Wednesday Part 2

From Ian:

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Anti-Semitism is why the Arab Spring failed

In my view, one reason why the Arab Spring succeeded in toppling old dictatorships but didn’t succeed in replacing them with genuine democracy was that narrow-mindedness kept the uprisings’ leadership and supporters from harnessing all existing potential. Instead of dealing with root causes of the problems, they preferred to choose a simplistic answer and solution for all unresolved issues. They had a “one size fits all” diagnosis with a single prescription for all ills: whenever there is a mess, a dilemma or a complicated situation, just point a finger at Israel and the Jews.

The Historical Revisionism of ‘The Great Book Robbery’

Additionally, ‘Robbery’ features prominently anti-Israel professor Ilan Pappe, formerly of Haifa University and now with the University of Exeter in England, who was a driving force behind the boycott movement against Israeli academics. In featuring Pappe, the makers of ‘Robbery’ try (and fail) to cloak their ahistorical, biased film in the mantel of respectability by giving the impression that even Israeli Jews – albeit extreme, far leftist ones – support this narrative.

Richard Millett interviewed for Israeli documentary about antisemitism

The following 40-minute documentary about antisemitism, which aired on Israeli Channel 2 on the eve of Yom HaShoah, April 7, features interviews with Richard Millett, Abe Foxman, Howard Jacobson, and Alan Dershowitz – and includes clips of several figures who will be familiar to CiF Watch readers, including Lauren Booth, Jenny Tonge, and Ken Ovenden.

Vandals burn mezuzahs in Brooklyn building

The mezuzahs on the doorposts of 11 apartments in a Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, were vandalized on Monday in what police are treating as a possible hate crime

Wave of Anti-Semitic Graffiti Hits Massachusetts

A wave of anti-Semitic and racially charged graffiti hit several locations in Medford, Massachusetts over the weekend, leaving local residents and officials vowing to mount a vigorous investigation into the identities of the perpetrators who desecrated the city on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Turkish truckers travel via Israel to Saudi Arabia

Turkish truckers, cut off from Persian Gulf destinations by the civil war in Syria, have begun crossing by ferry to Haifa and continuing on to their destinations via Israel and Jordan.
Although diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey were virtually frozen following the maritime clash three years ago – and the flood of Israeli tourists to Turkey dwindled to a trickle – commercial relations have thrived during this period. Turkey’s imports from Israel increased from $1.3 billion in 2010 to $1.85b. in the past year.(h/t billposer)

Israeli firm talks up mankind’s recovery from the Tower of Babel

You speak in your language but the listener hears you in his or hers — by phone, via the Internet, or even face-to-face. It’s a linguistic revolution, say the innovators behind Lexifone
Now, an Israeli start-up claims to be perfecting the best means of overcoming that biblical curse of global language barriers.

What the ‘Start-Up Nation’ can do for farmers

Educating investors and others about Israeli agritech is one reason Misgav-based The Trendlines Group is sponsoring a first-ever agritech road show, according to Steve Rhodes, Chairman and CEO of The Trendlines Group. “Our goal is to introduce our promising agritech companies to potential investors and strategic partners in the US,” Rhodes said. “It is also about increasing awareness among US investors and corporations about the fantastic opportunities in Israel in the agritech space.”

Prof. Levitzki chosen for American Cancer Research Award

Levitzki was chosen in recognition of contributions to signal transduction therapy and work on tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has chosen Prof. Alexander Levitzki of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as the winner of its 2013 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research

The top 65 ways Israel is saving our planet

To celebrate Israel’s 65th birthday, ISRAEL21c takes a look at some of the many creative and varied ways Israel is helping to enrich and improve our planet.
The list comes in no particular order, and is by no means exhaustive. There are hundreds, if not thousands, more worthy projects going on every day. If you’ve got a project worth hearing about, we’d be delighted if you include it in our comments section at the end.

2,000-year-old ritual bath uncovered in Jerusalem

The remains of a 2,000-year-old ritual bath have come to light in Jerusalem, Israeli archaeologists say.
The unusually complex bath was uncovered near the modern-day Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat Menachem, and would have been in use around the time of the Second Temple, according to a statement Wednesday from the Israel Antiquities Authority. The remains were found in a salvage dig ahead of the construction of a new road.