Obama in Israel: full text of his speech

Shalom.


President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and most of all, to the people of Israel, thank you for this incredibly warm welcome. This is my third visit to Israel so let me just say tov lihiyot shuv ba’aretz.

I’m so honored to be here as you prepare to celebrate the 65th anniversary of a free and independent State of Israel. Yet I know that in stepping foot on this land, I walk with you on the historic homeland of the Jewish people.

More than 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people lived here, tended the land here, prayed to God here. And after centuries of exile and persecution, unparalleled in the history of man, the founding of the Jewish State of Israel was a rebirth, a redemption unlike any in history.

Today, the sons of Abraham and the daughters of Sarah are fulfilling the dream of the ages — to be “masters of their own fate” in “their own sovereign state.” And just as we have for these past 65 years, the United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend.

As I begin my second term as President, Israel is the first stop on my first foreign trip. This is no accident. Across this region the winds of change bring both promise and peril. So I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, and to speak directly to the people of Israel and to your neighbors.

I want to begin right now, by answering a question that is sometimes asked about our relationship — why? Why does the United States stand so strongly, so firmly with the State of Israel? And the answer is simple. We stand together because we share a common story — patriots determined “to be a free people in our land,” pioneers who forged a nation, heroes who sacrificed to preserve our freedom, and immigrants from every corner of the world who renew constantly our diverse societies.

We stand together because we are democracies. For as noisy and messy as it may be, we know that democracy is the greatest form of government ever devised by man.

We stand together because it makes us more prosperous. Our trade and investment create jobs for both our peoples. Our partnerships in science and medicine and health bring us closer to new cures, harness new energy and have helped transform us into high-tech hubs of our global economy.

We stand together because we share a commitment to helping our fellow human beings around the world. When the earth shakes and the floods come, our doctors and rescuers reach out to help. When people are suffering, from Africa to Asia, we partner to fight disease and overcome hunger.

And we stand together because peace must come to the Holy Land. For even as we are clear-eyed about the difficulty, we will never lose sight of the vision of an Israel at peace with its neighbors.

So as I begin this visit, let me say as clearly as I can –the United States of America stands with the State of Israel because it is in our fundamental national security interest to stand with Israel. It makes us both stronger. It makes us both more prosperous. And it makes the world a better place.

That’s why the United States was the very first nation to recognize the State of Israel 65 years ago. That’s why the Star of David and the Stars and Stripes fly together today. And that is why I’m confident in declaring that our alliance is eternal, it is forever – lanetzach.

Thank you very much.

Jewish community Hero Tammi Benjamin under Attack

"When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser."

Socrates

A  eleventh hour resolution attacking  our Jewish Community hero, Tammi Rossman Benjamin has been introduced  to the ASUC under the guise of a resolution against hate speech.    It will be voted on at Cal Berkeley tomorrow.  The sponsoring senators include  ASUC Senator Sadia Saifuddin, Senator Klein Lieu, Senator Rosemary Hua, Senator George Kadifa and  Senator Daley Vertiz.  Tammi Rossman Benjamin has been  singled out because of her tireless work with the Amcha Initiative, fighting anti-Semitism on campus. This is just another attempt to silence her voice.

The resolution follows:

Resolution Condemning Islamophobic Hate Speech at the University of California

WHEREAS, the University of California has identified the issue of campus climate as a priority for administration, staff, and students across the UC system; and,

WHEREAS, the UC prides itself on welcoming students from any race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, yet pockets of racism and hate still exist on this campus which makes the UC an unwelcoming experience for certain communities; and,

WHEREAS, Islamophobia is defined as the irrational fear of Islam, Muslims, or anything related to the Islamic or Arab cultures and traditions; and,

WHEREAS, since September 11, 2001, Islamophobia has become the latest “hazing” technique across the United States and has created a chilling effect for Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians in their communities, work-environments, and campuses; and,

WHEREAS, according to a Gallup Study, 60% of of Muslim Americans say that Muslims face prejudice from Americans; and,

WHEREAS, 48% of Muslim Americans say that they have personally faced racial or religious discrimination, which is on par with Hispanic Americans (48%), and African Americans (45%), while 54% of Arab Americans say they have experienced this type of discrimination; and,

WHEREAS, since 2006, Muslim students have been targeted for surveillance by the FBI in Orange County, who said that they are paying particular attention to Muslim students at UC Irvine and UCLA; and,

WHEREAS, this surveillance is occurring on the East Coast as well, with the New York Police Department surveillance of Muslim students at Yale, Columbia, Syracuse, Rutgers, New York University, and Brooklyn College; and,

WHEREAS, these racist and selective surveillance procedures are justified by figures in mainstream media, such as David Horowitz, who defines the core mission of the MSA to “advance the Islamic Jihad against the Jews and Christians of the Middle East, and ultimately against the United States”, and,

WHEREAS, attempts to mischaracterize and chill Palestinian activism have occurred on Berkeley’s own campus, with a lawsuit filed in July 2011(later dismissed in court) against the UC Regents and President Mark Yudof containing extremely Islamophobic and anti-Arab rhetoric referring to Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslims Students Association as “anti-Semitic” and “pro-terrorist”; and,

WHEREAS, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that “the more publicly active SJP may be understood as the more militant arm of the outwardly benevolent MSA” and that SJP, MSA, and MSU all “fund terrorism” and are tied to terrorist groups; and,

WHEREAS, more recently, UC Santa Cruz lecturer Tammi Rossman-Benjamin has been responsible for inciting racist and Islamophobic rhetoric by claiming that students in the MSA and SJP are “...generally motivated by very strong religious and political convictions, they have a fire in their belly, they come to the university, many of them are foreign students who come from countries and cultures where anti-Semitism is how they think about the world … These are not your ordinary student groups like College Republicans or Young Democrats. These are students who come with a serious agenda, who have ties to terrorist organizations.”; and,

WHEREAS, claims such as those cited above create an unsafe and divisive environment for Middle Eastern, Muslim, South Asian students, and others who may be perceived as being of similar descent, and these claims are completely opposite to the values of a premier university system; and,

WHEREAS, the President of the University of California, Mark Yudof, is responsible for advocating for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation; and,

WHEREAS, the University of California is no place for hateful and inflammatory rhetoric and holds its students, faculty, staff, and affiliates to higher standards that promote a positive and inclusive campus climate; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the ASUC condemn the remarks of lecturer Tammi Rossman-Benjamin and those described in the above-mentioned lawsuit as hateful and inflammatory; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ASUC urge President Mark Yudof to condemn these inflammatory, hateful, and racist assumptions by UCSC lecturer Tammi Rossman-Benjamin against Middle Eastern, Muslim, South Asian, and Palestinian activists; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that EAVP Shahryar Abbasi write a letter to UCOP condemning the racist and bigoted language by Tammi Rossman-Benjamin and President Yudof’s failure to address the matter, as well as passing a similar bill with UCSA; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ASUC urge other campuses to pass similar bills in their respective student governments.

A reminder to Tammi: "  First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win."    Mahatma Gandhi.   And for the rest of you, consider dropping  the ASUC senators a quick email.  You can reach them here.   Ask them to eliminate the attacks on Tammi Benjamin  from this resolution

 UPDATE:

The resolution was passed by the ASUC last night.   

American Support for Israel at an all time high

A new poll release by Gallup on the eve of President Obama's trip to Israel and the West Bank shows American support for Israel is at a record high.  American sympathies favor Israel over the Palestinians, by a 64%-12% margin.  This is its highest level since the 1991 Gulf War.

Exemplifying this unbreakable bond between our nations, last week, an astonishing $27 million was raised by the Friends of the IDF, in a gala event at the Waldorf Astoria.  This is what 1,400 of Israel's closest friends look like:

Friends of the IDF fundraiser in NYC 

And the Palestinians?   In anticipation of President Obama's March 22  trip to Bethlehem, to visit the Church of the Nativity a billboard with his likeness was ripped down and defaced with swastikas.

Mariam Farhat: Dead at 64

 ‘Jihad comes ahead of everything, including my feelings as a mother.’’
                                                     Mariam Farhat, Gaza legislator

Mariam Farhat, also known as Umm Nidal is dead at age 64.  The mother of 10 gained notoriety by participating in her teenaged son, Muhammad Farhat  martyrdom video, in 2002.. In the video , Farhat said, "I wish I had 100 boys like Mohammad.  I'd sacrifice them for the sake of God."  He eventually opened fire on  Israeli students,  killing five students and wounding 23 others . After her son was shot dead, Farhat  proclaimed "Allah Akbar!" and gave out boxes of halva and chocolates. Her response , "...I consider this a blessing, not a tragedy.”

"When I see all the Jews in Palestine killed, that will be enough for me," his mother said on camera. "I wish he will kill as many as he can, so they will be scared."

Thousands, including Prime Minister Haniyeh of Gaza attended her funeral.

Mariam Farhat and her honor guard

Israelis indifferent to Obama visit

Mike L.

{Cross-posted at Israel Thrives and Geoffff's Joint.}

Op-ed: Lack of public interest particularly intriguing as US president repeatedly urged to come to Israel 

Tamar Hermann

President Obama's arrival is just around the corner, and apart from those in charge of the visit in government ministries and secret security agencies – there seem to be no fervent preparations or any special excitement ahead of the visit. It appears that the construction of the new coalition, the distribution of government portfolios and the upcoming Passover holiday with all its family and consumer-related aspects, are overshadowing the upcoming event.

Every thought or slip of the tongue made by Lapid/Bennett are perceived as much more fateful than the president's planned speech this Thursday, and discussions revolving around what we'll be cooking this holiday are more heated than those dealing with the approaching visit's positive or negative potential.

Not only is Obama not well-liked in Israel, but his administration has been lowering expectations since we first started hearing about this trip.  I suspect that our friend "Ziontruth" would agree with that assessment because the less western powers seek to impose their will upon Israel the better off everyone is, including the Palestinian-Arabs.

Obama's decision to deliver his address at Jerusalem's International Convention Center in front of students rather than at the Knesset – is particularly intriguing in light of the fact that many in Israel and abroad it recommended such a visit repeatedly.

Obama's decision to not speak before the Knesset represents his general dismissal of Israeli concerns as a whole.  I suppose that I have been frustrated over the last few years in how Obama's Jewish supporters not only overlook all these little symbolic gestures of contempt, but even overlook or dismiss or apologize for the foreseeable negative results of his actual behavior.  I tend to harp on the Brotherhood as regular readers of these pages know, but it remains unfathomable to me why Barack Obama would seek to help the rise of political Islam in the Middle East.

It's a mystery, tho many of our participants do not find it mysterious, at all.  There are those who argue that Obama favors political Islam because he favors political Islam.

Period.  End of story.

I prefer to be generous to my President in the hope that he may not be malicious... merely ideologically misguided and not terribly bright.

What remains more mysterious is why so many American Jews don't mind the fact that Obama supported the rise of the premier anti-Semitic organization in the world today?

How is it possible, you may ask yourself?

So it is quite surprising that when the visit is actually happening, the hosts seem unenthusiastic. What does the Jewish public in Israel think about the president and his visit to the region, and can that explain the apparent lack of interest we are witnessing?

I don't know about Arab-Israelis, but the Jews of the Middle East are entirely uninterested in Obama's visit because they know he's no friend to them and because they know that he is weak and increasingly irrelevant.  You can bet that if Obama had said something like, "I am coming to Israel in order to bring peace to the region," they would have stood up and taken a great deal of notice.

They would have run for the friggin' hills, in fact.

The very notion that Barack Obama would try to bring "peace" to Israel would have caused a panic among reasonable people, both Muslim and Jewish, throughout the region.

Many of them, and for very good reason, would have immediately run out to stockpile serious weaponry because the Israelis understand that whenever the west seeks to impose peace that the bloodshed is going to ramp up, as we saw with the Second Terror War after Arafat dismissed Bill Clinton.

I find myself, therefore, reasonably pleased that Obama might have the decency to approach things with a smidge of  modesty this time around.   With any luck, he won't start telling the Jewish people where we may, or may not, be allowed to live in Judea.

My suggestion to the Israelis is to ignore the guy as much as politically possible.  Be nice to him.  Feed him a good lunch and dinner.  Pat him on the head.

And then send him on his merry way.

Israel/Palestine: One state or two?

On March 17th Vonvo hosted a discussion between Moe Diab, a Palestinian American and Michael Harris, one of the founders of San Francisco Voice for Israel. The two speakers discussed their opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of a one or two state solution in Israel/Palestine.

Check it out here:

10th Anniversary of Rachel Corrie's Death

This weekend marked the 10th anniversary of ISM activist Rachel Corrie's death. The 23 year old was accidentally killed in a closed military zone while interfering with anti-terror operations in Gaza.

In memory of Rachel, a vain attempt  was made to get "#RememberRachel to trend on Twitter.  Instead, the thread quickly filled up with reminders of the "Other Rachels " killed in this conflict.  Unlike Rachel Corrie who deliberately chose to put herself  in harms way, the "Other Rachels" were killed in their homes, in the streets, in the mall. They were innocent women living their lives that were targeted simply because they were Jewish women living in the state of the Jewish people.

Thank you to Jameel of the Muqata for the reminder of the "Other Rachels"- the forgotten Rachels killed in this conflict.

We remember:

Rachel Levy (aged 17, blown up in a grocery store)

Rachel Levi (19, shot while waiting for the bus)

Rachel Gavish (killed with her husband, son and father while at home celebrating a Passover meal)

Rachel Charhi (blown up while sitting in a Tel Aviv cafe, leaving three young children)

Rachel Shabo (murdered with her three sons aged 5, 13 and 16 while at home)

Rachel Ben Abu (16, blown up outside the entrance of a Netanya shopping mall)

Rachel Kol, 53, who worked at a Jerusalem hospital and was killed with her husband in a Palestinian terrorist attack in July a few days after the London bombs.

Rachel Sela, 82, murdered the day before Purim on March 4th, 1996 when an Palestinian suicide bomber exploded at Dizingoff Center, Tel Aviv.

Rachel Tajgatrio, 83, murdered while shopping in Jerusalem's "Machaneh Yehuda" market when 2 bombs went off on July 30th, 1997.

Rachel Thaler, 16 years old from Ginot Shomron died of her wounds on February 27 2002, after a Palestinian bomber exploded in a shopping mall's food court, killing 3, wounding 30.

Rachel Tamari,  65, murdered by a Palestinian bomb on the Dan #20 bus in Ramat Gan, on July 24, 1995.  6 Israelis died in that attack, and dozens were wounded.

Rachel Drouk, 35, mother of 7 from the Shilo community was murdered by Palestinian terrorist gunfire while on her way to a demonstration (October 28, 1991) -- that negotiating with Palestinian terrorists would be dangerous to Israel.  The driver of her car, Yitzchak Rofeh was also killed and 5 others wounded.

Rachel Weiss, 26, pregnant and mother of 3 small children (Rafael, Netanel and Efraim), were all murdered by Palestinian terrorists who threw a molotov cocktail at her car in the Jordan Valley (October 31, 1988)

Rachel Weiss, 69, stabbed to death by Palestinian terrorists who were sent by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin to as an "entrance test" to the Hamas organizations.  She was murdered in her home in Moshav Shapir, August 3rd, 1988.

Rachel Munk, 24, [married 6 weeks earlier] was murdered in a drive-by terror attack by on July 26, 1996, along with her husband Zeev Munk.  The attack took place on the Beit Shemesh - Kiryat Melachi road near Moshav Gefen.

Rachel Stern, 8 years old,  stabbed to death, along with her mother, while eating breakfast in their home in Kiryat Shmona, on April 11, 1974.  16 people were murdered that day by Palestinian terrorists in that attack.

Rachel Afita, 16, murdered by Palestinian terrorists in the Northern Israeli community of Maalot on May 15, 1974

Rachel Lev, 50, murdered by Palestinian terrorists when 5 bombs exploded throughout the Haifa area on October 23, 1969 and the following day.  7 people were killed in the attack, including her husband Eliyahu and son Avraham.

Rachel Mizrachi, 38, stabbed to death by Arab terrorists in her home in Tiberias, October 2, 1939.

Another Day of Rage as Hactivists attempt to wipe Israel off the Web

From Iranian Press TV, so take it as you will. (no, I don't link to hate sites)

“Hacktivists Starting Cyber Attack against Israel on 7th of April,” Anonymous wrote on Twitter, calling on hackers around the world to participate in the second of a series of cyber attacks known as ‘Opisrael.’
Following the threat, Israeli officials have been reportedly preparing for the potential attack.
“It’s something being organized online over the past few days. What distinguishes this plan when compared to previous attacks is that it really seems to be organized by Anonymous-affiliated groups from around the world in what looks like a joining of forces,” said Ofir Ben Avi, director of an online Israeli organization.
The first Opisrael was launched by Anonymous during the eight-day Israeli war on Gaza in November 2012.
Some 700 Zionist websites came under repeated cyber attacks, including the regime’s high-profile systems such as its foreign ministry, and the israeli president's official website.

“We are Anonymous. We are legion. We will not forgive. We will not forget. israel, it is too late to expect us,” read the hacktivist group’s message to israeli authorities.

The Israeli ministry for financial affairs reported an estimated 44 million unique attacks on the regime’s websites during the cyber operation.
According to the report, Anonymous posted the online personal data of 5,000 Israeli officials, including names, ID numbers and personal emails following ‘Opisrael.’

Palestinians Throwing Stones

Oh, those poor Palestinians, with nothing but rocks to use against the brutal and genocidal Israeli war machine. This is the image they've been force-feeding us with the collusion of the mainstream media.  And they've done a great job  promoting it.

Palestinians throwing stones

But this is more the reality.

Palestinians throwing stones

Today, a two year old girl was seriously injured today by Palestinians “throwing rocks”   Palestinians hurling rocks at a passenger bus caused a three-vehicle collision. The child, her mother and 2 other children, aged 4 and 6 were injured in the subsequent accident.

The  bus windshield was shattered, injuring several passengers and triggering the accident. The mother was later identified as Adva Bitton.

From the Jerusalem post:   

...Magen David Adom medics who raced to the scene near the Barkan settlement, not far from Ariel, around 6:25 p.m. focused on the mother, 32, and her daughters, aged two, four and six.
It took 25 minutes to pull the family out of the car, medic Muawia Kabha said.
The youngest girl was not breathing and was resuscitated with a mouth-to-mouth procedure, he said. Medics were able to revive her, but she was unconscious and in critical condition, he said.
The mother was also in moderate condition but was conscious, Kabha said. The two girls in the back seat were moderately wounded, because they were not in the part of the vehicle trapped under the truck, he said.
“It was an awful scene. It looked like a terrorist attack,” he added.

From the IDF Blog:

IDF forces, in cooperation with the ISA and the Israeli Police, arrested 8 Palestinian suspects for participation in hurling rocks at Israeli vehicles near Ariel yesterday evening..
The suspects were transferred to security forces for further questioning.
A similar incident occurred in September 2011, when Palestinians hurled rocks at an Israeli vehicle, causing an Israeli civilian, Asher Palmer, to lose control of his vehicle, killing both himself and his one year old son, Jonathan.
The IDF views terror activities, including rock hurling, with great severity and will continue to act with strength and determination to protect the residents of the State of Israel and maintain security in the area.

Guess who's coming to dinner?

The  new "Miss Israel", Israel's entry to the Miss Universe contest Yityish Aynaw has been invited to a state dinner hosted by President Shimon Peres in honor of President Barack Obama's visit to Israel next Thursday. Yityish told the Jerusalem Post that she “didn’t believe that this was happening” when she received a personal dinner invitation from “President Shimon Peres himself".

Aynaw, 21 a former IDF officer, was twelve years old when she immigrated to Israel after the death of her parents in Ethiopia. She is the the first Ethiopian-born Israeli to win the pageant and is very excited by the prospect of meeting Barack Obama who she says was a “notable influence on her life.” Obama “is someone who accomplished things by dint of his hard work,” she said. Aynaw has also named civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. as one of her heroes. “He fought for justice and equality, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here: I want to show that my community has many beautiful qualities that aren’t always represented in the media.”

During the Miss Israel competition, Aynaw told the judges, “It’s important that a member of the Ethiopian community win the competition for the first time. There are many different communities of many different colors in Israel, and it’s important to show that to the world.”

Freedom House 2012: Israel is the Only Free Nation in the Middle East

Using the following framework Freedom house has determined that only 2% of the population of the Middle East is free.  The 2%  that are free live in Israel. 

POLITICAL RIGHTS


A. ELECTORAL PROCESS

1. Is the head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and
fair elections?

2. Are the national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?

3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair?

B. POLITICAL PLURALISM AND PARTICIPATION

1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system open to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings?

2. Is there a significant opposition vote and a realistic possibility for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?

3. Are the people’s political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, totalitarian parties, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group?

4. Do cultural, ethnic, religious, or other minority groups have full political rights and electoral opportunities?


C. FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT

1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government?

2. Is the government free from pervasive corruption?

3. Is the government accountable to the electorate between elections, and does it operate with openness and transparency?


ADDITIONAL DISCRETIONARY POLITICAL RIGHTS QUESTIONS

1. For traditional monarchies that have no parties or electoral process, does the system provide for genuine, meaningful consultation with the people, encourage public discussion of policy choices, and allow the right to petition the ruler?

2. Is the government or occupying power deliberately changing the ethnic composition of a country or territory so as to destroy a culture or tip the political balance in favor of another group?



CIVIL LIBERTIES

D. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND BELIEF

1. Are there free and independent media and other forms of cultural expression? (Note: In cases where the media are state-controlled but offer pluralistic points of view, the survey gives the system credit.)

2. Are religious institutions and communities free to practice their faith and express themselves in public and private?

3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free of extensive political indoctrination?

4. Is there open and free private discussion?



E. ASSOCIATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL RIGHTS

1. Is there freedom of assembly, demonstration, and open public discussion?

2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations? (Note: This includes civic organizations, interest groups, foundations, etc.)

3. Are there free trade unions and peasant organizations or equivalents, and is there effective collective bargaining? Are there free professional and other private organizations?



F. RULE OF LAW

1. Is there an independent judiciary?

2. Does the rule of law prevail in civil and criminal matters? Are police under direct civilian control?

3. Is there protection from political terror, unjustified imprisonment, exile, or torture, whether by groups that support or oppose the system? Is there freedom from war and insurgencies?

4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population?



G. PERSONAL AUTONOMY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS

1. Do citizens enjoy freedom of travel or choice of residence, employment, or institution of higher education?

2. Do citizens have the right to own property and establish private businesses? Is private business activity unduly influenced by government officials, the security forces, political parties/organizations, or organized crime?

3. Are there personal social freedoms, including gender equality, choice of marriage partners, and size of family?

4. Is there equality of opportunity and the absence of economic exploitation?

From SPME: A Statement Condemning Current Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Against Israel

From Scholars for Peace in the Middle east:

A Statement Condemning Current Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Against Israel  (h/t Fousesquawk)

 

Pronouncements attempting to appeal to the conscience of academics supportive of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement often depict Israel as a Nazi-like state. These views—once labeled extreme—have become increasingly mainstream as academics call for Israel's destruction, not by might or power but by bad analogies and misguided ideas.

 

A careful look at the BDS movement and its methodology shows not legitimate criticism but a movement that is racist and anti-Semitic. Why? Because BDS clearly targets Israel. Its stated goals vary but all include the "right of return" for Palestinian "refugees." The effort is cloaked to give the impression that ending specific Israeli policies, such as the "occupation" or "apartheid," would also end efforts to ostracize Israel and would result in peace for the region. Yet their maximalist demand —the flood of Palestinian refugees, which would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state—is carefully hidden.

Now on the heels of "Israel Apartheid Week" (IAW) 2013, currently spreading around the country in over 250 cities, we are seeing a growing push to promote divestiture bills by students and faculty.
Nobel recipients such as Desmond Tutu and Mairead Maguire are abusing their award by weighing in on the vote. Maguire specifically commented on the proposed Stanford initiative by saying, "I salute Stanford University students who are striving to end their own university's complicity in Israel's human rights violations through divesting from companies that are deeply involved in those violations. I stand with you and believe we shall overcome all injustice and all inequality, as we have done before." Additionally, other celebrities, including The Color Purple author Alice Walker, Pink Floyd member Roger Waters, and Leftist professor of history Joel Beinin, have all weighed in to support the initiative and the BDS movement.

On a positive note, we are seeing stake holders and politicians stand up for this vitriol and abuse of academic freedom. One such individual is Canada's Minister of Citizenship Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, who courageously proclaimed, "The disproportionate vitriol directed against the democratic State of Israel during ‘Israel Apartheid Week' stands in stark and ironic contrast to the silence of IAW organizers on the ongoing atrocities committed by the Syrian regime against its own citizens, and on the rampant brutalities and denial of rights in non-democratic countries in the Middle East, and elsewhere in the world. In free societies such as Canada's and Israel's, it is absolutely legitimate to debate and criticize government policies and practices. Indeed, Israel supports the right of free expression more than any other country in its part of the world. But with the freedom to criticize comes the responsibility to guard against hateful and intolerant rhetoric."

Moreover, the faculty at UC San Diego, as one notable example, was able to come together and issue a strong statement opposing a vote there to introduce a divestment initiative, stating, "the most troubling aspect of the resolution is its characterization of Jewish citizens of Israel as ‘colonial occupiers' while Arabs are described as indigenous to the land.  In so doing, the resolution denies the profound emotional, cultural, and religious connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, a connection that spans 3000 years. This is a deplorable attempt to delegitimize an ancient people's ethnic identity. Rather than advancing the prospect of reconciliation between Arabs and Jews, such claims regress to the very attitude that has been at the heart of the conflict and prevented a peaceful resolution thus far."

Overall, the BDS campaign is contrary to the search for peace, since it represents a form of misguided economic warfare.  It is directly in opposition to decades of agreements between Israeli and Arab Palestinians, in which both sides pledged to negotiate a peaceful settlement and a commitment to a two state solution, but only Israel has repeatedly made concessions for peace. Additionally, by focusing exclusively and obsessively on Israel, and not on many other countries in the world where actual human and civil rights abuses exist, the actions of those supporting the BDS campaign are, according to former Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers, "anti-Semitic in their effect if not in their intent."

SPME urges those committed to peace and justice for the people of a region which has had too much war and violence to join with us in rejecting the politics of hatred that the BDS movement represents and urges all intuitions of higher education to ensure that none of its academic units sponsors this racist, counter-productive campaign in the form of panels, symposia, conferences, or other school-sponsored events that politicize scholarship and are intellectually biased against Israel, as recently occurred, for instance, at Brooklyn College involving the School's Political Science Department
Therefore, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East condemns all efforts to use academia to promote boycotts, divestiture, and sanctions against Israel, including the promotion by student governments of resolutions calling for divestiture, as they represent an abandonment of scholarly principles, a degradation of campus civility, and a violation of the precepts of unbiased, rational academic inquiry.

 

BDS fail. Almost one million Palestinians visit Israel in 2012

If the Palestinians don't boycott Israel, why should UC San Diego? Or the Presbyterians? Or anyone?

According to figures by the Israeli Civil Administration, more than 930,000 Palestinians traveled into Israel in 2012


From Israel Defense:

The figures show that tens of thousands of movements were recorded at passageways for the purpose of family visits and traveling in Israel, receiving medical care in Israeli hospitals, commerce and employment for Palestinian workers and merchants in Israel. The highest rise in the number of passing people was recorded during the time of the Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Christmas holidays, when more than 242,000 Palestinians entered and left Israel, compared to just 122,300 during last year’s holiday season. This marks a rise of 98.5% in total.

The Civilian Administration worked to upgrade the infrastructure of the passageways, both by expanding the passageways, increasing inspection sections, adding manpower, and stationing measures and infrastructure that greatly assists in improving the provided service.

Welcome to Israel, Alicia Keys!

 Please sign the Creative Community for peace petition welcoming singer Alicia Keys to Israel, and circulate it widely. The 12 time Grammy winner is scheduled to play in Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena on July 4, 2013.  Like all artists who are scheduled to perform in Israel, she is being subject to an unrelenting pressure campaign. Help Alicia Keys resist the BDS bullies    Sign  here:

 The text of the petition follows

We, the undersigned, wholeheartedly support your upcoming tour in Israel and your dedication to your fans across the globe.

We know you are hearing falsehoods about Israel being an apartheid state and unfair comparisons of Israel to apartheid South Africa. These messages are filled with distortions and untruths that seek to malign Israel and distort the discourse of those that seek peace.

Those who have actually been to Israel know that it is a democratic country with a diverse population, where women, Arabs, Muslims, Christians and all minorities have equal rights; a nation where art and freedom of expression flourish. In fact, Arab-Israeli citizens serve on Israel’s Supreme Court and in its Parliament. The recently crowned Miss Israel was born in Ethiopia and quoted Martin Luther King in her acceptance speech! "There are many different communities of many different colors in Israel, and it's important to show that to the world," said the new Miss Israel.

We too wish for a resolution to the complicated Palestinian/Israeli peace process, and we believe that the unique connection between artist and fan is part of the solution. Music is a great tool--one that can be used for building bridges, dialogue and understanding between people. Cultural boycotts drown out freedom and the voices of change. Your voice, your message will touch hearts and minds in a region desperately looking for peace.

We therefore urge you to keep your tour date in Israel, the land Madonna calls "the energy center of the world." Join the ranks of independent-minded artists who have performed in Israel recently, including Rihanna, Macy Gray, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Black Eyed Peas, Missy Elliot, Metallica, Linkin Park, Lady Gaga, Seal, Meshell Ngedecello, Erykah Badu and many others. Your fans in Israel are looking forward to seeing you and know that you will use the power of your music to help bring hope and peace to the region!

You know the drill. Sign it, post it on Facebook, add it to your blogs, and tweet it out. When we fight back we win.

UPDATE:

Thanks to an outpouring of support from friends of Israel and the arts worldwide, the petition for Alicia Keys has quickly surpassed 11,000 signatures ...and is growing rapidly.

Signators are from Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxenbourg, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, S. Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, united Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zambia!

Anti-Israel activists still attempting to pick up Loose Change at Occupy Oakland

The Reut Institute considers the Bay Area one of the hubs of the delegitimization of Israel, but increasingly it appears that those attempting to marginalize Israel have become, well....marginalized.  A widely promoted anti-Israel rally in front of the Israel Consulate in San Francisco last week attracted only a handful of people. Attempts to bolster attendance at Bay Area anti-Israel events are beginning to reek of desperation.

This email is making the rounds.

 On WED MARCH 13 at 5:30 PM we will be marching to PARATRANSIT headquarters in Downtown Oakland from Oscar Grant Plaza.
  The contract for Paratransit in Oakland is held by a company called Veolia, who also holds the contract for segregated, settler only bus lines that run inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We will march to Paratransit not with the intention of shutting them down or disrupting services for the day, but more to air their dirty laundry and pressure them to pull out of the West Bank.
    This march is part of a larger day of happenings beginning at 4pm and going till about 9 that we are calling "A Feast to the Global Resistance" where we will gather at Oscar Grant Plaza for food, films, community, etc. The day marks the 4th anniversary of the shooting of Oakland activist TRISTAN ANDERSON by Israeli Border Police. Tristan survived (he was shot in the head with a tear gas grenade during a protest in Palestine in 2009) and will be leading the march from his wheelchair.

    **We hope that others from the disability community will support the day's events and join Tristan in the march on the anniversary of his shooting.**

    This march is being called by Justice 4 Tristan, a small loose group of friends of Tristan, who are also folks from Occupy Oakland. We do not expect any kind of confrontation or problems. Our intentions are towards a positive, community gathering type of vibe for the day. Also, we are definitely activists who don't take out permits and don't march on the sidewalk.

    Wed March 13
    4:00- Feast and Gather [at Oscar Grant Plaza]
    5:30- March
    6:30- 9:00- Film Clips and Skype Calls
    from Resistance Movements around the World [back at Oscar Grant Plaza]

The anti-Israel movement has been attempting and failing to gather the loose change from the tattered remains of the Occupy movement for sometime.    Attempting to lure participants with the offer of  a free "feast" is a new touch, however.

UPDATE: Emerging clips from tonights rally and march in Oakland once again point to the increasingly irrelevancy of the local anti-Israel movement.    About an hour into the event, the plaza was still quite empty: Several young pro-Israel peace activists showed up, and were viciously assaulted by the rally organizers.  Their crime- writing "Am Yisroel Chai"- the Jewish people live- on the sidewalk  This  clip has been updated to include a brief interview with Hannah, the young woman repeatedly assaulted by the purported "peace activist" Update An anonymous contributer has tentatively  identified the assailant as Gabby (Gabrille) Silverman.  Where have we seen her before?  Perhaps from her mug shot which appeared in the online edition of the San Francisco Chronicle Gabrille Silverman was among 20 people arrested Saturday. San Francisco police officers arrested 11 men and nine women Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012 when the group marched through the city's Financial District in black clothing and tossed projectiles at police officers.   Photo: San Francisco Police Dept. Final Update We'll let Gabby have the last word, because, well, Zionists are like that. From the Facebook page she created for the event ,  A feast to the global resistance: Gabby Silverman.  Stay classy, girl.

BDS fails of the Week

 And the BDS fails of the week include:

 *  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.

Here's a taste of things to come:
Barbra Streisand singing Hatikvah

At Berkeley Israel Apartheid Week has been Transformed into Israel Peace and Diversity Week

At UC Berkeley, Tikvah, Students For Israel has done an admirable job of  transforming Israel Apartheid Week into Israel Peace and Diversity Week, highlighting the diversity and democracy of  Israel. Today, the Zionist student group capped off a week of excellent programming with an afternoon of music and Israeli folk dancing.  Sproul plaza at UC Berkeley was filled with a multi-generational assortment of Zionists,  joined in unity to celebrate the homeland of the Jewish people

Faced with joyous Jewish celebration, whats a hater to do?  Anti-Israel activists attempted to crash the party and provoke the students, marching through their celebration, screaming vile epithets. The pro-Israel students showed tremendous grace under pressure, and ignored the disruption by the Students for Just us in Palestine.  the repeated harassment, provocation and intimidation by Berkeley's SJP was largely ignored by the  Tikvah students, who called for peaceful co-existence and cooperation between all people in the region

Tchaikovsky Flashwaltz at Hadassah Hospital

 Israel's world famous Hadassah Hospital has over 850 physicians 1,940 nurses, 1,020 paramedical and support staff in two medical center hospitals  There are over 1,000 beds, 31 operating rooms, and 9 specially oriented intensive care units.

Every year,  the Nobel Peace prize nominated Hadassah provides nearly one million people with hospital services.

We already knew Hadassah was something special.  This just reinforces it.  Its a  Tchaikovsky Waltz of the Flowers Flashwaltz, performed at the hospital by forty students from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

Obama administration doubles-down on the Muslim Brotherhood

Mike L.

{Cross-posted at Israel Thrives and Geoffff's Joint.}

Here is Joe Biden at the AIPAC conference:

Only through engagement -- it’s only through engagement with Egypt that we can focus Egypt’s leaders on the need to repair international obligations -- respect their international obligations, including and especially its peace treaty with Israel. It’s only through active engagement that we can help ensure that Hamas does not re-arm through the Sinai and put the people of Israel at risk. It’s only through engagement that we can concentrate Egypt’s government on the imperative of confronting the extremists. And it’s only through engagement that we can encourage Egypt’s leaders to make reforms that will spark economic growth and stabilize the democratic process. And it’s all tough, and there’s no certainty. There’s no certainty about anything in the Arab Spring.

"Engagement" seems to be the word by which the Obama administration means giving the fascist and anti-Semitic government in Egypt billions of dollars in financial assistance, as well as Abrams tanks and F-16 fighter jets, in return for virtually nothing.

Biden was correct about one thing, however, there is no certainty about anything in the so-called "Arab Spring."  However, if this is the case, why did the administration cheer-lead it so enthusiastically?  It was obvious two years ago that these uprisings and riots and murders and rapes which we collectively know as the "Arab Spring" were maybe not such a good thing.  It seemed pretty clear, pretty early, that what we were seeing was not the rise of democracy under the leadership of westernized "Facebook kids," but the rise of right-wing Muslim theocratic fascism.

If I suspected this merely from reading the newspapers, how is it that Barack Obama did not?  This is not just some minor misstep by the Obama administration, but in fact an absolutely colossal screw-up of the very highest order.  This will be recognized as “an act of stupidity that will resonate for generations.”

And now they tell us that they must continue to give U.S. tax dollars to the Brotherhood in the hopes that they can reform it?  Really?  Is that how it works?, because I do not see much reformation of Hamas, which is the Brotherhood in Gaza.

Obama's foreign policy legacy will be that of assisting the Brotherhood and the rise of right-wing Islamic fascism in the Middle East.  In terms of foreign policy, the central question that future historians will ask themselves is how is it that an American president would support the rise of American enemies in a vital part of the world?  How is it that an American president was willing to undermine U.S. relations with a key ally there in order to facilitate the rise of political Islam?

These are among the key questions to ask and if you are not asking yourself such questions then you are not honestly evaluating the Obama administration.

If, in consideration of Obama's foreign policy, you cannot bring yourself to ask such questions then you are not analyzing the administration, but revering it.

Revery can be very nice in a dream-like sort of way, but neither revery, nor reverence, constitute analysis.  What they constitute in politics is sycophancy.

By Dennis Ross: : For Mideast Peace, Suspend Disbelief

 Dennis Ross is a counselor to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who was the United States’ chief negotiator for the Arab-Israeli conflict from 1993 to 2001 and a special assistant to the president for the Middle East and South Asia from 2009 to 2011. In  today's Sunday New York Times, he presents a 14 point agenda for building trust and confidence on both sides of the Palestinian/ Israeli conflict

Read it all here: For Mideast Peace, Suspend Disbelief

What Israelis Can Do

Show That We Have No Intention of Expanding Into a Future Palestinian State

1. Declare that Israel will build new housing only in settlement blocks and in areas to the west of the security barrier. This means that Israel would build only in about 8 percent of the West Bank and no longer in the remaining 92 percent.

2. Be prepared to offer compensation to any Israeli settler ready to relocate to Israel or to designated blocks.

3. Commit to beginning the construction of housing within Israel or the blocks for all those settlers ready to relocate. 

Show That We’re Serious About Ending Control Over Palestinians

4. In “Area C,” which represents 60.1 percent of the West Bank’s territory and in which Israel retains civil and security responsibility, Palestinians would be permitted economic access, activity and ownership.

5. In “Area B,” which covers 21.7 percent of the West Bank and in which Palestinians have responsibility for civil affairs and for law and order — but not for dealing with terrorism — the presence of Palestinian police and security forces, and their duties, would be allowed to increase.

6. In “Area A,” which accounts for 18.2 percent of the West Bank’s territory and in which the Palestinians have civil and security responsibility, the Israel Defense Forces still carry out incursions for security reasons. Because these operations are a reminder of Israeli control and grate on the Palestinians, the I.D.F. could specify clear security criteria, which, if met by the Palestinian Authority, would end the incursions. 

What Palestinians Can Do

Show That We’re Serious About Accepting Two States

1. Be willing to speak of two states for two peoples and to acknowledge there are two national movements and two national identities.

2. Pledge to put Israel on Palestinian maps. Today, most Palestinian maps don’t show Israel at all. They do often show Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

3. Make clear the commitment to building the state of Palestine, without encroaching on Israel, with a particular focus on the rule of law.

Show That We’re Going to Be Good Neighbors to Israel

4. Commit to ending incitement; stop glorifying as martyrs those who kill Israelis; stop blaming Israel for every evil; stop denying the Jewish connection to Jerusalem.

5. Prepare the Palestinian public for peace; Yasir Arafat used to speak about the “peace of the brave.” Declare that the peace of the brave means that both sides, not only Israel, have hard decisions to make for peace.

6. Address the question that Mahmoud Abbas once posed: where does it say that Palestinians should live in squalid conditions? In the West Bank, this would mean building permanent housing in refugee camps and that those families who wished to move out of the camps would be permitted to do so.

What They Can Do Together

Two Crucial, Mutual Steps

7. Commit to an exchange of classrooms or regular youth exchanges starting as early as third grade. The complete absence of contact now means that children on each side are being socialized to demonize and dehumanize the other.

8. Publicly acknowledge when the other side does something positive. For example, the Israeli government should acknowledge that the Palestinian security forces do their job professionally and fulfill their obligations. And the Palestinian Authority should acknowledge when Israel has helped it meet its obligations by advancing tax revenues early, or that Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital treats Palestinians in need at no cost.

Starting a Virtuous Cycle

These 14 points represent an agenda for discussion that could lead to coordinated actions and change the dynamic between Israelis and Palestinians — and maybe, by restoring hope, show that the government of Mr. Abbas still offers a pathway for Palestinian national aspirations.

These points could, for once, create a virtuous cycle. Such progress is vital if there is to be any hope that the two sides will actually address the core issues of the conflict.

We don’t need more dead ends. It is time to show Israelis and Palestinians that something is possible other than stalemate. Otherwise disbelief and failure will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.