Middle East Resources
Resources for Pro-Israel Peace Advocates
PRIMER-Connecticut's concise list of resources for people interested in peace in the Middle East.
Myths & Facts Online
Mitchell Bard has put one of the most valuable guides to the Arab Israeli conflict online.The guide has chapters covering everything from Israel's roots to each of the wars to the current uprising. Because it is online we can now respond rapidly to new myths with accurate facts. All of the information is hyperlinked to the Jewish Virtual Library, the world's most comprehensive online encyclopedia of Jewish history and culture.
This is a work in progress and Dr. Bard welcomes comments and suggestions.
Yassir Arafat
In October, 1995, I had the dubious pleasure of hearing Yassir Arafat speak at a meeting with Jewish leaders. It's interesting to look back and compare my observations then with today's reality.
Click to read my observations.
Israel Resources
We Should Not Forget
Information about the many victims of Arab terrorism in the mini-war Yassir Arafat initiated after rejecting the hand Israel stretched out to him in peace.Central Jewish/Israeli Internet Servers
- Shamash
- The central Jewish and Israeli oriented site in the United States.
- Jewishnet
- Contains a central listing of Jewish and Israeli mailing lists, usenet groups and archives around the world.
- Virtual Jerusalem
- Originally Jerusalem One. Experience Jerusalem, Israel, and the world's Jewish communties.
Hebrew
- How to Read Hebrew on the Internet
- This site contains information on reading Hebrew on the Internet, both in web pages and email. Contains links to ftp sites for obtaining fonts and instructions on their installation and use as well as creating HTML documents using Hebrew.
National and International Organizations
- ADL
- The Anti-Defamation League has always been one of my favorite organizations; I began to like it even more when my wife started working for it.
- AIPAC
- The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee is the premier organization promoting the relationship between the United States and its most reliable friend, Israel.
- AMCHA - Israeli Centers for Holocaust Survivors
- AMCHA is the code word that helped survivors identify fellow Jews in war-ravaged Europe. Since 1987, AMCHA has provided support services such as psychotherapy, support groups, clubs for aging survivors, and volunteer services to homebound survivors.
- The American Jewish Committee
- The BIRD Foundation
- The Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, a resource for Israeli and American companies looking for strategic partners, pairs American and Israeli companies and offers 50 percent of project development costs up to $700,000.
- Birthright Israel
- Promotes free Israel experiences for teens who have never been to Israel.
- CAMERA
- The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting. It attempts to keep various media honest in their reporting.
- Hadassah
- The Women's Zionist Organization
- International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism
- Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
- Jewish Council for Public Affairs
- JCPA. Formerly NJCRAC, the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council.
- JINSA
- The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, an organization which specializes in the security aspects of the American-Israeli friendship.
- The Middle East Forum
- The Middle East Forum, a think tank, works to define and promote American interests in the Middle East. Founded in 1990 the Forum became an independent organization in 1994.
The Forum holds that the United States has vital interests in the region; in particular, it believes in strong ties with Israel, Turkey, and other democracies as they emerge; works for human rights throughout the region; seeks a stable supply and a low price of oil; and promotes the peaceful settlement of regional and international disputes.
- Washington Institute for Near East Policy
- Women in Green
- Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green) is a grassroots women's movement -- grandmothers, mothers, wives, and daughters; housewives and professionals; secular and religious -- bound together by a shared love, devotion and concern for Israel.
- World Zionist Organization
- Aliyah information, J.U.I.C.E. (Jewish University in Cyberspace) and the Museum of Zionism.
- Zionist Organization of America
- Lots of people thought they were crazy when the Oslo Accords were signed and they said that Arafat wouldn't abide by them. Unfortunately, their pessimistic predictions about the Palestinian Arabs are almost always borne out.
News
- Arutz-7 News Service
- CholIsrael.com
- Links to sources of Israel news, maps, media watch groups.
- Dry Bones
- Dry Button Dry Bones is Israel's political comic strip, created by Yaakov Kirschen<yak@pixel.co.il>. It is syndicated internationally by C&W Syndicate. Dry Bones has been a regular feature of leading Jewish Newspapers and journals for close to 25 years. The comic strip is often published or quoted by international media such as the New York Times, Time Magazine, CBS TV, ABC TV, The LA Times and The International Herald Tribune.
- Globes
- Israel's Business Newspaper
- HonestReporting
- HonestReporting is a fast-action website dedicated to ensuring that Israel receives fair media coverage. It scrutinizes the media for anti-Israel bias and then mobilizes subscribers to complain directly to the news agency concerned.
- IMRA
- Independent Media Review Analysis
- Israel Broadcast Authority
- Daily television broadcasts in English.
- israelVisit
- Internet Magazine dedicated to serving the international Jewish community. Includes departments for Judaica, Shopping in Israel, Art, Music, Behind the News in Israel, Tourism, Accommodations and Fiction
- The Jerusalem Post
- Kol-Yisrael Radio
- Hourly radio news broadcasts in Hebrew.
- MEMRI
- Monitoring of Arab newspapers, speeches and in-depth studies of related issues.
- Palestinian Media Watch
- Monitoring of Palestinian Arab media and reports on related issues.
Israeli Governmental and Political
- The Knesset
- Visitor are able to sight-see the Knesset virtually, get current updates of its agenda and correspond electronically with Knesset members.
- Prime Minister
- Includes Hebrew and English sections, with up-to-date information about the Prime Minister, his office and advisers, Cabinet Ministers and previous Prime Ministers. Includes transcripts of the Premier's speeches, press conferences and interviews, as well as policy papers issued by the Prime Minister's Office.
- Government Press Office
- Press releases, news headlines, articles, op-ed columns and policy and background columns.
- The Israel Foreign Ministry
- Contains information about breaking events, Palestinian Arab terrorism, Peace-making efforts.
- Central Bureau of Statistics
- The Israel Defense Forces
- Ministry of Immigrant Absorption
- In Hebrew, English and Russian. Includes information on various subjects to assist new and potential immigrants.
Schools, Colleges and Educational Experiences
- Afula Community Center--Matnas Eshkol
- Including a glimpse of the joint ecology project conducted by students at the Alperin Schechter Day School in Providence Rhode Island and a school in the Afula/Gilboa region in Israel.
- The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
- Jerusalem
- Livnot U'Lehibanot (To Build and to be Built)
- Three month and three week work, study and hiking programs in Tzfat and Jerusalem for young adults in the 20 to 30 age group. Includes classes in modern Jewish and Israeli history and traditional Jewish thought and customs as well as community service projects and overnight hikes in the Galilee and Negev. Email to Livnot U'Lehibanot can be addressed to livnot@livnot.org.il.
- University of Haifa
- Atop Mount Carmel in the seaside city of Haifa. Includes a Department of Overseas Studies.
Travel to Israel
- EL AL
- Especially suited for the US travel market. EL AL is the only airline operating non-stop flights between Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Newark, and Tel Aviv. This site provides:
- Special offers
- Route maps and time table
- Vacation packages to Eilat, Cairo, the HolyLand, and more
- Frequent Traveller Club benefits ("Matmid")
- List of EL AL sales offices in the USA
- Eldan Rent-A-Car
- IsraelToGo
- Travel agent. Located in Englewood, New Jersey.
- Gems in Israel
- Spotlighting Israel's lesser-known tourist attractions
- Tourism to Israel
- Includes up-to-the-minute details on hotels, restaurants, transportation and tours. Illustrated with maps and color images of Israel.
- TravelCell
- Cell phone rentals.
- Tamir Rent-A-Car
- Tamir is the company I use to rent a car every winter in Israel. Their prices are good and their service is friendly and efficient.
Hotel and Apartment Rentals in Israel
Jerusalem Area
- Nof Harim
- Country guest house by Shoresh Junction in the Judean Hills.
- Home Accommodation Association of Jerusalem
- Bed and breakfasts in the Jerusalem area.
- Jerusalem Lodges
- Short and long term rentals in Jerusalem.
- Pninat Katamon
- Kosher bed and breakfast on Aba Hikia Street.
Netanya
Tel Aviv
- The Alexander
- All suites hotel at 3 Havakook Street by the beach.
- Kikar Dizengoff Apartments
- Short and long-term rentals near Dizengoff Square.
General
- Sun-Sites
- Apartment and hotel rentals throughout Israel.
- Regent Tours
- Hotels all over Israel; also, tours to Jordon and Europe.
Everything Else
- Anglo-Saxon Real Estate
- Calls itself the largest real estate marketing organization in Israel.
- Bank Hapoalim
- Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies
- Located at Bar Ilan University.
- Beit Hatefutsoth
- The Museum of the Jewish Diaspora. Provides multiple avenues for personal historical identification. By sharing the unique story of Jewish endurance, new generations are able to find the key to their own.
- Golan Heights Information
- Hebrew Dictionary
- English - Hebrew dictionary accessible for free via the Internet. The dictionary includes groups of words ranging from fruit and vegetables to basketball. The Judaism word list includes a timely Tu Be'Shvat section. The computer word list has over 400 terms including Internet concepts and words.
- AACI Jobnet
- A database of jobs put out by the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel with funding from the Israel Ministry of Science and the Samis Foundation.
- The New Israel Fund
- One Jerusalem
- One Jerusalem has one objective: saving a united Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. It organizes, educates and rallies supporters in Israel and all democratic countries, in order to educate elected government officials with a powerful voice in support of Israel's claim to sovereignty over its capital.
- Partnership2Gether
- The continuation of Project Renewal and Partnership 2000, P2G partners global Jewish communities directly with Israeli communities, the majority in national priority areas.
- Afula/Gilboa and SNEC
- The Southern New England Consortium (Connecticut, Rhode Island and Western Massachussetts) is partnered with Afula and the Gilboa Region in P2G
- Afula Community Center--Matnas Eshkol
- Including a glimpse of the joint ecology project conducted by students at the Alperin Schechter Day School in Providence Rhode Island and a school in the Afula/Gilboa region in Israel.
- PRIMER-Connecticut (Promoting Responsibility in Middle East Reporting
- A local offshoot of CAMERA, monitoring the media in Connecticut. I'm a former president.
- SABRAnet
- Covers news, information, and entertainment about Israel.
- The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
- Daily trade results, trade method explanations, and a short review of the TASE's history.
Non-Israel Resources
- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
- The Arab distored imitation of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League
- Arab Media Internet Network
- The Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) is a project of Internews Middle East that aims at supporting Arabic-speaking journalists and media personnel. AMIN's focus is on putting Arabic language reports and news stories on the World Wide Web and training journalists in accessing Arabic media and other resources on the Internet.
Internews Middle East is a non-profit non-governmental organization which began operations in Jerusalem, Israel, in March 1996. The goal of Internews is to facilitate the free flow of information by supporting independent journalists and media. Internews Middle East is associated with Internews Europe, a Paris-based media group and Internews International.
Daoud Kuttab is director of Internews Middle East. - Birzeit University
- The Birzeit University Website is split into 4 sections:
- Brief information about Birzeit University - Introduction, Historical Background, International Relations, Courses and Programmes for Internationals, The Birzeit Campus and its Facilities, University Research Centres and other Community-related Programmes, Student Life, University Publications, Academic Requirements, Fees and Financial Aid, Academic Programme.
- Birzeit and the World Wide Web - A brief history of information technology in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, a brief history of Birzeit's Website development and where it is going, software used to make Birzeit's Website, web training at Birzeit, notes on using the Birzeit website, people involved in the construction of Birzeit's website.
- Birzeit University Archives - Birzeit Newsletter Archive, Birzeit Human Rights Archive, Birzeit Press Release Archive, Birzeit Photographic Archive, Birzeit Development Archive, Friends of Birzeit University (UK).
- The Palestine Archive - Becoming Palestine, Palestinian Architecture (RIWAQ), Palestinian School Education (EdNet), A Personal Diary.
I assume that by Palestine they actually mean just the 10-15% of Palestine within Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
- Islamic Republic News Agency
- Jordan Times
- King Hussein Bin Talal
- A tribute to the legacy of King Hussein
- Lebanon Star
- MIT Arab Student Organization
- Tehran Times
General Anti-Israel, Anti-Zionist Web Sites
These are sites which are not merely generated by people or organizations not actively supportive of the only democracy in the Middle East, but dedicated to the destruction of America's only true friend and ally in that region. Many call themselves pro-Palestinian, but if they were really interested in the welfare of the Palestinian Arabs they would be urging the Palestinian Arab leadership to give up its goal of destroying Israel and make peace.
- Al-Awda: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
- Right to Return is code for the destruction of Israel.
- Al-Nakba
- Americans for Middle East Underdstanding
- It would more appropriately be called Americans for Middle East Misunderstanding
- Connecticut for the Corrie Resolution
- A site devoted to the launching of yet another investigation of the death of Rachel Corrie, the young anti-Israel, anti-American fanatic who was accidentally killed while protecting the homes of Arab terrorists. The site was constructed by the Middle East Crisis Committee and is co-sponsored by the mislabeled Connecticut Peace Coalition (New Haven) and Greater New Haven Peace Council along with the Green Party of Connecticut and Green Party (New Haven Chapter)
- US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
- This group aims to change those US policies which sustain Israel in the face of Arab rejectionism and terrorism and support the only democracy and multicultural society in the Middle East.
- If Americans Knew
- A wonderful collection of disinformation
- Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
- This group started out by opposing the demolition of homes, whether they are homes of terrorists or just built illegally, unless they are homes of Jews, in which case they favor the demolition. It has branched out to oppose just about anything and everything Israeli.
- Jewish Voice for Peace
- They bill themselves as working to achieve a lasting peace that recognizes the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinian Arabs for security and self-determination. In reality, they blame Israel for every problem and ignore the Arab campaign of terrorism and the rejection by the Palestinian Authority of a peace offer which would have given them almost everything they claimed they were demanding. The group acts as a mouthpiece for anti-Israel propagandists. It would more properly be called Ersatz Jews Against Israel and Peace
- JStreet
- Misleadingly bills itself as "The Political Home for Pro-Israel, Pro-peace Americans," deliberately ignoring the fact that every pro-Israel organization is pro-peace. It works hard to undermine the work of AIPAC, the group which by its nature and mission represents the mainstream supporting the strong relationship between America and Israel. JStreet often lobbies against Israel and with the so-called pro-Palestinian Arab groups working to demonize Israel.
- Middle East Crisis Committee
- The vehicle of anti-Israel activist Stanley Heller.
- Palestine Remembered
- Self-described as the home of all ethnically cleansed Palestinians. A partner of Al-Awda.
- Tree of Life Educational Fund
- Offshoot of the annual anti-Israel hatefests organized by the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme in Connecticut.
- The USS Liberty
- Set up by Jim Ennes. Jim was present to experience that tragic mistake in the middle of a chaotic war. I take everything he writes with a grain of salt. Much of what he purports to be fact does contain a degree of truth; on the other hand, I have difficulty agreeing with many, if any, of his inferences and innuendos. He also seems to be rather sensitive to criticism; I have more than once personally been on the receiving end of harrassment he's orchestrated. He reminds me of Pat Buchanan, to whom I felt William Buckley was being extremely generous in merely concluding that statements of Buchanan were anti-semitic rather than concluding that Buchanan himself was anti-semitic. Ennes has even instigated complaints to my University in order to stifle the application of certain adjectives to him and I have at times heard from other Jews that they have also been subject to similar harrassment.
- Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
- A slick anti-Zionist propaganda rag. I've seen a few issues and they appear to me to often cross the line between legitimate criticism of everything Israeli and pandering to anti-semitism.