Last Friday terrorists entered Itamar (a settlement) and knifed to death a family of 5 whilst they slept. The mother and father and 2 sons aged 11 and 4 had their throats slit and a 3 month old baby girl had her head cut off.
The news of this appalling crime was greeted in Gaza with celebrations (similar to the celebrations on hearing the news of 9/11).
You would not have seen this incident fully reported in much of the mainstream media (and certainly not on the BBC) - most of whom chose to major on the decision to expand the settlement.
That weekend saw the launch of some 63 mortar shells and four rockets from the Gaza Strip into Southern Israel, representing an unprecedented increase in projectile fire from the Gaza Strip since the end of Operation Cast Lead. Today, terrorists in the Gaza Strip continue to fire mortars and rockets at Israel. Whilst fortunately no one was killed, the barrage brought terror to hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens.
Yesterday a terrorist bomb exploded at a crowded bus stop opposite the central bus station, killing a 58 year-old British woman. Clearly intended to harm innocent civilians, this appalling and criminal attack injured more than 40 people, some of whom are in a critical condition.
Earlier today, terrorists in Gaza fired two Grad-type Katyusha rockets at Be'er-Sheva, the largest city in Southern Israel (home to more than 200,000) and a Grad-type Katuysha rocket that landed in close proximity to Ashdod (a city of more than 200,000).They also launched some eight mortars into the areas of Eshkol and Sha'ar Hanegev in Southern Israel.
The BBC coverage of all these incidents has been selective,inaccurate and misleading, prompting Louise Bagshawe MP to protest in the Telegraph today.
We call on the BBC to put aside their obvious anti-Israel bias and to report fully and fairly, as the BBC Charter requires. We also call upon the BBC to issue the Balen Report it commissioned (on its Middle East bias), rather than spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to obstruct its release.
If you wish to interview a ZF spokeman in the UK or in Israel please contact
gary@zfuk.org
urgent@zfuk.org (outside of office hours)
020 8202 0202
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
HAILING FOR A CAB?
If you are in London, and in need of a taxi, look out for this special taxi driving around. The taxi driver, who is a member of Christian Friends of Israel and the ZF, has dedicated her taxi advertising to helping raise awareness of Gilad Shalit at no extra charge at all.
Friday, March 4, 2011
ZF RESPONSE TO THE PROMISE
The Zionist Federation has been contacted by many people – both Jewish and non-Jewish – who were upset and infuriated by “The Promise” on Channel 4. The ZF is horrified by this latest demonisation of Israel on the Channel, in the context of an increasingly hostile and ill-informed discourse about Israel in UK media, and asks OFCOM to bring to account the management of a TV Channel that in 2008 also thought it appropriate for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to give the Christmas message.
Jonathan Hoffman, co-Vice Chair of the ZF, said: “Channel 4’s “The Promise” gave a misleadingly partial and sometimes false impression of both the history of Israel and the country today. Its theme was that the Jews deserved their own State because of the Holocaust but that they then very quickly began to behave like their tormentors. Israeli Jews were depicted either as living in California-style houses with swimming-pools or as heartless soldiers who mistreat Arabs and protect the most extreme settlers. Even though this was a drama and not a documentary, many viewers would have taken it as historic fact – particularly in view of the lavish realism of the production – and Channel 4 therefore has an unquestionable obligation to at least attempt to be balanced and accurate.”
A number of demonising falsehoods were included, for example that all Arab refugees fled in 1948 because of fear of Jews (the truth is that the Mayor of Haifa begged them to stay and that many were told to flee by their leaders, in anticipation that the massing Arab armies would annihilate the Jews and that they could then swiftly return); that the IDF uses children as ‘human shields’; and that Israel was created purely because of Western guilt about the Holocaust.
The bias of the series is clear from Director Peter Kosminsky’s own article in the Guardian. The researchers interviewed members of the International Solidarity Movement - a group whose antithetical views about Israel are well known – as well as Combatants for Peace and Breaking the Silence, both organisations representing the small minority of dissident soldiers. There is no indication that less extreme organisations were consulted in the making of the series.
While Kosminsky insists that the series included certain events for ‘balance’ and that he based everything on actual incidents, the overall combination, selection and ordering of the events was deliberately anti-Israel and the series clearly set out to demonise Israel.
The ZF will be writing in the strongest possible terms to Channel 4 and OFCOM.
Jonathan Hoffman, co-Vice Chair of the ZF, said: “Channel 4’s “The Promise” gave a misleadingly partial and sometimes false impression of both the history of Israel and the country today. Its theme was that the Jews deserved their own State because of the Holocaust but that they then very quickly began to behave like their tormentors. Israeli Jews were depicted either as living in California-style houses with swimming-pools or as heartless soldiers who mistreat Arabs and protect the most extreme settlers. Even though this was a drama and not a documentary, many viewers would have taken it as historic fact – particularly in view of the lavish realism of the production – and Channel 4 therefore has an unquestionable obligation to at least attempt to be balanced and accurate.”
A number of demonising falsehoods were included, for example that all Arab refugees fled in 1948 because of fear of Jews (the truth is that the Mayor of Haifa begged them to stay and that many were told to flee by their leaders, in anticipation that the massing Arab armies would annihilate the Jews and that they could then swiftly return); that the IDF uses children as ‘human shields’; and that Israel was created purely because of Western guilt about the Holocaust.
The bias of the series is clear from Director Peter Kosminsky’s own article in the Guardian. The researchers interviewed members of the International Solidarity Movement - a group whose antithetical views about Israel are well known – as well as Combatants for Peace and Breaking the Silence, both organisations representing the small minority of dissident soldiers. There is no indication that less extreme organisations were consulted in the making of the series.
While Kosminsky insists that the series included certain events for ‘balance’ and that he based everything on actual incidents, the overall combination, selection and ordering of the events was deliberately anti-Israel and the series clearly set out to demonise Israel.
The ZF will be writing in the strongest possible terms to Channel 4 and OFCOM.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
ZF BRINGS ISRAELI SCIENCE TO THE UK
Israel Science Days for Students in 4 cities
The ZF annual Israel Science Days 2011, will be taking place on Monday 28th February through to Thursday 3rd March
in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and London attracting nearly two thousand people, mainly students.
Four world-class Israeli scientists will talk about their unique ground-breaking research and resulting implementation in the fields of cancer treatment, stem cells, the heart, etc.
They will bring added colour and completely new information to the subjects, enlightening and surprising not only the students but also their teachers.
All talks will be illustrated by colourful PowerPoint presentations, and students will have the opportunity to ask questions and talk to the speakers.
The Speakers are:
Professor Smadar Cohen Repairing broken hearts by biomaterials
Professor Yechzkiel Barenholz Targeted Nanodrugs in cancer patients
Dr Shoshana Merchav Stem cell therapy
Professor Michel Revel New approaches in treating Multiple Sclerosis
Thursday 3rd March is in London and is a free event designed for years 12 and 13, to enhance interest in, and greater understanding of the A-Level Biology course,
with the latest developments in the field of medicine in Israel. There will be over 1000 students at this one event.
There will be an exhibition (open from 10 am – 5 pm), including films, power points and wall-mounted items, with exhibits from universities
and teaching hospitals throughout Israel, showing the latest developments and treatments which are used all over the world.
Every student will receive a booklet with details of the talks and exhibits and each school participating will receive books on Israel for their libraries.
Apart from the Science days, The four Scientists will be addressing school students in each city,
as well as visiting different campuses around the UK and speaking to many medical students and doctors.
Large community events will be held every evening in each of the regions.
For more information please contact Alan Aziz, Executive Director for the ZF UK: 07768946868 or urgent@zfuk.org
The ZF annual Israel Science Days 2011, will be taking place on Monday 28th February through to Thursday 3rd March
in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and London attracting nearly two thousand people, mainly students.
Four world-class Israeli scientists will talk about their unique ground-breaking research and resulting implementation in the fields of cancer treatment, stem cells, the heart, etc.
They will bring added colour and completely new information to the subjects, enlightening and surprising not only the students but also their teachers.
All talks will be illustrated by colourful PowerPoint presentations, and students will have the opportunity to ask questions and talk to the speakers.
The Speakers are:
Professor Smadar Cohen Repairing broken hearts by biomaterials
Professor Yechzkiel Barenholz Targeted Nanodrugs in cancer patients
Dr Shoshana Merchav Stem cell therapy
Professor Michel Revel New approaches in treating Multiple Sclerosis
Thursday 3rd March is in London and is a free event designed for years 12 and 13, to enhance interest in, and greater understanding of the A-Level Biology course,
with the latest developments in the field of medicine in Israel. There will be over 1000 students at this one event.
There will be an exhibition (open from 10 am – 5 pm), including films, power points and wall-mounted items, with exhibits from universities
and teaching hospitals throughout Israel, showing the latest developments and treatments which are used all over the world.
Every student will receive a booklet with details of the talks and exhibits and each school participating will receive books on Israel for their libraries.
Apart from the Science days, The four Scientists will be addressing school students in each city,
as well as visiting different campuses around the UK and speaking to many medical students and doctors.
Large community events will be held every evening in each of the regions.
For more information please contact Alan Aziz, Executive Director for the ZF UK: 07768946868 or urgent@zfuk.org
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