Iranian regime reportedly angry at Hamas for supporting Syrian opposition

Hamas political bureau deputy chief Moussa Abu Marzook sought to draw a line under the speculation regarding Hamas’s position in Syria, confirming that the Palestinian movement has left Syria because it respects “the will of the people” and rejects the “security solution” being enacted by the al-Assad regime.

Abu Marzook, in an interview with the Associated Press, revealed that Hamas political bureau chief Khalid Mishal and his closest aides have moved to Doha. He said “the Iranians are not happy with our position on Syria, and when they are not happy they don’t deal with you in the same old way”, in a reference to a decline of Iranian financial aid to Hamas.

The Hamas political bureau chief stressed that the Palestinian movement has left Syria in protest against the “bloody” campaign being carried out by the al-Assad regime. Abu Marzook clarified “our position on Syria is that we are not with the regime in its security solution, and we respect the will of the people.”

Abu Marzook noted that Hamas still has offices in Syria, but asserted that “practically, we are no longer in Syria, because we couldn’t practice our duties there.”

(Source: Iran angry at Hamas abandoning Al-Assad Asharq Alawsat Newspaper) (h/t: Hussein Ibish)

Franklin Graham "can't say categorically that (Obama) is not a Muslim because Islam has gotten a free pass under Obama"

Residents of West Bank settlement commemorate Palestinian children killed or injured in accident

Banner hung by residents of a nearby settlement at the site of a recent bus crash which killed eight Palestinian schoolchildren. The message in Hebrew and Arabic reads "The residents of Adam settlement share in the sorrow of the families, in their deep grief over the death of their loved ones and wish a speedy recovery to the injured."

(From Haaretz)

Pat Buchanan Finally Fired From MSNBC

It's about time.

Read about it here: Little Green Footballs

CPAC conference will include white nationalist Peter Brimelow of VDARE

Right Wing Watch reports that the CPAC 2012 conference will host Peter Brimelow, the self-avowed "white nationalist" publisher of the racist, anti-immigrant website VDARE.

More about Brimelow and VDARE here.

Alison Weir to speak at Texas universities

Alison Weir, the anti-Israel activist notable for her advocacy of the truth of the "blood libel" and its relevance to Israeli policy (read here and here), is scheduled to speak this week at three events in Texas, including one at Rice University and one at University of Houston Law School.

According to the Houston Jewish Herald-Voice (read here: Anti-Israel advocate to speak at Rice, UH):

The Baker Institute Student Forum is sponsoring Weir’s Rice visit. The student-run organization, dedicated to fostering student involvement in public policy, is hosting a talk from Israeli academic, Dr. Dov Shinar, at Rice the following day. The latter program is meant to be a counter-balance to Weir’s appearance, according to a Rice student familiar with the events. The Baker Institute Student Forum is committed to a balanced issues discourse at Rice, the student told the JHV. 

Besides Rice, Weir is scheduled to speak Friday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m., at the UH Law School. The event is sponsored by UH’s Muslim Law Student Association. 

On Saturday, Feb. 11, Weir is scheduled to speak at the Westin Galleria hotel, where she will share a podium with Nihad Awad, national executive director of CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. This event is sponsored by Palestinian American Bridge..

Ms. Weir complains on her blog that the Baker Institute calendar has not listed her presentation, and that it will not be webcast. She writes without explanation that this is "odd" and goes on to complain that the Baker Institute will webcast a pro-Israel presentation on the day following her presentation. She also questions whether the anonymous Jewish student cited in the Herald-Voice report expressing concerns about her presentation actually exists and describes the report as "offensive nonsense".

Houston activists promoting Alison Weir website using image of Anne Frank as a Palestinian