10/14 Links Pt2: Glick: The nuclear deal’s true purpose; BDS: Anti-Semitic, Not Pro-Palestinian

From Ian:

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Caroline Glick: The nuclear deal’s true purpose

Last week we learned that aspects of the US ’s commitments to Iran under the deal are illegal under US law. If the Republican Congress tries to force Obama to obey the law (that he himself signed), Obama will blame the Republicans when the Iranians respond by abandoning the deal. If the Republicans try to impose new sanctions on Iran because Iran breaches its commitments, then Iran can leave the deal.
And Obama will blame the Republicans.
What this means for Republicans is clear enough.
They must recognize the deal for what it really is – a political tool to weaken them, not Iran. Once they understand what is going on, they must refuse to fall into the trap Obama set for them. Republican mustn’t worry about whether or not Iran vacates its signature. It is the deal, not any action they may take, that ensures Iran will walk away.
Moreover, Republicans – and the deal’s Democratic opponents – must refuse to shoulder the blame when Iran acts as expected and walks away.
Obama negotiated a deal that guarantees Iran will become a nuclear power and prevents the US from taking steps, in the framework of the deal, to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Obama didn’t do this because he is a bad negotiator. He did this because his goal was never to prevent Iran from developing atomic bombs and delivery mechanisms. His goal was always to blame Republicans (and Israel) for what he had to power to prevent, but had no interest in preventing.

Ben Carson: ‘Never Again’ means standing with Israel

Sometimes it is hard to find the right words to talk about the kind of evil that defies reason and destroys lives. We saw that evil on full display during the Holocaust perpetuated by the fanatical and tyrannical Nazi regime under Adolph Hitler. The lessons to be drawn from those darkest of days in world history are plentiful, and as relevant today as they were nearly 80 years ago.
In recent days I suggested that things might have unfolded in a very different manner in Europe had the Jewish people been armed and better able to defend themselves. What would have been the impact on Hitler’s war machine if his victims had had more access to guns? It is something that we will never know for sure.
What I do know however, beyond any shadow of a doubt, is that I never intended for my words to diminish the enormity of the tragedy or in any way to cause any pain for Holocaust survivors or their families.
Both those who perished and those who survived the Nazi camps deserve our deepest reverence, as do the partisan fighters who rose in armed opposition.

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: Anti-Semitic, Not Pro-Palestinian

One of the most blatant and visible manifestations of antisemitism in the pro-Palestinian camp is found in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which calls on individuals – or companies, organizations and universities – to “starve Israel economically and isolate it socially.” But it doesn’t end there; the BDS movement also targets Jews, as was proven recently by Rototom Sunsplash’s demand that Matisyahu (an American Jewish musician) “declare his view regarding the Palestinians right to a state of their own” before being allowed to perform. The musician refused to be bullied and was told he could not preform. The Rototom Sunsplash organizers eventually re-invited the artist, saying that they had been pressured by the Valencia chapter of the BDS.BDS activists hurt the very people they claim they want to help. Likewise, just as the antisemites of the early 19th century and World War II singled out Jewish people as the cause of Europe’s problems, the BDS movement immorally places all the blame for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Israel and European Jews. BDS emboldens the terror regimes that rule the Palestinians. But the BDS movement hurts more than just the Palestinians. It effectively takes attention away from real injustices in the world by disproportionately focusing on Israel. As Alan Dershowitz pointed out, “The BDS movement is immoral because it violates the core principle of human rights: namely, ‘the worst first.’”
The BDS movement ignores current and historic realities and singles out Israel – and its efforts to strangle Israel makes peace much less likely. BDS does not want peace; BDS does not want to help the Palestinians; BDS wants to see an end to the only Jewish nation state in the world and the only thriving democracy in the Middle East. Those who truly desire to see an end to the conflict must oppose the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and all of its efforts.

Ryan Bellerose: The Proud Tradition Of Antizionism

I know that title probably took a few people aback, but seriously after the past week or so watching the world media scramble at the bonanza of antisemitic asshattery, I don’t really know what else to say. If you didn’t believe in anti Jewish bias in the media before, watching as outlets like the BBC post “2 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Jerualem after attack.” sort of drive the message home. Obviously you find out from proper sources that 2 Palestinians started stabbing people and were killed by the police. I have to sort of assume now that these people who are trying so hard to spread hate about Jews, actually hate the Jews.
I saw a guy a while back, post on twitter that “Zionism, making antisemitism something honourable since 1947”. His name was Steven Salaita and he was trying to say he was not an antisemite, he even had “Jewish friends”. Steven, however, was fond of posting things like that. When 3 Jewish teens were kidnapped and murdered Steven said “I wish all the west bank settlers would go missing.” He wasn’t venting, he was inciting and he was doing it with malice aforethought: after all he has spread debunked and false narratives about Jews being colonists for a living. He is just one in a long line of Jew haters.
Hating Jews is sort of a proud tradition I think, just because the tradition was entirely the raison d’etre of genuinely evil people like Hitler and Stalin, and sort of a side job for other evil people like Salaita, doesn’t mean the average person shouldn’t jump on that bandwagon does it? I mean that seems legit right? Why shouldn’t we all jump on a cause that outstanding moral paragons such as Hitler and Stalin endorsed? Those guys seemed to be pretty good role models right? I mean 10 out of 10 Nazis agree, that it was the Jooos fault for everything (thats how they say Jews btw, its not Jews, its Joooooos) I would totally want to hitch my wagon to that brilliant analysis, its so well thought out.

UN Chief Wants Review of Israeli Use of Force, Silent on Terror

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Israel on Tuesday to carry out a "serious review" on whether its security forces are resorting to "excessive force" in clashes with Palestinians, AFP reports.
Ban finds "the apparent excessive use of force by Israeli security forces" to be "troubling," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters as violence continued in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
This "demands serious review as it only serves to exacerbates the situation leading to a vicious cycle of needless bloodshed," he said.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday Israel would use "all means" available to end Palestinian violence and that new security measures were planned.
The UN chief was due to sit down with Security Council envoys for a luncheon meeting on Tuesday to discuss mounting Israeli-Palestinian violence.
A ministerial-level meeting of the Security Council on the crisis in the Middle East is scheduled for October 22.

UNRWA Ignores Israeli Terror Victims, Raises $80m From Europe

UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) released a statement on Monday that it is "deeply alarmed by the escalating violence and widespread loss of civilian life in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel."
UNRWA, which purports to work to alleviate and solve the 67-year-old Palestinian refugee problem, says it seeks to "highlight [the] lack of hope amongst Palestinian youth" – without relating to the murderous terrorism in which this same youth has been engaged of late.
The UNRWA statement decried the deaths of Palestinians over the past several days – deaths that occurred as the victims were taking part in violent anti-Israel incidents. It mentioned not a word about the four Israeli deaths and many Israeli wounded at the hands of rampant murderous Palestinian terrorism.
Precisely as the UN agency was showing its enmity towards the Israeli side, it held a pledging conference at UN Headquarters in New York at which it raised no less than $100 million from a total of 22 different countries. Some $40 million was pledged to UNRWA by Sweden alone, and another $30 million by Italy and Belgium together.

PA to Prosecute Israel for 'Extrajudicial Killing' of Terrorists

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) secretary general Saeb Erekat said Tuesday new petitions would be sent to the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israel, accusing it of "extrajudicial executions."
Erekat's threat surfaces after a wave of stabbing and car attacks targeting Israeli Jews over the past two weeks.
More than 20 stabbing attacks have occurred in Israel, Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria since October 3 - not including car attacks, rock-throwings, firebomb attacks, and shootings.
At least 25 terrorists have been killed by security forces, AFP reports, and Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas media have encouraged more and more people to carry out attacks and become "martyrs."

Kerry to Travel Israel in an Attempt to 'Calm Violence'

After earlier having condemned the latest terror wave in Israel, Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday he will travel to the region soon to try to calm violence between Palestinians and Israelis.
"I will go there soon, at some point appropriately, and try to work to reengage and see if we can't move that away from this precipice," Kerry was quoted by Reuters as having told an audience at an event sponsored by Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
Kerry said the United States' goal for the region, the two-state solution, "could conceivably be stolen from everybody" if violence in the region were to spiral out of control.
"You have this violence because there's a frustration that is growing and a frustration among Israelis who don't see any movement," Kerry said, according to Reuters. "We have another 16 months in this administration and I can assure you that we're going stay engaged and work thorough these issues, because there are options."

Britain Says it is 'Concerned' by Israel's Use of Force

Britain’s Foreign Office on Tuesday night joined in the condemnations of the ongoing terror wave in Israel.
In a statement, Minister Tobias Ellwood condemned Tuesday’s attacks, but also called out Israel for using force in response and urged both sides - Israelis and Palestinians - to “de-escalate the situation”.
“We condemn the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem on 13 October which have resulted in the deaths of a number of Israeli citizens, as well as other attacks which have left multiple innocent civilians wounded,” Ellwood said.
“We are also concerned by the use of force by Israeli security personnel in response to protests and security incidents, which has resulted in several deaths and thousands of injuries,” he added.
“We urge all parties to refrain from violence, and encourage Israeli and Palestinian leaders to actively de-escalate the situation and avoid measures which could further fuel tensions,” the statement concluded.

Clinton: Terror Attacks Against Israel “Must Stop”

Ahead of the first Democratic presidential debate tonight, leading contender and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement demanding that Palestinian terror “must stop,” The Times of Israel reported today.
“I am alarmed by the recent wave of attacks against Israelis, including more than a dozen separate attacks since last Saturday,” the statement from the former US secretary of state read.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Men and women living in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and elsewhere cannot carry groceries or travel to prayer without looking over their shoulder,” she added.
“It is wrong, and it must stop. There’s no place for violence — only dialogue can produce a lasting peace.”

American Christians Donate $1,000 Each to Terror Wave Victims

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship), led by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, is starting to grant the equivalent of $1,000 each to individuals or families who have been harmed by the wave of terrorist attacks against Jews.
Backed by an outpouring of support from Christians across the US, the fellowship is dispensing the emergency funds following a discussion with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and senior ministry officials. The aid will allow families who have been victimized in the current wave of stabbings, car attacks and shootings, to pay for hospital transportation, medical care, therapy, and lost wages.
“The ongoing wave of terror leads to many causalities whose normal life paths have been abruptly interrupted,” Eckstein said in a statement. “The victims and their families are faced with a new reality and difficult rehabilitation. Victims also face significant financial costs and we wish to support them as part of our commitment to the security of Israeli citizens during times of emergency.”

NPR Interviews Family of “Dead” Palestinian Who is Actually Alive

In Harris’s report for the October 13 edition of All Things Considered, she interviews Qassam Badran, the father of Ishaq Badran, a Palestinian teenage terrorist shot dead after stabbing and wounding two Israelis in Jerusalem. Harris asks Qassam what motivated his son to carry out the attack:
BADRAN: (Through interpreter) The video that bothered him most was of a woman who was stripped of her headscarf before she was killed in the Old City. He showed it to his mom, saying, look at those cowardly Jews; look what they’re doing to our women.
Badran was referring to a video of Shoruq Dwayat, a Palestinian woman who stabbed an Israeli Jew. The wounded victim managed to shoot Dwayat. Palestinian social media has spread the unsubstantiated rumor that Israeli settlers removed Dwayat’s headscarf.
Leaving unchallenged Badran’s claim that Dwayat had been killed by Israelis, Harris only seconds later says:
I also visited the home of the family of the girl in the video that made Ishaq upset. Shoruq Dwayat is injured and in Israeli custody.
That’s correct – Shoruq Dwayat is alive as confirmed by her family in the NPR report.

Times of London and Telegraph mislead in explanation of root cause of latest Arab violence

An Oct. 13 article at Times of London by Jenny Booth (Death toll rises in Israel on Palestinian ‘Day of Rage’) included the following passage:
Six Israelis and 27 Palestinians, including nine alleged attackers and eight children, have died in almost two weeks of street attacks and security crackdowns, as Israel and the Palestinian territories suffer their worst period of unrest in years.
The attacks began on October 3, stirred in part by Muslim anger over increasing Jewish visits to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s old city.
Additionally, a Live Blog at the Telegraph (Israel: three killed in Palestinian “day of rage“) on today’s attacks in Jerusalem and central Israel included this passage:
The violence has been stirred in part by Muslim anger over increasing Jewish visits to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, Islam’s holiest site outside the Arabian Peninsula.
Both reports omit the fact that Jews are of course visiting the Temple Mount (located within the greater “al-Aqsa mosque compound”), the holiest site in Judaism.

CNN Dances Around Palestinian Violence, Refuses to Identify Culprits

Who is carrying out the stabbings, shooting and ramming attacks? Who has carried out the rocket attacks and the more obviously orchestrated armed campaigns? Who has been targeted, wounded and killed in the spate of attacks? CNN doesn't say, and readers have therefore no way of grasping "the nature of what has happened in recent weeks": that Palestinians, primarily youth, have been attempting to murder Israelis, young and old.
Botelho and Payne continue to dance around the question of who is carrying out the attacks by stating three paragraphs later: "Some have suggested the violence represents the start of the third intifada, or uprising, by Palestinians." From there, the CNN journalists redirect to Palestinian clashes with Israeli security forces, leaving aside the unaddressed issue of culpability in the stabbing, ramming and shooting attacks on Israeli civilians and officers.

BBC portrayal of Pisgat Ze’ev terror attack focuses on politicised geography

There is of course nothing novel about the BBC’s description of the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Pisgat Ze’ev as a “settlement in East Jerusalem”; audiences have seen that politically motivated narrative amplified many times before, together with the standard BBC mantra “settlements are considered illegal under international law”.
But it is nevertheless remarkable that a BBC priority in its reporting on a heinous terror attack (of course not named as such) on a young boy riding his bike was to ensure that readers understood that the location of the attack is a place where – according to the BBC’s adopted narrative – Israelis really should not be.
Equally remarkable – though predictable given the corporation’s record to date – is the fact that the reckless use of this attack for the promotion of falsehoods and incitement by a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority was completely ignored by the BBC.

Israel embassy in Berlin blasts German media for slanted terror coverage

Israel’s embassy took German-language media organizations to task on Monday for shoddy reports on the Palestinian terrorism sweeping across Israel.
Writing a commentary on its blog titled “Journalism against all rules,” the embassy accused certain media outlets of failing to identify victims and perpetrators.
“We find again new examples of bias in the German- language media. Many angry readers in these days sent the Israeli Embassy in Berlin examples,” the diplomats wrote in Berlin.
The embassy criticized the online outlet of the Focus newsweekly for failing to state that Israelis were injured in a knife attack. Focus Online wrote: “Continued knife attacks in Israel: six injured.”

In European coverage of Israel, confusion over who is attacking whom

At an Israeli bus station, several uniformed officers surround an Arab woman before opening fire on her, dropping her to the ground. Standing over her motionless body, a Border Police officer toting an automatic rifle speaks into a radio while another officer chases away a bystander documenting the scene on his cellphone.
That’s how the Dutch public broadcaster NOS presented an October 9 incident in the northern city of Afula, in which Israeli officers shot and arrested Asraa Zidan Tawfik Abed, an Arab Israeli woman from Nazareth who the police said had tried to stab a soldier at the city’s main bus station.
NOS used only 13 seconds of the 52-second cellphone video, dispensing with footage that showed Abed holding the knife aloft and making stabbing motions while officers shouted at her to drop the weapon. The full video also showed Abed alive despite being shot.
Marcel Gelauff, the chief editor at NOS News, defended his network’s coverage of the incident, telling JTA that it was not aiming to provide “a clear and detailed picture” of what transpired, but rather “an impression of a few events.” Gelauff added that NOS regularly receives complaints of perceived bias from both sides and noted that the title of the segment, “Violence in Israel is expanding,” demonstrates that “we are dealing with growing violence from both sides.”

VOA: Palestinian Wounded by Gas Cylinder (That She Exploded)

A Voice of America article Sunday casts the Palestinian woman who blew up a gas canister in her car that day, injuring a police officer, as a blameless victim as opposed to the perpetrator responsible for the explosion ("Israeli Airstrike Kills Pregnant Woman and Toddler in Gaza"). The Oct. 11 article distorts:
And a Palestinian woman was seriously wounded when a gas cylinder blew up in her car at a checkpoint outside a West Bank Jewish settlement.
Here's what actually happened, via Haaretz:
In the Sunday morning attack, a Palestinian drove up to the Al-Zayim checkpoint near the West Bank settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim and blew up a gas canister in her car after a policeman ordered her to pull over. The policeman, 45, was lightly wounded, while the terrorist was hospitalized in very serious condition.

North American Aliyah Flight to Arrive Despite Terror Wave

Despite the current wave of terror attacks against Israelis in recent days, 65 new immigrants (or Olim) from the United States and Canada moved to Israel Tuesday morning.
They left via El Al Israel airlines, on a Nefesh B’Nefesh group Aliyah flight which was facilitated in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel (KKL), and JNF-USA.
The passengers, who range in age from 10 months to 83 years old, moved to Israel from 13 states and provinces across North America, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Maine, Maryland, Ohio and Quebec.
Among the passengers are five young men and women who are volunteering to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as Lone Soldiers – those who immigrate to Israel without any immediate family and join the IDF. Twenty of the passengers will be moving to the south of Israel as part of NBN and Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel’s Go North and Go South programs that settle immigrants in Israel’s developing periphery.

Report: Iran Terror Chief Soleimani Arrives in Syria with Thousands of Iranian Troops

General Qasem Soleimani, who heads Iran’s Quds Force—the Iranian special forces unit designated with spreading the Tehran regime’s caliphatist revolution worldwide—has now arrived in Syria along with thousands of Iranian troops, according to reports.
Social media lit up on Tuesday with photos of Soleimani—the terror mastermind who is sanctioned by both the United Nations and the United States—speaking to a group of what appears to be soldiers in Hezbollah and Syrian Army fatigues.

Iran shows off underground base with long-range missiles

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened the doors of a secret underground missile base to state TV Wednesday, showing off medium- and long-range missiles.
The station aired footage of long tunnels with ready-to-fire missiles on the back of trucks. The broadcast said the facility is one of hundreds of underground missile bases around the country. It didn’t disclose the location but said it was 500 meters (1,600 feet) underground.
Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Guard’s aerospace branch, boasted that the facility is the “tip of the iceberg” of the Guard’s military might.
The broadcast appeared aimed at showing that the Guard will continue its missile program despite UN Security Council resolutions and despite Iran’s nuclear deal with the West. Days earlier, Iran said it successfully test-fired a new long-range surface-to-surface missile.

White House: Iran Missile Test Violated UN Resolution

The United States admitted on Tuesday that a recent Iranian missile test was a violation of a UN resolution, but said that would not affect the implementation of the nuclear deal signed with world powers.
Speaking to reporters and quoted by The Associated Press (AP), White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there are "strong indications" that Iran violated UN Security Council resolutions related to ballistic missiles when it test fired a new missile over the weekend.
When it comes to Iran's ballistic missile program, he said, "unfortunately, that's not new."
"We have seen Iran almost serially violate the international community's concerns about their ballistic missile program," Earnest said, according to AP.

PreOccupiedTerritory: Volkswagen To Monitor Iranian Nuclear Compliance (satire)

Iranian officials welcomed the decision, saying that Volkswagen had a proven track record of minimizing tensions with those immediately affected by its software and the equipment it manages. “Volkswagen is a fine company with exactly the credentials that Iran seeks in a compliance monitoring entity,” said Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. “Volkswagen’s origins in 1930’s Germany are an appropriate metaphor for the current process.”
Some logistical hurdles remain if Volkswagen is to finalize its participation, such as the availability of company vehicles allowed on the road, given the number of such units that require replacement of the current engine management software. Lye assured reporters there would be no problem overcoming that obstacle, one way or another.
American officials greeted the announcement with more circumspection, but offered a cautious welcome. “It is important to have a competent organization responsible for the essential monitoring tasks,” said Secretary of State John Kerry. “While we await the results of the process, we wish to offer our hope that in this mission Volkswagen lives up to the reputation and ideals of its founder, Mr. Adolph Hitler.”

Report: Gulf states want Iron Dome anti-rocket system

A number of Gulf states are in negotiations to buy the Israeli Iron Dome anti-rocket system, Sky News reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the purpose of acquiring the Iron Dome will be to defend against "a growing arsenal of Iranian missiles."
Instead of buying the Iron Dome directly from Israel, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) would buy it from Raytheon and other American defense firms that were involved in the development of the Iron Dome.
The report said a deal for the whole GCC would be worth "tens, perhaps hundreds, of billions of dollars" and potentially also include the David's Sling, Arrow 1 and Arrow 2 missile defense systems. (h/t Jewess)

Shame on SJP for inviting murderer to SDSU

StandWithUs condemns Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) for hosting Rasmeah Odeh as a keynote speaker during its national conference at San Diego State University (SDSU) on October 11, 2015. Odeh received a life sentence for involvement in the murder of two Israeli civilians, but was released by Israel along with 76 others in exchange for an Israeli soldier who was being held captive in Lebanon. She was also convicted of immigration fraud in the United States and is facing deportation for concealing her criminal history when she came to this country.
Odeh was a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. In 1969 she was directly involved in the bombing of a supermarket in Jerusalem. 150 people, mostly women and children, were shopping there at the time and two – Leon Kaner (age 21) and Edward Jaffe (age 22) – were killed. According to a news report on the incident the victims were, “friends, room-mates and students together at Hebrew University. They had been buying canned food for a botanical field trip when they were blown to bits”.
Odeh’s supporters falsely claim that she was wrongfully imprisoned by Israel. In fact, her relative stated in an interview that, “Rasmeah Odeh was more involved than I was [in the grocery store bombing] … I only got involved during the preparation of explosives.”
SJP has the right to free speech but they should be widely condemned for bringing violent racists to campus as role models for their members. SDSU’s facilities should be used to further academic discourse about complex issues, not to glorify and give a platform to someone who murdered innocent Israeli civilians in cold blood.

Scottish Party Passes Motion for Boycott of Israel, Removal of Hamas From List of Terror Groups

Scotland’s Green Party passed a motion on Saturday calling for the boycott of Israel and the removal of Hamas from a European Union list of terrorist organizations.
The motion backs the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli businesses, academics and cultural institutions. In the policy statement, Zionism is referred to as a “racist ideology” advocating that “Jewish people have a superior right to the land of Palestine;” Israel is accused of “colonization and ethnic cleansing;” and the West Bank security barrier “constitutes a policy of apartheid.”
The motion claims that the founding of Israel was achieved “by military conquest” and “the ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians.” The left-wing party also confirmed it does not support Israel in its current form.
“Israel’s claim to be a Jewish and democratic state, the home of all Jews in which non-Jews have inferior rights, constitutes apartheid and is unacceptable,” the motion states.

Ohio Becomes Latest State to Introduce Anti-BDS Bill

Ohio is looking to join Illinois and South Carolina—states that have already cemented anti-BDS legislation, in May and June respectively—by passing a law that will prevent the state from conducting business with organizations or individuals who participate in boycotting Israel. This intention was announced last Thursday by Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, following a speech by Israeli MK Hilik Bar, reported The Jerusalem Post.
Bar’s address, which reportedly touched on a number of issues in the Middle East, including the Iran nuclear deal, was reportedly a first in the Ohio Senate building. His trip was reportedly funded by the Israel Leadership Institute. Bar was later presented with a key to the State of Ohio.
New York and Indiana, as of this publishing, have anti-BDS resolutions in place that have yet to become laws.

Israel Law Center Files ‘Charge’ Against Major US Labor Union Over BDS Resolution

The Tel Aviv-based legal group Shurat HaDin – The Israel Law Center filed a complaint with the United States National Labor Relations Board over a resolution adopted by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) encouraging members to “endorse” the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) against Israel.
The “charge,” signed by Shurat HaDin attorneys David Abrams of New York and Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of Tel Aviv, claims that the UE’s decision to adopt an Israel boycott goes against Board guidelines, which prohibit workers from taking part in boycotts at the workplace — also called “secondary boycotts.”
Shurat HaDin said it sought an injunction against the UE’s adoption of BDS measures, because it amounts to on-the-clock discrimination against Israelis and Israeli firms.
At its 74th convention in August, the UE adopted a resolution calling on the U.S. government to end military aid to Israel; to pressure Israel to end its presence in disputed West Bank territories; to end the military blockade of the Gaza Strip; and to allow the “right of return” for Palestinian refugees. The resolution also endorsed the BDS movement and encouraged the union “at all levels to become engaged in BDS,” which is apparently the crux of Shurat HaDin’s charge.

Will Washington’s Archdiocese Sanction Theological Anti-Judaism?

This week, Washington, D.C. will bear witness to an ideological fusion of Christian anti-Semitism (repudiated by the Vatican a half-century ago) and Palestinian nationalism when the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) holds its annual international conference. One could say many things about the conference, but based on the speakers, it will be anything but holy. Most unfortunate will be the presence at the conference of the Archdiocese of Washington though its Auxiliary Bishop, the Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout, a scheduled speaker. His appearance will be perceived as an official endorsement for HCEF and its agenda.
The “Palestinization” of Christian theology has gained a degree of popularity in some Christian circles. It is traceable to what its proponents call “Palestinian Liberation Theology,” created by Christian Palestinian nationalists for deployment in the political war against Jewish national sovereignty. We saw an example of this last week on Washington’s National Mall, when Rev. Jeremiah Wright continued the long and shameful history of de-Judaizing Jesus when he declared that “Jesus was a Palestinian.” The Church Fathers did it, as did German Protestant theologians who “Aryanized” Jesus during the Third Reich.
Judging by HCEF’s website, and the record of upcoming and past conference speakers, similar anti-Jewish themes will likely be present at this year’s convention.

The New York Times Prints a Non-Retraction Retraction

A diamond goes to the New York Times for its Editors’ Note today, which more or less retracted the controversial October 8 article, “Historical Certainty Proves Elusive at Jerusalem’s Holiest Place.”
The problem is the “more or less” part. The Times should have simply retracted a deeply flawed, sloppily researched and poorly written article, but did not. Still, on balance we have to commend the Times for correcting its error, even if one has to read between the lines, and consult non-Times sources, to understand just how seriously it blundered, and why the article should never have appeared in the Times in the first place.
The entire point of the article and its headline were indisputably wrong. Historic certainty is not elusive at Jerusalem’s holiest place. The entire point of the article as originally written, and published in the print edition on Oct. 9, was incorrect, and acknowledged as such by the newspaper.

Blogger campaigns to make Israel's voice heard in NY Times

As the wave of terror in Israel continues to make international headlines, social media has been flooded with angry posts by Jewish and Israeli people from around the world complaining about the foreign outlets’ coverage of events. For some it is too minimal, for others, it it too biased against Israel.
Elad Nehorai, who runs the Jewish blog Pop Chassid out of Brooklyn in New York, has felt very frustrated following the US media.
“Every year it’s the same thing: Israel gets this violence, Israel responds and only then it’s front page news and people think Israel is the aggressor,” he told The Jerusalem Post.
“It’s become really like a meme on Facebook among people who are pro-Israel,” he added, “They talk about how the media is not reporting, or reporting badly and when I read this I sense hopelessness from them, like there is nothing we can do. That’s a very crippling feeling.”
Nehorai felt something needed to be done, so he turned to the place he is most familiar with: the Internet.
Last week, he started a crowdfunding page on gofundme.com in order to raise enough money to buy a full page ad in the New York Times. The goal is to use it to publish a “comprehensive list of all the attacks against the Jewish people of Israel” and expose the paper’s readers to “the other side of the story.”

BBC says sorry over West Bank arson attack report

The BBC has apologised for a radio report which inaccurately claimed that Israeli authorities only detained Palestinian terror suspects without trial.
The Radio 4 news report came after an arson attack on a Palestinian family in the West Bank town of Duma in July, which resulted in the death of a mother and father and their 18-month-old son. At the time, Jewish extremists were detained on suspicion of committing the atrocity.
However, the BBC claimed that: “The process, known as administrative detention, has previously been used only against Palestinian militant suspects.”
The report sparked a complaint from Noru Tsalic, an Israeli blogger who heard the broadcast. He described it as “bias and inaccuracy in reporting”.
He said: “In presenting the inaccurate statement as fact, the BBC fed into propaganda claiming that Israel discriminates by law between Jews and other ethnicities or religions.”

Swastikas, Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found at UC Davis Apartment Complex

Police are searching for individuals who carved anti-religious hate messages and large swastika on cars in a parking lot outside an apartment complex on the University of California Davis campus last Saturday. CBS interviewed Matthew Davidson, who snapped a picture of a large swastika keyed into the hood of 11 cars, along with the message “[Expletive] Jews.”
“It’s just shocking for me as a Jew to see such hatefulness right outside my doorstep,” Davidson said. His roommate’s tire was slashed, which she only discovered after getting onto the freeway. “It jeopardized her life,” he told CBS. “She was on the freeway and her car in danger, and everyone in the car in danger.”
“I am deeply troubled and disappointed that the campus community has experienced another incident that included damaged property and, even more grievously, offensive and disparaging slurs,” Chancellor Linda Katehi said in a statement. “This is conduct most unbecoming and completely against our principles of community.”

London: Anti-Semitism Wave Ends in Window Smashing

A serious case of anti-Semitic violence occurred on Tuesday in London's Stamford Hill, which is home to a large Jewish population, amid a day of verbal assaults targeting Jews in the British metropolis.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism reported that the first incident of the day occurred when "young Asian men," a term often used for Muslims, shouted anti-Semitic abuse at a school bus driver even as young children were on board.
Not long afterwards, a black man shouted "we need to kill all the Jews" at a Jew as he left a synagogue in Stamford Hill. The assailant followed the man, and then smashed in the driver's side window of his car.
The anti-Semitism continued, as another person, possibly the same man who smashed the car window, verbally abused and threatened two women on the same street. The report noted that the man "may also be linked to additional incidents in the area."
On Tuesday evening, a man identified as an Eastern European shouted "you f***ing Jewish c***s” at Jews in the neighborhood.
Volunteers from the Shomrim neighborhood watch organization followed him, until police arrived and arrested him for the verbal abuse.

Portugal begins granting citizenship to Sephardic Jews

Portugal has started granting citizenship rights to the descendants of Jews it persecuted five centuries ago.
The Justice Ministry said Tuesday that on Oct. 2 it approved the first three of more than 200 applications it has received so far. The other applications are still being processed following a law that began in March.
Seeking to make amends for past wrongdoing, both Portugal and Spain adopted laws this year allowing citizenship for descendants of Sephardic Jews — the term commonly used for those who once lived in the Iberian peninsula — persecuted during the Inquisition.
Alfonso Paredes Henriquez, a Panama-based real estate developer, said he and his brother were among Portugal’s successful applicants. They are entitled to a passport and the right to work and live in the 28-nation European Union.

SanDisk to Open R & D Center in Israeli Arab City

The giant SanDisk flash-storage company has announced it will build a new research and development center in a northern Arab city, where dozens of Arabs will work.
The announcement comes at an opportune time. While Israeli Arab misfits riot and try to kill Jews, the majority are interested in a better social and financial life.
The new center will be located in Yafia, near the Lower Galilee city of Nazareth whose mayor earlier this week said he was fed up with loud-mouth Arab Knesset Members whose incendiary speeches incite others to terror.
He said they are ruining the city by scaring away thousands of Israeli Jewish shoppers.
SanDisk already employs approximately 650 people in Israel at its facilities in Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, Omer, located north of Be’er Sheva, and Tefen in the northern Galilee.

An Israeli astronaut by 2020? New deal with NASA makes it feasible

The dream of an Israeli in space is still alive, according to Menachem Kidron, director general of the Israel Space Agency.
“The loss of Ilan Ramon was of course a terrible tragedy that we still have not gotten over,” Kidron told The Times of Israel. “But hope remains eternal, and we believe it will happen sooner rather than later – hopefully by the end of the decade.”
That Israeli astronaut would most likely be on an American space vessel, thanks to a revamped agreement Kidron signed on behalf of the ISA Tuesday with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. The agreement was signed during the 66th Annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC), with hundreds of professionals in the space industry gathering in Jerusalem to discuss the latest in space exploration and technology.
“We have had an agreement with NASA since 1996, and we decided that now was the time to expand our cooperation with the US on space matters,” said Kidron. “The new agreement is very wide-ranging, and includes many possibilities for cooperation, from research to mechanics to deep-space exploration.”

Despite Terror Attacks, Matisyahu Performs in Jerusalem

It hasn’t been an easy month for Jerusalem residents, as a wave of Palestinian stabbing attacks has continued to terrorize the capital. Against the backdrop of this escalating violence, Israelis have been signing up in hoards for self-defense courses and purchasing pepper spray — and short videos depicting self-defense moves and protective measures against stabbers have filled social network sites.
But this tense atmosphere did not stop thousands of Israelis from attending the much anticipated Matisyahu performance on Saturday night at Jerusalem’s Sultan Pool, right outside the Old City.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat came onstage to thank Jerusalem police and security forces for all their efforts. He told the thousands of fans that they were fighting the war against terror just by showing up to the concert and maintaining their routine.
Matisyahu, 36, who was born Matthew Miller, offered words of support to concert goers, saying; “it [is] good to be back in Yerushalyim,” and “Jerusalem stay strong.” He performed songs from his new album, “Akeda,” as well as old favorites, like “Jerusalem” and “One Day.”