Security Council Resolution Reveals UN Hypocrisy

On the face of it, the United Nations Security Council Resolution adopted on Dec. 23, 2016 on Israel and the Palestinian Territories has merit, reflected in the 14-0 vote in its favour, with the U.S. abstaining.

After all, the Palestinians have been living under Israeli administration since the defeat of the Arab armies in the 1967 war.

Even though the impasse has partly been the fault of the Arab world's intransigence, to the ordinary Palestinians, life under Israeli occupation shows no sign of ending.

But there was more to the UN resolution than meets the eye. The target, it seems, was not Israel but US President-elect Donald Trump.

The expulsion of Russian diplomats from America and new sanctions on Moscow are further indications that outgoing President Barack Obama has descended into unprecedented pettiness to embroil his successor in untangling messes he is creating.

Obama has descended into unprecedented pettiness to embroil his successor in untangling messes.

Coming back to the Security Council vote against Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no secret of his contempt for the Obama administration.
His spokesman, David Keyes, told CNN Israel has "iron-clad" information that the Obama administration was behind the Security Council resolution condemning Israel and that, "not only was the resolution crafted by the Obama administration, it was pushed heavily by it."
The most controversial part of the resolution concerning Israeli settlements in the West Bank was the reference to East Jerusalem as occupied territory, a city that Israel considers its capital, and has vowed to never let fall to non-Jewish sovereignty.

For thousands of years Jews have prayed at the Western Wall and the Temple in East Jerusalem, on top of which invading Arabs built the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome on the Rock in the 7th and 8th centuries.

It is from here that we Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad ascended to the heavens to meet the divine and the Abrahamic prophets that preceded him.

But the fact is, in all of Islam's nearly 1,500-year political history, the city of Jerusalem has not once been accorded the dignity of being the capital of any Islamic empire or caliphate.
Not for the Medina-based "Rightly Guided Caliphs" of the 7th century; the Umayyad dynasty of 8th century Damascus; the Egyptian Shia Fatimids of Cairo in the 10th century; the Arab Sunni Abbasids of Baghdad, who ruled until 1258, or the Ottomans of Istanbul from the 15th to 20th century.

Asking Israel to concede the Temple Mount is like asking Muslims to give up the Kaaba in Mecca.

To ask Israel to give up control of the Temple Mount is equivalent to asking Muslims to give up the Kaaba in Mecca, or for Sikhs to abandon the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Having said that, Israel must end its control of the West Bank east of its security wall and areas in Jerusalem that lie east of the Jewish holy sites.

The Mount of the Olives and areas east of that hill could very well be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

It is in Israel's own interest that the world sees it ending what the UN says is "occupation".
There must be clearly defined borders that ensure the Jewish state's security while the Palestinians have a contiguous country of their own.

As for the UN and its hypocritical moaning over Jewish settlements, perhaps it may want to look beyond its historic anti-Semitism and stop Moroccan settlements in occupied Western Sahara, end Indonesia's occupation of West Papua, and take Pakistan to task for building Chinese settlements in occupied Balochistan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_2334

Just A Rip Roaring Zionist : Stephen Darori's Dating Profile .... in search of ...

Just A Rip Roaring Zionist : Stephen Darori's Dating Profile .... in search of ...: Only someone with a sense of flirty and fun,humour ; a Donald Trump load of chutspa and the knowledge that my online and personal privacy wa...

Stephen Darori's Dating Profile .... in search of a 30's 40's match with a similar flirty and fun sense of humor

Only someone with a sense of flirty and fun,humour ; a Donald Trump load of chutspa and the knowledge that my online and personal privacy was compromised way back decades ago. would try  something like this different  and bit outrageously in such a  style, length and content and also make it a  a romantic educating experience and look for the $$$ where I actually get to the point , sort of ...I am The Midnight Rambler and strangle words like succinct and concise and prefer to be labeled loquaciousness and full of  verbiage, intoxicated by verbosity,tautology which is to say I am full of euphemism and very talkative . I certainly don't talk as I write and stick to one vowel and no more than two syllable words . " The cute kitty cat saw a mat and sat"" . Every one loves $$$ and if you get to the bottom of this novelette..... I will award you with a BA degree with majors English, English Literature, Contemporary History,and Religious Studies 101.

The style of this unusual dating profile novelette follows that used in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test ( if you haven't read it do so .... it is great , there is a free Pdf Copy on line) . This book of Tom Wolfe book was the first novel in the style of New Journalism and was quickly followed by others by Truman Capote, Hunter S. Thompson, Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, Terry Southern, Robert Christgau, Gay Talese ,New Journalism is a style of news writing and journalism, developed in the 1960s and '70s, which used literary techniques deemed unconventional at the time. It is characterized by a subjective perspective, a literary style reminiscent of long-form non-fiction and emphasizing "truth" over "facts," and intensive reportage in which reporters immersed themselves in the stories as they reported and wrote them. This was in contrast to traditional journalism where the journalist was typically "invisible" and facts are reported as objectively as possible.Traditional grammar was also partly dismissed and are neologism frequented used coined at the spur of the moment often a combination of a number of words full with elements of alliteration, onomatopoeia, sibilance, zeugma , syllepsis and synecdoche . Hey google all the other figure of speech by let me help you with synecdoche .A synecdoche is a class of metonymy, often by means of either mentioning a part for the whole or conversely the whole for one of its parts. Examples from common English expressions include "bread and butter" (for "livelihood"), "suits" (for "businesspeople"), and "boots" (for "soldiers") (Pars pro toto), or conversely "America" (for "the United States of America") . Some classical examples , He is an Einstein .... a brilliant person, Quisling (Norwegian PM during WW II) ... a traitor . In Zion ( another example).... Obama has replaced quisling and then there is oye vey Donald Trump and his Trumpism ....the Teflon man , a misogynist, a sexist par excellence , chauvinist, racist , but most of all a paranoid liar , Trump has also become the antonomasia for the king of narcissism replacing the likes of Saddam Hussein ,Liberace, Elvis Presley , Alex Bawdwin , Pablo Picasso ,Marlon Brando and will be Kayne West and Simon Cowell a run for their billions before he is impeached or nukes the world and send us back to the Big Black Hole for rework and repairs. ...... and hey so far I haven't made up any neologisms .... those really are figure of speeches ..... google them and read the Wikipedia Article for each.

$$$ So clearly I love reading ( books, magazines and newspapers both online and especially in print. I consider myself very well read, Dun and funny, chatty and a conversationalist , a good listener with a water proof shoulder; a people's person and an observer of people.Love to write under the framework of Cameos from Zion, Tastes from Zion , Just a Rip Roaring Zionists and the Israel Book Review ....and hey you who have go this far..... these are just hobbies . I have also published some poetry as the Bard of Bat Yam, Poet Laureate of Zion. I have also published many professional pieces on Social Media, Finance and Management and something I was repeatedly rapped on the knuckles and touchas for by Rabbi Benzion Klatzko..... politics. A no no we don't want to know on Shabbat.com .

Controversy follows me every where ( that goes with the territory I am focused upon) but well curious to know where I am coming from .... then look at my Linkedin profile https://il.linkedin.com/in/stephendarori   and plenty of silly pictures of me and my cats, hats and books are on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stephen.darori.9  ( Stephen Drus or Stephen Darori either or ... Darori is my Hebrewaized surname just in Israel) . I have no illusions that given my 30 year presence on the Internet I have only a resemblance of Privacy left and have no illusions or for that matter regrets.The Internet is the greatest invention since Bereishit. I am certainly not a Creationist and everything implied being one. Evolution gave rise to the Internet. The Wheel and the Smartphone . If you use any three can you really still be a Creationist ? or perhaps a Creation with a question mark or maybe an evolutionist with a question mark..Just got back from a Saw You At Sinai match first date ..... hell has no mercy when a Creationist and Evolutionist meet on a long shot to the Chuppah with kids .But seriously I am very amicable and everything is negotiable and if we cannot agree then at least agree to disagree and move on or forward to that illusive tallit held on 4 poles .

$$$ My Primary Language is English but am completely fluent also in Hebrew. You can write and speak to me in Hebrew .So if we can agree to agree on the Evolution Versus Creation,creation debate and all that is entailed and enslaved in that debate ..... then we will if we ever end up sharing a bed .not have to build a Wall more impressive that the one in China, Shomron and Judea, the one Trump thinks the Mexicans will pay for or what was termed the Berlin Wall .

$$$So I an a bit quirky , zany and a bit unconventional .... I have to be ( a bit) to try a novelette for a profile. I am witty and wise,cuddly, cute cuddly,funny and flirtatious and fun., I flirt with everyone, from Great Grandmothers , Bobbies to new born babies and everyone in between. and if you read on .. please do so.... with you.... which is a nice way of saying I am lay back easy going , relaxed , , Richard Gere,Tom Selleck, and George Clooney rolled up in one and packaged and waiting for you. So seriously don't be intimated read on and enjoy the novelette. I wear many, many Caps. One of them is a Tom Wolfe, Electric Cool Aid new journalism author and editor. Journalism was and is my first passion but was not of my late Yiddisha Mom , so my professional direction had to be in something more appropriate for her to schmaltz about at her bridge , rummy, clubbyjass,calookie and canasta games and I am sure she continues to do so up above with the Angels Gabriel, Michael,Ahaziah,Baal-zebub and God .Hey why are all of them Men and not a single one a Woman.? ,The person who wrote the book of Daniel ,where 3 of the good angels appear by name,during the Hellenistic Period was perhaps the first chauvinist on record after of course Moshe Rabbeinu who generally is attributed as the author of the hard copy version of the bible...the Pentateuch. Moshe's death was dropped into Deuteronomy by a research editor before the paperback issue went to print long after M died on Mount Nebo..We can discuss my new take on ,"Who wrote the Bible over 10 X C if you want. coffee, cake, conversation (serious stuff), chat (light small talk) ,cisses,chutspa and cuddles ( still trying to remember what the other C's of dating were when I started back in Cape Town- perhaps a few were xrated I think or better still lets go with compromise, commitment , communication and the chuppah time line in mind :- ) So this profile is nothing like you have ever probably seen. My Mom was write ( pun intended) and wrong about my Journalism.... wrong as now every good Jew engages in hasbara and yes, Journalism in the era of Social Media is a poor man's profession and Jews don't intentionally do anything that makes then poor ... that would be hard to schmaltz about .

I have a huge digital presence on the Internet going all the way back to 1988 when I first was given access at a Conference at University of Rhodes. Rhodes as in Cecil John Rhodes .If you google all the Pop References in this profile you will as I mentioned before at the end not have only read a New Journalism Romance Autobiography but will walk away with a BA Degree in Contemporary History, Politics and Religious Studies My profile on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Angel's List Quora etec mentions some of my other hmmms some of which my Mom frowned on but both my late parents Hey''ed and Yay''ed and Supported everything I did and were both my Cheering Pom Pom Squad and not from the cheap seats.My Mom was once ejected unceremoniously  from the hall were I was representing Western Province for chess for , "rumbustious, rambunctious, rowdydowdy,,obstreperous behaviour ", Those are real words ..... seriously .... so far no neologism or poetic licence but no doubt plenty of  spelling mistakes   . My Mom must have bit her tongue many a 2 x 100 squared time but not on that occasion.

$$$ Love cats, gardening and cooks . and am a collector of things and stuff and their sidekick dust. My large apartment in Bat Yam is filled with cats, hats, my art and many, many many Books ,Monographs and Pamphlets , some I have actually read and quite few I have written or edited . But writing and journalism is and so far appears to remain but a hobby yet first love subjugated by Finance, Marketing and Management.

$$$ So now the checklists and then back to your BA degree. I am known for my openness, approachability, easygoingness and cuddliness . I am a observer of People and Cats and a People and Cat person. I live adjacent to a park and actually have to walk through it to get to my front door ... remember Nottingham Hill, Julia whizzing over the fence and Hugh grazing his leg doing the same.Love that movie and yes, and all things romantic . Controversy is a wonderful marketing tool and it has followed me all my life through banning orders for political activism in South Africa to my unapologetic Rip Roaring Revisionist Zionism in Israel and my frequent condemnation of Antisemitism and Donald Trump today in my articles and blogs.I am fun loving,chatty, very open, very easy going, well read,interesting with lots of touch of humour, a conversationalist full of animated anecdotes ,pop references and mischievously unconventional sound bites I am an excellent listener with endless patience and a waterproof shoulder and very, very pleasant company.This is taking forever as my kittie cat The Riiiik Rikkki ( triple k & i) is walking all over my keyboard purring "Hug me ,Steve, Hug Me". If I sound irrelevant actually it is the flip side of 7 degrees I am am anything by irrelevant..... this is simply the softer more personal side of me .... the side that is personal not professional.

$$$.Romantic.... yes I am. want to be and can be .   I am very much an old fashioned Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats and Shelly romantic,a Henry Morton Stanley urban scavenger with an insatiable Graham Bell curiosity. I am very much a David Livingston ,a tourist in my own back yard. I am a Nero Wolfe,love to cook , grow some of my own herbs, am have an award winning English garden ( without any orchids), beer and of course books. I currently cook for one... here's the corny part of this profile...and would love to cook also for you and may be a pitter patter of little feet in the future.

$$$Now the religious section.This section always gets me in trouble but most of all I am very flexible and everything is negotiable..... I can evolve into any of the movements of Judaism other than Hassidic and  Haradi.Neither been there  and no interest to go there or try that level of adherence of Judaism and isolation to secular reality .My goal is to be Modern Orthodox Machmir Dati Leumi   but at the moment with out any motivation have a failing grade and funking out badly..Maybe the motivation could be you? ( corny but possible) But seriously in the 21st century Judaism should adapt or expect a rise in secular Jews as is happening especially in Israel. Bereishit nice symbolism but seriously Evolution has ruled since Charles Darwin published his . "On the Origin of the Species " in 1859,.the US Supreme Court cases Epperson v. Arkansas in 1968 that has consistently downgrade supported Evolution over Creationism .Should technology close down for Shabbat. Shabbat.com certainly doesn't neither do all Chabad and major Yeshiva sites and if they don't close down , why should you use your Smartphone to access the Sidur or watch and take part in Shul services on line. The Kotel webcam is up 24/7 everyday of the year including Yom Kippur. It could be switched off but never is.

So some specifics.$$$   I am not completely Shomrei Shabbat anymore which is a nice way of saying that I was once ( sort of) but but not at the moment but given the right reason and person , I could return to what I was brought up as .....a South African Orthodox Jew .... private and outrageously expensive Jewish Zionist Oriented Day School from 3 to 18, http://www.herzlia.com, Glatt Kosher, Orthodox Shul .... the largest in Africa http://www.maraisroadshul.com/ followed by the beach and other secular activities ( cricket, soccer, rugby , matinee movies in winter) and I am very tolerant of those who are not or are more religious than I am.I really really love the traditional stuff and Yiddisheit of Judasim. I spent 9 wonderful months in Yeshivat Yavneh on a program for Yehudi Hagollah who were curious and wanted to learn more about Judaism, the Tanach, Talmud, Misnah,Shulchan Aruch,Pirkei Avot and the meaning of Pray and Jewish Tradition and who the hell is God and why should it be a Woman..One of the nicest experiences I have ever had in Zion was seeing the Kotel for the first time with Talmidei Hayeshiva Yavneh on Yom Yerusaleim at 1+ am in the morning. The fear I had that the Kotel would be just an innate object ... never happened... it was an amazing, bit fearful,tearful ( more than a lump in my throat) a very emotional experience and now occurs every time I visit . One of my profile picture was taken there in February 2016 while attending the Jerusalem Conference. National Religious, Arutz & Bayit Yehudi orientation. All my pictures are recent. Post February 2016. I have had an issue with the Concept of God and her / his whoever's existence ( Why shouldn't God be a Woman?) since I was 4 ....really cute anecdote, my then Zulu Nanny Nozizwe("Mother of Nations") is the supporting actress ....At 4 you don't intellectualize, per Freud page 789,187 of his treatise on the Mind ( I memorized it all including footnotes :-) . Everything is yes or no. Between Eind Blyton and Noddy and Big Ears stories my folks embarked on teaching me the key Principles of Judaism. "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy" but hey,Mom why do we ride to Shul. We live on a 100 hectare fruit farm and 80 miles from the nearest shul... if by foot would take almost as long as Moshes and the 12 Tribes tiyuled through the Sinai but Shabbos means no attempt at being Rembrandt, Picasso, Michelangelo , Chagall and because they painted on walls doesn't mean you can turn our living room into a Vatican Chapel l or foyer of the Knesset but one Shabbos I did squiggle and squaggle a proposed mural on paper and oye vey them remembered it was Shabbos. So waited for Mr God to punish me,,, how I wonder what my punishment would be ?... my first putz on my touchas ( couldn't rely on my parents to provide the experience) ... I waited and waited. Nothing happened . Hey maybe Ms or Mr G was in the Winston Churchill reading the paper and didn't see my heinous transgression... so I wrote my name again and again and nothing happened ... and third time I sinned for Azania and Zion alike and nothing happened and Stevie Drus ( later Darori) Nietzsche asked the question, " Does God Exist?" ( he she or it) . A Yes or No question that has followed me through 2 score years and a bit. . The late Rav Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht , Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh also thought it was cute ... roared with laughter and then made the concept of God and Holiness, the subject of his personal 'private' time with me for the next 9 months we yoyo'ed face to face. back and forth, from Creation to Evolution, God and the Big Bang Theory and then continued by correspondence until he passed away.I am not afraid or negative on becoming more religious( and certainly not ignorant as to what it entails) .... I just need a good reason and hey this an invitation to take on the challenge and be my good reason and basheret in Zion....seriously and sorry the second time corny :-) ) ... Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh is a Hesder. Rav Goldvicht actively encouraged Serut be Zahal with Limudei Hatorah and had no issue with us kicking a soccer ball or for that matter( as long as it had a synthetic hide) throwing a football around on lazy Sabbath afternoons or in the fading sunsets of Zion every evening. One of the Catches while I was at Yeshivat Yavneh was Ephraim ( then known as Fleetfoot Mercury Errol) Mirvis ... now Chief Rabbi of the UK and British Commonwealth. He was a year ahead of me at http://www. herzlia.com. The Synagogue I went to what the Marais Road Shul http://www.maraisroadshul.com/ , the largest in Africa and unquestionable the best attended  and yes it sounds terrible only because its congregants drove there on Friday Nights, Shabbat , Chaggim and even Yom Kippur. Over 75% of the congregants simply live far to far away to walk.

I may not be the Jewish Richard Gere ,George Clooney you are looking for ..... would you settle instead for a Anglo Saxon Hebrew Speaking Good Humoured Tom Selleck.? :-) My basheret 2.0 should be Modern Orthodox ( or even a lot less) , a progressive thinker, educated and in step with 21st century religious feminism ... in her late 30's and even early 40's who still can and definitely wants kids My name is Stephen Darori email.stephendarori@hotmail Tel 0527234313 ...Send me a message , "I could be interested "and I will take it from there. Serious ..... I am not intimidating and fun to be with , all sugar and spice and all things nice..... to paraphrase Robert Burke and Horace Gerlach and The Mills Brother's songs .

So again if you got right to the bottom of this unusual profile..... I am actually very easy going and relaxed , sweet, talkative ... all to the to the point of been a bit of a nudnik, get along with everyone , love animals in particular cats , books . hats, babies , toddlers, and children ( not necessary in that order) and always wonderful company. It should also be clear that I am looking for someone with a mind of her own, a personality ( introvert or extrovert, not an issue) Someone her reads books, magazines and newspapers ( and not just online), follows the news , loves cooking and hence you can have few extra pounds which is okay with me ( I have more than a few myself for the same reason) I am not necessary after a wall flower , a trophy wife or clothes horse or an ornament clutching her hubby's elbow ( why does Melania Trump suddenly come to mind ) ..... interested??? send me a email, SMS or take a deep breath and call xooxox

What I am looking for: So here's the thing...I bring out the best in people and many discover hidden attributes but hey .. chatty, easy going, relaxed ,interesting,loves books and magazines, internet savy.... and can be more religious than I am (that actually would be preferable).... and most of all have the initiative to make the first contact if I haven't done so already.If I haven't done so , I probably don't know you exist. It takes two to shidduch -you and me ( three if you have a living shandick)-and both my Bobba, Grandmother and Mom are not available as the catalyst and matchmaker but are watching from above between bidding on bridge hands and playing calookie , creating neologisms for scrabble and nodding approvingly every time I make their Chocolate and Cheesecakes that contribute to my " few extra pounds"and antithesis of Arnold Schwarzenegger physique . So its up to you and me to make it work and in a relatively short time frame to the Chuppah. 

I strongly support the evolution of the 21st Century Women from "'Give us the Vote"' Pankhurst, to "Free thinking rebel with many causes "'Emma Goldman to Margaret Sanger who successfully had the Federal Comstock Law overturned to "The Radical Feminist" Gloria Steinem to "Lean In" Sheryl Sandberg and finally to Hilary Clinton who I actively support to be elected the first President of the many States south and to the west of Canada . I believe that a 21st wife should have a career in progress and all home maker responsibilities should be 50: 50 shared with her husband . I was married before to one who turned out to be an nogschlepper delux ( and closet messianic whatever) who had no desire or interest to ever work and was a lazy to terrible mother and almost all of the responsibility of raising two kids ( now 18 and 20,both are financially independent with trust funds, neither lives with me) ...fell on my shoulders which I was thankful for and really, really loved and became excellent at ... they loved my dramatic Lawrence Olivier with the humour of Robin Williams reading to them and I loved completely controlling the narrative of their education ,religious and intellectual development. 
I am looking for someone who will become my Equal Partner, Alta Ego, Confidante, Sounding Board ,Lover , Best Friend and Mother of My Children ( I definitely would love more kids) and again my parting short with a touch of humour and sentimentality wrapped in dozen roses, hugs and kisses and holding hands romance. I may not be the Jewish George Clooney you are looking for ..... would you settle instead for a Anglo Saxon Hebrew Speaking Good Humoured Tom Selleck.? :-) I to paraphrase Stanley Holloway ( Eliza Doolittles father) I am, yes I am, willing, wanting and waiting and seriously available and have taken the time and initiative to write a romantic autobiography. Different, very different from normal dating profiles and an educating experience if you look up all the pop references. If you have the initiative to contact me. and I think we will both be pleasantly surprised when you do. My name is Stephen Darori .stephendarori@hotmail.com Tel 0527234313 I Israel) or Messenger me on Facebook or Linkedin or even better use Shabbat.com and send me a private message .

and if you got all the way to this line..... when we meet for 10 times C ...... I will also award you the Degree in Contemporary History, judaica and English , English Literature and a peck on both cheeks  ... Call, message, text and I will take it from there

The Trump Administration's Foreign Policy

President-elect Trump's attitude to America's traditional friends and allies will differ drastically from Barack Obama's courting of America's enemies at its allies' expense.

While Obama believed that the key to Israeli-Palestinian peace was to distance the U.S. from its Israeli ally while forging a strategic partnership with Tehran, Trump is a harsh critic of the Iran nuclear deal and his rhetoric on Israel, as well as the appointment of David Friedman as ambassador to Jerusalem, indicate a strong and friendly approach that is less likely to obsess with the settlements issue as Obama did. Yet Trump's comparison of an Arab-Israeli peace to a challenging business deal fails to comprehend the ideological nature of the Palestinian rejection of Israel.

Trump's Russia policy is difficult to fathom. His pro-Putin comments notwithstanding, it is unrealistic to expect close U.S.-Russian cooperation given the two states' opposed interests. Moscow is ultimately seeking to recreate the Russian empire, as starkly illustrated by its aggressive moves against Georgia and Ukraine, and Putin's possible move against the Baltic states. His intention to destroy NATO is detrimental to the U.S. and destabilizing for Europe. Moscow is similarly interested in keeping the Middle East in turmoil as greater instability there puts upward pressure on world energy prices on which the entire Russian economy hinges; hence the sale of S-300 antiaircraft missiles to Iran.

A policy of disengagement from the Middle East, while desirable in principle, is hardly feasible since the region's endemic problems will continue to haunt the U.S. in the form of refugees, terrorism, cyber-attacks, weapons of mass destruction, and political instability that affects world oil prices.



Michael Flynn (left), Rex Tillerson, and James Mathis (right)

As for President-elect Trump's key foreign policy and defense appointments:

· Michael Flynn, the designated national security advisor, takes a strong position against Islamism. Yet his failure to distinguish between Islamism and Islam undercuts Washington's ability to forge an alliance with anti-Islamist Muslims.

· Rex Tillerson, the designated secretary of state, has little experience in government, so his pursuing a conservative foreign policy contrary to the advice of the skilled and generally liberal foreign service will be very difficult. The assistance of an experienced deputy, like John Bolton, would greatly help.

· James Mattis, the designated secretary of defense, is a military commander of distinction. Yet waiving the requirement that officers forego political appointments for seven years after their retirement threatens to undermine the professionalism of the non-political U.S. military.

Israel lacks a coherent foreign policy. This has a harmful effect on its position in the world, on the role of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in decision making processes, and on the conduct of Israel’s diplomacy

Mitvim, the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, is a progressive leftwing Israeli think tank. Its stated goals are "promoting new paradigms for Israel's foreign policies, enhancing Israel's regional belonging, and advancing Israeli–Arab peace."It has received considerable funding from the New Israel Fund and organizations and persons aligned with the Israeli Labour Party who are highly critical of the Netanyahu Right Coalition and Administration and inparticular of Benjamin Netanyahu himself. The Organisation is currently headed by Collette Avital , an ex Labour Party MK, diplomat and Simon Peres protege , poodle and chatelaine.

Having said the above according to Mitvim – the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policy – Israel lacks a coherent foreign policy. This has a harmful effect on its position in the world, on the role of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in decision making processes, and on the conduct of Israel’s diplomacy. Israeli foreign policy is subordinated to the security establishment and focuses on public diplomacy efforts, rather than advancing diplomatic processes that would enable Israel a fresh start among the nations, regional belonging, and a future of peace, security and prosperity. A multi-disciplinary Mitvim task-team formulated guiding principles for a new Israeli foreign policy paradigm - a pro-peace, multi-regional, outward-looking, modern and inclusive foreign policy.

A Pro-Peace Foreign Policy

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a decisive influence on Israel’s security, its unity within, its position in the world and its ability to function in the international arena. Israel must strive for peace and commit to resolving the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts as one of its central goals.


A resolution to the conflict is a vital national interest of the State of Israel. Therefore, Israel must demonstrate its steadfast support for this pursuit, even when the prospects of peace seem slim. Such a commitment should be reflected in statements and actions aimed at changing the reality on the ground, and displaying a clear message to the world that it is geared toward a change in the status quo, peace and an agreement with the Palestinians. Israel must take the initiative to promote the two-state vision, to honor its obligations from previous agreements and to refrain from unilateral measures (including settlement expansion).

Palestinian moves at the UN and the international support they receive prove that the status quo is unstable and that time is not on Israel’s side. A conflict management approach, which does not recognize the dangers of a lack of progress in the peace process, harms Israel’s status on the world stage. An Israeli diplomatic effort to resolve the conflict would reduce friction between Israel and the Palestinians would obviate unilateral actions that will impose a settlement, and would reduce the probability of escalations and violent eruptions.

Peace, aside from its significance as a universal and Jewish value, is an essential component to Israel’s security and it can be achieved while ensuring the security arrangements vital to protecting Israeli interests. Israel must consider the conflict not just as a security threat but also as a leverage to ensure its lasting security. Israel should work to determine borders that are defensible and recognized by the international community. Such borders should be determined through arrangements and agreements with the Palestinians. Progress in the peace process will increase the possibilities of strategic, economic, and civilian cooperation with moderate Arab states.

The conflict is a hurdle facing Israeli diplomacy. There is a clear link between the conflict and Israel’s standing in the world. Improved relations between Israel and the Palestinians will significantly strengthen Israel’s foreign relations, including relations with its allies in the West. On the other hand, a policy of furthering its control in the territories, in particular by expanding the settlement enterprise, will lead to international isolation and increasing foreign pressure. Resolving the conflict would open Israel to new horizons in the region and the world, as well as have a positive effect on domestic socio-economic issues. In addition, it would reduce de-legitimization of Israel and anti-Semitism in the world and increase Israel’s ability to work in multi-lateral coalitions to eradicate them.

Until a final agreement is reached, Israel must minimize the damage created by its continued control over the Palestinians. This can be done by strengthening the Palestinian Authority as a separate political entity and to help build a Palestinian state; to promote cooperation on issues concerning both Israelis and Palestinians (e.g. the environment and the economy), and; to encourage better relations between Israeli and Palestinian civil societies. Additionally, Israel must find less antagonistic ways to respond to Palestinian diplomatic activities on the world stage that distinguish between legitimate, non-violent political actions of a neighboring entity and terror activities of nonstate actors.

A Multi-Regional Foreign Policy

Israel has come to see its geo-political location in a negative light, mostly as a result from the Arab-Israeli conflict and its subsequent regional isolation. Israel has developed a mentality of a secluded island, which is defensive and isolationist in nature and which views the world as a hostile place. And yet, Israel’s unique location at the crossroads of three continents should be turned into an asset.

Israel must strengthen its connection to each of its surrounding regions (the Middle East, Europe, and the Mediterranean), recognize the interconnection between these different regions, and avoid regional exclusivity. For instance, Israel’s activity in the Middle East should be consistent with, and even enhance and complete its presence in the European and Mediterranean arenas.

Israel’s foreign policy should define the regional belonging to which it aspires. How much will Israel want to integrate into the Middle East, in an era of normalization after the conflict has been resolved? How much does Israel want to gravitate toward the EU at an institutional level? To what extent does Israel view the Mediterranean region as a congruous response to its own complex identity, which combines European and Middle Eastern aspects? These questions remain unanswered to this day, and this prevents a clear vision that Israel can pursue.

A favorable response to regional incentives for peace is a first and important step on the path for Israel to gain regional belonging, while at the same time to advance the peace process. Thus far, Israel ignores these incentives. The Arab Peace Initiative did not receive an official Israeli response for over a decade. The EU’s offer to upgrade ties with Israel to a Special Privileged Partnership status following a peace agreement – an offer introduced in 2013 – has also been ignored by Israel. This needs to change. Israel should express a willingness to engage with the Arab League and the EU on the incentives offered.


Within the Middle East, Israel should deepen its cooperation with Egypt and Jordan in both security and civilian spheres, by identifying common interests such as combatting terrorism and joint exploitation of energy sources. Israel should also cultivate relationships with other entities in the region (Arab and non-Arab, including Turkey) with whom it shares mutual interests. The Arab Spring gave rise to opportunities to build new regional alliances and channels of communications, (official and unofficial) between Israel and the Arab world. Israel’s foreign policy should seize these opportunities.

Israel should encourage interfaith dialogue by emphasizing the similarities between the monotheistic religions in the Middle East, which can help create the basis for co-existence in the region. In addition, Israel must preserve the heritage of the ancient Jewish communities in Arab countries and provide assistance to the remnants of these communities in the Middle East. This should be done in coordination with the states concerned and with the consent of the communities involved.

Alongside developing its relations in the Middle East, Israel must also strengthen its relationship with the EU, both at the political-diplomatic and socio-economic levels. Israeli Heads of State should conduct official visits to EU institutions in Brussels, which they have avoided so far. Israel’s foreign policy should not focus only on individual EU member states. It should view the EU as an equally important actor. Progress in the peace process will bring about a real change in Israel-European relations, and will enable Israel to strengthen its cooperation with the EU in the areas of economics, society, science, culture and even security.

The discovery of natural gas deposits along the Mediterranean basin increases the importance of Israel’s coastal waters in the nation’s foreign policy. Israel should promote cooperation with other Mediterranean countries on the production and marketing of natural gas, maintain the security of extraction facilities at sea, and protect the environment. Furthermore, Israel must avoid becoming a pawn in conflicts between other countries in the region (i.e. Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt), and should instead position itself as a moderator that can help resolve and prevent conflicts along the Mediterranean.

An Outward Looking Foreign Policy

History shows that Israel is not doomed to isolation and boycott, but that isolation and boycott are also the result of its own actions. The country’s motto should be that of its second prime minister, Moshe Sharett: “Israel shall not be a people that dwells alone, not in the Middle East and not among the nations of the world.” This shall be the base of Israeli foreign policy, and not Balaam’s biblical curse, “They are a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations” (Numbers 23:9).

The special relationship between Israel and the US is the most important strategic asset for Israel in the global arena. It is imperative that it be maintained and strengthened. On the American domestic level, Israel must address the erosion of support for it in specific circles, re-establish its position in the bi-partisan consensus, and shy away from being identified as a closer partner to the Republican Party only. Israel should also prepare for the demographic changes in the US and foster relations with new audiences, especially Hispanics and young people. In the Middle East, Israel should become a strategic asset for the US by promoting peace and cooperation with countries in the region.

At the same time, Israeli foreign policy must adapt to changes in the global balance of power. In the second decade of the 21st century, the global balance of power has shifted more intensely. Centuries of Euro-Atlantic hegemony (first Europe, then the US) are coming to an end with the re-emergence of Asian countries, especially China. In light of this, Israel should increase its presence in Asia, as well as its cooperation with China. By doing so, however, Israel needs to protect its special relationship with the US, while striving to maintain good relations with the two centers of global power.

Israel must reshape its relations with the international community, and transition from contrarianism to integration. Israel must see itself more as part of the family of nations, become more internationally engaged, and establish relations with the world in new and diverse fields, including research and development, desertification, agriculture, conflict resolution, social change, emergency response and emergency medicine. Israel should take a more committed role in international institutions, and should increase its share of foreign aid, international humanitarian aid, and efforts to solve long-standing issues in the developing world concerning poverty, health, food and water, alternative energy, and infrastructure.

Israel should formulate a foreign policy that takes into account world Jewry, weighing the impact of its actions on the safety of Jews around the globe. Israel must adapt some of its internal institutions and legislation so as to enable genuine Jewish pluralism—an important value in Diaspora Jewry. Moreover, in light of current trends in the American Jewish community, Israel must strive to identify new common ground on which to build Israel-Diaspora relations—relations that produce real partnership and are not only based on a philanthropist-recipient model.

A Modern and Inclusive Foreign Policy

In recent decades, there have been significant changes in global diplomacy. In the diplomatic arena new actors have emerged, including international bodies, NGOs, businesses and entrepreneurs. All of these are gaining influence in decision-making processes on the world stage and within states. Modern diplomacy in the 21st century is no longer centered on embassies. It is more open, more civilian, and makes use of new and diverse tools. Israeli foreign policy is now required to adapt to these changes, to recognize the growing role of new actors, and to create interfaces between them and the official (traditional) diplomacy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should establish and strengthen partnerships with those Israeli civil society organizations, which work with international counterparts and which take part in shaping global agendas. It should also highlight Israel’s innovative and entrepreneurial side, which seeks cooperation and trust with the international community. Furthermore, it should create avenues for joint activities with Israeli companies doing business abroad, formulate a new set of skills and modern training needed for the new Israeli diplomat, and effectively and creatively manage the limited resources available in the ministry.

In modern diplomacy, governments around the world are expected to invest resources in economic diplomacy. In a small country like Israel, it is especially important for optimal utilization of public resources. To do this, Israel should increase the budget of MASHAV – The Center for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and focus its efforts not only in developing countries as it has in the past, but in a broader range of countries to which Israel can contribute and where there is relevant economic activity for Israeli businesses. Further, Israeli foreign policy should provide an umbrella of protection to Israeli businesses against calls for economic boycott.

The rise of new actors in the field of foreign relations should also be reflected in Israel itself. Progress must be made toward a more inclusive Israeli public discourse on the subject of foreign policy, which should invite the participation of as many groups as possible of the Israeli society. Specifically, there needs to be an increase in the involvement of Israel’s Arab minority in shaping Israel’s foreign relations, and special effort should be made to combat de-legitimization regarding participation of the Palestinian citizens of Israel in decision-making processes in the field of foreign policy.

http://www.mitvim.org.il/images/Report_-_2016_Israeli_Foreign_Policy_Index_of_the_Mitvim_Institute.pdf

Back Up Tutorial for Facebook, Twitter And Google

Jacob Richman's Training Resources

Backup Tutorial

Why should you backup? - A computer virus wipes out all your files - Physical computer damage (ie: hard disk failure) - Facebook or Google account hacked or closed - You lost your cell phone with your address book and photos - You deleted a file by accident - Corrupted email file (ie: large Outlook Express .pst file) - Network disk crash (yes, you need to backup your server) - You lose access to "the cloud" These are just a few examples for why you should start doing regular backups. Today, the low cost of backup media and the convenience of USB external disks and disk-on-keys, make doing backups inexpensive and simple. 5-10 minutes and you have peace of mind. Some general notes about doing regular backups: 1. The cost of disk-on-keys and large external hard disks have gone down dramatically over the past year. A 32 gigabyte disk-on-key costs around 50 shekels (buy a metal one instead of the plastic ones that I break all too often). An external USB hard disk with a terabyte of storage space costs around 350 shekels. 2. I strongly recommend backing up all your documents, photos, movies, and other files, to an external USB disk or disk-on-key at least once a week. Buy two keys / disks so you can rotate using them. If something bad happens during a backup, at least you have the other backup to fall back on. 3. Before you start your backup, make a list of what you need and want to backup. Using Windows file explorer, review what is stored on your hard disk(s). Many people store their files in default directories like my documents, pictures, videos, downloads, etc... However, there may be directories you created for special photos, contracts, homework, movies, special software you bought, old hard to find device drivers, articles you saved, etc... You will be surprised to discover how many important items you have that you never backed up and you risk losing them if something happens to your computer, tablet, cell phone or other digital devices. 4. If you decide to use an online backup service, make sure that it does not start backing up your large video / movie files which take a lot of bandwidth and will clog your Internet connection. 5. Make sure you backup your business network to an external disk and keep it secure in another physical location (home or a different building). 6. Do not rely on "the cloud". You can back up to "the cloud" but I would strongly recommend also having a copy of all your data on a home or portable disk. This includes all your photos and movies on social networks. Below are some basics steps for backuping your valuable documents, photos, movies, music, social media, email, address books, and other digital information. 1. How to Backup your Facebook Account What would happen if your Facebook account was suddenly closed or was hacked? All your photos, videos and postings would be lost. Did you know that you can backup all your Facebook information to your own computer? To download your Facebook information: Go to your Facebook settings page at: www.facebook.com/settings On the middle of the page click on: "download a copy of your Facebook data" Then click on: "Start My Archive" You will be emailed when the zip file is ready. My Facebook backup zip file was close to a gigabyte. I would recommend downloading the zip file to your computer disk or computer USB key and not to your phone. 2. How to Backup your Google Drive files You have all your data on Google drive and you rely on Google to keep it safe and secure. You do not have to worry about losing your data due to a local disk crash because it is "in the cloud". However, bad things happen even in the cloud. For example: A friend shared a file with you and then deleted it from their Google drive. You no longer have access to the file. Another example: One day you try to access your Google drive and you can not. Maybe you did something wrong or maybe someone broke into your account. Google has a tool where you can export and download your data from the Google products you use, like your email, calendar, photos, youtube videos and more. It can create an archive which you can download to your computer for your records or to use the data in another service. Google takeout creates a .zip file of all your Gmail messages in the MBOX data format, which you can then manually re-import to your Gmail account if any data is lost. To choose and download your Google data go to: www.google.com/settings/takeout You will be notified by email once the archive is ready for download. Do not attempt to download the large amounts of data to your phone. Download to your computer and then copy it also to a disk-on-key for safekeeping. 3. How to backup your Linkedin connections? You have hundreds of important business connections on Linkedin that you accumulated over the years. Lose your Linkedin account and it will be very hard to remember all the connections including email addresses. Linkedin provides a function to export your connections to a CSV file (comma separated values file) for viewing in Excel or a VCF (Virtual Contact File) that you can import into your email program. To backup all your Linkedin connections go to: https://www.linkedin.com/people/export-settings Choose the file format you would like and click on "Export" Some non-ASCII characters may not be supported in the .csv or vCard format. This means that Hebrew names will not be displayed correctly. However, their email address will be readable and you can review and update the Hebrew names manually. 4. How to backup your Twitter account? To backup all your Twitter posts go to: https://twitter.com/settings/account Toward the bottom click on: "Request your archive" You will be emailed when your archive is ready to download. 5. How to copy large files over 4 gigabytes to your disk-on-key You have gigabytes of files on your computer (including backups of your social media accounts) and now you would like to copy the files to your disk-on-key but you get an error that a file is too big. When you buy a disk-on-key, many times the default directory structure of the key is FAT32 which does not handle files over 4 gigabytes. FAT32 was introduced way back with Windows 95. The FAT32 format also is very slow when copying files even if the key and USB port support USB 3. For large files and faster data transfers, you need to reformat your key to exFat or NTSF. NTFS is ideal for internal and external disk drives, while exFAT is generally ideal for flash drives. Recently, I needed to copy several very large files to a friend's new external 2 terabye harddisk. It was taking forever. I discovered that the default file structure of the disk was Fat32. (In Windows explorer, with your mouse, right click on the drive letter of your disk or disk-on-key and choose "properties". You will see the size and free space on the key and the directory structure which will be either Fat32, exFat or NTFS) I reformatted the disk as NTSF and the files transfer was ten times faster. How to format the external disk / disk-on-key: Insert your disk-on-key into the USB drive. Double click on "My Computer" or "This PC" on your desktop. Right-click the disk-on-key drive letter. Choose "format", then exFat or NTSF. The quick format takes less than 10 seconds. Please note that the format command deletes any files that you may have on the disk-on-key or hard disk. ** WARNING: Do Not format the wrong drive letter. ** Some old operating systems and some media devices may not support the ExFat format. 6. How to backup your browser bookmarks Bookmarking is a great feature of your web browser. When you find a website that you like, simply pressing control + "d" and you can bookmark it directly or place it into a bookmark folder you created. Shift + Control + "o" (the letter o not zero) lets you review and use any of the bookmarks. If something happens to your computer or if you decide to go work on another computer, it would be nice to take your bookmarks with you. All browsers let you export your bookmarks. In the Chrome browser bring up the bookmark manager with shift + control + "o" You will see a list of your bookmarks. Right above your list of bookmarks is the word "organize" with a drop down arrow / menu. Click on it and choose: export bookmarks to HTML file. The program will prompt you to save the file. Remember the name and what directory you are saving the file. Usually the file name will be bookmarks_todaysdate.html When it is finished you can copy the file to a disk-on-key and take it to another computer. On the other computer bring up the bookmark manager and under "organize" choose: import bookmarks from html file. If you are using a friend's computer and you do not want to import your bookmarks but just access them one time, you can open the file in the browser with control + "o". The bookmark file is a regular html file and your browser will display a vertical list of all your bookmarks and bookmark folders. 7. How to backup your email files. If you are usings Gmail, use the Google takeout service I explained above. If you are using a local email program like Outlook or Pegasus email, I would recommend that you backup the data to a disk-on-key at least once a week. Insert your disk-on-key and go to the Windows file explorer (Windows Logo Key + "e" will bring it up, many people have an icon for the file explorer on their task bar.) Outlook keeps all its information in one big .pst file. You need to find the file and copy it to your disk-on-key. You may find the file under: Windows --> users --> username --> appdata --> local --> Microsoft --> Outlook or Users --> username --> Documents --> Outlook Files If you can not find them, do a files search on your computer for *.pst Pegasus mail keeps all its files under the pmail directory which was created when you installed the program. The actual data is in the the "mail" subdirectory but the program is pretty compact so I would copy the whole pmail directory to a disk-on-key. Note that if you decide you use you Pegasus mail backup on another computer you must edit 3 files that have the setup information / drive information for pmail to run corrently. (state.pmj, pmail.cfg, pmail.ini) If you are using Yahoo or Hotmail mail, I would strongly consider downloading your emails to a local email program like Outlook or Pegasus. FYI: Gmail has a built-in function that you can import your mail and address books from other email systems like Yahoo. Due to the lax of security at Yahoo, many people are considering moving to Gmail or a local email client. 8. Backing up your phone contacts I own a Samsung S3 Android phone. This example is based on that phone. If you own a different phone, check your manual on how to backup its data including the contact list. If you do not have the manual, you can usually find them online on the company's website. Search in Google for the phone name / model and the word "manual" or "user guide". Open the contact list on your phone. Press the menu button from your contact list. Depending on the Android phone it will be under three dots on the top right or the menu options on the bottom left of your phone. From the list that appears hit the import/export tab. This will bring up a list of available export and importing options. Export your contacts to your USB storage device. When you connect your phone to your computer or a disk-on-key copy the contacts.vcf file. This file contains all your contacts. You can import this file into another phone or even your gmail account.

What is "Kiruv"?

Kiruv is a Hebrew word that means "bringing close," and can mean any form of bringing someone or something close—physically, emotionally, or spiritually. With regards to other people, kiruv is the fulfillment of the biblical obligation to "Love your fellow as yourself."

The term is commonly used in reference to Jewish outreach, which is aimed at bringing other Jews closer to G‑d and their Jewish heritage. Out of love for your friends, you share with them the beauty of the Torah and its precepts, knowledge that you are lucky enough to be privy to.

Although encouraging fellow Jews to strengthen their commitment to Judaism has always been a Jewish value, this concept has reached new dimensions in the last sixty years, and has become what is referred to by many as the "Kiruv Movement."

The upheaval created by two world wars, and specifically the destruction of the religious Eastern European Jewish communities, left a societal split in the Jewish community, with a historically unparalleled trend leaving many Jews estranged to the teaching and traditions of their ancestors. Sensing that this was the call of the hour, the sixth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950), started the idea of organized Jewish outreach. Disregarding both the counsel of well-intentioned friends as well as the ridicule of antagonists, he encouraged his followers, young and old, to dedicate their lives to reversing the erosion of Torah life in the Jewish community.

This idea was cultivated by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak's son-in-law and successor, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of Lubavitch. Teaching that no Jew is "secular," and that the Torah is the birthright of every Jewish soul, the Rebbe, through his shluchim, or emissaries, founded educational centers for Jews of all ages, and brought mitzvot to the streets and to the homes of Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations. Currently, there are more than 3000 Chabad Centers around the world, all devoted to advancing this goal.

With the passage of years, this approach was, thank G‑d, adopted by many segments of the Jewish community, and the outreach attitude has now become all but universal.

To conclude, R. Aizik Homiler, a venerated chassid of the first three Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbes, would relate an oft-repeated adage he had heard from older chassidim:

• Have affection for a fellow Jew and G‑d will have affection for you.
• 
  
• Do a kindness for a fellow Jew and G‑d will do a kindness for you.
• 
  
• Befriend a fellow Jew and G‑d will befriend you.