'Women of the Wall' trying to suppress coverage of leaders' association with radical Left?
I fully intended to blog about the issue, but with work pressures and a desire to have more than one or two posts on Sunday, it just didn't happen. In the meantime, the Jewish Press posted an article on the same issue by Rachel Avraham. Avraham's article had been posted last week to another site (and I had seen it then, but last week was a crazy week), and was taken down almost immediately. Why? Arutz Sheva hints that the website that originally posted Avraham's article - Jerusalem Online News - was intimidated into taking it down.
“While Women of the Wall has built up a name for themselves as a feminist organization promoting women’s rights in Israel, their leadership in fact have links to anti-Israel groups that not many people know about,” writes Avraham in the piece.
“Regardless of whether one views their actions as provocative publicity stunts that disturb the peace at the Western Wall or as noble deeds designed to promote women’s rights within the Jewish religion, the Israeli public is generally not aware that the Women of the Wall leadership possesses links to anti-Israel groups.”
“Women of the Wall Vice Chair Batya Kallus serves as an adviser to Sikkuy,” writes Avraham.
“This NGO is a signatory to the Haifa Declaration, which calls for the abolishing of the State of Israel, praises violent resistance, and accuses Israel of manipulating the memory of the Holocaust for political purposes. Furthermore, Kallus has facilitated funding for anti-Israel groups Adalah, Ir Amin, Yesh Din, and Mossawa, as part of her position as programs officer for the Moria Fund.”
The article goes on to point out that these groups contribute towards the delegitimization of Israel in the world. Adalah and Mosawah are opposed to Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and a major contributor to the discredited Goldstone Report; Ir Amim runs “highly politicized anti-Israel tours of the holy city, which indoctrinate internationals into holding anti-Israel views,” and Yesh Din views Israel to be an apartheid state, and demonstrated support for Turkey after the Gaza Flotilla incident.
Woman of the Wall Chair Anat Hoffman “also happens to be the chair of the Domari Society of Gypsies in Jerusalem,” which is a part of Al Aqsa Grassroots, an anti-Israel network that supports "resistance to the occupation" and is against the "Judaization of Jerusalem," in addition to supporting the Palestinian right of return to Israel, reveals Avraham.
Before the 1993 Oslo Accords, she adds, Hoffman was the chairwoman of Women in Black, a group that advocates giving all of Judea and Samaria, as well as eastern Jerusalem – which includes the area of the Western Wall, or Kotel – to the Palestinian Authority.
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Interestingly, Avraham's article first appeared on Jerusalem Online News. Shortly after its appearance there last Tuesday or Wednesday – it disappeared, and then reappeared on the Jewish Press website on Sunday.
Perhaps this has something to do with Avraham's claim that “Women of the Wall continues to threaten news publications that have the audacity to present these facts to the public.”
“However, as journalists, we are committed to share with the Israeli public the truth about political groups operating within our country. There are many well-meaning feminists who support Women of the Wall without being informed of the fact that the organization is led by individuals tied to anti-Israel groups. These women have the right to know the truth before they sign up for such a cause,” she concludes.Women of the Wall has not denied the substance of Avraham's charges.
Labels: freedom of the press, New Israel Fund, Women of the Wall
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:33 AM
1 Comments:
Ugh, were the "women"in the photo born men?
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