This excellent article by Walter Reich in the Financial Times is worth reading (register free at the FT):

Meeting a friend in a coffee shop in an old West Jerusalem neighbourhood, I asked him what he wanted most in life. One of the giants of Israel’s intellectual life, my friend is deeply committed to Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. With what was surely some exaggeration, but also obvious pain, he answered: “I want my children to emigrate.” Just then his daughter stopped by, greeting her father with a warm hello before hurrying off. He shrugged. “She doesn’t want to go. What can I do?”

My friend’s despair is shared by an increasing number of Israelis. They watch as Iran, whose leaders have said Israel must be eliminated, rushes to develop nuclear weapons. They feel themselves increasingly abandoned, most frighteningly by the US, whose president, Barack Obama, has “reached out” to the Muslim world but has not similarly convinced Jews that he appreciates, and is genuinely sympathetic to, Israel’s existential plight. In his White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, Mr Obama tried to address this perception. But for many in Israel, his words lacked substance and were inspired by domestic political needs, not an emotional conversion. The president needs to do more. For until Israelis feel sufficiently secure to take what they see as massive risks for peace, progress will be impossible.

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Anglican Friends of Israel is disappointed at the decision by the Methodist Church to boycott goods produced by Jews living in Judea and Samaria.

In convening the Working Group which produced the Report 'Justice for Palestine and Israel' the Methodist Church deliberately decided not to include the views of any who might have disagreed with a boycott, hardly a just approach.

The historical section of the Report was, by the admission of the Working Group’s own Chairman Graham Carter, incomplete.  Many would add that it was also inaccurate, including Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks who described the Report as "unbalanced, factually and historically flawed" giving "no genuine understanding of one of the most complex conflicts in the world today.  Many in both communities will be deeply disturbed".

Theologically the Report’s findings are justified by the Rev Nichola Jones using the arguments of the Replacement Theology that underpinned Christian anti-semitism for 1500 years, and which has been widely rejected by other Churches.

Methodist Church Media Officer Karen Burke writes, 'The Methodist Church has a long history of interfaith relationships; it greatly values the relationship it shares with its Jewish brothers and sisters and hopes that that relationship will continue to flourish.'

However, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have accused the Report’s authors of "(abusing) the goodwill of the Jewish community, which tried to engage on this issue, only to find our efforts were treated as an unwelcome distraction".

Burke goes on to insist that "Israel should not be singled out above all other countries for opprobrium and international sanction."  Yet despite many other far more pressing human rights issues, including those in which Christians' human rights are violated, only Israeli Jews apparently merit Methodist punishment.

The decision to boycott the produce of Israeli Jews in the disputed territories will benefit no one, least of all Palestinians whose livelihoods depend upon the work provided by those Jewish communities.

Christians should be praying and working towards bringing a peaceful solution.  It is sad that the Methodist Church has adopted a course of action that is more likely to add the conflict rather than to the solution.

Anglican Friends of Israel are dismayed at international condemnation of Israel following attacks upon Israeli Defence Force personnel a supposedly peaceful aid convoy on board the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, for instance, called “on the Government of Israel to open the crossings to allow unfettered access for aid to Gaza” whose Hamas government calls for Israel’s destruction and the murder of her Jewish citizens.

Yet such calls ignore both information emerging about the IHH which sponsored the ‘aid convoy’ and the wider context in which Israel’s actions were framed.

Israeli offers of peaceful means to deliver the aid into Gaza were refused. Video footage proves that the violence which tragically resulted in the deaths of some passengers and injuries to others including IDF personnel was begun by Aid convoy members. Yet the UN Security Council has condemned Israel for the deaths.

Much of the aid from the ships has since been delivered to Gaza via Israeli border crossings.

The MV Mari Marmara was sponsored by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) The IHH is far from being the ‘Turkish equivalent of Oxfam’ as anti-Israel protesters have claimed.

Previously it was banned from participating in earthquake aid efforts by its own Government ‘because it was counted among several “fundamentalist organizations” operating “secret bank accounts” that were refusing to allow local authorities to oversee the distribution of their aid resources’.

It was also outlawed by the Israeli Government in 2008 because of its support for Hamas.

Gaza based Professor Abd Al-Fatah Nu'man makes the Islamist imperialist motives behind the convoy clear in this interview. And Al Jazeera footage of the racist chanting of the Mavi Marmara’s ‘Aid Convoy’ confirms their Jihadist intent.

Israel has good reason for maintaining restrictions at Gaza border crossings and has previously intercepted ships carrying weapons bound for terror organisations in Gaza and Hizbollah.

Some previous ‘aid’ convoys bound for Gaza have had little on board except activists eager to discredit Israel and to deflect attention from the thousands of tonnes of aid which flow into Gaza weekly via Israel.

Furthermore terrorists in Gaza continue to fire rockets into Israel - over 60 this year so far - and to explode bombs in order to kill and maim Israeli citizens. The latest exploded as recently as 25 May 2010.

The widely promulgated paradigm of the Israeli blockade as a punishment against a helpless and harmless Gazan population is highly questionable.

Western spokespersons might bear in mind that the terror threat to western nations springs from the same source as that faced daily by Israelis and be more circumspect in making demands on Israel before all relevant facts have emerged.

We received this statement from the Israeli Embassy on the 'Flotilla to Gaza':

The Flotilla to Gaza: A publicity stunt, not a genuine aid convoy

Since last year's January cease fire, 133 million liters of fuel entered Gaza from Israel - That's more than enough fuel to fill the fuel tank of every car and truck in Israel!

Since the ceasefire, well over a million tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Israel - That's almost a ton of aid for every man woman and child in Gaza.

Israel transfers food, medicines, clothing and school-books for all Gazans, but Hamas demands concrete for its reinforced bunkers, from which they will be able to continue to fire rockets at Israeli schools and hospitals.  Nevertheless, despite the need to restrict the supply of building materials for this reason,  Israel has this week allowed 6 trucks loaded with 250 tons of cement, one truck loaded with 5 tons of iron and 15 trucks loaded with gravels to enter Gaza for building projects operated and executed by UNRWA.

Israel transfers 15,000 tons of real aid to Gaza each and every week – so a flotilla claiming to carry 10,000 tons of concrete is clearly about a different agenda.

International aid groups send their aid to Gaza through the Israeli humanitarian pipeline, while publicity seekers merely exploit the humanitarian agenda to promote their own media stunts.

In 2009 alone, 10,544 patients and their companions left the Gaza Strip for medical treatment in Israel.

Humanitarian aid flows into Gaza daily, except when the crossings are rocketed by the Hamas regime.

In 2009, 21,200 international organization staff members entered the Gaza Strip, and some 4,883 tons of medical equipment and medicine were brought in.

Israel is now coordinating the transfer of 200,000 laptops for Gaza schoolchildren.

Transferring Aid to Gaza through Existing Channels

Israel maintains land crossings into Gaza, through which food, fuels and other materials are supplied. These transfer points operate despite numerous Palestinian terrorist attacks on the crossings, which have cost Israeli lives.

There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, although Hamas attempts to portray the situation as such. Enormous amounts of supplies and humanitarian aid cross into the Strip on a regular basis. Each day, many dozens of trucks carrying supplies are transported from Israel to the Gaza Strip.

The land crossing points remain the most efficient means for the transfer of goods. Reputable international organizations, such as the Red Cross, regularly use these crossings to deliver supplies and transfer personnel. Israel is very willing to assist the organizers of the flotilla in using the land crossings, in the same manner as it does for the other international organizations.

Given that sufficient land crossings are open and that Israel has invited the organizers to use them, the flotilla clearly is both futile and a publicity stunt.  If the organizers were truly interesting in providing humanitarian aid, as opposed to engaging in publicity stunts, they would utilize the proper channels to ensure delivery.

Millions of dollars worth of international food aid continually flows through the Israeli humanitarian apparatus, ensuring that there is no food shortage in Gaza. Food and supplies are shipped from Israel to Gaza daily.

Despite attacks by Hamas, Israel maintains an ongoing humanitarian corridor for the transfer of food items to Gaza. This conduit is used by internationally recognized organizations including the United Nations and the Red Cross.

Large quantities of essential food items like baby formula, wheat, meat, dairy products and other, are transferred daily and weekly to Gaza.

In a typical week the IDF coordinates the transfer of hundreds of trucks containing about 15,000 tons of supplies: during the week of May 18, 2010 there were 65 trucks of fruit and vegetables; 22 truckloads of sugar, some 27 truckloads of meat, poultry and fish; and 40 trucks of dairy products and more than 100 truckloads of animal food.

During the first quarter of 2010 some 553 tons or 40 trucks of milk powder and baby food were shipped to the Strip. One hundred and eight trucks of rice, 164 trucks of clothing and shoes, 1,115 trucks of wheat and 1,753 trucks of various food products including vegetables and cheese went through. These items were channeled through aid organizations or via the private sector.

In 2009, more than 738,000 tons of food and supplies entered Gaza.  During holidays, Israel increases transfers. During the Muslim feast Eid al-Adha, Israel shipped some 11,000 head of cattle into the Strip.

Maintaining Medical Aid for All in Need

No Palestinian is denied medical care in Israel.  Israel maintains a corridor for the transfer of medical patients out of Gaza, and about 200 medical staff go through the crossings every month.

Israel helps coordinate the transfer of Jordanian doctors into Gaza.

In 2009 alone, 10,544 patients and their companions left the Gaza Strip for medical treatment in Israel.

The Israeli Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem donates $3 million in aid annually to treat Palestinians in Israel.

Since 2005, Palestinians exploited medical care arrangements more than 20 times to carry out terror attacks.

In the first quarter of 2010, Israel shipped 152 trucks of medical supplies and equipment into Gaza.

A new CAT scan machine was recently shipped to Gaza.

In a typical week (in May 2010), some 37 truckloads of hygiene products were shipped to Gaza.

In 2009, 21,200 international organization staff members entered the Gaza Strip, and some 4,883 tons of medical equipment and medicine were brought in.

The Anne Frank Trust UK opened a stunning month long exhibition “Anne Frank + You” at the Alley Theatre in Strabane on Monday May 10th. In just over one week, the exhibition has attracted over 4,000 visitors .

Mrs Inge Radford, one of Ireland’s last Jewish Holocaust survivors assisted in the opening of the exhibition. Mrs Radford lost her widowed mother and 5 brothers to the Nazi concentration camps in 1942.

Launched in 2005 to give Anne Frank’s story and message a contemporary profile for today, this major display includes a near life size replica of Anne’s bedroom in hiding. It has a strong focus on the issues of identity and moral choice we face in 21st century society. The opening in Strabane is particularly significant as it is the first time the “Anne Frank + You” exhibition has visited Northern Ireland. Starting from Anne Frank’s writings and experiences, the exhibition is a journey of self exploration for the visitor. Themes that Anne wrote about in her diary, such as racial hatred, war and conflict and the value of democracy and freedom, are presented in an up to date and contemporary fashion, along with filmed interviews with teenagers discussing their own views, concerns and hopes for the future. Anne Frank exhibitions have been visited by over 3 million people from across Britain. They continue to provide a unique experience for visitors to learn more about the story of Anne and the history of the Holocaust.

Steve Nimmons (inter faith advocate and special advisor to the project) said “The Anne Frank exhibition provides an exceptional opportunity for young people to discuss and truly understand the value of tolerance and its importance in our society. The beauty of Anne’s writing, the tragedy of her short life, and yet the ultimate truth that hope and understanding triumph over repression and hatred is exceptional, powerful and ultimately life changing."

Strabane District Council and the Community Relations Council are funding this project in association with the Cultural, Heritage and Identity programme, which is supported by the Peace III programme and managed for the Special EU programmes Body by the North West Peace III Cluster.

The significance of the opening is further amplified, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

The exhibition will be in Strabane until May 29th, from where it will move to the Spectrum Centre on Belfast's Shankill Road (launch event planned for the evening of June 3rd).

Photo: Special Advisor, Steve Nimmons with Northern Ireland Finance Minister Sammy Wilson at the launch

Further coverage:
Ireland examines Anne Frank's Life
BBC Newsline

We are pleased to publish this letter from the director of Christian Friends of Israel, Geoffrey Smith, to the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The Advertising Standards Authority

Dear Sirs,

I write on behalf of the Trustees and 10,000 members of this registered charity to protest in the strongest terms against your ruling that the Western Wall cannot be shown in Israel tourist advertisements. There are few places on earth where the purchase of real estate is recorded for thousands of years. Of these few, the single most significant and iconic is undoubtedly the Temple in Jerusalem. In the Bible - the sacred text of two world religions - 2 Samuel 24 records the purchase of the site - the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite - for fifty shekels of silver. 2 Chronicles 3 verse 1 links this site with the construction of Solomon's Temple. This is the geographical focus of the family of Israel throughout the world, the resting place of the God of Israel celebrated in Psalm 132, and the place to which the prophets of Israel looked in the messianic age to come (Isaiah 62).

Tourists to Israel whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim are drawn to this iconic site which is celebrated hundreds of times in the biblical texts of Israel. In book publishing, the Western Wall is the picture most associated with Israel and is indeed on the cover of two of our own publications. While part of Jerusalem was for a short time under Jordanian control from 1948-1967 it was closed to Jewish worshippers but subsequently under Israeli control access to the holy sites is open to all faith communities. As a students of Hebrew in Jerusalem twenty years ago, (and employers of Christian Jewish and Muslim staff), my wife and I counted it as the highest of privileges to accompany international visitors and Jews returning to Israel to the Western Wall.  Whatever form of administration is negotiated in the future there is no question of Israel relinquishing its historic heritage in the holy basin.

The Board of Trustees of this international organisation will await your response at our next Board meeting on Monday 19th April.

Yours sincerely

Geoffrey Smith
Director
Christian Friends of Israel

From The Jerusalem Post

Hamas gunmen used Palestinian children as human shields, and established command centers and Kassam launch pads in and near more than 100 mosques and hospitals during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip last year, according to a new Israeli report being released on Monday that aims to counter criticism of the IDF.

The detailed 500-page report, obtained exclusively by The Jerusalem Post, was written by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (Malam) , a small research group led by Col. (res.) Reuven Erlich, a former Military Intelligence officer who works closely with the army.

The IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) cooperated with the report’s authors and declassified hundreds of photographs, videos, prisoner interrogations and Hamas-drawn sketches as part of an effort to counter the criticism leveled at Israel in the UN-sponsored Goldstone Report.

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By Karin Kloosterman

Peace in the Middle East may seem elusive, but Jews and Arabs across Israel are working hard to create bridges though business. ISRAEL21c brings you a list of Israel's top ten coexistence business ventures.

Making peace in the Middle East will never be an easy task, but what many people don't realize is that even in the midst of conflict, there are thousands upon thousands of Israeli people working dedicatedly for coexistence and the promise of a better life.

Some of the most effective of these peace projects are those based on business. Peace through prosperity is not a new concept, but as Yoav Stern, director of the Business and Economics Department at the Peres Center for Peace, admits, projects like these help building confidence.

It's a "win-win-win game," says Stern, who helped ISRAEL21c compile this top 10 list. "I think that what's unique in these kind of businesses is the fact that the interests are clear for all sides. In order to have a sound business project you must identify the interests of all sides, not just the Israelis not just Palestinians.

"They are very good ideas when you want to build confidence measures," he adds. "The business community is a very good engine for the peace train and without its commitment and involvement peace will not come," he asserts.

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