[Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News] 04/10 Links Pt2: How UNRWA Contributes to Palestinian Incitement; Ayaan Hirsi Ali Speaks

From Ian:

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How UNRWA Contributes to Palestinian Incitement

Bedein said he believes children at UNRWA schools are being told that the only end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be for them to resettle to the areas that are now part of Israel, which sets an unrealistic expectation. He said that his organization’s primary goal is to raise awareness of the issue among politicians, journalists, and diplomats worldwide, in order to get them to reassess their support of UNRWA.
“The important thing is that there is going to be an expiration of the UNRWA mandate at the end of June and we’re hoping to tack on some very important conditions for the renewal of UNRWA [funding],” he said. “Why should a United Nations agency, which is supposed to be promoting peace, have a curriculum which is basically a war curriculum?”
In a statement last fall, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness flatly denied the allegations in “Camp Jihad,” calling the claims “baseless” and “patently false.”

There is Apartheid in Israel

Unfortunately though, the only Apartheid I see in Israel is against Jews. Here at the Mughrabi bridge (an intentionally temporary structure so as not to claim official permanent Jewish ties - EVERYTHING is symbolic in the Middle East), there is no dispute that it is a state of apart-hood, the literal translation of Apartheid. Is there any other reading of this? How can there be?
While talking to my new Dutch friends, and explaining the situation, they asked, "but, why are you treated differently?". How do I answer this so that it will make sense to them? I couldn't really find a plausible answer other than saying "Israel has become weak. in 1967 when Israel recaptured and reunified Jerusalem, they let the Waqf stay in power. Today, we are too weak to change anything. Everyone is afraid to upset the apple cart." "But why? Isn't this Israel?" they persisted. I answered with the only words I had left....I don't know!
At this point, the tourist line opened up again, and my new friends wished me well and said "don't worry, one day this will be different and you will be allowed to go up, and we will also be allowed to go up freely and see where it all began". WOW! the Dutch tourists are giving the Jewish guy Chizuk (spiritual uplifting) that it will be ok, you will return to Zion and once again Ascend the Holy Temple Mount where people of all Nations were once welcomed and will be so again, may it be speedily in our time. (h/t Elder of Lobby)

What Germany owes the Jews

This time next year, Israel and Germany will be gearing up to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties — a spectacularly sensitive relationship between the nation whose leadership set about annihilating the Jews and the nation-state whose revival, tragically, came too late to save six million of them.
The conventional wisdom is that the Israel-Germany “special relationship” remains both firm and delicate, marked by Germany’s extraordinary commitment to Israel’s well-being, as a consequence of that eternally unpayable historical debt owed by the Germans to the Jews.
The reality, however, is that while Germany has proved willing to some extent to bolster Israel’s defense militarily and diplomatically, much of its political and diplomatic leadership is as witheringly and ignorantly critical of Israel as the rest of the willfully blind European consensus. The only real difference is that German politicians and diplomats don’t generally make public their ill-informed critiques and their facile conclusions. In deference to that special relationship, they don’t put themselves openly at odds with the Jewish state.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Speaks

Ayaan Hirsi Ali has just released this statement in response to Brandeis University's decision to rescind her invitation to receive an honorary degree:
“Yesterday Brandeis University decided to withdraw an honorary degree they were to confer upon me next month during their Commencement exercises. I wish to dissociate myself from the university’s statement, which implies that I was in any way consulted about this decision. On the contrary, I was completely shocked when President Frederick Lawrence called me—just a few hours before issuing a public statement—to say that such a decision had been made.

ALI SPEAKS OUT Islam critic says 'fear' made Brandeis yank degree

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a staunch critic of Islam and its treatment of women who was supposed to receive an honorary degree from Brandeis University only to have it withdrawn amid criticism of her political positions, told Megyn Kelly Wednesday that she wasn't surpised by the school's decision.
"Everytime I say, 'hey, it's important that we talk about this' ... you have people like (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) who deny this," Ali said on "The Kelly File." "This should be addressed."
Ali said she wasn't surprised that the degree was rescinded, though she said she was surprised it was offered in the first place.
"I'm used to it," Ali said. "What surprised me is the decision by Brandeis, first to say we want to give you this honor, we know what you do. In the age of Google, all of this is out there, it's all public."
She went on to speculate that the decision was motivated in part by a fear of offending Muslims.
"There's always this fear that if you insult Muslims, there's going to be some kind of violent reprecussion," she said. "They're not doing their students any favors, and they're not doing their Muslim students any favors."

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Kelly File Interview On Brandeis. Ayaan Hirsi Ali Fox News

Brandeis Student Blasts University 'Hypocrisy' on Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Daniel Mael, a senior at Brandeis University, blasted the administration's decision to withdraw an honorary doctorate from feminist Ayaan Hirsi Ali due to her past criticisms of Islam. "I am appalled by the hypocrisy of the University administration and their inability to distinguish between her view on Islam and her efforts in this world highlights the narrow view and shallow commitment to 'justice' at Brandeis," he told Breitbart News.

MEMRI: 'My Palestinian Shirt' Campaign To Raise Global Awareness Of Palestinian Issue

Palestinian youths have recently been promoting a campaign called "My Palestinian Shirt." The campaign, which has been operating a Facebook page of the same name since December 2012, includes the sale of tee shirts with various images and captions such as maps of greater Palestine, the slogan "I am a Palestinian," a key symbolizing the right of return, and more. According to the founders, the idea for the campaign came when they noticed many youths wearing foreign clothing brands with slogans in foreign languages. They wrote on their Facebook page: "Our idea is very simple. A lot of us buy clothes that have unknown words like brands or letters. Our idea is to replace them by using our Arabic language with meaningful words and drawings that express our feelings as Palestinians so that we can share our voice with the whole world."

Cornell Anti-Israel Divestment Group Doubles Down on Passover Strategy

I broke the news last night that Cornell Students for Justice in Palestine had timed its push for a Divestment Resolution to take place over the Passover holiday, ALERT: Sneak Passover Anti-Israel Divestment attack at Cornell.
The Resolution was proposed at the last possible minute, with a surprise committee vote presentation (assisted by the President of the Assembly, I’m told) enabling it to be listed as “new business” for a meeting tomorrow afternoon.
Procedurally, as new business, a vote cannot take place tomorrow, but it is on track this way for the following Thursday. And smack in the middle of this time period are the first two nights of Passover and it takes place during Passover.
Coincidence? I doubt it. Cornell SJP is doubling down on the Passover strategy, issuing an appeal for its members to pack the audience tomorrow to try to prevent the Resolution being tabled and keeping it on the fast track:

Jimmy Carter Boasts Visits to North Korea, Cuba and Hamas

Former President Jimmy Carter explained during a conversation at the LBJ Presidential Library Civil Rights Summit that he frequently visited countries that were “outcasts” from the world community.
“I’ve been to North Korea three times, for instance, Rosa and I go to Cuba whenever we get ready, we meet with the Castro brothers, we meet with all the factions in the Middle East including Hamas, we go and meet with the leaders there,” Carter said.

Guardian covers tabloid scandal about Bibi’s wife; ignores Gaza terror attacks

In case you were wondering, the latest illegal attack on Israeli civilians by the terrorists in control of Gaza (not reported by the Guardian) occurred on April 9, the very day the Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent published the latest installment of L’Affair Sara.
Such contrasting priorities, which place greater emphasis on gossip about the Israeli prime minister’s wife than on deadly projectiles fired at innocent Israeli men, women and children, explains quite a bit about British misconceptions on the root cause of the conflict, and the main impediments to its resolution.

Former Australian foreign minister attacks ‘pro-Israel lobby’

In his new political memoir and in interviews he is giving to promote the book, Bob Carr (Labor) talks frankly about his term as Australia’s chief diplomat, which lasted from March 2012 until September 2013. In the book, he also recounts discussions and arguments over many foreign policy issues, and even details his dietary habits and complains about lack of comforts on the job. However, “the strongest criticism of all” in the 500-page book is reserved for Melbourne’s Israeli lobby, an Australian journalist said.
Australian foreign policy had been “subcontracted” to Jewish donors, Carr writes in the book, according to the Guardian.
One of key passages in “Bob Carr: Diary of a Foreign Minister” details a disagreements he had with then-prime minister Julia Gillard over Canberra’s stance vis-à-vis the Palestinians’ admission to the United Nations General Assembly as a nonmember state.

Does the Guardian object to Bob Carr’s antisemitic insinuation?

First, it’s important to note that Australia ended up voting to ‘abstain’ from the UN vote on ‘Palestine’, rather than voting ‘no’ as the U.S. and Israel was reportedly lobbying them to do. So, if, as Carr suggests, the government’s decision on the ‘Palestine’ vote in the UN was indeed dictated by Jewish donations, why did they choose the course of action opposed by Israel and the Jewish community?
Further, Gillard’s tenure as prime minister was widely seen as a shift away from the staunchly pro-Israel policies of the government under prime minister John Howard, which governed the country for 11 years prior to Labor’s victory in 2007. So, again, if money from Australian Jews dictated the government’s policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, why didn’t Gillard continue with the policies of her predecessor?
However, putting aside the specious reasoning behind Carr’s imputation of Jewish influence in Australian politics aside, it’s quite interesting how the Guardian framed the story.

Carr is a warning to Jews: the Left is the natural home of the bigot

BUT of all reasons given [voting for "palestine" at the UN], the worst and most repeated was as the Daily Telegraph said: “NSW Right MPs ... were more concerned a no vote at the UN would offend Middle East and Muslim communities in their fragile southwest Sydney seats.” The Sydney Morning Herald heard the same: “Many MPs in western Sydney, who are already fearful of losing their seats, are coming under pressure from constituents with a Middle East background."…
Carr reportedly stressed “the electoral problems in Sydney” to Gillard, and The Australian reported the “demographically challenged” Water Minister, Tony Burke, insisted on not rejecting the Palestinian resolution.
Burke’s “demographic challenge” is that the proportion of Muslim voters in Watson, his Sydney seat, has rocketed to an astonishing 20 per cent… In fact, of the 20 seats with the most Muslim voters, Labor holds all but one.

Report: Muslim Convert Cat Stevens Has a Jewish Brother

Most people know that Steven Demetre Georgiou – also known as Cat Stevens – converted to Shia Islam at the height of his musical career in 1977, when he was a well-known international rock star, taking on the name Yussuf Islam. Stevens was introduced to Islam by his brother David [Gordon]– who, according to sources, is Jewish.
Gordon, who lived in Israel for several years, is the co-founder (with Yael Drouyannoff) of Peace Child Israel, which teaches coexistence using theater and the arts. The group, according to its web site, “educates for democratic values, tolerance and mutual respect. Arab and Jewish teens work with counterparts from around the country to create original dramas about coexistence. The plays, in Arabic and Hebrew, are performed for family, friends and the public at-large.”

Discovery acquires stake in DogTV, a network aimed at canine viewers

DogTV is operated by Israel-based PTV Media, which owns a majority stake in the network.
Jasmine TV, an Israeli media and communication group, previously invested in DogTV, as well as Ron Levi — a former TV and radio host who came up with the idea and is DogTV’s chief content officer — and other angel investors.
DogTV launched last summer on DirecTV, available a la carte for $4.99 per month. The channel also is available online for $9.99 per month, viewable on computers, Roku set-tops, Apple and Android smartphones and tablets, Samsung Smart TVs and LG connected TVs and Blu-ray players. The company does not disclose how many subscribers it has.

Israeli tech turns jellyfish into paper towels

Cine’al Ltd., an Israeli nanotechnology start-up, is developing technology to turn jellyfish into “super-absorbers,” making the much-disdained sea creature suitable for use in diapers, tampons, medical sponges, even paper towels.
Jellyfish have been the bane of Israeli beaches in recent years, as warmer ocean temperatures have made coastal waters more hospitable for the creatures. During spring and early summer, millions of them appear near beaches, shoot their poison into the water and make swimming next to impossible. Where jellyfish abound, the water is likely to be empty.

IDE in Japan talks to build floating desalination plant

Israel’s IDE Technologies Ltd. is in talks with Japan’s shipbuilders and government to design and build off-shore desalination plants, seeking to tap rising demand for alternate sources of short-term freshwater supply.
The maker of land-based desalination equipment wants to start delivering floating platforms to clients within three years, Udi Tirosh, a business development director at the Kadima-based company, said in an interview. IDE’s ship-based designs could supply water for a city of 850,000 people and Japan’s shipbuilders are among potential partners, he said.

Lockheed Martin Opens in Israel

Lockheed Martin officially opened a branch in Be'er Sheva on Wednesday, in support of the IDF and the "Move South" campaign funded by the Israeli government.
Former Israeli Air Force (IAF) Brigadier General Shelly Gotman will lead the office, and be the managing director for the company’s Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) business, which services the US government. It has been growing its international presence with major operations in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. Current IS&GS customers include NATO; British air traffic management organization NATS; the Australian Tax office; and the United Kingdom Ministry of Justice.
Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson opened the branch in a special ceremony on Wednesday, expressing support for the IDF.

Wix jumps on reaching 46m users

The company's market cap is $853 million, 38% above its IPO, but 27% below its record.
The share price of DIY website creator Wix.com Ltd. (Nasdaq: WIX) jumped in heavy trading yesterday, after the company announced that its HTML 5 website editor had reached 46 million users, on its second anniversary. The share price rose 7.8% on Wednesday, following the announcement, to $22.75, giving a market cap of $853 million, 38% above its IPO price, but 27% below its record price.
Wix said that it marked the anniversary with a new suite of HTML5 design, animation and interactive features, allowing Wix users to add a dynamic new dimension to their websites.

Peres launches Weibo page, attracts 50 million viewers

President Shimon Peres on Thursday launched his official page on Weibo, China’s largest social network.
Visiting the company’s Beijing headquarters, Peres, accompanied by the company’s VP, launched his latest social media account by striking a gong. Within moments, Peres’s page had been viewed by 50 million users.
Weibo has hundreds of millions of users who create around 2.8 billion posts per month.

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Posted By Ian to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News at 4/10/2014 06:00:00 PM