Conspiracy theory day at treppenwitz

Does anyone else find the timing a bit too convenient that less than two weeks after breaking from the traditional impartiality of the presidency and openly criticizing the disengagement (and by association, its architects), several woman have magically stepped forward to accuse President Katzav of sexual harassment.  Even more telling is that almost immediately, several MKs began calling for him to step down "for the good of the office and the country".

Puleeze! 

In a country where 95% of the men aren't even aware that 'harass' is one word, a squeaky-clean president with a record of comporting himself with all the dignity appropriate to his office is suddenly being asked to step down before even the smallest shred of evidence is presented? 

No, I don't smell a rat, do you?

In other conspiracy-related news, an alert treppenwitz reader with an inquiring mind left the following cryptic comment on my double standard post which bears closer examination:

"Is Mohammed Deif dead or not?"

For the benefit of readers for whom this name doesn't ring a bell, Wikipedia provides the following helpful background info:

"Mohammed Deif is [ed. was] a commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. He gained that position after the assassination of Salah Shahade in July, 2002. Israel suspects him of being a bombmaker and holds him personally responsible for the deaths of dozens of civilians in suicide bombings since 1996. He is considered a designer of the Qassam rocket together with Nidal Fat'hi Rabah Farahat and Adnan al-Ghoul. He had been under Palestinian custody from May 2000 until April 2001 when he was released. Deif was the person considered the top of Israel's most wanted list for several years.

Despite initial reports of his death in an Israeli air strike on September 27, 2002, an Israeli official confirmed that he survived the attack.  He has survived five other Israeli assassination attempts, which caused him serious handicaps."

This last sentence actually made me giggle because apparently each time he has had a close brush with Israeli attempts to off him, he ends up losing another body part or function.  Picture the Black knight in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' and you get the idea ("It's only a flesh wound!").

Anyway, word on the street is that as recently as this past February Mr. Deif grew frustrated with the relative restraint shown by the local Palestinian militias and joined up with the Al Qaeda chapter that had sprung up in the fertile soil of Israeli-free Gaza.

I've done some serious checking and have not found conclusive proof that he is dead or alive (although I'm fairly certain it is one or the other).  But the following link purports to show him (or some sources say it is fellow expired Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi) enjoying the first of his 72 virgins in heaven.  You be the judge:

                View Photo
   OFFENSIVE IMAGE WARNING!
NOT WORK (OR MEALTIME) SAFE!!!

Update:  It now seems that Mohammed Deif has been sighted under a house (rather than under a zoftig virgin, as was previously reported), after an Israeli air-strike in Gaza City. 

Reports state that he has lost his liver, spleen, right arm, left leg, lower jaw, both kidneys and half his pelvis... but has sworn to continue fighting the 'Zionist Enemy', reportedly saying "Oh! Had enough, eh? Come back and take what's coming to you, you yellow bastards! Come back here and take what's coming to you! I'll bite your legs off!".

You have to admire that kind of scrappy determination.