Saturday Links

From Ian:

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Alan Dershowitz: Stephen Hawking Endorses Iranian and Chinese Repression

The only logical conclusion that can be derived from Stephen Hawking’s decision to join the academic boycott of Israel, coupled with his enthusiastic visits to Iran and China, is that he actively endorses and supports the repression practiced by the Iranian mullahs and the Chinese party bosses. Why else would he single out the world’s only Jewish state for his academic boycott?

'Chomsky pushed Hawking to boycott Israel event'

Chomsky joined British academics in telling Hawking they were "surprised and deeply disappointed" that he had accepted the invitation to speak at the conference in Israel," according to the Guardian.

Douglas Murray: How can a man as brilliant as Hawking boycott Israel when it makes the microchip that enables him to talk?

For with supreme irony, the speech device which enables Hawking to communicate with the world and relate his fascinating thoughts to us is a computer Intel Core i7-based communication system. Which runs on a chip designed by Israel.
Perhaps Professor Hawking should reflect on what it would mean if he truly committed himself to a boycott of Israel.
The conference will be the poorer for his absence. But in the meantime those of us who admired this man and cherish the true principles of freedom are left speechless ourselves — at the extent of his naivete.

CAMERA: Economist Joins BDS Whitewash

Equally euphemistic is demand three, which envisions the influx into Israel of millions of Palestinians born abroad, the descendents Palestinian refugees from 1948. This would lead to Barghouti's dream of rewinding history so that the Jewish people are forced back to the dark era in which being a Jew meant everywhere being an ethnic minority.
If the BDS movement's leaders are willing to tell the truth about the movement, why does The Economist insist on hiding that truth?

Profs on Boston Bombing: Blame Right-Wingers, ‘Islamophobia,’ and Blowback

Clearly, the specialists cited above are using their knowledge not to clarify, but to conceal; not to explain, but to apologize. When they serve as a source of propaganda rather than elucidation, the professoriate becomes a barrier to understanding. Moreover, the insistence that bigotry is endemic to the American character only promotes the very hysteria and division they decry. In turning to such “experts” in times of crisis, the media and the public at large are ill-served and often misled.

'Mounting Evidence' Boston Bombers Involved in 2011 Triple Murder

Massachusetts investigators have developed what they call "mounting evidence," bolstered by "forensic hits," that point to the possible involvement of both Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother Dzhokhar in a gruesome, unsolved triple homicide in 2011, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

Susan Rice: Attacks on Israel at UN undercut peace

“But the UN isn’t at its best when it comes to Israel. In fact, it’s sometimes at its worst,” Rice continued. “Anyone who cares about the international system has to be concerned when one member state is unfairly singled out.”
Rice described Israel as enduring “a barrage of obsessive, unbalanced, and relentless criticism” at the United Nations.

Think Tank Slams Newseum’s Plan to Honor Hamas Faux ‘Journalists’

“We just learned about this last night, and we are eager to learn more. FDD’s president, Cliff May, has a call in to the CEO of the Newseum. As a think tank that has done significant research on terrorist media, we are obviously deeply concerned,” Schanzer said, while adding, “We would have a hard time understanding why anyone would choose to honor anyone working for a terrorist propaganda outfit.”
The Newseum, a journalism museum in Washington, is honoring journalists who were killed on the job this past year in a ceremony on May 13. Two of those being honored, Hussam Salama and Mahmoud al-Kumi, were killed in Gaza in November and worked for Al-Aqsa Television, a Hamas-funded outlet, which itself has been designated a terror organization by the U.S.

Newseum Puts Journalists at Risk by Honoring Terrorists

One lesson in all this was the bias and unconscionably low standards of both the press and activist organizations that cover Israel. But another–and very important–lesson was this: Allowing terrorists to masquerade as journalists and then celebrating their “work” in war zones will almost surely put all journalists at much greater risk by blurring the lines that should keep them safe and treating terrorists as media martyrs.

PA Warns Against Qaradawi's 'Fake Palestinian Passport'

The PA urges world countries to take legal action to seize the passport given by Hamas to radical cleric Yousef al-Qaradawi.

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Holds Massive Anti-Israel Rally

The anti-Israel rally, the first of its kind by the Muslim Brotherhood since the Islamist party took power from Egypt’s military nearly a year ago, protested Israel’s recent brief detention of the Mufti of Jerusalem and its purported airstrikes in Syria.

Davutoglu: Tests on Syrians Show Signs of Chemical Weapons

Turkey's FM: tests conducted on wounded Syrians suggested use of chemical weapons.

Cagey Russia defends possible Syrian anti-aircraft missile deal

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says international law doesn’t restrict sale of S-300 defense system to Bashar Assad

Lebanese Director: Arab League Trying to Ban My Film

Lebanese director whose film was banned in his home country because it was made in Israel, points accusing finger at the Arab League.

Israeli technology to keep disconnected, when necessary

In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s all too easy for secrets to seep out. Meetings, sensitive research in labs, courtroom trials, and so many other formerly private or closed events and venues are now open to the world, with proprietary information or tenuous negotiations threatened by the tweeting or facebooking of sensitive data that could ruin hard-won progress, or further complicate already tangled legal proceedings.