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Nazi’s Infiltrated the Vatican

16-Mar-10

Nazi Soldiers British intelligence, on Monday, revealed that during World War II, Nazi Germany planned to infiltrate the Catholic Church, with the use of spies dressed up as monks. A Nazi sympathizer residing in Rome formulated the plan in 1943 and had won the support of the Third Reich. Senior Nazi officials saw it as a way to follow the Allied Forces on their way to conquer Italy.

Operation Georgian Convent consisted of the purchase of a building in Rome by Michael Kedia, a Russian anti-communist Nazi sympathizer from Georgia.
The plan (involved the)…”set up of a Georgian cloister in Rome under Vatican protection and among the monks introduce agents who were to keep contact with German intelligence,” the MI5 report says.

The operation was thwarted by Giuseppe Dosi, an Italian policeman who was acting as an informant to the British intelligence service. Dosi wrote to agents in London that the Nazis planned to set up two rooms “for the use of the agents for storage of transmitters, batteries and any other secret material.”

The Nazis believed that dressing up the spies as monks would be the perfect cover due to the Vatican’s neutrality during the war. Vatican officials became suspicious because of the agents’ ignorance of Catholic doctrine and observed interest in women. Later the Vatican received confirmation of their suspicions by an anonymous warning sent by British intelligence. The agents were subsequently sent back to Germany and the Vatican complained to Berlin’s ambassador.

The operation was the second to be revealed by the MI5 after when last week it disclosed that the Nazis also planned to infiltrate the Boy Scouts in order to gain the support of its founder.

Filed in In the news
Tagged Business, Holocaust, Third Reich, Vatican, World War II
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Fear and Loathing in Oslo

15-Mar-10

Oslo, Norway Jews in Oslo were taken aback over the weekend when the leader of the local Jewish Community, Anne Sander criticized haredi Judaism, the Chabad movement, the settlements and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The remarks came in an interview with the Dagbladet newspaper, on the milieu of the situation between Jews and Muslims in Norway.

Only 1,100 Jews live in Norway today, most of them in Oslo. They live alongside more than 70,000 Muslims. Anti-Semitic incidents from the past few years include harsh statements made by Norwegian comedian Otto Jespersen, a plan by local Muslims to murder the Israeli ambassador and gun shots fired at an Oslo synagogue.

The journalist who interviewed Sander has in the past compared former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with Nazi leader Hermann Göring. The interview began with a poetic description of “the Israeli war machine”.
Sander said:

“Both sides are right. It’s something that we must learn to live with, accept the fact that we disagree…There is a radical polarization in the Jewish world today…You have the liberals, and on the other side you have the ultra-Orthodox – which look as if they may become dominant. We don’t like it. What’s happening is very dangerous. This is Judaism from the inside like in all other religions. Extremism exists everywhere, among us as well.”

She also shed a negative light on the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in her country, which seeks to spread kabbalistic and Chassidic Judaism, as well as the practice of basic mitzvoth, to non-practicing Jews around the world:

“The ultra-Orthodox movement, Chabad-Lubavitch, has been in Oslo for four years. It represents a more distant side in religion than we are able to accept.”

She said that the movement’s values “are completely different than the average. It’s a movement which mixes religion and politics and has an anti-democratic structure.”

Sander mentioned that the movement supports a Greater Israel:

“from Egypt in the West to ancient Babylon in the east, between today’s Iraq and Iran. We are busy with democracy, with volunteering and with being socially responsible, and this conduct is completely destructive towards the environment, and as I said – very dangerous.”

Sander explained that people in Norway were wrong when comparing the country’s Jews to Israelis on all matters:

“Naturally, we have a lot of cooperation on cultural exchanges and similar things, but I don’t engage in politics. That’s the embassy’s responsibility.”

On the topic of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, she said:

“I think he has bad advisors, he received false information, he knew only half of the story, he responds emotionally and he talks with his local audience. No one can hit people in the head and call them anti-Semites just because they criticize what the State of Israel does, even if anti-Semitism is hidden undoubtedly in some of the criticism against Israel.”

She said that Jews benefit from West Bank settlements, like Palestinians benefit from suicide bombings:

“When it comes to settlements, I just can’t understand it. It’s completely incomprehensible to me, completely incomprehensible. It’s supposed to be in Israel’s favor. This is not the situation, like suicide bombings for the Palestinian side.”

Rabbi Shaul Wilhelm, who manages the Chabad House in Oslo, told Ynet that Sander’s remarks put the city’s Jews in danger:

“She is simply putting the security of Jews living here in risk. Such statements are a type of incitement. We have been feeling very uncomfortable since the article was published, and so far no one has taken these remarks back…”

The remark about Chabad, said Wilhelm:

“is not true and it’s particularly dangerous when it is said by a central Jewish public figure. Comparing Jews to radical Islam in a country with some 100,000 Muslims is terrible, especially when there is not a lot of sympathy for Jews and Israel in the media.”

Another Jewish resident of Oslo claimed an objection as well:

“There is no problem with Chabad. They are working for the sake of the community like in any other place. I view this as an internal and dangerous political dispute.”

Eric Argaman, a 30-year-old Israeli who has studied in Norway and lives in Oslo, said:

“It’s a product of internal hatred. What’s Chabad got to do with it? It’s an apolitical body. We are working here to prevent anti-Semitism and a person comes along and destroys it. It’s not easy being a Jew here as it is. She did injustice to everyone…Some guys working in security at the Jewish center have resigned. In Israel she wouldn’t have stayed in office. It’s enough that people are looking for reasons to hate the Jews here.”

Filed in In the news, Jewish Life
Tagged anti-Semitism, Chabad, Jewish-Arab Relations, Norway, Oslo
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Plausible Political Victory for a Dutch Jew

15-Mar-10

Mazel Tov to Job Cohen, the Mayor of Amsterdam. He is the likely candidate to be the Dutch prime minister in their upcoming elections. Mr. Cohen announced that he will be running for the office of Labor Party chairman after its current leader, Wouter Bos, announced that he would resign his post.

News agencies in Holland reported that Cohen had more than 50% of votes, giving him a substantial advantage over his two opponents, Christian Democrat leader and leaving Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, and far-right PVV leader Geert Wilders.

A poll conducted by Maurice de Hond sees that Cohen has 55% of votes, Balkenende 25%, and Wilders 17%.

Another poll of 16,000 people by TV show EenVandaag showed 52% of voters would prefer Cohen as prime minister, compared with the 17% and 15% for Balkenende and Wilders, respectively.

Wouter Bos submitted his resignation over the controversy surrounding his placement of Dutch forces in Afghanistan. He says that he is leaving politics to devote more time to his family.

The two polls show a percentage of backing for the three candidates, not support for their parties, but a win for Cohen is expected to see more votes for the floundering Labor Party and shift public backing from Wilders’ far-right party.

Cohen, who is known for his inter-culture politics, helped relieve tensions in Amsterdam in 2004 after the assassination of the anti-Muslim filmmaker Theo Van-Gogh. The mayor met with Muslim leaders and quelled threats of rioting, following his death.

Should he win, Job Cohen will not be wearing a kippa at the inauguration ceremony – he is a “non-practicing Jew.”

Filed in In the news, People, Political Crap
Tagged Amsterdam, Holland, political party, Politics, Prime Minister
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International Temple Mount Awareness Day

15-Mar-10

Israeli law prides itself on two cardinal principles of democracy: freedom of access to places of worship, and the freedom of worship to practitioners of all religions.

Israeli government has always cited the Jewish Country’s unflinching assurance of the freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians in the city of Jerusalem. This fact is vitally presented in its case to maintain Jerusalem as a united city under Israeli sovereignty.

The irony is this: in the heart of Jerusalem lies a piece of real estate which has been granted de facto some sort of extra-legal, extraterritorial status, a sort-of “wild West” where the rule of law does not exist and the most basic and inalienable democratic rights are not honored. That is the Temple Mount.

The facts are as such: The Muslim Waqf, controlled by the Palestinian Authority, has been granted absolute say over the administration of the Temple Mount. Illegal destruction of archaeological findings from the first and second Temples takes place on a daily basis, and so does illegal construction. The Waqf’s unambiguous aim of this policy is the transformation of the entire Temple Mount plateau into one massive Mosque, thereby achieving exclusivity to the site for Muslims.

No less pernicious is the manner in which non-Muslims are treated both atop the Mount and upon approaching it. The discriminatory policy is enforced by the Israeli police, go figure. Non-Muslims are simply not allowed to carry with them a Bible or prayer book and are not even allowed to pray. Jews who ascend the Mount, in accordance with Jewish law are singled out and discriminated against in a derogatory fashion. They are detained at the security booth, identification cards inspected and given oral instructions on what they cannot do.

Furthermore, unlike any other group of human beings ascending the Temple Mount, Jews are not allowed to be in gatherings of more than 10 or 20 at a time, and they are accompanied during the entire duration of their visit by police officers and a Waqf official to ensure that they do not violate the prohibitions. It is needless to say, prayer books, the Tanach, tefillin or a tallit are forbidden.

In recent rulings, the Supreme Court has categorically upheld the right of Jews to pray on the Mount, and has had to reprove the police for not honoring this law. If the danger exists that Jewish prayer on the Mount could be met by a disturbance of the peace, then freedom of worship is denied.

The Temple Institute has declared this coming Tuesday, March 16, the first of the month of Nisan, to be International Temple Mount Awareness Day. Supporters are called-upon to petition the government of Israel for change.

Filed in Daily Israeli, In the news, Jewish Life, Palestinian Authority
Tagged Jerusalem, Jewish-Arab Relations, Palestinian Authority, Religion, Temple Mount, Waqf
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Restoring Egypt’s Synagogues

10-Mar-10

Farouk Hosny Just in time for the festival of Pesach, Egypt’s culture minister says that it will shoulder the costs of restoring the country’s synagogue’s.

Farouk Hosny says that his ministry views Jewish sites as much a part of Egypt’s culture as Muslim mosques or Coptic churches and the restorations would not require any foreign funding. This marks a turn in attitude for the Egyptian artist and culture minister.

On Sunday, the 12th century Ben Maimon synagogue, named after Maimonides, was rededicated in a ceremony including half a dozen Egyptian Jewish families who fled the country long ago.

Ben Ezra Synagogue Hosny committed his ministry to restoring all 11 synagogues across Egypt, three of which have already undergone renovation. The most visited synagogue is that of Ben Ezra – located in Cairo’s Christian quarter near a number of old churches, was restored some years ago.

“There were some lectures on the Jewish sites in Egypt and the temple. It was nice, emotional and nostalgic,” said Raymond Stock, an American “close” to the Jewish community in Cairo.

The Jewish community of Egypt, which dates back millennia and at its peak in the 1940s numbered around 80,000, is down to several dozen, almost all of them elderly. The remainder were driven out decades ago by mob violence and persecution.

Synagogue, Cairo Egypt and Israel fought a war every decade from the 1940s to the 1970s until the 1979 peace treaty was signed. None the less, Egyptian vibrations remain deeply unfriendly to Israel, and anti-Semitic stereotypes still appear in the Egyptian media.

Last September, Hosny blamed a conspiracy “cooked up in New York” by the world’s Jews when he lost a bid from becoming the next head of the U.N.’s agency for culture and education.

During this time, Hosny’s candidacy raised an outcry because of a threat which he had made in the Egyptian parliament in 2008 to personally burn any Israeli book he found in the Alexandria Library.

Filed in Arab World, Culture, Daily Israeli, In the news, Jewish Life, People
Tagged anti-Semitism, Cairo, Egypt, Synagogue
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Syria and Israel Wax Nuclear in Paris

10-Mar-10

On Tuesday both Israel and Syria announced ambitions to develop nuclear energy, with Israel facing the prospect that its plan could bring new attention to its secretive nuclear noodling.
The confessions were made at an international conference in Paris on civilian nuclear energy. Nuclear energy contributes far less to global warming than the burning of fossil fuels, none the less though, evokes many concerns about long-term safety issues. Nuclear Power Station

Doubtlessly, both Israel and Syria’s nuclear programs will come under the microscope of international inspectors to ensure that they do not cross-over into weapons programs.
Iran and North Korea were not invited to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development conference.

Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau said that nuclear plants built in Israel will be subject to strict safety and security controls. And get this – he even said that his country would like to build them in cooperation with scientists and engineers from “our Arab neighbors.”

“Israel has always considered nuclear power to partially replace its dependence on coal,” spoke Landau.

The program aims to help Israel secure its energy supplies and fight global warming. Israel currently uses coal and natural gas to produce electricity.
Asked if Israel would allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to supervise any new project, Chen Ben Lulu said that Israel would follow all the relevant rules.

The Jewish Country however, has not signed the Nonproliferation Treaty, which aims to limit the number of countries capable of developing nuclear weapons.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad said that his country is looking at “alternative energy sources, including nuclear energy” to meet its growing demands for energy. “The peaceful application of nuclear energy should not be monopolized by the few that own this technology but should be available to all,” Mekdad said.

A few months ago, Landau met with the French Energy Minister Jean-Louis Borloo, and raised the idea of French-Israeli-Jordanian cooperation in developing a nuclear power plant.

France derives more of its electricity from nuclear power than any other country in the world and has a highly developed civilian nuclear industry.

It was France who, beginning in the 1950s, helped Israel build its nuclear reactor at Dimona.

Israel also has a smaller nuclear reactor for research purposes at Nahal Soreq, outside of Tel Aviv.

Filed in Arab World, In the news, Political Crap
Tagged Dimona, Nuclear, nuclear energy, Syria
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Wanted: Soldiers

09-Mar-10

‘Demographic challenges” are leaving the IDF with fewer soldiers than it needs to defend the country against its threats, forcing the state to take a strong stance against draft-dodging.
Brig.-Gen. Orna Barbivai, deputy head of the IDF’s Human Resources Branch, complained:

Israeli Soldiers

“We don’t have enough soldiers…we cannot lend our hand to draft-dodging in any way whatsoever…we must work to enlist everybody who is eligible, not only in keeping with Israeli law, but also with our national morals…the army can’t wait for something to happen and then say we didn’t prepare; we need to be ready at all times for all situations…our chief of General Staff says we must be prepared at all times to fight the next war. We must be ready and be able to win in war to an extent that there will be no question that we were victorious.”

She continued:

“Up until recent years, some 25 percent of women served as clerks in the army. Nowadays its only 12%, which illustrates the way in which we have created opportunities for women to find roles in the army where they can contribute more and get more out of their service…we see women in the army at every place, at every rank, in professional roles and combat roles all over, and we believe that we must launch every effort to broaden and deepen the service of women in the army.”

“Because we have fewer soldiers than we need, we believe it’s not right to give up on someone for trying to dodge the draft, or for posing as religious. Our situation won’t allow us to give up on 37% of Israeli women…There is no reason that my daughters are required to do national service and someone else’s aren’t…at one point one of my daughters was serving in Jenin, while the other was deployed at the Machpela Cave. Of course, like every mother, I worried about them, but there’s no question, it’s the army, everyone must serve.”

Filed in Daily Israeli, In the news
Tagged Army, demography, IDF, soldiers
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The Test

09-Mar-10

Palestinian construction workers should be finding new work soon, as Bibi has authorized the construction of new apartments in the West Bank.

Is it:

a) To put Palestinian construction workers back to work

b) To house more Jews in Samaria…resuscitating the injured Zionist dream

c) To tell the Obama administration that Israel is NOT a territory of a Middle-Eastern American empire, and therefore under Uncle Sam’s jurisdiction, despite any amount of welcome donations, as Vice President Joe Biden arrives in the Holy Land for a piece of the Peace Talks with our Bibi and Mahmoud Abbas.

d) To deny Palestinians of their human rights

Only G-D knows!

There will be 112 new apartments in the Beitar Illit ultra-Orthodox settlement, known as the “The Torah city of the Judean Hills.”

In this action, the Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat accused Israel of trying to undermine the peace talks even before they began:

“If the Israeli government wants to sabotage Mitchell’s efforts by taking such steps, let’s talk to Mitchell about maybe not doing this (indirect talks) if the price is so high… put a big question mark on what it is that we came to do.”

The Palestinians presented the U.S. envoy with a document outlining their desired agreement: a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, with minor border adjustments.
This is what Bibi said after speaking to Biden:

“I believe we will succeed in advancing the diplomatic process…But the diplomatic process is not a game, it is real, and rooted first and foremost in (Israel’s) security.”

Peace Now settlement expert, Hagit Ofran said:

“The Israeli government is welcoming the vice president by demonstrating, to our regret, that it has no genuine intention to advance the peace process.”

Hamas and other known trouble-makers, have condemned Abbas’ decision to renew talks, accusing moderate Palestinians of caving in to U.S. pressure.

On Monday Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad unveiled a $3.13 billion budget for 2010, about $80 million more than last year, funded by the international community. He said that after years of a conflict-driven downturn, Palestinian government revenues are up, partly due to economic growth projected at 7% this year. Fayyad also said he will more than triple spending on development projects to $667 million, in accordance with donor countries desiring to see more money earmarked for infrastructure, health and education.

Filed in Daily Israeli, In the news, Palestinian Authority, People, Political Crap
Tagged Binyamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Palestinians, Peace Now, Peace Talks, Saeb Erakat, Salam Fayyad, settlements, West Bank, Zionism
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Israeli Women Continue To Make Less Than Men

07-Mar-10

The average woman in Israel lives to age 83, gives birth to three children, and makes a third less than the average man, according to recent data published by the Central Statistics Bureau in honor of International Women’s Day – celebrated on May 8. Israeli Women Continue To Make Less Than Men

The bureau did find that in the past year, women have climbed further up the corporate ladder, with the percentage holding managerial positions having nearly doubled what it was in 1990.

The number of women who work while attending an institute of higher education also is significantly on the rise from observations in the past decade: from 39% to 48%.

The differences however in salaries, remain similar despite the progress made by women in the workforce. In 2008 the average male monthly salary was $2,548, while the female average was only $1,609 – or 37% less.

One explanation is this: women tend to work shorter hours than men, but hourly rates were also compared and found to be different, with women making 27% less than men on average, per hour.

The bureau’s data also shows that 152,500 women gave birth in 2008. Sadly around 11% of all pregnancies were aborted. Israeli women give birth to three children on average and live to the age of 83, while the average life expectancy for men is 79 years.

The bureau found that of all women aged 20-45 who worked and gave birth, around 25% ceased working, while just 1% of men stopped working due to a new baby. 16% of women lessened their work hours after giving birth, while just 3% of men were found to have done the same.

The number of women studying for their bachelor’s degree is steadily rising, with numbers reaching 55% of all students in 2008. 58% of all students studying for a master’s degree are women, as well as 52% of those found in the process of acquiring their doctorates.

Women are present in the highest percentage in education studies – showing 86%, as well as nursing – showing 81%. Though in the fields of architecture and engineering their numbers are lowest – just 27%.

Filed in Business, Daily Israeli, People, Political Crap, WTF
Tagged employment, salary, Unemployment, Women
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Dead Give Away

04-Mar-10

The IDF says a planned raid on a West Bank village was called off after an Israeli soldier disclosed the classified details online.

The Israeli military says that the combat soldier posted the time and location of the raid on his Facebook page, saying that troops were planning on “cleaning up” the village.

Fellow soldiers reported the leak to military authorities, who then called off the raid fearing that the information may have reached hostile groups. The soldier, still unnamed has been court-martialed and sentenced to 10 days in prison.

The IDF’s statement added that it is cracking down on soldiers’ use of social networking Web sites and has launched a campaign warning of the dangers of sharing military classified information online.

Filed in Daily Israeli, In the news
Tagged IDF, West Bank village
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Ben-Arieh Gets the Indefinite Boot

04-Mar-10

The former ambassador to Belarus, Zeev Ben-Arieh, was forcefully suspended without pay on Wednesday.

The actions came after accusations that Ben-Arieh leaked information to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman concerning the investigation against him.

Police handed a report on Ben-Arieh to the Civil Service Commission which describes the accusations: they say that the former ambassador confessed to the allegations against him during the questioning.

The police did however deny that there were any leaks, Mickey Rosenfeld said:

“…There have been no press leaks…we published a statement on Tuesday about the questioning of Mr Lieberman because it is a very serious investigation….”

Lieberman said:

“When I left the interrogation room, I was warned that I must not comment on any detail from the investigation, and must not talk to anyone about it…what a surprise it was when an hour after I left the interrogation room, all the distorted details were released by the police commissioner’s office.”

Investigators are saying that during the period Lieberman was serving as a Knesset member, back in 2008, Ben-Arieh received a request to transfer a document discreetly from the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem to the authorities in Belarus concerning Lieberman’s investigation.

The document was originally handed to the Justice Ministry by Israel Police. It contained a request for legal assistance from the certified authorities in Belarus and also outlined details regarding the investigation.

The ambassador allegedly copied the classified information detailed in the request right before Lieberman’s visit to Belarus a year and a half ago. He then informed Lieberman of the request and unlawfully passed it on to him when the two met during the visit.

Filed in Daily Israeli, In the news
Tagged Avigdor Lieberman, Mickey Rosenfeld, Zeev Ben-Arieh
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I Scream You Scream We All Scream For…

03-Mar-10

Just in time for the summer…the Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream entrepreneurs from Vermont will open a new factory in the Beer Tuvia area in the south, near Kiryat Malachi, in a facility that until recently was a soup factory and logistics center for the food manufacturer Vita Pri Hagalil.

Some NIS 8 million – or about $2 million will be invested in the new factory, which will employ dozens of workers, and comply with standards set by the global Ben & Jerry’s corporation as well as the European markets and the US food authorities.

The company’s previous factory in Yavne was closed after it failed to meet the exporting standards set by the ice-cream mogul.

The new plant will produce Ben & Jerry’s ice-creams in addition to baked frozen items that are marketed in Israel under the brand name “Rosie’s” and include pancakes, blintzes, bagels. Yummy! In addition to all of this, the company will open a new retail store in Modiin.

According to Ben & Jerry’s General-Manger Avi Zinger, another retail store is slated to be opened next month at the new Cinema City which is in Rishon Lezion – and that’s in addition to the one already operating in Glilot.

The company is currently conducting negotiations for opening another store in Jerusalem as well. Ben & Jerry’s annual turnover in Israel is estimated at some NIS 30 million – or about $8 million.

Along with the expansion of production facilities, Ben & Jerry’s will also be planning on expanding their parlors to 16, as well as selling kiosks.
Zinger says:

“Ice-cream parlors have regained momentum in recent years, and we have also returned to full activity…Ben & Jerry’s opened its first store in Israel in 1988 and operated 16 branches at its peak. In 2001 it began to close down its stores dew to losses suffered with the break of the intifada and the era of increased terror attacks.”

Filed in Business
Tagged Avi Zinger, Ben & Jerry, Cinema City
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Guilty as Charged: Being Jewish

02-Mar-10

The Zionist country has issued a formal complaint with Spain, charging individuals in Spanish elementary schools of promoting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel ideas among young children. The letter comes after Israel’s ambassador to Spain, Rafi Shotz, received recently dozens of postcards from Spanish school students bearing statements such as:

“Jews kill for money,”

“Leave the country to the Palestinians”

and

“Go somewhere where they will accept you.”

A Foreign Ministry official confirmed that the handwriting appears typical of children six to nine years old. The official said:

“Apparently there are anti-Semitic and anti-Israel individuals who get permission to operate within schools…Each time, the embassy has received several dozen postcards from a different school. And it seems as though whoever is doing this is moving from school to school.”

The Foreign Ministry considered summoning Spain’s ambassador to Israel, Alvaro Iranzo, but spoke to the envoy by telephone instead.

Naor Gilon, the ministry’s deputy director for Europe, called Iranzo on Sunday saying

“Israel is greatly distressed”

by the postcards. The envoy insisted the letters are not part of any Spanish Education Ministry program, but the initiative of private citizens.
Meanwhile, in higher education news: universities campuses in more than 40 cities across the world are holding, Israeli Apartheid Week.” They are marking the week with multimedia events, films, lectures, cultural performances and demonstrations.

The participation of several Israelis in the anti-Zionist events is “atrocious,” said David Katz, a member of Britain’s Jewish Board of Deputies who grew up in South Africa and has fought the comparison between that country’s racial segregation and Israel’s ethnic divisions.
Katz said:

“They are free to do as they please, but it’s atrocious…I think they don’t understand the analogy they are making… which is insulting to those who suffered under apartheid…It’s like calling things ‘holocaust’ which are not the Holocaust or terming something ‘genocide’ which is not genocide.”

One Jewish charity brought over Benjamin Pogrund, a South African immigrant to Israel who is the former deputy editor of the Johannesburg-based Rand Daily Mail, to speak to British university students about why Israel is not by any stretch of the imagination, an apartheid state.
He said:

“The game plan of those who seek the destruction of Israel is to equate us with South Africa, a pariah state which had to be subjected to international sanctions…Israelis coming to take part in this week should know better.”

In Canada, the legislature in the province of Ontario unanimously condemned Israeli Apartheid Week, and are voting on a resolution that denounces the campus events.

Conservative legislator Peter Shurman told Shalom Life, a Toronto-based Jewish Web site:

“If you’re going to label Israel as Apartheid, then you are also… attacking Canadian values…. The use of the phrase ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ is about as close to hate speech as one can get without being arrested, and I’m not certain it doesn’t actually cross over that line.”

Filed in In the news, Jewish Life
Tagged Alvaro Iranzo, anti-Semitic, Apartheid, Benjamin Pogrund, David Katz, Holocaust, Naor Gilon, Peter Shurman, Rafi Shotz
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Shooting Hoops: Israeli to be Head Coach of Palestinian Basketball Team

28-Feb-10

Veteran Israeli coach Ilan Kowalsky is being named the new head coach of the Palestinian national basketball team.

Kowalsky, who coached the Palestinian team in the past without pay, has received an official offer to head the ball club.

The Palestinians were seeking a coach who can travel with the team to tournaments in Arab countries. Kowalsky, who holds a Polish passport, fits the bill.

Zayed Baransi, a businessman and an Israel Basketball Association official, brokered the deal.
Kowalsky said:

“I was approached a few weeks ago and was asked whether I would be willing to coach the Palestinian national team. I said that if it won’t cause them any problems, why not?…Only sports and culture will bring peace to this region.”

Filed in Palestinian Authority, Sports
Tagged Basketball, Ilan Kowalsky, Zayed Baransi
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