Justice Ginsburg to Egypt: Don't Copy US Constitution

United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently gave an interview with Al Hayat TV in Egypt, in which she was asked about a new Egyptian Constitution, and where she would advise looking for influence.

She said, "I would not look to the U.S. Constitution if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012." She went on to specifically cite the South African constitution, the 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the European Convention on Human Rights as documents she would look to.




This is not the first time Justice Ginsburg has made statements like this. As important as electing a conservative president is, we must also have a Senate full of conservatives who will do everything in their power to stop the nomination of justices who are fundamentally opposed to the basic founding principles found in our Constitution.

'Moderate' ElBaradei: attack Israel if they intervene in Gaza

Former IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei, touted by the West as a "moderate" Muslim leader, and an Egyptian presidential candidate, told an Arab newspaper that "if Israel attacked Gaza we would declare war against the Zionist regime." ElBaradei received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

It should be noted that the terrorists who are in charge in Gaza have once again been escalating rocket and mortar fire into Israel in the past few months.

The West tends to ignore what Muslim leaders tell their own press, and instead focus on what they say in English - even thought they oftentimes are polar opposite statements.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a moderate? The Muslim Brotherhood, moderates? Nope.

Update: Israel and the Arab World

Current Political Situation

Hillel Fendel, senior editor of the Israeli news website Arutz Sheva, has written a very interesting series entitled The New Middle East at a Glance - Country by Country. Here is the link for Part I, and here is Part II.

In the articles, Fendel discusses the recent political turmoil that began in Tunisia, and has spread to Egypt, Yemen, and throughout the Arab World of the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to talking about the unrest, he explains the historic and present state of the Jews in each respective nation. I highly recommend reading this series.

Iranian Provocation Continues

News has broken today that Iran is sending two warships to dock in Syria for a year-long "training mission". The vessels were set to pass through the Suez Canal today. In Syria, they will be in close proximity to Hezbollah, the terrorist group set up by Iran that is now in control of Lebanon. Hezbollah already has been armed by Iran, and with Iranian military support so close, will be emboldened. Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said today that he is ready for another war with Israel, and specifically an invasion of the Galilee region

Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood

For those here in the West who view the Muslim Brotherhood as a "moderate" and "secular" organization, and support elevating them to power in Egypt, allow me to show you Article 2 of the official Hamas Charter:

Article Two: The Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] is one of the wings of Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine. Muslim Brotherhood Movement is a universal organization which constitutes the largest Islamic movement in modern times. It is characterised by its deep understanding, accurate comprehension and its complete embrace of all Islamic concepts of all aspects of life, culture, creed, politics, economics, education, society, justice and judgement, the spreading of Islam, education, art, information, science of the occult and conversion to Islam.

That is just one reason why it is dangerous for the Muslim Brotherhood to come to power in Egypt, Israel's largest neighbor. Two terrorist organizations (especially when in alliance or control of a nation like Egypt), in conjunction with Syrian and Iranian supported Hezbollah in Lebanon, pose a serious threat to Israel's safety, security, and very existence.

Video: Israel's Critical Security Needs for a Viable Peace

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs has released a video entitled "Israel's Critical Security Needs for a Viable Peace". This put into perspective for those of us in the West exactly what Israel faces from a security standpoint relating to their tiny size. Watch below.



JCPA has published a very informative security report here, which Arutz Sheva news has summarized in a great article here.

If you want to read an excellent book on the subject, I highly recommend current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 1993 book - A Place Among The Nations.

Will the Left Protest This, Part 2

Today brought news that Egypt will move to revoke citizenship for Egyptian men married to Israelis. Actions like this would shock any Westerner, but that sentence barely scratches the surface.

The citizenship revocation only applies to those married to certain Israeli woman. Care to guess which?

Some 30,000 Egyptian men are married to an Israeli woman. About 10% of those women are Arab Israelis. They are unaffected by this ruling.

That's right. Egypt will not revoke citizenship for marrying just any Israeli woman, but only if marrying a Jewish Israeli woman. Read more here.

And this comes from the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel. This is one of the "moderate" Islamic nations.

Will the Left and the media protest this? Again, I think not.

Israel’s Maritime Blockade Explained

The Israeli government has provided background on the joint Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip. The media, as usual, is failing to report this side of the story.

Israel’s Maritime Blockade Explained

There’s been a lot of misinformation being reported about the nature of Egypt and Israel’s blockade of Gaza. While the casualties on both sides are a tragedy, Israel had no choice but to stop the flotilla from breaking the blockade – and international law. While Israel was forced to take action in international waters, its actions are supported by international maritime law.

Below, find 13 clear points which explain Israel’s maritime blockade, supported by international law.

1. A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. Such blockade has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza, which has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza via the sea.

2. Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea.

3. A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral states. This is directly stated in Section IV, Article 10 of the ICRC.

4. The naval manuals of several western countries, including the US and England recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure and set forth the various criteria that make a blockade valid, including the requirement of give due notice of the existence of the blockade.

5. In this vein, it should be noted that Israel publicized the existence of the blockade and the precise coordinates of such by means of the accepted international professional maritime channels. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade is in effect.

6. Here, it should be noted that under customary law, knowledge of the blockade may be presumed once a blockade has been declared and appropriate notification has been granted, as above.

7. Under international maritime law, when a maritime blockade is in effect, no boats can enter the blockaded area. That includes both civilian and enemy vessels.

8. A state may take action to enforce a blockade. Any vessel that violates or attempts to violate a maritime blockade may be captured or even attacked under international law. The US Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations sets forth that a vessel is considered to be in attempt to breach a blockade from the time the vessel leaves its port with the intention of evading the blockade.

9. Here we should note that the protesters indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade by means of written and oral statements. Moreover, the route of these vessels indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade in violation of international law.

10. According to Section V, Article 67 (a) of the ICRC, merchant vessels flying a neutral flag may be intercepted if they are “breaching a blockade.”

11. Given the protesters explicit intention to violate the naval blockade, Israel exercised its right under international law to enforce the blockade. It should be noted that prior to undertaking enforcement measures, explicit warnings were relayed directly to the captains of the vessels, expressing Israel’s intent to exercise its right to enforce the blockade.

12. Israel had attempted to take control of the vessels participating in the flotilla by peaceful means and in an orderly fashion in order to enforce the blockade. Given the large number of vessels participating in the flotilla, an operational decision was made to undertake measures to enforce the blockade a certain distance from the area of the blockade.

13. Israeli personnel attempting to enforce the blockade were met with violence by the protesters and acted in self defense to fend off such attacks.

There will be more on this story, I'm sure. Another "Free Gaza" ship is headed to the blockaded area, and is expected to arrive sometime toward the end of this week. Israel has vowed to hold the naval blockade, ensuring another confrontation.

A forgotten fact in this situation is that Egypt also maintains a blockade, even more strict than Israel's (although smuggling tunnels permeate the Gaza/Egypt border). While Israel delivers several tons of humanitarian supplies to Gaza six days a week, Egypt rarely opens their border to deliver aid.