Hamas Accuses Israel of Dumping Aphrodisiac

This story was just too funny to ignore. Hamas leaders have accused Israelis of distributing aphrodisiac chewing gum to corrupt Gaza's youth. Are they serious? Apparently yes.

"We have discovered two types of stimulants that were introduced into the Gaza Strip from Israeli border crossings," a Hamas police spokesman told the AFP. "The first type is presented in the form of chewing gum and the second in the form of drops."

Hamas claims to have detained two suspects that have admitted to collaborations with Israeli intelligence. The Israelis apparently "did not want money, but to distribute the products among the young people of Gaza."

The IDF has called the allegations absurd. I call them humorous.

Blair: Israel Not Getting Enough Credit

Tony Blair has stood up for Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israelis. The former British Prime Minister, and current envoy of the "Middle East Quartet," said that Israel is not getting the credit it deserves for helping improve the quality of life for Palestinians.

Blair specifically pointed out efforts to remove roadblocks and checkpoints. Blair made a point to voice support for continued efforts by Israel to improve life for Judea and Samaria residents and hopes the efforts will continue.

The comments were made during a Monday meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu and Vice Premier Sivan Shalom. Netanyahu mentioned a recent decision to increase the operating hours of the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Israel and Jordan. The extended hours will make it easier for goods to flow both in and out of Palestinian areas.

Netanyahu also discussed plans for a light industrial zone in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem), a large industrial zone in Jenin, and an agricultural processing and export zone in Jericho.

Like him or not, Benjamin Netanyahu has been living up to his promise to increase economic development in the West Bank. I hope the rest of the world notices too.

Palestinian Negotiatior: We Can Wait for Israel to Leave

A Palestinian negotiator told the public that, over the years, the Israelis have slowly withdrawn from all territory taken over during the 1967 war. Because Israel is leaving anyway, there is no need to negotiate anything. The PA will keep using a stall strategy.

Saeb Ereqat told Jordanian daily Al-Dustour that Israelis only live on 1.2% of land past the 1967 border. Israel offered two states in the 1940s, but the Palestinians said no. Israel has offered many land for peace agreements, but the Palestinians said no. As recent as the Olmert government, Israel offered a land swap that would have given the Palestinians an equivalent to 100% of Judea and Samaria, but the Palestinians said no.

Ereqat told us why. Over time, Israel has ceded land again and again. Settlements have been removed. Gaza has been turned over to Hamas. At this rate, the Palestinians will get whatever they want anyway. Why should they rush through negotiations? They have more to gain if we stall.

Israel News Roundup

As often happens, the real world is keeping me busy today. Enjoy these top Israel articles of the day.

Jewish athletes converge on Israel for Maccabiah - AP

UK cuts some arms sales to Israel after Gaza war - Reuters

Israel's Zim receives first of new container ships - Reuters

The Seeds of Israel's Davis Cup Victory - New York Times

Obama meets with Jewish leaders on Israel, Iran - AP

Palestinians Flip Out at Cellcom Commercial

I just watched the now infamous Cellcom commercial depicting soccer, excuse me, football, playing IDF soldiers near the security fence. The ad shows the footballing soldiers kicking the ball back and forth over a walled section. I think it looks like fun. That's just me though. The ad is below. What do you think? Is it insensitive?

פרסומת סלקום מדיה אחלה בחלה

Davis Cup Joy

The Israeli men's tennis team competed in the quarterfinal round of the Davis Cup competition against Russia. On paper, the match-up was one of David and Goliath proportions.

The first and last time that the Israeli team competed in the quarterfinals of this competition was in 1987 when it was comprehensively beaten by India. Getting as far as the quarterfinals this year has been a significant achievement for the Israeli team. The Russian team, on the other hand, has been at least a semifinalist for each of the past 5 years. Russia won the Davis Cup in 2002 and 2006, and was the runner-up in 2007. Russia is currently ranked first in the International Tennis Federation rankings as opposed to Israel's eighth place.

It has, therefore, come as a big surprise that Israel defeated Russia after only 2 of the 3 days of competition had been completed. Israel went into an unbeatable 3-0 lead after winning both singles ties and the doubles tie. The reverse singles were played for the record only, as they had no bearing on the outcome of the rubber. Israel will now play current Davis Cup holders Spain in the semifinal leg. The gusto with which Hatikva was sung after the doubles victory reflected the unlikelihood of this victory. I can remember few moments of such national pride.

This sporting achievement comes on the back of a number of other notable sporting achievements in recent times. Israel won its first Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Olympic games when Gal Fridman took victory in the windsurfing event. Omri Casspi recently became the first Israeli basketball player to be drafted into the NBA. Israeli sportsmen and women have also achieved notable results for judo, athletics, basketball and other sports. We should not forget the tennis court where Yoni Ehrlich and Andy Ram have combined to win both the Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles titles in recent years.

The Maccabi Games, the "Jewish Olympics", will open in Israel this week. This brings together Jewish sportsmen and women from all over the world to compete in 31 different sporting events. The games were originally conceived to promote the concept of sport in the Jewish world, once considered to be a generally weak point amongst Jews. The games not only promoted sports and sportsmanship amongst Jewish sportsmen and women, it also encouraged and achieved greater sporting achievement.

Surely the Davis Cup victory over Russia, a country much larger and with much greater investment in sport than Israel, can be attributed at least in part to the Maccabi Games and the spirit that it represents. Well done to the Israeli tennis team. Good luck to all participants in the 2009 Maccabi Games.

A Series of Unbelievable Events

From Anthony Reich

The strange story surrounds a medical patch called Life Keeper which has reputedly been developed by an Israeli company, SafeSky Software. Life Keeper shot into the news last week when it was announced that SafeSky had sold 37% of Life Keeper to British-Taiwanese company, Micro-Star International for $370m. This values Life Keeper at a cool billion dollars. But what is Life Keeper, and why should it be worth so much money?

The interest in Life Keeper stems from the fact that it claims to warn the patch wearer of a pending heart attack 30 minutes before it actually happens. The company makes the following statement about Life Keeper on its website:
"With this new device, we are able to save the lives of perhaps millions, or more importantly than that, the life of someone you care so dearly about, as to value his or her life far above that of your own. In principle, the system works very simply. The Life Keeper device monitors the flow of your pulse and records a critical or sudden change that is above the permissible levels. The device then sends this data to a medical centre to alert for help. It is widely know that in case of medical intervention within 10-15 minutes after the primary symptoms of a heart attack, there is a chance of saving a patient. Your Life is in Your Hands."

This is the good part of what sounds like an interesting product. There are, however, some problems with the story. Company management are reported to claim that a patent has been registered in connection with Life Keeper, and that it has approval of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). No mention is made of the patent or the FDA approval on the company's website, and there is no mention of the approval on the FDA site nor any evidence of a patent having been registered. Further investigation by Israel's Globes newspaper revealed that the Taiwanese company did not report the deal at all, and its London subsidiary denied any knowledge of it. Company management continued to insist that the deal was alive and well despite the vigorous denials by Micro-Star. Globes also reported that no Israeli venture capital company had heard of Life Keeper, nor had any of Israel's leading doctors in the field that Globes approached on the subject. This is especially strange in Israel, which is known for having an environment where everybody knows everybody.

The company's website lists 4 persons as company officers in its Israel headquarters. These are Dr. Amos Bouchnick, Dr. Gavriel Picker, Mr. Arik Klein and Mr. Hagai Hadas. Bouchnik and Klein are reported to be the founders and equal shareholders in Life Keeper. Bouchnik is a dentist who, besides owning a chain of dental clinics, also has a shareholdings in a biotechnology firm as well as a media and marketing company. Klein, it is claimed, is behind the patent and the product's algorithms. Klein is reported to have previously served jail time for fraud. It was further reported that the Israeli Money Laundering Authority is investigating an attempt by Bouchnik and Klein to open a bank account for the purpose of receiving "large sums of money from African countries".

What is far more interesting for me, however, is the involvement in this story of Hadas and Picker. Picker is also a dentist who is reported to be a close friend of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since first grade. It is claimed that he has treated Netanyahu in the past. Picker, who is listed as the CEO of Safe Keeper, tendered his resignation from the post suddenly on Thursday in a statement via his lawyer. The lawyer claims that the resignation comes after Picker was denied from gaining access to the memorandum of understanding covering the supposed sale to Micro-Star.

Hadas's involvement is of even more interest. He is a former senior member of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. He was recently appointed by Prime Minister Netanyahu to be the special representative to negotiate for the return of captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. It is widely understood that Hadas had hoped that this appointment may be a step towards returning to the Mossad as its head.

This sorry affair could be counted as just another strange story if it were not for the close links of some of the people to PM Netanyahu. In particular, Hadas has a very important and sensitive job to carry out and the Israeli public require that this job be undertaken only by somebody who can be "loved and trusted" to make the right decisions. His involvement in this sordid story calls Hadas's appointment into question. It also casts further doubts on the decisions being taken by the prime minister.

I am aware of the fact that many people, both in and out of Israel, view the Israeli business environment as one that is riddled with dishonesty and corruption. For those people, this story may not come as any surprise. As somebody who has been involved in this business community for the past 10 years and seen some less than acceptable practices, I find the whole episode shocking. This is not only because of the series of seemingly dishonest activities that have been taking place, but also because of how close it comes to the highest echelons of Israeli politics. It seems as though we have yet to hear the end of this story. Watch this space for more.

Israel takes on Russia in Davis Cup Tennis

It is not too often that sports articles are published on the pages of Israel Situation. This weekend, however, sees an important and interesting David Cup tennis tie between Israel and Russia. The competition, which takes place over three days, will be played in Israel for the first time on an indoor court. The indoor court has been constructed at the Nokia Arena at Yad Eliyahu in Tel Aviv, home of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team.

The teams are competing for a place in the semifinal round of the Davis Cup. This is only the second time that the Israeli team has made it to the quarter final round. The last time was in 1987 when Israel was well beaten by India. The Russian team is clear the favourite to win the tie. Russia is one of the most successful Davis Cup teams in recent years. It won the competition in 2006 and reached at least the semifinal round in each of the last 4 years.

A great deal of pressure rests on the shoulders of Israel's number one player, Dudi Sela. He is currently ranked number 33 in the world, a career best, after reaching the 4th round in the recent Wimbledon tournament. Sela will need to win both of his matches if Israel is to stand any hope of winning the tie.

Education Misinformation

Yesterday, the Ministry of Education released its figures relating to the 2008/9 academic year. The headline figure shows that 44% of Israeli 17-year-olds earned a matriculation certificate during the year, and that 20% of Israeli youngster fail to complete high school at all. There also seems to be a decline in the results year on year, with a continuing large gap between the achievements of Jewish and Arab kids.

Behind the numbers, however, I feel lie many unstated facts. These are purely based on my personal experiences as a father of two high school-age boys. I should start by saying that there is a good deal wrong with the Israeli education system, and there is no shortage of areas for improvement. But, when considering the "big picture", there are also many positive aspects to consider.

Israeli children have more than one bite at the cherry. Those who enter the army without a matriculation are allocated by the army to a unit which will support them in the completion of their high school studies during the period of their national service. In addition, many kids independently retake exams during the period of their army service or thereafter, in order to improve their grades. The results achieved by this group is not considered in the official Ministry of Education numbers.

When we consider the achievements of Israeli students in higher education, a number of facts stand out. Israeli universities and colleges are overflowing with high quality students, with many others who are not accepted due to lack of places. An examination of foreign students studying at Ivy League colleges in the USA or Oxbridge universities in England show a disproportionate number of Israeli students represented at these institutions. This indicates that Israel must be doing something right in its education system?

In a world where education seems to be on the decline in general, there is still a great deal of work to do in this area.

Battle of the Signs in Israeli Cities

Around Israel, namely in Jerusalem, groups of rogue, spray paint armed people are removing the Arabic from street signs. All signs in Israel are in three languages, Hebrew, English, and Arabic.

Some people were not too happy to see the signs defaced and decided to take a vigilante response. They are putting the Arabic back on the signs. Anyone who has ever lived in Israel knows that it takes a long time to get anything done, so the people responsible for "fixing" the signs are working quickly for a temporary resolution.

I personally don't care if the signs are missing the Arabic, but it is an official language of Israel and the first language of many citizens so I do understand why it is there. I could care less if anti-Israel non-citizens can read street signs.

Several news sources, including the Jewish Daily Forward, have covered the silent battle in the streets. Nomad Out of Time has great pictures of the battle. Be sure to take a look.

What do you all think? Are people just in removing the Arabic? Are the vigilantes doing the right thing by replacing it? Do you even care? Please put your thoughts in the comments.

Israel Found $8 Billion Natural Gas Deposit

Israelis have located a natural gas pocket off of the Mediterranean cost. Estimates put the market value of the deposit at roughly $8 billion. A partnership of Israeli companies found the reserve near the Tamar well. Israel has two major operations in the area, both the Tamar I and Tamar II sites are located off of the Haifa coast.

Gas production from the new site is expected to take place starting in 2012. Israel's Noble, Delek, Isramco Negev, and Avner Oil Exploration share the major ownership of the find.

The Tamar gas find is expected to meet Israel's full natural gas demand for 15 years.

Read more at Reuters.

Iran Window of Opportunity Closing

The chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, warned that the window is closing to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon.

"The clock is ticking and that's why I'm as concerned as I am," Mullen said. He also said that the US is keeping both diplomatic and military options on the table.

I think keeping options on the table has led us nowhere. When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who obviously does not even care about his own people as much as his power, decides to drop the bomb on Israel, it will be too little too late.

I remember when it first came out that Iran had a nuclear program. Why did no one act then? Now Iran is months away from being a nuclear armed terrorist supporting state. Is that when someone will do something? Or are they just going to wait until its too late...

Maccabiah Games Next Week

The 18th annual Maccabiah Games begin on July 18th in Israel. The Maccabiah Games are kind of like the Jewish Olympics. It is something interesting to read about and learn about. The open ceremony and most events are going to be held at Ramat Gan Stadium in the Tel Aviv region.

Maccabi USA

Maccabiah Games (Wikipedia)

2009 Maccabiah Games

Legacies continue at `Jewish Olympics' - Miami Herald

US and Israel Relations in History

Compiled by the JCPA from the Wall Street Journal article linked below.

The U.S. and Israel - Jeff Robbins (Wall Street Journal)

• For over 80 years, as historian Benny Morris notes, Palestinians have "persuasively demonstrated" that they do not want any Jewish state in the region, regardless of the boundaries, and regardless of the settlement policy pursued by this Israeli government or that one.
• Thus, in the 1930s, the Palestinians rejected a proposed two-state solution that would have created a Jewish state in less than 20% of Palestine. In the 1940s, the Palestinians rejected the UN partition plan which created a Jewish state on less than half of the arable land in Palestine. From 1948 to 1967, the Arabs created no Palestinian state.
• Palestinians have been proclaiming somewhat indiscreetly that, actually, the trouble with Israel has nothing to do with settlements and everything to do with its existence, which, three generations after Israel's founding, remains unacceptable.
• The U.S. Administration's purposeful distancing of itself from Israel is likely to empower those who believe that American support for Israel can be degraded, which will inadvertently deal whatever prospects exist for Middle East peace a serious blow.

  The writer served as a U.S. Delegate to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva during the Clinton Administration.

Syria Invites Obama to Visit

Syrian leaders are trying to warm up to the US as their main ally, Iran, is falling apart. Syria's loyalty is as strong as the grass is green. It is currently greener on the other side of the hill.

In trying to mend sour Syrian-US relations, Damascus leaders sent Barack Obama an invitation to take a diplomatic trip to Israel's enemy to the Northeast. The July 4th telegram praised Obama's values and positions on global politics.

"The values that were adopted by President Obama during his election campaign
and after he was elected president are values that the world needs today... It
is very important to adopt the principle of dialogue in relations with countries
based on respect and mutual interest."

We will see how the United States responds. Syria insists that peace with Israel will come if the Jewish state returns the Golan Heights, which was captured when fighting back Syria's aggressive attack in 1967. I do not believe them.

Joe Biden: Israel Has The Right To Deal with Iran

The US Vice President has become a more vocal ally of Israel than his President lately. Biden made a public statement in an interview on Sunday that Israel is a sovereign nation with the right to do what is needed to defend itself.

"We cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do when
they make a determination, if they make a determination, that they're
existentially threatened."

This is not support as much as it is a silent nod for Israel to move forward if needed. Israel does not require US approval for military action, but it does rely on US funding and US companies for many defense needs.

I hope it doesn't come to an attack on Iran, but I think it is already too late. We are past the point of diplomacy. Israel, the US, or the EU needs to act quickly to ensure the Westernized, developed world stays safe.

Losing the PR War

From Anthony Reich

In the 61 years since Israel's independence, there are many fine achievements that the country can lay claim to. The young state has succeeded in integrating Jews from many different countries and backgrounds. Economic difficulties have been overcome to create a viable economy which can compete with other countries in the region and around the world. Israel's hi-tech industry is considered to be at the leading edge and one of the most advanced in the world. And Israel's military achievements speak for themselves by virtue of having survived over 60 years of almost continuous war and aggression aimed at destroying her very existence. These are but a few out of a lengthy list of worthy and admirable successes.

Whilst the story is an overwhelmingly successful one, there are inevitably a number of failures that have been chalked up along the way. In my view, one of Israel's most significant failures is the poor public image which she portrays in the international community. The lack of success on the public relations playing field was a disadvantage in the early years of Israel's existence. As time progresses, however, this disadvantage is becoming a much more significant problem which requires urgent attention.

In the years immediately following independence, Israel seemed to enjoy some measure of support in the international community. When the stench of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism hung in the air, the nascent Jewish state was considered an underdog. As a general rule, the world likes underdogs. Even though the physical support that this underdog was getting was limited, there was a spirit of supporting Israel, albeit from a distance, in her efforts to survive. Since those days, Israel has progressed in leaps and bounds especially in her military capability. As a result, she is no longer considered the underdog and no longer enjoys whatever sympathy may have been generated in this capacity. In the current time, those that wish to destroy Israel enjoy the position of the underdog and are taking advantage of the advantages that come with this status.

When Israel was a young country with limited population and resources, and battling every day just to stay alive in the sea of Arab hostility, it was understandable that not a great deal of time or effort could be devoted to public relations efforts. In those days, the leaders simply did what they needed to do in order to keep the ship afloat without taking to much heed of what was being said about them or Israel. Necessity was the name of the game. This necessity has, unfortunately, given way to a type of arrogance. This arrogance dictates that Israel is not answerable to any external body or party because her leadership is unique in its concern for Israeli citizens and Jews around the world. So, when those with anti-Jewish or anti-Israeli views attempt to rail-road organisations like the UN into anti-Israeli measures, the government of Israel will not heed their actions and will continue to do what it feels is right and fair for Jews. Whilst this attitude is still a hangover from the time when each day was a fight for survival, Israel lives in a different world which requires a different response.

Although Israel's poor PR effort is a frequent point of discussion for Jews around the world and in Israel, I only realised the real extent of the damage that is being done recently during a dinner with a Jewish work colleague from abroad. His point was very clear. Those that are biased against Israel will be biased no matter what action is taken. There is, however, a vast middle ground of independent thinkers who are available to be convinced. If we are not making the effort to convince them, the enemy camp will inevitably succeed in doing so. And the enemy camp is devoting a huge amount to public relations. Not only that, Israel's friends and supporters including the large numbers of Jews around the world need good Israeli PR to help their cause. They wish to help to defend Israel's position in any way they can, but are getting little help from Israel herself. This begins to frustrate even the best of her friends at a great cost to the overall public relations effort.

There is no doubt in my mind that most of Israel's actions, even those harshly criticised by the outside world, are legitimate and easily defended. When one considers the extent to which Israelis are having to suffer at the hands of terrorists and from continued random attacks on civilians, and compares this to the manner in which the IDF clinically avoids civilian casualties on the enemy side, there is no doubt that Israel's actions can be defended. The lack of an organised, professional, sustained PR effort that runs across the major populations around the world serves simply serves to undermine the legitimacy of the best-laid actions, and is damaging to Israel's image.

In the weekend newspapers, I read of a special unit of Tourist Police whose job it is to ensure that tourists to Israel have the best possible time by helping to prevent them falling victim to petty crime or muggings. This is a country that is at war on two borders, but can devote time and energy to ensure that a tourist who lost his wallet in the holy city of Jerusalem has it returned to him without too much ado. This is the same country that prefers not to destroy a location being used to store ammunition or launch rockets if there is any risk of civilian casualties.

It's a shame that the outside world does not receive these and other stories that could put an entirely different view on the conflict in the Middle East. It is still not too late to begin the PR effort.

Israeli Sub Crosses Suez

An Israeli Dolphin sub, one of three speculated to carry nuclear missiles, crossed the Suez Canal as part of a naval exercise. The crossing demonstrated how quickly an Israeli nuclear sub can cross from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, and Iran.

Israeli subs generally shy away from the Egyptian coast to keep a lower profile. However, Israel was willing to make a very public display this time.

Israel's closest naval base to the Canal entrance is in Eilat, on the Southern side of the canal, though most of the Israeli fleet is most likely based in the Mediterranean Sea. Israel's three German made Dolphin submarines have specially widened torpedo tubes that analysts believe would accommodate a nuclear missile head. The subs have ten torpedo tubes, of which four were widened. The missiles have a 1,500 km, or 1,000 range.

Read more at Ha'aretz.

IAEA Chooses New Director

IAEA Director Mohammed El-Baradei will step down in November. That is good news for Israel, as El-Baradei has done little to keep nuclear weapons out of Iran's hands.

The 35 nations chose between Japanese Yukiya Amano and South African Abdul Samad Minty. South Africa was one of a very few countries in the world, alongside Libya, Indonesia, and a few others, that did not vote to reprimand Iran for nuclear activities. I can't find a lot of detail on Minty, but the name Abdul Samad would generally be a Muslim, which would generally be anti-Israel.

Israel was silently happy to see that Amano was elected to head the international nuclear watchdog. Japan has been on Israel's side in the Iranian nuclear crisis. Hopefully Amano will have the guts and drive to stand up to Ahmadinejad and shut down Iran's nuclear program once and for all.

Finland Loves Israel

I just read a fun column from the Jerusalem post that I thought would be worth passing on to you. The column, by Michael Freund, discusses how much people in Finland love Israel. Who would have thought it?

Fundamentally Freund: A place where Israel is loved [JPost]