Israel – ein jüdischer Staat

China’s public relations strategy

Thousands of Chinese military forces have been deployed into Urumqi, Xinjiang’s regional capital, in an attempt to control turmoil that has led to over 150 deaths in recent days.

A BBC correspondent in Urumqi says the situation “feels like martial law in everything but name.” The troop deployment comes after disorder yesterday when thousands of angry ethnic Han Chinese wielding improvised weapons engaged in sporadic revenge attacks against Uighurs after deadly riots Sunday.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Hu Jintao left the G8 summit in Italy and returned to Beijing to deal with the violence. The Wall Street Journal says Hu’s departure from the G8 summit underlines the severity of the challenge the Xinjiang violence presents to China’s leadership.

Newsweek looks at the evolution of China’s public relations strategy, as evidenced in the latest crisis.

Read full story.

Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee

U.S. President Barack Obama announces his nominee for the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, in a video message to Organizing for America.

I am proud to announce my nominee for the next Justice of the United States Supreme Court: Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

This decision affects us all – and so it must involve us all. I’ve recorded a special message to personally introduce Judge Sotomayor and explain why I’m so confident she will make an excellent Justice.

Judge Sotomayor has lived the America Dream. Born and raised in a South Bronx housing project, she distinguished herself in academia and then as a hard-charging New York District Attorney.

Judge Sotomayor has gone on to earn bipartisan acclaim as one of America’s finest legal minds. As a Supreme Court Justice, she would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any Justice in 100 years. Judge Sotomayor would show fidelity to our Constitution and draw on a common-sense understanding of how the law affects our day-to-day lives.

A nomination for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land is one of the most important decisions a President can make. And the discussions that follow will be among the most important we have as a nation.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Terry McAuliffe for Governor of Virginia: Great News

Dear Friend,

We’ve got some great news, and it’s all thanks to your hard work. Some new polling shows we’ve got the lead, and today we’re releasing a new TV ad to help keep our momentum going. But with just two weeks to go until Election Day, our opponents are ratcheting up the attacks, and we’re counting on your help to pull us over the finish line.

Boots on the Ground

Turnout will be the deciding factor in this election, and we need your help. Since the beginning of this campaign, we’ve succeeded in bringing new people into our political process because people like you have been pounding the pavement – knocking doors, making phone calls, and empowering voters to make their voices heard. Just yesterday the Associated Press noted that, “Political observers suggest a low primary turnout would benefit Moran or Deeds, while a larger turnout would help McAuliffe, who is trying to attract new voters as Obama did.” 

But the Moran campaign thinks our strategy is all for nothing. After going around for months claiming that the grassroots was the key to victory, the Washington Post reported this morning that Moran’s strategists “view that kind of operation as a waste of resources on voters unlikely to come out for a June primary.”

Polls, Polls, Polls

Three new polls came out at the end of last week, and they all show us with a very solid lead. DailyKos founder and best-selling author Markos Moulitsas observed that “McAuliffe has managed to move his favorability numbers forward despite an increasingly negative primary.” As voters take a tough look at each of the candidates, Terry’s vision for growing the economy and creating jobs is clearly resonating. 

But we’ve still got a lot of work to do.  Public Policy Polling’s Dean Debnam says, “This race is still really up for grabs…There are still lots of undecideds and lots of voters open to changing their minds.”

That’s why we need your help now more than ever. The attacks on Terry have already started, and you ain’t seen nothing yet. VCU Professor Bob Holsworth noted that, “With McAuliffe ahead in all of the public polls, attempting to bring him down has become a matter of some urgency to the other campaigns.” And Brian Moran’s chief strategist has pledged to do precisely that.

Terry’s taken a different approach.  He’s sticking to the issues, staying positive, and saving his criticism for Bob McDonnell.  But in order for that strategy to work, we need your help.

New TV Ad

Today, we’re also unveiling our newest television ad – a 30 second spot that focuses on the importance of investing in early childhood education. We wanted to make sure you see it first.

Thanks to you, we couldn’t be more proud of the campaign we’re running. But right now we’re getting attacked from all sides. Both of our opponents are on the air, and we need the resources to respond to their attacks, communicate Terry’s positive message of job creation, and bring our people to the polls.  

Click here to make a contribution to fully fund our efforts to reach voters and respond to attacks. There are only two weeks left!

Let’s keep the pedal to the metal until Election Day on June 9th.

Thanks so much for all your help,

HIRAM7 REVIEW & The Friends of Terry McAuliffe

111. PRESSEBALL BERLIN unter dem Motto “typisch Berlin!”

Pressemitteilung

Berlin, 26.05.2009 – Zum 111. Jubiläum des traditionellen PRESSEBALL BERLIN (seit 1872 – der älteste Ball der Welt) am 9. Januar 2010, möchten die Veranstalter Andreas Dorfmann und Marina Schill von der PRESSEBALL BERLIN GMBH die Hauptstadt Berlin auf eine ganz besondere Weise würdigen.

PRESSEBALL BERLN GMBH-Geschäftsführer Andreas Dorfmann und Marketingleiterin Marina Schill im Maritim Hotel Berlin – Foto: Grabowski/TheCorps GmbH 

Viele typische Berliner Spezialitäten, die Idole und das Lebensgefühl der Hauptstadt können in ihrer Vielfältigkeit erlebt werden. Vom Kiez bis zum Bundeskanzleramt, vom Unternehmer bis zum Punk, alles was Berlins Einmaligkeit in der Gesamtheit ausmacht, inklusive Blick zu historischen Ereignissen und zum aktuellen Lifestyle der Stadt, werden ihren Platz auf dem 111. PRESSEBALL BERLIN im Maritim Hotel Berlin in der Stauffenbergstraße (Berlin-Tiergarten) finden. Ballkarten zwischen 180 und 1.000 Euro gibt es ab sofort bei der PRESSEBALL BERLIN GMBH unter 030 - 80 60 21 77 oder www.presseball.de. 

PRESSEBALL BERLIN-Veranstalter Andreas Dorfmann ist über das Echo zum Motto begeistert: “Schon jetzt haben wieder populäre Berliner Traditionsfirmen ihre Teilnahme bestätigt und werden sich von ihrer besten Seite auf dem Ball präsentieren”.

Auch das Ball-Programm, an dem zurzeit gearbeitet wird, solle möglichst viel “Berliner Luft” beinhalten, so Dorfmann weiter.

Mit dem „PRESSEBALL BERLIN – Tauschrausch“ wartet am Ende des Abends nach der beliebten Tombola-Ziehung ein neuer und besonders kommunikativer Höhepunkt auf alle Loskäufer. Die Gewinner werden untereinander ihre gewonnenen Preise tauschen können. Mit dem Reinerlös der Tombola werden erneut gemeinnützige Zwecke unterstützt. Unter anderem in Not geratene Journalistinnen und Journalisten.

Und noch ein weiteres Novum haben sich die Veranstalter ausgedacht: Ab sofort können alle Berliner ihre eigenen Bilder, Fotos oder Collagen, die sie als “typisch Berlin” empfinden, an info@presseball.de senden. Die besten Bilder werden auf dem 111. PRESSEBALL BERLIN präsentiert und deren Foto-Einsender mit zwei Ehrenkarten belohnt.

Der Ball wird bereits zum dritten Mal von der privatwirtschaftlichen PRESSEBALL BERLIN GMBH, deren Gesellschafter die Berliner TV-Produzenten Andreas Dorfmann (75% Anteile) und Marina Schill (25% Anteile) sind, veranstaltet. Dorfmann erwarb im März 2007 die Markenrechte am traditionellen PRESSEBALL BERLIN vom Deutschen Journalisten-Verband Berlin. Neben der PRESSEBALL BERLIN GMBH betreibt der Journalist seit 1994 die Produktionsgesellschaft DORFMANN TV+RADIO PROGRAMM GMBH, die vor allem Lifestyle-Formate für private TV-Sender produziert.

PRESSEBALL BERLIN GMBH
Spilstraße 10 – 14195 Berlin-Dahlem
Telefon: (030) – 80 60 21 77
Telefax: (030) – 80 60 21 78
info@presseball.de
www.presseball.de 

Take Action to Stop the Threat of a Nuclear Iran

Participate in our Online Statewide Webinar:

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 – 12:30 – 2:00pm(EST)

STOP NUCLEAR IRAN NOW!

Special Guest: Ambassador R. James Woolsey, former CIA Director & United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Co-Chair

Moderator: Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, United Against Nuclear Iran, President

Featuring:

William S. Bernstein
Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, President & CEO

Florida State Senator Ted Deutch

Honorable Roger Robinson
Conflict Securities Advisory Group, Inc., President

REGISTRATION IS LIMITED.

Click here to register and to receive instructions for participation.

Terry McAuliffe for Governor of Virginia: The Final Debate

Dear Friend,

This race is getting heated – and it’s moving at lightning speed.  While Terry continued to communicate his positive vision for growing Virginia’s economy at yesterday’s final debate in Annandale, Brian Moran launched the first TV attack ad of the race, and a firestorm of criticism erupted in the aftermath of his false radio spot.  

You’ve built this campaign from the ground up.  And with just 20 days to go, we want to make sure you don’t miss a beat.

The reviews are in.  News outlets reported Terry was “unfazed,” “jovial”, “confident and carefree,” while his opponents engaged in “McAuliffe bashing,” “going after [Terry] with a bit of a vengeance” in their fifth and final debate.  WTOP political analyst Mark Plotkin said Terry “definitely dominates at these debates – feels very relaxed, very comfortable, very much at ease.”  And The Hill ran with the headline: “McAuliffe emerges as leading candidate in VA primary.”

The most telling moment of the afternoon occurred when Creigh Deeds disparagingly asked Terry how he planned to implement all the proposals he’s put forward on the campaign trail.  Terry was all over it. Taking the opportunity to reinforce his positive vision for growing Virginia’s economy, Terry delivered the best line of the debate:  “John Kennedy didn’t say we’re taking the rocket halfway to the moon – it goes all the way to the moon. That’s how I think.”

VCU Professor Bob Holsworth observed “a bit of an irony” in Moran’s and Deed’s suggestion that Terry won’t be able to follow through on his agenda:

“Nationally, the Democratic Party has fared very well because it is the party of hope and not the party of no.  Wasn’t Bill Clinton the boy from Hope (Arkansas, that is)?  And wasn’t Hope Obama’s real middle name?…  Democrats have to ensure that in trying to defeat McAuliffe, they don’t also run down the major rhetorical advantage they’ve had over the GOP in the last few years.”

First Attack Ad on TV

Yesterday afternoon, Brian Moran’s campaign launched its first television ad.  However, instead of using the spot to introduce Brian to voters, they launched a terribly misleading and viciously personal attack that unfairly characterizes Terry’s record as an entrepreneur with 13 years experience running large organizations. 

But we were ready. Within an hour of getting word about Moran’s attack, we’d cut and released a response ad that sets the record straight.

The truth is that Terry is the only candidate in this race who’s created thousands of jobs. Terry’s been completely forthcoming about his business record, and reporters have taken an extensive look at it during this campaign.  In this economic climate, Terry’s record of turning around struggling institutions is precisely what Virginia needs.

Criticism of Moran Radio Ad Mounts

Brian Moran’s radio ad is taking a beating.  It’s deliberately designed to deceive voters into believing Terry opposed Barack Obama’s candidacy last November – and in an article entitled, “Moran’s Miscues in Virginia,” the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Factcheck.org calls out the ad for its misleading claims.  Noting that the ad doesn’t provide adequate context when it mentions Terry’s appearance on the Daily Show, the independent organization wrote that “McAuliffe never worked against President Barack Obama, or Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. And when last we checked, Clinton was serving as Obama’s secretary of state, indicating there’s been a burial ceremony for some old swords. Maybe Moran missed it.”

Even Moran’s own supporters are disgusted. Joel McDonald – a longtime Brian Moran supporter who blogs at Virginia Beach Progressives – wrote that, “Spreading half-truths and rumors in a desperate attempt at shifting opinion about your opponent is not the way campaigns will be won this year.”  Noting that Moran’s attack bears a striking similarity to the attacks Republicans waged against Obama, McDonald said, “For a campaign to truly use Barack Obama’s influence, they have to campaign using his example.”

We obviously think Terry did great, but you should decide for yourself.

This election is still close.  Anything could happen, and we’re counting on you to help mobilize the voters on Election Day – June 9th, 2009.  So if you haven’t done so already, please sign up to volunteer immediately.

Thanks so much for all your help,

HIRAM7 REVIEW & The Friends of Terry McAuliffe

Jüdisch-arabischer Fußballverein zu Gast in Berlin

Pressemitteilung des Zentralrats der Juden in Deutschland

Berlin, 20. Mai 2009 – Nächste Woche kommt die Jugendmannschaft des israelischen Fußballvereins FC Hapo”el Abu Gosch – Mevasseret Zion nach Berlin.

Auf Einladung des Zentralrats der Juden in Deutschland hält sich die Jugendmannschaft des israelischen Fußballvereins FC Hapoel Abu Gosch – Mevasseret Zion vom 25.-28. Mai 2009 in Berlin auf. Mit der Einladung würdigt der Zentralrat das Engagement des Vereins für die Koexistenz jüdischer und arabischer Israelis und möchte das von den Spielern und Amtsträgern des Vereins vorgelebte Erfolgsmodell des gutnachbarlichen Zusammenlebens auch in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland vorstellen.

FC Hapoel Abu Gosch – Mevasseret Zion ist der einzige jüdisch-arabische Fußballverein Israels. Selbstverständlich spielen jüdische und arabische Fußballer in vielen anderen israelischen Teams zusammen, doch hat sich FC Hapoel Abu Gosch – Mevasseret Zion nicht nur sportliche Erfolge, sondern auch die Förderung der Koexistenz beider Volksgruppen ausdrücklich als Ziel gesetzt. Der Verein stellt eine volle und paritätische Partnerschaft zwischen den beiden westlich von Jerusalem gelegenen Ortschaften, dem jüdischen Mevasseret Zion und dem arabischen Abu Gosch dar. Der sechsköpfige Vorstand besteht aus drei Arabern und drei Juden.

Zum Turnier zwischen FC Hapoel Abu Gosch – Mevasseret Zion, Hertha BSC und der Axel-Springer-Journalistenschule sowie zum Freundschaftsspiel zwischen der israelischen Mannschaft und Makkabi Berlin sind Medienvertreter herzlich willkommen.

Das Turnier findet am 26.05.2009 im Amateurstadion Hertha BSC, Hanns-Braun-Straße, am Olympiastadion statt. Der Anpfiff ist für 17.30 Uhr geplant.

Das Spiel gegen Makkabi Berlin findet am 27.05.2009, Julius-Hirsch-Sportplatz, Harbigstraße 40, Berlin-Charlottenburg statt. Spielbeginn: 18.30 Uhr

Eine Akkreditierung ist nicht erforderlich.

Ansprechpartner vor Ort ist Herr Wladimir Struminski, Tel: 00972-522 576 865.

Terry McAuliffe for Governor of Virginia

 

Dear Friend,

Let’s hop to it. Time’s a-wasting.
 
I’ve donated to Terry McAuliffe’s campaign for governor, and I hope you will as well.

Terry knows how to make waves in a race like this. In the last week, he’s hit the campaign trail with our friend Bill Clinton. He’s gotten big endorsements from the Virginia League of Conservation Voters and 32BJ of SEIU, representing thousands of workers in Virginia.
 
But there are less than four weeks to go, and Terry is locked in a tough fight for the nomination. His opponents are up on the air with TV and radio ads.
 
This race depends on one thing: convincing undecided voters that Terry is the right choice. They’re the people who are going to make up their mind in these final weeks, and it’s up to us to make sure every last one of these voters hears from Terry.

I’ve known Terry for years.  He’s my friend and was my brother-in-arms through so many tough fights for progressive causes.  Now I want him to be governor of Virginia.  He has the business expertise to create jobs, the entrepreneurial energy to revive Virginia’s economy and the social conscience to ensure we leave no Virginian behind.
 
He’s spreading his campaign mantra – jobs, jobs, and more jobs – all over the Commonwealth.
 
You know Terry: the only speed he knows is full speed ahead.

But even the fastest stock car needs gas.  I’m asking you to help Terry fuel-up for these last laps before the primary.
 
If we can come close to matching his energy in these final weeks, I know he’ll be our nominee. It only takes a small act, but time is running out to make a difference.
 
I know Terry appreciates everything you’re doing to help. So it’s from both of us when I tell you thanks.
 
Sincerely,
David Ben-Hame, Editor & Publisher of HIRAM7 REVIEW
 
P.S. We’re in the final stretch, and Terry’s opponents are running TV and radio ads to try and win undecided voters. Help make sure he can match their efforts - contribute today!

Relics of the Second Temple of Jerusalem and King Solomon uncovered for the first time

Press Release

Tel Aviv, May 14, 2009 – Professor Solomon Budnik has identified and described in elaborated monographs two unique Hebrew relics.

1. highly decorated silver bowl, holy relic ascribed to the Second Temple of Jerusalem (1st c. BCE), the only Temple artefact that survived the Temple destruction, fire and looting (most Temple objects are now reportedly in Vatican) by Emperor Titus. It bears inscribed dedications to David, Zhariah (High Priest of the Second Temple) and Yehudah (Maccabeus?);

2. King Solomon icon (10th c.) from the Collection of First Russian Czars, Grand Dukes of Kiev (10th-12th c.) in Professor Budnik Collection. (That icon has been confirmed by the Getty Museum).

The British Museum experts had stated upon examination of the images that they had never encountered such objects, and didn’t questioned, as didn’t Israeli experts, the authenticity of the items or the monographs of Professor Budnik. Indeed  there is no analogy.

Here are detailed images of the decorated silver bowl ascribed to the Second Temple of Jerusalem by Etruscan artist of the Herod Period. This is the only holy vessel that must have survived the Temple destruction and fire caused by Emperor Titus. This item was not excavated or found in Israel.

This is King Solomon icon.

KING SOLOMON

It portrays for the first time in history the authentic images of King Solomon and his unique musical instrumen “kinor”.

The panel bears a painted King’s signet impression with the name Shlomo (Solomon) written in archaic Hebrew. King Solomon sits on a golden semi-throne, left foot resting on a golden stand. His throne and stand resemble the throne and stand of King Hammurabi of Sumer (1792-1750 BCE), depicted on the basalt pillar with the engrave Code of Hammurabi.

Similar thrones and stands were the royal attributes of the Pharaohs as well. Remarkably, King Solomon faces left toward his musical instrument, having no analogy in the history of music. This paramount discovery, along with other authentic details, speaks for the right attribution and provenance of this relic.

Tempera on panel. (53 cm. x 40 cm.). Asia Minor Antiquity, Khazarian Kingdom, 9th – 10th c. CE. Byzantine style painting. Unique artefact of unprecedented historical (biblical) and artistic value. No analogy. Fine state of preservation.Provenance: Collection of First Russian Czars, Grand Dukes of Kiev (10th-12th c.) in Professor Budnik possession.

This is an authentic portrait of King Solomon (Shlomo in Hebrew), marked with a signet-like Phoenician-Aramaic inscription Shlomo at the low edge of the panel. This unique masterpiece is painted on a large piece of very old wood, contemporary with the painting or even older. The priming and paint application are akin to Faiyum portraits (Lower Egypt, 2nd – 3rd c. CE), having no visible brush strokes.

***

Below is the message from the British Museum.

Dear Professor Budnik,
 
Thank you for the additional images and for your interesting monograph.  I have to confess that in all my years of experience at the British Museum, I have not encountered an object such as this, and I am really not able to comment on it.
 
With all good wishes,

Jonathan Tubb, Department of the Middle East
The British Museum

Media Contact:
David Ben-Hame
HIRAM7 REVIEW
E-Mail: hiram7@web.de

Fondation Chirac

The Geopolitics of Emotion: How Cultures of Fear, Humiliation, and Hope are Reshaping the World

Dominique Moïsi, a founder of the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI – French Institute of International Affairs), professor at the Institut d’études politiques (Sciences Po Paris) and Harvard University, and one of Europe’s leading geo-strategic thinkers, discusses in his new book how cultures of fear, humiliation, and hope are reshaping global politics.

“Fear, Humiliation, Hope, and the New World Order

Thirteen years ago, Samuel Huntington argued that a “clash of civilizations” was about to dominate world politics, with culture, along with national interests and political ideology, becoming a geopolitical fault line (”The Clash of Civilizations?” Summer 1993). Events since then have proved Huntington’s vision more right than wrong. Yet what has not been recognized sufficiently is that today the world faces what might be called a “clash of emotions” as well. The Western world displays a culture of fear, the Arab and Muslim worlds are trapped in a culture of humiliation, and much of Asia displays a culture of hope.

Instead of being united by their fears, the twin pillars of the West, the United States and Europe, are more often divided by them – or rather, divided by how best to confront or transcend them. The culture of humiliation, in contrast, helps unite the Muslim world around its most radical forces and has led to a culture of hatred. The chief beneficiaries of the deadly encounter between the forces of fear and the forces of humiliation are the bystanders in the culture of hope, who have been able to concentrate on creating a better future for themselves.

These moods, of course, are not universal within each region, and there are some areas, such as Russia and parts of Latin America, that seem to display all of them simultaneously. But their dynamics and interactions will help shape the world for years to come.

THE CULTURE OF FEAR

The United States and Europe are divided by a common culture of fear. On both sides, one encounters, in varying degrees, a fear of the other, a fear of the future, and a fundamental anxiety about the loss of identity in an increasingly complex world.

In the case of Europe, there are layers of fear. There is the fear of being invaded by the poor, primarily from the South – a fear driven by demography and geography. Images of Africans being killed recently as they tried to scale barbed wire to enter a Spanish enclave in Morocco evoked images of another time not so long ago, when East Germans were shot at as they tried to reach freedom in the West. Back then, Germans were killed because they wanted to escape oppression. Today, Africans are being killed because they want to escape absolute poverty.”

Buy your copy now from Amazon.

Gala Honoring American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris on June 4, 2009

Dear Friends,

Please join us in New York for the event of the year on June 4, 2009, as we honor American Jewish Committee (AJC) Executive Director David Harris for 25 years of outstanding leadership. 

We will bring four Israeli Ambassadors from around the globe who will present “The Face of Israel’s Diplomacy” as part of our acclaimed Israel…New Perspectives Series.

Schedule

6:30 pm: Welcoming cocktail reception and buffet dinner with Israeli diplomats and members of the New York diplomatic community

7:45 pm: Discussion with four Israeli Ambassadors

Gabriela Shalev, The United Nations

Yoram Ben-Zeev, The Federal Republic of Germany

Ron Prosor, The United Kingdom

Mark Sofer, The Republic of India

8:45 pm: Dessert reception and toasts recognizing David Harris’ 25 years of leadership by diplomats and the Honorable Nita Lowey, and presentation of AJC Leadership Award to David Harris

Don’t miss this exciting evening of celebration and learning!

For more information, please click here or call 914-948-5585.

Neues Presseteam beim 17. Filmfest Hamburg

Pressemitteilung

Hamburg – 5. Mai 2009 – Ab dem 2. Juni 2009 wird Silke Cecilia Schultz die Leitung der Kommunikations- und Pressearbeit von Filmfest Hamburg übernehmen.
 
Silke Cecilia Schultz ist freie Drehbuchautorin in Hamburg. Sie betreut als Tutorin angehende Autoren an der Filmschule Hamburg-Berlin und unterrichtet dort Dramaturgie und Filmgenres. Zuvor arbeitete sie als Pressesprecherin und Leitung des Presseclubs EXPO 2000 Hannover GmbH und war Mitarbeiterin unter der Leitung von Frau Prof. Dr. Süssmuth im Referat Öffentlichkeitsarbeit Deutscher Bundestag.

Ab dem 1. Juli 2009 wird sie von Alrun Seifert unterstützt. Alrun Seifert macht ihren Abschluss als Diplom-Medienwissenschaftlerin in Berlin. Sie hat bereits als Assistenz in der Presseabteilung von Hamburger Filmfest gearbeitet und zuvor die Pressearbeit des Internationalen Studentenfilmfestivals sehsüchte in Potsdam mitgestaltet.

***

Filmfest Hamburg vom 24.09.2009 bis zum 03.10.2009

Das 17. Filmfest Hamburg findet vom 24. September 2009 bis zum 3. Oktober 2009 im Abaton Kino, Cinemaxx Dammtor, Metropolis Kino, 3001 Kino und in den Zeise Kinos statt.

Damit ist die Spielzeit von Filmfest Hamburg um zwei Tage verlängert worden. Festivalleiter Albert Wiederspiel erklärt die Verlängerung wie folgt: “Wir haben uns entschieden, in der aktuellen Zeit von Einschränkungen antizyklisch zu handeln, und Filmfest Hamburg um zwei Tage zu verlängern. Das tun wir vor allem für unsere Besucher, denen wir mit einem weiteren Wochenende mehr Möglichkeiten bieten, unsere Filme sehen zu können.”

Das Festivalzentrum von Filmfest Hamburg zieht in diesem Jahr in die Pony Bar am Allende Platz 1, direkt neben das Abaton Kino. In den drei Kinosälen des Abaton finden tagsüber die Vorführungen für die akkreditierten Gäste statt.

Albert Wiederspiel freut sich besonders, dass “Altona in diesem Jahr wieder durch Zeise Kinos vertreten ist.” Zeise Kinos werden über die gesamte Spielzeit vom 17. Hamburg Filmfest bespielt. An beiden Wochenenden werden die Kinos in der ehemaligen Schiffsschraubenfabrik zur Bühne von Michel Kinder- und JugendFilmfest.

Das Metropolis Kino im ehemaligen Savoy am Steindamm wird diesmal über die gesamte Dauer vom 17. Hamburg Filmfest mit dabei sein.

Das Cinemaxx Dammtor bleibt mit drei Kinos in der oberen Ebene als wichtiger Spielort erhalten. Hier finden weiterhin die feierlichen Eröffnungs- und Abschlussveranstaltungen mit den Preisverleihungen, die Premieren der Sektion “TV Spielfilme im Kino” und das reguläre Programm von Filmfest Hamburg statt.

Das Filmfest Hamburg geht 2009 mit folgenden Sektionen an den Start: Agenda 09, Nordlichter, Vitrina, Voilà!, TV Spielfilme im Kino, eurovisuell und Deluxe.

Silke Cecilia Schultz
Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Filmfest Hamburg GmbH
Steintorweg 4
20099 Hamburg
Tel.: (040) 3991900-17
Fax: (040) 3991900-10
www.filmfesthamburg.de

War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars

Richard Nathan Haass, former Director of Policy Planning in the U.S. State Department, and current President of the Council on Foreign Relations, was one of a handful of top government officials involved in the decision-making process during both Iraq conflicts.

In his new book, War of Necessity, War of Choice, he explains precisely how and why the two Iraq wars resulted from two very different policymaking processes and two fundamentally different approaches to U.S. foreign policy.

Reviews & Endorsements

“Haass … astutely notes the two presidents’ differing management styles. … A unique perspective on how war policy was formed by two very different presidents.” Kirkus Reviews

“This is not your usual foreign policy tome. It is a vivid, honest account of recent history from the author’s unique vantage points inside the White House and the State Department. Richard Haass is always intelligent. In this book he teaches us a great deal about how American foreign policy should be made, what it should seek to accomplish, and how it should be carried out. The result is a fascinating memoir and a primer for the future.” Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and author of The Post-American World

“This important book, written with style and polish, is what history needs more of: first-person testimony on crucial events from those who were there. Haass takes us into the heart of the decision making of the first Gulf War and witnesses the morass that produced the Iraq invasion. But it is also, at bottom, a personal primer on what it is to dissent on policy from the inside, on when to stay in government, and when to go. A narrative that moves forward at a great pace but with real historical and academic ballast.” Peggy Noonan, columnist for the Wall Street Journal and author of Patriotic Grace

“In this compelling and important volume, a world-class scholar and diplomat takes us behind the scenes of both American wars against Saddam Hussein. Richard Haass’s book is full of surprises. It will do much to shape the way historians come to understand the American experience in Iraq. But more crucial, Haass’s story deserves every American’s attention now to make sure that we all learn from both the victories and the tragedies.” Michael Beschloss, author of Presidential Courage

“When a nation faces that gravest of decisions—is it justified in going to war?—abstract moral principles alone don’t suffice. Richard Haass, an insider who participated in the making of two very different wars with Iraq, provides a finely textured account that applies the writings about just and unjust wars to the real world. His blend of conceptual thinking and concrete experience makes for an engrossing tale that educates in every sense.” Peter Steinfels, codirector of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture and author of A People Adrift

To order this book, please click here.

27 avril 1969: De Gaulle, la fin d’un règne

Le caractère, vertu des temps difficiles. (Charles de Gaulle, Le Fil de l’épée)

Communiqué de presse de la Fondation Charles de Gaulle

Vidéo de 52mn de Jean-Michel Djian

Paris – 24 avril 2009 – Appuyé par des archives rares et un récit historique cadencé ce film documentaire lève un voile sur l’une des personnalités les plus mythiques du XXème siècle.

Il y a 40 ans, Charles de Gaulle quittait le pouvoir sur un échec. Celui du référendum perdu du 27 avril 1969.

Mais c’est quelques mois auparavant, en mai 68, que le fondateur de la Vème république commence à perdre pied. Dès lors une succession de décisions incompréhensibles vont le conduire à sa perte.

L’a-t-il voulu ce départ improbable? Etait-il las des Français? Souhaitait-il simplement retourner à l’écriture s’affranchir définitivement de la vie politique?

Grâce à des témoins de proximité (l’Amiral Flohic son aide de camp, Pierre-Louis Blanc, son conseiller à la presse) c’est un de Gaulle pathétique et grandiose, âgé de 79 ans, que nous redécouvrons ici, un homme d’exception éclairé par des figures du gaullisme (Pierre Lefranc, Edgard Pisani, Jean Mauriac), ses biographes (Jean Lacouture, Eric Roussel) et un spécialiste de la Vème république Alfred Grosser.

De Gaulle, la fin d’un règne – Les coulisses du référendum du 27 avril 1969 – Un film de Jean-Michel Djian – Diffusion le 26 avril 2009 à 22h sur Public Sénat.

Producteur délégué: Les Films d’Ici
Producteur associé: Ina

France-Amérique – le journal français des États-Unis

Plongez chaque mois au cœur de l’actualité franco-américaine et décryptez les enjeux du monde grâce aux reportages et enquêtes de France-Amérique. Prenez rendez-vous avec les grands acteurs de la scène culturelle et politique française. Découvrez les nouvelles tendances et laissez-vous surprendre par les entrepreneurs français qui innovent aux États-Unis.

France-Amérique, le trait d’union indispensable entre la France et les États-Unis.

AIPAC Policy Conference 2009

MAY 3-5, 2009 • WASHINGTON, D.C.

AIPAC Policy Conference 2009 kicks off with major addresses by top American and Israeli leaders shaping the U.S.-Israel relationship, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Plus, James Woolsey, former CIA director and Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explore the myriad foreign policy challenges facing the United States of America, Israel and the world. 

Click here to register.

Anti-Semitism: The Ugliest Backlash in Our Lifetime

This Pesach, Jews around the world have experienced the ugliest backlash of blatant anti-Semitism many of us have witnessed in our lifetime. We shouldn’t be surprised. When the world faces crisis, Jews are often the scapegoat.

How dangerous is the threat?

• Dozens of synagogues around the world have been attacked and targeted by extremists
• Hundreds of demonstrations around the world have heard crowds chant phrases like: Jews “go back to the ovens”
• Anti-Semites continue to exploit financial Web sites to spread their hate online

Our ability to respond depends on the commitment of people like you. We need your support.

HIRAM7 REVIEW is the only European online magazine specifically dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, to identifying and exposing extremists and their hate groups.

Now more than ever, we need your support. In these difficult economic times, our ability to respond to these new dangers depends on the commitment from the entire community.

Can we count on you?

Der Geist von ZAHAL

Ethische Dilemmata während der Operation Gegossenes Blei

Als Staat hat Israel seit seiner Gründung gegen die Herausforderung des Terrors zu kämpfen gehabt. Trotz der großen Erfahrung, die die Israelischen Verteidigungsstreitkräfte (ZAHAL) gesammelt haben, sind die täglichen Herausforderungen, denen sie begegnen, weiterhin kompliziert und schaffen komplexe ethische Dilemmata.

Das internationale Recht basiert auf dem ‚klassischen’ Modell des Krieges zwischen zwei Armeen. Infolgedessen ist es eine große Herausforderung, existierende internationale Rechtsgrundsätze auf Konflikte mit Terrororganisationen anzuwenden. Sie können keine befriedigende Antwort auf die zahlreichen ethischen Dilemmata geben, die bei solchen Konflikten erwachsen.

Im Bemühen, ihre militärische Unterlegenheit wettzumachen, haben die Terrororganisationen systematische Strategien entwickelt, die das Unvermögen des internationalen Rechts in Bezug auf diese Fragen ausschlachten.

Dem Terrorismus sind der Wert des menschlichen Lebens und der Humanismus gleichgültig, sowohl was die eigene Nation angeht als auch seine Feinde. Aufgrund der fehlenden Verpflichtung gegenüber dem internationalen Recht fühlen sich die Terroristen frei von jeglichen ethischen oder moralischen Beschränkungen und operieren ohne jegliche internationale Überwachung.

Terrororganisationen versuchen, das Vorgehen der Feindstaaten zu delegitimieren. Sie erreichen dies, indem sie sich selbst als Opfer stilisieren. Dieses Bestreben wird dadurch gefördert, dass das Schlachtfeld in dicht bevölkerte Gebiete verlegt wird, wobei mit dem Endziel der Medienaufmerksamkeit eine Wirklichkeit von Tod und Elend erzeugt wird.

Die Operation Gegossenes Blei ist ein klassisches Beispiel für asymmetrische Kriegsführung. Die Hamas hat hierbei terroristische Verhaltensmuster mit zynischen Resultaten an den Tag gelegt.

Im Laufe der vergangenen zwei Jahre hat die Hamas ihre terroristische Infrastruktur mutwillig als inhärenten Teil der zivilen Infrastruktur aufgebaut (bspw. waren mehr als ein Drittel der 122 Häuser im Viertel Al-Attra mit Bomben bestückt). Während der Kämpfe wurden die Bewohner Gazas auf die Straßen gebracht, und die Hamas versteckte sich zwischen ihnen, in ziviler Kleidung, und machte sie dadurch zu menschlichen Schutzschilden. Alan Dershowitz hat dies als die „Tote-Baby-Strategie” der Hamas bezeichnet.

Der Terrorismus der Hamas wurde die gesamte Operation hindurch aufrechterhalten. Als die Übergänge für den Transfer humanitärer Hilfe geöffnet wurden, hat die Hamas sie absichtlich bombardiert. Als Hilfsgüter transferiert wurden, hat die Hamas sie erbeutet und nicht an die lokale Bevölkerung weitergegeben. Als die Kamphandlungen eingestellt wurden, um humanitäre Zeitfenster zu schaffen, hat die Hamas weiter geschossen und Zivilisten gefährdet, die sich nach draußen gewagt hatten. Und als Israel anbot, sich um die Verwundeten zu kümmern, hat die Hamas sich geweigert, sie zu überführen.

Als Staat hat Israel seit seiner Gründung gegen die Herausforderung des Terrors zu kämpfen gehabt. Trotz der großen Erfahrung, die die Israelischen Verteidigungsstreitkräfte (ZAHAL) gesammelt haben, sind die täglichen Herausforderungen, denen sie begegnen, weiterhin kompliziert und schaffen komplexe ethische Dilemmata.

Im Feld steht der Kommandant komplexen ethischen Dilemmata gegenüber, die sein persönliches Urteil dazu erfordern, ob er den Anti-Terror-Einsatz, der die lokale Bevölkerung gefährden könnte, fortsetzen oder ob er seine eigenen Soldaten und die Zivilisten, die zu beschützen er ausgesandt wurde, gefährden soll.

Um den ethischen Dilemmata des Krieges, vor allem solchen, die während der Terrorismusbekämpfung auftreten,  begegnen zu können, haben die Israelischen Verteidigungsstreitkräfte (ZAHAL) einen moralischen Code entwickelt („Der Geist von ZAHAL”). Dieser Code setzt sich aus den Werten zusammen, die der Gründung des Staates Israel innewohnten, den Werten der westlichen Demokratie und der Verpflichtung gegenüber dem internationalen Recht.

Der „Geist von ZAHAL” ist tief in die Grundausbildung jedes einzelnen Soldaten und Kommandanten der Israelischen Verteidigungsstreitkräfte  eingebaut. Die ethische Verantwortung unserer Soldaten widerspricht nicht der Notwendigkeit persönlicher Sicherheit – sie setzt einen hohen Standard für das persönliche Urteil beim Zielen auf Terroristen, die unter Zivilisten Schutz suchen.

Die Rechtsexperten der Israelischen Verteidigungsstreitkräfte haben jeden Aspekt der Operation begleitet, von der Planung bis zur Durchführung. Dies reflektiert die Anerkennung der Bedeutung der Einhaltung des internationalen Rechts als dem Entscheidungsprozess inhärenter Aspekt.

Vorbereitungen für potentielle ethische Dilemmata begannen bereits in der Planungsphase der Operation. Während der Operation wurden unzählige Maßnahmen ergriffen, um den Kollateralschaden an den Bewohnern des Gaza-Streifens zu minimieren: Mehr als 1 250 000 Flugblätter wurden verteilt, mehr als 165 000 Bewohner des Gaza-Streifens wurden vorab telefonisch gewarnt, und die „Anklopftechnik” wurde breitflächig angewandt.

Trotz des häufigen Kampfes in dicht bevölkerten Gebieten und des Missbrauchs von lokalen Bewohnern als menschliche Schutzschilde durch die Hamas verdeutlichen die Einschätzungen der Israelischen Verteidigungsstreitkräfte, dass der Großteil der Opfer bewaffnete Kämpfer waren (709 bewaffnete Kämpfer, 295 Zivilisten und 162 Personen, deren Grad der Involvierung noch geprüft wird).

Das Schlachtfeld ist ein Schauplatz, der für Fehler anfällig ist. Für die Israelischen Verteidigungsstreitkräfte  ist jeder Kollateralschaden an Zivilisten problematisch und wird untersucht, um aus den eigenen Fehlern zu lernen und die Kampfdoktrin für die Zukunft zu verbessern. Für die Hamas ist der Kollateralschaden sowohl an israelischen als auch palästinensischen Zivilisten ein Mittel zum Erreichen ihres Ziels.

Bis ein effektiver moralischer Code zur Regulierung des Kriegs gegen den Terror geschaffen sein wird, gibt es keine einzige und eindeutige Lösung für ethische Dilemmata. Die Dilemmata stellten eine Herausforderung dar, die von allen westlichen Armeen geteilt wird, eine Herausforderung, der man begegnen muss, um die demokratischen Kernwerte zu bewahren, die unsere Staaten prägen.

Es scheint so, als ob der Einsatz von menschlichen Schutzschilden durch Terror- und Guerillaorganisationen infolge der steigenden Verstädterung, der operationellen Vorteile einer solchen Umgebung und der internationalen Verurteilung von Anti-Terror-Aktivitäten in bewohnten Gebieten noch wachsen wird. Das schiere Ausmaß dieser Dilemmata wird noch zunehmen und nicht nur Israel und den Nahen Osten, sondern die internationale Gemeinschaft als Ganze betreffen. Insofern ist die globale Acht- und Aufmerksamkeit gegenüber dieser Angelegenheit unerlässlich.

Israelische Verteidigungsstreitkräfte

David Harris Remarks at Gorbachev-Shultz Reunion

AJC Executive Director David Harris was invited to give substantive opening remarks at this afternoon’s historic reunion between former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, moderated by Charlie Rose. Below is the text of what Gorbachev publicly praised as an outstanding speech that, he said, helped him to gain a new understanding of the Jewish community’s view of Russian and Soviet Jewish history.

Opening Remarks by David Harris
Executive Director, American Jewish Committee (AJC)

A the reunion between former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev and former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz

American Jewish Historical Society
New York, March 26, 2009

I am grateful to the American Jewish Historical Society for organizing today’s historic lunch and for giving me the privilege to speak.

In 1974, I traveled to the USSR for the first time, part of a U.S.-Soviet teacher’s exchange program. I was sent to School No. 185 in Leningrad.

Shortly after arriving, I was walking in the hallway when a young girl passed by and quietly put a piece of paper in my hand. When I was alone, I read the note. It said: “David Harris, I feel you are a Jew. If I’m right, please know that my family are refuseniks. Won’t you come visit us?”

I did. It was one of several such families I eventually met. Why did they want to leave? Her father, an engineer, explained that his children had no future in the Soviet Union. The barriers were too high, anti-Semitism too endemic.

So why were they denied the right to emigrate?

The father told me a joke which was then making the rounds:

Shapiro was called into KGB headquarters and told he would never be allowed to leave. “But why, comrade major? he pleaded. Because you know state secrets. What state secrets, comrade major? In my field, the Americans are at least ten years ahead of us. Well, said the KGB major, that’s the state secret.”

I asked the girl, who was about 14 at the time, why she thought I was Jewish and risked approaching me.

She told me that in the USSR no one in their right mind would give a boy the first name David unless he was Jewish, or else they had cripple him for life. She assumed it was probably the same in other countries.

It’s why she and other students insisted that Abraham Lincoln was the first Jewish president. Nothing I said could convince them otherwise.

The plight of the engineer’s family was but one episode in a difficult history, involving millions and spanning centuries.

It’s hard to know where the story begins.

Perhaps in 1648, when the Ukrainian Cossacks, led by Bogdan Khmelnitsky, went on a murderous rampage and killed as many as 100,000 Jews.

Or in 1791, when Catherine the Great created the Pale of Settlement, forcing Jews to live in this confined space for well over a century.

Or in 1827, when Czar Nicholas I began conscripting Jewish boys into the army for a 25-year tour, during which every effort was made to convert them to Christianity.

Or in 1881, when the assassination of Czar Alexander II triggered a deadly wave of pogroms, which would recur in the ensuing decades, often led by the Black Hundreds, whose slogan was, “Kill the Yids and save Mother Russia!”

Or that same year, when Konstantin Pobedonostsev, the Procurator of the Holy Synod, argued that the Jewish problem could be solved only if one third of Russia’s Jews emigrated, one third converted, and one third perished.

Or in 1903, when the czarist secret police fabricated the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which claimed that Jews plotted to control the world.

Or in 1911, when Mendel Beilis was arrested in Kiev and put on trial for the supposed ritual murder of a Christian child’s blood libel.

Or in 1917, when Jews were accorded equal rights, creating the short-lived hope that better times were ahead.

Or in 1918, when that hope was proven illusory, as the Civil War resulted in an estimated 2,000 pogroms and tens of thousands of Jewish deaths.

Or in the 1920s, when emigration was no longer possible, and it became clear that Jewish religious life in the Soviet Union would be proscribed.

Or in the 1930s, the decade of the Great Terror, when many Jews were among the millions purged by Stalin.

Or in the 1940s, when Soviet Jews fought valiantly in the Red Army, losing hundreds of thousands of lives and winning a disproportionate share of medals of valor, only to return home to taunts that they had sat out the war in Tashkent.

Or in 1948, when Solomon Mikhoels, the legendary actor and chair of the wartime Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, was killed on Stalin’s orders in a feigned traffic accident.

Or the same year, when Golda Meir, as Israel’s first ambassador to the Soviet Union, came to Moscow’s only remaining synagogue, alarming the Kremlin when 50,000 Jews took to the streets to welcome her.

Or in 1952, when Mikhoel’s colleagues, having been charged with “treason, bourgeois nationalism, or other crimes against the state,” were executed in the night of the murdered poets.

Or in those years when the first copies of Leon Uris’s Exodus, the story of Israel’s birth, began circulating in Russian in samizdat, or self-publication, awakening kinship with the Jewish state.

Or in 1967, when Israel, faced with extinction by enemies armed with Soviet weaponry, vanquished the threat in just six days, electrifying Soviet Jews.

Or in 1970, when, to dramatize their plight, nine Jews and two non-Jews sought to hijack a plane in Leningrad and leave the country.

Or perhaps, perhaps, there wasn’t a precise date at all, just a sense for many that, despite Jews’ deep roots and love of Russian culture, something wasn’t right here, and time alone wouldn’t make it any better.

Maybe it was the knowledge that the Soviet internal passport, with its pyataya grafa, fifth line nationality” was a lifelong handicap for any Jew.

Maybe it was the recognition that prestigious universities and institutes were too frequently off-limits to Jews.

Maybe it was the awareness that certain jobs were denied to Jews, and that Jews who had jobs had to work harder to prove that they deserved them.

Maybe it was the fear that Jewish children would be subjected to taunts and jeers in school, and that school officials wouldn’t necessarily defend them.

Maybe it was the anguish that, as Yevgeny Yevtushenko, the legendary poet, reminded us when he spoke of Babi Yar, there were no memorials to the countless Jews slain by the Nazis on Soviet territory during the Holocaust.

Maybe it was the reality that Jews could not satisfy their most basic curiosity about being Jewish history, religion, tradition, language without endangering their families.

Maybe it was the relentless demonization of Israel and vilification of Zionism in Soviet officialdom.

Or maybe it was the recognition that Maxim Gorky’s words in Russian Fairy Tales were applicable for all time: “Once upon a time, in some czardom, in some state, there were Jews, simple Jews” for pogroms, for slander, and for other state needs.

Whatever the cause, by 1971, there was a full-fledged Soviet Jewry movement in the USSR and a growing support network around the world.

For the next two decades, history was written.

Soviet Jews cried out in Russian: “Otpusti narod moy.”

They cried out in the Hebrew they were beginning to learn clandestinely, “Shelach et ami.”

And they cried out in English for the world to hear the famous Biblical words, “Let my people go.”

These Soviet Jews, few in number at first, were extraordinarily brave.

They challenged the power of the state not just of any state, but the might of the Soviet Union.

Couldn’t the Kremlin simply crush them, make examples of them? And hadn’t the word emigration been missing from the Soviet lexicon for decades?

Repatriation to Israel, as the first activists demanded, seemed absurd. After 1967, there weren’t even diplomatic ties.

And yet, and yet, they weren’t crushed. Their numbers grew. The word emigration surfaced. And Israel became the overwhelmingly preferred destination for those who began leaving in 1971.

Many paid a heavy price.

Thousands were not fortunate enough to get permission to leave. Either they ended up in limbo, often for many years, as refuseniks. Or they became Prisoners of Zion, jailed for their activism and beliefs.

But nothing deterred them. And they knew they were not alone.

Jews from around the world, unwilling to sit silently while millions were once again targeted, organized, rallied, petitioned, fasted, lobbied, advocated, and traveled.

Governments responded, most notably the United States and Israel, but others as well.

For our country, the plight of Soviet Jews became a central item on our bilateral agenda and for the Congress.

Israel, despite the absence of direct links with the USSR, found many ways to give hope and support to Jews in the Soviet Union.

The Helsinki Final Act, signed in 1975 by 35 nations, including the USSR and all of Europe, gave the Soviet Jewry movement an additional lever by calling for the protection of human rights.

And countless non-Jews responded.

From Martin Luther King, Jr. to Bayard Rustin, from Sister Ann Gillen to Father Robert Drinan, they represented many races, religions and creeds.

They stood up, their voices were heard, and their message was clear, “Let them live freely as Jews in the Soviet Union, or let them go.”

Try as the Soviet Union might, it could not quell the growing storm of protest.

If the Kremlin relaxed its stance on emigration, as it did in 1973 and 1979, more Jews rushed to seek permission to leave.

If it tightened its stance, as it did after the Moscow Olympics in 1980, then the global outcry intensified.

And so we come at last to the Reagan-Gorbachev era. Few could have predicted its auspicious outcome.

Certainly, when we were asked to organize a mass rally in Washington, on the eve of President Gorbachev’s first visit in 1987, little could we have foreseen the extraordinary events of the next four years.

And little could I have imagined, as the chief organizer for that rally, as the son of one of the last emigrants from the Soviet Union in the Stalin era, and as a person who was expelled from the USSR in 1974 because of my contact with Jews, that I would be here today in the presence of Mikhail Gorbachev.

We had about five weeks to organize the rally from scratch. The largest Jewish rally in Washington till then had only drawn 12-14,000 people, which didn’t give us much hope. Plus, it was slated for December, with its notoriously tricky weather. And, not for the first time, it wasn’t easy to get Jewish groups to put aside differences and unite around a shared goal.

But Natan Sharansky, released from the Gulag the previous year, kept pushing our sights higher. We set a goal of 250,000 people, never really believing we’d reach it. In fact, we exceeded it.

People from all walks of life came. They felt they had to be there. They understood that silence or indifference to human suffering is never an answer.

And they were joined by Vice President Bush and a parade of Washington dignitaries.

Not too long afterwards, President Gorbachev opened the gates, and the Jews came streaming out.

Of course, only President Gorbachev knows the degree to which this and other rallies and protests affected the decision-making of the Kremlin.

I do know that, for the mood and morale of Soviet Jews, they were vitally important.

The knowledge that the United States stood with them in their struggle was extraordinarily powerful. And there are few American officials who embody that support more than George Shultz.

No words are sufficient to describe the central role he played, or the message he sent, when, as secretary of state, he hosted a Passover Seder for Soviet Jewish activists at the American Embassy in Moscow in 1987.

At a moment when the world needs symbols of hope and possibility, today’s lunch couldn’t be better timed.

It’s a perfect reminder of the power of individuals to dream dreams and fulfill them, as Soviet Jews did.

And of the capacity of true statesmen to chart a brighter future and achieve it, as our two distinguished guests did so magnificently

USA For Africa 1984: We are (were) the world

A great and well done PR campaign for a great cause: Africa

Nevertheless: 25 years later, no change. Look at the current situation in Congo and Zimbabwe…

Lyrics

There comes a time when we heed a certain call (Lionel Richie)

When the world must come together as one (Lionel Richie & Stevie Wonder)

There are people dying (Stevie Wonder)

Oh, and it’s time to lend a hand to life (Paul Simon)

The greatest gift of all (Paul Simon/Kenny Rogers)

We can’t go on pretending day by day (Kenny Rogers)

That someone, somehow will soon make a change (James Ingram)

We’re all a part of God’s great big family (Tina Turner)

And the truth (Billy Joel)

You know love is all we need (Tina Turner/Billy Joel)

CHORUS
We are the world, we are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving (Michael Jackson)

There’s a choice we’re making we’re saving our own lives (Diana Ross)

It’s true we’ll make a better day just you and me (Michael Jackson/Diana Ross)

Well, send’em you your heart so they know that someone cares (Dionne Warwick)

And their lives will be stronger and free (Dionne Warwick/Willie Nelson)

As God has shown us by turning stone to bread (Willie Nelson)

And so we all must lend a helping hand (Al Jurreau)

REPEAT CHORUS
We are the world, we are the children (Bruce Springsteen)

We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving (Kenny Loggins)

There’s a choice we’re making we’re saving our own lives (Steve Perry)

It’s true we’ll make a better day just you and me (Daryl Hall)

When you’re down and out there seems no hope at all (Michael Jackson)

But if you just believe there’s no way we can fall (Huey Lewis)

Well, well, well, let’s realize that a change can only come (Cyndi Lauper)

When we (Kim Carnes)

stand together as one (Kim Carnes/Cyndi Lauper/Huey Lewis)

REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE

Additional ad-lib vox by Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, James Ingram

Israel’s New Government and the Future of the State

B’NAI B’RITH INTERNATIONAL cordially invites you to attend the first

B’nai B’rith World Center – Jerusalem

Post-Pesach Symposium for visiting B’nai B’rith Members

Israel’s New Government and the Future of the State

Programme

10:30 – 11:00 Reception

11:00 – 11:15 Greetings

Graham Weinberg, President, B’nai B’rith Europe

Ralph Hofmann, Senior Vice President, B’nai B’rith Europe

11:15 – 11:30 Introduction to  B’nai B’rith World Center – Jerusalem

Dr. Haim V. Katz, Chairman

Alan Schneider, Director

11:30 – 12:30  Session 1: A View from the Knesset

MK Benny Begin (Likud)

MK Nachman Shai (Kadima)

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 14:30 Session 2: A View from the Fourth Estate

Ben-Dror Yemini, Op-Ed Editor, Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv

Amnon Lord, Editor-in-Chief, Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon

15:00 – 16:00

Tour Menachem Begin Heritage Museum

Friday, April 17, 2009

Menachem Begin Heritage Center, 6 Nachon St. Jerusalem

Fee per person: $30 US

Please register your participation by return e-mail message to worldcenter@012.net.il by March 26, 2009.

Transportation from Tel Aviv will be arranged per request at cost.

The Exasperating Gift of Singularity: Edmund Husserl, Emmanuel Levinas, Michel Henry

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends. (Friedrich Nietzsche, Ecce Homo, Foreword)

This book is concerned with the idea that, in light of the works of Edmund Husserl, Emmanuel Levinas and Michel Henry, phenomenology has an important contribution to make to the question of singularity.

It also demonstrates that the issue of a singular givenness, and/or of the givenness of singularity is highly consequential for justifying alternative views to a purist form of phenomenology.

REVIEW: “The book is extremely timely since it touches on themes that are of paramount importance within the phenomenological tradition in France today. Particularly impressive is Bogza’s use of Michel Henry, who is hardly known in the English speaking world and whose work is still in need of translation. Hopefully this book will bring about an interest in his work which is long overdue” (Dr. Lilian Alweiss, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Philosophy)

Table of Contents  
Introduction

PART ONE: Phenomenology on Singularity  (Husserl)

I.The Problem and its Background

II. The Primitive Sense-Data, or Noncompounded Singulars

III. The Manifold-Unitary Singulars or Singularity as Particularity

IV. The Pre-phenomenal: Singularity as Uniqueness

PART TWO: Phenomenology of Singularity (E. Levinas and M. Henry)

V. Levinas on the Singularising Singularity of the Other

VI. Michel Henry on the Singular Ipseity of Life

Conclusion

About the author: Adina Bozga studied philosophy and political science in Bucharest, Romania. She obtained her PHD in Philosophy in  2003 from the University of Warwick, UK. She is the author of a series of articles in phenomenology and a member of the editorial board of «Studia Phaenomenologica». Her current research interests include social and political philosophy, and phenomenology.

To order this book, please click here.

Zeta Books

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Deutschland soll sich dem Boykott der antisemitischen UN-Propaganda-Konferenz „Durban II“ durch Kanada, die USA und Italien anschließen

Gemeinsame Pressemitteilung des Koordinierungsrats deutscher Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen gegen Antisemitismus, der Jüdischen Gemeinde zu Berlin und des Jüdischen Forums für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus

Pressemitteilung lesen.

Power Rules: How Common Sense Can Rescue American Foreign Policy

A MUST-READ BOOK  ABOUT AMERICAN POWER IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY WRITTEN BY FOREIGN POLICY INSIDER LESLIE HOWARD GELB

Published by HarperCollins in March 2009

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. (Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, 1513)

Inspired by Machiavelli’s classic The Prince, former top Pentagon official and Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist for the New York Times Leslie H. Gelb offers illuminating guidelines on how American power actually works and should be wielded in today’s tumultuous world.

Reviews & Endorsements:

“Power Rules belongs in the top tier.”
National Interest

“If you care about America’s standing in the world – why it has declined, and how to restore it – this book is essential reading. Leslie Gelb, one of America’s most distinguished practitioner – observers of foreign policy, brilliantly explains how a series of administrations weakened our nation’s security, and shows how we can reverse this trend. Sparing no one in his analysis, Gelb shows how the U.S. failed to use its own strengths to achieve its stated goals, and offers, in succinct and user-friendly prose, the basic power rules with which the U.S. can – and must – restore its proper leadership role in the world. Power Rules is an indispensable book for the new era.”
Ambassador Richard Holbrooke

“Leslie Gelb has as much experience in foreign policy as anyone alive. Unlike most writers in this field, he isn’t afraid to use plain language and say what he means. He relishes hard truths. And he doesn’t mind making powerful enemies. All of these are prerequisites to writing a modern Prince - which is what Gelb has done. I don’t agree with all of it, but I greatly admire this handbook on the uses of American power in a complex age.”
George Packer, The New Yorker

“Leslie Gelb tells it like it is: making U.S. foreign policy and using American power are common sense, not rocket science. Our leaders forget this truth at our peril. Incisive and thoroughly compelling, Power Rules is rich in colorful stories as well as in sound advice for our president and our people.”
Brent Scowcroft, former national security adviser

“Power Rules provides a much-needed antidote to the ideological fevers that have ravaged American statecraft in recent years. Leslie Gelb’s reflections on power, its effective use, and its limitations are shrewd, trenchant, and refreshingly devoid of either cant or partisanship.
Andrew J. Bacevich, professor of international relations at Boston University

“For years, Leslie Gelb’s friends have been learning about foreign policy by way of his wisecracks and anecdotes. In Power Rules, he shares a lifetime’s worth of wit and wisdom with the rest of the class. The amazing thing about this shrewd updating of The Prince is not just the insight Gelb brings to topic of America’s exercise of power in the post-Cold War, post-Bush world, but how entertaining he makes the whole subject. This book is a must-read not just for President Obama, but for anyone who wants to understand how the new administration can improve its odds of strategic success.”
Jacob Weisberg, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government

Click here to order this book.

Europe, Iran and the Bomb

The Transatlantic Institute proudly announces the publication of a new book:

“Under a Mushroom Cloud: Europe, Iran and the Bomb”
by Emanuele Ottolenghi

Published by Profile Books, London (2009)

Since Iran’s illicit nuclear programme was exposed to a stunned world in 2002, Tehran has defied the international community and continued to pursue its nuclear goals. What drives this seemingly apocalyptic quest? Are Iran’s aims rational or not? Under a Mushroom Cloud analyses this catastrophic and murky situation, and examines Iran’s dual-track approach of accelerating its nuclear activities while weaving itself ever more tightly into the fabric of the European economy. Thriving trade between Europe and Iran, and heavy European involvement in Iran’s energy industry, have weakened Europe’s will to impose robust sanctions – but imposing them is the only practical way of protecting Europe’s strategic interests and ensuring the stability of the region.

Under a Mushroom Cloud offers a clear and compelling answer to this dilemma. Drawing on extensive research, including interviews with senior officials and security and intelligence personnel from many countries involved in the effort to stop Iran developing a nuclear bomb, it provides a comprehensive account of a serious strategic threat to Europe, and offers an original list of practical recommendations for European policymakers who must confront it.

Click here to buy the book.

Advance Praise:

‘Under a Mushroom Cloud considers Europe as the prime mover vis-à-vis Iran’s nuclear ambitions. How Europe will use this unaccustomed power is the big question at the heart of this timely book.’ François Heisbourg, Special Adviser, Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, Paris

‘This is an important contribution to the debate about Europe’s approach to Iran. As one would expect, Dr Ottolenghi has written a well-informed, perceptive and sobering book. I hope our European leaders, and those who study this potential flashpoint, will read what he has to say.’ General The Lord Charles Guthrie, Chief of the British Defence Staff (1997-2001), Colonel Commandant of the Life Guards and the Special Air Service

‘How to deal with Iran is one of the most pressing foreign policy issues of the day. Dr Ottolenghi provides a useful guide to the challenge and thoughtful suggestions on how to meet it.’ Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Professor of War Studies and Vice-Principal, King’s College London

‘For almost three decades, conventional wisdom has presented Iran as a problem for the United States. In this seminal study, Dr Ottolenghi shows that a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic could be more of a threat to Europe, which, in one of those bitter ironies of history, has helped the Khomeinist regime not only to survive but also to build its arsenal of deadly weapons. A work of impeccable scholarship, this book is also a political wake-up call to European democracies.’ Amir Taheri, syndicated columnist, former Executive Editor of Kayhan, Iran’s largest daily paper