Avie Bennett, C.C., O.Ont., D.U., Hon. LL.D., Hon. D.Litt; Chancellor Emeritus of York University, is currently Chair of McClelland & Stewart Ltd, The Canadian Publishers and Chairman of the Historica Foundation of Canada. In 2004 he was promoted to a Companion of the Order of Canada; in 1996 he was appointed to the Order of Ontario. The University of Ottawa has named him an Honorary Doctor of the University and he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Toronto. In 2004 he was named a Doctor of Letters by York University. Mr. Bennett is the President of the Board of Directors of the International Readings at Harbourfront. He was the Co-Chair of the Canadian Democracy and Corporate Accountability Commission. He served with distinction as Chancellor of York between 1998-2004.
Marshall Cohen, O.C., Q.C., B.A., LL.B, LL.M, Hon. LL.D., was appointed to the Board of Governors in 1987 and was elected Chair as of July 1, 2000. He is an ex officio member of all Board committees and as Chair of the Board of Governors, he also sits on the Board of the York University Development Corporation and the University Senate. A former federal Deputy Minister in the Departments of Finance, Energy, Mines and Resources, and Industry, Trade and Commerce, Mr. Cohen has served on the boards or been Governor of the C.D. Howe Institute, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Mount Sinai Hospital and Baycrest Centre. Mr. Cohen was Chair of the Ontario Centre for International Business and of the International Trade Advisory Council, Government of Canada. He earned his law degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by York University in 1986. A former Chief Executive Officer of The Molson Companies Ltd., Mr. Cohen is currently Counsel to the law firm Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP.
Judith Cohen is President of Adroit Investments Limited, Founding Chair of Invest in Kids Foundation and a member of the Dean's Advisory Board, Schulich School of Business. In the past, she has been Chair of the Children's Aid Society Foundation and the executive officer or board member of a number of other community and educational and arts organizations. From 1988 to 1991 she was President of the National Ballet of Canada. Mrs. Cohen has recently taken on a new role as Chair of York University's 50th Anniversary Committee.
Lindsay S. Duffield, President and CEO, BMW Group Canada joined the York University Foundation Board of Directors in September 2005. In addition to his volunteer involvement with York, Mr. Duffield is a Director of the Associates of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada’s (AIAMC) and Vice-Chairman of their Executive Committee. He also sits on the Canadian Automotive Institute’s (CAI) Board of Directors and is a member of the University of Toronto President’s International Alumni Council.
Ivan Fecan, B.A., Hon. LL.D., is President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia, and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc. CTV Globemedia is Canada's premier multi-media company with ownership interests in Canada's leading media properties including: CTV Inc., the number-one private broadcaster, and The Globe and Mail, the leading national daily newspaper. Mr. Fecan received a degree in Fine Arts at York University and has received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Ryerson University. He is on the Board of the Art Gallery of Ontario and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Mr. Fecan was the 2003 recipient of the York University Bruce Bryden Alumni award in recognition of his contributions to York.
Aidan P. Flatley, B.A., is the President and CEO of Kenaidan Contracting Limited which he co-founded with fellow York University student, (the late) Ken Smith in 1973. Kenaidan is a general contracting company with offices across Canada, the U.S. and a recently opened office in Ireland. Over the years, Kenaidan Contracting Ltd. / Kenaidan Group Ltd. has been responsible for many construction projects at York University. For example, the company built the University’s Honour Court and Information Centre and was the structural concrete contractor for the Schulich School of Business. Mr. Flatley is former Chair of Ontario General Contractors. He is a York alumnus (B.A. Economics) and a former player on the York University Varsity Hockey team.
Barry Gales, B.A., M.B.A., a second generation Winnipegger, graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography and economics in 1973, and then went on to the University of Western Ontario where he obtained his Master of Business Administration degree in 1977. Upon graduation, he moved to the United States where he worked in the real estate business. Barry returned permanently to Canada in 1992, where he is actively involved with his family in the investment and merchant banking company, the Midland Group of Companies Inc. He is also a principal of the DH Gales Family Charitable Foundation of Toronto, which provides support to the community. He currently resides in Toronto with his wife and two children who are both graduates of York University.
Alonna Goldfarb, B.A., LL.B., is currently a Principal at Goldfarb Intelligence Marketing. Ms. Goldfarb has over ten years experience in market research. A lawyer by training, and an Osgoode alumnus, Ms. Goldfarb also holds the position of General Counsel, Secretary and Director of The Goldfarb Corporation.
Maxwell Gotlieb, B.A., LL.B., LL.M., a York alumnus, and a former adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School for a number of years, is a partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, a major Toronto law firm. Mr. Gotlieb is a well-known speaker and writer to professional and industry bodies. In addition to the York University Foundation, he sits on the boards of numerous public, private and charitable organizations including Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation and The Baycrest Centre Foundation. Mr. Gotlieb and his wife, Heather, are co-chairing the 2006 Brazilian Carnival Ball for York University.
Naomi Harris, B.A. (Fine Arts), has extensive volunteer experience in the not-for-profit sector and has a particular interest in issues relating to women and children. She has created her own foundation and is a major supporter of the Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative (MEHRI) at York University. MEHRI explores the critical role of the caregiving environment in the evolution and development of language, intelligence, social skills and reflective consciousness. Ms. Harris has a B.A. in Fine Arts from Brandeis University.
William Hatanaka is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TD Waterhouse, the TD Bank’s Wealth Management organization in Canada and the UK. He is also the Chair of the TD Bank’s Diversity Leadership Council. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Investment Industry Association of Canada and of the York University Foundation, currently Co-Chairing York’s 50th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign.
John Hunkin, B.A., M.B.A., a York alumnus, is former CEO of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. He is also Chair of the Dean's Advisory Board for the Schulich Business School at York University, and an Honourary member of the York University Board of Governors. He is on the Board of Trustees of the St. Michael's Hospital Foundation; The Conference Board of Canada; and the Campaign Cabinet of the Royal Ontario Museum.
Julia Koschitzky, Hon. LL.D., is the Past Chair, Advisory Committee for the Centre of Jewish Studies at York University. She also serves on the boards of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, the UIA Federation Canada, and the L.A. Pincus Fund for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. She is Co-Chair of the Education Department at the Jewish Agency for Israel, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Jewish News. In 1999, Ms Koschitzky was awarded Ontario’s Volunteer Service Award, presented by former Lieutenant Governor Hilary Weston. Ms Koschitzky has received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Yeshiva University.
Karim Lakhani, B.Sc. was educated primarily in The United Kingdom. He attended Eastbourne College (Eastbourne, Sussex) during his high school years and graduated from University of Surrey (Guildford, Surrey) in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics & Economics. He joined the family hospitality business after graduating. He is currently President and General Manager of Shawneeki Golf Club in Sharon, Ontario. This challenging course was purchased through the receivers in July 1995, turned a profit in 1996 and is one of the more successful golfing operations in Ontario. He is also a director of Lakhani Holdings Ltd. which owns the Golf Club. Mr. Lakhani held a directorship with Coburg Hotel in London until 1988 and was and still is involved with other family-owned hotel operations. He is a founding member of Noor Cultural Centre, devoted to the fostering of openness, diversity and intellectual development within the Muslim community. Mr. Lakhani sits on the Board of Governors for the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews.
Peter Marrone is Chairman and CEO of Yamana Gold Inc., a company founded in July 2003. He was instrumental in the creation of Yamana in 2003 and organizing it as a significant gold producer in South America. Prior to that, Peter was head of investment banking at a major Canadian investment bank and before that practiced law in Toronto with significant international experience. Peter has more than 20 years of business and capital market experience and has been on the boards of a number of public companies and advised companies with a strong South American presence. Peter has also been instrumental in the creation of other companies including Aura Gold Inc. which is an advanced exploration metals company, Vaaldiam Resources Ltd. which is a diamond company, Carpathian Gold Inc. which is an exploration stage company, and MBAC Opportunities and Financing which is a currently private fertilizer company in Brazil. Yamana Gold Inc. is an intermediate producing gold company with major properties and mines in South America. Yamana is listed on the TSX, NYSE and LSE and has seen an increase in market capitalization of more than 10 times since it was formed. Peter is also a York alumnus — LLB Osgoode ’84
Robert W. Martin, B.Sc., P. Eng., is a Corporate Director for Enbridge Inc. . Mr. Martin is on the Board of Directors for several Canadian companies including Enbridge Inc., HSBC Bank Canada, and Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. Mr. Martin has also been involved as a Board Member of the Province of Ontario’s Superbuild Corporation and was a member of the Policy Committee of the C.D. Howe Institute. Mr. Martin is also active in leadership roles in the community including West Park Hospital and York University. He has been Chair in campaigns for the United Way and the Salvation Army and Chair of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
The Honourable Roy McMurtry, QC, former Ontario Chief Justice and Attorney General and Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, is the twelfth Chancellor of York University.
Steve T. Mirkopoulos, B.Sc., P.Eng., is President of Cinespace Film Studios. He is also President of the Ontario Film & Television Owners Association. Mr. Mirkopoulos served as President of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation that recently completed the endowment of a $2 million Hellenic Studies Chair at York University. Mr. Mirkopoulos also serves on the Board of the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation and the Toronto Port Authority. Mr. Mirkopoulos was the 2003 recipient of the York University Bruce Bryden Alumni award in recognition of his contribution and friendship to York.
Al Monaco is Executive Vice President, Major Projects, Enbridge Inc., and leads the Major Projects Business Unit which is responsible for project execution once commercial viability for a major project has been established. Prior to assuming this Calgary-based position, Mr. Monaco was President, Enbridge Gas Distribution, based in Toronto, and responsible for Enbridge's Eastern Canadian regulated and unregulated operations. Mr. Monaco has more than 25 years experience in the energy business including the upstream oil and gas exploration, development and pipelines businesses. Since joining Enbridge in 1997, he has held positions including Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning and Development; Vice President, Financial Services and Treasurer for Enbridge's U.S.-based master limited partnership; and Director, Investor Relations.
Timothy Price, B.A., C.A., serves as Chair of the York University Foundation Board of Directors. He is Vice-Chair of York University’s Board of Governors and is a member of its Finance and Staff Resources, Executive and Investment Committees. He is currently Chair of Brookfield Funds and served previously as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Edper Group Ltd. and Hees International Bancorp Inc. Mr. Price is active on several other public corporate boards, including Astral Media Inc., Morguard Corporation, Q9 Networks Inc., and Brookfield Homes Corporation. In the community, Mr. Price serves on the boards of St. Michael's Hospital Foundation, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation, The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, and York University where he has also been serving on the Dean's Advisory Board at the Schulich School of Business.
Seymour Schulich, C.M., B.Sc., M.B.A., C.F.A. Mr. Schulich was appointed to the Board of Governors in 1996 and was made an Honorary Governor on June 23, 2003. He is currently serving as a member of the Investment Committee. He is currently Chair of Newmont Capital Ltd., the merchant banking division of the largest gold mining company in the world, Newmont Mining Corporation. He is also Vice-Chair Emeritus of Beutel, Goodman and Company Ltd., one of the largest pension fund management companies in Canada. Mr. Schulich is a noted philanthropist and beneficiaries have included the Schulich School of Business at York University, The Schulich Heart Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital, the Library of Science and Engineering at McGill University, the Schulich School of Medicine at The University of Western Ontario and the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. Mr. Schulich has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa at York's Spring 2003 Convocation and received a Bruce Bryden Alumni Recognition Award in 2000.
Honey Sherman is an active community board member and volunteer who is currently serving in leadership positions for Mount Sinai Hospital and Baycrest Centre. She was Co-Chair of the United Jewish Appeal Campaign 2006, and is currently Chair of the Board of Trustees, Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. Mrs. Sherman and her husband, Dr. Barry Sherman, established the Apotex Foundation in 1984 to support a wide range of causes in both Canada and the United States. In 1996, both Honey and Barry Sherman won an award from The National Society of Fund Raising Executives (Toronto Chapter) for their outstanding contribution to philanthropy.
Howard Sokolowski is the CEO of Tribute Communities, one of the largest builders in Canada. Tribute has earned many outstanding industry awards, including the coveted "Builder of the Year" award in Ontario in the year 2000. Howard Sokolowski's responsibility to community is reflected as well in his charitable ventures, including a Board position on the Rouge Valley Health System, where he initiated a fundraising program that has raised over $1,000,000 to date. He recently served as Co-Campaign Chair 2003 for the United Jewish Appeal, and raised an unprecedented $65,000,000 for the Israel Emergency Fund. He currently sits as well on the Board of Directors of the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation. Mr. Sokolowski became co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts Football team in November 2003. He lives in Toronto with Linda Frum, his wife, and their children.
Henry Wu, M.Sc., is currently President of Metropolitan Hotels, and a Director of the Liverton Group of Companies in Hong Kong. Before arriving in Canada, Mr. Wu worked as a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He was also a management consultant specializing in trade and technology issues. Mr. Wu is on the board of directors and sits on the audit committee of IndeCorp Corporation, The Independent Hotel Corporation, a U.S.-based distribution company representing three brands of over 400 hotels.
Posts
21 hours ago
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Israel Matzav: Hamas playing mind games?
Hamas playing mind games?
Hamas has been hinting lately that kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was killed during Operation Cast Lead this past winter. Israel Matzav: Hamas playing mind games?Hamas leader Osama Al-Mazini promised on Monday to deliver a letter from the family of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit if the prisoner survived Israel's assault on Gaza last winter.
Read All at :
American Jews Just Don't Get It!
American Jews Just Don't Get It!
Blogmaster's Comment: As usual... Caroline is right on target. I wonder why most American left-wing, liberal, Obama worshiping Jews Just Don't Get It! In my humble opinion, , there is a very fine line between a Barak Hussein (Osama) Obama supporter and a "Judenrat".
Column One: Barack Obama vs international law
Jun. 25, 2009
Caroline Glick ,
THE JERUSALEM POST
US President Barack Obama consistently couches his demand that Israel prohibit Jewish people from constructing or expanding our homes and communities in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria in legal-sounding language.
Obama has called settlements "illegitimate." And he has said that Israel "has obligations under the road map," while referring disparagingly to "settlements that, in past agreements, have been categorized as illegal."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell have repeatedly uttered similar statements.
By characterizing its demand that Israel prohibit Jews from building homes in Israel's capital city and its heartland as a legal requirement, the Obama administration portrays Israel as an international outlaw. After all, if building homes for Jews is a crime, and Israel is not prohibiting Jews from building homes, then Israel is at best guilty of enabling a crime to take place, and at worst, it is a criminal state.
It makes good political sense for the Obama administration to make its case against Israel in this fashion. According to a survey of US public opinion published in early 2006 by the Boston Review, whereas only 7 percent of Democrats support going to war to spread democracy - versus 53% of Republicans; 71% of Democrats - versus 36% of Republicans - support going to war to help the United Nations "uphold international law." What this poll shows is that for Obama supporters, the idea that Israel should be treated poorly because it is in breach of international law resonates deeply.
The problem with the Obama administration's characterization of a ban on Jewish building in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria as an Israeli legal obligation is that Israel has never taken upon itself a legal obligation to prohibit such building activities. Israel has never signed an agreement that has characterized any Jewish communities as "illegal."
Moreover, both former prime minister Ariel Sharon's chief of staff Dov Weisglass and former president George W. Bush's deputy national security adviser for the Middle East Elliott Abrams have gone on record stating that Sharon's much vaunted decision to curtail Jewish building in Judea and Samaria (never Jerusalem), in line with the road map negotiating framework, was based on a series of explicit understandings with the Bush administration that spelled out the scope of Jewish building that Israel would maintain for the duration of the peace process. As Abrams wrote on Thursday in The Wall Street Journal, "Not only were there agreements, but the prime minister of Israel relied on them..."
Then, too, since the road map was approved as a mere cabinet decision - as opposed to an international agreement - the Netanyahu government has no legal obligation to actively advance it. Indeed, if it wishes, it can abrogate Israel's acceptance of the document at any time simply by calling for another vote.
More importantly perhaps from the Obama administration's perspective is that the road map itself lacks the force of international law. Although it was adopted by the Security Council, it was not adopted as an internationally binding document under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Consequently, Israel has no international legal obligation to end Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria or Jerusalem.
Like the US, Israel is a signatory to the 1976 International Convention for Civil and Political Rights, which among other things prohibits all forms of discrimination against people on the basis of religion and nationality.
Consequently, Israel is barred from discriminating specifically against Jews who wish to build homes on legally controlled lands in Judea and Samaria. As a binding treaty, this convention takes precedence over the nonbinding road map. Indeed, given the road map's prejudicial position on Jewish building it can be reasonably argued that the road map itself calls for a breach of international law.
Finally, there is always the claim made by Israel's critics that Jewish communities located beyond the 1949 armistice lines are illegal by dint of the Fourth Geneva Convention from 1949. That convention prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its population to occupied territory. Legal authorities have long disputed whether this convention is applicable to Judea and Samaria, but even if it is applicable, according to Prof. Avi Bell from Bar-Ilan University Law School, it "only proscribes state actions."
Bell explains, "The Fourth Geneva Convention does not purport to limit in any way what individual Jews may or may not do on their legally held property or where they may or may not choose to live."
WHEREAS UPON examination it is clear that the Obama administration is wrong in insinuating that Israel is in breach of its international legal commitments through its refusal to bar Jewish construction in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, the Obama administration's own policy toward the Palestinians places it in clear breach of both binding international law and domestic US law.
On September 28, 2001, the UN Security Council passed binding Resolution 1373. Resolution 1373, which was initiated by the US government, and was passed by authority of Chapter VII, committed all UN member states to "refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts." Resolution 1373 further required UN member states to "deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts or provide safe haven" to those that do.
In 1995, the US State Department acknowledged that Hamas fits the legal definition of a terrorist organization. Today, due to its policies toward Hamas, the Obama administration is in breach of both Resolution 1373 - that is, of international law - and of US domestic law barring the provision of support and financing to foreign terrorist organizations.
According to an internal State Department document cited Wednesday bythe Atlas Shrugs Web site, the US has already transferred or is in the process of allocating $300 million dollars to Gaza through USAID and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Since Hamas controls "humanitarian" organizations in Gaza, and Hamas has openly and repeatedly stolen "humanitarian aid," there is little doubt the transfer of funds to Gaza constitutes indirect assistance to Hamas and is therefore prohibited by Resolution 1373 as well as by US statute.
The Obama administration is further in breach of international and domestic US law due to its attempts to coerce Israel into opening international passages between Israel and Gaza to enable trade and commerce with Hamas-controlled Gaza and to end or curtail travel restrictions for people between Gaza and Israel. Resolution 1373 stipulates that all states must "prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups by effective border controls." Given the fact that the Gaza side of the border is controlled by a terrorist organization, any significant relaxation of Israeli border controls puts Israel at risk of facilitating the movement of terrorists and permitting direct and indirect support to terrorists.
So too, Resolution 1373 requires all states to "ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetuation of terrorist acts or in supporting terrorist acts is brought to justice." Yet rather than calling on Israel to arrest all persons working with Hamas and operating in its territory, the US itself pledged $900m. to rebuilding Gaza. Moreover, it is demanding that Israel allow the importation of dual use materials such as cement into Gaza which will enable Hamas to rebuild its infrastructures that were destroyed during Operation Cast Lead. It is also attempting to coerce Israel into transferring cash to Hamas-controlled banks in Gaza.
Then, too, as Dan Diker reported in a study published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, US-supported Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad recently acknowledged that the US-financed PA continues to pay the salaries of Hamas terrorists.
Multiple news reports in recent days have indicated that the Obama administration is working to facilitate the establishment of a Palestinian government that will include Hamas. US efforts to legitimize the incorporation of a terrorist group in a Palestinian government are a severe violation of US and international law. This is the case since it would clearly involve aiding a designated terrorist organization and helping to provide it with a safe haven.
Hamas is not the only terrorist organization to which the Obama administration is providing assistance - again, in apparent breach of international and US law. The administration is also aiding Hizbullah. Ahead of his June 4 address in Cairo, Obama met with members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood at the White House. He also invited members of the Muslim Brotherhood to be present at his speech at Cairo University.
Shortly before the White House meeting, Egyptian legal authorities alleged that the Muslim Brotherhood provided material support to Hizbullah terrorists in Egypt. These Hizbullah operatives - and their Muslim Brotherhood partners - were allegedly engaged in a plot to commit massive terrorist attacks in Egypt whose goal was the illegal overthrow of the government. That is, the Muslim Brotherhood was allegedly involved in a terrorist conspiracy led by Hizbullah - a designated foreign terrorist organization. Furthermore, the plot was apparently hatched by Iran - which the US State Department has designated as state sponsor of terrorism.
By meeting with representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood suspected of providing material support to a designated terrorist organization, Obama was arguably illegally providing indirect assistance to Hizbullah - again in breach of Resolution 1373 and US law.
Then there is the US's direct assistance to the Lebanese military. During the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah, the Lebanese military provided direct assistance to Hizbullah operatives in carrying out their illegal war against Israel. Since then, expanding Hizbullah influence over the Lebanese military has been copiously documented. Consequently, by providing direct US military assistance - including weapons - to the Lebanese military, the US government is arguably in breach of Resolution 1373 and US law.
GOING BACK for a moment to the Palestinians, Hamas of course is not the only terrorist organization that is materially assisted by the Obama administration's policies. As Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook wrote in The Jerusalem Post last month, the US is financing the construction of a Palestinian computer center named for arch Fatah terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, who led the 1978 bus bombing on Israel's coastal highway in which 37 civilians, including 12 children and US citizen Gail Rubin, were murdered.
As Marcus and Crook note, the 2008 US Foreign Operations Bill bars US assistance to the Palestinians from being used "for the purpose of recognizing or otherwise honoring individuals who commit or have committed acts of terrorism."
Obama, the former law professor, never tires of invoking international law. And yet, when one considers his policies toward Israel on the one hand, and his policies toward illegal terrorist organizations on the other, it is clear that Obama's respect for international law is mere rhetoric. True champions of law in both Israel and the US should demand an end to his administration's contempt for the US's actual - rather than imaginary - legal obligations.
caroline@carolineglick.com
Column One: Barack Obama vs international law
Jun. 25, 2009
Caroline Glick ,
THE JERUSALEM POST
US President Barack Obama consistently couches his demand that Israel prohibit Jewish people from constructing or expanding our homes and communities in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria in legal-sounding language.
Obama has called settlements "illegitimate." And he has said that Israel "has obligations under the road map," while referring disparagingly to "settlements that, in past agreements, have been categorized as illegal."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell have repeatedly uttered similar statements.
By characterizing its demand that Israel prohibit Jews from building homes in Israel's capital city and its heartland as a legal requirement, the Obama administration portrays Israel as an international outlaw. After all, if building homes for Jews is a crime, and Israel is not prohibiting Jews from building homes, then Israel is at best guilty of enabling a crime to take place, and at worst, it is a criminal state.
It makes good political sense for the Obama administration to make its case against Israel in this fashion. According to a survey of US public opinion published in early 2006 by the Boston Review, whereas only 7 percent of Democrats support going to war to spread democracy - versus 53% of Republicans; 71% of Democrats - versus 36% of Republicans - support going to war to help the United Nations "uphold international law." What this poll shows is that for Obama supporters, the idea that Israel should be treated poorly because it is in breach of international law resonates deeply.
The problem with the Obama administration's characterization of a ban on Jewish building in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria as an Israeli legal obligation is that Israel has never taken upon itself a legal obligation to prohibit such building activities. Israel has never signed an agreement that has characterized any Jewish communities as "illegal."
Moreover, both former prime minister Ariel Sharon's chief of staff Dov Weisglass and former president George W. Bush's deputy national security adviser for the Middle East Elliott Abrams have gone on record stating that Sharon's much vaunted decision to curtail Jewish building in Judea and Samaria (never Jerusalem), in line with the road map negotiating framework, was based on a series of explicit understandings with the Bush administration that spelled out the scope of Jewish building that Israel would maintain for the duration of the peace process. As Abrams wrote on Thursday in The Wall Street Journal, "Not only were there agreements, but the prime minister of Israel relied on them..."
Then, too, since the road map was approved as a mere cabinet decision - as opposed to an international agreement - the Netanyahu government has no legal obligation to actively advance it. Indeed, if it wishes, it can abrogate Israel's acceptance of the document at any time simply by calling for another vote.
More importantly perhaps from the Obama administration's perspective is that the road map itself lacks the force of international law. Although it was adopted by the Security Council, it was not adopted as an internationally binding document under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Consequently, Israel has no international legal obligation to end Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria or Jerusalem.
Like the US, Israel is a signatory to the 1976 International Convention for Civil and Political Rights, which among other things prohibits all forms of discrimination against people on the basis of religion and nationality.
Consequently, Israel is barred from discriminating specifically against Jews who wish to build homes on legally controlled lands in Judea and Samaria. As a binding treaty, this convention takes precedence over the nonbinding road map. Indeed, given the road map's prejudicial position on Jewish building it can be reasonably argued that the road map itself calls for a breach of international law.
Finally, there is always the claim made by Israel's critics that Jewish communities located beyond the 1949 armistice lines are illegal by dint of the Fourth Geneva Convention from 1949. That convention prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its population to occupied territory. Legal authorities have long disputed whether this convention is applicable to Judea and Samaria, but even if it is applicable, according to Prof. Avi Bell from Bar-Ilan University Law School, it "only proscribes state actions."
Bell explains, "The Fourth Geneva Convention does not purport to limit in any way what individual Jews may or may not do on their legally held property or where they may or may not choose to live."
WHEREAS UPON examination it is clear that the Obama administration is wrong in insinuating that Israel is in breach of its international legal commitments through its refusal to bar Jewish construction in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, the Obama administration's own policy toward the Palestinians places it in clear breach of both binding international law and domestic US law.
On September 28, 2001, the UN Security Council passed binding Resolution 1373. Resolution 1373, which was initiated by the US government, and was passed by authority of Chapter VII, committed all UN member states to "refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts." Resolution 1373 further required UN member states to "deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts or provide safe haven" to those that do.
In 1995, the US State Department acknowledged that Hamas fits the legal definition of a terrorist organization. Today, due to its policies toward Hamas, the Obama administration is in breach of both Resolution 1373 - that is, of international law - and of US domestic law barring the provision of support and financing to foreign terrorist organizations.
According to an internal State Department document cited Wednesday bythe Atlas Shrugs Web site, the US has already transferred or is in the process of allocating $300 million dollars to Gaza through USAID and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Since Hamas controls "humanitarian" organizations in Gaza, and Hamas has openly and repeatedly stolen "humanitarian aid," there is little doubt the transfer of funds to Gaza constitutes indirect assistance to Hamas and is therefore prohibited by Resolution 1373 as well as by US statute.
The Obama administration is further in breach of international and domestic US law due to its attempts to coerce Israel into opening international passages between Israel and Gaza to enable trade and commerce with Hamas-controlled Gaza and to end or curtail travel restrictions for people between Gaza and Israel. Resolution 1373 stipulates that all states must "prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups by effective border controls." Given the fact that the Gaza side of the border is controlled by a terrorist organization, any significant relaxation of Israeli border controls puts Israel at risk of facilitating the movement of terrorists and permitting direct and indirect support to terrorists.
So too, Resolution 1373 requires all states to "ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetuation of terrorist acts or in supporting terrorist acts is brought to justice." Yet rather than calling on Israel to arrest all persons working with Hamas and operating in its territory, the US itself pledged $900m. to rebuilding Gaza. Moreover, it is demanding that Israel allow the importation of dual use materials such as cement into Gaza which will enable Hamas to rebuild its infrastructures that were destroyed during Operation Cast Lead. It is also attempting to coerce Israel into transferring cash to Hamas-controlled banks in Gaza.
Then, too, as Dan Diker reported in a study published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, US-supported Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad recently acknowledged that the US-financed PA continues to pay the salaries of Hamas terrorists.
Multiple news reports in recent days have indicated that the Obama administration is working to facilitate the establishment of a Palestinian government that will include Hamas. US efforts to legitimize the incorporation of a terrorist group in a Palestinian government are a severe violation of US and international law. This is the case since it would clearly involve aiding a designated terrorist organization and helping to provide it with a safe haven.
Hamas is not the only terrorist organization to which the Obama administration is providing assistance - again, in apparent breach of international and US law. The administration is also aiding Hizbullah. Ahead of his June 4 address in Cairo, Obama met with members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood at the White House. He also invited members of the Muslim Brotherhood to be present at his speech at Cairo University.
Shortly before the White House meeting, Egyptian legal authorities alleged that the Muslim Brotherhood provided material support to Hizbullah terrorists in Egypt. These Hizbullah operatives - and their Muslim Brotherhood partners - were allegedly engaged in a plot to commit massive terrorist attacks in Egypt whose goal was the illegal overthrow of the government. That is, the Muslim Brotherhood was allegedly involved in a terrorist conspiracy led by Hizbullah - a designated foreign terrorist organization. Furthermore, the plot was apparently hatched by Iran - which the US State Department has designated as state sponsor of terrorism.
By meeting with representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood suspected of providing material support to a designated terrorist organization, Obama was arguably illegally providing indirect assistance to Hizbullah - again in breach of Resolution 1373 and US law.
Then there is the US's direct assistance to the Lebanese military. During the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah, the Lebanese military provided direct assistance to Hizbullah operatives in carrying out their illegal war against Israel. Since then, expanding Hizbullah influence over the Lebanese military has been copiously documented. Consequently, by providing direct US military assistance - including weapons - to the Lebanese military, the US government is arguably in breach of Resolution 1373 and US law.
GOING BACK for a moment to the Palestinians, Hamas of course is not the only terrorist organization that is materially assisted by the Obama administration's policies. As Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook wrote in The Jerusalem Post last month, the US is financing the construction of a Palestinian computer center named for arch Fatah terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, who led the 1978 bus bombing on Israel's coastal highway in which 37 civilians, including 12 children and US citizen Gail Rubin, were murdered.
As Marcus and Crook note, the 2008 US Foreign Operations Bill bars US assistance to the Palestinians from being used "for the purpose of recognizing or otherwise honoring individuals who commit or have committed acts of terrorism."
Obama, the former law professor, never tires of invoking international law. And yet, when one considers his policies toward Israel on the one hand, and his policies toward illegal terrorist organizations on the other, it is clear that Obama's respect for international law is mere rhetoric. True champions of law in both Israel and the US should demand an end to his administration's contempt for the US's actual - rather than imaginary - legal obligations.
caroline@carolineglick.com
taken from B'NAI ELIM (Sons of the Mighty)
Jewish Defence League in the News
Jewish Defence League in the News
Toronto Star June 30, 2009
Jun 30, 2009 07:05 AM
Comments on this story 
(1)
(1) I hesitated whether to accept the invitation to participate in the conference at York University on "Models of Statehood in Israel/Palestine."
Such conferences, even when organized with goodwill, are frequently hijacked and become anti-Israeli events. However, the dilemma is always whether to leave the floor only to the most extreme and one-sided views, or to try to bring a different voice, one that attempts to display the complexity of the situation and presents a perspective that would not be presented if one were to stay away.
Reaction to the pressure put on the conference and the Jewish Defense League's (JDL) activity against it, and the desire to present such a voice seemed good reasons to take part, and not to surrender to attempts to silence debate and curb academic freedom.
Although the extreme manner in which they were presented was sometimes hard to hear, I was not surprised by the same Palestinian arguments that have been around for decades.
Thus, we heard that Israel is a racist, apartheid state; that the Palestinians are the "indigenous" and Zionists the colonials; that the only reason for the unwillingness of Jewish Israelis to give up a Jewish national state is their unwillingness to surrender power and privileges; and that Zionism has an inherent tendency toward war crimes.
Unfortunately, this was not accompanied with introspection or self-criticism by the Palestinians. Hamas was not mentioned at all. Apparently it does not exist in the virtual map of the Palestinian participants. Another "marginal" phenomenon that disappeared as if it did not exist is the lethal Palestinian terror against Israeli citizens.
But if all this was quite an expected scenario, not in my worst dreams did I imagine an atmosphere that was totally incompatible with academic discourse. The university rightly resisted outside pressures aimed at silencing the conference. But there were attempts at the conference itself to silence unpopular views.
A hostile atmosphere toward people with different views generally, and Jewish-Zionist Israelis in particular, was created. Anyone who challenged the Palestinian perspective was intimidated or even labelled a racist. The audience vocally applauded those whose views it approved. At times, those presenting a different view were subject to abuse and ridicule.
For me, this reached an extreme when one interlocutor, rather than debating the substantive arguments I presented, questioned my psychological state. And all of this without any apparent attempt by the organizers to stop it. Never before in my whole academic career have I encountered the rudeness that I experienced at this conference.
Academic discourse implies in-depth analysis of issues, even loaded ones, theorizing and making well-based arguments. Reasoned criticism is a first-degree instrument for the advancement of academic knowledge. Ad-hominem offence and the silencing of unpopular views are its antithesis. If one has good arguments, one doesn't need to resort to such tactics. As an Israeli politician once reputedly wrote on the side of his written text: "Here the argument is weak, raise your voice."
After my presentation, people approached me to thank me for presenting an alternative view. They admitted that in the prevailing atmosphere they were deterred from stepping forward and expressing a different voice. This is a disgrace for the academic host of this conference. I'd very much want to believe that the organizers were only naive. It's more difficult to accept that there was no agenda, explicit or hidden, to this conference
The Palestinians' pain and rage are understandable. But what happened at York University reflects a worrying, dangerous and, unfortunately, not uncommon pattern. Persons who demand the protection of human rights abandon them and display little tolerance for the views of others when they have the power to marginalize them. This provides food for thought. Surely such tolerance would be a sine qua non in the liberal democratic state that many participants in the conference purport to support.
The universities that sponsored this conference should give themselves an accounting. While the JDL demonstrated outside the campus, a pro-Palestinian demonstration took place inside the conference itself, from the floor, under an academic disguise.
This was not an academic conference, but an "academic" version of Durban.
Na'ama Carmi teaches at the faculty of law of Haifa University, Israel
taken from B'NAI ELIM (Sons of the Mighty)
ESSER AGAROTH - Migron: C'mon! Are You Really Surprised?!
Migron: C'mon! Are You Really Surprised?!
7 of the Fourth Month 5769
I predicted a year and a half ago that Migron residents will strike a deal with the government, and get up and abandon their homes. Even though, the YeSh"A (Judea, Samaria & Gaza) Council adamantly denied it at the time.
Now, maybe people will stop thinking that I am a crazy conspiracy theorist, and start believing me.
Activists to Migron Residents: Don’t Fall into the Trap
Hillel Fendel, 7 Tammuz 5769/June 29, 2009
(IsraelNN.com) Migron residents are asked to resist the government's offer of houses in a bigger town. "Placing us in ghettos will make it easier for them to destroy us," activists tell them.
...The Defense Ministry announced on Monday that it would build 50 new houses in the growing city of Adam for the Migron families. Migron is a hilltop neighborhood officially considered unauthorized – largely because of the lack of Defense Minister Barak’s signature of approval, as well as because of a lawsuit filed by Arab residents – sought out by Peace Now – on part of the land.
The news article does not contain any response, nor state of any kind, from Migron residents, nor Rabbi Tzvi Tau, the Rosh Yeshivath Har HaMor, and spiritual leader of many of Migron's residents.
Read All at :
ESSER AGAROTH - Migron: C'mon! Are You Really Surprised?!
ESSER AGAROTH - Israel: Rise of the Right (Updated)
Israel: Rise of the Right (Updated)
7 of the Fourth Month 5769
Tonight, a couple of friends began alerting me about a film just released by Ilan Mizrahi, "Israel: Rise of the Right."
(AlJazeeraEnglish YouTube) Ilan Mizrahi has spent 16 years photographing and filming right wing Israeli settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron. His film, Israel: Rise of the Right, looks at the followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane, an American-born rabbi and politician who proposed the mass expulsion of Arabs from Israel before he was assassinated in 1990.
(AlJazeeraEnglish YouTube) Ilan Mizrahi has spent 16 years photographing and filming right wing Israeli settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron. His film, Israel: Rise of the Right, looks at the followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane, an American-born rabbi and politician who proposed the mass expulsion of Arabs from Israel before he was assassinated in 1990.
I immediately began asking around who this guy was, whether it was a hack job, or worth watching because [as has been said in Rabbi Binyamin Kahane's HY"D name] "We want everyone to think we are crazy. Then maybe they will leave us alone."
The answer I got from my friend, political activist, the "Kalashnikover Rebbe" was quite surprising:
There are a few facts wrong here and there, but it wasn't biased at all, shockingly so. He focused all on Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir. He did not acknowledge the other factions and Kahanists, but not to anyone's detriment.
Ilan Mizrahi has even given over footage which served to exonerate Jews in court. So, so it is clear he is not out to get us.
I think it was a nice job. He filmed us for years. He has even become a "part of the community," and a regular presence at all our "events."
There are a few facts wrong here and there, but it wasn't biased at all, shockingly so. He focused all on Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir. He did not acknowledge the other factions and Kahanists, but not to anyone's detriment.
Ilan Mizrahi has even given over footage which served to exonerate Jews in court. So, so it is clear he is not out to get us.
I think it was a nice job. He filmed us for years. He has even become a "part of the community," and a regular presence at all our "events."
The four parts of the film are embedded below, together totaling 46 minutes. The film is mostly in Hebrew with English subtitles, with narration in English. When I finish the entire series, I will issue an update with synopses and commentary.
In the meantime, whether you are religious or secular, right or left-identified, check it out, and judge for yourselves.
See All at :
ESSER AGAROTH - Israel: Rise of the Right (Updated)
Who gave instructions to York University's Legal Council to ban the JDL from campus? Did the Board of Directors of York University agree with the ban
Who gave instructions to York University's Legal Council to ban the JDL from campus? Did the Board of Directors of York University agree with the ban
Who supports Pro-Israel Advocates on Campus?
Who does NOT support Pro Israel Advocates?Please scroll down the list of York Foundation Board Members:
http://www.yorku.ca/foundatn/about_bod.html
Who does NOT support Pro Israel Advocates?Please scroll down the list of York Foundation Board Members:
http://www.yorku.ca/founda
Write and ask them why they continue to support York University?
Write and ask them how they could permit *non*academics to speak on campus to promote the destruction of Israel and our Jewish people.
Write and ask them about the ban on the Jewish Defence League.
Write and explain to this Foundation Board Member why "these issues" should not be discussed on campuses.
http://www.thestar.com/com
...On June 5, Marshall Cohen, chair of the board of governors... "These issues are discussed on a daily basis in all parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, including Israel. There is no reason why they should not be discussed at a university in Canada."
==========================
Statement by B'nai Brith about the Conference @ York U
==========================
YORK UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE LIVES UP TO ANTI-ISRAEL EXPECTATIONS
Anti-Israel propagandists were out in force this week participating in a June 22-24, 2009 conference convened and sponsored by York University titled, “Israel/Palestine: Mapping Models of Statehood and Paths to Peace”. B’nai Brith Canada from the outset raised concerns surrounding this conference, issuing alerts to Jewish community members to expose what promised to be a blatant exercise in anti-Zionist propaganda. The Jewish human rights organization also mounted a national media campaign, which included Canada-wide ads in the National Post to draw attention to York University ’s failure to provide balanced intellectual debate, and to ensure a welcoming and secure environment for all students.
The conference indeed delivered on its expected anti-Israel potential. Its overall tenor was one of open antagonism towards Israel and hostility towards those participants who dared to articulate even remotely sympathetic comments about the Jewish State.
Recurring themes that took center stage at the conference consisted of the usual canards:
· The libel that Israel is an apartheid state and a perpetrator of genocide.
· That the Jewish State is an illegal racist construct – an outrageous claim akin to Zionism=Racism, which smacks of antisemitism.
· Questions surrounding whether the Jewish State has a right to exist – a central tenet echoed repeatedly throughout the conference.
· Musings on whether Jews constituted a “people” who could then claim the right to self-determination – a right accorded to all other peoples in the world.
· Pontifications that Israel qualified as a “rogue” state, and therefore should not be recognized as a sovereign nation.
Tensions were palpable – both inside the conference sessions and outside where crowds mingled. Particularly vociferous were the question and answer periods where organizers were ineffective in controlling the hecklers and anti-Israel agitators who held court. Abuse was hurled by participants at those who voiced any sympathy towards Israel . Particularly problematic was the hostility faced by the Israeli academics at this conference, a number of whom expressed concerns about the antagonism they personally endured. “Check your white privilege before you talk down to me,” was a racist slur heard on more than one occasion on the conference floor.
Contributing to the overall hostile environment were items displayed for sale. Amongst them was the notorious film, Route 181, whose claim to fame is its widespread use by anti-Israel propagandists to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Israel ’s very existence. This film in fact was screened at the opening of the conference, setting the overall tone and foretelling its outcome.
We note with concern the determined exclusion of media by conference organizers, a peculiar practice in light of the fact that the conference was heralded as “an exercise of academic debate” and model for “free speech”. We learned from the Jewish Tribune, which was refused entry, that no journalist would be allowed to register. Meanwhile, at the registration table in plain view was a badge in the name of Toronto Star columnist Haroon Siddiqui. While Mr. Siddiqui in the end did not attend, conference organizers apparently had been prepared to admit him.
Below are some notable statements by speakers and audience members reflecting the overall anti-Israel climate of this conference. Note: These statements are not verbatim quotes, but paraphrase the remarks of speakers and audience members as closely as possible.
WISHFUL INDULGENCES … TEACHING ISRAEL A LESSON
I can’t wish a catastrophe on Israel to teach it a lesson it won’t teach itself, because it would also engulf Palestine and the surrounding Arab states. --Marc H. Ellis, conference speaker
CHALLENGING JEWISH HISTORY
The mythology that the Jews were expelled 2000 years ago, even if true, does not give claim to the land... Anyhow, the claim of expulsion by the Romans is the topic of scholarly debate. --Omar Barghouti, conference speaker
ISRAEL AS AN ILLEGAL ENTITY
If you kill them all [Palestinians] rather than displace them, you can declare yourself a majority for the purposes of autonomy. --Anti-Israel agitator who was cheered on by audience members
REFUSING TO RECOGNIZE THE JEWISH PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO STATEHOOD
The Jewish right of self-determination is highly disputable. --Jeff Handmaker, conference speaker
THE VEIL OF ACADEMIA EXPOSED
There is a violent conflict that has been going on for sixty years. There has been silence about this in this conference, and there has been no sense of any responsibility for the conflict from the Palestinian side. --Na’ama Carmi, conference speaker from Haifa University who was subjected to particularly vicious attacks from audience members regarding what was construed as her pro-Israel remarks
I’m a clinical psychologist and I’d like to hear how you come to reconcile yourself to your belief system that distorts international refugee law that way. --Conference participant questioning Carmi’s mental state
This is an academic conference, or, at least, it should be. --Na’ama Carmi responding to the onslaught of attacks that she faced in question period
There is lots of room to criticize Palestinian action, which I admit has not been dealt with in this conference. --Hazem Jamjoum, conference speaker
The lack of respect was difficult, and also had a personal tone to it. --Dorit Na’aman, conference speaker and member of the International Advisory Board
CONCLUSION / RECOMMENDATIONS
From the moment this conference was announced, B’nai Brith Canada has raised concerns about what was clearly shaping up to be an exercise in anti-Israel propaganda. A hostile climate towards Jewish students at York University has been allowed to take root, as anti-Israel activity continues to intensify. The endorsement by York University of this conference has only made the situation worse and reinforces students’ worst fears as a new academic year approaches.
Amongst B’nai Brith Canada ’s recommendations to York University are:
The University should immediately declare itself a hate-free zone
Israel Apartheid Week and conferences that question the Jewish State’s right to exist should not be allowed on campus
The University should enforce the prohibition against unauthorized demonstrations by anti-Israel agitators
B'nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875 as the foremost Jewish human rights organization. To learn more about its advocacy work and diverse community and social programs, please visit http://www.bnaibrith.ca.
"Crisis on Canadian Campuses"
Article:
http://lumpygrumpyandfrump
Article:
http://lumpygrumpyandfrump
Video:
http://lumpygrumpyandfrump
…………………………………………………………………
June 22, 23 and 24th Protest @ York
Article:
http://lumpygrumpyandfrump
photos of Protest @ York:
http://lumpygrumpyandfrump
taken from B'NAI ELIM (Sons of the Mighty)
Look who is on the Board of Directors of York University
Look who is on the Board of Directors of York University
Board of Directors
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Select a Priority, Faculty or Division
Israel Matzav: ACLU helping raise money for Hamas
ACLU helping raise money for Hamas
The ACLU has released a report and a video criticizing US government efforts to shut down terror-financing activities. The reason - you guessed it - is that the ACLU claims that efforts to shut down terror-financing activities disproportionately impact Muslims. I wonder why (Hat Tip: Nathan L).
Israel Matzav: ACLU helping raise money for HamasThe ACLU asserts that post-September 11 policies targeting these charities have a "disproportionate" effect on Muslims and "are undermining American Muslims' protected constitutional liberties and violating their fundamental human rights to freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom from discrimination."
It recommends a series of policy changes which include repealing Executive Order 13224, issued shortly after September 11, which creates mechanisms for designating persons and organizations as "specially designated global terrorists" (SDGTs). The ACLU also calls on the FBI to employ the" least intrusive means" necessary to accomplish its investigative objectives and urges the federal government to ban law enforcement practices that "disproportionately" target people "based on ethnicity, national origin or religion."Read All at :
Israel Matzav: Oh my! WaPo slams Obama for painting himself into a corner over a 'settlement freeze'
Oh my! WaPo slams Obama for painting himself into a corner over a 'settlement freeze'
Perhaps Jackson Diehl - who was never pro-Israel - may have had an epiphany last month when he met with 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President This absolutist position is a loser for three reasons. First, it has allowed Palestinian and Arab leaders to withhold the steps they were asked for; they claim to be waiting for the settlement "freeze" even as they quietly savor a rare public battle between Israel and the United States. Second, the administration's objective -- whatever its merits -- is unobtainable. No Israeli government has ever agreed to an unconditional freeze, and no coalition could be assembled from the current parliament to impose one.
Finally, the extraction of a freeze from Netanyahu is, as a practical matter, unnecessary. While further settlement expansion needs to be curbed, both the Palestinian Authority and Arab governments have gone along with previous U.S.-Israeli deals by which construction was to be limited to inside the periphery of settlements near Israel -- since everyone knows those areas will be annexed to Israel in a final settlement. Before the 2007 Annapolis peace conference organized by the Bush administration, Saudi Arabia and other Arab participants agreed to what one former senior official called "the Google Earth test"; if the settlements did not visibly expand, that was good enough.Read All at :
Israel Matzav: Oh my! WaPo slams Obama for painting himself into a corner over a 'settlement freeze'
Israel Matzav: How Western kids are brainwashed to believe the 'Palestinian' narrative
How Western kids are brainwashed to believe the 'Palestinian' narrative
If you thought that it's only 'Palestinians' who are brainwashed into believing the narrative that they were forced out of what is now the modern State of Israel, you're mistaken. This is a question from a Canadian provincial practice history test for high school students:
Read All at :
Israel Matzav: How Western kids are brainwashed to believe the 'Palestinian' narrative
Israel Matzav: How Israelis view Obama
How Israelis view Obama
This is a fair summary of how Israelis view Obama. Israel Matzav: How Israelis view ObamaNetanyahu's centrist approach also strengthened the chances that his coalition will survive potential tensions with Washington. Netanyahu reluctantly agreed to mention the two-state solution to please the US.
Read All at :
Israel Matzav: Obama's exercise in futility
Obama's exercise in futility
Writing in Sunday's Washington Post, David Ignatius - not a huge supporter of Israel by any stretch - points out the flaw in the Obama administration's pressure on Israel for a 'settlement freeze': The White House believes that if it comes to a showdown, Netanyahu will compromise. His coalition government, the administration reasons, is too weak to sustain an open break with its key ally, the United States. If Netanyahu defies the United States, his coalition will splinter. The administration is already talking with Ehud Barak, the Labor Party leader and defense minister, who might form a new government if Netanyahu falls.
Read All at :
Israel Matzav: Obama's exercise in futility
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