Presbyterians Vote to Divest Holdings to Pressure Israel
DETROIT — After passionate debate over how best to help break the deadlock between Israel and the Palestinians, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted on Friday at its general convention to divest from three companies that it says supply Israel with equipment used in the occupation of Palestinian territory.
The vote, by a count of 310 to 303, was watched closely in Washington and Jerusalem and by Palestinians as a sign of momentum for a movement to pressure Israel to stop building settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and end the occupation, with a campaign known as B.D.S., for Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — one of a handful of historic mainline Protestant denominations and the church of many American presidents — is the largest yet to endorse divestment at a churchwide convention, and the vote follows a decade of debate — and a close call at the assembly two years ago, when divestment failed by only two votes.
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The measure that was passed called not only for divestment but also reaffirmed Israel’s right to exist, endorsed a two-state solution, encouraged interfaith dialogue and travel to the Holy Land, and instructed the church to undertake “positive investment” in endeavors that advance peace and improve the lives of Israelis and Palestinians. It also said the motion was “not to be construed” as “alignment with or endorsement of the global B.D.S.” movement by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The language was written by the church’s 65-member Middle East committee.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/us/presbyterians-debating-israeli-occupation-vote-to-divest-holdings.html?_r=0
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An app called Yo is becoming the poster child for a technology bubble that could cover the entire Silicon Valley in chewing gum. Yo, which lets users send and receive messages that contain only the word "yo," says it has funding commitments of $1 million from investors.
But the San Francisco-based Yo is not another dumb startup idea from a Stanford grad. The app was made in Tel Aviv and became a viral sensation in Israel before anywhere else.
The global ascent of Yo has only happened in the last week or so since its creator Or Arbel moved to San Francisco. Yo is currently the No. 1 iPhone app in Israel, and it's rising fast elsewhere, according to research firm App Annie. It's in the top 10 in more than a dozen countries. The app has over a half-million users, and it's growing by about 200,000 a day, according to Moshe Hogeg, an Israeli who has agreed to invest in Yo.
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-20/don-t-blame-silicon-valley-for-the-stupid-yo-app-blame-israel.html
