Lies the BDS holes tell.

Lies the BDS holes told.

Via Noura Khouri.

She tweets: "2014  will forever go down in history as when we stopped Zim from coming to the US."

No, it won't Noura.

Zim Shipping still has a robust American presence , in spite of your best efforts.

Just this week, the Zim Istanbul off loaded in New York harbor.(That's in the US, Noura) before moving down to Norfolk VA (That's also in the US, Noura)

Again, Noura Khouri proves that in the absence of any concrete victory,  BDS holes are more than happy to lie. 

Zionism and Judaism

January 1st is a fast day for observant Jews.

In 2015, the 10th of Tevet falls on News Years day.  It is marked by fasting and prayer, and commemorates the day the armies of  Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem. Thirty months later, the city walls were breached, and on the 9th of Av the  Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, and the people exiled.

Remember this when anti-Israel activists tell you there is no connection between Judaism and Zionism. Remember it as well when anti-Israel activists accuse the Jewish people of attempting to "Judaize" Jerusalem.

Palestinian statehood bid defeated at the UN Security Council.

The  15-member council United Nations Security Council fell short of the 9 votes needed to pass the statehood resolution.  Eight voted for the resolution and two voted against, with five abstentions.

Supporting the resolution were France, China,   Russia, Argentina, Chad, Chile, Jordan and Luxembourg. Australia and the United States voted against.

UK, Nigeria,  Lithuania, South Korea and Rwanda abstained from supporting the resolution

Speaking about the  vote, US Ambassador Samantha Power said: “We voted against this resolution not because we are comfortable with the status quo....peace must come from hard compromises that occur at the negotiating table.”

She added:

"The United States every day searches for new ways to take constructive steps to support the parties in making progress toward achieving a negotiated settlement.  The Security Council resolution put before us today is not one of those constructive steps."

She said the text was "deeply imbalanced"  with "unconstructive deadlines that take no account of Israel’s legitimate security concerns."

Read More:

Palestinian draft resolution fails in UN council

UN Security Council rejects Palestinian statehood resolution

Palestinian statehood resolution fails at UN Security Council

In response, Palestinians burnt an American flag, and continued their incessant whining.

Haifa Celebrates Diversity

Haifa, that other city by the bay, has been San Francisco's sister city for 41 years.

Among the many commonalities are a strong pride in celebrating their diversity, promoting multiculturalism, tolerance and coexistence.

From the J post

For the past 21 years, thousands of visitors have been attending the annual December weekend Holiday of Holidays Festival in Haifa.

This festival, which falls on the crossroads of Hanukka, Id al-Adha and Christmas, has come to stand for coexistence and multiculturalism. The festival runs until December 27, when the city invites visitors to enjoy theatrical and musical performances, vendors and art exhibits.

The photos are breathtaking.

Haifa is more beautiful than ever in its holiday finery.

If Gaza is a Prison, Hamas is the Jailer.

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." 
Nelson Mandela

We've seen how Hamas treats the children of Gaza, training them as soldiers in after school programs and summer camps. Hamas has used children as human shields, and as forced labor in the past

Todays events, in light of Hamas's past are not surprising. It is still heartbreaking to see an attempt at peace-making so cynically discarded.

A group of 37 children  from Gaza ages 5 to 12 whose fathers were killed in the war between Hamas and Israel,  were prevented from leaving Gaza today after Hamas rescinded an agreement with Israel. The children were already on the bus, waiting to cross the border.

From Y NET

The children. were set...to visit an Israeli safari, tour the Bediun town of Rahat, and even meet Palestinian President Abbas in Ramallah. They were also scheduled to tour the Israeli communities which live near the Gaza border.

Eyad Bozum, a spokesman for Hamas, said the children were prevented from traveling Sunday to "protect the culture of our children and our people" from normalizing relations with Israel.

He says Hamas turned the children back when they arrived at a crossing into Israel. He says Hamas would make sure such an attempt "will never happen again."

The idea behind the visit was to show the children the other side of the conflict, and the initiative was led by Yoel Marshak, from the Kibbutz Movement.

It is increasing obvious that if Gaza is an "open air prison", that Hamas is the jailer. 

Palestinian children wait on a bus at Erez crossing in Beit Hanun in the north of the Gaza Strip on December 28, 2014, before being prevented by Hamas from entering Israeli territory in a pre-arranged week-long trip, organizers and officials said. AFP PHOTO/MAHMUD HAMS

Another BDS fail. Gaza loves Caterpillar

At its core, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) movement is awash in hypocrisy.

Since the very beginning, Caterpillar has been in the BDS'ers crosshairs.

But boycotts should begin at home.  There are Caterpillar dealerships in both Ramallah and in Gaza

Its' been claimed that "Palestinian civil society " is behind the movement to boycott the region's only democracy. Yet clearly the Palestinians have rejected a boycott of Caterpillar.

Caterpillar in Gaza

If Palestinians in the West bank and Gaza have already  rejected a boycott of Caterpillar, why should the Americans and Europeans be pressured to ignore their wishes ? 

If the Palestinians do not boycott Caterpillar, why should anyone?

Hamas prepares for War

Hamas continues to prepare for endless war, while the people of Gaza suffer

Israel from Space

Israel from the International space station 

Israel. Beautiful, any way you look at it.

Photographed by US astronaut Barry Wilmore.

Bad Santa. Palestinian Santa Attacks Israeli security forces

From the UK Mail:

Dressed from head to toe in a Father Christmas outfit, a Palestinian man is shown throwing a tear gas capsule at Israeli security forces today.     

The violence was part of a protest against the separation barrier and Jewish settlement construction at Bil'in Village, in Ramallah, in the West Bank of Jerusalem.

Photos via Getty Images

Proud evil Santa later posed for his close-up.

Do Palestinians and their enablers exploit beloved children's icons for their own nefarious purposes? Why, yes they do.

 

The radical notion that (vegan) Israelis are people

Kristofer Aberg, a Swedish animal rights activist since 1995 has written a response to the article by the Peace and Conflict Studies scholar Shawndeez Davari Jadali ‘Vegan Killers: Israeli Vegan-Washing and the Manipulation of Morality.  This was original published as a comment, but the aptly named Turkey Agenda  website censored it.

Kristofer Aberg nails it:  "What Javali is doing is to be categorised as the master suppression technique known as double bind – “damn you if you do, damn you if you don’t”

The radical notion that (vegan) Israelis are people 

Shawndeez Davari Jadali wrote a couple of days ago about Israeli “vegan washing” in Turkey Agenda. Israel, Jews and Zionists have been subjected to a lot of lies and conspiracy theories during the years. Do we really need another one?

First of all: Is it really that hard to understand that you shouldn’t use collective punishments on Israelis just as you shouldn’t do it on Americans? How would Shawndeez Davari Jadali feel if she was to be blamed for the war in Iraq, just because she lives in theUS? And that her attempt at peace and conflict studies is just a “peace washing” to make the US image better for the world?

The slogan “feminism is the radical notion that women are people” has shown to misogynous men what feminism is really about. It seems like people like Jadali need to be taught the radical notion that also Israelis are people! They are not propaganda machines for their government just as Jadali probably wasn’t a propaganda machine for the Bush administration. Israelis can have a life not connected to the conflict with the Palestinians. Jadali’s single minded attitude sounds like someone who has never met a gay person, and then stereotype that person totally. A Swedish comedian therefor said something like “I’m not just gay, I’m also a carpenter”, to point out that you are more than your sexuality. And you are also more than your citizenship. Israelis can be interested in veganism and queer politics just as Jadali or I can.

So where is Jadali’s evidence that it’s the Israeli state that is behind the vegan boom in Israel? I have been active in the vegan and animal rights movement in Sweden since the 1990?ies, working with low budget grass roots campaigns. I would love to hear about the secrets on how to get your state to support these causes and make a vegan boom such as the one in Israel! Also, in Sweden, and probably in other places, most of the animal rights movement comes from the left/liberal/green side of the political spectra. In Israel there is a right wing government, so the conspiracy theory of them being behind the vegan boom seems even harder to believe.

What Javali is doing is to be categorised as the master suppression technique known as double bind – “damn you if you do, damn you if you don’t”. The same thing goes for the people using the “pink washing” theory to blame the Israelis for their liberal attitudes toward the LGBTQ community. If Israel would have a lousy policy on veganism and LGBTQ issues, people like Jadali would have used that to blame them. Now when they are progressive, Jadali comes up with another way to be able to blame them. The same goes for Jadali’s criticism of the Israeli army providing non leather shoes for a minority (vegetarians and vegans). If they would refuse, Jadali would have just had the chance to blame Israel for discrimination against minorities. Some more peace and conflict studying of Norwegian social psychologist Berit As is recommended for her.

Read it all here

Fatah celebrates 50th anniversary of 1st terror attack

Ah, unity.

Hamas in Gaza and Fatah share at least one characteristic- they both relish in celebrating their acts of terror, and those who perpetrated them

 On Jan. 1, 1965 Fatah members infiltrated into Israel and attempted to sabotage a National Water Carrier canal. The squad managed to put an explosive device next to the Water Carrier, but it failed to explode and later was discovered by an Israeli Border Police patrol. Fatah's first major guerrilla attack was a failure, but 35 other attacks on Israelis and civilian infrastructure followed that year

The 50th anniversary is coming up on Jan.1, and already Fatah is commemorating the failure.

Make no mistake. Fatah is not a moderate partner for peace

Hamas, ISIS and Iran kill Gays like me

NEW YORK – Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, executive director of This World: The Values Network, and Israel advocacy group Stand With Us have taken out a full page ad in The New York Times this week exposing the repression and persecution of LGBT communities throughout the Middle East

The text of the ad follows, via  Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

 

 

My name is Rennick Remley. I’m a gay American. And I support Israel.

If I lived in Gaza or Israel’s neighboring states, I would be thrown in jail, mutilated or killed.

Though I am not Jewish, Israel is the only country in the Middle East where I can live without fear. I am free to adopt children, serve openly in the military, advocate for my community’s rights and be accepted as a human being.

I visited Israel and marched with thousands of people from around the globe in Jerusalem’s Gay Pride parade, and all were treated with dignity. The freedom I experienced made me feel at home.

That’s why I’m appalled that so many in the Western world – including the media, Hollywood, and self-proclaimed human rights activists – fail to hold terrorist organizations like Hamas and autocratic governments like Iran accountable for their persecution of LGBT communities.

Have you no decency?

Hamas calls homosexuals subhuman, accusing us of engaging in a “filthy practice” that is punishable by death.

It’s not an empty threat. Gay Palestinians have been tortured and killed. That’s why many gay Palestinian men risk their lives to cross the border and seek refuge in Israel.
If I lived in Iran, or under Hamas’ ideological cousin ISIS, chances are you’d be seeing my picture.

Not in this ad, but hanging from a crane in a public square. That’s a regular practice against gay men by the Iranian regime.

The only way for gays to avoid persecution in Iran is to undergo a forced sex change operation.

To those who scapegoat Israel while pretending to care about human rights yet remain silent about the oppression and violence Hamas, Iran and other Middle East countries inflict on the gay community:

Shame on you. You are letting them murder us, literally.

Your misguided actions ensure that LGBT people in the Middle East continue to live in hiding under constant threat of violent death.

It’s time to hold oppressive dictators and religious fanatics accountable for their homophobia and violence against LGBT communities.

As a nation that respects the rights and humanity of every citizen, Israel is a model for the rest of the region. Speak up for Israel. You don’t have to be Jewish to love the only democracy in the Middle East.

Join the fight for justice and human rights in the Middle East at shmuley.com, thisworld.com and StandWithUs.com.

In Israel, I am free.

Hippocratic Oath trumps security fears at Israeli hospitals

From Haaretz: Hippocratic Oath trumps security fears at Israeli hospitals


The commitment of Israeli hospitals to treating perpetrators of terror, says Charles Sprung, director of the general intensive care unit at Hadassah in Ein Karem, and head of the hospital’s Institute of Medicine, Ethics and Law – is indeed one of those things that cannot be changed. Nor, he stresses, should it be....

Sprung, a religious man, also cites the Oath of Maimonides, the famed 12th-century Jewish physician, which obligates doctors to “never see in the patient anything but a fellow creature in pain.” Sprung shrugs. That is all there is to it, really...

“Is it incumbent upon individuals in a nation whose very existence is constantly being threatened to act compassionately toward those who set out to destroy them?” asks Avi Rivkind, head of Hadassah’s Division of Emergency Medicine and Trauma, in an oft-quoted 2009 paper co-authored with colleagues from the IDF and Haifa's Rambam Medical Center in the American Journal of Bioethics (“Medical Care for Terrorists – To Treat or Not to Treat” by Gesundheit, Ash, Blazer and Rivkind). “Should hospitals expend limited public health care resources on a terrorist, thereby perhaps depriving other patients of medical care?” the authors wonder. 

The answer, they conclude, is clearly “yes.” 

“It’s not that we applaud what such terrorists do,” explains Rivkind, who has spent 30 years at Hadassah, a hospital which, due to its location and the fact that it runs a sophisticated trauma unit, says it has over the years treated more terror victims – and terrorists – than any other medical institution in the country. 

“Quite the opposite. They take human lives whereas we try to save them. There is a big discrepancy between us and no bridge" between terrorists and physicians, he says. “But we have our obligations under the Hippocratic Oath. So, at the end of the day, there is really no question.” 

Read it all at Haaretz

Gaza: Have a Coke and a smile

Coca-Cola will open its first-ever plant in the Gaza Strip in 2015, joining a previously existing Pepsi plant. Nine trucks carrying assembly line parts  have already left Jordan, crossed  Israel and entered Gaza  via the Kerem Shalom crossing. The plant is owned by Palestinian  billionaire Munib al-Masri and Palestinian-American businessman Zahi Khouri. Khouri is the chairman of the Palestinian National Beverage Company and already owns three Coca Cola franchises in the West Bank.

The plant is expected to employ 360 Palestinians by 2016.  Eventually, the plant is expected to provide employment to nearly 1,000  in Gaza.   The construction is expected to take three years at a cost of $20 million.

And because its Gaza, not everyone is happy with the prospect of jobs and normalization. After all, wasn't Coca-Cola on the boycott list?

Anti- Vegan rant by Shawndeez Davari Jadali

A vegetarian or vegan diet is one of the most earth friendly gestures an individual can take.

If everyone in the USA went vegetarian for JUST ONE DAY, we would save:

* 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;
* 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year; 
*  70 million gallons of gas -- enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;
* 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;
* 33 tons of antibiotics.

If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:

* Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France;
* 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages;
* 4.5 million tons of animal excrement;
* Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.

This personal choice has the very real potential to provide positive change for the planet. 

Israel may very well be the most vegan friendly country in the world, with four percent of the population identifying as vegan.  A recent vegan fest in Tel Aviv attracted 15,000 people.  Even the Israeli army provides soldiers leather-free boots and dietary alternatives for its vegans. Happy cow, the vegetarian travel site lists 113 veg-friendly restaurants in Tel Aviv alone

Leave to to the Palestinians and their enablers to find this objectionable.

Vegan Killers: Israeli Vegan-Washing and the Manipulation of Morality  was written by Shawndeez Davari Jadali , a research assistant for the Islamophobia Studies Journal, UC Berkeley and was published in the very appropriately named Turkey Agenda.

 It reads like a parody, but it is not.

Shawndeez, graduate of UC Berkeley's Peace and conflict program  takes issue with Israel's growing vegan movement, accusing the country of "enticing vegans from all over the world with a myriad of vegan eateries", motivated by a desire " to conceal the violence embedded in the occupation of Palestine".

Alas, for the poor helpless Palestinians, this tofu-driven Zionist conspiracy is succeeding, as characterized by the "booming vegan tourism and international praise for the Israeli vegan movement"

Tourists: Be forewarned. The vegetarian schnitzel or seitan schwarma gracing your plate is not simply a personal lifestyle statement. It serves as a signal that  Israel  has  succeded in  "manipulating politically disinclined animal lovers all over the world into accepting its duplicitous political agenda".

Shawndeez  Jadali , a protege of Hatem Bazian  sees a Zionist conspiracy in her morning cornflakes, in her tea leaves, and on her dinner plate.  Its a sad and petty way to live.

Israel Advocacy Training: North Bay

On the weekend of January 9-11, Congregation Beth Ami in Santa Rosa is holding an Israel advocacy weekend featuring Gary Kenzer of Honest Reporting as their Scholar in Residence. They have graciously agreed to open these events to Israel supporters across the Bay Area.

Check out the website for more information. Beth Ami is located at 4676 Mayette Avenue in Santa Rosa. 

Friday Jan 9

Services 6:00 pm

6:30 Shabbat dinner (reservations required - (707) 360-3000)

7:15 to 8:00 (approximately) Gary will speak on Media Bias and how Honest Reporting brings truth-telling to the media.

  

Saturday Jan 10

Services 9:30 am; will end around noonish.

12:00 – 1:00 dairy kosher potluck dairy lunch.  After lunch, Gary’s interactive talk will enlighten us with examples of media bias.

6:00 pm: Havdalah followed by a nosh (snack).  

6:15pm Interactive session with videos.  Gary will play and talk about a few of the many learning tools Honest Reporting has created to help fight misinformation, disinformation, and bias against Israel.

Sunday Jan 11

Sunday’s sessions are for those who wish to take the next step and learn from the expert about best practices for Israel advocacy. It will involve hands-on exercises to enable us to become even better at writing letters and being persuasive in discussions with others. Sessions will take place in the apartment/chapel.

10:00 – 11:45          Developing better written communications to media

11:45 – 1:15            optional: join us off-campus for lunch with Gary

1:30 – 2:45              Developing persuasive discussion skills

3:00—4:00              Meeting with the Israel Committee and others interested in Israel programming

Additional sessions Sunday afternoon and Monday morning may be scheduled.

Zionism in Action: Feeding the Hungry

The proposal was brilliant, and so simple.

Via Algemeiner

Grassroots pro-Israel activists in the UK have launched a novel campaign with a dual purpose: combating the boycott movement targeting Israel while helping the homeless at the same time.

Sussex Friends of Israel, a group based in Brighton on England’s south coast, is calling on consumers around the country to buy Israeli products and donate them to homeless charities to mark what it is calling “IsrAction Day” on December 21st, the fifth day of Chanukah and four days before the Christmas holiday, traditionally a time of charitable giving.

 

The idea for IsrAction Day crystallized over the summer, when Sussex Friends of Israel countered BDS demonstrators outside the Israeli-owned Ecostream store in Brighton. As part of their strategy of engaging passersby, the group handed out free snacks, donating the leftover food to a local homeless shelter.

 

Now, working with similar groups in Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham, Sussex Friends of Israel intends to implement a local strategy on a national level. Boosting this aim, the long-established Jewish Chronicle newspaper today announced that it was “proud to lend its support” to the initiative in a cover story.

 

Sussex Friends of Israel is encouraging pro-Israel groups in the US and elsewhere to follow their example.

 

“This is a simple initiative that can be implemented anywhere in the world,” Sussex Friends of Israel spokesperson Fiona Sharpe told The Algemeiner. “It can be supported by large organizations or by individuals.  The message is the same – buy Israeli produce, give it to homeless shelters and food banks.  While our support for Israel is always foremost in our minds, we must also remember those in need in our own communities.”

From Sussex friends of Israel's phenomenally successful day of action

 We can also do it here.

Via Emunah:

Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah. One mitzvah leads to another.

Here's an action to you take right now to make the holidays a little bit brighter for people in need.
Inspired by our brilliant friends at Sussex friends of Israel :

Go to your local store. Buy some food from Israel and donate it to your local foodbank. Its so easy- you'll help Israel, you'll help the needy during this holiday season, and its a great big slap in the face to the BDS'ers.

You get extra points for photographing your haul.

You get extra points for buying your Israeli products at one of the local many Arab grocery stores that have steadfastly refused to give in to the bullying of the BDS movement.

1...2...3...GO!!!!

Hamas diverts humanitarian aid to rebuild its terror tunnels

In spite of hostilities, humanitarian aid and supplies for rebuilding continue to flow into Gaza. The Hamas terror group is taking full advantage of this. Their arrogance and hubris is breathtaking

Palestinian sources have confirmed reports that Hamas has begun repairing its network of underground infiltration tunnels, according to Israeli radio. Using cement and building materials earmarked for humanitarian projects in Gaza,  Hamas has shown its disdain, not only for the international community but for its own citizens.

Read the story at the Jerusalem Post

Israel's Technion: Celebrating diversity and excellence

Last years valedictorian from the  Technion medical school (Israel's version of M.I.T ) was Mais Ali-Saleh , a Muslim woman who grew up in a small village outside of Nazareth.  Anti-Israel activists cried "tokenism".

Its not.

A remarkable program, financed by Jewish philanthropists and the higher Education Council of Israel has made a concerted effort to ensure that once Arab students are enrolled, that they succeed, flourish and eventually graduate.

In 2002, Benny and Patsy, Landa established the Landa Fund for Equal Opportunity Through Education, enabling enables Israeli youth of “privileged minds and underprivileged means” to achieve higher education.

Via Wikipedia  
The Landa Fund also supports young recent immigrants and Israeli Arabs to acquire university degrees. The Fund has invested more than $50 million at all six of Israel’s universities, allowing thousands of Israeli youth to pursue higher education. The Landa Fund also supports non-profit organizations in the fields of education and the advancement of shared citizenship, tolerance, and understanding between Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens...

In 2001, Arabs accounted for only 11 percent of undergraduates at the Technion. This year 21 percent of the Technion's student body are Arab.  Attendance by Arab women  rose from 39 percent in 2003 to 48 percent in 2014.

From Bloomberg Businessweek

"...Arab students are given intensive lessons in Hebrew, English, math, and physics in a summer camp before they enroll in the Technion. As students, each has two advisers, one for academics and one for social and cultural matters. The advisers are top Arab students who are paid for their work."

 Israel is not an apartheid state, and those who slander this diverse and pluralistic democracy do so not out of ignorance, but out of hate. In the past Arabs students were underrepresented in Israeli universities. A remarkable couple took concrete steps to change that. In a short time, they did more to promote equality, diversity and yes, justice, and accomplished more  than 13 years of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions referendums.

Thank you, Benny and Patsy Landa, for showing us that there is another way. If only the Israel-haters were not too blind to see the lesson here.

The US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act Signed

While Harvard students directed their energy towards removing Sodastream products from their dining halls, American President Barack Obama signed into law the bipartisan US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act , strengthening ties between the nations and laying the groundwork for increased trade and cooperation

The US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act increases the value of emergency US weaponry kept in Israel by $200 million, to a total of $1.8 billion. This stockpile is intended for use by U.S. forces in the event of an emergency, but, if necessary  can also be used by Israel. The bill also  promotes closer US-Israeli links in energy, water, homeland security, alternative fuel technology and cybersecurity.  It also expands cooperation on research and development, business, agriculture, water management and academics.

US and Israeli tech cooperation grows. BDS fails

While activists at Wesleyan were busy channeling their energies into getting 2 types of hummus in their dining hall (and calling it a huge victory for BDS), the US Department of Energy and the Israel Ministry of National Infrastructure Energy and Water awarded  $4 million dollars in funding to 5 Israeli/ American collaborative projects under the auspices of the Bilateral Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) foundation.

The BIRD  Foundation works to encourage cooperation between Israeli and American companies in a wide range of technology sectors by providing funding and assistance in facilitating strategic partnerships for developing joint products or technologies.

During its 37 years, the BIRD Foundation has invested in close to 900 projects.

This years projects include:

Advanced MemTech (Ness Ziona, Israel) and Arkema (King of Prussia, PA) will develop a carbon nanotube composite membrane that is electrically conductive

Aquanos (Shoshanat HaAmakin , Israel) and Aquagen ISI (South Yarmouth, MA) will collaborate on the development and commercialization of an algae activated aerobic wastewater treatment technology

Fridenson Logistics (Haifa, Israel) and ChargePoint (Campbell, CA) will develop a smart grid capable cloud connected electric vehicle charging station

NewCO2Fuels (Rehovot, Israel) and Acumentrics (Westwood,MA) will collaborate on the development of enhanced performance solid oxide fuels cells for dual application

Silentium (Rehovot, Israel) and GE Energy (Houston, TX) will collaborate on the development of active noise control for power generation ventilation.

At the  Bilateral Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) foundation conference in Tel Aviv, companies dismissed the overall impact of the BDS movement

Via the Jerusalem Post
“I’m not aware of any boycott concerns or issues, at least from GE’s perspective,” said Oded Meirav, manager of GE Global Research’s Israel Technology Center. A greater threat, he continued, would be for Israel to lose its competitive edge through excessive taxes, bureaucracy, or a decline in educational excellence.

Dan Shimmoff, McGraw- Hill Israel’s general manager, said the issue hasn’t come up seriously.

“I’m not aware of any concerns McGraw-Hill has toward that,” he said.

The large numbers of international companies working Israel also makes the movement’s success more precarious; it would be hard for people to cut Microsoft products and Intel chips out of their lives. The more multinationals come to Israel, he said, “the more difficult it is to even consider the possibility of a boycott.”

Philips Electronics (Israel) CEO Guido Pardo Roques agreed, arguing that the presence of companies such as Intel puts companies that might worry about it at ease.

Orna Berry, EMC vice president of corporate growth and innovation, noted that Israel’s ability to keep producing – despite rockets, war and boycott attempts – is the bottom line for most companies.

BDS.  Failing for well over 13 years.

Unclear on the Concept. Hanukkah Style

Move over, Hanukkah Ham.

This year's Unclear on the Concept Award goes to D'Agostino. (h/t Hal)

Palestine: World's second most lethal country for Journalists

Its been said that nearly 80% of all "readers" never make it past the headline. Ali Abunimah  of the Electronic Intifada is again exploiting this, counting on this, with a headline that reads  "Israel world’s second most lethal country for journalists in 2014, watchdog says".

Thats not what the "Watchdog" says. Thats what Ali Abunimah claims they say.

The "Watchdog" , Reporters without Borders infographic is quite clear.

 

In a region plagued by violent extremism, Ali Abunimah wants you to ignore the elephant in the room, and to keep your focus on Israel.

Israel: More than just falafel

Last year international food and restaurant consultants Baum and Whiteman made some predictions about the rise of Mid Eastern Foods, writing

Forget Spain and Greece ... the south side of the Mediterranean and the Levant are where new tastes and dishes are coming from: Turkey, Israel, Morocco, Iraq, Iran

Israel exports not just high tech but its innovative “New Israeli”cross-cultural cuisine, absorbing ideas and techniques from all over the region.  Families fleeing turmoil in Tunisia, Egypt, Iran and Iraq are bringing their splendid food here. Syria’s displaced people may provide another wave of culinary excitement. Explore Turkish street food for ideas. The cookbook “Jerusalem” is flying out of books stores and you need to read it. 

 

Zaatar and pomegranate molasses already have made it to kitchens here and shakshuka

will appear on America’s breakfast and brunch menus. Global riffs being added to falafel and hummus.

 

A few more drone attacks and shug or shuk,  an incendiary Yemenite dip spiked with coriander, cumin and red or green chilies could be the next harissa as people emigrate

.

Muhammara... a fiery-sweet dip from Aleppo, Syria, with tahina, peppers, walnuts and tomato paste

deserves a look. Freekeh, toasted green wheat, is catching on with trendinistas looking to stay ahead of the quinoa curve. Lior Lev Sercarz, an Israeli spice monger running New York’s La Boîte à Epice sells secret custom spice blends with Middle Eastern flavors to chefs like Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud, Michael Solomonov , Marc Forgione, who swear by them

 

This year, the trend towards mid-eastern tastes is picking up speed, with Baum and Whiteman declaring hummus one of the top 2015 trends

 

You've watched the rise of Greek yogurt, yes?  Now hummus ... once a niche product here eaten

primarily by Arab and Israeli immigrants is following the same trajectory. Google

says that hummus has out- trended salsa, no small thing since salsa dethroned ketchup. The chick pea dip has become so Americanized  which means piled with flavorings that the Subway is

testing it as a no-meat option for its sandwiches. Hummus is high in protein and fiber and low

in fat, so it touches lots of dietary bases.Eight years ago perhaps 12% of US households had it in

the fridge; today 20% and rising largely because the Sabra brand (co-owned by Pepsi)

did enormous missionary work, even running a popup store in Georgetown. 

 

Hummus sales reached $800 million in 2012, an enormous increase from $16 million in 2006. Sabra hummus, that spreadable object of the BDS'ers  ire remains the best selling hummus in the country.  From high tech to bio-tech to spreadable chickpea paste, Israel continues to innovate, and to create products that people crave. Thats why BDS is and will always be irrelevant.

Hamas military wing shows its commitment to rebuilding Gaza

International donors have pledged more than $5 billion to "rebuild" Gaza.  Here some examples of our aid money at work, as Hamas paraded its fighters and its weaponry through the streets of Gaza yesterday in celebration of the 27th anniversary of the terror group.

Even the Palestinians are growing impatient with Hamas's choices and misplaced priorities.

Results of University of California Boycott resolution

 The results of the University of California Graduate Student BDS resolution are in. With only 2168 voters out of 13,000 sufficiently engaged by this topic to even bother to vote, the results are as follows:
Yes: 1411 (65%)
No: 749 (35%)

Berkeley ballots cast: 721
Yes: 506
No: 214
Personal Pledge: 397

Davis ballots cast: 203
Yes: 167
No: 36
Personal Pledge: 127

Irvine ballots cast: 141
Yes: 55
No: 86
Personal Pledge: 46

Los Angeles ballots cast: 525
Yes: 305
No: 218
Personal Pledge: 238

Merced ballots cast: 1
This ballot was counted with the Riverside ballots to respect the anonymity of the Merced voter.

Riverside ballots cast: 127
Yes: 91
No: 36
Personal Pledge: 75

San Diego ballots cast: 149
Yes: 121
No: 27
Personal Pledge: 110

Santa Barbara ballots cast: 180
Yes: 84
No: 95
Personal Pledge: 70

Santa Cruz ballots cast: 121
Yes: 82
No: 37
Personal Pledge: 73

The lackluster participation in this resolution is more telling than nearly anything else about this vote.Students at the University of California opposed to the resolution plan on appealing,  citing an unfair and undemocratic election.

"This was far from a fair process," said Jonathan Kummerfeld, a member of Informed Grads, a group of rank-and-file United Auto Workers (UAW) 2865 members who formed to oppose BDS in their Union. "Over the past several months, the Union leadership invested thousands of dollars, together with the Union's institutional and human resources to promote a ‘yes' vote"

UPDATE:

Via Jonathan Kummerfeld,in the comment sections:
One small correction - the union represents ~14,000 workers, but it currently has ~40,800 members (any grad can be a member, even if they aren't currently teaching). In addition, any grad could join at the polls, and hundreds did. There are over 52,000 grads in the UC system.

"Saving Yezidis from Slavery and Genocide by the Islamic State: A Race Against Time"

From Dr. Mike Harris of San Francisco Voice for Israel

Dear Friend of Israel:         We are proud to be co-sponsoring a very important community event next week.         WHEN: Thursday December 18, 6:30 PM         WHERE: Peninsula Jewish Community Center, 800 Foster City Blvd, Foster City         WHAT: "Saving Yezidis from Slavery and Genocide by the Islamic State: A Race Against Time"         As many of you are aware, the Yezidis are an indigenous community in Iraq who have been explicitly targeted for genocide by ISIS.         In August of this year ISIS attacked and took over the Kurdish-controlled town of Sinjar, driving over 50,000 Yezidis out of their homes – fleeing for their lives to the Sinjar Mountains.  The United Nations confirms that 5,000 men have been executed and as many as 7,000 women and girls (as young as 11)  have been made sex slaves by ISIS. Stories of beheadings, rape and children dying of starvation and dehydration are common among eyewitnesses. By current estimates, 12,000 Yezidis are living under siege in the Sinjar Mountains without food, water, medical supplies and any means to defend themselves. There's a short video about the Yezidis here         Stories such as this, of course, bring back memories of what happened to the Jewish people during the Holocaust, when we were faced with genocide and the international community turned its back on us.  Friends in the Hindu-American community have approached us and asked for our help in raising awareness of the light of the Yezidis (Indians are distantly related to Yezidis and their religions share some common features), and they are deeply appreciative of the support and assistance they are receiving from the Jewish community.  Last week, several hundred people turned out at a synagogue in Chicago for a public event, organized by StandWithUs Chicago, to raise awareness and raise funds for humanitarian aid. You can read about that event here          Why are we, as an Israel-focused organization, getting involved in this effort? Not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because we know what ISIS wants to do to the State of Israel and to the Jewish people.  There is high awareness in Israel of the plight of the Yezidis, and the Israeli government has sent relief supplies to them via Kurdistan.         Next week's event is also being co-sponsored within the Jewish community by American Jewish Committee San Francisco and by JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa).  Further details about the event are here         Please         ***Join us next Thursday         ***Circulate the attached flier to your own email lists         ***Ask your synagogue or church to publicize it.          For those of you who are unable to attend but would like to donate to help, donations are being taken by the International Association for Human Values, which is a nonprofit organization providing humanitarian relief efforts. You can donate here:         Thank you for your support of this very important effort.         Mike Harris

Sister Act

For 41 years, San Francisco has enjoyed a "sister city" relationship with that other "City by the Bay", Haifa.  Both cities have a diverse population, are centers for high tech innovation and are located astride an earthquake fault.  Both cities are "sanctuary cities ' as well, with Haifa providing sanctuary for the beleaguered people of the Bahia faith.

The sisters are about to get closer. Within the next year or so, San Francisco's mayor, Ed Lee will visit Haifa to continue to build a foundation of cultural collaboration and innovation between the two cities.

Via the J Weekly, the Northern California Jewish Bulletin

"I am excited to announce that I plan to take a sister-city visit to Haifa very soon," Lee said. "But we're not going to wait until 2016 to deepen our ties with Israel. I am also excited to announce that, after conversations with Consul General Andy David, I have directed my arts commission to move forward with a cultural exchange right away....

"We are going to build around the theme of arts and innovation, seeking out the most cutting-edge and interesting artists in Israel and developing a strong exchange program with San Francisco-based artists," Lee said. "I am excited to see what these creative minds come up with."

The San Francisco Arts Commission and the S.F.-based Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest will spearhead the cultural exchange, and the JCRC, the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, the San Francisco-Haifa Sister City Committee and Israeli officials will collaborate on the initiative, according to Arthur Wachtel, chairman of the sister city committee.

The sister city relationship has the potential to open up new venues of innovation, cooperation and creative exchanges between our "Cities by the Bay", brightening the future for all of our people.

California Teamsters Issue scathing letter in opposition to BDS

In a letter directed to the executive Board of UAW Local 2865, the California Teamsters have reiterated their opposition to BDS, stating unequivocally that they  “cannot conceive of an action more hostile to the interests of [Teamsters] members and more antithetical to the most basic principles of the union movement”

The letter is reproduced in its entirety at the website of Informed Grads, a group organized in opposition to the Dec. 4th  BDS resolution at the University of California

Dear [Michelle] Glowa and Members of the Executive Board,

It has come to our attention that the Executive Board of UAW Local 2865 has endorsed the “Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction Movement” against companies that do business in Israel. In addition, we understand you have also endorsed the so-called “Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.” We further understand that you are putting the matter to a vote of your bargaining unit members on December 6 [sic], 2014.

Teamsters Joint Council 7 and 42 is comprised of our members in California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific. This includes Local 2010 that represents 14,000 employees throughout the University of California system.

As you are no doubt aware, the companies that are targeted by the BDS movement include numerous employers that are represented by organized labor, including many thousands who are represented by the Teamsters. Indeed, some of the companies you wish your union to boycott and divest from are represented by the United Auto Workers. In the case of the Teamsters, we represent tens of thousands of employees at the following companies that are listed as targets of the BDS campaign:
Boeing
Cemex
General Dynamics
General Electric
ITT
Lockheed-Martin
Northrup-Grumman
Whatever your motives, we cannot conceive of an action more hostile to the interests of our members and more antithetical to the most basic principles of the union movement than for a union to call for actions which are intended to do harm to the economic security of other union members. We would find it difficult to ask our members to support your union in a labor dispute with the University of California so long as you are engaged in activities that are fundamentally hostile to their interests.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, we can only assume that you took your actions without consideration of the potential harm to hard working union members across California and the United States. We ask you to look at that issue now. Unlike the members of your union, who are graduate students and therefore union members for a short period of time, our members are working in jobs that must support them for a lifetime and it is our job to protect them for all of their working lives.
We would strongly request that you reconsider your actions.