So I got the following email from a friend (YM). I actually wrote this post days ago, but didn't put it up because I thought it must have been a spoof. How little did I know.

WORLD UNION OF JEWISH STUDENTS (WUJS) CONGRESS,
27-30 Dec 2010

In a tradition dating back to 1924, under the chairmanship of Albert Einstein, the WUJS Congress once again brings together elected representative Jewish student leaders from around the globe, to assess and confront the contemporary face of the age-old challenges facing Jewish students.

On the frontline of the battle against deligitimization of Israel and BDS campaigns on campus, 200 elected Jewish student Union leaders, representing hundreds of campuses, will be arriving from 52 countries to develop creative strategies to combat Anti-Semitism and foster Jewish pride and identity.

Sounds like a wonderful program. WUJS certainly has a great reputation as an organization.

But as you continue to read the program schedule, WUJS surprises us with one particular item:

Thursday, December 30, 2010
Jerusalem Gate Hotel:
10h00-11h00: Saeb Erekat (Palestinian Chief Negotiator)
11h30-12h00: Danny Seaman (GPO)
12h00-12h45: Chief Rabbi Lau

Now I don't know about you, but to me something in their list of speakers looks a bit off.

Since the Palestinian Authority is one of the world leaders and enablers in the field of "delegitimization of Israel and BDS campaigns on campus" I'm not quite sure how having Saeb Erekat as a panelist counts as a "creative strategy to combat Anti-Semitism".

In fact, it wasn't too long ago that Saeb Erekat, WUJS panel speaker on the "deligitimization of Israel" said, "the Palestinian Authority will never recognize Israel as the Jewish state."

So if you think there is a problem here, below is the contact information listed on the email:

Contact Person:
Chaya Singer, WUJS Chairperson: 052-476-0392, chaya@wujs.org.il

Shame on WUJS.

The whole world is eager for alternative energy sources and can't wait for the Arabs (and Iranians) to run out of gas.

But has anyone asked what happens to the Arab (and Iranian) world once their gas does run out? Has anyone considered that their societies might either violently collapse or turn into even worse tyrannies?

Even if they line their deserts with solar panels or nuclear power plants and have unlimited electricity for themselves, there is no real way they can effectively or reasonably export that to the rest of the world (at least no way I can think of off-hand).

Another world crisis in the making?

There is a very important debate going on about the legitimacy of using Wikileaks, as it is after all, stolen material, and it doesn’t directly concentrate on exposing the lack of freedom and human rights in countries that truly don’t have freedom or human rights, but instead seems to be trying to undermine the United States.

On the other hand, the information exposed, shows a reality far different than the narrative one typically comes to hear from the mainstream media.

Significant parts of that exposed narrative show and prove that Israel really are the good guys of the world – despite what some may claim.

In fact, the latest nut job conspiracy theories say that the Mossad wrote and released Wikileaks, and the proof is because Israel looks so good in them.

From the raw data we learn that anything Mearsheimer and Walt say and write can simply be thrown into the toilet (where they belong).

In the latest exposure we learn of the extent of Arab fear of Iran, as they called for a joint Arab-US-UN force to enter Lebanon and remove Hezbollah.

That’s right. The Arabs want Hezbollah dismantled. Not for Israel, but for themselves.

Turkey’s Erdogan has had his secret Swiss bank accounts exposed, perhaps pointing him to the exit sign. And that’s perhaps the reason why Turkey and Israel are trying to reconcile and reconnect, as other players in Turkish politics not only see the path Erdogan is trying to take them down – but why.

Which explains why Erdogan is trying to put a spoke in the wheels by demanding Israel apologize and compensate the IHH terrorists from Turkey.

And of course, President Obama’s Iran-Settlement linkage was exposed as his own personal fantasy and aspiration, and also unconnected to political realities, and that, at least temporarily has put an end to the latest freeze demands.

On the other hand, it could be asked, if the latest demand faile simply because Israel asked for the US demands and promises in writing.

Meanwhile, the question remains, will the Wikileak effect be short term, or can it be something that can actually change the bad aspects of world diplomacy and the poor public treatment of Israel.

For the past week, a massive forest fire has been raging in Lebanon, just 45 kilometers north of Beirut. Over 150,000 square meters of forest has been destroyed.

42 separate fires have been reported, 4 of them massive.

So far, the Kingdom of Jordan has sent over firefighter support.

Israel is currently battling its own blazes with an airplane that costs $200,000 a day to use.

I wonder. If Israel were to offer to pay for one day of use, and send the plane over to Lebanon, would Lebanon accept the help?