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11/08 Links Pt2: NYU, SJP and a response to ‘the 10 Common Misconceptions About BDS’; Trudeau issues apology for Canada’s refusal to let in Jews fleeing Holocaust

November 8, 2018 Ian General News

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2018/11/1108-links-pt2-nyu-sjp-and-response-to.html

From Ian:

David Collier: NYU, SJP and a response to ‘the 10 Common Misconceptions About BDS’
NYU and the ‘ten common misconceptions about BDS’

‘Washington Square News‘, is an ‘Independent Student Newspaper’ at NYU. Three days ago they published an article written by SJP ‘Students for Justice in Palestine’. It was titled ‘10 Common Misconceptions About BDS‘ and set out to reassure the reader that the boycott movement against Israel (BDS) is a legitimate, credible, successful and ethical tool with which to bring peace to Israel and the Palestinians. I thought I’d take a look:
1 BDS is antisemitic

This is an easy one. BDS is clearly antisemitic. SJP argue that ‘BDS targets the nation-state of Israel, not any religious or ethnic group’, which is half-true, but they fail to address the lies and hypocrisy inherent in the movement. In their argument they bring up historical Jewish anti-Zionism in the shape of the Labour Bund. The logic is this – if some Jewish people were against the formation of Israel in the 1900-1940’s, it is okay to oppose Zionism today. That’s pretty twisted. The Bundists opposed Zionism because they believed Europe could provide safe haven in the shape of Jewish autonomous regions. They were wrong and Bundism burnt in the fires of Auschwitz. SJP are cynically using Holocaust victims to shield criticism of an attack against Jews.

Yet the real issue with BDS is in its selectivity. Notice how BDS ‘target’ Israel. Why not Lebanon? Inside Lebanon are descendants of the 1948 Israel /Arab conflict, perpetually held under a real Apartheid system. These ‘refugees’ are explicitly referenced by BDS, yet BDS does not target those guilty of oppressing them. Why not? If human rights of Palestinians is key here, then BDS should cross borders, but it doesn’t. This shows that promoting the ‘human rights’ of Palestinians is an excuse. BDS is a movement set up to exclusively target the ‘Jewish state’ for reasons beyond those officially stated. Picking exclusively on Jews sounds pretty antisemitic to me.
2 BDS is too extreme

The SJP article doesn’t even put forward arguments to oppose this statement, it just suggests that such a label can be used against any movement. The extremist label ‘is just a convenient way to shut down all avenues of resistance’. This is merely a deflections that doesn’t address the issue. Of course BDS is too extreme. There is one nation in the whole of that region that provides all of its citizens with a voice, protects its minorities and has a respected judicial system. It has 9 million citizens. BDS seeks to destroy that nation. How is that not ‘too extreme’?
3 The way forward is through dialogue, not boycotts.

‘This is not an issue of communication, but of violent occupation’. Even if true that only explains away 33% of BDS (BDS have three goals, the 1967 ‘occupation’ is only one of them). Unless of course they wish to suggest *ALL* of Israel is ‘occupied’, which they don’t like doing because it exposes the extremism of the movement (see misconception number two). If you read the SJP response, it suggests dialogue is a negative thing. This is the core pillar upon which the case for Israel is silenced. They don’t want people to talk because they know their lies, hypocrisy and inconsistency will be exposed – hence – no to dialogue. What type of justice movement doesn’t give the ‘accused’ an opportunity to defend itself?

JCPA: The Sky Is Not Falling in Washington: The U.S. Mid-Term Elections

Despite the habitual Jewish gevalt expressions of anxiety, the results of the 2018 U.S. elections do not foretell any change in congressional policy toward Israel, the Middle East, and Iran.

2. Do the elections of Arab Americans and progressives augur bad times for Israel?
An Emphatic No.

  • I have watched Arab-American and progressive Members of Congress over the last 50 years. Some were often strong critics of Israel, but their impact was negligible, and their national parties tended to limit their exposure. Examples of Arab-Americans include Senators James Abourezk and James Abdnor, and Representatives Nick Rahall, John Sununu, and Mary Rose Oakar.
  • Muslims: At least two were elected on November 6, 2018: in Michigan, Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, and Ilhan Omar, a hijab-wearing Sudanese-American in Minnesota. Tlaib had been endorsed by J Street, but the Left-wing organization took the unprecedented step of rescinding its endorsement after she came out in favor of a one-state solution. Omar takes the place of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim in Congress, who won the race for Minnesota’s Attorney General. Leaving Washington and the limelight is probably good for Ellison, who faced domestic abuse allegations.
  • Progressives and anti-Israel Members of Congress: Don’t forget that the progressives in the Democratic Party have been active for years. Jesse Jackson and Arab-American leader Jim Zogby were frequent speakers before the party’s platform committee, where they criticized support for Israel. The only flag that flew at the last Democratic Convention in 2016 was the Palestinian flag after it was decided no American flags would fly because they bothered some delegates.
  • There have always been anti-Israel members of Congress (political correctness requires us to say “critical of Israel”), such as Senators William Fulbright and George McGovern (Democrats), and Representatives Paul Findley and Paul “Pete” McCloskey (Republicans). Despite McGovern winning the Democratic Party nomination for President in 1972, none was particularly influential in their parties or the Congress.

Florida Governor-elect DeSantis: I will be aggressive against BDS

If there is one American politician who has made support for Israel a daily agenda item, Florida Governor-elect Ron DeSantis is that man.

DeSantis,a Republican who for six years served in the U.S. House of Representatives, has his name on a series of legislative initiatives in Congress aimed at protecting and strengthening Israel, the highlight of which was his relentless push to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Even after U.S. President Donald Trump made the historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s official capital, DeSantis continued to act to implement that move on the ground, arriving in Israel in order to examine possible sites for establishing an embassy in Jerusalem.

During his final term as congressman, DeSantis pushed for U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Coming up on the end of his third term as congressman, DeSantis resigned from the position and decided he would run for governor of Florida – one of the most important states in the U.S. political system. His opponent was Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a man perceived by many to be a rising star in the Democratic Party.

Tuesday night was a nerve-wracking one for the 40-year-old DeSantis, as he watched and waited for the results in the race to lead this important state of over 20 million people. DeSantis would end up beating Gillum by a few tenths of a percent.

On Wednesday, DeSantis spoke with Israel Hayom in what was his first foreign media interview as governor-elect. If there’s one takeaway from this interview, it is that, beginning in Jan. 2019, Israel will have friend in the Florida Governor’s Mansion.

The Anti-Semitic 8—Election Results

Last week, Tablet’s editors provided some “voter education” ahead of yesterday’s midterm elections. The point wasn’t to stump for any party or politician but to draw attention to eight candidates running for office who had engaged in “open and blatant” anti-Semitism. As the editorial put it: “Anti-Semitism is a bright red line in our politics that no one in our public life can be permitted to cross and expect to receive the support of our community, whether we are proud Democrats or proud Republicans.” The eight politicians singled out, four each from the Democrat and Republican parties, had all, in different ways, openly crossed the red line.

The results are in and the good news is that voters rejected four of the public officials from our list. The bad news is that they voted to keep the other four in office. Neither of the Holocaust deniers in the race came anywhere close to winning but disconcertingly, both polled over 25 percent. Perhaps the most disappointing outcome is the narrow reelection of Iowa’s Steve King, Congress’ resident open white nationalist who has gone out of his way in recent years to prove to voters that he is a fellow traveler of anti-Semitic far-right parties.

THE LOSERS:
John “everything we’ve been told about the Holocaust is a lie” Fitzgerald (Republican) lost 28 percent to 71 percent in California’s 11th Congressional District.

Leslie Cockburn (Democrat) who co-wrote a book about how evil Israelis manipulate America through their favorite tool, American Jews, described in the book as “women with blue hair and pseudo-athletic men,” lost 47 percent to 53 percent in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.

Lena Epstein (Republican) who defended her decision to invite a non-Jewish “messianic” rabbi to publicly mourn the victims of Pittsburgh at a campaign event, lost 45 percent to 52 percent in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District.

Arthur “there’s more to me than being a denier of the Holocaust,” Jones (Republican) lost 27 percent to 74 percent in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District.

LOSSES FOR THE PUBLIC (ELECTION WINNERS):
Rep. Danny K. “I regard [Louis Farrakhan] as an outstanding human being” Davis (Democrat) won 88 percent to 12 percent in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District.

Rep. Andre Carson (Democrat), who has “declined to characterize Farrakhan’s remarks as ‘hate speech’” and attends dinners with the Nation of Islam leader and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, won 62 percent to 38 percent in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District.

Rep. Steve “we can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies” King (Republican) won 50 percent to 47 percent in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.

Ilhan “Israel has hypnotized the world” Omar (Democrat), won 78 percent to 22 percent in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.

Israel Boycott funder Democrat Scott Wallace defeated in #PA01

Some good news.

We previously wrote about Democrat Scott Wallace running in the judicially redistricted Pennsylvania 1 district, Dem Scott Wallace (#PA01) foundation funded worst-of-the-worst anti-Israel pro-BDS groups:

As explained in our post, Wallace claimed he was unaware and blamed some unnamed other person in the foundation. Wallace’s campaign, however, has never responded to our inquiries as to what Wallace knew, and when he knew it. That’s important, because Wallace’s foundation funded the worst-of-the-worst BDS groups, as I explained in that original post:

You may not have heard of Haymarket Books, but it’s a crucial player in the national BDS movement. That Wallace’s foundation knew to fund Haymarket and its parent entity shows a level of planning sophistication and understanding as to how money is moved around among anti-Israel activists.

Haymarket is the publishing arm of the Center for Economic and Social Research (CERSC), the 501(c)3 arm of the International Socialist Organization (ISO), a ‘revolutionary socialist’ organization. CERSC’s other activities include publishing the International Socialist Review (ISR), sponsorship of the annual “Socialism Conference”, and hosting and publishing the vehemently anti-Israel blog, Mondoweiss.

Keith Ellison, Farrakhan groupie and go-to Congressman for anti-Israel activists, elected Minnesota AG

In October, it looked like Keith Ellison might lose his race for Minnesota Attorney General, even though he was the favorite.

I discussed Ellison’s troubling and continued relationship with Louis Farrakhan, and the accusations by a former girlfriend of domestic abuse, in my post, Is political end finally here for former Farrakhan activist Keith Ellison? Down 7 points in Minnesota AG race.

The domestic abuse accusations were contested, but there was no contesting Ellison’s close association with the Nation of Islam in the 1990s, and more recently.

J Street Dealt Setbacks In Competitive Midterm Races

The political action committee of the left-wing Israel group J Street batted just under 43 percent on Tuesday night, as most of their endorsed candidates in competitive races wound up losing their bid.

According to an analysis by the political consulting group Rational 360, J Street PAC, while winning the vast majority of uncompetitive races in both the House and Senate, lost 32 out of 56 (nearly 60 percent) competitive campaigns it endorsed.

With the House, J Street PAC lost 29 of the 51 competitive House races (nearly 57 percent).

On the Senate side, it won just two of the five competitive races it endorsed: Nevada’s Jacky Rosen, who unseated Republican Dean Heller, and Montana’s Jon Tester, who defeated an incumbent challenge from Republican Matt Rosendale. Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Missouri’s Claire McCaskill and North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp each lost their respective race.

J Street PAC raised $5 million for 163 congressional candidates, according to the group.

How Extremist Scholars Promote Terrorism, Violence

Prominent Muslim scholars continue to argue that the Quran and Prophet Mohammed do not incite intolerance or killing Christians and Jews. Many scholars, however, seem prepared to do their utmost to hide this “inconvenient truth.”

Take, for example, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s preeminent Sunni university, who recently claimed that “there is no single verse in the Quran that calls for killing Jews or Christians.”

While it is true that the Quran does not specifically call for killing Christians and Jews, the Hadith — a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of Prophet Mohammed — does refer to killing all Jews.

The Quran, however does refer to Christians and Jews as disbelievers, and calls on Muslims to fight and kill disbelievers.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar made his claim in a speech delivered in Cairo, Egypt, in the presence of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, senior government officials and Al-Azhar clerics on June 11 during the annual celebration of Laylat al-Qadr (“Night of Decree”).

In his speech, the senior Muslim cleric reconfirmed Al-Azhar’s previous condemnation of a call from many intellectuals and politicians in France to reconsider as outdated the verses of the Quran that provoke hatred, killing Jews and other disbelievers, and that promote anti-Semitism and hatred of other non-Muslims.

LA City Council Strongly Calls on UCLA to Cancel Upcoming SJP National Conference

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday, calling on the University of California, Los Angeles, to reject hosting the annual National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) conference, scheduled for Nov. 16-18.

The Jewish Journal first reported this development.

“SJP members have posted violent antisemitic rhetoric on social media, ranging from calling for the annihilation of the Jewish people, to the admiration of Adolf Hitler and hateful calls to ‘kill Jews,’ ‘kill all Zionists,’ and ‘let’s stuff some Jews in the oven,’ ” according to the resolution.

Additionally, the resolution cited that SJP’s website “comparing Israel to the Nazis” would exemplify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

It also noted that SJP would reject students from attending unless they were cleared by SJP or a pro-Palestinian campus group.

“A public university should not allow any group to implement a litmus test for event participation on their campus based on an attendee’s beliefs, religion or national origin,” stated the resolution.

Moreover, the resolution remarked the conference would violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in federally assisted programs or activities.”

UCLA Shamefully Condones Students for Justice in Palestine

UCLA is allowing the national conference of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) to be held on its campus on November 16-18. SJP believes Zionism “can be destroyed,” which is a call for mass murder.

While SJP members claim they are just critics of Israeli policy, on Nov. 2 the SJP Facebook page had a graphic regarding who controls the press. A dozen media outlets were listed – along with the names, photos, and titles of Jews who work at them. Next to each picture was a Jewish star.

As Dan Diker noted in his expose of SJP, the group “has maintained links to convicted terrorists and terror groups” and “sanctions violence, bigotry, harassment and intimidation of Jewish and Israel-friendly students and faculty on campus.”

The group’s support for terrorists is reflected by past invitations to the conference given to convicted terrorists such as Khader Adnan, a senior member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Rasmea Odeh, a former member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Professor Judea Pearl told the Los Angeles Jewish Journal: “I have served on the faculty of UCLA for 49 years and I have never thought I would see the day when the symbol of my university would turn into a Hamas recruitment poster.”

“The NSJP Conference reminds us that hate did not stop at Pittsburgh. U.S. campuses, emboldened by our blindness and inaction, are now offering racist groups a fertile ground to spawn their venom, test out intimidating tactics, and gain academic legitimacy.”

Do the right thing UCLA, and cancel the conference.

IsraellyCool: Twitter Suspends Account of Hater Who Tried to Pass off Fake IDF Video As Authentic

Yesterday, I posted about an extreme Israel hater called Saif Bitar who tried to pass of as authentic a fake video of IDF soldiers supposedly admitting to horrendous crimes.

Thanks to my post and the backlash it generated (presumably including many of you reporting him to Twitter), the tweet was deleted.

Then, according to reader Max:
After IsraellyCool exposed that video that Saif Bitar posted, it seems that Saif Bitar went to Ozraeli Dave’s followers list and just started mass-blocking people.

I didn’t tweet anything to the “Bitter” Saif directly, so I don’t see what other “reason” could he have had for blocking me or how else could he have found my profile, other than that I’m following Ozraeli Dave. Others are commenting that he blocked them too.

He doesn’t know who are the Guest posters here who help expose what Palestinian propagandists write on Twitter, so it seems that he just resulted to mass-blocking, like that would somehow “help him” hide what he’s posting from us… but we can simply open his profile in an “Incognito window” and see what he writes.

IsraellyCool: Students for Justice in Palestine Equate Pittsburgh Synagogue Murder Victims & Gazans

When SJP mourns dead Jews in America but promotes more of the same in Israel.

When SJP claims not to be antisemitic but advocates for the total destruction of the world’s only Jewish safe haven, the only place where Jews can safely escape to if Pittsburgh becomes a trend.

When they support those who don’t want to live in peace with two states, rather, who would do anything to annihilate Israel by whatever means necessary, including putting their own children’s lives on the line.

When they defend the Palestinian curriculum that promotes incitement and jihad against the State of Israel.

When they complain that not enough Jews are dying in this endless war by lamenting casualty ratios, not taking into account that Israel takes action to protect her citizens and the Palestinian leadership want their people to die for sympathy and political brownie points. When they use these casualty ratios as proof that Jews – um, I mean Israelis – are the oppressor.

Suspect arrested for ripping wigs of Orthodox Jewish women in LA

Los Angeles police have arrested a man who they say has been snatching wigs off the heads of Orthodox Jewish women in North Hollywood, California.

Police believe the man targeted the women because of their faith and are investigating it as a hate crime. He was arrested at his home in Sherman Oaks on Wednesday night.

Two of the incidents took place in September and one earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times reported.

One of the incidents took place on Yom Kippur. The man grabbed a big off the head of an 80-year-old woman, smiled and handed it back to her, police told the newspaper. Later that same day he ripped the wig off the head of a 36-year-old woman.

On Tuesday, the suspect, who has not been identified, pulled the wig off of a 58-year-old woman, apologized in what police called a “sarcastic manner,” and threw the wig on the ground, according to the newspaper.

Police believe there may have been other unreported incidents.

Nearly 30% of Germans believe Jews use ‘dirty tricks,’ poll finds

Eighty years after the Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”) pogrom, nearly one-third of Germans harbor varying degrees of anti-Semitic beliefs, new research has revealed.

Although the research – conducted by Leipzig University in conjunction with the social-democratic Friedrich Ebert Foundation – shows that anti-Semitism is less widespread in Germany today than it was in the past, a significant number of Germans still hold negative views of Jews.

According to the research, some 31% of Germans believe that “Jews still have too much influence.” About 29% of Germans think “Jews use dirty tricks more than others.”

One in ten respondents explicitly agreed with the statement “There is something special about Jews and they don’t really fit in with us,” while another 20% implicitly agreed with it.

Around 40% of Germans said that Israeli policies contribute to the unsympathetic sentiments toward Jews.

Trudeau issues apology for Canada’s refusal to let in Jews fleeing Holocaust

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued on Wednesday a formal apology on behalf of the country for its refusal to accept 907 Jewish refugees who, fleeing Nazi Germany, arrived on its shores in 1939.

The German liner MS St. Louis was carrying German Jews fleeing Nazi persecution and had previously been rejected by Cuba and the United States. After being turned away by Canada, the passengers were forced to return to Europe and more than 250 later died in the Holocaust.

Standing in the Canadian parliament chamber, Trudeau spoke in both English and French as he apologized.

“In 1939, Canada turned its back on 907 Jewish refugees, deeming them unworthy of a home, and undeserving of our help,” the prime minister said. “Today, I issue an official apology on behalf of the Government of Canada to the passengers of the MS St. Louis and their families for this injustice.”

“While decades have passed since we turned our backs on Jewish refugees, time has by no means absolved Canada of its guilt or lessened the weight of our shame,” he said.

In ‘small antidote to anti-Semitism,’ Jewish graves rededicated in Cape Verde

After years of careful restoration, two 19th century Jewish cemeteries were rededicated in Cape Verde on Tuesday, part of an effort financed by the Moroccan king to preserve the archipelago’s cultural heritage.

On wind-swept Santo Antao island, local dignitaries, international diplomats, and prominent Jewish figures gathered for the ceremony where seven of the graves are located.

The rededication project involved translating the original inscriptions onto bronze plaques which accompany the graves, telling the story of Cape Verde’s Jewish community which has now all but disappeared in the former Portuguese colony off the western coast of Africa.

Carol Castiel, president of the Cape Verdean Jewish Heritage Project, consulted with Hebrew and Portuguese linguists, historians, and rabbis to create the new plaques.

“This cemetery is a small antidote to what we’re seeing around the world with populism and the rise of anti-Semitism,” said Castiel in an interview from Santo Antao, where she traveled for the ceremony. “Here is a little oasis, a place where people take pride in the Jewish history.”

Hebrew U team develops shape-shifting 3D printed pills for better targeted drugs

Researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a new way to create drug capsules using 3D printers, a step that will help pave the way for pills that can be tailored to perform better than the conventional capsules manufactured today.

The custom-printed pills are made out of a hydrogel in which the medication is inserted, said Professor Shlomo Magdassi, head of the Hebrew University’s 3D and Functional Printing Center, who developed the technology together with Dr. Ofra Benny, a researcher at Hebrew University’s Institute for Drug Research. The substance has the consistency of malabi, a Middle Eastern milk pudding, Magdassi said.

The technology enables the creation of pills with complex designs, he explained, from star-shaped to crystalline to round, that can expand, change shape and be activated on a preset schedule. This is currently not possible, or very expensive to do, in conventional pharmaceutical manufacturing techniques. The flexibility enables the capsules to expand or release their medication at the location they need to target.

For example, Magdassi said, a tablet can be printed that can swell in the stomach to give a feeling of fullness, or to only release its medication in the intestine, where acidity is lower than in the stomach. It will also allow doctors to more specifically tailor the dosage of the drugs to individual patients.

Israeli-Moroccan Business Is Growing

“Secret” Israeli-Moroccan business is increasingly visible, despite the North African country sharing no official relations with Israel and growing calls in Morocco against “economic normalisation”.

Recent statistical discrepancies are a good start. Although Morocco’s official trade data has never made mention of Israel whatsoever, Israeli records shows $37m worth of commerce with Morocco in 2017, according to data released by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) this year.

This means that, out of Israel’s 22 African trading partners, Morocco is among the four top nations from which it imports, and ninth in terms of exports, according to CBS. However, with $149m worth of trade between 2014 and 2017, this partnership is not new.

More unusual is Israel’s first overt foreign investment into the Arab world, with Israeli agricultural technology giant Netafim setting up a $2.9m subsidiary in Morocco last year, thereby creating 17 jobs, according to fDi Markets, a Financial Times data service that has monitored crossborder greenfield investment worldwide since 2003. Greenfield investment is when a company builds its operations in a foreign country from the ground up.

This development may fit into broader regional trends. Arab-Israeli relations are improving, for one, due to a growing alliance aginst Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to Oman is a good example of these warming relations.

Why Israel is a leader in cybersecurity

Israel takes security very seriously, and that sentiment spills over into the cybersecurity world as well. The country has become a leader in cybersecurity. Last year, Thomas Bossert, Assistant to the U.S. President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, announced the U.S.-Israeli bilateral cyber working group. Israel is also helping smaller nations, assisting in the creation of 300+ cybersecurity startups, exporting $6.5 billion in cybersecurity products and attracting foreign investors.

Just last month, U.S. Governor John Bel Edwards met with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss partnerships on cybersecurity.

Like other security-related things, Israel is taking on the role of teacher, guiding other countries in the right direction and sharing our knowledge.

Part of the reason why Israel is leagues ahead of other countries in terms of cybersecurity is because the government has taken an active role in pushing the industry along. There is constant collaboration between the government, universities and businesses. The government usually takes an advisory role, guiding things along.

There are more than 400 cybersecurity companies in Israel, and many of them are working with automakers to address security issues associated with self-driving vehicles.

Singers from 42 countries travelling to Tel Aviv for Eurovision

Singers from 42 countries will be travelling to Israel for the Eurovision Song Contest taking place in Tel Aviv on May 18, the organizers announced Wednesday. 36 countries will perform in the Semi-Finals on May 14 and 16 May, hoping to qualify for the Grand Final.

Host country Israel and the so-called ‘Big Five’ countries — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom — are traditionally prequalified to take part in the Grand Final on 18 May. The three shows will be co-produced by the EBU and Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

“Last year Netta dared to dream and won the contest in Lisbon, bringing it to Israel for 2019. We are thrilled that 42 countries will be represented in Tel Aviv,” said Jon Ola Sand, the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Eldad Koblenz, CEO of KAN, added: “We already know that dreams come true when we saw Netta Barzilai win the Eurovision Song Contest in May and bring the trophy back to Israel for a third time. Netta allowed us to dare to dream and now, as these dreams are being realised, we can’t wait to host the 42 delegations who will aspire to do the same. “

Tourism to Israel at Record Levels

Hows that boycott working out for you?

In 2001 at the notorious Durban Conference in South Africa, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions emerged as a tactic against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.

A full 17 years after this cynically orchestrated attempt to isolate the worlds only Jewish state, tourism is at record levels.

I’m calling BDS fail.

From Globes:
3.4 million tourists visited Israel in January-October 2018, 15% more than in the corresponding period last year.

485,500 tourists visited Israel in October, 14% more than in October 2017. The Ministry of Tourism estimates that they contributed over NIS 2.5 billion to the Israeli economy. 3.4 million tourists visited Israel in January-October 2018, 15% more than in the corresponding period last year, and the Ministry of Tourism is aiming to increase this number to four million a year. The increase in tourism and the prosperity of hoteliers and the tourist industry also depends on the relative tranquility in the regional security situation. According to Ministry of Tourism figures, tourists stay in Israel for an average of eight days.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Miri Regev meet with Israeli Judo champions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev hosted the Israeli gold medal winners of the grand slam judo tournament in Abu Dhabi at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem on Thursday.

In addition to the gold medalists, the entire Israel Judo team attended the meeting with the prime minister including 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist, Ori Sasoon.

“I have always said that Israel is a cyber power, a water power, an agricultural power, a high tech power, IT,” Netanyahu said, adding that now “Israel is a Judo power.”

Sagi Muki and Peter Palchik both won gold medals at the completions where the Israeli national anthem was played in the United Arab Emirates for the first time.

“I’ll tell you a secret, when I heard Hatikva twice, I also had tears in my eyes,” Netanyahu said. “It was so moving that I can’t imagine that there was not one Israeli who was not moved by this. Keep this up, it’s a very big thing. We believe in achievements, we believe in you and I want to thank the members of this delegation.”

Jewish students remember ‘Night of Broken Glass’ in Berlin

Jewish students in Berlin on Wednesday marked the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass,” when Nazis terrorized Jews throughout Germany and Austria.

Some 30 students from the Jewish Traditional School lit candles and recited prayers at their school as Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal urged them to jointly overcome Germany’s past by building a secure future for Jews in the country.

“This is the city where the Holocaust was planned and executed from,” said Teichtal, a community rabbi and the head of Chabad in the German capital.

“What better answer is there than that, in this very city, the students of the Jewish school from Berlin should jointly pray and light candles showing that the answer to darkness and the evil of the past is to create education for the present and the future,” he said.

Eighty years ago this week, on Nov. 9, 1938, the Nazis killed at least 91 people, burned down hundreds of synagogues, vandalized and looted 7,500 Jewish businesses and arrested up to 30,000 Jewish men, many of whom were taken away to concentration camps.

On Wednesday, students assembled under a maple tree in front of their school building. They prayed in Hebrew and German and lit six white candles to commemorate the synagogues that were burned down, as well as the 6 million people who perished in the Holocaust.

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