Israeli Prez: Use Facebook To Fight Hate

(AP)  Israel's 84-year-old president has a novel idea on how to battle anti-Semitism: Facebook.

Shimon Peres told a group of international students on Tuesday at Israel's Holocaust memorial that the popular social networking site was an effective means to counter the spread of hate and incitement on the Internet.

"Anti-Semitism is a disease of everyone. Persecuting minorities, discrimination, xenophobia and violence exist in many countries in the world," he told a group representing more than 60 countries, who gathered at Yad Vashem for an international youth conference about the Holocaust. "You have the opportunity to teach your friends about the memory of the Holocaust so that these horrors will never be forgotten and will never be repeated."

When asked by one of the youths what each of them could do, Peres replied: "Who here has heard about Facebook?" Nearly all in attendance raised their hands.

"You can fight anti-Semitism using social networks, like Facebook," he continued.

Peres spokeswomen Ayelet Frisch said that Peres met last week with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Peres, who spearheaded the establishment of Israel's cutting edge aerial industry and introduced computers into its military, has long been an active supporter of high-tech ventures.

He is currently behind an initiative to install the world's first electric car network in Israel. He also maintains an active Web site and has a blog on the Web site of the Israeli daily Haaretz.

Peres does not have a Facebook profile, but Frisch said he is considering doing it.

[b-easy63]

And most thinking people agree on the following--if Israel disarmed there would be a slaughter--if the arabs laid down their arms there would peace!!!

Posted by lfitts1 at 04:12 PM : Jan 29, 2008


No there wouldn''t--if the Arabs laid down their arms, there''s be subjugation by the Israelis, continual rape and stealing of land and a general butt fvck for every Palestinian over age 2. And they could live with Israeli apartheid and lose their homes at the whim of any Israeli that wants it.

According to the UN which tracks such things, Israel has broken more cease fires than any other group or country and often without any proof of provocation. Israel wants its way and want everyone on their side.

There will be no peace nor true arbitration of peace as long as America keeps thinking Israel can do no wrong and turns a blind eye to her transgressions. BOTH sides can and have done wrong and both sides should be censured.
On another aside--it is time for the Israelis to get off the American Welfare teaaaat. We can''t afford it--and as long as Israel is willing to suckle, they have no incentive to grow up and iron out differences instead of just making things worse, then peeking from behind our skirts while they stick out their tongues at their neighbors.

[b-easy63]

Here''s a better way to minimize anti Semitism: stop trying to out terrorize the terrorists, stop breaking cease fires first, stop stealing land, and stop bombing people for lobbing bombs that don''t hit much in Israel anyway--and stop using millions of cluster bomblets against civilians and stop crying for your big brother to get your back (that would be the US) to provide cash and weapons, when your mouth keeps writing checks your butts don''t want to cash.


That is a start.

[neoconrcrazy]

" Moreover the loss of land in 1947 is the direct result of the Arabs refusing to accept a UN-approved partition of Palestine " - ezrachi


absolutely not - it is a historical fact (read Benny Morris, your own historian) zionist death squads were used to forceably evict hundreds of thousands of innocent palestinians who were not taking part in any "terrorist" activity.

the land was stolen, pure and simple and it was done again in 1967 with the consequences we all know.

i don''t know how history is taught in your part of the world, but if you''re not able to explain how almost 1 million palestinian refugees flooded into lebanon, jordan, syria, and egypt between 1947-48, then I''d say to you - get an education!

here we do not accept revisionist history, it isn''t kosher.

leftyintexas: you''re mixing issues and ignoring pre-1947 history. Begin fought against British policy to prevent Jews escaping wartime and postwar Europe. On the issue of waging a "war" against those sending people back to death camps, there''s nothing to argue about - that war is justified.

Arab terror against Jews in Israel dates back to the Ottoman period. We suffered massacres (in the large sense, not Saeb Erekat''s description of a targetted killing of a terrorist) from 1915 onwards. In 1921 (Jaffo), 1929 (Hebron), 1936-39 (overall), 1938 (Tiberias). Individial attacks on civilians during that period are numerous. If you weren''t pre-disposed to hate Jews/Israel, you''d be aware of this.

neoconRcrazy: the above goes for you too. Moreover the loss of land in 1947 is the direct result of the Arabs refusing to accept a UN-approved partition of Palestine, subsequently attacking Jewish Palestine the same day of that vote - and then losing.

If you can''t even acknowledge the centrality of that event into your view of Middle Eastern history, I return and repeat again - get an education before speaking on a subject you''re not boned up on.

[neoconrcrazy]

"We''''ve been willing to give up land for peace since 1947 - but the Arabs have consistently insisted on having their way: all or nothing." ezrachi

That is not consisent with the facts - over 750''000 palestinians were forced to leave, frightened into leaving, their villages destroyed, their land confiscated - all this in 1947-48.

Then again in 1967; West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Golan - so you see, the palestinians haven''t insisted on "having it their way", but rather have had to accept, under threat of arms, your way. The wrong way, I might add.

Your terrorism problem you started yourselves in 1947 and we are bearing the costs of it today.

As to your clock stopping in 2000, who would accept a country carved up like a swiss-chesse. Try some honest brokering, they''re not as stupid as you may think.

As you mention the "territories", remember the adjective "occupied". The world is waiting for you to finally comply to UN Resolution 242.

Shalom from Texas dude.

ahh, there''s nothing like getting a lesson in Israeli policy from some guy out in Texas.

What time is it out there? Because over by me the clocks stopped on 28 September 2000 - when our peace "partners" stuck a knife in our back, and called it the "Al Aksa Intifada".

We''ve been willing to give up land for peace since 1947 - but the Arabs have consistently insisted on having their way: all or nothing. They''ve lost time and again, and (once again) instead of using diplomacy to reach their goals they resort to kassam rockets and terrorism; threats and violence.

Yes, "neoconRcrazy", we''ve had a terrorist problem from long before 1967. Why don''t you and the Texan get an education before posting on a subject you don''t know? Just a suggestion.

The territories are far from being a "walled prison" - where do you think they get their weapons and money from?

[neoconrcrazy]

The best way to stop hate is stop killing people and running the west bank and gaza like a giant walled prison.

Posted by monkey1140


rigth you are - did the world have a terrorist problem before the 1967 occupation of the west bank, jerusalem, gaza, and golan?

No.

So where do we find the origin of ME?

We find it in zionist agression.

Stop the zionists and you''ll stop the hate simon! Shalom!

[closethippy1]

Hey, Shimon, want to see hate? Go to YouTube and type in "Jewish Settlers", get a bag of chips and enjoy the Hate Show you''re about to see.

[ilaname]

While the situation in Gaza and the West Bank is bad, no one is completely to blame. If Gaza and anti-Arab sentiments are what you think of Israel then you are mistaken. While the government has made many bad choices, the people of Israel and Palestine do unite at time. On sites such as FaceBook and MySpace, people throughout the world can communicate. There are Israelis who are "friends" with Palestinians. I think the point of Sharon''s comment on FaceBook, is that it is a way to show the truth of the situation and not spread propaganda. It is a way to show that there is unity and a will for peace in population.

It''s just a shame that people are so blinded by their mis-education that they can''t see hope. It''s a shame that these comments are so negative. Peace can eventually be reached, but only if EVERYONE is willing to compromise and stop hating.

[ilaname]

While the situation in Gaza and the West Bank is bad, no one is completely to blame. If Gaza and anti-Arab sentiments are what you think of Israel then you are mistaken. While the government has made many bad choices, the people of Israel and Palestine do unite at time. On sites such as FaceBook and MySpace, people throughout the world can communicate. There are Israelis who are "friends" with Palestinians. I think the point of Sharon''s comment on FaceBook, is that it is a way to show the truth of the situation and not spread propaganda. It is a way to show that there is unity and a will for peace in population.

It''s just a shame that people are so blinded by their mis-education that they can''t see hope. It''s a shame that these comments are so negative. Peace can eventually be reached, but only if EVERYONE is willing to compromise and stop hating.