Leibler - Losing the War of Words Due to Incompetence

Isi Leibler..
Candidly Speaking from Jerusalem..
29 December '11..

In the war of ideas, we operate under huge handicaps. Our adversaries attract sympathy as underdogs, yet carry enormous economic and political clout and effectively control international institutions like the UN. In addition, they have hijacked NGOs purportedly promoting human rights, yet are at the forefront of racist campaigns to demonize and delegitimize us. It is disgraceful that many western journalists collaborate with them.

Australia has consistently maintained a staunch bipartisan friendship with the Jewish State since its creation. Under the current Labor government headed by Julia Gillard, it remains, like the United States and Canada, one of the few countries where Israel still gets a fair hearing.

On November 26, John Lyons, the accredited Jerusalem reporter for The Australian, the leading national daily, wrote a 3000 word feature lambasting alleged inhumane Israeli treatment of Palestinian children.

Although The Australian has a consistent record of being fair and open-minded in relation to Israel, this was a classic compendium of anti-Israeli vilification, reminiscent of the wildest distortions and fabrications contained in the Goldstone report.

Update: Israel and Hadassah dispute claim Israelis not barred from Cairo "Cure" conference

IMRA
28 October 09

Nancy Brinker, founder and head of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization that raises significant amounts of money to fight breast cancer, claimed last week that despite threats in Egypt, Israelis were not
barred from the Cairo conference.

But the Foreign Ministry and the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization said they had been.


Stop boycotts of Israelis at international medical conferences, IMA demands

Judy Siegel-Itzkovich ,
The Jerusalem Post
27 October 09
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1256557978205&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

The Israel Medical Association on Tuesday denounced all boycotts of Israelis at international medical conferences such as the one held in Cairo last week on coping with breast cancer. IMA chairman Dr. Leonid Eidelman said that Israeli doctors and scientists are often confronted by hostility when attending professional conferences
abroad.

Eidelman said that medicine and science are not political. Even those who oppose policies of the government of Israel should never inject politics into these fields, which aim to save lives and to which Israelis contribute a great deal, he said.

He called on the government to launch a serious campaign against such boycotts and have "zero tolerance" for them. The IMA, he said, would be happy to participate in such efforts.

Eidelman added that conferences that keep Israelis out would constitute a "black day for science in Israel and around the world."

Nancy Brinker, founder and head of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization that raises significant amounts of money to fight breast cancer, claimed last week that despite threats in Egypt, Israelis were not barred from the Cairo conference.

But the Foreign Ministry and the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization said they had been.
Related: Egypt slams door on Israeli cancer researchers
.

The Operation in Gaza - Legal and Factual Aspects: The definitive Israeli version

(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)

On July 30, the Government of Israel released a detailed paper addressing a wide range of factual and international legal issues relating to the military operation undertaken by the Israel Defence Forces in Gaza in December 2008 - January 2009.

The Paper, 160 pages long, describes in detail the context of the Gaza Operation. It documents the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians in the years prior to the Operation and the increasing range of Hamas rocket and mortar attacks, as well as Israel's efforts to prevent the attacks and avoid the conflict.

The Paper contains an extensive legal analysis of the legal principles and of State practice regarding the use of force and examines in detail the application of the principles of necessity, distinction and proportionality. In particular, with photographic and video evidence, it documents the tactics adopted by Hamas in launching attacks from within civilian populations and describes the IDF precautions and efforts to limit civilian harm in such situations.

The Paper also gives a detailed account of Israel's humanitarian efforts in the course of the operation, particularly in the face of Hamas attempts to launch attacks during humanitarian pauses to allow aid to reach civilians, hijack aid and assistance, and hide within and behind medical and international facilities.

The Paper also gives previously unpublished details of the multiple IDF investigations into allegations made by various groups of violations of the law. It reveals that IDF investigative teams are currently examining approximately 100 complaints, including 13 criminal investigations opened so far. The Paper describes the preliminary findings of some of the IDF field investigations, which can be released without comprising the integrity and independence of these investigations including some of the lessons learned. It notes that these investigations will be reviewed by the Military Advocate General and may be subject to further review by the Attorney General and the Supreme Court of Israel.

The Paper, with a brief executive summary, has been posted on the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.