NATIONAL COUNCIL VOTES ON YACHAD

NATIONAL COUNCIL VOTES ON YACHAD

At the last ZF National Council meeting on Monday 25^th February 2013, representatives of member organisations of the Zionist Federation voted on and rejected the application of Yachad to become an affiliated organisation of the ZF. This was done in accordance with the Constitution of the ZF.

Each member organisation was given the opportunity to consider Yachad’s application, as was agreed in the last National Council meeting two months ago. The representatives of each member organisation went back to their base to consult and make a decision.  Following on from this they came back to the National Council meeting to cast their vote.

It is important to note that despite claims by Yachads statement, the ZF strongly supports peace in the Middle East and the two state solution.  To say that we do not is factually incorrect. 

Paul Charney, Chairman of the ZF said “each member of the National Council took the issue of Yachad becoming an affiliate member of the ZF to its organisations and discussed the matter in detail. They then came together to vote on the matter and in accordance with the constitution voted to reject Yachad’s application.” 

The ZF and all its members will continue to advocate on behalf of Israel across the UK.  

LARGEST CONCERT IN EUROPE TO CELEBRATE ISRAEL’S 65TH BIRTHDAY

LARGEST CONCERT IN EUROPE TO CELEBRATE ISRAEL’S 65^TH BIRTHDAY

To mark Israel’s 65^th anniversary, The Zionist Federation are hosting the largest concert in Europe for 12,000 people at Wembley Arena on Tuesday 16^th April.  

The event will showcase Israeli talent including Ishtar, the Israeli lead singer of Alabina who has sold millions of records worldwide and has been called the Madonna of the Middle East. Also performing will be Ivri Lider, one of the most successful Israeli musicians of his generation, who due to his songwriting is one of the most adored and respected people in Israel. Furthermore, those attending will be able to hear the world famous Chico, the founder of the Gipsy Kings who will be performing with his band the Gypsies. Moreover, there will be guest appearances from well known celebrities, with more acts and names to be announced soon.

Director of the ZF and Executive Producer of the Gala Concert, Alan Aziz has said, “This is a day to celebrate Israel’s existence and all the achievements that make us proud to be Zionists.”

The event which is the largest of its type in the UK is sponsored by:

• Christian Friends of Israel
• Jewish News & Media Group
• JNF
• Reform Judaism
• The Israeli Embassy
• The World Zionist Organisation
• United Synagogue
• WIZO UK

The ZF and all its UK members will continue to bring people closer to Israel.

For more information visit:  

GEORGE GALLOWAY’S XENOPHOBIC VIEWS DEMONSTRATED

GEORGE GALLOWAY’S XENOPHOBIC VIEWS DEMONSTRATED AGAIN

On Wednesday, George Galloway who is still the MP for Bradford West, well known for demonising Israel based on falsehoods and blind hatred as well as supporting dictators like Basher Assad and Saddam Hussein in the past, showed his racist views towards Israelis.

On Wednesday night, in a debate organised by Oxford Union, Mr Galloway walked out of a debate after he initially spoke in favour of the motion ‘Israel should withdraw immediately from the West Bank' before giving way to Eylon Aslan-Levy. After three minutes into Aslan-Levy’s speech against the motion, Galloway interrupted, asking, "Is he an Israeli, are you an Israeli? " Mr Galloway went on to interrupt Aslan-Levy’s speech saying, “I don’t debate with Israelis. I have been misled.” He then left the room with only his wife following him. A video of the incident in question can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AzIXdQiaRBc . We find Mr Galloway's treatment of Eylon Aslan-Levy and by his words of all Israelis unacceptable.

Paul Charney, Chairman of The ZF said “George Galloway’s refusal to debate with an Israeli student is absolutely disgraceful and clearly xenophobic. The incident shows a man consumed by hatred of Israel, who undermines freedom of speech as he fears his lies and demonisation of Israel being exposed. “

Philip Gardner, a student at Kings University, will be debating with George Galloway about Israel at the university next Wednesday evening. As Philip is not Israeli or Jewish, we look forward to hearing the debate in full.

The ZF and all its members will continue to stand up to those who attack Israel. 

GUEST POST BY PETER MULLEN

Blog 176

GUEST POST BY PETER MULLEN 

Here’s a fresh piece of balanced and unbiased reporting from the good old BBC. The Corporation’s support for the Palestinian cause and its hatred of Israel admits no impediment, not even when the BBC itself had to admit hiring lawyers at massive cost to the licence-payer to suppress its own report revealing – you wouldn’t believe it – its own bias against Israel.

For its latest trick, the BBC exults over the prospect of an alliance between the two main Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas and reports Khaled Meshaal, leader of Hamas as saying:

"We are consulting about forming a government of national accord. Preparations for presidential, parliamentary and executive council elections are under way. We are reinvigorating the Palestine Liberation Organisation and organising its meetings until new national council and executive committee are elected."

This is disingenuous even by the standards of BBC reporting on events in the Middle East. The Corporation consistently urges the resumption of peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis but perversely omits to tell us that Hamas opposes this effort for peace because it has publicly and repeatedly committed itself to the destruction of Israel. How are we to imagine that the terrorist organisation Hamas can possibly make common cause with the more reasonable aspirations and policies of Mr Abbas’ Fatah party?

The description of Hamas as terrorists is not my private opinion. Its members and supporters have long been the promoters and perpetrators of acts of terror, slaughter and mayhem. Moreover Hamas is officially designated a terrorist organisation by the US, the UK and even the EU. That’s got them pretty well bang-to-rights in the eyes of the international community. If the BBC’s claim to impartiality were more than posturing and its enthusiasm for peace in the Middle East more than hot air, then surely, in their report of Mr Meshaal’s speech, they would have reminded licence-payers of Hamas’ unreformed terrorist record and ambitions?

BBC FAILS TO REVEAL TRUTH ABOUT HAMAS

BBC FAILS TO REVEAL TRUTH ABOUT HAMAS\

In a report on Hamas by BBC News online on the 7^th February 2013, those reading the article were not given an accurate picture about the activities of Hamas or what it stands for. A link to the article can be found on the BBC website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21363104

The report in question failed to highlight Hamas’s continued opposition to the peace process due to its commitment to the destruction of Israel and its clear antisemitism as shown by its own charter, which refers to the antisemitic forgery, The Elders of Zion. In doing so the BBC is once again demonstrating bias against Israel, meaning it is failing in its own charter commitments to accurate and balanced reporting.

Chairman of the ZF (Zionist Federation), Paul Charney said, “Yet again in its coverage of Israel, the BBC is letting down the licence fee payers by providing a false picture of Hamas that ignores the fact that it is a violent terrorist group committed to the destruction of Israel. “

The Zionist Federation and all its members will continue to call on Israel to be given a fair hearing in the media.  

ZF Israel Trip Itinerary 2013

ZF Israel Trip Itinerary

14^th June – 19^th June 2013

Friday 14^th June 

Briefing.

Introduction Gil Hoffman – Chief political correspondent and analyst for the Jerusalem Post.

            Visit Tel Aviv Art Museum and meet with Artists

            Free time for Lunch in HaTachana – Old Jaffa Railway Station.

            Tour around Jaffa

            Back to hotel to prepare for Shabbat

            Shabbat dinner with speakers

(Shabbat comes in at 1930)

Saturday 15^th June

            Breakfast

            Walk to visit Joseph Bau Museum.

            Tour of museum.

            Leave Joseph Bau Museum and walk back to hotel

            Shabbat Lunch at Hotel

            Meet with speakers

            Le Chaim ‘on the beach’.

(Shabbat goes out at 2100)

Sunday 16^th June

            Breakfast with British Ambassador – Matthew Gould

            Visit Wolfson Medical Centre - Save a child’s heart hospital.

            Visit Guide Dog Association.

            Visit The Ayalon Institute - Former Secret Arms factory

            New Israeli Opera and Back stage tour   

Monday 17^th June.

            Breakfast

Visit  the West Bank on a tour with Miri Eisen, former IDF spokesperson.

Meet with Yisrael Harel to talk about Ofra and visit Rawabi.

Briefing by Police National Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld at Observation point near Bethlehem  

            Visit Halva factory in Ariel.

            Tour of Abu Gosh.

Tuesday 18^th June

Private Buffet Breakfast at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, and hear from our special guest David Horowitz – Founding editor of the Times of Israel.

            Tour of the Knesset.  Meet with MK’s.

            *Attend the Opening Ceremony of the Israeli Presidential Conference.

Wednesday 19^th June

            Breakfast

            Tour ends

Please note that this itinerary is subject to change. 

The cost of the trip is £895.00 p/p sharing a double room.

The trip is inclusive of half board only.

There is a single supplement surcharge of £67.00 per night.

* We are working very hard to secure tickets for the IPC for the whole group.  This has yet to be confirmed.

TIME FOR THE EU TO STAND UP TO TERRORISM

TIME FOR THE EU TO STAND UP TO TERRORISM

We call on the the EU to take heed of the recent statement by the Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron who called on the EU to proscribe Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

Hezbollah is an active and violent international terrorist group based in Lebanon and funded by the Iranian regime.  An investigation by the Bulgarian Government concluded that Hezbollah was responsible for the attack in the resort of Burgas in Bulgaria, which killed 5 Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver.

Hezbollah has a violent history. On July 18^th 1994, they attacked the AMIA Jewish Community centre in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people and injuring hundreds. Furthermore, it frequently attacks Israel, firing from civilian areas and using human shields thus committing a double war crime. There can be no dispute that Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation and it is time for the EU to recognise this and proscribe it without delay. Without an appropriate response, the prospect of further atrocities occurring in the EU is increased.

Paul Charney, Chairman of The ZF said, “It is clear to all that Hezbollah is an ambitious international terrorist organisation that receives funding from Europe.  We need to rid the world from this threat, and we start by proscribing it from the EU”

The ZF and all its members will continue to call on the EU to stand up to terrorists.  

POST ISRAEL ELECTIONS

Post Israel elections

By Kirill Pashkov 

As we know, recent Knesset elections on the 22nd of January promised us to show something new—and they actually did. After last year's protest events in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as well as after the March of Millions, people's politicalegoes have activated and demanded action. This necessity has spurred amazing proportions of the Parliament Seats: 61 for the right-wing with Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Liberman, and 59 places on the left with Eal Lapid andSheli Ehimovich. Comparing to the previous results, Parliament achieved its balance at last, which is a very good sign for the near future of Israel. 

A number of Tel Aviv residents could feel the unity in the air, which almost never happened before. There is a very interesting thing about Tel Aviv's life: it's very unique and united, especially in questions of politics. It is almost like anindependent state inside the larger country of Israel. Almost all Tel Aviv citizens gave their votes for the Left Wing, reflective of the protests of 2011. Tel Aviv is most open-minded in such questions as homosexuality, economics, religion, and life in general. 

One Tel Avivi, a manager of a wine store, says that the election results truly disappointed her, and even more so the people who voted for the Right Wing. "I don't understand,” she exclaims pessimistically. “Why do people vote for Bibiagain? Do they miss the old problems? Or want some more?" 

She personally gave her vote for Avoda - Sheli Ehimovich, vowing that Sheli is a very charismatic character and she is the only one who can actually solve the socio-economical problems. 

"Eal Lapid is a great option. People voted for him, because he is new. He is notapart of this system, rotten from the inside, and that is good. We need some fresh blood in our political body."

The right wing achieves more Parliament places due to the lack of unity among the opposing parties. People voted for small parties, some of which didn't even pass the percentage barrier and caused the loss of votes for the stronger parties, such as Esh Atid and Avoda.    

Yoni Eilat, an actor, also voted for Avoda, claiming that almost all of his university peers voted left, as leftist views and policies tend to be Tel-Aviv's priority. 

“I am ok with the results,” - Eilat concludes. “It could be better, but why complain now? How to work on something that we've got. Something that does make me happy is that Bibi lost his string positions, but I am not sure yet about Lapid; notsure if he will have enough courage to do something around Bibi and Liberman. They'll try their best not to let him do anything. I hope that they will manage to cooperate. Of course its better if Lapid will go on his own, but he was always achicky(?) conformist, event in his journalist times.” He ended this statement feeling uneasy.

In the center of Tel Aviv there is cafe that is almost twenty years old. It's a very nice place, owned by a man from Georgia. The main aspects that interested him in the candidates’ political programs were

tax problems, high costs of living, and s

ecurity measures.

He gave his vote for Eldad Yaniv on the left.

The owner explained, "I want somebody to deal with the corruption inside the business sphere, because it is impossible to work when your concurrents are playing unfair. Out of recent elections I made the conclusion that people want to gather to solve our economic and security problems. And that is the beginning of positive change in our society.

When it comes to Eal Lapid , I am not sure about him. He is new for me, so time will show everything. Now they just have to form the government."

Some interviewees did not vote at all, following the idea of one house for allJews, and stated that it does not matter who is in Knesset; as long as they areJewish, it is okay. Those people are mostly representatives of apolitical Haredimorganizations, which form a minority. 

Israel achieved the political balance: the rights and the left now have equal chances, but one question remains: will the two fractions cooperate and solve thecountry's most pressing issues or they will their conflicts result with theirinitiatives’ collapse? Time will only tell.