December 2008

B’nai B’rith World Center hosts event on al-Dura Affair

The B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem hosted on December 22 an address by French media critic Mr. Philippe Karsenty entitled “The al-Dura Affair: Lessons for Israel, the West and the Media.” Karsenty (42), Director of “Media Ratings”, was exonerated in May in a landmark decision by the French court of appeals in a defamation suit filed by French public television channel France 2 for his assertion that the alleged killing of Palestinian child Mohammad al-Dura and injury of his father Jamal by IDF troops at Netzarim Junction on September 30, 2000 – broadcast by the channel and offered free to the international media - was a media hoax. Read more.

World Center issues report on the situation in Gaza and southern Israel

The World Center issued a report on December 28 to the BBI Executive Committee on the unfolding events in southern Israel and Gaza. The World Center will continue to provide updates on the developments.

Third Day of Fighting in Gaza: Hamas Infrastructure Pummeled but Rockets Continue to Fall on Israel
By Alan Schneider, Director, B’nai B’rith World Center – Jerusalem

Shortly before noon on Saturday, the Israeli Air Force began what is being described as its biggest air operation since the 1967 Six Day War against the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip. The operation follows eight years of rocket attack on Israeli civilians. Until now, more than 240 Hamas sites – including 40 of the suspected 200 smuggling tunnels on the Egypt-Gaza border - have been hit with remarkable accuracy, limiting the vast majority of Palestinian casualties – now reported to be 345 and 1,550 wounded - to Hamas operatives and other terrorists. Israeli Air Force strikes continued throughout Monday. The latest came after 6:00 p.m., when 12 Hamas operatives were killed in the northern Gaza sector. Read more.

World Center Director discusses Israeli Humanitarian Aid in New York

At a session entitled “B’nai B’rith Involvement in Humanitarian Issues”, B’nai B’rith World Center Director Alan Schneider delivered a presentation to the B’nai B’rith International Policy Conference held in New York December 7-9 on the impressive humanitarian aid provided by IsraAID – the Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid - since its inception in 2002. Schneider is a founding board member of IsraAID – an umbrella group of Israeli aid agencies and international Jewish organizations, including B’nai B’rith - that have joined to help project Israeli humanitarian aid beyond its boarders with the objective of helping people in distress while improving Israel’s image around the world. Read more.

IsraAID is a major partner in BBI’s humanitarian activities and the two organizations have collaborated in providing disaster relief and reconstruction assistance in Sri Lanka, Georgia, Peru, Chad, Kenya, Myanmar and China. Other speakers at the session included Brother’s Brother Foundation director Luke Hingson and Stu Cooper, Vice Chair of B’nai B’rith’s Cuban Jewish Relief Project. While in New York Schneider also addressed a session of BBI’s “Global Round Table” on “When Disaster Strikes: The Challenges of Humanitarian Assistance”. Other panelists at the session included Pat Banks, Chief of Advocacy and Information, UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Gerald Martone, Director of Humanitarian Affairs, International Rescue Committee (IRC).

B’nai B’rith World Center organizes telephone briefing on Gaza Situation

The B’nai B’rith World Center organized a telephone briefing on December 31 for B’nai B’rith internatinal leadership with Mark Regev, Foreign Press and Public Affairs Adviser for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, About forty B’nai B’rith leaders participated in the call that was moderated by BBI EVP Daniel Mariaschin. Regev is one of the most recognizable Israeli faces in the foreign media and serves as the Prime Minister’s chief spokesman. Regev presented Israel’s case for launching its counterattack against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. (For more information, click here.) The World Center will organize additional conference calls with Israeli spokesmen as the situation in Gaza unfolds.

B'nai B'rith World Center | 22 King David Street | Jerusalem 94101 | Israel
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