UNESCO cancels Israel exhibit following Arab pressure

[oberliner]

Complaints by Arab states led the United Nation’s cultural arm, UNESCO, to cancel the opening of an exhibition on the Jewish presence in the land of Israel.

The exhibition, organized by the Simon Wiesenthal Center along with the governments of Canada and Montenegro, was scheduled to open Jan. 20 at the Paris headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova on Wednesday said in a letter to the Simon Wiesenthal Center that the exhibit, titled “The People, the Book, the Land — 3,500 years of ties between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel,” would be postponed indefinitely. She said the decision arose out of UNESCO’s support for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

“We have a responsibility in ensuring that current efforts in this regard are not endangered,” she wrote.

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/.premium-1.569155

[Purveyor]

1. Good. Until israel stops its apartheid like practices, they should be scorned on the international

stage, period.

[oberliner]

2. It was not an Israeli government sponsored event

It was sponsored by the governments of Canada and Montenegro in conjunction with the US based Simon Wiesenthal Center.

It was about the history of the Jewish people in relation to the Land of Israel (not the State of Israel).

[Purveyor]

3. I stand by my previous comment. eom

[Kurska]

4. So, essentially what you support is a boycott on the telling of the history of Jewish people?

Because this wasn't done by Israel, yet you want to boycott it. That seems very messed up to me.

[King_David]

8. I think it's the essence of a lot if the "AntiZionists "

[King_David]

9. Now the permalink to this thread would make a great sig line addition

Far better than the esoteric cherry picked article that you have in your sig line.

It clearly explains what the motivation of some "Antizionists " is.

[leftynyc]

26. So you're okay with punishing Jews in general

That's a pretty disgusting position.

[King_David]

44. Kick

This should be pinned to top of the forum.

[King_David]

7. Stop "Apartheid" , Stop MunnyGrubbing,Stop Ergnic Cleansing , Stop the Matzah, stop spreading AIDS

Massacre, Apartheid , Colonists,Moneygrubbers
Ethnic Cleansers, Controllers of Hollywood and Wallstreet,Wag the Doggies,eaters of Christian blood and poisoners of Muhammed, Apes and Pigs etc etc etc

[WatermelonRat]

13. Yeah, I'm sure the ongoing campaign to deny any historic Jewish heritage in the region

has nothing to do with your support of this. Your labelling Israel as "apartheid-like" isn't to demonize them, but just a testament to your high moral standards that you apply to everyone. In fact, I'm sure you're working tirelessly right now to see that cultural exhibits from countries like China, Turkey, Lebanon, and Egypt are taken down until those countries learn some respect for human rights.

[backwoodsbob]

16. so you believe any anti Israel sentiment is good

even if the event has nothing to do with the government of Israel.

Fascinating

[azurnoir]

5. Lot's of noise all around on this one

State Dep’t had refused to sponsor UNESCO’s cancelled Israel exhibit
US now protesting that show on Jewish people’s historic tie to land of Israel was dropped, but last week it declined invitation to support it

http://www.timesofisrael.com/state-dept-had-refused-to-sponsor-unescos-cancelled-israel-exhibit/

[bemildred]

6. We need to have multiple exhibitions so nobody feels left out.

You know, exhibitions on all the many cultures and religions long and important historical links to the region.

[azurnoir]

17. That would be something or

perhaps we need to have it all as one exhibition -The Peoples of the Holy Land-you know this land is mine and his and that guy over there's

[bemildred]

19. The place has been a crossroads between continents for literally millions of years.

It is very fancy real estate geographically. And that area has been a cultural mosaic as long as their are records. There are layers and layers and layers.

Edit: one thing T. E. Lawrence does in the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" is describe that cultural mosaic along the E. Mediterranean shore as it existed 100 years ago. Which is very illuminating when you are raised to think of it as belonging to this group or that.

[King_David]

21. Yea and make sure no Jews are involved at all

Because else it would be forbidden anyway, no matter what.

[azurnoir]

41. sigh apparently you don't understand the difference between

inclusion and exclusion

[King_David]

10. World Jewish Congress denounces UNESCO cancelation of Israel exhibito

NEW YORK – The World Jewish Congress (WJC) today denounced the cancelation by the UN cultural body UNESCO of an exhibit on Jewish ties to the Land of Israel that was scheduled to open next week in Paris


http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/14367/world_jewish_congress_denounces_unesco_cancelation_of_israel_exhibit

[King_David]

11. U.S. chides UNESCO for putting Jewish exhibit on hold

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States on Friday criticized UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural arm, for postponing an exhibition about Jews and the Holy Land due to complaints from Arab member states.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBREA0G1PB20140117?irpc=932

Same as BDS --- And people claim they not boycott of "Jews" and they not boycott of "Jewish Academics" and they not Boycott of "Jewish Businesses" etc etc... Well this should put those claims to bed.

[Mosby]

12. Rabbi Heir statement sums up the situation perfectly

“Let’s be clear, the Arab Group’s protest is not over any particular content in the exhibition, but rather the very idea of it – that the Jewish people did not come to the Holy Land only after the Nazi Holocaust, but trace their historical and cultural roots in that land for three-anda- half [sic] millennia. If anything will derail hopes for peace and reconciliation among the people of the Middle East, it will be by surrendering to the forces of extremism and torpedoing the opening of this exhibition – jointly vetted and co-organized by UNESCO and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.”

The exhibit tells the truth about Jews and Israel, can't have that.

[Israeli]

18. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong ....

but with referance to this :

" Same as BDS --- And people claim they not boycott of "Jews" and they not boycott of "Jewish Academics" and they not Boycott of "Jewish Businesses" etc etc... Well this should put those claims to bed. "

did not Israel and the US boycott UNESCO a few years ago because it admitted the Palestinians ? If I remember right did not the US also withdraw its funding ?

[bemildred]

20. Boycotting is not in itself a bad thing, it all depends on who is getting boycotted, see?

But we get very upset when other people adopt our methods too. That is stealing our intellectual property, and we should at least get some money.

[Israeli]

22. The claims that need to be "put to bed" ....

are those that cry anti-Semitism or Israel-bashing bemildred ....when in fact its all about the occupation .

Those that do in this country are almost always from the Right ....the rest of us are not blind or stupid .

see :
http://972mag.com/boycott-goes-prime-time-in-israel/85974/

[bemildred]

23. Sorry, I was being sarcastic, and I didn't use the little sarcasm thing.

And yeah, I know, Pelsar straightened me up about the settlers too.

[Israeli]

24. my comments were directed at King_David bemildred...

not at you , you have nothing to be sorry for .

BTW our Right wing existed long before todays settlers ...not all of the settlers are Right wing .....and the majority of our Right wing are not settlers .

[bemildred]

25. OK. Wasn't sure. Didn't want to leave it hanging.

You never know what faux pas you will commit next here on the internet.

I often notice the similarities in political style, tone, and tactics between your politicians and ours. And the British taught us both.

They become more alike as time goes on. And you are quite right, it's always messy when you start to actually look at people in terms that go deeper than who their parents were, what dogmas they were taught, and where they live.

And when you get right down to it, plutocracies all look alike, the impulse of humans for mindless acquisition is a strange attractor, it always looks the same: class system, all the money in a few big piles instead of milions of little piles, the government totally at the service of those big piles of money, and corruption of public debate and policy in service to the big piles of money too.

And we both used to be better.

[King_David]

28. I guess in hindsight it was a good move,

This was a Jewish planned exhibit. It had a USA Jewish group sponsor as well as Canada and Montenegro but the USA and Israel were not involved.

[Israeli]

29. So .....

" I guess in hindsight it was a good move "

... boycotting is okay as long as it suits your politics .... but not okay if it doesnt ??

[azurnoir]

30. check this out you'll find it interesting indeed

UNESCO, on its website and in letters to the Center, had always said the exhibit was postponed. The absence of an alternative date, however, gave the impression that the exhibit had been canceled.

On Tuesday, UNESCO posted a note on its website in which it reaffirmed that the exhibit had only been postponed, but not canceled.

“UNESCO is in discussions with the Simon Wiesenthal Center to finalize the last points and inaugurate the exhibition in the month of June,” it said.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/UNESCO-looks-to-hold-Land-of-Israel-exhibit-in-June-338941

[Israeli]

32. find it laughable not interesting ....

Exhibit was postponed in response to a protest by Arab states who fear it could damage the peace process.

What " peace process " ??? !!!!!

http://972mag.com/peace-groups-should-criticize-kerry-too/86100/

If true, this proposal seems to be tailored to suit the political needs of Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners. No credible Palestinian leader can accept those terms; Abbas is likely to say no, and even if he can be persuaded or bullied into signing such a deal, he won’t be able to implement it. The occupation, in all likelihood, will not end.

Netanyahu, whose political strategy is all about maintaining the status quo, will score a major victory. The American proposal will be too vague to really hurt him politically. In any case, the negotiations will drag on and on and the implementation phase will be long enough that he won’t be forced to actually do anything, let alone evacuate major settlements (which of course is the heart of the matter and the only true litmus test for his political intentions).

In fact, the Israeli prime minister is likely to emerge as the winner regardless of the Palestinian response: if Abbas says yes, international pressure on Israel will be lessened and his government will receive all the benefits – from recognition to financial aid – of an agreement, but without actually doing much. And if Abbas rejects the American plan, as some reports suggest he intends to, Netanyahu will blame “Arab rejectionism” for missing out on another “generous offer.” This is probably the best outcome as far as Bibi and his right-wing coalition partners are concerned.

[King_David]

33. I myself don't really care,

Boycotting a Jewish exhibit is not politics it's hateful bigoted AntiSemitism .

[King_David]

14. UNESCO Pulls Jewish Exhibit in Paris After Arab League Protest

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, has canceled a Jewish exhibit in Paris that it has been working on for two years after a recent protest from the Arab League.

"People, Book, Land — The 3,500 Year Relationship of the Jewish People and the Land of Israel," was scheduled to open Jan. 20 at UNESCO's Paris headquarters. It was a corroborative effort of the the UN organization and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, based in Los Angeles, The Algemeiner reported.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/united-nations-israel-exhibit/2014/01/17/id/547747#ixzz2qn0baLZR

[azurnoir]

31. NewsMax really?

well okay that speaks for itself

[King_David]

34. Thanks for the important "kick" of this thread that's not really an IP thread,

But is so important for what it reveals from some of the posts here.
The other UNESCO thread too.

[azurnoir]

35. yes like the fact that UNESCO never canceled the show in the first place

I think that's pretty important don't you?

[King_David]

36. Boycotting Jews

Is all the rage . And the posts in these threads are very revealing .

[azurnoir]

37. except no one was boycotted here there was no boycott of the exhibition period

UNESCO, on its website and in letters to the Center, had always said the exhibit was postponed. The absence of an alternative date, however, gave the impression that the exhibit had been canceled.

On Tuesday, UNESCO posted a note on its website in which it reaffirmed that the exhibit had only been postponed, but not canceled.

“UNESCO is in discussions with the Simon Wiesenthal Center to finalize the last points and inaugurate the exhibition in the month of June,” it said.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/UNESCO-looks-to-hold-Land-of-Israel-exhibit-in-June-338941

[King_David]

38. They just postponed it?

Think anyone believes that ?

No AntiSemitism here... Move along .. It's just "postponed "

Ha ha ha ha

Sure ...



Read posts 1 and 3 for the real meaning of this UNESCO BDS boycott of Jews.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

40. Bookmarking.

[King_David]

43. Great

Thanks for telling us.

I had an omelette for breakfast.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

46. You should watch out for cholesterol.

[azurnoir]

42. so JPost is lying on UNESCO's behalf?

somewhere very hot just froze over and they're throwing a skating party

[aranthus]

50. No, JPost can't say that UNESCO is lying when it claims that the exhibit is only postponed.

It may even be true that UNESCO is telling the truth (politicians do that sometime). But if they are lying, JPost can't directly say so. It's up to intelligent people to read between the lines. The fact that there isn't a set time and place for the postponed exhibit suggests that UNESCO is just trying to divert bad press. If June comes around and the exhibit actually comes off, then great. If it doesn't, I won't be at all surprised.

[King_David]

52. It's called caving in under pressure.

But no one knew this when posting in this thread at the time the OO was posted .
They cancelled the Jewish Exhibition an never expected an outcry because as far as they knew it was just a Jewisg exhibition and as we know they are ok to be boycotted.

[aranthus]

56. The important lesson is not about the UN.

Anyone with any sense knows that the UN is a craven tool. What is important is the type of exhibit that was cancelled. It was a history presentation. That the Arab states still object to even the presentation of Jewish history in the Holy Land is telling.

[King_David]

58. As are the posts in this thread,

A thread about a Jewish exhibit.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

39. Clutching at pearls seems to be more your style presently.

How many times has it been stated that the exhibit has not been canceled but only postponed?

[King_David]

15. UNESCO halts Israel’s Jewish history show after Arab nations protest

Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Wiesenthal Center, labeled UNESCO’s decision a sign of the organization’s inherent bias against Israel and Jews.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/world/article/unesco_halts_israels_jewish_history_show_after_arab_nations_protest

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

47. Wait. So which one is it?

You have written that it wasn't about Israel, but now you are sourcing that it is about Israel.

[King_David]

48. As I said ,

Very illuminating thread this is.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

49. Your inability to answer truthfully is very illuminating.

So which was is it?

[leftynyc]

27. That the UN is cowardly in the face

of majority Arab countries having a hissy fit shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

[King_David]

45. Kick

[King_David]

53. Kick

[King_David]

51. UNESCO backtraked,

Under immense pressure. Not that anyone knew this when the posts were posted.

[King_David]

55. Kicking

[King_David]

57. Kick

[King_David]

59. UNESCO and the Jews: Shame

UNESCO and the Jews: Shame
Bernard-Henri Lévy01/21/14 06:04 PM ET

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4640070