included a recipe for the Mojito Cupcake – “made of white rum cake and draped in vanilla buttercream”- and the Rocky Road Cupcake – “warning: sugar rush ahead!”
The magazine is produced by the radical preacher Anwar al-AwlakiPhoto: AP/ALAMY
The Best Cupcakes in America, published by the Ellen DeGeneres
mix it up, then put it in cupcake wrappers in a tin. bake for 20 minutes at 350
Glaze:
while that's going on mix 3 tbsp rum, 2 tbsp lime, 2 tbsp brown sugar and a tsp mint together in a saucepan and simmer it for 5 minutes.
when the cupcakes come out, poke a few holes in the top and then pour a tsp or so of the syrup into the holes. (if you're feeling really wacky, also pour a bit of rum in the holes).
The young woman who was sent a lewd photo from the Twitter account of Rep. Anthony Weiner says she doesn’t think the New York Democrat was hacked, but that he may have been trying to send it to a porn star with a similar name.
Gennette Cordova, a 21-year-old college student from Seattle, posed for a photo shoot with The New York Post on Thursday and shared her side of the story with the paper.
“Her name is Ginger — it makes sense he might have mixed us up,” Cordova said, referring to Ginger Lee, a stripper and porn star who follows Weiner on Twitter.
In March, Lee tweeted about wanting “sexual relations” with Weiner and, less than two weeks later, she wrote that she’d received a private direct message from the congressman. Weiner had also followed Lee on Twitter but said he stopped doing so when he found out who she was.
Weiner said in an interview with CNN earlier this week that he thinks his note to Lee was a “fairly pro forma thing that goes out” to people who follow him on Twitter.
Weiner, who has said he asked a lawyer to look into the hacking but hasn’t reported it to the authorities, further fanned the controversy when he said earlier this week that the picture might be of him.
Though some reports have suggested otherwise, Cordova, who issued a lengthy statement over the weekend, said she’s never supported Weiner’s claim that his account was hacked.
“Everyone’s [writing] that I backed [Weiner’s] contention that there was a hacking,” she told the Post. “But I never mentioned anything about a hacking.”
Cordova said she’s become “collateral damage” in the Weiner scandal and “just want[s] this to be over” so that she can move on with her life. She wants to work as a restaurant hostess or law firm assistant this summer while on vacation from school.
Cordova’s been overwhelmed with interview requests and “people are saying, ‘You need a book deal’” but she said she’s not interested. “What for? This isn’t my place, I just want to get it over with.”
“I’ve just been thinking about how I can get my privacy back,” she added. Meanwhile, Weiner’s Washington office staff on Thursday called Capitol Police after being approached by a reporter from New York’s CBS affiliate who said she wanted Weiner “to say something to his constituents, the people who have to vote for him.”
#Weinergate rolls on for Rep. Anthony Weiner, New York Democrat. Now we're learning that the plagued congressman shared private communications with porn star and stripper Ginger Lee. In a March 13 tweet, Tennessee-based Lee indicated that Weiner sent her a private Twitter message:
"You know it's a good day when you wake up to a DM from @RepWeiner," Lee tweeted. "(I'm a fangirl, y'all, he's my trifecta of win.)
When contacted by The Daily Caller, Lee wouldn't say what Weiner sent her in that private direct message, or DM in Twitter-speak. via nation.foxnews.com
this is bullshit. it just means there is a possibility that Ginger set Wiener up. The only good thing about this is that I am learning how to spell Wiener's name right finally
meanwhile...
Clinton Calls Google Hacking Claim ‘Very Serious’
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has described Google’s claim that Chinese hackers tried to break into hundreds of e-mail accounts as “very serious”, despite official Chinese denials.
Google says that it has uncovered a campaign run from inside China to monitor secretly the e-mails of senior US government figures, South Korean officials and other users of its Gmail service.
“These allegations are very serious,” Clinton said, adding that the US was “very concerned about Google’s announcement regarding a campaign that the company believes originated in China to collect the passwords of Google e-mail account holders”.
She said that the company had informed the State Department before making the news public.
But the US, which is seeking to improve relations with China across a range of areas, has not brought the issue up bilaterally with Beijing.
The White House, which said that President Barack Obama had been informed of the developments, added that it was not aware that any official US government accounts had been hacked into, although the US does not prohibit officials from using private e-mail accounts such as Gmail.
Reflecting the early stage of the investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is taking the lead in looking at the claims, said only that it was “working with Google to review this matter”. But Beijing responded angrily to Google’s statement. “Blaming these misdeeds on China is unacceptable,” said Hong Lei, a foreign ministry spokesman, at the ministry’s regular press conference.
Google’s claim that the attacks appeared to originate from Jinan is the most serious claim of China-based internet intrusion since a previous incident involving the company last year. via matzav.com
obviously there is a problem. many twitter accounts are hacked through email.
On Wednesday, Google admitted that some Gmail users--including senior U.S. government officials, military personnel and Chinese political activists--had been the target of a hacking campaign. And they believe that the attack came from the Chinese city of Jinan. This is the second time China and Jinan have been in Google's crossfires. Last year it traced another attack to Jinan--the site of an important military installation--and China's actions caused Google to decide not to cooperate with China's censorship demands. The latest hacking offense seemed to aimed at monitoring particular users' emails and creating unfettered access to hacked accounts by forwarding mails. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via nymag.com and Google Says Chinese Hackers Stole Gmail Passwords [NYT]
anyone else think hacking is rare? ...but bloggers on the right still think Wiener is guilty....
It's possible. After all, we know the Chinese intelligence services are very adept at hacking. And Weiner has been a critic of China's human rights record for years, so China might have a motive.
And we are being told that what is possible and what might have happened must be what happened.
But what is possible may not be what has happened.
It is now up to you to prove that I am wrong about the Chinese hacking theory. If you can't disprove it, then I am right. And Weiner is in the clear. Right? I said, right? via legalinsurrection.blogspot.com
I don't believe for one second that Wiener is guilty. I am a Jewish activist online... and I got myself into a very sticky situation legally (so bad I can't talk about it), but the day I went to talk to a judge was the day a hacker sent something from my twitter account that framed me. It happened a few times and from multiple networks. I am still fighting to tell my story. I'm very involved with my friend the JIDF and Wiener was very involved in fighting Jihadist video on Google. There is a very good chance he was framed.
This elaborate "I was hacked" story does not ring true?
...Winer is guilty because you don't believe people's accounts get hacked? that is a lot of faith for a network who was hacked by Iranian hackers.in fact I suspect some of the employees at twitter are part of the prank... but I have about as much evidence as this blogger has that Wiener wanted to destroy his life
go figure... Washington State again with the accusation against men... particularly Jewish men. I hope Wiener learns a little about what goes on in this liberal state and changes his politics. I didn't comment before because I felt my dislike of Macho Spaz Anthony Wiener would make me biased, but after reading this you know this is a sexual lynch mob as usual from the usual place. They accuse this guy of being a predator online because they refuse to acknowledge that accounts can be hacked. http://xrl.us/WienersWiener
I'm not a fan of Wiener the Macho Spaz, but I believe him here...
Over the last few days New York Congressman Anthony Wiener, a Democrat, claimed that his Twitter account had been hacked when it was revealed that "someone" sent a sexually graphic picture to a young woman in Washington State from his account. The photo, a picture of a briefs-clad man sporting an erection, was sent to a young college student named Gennette Nicole Cordova who is a student at Whatcom Community College, Bellingham, Washington. This young woman once Tweeted that Wiener was her "boyfriend." No one is sure what sort of relationship Wiener has with Cordova if any. But there seems to be some links.
Another reason why this is very suspicious. Miss Cordova is purported to be just some random person that the Wiener Twitter "hacker" targeted. What makes this seem less and less likely is that Miss Cordova has in the last two days gone to great lengths to try and erase herself from the Internet. She has systematically closed accounts and even removed her name from stories she wrote for her school newspaper. If she was just an innocent, random person in this story, why has she gone to such pains to try and erase herself like that? Seems more like guilt driving her actions, don't you think?
For his part, Rep. Wiener claims his Twitter account was hacked. This does not ring true.
WHAT? Do you have any idea how many times my twitter account has been hacked and twitter did nothing about it? Yes... I know he is a Democrat... and I don't even really like him... but this sounds like an online sex lynch mob against a Jew. the libel doesn't stop... even against Jews who are liberal.
Why would a hacker hack Wiener's Twitter account to send only one photo to some girl in Washington State (who claimed to be his girlfriend) and then just leave without doing other things?
because it destroyed his reputation and the hacker did not want to stay around to get caught... duh!
Its far more likely that Wiener sent the photo himself. This elaborate "I was hacked" story does not ring true.
...guilty because you don't believe people's accounts get hacked? that is a lot of faith for a network who was hacked by Iranian hackers.in fact I suspect some of the employees at twitter are part of the prank... but I have about as much evidence as this blogger has that Wiener wanted to destroy his life.
Anyway, whatever the case, many bloggers are having fun with this one. Stacy McCain has a great timeline of what has happened thus far. But this is the extent of my interest in the matter. Check out McCain's post on this one for more information. via chicagonow.com
go figure... Washington State again with the accusation against men... particularly Jewish men. I hope Wiener learns a little about what goes on in this liberal state and changes his politics. I didn't comment before because I felt my dislike of Macho Spaz Anthony Wiener would make me biased, but after reading this you know this is a sexual lynch mob as usual from the usual place. They accuse this guy of being a predator online because they refuse to acknowledge that accounts can be hacked.
Minister of Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein sent a letter to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg Wednesday, demanding that the page calling a Palestinian uprising be shut down immediately.
Like?
Facebook protest: 'Free Palestine' on NIS / Elior Levy
Facebook group calls on members to promote peaceful protest by writing 'Free Palestine' on all forms of Israeli currency. Founders hope Netanyahu 'gets the message'
The Facebook group was launched less than a month ago with the number of members growing dramatically, with nearly 250,000 people expressing support for launching a third Intifada on May 15, marked by Arabs as Nakba Day – a day where Palestinians mark the "catastrophe of Israel's establishment."
The founders of the Facebook group claim that they got the idea for the page from the recent uprisings throughout the Middle East that led to the ousting of the Tunisian and Egyptian leaders and the fall of their regimes.
There is no need to explain what the outrageous incitement on the page in question can cause – from harming innocent Jews and Israelis and through to an armed struggle against Israel, Minister Edelstein wrote in a letter to the founder of the popular social network.
Group's goal: Israel's downfall
In his letter, Edelstein stressed that he wasn't writing in his official capacity but as someone who shares the values of freedom of expression, and said he believed that there must be a discernable difference between freedom of expression and freedom to incite.
The founders of the group hope that a popular uprising like those that broke out in the Arab world would also bring about the downfall of the State of Israel, with the help of groups supporters in the Palestinian Authority and countries bordering on Israel.
Muslim boycott
The group's doctrines include a call for simultaneous protests on the Jordanian, Egyptian and Syrian borders while Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza will launch attacks on Israeli settlements. Moreover, they ask for "the help of our brothers in Lebanon" who will assist by raining missiles down on Israel.
Since its launch, the Facebook group has received a great deal of coverage in the Palestinian and Arab media. Its founders, who remain anonymous, warned Facebook that shutting down their page would lead the Muslim world to boycott Facebook.
It seems that the threat did little to impress the site managers as one of the group's founders who calls himself "Son of Palestine" reported calls for violence.
Son of Palestine also accused Facebook's management team of forging the number of supporters the group has, claiming that the number is much higher than 250,000.
Calls on Facebook for Palestinian Millions to Return to Their Homes in Israel on May 15, 2011
By: L. Barkan*
Introduction
Over the past weeks, a number of Facebook pages have been launched calling on the Palestinians in Israel and abroad to hold mass demonstrations on May 15, 2011, the 63rd anniversary of Nakba Day (the establishment of the State of Israel). The plan is for millions of Palestinian refugees to march en masse in return to the original homes of their families in Israel. The campaign is being referred to as "The 2011 March of Return," "The Palestinian Refugees' Revolution," "The Advance of the Millions," and even "The Third Palestinian Intifada." Some of the Facebook pages stress that the activities are meant to be peaceful and unarmed, while others hint at violence and armed resistance. As of this writing, the Facebook pages promoting the initiative have more than 350,000 "likes" and members, though it is unclear how many of these are Palestinians and where they are from. Additionally, following a period of silence on the part of Palestinian officials, the initiative has gained the support of the PLO Department of Expatriate Affairs, which has called on Palestinians living abroad to participate in the march and to publicize it among the Palestinian communities and organizations worldwide.[1] The administrators of the Facebook pages have posted timetables to coordinate the event and called for the information to be circulated among Palestinians and their supporters everywhere, while stressing the moral and legal right of the refugees to return to their homes. Calls were also made for demonstrations and sit-down strikes in the Palestinian territories along the borders with Israel, and in Jerusalem.
The Campaign Organizers: The Refugees Have an Absolute Right to Return to Palestine
The administrators of the Facebook pages promoting the May 15 initiative explained that the Palestinian refugees had a moral and legal right to return to their homes in Palestine, and that the current situation in the region – the unrest throughout the Arab world and the internal problems in Israel – would facilitate the success of the event. The page titled "The 2011 March of Return," which currently has more than 4,800 "likes," said: "The goal of [our Facebook] group... is to organize a march of millions, who, on May 15, 2011, will realize the Right of Return to Palestine in deed as well as in word. [The marchers] will set out from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, penetrate the borders of Palestine, and return to [their] land... The Right of Return is a legal, political, human, moral, and religious right that is irrevocable and unlimited in time, and all must work toward realizing it. We call for the realization of this right through the mass return of millions of Palestinians to historical Palestine, such that every refugee and displaced person will return to his land and to the home from which he was expelled. This will be the first step toward implementing [U.N.] Resolution 194, which will be followed by further steps, such as awarding reparations to the returned refugees and recognizing their rights."[2]
Facebook page titled "The 2011 March of Return"
The page titled "The Palestinian Refugees' Revolution (The Advance of the Millions),"[3] which currently has over 1,300 members, stated: "The time has come to realize our historical dream to return to Palestine. The nation is undergoing an unprecedented noble [awakening] that enables such an historic leap. The Zionist entity is in a state of weakness, collapse, and loss of vision, which entices us to aim focused blows at it, in order to topple its racist enterprise, which contradicts the values of religion and morality."[4]
Facebook page titled "The Palestinian Refugees' Revolution (The Advance of the Millions)"
The page called "The Palestinian Refugees' Revolution,"[5] currently with more than 5,000 "likes," posted a message from the "Preparation Committee for the Revolution of the [Return] to the Homeland": "We will reach out our hand and build a bridge that will bring us to our green land, to our territorial waters, to the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, to our desert,... to the beautiful Galilee, to Jerusalem, our proud capital, to the neighborhoods of Nablus, Ramallah, and Jenin, to the hills of Lod and Ramla, and to all the [other] places... We will return, and soon. Long live our cause. May the state of the sons of Zion fall. We will die, but Palestine will live. Palestine is ours."[6]
Page titled "The Palestinian Refugees' Revolution"
The Facebook page "The Third Palestinian Intifada,"[7] which, within weeks of its launching, has almost 340,000 "likes," posted a message saying: "Palestine, how we have neglected you. Forgive us and forgive our sons for this. You have always inspired us to be steadfast in the struggle to keep you a free and Arab [land],... as you [always] were and always will be... After the Tunisian, Egyptian, and Libyan intifadas, the time has come for the Palestinian intifada. The first Palestinian intifada was in 1987 and the second in 2000, but the third Palestinian intifada [will commence] on May 15, 2011."[8]
It should be noted that, while urging the public to join the mass demonstrations on May 15, the page administrators also hinted at a coming war on the Jews and called on the readers to prepare for martyrdom. For example, they posted a well-known hadith, which states that the Day of Judgment will only come after the Muslims fight the Jews and vanquish them: "The hour [of Judgment] will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them. All the trees and all the stones will say: 'Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him - except for the Gharqad tree, which is the tree of the Jews." The site administrators remark, "That is why the Jews have been planting a lot of Gharqad trees lately!". In another message, an administrator states: "Paradise calls you. I ask everyone to come out on May 15. Do not say 'I can't.' For once [in your life], at least, do something to help the Muslims... Martyrdom calls you."
"The Third Palestinian Intifada: Palestine Will Be Liberated and We Will Be Its Liberators"
A Public Opinion Campaign
In anticipation of the May 15 return of the refugees, the Facebook campaigners are making efforts to publicize the initiative, establish its legal basis, and coordinate it by setting up timetables, meeting points, and planned routes of advance. The pages' members called to publicize the march throughout the Arab and Islamic world and help it succeed. The info page of "The Palestinian Refugees' Revolution (The Advance of the Millions)" called on European Muslims to join the initiative: "The Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim brothers living in Europe have a special responsibility to immediately launch a [publicity] campaign by rallying [the people], and by informing world public opinion of the great historical oppression that the Palestinian people are suffering, and of the manner of the activity planned."
The administrators of the "Third Palestinian Intifada" page called to spread word of the campaign by writing "Arab Intifada for the Liberation of Palestine, May 15, 2011" on cash.[10]
Egyptian money bearing a message about the planned initiative[11]
This page's administrators also made considerable efforts to promote the page itself: They urged its supporters to publicize it throughout the Internet and persuade their friends to join it, in order to reach one million "likes" as quickly as possible, and declared that other popular Arab Facebook pages had agreed to help publicize their page. The administrators also threatened Facebook, saying that if it closed down their page, "all Muslims will boycott Facebook forever."[12] Shortly afterwards, they reported that the company was indeed trying to shut the page down, to impede its functioning, and even to erase names of supporters. They appealed to the Al-Jazeera channel, which aired an item about this. The administrators claimed that the "Free Palestine" page, with 216,000 "likes," had been closed down by Facebook.
The Plan of Action
The page administrators have suggested detailed plans of action to be implemented before and during the May 15 march, stressing that all activity is to be non-violent. The info page of the "Palestinian Refugees' Revolution (The Advance of the Millions)" said: "We can recruit millions to march in eight fronts, in order to confuse the enemy and [force it to] divide its forces. The [fronts will be:] the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Inside Palestinians [i.e., Israeli Arabs], the refugees in Lebanon from the Lebanese border, the refugees in Syria from the Syrian border, the refugees in Jordan from the Jordanian border, the refugees of Europe via the sea in hundreds of ships, and international activists, [who] can demonstrate their solidarity from the Sinai front. Our Egyptian brothers... can support us by [organizing] a march of five million Egyptians, which will advance toward the Palestinian border from Sinai, under the slogan of peaceful solidarity with the rights of the Palestinian people... It would be best for the marches to be lead by old men and women who witnessed the Nakba. They do not lack enthusiasm to participate in and realize the dream of their lives – to be buried in the soil of their homeland. We must [also] recruit as many foreigners [i.e., non-Arabs] as possible from across the world to lead the marches, in order to create difficulty for the Zionists..."
Regarding the manner in which the march was to be conducted, the page said: "We must keep this activity free of all ideological and factional [conflict]. We must hold up the Palestinian flag only, so that the presence of [various] factions will not be used [against us] by the Zionists and the West. We must make sure that the [march] proceeds peacefully, without arms, with slogans in all the languages [emphasizing the] human [aspect of the struggle], such as 'I Want to Return to My Home,' and while holding aloft the keys of the homes from which our families were exiled... We must completely avoid slogans like 'Destroying the Zionist Entity' or 'Throw [the Zionists] into the Sea,' so as not to turn the world against us, and in order to rally [everyone around] the goal, namely to return to the homes from which we were expelled, nothing more. That is a human and moral slogan that can rally all the people of the world to our assistance."
The page administrator expressed a hope that the latest developments in the Arab world would contribute to the success of the initiative: "The situation in the region may convince the leaders of the countries surrounding [Israel] to refrain from opposing the advance of the millions, out of awareness that [such opposition] could cause the struggle to spill over [to their own countries] and bring about their downfall. [In fact,] they might allow the millions [to march] and ride the wave [of our protest] in order to stay in power... And even if they do not allow this, there is no force on the face of the earth that can withstand the determination of the people, and [the leaders] will end up the losers..."[13]
The "Third Palestinian Intifada" page posted a detailed plan of action for May 13-15, 2011, as follows. After the March 13 Friday prayers, the Palestinians and their supporters will gather in mosques and squares throughout Israel, in the Palestinian territories, and across the world, waving the Palestinian flag and burning the Israeli flag. On the following day, the Palestinians and their supporters will gather at the starting points of the march: In the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, they will gather in the mosques and squares of the cities; in "the 1948 territories," they will meet at the main mosques; in the countries bordering Israel, the starting points will be in various locations near the border; and in other Arab lands, protesters will gather at the Palestinian consulates. In Turkey, activists will gather in hundreds of ships, ready to set sail toward Israel; and in the rest of the world, including Europe and the US, demonstrators will rally in front of the Israeli embassies.
On Sunday, May 15, after the noon prayers, "the holy advance will start and the Intifada will be ignited... On this day, all the returning [refugees] will set forth, and the Third Palestinian Intifada will commence, with the support of all the free people in the world." The page lists the destinations of the march: In the West Bank, participants will march on the checkpoints and settlements; in Gaza, on the checkpoints and border crossings; within "the 1948 territories," toward cities and villages destroyed in the 1948 war; in Lebanon, toward Palestine by land and by sea; in Jordan, toward three areas on the border; in Syria, towards the Golan border; in Egypt, toward the Rafah border and toward the coast of Palestine by ship. Ships will also set sail for Palestine from Turkey and Europe, and demonstrations will be held in front of Israeli embassies worldwide.[14]
Timetable for activities on March 13-15, 2011
Call on "Jewish Settlers" in Israel to Return to Their Countries of Origin
A post on the "March of Return 2011" page by Allord Alis (who, it should be noted, is not the page administrator) ordered all Jews to evacuate Palestine: "All the families of Jewish settlers in the Galilee area, including in the areas of Safed, Tiberias, and all the way down to Acre, must proceed to the port of Haifa and board ships back to their countries of origin in Europe, before March 13, 2011. The Jewish families that have settled in the villages and cities of the Palestinian coast, all the way down to the border with the Gaza Strip, must go to the port of Tel Aviv, and take ships back to their European countries of origin, before March 13, 2011... The droves of [Jewish] settlers in the capital of Jerusalem and in the central area, up to the border with Jordan, must proceed immediately to the ports of Haifa or Tel Aviv... and the families of Jewish settlers in the south must proceed immediately to the port of Eilat." The message also warned that anyone trying to take "archeological artifacts [or anything belonging] to the Palestinian heritage, even a single ball of falafel, will be pursued and arrested by Interpol in his new place of residence."[15] It is important to note that this post went all but ignored and that none of the other pages included calls for the Jewish citizens of Israel to leave the country.
Call on Israeli Jews to leave the country
Images from the Facebook Campaign
From the "2011 March of Return" Page:
"We Will Return, 63 [Years] after the Nakba; May 15 – The Day of Return to [Our] Homes"
"The March of Return"
"We Shall Return"
"We Are Coming, Oh Al-Aqsa"
From the "Palestinian Refugees' Revolution" Page:
"It Is My Right to Return to My Home"
Other Activities:
In addition to Facebook pages launched in support of the May 15 initiative, others were recently launched calling for a range of additional activities against the Israeli occupation:
Marches and Demonstrations on Land Day
One page called to stage a "march of millions" on Land Day (March 30, 2011): Muslim and Christian Palestinians will set out from Ramallah and Bethlehem to pray at Al-Asqa and at the Tomb of the Sepulcher in Jerusalem.[16] The "Third Palestinian Intifada" page posted a plan for the Friday following Land Day (April 1, 2011), calling on all the Palestinian residents of the West Bank to march on the settlements and stage a day-long protest there, and on all the Israeli Arabs to march on Jerusalem and stage a day-long demonstration in front of the "Jewish settlements" in the city.[17]
"End the Occupation" Sit-In Demonstrations
The administrators of the popular Facebook page "Let's End the Occupation"[18] suggested staging a long-term sit-in demonstration in front of Beit El (a large Jewish settlement in the West Bank) and in front of the Erez crossing, until the occupation ended. No specific time was set for commencing this activity. The page stated: "This is an initiative by a group of young people who do not represent any political stream. What inspired us to take this step was the resounding success of the Arab youth in the Arab homeland, who managed to fight their oppressors with real determination and real restraint, using methods of peaceful struggle that resonated with people and moved them to support [their cause]. The idea is to emulate the Tahrir Square [protests] in two main areas – Beit El and the Erez [crossing] – and to rally everyone to participate in a long-term sit-down demonstration until the end of the occupation."
The message added: "We will start with a popular sit-down demonstration. We will put up tents in front of Beit El and the Beit Hanoun [Erez] crossing, and over time, the protest will spread to other areas. We do not want to use weapons of any kind. We want no flag or sign, except for our [Palestinian] flag. We will have a single slogan: 'End the Occupation.' We will put up our tents everywhere, and operate a radio station of the sit-down demonstration, broadcasting national songs not associated with any political faction. We will use pots and spoons to make a racket at night, and when we grow tired, we will blow whistles. We will not leave until the occupation leaves. We will draw [the attention of] the international and local media."
The page listed the equipment that will be needed by participants in this protest: a cloth and some vinegar and lemon as protection from tear gas; an aluminum pot and goggles to protect from tear-gas bombs and rubber bullets; an olive branch to signify the peaceful character of the protest; cans of spray paint for spraying on the faceguards of the soldiers' helmets in case of a confrontation; a sleeping bag and a first aid kit; water and soap for pouring on the tires of military jeeps to make them skid.
The administrators set out their demands: "An immediate and complete end to the occupation; unity among the Palestinians; a Palestinian state with complete sovereignty within the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital; the right of return and reparations for the refugees and the right to self-determination [for the Palestinians as a whole]; the release of all Palestinian prisoners from the occupation's jails; and reparations for the Palestinians for the years of occupation [they endured]." They added that, following the end of the occupation, they expected "free and fair elections to be held [among the Palestinians]; a free and independent economy that ensures a dignified existence to all, and [a government that rules] according to principles of transparency and accountability."
A page titled "The Palestinian Revolution for Ending the Occupation 10-15-20" proposes to stage sit-down demonstrations on three dates: April 20, 2011 (the anniversary of the 1936 Arab Revolt in Palestine), May 15, 2011 (Nakba Day), and June 10, 2011 (the anniversary of the 1916 Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire). The protests are to take place "near checkpoints and at all points of contact with the occupation [in the occupied territories]; within the 1948 territories; in our sister Arab countries; in all the [countries] of the Palestinian diaspora across the world; and in front of American and Israeli embassies, wherever they exist. We will carry kitchen utensils and drum with them. Perhaps, for once, the world will hear our voices, and the Zionists will realize that their presence on our soil is unwelcome, and that this time it is we who are doing the talking."[19]
Activity to End the Inter-Palestinian Schism
In recent weeks, there has also been much activity among young people on Facebook aimed at ending the schism between Fatah and Hamas, under the slogan "The People Want an End to the Schism."[20] The online campaign was quickly translated into activity on the ground. On March 15, 2011, mass demonstrations took place in Gaza and the West Bank in demand for inter-Palestinian reconciliation, and smaller protests and sit-ins are still taking place.
The campaign and demonstrations were endorsed by officials from both Hamas and Fatah, and encouraged some of them to launch initiatives of their own: PA President Mahmoud 'Abbas's initiative to visit Gaza in order to establish a national unity government that will prepare the ground for presidential, parliamentary, and PNC elections;[21] PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's campaign for a national unity government, based on retaining the existing security and administrative infrastructures and arrangements until reconciliation is achieved;[22] and the initiative of Hamas Political Bureau Head Khaled Mash'al for a reconciliation based on opposition and jihad.[23]
It should be noted that while the call for reconciliation was endorsed by Palestinian officials, the initiatives for the refugees' return were largely ignored by the officials (until their endorsement by the PLO Department of Expatriate Affairs, which may stimulate further official interest), and also received little attention from the Palestinian media.
