Mövenpick, Ramallah. 5 star luxury in the West Bank

The Movenpick Hotel in Ramallah with its sparkling new swimming pool


Located just minutes away from the city centre of Ramallah in Palestine,close to the city shopping and entertainment district and with a great view over the suburbs of Jerusalem from the upper floors of the hotel, the Mövenpick Hotel in Ramallah is the first 5 star hotel opening in the disputed Palestinian territories. It is a locally owned franchise of the Swiss-based chain.

The 40-million-dollar hotel includes 171 rooms and suites, an outdoor pool, fitness centre and seven conference rooms. The main restaurant has an Italian chef and a downstairs cigar bar that will serve up 20-year aged whiskeys.

Jewish Voice for Peace and others (forgive me if I don't link to them) have described "the acute water shortage among Palestinians in the West Bank" , blaming illegal "Jewish-only colonies (that) fill up their swimming pools while many Palestinian families do not have enough water to grow food or bathe regularly." Will they condemn the Mövenpick Hotel in Ramallah for building a swimming pool that deprives the ordinary Palestinian people of drinking water? Its unlikely.

For organizations like JVP, the diversion of water resources for the Palestinian ruling elite is acceptable and they'll continue to use their initimable smoke and mirrors approach to blame the ramifications on Israel. Just click your heels twice and repeat, "Its all Israel's fault. Its all Israel's fault"

"Peace Activists" and Palestinians Destroy Olive Trees, blame the "settlers"

Documented in this article from YNet news:

Arabs and leftist activists staged an attack on Palestinian fields in a bid to accuse settlers of vandalism, an organization that claims to have documented the incident says.

Tazpit Unit members, an organization identified with the settlers which documents news events in the territories says that these staged attacks were meant to falsely accuse settlers of attacking Palestinian land.

The photos were shot on Palestinian land Friday, near Neveh Tzuf . The images allegedly show Palestinians and left-wing activists cutting down Palestinian olive trees using an electric saw.

"We are talking about an olive grove east of Beit Zayit, located near Route 60," Amiton said."I immediately saw that it was no ordinary pruning, it was done very aggressively...Some of the branches broke and other trees were cut off entirely. When I approached closer with my camera, the Palestinian man waved his saw at me threateningly. I felt uneasy so I backed off".

Tazpit unit director Amotz Eyal said that "during every olive harvest season, just like this one, there are many cases of Arab farmers cutting down olive branches, later blaming it on the settlers."

"Time after time photos prove that these Arabs are not holding back; they provoke in order to tarnish the image of Jewish settlers," he said.

Eyal vowed that Tazpit photographers will continue to document such activities in order to show the public actual events on the ground.

********


This is not the first time International "peace activists" have been documented destroying Palestinian property, in an effort to demonize the Jews of the region. Many speculate that the International solidarity Movement dresses its activists as Orthodox Jews specifically to stage such events.

Iranian weapons bound for Gaza seized in Nigeria

This underscores why the maritime blockade of Gaza is so crucial for Israel's security.

13 containers of military grade armaments including rocket launchers, grenades and 107 mm artillery rockets camouflaged as building material were seized in the Nigerian port of Lagos after being unloaded from an Iranian ship on Thursday, Oct 28. The shipping company said the manifest for the weapons described the shipment as "packages of glass wool and pallets of stone".

This advanced weaponry represents a step up in hostilities in the region. Terrorist groups have launched more than 10,000 rockets at Israel since disengagement from Gaza, with 170 mortars and rockets launched at civilian targets in Israel this year alone. Hamas is now escalating its threats “We’re coming to liberate Haifa and Acre together with world armies,” Hamas’ interior minister for Gaza, Fathi Hammad, said on Oct. 25. Hammad added “We must remain committed to jihad .”

Tony Greenstein: Dishonest, dangerous and anti-Democratic

"I would kill for my cause, why wouldn't I lie for it ?"
Yassir Arafat
July 2001

We've documented the anti-zionist manipulation of an opinion poll here. Now there been another attempt, and once again, they've gotten caught

From the Jewish Chronicle on-line:

On the front page of our website, we have a poll 'Should Rabbis work with the EDL?'. On the EDL, the Jewish community is united, the Board of Deputies, the CST and the great and the good have urged us to have no involvement with them, calling the group violent, with a hidden, racist agenda.

Luckily, overwhelmingly, our readers are agreeing, and voting 'No' in our poll.

But Tony Greenstein, the ardent anti Zionist blogger, has other ideas. On the "Boycott Israel Network", a forum of antizionist rantings...

Terry Gallogly, chairman of York Palestine Solidarity Campaign, says: "People might like to vote in this poll if only to embarass Hoffie [Jonathan Hoffman] and the Zionist Federation"

Tony Greenstein replies:"Done so and voted - in favour of course. Please try to make sure that people on BIN vote and to vote yes. It will be quite good for us that a JC poll comes out in favour of working with the EDL!!!"

Lucy Lips on Harry's Place writes:

So, in a nutshell, Tony Greenstein is suggesting that anti-Zionists should try to rig a JC poll, so that they can falsely paint Jews as racists.



This is dirty tactics at its lowest. EDL presence at pro-Zionist demonstrations is unwanted and the ZF have made it clear they are not welcome behind the same barriers. We are sending a clear message that our community does not want friends like these.

Greenstein's actions are not only dishonest and antidemocratic. They are very dangerous. As are those of the PSC, which the first poster Gallogly, claims to represent. The PSC are closely associated with the TUC, which recently extended their boycott of Israel. Perhaps the TUC, and not the ZF, should be the ones scrutinising their friends more closely.

UPDATE: We have suspended the poll. We can't trust the results any more and we wouldn't print the results of a hijacked poll in next week's paper. The results would not really reflect the view of the community. But despite the best efforts of Greenstein, when the poll came down nearly 80 per cent were still voting against contact with the EDL.

"You must give back to the country you live off" Second Lieutenant Hisham Abu Varia, highest ranking Muslim soldier in the IDF

Hisham Abu Varia, 26, is one of 14 children. At the age of 10 he was already doing manual work, from fruit picking to construction work. After high school he worked for two years installing roofs. He gave his earnings to his parents who paid for his brother's medicine studies in Russia. He is now the highest ranking Muslim Arab in the IDF.
Since childhood, Hisham has wanted to be a soldier, inspired by one of his older brothers – one of the few Arab-Israelis to complete three years of service. "He was a role model to me and many others because of his integrity and conviction to do what he thought was right. A brave man not influenced by other people's opinions."
"The army is the entry pass into the Israeli society," Hisham explains. "The Arab sector thinks it's second rate here, but to get privileges one has to give and not just receive. The state protects its citizens even if they don’t serve – my parents live off income support. You must contribute to the country you live off. What other country would have an Arab Knesset member, who is being paid by the state, promoting the interests of the Islamic movement and screwing the promotion of the sector it is supposed to represent?"
Hisham continued "The Arab sector is like a herd. It doesn't think by itself and is affected by various radical movements. Most youngsters don't have anything to do with themselves. They run around the streets, wasting their time and that's only if they finished school. Service in the army is educating, it gives you structure, order – that's what young people are missing here."
Hisham's goal "To reach the highest rank I can," he answers without hesitation, "and the get my masters in anthropology. It’s because of the service. In the army everyone is equal, but there is no other place that gathers such different people with such different cultural backgrounds who still manage to live together. That's what interests me the most."

Read more here

Israeli soldiers at a California University

Two Israeli soldiers visited CSUF. You can find a report about the visit at the link and you can see them in this video below. Better yet, you can invite them to your university. IDF is probably not what you thought, is it?

If you are going to Boycott Israel, do it right

If you are going to Boycott Israel, do it right: Reject Israeli Technology and Insist on Invasive and Expensive Medical techniques

For all you BDS’ers out there: Saving lives is never as important as advancing an ideology. If you are suffering from respiratory disease, be sure to reject Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy- a new technique developed by Super Dimension , a private company based in Israel. ENB is a comprehensive, advanced lung navigation system now used in over 275 hospitals worldwide, that has facilitated diagnosis in over 15,000 patients, with the potential to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer extending the reach of the conventional bronchoscope, deep in the lungs and lymph nodes.

Read more here:

HIV positive ? A substance that destroys cells infected with deadly HIV and could prevent AIDS, has been developed in Israel after a decade of research by biologists and chemists at Hebrew University . The focus of all the excitement is a unique peptide, a short protein-like substance . When researchers applied it to human cell cultures, the peptide destroyed HIV-infected cells within two weeks without harming healthy cells. The Israeli discovery holds the promise of preventing AIDS. But we know you will reject this, and encourage the 33 million currently infected with HIV to do the same. It’s a small price to pay for rejecting zio- neocolonialist apartheid.

Read More Here:

Are you a Kaiser patient? Then insist on name brand pharmaceuticals, not generic Teva drugs, that bear the taint of the apartheid state. Surely money is no object in your effort to bring down one of the great evils of the world?

Boycotting Israel is about so much more than abandoning your Israeli couscous or Elite chocolate. If you are going to boycott Israel, be consistent. For more tips:

The California BDS Initiative-- Anti-Peace and Unjust

Cross posted at Bluetruth Written by DrMike

The BDS movement is attempting to take its jihad-in-human-rights-clothing program to the California electorate sometime next year. Taking advantage of California's initiative process, they are trying to gather enough signatures to qualify an Israel divestment initiative for one of 2011's statewide elections.

The initiative itself is standard BDS text-- the language of "human rights" and "international law", including the ever-present reference to UN Resolution 194 and the false claim that this resolution gives descendants of Arab refugees from the 1947-8 war the "right" to force Israel to repatriate them.

We know this initiative, even if it qualifies for the ballot, won't pass. Even the organizers know it won't pass. But they have learned quite well about the "Big Lie", and they are eager for the chance to bring it to the big stage.

Who is behind this? A resident of Sacramento named Chris Yatooma and his group, the Sacramento BDS organization. A casual look at their website tells you everything you need to know about them They link to all of the usual players in the anti-Israel movement: the Free Gaza movement that wants to allow the Hamas regime to import Iranian missiles without interference; to the If Americans Knew website of Alison Weir, whose assocation with neo-Nazis alarm neither her nor her friends in the BDS movement; to Sabeel, the Arab Christian group that promotes an anti-Semitic "replacement theology"-- that its form of Christianity has essentially replaced Judaism, and it's just the stubbornness of Jews that insist on their own nationhood that stands in the way of peace; to the fringe extremists of Jewish Voice for Peace ,which long ago abandoned the fig-leaf that they don't take any position for or against a state for the Jewish people and has repeatedly participated in anti-Israel demonstrations in the Bay Area; and of course to the International Solidarity Movement, which recruits naive young adults to help shelter terrorist groups (and possibly worse, as multiple reports of rape of young women volunteers in the West Bank have surfaced). In short, not a single group that supports peace between a Jewish state of Israel and an Arab state of Palestine. Yet their pitch to get people to sign the petition is "Can you spare 15 seconds to support peace in the Middle East?"

As to the initiative itself, the clause that would be enacted states as follows:

"The CalPERS Board of Administration and the CalSTRS Teachers Retirement Board shall examine their respective investment funds within six months of passage of this initiative. Upon completion of this six month period, they shall publicly identify and list any investments in companies that provide products or services that contribute to the construction or maintenance of Israeli settlements and/or the Separation Wall in the Palestinian Territories or provide military supplies, equipment and services to the State of Israel. "

(emphasis mine)

There is no provision that states that this would then become inoperative upon the signing of a peace agreement between Israel and the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, or upon a unilateral Israeli withdrawal to the June 1967 lines. Any company that provides any item used by the Israel Defense Forces is the target for divestment. Presumably this could also include companies such as Domino's Pizza and Coca Cola that provide food to IDF soldiers. So, just as the BDS movement insists that BDS activities must continue until a Jewish state allows itself to be demographically eliminated by the forced repatriation of descendants of Palestinian refugees, the BDS initiative requires that divestment be targeted at any military self-defense of the Jewish state--forever.

[Note that California's Divest from Iran law, the language includes a sunset clause:

m) This section shall cease to be operative if both of the following apply:

(1) Iran is removed from the United States Department of State’s list of countries that have been determined to repeatedly provide support for acts of international terrorism.

(2) Pursuant to Public Law 104-172, as amended, the President of the United States determines and certifies to the appropriate committee of the Congress of the United States that Iran has ceased its efforts to design, develop, manufacture, or acquire a nuclear explosive device or related materials and technology."]

Yatooma and his BDS group have been trying to get attention and validation for this extremist effort by asking the Sacramento Jewish Community Relations Council for a debate on the initiative as well as the proposed anti-Israel boycott of the Sacramento Food Cooperative. Barry Broad, the chair of the Sacramento JCRC, had a very straightforward response which I am happy to share with his permission:

"Mr. Yatooma:

Representatives of your group, the “Sacramento BDS Working Group,” publicly stated on more than one occasion in testimony before the Coop Board that “Jewish money controls the government and media.” Another one of your activists, Dan Bacher, has posted a “historical revisionist” (as in Neo-Nazi) rant on a Democratic Party website (to the extreme consternation of the Democratic Party). Such statements are pure anti-Semitism and a central feature of historical anti-Semitism going back to the nineteenth century—if not further. That your group makes no effort to restrain, much less repudiate, openly anti-Semitic remarks made by your own chosen spokespersons indicates that anti-Semitism is a core value of your organization.

In short, we don’t debate racists. We fight them, whether their hatred is aimed at us or any other racial or ethnic minority. As such, we look forward to defeating the BDS effort at the Coop."

Agreed. We don't legitimize the anti-Semitism at the core of the BDS movement. So what, then, should we do about this?

We educate the public-- we show up where they will be gathering signatures and talk about what this initiative is really about. Our community organizations need to do outreach via interfaith groups, to educate those who our partners in other ventures. At the same time, we should tell those churches who support this contemptible project that we will not be able to work with them in other arenas.

We educate our political leaders-- we meet with them to ensure that they understand the intent of this measure and that they don't add their names in support. We show them that the entire political spectrum of the Jewish community (aside from fringe extremists like JVP) opposes divestment-- even left-wing groups such as J Street and the New Israel Fund.

And, of course, we buy Israeli goods.

An inside look into the prison of Gaza

What comes to mind is "Just like the Warsaw ghetto"

Recruiting a new Rachel Corrie.

Elder of Zion points out that last week alone, 2491 people managed to escape "the world's largest prison". The easing of travel restrictions to and from Gaza has not escaped the notice of the notorious International Solidarity Movement (ISM), who have begun earnestly recruiting for the next Rachel Corrie wanna-be:
Their appeal follows:

The International Solidarity Movement is appealing for volunteers to join our team in the besieged Gaza Strip. In recent weeks people have managed to cross into Gaza so there is at present a rare window of opportunity to enter - and more activists are always badly needed, as attacks by Israel are incessant.

ISM Gaza was reinstated in August 2008, when volunteers traveled aboard the historic, siege-breaking voyage of the first FreeG aza Movement boat.

ISM Gaza has maintained a continuous presence since then and joined fishermen to witness the illegal enforcement of a 3 nautical mile blockade by Israeli naval forces.

ISM volunteers refused to leave when Israel began bombing Gaza in December 2009. They accompanied ambulances and provided vital testimony to the international media as the assault unfolded.

At present ISM activists in Gaza are engaged with grassroots initiatives against the siege. Volunteers accompany Gazan farmers in the 'buffer zone', make frequent solidarity visits to Palestinians affected by the blockade, write reports about the situation on the ground, and film, photograph and document the illegal use of live ammunition against demonstrators and farmers.

As the international community becomes more critical of Israel's policies, it is vital to have individuals on the ground that can attest to the conditions inside the open-air prison of Gaza. Their voices lend strength to efforts abroad, as BDS campaigns gain momentum and freedom flotillas become pandemic.

For further details, please contact gazaism at gmailcom

The requirements for joining the ISM Gaza team are that applicants must:

a) have at least two months previous experience of non-violent direct action solidarity work in the Middle-East, preferably with ISM, including intervention in critical situations;
b) have a good understanding of the history and current political situation in Palestine;
c) have at least fair Arabic language skills (preferred but not required);

d) sign a contract agreeing not to engage in behaviors contrary to Gazan cultural/social norms
e) sign a contract agreeing to remain with ISM Gaza for the length of their stay

f) prepare a written statement outlining their personal wishes should they be kidnapped, injured, or killed.

Item "D" particularly intrigues me. Is the ISM pandering to Hamas? What are these social and cultural norms? For women, is submitting to rape and sexual abuse included?

A matter of perspective: Israeli and Palestinian treatment of prisoners

The anti-Israel websites are having a field day with the images of Israelis "abusing" Palestinian prisoners. In August, a female soldier exhibited photos of herself on Facebook, smiling next to Palestinian prisoners. Tasteless and inappropriate? Absolutely. The IDF condemned the ex-soldier saying in a statement: "These actions are ugly and callous; details of the incident have been forwarded up the chain of command." More recently, an Israeli soldier was videoed belly dancing next to a female prisoner. And again, this was widely condemned by the authorities.

Bored young people acting like jerks? Yes, it happens. It happens across cultural lines. The unfortunate actions of some thoughtless young people reverberates across the world.

But lets get some perspective here. Do you remember what happened 10 years ago when 2 Israelis inadvertently wandered into Ramallah?
The Israelis were beaten, stabbed, had their eyes gouged out, and were disemboweled.

Still from video footage from italy's Rai State TV network

Aziz Salh appeared at the window, displaying his blood-stained hands to the crowd, which erupted into cheers.


Photo attributed to Chris Gerald/ AFP

One of the soldier's bodies was then thrown out the window and stamped and beaten by the enraged mob. One of the bodies was set on fire. The mob dragged the two bodies to the city center as the crowd began a victory celebration.

While the immature behavior of some Israeli soldiers is a disappointment to those who know the painstaking training they go through, let's keeps some perspective here. Remembering not only the two Israelis lynched in Ramallah, but the ongoing saga of Gilad Shalit who has been a prisoner of Hamas for over 4 years. No visitation. No contact with the outside world. Solitary confinement. We have no way of knowing the agony of his existence.

And lets remember the ones who cry loudest about "civil and human rights" have consistently remained silent bout Gilad Shalit.

Sacramento Natural Food co-op says No to BDS

And another ones gone.
And another ones gone.
Another one bites the dust.
Yes. We are happy to report another failure in the movement to isolate Israel, the only democracy in the Middle east.

The Sacramento Natural Food Co-op like so many others before it, looked BDS in the face and said "No thank you". No thank you to divisiveness. No thank you to politics. No thank you to injecting conflict and controversy into our beloved co-op. Last night at the board meeting, the co-op board decided unanimously to suspend its current boycott policy because it is in conflict with the fundamental principles of the cooperative movement. This will also have the effect of suspending the current boycott investigation.

No doubt Maggie Coutler and friends will try another way to push their agenda on the co-op, with a petition, perhaps, or running a BDS'er for the Co-op Board. But they will find that the community will not tolerate this, and is ready to fight back.

A note to the community: If BDS rears its ugly head in your community, contact us and we'll help you mobilize. The war against Israel is being fought on many fronts. Remember- the people united can never be defeated. Together, we will win.

Beautiful! Another failed Ahava Boycott in NYC

The Buycott Israel strategy is paying off throughout the country. From the redwood highway to the gulf stream waters, people throughout America are supporting Israel with their pocketbooks and with their consumer choices.

Empowered by the Ahava buycott in Silver Springs Maryland that led to empty shelves, Ahava lovers in NYC tried the same tactic- with similar results.

Ricky's- an independent health and beauty supply store has been besieged and bullied by Code pink and other anti-Israel forces for months. But this time, Brooklyn was ready to fight back.

Rabbi Aaron Raskin of Congregation B’nai Avraham on Remsen Street in Brooklyn sent out an action alert, and congregants responded. Ricky’s employees said that they sell out of Ahava products every time there is a protest.

Code Pink- Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If your goal is to have an economic impact on Israel, you may want to try a different strategy. For the rest of us, even if you
don't live in NYC, you can show Ricky's and Ahava some love by buying the products mail order.

Port Townsend: Another Co-op rejects BDS.

Via Judy Balint in Israel

"Last month when I was visiting Seattle, I had the opportunity to take part in a "hearing" of the Olympia Food Co-op whose board had voted to boycott Israeli products. The 15,000 Co-op membership had not been consulted and some of them were upset--not that they were pro-Israel, they were ticked off that the Board had not consulted the members before they launched the Co-op into progressive history by becoming the first co-op in the nation to boycott Israel.

More of that later--in another part of Washington state--the charming, quiet community of Port Townsend--another Israel boycott was brewing. This time however, saner voices prevailed and Jewish activists from all over the state, led by the Seattle StandWithUs group, together with a flurry of letters and op eds in the local paper, resulted in a "no" vote on the boycott last night."

The PTLeader reports:

The Port Townsend Food Co-op board Tuesday voted 4 to 2 to reject a proposed boycott of products made in Israel.

After listening to more than 50 co-op members speak passionately for and against the proposal, the board approved a motion stating that the proposal was inconsistent with the co-op’s boycott policy.

The board concluded that policy does not allow the co-op to take a stand on issues involving countries.

“We are not in the business, fundamentally, of adjudicating international issues,” said board member Rick Sepler.

“That is [just] not the business the co-op is in,” said board member Steve Moore, adding, “It is not why we were elected.”

***

Port Townsend joins the Davis Co-op and the Seattle Co-op in rejecting BDS. Still being ravaged by the BDs'ers is the Scaramento Natural Food co-op. Patricia Daugherty and her partner Maggie Coulter have moved their attentions from Davis to Sac, in search of a BDS victory that remains as elusive in Northern California as Susquach. Want to help defeat the forces of darkness ?

Send emails to the Sacramento Natural Food Co-op and tell them the boycotts are a divisive tool that fragment our community and do nothing to futher the cause of peace in the middle east:

Emails of both Board and Policy Committee:
snfcboard@yahoo.com, michellereyn@gmail.com, sjbrancamp@aol.com, steven_maviglio@yahoo.com, adienst@sbcglobal.net, sonemi@comcast.net, rhdjr65@aol.com, paigelyn@sonic.net, barbara.mendenhall@comcast.net
* * *

Visit the co-op and buycott, buycott, buycott!
Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
1900 Alhambra Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95816
The Co-op is currently selling several Dead Sea products from Israel, including Masada Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts, Ancient Secrets Dead Sea Mineral Baths, One with Nature soap, Dead Sea Warehouse Mud Mask, Bath Salts, and Salt Soap. The Winter gift giving season is nearly upon us. Think about a making a gift basket for Mom with these wonderful products.
Buy your tofu, tempeh and beautiful organic vegies. Put your receipt into the suggestion box with a note- I shop the co-op AND I support Israel.
And keep your eyes open for other attempts of BDS'ers to infiltrate our beloved institutions

Friends of Israel Initiative: A strong voice for Israel and for Western civilization

Jose Maria Aznar, former Prime Minister of Spain gave an impassioned speech at the launch of the Friends of Israel Initiative in Washington DC

"Israel is under a new kind of attack. Not conventional war as in 1948, 56, 67 or 73. Not terrorism as we saw in the 70s, 80s and 90s. But a new kind of attack - an attack on Israel legitimacy, on her right to exist. A "soft-war", where many of its adversaries are employing legal tricks, multinational bodies, and an army of dubious NGO's to present internationally Israel as an illegitimate state, as a barbarian state, a state that should be isolated and converted into a pariah state.We think this is intolerable. It is unjust, morally wrong, and a strategic risk -- not only for Israel and its people -- but for all of us....

Let me be clear. We don't want in any case to defend any particular Israeli government or any particular set of policies or any particular party. Israelis' institutions are mature enough to defend their choices. We want to stand up for the right of Israel to exist."

Among the Board of the Friends of Israel Initiative:
Former President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo
British historian, Andrew Roberts,
French entrepreneur, Robert Agostinelli,
Former US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton,
Spanish former industry minister, Carlos Bustelo,
Professor George Weigel,
Peace Nobel prize Lord Trimble,
Lord Weidenfeld,
Former president of the Italian Senate, Marcello Pera,
Fiamma Nerestein, representative in the Italian parliament
Former Czech President Vaclav Havel

Aznar continued:

"Defending Israel today means strengthening the West, standing up for our values, and their right to exist as a normal country, a fellow democracy and a celebrated ally in our great western alliance.

I hope that you will share our vision, and will help us in bringing reason and decency back to the discussion concerning Israel."

The Audacity of Hope: the New Ship of Fools

The Free Gaza folk are at it again. Trying to raise $300,000 for an American boat to Gaza ("The Audacity of Hope") they organized a fundraising Gala aboard the Freda B and set off for a sunset cruise of the Bay.
Note to Paul Larudee : If you were able to raise $300,000, don't you think that money might be better spent building a school? Filling a library? Starting a day care center? Building a soccer field? Do you really think another Mediterranean cruise is the best use of your time and effort and money? Have you considered direct aid to the people? And the answer, of course is no. There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. According to the Bloomberg news, The Gaza economy expanded about 16 percent during the first half of this year . During a typical week, Israel coordinates the transfer of over 100 trucks carrying over 15,000 tons of supplies to Gaza . In 2009, more than 738,000 tons of food and supplies entered the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government excludes only only weapons and items with a military use from Gaza
The goal of free Gaza has never been to aid to Gaza. Many of the so-called "aid" ships have been found with nearly empty hulls , or carrying used clothing and expired medicine. The goal is to "break the siege", to open the waters off Gaza to Iranian weapons.

So on a beautiful Wednesday evening, Sept. 15 Free Gaza chartered a schooner, the "Freda B" to raise money for terror.
And they were met at the dock by ship of protesters. The group organized by Stand With Us/San Francisco Voice for Israel organized a "counter protest at sea", and held flags and signs "Free Gaza from Hamas" and "Yes to Peace. No to Terror" .

By all accounts, the protest at sea was a resounding success. Like the US marines, those that believe that the Jewish people have the right to self determination in their ancient homeland are determined to fight for Israel's right to exist "in the air, on land, and sea"

Hamas Uses Phosphorous Bombs . The silence of the Human Rights Community is deafening

According to reports from Israel National News:
Gaza terrorists fired one rocket and nine mortar shells at Israeli civilian communities in the western Negev on Wednesday, Sept. 15.
Senior Hamas spokesman Ahmed Jabri released a statement calling to continue the attacks until victory, declaring "By our faith, our weapons, our rockets, our tunnels and our martyrs - given to us by Allah - we will achieve victory in the land of Palestine,"
IDF experts who examined some of the mortar shells fired at Israeli communities on Wednesday found that the explosives contained phosphorous. The finding shows that Hamas has gained more advanced weapons technology, they said. The International Human Rights Movement reacted to this alarming new development with complete silence.

BDS Its not about " Occupation": Its about Israel's Very Existence Part 2 Attacking Pete Seeger

Really. You couldn't make this stuff up. Peter Seeger, the 91 year old icon of peace and political correctness is under attack from the anti-Israel forces. The singer/songwriter is scheduled to perform at the With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East - an event organized by the Arava Institute and over 30 other non profits.

The Executive Director of Friends of the Arava Institute, David Weisberg, the sole lead organization responsible for putting together “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East” (www.withearthandeachother.org) claims the concert is meant to "celebrate the many efforts in trans-boundary cooperation occurring on the micro-level, like the important work of the Arava Institute, that are making a practical difference in bettering the quality of life for Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians, and others. I should also note that Pete Seeger’s participation in “With Earth and Each Other” does not, in fact, involve him performing anywhere in the Middle East. It is also important to note that one of the chairs of “With Earth and Each Other,” Mohammed Atwa, is, in fact, a Muslim Palestinian from Gaza, who finds the endorsement of the virtual rally by the Jewish National Fund and the exposure of their constituents to our strong and positive message about coexistence and equality to be an important step in the right direction. And I hope all of you will consider joining us for this amazing event on November 14. Thank you. With Great Respect, David Weisberg, Executive Director Friends of the Arava Institute "

From the Arava website: "With a student body comprised of Jordanians, Palestinians, Israelis, and students from around the world, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies offers students a unique opportunity to study and live together for an extended period of time; building networks and developing understanding that will enable future cooperative work and activism in the Middle East and beyond. Here, the idea that nature knows no political borders is more than a belief. It is a fact, a curriculum, and a way of life."

Education. Opportunity. Ecology. Peaceful co-existence. That's what these groups are rejecting. Don't let anyone tell you BDS is about peace.

With Earth and Each Other will demonstrate that there is more to the Middle East than conflict. This is not a political rally. The purpose is not to take a side, say who is right or wrong, or suggest what the peace process or the solution should look like. Instead, the purpose is to raise the voices of those on all sides, and throughout the world that yearn for peace, to marginalize those who try to undermine it, and to show the world that there is another side of the conflict in which people across borders are striving to work together for the betterment of all.

So spread the word, sign up to attend a local rally watching event, and let's join together for this special day to bring hope to a new future for the Middle East and for all of us.

BDS: Its not about "Occupation". Its about Israel's very existence

The Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel attacks participants in the Ariel Boycott: Its just not good enough. Boycott ALL of Israel. ALL OF IT.

"While we welcome acts of protest against any manifestation of Israel’s regime of colonialism and apartheid, we believe that these acts must be both morally consistent and anchored in international law and universal human rights. First, we believe that the exclusive focus on settlement institutions ignores and obscures the complicity of all Israeli academic and cultural institutions in upholding the system of colonial control and apartheid under which Palestinians suffer. PACBI believes there is firm evidence of the collusion of the Israeli academic and cultural establishment with the major oppressive organs of the Israeli state. Focusing solely on obviously complicit institutions, such as cultural centers in a West Bank colony, serves to shield mainstream Israeli institutions from opprobrium or, ultimately, from the growing global boycott movement that consistently targets all complicit institutions."

Yep. All nations have flaws. All nations make mistakes. But only Israel, alone in the family of nations has committed acts so egregious that she deserves this kind of response.

Don't you ever try and claim "Its about the occupation" ever again. Its about Israel's very existence

The statement goes on "It has not gone without notice in Israel that BDS is gaining momentum internationally as an effective means of resisting Israeli colonial oppression. Given this context, one may be excused to assert that these recent efforts to narrow the focus of the boycott against Israel may be deliberately missing the forest for the trees.. It is important to reiterate the morally-consistent rationale and principles of the Palestinian boycott campaign against Israel "

According to Ahmed Moor: "BDS does mean the end of the Jewish state…I view the BDS movement as a long-term project with radically transformative potential… the success of the BDS movement is tied directly to our success in humanizing Palestinians and discrediting Zionism as a legitimate way of regarding the world."

We've said it before. We'll say it again. This is not about "occupation". BDS is about the delegitimization of Israel. It advances the delegitimization of the State of Israel by undermining - whether explicitly or implicitly - its right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.

Iranians claim: Israel behind Planned Koran Burning

As reported in the Jerusalem Post

Israel is behind a US Reverend's planned Koran burning, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Thursday, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA.

“The software for this plan was made by the Zionists following their defeats against Muslims and the Islamic world,” Manouchehr said in a meeting with foreign diplomats in Iran.

Why do you need software to burn a Koran? Won't a pack of matches do?

In the Bay area, the local JCC (Jewish Community Center) has planned a public Koran reading, in a show of solidarity and brotherhood:

On Saturday, September 11, a Florida minister, Terry Jones, together with 50 of his followers, is planning an act of religious hatred and intolerance, the public burning of copies of the Qur'an (the Muslim holy scriptures containing the words of the prophet Muhammad). This hateful act has been widely condemned around the world, including by General David Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

In response, Or Hadash USA, a Jewish project concerned with constitutional issues, is organizing and sponsoring an interfaith public reading of the Qur'an on the same day. The event will take place at Ohlone Park, in Berkeley on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 at 3:15 PM. Meet at the corner of Sacramento and Delaware at 3:15. We shall all symbolically stand with Muslim Americans and read aloud in English parts of the Qur'an, affirming that we will not stand by silently while others perpetrate un-American acts of hate in the name of patriotism or religion.

All people -- of any faith or no faith -- are welcome to join us. We will read and discuss the Qur'an for about 30 - 45 minutes. The official event will then end, but some of us may choose to stay and share our thoughts and feelings.

The park has facilities to entertain children while parents take part in the reading and discussion.

September 11 this year for Jews is Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of returning and renewal between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. September 11th this year is also just after the last day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, prayer, purification, forgiveness and renewal. Materials about Ramadan will also be available for people to learn about this important Muslim observance. Please join us in standing up for religious coexistence and for the celebration of what we all can learn from people of varied faiths.

We hope the New Year will bring peace to the world.

Interestingly enough, bay Area Women in Black also sent out a notice promoting the Koran reading, but neglected to mention it was sponsored by the local JCC.