EU Awakes Then Goes Back To Sleep

Video Of The Week -US State Department's Bias against Israel https://tinyurl.com/y6hlyvco

Gerald Steinberg, founder and president of NGO Monitor, a policy analysis think tank focusing on non-governmental organizations, spoke to participants in a June 8 Middle East Forum webinar (Click on video) about the European Union's funding of Palestinian NGOs affiliated to terrorist organizations.

                                  

The EU grants around two to three billion Euros a year to hundreds of NGOs around the world, of which at least 150 million Euros is allocated for humanitarian aid. NGO Monitor's investigations reveal that over the last seven years at least 25 million Euros have gone to Palestinian groups affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), an organization designated as a terrorist group by the European Union.

Steinberg highlighted three examples of NGOs funded by both the EU and EU member governments that have ties to the PFLP:

Al-Haq, an NGO ostensibly dedicated to documenting human rights violations, is led by Shawan Jabarin, who was convicted by Israel's High Court in the 1980s of being a member of the PFLP and subsequently was prohibited from traveling abroad based on evidence he was recruiting for the PFLP.

Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI-P), a local branch of the Geneva-based Defense for Children International, is closely associated with the PFLP. At least three figures with alleged ties to PFLP have been employed or appointed as board members by DCI-P.

The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) was identified in a USAID report as the "agricultural arm of the PFLP." UAWC personnel with ties to the PFLP include an accountant who negotiated funding from the European Union and an administrative manager, both of whom are currently under indictment for the August 2019 murder of 17-year-old Israeli Rina Shnerb.

Last year, the EU introduced a provision into its grant agreements designed to ensure that entities on the EU's terrorism blacklist, known as a "restrictive list," don't benefit from EU funds. This caused an uproar among Palestinians. The Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), which represents the above groups and many others with dubious affiliations, "went to the European Union office that's in charge of relations with the Palestinians and said, 'We have totally opposed this. We won't let you. We refuse to allow you to apply this regulation to the funding that we're getting'."

EU officials soon backed down. In March 2020, the EU's representative to the Palestinians, Sven Kȕhn von Burgsdorff, issued a clarification letter saying, "it is understood that a natural person affiliated to, sympathizing with, or supporting any of the groups or entities mentioned in the EU restrictive lists is not excluded from benefiting from EU-funded activities, unless his/her exact name and surname (confirming his/her identity) corresponds to any of the natural persons on the EU restrictive lists."

In plainer English, said Steinberg, this means Shawan Jabarin and other PFLP members who pose as "human rights defenders" are allowed to benefit from EU funding so long as their individual names are not on the EU blacklist, which it so happens does not list any individuals (i.e. "natural persons"). Von Burgsdorff's letter assures Palestinian NGOs that affiliates connected to EU-designated terrorist groups like the PFLP not only can continue to receive EU funding but are now afforded "legitimacy" by Brussels.

The Israeli government contested this dodge and continues to insist that the Europeans end funding "that can be readily siphoned off to the terrorist organizations like the PFLP," explained Steinberg. "The European commissioner in charge of relations with Israel ... said, 'We're going to investigate this.' Now we're going to see if there's going to be an investigation or not. There may. That's why I leave the question, did the European Union go to sleep or not?"

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CHRIS FROOME- Four-time Tour de France Champion

Video Of The Week - CHRIS FROOME Cyclist https://tinyurl.com/y8fepuc8

For the full article go to - ICA (Israel Cycling Academy)  https://tinyurl.com/y9qnoczx

The Israeli team and the legendary champion will sign a long-term contract on August 1st that will see Froome wear ISN’s blue and white until the end of his illustrious career.

“This is an historic moment for ISN (Israel Start-Up Nation), Israel, Israeli sports, our many fans all around the world and, of course, for me personally – a moment of enormous pride”, said the team’s co-owner, Sylvan Adams.

“Chris is the best rider of his generation and will lead our Tour de France and Grand Tour squad. We hope to make history together as Chris pursues further Tour de France and Grand Tour victories, achievements that would make a serious case for Chris to be considered the greatest cyclist of all time.”

Chris Froome commented: “I’m really excited to be joining the ISN family. I look forward to challenging and being challenged by their talent and continuing to strive for the success that I’ve enjoyed up to now. ISN’s impact on the sport is rapidly expanding, and I’m energized to be along for the ride. I feel we can achieve great things together.”

Team Israel Start-Up Nation’s rapid progression from its beginnings as a Continental team to the WorldTour in just five years has now entered its next phase, explained ISN’s Team Manager, Kjell Carlstrom: “We have been looking to strengthen the team for 2021 in several ways, not least of which is to become Grand Tour contenders. With his impressive palmarès, Chris Froome is the perfect leader to mark our arrival as a serious contender for these races, particularly the Tour de France. Chris’ career has been extraordinary, and we believe that he has both the mindset and physical talents to win more Grand Tours with us, while also acting as a mentor to our young talents, helping them succeed.”

“We are committed to building a supportive Grand Tour team around Chris, such that we can make history together, as we compete to be the best, and achieve our principal goal: winning the Tour de France” said Mr. Adams. “I am proud of the road we have travelled, which includes hosting the historic 2018 Giro d’Italia Grande Partenza in Israel, nurturing young Israeli talents, and inspiring a new generation of riders in Israel to take up the sport. With Chris, we will move to new heights at the very top of the sport. I wish to add that I admire Chris not only for his success as a cyclist, but also for how he conducts himself, as a true gentleman, off the bike. Chris will be a great role model for our team.

“So, in Hebrew, “Baruch Haba” – welcome Chris Froome.”

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Volunteers Fight Farm Theft In Israel

Video Of The Week - Israeli Owls Control Pests- https://tinyurl.com/yan8n73m

For further information of this group go to - https://www.hashomer.org.il/

The new Hashomer organization is an educational and Zionist social organization established in 2007 by a group of country-loving volunteers to safeguard state land while assisting and empowering farmers and enforcement agencies, alongside connecting citizens and young people to the land, love of the land and Zionist identity.

Since its founding, the new guard has reinforced the sense of love of the tens of thousands of volunteers who help hundreds of farmers and national bodies to protect state land, all while discussing and studying Zionist values.

About 150 volunteers with jeeps and 4-by-4’s, area-loving vehicles, harnessed their hobby for this purpose. Combining affection for field leadership with helpful tours contributes to reducing agricultural crime incidents in the areas of activity and creates high quality and cohesive volunteer groups.

Since the establishment of the Jeeps, about 50,000 hectares are being scanned every night. The unit assisted in reducing crime rates in its locations to 0%. In the past year, she has taken part in the search for 200 alpine goats stolen in the prairie, in pursuit of Lakhish thieves and more.

Volunteer guards create a presence in farms and farm areas but to expand the conserved areas, mounted tours are also required.

The jeep unit allows assistance to some farmers in keeping the open spaces at night.
Volunteers are another pair of eyes in the field. They independently tour, their private vehicles equipped with suitable equipment. Patrollers scan, locate theft or tampering and damage, and report to regional law enforcement officials

Volunteer guards are present in farmland and farm areas and are a major deterrent to all agricultural aid activities. The biker unit was set up to expand the reserved areas through mounted tours.

The motorcycle unit provides assistance to a large number of farmers in maintaining the open spaces at night. Volunteers independently patrol private SUVs, finding attempted theft or injury and damage and reporting to regional law enforcement officials.

Off-road motorcyclists are able to reach a wide area in a short space of time, even in places where 4X4 vehicles have difficulty.  Using a motorcycle, there is an offense capability that is a great advantage in off-road activity and shortened response times. The mobility of motorcyclists in the open areas allows the new guard to respond to crime phenomena more quickly.

The off-road motorcycle unit is made up of a special bunch of off-road lovers who have dedicated their hobby to this end. Combining the affection for driving a motorcycle with helpful tours contributes to reducing agricultural crime in the areas of activity and creates quality volunteer groups.

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Palestinians: Is It Really About 'Annexation'?

Video Of The Week -Through Palestinian Eyes https://tinyurl.com/yappsfyo

by Khaled Abu Toameh

June 25, 2020

The picture Palestinian Authority officials are painting is that the Israeli annexation of any part of the West Bank is the one and only obstacle to regional peace, security and stability. According to these officials, the Israeli plan would deprive the Palestinians of their right to establish an independent and sovereign state on the pre-1967 armistice lines.

A large group of Palestinian Islamic scholars and clerics, however, evidently disagree with the Palestinian Authority's claim.

On June 21, the Association of Palestine Scholars held a meeting in the Gaza Strip to discuss the Israeli plan. The meeting was attended by several Islamic religious judges representing the Supreme Council of Sharia Judiciary, senior officials of the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs, academics from several Islamic colleges and universities, as well as jurists who issue rulings on Islamic law (sharia).

In a statement issued after the meeting, the Islamic religious personalities, referring to Israel as the "usurping entity," condemned as "dangerous" the Israeli plan to extend sovereignty to parts of the West Bank.

Their statement quickly makes clear that what is really bothering the Islamic scholars and clerics is not the possibility that Israel might impose its sovereignty on Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley.

They are not really worried about the possibility that Israel might annex 10% or 20% or 30% of the West Bank. There is something that worries them much more than any part of the West Bank, and that is the very existence of Israel. The Islamic scholars and clerics believe that Israel has no right to sovereignty over Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth, Tiberias, Jerusalem or and any other part of Israel.

The Islamic leaders even contradict their own statement by pretending to be worried only about the ostensible loss of West Bank land to Israel.

On the one hand, they say that "one of the most dangerous things that this [Israeli] enemy intends to do is to annex a part of the Palestinian lands to its usurping entity." They are pretending, in other words, that they are worried only about the "annexation" of parts of the West Bank.

On the other hand, The Islamic leaders emphasize that "Palestine, all of Palestine, from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river, is a Palestinian Arab Islamic land for which the Jews and Zionists have no right." They go on to explain that "this fact won't be changed by any measures taken by the [Israeli] enemy."

It is clear from the statement that whether the "annexation" plan is implemented or not, many Muslims would still reject the State of Israel because, in their view, it continues to "usurp" Palestinian Arab Islamic land stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. It is dead wrong to assume that if Israel abandons its plan, most Muslims would give up their desire to destroy Israel and replace it with an extremist Iran-style Islamic state.

To back up their argument even further that the main problem is not the West Bank, the scholars and clerics said that "recognizing the state of this usurping entity is a religious, legal, humanitarian and historical crime that must be immediately corrected by cancelling the abhorrent Oslo Accords."

So, the problem is not really the "annexation" plan that they want to see cancelled, but the Oslo Accords signed in 1993 and 1995 between Israel and the PLO. These accords marked the beginning of the so-called Israeli-Palestinian peace process after the PLO purportedly recognized Israel's right to exist in peace and security.

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Vicious Bigoted Slur Against Israel

Video Of The Week - Black Lives Matter - https://tinyurl.com/yachzcfc

For the complete video go to - https://tinyurl.com/y9xjawpy

                      

For the full Article go to - https://tinyurl.com/y9xtkadf

On Monday, an alliance of groups affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement unveiled their first official platform. The 40,000-word manifesto contained many recommendations, including concrete policy proposals, for rectifying the wrongs perpetrated against America’s African-American citizens in the past and present. 

Unfortunately, the platform also contained a vicious bigoted slur against the Jewish state, which the document’s foreign policy section accused of perpetrating “genocide” against Palestinians. (The platform also labeled Israel an “apartheid state” and joined with the BDS movement in calling for the total academic, cultural, and economic boycott of the country.

Falsely accusing the state founded by Jews in the ashes of their own genocide of committing genocide is, simply put, a blood libel on a national scale. It is a slur against the 6 million Jews in Israel and the vast majority of world Jewry that supports them. That Black Lives Matter would indulge in such ignorant and incendiary claims undermines its standing as an anti-racist organization.

Now, to be clear, given the platform’s 40,000-word length and numerous sections and subjects, it is extremely unlikely that most activists involved in its drafting had anything to do with the small portion pertaining to Israel. Doubtless most of the many thousands of Americans, including American Jews, who deeply sympathize with the aims of Black Lives Matter and similarly seek criminal justice reform, see no connection between this activism and assertions of Israeli genocide.

But it is sadly just as clear that those select activists who shoehorned such a slur into the Black Lives Matter platform, whether out of ignorance or malice, have needlessly driven a wedge into the very necessary alliance to ensure equal treatment of America’s African-American brothers and sisters.

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