David Bedein

David Bedein (born August 31, 1950) is an MSW, a community organizer by profession, a writer, and an investigative journalist.[1] In 1987 he established the Israel Resource News Agency,[2] with offices at the Beit Agron Int’l Press Center in Jerusalem. He serves as Director of The Center for Near East Policy Research.

Mr. Bedein has also reported for news outlets such as CNN Radio, Makor Rishon, Philadelphia Inquirer, Jerusalem Post, and the Jewish World Review.[3] For four years, Bedein was the Middle East correspondent for the Philadelphia Bulletin, writing 1,062 articles until the newspaper ceased operation in 2010.[4] Bedein has covered attempts at Middle East negotiations centering Israel - in Oslo, Ottawa, Shepherdstown, The Wye Plantation, Annapolis, Geneva, Nicosia, Washington, D.C., London, Bonn, and Vienna.

About

The Center for Near East Policy Research is an institute dedicated to proactive, investigative research and the publication of well-documented and cutting age data on the core issues of the Israeli-Arab conflict, with a sole purpose: to provide insights into the complex reality of Israel and the Middle East to decision makers, journalists and the general public.

To this end, since its inception in 1987, the Center has commissioned top-flight journalists, film makers, academics and researchers, and published dozens of investigative reports and documentary films on issues including, among others, Israeli-Palestinian relations, the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), education and official media in the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Authority security forces, the Peace Process, terrorism, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

In addition, the Center sponsors press conferences and briefings at the US Congress, Canadian Parliament, Israeli Knesset, the UN Correspondents Association in New York City, the National Press Club in Washington DC, and other venues which impact upon public opinion, decision makers and the media.

The Center is currently calling attention to, and bringing about discussions in open forums with decision makers, of the humanitarian plight of the Palestinian refugees in UNRWA-administered refugee camps and its resolution, including through adoption of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) criteria for refugee rehabilitation worldwide.

The Center for Near East Policy Research has been instrumental in reaching elected officials, decision makers and journalists, in commissioning studies, reports, news stories and films. In 2010, the agency decided to focus on producing short movies, instead of monographs, and to film each aspect of the UNRWA investigations in a clear and cogent fashion.

Work

Bedein was active in the Israeli peace movement for over for 17 years.[5]

In the 1980s, Bedein went to Ethiopia as part of a delegation to investigate the impact of the famine on the Ethiopian Jewish community.[6]

Most recently, David Bedein's organization has developed Btselem Watch, with its own website whose purpose is to introduce professional criticism and feedback to leading organizations which are described as human rights groups that operate in the political domain.

The UNRWA Reform Initiative (U.R.I.)[7] was launched by The Center for Near East Policy Research, which has been conducting news investigations and producing films since 1987. Their current project focuses on policy change at UNRWA, The United Nations Relief and Works Agency.[8]

Research and media presence

Mr. Bedein has overseen investigative studies of the Palestinian Authority, the Expulsion Process from Gush Katif and Samaria, The Peres Center for Peace, Peace Now, The International Center for Economic Cooperation of Yossi Beilin, the ISM, Adalah, the New Israel Fund, and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).[9] Mr. Bedein has also reported on all of these events and organizations at www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com.

Under the Direction of David Bedein, The Center for Near East Policy Research and www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com have produced a number of investigative video productions. In July 2013 they released the film titled "Camp Jihad"[10] allegedly showing activities and interviews in which UNRWA promotes anti-Semitism and incitement to violence in its 'summer camps'. This was not the first time he dealt with this topic.[11] UNRWA released an official rejection of these claims,[12] claiming the summer camp shown, and the people involved are not affiliated with UNRWA. In a November 2013 meeting between US Secretary of State, John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, parts of this film were shown.[13]

A review of Bedein's new book, Roadblock to Peace How the UN Perpetuates the Arab-Israeli Conflict: UNRWA Policies Reconsidered, can be found here .

Bedein has been involved in UNRWA Reform Initiative,[14] which involves requests of donor nations to make reasonable reforms of UNRWA. Bedein's legal counsel articulated these requested reforms in a letter to the British government DFID Agency which helps UNRWA.[15] In March 2014, Bedein participated in an informal panel at the British House of Commons with experts on UNRWA education.[16]

Since the publication of Bedein's book, Bedein has discovered several new alleged findings concerning UNRWA, Islamic groups that fund UNRWA,[17] Jews killed Christ in the Palestinian Authority Christian Education Texts Used in UNRWA Schools[18] and UNRWA Child Death Cult Education.[19]

Most recently, Bedein presented his latest research to members of the Swedish Parliament on November 18, 2016.[20] He appeared on a local program entitled "Follow the Money: with Swedish journalist Tobias Petterson" [21] Following these revelations, Tobias Peterson took to the Israel Nation News site, Arutz 7, to express his shock over the official Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education textbooks and curriculum.

ABC Lawsuit

In 1988, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) filed a lawsuit in Israel for $1 million[22] against Bedein’s company, Israel Resources, after Bedein showed “taped copies of the network’s evening news coverage of the Arab uprising”[23] (First Intifada) at one or more events where Bedein charged a fee for entry. ABC charged that Bedein violated the copyright to the footage by showing the clips.

The New York Times provided more context in an article just following the filing of the lawsuit:

Newscasts drawn from American, Canadian and European television were shown throughout the winter months to demonstrate the disparity between foreign and Israeli coverage of the Palestinian uprising. Showing the tapes to Jerusalem audiences helped lead to outraged charges from many Israelis that the international press was being unfair to their country.

Before the foreign television tapes were shown here, Israelis had seen only their own television coverage, which failed to show many of the worst cases of violence. That coverage helped many in this country form their personal impression of what what was happening in the occupied territories.

When they saw the foreign television coverage, many were shocked, and they accused the foreign news organizations of being biased against Israel.[24][25]

ABC ultimately lost the case in 1992 on a technicality for not being able to prove a corporate link between ABC Inc. and ABC News in a move the Jerusalem Post called “a pity”[26] in an editorial.

Films Produced by the Center for Near East Policy Research

The Center for Near East Policy Research has been investigating UNRWA for 27 years and has produced documentary films for over a decade, showing activities going on in schools and camps, with interviews from students and staff.[27]

References

  1. ↑ Israel: Israel in the international arena by Efraim Karsh, p. 213
  2. ↑ The Jewish spectator: Volume 57, School of the Jewish Woman, New York, N.Y. 1993
  3. ↑ "Jewish World Review". Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "The Philadelphia Bulletin". Behind The News in Israel. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  5. ↑ Jewish action: Volumes 60-61 Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America - 1999
  6. ↑ Jewish frontier: Volumes 52-54, League for Labor Palestine, Jewish Frontier Association, 1985
  7. ↑ Reprints, Media (2014-01-29). "The UNRWA Reform Initiative | Israel Behind the News". Israel Behind the News. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  8. ↑ Reprints, Media (2016-11-24). "A MODEL LETTER OF WHAT YOU SHOULD WRITE TO STAFF PEOPLE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ASK TO CONDITION AID TO UNRWA ON AN OVERHAUL IN THE UNRWA CURRICULUM | Israel Behind the News". Israel Behind the News. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  9. ↑ "Behind the news in Israel - Special Reports". Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "Camp Jihad". Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  11. ↑ "UNRWA Right of Return Summer Camp August 2011". Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "UNRWA REJECTS ALLEGATIONS OF INCITEMENT AS BASELESS: STATEMENT BY UNRWA SPOKESPERSON CHRIS GUNNESS". UNRWA. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Report: Netanyahu Played Arab Incitement Footage for Kerry". The Algemeiner. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  14. ↑ http://israelbehindthenews.com/bin/content.cgi?ID=7115&q=4
  15. ↑ http://israelbehindthenews.com/bin/content.cgi?ID=5643&q=1
  16. ↑ http://israelbehindthenews.com/bin/content.cgi?ID=7227&q=1
  17. ↑ http://israelbehindthenews.com/islamic-groups-that-fund-unrwa/10840/
  18. ↑ http://israelbehindthenews.com/official-palestinian-authority-allegation-jews-killed-christ-in-the-palestinian-authority-christian-education-textbooks-used-in-unrwa-schools-in-the-west-bank-jerusalem-gaza/10771/
  19. ↑ http://israelbehindthenews.com/the-u-n-s-child-death-cult-education/10766/
  20. ↑ Briefing to Swedish gov on UNRWA with David S Bedein Bureau Chief Isreal behind the news (in Swedish), 2016-11-18, retrieved 2016-11-28
  21. ↑ Follow the money UNRWA (in Swedish), 2016-11-27, retrieved 2016-11-28
  22. ↑ “Letter to the Editor: ABC Suit Against Bedein.” Jerusalem Post. May 25, 1992.
  23. ↑ "ABC Suing Israeli Agency for Showing News Tapes". New York Times. 1988-08-17. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  24. ↑ "ABC Suing Israeli Agency for Showing News Tapes". New York Times. 1988-08-17. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  25. ↑ ""The 'Fair Use' Doctrine: ABC Sues Self-Styled Media Watchdog for Using the Network's News Clips at His 'Media Seminars.' (David Bedein)" by Luxner, Larry - Editor & Publisher, Vol. 125, Issue 14, April 4, 1992 | Online Research Library: Questia". www.questia.com. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  26. ↑ “ABC and the Public.” Jerusalem Post. May 4, 1992.
  27. ↑ "CFNEPR Documentary Films".
  28. ↑ http://www.jns.org/latest-articles/2016/6/22/filmmaker-calls-for-unrwa-self-introspection-over-palestinian-classroom-incitement-2#.WDx4paJ979A
  29. ↑ "New Israeli documentary shows 'Children's Army of Hamas'". jpost.com. 2015-04-02. Retrieved 4 October 2015. In documentary presented to the UN, Hamas appears to acknowledge that it is breaking international law by training and indoctrinating child soldiers.
  30. ↑ Sharona Schwartz (2013-08-14). "'Camp Jihad': U.N.-Sponsored Camps Encourage Palestinian Kids to Destroy Israel". theblaze.com. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  31. ↑ "Inside the UNRWA Classroom: How America and Europe fund Palestinian hatred :: Children's Rights Institute". www.childrensrightsinstitute.org. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  1. ↑ "Center for Near East Policy Research - Documentary Films". www.cfnepr.com. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  2. ↑ "Center for Near East Policy Research - אודות המרכז". www.cfnepr.com. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  3. ↑ "Israel Behind The News by David Bedein | UNRWA | Gaza| PA". Israel Behind the News. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
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