NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc
Fighting racial intolerance in New Zealand and beyond
Below is a transcript of a speech by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks at “The Future of the Jewish Communities in Europe” Conference at The European Parliament on 27th September 2016 in Brussels. The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews. That is what I want us to understand today. It wasn’t Jews alone who suffered under …
Source: The Mutating Virus: Understanding Antisemitism – Rabbi Sacks
A heated debate has given rise for human rights campaigners who are horrified by a recent film co-production agreement between New Zealand and Israel.
Source: Film agreement between NZ-Israel receives backlash by human rights campaigners – J-Wire
New Zealand writers and filmmakers, Lance and James Morcan are planning to adapt their recent book for a television documentary series to stamp-out Holocaust deniers.
Source: New Zealand authors publish new book to challenge Holocaust denial – J-Wire
World Vision is a “Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.”[i]
Yet World Vision instead of promoting peace by bringing the opposing parties together to explore areas of mutual agreement have engaged in rhetoric and implemented policies that polarise the situation. By doing so they make the possibility of a negotiated peace even more remote.
World Vision promotes a highly politicized and biased agenda, placing sole blame for the continuation of the conflict on Israel and paying little attention to legitimate Israeli security concerns or Palestinian terrorism against Israeli civilians. This includes calling the security barrier “illegal,”[ii] ignoring the fact that the barrier was built in the wake of the second intifada in which Israeli civilians were the targets of near daily suicide bombings.
World Vision Australia financially supports the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network[iii], which was established “by church leaders who saw a particular role for Christians to advocate from a faith perspective about Palestinian human rights.”
The Ecumenical Network “find inspiration and direction from the Kairos Palestine document[iv],” which denies Jewish historical connections to the land of Israel. The ecumenical network’s website features an “online resources” page, which includes texts that challenge Christian Zionism, as well as books and articles written by Naim Ateek, founder of anti-Israel NGO Sabeel[v], and others. Its website also promoted a May 16, 2014 event, organized by Friends of Palestine Western Australia, entitled “Commemorate Al Nakba: Protest Israeli Apartheid.“
World Vision endorsed the film, “With God on Our Side[vi],” which attacks Christian support for Israel and presents an “anti-Jewish theology” and “biased misunderstanding of ‘Jews,’ ‘Zionist,’ and ‘Israel.’” The film was condemned [vii] for being “biased, simplistic, and factually incorrect.” World Vision has since distanced itself from the film in a statement responding to its work and advocacy in the Middle East. But even in that statement, it cannot acknowledge Arab actions that foster military activity.
Tom Getman, former head of Palestinian operations[viii], has expressed virulently antisemitic hatred of the “Zionist enterprise” and its “idolatry.” In a video interview with Rev. Steven Sizer, Getman referred to members of Hezbollah as his “friends,” seeking their guidance regarding his position on Israel.
World Vision issued a joint statement[ix] on November 19, 2012, with 44 other highly politicized organizations, including American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)[x], Care International[xi], DanChurchAid[xii], Diakonia[xiii], Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)[xiv], Save the Children[xv], and Norwegian Refugee Council[xvi], calling on the international community to “apply immediate pressure on the government of Israel” and warning of a “widespread humanitarian disaster in Gaza brought on by a prolonged [Israeli] military occupation.”
The organization presents biased and historically inaccurate description of the conflict in its “Brief History of the Region[xvii].” The “history” fails to mention the Arab invasion that led to the 1948 War of Independence. Similarly, the profile offers no background or context to the 1967 Six Day War that led to Israel’s control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip simply stating that, “In 1967 Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.”
During the 2014 Gaza war, World Vision called for a ceasefire, but stated[xviii] that, “There is no sign at the moment that this latest cycle of violence will contribute anything towards ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and therefore will not bring security for Israel.”
In 2010, World Vision reportedly financed a youth center[xix] named after Palestinian terrorist Abu Jihad[xx], a founder of Fatah who planned numerous terrorist attacks against Israelis, including a 1978 bus hijacking, which resulted in the death of 37 civilians.
In a July 14, 2004 in an opinion piece in The Age (Melbourne), World Vision Australia’s Chief Executive Tim Costello described the security barrier as “part of the problem, not part of the solution[xxi],” evoking the highly politicized claim that the barrier “is reminiscent of the Cold War and Eastern Bloc oppression.” Costello’s comparison reflects the Palestinian propaganda effort to compare the Berlin Wall, designed to keep citizens from fleeing, with Israel’s security barrier, which protects Israel’s citizens.
Put together, World Vision has been expousing and implementing an agenda that portrays Israel as the sole cause of Arab suffering in the Middle East and either ignores or obfuscates the contribution of Arab Militant Islamism, terrorism and corruption. Somehow World Vision cannot see that Arab leaders governing the West Bank and Gaza have offered no other peace solution to their people except further violence which has only brought them injury, misery, loss, ruin and death.
Endnotes
[i] World Vision, Homepage, www.wvi.org/es, accessed 4 September 2016.
[ii] World Vision, Alone: Palestinian Children in the Israeli Military Detention System. http://wvi.org/jerusalem-west-bank-gaza/video/alone-palestinian-children-israeli-military-detention- Accessed 4 September 2016.
[iii] Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network, About Page. http://pien.org.au/about/. Accessed 4 September 2016.
[iv] NGO Monitor (2 July 2012). BDS IN THE PEWS: European, US, and Canadian Government Funding Behind Anti-Israel Activism in Mainline Churches. Accessed 4 September 2016.
[v] NGO Monitor (16 Feb 2014). Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center. Accessed 4 September 2016.
[vi] Rooftop Productions. With God on Our Side. http://www.withgodonourside.com/ Accessed 4 September 2016.
[vii] Freund J G (2011). A response to With God on Our Side. https://www.scribd.com/doc/49980263/A-Response-to-the-film-With-God-on-Our-Side#download. Accessed 4 September 3016.
[viii] Neuer, H (19 August 2016), http://www.unwatch.org/un-watch-op-ed-jerusalem-report-aid-workers-aiding-hamas/. UN Watch. Accessed 4 September 2016.
[ix] World Vision et al (19 November 2012). WV JWG Releases Joint Statement with AIDA. http://wvi.org/middle-east/pressrelease/wv-jwg-releases-joint-statement-aida. Accessed 4 September 2016.
[x] http://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/american_friends_service_committee_afsc_/.
[xi] http://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/care/
[xii] http://www.ngo-monitor.org/funder/danchurchaid_denmark/.
[xiii] http://www.ngo-monitor.org/funder/diakonia/.
[xiv] http://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/medical_aid_for_palestinians_map_/.
[xv] http://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/save_the_children_fund/.
[xvi] http://www.ngo-monitor.org/funder/norwegian_refugee_council_/.
[xvii] World Vision (date). A brief history of the Region. https://web.archive.org/web/20040207192727/http:/www.wvi.org/wvi/country_profile/profiles/jwbg.htm. Accessed 4 September 2016.
[xviii] World Vision (15 July 2014). Attacks that kill children have to be stopped immediately, says World Vision. http://www.wvi.org/jerusalem-west-bank-gaza/pressrelease/attacks-kill-children-have-be-stopped-immediately-says-world.
[xix] Marcus, I and Zilberdick, N (29 March 2010). Australian Christian charity funds
terrorist “Abu Jihad Youth Center”, http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=1943. Accessed 4 September 2016.
[xx] Bolt, A (27 March 2010). How World Vision helped fund a monument to a Jew killer. Erald Sun. http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/how_world_vision_helped_fund_a_monument_to_a_jew_killer/desc/P0. Accessed 4 September 2016.
[xxi] Costello, (14 July 2004). For the children’s sake, tear down this wall! Fairfax Digital. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/13/1089694355635.html. Accessed 4 September 2016.
Mohammad El Halabi, World Vision’s manager of operations in Gaza, is accused of having siphoned off about $7.2m a year – around 60 percent of the organisation’s Gaza funding – to pay Hamas fighters, buy arms, pay for its activities and build fortifications
The trial has begun of a manager working for U.S.-headquartered Christian charity World Vision accused of funneling millions of dollars to Islamist militant group Hamas.
Mohammad El Halabi was arrested by Israel on June 15 while crossing the border into Gaza, World Vision said in a statement. He was charged by Israeli authorities on Thursday.
He had run the organization’s Gaza operations since 2010.
According to Israel’s Shin Bet security service, El Halabi diverted around $7.2 million of World Vision money to Hamas each year. That is the equivalent of 60 percent of the charity’s total annual funding for Gaza.
Some 40 percent of the funds aimed at civilian projects — some $1.5 million a year — were “given in cash” to Hamas combat units, according to a statement issued by the Shin Bet.
Some of the money raised to support injured children in the enclave had been diverted to Hamas families by “fraudulently listing their children as wounded,” according to the agency.
“Money designated for psychological support, education and health in Gaza … was used to pay the families of Hamas terrorists,” it added.
A lawyer appointed by World Vision to represent El Halabi told NBC News that his client denied the charges against him.
“He told me he never, ever transferred any money to Hamas and he has never been a Hamas member,” Muhamad Mahmud said.
The lawyer added that El Halabi had been denied access to a lawyer for 21 days and was badly beaten while in custody.
Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai called the case a “grave incident.”
He called on World Vision — which has operated in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank since 1975 — to “assume responsibility and set your house in order.”
Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip and has fought three wars against Israel since it overran the coastal territory in 2007, is designated a terrorist organization by the United States.
World Vision said in a statement it was “shocked to learn of these charges against Mohammad.”
It added that it Gaza operations have been subject to regular internal and independent audits, independent evaluations, and internal controls.
“We will carefully review any evidence presented to us and will take appropriate actions based on that evidence,” the statement added. “We continue to call for a fair legal process.”
The incident prompted Australia’s government to suspend its funding for World Vision’s operations in the Palestinian Territories.
The country’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) called the allegations “deeply troubling” and said in a statement that it was “urgently seeking more information from World Vision and the Israeli authorities.”
Mohammad El-Halabi’s trial is expected to yield important information about what happened to, among other donations, Australian public money given to World Vision, as Australia had given the charity around $5 million for humanitarian work in Gaza over the past five years.
Australia froze funding last month after El-Halabi, World Vision’s local director, was charged by Israeli authorities with directing millions to Hamas. He was said to have diverted up to $9.4 million a year over more than five years, intended for the needy, to fill the coffers of Hamas.
El-Halabi didn’t enter a plea on Tuesday, but did learn that his trial will take place behind closed doors, in view of the security-related sensitivity of the charges. Human rights organisations are claiming that this is unacceptable.
“It should be public and allow observers to attend and to see what’s happening,” Sari Bashi, director of Human Rights Watch in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, told The AJN, voicing a lack of confidence in Israeli closed-door hearings. “This would allow him and his lawyers to get a fair trial.”
She added: “There’s a lot of damage to World Vision’s reputation and therefore people should be to see and hear the trial.”
Dahlia Scheindlin, a left-leaning Israeli analyst, told The AJN she considers the closed-door arrangement “disturbing”.
Kevin Jenkins, the president of World Vision, demanded an open trial just before the court decided otherwise. “A trial is legitimate if it is transparent,” he told Agence France-Presse in an interview on Monday. “Obviously, with such serious allegations against a staff member, we are calling for him to have a fair hearing.”
But Israeli prosecutors say that it is normal for trials involving sensitive information to take place behind closed doors, and say that this practice won’t undermine the fairness of El-Halabi’s hearing.
Some Israeli researchers say that a closed trial may prove essential – to save Palestinian lives. “At the forthcoming World Vision trial, Palestinian witnesses will be called to testify about the transfer of humanitarian supplies to Hamas military and they will be risking their lives when they testify,” said David Bedein in an interview with The AJN.
Bedein, director of the Jerusalem-based Centre for Near East Policy Research and a longstanding critic of World Vision’s conduct in Gaza, said: “If Palestinian witnesses are forced to testify in the open, the possibility exists that they will be summarily executed by the powers that be.”
Headquartered in Monrovia, California, World Vision describes itself as “a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.”
The charity’s mission statement defines it as “an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.”
It operates in around 100 countries.
Sources: NBC and The Australian Jewish News.
NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc was invited to take part in an interview with Marama Davidson; an unnamed veteran of a previous flotilla; an unnamed migrant Palestinian; and hosted by Martyn Bradbury.
Unfortunately we were yesterday advised that it would be recorded at 7pm tonight, and so with such short notice, we weren’t able to take part.
However, in order to contribute to the event and provide a balancing voice, NZFOI sent this statement to Waatea 5th Estate:
Waatea 5th Estate
UMA Broadcasting Ltd
Box 43 157
Mangere
Auckland 2153Emailed: Martyn Bradbury <bomberbradbury@gmail.com>
Dear Martyn,
Re: Waatea 5th Estate Panel Discussion on Women’s Flotilla to Gaza
Thank you for inviting us on the panel to discuss the upcoming Women’s flotilla to Gaza; and as you say, in particular “what this Flotilla will hope to achieve and the wisdom of it.” Unfortunately, the last-minute nature of the invite means a NZ Friends of Israel representative cannot attend in person. However, we would like to address some of the issues in this statement.
Firstly, we must acknowledge that there is a need for aid in Gaza and, unfortunately, there are many places around the world where people are struggling to provide food, shelter, and medical support for themselves and their families.
This is made all the more difficult when terror organisations divert aid from those who need it to support militant activities. In Gaza, Hamas has misappropriated cement intended for reconstruction, to build terror tunnels and has taken aid money to fund rockets and ‘martyrs’. This is why there is a need to screen the goods that enter Gaza.
It is important to note that there was no blockade in 2005, when Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. After Hamas won the election in 2006, Israel and “The Quartet on the Middle East” (US, Russia, UN, EU) imposed economic sanctions and restrictions on Gaza. The naval blockade and land crossing policies were instituted as a response to rocket attacks and expressly for the purpose of stemming the flow of weapons into Gaza. The measures were deemed legal in the 2010 UN report following a flotilla attempt. In order to lift the blockade, Hamas must renounce violence against Israel, recognize Israel, and honor all previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. To try and lift the blockade without a change from Hamas would put not only Palestinian but also Israeli citizens’ lives at risk.
The blockade also does not prevent Israel facilitating the movement of thousands of trucks of goods into Gaza or fifteen thousand people crossing the border each day, with capacity for much more should Hamas allow it. Neither does the blockade stop a number of organisations working in Gaza to ensure that the most needy people are looked after. For example, Save A Child’s Heart takes children from Gaza to Israel for life-saving cardiac operations.
One of the stated goals of the flotilla is to breach the Israeli maritime blockade of Gaza. This is in defiance of the Sir Geoffrey Palmer led report to the UN which said that “People may, of course, freely express their views by peaceful protest. But to deliberately seek to breach a blockade in a convoy with a large number of passengers is in the view of the Panel a dangerous and reckless act”. In order to maintain the legal blockade, Israel must stop any boat attempting to breach it. That is why the previous attempts have ended with the Israeli navy interceptions and arrests.
Kia Ora Gaza admitted that the last flotilla, which had a Maori TV crew on board, was a publicity stunt. This flotilla is no different and it is disappointing to see that the Green Party is involved. Given the needs of many different groups, it seems to us rather a waste to spend $25,000 – what Kia Ora Gaza hope to raise – on a publicity stunt when that money could buy essential food or medical supplies.
Twenty-five thousand dollars could also go a long way for the Women’s Affairs Center in Gaza, or the Women’s Unit of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, which both appear to do good work in promoting women’s rights, gender equality and providing domestic violence counselling. Instead, the money is being used to try and garner publicity to demonise Israel.
There are multiple “indigenous” people groups that have legitimate historical and cultural claims in the region. It is concerning to us that the Green Party would associate with a group like Kia Ora Gaza, which has openly justified violence against Israelis and supports an extremist one-state solution to the Arab Palestinian-Israeli conflict rather than the almost universally-supported, and UN-backed, two-state solution. Kia Ora Gaza has also promoted anti-Semitic libels on their Facebook page and Roger Fowler has compared Israel to Islamic State. The Green Party is not helping to build peace by endorsing such messages.
Furthermore, the press releases from the organisers and from the Green Party have selectively focussed only on demonising Israel. There has been no discussion of Egypt’s blockade, which, unlike Israel, does not allow any aid trucks or people to cross the border. There has also been no discussion of the treatment of the people in Gaza by their government. Hamas is an Islamist organisation that took power with a bloody coup in 2006 and has a charter that seeks the destruction of Israel.
The Green Party and Kia Ora Gaza do not mention the human rights abuses committed by Hamas against both Israelis and its own people, including its murderous persecution of gays and political opponents, its willingness to sacrifice its own civilians as human shields (while Hamas leaders take shelter in the safety of bomb shelters or the luxury of five star hotels in Qatar), its exploitation of child labour in building the terror tunnels, its recruitment of women to be ‘martyrs’, and its failure to deliver its people any progress or solutions beyond violently attacking Israel. A policy that has only brought ruin and death.
Under the rule of Hamas, women in Gaza are not allowed to walk in public without a male chaperone and domestic violence in Gaza has affected 63% of women with almost half believing they deserved the beatings. The motivations and intentions of the flotilla must be called into question when such facts are missing from the discussion that Ms Davidson wants to have and foster.
We believe that the primary causes of the deprivation, hardship, and loss of life suffered by the people of Gaza are the policies of their government, Hamas. No one wants to see the people of Gaza senselessly suffer. Anyone who wishes to relieve their suffering should focus on urging Hamas to put aside violence and begin negotiations with Israel for establishing a peaceful State in which their people can not only live, but thrive.
Rather than promote peace, sadly the Flotilla will put lives at risk and most likely enflame and polarise the situation rather than bring the opposing parties together so that peace negotiations can be nurtured.
We hope you will read this statement on your show to give some balance to the programme. If there is an opportunity for other appearances, please do give us as much warning as you can.
Ideally we need to know at least a couple of weeks in advance of the date on which you would like to record an interview, who the participants will be and your discussion guide (which usually comprises a set of questions that have been prepared by your interviewer to use during the interview).
In this case, letting us know yesterday that the interview will be recorded today, is just not enough time for us to give it the regard that this important topic deserves.
Regards,
Tony Kan
President
NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc.
You can watch the panel discussion here, at 7pm August .
In June 2016, thanks to Esther Haver of the Jewish Federation we were honoured to have Guta Goldstein share her story to our members.
Unfortunately not everybody could make it that night and so we were pleased to video her presentation so that you can still watch it.
If you would like to download her video presentation please click here. This is a low resolution version which takes around 110MB of disk space. If you would like the higher resolution 720P version which takes up over 2GB, then you may request it by email to contact@nzfoi.org.
Great news. We are pleased to advise that Naftali and Raphael are returning to NZ to support the Canterbury Hebrew Congregation over the High Holidays. You may recall that despite much opposition, we successfully assisted with organising an event at Victoria University, where they were able to talk about their experiences during the 2014 Gaza War and answer questions about Israel’s stance toward the Palestinians.
Later in 2016, we are planning on holding similar events on other campuses.
We are currently fundraising up to NZD 2,000 to help pay for travel and accommodation costs. You can support them by donating towards this worthy project.
Bank: Bank of New Zealand
Account Name: NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc
Account Number: 02 0820 0569411 000
Code: GW2016
Reference: Your initials and surname
Or via PayPal: contact@nzfoi.org
Be sure to email us your contact details if you wish to receive a tax receipt: contact@nzfoi.org
Yoram Barak
In May 2016, we were treated to a fascinating and eye opening presentation on what modern science can tell us about how to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease by Professor Yoram Barak.
Dr. Yoram Barak is an assistant professor of Psychiatry at the Sackler School of Medicine of Tel-Aviv University, and director of the Psychogeriatric Department at the Abarbanel Mental Health Center. Trained in medicine and psychiatry at the Sackler School of Medicine, he became an Israel Medical Scientific Council Specialist in Psychiatry in 1993, and was awarded a Masters in Health Administration from Ben-Gurion University of Beer-Sheva, Israel in 2004.
Dr. Barak is also a consultant for the National Multiple Sclerosis Center in Israel and a special consultant on Positive Psychology for the Israel Defense Forces. He was president of the Israeli Association of Old-Age Psychiatry, and is currently on the editorial board of the Israel Journal of Psychiatry and the Open Psychiatry Journal. Research interests include multiple sclerosis, cancer, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive–compulsive disorder, suicide and geriatric psychiatry. He has published extensively in these areas, and is author and co-author of over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles.
He is currently on Sabbatical and teaching at the Otago University School of Medicine in Christchurch.
Here’s a few takeaway thoughts, and in no particular order:
We have received many requests for his PowerPoint presentation and a video recording of his lecture. They may be downloaded from here and here. The video of the second part of his presentation is here.
The videos are a low resolution version that takes up around 215 MB of disk space. If you would like a high resolution version that takes up over 2GB of disk space then please request it from contact@nzfoi.org.
By Caitlin Gibs
on11:05 AM Tuesday May 3, 2016
Abram Belz (left) and his younger brother, Chaim Belzhitsky; Abram last saw Chaim in 1939. Photo: Jess Katz / Washington Post
The five women crowded together around the kitchen table in New Jersey, their eyes fixed on a laptop screen. It was 7 a.m., and none of them had slept well the night before; they were too anxious and excited for this moment. Jess Katz logged into Skype as her mother and three sisters watched.
A face flickered into view: their cousin, the son of a long-missing uncle, the family they thought they had lost forever in the Holocaust.
On the other side of the screen, on the other side of the world, Evgeny Belzhitsky sat with his daughter, his granddaughter and a translator in his home on Sakhalin Island, Russia. The eight family members smiled at each other, speechless. Then, Katz recalls, they all started to cry.
“What do you say to someone you’ve been searching for your whole life?” Katz says.
