This was a great video produced a few years ago by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighting some of the amazing elements of Israel and how Israel helps make the world a better place. If you want to learn more about Israel’s global contributions, as well as its history, sign up for Israel Inside/Out.
It’s easy to say sometimes that the media is always biased, but one of the important lessons in JerusalemOnlineU’s Israel Inside/Out course is that it’s important to distinguish between bias and objectivity, disagreement and anti-Zionism.
A recent BBC Panorama special on the Gaza flotilla shows that just sometimes, the media has it right.
Praised by the British Jewish media and the UK pro-Israel group, the Zionist Federation, the BBC’s documentary on the flotilla comes to the conclusion that the goal of the flotilla was not humanitarian but political. Presenter Jane Corbin concluded: “The bid to break the naval blockade wasn’t really about bringing aid to Gaza. It was a political move designed to put pressure on Israel and the international community.”
According to the BBC, Turk Cevdet Kiliclar, one of nine activists killed on a Gaza-bound aid mission, was prepared to become a martyr for the Palestinian cause, his wife has said.
The following is a guest post from Chava Baars, a former JerusalemOnlineUniversity.com student.
I’ve been in Israel for two months now, staying in different areas of Jerusalem. They’ve been two amazing months.
And I’ve realized that I complain a lot.
It’s hot in the day, it’s cold at night, too many steps, expensive dry cleaning, the market doesn’t carry the yogurt I want, I haven’t got a car, it’s hot, the bus is too hot, the bus takes too long, it’s hot…
I’m not sure why I feel the need to express these thoughts – somehow I feel better knowing that others agree with my negative assessments. It’s a temporary relief though.
I did a highly non-clinical and uncontrolled non-scientific evaluation of my thoughts, and I’ve found that the more I complain, the more I focus on the negative. This might seem obvious, but when I’m complaining, I really do feel like it helps. Until 5 minutes later, when I’ve found something else to complain about.
In Positive Psychology and Judaism, Tal Ben-Shahar quotes Professor Ed Diener: “It appears that the way people perceive the world is much more important to happiness than objective circumstances.” As Rabbi Yitz Greenman put it, we’re not happy because everything’s going great. I won’t be any happier if the bus takes less time, or the temperature cools down, I’ll just find something else to complain about.
It’s like those nights, when you (or me) are up at two in the morning, and you’re hungry, so you eat some leftover cake, and then sit in bed feeling nauseous. At the time, eating cake at 2 AM felt like a great idea, and it tasted really good. Afterwards, not so much.
Just like the 2 AM cake, when we complain, we don’t feel better. Next time you catch yourself thinking an unproductive negative thought, immediately say “NEXT” and think of something positive.
It’s hot outside? In Maryland it’s hot AND humid. Beat that.
Missy Elliott isn’t the only star who loves Israel, but one NBA star is also enjoying Israel … on a more personal visit.
New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire is currently in Israel, exploring the country, while discovering his roots. According to Ha’aretz, the NBA star has just discovered that he has Jewish roots. According to the report, “Stoudemire’s agent said the New York Knicks forward was planning a weeklong visit to learn about the country and explore its religions.”
On his personal Twitter account, Stoudemire tweeted that it was his dream to visit Israel:
El Al confirmed to JeruslalemOnlineUniversity.com that Stoudemire took an El Al flight from Los Angeles to Ben Gurion Airport.
What was he doing in Israel? Eating the amazing food in Jerusalem and sites! Perfect for a basketball star that needs energy!
If Amare wants to learn about his Jewish roots, perhaps he can should take online Jewish studies courses about how Jewish wisdom can give tools for success.
The following article was written by former JerusalemOnlineU.com student Chava Baars.
This year, my summer has been all about connecting with others. I came to Israel in June to work as a madricha (group leader) on Jewel, an Aish HaTorah learning program for women, and then decided to stay longer. I’ve been hanging out in the Old City, where every group visiting Jerusalem travels. I got to meet people from every place and country imaginable. I also got an Israeli cell phone and, with no landline, use it all the time to stay in touch. So, I loved hearing Tal Ben-Shahar say (in a clip from his class Positive Psychology) that the number one predictor of happiness is close, intimate relationships.
But, he also reminded me of another point I recently heard about human connection, from international lecturer Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen. He talked about a relatively new and popular technology, invented to help people connect better with each other – the cell phone.
And they do that, right? Now, with my new (really cool) cell phone (with MP3), I can find the time to talk to my friend Cara in Oregon while I’m on the bus in Israel.
While I’m sitting next to my friend Leah.
Cell phones can be a great way to stay in touch with others, but they can also create a great distance between us that has nothing to do with space or time zones. How often do we see two people – friends, couples, families – walking together, both on their cell phones with someone else? How often does that happen to us? It happens to me way more then I’m willing to tell you.
Believe it or not, we do not always have to answer the phone, no matter how fun, annoying, or insistent our ring tone is.
But cell phones can also strengthen human connection immensely. How awesome would you feel if, when the two of us met for coffee, I said “One minute,” and I took out my cell phone and turned it off!!! Just to talk to you! That’s a statement!
Rabbi Kelemen recommended we try it out. Turn off your cell phone the next time your with someone you care about.
And yes, that includes shutting OFF the vibrating alert.
Despite boycotts from The Pixies and Elvis Costello, it appears that Israel is bright – not just with the hot summer sun but also with the stars that seem to be in Israel on a daily basis.
Despite Costello’s cancellation and pressure for him to skip Israel, Elton John performed in Tel Aviv, telling the audience, “Musicians spread love and peace, and bring people together. That’s what we do. We don’t cherry-pick our conscience.”
Jetro Tull recently announced that they would not be pressured into cancelling their Israeli concert, and, in fact, that proceeds from their show will go to support coexistance projects between Arabs, Jews, and Christians.
After Elton John, Israel also heard Seal perform at the Ra’anana Ampitheatre. Clearly the singer of “Kiss from a Rose” wanted to give a kiss to Israel. The singing superstar and husband to German supermodel Heidi Klum told the Jerusalem Post, “I’m just so pleased to be on tour with my band – we’re playing in some great cities this time around, and Tel Aviv is one of them”
Actress and R&B Artist Missy Elliott also couldn’t let the detracters keep her from the Holy Land. Despite calls for boycott, the recording artist performed at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds and told her Twitter followers that nothing could keep her from Israel and her fans in Israel.
The following is a guest post from JOU friend Dina Kupfer. The views expressed are her own.
Doing What We Can
By Dina Kupfer
For the most part, Jewish interest and pro-Israel activism doesn’t happen on its own. Something or someone needs to spark it. For me, it was reading an article in the college paper written by a fellow student intent on proving how Israel is an apartheid regime that set me simmering. That night, I fell asleep with Bard’s Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict, the next day I ordered some StandWithUs flyers, and soon after, I signed up to JOU’s Israel Inside/Outcourse.
Misinformation and hate is spreading thick. It’s not the type of thing we’d like to think of as happening on our very own American college campuses, but it’s happening alright. Some recent highlights: At UC Irvine, Malik Ali screamed, “You Jews…y’all the new Nazis!” At UC San Diego, Jumanah Imad Albahri, an active member of the Muslim Student Association and its annual Hitler Youth Week, responded “For it” in unashamed support of Hezbullah leader’s genocidal statement. At Brooklyn College, Norman Finkelstien was invited by the Palestinian Club and got the podium.
Remember, it seems to be in vogue in some academic circles to be more critical of Israel. If not us, who will respond to the professor who repeatedly trashes Israel while dismissing its struggles against terrorism, shaping the opinion of impressionable future professionals and leaders? If not us, who will arrange counter events when Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Student Union, Muslim Student Association, and the assorted Palestinian Clubs stage their propaganda, influencing unsuspecting college students?
We must become articulate advocates of Israel, as a land and a people. We must stand up to anti-Semitic and anti-Israel attitudes on campuses—which, for perks, is a sure way to engage Jewish social activism, promote Jewish pride, and solidify tepid interest with passionate action. It is also a meaningful launching point for exploration on Jewish identity, G-d, Israel, and Jewish values — all critical elements of “me” and enthrallingly explored in JOU’s courses.
There are so many wonderful pro-Israel resources and endless enthusiasm, but it’s all about being equipped to counter the misinformation and hate by learning the facts and then stepping up activism. I wish I was well-versed on Israel and the Middle East before landing on campus and hearing these hurtful and inaccurate views on the Jewish people and land. But, it sure ‘aint too late to invest time in learning the truth. Watching JOU’s fun videos was a great way to learn about Israel’s history and future.
In the month of May 2008, in time for Israel’s 60th Independence Day, on the Reuters and Nasdaq screens in Times Square, showed clips of Hollywood stars greeting “Happy Birthday” to the 60th Anniversary of the state of Israel.
As I recently wrote, Israel has been getting a lot of positive attention recently from joining the OECD to being defended in the British press by the former prime minister of Spain. In a new Wall Street Journal op/ed, several top business and political leaders from the United States and Europe have come together to support Israel and formulate what they think are six principles when defending Israel.
The joint statement – from Jose Maria Aznar, former President of Spain; David Trimble, former minister in Northern Ireland; John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the UN; Alejandro Toledo, former president of Peru; Marcello Pera, former president of the Italian Senate; Andrew Roberts a British historian; Fiamma Nirenstein, vice-president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Italian Chamber of Deputies; George Weigel, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center; Robert F. Agostinelli, managing director of the Rhône Group; and Carlos Bustelo, former Minister of Industry in Spain – set out the following six principles of support for Israel:
First, Israel is a normal, Western democracy and should be treated as such.
Second, attempts to question Israel’s basic legitimacy as a Jewish state in the Middle East are unacceptable to people who support liberal democratic values. The State of Israel was founded in the wake of United Nations Resolution 181, passed in 1947. It also arose out of an unbroken Jewish connection to the land that stretches back thousands of years. Israel does not derive its legitimacy, as some claim, from sympathy over the Holocaust. Instead, it derives legitimacy from international law and from the same right to self-determination claimed by all nations.
Third, as a fully legitimate member of the international community, Israel’s basic right to self-defense should not be questioned.
Fourth, we must never forget that Israel is on our side in the battle against Islamism and terror.
Fifth, attempts by people of good faith to facilitate peace between Israel and the Palestinians are always to be supported. Israelis and Palestinians should know how to build a viable peace.
Sixth, we must be alive to the dangers that the campaign against Israel poses in reawakening anti-Semitism.
These are there six principles of support for Israel. What are yours?
