Return of the ‘scare quotes’So much to object to in this latest uncredited offering from the BBC. It starts from a misleading headline, Israelis shoot dead ‘mentally ill’ woman near Gaza barrier, and goes downhill from there. Continue reading
| An open letter to Facebook’s representatives in Israel
Rehovot, Israel February 27, 2014 Onavo, Inc. Palo Alto, CA 94306 cc. Onavo General Inquiries, Onavo Press Inquiries Attention: Mr Guy Rosen and Mr.Roi Tiger Dear Messrs Rosen and Tiger, Your company Onavo’s recent acquisition by Facebook was a source of pride for many Israelis. This was not simply because a profitable exit is the goal of many or even most Israeli hi-tech start-ups but because you insisted that the company remains in Israel. Instead of yet another example of Israeli entrepreneurship and innovation moving out you have invited a giant to set up in Israel. Onavo’s Tel-Aviv office will remain open for business and will become Facebook’s new Israeli office. It is because of your pride in Israel I am writing this open letter to both of you. It’s possible that you had a chance on your way to work to read this article, Appeal to Zuckerberg: Remove antisemitic content from Facebook in today’s Maariv. Perhaps some of your staff have brought it to your attention. Given the support for the protest, currently at about twelve and a half thousand (12,500 +) and growing at more than one thousand per day that figure could reach fifteen thousand confirmed online attendees, all of whom have Facebook accounts, by the end of the month. Other news media, worldwide, is beginning to take attention. The reason for the wave of agitated Facebook users is a flood of Jew Hatred pages on Facebook. They include pages claiming Jews kidnap children to extract their blood to make matzoh for Pesach (Passover); pages claiming Adolf Hitler was a Christ figure whose real angelic nature has been hidden by his Jewish murderers and pages claiming Jews control the world’s media, stock exchanges, the Congress of the United States and just about everything else. These medieval/Nazi libels are not debatable criticism of Israel pretending not to be antisemitic but indisputable classic Jew Hatred. It’s true Facebook does have a mechanism to report Hate Speech but when hundreds of members tried to report these pages they receive a reply that these pages do not violate Facebook Community standards. Generally that reply arrives within less than half an hour of the report being made. Facebook’s suggestion that we, presumably politely, ask the admins of the page to remove it doesn’t have any connection to reality. If accusing the Jews of sucking the blood of murdered children doesn’t offend Facebook community standards, what possibly could? We appeal to you, as members of that exclusive group who speak to Mr. Zuckerberg face-to-face. If you are proud Jews, Israelis and now proud members of the Facebook team to bring the failure to apply Facebook’s own guidelines to his attention. If it is an algorithm problem, a personnel problem or something else he should be made aware. The failure to remove Jew Hate pages from Facebook makes no one proud. Yours, David Guy |
Revise Facebook Community StandardsThree activists from Sweden have employed social media to send a message to a giant.
Dear Mr Zuckerberg … is yet another imaginative initiative (see Time for a BDS Rethink) that we think all Israel Advocates must join.
But, wait a second, I hear you say, #RETHINK2014 is about confronting Palestinian Hypocrisy Week and Dear Mr. Zuckerberg … is about protesting Facebook insistence that the most extreme Jew Hatred‡ is fine under their Community Standards. (See Blood Libel OK by Facebook for one of the worst examples).
Why are you lumping them together? Continue reading
I OPPOSE ISRAEL APARTHEID WEEKSometimes something comes up that is everything Five Minutes for Israel tried to be. That something is #RETHINK2014.
5MFI RETHINKS
Those of you who have stayed with the Five Minutes for Israel from the beginning will remember the ’5 minutes’ was all you needed to do something positive for Israel. Since then the blog has become more analytical and less action item orientated. The problem was not finding something to do in five minutes or less but timing them to be most effective. Keeping ahead of the news and the world clock became too exhausting although reading the Irish media to stay ahead of the American media is probably the reason for our continuing interest in Hibernia.
The #RETHINK2014 project. Breaking down the Israel Apartheid smear one photo at a time is taking the concept of a small act that consumes little precious time to the limit. Continue reading
NUI Galway?Are you a student, academic or employee of the National University of Ireland–Galway? Do you live in the region or are capable of getting there? On March 6th a motion for boycotting Israel will be presented to the students. We need a presence on that day and help organising opposition to the motion A.S.A.P. Until a committee is formed please contact this website if you can help in any way.
† Intel employs 7,800 people in Israel. In 2011 alone, Intel exported goods worth $2.2 billion and made $628 million of reciprocal procurements from Israeli suppliers. Over the past five years, Intel contributed more than $4.1 billion to the development of Israel’s economy as part of their Industrial Development Plan. In other words NUI Galway should be boycotting Intel if BDS was consistent.
‡ As we can see from the GlycoHIT website NUI Galway is involved in a consortium which includes Israeli company Agilent. The GlycoHIT website describes Agilent Technologies as the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life science and chemical analysis. €3 Million is quite a lot of moolah to throw away for BDS.
Not hate speech?As a general rule hate-pages on Facebook are run by pimply adolescents who delude themselves that the digital equivalent of graffiti on a cemetery wall is the equivalent of action. One day they may actually have a girlfriend. That is no excuse.
When one is pointed out to me I report it but don’t generally blog it. Why give them the oxygen of publicity and expand their Google footprint by directing readers there? Ultimately the page is removed although others spring up like toadstools.
This is a little different. One would think removing a FB page Jewish ritual murder would be a no-brainer but apparently not. Continue reading
Does France 24 jouer franc jeu†?… or so France 24 believes. France 24 broadcasts Middle East: Israelis divided over occupation of West Bank and allocates 59 seconds to pro settlement ‘Israelis’; 2 minutes and 15 seconds to anti settlement Israelis and 6 minutes and 15 seconds to an Arab woman from Hebron who wants to wind back to 1948.
Is France 24 fair and professional about its Israel-Palestine coverage? Five Minutes for Israel discovers, not so much. Continue reading
Unless you have been holidaying on the far side of the moon. you would have heard about a major BDS fail. Actress Scarlett Johansson’s standing up to NGO Oxfam, a major member of the Hate Israel Lobby, took a certain amount of courage.
Perhaps not raw physical courage. Still, as film maker Theo van Gogh R.I.P. and cartoonist Kurt Westergaard (under 24 hour police protection discovered to huge cost, the combat skills of a Natalia Romanova come in handy when you upset the crazies. More the moral courage to face the bullying of the self-righteous. Hollywood and New York, despite or maybe because of the presence of many Jews, is not the most pleasant place to support an Israeli company. Oxfam clearly thought that having to face the inevitable attacks at Hollywood parties would be enough to dissuade her.
They thought wrong. Continue reading
I’ve just heard that Prof. Barry Rubin from the GLORIA CENTER passed away last night. I met him a couple of times and heard him as a panelist, speaker and audience member asking sharp questions. He was a great asset to the cause of Israel.
Honour his memory by reading his books, many of which are free online. Please share.
http://www.gloria-center.org/
Late addition to the BBC drops a BrickKhoury is a very common name in the Levant, especially in Lebanon but also in Israel/Palestine. It is exclusively Christian and means Priest. Had I known about Pastor Naim Khoury while writing The BBC drops a brick I would certainly have added this†: Continue reading
About the Book Why is this book different from all other books about Israel? All other books tend to defend Israel. ISRAEL RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE goes on the attack. Why should my country apologize for fighting for its right to exist?
ISRAEL RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE prosecutes Israel’s enemies and defamers by exposing their hypocrisy and lies. From boycotters to replacement theologists, the media, leading politicians, a misguided public and, centrally, the Palestinians, are all are subject to scrutiny and found guilty of slander, violence, and abuse of the Jewish nation. The author takes you on a personal journey that allows you to feel the forces and emotions that affect the average Israeli.
ISRAEL RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE calls famous witnesses, past and present, to illustrate the damage that Israel’s enemies are inflicting not only on Israel but also on the core values of democratic societies.
Suggested Retail Price:
$22.95 - 8.25x11 Paperback
You can order ISRAEL RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE directly from the publisher at www.authorhouse.com.
Typical Ordering Time: 7-10 Business Days
This book is also available at your local resellers.
Also available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and from the author at
www.israelnarrative.com
© 2011 Author Solutions, Inc.
