* Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel has purchased $42 million of Israel Bonds There are now over $80 million dollars worth of Israel Bonds in the state's treasury portfolio. The March 1 purchase is the largest single government purchase of Israel Bonds in United States history, according to the Cleveland Jewish News. According to Mandel.“We believe this is a sound investment for the taxpayers of Ohio and consistent with our strategy of investing in safe and strong securities.”
* Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), the largest multi-country mobile operator in the world, and Amdocs, provider of customer experience systems and services have opened a joint development center in Israel on Sunday. “We have been extremely satisfied with the wealth of talent in Israel”, said Allen Lew, Chief Executive Officer of Group Digital L!fe, SingTel.
* The Associated Students of Stanford University Undergraduate Senate have rejected a Divestment proposal proposed by the Students for Palestinian Equal Rights (SPER) The bill originally would have committed the Senate to urge the university’s Board of Trustees to reconsider endowment investments in 8 companies doing business in Israel A revised bill pared the list to two. There was only one vote in favor of the resolution. A wide spectrum of people weighed in on the proposal, with J street's Jeremy Ben Ami adding his voice to those opposed.
In fairness, it should be mentioned that the UC Riverside student Senate voted to divest. Their decision was immediately followed by this statement from UC Riverside's Interim Chancellor Jane Close Conoley
UC Riverside’s student government, Associated Students of UCR, passed a resolution called “Divestment from Companies that Profit from Apartheid,” which calls for UCR to divest of any holdings with companies “materially supporting or profiting from Israel’s occupation” of Palestine.
It is important to note that such divestment is not the policy of the University of California system nor of UC Riverside. Moreover, The UC Board of Regents requires this action only when the U.S. government deems it necessary. No such declaration has been made regarding Israel.
To quote a statement issued in May 2010 by the University of California Regents’ Chair and Vice Chair along with the UC President:
“The overarching question of the University of California divesting from any company is a complex one and any action considered must conform to State and federal laws, as well as to the University’s fiduciary responsibilities as a public entity to protect the security of its pension and endowment funds. In 2005, the Regents stated that a policy of divestment from a foreign government shall be adopted by the University only when the United States government declares that a foreign regime is committing acts of genocide. It was also noted at the time that divestment is a serious decision that should be rarely pursued.”
The campus looks forward to continued constructive exchanges that benefit our students, faculty and community.
Having trouble keeping track of the BDS fails? Thanks to Avi Mayer, there's an interactive Google map that provides you with all the information you need. I think we are going to have some fun with this.
UPDATE:
Legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand will perform in Israel on June 18 at the opening ceremony of Shimon Peres’s annual Presidential Conference, in honor of Peres' 90th birthday. Streisand, 70, has visited Israel, has performed in Friends of the IDF fundraisers but her June 18 appearance will mark her first official performance in the Jewish state.
Legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand will perform in Israel on June 18 at the opening ceremony of Shimon Peres’s annual Presidential Conference, in honor of Peres' 90th birthday. Streisand, 70, has visited Israel, has performed in Friends of the IDF fundraisers but her June 18 appearance will mark her first official performance in the Jewish state.
Here's a taste of things to come:
Barbra Streisand singing Hatikvah
