This week's postings at JfJfP.com

This week, November 9-15, 2015 there are several events and publications which bear directly on JfJfP.

The first (not in order of importance) is Jonathan Freedland’s thoughts on what the Jewish diaspora might do to bring about peace (premised on his well-known belief that groups like JfJfP do more harm than good, though he does not say how Palestinian self-determination could be brought about)
Diasporas, help or hindrance?

Second, JfJfP condemns the decision of the UK to effectively ban, by refusing to grant visas to, three trauma experts from Gaza who were hoping to attend a trauma conference at Kingston University. Who knows more about trauma than those in Gaza who have to treat so very many victims?
Gaza’s experts on trauma refused visas to attend UK trauma conference
and
UK Ban on visiting Palestinian mental health workers for the JfJfP statement.

Third and more relevant, is the poll of attitudes of British Jews towards Israel. The results show that most British Jews feel strongly connected to Israel but most – and this is a change – also feel strongly critical of Israeli policy towards Palestinians, especially the construction of settlements on their land. (The posting includes a link to the full report).
Progressive Even on Palestine

Fourth, for those who are critical, and choose to boycott settlements products, Israel is implementing its 2011 law banning such people from entering the country. Assume that Mossad is combing the lists.
Israel to ban entry to all boycott supporters

Their problem has been made more acute by the publication (delayed) of the EC guideliness on importing settlement products. Predictably, the Prime Minister of one of the most powerful countries in the Middle East – and the only one to hold another people in subjection – complained that Europeans did not understand that Israel was the victim of terrorist attacks, and was of course being antisemitic:
Cries of ‘antisemitism’ and ‘boycott’ at EC demand for labels

Over 500 of Israel’s best-known artists, intellectuals, political actors sign a petition supporting the EC decision. They think it is a step towards making a peace agreement.
Renowned Israelis sign petition in support of labelling

For some reason the question of a peace agreement and the ‘2-state solution’ have been picked up this week by several actors.

Tony Blair rides in again believing his personal charisma will make all the difference. Grandiose or what?
Blair the Lone Ranger

Haaretz held its second Peace Conference in Tel Aviv this week, and we post two batches of the articles they published in relation to the conference, each of the pieces having something distinct and valuable to say:
On what can make peace initiatives work

and, bearing in mind that Zionism here does not have such negative connotations as it has in common contemporary usage:
‘We must return to a creative, innovative and energetic Zionism’

Someone who was ringside, if not the ringmaster, of American efforts to get direct peace talks started is Ben Rhodes. He is interviewed at length by Barak Ravid on the points of missed opportunity:
Paralysis of leaders of Israel and Palestine

The stabbings continue according to the MFA but for some reason neither of the two sources, PCHR and Jewish Virtual Library, has updated their statistics.

Several Palestinians have lost their jobs in Israel as a result – of the fear of their colleagues – but there have not been mass sackings as collective punishment, not least because the settlements are entirely dependent on Palestinians for manual labour.
Israeli firms sack Arab workers, punishment for ‘knife intifada’

Extra-judicial killings by border police and IDF of Palestinians who have, or are suspected to be about to, attack with a knife have been widely condemned by human rights organisations. In a particularly egregious case, a group of Israeli commandos in disguise forcibly entered the hospital room where a Palestinian was visiting his cousin who had been wounded by settlers. The commandos shot the visitor dead. Oxfam leads the criticism.
Israeli commandos burst into hospital to shoot dead a Palestinian

There are two founding myths of Israel. One is related to the holocaust. The second, still very live, is that all Jews should and would immigrate to Israel to realise their political destiny. This does not allow for the fact that many immigrants leave a few years later. These figures are not published. Ian Lustick goes in search of the facts, why they are hard to find and who now is the source of Israel’s rapidly increasing population:
Uncounted: the people who leave Israel

And more besides.