Israel: Background and US Relations
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The EU and the South Caucasus 25 Years Since Independence Nov 25, 2016 by Amanda Paul
The EU and the South Caucasus 25 Years Since Independence Nov 25, 2016 by Amanda Paul Wedged between regional powers Russia, Iran and Turkey, the South Caucasus is an extraordinarily complex region; one of the most security-challenged and fragmented regions in the world with internal and external security threats working to reinforce each other. The three South Caucasus states – Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan – are complicated even in their internal configuration. Twenty-five years since the collapse of the Soviet Union the region remains plagued by conflict, its people living in insecurity. Moreover, the region has not been politically or economically integrated. Rather Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have integrated into a wide-range of different, sometimes opposing, organisations and alliances. The EU joined the mix of actors and organisations engaged in the South Caucasus in the early 1990‟s intensifying its engagement over the years with the three states becoming part of the EU‟s European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and Eastern Partnership (EaP). Despite hopes that the ENP/EaP could act as transformative tool to help strengthen stability, security, democracy and bring about a more cohesive region, the results have been rather patchy. The EU has failed to carve out a clear strategy or policy for the region and with the exception of Georgia there has been little genuine will to implement serious reform. Moreover, Russia‟s annexation of Crimea and war in the Donbas in 2014 and the increasingly polarised standoff between Moscow and the West has further exacerbated the fragile security situation, further exposing the inability of the EU to guarantee or even shore-up a partner‟s security. -
Programme of the Youth, Peace and Security Conference
1 Wednesday, 23 May European Parliament – open to all participants – 12:00 – 13:00 Registration European Parliament Accreditation Centre (right-hand side of the Simone Veil Agora entrance to the Altiero Spinelli building) 13:00 – 14:00 Buffet lunch reception Members’ Restaurant, Altiero Spinelli building 14:00 – 15:00 Opening Session Room 5G-3, Altiero Spinelli building Keynote Address by Mr. Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament Chair Ms. Heidi Hautala, Vice-President of the European Parliament Speakers Ms. Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Ms. Ivana Tufegdzic, fYROM, EP Young Political Leaders Mr. Dereje Wordofa, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Ms. Nour Kaabi, Tunisia, NET-MED Youth – UNESCO Mr. Oyewole Simon Oginni, Nigeria, Former AU-EU Youth Fellow 2 15:00 – 16:30 Parallel Thematic Panel Discussions Panel I Youth inclusion for conflict prevention and sustaining peace Library reading room, Altiero Spinelli building Discussants Ms. Soraya Post, Member of the European Parliament Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Mr. Christian Leffler, Deputy Secretary-General, European External Action Service Mr. Amnon Morag, Israel, EP Young Political Leaders Ms. Hela Slim, France, Former AU-EU Youth Fellow Mr. MacDonald K. Munyoro, Zimbabwe, EP Young Political Leaders Facilitator Ms. Gizem Kilinc, United Network of Young Peacebuilders Panel II Young people innovating for peace Library room 128, Altiero Spinelli building Discussants Ms. Barbara Pesce-Monteiro, Director, UN/UNDP Representation Office in Brussels Ms. Anna-Katharina Deininger, OSCE CiO Special Representative and OSG Focal Point on Youth and Security Ms. -
Vol. 47 No. 1 Pesach 2021 | Distributed to Over 6000 Households in Israel and Abroad
Going the Distance An Unconventional Aliyah: from Vryburg to Zuqim Against All Odds: a Lone Soldier's Journey into an Elite IDF Unit Making it in Israel: Being Fearless in Business Don't Stop Me Now: Lessons from Inspiring Athletes The Ultimate Endurance Test: Recognising our Healthcare Workers Never Give Up: Maintaining a Strong Mind and Body Vol. 47 No. 1 Pesach 2021 | Distributed to over 6000 households in Israel and abroad Greetings from our Chairman 3 Going the distance, the I was excited to make a dierence as the rst female (and theme for this edition of youngest) Chairman in Telfed’s history. At the same time our magazine, is tting I was faced with the daunting task of leading such an for this time of year and important organisation with so much to do. I truly believe especially following the we are a vital organisation to thousands of Southern year that we have had. African and Australian Olim. The story of Pesach, the Jewish exodus from Egypt Throughout the last 4 years I have worked hard to make sure culminating in settling in that Telfed was able to go the distance and will continue the Jewish homeland, is the to do so in the future. We have renewed our leadership, ultimate story of resilience, broadened our volunteer base and refocused energy on perseverance and faith. where it is needed most. We have rejuvenated our regional The past year has proven that Telfed is a strong, resilient and youth committees and expanded our activities. organisation. We were able to respond rapidly during the pandemic, reaching members of the community in I would not have been able to complete this journey urgent need. -
Haaretz20170122 Annexing Settlements Like Thieves in the Night Haaretz Editorial
Haaretz20170122 Annexing settlements like thieves in the night Haaretz Editorial In bid to push annexation, Israeli government tries to give Trump crash course in Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is doubtful whether U.S. President Donald Trump knows exactly where Ma’aleh Adumim is, or whether the term E-1 – the area that was annexed to the Ma’aleh Adumim municipality – brings back childhood memories. But this won’t last for long. It seems the Israeli government has decided to give Trump a crash course in understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and, mainly, to give him a loyalty test without any preparation. Only two days after Trump’s swearing-in, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation is scheduled to discuss Sunday the annexation of the West Bank settlement to the State of Israel, in order to quickly prepare a 1 draft of the bill to be presented to the Knesset for approval. The conventional wisdom is that from the moment Trump was elected president, Israel received a stamp of approval to carry out any scheme it could think of in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. >> Citing pressure from Trump, Netanyahu tries to torpedo legislation to annex West Bank settlement << Based on this logic, there is actually no need to put Trump to the test, and no need to rush as if this were a window of opportunity that might close at any second. But as everyone knows, gangs of thieves are never confident that the policeman they bribed will not turn against them at the last minute. Hence the urgency to grab Ma’aleh Adumim and annex it to Israel. -
J Street Sides with Israel's Enemies & Works to Destroy Support for Israel
ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA J Street Sides With Israel’s Enemies & Works to Destroy Support for Israel Special Report Including Executive Summary by The Zionist Organization of America by Morton A. Klein, Elizabeth Berney, Esq., and Daniel Mandel, PhD “J Street is one of the most virulent anti-Israel organizations in the history of Zionism and Judaism.” - Prof. Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law School Copyright 2018, Zionist Organization of America CONTENTS Table of Contents . i Executive Summary . ES-00 - ES-13 Full Report . 1 Introduction . 1 I. J Street’s Anti-Israel, Foreign & Muslim Donors, and Its Lies About Them. 1 (1) For years, J Street Falsely Denied that Anti-Zionist Billionaire George Soros Was A Major J Street Funder . 1 (2) J Street’s Arab, Muslim and Foreign Donors . 4 II. J Street’s Interconnected Web Of Extremist Anti-Israel Organizations . 9 (1) J Street Is Part of a Soros-Funded Web of Anti-Israel Organizations . 9 (2) J Street Is Also Part of an Interconnected Web of Extremist Organizations Working to Delegitimize Israel, Founded by and/or Coordinated by J Street President Ben-Ami’s Consulting Firm . 11 III. J Street Persistently Even Opposes Israel’s Existence, Persistently Defames and Condemns Israel, And Has Even Encouraged Anti-Israel Violence. 12 (1) J Street Persistently Maligns and Blames Israel . 12 (2) J Street Speakers Have Called for the End of the Jewish State; and a J Street Official Letter to Congress Supported Those Calling for an End to Israel’s Existence . 15 (3) J Street’s Co-Founder Condemned Israel’s Creation As “Wrong” – A Repeated J Street Theme . -
Israel: Background and U.S
Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief Updated September 20, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44245 SUMMARY R44245 Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief September 20, 2019 The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations: Jim Zanotti Israel’s ability to address threats. Israel relies on a number of strengths—including Specialist in Middle regional conventional military superiority—to manage potential threats to its security, Eastern Affairs including evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. Against a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel’s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel’s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)— signed in 2016—commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. Some Members of Congress criticize various Israeli actions and U.S. policies regarding Israel. In recent months, U.S. officials have expressed some security- related concerns about China-Israel commercial activity. Iran and the region. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In April 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu presented historical information about Iran’s nuclear program that Israeli intelligence apparently seized from an Iranian archive. -
Israel 8; World 0 GENEVA, Nov
Editorials ..................................... 4A Op-Ed .......................................... 5A Calendar ...................................... 6A Scene Around ............................. 9A Synagogue Directory ................ 11A News Briefs ............................... 13A WWW.HERITAGEFL.COM YEAR 44, NO. 12 NOVEMBER 22, 2019 24 CHESHVAN, 5780 ORLANDO, FLORIDA SINGLE COPY 75¢ UN condemnation: Israel 8; world 0 GENEVA, Nov. 15, 2019—A against Israel by December, United Nations General As- the same European nations sembly committee today have failed to introduce a adopted eight resolutions that single UNGA resolution on single out or condemn Is- the human rights situation rael, and zero on the entire in China, Venezuela, Saudi rest of the world. Arabia, Belarus, Cuba, Turkey, The texts condemn Is- Pakistan, Vietnam, Algeria, rael for “repressive measures” or on 175 other countries,” against Syrian citizens in the said Neuer. Golan Heights, renew the Earlier this year, 155 Ger- mandate of the corrupt UN man MPs called on the Ger- Relief and Works Agency, and man government to “dissoci- renew the mandate of the UN’s ate from unilateral, primarily “special committee to inves- politically motivated initia- tigate Israeli practices affect- tives and alliances of anti- ing the human rights of the Israeli Member States, and Yonatan Sindel/Flash90 Palestinian people and other protect Israel and legitimate An Iron Dome air-defense system set up in Sderot in southern Israel near the border with Gaza on Nov. 13, 2019. Arabs of the Occupied Terri- Israeli interests from unilat- tories.” All 193 UN member eral condemnation” in the states belong to the Special UN. In 2017, Dutch parlia- Israel waits to see if Gaza Strip stabilizes Political and Decolonization ment resolved to “actively Committee, or Fourth Com- oppose UN organizations By Yaakov Lappin Strip. -
Strateg Ic a Ssessmen T
Strategic Assessment Assessment Strategic Volume 19 | No. 4 | January 2017 Volume 19 Volume The Prime Minister and “Smart Power”: The Role of the Israeli Prime Minister in the 21st Century Yair Lapid The Israeli-Palestinian Political Process: Back to the Process Approach | No. 4 No. Udi Dekel and Emma Petrack Who’s Afraid of BDS? Economic and Academic Boycotts and the Threat to Israel | January 2017 Amit Efrati Israel’s Warming Ties with Regional Powers: Is Turkey Next? Ari Heistein Hezbollah as an Army Yiftah S. Shapir The Modi Government’s Policy on Israel: The Rhetoric and Reality of De-hyphenation Vinay Kaura India-Israel Relations: Perceptions and Prospects Manoj Kumar The Trump Effect in Eastern Europe: Heightened Risks of NATO-Russia Miscalculations Sarah Fainberg Negotiating Global Nuclear Disarmament: Between “Fairness” and Strategic Realities Emily B. Landau and Ephraim Asculai Strategic ASSESSMENT Volume 19 | No. 4 | January 2017 Abstracts | 3 The Prime Minister and “Smart Power”: The Role of the Israeli Prime Minister in the 21st Century | 9 Yair Lapid The Israeli-Palestinian Political Process: Back to the Process Approach | 29 Udi Dekel and Emma Petrack Who’s Afraid of BDS? Economic and Academic Boycotts and the Threat to Israel | 43 Amit Efrati Israel’s Warming Ties with Regional Powers: Is Turkey Next? | 57 Ari Heistein Hezbollah as an Army | 67 Yiftah S. Shapir The Modi Government’s Policy on Israel: The Rhetoric and Reality of De-hyphenation | 79 Vinay Kaura India-Israel Relations: Perceptions and Prospects | 93 Manoj Kumar The Trump Effect in Eastern Europe: Heightened Risks of NATO-Russia Miscalculations | 103 Sarah Fainberg Negotiating Global Nuclear Disarmament: Between “Fairness” and Strategic Realities | 117 Emily B. -
Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief
Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief Updated January 27, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44245 SUMMARY R44245 Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief January 27, 2021 The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations. Jim Zanotti Domestic issues: March 2021 election. After the collapse of its power-sharing Specialist in Middle government in December 2020, Israel is scheduled to hold another election for its Eastern Affairs Knesset (parliament) on March 23, 2021. The election will be Israel’s fourth in the past two years—a frequency without parallel in the country’s history. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has managed to maintain power despite an ongoing criminal trial on corruption charges that is set to resume in February 2021. Netanyahu apparently hopes to create a coalition government that will grant him legal immunity or to remain indefinitely as caretaker prime minister (as he did from December 2018 to May 2020) by preventing anyone from forming a coalition without him and his Likud party. Palestinians and Arab state normalization. On the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Trump Administration policies largely sided with Israeli positions, thus alienating Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. In the second half of 2020, the Administration pivoted from its January 2020 Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal to helping Israel reach agreements—known as the Abraham Accords—on normalizing its relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. In connection with its deal with the UAE, Israel agreed in August 2020 to suspend plans to annex part of the West Bank, though announcements related to settlement activity have accelerated since then. -
The New Israeli Land Reform August 2009
Adalah’s Newsletter, Volume 63, August 2009 The New Israeli Land Reform August 2009 Background On 3 August 2009, the Knesset (Israeli parliament) passed the Israel Land Administration (ILA) Law (hereinafter the “Land Reform Law”), with 61 Members of Knesset (MKs) voting in favor of the law and 45 MKs voting against it. The new land reform law is wide ranging in scope: it institutes broad land privatization; permits land exchanges between the State and the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet Le-Israel) (hereinafter - the “JNF”), the land of which is exclusively reserved for the Jewish people; allows lands to be allocated in accordance with "admissions committee" mechanisms and only to candidates approved by Zionist institutions working solely on behalf of the Jewish people; and grants decisive weight to JNF representatives in a new Land Authority Council, which would replace the Israel Land Administration (ILA). The land privatization aspects of the new law also affect extremely prejudicially properties confiscated by the state from Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel; Palestinian refugee property classified as “absentee” property; and properties in the occupied Golan Heights and in East Jerusalem. Land Privatization Policy The law stipulates that 800,000 dunams of land currently under state-control will be privatized, enabling private individuals to acquire ownership rights in them. The reform will lead to the transfer of ownership in leased properties and land governed by outline plans enabling the issuance of building permits throughout the State of Israel in the urban, rural and agricultural sectors. Change in the organizational structure of the Israel Lands Administration The reform further stipulates a broad organizational re-structuring of the ILA. -
Avi Lewis: Change Is Affecting People All Over the World, Causing Droughts, Wildfires, Intense Why We Should All Leap Summer Heat, Violent Storms and More
This is an image from the film This Changes Everything. The film shows how climate Avi Lewis: change is affecting people all over the world, causing droughts, wildfires, intense Why We Should All Leap summer heat, violent storms and more. Partners in life and partners in conviction and social activism, Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein make a formidable team. Through documentary film and writing, the two combined their talents to create This Changes Everything – a film and book by the same name. Then came the “Leap Manifesto” a political document meant to change how people think and act on climate change and economic inequality. Avi Lewis spoke with us recently about This Changes Everything and the Leap Manifesto. CP: The book, the documenta- causes of the climate crisis in extractivist ry and the Leap Manifesto – capitalism) that emphasizes emotion and you did it as a three platform people on the front lines. When I was approach. Why did you choose finishing the film I felt very strongly that to present it this way? the political demands that came out of AL: We set out almost eight years ago on our thesis needed to be in the movie, but this sprawling multi-platform initiative with every time I tried to put them in it felt like the conviction that to really introduce big, a pamphlet or a laundry list, so in the end bold ideas into a very cluttered culture we I took them out of the film because they needed to come at people from as many just weren’t convincing as narrated argu- angles as possible. -
Caesarea Forum - Xvii
CAESAREA FORUM - XVII PROGRAM Chair: Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Minister of Finance Academic Director of the Forum: Mr. David Brodet Wednesday and Thursday, 1st -2nd July 2009 Hotel Royal Beach, Eilat WEDNESDAY, 1st JULY 2009 8:30 - 9:30 Registration and assembly 9:30 - 13:00 First Session : "The Requisite Size of the Government - between Economy and Politics" [The Olive and Acacia Hall] Presentation of the Team's Recommendations: Prof. Joseph Zeira , Department of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Presenters: Prof. Avishai Braverman, Minister of Minority Affairs Mr. Yoram Ariav , Director General and Acting Head of the Budget Department, Ministry of Finance Prof. Zvi Eckstein , Deputy Governor, Bank of Israel Dr. Michel Strawczynski, Director, Macro-Economic and Policy Department, Bank of Israel Prof. Omer Moav, Department of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg , Head, National Economic Council, Prime Minister's Office Ms. Yael Andorn, Director General, Amitim Pension Funds Dr. Yossi Bachar , Economic Consulting and Business Development Ltd. Dr. Eldad Shidlovsky , Head, Economics and Research Department, Ministry of Finance Plenary discussion 13:00 - 14:15 Minister of Finance's Session : [The Ranch House Restaurant] Luncheon Address by the Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Minister of Finance 14:30 - 18:15 Second Session : "The Future of Growth Promotion in Israel: A Return to Boosting Avant-garde Industries and Scientific Technological Innovation" [The Olive and Acacia Hall] 14:30-16:30 Presentation of the Team's Recommendations: Prof. Arnon Bentor, Dean, Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty, and Senior Researcher, The Neaman Institute, The Technion Presenters: Mr. Eli Hurvitz, Chairman, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.