Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Why Shouldn’t We Defund the Boycotters?
Defunding those who aid boycotts is both legal and morally correct.Parachute journalism leads to poor Middle Eastern reporting
Both the federal government and states routinely put all sorts of conditions on any entity that takes their money. Some of those terms involve bureaucratic or legal obligations. But some are rooted in the basic concept that the state is under no obligation to fund activities that are immoral or discriminatory. Aiding BDS groups and those, like the ASA, who put endorse and actively support Israel boycotts, fall into that latter category. Simply put, it is outrageous for schools or any institution to expect the taxpayers to stand by and let them use their hard-earned dollars to support activities that are inherently discriminatory.
At the heart of this question is some confusion about the nature of the BDS movement. Reasonable people can differ on many issues including many of the elements of the Middle East conflict including borders, settlements and refugees. But the question of whether the one Jewish state in the world should be singled out for discriminatory treatment and marked for extinction is not just one more academic debate. It’s a matter of life and death as well as whether Jew-hatred should be treated as a matter of opinion. (h/t Norman F)
Kalman’s primary point of discussion, and his main complaint with the world of journalism, is a phenomenon that Kalman refers to as “Parachute Journalism.” Parachute journalism is an unspoken practice among journalists, in which they enter a Middle Eastern country, report on information that they know little about, take pictures of what appear to be war-torn locations with people who appear to be terrorists and then hop on a plane back to their homes, having reported inaccurately and with a sensationalized edge.FDR to Stalin: “I Would Give Saudi King 6 Million Jews”
He prefaced this definition with an illustration of the news media in 2010 around the time that the “Arab Spring” began.
“If you go back to the newspapers, media, social media, video, web, etc.., in 2010, you’ll find thousands of words of analysts and commentators and people predicting and explaining what as going to happen in the Middle East in the next years,” Kalman said. “And go back to 2010 and see how many that actually correctly predicted the Arab spring. The answer is zero; nobody saw it coming at all.”
The mystery deepened two days later, when the Washington Post published an editorial criticizing the deletions as “pernicious” and an attempt to “doctor history.” It noted that among the deletions were “some remarks by President Roosevelt about the Jews,” although it did not spell them out. “In historical perspective, President Roosevelt will have to be judged as a whole man, indiscretions and all,” the Post argued.
Three days later, the text of FDR’s censored statement was published, by U.S. News and World Report. It reported that when Roosevelt mentioned he would soon be seeing Saudi Arabian leader Ibn Saud, Stalin asked if he intended to make any concessions to the king; “The President replied that there was only one concession he thought he might offer and that was to give him the six million Jews in the United States.”
Cruise line drops Tunisia for refusing to let in Israelis
Norwegian Cruise Lines dropped Tunisia from its itineraries after the country refused to allow Israeli citizens to disembark in the Port of Tunis.
About 20 Israelis were quietly told before disembarking from the Norwegian Jade over the weekend that they were not welcome per the Tunisian government.
The cruise line’s decision to drop Tunisia was first reported by Cruise Critic, an online cruise information site.
“We want to send a strong message to Tunisia and ports around the world that we will not tolerate such random acts of discrimination against our guests,” Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s CEO, said in a statement Tuesday. (h/t billposer)
Arab airline denies claims of discrimination against Israelis
An airline owned by the United Arab Emirates said it “emphatically refutes” claims that it excludes Israel from its official travel-route map and refuses to transport Israelis.The Minneapolis model: Innovating Israel advocacy
In a statement, Etihad Airways wrote that it carried more than 1,000 passengers traveling with Israeli passports last year, refuting assertions made in the New York Post newspaper.
“In fact, we do not discriminate in any way and welcome passengers of all faiths and religions carrying valid documentation,” the statement said.
Etihad said its maps “do not identify countries by name” and that its website lists Israel “as one of more than 150 country options for passenger documentation when booking flights.”
Our community can rejoice in the fact that the past thirty days are showcased with pivotal victories for Israel advocacy. The recent successfully adopted pro-Israel legislation in the Minnesota Student Association (MSA) spearheaded by the Students Supporting Israel at the University of Minnesota (SSI) produces such cause to count our blessings.In Gaza, some NGOs place water politics over public health
On February 25th, the MSA decided to “…expand(ing) study abroad options in the Middle East, specifically Israel, with a concentration in business, science, engineering, and agriculture.” The MSA, furthermore, stated that “Israel is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East, with the highest ratings in human rights and democracy in the region.” As the MSA adapted a policy position to enhance educational collaboration, SSI successfully institutionalized a pro-Israel voice in campus leadership.
SSI’s victory highlights two critical points that, if seized upon, can have a momentous impact in Israel advocacy in all of North America. Firstly, it answers the lingering question of whether or not the divestment movement can be defeated on a college campus. Secondly, it’s quite conceivable that SSI’s victory provided a framework for other universities to adapt and utilize for their own campus.
Gaza's water quality issues, due to years of overpumping from their coastal aquifers as well as other factors such as agricultural pollution, and sewage dumping, are well documented. However, efforts by some NGOs to implement what has been determined by experts to be the most effective solution - desalination - has been met by staunch opposition by some 30 Palestinian and pro-Palestinian organisations and NGOs. They made this clear in a position paper they issued on March 9 through the Palestinian water issue-focused NGO umbrella coalition EWASH. It's enlightening to examine their reasons for opposing desalination, in their own words.Barnard Yanks Pro-Palestinian Banner
Before we do that, however, it's worthwhile to see how desalination is already improving the water quality for thousands of Gazans in a number of locations where it has been implemented, apparently over the objections of the other NGOs.
A banner featuring a green, borderless depiction of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip was hung at the entrance to Barnard College last night. The banner, which read, “Stand for justice, stand for Palestine,” was created by the Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine as the kick-off to their annual Israel Apartheid Week, and was displayed alongside Barnard’s official emblem in a space traditionally used to advertise campus events such as film festivals or dance performances.Palestinian Antisemitism: Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the Jews' plan to subjugate the world
By midnight, news of the banner had gone viral on campus. A Facebook post by a former student president of Columbia/Barnard Hillel was shared widely, calling on students to e-mail Barnard President Debora Spar and express their concern with what looked like the college’s endorsement of the campus organization’s revised depiction of the state of Israel. Parents and alumni joined the students’ cause, and Spar responded early Tuesday.
Ma'an, an independent Palestinian news agency, has published a viciously Antisemitic article depicting Jews as the force of evil in the world, fulfilling their goals of world subjugation, according to the plan in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The article contends that Jews "are planning means to take over the reins of world politics, by spreading organized destruction throughout the countries." It blames the Jews for the French and Russian revolutions and well as other civil wars, initiated by Jews in order to weaken countries of the world, in order to rule over them.Report: Saudi Arabia to close down Al Jazeera
Ma'an News Agency is part of Ma'an Network, which currently lists the following as "partners and donors": The European Commission, UNDP, UNESCO, the Government of Denmark, the Government of the Netherlands, and UKaid, the UK Dept. for International Development, among others.
In 2013, Palestinian Media Watch exposed an earlier Antisemitic article published by Ma'an which described Jews as "cursed" by Allah, who "has stricken fear in their hearts and decreed humiliation and degradation upon them until Judgment Day."
Saudi Arabia is planning on closing down the office of Al Jazeera in the next few days as the conflict with Qatar continues to escalate, a London-based Arab daily reported on Monday.Book: Infamous Nazi Goering Refused to Pray, Said Jesus Was ‘Just Another Smart Jew’ Shortly Before Dying
In an unprecedented move within the Gulf Cooperation Council of allied hereditary monarchies, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Qatar on March 5, accusing Doha of failing to abide by an accord not to interfere in each others’ internal affairs.
On the day they were to be killed, Gerecke sat with the condemned men in his charge and asked them to join him in a prayer he had written. They were also offered communion for their sins by the pastor. However, when he approached Goering, the Nazi told him he could not say “Jesus, save me,” according to excerpts of Townsend’s book published by the Daily Mail.Israeli man tasered outside Paris synagogue
Goering added, “This Jesus you always speak of – to me he’s just another smart Jew.” He still wanted communion just in case there was any truth in Christianity, but Gerecke refused and left his prison cell.
The attack happened on Monday night at a building next to a synagogue on Pavee Street in Paris’ 4th arrondissement, according to the news site JSSnews.com.France: Jewish girl beaten up for wearing a Star of David
The victim was identified as K. Sassoun, a 52-year-old Israeli. The perpetrators fled from the scene immediately after the act. Sassoun did not sustain serious physical injuries but required medical treatment after being knocked down by the taser gun, which sends electric currents that usually incapacitate targets or render them unconscious for several minutes.
A Jewish girl was attacked in a laundry in Villeurbanne, a suburb of Lyon on February 17. The attackers were a mother and daughter of North African descent.France’s Problem Bigger Than One Comic
The victim, Candice, says the mother held her, while the daughter punched her in the eye. The daughter had seen Candice's Star of David and told her: "Dirty Jew, go home to your country, Israel". Candice is an American living in France.
Rather than focus all their energy on one rogue entertainer, Europeans who care about stamping out hate need to ask whether his ability to tap into old hatreds says something about other aspects of their society. Anti-Semitism isn’t merely the product of the banlieues — working class suburbs — where immigrant families live but a factor that has played a role in politics and culture for centuries. What they need are not more laws restricting anti-Semitic speech but a nationwide soul-searching about the way Jew-hatred has been enabled by a broader group than those laughing at Dieudonné’s jokes.Netherlands anti-Semitic attacks rise 23%
The Hague-based Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, or CIDI, recorded 147 anti-Semitic incidents in the Netherlands in 2013 compared to 114 in the previous year. CIDI’s annual report was released Tuesday.Ex-Turkish minister apologizes for anti-Semitic remarks
Verbal assaults on Jews that involved a direct exchange rose to 21 from 14.
A former Turkish government minister apologized to the country’s Jewish community for anti-Semitic comments he made at a political rally.Belfast’s last Jews shown on the Beeb
In a letter published in Salom, a Jewish newspaper in Turkey, former Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan said that if he “unwillingly caused resentment, I express my sorrow.”
Aaron Black, one of less than a handful of young Jews remaining in Belfast, Northern Ireland, holds out little hope for the survival of the city’s Jewish community. As a non-practicing Jew, he takes the drastic dwindling of numbers with considerable equanimity. As a filmmaker, however, he is passionate about documenting the community’s demise before it disappears completely.David Cameron to announce multi-million pound trade deals during Israel visit
Black, 33, focused his lens on the tiny Belfast Jewish community to make “The Last Minyan — A Belfast Jewish Story,” which premiered this week on BBC One Northern Ireland. The hour-long film is part of True North, a series of new, revelatory and uniquely personal single documentaries.
David Cameron will arrive in Israel today to promote stronger ties with Britain in the technology and innovation industries.Jewish Traveler Saved From Lost Malaysia Flight by Orthodox Agent Insisting on Shabbat Observance
The Prime Minister said he would tell Israeli leaders that peace with the Palestinians could bring "economic growth and create jobs for all".
Mr Cameron is expected to announce details of multi-million pound deals with Israeli companies working on regenerative medicine and renewable energy.
There will also be investment deals totalling more than £70 million to research dementia and open Israeli medical companies in Bristol and north - east England. (h/t Zvi)
Jewish traveler named Andrew was saved from tragedy by a last-minute decision to follow his travel agent’s suggestion not to fly on Shabbat, which is how he narrowly missed boarding the lost Malaysian Air Flight 370, the Boeing 777 that has disappeared from flight maps.Uncovered in Jerusalem, 9 tiny unopened Dead Sea Scrolls
“More than the Jews have kept the Shabbos (Shabbat), the Shabbos has kept the Jews,” wrote blogger DansDeals, who was told the story by the travel agent and on Monday posted a redacted copy of the traveler’s fateful email exchange.
They’re not much larger than lentils, but size doesn’t minimize the potential significance of nine newfound Dead Sea Scrolls that have lain unopened for the better part of six decades.The Land of Milk: Israel’s Super Cows Are the World’s Most Productive (VIDEO)
An Israeli scholar turned up the previously unexamined parchments, which had escaped the notice of academics and archaeologists as they focused on their other extraordinary finds in the 1950s. Once opened, the minuscule phylactery parchments from Qumran, while unlikely to yield any shattering historic, linguistic or religious breakthroughs, could shed new light on the religious practices of Second Temple Judaism.
The Israel Antiquities Authority has been tasked with unraveling and preserving the new discoveries — an acutely sensitive process and one which the IAA says it will conduct painstakingly, and only after conducting considerable preparatory research.
Israeli technology has made the country’s “Super Cows” world famous, as they produce much more milk than other countries’ cows, up to 10.5 tons a year, 10% more than in the U.S. and almost 50% more than in Germany, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.The Super Cows Making Israel Flow With Milk
“The Bible, no less, describes Israel as a land flowing with milk and honey. In that respect, it’s been proven at least half-right: Israel has by far the most productive dairy cows in the world,” writes Bloomberg.
Air conditioning for the cows, constant measuring of the quantity and quality of their milk, and even pedometers to judge if the animal is getting fidgety have led Israel to export its science and technique to 50 countries where farming is still more traditional.
