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.

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.”

Here at the Herzliya Conference, there hasn’t yet been a panel fully devoted to Iran (that comes tomorrow). But you can tell that its on a lot of people’s minds. Even in speeches not directly relating to Iran, Iranian nuclear ambitions are discussed. So, what about Iran?

The most direct response, thus far, has been James Woolsey, the former director of the CIA. He was interviewed on IDC radio here at the Herzliya Conference at the IDC by David Saranga. When asked what advice he would give to Prime Minister Netanyahu, he said that Israel should urge the U.S. to implement tough sanctions on Iran, even without UN approval. He noted that China would likely veto anything significant in the Security Council, so UN approval may be essentially impossible. Nonetheless, the US should bring together a group of like-minded nations to impose a total economic boycott on anything connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which is approximately one third of the Iranian economy. This should not merely be containment on nuclear issues. As an example, he brought up banking. He said that the US and its partners should not allow their banks to have correspondent banking relationships with any banks anywhere in the world which do business with Iran. He clarified that he isn’t referring to preventing shipments of pharmaceuticals or food shipments, but rather things that directly benefit the Revolutionary Guard. This would not only decrease the likelihood of Iran proceeding with its nuclear ambitions, but it would, also, show support for the “brave students and reformers… who are getting tortured and killed” for protesting against the Iranian regime. If the government should change before it reaches its nuclear aims, this would discredit radical Islam. Moreover, the US should have laws which are both green and security oriented. For example, decreasing emissions should also decrease dependence on foreign oil, and oil is the “life blood” of terrorism and hostility to democracy. Also, a decrease in oil sales would decrease the monetary funds available to Iran and other nations to use for funding Hezbollah, the Taliban, and Hamas.

Others who have discussed Iran included the IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Benny Gatz, and the Russian Ambassador to Sweden, Igor Neverov.

For a deeper explanation of  Woolsey’s view that climate control, when it comes to oil, is a matter of national security, see his interview with Leadel here.

Yesterday, day two of the Herzliya Conference, the morning session addressed the topic of US-Israeli relations. Israeli and American speakers made it evident that, in their opinion, there still exist strong relations between the two countries, and that, despite some minor disagreements, they see every reason that the friendship  that exists between the two nations will warmly last .

Tzippi Livni, Leader of the Opposition, stated:

“The relationship between the U.S. and Israel is based on a long-term partnership, on a shared scale of values, that Israel represents the values of the U.S. in Middle East, that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, that we have, we share, a deep friendship, a friendship that is bipartisan.”

Danny Ayalon, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated:

“The relationship is on the bilateral volume and depth of the cooperation between the Israel and the United States and here,… things have never been better…

“And really the relations extends beyond, or transcends, just governments, whether it is in Jerusalem or in Washington…its a relationship between people….

“For us, the United States is not just a sister democracy and a great partner its also an ethos, an ideology, an ideal….

“The fact that the United States supports the only democracy in the Middle East is what gives the United States the real strength, the added value vis-a-vis all other players in the international community…

“I believe that the government of Israel… sees this American administration as a most friendly administration.”

James B Cunningham, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, stated:
“What I regard as exaggerated commentary about the nature of the relationship between our two administrations and I think that’s actually quite dangerous because it could lead others in this region and elsewhere… [to think that the United States will not support Israel in times of need]

“Obama made very clear, including in Cairo, when he addressed the Muslim world, that the American connection with Israel is and will be unbreakable and he asked, he made very clear to, countries around the world not to make any mistake about that.

“We’ve taken the lead in supporting attempts in the international arena to [counter initiatives that] de-legitimize Israel, especially in the context of the Goldstone Report, Durban II, and other things…

“Now, we have had some differences over how to pursue peace in this region, but our goals have been essentially the same. We’re doing this because its in Israel’s interest, as well as in the interest of the United States.

“…Somewhat of a sense of disappointment that more has not been achieved in the peace effort thus far. We recognize that the Israeli government has made steps in that direction, which we appreciate and which we’re encouraging…”

I’m here at the 2010 Herzliya Conference, hanging out in the New Media Room. (Unfortunately, I’ve missed the first two days of the conference due to illness, so I’ll be working hard to try to bring you the most relevant bits from the four day conference).

Just to start out, I spoke with David Saranga (a.k.a “the young guy with the glasses,”) of the Asper Institute for New Media Diplomacy at the Sammy Offer School of Communications, at the Inter-Disciplinary Center, Herzliya. As Sharon mentioned in her article a few days ago about the Herzilya Conference, this conference is decked out in Media 2.0 tools. They have their own You Tube page, Facebook page, twitter account, etc. I asked David, why? (Other than the undeniable coolness of the “blogosphere”). He told me that the three main ideas where to reach 1) different audience(s), 2) a younger audience, and 3) a wider audience.

1) Different audience(s). The conference deals with many different topics relevant to different elements of society. For example, the green issue is one of the main issues being addressed throughout the conference. This allows for people who are strongly connected to the green issue to be connected to the conference. In essence, this is an example of a positive message coming from Israel, with leading world figures, dealing with green issues.

2) Younger audience. Today’s younger generation (particularly the “millenials”), have no time and no patience. Our schedules are filled with school, work, internships, friends, and all sorts of extra activities, and we have neither the time nor the patience to sit and watch a full 45 minute panel about something that may only marginally interest us. Therefore, as David sees it, the key is to bring the message in a way that we like to consume it. For example, turn that into three minute videos in color and available on You Tube.

3) Wider audience. The goal is to bring this conference directly to the people, so that the conference is available without people needing to come directly to the conference, via platforms they use every day. Each topic has a specific niche of people interested in the topic. However, if you can add more things to it,  you may be able to attract more people. For example, take an interview with James Woolsey, Former Director of the CIA. He came to the conference to speak about oil and alternative sources of fueling, and has been interviewed about Iran, and regional security, which may attract a wider audience.

Another plus is that the cyber world allows for archiving that is accessible throughout the world.

From talking to the people here, it’s clear that they want to get the message out. What’s the use of a conference with all of these great and wonderful ideas, if no one hears about them, and people aren’t getting excited about them. So it’s up to us, the people present, the readers, those connected on blogs, newspapers, twitter, and all of the old and new media tools, (it’s a matter of “synergy,”) as David puts it, to be “the vehicle on which [we] can amplify the message.”

Behind the scenes:

So who’s working on bringing the message to you on behalf of the conference? They are all volunteers. They are a group of people, between the ages of 18 and 25-ish, from all around the world. I’ve heard Hebrew, English, Russian, German, French, Afrikaans, Spanish, and Ukranian all being spoken. Many of them are students, here at the IDC.

Now, I’m not a big “plugger” and I’m definitely not someone who is generally interested in fields like communications, but the program here is so cool that I just feel the need to share. Alex Gekker of the Asper Institute told me about the Sammy School of Communications program. It was founded four years ago, and it’s really cool. Its main focus is new media. The students have a one and a half year core study program, after which their last one and a half years is devoted to the study of a specialization. They offer three specializations: 1) tv/radio, 2)persuasive media (i.e PR, spokesman-ship, advertising, etc.), and 3) interactive media (i.e. new media and 2.0 tools). The third years do a joint project with third years in computer studies, to simulate real life working conditions and work on prototyping. Last year’s project was about mobile experience. During the year, these individuals are involved in all sorts of media things, including setting up a Hasbarah room during last years Operation Cast Lead. If communications interests you as a field of study, I would highly recommend checking out the IDC.

For updates by me, check back every few hours. For more periodic updates by me, follow me on twitter: dahlia1028.

VBS.TV, the video arm of Vice Magazine runs a cutting edge counterculture series called Vice Versus with cool video site Babelgum. And what exactly counts as hip, fresh and happening these days? Steampunks? OK that’s kind of 2001 but the imagery is always cool. Hardstyle? For me that was new 2 years ago but not everyone has the benefit of living with an Austrian chick. Chessboxing? It’s just like it sounds and it will always be cool. Russendisko? We wrote about Yuriy’s gig 2 years ago (thanks froylein!). But yes. All this stuff is definitely on the cutting edge for many people. And what else do we have? Nachman Ravers. Yup. International fringe. These are Hassidic Jewish followers of Rav Nachman of Breslav. They wear funny white hats with pompoms and demonstrate their joy and fervor by dancing to Nachman Rave music. What? Yeah, you heard me. Those of us that live in Israel have seen them a zillion times in public squares, stopping traffic and driving around in vans blasting Nachman rave music. Don’t take my word for it. Watch the vid:

Best line? “If you know what I know, you will be dancing here as well!”

Cross-posted at my personal blog.

Tu B’Shvat is tonight. Since it’s been a while that I’ve been part of something Jewish (living with Mr. B does not count as doing something Jewish, although sometimes I try to pass it off as such,) I wanted to celebrate, which involves planting trees and eating fruits of the Torah (pomegranates, dates, olives, and Bamba.)

Unfortunately, we don’t have any Bamba and Mr. B hates olives in the same way that Hamas and Fatah hate each other. So, instead, I tried to get Mr. B and myself enthused about going to a Tu B’Shvat event, namely this event by the awesome Sixth and I (where we’ve gone for stuff before). Here is a description of the event:

Embrace your inner environmentalist by joining us for a Tu B’Shvat celebration. Dine and drink your way through a traditional seder as we sprinkle in tasty Kabbalistic tidbits and nature-inspired yoga poses. Tu B’Shvat; its more than just trees.

Tu B’Shvat, traditionally known as the birthday of the trees, is a time to think about relating to the natural world. This holiday can be celebrated by planting trees, eating fruits, and having a Tu B’Shvat seder, a ritual that began with the Kabbalists of the 15th century. At our seder, we’ll enjoy some new and exotic fruits, discuss issues of sustainability, and discover connections between environmentalism and Judaism.

Not to be a drag, but yoga poses? Really? And sustainability? I hate that word more than Mr. B hates olives because it’s overused so much it’s essentially nothing but a buzzword. Which makes me wonder, what have we as a Jewish people turned into?

Here’s how hipsters spend Tu B’Shvat:

Please take note of:

• The ironic hipster glasses
• The ironic bright orange almost American Apparel-like tee
• The ironic non-leggings sweatpants meant to resemble sweatpants from the 1980s
• The ironic laugh that just looks like it’s enjoying life but inside is full of more misery and pain than Unhappy Hipsters

And here’s how real Jews spent Tu B’Shvat. You know, building the land of Israel. Although Guy on the Left’s yoga shorts look really comfy. He probably got them at American Apparel.

source

I think, through all of this, it’s incredibly important not to underestimate the blows to his sanity that Mr. B experiences on a regular basis by being married to me:

Eretz Nehederet is an Israeli sketch comedy show that I never, ever watch. I think it airs on Friday night when I am usually in the company of my Sabbath posse. Also, I don’t own a television. In any case, they poke fun at pretty much all elements of Israeli society in a way that makes us laugh, squirm uncomfortably or get angry. Or all three at the same time. But I still love those little fuckers. The clip above is a commentary on the media hype that accompanied Israel’s humanitarian mission to Haiti in the aftermath of an earthquake that left over 200,000 people dead and many more injured. And of course there was hype – but the fact that it came equipped with a fully functional and rapidly deployed IDF field hospital manned by experienced staff – makes it hype with substance. That my country was sending help to people who desperately needed it was more important to me than whatever positive publicity we were gaining. And while perhaps the PR angle of this operation made me a tad uncomfortable, again, the most important thing was that we were helping.

But of course, those that hate us glommed on to the PR angle while almost completely diminishing the actual good that was done by the IDF. And that’s the beauty of this clip. Watch it carefully and note that while it’s fairly critical of the PR aspect of Israel’s mission, it is equally if not more critical of those idiots out there who claim that the mission was 100% PR driven and meant solely to deflect world attention from the never ending plight of the Palestinians as they suffer from the jack booted oppression of racist Israeli Apartheid military machine. Blah. The journalist in this clip is clearly so over the top, you’d have to be an idiot to take his depiction seriously.

So uhm, yeah. Go Israel! Heh…

With the world in awe of the Israeli response to the tragedy in Haiti, much energy has focused on the reason that Israel is good at this kind of disaster relief. Yes it is true that Israel deals with these traumatic crisis on a regular basis. But experience alone cannot simply account for excellence.

It turns out that three Israeli officers that are part of the rescue efforts – who trained the people on the ground in Haiti – all went to the same school, Boys Town Jerusalem.

As the world intently watches the horrifying earthquake destruction in Haiti, three Israeli Army colonels are closely following the events from 6,500 miles away—with an eye on gaining know-how that will save lives in future catastrophes. The three officers, experts in human rescue, have worked closely in training and equipping the Israeli rescue team who rushed to the scene in Port-au-Prince, and with whom they maintain 24-hour-a-day contact from afar. All three men are on alert to be dispatched to Haiti at any moment. And all three share a personal bond: each graduated from Boys Town Jerusalem where they developed a mission to save human lives, anywhere in the world.

“The Israeli rescue and medical team was among the very first to arrive in Haiti, even though they traveled a much farther distance than the others. And with each hour, they are gaining world renown for working miracles,” explains Colonel Ben-Tzvi Elyassi, who serves as a commander in the IDF Home Front Command. One of Israel’s top experts in rescue and relief operations, Elyassi’s 25-year military career has provided him with “hands-on” experience in saving human lives in disasters of untold proportions. Col. Elyassi assumed second-in-command control of Israeli search-and-relief missions and was dispatched to the 2002 earthquake in India, the 1999 earthquake in Turkey, and the 1999 earthquake in Greece—in addition to a host of military and civilian disasters in Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

It’s been what? A week in Babylon? And it’s been mad weird. The only place the weather was kind was in Montreal and “It never rains in Southern California” has been inundated with rain storms of biblical proportions – I’m here to prepare for the Jewlicious Festival and I have yet to see Long Beach because it seems the roads down there are flooded to high hell! So I’m chatting with a friend, who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons, and she tells me “OMG! The season finale of Jersey Shore!” Curious I watched about 5 minutes of this MTV reality show tribute to “guidos and guidettes,” young Italians who spend the summer working by day and partying by night on the Jersey shore. Viewers who follow the adventures of 4 dopey, juiced up guys and 4 potato head girls can’t help but wince at how stupid and shallow these people are. It’s truly beyond belief and is full of drunkenness, random hooking up, inanity and lots of Ed Hardy Apparel – couturier to the doucheoisie. But… before you start feeling all superior, please allow me to introduce you to Danielle.

From what I could determine, Danielle is a traditional Israeli girl from Jerusalem. She doesn’t believe in sex before marriage and urged Pauly D to come visit her in Israel and eat kosher. Also she’s a moron and a crazy stalker and isn’t so religious that she wouldn’t throw herself on a moron guido and get kissy face on camera with him after giving him an I heart Jewish girls t-shirt with a magen david/Italian flag combo. So yeah, we’re not that superior. Not at all. In fact, in Israel, reality shows similar in intelligence to MTV’s Jersey Shore are ubiquitous. The vaunted and otherwise much admired Israelis are reality show junkies, and reality shows are the stupidest entertainment available – the television version of crack. No wait, not even crack – more like huffing glue from a paper bag. Bad, bad stuff, and Israelis love it like Lebanon loves its hummus.

Here’s an episode of Ahmed and Salim where they infiltrate the set of Israel’s Big Brother. “Where does the Qur’an say you have to blow up reality shows?” asks the host. Ahmed and Salim’s Father replies “Huh? What Qur’an? I just hate this stupid fucking show!” Now there’s some terror we can all get behind!

I’m a be there!

So yeah, I’m off to New York and then LA to help the gang get ready for the Jewlicious Festival. But the excitement will begin almost as soon as I land as the plan is to go to the Highline Ballroom at 8 pm to see HaBanot Nechama. I can tell you about my mad crush on MC Karolinal, or how these three amazing Israeli artistes met, or how their debut album went platinum almost from the get go… I can also talk about how their songs combine English and Hebrew lyrics as well as musical influences such as Reggae and acoustic-soul… but really? Here is one of their videos. The song is So Far off their self-titled debut album. You like it? Go to their Web site and check out their tour which will take them coast to coast in both Canada and the US.

But yeah, like I said – I am definitely seeing them on the 12th in NY. Get tickets here and say hello. Or punch me in the face. I don’t care.

That’s at least what a new survey suggests. Only 28 percent of respondents said they would support legislation banning the construction of minarets on Mosques built in Israel, according to the survey. Last November, almost 60 percent of voters in Switzerland approved a referendum legislating such a ban for their country.

Fourty-three percent of Jewish Israelis said they would “oppose” such legislation and 29 percent were undecided. The strongest opposition to banning minarets came from national-religious and Haredi Israelis, who opposed a minaret ban in Israel by 72 and 53 percent, respectively. According to the survey, 42 percent of secular Israelis reject and 29 percent would support a ban.

“When it comes to freedom of religion Israelis are apparently much more tolerant that their Swiss counterparts,” commented Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, which conducted the survey with the Israeli Kevoon research company. “The fact that less than one-third of all Israelis support banning minarets indicates that from the Israeli point of view, there is room for respectful coexistence between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs when it is based on religion and not politics.”

Respondents were also asked if the Swiss legislation changed their opinion of Switzerland. Somewhat ironically, however, more Israelis said they now viewed the country more positively than negatively (25 and 19 percent, respectively).

Of course, Islam has an entirely different place in the Holy Land than in Helvetia, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Marcus Freed’s Website Hacked :

My website has been hacked by an incompetent pro-Iranian Anti Semite! http://www.marcusjfreed.com/gigs/ – although he has only hacked two pages on the *old* website that is badly due for a relaunch. I’d like to thank the hacker for thoughtfully keeping with my black-background colour scheme, although I much prefer the… muted green in his palette as opposed to the lurid flourescent 80’s tone. Watch this space – in a few days my web wizard Simon is going to HACK THE HACKER and mash-up the site!!! Look out for pictures of the Ayatollah Kho-Freedy coming soon….

Here is the stuff the Iranian Hackers left on the Jewish Yogi’s site:

Our belligerence is religious and does not own any borders, thus we are here as long as atheism and blasphemy exist. We do know that effrontery of blasphemy to Imam Khomeini is what that only you can do. This is just a warning to your governmental sites!

Marcus is taking it in stride. After all, he is on another world tour, and will be in LA for the Night of Unity, and Jewlicious Festival!

Yesterday, a story featuring Rinat Gutman was on the front page of the Ynet (Hebrew) Web site. She had been interviewed about the whole Orthodox female rapper thing that she does, and they delved a little into her family background. Turns out her Dad is a Rabbi and her Grandfather is Rabbi Joseph BaGad, a Rosh Yeshiva and colorful former MK with the right-wing Moledet and Moreshet Avot parties. The interview discussed issues relating to the extent of the prohibition against Kol Isha (a man is prohibited from hearing a woman’s voice in song) and how her family feels about her musical career. They also featured Rinat’s newest video Agas (Pear) shot last summer in London:

The talkbacks were mostly encouraging – though there was some pretty spirited discussion related to what is and isn’t “religious” etc. reminiscent of previous discussions on the topic. OK fine but, did you notice that I was credited with two photos that appeared in the article, including the bad ass pose shown here (Unisex Matte Faux Leather Hoody courtesy of American Apparel Jerusalem, of course)? So far I’ve had photos published in Heeb, YNet, Haaretz, the JTA etc. Can I now consider myself “an interdisciplinary artist and documentarian investigating post-normative forms of Jewish cultural expression?” Please? Can I?

Rinat Gutman is going to be on some Channel 2 morning show tomorrow. I don’t ever watch Israeli TV so I can’t tell you more, but it’s a big deal apparently. You can also see her perform at the Jewlicious Festival in Long Beach, California on Feb. 19th. Buy your tickets today!

UPDATE:
Here’s the video from Rinat’s Channel 2 appearance. It’s in Hebrew but as soon as I figure out how to snarf it, I’ll upload it with subtitles. As it is I can’t even embed it even though the code is provided. Oh well. Here’s a photo from the studio interview instead:

Is this Politically Correct?

How politically incorrect can the Israeli cartoonists behind Ahmed and Salim get? Not so much – in this holiday video, their targets are terrorists, who in the pantheon of political correctness rank just above straight white men in terms of acceptable subjects of off color humor. Count all the pop culture references they managed to cram into a 4 minute video, from Peanuts to It’s a Wonderful Life. Sigh. Life was so much simpler before the Internet when Israel had just one TV channel…

If you liked Ahmed and Salim’s holiday video, you’ll also like this one where they take the piss out of Israel’s obsession with really bad reality TV shows – and we all know that taking the piss out of Israelis, not Jews (”figdy Ibrahim Foxmaniyeh!!”) but Israelis is perfectly acceptable to the PC police.

This post is for the ladies.

“Let’s face it, gentlemen. Women in all cultures all over the world have at all times loved wearing jewellery. I haven’t managed to change that about my wife and you won’t change that about your wives or girlfriends either.”

Truer words have never been spoken in an exegesis class. Whenever a former professor of mine expressed that sentiment, the male part of the audience groaned, smirked in resignation or nodded knowingly. The female part of the audience though would flash a beaming smile and reach for or look at whatever piece of jewellery they were wearing that day.

The female fascination with jewellery was already acknowledged – and to no little extent – complained about in biblical scripture. (This gives us a good idea that while god as such is believed to transcend all boundaries of sex, the authors of the respective passages were undoubtedly male. ) Let’s look at a few examples (quoted from the New International Version):

Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. (Gen 24:53)

Sounds good. The more, the better.

So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” (Ex 32:24)

So they kept the silver jewellery, eh?

All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD. (Ex 35:22)

Please note that not everybody was willing to sacrifice their jewellery, hence the defining relative clause.

Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number.

See who compares themself to jewellery here, acknowledging the importance of jewellery to women?

Now, the fine art of gold- and silversmithing has had a long tradition among Jewish craftsmen, and again, biblical scripture acknowledges this:

Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts – to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers. (Ex 35:30-35)

The history of Jews working in gold- and silversmithing shows that there was no Ashkenazi / Sefardi divide; all over the areas where Jews had settled, they earned high reputations as skilled gold- and silversmiths. Even where the guild-system theoretically banned them from pursuing their trade, Jewish gold- and silversmiths often were in high enough demand that exceptions were made.

Now, I assume I need not go into detail here about what you certainly already know about Jewish jewellers, jewellery designers and the history of diamond cutting and trade (I do recommend a visit to the Diamond Museum in Antwerp though should you be in the vicinity; the exhibition is well-organised, partly interactive, and combines historical elements with the “science” of diamonds, moral implications of diamond mining and trade and, of course, jewellery design), so let’s cut this short.

As for me, of course I love jewellery. I mean I love, love, love jewellery. Blame that on early childhood imprinting; one of my aunts, who then wasn’t married and didn’t have a family of her own yet, was a jeweller, so it might come as no surprise that even though I was barely a few hours old and didn’t even call any decent outfits my own yet (I know you’re only a newborn for so long, but man, does this stuff look dull), I was already the owner of a gold necklace, and that one was to be the first piece in a collection that has been growing steadily over the years.

My interest in antique jewellery only developed some 16 years later when my grandfather gave me an old ring that had been made by an uncle of his. That uncle used to be the finest jeweller in Düsseldorf during the Art Nouveau and pre-WW2 era, when jewellery design experienced unprecedented creativity and freedom of expression, involving new techniques and inspirations from all over the world.

One of those inspirations was the chandelier earring, which bases its design on the hamsa. Thus real chandeliers have always got five dangling ornaments arranged like the fingers on a hand / a symmetric hamsa (as opposed to plain dangling earrings or earrings wth three dangling ornaments, which are called gypsy earrings). Chandelier earrings flatter most facial shapes. Now that the party season is full ahead of us, chandeliers are a great choice of jewellery to complement your outfit with. Their lustre makes your eyes sparkle even if you aren’t feeling your best. Another positive side-effect is that with earrings three to five inches long, you automatically stand tall as you don’t want the earrings to brush against your shoulders. So, if you’re not certain whether to go for chandeliers or a necklace, chandeliers are a safe pick.

Of course, the hamsa is not exclusively Israeli and its use as an amulet likely pre-dates Islam and Judaism even, but anybody who’s ever been to Israel knows that there’s hardly any souvenir booth that doesn’t sell hamsa-shaped items.

Years back, I got my notoriously clumsy sister a hamsa pendant when I was in Eilat.
She lost it the following week.

It was widely reported in the press, that Carter asked for forgiveness from the Jews, and I don’t forgive him. The former president, and master of distortions, wrote to JTA: “As I would have noted at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but which is appropriate at any time of the year, I offer an Al Het for any words or deeds of mine that may have done so.”

In order to seek forgiveness, one has to acknowledge the mistakes that one made and resolve to repair the damage caused. If we Jews don’t forgive Carter, God certainly never will. As our tradition teaches — God will only forgive one who has made peace with those that they wronged. And Jimmy, you have a long, long way to go.

Carter’s admission that he has caused the Jewish community harm might work in confession, but doesn’t work with on Yom Kippur, and it doesn’t work with me.

Carter admitted no specific mistakes. He offered no way of repairing the damage caused by his irresponsible accusations.

I personally heard Carter tell an audience of 3k students at UC Irvine, to the applause of the administration and students, that the US Congress was “in the pocket” of the Jews.

How many other college student audiences around the country heard the same accusations? How many books did he publish accusing Israel of things that have no basis in fact? How many times has he appeared on TV demonizing Israel and backing Hamas?

In order for me to forgive Carter he has to admit to his distortions and lies and publicly renounce his books and speeches. Carter needs to return money to anti-Semitic Middle Eastern countries that back his center. He needs to replace Habitat for Humanity with Hadassah. He needs to go on Birthright Israel. He needs to listen to Matisyahu. He needs to watch G-d Cast, read The Forward, spend the winter in Miami. He needs to study Judaism with Rabbi Telushkin, and volunteer for Challah for Hunger. We need to see Jimmy Carter crusading against the humanitarian track record of Hizbollah, Hamas, and Fatah, and doing brunch at Jeff’s Gourmet Sausage on Pico. While he is on this apology tour, he needs to appear at every campus where he defamed Israel, and give speeches urging that Muslim extremist recruiting groups like the MSU and MSA be banned permanently. He needs to learn Hebrew, spend Shabbat at Beit Jewlicious, and sit at David Abitbol’s feet and learn about the expulsion of North African Jews, Sephardic Jewish culture, and eat chumous. And that is just for starters.

There is a perfect venue for this rapprochement to begin with the Jewish community; the perfect place for Carter to ask forgiveness, renounce his former ways, and promise to live a life free from anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel — Jewlicious Festival 6.0.

Friday Night at Jewlicious Jimmy, stand up in front of a hundreds of young Jews, ask forgiveness, break bread with us, and tell us how you will attempt to undo the vast damage you have wrought.

A First for Israel!

Ynet (Hebrew) just reported that Israeli band The Carsitters, recently returned from a European tour, are going to be the first Israeli band to have tracks available for console game Rockband2. Soon, you will be able to visit the Rock Band store, download the tracks (including “All Eyes on Me”) and rock out in your basement with your friends as if you were a cool power rock band from Tel Aviv. OK lets be honest, you’ll never be as cool as ROI alum and lead vocalist Noa Margalit, or frontman Yoav Rosenthal, or drummer Yoni Ohayon. Maybe you might be almost as cool as bassist Etay Maor. Maybe. But that’s the best you can hope for. At least you can always dream – you, your buddies and your console of choice. Here’s the Carsitters doing All Eyes on Me for Taglit Birthright Israel:

Remember that blast from the past? You can see a more band focused version here or you can see their latest vid “I Don’t Mind.” Either way, the Carsitters are pioneers, using console gaming to get the word out on Israeli music. OK so they’re not clearing swamps but what the fuck are you doing to present a more realistic image of Israel to the world? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Pictures from Palestine Today
From today’s Wall Street Journal Op-Ed“Despite all the misreporting about a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza as a result of Israel’s blockade, the flow of aid support from Israel to the narrow strip is uninterrupted. In the week of Dec. 13 -Dec. 19 alone, 553 truckloads with 13,587 tons of merchandise reached Gaza from Israel, according to the Israeli foreign ministry.” The article is an important one.

Hat tip to The Daily Alert.

For those unaware, Hamas runs a television station known as al-Aksa TV. This station is used by Hamas for propaganda purposes, including children’s TV shows which incite violence against and hatred of Israeli and Jews, in general. One of its more famous shows, the Pioneers of Tomorrow, displayed to the right, featured a Micky Mouse-like character, named Farfour, who advocated jihad against Israel, and preached anti-Semitism to his child audience, before being “martyred” by Israel. Outside of the Palestinian territories, the station is available through various satellite providers. In France, al-Aksa TV is provided by Eutelsat. Recently, the French government’s bureau in charge of audio-visual media, warned Eutelsat that they were breaking French law by providing al-Aksa TV, which “prohibits all forms of incitement to hatred or violence on the ground of race, religion or nationality.” Well done France in your steps to combat terrorism.

Well sort of…

The new Beit Jewlicious was recently most stylishly and joyously inaugurated. Thanks to a lovely gift of a gorgeous Mezuzah by Genya, yours truly, along with Talya and Leia, added the last remaining piece to the new digs. Genya is now back in Chicago, reunited with her colleagues at the Chicago Hillel as well as with her fiance Slava, but before she left, we lit the Chanukiah and mounted the Mezuzah – always a joyous occasion! Check it out:

Now don’t get too excited. Beit Jewlicious isn’t some new project funded by a broad coalition of Jewish philanthropies! It is however the Israel base of all things Jewlicious. Scores of Jewy Web sites have already been launched from here, loads of advice has already been dispensed to numerous Jewish start ups and many hours have been spent planning and discussing the Jewlicious Festival. Beit Jewlicious contains two loft bedrooms and lots of room so while it’s not a hotel per se, lots of different people have already stayed here over shabbat or for slightly longer stays. Need a place to crash in Jerusalem? Well I guess you can call me up, but if there’s no room or you are looking for something a tad more luxurious, then I suppose you can just look for Hotel rooms in Israel. But will there be the same unbridled joy? The boundless love? The goofy characters? The proximity to the shuk? I don’t know. Find out and tell me!

What we don’t have anymore is morning shuk noise, smelly cats, bizarre odors and shady characters lurking in the stairwell. So if you ever find yourself in Jerusalem by the shuk, look me up. And don’t forget to kiss the Mezuzah!