Israel's Cabinet approves 10-month West Bank settlement freeze
Latest Update: 11.25.09, Ynetnews.com excerpt
Prior to the vote Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said a settlement construction freeze "allows us to present the world with a simple truth: the Israeli government wants to enter negotiations with the Palestinians, is taking practical steps in order to do so, and is very serious in its intentions of promoting peace."
Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) said after the vote, "It’s an important and historic decision, one of the most important decisions this government has made. The decision would leave the Palestinians with only one choice – join the political negotiations. They have no reason to stall anymore."
Netanyahu earlier floated the idea of suspending construction in existing settlements. Wednesday's offer was the first time he has given a firm timeline for how long he is willing to stop the building.
Netanyahu stressed that the settlement freeze would not be implemented in east Jerusalem. "We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," the prime minister said.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
FBI: hate crimes based on religion target Jews 2/3 of the time
The FBI released its hate crimes statistics for 2008. Complete FBI stats are here.
Incidents based on religion increased 9% in 2008
There were 1,606 hate crime offenses motivated by religious bias in 2008. A breakdown of these offenses shows:
* 65.7 percent were anti-Jewish.
* 13.2 percent were anti-other religion.
* 7.7 percent were anti-Islamic.
* 4.7 percent were anti-Catholic.
* 4.2 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
* 3.7 percent were anti-Protestant.
* 0.9 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc. (Based on Table 1.)
Incidents based on religion increased 9% in 2008
There were 1,606 hate crime offenses motivated by religious bias in 2008. A breakdown of these offenses shows:
* 65.7 percent were anti-Jewish.
* 13.2 percent were anti-other religion.
* 7.7 percent were anti-Islamic.
* 4.7 percent were anti-Catholic.
* 4.2 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
* 3.7 percent were anti-Protestant.
* 0.9 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc. (Based on Table 1.)
Monday, November 23, 2009
The (deepening) problem with Palestinian textbooks
Making Israel Disappear - Vincent Carroll (Denver Post)
* "In the world inhabited by Palestinian children there is no Israel," says Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch (palwatch.org) in Jerusalem.
* The anti-Israeli content of Palestinian textbooks has been a longstanding concern for anyone who yearns for a permanent political settlement, but surely those books have improved since Yasser Arafat's death in 2004. Not really, says Marcus. If anything, he says, they devote more space than ever to depicting conflict with Israel as a solemn religious duty aimed at liberating a Muslim land.
* Remember, we're talking about textbooks chosen by the Palestinian government led by the allegedly moderate Mahmoud Abbas, not the overtly jihadist Hamas. The PA media are full of similar Islamist references that offer no room for compromise, and that honor terrorists and suicide bombers as national heroes.
* No less ominous is what Marcus describes as the PA's "infrastructure of hate," the relentless depiction of Jews as evil - as conspirators spreading AIDS, for example, or undermining the foundations of the Al-Aqsa mosque.
* Naturally, Jews poisoned Yasser Arafat, too - or at least that is what children are told. In a TV tribute to Arafat earlier this month, one youngster unconsciously presented the essence of this paranoid vision: "He died from poisoning by the Jews. Well, I don't know what he died from, but I know it was by the Jews."
As covered in the Daily Alert Nov. 23, 2009
* "In the world inhabited by Palestinian children there is no Israel," says Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch (palwatch.org) in Jerusalem.
* The anti-Israeli content of Palestinian textbooks has been a longstanding concern for anyone who yearns for a permanent political settlement, but surely those books have improved since Yasser Arafat's death in 2004. Not really, says Marcus. If anything, he says, they devote more space than ever to depicting conflict with Israel as a solemn religious duty aimed at liberating a Muslim land.
* Remember, we're talking about textbooks chosen by the Palestinian government led by the allegedly moderate Mahmoud Abbas, not the overtly jihadist Hamas. The PA media are full of similar Islamist references that offer no room for compromise, and that honor terrorists and suicide bombers as national heroes.
* No less ominous is what Marcus describes as the PA's "infrastructure of hate," the relentless depiction of Jews as evil - as conspirators spreading AIDS, for example, or undermining the foundations of the Al-Aqsa mosque.
* Naturally, Jews poisoned Yasser Arafat, too - or at least that is what children are told. In a TV tribute to Arafat earlier this month, one youngster unconsciously presented the essence of this paranoid vision: "He died from poisoning by the Jews. Well, I don't know what he died from, but I know it was by the Jews."
As covered in the Daily Alert Nov. 23, 2009
White House Appoints Envoy on Antisemitism
Published November 23, 2009. Forward.com
The former head of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs was appointed the U.S. State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism.
Hannah Rosenthal led the JCPA for five years and most recently was the vice president of community relations at the not-for-profit WPS Health Insurance Company.
The post has been vacant since Gregg Rickman left at the end of the Bush administration.
The State Department in a Nov. 20 statement noted ” a growing trend of anti-Semitic hate crimes and discrimination around the world.”
“As Special Envoy, Hannah will lead our efforts to focus our diplomatic energies on challenging these deplorable acts,” the statement said. “As special envoy, she also will work with governments and civil society organizations across the globe to promote tolerance.”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A reformer of Islam, Dr. Tawfik Hamid advises: "Don't let your country surrender to terrorism."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2wvqDfitLY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2wvqDfitLY
Livni: Gilo is part of Jerusalem municipality
Livni to French FM: Gilo Israeli consensus
France condemns construction in Jerusalem neighborhood; Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni tells France's Kouchner there's no debate in Israel over status of Gilo, 'this understanding is important for talks about permanent borders'
Attila Somfalvi
Published: 11.18.09, 13:09 / Israel News
France is joining the US's position on construction in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Wednesday condemned Israel's decision to authorize the construction of 900 housing units in the neighborhood and urged Israel to hold "face to face" talks with the Palestinians.
Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni met with Kouchner in Jerusalem on Wednesday and told him that "there is Israeli consensus on the neighborhood of Gilo. Beyond dealing with the immediate issue, this understanding is important for all discussions about permanent borders."
Livni: Step up sanctions on Iran now.
On the Iranian issue Livni said a deadline for talks should be set: "It's time for harsh sanctions against Iran. Dialogue should also be within a timeframe."
France condemns construction in Jerusalem neighborhood; Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni tells France's Kouchner there's no debate in Israel over status of Gilo, 'this understanding is important for talks about permanent borders'
Attila Somfalvi
Published: 11.18.09, 13:09 / Israel News
France is joining the US's position on construction in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Wednesday condemned Israel's decision to authorize the construction of 900 housing units in the neighborhood and urged Israel to hold "face to face" talks with the Palestinians.
Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni met with Kouchner in Jerusalem on Wednesday and told him that "there is Israeli consensus on the neighborhood of Gilo. Beyond dealing with the immediate issue, this understanding is important for all discussions about permanent borders."
Livni: Step up sanctions on Iran now.
On the Iranian issue Livni said a deadline for talks should be set: "It's time for harsh sanctions against Iran. Dialogue should also be within a timeframe."
Isral tourism hits all-time high
ISRAEL TOURISM HITS ALL-TIME HIGH IN OCTOBER 2009
| New York - November 18, 2009: Tourism to Israel hit an all-time high of 333,000 travelers in the month of October, a 9% increase from the same period last year, which was the previous record-high for travel to Israel. Also, Israel saw a 20% increase in cruise travel with 23,500 tourists arriving on cruise ships, and a 6% increase in the number of tourists who visited Israel and stayed for a minimum of one night compared with October 2008. "We are thrilled to see such a large increase in travelers to Israel in October 2009 during this important tourist time," says Arie Sommer, Commissioner of Tourism, North and South America. "And we are encouraged by signs that the trend will continue throughout the December holiday season, bringing us a robust end to 2009." A total of 1,068,121 travelers passed through Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv this October, a 1.5% increase compared to the same period last year. For more information about travel to Israel, visit www.goisrael.com. |
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