This post comes from Ethan Felson is Vice President of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs
What’s old is new – and unfortunately this holiday season, wrapped in a bow, is a boycott of things Israeli and Jewish. The relics of the past boycotts – from Nuremberg to Damascus - are back. Uninterested in reconciliation, the extremist and myopic fervor that undergirds the campaign to boycott Israel should be a wakeup call for those who have hit the snooze button too many times.
Issuing the latest appeal for boycotts is the North American affiliate of the Sabeel Center, a group that wraps its disdain for the Jewish state in a cloak of Christian concern. Sabeel’s leader has said that Israel operates a “crucifixion machine” and that “security is a pagan god that Israel worships.” It wields the word “apartheid” like a cudgel. Their holiday boycott call targets a over dozen companies because they operate in Israel or their owners are guilty of the sin of being Israeli, Jewish, or affiliated with either. They manufacture goods in Israel, in the Palestinian territories, and in America. Their products include cosmetics, clothing, cell phones, and prepared foods. Most cannot be tied in any rational way to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
That gets to the heart of it. The so-called BDS movement (boycotts, divestment, and sanctions) isn’t here to help Palestinians. It’s a pernicious call to harm Israel and world Jewry. Its proponents seek to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into every sphere of American life. The supporters of the boycott don’t seem to care who gets caught their snare, including tens of thousands of American workers employed by these companies. In so many ways, it is a boycott of American values.
Estee Lauder’s sin is being owned by the volunteer leader of the Jewish National Fund. Sara Lee and L’Oreal are guilty of having been praised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Another company is guilty of being owned by a friend of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Also in Sabeel’s crosshairs is a California-based business building green transportation infrastructure – electric car charging stations in Denmark, Australia, Hawaii – and Israel. It’s owner was named to Time magazine’s list of Environmental Heroes. But he is Israeli so his company makes the list.
What can we do?
Build Bridges. Most Americans understand that such campaigns will not change governmental or corporate policies. Reach out to them – in their churches, civic groups, where you work, and in your neighborhood. The people calling for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions are at the margins of public debate. Their goal is to poison the well here at home. Don’t let them.
Make the Case. Israel is the national homeland of the Jewish people. It seeks to live in peace and security. BDS is a tactic aimed to delegitimize Israel. None of the groups in support of BDS support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
Promote Peace. Call on churches and others being roped into the BDS drama to seek something better. Israelis and Palestinians deserve peace. Two peoples. Two states. Living side-by-side. Their peace will come when the parties are confident.
Foster Reconciliation. There are many organizations working tirelessly to bring Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Christians and Muslims together. They deserve our support. Balanced travel experiences demonstrate the complexity of the conflict and the need for peacemakers, not bomb-throwers, rhetorical or otherwise.
Stay Civil. Avoid shouting and name calling. As tempting as it might be to call for a boycott of companies owned by Sabeel’s supporters, we need to reject ineffective and partisan virtual warfare. We are not the parties to the conflict. A zero-sum, scorched earth approach that thrives on division helps no one.
Buycott instead of Boycott. A few mudmasks and an extra container of hummus can’t hurt.
Get involved. Thankfully, the alarm has gone off and friends of Israeli-Palestinian peace are pushing back. The Israel Action Network, a partnership of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs will mobilize Jewish federations, agencies, and JCRCs across North America to respond effectively to the assault on Israel's legitimacy. Get up. Get trained. And go to work.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Beware the BDS Movement
The growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel is gaining widespread legitimacy and support among peace activists and trade unionists. But this video reveals the true motivation behind the organizers of the movement. Please click here to view the video and forward this message widely.
Friday, April 30, 2010
BUYcott Victory at Mountain Equipment Co-op
Supporters of Mountain Equipment Co-op’s (MEC) ethical sourcing policy and friends of Israel were pleased with the results of the recent MEC elections, released Thursday night. Canada-Israel Committee, with the support of Canadian Jewish Congress – Pacific Region and Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, called on MEC members to vote “yes” on five special resolutions that safeguard the co-op’s constitution against abuse from single-issue political activists.
“Mountain Equipment Co-op members must be commended for passing these five resolutions. These measures will prevent groups that seek to misuse MEC’s organizational structure to make controversial and divisive political statements from doing so,” stated Dr. Michael Elterman, Chair of the Canada-Israel Committee Pacific Region.
Over the last 12 months, Canada’s pro-Israel community has mobilized in defense of MEC’s ethical sourcing policy. Combined with the support of MEC members, this resulted in the rejection of a boycott proposal at last year’s AGM. The boycott effort ended up backfiring on its proponents, with MEC sales of Israeli products actually increasing by some 2000% in a single day last November, following a demonstration of solidarity by the Jewish community and MEC members.
“Mountain Equipment Co-op members must be commended for passing these five resolutions. These measures will prevent groups that seek to misuse MEC’s organizational structure to make controversial and divisive political statements from doing so,” stated Dr. Michael Elterman, Chair of the Canada-Israel Committee Pacific Region.
Over the last 12 months, Canada’s pro-Israel community has mobilized in defense of MEC’s ethical sourcing policy. Combined with the support of MEC members, this resulted in the rejection of a boycott proposal at last year’s AGM. The boycott effort ended up backfiring on its proponents, with MEC sales of Israeli products actually increasing by some 2000% in a single day last November, following a demonstration of solidarity by the Jewish community and MEC members.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
A Passover Message from Jewish Agency Chair, Natan Sharansky
Dear Friends,
In only a few days, we gather again around the Seder table and remind ourselves and most importantly our children, about that unique moment in the history of our people and humanity. That moment, when we simultaneously discovered our identity as a people, our freedom and our mission in this world, Tikkun olam.
A few days after Pesach, we observe Holocaust Memorial Day, Yom Hashoah. On this day, thousands of young Jews from around the world will gather at Auschwitz to participate in The March of Living. This year, as the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, I will have the privilege of leading this march.
The connecting thread between these two events, which appear at first glance to be dissimilar, is the imperative to remember. In both cases, we make a big effort to make sure that the knowledge and memory of these events will stay with the next generations of Jews.
My own life, as the life of many Soviet Jews of my generation, proves that these events can be fully erased from our collective memory. Growing up as an assimilated Jew in the Soviet Union, I knew nothing about our Jewish history, holidays and traditions, or even about the horrors of the Holocaust that occurred but a few years prior to my birth in the very place where I grew up. The relentless dictatorial Communist regime did everything it could to erase our collective memory as a nation, knowing only too well that this was the surest way to turn us into little cogs in the machinery of the Soviet regime.
It was only when we reconnected once again to our Jewish roots and history that we found the courage to challenge the Soviet regime. I vividly remember my first Seder in Moscow in 1973, how I and my fellow refuseniks and Aliyah activists struggled with the Hebrew text of the Haggadah. But each time we came to the words, "This year we are slaves, next year may we be free men"; or "In every generation enemies rise up against us seeking to destroy us" or Next Year in Jerusalem, we needed no translation. We felt that we were, in fact, reliving that Biblical exodus and like way back then, we are rediscovering the power of identity, the power of freedom, and the power of our grand mission--Tikkun olam.
Tyrannical regimes, however, are not the only threat to our collective memory. In today's Global Village when the bonds connecting many of us to our faith and to each other are weakening and when Israel finds itself under constant attack, many young Jews are becoming disconnected from their Jewish identity, their Jewish roots and from the State of Israel.
From the very beginning of its founding, the Jewish Agency had the unique mission of unifying the Jewish People in support of the Jewish state and in the historic process of the ingathering of exiles. Today, in order to continue this mission, we must do our best to bring every Jew to the "Seder table" and to let him or her experience that unique pride and belonging to our unique history, heritage and destiny. This is the crucial and imposing challenge before us -- a challenge summoning us --all of us-- to action.
Together, we can successfully meet this challenge.
Chag kasher v"sameach to you and your family.
Sincerely,
Natan
In only a few days, we gather again around the Seder table and remind ourselves and most importantly our children, about that unique moment in the history of our people and humanity. That moment, when we simultaneously discovered our identity as a people, our freedom and our mission in this world, Tikkun olam.
A few days after Pesach, we observe Holocaust Memorial Day, Yom Hashoah. On this day, thousands of young Jews from around the world will gather at Auschwitz to participate in The March of Living. This year, as the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, I will have the privilege of leading this march.
The connecting thread between these two events, which appear at first glance to be dissimilar, is the imperative to remember. In both cases, we make a big effort to make sure that the knowledge and memory of these events will stay with the next generations of Jews.
My own life, as the life of many Soviet Jews of my generation, proves that these events can be fully erased from our collective memory. Growing up as an assimilated Jew in the Soviet Union, I knew nothing about our Jewish history, holidays and traditions, or even about the horrors of the Holocaust that occurred but a few years prior to my birth in the very place where I grew up. The relentless dictatorial Communist regime did everything it could to erase our collective memory as a nation, knowing only too well that this was the surest way to turn us into little cogs in the machinery of the Soviet regime.
It was only when we reconnected once again to our Jewish roots and history that we found the courage to challenge the Soviet regime. I vividly remember my first Seder in Moscow in 1973, how I and my fellow refuseniks and Aliyah activists struggled with the Hebrew text of the Haggadah. But each time we came to the words, "This year we are slaves, next year may we be free men"; or "In every generation enemies rise up against us seeking to destroy us" or Next Year in Jerusalem, we needed no translation. We felt that we were, in fact, reliving that Biblical exodus and like way back then, we are rediscovering the power of identity, the power of freedom, and the power of our grand mission--Tikkun olam.
Tyrannical regimes, however, are not the only threat to our collective memory. In today's Global Village when the bonds connecting many of us to our faith and to each other are weakening and when Israel finds itself under constant attack, many young Jews are becoming disconnected from their Jewish identity, their Jewish roots and from the State of Israel.
From the very beginning of its founding, the Jewish Agency had the unique mission of unifying the Jewish People in support of the Jewish state and in the historic process of the ingathering of exiles. Today, in order to continue this mission, we must do our best to bring every Jew to the "Seder table" and to let him or her experience that unique pride and belonging to our unique history, heritage and destiny. This is the crucial and imposing challenge before us -- a challenge summoning us --all of us-- to action.
Together, we can successfully meet this challenge.
Chag kasher v"sameach to you and your family.
Sincerely,
Natan
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The dark side of a yearly ritual
We are pleased to share with you this op-ed in Thursday''s Ottawa Citizen by Leonard Stern.
Beginning Monday, university campuses play host to an annual event known as Israeli Apartheid Week, where Israel is assigned the role of Jew among the nations — singled-out, cursed and harassed.
Some Jewish students at Carleton and the University of Ottawa will discreetly choose to stay home, to avoid having to answer for the Jewish state. The whiff of something medieval hangs over this March ritual.
This isn’t about Jews, say the organizers. It’s about Zionists. Problem is, the activist groups behind Israeli Apartheid Week are doing everything to erase the distinction. Read more.
On a more upbeat note, following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, the Joint Distribution Committee swiftly coordinated relief efforts with its network of Israeli, North American, and local Haitian partners on the ground. Click here to view an inspiring video that highlights JDC's work in Haiti.
Beginning Monday, university campuses play host to an annual event known as Israeli Apartheid Week, where Israel is assigned the role of Jew among the nations — singled-out, cursed and harassed.
Some Jewish students at Carleton and the University of Ottawa will discreetly choose to stay home, to avoid having to answer for the Jewish state. The whiff of something medieval hangs over this March ritual.
This isn’t about Jews, say the organizers. It’s about Zionists. Problem is, the activist groups behind Israeli Apartheid Week are doing everything to erase the distinction. Read more.
On a more upbeat note, following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, the Joint Distribution Committee swiftly coordinated relief efforts with its network of Israeli, North American, and local Haitian partners on the ground. Click here to view an inspiring video that highlights JDC's work in Haiti.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Where your Haiti relief dollars go: A report from the JDC, our partner in Haiti
It is hard to believe that more than three weeks have passed since Haiti was devastated by what is now being called the worst natural disaster of the century. For those fortunate enough to survive, the catastrophe is still unfolding. More than one million people are homeless. Water is scarce; medical teams and supplies are in short supply.
.
Here is the latest news on the Joint Distribution Committee's (JDC) ongoing relief efforts:
JDC has embarked on a partnership with local Haitian NGO ProDev Foundation to place 115 water tanks in Port-au-Prince that will provide clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands of quake victims living in tent villages. JDC is also funding several water supply projects through the International Rescue Committee to provide sources of clean, potable water in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding community.
To view a full summary of JDC’s current relief efforts in Haiti, visit the Crisis Response page of our global website and view a photo slideshow of our work in Port-au-Prince.
To donate to Haiti relief through UJA of Hamilton, click here.
.
Here is the latest news on the Joint Distribution Committee's (JDC) ongoing relief efforts:
JDC has embarked on a partnership with local Haitian NGO ProDev Foundation to place 115 water tanks in Port-au-Prince that will provide clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands of quake victims living in tent villages. JDC is also funding several water supply projects through the International Rescue Committee to provide sources of clean, potable water in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding community.
To view a full summary of JDC’s current relief efforts in Haiti, visit the Crisis Response page of our global website and view a photo slideshow of our work in Port-au-Prince.
To donate to Haiti relief through UJA of Hamilton, click here.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Israel Experience Scholarships Available
Financial support is available to Hamilton/Burlington/Oakville area students intending to participate in extended programs in Israel in 2010. The Ralph Travis Israel Experience Scholarship Fund was created to honor the life, generosity and memory of Ralph Travis; a community member who was truly devoted to Israel and to strengthening Jewish identity in our community’s children.
The scholarship is awarded as an entitlement to Jewish students from the Hamilton/Burlington/Oakville area, sixteen years or older, enrolling in recognized Israel Experience programs. Applications for other education programs in Israel may be considered on an individual basis.
The scholarship may have a value of up to $500 per student, depending on the number of applications and availability of funds. Participating families are expected to be in good standing with United Jewish Appeal.
For information regarding recognized Israel Experience Programs, please go to www.canadaisraelexperience.com.
Applications available at 905-648-0605,ext 306 or can be downloaded here. Application deadline for summer 2010 programs is April 30th.
The scholarship is awarded as an entitlement to Jewish students from the Hamilton/Burlington/Oakville area, sixteen years or older, enrolling in recognized Israel Experience programs. Applications for other education programs in Israel may be considered on an individual basis.
The scholarship may have a value of up to $500 per student, depending on the number of applications and availability of funds. Participating families are expected to be in good standing with United Jewish Appeal.
For information regarding recognized Israel Experience Programs, please go to www.canadaisraelexperience.com.
Applications available at 905-648-0605,ext 306 or can be downloaded here. Application deadline for summer 2010 programs is April 30th.
Friday, January 22, 2010
A Community's Response to the Crisis in Haiti
The Canadian Jewish community is playing an important role in Haiti relief efforts. Our people have a long history of aiding those in need and this situation is no different. Every single one of our Canadian federations and regional communities have been actively supporting this cause. To date, Canadian Jewish Federations have collected over $900,000 and that amount keeps growing steadily.
The funds collected are being chanelled to several international partners who are active on the ground in Haiti. In particular, IsraAID and the JDC, international organizations with whom we work on an ongoing basis, are playing a very active and instrumental role in the relief effort.
If you have already contributed, thank you. If you have yet to make your contribution, we encourage you to consider helping out, in any way that feels right for you. The need for help will endure longer than the immediacy of the event itself. Please click here to make a secure contribution on-line.
May we continue to serve a a light unto the nations.
The funds collected are being chanelled to several international partners who are active on the ground in Haiti. In particular, IsraAID and the JDC, international organizations with whom we work on an ongoing basis, are playing a very active and instrumental role in the relief effort.
If you have already contributed, thank you. If you have yet to make your contribution, we encourage you to consider helping out, in any way that feels right for you. The need for help will endure longer than the immediacy of the event itself. Please click here to make a secure contribution on-line.
May we continue to serve a a light unto the nations.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Haiti Earthquake Update
This report comes to you from the Joint Distribution Committee, one of the two organizations providing relief in Haiti with your UJA dollars
Millions of lives—and the future of a nation—are still in jeopardy.
One week after a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti, global relief efforts are battling the clock and multiple aftershocks to meet the vast humanitarian needs of the Haitian people. The good news is that JDC and its partners on the ground are reaching victims every hour with critical medical, nutritional, and material relief.
Supporters of JDC are directly responsible for this progress to date:
As of January 20, JDC has received more than 8,000 individual gifts—exceeding $1.5 million—for Haiti relief. An additional $2 million has been raised for JDC Haiti relief by the Jewish Federations of North America.
Within days of the disaster, JDC-supported relief agency Heart to Heart International and its team of doctors and nurses were on the ground providing critical medical aid first in Port-au-Prince and later in Leogane, an isolated town where little other assistance has reached.
The Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces, another JDC partner, is operating a field hospital in Port-au-Prince that is saving lives and administering vital medical care. JDC helped equip the hospital with high-demand orthopedic devices and infant incubators for its neonatal unit. This effort has been widely reported in the news, including on CNN, FoxNews, and Israel's Channel 2
Working in collaboration with the Afya Foundation, JDC sent a container of mattresses and much-needed medical supplies to Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health, a renowned local NGO. A second container is being shipped on Friday and a third will follow.
JDC's work and impact will be felt long after images of the devastation disappear from the news. As with the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, JDC will reserve a large portion of funds raised for Haiti relief for intermediate and long-term rebuilding and reconstruction programs. The goal is to effect sustainable improvements in health, education, and employment throughout the island nation.
Millions of lives—and the future of a nation—are still in jeopardy.
One week after a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti, global relief efforts are battling the clock and multiple aftershocks to meet the vast humanitarian needs of the Haitian people. The good news is that JDC and its partners on the ground are reaching victims every hour with critical medical, nutritional, and material relief.
Supporters of JDC are directly responsible for this progress to date:
As of January 20, JDC has received more than 8,000 individual gifts—exceeding $1.5 million—for Haiti relief. An additional $2 million has been raised for JDC Haiti relief by the Jewish Federations of North America.
Within days of the disaster, JDC-supported relief agency Heart to Heart International and its team of doctors and nurses were on the ground providing critical medical aid first in Port-au-Prince and later in Leogane, an isolated town where little other assistance has reached.
The Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces, another JDC partner, is operating a field hospital in Port-au-Prince that is saving lives and administering vital medical care. JDC helped equip the hospital with high-demand orthopedic devices and infant incubators for its neonatal unit. This effort has been widely reported in the news, including on CNN, FoxNews, and Israel's Channel 2
Working in collaboration with the Afya Foundation, JDC sent a container of mattresses and much-needed medical supplies to Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health, a renowned local NGO. A second container is being shipped on Friday and a third will follow.
JDC's work and impact will be felt long after images of the devastation disappear from the news. As with the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, JDC will reserve a large portion of funds raised for Haiti relief for intermediate and long-term rebuilding and reconstruction programs. The goal is to effect sustainable improvements in health, education, and employment throughout the island nation.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Israeli IDF Hospital in Haiti
CBS TV features an Israeli IDF Field Hospital in Haiti which they call the "Rolls Royce" of Medicine in Haiti.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Hamilton Jewish Community opens its heart to Haiti
Thanks to our community's generosity, UJA has now raised over $5000 towards disaster relief in Haiti!
Donations to United Jewish Appeal's Haiti Disaster Relief Fund can be made by clicking on this link or by calling 905-648-0605, ext 306.
100% of the funds raised by UJA Federation of Hamilton are being directed to the Joint Distribution Committee and IsraAid. Donations to United Jewish Appeal's Haiti Disaster Relief Fund are eligible to be matched by the Canadian government. Matching dollars will be allocated to Canada's Haiti Earthquake Relief Fun.
Donations to United Jewish Appeal's Haiti Disaster Relief Fund can be made by clicking on this link or by calling 905-648-0605, ext 306.
100% of the funds raised by UJA Federation of Hamilton are being directed to the Joint Distribution Committee and IsraAid. Donations to United Jewish Appeal's Haiti Disaster Relief Fund are eligible to be matched by the Canadian government. Matching dollars will be allocated to Canada's Haiti Earthquake Relief Fun.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
UJA Federation opens Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
On Tuesday, January 12, a powerful earthquake battered the Caribbean nation of Haiti, devastating the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Thousands are feared dead from the immediate impact, with thousands more injured and an estimated 3 million Haitians may face hardship in the aftermath.
As the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Haiti is simply not prepared to handle such a catastrophe and the Caribbean nation is appealing for international aid.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, UJA Federation of Hamilton has opened a Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund to aid the people in Haiti who are in desperate need. To donate please click here.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Canada Israel Committee Parliamentary Internship Program
Description
The Canada-Israel Committee Parliamentary Internship Program is an annual competition for university graduates who have an interest in governmental affairs. The program provides Members of Parliament with highly qualified assistants, and gives university graduates an opportunity to supplement their theoretical knowledge of Parliament with practical experience of the day-to-day work of the Members. In the longer term, graduates of the program are better able to make a significant contribution to Canadian public life. Intern responsibilities include working with Members of the House of Commons in a variety of areas, including parliamentary committees, correspondence, and constituency duties. There are 10 positions available per year. Duration is approximately nine months - fall to spring. Compensation is $12,000.
Requirements
To be eligible you must be a Canadian citizen, have a recent university degree, and an interest in Parliament. This internship is open to graduates of multiple disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities, and law.
Contact
Noah Shack Government Relations Research Associate Phone: (613) 234-8271 E-mail: noahshack@cicweb.ca
Deadline for applications is March 1, 2010.
To apply, download an application form.
The Canada-Israel Committee Parliamentary Internship Program is an annual competition for university graduates who have an interest in governmental affairs. The program provides Members of Parliament with highly qualified assistants, and gives university graduates an opportunity to supplement their theoretical knowledge of Parliament with practical experience of the day-to-day work of the Members. In the longer term, graduates of the program are better able to make a significant contribution to Canadian public life. Intern responsibilities include working with Members of the House of Commons in a variety of areas, including parliamentary committees, correspondence, and constituency duties. There are 10 positions available per year. Duration is approximately nine months - fall to spring. Compensation is $12,000.
Requirements
To be eligible you must be a Canadian citizen, have a recent university degree, and an interest in Parliament. This internship is open to graduates of multiple disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities, and law.
Contact
Noah Shack Government Relations Research Associate Phone: (613) 234-8271 E-mail: noahshack@cicweb.ca
Deadline for applications is March 1, 2010.
To apply, download an application form.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Miep Gies, Protector of Anne Frank, Dies
Miep Gies, the last survivor among Anne Frank’s protectors and the woman who preserved the diary that endures as a testament to the human spirit in the face of unfathomable evil, died Monday night, the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam said. She was 100.
“I am not a hero,” Mrs. Gies wrote in her memoir, “Anne Frank Remembered,” published in 1987. “I stand at the end of the long, long line of good Dutch people who did what I did and more — much more — during those dark and terrible times years ago, but always like yesterday in the heart of those of us who bear witness.”
read more
Friday, January 8, 2010
Welcome to Israel
In a Jerusalem Post Editorial, David Horovitz comments on the recent positive press given to Israel in the wake of the failed Christmas Day bombing. Read on:
Surely, there's been an oversight. Check the list again. Are you certain that Israel's not on it?
In the wake of the failed Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit, Britain, America and numerous other countries have recognized an escalated threat of terror in the skies, and have begun radically intensifying their efforts to prevent their citizens being blown up during international air travel.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pushed forward the introduction of sophisticated full-body scanners at British airports. The Netherlands and Canada are following suit. And the United States has introduced enhanced screening procedures for everybody traveling from or through states that sponsor terrorism or are otherwise considered a particular risk, with the list of offenders comprising Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
But where is Israel on that register of states? Why aren't our nationals being given the extra-stringent treatment?
Don't be ridiculous, you say. Everybody knows that the Israelis don't go around blowing up airplanes. Everybody knows that the Israelis work assiduously to prevent terrorism, not to carry it out. Everybody knows that Israelis are a responsible people, a people who can demonstrably be trusted even with nuclear weapons, a people who love life, a people who try to avoid killing civilians even as they protect themselves from constant attack.
Continued...
Surely, there's been an oversight. Check the list again. Are you certain that Israel's not on it?
In the wake of the failed Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit, Britain, America and numerous other countries have recognized an escalated threat of terror in the skies, and have begun radically intensifying their efforts to prevent their citizens being blown up during international air travel.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pushed forward the introduction of sophisticated full-body scanners at British airports. The Netherlands and Canada are following suit. And the United States has introduced enhanced screening procedures for everybody traveling from or through states that sponsor terrorism or are otherwise considered a particular risk, with the list of offenders comprising Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
But where is Israel on that register of states? Why aren't our nationals being given the extra-stringent treatment?
Don't be ridiculous, you say. Everybody knows that the Israelis don't go around blowing up airplanes. Everybody knows that the Israelis work assiduously to prevent terrorism, not to carry it out. Everybody knows that Israelis are a responsible people, a people who can demonstrably be trusted even with nuclear weapons, a people who love life, a people who try to avoid killing civilians even as they protect themselves from constant attack.
Continued...
Israel Takes the Lead in World’s Water Technologies
Out of necessity, Israel has been at the forefront of innovative water technologies since its founding. Now the country is sharing this vital expertise with the world, including the province of Manitoba, which is co-hosting the Second Annual Manitoba-Israel Water Symposium, taking place in Jerusalem beginning on Jan. 10.
The video below, from Israel21c.com, will introduce you to some of the leading Israeli water tech companies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)