Thursday, January 09, 2014
Israelly Cool: Israel Palestine Who’s Indigenous?
Now you might ask, why is this important? It is important to indigenous people because we cannot allow the argument that conquerors can become indigenous. If we, as other indigenous people, allow that argument to be made, then we are delegitimising our own rights.Report: 2013 Christian Persecution Driven by Islamic Extremism
If conquerors can become indigenous, then the white Europeans who came to my indigenous lands in North America could now claim to be indigenous. The white Europeans who went to Australia and New Zealand could now claim to be indigenous. If we, even once, allow that argument to be made, indigenous rights are suddenly devalued and meaningless. This is somewhat peculiar, as those who are arguing for Palestinian “indigenous rights” are usually those who have little grasp of the history, and no understanding of the truth behind indigenous rights.
Of the 14 countries labeled as “extreme persecution,” 11 of them are countries with a predominantly Muslim population, including several Middle Eastern countries such as Syria at number 3, Iraq at number 4, Saudi Arabia at number 6 and Iran at number 9. However, North Korea was the worst offender at number 1.Tamar Natural Gas Field Worth $52 Billion to Israeli Economy – Ernst & Young
Egypt, where there has been widespread persecution of its Coptic Christian minority over the past year by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups, ranked at number 22. While the Palestinian Territories ranked at number 34.
The report noted that in 36 of the 50 countries, Islamic extremism was the driving force behind Christian persecution.
The natural gas in Israel’s Tamar field is worth some $52 billion to the Israeli economy, accountants Ernst & Young Israel said in a new report. The CPA firm will present their report at a gas and energy conference in Tel Aviv next week, according to Israel’s Globes business daily.
The initial findings of the study found that Tamar, which began production less than a year ago, boosted Israel’s GDP by almost 0.5 percentage points, and is projected to boost GDP by 1.5 percentage points for 2014.
UK Charity Commission Fails to Regulate Extremist Charities
One of the most conspicuous examples of the Commission's failings is that of Interpal, a charity with links to the Palestinian terror group, Hamas. Interpal was an inaugural member of the Union of Good, a coalition of charities that manages the financial support required by Hamas for its terrorist activities, as detailed before by this author.Pro-Israel columnist to be Canada’s Israel envoy
The Commission's latest report, in November 2013, declared that, "Following our review we were satisfied that the trustees had complied with our Order, having severed all links to the Union of Good … we were satisfied on the evidence we saw that the trustees had demonstrated that they had developed appropriate systems to meet their obligations as charity trustees, and to carry out due diligence on the charity's partners."
Just as the Commission declared it was "satisfied" that Interpal had cut its links with the Union of Good, however, a Union of Good website published several interviews with Interpal trustee Essam Mustafa (a.k.a Essam Yusuf). On 30th December 2013, the Israeli Government named Mustafa as a Hamas operative.
Moreover, the same month, Palestinian news footage shows Interpal trustee Mustafa arriving at a press conference in Hamas-controlled Gaza in the same vehicle as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Vivian Bercovici, who studied at Hebrew University and was an adjunct law professor at the University of Toronto, was appointed Wednesday to the position by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.Asylum seekers – Israel and Australia
In her columns for the Toronto Star, Bercovici has slammed the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for “their collective ideological commitment to the total destruction of the state of Israel, which they regard as a blasphemous blight on the Arab and Muslim worlds.” (h/t AlexandreM)
Watching Israel’s asylum seeker protests from Australia is seriously surreal. Just two days ago, the Australian media reported that the country’s navy had intercepted a boat carrying asylum seekers en route to the northern city of Darwin. After assuring the passengers that they would be taken to Australia’s Christmas Island, it reportedly led them back into Indonesian waters, drained their fuel, and left Indonesia to deal with them. Of course, there has been little response by asylum seekers in Australia because most are locked up and definitely unable to protest by say, going on strike for three days.Tyranny of the weak: Why the Guardian will support the next Palestinian Intifada
In recent years there has been much debate about asylum seeker policy in Australia like Israel. From 2008 onwards, Australia’s left leaning government sought to relax laws, but this ultimately led to far greater arrivals, many deaths en route, and greater prevalence of the issue which in turn forced the government to take stronger actions(something the organizers of the current Israeli protest might do well to consider).
There are quite a few factors which lead us to believe that many Guardian reporters and editors will likely lend moral support to the Palestinians in the event they launch another deadly intifada.Anti-Semitic French Comedian Loses Appeal Against Ban
Specifically, the paper has shown a clear tendency in the past to license extremist commentators who reject peace and reconciliation with Israel and legitimize (if not justify) Palestinian terrorism. Additionally, their binary moral paradigm in which Palestinians are seen as nearly immutable victims of Israeli oppression further necessitates at least tacit support for the Palestinians’ recourse to violence.
A court in the French city of Pau is the first to dismiss an appeal by anti-Semitic comedian Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala against a ban of his planned show in Biarritz, arguing it had no legal jurisdiction to rule on the case.Anti-Semitic comedian’s show can go ahead, French court rules
The ruling Wednesday comes amid increasing furor over the activities of Dieudonne, whose sketches are widely condemned as anti-Semitic.
A French court suspended a ban the city of Nantes imposed to prevent a show on Thursday night by Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala, a comic who has been convicted more than a half-dozen times for inciting racial hatred or anti-Semitism.BBC Newsnight presents Far Right Holocaust denier as “writer and film-maker”
French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said he would appeal the ruling to the Council of State, France’s highest administrative authority, to combat the “mechanics of hate.”
Neither Paxman nor Newsnight reveal the fascist and antisemitic background of Soral – he is simply a “close friend” of Dieudonné who helped him “popularise the quenelle.” This is a real shame, considering the BBC’s trusted role as a credible and authoritative public broadcaster.BBC, quenelle & Berlin Holocaust Memorial
Paxman does not challenge Soral for suggesting “a deep link between the system of domination that Mr. Dieudonné is challenging, and the organised Jewish community.” Neither does Paxman challenge Soral’s conspiracy theory about a “very powerful Zionist lobby in France”. Paxman also lets Soral’s claim go unchallenged, that the “annual CRIF dinner” (Jewish community dinner) proves the French government is “entirely under the influence of the Zionist lobby.
Soral was interviewed on BBC’s Newsnight by Jeremy Paxman as part of a feature on French antisemite, Dieudonne. (See it here. The Dieudonne feature is from 38min 00sec to 45min 58sec. The Soral interview begins at 42min 40sec.)Neo-Nazis Celebrate Shocking Holocaust Memorial Desecration
No mention was made of the above photo. It did actually appear in the Newsnight feature (at 41min 45sec), about 3 minutes before Soral’s interview: but in a collection of quenelle photos that showed it being used in an antisemitic manner. Apparently, nobody realised that Soral was the same man as in the photo.
"I am very surprised the German media has not covered this yet, that no German journalists reported on it," he remarked. "What happened was absolutely disgusting. If the police don’t do something, I will, if necessary, work to organize an initiative of citizens to peacefully protect the memorial; I will go there myself and stand there and protect it should that be necessary."UN Watch - Combating Antisemitism
The trust that runs the memorial also expressed its alarm and has promised to review security.
Jenifer Stolz , a press officer for the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, revealed to Arutz Sheva that this year's shocking events were not the first.
Final Decision: 'Anti-Semitic' Group Loses Canadian Funding
On Wednesday, the Ottawa Federal Court dismissed the appeal filed by the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) against the decision of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to stop the government funding for the years 2009-10, according to Shalom Toronto.Canada’s Attorney General Urged to Give Tougher Sentence in ‘Burn the Jew’ Anti-Semitic Assault Case
The funding amounted to one million dollars per year, or 74 percent of its budget. The CAF claimed the funds are intended to be used within the framework of language courses for new immigrants and assist them in the process of integration into Canadian society.
Canada’s Attorney General was urged on Wednesday to review its guidelines for imposing tougher sentences for hate crimes after a controversial ruling that disappointed many in the country’s Jewish community, when a 15-year old high school student who grabbed a classmate’s hair, screamed, “Let’s burn the Jew!” and lit her hair on fire, was let off the hook.Bangladesh editor gets 7 years for attempted Israel trip
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, who leads the Weekly Blitz newspaper, was convicted of damaging national interests with his writing and for his planned trip to Israel, the AFP news agency reported on Thursday.2013: A record year for Israeli tourism
The prosecution claimed that Choudhury was scheduled to speak at a Tel Aviv conference in November 2003 on the emergence of Islamic militancy in Bangladesh. The editor was arrested at Dhaka airport before who could board a Dhaka-Bangkok-Tel Aviv flight.
Israel registered a record 3.5 million tourists in 2013, according to a Central Bureau of Statistics report released on Wednesday.IDF welcomes first female combat doctor in elite counterterror unit
According to the report, the U.S. represented the largest source of incoming tourism, with 623,000 Americans (18 percent of all incoming tourists) visiting in 2013, a 1% rise over 2012. Coming in a close second was Russia with 603,000 tourists, a 3% rise from 2012. Third was France with 315,000 French tourists arriving in Israel, a 5% increase over the previous year.
Shani, 29, is prepared for the job, both as soldier and a medical professional. In the last few weeks, after beating out three other candidates (all of whom were male), she undertook a combat counterterrorism course with soldiers from the Duvdevan unit at the IDF's Mitkan Adam army base.Johnson & Johnson to establish new biotechnology incubator in Israel
"It was a difficult course, grueling, but very important for my operational training," she said. "I connected well with the other soldiers and even had the opportunity to treat a soldier who injured his knee and needed medical assistance."
Johnson & Johnson Innovation recently announced that it is expanding its global incubator presence in Israel with a new biotechnology incubator. In collaboration with the Office of the Chief Scientist in Israel and other industry partners, Johnson & Johnson Innovation will set up the new research and development center near the Weizmann Science Park.Shaquille O’Neal Greets Rabbi in Hebrew (VIDEO)
Shaquille O’Neal, gentle giant and retired basketball player, greeted Rabbi Jason Miller at the International CES trade show, in Las Vegas late Tuesday with all the words he knows in Hebrew, according to the rabbi who posted footage on his blog and Facebook account.The Ancient Synagogues of Jerusalem, Destroyed in 1948
“I met Shaq today at #CES & he told me all the Hebrew phrases he knows!” Miller, director of Kosher Michigan, wrote on Facebook, adding more details on his blog.
This picture of the two domes of the Hurva and Tiferet Yisrael Synagogues in Jerusalem's Old City has been featured in our postings before after we found them in various collections.
But we never came across a photo with such clarity, suggesting that the archives at UC-Riverside contains the original photos taken by the Underwood & Underwood Co. in 1900. UC-R's files also allow huge and detailed on-screen enlargements of the photos. We thank the heads of the library for permission to republish their photos, and we abide by their request to limit the photos' sizes on these pages.
