House of Representatives adopts measure punishing use of human shields in combat
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has commended the U.S. House of Representatives for adopting the Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act (H.R. 3342). This critical and timely legislation mandates new sanctions against Hamas, Hezbollah and foreign state agencies that use civilians as human shields or provide support to those doing so.
This is the first time Congress has taken legislative action against this heinous practice.
The importance of this legislation is underscored by the recent discovery of Hezbollah terror tunnels into Israel that originated under the cover of civilian houses in Lebanon. And just weeks ago – using the cover of civilian populations in Gaza – Hamas fired more than 500 rockets at communities across southern Israel.
Hamas and Hezbollah are clearly and blatantly violating international law and endangering innocents by placing their terrorist infrastructure among civilian populations. The legislation imposes sanctions on members of terrorist organizations or agents of a foreign state that the president has determined knowingly encouraged, supported, ordered, controlled or has otherwise been complicit in any attempt to use civilians or protected property to deliberately cause casualties or shield lawful targets from attack.
In October, the Senate adopted this important legislation. It now goes to the president for his signature.
AIPAC offered its appreciation for the leadership of Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Bob Corker (R-TN) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ). — From AIPAC
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U.S. State Department designates countries with worst records for religious freedom
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday issued the following statement: “On November 28, 2018, I designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated ”systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom.” I also placed Comoros, Russia, and Uzbekistan on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom.” Finally, I designated al-Nusra Front, al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qa’ida, al-Shabab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern.
“In far too many places across the globe, individuals continue to face harassment, arrests, or even death for simply living their lives in accordance with their beliefs. The United States will not stand by as spectators in the face of such oppression. Protecting and promoting international religious freedom is a top foreign policy priority of the Trump Administration. In July, I hosted the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, which brought together some 85 likeminded governments and more than 400 civil society organizations to harness global attention and motivate forceful action to advance respect for the human right of religious freedom.
“Safeguarding religious freedom is vital to ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity. These designations are aimed at improving the lives of individuals and the broader success of their societies. I recognize that several designated countries are working to improve their respect for religious freedom; I welcome such initiatives and look forward to continuing the dialogue.
“The United States remains committed to working with governments, civil society organizations, and religious leaders to advance religious freedom around the world.” —From U.S. State Department
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Minority group members praise Israel’s record on human rights
The Zionist organization Im Tirtzu held its 6th annual Zionist Conference for Human Rights Monday night in Tel-Aviv.
During the conference, which takes place annually on international Human Rights Day, Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg explained that the conference aims to underscore the unbreakable connection between Zionism and human rights, and to counter those who use the call of human rights to slander and delegitimize Israel.
The event opened with a panel on the topic of the integration of minorities in Israel and featured Chairman of the Christian IDF Officers Forum, Captain (res.) Shadi Halul, Muslim social activist, Kazim Khalilieh, and Druze attorney and activist Hazar Gadben.
“There is no country that is more just than Israel,” said Halul during the panel, “which provides full and equal rights to all of its citizens. As a minority, I can testify to all the horrors that Christians experienced and continue to experience in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Egypt – but in Israel, we live freely in peace.”
Kazim Khalilieh, who presents pro-Israel lectures around the world, discussed the difficulties of advocating for Israel as a member of the Muslim community.
“It’s not easy to go against the current,” said Khalilieh. “Two years ago, my parents stopped talking to me because of my support for Israel. But that is who I am; I need to stand up for the truth.”
Hazar Gadben called on those who slander Israel to “wake up.” “All the radical-Left Jews who slander and demonize Israel need to wake up and understand that if they were the minority in Israel, they would go back to being ‘Jews with big noses’ and would be oppressed to no end.” — From Im Tirzu
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Hasbara Fellowships offers pro-Israel advocacy training classes for North American students
As the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement continues to pervade higher education, Hasbara Fellowships, a leading campus activism organization working with over 80 universities across North America, is bringing over 70 students from more than 25 campuses on two all-encompassing advocacy training trips this winter with an eye on cultivating the next generation of passionate and articulate voices for Israel.
The 16-day Israel Training Program trips — to be held December 16-January 1 as well as December 25-January 10 — feature all key aspects of advocacy training from public speaking, to on-camera techniques, to social media skills, to coalition-building, to role-playing scenarios which are likely to arise in hostile campus environments. Trip participants will also take part in a negotiations seminar and will travel across Israel for insightful briefings and firsthand accounts from top Israeli experts in diplomacy, media, and other fields that intimately shape advocacy.
Students attending the winter trips hail from campuses in Arizona, California, Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Toronto, Virginia, and Vermont. The campuses run the gamut from small to large Jewish communities, from nascent to longstanding Israel advocacy presences, and from emerging to active threats emanating from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and other pro-BDS groups.
“Regardless of any campus’s environment as it relates to Israel and the Jewish community, virtually every school is affected by the BDS movement in some form, whether it be through student government resolutions, biased professors, apathetic administrations, ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’ displays, or other types of incidents and discourse,” said Hasbara Fellowships Executive Director Rabbi Elliot Mathias. “In this ever-shifting landscape, pro-Israel students need the tools to tackle any possible scenario on campus and beyond, and to make the case for Israel in a balanced, reasoned manner that does more than ‘preach to the choir.’ Our Israel Training Program trips accomplish this by enabling students to gain leadership skills, network with their peers, meet Israelis and Palestinians from all sides of the political spectrum, and travel to strategic locations throughout the country.”
In addition this winter, a new partnership with the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law has resulted in the launch of the JIGSAW initiative (Justice Initiative Guiding Student Activists Worldwide), where 12 law students will be trained in a specific Hasbara Fellowships legal track in order to bring back relevant knowledge and assist undergraduate advocates in their work on campus by using university policies, and state and federal law.
Hasbara Fellowships, a program spearheaded by Aish HaTorah since 2001, brings hundreds of students to Israel every summer and winter, giving them the information and tools to return to their campuses as educators about Israel. To date, Hasbara Fellowships has educated over 3,000 students on more than 250 campuses. Upon returning from the program, the Hasbara Fellows receive support from the organization’s staff, as well as access to various campaigns, programs, speakers, and other materials and tools. Hasbara Fellowships focuses on college campuses, but the information and tools it provides young adults continuously empower them as they enter other forums in their personal and professional lives.
While the full cost of the winter trips is valued at $3,500, the students’ experience is generously subsidized by Hasbara Fellowships.
“In recent years on campus, I had been struggling to defend this love I have always had for the Jewish nation, but Hasbara Fellowships provided me with indispensable tools and breathtaking experiences to help me in my quest to stand and support Israel,” said Oren Rosenberg from the University of Minnesota, a past participant on the trip. “On the program, we met with people hailing from every corner of the political spectrum and heard countless aspects of the many narratives regarding the conflict. It was a priceless experience that will help to guide me for a lifetime.” — From Hasbara Fellowships
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Ambulance boat begins service on the Kinneret
Following a summer that had a tremendously high increase in the number of drownings across Israel, and in specific on the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), United Hatzalah initiated a campaign for a new ambulance that will ride the waves of the freshwater lake that sees hundreds of thousands of annual swimmers and beachgoers. On Sunday, that dream became a reality as the newest ambulance in the emergency medical organization’s fleet took its maiden voyage on the waters of the Kinneret.
Chapter head of United Hatzalah of Tiberias (Tevaria) and the region Yossi Vaknin spoke about the new addition to the organization’s maritime fleet: “The new ambulance boat brings with it many capabilities that we did not have in the past. Capabilities that will help our teams on the water save more lives by both getting to those who need assistance faster and begin treatment sooner.”
The first improvement made on the new boat is that it contains a wide area on the deck that will allow the rescue teams to begin treatment of injured or drowned persons during transport while still on the water. Another important addition is the inclusion of underwater sonar tracking devices that will help the team search for missing or drowned people.
Vaknin listed a few other innovations that the new maritime ambulance includes: “Due to the increased size of the boat we can sail during stormy weather, whereas before we had to head back to dock and wait out storms before we could mount a rescue. The new model also includes a closed room for the sailing team and for the treatment of patients. This will allow us to embark on rescue missions and transport patients during the cold winter months. This is a marked improvement that will make a big difference when it comes to rescues that are conducted on the lake.”
The boat, which has been inaugurated as Salty Mec II, is named after a boat that was sailed by Bernard Manger. Bernard’s daughter Renee Manger, orchestrated the donation of the boat through the B.L. Manger Foundation. Renee dedicated the rescue boat in memory of her father and twin brother.
Manger explained that when she was young, her father had a fishing boat called the Salty Mec. Her childhood memories are filled with being out on the water with her family. As soon as the idea of donating a boat to save lives in Israel came up, the board of the foundation immediately knew that this was how they wanted to support United Hatzalah. — From United Hatzalah
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StandWithUs raises nearly $4 million at Beverly Hills gala
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Preceding culled from news releases. Please send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com