The U.N.’s latest lunacy
The U.N. recently appointed North Korea as head of its Conference on Disarmament, a 65-member arms control forum. Seriously? Perhaps the U.N. doesn’t remember that their very own Security Council has imposed sanctions on North Korea for its development of nuclear weapons and has repeatedly condemned the country for launching rockets.
Comments (5) »“Bare months after the U.N. finally suspended Libya’s Col. Muammar Qaddafi from its Human Rights Council, North Korea wins the propaganda coup of heading the world’s disarmament agency,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. “It’s asking the fox to guard the chickens, and damages the U.N.’s credibility.”
“While the U.N. will likely defend North Korea’s appointment as simply an automatic rotation,” said Neuer, “no system should tolerate such a fundamental conflict of interests. It’s common sense that a disarmament body should not be headed by the world’s arch-villain on illegal weapons and nuclear proliferation, notorious for exporting missiles and nuclear know-how to fellow rogue regimes around the globe.”
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 at 3:52 PM | David Kuner
The ill-conceived statehood push
It’s obvious why Israelis have concerns about Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ push this September for the U.N. to recognize a Palestinian state. But maybe Palestinian leadership should be concerned as well. 
As Khaled Abu Toameh writes in his thoughtful Hudson New York op-ed:
It is obvious by now that the September initiative would not advance the cause of peace in the Middle East. On the contrary, it would further complicate matters for both Israel and the Palestinians, plunging the region into another vicious cycle of bloodshed and violence.
Abbas has raised the expectations of many Palestinians to a dangerous level, as many are now expecting to wake up in September to see a new state where they live in peace and security. But when that does not happen, and the Palestinians realize they have been once again sold false promises, they could turn to violence not only against Israel, but also against their leaders in the West Bank.
So the question remains — if he’s not going to get a state and could alienate his own people, what’s the point of this push?
Comments (7) »Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 at 11:35 AM | David Kuner
Outrageous: New partnership would require Delta to ban Jews on Saudi Arabia-bound flights
Earlier this year Delta Airlines announced it is adding Saudi Arabian Airlines to its SkyTeam Alliance, a partnership that requires Delta to ban Jews and travelers who have an Israeli passport from boarding flights to Saudi Arabia.
In an interview, Delta’s coordinator of Customer Care, Kathy M. Johnston, explained that Delta does not condone discrimination for any reason but said that the airline must abide by the laws of the countries they serve. In fact, Delta could be fined if they bring Jews into Saudi Arabia, since the government denies them from entering the country.
FIne … but most people are asking why an organization that claims not to condone discrimination would partner with a company that openly and unapologetically practices it:
Jeffrey Lovitky, a Washington attorney who has contacted Delta officials and board members to protest the agreement, told The Jewish Week Thursday that their decision to form an alliance with Saudi Arabian Airlines was “purely voluntary” and something they could control. A flight to Saudi Arabia “is essentially a Jew-free flight,” Lovitky said, adding that his assertion is “common knowledge” among professionals in the travel industry. “No individual can admit to being Jewish and still be permitted on that flight.” It’s inconceivable that Delta wasn’t aware of that discrimination, he said, and it’s even more astounding that the company’s officials “thought it prudent to enter an alliance with a carrier that practices such policies.”
In a Huffington Post op-ed, Rabbi Jason Miller says what many in the Jewish community must be thinking right now:
I know I’m not the only one who finds it troubling that Delta would go along with Saudi Arabia’s policy of not allowing Jews on their flights. While I’m not planning a vacation to Riyadh any time soon, I would have a hard time flying with Delta knowing they are collaborating with the discriminatory government of Saudi Arabia.
Regular Delta fliers, take note.
Comments (31) »Friday, June 24th, 2011 at 11:54 AM | David Kuner
Palestinians practice Psalm denial
Palestinian “researcher” Dr. Hayel Sanduqa recently stated on Palestinian Authority television that the source of the phrase “if I forget thee, O Jerusalem” was not the Bible (Psalm 137) but a Frankish crusader. 
According to Dr. Sanduqa, the phrase was then “borrowed by the Zionist movement, which falsified it in the name of Zionism.” Commentary’s Jonathan S. Tobin – and Bible-reading people everywhere – begs to differ.
Comments (56) »This is, of course, laughable. “If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem” is from the 137th Psalm of the Hebrew Bible that immortalized the laments of Jewish exiles from the land of Israel in Babylonian captivity.
But unfortunately, when it comes to Palestinian attempts to deny the Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the entire country, this is not an isolated incident. The PA continues to assert the Temple Mount was not the site of the ancient Holy Temple in Jerusalem and to claim even the Western Wall is not a Jewish site. The Palestinians’ refusal to accept an independent Palestinian state alongside a Jewish state of Israel is the result of such attitudes. This is more than just the product of 100 years of conflict. Since Palestinian nationalism came into being as a reaction to the return of Jews to the country, Palestinian national identity is inextricably linked to a denial of historical links of Jews to the land.
Palestinian programs such as this one are part of a campaign of incitement that, despite contrary quotes given in English to the Western media by Palestinian Authority spokespersons, illustrate the implacable hatred which fuels the conflict. Peace will never come until Palestinian culture rejects such ideas.
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 at 6:57 AM | David Kuner
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Tebow time!
Tim Tebow kneels in prayer before a game (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Full disclosure: As a Bears fan, I’m not a big Tim Tebow fan right now. But, as a rabbi, I find the recent article written by Rabbi Joshua Hammerman on the possible consequences of a Broncos Super Bowl win deplorable, shameful, and absurd. (Since the commentary was written it’s been taken down entirely, but you can get a taste of it here).
I’m embarrassed that a colleague would think – let alone write and publish – an article that is, plainly and simply, anti-Christian bigotry. I wish American Jews (and especially our leaders) could get beyond such dark fantasies about the world around us. There is a segment of the Jewish community – a growing segment, I believe – that loves and appreciates our Christian friends. Yes, we have a lot of getting to know each other to do and a lot of time to make up for. But working together – as we do at IFCJ – is such a blessing to both communities, we can’t let opinions like Rabbi Hammerman’s get us down.
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