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Intelligence Report n University Prof Calls for


JVT


Israel’s Destruction OCTOBER 24, 2010—History professor Kaukab Sid- dique insists his statement calling on Muslims to “stand united to defeat, to destroy, to dis- mantle Israel—if possible by peaceful means,” was blown out of proportion. “I am against Is- rael, not against Jews,” he said. Nevertheless, he finds himself in the “eye of a new storm” after his statements calling for the destruction of Israel prompted U.S. senators to urge an investigation into the matter.


Siddique said: “For the Jews, I would say,


‘See what could happen to you if the Muslims wake up.’ And I say to the Muslims, Dear broth- ers and sisters—unite and rise up against this hydra-headed monster which calls itself Zionism.” Siddique’s statements followed several ar-


ticles in which he questioned the validity of the Holocaust, calling it a “hoax.” Originally from Paki- stan, Siddique, 67, is a vocal critic of what he calls “Israel’s record of human-rights abuses in the Pal- estinian territories.” Although he maintains that his recent statements have been misunderstood, Siddique stands by his statements and “would not back down from detractors out to threaten aca- demic freedom,” adding that he had the support of his faculty and students at Lincoln University, a Pennsylvania State-sponsored school. “When I refer critically to ‘the Jews,’ I am


referring to the current leadership of ‘the state of Israel’ and to their major supporters, not to the Jewish race as a whole,” he said in a CBN News email. “Most of my readers and listeners under- stand this; if it was taken to mean otherwise, then I offer my apologies to those I have offended. I am not anti-Semitic. I am certainly not hostile to, nor do I discriminate against the Jewish people be- cause of their lineage,” he maintained. Lincoln University’s president stated, “We


support academic freedom, and certainly a pro- fessor has the right to criticize Israel, or any other entity or policy he wishes. We are not aware of any instance in which Siddique’s views were taught in his classes or shared in any public fo- rums on campus.”


—Yitzhak Benhorin for Ynetnews.com www.JewishVoiceToday.org “ … when these things begin to take place … lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)


n Israeli Government Approves Aliyah for 8,000 Ethiopian Jews 14 NOVEMBER 2010 | JERUSALEM In a historic decision, the Israeli cabi- net unanimously approved the aliyah—immigration to Israel under the Law of Return—of some 7,846 Ethiopian Jews, who have been waiting for more than a decade, impoverished, in despair, and often in inhumane conditions. In a statement released after the government decision was an-


nounced, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The government of Israel seeks to resolve this problem because there is indeed a complex humanitarian crisis there and so as to avoid the creation of additional refugee camps in Ethiopia.” “From my perspective, this closes a cycle because during my first


term as Prime Minister, I brought approximately 5,000 Falash Mura to Israel and today we are discussing an agreed-upon arrangement with all of the relevant bodies, and there are many, so that we might finally resolve this painful and complicated problem,” continued Netanyahu, adding “We have a moral commitment as Jews, as the People of Israel, to find a solution.” Gatu Zemene, Director of the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry, told The Jerusalem Post by telephone from Gondar,


“All the people here have been fasting and praying that the Israeli gov- ernment will allow them to make aliyah. People here are now finally hopeful that they will be able to come to the State of Israel.” The final phase of organized aliyah from Ethiopia is supposed to


be wrapped up within the next four years, according to the proposal, with only individual applications for aliyah being considered by the Interior Ministry after that. “I think this is a terrific decision,” commented Joseph Feit, former


president of NACOEJ, who has stayed involved to see a resolution of this critical issue. “As far as we are concerned, the implementation of this decision will be an honorable conclusion to the glorious chapter of organized aliyah from Ethiopia.” After having been involved in numerous similar decisions regard-


ing the flow of aliyah from Ethiopia, Jewish Agency for Israel chairman Natan Sharansky told The Post that he hoped this decision would in- deed become “an historical end to this chapter of Jewish history.” “In the past there has been a problem that not all the organi-


zations involved in this were coordinating,” explained Sharansky, who was the first government minister to visit Ethiopia as Interior Minister 1999-2001. “However, this time there is an agreement between all the organizations involved and we will bring them all within the next few years.


“Israel should be very proud of this. There is no other country in


the world that would do such a thing,” he finished. Israel’s only Ethiopian Knesset member, Shlomo Mulla (Kadima),


told The Post that despite the long wait he was delighted with the gov- ernment’s decision to allow the immigration of these people, many of


whom have family members already living here. SOURCE: jpost.com | Ruth Eglash/Gil Shefler


n More Than 2.5 Million Tourists to


Israel Since January 2010 FALL 2010—According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), since the beginning of 2010, around 2.5 million tourists have visited Israel, an in- crease of 27 percent over the same period in 2009 and nine percent over 2008, Israel’s record tourism year to date. The Tourism Ministry continued its fall-winter, incoming tour-


ism marketing activities around the world, investing about $19 million through to the end of 2010 on a range of events in target countries, including participation in tourism fairs, PR activities, marketing agree- ments, professional seminars, and more. Emphasis was placed on recruiting more wholesalers to market Israel and increasing seat capacity and frequency of flights into Israel, as


well as adding new routes. Months-long advertising campaigns will target specific markets


in the main source countries for incoming tourism, such as the United States, Russia, Germany, France, England, and Scandinavia. Marketing activities have been stepped up in countries that have


recently shown an interest in Israel as a tourism destination, including South Korea, Poland, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov says, “The Tourism Min- istry will work to challenge these new target audiences including, for the first time, Moslem groups, to visit Israel.”


SOURCE: Israel21c.org JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 Jewish Voice Today | 21


NEWS FROM ISRAEL & AROUND THE WORLD


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