Tuesday, August 13, 2013
New pro-Israel Arab party says EU boycott counterproductive
Bishara Shlayan, an Israeli Christian Arab from Nazareth who is creating a new Arab political party, said that the EU boycott of Israeli businesses and institutions operating in the West Bank is counterproductive, since it mainly harms Arabs living there.Meeting with German FM, Netanyahu raps new EU rules
“The boycott is a big mistake – it is the livelihood for many, mainly Arabs in the West Bank,” Shlayan told The Jerusalem Post, adding that the absence of Israeli businesses will create more violence, as more Arabs will be left with no way to put food on their tables.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the European Union’s new anti-settlement directives Monday in a meeting with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who was on an official visit to Israel.You Only Live Twice By Michel Gurfinkiel
“Germany is a friend of Israel,” said Netanyahu. “We both want the same thing — to achieve peace. We’re committed to peace and we’re working for peace. I have to say, on a sad note, that I think Europe — the European guidelines by the EU — have actually undermined peace.”
“They’ve hardened Palestinian positions, they seek an unrealistic end that everybody knows is not going to happen, and I think they stand in the way of reaching a solution which will only be reached by negotiations by the parties, and not by an external diktat,” the prime minister continued.
Can it really be that European Jewry was reborn after the Holocaust only in order to die again? Can it be that, even as Jews, you only live twice? History, of course, is unpredictable except in retrospect. But it would be irresponsible in the extreme to brush off the possibility of demise; “unthinkable” is no longer a word in the Jewish vocabulary. The sober assessment of Robert Wistrich, the instincts of Samuel Sandler and so many other European Jews—these rest on firm foundations. The expiration date looms nearer, however slowly and by whatever intermediate stages it may finally arrive.Grounds for Hope? By Daniel Johnson
A mitigating view of today’s situation might have it that, at the very least, divine providence did beneficently afford to about two million European Jews a brief golden age, a true rebirth, which in turn brought fresh luster to European civilization as well as encouragement and inspiration to millions of their fellow Jews around the world, most especially in the Jewish state. True enough; but what is no less certain is that the end of European Jewry, a millennia-old civilization and a crowning achievement of the human spirit, will deliver a lasting blow to the collective psyche of the Jewish people. That it will also render a shattering judgment on the so-called European idea, exposed as a deadly travesty for anyone with eyes to see, is cold comfort indeed.
Gurfinkiel’s nightmare scenario is certainly possible. Entire regions where Jews had lived for thousands of years have witnessed mass expulsions and emigrations: think of North Africa, the Middle East (apart from Israel), or the former Soviet Union. But for Europe to revert to the pattern of the mid-20th century in its treatment of the Jewish people would imply the abandonment of Western civilization. This outcome is eminently preventable if European leaders make it clear to Muslims that while they and their religion are welcome, shariah law and Islamist supremacism are not.Why American Leaks Help Israel’s Enemies
Officially, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied these strikes, apparently in order to avoid placing the Assad regime in a position where it feels it must retaliate.Likud MK Asks Museum to Nix Ultra-Leftist Event
Indeed, plausible deniability, and a wish to avoid opening a second front in the midst of a civil war, have allowed Assad to ignore the alleged strikes, with the exception of isolated border incidents and a threat to retaliate against future strikes.
Yet, some in the United States seem not to share Jerusalem’s reported desire to keep the strikes low profile, and have gone on record to leak details of the incidents. Such leaks cannot be good for Israel, whether the sources intended to cause harm or not.
"It is obvious that this is a radical post-Zionist organization that is in the margins of Israeli society,” Israel Hayom quotes MK Akunis as saying. “This is a low provocation. If they had looked into the history of the place they would have found that Tel Kasila was the location of an ancient Jewish community, even before Sheikh Munis, and then this silly NGO could have saved itself and us this provocative gathering.”Popular Arab Facebook Page Pillories ‘Zionists’ for Allowing Jewish Child to Drink From Temple Mount Water Fountain
A status update posted Sunday on the popular Arabic “Damascus Gate Now” Facebook page shows a close-up of a Jewish child drinking from a water fountain atop the Temple Mount, with accompanying text attacking the child, accusing him of acting with “audacity and boldness,” as a “thief” stealing water from the mosque.IDF Blog: Tea Time With Hezbollah
The page, which boasts a cool 127,000 ”likes,” writes: “After the departure of Ramadan…in poured the Zionists,” adding, “the thief steals from our mosque to drink.”
MEMRI: Criticism In Saudi Arabia: Placing Hizbullah's Military Wing On Terror List Is Not Enough
Following the E.U. decision to place Hizbullah's military wing on the list of terror organizations, articles appeared in the Saudi press that criticized the E.U. for making a distinction between Hizbullah's military and political wings. The articles claimed that the distinction is groundless, since the organization's two arms are similar and since the military one is in fact subordinate to the political one; hence, the E.U.'s decision is hypocritical and is an insult to the public's intelligence. The articles claimed further that the decision would not prevent Hizbullah from continuing its present activities and posing a threat to Syria, Lebanon and other Arab countries. One article praised the decision as a good start but argued that it is not sufficient.The UPS Store collaborates with Israeli 3D printing systems
Israeli-American Stratasys, the leader in 3D printing and production systems, recently announced that it has been selected by The UPS Store to provide 3D printers in its test program for retail 3D printing services.A no-fuss, no-muss aid for obesity
UPS will install six Stratasys uPrint SE Plus 3D printers in the test program.
“3D printing technology is becoming increasingly accessible to a growing number of companies and consumers. Small businesses are beginning to realize how this revolutionary technology can help them to be more competitive,” said Stratasys Executive Vice President, Jon Cobb.
That obesity has become a major health problem is no secret; according to the World Health Organization, a staggering 35% of the world’s population is clinically obese (body mass index of 30 or more), with the US near the top of the list of obese nations.Who’s there? NokNok offers free cellphone calls worldwide
For health professionals, it’s a nightmare — but for entrepreneurs who can come up with a way to reduce obesity rates, it’s a major market opportunity.
According to Yaakov Nahmias, the director of The Hebrew University’s Center for Bioengineering, the MetaboShield, a gastric sleeve that is inserted into the intestine endoscopically (via the throat), could be the next big thing in heavy-duty weight loss. Researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, along with colleagues at Hadassah Hospital, have developed the first system that can dramatically help obese people get the pounds off, and keep them off, without surgery.
One blessed offspring of the telephony revolution — the marrying of voice calls to Internet technology — is the shattering of the phone monopolies. There are now a thousand and one ways to make phone calls and avoid high long distance and even local costs.Israel Hosts Global Conference to Promote Women’s Rights Attendees learned about Israel’s success promoting women’s rights.
That being the case, Israel’s NokNok may not seem like a big deal at first glance. But it has a big advantage over other apps that do some of the same things it does: With NokNok, you get to use your own phone number for all calls, local and long-distance, but you still get the low costs associated with IP telephony. Not only that; the company has a plan to democratize Internet access for everyone by making it cheap.
Rilwan Raji, a Nigerian doctor, emphasized that Israel “is an inspiration” with regard to women’s rights, noting that he is consistently impressed by women serving in high level positions in the IDF, the Knesset, and Israel’s foreign service. “Basically, the most important thing is how women are integrated into the political system, for the more women are in politics, the better will be the plight of the girl child. For me, it’s unbelievable that Israel has so much to offer despite the conflict. It shows that the security situation is not an excuse for lack of development,” he said. He claimed that Nigeria frequently uses the existence of the Boko Haram Islamist terror group, which attacks schools, healthcare clinics and churches, as a pretext for lack of development.Scenes emerge from lost Jerry Lewis Holocaust film
Jewish comedian Jerry Lewis promised that no one would ever see his self-described “bad, bad, bad” Holocaust film, “The Day the Clown Cried.”
Now, the 87-year-old’s lost movie has emerged for viewing, at least partially.
A little over seven minutes of the film and behind-the-scenes clips, from a Flemish documentary, were uploaded onto YouTube on Saturday. The footage, which originally appeared on a Flemish website in 2012, has garnered almost 150,00 hits in two days.
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