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On February 5, 1840, a Capuchin monk in Damascus vanished without a trace. The missing friar’s fellow monks spread a rumor that, with the approach of the Passover holiday, Jews ritually murdered the Christian and siphoned off the man’s blood to bake matzah. Under pressure from the French Consul in the city, the Muslim rulers of Damascus arrested several Jews for the brutal crime. Under torture, one of the Jews confessed to the ritual murder of the monk. Alarmed by the Muslim adoption of the medieval Christian charge of ritual murder against the Jews, world Jewish notables united to protest the death of one of the Jews in Damascus under torture. Even US President Martin Van Buren protested the injustice of this “blood libel.”
In the end, the Muslim authorities released the surviving Jews and dropped the heinous charges. Thus, what became known as “The Damascus Affair,” passed into history as just one of many libels against the Jews that repeat themselves-in a somewhat different guise-in today’s world. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, Monotheistic Religions, Opinion, Recent Posts on January 27, 2009 - ב' שבט תשס"ט at 3:38 am
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Yad Sarah staff and volunteers struggle to reestablish normal routines
Press Release, Yad Sarah, January 21, 2009
It became a common occurrence. You hear the Red Alert warning siren announcing that a rocket has just been fired. You have fifteen seconds to run and seek shelter in a safer environment. If you can do that, then you’re one of the lucky ones. But what if you can’t? What if you’re too ill, or too old, or too young, or recuperating from surgery, or confined to a wheelchair, or injured? Then the routines of daily living that have been merely obstacles or challenges in the past have now become threatening, impossible, and intolerable. So what do you do? You call Yad Sarah. If you are unable to use a telephone, then you press the button on your emergency alarm system.
Yad Sarah is one of Israel’s largest non-profit social service agencies. Its primary focus is to provide mobility services and assistance with activities of daily living. So if it has become a challenge to move around the house, maintain personal hygiene and nutrition, or even to just go to sleep, then you call Yad Sarah. Their extensive network of service centers staffed mainly by dedicated volunteers, provides an assortment of assistive devices and supportive services. Those that need a customized wheelchair, or just a special pillow, or perhaps only a little experienced advice, are frequent callers to Yad Sarah. If they are unable to manipulate a telephone, then they can get an emergency communication system. A press of a button reaches a trained operator at the Jerusalem control center. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East Report, News Articles, Recent Posts, Yad Sarah on January 21, 2009 - כ"ה טבת תשס"ט at 5:59 am
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The following is reprinted from Zion Net, January 18, 2009
Israeli High Tech Companies Attract Overseas Investors Yoram Ettinger
Just like the 2001 crash of NASDAQ, the current global economic meltdown underlines the survival of the fittest, highlighting the competitive edge of Israel ’s high tech industries:
The Gaza War has a mild impact on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: 1.4% decline compared with a 4.4% decline upon the March 31, 2002 war on Palestinian terrorism in Judea & Samaria, a 6.4% decline following the September 25-29, 1996 Palestinian terrorism (Western Wall Tunnel), a 7% decline caused by the 2006 Lebanon War, an 11.4% decline caused by 9/11 and a 13.6% decline triggered by Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait (Globes, Dec. 29, 2008). Read On …
Energy: An Element of Israel’s National Security Binyamin Ben-Eliezer*
Energy security is a component of national security. In much of the world, energy consumption is still based on fossil resources whose reserves are diminishing, which means crude oil and natural gas prices will keep going up.
In the current geo-political situation, Israel is like an island. In a world with irrational leaders such as Hugo Chavez and Mohammed Ahmadinejad, Israel must do its utmost to secure its energy supply in order to preserve its security and way of life. The Ministry of National Infrastructures is acting in a number of arenas in parallel to assure Israel’s long-term energy security.Read On …
A Jewish Rejection Melanie Philips
Emanuele Ottolenghi has written an important and profound article in the Jewish Chronicle. He has spotted a particularly striking and grotesque aspect of the odious hatred of Israel displayed by an increasing number of Jewish intellectuals on the left. Redefining moral virtue to exclude every characteristic other than being a left-wing personality, they seek to redefine Jewish moral virtue to exclude Jewish nationalism. Claiming to be returning to authentic Jewish values, they therefore purport to speak in the interests of Jews and Judaism by saving Jews from themselves in their reprehensibly un-Jewish embrace of Zionism and Israel. Read On …
A Palestinian State? Five Reasons to Say NO! Paul Eidelberg
Contrary to the governments of the United States and Israel, various experts in both countries reject the “two-state” solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I shall mention their views while developing five decisive arguments against a Palestinian state: Economic, Demographic, Political, Strategic, and Democratic.
Let’s begin with the Economic arguments: A RAND study indicates that a Palestinian state would not be economically viable. It would require $33 billion for the first ten years of its existence-and this study was made before the economic crisis now confronting the United States and entire world. Read On …
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Business and Commerce, Judaism, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts on January 18, 2009 - כ"ב טבת תשס"ט at 4:33 am
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Exchange Morning Post, January 16, 2009
WATERLOO – Canada’s most innovative university and the Middle East’s largest provider of education have taken a key step toward opening a major international campus in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The University of Waterloo (UW), the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT), have signed a memorandum of understanding to open the campus. The Dubai campus will begin accepting students in the fall of 2009.
Waterloo would initially offer programs in chemical engineering and civil engineering, followed by financial analysis and risk management, and information technology management. Some programs would be offered under the co-operative education system whereby students experience work terms in the business world and academic terms on campus.
Students would spend the first two years studying in Dubai and complete their degrees in Waterloo. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Education, Middle East, Recent Posts on January 17, 2009 - כ"א טבת תשס"ט at 3:13 pm
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By Dr. Mehrdad Mozayyan , AME Info
These include the funds’ colossal size (nearing $3 trillion), their rapid growth (surpassing the $10 trillion mark within ten years), the partial reversal in the direction of investment flows, now going with greater intensity from East to West, and the mostly opaque nature of the funds backing those investments.
However, as important as SWFs have become, they are often undistinguished from other investment vehicles or contingency funds.
For example, SWFs differ from Stabilization Funds, though they share similarities.
Generally, both are accumulated by windfall profits, typically from commodity exports, but the latter’s main purpose is to buffer the domestic economy from volatility created by budget shortages, inflationary pressures, and sharp or unexpected decreases in revenues. They are less exposed to risk than SWFs, because their aim is not to generate the highest returns from shorter term investments.
Similarly, Foreign Exchange Reserves (FX) and Pension Funds are distinct financial vehicles. The former generally reside with central banks, are subject to disclosure laws and oversight, are deployed in low-risk liquid assets, and are used to normalize payment imbalances or influence currency exchange rates.
The latter, like SWFs, may be extracted from excess revenues or commodity exports, but they operate more openly and are subjected to much higher restrictions and public scrutiny. For example, they must avoid risk prone or lower grade investments, because their healthy preservation for future generations is the main objective. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Business and Commerce, Middle East Report, Recent Posts on January 17, 2009 - כ"א טבת תשס"ט at 2:55 pm
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By Joel Mowbray, FOX News, January 14, 2009
The United Nations agency that administers a school in Gaza where dozens of civilians were killed by Israeli mortar fire last week has admitted to employing terrorists to work at its Palestinian schools in the past, has no system in place to keep members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad off its payroll, and provides textbooks to children that contain hate speech and other incendiary information.
A growing chorus of critics has taken aim at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in recent years, although momentum on Capitol Hill has been slow. But last week’s incident, which Israel maintains was prompted by Hamas operatives firing mortars at Israelis from a location near the school, has prompted some lawmakers to scrutinize the U.N. agency.
Rep. Steve Rothman, D-N.J., introduced a resolution in the fall calling for greater transparency and accountability at UNRWA. The bill called on the agency to make its textbooks available on the Internet for public inspection and to implement “terrorist name recognition software and other screening procedures that would help to ensure that UNRWA staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries are neither terrorists themselves, nor affiliated with known terrorist organizations.”
Rothman said he plans to re-introduce his UNRWA resolution in the coming weeks because, “as timely as this bill was before, it is even more timely now. It is urgent that Congress can be assured that U.S. taxpayer money is not being spent to support Hamas and its murderous activities.”
A spokesman for UNRWA adamantly said that the agency is now free of terrorist connections. “We’re composed of social workers and teachers,” the official explained. “We take every step possible to have only civilians inside UNRWA facilities.”
But the U.N. Personal History form for UNRWA employees does not ask whether someone is a member of, or affiliated with, a terrorist organization such as Hamas or Islamic Jihad. And there is no formal screening to ensure that employees are not affiliated with terrorist entities. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Education, Islam, Middle East Report, News Articles, Recent Posts on January 15, 2009 - י"ט טבת תשס"ט at 12:08 pm
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We Jews Love Life: A Tribute to Dvir Emanuelof
By Daniel Polisar, Shalem Center, January 12, 2009
Israel is a small country, but when it goes to war, the front is extraordinarily broad. On Sunday of last week, it reached “Gan Dalia,” the kindergarten my five-year-old son David attends in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem. That morning, officers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) came looking for veteran head teacher Dalia Emanuelof. She was off that day, so they continued searching elsewhere, ultimately waiting outside her home in the nearby suburb of Givat Ze’ev until she returned that afternoon.
The news the officers brought was unbearable: Her 22-year-old son, Dvir, had been killed in Jabalya, making him the first Israeli casualty of the ground campaign in Gaza. Fighting there as a staff sergeant in his infantry unit, the elite Golani brigade, he was felled by Hamas mortar fire. Though Israel has a conscript army, Dvir did not have to be in Gaza, as he had received high marks as instructor of a squad leader course, was asked to go to officer school, and would still have been in training had he accepted; he deferred, however, saying he would not be fit to command until he had first fought alongside his comrades. In fact, Dvir did not have to be in any front-line position: His father Netanel had died of cancer at age 46, shortly before Dvir’s service began; as an only son in a single-parent family, Dvir was exempt under IDF rules from combat duty. Before accepting him to Golani, his commanding officer visited Dalia and asked if she acquiesced in her son’s opting for a dangerous path he was not obligated to choose. Her answer: “If this is how Dvir wants to serve his country, then this is what he will do.” Two days before entering Gaza, Dvir had called home and said: “Mom, I have to fight. I have to be there.” He went, and he fought—and was buried on Sunday night in the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts on January 14, 2009 - י"ח טבת תשס"ט at 1:53 pm
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Press Release, Yad Sarah, January 14, 2009
(Jerusalem, Israel- January 14, 2009) Since the onset of the conflict in Gaza three weeks ago, the international media has been emphasizing the humanitarian challenges that have been developing in Gaza, but little is known about the needs of the million residents of southern Israel who have been under constant attack from the rocket barrages emanating from Gaza. As a result, there are widespread international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Arab residents in Gaza who are innocent victims of the conflict, but none for the innocent victims in Israel. Receiving little assistance from international relief organizations, Israelis realized that they must fend for themselves and band together to provide assistance for the beleaguered citizens of the South. Within days following the onset of the conflict, over 40 Israeli organizations united to form an umbrella group called All Together Now, to integrate humanitarian services for the civilian victims in southern Israel.
All Together Now, or Kulanu B’Yachad in Hebrew, is located in Jerusalem in offices provided by Yad Sarah, a large non-profit social service organization serving all of Israel. It is staffed for 18 hours per day, by about 25 dedicated volunteers. The center is closed Friday evening and Saturday for religious observance. The three coordinators, Avital Sela, Ashira Landau, and Naama Cohen are there for most of the time. Ms. Landau noted that most of the volunteers are young women who are doing their required national civil service but they are putting in time at the center in addition to their required time for national service. Students and senior citizens are also volunteering. When asked how many hours she puts in, Landau responded, “I’m here everyday from 7 am to 1 am, except Saturday”
All Together Now provides assistance in five general categories: housing, transportation, food, household items, and recreational activities for children. The volunteers receive calls from people needing assistance and people offering assistance. The coordinators collect the phone messages and then meet to match the providers with the recipients. If a needed service has not been offered then the coordinators will call suitable providers to obtain the needed services. In addition, almost 2000 volunteers have been sent to southern towns to assist with shelters that house about 30 people each, mostly children. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, News Articles, Recent Posts, Yad Sarah on January 14, 2009 - י"ח טבת תשס"ט at 4:50 am
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Since December 19, Israeli communities are coming under fire from Palestinian rockets and missiles.
Kassam rockets, mortar shells and Grad Missiles are falling on Ashkelon, Ashdod, Netivot, Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malachi, Yavne, Beer Sheva, Gedera, and of course all the communities around Gaza. Communities such as Beer Sheva, Gedera and Yavne are nearly 40 km (25 miles) away from the Gaza Strip, and have always been considered a safe distance from the shelling that has plagued southern Israel for the past 8 years. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, News Articles, Recent Posts on January 12, 2009 - ט"ז טבת תשס"ט at 2:51 pm
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By Efraim Karsh, JCPA, January 11, 2009
With a unanimity that has become all too familiar, politicians, the media, NGOs, and church leaders across the globe took their cue to denounce Israel’s legitimate act of self-defense against one of the world’s most extreme terror organizations. This chorus of disapproval is in stark contrast to the utter indifference to far bloodier conflicts that have been going on around the world.
A Tidal Wave of International Indignation
No sooner had Israel opted to stop Hamas’ attacks on its civilian population, after years of self-imposed restraint, than it was confronted with a tidal wave of international indignation. With a unanimity that has become all too familiar when it comes to the world’s pronouncements on Israel, politicians, the media, NGOs, and church leaders across the globe took their cue to denounce this legitimate act of self-defense by a sovereign democracy against one of the world’s most extreme terror organizations, overtly committed to its destruction, which for years had been raining down thousands of rockets and mortar shells on civilian communities (not to mention the long string of suicide bombings). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts on January 12, 2009 - ט"ז טבת תשס"ט at 2:14 pm
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