BDS fail in unexpected places

Dining in a renowned restaurant in Northern  California, I was pleasantly surprised to see an Israeli beer on the rather limited and exclusive menu of artisan beers.

Malka is an Irish Dry Stout, rich, creamy and chocolaty.  Ask for it at your local brew pub.  Nice to see that even in occupied northern California, most sensible people's response to BDS is  "why would anyone boycott Israel?"

Indeed. Why would anyone boycott a diverse, pluralistic democracy?

Also sighted in Northern California-  a shoe store in a rather tony neighborhood proudly featuring a display of Israeli made shoes.  Carrying two complete lines of shoes from Israel, the owner knew nothing of a boycott, and said the shoes were were quite popular.

A local grocery store is now carrying a line of frozen Dorot spice mixes and sauces.  Quick, convenient and Israeli.

And perhaps most gratifying is this, from a Iranian market in Berkeley. The owner of a mid-Eastern grocery  helpfully arranged her Passover products  in one display.  Most of these products are from Israel.  In the Bay area, as in most of the country, the most reliable place to buy Israeli products are the small Arab grocery stores.

The Bay area has long been regarded as the hub of anti-Israel organizing in the country.  Yet even after 13 years of intense pressure, the boycott movement has not  achieved even a tenuous toehold here. 

13 years of BDS fail. Delicious, comfortable convenient BDS fail.

Anti-Israel Activists miss the boat. Block the Boat fail.

In 2010, anti-Israel activists at the Port of  Oakland  sought to block a Zim cargo ship from docking. They issued press-releases declaring victory well before the targeted Zim ship had even steamed through the Golden Gate. Mainstream media was complicit in spreading their lies.

Photo from the San Francisco chronicle

Fast forward.

Its deja vu all over again.

The same activists, spearheaded by the extremist Arab Resource and Organizing center planned a similar action for this weekend, organizing largely via social media.  Originally calling for  activists to meet at the West Oakland BART station at 5 am, they inexplicably changed direction, re-issuing a call for action at 3pm.

There is some speculation that they knew they would be unable to achieve critical mass at 5am, while most of the local anarchists were still sleeping off their beer hang-overs, and that was the primary reason for the change. 

From Jane Jewell, of  the Marin county group 14 friends of Palestine

But there is also some speculation that the organizers were made aware that they were targeting the wrong ship.  Although it appears on the Zim website, the EverLasting is not a  Zim vessel. It was a fools choice for the Block the Boat organizers: Do they block the wrong boat, or do they block a boat that hasn't arrived yet?

Via twitter:
The Everlasting was off-loaded without incident, and the Piraeus became the focus of the action.

At 3, several hundred gathered at the West Oakland Bart station, and began the march to the docks. It was a typical Bay Area "peace" rally.

And as usual in the Bay area, not a single of the sponsoring "human rights" groups said a word about this glorification of violence . And as usual, although the protesters were happy to declare "victory", there was no real effect on port functions.

From the Oakland Block the boat march

The flag of the terror group Hamas was proudly displayed.

Hamas terror flag at Oakland block the boat march

No one would ever mistake the Block the boat activists for patriots, as they joked about burning American flags

From John Driscoll, of the Port of Oakland

At about 4:30 pm today, approximately 500 protesters entered the Port's maritime area (seaport) and demonstrated along Middle Harbor Road, near the Oakland International Container Terminal.  The protest was related to the Gaza-Israel conflict in the Middle East.

As of 5:30 pm, the protesters were leaving the seaport.  As a cautionary measure, law enforcement is maintaining a presence on-site.  Seaport operations were not impacted by the protest.  Operations scheduled for tonight and tomorrow are currently expected to proceed as planned.

As of 6:30, the Piraeus had not yet docked.
 

Wishing the haters of peaceful co-existence many more such victories.

The protesters did accomplish one thing from this utterly pointless maneuver.  A fundraiser for "The Vagina Monologues."  scheduled for the waterfront was cancelled and forced to relocate. The organizers scrambled to find a last minute venue to relocate their event

The Block the boat action has done more than hurt the reputation of the Port of Oakland as a stable hub for U.S. shipping.  The block the boat activists have proven themselves to be bad neighbors all around.  I'm certain no one is surprised.

UPDATE: In spite anti-Israel activists claims to the contrary,  the Longshore and Shipping News reported  Thirty ILWU members worked the ship, starting at 10 PM Tuesday and completing the work at 4 AM Wednesday.

The more things change: Hallmark tricks of the manipulative propagandist.

The seven Hallmark tricks of the manipulative propagandist could be the  "DIY" manual  of the anti-Israel activist.  It is still entirely apropos.  Although this was originally written 10 years ago as Somerville was besieged by divestment activists it still accurately characterizes the state of discource today involving Operation Protective Edge.  And it’s the same few people, and the same few tired tricks

Via Divest this: 
A  fellow named Rich Cowan wrote a couple of articles a few years back on “Confronting Right Wing Actions and Arguments.” Part of the work he posted to the Internet referenced “seven hallmark tricks of the manipulative propagandist” originally described by The Institute for Propaganda Analysis, a now-defunct organization created to help counter right-wing propaganda in the 1930s.

Below is a list of Institute’s seven “tricks” along with excellent examples of how such tricks have been used in Somerville’s current divestiture debate:
 

Name Calling - Hanging a bad label on an idea

Such as taking the enormously complex issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict where 22 Arab nations have been warring with one Jewish state directly and through proxies for generations, and reducing everything to the simple, inaccurate term of “apartheid.”

Card Stacking – Selective use of facts or outright falsification

Such as presenting suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza while making no mention of the role the Palestinian’s own murder campaign has played in creating their plight, much less ever once mentioning the 1000+ victims of Arab terror that might provide some context for Israeli actions.

Band Wagon – A claim that everyone like us thinks this way

Such as highlighting a few shaky “successes” (like the Presbyterian Church) while failing to mention of the fact that divestiture has failed on every campus in the country.

Testimonial – The association of a respected or hated person with an idea

Such as dishonestly presenting a fringe Israeli voice (see Voices) as representing popular Israeli support for divestiture.

Plain Folks – A technique whereby the idea and its proponents are liked to “people like you and me”

Such as creating a “grass roots” Somerville organization whose leadership is made up of the same, non-Somerville people that have been at the forefront of every anti-Israel activity of the last twenty-five years, and presenting it as a local movement.

Transfer - An assertion of a connection between something valued or hated and the idea or commodity discussed

Again, read “apartheid.”

Glittering Generality – An association of something with a “virtue word” to gain approval without examining the evidence

The list is long. In this debate, the terms “human rights,” “fairness,” “socially responsible investing” have all been used to dress up a petition which calls for Israel, alone among all nations in the world, to be economically punished. If the petition is ever passed, count on these soft words to be replaced by a much harder message: that Somerville has declared Israel to be a racist, apartheid state that the rest of the world should join Somerville in punishing.

Read it all here

Protective Edge in Gaza: By the Numbers

As of August 5, 2014, when a truce went into effect, the IDF Spokesman’s Unit published the following statistics drawn from 29 days of Operation Protective Edge:

3,356 rockets fired at Israel:
2,303 hit Israel and 356 were aimed at IDF forces operating in Gaza
116 hit populated areas inside Israel (3.45%)
578 were intercepted by Iron Dome
475 landed within the Gaza Strip

Geographic Breakdown
69.4% of rockets were fired from the northern Gaza Strip
12.9% fired from the central Gaza Strip
17.3% fired from the southern Gaza Strip

597 rockets were launched from civilian facilities abused by terrorists (18%)
Approx. 260 launched from educational facilities (schools)
Approx. 127 launched from cemeteries
Approx. 160 launched from religious sites
Approx. 50 launched from hospitals

4,762 terror sites struck across the Gaza Strip:
1,678 rockets launching capabilities
977 command and control centers
237 militant wing government facilities
191 weapon storage and manufacturing facilities
144 training and militant compounds
1,535 additional terror sites

Gaza tunnel network:
32 terror tunnels neutralized
14 of which crossed into Israel
2 tunnels had shafts located 300-500 meters from Israel

750-1,000 militants targeted:
At least 253 Hamas operatives
At least 147 Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives
At least 65 operatives of various other organizations
At least 603 operatives whose affiliation is unknown

In addition, 159 suspected terrorists have been questioned by Israeli security forces, 25 of whom are currently imprisoned.

Israeli casualties:
3 civilians killed
64 IDF soldiers killed in combat
83 Israeli civilians wounded
463 IDF soldiers wounded

1,856 trucks of Humanitarian aid supplied to Gaza, carrying 40,550 tons:
1,491 trucks with 37,178 tons of food
220 trucks with 1,694 humanitarian supplies
106 trucks with 1,029 tons of medical supplies

82,201 IDF Reserve Duty Personnel called up

Welcome to Pallywood: Manufacturing a war crime

Welcome to Pallywood. 

The manufacturing of a war crime:

Here's the before:

And here's the after

Hamas terror operatives are caught staging  a "war crime"- moving bodies, including that of a little girl, to make it appear that Israel killed civilians at an UNRWA school in Rafah

Elder of Ziyon has the story here. There is even a video clip of the terrorists arranging the bodies for maximum impact.

Questioning the motivation of Jewish Voice for Peace's invasion of the Philadelphia Jewish Federation

Jewish Federations and Community Centers have long been a soft target of anti-Semitic attacks, both abroad and in America

On August 10, 1999,  the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills  was attacked by a white supremacist Buford O. Furrow, Jr, who walked into the lobby and opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon, firing 70 shots into the complex. The gunfire wounded five people, including 3 children.

On July 28, 2006, Naveed Afzal Haq shot six women, one fatally, at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, in Washington Naveed Haq was convicted in December 2009 and sentenced to life without parole plus 120 years.

On August 8  2014 several members from the extremist group “Jewish Voice for Peace” gained entry into the lobby of the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia by pretending to be volunteers for the Mitzvah Food Project. After the door was opened, a larger group of protesters forced their way into the lobby of the Federation the moment the front door was opened.

While the invasion of the Philadelphia  Federation did not end in a violent attack, given the extremist agenda and unscrupulous alliances of JVP, it begs the question- was this a trial run for a more serious attack? Was JVP identifying vulnerabilities in community security procedures for a more nefarious end?

It’s a very scary thought.

Block the Boat earns the endorsement of the PFLP terror group

The Aug 16 blockade of a Zim cargo ship in the port of Oakland has the endorsement of the PLFP terror group, who write

 "The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine praises the direct actions taken by various groups around the world to shut down the operations of the war machine assaulting the Palestinian people, and calls for increasing and escalating these actions everywhere the occupier and its supporters are present.

The Front commended the multiple direct actions around the world targeting Israeli embassies, consulates, institutions and corporations, including the 2-day occupation of an Elbit arms factory outside Birmingham, UK; the blockade of the Israeli embassy in The Hague; the shutdown of El Al’s ticket counter in Athens; popular de-shelving and removal of Israeli products in Ireland; and actions in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Albuquerque in the United States at Israeli missions and consulates, Bank Leumi, Israel Discount Bank, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin, as well as a upcoming blockade of an Israeli ZIM Ship in Oakland, California."

To the other endorsers:
American Friends Service Committee
American Muslims for Palestine
ANSWER Coalition
Arab Youth Organizing (AYO)
AROC: Arab Resource & Organizing Center
ASATA
BAYAN-USA
Black Organizing Leadership and Dignity (BOLD)
Catalyst Project
CodePink Washington
Descoloniza a Oakland/Decolonize Oakland
Free Palestine Movement
Freedom Archives
Friends of Deir Ibzi'a
General Union of Palestine Students – SFSU
Global Women’s Strike
Haiti Action Committee
International Action Center
International Jewish Anti Zionist Network
International Socialist Organization
ISM-NorCal
Jewish Voice for Peace
Justice for Palestinians
Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)
NorCal Friends of Sabeel
ONYX Organizing Committee
Palestinian Youth Movement
Queers Undermining Israeli Terror
San Francisco Green Party
SOUL: School of Unity and Liberation
Students for Justice in Palestine – Cal
Totally Radical Muslims
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
US Committee for the Academic and Cultural Boycott
US Palestinian Community Network
World Can't Wait Bay Area
Workers World Party
Xicana Moratorium

You are known by the company you keep. How can you  stand in solidarity with a terrorist group, responsible for heinous murders, kidnapping and hijacking throughout the globe?  According to a  recent report by the Shurat HaDin (the Israel law center) the "PFLP is responsible  or numerous suicide bombings, airplane hijackings, and assassinations, including some of the most notorious international terror attacks of the 1970s."

From the report

There is overwhelming evidence that the PFLP is continuing its terrorist activities. In 2001, Israel’s domestic security service, the Shabak (a.k.a. The Israel Security Agency), broke up a series of coordinated PFLP terror cells in Ramallah. The Shabak report states that the network was planning to kidnap an Israeli soldier in order to demand the release of Palestinian terrorists, similar to Hamas’ kidnapping of Gilad Shalit in 2006. 

In addition, plans were in place to attack Jewish settlements, bomb the roads around Jerusalem, and murder suspected collaborators. Two similar networks were uncovered in 2012, and a third in May 2013. As recently as January 2014, two PFLP terrorists in Gaza were killed in an Israeli airstrike due to their involvement in firing rockets at Israeli civilians.

Its yet another example of the increasingly unhinged  and shameless hypocrisy of groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee, who self-righteously provide cover for the forces of evil and of terror.

Norweigan Reporter on the "Siege" of Gaza

Jorgen Lohne has covered all the three wars between Hamas and Israel. A journalist from Norway's largest newspaper, Aftenposten  Lohne has written about a Gaza we seldom hear about: (original in Norweigan, translation courtesy of Google)

 

 "Moreover, while the poor people of Gaza are suffering under long-term power disconnections, our five star hotel generators to ensure that air cooling system running.

And while locals waiting in long lines to buy their daily bread, in constant fear of not getting enough water, we eat in fine restaurants offering us everything we want - except alcohol, of course, because it is prohibited by the Hamas-board ...

 

Should we feel the need to buy our own food or other items, we always go to one of Gaza's supermarkets offering all kinds of goods to us and others who have money. There are many here who need not be dependent on gift packages from the UN agency UNRWA."

'Hey, no pictures!' screamed a store owner when he saw my cameras: 'If you show what we have here, no one will believe we are under embargo.'"

 

*********

 

For a sampler of what is available in Gaza, check out Palestine Todays photos of the Gaza Metro Mart  Al Remal - Al Shuhadaa St., here.

Extremist Al Awda Perpetuates Intel BDS Hoax

The BDS' holes will do nearly anything to claim victory.  Routine restructuring of a corporate portfolio, the usual ups and downs of the financial market- its all used to tout the "success" of the BDS movement- the momentum, as they like to say is "unstoppable".   As often as not, in the absence of any real success the BDS'ers  will invent something out of thin air.  It's happened before. It will happen again, because at its core, the BDS movement is morally bankrupt and is built on a fragile foundation of lies.

This is one of the more elaborate BDS schemes I can remember.

A fake press release was recently sent out announcing that Intel is suspending investments in Israel, pending an investigation  of war crimes, and a  fake website was set up that mimics Intel's real PR site. The site has since been removed.

Intel found out about the hoax and issued a terse statement:

An unknown individual has sent what purports to be a news release to some members of the media concerning Intel’s operations in Israel. This is a hoax. The purported news release does not come from Intel and is false.

Extremist truth optional group Al Awda  helped perpetuate the fraud, with an email blast to their group yesterday. They've had no issue disseminating misinformation in the past.

 The text of the fake press release follows:

 Intel To Suspend Investments in Israel Due to Assault on Gaza

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS:- Intel is suspending previous plans to invest an additional $6 billion in Intel's Kiryat Gat facility in Israel until further notice.

- Intel will conduct a reevaluation of its business relationship with Israel to ensure compliance with Intel's stated Code of Conduct guidelines and Corporate Responsibility goals.

---

SANTA CLARA, Calif., August 7, 2014 – Intel CEO Brian Krzanich today announced the suspension of a previous decision to invest an additional $6 billion in Intel's Kiryat Gat facility in Israel and that a reevaluation of its business relationship with Israel will be conducted. The review will help to ensure compliance to Intel's stated Code of Conduct guidelines and Corporate Responsibility goals.

"Intel takes seriously our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen," said Intel CEO Brian Krzanich. "We view corporate citizenship as the relationship forged between Intel, the communities in which we operate and society in general. At Intel, corporate citizenship is firmly anchored in our corporate values."

Intel's Code of Conduct serves as a compass that guides the actions of employees, directors, and business partners, ensuring consistent and uncompromising integrity as we build trusted relationships around the world. Intel is also a United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) LEAD member. The first two UNGC Principles are regarding human rights.

Intel releases an annual Corporate Responsibility Report. "For us,corporate responsibility means achieving business success in ways that demonstrate respect for people and the planet and uphold the values and high standards of ethics expressed in our Human Rights Principles and our environmental health and safety policies," adds Krzanich. "In all our activities, we need to uphold Intel's long-standing, global reputation as a role model for socially responsible behavior."

Intel Israel is the country's largest private-sector employer. Mooly Eden is Intel Israel president and is also in support of the decision. He is confident that Intel Israel is "here to stay", despite the investment
suspension. Eden has been speaking to Israeli government officials over the past weeks regarding its military policy and the negative attention it brings to the country and those businesses that operate within. "Intel has consistently been recognized as one of the world's leading corporate citizens and most ethical companies," states Eden. "Our commitment to doing the right thing runs deep in our corporate culture. We don't view corporate responsibility as a fad or marketing scheme."

The Kiryat Gat facility is only 15 miles from the northern Gaza Strip. Reports of the destruction and loss of life resulting from Israel's recentassault on Gaza, in addition to the blockade that Israel has imposed on the people of Gaza for the past several years is not something thatbusiness leaders can continue to ignore.

Further details on Intel Israel's business evaluations will be released in the coming weeks.

PRESS CONTACT
Nick Veritas
Intel Corporate, Assistant Director
Communications & Public Affairs
+1 408 805 0679
nick.veritas@newsroom-intel.com

UPDATE

Al Awda has issued a retraction

'Zahi Damuni' zahi@al-awda.org wrote:


Apologies to all. But this story appears to have been a hoax.

For the Redemption Of Zion

A late Second Temple Period Jewish home containing a treasure trove of rare bronze coins has been discovered in Israel. The coins, imprinted "For the redemption of Zion" and "Year four," were made during the fourth year of the revolt against the Roman Empire, between spring 69 and spring 70 CE. The coins are decorated with the Biblical four species used in Sukkot — palm, myrtle, citron and willow

The 114 coins were discovered during the expansion of Highway 1 connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

This is the first time such a large hoard has been found. It is particularly unusual because the coins bear identical dating. Antiquities experts have speculated that the hoard was buried several months before the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second temple.

Zionism-the redemption of Zion.  The desire for self determination by the Jewish people has been a driving force in our collective psyche for over 2,000 years.

Read more about this discovery at Arutz Sheva  and at the Times of Israel

San Francisco Flash Mob. In Israel, you have 15 seconds to save your life

 In Southern Israel, when the Tzeva Adom sounds, you have 15 seconds to find shelter. With rockets flying from Gaza roughly every ten minutes, its not hard to imagine how stressful the past three weeks have been to those living in Israel.

On Aug 3, Bay area residents took their message to the streets, with a flash mob in Union Square. What if you had only 15 seconds to run to safety? What if you only had 15 seconds to save your life?

Israel activist attacked. Hate Crime in San Francisco

A group of local peace activists were filming a flash mob in Union Square, in the heart of San Francisco this weekend.

 It was an attempt to show the world what  Israel has been going through, the last few weeks. 

Someone didn't want that to happen.

This clip captures a completely unprovoked attack on the cameraman. I've got a pretty good idea of what motivated him.



We'll update this as soon as we have more information

How dare the Jews Fight Back

Oh, how they hate it when the Jews fight back.

An anti-Israel mob in New York took their message to a street with predominantly Jewish shopkeepers, arriving at 47th Street between 5th and 6th avenues and filling the air with ugly chants. (Note the protesters holding dollar signs- no antisemitism there.   Not a bit). Spontaneously, the community members burst from their shops, completely surrounding the hateful mob. Soon the message of endless violence and intolerance was replaced  with the joyous sounds of solidarity and unity.





From Breitbart

So, anti-Israel fanatics started the day with a vitriolic “direct action” to disrupt Jewish-owned businesses. But they inadvertently inspired a memorable, moving, and spontaneous display of celebration of the Middle East’s only true democracy. It was a true New York moment – one everyone in the Diamond District that afternoon will always remember.

Read about it here

Am Yisroel Chai

Gaza: Genocide fail

The CIA’s 2014 population data is out. For those of you generating so much noise about the "genocide" in Gaza, here’s some quantitative data to ruminate over.

The 2104 life expectancy for Gaza is 74.64 years. Thats higher than Malaysia 74.52. Its higher than the left’s current darling, Venezuela. (74.39) . Its higher than Gaza’s neighbors in Jordan (74.10 years) and Egypt ( 73.45 years). Its even higher than Turkey (73.29 years).

Gaza’s low rates of Infant mortality also belie any accusation of "genocide".

Infant mortality rate compares the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year, and is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country

Gaza has a lower rate of infant mortality (15.46) than its neighbors in Egypt. (22.41 deaths per thousand births), Syria (15.79), Jordan (15.73). Turkey (21.43 )

In spite of these objective quantatative measurements, the Palestinians are still the highest per capita recipients of aid in the world. And in spite of all evidence to the contrary, the enemies of Israel and the enemies of truth continue to bandy about spurilous accusations of "genocide".

San Francisco: 3,000 Strong in Solidarity with Israel

There was an amazing show of solidarity at todays  pro-Israel rally at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco Thousands gathered to sing, to pray, and to listen to elected officials, community leaders and clergy, who proudly identified, as so many of us do, as pro-peace Zionists

Got hope?    I do  now.

UPDATE:

San Francisco pro-Israel activism is finally noticed by the media.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Pro-Israel-marchers-set-to-gather-at-S-F-rally-5665638.php

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/08/04/San-Francisco-Holds-Peaceful-Pro-Israel-Rally

http://www.jta.org/2014/08/05/news-opinion/united-states/pro-israel-pro-peace-rally-draws-3000-in-san-francisco

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4554970,00.html

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/72253/crowd-of-3000-stands-with-israel-at-s.f.-rally/comment/

 

Journalists admit Hamas firing rockets from city centers

The web of lies is beginning to unravel. One by one, journalists are revealing, often inadvertently, how the terror group Hamas has been firing  rockets from populated civilian areas in Gaza., and how Hamas carefully controls the way this is reported

From Algemeiner:

Italian journalist Gabriele Barbati said he was able to speak freely about witnessing a Hamas misfire that killed nine children at the Shati camp, confirming the Israel Defense Forces version of events, but only after leaving Gaza, “far from Hamas retaliation.”

Aishi Zidan , a Finnish journalist for  Helsingin Sanomat  readily admitted  that Hamas terrorists launched a rocket attack at Israel from  the Shifa hospital, saying a rocket was fired at Israel at 2:00 a.m., “right in the back parking lot of the Shifa Hospital in Gaza."  Over 100,000 have viewed the clip on youtube.

Gallagher Fenwick from France 24 was doing a live broadcast from Gaza on a city street when a Hamas rocket went off, and he hastily retreated.

Even "journalist" Harry Fear from RT (formerly Russia Today) let slip that Hamas rockets were going off near his hotel

From the Twitter Account of Harry Fear

He came under swift criticism for this

Harry was accused of endangering "innocents".

Even though Harry was clearly  "one of the boys", he was asked to leave Gaza.

From the "Committee to protect Journalists"  website:

Harry Fear, a freelancer reporting in Gaza for the Kremlin-owned broadcast outlet RT (previously known as Russia Today), told CPJ that Hamas security officers asked him on Tuesday to leave Gaza within 24 hours after he tweeted about a rocket launch near his location two weeks ago. Three weeks ago, the Gaza-based Interior Ministry posted media guidelines that warned against publishing information about rocket launches or other military activities. Fear told CPJ that the border crossing was closed today but that security officials confirmed their demand he leave Gaza. Several journalists, including Fear, have faced sharp criticism online for tweeting about Hamas military activity, according to news reports.

The Hamas cheerleaders cannot be distracted with the facts. The well documented use of human shields by Hamas falls on deaf ears, because the only narrative worth repeating by the terror enablers  is one that perpetuates the myth of the eternal victimhood of the Palestinians

Titi Aynaw: Back in Uniform

Lt.Yityish Titi Aynaw, Miss Israel 2013 is back in uniform for reserve duty.

And she's still gorgeous, no matter what she wears.

UC Berkeley. The Bay area stands with Israel

Photos taken at UC Berkeley, Friday August 1. Go Bears!

Summer of hate in San Francisco

Its shaping up to be the Summer of hate in San Francisco. On social media, repulsive images of antisemitism and child abuse have surfaced from the anti-Israel rallies of the past few weeks.

From Twitter from the account of @CuzImEman, who shows a photo of her daughters getting ready to attend the July 26 anti-Israel protest and proudly proclaims

"My Youth at the protest today #youth4palestine #FreePalestine"

Can you imagine any parent sitting down with her girls to create an art project- taking out the glitter glue, and the paints, and construction paper- and then using it to create a swastika?  Can you imagine anyone in America or in the world proudly having their  children exhibit a swastika?  If this woman is so proud of her girls' public expression of intolerance and hate, can you imagine what they must be taught in private?

Its a sobering thought to say the least.

At least this repugnant art project is held by an adult.

Yes, thats an open display of support for the terror group Hamas, in arguably the most liberal city in America.


Anywhere there are public displays of antisemitism and intolerance, can Jewish Voice for Peace be far behind?

Marching proudly along the anti-Semites,  and the Hamas supporters were none other than  their JVP enablers.

We're all in this together

An Israeli-Arab Bedouin Sheikh arrived at Beer Sheva Soroka hospital yesterday to distribute flowers to wounded IDF soldiers. Each flower had a note attached to it, "We're all in this together"



 

Yes we are.