Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Fact-Checking AP’s Denial of Censorship
We’ll start with Lori Lowenthal-Marcus of The Jewish Press. She talked to veteran journalist Mark Lavie, one of Friedman’s colleagues in AP’s Jerusalem bureau.AP Disses ‘Whistleblower’ But a New Whistle Blows
Lavie corroborated Steinberg’s blacklisting.
The Jewish Press asked Lavie whether he knew if there was an AP ban on quoting Prof. Gerald Steinberg around the time of Operation Cast Lead.Meanwhile, Adam Kredo of the Washington Free Beacon was in touch with Colford about the articles where AP did quote Steinberg. Kredo writes:
Lavie said he did.
He said he knew there was such a ban because, when he put a quote from Steinberg in one of his articles sometime in 2009, the AP Jerusalem bureau chief made him remove it. That editor then told him that AP reporters “can’t interview Steinberg as an expert because he is identified with the right wing.”
It doesn’t get any more unequivocal than that.
Steinberg has further petitioned the AP to prove its claim that NGO Monitor was not banned during the 2008-2009 war in Gaza by providing a list of stories mentioning the group and the date they were published.
When asked about Steinberg’s request, the AP’s Colford provided to the Free Beacon six stories published since June 2009 that mention Steinberg and his organization.
Only one article is from the disputed time period, and its focus is on Hamas war crimes, not crimes regarding the Israeli side. The AP routinely publishes reports authored by NGOs critical of Israel.
It began with a “tell-something” tale by a former reporter. But as with so many small tempests, the shrill response of the alleged victim has fanned the winds to tornado strength.Labor Activists Exhort UC Berkeley Audience to Bring Down Israel
A former AP reporter, Matti Friedman, publicly detailed allegations of biased coverage of the Israel-Arab conflict and claimed that Gerald Steinberg, a non anti-Israel expert, was banned by the AP. Friedman was immediately and with great force contradicted by Paul Colford, AP’s director of media relations.
Colford claimed Friedman’s articles were filled with “distortions, half-truths and inaccuracies.” And he wrote, point blank, there was “no ban on AP’s use of Prof. Gerald Steinberg.”
So, it’s “he said – he said,” right? But as it turns out, we have a tie-breaker. A second former AP reporter explicitly confirmed to The Jewish Press that, despite Colford’s denial, there was indeed a ban in place in AP’s Jerusalem bureau on quoting Steinberg, and that he could state this with confidence. How? Because that ban was explained to him by the AP’s then Jerusalem bureau chief. (h/t Elder of Lobby)
Hosted by UAW 2865, a union of over 13,000 student-workers across the University of California system, the union’s BDS Caucus brought in guest speakers to “discuss the role of organized labor in the Palestine solidarity movement.”Israel calls Iranian bid for post on key UN committee 'absurd'
Panelist Lara Kiswani, executive director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), dominated the conversation.
“I think you should boycott any Zionist institution, academic, organization, whether it be from 1967 occupied Palestine or 1948 occupied Palestine, because BDS really should be about shifting the cultural framework and shifting how we see Israel and isolating it and making it feel unwelcome anywhere and everywhere,” said Kiswani.
“Bringing down Israel will really benefit everyone in the world and everyone in society, particularly workers,” she said later.
Iran is seeking a senior post on a United Nations committee that decides accreditation of non-governmental organizations, a move that Israel on Tuesday compared to gangster Al Capone running the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Iran was elected to the 19-member committee in April for a four-year term from 2015. The United States and Israel are also members of the committee, which acts as a kind of gatekeeper for rights groups and other NGOs seeking access to U.N. headquarters to lobby and participate in meetings and other events.
When Iran was first elected to the committee, the United States sharply criticized it as a "troubling outcome" because of what it said was Tehran's poor human rights record. The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment on Iran's bid to become vice chair of the committee.
In a letter obtained by Reuters, Iran presented its candidacy for vice chair of the committee, which will begin meeting in late January.
Israel, which views Iran and its nuclear program as an existential threat, was clearly displeased by the idea.
"Imagine if Iran ran this committee in the same way it runs its country -- human rights activists would be detained, journalists would be tortured, and anyone with a social media account would find himself arrested on fabricated charges," Israeli U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor told Reuters.
UN passes resolution: Israel must renounce nuclear arms
The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved an Arab-backed resolution Tuesday calling on Israel to renounce possession of nuclear weapons and put its nuclear facilities under international oversight.‘Palestine’: The Real Apartheid State
The resolution, adopted in a 161-5 vote, noted that Israel is the only Middle Eastern country that is not party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. It called on Israel to "accede to that treaty without further delay, not to develop, produce test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons, to renounce possession of nuclear weapons" and put its nuclear facilities under the safeguard of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.
The United States, Canada, Palau and Micronesia joined Israel in opposing the measure, while 18 countries abstained.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, now serving the tenth year of his four-year term, recently defamed Israel’s “apartheid government.” Speaking in Cairo last weekend at an emergency session of the Arab League, he announced: “We will never recognize the Jewishness of the state of Israel.”David Baddiel: Antisemitism is racism. We need to acknowledge that
Abbas seemed especially riled by the “Jewish state” bill currently under Knesset consideration. Proposed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it would appropriately identify Israel as “the Nation-State of the Jewish people.” Israel, Netanyahu asserted, is “a Jewish democratic state. . . . Both principles are equal and must be given equal consideration.” National rights for Jews, he emphasized, embrace equal rights for every citizen – Muslims, Christians, Druze and Bedouin alike, who collectively comprise more than 20% of the Israeli population.
No Middle Eastern Arab nation would even imagine, no less implement, such sweeping guarantees of equality for all its citizens within such a multi-religious, multi-cultural nation. By now, to be sure, there would be no need even to include Jews, nearly all of whom were cruelly driven out of their homes and deprived of their livelihoods and assets many decades ago by raging Arab mobs and their oppressively anti-Semitic rulers.
You can see this, I think, in the way Mackay, Whelan and Balotelli’s remarks are referred to in reportage as involving racism and antisemitism. What is that? Why are those two things separated? Antisemitism is racism. When I’ve said this before on Twitter, people get into a pedantic spin about whether or not Jews are a race or a religion, but that’s irrelevant: they are considered a race by racists. The Gestapo were very happy to murder Jewish atheists. Therefore antisemitism is racism, and the separation of it from racism in general can be considered a way of saying “obviously, though, not as bad as racism towards black or Asian people: that’s clearly the top racism”.What (really) motivates Evangelicals?
Another example: a tweeter who once called me a Jewish prick was called a racist, and replied: I can’t be racist, I’m a Pakistani.” For him – and for quite a lot of others – racism is black and white (or brown and white) alone. But as we know from history, that’s very wrong.
Jewish people do need those protections. Which is why Mario Balotelli, Malky Mackay and Dave Whelan – and indeed the person who sent me that tweet in Newcastle – need to be called out for their what’s-wrong-with-that? belief that Jews are miserly, and should just be told: it’s racist. Not: it’s antisemitic – even though it is. Two concepts – two “bad” things they are simply not meant to do any more – may be too much for simple minds. Just: it’s racist. Oh, and by the way, if that person who tweeted me during the gig had actually known anything about Jews, they would have been aware that we wouldn’t have been worried about the price of the drinks: only about the price of the food.
Finally, there is, undeniably, an exponential increase of Christian martyrdom at the hands of jihadist Muslims around the world. There is a growing sense that much of the more liberal, mainline versions of Christianity are drying up and may soon cease to exist Yet, today Evangelicalism is experiencing exponential growth. That growth, tragically has come with increasing persecution, especially at the hands of Islamists.Evangelicals understand intuitively that radical Islam is a threat to the Jewish people, the State of Israel, Evangelicals, and in reality, the modern, civilized people of every background. Evangelicals understand the need to forge alliances in light of this threat, and that the future existence of our world may well depend on how we bond together.Scandinavia - a center for anti-Israel forces in Europe?
Evangelicals are natural allies of the modern State of Israel at a time when identifying and cultivating these supporters is crucial. We as a community have demonstrated unwavering support for decades in every way imaginable. Continuing to buy into media stereotypes for Evangelical motivation does a great disservice to this important relationship and slows progress towards mutual goals. In short, the Jewish community would do well to be as welcoming in reaching out and developing relationship with the Evangelical community as they have with mainline Christian denominations and other interfaith groups.
Sometimes, people just want to be your friend.
While other countries are giving up on the Middle East, Scandinavia still has it high on its agenda. Why?NGO Monitor: Amnesty International: Failed Methodology, Corruption, and Anti-Israel Bias
Many Israelis are increasingly worried about Europe's attitude towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The latest troubling indication was a document obtained by the Israeli daily Haaretz outlining sanctions and other diplomatic steps reportedly being considered by the EU against Israel.
The trend is clear: European governments criticizing Israeli policies, parliaments across the continent voting for unilateral recognition of Palestine, increasingly hostile coverage in European media and NGOs and academic institutions filling Europe's squares with demonstrations and promoting boycotts.
The Scandinavian countries have been particularly active: a few weeks ago Sweden recognized Palestine, just after Denmark’s Foreign Minister said his country may reconsider its trade agreements with Israel. During the summer’s Israel-Hamas war, there were massive demonstrations in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo against Israel's use of force in Gaza. Some of these were accompanied by violence against pro-Israel and Jewish targets.
Despite Amnesty’s influence, critical analysis of the organization and its activities has been limited. The “halo effect,” which shields groups claiming to promote universal moral agendas and human rights from scrutiny because of a perceived impartiality, has insulated Amnesty from systematic critical assessment and reform, to its own detriment.Have yourself a barrier Merry Xmas
In 2014, Amnesty finds itself in the midst of unprecedented crisis. In late 2012, working conditions led to strikes in its London office and UK section. Internal reports acknowledged that in some regions, particularly in the US, the organization has lost influence along with a significant number of members. As NGO Monitor’s research has shown, the crisis is rooted in a number of structural problems, including consistent post-colonial ideological bias, a pronounced lack of credibility in research reports, moral inconsistency, financial instability and corruption, failure to act with transparency in critical organizational aspects, and friction between the London office and key national sections (particularly the U.S.).
The purpose of the detailed research is to contribute to a much needed independent assessment of Amnesty’s structure and activities. We present a brief overview of Amnesty’s founding, evolution, and current structure. On this foundation, we examine financial issues, including decreased funding (in part due to a significant drop in membership) and the myth of Amnesty’s rejection of government funds.
Nothing says Season’s Greetings quite like a Christmas card with a picture of the wall separating Bethlehem in the West Bank from Israel.MESA Resolution Shows What’s Wrong with Academe
At least, this seems to be the thinking of If Americans Knew, an organization aiming to delegitimize US support for Israel. The group is selling postcards that appear to be a visual rendering of the Christmas carol, “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night.” Only in this scenario, there is a tall concrete barrier blocking the men and animals’ path as the Star of Bethlehem shines above.
First of all, free speech was never meant to be a substitute for professional competence. Steven Salaita may be provocative; racists, anti-Semites, and anyone who expresses hatred for a class of people usually are. But provocation is not synonymous with path-breaking research. If a tenured professor of astronomy declared the world flat, or if a biologist claimed oxygen had no role in life on Earth, they might claim it to be their right to say what they want, but that doesn’t mean that they can say bluster without having done the work to prove their case. Salaita, of course, wrote an entire book on Israel without speaking or reading Hebrew, and penned a book on Palestinian literature without discussing poetry, arguably the most important element of the Palestinian literary canon. The scandal isn’t so much that the University of Illinois rescinded its preliminary tenure offer after learning about Salaita’s incitement on twitter; rather, it’s that he was seriously considered in the first place.US Presbyterian Church Under Heat for Meeting Hezbollah
More importantly, however, the MESA resolution reflects the mindset and thin skin of the academic community. It declares discussion of boycotting, divesting from, and sanctioning (BDS) Israel to be a right of academics. Honestly, I have no problem with academics discussing whatever the heck they want. But then it continues to suggest that criticizing academics or organizations for embracing the BDS movement is out of line. That is what the statement “Deplores intimidation directed against organizations who have adopted BDS resolutions” means.
In response to the Presbyterian Church USA's (PCUSA) decision to divest from American companies doing business with Israel, Shurat Hadin (Israel Law Center) filed a whistleblower action against the organization with the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) over meetings PCUSA held with Hezbollah terrorists.YouTube Wipes MEMRI TV Off The Map
Following on a resolution passed last July, which led to divestiture of around $21 million of PCUSA's shares in Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions, Shurat Hadin noted in the 38-page complaint that the group has breached its IRS-declared tax-exempt status as a religious organization.
Documentary and video evidence was sent to the IRS showing PCUSA delegates meeting with members of Hezbollah - which is designated by the US as a terrorist organization - as well as publishing anti-Semitic materials and passing around political advocacy materials in violation of its status.
YouTube has terminated the invaluable MEMRITV channel for what it calls “repeated or severe violations of our Community Guidelines and/or claims of copyright infringement.” And from the looks of things, at the time of this post, MEMRI may not even be aware of it.BBC R 4’s ‘Terror Through Time’ asks a silly question, gets a silly answer
Which means some very important video footage with translations from Arabic may not be spread as far and wide as they deserve to be. And on a more micro level, a whole bunch of videos we have posted about – like our Jew-hating Jordanian buddy here – no longer work.
From what I understand, MEMRI can appeal the decision. The question of copyright infringement may come down to “fair use”, which I believe to be the case. As for any other so-called “violations” of YouTube’s Community Guidelines, I can only imagine they were flagged as being “hate speech” by enemies of freedom, simply for shining a light on the real hate speech out there. Which includes YouTube Channels of terrorist and hate organizations, which are allowed to continue unabated.
I should note that this is not the first time this has happened, and every time, MEMRI TV has been reinstated on YouTube.
What can we do? For a start, we can donate to MEMRI, who are currently soliciting for donations as part of their end-of-year campaign. We can also spread the word about this latest development, in the hope of putting pressure on YouTube to reinstate the channel.
Anyone familiar with Rashid Khalidi’s record of political activism will of course not be in the least bit surprised by his attempt to turn arch-terrorists such as Fatah’s Abu Jihad (Khalil al Wazir), the PFLP-GC’s Ahmed Jibril or Black September leader Ali Hassan Salameh into “the best and the brightest” and “gifted leaders” or by his far-fetched implication that a political solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict has been thwarted by Israeli assassinations of the terrorists who – according to his spurious theory – would have made it happen.Guardian Letter: Palestinians are indigenous to the land, descendants of Canaanites
The trouble is that the majority of listeners to BBC Radio 4 will not know who Rashid Khalidi is or what the political motivations inevitably underscoring his commentary entail and hence will be unable to put his words into their appropriate context. The bigger problem is, of course, that the BBC has denied them that ability.
Whilst such shameful attempts to erase Jewish history is nothing new within the milieu of anti-Zionist rhetoric, the Palestinians as Canaanites narrative is indeed a relatively new phenomenon – a claim made in spite of the fact that the Canaanites disappeared roughly three thousand years ago, and little if anything is known about their descendants.British newspaper amplifies extremist message of Israel’s Islamic Movement
Moreover, in testimony before the Anglo-American Committee in 1946, Palestinian-Arab leaders only claimed a connection to the land dating back no further than the 7th century – the period of conquest by Muhammad’s followers.
Up until now, the most egregious distortion, within the UK media’s coverage of the proposed ‘Jewish nation-state’ legislation, was represented by Times of London headlines suggesting that the law, if passed, would render Arab-Israelis “second-class citizens”.Jewish woman targeted in Paris rape-robbery told: You Jews always have money
Through communication with Times of London editors, they agreed to add quotes around the term “second-class citizens” to reflect the fact that that charge merely represents the hyperbole of a few political figures in expressing their opposition to the law. (See this good backgrounder on the proposed bill, which would not erode the individual rights of non-Jews in Israel, yet alone result in ‘transfer’.)
However, the British newspaper The Telegraph has published an even more inflammatory and misleading article on the possible ramifications of the proposed law (Meet the Arab-Israelis living in fear of expulsion, Dec. 1). The article, written by their Middle East correspondent Robert Tait, amplifies the ludicrous charge by some Arab extremists that the legislation would result in the forced expulsion of Arab-Israelis.
Armed assailants broke into a suburban Paris residence of a Jewish couple, raped the woman while her husband was kept at bay, and robbed the couple.Police Search for Anti-Semite Sending Paris Hilton Death Threats, Thinking She’s Jewish
French police arrested two suspects in the incident, which occurred Monday in the suburb of Creteil, the French daily Le Parisien reported. A third suspect remains at large.
The three men carrying handguns and a short-barreled rifle forced their way into an apartment where the parents of one of the victims live and separated the 19-year-old Jewish woman and her 21-year-old Jewish partner, the paper reported. One suspect raped the woman while another guarded her partner and a third withdrew money from a cash machine. The assailants spent approximately one hour inside the house, police said.
According to a report by France's BFMTV website, the assailants targeted this particular couple because they mistakenly thought the male victim, a salesman at a popular clothing store at the Creteil mall, was the store's manager and had access to large amounts of money.
The Los Angeles Police Department is searching for a man who has been sending anti-Semitic death threats to hotel heiress Paris Hilton, whom he believes is Jewish, gossip site TMZ reported on Tuesday.House Passes Bill Denying Social Benefits to Nazis
Authorities got a search warrant to track down the Instagram and Facebook account of the unidentified person threatening to kill the socialite and her father Rick Hilton, neither of whom are Jewish. In one social media post the man wrote, “KILL JEWS FOR FUN” and “I know ur Jew family gives nothing,” accusing the Hiltons of being cheap.
The man also wrote to Rick, “one month and she’s dead, she’s never coming home.”
“Invite [Paris] to the match so we can gang rape her a** hahahahahaha,” he said in another post, then threatening, “I’ll beat u and that bi*** to unconscious.”
Police think they know who is behind the threats but need Facebook and Instagram verification before they can make an arrest, law enforcement sources told TMZ.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously approved a new bill stipulating that Nazis should not get Social Security benefits, AFP reports.Documentary Says Coco Chanel Worked for Nazis, Aimed to Use Influence to Take Back Business From Jewish Company
By a vote of 420-0, the House of Representatives passed the No Social Security for Nazis Act, a bill that closes legal loopholes that have allowed a small number of World War II-era Nazis to collect government benefits even after many other Nazis who escaped to the United States were deported or prosecuted.
L’Ombre d’un Doute [The Shadow of a Doubt] claimed that Chanel was a member of Abwehr, Adolf Hitler’s secret military intelligence agency. Her Abwehr number was F-7124, according to official Nazi records that have been secretly held in the French Ministry of Defense archives for the past seven decades. The documentary suggested that among the Nazis, Chanel went by the code name ‘Westminster’ – a reference to her affair with the Duke of Westminster in the 1920s.Swedish store pulls ‘Nazi’ toy soldiers
The host of the broadcast, historian Franck Ferrand, asserted that Chanel later tried using her Nazi influence to reclaim the perfume business she sold to the Jewish Wertheimer family in 1924.
The Gekas store in Ullared said that it would clear out the miniature figurines, which are manufactured by toy-maker Cobi.Swashbuckling Israeli firm fights pirate fishing
“This is not something we want to promote as form of ideal,” said Gekas CEO Boris Lennerhov, according to a report last week in The Local, an English-language website based reporting news from Sweden.
Cobi has a line of toys that depict soldiers and equipment from both sides of the conflict during World War II.
Shoppers were reportedly offended after seeing the Germany army symbols on military equipment and tanks crewed by smiling “Nazi” soldiers.
Pirates don’t ordinarily come to mind when you’re biting into a sushi roll or a fish-and-chips special. But pirate fishing and other forms of unreported, unregulated commercial fishing are dangerously depleting the global fish population and causing the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in African countries where fishing is an important source of income and nutrition.Israeli Researchers Discover Early Detection Method for Concussions
Now, a seaborne Superman in the form of Israeli company Windward is diving in to save the fish and the jobs, by providing an accurate technology for tracking the movements of maritime vessels.
“For centuries, shipping meant not knowing where the ship was for months at a time,” says Windward founder and CEO Ami Daniel. “In fishing, it’s even worse. There is usually no visibility and no control even on the cargo the boats bring in.”
As concern grows in the United States about the danger of head injuries to American football players after a spate of recent high-school deaths, an Israeli team has developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic approach that can more easily visualize and assess the consequences of even mild injuries to the brain.Zaatar Ganache is gold at chocolate world finals
Dr. Alon Friedman and his team at the Brain Imaging Research Center at Israel’s Ben Gurion University of the Negev and its affiliated Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheva showed, for the first time, how they were able to identify significant damage to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of football players following “unreported” trauma or mild concussions. The method uses dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to detect and localize vascular pathology and BBB breakdown. The BBB is composed of proteins, membranes and other materials that protect the brain by preventing many dangerous substances from penetrating. Medical researchers, including Friedman’s group at BGU, are working to find ways to develop drugs that could repair a damaged BBB and possibly prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological diseases in some patients.
Tel Aviv chocolatier Ika Cohen posted “and it’s a gold” on her Facebook page upon word that her Za’atar Ganache had been chosen as best of the ‘flavored dark ganaches and truffles’ category at the International Chocolate World Final Awards. Cohen had won top prize at the 2014 European Semi-final and European Open competition in May of this year for the same chocolate.Two Israeli Start-Ups Finalists in World Startup Contest in France
At the International Chocolate World Final Awards, Cohen actually won one of two gold medals in her category – the other prize, in a rare tie, was given to a Wild Blueberry truffle made by svenninsen chocolatier of Denmark.
The Israeli marine biologist-turned-chocolatier is currently collaborating with renowned French chocolatier Gilles Marchal on a special pralines collection. The five flavors — bitter chocolate ganache, passion fruit and black pepper, salty caramel, pistachio marzipan and honey with praline waffle chips – were introduced to the Israeli public in limited edition over Rosh Hashana. They are now being sold exclusively at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris.
Two Israeli startups, Pixoneye and Pzartech, are two of the six super finalists in the iiAwards, a world startup competition organized by the Paris Region Lab and supported by the City of Paris, France.Ethiopia adopts Israeli day/night solar power system
Ofri Ben Porat of the computer vision startup Pixonyey and Jeremie Brabet-Adonajlo of the 3D printing startup Pzartech will make a final pitch on Dec. 2 at the Grands Prix de l’Innovation. As super finalists they will be able to join an entrepreneurship incubator program in Paris and compete for a 20,000€ ($24,845) prize.
“The iiAwards is an opportunity to work with the ecosystem of Paris, we feel it’s a moment when this region is investing a lot of energy in support of the entrepreneurs and we really appreciate that,” said Brabet-Adonajlo and his partner Joachim Hagege.
The company announced Tuesday that it had signed a deal to build one of its Tulip solar-hybrid power plants in Ethiopia. “We are transforming our Green Economy Strategy into action and are pleased to partner with AORA to help achieve our vision,” said Alemayehu Tegenu, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy for Ethiopia. “AORA’s unique solar-hybrid technology is impressive and well-suited to provide both energy and heat to support local economic development in off-grid rural locations in Ethiopia.”US Center for Disease Control: Circumcision is beneficial
“Off-grid rural locations” are exactly the places Rosenzweig wants to see more Tulips installed. “Our hybrid system uses both solar power and biogas to operate a turbine, with the hot air moving the turbine to generate electricity.”
U.S. health officials on Tuesday released a draft of long-awaited federal guidelines on circumcision, saying medical evidence supports having the procedure done.Congress to pass landmark Israel partnership bill
"The scientific evidence is clear that the benefits outweigh the risks," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who oversees the agency's programs on HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The guidelines stop short of telling parents to get their sons circumcised. That is a personal decision that may involve religious or cultural preferences, said Mermin.
Congress was poised to give its final approval Wednesday afternoon to a bill that supporters say will create a unique status for Israel and serve as a framework for increased partnership in a number of key sectors, particularly energy and defense. If all goes as expected, the long-anticipated legislation will represent a significant achievement for the pro-Israel groups that pushed for its passage.Five Israeli swimmers in Qatar for Worlds
“This bipartisan measure will strengthen cooperation between our two countries on a wide range of issues from defense to energy, ensure that Israel has the resources to defend herself in an emergency, and affirm Israel’s ability to participate in the visa waiver program as long as she meets existing requirements,” said Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who authored the Senate version of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014, along with Roy Blunt (R-MO).
“This legislation sends a clear message that America’s bond with Israel remains unbreakable, and I am proud that it passed the Senate unanimously,” she said.
The world short course swimming championships will get underway in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, with Israel’s five representatives hoping to make headlines for their achievements in the pool rather than anything that might happen out of it.
During last year’s world cup event in Doha, the organizers did their best to try and ignore the Israeli delegation. A blank white square appeared next to Amit Ivry’s name on the TV screens ahead of her participation in the 100-meter Individual Medley final, with the hosts refusing to broadcast the Israel flag.
The organizers of the world championships have promised there will be no recurrence of such incidents over the five-day event, which will see over 900 swimmers compete in the non-Olympic 25-meter pool.
Ivry is once more Israel’s only female representative in the championships, and is joined by Guy Barnea, Gal Nevo, David Gamburg and Ya’akov Toumarkin.
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