Ben and I heard about from his brother who had stayed there a year prior but when I searched best boutique hotels in this area of Greece, it was actually the only good option that came up! It's definitely ahead of the game here. In this Cavo Olympo review, I'll share photos of the property and deets about the spa, pools, and food.
The rooms are spacious and have a lot of light coming in. The bathroom is also really large with a bathtub/jacuzzi. Amenities like toiletries and robes are all there. There is a mini-fridge and everything is chargeable inside, including bottled water.
My room was a junior suite and had a balcony. You can see the suite below has a private pool. The views from the rooms are spectacular. We got a sea-facing room and I'm not sure what the price difference is, but it's worth getting one!
There are multiple pools and bars in Cavo Olympo, including one massive infinity pool. You'll want to get out there early if you want a seat at one of the prime sunbeds set out on the infinity pool lounge (or do what I did and come later, like 4 pm when people start to go to their rooms).
There is a full gym and spa in the hotel. The spa has an indoor pool, steam room, sauna, massage rooms, and nail salon. I got my nails done while I was here and it was reasonably priced at $25 euro. I normally don't splurge on that (since it's so affordable in India) but I hate chipped nails when I travel.
You can book "half-board" and get breakfast and dinner buffets included in the rate. While I'm normally not down for even 5-star buffets, Greek buffets are SO good. I recommend trying the dinner buffet at least one night because then you can try so many different Greek dishes and see what you like best- that way you aren't always ordering gyros when you go to restaurants!
Dinner had salads, casseroles and stews, a grilled meat section, and appetizer section and desserts. All the classic Greek stuff you would want is there. Wine was pretty cheap; I think I paid about 6 euro a glass.
I chose to have breakfast in bed rather than go down to the buffet (mainly to get this picture lol) and because breakfast in bed is the best! The breakfast is insane and this is a little bit of everything that is offered at the buffet. The granola has chocolate chips in it!
We went to the local beaches a lot here, but had dinner at the hotel every night and spent a lot of time by the pool. I was reading I Am Pilgrim here which is the best book I've read all year. FYI the water is FREEZING in May; we swam anyway!
The coverup is also from !
When you order drinks by the pool, they'll give you olives and chips to go with it. Something salty so you can keep drinking, lol.
There is a beach below which you could see from the rooms but there is not a "beach" perse, it's rocky below. It's nice to walk down to it and see, but you can't swim or lay out down here.
Luckily Plaka beach is two minutes away along with beautiful beach restaurants and bars. I loved this area and this is by far the best hotel around!
The hotel is beautiful and I'm definitely going to end up staying here again! You can click here to see . Enjoy your stay!
Pin "Cavo Olympo Review" for later!


Use Outlook 2013 or Outlook Web App, to schedule a Lync meeting.
Use Outlook 2013 or Outlook Web App, to schedule a Lync meeting similar to the way you use Outlook to schedule regular meetings. When you add a Lync meeting, a link used to join the online meeting is automatically added to your meeting request. And, if your account is configured for dial-in conferencing, the meeting request will include call-in information (phone number and conference ID).
Tip: For an interactive guide to setting up Lync Meetings—including troubleshooting tips—see Scheduling and preparing for a Lync Meeting.
If you don't use an Outlook program (or Windows), you can set up new meetings by using Lync Web Scheduler. Access it at https://sched.lync.com, or learn more at Lync Web Scheduler.
Watch this video or follow the steps in this section to learn how to schedule a Lync 2013 meeting by using Outlook 2013.
On the Home tab, on the Lync Meeting ribbon, click New Lync Meeting.
Note: If Lync is installed on your computer, and you don't see the New Lync Meeting button, follow the steps in the Lync Meeting control is not displayed on the Outlook 2013 ribbon article to resolve the issue.
For details about what options are available and when you should chose them, see Set options for Lync Meetings.
To set up a meeting by date, click the Calendar tab, select the date, and then in the upper-left corner, click New Event.
Tip: If you get a message from you popup blocker asking if you want to allow this, select Always Allow.
Tip: To add a contact or group, on the People tab, in the upper-left corner, click New, and either click Create Contact and type in the requested information, or click Create Group, type a group name, click the Members text box, and then type the email address of the person you want to add. As you type, the Search contacts and directory link appears to offer suggestions; if you see the contact's name there, click it. When you're finished adding users, click Save.
Call-in details, such as a Join online meeting link appears in the message area. If your account is configured for dial-in conferencing, you'll also see a Find a local number link.
Your Office 365 subscription does not include Lync.
You're logged in as a user who hasn't been granted a license for Lync.
Set up the meeting as you typically would, that is, by giving the event a name, adding or removing attendees, choosing a start time and duration, and so on. If you'll have in-person attendees, in Location, type a location for the meeting, such as a conference room, or click Add Room for help finding a conference room.
Tip: To look for a time that works for everyone, click Scheduling Assistant, at the top of the meeting window.
To view settings for who has access to the online meeting, who has to wait for you to admit them into the meeting, and who can present during the meeting, click Online meeting settings (just above the message area.
(Optional) In the meeting area, you can type an agenda. Be careful not to change any of the online meeting information.
If you need to discuss a subject that requires immediate attention, you can quickly start an ad hoc meeting with Lync. See Start an impromptu Lync Meeting.


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It gives the FIAS great pleasure to congratulate the Vice-President of our Federation, President of the Sambo Federation of Africa and the Sambo Federation of Marocco on the occasion of his birthday.
His fruitful work in difficult economic and social conditions in Africa commands great respect and admiration. He is also active at his responsible position in the FIAS.
On this day we wish Mr. Mohamed Dalil Scalli good health, success in his projects and endeavors, patience in his professional activities, more joy and wonderful moments, both in his work and his in daily life.


text:
"It's A Conflict That Belongs To All Of Us" : Israel's Vice Prime Minister On The Iranian Nuclear Bomb & On Syria (videos)
Silvan Shalom stresses on American television that Iran's lunatic regime with its expansionist ambitions in the Middle East must not be allowed to obtain the nuclear bomb, and not only for Israel's sake...
Here he gives Piers Morgan his views on the situation in Syria:
Labels: Iran and Israel, Iran and Nuclear Weapons, Silvan Shalom, Syrian Uprising (2011-12)
On Antisemitism Among The Syrian Demonstrators & Elsewhere In The Arab World
The cerebral and always interesting British blogger Edgar Davidson, who has previously drawn attention to antisemitism in the so-called Arab Spring, has an important post regarding antisemitism among the Syrian demonstrators.
This is a post which deserves attention. Access it here
As well, there's a current article on the website of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Public Affairs Council (AIJAC) website that begins:
"Two recent blog posts by bloggers of Arab descent bravely tackle the internally- taboo issue of antisemitism in the Arab world, both claiming that it is a well entrenched belief system which undermines the development of pluralistic, democratic societies in the Middle East, as the Arab Spring revolutions enter their second year."
The article (hat tip: Shirlee) goes on to describe the bloggers' analyses. Access it here
Labels: Antisemitism in the Arab World
The Brooklynites Who Want To Boycott Israel
"We are African-American, Arab, Asian, European-American, Latina/o, and South Asian. We are Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, & agnostics. We are educators, students, librarians, designers, non-profit workers, medical professionals, business people and artists. We are people of all ages. We are like you," coos the 16,000-member strong Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn.
"We believe that the PSFC should join the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS). BDS is a nonviolent tactic recently adopted by the decades-long Palestinian movement to end Israel's violent and illegal occupation of their lands, gain equal rights, and achieve peace, freedom and economic stability.
We think that joining the BDS movement will help send a message to Israel that it must honor international law and human rights. It will also make the PSFC a more welcoming place for all people who want justice realized in Palestine. And taken in a larger context, we believe that BDS is one of multiple ways to participate in the global struggle against all forms of oppression."
So they're taking a vote on the issue late next month.
Comments journalist Yori Yanover in a fuller article here:
'I can just see it now: Prime Minister Netanyahu's red phone is ringing, it's 3 in the morning, Israel's ambassador to the US is on the line – Sir, we're losing the food co-op near Prospect Park. If the co-op boycotts us, we're doomed. – Fine, fine, just tell those settlers to pack up the suitcases and get on the trucks, they'll understand…
Naturally, this whole boycott and sanctions thing is not at all about the realities of the Middle East, concerning which the sum total of most Americans' knowledge can be written on the pinky fingernail of a small child. This is about the Jews of Park Slope being embarrassed about their other country and how colonialist it makes them look at mixers. Because they clearly write:
"It will also make the PSFC a more welcoming place for all people who want justice realized in Palestine. And taken in a larger context, we believe that BDS is one of multiple ways to participate in the global struggle against all forms of oppression."
Naturally, we're against oppression everywhere, but we'll go after the Jews first.'
Update: More on the PSFC website here - what I earlier described above as its website is in fact a BDS website that carries its statement. Fortunately, there's a fightback: see this blog and Like the Facebook page"Stop BDS at Park Slope Food Coop"
Labels: BDS Movement against Israel, Park Slope Food Coop and BDS
American Professor Talks Of "The Zionist Totalitarians Who Want To Control The Entire World" (video)
Below is the video of an interview by Iran's propaganda news and current events satellite channel, Press TV, with Paul Sheldon Foote, of the University of California at Irvine.
In uploading the video Press TV introduced the segment thus:
"A distinguished professor says the Zionists have pressured oil-starved European countries to reject Iran's oil, thereby impacting financial markets around the world."
The transcript runs as follows:
Press TV:
"The recent news has already started impacting the market; tell us about the indications of this recent hike in crude prices."
Foote:
"The basic facts are that Europe has very tiny amounts of energy resources. They have to import almost everything they need. And Iran has been a good supplier to them.
While the Saudis and some others may have claimed that they will make up the differences, it will take time to change shipments, refineries and get things ready. So, there will be a gap.
And as you noted, prices will increase short term, at least, if not longer."
"How will the oil market look like if Iran stops exports to all European countries?"
"It certainly will be an increase in prices at least for the short term and maybe even longer term. I mean, Europe's energy needs will not go away anytime soon. They are desperately starving for oil and other resources.
This problem has gone back for any Iranian who's ever studied Iranian history, they know this story. You had the D'Arcy Concession which led to the creation of BP. Winston Churchill called it a fairyland beyond all belief for the Brits, that they got almost all of Iran's resources for nearly nothing.
In the early 1950s, British and French ships stopped oil cargo ships from going to and from Iran successfully, and were able to bring down Mosaddegh's government.
They think they can do it one more time hopefully with countries such as China needing the energy and not being able to be stopped. They won't be able to make it this time.
In the past they've had great success in robbing the Iranian people of their resources at nearly zero prices."
"Would you say that it's already apparent that Europe will have more to lose than to gain with these US-pushed sanctions?"
Absolutely, for an energy poor region of the world, they have no business playing these kinds of energy games just to satisfy the Zionist totalitarians who want to control the entire world." [My emphasis]
For more on Professor Foote see this article and its comments and this
Labels: Iran and Israel, Paul Sheldon Foote
C'est Incroyable! (antisemitic video)
Here's a disgusting spoof on the Shoah by the antisemitic French "comedian" Dieudonné (surname M'bala). This despicable production was apparently aided by the Iranians. (Hat tip: reader Rita, who spotted it on the invaluable MEMRI TV channel)
Labels: Antisemitism in France, Dieudonne
Zionist Activist Writes Open Letter To British University Chief
Prominent Anglo-Jewish pro-Israel activist Jonathan Hoffman (pictured), a longterm leading figure in the Zionist Federation, has written an Open Letter as follows to the Vice-Chancellor of Middlesex University, Professor Michael Driscoll. I understand that blogger Richard Millett will be describing the events herein described in more detail, but meanwhile here's Jonathan's letter, which also appears on the Jewish Chronicle blogs:
Writes Jonathan Hoffman:
'Last night's Middlesex University Palestine Society meeting at Hendon was every bit as vile as might have been expected given the speakers – Ken O'Keefe, Ghada Karmi and 'Jihad' Jenny Tonge. O'Keefe was subsequently reported to the Police for aggravated Public Order Act Offences.
Let me introduce you to O'Keefe if you have not had the pleasure:
http://hurryupharry.org/2011/04/15/ken-okeefe-celebrates-hamas-murder-of...
It being Hendon there were quite a few Israel supporters in the audience and O'Keefe's worst statement was to them:
You like the Nazis [he meant the Germans who resisted the Nazis] have a special obligation [to oppose Israel]".
You must know that Jew/Nazi comparisons are antisemitic:
http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/material/pub/AS/AS-WorkingDefinition-dra...
He also repeated the "troofers'" lie that "Israel and Mossad was directly involved in 9/11.
Tonge alleged falsely that "the Jewish Constitution is being changed to make Israel a Jewish-only state"
O'Keefe falsely claimed that Mandela compared Israel to apartheid South Africa. The truth is that in April 2000 Mandela came to London and spoke to the Board of Deputies of British Jews. He spoke of the need for Israel to leave the lands taken in 1967 but not unless there was first recognition of the Jewish State by the Arab States: "I added a second position, that Israel cannot be expected to withdraw from the Arab territories which she legitimately conquered when the Arab States wanted to whip her out of the map of the world." No mention of 'apartheid' in Israel – from a man who spent 27 years as a prisoner of the loathsome apartheid regime in South Africa.
O'Keefe said that Israel's objective was "to maintain perpetual conflict"
Karmi said that Israelis behave towards the Palestinians as if they were a subhuman species. She said that if a newborn baby is born and dies at a checkpoint the Israelis are pleased because that's "another Palestinian gone".
Karmi always says "it is not antisemitic to criticise Israel". When she says it, I always challenge her to identify an instance when a critic of Israel has been incorrectly labelled "antisemitic" but she never can. This device is simply an attempt to delegitimise complaints of antisemitism – and is therefore itself racist.
Karmi said that 250,000 Israeli Arabs had had property confiscated under the Absentee Property Law (1950). Not true. The Law only applied to people who fled in 1948, not to those who stayed!. (And the Law only applied to long-term absentees. Moreover decisions under the Law are subject to judicial review (as is the case with all administrative decision-making in Israel)).
A shameful meeting. Universities have a duty of care to their students. What action do you propose to take?'
Labels: Anti-Zionism in Britain, Campus Anti-Zionism, Jonathan Hoffman, Middlesex University
Americans' Support For Israel High, Poll Shows
A new Gallup Poll shows that:
"For the first time since 1991, more than 6 in 10 Americans – 63% – say their sympathies in the Middle East situation lie more with the Israelis than with the Palestinians. Fifteen percent side more with the Palestinians, down slightly from recent years, while a combined 23% favor both sides, favor neither side, or have no opinion."
For details see here
Labels: American Public Opinion and Israel, Gallup Polls and Israel
"A Failed Movement Of Radical Activists": Israel's Man In Oz Slams Australia's BDSers
At the relaunch in New South Wales of Parliamentary Friends of Israel last evening, Israel's ambassador to Australia, Yuval Rotem, slammed the local BDS movement as represented by such Greens as Fiona Byrne and Senator Lee Rhiannon.
"It has been close to a year since the last State election since Marrickville and the BDS issue found a national stage. It was one of the achievements of not just the Australian Jewish community but the Coalition and the Labor Party that BDS faced an abrupt rejection on that stage.
The concern throughout NSW was that the row during the BDS debates was expected. Commonsense does not comply with a local council self-imposing economic sanctions on one nation which is locked in a struggle for peace. [My emphasis]
Senator Lee Rhiannon's Greens looked likely to pick up a cluster of seats"in the NSW State election but were left demoralised finishing behind Labor on primary votes in the only seat they ended up winning.
The candidate for Marrickville, Fiona Byrne, tripped over herself in many public statements…confused that her Utopian vision of a world with a weakened Israel was poorly received outside the confines of her urban hamlet.
BDS in Australia has since then become another a failed movement of radical activists which shamefully attached itself to a municipal council for a few months.
This humiliating public defeat of the BDS was an achievement of the people in this room. The politicians, Liberal, National, Labor and some Greens. When we hear about BDS now, it's not coming from the mouths of prominent politicians or mayors or respected journals. It's been shouted from poorly-attended protests or the back of police cars or from Communists who stayed with Stalin.
One year on and the movement in New South Wales to undermine the economy in the Middle East's only democracy is as dead as Fiona Byrne's brief career in international diplomacy."
The ambassador continued:
"I thank the people in this room on behalf of the State of Israel for their courage during that time. I thank Premier Barry O'Farrell and his colleagues for their uncompromising stand for the future of that Council. I thank the Leader of the Opposition John Robertson and his colleagues for mounting the progressive case for the future of Israel… and especially I want thank those Greens MPs and candidates who stood tall and opposed BDS citing their own values of principal and justice for which some of their colleagues have no tolerance. I thank all involved who have helped see off this anti-Jewish and anti-Israel sentiment in our community. ..in our newspapers on our streets we must also thank the voters of New South Wales."
Of Marrickviile Council, which overturned its espousal of BDS and has a new mayor, he said:
"I encourage them to learn more about my tiny, tiny miraculous country in the Middle East, awash with the principals of democracy, values freedom and a culture not enjoyed by the autocratic and theocratic regimes that surround us." [My emphasis]
For full report and photos see J-Wire
Labor state parliamentarian Walt Secord, a co-convenor of the event, told The Australian newspaper that he wholeheartedly agreed with Mr Rotem regarding the Greens:
"Their tactics were schoolyard foreign affairs and almost borderline anti-Semitism."
Fiona Byrne reportedly has no comment: see more from that newspaper here
Labels: BDS Movement against Israel, BDS Movement in Australia, Marrickville Council (Sydney) and BDS, Yuval Rotem
Starvation in Gaza ... & Other Scenes (video)
It's Gallic, but the viewer doesn't need a word of French to comprehend it ...
Hat tip: E.
Labels: Economic Situation in Gaza
Netanyahu's Former Chief of Staff on The Biggest Challenge to Israel (video)
Here's Naftali Bennett, founder of the national movement MyIsrael, delivering a few home truths before the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations in Jerusalem this week regarding what he sees as the undermining of Israel from within ...
Hat tip: reader Shirlee
Labels: Leftism in Israel, Naftali Bennett, New Israel Fund
On Australia's Answer To Al Beeb, Fisk Slanders Israel Unchallenged
Just over a week ago, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, made a characteristically able and dignified speech in that forum regarding the horrors perpetrated upon the Syrian people by their own government.
It ran in part:
"We all know that the consequences of inaction will be horrific. Winston Churchill once said, "the further back you look, the further forward you can see." If you want to understand this regime's intent, look at its track record. Exactly 30 years ago, this same government massacred ten thousand of its own people in Hama in a single campaign. Nothing has changed.
Bashar al-Assad is systematically murdering civilians. His tanks are trampling on the rights of peaceful protestors. His forces are raping and torturing men, women and children. Assad has no moral authority to govern. With every home that is destroyed by a mortar, with every youth that is struck by a sniper bullet, with every person that is tortured, the twisted moral compass of this regime comes into greater focus.
Bashar-al Assad may have been trained as an eye doctor, but in practice he only tries to blind the international community to the crimes of his regime. The international community can no longer afford to see the situation in Syria with anything less than 20/20 vision.
More than 6,000 have been killed since the uprising began. How many more innocents must die before the world acts? As the death toll rises, so does our moral obligation. Our common humanity binds us together. And these bonds are now being put to a test.
It is time for the international community to stop standing on the sidelines watching murder after murder. It is time for the voices of the victims to finally unite the voice of the world against the tyrant of Damascus. It should be obvious that Assad and his regime have no moral authority to govern. And it is high time for this organization to start doing something meaningful to stop him from killing his own people. The children of Syria – from Homs to Hama - cry out to us. Their fate is in our hands." [My emphasis]
Pretty clear and unequivocal, surely.
As clear, in fact, as this utterance of Israeli Foreign Minister Avi Lieberman some months ago:
"I think, for everybody who saw in the last week on the TV screens the repression and the atrocities, the conclusion is very simple and very clear: President Assad must resign as soon as possible, and it's despite all our bilateral relations with Syria. For everybody who respects human rights and democratic values, it's really unacceptable what we see today in Syria ... I worry. All normal people ... we worry about the situation within Syria. We are worried about the innocent people who are suffering ... it's a very bad sign and a very bad message if this regime and if this president will survive and if he will succeed in suppressing these protests and uprising." [My emphasis]
Evidently, neither veteran Israel-bashing British journalist Robert Fisk of The Independent, nor experienced Australian broadcaster Kerry O'Brien of the ABC, were paying attention to either statement.
For on yesterday's Four Corners programme entitled "Syria Exposed" O'Brien listened indulgently while Fisk (interviewed for about a quarter of an hour) laid into Israel, claiming that, like Iran, Israel is "frightened" at the propect of "losing" Assad:
"...the problem is ... the Israelis are constantly saying, 'well we don't like Bashar, but we're frightened of what will happen afterwards'. [Emphasis added]
As for the Iranian nuclear menace, Fisk had this to say, inter alia:
"Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran – who's just about as cracked as the Foreign Minister, Lieberman, of Israel [Emphasis added] – he rages and rages, he's a crackpot, but he is not the man in charge of nuclear power and he's certainly not the man in charge of the Iranian military; and Khamenei, the Supreme Leader – not a man I'm very fond of – has said repeatedly that any use of nuclear weapons is against the rule and will of God. As long as he keeps saying that, I don't think Iran is going to launch an attack."
For a full account and analysis, see AIJAC's article here
Hat tip: Jack S
Labels: ABC bias against Israel, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Robert Fisk
Will Israel Strike Iran? Asks TV Channel Russia Today
Among those giving their opinions are leftwing Israeli columnist Larry Derfner (see more of his views on this issue here) and the well-known Middle East analyst Professor Barry Rubin (see his recent blog here) ...
See also this New York Times article
"We Are Of The Opinion That The Iranian Regime Is A Rational Actor" Says Obama's Top Military Adviser
General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, tells CNN that a military strike against Iran is not "prudent" at present ...
"We are of the opinion that the Iranian regime is a rational actor ...We have not concluded that Iran is an existential threat ..."
"If you were a betting man, would you bet that Israel won't strike?" asks the interviewer.
"Well, fortunately, I'm not a betting man."
Labels: General Martin Dempsey on Iran, Iran and Israel, Iran and Nuclear Weapons, Obama Administration and the Middle East
Hibernian Hate In Hatton Garden, London: Blarney Dublin Style Against Israeli "Blood Diamonds" (video)
They were soundly rebuked on their home turf by Jewish passers-by from North America not so long ago, if you recall this incident
In this video we see members of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign taking their hate message on 4 February to Hatton Garden, centre of London's diamond trade.
They are confronted by a Jewish trader in his doorway, who politely tells them a few home truths, while later another diamond trader, who is not Jewish, informs them "This tells me you're antisemitic".
An Israeli supporter of theirs is interviewed by them at length ... (Prepare to be nauseated.)
Then watch them laugh and jest after a passer-by, recognising them as "the usual suspects", berates them for their obsession with Israel ...
For an excellent and important article on the BDS movement see this
See also this article
(Hat tip Ian G)
Labels: Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
The UNESCO Scandal: Singer's Latest Variation On A Theme
Here's more, via the antipodean J-Wire service, about the UNESCO scandal by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer, originator of this petition. This latest article is entitled 'UNESCO Must Choose – "Palestine" or the World'
'The Obama administration formally announced its intention this week to ask Congress to waive a ban on American funding of 22% of UNESCO's budget following UNESCO's decision to admit "Palestine" as its 195th member state on 31 October 2011.
The announcement did not come in a White House press release from President Obama. Rather it was surreptitiously tucked away in an innocuous footnote to the budget that the White House presented to Congress – which contained the following statement:
"The Department of State intends to work with Congress to seek legislation that would provide authority to waive restrictions on paying the U.S. assessed contributions to UNESCO"
The State Department has squirreled away nearly $79 million into its 2013 budget in the hope that Congress will grant a legal waiver allowing such American funding to UNESCO to be restored.
That this is a forlorn hope was signalled by Rep.Ileana Ros-Lehtinen – the Chairperson of the US House of Representatives International Relations Committee – who stated:
"Any effort to walk back this funding cutoff will pave the way for the Palestinian leadership's unilateral statehood scheme to drive on, and sends a disastrous message that the U.S. will fund UN bodies no matter what irresponsible decisions they make"
American funding of UNESCO was cut off automatically under U.S. legislation dating back to the 1990s, which mandated the spending freeze for any UN agency granting full membership to Palestine before the conclusion of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. This law recognized that any such unilateral decisions would work against – rather than assist – any such agreement ever being concluded.
This loss of American funding will result in a black hole of $260 million in UNESCO 's budget to 2013.
UNESCO's Director General – Ms Irina Bokova – has already signalled she is looking at achieving an overall cut of 29% in UNESCO programs for 2012 -2013 – which will adversely impact on UNESCO's proposed global programs for the benefit of scores of millions of people over the next two years.
Ms Bokova intends to reveal where she will be making her proposed cuts at the next meeting of UNESCO's Executive Board commencing on 27 February.
Desperate to replace this lost American funding Ms Bokova has been accepting "donations" from some countries such as Turkey, Gabon and Timor Leste – which are conditional on being spent in those countries or neighbouring States – irrespective of where they rank in UNESCO's scheme of priorities.
This will lead to even greater curtailment or abandonment of other programs – as UNESCO's decision making power is subordinated to the demands of these individual states.
The US State Department needs to rethink its view that only an explicit waiver of the law can now free up American funding to avert the humanitarian crisis staring UNESCO in the face.
There is an alternative option that has been with UNESCO for almost three months – an alternative which UNESCO has refused to even discuss.
It involves UNESCO seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the following two legal issues relating to Palestine's admission to UNESCO in breach of UNESCO's own constitution:
What are the requirements that qualify an applicant to be admitted as a member state of UNESCO under its Constitution and were these requirements satisfied in the case of "Palestine"?
What were the number of votes required under the Constitution to admit "Palestine" as a member state of UNESCO?
The cost to UNESCO of having these issues determined by the International Court would be $100000 in my estimate.
UNESCO's continuing refusal to even discuss the merits of the legal arguments advanced in questioning the legality of its decision to admit Palestine – indicates that UNESCO has no answer to the detailed submission given to it.
Even if UNESCO sought to rebut that submission – then there still is a need for those two competing viewpoints to be judicially resolved.
In failing to approach the Court – UNESCO is clearly signalling that it is more interested in protecting its decision on "Palestine" from judicial review – rather than finding a possible legal way out of such decision – thus enabling it to regain the lost American funding and so allow its existing global programs to be maintained. .
Continuing to play a narrow political game at the expense of a vast all embracing global humanitarian game can only have serious repercussions for UNESCO's continued existence and relevance in the future.
If UNESCO is so confident of its legal position then spending $100000 to have that opinion set in stone will be money well spent and will result in the Court clarifying and defining the meaning of the Constitution when future applications for membership are made.
Ironically it is not a waiver of the law that the State Department should be futilely spending its time and effort trying to achieve. Rather it should be whispering in UNESCO's ear the virtues of subjecting its decision to the law to try and get a favorable ruling that would immediately release the withheld American funds.
That of course would mean the demise of Palestine's membership of UNESCO. Would that be so bad – if in fact it was found to have been granted in breach of UNESCO's Constitution?
UNESCO is apparently not yet ready to face up to such a prospect. Until it does – people around the world will continue to suffer.'
Labels: UNESCO and Palestine
The Iranian Nuclear Menace: Al Beeb Calls In The Camel Corps
Alas! It's so typical of the BBC that as soon as Foreign Secretary William Hague warns that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to a Cold War in the Middle East even worse than the one which existed between the USSR and the Western powers, it calls in the nay-sayers to undermine the argument.
True, an alternate viewpoint provides the balanced reportage that Al Beeb is obligated by its Charter to provide yet conspicuously lacks, especially regarding the Middle East. But to quote not one but two pundits (in addition to politicians) who contradict Hague weights the scales well away from equilibrium and smacks of deliberate propagandising.
Indeed, Al Beeb has turned for comment to a seemingly archetypal FCO Arabist, former Ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton, who retired from the Diplomatic Service in 2006 and became an associate of Chatham House, specialising in the Middle East and North Africa.
From 1993-97 he was Britain's consul-general in Jerusalem. In 1994 the then mayor of that city, Ehud Olmert, slammed as "apartheid" his plans, reflecting British policy, to hold separate Jewish and Arab functions in celebration of the Queen's birthday. Mr Dalton, as he was at the time, was quoted in The Times as saying: "The real problem is the use of Israeli power in Jerusalem." (Jewish Chronicle, 17 July 1994)
Following three years as Britain's ambassador to Libya, Sir Richard became ambassador to Iran, which had refused to accept in that post fluent Farsi-speaker and Iran-expert David Reddaway on the erroneous assumption that he was a Jew (with links to MI6 for good measure).
In November 2009 Sir Richard appeared in Peter Oborne's notorious Dispatches programme on British TV Channel 4, "Inside Britain's Israel Lobby".
Guardian journalist Jonathan Freedland – a frequent critic of Israeli policy who hardly merits the term rabid Zionist – noted in the Jewish Chronicle (27 November 2009) that Dalton was
'one of the star turns on this month's Dispatches probe into the pro-Israel lobby. If that programme played with a few of the most time-honoured tropes – a shadowy group of rich Jews pulling the strings of powerless politicians – than Dalton helpfully played on a few more.'
Freedland quoted Dalton as follows:
"What's unique about the pro-Israel lobbies is that they have good access to politicians, often operate behind the scenes and have primary regard – even though they may come from Britain – not for the interests of the British people but for a mixture of what they see as British interests and the interests of another country." [My emphasis]
Commented Freedland sarcastically:
'Powerful, secretive, unpatriotic, and with allegiance to a foreign power – all in a single sentence! Give that man a prize for sheer economy of language.'
Sir Richard, who spoke in the recent debate at the Cambridge Union in support of the motion "This House Would Rather Have A Nuclear Iran Than War", is quoted on the Al Beeb website thus:
"There are many signs, as reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency, that some research and development relevant to the development of nuclear weapons may still be going on.
But it is wrong to say that Iran is rushing towards having a nuclear weapon.
Indeed, the analysis published to the United States Congress by the top intelligence assessors there indicates that Iran has not taken a decision to have a nuclear weapon."
And despite signs that the regime of the mullahs, and Ahmadinejad himself, believes that strife and mayhem is a necessary prelude to the coming of the Twelfth Imam, young Shashank Joshi of the Royal United Services Institute has this phlegmatic message, which Al Beeb includes near the beginning of the same report:
"If we could live with nuclear weapons in the hands of totalitarian, genocidal states like Stalin's Russia or Mao's China, Iran in contrast – whatever its repulsive internal policies and adventurism abroad – is far more rational."
Rational?!
Ah, happy daze!
Labels: BBC Leftwing Bias, Foreign Office Arabism, Iran and Nuclear Weapons, Iran and the West
British Middle East Consultant's Antisemitic Rant On Iran's Propaganda Channel Website
The website of Press TV, Iran's 24/7 satellite progaganda news channel that recently lost its licence to broadcast in Britain, carries a long over-the-top antisemitic rant by a bloke called Peter Eyre, described as "Middle East Consultant".
The fact that the article is headed "BBC hikes up the Zionist propaganda machine" points to its crackpot nature.
Here's a taste of Eyre's ire:
"We now see another "Imperialistic Empire" taking its place know as the "New World Order" (NWO) with its headquarters firmly embedded in the City of London.
This evil satanic organisation, consisting mainly of Zionists and very senior members of the Freemasons have spread their evil tentacles over most of the UK and launched this country on a programme of continuous conflicts and war.
The NWO controls world finances, world politics, the UN, WHO, the ICJ, the judicial system, education, police and the military via its arm - NATO.
The heartland of the NWO are the Rothschild's, members of the EU Royal Families, the Pilgrim Society, the very senior members of the Freemason´s (including many MP´s and members of the House of Lords), the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House London), Friends of Israel and The Bank of England etc.
There is a steady stream of politicians that pay regular visits to Chatham House to pledge their support for Israel with our current Prime Minister David Cameron, his deputy Nick Clegg and many others such as former PM Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, Ken Clarke, William Hague, George Osborne to name but a few. It is in the bowels of this building where they swear their allegiance to Zionists backed groups and Israel (their funders) instead of our own country.
Many people in this country do not realise that our dear BBC also forms part of this same satanic rot and is highly funded by the pro-Israeli groups that manipulate everything we hear and see....
.... It is common knowledge that students in the US, many being from Berkeley, are hired by either the CIA or Israel to participate in international unrest and frequently act as agents by infiltrating into the ranks of activists or even groups of militia. They have their education paid for in return for such activity and at a given time they pass on the names and locations of key figures to the CIA or Israeli secret service who then plan a drone attack or assassinate the person concerned.
Palestine is also a breeding ground for such activity (Gaza and West Bank) whereby the organisations are basically run by so-called "Jewish Sympathisers" who in some cases appear to turn their backs on their own faith and Israel. This is an entirely false front and these members - "Enemies of Israel"- are allowed to transit Israel to and from Gaza and West Bank without restriction having been previously deported for supporting Gaza (Palestinians) or for causing unrest. This in itself is evidence that they are carrying out undercover work for the CIA or Israel.
I could offer you a long list of names (traitors) and prove that many so-called charities have now been infiltrated by Zionist or Pro-Israeli supporters who are involved in such operations. I find this extremely upsetting when one considers the vast sums of money they obtain from the citizens of the world who want to help the Palestinians but in actual fact are feeding the money directly into Israel and at the same time are getting key Palestinians assassinated by their deceitful ways.
Back to the BBC propaganda machine, another bogus report also hit the headlines when the BBC stated the following: "Car bombs 'target Israel envoys' in India and Georgia" and immediately printed the following statement from Israel (their funders)....
Let´s recall the same style of assassinations that were used against the nuclear scientists in Tehran which was believed to have been the work of either the CIA, MI5 or Mossad. Exactly the same usage of motorcyclist etc clearly points to yet again another "False Flag Statement" that the BBC is so good at publishing!....
It was the same BBC that reported the following, on 25 December 2009, a Nigerian student smuggled explosives on to a flight from Schiphol to Detroit in the US after flying into Amsterdam from Lagos. He has pleaded guilty to trying to blow up the Northwest Airlines jet he boarded and is due to be sentenced on Thursday. He faces life imprisonment. I can assure you that this again was a false flag and it is an Israeli company that is responsible for security at Amsterdam airport....
In conclusion one must also remember that westered Special Forces, CIA, MI5, Mossad, hired militia and snipers are operating within Syria causing severe unrest and in many cases are directly responsible for the death of many innocent Syrian civilians. Such is the evil state of western foreign policy that is funded primarily by Israel.'
Read the entire mapcap rant here
Labels: Anti-Zionism in Britain. Antisemitism in Britain, Press TV
"Iran Has Been The World's Central Banker Of Terrorism For Decades": John Bolton Warns On Fox News About Iran
Here's America's former ambassador to the UN again, talking sense about the Ahmadinejad regime's inexorable march towards nuclear capability, its worrying implications for Israel, how talk of sanctions lulls the West into "a false sense of security", how Obama appears to fear a military strike more than he does a nuclear Iran, and how we're running out of time if we intend to do what we should have done four years ago:
Labels: Barack Obama, Iran and Israel, Iran and Nuclear Weapons, Iran and the West, John Bolton
On Al Beeb's Twin Down Under, A Suggestion That The Israelis AttackedTheir Own Diplomats
"Where does the BBC get these people from?" That's a question that must have passed through the minds of pro-Israel viewers and listeners scores of times, given the types of commentators (including an apologist for the Muslim Brotherhood) Al Beeb regularly invites into its studios to pontificate on this or that development in the Middle East.
(It was, though, pleasing to see that it had the good sense to interview the superb Douglas Murray today, regarding the scandalous situation imposed on Britain by the European Court of Human Rights, which forbids the extradition of danger-posing radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada to Jordan because of fears for his personal safety, never mind that of the British population in general.)
Andrew Bolt, the popular columnist for the Melbourne Herald Sun newpaper, has posed a comparable question - "Where does the ABC get these people from?" - in his latest online article.
It was provoked by the appearance on the ABC (Australia's answer to Al Beeb in more ways than one) of Iranian-born former Guardian journalist Geneive Abdo, giving her take on the terror attacks this week on Israeli envoys in India and Georgia.
In answer to the radio interviewer's observation that, in order to discredit Iran, Israel had planted the bombs, Ms Abdo replied
"Well I think that's entirely possible. I mean, if you consider what the Israelis did for many years in Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East, that theory is not so farfetched"
and went on to say of the current situation:
"...[Y]ou have the Israelis not willing to live with a nuclear Iran. You have the Iranians going forward with their nuclear program. And you have an American president trying to be re-elected with a Jewish lobby in the United States that's extremely powerful....
[W]e're dealing with a very extremist Israeli government.
Read all of Bolt's piece here and Honest Reporting's analysis of the incident and its implications here
Hat tip: readers Rita and Ian G
Labels: Age (Melbourne) bias against Israel, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Geneive Abdo
If You're In Sydney, Spend Sunday Night At The Movies
This speaks for itself (hat tip: reader Shirlee):
Labels: Jewish Refugees from Arab lands
In Florida, Romney & Gingrich Stand By Israel (video)
In response to a question from a "Palestinian American Republican" from the floor last month, the two presidential candidates firmly blame the lack of peace on the Palestinian leadership ...
Labels: Mitt Romney and Israel, Newt Gingrich and Israel
Achtung! Aussie Holocaust Denier Fred & Friend (video)
Here's a freshly uploaded video concerning notorious Adelaide Holocaust Denier Fredrick Toben, whose name is made to sport an umlaut, and who appears at the beginning talking about "the persecutor" ...
The viewer is left guessing as to exactly when the video was made, what the "total victory"mentioned is, to what precisely fellow-Aussie Lady Renouf refers in her speech, or who her listeners are.
I include this video here just for the record. Note the uploader's introduction:
'In 1999 he [Toben] was imprisoned for nine months at Mannheim Prison for breaching Germany's Holocaust Law, Section 130, that prohibits anyone from "defaming the dead". Töben and his associates at the Adelaide Institute have denied "being Holocaust deniers" in interviews conducted by Australian media, claiming they cannot deny that which never happened.'
Labels: H, Holocaust Denial
"This Despicable Vitriol Is Left Unchallenged": Aussie Parliamentarian Highlights The Greens' Moral Bankruptcy Regarding Israel and Iran
Clearly, O'Dwyer is Golden, while Silence is Green.
For what a magnificent speech by Australian legislator Kelly O'Dwyer, Liberal member for Higgins, in yesterday's debate in the House of Representatives concerning Human Rights (or rather, the lack of them) in Iran.
All praise to to her for highlighting so ably and comprehensively the unconscionable hypocrisy of the Greens:
"In Australia during this time one must ask the questions 'Who stands conspicuously quiet? Who stands silent while these human rights are abused?' .... It is ... the Greens, those people who suggest that they are the champions of human rights and the keepers of the moral chalice, those professed keepers of all that is right and ethical. Where, I ask you, is Senator Brown in condemning these actions? Where is Senator Hanson-Young on her soapbox demanding justice? Where is the member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, in this chamber supporting this motion? Where are the Greens protests in the streets? Most importantly, given all that we have learned about the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions scheme that grew from the Greens' local council movement in Marrickville, where are the calls for the boycotts of Iranian companies or even of Syrian ones, to be truly consistent? No, all that is simply reserved for Israel.
Interestingly, the Greens also profess to be strong champions of human rights, particularly for those who are homosexual. Yet it is the country of Israel, the only democracy in the region, that legislates rights for women and homosexuals. In fact, in a recent poll conducted by GayCities.com in conjunction with American Airlines, Tel Aviv was rated the best gay travel destination of 2011. Yet here the Greens condemn Israel and not Iran.
Could you imagine if the Prime Minister of Israel had prayed for the 'annihilation' of the Palestinians? How many motions would the Greens have moved by now? How many press releases, demonstrations and media conferences would they have called? I conducted a search on the Greens' website. I typed 'Iran' into their search feature, 23 results were returned and in those results there was not one mention—not one, single, solitary mention—of the atrocities that have taken place, of the abhorrent preachings of the President of Iran or of the blatant human rights abuses posed against ethnic minorities, women and homosexuals. However, if you type in 'Israel' you will find pages and pages and pages—in particular pages as to how you can be involved as well in the BDS movement. This is a truly sad state of affairs and it is of great concern in particular to me that the Greens do not stand with us in this chamber against such violence against human rights workers, women's rights activists, journalists and government opponents.
The Greens seem to quote the UN when it suits them and ignore them when it does not conform to their agenda. And make no mistake: the Greens' agenda on Israel is well and truly on show. It is incumbent upon all of us who, at times, take our freedoms for granted to stand up for those who do not share the same freedoms. I call on all members of this parliament, including the Greens - including Senator Bob Brown - to support this motion and to highlight the atrocities and depravity of the Iranian government and to stand up for the fact that these depravities must come to an end. For too long we have turned a blind eye to the signs that have been staring us in the face, and we must not accept what is unacceptable. I call on the Greens to stand with us in this chamber and support the human rights that are being abused in Iran and to make a very strong and public statement about it."
Those remarks came at the end of her speech, which began by condemning "the abhorrent and repugnant human rights abuses that are currently occurring in the so-called Republic of Iran" and after she bemoaned the dashed expectations of the so-called Arab Spring:
"We did not want Israel to continue to stand as the lone beacon of democracy in the Middle East. Alas, on the ground, the Arab Spring has not matched the anticipation. For all of the hopes that we had, the people of Iran, Syria, Libya and Bahrain have been met with bullets,aggression and brutality...."
She then focused on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, before launching that well-deserved attack on the Greens:
"One needs only look at a number of his public statements to discover the depths of this so-called leader's depravity. On the state of Israel he has stated that it 'must be wiped off the map' and that 'with God's grace this regime will be annihilated and Palestinians and other regional nations will be rid of its bad omen'.
On the Holocaust he has said:
"Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces and they insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that they condemn that person and throw them in jail … we don't accept this claim."
He went on to say:
"They, Germans or Europeans, have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets."
On Zionists - read Jews - he has said:
"The Zionists and their protectors are the most detested people in all of humanity, and the hatred is increasing every day."
And he has said:
"The world powers established these filthy bacteria, the Zionist regime, which is lashing out at the nations in the region like a wild beast."
Finally, on the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel's independence, he said:
"Those who think they can revive the stinking corpse of the usurping and fake Israeli regime by throwing a birthday party are seriously mistaken."
Any one of these statements on its own warrants immediate condemnation, yet this despicable vitriol is left unchallenged and has been left unchallenged too often and for too long. It is only now that the world is starting to take notice of Iran. It is only after the tragic loss of life that the world is paying Iran the attention it should have paid many years before.
Words of a tyrant lead to deeds of a tyrant. It should come as no surprise that the owner of such vile words could be a perpetrator of such vile acts. The only question that remains is: how many people must continue to die before the international community stands against such repression?"
Source for speech: J-Wire
Labels: Australia and Israel, BDS Movement against Israel, Greens and BDS, Greens and Israel, Iran and Israel, Kelly O'Dwyer
Isi Leibler Interviewed Regarding A Nuclear Iran (video)
"Iran is a genuine existential threat to us ... and the whole of Western civilisation," stresses the veteran Jewish leader and Jerusalem Post columnist in an interview with Mark Golub on Shalom TV. "I would like to believe the world is coming to its senses ...I do not believe that sanctions alone are going to stop these people."
Labels: Iran and Nuclear Weapons, Isi Leibler
Fast Facts For Busy People: Who Are The Palestinians? & Other Questions Answered (videos)
It's elementary!
Here's a series of new videos that might enlighten those who are still teachable.
On the "Palestinians" and "Palestine":
On the "Occupation":
On Nablus and its name:
On that so-called "Wall":
Labels: Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, Israel's Security Barrier, Nablus, Palestinian (history of term)
In Australia, Anti-Israel Leftist Fanatics Allegedly Eye[d] A Shul
The Adass community in Melbourne is a tight-knit one that keeps largely to itself. It is centered on the district of Ripponlea, and its shul is in a quiet spot not far from the magnificent old colonial mansion that gave the district its name. It's very near the perhaps incongruously-named Hotham Street (geddit?), where each Shabbat numerous Jews in traditional strictly Orthodox garb can be seen going to and coming from one of the relevant shuls in the area.
For a number of years I lived in the heart of this district, surrounded by members of the Adass community. Although I was not one of them, I found them delightful neighbours. And although I was not one of them, I occasionally experienced the harassment that is often the lot of Jews like them whose dress leaves no doubt as to what their identity is. Thus, as a pedestrian on heavily Jewish Hotham Street, I once experienced a small stone whizz past my head (the lout who hurled it from a car also yelled antisemitic abuse) and on another occasion a carload of goons called out to me "Hitler is coming!" It's the type of thing that many Jews endure from yobbos every day.
In Australia, overt antisemitism used to be largely the preserve of post-war immigrants from continental fascist backgrounds and of the homegrown right-wing League of Rights, founded in 1946 by Eric Butler, an elder of the Anglican church. Most of the League's members believed in crackpot "funny money" ideas and in conspiracy theories, and for many years they ran a bookshop in central Melbourne stocked with all the "classics" of judeophobic literature. Time, it would seem, has carried away most of these nutters to that land from which no traveller ever returns.
Not that the political Left, as we know, has been immune from manifesting "the longest hatred" but I can't think of any instance in which the Left, at least in any English-speaking country, would stoop so low as to target a synagogue. (Imagine how they would react if rightwing extremists targetted a mosque!)
But that is reportedly what they aimed to do, if a current report is correct, and what's more, the Adass congregation was the one in their sights.
The report (written in three stages, including updates) claims, inter alia, that
'Australia's Jewish community is bracing itself for a horrifying escalation by the "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" movement notionally against Israel but increasingly seen as thinly-disguised anti-Semitism.
[A] group led by former Melbourne University student union official Vashti Kenway has instructed its troops to take their Israel-hating protests to Adass Israel synagogue during the time it would have Jewish religious services, on Saturday February 25th. The protest is aimed at Rabbi Joseph Gutnick, a strong supporter of Israel, in whose honour the centre accommodating the synagogue is named....
Increasingly, Kenway and her band of protesters are blurring the lines between hating Israel and engaging in blatantly anti-Semitic protests. The move to attack a synagogue during religious services is the most blatant act in that direction we've seen across Australia.
Kenway's protests have previously targeted Israeli-owned chocolate shops on the basis that some of their chocolate had been sent to the young men and women who protect Israel from those sworn to its destruction. Her behaviour was such that she and a group of comrades have been arrested and prosecuted for their riotous behaviour....
[Update] Shock and fear has swept the congregation of the Adass Gutnick Hall after learning their synagogue could be the victim of an attack by an anti-Israel group. One congregant, Norman Rosenbaum has emailed his concerns to friends, revealing that Mr Gutnick himself does not regularly attend the venue, expressing fears the angry protesters may be become frustrated and violent at the congregation if the target of their enmity is not present....
[Update] We are pleased to say the "Boycott" bigots have ... backed off their plans to attack the Addas [sic] synagogue, which had previously been the victim of arson attacks. They have moved their silly protest to an office of a company associated with Gutnick. Just as stupid but much less harmful and destructive. Being concerned about the people of the Palestinian Authority is perfectly legitimate, although it's interesting that those who suffer much more do not generate the same concern, but this sorry episode has amply demonstrated what we've always suspected that there is a hideous underbelly of anti-Semitism associated with those who wish to boycott Israel....'
Read the full report here
Labels: Antisemitism in Australia, BDS Movement in Australia
"A Racist Country": Blood Libellers Against Max Brenner In Melbourne (videos)
These western BDSers, they seem to like girls who are screamers, don't they!
Immediately below, a dollop of manic high-pitched screeching from a girl cheerleader of the so-called Coalition Against Israel Apartheid and Students For Palestine as she leads her robotically chanting cohorts on 10 February into the usual offensive and moronic leftist accusations against chocolatier Max Brenner - "There's blood in your hot chocolate" and "You're supporting genocide". Note the "Race Against Evil..." hyperbole in the introduction...
Morsels:
The level of ignorance prevalent can perhaps be gleaned by one of the uploader's dodgy spelling of Israel as "Isreal".
Labels: Anti-Zionism in Australia, Antisemitism in Australia, BDS Movement in Australia, Max Brenner (Melbourne)
David Singer On His UNESCO Petition & His Facebook Group "Help Restore UNESCO's Funding"
In his latest article (entitled "UNESCO On The Nose") via the antipodean J-Wire service, Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer pinpoints five main reasons for opposition to his petition from some perhaps unexpected quarters, and urges a rethink on the part of those who have proved reluctant to sign. He also draws attention to a group he has set up on Facebook, called "Help Restore UNESCO's Funding" and urges readers to join.
'UNESCO seems set to preside over a looming global humanitarian crisis as it continues to struggle in its efforts to cope with the loss of $260 million – 22% of its projected budget – until the end of 2013.
Trying to make up the shortfall – including lobbying America and Israel to resume the payment of their dues and establishing an Emergency Fund to solicit donations from its other 193 member states and the public at large – have clearly failed so far.
UNESCO's finds itself in this sorry situation because of its decision to admit "Palestine" as its 195th Member State on 31 October last.
In an effort to recoup the shortfall – I have proposed to UNESCO that it approach the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on whether the requirements of UNESCO's Constitution were satisfied in admitting "Palestine".
If the Court rules that the provisions of the Constitution were complied with – then this avenue as a means of recouping the $260 million would be closed – but the provisions of the Constitution would have been judicially interpreted to prevent a repeat of the current controversy when dealing with other applications to join UNESCO in the future.
If however the Court found the decision to be unconstitutional – then the $260 million would start to flow into UNESCO's coffers immediately and the emerging global crisis impacting on scores of millions of people world wide would be averted.
Faced with continuing UNESCO resistance to discuss my detailed submission to it on 1 December last – I started an online petition on 1 January seeking public support for this proposal – which has so far attracted more than 1000 signatures from people in 26 countries. Please also sign it if you agree with the views expressed in this article.
What has been surprising – and very disturbing – has been the opposition expressed to signing my petition – which I have been able to attribute to five main reasons gleaned from the responses received so far to my proposal:
Some have expressed their utter contempt for UNESCO and its continued existence – suggesting it has become ineffectual and politicized and should be shut down.
They delight in the financial difficulties being faced by UNESCO – which they see as a self-serving organization that exists to feed an over bloated bureaucracy of overpaid and well travelled employees – rather than spending its budget on helping the hundreds of millions of people world wide who are crying out for some hope to relieve their distressing lives.
Some Americans are supportive of their country's decision to stop the payment of its financial dues – automatically suspended as a result of an American law dating back to the 1990's which prescribed such action should any UN agency act as UNESCO did.
These people are more than happy to see this money – about $100million yearly – go towards helping America solve its own pressing domestic financial problems.
They are hostile to UNESCO's lobbying attempts to try and get America to change its law or to otherwise circumvent the legislation to get America's dues back via some back door manoeuvre.
Some have shown a total lack of concern or compassion for the difficulties facing hundreds of millions of people world wide if UNESCO is forced to curtail its humanitarian assistance.
This attitude was succinctly expressed in the following comment:
"Palestine suffers from the actions of the world, the world can suffer from Palestine for once"
Some have expressed no confidence in the International Court being able to arrive at a fair and unbiased opinion – a waste of time and money
By far the largest number of those refusing to sign the petition are those who are opposed to UNESCO taking any steps that could possibly lead to Palestine's admission to UNESCO being ruled unconstitutional.
People are entitled to their viewpoints – and to be criticised for holding those views. I have urged many expressing these views to think again and sign the petition – but to no avail.
UNESCO cannot allow its decision on Palestine – and its dire consequences – to simply end in UNESCO cutting its programs and its employees for 2102-2013 in accordance with a drastically revised budget – until it has explored every option to avoid this happening.
The consequences of such program cutting will clearly impact on the lives of millions of people world-wide. UNESCO would be clearly irresponsible if it failed to take any possible action available to arrest this emerging humanitarian landslide.
Spending $100000 approaching the International Court in the hope of avoiding this parlous situation is an option that UNESCO should grab with both hands.
The International Court cannot possibly hope to satisfy all of the above objectors.
If Palestine's admission to UNESCO is found to be lawful – those espousing the views in groups 3 and 5 above will be happy and the rest will not . The status quo now existing will be maintained.
If Palestine's admission to UNESCO is found to be unlawful – only those in group 4 may be persuaded to rethink their view of the International Court. None of the other 4 groups will be happy – but the status quo existing at 30 October 2011 will be restored – for better or for worse.
UNESCO should not be afraid to institute such legal action for fear of upsetting these objectors – since the number of people signing and still continuing to sign my petition clearly outnumber those opposed to signing it.
I have been encouraged by such response to set up a Facebook group called "Help Restore UNESCO's Funding".
I urge everyone – in favour of or opposed to UNESCO approaching the International Court – to join, have their say and to follow developments as they unfold at UNESCO and in the international arena..
UNESCO needs to be very careful that it does not create the impression that it can ignore its own constitution with impunity. Its failure to even discuss my detailed submission on the legality of its decision renders it open to such a charge and only serves to reduce its status and credibility among those signing the petition.
Seeking to resolve the current impasse by resorting to the law is not a known or an accepted practice in a large number of the 195 member states that make up UNESCO – where the rule of law and respect for the law in such countries is unknown.
Approaching the International Court in the present circumstances will help these states understand this still remains the best system yet devised for finally resolving issues between people with different viewpoints.
The law is not perfect and its decisions are often controversial and open to criticism and different interpretations.
However it beats bullets, demonstrations and dying, tear gas and trauma – hands down.'
"We Are Anonymous ... Israeli Government, Expect Us"
A threat of cyberwarfare against Israel has been unleashed by an international group of hackers. Their video and a report can be seen here
The text of the video (which I've since added below) runs as follows. (Spot the old-style antisemitic tropes).
"To the government of the state of Israel.
We are Anonymous.
For too long we have tolerated your crimes against humanity and allowed your sins to go unpunished.
Through the use of media deception and political bribery, you have amassed the sympathies of many. You claim to be democratic, yet in reality this is far from the truth.
In fact your only goal is to better the lives of a select few while carelessly trampling the liberties of the masses. We see through the propaganda that you circulate through the main stream media and lobby through the political establishment.
Your Zionist bigotry has displaced and killed a great many.
As the world weeps you laugh while planning your next attack. All of this is done under the veil of peace but so long as your regime exists peace shall be hindered.
You label all who refuse to comply with your superstitious demands as anti-semitic. And have taken steps to ensure a nuclear holocaust.
You are unworthy to exist in your current form. and will therefore face the wrath of anonymous. Your empire lacks legitimacy and because of this you must govern behind a curtain of deceit.
We will not allow you to attack a sovereign country based upon a campaign of lies.
Your grip over humanity will weaken and man will be closer to freedom.
But before this is accomplished the people of this world will rise against you and renounce you in all your worth. Our crusade against your reign of terror shall commence in three steps.
Step one will be initiated after the release of this video and will be comprised of systematically removing you from the internet.
Step two will be later disclosed and is already in initiation.
And as for step three, well think of this one as a present from Anonymous to you. We will not stop untill the police state becomes a free state.
We are legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Israeli government, expect us."
Labels: Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism, Cyberwarfare against Israel
In London, Anti-Israel Ranters On the "Peace" Offensive (videos)
The British "Stop The War Coalition" held a demo outside the American Embassy in London at the end of January to demand that no action be taken against Iran for its impending nuclear capablity. That well-known anti-Israel activist Jeremy Corbyn MP introduced others of his ilk such as the first speaker, Anthony Wedgwood Benn (Tony Benn as he likes to be known to the plebs), and flytilla alumna Sarah Colborne, executive director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Here's a taste of the nonsense, uploaded by InMinds.com, which prefaces the uploads with this message:
"As the US and Israel ratchet up the rhetoric in preparation for an attack on Iran, hundreds of Londoners demonstrated outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square on 28th January 2012. The protest was organised by the Stop the War Coalition."
Here's old Tone:
Here's Kate Hudson, chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), inveighing against Israel's capacity to defend itself:
And here's young Sarah, ranting sickeningly on the theme of "Hypocrisy and Jerusalem" and inviting the faithful to a big do on 30th March:
Full report with photos and videos of all speeches see http://www.inminds.com
Labels: Iran and Nuclear Weapons, Stop The War Coalition and Israel
Thursday, 9 February 2012
"If Someone Says They Want To Annihilate You, Believe Them": British Voices On The Iranian Threat (videos)
If the morally courageous and highly articulate young man in the first video below did not exist, Britain's pro-Israel supporters would certainly have to invent him. He's the marvellous author and journalist Douglas Murray, speaking recently in a debate at the Cambridge Union on the motion "This House Would Rather Have A Nuclear Iran Than War".
Speaking in favour of the motion were former Middle East-based diplomat Sir Richard Dalton (now of Chatham House), journalist Michael Smith, who specialises in defence issues, and Professor Scott Lucas, a specialist in American Studies at Birmingham University.
Opposing the motion were Murray, Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, and Professor Mervyn Frost, who heads the War Studies Department at King's College, London.
The Noes carried the day, with 100 votes, ten more than the Ayes mustered (there were 77 abstentions):
And here's Dr Alan Mendoza, to whom Murray refers in his speech, who also helped so ably to carry the day:
See the entire debate and read more about the speakers for each side here
Labels: Cambridge Union, Iran and Israel, Iran and Nuclear Weapons
Iran: Graphic Designs
Cartoonist Steve Benson totally gets it. With such graphic eloquence, who needs words? (Hat tip: Ian G)
Meanwhile, there's one helluva scary video doing the rounds. It, and a reassuringly optimistic commentary, are available here.
"I Couldn't Agree More With That Statement" Said The BBC Newsreader To The Anti-Monarchist
Her Majesty In Robes By Dhimmi Designs, Foreign Office
Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the British throne (and so truly began this Jubilee Year of hers).
The leftists who infest Al Beeb's news programming could not just lie back and enjoy the historicity of the occasion, of course.
So, invited onto News24, was a bloke with the right royal name of Graham Smith. Smith has a right royal grievance about the monarchy - he heads a group called Republic - and he also has (or rather, had) a right royal gripe about the BBC.
A year ago, as the nation geared up for the Royal Wedding (Kate and Wills), Al Beeb gave Mr Smith a guest spot on its College of Journalism (CoJo) website, so he could rant at length.
(Al Beeb's other critics, especially those of us who bemoan its anti-American, anti-Israel thrust, and deplore its suppression of the Balen Report, should be as lucky!)
This is part of what he wrote:
'The BBC has failed to convey the diversity of opinion about the monarchy. It has presented the issue as being one-sided and implied that the whole country is excited about the wedding. It has covered the plans and expectations of monarchists (who in a sense are also a minority) while ignoring Republic and republicans....
I believe one source of this problem is the BBC's failure to categorise the monarchy as a 'controversial issue'. I would stress that even without this categorisation our argument stands up and the Corporation's duty of impartiality applies. However, categorising this issue as controversial is not only appropriate, it would place greater emphasis on the need of editorial staff to ensure balanced and impartial coverage....
The issue is regularly a subject of debate in the media and is certainly contentious.... [O]pinion is clearly divided on the various issues around the monarchy. A number of MPs support the abolition of the monarchy, including Caroline Lucas MP, leader of the Green Party [and, incidentally, a veteran critic of Israel - D.A.]. Parliament has recently debated reforming the finances and secrecy of the institution....
Republic is not alone in questioning the BBC's royal coverage: there is a widespread view that the BBC has a pro-monarchy bias, a view even shared by some of the Corporation's own distinguished journalists. Not least, apparently, Jeremy Paxman, who in 2008 accused the BBC of "fawning" over the royal family, adding that the BBC did not know whether to "report" or "celebrate" royal events. I would suggest that the job of the BBC is to report, yet instead it ends up celebrating.
And that is why Republic is seeking a meeting with BBC executives, asking for a review of royal reporting and a fairer, more balanced and more representative take on the issue of the monarchy.'
BBC executives obviously caved into him. It was surely on the cards that they would. After all, it has been some years since Al Beeb instructed its staff not to refer to Wales as "The Principality" anymore (even though, constitutionally, a principality is exactly what Wales is) for fear of offending Welsh republicans!
In welcoming Smith to the airwaves yesterday newsreader Emily Maitlis observed:
"We love plurality on the BBC, Graham Smith, but this is going to be a tough old year for you, isn't it?"
The interview started well but ended with Ms Maitlis (notwithstanding the expectation of neutrallity inherent in the BBC's much-flouted Charter) giving her own personal endorsement to Smith's closing statement that the institution of monarchy should be subject to scrutiny and criticism:
"I couldn't agree more with that statement."
So here's my message to Ms Maitlis and the gang. You want to put the right royal British Establishment right royally on the spot? You want to demonstrate afresh that love of pluralism, to ensure a voice for the dispossessed?
Right, then.
Next time a representative of the Foreign Office is interviewed, ask him/her point blank why, in her 60-year reign, the Queen has never once visited Israel (almost uniquely snubbed in this regard), whereas she has paid many visits to Arab countries, and when we can expect this right royal wrong to be put to rights.
For further posts by me on this subject see here and here
Labels: Anti-monarchist propaganda on the BBC, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Israel, Foreign Office Arabism
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Yikes. I can't recall the last time a pitcher went for an elbow exam, that didn't precede the announcement that TJ was next. Best of luck to Knebel from Cubs Nation.
Yeah, Tommy John would be a huge blow for the brewers. Unlike many of the brewers fans who post here, I really like the Cubs players. I don't root for them, but they're fun to watch play. Thanks for the nice comment!
I like the cubs players, but I feel they can be crybabys sometimes. I guess you can say that about all teams, but I notice it alot with them, and I have no stake in the central.
I feel the same way about the Cubs and I'm a Mets fan. They are the whiniest team in baseball.
Please provide evidence of their "whininess" that doesn't include Bryant's statements on service time manipulation, which has affected many players who have spoken out about it.
Yeah that was definitely whining from Bryant. Poor kid…….
I haaaate the service time manipulation. I don't remember seeing Bryant's comments on this, but I wouldn't call talking about this issue whining.
Craig Kimbrel here he comes.
Eh, It's pretty common for a guy to have an elbow exam and not have serious damage. Its when you hear the words "second opinion" that TJ is imminent.
Tanaka has pitched for years with partial UCL tear. It will depend where tear occurred and severity of tear, before determination for continue pitch or get surgery.
Brewers probably go get Wilson now and/or Kimbrel. Bullpen strongness is key to their season.
I remember when his knee buckled it was it Wrigley north. I hate to see anyone get hurt. And I hate the brewers and their fake fans.
Fake fans? Get over yourself.
I think this site uses the phase, "eye-popping" way too much.
It's pretty eye-popping how often that phrase is used.
I've never noticed that but now my eyes are popped open to it.
Traffic jams near Elsinore, CA as tens of thousands flock there to see the wild poppies in bloom after recent rains.
Even Glenn from The Walking Dead thinks this is too much eye popping!
The use of "eye-popping" does not draw rave reviews.
Give the man a break. It's Opening Day, and he's probably as hyped as we are.
But I thought eye popping was receiving rave reviews?
Greene and Castellanos for Thames and Corey Ray?
Where would Detroit play Thames? Where would the Brewers play Castellanos with their outfield? Also Greene is not very good.
So question is do I keep Jeffries in my fantasy ball keeper league? Or let him go? If they sign Kimbrell the decision is made for me. But I have until Sunday to decide.
What Round? What Cost? Who are your other choices? Is it a lifetime keeper league.?
It all depends on the price. You must have a better choice.
I'd let him go. Plus he's hurt and bullpen arms aren't hard to find. IDK how many you get to keep but I would rather not use a spot on him.
I guess it depends on your league configuration, but I probably wouldn't have kept Jeffress even if he was healthy. I even dropped Hader instead of keeping him. For me, I usually wouldn't keep any sort of reliever unless they were an elite or top tier closer.
Talking serious to Kimbrel three says before they announce a Knebrel season ending porktential Injury?
Kimbrel May be signed. But Jeffress status can only go up.
Boy it depends on your rules by round etc—-but if you don't have 15-20 options better than Jeffress you probably should be looking forward to the fantasy football season already.
Gregg Jeffries retired years ago. I definitely wouldn't keep him on your fantasy team, lol.
Which explains Kimbrell. Relief pitching and pitching so fleeting. I'm not a big fan of paying big bucks for an RP, but if ever there was a time, this is it.
Their bullpen threw a lot of innings last year and their starters weren't good enough to pick up the slack. They have done nothing to correct that and now those innings are catching up with their relievers. Kimbrell could help that, but starter seems more urgent to me.
Especially when it looks like Keuchel may actually be cheaper. I think Keuchel would be a much better fit and it's a no brainer if he is in fact less expensive.
They also went 5 innings.
Knebel had 55 MLB innings last year.
Had some MiLB innings too but, in no way was he over used. Neither was Jeffress.
You can never get enough pitching. It's why I think the Cards have the edge in what will be an extremely tight race. Their opening day rotation will be Mikolas, Flaherty, Wacha, Wainwright and Hudson, with an entire second rotation possibly available in the event of injury or ineffectiveness with Martinez, Reyes, Gant, Gomber and Poncedeleon.
Except Mikolas is due for significant regression, Wainwright looks like he's done, and Wacha, Martinez, and Reyes all have significant injury concerns. If the young guys come through, the rotation could still be pretty good, but you could say the same thing about the Brewers with Burnes/Woodruff/Peralta.
Yeah and if any of those 4 have issues I named 6 other guys who have been effective at the big league level already. That's what depth is.
The other guys you named are Martinez who is hurt and a handful of others that totaled about 225 innings last year—-I'm not buying that this is enough of a sample size to say "have been productive at the big league level". Let's say that Mikolas doesn't regress—-and Flaherty is as good as he looks, you are still six or seven names short of a solid AND reliable 3, 4, 5. It's great to have a pile of 7s and 8s but you need a 4 and 5 first.
Did you already forget about the names Wacha, Reyes, Hudson? Those are #3's in our rotation and would be higher than that on many teams. Don't make the mistake of making #7's and #8's on the Cardinals as #7's and #8's on the Tigers or Padres.
You can disagree with a lot of things, but disagreeing that the Cardinals have a lot of pitching depth is just ignorant. Yeah, if everyone gets injured, of course there are problems, but pretending like a doomsday scenario is evident of a lack of depth is not too smart.
Why is Mikolas "due for significant regression"? Did he get lucky for an entire season?
Mikolas isn't a sub 3 ERA pitcher but he was good. I wouldn't say he's in for serious regression but I think he settles in as a guy somewhere in the lower to mid 3's.
It looks like Brewers are going in panic mode if they are looking at Kimbrel. I know it's dumpster diving, but the next week, teams will be making cuts and it includes plenty of pitchers. Maybe they could find a decent arm through that? Kimbrel is on a decline and think you could pick up a pitcher when these waivers and releases happens. It my not be a name brand like Kimbrel, but a pitcher you may get, could do just as well as Kimbrel in Kimbrel current decline.
From the Pirates nation, we wish Knebel the best and a speedy recovery. Good pitcher and a shame arm issues pop up for most pitchers these days. I just hope it isn't going to be a Tommy John surgery.
Ok, this should be entertaining. Explain Kimbrel's "decline".
His "decline" is 150x better than any reliever that gets cut this week.
Discussion around Kimbrel's decline from his other-worldly production, is everywhere. Take a look around.
Kimbrel blew the World Series game 7 in 2001 and the playoff games 4 and 5 in 2004. But he still got unanimous HOF election. That's his decline.
The Brewers are in win now mode, better go get Kimbrel.
It's like you can't expect your bullpen to carry you. Who would have thought?
Who was expecting that? You are acting as if the Brewers didn't have a top 5 defense and a decent offense, which should be even better this year.
Tommy John wants to know when this exam is happening so he can make an appearance.
He'd be super busy if he made a cameo at all TJ surgery. It could be a show on E!
I think we now know why the Brewers have been talking to Kimbrel.
As a sox fan…Losing ck is going to sting…BUT he was anything but CLEAN pitching last year.
No, it's Braun who doesn't play CLEAN.
Jeez let it go. Every team in MLB has had a player on the roster, current or past, that has used PEDs. Mike Piazza himself admitted that he used PEDs. Mo Vaughn used PEDs. That's just two off the top of my head that played for the Mets.
Most of those players didn't lie about it and get someone fired because of said lie.
If you don't think "I don't know where it came from" or "it must have been in a supplement I took" isn't a lie, you're incredibly naive.
Braun however was the only one to go down the anti-Semite road.
When did piazza admit this?
He took andro when it was permitted.
Which CK? There are two of them in this article?
Time to hire 'Doc' Kimbrel.
Brewers are paying for being cute with their pitching in 2018.
He had 55.1 IP last year. (56.1 if you count the inning in AAA on a rehab start). This isn't about last years usage for him.
Even if it's just a slight tear that needs to heal without surgery he would be out of 2 months minimum. This is bad news for Milwaukee, especially considering how awesome he pitched last year.
He was demoted to AAA last year. Do you even follow the Brewers?
And came back for the last month of the season and pitched lights out. Do you even follow the Brewers?
I have Hader on my fantasy squad. Does this put him in line for saves even if they get Kimbrel?
If they get Kimbrel, probably not. Even without Kimbrel, it'll probably still be Jeffress (after he returns) in the long run.
Harder is so much more valuable to the Brewers in his role last year, putting out fires, and dominating the middle of the opponents order at important times then Closing. I doubt he's a full time closer. I'd imagine he'll be in line for more chances though.
I told you so, what made you think your bullpen and overuse of pitchers last season would make you invincible from the evidence when pitchers are used like the brewers did and my cardinals did under Matheny arms start having issues. Also it's not like the FO ddn't suspect this as they are looking into Kimbrel who is definitely looking like the Holland of this year as he will surely not want to be in the minors so long. This cardinals fan will keep on shaking my head each time I hear the arrogance that you are the best team, that was so last season, got to do it all over again and I think you have also not truly taken in to account how many wins you got from STL due to Matheny's management welcome to the Cardinals you will really hate this year. Looking like 5 more with Goldy sticking around!!!
You know Knebel was not, by any definition of the word, overused? Right?
I have a feeling things like Facts, Data and Evidence mean very little to people like this.
Take a look at innings pitched last season by all other top RP is all of baseball. Brewers use of all three of their guys are right in line with all of them. Fact!!
Grab any stat database and look for yourself.
Thank god you had the foresight to have figured this all out. Did you see the post above stating that he only threw 56 innings last year? Take your ball and go home. Comparing him to Greg Holland?
I'm a Cubs fan and this ridiculous post even annoyed me.
The thing I really hate is how this guy is getting his rocks off on the Brewers losing an important guy for "overuse" which isn't even remotely true with Knebel. Get a life dude.
Kimbrell's a real possibility, but the Crew just might try to salvage a Melancon, or somebody like him, with the other team picking up most of the financial tab. Sterns is an inventive guy.
That makes a lot of sense too. By all accounts the Brewers are already pretty far over what they're looking to commit to 2019 after Grandal. So doing anything won't be easy.
Hello? Mr. Kimbrel? ….yes that's a blank check we sent you. Please, whatever amount.
Reunion with Will Smith, perhaps? Package him with Bumgarner and get it done.
Damn we need some pop!
Domingo is a hot commodity in my humble opinion, too bad he ended up in Seattle.
Hate to see the entertaining NL Central race be decided by injuries. I would love to see all the teams healthy and competing at the highest level possible, but I know that's not going to happen (Heck, the Cards are already short Martinez, who is a good pitcher despite his head). Hopefully Knebel comes back OK and hopefully the Brewers don't go out and sign Kimbrel. to overcorrect for this. Sometimes there aren't options but I would hate to see them close off any chance of competition later on with a bad deal now.
I have an auction draft tomorrow and Knebel was one of my Keepers at $10. I notified my Commissioner this morning regarding the injury and he allowed me to drop him before the draft.
I already have Hader as one of my Keepers AMD hoping that Kimbrel signs today so I can target him to create the league's best late innings handcuff.
Kimbrel for 5 yrs, $90 million. Get it done Milwaukee.
Lmao Kimbrel has 0 chance to see 90 million dollars. He'll be lucky to see 50 at this point in time.
How much does the surgery weigh?
The same as a duck!
Nolan Ryan tore his UCL near the end of the 86 season. Dr. Jobe told him he should have TJS. Ryan was 40 and didn't want to. Turns out the scar tissue etc. held his UCL together for 7 more years.
It's a rarity, granted, but you can't say "No pitcher".
I'm almost positive Nolan Ryan was made of something other human beings aren't. But Tanaka has evaded TJ thus far. Most haven't been so lucky and the odds are heavily slanted against him.
whenever TJ is an option, it always seems like the best one. trying simply rest rarely is a longterm fix.
They should call the orioles for Mychal Givens if they won't spend for Kimbrel. Givens isn't Kimbrel by any means but he's cheap and he'll only cost a prospect. We're certainly a team who doesn't need to wait til the deadline to sell off as well. They could potentially look at Bleier as another piece if they wanted a package. I suppose the Chisox would be open to dealing colome as well.