BDS fail: Summary

And in BDS fail news for this week:

 Bursting the BDS bubble again:

Sodastream, an Israel based home carbonation device is one of the main objects of the BDS' hole's ire.  After many years of  flash mobs, street theater, vandalism, and the occasional biting attack on innocent salespeople, what do the BDS'ers have to show for themselves?

Not much.

SodaStream International Ltd's  jumped 36 percent in the second quarter of 2013
The net income of the Israel-based company was $12.8 million, or 60 cents per share, for the three-month period ended June 30. That compares with $9.4 million, or 45 cents per share for 2013. Revenue rose 26 percent to $132.4 million from $103 million.

From Bloomberg Business Week:

While the soft-drink giants have seen domestic sales dry up, SodaStream (SODA) continues to bubble. This morning, the Israeli company said it sold 312,000 of its home carbonators in the U.S. last quarter, a 60 percent increase. The make-your-own-seltzer machines are now in slightly more than 1 percent of U.S. households, a penetration rate the company expects to double or triple in the next two years. (In Sweden, one in four households has one.) Worldwide, SodaStream posted a 25 percent increase in sales of its soda-making machines and a 28 percent increase in the syrups that mix up the drinks. A SodaStream spokesman, Yonah Lloyd, said sales of the company’s soda flavors are up significantly in the U.S. over those logged last year.

Off again On again:
 
Eric Burdon of the Animals is now in Israel  for his August 1 concert . Yes, we're confused too, but happy that Eric will not allow the terrorists to win.

From the Independent:

 In a statement from his management today 71-year-old Mr Burdon said he had already arrived in Israel and that the concert would go ahead as planned.

"It was not my decision to cancel the show, it was my manager's, who as a result of lots of threatening emails she received, was genuinely afraid for my life," he said. "I'm not afraid to perform here and very happy to be back in Israel"

He continued: "Above all, it is important for me to convey a message that the past is not important, and the most important thing is and I came to Israel, as I wished to. It was important for me to play here and I'm concentrating all my energies towards the performance. We are going to give a great show to the Israelis."

From our friends at 5 minutes for Israel - Radio 88FM will be broadcasting the concert on Thursday 1st August 2013, 21:30 Israel time.  Listen online here

Record tourism:

 And in other BDS fail News- Israel had Record tourism income in 2012 despite that minor distraction in Gaza.   Tourism income from foreign visitors rose to $5.1 billion.

From Globes: 

The average amount spent by a tourist visiting Israel for less than 30 days in 2012 was $1,484 according to a sample survey of 25,000 families representing 41,000 individuals. The average tourist on an organized tour spent $1,549, on a package tour $1,500, and on an independent vacation $1,426.The average foreign tourist spends $153 per day, while those on land from a cruise spend $145.

 56% of tourists to Israel are Christians, half of them Catholics and 19% Protestants, while 24% of tourists to Israel are Jews.

 64% of tourists in 2012 said they came because of a recommendation by family or friends compared with 49% in 2011. 36% of tourists received information about Israel via the Internet compared with 27% in 2011.

Its not unusual:

Following in the footsteps of such legends as Barbra Streisand and Cliff Richard, Welsh singer Sir Tom Jones  will be performing in Israel later this year.  Rihanna will also be returning to Israel Tue 22 Oct 2013 for a show in  Tel Aviv.

Nice.

Yet strangely oblivious to the facts,  Anna Baltzer of the US Campaign has sent out emails, tweets and FB notices  announcing that BDS is working:

Join me in wishing her many more such  "victories".

Israel's Painful Sacrifices for Peace: The release of Convicted Criminals

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has agreed to release 104 convicted Palestinian criminals to meet the Palestinians' pre-conditions for resuming peace talks, stating "This is an incredibly difficult decision. It hurts the bereaved families, it hurts all of the Israeli people and it hurts me very much. It clashes with the most important principle, the principle of justice."  He added that "sometimes prime ministers are forced to make decisions that go against public opinion - when the issue is important for the country."

The talks are expected to begin Tuesday.

From Israel Hayom

The vast majority of Israeli Jews are against the release of Palestinian terrorists "with blood on their hands" as a means of restarting peace talks with the Palestinians, a poll commissioned by Israel Hayom has found.

 Almost 85 percent of Israeli Jews are against the release of terrorists who have committed deadly attacks as a means of facilitating the upcoming peace talks, the poll shows (9.4% said they would support such a move and 5.7% had no opinion). A smaller proportion (78.1%) said such Palestinian terrorists should not be released even after the talks resumed and even if such a move was contingent on progress in the peace process (13.7% support this, with 8.2% having no opinion).  

Frimet Roth, who young daughter Malka was killed in a terror attack,  writing in Times of Israel , expressed her frustration that convicted murderers, terrorisst- convicts with blood on their hands, are being released, against the will of the people

 The pain that Netanyahu has inflicted on our family and on other victim families by freeing our children’s cold-blooded, convicted killers is but one of the repercussions of his actions and hubris.

By returning unrepentant terrorists to their homes, Mr. Netanyahu has also endangered every Israeli and weakened the very foundations of our society.

 This unprincipled man – a crass politician down to his every last cell – has usurped the role of judge and court. “The majority of the prisoners [about to walk free] have been sitting in prison for more than 20 years.” he explained to his constituents today.

Do we need to remind Mr. Netanyahu that far wiser and more thoughtful people than he sentenced those prisoners to much longer than 20 years, sometimes life?

The pre-Oslo prisoners that are being released are not "political prisoners".  They include:


Ramdan Yacoub - murdered Sarah Sharon with axe; serving life
Musa Kra'an - accomplice to murder of Tzvi Klein; serving 28 years
Asrar Samarin - murdered Tzvi Klein; serving life term
Ataf Sha'at - accomplice to murder of Simcha Levi; serving 29 years
Muhamad Said - murdered Hagai Shalhevet and Naset Sarim; serving 45 years
Mahmad Ahmad - murdered Hagai Shalhevet; serving 30 years
Mahmed Sabbag - tortured and murdered 'collaborators'; serving life
Mahmed Sualha - stabbed to death Baruch Heizler; attempted murder of others; serving life
Dia'a Faluji - beat Amatzia Ben Chaim to death with a hoe; serving life term
Yusef Adel Aai Sayid - attempted murder; tortured 'collaborator'; serving 22 year
Rajib Amer - murdered Ian Feinberg; murdered 'collaborators'; serving 3 life terms
Ahmed Shahada - sodomized and murdered 13 yr old Oren Baharami; serving 47 yrs
 Mahmad Asor- murdered Jewish taxi driver David Kaspi; serving 30 years
Gidan Usama - murdered Yosef Ben Gal to steal his car; serving 30 years
Yusef Arsheed - murdered 5 Arab "collaborators"; serving 5 life term
Mustafa Al Haaj - murdered hiker Frederic Rosenfeld; serving life term
Hamida Abed Geni - strangled to death Ben Tsion Nafusi in robbery; serving 30 year
Mazlum Nasser - strangled to death Ben Tsion Nafusi in robbery; serving 30 year
Usama Silawi - tortured and murdered 'collaborators'; serving 4 life terms
Ahmed Abdel Aziz - planned and carried out murder of Moshe and Maili Biton; serving life

 (Thanks to our friends at CIF Watch for the inspiration )

   Pre Oslo Prisoners by cameraorg

UPDATE: via the Jerusalem Post

After nearly 6 hour meeting, cabinet votes to renew talks with Palestinians including release of 104 Palestinian terrorists in 4 stages over 9 months; cabinet also approves bill to bring peace deal to national referendum...

The ministers voting against included Likud ministers Gilad Erdan and Yisrael Katz, Yisrael Beytenu ministers Yair Shamir and Uzi Landau, and Bayit Yehudi ministers Naftali Bennett, Uri Ariel and Uri Orbach. Likud ministers Silvan Shalom and Limor Livnat abstained.

Those who voted for the proposal were Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Yuval Steinitz, Moshe Ya'alon and Gideon Sa'ar from the Likud, Sofa Landver and Yitzhak Aharonovitch from Yisrael Beytenu, Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid, Yael German, Yaakov Peri, Shai Piron, Meir Cohen, and Hatnua's Tzipi Livni, and Amir Peretz. 

Demonize Israel for fun and profit

The American Friends Service Committee is hiring.  Now our local anti-Israel activists can demonize the only democracy in the Middle East for fun, and for profit. Dalit Baum,  the director of the Middle East Program of the American Friends Service Committee in San Francisco is hiring. Last year Dalit headed the Economic Activism for Palestine Program of Global Exchange (you didn't think these people were volunteers, did you?), and is perhaps best known for her failed attempts to bully Cliff's Variety  , a local retailer into submission

The Job announcement follows:

The Middle East Program of the AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) is looking for interns to support Palestine solidarity campaigns, economic activism and prisoner solidarity projects. Part- to full-time internships available until the end of September, with a possible continuation to a full year internship.

The work will take place at the AFSC San Francisco office. Available stipend is $12 an hour, up to $1200 a month.

We are looking for: someone who cares about the issues, preferably a student activist familiar with Israel/ Palestine. The intern must have excellent computer skills and writing skills, with some experience in research. Preference to Arabic speakers. The tasks may include: Coordinating campus and community organizers; Corporate research for activism; Updating on-line databases; Uploading and sending out information.

Please send your application by July 25th to dbaum@afsc.org. Include your CV and a cover letter, explaining how you fit the requirements and why you are interested in this position. Further include a writing sample of at least one page and two references from people who know your work.

 Its not quite as "grass roots" as the anti-Israel activists would have you believe. Its never been.

 From Arutz Sheva:


Are Israel's leftists pure ideologues or guns for hire? Yotam Feldman, who was born into the leftist camp – his father is liberal lawyer Avigdor Feldman – believes the latter.

In a Hebrew language post at the "Eretz HaEmori" blog, Feldman says that in his life, he has witnessed how Israel's "human rights movement" became a source of income for its activists. He relates how his father's old Subaru "gradually turned" into a BMW, and how the family moved from a rented apartment in Yafo to a spacious Tel Aviv apartment. "

He continues:

"It is a well known but seldom stated fact that a very large part of the leftist activists in Tel Aviv earn their salaries in different ways from the human rights branch. Many of the prominent – and often most vocal – activists in the demonstrations are paid spokespeople, PR people, producers and organizers and of course, lawyers who man the tip of the pyramid in these groups."

"This is a pretty confusing situation because when you are standing in a demonstration or even just engaging in idle talk, it is not clear if the person next to you is expressing his opinion as a result of inner conviction or as an inseparable part of his job…"

Strange fruit. BDS Now and Then

The more things change....


.Having failed to destroy Israel militarily and through acts of terror, the latest tactic of the anti-Israel cru are  Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions.  BDS as a  tactic in the campaign to isolate Israel was launched at the Durban conference in 2001, but its roots go much deeper. The Arab Economic boycott of Israel began in 1944, and was formalized in 1948, with the goal of strangling the Israeli economy.   With their track record of public tantrums, vandalism and bullying, the BDS’ers of today are the ideological heirs to a truly ruthless and ignoble crowd.

Berkeley BDS'er posing with vandalized Sabra hummus

Today, agriculture represents less than 3%  percent of exports, compared to an average of 30% of exports during the 1960s.  In her early years Israel was well known as an agricultural exporter.  The Jaffa orange, a sweet, nearly  seedless orange variety with a tough skin that made it easy to export was a mainstay of Israel’s agricultural exports.

In February 1978, health officials in 18 countries received notice that “oppressed Palestinian workers” had injected liquid mercury into Jaffa oranges,  In a letter to the West German government, a group calling itself the Arab Revolutionary Army-Palestine Command claimed it had adulterated the fruit and added, “Our aim is not indiscriminately to kill your population but to sabotage the Israeli economy.”

The threats were carried out, and  five Dutch children from Harlem and Maastricht,  fell ill after eating Jaffa oranges.  Insoluble pellets of metallic mercury were found injected into the oranges.  Dutch health officials began an investigation, and discovered 25 additional mercury tainted Israeli oranges . More sabotaged Israeli oranges were found in nine West German towns, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

From Time magazine:

 ....the tampered oranges were a shock to Europe, especially after it became known that they were fruits of political terrorism. In a letter to the West German government, an extremist group calling itself the Arab Revolutionary Army-Palestine Command claimed it had doctored the fruit to disrupt Israel's economy.

At least temporarily, it may have done so. In West Germany, which annually imports 140 million tons of citrus products from Israel, sales were halted while the fruit was checked out. In The Netherlands, supermarket managers put their Jaffa oranges in cold storage until the poisoning scare blew over.

 For Israel, the rash of ruined oranges constituted both a new kind of Palestinian attack and a potential economic disaster. The $172 million annual orange export trade is one of the country's major sources of foreign exchange. Israeli growers insist that the injecting took place at shipping centers in Europe and not at the groves themselves; their hypothesis sounded more and more reasonable as first Spanish and then Moroccan oranges, which move through the same European distribution system, displayed the same mercury traces. The Jerusalem Post sarcastically attacked the Palestinians: "They now send their freedom fighters to stab—if not with the sword at least with the syringe—the harmless Jaffa orange."

From our friend Jon, at Divest this, one of our most articulate experts on BDS

While divestment proponents might be able to convince themselves that the ends justify the means as part of some fantasized higher, noble calling, in truth their means have become their ends. For what defines such movements outside of their willingness to say anything, do anything, hurt anyone, sew conflict, corrupt democracy, abuse the language of human rights and free speech, , i.e., to behave in a manner that defines ruthlessness?

Eric Burdon Bails: The "B" in BDS stands for Bullying

Apparently, the "B" in BDS stands for bullying.

Paul McCartney recently disclosed the threats and harrassment he received in 2008 prior to performing in Israel.   According to Adam Shay of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, McCartney said “I got death threats, but I'm coming anyway. I got explicit death threats, but I have no intention of surrendering. I refuse to cancel my performances in Israel” ....

The article documents other artists that have been harassed, writing:

When singer Moby was interviewed on Army Radio shortly before he performed in Israel, he said that the intensity of the attacks against him before he came to Israel made him suspect that this wasn't an objective movement that was concerned with people's welfare, but with something dark and dubious.

The latest victim of the threats and bullying is British rock legend Eric Burdon of the Animals. He has canceled his performance in Israel, scheduled for August 1 after receiving daily threats.

"We are under increasing pressure, including many threatening emails that we are receiving on a daily basis. I wouldn't want to put Eric in any danger."said a statement released by Burdon’s management. Burdon, 71, and the latest incarnation of the Animals were scheduled to appear at the Zappa Shoni Amphitheater in Binyamin along with local favorites Tislam.

Last week Tislam’s Izhar Ashdot and Yair Nitzani met with Burdon in Vienna to plan the show. According to Ashdot and Nitzani, Burdon told them, “It’s impossible to prevent music. Everyone needs music and there’s no connection to to current politics. Everyone has the right to be entertained.”  Apparently the threats were too much, and Burdon changed his mind.   Members of Tislam responded to the cancellation in a statement, which reads, "To appear with Eric Burdon, one of the founding fathers of rock & roll, was an almost dream come true. We're sorry that despite his personal assurance to us, that he bowed to pressure and cancelled his concert."

The response from the anti-Israel cru? They are in complete denial that supporters of the eternally victimized Palestinians are even capable of such threats and bullying.

Sylvia Posadas (@Jinjirrie) anti-Israel activist  and writer of the Kadaitcha  website wrote  "There is no guarantee that these "threats" came from BDS folks."  The word threats are in quotes.

In announcing the cancellation Jews sans frontieres  a self described "Anti-Zionist blog" says Eric Burdon has cancelled an appearance in Israel because of "threats". Yes, in quotes again.

BDS central command, the USACBI website  goes a step further, blaming the threats on "media", or perhaps the "artists and their agents", writing:

Recent claims of threats from ex-Animals singer Eric Burdon in an article published by Ha’aretz are vague and unsubstantiated. We do not know if they are made up by media hostile to the BDS strategy, or by artists and/or their agents, or if they are inflated reports of remarks made by individuals who do not represent the movement. 

The conspicuous inability of the BDS holes to condemn or even to acknowledge the threats against artists scheduled to perform in Israel shows the moral depravity of the entire movement.  Lets  hope artists in the future have the backbone not to cave to hateful threats. A ship at harbor is safe, though that is not what ships are for.

JVP Coordinator David L. Mandel on NGO monitor report: "factual descriptions of JVP’s activities are accurate".

Jewish Voice for Peace Sacramento Coordinator  David L. Mandel  has substantiated NGO Monitor's  report on  JVP, writing " factual descriptions of JVP’s activities are accurate".

Here's the context:

From the J weekly, the Jewish newsweekly of Northern California

Report rips Jewish Voice for Peace and its tactics

 A report from the pro-Israel watchdog organization NGO Monitor accuses Bay Area–based Jewish Voice for Peace of masquerading as a mainstream Jewish organization when its true purpose is to create an anti-Israel “wedge within the American Jewish community.”

 Examining JVP’s financial data, strategies, membership, programs and partners, the report, issued July 8, concludes that JVP has “actively promoted the central dimensions of the political warfare strategy against Israel.”....

 The J continues: 

(Yitzhak)Santis, who used to work for the S.F.-based Jewish Community Relations Council, said pro-BDS and anti-Zionist activists use JVP as a “Jewish shield” to deflect suspicions of anti-Semitism and as a way of “deflecting the overwhelming majority of the Jewish community that strongly supports Israel.”

“They present a Jewish face and give permission,” he said. “They try to convince Christians [JVP is] part of the mainstream Jewish community and should be listened to. They reach out to college-age Jews in the process of forming identities to present a simplistic picture of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, taking advantage of their idealism.”

Moreover, he added, the organization supports or has partnered with groups such as Sabeel, Electronic Intifada, Al-Awda, International ANSWER Coalition, the International Solidarity Movement and Students for Justice in Palestine, all of which label Israel a racist apartheid state, support BDS and, in some cases, support violence against Israelis.

 Jewish Voice for Peace refused to be interviewed for the J weekly, yet several active members of the organization have commented on the article, including Lincoln Shlensky, one of the co-founders of JVP, and  David L. Mandel, Sacramento coordinator for JVP.  David wrote  "Of course much of the factual descriptions of JVP’s activities are accurate; that’s not the point.", before launching into a tirade directed against the NGO watchdog.

David Mandel's admission regarding the accuracy of NGO monitor report (read the report in its entirety, here)  goes a long way in explaining JVP's  uncharacteristic silence on this damning exposure. When faced with incontrovertible evidence regarding the lack of transparency in their organization,  they issue not a ' mea culpa' nor an explanation, but  a childish "Nah Nah Nah.  I can't hear you"

It doesn't surprise me. JVP has been ignoring accuracy, truth and history since their inception.

Another BDS Fail. Palestinians vacation in Israel.

 The Palestinians don't boycott Israel. Why should Americans?

Hundreds of thousands of permits are being issued to Palestinians from the West Bank who want to vacation in Israel for  Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the festival that marks the end of the fast .  Palestinian border crossings in every zone are opened to all who pass Israel’s security inspection. Busloads of of tourists have been leaving the cities of the West Bank every morning en route to Israel’s vacation sites, with an estimated million Palestinians expected to enter Israel ,  up from the 850,000 Palestinians who visited last year.

From  an article in Al monitor

This policy of opening border crossings during holidays was first initiated and implemented a year ago by the chief of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon. Back then Alon claimed, and rightfully so, that given the decline in violence and the positive general atmosphere in the territories, there were no grounds to prevent tens of thousands of families from the West Bank from visiting Israel for reasons of security. On the contrary, Alon believed that these holiday outings would offer the people of the West Bank a new perspective on Israeli society, and that the encounter with Israelis could be a significant step toward re-establishing trust between the two peoples.

So much for Palestinians Civil Society.

And according to Maan, Jamal Jawabreh, secretary-general of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, complained about the lack of travel restrictions, which has lead to Palestinian merchants shopping in Israel, and buying goods to resale in their own communities

Some were unhappy for other reasons.  From The Tower:

The Palestinian Authority minister for religious affairs. Mahmoud al-Habbash lashed out at his compatriots for preferring the bars and beaches of Tel Aviv to worshipful prayer. Habbash explained to Israel’s Maariv newspaper:

“On the Ramadan holiday, when we’re supposed to be growing closer to Allah, they obtain permits [to enter Israel] and go to the beach to flirt with immodest women.”
“No one said it’s forbidden to go to the beach or on vacation. We believe it’s possible to pray, fast and believe in Allah while also living normal, enjoyable lives,” he said, but added a caveat: “Everything has a limit. It’s not written anywhere that young people in their 20s are allowed to take advantage of their freedom to go to the bars of Tel Aviv, to dance and drink, to go to the beach and flirt with Jewish or non-Jewish girls, and to do things they will later regret.”

With one million Palestinians visiting Israel over the Ramadan holiday,  it begs the question. just who is this  "Palestinian Civil society" the BDS holes keep citing?

Wash this! A Tumblr from Abraham's Grandchildren

Now this is funny.

From Abraham's Grandchildren, written by an "Ashkenazi Jew, Litvak, bicultural, Zionist, Semite, loves Israel, loves the many cultures of the Middle East. Hates racism, bad history, and narrishkeit about Khazars."   Check it out.

Wash this!

Some idiot in the Israel tag is now describing the Birthright trips as ‘bluewashing’. Some brief research shows this to be one of JVP’s new terms, joining ‘pinkwashing’ (Israel’s sinister and cynical insistence on giving its LGBTQ citizens rights and the protection of the law, in addition to recognition of same-sex marriages from outside the country) and ‘greenwashing’ (Israel’s cynical and sinister insistence on doing environmental shit).

‘Bluewashing’ appears to encompass any activity that involves encouraging Jews to feel a connection to Israel. This is sometimes known as ‘heritage tourism’ when other people do it.

I love the pathologizing of Israeli behavior, allow me to propose the following:

redwashing—Magen David Adom cynically provides disaster relief
orangewashing—Israel cynically exports Jaffa oranges
yellowwashing—Israeli cyclists cynically ride in the Tour de France
purplewashing—Israelis cynically pretend to care that Alice Walker won’t let The Color Purple be translated into Hebrew, when they have all read it in English anyway
indigowashing—Israelis cynically wear skinny jeans to convince the world they are hip and stylish
graywashing—Israel cynically gives old people pensions
washingwashing—Israelis cynically continue to do laundry

JVP's Rabbi Alissa Wise engages in Sinat Chinam on Tisha B'Av

From Emunah:

After 3 years of increasing pressure on Tiaa-Cref, the answer was clear. The answer was "No". No, the investment giant would not allow its shareholder's meeting to be hijacked by a fringe minority group. No, they would not allow their 3.7 million plan participants retirement futures' be dictated by a tiny minority with a political ax to grind.

What was left for JVP to do, but protest? And true to form, they scheduled their day of rage for the Jewish fast day Tisha b'Av. You didn't actually expect them to mourn the loss of our temple, did you?

At first glance, the July 16th Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Global Exchange and American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Tiaa-Cref protest in San Francisco seemed like a salute to corporate America, with its baffling array of signage.

 If they can't even spell apartheid, how can they possibly look it up and know what it means?

Spelling challenged anti-Israel protester in San Francisco

Song leader Dalit (Dov) Baum vainly tried to engage the handful of protesters, leading chants and songs. 

Dalit (Dov) Baum leading Tiaa-Cref protest

Eventually a  ukulele was brought out. It was that bleak. Passersby hurried past on their way to grab a bite of lunch, largely ignoring the group.

Rabbi Alissa Wise of JVP's Rabbinic Council also attended the protest. In her blog, the Palestinian Talmud, she writes

Tochecha is about our obligation to tell someone when they have done or are currently straying and behaving wrongly – whether to us, or to another. What’s more, tochecha requires us also to engage with those we are rebuking and assist them and support them in the repair of the wrong you are calling out.

Almost like a real rabbi, right? But don't let it fool you.

While I was photographing the protest, Rabbi Alissa Wise walked up to me, chanting loudly into her megaphone, and deliberately placed it inches from my ear.  It was an assault on more than my senses. We've learned to expect temper tantrums from JVP, but coming from the head of the JVP Rabbinic Council, this act was particularly appalling.  When those invested with the spiritual guidance of a group engage in such harmful, petty and vicious acts, we can see quite clearly why the group's moral compass is askew.

You have strayed, Rabbi Wise. You have behaved wrongly. Your baseless hatred, your Sinat Chinam caused you to publicly violate the personal space of a woman old enough to be your mother, simply because you disagreed with her politics.

Sadly, in her own deeply disturbing way, JVP's Rabbi Alissa Wise delivered a wordless sermon on Sinat Chinam on Tisha B'Av.

Apartheid fail: Mais Ali-Saleh graduates first in her class at Israel's Technion

Apartheid fail. 

 Mais Ali-Saleh, an Israeli Arab has graduated first in her class at Israel's renowned Technion .

 From an article by Diane Bletter in the Huffington Post

Guess who graduated first in this year's medical school class at the Technion, Israel's version of M.I.T.? The answer will surprise you. It's a 27-year-old stereotype-buster: a charming, feminist, smart, open-minded and observant Islamic woman named Mais Ali-Saleh who grew up in a small village outside of Nazareth, in Israel's Galilee.

Ali-Selah's academic excellence not only marks her own personal achievement but also proves that contrary to propaganda spouted by proponents of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) Movement -- whose latest convert is Stephen Hawking -- an academic boycott of Israel is the wrong approach to solving the Israel-Arab conflict. Moreover, it ultimately hurts the very people it claims to help. Ali-Selah put it best when she said, "An academic boycott of Israel is a passive move, and it doesn't achieve any of its purported objectives."

It's a BDS fail, as well. Contrary to what international anti-Israel activists would have you believe, Palestinian civil society does not universally support a boycott of Israel.

On trips to Europe, Ali-Selah said that people she met were surprised to learn that Israeli Arabs studied engineering and medicine in Israel, and that they lived among Jews. This lack of awareness helps the BDS Movement win misguided supporters. Boycotters like Roger Waters repeat a falsehood -- that Israel is an apartheid state -- and deny a fundamental truth: Arabs, in particular Arab women, have more freedom, liberties and academic opportunities in Israel than in any Arab country. Yes, they do.

Rather than an academic boycott -- which targets researchers who want to disseminate knowledge rather than restrict it -- Ali-Selah suggests a more active stance: encouraging academic life within the Palestinian Authority and strengthening academic ties with Palestinian universities, planning joint research projects with Palestinian scientists, and admitting more Palestinian scholars to European and American universities for academic programs.

Ali-Selah said that because she did medical research, the boycott did not negatively impact her work, but sooner or later, she said that it will impinge upon academic researchers she knows, both Jews and Arabs. That's why Stephen Hawking and others interested in advancing the cause of peace in the Middle East should focus their energies on supporting more of Israel's success stories like Mais Ali-Selah's, and pressuring Arab countries to emulate Israel's academic freedoms and democracy.

Some might argue that Ali-Selah is an exception to the rule about the Arab minority in Israel. But we only have to look at President Barack Obama to remember how unusual -- and important -- exceptions are.

Read the whole article at the Huff Post

The Hares Boys face 25 counts of attempted murder

From the warped minds of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) media team:

A campaign for five boys from Hares (Salfit) who were arrested last March and have been imprisoned since then has just started. They are currently being held in Meggido prison (48Palestine/Israel) and are  accused of 25 counts of attempted murder. They are having the military court hearing next 25th of July.

The presence of EU/USA official representatives would make a huge different regarding the judge and police behavior during the court and that is why the campaign (led by IWPS) is asking people to send a letter to their embassies asking your official representatives to attend the military court.

The ISM directs you to this page for more information, which makes this claim "Five Palestinian teenagers are facing life imprisonment for a crime that never happened. A settler car accident  labels them as "terrorists". Fight for justice for the Hares Boys!"

This is the result of the crime that "never happened' :

Victims of the Hares boys

The victims included Adva Biton, and her three young daughters Avigail, 4,  Naama, 6, and Adele 3. The family was injured when Palestinian "boys" hurled rocks at their vehicle, causing their car to swerve off the road and collide with an oncoming truck.   Adele was critically injured and has been fighting for her life for four months. She is now wheelchair bound.

Its hard to comprehend what kind of twisted mind could warp reality and invert the victims and the perpetrators in this scenario. The  Palestinian teenagers arrested for this crime were Ali Shamlawi, Mohammed Kleib, Mohammed Suleiman, Ammar Souf and  Tamer Souf.  Yet these teen-aged hooligans are  mere "boys" to the ISM, while the Jewish children are "settlers". 

To the ISM: Never forget this. Your attempts to dehumanize the Jewish victims of this egregious crime are doomed to fail. Adele Biton has a name. She has a family that loves her and a community that supports her.

Adele Biton,  young victim of the Hares boys

The ISM suggests a letter writing campaign. Their suggestion follows, and should be roundly ignored. Instead, send them photos of Adele, of her mothers car, and your heartfelt plea that the perpetrators of this terrorist act against the Biton family face the consequences of their actions.


Letter writing campaign: Find your respective embassy. 

To [Ambassador’s Name]

I am writing to request your presence at the upcoming court hearing of Ali Shamlawi  at Salem Military Court at 9am on 25 July 2013. 
In March 2013, five teenage boys from Hares village (Salfit district, occupied Palestine) were arrested and charged with 25 counts of attempted murder for allegedly throwing stones at an illegal Israeli settler’s car. They received these charges despite an overwhelming lack of evidence. 
Since March 15, the boys have been imprisoned, first in Al-Jalame interrogation center and later in Megiddo prison, both inside the 1948 territories of Israel (as you know well, transferring detained / arrested / imprisoned people from occupied territories to the territory of the occupier violates international law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention).
Each boy reported being tortured, including being held in solitary confinement for as long as two weeks and being beaten by soldiers and other prison personnel. The boys have only been granted very limited visits with both their families and their lawyers. Each of their court hearings has been closed to outside observers. 
I ask you to attend the court hearing, as your presence as an international observer will ensure that these boys receive as fair a trial as is possible in a military court system. I hope that you will attend and I look forward to hearing your response. 
If you need more information about the court hearing, please email us at: haresboys@gmail.com. Alternatively please have a look at the detailed account of the Hares Boys case online: haresboys.wordpress.com
Thank you very much in advance.


And lets continue to keep Adele and her family in our hearts and in our prayers

Arutz Sheva headline reads "BDS Fail"

"BDS fail"  is rapidly becoming an internet meme.
Nothing left to do but smile, smile smile.

Sixty Gaza farmers crossed into Israel last week for an agricultural seminar, blissfully unaware of the supposed "siege" of Gaza, or of Palestinian civil society's call to boycott the Zionist entity.

From Arutz Sheva: BDS Fail: Grateful Gaza Farmers Attend Israeli Seminar

The office of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a part of the IDF, reported this week that last Wednesday and Thursday, two groups of Arab farmers totalling 60 people left Gaza in order to attend an agricultural seminar in northern Israel, designed to advance the Gaza agricultural sector.

Farmers, heads of agricultural associations and merchants had arrived at the conference sponsored by Origins Seeds Company, a company which exports cucurbitacae (pumpkins, squashes, etc.) and field cultivation seeds to 17 world countries, including Gaza and the Palestinian Authority areas in Judea and Samaria.

From COGAT:

Last years, the farmers had purchased seeds from the company and were pleased with their quality, and so it was important for them to attend the seminar and learn more about the product they're using. During the seminar, the farmers completed several workshops on cultivation methods, planting schedules, soil preparation, proper use of irrigation and fertilizer and disinfestation methods.

 In addition, the farmers focused primarily on watermelons, and had stated that this year, owing to the training programs conducted frequently in Israel; growers had achieved unprecedented crop yields – 11 tons of produce for each decare of cultivated fields – A twofold increase compared with the preceding year.

 Seminars such as this take place once a year. Nevertheless, Gaza farmers, with the help and guidance of the GCLH, attend seminars and vocational training sessions such as this on a monthly basis. The seminar allows farmers to obtain information directly from Israeli companies with which they conduct business, as well as from companies from around the world, thus further supporting and improving the Gaza agricultural sector.

This of course, begs the question. If the Palestinians consistently reject BDS in favor of cooperation with Israel,  why are American and European activists ignoring and marginalizing their voices?

NGO Monitor report: Driving a Wedge: JVP’s Strategy to Weaken U.S. Support for Israel by Dividing the Jewish Community

In a speech given to Arab diplomats in Stockholm on January 30, 1996. Yasser Arafat revealed his true intentions: "We of the PLO will now concentrate all our efforts on splitting Israel psychologically into two camps..."  

Some of us have long believed that Jewish Voice for Peace is the result of that strategy.

From Jon at Divest this!

"You see, Jewish Voice for Peace (or JVP - an organization we have seen before) is committed first and foremost to being the Jewish face of the BDS movement. The trouble is, the Jewish Community (notably the Jewish Federations), in addition to running the Heroes campaign, have unanimously decided that BDS advocates are one of the few groups of people who have placed themselves outside of the “big tent.”

Now to most of us, the obvious answer is for JVP to continue to feel free to do what it wants (including advocating for BDS, for a cutoff of US aid to Israel, for interrupting Israelis at speaking events, and other things the wider community finds noxious) with an understand that in doing so they represent themselves and not the Jewish community as a whole. Ah, but you see JVP desperately wants to claim they represent more than a small minority. And thus they endlessly rail against Jewish organizations which they claim conspire to exclude them."

Who is JVP? Who are their allies? Who funds them?  Finally, these issues are addressed in an extensive report by NGO Monitor,  an organization that provides information and analysis, promotes accountability,  on non-governmental organizations claiming to advance human rights and humanitarian agendas.

From NGO Monitor:  Driving a Wedge: JVP’s Strategy to Weaken U.S. Support for Israel by Dividing the Jewish Community

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is a U.S.-based organization, which views itself as the “Jewish wing” of the Palestinian solidarity movement.  Though JVP regards the organized Jewish community as its “enemy” and “opponent,” it nonetheless demands a seat at the communal table.  The strategy, as stated by JVP’s executive director Rebecca Vilkomerson, is to create “a wedge” within the American Jewish community to generate the impression of polarization over Israel.  The tactic is to dilute support for Israel in the Jewish community, toward the goal of reducing or eliminating the United States government’s economic, military, and political support for Israel.

In this role, JVP has actively promoted the central dimensions of the political warfare strategy against Israel, which was adopted at the 2001 Durban NGO Forum.  This “Durban strategy” includes the tactics of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS), a sustained campaign of demonization such as accusations of “apartheid” and “racism,” support for a Palestinian claim to a “right of return,” with the ultimate goal of dismantling Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.  To these ends, JVP promotes divestment campaigns on U.S. campuses, in mainline churches, and in corporate stockholder meetings by deploying the language of demonization and delegitimization.

JVP works closely with other organizations that promote the Durban strategy, such as Electronic Intifada, American Muslims for Palestine, Adalah-NY, Code Pink, Sabeel, International Solidarity Movement, and the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (of which JVP is an official member).

JVP amplifies the radical anti-Israel agenda through its Rabbinical Council, a youth section called “Young, Jewish and Proud,” and activism within the LGBT community.  It also hosts the “Muzzlewatch” website, purporting to expose “McCarthyism” in the Jewish community.  Yet, JVP has engaged in the disruption of the programs of organizations with whom JVP disagrees.

JVP’s funding sources are not transparent.  Its website carries no information on its donors.  Limited financial information on JVP is only available through public IRS documents (990s) and databases, which report a total budget of $876, 529 for 2011. 

These sources reveal that JVP has received funding from an Arab-American foundation  that also supports Electronic Intifada (the Violet Jabara Charitable trust), the Firedoll Foundation, and the Wallace Global Fund, which all contribute to numerous anti-Israel groups.  

Please read the whole report at NGO Monitor

JVP signage ."Jewish community Israel Demeans Your Religion"  Taken in San Francisco by our friend Zombie

JVP Joins its partners in slime in Tiaa-Cref Divestment Song and Dance

Why is Jewish Voice for Peace held in such disdain by members of the Jewish Community? One key reason is that they don't hesitate to stand side by side with those who seek the destruction of the Jewish homeland.  In San Francisco on  Tuesday July 16,  JVP is pairing with anti-Israel activists from Code Pink, the Arab Resource Organizing Center, and Sabeel  for a Day of Rage directed towards financial giant Tiaa-Cref, for refusing to capitulate to their divestment demands.  

Looks like San Francisco is getting a "flash mob".
That'll show those investment  bankers....
Pity the poor New Yorkers who will be putting up with mimes.

But at  least they'll be quiet.

UPDATE:
Here's the full list of JVP's day of rage actions against Tiaa-Cref. Let us know if you are planning a counter- we'll be happy to post your info.

Ann Arbor
5:00 pm
TIAA-CREF offices- 333 Maynard Street
Boston
12:15 PM meet in Harvard Square (the pit)
12:30 - March to TIAA-CREF

Chicago
12: 00 pm
TIAA-CREF office - 200 N. LaSalle Street
Denver
5 pm
TIAA-CREF Office - 17th & Broadway
Detroit
11:30 am
TIAA-CREF Office- 2000 Town Center in Southfiled, Michigan
Ithaca
12:00 pm
Meet in the center of Dewitt Park, then march to TIAA-CREF Ithaca Office-  130-131 E. Green St (between Palmers Pharmacy and Urban Outfitters)
Los Angeles
Time/Date TBA
Louisville
Time/Date TBA
New York
5 pm
TIAA-CREF office- 750 3rd Avenue between 45th&46th Streets (4/5 to Grand Central)
Philadelphia
8:15 am
TIAA-CREF office at 1835 Market Street, corner of 19th Street
Sacramento
Time/Date TBA
San Francisco
12:00 pm
TIAA-CREF Office- 560 Mission St. (near 2nd St.)
Seattle
Time/Date TBA
Washington D.C
July 14th, 2:00 pm
 In front of Columbia Heights Mall -- at the Columbia Heights Metro Station on 14th St.-- just north of the intersection with Irving St.

BDS fail. Israeli food exports to America increase 50% over the last 5 years

 Anti-Israel activists will be assembling later this month for a BDS meet and greet in upstate New York   The BDS boot camp  run by the American Friends Service Committee and  Jewish Voice for Peace promises “fun in a summer camp-like environment!” , and offers Ramadan meal accommodations. They know their target audience

Perhaps there will be a workshop on keeping up morale in the face of failure.

After twelve years, the BDS campaign  seems to have made no appreciable difference in Israel's economic growth. Israel’s explosive tech industry remains unaffected,  with Google recently purchasing Israeli company Waze for $1 billion. Intel is currently in negotiation to invest $10 billion dollars in the Israel based factories.

Its not just tech.

The last five years have seen a 50% rise in Israeli food exports to the United States. Exports of Israeli foods and beverages to the United States reached a record $224 million in 2012.

From YNET

The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) recently revealed that in 2012 alone, the US received a record $224 million worth of Israeli food and beverage exports, which represents a 3% increase since 2011 and a 50% increase since 2008, when Israeli food and beverage exports were valued at $144 million...

Several Israeli researchers predict that the amount of Israeli food and beverage exports in the US will double within the next five years....

In the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the hubs of the "delegitimization" of Israel,  Israeli products are readily available, carried by big box chains such as Costco, as well as smaller specialty stores such as Trader Joes.  Independent Grocers  and gourmet shops are carrying more and more Israeli foods. And in spite of the call of "Palestinian civil society", and to the chagrin of anti-Israel activists,  Israeli products can still be found in many of the small Arab and Middle eastern markets around town.

Ora's Organics Israeli Tea at Safeway

Delicious Israeli Olive oil found at the Berkeley Bowl

Israeli Sliced cheese at Costco

Israeli Wines found in a Bay Area Lucky store: The "Buy Israeli goods" symbol is a nice touch

Just some food for thought to the BDS'holes out there...

Queers Undermining Israel Terror (QUIT )undermines individual freedom

There's always a local angle.  Its a small world, after all.

From an article written by David-Elijah Nahmod  originally appearing in the South Florida Gay News.

In his article, "Queers for Palestine. What do they stand for?", David ponders the question,  "Can the queer movement can  align itself to the Palestinian liberation movement?",  reminding his readers that according to a 2010 report published by the International Lesbian and Gay Association homosexuality is illegal in the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip, and is punishable by up to ten years in prison. 

Sign at Frameline Film festival counterprotest :Queers for Palestine is like Turkeys for Thanksgiving

David brings up an incident several months ago, when a venerable San Francisco institution, Ciff's Variety Store was besieged by QUIT, a self identified queer anti-Israel group. Why would a queer group harass a local institution with a clear commitment to individual freedoms?

On Christmas Eve, 2012, representatives from QUIT Palestine (Queers Undermining Israeli Terror) entered Cliff’s Variety, a family owned hardware and housewares store in San Francisco’s predominately gay Castro district. The store first opened its doors in 1932.

 “They did not identify themselves when they entered the store,” Cliff’s manager Martha Jasten said to SFGN. “We felt ambushed. I had no idea what they’re after.”

After singing a mock Christmas Carol, the protesters loudly announced that the store was supporting the allegedly apartheid and genocidal policies of the Israeli government towards the Palestinian people. Store employees and security guards took the protesters by their arms and physically escorted them off the premises....

 Cliff’s Variety has been a vocal supporter of LGBT equality since the 1970s, according to Jasten.“The weekend after Black Friday is set aside as a fundraiser for the Harvey Milk Academy,” she said. “We also donate to the AIDS Emergency Fund.” The Milk Academy is a high school for LGBT youth located a few blocks from the store. The AIDS Emergency Fund provides financial assistance to low-income people with AIDS.

 
QUIT also regularly protests the Frameline LGBT film festival.  David points out that QUIT spokesperson Kate Raphael  has stated that QUIT takes no position on marriage equality, yet posted on her Facebook page  “We’re here, we’re Queer, and we don’t want marriage equality.” Why would a queer group consistently take positions that undermine the voices of the LGBT community?  It begs the question-how much of their actions are motivated by  perverse contrarian  pathology, rather than a genuine desire for social change?

Incidentally, nine months of unrelenting attacks on Cliff's appear to have ended. Sodastream is still being sold, and QUIT is searching for a new target, one perhaps with a bit less backbone than Cliff's.

JVP: Searching for relevance

From Jewish Voice for Peace's position statement on BDS:  January 24, 2012.  Take it with the proverbial grain of salt.

Summary: 
JVP has grown dramatically in size and influence in the past two years. As part of the ongoing assessment sparked by this growth, JVP reviewed its BDS policy. On the basis of an organization-wide conversation about BDS, we have refined our position while maintaining our strategy. JVP shares the aims of the Palestinian Boycott National Committee — ending the occupation, achieving equality for Palestinians now living in Israel, and recognizing Palestinian refugees’ right of return. JVP focuses our efforts on boycott and divestment campaigns that directly target Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and its blockade of the Gaza Strip. We believe this to be the most effective way for JVP to help bring about the aims we share with the Palestinian BDS call

I'm particularly interested in JVP's claim of dramatic growth in the last few years. The national JVP meeting in Berkeley (which incidentally refused to allow any media presence) was contained, with room to spare, in a small Berkeley hotel.  JVP's  got a long way to go before their "Move over AIPAC" dream is realized- the pro-Israel lobby attracted over 13,000 to their annual meeting  A recent JVP sponsored protest in San Francisco at a Jewish Community fair yielded  a dozen aging activists trudging aimlessly in a circle, while tens of thousands gathered inside.



Contrast that pitiful display with the youthful exuberance inside the gardens:



Most recently, "Jewish" Voice for Peace displayed their contempt  for "Jewish values" by scheduling their latest day of rage against financial giant Tiaa-Cref  for Tisha B'Av.   Tisha B'Av,  the fast of the 9th of Av  is a day of mourning to commemorate the destruction of our holy temple in Jerusalem, as well as the many other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people.  The proud to be ashamed to be Jewish crowd once again shows their priorities, distancing themselves from the worship of their people in favor of  promoting their narrow political agenda.  While Jewish people across the world will be sharing our collective grief and  mourning for our people,  JVP will be spending the day fulfilling their role as the "wicked child" at the seder,  trying to bully Tiaa-Cref  into submission.

Greta Berlin and Freedom Stitchers: Leaving us in Stitches, once again.

June 4, 2013,  the second Palestinian Cultural day was met with yawns  in Alameda County.  Some of us just couldn't help wondering- if the Palestinians claim a 2,000 year connection to the Holy land, and the Jews claim a 4,000 year heritage, can we finally take this as a formal admission that the Palestinians are interlopers and that the Jews are the natives?

The mention of handicrafts as a hallmark of Palestinian culture is also fascinating, in light of a recent email sent out by a trio of  women,  Sinead MacLochlainn, Mary Hughes Thompson and Greta Berlin.  (The ethically challenged Greta Berlin may be best known for a series of bizarre and anti-Semitic tweets, followed by a series of even more bizarre excuses, documented at Storify by Avi Mayer. She has also gleefully admitted writing fraudulent press releases)    

From an email sent by Greta Berlin. 

Announcing the launch of the “Freedom Stitchers” project to help create self-sufficiency for marginalized and jobless women in Gaza.

The “Freedom Stitchers” project begins in Gaza, late summer/early autumn 2013

“Freedom Stitchers” will be a sustainable project to assist the women of Gaza in creating handcrafted items that can then be exported and sold to generate a small income for the women who participate. This micro-business is based on the idea that Palestinian women possess their own unique artistic and design skills, but they need a process to sell their finished products to the world, (with a little help from their friends at “Freedom Stitchers.”)  We therefore intend to help set up this business for women in Gaza to market not only their exquisite embroidery, but to also enhance their artistic skills by teaching them how to knit, crochet, do silk ribbon embroidery, beadwork, felting, and other types of hand stitching for textile art which can then be sold.The three of us organizers, Sinead MacLochlainn, Mary Hughes Thompson and Greta Berlin are long-time activists for justice in Palestine. You can read more about us on our bio page and on the website at freedomstitchers.org then donate what you can to make this project work. Indiegogo accepts credit cards and PayPal or you can send a donation to the bank in Ireland. It's listed in the website above.You all stepped up and donated for the boats. No matter how big or small the donation, this project is also worthy of your support. Once Mary, Sinead and I set up the micro-business, we will step back and provide support as needed. Everyone says it is not possible to organize a micro business in Gaza. But they said the same thing about sending boats. The boats could not have happened without all of you. Make this project happen!

Greta Berlin, Co-Founder, the Free Gaza movementEditor, Freedom Sailors

If Palestinian textile arts are an established part of the local culture, why are American and European women arrogantly proposing  the need to enhance the skills of local women by " teaching them how to knit, crochet, do silk ribbon embroidery, beadwork, felting, and other types of hand stitching for textile art? "  If these women of privilege are so concerned about the marginalized women of Gaza, what are they doing to mitigate the adverse effects of polygamy?  Under-aged marriages? What are they doing to encourage women to challenge the misogynist Hamas regime?

Inquiring minds are wondering, Greta.....

BDS fail: Alicia Keys and Idan Raichel together in Tel Aviv

It began shortly after pop super star Alicia Keys decided to play a July 4 gig in Tel Aviv.  The BDS'ers spared no effort in their attempt to pressure the 14 time Grammy award winning singer to cancel the performance. In addition to the usual attempts to hijack her twitter feed and Facebook page, the BDS'ers solicited a letter from Alice Walker, who urged Alicia not to put her soul in danger by playing in Israel.  Even after Alicia Keys arrived in Israel, the onslaught continued,  with anti-Israel activist and cultural boycott advocate Tali Shapiro urging people to continue hounding Ms. Keys.

.

It was to no avail.

On July 4th, Alicia Keys and her special guest Idan Raichel joined together to use their music to "unify audiences in peace and love" at Alicia Keys' long-awaited, sold out concert in Israel. 



After Alicia Keys addressed the sold out crowd in Hebrew, "Ma Kore Tel Aviv", (What's up, Tel Aviv?") Shapiro's bitterness slipped out,  calling the ancient language of the Jewish people a "colonial language"

It was a massive BDS fail for those seeking to culturally isolate Israel.

From the Jerusalem Post:

Alicia Keys set the Tel Aviv on fire Thursday night with her powerful, soulful voice and a message of peace and love, BDS movement be damned....

Keys stood out most on her own, whether it was belting out "Girl on Fire," the song that gave her tour its name, or crooning her love song to her home town, "Empire State of Mind."

Keys ended the song with her smash-hit New York anthem, taking the state in a slinky, sparkling red gown and raising the whole audience.

"This song is about hopes and dreams," she said. "We all have the same hopes and dreams. It doesn't matter where you come from. Don't let anyone hold us back or push us down."

 Press release from the Creative Community for Peace: Alicia Keys plays for Peace in Israel

(Los Angeles -- July 4, 2013) -- The Creative Community for Peace (“CCFP”), an organization of leading executives from within the entertainment industry, congratulates Alicia Keys on the success of her first concert in Israel and the fulfillment of her goal to “unify her audiences in peace and love”. We are grateful that Alicia saw beyond the baseless accusations of apartheid and the rhetoric of the cultural Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (“BDS”) movement and did not allow their noise to drown out the melodies of freedom and the voices of change.

For several years, the cultural BDS movement has been pressuring artists from all over the world to cancel their performances in Israel with tactics that frequently cross the line and border on harassment. These boycott activists hijack the social media platforms of artists and inundate them and their representatives with petitions, phone calls, letters and thousands of Facebook posts, Tweets, and emails, often threatening the artist's reputation and professional career. At times they even violate copyright laws and will use an artist's work for their own self-gain, forcing the artist to take legal action to protect his or her work, as Alicia Keys had to do with an unauthorized video utilizing her song, “Girl on Fire.” But above all, the BDS movement works against reconciliation, distorts the dialogue of those who seek peace, and provokes discord among the fans of these iconic artists.

The Creative Community for Peace works within the entertainment industry to promote a positive environment for cultural exchange and seeks to provide balance to the misinformation that artists may see about Israel in social media. It believes that singling out Israel for a cultural boycott is hypocritical when human rights abuses go unchecked in various other countries in the Middle East. CCFP applauds Alicia Keys and the hundreds of other artists who, despite the concerted efforts of these misinformed groups, perform and visit Israel, cherishing the freedom of expression that exists there and coming away with an incredible experience.

Alicia Keys received an open letter from novelist and BDS supporter, Alice Walker, who said that by performing in Israel, Alicia would be putting herself in “soul danger”. In response to Alice Walker’s open letter, 17 members of CCFP’s advisory board, comprised of top level executives in the entertainment industry, signed their own open letter , refuting Walker’s false allegations of apartheid and congratulating Alicia Keys for looking beyond the rhetoric. Like Alicia, CCFP believes music is a universal language that should be shared and can help build bridges and promote understanding.

In addition to the open letter, the CCFP “Anti-Boycott Petition”  signed by over 18,000 people from every corner of the world, was sent to Alicia to show her that she has thousands of fans who support and believe in her message of peace and love.

Thank you Alicia Keys for sharing the gift of your music with the people of the state of Israel- Arab, Muslim, Christian and Jew alike. Your voice and your message have touched the hearts of thousands of people in a region wholeheartedly hoping for peace. We are sure that they will hope to see you again soon!

For several years, the cultural BDS movement has been pressuring artists from all over the world to cancel their performances in Israel with tactics that frequently cross the line and border on harassment. These boycott activists hijack the social media platforms of artists and inundate them and their representatives with petitions, phone calls, letters and thousands of Facebook posts, Tweets, and emails, often threatening the artist's reputation and professional career. At times they even violate copyright laws and will use an artist's work for their own self-gain, forcing the artist to take legal action to protect his or her work, as Alicia Keys had to do with an unauthorized video utilizing her song, “Girl on Fire.” But above all, the BDS movement works against reconciliation, distorts the dialogue of those who seek peace, and provokes discord among the fans of these iconic artists.

The Creative Community for Peace works within the entertainment industry to promote a positive environment for cultural exchange and seeks to provide balance to the misinformation that artists may see about Israel in social media. It believes that singling out Israel for a cultural boycott is hypocritical when human rights abuses go unchecked in various other countries in the Middle East. CCFP applauds Alicia Keys and the hundreds of other artists who, despite the concerted efforts of these misinformed groups, perform and visit Israel, cherishing the freedom of expression that exists there and coming away with an incredible experience.

Alicia Keys received an open letter from novelist and BDS supporter, Alice Walker, who said that by performing in Israel, Alicia would be putting herself in “soul danger”. In response to Alice Walker’s open letter, 17 members of CCFP’s advisory board, comprised of top level executives in the entertainment industry, signed their own open letter , refuting Walker’s false allegations of apartheid and congratulating Alicia Keys for looking beyond the rhetoric. Like Alicia, CCFP believes music is a universal language that should be shared and can help build bridges and promote understanding.

In addition to the open letter, the CCFP “Anti-Boycott Petition”  signed by over 18,000 people from every corner of the world, was sent to Alicia to show her that she has thousands of fans who support and believe in her message of peace and love.
Thank you Alicia Keys for sharing the gift of your music with the people of the state of Israel- Arab, Muslim, Christian and Jew alike. Your voice and your message have touched the hearts of thousands of people in a region wholeheartedly hoping for peace. We are sure that they will hope to see you again soon!

Thank you, Alicia Keys for standing strong against the BDS bullies. Thank you for standing up for truth. Thank for for respecting standing up for cultural freedom, and for resisting the efforts of those who seek to destroy the ancient homeland of the Jewish people. And thank you for honoring your fans and your music with an amazing performance.