Reflecting on Comet-ME

Returning back to campus after a great Thanksgiving Weekend, I am excited to be blogging about an Israeli organization that harnesses modern technology to help their Palestinian neighbours in an environmentally friendly way. Comet-ME (Community, Energy and Technology in the MiddleEast) is a group of Israeli scientist and activists that provides communities in the West Bank with solar panels and wind turbines to generate low-cost energy. The organization hopes that this less expensive energy will allow Palestinian students to study at night and will help workers accomplish tasks with greater efficiency and speed to increase local revenues. Coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank are not always peaceful, so I find collaborations such as this one especially heartening. Organizations like Comet-ME send a strong message to the Israeli, Palestinian and international communities that all people deserve basic living conditions, and that there are members of the Israeli public who are willing to give their own time and money to ensure that these conditions are met.

For more information:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1119989.html

http://www.comet-me.org/

By Daphne Jackson, VP Admin, IOC

Celebrating Israel's Bedouin Community!

This Tuesday, Israel on Campus will be celebrating the diversity of Israel with our first social program of the year, Bedouin Night. Many people would be surprised by the amount of diversity that exists among Israeli citizens, which includes Jews, Christians, Muslims, Arabs, Druze, Armenians, Africans, and last, but certainly not least, Bedouins. The Bedouin people are historically a pastoral, nomadic tribe living in the Negev, the southern desert of Israel. They participate in all aspects of Israeli life, including voluntary service in the army and government positions. Taleb al-Sana, an Israeli-Arab of Bedouin origin, is the longest serving Arab member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Ishmael Khaldi is another prominent Israeli Bedouin. He has served for the Israeli Defense Force, the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Israeli Police Force. He has a Masters Degree in Political Science from Tel Aviv University and is currently serving as the Deputy Consul General of Israel in San Francisco. al-Sana and Khaldi are not only amazing examples of the many open opportunities available for all Israeli citizens, but of two strong citizens who are proud of their heritage and of Israel.

Can’t wait to see everyone at the Commons Breezeway this Tuesday at 7:45 PM!

Check out our calendar for more information on Bedouin night!

Sources:

http://www.ishmaelkhaldi.com/

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/29673/from-shepherd-to-diplomat/

By Daphne Jackson, VP Admin, IOC

My tiff with the TIFF

In April 1909, representatives of 66 families gathered on a sand dune north of Yafo to allocate the plots for a new neighborhood – which would later become a large metropolis, Tel Aviv.

A major event at this September’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has brought Israel into the spotlight and has sparked an international debate on censorship and freedom of speech. The City to City program is a new part of the TIFF line-up of films and events at the festival this year and is showcasing Tel Aviv through a series of films to celebrate the city’s centennial. Two weeks ago, a group of prominent members of the film industry signed an open letter called the Toronto Declaration, criticizing the City to City program’s positive portrayal of Tel Aviv, the lack of diversity in the film programme given the absence of Palestinian-focused films, and the alleged ties between the event and the Brand Israel media campaign that was launched in 2008 to promote Israeli culture and achievements. The signatories of the Declaration emphasize that they do not denounce individual Israeli filmmakers or the fact that Israeli films are being shown at TIFF, but rather the use of the festival as a propaganda machine for Israel.

Despite the compelling points made by the signatories of the Declaration (which I encourage you to read in full at http://torontodeclaration.blogspot.com/ ) I cannot accept their argument, because it hinges on the presumption that TIFF is connected to the Brand Israel campaign, an allegation that TIFF organizers have strongly denied. Furthermore, the land that Tel Aviv is situated on is uncontested ground. In 1909, sixty-six Jewish families purchased sand dunes on the outskirts of the port city of Jaffa, which they built into the cosmopolitan city of Tel-Aviv. This leaves me wondering – if the participants in the Declaration do not have any cogent arguments on which to base their accusations, why has their cause gained such widespread interest and attention? The answer, in my opinion, is plain and simple: yet again, those who denounce Israel have found a way to pervert a celebration of Israeli culture and achievement into an attack against Israel. They don’t care about the facts, just the spectacle. As advocates for Israel, it is our role to learn the facts and not be fooled by strongly worded petitions or the influence of famous people.

Source of Photos: http://www.tlv100.co.il

Other Sources and Further Information:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1110750.html

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1982871

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/theres-justice-and-then-theres-propaganda/article1281264/

http://torontodeclaration.blogspot.com/

https://lib.stanford.edu/eliasaf-robinson-tel-aviv-collection/ahuzat-bayit-and-founding-tel-aviv-1909

Reflecting on the Summer

Hamas summer camp for children in elementary school in Northern Gaza. In the Poster: “A victory for Gaza, glory of Jerusalem: Youth to overcome the highest peaks to only recognize Islam as the only religion”. Photo: PALDF

As summer comes to an end and students begin to return to school, I think that now is a great time to take stock of this past summer. I spent this summer working at what I think is one of the greatest places in the world (after Israel of course!) – summer camp. Where else can kids be free of the stresses of homework, family life and responsibility, and be able to come out of their shells, make new friends and challenge themselves with exciting activities? I was shocked by a press release from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) which described the goals and activities of summer camps run by Hamas this past summer. At the seven hundred Hamas-run camps operating in the Gaza Strip this summer, children and teenagers participated in semi-military training, including firearm practices and military drills. Childhood is a trying and confusing time, where the subtle influences of your parents, friends and community have a major impact on the way you will one day choose to lead your life. Being immersed in a military culture from such a young age is not the way to create the leaders necessary for one day finding peace in the Middle East. On the other hand, the camps that Canadian students attended as children have left us with a strong sense of self and outstanding leadership skills. As we return to school and the controversies that inevitably surface on our campuses year after year, I urge Canadian students to harness the leadership skills that they possess and stand up for Israel. Please visit us at the Israel on Campus table at MSU Clubsfest on Wednesday, September 9th to learn more about IOC, meet with members of our executive, and learn more about how you can advocate for Israel.

Source: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/09/08/2901.htm

By Daphne Jackson, VP Admin, IOC