Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Friday, February 24, 2017

List of victims of the Struma disaster, 75 years ago

The Romanian port of Constanta, on the Black Sea, was a major embarkation point for Jews attempting to leave Europe for Palestine. Thousands of Jews, desperate to escape the Germans, took the route by boat from Constanta via Turkey to Palestine, despite British immigration restrictions.

In December 1941, in Constanta, 767 Jews boarded a boat named the Struma. They planned to travel to Istanbul, apply for visas to Palestine, and then sail to Palestine. The Struma was unsafe and overcrowded, and lacked adequate sanitary facilities. Despite engine problems, it reached Istanbul on December 16, 1941. There, the passengers were informed they would not get visas to enter Palestine and, furthermore, would not be permitted entry into Turkey.

The boat was kept in quarantine in Istanbul's harbor for more than two months. Turkish authorities denied the passengers permission to land without British agreement to their continued journey to Palestine. On February 23, 1942, the Turkish police towed the boat out to sea and abandoned it. The next day, on February 24, the boat sank. Although the cause of the sinking is not definitively known, it is assumed that it was mistakenly torpedoed by a Soviet submarine. Only one passenger, David Stoliar, survived.

Here is a list of the victims. There are some inconsistencies between lists so this one is a superset created by JewishGen.


1	ABRAMOVICI Ghizela	260	GRUENFELD Laszlo 38	520	PITARU Ghizela 39
2	ABRAMOVICI Iosef 33	261	GRUMER Fritz	521	PITARU Sulem 41
3	ABRAMOVICI Jean 30	262	GRUNSTEIN Herman	522	PLAIN Denise ( Pusa) 5
4	ABRAMOVICI Matei 21	263	GRUPPER Filip 27	523	PLAIN Jacob 32
5	ABRAMOVICI Moise	264	GRUPPER Rachella 36	524	PLAIN Nehama (Anisoara) 31
6	ADANIA Silvian 25	265	GUTMAN Adeline 25	525	PLATZMAN Adrian 14
7	ADLER Gustav 38	266	GUTMAN Alexandru 27	526	PLATZMAN Moritz 43
8	ADLER Israel 19	267	GUTTENMAHER Smil 21	527	PLATZMAN Sofia 39
9	ADLER Oswald 45	268	HAFNER Luci 20	528	POMERANTZ I. Carol
10	ADLER Tilia 37	269	HAIM Denise 6	529	POPELINGHER Adolf 18
11	AGAR Simon Zeilig 33	270	HAIM Iacob 32	530	PRIKFER Marcel
12	AIZIG David 22	271	HAIM Nahoma	531	RABINOVICI Arnold
13	ALCALAY Sara	272	HAIM Sabina 30	532	RABINOVICI Ida 21
14	ALTER Bention 37	273	HAIMOVICI Angelina 20	533	RACHTER Bella 19
15	ALTER Betty 20 & SIN ALTER Betty	274	HAIMOVICI Carol 19	534	RADER H. Iehil 43
16	ALTER Esther 11	275	HAIMOVICI Virgil	535	RADULESCU Misu 20
17	ALTER Iacob 5	276	HALFIN Ida 55	536	RAZMILEN F Avram
18	ALTER Taube (Toni) 35	277	HALISCH Alfred 35	537	RAZMILEN F Mina
19	ANTONIER Jacques	278	HALISCH Jeannette 28	538	RECHTMAN Dela
20	ANTONIER Rodica	279	HARAS Sergiu	539	RECHTMAN Iacob 38
21	APFELBERGH H. Solomon 31	280	HASCALOVICI Iosef & Iosef	540	RECHTMAN Moni 8
22	APOGI Maximilian August 20	281	HASCALOVICI Rachela 30	541	REICHMAN Clara
23	APOTHEKER Aurel 44	282	HAISCALOVICI Sergiu 6	542	REICHMAN Henta 67
24	APOTHEKER Dina 38	283	HASSAN Eduard 20	543	REICHMAN Moritz 32
25	APOTHEKER Puiu Julius 17	284	HASSAN Iuditha 17	544	REICHMAN Silvia 28
26	APPEL Aron Alexander	285	HEFTER Harry 21	545	REINSTEIN Alfred 22
27	APPEL Emanuel	286	HEINIS Boris 21	546	RETER David 35
28	APPEL Feiga	287	HELENBRANT Louis 21	547	RETTER Bruno 20
29	APPEL Israel	288	HELLER Bertha 36	548	RINTZLER Fany
30	APPEL Zoltan 16	289	HELLER Henic 22	549	RINTZLER M Aviel 46
31	ARONESCU Mina	290	HELLER Leon 36	550	ROMAN Francisc 20
32	ARONESCU Siegfrid	291	HELLER Oswald 2	551	ROSEN Hugo 28
33	ARONOVICI Lulu 30	292	HELLER Pepi 54	552	ROSENBERG Dana
34	ARONOVICI Natalia 20	293	HERSCOVICI Edith 10	553	ROSENBERG Elisabetha
35	AURELIAN Alexandru 31	294	HERSCOVICI Hary 22	554	ROSENBERG Maria 12
36	AVNER Berthold 34	295	HERSCOVICI Marcel 44	555	ROSENBERG Simon
37	AVNER Mesalina Linzi 28	296	HERSCOVICI Maximilian 39	556	ROSENFELD Marcel 15
38	AVNER Saia Mendel 24	297	HERSCOVICI Moise 18	557	ROSENTZWEIG Aurica
39	BACALU Ihil 33	298	HERSCOVICI Saly 41	558	ROSENTZWEIG Etty
40	BACALU Marian	299	HERSCOVICI Teodor 21	559	ROSENTZWEIG Harry
41	BACALU Seina-Tvia	300	HERSCU Eva	560	ROSENTZWEIG Pincu
42	BACH Iuster Octav 24	301	HERSCU I Herscu	561	ROSENTZWEIG Solomon
43	BANC Baruch Debora 50	302	HERSCU Sali	562	ROSENZWITT Solomon
44	BANC Baruch Iosif Jose	303	HERSCU Sofia	563	ROTENBERG Saul
45	BARAT Eli Elias (Perets) 27	304	HERSER Malca 30	564	ROTTMAN Iancu 21
46	BARAT Sofia 20	305	HERSER Samuel 34	565	ROTTMAN Sonia
47	BARBER Rita	306	HERZBLUT Matilda 53	566	ROZEN Israel 25
48	BARBER Siegfried	307	HIRSCH Adalbert 38	567	ROZENTHAL Noel
49	BARON Adolf-Herbert	308	HIRSCH Gabriela 2	568	ROZENTZWEIG Betty
50	BARON Gusta	309	HIRSCH Roza 34	569	ROZNER Berl Bernard 52
51	BARON Marcel	310	HONIGSBERG Berta 20	570	ROZNER Etty 52
52	BARON Richard	311	HONIGSBERG Fritz 18	571	RUBINSTEIN Figa 33
53	BARTFELD Martin	312	HONIGSBERG Lisa 43	572	RUBSEL Mihail 29
54	BARUCH Cecilia 31	313	HONIGSBERG Ozias	573	SAFRAN Samuel
55	BARUCH Josef	314	HORENSTEIN Carol 30	574	SAILOFSCHI Ella 25
56	BEER Ionel 21	315	HOROVITZ Daniel	575	SALAMOVICI Simon
57	BEILICH Egon 17	316	HOSIN Sami	576	SAMUEL Leopold 34
58	BERCOVICI Alfred	317	IACOBOVICI Bernard	577	SAPIRO B. Mayer 21
59	BERCOVICI Cornel Adrian 2	318	IACOBOVICI Fainaru Pincu 46	578	SCHACHTER Blima 42
60	BERCOVICI Ignat	319	IANCHELOVICI Etti 10	579	SCHACHTER Burah 44
61	BERCOVICI Iona 33	320	IANCHELOVICI Frida	580	SCHACHTER Charlotte 35
62	BERCOVICI Margareta	321	IANCHELOVICI User	581	SCHACHTER Clara 11
63	BERCU Betty 26	322	IANCOVICI Moritz	582	SCHACHTER Eugen 7
64	BERCU Iosef 29	323	IANCU Clara	583	SCHACHTER H. Calman 40
65	BERLAND Eduard	324	IANCU Ioines 34	584	SCHACHTER Iosef 16
66	BERLAND Lazar Lulu 19	325	IANCU Itic 68	585	SCHACHTER Leon 26
67	BERLAND Lea Liza 49	326	IANCU Moise 30	586	SCHACHTER Max
68	BERMAN Fichel 29	327	IANCU Sofia	587	SCHACHTER Riven Paul 46
69	BERRY Waldi Willi 20	328	IOINA Iosif 28	588	SCHACHTER Ruhla 40
70	BINDER Iosef 47	329	IOSUBAS Itic 32	589	SCHACHTER Sura 22
71	BINDER Marcu 14	330	IRMAN Haia 27	590	SCHACHTER Titi]
72	BINDERER Leopold 23	331	ISTACESCU Adela	591	SCHAECHTER A. Leia 33
73	BIRSTEIN M Samy	332	ISTACESCU Alfred 8	592	SCHAECHTER Francisca 20
74	BLANK Osias	333	ISZAC I. Emerio 24	593	SCHALICK Gerson 41
75	BLUMENFELD Leiba 27	334	ITCOVICI Adela 24	594	SCHALICK Sonia 35
76	BRAUN Eugen	335	ITIC Avdel	595	SCHAPIRA Max 50
77	BRAUN Judit 3	336	ITIC Avram 21	596	SCHARF Clara 19
78	BRAUN Maria 37	337	ITICOVICI Adela	597	SCHARF Nessi-Ita 56
79	BRILL Frida	338	ITICOVICI Cornelia 18	598	SCHARF Smil 57
80	BRILL Marcel	339	ITICSON Albert	599	SCHATTNER Abraham Leo 33
81	BRILL Sonia	340	JUSTER Harry 20	600	SCHATTNER Beno 30 33
82	BRIRER Zoltan 39	341	JUSTER Mircea 22	601	SCHEMNITZ Ernest 28
83	BUCSPAN Enta-Zlata 55	342	KAFRISEN Moise 27	602	SCHEMNITZ Mina 26
84	BUCSPAN Grigore 54	343	KAHANE Ilie 22	603	SCHENKER Zecu Zecrand
85	BUTNARU Elias 20	344	KAHANE Julius Ilie 35	604	SCHERTZER Nicolae
86	BUTTER Alexandru	345	KANIUK Ernest 30	605	SCHIFF Alexandru 25
87	BUTTER Bertina	346	KANNA Gustav 20	606	SCHIFF Eva 23
88	CALICHMAN Avram 50	347	KATZ Armand 19	607	SCHMATNIK Leo 39
89	CALICHMAN Beila-Liula 45	348	KATZ Friederike 39	608	SCHMATNIK Trily 40
90	CAMERMAN Solomon 23	349	KATZ Sigmund 45	609	SCHMETTERLING Ernest Emanuel 19
91	CANETTI Isac 40	350	KATZ Zelig 20	610	SCHMETTERLING Frieda 49
92	CANETTI Jose Moise 7	351	KAUFMAN Sami 27	611	SCHMETTERLING Marcu 62
93	CANETTI Virginia 35	352	KELEN Nicolae	612	SCHMETTERLING Victor 22
94	CASSEL Mordehai 27	353	KELMAN Matilda 20	613	SCHNAPP Erich Heinz (Uri Zwi) 20
95	CIOBOTARU C.Z. Alfred 34	354	KESSELBRENNER Ghitel 55	614	SCHONBERGER A. Ladislau 21
96	CIOCANILE Jean-Marcel	355	KLEINBERG Mendel 28	615	SCHONBERGER Pavel 26
97	CLARFELD Motel 41	356	KLEIN Herman	616	SCHONFELD Hugo 18
98	COGANSCHI Adela-Ana 17	357	KLEIN Josef 38	617	SCHOR Julia 21
99	COGANSCHI Haia 45	358	KOERNER Zighi	618	SCHTERNBERG Moritz Brukenstein
100	COGANSCHI Iosef 57	359	KORN Malvina 20	619	SCHWARTZ Avram
101	COHAN Izhac 22	360	KORNBLUTT Mauriciu 27	620	SCHWARTZ Clara
102	COHEN Adof 59	361	KORNBLUTT Zela 20	621	SCHWARTZ Frieda 27
103	COHEN Rosa 59	362	KRAUS Clara	622	SCHWARTZ Haia 36
104	COHEN Simon	363	KRAUS Marcel 37	623	SCHWARTZ Iosef Iancu 43
105	COHN Bercu	364	LANDAU Emil 31	624	SCHWARTZ Marcu Alter
106	COHN David Dudu 21	365	LANDAU Hortensa-Silvia 33	625	SCHWARTZ Miriam 1
107	COHN George Gigel 1	366	LANDAU Ruhla 30	626	SCHWARTZ N. Lupu 20
108	COHN I Zalman & Zanas 35	367	LANDMAN Heinerich	627	SCHWARTZ Rebeca
109	COHN Ionas 21	368	LANDMAN Jose	628	SCHWARTZ Solomon 37
110	COHN Ionel 19	369	LANDMAN Liza	629	SCHWARTZ Sorin
111	COHN Touba 34	370	LANDMAN Willy	630	SCHWARTZ Tamara 4
112	COIFMAN Paula-Haia 54	371	LANGENMAS Dvora 49	631	SCHWARTZ Henriette 29
113	COIFMAN Struli 53	372	LANGENMAS Ruth 17	632	SCHWARTZ Valentin 7
114	COJOCARU Carol	373	LANGMANTEL Armand 36	633	SCHWEIFEL Ana Sara 28
115	COTIGARU Debora 23	374	LANGMANTEL Eduard	634	SCHWEIFEL Manase Manole 31
116	COTIGARU Lupu	375	LANGMANTEL Margareta 10	635	SCHWEIFEL S. Mircea
117	CRAMER Iosif 18	376	LANGMANTEL Rachel 31	636	SEGAL Clotilda 29
118	DAIAN Haim Abraham 55	377	LAXER Adolf	637	SEGAL Filip 20
119	DAIAN Olga 13	378	LAZARESCU Bernard David 28	638	SEGAL Hermina 29
120	DAIAN Sara 50	379	LAZARESCU Heinerich	639	SEGAL Jeanetta 29
121	DAVID Etty	380	LAZARESCU Henta	640	SEGAL Jules 29
122	DAVID Rifca 61	381	LAZARESCU Paulina 29	641	SEGAL Lupu Ghizela 20
123	DAVIDOVICI Sofia 22	382	LAZAROVICI Leibu	642	SEGAL Lupu Leibu 53
124	DIAMAND Ghizela	383	LAZAROVICI Rene	643	SEGAL Lupu Robert 25
125	DIAMAND Nicu	384	LAZAROVICI Severin	644	SEGAL P Haim
126	DIAMAND Simona	385	LECKER Leon Leib 34	645	SEGAL Saul 33
127	DICHTER A. Ionel	386	LEIBOVICI Leonido Corucli	646	SEGAL W. Silen 29
128	DITZ Eugen 27	387	LEIBOVICI Basia 30	647	SEGALESCU Henrietta 22
129	DRATH S. Danil	388	LEIBOVICI D. Iacob 27	648	SENATER Fredrich 22
130	DULITZCHI Rachil	389	LEIBOVICI Haia	649	SIGMUND A. Iosef 21
131	EDELSTEIN Clara 29	390	LEIBOVICI Heinerich	650	SILBERBUSCH Gerhard 33
132	EDELSTEIN Jack 25	391	LEIBOVICI Silvia (Leonin) 51	651	SILBERMAN Eleonora 28
133	EDELSTEIN Leo 32	392	LEIBOVICI Leib-Itic	652	SILBERMAN Rubin 32
134	EISIC Louis 20	393	LEIBOVICI Lizica (Leonin) 441	653	SILBERSTEIN Gerson 36
135	EISIC Mircea 18	394	LEIBOVICI Luis 27	654	SILVIAN D. Emil 28
136	EKELSTEIN Roza	395	LEIBOVICI Marcu 25	655	SILVIAN Maxim
137	ELCOVICI Naftali 24	396	LEIBOVICI Simon	656	SIMON B. Simon 42
138	ELIAS Avram-Bernard	397	LEIBOVICI Solomon 37	657	SIMON I. Carolina known as STILOVICI 30
139	ELIAS Iosif	398	LEON Marcu 21	658	SIMON I. Iosef known as STILOVICI 30
140	ELIAS Medea	399	LEVI Haim 23	659	SIMON Lucian 19
141	ELIAS Rozi	400	LIUBARSCHI David 57	660	SIMON Moise
142	EPSTEIN Matias 37	401	LIUBARSCHI Dora 54	661	SIMON Pesta 32
143	EPSTEIN Sara Rebeca 26	402	LIVESCU Matilda	662	SIN Smial Smaia 34
144	ERBST Matei 21	403	LIVOVSCHI Basia 60	663	SLOIMOVICI Emanuel 19
145	FARHI Henry 22	404	LIVOVSCHI Sara 29	664	SLOIMOVICI Peisah Iacob 30
146	FEIGHENBAUM Elias 29	405	LIVOVSCHI Smil Wolf 69	665	SLOMOVICI Maria
147	FEIGHENBAUM Estera Liza 23	406	LOBEL Horis	666	SLOMOVICI Rosa 16
148	FEIGHENBAUM Ruhla 53	407	LOCKER Gerta Marta & SCHOR Greta Marga	667	SLOMOVICI Smil 15
149	FEINGOLD Otto	408	LOCKER Siegfried & SCHOR Siegfried	668	SMIL Israel
150	FELD Margareta	409	LORIAN Silvian 27	669	SMIL Rifca
151	FELD Nicolae	410	LOTHRINGER Ilse 20	670	SMILOVICI Ana 20
152	FELDMAN Estera 40	411	LOWENSTEIN Carol 18	671	SMILOVICI Beno 26
153	FELDMAN Isak	412	LUCIAN Hana Mayer 31	672	SMILOVICI Burah 37
154	FELDSTEIN Avram	413	LUCIAN Ilie Mayer 8	673	SMILOVICI Ida
155	FELDSTEIN David	414	LUCIAN Mayer	674	SMILOVICI Leonard 44
156	FELDSTEIN Ghedrich 31	415	LUDOVIC Eduard 39	675	SMILOVICI Nora 17
157	FELDSTEIN Gheorghe	416	LUDOVIC Emanuel 36	676	SOLOMON David Lazar
158	FELDSTEIN Ghizela-Luisa 28	417	LUPOVICI Bluma 26	677	SOLOMON Dorel 20
159	FELDSTEIN Nely 23	418	LUPOVICI Smil 27	678	SOLOMON Efraim
160	FELDSTEIN Robert 28	419	LUPU Bertina 22	679	SOLOMON Virgiliu 17
161	FELDSTEIN Rozica 23	420	LUPU I. Strul 29	680	SONNENREICH Abram 33
162	FELDSTEIN Schefie	421	MAGAZANIC Ofser 67	681	SONNENREICH Rasela 30
163	FELL Solomon 22	422	MAGDER Edmond 50	682	SONNENREICH Sami 3
164	FELLER Gustav 29	423	MALLER Ladislau 22	683	SPAHARIU Dvoira 18
165	FICHER Lanca 40	424	MANDEL Iacob 16	684	SPEISER L. Bernard 20
166	FISCHER Jacob 40	425	MANOLE Lazar 22	685	SPIEGEL Avram 41
167	FISCHER L. Rozica	426	MARCOVICI Henry 20	686	SPIEGEL Clonde-Claudia 5
168	FISCHER Rudy	427	MARCOVICI Moise	687	SPIEGEL Lena
169	FISCHER Silvia	428	MARCU Iacob	688	SPIEGEL Mauriciu 7
170	FISCHER Zoltan 9	429	MARCU Sorina 22	689	SPIEGEL Soliem
171	FISCHMAN Maletta (Moleta) 36	430	MARCU Suzeta 24	690	SPIRER Basil-Julian 16
172	FISCHMAN Nissem 22	431	MARCUS Ana	691	SPIRER Rudolfina
173	FLEISCHER Anna 33	432	MARCUS Aneta Lupu 41	692	SPIRER Samuel 52
174	FLEISCHER David Sami 44	433	MARCUS Avram 28	693	SPIVACK Avram 32
175	FLEISCHER Robert 7	434	MARCUS	694	STAHL Desideriu 19
176	FLIGHELMAN Haim 18	435	MARCUS Ivette 7	695	STAHL Jacques 32
177	FLIGLER Max 31	436	MARCUS Lupu Herscu 42	696	STAROSTE Ester 44
178	FLINCKER Jeanette 51	437	MARCUS Malvina 21	697	STAROSTE Lazar (Eliezer) 60
179	FLINCKER Klaus Zoltan 15	438	MARCUS Marga Lupu	698	STEIN I. Moise
180	FLINCKER Richard 17	439	MARCUS Mendel 69	699	STEINBACH Reica 26
181	FRANGHIERU Aron 17	440	MARCUS Leon 29	700	STEINBACH Leo Henry 26
182	FRIEDMAN Desideriu 42	441	MARCUS Rosa 52	701	STERNBERG Manole 17
183	FRIEDMAN Ileana 19	442	MARGULIUS Aurel 23	702	STIER Anisoara 8 months
184	FRIEDMAN Nicolae 13	443	MARGULIUS Efraim 35	703	STIER Etty 21
185	FRIEDMAN Sofia 38	444	MARGULIUS Emil 25	704	STIER Samuel 31
186	FRUCHTER Iehuda 16	445	MARGULIUS Harry 20	705	STORFER Norbert 22
187	FRUCHTER Isac 18	446	MARGULIUS Margarita 18	706	STORFER Saul 31
188	FRUCHTMAN Henrieta 26	447	MATTES Lazar	707	STRAUSS Elisabeta
189	FRUCHTMAN Solomon	448	MAYER Artur 32	708	STRAUSS Israel Walter
190	FUCHS Mauriciu 29	449	MAYER L. Avram 27	709	SUCHARD William 30
191	GALATAN Moise	450	MAYER M. Avram 23	710	SUCHARD Sonia 27
192	GALATAN Posina 45	451	MAYER N Fany Felicia 24	711	SULIMOVICI Iosefleib 19
193	GALIA Jean Haralambie	452	MAYER Silvia 20	712	SULIMOVICI Rebeca
194	GANBIS I.Emanuel	453	MAYERSOHN Ana 26	713	SULIMOVICI Sami
195	GARTENBERG Arnold 33	454	MAYERSOHN Hana 40	714	SULITEANU Moritz 25
196	GARTENBERG Felix 31	455	MAYERSOHN Henry 43	715	SUREI Moritz
197	GARTENBERG Rifca 28	456	MEIROVICI Simon	716	TALISMAN David 17
198	GHELBER Batia	457	MENDELOVICI Haia 45	717	TAUBER Ana 38
199	GHELBER Heinrich 44	458	MENDELSOHN Eduard 29	718	TECUCEANU Isac 22
200	GHELBER Lea-Hude 39	459	MERLAUB I. Moritz 37	719	TENENBAUM Leo 28
201	GHELBER M. Danil	460	MIHALOVICI Alterescu 45	720	TERCATIN Itzhac ( Puiu) 26
202	GHELMAN Alexandru	461	MIHALOVICI Dorel 17	721	TERKEL Fania 24
203	GHELMAN Fania	462	MIHALOVICI Prima 40	722	TERKEL Lazar 26
204	GHELMAN Feiga-Fanea	463	MINDIRIGIU Aurica 35	723	TETTELZWEIG Ana
205	GHELMAN Moise	464	MINDIRIGIU Nachim Naftuli 41	724	TETTELZWEIG Isac 30
206	GHENTZER Ernestina	465	MITRANI Ionel 24	725	TZIMAND Jack
207	GHENTZER Magdalena	466	MOISE Ciprut	726	TZIMAND Saul 23
208	GHETEL Frida 32	467	MOISESCU Frusina 38	727	UNGAR Albert 20
209	GHETEL Solomon 45	468	MOISESCU Iosif 44	728	VOGEL Carol 43
210	GHETLER I. Macas	469	MOISESCU Mircea 10	729	WACHTEL Jova 21
211	GHETLER Iosif 49	470	MOISESCU Nelu 13	730	WAGNER Regina 49
212	GHETLER Leah-Lia 44	471	MULER Mintia	731	WAGNER Walter 21
213	GHINSBERG Adrian 7	472	MUNBLAT Samuel 19	732	WAGNER Wilhelm Israel 49
214	GHINSBERG Evelina 32	473	MUNTEANU Victor 26	733	WALTER Elisa 33
215	GHINSBERG Marcu	474	NACHMAN Estera 35	734	WALTER Mauriciu 33
216	GLANOVSCHI Gherson 30	475	NACHMAN Lupu 39	735	WALTER Mignon 5
217	GLICKMAN Avram 48	476	NACHMAN Mauriciu 21	736	WASSERMAN Toby
218	GLICKMAN Evghenia 33	477	NACHT Oscar 34	737	WECHSLER Elias 30
219	GLICKMAN Iacob 7	478	NADLER Albert	738	WECHSLER Etty Iehudith 21
220	GLICKMAN Liza 70	479	NADLER Iosef	739	WEINBERG Avram
221	GLICKMAN Rita 10	480	NADLER Marcel 33	740	WEINBERG Clara
222	GLUCKMAN Alfred 30	481	NADLER Marcela	741	WEINBERG Moise Aron
223	GLUCKMAN Sophie 24	482	NADLER Rosa 19	742	WEINBERG Natan 29
224	GOLDENBERG Iossi 26	483	NAGY Mauriciu	743	WEINBERG Rubin Dudi 30
225	GOLDENBERG Osias 24	484	NAHIM Ionel 41	744	WEINGARTEN Avram-Ida
226	GOLDMAN Alexandru 40	485	NAHIM Clara 31	745	WEINGARTEN Beniamin 18
227	GOLDMAN Hans 4	486	NAHIM Bruna 12	746	WEINGARTEN Meir
228	GOLDMAN Racla 7	487	NAIMAN Solomon	747	WEINGARTEN Tipora
229	GOLDMAN Tivi 32	488	NATANSON Sami 29	748	WEINSTEIN A. Simon 25
230	GOLDSTEIN Ana	489	NESTOITU Sara 54	749	WEINSTEIN Iosef
231	GOLDSTEIN Armand 25	490	NEUBERGER Ghitea 34	750	WEINSTEIN Moritz 25
232	GOLDSTEIN Eliezer 31	491	NEUBERGER Louis 46	751	WEINTRAUB Julian 38
233	GOLDSTEIN Marcu 50	492	NEUBERGER Valentina 8	752	WEISS Avram 29
234	GOLDSTEIN Moise Haim	493	NULLMAN Heinrich 18	753	WEISS Maria
235	GOLDSTEIN Simon	494	NULLMAN Isac 42	754	WEISS Paul 3
236	GOLDSTEIN Stefania 29	495	NULLMAN Sara 37	755	WEISSBERG Hedwig 33
237	GOTLIEB Bronislava 52	496	NURENBERG Mathilda 18	756	WEISSBERG Rudolf
238	GOTLIEB Heinrich 54	497	NUSSBAUM Andrei 19	757	WEISSLER Marcu 26
239	GOTLIEB Paul-Norbert 21	498	NUSSBAUM Berta 53	758	WEITMAN Avram 23
240	GOTLIEB Thea-Ruth	499	ORMEANU Goldenberg Otto 46	759	WEITRAUB Leon 19
241	GOTTESMAN Iacob 33	500	OSFELD Isac 25	760	WITENBERG Simon 28
242	GREIF Calman 24	501	PAUCKER Jean Leonard 27	761	WOLFSHAUT Hans 28
243	GROBDRUG Alexandru 22	502	PAUKER Rebeca Rifca 29	762	ZAHARIA Marcu 34
244	GROPPER Marcel	503	PEISIS Iosef 28	763	ZALMANOVICI Saul 28
245	GROSS Nora 26	504	PENCOVICI Leon 16	764	ZEITS Bendit 44
246	GROSS Victor Paul 16	505	PERITZ Aneta	765	ZEITS Rebeca 17
247	GROSSMAN Marcel	506	PERITZ Avram	766	ZEITS Sara 45
248	GRUBER Isac 34	507	PERLMUTER Sara 17	767	ZELERMAYER Carol
249	GRUENBERG Gabriel 25	508	PESKARIU Isac (Iancu) 25	768	ZELERMAYER Gusta
250	GRUENBERG Efraim 30	509	PESCARU Iancu	769	ZIGHELMAN Andrei-Puiu 6
251	GRUENBERG Ferdinand-Lica 24	510	PESCARU Sura 39	770	ZIGHELMAN Solomon
252	GRUENBERG Irina 21	511	PICHER Friderich 51	771	ZIGHELMAN Rasela 31
253	GRUENBERG Jean 21	512	PICHER Herbert Fani	772	ZILBERMAN Burah
254	GRUENBERG Leon 19	513	PICHER Herbert Iulius	773	ZILBERMAN Frida
255	GRUENBERG Moritz 42	514	PICHER Marcel	774	ZILBERMAN Isac 18
256	GRUENBERG Otto	515	PICHER Marian-Silvia 17	775	ZILBERMAN Pinhas 24
257	GRUENBERG Stella 19	516	PICHER Roza	776	ZILBERMAN Rebeca
258	GRUENBERG Wolf-Zeev 28	517	PINCU Herscu 40	777	ZILBERMAN Silvia
259	GRUENFELD Itzhac-Eizig	518	PINCU Iosefina 39	778	ZISMAN Sura 58
		519	PINCU Liviu 9	779	ZISMAN Zisu Rebeca
				780	ZISSU Avram
				781	ZOTKOVER Louis 21

(h/t Josh K)

Last week Israeli Defense Minister Liberman offered to provide Gaza with a huge level of assistance, in return for Hamas shutting down their rocket attacks and closing their attack tunnels. In return, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar turned down the offer, claiming that if Gaza wanted to be like Singapore, it would have already done so.

The truth is that for a while, in the 1970's, Gaza rivalled -- and even surpassed -- Singapore.

In "What Occupation?", Efraim Karsh writes about how severe the situation of the Palestinian Arabs following the 1967 War:

The larger part, still untold in all its detail, is of the astounding social and economic progress made by the Palestinian Arabs under Israeli "oppression." At the inception of the occupation, conditions in the territories were quite dire. Life expectancy was low; malnutrition, infectious diseases, and child mortality were rife; and the level of education was very poor. Prior to the 1967 war, fewer than 60 percent of all male adults had been employed, with unemployment among refugees running as high as 83 percent. Within a brief period after the war, Israeli occupation had led to dramatic improvements in general well-being, placing the population of the territories ahead of most of their Arab neighbors.

...During the 1970's, the West Bank and Gaza constituted the fourth fastest-growing economy in the world-ahead of such "wonders" as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Korea, and substantially ahead of Israel itself.[emphasis added]

Similarly, CAMERA notes that

the Palestinian territories had one of the ten fastest growing economies during the 1970's, just behind Saudi Arabia (which benefited from the oil shock of 1973), and ahead of Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea.

What both Karsh and CAMERA write is substantiated by the World Bank.

In 1993, The World Bank published Developing the Occupied Territories: The Economy

According to the World Bank report (paragraph 2.3):

This picture of crisis contrasts sharply with a longer-term view of past development. The Occupied Territories [OT] were among the top ten fastest growing economies in the world during the 1970s period when measured in terms of GNP growth (Figure 2). The expansion in GDP per capita was somewhat lower, but was still large by international standards.

That all came to an end with the Intifada -- but not quite.

In March 1995, the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a plan where Soon The Gaza Strip Will Be Competing with Singapore, thanks to

industrial parks which the leadership of the [Israeli] Foreign, Industry and Finance Ministries is planning at this very moment, under total secrecy. The goal: to establish between 8 to 11 such parks on the cease-fire line between Israel and the autonomous areas, which the Palestinian Authority will control within the next few months.

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres is the one who envisioned all this, and those close to him say with pride: We are getting closer to Singapore, Taiwan and Hong-Kong, in huge steps.

And then, after the vision arrives to develop the cities Gaza, Dir Al- Balah, Ofakim and Sderot it will be copied in the cease-fire line between Afula and Jenin, to Mt. Hebron and Tul-Karm, and will reach the entrance of Kochav Yair.

Each industrial park will be established for about 10,000 employees, and will sit on 2,000 dunam of land, with considerable financial assistance from foreign investors and also governmental subsidies. The Palestinians will run them, and be its workers, for the most part.

None of that came to pass.

And now Hamas says with pride not only that it has no interest in becoming another Singapore, but that if it really wanted to, it could do so without any help from Israel.

Regarding the former -- there is little doubt.
Regarding the latter -- there is little likelihood.
Either way, Gazans themselves have no say in the matter.

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02/23 Links Pt2: The centenary of the Balfour Declaration; Terrorist Finds Friends on the Radical Jewish Left

From Ian:

The centenary of the Balfour Declaration

The men who passed the Balfour Declaration believed that they were not taking away one ethnic community’s land to give to another; instead they were taking away land that had for four centuries since 1517 belonged to the Ottoman Turks, and giving it to a national homeland for the Jews, without prejudicing the rights of the Palestinian Arabs. Both communities were native to the land for centuries, after all.The way that it would work, as Churchill pointed out in his 4 July 1922 speech as Colonial Secretary, was by the development of the League of Nations’territory through irrigation of the Red Sea and electrification of the region, making it for the first time economically and agriculturally possible for everyone to live there. One might today think in the light of later events that that was naive, but it was the way the Cabinet felt about the future of the Mandate. It was idealistic rather than, as anti-Israel activists try to argue, cynical.
By February 1918 Balfour was telling a friend: ‘My personal hope is that the Jews will make good in Palestine and eventually found a Jewish state.’ To his relation Lady Rayleigh he said that July: ‘The Jews were too great a race not to count and they ought to have a place where those who had strong racial idealism could develop on their own lines as a nation and govern themselves.’ And that ‘nothing but the Holy Land would satisfy their aspirations.’ When she pointed out that the ‘the Arabs will make difficulties: they say the land is theirs, they are three to one of the Jews’ he answered ‘But there are difficulties in whatever you do.’ He was even more explicit in August 1919 when he wrote: ‘Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-old traditions, in present need, in future hopes, of far profounder importance than the desires and prejudices of the seven hundred thousand Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land.’ At the end of his life he said that on looking back it was the thing he was proudest to have done.
Today, from Morocco to Afghanistan, from the Caspian Sea to Aden, the 5.25 million square miles of territory belonging to members of the Arab League is home to over 330 million people, whereas Israel covers only eight thousand square miles, and is home to seven million citizens, one-fifth of whom are Arabs. The Jews of the Holy Land are thus surrounded by hostile states 650 times their size in territory and sixty times their population, yet their last, best hope of ending two millennia of international persecution – the State of Israel - has somehow survived. A century on, the Declaration stands as a righteous blow for genius, development, progress and freedom. Foremost among the types of people who admire these phenomena are the Chinese, who should therefore also celebrate the centenary of the Balfour Declaration.

Sir Eric Pickles: Planting trees in the bastion of democracy

The Jerusalem Hills are one of the most beautiful sights in the world. The peaceful, rolling green hills, thick with trees and vineyards, are world renowned and deeply evocative.
On a clear day you can see for miles at Jerusalem’s Yad Kennedy Memorial in the Aminadav Forest. So I’ve been led to believe. Last Wednesday was not one of those days. In true British style, heavy mist had fallen upon Jerusalem and rain fell relentlessly sideways.
The inclement weather had arrived just in time for me to plant one of the trees awarded to me by Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) to celebrate my recent knighthood. This moving gift was a particular honor for me and I’d been looking forward to this moment.
I first came to Israel in 1980 and fell in love with the place and its people.
Israel is a bastion of democracy in a region plagued by chaos and autocracy.

Convicted Killer of Israelis Finds Friends on the Radical Jewish Left

Odeh has found allies in the Arab-American community in Chicago, where she lives. That’s disheartening, because one would like to think that the Arab-American community is as horrified by Odeh’s terrorism as everyone else is.
As it turns out, though, Odeh’s Arab-American allies have proven rather ineffective. The Arab-American Action Network (AAAN) — a group that Odeh works for — has advanced two arguments in her defense. One is that Odeh “misunderstood” the question on the form; that’s obviously absurd.
The AAAN’s second line of defense is that Odeh confessed to the bombings only after several weeks of “torture” and “sexual abuse” by Israeli interrogators. That, of course, conflicts with the fact that Odeh confessed after just one day in jail. And the AAAN can’t explain the bombs found in Odeh’s apartment, the statements of her co-conspirators or her undisputed involvement with a terrorist group.
So Odeh has been looking for other allies. And she’s found one — on the edges of the Jewish community.
The far-left JVP has announced that Odeh will be one of the featured speakers at its national conference in Chicago at the end of March.
JVP was founded by three undergraduates at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s ironic that an organization founded by college students should be embracing someone who murdered two college students. I suppose as long as she didn’t murder any members of JVP, they don’t consider her to be the enemy.

Iran is only against "occupation." (BTW, all of Israel is "occupation.")

From Iran's PressTV:

The two-day Tehran conference on Palestine, attended by around 700 foreign guests from dozens of countries and representatives of pro-Palestinian organizations, wrapped up on Wednesday with a statement that voiced support for the rights of the Palestinian nation and underlined the need for an end to Israel’s nearly seven decades of occupation.

In the statement, the participants underlined the need for further unity among the Palestinians, and highlighted resistance as the sole solution to the Palestinian issue.

The use of the word "occupation" is deliberate, specifically to appeal to gullible Westerners. Saying you are against Israel's "occupation" is laudatory, but saying you are against Israel's existence is not quite acceptable to the UN yet.

The word "resistance" is the same. It sounds so much nicer than "terrorism" which is what it means, during the "6th International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada."

People believe what they want to believe.

The good news is that Tehran is clearly concerned over Arab ties with Israel.

Addressing the 6th International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada (Uprising) in Tehran on Wednesday, the Iranian president raised the alarm over the Tel Aviv regime’s attempts to normalize relations with certain Arab countries of the region.

“The occupying regime [of Israel], in an attempt to normalize its situation, has for the first time referred to certain Arab countries as its allies against the resistance front, instead of describing them as its enemies," he said.

The Tel Aviv regime "claims that most of the Arab countries are not the enemies of Zionism or opposed to occupation anymore, but that they share the same phobia about resistance,” Rouhani added.

The Iranian president called on the countries of the region to remain vigilant in the face of Israeli plots, and said the Muslim world needs to clarify its position on the issue of Israel’s efforts to normalize its ties with Arab countries.

“Isn’t it time that neighbors once and for all say ‘No’ to war and fratricide?" Rouhani asked, calling for collective efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue, which he described as the Muslim world's major problem.

The idea of Arabs allying with Israel scares them more than anything President Obama ever said.

Iran likes to pretend that it is the leader of the Muslim world, and when Saudi Arabia sides with Israel over fellow Muslims, it shows that Iran's ambitions in that area are in shambles.

We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.

Vic Rosenthal's Weekly Column

On Tuesday, a military court pronounced sentence on Sgt. Elor Azaria, called in Israel’s media “the soldier who shot in Hevron.”

Azaria was convicted of manslaughter after he put a bullet into the head of an Arab terrorist who had been wounded after he stabbed and injured an IDF soldier in March of last year. The incident was filmed by a Palestinian working for the left-wing NGO B’tselem. The video was shown on Israeli television and a massive media/political circus ensued. Even before the IDF investigation was finished, the army Chief of Staff and the Defense Minister made public statements accusing Azaria of misconduct in the harshest terms.

The rules of engagement forbid harming a terrorist who has been “neutralized,” and unless it could be shown that Azaria could have reasonably believed that the terrorist sprawled on the ground was still a threat, shooting him would be a serious violation of protocol. Depending on his intention, it could also be manslaughter or even murder.

During the trial, Azaria’s defense team tried to establish that the shooting was justified. He testified that he feared that the terrorist might be wearing an explosive belt, or that he might reach for a knife nearby. His lawyers even called a witness to argue that it was not Azaria’s bullet that killed the terrorist.

The defense’s arguments were unconvincing, and Azaria’s testimony was at times contradictory. There was testimony from another soldier in his unit that after the shooting Azaria said “He tried to stab a friend of mine and he deserves to die.” The trial continued for several months and numerous witnesses and experts were heard. It was accompanied by heavy media attention and public demonstrations for and against the accused.

The court – three military judges – rejected all of the defense contentions in a very unsympathetic decision that took more than an hour to read, and rendered a verdict of manslaughter. The judges then took up the question of punishment. Azaria could have received as many as 20 years imprisonment, but the prosecution asked for a sentence of three to five years. Tuesday, he was sentenced to 18 months in military prison, 12 months probation, and reduction in rank to private. The contrast between the court’s harsh decision and the very lenient sentence was striking.

Reactions to the sentence illuminated the chasms that exist in Israeli society. Azaria’s family and supporters joined arms and sang “Hatikva” in the courtroom after the sentence was pronounced, and called for him to be pardoned. His father hugged him and said “Elor, you are a hero!” His lawyers promised to appeal the verdict. There were demonstrations in the street outside in his favor, as there were during the trial itself.

But some thought that the verdict was far too lenient. Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg wrote on her Facebook page that “They sentenced [Azaria] to just a year and a half in prison. Azaria needed to be punished, and seriously.” Most public officials have been very uncomfortable with everything having to do with the incident and want to put it behind them.

Not so fast.

What happened was symptomatic of the difficulty a liberal democracy has in dealing with opponents that wage asymmetric warfare against it. It also illustrates the role of the cognitive/psychological war that is raging alongside the terrorism and violence that gets most of the attention.

The incident happened during a time that stabbings and car-rammings against Jews – including women and girls, small children, elderly people, soldiers, policemen and civilians – were at a peak. Almost every day there was another report of a vicious attack, and many of the reports were tragic. Encouraged by the official Palestinian Authority TV and radio, and by social media, PA residents and even some Arab citizens of Israel went on a murder spree. Even Israelis that remember the bombings of the Second Intifada were shocked by the cold, implacable hatred. What kind of creature could go up to a pregnant woman on the street and plunge a knife into her neck?

Israelis saw their soldiers (“everybody’s children”) forced to make life-and-death decisions in difficult circumstances. They saw that Jews are expected to follow the rules, but that for Arabs there are no rules; that Jews are expected to behave according to European standards of civilization, while Arabs are free to compete with each other to be the most barbarous killers.

Many people believe that no terrorist should be allowed to survive his act, but the rules say that once a terrorist is no longer a danger, he should be arrested, not killed. The rules say that a terrorist wounded while trying (or succeeding) to kill Jews should receive medical care. At one point, a directive was even issued that care should be prioritized only by the severity of wounds, and not depend on who is the attacker and who the victim!

Israelis noted how the families of terrorists in Israeli jails are paid salaries by the Palestinian Authority (with money it gets from the US and Europe). The longer the sentence, the higher the wages, so the worst get the most. Those who are killed in the act are glorified as martyrs in the official media, and the ones that survive are often released in “prisoner exchanges” like the 2011 deal in which 1027 terrorists, including numerous multiple murderers, were exchanged for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.

And – very importantly – they knew that Israel does not apply the death penalty for terrorist murder, so killers would ultimately be able to go on with their lives after serving their sentences (or after being traded for kidnap victims or body parts).

Elor Azaria was asked to do his job in these circumstances. He was 19 at the time. After a terrorist tried to kill his friend, he did what any normal person would be tempted to do. He broke the rules, violated protocol, and gave the terrorist what, in a moral if not legal sense, he deserved.

What should have happened then was an administrative hearing in which he would have been punished for breaking the rules, not a media and political circus and not a conviction for manslaughter.

But it was not an accident that it played out the way it did. Everything that the IDF does is scrutinized by organizations that claim to work to protect human rights, but whose real purpose is to delegitimize Israel.

Much like the way the communities around Gaza are undermined by Hamas tunnels, Israeli society and media are subverted by anti-state non-governmental organizations, of which B’tselem is a prime example. B’tselem received almost US$ 6 million between 2012 and 2016 from foreign governmental bodies (and more from other anti-Israel sources) for legal, diplomatic, political and propaganda warfare – there is no other way to describe it – against the state of Israel, the IDF and its soldiers. This money paid the operative that recorded the video that was used to blow this incident up into a national affair, and bought him his camera.

The Azaria prosecution was a propaganda blow against the IDF, which Israel’s enemies want to portray as arbitrarily murdering innocent Arabs. It was damaging to the morale of the soldiers who risk their lives to protect us, and who believe that Azaria’s officers and almost the entire military hierarchy abandoned him (they did). And if it results in more terrorists surviving their encounters with the IDF, then in my opinion that will be unfortunate.

One lesson from the affair is that Israel should apply the death penalty to terrorist murderers. Perhaps some of the frustration felt by our soldiers and police would be alleviated if they knew that an arrested murderer was likely to be executed rather than sent to a relatively (by world standards) comfortable prison where he will draw a salary and await the next prisoner exchange or political deal.

Another lesson is that the massive “human rights” industry in Israel, which is paid for by some of our worst enemies, needs to have its foreign funding cut off. No other country in the world would permit its enemies to pay for a massive subversive enterprise inside its own borders.

I would like to see Azaria pardoned. He’s been punished adequately since the incident. I would like to see our soldiers and police continue to act aggressively to stop terrorists, and know that their superiors will go to bat for them. And let’s think seriously about the death penalty for terrorist murder.

We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.

02/23 Links Pt1: CSM Op-Ed: Jews Aren’t Jews, but Palestinians are Philistines; Golda Meir discusses the Palestinian identity

From Ian:

Op-Ed: Jews Aren’t Jews, but Palestinians are Philistines

In his Christian Science Monitor op-ed, John Yemma is not content to present his own opinion, he also changes historical facts in an especially shocking manner.
Palestinians are Philistines?
Citing no source at all, Yemma claims that Palestinians are actually Philistines:
Palestinians have ancient ties to the Holy Land as well. The biblical Philistines, among other peoples, were contemporaneous with the biblical Israelites. While it is not certain that today’s Palestinians are their direct descendants…
This is a complete fabrication. In fact, there is nothing “uncertain” about the historical record: Palestinians are most certainly not descended from Philistines.
Claims of this sort are nothing new: they have long been a staple of anti-Israel propaganda, including the roundly debunked notions that Palestinians are actually Canaanites and that Jesus was a Palestinian.
The idea that Palestinians are Philistines is equally, and most certainly, false. Yemma’s claim that there is any uncertainty about this is a clear distortion of facts.
Unlike modern day Jews and Palestinians, the Philistines were an ancient, non-Semitic, sea-faring people, whose form of worship was unconnected to the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
In other words, the Philistine ethnicity, culture and religion are all entirely different from that of modern day Palestinians.

Golda Meir discusses the Palestinian identity

1970--Thames Television--Golda Meir discusses the Palestinian identity, and asks why the Arabs in the West Bank became more Palestinian than the Arabs in the East Bank, after June 5 1967

What kind of state would Palestine be? A Jordan, or an ISIL-dominated Syria?

Indeed, as much as Israel might be leery of what a Palestinian state might look like, the Jordanians are terrified. If the West Bank were to become like Gaza, controlled by Hamas, or like Sinai, effectively a stateless territory, or like parts of Syria and Iraq, under the control of ISIL, or like Lebanon, home to Iranian proxies — the Hashemite Kingdom might not survive.
There are many who make the persuasive argument that the alternative to two states — to separation from the Palestinian majority in the West Bank — is an Israel that is no longer Jewish and democratic. That argument’s power is now weakened by the prospect that a putative Palestine state might not be a benign Jordan or a peaceful Egypt, but a cauldron of expansionist violence.
That explains both the diminishing confidence that a Palestinian state could work, and the increasing calls for a regional solution. Perhaps in the reconfigured Middle East, the West Bank could achieve some confederation with Jordan, and Gaza with Egypt, hitching the new state to older, stable ones. Or if the disintegration of Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen continues, maybe the entire future of the region lies less in existing nation states, and in broad confederations of city-states and local clans. In that environment, the Palestinians might find themselves without a state but with autonomy in an increasingly stateless region.
The creation of a Palestinian state is implausible while existing neighbours are being destroyed, and even the concept of statehood in the region is eroding. That does make a foreseeable peace agreement less likely. And it requires creative thinking as a new Middle East is being born.

Ayatollah Khamenei is bound to perish. Allah said so.

The Ayatollah Khamenei gave a speech to the Sixth International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada on Tuesday, Note that the name of the conference isn't "...in Support of the Palestinian People" but "...in support of the Palestinian Intifada," meaning that Iran is officially sponsoring terror.

The speech is translated into English on Khamenei's official site, so there can be no doubt as to what he was saying. And he said the usual about Israel being a cancer, blah blah blah.

I was struck by this section:

The history of Palestine is full of ups and downs, marked by the cruel occupation of that region, the rendering of millions of individuals homeless, and the courageous resistance of those heroic people. An intelligent quest in history shows that no people in any era of history have ever been subject to such pain, suffering and cruelty.

I could name a dozen groups today who are suffering worse than Palestinian Arabs ever did, let alone throughout history. In fact, Iran is complicit in the deaths of more Syrians in the past few years than the number of Palestinian Arabs who died from war in nearly seven decades.

And just for contrast with the conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and elsewhere, here is what that horribly divided city of Hebron looks like:

Khamanei is stating a falsehood.

Which is funny, because in the very next part of the speech he says:

But this is another dirty page in history which will be closed with the permission and assistance of Allah the Exalted, just like other dirty pages in history: “Falsehood is bound to perish” [The Holy Quran, 17: 81] .

Khamenei just told Allah to kill him!

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20 years ago today, a Palestinian man went on a shooting spree at the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York.

Ali Hassan Abu Kamal, a 69-year-old Palestinian teacher, killed one person and wounded six others before killing himself.

Media at the time tried to downplay his motive for the shooting. The New York Times wrote a couple of days afterwards:

Law enforcement authorities and his family believe that his murderous anger was rooted in financial ruin, for they say he apparently saw his life savings of perhaps $500,000 somehow lost here in a matter of weeks. Few mass crimes unfold particularly neatly, however, and it was also evident in the wake of Mr. Abu Kamal's brutal expression of discontent -- a burst of gunfire that left six injured and two dead, including himself -- that not all the chapters in the narrative of his life were clear.

In his rampage, he carried a pair of identical letters, one in English and one in Arabic, tucked into a pouch dangling around his neck, letters that authorities said were a rambling diatribe of venom against the ''Big Three'' of the United States, France and England for centuries-long oppression of Palestinians, against Zionism that he said oppressed Palestinians and against two business partners for swindling him out of money. Investigators would not divulge the partners' names.

Ten years later, his daughter admitted that his family made up the whole story of the financial ruin.

And they did it because the Palestinian Authority told them to obstruct a murder investigation in America.

Ali Abu Kamal's relatives say they are tired of lying about why the Palestinian opened fire on the observation deck of Empire State Building, killing a tourist and injuring six other people before committing suicide.

Kamal's widow insisted after the shooting spree that the attack was not politically motivated. She said that her husband had become suicidal after losing $300,000 in a business venture.

But in a stunning admission, Kamal's 48-year-old daughter Linda told the Daily News that her dad wanted to punish the U.S. for supporting Israel - and revealed her mom's 1997 account was a cover story crafted by the Palestinian Authority.

"A Palestinian Authority official advised us to say the attack was not for political reasons because that would harm the peace agreement with Israel," she told The News on Friday. "We didn't know that he was martyred for patriotic motivations, so we repeated what we were told to do."

...She said the family became certain that he carried out the attack for political reasons after reading his diary.

"He wrote that after he raised his children and made sure that his family was all right he decided to avenge in the highest building in America to make sure they get his message," said Linda, who works for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

She said her mom burned the diary, fearing that it would cause the family trouble.

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The Jerusalem Post reported yesterday:

The University of Central Lancashire has canceled an Israel Apartheid Week event that contravened the recently UK-adopted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

The session was scheduled to take place next week under the title “Debunking Misconceptions on Palestine.” Anti-Israel activist Ben White and pro-Palestinian academics were due to speak at the event in Preston.

A statement issued by a university representative said: “We believe the proposed talk contravenes the new definition and furthermore breaches university protocols for such events, where we require assurances of a balanced view or a panel of speakers representing all interests.

“In this instance our procedures determined that the proposed event would not be lawful and therefore it will not proceed as planned,” the statement continued.

UJS Campaigns Officer Liron Velleman told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that while he does not expect to see many other British universities following suit by canceling events scheduled for the annual anti-Israel event, he does expect the subject to handled with more sensitivity.

“Following the move by Jo Johnson MP [the minister for universities and science] to encourage Universities UK to use the IHRA definition of antisemitism, universities will have a heightened awareness of ensuring events during Israel Apartheid Week will not violate values, expectations and laws but also that free speech and robust debate must remain a part of university life,” Velleman said in a written exchange with the Post.

Last week, Johnson sent a letter to the head of Universities UK, an organization representing universities across the country, drawing their attention to the definition of antisemitism

This is the letter that Jo Johnson wrote to the universities:

Free speech and academic freedom are fundamental to our higher education system. Many institutions have a legal duty to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech for their members, students, employees and visiting speakers. We expect higher education institutions to have clearly set out procedures and policies for events and the hosting of external speakers which allow for open transparent events, challenge and debate and ensure that lawful speech can occur on campuses. Open and robust debate is how students should challenge those with whom they disagree. There is no place for students that use intimidation or violence to attempt to shut down the free and open exchange of ideas.

I am sure you share my concerns about the rising reports of anti-Semitic incidents in this country and will want to make sure that your own institution is a welcoming environment for all students and that the legal position and guidelines are universally understood and acted upon at all times. This will include events such as those that might take place under the banner of "Israel Apartheid' events for instance. Such events need to be property handled by higher education institutions to ensure that our values, expectations and laws are not violated.

In September 2015 the Government ask. Universities UK (UUK) to set up a Harassment Taskforce to consider what more can be done to address harassment on campus, including on the basis of religion and belief. The taskforce published its report: 'Changing the Culture' on 21 October 2016. UUK plan to establish more baseline evidence, and to assess institutions' progress in implementing the recommendations, so that the work of the taskforce makes a real difference. UUK will report their progress to me later this year.

This Government will diligently pursue our commitment to tackle intolerance and bigotry in every form: and continue to work in partnership with public bodies and communities to support institutions in the pursuit of eliminating anti-Semitism and all forms of harassment, discrimination Or racism.

Yours sincerely,

JO JOHNSON MP

The definition of antisemitism officially adopted by the UK in December definitely includes "Israel Apartheid Week" activities by their very nature. Here is the entire definition:

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.
Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:

Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour).
Applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis.
Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

It looks like the heyday of BDS in the UK has ended. There is no way that something called "Israel Apartheid Week" doesn't violate "Applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation."

(h/t Jonathan Hoffman)

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Dumb story of the day: BDS claims victory because stars didn't take free swag trips to Israel

From Haaretz:

A Tourism Ministry public relations gimmick to bring Hollywood stars to Israel has bombed, with not a single one of the 26 Oscar nominees awarded free trips to Israel last year actually making the trip. Now, the BDS movement is taking credit for the failure.

The tour packages, worth tens of thousands of dollars apiece, were given to 26 nominees in the highest-profile Oscar categories, including actors Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Sylvester Stallone and Kate Winslet.

Last February, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement put out an official statement urging recipients not to use the tour packages, charging that by coming to Israel, they would be helping the Israeli government whitewash what BDS terms the crimes of the occupation.

On Wednesday, Yousef Munayyer, an activist with the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights who promotes the cultural boycott of Israel, said his movement’s efforts had proved effective.

“This is a success,” Munayyer told AFP. “I am very glad there’s no evidence that people went. I think it is clear the objective of using the actors to whitewash Israel has failed.”

Let's think about this for a second. If you won a free trip worth over $50,000 to, say, Japan, you would probably either take time off of work to go there or maybe give the gift to someone else.

If you were super-rich, however, such a gift would mean nothing. You wouldn't rearrange your schedule to go to Japan unless perhaps you were planning to do it anyway. The hassle of taking advantage of the gift is almost more than telling your people where you want to go on vacation. The gift would go unused, and the advertisers who offered the gift would reap the free publicity from all the news stories about extravagant swag bags without having to pay a dime.

Last year's bag included personalized M&Ms, a breast lift procedure, skincare products made from tea that are supposedly worth $31,000, the trip to Israel - and a walking tour trip to Japan worth worth over $50,000.

Did any Hollywood star who received the bag take advantage of the Japan trip? Did any of them use the "vampire breast lift"? I bet none of them did.

And I bet none of them took advantage of the:

3-day stay at the Golden Door Resort & Spa in San Marcos, CA ($4,800)
3-night stay at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy ($5,000)
3-night stay at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como, Italy ($5,000)

Does this mean that those gifts were a bust? Certainly not for the breast lift people, and not for the Japanese either or the hotels. It was free publicity.

And so was the trip to Israel.

Tourism went up over the past year, and it is possible that the many stories about the free Israel trip contributed to the perception of Israel as a wonderful place to travel that is associated with the Oscars. Which is the entire intention!

The BDSers, as usual, as spinning this as a "victory," but if the unused Japan trips aren't causing the Japanese tourism minister to perform harakiri, the unused Israel trips given to mega-rich stars are not shameful for Israel either.

We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.

02/22 Links Pt2: Hugging antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Welcome to the PSC; The CIA Roots of BDS?

From Ian:

David Collier: Hugging antisemitism and holocaust denial. Welcome to the PSC

I have just concluded an in-depth investigation into antisemitism inside The Palestine Solidarity Campaign that has spanned months but drew on several years of underlying research. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) claims to be “the biggest organisation in the UK dedicated to securing Palestinian human rights.” The PSC patrons include: Jeremy Corbyn MP, Pat Gaffney, Rev Garth, Ken Loach, Dr Ilan Pappe, Hilary & Steven Rose, Alexi Sayle, Baroness Tonge of Kew, and Betty Hunter. It partners with many of the largest unions in the UK.
The result of this research is an eighty-page report, that focuses on seventeen separate PSC branches across England and Wales, and culminated with an in-depth case study of a mass demonstration in London. The full report can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
In truth, I stopped the detailed analysis at seventeen branches simply because I was inundated with material. Although not mentioned in the report, I also found ‘qualifying material’ at the PSC branches in Brighton, Faversham, Camden, Haringey, Lambeth, Waltham Forest, Liverpool, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth & Portsmouth. As the researched progressed, finding more of the antisemitism at every branch became an exercise in pointing out the obvious. The question became to how to find a way to measure and quantify it.
When I refer to antisemitism within this study, I avoided *all references to the conflict*. We all know the trick is to deflect accusations of antisemitism with a false cry about criticism of Israeli policy. I set out to avoid this. I was only interested in those pushing conspiracy theory, holocaust denial or classic antisemitic tropes. The argument that antisemitism is about legitimate criticism of Israel simply has no weight against this research. The bar for antisemitism that was used is unnaturally high. As an example, if the worst I found was an activist suggesting Israel should be destroyed, is committing genocide and Zionists are all Nazis, that activist *would not* have made the grade for this research. Let that fact sink in.

The CIA Roots of BDS?

The Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is the most prominent effort today to single out and delegitimize the State of Israel. In recent months, BDS has lost some steam both because it ties itself to extreme and often anti-Semitic partners and also because some academic and church groups recognize that such political boycotts are anathema to scholarly discourse and peace-making.
The BDS today is nevertheless driven by the hatreds and obsessions which the post-Edward Said Middle Eastern studies community world promotes. At Columbia University, Brandeis, and many other elite universities, Zionism is considered original sin and students who support Israel as a Jewish state increasingly face ostracism. Whereas once African Americans and Jews found common cause and maintained a de facto alliance in Congress, progressive activists now cite the idea of intersectionality to demand blind loyalty to a collection of movements no matter how illiberal some causes like rejectionist Palestinian nationalism can be.
Because colleges and university classes too often de-emphasize fact in favor of political frameworks when tackling history, too many progressive activists imagine that when they support BDS and agitate against Israel, they are waging an anti-colonialist battle against the forces of imperialism. In effect, they see strength and power as sin, and cannot fathom that they have reversed David and Goliath; that Palestinian nationalists have prostituted themselves to become proxies of Iran, Turkey, and various Arab regimes. Israel, the United States, the CIA are by definition bad, whereas the Palestine Liberation Organization and like-minded or even more radical groups are good.
How ironic it is that so few BDS proponents recognize that they may very well be repeating if not cultivating the seeds planted by CIA Arabists half a century ago. From the Jewish Telegraph Agency on February 20, 1967:

Alan M. Dershowitz: Israel Does Not Cause Anti-Semitism

In a recent letter to the New York Times, the current Earl of Balfour, Roderick Balfour, argued that it is Israel's fault that there is "growing anti-Semitism around the world." Balfour, who is a descendent of Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary who wrote the Balfour Declaration a hundred years ago, wrote the following: "the increasing inability of Israel to address [the condition of Palestinians], coupled with the expansion into Arab territory of the Jewish settlements, are major factors in growing anti-Semitism around the world." He argued further that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "owes it to the millions of Jews around the world" who suffer anti-Semitism, to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.
This well-intentioned but benighted view is particularly ironic in light of the fact that the Balfour Declaration had, as one of its purposes, to end anti-Semitism around the world by creating a homeland for the Jewish people. But now the scion of Lord Balfour is arguing that it is Israel that is causing anti-Semitism.
Roderick Balfour's views are simply wrong both as a matter of fact and as a matter of morality. Anyone who hates Jews "around the world" because they disagree with the policy of Israel would be ready to hate Jews on the basis of any pretext. Modern day anti-Semites, unlike their forbearers, need to find excuses for their hatred, and anti-Zionism has become the excuse de jure.
To prove the point, let us consider other countries: has there been growing anti-Chinese feelings around the world as the result of China's occupation of Tibet? Is there growing hatred of Americans of Turkish background because of Turkey's unwillingness to end the conflict in Cypress? Do Europeans of Russian background suffer bigotry because of Russia's invasion of Crimea? The answer to all these questions is a resounding no. If Jews are the only group that suffers because of controversial policies by Israel, then the onus lies on the anti-Semites rather than on the nation state of the Jewish people.