The Academic Friends of Israel 

Vol. 8 No 13                                                                             20 December 2009 

The view from Britain – now is the season of goodwill, but not where Israel is concerned  

As the first anniversary of Israel’s  “Cast Lead “ operation in Gaza approaches, pro-Palestinian supporters in Britain are cranking up the pressure and making life just that bit more difficult for Jews and particularly Anglo Jewry.

The warrant for the arrest of Tzipi Livni brings into relief once more the intentions of the Palestinian supporters. They are forcing Israelis to remain within the state of Israel whilst at the same timecalling for the restoration of that same land to the Palestinians.  

No one seems to have learnt the lessons of history. If the international community including Britain, allow this state of affairs, Israel becomes a ghetto - think York [1190], Frankfurt [1241] and Warsaw [1943]. Those examples show us clearly that if as Jews we do not live on land which is ours by right there is one sorry end thatis the intention of our enemies.

Ronnie Fraser

Digest Contents 

The View from Britain 

1. UK to review war crimes warrants after Tzipi Livni arrest row

2. UK says West Bank produce must be marked 'settlement' or 'Palestinian'

3. Bongani Masuku, who was found guilty of inciting hatred against Jews, given platform by the UCU to peddle his message of hate 

4. UCU chooses image of Albert Einstein as part of protest campaign 

5. Carol services vilifying Israel 

 6. UCU to campaign against Antisemitism 

7. LSE Student Union passes motion to twin with Islamic University of Gaza

8. Popular Jewish School JFS broke race laws, court rules

9. Why the Queen has never visited Israel: the Foreign Office is prejudiced

International

10. Anti-Israel Boycott Proposal Costs NTNU Funded Professorship

11. Gaza by the Numbers: One Year after Operation Cast Lead 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

1. UK to review war crimes warrants after Tzipi Livni arrest row 

 

A British court issued an arrest warrant for Tzipi Livni, Israel's former foreign minister over war crimes allegedly committed in Gaza this year – only to withdraw it when it was discovered that she was not in the UK. She had been due to address a meeting in London but cancelled her visit in advance. The warrant marks the first time an Israeli minister or former minister has faced arrest in the UK and is evidence of a growing effort to pursue war crimes allegations under "universal jurisdiction." 

The Israeli government has now ordered its ministers not to visit Britain until a new law is introduced allowing them to enter the country without fear of arrest

For further information see:

Livni arrest warrant will be last, insists Miliband

http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/25083/livni-arrest-warrant-will-be-last-insists-miliband

Full legal opinion sent to government by the Jewish Leadership Council

http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/25186/full-legal-opinion-sent-government-jlc

Livni crisis deepens as Israel bans UK visits

http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/25181/livni-crisis-deepens-israel-bans-uk-visits

Israel ministers to boycott UK over arrest row

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6962901.ece 

Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor meets with Foreign Secretary David Miliband - Statement on attempted issue of arrest warrant against Tzipi Livni

 http://london.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/missionhome.asp?MissionID=34&

UK-Israeli ties in crisis as Miliband calls for changes to legal system  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/6821532/Tzipi-Livni-arrest-warrant-provokes-Britain-Israel-diplomatic-row.html 

Telegraph View: the Foreign Office owes Tzipi Livni, Israel's former foreign minister, an apology. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/6820114/Tzipi-Livni-cancelled-visit-no-way-to-treat-an-ally.html

 2. UK says West Bank produce must be marked 'settlement' or 'Palestinian'

 

As we predicted earlier this year the British Government has decided that all food produce sold in Britain will have to be labelled “produce of the West Bank (Israeli settlement produce)” or “produce of the West Bank (Palestinian produce)”. The Government has decided that produce from Israeli settlements may not be labelled “produce of Israel” because the area is not within the state’s internationally recognised boundaries. Traders labelling goods from the occupied territories as Israeli produce also face possible enforcement action for breaching EU legislation.

 

The Government’s opposition to boycotts of Israel is inconsistent with these guidelines, which appear to have been published after meeting with of NGO’s such as Oxfam and War on Want who have been highly critical of Israel’s Gaza campaign. War on Want said that “The government should impose an immediate and total ban on the sale of settlement goods in Britain.” According to the British Government this isn’t a boycott call but their politically motivated actions have created an atmosphere which will allow the boycotting of Israeli goods to thrive.

Jerusalem Post: UK says West Bank produce must be marked 'settlement' or 'Palestinian'

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1260447411794&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull 

Board of Deputies of British Jews Statement: Labelling of Settlement Produce

http://www.boardofdeputies.org.uk/page.php/Board_Statement:_Labelling_of_Settlement_Produce/330/103/3

War on Want press release: Advice on settlers' goods slated

http://www.waronwant.org/news/press-releases/16738-advice-on- settlers-goods-slated 

For information about UK trade with the settlements see:

UK economic links with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory  http://www.soas.ac.uk/lawpeacemideast/file49531.pdf  

3. Bongani Masuku who was found guilty of inciting hatred against Jews given platform by the UCU to peddle his message of hate  

Earlier this month BRICUP [British Universities for Palestine] organised several “Boycott Apartheid Israel” events at some of our Universities with one Palestinian academic and three South African trade unionists as guest speakers. The tour was sponsored by the British NGO, War on Want. One of the South Africans, Bongani Masuku is a racist trade unionist, who has made numerous inflammatory, threatening and insulting statements” against the South African Jewish community.

 Earlier this year the UCU Congress approved a resolution from boycotters at the University of Brighton to hold a BDS conference in the autumn. It was probable that the motion was submitted with the approval of members of the UCU Executive Committee who are also members of Bricup. 

What has since emerged is that is the University and College union [UCU] paid for Bongani Masuku and his colleagues to come to Britain so they could attend a private, by invitation only, UCU Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions[BDS] conference. This arrangement ensured that the major cost of Bricup’s “Boycott Apartheid Israel” tour was covered.  

However it all went pear shaped for the UCU when the South African Human Rights Commission released its findings that week, in which it unequivocally found that Masuku’s statements amounted to hate speech and recommended that the matter would best be resolved through litigation before the Equality Court to seek a public apology from him. As a result of the close relationship between the leadership of the UCU and Bricup, very little has been said publically by the UCU, even to its members, about either Mr Masuku or the BDS conference, nor has it admitted it made a mistake by inviting him. 

The Board of Deputies of British Jews [BOD] speaks for many of us when it said: “As the largest Union in Further and Higher Education and a self-proclaimed campaigner against racism, it is irresponsible and grossly offensive of UCU to bring Bongani Masuku to the UK, given his track record. UCU has chosen to connect its boycott activities to Antisemitism by hosting a man who was found to have engaged in hate speech against Jews. It was unacceptable for UCU to ignore Mr Masuku’s well-publicised remarks before choosing to invite him. The scornful dismissal by UCU of Jewish concerns over the presence of Masuku on British campuses is simply not good enough.”

The BOD statement continued; “It is now hard to see how UCU can continue to play a constructive role in the Government Group on Antisemitism and Higher Education when its latest actions are likely to encourage anti-Semitism. The Government should review UCU’s membership of this group as it has failed to oppose anti-Semitism inside its own structures. UCU cannot credibly be a part of the solution to anti-Semitism while its activities are encouraging the problem.”
 

For more information see:  

Statement from the Board of Deputies, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Leadership about Bongani Masuku

http://www.boardofdeputies.org.uk/page.php/STATEMENT_ABOUT_BONGANI_MASUKU/327/103/3 

South African found guilty of inciting hatred against Jews to lead anti-Israel tour in UK

www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259831465665&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull 

Bricup tours hate speaker around British universities

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/12/03/bricup-tours-hate-speaker-around-british-universities/

The South African Human Rights Commission found that Bongani Masuku’s statements amounted to hate speech.

http://engageonline.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/bongani-masuku-bricup-boycott/

Bongani Masuku an invited guest of the UCU

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/12/04/bongani-masuku-an-invited-guest-of-ucu/

Bongani Masuku my constitutional right to hate speech

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/12/04/bongani-masuku-my-constitutional-right-to-hate-speech/

UCU activists list happy with hate speaker

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/12/05/ucu-activists-list-happy-with-hate-speaker/

You can watch a video of the Bricup event at SOAS in London described by one member of the audience as a “Tirade of antisemitic discourse and Israel hate” Here: http://www.inminds.co.uk/case4boycott.4dec09.php 

When Jonathan Hoffman, co vice-chair of the Zionist Federation, read out his question for Mr. Masuku at the SOAS meeting, members of the audience booed and shouted "Jewish" at him......

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/12/19/jew-ish/ 

 

 4. UCU chooses image of Albert Einstein as part of protest campaign 

 

It is rather ironic that the UCU has chosen a giant image of Albert Einstein as part of its protests against plans to change research funding in Britain. Albert Einstein, along with Chaim Weitzman founded the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1925 and the Hebrew University is one of the Israeli institutions that the UCU is encouraging us to boycott. I hope the UCU had permission from the Hebrew University to use his image and have paid the necessary royalties because in 1986 the Einstein estate bequeathed the royalties from use of his image to The Hebrew University as well as all his personal papers which are now in the Hebrew University's Albert Einstein Archives. 

If Albert Einstein had been alive today would the UCU still have chosen to boycott him and the Hebrew University?

 

Einstein's image was chosen by UCU because one of his quotes about research sums up the union's campaign. Talking about research he famously said: 'If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?'

 

See http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4355

 

 

5. Carol services vilifying Israel

Israel-bashing behind closed doors

On Tuesday night around 60 people demonstrated outside St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden in an interfaith protest at the doctored carols vilifying Israel which were being sung in the church in an event organised by Jews. Ben White, Jenny Tonge (”The pro-Israeli lobby has got its grips on the western world, its financial grips. I think they’ve probably got a grip on our party”) and Lauren Booth were inside. So – amazingly – was John Sullivan, who was introduced to a police officer on his way into the Church.I recorded an interview for BBC radio about the event on Monday. I had been expecting to hear the report on the event – with soundbites from the interview – on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning. But it wasn’t broadcast, because the Vicar refused to allow the BBC to record any of the carol service.I wonder if it was because he had last minute second thoughts, like the Vicar of St James’ Piccadilly seemed to have had after he hosted the event last year ….

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/12/10/israel-bashing-behind-closed-doors/

 Board of Deputies of British Jews statement: Disgraceful alternative Carol service

http://www.boardofdeputies.org.uk/page.php/BOARD_STATEMENT:_DISGRACEFUL_'AERNATIVE'_CAROL_SERVICE/328/103/3 

Carols with Caryl and more

On Tuesday night a group of Jews and Christians protested outside Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church at the PSC’s Carol Service, with Caryl Churchill, author of “Seven Jewish Children”.The vicar of the Church, Simon Perry, buys into the PSC’s propaganda. He is on record as supporting the event and believes “people here would endorse the PSC”.

 He supports a boycott of Israeli goods and fails to see anything antisemitic about “Seven Jewish Children”.Here is what happened outside the church. Listen to what a Jew hater says:“Everybody in Britain can see what a nasty unpleasant type of people the Jewish people are in England … if you’re living in England and you behave like this, you’re parasites. You should take the part of English people. English people are basically Christian … and you should be abiding to the type of life we live in England….To read the full story:

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/12/02/carols-with-caryl-and-more/ 

 

6. UCU to campaign against Antisemitism 

The UCU is putting on three one-day seminars about the dangers of anti-Semitism to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January 2010. This is in line with the Equality Committee resolution that was passed at this year’s UCU Congress.   The seminars will cover areas including: The Holocaust, Jewish Resistance to the Holocaust and Historical Anti-Semitism in Europe: Patterns and Explanations.  

Although the idea of running a programme to educate UCU members on the rise and dangers of Antisemitism is urgently needed, this event lacks total credibility for a number of reasons:  

The UCU has yet to produce a definition of Antisemitism which includes either the EUMC definition or wording similar to that definition.  Any UCU campaign that uses a definition of Antisemitism which is not acceptable to the Jewish community in Britain is worthless. Do not forget either that the UCU has never accepted the recommendations of the 2006 Parliamentary investigation into Antisemitism or that Antisemitism from the Left and the Middle East exists and is a threat to Anglo Jewry.  Many Left wing members of the UCU, including some of the NEC still believe that Antisemitism from the Right is the only threat that Anglo Jewry faces. 

This probably explains why the panel of “experts” does not include a representative of the Holocaust Education Trust or academics who are accepted as experts in the study of Antisemitism. What could be an educational event of value is nothing but a sham. 

With a track record of refusing to investigate claims of institutional Antisemitism and the use of hate speech against Jews in the debates over the boycott, will the UCU now start to put its own house in order- Highly unlikely.For details of UCU seminars:

 http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/rtf/UCU222.rtf  

7. LSE Student Union passes motion to twin with Islamic University of Gaza

Students at the London School of Economics and Political Science voted in favour by 161 votes to 131 of the motion “Twinning with the Islamic University of Gaza”. Despite attempts by those in opposition of the motion to inform student voters about the heavily Hamas-affiliated University, the motion passed. The Islamic University of Gaza’s (IUG) links to Hamas are undeniable. The Islamic University’s founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, went on to found Hamas ten years later along with two other IUG professors. Fatah officials reported finding 1,000 Qassam rockets, grenades, and rocket-making materials on university grounds in 2007. Hamas’ military brigade leader admitted to using “our fighters at Islamic University in preparations to fight the Zionists.”

 Sixteen Islamic University professors are Hamas representatives in the Palestinian legislature.This one-sided and highly politicised resolution makes no mention of Israel’s right to self-defence nor the 10,000 missiles fired at Israel for eight years prior to the action in Gaza.

Since the LSE Governing Council, clearly stated in 2007, that it will not approve any political statements on the Israel-Palestine conflict, the proposers of the motions have clearly failed in their attempt to make a political statement on behalf of the LSE. But never the less it is extremely upsetting that the student body has agreed to twin with the Hamas controlled Islamic University of Gaza, knowing that Hamas has made it clear that it does not to recognise Israel's right to exist. Implementation of such a motion can only make life on campus more difficult for LSE’s many Jewish and Israeli students and academics. 

The resolution also instructs the student body to name a room in the student union building after a Palestinian student killed by Israel Defence Forces and to erect a plaque on LSE campus to commemorate the twinning with The Islamic University of Gaza.

The full motion can be read here:

http://www.lsesu.com/pages/ugm_motions_26_november.html

8. Popular Jewish School JFS broke race laws, court rules

In a landmark legal decision, judges at the Supreme Court found the Jewish Free School, a comprehensive in north-west London, had broken the law by refusing to admit the boy, known as M. It had denied the boy, who is a practising Jew, a place because it has twice as many applicants as it can take and prioritises children whose mothers are recognised as Jewish by the chief rabbi.M's mother converted from Catholicism to Judaism under a non-Orthodox authority, which means she is not recognised as Jewish by the chief rabbi.

The chief rabbi only recognises children as Jewish if he recognises their mothers as Jewish. M's father took the school to court claiming racial discrimination. In June, the court of appeal ruled in his favour. It said the school's policy amounted to racial discrimination because it prioritised applications from children with Jewish mothers. But the school appealed and took the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court judges ruled by a majority of five to four that the school had "directly discriminated against M on grounds of his ethnic origins" and was in breach of the Race Relations act.

Reading out the judgment, Lord Phillips, president of the supreme court, said: "The supreme court has dismissed the appeal by the governing body of JFS. The majority held that JFS had directly discriminated against M on grounds of his ethnic origins."Lord Phillips added that the judges did not consider the chief rabbi to be racist. The judgment "should not be read as criticising the admissions policy of JFS on moral grounds, or suggesting it was 'racist' in the pejorative sense," he said........

To read the full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/dec/16/jewish-school-loses-appeal

 This ruling creates more problems than it resolves

 http://www.thejc.com/comment/comment/25176/this-ruling-creates-more-problems-it-resolves

JFS: ‘A Christian solution for a Jewish school’

http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/25167/jfs-a-christian-solution-a-jewish-school%E2%80%99

 JFS: we must find a workable solution

http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/25045/jfs-we-must-find-a-workable-solution 

Jerusalem Post: Yet another defect in UK law

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1260930881798&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

To read the Supreme Court Judgement http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/docs/uksc_2009_0105_judgmentV2.pdf 

9. Why the Queen has never visited Israel: the Foreign Office is prejudiced 

 No member of the royal family has visited this Middle East democracy, a sure sign of Britain’s lukewarm friendship One area of policy over which the Foreign Office has traditionally held great sway is in the question of royal visits. It is therefore no coincidence that, although the Queen has made more than 250 official overseas visits to 129 different countries during her reign, neither she nor one single member of the British royal family has ever been to Israel on an official visit.............

To read the full story: 

http://thejc.com/comment/comment/25095/israel-foreign-office-prejudiced  

10. Anti-Israel Boycott Proposal Costs NTNU Funded Professorship

Anti-Israel activists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway, have cost the university the support of one of its most prominent donors, real estate and hotel magnate Olav Thon, who according to Forbes.com is worth $2 billion. Thon has given the university 300,000 Kroner ($52,500) annually for the past few years to support an adjunct professorship- Not any more.Two days before the University rejected a proposal to divest from Israel . Thon sent a letter to NTNU stating that while he expected the school to vote the proposal down, he was cutting off future donations to the university.

According to this report (based on a Google translation of a Norwegian newspaper article), Thon was not interested in supporting an institution where politics takes precedence over good research. The $52,000 Thon gave to the school annually may seem like a small amount, but according to this report, he is setting up a charitable foundation to disburse his fortune after his death. The question for the fundraisers at NTNU is whether Thon will relent and allow this foundation to donate to the school after his death, or will his judgement be final?

The lesson for the boycotters in the UCU in Britain - your jobs could be on the line if funders in Britain follow Thon’s example.  http://blog.camera.org/archives/2009/12/antiisrael_boycott_proposal_co.html 

11. Gaza by the Numbers: One Year after Operation Cast Lead

Courtesy of the Israel Project - www.theisraelproject.org

On Dec. 27, 2008, Israel Defence Forces began a defensive operation in Gaza—Operation Cast Lead—to stop Iran-backed Hamas and other terrorist groups from their years-long campaign of firing thousands of rockets, mortars and missiles at Israel.[1] [2] During Operation Cast Lead, Israel focused on dismantling Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure while minimizing civilian casualties.[3] The operation, which ended Jan. 18[4] , was made more difficult – and dangerous – because of Hamas’s widespread use of civilians as human shields.[5] The defensive operation has reduced by 90 percent the number of rocket, missile and mortar attacks on Israel from Gaza.[6]

Following are facts and figures about the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza:

Key Statistics

• 1 million: Israeli civilians under threat from Hamas rocket fire.[7]
• 15: Seconds Israelis have to get to a bomb shelter once a warning siren has sounded.[8]
• 2 million: Leaflets the Israel Air Force dropped on Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, warning civilians to stay clear of Hamas fighters.[9]
• 200,000: Phone calls made by the Israeli army to civilians in Gaza warning of an impending strike near their residences.[10]
• 8: Years Israel has endured rocket, missile and mortar fire from Gaza.[11]
• 1: Israeli left in Gaza – Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit,[12] kidnapped by Hamas from Israel on June 25, 2006.[13]
• 3,200+: Rockets and mortar fired from Gaza in 2008.[14]
• 6,500+: Rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.[15]
• 10,389: Rockets and mortars fired from Gaza 2001-2008.[16]
• 1,000+: People in Israel injured from rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001.[17]
• 27: Number of people killed by Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks since 2001.[18]
• 242: Rockets, missiles and mortars fired at Israel from Gaza since the end of Operation Cast Lead.[19]

Iran-Backed Hamas Terrorism

• 727: Rockets and mortars fired from Gaza, January – September 2009.[20]
• 17: Attacks on Gaza goods crossings by Palestinian terrorist groups in 2008.[21]
• 80: Percent of mosques in Gaza which Hamas reportedly controls, some of which are used for weapons storage, command and communications headquarters.[22]
• 37 mi (60km): Range of Hamas rockets in Gaza acquired after Operation Cast Lead.[23]
• 2.5 mi (4 km): Range of Hamas’s anti-tank missiles, smuggled into Gaza since the end of Operation Cast Lead.[24]
• 1,500: Number of smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt (estimate)[25]
• 59 ft (18 m)/6.8 mi (11 km): Length and depth of metal fence Egypt is building on Sinai-Gaza border to prevent tunnel smuggling operations.[26]
• 22 mi (35 km): Distance between Gaza and Yavneh - the northernmost Israeli city hit by Gaza rockets on Dec. 28, 2009.[27]
• 900: Hamas operatives trained by Iran.[28]
• $20 million - $30 million: Funding Iran provides annually to Hamas. Iran gave Hamas another $50 million following Hamas’s victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections.[29]

Israel’s Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

• 900: Percent increase in humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza in 2009, compared to 2008.[30]
• 630,253: Tons of humanitarian aid delivered to the Gaza Strip, Jan. 19 – Dec. 13, 2009.[31]
• 24.5 million gallons (92.7 million liters): Heavy-duty diesel fuel delivered to the Gaza Strip, Jan. 19 – Oct. 31, 2009.[32]
• 10,346: Gaza residents who entered Israel for medical and humanitarian reasons, Jan.19 – Nov. 7, 2009.[33]
• 57,295 tons: Monthly average of humanitarian aid entering Gaza since Operation Cast Lead, Jan. 19 – Dec. 5, 2009.[34]
• 11,508: Monthly average (in tons) of humanitarian aid entering Gaza from February – June 2008, a period of intense rocket fire.[35]
• 34,253 tons: Monthly average of humanitarian aid entering Gaza during period of calm, July - December 2008.[36]
• 18,500: Permits Israel issued to Gaza residents to enter Israel or travel overseas in 2009.[37]
• 28,400: Flowers from Gaza scheduled for export to Europe on Dec. 10, 2009.[38]
• 250,000: Flowers from Gaza scheduled for export beginning Dec. 13, 2009.[39]


Footnotes: 

[1] IDF Spokesperson’s Unit communiqué, Jan. 3, 2009

[2] “IDF Operation in Gaza: Cast Lead,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jan. 21, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/
Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+and+Islamic+Fundamentalism-/Aerial_strike_weapon_development_center+_Gaza_28-Dec-2008.htm
, accessed Dec. 15, 2009

[3] “IDF Operation in Gaza: Cast Lead,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jan. 21, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/
Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+and+Islamic+Fundamentalism-/Aerial_strike_weapon_development_center+_Gaza_28-Dec-2008.htm
, accessed Dec. 15, 2009

[4] Ravid, Barak, “Cabinet meets on unilateral truce,” Haaretz, Jan. 17, 2009, http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/
1056178.htm
l

[5] Hamas exploitation of civilians as human shields: Photographic evidence, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 6, 2008, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Hamas+exploitation+of+civilians+as+human+shields+-+Photographic+evidence.htm, accessed Dec. 15, 2009

[6] Greenberg, Hanan, “90% drop in rocket attacks since Cast Lead,” YnetNews, Dec. 9, 2009, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3817828,00.html

[7] “Summary of Rocket Fire and Mortar Shelling in 2008,” Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, Jan. 1, 2009, http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/ipc_e007.pdf 

[8] “IDF Operation in the Gaza Strip,” The Military-Strategic Information Section Daily Update – Day 4, Dec. 30, 2008.

[9] “IDF Releases Information on Military Investigations,” website of the IDF, April 22, 2009, http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/09/4/2201.htm; Greenberg, Hanan, “IDF to give better warnings before attacks,” YnetNews, July 29, 2009, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3753851,00.html 

[10] “IDF Releases Information on Military Investigations,” website of the IDF, April 22, 2009, http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/09/4/2201.htm; Greenberg, Hanan, “IDF to give better warnings before attacks,” YnetNews, July 29, 2009, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3753851,00.html 

[11] “Israeli Injuries and Fatalities Due to Rocket and Mortar Fire,” The Israel Project, http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.4277777/k.3E99/Injuries_and_Fatalities_Graph.htm 

[12] Nahmias, Roee, “Report: French doctors examined Gilad Shalit,” YnetNews, Dec. 6, 2009, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3815500,00.html 

 [13] Gilad Shalit: In terrorist captivity since 25 June 2006, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oct. 2, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/Behind+the+Headlines-+Six+months+in+terrorist+captivity+11-Jan-2007.htm, accessed Dec. 15, 2009

[14] IDF Spokesperson’s Unit communiqué, Jan. 3, 2009

[15] IDF Spokesperson’s Unit communiqué, Jan. 3, 2009

[16] IDF Spokesperson’s Unit communiqué, Jan. 3, 2009

[17] “Israeli Injuries and Fatalities Due to Rocket and Mortar Fire,” http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.4277777/k.3E99/Injuries_and_Fatalities_Graph.htm; Kershner, Isabel, “Despite Strikes, Israelis Vow to Soldier On,” The New York Times, Dec. 30, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/world/middleeast/31israel.html?em; “Iran-backed Terrorists in Gaza Kill 3, Wound Others in Continuing Rocket Attacks on Israel,” The Israel Project press release, Dec. 29, 2008, http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=689705&ct=6476363#
contactinfo

 [18] “Total Deaths from Qassams and Mortars,” The Israel Project, http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.3906189/k.EDAC/Rocket_and_Mortar_Fatalities_in_Israel.
htm
, accessed Dec. 14, 2009

[19] Greenberg, Hanan, “90% drop in rocket attacks since Cast Lead,” YnetNews, Sept. 12, 2009, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3817828,00.html

[20] IDF Spokesperson’s Unit communiqué, Oct. 4, 2009

[21] “Palestinian Gunmen, Suicide Bombers, Attempt Attack on Israel-Gaza Border,” The Israel Project, June 8, 2009, http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=689705&ct=7065815&printmode=1

 [22] Katz, Yaakov, “Hamas preparing 'offensive' tunnels,” The Jerusalem Post, Dec. 10, 2009, http://www.jpost.com
/servlet/Satellite?cid=1260181035814&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[23] Katz, Yaakov; Stoil, Rebecca Anna, “Yadlin: ‘Hamas has many 60-km range missiles’,” The Jerusalem Post, Nov. 4, 2009, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1256799085218&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

 [24] Katz, Yaakov, “Hamas preparing 'offensive' tunnels,” The Jerusalem Post, Dec. 10, 2009, http://www.jpost.com
/servlet/Satellite?cid=1260181035814&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[25] El-Khodary, Taghreed, “Goods Flood Gaza’s Tunnels, Turning Border Area Into a Shopping Mecca,” The New York Times, Oct. 21, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/world/middleeast/22rafah.html

[26] Bradley, Matt, “Egypt to build tunnel barrier at Gaza border,” The National, Dec. 10, 2009, http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091211/FOREIGN/712109838/1138

[27] Harel, Amos; Yagna, Yanir, "Rockets fired from Gaza kill 2 Israelis within hour," Haaretz, Dec. 29, 2008, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1050925.html

[28] “Hamas,” Council on Foreign Relations, http://www.cfr.org/publication/8968/, accessed July 7, 2008

 [29] “Hamas," Council on Foreign Relations Web site, http://www.cfr.org/publication/8968/, accessed July 2, 2007; “Iran pledges $50m Palestinian aid,” BBC, April 16, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4914334.stm 

[30] “Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dec. 4, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_
operation_Jan_2009.htm

[31] “Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dec. 4, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_
operation_Jan_2009.htm

[32] “Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dec 4, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_
operation_Jan_2009.htm

[33] “Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dec 4, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_
operation_Jan_2009.htm

[34] “Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dec 4, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_
operation_Jan_2009.htm

[35] “Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dec 4, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_
operation_Jan_2009.htm
 

[36] “Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dec 4, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_
operation_Jan_2009.htm

[37] “Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dec. 4, 2009, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2009/Increased_humanitarian_aid_Gaza_after_IDF_
operation_Jan_2009.htm

[38] “Israel allows flower shipments from Gaza to Europe,” Xinhua, Dec. 10, 2009, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/10/content_12625757.htm

[39] Cunningham, Erin, “Roses for Europe: Israel eases Gaza blockade to allow flower exports,” The Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 10, 2009, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2009/1210/roses-for-europe-israel-eases-gaza-blockade-to-allow-flower-exports

Patron:

The Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks

Advisory Board: 

Dr Manfred Gerstenfeld - Chairman of the Board of Fellows, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Vivian Wineman - President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews

Amir Lev

 John D A Levy - Director of the Academic Study Group on Israel and the Middle East

Andrew R. Marks, M.D. - Columbia University, USA

Dr Robin Stamler

 Professor Leslie Wagner CBERt

 Hon Lord Young of Graffham

The Academic Friends of Israel Ltd is limited by guarantee and registered in England No 5297417.