Excerpts:British apology for kosher closure,ISIS threatens U.S. =

Pro-Palestinian boycott of Israeli art. Iran re 'nuclear deal' August 19, =

2014

+++SOURCE Al Arabiya News 19 Aug.=9214:=94British supermarket sorry for rem=
oving =

kosher food amid protests=94, Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: British supermarket apology

QUOTE:=94=85staff at a central London store removed kosher food from shelve=
s in =

response to protests outside demanding a boycott of Israeli goods=94

FULL TEXT:British supermarket chain Sainsbury=92s apologized on Monday[18 =

Aug.] after staff at a central London store removed kosher food from shelve=
s =

in response to protesters outside demanding a boycott of Israeli goods.

Members of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign demonstrated outside the =

supermarket=92s Holborn branch on Saturday[16 Aug.] against Israel=92s mili=
tary =

campaign in Gaza, and held up signs urging shoppers to =93boycott Israel no=
w.=94

The branch manager ordered the chilled kosher section to be emptied, =

prompting a backlash after a photograph was posted on social media.

Former Conservative MP Louise Mensch wrote on Twitter: =93Dear @Sainsburys =

kosher is JEWISH food. Israel is a COUNTRY. How DARE YOU equate Jews=92 foo=
d =

to ISRAEL, how dare you #EverydayAntisemitism.=94

The supermarket issued an apology on Monday[18 Aug.].

=93We would like to apologyse for any inconvenience or offence caused,=94 s=
aid a =

spokesperson.

=93The decision was taken in one store only to move these chilled products =
to =

cold storage elsewhere in that store for a short period... as a =

precautionary measure during a demonstration close by.

=93They were returned to shelf as soon as was practically possible.

=93As a non-political organisation, Sainsbury=92s would never take such a =

decision on grounds other than ensuring the quality or safety of our =

products,=94 it added.

The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign says its boycott of Israeli goods is a =

form of peaceful international pressure on the Jewish state over its =

policies towards the Palestinians.

Campaign demonstrated outside the supermarket=92s Holborn branch on =

Saturday[16 Aug.] against Israel=92s military campaign in Gaza, and held up =

signs urging shoppers to =93boycott Israel now.=94

The branch manager ordered the chilled kosher section to be emptied, =

prompting a backlash after a photograph was posted on social media.

Former Conservative MP Louise Mensch wrote on Twitter: =93Dear @Sainsburys =

kosher is JEWISH food. Israel is a COUNTRY. How DARE YOU equate Jews=92 foo=
d =

to ISRAEL, how dare you #EverydayAntisemitism.=94

The supermarket issued an apology on Monday[18 Aug.].

=93We would like to apologyse for any inconvenience or offence caused,=94 s=
aid a =

spokesperson.

=93The decision was taken in one store only to move these chilled products =
to =

cold storage elsewhere in that store for a short period... as a =

precautionary measure during a demonstration close by.

=93They were returned to shelf as soon as was practically possible.

=93As a non-political organisation, Sainsbury=92s would never take such a =

decision on grounds other than ensuring the quality or safety of our =

products,=94 it added.

The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign says its boycott of Israeli goods is a =

form of peaceful international pressure on the Jewish state over its =

policies towards the Palestinians.

+++SOURCE: Al Arabiya News 19 Aug.=9214:=94ISIS message to America: =91We w=
ill =

drown all of you in blood=92

SUBJECT: ISIS threatens U.S.

QUOTE: =93ISIS the United States it will attack Americans =92in any place=
=92 if =

the raids hit militants=94

EXCERPTS:The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group that has =

seized large parts of Iraq and drawn the first American air strikes since =

the end of the occupation in 2011 has warned the United States it will =

attack Americans =93in any place=94 if the raids hit its militants.

The video, which shows a photograph of an American who was beheaded during =

the U.S. occupation of Iraq and victims of snipers, featured a statement =

which said in English =93we will drown all of you in blood.=94

U.S. airstrikes on Kurdish forces in northern Iraq have helped the fighters =

take back some territory captured by ISIS militants, who have threatened to =

march on Baghdad.

The latest advance by ISIS, an al-Qaeda offshoot, sent tens of thousands of =

members of the Yazidi ethnic minority and Christians fleeing for their live=
s =

and alarmed the Baghdad government and its Western allies.

+++SOURCE: Al Arabiya News 19 Aug.=9214:=94Boycotting Israel through art an=
d =

culture =96a new trend=94,byNabila Pathan

SUBJECT: Pro-Palestinian boycott of Israeli art

QUOTE:"Are Pro-Palestinian efforts to initiate a cultural boycott of Israel=
i =

art beginning to harm the Jewish state=92s vibrant arts scene?

FULL TEXT:Are Pro-Palestinian efforts to initiate a cultural boycott of =

Israeli art beginning to harm the Jewish state=92s vibrant arts scene? With =

two Israeli-backed shows canceled at the Edinburgh fringe and the North =

London=96based Tricycle theatre embroiled in tussle with the UK Jewish film =

festival over funding by the Israeli Embassy, opinion has been divided in =

"two of Europe=92s top cultural capitals," and has provoked a national deba=
te, =

one which is threatening the relationship between the British Jewish =

community, Israel and the art world.

Cultural boycott of Israel phenomenon has been gathering pace since a broad =

coalition of Palestinian solidarity groups established the Boycott, =

Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) in 2005.The BDS movement supports a =

wide range of boycotts from economic to cultural with the aim of =

highlighting Israel occupation and colonization of Arab lands occupied in =

June 1967 and to restore full equality between Israeli Jews and Arabs.

The flaring up of current hostilities in Gaza, appears to have given some =

momentum to the cultural boycott movement. With no geopolitical issue more =

polarizing in the UK than Israel and Palestine, this has led to lively =

debate accompanied by compelling arguments on both sides.

There's been a vigorous debate, one in which pro-Israeli activist have =

sought to portray the BDS movement as discriminatory and anti- Semitic.

Whilst some commentators were blunt on the accusation, such as Stephen =

Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, others, have asserted that Jewish =

culture is inextricable to Jewish identity and thus a boycott resonates as =

an attack on a people and their identity rather than a political pressure =

point, the UK=92s Guardian note in an editorial:

"For the Israeli embassy in London is not merely an outpost of the Netanyah=
u =

government. It also represents Israel itself, its society and its people. I=
t =

was this connection with Israel as a country that UK Jewish Film refused to =

give up. Hard though it may be for others to understand, that reflects =

something crucial about contemporary Jewish identity: that most, not all, =

Jews feel bound up with Israel, even if that relationship is one of doubt =

and anxiety. To demand that Jews surrender that connection is to tell Jews =

how they might =96 and how they might not =96 live as Jews. Such demands ha=
ve an =

ugly history. They are not the proper business of any public institution, =

least of all a state-subsidized theatre."

Others argue that such arguments do not take into account the prevalence of =

many Jewish voices that form part of the increasing diverse BDS Movement.

With a growing number of prominent Jewish voices lending their support to =

cultural boycotts, the assertion of anti- Semitism is a highly contentious =

one.

Before pulling the plug, in London, the Tricycle theatre attempted to =

accommodate the UK Jewish Film Festival, offering to match the Israeli =

embassy's funding money of approximately =A31400 ($2300).

This was passionately rejected by pro-Israel campaigners and the Tricycle =

was accused of =91banning Jews=92 in a reference to 1930=92s Nazi Germany.

With anti-Semitic incidents on the rise across Europe, some commentators =

like the Independent's Owen Jones have strongly asserted that it is vital t=
o =

not conflate criticism of Israel's policies with acts of hate and =

discrimination against the Jewish community both in the UK and worldwide.

The cultural boycott component of the BDS movement is described as "one the =

most thorny" because "art prides itself on its power to build bridges".

However, a point of agreement for both supporters and detractors is that =

Israel's cultural output is an attempt by the Jewish State at soft =

diplomacy.

Thus all cultural production by Israel are often either cynically viewed as =

playing an ambassadorial role on an international stage or they provoke a =

debate about the moral dynamics of the current conflict.

Either way, the commonality places a spotlight on human rights and equality =

for all and thus reinforces the aims and objectives of the cultural boycott =

movement for both Israelis and Palestinians.

+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 19 Aug,=9214:=94Iran won=92t sign nuclear deal =91=
at any =

price=92 =93, Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: Iran re =91nuclear deal=92

QUOTE:=94Iran: =91we want to reach an agreement but we are not willing to p=
ay =

any price=92 =94

TEHRAN =97 Iran is committed to securing a nuclear agreement with world pow=
ers =

but will not sign one "at any price", its negotiators said Monday[18 Aug.], =

as a key deadline for Tehran nears.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus =

Germany =97 known as P5+1 =97 signed an interim deal last November and are =
in =

discussions to secure a more permanent accord.

The target date for a final deal has been put back to Nov. 24.

"We are entering with goodwill into further negotiations with the P5+1 grou=
p =

and we want to reach an agreement... but we are not willing to pay any =

price," ISNA news agency quoted Majid Takht-Ravanchi, one of Iran's main =

negotiators, as saying.

"If the other side also show goodwill we can reach an agreement by November =

24," he added.

By Aug. 25 Tehran must also respond to the International Atomic Energy =

Agency (IAEA) on decade-old allegations of past nuclear weapons research.

Tehran denies it wants nuclear weapons, insisting it is pursuing atomic =

energy purely for peaceful purposes. By next Monday[25 Aug.] Tehran is to =

address claims made by the IAEA of the alleged use of what the Vienna-based =

watchdog calls "large-scale high explosives experimentation".

Last year's key deal partially froze Iran's nuclear activities in return fo=
r =

minor sanctions relief but the gap between the two sides remains large. =

While some differences have been reconciled there are disagreements over ho=
w =

much uranium Iran would be allowed to enrich and on the lifting of =

international economic sanctions.

A new round of talks between the two sides is expected before Sept. 16. An =

accord would see Iran scale back its nuclear activities and in return Tehra=
n =

would be granted relief from painful UN and Western sanctions. =97 AFP

Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA =

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