09/10 Links Pt2: The Israeli Origins of Anti-Israel Bias; South Africa, Netanyahu and The Dalai Lama

From Ian:

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The Israeli Origins of Anti-Israel Bias

Israel’s problem is that members of the international media - such as AP bureau chiefs or others - who reside in Israel live within a milieu of Israelis who primarily lean to the left. They are fed information by NGOs such as Rabbis for Human Rights. Some of them already have the ready-made narrative of “giving a voice to those who have none” or “helping the weak.” A ready-made narrative of Israel already exists, set in stone since the 1960s, and tragically fed by former Israeli elites who dislike the current right-wing government and use foreign media to get back at it.
The international media thus naturally gravitates towards Israel’s critical press like Haaretz that has no problem publishing misleading stories such as the May 18 headline “settlers torch Palestinian orchard” for Lag B’omer which was subsequently corrected. In other countries, such as Russia, Turkey or the United Arab Emirates, the foreign media does the same, in terms of relying on local English-language media and NGOs for its stories, and the result is the same in each country: Where there is critical civil society and self-loathing left wing press, the international media will come away with negative stories, where there is censorship and forced patriotism, the media will parrot back patriotism. Rare is the foreign media that truly discovers a story for itself without handlers, fixers and the like.
On the other hand, the more interesting stories in Israeli society, such as about Jewish diversity, or about minority communities that don’t get media attention, such as the Druze, Circassians or Ahmadiya, are routinely ignored. Foreign media almost never expresses interest in things that galvanize large masses of Israelis, such as Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef’s funeral or Mizrahi musicians. The media simply is not attuned to Israeli popular society or its nuances; even its poverty, simply because Israeli media doesn’t care about this issue and doesn’t report about it in English.
The tragic fact is that international media’s focus on Israel is a twisted blend of Jewish leftists from abroad posted to Israel who have a contentious relationship with the Jewish state. It concentrates on Israeli media sources from the highly critical left, and fits them into a pre-conceived box relating to the conflict through such themes as “David versus Goliath” and “weak Palestinians suffering at the hands of Israel,” with clichés in the background about the “persecuted becomes the persecutor.” Both the Israeli public and the world at large deserve better.

South Africa, Netanyahu and The Dalai Lama

The South African Government has a long history of supporting the disenfranchised and the oppressed. That is if they are Palestinian. They haven’t been too bothered with the terrible plight of the Zimbabweans who are on our doorstep (actually they are now inside, in the dining-room) or anyone else in Africa really, or those pesky Syrians who keep dying by the tens of thousands. We have also yet to hear outrage with regard to the beheadings and brutality of radical Islam but no doubt we will soon.
And as for China’s occupation of Tibet? Given the fact that the SACP (South African Communist Party) says that it has always been part of China along with Taiwan, so that seems to be that.
So when the Dalai Lama wants to come and visit us down South, it is perhaps no surprise that we land up delaying his Visa approval until he has no choice but to cancel his trip. In fact in 2012 when he applied to visit the country and was not granted permission to do so, the Supreme Court of Appeal found that the Minister of Home Affairs had in fact “unreasonably delayed her decision,” and “acted unlawfully” in doing so. It does need to be said that there is a small amount of satisfaction that we can derive from that refusal given that the trip was to celebrate Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday (and we are clear what we think him “tsu tsu tsu”). It also needs to be noted that that trip coincided with the Deputy President Kgalema Motalanthe’s visit to Beijing, which I am sure, was just that, an unfortunate coincidence.

John Bolton: The United Nations at 70: How to Fix a Broken Organization

The UN system today is a huge operation, defying orderly analysis, which is precisely one of its biggest problems.
In many often-unknown or overlooked UN specialized agencies and programs, considerable important technical or humanitarian work is being done. The World Food Program, the International Maritime Organization and the Universal Postal Union, for example, generally serve their members well, without contentious political matters interfering, and without much publicity.
Others, unfortunately, have gone far astray, even humanitarian bodies like the UN Relief and Works Agency (“UNRWA”). It has helped preserve Palestinians as “refugees” over several generations, in violation of every precept of “refugee” status, for entirely political, anti-Israel goals.
In fact, it is the UN’s well-known political institutions that are fundamentally broken: the Security Council, the General Assembly and the misbegotten Human Rights Council.

Shmuley Boteach: Romanticizing terror at the Met

Next month the Metropolitan Opera in New York City will stage “The Death of Klinghoffer,” a production that revolves around the tragic Achille Lauro hijacking by the Palestine Liberation Front of October, 1985. I have personally only seen Penny Woolcock’s TV-film adaption, and I’m guessing that this column isn’t going to score me any free tickets to the upcoming production. But I write here not about the artistic merit of the production but about its much-discussed content. Why this production and why now?
The Western world is currently engulfed in a global war against terror that has at its center the following two questions: first, are civilian non-combatants fair targets in a guerrilla war waged by aggrieved terrorists, and second, is there a moral equivalence between democratic powers killings these terrorists and terrorists killing civilians?
The morality of Western democracies pivot around the answers to these questions being no and no. If civilians are fair game and if terrorists targeting children can claim to be as moral as, say, American marines targeting the Taliban, then morality has no meaning and values-based democracies are nothing but a cruel farce. Once ‘militants’ murder civilians they are terrorists.

Jackie Mason: Three things are certain: Death, taxes and anti-Semitism

And don't get me started on Mr. George Galloway, who makes Clare Short look like Simon Wiesenthal. Mr Galloway is yet another person who attacks Israel while making nice with terrorists, dictators and some of the most vicious anti-Semites on the planet. And all of this he does while claiming, of course, that it's Zionists he hates and not Jews — he has even gone so far as to suggest that the Zionist movement funded Hitler before World War Two — in fact he has described Israel as a "little Hitler state". And if you think I'm over-reacting to this champion of the oppressed, bear in mind that this is someone who was actually kicked out of Egypt for being too extreme - so what does that tell you? But once again we see hostility to Israel being used as a blanket prejudice, a blunt instrument with which to attack Jews (remember that such bigots also describe Israel as "the Jewish State") in place of any reasoned criticism of the Israeli government who — just like any other government — cannot be exempt from censure or disapproval.
The point is this: when you criticise an Israeli administration, you express views (rightly or wrongly) about the policies of a particular party or group of politicians. When you attack Israel, you express hostility towards an entire population, a nation whose founding and continuing purpose is to provide sanctuary to one of the most oppressed peoples in the history of mankind. Of course, if you don't think they should be given such sanctuary then that's another matter - but bear in mind that you'll find yourself in the good company of a host of despots and tyrants.

Ike Was Pro-Israel: Here’s Why

To his credit, Eisenhower recognized his policy was a failure. In his second term, he became disenchanted with Saudi Arabia’s flirtation with Nasser and opposition to U.S. policy, and concerned with the nationalist forces unleashed and stoked by Nasser and the Egyptian’s efforts to subvert American interests in the region.
Israel benefited from the change in outlook. Israel emerged as a potential asset for the first time in July 1958, after the pro-Western government in Iraq was overthrown and nationalist forces were threatening the regimes in Lebanon and Jordan. Just two years after condemning the nation’s allies for their intervention at Suez, Eisenhower sent U.S. troops to bolster the government in Lebanon. He also agreed to ship vital strategic materials to Jordan as part of a joint American-British airlift. Saudi Arabia, however, refused to allow either country to fly through their air space and even denied the U.S. access to the American airfield at Dhahran. Instead, the supplies were flown through Israel, which was happy to cooperate. The Jordan crisis helped bring about a nearly 180-degree shift in the administration’s attitude.
This was reflected in the August 1958 memorandum submitted to the National Security Council by the NSC Planning Board, which concluded: “It is doubtful whether any likely US pressure on Israel would cause Israel to make concessions which would do much to satisfy Arab demands which—in the final analysis—may not be satisfied by anything short of the destruction of Israel. Moreover, if we choose to combat radical Arab nationalism and to hold Persian Gulf oil by force if necessary, then a logical corollary would be to support Israel as the only pro-West power left in the Near East.”
President Obama would be wise to learn from Eisenhower’s experience.

IDF's first female major-general retires after 34 years

Air Force General Command chief Brig. Gen. Hagai Topolansky replaced Maj. Gen. Orna Barbivai on Tuesday as head of the IDF's Personnel Directorate. Barbivai, who is retiring, made history by becoming the first, and so far only, woman in the IDF to reach the rank of major-general.
Four women in the IDF currently hold the next-highest rank, brigadier-general.

'It was clear I'd come to Israel and serve in a combat unit'

Havneh Feder-Haugabook, a 19-year-old lone soldier from San Francisco who on Monday received the purple beret given to Givati Brigade soldiers, never imagined how exciting and formative his three months of basic training would prove.
Feder-Haugabook immigrated to Israel from the U.S. 15 months ago, shortly after his father, African-American civil rights activist James Benjamin Haugabook, passed away. His mother, Debbie Feder-Haugabook, and 17-year-old sister still live in San Francisco.
"I visited Israel a lot and it was clear to me I would come to serve in a combat unit and contribute to the country's security," the new Givati soldier said. "I wanted to do something meaningful in life and not drift along in a meaningless college life of drugs and alcohol, which could lead me to a bad place."

IDF Blog: A Fighter’s Best Friend: the IDF’s Dogs in Gaza

During Operation Protective Edge, the dogs of the IDF’s Oketz unit battled terrorists in Gaza. Many of them were wounded in combat, but that didn’t stop them from continuing the fight.
Only ten days after suffering a severe injury in Gaza, Whiskey – a dog in the IDF’s Oketz unit – returned to the battlefield. He wasn’t alone. During Operation Protective Edge, several of the IDF’s canines were wounded in clashes with Hamas terrorists. Like Whiskey, many of them continued fighting despite their wounds.

Oketz (Hebrew: ‘Sting’) is the IDF’s elite canine unit and the best of its kind in the world. The unit’s soldiers undergo intense training to lead infantry forces and special units into battle. They prepare year round to join IDF troops in all sorts of situations, from basic missions to the most complex operations.

Prof. booted for anti-Israel tweets threatens to sue school

Chancellor Phyllis Wise said that it was Salaita’s “uncivil” tweets that prompted her to withdraw the job offer and not his criticism of Israeli policies. University trustees immediately and fully backed Wise’s decision, calling his statements disrespectful and demeaning speech.
Wise has faced backlash for her decision by faculty members, academic organizations and students at the Champaign-Urbana campus, who have accused the university of censoring free speech and stifling academic freedom.
Salaita’s call to be reinstated appears to be directed to the university’s board of trustees, who are scheduled to meet Thursday, the first time since the offer was revoked. Although the board could vote on his reinstatement, it seems unlikely that the administration will reverse its decision.

Guardian ‘forgets’ to mention Steven Salaita’s most hateful Tweets

A truly fair and honest Guardian report on the row – even one which raised legitimate questions about academic freedom – would have revealed these truly abhorrent Tweets so readers could fairly assess whether such vitriol can be reasonably be characterized as (prt the language used by university officials) “disrespectful and demeaning speech that promotes malice”.

Protesters call on Minnesota to divest from Israel

During the meeting, the protesters accused the governor of saying in July during Israel’s Gaza operation that the Palestinians “deserved” to be bombed, citing the Star-Tribune.
What the governor actually said, according to the newspaper, is: “Tonight, I join with you in expressing my support of the people of Israel in defending themselves against Hamas’ terrorism.”
The governor told the protesters Tuesday that: “As far as I’m concerned the case is closed as far as our decision” to invest in Israel Bonds.

IsraellyCool: George Galloway Would Strangle Bibi If He Could

George Galloway to his choir:
- Do not use Nazi imagery when talking about Jews;
- Jews in Israel are not Nazis but they are behaving like Nazis;
- The Gazans trapped in the Warsaw like ghetto of Gaza are dying from starvation and disease;
- The uprising of the Jews in Warsaw is exactly analogous to the situation in Gaza today.
I just can’t be bothered to go on. This whole thing could be fisked. He’s throwing out all the usual lies (nowhere else to fight from, most densely packed place on earth etc). None of this will come as a surprise to Israellycool readers.

Georgetown Professor Esposito Joins Israel Boycott

As heads of U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Centers, Esposito and the other directors assured audiences that they will “maintain linkages with overseas institutions of higher education and other organizations that may contribute to the teaching and research of the Center.”
But the move is quite consistent for Esposito, who, as the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) has documented, has long supported the Muslim Brotherhood and its front groups in the United States. His Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University was staked with $20 million from Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal in 2005.
Esposito served as an expert defense witness in the prosecution against the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation and five of its former officials for financing Hamas. He describes Sami Al-Arian, a man documented as a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s governing board, as “a proud, dedicated and committed American … a man of conscience with a strong commitment to peace and social justice.”

What’s it Like to Run the NYT’s Most-Reviled Bureau? We Asked Ethan Bronner

How has the position changed since then?

It may be even worse than ever. The pro-Israel community is quite incensed with our coverage, perhaps because they see their control of the narrative starting to slip. Even in places like Haaretz, it is now seen as a respectable position to assert that coverage of this war in Gaza was bad and biased against Israel. There’s this incredible frustration, promoted by the Israeli government and military, about the fact that there was not much documentation of Hamas fighters and such during the war. That’s been a big source of anger: where are the photographs and videos and descriptions of rocket launchers, guys carrying weapons hiding from Israeli attack among the population? Why wasn’t that chronicled the way it should be? They believe the answer is fear and prejudice.

Media Coverage in the “Affirmation Age”

For former New York Times Jerusalem Bureau Chief Ethan Bronner, the problem is not the way reporters cover the region but the way readers relate to the news. In an interview with Moment magazine, Bronner, who served as bureau chief from 2008 to 2012, described the experience of working in “one of the hottest seats in journalism.”

"The one depressing conclusion that I did draw was that people were not actually looking for information: They were looking for a reaffirmation of their own beliefs. So that the path that we set out for ourselves as journalists—to lay out complex, shaded gray truths so that people can understand that life is complicated—many people were not interested in that. Instead, what they were looking for was to hear their own story repeated, and to be validated."

Bronner’s position appears to be backed up by research in the way people view the media, carried out by Shawn Powers, from the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, and Mohammed el-Nawawy, of Queens University of Charlotte, originally published in 2009. According to coverage of the study in the Pacific Standard:

Powers and el-Nawawy point out that satellite television, first introduced to the Arab world during the 1991 Gulf War, altered both the structure of the global news media system and its role in times of war. Although the invention had the potential to provide a truly global forum for cross-cultural communication, the researchers found that audiences around the world increasingly turn to broadcasters not for new world news, but for information that fits within their pre-existing worldviews.

IsraellyCool: Jodi Rudoren Uses Vehemently Anti-Israel Site As Source

Jodi Rudoren has tweeted a link to Mondoweiss, a website whose founder has described himself as anti-Zionist, and which has been criticized for being anti-semitic or anti-Israel by publications ranging from Algemeiner to Haaretz. Let me say that again. Haaretz called Mondoweiss anti-Israel, saying that one of its editors, Adam Horowitz, “despises Israel to death.”
It may not initially seem like it, but this tweet is actually great news. Now, we no longer have to go through such exhausting analysis to show others what is wrong with Jodi’s writing. All we have to say is, this is a person whose judgment about news and opinion is so poor, she thinks that Mondoweiss is a legitimate source of both, and she seems to agree with the proposition that there is a shady Jewish/Israel lobby that has the power to get an Episcopal chaplain fired from Yale for rightfully pointing out that Jews are responsible for antisemitism.
Thanks, Jodi! We owe you one!

BBC Feasts on Israel, Silent on Rapes in Rotherham

This obsession against Israel is a sickness afflicting the entire media and the cost is astonishing for all that is not being reported elsewhere.
Humanity…civilized society, pays for these crimes of journalistic neglect. Rotherham is a fact but it is also a symptom.
Instead of 10 crews to cover EVERYTHING about Israel, how about sparing one crew of reporters to cover ANYTHING in your own neighborhoods, BBC.
That could have made a difference between life and death in Rotherham.
Or perhaps Orla Guerin could have shed one tear less for Gaza and one tear more for her own English sisters.
Change Pakistanis to Israelis and see how quickly Miss Guerin would pounce on the story.
This is not to say that the BBC stands alone in the docket. The Guardian and the rest of England’s editors and reporters – where we you? For 16 years your daughters were being raped and, for the sake of diversity, you were mute, and even today you hardly have the courage to name the criminals Pakistani Muslims.

Christian Science Monitor Flunks Its Own Quiz on Palestinians

Quizzes and "Things to Know" lists can be a light, fun way for major news sites to present information. They can also be a source of gross misinformation.
The latest example is a July 10, 2014 Christian Science Monitor quiz, still online, entitled "How much do you know about the Palestinians? Take our quiz."
Given the number of factual errors and distortions in the quiz, the question "How much do you know about the Palestinians?" is one that quiz creator Max Schindler might want to ask himself.

CiF Watch prompts correction to Indy claim about Gaza construction materials

As we noted in our original post on the article, the Indy failed to reveal that the very article linked to (to buttress the claim of “Israeli-only” construction materials) also included a firm denial that any such policy exists by the prime minister’s spokesman Mark Regev. Additionally, we noted, CiF Watch contacted COGAT, which coordinates the entry of aid into Gaza, to ask them about the claim, and we received a similarly unequivocal denial.
After contacting Indy editors (and Tweeting Natasha Culzac), not only was a correction made, but all of the passages cited above were completely deleted from the article. (You can see the article before the changes were made at this cached page).
We commend both Ms. Culzac and Indy editors on their positive response to our complaint.

Lawyer: Major Increase in Wealthy French Jews Seeking to Move Assets to U.S., Flee Anti-Semitism in France (INTERVIEW)

An attorney at a top New York law firm representing high-net-worth clients told The Algemeiner on Sunday that he has seen a dramatic increase in inquiries from wealthy French Jews who are looking to relocate to New York and invest locally due to violent antisemitism on the continent.
“Until recently there wasn’t a huge interest in French Jewish families emigrating or making a big move of their assets somewhere,” noted Marlen Kruzhkov, of Gusrae Kaplan.
Latest statistics report that the 500,000 – strong French Jewish community has passed the former Soviet Union states as the largest source of Jewish emigrants to Israel.

Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found Spray-Painted On Spring Valley Sidewalk

Authorities are investigating after anti-Semitic graffiti was found spray-painted on a sidewalk in a predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Rockland County.
A swastika and the words “Hail Hitler” were found scrawled inside a Star of David on Sunday along Morris Road in Spring Valley.
Many Holocaust survivors live in the area and Rabbi Yisroel Kahan said this opens old wounds.
“This is something that’s hateful and it’s a shame and it will not be tolerated,” Kahan said. “It’s a combination of ignorance, hate, spitefulness.”

Police: Man Arrested In Connection To Swastika At Miami Beach Temple

Police confirmed Tuesday evening they arrested a man in connection to vandalism of a sign in front of a Miami Beach temple.
Miami Beach Police identified the man arrested as 43-year old Maximo De La Cruz- De Jesus. Investigators said he is homeless and was identified via fingerprints they found on the vandalized sign. He was also positively identified by a witness, according to police.
He faces one charge of criminal mischief on a place of worship, according to his arrest report.

After year-long debate, Greece toughens anti-racism laws

Greece on Tuesday ratcheted up its punishments for racism, anti-Semitism and hate speech, in a move prompted by the surprise rise of a neo-Nazi party.
A new law approved by parliament sets prison sentences of up to three years — up from two years — and fines of up to 20,000 euros ($26,000) for “inciting acts of discrimination, hatred or violence” over race, religion or disability.
Similar punishment is meted to those denying or praising the Holocaust, genocide and war crimes against humanity.

Holocaust Memorial in Budapest Vandalized

A number of bronze shoes were stolen from the riverside Holocaust memorial ‘Shoes on the Danube’ in Budapest, Hungary, The Budapest Beacon reported on Tuesday.
It is not known whether the incident was racially motivated or simple theft, the report said.
The memorial by Gyula Pauer and Can Togay, which was erected on the left bank of the Danube near Parliament in 2005, commemorates the victims of the Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II.
The victims were told to take off their shoes before being shot and flung into the freezing Danube.

Israelis are happier than most other nationalities about their country, economy, Pew poll finds

Half of Israel’s population believes the country is going in the right direction, and 59 percent believe the economy is good, making Israelis among the least dissatisfied people in the world, according to Pew poll released on Tuesday.
According to the poll, part of the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, six years after the beginning of the Great Recession, “publics around the world remain glum. In most nations, people say their country is heading in the wrong direction and most voice the view that economic conditions are bad.”
The survey was taken among 48,643 respondents in 44 countries from March 17 to June 5. In Israel the survey was conducted in face-to face interview with 1,000 people, “Jews, Arabs and others,” with the data “weighted to reflect the actual distribution” within the population.

Survey Ranks Israel 3rd in Innovation Globally

Last week, the Switzerland-based World Economic Forum (WEF) released its Global Competitiveness Report. Israel ranked 27th out of 144 nations overall, and ranked third for innovation:
The report describes Israel’s strengths:
The country’s main strengths remain its world-class capacity for innovation (3rd), which rests on innovative businesses that benefit from the presence of some of the world’s best research institutions (3rd), support by the government through public procurement policies (9th), and a favorable financial environment for start-ups (availability of venture capital is assessed at 9th place).

National Treasures from Israel Antiquities Authority Now Accessible Via Internet

Thousands of archeological artifacts presently stored in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem will be made available online through a new initiative called the National Treasures Online project. This new project and the Rockefeller Museum Online project are just two online projects undertaken by the Israel Antiquities Authority. These new ones join the Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library, the National Archives and the Survey Maps online.
The National Treasures Online site includes objects from collections of the National Treasures, from prehistoric periods through to the Ottoman period. It currently includes 5,700 artifacts and is continuously updated.
Artifacts are arranged both according to the time period and according to the type of artifact, which is a huge gift for all but the most sophisticated observers. The information provided for each treasure is fairly extensive and includes the materials used, the dimensions of the object and where it was discovered.

Israeli Researchers Find Foolproof Method for Diagnosing ADHD

A foolproof method of diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—a frequently misdiagnosed condition, usually diagnosed in children, that leads to overuse of Ritalin and other medications—has been developed by a group of Israeli medical researchers.
Using a system to track eye movements, according to the journal Vision Research, the team found a direct correlation between ADHD and the inability to suppress eye movement in anticipation of visual stimuli.
Until now, there has been no clear test to determine whether or not a child had ADHD. As a result, it is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed behavioral disorders among children, experts say. Doctors have expressed concern at the large-scale distribution of unnecessary medications to children, which can have adverse side effects.

Tricky transplant in Haifa saves Gazan teen

For most of his life, “M,” a 14-year-old boy from Gaza, suffered from kidney failure complicated further by a condition of excessive blood coagulation. A kidney transplant eight years ago in Egypt wasn’t successful, and the youth’s health was deteriorating quickly.
Using the donation of a kidney from his sister – and improvising a workaround to compensate for his blood condition — doctors at Haifa’s Rambam Health Care Campus saved the boy’s life eight months ago and he has finally gone home.
The poor state of M’s blood vessels presented a rare medical challenge. In a regular transplant, surgeons remove the donor’s kidney and then connect it to the recipient’s blood vessels. In M’s case, the doctors feared they wouldn’t find healthy blood vessels that could feed the transplanted kidney.
So the doctors worked in reverse, first searching M surgically for usable blood vessels. Finding a few, they then removed one of his sister’s kidneys and transplanted it in M.

Aliya ad touts Israel thrills over dull US

Fed up with the overabundance of toothpaste options in American supermarkets? Tired of living up to upper middle class Jewish expectations and just plain making your mother proud?
Then why not come to Israel where you can let loose your inner sabra and grow a gross-looking patch of dark Zohan-like fur on your chest?
This is the slick message of a new video ad produced by LAPAM, the Israeli government’s advertising agency, at the behest of the Absorption Ministry.

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