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High Noon: Génocidaire Clears Syria

Plus ‘Israel Firsters,’ the Americans of Beit Shemesh, and more

by
Marc Tracy
December 29, 2011
Nothing to see in Syria earlier this week.(-/AFP/Getty Images)
Nothing to see in Syria earlier this week.(-/AFP/Getty Images)

• The head of the Arab League observers visiting Syria said he found “nothing frightening.” His bar, however, might be set a little high, since he is a Sudanese general!!! [LAT]

• The Obama administration is beginning to make plans for helping the Syrian opposition, including a no-fly zone. [FP The Cable]

• Gerald Steinberg and others weigh in on the affair concerning certain anti-Israel tweets and blog posts by Center for American Progress staffers. As I wrote last week, the term “Israel firster” (or the implication that a senator is in AIPAC’s pocket) goes beyond mere criticism of support for certain policies. [JPost]

• Beit Shemesh has turned into the battleground against Haredi misogyny in part because many residents—including the eight-year-old girl whose harassment sparked the latest controversy—are American-born. [Forward]

• Rep. Ron Paul, the prominent Republican presidential candidate recently embroiled in charges over racist and anti-Semitic newsletters published under his name, denied he is an anti-Semite. [Haaretz]

• Meanwhile, several GOP candidates have said they would vote for Paul over President Obama in the general election—including frontrunner Mitt Romney (but not including former frontrunner Newt Gingrich). I’d be interested in the Republican Jewish Coalition’s take on this. [JTA Capital J]

• Conservative journalist Philip Klein, for one, disagrees with Romney. [Washington Examiner]

• The United States isn’t too worried about Iran’s threats to shut the Strait of Hormuz. [Yahoo! The Envoy]

• Due to the ongoing reconciliation talks with Fatah, Hamas has reportedly been ordered to cease attacks on Israel. [Haaretz]

• Six religious settlers have been arrested in connection with the riot earlier this month at a West Bank IDF base. [AP/WP]

• Casino magnate and prominent Republican donor (and Gingrich backer) Sheldon Adelson said he agreed with the former Speaker’s remark about the “invented” Palestinian people. What’s notable is he said it to a gathering of young Jews on Birthright trips. [Haaretz]

• Ignore the painting, admire the sentiment: the New England Patriots bought owner Bob Kraft a tribute to his late wife, Myra. [ESPN]

• Um, Prime Minister Netanyahu has a 180 I.Q., maybe. [JustASC]

Everybody saw this, right? Also: “We understand the East German judge made it a 9.”

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.