At the end of December, as the end of the year approaches, we receive many fund raising pitches for our money. After reading this one, I am without words.

Old age it seems does not make one wiser. I will put a few highlights, or new lows, in bold.

Those with high blood pressure, please close your eyes and go to the bottom of the page. Thank you.

A Note from Ruth Dayan
Dear Friends,This March, I will be ninety-seven years old. Two months later, we will celebrate sixty-six years since the founding of the State of Israel. It is a profound experience to look back over my life in parallel to the creation and development of Israel. I have had the privilege to live a life interwoven with its historical triumphs and struggles.It is a great honor for me to be Israeli. It is also a heavy responsibility as we have not yet succeeded in building our lives as envisioned – based on freedom and justice. Unfortunately, many of our national milestones—and even some of my personal ones—are linked to the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The current reality is one of children beaten on the way to police stations, isolated villagers attacked by violent settlers, Gazan families denied access to sufficient electricity and fuel. It is a reality of checkpoints and barriers. It is a reality that is untenable and abhorrent.	Ruth Dayan is a tireless champion of social causes, working with Jewish Israelis and Palestinian communities alike to promote their welfare. Ruth is also the founder of Maskit fashion house and the first wife of the late Israeli general and politician Moshe Dayan.
I write you today to ask for your help in changing this reality. You can do this by giving generously to B’Tselem-the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. I support B’Tselem because of the extraordinary work it does to protect the human rights of those living under occupation and also for their efforts to steer Israel to a path of justice and peace.Snapshots of daily life under occupation such as the ones I mentioned are known to Israelis like me thanks to the work of B’Tselem. B’Tselem’s work appeals to our humanity and inspires action and responsibility to safeguard Palestinians’ human rights. Moreover, B’Tselem’s work changes policies, protects communities and brings justice to victims of abuse. Their undeniable impact motivated me to join the B’Tselem Public Council, andI ask you to join me in supporting B’Tselem to ensure that their work continues.For nearly twenty-five years, B’Tselem has been on the ground reporting human rights violations from the West Bank and Gaza. The images that result from their work are painful. Many would prefer to look away. However B’Tselem does not let us escape our obligations to the Palestinians under our control. It continues to demand justice for the neglected and ignored.Israel needs heroes today, no less than when we began working to build a state. To me, B’Tselem represents the Israeli heroism needed in this historical moment. B’Tselem looks at reality, insists that things can be different and forces us to examine this reality and change it. B’Tselem demands fair treatment not just for specific individuals but for the dignity of Israelis and Palestinians alike. Its volunteers and staff of Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, persevere even when confronted by apathy, animosity and seemingly endless challenges. This is true heroism—marked by commitment to a just project and confidence that this project will come to meaningful fruition.Please join me in supporting B’Tselem with a tax-deductible donation. Your support strengthens B’Tselem’s efforts to bridge the gap between the wrongs of our daily reality and our values of democracy and justice. B’Tselem’s work is essential to our future and a legacy of respect and dignity that we can all be proud of.Warmest regards,

While Israel does indeed need heroes today, I find this letter  “untenable and abhorrent.”

Therefore, I would like to end with something more believable that was posted today: ht @Israelconnect.

EDINBURGH: Scotland’s famed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry yesterday announced that it was backing the global academic boycott of Israel and pulling out of a number of cooperative initiatives it had with the country.

In a statement from the headmistress’ office, Minerva McGonagal said the new resolution was “in solidarity with sorcerers, scholars and students of magic deprived of their academic freedom in the Occupied Territories”, citing “Israel’s violation of international law and UN resolutions and its impact on young Palestinian witches and wizards”.

The new directive will see Hogwarts cancel summer student exchange programmes it has in place with several Israeli magical institutes, and withdraw from a Quidditch tournament arranged by the Israeli Tourism Ministry due to be held at Eilat by the Red Sea next Spring. The school will also terminate with immediate effect a research partnership it has with Ariel University looking into the development of dishwasher-friendly wands.

Hogwarts’ decision follows a number of similar moves made by educational organisations around the world. Other noted supporters of the academic boycott include Australia’s Erinsborough High, England’s Grange Hill and US Sunnydale, California University and Sweet Valley High from the US.