“Israel Is The Only Place In The Mideast I Can Live Openly Gay”

Here is an interesting letter to the editor from the March 10 Ottawa Citizen:

Israel is a complicated country, without set borders, without clear distinctions between religion and nationality, without clear separation between church (or synagogue) and state.

It is a diverse society that fears for its life, forced to identify people who threaten its existence as enemies. It is paranoid to the point that it is hesitant to take some risks to achieve peace with its neighbours, paranoid that it often cannot accept criticism from those who tremendously care about it.

But as columnist Leonard Stern noticed about anti-Israel activism at Canadian universities, Israel is also the only country in the whole Middle East and surrounding region where I am able to live as an openly gay, human rights activist.

Israel is the only country in the region that I am not under threat of punishment or death because I am who I am. It is the only place within a thousand miles where no one can fire me because of who I am. True, Israel does not yet have same-sex marriage, but it is the place among 20 countries in the region where the courts have provided great protection for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered rights (LGBT), both personal and as couples.

Israel is the only country in the region that could send a transgender singer to represent it in the European song contest and rejoice with her in the streets when she honoured the country with the first prize.

Israel’s gay rights movement is a model of how much can be achieved through persistent dialogue. Sometimes hard, at times frustrating, but never stopping. We criticize the Palestinian Authority for its treatment of LGBT people, and we criticize the Israeli government over its hesitation to give humanitarian aid to Palestinians who escape the death threats of an Islamic homophobic society in Gaza and the West Bank.

The LGBT community can be a bridge, perhaps small, but solid, between Israelis and Palestinians. Accusations and boycotts serve no purpose in building bridges. Knowing each other, looking at our faces, into our eyes and souls, we are determined to keep talking, no matter what. This can be the LGBT community contribution.

Mike Hamel,

Tel Aviv, Israel

The writer is chairperson of the Aguda, Israel’s leading gay rights organization.

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Did You Know? Israel Tourism Enjoys Record-Breaking February

Tourism to Israel continues to grow. In February, Israel welcomed a record-breaking 222,000 visitors, the highest number of tourists in a single month in Israel’s history. In the first two months of 2010, 434,300 tourists visited Israel, compared with 283,400 visitors in the first two months of 2009. You can read more in Globes.

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Joint Press Conference With Israeli PM Netanyahu and US VP Biden

Here is the transcript of the March 8 press conference given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Vice President Joe Biden, during Biden’s trip to Israel:

Prime Minister Netanyahu: Vice President Biden, Joe, welcome to Israel and welcome to Jerusalem.  We’ve been personal friends for almost three decades.  Can you believe it’s been that long?

Vice President Biden: No, you’re getting older, Bibi.  I don’t know…

Prime Minister Netanyahu: And you remain younger all the time.  And in all that time you’ve been a real friend to me and a real friend to Israel and to the Jewish people and you’ve come to Israel many times since you came here first on the eve of the Yom Kippur War.  But now you’re coming as the Vice President of the United States of America and this is deeply appreciated and for me deeply moving.

President Obama has said in Cairo and he’s repeated this many times since that the bonds between Israel and the United States are unbreakable and he has shown that, in the last year in things that are known to the public and in some things that are not known to the public: in pursuing for example the joint military exercises for military defense between the Israeli Army and the American military, in securing Israel’s qualitative military edge, and in many other activities along the world scene including the battle against the infamous Goldstone report.  I think that the bonds exactly as President Obama has said, the bonds are unbreakable.  And your visit demonstrates how strong they are.  I think this unbreakable bond will help our two countries meet the two historic challenges that we face today in the Middle East.

The first and foremost among them is the need to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and the second is the need to advance a secure peace between Israel and our Palestinian and other Arab neighbors.  I very much appreciate the efforts of President Obama and the American Government to lead the international community to place top sanctions on Iran.  The stronger those sanctions are, the more likely will be that the Iranian regime will have to choose between advancing its nuclear program and advancing the future of its own permanence.  I think that the international community and the leading countries of the international community have to join the American effort and Israel has been helping out with key countries and will continue to do so.

I also appreciate the Administration’s effort to advance peace in the region.  I know that this has been difficult and has required a great deal of patience, but I’m pleased that these efforts are beginning to bear fruit and we have to be persistent and purposeful in making sure that we get to those direct negotiations that will enable us to resolve this conflict.

I look forward to working with President Obama, and with you and your entire Administration to forge an historic peace agreement in which the permanence and legitimacy of the Jewish State of Israel is recognized by our Palestinian neighbors and in which Israel’s security is guaranteed for generations to come.

Again, Vice President, my friend Joe, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to Jerusalem.  Welcome.

Vice President Biden: Thank you very much.  Mr. Prime Minister, it’s a pleasure to be back.  It’s been too long between visits here and it is true that you and I have been friends a long, long time and a matter of fact, when each of us were in the minority, occasionally I’d get a phone call at home and I’d call you as well to get a sense of what’s going on.  Our friendship is real, but what’s even deeper is the relationship between the United States and Israel.

Mr. Prime Minister, I’m sure you’d agree, we had a very productive discussion spanning a wide range of issues that affect both our nations.  The relationship between Israel and the United States has been and will continue to be a centerpiece – a centerpiece of American policy and it’s been that way since Israel’s founding in 1948.  And quite frankly, it was a major focus of my work for all those years as a United States Senator and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.  Our two countries are bound by historic and cultural ties and so many shared interests that it would take too long to enumerate and also by a wide range of deep seated personal relationships and friendships that span the time even before 1948.

Our ties have been strengthened by our deep cooperation in many fields including science and economic development and a range of other policy areas as well, but the cornerstone of the relationship is our absolute total unvarnished commitment to Israel’s security.  Bibi, you heard me say before, progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there’s simply no space between the United States and Israel.  There is no space between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel’s security and for that reason and many others addressing Iran’s nuclear program has been one of our Administration’s priorities.  We’re determined.  We’re determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and we’re working with many countries around the world to convince Teheran to meet its international obligations and cease and desist.   Iran must also curb its other destabilizing actions in the region, well beyond their desire to acquire nuclear weapons and that is their continued support for terrorist groups that threaten Israel and I might add our interest as well.

President Obama and I strongly believe that the best long-term guarantee for Israel’s security is a comprehensive Middle East peace with the Palestinians, with the Syrians, with Lebanon, and leading eventually to full and normalized relationships with the entire Arab world.  It’s overwhelming in the interest of Israel, but it’s also overwhelming interest to the Arab world and it’s in our interest as well.

And so Mr. Prime Minister, toward that end, I’m very pleased that you and the Palestinian leadership have agreed to launch indirect talks.  We hope that these talks will lead and they must lead eventually to negotiations and direct discussions between the parties.  The goal is obviously to resolve the final status issues to achieve a two-state solution with Israel and a Palestine living side by side in peace and security. An historic peace is going to require both parties to make some historically bold commitments.  You have done it before and I’m confident for real peace you would do it again.  Over the last year, Mr. Prime Minister, you have taken significant steps, including the moratorium that has limited new settlement construction activity and you have significantly increased freedom of movement across the West Bank.

Palestinian leaders are beginning to make progress on their determined willingness to – especially their efforts to reform their institutions of government and with their security force – their security forces becoming much more reliable.  It’s easy to point fingers particularly in this part of the world at what each side has not done.  But it’s also important to give credit where things have been done in order to be able to move forward.

Mr. Prime Minister, the United States will always stand with those who take risks for peace and you’re prepared to do that and I am hopeful and I’ll be having discussions with Palestinian leaders.  It is my hope and expectation that they will be prepared as well.  The proximity talks are just that, a start.  They are not designed to finish the process and so Mr. Prime Minister I thank you for all the time you’ve given me and it’s just quite frankly good to be back in your company and see you again.

Prime Minister Netanyahu: Thank you.  Thank you Joe.  I have one thing to offer you right now and it’s broken glass, so what I’m going to do is I’m going to sign but I need a pen.

Now, this is a significant piece of paper.  I will say that agreements are dependent on the arrangements not on paper, but on the ground.  Here’s a piece of paper that reflects an arrangement on the ground.  We have planted a circle of trees in Jerusalem in memory of your mother; Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden because you have said many times that she was a source of immeasurable strength which I recognize in you, Joe.  We planted a tree to serve as a tribute, a circle of trees next to the leaders of the nations.  We have a forest of the leaders of the nations and right next to it are the trees that we have planted in memory of your mother as a tribute to her immeasurable strength and I want to offer it to you on your visit to Israel.

Vice President Biden: Well, thank you very much.  If you don’t mind my saying Mr. Prime Minister, my love for your country was watered by this Irish lady who was proudest of me when I was working with and for the security of Israel, so it’s a great honor.  Thank you very much.

Posted in Israeli politics, US Politics | No Comments »

Bill would reward parties that boast more women

Great story on International Women’s Day. Israel working to get more women in its parliament (Knesset). Bill would reward parties that boast more women

By Mazal Mualem

Haaretz: March 8, 2010

Efforts to increase the number of female Knesset members have frequently been stymied by ultra-Orthodox parties, but a new bill proposed ahead of today’s celebration of International Women’s Day could change that. Unlike previous bills, the proposal by MKs Einat Wilf (Labor) and Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), doesn’t aim to impose sanctions on parties with all-male parliamentary representation. Instead, it offers a NIS 5.5 million payout for any party with a Knesset slate that is 35 percent female on the day the MKs are sworn in. The bill would amend a law that grants more limited funding to parties that meet that criterion. The proposal will be valid only while female representation in the Knesset remains below 40 percent. “The modern world strives to achieve equal rights between the sexes in every venture of life,” said Hotovely, who heads the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women. “Thus it is worthwhile to act toward a significant inclusion of women in the political field by encouraging parties that o have high percentages.” None of the parties in the Knesset have reached the 35 percent threshold. Of the 120 seats in parliament, 23 are occupied by women. That number is expected to drop to 22 in the next few weeks once MK Yuli Tamir’s resignation takes effect. The Labor Party veteran will be replaced by Raleb Majadele. There has not been a significant change in the number of female MKs in recent years. While women made up just 15 percent of the previous Knesset, parliaments in several other countries established quotas for female representation. They offered parties financial incentives as well as penalties for failure to meet minimums. But in Israel, the absence of penalties could make the proposal more successful than its predecessors since it might not be thwarted by the ultra-Orthodox parties. Shas MKs said they would consider refraining from objecting to the law. Wilf said the bill does not seek to impose any requirements on parties. “These type of law proved themselves overseas as an effective tool to buttress equality between the genders,” Wilf said. Earlier this decade, France passed a law that levied a fine against political parties that don’t have the same number of male and female candidates. Other countries that have instituted stringent requirements for equal representation include Argentina, Belgium, Italy, Nepal and Uganda. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1154843.html

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

According to Reports: Rejectionism, Not Settlements, Is Why Conflict Lingers

In his weekly Canadian Jewish News media analysis column “According to Reports,” Paul Michaels, CIC Director of Communications, looks at how the media is focused on the issue of settlements to the exclusion of other important factors.

In his Feb. 19 Globe and Mail opinion piece, “The latest  U.S. Mideast position: lots of noise signifying nothing,” Michael Bell argued the following points, which express a widely-held view in the West about the current diplomatic impasse in Israeli-Palestinian affairs:

•    The Americans have abandoned their previous demand that Israel halt all settlement activity, much to the delight of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

•    The Palestinians, having demanded an end to all housing construction as the condition for a return to negotiations, therefore feel dejected.

•    Only sustained U.S. pressure on Israel short of threatening the stability of his coalition, including cutbacks on diplomacy and loan guarantees, might induce Israel to be more pliant toward the Palestinians.

Although Bell framed the third point as the expression of “frustrated policy wonks” one might fairly assume that Bell counts himself among them, especially since nowhere else in his article does he mention any factor other than settlements as an issue impairing the resumption of negotiations.

Bell omitted to mention that Netanyahu did what no previous Israeli prime minister including Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert – has done:  ordered a 10-month moratorium on settlement activity in the West Bank (he excluded housing activity in east Jerusalem, which the majority of Israelis view differently).  But such is the cynicism about Netanyahu in many western circles that even this step can be simply overlooked as insignificant.

What underlies the cynicism is the assumption that if only Israel would cease all settlement activity the peace process would unfold in a way the Palestinians are anxious to see.  This assumption is as false and misleading as it is pervasive.

We must recall that former Palestinian Authority president Yasser Arafat negotiated with Israel (1994-2001) during the Oslo process, despite the fact that Oslo did not bar settlement activity, yet some progress was made in negotiations (Israel relinquished land to the Palestinians) until Arafat rejected Barak’s offer of Palestinian statehood.  His rejection was not over settlements – a complicated but resolvable issue.

Arafat’s successor, Mahmoud Abbas, negotiated with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert during the Annapolis talks (2006-08) under the same conditions (of settlement activity).  While Olmert’s offer of Palestinian statehood was reportedly even more generous than what Barak had offered Arafat, Abbas, too, spurned the historic chance for statehood. Like Arafat, Abbas arguably could not put an end to the conflict by accepting  the legitimacy of Jewish sovereignty and giving up the “right of return” of Palestinians to Israel. These principles, not settlements, are the core issues on which the Palestinians have refused to compromise.  And this refusal to compromise is why the conflict lingers.

Journalists and pundits who write constantly only about settlements but who ignore or sidestep the deeper, seemingly intractable problems are telling just one part of the story, and not even its most vital part.  Yet their preoccupation plays into the reigning narrative that views Palestinians as helpless victims of Israeli greed and triumphalism.

In a news story in the Globe just days before Bell’s piece appeared, GLORIA Center head Barry Rubin was cited as saying that U.S. President Barack Obama has adopted fromer president George W. Bush’s policy, one he previously ridiculed.   The context was that, to the delight of Netanyahu’s officials,  Abbas is being squeezed to return to a form of negotiations by having to accept less than a total settlement freeze which Obama previously promoted.

What was not reported, however, is Rubin’s central argument: that there can be no genuine peace process, because the Fatah leadership “is still radical, more eager to reconcile with Hamas than to make peace with Israel. T[heir] world view is extremist and geared toward total victory. PA media and clerics encourage violence and teach that Israel is temporary and illegitimate.” (“Quick, look busy!” Jerusalem Post, Feb. 14.)

Unless and until that attitude changes, no Israeli-Palestinian agreement  will be possible.   And until assorted experts and reporters pay attention to this attitude, western understanding about what’s at issue will remain severely constricted.

Posted in CIC Publications, Media, Palestinian affairs | 1 Comment »

Understanding Jerusalem’s Master Plan

Here is the introduction to a new publication from the Global Law Forum of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs:

Demography, Geopolitics, and the Future of Israel’s Capital: Jerusalem’s Proposed Master Plan
By Nadav Shragai

The aspiration to create and preserve a stable Jewish majority in the unified capital of the State of Israel has been the dream of the Jewish people over many generations.

Yet, the Jewish majority in Jerusalem is declining due to the mass migration of the Jewish population from Jerusalem, together with the migration of an additional Arab population into Jerusalem.

According to the proposed master plan for the city, the planned inventory of Jewish housing does not meet expected needs for 2020, while the planned inventory of Arab housing will suffice until at least 2030.

Lands earmarked on paper for expanding Jewish neighborhoods are Arab-owned, have unregistered ownership, and a minority are Jewish-owned. In the current political and diplomatic reality, it is not plausible that the state will expropriate land as it did in the past.

Furthermore, the proposed master plan will create urban contiguity between eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods and Palestinian neighborhoods outside the city, reinforcing the Palestinian demand to recognize the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem as a single political entity.

The demographic struggle for a Jewish majority in Jerusalem should be waged with an emphasis on staunching the emigration of Jews from the city. The steps required include building tens of thousands of housing units.

Click here to read the full report in PDF format »

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Did You Know? Popular Diet Plans Can Unclog Arteries

Here’s some heart-smart news: An new Israeli study has found that any one of three diets – low-fat, low-carbohydrate or Mediterranean – can reverse the thickening of artery walls that can lead to heart attack and stroke. If you follow a sensible diet, even if you only lose a bit of weight, your heart will benefit, explained Iris Shai, a nutritional epidemiologist at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and lead author of a report published in the journal Circulation. Find out more in this BusinessWeek article.

Posted in CIC Publications, Israel science & technology | No Comments »

Students Combat Israel Apartheid Week

Here is a message from Alan Winer, Chair, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto:

This week, on university campuses across Canada, those who seek to demonize Israel and question her right to exist are hosting the annual ritual called Israel Apartheid Week (IAW).  Coordinated by CIJA (Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy) and supported by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Jewish student activists across the country are fully prepared to deal with IAW using social media, hard hitting printed material and dynamic speakers on campus.

This week, students are leading a campaign to counter deliberate distortions about Israel being promoted by IAW proponents.  Students are distributing “truth cards” and hosting well respected speakers, challenging the IAW portrayal of Israel.

Last week, prior to IAW, a campaign called Size Doesn’t Matter targeted the vast majority of students who have no opinion on the Middle East and are not aware of Israel’s positive contributions to the world. The campaign has attracted tens of thousands of Web site visitors and Facebook fans.

Recently, we have become concerned about fair treatment by York University for both those who oppose IAW and IAW proponents. Conditions were imposed on some pro-Israel speaking events this year that have not been imposed on IAW events, based on the university’s evaluation of security requirements.  If this is also a personal concern, please contact Patrick Monahan, the York University Provost at provost@yorku.ca.

You are also invited to attend any of these events presented by Hillel of Greater Toronto on GTA campuses.

• Khaled Abu Toameh, Palestinian Affairs reporter for the Jerusalem Post, who recently broke a story about corruption in the Palestinian Authority. Today 7pm, Ryerson University, Library Building 72, 530 Victoria Street
• Dr. Joel Kotek: Images and Extremism. Dr. Kotek, an expert on anti-Semitism and imagery, is author of the book “Cartoons and Extremism,” Wednesday, March 3 at 3 pm, Curtis Lecture Hall F, York University/ Thursday, March 4 at 11 am, Student Campus Centre, Room, 310, Ryerson University/ Wednesday, March 3 at 8 pm, Rm 230, Ontario College of Art and Design.
• Kamal Saleem, Ex-terrorist: Rising Above Terror, a personal story. Wednesday, March 3 at 7 pm,  Innis Hall, University of Toronto/Thursday, March 4 at 4 pm, York University, Curtis Lecture Hall I

We are very proud of our Hillel students who are at the forefront of the battle against IAW proponents. Their initiatives are part of a well-considered national strategy, coordinated by CIJA, together with Canadian Jewish Federations.

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UN Update: Goldstone at the General Assembly

UN Update: Goldstone at the General Assembly
by Noah Shack
Government Relations Research Associate, Canada-Israel Committee

On Febrary 26th 2010, the UN General Assembly held a vote concerning the Report of the Human Rights Council regarding the Goldstone inquiry. Canada was one of seven countries to vote against the resolution titled “Follow Up to the Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (II)”, which unfortunately passed by a vote of 98 in favour, 7 against, with 31 abstentions. Israel, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Panama, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the United States joined Canada in opposing the text.

Significantly, a number of countries such as Australia, Britain, France, and Germany – who had opposed or abstained on the previous Goldstone resolutions – shifted their vote on this text. Canada, however, continued  to demonstrate its consistent opposition to the Goldstone mandate, which it has maintained from the outset.

The resolution gives Israel and the Palestinians five additional months to conduct independent investigations into the war crimes alleged by Goldstone, threatening “further action” if this does not take place. It also reiterated the UN’s recommendation that the Swiss Government reconvene a conference on measures to enforce the Fourth Geneva Convention in the territories.

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According to Reports: Five Year Later, Hariri Murder Probe Goes Nowhere

In his weekly Canadian Jewish News media analysis column “According to Reports,” Paul Michaels, CIC Director of Communications, looks at how the media ignored an important Mideast story – the fifth anniversary of the murder of Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri.

Early last week, the media’s foreign affairs gaze was fixed on the way Iran marked the 31st anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution – in particular, its increasingly repressive domination of its citizens and its open defiance of the international community over its nuclear program.

Almost entirely overlooked was another anniversary in the Middle East, the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

CBC Radio’s Feb. 14 World Report was an exception. It featured a news report by freelancer Ben Gilbert in Beirut. After describing what he called “a pretty festive atmosphere” in which, under tight security control, thousands of people paraded down a street chanting and singing and holding pictures of Hariri and his son Saad, the current prime minister, Gilbert turned his attention to what’s become of the investigation into Hariri’s murder.

He noted that even though Saad Hariri, along with his coalition partners, had accused Syria of killing his father, especially after initial indications pointed to Syria’s culpability, Saad this year traveled to Damascus and met with Syrian President Bashar Assad. “That was seen as a big compromise,” Gilbert said.

As to the United Nations investigation, Gilbert added that it “has pretty much gone nowhere…Three different [UN] investigators have been head of this investigation and nothing concrete has come out of it, yet.”

In “A UN Betrayal in Beirut” (New York Times, Feb. 14), Michael Young, the opinion editor of the Beirut Daily Star, provided additional details and was bluntly critical about the UN’s failure to make any headway in this case.

Young began his piece by reminding readers that the Hariri assassination launched the “Cedar Revolution” in Lebanon, forced Syria to withdraw its army from the country and led the UN Security Council to investigate the murder. The initial investigation team in 2005 was led by Detlev Mehlis, a German prosecutor, whose first report pointed a finger at Syria’s involvement.

Young wrote that by the end of that year, when Mehlis stepped down, “he felt he had enough to arrest at least one of the [Syrian] intelligence officers” and to name other suspects. Four Lebanese intelligence officials suspected of involvement were already being held in custody.

However, under Mehlis’ successor, Belgian judge Serge Brammertz, the investigation quickly withered, even though it had been upgraded to a “special tribunal” near the Hague. Brammertz stepped down at the end of 2007.

According to Young things went from bad to worse: “More disturbing, the United Nations itself has remained silent, even though Mr. Brammertz’s successor, Daniel Bellemare of Canada, has suffered his own setbacks. Last April, despite having acquired prosecutorial powers, he was forced by the tribunal’s bylaws to release the imprisoned [Lebanese] suspects pending an indictment. Mr. Bellemare deserves blame for taking on such a weak case in the first place, effectively legitimizing his predecessor’s shoddy work. But the onus surely lies with Mr. Brammertz, and with those at United Nations headquarters who never held him to account.”

The sharp decline in the UN investigation was followed by changes in the region that also made Lebanon less inclined to pursue Syria in this case. According to Young, Saad Hariri’s meeting with Assad last year came about as a result of pressure Hariri was under from his backer, Saudi Arabia, which was attempting to reconcile with Syria, in large part, it may be assumed, to lessen Iran’s influence over Damascus.

In the meantime, Syria has been reasserting its power in Lebanon, and although Young didn’t mention this, Syria has been emboldened by Iran’s backing and its support of Hezbollah. This development has led to recent heated exchanges between Israel and Syria over the increased threat Jerusalem sees coming from Hezbollah’s heavy re-arming by Iran and Syria (in violation of UN Security Council resolutions).

Even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to calm the waters by speaking about the need for peace, Assad has maintained a belligerent posture warning Israel about the consequences of any “aggression against Hezbollah.”

Tensions remain strong on Israel’s northern border even while the United States plans to nominate Robert Ford, a career diplomat, to become the first US ambassador to Damascus since 2005.

Posted in CIC Publications, Lebanon, Media, Middle East | No Comments »