Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Taybeh OctoberFest to continue despite arson attacks

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Oktoberfest Press Release, Taybeh Municipality, Taybeh-Ramallah, Palestine Coordinator: Dr. Maria C. Khoury,  Tel:  054 5 465 845 or 0599 318 347  Email:  Khourymaria@hotmail.com (Interviews: Nadim Khoury +972 2 289 8868)  Sep 28, 2009
Taybeh Municipality will host the Oktoberfest as planned although during the regular Monday Municipality Meeting in Taybeh, Sept 28th, 8:45 pm, the mayor’s car was set on fire and totally burned causing damage to the municipality building but no one was hurt.  A successful 2005 first time event initiated by Taybeh Brewing Company, the Oktoberfest in Palestine promoting all local products produced in Taybeh also occurred immediately after the worst tragedy in the history of Taybeh in having 14 houses completely burned. Taybeh will continue to be a flame of peace and have peaceful resolutions to conflict.  Non violent action is part of the peaceful resistance in celebrating one’s existence. 
Taybeh Oktoberfest, 5th annual village festival scheduled, Sat and Sun, Oct 3 and 4, 2009 in Taybeh-Ramallah, Palestine, 11 am to 10 pm with the opening celebration, 11am at the Taybeh Municipality on Sat, Oct 3rd including the Brazilian band, Clube do Choro performing for the first time in Palestine. Other bands from Greece, RASCASSE from Berlin and Two Down from London and Japanese Traditional Dance from Japan will perform during the two day Oktoberfest, Palestinian Style under the patronage of the Minister of National Economy, HE Bassem Khoury. The festival is the cooperative work of Taybeh Municipality (www.taybehmunicipality.org for directions and schedule) and its mayor David Canaan Khoury with all local civic organizations. 
Entertainment will include Spafford Children’s Center; Al Harah Theater, “The Red Apple;” Sanabel Theater, “Happiness City”; CultureShoc, Rock-Rap Band; Ramallah Underground; G-Town: Palestinian Hip Hop Makers; Anger Boys with Dj Shahbari; Sarab for Dance; Baladi Group/Bethlehem; Ramallah Orthodox Club; Alrowwad Cultural & Theater Training Center; and local Dabkeh with the Taybeh Folklore Group also including a Karate Demonstration from Japan. The Beit Jala Lions Rugby Club will host TAG Games in Taybeh on Sunday at 3pm.
Taybeh Municipality expresses sincere appreciation to all sponsors:  Royal Danish Representative-Ramallah; Representative Office of Finland-Ramallah; Representative Office, Federative Republic of Brazil; Consulate General of Greece in Jerusalem; Representative of the   Federal Republic of Germany-Ramallah; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS); Goethe Institute-Ramallah; Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC); Pontifical Mission; Spafford Children’s Center; National Beverage Company Coca Cola/Marawi; Wataniya Palestine Telecom; Caritas Jerusalem Youth Volunteers; Dr. Tony Nazzal.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

ADC Names Melissa Bejjani to national staff

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Press Release: 
Melissa Bejjani Joins ADC National Office Staff


Washington, DC | September 29, 2009 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination (ADC) is pleased to welcome a new addition to the ADC National office. Melissa Bejjani is a recent graduate of George Mason University where she earned a degree in Government and International Politics with a concentration in International and Comparative Politics. Bejjani is of Lebanese origin, but grew up in the Sultanate of Oman. During her college years, Bejjani was Vice President and Acting President of Pi Sigma Alpha’s Honor Society. Bejjani, who is fluent in English and Arabic, interned at the ADC National Office as a Government Affairs associate during summer 2009. She will be serving in multiple capacities and working with the ADC Finance, Government Affairs and Organizing Departments.

ADC President Mary Rose Oakar said “We are pleased to welcome Melissa. She is a talented, industrious and knowledgeable woman who will complement the work of ADC and our staff.”
Bejjani formally started with ADC at the beginning of September and can be reached at mbejjani@adc.org.

###
NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non sectarian and non partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980, by former Senator James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38 chapters nationwide, including chapters in every major city in the country, and members in all 50 states.

The ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI), which was founded in 1981, is a Section 501(c)(3) educational organization that sponsors a wide range of programs on behalf of Arab Americans and of importance to all Americans. ADC-RI programs include research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace, schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC-RI also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Arabs.

Contact: ADC Media Department, media@adc.org

Do you agree with ADC’s position on this vital issue? Would you like to see ADC continue to lead these types of efforts in support of human rights and our constitutional values? Do you believe in ADC's mission?

Vice President Joseph Biden expresses support for new government to Lebanese President Michel Sleiman

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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release
September 28, 2009

READOUT ON THE VICE PRESIDENT’S CALL TO
LEBANESE PRESIDENT MICHEL SLEIMAN

Earlier today, Vice President Biden spoke with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman and conveyed the Administration’s firm support for Lebanon’s efforts to form a new government soon. The Vice President emphasized the United States’ continued support for Lebanon, stressing the importance of Lebanon’s independence and sovereignty.  In his conversation with President Sleiman, Vice President Biden expressed his hope that the ongoing discussions over cabinet formation will proceed smoothly and that a new government will be in place to undertake its important work without delay.  The Vice President thanked President Sleiman for his efforts and expressed support for his leadership.

###

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Toronto Palestine Film Festival opens with sell out first day crowd

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PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate Release                      September 27, 2009
Toronto Palestine Film Festival's Opening Film Thrills Audience
Toronto ? More than 900 people turned up for the second annual Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TPFF) at the Bloor Cinema last night. Enthusiastic crowds came to see the Canadian premiere of the internationally acclaimed comedy-drama Amreeka, written and directed by Palestinian-American Cherien Dabis. The film tells the story of a single mother who leaves Ramallah for the US to provide her teenage son a better future.

Rafeef Ziadah, festival coordinator, welcomed the sold-out theatre by thanking them for their tremendous support and making the opening night a huge success. She told the audience that ?we started planning TPFF09 as bombs were being dropped on Gaza so we decided to shine a spotlight on Gaza with our films.?

Following the screening, the film?s Canadian producers Christina Piovesan and Paul Barkin, assistant director Markian Saray, and the film?s youngest actress, Jenna Kawar, participated in a lively question and answer discussion with members of audience. Piovesan said the film was more than seven years in the making and reflected the director?s childhood experience growing up in the US during the Iraq war.  When asked whether they preferred filming in Ramallah or Manitoba, Piovesan responded by saying they had a great experience filming in Ramallah and really enjoyed working with the Palestinian crew on the film; whereas it ?snowed in May in Manitoba.? 

Invited guests celebrated the successful opening at a gala reception held at the Butler?s Pantry after the film. Guests included members of the Arab community, co-presenters, sponsors, filmmakers, and a number of prominent Torontonians. Dania Majid, festival organizer and media liaison, acknowledged the dedication and incredible work of the volunteer-based TPFF organizing committee in creating a programme that features 34 films, an art exhibit, a film food brunch and three discussion forums.  Majid explained that ?TPFF believes it plays an important role as a Palestinian cultural institution by bringing the best of Palestinian art and culture to Toronto.?

The festival continues through the week with 10 Canadian premieres and three North American premieres. On September 27, 2009, TPFF starts the day with the sold-out SAHTAIN! Film & Food Brunch, where participants will enjoy two food-themed short films and a traditional Palestinian brunch prepared by Isam Kaisi, chef and owner of 93 Harbord. In the afternoon, TPFF will feature two films by the masters of Palestinian cinema ? Tale of Three Jewels, by Michel Kleifi and Rana?s Wedding by Hany Abu-Assad.
      ###


Dania Majid, Media Liaison
Toronto Palestine Film Festival
September 26-October 2, 2009

Arab delegates of the Olympic Committee can begin change in anti-Arab American foreign policies

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Hanania column on International Olympics and American Arab empowerment
Arab World has opportunity to confront bigotry in America
By Ray Hanania

This week, the Arab World will be participating in a vote that on its face may seem insignificant to the many problems that plague the Middle East but could begin a process of changing the United States.

The vote will take place Friday in Copenhagen where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will decide which of four cities between Madrid, Tokyo, Rio and Chicago will win the right to host the Olympics in 2016.

Compared to the votes in the United Nations where the pro-Israel bloc continues to block peace, hold back the advances of the Arab World and continues to denigrate the rights of Islamic countries, the IOC vote Friday may seem insignificant.

In fact, though, the vote could begin a process not of changing the United Nations, but rather creating an opportunity to enact change in the United States, the one nation that holds the key to the future of the Middle East.

The IOC consists of 111 members, 12 of whom representative the Arab World  from Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Each country has one member on the IOC except Egypt and Morocco, which have participated the longest and most successful in past Olympic competitions, each have two members.

Those 12 Arab delegates can be the deciding factor in awarding the Olympics to Chicago.

Why is Chicago important? Unlike other nation’s competing for the Olympics, Chicago’s presentation is made by the city, not the country. Chicago officials beginning with its Mayor Richard M. Daley, have been lobbying to get President Barack Obama to make an appearance in Copenhagen to help swing the vote in Chicago’s favor.

As an American, I want the IOC to grant the 2016 Olympics to Chicago. But, as An American of Arab heritage, I also want the United States and Chicago to recognize their failure in respecting not only the principles of justice and fairness in the Middle East, but to end the practice and reality of the city’s discrimination against it’s citizens who are of Arab heritage.

In voting this week, the 12-member Arab delegation should use its power to condition their decision on how the winning city will respect its expatriate citizens.

That is a difficult thing to ask since none of the countries of the Arab World have ever recognized the real potential and the value that Americans of Arab heritage represent. The Arab World has always acted in a vacuum on Middle East issues believing that the decision-making process in American begins at the top levels of government.

The truth is, American power begins at the grassroots level. The “trenches” where American Arabs have been waging a long and difficult fight against discrimination for most of their existence in this nation.

Particularly in Chicago, one of three American cities with the largest population of Arabs, the American Arab community has been the most abused.

Local government officials like Mayor Daley have played a game with a double-edged sword. On the political level, Chicago has played a major role in strengthening the hand of the pro-Israel community in America giving them considerable voice in local and regional government.

At the same time, Chicago has gone out of its way to undermine the power of American Arabs who have been as much or even more American than their counterparts supporting Israel.

This vote Friday in Copenhagen can either permit the status quo where Arabs are disenfranchised in the American political system, or it can begin a new initiative to force American governments like Chicago to recognize and respect the rights of American Arabs.

Arabs in America have served in this nation’s military from the first day that they came to this country in the mid-19th Century. They have been loyal American citizens and also loyal to their heritage.

Yet, they have been disrespected by this country and victimized by American racism, fueled by the politics of the Middle East.

Worse, they have been abandoned by the Arab World. Their ability to help the Arab World counter the discriminatory policies in the United States has never been recognized by the Arab World.

When Arab delegates vote this Friday, they should keep in mind that if they support awarding the 2016 Olympics to Chicago, they should view this as an opportunity to demand that Chicago’s Mayor Daley end his discriminatory practices against Chicago’s Arab citizens and treat them as equals.

That means that Chicago should empower American Arabs the same way Chicago has empowered other citizens of other ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds.

Chicago has been deficient in giving jobs to American Arabs. There are 230,000 Arabs living in Chicago – according to Mayor Daley speech to the Ruler of Dubai earlier this year. That is 7.6 percent of the city’s population. Yet, Arabs have less than 1 percent of the thousands of jobs in city government. They have been patronized disrespectfully by politicians like Mayor Daley who want our votes but do not want to jeopardize their ties to other groups like the powerful pro-Israel lobby in Chicago and America.

The Arab delegates at the IOC can force Mayor Daley to do what is right and put ethics and principle above partisan politics.

Mayor Daley should be told he must do more to empower American Arabs in his city. Mayor Daley must be told he must do more to empower American Arabs in Illinois, the state in Which Chicago resides which is a powerful state among the country’s 50 states.

Mayor Daley must be told that the campaign to undermine American Arabs in his city must end.

If that happens, we will see the voices and empowerment of American Arabs rise in the United States, and in turn give the Arab World a greater voice in helping this country develop foreign policies that are based on the rule of law, ethics, principle and morality, rather than on partisan politics driven by the pro-Israel lobby and its extremist leaders.

It’s an easy price to exact from the United States. The question is, do the Arab delegates and the Arab World recognize that influencing American foreign policy through Americans of Arab heritage is far more beneficial and rewarding than trying to lobby this country from their far away Arab capitols?

(Ray Hanania is an award winning American Arab journalist, author and Chicago radio talk show host. He can be reached at www.TheMediaOasis.com.)

Friday, September 25, 2009

5th Annual OktoberFest, Taybeh, Palestine Oct. 3-4, 2009

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Oktoberfest Press Release, Taybeh Municipality, Taybeh-Ramallah, Palestine Coordinator: Dr. Maria C. Khoury,  Tel:  054 5 465 845 or 0599 318 347  Email:  Khourymaria@hotmail.com (Interviews: Nadim Khoury +972 2 289 8868)  Sep 25, 2009
Taybeh Oktoberfest, 5th annual village festival scheduled, Sat and Sun, Oct 3 and 4, 2009 in Taybeh-Ramallah, Palestine, 11 am to 10 pm with the opening celebration, 11am at the Taybeh Municipality on Sat, Oct 3rd including the Brazilian band, Clube do Choro performing for the first time in Palestine. Other bands from Greece, RASCASSE from Berlin and Two Down from London and Japanese Traditional Dance from Japan will perform during the two day Oktoberfest, Palestinian Style.
A successful 2005 first time event initiated by Taybeh Brewing Company, the Oktoberfest in Palestine promoting all local products produced in Taybeh thus boosting the local economy has become a favorite for thousands including many diplomats and has developed Taybeh into the iconic image of Palestine.  The festival is the cooperative work of Taybeh Municipality (www.taybehmunicipality.org for directions and schedule) and its mayor David Canaan Khoury with all local civic organizations.  
The most magnificent site in Taybeh, the Byzantine ruins of St. George Greek Orthodox Church is now a national protected archeological site.  Riwaq in cooperation with the Taybeh Municipality has carried out preventive restoration of Taybeh’s historical old town maintaining traditional architecture in over seventy (70) homes this year sponsored by the Spanish Cooperation.  Also, there is a new one-room museum.
The Taybeh Oktoberfest allows participants to share in the ancient roots of Palestine since Taybeh is one of the oldest places in the region known by its Biblical name Ephraim thereby offering visitors a cultural, educational and ancient heritage on one of the highest mountain regions in the West Bank.  With a population of less than 2,000, Taybeh residents who suffer to exist under Israeli occupation experience the Oktoberfest as the ultimate form of non violent action and an effort to try to be normal.
Taybeh Beer, a leading Palestinian manufacturer who made history launching Taybeh Golden Beer in August 1995 also introduced the first Palestinian non-alcohol beverage made in traditional German style, 100% malt. Taybeh will continue to inspire an Oktoberfest in search for freedom, democracy, a moderate and modern Palestine.
Entertainment will include Spafford Children’s Center; Al Harah Theater, “The Red Apple;” Sanabel Theater, “Happiness City”; CultureShoc, Rock-Rap Band; Ramallah Underground; G-Town: Palestinian Hip Hop Makers; Anger Boys with Dj Shahbari; Sarab for Dance; Baladi Group/Bethlehem; Ramallah Orthodox Club; Alrowwad Cultural & Theater Training Center; and local Dabkeh with the Taybeh Folklore Group also including a Karate Demonstration from Japan.
TAG games in Taybeh on Sunday, 3 pm.  The Beit Jala Lions Rugby Club will host
Please join us Saturday and Sunday, October 3 & 4, 2009 in Taybeh, Palestine

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Top Ramadan content now available On Demand on Talfazat Cable Systems in United States

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Top Ramadan Content Now Available On Demand

Leading Arabic IPTV Service Talfazat TV Adds to Growing Video Library

Toronto, Ontario – September 24, 2009 – As Eid begins and Ramadan comes to a close, Talfazat TV is busy stocking its video-on-demand library full of popular series and programs from this year’s Ramadan.  Hundreds of hours of content are being added everyday from channels such as Abu Dhabi TV, MBC, Dubai TV, Future TV and Al Rai TV.

As a leading online Arabic TV service, Talfazat gives viewers global access to live channels and thousands of hours of video-on-demand.  Popular titles added to the lineup this year include: Harb Al Jawasees, Ma Tkhafoush, Beit Jiddi 2 and Ghashamsham 4.  Talfazat is also offering MBC’s top Ramadan series and shows online at Talfazat.com.  

The entire VOD library is part of the Talfazat set-top-box Gold Package as well as the PC Package.

Talfazat’s leading technology and video assets continue to be one of the largest in the market and prove to be the best way to watch the most preferred programming from the Middle East.  No other distributor in North America offers customers the opportunity to watch suck a large selection of Arabic series, shows and movies on demand.  Talfazat’s service surpasses other platforms trying to deliver entertainment to the North American and global Arabic audience.  Visit www.talfazat.com to see the on-demand library.

Talfazat comes to the marketplace through leading technology provider NeuLion (TSX:NLN).  As an end-to-end turnkey service, NeuLion is the backbone of both the online and set-top-box services for Talfazat and a number of other International partners.



About Talfazat
Talfazat is a leading online Arabic television network.  The service gives viewers high quality access to the most popular live Arabic television channels and thousands of hours of video-on-demand.  As a multi-platform service, Talfazat programming can be viewed via the Internet on both the PC and TV through set-top-box.  There is no need for satellite or complex installation.  Begin watching today at www.talfazat.com 


About NeuLion

Based in Plainview, NY, Sanford, Florida and Toronto, Ontario, NeuLion (TSX:NLN) works with content partners to develop end-to-end solutions for multimedia IPTV services. The NeuLion IPTV Platform encodes, delivers, stores and manages an unlimited range of multimedia content and the Operational Support System (OSS) maintains all billing and customer support services. Content partners are responsible for content aggregation and the sales and marketing for the individual IPTV service. The Company ranks as a world leader in Partner relationships with sports and international television content partners including, in sports, the NHL, the NFL, NCAA Division I schools and conferences and, in respect to international television aggregators and networks, KyLinTV (Chinese), ABS-CBN (Filipino), Talfazat (Arabic), TV-Desi (South Asian) and Sky Angel (Christian). Partner content can be viewed by way of Internet on PCs and on the television through the Company’s IPTV set-top-box.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Middle East Database, AskZad, Launches in North America and Europe

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Middle East Database, AskZad, Launches in North America and Europe
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., USA - September 17, 2009.  Arabia Inform and East View Information Services are pleased to announce the AskZad database has launched in North America. 

AskZad is a digital library of Arabic and English content emanating from the countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and containing over 500 million pages of content.

Mohamed Elewa, founder and CEO of Arabia Inform, is seeing his vision come to life.  "I founded Arabia Inform more than a dozen years ago.  We created the Middle East's most comprehensive digitization, indexing and archiving center, aggregating and licensing content from around the region.  I have always wanted to bring the richness of Arabic thought to the West, connecting our cultures.  Now that we are launching AskZad in North America and Europe, I am seeing my ultimate wish realized.  We will continue to develop our content to be more usable by both Arabic-speaking and non-Arabic speaking populations and I hope that Arabia Inform will add a new dimension and understanding to the geopolitical dialogue."

The content found within AskZad collectively forms an unprecedented digital library of the most important publications from across the Middle East and is constantly growing.  As of September 2009, AskZad contains:

Pan-Arab News Index is a full Arabic language index - going back to 1998 - covering:
  • 130 newspaper and news magazine print editions
  • 181 newspapers and new magazines with both print and online editions
  • 215 online news sources from the Arab world
  • indexing of an additional 1,000 news sources relevant to the Middle East
  • article-level views of full content
AskZad Full-Page Newspapers is a full-image collection of Middle Eastern Newspapers which AskZad is licensed to re-distribute.  AskZad is pursuing an initiative through 2010 to license the top 100 Arabic language news publications from the Middle East. 

Pan-Arab News Index is a full Arabic language index going back to 1998 covering over 2,000 news sources from the Middle East, including hundreds of print newspapers, news websites, and magazines. PANI offers up-to-date indexing as well as article-level views of full content.

Pan-Arab E-Books contains nearly 25,000 digitized books.

Pan-Arab Academic Journal Index contains full Arabic language indices of more than 500 Middle Eastern university-published journals and approximately 150 organization-published journals.

Pan-Arab Academic Journals is a database of complete, licensed content of  almost 200 Applied Science and Social Science Academic Journals published in the Middle East. AskZad continues to negotiate with other journal publishers to expand its collection to include all of the 3,000 journals published across the Arab world.

Pan-Arab Dissertations contains almost 7,000 dissertations published by graduate students in the Middle East.

Pan-Arab Peer-Review Articles contains approximately  10,000 peer-reviewed articles in both Applied and Social Sciences.

Pan-Arab Conference Proceedings covers full materials from approximately 50 Middle Eastern conferences (most held annually), primarily academic, and includes white papers, research presentations, etc.

For more information, contact East View at info@eastview.com or view our recorded webinar on East View products from the Middle East.

--End--
About East View Information Services
East View Information Services is a leading provider of information products and services, including online databases of Russian, Chinese, and Arabic content, print periodicals, books, and microforms. The company serves all geographies and many market segments, including academic institutions, government organizations, corporations, public and federal libraries, and law firms. To learn more about our customers and our products, visit East View www.eastview.com.

About Arabia Inform
Arabia Inform is a Cairo and Dubai-based information services corporation aggregating, indexing and analyzing media content emanating from MENA countries.  Product lines include AskZad, Middle East Monitor, Acumen Media Intelligence and Moheet news portal..  Founded in 1997 to serve government entities, Arabia Inform has also established itself in Corporate and Academic circles as a cornerstone for Middle Eastern current awareness.  Arabia Inform has also opened an office in Washington, DC. Visit Arabia Inform at www.arabiainform.com.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Talfazat expands programming to include Palestine TV

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Palestine TV Now Available on Talfazat
Leading Arabic TV Service Adds Top Palestine Entertainment Channel to Lineup
  
Toronto, Ontario – September 15, 2009 – Back by popular demand, Talfazat now gives viewers access to one of the Middle East’s premier channels – Palestine TV.  Offering the best entertainment and news from Palestine, this channel has returned to Talfazat’s service featuring series, game shows, news and more.
Palestine TV was a valued channel on Talfazat when the service first debuted in August 2008.  Popularity among viewers encouraged the channel’s return, which has now been re-launched on Talfazat joining the fleet of close to 30 top channels.
As a leading online Arabic TV service, Talfazat gives viewers global access to live channels and thousands of hours of video-on-demand.  Palestine TV is now available on the TV as part of the Talfazat set-top-box Gold and Silver packages and as well as the PC package.
Talfazat’s lineup continues to be one of the strongest in the market and proves to be the best way to watch the most preferred programming from the Middle East.
Palestine TV’s popularity among our viewers propelled us to welcome its return.  We are thrilled to offer such a diverse and quality content to our viewers.  Talfazat continues its efforts to further expand its channel offerings,” said Judeh Siwady, general manger of Talfazat. 
Talfazat comes to the marketplace through leading technology provider NeuLion (TSX:NLN).  As an end-to-end turnkey service, NeuLion is the backbone of both the online and set-top-box services for Talfazat and a number of other International partners.
Visit www.talfazat.com for Palestine TV today.
About Talfazat
Talfazat is a leading online Arabic television network.  The service gives viewers high quality access to the most popular live Arabic television channels and thousands of hours of video-on-demand.  As a multi-platform service, Talfazat programming can be viewed via the Internet on both the PC and TV through set-top-box.  There is no need for satellite or complex installation.  Begin watching today at www.talfazat.com 
About NeuLion
Based in Plainview, NY, Sanford, Florida and Toronto, Ontario, NeuLion (TSX:NLN) works with content partners to develop end-to-end solutions for multimedia IPTV services. The NeuLion IPTV Platform encodes, delivers, stores and manages an unlimited range of multimedia content and the Operational Support System (OSS) maintains all billing and customer support services. Content partners are responsible for content aggregation and the sales and marketing for the individual IPTV service. The Company ranks as a world leader in Partner relationships with sports and international television content partners including, in sports, the NHL, the NFL, NCAA Division I schools and conferences and, in respect to international television aggregators and networks, KyLinTV (Chinese), ABS-CBN (Filipino), Talfazat (Arabic), TV-Desi (South Asian) and Sky Angel (Christian). Partner content can be viewed by way of Internet on PCs and on the television through the Company’s IPTV set-top-box. 

Friday, September 04, 2009

White House/President Obama criticize Netanyahu's decision to expand illegal Israeli settlements


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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release September 4, 2009

Statement by the Press Secretary on Israeli Settlements

We regret the reports of Israel's plans to approve additional settlement construction. Continued settlement activity is inconsistent with Israel's commitment under the Roadmap.

As the President has said before, the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement expansion and we urge that it stop. We are working to create a climate in which negotiations can take place, and such actions make it harder to create such a climate.

We do appreciate Israel's stated intent to place limits on settlement activity and will continue to discuss this with the Israelis as these limitations are defined.

The U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is and will remain unshakeable. We believe it can best be achieved through comprehensive peace in the region, including a two-state solution with a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel.

That is the ultimate goal to which the President is deeply and personally committed.

Our objective remains to resume meaningful negotiations as soon as possible in pursuit of this goal. We are working with all parties – Israelis, Palestinians, and Arab states -- on the steps they must take to achieve that objective.

# # #

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Fight will continue to defend rights of New York teacher ousted for political reasons

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FIGHT TO PROTECT RIGHTS OF ARAB-MUSLIM SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WILL CONTINUE

Alan Levine, one of Ms. Almontaser’s lawyers, gave this statement in response to yesterday’s decision against the founding principal of an Arabic-language school for explaining the nonviolent origins of the word intifada:

“A federal district court in New York dismissed the lawsuit filed by Debbie Almontaser against the Mayor and the Department of Education. The decision is the latest chapter of a controversy that began with the selection of Ms. Almontaser to head the newly-created Khalil Gibran International Academy, an Arab dual-language school. Almost from the day she was appointed, Ms. Almontaser, an observant Muslim, was subjected to a virulent anti-Arab and anti-Muslim smear campaign. When she was interviewed by the New York Post in August 2007 and was asked about the Arabic meaning of the word “intifada,” which had appeared on t-shirts that were sold at an Arab Heritage festival, her response provoked a firestorm of controversy, even though the definition she gave, “shaking off,” was accurate. Her response also noted that the word had become associated with violence in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Nevertheless, City and school officials demanded her resignation. She subsequently filed a federal lawsuit charging that her First Amendment rights had been violated.

Given the skepticism that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals expressed about the DOE’s actions when it asked ‘whether a public employee, who is required by her employer to speak to the press as a condition of her employment, may be sanctioned for speaking accurately when her statement is, as her employer knows, inaccurately reported and then misconstrued by the press,’ we had hoped that Judge Stein would reconsider his earlier decision. However, we will appeal again to the Second Circuit. In addition, we will continue to pursue her claim before the EEOC, and eventually in federal court, that the DOE, in capitulating to the storm of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice that was directed at Ms. Almontaser in the media, discriminated against her on the basis of religion and ethnicity.

Nothing in yesterday’s decision questions the underlying facts concerning the DOE’s actions: Ms. Almontaser was the target of hate-filled attacks because she was an Arab and a Muslim and because she said something that public officials disagreed with. Our Constitution and statutes are designed to insure that prejudice and controversial speech do not cost people their jobs. We are confident that the courts will ultimately vindicate those basic human rights.”