UPDATED: Susan G. Komen Conference in Egypt. Jews Need Not ApplyOh OK, Jews can come...

UPDATED

Statement from Nancy Goodman Brinker, Founder, Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Breast cancer advocates from the United States and across the Middle East are meeting in Egypt from October 21-27 for breast cancer awareness events. There have been reports that some of the invited participants would not be allowed to attend these events. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has now received confirmation that all advocates, regardless of their country of origin, are invited to fully participate in events to bring breast cancer to the forefront of public discussion in the Middle East.

After we received the initial report on the situation, we launched a diplomatic effort to ensure they would be able to participate. I am pleased to report that our efforts led to confirmation that all advocates would be welcome to participate in the events.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure remains steadfast in our mission to save lives and end breast cancer forever.

Well played, Susan G. Komen Foundation! But will they be serving Arafat Corn Chips?


ORIGINAL:

A United States-based organization's conference on breast cancer awareness, to be hosted in Egypt, has been touted by international news networks as an example of “unprecedented cooperation” in the region. However, according to Channel 2 news, the celebration of unity may be premature, as Israeli doctors were told at the last minute that their invitations to participate had been rescinded.

Source

Should we be shocked? After all, we saw the same thing this past February when Shahar Peer was denied a travel visa to Dubai. And who is the sponsor of the event? Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

Where to begin... let's start with their response:

"Susan G. Komen for the Cure was planning to have Israeli doctors join us in the collaborative events taking place this week in Egypt, when we learned at the last minute that due to factors beyond our control, the doctors will no longer participate. As a non-profit, non-governmental organization working to end suffering from breast cancer globally, including countries throughout the Middle East, our founder and global ambassadors remain committed to their long-planned trip to Israel next week to begin planning collaborative efforts in a country that has demonstrated great need."

Due to factors beyond your control? Are you joking? You are the largest breast cancer awareness group in the world. How about threaten to move the conference in its entirety to Israel so the doctors could participate? How about actually doing it? How about condemning it rather than wringing your hands and saying, "there's nothing we could do." How about making sure this crap couldn't happen in the first place?

They're coming to Israel next week? Is that some sort of consolation? Exactly what is that supposed to convey? You were coming here anyway so it's okay if the country you choose to host the conference in politicizes the event in your name?

We all know what's going to happen here. Nothing. Israel will continue to rake in real Nobel prizes, continue to push back the frontiers of medicine, continue to take the moral high road in everything they do while the Arabs continue to chip away at Israel in small, insignificant but demeaning ways. It is the organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure® that have to decide who they want to associate with, and be associated with. As far as I'm concerned, Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, in refusing to take any action has demonstrated their willingness to allow their cause to become politicized, and by doing so they have abrogated themselves as a true non-profit non-governmental agency.

In other words, they're as bad as the Egyptians.

Assaf Ramon, Yeshiva Boys and Yesha

It's fun and easy to trash the religious settlers in Israel as crazy, lawbreaking, anti-government anarchists. Think about this the next time you want to condemn them for their behavior:

When they heard the explosion of the plane, only about 1.2 kilometers away, they ran out to see what had happened, taking cameras with them. They filmed the plane burning, the arrival of the emergency crews, and the hubbub around the incident.

Somehow, word of the pictures got out, and more than one news agency contacted the boys and offered to pay thousands of shekels for the exclusive footage. When the boys realized that an Air Force pilot had been killed, they consulted with their Rosh Yeshiva (rabbinical dean), Rabbi Amichai Chazan. He explained to them the importance of behaving ethically in such a situation.

The boys understood his message, and refused to sell. "I don't want to profit from this type of situation in which a soldier dies," said one student, Nehorai Hadad.

Source

And just to be clear, the yeshiva is located in Maale Hever, south of in Yehuda. Had this been over "Palestine," you can be sure the flaming wreckage - as well as Arabs dancing and handing out candies - would have been all over the media, with two-bit terrorist groups vying for credit on who "shot down" the plane.

All too often the news from Israel is full of tragic events. The story of Assaf Ramon reminds us that we don't need the Arabs to generate our tragedy for us. May his family be comforted among the mourners of Tzion.

BREAKING: Paypal "Dissociating" from NPOs and Religious Institutions in Israel

I just received this email notification from a client. After thirty minutes of phone tree runaround, I've come to the unmistakable conclusion there is a little 'divestment' going on:

We appreciate your interest in PayPal. However, PayPal has made the business decision to dissociate ourselves as a payment processor for transactions involving Politicians, Political Organizations, Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs), Religious Institutions, etc. in Israel.

This is not a decision we make lightly, and we deeply regret any inconvenience or frustration this matter may cause you. Please understand that this decision is final.

If you have questions, you may contact us at apacdd@paypal.com.

Sincerely,
Belena
PayPal Compliance Department
PayPal, an eBay Company

I am expecting a followup email from PayPal, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't really expect them to come out and say it, but the unmistakable reek of anti-Semitism is coming from this whole mess.

Caught on Film: Jews in "East" Jerusalem

Blogger Ben Atlas uncovers some inconvenient truths at the Life Magazine archives. Namely, that Jews lived in Israel before 1948 in the Old City of Jerusalem. And they were forced out. Jews? In "East" Jerusalem? Before 1967? Say it ain't so!

I've previewed three fascinating photos for you. The first is the exodus of Jews from the Old City through Shaar Tzion, a gate I have the privilege of walking through every time I visit the Old City. The second and third are photos that caught him by surprise: they are of the same street before and after the Arabs/Jordanians/Palestinians (whatever you want to call them; it makes no difference) destroyed it. His entire two-part series begins here.

The photos of the determined Haganah soldiers, proud and idealistic, makes me wonder where that attitude went. Why is it that sixty one years later Jews can be pushed around anymore - especially in our own country by our own leaders - is beyond comprehension.

Tibi Tells the Truth

(IsraelNN.com) Arab MK Ahmed Tibi said Tuesday at the Fatah conference in Beit Lehem that Israeli Arabs are part of the Palestinian nation and called on Israel to dismantle communities in Judea and Samaria.

“We are part of the Palestinian nation,” he said. “We are the original residents here and we will never leave. We own the land and we are not guests. There can be no peace with the settlements or the settlers.”

Source.

Rabbi Meir Kahane said exactly the same thing twenty years ago in They Must Go. And Tibi's right; the only difference between an Israeli Arab and a "Palestinian" Arab is what side of the armistice line they were on in 1949. Culturally they're the same. Just as they're culturally the same as 70% of the country of Jordan.

The "original" residents were the seven Cannani nations. They're long gone.

As far as not having peace with settlements or settlers, that's fine too. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Leftist Litter-ature

'Occupation will destroy Third Temple'

Notice posted around Jerusalem by Peace Now on eve of annual day of mourning destruction of First, Second Temple says continuation of settlement construction will lead to end of Zionist enterprise.

Source

The irony, and the punchline is that true Zionist settlers don't consider modern Zionism, the current State of Israel to be the "Third Temple." What is being mangled here is a quote attributed to Moshe Dayan during the darkest days of the Yom Kippur War. He said, "This is the end of the Third Temple."

What we have today isn't perfect. But that's why G-d invented Tikkun Olam.

Throw Congressman Ackerman under the bus

Why is it so difficult for Jews to be Jewish? Congressman Ackerman illustrates in this simpering monologue where he can't find the reason why we all can't just get along.

My response to the honorable congressman:

I read with no small amount of disgust your comments equivocating Jewish citizens of Israel with terrorist thugs. Your comments came at a particularly bad time, as the Israeli people have decidedly shifted to the right politically. It only underscores the complete disconnect between Jews in America and the Land of their forefathers.

Though I detest the appellation, for illustrative purposes I am what you would call a settler. I live twenty minutes south of Jerusalem on a "hilltop" called Neve Daniel. As the highest vantage point in the region between Chevron and Yerushalayim, it is very likely that Avraham stood on this very hill when he "saw the place [where he would offer Isaac as a sacrifice] from afar." One might like to believe that I displaced a poor Arab family from their ancient homestead and stole their orange groves with my own hands, but the truth is this was a barren hilltop throughout the Jordanian Occupation from 1949-1967.

I don't know the last time you were at a Jewish wedding, but when we recite the blessings under the chuppah, the last bracha recited for thousands of years states, "May there soon be heard, Lord our G-d, in the cities of Judea and in the streets of Jerusalem, the sound of joy and the sound of celebration." Chevron, Neve Daniel and others are those cities in Judea that we hope to repopulate when we bless our family and friends at a wedding. Who do you think you are to question that enterprise? Bear in mind that there are tens of thousands of us here, many more than were sacrificed in Gush Katif, the next time you hear that bracha.

You made the statement, "I don’t know what to do about that. I don’t know how you make peace with half of a want-to-be country. I don’t know how you sign an agreement with an entity whose legal, political and administrative bona fides are all in question." Why are these questions so hard for a Jew to answer? I can't even see why these questions are hard for a human to answer! You don't make peace with an implacable enemy. You defeat them. Utterly. Without pause, without question. They want to destroy the Jewish State. They make no moral equivalences, neither should we.

It's an embarrassment to see that even our vaunted Jewish congressman sees fit to throw his lot in with those who would deny Jews a Jewish homeland. That you said you weren't trying to draw a moral equivalence only makes your comments all the more repugnant. Did you sell out to show party loyalty? I hope it was worth it.

Since this letter has no fawning approbations of your nauseating comments, I expect no reply.

A proud Jew, Settler, and Republican,

Write to him at Write Your Representative and use 11361 as your zip code.