Shurat Hadin: International Criminal Court is useless
Shurat Hadin president Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, who is active in defending Israel from international charges of war crimes and has taken the initiative in successfully suing Arab sponsors of terror that affected US citizens,, responded to the Palestinian complaint to the Hague International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the Gaza blockade.Thanksgiving: Butterball Turkey Shareholder Investigated for Ties to Hezbollah
The ICC accepted the Palestinian Authority, calling it "Palestine" although its members are supposed to be independent countries. Israel and six other countries never ratified the founding treaty of the court, but Israel responded that if the so-called country of "Palestine" could sue Israel now that it is an ICC member, Israel could sue the PA for human rights violations as well.
Darshan-Leitner said that "It's outrageous and cynical that the Palestinians have filed complaints against Israel in the international criminal court. The Palestinians fired thousands of deadly rockets into Israeli civilian neighborhoods trying to murder innocent Jews, and now they run to the Hague pretending that they are victims of war crimes.
"This proves how dangerous and useless the International criminal court really is.
"Recently Russia and several African countries announced that they are withdrawing their ICC membership because they saw how ineffective the court really is. The court is another failed European initiative and should be dismantled.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating a Kansas-based international food company that owns a 50 percent stake in Butterball, one of the largest turkey producers in the United States, for alleged ties to Shiite Iran’s narco-terrorist proxy Hezbollah, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has learned.
In central Africa, a subsidiary of the U.S. company Seaboard Corporation has reportedly done millions of dollars of business with a company linked to the Tajideen family from Lebanon, which has been accused of providing substantial financial support to the Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah.
WSJ explains:
The Justice Department, as part of a broad criminal probe, is investigating whether Kansas-based Seaboard Corp. tried to mask wheat-flour sales to firms linked to a Lebanese businessman and his family in the years after he and two brothers were put on the government’s terror blacklist in 2009 and 2010.
The brothers have allegedly given tens of millions of dollars to Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group backed by Iran, U.S. officials said. Penalties for companies working with anyone on the list range from fines to prison under laws intended to starve terror groups of cash to carry out attacks.
The Lebanese businessman has been identified as 61-year-old Kassim Tajideen. He has been added to the U.S. terror list since the spring of 2009. At the time, Kassim and his brothers operated “cover companies” for Hezbollah in Africa and provided the terrorist group with financial support.
Why Are Palestinian Refugees Different From All Others?
The answer lies in the 1979 Resolution itself. The Resolution states that “measures to resettle Palestinian refugees away from their homes and property from which they were displaced constitute a violation of their inalienable right of return.”
The “right of return” is the Palestinians’ claim that they have the right to return to their pre-1948 abodes. It is a highly debatable “right” — not least because it is based on a UN resolution that the Arabs rejected. And why did everyone criticize Israel 40 years ago? Because if the Palestinian refugees would settle in comfortable living quarters, then they may not want to return to their original villages. In the eyes of the “supporters” of the Palestinians at the UN, the Palestinians have the right of return to their original homes, but are forbidden to move anywhere else.
This absurd resolution cuts to the heart of how Palestinian refugees are different from all other refugees in the world. In the case of the latter, the focus of international organizations is humanitarian and social; the statute of the UNHCR, the UN body that deals with all refugees, explicitly states that its goals are not political. But with the Palestinians, the social and humanitarian needs of refugees and their children are of secondary importance, with the political goals being more important. If helping improve Palestinians’ lives harms the claim of a “right of return” and weakens the Palestinians’ claims against Israel — then the political goals win, and Palestinians must stay in camps for decades.
It is their goal for there to be more and more Palestinian refugees each year. For other refugees, wealthy Arab countries can offer generous amounts of money to alleviate the situation. And because the Palestinians’ refugee status has become politicized, there is no incentive for countries to do the very simple task of building permanent homes for them.
To this day, Western media will report on the squalid conditions of the Palestinian refugee camps — and indeed the conditions that many Palestinians experience in these camps are terrible. But November 23 is the time to remember why their situation has not improved. Arab leaders have always treated Palestinian refugees as a political, rather than a humanitarian issue, and have placed political attacks against Israel above the welfare of the Palestinian people.
David Collier: The intolerant, angry and aggressive Rabbi for Human rights
Have you heard the one about the Jewish Rabbi ‘for Human Rights’ aggressively pushing another Jew in a church?The ADL’s Praise of Keith Ellison Betrays Its Mission to Combat Antisemitism
It may sound like the opening line from a stand-up routine, but this is what happened as a speaker from the organisation came to join the modern church choir singing the age-old hymn, ‘oh Lord, let us all demonise Israel’.
This was at St James Church in Piccadilly. The same Church that in late 2013 decided to erect an ‘Apartheid Wall’ to send a message about Bethlehem. The vicar of this church is Lucy Winkett. Someone who has obviously acquired the label ‘friend’, recognised by all those who don’t like the Jewish state of Israel.
I hadn’t expected to be there. Just up the road Daniel Schueftan was talking at Kings College and there had been trouble expected. With security worthy of El-Al I decided that Kings had indeed created a fortress for the Jews to safely hide behind. I left campus and headed off to the church.
I was accompanied by Jonathan Hoffman. We were late, and missed much of the talk being given by Rabbi Idit Lev from ‘Rabbis for Human Rights’. There were only perhaps 20 who had come to listen. As we arrived someone was making a comment that indicated the talk had been as biased as was expected. “I had to say something because you are giving people the wrong impression about Israel”. These were the first words I heard directed towards the speaker.
We sat, we listened we asked questions too. Mine was the last. I spoke only to correct some of the bile that I had heard come from the Idit Lev’s mouth. I had missed much of the talk, but it doesn’t take long before you recognise the usual poison.
The moment the UK representative of Rabbis for Human Rights suggested their movement be considered non-political was a particular highlight. There were several distortions in quick succession. The general picture was that Israel is a nasty, brutal place.
Despite the volumes of evidence about Congressman Keith Ellison’s longstanding record of Israel-bashing and antisemitism, the Anti-Defamation League praised this leading contender for chair of the Democratic National Committee.Anti-Israel Boycott Prevents Peace, Assaults Jewish Identity
Appallingly, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt took to Twitter to characterize Ellison as an “important ally in the fight against antisemitism” and “on record in support of Israel.”
Last week, ZOA published a release, urging that Ellison not be appointed to head the DNC. Ellison’s dangerous positions, involvements and anti-Israel congressional initiatives have included the following:
This past summer, Ellison (aka Keith X. Ellison, aka Keith Hakim, aka Keith Ellison Muhammed) worked to insert anti-Israel positions and language into the 2016 Democratic national platform, and to keep pro-Israel planks out. Ellison complained in a DemocracyNow! interview that the Israeli “occupation” was to blame for a “humanitarian crisis” and lack of sewage processing in Gaza – while ignoring that Israel withdrew from every inch of Gaza, and that Hamas diverts the electricity needed to operate Gaza’s sewage treatment plant to energize their terror tunnels and operations.
On Oct. 25, Dr. Mohammed Dajani spoke to LIME, an Israeli-Palestinian student dialogue group that I mentor at Syracuse University. Dajani garnered international attention in 2014 when he was vilified for taking a group of Palestinian students to the Auschwitz death camp in Poland.Israel boycott activist is running as a candidate for the UJS presidency
After an assassination attempt, Dajani was forced to resign his Al Quds University position. Now he speaks to university audiences about his family history, the radicalization of Palestinian society, and his transformation from an Israel-hater into an admirer of Israel's pluralistic democracy. Dajani also voiced his opposition to the BDS campaign.
BDS is often presented as a nonviolent social justice movement. But contrary to the popular account, BDS wasn't initiated in 2005 by West Bank civil society groups. The platform was developed a few years earlier in Iran, then it was rolled out at the 2001 UN-sponsored Durban conference - an anti-Semitic hate-fest so despicable that the U.S. delegation walked out.
In my experience, many who gravitate to BDS are caring people who harbor no ill-will toward Jews. But there can be no denying that BDS has mainstreamed anti-Semitism.
Recent reports show that on university campuses, BDS is strongly correlated with a rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric and harassment. At colleges where there are active boycott campaigns, Jewish students report hiding their Jewish-Zionist identities to avoid being ostracized from progressive groups.
One of the three candidates nominated for the position of president of the Union of Jewish Students is an anti-Zionist with a history of pro-boycott activism, it has emerged.PreOccupiedTerritory: BDS Fumes At Padan-Aram Clans For Not Shunning Abraham’s Servant (satire)
Eran Cohen, who grew up in Israel, was the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions officer for the University of York’s Palestinian Solidarity Society, and has openly called for a boycott of Israel, as well as promoting “Palestinian Apartheid Week” at the university.
In February of this year he co-produced and acted in the society’s production of Seven Jewish Children, a play which has been described as antisemitic in its depiction of Israel.
In one discussion on his Facebook page, responding to the comment: “according to the European working definition of antisemitism, questioning the legality of the existence of Israel is antisemitic”, Mr Cohen wrote: “I’m aware of that definition, and I disagree with that clause.”
In October last year, as Jews in Israel were being targeted by stabbing attacks on a daily basis, Mr Cohen shared and translated a statement on Facebook which said: “To those worried that a new intifada is beginning now in Israel, let me explain why you should not be worried. None of the violent events in recent days occurred in Israel and none of the victims was a resident of Israel."
Activists and organizations pushing for a boycott of Jewish interests in the Holy Land voiced outrage today at the tribal elders and families of the Padan-Aram region of the Middle East after the clans happily provided a wife for the son of a prominent Hebrew settler leader.Hikind Blasts New York Times For Excluding Israel on Map of Middle East
BDS groups across Europe and North America criticized the family of Bethuel, son of Nahor, for sending their daughter Rebecca with the servant of Abraham the Hebrew to become a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac. Instead of cementing such an alliance of families, claim the groups, the Syrian clans should refuse to have anything to do with Abraham and his family until the latter stops his oppressive policies against the indigenous Canaanites and Philistines.
“It is irresponsible at best, and malicious at worst, to normalize relations with these monsters,” proclaimed Ali Abunimah, a prominent North American activist. “The correct course of action would have been to leave Abraham’s messenger and his camels alone at the wellspring, and not to welcome him as someone worth addressing. The decision to offer generous hospitality to the representative of a uniquely evil, oppressive regime, and then to compound the offense by agreeing to give him their daughter in marriage, is a slap in the face to all who stand on the side of justice.”
Students for Justice in Palestine also held a protest rally at the University of California at Davis and at UC Berkeley to denounce the move. “Don’t give them your daughter’s hand – Abraham is on our land!” they chanted.
Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) blasted The New York Times today following an article published on pg. 7 in Sunday’s edition on the Iranian-Saudi conflict, how it tore apart the Middle East and the power struggle between many of its countries. The article entitled, “How the Iranian-Saudi Proxy Conflict Tore The Mideast Apart,” included a map of the Middle East that left out one country: Israel.
“I’m so disappointed and perplexed with The New York Times for leaving out the state of Israel on its map of the Middle East,” Assemblyman Hikind told Matzav.com. “Did they forget that Israel is part of the Middle East or was it left out intentionally? I find it absolutely appalling that The New York Times would follow the lead of many newspapers throughout the Middle East that don’t accept the existence of Israel, and therefore Israel is not on the map.”
Hikind continued: “How can one of the most decorated publications in the world fail to even acknowledge Israel’s existence on a map? How dare you call yourselves the newspaper of record!”
Assemblyman Hikind demanded that The New York Times publicly acknowledge this error and apologize for it.
Geographical inaccuracy in BBC’s ‘Planet Earth II’
The BBC is of course deservedly renowned worldwide for its consistently high quality nature programmes and the new series ‘Planet Earth II’ currently being shown on BBC One has been highly acclaimed.planet-earth-mountainsFew Nazi-crimes suspects lost pensions, review reveals
The episode titled ‘Mountains’ included footage showing baby Nubian Ibex in the Ramon Crater in southern Israel which seemed to capture the imagination of many viewers in the UK.
However, in some of the programme’s accompanying material promoted by the BBC, the location in which that footage was shot was inaccurately described as being in the ‘Arabian Peninsula’.
That geographical inaccuracy then received further promotion – for example in the Sun:
“When a red fox started to hunt baby Nubian Ibexes on the edge of a mountain in the Arabian Peninsula, viewers of Planet Earth Two knew which team they were cheering.”
The Arabian Peninsula of course comprises the states of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates – but not Israel.
Tens of thousands of Nazi war crimes suspects may have been able to continue receiving disability pensions despite a law passed nearly two decades ago ordering them revoked, according to an official review quietly published Tuesday that revealed that only 99 people lost their payments.Dismissed Sheikh still in charge of mosque: Cause For Concern.
The review, commissioned by the Labor Ministry and posted on their website, concludes that several factors led to the poor success rate, including the sheer scale of the task reviewing tens of thousands of cases, the lack of digitalization of key files, legal challenges and, in some cases, apathy in implementing the law.
When the law was passed in 1998, the expectation was that it would result in up to 50,000 people losing their pensions, according to the report.
But the review found that only 99 people suspected of "crimes against the principles of humanity" ever lost their pensions. The research covered the years 1998-2013 but no more have been removed to date.
"The results are incredibly disappointing," said Efraim Zuroff, the top Nazi hunter at the Simon Wiesenthal Center. "I never thought in my worst nightmares that the number would be so low." (h/t Think of England)
Sheikh Dr Mohammad Anwar Sahib has been widely condemned for his antisemitic and misogynistic comments. He has now been permanently stood down from his role as secretary of the Federation of Islamic Associations of NZ’s religious advisory board and is under investigation by the Human Rights Commission.Bahraini Writer: Official U.S. Report On 9/11 Is Fraudulent, Manipulative, Reflects Habit Of Covering Up Evil American Plots
However, a number of questions remain. Why was this preacher able to spread his hate speech for so long? Why did it take so long for FIANZ to confirm his role and take decisive action? Why is Sahib still in charge of the At-Taqwa Mosque? Is there cause for ongoing concern?
When the offending video reached the media, the following leaders and groups in New Zealand spoke out:
Notably absent were statements of condemnation of Sahib’s antisemitic and misogynistic comments from the Labour Party and the Greens.
- Dame Susan Devoy, NZ Race Relations Commissioner
- Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, National Party; Minister for Ethnic Communities
- David Seymour, ACT Party Leader
- Winston Peters, NZ First Party Leader
- The New Zealand Jewish Council
- Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand
- Ahmadiyya Muslim Community NZ
- International Muslim Association of New Zealand
- Wellington Abrahamic Council
In an article in the London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, physician and writer Dr. 'Ali Muhammad Fakhro, formerly Bahrain's minister of education and culture, wrote that the official report issued by the U.S. on 9/11 was fraudulent and manipulative. Fakhro, who is a board member of the Arab Organization for Combating Corruption and a founding member of the Arab National Congress, accused the American media and civil society organizations of deliberately disregarding strong evidence of American involvement in the 9/11 attacks, adding that covering up U.S. crimes was a regular American habit. He mentioned a long list of affairs in which he claimed the American authorities were complicit and had been covered up, including the Kennedy assassination, ties with the Nazi regime, the lies about Saddam Hussein's WMDs, and the establishment of Al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist organizations.‘Jews Out’ Inked in German Among Hate-Filled Messages in Postcard Sent to Visiting Harvard Professor
The following are excerpts from his article.
"Every year on September 11, America goes into mourning and the American nation commemorates its innocent civilians who fell victim to insane barbaric violence. On these anniversaries, the American media discuss the terror attack of 15 years ago, and always blame the same elements whom they hold responsible for planning and carrying out [the attack]. So far everything seems normal.
A visiting scholar at Harvard Law School received a postcard bearing antisemitic threats this week, The Boston Globe reported.French presidential candidate's comments on Jews 'misunderstood'
The communique, which arrived from Britain, included the slur “Juden raus” (“Jews out” in German), among other offensive messages.
According to the report, University of Texas at Austin professor of law and government Sanford Levinson was startled not only by the number and tone of the anti-Jewish expletives in the card, but by the fact that their author addressed Levinson by his nickname, Sandy, suggesting familiarity.
“It certainly is as hostile as it could be. But I don’t know what to make of it…it’s a bit odd that it was mailed to me here at Harvard,” Levinson said, referring to the epistle, which included the threat, “We’re gonna drain the swamp at Harvard Law.”
As the phrase “drain the swamp” has been popularized recently by US president-elect Donald Trump to describe his planned efforts to combat corruption in Washington, Levinson remarked, “I see it as a very regrettable data point about the extent to which Donald Trump — intentionally or not — has liberated a kind of discourse we haven’t seen in a long, long time.”
A spokesperson for Francois Fillon, a leading contender in the upcoming French presidential election, sought to soften the candidate’s claim that Jews in the past did not respect French law.IsraellyCool: Kansas Has A Park Dedicated To Israel
Jérôme Chartier said Wednesday that criticism of Fillon was “a misunderstanding” of the candidate’s attempt to note all religions have extremists.
“Francois Fillon is very clear on the fact that there may occur in all religious groups sectarian streams,” Chartier said. “They exist, everybody knows it. But at the same time he has always appreciated the integration of Jews in France.”
Chartier added, “The Jews of France are French like the Christians of France are French and the Muslims of France are French, except for those who partake in Islamic sectarianism, in Islamic totalitarianism, which needs to be fought against.
Chartier’s statement came after Fillon said earlier Wednesday that France must combat Muslim sectarianism like “we fought against a form of Catholic sectarianism or like we fought the desire of Jews to live in a community that does not respect the laws of the French Republic.”
Haim Korsia, the chief rabbi of France, called on Fillon to set the record straight, the rabbi’s office said in a statement.
I had not heard about this until now, when I saw a user on Reddit post the following.
More on the park here.
And more photos here, including this of Avanim Vetseiadim (‘steps and stones’), the structure created by Israeli artist Ilan Averbuch as a focal point for the park.
Baseball Star Albert Pujols Praises Israeli Center for Special-Needs Children
Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols and his wife Deidre were in Jerusalem this week to visit the new Shalva National Children’s Center — the largest center of its kind in the world.3 Israeli companies that could revolutionize the car
Shalva-Israel Association for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities is renowned for providing state-of-the-art care and community outreach services to thousands of families with special-needs children in Israel. The Pujols were given a tour of Shalva’s brand new $55 million dollar facility.
The Pujols’ oldest child, Isabella, has Down syndrome. Since 2005, the Pujols Family Foundation has provided a wide array of activities to special needs children in five different cities across the U.S.
“I feel blessed that through my own life experience with my daughter, she has taught me to give back to people with disabilities so that they can develop their full potential in life and give back to society,” said Albert Pujols, a 10-time All-Star and three-time National League Most Valuable Player. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit Shalva and to see what is done in Israel to assist youngsters with disabilities and was impressed with their unique facilities, which don’t exist anywhere else.”
AquariusThis startup is trying to reinvent the piston engine
If Mobileye is innovating the driver and Softwheel is reinventing the wheel, Aquarius is revolutionizing the engine.
After the initial cold shoulder from investors, inventor Shauli Yaakoby built Aquarius' first engine in his workshop.
The company says that testing shows its product is two to three times more fuel efficient than the average car engine.
"This is probably the most efficient engine the world has ever seen," boasts Yaakoby. (h/t vwVwwVwv)
‘Our future is set to be one of cooperation’
ISRAELI President Reven Rivlin left India on Monday, after a landmark visit during which he spoke to The Tribune about the new destination for Indian students and the 32 Indo-Israel joint centres in farm research that seem to be on the verge of breakthroughs. Israel has emerged as India's biggest supplier for defence equipment, after Russia. There are many under-the-radar projects on security and surveillance. In keeping with Israel's policy of withholding comment on such issues, Rivlin also kept his counsel. Excerpts from the interview:ZAKA trains 45 Mexican volunteers in search and rescue
You have come when India and Israel are celebrating 25 years of diplomatic ties. How do you assess the time gone by and the future?
I am here to celebrate the last 25 years since we established full diplomatic relations. I am being accompanied by a delegation of leading business, trade, and academic figures to speak about how Israelis and Indians can continue to work together for the next 25 years and beyond. Our future is set to be one of cooperation: Israeli technologies being scaled up by the might of India's market and production capabilities.
We know, of course, that Israel and India have even longer connections stretching back 1000 years and more. As President Mukherjee noted when he visited last year, Israel and India are two modern nations with ancient civilisations. I have brought an example of letters written by Jewish traders 1,000 years ago, which speak of the wonderful produce on the ships coming to and from India. Around 1,000 years before that, as the Jewish fighters made their final stand against the Roman Empire at the fIght of Masada, their commander Elazar Ben Yair spoke of the inspiration they took from the firm belief in liberty of Indian people. We have more common experiences in the more recent past too. We both gained our independence from British rule nearly 70 years ago. Of course, we both live in turbulent regions with the ever-present need to protect our peoples. We are proud of our histories — and filled with hope for our common futures.
Israel’s ZAKA International Rescue Unit recently held a course in Mexico City to train 45 volunteers in search and rescue.‘Friends of IDF’ Visits Israel to See Firsthand How the Army Is Affected by the Organization’s Support
This was the first time the training course had taken place, since the September 2016 recognition of the ZAKA light search and rescue training booklet and protocol by INSARAG, a global network of more than 80 countries and organizations under the UN umbrella dealing with urban search and rescue related issues, that sets stringent standards for training courses.
The recognition of the ZAKA light search and rescue course set a precedent – the first time that INSARAG recognized a volunteer organization that is not restricted to one member state.
The drill included a simulation of the immediate after-effects of a significant earthquake, with the teams working in different sites inside and outside collapsed buildings, extracting the injured and the victims from the rubble. They also took part in the simulation of an explosive terror attack, practicing the skills they had learned in life-saving medical assistance.
“The first 24 hours in any mass casualty incident are the most critical in terms of saving lives. This course provides the necessary tools, and subsequent simulation, to allow the local community to offer a professional, swift and life-saving response to any disaster in their region. And all this, before the arrival of international search and rescue teams,” said Jerusalem-based ZAKA International Rescue Unit Chief Officer Mati Goldstein, who led the week-long long training course.
More than 70 leaders and supporters of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) nonprofit recently traveled to Israel on a weeklong mission for a firsthand glimpse at the day-to-day impact their support has on the IDF.Israel: The safest place for Christians in the Middle East
The visit included trips to 11 new FIDF-sponsored well-being and educational facilities being constructed on the new IDF Training Campus in the Negev Desert as well as meeting with FIDF program beneficiaries, including lone soldiers—those without immediate family living in Israel—and those supported by FIDF scholarships.
The trip participants visited soldiers from the IDF’s Kfir Brigade near Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip, where a ceremony was held to officially “adopt a brigade”—a program that provides financial assistance to soldiers in need. FIDF officially adopted the brigade with a donation by Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson. The participants were also briefed on the current situation in the Middle East by former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. (Res.) Gabi Ashkenazi.
As Christian persecution sweeps across the Middle East, one country stands out as a beacon of hope where Christians are safe to live and are thriving – Israel.
With freedom to believe and full democratic rights, Israel provides Christians with a haven in a region that is becoming increasingly difficult for Christians to live freely.
Christians and other minorities in Israel prosper and grow, while in other countries in the Middle East, as well as in the Palestinian Authority, they suffer heavily from the Islamic movement and persecution – until forced to disappear.
Earlier this year The World Watch List, published by Open Doors, listed 50 countries worldwide where Christians experience the most persecution. Of the 50 countries listed, Iraq, Syria and Iran were placed in the top 10 with Iraq being second overall behind North Korea. A further eight places were listed in the top 50, all of which surround the only Jewish State.
Meanwhile, Christian persecution is on the rise in the Palestinian Territories, which is ranked as the 24th most difficult place to live as a Christian. Citing Islamic extremism as the main source of the persecution, Christians now make up less than 1% of the population and decreasing.
Israel supports and gives Christians and other minorities – Druse, Muslims, Baha’i, everyone – full civil rights, freedom and legal rights to exist peacefully and practice their faith as they wish.