Archive | 2012 | April | 25

The relationship between Israel and Turkey may not be perfect yet, but it doesn’t bother Turkish clothing brand W Collection, which cast Israeli actor/model with the exotic name Angel Bonanni for their current TV commercial.

Bonanni, who’s proved lately that he can also sing, is presenting a several outfits of the clothing line, in a very urban-futuristic video where he is seen walking around a very posh apartment. This little Turkish gig of his kickstarts another round of meetings with agents and a few auditions for Angel, starting in Los Angeles next week, and continues in New York.

Bonanni is not the first Israeli actor to be cast to a Turkish commercial. Last year it was the Israeli pop artist Liran Notik, who starred in a Turkish candy TV ad.

Via AbbaNibi.com

Annual survey by international consumer rights group praises Israel’s legislative and practical approach to information

Israel is the world’s foremost nation in terms of the availability of information to consumers, both de facto and de jure, according to the annual report released by Consumers International (CI), a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting consumer rights internationally.

This year, CI surveyed 48 Western national and several developing countries. Israel was ranked No. 1, followed by Indonesia, India, New Zealand, and the US.

“The organization sees information availability as the most important tool in the advancement of consumer rights,” explained attorney Uriah Yarkoni, who conducted the Israeli survey for the report.

“Intellectual property laws, and to a certain extent privacy rulings, control how information is transferred,” Yarkoni said.

“The basic principle in Western legal systems determines that the public’s right to information begins where intellectual property ends. For example, artists can’t prevent their work from being used in research. This means that the public has the right to use any work in the world for research purposes.”

Israel has intellectual property legislation enacted by the Knesset and is interpreted by the courts, becoming binding – or non-binding – precedents, Yarkoni noted.

“These make up the intellectual property rules in the country. They are well constructed, because until a few years ago there was very little money in Israel and therefore very few lobbyists in the field. Unfortunately, that’s changing,” the attorney observed.

In 2011, Israel did not participate in the survey, but in 2010 the nation was ranked No. 3, despite the lobbyists and the studios. What has changed since then? According to Yarkoni, Israel’s courts have made some “very good” rulings, alongside some “very bad rulings” by foreign courts.

In 2007, Israel passed a new copyright act, which replaced a law that had been based on British legislation from 1911, which was outdated and behind the times on technology.

The CI report addresses this, but not specifically, Yarkoni said.

However, Yarkoni added, there are still a number of gray areas, such as fair use or copying work for backup.

In dealing with these questions, he explained, each country needs to decide whose side it is on – the public and its right to information and free expression, or the copyright holders and their right to property. Israel, he said, has been identified as a country that prefers its citizens over intellectual property holders, which is why it led the list.

Source: Ynetnews.com

Middle Eastern food fights aside, Israelis have found their own way to eat the fried chickpea balls. Just in time for Israel’s Independence Day, Vered Guttman gives us the scoop on how to make and eat these delicious treats.

What is the most Israeli food? You’re probably thinking of falafel. And you’re probably right, assuming that the question has one answer.

But as with anything else in the Middle East, politics can’t be left out of the equation. Israelis who argue falafel is their own face strong objections from Egyptians, Palestinians and Lebanese, who themselves claim to be the sole owners of these fried chickpea balls.

The falafel debate has actually turned into a verifiable food fight, much like the Great Hummus War between Israel and Lebanon, ongoing over the last few few years.

Two years ago, 300 Lebanese chefs fried 5 tons of falafel balls. Coincidently, only two weeks later in NYC, an Israeli chef managed to fry a 24 lb. falafel ball. Not appetizing.

So who’s right? Who really owns the falafel?

Falafel most likely originated in Egypt (though others claim it comes from India), where it is called ta’amiya and is made from fava beans.

Jews who lived in Egypt and Syria where exposed to falafel for centuries. Does that give them the right to use it then in their new country?

If a dish becomes popular to the point where you can find it everywhere and it is eaten by everyone in the country, rich and poor, young and old, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, and many see it as their national dish, does it really matter where it came from?

Falafel is so synonymous with Israeli food that the Israeli Ministry of Information and Diaspora Affairs has even asked Israelis to explain to people abroad that Israel has plenty more to offer, and that Israelis do not eat falafel and hummus three times a day!

Since food always traveled with immigrants, and local cuisines were adapted in new places, this discussion seems almost beside the point. I don’t see the Germans accusing Americans of stealing their hamburgers.

If everything was peaceful in our region this probably wouldn’t be an issue worth arguing about. Maybe it would be better to concentrate on the real problems? But then again, food fights might be a better choice.

Falafel was made popular in Israel by Yemeni Jews in the 1950s. They brought with them the chickpea version of the dish from Yemen and introduced the concept of serving falafel balls in pita bread.

And the way the Israeli falafel is served is, in my opinion, the main reason why Israeli falafel is truly, well, Israeli.

The Israeli falafel is served in a pita bread and may include Israeli salad (oops, I meant Arab salad), hummus (did I mention the hummus war?), German sauerkraut, Iraqi fried eggplant and pickled mango sauce, Yemeni hot sauce and French fries (to name just a few of the additions). This combination cannot be any more Israeli.

Israeli or not, falafel in a pita bread with hummus and tahini dip, and with a chopped vegetable salad is a well balanced meal that will work well for vegans, vegetarians and anyone else coming for dinner. It’s cheap and easy to make, so there’s no reason not to prepare it often.

To make it even easier, you can double the recipe and freeze half of the mixture (before adding the flour and baking soda) then thaw it to fry fresh falafel when you’re ready. Chop some tomatoes and Israeli cucumbers (unless if you prefer to call them Persian cucumbers) for a simple salad. Make an easy tahini dip by mixing 1/2 cup tahini with 1/2 cup water and 1/3 cup lemon juice and some salt. Open a can of Israeli pickled cucumbers and serve it all in pita bread filled with the hot falafel balls.

Way better than a 24 lb. falafel ball.

Source: Haaretz.com

Israel replaces Remembrance Day sorrow with joy as nation marks its 64th Independence Day. Celebrations scaled back in light of Mount Herzl tragedy

Remembrance Day sorrow replaced with Independence Day joy: Israel concluded its Memorial Day events and turned to celebrating its 64th anniversary on Wednesday evening.

Celebrations kicked off in the traditional lighting of the torches ceremony in Mount Herzl.

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin lit the main torch together with Yaron and Sigalit Bezaleli, the parents of First Lieutenant Hila Bezaleli who was killed in the stage collapse incident in Mount Herzl last week.

Addressing Bezaleli’s tragic death, Rivlin said that in her joie de vivre and sense of leadership she “symbolized all that is good and noble in Israel.”

He said that in its 64th year, the people of Israel must remember that “we were and still are a generation of settlers.” He addressed the past year’s notable events including the release of Gilad Shalit from captivity and the social protest.

“I know that the State of Israel should not be taken for granted, that the Israeli flag flying over this mountain should not be taken for granted. That is why, as we face questions regarding our very existence here, we must fight fanatics, of all camps.”

Sigalit Bezaleli said prior to the ceremony, “I feel pride on the one hand, but on the other I see the site and have no words. I am truly divided. ”

She said that had her daughter taken part in the ceremony as she had planned “she would have been excited, proud and optimistic.”

In order to prevent a second disaster, cranes were placed in order to support the platform’s lighting fixtures.

The theme of this year’s ceremony is “Water – the Source of Life.”

The ceremony usually ends with the traditional Hora dance against a backdrop of fireworks but this year it has been decided to scale back the celebrations in light of last week’s tragic accident.

On Monday, during rehearsals, a crane hit a gallery at the site. No injuries were reported.

Source: Ynetnews.com

Group holds alternative memorial event for victims of terror, giving platform to teens’ stories of loss

Hundreds of young bereaved Israelis gathered on Wednesday for an evening of remembrance at the Jerusalem headquarters of OneFamily, an organization the caters to those who have been hurt or lost loved ones in terror attacks.

The event gave platform to the youths’ personal stories, songs and poems about their loss; mothers spoke about losing their sons, brothers and sisters spoke about siblings, and children who were mere toddlers at the time of their parent’s death also shared their memories.

The event was held on the eve of Remembrance Day, which has traditionally been dedicated to fallen IDF soldiers, but in recent years has been also extended to commemorate the thousands of victims of terror. Official memorial ceremonies were held across the country, in city squares, schools and community centers.

For many of the bereaved families, these ceremonies are extremely daunting and difficult to attend; this is especially true for teenagers who have lost loved ones. The intimate memorial event aimed to answer the needs of these youngsters by encouraging them to share their experiences with their peers.

“After my brother was killed, I couldn’t bear to attend the usual Remembrance Day ceremonies. They all seemed so disconnected from my reality,” said Ofer Shambik, whose brother David was brutally murdered in 2003 while taking a walk with his girlfriend in the Jerusalem forest. “After five years of staying at home, the OneFamily gathering offered me a forum to share with people that can really understand my pain and what I am going through.”

One caring family

Marc Belzberg, chairman and founder of OneFamily told attendees: “We will continue to come together on Remembrance Day each year, one caring family that understands each others’ pain and is always there in times of need. May we merit to see a time when no more families have to feel this pain.”

Over the past 10 years, OneFamily has aided the rehabilitation of thousands of Israel’s 17,000 victims of terror, facilitating their reintegration into society. The group offers a blend of financial assistance, therapeutic programs, legal assistance and moral support to anyone who has been bereaved, injured or recognized as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Jerusalem-based organization, which is led by founders Chantal and Marc Belzberg, grew from their then-12-year-old daughter’s initiative to donate her batmitzvah gifts to benefit the victims of the 2001 Sbarro suicide bomb.

Source: Ynetnews.com

“A Tel Aviv street view during the 1-minute moment of silence, to commemorate Israel’s Remembrance Day, for her 22,993 fallen soldiers since its independence, 64 short years ago…”

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