According to Netanyahu, it was a major American intervention — with other reports mentioning Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton as well as Obama — that made the difference between Egyptian inaction and action to rescue the embassy security guards behind the “last door” separating them from the Egyptian mob. Apparently Cairo isn’t screening out calls […]
Egypt: Crowd near Israeli embassy turns on journalists, accusing them of being Israeli and American spies
A CNN producer, an Egyptian who was himself accused of being an Israeli spy, may have helped to avert another assault like that which Lara Logan suffered, sexually assaulted by a mob shouting “Jew! Jew!” As for the American spy allegations, some thanks America gets for its support of the “Arab Spring.” Unfortunately, there is […]
New York Times: Assault on Israeli embassy lasted 13 hours; embassy itself was breached
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, Article 27, 1a.: “the receiving State shall, even in case of armed conflict, respect and protect the consular premises, together with the property of the consular post and the consular archives.” Article 31, 1: “Consular premises shall be inviolable to the extent provided in this article.” [And no, mobs […]
Israeli ambassador and senior staff leave Egypt after embassy attack; rescue of guards behind “last door” after telephoned appeals by Obama administration and Netanyahu
A clearer picture is beginning to emerge of how ugly the situation became in the embassy building. An update on this story. “PM: I am glad we avoided danger in embassy attack,” from the Jerusalem Post, September 10: Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded on Saturday to the previous night’s attack on Israel’s embassy in Cairo, […]
Egypt on alert after assault on Israeli embassy where police stood idly by as protective wall was destroyed
If Egyptian authorities continue to drag their feet on their obligations to protect the embassy according to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, Friday’s attack could be but a dress rehearsal, testing the response for a fuller re-enactment of the attack on and taking of hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the Iranian […]
Report: Turkey has obtained names of Israeli soldiers in flotilla raid, may try to prosecute for “torture and premeditated murder”
The State Department has told both Turkey and Israel to “cool it,” even as Israel has largely reserved comment and tried to downplay the crisis while Ankara continuously escalates its rhetoric and threats. The saber-rattling has gone in one direction. And now, this. The charges are ridiculous, and are an attempt to intimidate and blackmail […]
Egyptians break into Israeli embassy, dump documents from windows, desecrate flag again as police stand aside
That was their problem with the wall. It was getting in the way. These attacks are a rehearsal and a testing of the waters for an attempt at a full-blown re-enactment of the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. That is the eventuality the Israelis there face if Egyptian authorities continue let the protesters […]
Peaceful, democratic Arab Spring Egyptians tear down Israel Embassy’s security wall
I tried to tell you. An update on this story. “Egyptians tear down Israel Embassy’s security wall,” by Aya Batrawy for Associated Press, September 9 (thanks to all who sent this in): CAIRO (AP) “” Hundreds of Egyptian protesters, some swinging hammers and others using their bare hands, tore down parts of a graffiti-covered security […]
Egypt: Muslims chanting “Allahu akbar” blockade Christian village, demand demolition of church
Islamic law forbids the construction of new churches, or the repair of old ones. It also forbids the display of crosses or the ringing of church bells. Umdat al-Salik, or The Reliance of the Traveler, a manual of Islamic jurisprudence certified as “reliable” by Egypt’s very own Al-Azhar University, explains that non-Muslims are: … “forbidden […]
Israel on alert for another major attack after 10-man cell crosses from Gaza into Sinai
On alert for Islamic Jihad’s potential Ramadan finale. “Vilnai: 10-man terror cell planning attack from Sinai,” from the Jerusalem Post, August 30: A cell of more than 10 terrorists is currently in the Sinai with plans to carry out an attack against Israel along its border with Egypt, Home Front Defense Minister Matan Vinai said […]