The moderate sheikh of Hebron

I posted about a proposed alternate to the PA that Israeli leaders are mulling if the PA continues to go down its path of intransigence and rapprochement with Hamas terrorists. This alternative is centered around moderate local leaders, particularly Sheikh Zaid al-Jabari of Hebron.

A week ago, thousands of religious Jews from all over Israel and elsewhere descended on Hebron to celebrate the Torah reading of Chayei Sarah, as is done every year.

These religious Zionists are the people the left-wing media love to portray as Islamophobic, machine-gun wielding  Jewish-supremacist fanatics who want to ethnically cleanse Hebron and all of the territories of Arabs. This hateful stereotype is also incessantly pushed by the Arab media.

Which makes this following story from last week's Hebron event all the more remarkable.

From David Wilder, leader of Hebron's Jewish community:

A number of years ago, a group of Arabs, together with Israeli leftists and anarchists, planned on burning down the Hazon David Synagogue, just outside the gates of Kiryat Arba, on the eve of Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year. The event was stopped at the last minute when it came to the attention of Sheikh Jabari, leader of Hebron’s largest clan. He told Hebron Arabs that he didn’t agree to destruction of a ‘holy place,’ especially on a Jewish holiday. He told them that this was a place of prayer, and prevented the destruction.

Following his intervention, a meeting was arranged between several Hebron leaders and the Sheikh, thanking him for his involvement. Since then, the Sheikh and Hebron-Kiryat Arba leaders meet relatively frequently, discussing relevant issues. He has publicly declared his opposition to unilateral declaration of a ‘palestinian state’ in the UN and also acknowledged the right of Jews to live in Hebron. Last summer he met at his Hebron home with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Pastor John Hagee.

This past Friday afternoon he met with almost 70 Americans and a few Hebron residents in a large tent, just outside Hebron. Welcoming the group, he asked those attending to be ambassadors to his message of peace ‘in the land of peace.’ He also spoke of Shabbat Chaye Sarah, Abraham and Ma’arat HaMachpela, saying that Machpela should unite all of us together, that we are one family, from one father, Abraham. He blessed the group ‘from all his heart, on this holy Shabbat.’ He thanked the group for visiting him, saying he appreciated that they came from so far away for this holy occasion.

Other members of the group addressed the Sheikh, expressing thanks for his hospitality, commenting and asking questions. The event concluded after the group was given a small cup of traditional Turkish coffee.

The significance of this meeting wasn’t so much the words spoken, rather its actual happening. A decade ago, Jews in Hebron were being shot at by Arabs from the hills surrounding the Jewish community. Years ago meetings between Jews and Arabs were common; yet following Oslo, the Hebron Accords, and the Oslo War – 2nd intifada, such meetings became a thing of history.

I don’t expect that all of us present agree on all issues. To the contrary, certainly we don’t. But the Sheikh represents an alternative to the palestinian authority, a terrorist organization overtly backing the expulsion of Jews from all Judea and Samaria, while covertly working for the liberation of all ‘palestine’ aka the State of Israel.

I found the meeting with the Sheikh to be a refreshing change from the normal animosity displayed between Jews and Arabs. I’m not living under any illusions. The gaps are very wide and Sheikh Jabari is only one person. However, there aren’t too many Arab leaders who would prevent destruction of a Jewish house of worship, who would publicly declare willingness to live with Jews in Hebron, and who would meet a large group of American Jews in his tent on a Friday.

Here's the video of the fanatic, tzitzit-wearing Jews happily chatting with the sheikh:



This is what real peace looks like.

The ironic thing is that so-called "peace activists" seethe when they see scenes like this, because it goes against everything they really want - a Judenrein "Palestine."

I don't know how anomalous Sheikh Jabari is, but this is the sort of thing that should be encouraged and pursued. I do know that other communities in Judea and Samaria have some friendly contact with their Arab neighbors, and that it was much more prevalent before the first intifada.

You can be sure that the "peace activists" do not want any such meetings between religious Zionist Jews and their Muslim neighbors - because they do not want real peace.  They prefer rock throwing and Molotov cocktails, so-called "non-violent resistance," to cooperation between proud Jews and Arabs who live side by side.  They prefer to post carefully edited videos of Israeli forces shooting tear gas at them without showing the violent attacks that immediately precede those events, and to write endless articles about how Jews are violent usurpers.

So who really wants peace?

Another recent article on Sheikh Jabari was written in Israel HaYom,

(h/t drk, Yoel)

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The Jordanian "march to Jerusalem" is just an Islamist political rally

I noted earlier this week that a Jordanian group planned a "million man march to Jerusalem" today.

But as the Jordan Times reports, the march is really just an Islamist rally:

The Islamist movement has called on citizens across the country to amass at the Jordanian-Israeli border this Friday to urge for the “liberation of Jerusalem”.

Kathem Ayesh, who handles the Palestinian file at the Muslim Brotherhood, said the event aims to commemorate the partition of historical Palestine in 1947, a precursor to the Nakbeh, or catastrophe, in 1948.

“We want to show the world that the Jordanian people stand in solidarity with the Palestinians and we reject any attempts to Judaise Jerusalem,” Ayesh told The Jordan Times.

According to organisers, they chose the Jordan Valley town of Sweimeh, 50 kilometres south of Amman and two kilometres from the Jordanian-Israeli border, as the venue of the rally as it represents the closest point in the Kingdom to Jerusalem.

The event, which will not feature any speeches, does not aim to incite any violence, Ayesh said. “This will be a peaceful march and we will not be going near the border.”

The event comes one week after the Islamists returned to the streets, ending a six-week hiatus from the protest movement.

The march also marks a renewed focus on the Palestinian cause - long a staple issue for the movement - which Islamists have overlooked in recent months in favour of domestic issues as part of its reform drive.

Jamil Abu Baker, the Muslim Brotherhood spokesman, stressed that the march is not a departure from Islamists’ reform demands but rather an extension of the “atmosphere” of the Arab Spring.

“Week after week, people have demanded political reforms, public freedoms and an end to corruption,” Abu Baker said.

“Liberating Jerusalem is a basic part of these demands, and this Friday we will let the whole world hear them.”

So it is just some muscle-flexing by Islamists, and Jerusalem is just an excuse to get people riled up.

Some Jordanian newspapers, like al-Rai, are openly supporting the rally.

And while it looks like there will not be violent clashes, that doesn't mean that the imagery on their posters don't advocate the military takeover of Jerusalem by brave Arab warriors.

Notice that for the purposes of this illustration, there are no Palestinian Arabs between Jordan and Jerusalem.

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UNESCO elects Syria to "human rights" committees

From UN Watch:

UNESCO’s executive board, which includes the US, France, the UK and other Western democracies, unanimously elected Syria to a pair of committees – one dealing directly with human rights issues – even as the Bashar al-Assad regime maintains its campaign of violence against its own citizens.

The Arab group at UNESCO nominated Syria for the spots, and though the 58-member board approved the pick by consensus on Nov. 11, the agency has not yet posted the results on its website.

Syria’s election came just a day before the League of Arab States moved to suspend Syrian membership of that body.

“The Arab League’s suspension of Syria is stripped of any meaning when its member states elevate Syria to UN human rights committes,” says Hillel Neuer, executive director of the Geneva-based monitoring group UN Watch.

“It’s shameful for the UN's prime agency on science, culture and education to take a country that is shooting its own people and empower it to decide human rights issues on a global scale. Regrettably, the pressure to bow to consensus – part of the go-along-to-get-along tradition at the UN – can drag everyone down to the will of the lowest common denominator.”

Neuer highlights that the executive board’s decision should not be all that surprising, given the body “recently welcomed serial human rights abusers as new members, like Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Pakistan and Russia.” Syria was already on the executive board, noted Neuer, "as were other countries with poor human rights records, including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, China, Vietnam and Algeria."

The UN says Syria’s crackdown on opposition protests has left more than 3,500 people dead over the past eight months.

Syria will serve a second two-year term on the 30-member Committee on Conventions and Recommendations, which examines “communications … relating to the exercise of human rights,” according to UNESCO’s Web site. Syria also joins the 23-member Committee on International Non-Governmental Organizations, which is mandated to encourage approved activist groups to help further UNESCO’s overall goals.

In a bid to insulate UNESCO’s administration from criticism, the agency’s executive director, Irina Bokova, insists her hands were tied. She has even broken with protocol in commenting that the executive board’s choice was not a good one.

“The director-general and secretariat are bound by the decisions of member states and are not supposed to comment on them,” said Sue Williams, UNESCO chief spokesperson.

“Yet given the developments in Syria, the director-general does not see how this country can contribute to the work of the committees.”

Israeli media had the story last week but the UNESCO website had nothing on it. And it still doesn't.

I've seen the same lack of transparency at UNRWA where it ignores many Palestinian Arab strikes and threats on its website.

(h/t many but Ian for reminding me....)

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Arab foreign ministers say all of Jerusalem is "occupied"

From Kuwaiti news agency KUNA:

The Council Arab Foreign Ministers warned Thursday against Israel's plan to hold the first conference of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe in occupied Jerusalem on November 28.

A statement issued by the Council at the conclusion their meeting here, said that move contradicts international resolutions that clearly states that the city is occupied territory.

The statement added that this is a dangerous precedent that should not be accepted.

The Arab foreign ministers urged the World Health Organization to immediately intervene to prevent Israel from holding the conference on occupied Palestinian lands, they cautioned against the process of this move on peace process.

They also asked United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and European countries to move the conference to another place.

I cannot find specifically where the conference is planned to place. However, most major conference hotels in Jerusalem are within the Green Line, and I am certain that a UN organization would not have allowed a conference to take place anywhere that was under Jordanian control for an anomalous 19 year period in the city's 3000 year old history.

We see that, according to Arab foreign ministers - which include those who represent countries with whom Israel is at peace - are claiming that all of Jerusalem is Palestinian Arab territory

Westerners who claim that the Green Line is an "internationally recognized border" are proven to be wrong once again. Arabs never accepted that, and they still don't.

(h/t Richie)

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Non-story: School in Gaza named after a mass murderer

Yesterday, in Rafah, Ismail Haniyeh was on had to dedicate a new school named after Sheikh Yassin, the terrorist who founded Hamas.

This is not surprising, of course. 

It is barely news that Palestinian Arab schoolchildren are brought up to learn that the most bloodthirsty terrorists are national heroes.

It is not worth mentioning that of the hundreds of NGOs in the territories, many funded by Western governments, none of them will say a word in public against such displays of support for murderers.

And the idea that this is how Palestinian Arabs think, every day of every year, is not even a blip on the radar of the so-called "progressive" Jews whose entire lives are dedicated to finding fault with the country next door.

It isn't interesting. It isn't news. It is a dog bites man story. So it is not worth mentioning.

And because no one mentions it, because wire services have tired of such stories years ago, because it is not being reported anywhere in English, people don't think about it. And over time, they don't even know about it.

There is a huge difference difference between what is newsworthy and reality. Unfortnately, most people don't grasp that...because they get all their information from the news, and the news media isn't interested in stories like this.

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Hamas reiterates: It will continue to fight Israel, unity or not

Salah Bardawil, a member of Hamas' political bureau who helped arrange today's much heralded "unity" meeting with Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo, has reiterated that no matter what, Hamas is not changing its attitudes towards Israel.

He said that that Hamas' attitude towards Israel is "fixed and will not change," emphasizing that Hamas will remain an enemy and will never recognize it, and will never give up on these principles.

Bardawil further said that Hamas does not require any approval from Israel, which will remain an enemy, and that the resistance will continue until the liberation of Palestinian land.

Just in case you think that "resistance" means anything other than violence, the newspaper illustrates the concept this way:

Hamas habitually refers to all of Israel as "occupied," a distinction lost on most credulous Western reporters who erupt every few months in waves of self-congratulatory ecstasy when Hamas says that they want an end of "occupation."

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An alternative to the PA?

From Makor Rishon, translated by Jameel at The Muqata:

Exposé: Israel's Plan to Replace the Palestinian Authority

Makor Rishon's illustration

The first exposure of Israel's contingency plan to replace the Palestinian Authority.

Under this plan, supported by some of the government's ministers, Israel will establish an autonomy or Arab autonomous regions in Judea and Samaria, in response to unilateral moves by the PA which breach existing agreements.

Possibilities [of breaching agreements] include [the PA] setting up a joint government with Hamas, or returning to the track of unilateral declaration, as threatened by the PA in September.

The linchpin of the plan is based on Hebron's Sheikh Mukhtar Abu-Khader al-Jabri, who had long challenged the PA and even controls security forces. In recent years, al-Jabari cultivated his contacts with Israeli officials, including settlers. In this context, three months ago, he participated in a secret meeting in Tel Aviv which discussed the possibility of alternative forces that could replace the PA. The meeting was held at the home of former minister Rafi Eitan, who has longstanding ties with al-Jabari clan and other independent forces in Judea and Samaria. Also in attendance were Cabinet Minister Yisrael Katz, a representative of the General Security Service, historians, experts in Palestinian society and figures close to al-Jabari.

At the meeting, Al-Jabri presented details of his worldview that rejects the establishment of a Palestinian State -- he outlined his support for the establishment of an autonomous region which would rely on the State of Israel, and would be free of terrorism. He clarified that he, his staff and especially the Palestinian population are interested in improving their financial situation which greatly deteriorated due to PA policy. As an example, he noted that the PA completely destroyed the Hebron-area marble industry, many of whom made ​​their living from it in the Hebron mountain area, by taxing marble exports. He clarified that in addition to him, there are other area leaders that support his approach against the PA, if they knew that Israel would agree to cooperate with them. "I am not your collaborator. I am not Antoine Lahad or Bashir Gemayel, but I need to know if we act together, you will agree to recognize us and cooperate." To this end he asked that Israel will agree to issue identity cards to him and the rest of the population.

At this stage of the meeting, he passed the ball to the Minister Katz, who is considered close to Netanyahu. Those present at the meeting imply that Katz was represented Netanyahu's position. Katz made ​​it clear that he would not in any way grant Israeli citizenship to residents because it contradicts the basis of the Zionist idea. However, he noted that in the event that the PA violated the agreements, Israel would be liberated from them. And so "if there will be a unilateral move, we will evaluate recognizing them."

Read the whole thing.

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Australian dance festival organizer responds

Yesterday I noted what appeared to be discrimination against an Israeli dance troupe in Australia.

An EoZ reader contacted the Multicultural Folk Dance Festival of High Country and asked them:

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am writing in regard to news reports that the Machol Israeli Dancing Club were required to drop any references to Israel as a condition of performing in the Multicultural Folk Dance Festival of High Country in Mansfield.

According to the reports I have read, the reason given to the club was that “the organizer would not be held responsible for consequences if the words “Israel” or “Israeli” were used to describe the group.”

First of all, I request that an investigation be made and the statement either confirmed or denied, and the group be allowed to perform calling themselves whatever they wish. If this information is accurate, then I must protest in the strongest terms. What right have the organizers or anyone else to tell members of a culture how they must and must not define themselves? In looking over the festival programme, it seems clear that the organizers had no problem with groups calling themselves Chinese, Ukranian, and so on. Why was an Israeli group singled out and subject to conditions that apparently apply to no other group?

She received a "prompt and courteous response:"

Dear xxxxx,

Thank you for your question.

I am glad to be able to clarify: the answer is NO.

The conditions were: to perform traditional Jewish folk dances as old as possible, in traditional costumes, with authentic traditional music. Aiming for "1000 year old traditional music and dances with traditional costumes" was the very first conversation.

Later it turned out that it was not possible for us to get traditional Jewish dances from Machol or other Israeli dancing groups either that we have contacted. We are aiming to restore an authentic traditional Jewish cultural input for next time, which was promised by a former dancer of the Shalom group, which (sadly)stopped functioning 20 years ago, without a replacement.

Thank you for your help.

Kind regards,

Marta Balan

She wrote back:

Dear Marta,

Thank you for your prompt response and for your clarification.

I'm afraid that I'm still somewhat confused by what you are calling "an authentic traditional Jewish cultural input." How would this be different from what Machol or other groups offered?

Thank you in advance for your help

and received the following response:

Dear xxxxxx,

The difference is in the:

STYLE OF DANCING
ACCOMPANYING MUSIC
TYPES OF COSTUMES
ETHNIC PATTERNS PROJECTED between dances.

The Unity in Diversity Events promote ONLY TRADITIONAL FOLK DANCES, with TRADITIONAL MUSIC, PLAYED ON AUTHENTIC TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS (recordings accepted) AND WITH TRADITIONAL COSTUMES. (This was explained in the first conversation with the manager of Machol.)

The images projected between dance groups (the dances flow with only 15 sec in between) present patterns of folk costumes or other objects characteristic to that culture. For the Jewish input I contacted first the Jewish museum in Alma Rd, they only had one wedding dress from Yemen which was not digitised yet. So, I contacted the Museum of Jerusalem to seek permission to project some of the patterns on the objects they had (Yemenite clothes and jewellery, etc.). They were able to do that with a cost involved.

All that had to be postponed for next time, as the basic requirements were not satisfied: the Machol teacher clarified several weeks after they were accepted in the program (as it turned out, by miscommunication re the criteria) that their dances were not based on traditional dances, that their choreographies were less than 30 years old and they had no traditional costumes. Only the music was traditional, but that was not sufficient to match the style and quality of other groups' dances performed in a program which is presented as one artistic unit.

I think the problem started by me having to communicate to a manager first, without having a chance to clarify the detailes with their teacher.

The other Israeli dancing teachers I contacted, after the above explanation given by the teacher of Machol, pointed it out that Israeli dancing is an entirely modern style of dancing. I was asked to describe details about other dance groups in the program (how old choreographies, what kind of costumes, musical instruments, etc.) and was given an opinion that if we included Israeli dancing done by any club, it would only serve to the detriment of the Jewish community of Victoria, whom we wanted to be represented in the program the best possible way, as one of our aims is also to combat prejudices and stereotypes of various kind, apart from aiming people to bond through dancing and music.

One more aim in our work is to restore traditional folk dances, music and costumes which are to die out in Victoria. I had to agree with the other 2 Israeli dancing teachers that this was happening with the Jewish cultural tradition, as the Shalom group which was last able to perform the traditional Jewish dances and the costumes are perhaps still kept by Shefi Shapira, sadly stopped functioning 20 years ago and was not replaced.

We agreed that, enough of time given, perhaps a sample of those dances could be recreated and costumes restored for a next year performance. Also, there will be an attempt made by another Israeli dancing teacher to start a group of youngsters and bring them to a level of performers, as the other problem is that most Israeli dancing clubs are recreational and their level is not for performances.

All relevant parts of the above information were explained to Machol in emails. I have not had verbal communication after the very unpopular decision I had to make that best was to remove the Jewish input this year, with a plan that there will be an appropriate group next time to represent the Jewish cultural tradition and to achieve due appreciation by the mainstream public and media (the event was HD recorded for TV broadcasting, what increased the responsibility for the artistic side of the event).

To my surprise, I am getting feed-back from various sources - a complete misinterpretation of what I have put clearly in writing, WITH BEST INTENTIONS.

I am surprised that after 15 yrs of volunteer community work, both multicultural and multi-faith, I can be treated this way by a community I have served lovingly and with sacrifice.

That same day when the folk dance program happened, we had a wonderful Victorian symposium on values that are shared amongst faith communities, with the participation of Mr Walter Rapoport representing Judaism. So, him and his wife attended the folk dance event afterwards in another venue. Perhaps they could give you a description of the style and quality of dances performed and how could possibly Israeli dancing of Machol fit into that.

I was just informed that the Shepparton Interfaith network was sent an information re "Marta Balan excluded a Jewish group from an event", they did not even memorise what kind of event. I wonder what does the folk dance event have to do with the Interfaith Network? So, the intention is: without checking the TRUTH, to present Marta Balan as someone who will discriminate Jewish people. Well, my grandfather happened to be a Jew and a Zionist in 1933 and is burried in Bet Nekofa, I spent one month in Israel in a kibbutz in 1980, my mother went through the Holocaust and I was discriminated as a teenager for coming from a Jewish family in a small European town.

I have spent 15 years in volunteering community work to combat prejudices and enhance harmony in this society. This story is not about me. It is about people who are inclined to suspicion and hostility. I wonder is there an expectation that a Jewish group does not have to comply to requirements of an arts program like others do? And, if a Jewish group has to be excluded from a program is that necessarily antisemitism or perhaps protection?

Re the sad truth that the traditional Jewish dances almost died out, unless someone takes an action to restore them, I have made one more effort: I wrote to the Jewish Community Council of Victoria seeking them to take action for the restoration of traditional Jewish dances and costumes in Victoria.

This is how far I can go in helping the Jewish community at this point in time.

Just to mention, Mr Walter Rapoport was involved at the time in trying to explain the Machol what did not fit into our program.

After that the dancing teacher from Machol called the office oF Multicultural Affais and Citizenship to complain that he was discriminated by Marta Balan. Fortunately, my work and character are well known there for 15 years and the complaint was dismissed.

I am grateful to Mr Anton Block who took in his hands to deal with this matter, though it is obvious that some of the accusations against me already flowed out before he could stop them.

Now I will focus at the people who sent out news about me that were not confirmed as true and seek a correction in writing, as I still have some community work to do which should not be implicated.

Thank you for reading this email.

Kind regards,

Marta Balan

This sounds sincere, although the part of the story about the name of the group is still not cleared up. From the emails it sounds like the reason the Israeli group could not perform is simply because they do not do traditional Jewish dances.

There is a large disconnect between the two versions, but it does appear that the original story was lacking in many important details.

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Agricultural exports to resume from Gaza in December

Gaza's coordinator responsible for exports, Raed Fattouh, announced that agricultural exports from Gaza will resume on December 5.

On that day, two tons of goods will be shipped out of Gaza, and the number will gradually increase to 14 trucks a day.

The exports include peppers and other vegetables as well as flowers. They are sent to Europe.

The export season will end on May 10, 2012.

Don't tell Juan Cole, who still has not corrected his error-filled post saying that there are zero exports from Gaza. It upsets him when he is proved to be a liar.

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Hamas sacks 1000 security forces in Gaza

Palestine Press reports that the Hamas interior ministry has fired 1000 employees of its security forces, including 300 officers.

Those who are being downsized are those who are not members of Hamas itself. Interior minister Fathi Hammad made the decision personally.

This is coming a few months after Hamas was having problems meeting its payroll.

Meanwhile, Ramez Ismail al-Halabi, who was released 8 months ago after 11 years in Israeli prison, was in turn arrested by Hamas yesterday, right after returning from his Hajj in Mecca. Halabi had been critical of Hamas' efforts to enforce a cease fire with Israel, so, naturally, he had to be arrested.

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The biggest BDS fail in history! (updated)

The number of Palestinian Arabs working in Jewish settlements has increased since the PA announced they would ban such activity.

According to the head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Palestine, Shaher Saad, some 31,000 Palestinian Arab workers are now employed in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. This is a significant increase compared to the number of such workers in April, 2010 - estimated at 25,000 - when Mahmoud Abbas signed a law banning Palestinian Arabs from working in settlements. (Saad claims that it is an increase of between one and two thousand workers.)

At that time, the PA Economic Minister stated that anyone working in the settlements after 2010 would face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $14,000.

Saad said that some 70,000 others are working in Israel proper.

Workers in Jewish communities in the territories get paid at least double the amount that they get in PA-controlled areas.

While the BDS movement advocates boycotting everything Israeli, they especially concentrate on anything to do with settlements outside the Green Line. They claim that Palestinian Arab "civil society" is demanding such a boycott. Yet tens of thousands of Palestinian Arabs themselves choose to work in the supposedly illegal and despised settlements themselves, and more are joining them every day - a direct contradiction to what BDS supporters are claiming.

If so many Palestinian Arabs themselves choose to work in Jewish settlements, they are obviously ignoring BDS demands. And those same evil settlements are providing a good living for many thousands of ordinary Palestinian Arabs - something that no BDS proponent can come close to claiming.

In fact, if it was up to BDSers and no Palestinian Arab would work for any Israeli employer, the unemployment rate in the territories would skyrocket and the effect on the Palestinian Arab economy would be devastating.

Israelis - and even those evil "settlers" - are helping ordinary Palestinian Arabs to support and raise their families with dignity. BDS wants to take that away.

And Palestinian Arabs themselves have chosen which side they prefer.

UPDATE: Thillo reminded me of a story I didn't cover from Ha'aretz, describing a study that showed that Palestinian Arabs invest far more in Israel than in their own areas. So that might be a bigger BDS fail.

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Ambassador Michael Oren's Thanksgiving message

From Michael Oren's Facebook page:

Thanksgiving in Hebrew is called הוֹדָיָיָה. On Thanksgiving, Americans traditionally eat turkey, which in Hebrew is called הוֹדו, and comes from the word thanks. Many of the Puritans who celebrated the 1st Thanksgiving 400 years ago knew Hebrew and perhaps the reason they ate turkey during that holiday was because the words for thanks and turkey are the same.

With that in mind, the People of Israel wish all our dear friends in America a fulfilling and joyous Thanksgiving.

It is a nice message, although since turkeys are a New World bird, the Hebrew appellation of "hodu" postdates the Pilgrims.

But either way, I wish my American readers a happy Thanksgiving!

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The irony of a "Palestine" tourism video

Here's how the United Nations Development Programme describes its aims in the Palestinian Arab territories:

UNDP’s assistance to the Palestinian people in all sectors, in both the West Bank and Gaza and in times of emergency and of peace, is aimed towards reducing poverty and rebuilding livelihoods. Since 1978, our Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People has been implementing projects in the occupied Palestinian territory worth over US$600 million, focusing on the areas vital to the Palestinian well-being and socio-economic development, such as water, health and education facilities, social services, infrastructure and rural and agricultural development.

All of these are worthy activities for people who are in desperate need.

Which makes the following video most interesting. Very professionally done, it was released by the PA Ministry of Tourism and it shows a place where you can get anything you want:



There is a bit of a disconnect between how "Palestine" is described in UNDP and other UN literature and how it is presented in this video. From reading the UNDP quote above, for example, you would believe that Palestinian Arabs are poor and in need of a lot of assistance from the outside.

Watching the video, one gets the opposite impression. "Palestine" is a place where businessmen and wealthy tourists do not have to compromise on their standards, where luxury is the norm:

The irony is that the video was funded by - the UNDP!

The UN has a vested interest in making the PalArab territories appear impoverished and oppressed, but it is funding a video that makes those same areas appear luxurious and trendy.

It is a bit hypocritical to claim poverty and a demand UN handouts in order to make a video that shows such apparent riches.

The UNDP does lots of impressive things - helping provide clean water, sustainable food supplies, medical infrastructure, microloans to help women in developing countries, and so on. Somehow I don't think that helping tourism is one of their core goals. (They do discuss eco-tourism on their site to help out impoverished countries and protect their natural resources, but this is nothing like that.)

The sad fact is that giving money to Palestinian Arabs is no longer even vaguely related to their need. It is trendy, not necessary. Their money train is now running on inertia.

No more proof is needed than the Hoping Foundation benefit "for Palestinian refugee children" held in England this week, where dozens of airhead celebrities dressed up and hung out - raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Look at their pictures. You can just feel how much they care about "Palestine."

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Israel says it will defend Greek gas drilling from Turkey

From JTA:

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said in Greece that Israel will defend Greek oil drilling in Cyprus.

Asked at a news briefing Tuesday what Israel's reaction is to a threat by Turkey regarding drilling in Cyprus, Ayalon said, “If anyone tries to challenge these drillings, we will meet those challenges.”

Ayalon, the first foreign official to visit Greece since the formation of its new government, added that he did not think that Turkey would challenge any drilling in the southeast Mediterranean. Turkey said last month it would send naval forces to protect its drilling rights.

I cannot recall any previous time that Israel publicly offered to defend another state from potential third-party aggression. If true, this seems to be a very visible statement of defiance towards Turkey's aggressive rhetoric in recent months.

Turkey started its own drilling off of the coast of Cyprus in September - escorted by naval boats.

The story is not reported anywhere else I can find.

Beyond that, Israel and Greece are strengthening their relationship in other spheres:

Greece's deputy foreign minister, Dimitris Dollis, stressed in his meeting with Ayalon that Israel-Greece relations upgraded in the past year would continue and be strengthened in the near future. Dollis said the ties would not be affected by the change of government in Greece.

“These are not meetings that are held just so we can get together," he said. "They are meetings that will help us to jointly promote the issues we are dealing with and, naturally, provide an institutional framework -- and thus continuity -- for this conference.”

The two officials agreed to convene in Greece members of the Jewish and Greek diasporas from countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, France and Britain. The meeting is planned to take place in the spring in Salonika.

Ayalon and Dollis discussed cooperation among Israel, Greece and Cyprus concerning the subject of natural gas. A trilateral memorandum of understanding on the issue, as well as the management of water resources, has been drafted and is due to be signed soon.

The deputy foreign ministers noted that Greece and Israel have common strategic interests in energy and energy security, and immense prospects for collaboration in that area.

On Wednesday, Ayalon met with the new Greek foreign minister, Stavros Dimas, and defense minister, Dimitris Avramopoulos, to discuss strengthening relations between the two countries.

Next week, the Greek minister for the environment, energy and climate change, Giorgos Papakonstantinou, will visit Israel.

For some very good background on why Greece is a natural ally of Israel, with examples of specific historical and cultural similarities between the Jewish and Greek people, there is a nice article by Diana Muir Appelbaum in Jewish Ideas Daily from July. Also, check out an article in The Economist last week with a surprisingly optimistic quote by Cyprus' president.

I don't know whether Israel's being close to Greece is strategically better from a geopolitical perspective than her former alliance with Turkey, but it sure feels better.

(h/t D)

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Israelis saving the world, again

From Israel21C:

Psychotherapy, drug therapy, hypnosis, cold turkey -- whatever the remedy for addictions such as gambling, smoking, or narcotics, doctors agree there is no one quick fix.

However, a new tool from Israel promises to help alleviate addictions and at least a dozen other brain disorders, such as depression, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, in a non-invasive way with no side effects.

Developed by the Israeli company Brainsway, the new medical device provides deep-brain electromagnetic stimulation.

Maps of our brain's cortex are already well known, says Dr. Avraham Zangen, Brainsway's neuro-consultant, and stimulating specific areas of the brain electromagnetically is easy. Brainsway's new technology, deep TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), takes it to a new level.

"We invented the ability to reach deeper, to reach the relevant brain regions in psychiatric treatment," he tells ISRAEL21c.

Unlike electroshock therapy, which is still used extensively today on people with clinical depression who do not respond to other treatments, the more refined Brainsway stimulates only the area of the cortex related to depression, rather than the whole brain. "We gain the beneficial effect of shock therapy without the side effects," Zangen explains.

Trial patients in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas have already benefited from the treatment. Trials are taking place at 22 centers throughout Europe, the United States, Canada and Israel including Harvard and Columbia universities. Once the device receives US Food and Drug Administration approval, it will start being sold, probably at first to private clinics.

The ability to stimulate different brain regions is not equivalent to discovering a new medication, he says. It is equivalent to developing a whole new set of drugs.

The first diseases expected to be tackled by Brainsway will be those for which conventional treatments do not work well. The company is also investigating ways to target the "craving" areas of the brain, by stimulating them in a negative way so the brain no longer craves harmful substances or behaviors.

Obesity is another area the Brainsway coil could potentially address, as well as autism, stroke and Parkinson's disease.

How will the hate-Israel crowd (many of whom are crowing about Sarah Schulman's incredibly unhinged op-ed in the NYT today, see here, here, and here) spin this to make Israel look as bad as possible?

• Those money-grubbing "Zionists" making expensive machines that the third world cannot afford
• Barbaric Zionists are pushing "Cuckoo's Nest"-style electroshock therapy
• All the research and development behind this was just to distract the world from Israel's crimes
• Jewish Zionists are building mind control equipment to make Arabs want to leave
• "Brain"-washing
• American aid to Israel being wasted on useless Israeli research
• Israel blockades essential medical equipment from Gaza
• See? I told you that Israel uses Joo-Rays!
• Depression is a "Zionist" myth created by the "Zionist" Freud to make money for "Zionists"
• The knobs on the device are made in the Occupied West Bank, all profits must go to Palestinians
• Send angry letters to Harvard and Columbia to protest their partnering with an apartheid company

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