Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Wednesday 10 August 2016

Oz Boy Goes To Tunisia

A delegate's passport
On 3 August the London Daily Telegraph's defence correspondent, Con Coughlin, reported inter alia:
'The Israeli government has reacted angrily to plans by the Gulf state of Qatar to support a group backed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn which wants to impose a global trade and cultural boycott on the Jewish state.
 Qatar has emerged as the main financial backer of a conference to review the aims of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign which opens in Tunis on Thursday....
Relations between Israel and Qatar, which has been accused of funding Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil), have become strained in recent years over the Gulf state’s close ties with Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian group that is committed to Israel’s destruction.
At today’s meeting in Tunis, which is being hosted by the Qatari-funded Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, delegates will be asked to review BDS’s attempts to organise a global boycott against Israel, as well as exploring ways to make the anti-Israeli boycott even more effective.'
Sad  to say, one of those delegates is a Sydney academic of Jewish extraction, Dr Peter Slezak, a stalwart of the BDS movement in Australia, and not to be confused with a Sydney medical practitioner of the same name.

It appears that Dr Slezak has been enjoying the conference, if this page is any indication

Further reports about the conference here and here

 Meanwhile, former Baptist minister Rev. Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision, has claimed that there appears to be no substance to allegations that World Vision's man in Gaza, Mohammad El Halabi, has been siphoning off millions in aid money to Hamas.

NGO Monitor analysis here

Says the Tim Costello:
"On June 15th, 2016, Mohammad El Halabi, the manager of operations for World Vision in Gaza, was arrested on his way home from routine meetings. On the 4th August 2016 date, after 50 days in Israeli state detention, Mohammad was charged with providing support to Hamas. World Vision was shocked to learn of these charges against Mohammad.
World Vision programs in Gaza have been subject to regular internal and independent audits, independent evaluations, and a broad range of internal controls aimed at ensuring that assets reach their intended beneficiaries and are used in compliance with applicable laws and donor requirements. Based on the information available to us at this time, we have no reason to believe that the allegations are true. We will carefully review any evidence presented to us and will take appropriate actions based on that evidence.
World Vision subscribes to the humanitarian principles of impartiality and neutrality and therefore rejects any involvement in any political, military or terrorist activities and maintains its independence as a humanitarian aid agency committed to serving the poor, especially children. World Vision has detailed procedures and control mechanisms in place to ensure that the funds entrusted to us are spent in accordance with applicable legal requirements and in ways that do not fuel conflict but rather contribute to peace.
World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. World Vision has been working in Israel/Palestine for over 40 years, striving to give hope to over 500,000 of the most vulnerable children, through education, health, child protection and resilience programs”  (Hat tip: J-Wire)
See also here and  here  Hat tip: Ian

A Save the Children representative is now also being investigated.

And now, a representaive of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been arrested by the Israeli authorities who have accused him of links to Hamas.  See here

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