Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Why the Palestinian authority hates archaeologists
And you know what the archaeologists still haven’t found in any of their ongoing excavations throughout Israel? Any evidence of an ancient “Palestine” or “Palestinians.”
Palestinian Authority officials are constantly claiming—without a stitch of proof—that the Palestinian Arabs are the true owners of the Holy Land, with roots that supposedly go back thousands of years.
Last December, PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas told an interviewer from the Al-Arabiya news agency: “The Palestinian people [have] existed since the dawn of time. We have been around since the days of the Canaanites.”
Abbas has made similar outlandish claims on many other occasions. In one 2019 speech at Jalazoun, near Ramallah, he declared: "This land belongs to the people who live on it. It belongs to the Canaanites, who lived here 5,000 years ago. We are the Canaanites!”
Ironically, those darn archaeologists have also documented that the Canaanites, with whom Abbas so closely identifies, practiced child sacrifice. And, of course, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas practice various kinds of child sacrifice of their own, such as using sending children to carry out terrorist attacks and using Arab children as human shields against Israeli counter-terror strikes.
Perhaps the Palestinian Arab leaders could claim to be the spiritual descendants of the Canaanites, even though they are not their literal descendants because the Canaanites were wiped out by Assyria and others.
The Palestinian Arabs and their supporters are naturally frustrated that archaeologists have never found evidence to back up their cause. No evidence of any “Palestinian” kingdoms, no ancient artifacts showing a distinctly “Palestinian” culture or society. That’s because the Arabs in the Land of Israel arrived after Mohammed and began identifying themselves as Palestinians only in the 20th century, and even then, only as a propaganda tactic in their war against the Jews.
No wonder the European Union—which passionately supports the Palestinian cause—is so worried about the archaeologists. Last year, EU officials drew up a document outlining their strategy for helping the PA to claim territory which—in accordance with the Oslo accords—is located in the Israeli controlled region known as Area C.
One part of the EU document referred to the need “to monitor Israeli archaeological digs in Area C.” Why are the EU and the PA anxious about archaeological digs? Because, as Prof. Garfinkel has reminded us, every time archaeologists dig, they find fresh evidence of the Jews’ deep roots in the Holy Land—and no evidence of any “Palestinian” roots at all.
The Biden Administration’s Antisemitism Statement Gets Worse
CAIR is one of hundreds of organizations within the office’s remit, part of a broader constellation of groups that the White House consults on major initiatives. There are benefits to being in this club: CAIR’s head of government relations appeared at a recent White House meeting on Islamophobia that Benjamin attended, as did second gentleman Doug Emhoff and White House domestic policy director Susan Rice, whose office was in charge of formulating the antisemitism strategy. The strategy was one byproduct of the revealingly named Interagency Group to Counter Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Related Forms of Discrimination and Bias, which Emhoff and Rice helped lead.The Caroline Glick Show: Biden's State Department goes BDS
CAIR isn’t always a team player from the center-left’s perspective—the organization recently came to the defense of Muslim parents who oppose LGBT-related materials being taught to their children in public schools without their consent. The persistence of CAIR’s mainstream credibility hints at how coalition politics now work within the Democratic Party: A single nonprofit or activist group will often be treated as the sole major representative of a certain demographic category, based on either an appearance of authenticity or the organization’s demonstrated usefulness to those in charge. The nonprofit sector often operates as a kind of junior-level government, receiving federal grants to promote and implement public policy, exerting activist and legal pressure on the business community and the rest of the private sector in support of coalition objectives, and providing status, income, and professional development for past and future public officials. In turn, these groups maintain message discipline within the coalition—anyone who opposes CAIR risks being criticized as an Islamophobe, or as a general impediment to progress.
This ecosystem is seamless enough in its current form that it is nearly impossible for an organization to become so discredited that it is dropped from the roster, at least as long as there isn’t an obvious candidate to replace it. At the moment, there is no group of CAIR’s size or profile claiming to speak on behalf of American Muslims. There is also little need among nationally prominent politicians or strategists to boost such an alternative. The ADL and CAIR might not get along, but they are protected by the same dynamic: They both provide a nearly identical service to the same larger coalition, which returns the favor by keeping both groups at a level of prominence that crowds out any potential rivals.
There are conditions under which a new advocacy group can rapidly supplant an old one for a significant portion of the political spectrum, as recent Jewish American history reveals. J Street has largely replaced AIPAC as the accepted Jewish communal validator on the center left, and there are now several notable Democratic lawmakers who align themselves exclusively with the “pro-Israel, pro-peace” camp. One key reason that shift happened was because the Obama administration was in need of a Jewish organization that could whip support for policies that AIPAC was liable to actively oppose, like an Israeli settlement freeze or a nuclear deal that allowed Iran to keep its enrichment infrastructure and ballistic missile program intact.
There is no Muslim equivalent of J Street because the political mainstream is perfectly content with what the existing political organ claiming to speak for the Muslim American community can still do for it, in spite of the group’s well-documented problems—whether with fantastical anti-Zionism or plain old sexual misconduct. Jewish concerns, much like CAIR’s attempts to sue its past employees into silence, are hardly enough to get CAIR shunned by a Democratic White House. And if Jews want to remain a comfortable part of the larger center-left coalition, they apparently have to accept CAIR as a partner in the “fight against antisemitism.”
The State Department boycotts Jews in Judea, Iran ramps up its terrorist & nuclear ambitions and Israeli official's invitations to US Embassy July 4th party get lost in the mail.
In Caroline’s Cold Open this week, Caroline Glick discusses,
- The Biden administration’s new directive banning the U.S. from carrying out scientific cooperation with Israeli Jewish institutions in Judea and Samaria that was announced last Friday night.
- Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear technology in Europe as well as its efforts to attack Jewish and Israeli targets abroad.
- The Biden administration's continued efforts to weaken the Iranian regime's opponents and realign towards Iran.
- The snub to not invite certain Israeli officials to the July 4th US embassy party.
Caroline Glick: The scorched earth prosecutors
On Thursday night, with sunken faces, Channel 13’s legal correspondents delivered the news: The judges presiding over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial for bribery and breach of trust had told the prosecutors and defense attorney last week that the prosecutors have not proven their charge of bribery, and are unlikely to succeed in doing so, since all their major witnesses have already testified.Alan Dershowitz speaks to i24NEWS on Netanyahu bribery trial
The implications are earthshattering. For the past seven years, two forces—the state prosecution and the media—have pushed Israel to the brink of civil war in their effort to criminalize Netanyahu and demonize his supporters.
Their goal was never hidden. They seek to oust Netanyahu from public life and disenfranchise his voters by disqualifying and demonizing their elected leader.
Beginning in 2016, through criminal leaks to reporters from every major newspaper, radio station and television channel, state prosecutors, police investigators, journalists and editors invented and shaped a narrative of criminality surrounding Netanyahu and sold it to the public on a daily basis.
Netanyahu, they said, undermined Israel’s economy, national security and moral fiber to satisfy his decadent tastes, enrich his cronies and further his obsessive-compulsive quest for positive media coverage from the same media that hates him.
Police Arrest 6 as Anarchists Burn Tires, Protest Outside the Home of Justice Minister Levin
A group of leftist anarchists on Tuesday morning protested outside Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s home in Modi’in. They burned tires, blocked the entrance to the residential street with barbed wire fences, and up a display they called “dictatorship hot dog from Levin Deli,” and declared that “today it’s already clear to everyone who really controls the country and is leading it to destruction.”The Israel Guys: 130,000 Israeli Protesters BLOCK OFF Main Highway in Tel Aviv
The police used tear gas and arrested six suspects, including a man who was involved in burning a tire, for violating public order. Multiple tires were burned at the anarchist protest.
If ever there was a rally that was highly produced and financed by a well-organized command center – this was it.
The protest was kept secret, and most of the demonstrators had no idea what was planned and showed up in response to the call they received through their WhatsApp groups. With the number of protesters dwindling (last Saturday night the demonstration on Kaplan Street, which degenerated into violence, was the smallest since the start of the protests, some six months ago), the organizers applied what they had been discussing in conversations that have since been exposed: fewer protesters, more action. And the few dozen who showed up Tuesday morning did so out of their need to belong to something greater.
In the briefing they received they were told that “the goal is to establish two things – the message of the display is that Yariv Levin is the de facto prime minister, who took over from the weak prime minister. We present two hot dogs from the Yariv Levin deli – it’s not salami anymore.”
The briefing on WhatsApp stated: “We are at the beginning of the second act. Even if part of the public is lethargic, this is how the salami works. We have five weeks until the summer break, and what we do is crucial.”
By “summer break” they referred to the Knesset summer session, during which the coalition is determined to pass at least a small part of its judicial reform.
Over 130,000 protesters blocked off the main highway in Tel Aviv lighting a huge fire in the middle of the road. While Netanyahu has not officially brought the Judicial Reform plan to the Knesset, THERE have been talks this week that the government wants to move forward in working on the Reforms. There have been several shooting attacks in the past several days in Judea & Samaria but thankfully no casualties. And just in case Americans weren’t quite sure where the US administration stood on the subject of “settlements” they made their position crystal clear this last weekend.
Australian Government Under Growing Pressure for the Recognition of Palestinian Statehood
When asked about this issue, Senator Wong has affirmed that the current government sees the question of recognition of Palestine as being at the discretion of the government, despite ALP’s policy platform. However, she has not ruled out that it could happen in this term of parliament.South African politician calls for Jewish school to be 'de-registered' for supporting Israel
There are influential elements within the ALP, including former Foreign Ministers Bob Carr and Gareth Evans, who are very actively campaigning for the government to recognize a Palestinian state.
The internal party pressure on the government recognition of Palestine has intensified in the wake of a motion at the Victorian state Labor party conference on June 18 calling for recognition to occur in “this term” of government. The upcoming national ALP conference scheduled for August is likely to see further attempts by the pro-recognition activists in the party to up the pressure on the government.
Overall, the current Australian government has clearly been moving away from the strongly pro-Israel position of its predecessor. It has already reversed its predecessor’s policies, including recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and decision to halve funding to UNRWA. The new government also has changed Australia’s vote on a number of UN resolutions to a position less favorable to Israel, while some statements on Israel have become more critical.
The party’s left-wing faction, which contains its staunchest supporters of the Palestinians, is also strongly opposed to Australia’s AUKUS military alliance with the US and UK, especially the nuclear-powered submarines Australia will be receiving as part of the agreement. There is some well-informed speculation that the government might agree to recognize Palestine as a trade-off for the left to acquiesce to AUKUS.
The government does understand how strongly the Jewish community feels on this issue, and it does contain strong friends of Israel. We at AIJAC and other community groups continue to strongly argue that, with Palestinian intransigence the main stumbling block to peace, recognition would only reward and encourage the current destructive Palestinian tactics and make peace even harder to attain. The US Administration has also probably communicated that such recognition would be very problematic and destructive.
However, the internal pressure is certainly mounting on PM Albanese’s government to recognize a Palestinian state. If this is to be prevented, Israel should be mobilizing all its means of diplomatic persuasion, and those of as many allies as possible, to convince Canberra to maintain the status quo.
A South African politician has called for Cape Town-based Jewish day school United Herzlia to be “deregistered” from the Department of Education’s list of schools.StandWithUs Celebrates Ruling Upholding Georgia Anti-BDS Law June, 2023
A member of the far-left Economic Freedom Front party said that the school should be "deregistered, based on the school being pro-Israel” during a debate in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament on 15 June.
Cassiem, wearing the signature red overalls of the EFF and a Palestinian keffiyeh, said in her statement that the issue was not about the Jewish community or Cape Town-based parents sending their children to a Jewish school to uphold their religious beliefs.
But instead, her objections were about how Herzlia High School “enforces Zionism on Jewish students and encourages the students to participate in Apartheid activities and inhumane practices and encourages them to join [the] Israel Defense Forces after completing grade 12.”
Herzlia High School director of education Geoff Cohen and the school’s executive director, Andries van Renseen, disclosed in an interview on Israeli TV that approximately 22% of their students go to Israel after they finish school and had joined the Israeli army.
Daniel Bloch, executive director of the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies, told JNS, “The Cape SAJBD is deeply concerned by the EFF’s latest public attack on members of the Herzlia Board, displaying photographs and names on social media.
“The Cape SAJBD will not stand by and allow this political grandstanding to continue. It is a shameful attack on the largest and most prestigious Jewish school in the Western Cape. We will continue to support Herzlia and its leadership and will fight the ANC, EFF and all other organizations’ reprehensible attempts to deregister the school.
“This is just the latest unsuccessful attempt by anti-Israel lobbyists to bully and intimidate the Cape Town Jewish community. "
StandWithUs celebrates the unanimous ruling issued on June 22, 2023 by the Eleventh Court of Appeals to uphold Georgia’s anti-BDS law in Abby Martin v. Chancellor for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Anti-BDS laws combat national origin discrimination by preventing state agencies from awarding funds or contracts to entities that engage in national origin-based commercial discrimination against Israel. To date, multiple US Courts of Appeals—such as the Eighth and now the Eleventh Circuits—have ruled in cases dealing with anti-BDS laws and remain the highest courts to date to preside over such laws. All of these appellate courts have either upheld or refused to invalidate these laws.
In rejecting Abby Martin’s petition, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals referenced the recent landmark ruling by the Eighth Circuit in The Arkansas Times v. Waldrip, which explicitly and overwhelmingly upheld Arkansas’s anti-BDS law as constitutional. While plaintiffs in Waldrip sought to appeal, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the appeal, a testament to the constitutionality of anti-BDS laws throughout the country.
Abby Martin, the plaintiff, alleged violation of free speech, in the Georgia law requiring that contractors with the state not engage in discriminatory boycotts of Israel. The 11th Circuit Court dismissed the case, noting that the plaintiff is “unable to point to a case with materially similar facts that clearly establishes” that the anti-boycott clause was unconstitutional.” The Eighth Circuit upheld a similar anti-boycott law in Arkansas.
Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO StandWithUs stated, “We thank the State of Georgia, particularly Sen. Judson Hill and Rep. John Carson for its continued efforts to combat national-origin discrimination and ensure that Georgia remains a welcoming environment for all.”
I didn’t have anything to do with this case, but thanks for the sentiment! https://t.co/wTeQ2xEoiG
— Eugene Kontorovich (@EVKontorovich) June 27, 2023
Manhattan Community College Shuts Down ‘Social Justice’ Center Over Offensive Anti-Israel Display
The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) in Tribeca, lower Manhattan, is part of the City University of New York (CUNY), and grants associate degrees in vocational, business, health, science, engineering, and continuing education fields.New York City Mayor Eric Adams forms first-ever Jewish Advisory Council
In March, two Jewish professors at BMCC (they both teach math) were subjected to defamatory online reviews that falsely accused them of racist discrimination towards Muslim and Palestinian students.
The reason for those nasty attacks was the fact that both professors had complained about a recent exhibit at BMCC that featured antisemitic content and also offered students the opportunity to earn course credit by watching a film with antisemitic content. Both were sponsored by the BMCC’s Social Justice and Equity Center.
The professors contacted the center and voiced their objections, and less than a day later, both became the subject of intense vilification on the website ratemyprofessors.com. AJC Director of Academic Affairs Sara Coodin said she had no doubt the professor’s complaint was leaked to the leftist community, in violation of the school’s policy of respecting confidential information.
“If CUNY faculty, students and staff cannot report incidents of bias without fear of retaliation,” Coodin wrote, “CUNY is not a place where minorities are safe to pursue their education.”
On March 21, BMCC issued the following message to the community of students and professors:
“A recent exhibit on our campus, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), offended and distressed individuals in our community. On behalf of BMCC, we offer our deepest and sincerest apologies to anyone who was offended and felt unsafe. The exhibit presenting a perspective of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict did not come from any student or academic club, was not part of an academic course, and did not offer credit.
“This serious and painful incident creates an opportunity to reaffirm BMCC’s commitment to provide an inclusive space — a brave space — where all members of our community feel welcome and multiple perspectives can exist and be encouraged in a productive learning environment that values and thrives on viewpoint diversity.”
On Monday, the extreme-leftist publication Left Voice reported that BMCC will shut down its Social Justice and Equity Center come June 30.
Mayor Eric Adams has launched an inaugural Jewish Advisory Council which will be composed of 37 prominent leaders of the city’s Jewish diverse community."NYC Matzah Bakeries, Pizzerias Could Face New Emissions Regulations"
Announced Monday, the first meeting of the council will take place Monday evening at City Hall.
The cohort includes members from each borough and represent various denominations and Jewish organizations, including synagogues, non-profits, schools and community centers.
“Members of the newly-formed council will focus on all issues affecting Jewish New Yorkers, including public safety, quality of life, and education, and will ensure Jewish communities across New York City are connected with all of the city’s resources and services available,” said the mayor’s office in a press release.
The council – which, according to the mayor’s office, is the first of its kind to be called together by the city — comes after a period in which reports of antisemitism appeared to be on the rise. According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic hate crimes in the city rose 39% from 2021 to 2022, though they are lower so far through the same period in 2023. Nationally, the ADL reported a 36% increase in antisemitic hate crimes from 2021 to 2022.
Residents of largely Orthodox neighborhoods have complained of street attacks that appear to be motivated by antisemitism, and critics of the City University of New York system have complained about anti-Israel activity on its various campuses that they say has crossed the line into anti-Jewish harassment.
“The mayor’s advisory council demonstrates a commitment by the city to understand the needs of the Jewish community and how to amplify the various Jewish communities within the larger Jewish community and, of course, to speak out when there are issues around antisemitism,” Rachel Ain, senior rabbi at Sutton Place Synagogue, told the New York Jewish Week while in transit to the first meeting of the council.
“I see it as an opportunity to amplify the positive and respond to the negative,” said the Conservative rabbi. “It’s important that both pieces are there, and that the council is representative of so many different parts of the Jewish community. That so many of us have been invited to the seat to have a seat at the table is crucial.”
The council will be chaired by Joel Eisedorfer, a senior advisor to Adams and the first Hasidic Jew on the administration’s senior staff.
Matzah bakeries in New York City that use wood or coal as fuel for their ovens could be facing an expensive new requirement to attach emissions-control devices to the equipment.
NYC Department of Environmental Protection drafted new rules requiring traditional wood-burning and/or coal-burning ovens installed prior to May 2016 to reduce emissions by up to 75 percent.
In addition, it would be necessary to hire an engineer or architect to install the needed emissions-control device.
At least some of the matzah bakeries in Brooklyn are fueled by wood or coal.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters at a news conference on Monday, “Let’s be clear: every toxic entity that we remove from our air is adding up to the overall desire to deal with shrinking our carbon footprint.
“We don’t want to hurt businesses in the city, and we don’t want to hurt the environment – so let’s see if we can find a way to get the resolutions we’re looking for,” Adams said, noting that the requirement was not yet a ‘done deal.’
“Let the public weigh in and then we can have a conversation if we’re going to move forward or not,” he added.
“All New Yorkers deserve to breathe healthy air and wood and coal-fired stoves are among the largest contributors of harmful pollutants in neighborhoods with poor air quality,” department spokesperson Ted Timbers said Sunday in a statement quoted by the New York Post.
“This common-sense rule, developed with restaurant and environmental justice groups, requires a professional review of whether installing emission controls is feasible.”
Many of the city’s decades-old, top pizzerias use coal or wood-fueled ovens to bake their pies, and so do at least some of the city’s matzah bakeries.
Must watch video to understand how antiZionist antisemites organize & coordinate their efforts.
— SAFE CUNY (@SAFECUNY) June 27, 2023
At a @PSC_CUNY delegate event(!), Palestine Legal's Amal Thabateh defends Nerdeen Kiswani & Fatima Mohammed & addresses neutralizing groups like @StopAntisemites & @canarymission. pic.twitter.com/Xm6FtC6krh
“How we are going to report this unjust situation without being accused of being anti-Semitic?”
— David Hirsh (@DavidHirsh) June 27, 2023
"...fearful of addressing Palestinian oppression for not wanting to offend the Jewish people"
"...unwillingness to address this reality... hinders authentic love for the Jewish… https://t.co/e0zv32iNOV
David Miller is one of the most repulsive antisemites in the land.
— habibi (@habibi_uk) June 27, 2023
He is also a debauched servant of the brutal Iranian regime.
So the "Palestine Solidarity Campaign" comrades turn to him for "the truth".
When will trade unions stop supporting this racist hatred movement? pic.twitter.com/NeN7NrxRac
Alexei Sayle, narrator of the antisemitic Corbynista "Big Lie" film, explains it all for the unelightened.
— habibi (@habibi_uk) June 26, 2023
??Keir Starmer is MI5!!!?? pic.twitter.com/mNaqbpuTtY
Thankfully, as Sayle keeps an eye on our spooks, "Big Lie" star Jackie Walker is a keen spotter too, minding foreign subterfuge.
— habibi (@habibi_uk) June 26, 2023
"There's been research done on all sorts of issues about the links between Starmer and not just the British secret service but other secret services." pic.twitter.com/0calO5Xlq0
Busy times for Western intelligence services!
— habibi (@habibi_uk) June 27, 2023
Russia and Ukraine? Iran? China?
No! Alexei Sayle has told us MI5 is running Keir Starmer.
Now, thoughts and prayers please for Roger Waters, who is being shadowed and threatened by the CIA. ?? pic.twitter.com/tqEOkVEgMt
?? 2/3 - Loach was part of an audience to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vatican Collection of Modern Art. The Pope's words weren't directed at him, have no relevance to his politics and the Pope/Loach photo they're using has been photoshopped. THIS ?? is the real photo. pic.twitter.com/ynbCDYckcd
— Never Again (@Never_Again2020) June 27, 2023
While at @ucdavis, Edina Metovic co-authored two BDS resolutions & spread hatred of Israel. https://t.co/B96IKzIISx pic.twitter.com/rSDRTmU4bO
— Canary Mission (@canarymission) June 26, 2023
Banners for the liberation of Palestine were spotted at Toronto's Pride Parade.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) June 26, 2023
In 'Palestine', members of the LGBTQ+ community are not only excommunicated from the families/communities but often face physical violence, including murder.
Meanwhile, Israel has become a safe… pic.twitter.com/8pdJGOZjqP
Any #Zionists b****ing that @JewishCurrents platformed @CUNYLaw’s Fatima Mohammed hasn’t been paying attention to what they supported in the past ???????? pic.twitter.com/Bda47pLmQy
— Rabbi Linda Goldstein (??????I/P Commentary) (@realrabbilinda) June 26, 2023
Yes Hamas are freedom and resistance fighters and they are NOT using kids as shields. They keep them close to protect them from being snatched off the streets and locked up by the IDF.
— Gilda Morkert (@g_morkert) June 26, 2023
NY Times mocked for saying German far-right took control for 'first time'
The New York Times has been mocked on social media for appearing to suggest a recent victory for the German AfD party was the first time the "far right" has won power in the country.NYT headline writer not a history buff https://t.co/uyIOB4qeCB pic.twitter.com/EDhyxIueH3
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) June 26, 2023
In an article dated June 26, headline writers at the paper titled a piece on the district election: "In a First, Germany’s Far Right Will Take Control of a District."
Screenshots of this headline began to circulate on Twitter with many people pointing out that the far right in Germany ruled the country from 1933-1945.
Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone, who works for Chabad, said:"I don't know, in Yeshivah I heard about another time the far right took control in Germany. But maybe that was just a Jewish thing."
The headline, which was changed around midnight GMT on June 27, now reads "In a First, Germany’s Far Right AfD Party Will Take Control of a District."
She's talking about the dangers of censorship and specifically used this example as what could happen if you let, say, YouTube decide what is true and what isn't. Dude has 1.2 million followers so he gets this trending, why? Just for kicks? Gross ruparing for no reason. https://t.co/A03aIn5o2R
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) June 27, 2023
There's a whole ecosystem of 'watchdogs' and such on twitter that just pass around clipped videos and get tons of RTs with no one actually checking the clip's veracity. I am once again begging you all to stop being so lazy. https://t.co/o9ZfjiRTO1
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) June 27, 2023
BBC Covers — Briefly — the Palestinian Authority’s Despotism
The BBC reporters covering Israeli and the Palestinians ordinarily devote almost all of their attention to the supposed mistreatment of the Palestinians by those terrible Israelis. A series of BBC reporters — Robert Fisk, Jeremy Bowen, Barbara Plett, Lyse Doucet, and now Yolande Knell — have for decades been poisoning the minds of their vast worldwide audience with reports about how Israel can do no right, and Palestinians can do no wrong; all the woes of the latter are attributed to the former. Almost never do those reporters examine the ways that the Palestinian Authority (PA) mistreats its own. But recently the BBC World Service examined something other than the sins of “apartheid Israel.” In one recent report, it dared to focus on the PA’s despotic rule. More on this unexpected explosion of candor can be found here: “BBC Finally Focuses On Despotic Palestinian Leadership… But Still Manages to Whitewash Terrorism,” by Rachel O’Donoghue, Honest Reporting, June 13, 2023:Omissions in BBC report on Jalame counter-terrorism operation
In a rare and surprising move, the BBC has decided to turn its reproving gaze away from Israel for a change and focus on the oft-ignored tyrannical rule of the Palestinian Authority, which hasn’t held a single election in the West Bank since 2006.
The piece by the broadcaster’s World Service, “‘As Palestinian youths, the political process has failed us,”‘ highlights how younger Palestinians have “little faith in the Palestinian leadership” after never being given the opportunity to vote, as well as how many reject the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The young Palestinians have not yet reconciled themselves, as their elders have, to the despotism that rules them. They are keenly aware that Mahmoud Abbas is now entering the nineteenth year of his four-year-term, which began in 2005. They know there is no way to get rid of Abbas; they will just have to wait until he dies, and hope that he is not replaced by another despot. They have no faith that the mismanagement and colossal corruption in the PA will come to an end. They have seen what happens to those who dare to dissent: beatings and threats, imprisonment, even death for those who criticize the PA and its leader. The most effective of Mahmoud Abbas’ recent critics was Nizam Banat, so effective, indeed, that he was beaten to death by Abbas’ goons.
And they reject the “two-state solution” because they fear that any future Palestinian state will condemn them to permanent rule by a group of geriatric thieves; some want to be part of a single state with the Jews, which would be – precisely because of its Jewish element – better run, less corrupt, and more responsive to its people, both Arabs and Jews.
Gritten does not inform readers that among the previous attacks carried out by the same cell was a shooting attack on the community of Gan Ner.Toronto Star Letter Falsely Claims Israel Doesn't Hold Its Soldiers Accountable
Judea and Samaria is of course the name of the area and not only a “biblical term that Israel uses”. It was also used, for example, by the UN in its 1947 proposed partition plan (“The boundary of the hill country of Samaria and Judea starts on the Jordan River…”). The BBC, however, continues to compromise its impartiality by exclusively employing the terminology promoted by Jordan following the illegal invasion and occupation of that area by its British-backed and led forces in 1948. It is perhaps not merely a coincidence that, even today, the national broadcaster of the only country to recognise Jordan’s illegal annexation of that territory in 1950 continues to employ the politically motivated term ‘West Bank’.
Another notable aspect of this report is the decision to offer readers a link to “Video footage posted on social media” which leads to the Twitter account of a Hamas-affiliated news agency.
Gritten tells his readers that:
“The drone strike came hours after a Palestinian man was shot dead during a rampage by hundreds of Israeli settlers who torched homes and cars in the town of Turmusaya, about 50km to the south.
The Palestinian health ministry said the man was shot dead by Israeli forces “while confronting the settlers”. Israel’s paramilitary border police said its forces were securing firefighters when residents “rioted” and troops fired at a man who shot at them.”
He does not however clarify that the “Palestinian man” concerned was claimed by the Hamas terror group as a member in a brief statement calling him a “hero martyr”.
Gritten closes his report with yet more promotion of Hamas talking points:
In her June 26 letter (“Reporters should talk to actual Palestinians”), Toronto Star letter writer Elizabeth Block claimed that Israel does not hold its soldiers to account for their actions, but this is patently false.
What Block fails to mention is that even though she may not like the verdict in certain cases, Israel consistently holds its soldiers to account when they fail to live up to the high standards of Israel’s armed forces.
In the case of Omar Assad, an elderly Palestinian man who died under Israeli arrest in 2022, following an extensive investigation, two Israeli commanders faced reprimands.
Compare this accountability to the Palestinian territories, where the Palestinian Authority (PA) actively incites its population against Israel and publishes hateful messages in textbooks and state media where it glorifies terrorism against Israel.
The Palestinian government allows rockets to be fired from its territory towards Israel. In fact, on June 26, rockets were fired towards Israel from Jenin, a city under PA control. It also actively pays the families of terrorists in a ‘pay for slay’ system, thus incentivizing violence against Israel.
Israel is a country based on the rule of law, and consequently, it holds its soldiers accountable for their actions. Peace can never come if the Palestinian leadership, rather than condemning violence, instead actively embraces it.
Even if the West Bank could one day be part of a Palestinian state, Max completely erases all Jewish connection and claim to the land. Such as various tombs of Jewish forebears and holy sites. pic.twitter.com/VDu6mUp9GU
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) June 27, 2023
Max, you can criticize Israel or Israeli government policy, but a man with your experience should at least paint an accurate picture of what really goes on on the ground.https://t.co/EwVZiUseTl
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) June 27, 2023
‘Most frightening thing I’ve ever seen,’ GA synagogue congregant says of neo-Nazi protest
Neo-Nazis protested outside two Georgia synagogues over Shabbat.
On Friday night, some 15 protesters yelled antisemitic things outside Temple Beth Israel, a Reform congregation in Macon, Ga. The following day, about a dozen bore Nazi symbols outside the Chabad of Cobb County in East Cobb, Ga.
Worshippers were reportedly in synagogue while neo-Nazis gathered outside.
“This was the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Stewart Levy, who is part of the Cobb County Chabad community, told WSB-TV.
“There is absolutely no place for this hate and antisemitism in our state. I share in the outrage over this shameful act and stand with Georgians everywhere in condemning it,” George Gov. Brian Kemp (R) tweeted. “We remain vigilant in the face of these disgusting acts of bigotry.”
Per reports, the neo-Nazis were associated with the so-called Goyim Defense League, which is said to be behind the dissemination of many antisemitic flyers. The founder of the group was arrested at the Friday night protest after continuing to use a bullhorn after officers asked him to stop. He was released and was part of the Saturday protest too.
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who is Jewish, stated, “Georgia’s Jewish community will never be intimidated by antisemitism. Today, as symbols of genocide were paraded in front of synagogues, we continue to stand strong, proud and unbowed.”
2/ On Friday, it was the same scene outside Temple Beth Israel in downtown Macon, Georgia. There, GDL founder & leader Jon Minadeo was arrested after he continued shouting obscenities through a bullhorn even though authorities asked him to stop. pic.twitter.com/VlIbzOD10s
— Canary Mission (@canarymission) June 27, 2023
DEALING WITH ANTI-ISRAEL GRAFFITI
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) June 27, 2023
AJA was sent this footage of a supporter 'taking care' of some of anti-Israel graffiti near the University of New South Wales.
What do you think about his methods? pic.twitter.com/OqU0y0yRNL
Israeli volunteers help Palestinians travel to hospitals
Past the Rehan crossing in the northern West Bank, where Palestinian workers were passing through a dimly lit corridor, Abu al-Rob walked towards Yael Noy's car as his six-year-old son, Adam, dozed in his arms.Israel helped UAE fend off major cyberattack, Emirati cyber chief
Their destination was a hospital near Tel Aviv, where Adam was to receive follow-up treatment after suffering from eye cancer.
He is one of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip crossing annually into Israel for medical treatment unavailable in the impoverished Palestinian territories.
For Palestinians from the West Bank like Abu al-Rob, the Palestinian Authority pays for these treatments, but does not cover the cost of transportation to and from hospitals which can be prohibitive for many families.
Road to Recovery, the Israeli group established in 2010 that Noy now heads, takes Palestinians, mostly children, from West Bank and Gaza crossing points to hospitals inside Israel and back.
Today it boasts some 1,000 active members helping some 2,700 patients annually.
"There's no one like Yael," said 40-year-old Abu al-Rob in Hebrew, which he picked up working on Israeli construction sites. "She's always happy, it fills my heart".
Israel recently helped the UAE fend off a serious DDoS (distributed denial of service) cyberattack, UAE cyber chief Muhammad al-Kuwaiti said on Tuesday.Innovation helps Israeli caviar conquer world tastes
Speaking at the Tel Aviv Cyber Week Conference, he said, “Thank God for the Abraham Accords... Cybersecurity is an important aspect for us all. We in the UAE for example are going through a great digital transformation. A transformation across all sectors: aviation, education, healthcare, oil and gas, transportation. And, in fact, we need to do a safe and secure transformation.”
Continuing he said, “I am sure you heard my dear friend, Gabi [Israeli cyber chief Gabi Portnoy], when he mentioned the importance of working together. Our cyber strategy has five main pillars,” one of which is partnerships with allied states.
“It has a pillar about protecting and defending. And this is where we plug into the great Start-Up Nation [Israel] where we have many of those companies helping us as a matter of fact to build up that cyber dome or to extend that cyber dome,” to defend against cyberattacks.
Israel's cyber chief uses generative AI to thwart threats
Earlier at the same conference, Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) chief Portnoy said, “anyone who carries out a cyberattack against Israeli citizens needs to take into account the price he will pay.”
Portnoy specifically called out Iran and Hezbollah in his threat.
Kibbutz Dan, located on the foot of Mount Hermon in northern Israel, decided to set up fish farms over 80 years ago.Christina Aguilera Sends Message to Israeli Fans Ahead of Upcoming, ‘Unforgettable’ Concert in Israel
It seemed like a good proposition. The ponds would be filled by the stream of melted snow flowing down into the Dan River, whose water the Bible noted for its purity. Today, its temperature is a constant 16 degrees Celsius year round, ideal for fish cultivation.
In the 1990s, the influx of Russian immigration stimulated the ambitious idea to extend the thriving trout-farming business to caviar in the hope that a local market was in the making.
Fingerlings of the Osetra sturgeon were imported from Russia. This is one of the top three breeds for caviar production, which includes the famous Beluga variety. Innovation helps Israeli caviar conquer world tastes
Fast forward to 2023 and Caviar Galilee is the sole farm of its kind in the Middle East and a supplier of the premier Karat Caviar brand to top international distributors.
Clients include the 90-year-old illustrious French purveyor, Petrossian, as well as Marky’s, one of America’s foremost brands. Innovation helps Israeli caviar conquer world tastes
In addition, the company has developed technological innovations to deal with innumerable challenges in harvesting egg roe from the sturgeon to produce this costliest of delicacies.
“There are longstanding traditions in the caviar business, but we decided to bolster it with science,” Karat Caviar CEO Assaf Koren tells ISRAEL21c.
Pop singer and songwriter Christina Aguilera told her Israeli fanbase in a new message to get excited for what she promised to be an “unforgettable” upcoming concert — her first ever in the Jewish state.Gal Gadot to become first Israeli actor with Hollywood star
“I am so excited to finally make my way to Tel Aviv,” the Grammy Award-winning singer, 32, said in a video message shared by the show’s promoter, Live Nation Israel, on Sunday.
Live Nation Israel, which announced the concert on June 15, said only a few tickets are still available for the Genie in a Bottle singer’s concert at Live Park Rishon LeZion.
The Staten Island-born singer released her self-titled debut album in 1999 and last year she released AGUILERA, her first Spanish-language album in almost 22 years.
Gal Gadot will next year become the first Israeli actor to be honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund marks 122-year anniversary
“This is unbelievable. I’m so, so grateful and thankful and humbled,” said Gadot in response to Monday’s announcement by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
The 38-year-old Petah Tikva native is one of 31 entertainment professionals chosen to have their names etched on the sidewalks along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Streets in Los Angeles, California, which currently includes 2,789 stars.
Israeli producer Haim Saban was honored with the 2,605th star on the famous strip in 2017.
Gadot’s Wonder Woman co-star Chris Pine is also set to receive a star. Other notable honorees in the 2024 list include Eugene Levy, Dr. Dre, Otis Redding, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Billie Jean King.
In a video posted to her Instagram account, Gadot said that she found out about the news from her husband Jaron Varsano, who had heard from Israeli media: “I had absolutely no idea.”
Last month, Gadot was honored by the Israeli-American Council (IAC) and Israel’s Consulate in Los Angeles at the official celebration for Israel’s 75th anniversary.
“Israel is my heart and my home,” Gadot said upon receiving the award. “We all here are deeply proud of our Jewish homeland. This celebration is a testament to our unity, our strength.”
Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund, Israel's "leading green organization", founded in 1901 during the Fifth Zionist Congress that convened in Basel, Switzerland, celebrates its 122-year anniversary.
"With the establishment of the state of Israel, the date Tevet 19, according to the Jewish Calendar, became a national holiday, as well as a milestone in the history of Zionism. KKL-JNF has been operating for the realization of the Zionist vision for over 120 years, together with leading environmental and educational issues in diverse fields," the organization said. "Since the dawn of Zionist history, KKL-JNF has been connecting Jewish people across the world to the land of Israel, along with a deep, true connection to nature. The organization deals, among other things, with afforestation and the environment, Israeli youth, education, Zionist values, treatment of water reservoirs, forest restoration, and more. Over the years, KKL-JNF has been nurturing the well-being of Israel's citizens and visitors in shades of green, blue, and brown."
According to the organization, "throughout its existence, KKL-JNF has accompanied the establishment of the state of Israel, from the days of the declaration of independence in 1948, through its development, in creating physical and moral paths, while connecting them with the Jewish people and the citizens of Israel – to this day ... Among the icons leading KKL-JNF since its very first days, you can find the Blue Box which was and still is a symbol of brotherhood, collectivity, and a strong desire to develop the Land of Israel, and later in history, the State of Israel.
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