Month: November 2011

Incitement to Terror

rjstreets

Spending the day at the Jerusalem Citadel Hotel, one of the finest in Israel

is not the real streets…the rich and famous have stayed here.

On November 8, 2011, The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

along with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, sponsored a conference entitled

“Incitement to Terror and Violence-New Challenges, New Responses.”

It was held in the hotel ballroom.

I planned to just put the pictures on Facebook,

but with today’s IAEA report on Iran and the commemorations of Kristallnacht,

everyone should be aware of today’s incitement to hatred on the internet,

 illustrated in this Simon-Wiesenthal Center slide.

On the net, a talented but anti-Semitic Brazilian artist can reach around the world.

Speakers discussed growing anti-Israel feelings in western countries.

Prof. Robert Wistrich said demonizing Israel in Britain is becoming mainstream.

Illustrations provided by Itamar Marcus from the Palestinian Media Center

 show the PA publications as compared to the Nazi incitement drawings.

This is what the Arabic media is really saying about Israel

and these are the maps

they are showing.

Even a Red Crescent office displays an anti-Israel drawing.

U.S. Prof Gregory Gordon, a legal officer in the International Criminal Tribunal

 in Ruwanda, provided information on the media leading up to the genocide.

Read these steps of media incitement against the Tutsi,

think what the Palestinian Authority is doing today.

Iran,…incitement to terror or genocide?

Never again!?

Meet you at Mashbir

rjstreets

For years “I’ll meet you at Mashbir”, meant the corner of King George

and Ben Yehuda Streets in the center of Jerusalem.

But, after several years of construction,

the landmark department stored has relocated on Jaffa Street,

 and is open for business.

Escalators are placed in such a way that one has to walk

across the bright and inviting shopping areas

to reach the next set.

The top floor restaurant is still under construction.

Diners and others wanting to avoid the temptation to shop may use elevators.

The view of the light rail train from the glass elevators

and Kikar Zion, Zion Square from the windows,

 remind you that you are still in Jerusalem.

Be careful… if you are told to meet at Mashbir.

The old building is now an Office Depot outlet.

“I’ll meet you at Office Depot?”…

it’s going to take a while to get used to that.

Ready for Winter

rjstreets

Often I am asked, “What are you going to write about?”

 This week it is a really good question,

as I am just back from a two-week trip to New York City,

where snow and large trees were falling and no one was quite ready for winter.

As always, taking a walk is the only way to see what is really happening.

Businesses are enclosing outside areas in preparation for winter.

A piece of bent metal next to its awning is all that remains of an enclosure

 that the city demolished this week at Yarok Yarok florist shop.

Did you hear about that from any protest group?

Sirens alerting a rocket attack sounded in Gush Dan

  were for a public safety drill;

however this week’s sirens in the south were for 40 missiles fired from Gaza.

A new flotilla heads toward Gaza and

shots were fired from Gaza at Israeli soldiers on patrol.

Perhaps that is how they get ready for ‘Arab Winter’?

I found that in Jerusalem,

signs for an Oud music festival

and an international karate competition are up.

They are changing the plantings in these flowers beds…again!

Someone has to be making a lot of money here, but that’s a whole other post.

The Shalits have gone home and the street has been cleaned up,

 but it will be a long time until

all the stickers

are gone from benches around the city.

Only the large chair and a banner remain on the sidewalk,

which seems to be a perfect background

to record your own rap song about Gilad Shalit.

Someone used a lot of tape to make many similar designs

  along the sidewalks on Azza Street.

You never know what you will find on the Jerusalem streets.

However, the really big news is

it started raining…no–pouring.

The protesters living in tents in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park

  will find that Jerusalem winter wet weather is bone-chilling cold.

As the lightning and thunder continue,

 I’m glad I planned to go to the Jerusalem Knights next week.

This is a good night not to be out.

So glad to have the rain,

but are we really ready for winter?