Wednesday Links Part 2

From Ian:

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StandWithUs: Standing Up For Israel



Daphne Anson: "I'm A Muslim, Zionist Arab ... Proud To Be Arab & Israeli"

"My name is Abdol and I’m a Muslim, Zionist Arab. Israel is my home. Israel is where my friends – Arabs & Jews – live. Israel is where I have rights and Israel is where my family lives. I joined the IDF to give back to a country that keeps giving to me.
More profiles at the Australasian Union of Jewish Students

The triumph of monoculturalism in the Middle East
Terra Incognita: In 1948 there were 250,000 Jews in Morocco. Today there are less than 4,000.

Monoculturalism is the tragedy of the Middle East; as the rest of the world became diverse, the Middle East became homogenous, and that homogeneity is also encouraged in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sudan, northern Nigeria, Kosovo, Turkey, Chechnya and a myriad other countries that learn too much from the example of Saudi Arabia, and learn too little from the example of the United States.

The Russell Tribunal – Kangaroos in Smart Clothing….

With humble apologies and much respect to the fabulous Australian marsupials, it must be said that the Russell Tribunal is nothing more than a kangaroo court. The Russell Tribunal or International War Crimes Tribunal was founded by British philosopher, Bertrand Russell in 1966 with the aim of investigating America’s foreign policy and military intervention in Vietnam. The Russell Tribunal on Palestine was founded in March 1999 with the purpose of investigating crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians. Charges of practising Apartheid have been levelled at the Jewish state. Strange how no investigations have ever been carried out by the Tribunal against suicide bombings or incitement to hate.

Simon Wiesenthal Center Report: BDS “a Thinly-Veiled, Anti-Israel and Anti-Semitic ‘Poison Pill’”

The report concludes, that BDS has no positive impact on peace in the Middle East: “Those truly committed to a ‘Two State Solution’ will never serve the cause of peace by embracing the anti-Semitic BDS. Honest people have a choice between two options only: a return to currently unfashionable, always difficult, peacemaking to forge two viable, peaceful states or the grim alternative, stripped bare of pretenses, of a deadly specter astride a Pale Horse.”

Martin Luther King Jr., Israel and Obama

In March, 1968, only a few weeks before he was assassinated, King gave one of his most ardent speeches in support of Israel at the convention of the Rabbinical Assembly of America. He stated, “I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land almost can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy.

Adelle's Condition is Critical, Life Threatening
A worsening in the condition of the baby who was wounded Thursday in a terrorist ambush near Ariel.

"We regret to say that Adelle's condition is deteriorating and we ask the entire public to pray for her health," her father, Rafi, said Tuesday. Adelle should be referred to in prayers as Adelle Chaya Bat Adva.

Ex-Commander Warns: Complacency Kills
Former IDF commander gleans expertise from past wars, warns soldiers to ignore the media when fighting terror.

Former IDF Colonel Moshe Givati recently took another step forward in a long-term project aimed at learning from Israel’s past wars. In an interview with Arutz Sheva he discussed his findings, and warned that what he sees today looks frightening like the situation prior to 1973.

Ronaldo and Portugal set to land in Israel
Pivotal World Cup qualifier coming up on Friday for blue-and-white against accomplished foe.

The Portugal national team, including superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier versus the blue-and-white at National Stadium in Ramat Gan.

Jerusalem revs up for Formula One

‘It’s great to have the chance to drive a Formula 1 car on the streets of a city that is as fascinating and full of history as Jerusalem” — Italian racing driver Giancarlo Fisichella.
The event, called the Jerusalem Peace Road Show, will take place June 13-14, 2013. From June 9-13, the cars taking part in the historical circuit around the city – including Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Audi – will be on show at the Old Jerusalem Train Station.

Anti-Israel groups push product, performers boycott

Nabil Bisharap, a 38-year-old father of six, worries that the boycott could lead to layoffs at SodaStream, whose West Bank factory, at the edge of the settlement of Maaleh Adumim near Jerusalem, employs about 300 Jews, 500 West Bank Palestinians and 400 Palestinian Arabs from East Jerusalem.
The Israeli factory offers benefits unheard of in the Palestinian work sector: free transportation to and from work, health insurance and salaries "four to six times" the average Palestinian salary according to company President Yonah Lloyd. It has an on-site mosque and synagogue.
Before BDS activists try to pressure Israel via boycotts, Bisharap said, "they should understand the situation. My salary is good; my conditions are good. If people stop buying, almost 1,000 Palestinians won't be able to support their families."
Boycotting Israel, Bisharap concluded, "is not the solution."