Black. Settler. Shiloh. Discrimination.

Sometimes, Google Alert is just amazing:

Black.

Settler.

Shiloh.

Discrimination.

^

More US Consulate Discrimination

As I noted here some three and a half years ago, according the the standards of the Jerusalem Consulate of the United States of America, Jews are not really native to the geographic region the Consulate supervises.

I made this point based on the material found at its website and Facebook page:

in consistently ignoring the Jewish population, the US Consulate is avoiding what peace in the region should be: coexistence.  If the Jews and Arabs are always kept apart, what kind of peace can emerge?  Essentially, this direction of staging events is predicated on separation (did I hear ''apartheid'' ''segregation''?) and encourages local Arabs to assume that once some sort of peace is in place, the Jews will be nowhere found.  Jews aren''t there when these events took place and so they surely won''t be there when some form of future political administration assumes full control.  And that will be what "Palestine" will look like, if it comes to pass, just as the Consulate is promoting.

If you check, that situation is current and ongoing.

Following a link at its FB now, I read about a shout-out for an event sponsored by AMIDEAST for the 2014‐2016 English Access Microscholarship Program, funded by the United States Department of State through the American Consulate General in Jerusalem.

Checking the details, I read this:

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

In order to be considered for English Access Microscholarship Program, a student must meet all of the following requirements:

...Be a resident of one of the following cities/districts:
Nablus
Jericho
Gaza City
Ramallah
Jerusalem
Rafah
Jenin
Bethlehem
Khan Younis
Qalqiliya
Hebron
North Gaza
Salfeet
Tulkarem
Gaza Middle Area

Except for one location above, no Jews live in any of those cities and towns.  What "Gaza Middle Area" is, I do not know but I hope they are not implying something akin to Tolkien's Middle Earth for that would be plain fantasy.

As for "Jerusalem", I have a hunch that no Jews living in the city would be eligible either.

Can you imagine the US funding a program for Israel and limiting residency to cities where no Arabs live, although, admittedly, that would, in practice, be quite difficult? Arabs are full citizens and live throughout Israel (yes, kibbutzim and yishuvim are sui generis) even if Jews would find it quite difficult and practical to live in Rahat or Um El-Fahm, unless one married an Arab, having to convert to do so according to the Muslim demand.

So, what is America up to in these administrative directives?

Peace?  Equal opportunity?  Coexistence?

^

Were Jewish Journalists Discriminated Against?

As my veteran blog-followers know, I have documented over the years the policy of State Department discrimination directed at Jews.  It takes the form of ignoring the existence of, now, 360,000 Jews residing in a territory overseen by the American Consulate-General based in Jerusalem. (see here; and here)

That territory is, at present, Judea and Samaria (it used to include the Gaza District).

Any activity of a cultural, business, sport, social welfare, artistic or educational character is restricted for Arabs only.  Jews who live in the territory are ignored.

I have attempted to interest US Jewish leaders, both liberal and others, Christians, Congressmen and journalists.  No luck.

Now I caught this story, via IMRA:

Palestinians to Boycott US Reception on Press Freedom Day

RAMALLAH, May 2, 2012 (WAFA) – Twenty Palestinian unions, including the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), called Wednesday for a boycott of a reception organized by the US consulate in Jerusalem to be held in Ramallah on Thursday on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, according to a statement issued by the unions.

...The US consulate has invited Palestinian journalists to a reception planned for [last]Thursday in Ramallah to mark press freedom day...

I do not know of one journalist who lives and works here in Yesha who was invited.  Of course, the Pals. didn't invite us to their event as we can never be "Palestinians", I suppose.

Why are Jews shunned? To be avoided?

Not to be accepted into polite diplomatic society?

Is it that they accept the Palestinian Authority diktat - and philosophy - that although some of us are even American citizens, we are not to share in American tax payers dollars for programs, events, ceremonies, seminars, grants, etc. simply because we are Jewish and living in part of our national homeland.

This I consider truly intolerable.  And immoral.

To be clear, we are invited to the Independence Day bash, so this is not a blanket discrimination but 99% of actual foreign aid or programs are off-limits.

Why don't you write your elected official - local, state and national - and complain.

After all, the PA has been oppressing its journalists.  The US protested?  Actually, yes:-

...Americans continue to vigorously debate how to balance freedom of the press and freedom of expression with other societal obligations.  At the same time, we cannot lose sight of certain universal principles. As Albert Camus once said, “A free press can be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom a press will never be anything but bad.”

It is for this reason that the U.S. Government has been honest with its friends when we believe these principles are not being upheld. Last week, we made clear our concern regarding some recent actions by the PA. We are similarly candid with the Israeli government regarding issues related to freedom of the press. And each year, in our annual report on human rights, we document the many restrictions on journalists in Gaza at the hands of Hamas...

But what of the restrictions the Consulate places upon we journalists, Jews residing in communities in Judea and Samaria?  Not even a "separate-but-equal" reception?


^

Is This State Department-Sponsored Discrimination?

Found at the US Jerusalem Consulate-General site:

The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to announce the International Writing Program (IWP) for 2012. In partnership with the University of Iowa, this program offers a tenweek residency in Iowa City that brings together a wide range of international and U.S. writers to examine current trends in literature...details about the program are available on the IWP website: http://iwp.uiowa.edu/.

Participant Qualifications

 Poets, fiction writers, dramatists, and screenwriters are eligible for nomination; Literary translators and writers whose publications and careers focus on creative non-fiction (feature journalism, cultural commentary, biography, and memoirs) are also eligible for this program.

... Candidates must be Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, the West Bank or Gaza Strip.

Not, not residents of "Palestine" - which doesn't exist, or "Palestine residents" but "Palestinians" which, I am assuming, excludes Jews.

If you go to the Facebook page of the Consulate, you'll learn of other events and activities intended for one section of the population in Judea and Samaria: Arabs, like

Nicole Taylor in Jerusalem and West Bank


The U.S. Consulate General hosted American Arts Envoy Nicole Taylor, for a musical evening featuring a mix of classical and spiritual music with students from the Magnificat Institute on February 12 in Jerusalem. Taylor also lead music workshops and exhibitions throughout the West Bank.

America House Sponsors Women's Bazaar


The U.S. Consulate General’s America House hosted the 2nd Annual Women's Micro-Enterprise Bazaar and Fashion Show on December 15, at the Ambassador Hotel. The bazaar featured handicrafts by Palestinian women from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.

PalConnect Sparks Innovation and Networking


The U.S. Consulate General-sponsored social media conference “PalConnect” concluded on December 6. PalConnect provided a forum for Palestinians from the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip to discuss the Palestinian social media landscape and the potential roles and uses of social media in Palestinian society.


Legacy Jams with Audiences in Hebron and Jerusalem

The U.S. Consulate General was pleased to sponsor the visit of American hip hop group, Legacy, for a series of workshops and live concert performances in the West Bank and Jerusalem, December 1-3, 2011

As far as I know, Jews are excluded from these events by the simple method of only inviting Arabs.

American democracy or American discrimination?

^

And Where Are The Jews?

As I have detailed, the policy of the US Consulate-General in Jerusalem seems to be, except for consular responsibilities such as passports, birth registrations and social security benefits, to practice discrimination against the 350,000 Jews resident in the area under its supervision in Judea and Samaria.  As for the newer nbeighborhoods in Jerusalem, I am not sure.

Here is another activity in which Jews don't get to participate:

Palestinian Volleyball Players and Coaches visit U.S. 2011

Ten high school volleyball players and three coaches from the West Bank are attending a Sports United exchange program in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs. More than just a volleyball training program, the 10-day exchange program also includes teambuilding and leadership activities, meetings with organizations that work with volleyball and other sports in the U.S., workshops on current issues, visits to important historical sites, and cultural activities. The students and coaches come from several different towns and villages around the West Bank, and are visiting the U.S. for the first time

Would those "different towns and villages" include Shiloh, Bet El or Efrat where they play volleyball and other sports?

More:

Building a Business for Palestinian Exports

As part of its activities to help Palestinian businesses compete in global markets, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is working with Palestinian agribusinesses and assisted them to attend the Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington over July 10–12.

A long list of previous activities.

Cannot we get Congressional oversight on this?


_______________

Sent to me by OS:-

I can't see how the consulate can claim that it gives equal service to Israelis. On the other hand, it's so obvious that they're pro-Palestinians, that I don't see that there's much to complain about. Obviously they're not there to serve us. They provide monetary help to Palestinian settlers (Rawabi, various roads) at the same time that Obama demands Israel stop all building activities in Jerusalem.


In any case, take a look at the consulate website.

Under 'Cultural Programs' -

Throughout the year, our office seeks to bring American performing arts and exhibits to the the Palestinian audiences as a valuable means of strengthening ties and increasing mutual understanding between the United States and the Palestinian people.

Last year Bill Kirchen came to Israel. The US Consulate offered free concerts in Ramallah and East Jerusalem (http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/pr112310.html). He also appeared in West Jerusalem, but that was not part of the US consulate's program.

Under 'Grant Opportunities'

The Public Affairs Section of the US Consulate General Jerusalem runs a Small Grants Program designed to assist Palestinian organizations

They have an 'Arabic books' program

And let's take a look at their events, all of which were directed at Muslims and/or held in Muslim cities.

Ramadan Kareem! PD Jerusalem Kicks Off a Month of Ramadan Outreach Programming with two Quiz Nights in East Jerusalem and Bethlehem (August 19, 2010)


America House Kicks Off Ramadan Activities in East Jerusalem (August 19, 2010)


Consulate General Announces Winners in the Environmental Awareness Essay Contest Winners (July 22, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Supports the Opening of the Al-Jib Museum in the West Bank (May 18, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Continues Its Celebration of Earth Day 2010 with a Quiz Night Focusing on Environmental Awareness (April 29, 2010)


Wayne State University Professor Conducts Creative-Writing Workshop Using Poetry and Hip-Hop to ACCESS Students in Jericho (April 29, 2010)


Jericho Documentary Project Highlights American Corner Jericho as Part of its 10,000th Anniversary Celebrations (April 28, 2010)


American Corner Salfeet Hosts Environmental Quiz to Celebrate Earth Day (April 27, 2010)


American Corner Salfeet Organizes Clean-up and Planting Campaign (April 26, 2010)


Consulate Honors Palestinian Woman of Courage (April 26, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem celebrates Women's History Month with a Quiz Night Event in Ramallah (March 31, 2010)


American Expert in Social Responsibility Conducts DVC with Pal-Tel Group (March 29, 2010)


American Corner Jericho Celebrates Mother's Day and Women's History Month (March 26, 2010)


American Corner Salfeet Celebrates Women’s History Month with a Quiz Competition (March 25, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Searches for the next Palestinian Idol€ with˜Ghaniha (March 21, 2010)


American Professor Inspires Palestinian Youth with the Magic of Writing (March 05, 2010)


ACCESS Students Perform Sketches and Skit to Celebrate Achievements of Women and Minorities (March 04, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Hosts Digital Video Conference with American Author Jay Parini (February 10, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Recognizes Great American Thinkers at a Special Quiz Night Competition (February 06, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Supports Cooperation Between Police and Youth Throughout the West Bank (February 03, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Honors 97 Graduates of the English ACCESS Micro-scholarship Program (January 22, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Hosts American Musician Peter Yarrow and Members of Operation Respect in Ramallah (January 21, 2010)


U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem Continues to Inspire Palestinian Youth with Production of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper (January 08, 2009)

Regarding the olive harvest in Turmusayya, I'm pretty sure I saw it somewhere, but all I can find now is about a UN envoy.

The US Consul, on the other hand, joined Fayyad to pick olives in Aboud.

U.S. Consul General Participates in Annual Olive Harvest with Prime Minister Fayyad, October 11, 2009

Jerusalem: US Consul General Daniel Rubinstein joined Prime Minister Fayyad in the West Bank town of Aboud on Sunday to take part in the community's annual olive harvest. The Consul General also met with the Palestinian Minister of Agriculture and members of the local community.  Commenting on the significance of the event, Mr. Rubinstein said that "The symbolism of the olive harvest to Palestinian identity and Palestinian political aspirations is clear, and I am pleased to be able to be here today to underscore US support for the Palestinian people."

For more information please contact the Consulate Press Office at 02-622-6909 or Information Assistant Hassna Dajani at 054-542-0943.

P.S.  Turmos Aya was in Haaretz.
^

Where's The Congressional Oversight?

Amazing.  Did you know that Lieutenant General Moeller is the :-

United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (USSC) and lead a 145-person joint, coalition and interagency team. The 16 US-DoD personnel assigned to the USSC form the heart of this unique organization and we work with nine international partners of which Canada and the United Kingdom play critical leadership roles. These DOD members are assigned to the State Department and State pays all the bills except for salaries; my boss is the Secretary of State. We live in the region with our headquarters in Jerusalem.

One-hundred and sixty-one salary receiving aides to the PA from the United States!

And that the

program funding is separate from the $2.994B in direct assistance to the State of Israel that Congress approved for FY 2011

Shouldn't that also be separate from what the PA receives, as well?

(k/t = Challah Hu Akbar)

But what that committee should have been reviewing in addition is what the US Consulate-General does in its everyday pro-Pal. activities in that there is blatant discrimination against Jews in their funding and activities.  Jews residing in its territory of concern are excluded from benefits of a cultural, civic and economic nature.  Only Arabs, Muslims or Christians can gain from US-sponsored programs of democracy, sports, music, academia, etc.  That's not the American way.

That's what US Congressional oversight should be concerned with as well. 

Write your Congressman/woman and write to the Committee.

Please.

^

National (Arab) Security or Just Plain Discrimination

I think this is called discrimination based on religion?

A Cairo court on Saturday upheld a ruling to strip Egyptian men married to Israeli women of their citizenship in a case that has highlighted national sentiment towards Israel.

Judge Mohammed al-Husseini, sitting on the Supreme Administrative Court, said the interior ministry must ask the cabinet to take the necessary steps to strip Egyptian men married to Israeli women, and their children, of their citizenship.

The court said that each case should be considered separately, in a ruling that cannot be appealed.

The ruling reflects Egyptian sentiment towards Israel, more than 30 years after Egypt signed an unpopular peace deal with the Jewish state.

Before reading the verdict, Husseini said the case would not apply to Egyptian men married to Arab Israeli women.

"The case for (Egyptian) men married to Israeli Arab women is different to those married to Israeli women of Jewish origin because (Israeli Arabs) have lived under Israeli occupation," Husseini told the court.

"The court's decision is taking into account Egypt's national security," the judge said.

- - -

But What's A "Palestinian" Exactly?

Is "Palestinian" a definition of a geographical residency?

Or religion?

Or ethnicity?

Or race?

Or national status?

"Palestinian" like in here, the very last line:

Abraham Lincoln Incentive Grants Program West Bank/Gaza 2009-2010

Investing in the Future of Young Palestinian

AMIDEAST is now accepting applications for the Abraham Lincoln Incentive Grants Program, funded by the United States Department of State through the Middle East Partnership Initiative and the Consulate General in Jerusalem. The program will provide grants (financial assistance) to promising, academically qualified but economically challenged students who will be in grade eleven in the academic year 2009/2010 from both Gaza and the West Bank to assist them in competing successfully for scholarships to pursue their undergraduate studies in the United States. The program will assist the selected students to become competitive applicants for U.S. college and university admissions and scholarships.,,

AMIDEAST will provide students with the following range of educational advising, test preparation and testing services:

o Two hours of private, customized one-on-one advising consultations
o Two hours of in-center internet use each week
* College Application & Essay Writing Workshop (18 hours)
* Test Preparation Courses for iBT/PBT TOEFL and SAT I ( 30x2 hours) in addition to Online Practice Tests for iBT-TOEFL and SAT I
* Payment of application fees at up to six U.S. colleges or universities.
* Visa application fees, SEVIS fees and travel allowance for visa interview at the U.S Consulate General in Jerusalem, if admitted to a U.S. university.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
...a student must meet all of the following requirements:

* My family is unable to meet the costs of applying to a U.S. college or university
* Be a Palestinian resident of the West Bank, East Jerusalem or Gaza Strip

Can I ask any lawyers out there: can a Jewish resident of one of these areas apply? And if not, is that discrimination? You know, like in...racism?

Complicated

This story illustrates the complexity of life in Israel:-

Arab professor 'kicked out of eatery over bartender's racist T-shirt'
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

An Arab psychology professor at the University of Haifa said Sunday he was booted out of a restaurant over the weekend after complaining that the bartender was wearing a shirt advocating killing Palestinian children.

Restaurant owner Khaled Hajaj, who is also Arab, said he did not kick out Professor Ramzi Suleiman, though he did tell him he didn't care if Suleiman took his money to a different restaurant.

...The bartender at the Haifa restaurant was wearing a shirt with a drawing of a rifle sight and the words, in Hebrew, "Institution for special-ed children."

Suleiman demanded the bartender change his shirt, saying it advocated killing Palestinian children...Suleiman and Hajaj argued over the bartender's shirt in front of about 20 other diners, some of whom left because of the disturbance. Suleiman said Hajaj told him, "If you're Palestinian, go to Palestine."

Hajaj said he condemns "all killing of any kind."

"Arabs and Jews work in the restaurant, and it serves Jews and Arabs, whites and blacks, and has never closed the door in anyone's face," he said.

Hajaj said the bartender had never served in the army and was unaware of the message his shirt conveyed. As a result of the incident, the bartender is no longer working at the restaurant.

Well, I'm guessing that if "the bartender had never served in the army and was unaware of the message his shirt conveyed", he was Arab (I doubt he was ultra-orthodox).

And so, you have a situation where non-Jews are wearing supposedly 'Jewish' fashion yet not having the faintest idea of its message and, in addition, an Arab kicks out an Arab over anti-Pal. messages but at the end of the day, probably because of media interest, the poor Arab who can't read Hebrew well enough has lost his job because of the behavior of an Arab professor.

Go figure it out.

Has Shmarya Failed?

Shmarya posted a piece at Jewcy about the Koshrot anti-Arab employment brouhaha.

I left this comment there:

gentle racism?

Shmarya wrote: "But now a group of settler rabbis, overwhelmingly Ashkenazim of eastern European origin, are challenging the Jerusalem Rabbinate’s reliance on Isserles, the Ashkenazi codifier."

I checked that JPost story on Kosharot. It mentions one name, that of Rav Elyakim Levanon. He is Ashkenazi. He is a revenant Jew living in a part of the historic land of Israel not yet under full Jewish sovereingty (not a "settler". "Settlers" are the Dutch in So. Africa or, Ashkenazi, East-European Jews in America). The way that sentence is phrased, one would think a rabid antisemite wrote it.

As far as I know, over the past year, many efforts have been made to limit the employment of Arabs in Jewish establishments. Most of that work is being done by S'faradim (I am not sure if they originate in East Europe or East-East (Iraq, Syria) or West-West (Morocco, Algeria, France).

In any case, that type of writing is inflammatory, biased, and possibly racist.

The subject is legitimate and I do not support organized discrimination although being safe is the first mitzva in living. For example:

"Two Arabs from Nablus, Ahab Abu Riyal and Anas Salum, were arrested by Israeli Shin Bet officers last month before they could carry out their mission to poison Israelis on behalf of Hizballah. They are members of the Fatah-al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, part of Mahmoud Abbas' "moderate" Fatah organization. The cell was led by two wanted terrorists, Hani Kabi and Husni Tsalag. They were hired as kitchen workers by the Grill Express restaurant near the Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan, apparently after presenting Israeli-issued IDs allowing them to work in the country. Their orders were to dump a slow-acting colorless, tasteless and odorless poison in the food of customers. It would take effect after four hours, enough time to murder a large number of Israeli diners. The Shin Bet did not identify the substance. One of the two men was detained on March 19, just days before the mission date. The second was picked up at the home of an Israeli Arab friend in Jaffa."

http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Security/12780.htm

So, since Shmarya and I have dialogued, I hope he responds to this considered post.

he has. I have. Go there.

Halt to Discrimination! Rightwingers Want Same Conditions

Here's a report on the ruckus at Horfesh (not Homesh) yesterday:

a large force of more than 100 police officers entered the village at 4 a.m. with the intention of arresting five men suspected of having previously vandalized a cellphone antenna installed in the neighboring community of New Pekiin...“The police came under a barrage of rocks, boulders and metal bars thrown by masked youths,” Mr. Rosenfeld said. “Our officers were in a life-threatening situation, and it was necessary for one to open fire with live ammunition to get out of the situation.” He added that the police arrested six who were not connected with the antenna incident, for rioting.

The police left the village at about 7 a.m. and calm was restored, but one Israeli border policewoman was left behind. During the commotion she had been surrounded by rioters. “Luckily,” said Mr. Rosenfeld, “one of the villagers, an ex-policeman, took her into his house for safety.”

A dialogue ensued between police representatives and the village sheik, and about 9 a.m., the policewoman was handed over unharmed, Mr. Rosenfeld said. In return, the six villagers arrested in the riots were released.

Can you imagine this happening, say, in Hebron? in Homesh?

Blatant discrimination, I'd say.