News
Iran to renew financial support for Islamic Jihad after two-year hiatus
After a bit of rockiness in their relationship, it seems Iran and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have made up. Iran has just announced that it will provide Palestinian Islamic Jihad with renewed funding of $70 Million. If only the US had seen this coming when it made the wonderful "Iran Deal," which includes $150 Billion in sanctions relief to Iran.
Reports of Thousands of Palestinians Killed in Syria
The Middle East Monitor reports that the Working Group for Palestinians in Syria found that, to date, over 3,000 Palestinians have been killed in Syria. The causes are both direct, including bombing, torture, ISIS attacks, and indirect, including drownings in attempts to flee to Europe. You should not be surprised if you don't hear about all of these Palestinian deaths from your friendly neighborhood BDS proponent. The deafening silence on these deaths from BDS supporters further proves that BDS cares about harming Israel, not about protecting Palestinian lives and rights.
Israel
Arab Catholic Israeli Wins First "Miss Trans Israel" Pageant
Yes, you read that title right. In another example of how inclusive Israeli society is compared to its neighbors in the region, or the rest of the world, for that matter, Israel held its first transgender pageant. In addition to being transgender, the winner, 21-year old T'alin Abu Hanna of Nazereth, is both Arab and Catholic. That's a whole lot of minority status packed into one. The next time you hear someone claim that Israel is not an inclusive society or that it treats its minorities poorly, have that person consider the story of T'alin Abu Hanna, who said upon winning, "If I had been born in Palestine or in any other Arab country, I might have been in prison or murdered."
Netanyahu Tweets Photo Of Intercepted Rocket Shipment
Many question the need for the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza. In an example of why the need for the blockade continues, Israeli Prime Minister tweets a photo of rocket materials that were hidden in a shipment of textiles and jewelry bound for Gaza. Fortunately, inspections caught these rockets before they ended up being launched by Hamas from an elementary school or hospital.
Side note: This is a great time to remind that pro-BDS or anti-blockade friend of yours that Egypt maintains the same strict blockade against Gaza as Israel does, but without providing the relief aid that Israel provides. Ask that friend why he or she isn't marching outside of the Egyptian embassy or a Coptic Church calling for an end to the blockade.
World
UN Bias Strikes Again: Israeli Vilified as Health Violator at WHO
Chalk another biased action up to the UN, this time at the annual assembly of the the World Health Organization. The only country-specific condemnation that was voted on, and passed, by the assembly, was a measure condemning Israel as the only violator of "mental, physical and environmental health" and calling for a special commission of inquiry.
As UN Watch reports, the UK, France, Germany and the EU shamefully supported the resolution, while the US, Canada and Australia opposed it.
BDS
BDS Completely Failing According to Economic Indicators
The BDS Movement claims that its efforts are paying off. However, economic data show differently, as reported by Bloomberg News. Take, for example, the fact that data show that foreign investment has nearly tripled since BDS efforts began. Despite this, don't expect the fervent anti-Semites of BDS to be deterred; after all, the movement isn't grounded in logic...
Anti-Semitism
"Coincidence Detector": The Google Chrome Extension White Supremacists Use to Track Jews
It turns out that not all White Supremacists completely uneducated. At least one group has gone high tech and created an extension for the Google Chrome browser. The innocently named "Coincidence Detector" plugin scans the contents of the web page the reader is viewing and puts three sets of parenthesis "(((word)))" around any names that match against a database of Jewish surnames in an effort to help identify Jews for targeted harassment.
It has been uncovered that White Supremacists use the triple parentheses throughout the internet to draw attention to Jews. For example, on the comments section of a news article or in a Twitter feed, putting the parentheses around a name is meant to paint a target on the subject person.
If you use Twitter and follow many journalists, you may have noticed several changing their Twitter display name to include the triple parentheses in an effort to actively fight against this practice and subversively appropriate the practice.
Vile And Disgusting: Iran's Annual Holocaust Cartoon Contest
Iran, the leading state sponsor of terror, will be receiving $150 Billion in sanctions relief from the US. Its leaders call for the destruction of Israel. To add to its resume, the Iranian government recently held its state-sponsored annual Holocaust cartoon contest. In Issue #4 of the Zionist Press, we included an article about this then-upcoming competition. No, this was not about paying tribute to the victims of Nazi Germany. The results were horrendous. The below image reportedly won first prize, garnering its artist $12,000.
Palestinians in UNRWA Schools Taught To Hate Jews
If you aren't familiar with UNRWA (United Nations Relief And Works Agency For Palestine Refugees in Near East), let this be a proper introduction. UNRWA was established to provide aid to Palestinian refugees with more funding than almost any other UN organization. Instead, it has become a deplorable organization dedicated to using those funds to perpetuate the precarious situation of Palestinian refugees, demonize Israel and teach Palestinian children to hate Jews.
If my description sounds like hyperbole, I suggest you watch this video, posted at http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com.au/, this week's "Hero," about UNRWA schools teaching hatred of Jews.
Heroes
Hero Profile: Meet Elder of Ziyon
In this week's Hero Profile, I would like to introduce you to Elder of Ziyon, one of the most prolific bloggers and watchdogs exposing anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. Known simply as the "Elder," the blogger (mentioned in the last issue of the Zionist Press) publishes anonymously under a blogged named as an ironic reference to the anti-Semitic handbook Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
I would say that Elder of Ziyon is one of the most important assets in the fight against anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. I highly suggest you keep an eye on this blog.