Madison Rafah Journal

Too many letters and other commentary critical of Israel

JESSE McKINLEY, The New York Times, November 28, 2009

BERKELEY, Calif. — For the last six years, The Berkeley Daily Planet has published a freewheeling assortment of submissions from readers, who offer sharp-elbowed views on everything from raucous college parties (generally bad) to the war in Iraq (ditto).

But since March, that running commentary has been under attack by a small but vociferous group of critics who accuse the paper’s editor, Becky O’Malley, of publishing too many letters and other commentary pieces critical of Israel. Those accusations are the basis of a campaign to drive away the paper’s advertisers and a Web site that strongly suggests The Planet and its editor are anti-Semitic.

“We think that Ms. O’Malley is addicted to anti-Israel expression just as an alcoholic is to drinking,” Jim Sinkinson, who has led the campaign to discourage advertisers, wrote in an e-mail message. He is the publisher of Infocom Group, a media relations company. “If she wants to serve and please the East Bay Jewish community, she would be safer avoiding the subject entirely.”

Ms. O’Malley denies any personal or editorial bias, and bristles at the suggestion that she should not publish letters about Israel in a city like Berkeley, which has a sizable Jewish community and a populace — and City Council — that often weigh in on Middle East and international affairs.

(Read on …)

AFP/File – Palestinians fill bottles and containers with water at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

Agence France Presse, Nov 21, 2009

GAZA CITY (AFP) – Water in the Gaza Strip is so salty that it is unfit for human consumption, a Palestinian official in charge of water supplies inside the besieged coastal territory said on Saturday.

"The water is no longer fit for human consumption, with analysis and international studies showing that just 10 percent of water in the Gaza Strip is usable… threatening the lives of Palestinians," Munzir Shiblak warned.

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Israel settlements use more than four times as much water as Palestinians and the absence of a peace agreement is stalling negotiations to improve the situation.

Joshua Mitnick, The Christian Science Monitor, November 19, 2009

Auja, West Bank

The Hmoud family once prospered in this arid Palestinian farm village by cultivating banana and eggplant crops, earning enough to send a son abroad for medical school and to build a house with a showy staircase and a two-story window.

But drought has decimated the spring that is Auja's only agricultural water source, and fields once filled with palm trees are now empty. Village residents have been forced to find work in the greenhouses near Jewish settlements that are hooked up to Israeli water mains.

(Read on …)

Doyle signed a bilateral trade agreement between Israel and Wisconsin on research and development, with a strong focus on water technology

John Schmid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov 17, 2009

Following intervention by Gov. Jim Doyle, the University of Wisconsin System on Tuesday backed down in a funding dispute with Milwaukee-area legislators over control of the state's efforts to catalyze jobs and investment in the fast-growing water technology sector.

The Madison-Milwaukee feud – involving Wisconsin's two biggest regional economies – centered on a recent decision by UW System to hire a $99,428-a-year consultant based in Madison to develop water-driven development strategies across the state, including Madison.

The UW System position infuriated Milwaukee-area business leaders and legislators, who accused UW System officials in Madison of hijacking an initiative that was born in Milwaukee: creating a hub of research and industry in the $400 billion-a-year global sector for technologies that clean, conserve, recycle and deliver drinkable water.

In a conference call from Tel Aviv, Israel, where the governor is leading a state trade mission that centers almost exclusively on water technology, Doyle said he withdrew funding for the UW System consultant, Jeff Smoller. Doyle said he was surprised to learn that Smoller regarded his new job as part of a statewide economic development mission – a view that would usurp the work of the state Department of Commerce, Doyle said.

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The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project crafts committee is looking for volunteers…right now we have the following four crafts events coming up where we will sell Palestinian crafts, olive oil soap, and olive oil:

Friday, Nov. 6, 1:30-3:30 pm, Middleton High School/Fair Trade Sale
Sunday, Nov. 22, 8:30 am-3 pm/Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ Fair Trade Sale
Sat., Dec. 5, 9 am-4pm, Monona Terrace/Fair Trade Holiday Festival
Sat., March 6, 11 am – 6 pm, Overture Center/International Festival

Sales of these crafts and oil provide crucial support to the producers, especially to women in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza. We would also like to expand the project if possible.

If you are interested in helping, especially if you would like to be an active member of the committee, please respond to Tsela Barr. There will be a party and discussion on Friday, October 16 at 7:30 pm to show the new crafts we have, talk about the upcoming craft fairs, and discuss different ways we can sell and spread the word. If you plan to attend please RSVP to Tsela for further details at tsela[at]tselabarrdesign.com.

If you know someone else who might be interested, please get their contact info to Tsela.

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Dr. James Zogby, Arab American Institute, November 16, 2009

A story universally missed last week was the extraordinary debate that occurred in Congress in advance of a vote on a resolution against the Goldstone Report. It may have been that this story not seen as newsworthy as others playing out at the same time: the fallout over Secretary of State Clinton’s “whip lash” performances in Jerusalem, Marrakesh and Cairo; Palestinian President Abbas’ announcement that he would not run in 2010; and Israel’s seizure of a ship it claimed was transporting weapons from Iran to Hizbollah.

Then again, the significance of the Congressional debate may have been ignored given what appeared to be the lopsided vote in favor of the anti-Goldstone resolution.

It will be recalled that when the Report was first released, members of Congress were quick to denounce it using, at times, near hysterical language. Since Goldstone had no vocal champions, when Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Howard Berman and ranking Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen introduced their AIPAC supported anti-Goldstone resolution, one might have thought that the matter would be quickly resolved with a near unanimous vote.

But that was not to be the case.

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