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Monday, May 27, 2019

05/27 Links Pt2: NYTs: The Old Scourge of Anti-Semitism Rises Anew in Europe; History Channel Doctors Israeli Declaration of Independence; In 1929, Miss Palestine was Jewish and spoke Yiddish.

From Ian:
NYTs Editorial: The Old Scourge of Anti-Semitism Rises Anew in Europe
What is clear is that these strains of anti-Semitism — from the right, from the left and from radical Muslims — have morphed into a resurgence of a blight that should have been eradicated long ago, and that is causing serious anxiety among Europe’s Jews.

A CNN poll last November on the state of anti-Semitism in Europe found that a third of respondents said they knew little or nothing about the Holocaust. Nearly a quarter said Jews had too much influence in conflict and wars; more than a quarter said they believed that Jews had too much influence in business and finance. A 2015 survey by the Anti-Defamation League found that 51 percent of Germans believed it was “probably true” that “Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust.” These are the stereotypes that make anti-Semitism an especially pernicious form of bigotry, a grand conspiracy theory in which Jews spread evil in their countries through some illusory subterfuge, whether controlling capital, or the media, or whatever.

All this is not news to European Jews, who for some time have been feeling less and less safe and welcome in their home countries. After polling more than 16,000 Jews in 12 European countries at the end of last year, the European Union’s Agency for Fundamental Rights concluded that anti-Semitic hate speech, harassment and fear of being recognized as Jews were becoming the new normal. Eighty-five percent of the respondents thought anti-Semitism was the biggest social and political problem in their countries; almost a third said they avoided Jewish events or sites because of safety concerns. More than a third said they had considered emigrating in the five years preceding the survey.

As appalling as these statistics should be to every European, they should also ring a loud alarm for every American leader of conscience. Speak up, now, when you glimpse evidence of anti-Semitism, particularly within your own ranks, or risk enabling the spread of this deadly virus.




‘Friends of Zion’ grows to 60 million followers in antisemitism battle
The Friends of Zion and the Jerusalem Prayer Team reached 60 million members on their global social media network of Israel supporters this week. This large group of non-Jewish advocates for Israel joined the network out of an understanding that much of the modern conflict takes place not on battlefields, but online. This newfound support broadcasts that the State of Israel and the Jewish people truly have friends all around the world, even when the world struggles to show it, according to FOZ.

In this day and age, FOZ said, Israel’s adversaries have weaponized the Internet, especially social media, as tools in their attacks against the Jewish state. The Friends of Zion Museum said that it has planned a new approach to fighting these so-called “anti-Israel forces” and is putting together a counterforce to help defend the Jewish people and the State of Israel – including the new FOZ Educational Center, which includes a studio, the first Christian Zionist think tank, an online academy which educates Israel’s friends in how to defend the Jewish state online, and much more.

“The hatred of Jewish people now has a new face – and a new excuse! Now we hear people claim they don’t hate Jews, but they do hate Israel or Zionism,” said founder of the Jerusalem Prayer Team Dr. Mike Evans. “It is the same thing. Under the guise of ‘social justice,’ Zionism is being equated with white supremacy, colonialism and slavery. Our members are fighting against this evil and damaging falsehood that is getting Jewish people killed, both in Israel and around the world.”
Why Don't You Support Israel?
Israel is one of the most free and most prosperous countries in the world. Not only is Israel a booming economy and a wellspring of innovation, it is the only democracy in the Middle East. So why is it so controversial to support the Jewish state? Stephen Harper, the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada, lays out several fundamental truths about America’s most critical ally.




Honest Reporting: History Channel Doctors Israeli Declaration of Independence
The History Channel website includes a “This Day in History” section. The entry for May 14 features the story of the proclamation of the State of Israel from that date in 1948.

The text begins:
On May 14, 1948, in Tel Aviv, Jewish Agency Chairman David Ben-Gurion proclaims the State of Israel, establishing the first Jewish state in 2,000 years. In an afternoon ceremony at the Tel Aviv Art Museum, Ben-Gurion pronounced the words “We hereby proclaim the establishment of the Jewish state in Palestine, to be called Israel,” prompting applause and tears from the crowd gathered at the museum.

In fact, a look at any English translation of Israel’s Declaration of Independence has Ben-Gurion declaring the “establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel” (the Land of Israel), not “Palestine” as the History Channel would have you believe.

How is it possible for such an error to be made unless an editor is being guided by his or her personal politics? Has someone deliberately changed the Land of Israel to Palestine for the purposes of making a political statement?

Doctoring quotes and historical documents is something that should have no place on the History Channel. We’ve requested a correction.




'BDS has no place in Florida'
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and American Jewish businessman Sheldon Adelson and his wife Dr. Miriam Adelson were hosted at Ariel University Monday on the occasion of the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the University of Ariel and Florida State University.

Governor DeSantis received an honorary degree from the university in recognition of his efforts to strengthen the relationship between Florida State University and Ariel University.

Ariel University President Yehuda Danon spoke at the event. "Today is a special day for us. Today we are very grateful and honored to host a true friend of Ariel University and of the entire State of Israel. Our hosting of the governor today marks a new path for us. The signing of the memorandum of understanding with Florida State University is not only a symbolic event, but a milestone in establishing relations of friendship and closeness that will lead to the connection between two institutions for future cooperation and academic progress."

Dr. Miriam Adelson said that "Governor DeSantis is a true friend of the State of Israel. He supported the US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and he understands that we as Israelis have the right to right on our holy land. Here in Ariel, we are close to Shilo, the first capital of biblical Israel.:

"We are now in the heart of the Holy Land of Israel," said Governor DeSantis. "When you think about Israel's history and the tradition that connects Israel and the US, it's inspiring. On my last visit to Israel in 2014, the US embassy was in Tel Aviv and we were on the verge of signing a destructive agreement with Iran, and I am happy that today we have achieved real progress. We have an American embassy in Jerusalem with an American acceptance the sovereignty of the State of Israel on the Golan Heights and the agreement with Iran has been removed from the stage of history."

"I, personally, have fought Airbnb's discriminatory policy against Jewish-owned properties in Judea and Samaria, and only recently have they changed their discriminatory policy. I say here: BDS has no place in Florida The memorandum of understanding signed today between the University of Ariel and Florida State University is a blessed agreement that will bring these two institutions forward. I am happy to say that Florida is a very diverse state, but not when it comes to its unequivocal support for the State of Israel," DeSantis added.
Foundation Files Formal Complaint with NY State against Rockefeller Brothers Foundation BDS Ties
The Rieders Foundation is filing a formal complaint with the New York state division of Human Rights on Monday May 20, 2019 against the Rockefeller Brother’s Foundation (RBF) for its extensive and well-documented donations to groups with anti-Semitic and anti-Israel bias. Attached to the complaint is a 19 page report outlining the various individuals and organizations that the RBF supplies with grants. Stephen Heintz, president of the RBF, responded to these claims in an article that was published in Tablet magazine. Heintz reiterated that donations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were “aimed at ending the 50-year long occupation in order to bring justice, dignity, and security to all Israelis and Palestinians.”

Heintz failed to acknowledge that many of the recipients of RBF grants strongly support a 1 state solution, as well as the boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) movement. BDS is widely recognized as the least productive path to a peaceful solution, eliminating the possibility for two states to coexist side by side. Legislation in the United States has made BDS irrelevant in 27 states and the number is increasing steadily. BDS is a symbolic replacement for traditional anti-Semitism, as was recognized 5/17/2019 by the German Bundestag.

At the Rieders Foundation, we are also clarifying the tax-exempt status that the RBF operates under. With donations as large as $3 million to organizations such as JStreet for its “Iran Campaign”, the RBF should not remain eligible for its 501(c) 3 tax-exempt status. Other recipients of RBF grants include, Ifnotnow, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the US campaign for Palestinian rights. Organizations such as Defense for Children International (which received $25,000 from the RBF in 2017) employed board members and workers with direct ties to the Popular front for the liberation of Palestine (PFLP), “a terrorist organization designated as such by the US, EU, Canada, and Israel.”
The Boys from NYU
Imagine the typical Jewish kid who finally gets into NYU, or Columbia, or Harvard, name the entire college spectrum – and then this! Words like that from a classmate.

Read this about a particular Jewish student who said no thanks to NYU. She knew what to expect. Our loss. Think of the brain drain if Jewish students en masse stay away from our top schools in protest, or in fear of being harassed by fellow students, and even bullied by faculty and administrators.

Will our campuses soon be safe for Arabs only?

From the Algemeiner, posted for 2017, we have a list of the 40 worst colleges for Jewish students. So NYU is not alone. In fact, NYU ranks 26th down the scale.

Small comfort to know that there’s worse…and to imagine that there are many more out there like that Thrasher fellow getting degrees in advanced Jew hatred.

Gregory Peck (of all people) played the part Josef Mengele in the movie version of Ira Levin’s prescient thriller “The Boys from Brazil.”

The multi-layered novel (and movie), for all its twists and turns, was mainly about biological engineering, and thus how to reproduce, duplicate, a generation of little Hitlers.

That’s what I recall, but I don’t remember if or how the heroes caught up to the plan and stopped it from spreading.

This isn’t to say that Thrasher is anything like a Boy from Brazil – but Jewish students in the audience must have been alarmed and felt threatened at what they heard.

NYU president Andrew Hamilton called Thrasher’s speech “inappropriate” and “quite objectionable.” But many in the audience cheered Thrasher.

Writer Ira Levin was onto something, don’t you think?
NYU President Condemns Pro-BDS Graduation Speaker after Seen Applauding Him
Statement regarding Steven Thrasher by president, provost
“Steven Thrasher will join the faculty at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications on June 1. His professorship will focus on issues related to social justice, with an emphasis on topics relevant to the LGBTQ community.

Many were understandably offended by some of the comments made by Dr. Thrasher during his commencement speech at New York University earlier this week. We do not share all of his views, nor do we feel commencement was the appropriate venue to express them. However, academic freedom assures his right to hold them.

While Dr. Thrasher will not be the first Northwestern faculty member who supports the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, Northwestern as an institution unequivocally rejects BDS. To the contrary, we value our many relationships with a variety of universities and research centers in Israel.

As always, Northwestern remains firmly committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Our goal as an institution is to work toward constructive engagement within the context of freedom of academic inquiry and expression. We expect all members of our community to promote these values in an environment free of coercion and intimidation.”
Hatari Petitions The Hague Over Bland Falafel in Israel (satire)
Accusing the nation of engaging in “apartheid against foreign musicians,” Icelandic techno group Hatari filed charges against Israel for crimes against humanity after being served tasteless falafel during its trip for Eurovision.

“While I know that the Middle East has seen injustice and suffering, nothing can compare to the pain of expecting the best falafel I’ve ever tasted and instead being handed a dry, stale, lukewarm ball of mediocrity,” Hatari drummer Einar Stefansson said in a press conference as he fought back tears. “This was clearly payback for our bold stand on behalf of the Palestinian people.”

The suit is the second Hatari has filed since its Eurovision performance. The band also accused Israel of giving its members middle seats on their flight home from Tel Aviv to punish them for holding up a banner with the word ‘Palestine’ during the show’s vote tally. A spokesperson for the Israeli government, however, denied any responsibility and said that “if the band wanted genuine Israeli falafel, it should not have ordered the meal from a McDonalds.”


Left Mystified How Its Tolerance Of Antisemitism Emboldened Far-Right Jew-Hate (satire)
Progressives expressed horror and surprise today at the realization that accepting Judaeophobic elements under their umbrella for the sake of a greater societal good may have signaled to radicals on the other end of the political spectrum that anti-Jewish rhetoric and behavior will no longer spark the same level of vehement opposition it once did.

Prominent thinkers and leaders on the political left gave voice today to concerns that welcoming unabashed antisemites into their ranks and countries could have given figures on the Right the impression that antisemitism can, in fact, have a respectable place in society, and the far-right acted accordingly.

In an essay in the German magazine Bild, entitled “Who Could Have Known?” a group of leading intellectuals from both sides of the Atlantic lamented their inability to foresee such a development. “Here in Germany, of all places, how were we expected to predict that tolerance of antisemitism on the part of some elements in society might lead to its violent manifestation elsewhere?” wondered the thinkers. “We thought admitting migrants from societies in Africa and the Middle East with de rigeur, even government-sanctioned, antisemitism wouldn’t pose such a problem – that these migrants would be so overwhelmed by our tolerance that they’d cast away a part of their culture that’s been instilled in them for generations. A parallel process has taken place in the US Democratic Party.”



BBC’s ‘Newsbeat’ gives younger audiences a ‘history lesson’
Steve Holden introduced the report.
Holden: “Shalom from the city of Jerusalem. All this week ‘Newsbeat’ is coming to you from Israel and the Palestinian territories. […] We’re in the Middle East, surrounded by countries including Egypt, Jordan and Syria. It’s a fascinating place but also to some a controversial one, which we’ll talk about soon. We are here because this week Israel hosts the world’s largest live music event, the Eurovision Song Contest.”

By that measure one can only hope that the war in Afghanistan and the military coalition intervention against ISIS will be over by next May, otherwise ‘Newsbeat’ will have to make sure that reporters covering the Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands also pop over to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan as well as several small islands in the Caribbean Sea.

Holden continued:
Holden: “So right now we are in the heart of Jerusalem: its Old City. It is full of market traders, food stalls, so many tourists. And I know this is radio but the smells here are incredible: think a mix of fresh strawberries, all kinds of spices and incense. It is amazing. It’s an organised chaos here; there are so many people but these motorbikes snake down these tiny alleyways and everyone shouts. Think of Jerusalem like a crossroads for religion. It is considered holy for many including Jews, Christians and Muslims. […]

This region is home to both Israelis and Palestinians so gonna give you a little bit of a history lesson now because the British used to rule here years ago when the area was called Palestine. Following the Second World War Israel established its state here. It was a homeland for Jewish people and in the war that followed, when surrounding Arab countries fought that new Jewish state, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes. Now, after another war in the 1960s, Israel captured places that you might have heard of like the Gaza Strip and the West Bank which it still occupies now – places that Palestinians want as their future state. Now those conflicting claims have seen unrest [sic] in this region for decades with each side blaming the other.”

As we see the BBC is not interested in explaining how Britain came to “rule…the area” or in telling audiences about the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate for Palestine. Relatedly, the word ‘the’ is missing from Holden’s portrayal of Israel – actually a homeland for the Jewish people. As is so often the case in BBC content, Holden’s portrayal leads listeners to the erroneous belief that the displacement of Palestinians took place only after Israel declared independence on May 14th 1948 and the Arab attacks which followed their rejection of the Partition Plan in November 1947 are erased from view. Having also failed to provide any context concerning the Six Day War, Holden went on to describe nearly 700 attacks with military grade projectiles against Israeli civilians in two days in early May as “violence…in the Gaza Strip”.
Guardian continues in its long tradition of infantilzing Palestinians
In the context of the long Guardian history of anti-Israel venom, the following passage in a piece by their Jerusalem correspondent Oliver Holmes is hardly among the most egregious examples. Yet, it’s an apt illustration of one of their consistent patterns of bias: myopic coverage that focuses almost entirely on Israel whilst erasing Palestinians.

The article “Donald Trump’s peace conference will fail, Palestinian say”, May 20, notes Palestinians’ rejection of the US sponsored “Peace to Prosperity” workshop to be held in Bahrain next month, and includes the following background:

Expectations for a successful agreement are low. The Palestinians, citing Trump’s pro-Israel bias, have pre-emptively rejected US mediation and it is not clear if a delegation will attend. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has expressed open disdain for peace efforts and categorically ruled out a Palestinian state.

First, whilst it’s at least arguable that Netanyanu has effectively ruled out a Palestinian state, the claim by Holmes that he has expressed “open disdain for peace efforts” is extremely misleading. Though Netanyahu was a long critic of the Oslo Peace Process, his skepticism didn’t prevent him, during his first stint as prime minister, from agreeing to significant Oslo-related territorial withdrawals – The Wye River Memorandum and the Hebron Protocols.

Further, during the Obama Administration, Netanyahu not only consistently agreed to engage in US sponsored talks without preconditions, but also implemented an unprecedented 10 month settlement freeze to induce Mahmoud Abbas to come to the table. Despite this Israeli concession, Abbas still refused to participate in talks for the first nine months of the 10 month freeze, “leaving virtually no time for substantive progress before the freeze expired”.
Hamas once again given a platform on the BBC’s ‘Hardtalk’
It is of course entirely predictable that an interview with a spokesman for a terrorist organisation would yield nothing more than a recitation of that group’s misinformation and propaganda. Hence one would expect an interviewer representing a Western media organisation obliged to provide its audiences with “duly accurate and impartial news, current affairs and factual programming” in order to “build people’s understanding” to robustly challenge all such propaganda.

However, it took Stephen Sackur a full four minutes to present any sort of challenge to the misinformation repeatedly touted by Hamad.

Hamad: “I think we are struggling, we are working day and night in order to ease the life of the people in Gaza. But I think the people they understand very well that the reason of this crisis is the occupation, is the policy of the siege, is the policy of the blockade, is the pressure on Gaza everyday because Israel look to Gaza as hostile region and they try to keep Gaza under siege and blockade, sanctions and striking every day. I think we are trying to stop this.”

There is of course no such thing as a ‘siege’ on the Gaza Strip and there has been no ‘occupation’ in the Gaza Strip for 14 years.
Kiev synagogue evacuated following bomb threat
A synagogue in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev was evacuated and searched for explosives following a bomb threat.

The threat came in an email to the Jewish community, informing the readers that the bomb would explode within 24 hours.

Sweeps did not immediately reveal any explosives at the Central Synagogue, which is also known as the Brodsky Synagogue.

The Estonian-domain email address used to send the threat contained the number 1488, a neo-Nazi code for Adolf Hitler and the phrase: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” The handle was for “Motorola terrorist.”

Last year, the rabbi heading the congregation at Kiev Central Synagogue on 13 Shota Rustaveli Street, Moshe Azman, said authorities had bugged the interior of the building.
Israel’s largest medical cannabis producer to list shares on Toronto Exchange
Breath of Life International Ltd. (BOL), Israel’s largest medical cannabis producer, has filed a preliminary prospectus for a proposed initial public offering of shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX).

The move will make the company, also known as BOL Pharma, the first Israeli medical cannabis firm to list its shares on the TSX. Kalytera Therapeutics Inc., also an Israeli medical cannabis firm, has shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s public venture capital exchange for emerging companies.

Breath of Life is a producer of medical cannabis and cannabis products that supplies pharmacies and patients with its products. The firm is targeting export markets in the EU, as well as Canada and Australia.

The firm is able to break down the cannabis plant to extract different chemical compounds, called cannabinoids, for use in research and medicine.

BOL Pharma was one of the first licensed medical cannabis cultivators in Israel. The firm has a number of products under development and is collaborating with medical centers and research facilities across Israel to support a clinical program spanning more than 30 indications, including central nervous system disorders, pain and palliative care management, and inflammation and autoimmune disorders.
China’s Shiji Group Acquires Israeli Mobile Payments Startup MyCheck
Beijing-headquartered Shiji Group, which provides software and services for the hospitality, retail, and entertainment industries, is acquiring Tel Aviv-based MyCheck, incorporated as Quick Check, the companies announced Monday. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but one person familiar with the matter who spoke to Calcalist on condition of anonymity put the sum at dollars in the low eight digits.

MyCheck, which offers a mobile payment app with a focus on the hospitality industry, was co-founded in 2011 by CEO Shlomit Kugler, Tal Nethanel, Erez Spatz, and Asaf Talmor Wertheimer, the stepson of Israeli businessman Eitan Wertheimer, who also invested in the company. In 2015, after raising over $20 million, the company pivoted from a B2B product to a B2C product. In late 2017 the company ran into financial trouble as stakeholders barred further investments, leading the company to request — and receive — a stay of proceedings order in February 2018.

A month later the company was acquired for NIS 4.6 million (around $1.3 million at March 2018 exchange rates) by O.G. Tech Partners, an early stage fund owned by Israeli real estate and shipping magnate Eyal Ofer.

“I am very happy that it was O.G. Tech that acquired us,” Kugler told Calcalist in a Sunday interview. From the beginning, she said, they were a very dominant and hands-on investor with similar interests and opinions to the company itself. MyCheck’s employees also benefited from the deal, she said: O.G. Tech allocated them 15 percent of the company’s securities as part of the acquisition.
Mitsubishi Opens Israeli Innovation Outpost
Mitsubishi Corporation has recently opened an innovation center in Tel Aviv, the company announced Monday. Already operational, the center will help the Japanese corporation scout for Israeli companies and technologies in Mitsubishi’s core areas of interest, including automotive and smart mobility.

The digital revolution necessitates the tapping of new innovative technologies, and partnerships with Israeli startups could hold the key for Mitsubishi’s future growth, said Takashi Kai, head of the new center, in a statement.

Until now, Mitsubishi’s presence in Israel was limited to trade-related operations. The corporation is the third Japanese general trade company to set up a local development center, after the Mitsui Group and the Marubeni Corporation. Japanese multinational the Hitachi Group also has a center in Israel.

Mitsubishi, Japan’s largest trading company, operates in seven segments including financial services and banking, energy, metal, chemicals, machinery, and food. The corporation has around 70,000 employees globally, and around 1,400 subsidiaries and related companies. Through its Mitsubishi Motors arm, the corporation also has a strategic alliance with Renault-Nissan, which already has an innovation center in Israel.
The Jews of India
A new book titled 'The Synagogues of India' tells the history and traditions of one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. The author of the book, Jay Waronker and editor, Marian Sofear spoke with Jordana Miller.






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