Concert marks end of Polish Year events in Israel

"The Polish government and the Israeli Postal Company issued a common stamp, featuring the famous Polish Jewish freedom fighter Berek Joselewicz, who commanded the first Jewish military formation in modern history and was a colonel in the Polish army during the uprising of Poland against imperial Russia in the late 18th century."

JERUSALEM/WARSAW (EJP)---A Chopin and Gorecki concert performed by the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra last Sunday in Jerusalem marked the official end of the Polish Year in Israel.

During the past 14 months a multitude of cultural events, exhibitions, performances and various art projects were presented to the Israeli audience by Polish artists, often in concert with local Israeli talents.

The Polish Year in Israel was a venture of the Polish Ministry of Culture and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coordinated by the Warsaw-based Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which aims to promote Polish culture abroad.

While the institute promotes Polish culture worldwide, the yearlong event held in Israel was unprecedented in its magnitude, as the Polish government made a special effort to strengthen Poland’s ties with the people of Israel and to present them with a more wholesome view of Poland today.

The opening event, performed in April 2008, was a premiere production of 'Madame Butterfly' directed by Polish Mariusz Trelinski, conducted by Daniel Inbal of the Israeli Opera and performed by various local Israeli talents.

The opening events were attended by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

The joint Israeli–Polish productions continued throughout the year featuring some notable names such as the Israeli Habima Drama Company, performing together with the Wspolczesny Theatre from Wroclaw.

The cultural events were enthusiastically received by the Israeli audience, with theatre and opera halls overcrowded with visitors during many of the shows.

To mark the end of the year of events, the Polish government and the Israeli Postal Company issued a common stamp, featuring the famous Polish Jewish freedom fighter Berek Joselewicz, who commanded the first Jewish military formation in modern history and was a colonel in the Polish army during the uprising of Poland against imperial Russia in the late 18th century.

The Sunday’s closing concert was attended by Poland’s first lady Maria Kaczynska.

Further cultural cooperation between Poland and Israel is still to come. Next week, the Biuro Podrozy Polish theatre company from Poznan will perform an extravagant production of 'Macbeth' at the first International Theatre Festival in Tel Aviv.

Source: article by Gigi Luz in EJP

- Polish Year in Israel is on!
- Drawing together - the first Israeli-Polish comic book
- Lublin's archbishop heralds new era of Polish openness to Jews (and Israel?)

Dieudonné’s mixed message to Christians, by Seismic Shock

"Soral sees Serbian Christians as patriots heroically fighting crime and corruption, but sees Algerian Christians as neocons, evangelists, and CIA agents. Gouasmi sees French Christians as the 'Palestinians of France.'"

Source: Seismic Shock

Standpoint Magazine carries an article this month chronicling the severity of antisemitism in the banlieues of Paris and in wider French society, and the attempts of Jewish communities in France to confront this bigotry. The murder of Ilam Halimi, in what appears to be an antisemitic murder, highlights the severity of the situation.

Whilst French Jews, and wider French society, worry about the rise in antisemitism, antisemitic French comedian Dieudonné is claiming that France is controlled by Zionism and Zionist interests.

Dieudonné is leading an "anti-Zionist" list of candidates for the upcoming Euro elections in Ile-de-France, consisting of Far Right Front National members. The French government have tried, and failed, to ban Dieudonné’s party. Dieudonné is linked with Holocaust deniers and the French Far Right.

Dieudonné’s candidates include French sociologist Alain Soral and Yahia Gouasmi, who claims that "behind each divorce, there is a Zionist."

Gouasmi is trying to win Christian votes:

"Christians are strangers in their own homes. They are the Palestinians of France. Christians, wake up!"

Indeed, Dieudonné is winning support across French society. Some Christians, it seems, are taking Gouasmi’s advice:

Francis, who described himself as a "Christian student", joined Dieudonne out of a hatred for "multiculturalism" after deciding he “could no longer identify with the values of French society."

So, does Dieudonné’s anti-Zionist party really care about Christians? Alain Soral, talking about the persecution of Christians in Algeria, claimed:

"… yesterday, Phillipe Val criticized the Catholic Church for not drawing attention what’s happening in Algeria to the so-called "Christians" who are persecuted. But what he didn’t say was that it’s not Catholics who are being persecuted in Algeria, but Christian evangelists who are agents of the CIA; neoconservative agents."

In 2008, BBC News reported that four Algerian converts to Christianity were fined by the state for "worshipping illegally", and BosLifeNews reported the imprisonment of Christians in Algeria and the closure of churches.

Clearly persecution of Christians in Algeria is widespread, yet Soral only sees persecution of 'evangelists', whom he equates with CIA agents. To complicate matters further, Soral bemoans the US involvement in Serbia and praises Serbian "patriots":

Serbia, the first Christian country to have been bombed by a “Christian” coalitian in Europe, since 1945, has still not finished healing its wounds. In the grip of American occupation, Albanian mafia and Saudi money, the Serbian patriots nevertheless continue to resist. Fiercely …

Soral sees Serbian Christians as patriots heroically fighting crime and corruption, but sees Algerian Christians as neocons, evangelists, and CIA agents. Gouasmi sees French Christians as the 'Palestinians of France.'

Dieudonné’s candidates at best present a mixed message about Christians (and consider what kind of message he sends out to Jews and Muslims). Then again, Dieudonné’s campaign isn’t really about any of this – it’s about freeing France from the grip of the Zionists.

Whilst the pro-Palestine movement in France has commendably rejected Dieudonné, it is nevertheless important not to ignore the threat which Dieudonné poses in the upcoming European elections, and to listen carefully to what he is saying and whom he is campaigning with.

Amnesty Anti-Israel Obsession Continues to Undermine Moral Principles

“Amnesty’s publications in the region portray Israel as among the worst human rights violators in the Middle East (second only to Iran). In 2008, Amnesty issued more in-depth reports (9) and “Wire” articles (22) on Israel than any other country.”

Amnesty in 2008: Anti-Israel Obsession Continues to Undermine Moral Principles (NGO Monitor)

* In 2008, Amnesty again focused disproportionately on Israel’s response to aggression from Gaza, and led the NGO campaigns accusing Israel of “collective punishment” and “war crimes.”

* Amnesty’s publications in the region portray Israel as among the worst human rights violators in the Middle East (second only to Iran). In 2008, Amnesty issued more in-depth reports (9) and “Wire” articles (22) on Israel than any other country.

* The data indicate that media attention and ideology, in contrast to universal human rights, drive Amnesty’s agenda. Amnesty’s anti-Israel press releases consistently reflect the organization’s role in influencing international public opinion.

* Amnesty International’s 2009 Annual Report (for events in 2008) further demonstrates the NGO superpower’s highly biased approach. Amnesty grossly distorts the conflict, selectively reports events to erase the context of terrorism, ignores human rights issues not consistent with the political agenda, and repeats un-sourced and anecdotal claims.

* Amnesty promotes an overwhelmingly Palestinian narrative of events, blaming Israel for the end of the Gaza ceasefire and the weapons’ smuggling tunnels under the Egyptian border.

* The section on “Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories” employs highly exaggerated language and absurd allegations. Amnesty accuses Israel of “unprecedented use of force” in Gaza, “virtual imprisonment,” and bringing the Palestinians to the “brink of human catastrophe,” and charges that “impunity remained the norm for Israeli soldiers.”

Full report here

- Did HRW and Amnesty protest at giving Ahmadinejad a platform at Durban II?
- "Amnesty ... let the Jews down in Durban", Simon Wiesenthal Center
- Amnesty International: Abolishing Israel's Right to Self Defense
- Amnesty’s obsession with Israel
- European NGO Amnesty International: relentless and disproportionate focus on Israeli "violations"

Is the Consul of Belgium in Jerusalem the only 'diplomat squatter' in the planet ?

"The Belgian Foreign Ministry has sent a letter to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni claiming that Belgium does not recognize Israel's claim to the villa, basing this on the fact that it had been declared absentee property 60 years ago. The letter said Belgium would be willing to discuss the issue after Israel reaches an accord with the Palestinians over Jerusalem. No such accord is on the horizon."
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Clément Weill-Raynal writes that Léo Peeters, the consul general of Belgium in Jerusalem, is probably the only 'diplomat squatter' in the planet ... (Léo Peeters consul de Belgique à Jérusalem, seul 'diplomate squatter' de la planète: "However, this dispute is only a matter of civil law. But the Belgians continue to argue that they will only pay rent on the day the question of Jerusalem is settled by international agreement and when all the Palestinians who have been dispossessed for sixty years are compensated. The new owner, David Sofer, now claims more than two and a half million euros in arrears. An Israeli court will, within fifteen days, consider the case. But the Belgian Foreign Minister has indicated that no Belgian representative will appear before the Israeli courts.")
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Source: article by Etgar Lefkovits in TJP (Dec. 22, 2008)

A luxurious Jerusalem villa that has served as the residence of the consul general of Belgium since 1948 is at the center of a bitter legal dispute over unpaid rent, Israeli officials said Monday.

The issue, which has drawn in government ministries, could turn into a diplomatic spat.

The story begins in 1948, when the building known as the Salameh Villa in the city's upscale Talbieh neighborhood was declared an absentee property and transferred to control of the Israeli Custodian General.

Considered one of the city's most beautiful structures, it had originally been built for an affluent Christian Arab contractor, Constantine Salameh, whose family apparently signed a rental agreement with the Belgian government around the time of the War of Independence.

The officials said the family received rent for the property during the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1983, the Salameh family sold the villa to the State of Israel. The sale was mediated by Israeli businessman David Sofer, who was granted an option to purchase the property, which he did last year.

Multiple attempts by Sofer - and previously by the state - to collect rent from the Belgians went unanswered, the officials said.

"They ignored us, as if we didn't exist," one official involved in the case said, noting that the Belgians were in one of Jerusalem's most desirable villas rent-free.

Earlier this month, Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann acceded to a request by Sofer that he be allowed to sue the Belgian government for nonpayment of rent. Friedmann's permission to bring suit, as well as to seek an eviction, was required under the terms of the sale to Sofer, the officials said. They added that by law, a property owner can claim seven years of back rent, which in this case amounts to around NIS 10 million.

The property, which is surrounded by gardens, is valued at about $15 million. The Belgian Foreign Ministry has sent a letter to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni claiming that Belgium does not recognize Israel's claim to the villa, basing this on the fact that it had been declared absentee property 60 years ago.
The letter said Belgium would be willing to discuss the issue after Israel reaches an accord with the Palestinians over Jerusalem. No such accord is on the horizon.

Following consultations with the Justice Ministry, Livni responded that the real estate dispute was strictly a legal issue with no political ramifications, the officials said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said Monday that the only reason the ministry had stepped in was because a foreign consulate was involved.

The Belgian consulate general in Jerusalem declined comment on Monday.

Spain to limit judges' jurisdiction; includes probe against Israelis

As predicted here:
Spanish court considers trying former US officials

Prediction above is fulfilled (playing around with Israel is fine, but not with the mighty U.S.) :

The Jerusalem Post reports:

"Spain's congress on Tuesday reportedly passed a resolution to limit the jurisdiction of investigative judges.

The move follows pressure from foreign governments such as the US, China and Israel, which has strongly criticized Judge Fernando Andreu's ongoing investigation into the 2002 assassination of Hamas terrorist Salah Shehadeh in Gaza, in which 14 others were also killed.

The resolution confines judges to cases with a clear Spanish connection and excludes them from probing investigations already under way in the country that allegedly committed the crime, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

The move effectively reins in Spain's investigative judges from dealing with crimes against humanity allegedly committed around the world. The investigating judges of Spain's National Court have been employing the so-called principle of universal jurisdiction - which holds that for grave crimes such as genocide, terrorism or torture, suspects can be prosecuted in the country even if the alleged offenses were committed elsewhere - to 13 cases involving events that took place in other countries, from Rwanda to Iraq.

Under the new resolution, however, cases taken up by the judges would now have to involve a Spanish citizen or the accused would have to be on Spanish soil, the WSJ reported. The Spanish government will now introduce legislation, which the major parties in Congress have agreed to back, according to the report. It wasn't clear whether the changes would apply to existing cases or only to future ones.

At the beginning of the month, Judge Andreu of Spain's National Court decided to continue the investigation of Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon and five other former top security officials for their part in the Shehadeh assassination, despite Spanish prosecutors' attempts to dissuade him from doing so on the grounds that Israel was still investigating the attack. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said the Shehadeh case "makes a mockery out of international law."

Herb Keinon contributed to this report."

U.S. Members of Congress write to Zapatero on anti-Semitism:
Hay una carta para Zapatero (Desde Sefarad)

Israel boycott calls: one Norwegian gets it right

"The difference between Burma and Israel is that in Burma the opposition sits in jail, in Israel it sits in parliament."

Israel, Burma and the boycott campaign

Even as the anti-Israel lobby is mustering for boycott, the average Norwegian is increasingly questioning the wisdom of singeling Israel out for critizism. One enlightened reader of Dabladet, a Norwegian daily, writes in a letter which is as short as it is eloquent:

"Imports of processed wood from Burma has increased by 67 percent in one year. This does not bother the Boycott-Israel-party SV (The Socialist Left). The difference between Burma and Israel is that in Burma the opposition sits in jail, in Israel it sits in parliament."

Source: Norway, Israel and the Jews

- Union leader mentions ONE SPECIFIC country in speech
- Trade union confederation opens for boycott of Israel

Want EU funding? Promote Palestinian positions

"The flow of European government funds, including from the EU, to political organizations such as B'Tselem and Ir Amim for use in the political war against Israel on the issue of Jerusalem is one of the most damaging aspects of European funding directed against Israel." (Prof. Gerald Steinberg, NGO Monitor's executive director)

"Israeli human rights groups and other NGOs that are heavily funded by the European Union are promoting Palestinian positions on the capital, a Jerusalem-based research organization said on Tuesday.

Several groups, including B'Tselem and Ir Amim, that are ostensibly devoted to further coexistence, are "pursuing an overtly anti-Israel agenda in a narrative war that seeks to rewrite 3,000 years of Jewish history in Jerusalem," NGO Monitor said.

Both NGOs label Israeli residents of the Old City's Jewish Quarter as "settlers," as part of an overtly "political campaign," despite the presence of Jews in the area dating back to before the establishment of the state in 1948, and the West Bank security barrier is portrayed by B'Tselem as an attempt to annex land, while disregarding Israeli security concerns, the watchdog group said.

The EU paid NIS 1.7 million of Ir Amin's NIS 4m. 2007 budget, NGO Monitor said. The British Embassy contributed an additional NIS 800,000, and the Norwegian government gave NIS 165,000.

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Similarly, the EU funded nearly 10 percent of B'Tselem's NIS 7.8m. budget in 2007 with its €120,000 (about NIS 675,000) contribution, again according to NGO Monitor.

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"The flow of European government funds, including from the EU, to political organizations such as B'Tselem and Ir Amim for use in the political war against Israel on the issue of Jerusalem is one of the most damaging aspects of European funding directed against Israel," said Prof. Gerald Steinberg, NGO Monitor's executive director.
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"Similarly, these NGOs should not be abusing their moral claims on human rights and coexistence in order to support efforts to turn back the clock to the dark days of 1948-1967, when no Jews could live or even visit the Old City and the Jewish sacred sites," he said.
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B'Tselem on Tuesday denied that it had any political position on Jerusalem "or any other issue," and accused the NGO watchdog group of repeated "sloppy, irresponsible" reporting.
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"B'Tselem's only concern is that Israel respect its legal obligations and ensure the basic dignity of everyone living under its control," B'Tselem executive director Jessica Montell said. "Advancing equality and human rights in Jerusalem is a clear Israeli interest, and one that we all can support, regardless of our political views."
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In contrast, an Ir Amim official said the group was indeed seeking to advance a political agenda, and was not an organization geared to promote coexistence. "Without a doubt we have differing views on a range of issues, but this is the right of an NGO in a democratic state," said Haim Erlich, an Ir Amim official. "No one has ownership over the Israeli interest."
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The nearly 50% EU funding that the organization received in 2007 according to the NGO watchdog group was "within the framework of Israeli law," he said."

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Source: article by Etgar Lefkovits in TJP