Arsen Ostrovsky 2013-05-22T05:01:09-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/author/index.php?author=arsen-ostrovsky Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Arsen Ostrovsky Good old fashioned elbow grease. #BDSFail! tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2838660 2013-03-14T15:59:26-04:00 2013-05-14T05:12:01-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/ Israel Apartheid Week.'

With the situation in Syria resembling Club Med in Vanuatu, feminists finally controlling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China open to the most robust free press and thriving Tibetan community in the world, clearly this is an opportune time for our bastions of human rights and defenders of freedom to turn on the sole democracy in the Middle East - that grand pariah of them all ... the Jewish State of Israel.

With the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) campaign in full swing, and lovers of Israeli pickles and hummus stocked up for fear of their favorite gourmet delicacies going out of stock, one may be forgiven for asking - why don't the BDS activists just go all the way; and if so, how would that look?

Let's start with something easy, you know, like not using computers anymore. In the past year alone, Apple, Google, Intel, Microsoft and Facebook have invested billions of dollars in Israel, opening up R&D Centers, high-tech incubators, headquarters and buying out & investing in Israeli start-ups.

How about cell phones? Samsung just made a major long term investment in Israel, Motorola's Israel office was instrumental in actually creating the world's first cell phone, while some of the most popular iPhone apps have also been produced in Israel.

But that's fine, our BDS activists can still coordinate the Israel Apartheid Week by telegram or Morse code.

Now what if, heaven forbid, our BDS activists get cancer? Do they know that Israel is a world leader in bio-medicine and cancer research? Take for example the Israeli company IceCure Medical, which has developed a revolutionary system to treat breast cancer without surgery by destroying tumors by turning them into balls of ice. Or what about Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, which designed a simple blood test that reveals women at risk of breast or ovarian cancer, allowing them to get early treatment (Editor's note: sorry, not clear if the test was designed in 'West' or 'East' Jerusalem). But that's ok too. You can just twiddle your thumbs and hope everything will go away.

Care about protecting US troops abroad, especially in Afghanistan, and defending America from national security threats at home? Well, you may as well waive the white flag now - the U.S. military and Israeli Defense Forces have an incredibly close alliance, working together on a myriad of mutual security threats, with the US Army using some of the latest cutting edge technology made in Israel.

Of course there is no shortage of 'green' BDS activists attacking Israel. But maybe they didn't realize that Israel is also a world leader in clean-tech and green technology? For example, Israel's Better Place is working to make electric vehicles more accessible and reducing global dependence on oil, while the Arava Power Company is pioneering world leading technology in solar energy. Oh well, guess you better pitch a tent in the rainforest and ride that old BMX to work.

Odds are, BDS activists also probably own something made by NIKE (you know, to help run to all those anti-Israel rallies). Darn it, NIKE also has a large base in Israel, including sponsoring many Israeli clubs and athletes.

And while we're here, global food and beverage giants McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Nestle also operate in Israel. So, I guess no, no and no to them too.

Now, I'm just gonna take one more wild stab in the dark here and guess from time to time, you may ... err ... drink water too? You may have even come to the realization that water scarcity is one of the greatest sustainability challenges facing the planet? Well, shock horror, gasp, but those Zionists are also world leaders in water technology, especially desalination, irrigation and clean water-tech. Better pray then you have the thirst level of a camel!

To sum up, if BDS 'activists' are true to their word and want to boycott all things Israeli, then they better become hermits, give up technology and pray to God they never get sick.]]> Mahmoud Abbas and the UN General Assembly tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2204836 2012-11-28T12:05:13-05:00 2013-01-28T05:12:01-05:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/
Having failed to achieve recognition of Palestinian statehood where it really mattered, at the UN Security Council last year, this Thursday, President Abbas will go to the UN General Assembly, where he has submitted a draft resolution seeking to elevate the Palestinians' status from an 'Observer Entity' to 'Non-Member State.'

Abba Eban, the famous Israeli diplomat and former Ambassador to the UN, once quipped that "if Algeria introduced a resolution declaring that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions."


Eban's sentiment is indicative of the Palestinians' automatic anti-Israeli majority at the UN General Assembly, where Abbas's resolution is guaranteed to pass.


Abbas has repeatedly said that he is going to the UN in order to seek a "just peace." However, his comments are inconsistent at best, and his actions are misleading and contrary at worst.

More accurately, the Palestinians' UN bid is part of their larger ongoing 'lawfare' campaign against the Jewish state, whereby they have sought to manipulate and abuse international law for political purposes.

In a New York Times op-ed in May 2011, Abbas was very explicit, when he revealed his true intentions, saying:

"Palestine's admission to the United Nations would pave the way for the internationalization of the conflict as a legal matter, not only a political one. It would also pave the way for us to pursue claims against Israel at the United Nations, human rights treaty bodies and the International Court of Justice."



The truth of the matter is, had Abbas really wanted a "just peace," he would have accepted any one of the umpteenth number of offers from this Israeli government to negotiate a Two-State Solution without pre-conditions in the last four years.

Instead, Abbas shunned each one of those requests -- including during Israel's historic settlement freeze in 2009/10 and has sought to embrace Hamas (which is deemed a terrorist organization by both the United States and the EU) into his government.

In fact just this week, in the aftermath of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, the Aksa Martyrs' Brigades, a terrorist group affiliated with Abbas's Fatah party, proudly proclaimed to reporters that they too fought alongside Hamas, firing as many as 500 rockets at Israel.

Is this really the sign of someone who seeks a "just peace?"

In going to the UN, Abbas risks damaging the entire peace process beyond repair, and in the process crushing the hopes of millions of his own people.

Firstly, it would open a 'pandora's box' of potential responses from Israel, including annexation of land, withholding of PA tax revenue and even circumventing Abbas altogether on key policy decisions regarding security and the economy. Simply put, Israel would not be able to stand idly by in the face of what Foreign Minister Liberman has called Abbas's "diplomatic terror."

It would also constitute a fundamental breach of the Oslo Accords, to which Abbas himself signed on behalf of the PLO in 1993.

Furthermore, it would severely undermine previous UN Security Council resolutions, specifically Resolutions 242 and 338, which call for 'agreement' and 'negotiations' between the parties as a means of establishing a just and durable peace. Both resolutions, together with the Oslo Accords, are the backbone to the entire peace process.

This gambit will also undo many years of cooperation and achievement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, primarily in the areas of joint security and economic development, which have produced significant gains, particularly in the West Bank.

The international community must consider all these factors before casting their ballot on November 29.

The United States has repeatedly said that direct negotiations are the only way to achieve a comprehensive and lasting resolution to the conflict, a call that has been echoed an equal number of times by Catherine Ashton, the EU Foreign Policy Chief. Regrettably, both calls have fallen on deaf ears in Ramallah.

The entities consisting of the Quartet, including the United Nations and the EU, together with the U.S. and Russia have been the guardians of the peace process. It is therefore incumbent upon them to uphold past agreements between the two sides instead of acquiescing to the Palestinians' destructive demands or allowing them to believe they can act with impunity. In view of the fact that Abbas's resolution will be voted on this Thursday, anything less than a vote 'against' would be a derogation of that duty.

Ultimately, a successful vote at the UN General Assembly will not help the Palestinians realize their elusive dream of an independent state. This will be no more than a hollow 'victory' that will push the two sides even further apart.

A 'just peace' will only come about through painful compromises in the context of a negotiated settlement.]]> Israel Did Everything it Could to Avoid Civilian Casualties tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2175491 2012-11-22T11:57:59-05:00 2013-01-22T05:12:01-05:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/
That makes him more qualified than most to comment on the current hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which entered into a fragile cease-fire overnight.

Kemp has been in Israel since last Friday, two days after Israel commenced Operation "Pillar of Defense" on November 14, in response to ongoing rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

He says he came here in order to "get a first hand feel" and "see as much as I can for myself."

2012-11-22-DSC_1025.jpeg

Col. Kemp in Israel this week. [Photo courtesy of the author.]

Kemp, however, is no stranger to this region, or the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In October 2009, he testified before the UN Human Rights Council in response to the Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 2009 Gaza War (Operation 'Cast Lead').

At the time, Kemp stated that "during Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defense Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in the combat zones than any other army in the history of warfare."

And now?

Kemp believes Israel has continued to take "unprecedented steps" to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza, concluding, "I don't think anybody can do more in these circumstances," which include Hamas regularly firing from heavily populated civilian areas in breach of international humanitarian law.

Kemp acknowledges that mistakes can, and will, be made, but says Israel is doing "everything it can to prevent civilian casualties," including taking some "extraordinary steps in a time of war," such as providing fuel, water and electricity, while also dropping leaflets and sending text messages, warning residents of impending strikes.

Asked to explain why Israel has gone to such extremes, often at the risk to its own soldiers and benefiting the Hamas, Kemp says: "It's an indication of the humanitarian concerns that Israel has for the civilian population among the enemy it is fighting."

Kemp also adds that some of the steps Israel has put in place for safeguarding civilian life in war have been adopted by NATO forces and applied in Afghanistan, where U.S. and British troops continue to serve.

Having closely followed events in the region, Kemp believes Israel was fully justified in commencing this operation, saying "I don't believe Israel had any choice" after Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza stepped up their missile attacks over the last few months.

Before the operation commenced, some 800 rockets were fired from Gaza at southern Israel this year alone, with 12,000 rockets fired by Hamas over the course of the past 12 years.

Kemp believes that the Israeli government "showed enormous restraint over a long period of time in the face of repeated missile attacks" but that "no government in the world could sit back and allow these kinds of attacks to continue on its civilian population."

Further, Kemp adds that Iran "helped precipitate" this operation by arming Hamas, whom he refers to as a "client of Iran" with long-range missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv and the nation's capital, Jerusalem. Quite simply, he says Israel "could not accept" such a situation on its doorstep, where Hamas is able to target almost half its population with advanced weapons, such as the Fajr-5 missile.

In Kemp's assessment, the IDF conducted a "very effective campaign" in eliminating key Hamas leaders and ammunitions, with comparatively few civilian casualties. He puts this down to significant progress in Israeli intelligence and sophistication of technology, such as the Iron Dome missile defense system, which he calls a "game-changer." He also stresses the "enormous care" taken by the Israeli Air Force in their precision targeting of Hamas terrorists.

Turning to the cease-fire, which was agreed to overnight between Israel and Hamas, Kemp concedes this is a "major risk for Netanyahu." Although he believes Hamas will undoubtedly portray this as a victory, ultimately, Kemp says Netanyahu achieved his key objective of "re-establishing deterrence" and causing "sufficient damage to Hamas's weapons stocks and leadership."

The major challenge now, according to Kemp, is "achieving verifiable prevention of Hamas re-arming." In this regard, he says the "key focuses are on Egypt taking responsibility for properly controlling their border with Gaza, and international pressure on Iran to prevent them continuing to push weapons in to Hamas."

Col. Richard Kemp is indeed a remarkable individual; a brave and heroic soldier who has served his country with distinction, fighting terrorism around the world for over 30 years. His philosophy is simple though: "I see what I see. And I see Israel, a Western democratic state fighting a terrorist organization."]]> My Country is Under Attack. Do You Care? tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2011785 2012-10-24T16:44:18-04:00 2012-12-24T05:12:02-05:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/
You see, as most Americans were waking up this morning, and those in Europe and elsewhere around the world were going about their daily routines, here in Israel -- over one million people were running for cover from a hail of rockets being rained down by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza. In the space of 24 hours, since Tuesday evening, 80 rockets have been fired on southern Israel. That's more than three rockets per hour. By the time I finish this article, odds are that count will have risen to 85 rockets.

Just to put things in context: one million Israelis is roughly 13 per cent of the population. Thirteen per cent of the U.S. population equates to about 40 million people.

A dozen Israelis have already been injured, with several of them seriously. The only reason more have not been hurt is because Israel has invested millions of dollars in bomb shelters and the Iron Dome defense system, while Hamas has invested millions of dollars in foreign aid in more rockets.

But here is why I'm angry.

BLOG CONTINUES BELOW SLIDESHOW



I'm angry that in 2012, over 600 rockets have already been fired from Gaza with no end in sight. I'm angry that the world only notices when Israel undertakes its (sovereign) right to defend its citizens. Can you imagine if even one rocket was fired on Washington, London, Paris or Moscow? No nation on earth can, or should, tolerate such attacks on its people.

I'm angry that while the United Nations never hesitates to call a 'special emergency session' on the 'Question of Palestine' or pass the umpteenth resolution blindly condemning Israel, that I am still waiting for a session on the 'Question of Israel' and Palestinian terror. In fact, 24 hours after the rocket attacks started, I am still waiting for even one syllable of condemnation from the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly or Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

I'm angry that Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General, could not find a moment to condemn the Palestinian rockets, but did find time to laugh and dance with South Korean rapper Psy from the popular dance craze Gangnam Style.

I'm angry that while the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton slammed Israel last week over the building of several hundred apartments (in an area that will arguably remain part of Israel anyway), that I am still waiting for her to slam the Palestinians for firing 80 rockets in one day.

I'm angry that there are those who continue to call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against the Jewish State, but are silent in the face of Palestinian terror.

I'm angry that ships and flotillas continue to set sail for Gaza to show 'solidarity' with the Palestinians, but where is their solidarity with the people of southern Israel?

I'm angry that while human rights organizations like Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and others do not waste a single opportunity to condemn Israel for human rights violations against the Palestinians, the human rights of Israelis are seemingly not important enough for them. Is Jewish blood really that cheap?
I'm angry that mainstream newspapers like the New York Times, lead their stories about the rocket attacks with such headlines as "Four Palestinian Militants Killed in Israeli Airstrikes," and not "Palestinian Terrorists Rain Down Over 80 Rockets against one million Israelis."

I'm angry that so many people are blind to the fact that Iran, which has called for Israel to be wiped off the map and now seeks to obtain nuclear weapons, is the primary funder and supplier of arms to Hamas. I'm angry at the fact that all civilians in southern Israel today were instructed not to send their kids to school and stay in bomb shelters. What sort of inhumane way is that for children to live?

I'm angry when people continue to say that 'settlements' are the main impediment to peace, and not Hamas, a terrorist group which does not recognize Israel's right to exist and seeks its destruction. I'm angry when I see pictures like this, of a home in southern Israel hit by a rocket from Gaza today, yet have the audacity to say "ah, but they're just like toys; what damage can they do?"

I'm angry that there is someone out there who does not know me and has never met me, yet still wants to kill me -- for no other reason than being Israeli.

I'm angry when I hear residents in southern Israel say "we just lie on top of our children and try to protect them with our bodies" or that "we're living on borrowed time" -- yet the world seems oblivious to their desperate cries for help.

No, I am not angry. I am outraged.

Arsen Ostrovsky is an international human rights lawyer and freelance journalist living in Israel.

]]> How Iran Was Duped by the Onion tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1923519 2012-09-28T13:43:47-04:00 2012-11-28T05:12:01-05:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/
Earlier today, Fars News Agency, the regime's media propaganda machine, ran a front page story, claiming that according to a recent Gallup Poll in the United States, "rural whites prefer Ahmadinejad to Obama."

Only problem is, Fars quoted the story almost verbatim from "The Onion" (without attributing credit to them). The Onion, as most people on planet Earth know, is a notoriously funny satirical website that doesn't proclaim in the slightest to be anything different.

Just in case someone alerts the Ayatollah to this, here is the full text of the Fars story, as lifted from "The Onion":
"Gallup Poll: Rural Whites Prefer Ahmadinejad to Obama"
TEHRAN (FNA)- According to the results of a Gallup poll released Monday, the overwhelming majority of rural white Americans said they would rather vote for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than US President Barack Obama.
"I like him better," said West Virginia resident Dale Swiderski, who, along with 77 percent of rural Caucasian voters, confirmed he would much rather go to a baseball game or have a drink with Ahmadinejad than spend time with Obama.

"He takes national defense seriously, and he'd never let some gay protesters tell him how to run his country like Obama does."

According to the same Gallup poll, 60 percent of rural whites said they at least respected that Ahmadinejad doesn't try to hide the fact that he's Muslim.


Surely you would have thought that even the Iranians would have realized that something was not quite, ahmm ... halal with the original "sourc"'? Guess not.

Ironically, the only quote Fars left out from the original Onion piece was a reference to Ahmadinejad as "a man who has repeatedly denied the Holocaust and has had numerous political prisoners executed."

Guess you can't get just anything past those razor sharp eyes of the Iranian propaganda machine. Well, almost anything!]]> A Bastion for Human Rights? The UN Nominates Syria...Seriously tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1652181 2012-07-05T15:42:04-04:00 2012-09-04T05:12:15-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/
According to UN Watch, an independent human rights group based in Geneva, "the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad is a declared candidate for a seat on the 47-nation U.N. body, in elections to be held next year at the 193-member General Assembly."

The Syrian regime will be one of four nations from the 53 block of Asian nations running as part of a fixed slate of "faux elections" for the Council, in which regional groups plan, devise and orchestrate uncontested elections. This is precisely how some of the current human rights luminaries on the Council, such as Saudi Arabia, China, Russia and Cuba "won" their positions.

Unless another Asian country nominates, Syria will win a three-year term on the UN body charged with strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.

News of Syria's candidacy broke after UN Watch discovered it was vying for a seat from a US-sponsored and EU-backed draft resolution that was debated Wednesday in Geneva. The resolution sought to pre-empt Syria's candidacy by declaring it ineligible on the basis that it "fails to meet the standards for Council membership" as set forth in its founding charter.

That Syria is a contender for a seat on the Council should not come as a major revelation, as Syria had originally declared its official candidacy in May 2011. Although the regime dropped out of the race at the last minute to make way for another human rights bastion -- Kuwait -- Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari made clear at the time the regime was "reconsidering our priorities" and would run for the Council again in 2013.

At the same time Syria originally declared its candidacy, which also happened to coincide with the beginning of Assad's murderous rampage in March that year, Ja'afari also said "promotion and protection of human rights are of the highest importance to Syria." Wow, even Joseph Goebbles would have been impressed with Ja'afari's efforts to whitewash his regime's crimes.

Ordinarily, one would not have needed to go into details about Assad's unbridled brutality, however given his decision to run again for the Council, perhaps a brief refresher is in order.

Since uprising first began in March 2011, almost 14,000 innocent people have been mercilessly slaughtered by the regime.

According to a Human Rights Watch report released this week, Syria is running an "archipelago of torture centers," where detainees are beaten with batons and cables, burned with acid, had their fingernails pulled and have been sexually assaulted.

Freedom House has rated Syria one of the "Worst of the Worst" nations in its 2012 Freedom in the World survey, having given it the lowest possible rating for political and civil rights.

Even the UN's chief observer to Syria has said that the level of violence is "unprecedented" (notwithstanding that the UN itself seems to be doing little but seemingly just "observing" Assad continue along his merry killing ways).

But for Bashar Ja'afari, and the regime which represents, the term "human rights" does not even enter the lexicon, with Ja'afari having previously said "the so-called turmoil does not affect our candidacy," adding "[t]hese are two different issues." And if the UNHRC's record is anything to judge by, he is absolutely right here.

As long as the UNHRC continues to count gross human rights violators such as Saudi Arabia, China, Russia and Cuba among its members, then clearly observing even a modicum of human rights has no correlation to being elected to this body.

The UNHRC was formed in 2006 specifically in order to create a new body to tackle human rights abuses in light of the failures of its discredited predecessor, the UN Human Rights Commission.

The Commission was largely criticized for its one-sided obsession with Israel and the make-up of its members, which included some of the most abusive regimes like, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia and Cuba. Libya even chaired the Commission during 2003.

Former Secretary General Kofi Annan said this contributed to the Commission's "fatal credibility deficit" -- one that was casting "a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole."

Regrettably, the new UNHRC has done little to improve the reputation of the United Nations and continues to make a complete mockery of human rights as a concept.

That Syria is able to even nominate for the UNHRC in the first place, let alone be in a strong position to win a seat, is reflective of the endemic problem with the body -- the fact that observance of human rights is no barrier to becoming a member.

Enough with this charade of tyrants, butchers and dictators. It is time to disband this sham of a body and replace it with a Democratic Council, before it makes any further mockery of human rights.]]> No Peace Until Palestinians Stop Glorification of Terror tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1560398 2012-06-01T17:09:17-04:00 2012-08-01T05:12:19-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/ released the bodies of 91 Palestinian terrorists to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a 'goodwill gesture' to President Mahmoud Abbas. However, Abbas' decision to honor these murderers shows that Palestinian glorification of terror remains the key obstacle to peace with Israel.

Included amongst the bodies turned over to the PA are suicide bombers responsible for some of the most gruesome acts of terror over the past decade, killing hundreds of innocent Israelis and many foreign citizens, including American.

They include Ramez Aslim, the suicide bomber who in 2003, blew up the crowded Cafe Hillel in central Jerusalem, murdering 7 people and injuring over 50. Amongst the dead were Dr. David Applebaum, a world renowned doctor and head of the emergency room at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and his daughter, Nava, aged 20, who was to have been married the next day. They were both dual Israeli and American citizens.

Also released is Raed Abdel-Hamed Misk, the Hamas suicide bomber who carried out an attack on Israel's No.2 bus in Jerusalem in 2003, killing 23 and injuring over 130. The dead included seven children and Goldie Taubenfeld, 42, of New York, and her 3-month old infant son Shmuel. Most of the passengers were religious Jews returning from prayers at the Western Wall.

At the time of the No.2 bus attack, Abbas said: "I announce my strong condemnation of this horrible act." Today, President Abbas and the Palestinian leadership attended a reception ceremony honoring Misk and 90 other cold-blooded killers like him. Abbas even laid wreaths on their coffins, which were draped in Palestinian flags, at his headquarters in Ramallah.

The most disturbing aspect, though, of this transfer is that the official PA news agency, WAFA, described the Palestinians being released as having been "killed in action."

These three sickening words -- 'killed in action' -- singularly convey that as long as Palestinians glorify terrorism, incite hatred and reward the murder of Israelis, peace will remain unattainable.

Abbas never wastes an opportunity to tell the world he is a 'partners for peace,' while the media blindly continues to label the PA as 'moderates.' But what so-called 'partner for peace' refers to the barbaric murder of children as being "killed in action"?

Equally disturbing is the fact that the honoring of this latest batch of terrorists is only one of many recent examples of official PA glorification of terror and violence -- including from Abbas himself.

In October last year, Abbas honored the 1,027 terrorists Israel released in exchange for abducted soldier Gilad Shalit by saying to them: "You are freedom fighters and holy warriors for the sake of God and the homeland." He then rewarded each one with a financial grant.

According to the respected Palestinian Media Watch, which monitors PA incitement and anti-Semitism, only two weeks ago on the anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel, an op-ed published in the official PA daily reiterated the PA's denial of Israel's right to exist and its hope and expectation for Israel's destruction.

Meanwhile in March this year, at an event attended by three PA ministers, Abbas' Minister of Social Affairs, Majida Al-Masri, stated a unity deal with Hamas was needed in order to focus Palestinian efforts on the destruction of Israel, calling on Palestinians "to turn to the struggle for the liberation of Palestine -- all of Palestine."

Sadly, one need not look too wide, or far back, for more such examples. In the past 12 months alone, the PA has continued to pay the salaries of some 5,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails (most of whom are terrorists), aired television programs teaching kids how to make model maps turning all of Israel into 'Palestine', while naming public squares and sponsoring kids' summer camps in honor of infamous terrorists.

In 2010, President Obama called on Abbas to "do everything he can to prevent acts of incitement or delegitimization of Israel." Abbas however, has no intentions of stopping this. To the contrary, he has only ramped up his efforts.

In the meantime, the U.S. government continues to pour money to the PA ($3 billion in the last five years alone) with very little to show in return -- except more terror and corruption. Moreover, it is doing so in direct breach of U.S. law, which explicitly requires the Secretary of State to certify that funds will not be used for the purposes of recognizing or otherwise honoring individuals who commit, or have committed acts of terrorism. One would have to ask whether the release of the bodies was the direct result of U.S. pressure on Israel in the first instance.

Today's transfer comes on the same day as 21 teenagers were killed and 120 were wounded when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Dolphinarium disco, on Tel Aviv beach, in 2001. Incidents like this do not occur in a vacuum. Such acts of pitiless slaughter are the direct result of a pervasive infrastructure indoctrinating hate, inciting violence and instilling a world view justifying such gruesome acts. It is also in clear violation of the Oslo Accords, the Roadmap for Peace and U.S law.

Only when the Palestinian leadership unequivocally renounces terrorism and roots out and condemns all those who preach violence against Israel and hatred of the Jewish people, can there be hope for real peace.

As the PA continues to insist that the world recognize a Palestinian state, one must ask exactly what type of state it wants. One that teaches the virtues of peace, or glorifies terrorism?]]> The Olympics Can't Spare a Minute for Munich Massacre tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1540965 2012-05-24T16:05:48-04:00 2012-07-24T05:12:07-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/ been rejected by the International Olympics Committee (IOC).

In September 1972, eight members of Yasser Arafat's notorious Black September terror group broke into the athletes village in Munich and attacked the Israelis.

Two of the athletes were immediately killed and nine were taken hostage. They were executed by the Palestinian terrorists after the German police bungled a rescue attempt. All of this was covered by the international media.

Willi Daume, president of the Munich Olympics Organizing Committee requested the IOC to cancel the remainder of the Games as a symbol of respect to the murdered Israelis. But IOC President at that time, Avery Brundage, refused. An American Nazi sympathizer, Brundage, who only a year earlier declared that Hitler's 1936 Berlin Games were "the finest in modern history" -- insisted that "the Games must go on." And so they did.

The families of the 11 murdered Israeli athletes, led by Ankie Spitzer and Illana Romano (the widows of fencing coach Andre Spitzer and weightlifter Yossef Romano, respectively) have requested a minute of silence at the opening ceremony of each Olympics since the '76 Montreal Games. Just a minute of silence to convey respect and to promote peace. Each time though, their request has been turned down by the IOC.

This year, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Munich Massacre, Ankie and Ilana have started an internet petition, noting that a minute of silence "is a fitting tribute for athletes who lost their lives on the Olympic stage. Moreover, [it will] "clearly say to the world that what happened in 1972 can never happen again."

Ankie's and Illana's persistent fight has now been taken up by Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who made a formal request to the IOC to hold a minute's silence to commemorate the slain Israeli athletes, that will send an unequivocal and public message to the world that the IOC stands against hatred and violence.

This was the first time the Government of Israel has made a formal request to the IOC to hold a minute's silence to remember and remind the world of the 1972 massacre. But Israel's request was promptly denied.

In his response to Ayalon last week, IOC President Jacques Rogge justified his rejection, saying that the IOC had already "officially paid tribute to the memory of the athletes on several occasions." Yet, the record shows that the IOC has never held an official public commemoration.

Rogge adds that "[p]lease rest assured that, within the Olympic family, the memory of the victims of the terrible massacre in 1972 will never fade away" and that the IOC "strongly sympathise with the victims' families." His actions, however, show no sympathy and a biased attitude toward Israel.

Only two years ago, during the Vancouver Olympics, the IOC held a public minute of silence during the opening ceremony for Georgian luge racer Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died in a tragic training accident only days prior to the start of the Games. Rogge himself presided over the tribute.

Calling Rogge's response "very disappointing" and "unacceptable," Ayalon has refused to let the issue rest and has turned to social media to campaign for the reversal of the IOC decision.

Under the banner "Just One Minute," Ayalon has released a one minute video -- the same amount of time Israel is seeking from the IOC to "stop and remember." He has also created a facebook page, urged people to sign Spitzer & Romano's petition and started a twitter trend under the hashtag #justoneminute.

Ayalon's campaign appears to be gathering public support around the world. In the U.S., House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has released a statement, and Congressman Eliot Engel and Congresswoman Nita Lowey have introduced a House Resolution calling on the IOC to commemorate the Munich 11 during the London Games opening ceremony. A similar motion has been filed in the British Parliament.

The eleven athletes were murdered in Munich specifically because they were Israelis. But, the IOC and Jacques Rogge have refused to acknowledge that this was also an assault on the very embodiment of the Olympic spirit -- "to building a peaceful and better world by educating young people through sport practiced without discrimination."

This was not only an Israeli tragedy, but as Danny Ayalon noted, a tragedy "within the family of nations." Ayalon further argued that keeping a minute of silence to commemorate the slain Israelis is the basic obligation of the Olympic community towards its athletes.

With an official slogan "Inspire a Generation," one would hope that the inspiration from the London Olympics would lead to less violence and more peace.

The 2012 Olympics will last seventeen days. That is 408 hours and 24,480 minutes. If the IOC is serious about taking a stand against hatred and terrorism and respecting the memory of the slain Israeli athletes, it must incorporate "just one minute" into the opening ceremony.]]> 10 Reasons Americans Should Celebrate Israel's Independence Day tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1441407 2012-04-23T15:03:35-04:00 2012-06-23T05:12:02-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/
We could talk about the historical bond between the two nations. A bond that is underpinned by a shared commitment to freedom, liberty, democracy and the rule of law.

We could celebrate how both Israel and the United States have become thriving multicultural states, successfully absorbing and integrating millions of refugees and immigrants from around the world.

Or perhaps that Israel remains the United States' most important ally in the Middle East, with both countries leading the global fight against terror.

And at a time of upheaval, violence and instability engulfing the Middle East, it wouldn't hurt to reflect that Israel remains the sole oasis of stability, in a region where people are dying and fighting for their basic human rights.

But there are other, no less equally important reasons.

For example, the Northern Galilee Plasan factory is producing advanced armor technology, that helps protect and save the lives of thousands of American soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. While for the first time ever, the U.S. government has just approved the installation of advanced Israeli-produced radio and data transfer systems onboard advanced U.S. fighter aircraft. This will provide the aircraft with greater immunity to deliberate jamming of its communication systems.

Israel based Better Place is a world leader in developing transportation infrastructure technology to support electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions and the cost of driving, while at the same time helping reduce our dependence on oil.

Israel is also the home for medical research technology that is revolutionizing the industry and saving many lives worldwide. Vaxil BioTherapeutics, an Israeli bio-medical company for example, has produced a ground-breaking therapeutic vaccine for cancer patients which could prevent about 90% of cancers from returning, while also 'training' the immune system to seek and destroy malignant cells that have already invaded the body.

If you happen to be gay and considering a vacation, then Tel Aviv should certainly be your preferred destination, having recently topped a global poll by American Airlines and leading gay travel site Gaycities.com as the 'best gay travel destination' of last year.

Those who enjoy to party will certainly not be disappointed in Tel Aviv. A popular travel website described the city as "boasting a steamy nocturnal playground not for the faint of heart, with beachfront parties, underground clubs and bartenders who are said to be 'notoriously generous with alcohol servings.'

Israel is also a world leader in high-tech. Just ask Google, which is pouring money into Israeli start-ups, Apple who will soon open its first R&D center outside its California headquarters in Haifa Israel, or Microsoft, which is setting up a new research center and innovation incubator in Tel Aviv. It is no wonder that the likes of the Wall Street Journal have recognised Israel as the "Start-Up Nation," while Bill Gates has called it a "hi-tech superpower".

Those looking to invest outside the United States, which is currently experiencing financial woes at home, should also look no further than Israel. According to the IMF, Israel's economy grew by 4.7% in 2011 (as opposed to 2.5% in the U.S.), more than double the average for members of the OECD group of developed countries, with unemployment at a record low of 5.4%. While according to the latest Bloomberg Riskless Return Ranking, Israel has "produced better risk- adjusted returns than all other developed stock markets in the past decade."

Israeli academic institutions are also renowned for their ground-breaking research and. This was one of the reasons why Cornell University, which partnered with Israel's Technion Institute, last year won a major New York City contest to build an applied science and technology campus on Roosevelt Island. NYC Mayor Bloomberg said "in a word, this project will be transformative," adding it may generate $23 billion in economic activity over the next three decades.

Israel is also the only country in the Middle East where the number of Arab and Palestinian Christians is not only increasing, but actually thriving, with freedom of worship and their holy sites completely protected and secure (as they are for all faiths). In contrast, ancient Christian communities are fleeing from Arab and Muslim countries in record numbers, where they continue to be persecuted and their remaining holy sites desecrated.

An Israeli humanitarian organisation, Save A Child's Heart, which is partly funded by the government, provides life saving heart treatment - free of charge - to children from around the world. What isn't commonly known is that fifty per cent of the children treated are from the Palestinian territories, while the remainder are from various poor and/or developing nations - many of which do not even have diplomatic relations with Israel.

And Israel has managed to achieve all the above while having to spend more per capita than any other country on defence against implacable enemies whose primary goal is to see her destruction.

Is Israel perfect? No, of course not. It also makes mistakes and has problems. But at a time when many seek to unjustly delegitimize and demonize the Jewish State, it is well worth celebrating her many significant, indeed extraordinary contributions to society, and how such contributions enhance the everyday life and national security of the United States.]]> Victory: ICC Rules that Palestine is Still Not a State tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1400680 2012-04-03T16:13:17-04:00 2012-06-03T05:12:01-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/ has ruled that Palestine is not a "state" and it therefore does not have jurisdiction to investigate alleged "war crimes" committed by Israel in the "territory of Palestine since 1 July 2002."

On January 22, 2009, the Palestinian Authority lodged a letter with the ICC, purporting to accept the ICC's jurisdiction in order to bring war crimes cases against Israeli officials at the ICC. The application was lodged in the wake of Israel's defensive Gaza War, aimed at ending years of rocket attacks from Gaza by Hamas.

In an official statement released today, the ICC said that under the Rome Statute (which governs the court's jurisdiction), only for the "relevant bodies at the United Nations or the Assembly of States Parties to make the legal determination whether Palestine qualifies as a state for the purpose of acceding to the Rome Statute and thereby enabling the exercise of jurisdiction by the Court."

According to the statute only internationally recognized states can join the ICC. The ICC said that although the Palestinians claim to have been recognized as a state in bilateral relations by more than 130 governments and by certain international organisations, including United Nation bodies (such as UNESCO), the relevant decision for the purposes of its determination is the status which has been granted to it by the UN General Assembly.

At present, Palestine has only been granted "observer" status by the United Nations General Assembly and not full membership.

Under Article 4 of the UN Charter, states can only be admitted to membership in the United Nations by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the UN Security Council.

In addition, membership is only open to "peace-loving states" which accept the obligations contained in the Charter and, are able and willing to carry out these obligations. Given the PA's intentions to form a unity government with Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organisation, the latter is highly dubious to say the least.

On 23 September 2011, the Palestinian Authority submitted an application for admission to the UN. However, in an embarrassing diplomatic failure for Abbas, he was unable to secure the nine votes needed to pass a Security Council resolution to even determine whether to hold a vote. In any event, this was a moot point, as the United States declared it would veto such an application, saying it opposed any unilateral actions by the Palestinians to try establish a state "that can only be achieved by negotiations."

Abbas' application to the ICC has been part of an ongoing Palestinian lawfare campaign, aided and abetted by anti Israel non-governmental organisations, to delegitimize and demonize the Jewish state by political exploitation of international law.

In fact, Abbas was very explicit as to his intentions, when he wrote in a May 16, 2011 op-ed in the New York Times:

"Palestine's admission to the United Nations would pave the way for the internationalization of the conflict as a legal matter, not only a political one. It would also pave the way for us to pursue claims against Israel at the United Nations, human rights treaty bodies and the International Court of Justice."


The Palestinians' defeat at the ICC is a clear victory for justice and commonsense. However, the vexatious brief should never have even got this far and ought to have been thrown out after the first glance.

Furthermore, the ICC's decision is also the umpteenth reminder to the Palestinians that only direct and bona fide negotiations with Israel, and not unilateral actions at the UN or international fora, will bring about statehood for them.
]]> The Jihadist March on Jerusalem tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1386491 2012-03-30T07:06:23-04:00 2012-05-30T05:12:01-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/
Just like the 2010 Gaza terror flotilla and the 2011 Nakba Day protests before it, the GMJ's sole purpose is to confront and provoke the Israelis, with the hope of eliciting a violent reaction and creating a public relations bonanza.

According to organisers of the event, one million people are expected to be convoyed from neighbouring Jordan, Eygpt, Syria, and Lebanon to march to Jerusalem (or to the nearest point).

Their aim? Ostensibly to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian people and to protect the sanctity of Jerusalem against what they claim is its ethnic cleansing and "Judaization."

Let's take aside for the moment that the only time the sanctity of Jerusalem has actually been protected and open to all religions has been under Israeli sovereignty (between 1948 and 1967, when the Jordanians controlled the eastern part of the city, they prevented Jews access to the Jewish holy sites).

Zahir Al-Birawi, the spokesman of the GMJ has insisted the group does not intend to use violence and that the march will be peaceful. Oh really?

Let's start with the event's logo -- a map of "Palestine" that does not include or acknowledge the existence of the State of Israel.

Now, let's look into some of the "leaders" of the march.

According to CiF Watch, who have created a website to help expose the truth about the GMJ, the organizers and leading individuals are a global conglomerate of radical Islamist, terrorist, and far left groups (such as Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood & International Solidarity Movement).

One such senior leader is Ahmad Abu Halabiya, a Hamas MP and GMJ International Central Committee member, who has previously said: "Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are, in any country. Fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them, kill them."

Another is Abdul Razzaq Maqri, the GMJ co-ordinator for Algeria and North African, who said in 2010 video that "all our blood is Palestine," adding that "Israel will be annihilated soon." Maqri was also one of the leaders of the 2010 Gaza Flotilla.

Mansour Kiaei, a member of the GMJ South-East Asian delegation, recently displayed his intentions of "peace," when he tweeted "death to Israel."

And then there is Abd al-Aziz Amru, a senior Hamas terrorist who was released last year during the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap. Amru was serving seven life sentences in Israel for involvement in a deadly suicide attack in Jerusalem in 2003. Clearly, a display of what he thinks about the "sanctity" of Jerusalem. He recently travelled to South Africa to help promote the GMJ.

The GMJ "Advisory Board" is no less illustrious, and counts amongst its members George Galloway, an antisemitic former UK politician and supporter of Hamas and Hizbullah. He has previously described Jerusalem as being "raped" by "foreigners." Those "foreigners" being Israel of course.

One of Galloway's cohorts on the advisory board is Sheikh Raed Salah, an Israeli-based radical Islamic cleric. In 2005, Salah was convicted in Israel for raising millions of dollars for Hamas and having contacts with an Iranian intelligence agent.

In a fiery Jerusalem sermon in 2008, he also invoked the infamous "blood libel" accusing Jews of using non-Jewish children's blood to bake bread and called for an "Islamic-Arab Intifada from ocean to ocean, in support of the holy Jerusalem." Immediately after, the 1,000-plus strong crowd began rioting. You can only imagine what a million-plus crowd would do after a similarly incendiary speech.

Omnipresent in all this is Iran's unmistakable web of influence, stoking the flames of violence and unrest.

The respected Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center produced a detailed report outlining how Iran is the primary force behind the initiative, both directly and through its proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, personally proclaimed Iran's open support for the march, saying it was an expression of Iran's policy to strengthen "resistance operations" against Israel.

Hussein Sheikh-ul-Islam, the Senior Advisor to the Parliament Speaker for International Affairs of Iran, was appointed Secretary of the Board for GMJ in Iran, and promptly proclaimed the march "a symbol... against the occupation, oppression, injustice and Judaization of Jerusalem."

Ahmadinejad himself even met with some of the participants of the GMJ in Tehran only two weeks ago and told them, "The Zionist regime is like a malignant cancerous cell," adding it was no longer legitimate for Israel to occupy any part of Palestine and that "we must prepare for the great day that arrogance will be wiped from the face of the earth."

So, let there be no doubt -- Iran's terrorist tentacles are all over this march, down to the very last detail. Should violence ensue, the blood will be solely on the hands of Tehran and those foolish enough to be duped into participating in this Jihadist march to Jerusalem.
]]> Guess Which Terrorist the UN is Giving Centre Stage? tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1361923 2012-03-19T07:56:11-04:00 2012-05-19T05:12:01-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/ news that Ismail al-Ashqar, a senior Hamas official, will address the UN Human Rights Council today. Only thing, this is no joke!

The UN Human Rights Council, which only a few days ago unanimously adopted a report praising the Gaddafi-era Libyan regime for its human rights record, has never exactly been a friend of Israel or the Jewish people (or for that matter, any victims of human rights abuse or terrorism). But even this plummets them to a new low.

The topic of Al-Ashqar's address? The issue of Hamas members being held in Israeli jails.
First, perhaps a brief reminder as to Hamas' raison d'être is in order:

For this purpose, look no further than its Charter, which explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel (through the use of terror) and the creation of an Islamic state in Gaza, the West Bank, and all of Israel. Hamas has repeatedly and unequivocally said it will never recognize, negotiate with, or permanently live side-by-side with the Jewish state, a point its Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh went to great lengths to stress during his recent visit to Iran.

The United States, Canada, and the European Union (amongst others) all classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Yet the UN Human Rights Council is set to roll out the red carpet and provide a mouthpiece for them.

The issue of prisoner rights is also a peculiar one, bearing in mind Hamas was responsible for keeping Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit hostage for five and a half years, without observing so much as even a modicum of human rights or nod towards international law.

The response from Hamas or pro-Palestinian activists when the name Shalit was raised, and no doubt as al-Ashqar will do so now, is often: "But what about Israel? They have thousands of our prisoners."

Well, what about Israel?

According to the Israeli Prison Service, as of December 2011, there were 4,816 security prisoners serving time in Israeli jails for offenses of national security and terrorism (this includes not only from Hamas, but other terrorist groups as well).

It is worth bearing in mind that the Hamas prisoners, together with their associates from Islamic Jihad, PFLP, PRC and so on, routinely commit war crimes, including indiscriminate and deliberate rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, using human shields and generally failing to conduct their operations in accordance with the laws of war.

Unlike Shalit, these individuals are not entitled to the benefits and privileges afforded by the Prisoner of War protections under the Third Geneva Convention, and are subject to prosecution as war criminals. Yet Israel still affords them these protections (and then some) nonetheless.

Terror prisoners in Israel have full visitation rights from their families, free lawyers (paid for by Israel), access to judicial review and regular visits and inspections by the Red Cross (something Shalit was denied during his five and a half years in captivity).

As if that wasn't enough, Israel goes above and beyond its legal (and moral) obligations, and even provides many of these prisoners with cell phones, internet and television access, and option to study for further degrees (again, all paid for by the State of Israel).

By comparison to what Shalit and Israeli prisoners undergo in Palestinian jails, this is like Club Med.

Just prior to the Shalit exchange last October (in which Israel released 1,027 Hamas prisoners), al-Ashqar, said : "[m]ore of Shalits are coming," adding that "efforts to kidnap soldiers will continue until all Palestinian prisoners are freed."

Al-Ashqar also described the killing of Osama bin-Laden as "state terrorism that America carries out against Muslims."

And in case anyone still needed more proof of al-Ashqar's human rights "bona fides" and commitment to peace, in September 2010 he said "Jerusalem cannot be liberated through negotiations or dialogue ... resistance and Jihad is the only way to liberate Jerusalem from the dirt of the Zionist occupation."

At this stage it is still unclear whether al-Ashqar was officially invited to speak by the UN, or on behalf of an NGO. However, the UN does have a formidable track record of providing a platform to terrorists, not least of which Iran's President Ahmadinejad, to espouse their vile hatred and anti-Semitism.

It is also ironic that al-Ashtar, a proponent of genocide and terrorism against Israel, will address the Council just days before the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Yigal Palmor, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson summed it best, when he reportedly said in response to news of al-Ashqar's invitation to speak before the UNHRC: "Only a twisted mind can put Hamas and human rights together."

Perhaps not even Orwell, in his wildest dreams, could have conjured such a scenario. But when it comes to twisted minds, the UN Human Rights Council is in a stratosphere all of its own.
]]> Why Don't the Israel Haters Boycott Syria? tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1304686 2012-02-27T14:28:51-05:00 2012-04-28T05:12:01-04:00 Arsen Ostrovsky http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arsen-ostrovsky/
According to organisers of the IAW, the purpose of the movement is to "to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system and to build Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns."

First, let's make one thing crystal clear -- attempts to brand Israel as an "apartheid" state or compare it to white South Africa are at best uninformed; and at worst, maliciously dishonest and anti-Semitic. It also does a great injustice to the real victims, who had to endure institutionalised segregation and apartheid in South Africa.

The irony is that, despite problems in Israel (as in any democracy), Arab citizens still enjoy more rights, freedoms, and liberties than do their neighbours in any number of Middle East countries currently fighting and dying for these very same privileges.

As the Muslim Arab Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh says: "Israel is not an apartheid state...[it] is a free and open democratic country. The law of Israel does not distinguish between a Jew and an Arab... I would rather live as a second class citizen in Israel, even though I'm not, than a first class citizen in any Arab country."

Notably, those using the IAW to demonize Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, and which respects the rights of women, minorities, homosexuals, and people of other faiths, are holding no such events for Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad has already butchered some 7,500 pro-democracy protestors.

Nor are they holding similar events against Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is a crime, in Egypt, where the Copts continue to be persecuted both pre- and post-Mubarak, or Iran, where women and the Baha'i are repeatedly tortured and executed.

Of course, other great bastions of human rights and democracy, like Russia and China, which recently vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for the ousting of al-Assad, get a free pass too.

So why is Israel the only country singled out for special opprobrium?

During the IAW, you will hear all sorts of lofty humanitarian labels like "justice," "equal rights," and "peace." But don't be fooled. It is all a charade. They have no such interest. The sole purpose of the BDS movement is the vilification, delegitimization, and destruction of Israel as a Jewish state.
Just listen to what their leaders say.

Omar Barghouti, one the founders of the BDS Movement (and ironically, also a PhD student of ethics at Tel Aviv University), has said that the Palestinian refugees "Right of Return" is the "litmus test of morality for anyone suggesting a just and enduring solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."

To put it a little more bluntly, he added: "I clearly do not buy into the two-state solution...[I]f the refugees were to return, you would not have a two-state solution, you would have a Palestine next to Palestine, rather than a Palestine next to Israel."

Other BDS leaders are equally forthright.

Ali Abunimah is the executive director of the anti-Zionist website, Electronic Intifada, and one of the leading proponents of the one-state solution as a supposedly "just" and "non-violent" solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He sees the BDS as key to achieving this. But only last month, he tweeted: "Isn't it the time for a popular Palestinian revolution in the form of a third intifada?" Is that because the first and second intifadas were so "non-violent" also?

And then only two week ago, in what came as a major blow to the legions of Israel haters, anti-Zionist poster-boy Norman Finkelstein said the BDS Movement's call for the "Right of Return" was just "a cover for its desire to see the destruction of Israel," calling the movement "disingenuous" and a "cult."

Granted, Finkelstein made these comments not out of a new found Zionism or desire to advance peace in the Middle East, but rather he believes there are other "more efficient" means for anti-Israel activists to achieve the goals.

But undoubtedly the most illuminating of all the statements by BDS leaders came from Ahmed Koor (another proponent of the Palestinian "Right of Return'", who wrote in April 2010: "Ending the occupation doesn't mean anything if it doesn't mean upending the Jewish state itself...BDS is not another step on the way to the final showdown; BDS is The Final Showdown."

The similarity between Koor's "Final Showdown" and Hitler's "Final Solution" is as unmistakable as it is chillingly revealing about the BDS Movement's true motives.

Whereas Hitler's "Final Solution" sought to bring about the end of the Jewish people, the BDS Movement's "Final Showdown" seeks to bring about the end of Israel as the Jewish state, by endorsing a one-state solution and flooding Israel with millions of Palestinians.

The BDS movement is nothing short of racist, insidious, and anti-Semitic. Its goal is not to advance Palestinian rights, but to deny and strip Israel of its rights, with the ultimate objective being the destruction of the Jewish state.

The most unfortunate thing is that supporters of IAW and BDS do nothing to advance the cause of peace or well-being of Palestinians or Israeli Arabs. But then again, that has never been their goal in the first place. They only breed further hate and extremism at a time when peace and cooperation is needed most.
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