August 2009

New Evidence: Columbus Was of Marrano Stock/ DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

Many of the scientific, financial and practical aspects of the discovery of America had a Jewish angle to them, and Columbus himself may have had Jewish roots

Clandestine Judaism in the Shadow of the Inquisition . DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

unveils new findings about the lives of the Marranos in the New World. The remarkable steadfastness which the converted Jews displayed to their original faith attests to the vitality of the Jewish people

Alarming findings in the fifth Arab Human Development report (AHDR) 2009

Alarming findings in the fifth Arab Human Development report (AHDR) 2009 – but as usual Israel is to blame…

writer: Zvi Mazel Former Israeli Ambassador to Sweden

The fifth report on Arab Human Development was released in the Lebanese capital Beirut on July 21st. Sponsored by the United Nations Development Program – UNDP – it deals with the state of the society and economy in the Arab world and details in 208 pages the ills that plague that world. This is the work of Arab economists together with UN experts and as such is widely accepted by Arab governments – though they prefer to ignore it. Arab media has got a little more daring in recent years but still did not give the report the full treatment it deserved. The fact is that since the first report was published in 1994 the situation has gone from bad to worse.

President B.H.Obama gave Mary Robinson the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Obama gave on August 12,2009 the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mary Robinson. M.Robinson, the former president of Irland and the United Nations High Commisioner on Human Rights.

Robinson initiated the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance which became "the scene of one of the most notorious explosions of anti-Semitism in decades"(Camera,Aug 7, 2009).

This Conference passed, under her leadership, a resolution accusing Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

How did Israel stop being a free country / Adi Schwartz

Here's a story about how un- professional a pro- dempcratic organization becomes when dealing with the State of Israel.

On May 1st 2009, Freedom House, an internatuional NGO that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, declared that according to its Freedom of the Press index, Israel is no longer a "free" country, but only "partially free".

There is no Apartheid in Israel / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

Former President James.E.Carter published a book on December 2006,on the Israeli - Palestinian conflict,titled,"Palestine:Peace not Apartheid", in which he called Israel an apartheid regime. Carter , thus joined the European left and right,the Arabic- Palestinian propaganda, some Israeli post-Zionists and international organization for human right.

Is there any justification for such accusation?

WHAT IS APARHEID?

How did Israel stop being a free country/ update/ Adi Schwartz

On July 30th I published an investigation into a report made by Freedom House about the freedom of the press in Israel

In respose to this publicaion,Freedom House notified me that the report, sent to me by them on July 14th, was a draft report. They attached a new and revised report,which is someewhat shorter and has the following changes:
1.All references to self censorship by Israeli journalists were omitted.
2.The reference to media putlets, which during the Gaza conflift "fed popular sentiment and prioritized nationalistic themes" was omitted.

The Immigration of Egyptian Workers to the land of Israel during the British Mandate/ DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

Prof.Moshe Baver of the Geography Faculty in Tel Aviv University, who is a world-renowned geographer, based his study, titled "Immigration as a factor in the Growth of the Arab village in Israel"(Economic Review, 1975) on a Mandate Government Survey of Arabic Villages which he participated in and which included interviews with village Mukhtars(leaders) conducded during the Mndate period.

Most Palestinians Penetrated into the Land of Israel Between 1870s'- 1948 / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

The Arabs conquered the Land of Israel between 632 - 640 A.D from the Byzantine Empire. They occupied the country from 640 until 1099, when the Crusaders coquered the country.During those years the country became a battle field between Arab families, and suffered from invasions of Bedouin tribes who robbed and murdered the population, and the Byzantines and others who wished to occupy the country. The wars destroyed the economy and the country was deserted by some of its old population: Christians, Jews and Samaritans.

Explaining Palestinian Politics:Even the ModeratesTalk Like Extremists/ Prof.Barry Rubin

U.S and European policymakers(not to mention journalists and academics)oftan talk as if the Palestinian issue is the mpst important aspect of their, foreign policies,the Middle East, and even the whole world.Yet as recent events show, the nature of Palestinian politics and how they ensure there can be no peace are either misunderstood or not even seriously examined at all.

Palestine Politics and the Peace Process:Looming Gigantic Danger/Prof.Barry Rubin

What happened at the Fatah Congress? It was pretty successful as far as maintaining the status quo goes, but very bad for any chance at making progress toward a comprehensive peace. And there’s one terribly dangerous issue—the next Fatah leader—which could blow up everything.

Dabburiya,An Arabic Village was formerly the Israeli/Jewish Davarita /DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

Dabburiya nowadays is an Arabic village situated at the foot of Mt Tabor. It has a population of 8,500, mostly Muslim. Villagers explain that the name is derived from the Canaanite or Arabic root “DBR” or “DVV”, meaning a sheep pasture (Dabburiya is rich in pastures). Prof. Yohanan Aharoni states that the suffix “ia” is common in Arabic, and that is how Davrat became Dabburiya.

Modern Alma was a Jewish Town Until the 17th Century/DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

The Jewish village (Moshav) Alma is located today on the site of a Jewish town that existed from the 1st century CE until the 17th century. The Arabic village Alma, was established in the 19th century and existed until 1948.

Arabic Alma, which was destroyed during Israel’s War of Independence, had been established by refugees from Algiers who fled the French occupation during the 19th century and had been given permission by the Ottoman Sultan to settle in the Land of Israel.

First Signs of Self-criticism in the Arab-Muslim World / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

Edward Said, an American-Christian Palestinian and lecturer in the University of Columbia published his book “Orientalism” in 1973. The book was translated into Arabic and many other languages and created a stir in the Arab-Muslim world as well as among the academics in the faculties of Middle East Studies in universities in the US.

In his book “Collision within Islam” (2005), Prof. Immanuel Sivan of the Hebrew University Middle East Studies Faculty in Jerusalem dedicated a chapter to the debate within the Arabic world over the main theme of Said’s book.

Peqiin,Galilee,Jewish Presence in the village from the Second Temple to Modern Day/ DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

Margalit Zeynatti is the last remnant of the original inhabitants of the Jewish village of Peqiin; During the British Mandate period there were still 52 Jews in the village.

The village Peqiin is situated in the upper Galilee. It was mentioned by its ancient name, Tekoa, in the Talmud. In the book Hazohar (the book of Kabbalah), it was called Peqiin, and the Arabs translated it into Al-Buquiya.The meaning of the name is: a valley between mountains.

The New Anti- Semitism Amongst European Intelligensia / DR.Rivka Shpak Lissak

The new anti-Semitism in Europe is a new stage in anti-Semitism, and discriminates against the Jews as a nation. It hides its true face under the claim of legitimate criticism over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria, but anti-Semitism shows through anti-Zionism in denying the Jewish nation’s right to its own state, denying the historic link of the Nation of Israel to the Land of Israel, and re-enlivens the old claim that the Jews control the world with their wealth.

On Journalism and Organ Donations / Adi Schwartz


The Swedish daily Aftonbladet has set last week new journalistic standards by publishing a story about IDF soldiers harvesting organs from Palestinians. Editor in chief Jan Helin admitted that his newspaper ran the story with no evidence whatsoever.

Palestinian woman giving birth in Ashkelon (photo: Edi Israel)
But the thing is that there is evidence. Actually, a lot of evidences. They just point to a totally different story.

Israel- Palestinian Negotiating Positions / Prof.Barry Rubin

A brief guide to the negotiating positions of Israel’s government and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Israeli Negotiating Position

Two-State Solution: Israel accepts a two-state solution--including an independent Palestinian state—only under conditions it believes would lead to real and lasting peace.

It is a myth that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only recently accepted this goal or did so only under U.S. pressure. In fact, he agreed to this as an outcome of negotiations in 1996.

Israel has put forward five conditions:

Recognition of Israel as a Jewish State is a Prime Requirement / Prof.Barry Rubin

One of Israel’s highest priorities in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) is recognition by the PA and Arab states as a “Jewish state.” The purpose of this demand is to ensure a lasting peace with Israel as it exists rather than some formal declaration which would thereafter be subverted in every possible way.

Al Jish, Gush Halav was a Jewish village for about 1,'700 years / DR.R.S.Lissak

Today, Gesh is a Christian- Maronite village with a Greek Orthodox minority, with a few Muslim residents. The Maronite Christians arrived in Israel in the 18th century and settled in Gush Halav and Bir’am. At that time, there were still Jewish towns and villages in the area, such as Meyron, Safsufa, Bir’am, Sasa, and others. Jews lived in Gesh continuosly until about the middle of the 19th century .