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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

7/16 Links Part 2: Saudi Airline Bans Israelis, CBN Covers Khaybar, Israeli DogTV Launches in the US

From Ian:

Anti-Semitic Film 'Family Entertainment' for Ramadan
Film makers are promoting an anti-Semitic mini-series on the Muslim massacre of Jews as "family entertainment" for Ramadan.
During Islam's holy month of Ramadan, families and friends share an evening meal and fellowship after fasting from dawn till dusk.
Michael Oren synthesized training as historian, role as diplomat
When Oren was able to control the agenda, he had three preferred topics: the proto-Zionism that threaded throughout American history, manifest in the writings and sayings of figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson; the deep intensification of security cooperation between Israel and the United States during the Obama-Netanyahu era, a fact often lost in the verbal volleying on the peace process and Iran; and the touting of Israel’s cultural and scientific achievements.
“For a foreign ambassador, to be able to lecture Americans about Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman was incredibly unique and instructive in helping to represent the position of the State of Israel,” said William Daroff, the Washington director of the Jewish Federations of North America.
Arabs ready anti-Israeli resolution over nukes
After a two-year hiatus, Arab nations are relaunching efforts to single out Israel for criticism at a major international conference by preparing a resolution over the country's alleged nuclear arsenal, suggesting that the Jewish state's refusal to acknowledge it has such arms is threatening Middle East peace.
NYC’s De Blasio Threatens to Pull JFK Airport Slot From Saudi Arabian Airlines for Blocking Israelis From Flights
The issue was originally brought to the attention of De Blasio’s office by passengers who attempted to fly the airline, but were rebuffed. An investigation into the matter by his office confirmed the airline’s prejudice. Attempts to book tickets by a staffer in his office posing as an Israeli national both through the airline’s website and over the phone proved the complaints were founded on truth.
In the case of the airline’s website, a drop down menu does not include Israel, though it was otherwise so comprehensive that even Antarctica appeared as an option, though, as De Blasio pointed out, “in fact, there are no citizens of Antarctica.” The faux Israeli staffer was also rebuffed when calling over the telephone to reserve a seat, being told by a ticket agent he could not fly the airline.
Thai university apologizes for Hitler superhero mural
“Regarding your report on the mural displayed at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts on graduation day, the Chulalongkorn University Communication Center, on behalf of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, would like to express our sincere regret and apologize [to] the public and the media for such offensive material that was exhibited,” Chulalongkorn University wrote to The Times of Israel on Monday.
Group Promotes Guidelines to Prevent Jewish Funding of BDS Movement
The UJA-Federation of New York commits about $900,000 per year in funding to the 92Y, according to Richard Allen, head of JCC Watch. Allen told JNS.org that his group is asking Jewish community members to “close your wallets to any of these charities that are promoting donor fraud.”
“They’re not telling their donors that they’re using their money to undermine the state of Israel,” Allen said of the charities.
Knesset Committee Approves Memorial Day for Jewish Refugees of Arab States
The Knesset Ministerial Committee for Legislation endorsed a new proposal on Sunday that will mark Nov. 30 as a national day to commemorate the more than 850,000 Jews who fled or were evicted from their homes in Arab countries after Israel’s establishment, Israel Hayom reported.
IDF Wishes Muslims a Blessed Ramadan (VIDEO)
The IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai wished Muslim citizens in Israel and across the world a Ramadan kareem, or blessed Ramadan, in a video message posted on the IDF YouTube account. The Israeli general spoke in Arabic with English subtitles throughout the video.
130,513 Tons of Goods Entered Gaza in June
A total of 4,967 trucks carrying 130,513 tons of goods entered the Gaza Strip from Israel through the Kerem Shalom land crossing in June. The imported goods included 1,568 truckloads of construction materials.
Aiming to make holes in the head a thing of the past
Constant, chronic headaches are more than just painful; they’re a sign that something may be seriously wrong with your head. One test that may be run in such cases is an intracranial pressure procedure, a test that generally requires doctors to drill a hole in the skull and place a catheter or screw inside to let them check the pressure.
It’s probably the last thing patients with bad headaches want to go through — and now, thanks to an Israeli start-up, they no longer have to. HeadSense‘s noninvasive intracranial pressure monitor lets doctors check the pressure inside the head, giving them accurate and clear readings on where the trouble spots are without having to resort to the drill.
Can artificial sweetener treat Parkinson’s?
Next time you chew a piece of gum, it won’t be just for better breath but rather you could be protecting yourself from Parkinson’s Disease. Tel Aviv University researchers have found that the artificial sweetener mannitol prevents clumps of the protein a-synuclein from forming in the brain — a characteristic of Parkinson’s disease.
Israeli technology investors raise $140m. for Aleph venture fund
Veteran technology investors Michael Eisenberg and Eden Shochat, have created Aleph — a new $140 million early-stage fund aimed at bringing early-stage support to Israeli startups, particularly in big data.
Aleph is a “venture capital fund focused on serving Israeli entrepreneurs who want to build meaningful global businesses. Aleph is a service-oriented venture fund focused on Series A investments,” reads a statement on the company’s Facebook page.
The US is going to the dogs – Israeli DogTV, that is
DogTV, the made-in-Israel cable TV channel for dogs, is launching across the United States on August 1 through DirecTV, the largest satellite TV platform in the world, according to founder Ron Levi.
Levi tells ISRAEL21c that the programming will be available 24/7, reaching somewhere between 20 million and 21 million households. Americans share their homes with an estimated 78.2 million pet canines. Many of the dogs are left alone while their owners are at work or school, and this is why DogTV was invented.