7/05 Links Part 2: LATMA, 4th of July in Israel, Alicia Keys Fires Up Tel Aviv and Morsi IS Jewish

From Ian:

---

LATMA: Tawil Fadiha sins of peace and John Kerry explains his plan


Freedom lovers will bring prosperity to Middle East, Netanyahu says

“In the Middle East today, there are many people who seek liberty, and they are our natural peace partners and provide hope that the great turbulence that is rocking the Middle East… will hopefully result in a bright future for all people in the region,” Netanyahu said. “It won’t happen overnight, but if it does, prosperity and peace will be provided for all.”

U.S., IDF Soldiers in Tel Aviv July 4 Party

Thirty American soldiers and officers celebrated American Independence Day together with over 150 IDF Lone Soldiers who made Aliyah from the United States, with the assistance of Nefesh B'Nefesh, FIDF, the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and Tzofim Garin Tzabar.
These organizations maintain their relationship with the soldiers throughout their military service and provide them with personal and financial support.

IDF Blog: IDF’s Druze Battalion Tests New Techniques for Fighting Hezbollah

The IDF’s Herev Battalion, made up of members of Israel’s Druze community, has gained many years of experience performing unique missions near the Israel-Lebanon border. In the 2006 Second Lebanon War, for instance, Herev was the first force to cross the border and the last to return – exhausted from completing a range of complex missions that earned the unit a citation.
The Herev Battalion, referred to as the IDF’s “spearhead on the Lebanon border”, used its wealth of operational experience in the region to develop new combat techniques for fighting against Hezbollah. These new techniques were tested last week for the first time in an intensive battalion-wide exercise.

Navigating to Freedom: 37 Years since Entebbe

The IDF’s history is filled with many notable events, from the unforgettable triumphs to the heartbreaking hardships. Today (July 4th), we celebrate an epic chapter of the IDF’s history by recalling an incident that gained international acclaim and respect for the heroism of Israel’s soldiers.
Read on for a remarkable account of the successful completion of Operation Entebbe 37 years ago today, as Lt. Col. (res.) Avi Mor – the navigator of three of the four planes sent to rescue the hostages in Uganda – describes in detail his experience in directing 103 Jewish hostages to freedom.

July 4 Entebbe Memories

I will forever remember that the French crew was offered the chance to leave with the Christians… and chose to stay. The deadline was approaching. The terrorists were threatening to kill the passengers. At any moment, I expected to hear that explosions and gunfire had been heard coming from the compound.

July 4, Day of Operation Entebbe, Israel Upgrades Uganda Airport

July 4 is not only US Independence Day. It also is the anniversary of Operation Entebbe. An Israeli firm this week won a contract to return to Entebbe, ironically to upgrade its systems and security.

Yes, President Mohamed Morsi is Jewish

This is OK'ed for publication now, though it is with a heavy heart that I am doing it. The brilliant career of one of our best field agents is coming to an end, after 62 years of nurturing, training and managing our man in Cairo. Besides, he was outed as our agent by young Assad anyway and the counter-intelligence in Egypt is getting too close for comfort. And only his unshakable determination to end his days as a martyr for the Elders' cause and his absolute refusal to be extracted gave way to this public revelation, so alien to the traditions of our ancient establishment. (satire)

CIF Watch: Anti-Zionism of fools: What Egypt and the Guardian can learn from Israeli democracy

The Guardian’s ideologically inspired legitimization of the Arab world’s hostility towards Israel nurtures their continuing social pathos and sclerotic economies, and ensures that, whatever party takes power in the next Egyptian government, the shining example of diversity, tolerance sober, and liberal self-government to their north will never be leveraged to their advantage.
The anti-Zionism of fools makes it more probable that the ‘Arab Spring’ will continue to be merely a chimera.

Willow Creek Church's Involvement in Anti-Israel Group Raises Concerns

Since the creation of the modern Jewish state, American evangelicals have proudly been among Israel’s most vocal supporters. Millions of these supports are members of the more than 11,000 congregations which belong to the Willow Creek Association--an umbrella organization formed by Willow Creek Community Church. Yet a co-founder of this megachurch, Lynne Hybels, has become one of the most outspoken critics of Israel through her work with a controversial advocacy group, Christ at the Checkpoint.
Christ at the Checkpoint hosts a myriad of religious leaders at a biannual conference in the West Bank under the guise of promoting peace and spreading the gospel. Yet a look at the conference keynote speakers, public pronouncements, and agenda betrays the true agenda of these activists.

German newspaper apologizes for ‘Moloch’ drawing

A cartoon purportedly showing Israel as a greedy “Moloch,” published in a major German daily, has set off a firestorm of protest, despite an apology by the newspaper.
Artist Ernst Kahl said he was shocked to learn that the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily newspaper used his drawing of a greenish, horned monster being served breakfast in bed by a pale, plump maid — originally created for the German gourmet magazine Der Feinschmecker — to illustrate a review of two new books on Israel, according to German news reports.

Suicide bomber film boycotted by Arab states

This week the Jerusalem Film Festival will be screening a film called The Attack which tells the story of an Arab-Israeli surgeon in Tel Aviv who discovers that his wife is a suicide bomber.
But the film has been banned in much of the Middle East because its Lebanese director shot the film in Israel with Israeli actors contravening a 1955 Lebanese Anti-Israel Boycott Law.
The director maintains the real reason the film was banned is because it does not demonize Israelis. Talking Movies' Tom Brook reports.

Samsung buys Israeli Web TV startup Boxee for $30 m.

Samsung acquired the Israeli streaming media startup Boxee for $30 million. The Israeli high-tech website TheMarker reported the acquisition by the Korean electronics giant on Wednesday. The report said Samsung will continue to employ Boxee’s 40 employees.

Israel's Startup Culture Lures MBAs

“I think the key reasons to go to Israel are that you learn about innovation and how to create an environment for innovation, which is a lifelong valuable skill,” says Rafi Musher, founder and chief executive of Israel & Co., adding that Israel partially subsidizes the trips. “[Visitors] also see that everyone is working on something that’s big and is a problem—not just a cool app.” (h/t Zvi)

Legs for paraplegics, and other startups from Israel’s ‘Silicon Wadi’

When U.S. President Barack Obama visited Israel in March, he stopped at the Israel Museum.
But in addition to a tour of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Mr. Obama met with seven groups of inventors whose products exemplify the best of Israeli innovation.
As part of the demonstration, a paraplegic, strapped into ReWalk, a battery-operated exoskeleton suit created by Argo Medical Technologies, walked confidently around the room. Students from the Technion, Israel’s Institute of Technology, operated the Robotic Snake, a miniaturized camera-equipped robot that can slither into hard-to-access disaster sites. And scientists from Mobileye showed how their collision-prevention system can help drivers navigate more safely. (h/t Zvi)

Alicia Keys bares her heart and soul for Tel Aviv

Light on choreography but heavy on charisma, the show, part of her “Set the World on Fire” tour, included beloved hits like “Fallin’” and “Unbreakable,” as well as lesser-known, newer fare like “Brand New Me” and “Tears Always Win.”
Concertgoers had been told a special guest would be joining Keys on stage, and roared with delight when Idan Raichel, the wildly popular Israeli world-music maven, joined her on stage for a one-song mash-up of her “Fallin’” with his chart-busting hit “Mi’ma’amakim.”