Tag Archive for Israel

| February 15, 2013
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The deceptiveness of Israel’s ‘The Gatekeepers’

The film presents a ‘simplistic political message,’ erroneously implying that Israel’s ‘occupation of the West Bank’ stands between terror & coexistence.

By ROZ ROTHSTEIN & ROBERTA SEID

 

Dror Moreh’s documentary, The Gatekeepers, could have been a profound film.

Instead, Moreh uses his interviews with six former directors of Israel’s top security services to send a simplistic and deeply partisan political message: If Israel withdraws from the West Bank, terrorism will subside and peace will break out.

Yaakov Perry

Yaakov Perry – Photo: Reuters

To promote this message, the documentary engages in intellectual dishonesty and omits critical context. While most Israelis know the wider context, the average viewer probably does not, and therefore is vulnerable to the filmmaker’s biased version of the facts.
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Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| February 8, 2013
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Chuck Hagel: U.S. Should ‘Reverse Optics’ in its Relationship With Jewish state

Former senator Chuck Hagel does not elaborate on his claim or explain how he believes Israel is keeping “Palestinians caged up like animals,” according to the Journal Star report. The comment is, however, consistent with Hagel’s long anti-Israel & anti-Jewish record.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations recently published a recording of a speech given by former senator Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama’s highly controversial nominee for secretary of defense, in which he said that the United States has to “reverse optics” in its relationship with the state of Israel.

Chuck HagelIn order to restore its credibility as an honest broker between Israelis and Palestinians, America has to “reverse optics” in its ties with the Jewish state, the former Republican senator from Nebraska said in 2007, as first reported by Breitbart.com. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| January 31, 2013
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UN calls for immediate withdraw from settlements and sanctions against Israel

In the UNHRC’s harshest condemnation of Israeli since 1967, the 3 UN investigators report Israel is in violation of the Geneva Conventions and must ‘cease all settlement activities without precondition’.

By JTA

 

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A United Nations investigation into the impact of Jewish West Bank settlements on the Palestinian population said that Israel should immediately begin to withdraw all settlers from the territory.

The report issued Thursday by the U.N. Human Rights Council based in Geneva said that settlement violate the 1949 Geneva Conventions and that failure to withdraw could lead to a finding of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| January 21, 2013
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Indeed, Israel Is The Good Enemy

In Arab countries where Palestinians make up a good percentage of the population; they are deprived of all basic necessities, starting with education, down to basic healthcare.

Israel has welcomed Palestinians as visitors, patients & even as investors. This generosity was only limited when Hamas started bombing Israeli civilians with no signs of an end in sight.

By Mudar Zahran

 

Israel’s relationship to the Palestinians has always been globally approached with standardized heavy criticism made to Israel.  The main charges waved in Israel’s face have always been “the Disproportionate use of force” and “discrimination”.

Flag of the State of IsraelIsrael’s critics, either willingly or out of ignorance, choose to overlook the way many Arab countries mistreat Palestinians. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| January 1, 2013
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Another Int’l Expert: Israel Has a Historic Right to Judea & Samaria

Dr. Alan Baker, an expert on int’l law, contends that Israel has a legal right to build anywhere in Judea & Samaria

By David Lev

 

Dr. Alan Baker, an expert on international law and a member of the committee headed by Judge Edmond Levi recommending the extension of Israeli law to Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, said at a conference discussing the matter Tuesday night that Israel would be fully in its rights to do so. “The task of the Levi Committee was to look at the construction situation in Judea and Samaria and make the appropriate recommendations on how to proceed,” Baker said at the event sponsored by the Women in Green organization. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| December 16, 2012
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PA Warns US: Don’t dare punish us

Chief PLO representative in Washington D.C. threatens American lawmakers against retaliating for last month’s Palestinian statehood vote at the UN.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

Chief representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington D.C. is warning United States lawmakers against retaliating for last month’s statehood vote at the United Nations, maintaining that doing so would only hurt U.S. credibility in the region.

PA Chairman Abbas

PA Chairman Abbas – Reuters

“History has shown time and again that the language of threats, financial pressure, and punitive measures simply does not work,” Maen Rashid Areikat wrote in a letter sent to U.S. lawmakers. “Engagement and dialogue is the only way to express the views of Congress. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , ,
| December 14, 2012
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Israel provides better life than Britain

Extra points went to Canada for the desirability of its passport & Switzerland  for the quality of its chocolate.

 

Israel is a much better place to be born today than Britain, the Economist has reported.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the sister company to The Economist has produced a quality of life index that measures which country will “provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead.”

According to the survey, Israel is the 20th best country to be born in today, far above Britain in 27th place. The results are in stark comparison to a survey the EIU conducted in 1988, which put the UK in 7th place and Israel at number 30. Continue Reading »

Category: Innovations & Discoveries | Tags: ,
| December 11, 2012
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Op-ed: I’m not crazy

Israeli living in NYC for 7 years explains why the recent Gaza war made him decide to return home: Life abroad is comfortable & peaceful, but it is a sad comfort – an ‘addictive and sticky honey trap’.

By Dekel Ovadia

 

NEW YORK – It’s Friday in New York City, around noon. The IDF has launched Operation Pillar of Defense, and concerned Israelis are surfing the net and sending their family and friends text messages with news updates. One reports of rocket fire on Jerusalem, another’s message says a rocket fired toward Tel Aviv landed in an open area. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| December 10, 2012
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Michael Oren: Chemical Weapons in Rebels Hands Would be ‘Game Changer’

Israeli ambassador to US says that evidence of chemical weapons being passed to terrorist would be a “red line for Israel”.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

 

Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren warned Sunday that any evidence of chemical weapons being passed from the Assad regime to terrorist groups like Hizbullah would be a “red line for Israel” and could constitute military action.

While Oren could not confirm recent claims that the Syrian regime is mixing and moving components for the deadly sarin nerve gas, he said that Israel is watching the situation “very carefully.”

“Were those weapons to pass into the wrong hands — Huzbullah’s hands, for example — that would be a game-changer for us,” Oren told “Fox News Sunday.”  Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| November 30, 2012
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Israel fares better than many European countries, to be born in

Israel ranks surprisingly well on list of ‘Best countries to be born in’, ranked 20th, ahead of many European countries 

Switzerland comes in 1st & Nigeria came in last.

 

Switzerland is the best country in which to be born in 2013, but Israel ranks surprisingly highly, coming in above many European countries in 20th place, according to a new study of some 90 countries by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Swiss bliss: Switzerland is ranked as the best country to be born in. – Photo: GettyImages

The study, which aimed to measure the opportunities in each country for citizens born in 2013, took into account 11 statistically significant indicators, including: per capita gross domestic product, life expect­ancy at birth, the state of political freedoms, faith in government, unemployment and crime rates, divorce rates, gender equality and climate. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| November 6, 2012
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A BDS Supporter in the UN with his Boycott recommendation

Op-ed: Richard Falk had 2 options –
1) forced hospitalization or
2) taking job as UN Rights Council rapporteur

By Yoaz Hendel

While the UN shows that it has no problem observing the chaos and carnage in Syria with intellectual curiosity from afar, the activity aimed at condemning Israel has reached new heights.

The UN’s Richard Falk – Photo: AFP

Earlier this week, Richard Falk, the special rapporteur to the UN Human Rights Council, released a report in which he calledfor a boycott of private companies that are “engaged in profit-making” in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

In the report, Falk singled out 13 companies, including Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Volvo, Caterpillar and even Veolia, which holds shares in the company that operates the Jerusalem light rail system and provides transportation for the residents of the capital’s eastern sector. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| November 2, 2012
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NGO Urges Basic Fact-Finding Standards & Ethical Principles for UN Body

Watchdog group to UN expressed concern over the Mission’s working methods & calling for compliance with fact-finding standards & ethical principles.
Don’t be like Goldstone. Check your facts, reveal your sources, & who was paid $105,300 for 2 months of work?

By Maayana Miskin

 

The NGO Monitor watchdog group has filed a submission to the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) “independent international fact-finding Mission on the Israeli Settlements,” expressing concern over the Mission’s working methods and calling for compliance with fact-finding standards and ethical principles. The submission demands, at a minimum, strict adherence to the principles of impartiality and objectivity, transparency in all interactions with NGOs and professional guidelines for assessing the credibility and factual and legal claims of NGOs. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| October 31, 2012
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Expert PR analyses: Israel is Losing the PR War.

Interview with pr expert: For over 4 decades, Israel has been losing pr war to the regional Arabs. Why isn’t Israel showing rockets falling on its civilians?

By Annie Lubin

 

For over forty years Israel has been losing a public relations war to the Arabs and now to the Palestinian Arabs. And no one in Israel seems to care.

Dr. Ron Schleifer has made military-media relations his life's work

Dr. Ron Schleifer has made military-media relations his life’s work
ARCDC

Dr. Ron Schleifer, a professor at Ariel University, and an expert research academician on Psychological Warfare and military-media relations, has been studying the phenomena for years and has tried to sound the alarm on the importance of changing the way Israel uses the media. 
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Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| October 26, 2012
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Three Amazing IDF Gadgets

Here are 3 brilliant gadgets 007 only wishes the Q Branch could supply him.

 

With the newest James Bond movie premiering in theaters today, the legendary agent once again makes headlines. But despite his infamous high-tech gadgets, Agent 007 is still no match for the Israel Defense Forces. Here are three brilliant gadgets Agent Bond only wishes the Q Branch could give him.

 

1. The VIPER (Versatile, Intelligent, Portable Robot)

This portable, lightweight robot was designed specifically for urban guerrilla warfare. Its special wheel system can literally change shape, so VIPER knows how to climb stairs, scale rocky terrain, or crawl into tiny spaces. Continue Reading »

Category: Innovations & Discoveries | Tags: ,
| October 18, 2012
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An Arab Maverick Who’s Pro-Israel

Bucking convention from his village of Arara, Yousef Juhja sent three sons to join the IDF—and one paid the ultimate price.

Yousef Juhja’s cell phone number ends, coincidentally, with the digits 1948. It’s the year of his birth and that of the Jewish state—and for most of Juhja’s fellow Israeli Arabs, the year of the Nakba, the catastrophe of national dispossession and the dispersion of their Palestinian kin.

Standing by the Memorial: Yousef’s son Sa’id fell in the line of duty, blown up by explosives packed in a tunnel dug by Palestinian terrorists under a sentry box in Rafiah, Gaza in December, 2004. - Photo & caption: Lydia Aisenberg

Standing by the Memorial: Yousef’s son Sa’id fell in the line of duty, blown up by explosives packed in a tunnel dug by Palestinian terrorists under a sentry box in Rafiah, Gaza in December, 2004.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
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