عمر بشير: هذا ليس تطبيعاً

نجل معلّم العود العراقي منير بشير، يدافع بشراسة عن مشاركته في مشروع «القدس مدينة السلامين» الذي يصفه بالخطوة الراقية... ذلك أنّ الفنّ «لا علاقة له بالسياسة والحروب»!

وسيم إبراهيم

لا ينكر عمر بشير (1970) أنّ بعض من يشاركهم العزف يحملون الجنسية الإسرائيلية. «ما ذنبهم إن كان قدرهم الولادة في حضن الاحتلال، طالما أنّ «الواحد منهم يقول أنا يهودي عراقي أو يمني، لا يهودي إسرائيلي؟»، يتساءل عازف العود العراقي. تبادره بالقول إنّ كثيرين من يهود إسرائيل من أصول عربية، وبعضهم مجرمو حرب. فيعود ليدافع عن رأيه مذكّراً أنّ الفلسطينيين المشاركين في «القدس مدينة السلامين» يسافرون بجوازات إسرائيلية.

نجل منير بشير، الرائد العراقي في تطوير تقنيات عزف العود، يقدّم في الاحتفالية بعض التقاسيم. هو لا يبدي أيّ أسف على مشاركته مع عازفين إسرائيليين في «القدس مدينة السلامين». يؤكّد أنّه بفعل إقامته الدائمة في بودابست، سيلتحق بالمجموعة نفسها خلال جولاتها القادمة. هل سيفعل ذلك رغم الاعتراضات؟ ترتفع نبرته ويردّ بطوباويّة مقلقة: «أرفض أن يملي عليّ أحد ما ينبغي فعله، ويقال لي: لا تعزف مع فنان أصله يهودي عراقي أو مصري. الفن لا علاقة له بالسياسة والحروب».

نعود لنذكّره أننا نفرّق بين اليهودي والإسرائيلي. لكنَّه يذهب «أعمق» من ذلك، فيقول إنّ علاقته الشخصية بالعازفين الإسرائيليين «أكبر من النقاش حول من هو الإسرائيلي ومن هو العربي». نسأله ألا يخشى اتهامه بالتطبيع الثقافي؟ فيرفض السؤال جملة وتفصيلاً: «لا أعتبر هذا تطبيعاً. أتيت لأقدّم فني وبلدي وآلتي الموسيقية. هذا أفضل من أن يفعل ذلك عازف إسرائيلي، ويدّعي أنّ العود من اختراعه». نحاول أن نتبعه في هذا المنطق الغريب، ولكن سدى.

Egyptian actor Khaled Nabawi accused of 'normalization with Israel'

Egypt's Actors Guild launches inquiry against Khaled Nabawy over his role in American film 'Fair Game' alongside Israeli actress Liraz Charhi

The head of Egypt's Actors Guild, Ashraf Zaki, has decided to launch an inquiry against Egyptian actor Khaled Nabawy for "normalization with Israel" over his role in Doug Liman's American film "Fair Game" alongside Israeli actress Liraz Charhi.

Nabawy was criticized by Egyptian officials after being photographed embracing Charhi on the red carper during the Cannes International Film Festival, where the movie has its world premiere and took part in the official competition.

The different professional associations in Egypt forbid any type of normalization with the Jewish state and strongly condemn any association member who challenges this demand.

US: Protestors halt Israeli Ballet performance

National Ballet Company's show in Vermont interrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors who force their way into theater

Pro-Palestinian groups headed by Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, staged a protest rally outside an Israeli Ballet performance in the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont, on Friday.

According to an Israel Radio report, four demonstrators eventually forced their way into the theater, waving signs saying that anyone who watched the performance was "supporting Israel's apartheid policy."

Company director Dan Rudolf alerted the theater's security personnel, as well as the local police, who promptly arrived at the scene and escorted the demonstrators outside.

The show resumed after a short intermission.

Stoudemire in the Holy Land

After tweeting 'I'm Jewish', NBA star arrives in Israel, visits Masada, Dead Sea and Yad Vashem with small entourage. 'The fact that I'm not Jewish by religion does not prevent me from connecting to the Jewish nation's spirituality,' he says

It all began when Amare Stoudemire, who recently signed a $100 million contract with the New York Knicks, wrote "I'm Jewish" on his personal Twitter account.

The former Phoenix Suns star's agent was quick to deny the claim. "He's not Jewish. It was blown out of proportion. His mother says there's a little Jewish blood in her side of the family. I haven't checked to see if he's circumcised."

Stoudemire landed in the Holy Land last week for what was referred to as a journey to discover his Jewish roots.

Students urge PLO envoy not to attend Zionist lecture

A Palestinian student union has called on PLO ambassador to South Africa Ali Ahmed Halimeh not to attend a conference organized by a Zionist student group scheduled for Thursday.

The Palestinian Student Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel in Gaza said in an open letter that Halimeh's participation in a South African Union of Jewish Students lecture entitled Towards Peace in the Middle East – The Status of Current Democracy "as antagonistic to the values of our people, and it cannot be subsumed under the framework of diplomatic duties as SAUJS is neither a governmental nor parliamentary organization."

The student union said the South Africa Palestine Solidarity Campaign views the group as "part of the Zionist lobby, which is known to work relentlessly to support Israel and whitewash Israel’s crimes."

"SAUJS considers Zionism as one of its three main pillars - in addition to “Jewish Identity” and “South Africa” - as is mentioned on their website. This ensures SAUJS’s unconditional support or apartheid, and Israel’s killing and ethnic cleansing policies, which have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians, and suffering caused by 62 years of ongoing Nakba."

According to the group's website, the Jewish organization hosts "interesting speakers, do interfaith events, have great socials, provide religious learning in own Beit Midrash, participate in political debates, do outreach work, help get exams moved from Jewish holidays and fight anti-Zionism on campus."

رسالة مفتوحة إلى معالي السفير الفلسطيني في جنوب افريقيا السيد علي أحمد حليمة المحترم من طلاب فلسطين

معالي السفير السيد علي أحمد حليمة المحترم

سفير دولة فلسطين في جنوب أفريقيا

فلسطين المحتلة، 10 آب 2010

تحية طيبة وبعد،

نكتب لكم من فلسطين المحتلة راجين إلغاء مشاركتكم في فعالية "نحو السلام في الشرق الأوسط- وضع الديمقراطية الحالي" المقرر عقدها يوم الخميس الموافق 12/8/2010، والتي يستضيفها إتحاد الطلبة اليهود في جنوب إفريقيا (SAUJS) وهو إتحاد صهيوني معروف بدعمه العلني للإحتلال الإسرائيلي وسياساته للفصل العنصري، الأبارتهايد. إننا نرى أن مشاركتكم في نشاط منظم من قبل مؤسسة صهيونية متطرفة تعمل ضد مصالح شعبنا لا يمكن أن ينضوي تحت إطار العمل الدبلوماسي المعتاد ومقتضياته، لأن المؤسسة المذكورة هي ليست حكومية أو برلمانية، كما أن حركة التضامن مع الشعب الفلسطيني في جنوب أفريقيا تنظر لهذه المؤسسة، بحق، على أنها جزء من مجموعات الضغط الصهيونية التي تعمل ليل نهار لمصلحة إسرائيل ولغسل جرائمها.

إن إتحاد SAUJS يعتبر الصهيونية أحد ركائزه الثلاث الأساسية، إضافة إلى "الهوية اليهودية" و"جنوب افريقيا"،كما هو مذكور على موقعهم الإلكتروني، مما يؤكد على مساندتهم غير المشروطة لايديولوجية الفصل العنصري والقتل والتشريد الإسرائيلية التي أدت إلي تشريد عشرات الآلاف من الفلسطينيين، والتي ما زال أبناء وبنات شعبنا يعانون منها على مر 62 عاما من النكبة المستمرة. إضافة إلى ذلك، فإن SAUJS غير ملتزمة بحقوق الإنسان والقانون الدولي حيث أنها لم تدن بتاتاً الحرب الإسرائيلية على غزة المحتلة والمحاصرة في شتاء 2008/2009، كما وإنها ساندت الهجوم الإسرائيلي على أسطول الحرية حيث وصفته بـ"أسطول إرهابي" يسعى لإمداد غزة "بالأسلحة والمتفجرات"، ما يناقض رأي المجتمع الدولي والأمم المتحدة الذي أقر بأن الهجوم الإسرائيلي على سفينة الحرية يشكل خرقاً للقانون الدولي.

في أيار 2009، بعد المجزرة الإسرائيلية على قطاع غزة المحتل، تأسست حملة طلاب فلسطين للمقاطعة الأكاديمية لإسرائيل (PSCABI) بمساندة كافة الكتل الطلابية في الجامعات الفلسطينية، مناشدة العالم مقاطعة إسرائيل وعدم التعاون مع المؤسسات الصهيونية الداعمة للإحتلال والإستعمار والفصل العنصري الإسرائيلي[1]. في نيسان الماضي، وإحياءً للذكرى الثانية والستين للنكبة، أصدر الشباب الفلسطيني موقفاً موحداً ضد التطبيع بكافة أشكاله مع إسرائيل[2]. في هذا البيان، أكدت كافة الإتحادات الطلابية في الأراضي المحتلة على تمسكها بـ "حقنا المشروع في مقاومة الإحتلال والإستعمار الإسرائيلي حسب الأعراف القوانين الدولية" كما وأعلنت عن "رفضها للتطبيع مع الكيان الصهيوني على على كل الأصعدة، سياسيا واقتصاديا وثقافيا لما فيه من إضفاء للشرعية وبناء علاقات “طبيعية” مع كيان غاصب ومحتل ينتهك حقوق شعبنا، ويسلب ارضنا بمخططاته الاستعمارية ويستمر في تهجيرنا ومنعنا من العودة إلى ديارنا متحديا بذلك كل قرارت الشرعية الدولية."

في هذا البيان وقف الشباب الفلسطيني متحدين في رفضهم المشاركة في تحسين صورة إسرائيل أمام العالم بأية طريقة كانت، وأكدوا على إمتناعهم عن المشاركة في أي لقاءات مع الإسرائيليين والمجموعات الصهيونية التي لا تقوم على أساس الاعتراف بالحقوق الوطنية الفلسطينية لأن هذه اللقاءات "تعطي صورة زائفة عن ‘طرفين‘ متوازيين لا عداوة بينهما وتتجاهل جذر القضية أي الإحتلال والفصل العنصري وبالتالي تساهم في اضفاء الشرعية عليهما." كما وأكد البيان على رفض الشباب الفلسطيني "لمساعي الكيان الصهيوني واصدقائه في العالم نحو دفعنا لإستجداء حقوقنا وإقناع الإسرائيلي بها بدلاً من مقاومة الاحتلال بكافة الطرق المشروعة لانتزاعها."

يأتي موقف الشباب الفلسطيني الموحد ضد التطبيع استنادا إلى نداء المجتمع المدني الفلسطيني لمقاطعة إسرائيل وسحب الاستثمارات منها وفرض العقوبات عليها(BDS) [3]، والذي وقعت عليه أكثر من 170 شبكة وإئتلاف وإتحاد فلسطيني بما في ذلك تحالف القوى الوطنية والإسلامية وكافة الاتحادات النقابية الفلسطينية والاتحاد العام للمرأة الفلسطينية والتحالف العالمي لحق العودة وشبكة المنظمات الأهلية الفلسطينية والعديد من الائتلافات والاتحادات والشبكات والحملات الأخرى التي تمثل الغالبية الساحقة للمجتمع المدني الفلسطيني.

بناءً على ما سبق، نناشدكم، سعادة السفير، إلغاء مشاركتكم في الفعالية التي ينظمها إتحاد SAUJS الصهيوني، ورفض التعامل معه وكافة المؤسسات الصهيونية الأخرى ما دامت تساند إسرائيل في إضطهادها لشعبنا، تأكيداً منكم على وحدة قوى شعبنا ومؤسساته في كل مكان في رفض التعامل مع إسرائيل وكأنها دولة عادية لا تمارس الاحتلال والتمييز العنصري ورفض المساومة على مبادئنا وحقوقنا الوطنية.

وقع عليه:

حملة المقاطعة الطلابية في قطاع غزة*

جامعة بيرزيت – مجلس الطلبة

جامعة النجاح – مجلس الطلبة

جامعة الخليل – مجلس الطلبة

جامعة بيت لحم – مجلس الطلبة

الجامعة الأمريكية في جنين- مجلس الطلبة

جامعة القدس – مجلس الطلبة

كلية فلسطين التقنية في العروب-مجلس الطلبة

*تحظى الحملة بتأييد كافة الكتل والقوى الطلابية في قطاع غزة المحتل

Churches, unions back Israel boycott

A growing number of unions across Australia have backed the international boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign targeting Israel. The campaign demands that Israel ends its apartheid-like policies towards Palestinians.

The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) said in a July 20 statement that it would “continue to add its voice to the call for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine and condemning all acts of terrorism”.

“In solidarity with Palestinian Christians, the NCCA asks its member Churches and the wider Australian community to consider a boycott of goods produced by Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

NCCA general secretary Reverend Tara Curlewis said: “We are asking the member Churches of the NCCA to consider boycotting particular goods produced in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

“It is hoped that such actions will liberate the people from an experience of injustice to one where a just and definitive peace may be reached.”

Curlewis said the NCCA called for an immediate end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza: “The NCCA will stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and act for an end to the injustice and suffering borne by the people.”

The statement said the NCCA’s aid agency, Act for Peace, would encourage churches around Australia to help actions on the boycott and support initiatives calling for a just, peaceful end to the conflict.

The council of the Queensland Teachers’ Union voted to support the BDS campaign, joining a joined a growing list of Australian unions calling for an boycott of Israel, Auspalestine.org said on July 24.

On August 4, the Queensland branch of the Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union issued a resolution calling for an end to illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, and resolved to support the BDS campaign.

California Scholars for Academic Freedom Statement on the UCI 11

9 August 2010

The University of California at Irvine has been in the news this year because of an act of civil disobedience staged at the Michael Oren speech in February. 11 students, some of whom were members of the UCI Muslim Student Union, punctually disrupted the speech with brief slogans before being willingly escorted from the venue. The Israeli Ambassador, however, was able to continue and complete his message on behalf of Israel. While many in the press and elsewhere have become sudden experts in 1st Amendment rights and free speech law and condemned the “Irvine 11”, many teachers, researchers and students have understood the event as an illustration that the university, as an institution, is a vital space where all speech should be possible – including principled acts of civil disobedience – but one that is endangered by the failure of campus administrations to uphold these core values and to understand who they serve.

The members of California Scholars for Academic Freedom find ourselves addressing the UC Irvine administration with grave concern over the administration’ s treatment of UCI’s Muslim Student Union, a campus group that has been consistently the target of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and other groups for years. Despite a lawsuit, launched by the ZOA and dismissed as “groundless” by the Department of Justice, despite the constant attentions of Campus Watch, despite the targeting of UCI students and faculty by racist hate mail, despite the consistent presence of Zionist agitators on campus and at every event supported or organized by the MSU, despite nearly a decade in a climate of hostility about which the administration has done very little, the MSU continues to thrive and to contribute to campus and community life in countless ways. In recognition of their achievements and record of service to the community, UCI’s Cross Cultural Center bestowed their first annual Award for Community Service to the MSU in 2009-2010. It is striking that the administration has seen fit to censure and suspend this very campus group. What explanation can the administration offer to the campus community to account for this radical discrepancy?

The decision to suspend the MSU can only be read in light of the pressure brought to bear on the administration by the ZOA and like-minded groups. The administration’ s decision is now and will continue to be understood as censorship of political speech critical of Israel and censorship of lawful activism on behalf of Palestinian human rights. Zionist advocates have stated in the conventional and online press that this is exactly the message they want to send to the UC administration and to the campus community (OC Weekly Matt Coker, Wed., Feb. 17 2010). None of the arguments proffered in the Cornish letter, which explains UCI’s logic and defense of the decision to collectively punish the MSU for the activism of some of its members, can convince reasonable people that this decision has not been taken unilaterally. Nor does it reflect past practice; in the past, right-wing political groups have enjoyed great license to disrupt events organized by the MSU without provoking campus censure. All of this is to say that the judgment of UCI’s administration has been compromised. We, as California Scholars for Academic Freedom, can only conclude that fairness and the fundamental mission of the university to protect freedom of thought, critical disagreement and the political speech of its scholars and students have been superseded by other values. What are the values to take the place of fairness, equality, intellectual freedom and freedom to speak politically? UCI’s administration has proposed “civility” while behaving – for instance in its decision to suspend the MSU and its intimidation of individual students involved in the Oren protest – as if the uncivil speech of outside pressure groups constitutes an unquestionable truth about the actions of activist students.

Collective punishment of the MSU for the actions of individuals is obviously unacceptable and runs counter to community norms. The punishment of individuals for engaging in a planned, serious, principled, non-violent protest, especially a protest in which the target of protest was able to deliver his message, is obviously unacceptable and runs counter to every value that is at the core of the university’s mission. Indeed in the history of the UC system sanction such as that considered by UCI’s administration has been reserved for serious ethical infractions like cheating and harassment or for reckless behavior associated with fraternity life. Even in cases that reasonable people would consider might warrant sanctioning – for instance, in cases of racial incitement such as hanging a noose in the UCSD library – sanctions have not been used. Further, the MSU has recorded incidents of disruption of the speech of their invited speakers by pro-Zionist groups and made these recordings available on its website. UCI’s administration did not respond to those recorded incidents – which parallel the Oren incident – with concern over civility or the first amendment rights of MSU speakers.

The mission of the university is to secure, promote and protect the freedom of speech and thought of its students and scholars. It is not the mission of the UC system to provide an uncritical venue for the ambassador of Israel to spread his political message. It is not the mission of UCI to censure student activism for fear of repercussions in the form of loss of corporate or foundation dollars as is now rumored (in the pages of the Los Angeles Times). Indeed, the UCI administration should be doing everything in its power to allay fears that special interests of outside pressure groups have any influence on campus decisions affecting the constitution of student groups or the free expression of controversial ideas.

The failure of the UCI administration to clarify the principles of intellectual and political free speech and to underline the fundamental truth that the campus – any campus – must be a place where all voices are heard, where the traditions of civil disobedience are known and taught, where the courage of the civil rights movement is not forgotten and where principled disagreement is not only sanctioned but encouraged, these failures are aggravated by the UCI administration’ s one success – its unfailing responsiveness to the complaints of pro-Israeli pressure groups.

No student group can match the raw power of a sovereign state, and certainly the MSU is vulnerable to the political forces that oppose it and any declaration of Palestinian human rights or criticism of Israel. It is the responsibility of the university to protect student groups when they engage in principled political speech of an unpopular kind. It is the responsibility of the university to behave and to respond as an institution of higher learning rather than as a corporate entity more concerned about legal indemnity and the happiness of potential or actual donors than modeling ideals. That there now exists a fundamental doubt over UCI’s actual commitments is a shame but not one caused by any student action. Rather, the relentless assault of the ZOA on the UCI MSU has caused the administration to lose its focus and forget its primary responsibility. We do not exist to constantly manage the peculiar hostility of outside pressure groups.

Our purpose is to promote, foster and cultivate exactly the kind of idealism and outspokenness exhibited by the Irvine 11, and for this reason we condemn the decision of UCI administration to suspend the MSU and call for its full re-instatement. Once the MSU is fully reinstated, then a principled debate and discussion of US foreign policy in relation to Palestine will be possible.

Contact: jess.ghannam@ ucsf.edu

Gaza Students Condemn Eilat Funjoya Student Festival

A few days ago various Israeli media agencies announced the launching of the Funjoya Student Festival in Eilat. This festival will take place during 2-4 September. Tourism Ministry of Apartheid Israel has invested around one million dollars in this project.

Students from Western Europe and the US are expected to participate in this event whose organizers are cooperating with international student bodies such as Project Birthright and the World Union of Jewish Students which in their turn are promoting it on campuses internationally.

It comes as no surprise to us, imprisoned students in Gaza, that Israel is desperately trying to whitewash its crimes in such a manner. After bombing our homes, factories, hospitals, schools and universities and taking the lives of over 1434 individuals, including more than 413 Palestinian children, in 2009 and then massacring nine peace activists aboard the humanitarian Mavi Marmara in 2010, Israel is most definitely busying itself in beautifying its image on the international scene in a Hasbara campaign. This time it targets students.

From under a most brutal siege humanity has witnessed during this modern age, we urge all students around the globe to boycott this festival We ask: will it speak about the cultural confiscation, the occupation of Palestinian history, the system of racial discrimination, home demolition, settlement expansion, settler colonialism and land expropriation? Will it tell of how apartheid Israel slices the West Bank into Bantustans separated by more than 600 checkpoints and a monstrous Apartheid Separation Wall preventing Palestinians from access to local hospitals, schools and universities, not to mention their families and relatives?

Like the historical moment that Sharpeville 1960 created when the White police force shot and killed 69 Black peaceful demonstrators, Gaza 2009 and the killing of more than 434 Palestinian children has created a spark worldwide. During the attacks of 2009, more than 34 campus occupations took place in Britain and other countries. In the US, student senate of Hampshire College became the first student union in America to divest from some companies having ties with Israel, followed by University of Michigan, Dearborn and later UC, Berkley.

Students from around the world should unite against war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by apartheid Israel until it complies with international law.

We, therefore, appeal to students all over the world to join us in our struggle for freedom, justice and equality. We extend our hands to them to come and visit the Gaza Strip instead and show us true student to student solidarity.

As South African archbishop Desmund Tutu once said “if you choose to be neutral in situations of injustice, then you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” And we urge you herein: don’t choose the wrong side of history.

PSCABI (Palestinian Students' Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel)

Endorsed by:

University Teachers' Association in Palestine

Ashton Kutcher visits occupied Hebron and Nablus as Israeli guest, wearing an army hat?!

Actor Ashton Kutcher, another one of Hollywood’s Kabbalah casualties, had come to visit Israel as a guest of the Kabbalah Center in Tel Aviv. On Saturday night Kutcher even partied in the birthday party of the Center’s founder, Rabbi Shraga Berg.

Yesterday, Kutcher took his spiritual trip one step too far: he went with his Israeli hosts to visit the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and the so-called “Joshua’s Grave” in a Palestinian village called Kafel-Hareth, near Nablus. At the grave, he was greeted by Colonel Avi Gil, commander of the Ephraim Brigade, who presented him with the brigade’s baseball hat.

The Ephraim Brigade is in charge of the Palestinian cities of Tul Karem and Kalkiliah, and the area east of them.

In the picture below, published on the Israeli news site walla.co.il [Hebrew], you can see Kutcher wearing the brigade’s hat yesterday evening, during a basketball game of the Israeli national team in Tel Aviv (more pics here). The caption at the bottom of the article says that Kutcher is “looking looks like an overly enthusiastic Birthright kid“.

‘NYT’ piece from Dead Sea ‘kibbutz’ ignores int’l boycott of its products

In “As it Shrinks, the Dead Sea Nourishes Promises of an Economic Bloom,” [New York Times, yesterday, p. A8], Isabel Kershner presents a rosy picture of what she calls the Israeli “kibbutz” of Kalia, situated on the shores of Dead Sea. Kalia is, in actuality, an illegal Jewish-only settlement implanted in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank by Israel. (All settlements in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank are illegal under international law.).

But Kalia is not just any settlement: Kershner fails to mention that it is a co-owner of Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories (Kalia holds 7.5% of the company’s shares), a cosmetics firm whose main factory is also located on stolen Palestinian territory. Ahava is the target of a growing international boycott campaign because of its illegal practices, including the sourcing of raw materials from from Palestinian land. Indeed, sources inside Israel allege that Ahava excavates mud used in its products from the shores of the very settlement of Kalia described in Kershner’s article. This excavation and export of minerals in occupied territory is against international law (the Geneva Conventions explicitly forbid the “exploitation of occupied resources by the occupying power”).

Dianna Krall jazzes up Ra’anana, leaving politics aside.

It takes a singular talent for a singer to perform outdoors in Ra’anana on a sweaty, muggy evening and make the audience feel as if they were in an air conditioned club, listening to cool jazz amid the tinkle of ice cubes in a glass.

It also takes a singular talent for the wife of Elvis Costello, the singer who dissed the country a few months back by refusing to perform here on ‘political grounds,’ to come and play in such a way that people no longer wished a pox on the Costello house, simply because she lives in that house.

Color me provincial, but I would have been bowled over had she stepped on stage in that black, sleeveless dress of hers and mangled some innocuous Hebrew phrase, or said, “Hello Israel,” or something at all to acknowledge that she was playing here, in Israel, and not in Belgrade, or Bucharest, or Beirut, where she was the night before.

Meg Ryan snubs J'lem Festival after ‘Mavi Marmara.’

Hollywood actors such as Meg Ryan backed out of attending this year’s annualJerusalem Film Festival, which is set to kick off this coming Thursday, following the international outcry over Israel’s attack on a Turkish-led flotilla that attempted to break the Gaza blockade on May 31, The Jerusalem Post learned Monday.

According to Cinematheque associate director Yigal Molad Hayo, while neither gave the political climate as a direct reason for canceling their participation in the festival, “it became quite clear that this was the reason,” he said.

LEBANON: Supermarket chain won't sell Melitta coffee filters with Hebrew writing on package

“We saw that they are from Israel so we sent them back," one of the retail assistants said to a customer. "Don’t worry. We will be getting Melitta’s from America instead."

No, they’re not from Israel. Though the sight of the Jewish state’s official language is enough to make some foes of Israel recoil, Melitta’s European Article Number, a bar code listed on all products from the continent, shows that the filters were made in Germany.

The U.S. government alleges that T.S.C., in cahoots with PWC, inflated the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables in their contracts with the Pentagon. After PWC paid T.S.C.’s inflated invoice, T.S.C. paid a kickback to PWC in the form of a 10% rebate.

PWC and T.S.C. have provided U.S. troops in the Middle East with food supplies since 2003.

Johnny Rotten defends Israel tour with his own brand of anti-Arab racism

The not so anti-establishment John Lydon, ex-frontman for the Sex Pistols, is proving himself to as rubbish at politics as he is at music. Unlike other prominent artists, Lydon is going ahead with a tour of apartheid Israel. In defence of his move he displayed his anti-Arab racism and ignorance in his interview with the UK's Independent newspaper:

"I really resent the presumption that I'm going there to play to right-wing Nazi jews," he tells me. "If Elvis-fucking-Costello wants to pull out of a gig in Israel because he's suddenly got this compassion for Palestinians, then good on him. But I have absolutely one rule, right? Until I see an Arab country, a Muslim country, with a democracy, I won't understand how anyone can have a problem with how they're treated."