Israeli Economy Better than Most

In spite of the difficult economic situation around the world, investors see Israel as a positive port of call. In March, Israel launched a benchmark 10-year U.S. dollar denominated global bond issue worth $1.5 billion. The 10-year deal had price guidance of U.S. Treasuries plus 262.5 basis points (+2.625%), offered a yield of 5.19%. The issuing of the bonds was done after a two-day road show, held in the US and in Europe at the same time, managed by a senior team from the Ministry of Finance.

Demands for this issue exceeded over 12 Billion Dollars, and were received by over 300 investors in 14 different countries. The initial goal of the issue was to raise $0.5 billion; however, facing the high demands registered, it was expanded to $1.5 billion.

"It is a sign of the attractiveness of the Israeli Market, especially in times the global economy is in high turmoil and crisis," said Finance Minister.

This offering was formed using Israel's ability to raise debt capital backed by guarantees from the United States Government, giving it a "AAA" rating which is more attractive to the buyers and reduces issuing costs. On its own, Israel's investment grade credit rating is "A" from Standard & Poor's and Fitch and "A1" from Moody's Investors Service. (Sources: Ministry of Finance, Citi Group)

In a further move to support economic development in the future the Israeli Ministry of Finance is allocating hundreds of millions of shekels in the direction of High Tech and Biotechnology

In February, the Former Minister of Finance, announced a program intended to help the high tech and biotechnology industries. The program, which was formed with the Ministry of Trade and Labor, the Chief Scientist and experts in high tech investments, is a part of the third phase in the Acceleration Program. In this phase, the ministry focuses on specific sectors in the economy that are considered to be growth generators, but have been suffering because of the global crisis.

In addition to the $50 Million increase allocated to the chief scientist in the end of 2008, there will be an addition of $37 Million, given during the first quarter of 2009. This addition will be used towards R&D investments, and is meant to give an immediate relief to the funding difficulties encountered by companies that are doing quality R&D.

An additional $62 Million will be allocated by the government towards setting up a fund specializing in biotechnology investments. Further capital for the fund will be raised by the private sector.

A full presentation of the economy of Israel can be found at http://www.financeisrael.mof.gov.il/FinanceIsrael/Docs/En/EconomicHighlights/EconomicHighlights-2009-1.pps#3

Water Rights in the Middle East

Accusations are flying around that Israel is "stealing" the Palestinians water. A recent report from the Water Commissioner highlights the inability of the Palestinans in governing themselves. By working in conjunction with the Israeli authorities and utilising Israeli technology and money that donors are prepared to give to the Palestinians, much more water could be made available to everyone in the area.

Water Rights as Perceived by the Palestinians

The Palestinians are asking for most of the water from the Mountain Aquifer, all the water from the Gaza Aquifer, water flowing to it from Israeli territory, and a share in the water of the Jordan Basin (Lake Kinneret) as well as the Coastal Aquifer.

The Palestinians claim that their position is supported and endorsed by international law, and demand that international law and their future sovereignty over the West Bank be the basis for negotiations over the permanent agreement on the issue of water.

They claim, for example, that replenishment of the Mountain Aquifer is principally in the area that is or will be part of their territory, and therefore all or most of this water belongs to them.

This claim ignores the fact that according to international law, geographical-hydrological factors are only one of the relevant considerations. Against this, for example, is the principal of maintaining existing uses of water, i.e. the fact that the natural springs and water utilized prior to 1967 were all in Israeli territory.

The Palestinians wish to disregard the fundamental clause in the Water Agreement signed by them (Clause 40 of paragraph 6 in the third appendix to the Interim Agreement), which states that the "future needs" of the Palestinians in the West Bank are estimated at 70-80 MCM/yr (in addition to what they had at the time of signing the agreement, namely, 118 MCM/yr).

The Palestinians are avoiding treatment of wastewater and reuse of the treated effluents for irrigation, a move that would free large quantities of fresh water for domestic use, while also preventing contamination of groundwater and environmental pollution. At times, this is explained on the basis of a religious prohibition, which is puzzling as neighbouring Arab countries treat wastewater and use the effluent for irrigation of agricultural lands.

It also appears that for tactical reasons of negotiation, the Palestinians do not wish to discuss desalination as a concrete solution (for the West Bank) or regional schemes.

This Palestinian position may be summed up as follows: "Give us (Israel to the Palestinians) all the fresh water we need for the present and the future, take (Israel from the Palestinians) the wastewater that we generate, and desalinate seawater in place of the water we are taking from you."

The above position, which has been presented in international articles and at many international forums, attests to the fact that the Palestinians have not yet internalized the idea that a win-win solution to the water scarcity in the region will necessitate an increase in the overall availability of water, conservation, increased efficiency, and substantial upgrading of the entire supply system.

The Palestinians are clearly endeavouring to arrive at solutions that will be primarily at the expense of Israel, which is suffering from severe water scarcity and is making intensive efforts to bring about efficient and responsible utilization of its scarce natural resources.

Water from the Mountain Aquifer that Israel has used even before 1967 has drained naturally into its territory, principally from the Yarkon, Taninim, Harod, Gilboa and Beit Shean springs. The Palestinians have never used this water. This fact grants Israel rights of possession and use regarding this water, even according to international law.

Realistic solutions to the problem of water shortage are those that derive from the principles that were determined in the Water Agreement signed by the two sides, in terms of both international law and responsible and sustainable management, principally:
a. Reduction of water losses and conservation.
b. Full exploitation by the Palestinians of the eastern basin in the Mountain Aquifer.
c. Treatment of wastewater and reuse of the effluent as well as stormwater for irrigation.
d. Desalination of brackish water and seawater for domestic use.
e. Cooperation for optimal utilization of all the water sources, adoption of advanced technologies and management techniques.
f. Concerted regional efforts to increase the total quantity of available water.

Implementation of the first three activities will double the total quantity of water that will be available for domestic use by the Palestinians.

The above activities, which Israel is already carrying out in its territory, add at present about 800 MCM/yr to the country's water sector. Most of this water is diverted to agriculture, thus freeing fresh water for domestic use. (Israel is currently desalinating seawater to the extent of 130 MCM/yr and brackish water to the extent of 36 MCM/yr; in September 2009, an additional seawater
desalination plant, with a capacity of 100 MCM/yr, will commence operation at Hadera.)

The information, technology and experience that Israel has accumulated in the framework of the above activities can be made available to the Palestinian Authority as well. The donor countries have expressed their willingness to finance the construction of wastewater treatment plants for the Palestinians, such that the question of funding should not be a concern.

The proposition of solving the problem of Palestinian water shortage by exacerbating Israel's water scarcity is utterly unacceptable. Thus only realistic, fair and sustainable solutions must be sought.

Who of the World Press will Tell This Story?

The following story published in the Jerusalem Post realtes to the cmpassion of the Israeli medical profession irrespective of race, religion or background. Stories such as this confirm the mockery of the Durban II conference recently held.

I wonder if any of the world's press would publish such a story?


"Four months after a wall at a construction site fell on a 51-year-old Palestinian building worker Ali Abu Phar'a and tore out his vocal cords, he can talk again. He was rushed to Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot from the building site in Gedera and found to have holes in his lungs, fractures to the cartilage in his throat and breathing problems.

Dr. Yonatan Lahav of the ear-nose-and-throat department said Phar'a was put under anesthesia and drains were inserted in the chest to release escaping from his lungs. Put into intensive care, he was ventilated. Without urgent care, he would never be able to speak, or breathe through his nose.

As he has no Israeli health insurance, hospital management speeded up approval from the Palestinian Authority to undergo surgery. Lahav and Dr. Moshe Yehuda worked for hours, sewing Abu Phar'a's vocal cords and reattaching him to the cartilage in his throat. The fractures were sit with an internal brace.

A few weeks later, the brace was removed and he underwent rehabilitation for breathing through his nose, swallowing and speaking. The patient no longer needs an external air hole in his throat to breathe, and his voice is almost normal, Lahav said."

War Crimes? Not according to international law.

The Israeli Army has taken seriously the need to check thoroughly its activities during operation Cast Lead. Five investigative teams dealt with the following issues:

a) Claims regarding incidents where UN and international facilities were fired upon and damaged during Operation Cast Lead.

b)Incidents involving shooting at medical facilities, buildings, vehicles and crews.

c) Claims regarding incidents in which many uninvolved civilians were harmed.

d) The use of weaponry containing phosphorous.

e) Damage to infrastructure and destruction of buildings by ground forces.

In accordance with accepted IDF protocol for professional investigations, the investigators operated independently and were provided with access to all relevant materials and the freedom to question any of the relevant personnel.
The investigations showed that throughout the fighting in Gaza, the IDF operated in accordance with international law. The IDF maintained a high professional and moral level while facing an enemy that aimed to terrorize Israeli civilians whilst taking cover amidst uninvolved civilians in the Gaza strip and using them as human shields.

Notwithstanding this, the investigations revealed a very small number of incidents in which intelligence or operational errors took place during the fighting. These unfortunate incidents were unavoidable and occur in all combat situations, in particular of the type which Hamas forced on the IDF, by choosing to fight from within the civilian population.

The fighting in Gaza took place in a complex battlefield against an enemy who chose, as a conscious part of its doctrine, to locate itself in the midst of the civilian population. The enemy booby trapped its houses with explosives, fired from the schools attended by its own children and used its own people as human shields while cynically abusing the IDF’s legal and ethical commitment to avoid injuring uninvolved civilians.

In order to ensure compliance with the IDF's obligations under international law, the IDF invested an enormous effort and huge resources to warn civilians in the Gaza Strip away from harm. Additionally, the IDF made extensive use of accurate munitions, wherever and whenever possible, to minimize harm to civilians. In addition, during the operation the IDF authorized humanitarian convoys to enter the Gaza and employed a humanitarian recess for several hours a day.

The IDF operated in accordance with moral values and international laws of war, trained its soldiers to act in accordance with the values and norms which bind the IDF, and made an enormous effort to focus its fire only against the terrorists whilst doing the utmost to avoid harming uninvolved civilians.

The investigation process was lengthy due to the extent of the fighting, the complex and thorough work of the investigators, the time required to gather information from the various units involved in the operation, and comprehensive cross-checking.Some specific additional issues are still being checked, and additional allegations are now being investigated.

In accordance with usual practice, a summary of each investigation will also be presented to the Military Advocate General, who is entitled to decide whether additional checks need to be done or if there is the basis for opening another type of investigation. His decision is entirely independent and he is subject only to the law.

Due to their significance, the conclusions of the investigations and the opinion of the Military advocate will be presented for review to the Attorney General.

Insanity at the UN conference

Following the conclusion of the Iranian President’s speech, members of the World Union of Jewish Students, human rights groups, Students Against Racism, Prof. Alan Dershowitz , Nobel Laureate Ellie Wiesel, and American actor John Voight held a second silent protest outside of Ahmadinejad’s press conference, while others read aloud the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In a move of comic tradegy,UN officials approached the group telling them “you cannot read that here”.

An Iranian group began heckling the protest with cries of “end the Holocaust in Gaza”. The group protsting Ahmadinejad responded with a chant, “no to racism, yes to human rights”.

This resulted in those protesting Ahmadinejad’s racism having their United Nations accreditation removed for the remainder of the conference,whilst security staff entirely ignored the antics of the Iranians responsible for the provocation.

Both Alan Dershowitz and Ellie Wiesel sought access to the press conference and were denied, the former having lost his accrediation to the conference according to some reports. That evening a moving Holocaust memorial ceremony was addressed by Wiesel, Irwin Cotler, and church leaders.

The world has really gone mad!!!

Accusation: Zionism is Racism

With the Durban II conference only days away, the slanderous statement that came out of the first conference is still on the agenda for this second round. and still governments don't have the guts to say "This is not acceptable"

The Reality:

Zionism is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people. Zionism began when Jews, like peoples all over the globe, aspired to a country to call their own. They strove to reassert Jewish sovereignty in their ancient homeland.

There is no conflict between the establishment of a Jewish state and the preservation of the rights of all the inhabitants of the land.

Israel's law of return is no different from the laws of return existent in many other states. Yet its law is the only one criticized as racist by countries who, like Jordan, would not allow a Jew to become a citizen even if He/She was born there.

The Facts:

Zionism is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people. Zionism began when Jews, like peoples all over the globe, aspired to a country to call their own. They strove to reassert Jewish sovereignty in their ancient homeland.

Zionism came to be after thousands of years of persecution of the Jewish people as a movement to grant them sovereignty over a territory in which they could rule their own destinies without fear from persecution based on their religious beliefs and cultural background. The realization of the Zionist dream came to be with the founding of the State of Israel.

Aside from the facts referred to with regards to legal and social provisions against discrimination and the pluralistic character of Israeli society it must be made absolutely clear that there is no conflict between the establishment of a Jewish state and the preservation of the rights of all the inhabitants of the land. The Zionist ideal was first expressed in Theodor Herzl's book "The Jewish State." And the country he foresaw would be an expression of the highest ideals, in which Jews and non-Jews would live together in peace and equality.

Israel's law of return is often referred to as a major source of criticism. Its detractors state that this piece of legislation reflects a policy of discrimination on the part of the State of Israel in an effort to maintain a prevalence of Jews in the country's demography. Therefore, since a major part of Zionist ideology is constituted by the need for the Jewish people to return to Israel, its detractors state that Zionism is Racism.

Nothing however could be farther from the truth. As Alan Dershowitz states, the law of return

"…should be viewed as a humanitarian law. It followed the immigration waves during Israel's first years that brought Holocaust survivors along with refugees forced out of Arab countries. Since its passage, Jews have been rescued from the repression and Antisemitism of the soviet bloc, from "disappearances" under Argentinean dictators and from famine in Ethiopia."

Moreover, the fact that the law of return exists does not preclude any other person wishing to reside in Israel from applying after having met certain pre-requisites established in law. These pre-requisites are similar to those established by countries such as the United States or France. Additionally, Israel has a long history of opening its doors to those in need of assistance, particularly in extreme cases of peril. Examples of this are 100 Albanian refugees from Kosovo during the Bosnian Civil War or Vietnamese refugees of war received in Israel when no other country would open its doors to them.

In contrast Jordan, a country who also has a law of return, specifically prohibits anyone of the Jewish faith from being a citizen; even in cases of returning Jews born in its soil. Other examples of laws of return that have existed or still exist are Germany and China. Yet, only Israel, which has citizens of virtually every religion, ethnicity, race and national origin, is characterized by its enemies as racist.

Accusation: Israel is pursuing a policy of genocide towards the Palestinians

As the Durban II conference approaches, more and more accusations are being thrown into Israel's face. Let's look at yet another to read the reality and the facts.

Accusation: Israel is pursuing a policy of genocide towards the Palestinians that is comparable to the Nazi's treatment of the Jews

The Reality:

The Nazi Holocaust perpetrated against more than 6 million Jews in an effort to exterminate that ethno-religious group from the face of the earth is one of the most horrendous acts of evil ever committed by man. A people who has been the victim of the worse atrocities imaginable to man, cannot bear to see human suffering comparable to it, much less commit those acts on its own. To compare Israel's defensive actions to genocide and the Holocaust is not only a form New Antisemitism devised in order to delegitimize Israel but also a propagandistic strategy used by its enemies to paint its actions in the worse light possible.

The Facts:

The Nazi Holocaust perpetrated against more than 6 million Jews in an effort to exterminate that ethno-religious group from the face of the earth is one of the most horrendous acts of evil ever committed by man. National socialist Germany followed a doctrine of racial superiority which not only placed Jews at the very bottom of the classification of the races but also claimed that Jews had been the reason for Germany's defeat in Word War I, having become a parasite feeding of the "fatherland" in order to fulfill their aim of world domination. For these reasons, Jews had to be exterminated.

The world eventually saw this doctrine materialize in the most effective and industrialized systems for human extermination ever devised. Labor camps ensured that the individual lost all physical and personal traits that identified him/her as person. Their belongings confiscated and recycled for other uses. Their bank accounts used as a war chest and some of their bodies used for human medical experimentation. These people who had been made to become numbers were eventually lead into industrialized death camps in which they were gassed and incinerated in order to eliminate all evidence of this preposterous crime.

When what remained of the Jewish people were eventually freed by the allies, they sought to return to the land of their forefathers so that they could protect themselves and not have to rely on anyone else's "charity" in order to preserve their cultural and physical integrity. Yet, the Holocaust is commemorated as a national day of remembrance in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world. This serves as a yearly reminder of that sad chapter of human history so that future generations will remember what men were capable off once and avoid it at all cost.

Regrettably, this goal hasn't been achieved and even in the XXI Century the world still witnesses catastrophes such as the Genocide in Darfur. In this sense, Israel has provided sanctuary to all those who have requested it in light of massacres not unlike the one suffered by the Jewish people. As such, a people who has been the victim of the worse atrocities imaginable to man, cannot bear to see human suffering comparable to it, much less commit those acts on its own.

Israel aims to always be at peace with its neighbors and with all of the peoples of the world; however political and territorial issues have impeded this objective from becoming a reality. Since its founding Israel has been constantly threatened by outside powers and terrorist organizations -such as Hamas and Hezbollah- who have gone as far as stating that their goal is to wipe Israel of the map.

In recent years these organizations have constantly threatened the lives of Israeli civilians by randomly shooting rockets from both Gaza and South Lebanon into Israeli residential and civilian centers. The situation in both cases became unbearable for Israel's population. Hundreds of dead and wounded, children suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder playing in rocket proof playgrounds and millions in material losses. Israel was forced to defend itself and act in the manner that has already been described with regards to civilians trapped in the middle of the conflict.

To compare Israel's defensive actions to genocide and the Holocaust is not only a form New Antisemitism devised in order to delegitimize Israel but also a propagandistic strategy used by its enemies to paint its actions in the worse light possible. As far as numbers go, if Israel was attempting to exterminate or even expel Palestinians, as it's been claimed, their numbers would not have grown as they have under Israeli control. To the contrary, under Israeli control, Palestinians have enjoyed rights unparalleled in any Islamic country in the Middle East, as has been already explained.

Accusation: Israeli checkpoints prevent Palestinians receiving medical attention

With the Durban II conference approaching, yet more accusations are aimed at deligitimising Israel

Accusation: Israeli checkpoints are unnecessarily preventing Palestinians from receiving medical attention

The Reality:

The truth of the matter is that thousands of Israelis have died and been injured in terrorist attacks over the years. The truth of the matter is that a state's principal responsibility is to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Checkpoints therefore are a sad need.

Whenever security permits it, checkpoints are removed. Procedures are cut and the sick and needy may use special processes in place to go through in a very quick manner.

No Palestinian truly in need of medical attention is denied that right. Thousands of Palestinians are treated at no cost by world class Israeli Doctors in state of the art medical facilities, but Israel must always balance the need to protect its citizens against its concern to provide healthcare to Palestinians who wish to receive it.

The Facts:

The truth of the matter is that thousands of Israelis have died and been injured in terrorist attacks over the years. The truth of the matter is that a state's principal responsibility is to ensure the safety of its citizens. This duty must be balanced against the need of non citizens to enter into the territory of a state, even if their entrance is motivated by a need to receive medical attention. Many other ways of ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens have been tried over the years and, regrettably, many of them failed and as a result lives were lost.

Checkpoints therefore are a sad need. They have become a vital component in the struggle to prevent terrorist attacks and have proved their worth by stopping terrorists from killing innocent civilians in Israel and the West Bank. If there was a mechanism to ensure the safety of Israeli civilians without inconveniencing innocent Palestinians, such a mechanism would be in place. This is why, whenever improvements in safety have allowed it, Israel has removed every possible checkpoint in order to facilitate the movement of Palestinians.

Procedures for going through checkpoints are also constantly expedited and improved in order to minimize crossing times, which Israel understands are burdensome and uncomfortable. Since Israel provides state of the art medical attention to all Palestinians who need it, priority is always given to those in need of medical attention so that treatment can be administered in a timely manner and all dangers are averted.

A troublesome issue however, has been the exploitation by terrorists of Israel's high level of concern for the welfare of the sick in order to launch terrorist attacks. Some have posed as patients, producing false medical documents, used ambulances to transport weapons, posed as pregnant women in order pass quickly and even gone as far as exploiting truly ailing individuals who are made to think they have no other hope but to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians in order to be considered martyrs.

No Palestinian truly in need of medical attention is denied that right. Thousands of Palestinians are treated at no cost by world class Israeli Doctors in state of the art medical facilities, but Israel must always balance the need to protect its citizens against its concern to provide healthcare to Palestinians who wish to receive it.

Accusation: Israel an Apartheid State

With the Durban II conference around the corner anumber of accusations are leveled at Israel, initiated by the Muslim majority in the conference with Libya and Cuba acting as chair and vice chair of the meeting. What an honest setting!!

To answer some of the accusations, Ariel Radal who is a Coordinator of the World Jewish Diplomatic Corps at the World Jewish Congress states the following to the claim Israel is an Apartheid State

1. The Reality:

Israel is first and foremost a democracy and, as every democracy, it struggles to understand and grant its minorities the largest degree of equality and understanding to which any of its citizens may have a right. In this sense, Israel is no different from any other state in which large groups of diverse populations live together. There may be other factors, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, that influence the sociological conditions of integration of these minorities. However, Israel strives to correct this through affirmative action, judicial activism and many other measures designed to fully integrate its minorities into the mainstream of its society without taking anything away from their own cultures.

2. The Facts:

Israel is first and foremost a democracy. Every Israeli citizen has the right to vote, to seek redress in trial against the government, to be elected, to health, to education in accordance with the values of his own culture and faith and to be treated equally, not only by government institutions but by private parties as well. Discrimination of any kind is severely prosecuted in Israel. If a private party discriminates against any person this is considered not only a Tort but also a criminal offense.

Israel is the only predominantly Jewish State. Approximately 75.5% of its population is of the Jewish faith and ethno-religious background. Making up 16.2% of the population, Muslims constitute Israel's largest religious minority. About 2% of the population is Christian and 1.5% is Druze.

All of Israel’s minorities are granted the totality of the rights stated above in addition to having certain autonomic rights according to their faiths and cultures. The clearest example of this is the administration of justice in civil matters. Israel maintains 3 parallel systems of justice in civil matters in which justice is administered by judges of each individual ethno-religious community and in accordance with their respective codes of conduct. Oversight over the decisions of these courts is granted to the High Court of Justice of Israel, which routinely overturns deviations of justice and rulings contrary to due process or Israel’s basic law on human rights.

The Muslim community constitutes the largest minority in the State of Israel. The system of education grants parents of Muslim/Arab children the choice of sending them to schools where the primary language instruction is Arabic or to send them to schools where the primary language of instruction is Hebrew. All official publications and announcements must be written in both Hebrew and Arabic (the official languages of the State) and any request to the government may be presented in either of the two.

Having given a birds eye view of rights granted to minorities in Israel, lets examine the concept of Apartheid enshrined in the Statute of the International Criminal Court.

"The crime of apartheid" means inhumane acts of a character similar to those referred to in paragraph 1, committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime”

We fail to see how the rights and guarantees stated above even remotely resemble the requirements described in this definition. Of course Israel as any democracy is in a perpetual state of imperfection, which it strives every day to correct and improve. Every democracy struggles to understand and grant its minorities the largest degree of equality and understanding to which any of its citizens may have a right. In this sense, Israel is no different from any other state in which large groups of diverse populations live together. There may be other factors, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, that influence the sociological conditions of integration of these minorities. However, Israel strives to correct this through affirmative action, judicial activism and many other measures designed to fully integrate its minorities into the mainstream of its society without taking anything away from their own cultures. As such, Arab-Israelis serve as Civil Servants, Ambassadors, Ministers and Vice-Ministers in the Government, Supreme Court Justices and Members of Parliament.

Its quite clear from the rights and conditions described that Israel not only attempts to integrate all of its citizens and grant them equal rights while respecting their individual cultures and religions, but also that the degree of rights granted in particular to Arab-Israelis is unparalleled in any Arab theocracy.

Leo Baeck Haifa and the UN

The Leo Baeck school in Haifa is once again in the forefront of preparing its pupils for the future

The Lokey International Center for Jewish Education was transformed into the United Nations for a day in March when 100 senior high school students, under the guidance of Young Ambassadors, participants in the International Model UN, decided to establish their own Leo Baeck prototype - L M U N .

Dressed for the occasion and s t r i c t l y observing the rules of protocol, 4 committees addressed key issues - the Environment, Disarmament, Territorial Disputes and Human Rights. “Being part of the International Model UN inspired us,” said one ambassador.

Following on from this the school together with 14 other schools on 5 continents are working together to create a global culture of human rights, and an international network of young empowered leaders! The Leo Baeck Junior High School, with a multicultural student body of 720, is proud to have been chosen to represent Israel in Amnesty International School’s for Human Rights Programme and to work together with other nations of the world to build a better and more caring civil society.

USA Changing its Direction? Good or Bad

News coming out of New York is reporting that the United States will seek to join the U.N. Human Rights Council, reversing its policy of shunning the council and prompting concern among some Jewish groups.

On Tuesday, the Obama administration announced it would participate in May elections for a seat on the 47-member council, "with the goal of working to make it a more effective body to promote and protect human rights." The Bush administration had withheld U.S. membership from the Geneva-based council for its failure to confront human rights abusers and its singling out of Israel for condemnation.

"The United States helped to found the United Nations and retains a vital stake in advancing that organization's genuine commitment to the human rights values that we share with other member nations," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement announcing the decision.

"Those who suffer from abuse and oppression around the world, as well as those who dedicate their lives to advancing human rights, need the Council to be balanced and credible," the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said. "The U.S. is seeking election to the Council because we believe that working from within, we can make the council a more effective forum to promote and protect human rights. We hope to work in partnership with many countries to achieve a more effective Council."

Since its creation in 2006 to replace the widely discredited U.N. Commission on Human Rights, the council has passed 32 resolutions; 26 have been critical of Israel, according to UN Watch.

Now who is kidding who? With more than half of the council’s members falling short of basic democracy standards, according to Freedom House, a democracy watchdog group and in the past two years the council moved to eliminate its country-specific special experts investigating human rights abuses in Darfur, Congo, Cuba, Belarus and Liberia, just what do the Americans expect?

The executive director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer, said he welcomes the U.S. decision, "but only if it’s to vigorously push back against the world’s worst abusers." He added, "The council is worse than ever before, pathologically obsessed with scapegoating Israel, while turning a blind eye to millions of human rights victims around the world.”