Last Wednesday night, delivering the keynote address at the Herzliya Conference, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, gave a surprisingly brilliant speech. He spoke of security, saying that Israel “must continue and strengthen its military might,” elaborating that the “weak do not survive in this region [the Middle East], and the weak do not make peace.” Yet, he noted that defending against terrorism is costly. Every state need (including security, health care, education, etc.) requires a strong economy. Israel has a strong economy, with a GDP per capita of around $30,000 a year. But to allow the economy to continue growing, Netanyahu stated that economic impediments must be removed. Israel, he expressed, should become a leading technological power. Mostly, he spoke of education. Education, he said, “is the melting pot for national resilience.” He discussed the need for greater Jewish and Zionist education in Israel, and the opening of two new national trails; one to be the historic Jewish trail of Israel and the second to be the historical Zionist trail of Israel.

I will admit, as I stood there listening to his speech, I was in shock. How could he have wasted this opportunity to address the international community? Yet, upon reflection, I came to see that his speech was ingenious. He was not merely addressing Israel, saying that our youth must be more connected to their Jewish and Zionist past. Rather, he addressed the world. To the international community, he subtly said, enough is enough. Enough with attacking the legitimacy of the existence of the State of Israel. Enough with disparaging the Jewish connection to the land. The land of Israel has been ours from time immemorial; from Jerusalem to Be’er Sheva, Tzfat to Tel Lachish, Tzipori to Massada. Enough with the narrative that the existence of Israel is only the result of the Holocaust. The Zionist enterprise is behind the modern State of Israel; the pioneers and waves of aliyah who built the kibbutzim, raised the modern city in Tel Aviv, established a de facto government in the Yishuv, protected their settlements through organizations such as the Shomer HaTzair and the Hagannah, garnered international aid and support, such as through the World Zionist Congress, and fought a war of independence against five invading armies. Netanyahu said that “the survival of the Jewish people is tied to the State of Israel.” Yet this is no new fact. Judaism has always inherently been tied to the land, and the land is a part of the people and culture. Enough, said Netanyahu. And I say, kudos.

OK, that title was total nonsense

But seriously, when I want to know the latest in teen religious Jewish boy band news, the first place I go to is Heeb magazine. And they never disappoint! After the bump check out these uh… cuties, called the Moshiach Times Band. JDub dubs them the “Jewnas” brothers and raves about their “skinny jean/Tzitzit combo” while Tablet Magazine says that they are “the religious Jews’ answer to the Jonas Brothers.” Me? I don’t even know who the Jonas Brothers are and I’m definitely not going to make any cracks about scoring sem girl booty in the temple bathroom (I leave that to Heeb). All I can say is that I am heartbroken that the David Kelsey approved musical line up at the Jewlicious Festival is all booked up and that we won’t be able to invite the Moshiach Times Band to play before they hit puberty and their sweet, angelic voices begin to crack. Oh well.

(more…)

Such a bargain for you!

This is one of the questions we get asked the most and I am uh… pleased to say that the answer in all cases is “unequivocally yes.” Every attendee at Jewlicious costs us between $150 and $200. That covers the discounted rate we pay for the JCC that hosts the event, expenses associated with speakers, expenses associated with bands, transportation, food expenses etc. etc. We charge as little as $36 per person for the entire weekend because we don’t want money to be an issue with regards to participation. Even then, if someone flat out can’t afford it, we’ll always find a way to get them to the Festival. But we’re not Birthright Israel. Heck we’re not even Oranim. In this era of free trips to Israel, we even get people calling from out of town asking if we subsidize air fare! I mean we’d love to be in a position to do so but, well, we’re not. I could throw myself at Michael Steinhardt’s feet and assure him most sincerely that there are in fact ample hookups at the Jewlicious Festival but that would be, I don’t know, undignified? And as everyone who knows me knows, I am if nothing else, the very model of a modern uh… dignified man.

So yeah, bottom line, those of you trying to figure out our budget? $150-$200 a head. That’s pretty cheap and definitely does not include all the blood, sweat and tears expended by our awesome volunteers, committee members and community leaders, all dedicated to making sure that our participants have an awesome Jewy weekend. Now go and buy your tickets today!

I promise you are not paying retail!

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Shabbat Shalom!!

Look, Rabbi Yonah and ck are hard at work with Tanya and others preparing what looks to be an incredible 6.0. Sadly, TheMiddle can’t be there, but he knows from previous Jewlicious Festivals that they’re incredibly exciting events that bring young (and less young) Jews together in a fantastic weekend that is not like anything else you’ve ever seen.

The preparations for Jewlicious festivals run like clockwork thanks to the efforts of Rabbi Yonah, his wife Rachel Bookstein, our hard-working ck (David Abitbol) and the crew helping them from Long Beach Hillel and JConnectLA. I’ve seen them do it in the past and I’m sure this year is no different.

As they go through the process of putting the festival together, with its numerous attendees, hosts, guests, musicians, comedians and sponsors, the place runs like a factory. Everyone knows their roles, and everybody takes their work very seriously, showing absolute commitment and dedication to the festival and its success.

Needless to say, they also have a ton of fun.

So, when somebody emailed me this video earlier today, I realized that it represented a very different reality than the behind-the-scenes going on right as they prepare Jewlicious 6.0.

Very different.

Here’s the link one more time. Again, I remind you all that this is nothing like the preparations for Jewlicious 6.0. Not even close.

No. Really.

Well, they for sure like this woman. And not only will AEPI be at the Jewlicious Festival, but they are sponsors as well! Visit their Web site, their Wikipedia page or their blog. Also, AEPi is no longer just for Americans or Canadians, they are invading Israel too! Better watch out ck!

World Boxing Association super welterweight champion!

A native of Belarus, winner of 3 national Israeli boxing championships and the current WBA super welterweight champion of the world, Yuri Foreman may not have his own grill like George but so what? He’s the 1st Israeli World Boxing Champion and the only Boxing champion ever to be studying to be a Rabbi. What’s next for Yuri? He tried to get a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the WBO World welterweight champion, but Pacquiao opted instead to fight someone he was more likely to beat. Oh well. I guess we don’t know what’s next for Foreman professionally, but we DO know what’s next for him in terms of FUN!

Yes, because we like to be surrounded by tough guys who are also spiritual, we reached out and invited Foreman to the Jewlicious Festival, and he in turn accepted. What should Jewlicious Festival goers expect? Well, a general increase in both testosterone and spirituality and a talk from Yuri about Jewish identity. Or aa seminar on how to kick ass. We’re not sure yet. We don’t really care, we’re just thrilled to have him and we all look forward to meeting him.

The countdown to Super Bowl XLIV (that’s 44, people) is exactly 2 days: 2 hours: 42 mins: 2 secs, but since the Giants aren’t involved, I honestly couldn’t care less. What I can’t help but wonder, however, is what Chabad is doing about the game this year.

You see, it’s been two years since Eli Manning’s “miracle drive” — the 38-yard seemingly impossible pass to David Tyree, followed by a game-winning touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with only 39 seconds left. But that same day, some avid fans credited the Giants’ Super Bowl success to a source far mightier than Manning’s nimble arm and Tyree’s solid grasp — these fans felt that their newfound tefillin addiction had given the Giants that extra wind. After the team began that season with a lousy 0 and 2 record, lifelong fan Jay Greenfield finally caved to his Chabad rabbi and friend, Yisroel Shemtov, who had been pestering Greenfield about wearing tefillin. If the fan would strap on the prayer boxes just three times each week, Rabbi Shemtov would add the New York Giants to his prayers and ask for a little divine intervention on behalf of the beloved team.

This Sunday in sunny Miami, the New Orleans Saints face the Indianapolis Colts, led by Eli Manning’s older brother Peyton — also known to be a miracle-worker of sorts. As usual, Chabad is getting in on the action.

Rabbi Zev Katz, director of Chabad of Miami Beach (also known as “Chabad on Wheels”) has been at it all week — wrapping tefillin on visitors and locals alike who are gearing up for Sunday’s game. Throughout the week and all day today, Rabbi Katz says he’s had his mitzvah tank parked on Lincoln Road, a thoroughfare for shopping, dining and tourism in Miami Beach. And he’s had no trouble getting Jewish passers-by aboard the Chabad mobile, doing everything possible for just one more mitzvah. He even went so far as to invite anyone reading this post to attend Shabbat at his Chabad House, located on 309 23rd St.

Until then, he’ll continue to get football fans to wrap themselves with tefillin.

“We had one guy who was 13, and he wasn’t really religious at all,” Rabbi Katz said. “But he said he would do it for the Saints.”

Also in the region, Rabbi Shuey Biston (Chabad of Parkland – North Broward and South Palm Beach) is hosting a kosher Super Bowl party with over 100 guests at a community member’s home, where fans will gather first for a service, and then to watch the game.

“We always have a Super Bowl party every year,” Rabbi Biston said.

Of course, not every Saints or Colts fan will actually get to the Miami region this weekend, but Chabad in Louisiana is bringing together Jewish Saints fans for some social action. The Chabad Jewish Center of Suburban New Orleans is striking up a Super Bowl pool, where local fans have the opportunity to win up to $1,800 ($450 per quarter) just by donating $36 or $72 to the center’s educational programming.

I guess we’ll see on Sunday whether or not that 13-year-old Saints fan’s prayers were strong enough to give New Orleans’ Drew Brees the edge he needs to defeat a seemingly invincible Peyton Manning of Indianapolis.

Speaking of Mannings, let’s rewatch those final moments of Super Bowl 42, especially since the Giants were certainly not interested in offering us New Yorkers anything similar this year. And hey, maybe if a few more Giants fans (Dad?) try strapping on tefillin at their tailgating parties, next season will be a different story.

Sharon Udasin is a staff writer at The Jewish Week. Follow her on Twitter or e-mail her at sharon@sharonudasin.com.

These amazing performers will be performing at Jewlicious Festivals on the Saturday Concert Stage and the Sunday Acoustic Stage. There is really no other place in the world that you can see this line up except at Jewlicious Festival.

Electro Morocco is a unique mixture of energetic electro beats, middle eastern flavor, with a retro rock and pop edge. Their live performance combines live music with synced video clips that creates an unforgettable visual and musical experience. http://www.myspace.com/electromorocco

Moshav Imagine the jamming of Phish, mixed with the vocal strength of Pearl Jam and the spiritual lyrics of U2, seasoned with a Middle-Eastern influence and you can begin to describe the unique sound of Moshav. They mix it up, injecting reggae and Middle Eastern rhythms into their rock, giving it an edgy ethnic sound that is hard to resist http://www.myspace.com/moshavband

Kosha Dillz Band have been a mainstay in the indie hip hop scene of NJ and NYC for years. Appearing live with everyone from Nas and Lady Sovereign to Asher Roth and The Handsome Furs, hard work has earned him a rite of passage like no other, being the only Israeli New Jerseyan artist who began battling with the likes of Immortal Technique to performing at BET’s 106th and Park and the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. www.myspace.com/koshadillz

http://www.okayplayer.com/..reviews/december-2009/kosha-..dillz-200912169506/

Rinat Gutman is a hip hop MC, based in Jerusalem, she’s a tireless performer, extremely talented, very entertaining and committed to her craft. She’s also a practicing Orthodox Jewess. In a field full of men, like Matisyahu, Y-Love and almost everyone associated with Shemspeed, she stands out as lone female voice sanctifying Judaism through rap. Performing her music mainly in Israel, she is now a rising star and uses words and rhythm to convey her thoughts on everything from the state of western culture to Hasidic tales. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BTwYlCGPZk

Basya Schechter (of Pharaoh’s Daughter) Blending a psychedelic sensibility and a pan-Mediterranean sensuality, Basya Schechter leads her band, Pharaoh’s Daughter, through swirling Hasidic chants, Mizrachi and Sephardi folk-rock, and spiritual stylings filtered through percussion, flute, strings and electronica.Her sound has been cultivated by her Hasidic music background and a series of trips to the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Central Africa, Turkey, Kurdistan and Greece. www.myspace.com/pharaohsdaughter

Rav Shmuel Rav Shmuel is a rabbi who hangs out in Greenwich Village and plays original compositions on his guitar. He has a beard and sidelocks and he loves The Dead. He does not see an inconsistency between these two identities. Rather, he thinks of Judaism and music as complementary and often coalescing tools and methods for communication http://www.myspace.com/ravshmuel

Yael Meyer a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was born in Santiago de Chile and moved to the United States at 19 to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Giving in to a much deeper appreciation for sound and the power it has to change every living and non living thing, she became convinced that music is indeed a powerful tool towards generating a much more loving, understanding, peaceful and respectful world. http://www.myspace.com/yaelmeyer

Diwon multi-genre producer who travels the globe performing, producing and researching sounds.His styles range from Yemenite music blended with electro hip hop beats to cinematic psychadelia .Diwon’s live sets include a diverse mix of singers and live musicians, creating a lively blend of world music, hip hop, and jazz http://www.myspace.com/diwon

SoulSpeak is a live electronic music duo feat. DJ Eric Rosen and Anthony Rogers Wright. Eric’s 12 year resume as a DJ and production/remix artist beats encompass the entire spectrum of dance music, ranging from deep house music to Balearic disco, breakbeats, and classic San Francisco acid house. With a degree in Jazz composition from the Univerisity of Massichustets, Anthony alternates between playing the synthesizer and bass guitar, and seamlessly weaves back and forth between the worlds of electronic and organic music.

http://www.waxdj.com/djs/17/ & http://www.soundcloud.com/keeptheflow

Dear Danielle,

I left my hometown after highschool to attend college in another city, and shortly after finishing my sophmore year I met A.J., who later became my fiance. He grew up near campus as his father is a professor at our school. A.J. is very close to his family and although he no longer lives with his parents, he goes home to have friday night dinner with them every shabbat. They are not an extremely observant family, but they consider shabbat dinner with their family to be sacred. When I first met A.J. I thought it was so endearing that he spent every friday night with his parents but now that we’re engaged and planning our own life, I would like to spend friday nights just the two of us sometimes. A.J. tells me his parents will be devastated if we don’t continue to go there every week. How do I convince him that a few times a month is ok but that we need alone time too?!

Signed, ”Too much family time”

Dear “Too much family time,”

Honoring one’s parents is a very important value.  As a couple you must find a way to remain close to both your families while embarking on a journey just the two of you – building your own form of an immediate family. A.J. is obviously scared of hurting his family, but he needs to learn to put you and him first. Suggest to him that one friday night a month will just be the two of you. Maybe sometimes invite his family to your place for dinner to reinforce that there is a new dynamic at play. It might not be possible logistically to celebrate every shabbat and holiday with his family in the future, and if all parties involved get used to this transition now things will go smoother later. And if they resent you for this minor change to schedule, then their true colors are showing through. Unfortunately, the stereotype of controlling in-laws can be true. I have a hunch though that they will be more understanding then you or A.J. think…

Danielle will answer your questions about family, relationships, careers, religion, love and life – write to her at deardanielle@gmail.com

Smooth E aka Eric Schwartz

One of the nation’s hottest rising stand-up headliners, Eric Schwartz aka Smooth-E, is a comedian, rapper, and MC. His music have appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” BET’s “Comic View,” Showtime’s “White Boyz in the Hood,” Mun2, SiTV and more. This bespectacled rhyme spitter wears multiple hats, writing, producing and performing countless characters in his songs and videos. Pulling off funny, authentic-sounding parodies is a tough nut to crack, but Smooth-E cracks away, appealing across the board from hip-hop heads to soccer moms.

http://smoothe.tv/

Kira Soltanovich (Star of Girls Behaving Badly)

A regular for four seasons on the Oxygen and Nationally syndicated show, Girls Behaving Badly, Kira has also appeared on such shows as Jimmy Kimmel Live, 3rd Rock From The Sun, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She has been a winner, finalist and semi-finalist of several comedy competitions, including Comedy Central’s Laugh Riots, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, The Cape Town International Comedy Festival, the Boston Comedy Festival, and the Seattle International Comedy Festival.

http://www.myspace.com/kiracomedy

Simcha Levenberg

Born in Washington DC and bred in New Jersey, Simcha is our only comedian who also doubles as a Rabbi. A self-dubbed spiritual gangster, he draws out the comedic side of sprituality, G-d, world religion, meditation, drugs as well as the counter-culture, music, and everything written by Tom Robbins. We are happy to welcome Simcha back to the festival to once again press the reset button on all stereotypes: Jewish, Rabbinic or otherwise.

http://simchalevenberg.com/

Robin Reiser

Robin Reiser is a stand-up comic and super model. The modeling career is really going badly so she is now a writer. To keep up appearances she writes in full runway make up and does an outfit change every fifteen minutes. http://www.myspace.com/robinreiser

Lizzy Cooperman

Lizzy Cooperman has been featured on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”, and has been featured on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”, MTV’s “Most Valuable Players”, and The History Channel’s “History of the Joke: Part One”.

She is a winner of the Laugh Across America Contest and her stand-up comedy has also been featured in “New Faces” and “Dating It” at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. Lizzy was a finalist at The Las Vegas Comedy Festival, and featured in “Best of the Fest” at the New York Underground Comedy Festival. http://www.myspace.com/lizzycooperman

Line-up is subject to change.

Pity the JewLicious readers who have aged out of BirthRight Israel; Cry for those for whom the first season episodes of Srugim don’t float their boat.

But wait… now there is a tour of and introduction to Israel for them. Michael Lucas, 37, (aka Andrei Treivas), CEO and founder of Lucas Entertainment, is sponsoring his own tour of Israel. You get beaches, such as the clothing optional Gaash Beach, Masada, Hagoshrim (kibbutz hotel), Haifa, Tzfat, the Galilee, the Kotel, and even an optional photo shoot with Israeli soldiers.

Lucas, a leader in the entertainment industry, writes, “I am thrilled to announce that I am making my first group trip to Israel this Spring, and I want you to come with me on this exciting, fun, and action-packed journey! I will not take you nor will I send you to any tourist restaurants! We will eat only the finest authentic Israeli cuisine preferred by the locals, and I will organize a dinner for whomever is interested with some of the top Lucas Entertainment [talent]… In addition to the friends you meet out and around, there are many close friends of mine I can’t wait to introduce you to! They will help make sure you get the best locals’ experience of Israel possible, with no time wasted at frivolous or sub-par tourist sites.”

The nine day trip is under $2800, double occupancy, not including airfare. Thanks to Mr Lucas for helping the Israeli tourism industry. Click the link above for the itinerary. Those who sign up witha deposit get some sort of free DVD’s! I think for another $50 you get a week’s supply of penicillin.

I came across the inspiring story about Rami Treistman, a 17 year old Israeli boy studying at Boys Town Jerusalem, with a tough childhood who is making people happy through his Simcha Band business.

While many of his classmates spent their summer vacations relaxing at the beach, senior Boys Town Jerusalem student Rami Treistman, a self-described “one man band,” spent the time breaking into the Israeli business world. A talented musician who helped organize a student band at Boys Town, Rami officially established his own entertainment company in June–and the rest is history. From the start, the 17-year-old entrepreneur has done a brisk business in providing background music and singing, equipment, lighting, and further services for a host of Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties, sheva brachot, and other celebrations. What’s more, he’s hired one of his Boys Town teachers to perform as a vocalist and guitarist at various events as well.
Rami, who plays guitar, piano, flute and accordion, is also a singer. After making the decision to open his entertainment services company, “Simcha for Every Event,” he invested in a high-quality keyboard and sound equipment. Simultaneously, he networked with other professionals to offer expanded resources upon request, such as professional studio recordings, floral arrangements, and more. One such alliance is with his teacher, Boys Town’s physical education director Doron Deutsch, who he hired as a lead singer. “Many years before Doron became a sports, Doron did exactly what I’m doing—minus the keyboard,” Rami explained.
Ram’s goal is to expand their repertoire to perform at larger events such as weddings and festivals. Both musicians frequently volunteer their services at Boys Town, where they’ve performed for such campus events as Bar Mitzvah celebrations for youth from Sderot.

Beyond the world of simcha music – Rami is helping to develop ways for using music to help kids with ADHD. The project involves psychology, music, and technology. Rami is testing whether sound processing and musical accompaniment can help ADHD students to focus.

You can keep track of Rami’s through his Facebook group.

“Srugim” — the much-beloved Israeli TV series about Modern Orthodox Jewish singles — is now airing on The Jewish Channel.

And for the first time, you can watch it even if you don’t know Hebrew: English subtitles have been added for this American TV run.

Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Threats Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon, spoke yesterday, on the last day of the Herzliya Conference. Addressing a panel on the strategic implications of a nuclear threshold Iran, he spoke of the threat Iran poses to the world, and Israel, in particular.

If Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons, Ya’alon said, it would threaten the free world, the Middle East, and Israel. ”As a threshold country, Iran would be able, in a short period of time, to acquire nuclear weapons and, undoubtedly, it is on its way to do so.” Moreover, he argued, this would destabilize the region, as, should Iran obtain nuclear weapons, there would be a domino-like effect, in which many other nations in the region would follow.

Ya’alon explained that Iranian nuclear goals are essentially two fold. According to Ya’alon, first, Iran wants to change the world order, allowing Islam to, once again, become a great power. Second, Iran wants to become a regional hegemony; a regional great power. This goal, he noted, will only increase as American presence decreases. With nuclear capabilities, “the extreme regime in Tehran would be able to promote its very extreme targets.” Proof of this is that Iran has not waited for nuclear capabilities to export terrorism and threaten the West, and particularly Israel. ”It is, already, active today, in many ways, to promote this, and it is the one to supply arms and weapons, including very advanced missiles, to the Hezbollah, Hamas, [and] to the Islamic Jihad. It [Iran] trains their [Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad] people, [and] it provides [them a] financial and political umbrella, at the expense of its own population, which is in a dire economic state.” A further threat, raised by Ya’alon, is that Iran could provide nuclear material to its proxies. This could, according to Ya’alon, pose an existential threat to Israel.

Ya’alon remarked that to prevent a nuclear Iran, Iran needs to be brought to the point in which it must make the choice between the bomb and state survival. Iran is a rational state, he argued, and will choose survival. As an example, he brought the period of 2003, prior to the US invasion of Iraq, in which Iran temporarily stopped its nuclear program, for fear that the United States would attack them, instead/as well. Action, however, will need to be taken to bring Iran to that point. ”We expect the world to be determined in its resolution to prevent this threat from becoming a reality, and to make it clear to the Iranian regime that it is in their own interests to forgo their plan to attain nuclear capabilities.” Concluding, Ya’alon explained that “we, in Israel, will not content ourselves with waiting for others to do our work. However, we have to prepare ourselves as well, because, in the words of our sages “Im ain ani li, mi li,” “if I am not for myself, who will be for me?”

For highlights of the speech, watch this:

The headline reads:

IDF legal official: Israel should probe Goldstone Gaza report

The Ha’aretz article then proceeds to tell us:

…The head of the Military Advocate General’s international law department during Operation Cast Lead…Sharvit-Baruch said she was concerned by the Goldstone report’s negative effect on Israel’s legitimacy in the global arena, and that Israel could potentially turn into “a kind of South Africa or Serbia” or a “criminal” or “racist” state in international opinion.

…
Asked whether Israel should establish a commission of inquiry to respond to the Goldstone report’s findings, Sharvit-Baruch said such a panel could provide “friendly countries” with the means to counter calls for Israeli officials to be tried in foreign countries or the International Criminal Court over alleged violations of international law.

“There is not necessarily a need for a commission of inquiry because we essentially know more or less what happened in terms of decision making, orders and targets,” she said. “As for the top brass, we have the protocols of government meetings.”

Nonetheless, she added, “We are now in a situation in which we need to give our friends – who don’t want to see lawsuits filed against us in their own courts – the tools to do away such claims, along with other charges against us,” she said.

“If they need a commission of inquiry then that’s what we’ll give them,” she added. “I really don’t think we have anything we need to hide.”

Let’s remind everybody that the day the report came out, some of us called for a commission of inquiry (read the comments) because it was clear that Israel could not wipe away this smear without a serious inquiry. It is possible that the IDF conducted a serious inquiry, and it is possible that they will show that most of Goldstone is false. They will certainly show that none of the killing of civilians was mandated or systematically and intentionally committed with orders from above as the Report asserts.

None of it will matter. Nobody will let it slide, because the countries that control the UN with their voting blocs are smelling victory. All they have to do is point to Israel’s failure to create an independent commission and they win. And they don’t just win, they get to send Israel to the Hague for war crimes.

In fact, just yesterday it was reported that a key part of Israel’s primary response to the UN, a denial of an attack on the flour mill factory from the air with the excuse that Hamas was fighting from within the mill, has been challenged by a group of UN investigators who came to the building after some days and found a portion of a bomb used by planes. Now, it’s not hard for Hamas to plant one of those, but the point is that Israel is going to have a hard time proving its innocence if the army is doing the investigating.

Many Israelis have figured this out already and are calling for a commission. The media even goes as far as to suggest that Netanyahu wants an inquiry. Who is stopping it? Barak and Ashkenazi, the Minister of Defense and Chief of Staff, respectively. They claim that they have to stand behind their officers and soldiers after a war. All well and good, and from an ethical standpoint, they are right. But from an ethical standpoint, Israel was right not to participate in the Goldstone investigation and that came back to bite Israel hard.

Israel has little choice but to appoint some sort of inquiry that will enable the West to point and claim that Israel’s investigation was legitimate. Having the army investigate itself may convince Israelis because they trust their military to do the right thing. However, it won’t convince many outside of Israel and even Israel’s friends don’t know how they can defend Israel without a legitimate independent inquiry by a civilian body that has authority over the army.

—-

By the way, today the army announced that they will NOT be deploying the Iron Dome missile system to protect communities in the Western Negev. This is an unbelievable decision that indicates either extremely poor planning, extreme failure by Israel’s defense manufacturing, or some sort of game played either by those who wanted to pump money into the defense manufacturing industry or those who know that if such a system doesn’t protect Ben Gurion Airport near the West Bank, then the West Bank can’t really be evacuated of most of its Jewish residents like Gaza.

Whatever the reason, this is a deal-breaker for all those communities living on the front lines and all of us who have been waiting for Israel to develop a system that works. This is not only very disappointing, it undermines trust in those who make decision.

Let’s hope that the reason for this is poor planning or scientific failure, because the alternative is that Israel’s leadership really are doofuses, or worse…liars.

The Herzliya Conference is winding down, with only one speaker left this evening. (I’ll have two more posts on the conference later this evening; one on General Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon’s speech, and one on the conference’s keynote address, given by Prime Minister Netanyahu, once I can get video of them).

Nonetheless, before the conference has come to a close, I wanted to thank the IDC’s Asper Institute New Media Team, led by David Saranga, here for there hard work and hospitality. They have been nothing if busy, in getting videos edited and up on You Tube, Facebook statuses updated, blogs posted, tweets twittered (or twitters tweeted?), etc. It has been a pleasure to watch them at work.

I’ve, also, had a great time hanging out with Margot and Tomer from Leadel. They’re pretty awesome. (Check out their site, by the way).

The conference, itself, has gone off without a hitch (at least, other than the rain, which was out of their control, none to my semi-trained eye). I highly recommend everyone to check out their You Tube page and if something interests you, share it with your friends. Let’s keep the dialogue going. As the people here believe, only together can we solve the world’s problems. So here’s to the 2010 Herzliya Conference.

Last night, Israeli Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, spoke at the Herzliya Conference, speaking about peace with the Palestinians.

Israel, at the moment, has deterrence against terrorist elements, based on the Second Lebanon War, strengthen by Operation Cast Lead, and upheld by intelligence services.

The United States, Barak noted, is entrenched in many problems. Internally, the US is attempting to content with both the economic crisis, as well as the raging health care debate. Externally, the United States is involved with or pressured by Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea, Russia, China, Iraq, Iran, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Syrian-Israeli relations, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

The Middle East, Barak explained, is a “tough neighborhood,” where there is “no benevolence for the weak,” nor “mercy for those who can’t defend themselves.” National security, therefore, is a number one priority for Israel. Regarding Israel’s neighbors, Israel must be able to deal with them from a point of “strength, self security, and sobriety.” A two-state solution is necessary to ensure a Jewish, Zionist, democratic state. Barak explicated that 12.5 million people live between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. 7.1 million of those live in Israel, but the remaining 5.4 million live in the so-called “Palestinian territories.” A one-state solution will result in either a non-Jewish state, or else a non-democratic Israel. There is no other option; there must be two states for Israel to survive.

Barak brought up challenges with the Palestinians. Hamas, he noted, is in control of Gaza. Israel cannot allow for the West Bank to become like south Lebanon and Gaza, after Israel withdrew from every square meter of them, respectively, became a hotbed of terrorism. The Palestinian forces, therefore, need to take more control over their people. In addition, Barak quoted Robert Frost, stating that “good fences make good neighbors.”

On a positive note, Barak mentioned the change in Arab-Israeli relations through the years, from the “Three ‘No’s” of Khartoum to the Saudi Peace Initiative.

In response to the religious right who are unwilling to give up Judea and Samaria, Barak quoted Gitin 6. He, also, noted that even in the time of David and in the time of the Hasmoneans, borders change, and that they, too, must be willing to accept that borders change. To the left, who believe that peace is necessary at any cost, Barak responded that “peace is not a religion,” and that it must be achieved with “open eyes” and without naivety. In response to politicians who drag their feet, Barak stated, “enough with ‘WCDIB’ – ‘we can do it better.’” The two sides are not homogeneous, he said, but the political process can overcome such differences. Abu Mazen and Netanyahu, ultimately, will have to have their decisions received by their own people; not the other.

Last night, Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, spoke at the Herzliya Conference about the need for Palestinian statehood and the current situation with peace negotiations.

Fayyad stated that Oslo recognized Israel’s right to exist in peace and security. However, he argued that the problem with Oslo was that Israel did not recognize Palestine’s right to exist, and that Israel still doesn’t. Oslo “suggested” Palestinian statehood, but was not seen as a necessary outcome. In 2002, U.S. President Bush made Palestinian statehood a matter of international consensus. The “rough neighborhood” that is the Middle East, as Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak put it, would become less rough if, according to Fayad, the “international consensus” became “facts on the ground.” He stated that a Palestinian state must be established based on “justice,” “peace,” “stability,” “fairness,” and “security.”
Here, Fayad seems to miss a major point. “Justice” does not necessarily mean “fairness.” That which is just may not be fair. Therefore, it would appear that Fayyad and his friends must determine whether they are looking for a “just” solution, or a “fair” solution.

Fayyad explained that, under the Road Map, Palestinians must increase their ability to govern, which includes a security force. Security, he explained, as of mid-2007, is important to Palestinians, as well. Israel, he said, must be willing to “unequivocally” accept a two-state solution. That, he explained, called for a settlement-freeze. Israel must, “stop military incursions into our [Palestinian] territory.” “Occupation,” he said, “is being brought back on its way to end.” Palestinians are “sensitive to Israeli security needs,” but “incursions must completely stop.” Today, he argued, the situation is “at an impasse,” and that “occupation” is at the heart of the impasse. Further, he stated, Palestinian police must have “security forces present in population centers outside of Area A.” This, he explained, would bring hope to the Palestinians.
Yet, while referring to the Road Map, drafted by the United States, he, also, stated that peace would only be achieved through the Arab Peace Initiative. Seems kind of contradictory, doesn’t it?

Fayyad, also, brought up the topic of Jerusalem. East Jerusalem, he argued, is Palestinian territory occupied in 1967. Fayyad loudly stated that it is, “historical fact that East Jerusalem is an integral part of Palestine occupied in 1967.” Palestinians are willing to have a state on “22% of historic Palestine,” which, he claimed, was “agreed to in 1988” by the PLO.

This, clearly, is based upon fiction. I am not arguing that the Palestinians shouldn’t have their own state; to the contrary. However, it is purely fiction to claim that there was a “historic Palestinian state” or that Israel conquered Palestinian territory in 1967. The West Bank (Judea and Sumeria), including East Jerusalem, was, from 1948 to 1967, controlled by Jordan, and the Gaza Strip was controlled by Egypt. Previously, the land was controlled by the British, who took it over from the Ottomans. Let’s get our facts strait; Jerusalem is not now, nor was it ever, an “integral part of Palestine.” Whether the political powers that be ought to decide to make East Jerusalem the capitol of Palestine is not within the scope of this article. Yet, the clear changing of facts being iterated by Fayyad and the Palestinian Authority for years, here, I felt must be addressed.

Discussing settlement building, Fayyad explained the political dimension of protest to settlement building. If Israel cannot refrain from that, “how confidant can we all [Palestinians] be that” Israel would be willing to deliver on the final status issues?

Though to that, Israel might respond, if the Palestinian Authority cannot keep their people from attempting attacks on Israel in the interim period, how can we [Israel] be confident that the Palestinian government, when a state is established, will be capable or willing to do so?

According to Fayyad, the goal is to establish a sovereign Palestinian state by mid-2011, preceded by a full Israeli withdrawal by the end of 2010. Fayad proudly remarked that over 100 completed development programs have been implemented, and they are “ready for the next batch.” He expressed that a combination of “bottom-up” and “top-down” processes are needed.

Last, he turned to Gaza. There are many problems with Gaza, he said. Mentioning two, he stated that first, Palestinians have a constitutional right to national elections, which are being prevented by forces in Gaza. Second, referring to the Israeli blockade, he said that “siege must be lifted” to allow for accomplishments in Gaza to be made.

Interestingly, the fact the PA doesn’t control Gaza, and that Hamas is on the rise in the West Bank, as well, was not mentioned at all, throughout his 30-something minute speech.

Fayyad was warmly received and even received one or two standing ovations. Reaction from those attending the conference seem to fall into camps. Some greatly enjoyed Fayyad’s speech and found it to be “right on the mark.” Others, however, were greatly dismayed by the “flagrant propaganda spewed” throughout the speech.

Speaking, last night, at the Herzliya Conference, Israeli President Shimon Peres spoke about many different topics.

Speaking briefly of the Palestinians, Peres discussed the Palestinians’ state-building enterprises, and the efforts they are making to build a state and achieve peace. Peres emphasized that the enemy of the Palestinians is Hamas; not Israel.

Discussing the topic of globalization and technology, he said, “Globalization is not an ideology. Globalization is a new situation, almost without any borders, without any distance… [Today] the source of income is not land; it’s science. Science is not conquered by an army. Science is not being stopped in the customs.” Today’s leaders must focus on “innovations not accrued assets.”

Peres spoke about the morality of the Israeli Defense Force. “The IDF,” he said, “is an army of values.” Speaking of Israel’s recent rescue mission to Haiti, he said, “I believe that if there had been an earthquake in Mauritania, where there’s no TV, I’m sure that the IDF would have been there. It is our wish to serve life, serve the living.” He spoke of the military as a tzva ha’am, a military of the people. He described the IDF as a “wonderful school,” and stated his dream that every soldier should complete their army service with a B.A.

Peres spoke of the chutzpah of the Jews. The Jews are 0.2% of the world population, yet 52% of chess champions and 54% of Nobel Prize winners are Jewish. Jews are 2% of the U.S. population, yet 34% of large business owners are Jewish. Jews are never satisfied. Using events from the story of the Exodus from Egypt as an anecdote, Peres explained that it is this eternal “dis-satisfaction” that is the source of Jewish creativity.

In discussing the way Israel is viewed in the world, he joked that Israel, “is the most popular country in the world.” India likes Israel because they, too, suffer from terrorism. China admires Israel, not because of Moses, Abraham, or Marx, but because of Israel’s agricultural achievements and agricultural technology. 62% of the American population supports Israel. Much of Russia supports Israel, as well, after 1.2 million Russians emigrated to Israel, leaving family and friends in the “old country” with ties to Israel.

Peres, also, addressed Iran. Israel, he said, is not the biggest danger in the Middle East; Iran is. Iran, he explained, has two main problems. The first problem is that of the enriched uranium. The second, is the “oppressive regime.” Commenting on the two problems, he said, “I don’t know which one of the two is the most dangerous.” Ahmadinejad acts like a “king,” when in fact he is no more than a “dictator.” The regime, governed by a dictatorship, fires upon unarmed protesters, threatens Israel, denies the Holocaust, finances terrorism, and impoverishes its own country. The regime is “a climax of moral corruption.” Therefore, Peres exclaimed, the world should oppose Iran on moral grounds. Iran, he said is “the source of evil for the peace- and freedom-loving world.”

Peres ended his with a call for social justice and tikun olam.

Uhm. Not so much.

It must have seemed like a good idea at the time I suppose. I mean when you look at any kind of armament you can’t help but notice all kinds of obscure alphanumeric codes that don’t usually mean anything to the end user and certainly don’t affect the effectiveness of said weaponry. So the evangelical Christian owners of Trijicon Inc. probably thought what heck! Why not emboss meaningful alphanumeric codes onto the advanced telescopic sites they sold? The sites, widely used by the US armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as by the IDF in Israel contained the following codes: “JN8:12,” a reference to John 8:12 which describes Jesus as the “light of the world” – and “2COR4:6,” a reference to part of the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians. They were probably thinking that these codes were barely legible! What harm could it do?

Plenty.

Despite the fact that the company had been inscribing their gun sights in this way since 1995, no one noticed until it was brought to light by former U.S. air force officer, Michael Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Reactions? Plenty!

“The Muslim Public Affairs Council in Washington said the biblical references violated the nation’s values and would stoke the fires of extremists who accuse the United States of carrying out a religious crusade in Asia and the Middle East… In a letter early Thursday to President Obama, the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, said the gun sights “clearly violate a government rule prohibiting proselytizing” and called the practice “only the latest in a long line of violations of the boundaries between religion and government within the military.” … In Afghanistan, the Al Jazeera news service reported that sights with the Christian references had been distributed to some Afghan soldiers and that this would provide the Taliban with a propaganda coup.

And in Israel?

The IDF Rabbinate told Arutz Sheva that the codes do not violate Jewish law but that it is preferable to remove them because of the “sensitivity” regarding their appearance on weapons used by the army of the Jewish State. The IDF said it was unaware of the codes until the issue was raised in the United States.

Anyhow, Trijicon has sent out kits to remove the offending code and has promised not to do that ever again. Oh those whacky Christians. What will they think of next?

I stumbled upon a site dedicated to Leonard Cohen called Leonard Cohen Files. Do me a favor and click on the link, then click on the link in the menu on the left for “Tributes and Covers” and in the box under his photo, click on “All Covers.”

Holy cow! I mean, how many people have covered Bird on a Wire?

Okay, check out this video for Because Of by Cohen.

Better yet, check out this classic Canada National Film Board movie, “Ladies and Gentlemen…Mr. Leonard Cohen” from 1965. Seriously, there is incredible footage in there including of Montreal in the mid-’60s (also available on the NFB website). The hairstyles are especially troubling.

Man, that hair just makes me want to cry.

(photo is by Ratnesh Mathur, India 1999)

Although figure skaters may be left at home in Israel when The Winter Olympics’ torch is kindled in February, some Israeli filmmakers will get to travel to LA for the Academy Awards telecast in March

AJAMI, an Israeli film, has been conferred a nomination by the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this morning, for Achievement in a Foreign Language Film. It will have strong competition from THE WHITE RIBBON, the nominee from Germany.

I am not saying that an Israeli or Jewish themed film needs a nomination from the Academy for credibility or anything else; it is just a nice to know bit of information.

AJAMI, directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, tells the story of Israeli Arabs and Jews who reside in Ajami, a rundown neighborhood in Yafo/Jaffa. Most of the dialogue is in Arabic. It is their first film and makes use of non-professional actors.

Other nominees of JewLicious reader interest include:

Nominations for A SERIOUS MAN, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It is the story, which starts in Yiddish, of an untenured Jewish Assistant Professor of Physics in the American Midwest who visits three rabbis in search of advice to save his marriage and family. It is slightly based on the biblical Book of Job, with a reference to Kind David in a roof scene.

Several nominations for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, produced by Lawrence Bender and written and directed Quentin Tarantino. It is the fantasy story of Jewish soldiers who are led on a rampage against Nazis in Europe during WWII, as well as a French Jewish woman who runs a film theater in Paris.

Jason and Ivan Reitman with several nominations for UP IN THE AIR, which starred George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. Jason Reitman was last seen as the director of JUNO, in which close observers could find a dozen Jewish items in one of the character’s bedrooms.

Nominations for AN EDUCATION, written or adapted by Nick Hornby, which stars a grotesque Jewish character in its lead role. Also, three nominations for THE HURT LOCKER, which was written by Mark Boal.

Today, at the Herzliya Conference, one session was held on strategic communications for Israel. In other words, Israel’s hasbara, or PR, problem. We all know that Israel has a serious PR problem. Israel is, almost always, painted in the worst of lights. There are times when criticism may be legitimate. However, often Israel is portrayed in ways that make even the world’s worst dictatorships seem like rainbows and puppies. Israel, as a nation, has a serious legitimacy problem. No other nation in the world faces questions as to its right to self-defense and right to exist, nor do other nations face threats of eradication from many of its neighbors. Nor is any other country as much in the spotlight as is Israel. So how can Israel change this situation? What can bring Israel to be seen in the media by a better light? Here are some ideas presented at the Herzliya Conference to get the discussion started.

Josef Joffe criticized that Israel has a tendency to sit back, and refuse to talk to people who would attack us. “…When somebody like Goldstone comes around, why sit back, and pout, and refuse all cooperation? Every two-bit lawyer knows when you are in court you talk. You don’t just sit back and pout. You try to structure the dialogue and the discourse.”

Ido Aharoni discussed the problem of Israel’s brand, as being solely associated with the conflict. “Every place has a brand. Israel has a brand, too. A brand can be a very strong band and can be a detriment. We set out to explore the question: if Paris is about romance then Israel is about what? And what we  we discovered was very interesting. We discovered that universally Israel’s DNA is about the conflict and the context within which Israel is being perceived is all about bad news. Whether you agree with Israeli policies or not is irrelevant. We have great story to tell, but when we’re given a chance the only thing we do is discuss the conflict and its a turn-off even amongst our biggest supporters.”

Eyal Arad discussed the three problems, that he sees, that Israel has in changing its image. “We have basically three problems that doom us to remain in that situation… The first requirement that we need in order to build image, change image, deal with images, is to understand the flow of information about our product; in this case, our country. Add to that, the fact that Jews were, and will probably continue to be, news. So for  the media bad news is good news. They look for the bad news. Jews are news. So bad Jews is probably great news.

“Our second problem is that we don’t know what we really want. What is it that we really want to communiticate? What is our target? Now, do we want to get Jews to come and live in Israel? Do we want to be an immigration country, so what we want to do is convince people that Israel is the best place, at least convince Jew,s that Israel is the best place for them ? Do we want to get tourists to Israel? Do we want to make business? Do we want to attract certain kinds of business partnerships? Do we want to convince people that we’re just? What is it that we want to achieve through our communications?

“The third problem that we have… and the third problem is probably the most important problem, and this is the reason we fail to address the two former problems, is that we don’t have a client. When we try to deal with Israel’s information campaign, you really don’t have a client. Israel’s problem, and I agree that our main problem in the world today have become a legitimacy problem. It’s not that people do not think that our policies are right,  it’s that people question whether we should exist or continue to exist in the first place. We are more and more becoming the South Africa of the 21st century. ”

Martin Kace took a different view. He brought forth the idea that the conflict should be a part of Israel’s brand. “A brand, when it comes to a nation, has to be true. That’s requirement number one. In order to establish truth, one does not go to the rest of the world, to the clients, as it were, one first speaks to the designers, the manufacturers, and the live-ers of that brand, in this case, the citizens of the State of Israel. Israel, with such an amazing, creative community, to me, is a very frustrating element. The Israeli creative community is not engaged in communicating the essence of this country. To the rest of the world, there is no Israel beyond the conflict. And, if you went and did a massive survey of every Israeli, I can guarantee you, that the conflict, and that war, security, walls, concrete, etc., will be as much descriptors of how Israelis themselves describe the country, as it is for people abroad. I, genuinely, believe that there is not such a wide gap between how we perceive ourselves and how the world, at large, does perceives us, in the same light. Israel’s communications need to embody the conflict. Israel’s brand lies in its difficulties, lies in it ts challenges; the conflict is such an integral part of what Israel is about. Before we talk to the French, before we talk to Americans, before we talk to the the British, the Chinese, the Japanese, or anyone, we need to understand what our brand is, ourselves. Once we’ve understood that, and once that rings true to all Israelis, we have a platform. Right now, our platform is, no, we’re not that Levantine conflict-ridden place, as you see us; we’re actually just like you. That’s nonsense. We’re not just like anybody. We’re absolutely unique.”