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By Barry Rubin, GLORIA, February 4, 2010
Imagine this. You’re prime minister of a regime that isn’t yet a state. You are praised in the Western media as a great moderate man of peace. You represent a people who the U.S. president says is in an intolerable situation. You supposedly want a country of your own. Indeed you’ve announced you will get a state in two years, something conceivable only if your negotiating partner agrees. You’re dependent on contributions from Western democratic countries that want you to make a deal. Your rivals have seized almost half the land you want to rule and work tirelessly to overthrow your regime and very possibly to kill you personally.
But here comes a big opportunity.
You are invited by your negotiating partner to its most important meeting of the year. All the other side’s top leaders and opinionmakers are listening to you.
And that country’s second most powerful leader has just made a very conciliatory speech praising you personally, urging peace, offering concessions, and telling his own people they must be ready to give you a lot.
What do you do?
Make a warm conciliatory, confidence-building speech, showing by substantial offers that you, too, are willing to compromise; stretching out your hand in order to build friendship and ensure you get a country?
Hey, we’re talking about the Palestinians here! And as I say over and over again: anyone who thinks the Palestinian Authority (PA) is going to make peace hasn’t been paying attention to what they say and do.
So here is what PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told the audience at the Herzliya Conference, held at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), following Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s conciliatory speech:
–Israel must immediately start pulling out of the rest of the West Bank, without getting anything in return.
–It must immediately stop all construction on settlements, including apartments now being completed.
–Israel’s army should never enter PA-ruled areas. Even if the PA refuses to arrest those who have murdered Israelis or won’t stop planned attacks, Israel’s army must do nothing, despite the 1993 agreement between the two sides permitting this. Fayyad said this isn’t necessary because the PA is taking care of these matters. But this makes no sense: when Israel sees that to be true it never orders incursions in the first place.
–Israel should end its blockade of the Gaza Strip, even though the Hamas movement ruling there refuses to make a deal with the PA, openly announces its goal of destroying Israel, and smuggles in as many weapons as possible. Moreover, as soon as it feels secure again, Hamas will launch new attacks on Israel. Fayyad claimed, however, that if Israel did so, the PA could then build government institutions in the Gaza Strip, though it has no control whatsoever there.
–He openly stated that his goal was to mobilize international support and create such a strong state apparatus that the world would pressure Israel to end any presence in the West Bank or east Jerusalem, apparently without the Palestinian side giving anything.
–While Barak said that the "roughness" of the region made it harder to give the Palestinians everything they wanted (for example, the PA could be overthrown by Hamas; subverted by Iran and Syria; unwilling or unable to stop cross-border attacks), Fayyad responded that once Israel left all of the West Bank the region would become more stable and peaceful. That’s a rather questionable assertion.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Islam, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts on February 5, 2010 - כ"א שבט תש"ע at 1:27 am
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Shevat 18, 5770, 02 February 10
by Hillel Fendel, Arutz Sheva
(Israelnationalnews.com) An artist and poetess from the Negev has embarked on a personal campaign to prove that the story on which she was raised – that the Jews stole the land from Palestinians – is untrue.
Yona Levy Grossman, a resident of Moshav Ein HaBesor, located within short-range rocket reach of Hamas terrorists, has begun circulating a slide-show presentation on the internet of late. "For a long time," she told Arutz-7’s Shimon Cohen, “I didn’t know the true story, and was influenced by the Arab lies.” She was finally “tipped off” to the falsehood of the claim that Jews stole Palestinian land by none other than a professor associated with the left-wing camp.
80-90% of Arabs are New Arrivals
“He gave a talk in which he said that 80% to 90% of the Arabs living here today have not lived here for many centuries, as they claim, but are new arrivals,” she said. “I then began researching the topic, and I found out that he was right.” She said that the professor asked that she not reveal his name, however.
Lenient Criteria for Arabs
Grossman also found out some interesting information on UNRWA: “Just like many other people, I was sad to hear that Israel had bombed a school in Gaza run by UNRWA [the UN agency responsible for the Arab refugees of 1948] during Operation Cast Lead. So I began to look into this as well.”
She explains on her slideshow what she found: “The UN has two organizations dealing with refugees around the world: One is UNRWA, which deals exclusively with the Arab refugees caused by Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, and the other is UNHCR, which deals with all the other millions of refugees all over the world. UNRWA is the only one that deals with a specific area, and that deals only with refugees caused a particular war.”
Even more significantly, Grossman found that the two organizations define “refugee” differently. UNHCR counts only those refugees who lived in a particular place “from time immemorial” and were forced to leave because of war and the like. UNRWA’s definition, however, is: "Every Arab who left Israel in 1948, and who lived there for two years [emphasis added], will also be considered a refugee – he and his descendants.”
In short, Grossman explains, an Arab need have lived in the Holy Land for only two years in order for him and his descendants to be granted refugee status – whereas in the rest of the world, one who seeks refugee status must be able to trace his ancestry in the area back ‘from time immemorial.’”
In terms of numbers, UNRWA employs 28,000 people – one for every 164 refugees, while UNHCR employs 6,300 people, one for every 2,803 refugees.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Islam, Judaism, Middle East Report, Monotheistic Religions, News Articles, Recent Posts on February 3, 2010 - י"ט שבט תש"ע at 8:46 am
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Locking horns over Goldstone: An ad sponsored by the Im Tirzu Zionist group depicted Naomi Chazan, president of the New Israel Fund, with a horn on her head.
by Stewart Ain, Staff Writer
The Jewish Week, February 2, 2010
Charges that the New Israel Fund supports Israeli civil rights groups that played a key role in providing information highly critical of Israel’s role in the Gaza war last year have sparked a spirited, and nasty, debate over the proper role for civil and human rights groups in a democratic state.
A 131-page report, commissioned by a three-year-old Zionist group active on Israeli campuses, called Im Tirtzu, found that 16 Israeli human rights organizations provided 92 percent of the critical information used in the UN report written by South African jurist Richard Goldstone. All 16 are funded by the New Israel Fund (NIF) and include such groups as Breaking the Silence, B’Tselem and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
NIF, founded in 1979, is a philanthropy that funds mostly left-of-center human rights groups (as well as groups addressing other social issues) in Israel. Supporters say it promotes equal rights for all Israeli citizens; critics have accused it of supporting Israeli Arab groups that in turn encourage insurrection against the Zionist state.
“At the end of the day, we have a situation where Israelis are blaming their brothers of committing war crimes without any proof,” said Ronen Shoval, a graduate student and founder of Im Tirtzu. “They are lying. … And the NIF stands behind the Goldstone report. I can’t tell you how important it is that Jewish people in the United States understand that at the end of the day their money [to the NIF] helps Hamas.”
A spokeswoman for the New Israel Fund, Naomi Paiss, said that although her group took no position on the Goldstone report, it “is very proud of the groups we have supported. … Their reports were carefully documented and in some instances were the only available information out of Gaza because the international press and the Israeli press were kept out. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, News Articles, Recent Posts on February 3, 2010 - י"ט שבט תש"ע at 3:21 am
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ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2010) — A new study weighs in on the controversy over sex education, finding that an abstinence-only intervention for pre-teens was more successful in delaying the onset of sexual activity than a health-promotion control intervention. After two years, one-third of the abstinence-only group reported having sex, compared to one-half of the control group. The study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania appears in the February 1 edition of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
While abstinence-only intervention did not eliminate sexual activity all together, this is the first randomized controlled study to demonstrate that an abstinence-only intervention reduced the percentage of adolescents who reported any sexual intercourse for a long period, in this case two years, following the intervention.
"It is extremely important to find an effective intervention that delays sexual activity; the younger someone is when they have sex for the first time, the less likely they are to use condoms," said lead author John B. Jemmott III, PhD, professor of Communication in Psychiatry and of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine and Annenberg School for Communication. "Abstinence-only interventions may have an important role in delaying sexual activity until a time later in life when the adolescent is more prepared to handle to consequences of sex. This can reduce undesirable consequences of sex, including pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS."
There was a 33 percent reduction in self-reported sexual intercourse from the abstinence-only group, compared to the control group, by the end of the study. Of the students who reported that they were sexually active during the study, there were fewer reports of recent sexual activity from the abstinence-only intervention participants (20.6 percent) compared to the control participants (29.0 percent).
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Education, Health Sciences, Recent Posts, Science on February 2, 2010 - י"ח שבט תש"ע at 5:10 am
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by Rabbi Shimshon Nadel
(Israelnationalnews.com) On a warm Sunday afternoon, the last day of January, I traveled with a busload of Jerusalemites towards Maoz Zvi, a hilltop community next to Mevo Dotan, tucked away in the Northern Samaria (Shomron). The sun was smiling as the bus careened down windy roads, up rolling hills and through lush green valleys. Tu B’Shevat, the Rosh HaShanah for the trees was just the day before, and with it came signs of Spring.
When we arrived on the hilltop, we were greeted by men, women and children from all over Israel who had their hands deep in rich soil, planting olive trees. They had come from near and far to participate in a Tu B’Shevat tree planting ceremony and the dedication of a new Torah scroll. In attendance was Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Safed, MK Yaakov “Ketsaleh” Katz of the National Union party and Gershon Mesika, head of the Shomron Regional Council.
Like many of its neighbors, this hilltop came as a response of resolve and growth following tragedy. Maoz Zvi was named for Zvi Shelef, a founder of nearby Mevo Dotan, murdered by terrorists in 2001. The hill is home to two families, a group of at-risk teens, sheep and horses. But founders, David and Shana Botzer, don’t like the term “hilltop community.” Instead, they explain, Maoz Zvi is an educational farm, a therapeutic ranch, which immerses at-risk youth in agriculture and responsibility. Here, the Botzers say, young people can “breathe.”
Towards nightfall, young and old accompanied the new Torah scroll with joyous singing and dancing. Amidst the specter of a ‘freeze’ on building and development, feelings of joy triumphed. Over the loud music, MK Yaakov “Ketzaleh” Katz shouted, “Mevo Dotan is a place where we can see the future of our nation!” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, News Articles, Recent Posts on February 2, 2010 - י"ח שבט תש"ע at 4:46 am
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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Table of contents
1. IRAQ: Sectarian tension ahead of polls threatens “humanitarian crisis” – analysts
2. EGYPT: Pig-cull induced street rubbish a “national scandal”
3. YEMEN: Child trafficking to Saudi Arabia down in 2009
4. EGYPT: Displaced flood victims still waiting for aid
5. OPT: Flood misery for tented communities in Gaza
IRAQ: Sectarian tension ahead of polls threatens “humanitarian crisis” – analysts
BAGHDAD, 24 January 2010 (IRIN) – A government move to exclude a number of prominent Sunni candidates from national parliamentary elections on 7 March could re-ignite sectarian violence and create a new humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country, according to some analysts.
full report
EGYPT: Pig-cull induced street rubbish a “national scandal”
CAIRO, 26 January 2010 (IRIN) – The Egyptian government’s decision to cull all of the country’s 300,000 pigs in May 2009 is increasingly being viewed by experts and officials as a gross mistake as piles of organic waste the pigs once ate accumulate in Cairo’s streets, posing serious health hazards.
full report
YEMEN: Child trafficking to Saudi Arabia down in 2009
SANAA, 25 January 2010 (IRIN) – Fewer Yemeni children were trafficked to Saudi Arabia in 2009 than in recent years, according to a Yemeni Ministry of Social Affairs official.
full report
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East Report, News Articles, Recent Posts on January 31, 2010 - ט"ז שבט תש"ע at 2:29 pm
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After learning of father’s past as SS officer at age 18, Didi Henke of Germany visits Israel, later moves to Jewish state to dedicate her life to helping Holocaust survivors. Now, some 20 years later, she is honored by Social Affairs Ministry
David Regev, YNet News, January 31, 2010
"Suddenly, at the age of 18, my life was turned upside down. To learn, out of nowhere, that your father was a Nazi officer – it’s hard to describe the shock." The 67-year-old Didi Henke still finds it difficult to speak of the moment she learned that her father was a senior SS officer.
Following the earth-shattering discovery, Henke decided to move to Israel and dedicate her life to the State and the wellbeing of Holocaust survivors.
Henke learned of her father’s past by chance, during her studies at university in Germany. "In one of the courses we were asked to learn about the history of our cities," she recounted.
"I searched information sources in the university’s archives, and all of a sudden, I found out that my father was an SS officer, who, among other things, was in charge of energy in the city. I was shocked. It felt horrible. I went to talk to him, but both he and my mother refused to cooperate."
The fact that her father showed no remorse for his actions led Henke to cut ties with him: "I took him out of my heart and I decided to dedicate the rest of my life to Holocaust survivors, in hopes of rectifying what my father did."
Henke made her first visit to Israel in 1978. She fell in love with the country and returned to it 52 times. In 1987, when she retired, she decided to move to the Jewish state. At the time, her parents had already passed away, and her siblings, who remained true to their father’s Nazi upbringing, barely kept in touch.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, News Articles, Recent Posts, Yad Sarah on January 31, 2010 - ט"ז שבט תש"ע at 2:15 pm
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Incubating peace with Israel’s Arab sector |
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A flagship incubator in Israel is helping to create coexistence while ensuring that Muslim and Christian Israeli Arabs develop expertise in biotech and the life sciences.
Israel’s Muslim and Christian Arabs can develop expertise in biotech and life sciences thanks to a national business project created in 2002. While the Jewish state was founded as a home for Jewish people from all over the world, it is also home to Arab Muslim and Arab Christian minorities, mostly living in the Galilee region in the north of the country.
In the United States, equal opportunity initiatives are well developed to ensure that blacks, Asians, Latinos and every other minority can access education and find gainful employment and opportunities. Israel is providing something similar for its minorities.
Based in Jesus’ boyhood home in Nazareth, a team of seven at New Generation Technology (NGT) is doing more than providing Israeli Arabs with access to jobs. The tech incubator company, funded by the government and private investors, is amplifying the expertise in the Arab community so that its members can interact with the population at large and grow companies that will ultimately impact the world.
“We also have one IT company,” Yosi Turkaspa, CEO of NGT tells ISRAEL21c. “But most are in the area of biotech and life sciences. It was partly a strategic decision. If you look at the Arab community in Israel these are the areas in which they are educated. Most of their PhDs are in biology, medicine, pharmaceuticals and dentistry, more than electrical engineering.”
Working together as equals
An hour’s drive from Tel Aviv, the incubator houses about 20 startups. And although the focus is on the Arab sector, the companies’ management personnel come from both the Arab and Jewish sectors, making it a unique project where the two populations are encouraged to work and build together. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Business and Commerce, Education, Health Sciences, Middle East Report, Monotheistic Religions, News Articles, Recent Posts, Science and Technology on January 29, 2010 - י"ד שבט תש"ע at 3:13 am
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By Gil Troy, January 28, 2010, for Tu B’shavat 5770
In the ideological wars surrounding Israel, it is always better to celebrate on our terms than try defending against our enemies’ assaults. Our failure to build a proactive strategy around Tu B’Shvat and other moments reflects the epidemic of ignorance in the Jewish world today, and our ceding of the agenda to the Palestinians and their fellow travelers, especially on campus.
Tu B’Shvat, the Jewish Arbor Day, is this Shabbat, January 30. When I was young I preferred Israel’s Independence Day because we received blue-and-white cookies rather than yucky figs and carobs, known by the aggressive Yiddish name "bokser." But educators should distribute blue-and-white cookies along with Israeli fruit because Tu B’Shvat celebrates Israel – and Zionism. The world only recently discovered environmentalism, yet Jews have a deep relationship with nature, while Zionism resonates with the environmental ethic. Tu B’Shvat is our annual opportunity to show just how "green" the "blue and white" sensibility is.
It never ceases to amaze me how frequently we miss opportunities to deepen our connection to Israel and Zionism, naturally, organically. As we brainstorm about re-branding Israel, re-framing Zionism, trying to justify our existence, we often forget the rightness of our case and the richness of our tradition. The Jewish calendar is our friend. It provides us with many moments that tell our story beautifully, express our values vividly, allowing us to celebrate Israel, to renew our Zionism, without fighting anyone, without being defensive.
Tu B’Shvat is particularly welcome because of the growing "green" movement and because it coincides with the anti-Israeli activity in late January and early February that falsely compares democratic Israel with the racist Apartheid regime that once dominated South Africa. While we should refute the Apartheid libel aggressively, we should also use Tu B’Shvat to celebrate Israel, Jewish values, and Zionism. In the ideological wars surrounding Israel, it is always better to celebrate on our terms than try defending against our enemies’ assaults. Our failure to build a proactive strategy around Tu B’Shvat and other moments reflects the epidemic of ignorance in the Jewish world today, and our ceding of the agenda to the Palestinians and their fellow travelers, especially on campus.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Education, Judaism, Middle East, Opinion, Recent Posts on January 28, 2010 - י"ג שבט תש"ע at 9:04 am
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Hilary Heuler, VOA News, | Auschwitz 27 January 2010
Rabbi Israel Meir Lau (l) Auschwitz survivor Michael Goldman-Gilad, second left, Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, (r) attend solemn ceremonies marking 65 years since the camp was liberated by the Red Army, in the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz/ Birkenau, 27 Jan. 2010
Holocaust survivors joined world leaders in southern Poland on Wednesday to mark the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the infamous World War II Nazi concentration camp.
Hundreds of people braved snow and sub-freezing temperatures to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day at Auschwitz, Nazi Germany’s most infamous concentration camp.
The event marked the 65th anniversary of the day the camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army.
Holocaust survivors and their families gathered with the leaders of Poland and Israel to lay candles at the Monument of the Victims in neighboring Birkenau, where the majority of Auschwitz prisoners were murdered. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Education, Judaism, News Articles, Recent Posts on January 28, 2010 - י"ג שבט תש"ע at 3:41 am
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