Jam Makkah

ACUAN WAKTU MUSLIM: Makkah Almukarramah terus berkembang menjadi kota suci modern. Jam empat sisi yang berada di puncak Kompleks Abraj Al-Bait berada di dekat Masjidilharam. (Saudi Press Agency/ASSOCIATED PRESS)



PERAN Makkah Almukarramah kini tak sekadar sebagai kiblat salat umat Islam. Kota suci itu diharapkan juga menjadi kiblat waktu, setidaknya bagi 1,5 miliar Muslim sedunia. Ini seiring beroperasinya Abraj Al-Bait alias Menara Jam Makkah tepat pada hari pertama Ramadan di Arab Saudi, Kamis (12/8) ini.

Selama ini, standar waktu internasional mengacu kepada Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Lebih seabad lamanya, sebuah titik di atas sebuah bukit di tenggara London, telah diakui sebagai pusat waktu dunia dan titik awal resmi setiap hari baru.

Namun kehadiran Menara Jam Makkah coba menantang supremasi itu.

Sejak lama dunia Islam meyakini jika Makkah lebih tepat ditetapkan sebagai poros bumi. Ulama besar Mesir Yusuf Qardawi dalam acara televisinya yang populer “Syariah dan Kehidupan” mengatakan, Makkah adalah meridian utama karena berada di “titik keselarasan magnetis (utara) sempurna” bumi. Dia mengklaim kota suci itu adalah zona nol magnet.

Ilmuwan Arab, seperti Abdul Basyit dari Pusat Penelitian Nasional Mesir, juga meneliti bahwa tidak ada gaya magnet di Makkah. "Itu sebabnya jika seseorang tinggal atau melakukan perjalanan di sana, dia akan lebih sehat karena tak dipengaruhi gravitasi bumi," kata Basyit seperti dikutip Telegraph. “Anda mendapatkan energi,” sambung dia.

Ilmuwan Barat jelas menentang pernyataan tersebut. Mereka bersikukuh dengan mengatakan bahwa kutub magnet utara berada di garis bujur yang melewati Kanada, Amerika Serikat, Meksiko, dan Antartika.

Menara Jam Makkah sendiri sangat mirip dengan jam lonceng BigBen yang berada di Menara St Stephen, London. Dengan tinggi sekira 600 meter, menara ini mengalahkan BigBen yang tingginya cuma 94,8 meter dengan lebar 6,9 meter. Selain bisa dilihat empat arah (dari jarak maksimal 28,8 kilometer), jam selebar 45 meter ini diterangi dua juta lampu LED. Ada tulisan Arab besar “Dengan Nama Allah.”

Keunikan jam lainnya adalah, setiap waktu salat tiba, sebanyak 21 ribu lampu hijau dan putih akan berpendar-pendar. Ini tanda untuk mengingatkan kaum Muslimin agar segera salat.

Nah, jam ini akan beroperasi dengan standar sendiri, yakni Standar Waktu Saudi (AST) atau tiga jam lebih cepat ketimbang GMT.

Jam itu ditempatkan di atas Makkah Royal Clock Tower yang mendominasi kota suci Islam itu. Ini adalah jantung dari sebuah kompleks luas yang didanai Pemerintah Arab Saudi, yang di dalamnya terdapat hotel, pusat perbelanjaan, dan ruang konferensi. Kelak bangunan ini sekaligus menjadi yang tertinggi kedua di dunia, setelah Burj Khalifa di Dubai.

Jadi, dari sisi ilmiah, kehadiran Menara Jam Makkah adalah tantangan bagi supremasi GMT. Dari sisi keyakinan, jam “zona nol magnet” itu juga penentangan terhadap standar waktu dunia yang harus berpusat di London.

Seperti yang dikatakan Mohammed al-Arkubi, manajer salah satu hotel di kompleks Makkah Royal Clock Tower itu. “Menempatkan waktu Mekkah di hadapan GMT. Itulah tujuannya!” (ap/afp/bbc)

http://www.kaltimpost.co.id/index.php?m ... l&id=69874

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Pondok Modern Mathla'ul-Huda melatih calon-calon Dai Kondang dengan mengadakan ALP ( Ajang Lomba Pidato)

              Kita sering mengenal istilah ” Al-Ma’hadu La Yanamu Abadan”, terbuktikan dengan dinamika kehidupan yang aktif yang ada didalam pondok modern Mathla’ul-Huda. Pada tanggal 15, 25 dan 28 Oktober yang lalu, Pondok Modern Mathla’ul-Huda mendidik anak didiknya kelas 5 untuk berlatih kepemimpinan dalam acara Ajang Lomba Pidato, atau yang sering didengar ALP.

             Kepanitiaan acara ini di pimpin langsung oleh seluruh kelas 5, guna melatih mereka dalam kepemimpinan dalam suatu organisasi, sebelum mereka menginjak organisasi yang lebih besar dari itu, seperti keorganisasian OSPM ( Organisasi Santri Pondok Modern) yang akan mereka hadapi beberapa bulan kedepan.

           Sistematika acara ini, yaitu 2 kali babak penyisihann dan 1 kali final. Dalam babak penyisihan dipisahkan antara peserta Ikhwan dan Akhwat. Dan ketika final baru digabungkan dari hasil babak penyisihan tadi. Adapun yang menjadi finalis dalam acara ini adalah devisi bahasa Indonesia Ria dan Siddiq, devisi Bahasa Arab Mila dan Hanif, dan pada devisi Bahasa Inggris Siti Salamah dan Iqbal.

            Acara cukup meriah dikalangan santri pondok Modern Mathla’ul-Huda. Meskipun tidak dapat diresmikan langsung oleh bapak pimpinan, karena beliau memiliki kepentingan lain diluar Pondok, maka acara ini diresmikan oleh Al-Ustadz Nandan.

Adapun Juri dalam Ajang Lomba Pidato ini adalah Al-Ustadz Risman, Al-Ustadz Yusuf, Ustadzah Eli dan Juga Ustadzah Sofia Fauziah yang pernah berpartisipasi dalam acara ALP pada beberapa tahun yang lalu ketika masih nyantri.( tapi dulu namanya buka ALP tapi PLP, apa ya kepanjangannya?????? Lupa ah….)

          Waah seru ya, banyak kegiatan dipondok, emang itu harus menjadi sebuah kewajiban adanya kesibukan atau kegiatan di pondok jangan sampai waktu berlalu begitu saja alias kosong. Masih ingat kan mahfudzot yang berbunyi: INNA ASYABAABA WAL FAROOGO WAL JIDATA MAFSADATUN AYYA MAFSADATIN. Yang penting maksudnya seperti ini: sesungguhnya masa muda, waktu luang adalah suatu kerusakan yang dapat merusak kehidupan kita. Maka jangan banyak-banyak waktu luang. Perbanyaklah kegiatan karena “Fil Harokati Barokatun” itu kata pepatah. Kita do’akan selalu agar pondok kita Mathla’ul-Huda dapat lebih berkembang dan lebih maju. Amiiiiin ya robbal Alamiiiiin ( Al-Faatihah !!!!!!!!!!)

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Asal Usul Nama Indonesia

Saya yakin bahwa sebagian besar Warga Negara Indonesia tidak mengetahui secara pasti bagaimana sejarah Nama Indonesia, kalaupun ada yang tahu itu dipastikan hanya sekian persen dari keseluruhan Warga Negara Indonesia. Padahal sangatlah penting kita mengetahui bagaimana asal usul nama Indonesia yang sekarang ini kita pakai.

Didalam mata pelajaran sejarahpun, asal muasal nama Indonesia hampir tidak ada, kalaupun ada hanya sedikit yang menyinggungnya, makanya ketika saya iseng-iseng nanya pada seorang pelajar SMU baru-baru ini tentang sejarah nama Indonesia, saya tidak heran ketika si pelajar mengatakan tidak tahu dan tidak hapal.Untuk itu mari kita berbagai cerita mengenai asal usul nama Indonesia.

Pada zaman purba, kepulauan tanah air disebut dengan aneka nama. Dalam catatan bangsa Tionghoa kawasan kepulauan tanah air dinamai Nan-hai (Kepulauan Laut Selatan). Berbagai catatan kuno bangsa Indoa menamai kepulauan ini Dwipantara (Kepulauan Tanah Seberang), nama yang diturunkan dari kata Sansekerta dwipa (pulau) dan antara (luar, seberang). Kisah Ramayana karya pujangga Walmiki menceritakan pencarian terhadap Sinta, istri Rama yang diculik Rahwana, sampai ke Suwarnadwipa (Pulau Emas, yaitu Sumatra sekarang) yang terletak di Kepulauan Dwipantara.

Bangsa Arab menyebut tanah air kita Jaza’ir al-Jawi (Kepulauan Jawa). Nama Latin untuk kemenyan adalah benzoe, berasal dari bahasa Arab luban jawi (kemenyan Jawa), sebab para pedagang Arab memperoleh kemenyan dari batang pohon Styrax sumatrana yang dahulu hanya tumbuh di Sumatera. Sampai hari ini jemaah haji kita masih sering dipanggil “Jawa” oleh orang Arab. Bahkan orang Indonesia luar Jawa sekalipun. Dalam bahasa Arab juga dikenal Samathrah (Sumatra), Sholibis (Sulawesi), Sundah (Sunda), semua pulau itu dikenal sebagai kulluh Jawi (semuanya Jawa).

Bangsa-bangsa Eropa yang pertama kali datang beranggapan bahwa Asia hanya terdiri dari Arab, Persia, India dan Tiongkok. Bagi mereka, daerah yang terbentang luas antara Persia dan Tiongkok semuanya adalah “Hindia“. Semenanjung Asia Selatan mereka sebut “Hindia Muka” dan daratan Asia Tenggara dinamai “Hindia Belakang”. Sedangkan tanah air memperoleh nama “Kepulauan Hindia” (Indische Archipel, Indian Archipelago, l’Archipel Indien) atau “Hindia Timur” (Oost Indie, East Indies, Indes Orientales). Nama lain yang juga dipakai adalah “Kepulauan Melayu” (Maleische Archipel, Malay Archipelago, l’Archipel Malais).

Pada jaman penjajahan Belanda, nama resmi yang digunakan adalah Nederlandsch-Indie (Hindia Belanda), sedangkan pemerintah pendudukan Jepang 1942-1945 memakai istilah To-Indo (Hindia Timur).

Eduard Douwes Dekker ( 1820 – 1887 ), yang dikenal dengan nama samaran Multatuli, pernah mengusulkan nama yang spesifik untuk menyebutkan kepulauan tanah air kita, yaitu Insulinde, yang artinya juga “Kepulauan Hindia” ( Bahasa Latin insula berarti pulau). Nama Insulinde ini kurang populer.

Nusantara

Pada tahun 1920, Ernest Francois Eugene Douwes Dekker ( 1879 – 1950), yang dikenal sebagai Dr. Setiabudi (cucu dari adik Multatuli), memperkenalkan suatu nama untuk tanah air kita yang tidak mengandung unsur kata “India”. Nama itu tiada lain adalah Nusantara, suatu istilah yang telah tenggelam berabad-abad lamanya. Setiabudi mengambil nama itu dari Pararaton, naskah kuno zaman Majapahit yang ditemukan di Bali pada akhir abad ke-19 lalu diterjemahkan oleh JLA. Brandes dan diterbitkan oleh Nicholaas Johannes Krom pada tahun 1920.

Pengertian Nusantara yang diusulkan Setiabudi jauh berbeda dengan pengertian nusantara zaman Majapahit. Pada masa Majapahit, Nusantara digunakan untuk menyebutkan pulau-pulau di luar Jawa (antara dalam Bahasa Sansekerta artinya luar, seberang) sebagai lawan dari Jawadwipa (Pulau Jawa). Sumpah Palapa dari Gajah Mada tertulis “Lamun huwus kalah nusantara, isun amukti palapa” (Jika telah kalah pulau-pulau seberang, barulah saya menikmati istirahat).

Oleh Dr. Setiabudi kata nusantara zaman Majapahit yang berkonotasi jahiliyah itu diberi pengertian yang nasionalistis. Dengan mengambil kata Melayu asli antara, maka Nusantara kini memiliki arti yang baru yaitu “nusa di antara dua benua dan dua samudra”, sehingga Jawa pun termasuk dalam definisi nusantara yang modern. Istilah nusantara dari Setiabudi ini dengan cepat menjadi populer penggunaannya sebagai alternatif dari nama Hindia Belanda.

Sampai hari ini istilah nusantara tetap dipakai untuk menyebutkan wilayah tanah air dari Sabang sampai Merauke.

Indonesia

Pada tahun 1847 di Singapura terbit sebuah majalah ilmiah tahunan, Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia (JIAEA), yang dikelola oleh James Richardson Logan ( 1819 – 1869 ), seorang Skotlandia yang meraih sarjana hukum dari Universitas Edinburgh. Kemudian pada tahun 1849 seorang ahli etnologi bangsa Ingris, George Samuel Windsor Earl ( 1813 – 1865 ), menggabungkan diri sebagai redaksi majalah JIAEA.

Dalam JIAEA Volume IV tahun 1850, halaman 66-74, Earl menulis artikel On the Leading Characteristics of the Papuan, Australian and Malay-Polynesian Nations. Dalam artikelnya itu Earl menegaskan bahwa sudah tiba saatnya bagi penduduk Kepulauan Hindia atau Kepulauan Melayu untuk memiliki nama khas (a distinctive name), sebab nama Hindia tidaklah tepat dan sering rancu dengan penyebutan India yang lain. Earl mengajukan dua pilihan nama: Indunesia atau Malayunesia (nesos dalam bahasa Yunani berarti pulau). Pada halaman 71 artikelnya itu tertulis:

“… the inhabitants of the Indian Archipelago or Malayan Archipelago would become respectively Indunesians or Malayunesians“.

Earl sendiri menyatakan memilih nama Malayunesia (Kepulauan Melayu) daripada Indunesia (Kepulauan Hindia), sebab Malayunesia sangat tepat untuk ras Melayu, sedangkan Indunesia bisa juga digunakan untuk Ceylon ( Srilanka ) dan Maladewa. Earl berpendapat juga bahwa nahasa Melayu dipakai di seluruh kepulauan ini. Dalam tulisannya itu Earl memang menggunakan istilah Malayunesia dan tidak memakai istilah Indunesia.

Dalam JIAEA Volume IV itu juga, halaman 252-347, James Richardson Logan menulis artikel The Ethnology of the Indian Archipelago. Pada awal tulisannya, Logan pun menyatakan perlunya nama khas bagi kepulauan tanah air kita, sebab istilah “Indian Archipelago” terlalu panjang dan membingungkan. Logan memungut nama Indunesia yang dibuang Earl, dan huruf u digantinya dengan huruf o agar ucapannya lebih baik. Maka lahirlah istilah Indonesia.

Untuk pertama kalinya kata Indonesia muncul di dunia dengan tercetak pada halaman 254 dalam tulisan Logan:

“Mr. Earl suggests the ethnographical term Indunesian, but rejects it in favour of Malayunesian. I prefer the purely geographical term Indonesia, which is merely a shorter synonym for the Indian Islands or the Indian Archipelago“.

Ketika mengusulkan nama “Indonesia” agaknya Logan tidak menyadari bahwa di kemudian hari nama itu akan menjadi nama resmi. Sejak saat itu Logan secara konsisten menggunakan nama “Indonesia” dalam tulisan-tulisan ilmiahnya, dan lambat laun pemakaian istilah ini menyebar di kalangan para ilmuwan bidang etnologi dan geografi.

Pada tahun 1884 guru besar etnologi di Universitas Berlin yang bernama Adolf Bastian (1826 – 1905 ) menerbitkan buku Indonesien oder die Inseln des Malayischen Archipel sebanyak lima volume, yang memuat hasil penelitiannya ketika mengembara ke tanah air pada tahun 1864 sampai 1880. Buku Bastian inilah yang memopulerkan istilah “Indonesia” di kalangan sarjana Belanda, sehingga sempat timbul anggapan bahwa istilah “Indonesia” itu ciptaan Bastian. Pendapat yang tidak benar itu, antara lain tercantum dalam Encyclopedie van Nederlandsch-Indie tahun 1918. Padahal Bastian mengambil istilah “Indonesia” itu dari tulisan-tulisan Logan.

Pribumi yang mula-mula menggunakan istilah “Indonesia” adalah Suwardi Suryaningrat ( Ki Hajar Dewantara ). Ketika dibuang ke negeri Belanda tahun 1913 beliau mendirikan sebuah biro pers dengan nama Indonesische Pers-bureau.

Nama indonesisch (Indonesia) juga diperkenalkan sebagai pengganti indisch (Hindia) oleh Prof. Cornelis van Vollenhoven (1917). Sejalan dengan itu, inlander (pribumi) diganti dengan indonesiër (orang Indonesia).

Identitas Politik

Pada dasawarsa 1920-an, nama “Indonesia” yang merupakan istilah ilmiah dalam etnologi dan geografi itu diambil alih oleh tokoh-tokoh pergerakan kemerdekaan tanah air kita, sehingga nama “Indonesia” akhirnya memiliki makna politis, yaitu identitas suatu bangsa yang memperjuangkan kemerdekaan. Akibatnya pemerintah Belanda mulai curiga dan waspada terhadap pemakaian kata ciptaan Logan itu.

Pada tahun 1922 atas inisiatif Mohammad Hatta, seorang mahasiswa Handels Hoogeschool (Sekolah Tinggi Ekonomi) di Rotterdam, organisasi pelajar dan mahasiswa Hindia di Negeri Belanda (yang terbentuk tahun 1908 dengan nama Indische Vereeniging berubah nama menjadi Indonesische Vereeniging atau Perhimpoenan Indonesia. Majalah mereka, Hindia Poetra, berganti nama menjadi Indonesia Merdeka.

Bung Hatta menegaskan dalam tulisannya,:

“Negara Indonesia Merdeka yang akan datang (de toekomstige vrije Indonesische staat) mustahil disebut “Hindia Belanda”. Juga tidak “Hindia” saja, sebab dapat menimbulkan kekeliruan dengan India yang asli. Bagi kami nama Indonesia menyatakan suatu tujuan politik (een politiek doel), karena melambangkan dan mencita-citakan suatu tanah air di masa depan, dan untuk mewujudkannya tiap orang Indonesia (Indonesier) akan berusaha dengan segala tenaga dan kemampuannya.”

Di tanah air Dr. Sutomo mendirikan Indonesische Studie Club pada tahun 1924). Pada tahun 1925, Jong Islamieten Bond membentuk kepanduan Nationaal Indonesische Padvinderij (Natipij). Itulah tiga organisasi di tanah air yang mula-mula menggunakan nama “Indonesia”. Akhirnya nama “Indonesia” dinobatkan sebagai nama tanah air, bangsa dan bahasa pada Kerapatan Pemoeda-Pemoedi Indonesia tanggal 28 Oktober 1928, yang kini dikenal dengan sebutan Sumpah Pemuda.

Pada bulan Agustus 1939 tiga orang anggota Volksraad (Dewan Rakyat; parlemen Hindia Belanda), Muhammad Husni Thamrin, Wiwoho Purbohadidjojo dan Sutardjo Kartohadikusumo, mengajukan mosi kepada Pemerintah Hindia Belanda agar nama “Indonesia” diresmikan sebagai pengganti nama “Nederlandsch-Indie”. Tetapi Belanda menolak mosi ini.

Dengan jatuhnya tanah air ke tangan Jepang pada tanggal 8 Maret 1942, lenyaplah nama “Hindia Belanda”. Lalu pada tanggal 17 Agustus 1945, lahirlah Republik Indonesia.

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Keajaiban Al-Qur’an

Semua yang telah kita pelajari sejauh ini memperlihatkan kita akan satu kenyataan pasti: Al Qur’an adalah kitab yang di dalamnya berisi berita yang kesemuanya terbukti benar. Fakta-fakta ilmiah serta berita mengenai peristiwa masa depan, yang tak mungkin dapat diketahui di masa itu, dinyatakan dalam ayat-ayatnya. Mustahil informasi ini dapat diketahui dengan penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi masa itu. Ini merupakan bukti nyata bahwa Al Qur’an bukanlah perkataan manusia.
Al Qur’an adalah kalam Allah Yang Maha Kuasa, Pencipta segala sesuatu dari ketiadaan. Dialah Tuhan yang ilmu-Nya meliputi segala sesuatu. Dalam sebuah ayat, Allah menyatakan dalam Al Qur’an “Maka apakah mereka tidak memperhatikan Al Qur’an ? Kalau kiranya Al Qur’an itu bukan dari sisi Allah, tentulah mereka mendapat pertentangan yang banyak di dalamnya.” (Al Qur’an, 4:82) Tidak hanya kitab ini bebas dari segala pertentangan, akan tetapi setiap penggal informasi yang dikandung Al Qur’an semakin mengungkapkan keajaiban kitab suci ini hari demi hari.
Apa yang menjadi kewajiban manusia adalah untuk berpegang teguh pada kitab suci yang Allah turunkan ini, dan menerimanya sebagai satu-satunya petunjuk hidup. Dalam salah satu ayat, Allah menyeru kita:
“Dan Al Qur’an itu adalah kitab yang Kami turunkan yang diberkati, maka ikutilah dia dan bertakwalah agar kamu diberi rahmat.” (Al Qur’an, 6:155)
Dalam beberapa ayat-Nya yang lain, Allah menegaskan:
“Dan katakanlah: “Kebenaran itu datangnya dari Tuhanmu; maka barangsiapa yang ingin (beriman) hendaklah ia beriman, dan barangsiapa yang ingin (kafir) biarlah ia kafir.” (Al Qur’an, 18:29)
“Sekali-kali jangan (demikian)! Sesungguhnya ajaran-ajaran Tuhan itu adalah suatu peringatan, maka barangsiapa yang menghendaki, tentulah ia memperhatikannya.” (Al Qur’an, 80:11-12)
Video keajaiban Al-Qur’an
embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direkt

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Kegelapan dan Gelombang di Dasar Lautan

Pengukuran yang dilakukan dengan teknologi masa kini berhasil mengungkapkan bahwa antara 3 hingga 30% sinar matahari dipantulkan oleh permukaan laut. Jadi, hampir semua tujuh warna yang menyusun spektrum sinar matahari diserap satu demi satu ketika menembus permukaan lautan hingga kedalaman 200 meter, kecuali sinar biru (lihat gambar di samping). Di bawah kedalaman 1000 meter, tidak dijumpai sinar apa pun. (lihat gambar atas). Fakta ilmiah ini telah disebutkan dalam ayat ke-40 surat An Nuur sekitar 1400 tahun yang lalu..

"Atau seperti gelap gulita di lautan yang dalam, yang diliputi oleh ombak, yang di atasnya ombak (pula), di atasnya (lagi) awan; gelap gulita yang tindih-bertindih, apabila dia mengeluarkan tangannya, tiadalah dia dapat melihatnya, (dan) barangsiapa yang tiada diberi cahaya (petunjuk) oleh Allah tiadalah dia mempunyai cahaya sedikitpun." (Al Qur'an, 24:40)

Keadaan umum tentang lautan yang dalam dijelaskan dalam buku berjudul Oceans:
Kegelapan dalam lautan dan samudra yang dalam dijumpai pada kedalaman 200 meter atau lebih. Pada kedalaman ini, hampir tidak dijumpai cahaya. Di bawah kedalaman 1000 meter, tidak terdapat cahaya sama sekali. (Elder, Danny; and John Pernetta, 1991, Oceans, London, Mitchell Beazley Publishers, s. 27)
Kini, kita telah mengetahui tentang keadaan umum lautan tersebut, ciri-ciri makhluk hidup yang ada di dalamnya, kadar garamnya, serta jumlah air, luas permukaan dan kedalamannya. Kapal selam dan perangkat khusus yang dikembangkan menggunakan teknologi modern, memungkinkan para ilmuwan untuk mendapatkan informasi ini.
Manusia tak mampu menyelam pada kedalaman di bawah 40 meter tanpa bantuan peralatan khusus. Mereka tak mampu bertahan hidup di bagian samudra yang dalam nan gelap, seperti pada kedalaman 200 meter. Karena alasan inilah, para ilmuwan hanya baru-baru ini saja mampu menemukan informasi sangat rinci tersebut tentang kelautan. Namun, pernyataan "gelap gulita di lautan yang dalam" digunakan dalam surat An Nuur 1400 tahun lalu. Ini sudah pasti salah satu keajaiban Al Qur’an, sebab infomasi ini dinyatakan di saat belum ada perangkat yang memungkinkan manusia untuk menyelam di kedalaman samudra.
Selain itu, pernyataan di ayat ke-40 surat An Nuur "Atau seperti gelap gulita di lautan yang dalam, yang diliputi oleh ombak, yang di atasnya ombak (pula), di atasnya (lagi) awan…" mengarahkan perhatian kita pada satu keajaiban Al Qur’an yang lain.
Para ilmuwan baru-baru ini menemukan keberadaan gelombang di dasar lautan, yang "terjadi pada pertemuan antara lapisan-lapisan air laut yang memiliki kerapatan atau massa jenis yang berbeda." Gelombang yang dinamakan gelombang internal ini meliputi wilayah perairan di kedalaman lautan dan samudra dikarenakan pada kedalaman ini air laut memiliki massa jenis lebih tinggi dibanding lapisan air di atasnya. Gelombang internal memiliki sifat seperti gelombang permukaan. Gelombang ini dapat pecah, persis sebagaimana gelombang permukaan. Gelombang internal tidak dapat dilihat oleh mata manusia, tapi keberadaannya dapat dikenali dengan mempelajari suhu atau perubahan kadar garam di tempat-tempat tertentu. (Gross, M. Grant; 1993, Oceanography, a View of Earth, 6. edition, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall Inc., s. 205)
Pernyataan-pernyataan dalam Al Qur'an benar-benar bersesuaian dengan penjelasan di atas. Tanpa adanya penelitian, seseorang hanya mampu melihat gelombang di permukaan laut. Mustahil seseorang mampu mengamati keberadaan gelombang internal di dasar laut. Akan tetapi, dalam surat An Nuur, Allah mengarahkan perhatian kita pada jenis gelombang yang terdapat di kedalaman samudra. Sungguh, fakta yang baru saja diketemukan para ilmuwan ini memperlihatkan sekali lagi bahwa Al Qur'an adalah kalam Allah.

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Menguak Misteri Sungai Bawah Laut Di Goa Angelita

Perlu di ingat bahwa daerah yang mirip “Sungai” di Goa Angelita Meksiko, bukanlah sungai dibawah laut, namun “sungai” di bawah goa atau lobang besar dalam tanah yang di sebut Cenote Angelita (Goa Angelita)

Jika kita berfikir alam mempunyai keajaiban yang terbatas, maka itu adalah pemikiran yang salah, menurut saya loh! Bagi saya masih banyak pemandangan dan keajaiban, yang menunggu untuk di temukan oleh manusia
Kecantikan alam terbaring di luar sana, dan mungkin belum terjamah oleh tangan manusia. Ada banyak tempat-tempat indah dan luar biasa di planet bumi ini yang perlu di jelajahi, pantai-pantai, pulau, bukit-bukit dan lautan masih menyimpan rahasia yang belum sepenuhnya terkuak
Bagi anda yang suka menyelam ke dalam air, mungkin belum pernah menemukan tempat yang menyimpan keganjilan ini, jika kamu seorang penyelam profesional mungkin Cenote Angelita di Meksiko harus kamu kunjungi dan jangan lupa bawa tustel untuk di sharing di internet nantinya yah!:)
Cenote Angelita atau Goa Bidadari Kecil, tempat di mana terdapat 3 keganjilan sekaligus. Jika kamu menyelam sedalam lebih dari 30 meter maka kamu akan menemui bahwa air di sekitarnya segar layaknya air tawar, namun setelah kedalaman melebihi 60 meter maka air akan berubah menjadi asin, lalu kamu akan melihat pemandangan sebuah “sungai” dengan pepohonan dan daun-daun yang berguguran lalu mengambang

1. Lalu bagaimana ke dua jenis air itu tidak tercampur, air tawar tidak mempengaruhi air asin, juga sebaliknya?
2. Lalu bagaimana pepohonan disana bisa hidup dan tumbuh di dalam air tanpa oksigen dan cahaya matahari?
Untuk menjawab pertanyaan nomor 1, sebuah situs yang saya temukan mungkin menjawabnya secara ilmiah, walaupun tetap tidak memberikan jawaban mengenai “terpisahnya” ke dua jenis air ini, namun memberi jawaban kenapa bisa ada air segar di atas air asin ini:

The caverns are generally filled with fresh water to about 35 feet or so. Below that, divers experience the oddity of a halocline a distinctive demarcation where the fresh water
sits on top of the salt water below it.
Lubang besar bawah tanah umumnya di isi dengan air segar dengan kedalaman 35 kaki atau lebih. Lebih dari itu, penyelam akan mengalami keganjilan kadar garam, yakni batasan yang membedakan di mana air segar berada di atas dari air asin (atau “duduk” diatas air asin).
Jika anda ingin baca lebih lanjut

Namun sama sekali tidak ada penjelasan kenapa air tersebut tidak bercampur, atau ada teman yang mempunyai refrensi lain, silahkan tulis di kolom komentar

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Sungai Raksasa Ditemukan di Dasar Laut Hitam

Sungai bawah laut ini bahkan layak dinobatkan sebagai sungai keenam terbesar di dunia.
Sebuah sungai raksasa, yang bahkan layak dinobatkan sebagai sungai keenam terbesar di dunia baru-baru ini ditemukan oleh ilmuwan Inggris.

Yang luar biasa, sungai ini ditemukan di dasar Laut Hitam, sebuah laut dalam antara Eropa tenggara dan Asia Kecil.
Para ilmuwan dari Leeds University mengerahkan kapal selam robot untuk meneliti dan memindai dasar laut di dekat Turki itu.

Seperti halnya di daratan, sungai di bawah laut itu memiliki saluran, anak sungai, dataran banjir, aliran deras air, dan bahkan air terjun.

Sungai yang ditemukan di dasar Laut Hitam, memiliki kedalaman 115 kaki dan lebarnya lebih dari setengah mil.

Jika berada di daratan, para ilmuwan memperkirakan, perairan yang ditemukan di Laut Hitam, adalah sungai keenam terbesar di dunia, dalam hal jumlah air yang mengalir.

Aliran air, yang membawa air asin dan sedimen, 350 kali lebih besar dari Sungai Thames di Inggris.

Ini adalah satu-satunya sungai bawah laut aktif yang ditemukan. Letaknya di  Selat Bosphorus yang mengalir dari Mediterania ke Laut Hitam. Aliran air sungai bawah tanah itu disebabkan perbedaan kadar garam.

Ini menyebabkan air Mediterania mengalir seperti sungai, yang menciptakan alur-alur dan genangan yang dalam.

Penemuan ini akan membantu menjelaskan bagaimana kehidupan bisa bertahan di kedalaman laut, yang jauh dari perairan kaya nutrisi karena jauh dari tanah. Sungai bawah laut lah yang bertugas membawa sedimen dan nutrisi.

Menurut Dr Dan Parsons, pemimpin tim peneliti dari Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Bumi dan Lingkungan, Universitas Leeds, kepada Sunday Telegraph, mengatakan, "Kepadatan air di sana lebih padat dari air laut di sekitarnya karena memiliki salinitas yang lebih tinggi dan membawa begitu banyak sedimen."

"Sungai itu mengalir dari beting laut dan keluar melalui daratan abisal, seperti halnya sungai di darat," demikian penjelasan Parsons  seperti dimuat laman Daily Mail, Minggu 1 Agustus 2010.

Dataran abisal di laut mirip seperti di gurun pasir, bedanya dataran air ini bisa menyediakan nutrisi dan bahan-bahan yang dibutuhkan untuk mahluk yang hidup di dalamnya.

"Itu memiliki peran yang penting, seperti arteri, yang memberikan kehidupan di laut dalam."
Perbedaan utama sungai di bawah laut ini adalah bahwa aliran air berlawanan dengan sungai-sungai di darat.

Para ilmuwan telah lama menduga bahwa keberadaan sungai dasar laut sangat masuk akal,  setelah pemindai sonar  mengungkapkan adanya saluran berkelok-kelok di banyak lautan di dunia.

Di antara yang terbesar, adalah sungai bawah tanah di perairan Brazi, di mana aliran Amazon memasuki Samudera Atlantik.

Saluran di Laut Hitam, meskipun jauh lebih kecil, adalah satu-satunya yang ditemukan masih mengalir dan membuktikan bahwa saluran ini misterius dibentuk oleh sungai di bawah air.

Tidak seperti parit laut, yang formasi geologi yang terbentuk pada bagian terdalam dari laut akibat pergerakan lempeng tektonik, saluran sungai berkelok-kelok di dasar laut dibentuk melalui proses pengikisan endapan lumpur.




Dr Parsons menemukan bahwa sungai bawah tanah di dasar Laut Hitam mengalir dengan kecepatan sekitar empat mil per jam, mengalirkan 22.000 meter kubik air per detik. Ini 10 kali lebih besar dari sungai terbesar Eropa, Rhine.

Sungai bawah laut ini Sungai mengalir hanya sekitar 37 mil hingga mencapai tepi beting laut sebelum menghilangke laut dalam. (umi)

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Lautan yang Tidak Bercampur Satu Sama Lain

Terdapat gelombang besar, arus kuat, dan gelombang pasang di Laut Tengah dan Samudra Atlantik. Air Laut Tengah memasuki Samudra Atlantik melalui selat Jibraltar. Namun suhu, kadar garam, dan kerapatan air laut di kedua tempat ini tidak berubah karena adanya penghalang yang memisahkan keduanya.

Salah satu di antara sekian sifat lautan yang baru-baru ini ditemukan adalah berkaitan dengan ayat Al Qur’an sebagai berikut:

"Dia membiarkan dua lautan mengalir yang keduanya kemudian bertemu, antara keduanya ada batas yang tak dapat dilampaui oleh masing-masing." (Al Qur'an, 55:19-20)

Sifat lautan yang saling bertemu, akan tetapi tidak bercampur satu sama lain ini telah ditemukan oleh para ahli kelautan baru-baru ini. Dikarenakan gaya fisika yang dinamakan "tegangan permukaan", air dari laut-laut yang saling bersebelahan tidak menyatu. Akibat adanya perbedaan masa jenis, tegangan permukaan mencegah lautan dari bercampur satu sama lain, seolah terdapat dinding tipis yang memisahkan mereka. (Davis, Richard A., Jr. 1972, Principles of Oceanography, Don Mills, Ontario, Addison-Wesley Publishing, s. 92-93.)
Sisi menarik dari hal ini adalah bahwa pada masa ketika manusia tidak memiliki pengetahuan apapun mengenai fisika, tegangan permukaan, ataupun ilmu kelautan, hal ini dinyatakan dalam Al Qur’an.

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PENGETAHUAN AL QUR'AN

Semua yang telah kita pelajari sejauh ini memperlihatkan kita akan satu kenyataan pasti: Al Qur'an adalah kitab yang di dalamnya berisi berita yang kesemuanya terbukti benar. Fakta-fakta ilmiah serta berita mengenai peristiwa masa depan, yang tak mungkin dapat diketahui di masa itu, dinyatakan dalam ayat-ayatnya. Mustahil informasi ini dapat diketahui dengan penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi masa itu. Ini merupakan bukti nyata bahwa Al Qur'an bukanlah perkataan manusia.
Al Qur'an adalah kalam Allah Yang Maha Kuasa, Pencipta segala sesuatu dari ketiadaan. Dialah Tuhan yang ilmu-Nya meliputi segala sesuatu. Dalam sebuah ayat, Allah menyatakan dalam Al Qur'an "Maka apakah mereka tidak memperhatikan Al Qur'an ? Kalau kiranya Al Qur'an itu bukan dari sisi Allah, tentulah mereka mendapat pertentangan yang banyak di dalamnya." (Al Qur'an, 4:82) Tidak hanya kitab ini bebas dari segala pertentangan, akan tetapi setiap penggal informasi yang dikandung Al Qur'an semakin mengungkapkan keajaiban kitab suci ini hari demi hari.
Apa yang menjadi kewajiban manusia adalah untuk berpegang teguh pada kitab suci yang Allah turunkan ini, dan menerimanya sebagai satu-satunya petunjuk hidup. Dalam salah satu ayat, Allah menyeru kita:

"Dan Al Qur'an itu adalah kitab yang Kami turunkan yang diberkati, maka ikutilah dia dan bertakwalah agar kamu diberi rahmat." (Al Qur'an, 6:155)

Dalam beberapa ayat-Nya yang lain, Allah menegaskan:

"Dan katakanlah: "Kebenaran itu datangnya dari Tuhanmu; maka barangsiapa yang ingin (beriman) hendaklah ia beriman, dan barangsiapa yang ingin (kafir) biarlah ia kafir." (Al Qur'an, 18:29)

"Sekali-kali jangan (demikian)! Sesungguhnya ajaran-ajaran Tuhan itu adalah suatu peringatan, maka barangsiapa yang menghendaki, tentulah ia memperhatikannya." (Al Qur'an, 80:11-12)

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Fungsi Gunung

Dengan perpanjangannya yang menghujam jauh ke dalam maupun ke atas permukaan bumi, gunung-gunung menggenggam lempengan-lempengan kerak bumi yang berbeda, layaknya pasak. Kerak bumi terdiri atas lempengan-lempengan yang senantiasa dalam keadaan bergerak. Fungsi pasak dari gunung ini mencegah guncangan dengan cara memancangkan kerak bumi yang memiliki struktur sangat mudah bergerak.

Al Qur’an mengarahkan perhatian kita pada fungsi geologis penting dari gunung.

"Dan telah Kami jadikan di bumi ini gunung-gunung yang kokoh supaya bumi itu (tidak) goncang bersama mereka..." (Al Qur'an, 21:31)

Sebagaimana terlihat, dinyatakan dalam ayat tersebut bahwa gunung-gunung berfungsi mencegah goncangan di permukaan bumi.
Kenyataan ini tidaklah diketahui oleh siapapun di masa ketika Al Qur’an diturunkan. Nyatanya, hal ini baru saja terungkap sebagai hasil penemuan geologi modern.
Menurut penemuan ini, gunung-gunung muncul sebagai hasil pergerakan dan tumbukan dari lempengan-lempengan raksasa yang membentuk kerak bumi. Ketika dua lempengan bertumbukan, lempengan yang lebih kuat menyelip di bawah lempengan yang satunya, sementara yang di atas melipat dan membentuk dataran tinggi dan gunung. Lapisan bawah bergerak di bawah permukaan dan membentuk perpanjangan yang dalam ke bawah. Ini berarti gunung mempunyai bagian yang menghujam jauh ke bawah yang tak kalah besarnya dengan yang tampak di permukaan bumi.
Dalam tulisan ilmiah, struktur gunung digambarkan sebagai berikut:
Pada bagian benua yang lebih tebal, seperti pada jajaran pegunungan, kerak bumi akan terbenam lebih dalam ke dalam lapisan magma. (General Science, Carolyn Sheets, Robert Gardner, Samuel F. Howe; Allyn and Bacon Inc. Newton, Massachusetts, 1985, s. 305)
Dalam sebuah ayat, peran gunung seperti ini diungkapkan melalui sebuah perumpamaan sebagai "pasak":

"Bukankah Kami telah menjadikan bumi itu sebagai hamparan?, dan gunung-gunung sebagai pasak?" (Al Qur'an, 78:6-7)

Dengan kata lain, gunung-gunung menggenggam lempengan-lempengan kerak bumi dengan memanjang ke atas dan ke bawah permukaan bumi pada titik-titik pertemuan lempengan-lempengan ini. Dengan cara ini, mereka memancangkan kerak bumi dan mencegahnya dari terombang-ambing di atas lapisan magma atau di antara lempengan-lempengannya. Singkatnya, kita dapat menyamakan gunung dengan paku yang menjadikan lembaran-lembaran kayu tetap menyatu.
Fungsi pemancangan dari gunung dijelaskan dalam tulisan ilmiah dengan istilah "isostasi". Isostasi bermakna sebagai berikut:
Isostasi: kesetimbangan dalam kerak bumi yang terjaga oleh aliran materi bebatuan di bawah permukaan akibat tekanan gravitasi. (Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary, 2. edition "Isostasy", New York, s. 975)
Peran penting gunung yang ditemukan oleh ilmu geologi modern dan penelitian gempa, telah dinyatakan dalam Al Qur’an berabad-abad lampau sebagai suatu bukti Hikmah Maha Agung dalam ciptaan Allah.
"Dan telah Kami jadikan di bumi ini gunung-gunung yang kokoh supaya bumi itu (tidak) goncang bersama mereka..." (Al Qur'an, 21:31)

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Penciptaan yang Berpasang-Pasangan

"Maha Suci Tuhan yang telah menciptakan pasangan-pasangan semuanya, baik dari apa yang ditumbuhkan oleh bumi dan dari diri mereka maupun dari apa yang tidak mereka ketahui." (Al Qur'an, 36:36)

Meskipun gagasan tentang "pasangan" umumnya bermakna laki-laki dan perempuan, atau jantan dan betina, ungkapan "maupun dari apa yang tidak mereka ketahui" dalam ayat di atas memiliki cakupan yang lebih luas. Kini, cakupan makna lain dari ayat tersebut telah terungkap. Ilmuwan Inggris, Paul Dirac, yang menyatakan bahwa materi diciptakan secara berpasangan, dianugerahi Hadiah Nobel di bidang fisika pada tahun 1933. Penemuan ini, yang disebut "parité", menyatakan bahwa materi berpasangan dengan lawan jenisnya: anti-materi. Anti-materi memiliki sifat-sifat yang berlawanan dengan materi. Misalnya, berbeda dengan materi, elektron anti-materi bermuatan positif, dan protonnya bermuatan negatif. Fakta ini dinyatakan dalam sebuah sumber ilmiah sebagaimana berikut:
"…setiap partikel memiliki anti-partikel dengan muatan yang berlawanan … … dan hubungan ketidakpastian mengatakan kepada kita bahwa penciptaan berpasangan dan pemusnahan berpasangan terjadi di dalam vakum di setiap saat, di setiap tempat."
Semua ini menunjukkan bahwa unsur besi tidak terbentuk di Bumi, melainkan dibawa oleh meteor-meteor melalui ledakan bintang-bintang di luar angkasa, dan kemudian "dikirim ke bumi", persis sebagaimana dinyatakan dalam ayat tersebut. Jelas bahwa fakta ini tak mungkin diketahui secara ilmiah pada abad ke-7, di saat Al Qur'an diturunkan. (http://www.2think.org/nothingness.html, Henning Genz – Nothingness: The Science of Empty Space, s. 205)

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Rahasia Bill Gates

Latar Belakang Bill Gates

William Henry Gates III atau lebih dikenal dengan nama Bill Gates dilahirkan pada 28 Oktober 1955, di Seattle, Washington. Bill Gates adalah adalah anak kedua dari tiga bersaudara.

Ayahnya William Henry Gates adalah seorang pengacara perusahaan yang punya banyak relasi di kota. Sedangkan ibunya Mary Maxwell seorang pegawai First Interstate Bank, Pacific Northwest Bell dan anggota Tingkat Nasional United Way.

Bill seorang anak yang cerdas, tetapi dia terlalu penuh semangat dan cenderung sering mengalami kesulitan di sekolah. Ketika dia berumur sebelas tahun, orang tuanya memutuskan untuk membuat perubahan pada dirinya dan mengirimnya ke Lakeside School, sebuah sekolah dasar yang bergengsi khusus bagi anak laki-laki.

Di Lakeside itulah pada tahun 1968 Bill Gates untuk pertama kalinya diperkenalkan dengan dunia komputer, dalam bentuk mesin teletype yang dihubungkan dengan telepon ke sebuah komputer pembagian waktu.


Dia dengan cepat menguasai BASIC, sebuah bahasa pemograman komputer, dan bersama dengan para hacker yang belajar sendiri di Lakeside, dia melewatkan waktu ber-jam-jam menulis program, melakukan permainan, dan secara umum mempelajari banyak hal tentang komputer.

“Dia adalah seorang eksentrik,” sebagaimana salah seorang guru memberikan Gates julukan itu. Bill Gates menempuh kuliah di Harvard University di Cambridge mulai tahun 1975. Di sana ia bertemu dengan Paul Allen sewaktu sekolah bersama-sama.

Bersama Paul Allen, Bill Gates terus mengembangkan talentanya di bidang pemograman komputer. Namun, Bill gates memutuskan keluar (drop out) untuk menyumbangkan wakunya ke Microsoft.

Latar Belakang Pekerjaan

Melalui usaha kerasnya, perusahaan yang ia dirikan yang bernama Microsoft Corporation menjadi sukses dan Bill Gates melambung menjadi seorang jutawan. Di tahun 1990 Bill Gates sukses merilis sistem operasi yang sangat sukses di pasaran dunia. Namun, Bill Gates juga mendapat reputasi yang tidak baik dalam karirnya.

Tidak hanya satu kali, bahkan Bill Gates melakukan beberapa kali kesalahan dalam bisnis perangkat lunaknya. Di tahun 1990 Bill Gates mendapat tuntutan dari Departemen Keadilan Amerika Serikat dengan dakwaan Gates telah melakukan monopoli terhadap perusahaan-perusahaan kecil.

Dan sekali lagi Bill Gates tersandung oleh hukum undang-undang bisnis Amerika Serikat pada tahun 1999. Pada tahun 2000, Bill gates mengundurkan diri dari jabatannya sebagai Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif dan ia memilih kembali ke profesi lamanya yang ia cintai yaitu Kepala Penelitian dan Pengembangan Perangkat Lunak di perusahaanya sendiri, Microsoft Corp.

Dan pada awal tahun 2008, Bill Gates memutuskan untuk mengundurkan diri dari manajemen Microsoft dan mengkonsentrasikan diri pada kerja kedermawanan melalui yayasan sosial yang didirikannya, yaitu Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Kehidupan Pribadi

Dalam kehidupan peribadinya, Gates menikah dengan Melinda French pada 1 Januari 1994. Mereka mempunyai tiga orang anak, Jennifer Katherine Gates (1996), Rory John Gates (1999) dan Phoebe Adele gates (2002).

Dengan istrinya, Bill Gates telah mendirikan Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, yang merupakan sebuah Yayasan Sosial yang memperhatikan pederita AIDS, beasiswa bagi universitas-universitas dan kepedulian pada dunia ketiga.

Para kritikus mengatakan ini merupakan pembuktian terhadap kemarahan banyak orang tentang praktik monopoli, adikuasa perusahaannya dan beberapa kejahatan yang telah ia lakukan, tetapi beberapa orang yang dekat dengan Bill Gates berkata bahwa ia memang telah lama berencana untuk menyumbangkan sebagian besar hartanya.

Di tahun 1999 koran Washington Post memberitakan bahwa “Gates telah menyatakan bahwa dia memutuskan untuk menyumbangkan $5 milyar kepada organisasi mereka. Hal itu tentu tidak mengherankan karena menurut survei Majalah Forbes, Bill Gates selalu menjadi orang terkaya di dunia berturut-turut selama tahun 1996 - 2004 dengan jumlah $ 90 Milyar.

Dengan perjuangan dan tekad yang keras kini Bill Gates telah menggapai cita-citanya. Untuk mencapai kesuksesan memang diperlukan pengorbanan dan perjuangan yang berat, namun usaha keras dan sikap pantang menyerah Bill Gates telah membuahkan hasil yang dapat ia nikmati saat ini.

FAKTA - FAKTA KEKAYAAN BILL GATES

Mau tau seberapa kaya sih Bill Gates itu? Inilah Fakta-faktanya :

1. Bill Gates menghasilkan US$250 setiap detiknya, itu sekitar US$20 juta sehari dan US$7,8 milyar setahun!


2. Jika dia menjatuhkan US$1.000, dia bahkan tidak perlu repot-repot lagi untuk mengambilnya kembali karena sama dengan waktu 4 detik untuk mengambil, dia sudah memperoleh penghasilan dalam jumlah yang sama.


3. Utang nasional Amerika sekitar US$5,62 trilyun, jika Bill Gates akan membayar sendiri utang itu, dia akan melunasinya dalam waktu kurang dari 10 tahun.


4. Dia dapat menyumbangkan US$15 kepada semua orang di dunia tapi tetap dapat menyisakan US$5 juta sebagai uang sakunya.


5. Michael Jordan adalah atlit yg dibayar paling mahal di Amerika. Jika dia tidak makan dan minum dan tetap membiarkan penghasilannya utuh dalam setahun sejumlah US$30 juta, dia tetap harus menunggu sampai 277 tahun agar bisa sekaya Bill Gates sekarang.


6. Jika Bill Gates adalah sebuah negara, dia akan menjadi negara terkaya sedunia nomor ke 37 atau jadi perusahaan Amerika terbesar nomor 13, bahkan melebihi IBM.


7. Jika semua uang Bill Gates ditukarkan ke dalam pecahan US$1, kita dapat menyusunnya menjadi jalan dari bumi ke bulan, 14 kali bolak balik. Tapi jalan itu harus dibuat non stop selama 1.400 tahun dan menggunakan total 713 buah pesawat Boeing 747 untuk mengangkut semua uang itu.


8. Bill Gates sekarang berumur 40 tahun. Jika kita mengasumsikan dia dapat hidup 35 tahun lagi maka dia harus membelanjakan US$6,78 juta per hari untuk menghabiskan semua uangnya sebelum dia pergi ke surga.


Sekarang secara diam - diam Bill Gates membagi rahasianya kepada salah seorang yang berasal dari Indonesia, Bill gates memberikan rahasia tentang bagaimana uang dapat diraih dari internet secara mudah, tetapi orang Indonesia itu memberikan bagaimana caranya dan metodenya di websitenya tanpa sepengetahuan Bill sendiri bertujuan untuk mengubah ekonomi bangsa Indonesia menjadi lebih maju lagi melalui internet. Jangan sia-siakan kesempatan ini.

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Seperti Inilah Bentuk dan Penjelasan Singkat 1 Dimensi Sampai 5 Dimensi

Mungkin penjelasan singkat mengenai bentuk dari perspektif dimensi - dimensi yang ada ini dapat menambah informasi untuk kalian.

1. Dimensi ke-1 (1 dimensi)

2. Dimensi ke-2 (2 dimensi)

Koordinat :

3. Dimensi ke-3 (3 dimensi)

3 dimensi ini dapat dilihat dari tiga sudut, sisi panjang, lebar, dan tinggi. Contohnya adalah sebuah bangunan atau bidang yang ber-volume. Hubungannya dengan 2 dimensi adalah dapat dilihat dari satu sisi lagi. Untuk koordinatnya, 3 dimensi ini bersumbukan x, y, dan z.

Koordinat :

4. Dimensi ke-4 (4 dimensi)

Dimensi 4 telah diterapkan pada medis-medis di dunia, yaitu dalam penggunaan USG. 4 dimensi ini adalah 3 dimensi yang dapat ditembus.Contoh yang lebih mudah adalah kalian dapat melihat menembus sebuah gelas air mineral dari segi luar yang masih penuh berisi air.

Inilah sudut pandang kita terhadap dimensi ke-4, menembus dimensi 3. Untuk koordinatnya, 4 dimensi adalah sebuah garis yang menembus antara sumbu x, y, dan z.

Koordinat :

5. Dimensi ke-5 (5 dimensi)

Dimensi ke-5 ini adalah sebuah hologram. Hologram ini benar-benar hidup, alias seperti nyata. Berbentuk 3 dimensi, dapat tersentuh, kita dapat melihat isi dari 3 dimensi tersebut dari luar, dan ini dapat kita tembus.

Di Bank Indonesia ini sudah diterapkan. Bila anda masuk ke lobby di BI, anda bisa masuk ke dalam sebuah museum disana. Di dalam museum ini anda dapat melihat koin-koin yang berterbangan dan merupakan sebuah hologram 5 dimensi.

Anda dapat menyentuhnya, menggesernya, bahkan di hologram ini terdapat fitur untuk melihat sejarah uang tersebut.

Koordinat :

Sumber :
www.kaskus.us

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BOYCOTT ISRAEL CAMPAIGN

BOYCOTT ISRAEL CAMPAIGN

BOYCOTT Coca Cola

Boycott Rating:


From 1966 Coca-Cola has been a staunch supporter of Israel. In 1997 the Government of Israel Economic Mission honored Coca-Cola at the Israel Trade Award Dinner for its continued support of Israel for the last 30 years and for refusing to abide by the Arab League boycott of Israel. Every year Coca Cola bankrolls the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Awards which honors companies that have contributed most to the Israeli economy. In 2009 a Coca-Cola sponsored award went to Israel’s Lobby AIPAC for its lobbying of the Senate to reject of the UN call for "immediate ceasefire" and endorse the continuation of the Israel military assault on Gaza.
In 2008 Coca-Cola tasked the Israeli venture capital Challenge Fund to locate suitable investments in Israel with a promise of "a blank cheque” . This agreement is exceptional in the Israeli venture capital industry.
In 2009 Coca-Cola hosted a special reception at the Coca-Cola world headquarters to honour Brigadier-General Ben-Eliezer. Ben-Eliezer is a wanted war criminal, during the Six-Day War his unit was responsible for the execution of over 300 Egyptian POWs. Under Sharon, Ben-Eliezer served as Defence Minister presiding over the massacre at Jenin.
Coca-Cola Israel owns dairy farms in the illegal Israeli settlements of Shadmot Mechola in the Jordan Valley and a plant in the industrial zone of Katzerin n the occupied Golan Heights.

Last updated: 30 March 2010

Products & Affiliated Companies:

Coca-Cola produces over 3,000 beverages, the full list is available on their website at
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/brands/brandlist.html

In the UK their popular brands include: Coca-Cola Coca-Cola Zero diet Coke Sprite Fanta Lilt Dr Pepper Oasis Kia-Ora Schweppes Five Alive Minute Maid Roses Powerade Relentless Malvern glacéau vitaminwater®

Research Findings:

The Coca Cola Company, with a portfolio of more than 3,000 beverages, is the worlds largest beverage company operating in more than 200 countries. In 2008 Coca-Cola made a gross profit of over $20 billion. It makes its money by supplying concentrates, beverage bases and syrups to its bottling partners world-wide. 76% of Coca-Cola bottlers around the world are owned or partly owned by the Coca-Cola Company. The bottling partners manufacture, package, merchandise and distribute the beverages to their customers who then sell it to consumers. 1.6 billion Coca-Cola's are consumed every day.[12]

Coca-Cola honoured by Israel

From 1966 onward Coca-Cola has been a staunch supporter of Israel.[47] According to the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta "The Consulate and Coca-Cola share a strong relationship and the firm is one of Israel's close trading partners."[34]
In 1997 the Government of Israel Economic Mission honored Coca-Cola at the Israel Trade Award Dinner for its continued support of Israel for the last 30 years and for "refusing to abide by the Arab League economic boycott of Israel. For decades, this cost Coca-Cola the opportunity to sell its products in Arab countries." [48] [ In contrast Pepsi abided by the Arab League boycott of Israel which ended in May 1991, after 1992 Pepsi is also trading in Israel - see [49] ]

Close ties to American-Israel Chamber of Commerce

Coca Cola has always been very closely linked to the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce (AICC). The AICC's mission statement is to boost the Israeli economy by fostering business relationships between Israel and the US (Southeast). Since its founding in 1992, AICC has been involved in completed transactions with Israel valued at more than $950 million[25].

In October 2001 Coca Cola bankrolled and hosted
the very first American-Israel Chamber of Commerce
Awards Gala at the Coca-Cola Company's world
headquaters on North Avenue, Atlanta to honour
those companies and deals that have contributed
most to the Israeli economy.

Like Coca Cola, AICC is also based in Atlanta - it shares a suite with the Israel company GPV[26]. AICC's leadership seems to always includes executives from the Coca Cola Company[21][15] and in return Coca Cola bankrolls many of AICC's activities. The American-Israel Chamber of Commerce (AICC) current Vice Chairman is Joel Neuman from The Coca-Cola Company, the AICC website states that Neuman and the rest of the leadership is "committed to opening doors for Israeli companies within their own companies and network of connections."[15]
Courtesy of AICC's door opening, Coca-Cola Enterprises is now using the services of the Israeli company GreenRoad, which produces software to aid driving behaviour[17].
Coca Cola actively encourages other companies to invest in Israel by sponsoring awards to companies that boost Israels economy. In October 2001 Coca Cola bankrolled and hosted the very first American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Awards Gala at the Coca-Cola Company's world headquaters on North Avenue, Atlanta to honour those companies and deals that have contributed most to the Israeli economy. The awards were given out by Israel’s Economic Minister to North America Zohar Peri[51][42].
In May 2003 the Coca Cola sponsered American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Awards Gala featured as its key note speaker the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Dany Ayalon (current Deputy Foreign Minister - 2010).
Every year Coca Cola bankrolls the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Awards which honors companies that have contributed most to Southeastern U.S.-Israel business relationships by generating both jobs and investment in Israel.[28][29][3][30][31][32]

Coca-Cola sponsored American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star
Awards bestowed the "Community Partner Award" to Israels Lobby AIPAC
for its successful lobbying of the Senate to reject of the UN call
for "immediate ceasefire" and endorse the continuation of the
Israel military assault on Gaza.

And again in 2007 Coca Cola hosted the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Awards Gala at the Coca-Cola Co's headquaters. Coca-Cola’s Israel country manager and strategic planning director for the Eurasia Group, Richard Izsak, was the keynote speaker at the Gala.[4] In May 2009 Coca-Cola sponsored American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards bestowed the "Community Partner Award" to Israels Lobby AIPAC[19] for its successful lobbying of the Senate to reject of the UN call for "immediate ceasefire" and endorse the continuation of the Israel military assault on Gaza.[20].
Coca-Cola sponsered the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce "Southeast - Israel Water Technology Business Exchange held in Atlanta on October 15 2009[27]. Nine Israeli companies pitched their wares followed by one to one meeting with municipal operators and local companies. "We’re pleased to have brought these companies together, and trust that the event will produce business for the Israeli companies and solutions for the Southeast operators and companies" said Gene Rubel of AICC[16].

Coca Cola honouring a war criminal

In September 2009 Coca-Cola hosted a special reception at the Coca-Cola world headquarters to honour Brigadier-General Binyamin Ben-Eliezer[33][34], Israel's ex-Minister of Defense currently Minister of Industry, Trade & Labor. The reception was attended by the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and almost 150 members of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce[18]. Brigadier-General Binyamin Ben-Eliezer is a wanted war criminal. According to Dr.Aryeh Yitzhaki, a mainstream Israeli military historian, the IDF killed around a 1000 Egyptian POWs during the Six-Day War. Ben-Eliezer "Shaked unit" was responsible for one-third of those murders. [44][45]

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (L), and Defense Minister Brigadier-General Binyamin Ben Eliezer at an army camp outside the Palestinian refugee camp of Jenin in the West Bank, 10 April 2002, being briefed on the progress of the on-going slaughter of the Palestinian inhabitants which began 7 days ago.[61]

Dr. Yitzhaki reports that Palestinian volunteers in the Egyptian army were executed Nazi-style in El-Arish in 1967. Gabby Biron, a right-wing journalist who witnessed the murder of about 10 POWs before being forced to leave, confirmed Yitzhaki's report. Biron says that Israeli intelligence officers put POWs one by one through a short interrogation. If the IDF determined by the prisoner's accent that he was Palestinian, he was taken behind the building, forced to dig his own grave, and shot. According to Holocaust survivors, the incident bears a striking similarity to Nazi tactics.[46][44][43]

Defense Minister Brigadier-General Binyamin Ben Eliezer(R), Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon (C) and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (L) - three war criminals watching an army exercise at Shizafon amy base in southern Israel (9 Oct 2002).[61]

Ben-Eliezer was the First Commanding Officer in Southern Lebanon, appointed in 1977, acting as a liaison between the local Christian militias and Israel, laying the foundations for the collaboration which would result in the Sabra Shatilla massacre in 1982. From 1978-1981 he was the Military Governor of the West Bank and from 1983-1984 he was the Government Coordinator of Activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Under Sharon, Ben-Eliezer served as Defence Minister (Mar 2001- Oct 2002) during Operation Defensive Shield where Israel brutally attacked and reoccupied Palestinian cities perpetrating war crimes with total disregard for civilian populations, prominent among them was the massacre at Jenin.

Defense Minister Brigadier-General Binyamin Ben Eliezer(L), Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon (C) and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (R) - three war criminals.[61]

In December 2009 The Coca-Cola Company's Senior Vice President (Research & Innovation), Bilal Kaafarani, was the keynote speaker along with Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren and Israeli Minister of Infrastructure Uzi Landau at the "US & Israel: Confronting Challenges" meeting in New York[22]. The event was organised by the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce which is the Israeli partner of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce.

Coca-Cola Israel - Mossad and the Lobby

Mossad operative Moshe Wertheim (top) is
currently president of Coca Cola Israel.
Abraham Feinberg, pictured (bottom) shaking hands with
President Truman, was Coca-Cola Israel's CEO until his
death in 1998. As a leading Zionist lobbist he
single-handedly arranged the financing of Truman's
presidential campaign. His influence on President
Lyndon Johnson ensured Israel didn't have to sign the NPT.

The Israel-America Chamber of Commerce was headed for five consecutive years (91-96) by a Mossad operative called Moshe Wertheim. Wertheim along with Abraham Feinberg had brought Coca Cola to Israel in 1968, Wertheim is currently president of Coca Cola Israel[13]. Abraham Feinberg was Coca-Cola Israel's CEO until he died in December 1998. He is described by the New York Magazine as "an ardent Zionist and towering member of the American Jewish lobby. Feinberg has played the power game in high places since 1948 when he single-handedly arranged the financing of Truman's underdog whistle-stop campaign. As a result of this coup and his intimate ties to Israeli leaders from David Ben-Gurion to Itzhak Rabin, he became a trusted Truman ally and an insider in all Democratic administrations since."[55] Declassified State Department documents revealled that it was Feinberg's influence on President Lyndon Johnson that ensured Johnson didn't compel Israel to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty before delivering 50 Phantom fighter jets to Israel which had previously been contingent upon Israel forgoing nuclear weapons[56].
Coca Cola Israel (aka Central Bottling Company), with an annual turnover of over $900 million, is among Coca-Cola’s ten largest single-plant bottling facilities worldwide. It provides nearly 5000 jobs in Israel.[5] Coca Cola Israel owns Tara Dairies, Israel's second largest dairy[5], which has dairy farms in the illegal Israeli settlelemts on the West Bank. Tara is a major shareholder of Meshek Zuriel Dairy (approx. 52%), which owns a dairy farm in the settlement of Shadmot Mechola in the occupied Jordan Valley. Additionally, the company holds a third of the shares of Ramat Hagolan Dairies, which is located in the occupied Golan Heights, in the industrial zone of Katzerin where the products of the company are manufactured[6][7].
Coca-Cola Israel also supports the Jewish National Fund[35] and sponsers training programs for its workers on subjects including the Israeli-Arab conflict. The course content is created by a company funded by the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government.[52]
In July 2002, it was announced that Coca-Cola Israel, in return for $55 million in incentives from the Israeli government, is to build a new plant on stolen Palestinian land at Kiryat Gat employing 700 workers.[53] This development did not go ahead due to grant disputes and a new potential location (Ashkelon).
In October 2005, Coca-Cola Israel increased its investment in Israel by buying a 51 percent controlling interest in the Tavor Winery.[54]

'Blank Cheque' Investment in Israel

In March 2007 Coca Cola sent a trade delegation of top executives to Israel. According to Ilan Friedman of the American Israel Chamber of Commerce "the goal is to invest, acquire companies, sign strategic agreements with companies and funds, or merge with Israeli technology companies."[1][2] It was the first time the American Israel Chamber of Commerce had ever taken representatives from a single corporation to Israel.[4]
Following the trade delegation, Muhtar Kent, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company, in June 2008 addressing the Israel Food Industries Association conference in Tel Aviv revealed Coca Cola's investment plan for Israel: "We've also set up an incubator program in Israel that focuses on new ideas and technologies emerging in areas like packaging, functional ingredients and water usage. Our goal is to select the most promising technologies, test them and commercialize them."[11] Coca-Cola has tasked the Israeli venture capital fund Challenge Fund to locate technology opportunities on the firm's behalf and promised "a blank check" for any suitable investments. This agreement with Coca Cola is exceptional in the Israeli venture capital industry[24].

Coca Cola CEO denies Palestinians

In August 2009 Muhtar Kent, the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company, was invited to Israel to speak at the Globes Conference on Social Responsibility in Tel Aviv.[8]

Caught on camera: Coca-Cola delivering to
the illegal Israeli settlement of Ariel[58]

In his surreal speech on 'Social Responsibility' he praised Coca-Cola's 'great bottling partner' in Israel the Central Bottling Company (aka Coca Cola Israel) and talked of "Our vision of sustainability at Coca-Cola is a world where all people have access to safe water.. where our communities and our neighbors are prosperous.." - this a few miles from besieiged Gaza where Amnesty International in its report for the same year titled "Troubled Waters: Palestinians denied fair access to water"[9] revealled "90-95% of the water in Gaza is contaminated and unfit for human consumption" - Gazans (56% of whom are children) have to drink contaminated water because Israel is denying them drinking water. Coca Cola CEO never once mentioned Gaza - as if it never exsisted, instead he praised Golda Meir as a 'great leader' reflecting 'social responsibility'. Golda Meir had likewise denied the existance of the Palestinian people - "There is no such thing as a Palestinian people... It is not as if we came and threw them out and took their country. They didn't exist." He went on to talk of Coca Cola's sponsership of the Special Olympics and how he had met several Special Olympic athletes from Israel, but again never mentioning Palestinian athletes like 21 year old Lyad Abuelkheir[10] who suffers from Down's syndrome and was due to compete in the handball competition at the Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003 but was preveted from attending by the Israeli authorities despite holding an Irish visa.

Sponsoring propaganda

For most of the last two decades, every year Coca Cola has sponsored the JCC (Jewish Community Centre Association), in particular JCC Summer Camps (eg $77,500 in 2007[36]) and the JCC Maccabi Games where 6000 Jewish teens from different countries participate each summer.

The JCC Maccabi Games is sponsored by Coca-Cola
every year for most of the last two decades. Its mission
statement is to cultivate Jewish youth in an informal setting
to "encourage their identification with the state of Israel"[39]

In its mission statement it states that the JCC Maccabi Games aims to cultivate Jewish youth in an informal setting to "encourage their identification with the state of Israel"[37]. The JCC aims to "strengthen connections between North American Jews and Israel". The JCC achieves this through recruiting emissaries from Israel (shlichim), who are specially trained to whitewash Israels crimes, to help run their summer camps. The Jewish Agency for Israel trains shlichim, as a requirement it insists all candidates must have served in the Israeli army (IDF). Those targeting yougsters must "endeavors to impart Jewish heritage and Zionism, to encourage members of the community to visit Israel.. and representing Israel before the general public"[40]. The JCC sends youth delegations on propaganda trips to Israel where the reality of the occupation is hidden away[38]. It also has strong links to the military ("serving the needs of Jewish military personnel")[36]. In February 2002, Coca-Cola teamed up with "Friends of Israel" and National Hillel to cosponser a lecture given by the infamous zionist correspondent Linda Gradstein at the University of Minnesota.[50]
The Coca-Cola Company funds collaborative research projects between the University of Minnesota and Tel Aviv University through its support of "The Lieberman-Okinow Endowed Chair in Disease Resistance Breeding in Cereal Crops".[41]

Other nefarious activities

As with its support for Israel, Coca-Cola has a particularly rotten record right across the board, including:

1. Coca-Cola driking the world dry Three litres of water are used to make one litre of Coca-Cola. In order to satisfy this need for vast amount of water, Coca-Cola is increasingly taking over control of aquifers in communities around the world. These vast subterranean chambers hold water resources collected over many hundreds of years. As such they the represent the heritage of entire communities, Coca-Cola is squantering it resulting in shortages of water in communities around the world.[57]
2. Double Standards - Coca-Cola Toxic in India
A Coca-Cola bought in India is not the same as one bought in the US or UK - in India it will contain over 30 times the EU limit for pesticides and include banned substances blamed for birth defects and cancer.[59]
3. Coca-Cola accused of killing workers in Colombia
Trade unions around the world have launched a boycott of Coca-Cola products, alleging that the company's locally owned bottlers in Colombia used illegal paramilitary death squads to intimidate, threaten and kill its workers.[60]

Additional Information & References:

[1]	Coca Cola to examine Israeli technologies (2007-3-12) Sources inform ''Globes'' that a delegation of Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) executives is due to visit Israel next week to examine Israeli technologies. The American Israel Chamber of Commerce Southeast Region arranged the visit. AICC Southeast Region Israel director Ilan Friedman said today that Coca Cola would use the visit to examine advanced technologies and concepts of Israeli companies in areas that affect all aspects of Coca Cola’s business. “The idea is to examine whether Israel has technologies suited to Coca Cola. The goal is to invest, acquire companies, sign strategic agreements with companies and funds, or merge with Israeli technology companies.” Friedman added that the Coca Cola delegation would include executives and managers involved in investments and mergers, including executives from the company’s investment arm. Coca Cola is interested in a great many companies with innovative technologies that touch on all aspects of its business. These fields include improved energy exploitation, packaging, water, improving financial and organizational procedures, taste and aroma substances, advanced preservatives, green fuels, warehousing, inventory management, and asset management. Source: http://www.ivc-online.com/ivcWeeklyItem.asp?articleID=5484
[2]	Global Coca-Cola Delegation to Yokneam (2007-3-28) A delegation of four senior Global Coca-Cola representatives lead by Tom Glazer, president of the Atlanta Israel-America Chamber of Commerce arrived in Yokneam on March 21st in order to examine options for cooperation with leading technological firms of Yokneam-Megiddo and northern Israel, in the areas of water and energy, flavor enhancers, and manufacturing. Yokneam Mayor Simon Alfassi hosted the delegation in his office, with Megiddo Regional Council Mayor, Hanan Erez, joining in welcoming the guests. Tom Glazer was responsible for initiating contacts between Coca-Cola and heads of the municipalities and various company representatives. Glazer has been promoting commercial and business cooperation between Atlanta and Yokneam for 15 years; he is a frequent visitor to the region, arriving several times each year. In the past decade about 45 Israeli firms have begun operations in Atlanta thanks to the excellent relationship created between the two sides. While contacts with representatives of Israeli firms were facilitated by Ilan Friedman, the Israeli representative of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Anat Harel, the new director of the Regional Development Unit assisted in all logistic arrangements of this important visit . Mayor Alfassi greeted the delegation, saying that Yokneam and Megiddo possess proven potential for the establishment of a Coca-Cola branch in the region-this thanks to Yokneam's successful industrial park, with an approximate annual turnover of $1 billion and considered one northern Israel's most successful parks, as well as Yokneam's excellent geographical placing. Alfassi noted that this cooperation which began as part of Jewish Agency Partnership 2000 in 1992 between Atlanta-St. Louis and Yokneam-Megiddo has proven itself above and beyond expectations.. Source: http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Israel/Partnerships/Regions/Yokneam/News/2007/news-0703-cola.htm
[3]	2006 American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards Gala The 2006 Eagle Star Awards Gala - AICC's largest annual community event - was held at IBM's Northside Parkway corporate campus. Corporate sponsors included IBM (Host), Atlanta Business Chronicle (Platinum), The Coca-Cola Company (Gold), Grant Thornton, BellSouth, Delta Air Lines, and Smith Gambrell & Russell (Silver), McKesson, TTI Telecom, Veritas Venture Partners, Troutman Sanders, DeutscheBank Alex.Brown, National Distributing Company, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, WMLB, and Given Imaging (Bronze), and the Consulate General of Israel, Miller Richmond Company, Marsh and McLennan, Omni National Bank, and The Blass Group (Patron). Source: http://www.rad-wireless.com/Article/0,6583,28670,00.html
[4]	2007 American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards Gala ..the 6th annual Eagle Star Gala that was held at Coca-Cola Co.’s headquarters on North Avenue. The gala recognizes companies that have made significant achievements to strengthen the Israel-Southeast U.S. business relationship. .. The chamber’s work with Coca-Cola, the host of the Eagle Star Gala, has also been a success, according to Mr. Glaser - president of the American-Israel chamber. In March, the American-Israel chamber led Coca-Cola executives on a trade mission to Israel, which was the first time the chamber had ever taken representatives from a single corporation to the country. Coca-Cola’s Israel country manager and strategic planning director for the Eurasia Group, Richard Izsak, was the keynote speaker at the Eagle Star Gala. He mentioned Coca-Cola’s interest in collaborating with Israeli companies during his speech. “Israel is clearly a place for innovation…and home to innovative companies in a variety of fields vital to the future strategic growth and competitive advantage of the Coca-Cola Company – nanotechnology, life sciences, agriculture, water treatment, flavors and fragrances, and more,” Mr. Izsak is quoted in a chamber press release. advertisement - story continues below If Coca-Cola ends up collaborating with Israeli companies, Mr. Glaser told GlobalAtlanta that he would consider taking other Southeast-based corporations on trade missions to the country. There are currently 40 Israeli companies that have operations in Georgia. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the country is Georgia’s 18th largest trading partner. Source: http://stories.globalatlanta.com/2007stories/015289.html
[5]	The Central Bottling Company (Coca Cola Israel) ..the Central Bottling Company is a group of companies with a combined annual turnover of over $900 million.. ..CBC hhas held the Israel franchise for Coca-Cola products since 1968, which today include Coca-Cola, Diet Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Nestea, and Kinley Soda. It is among Coca-Cola’s ten largest single-plant bottling facilities worldwide, and Israel has one of the world’s highest per capita consumption of Coca-Cola products. Tara Dairies – Milk & Dairy Products Established in 1942, Tara was aacquired by the Group in 2004. The country’s second largest dairy in terms of milk processing, its workforce of 450 processes 140 million liters of milk annually, with a 12% market share and products including milk drinks, cheeses, yogurts and spreads. Source: http://duns100.com/ts.cgi?tsscript=comp_eng&duns=600057582
[6]	Tara (Milco Industries) Fully owned by The Central Bottling Company (Coca Cola Israel) of Moshe (Muzi) Wertheim. Subsidiaries: Meshek Zuriel Dairy, Ramat Hagolan Dairies. The company has an exclusive agreement with Müller (Germany) to produce and market Müller's products in Israel. The company is a major shareholder of Meshek Zuriel Dairy (approx. 52%), which owns a dairy farm in the settlement of Shadmot Mechola in the occupied Jordan Valley. Additionally, the company holds a third of the shares of Ramat Hagolan Dairies, which is located in the occupied Golan Heights, and products of the company are manufactured there. Source: http://www.whoprofits.org/Company%20Info.php?id=782
[7]	Ramat Hagolan Dairies Owned by Strauss (through Gideon Holdings) (33%) and Tara (33%). The company's facilities are located in the industrial zone of Katzerin, an Israeli settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. Source: http://www.whoprofits.org/Company%20Info.php?id=711
[8]	Globes Conference on Social Responsibility, Tel Aviv (2009-8-31) Over the course of 123 years, the men and women of the Coca-Cola system have built one of the world's most recognized and valued brands. In fact, today, Coca-Cola is the second-most universally recognized term on the planet. Only the term "okay" is recognized by more people around the world. The strength... the resolve... and the sustainability of our brand is directly related to the social license that we have earned from billions of consumers around the world over all these years. It's an honor and a responsibility we don't take lightly and which we will never take for granted. In today's connected global economy and interwoven social networks, a brand with 123 years of credibility can be discredited -- and even destroyed -- in a matter of 123 seconds. .. Our vision of sustainability at Coca-Cola is a world where all people have access to safe water, where our packaging is a valuable resource for the future, and where our communities and our neighbors are prosperous. We have seen through our own experiences -- time and again -- that our business in any market is only as healthy and sustainable as the community in which we operate. For instance, here in Israel, our great bottling partner, Central Bottling Company (CBC), has placed a great deal of innovation focus on water use. These initiatives have resulted in the highest rates of water efficiency among the 200 countries we serve. And they carry a clear environmental message in a country -- and a planet -- where water preservation is of utmost importance. Last summer I had the great privilege of being here in Israel to celebrate the 4 th anniversary of CBC with my good friends Muzi Wertheim and Ronnie Kobrovsky.. ..Israel, of course, has long been a beacon of women's leadership in business, education, government, military, science and the arts. Golda Meir -- one of the great leaders of her time -- really reflected the national psyche towards sustainability and social responsibility when she said... "We do not rejoice in victories. We rejoice when a new kind of cotton is grown and when strawberries bloom in Israel." ..A great example of a socially responsible culture-building experience is the relationship we've cherished over the years with Special Olympics. There's no question that The Coca-Cola Company has seen further -- and gone further -- through our 41-year partnership with Special Olympics. Special Olympians and their family members like Tali Kornhauser right here in Israel are truly special people. Last year, I had the good fortune of meeting Tali and several Special Olympic athletes from Israel, including her daughter, Lin. Tali graciously invited me to be here today.. Source: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/viewpoints_kent_globes_conference.html
[9]	Amnesty: New report accuses Israel of denying water to Palestinians (2009-10-27) Source: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=18466
[10]	Israel Prevents Palestinian Athlete Attending Special Olympics Carl O'Brien, The Irish Times, 23 June 2003 It was confirmed yesterday that a 21-year-old Down's syndrome athlete from Palestine, who was unable to cross the Israeli-controlled border, will not be attending the Games. Mr Lyad Abuelkheir, who was due to compete in the handball competition, was not allowed to cross the border between Gaza and Egypt despite holding an Irish visa. The chairman of the host town committee in Kinsale, Co Cork, expressed frustration at the actions of the Israeli authorities. Source: http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-news-0417.html
[11]	Coca-Cola CEO at Israel Food Industries Association We've also set up am incubator program in Israel that focuses on new ideas and technologies emerging in areas like packaging, functional ingredients and water usage. Our goal is to select the most promising technologies, test them and commercialize them. The world's food industry needs innovation like never before. This year's conference takes place at a critically important and challenging time for the world's food industry... and at an important time for Israel as you celebrate your 60th anniversary. Source: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/viewpoints_kent_israel_food_industries.html
[12]	From Coca-Cola annual review 2008: Source: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/pdfs/2008_annual_review/2008_annual_review.pdf
[13]	The Begin-Sadat Center For Strategic Studies Bulletin (Jan 2007, No 21) ..The dinner was sponsored and chaired by another backer of the BESA Center, Muzi Wertheim, a well known Israeli businessmen who is the owner in Israel of the Coca Cola Company and of Bank Mizrachi, and former chairman of the U.S.-Israel Chamber of Commerce. Wertheim was also a legendary Mossad agent.. Efraim Halevy, the previous head of Israel's famed Mossad foreign intelligence agency, was the keynote speaker at the BESA Center dinner. "We are in a Third World War, against radical Islam," declared Halevy.. Source: www.biu.ac.il/Besa/bulletin/bulletin21.pdf Moshe Wertheim was president of Israel-America Chamber of Commerce between 1991-1996 Israel-America Chamber of Commerce presidents: Joshua Maor : 1986-1991 Moshe Wertheim : 1991-1996 Hanan Achsaf : 1996-1998 Yaacov Yisraeli : 1998-2003 Amb. Zalman Shoval : 2003-2008 Nechemia Peres : 2008- ( http://www.amcham.co.il/spages/Executive+Committee-t-Committees.htm)
[14]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce The Coca-Cola Company is a member of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Source: http://www.aiccse.org/membership/AmMembershipInfo.aspx?BusinessMemberID=7711
[15]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Leadership AICC is blessed with a strong leadership representing the constituencies of our membership including executives from Southeastern corporations, technology companies, and professional firms as well as Israeli companies' top management from their US or regional headquarters based in the Atlanta area. They are committed to opening doors for Israeli companies within their own companies and network of connections. Joel Neuman - Vice Chairman American-Israel Chamber of Commerce (The Coca-Cola Company) Source: http://www.aiccse.org/About/LeadershipBoardofDirectors.aspx
[16]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce "Southeast - Israel Water Technology Business Exchange held in Atlanta on October 15 2009 Israel Water Technology Business Exchange 2009 was sponsored by Coca-Cola. As part of its keynote address Tamar Cienhanover of the Challenge Fund and D.V. Darshane of The Coca-Cola Company explained "The Coca-Cola Company Perspective" photo src: http://picasaweb.google.com/guy.aicc/ WaterExchange?feat=embedwebsite#5392942325611797282 Source: http://aiccse.wordpress.com/2009/10/
[17]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Newsletter: GreenRoad Establishes Eastern US Sales HQ in Atlanta (16 Jan 2009) GreenRoad, founded in Israel with its R&D headquarters in Beit Dagan, has established its Eastern US Sales headquarters in Atlanta. The company's corporate headquarters is now in Redwood City, California, and they also maintain a sales office in London. GreenRoad provides a technology-based service to measure and improve driving behavior.. combines in-vehicle technology with integrated web applications that continuously rate driving skills and behavior, train drivers in real time by providing feedback as they drive.. GreenRoad has clients in numerous industries including food & beverage, defense, commercial trucking, public transportation, and telecom. Among the companies using their services in the Southeast is Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Enterprises. "We look forward to the support companies like ours receive from the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce," said Pete Allen, GreenRoad's general manager-North America. Source: http://www.aiccse.org/NewsLetter/NewsletterPreview.aspx?NewsletterID=73
[18]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Newsletter: Israel's Minister of Industry, Trade & Labor Visits Atlanta Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Israel's Minister of Industry, Trade & Labor, visited Atlanta on September 9th. His visit was coordinated by the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, SE Region in cooperation with the Israel Economic Mission and Consulate General of Israel with support of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. "We acknowledge and appreciate AICC's many contributions to building business between the US and Israel over the last 18 years. Your organization is a model to be emulated around the world," said the Minister. AICC arranged meetings for the Minister with top executives of major corporations in the area including GE, Mueller Water Products, The Coca-Cola Company, and AT&T. He also met with Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and Ken Stewart, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. A highlight of the one-day visit was the Minister's participation in a meeting of AICC's Board of Directors and a special reception, attended by almost 150 chamber members that followed, hosted by The Coca-Cola Company. Board members had the opportunity to have direct dialogue with the minister about economic development. At the reception, Bilal Kaafarani, Coca-Cola's Senior VP of Research & Innovation, shared exciting progress about their "incubator" project in Israel that is sourcing Israeli innovation in a number of sectors of importance to their company. "It was an honor for us to host Minister Ben-Eliezer and his delegation and a unique opportunity for them to see our organization in action, better understand the strength of our region, and consider ways we can develop even more sophisticated cooperation with Israel," said AICC Board Chairman Charlie Harrison. Source: http://www.aiccse.org/Newsletter/NewsletterPreview.aspx?NewsletterID=81
[19]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards 2009 - Coca-Cola was a Gold Sponsor. American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards 2009 Purpose: To celebrate the people and companies who have made the most significant impact on business between the Southeast and Israel, and to recognize their achievements with the AICC Eagle Star Awards. Attendees: 300 of the most influential members of the area's business and Jewish community Keynote Speaker: Asaf Vitman, Israel's Minister of Economic Affairs in the US Community Partner Award: APAIC - America's Pro-Israel Lobby Source: http://www.eaglestargala.com/2009/sponsors.html Source: http://www.eaglestargala.com/2009/index.html
[20]	Amnesty vs. AIPAC: Senate to Consider AIPAC Resolution Endorsing War in Gaza By Robert Naiman, January 8, 2009 The Senate could consider as early as today a resolution promoted by AIPAC intended to effectively endorse the continuation of the Israeli military assault in Gaza. In particular, the resolution does not call for an "immediate ceasefire," but for a "durable and sustainable ceasefire," which is the Bush Administration's code for continuing the war - the excuse the Administration has given for why the war must go on. Nor does the resolution call for ending the blockade on Gaza, even though the blockade is also an act of war. Last Friday, Amnesty International USA sent an "urgent" letter to Secretary of State Rice, calling on her to end the Bush Administration's "lopsided response" to the ongoing Israeli military attacks on Gaza that have killed more than 600 Palestinians, including some 200 children. "Amnesty International USA is particularly dismayed at the lopsided response by the U.S. government to the recent violence and its lackadaisical efforts to ameliorate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the letter said. Amnesty urged the Bush Administration to "go beyond rhetoric and exert concrete pressure on both parties to immediately cease unlawful attacks." Unfortunately, the U.S. Senate, at the urging of AIPAC, is poised to embrace the Bush Administration's "lopsided" and "lackadaisical" response. Source: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Amnesty-vs-AIPAC-Senate-by-Robert-Naiman-090108-850.html
[21]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce board 1997-1998 Executive Committee Mr. Edward Shartar The Coca-Cola Company Source: http://web.archive.org/web/19971222015026/http://aiccse.org/board.htm 2005-2006 Board of Directors Mike Rosenberg The Coca-Cola Company Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20051220075840/www.aiccse.org/About/LeadershipBoardofDirectors.aspx
[22]	US & Israel: Confronting Challenges, New-York, December, 3, 2009 (part of Israel-America Chamber of Commerce Israel Business Leaders Delegation to the United States) Source: www.oscar4b.com/iacc/program.doc
[23]	Cleantech co Blue I a hit with Mekorot, Coca Cola 28/08/2007 Blue I also recently completed another successful pilot at the facilities of The Central Bottling Company (Coca Cola Israel Ltd.), following which its devices were installed at production plants in Brazil and South America. As a result Coca Cola is to adopt Blue I's system in place of the one designed by US water technology firm Hach Company, and install at it the group's manufacturing facilities across the US. Blue I Technologies founder, president and CEO Tsur Ben-David said, "Following the success of our water control system at Coca Cola plants in Israel, Brazil and South Africa, a senior delegation from the company's headquarters in Atlanta visited us several weeks ago, and a further meeting was held last week at the company's US headquarters. The recognition of our technology by an international corporation like Coca Cola will open up doors for us in other global food and beverage conglomerates, and commercial corporations in general." Aside from the fact that Coca Cola's manufacturing business - light beverages - is based on water, so the company attaches importance to the integration of water purification technologies in its manufacturing, the company is also considering the setting up of an cleantech R&D center in Israel, focusing principally on water and alternative energy, and its assessment of Blue I Technology as a potential investment target is one of the alternatives under consideration in this regard. Ben David said he believed that the potential sales of its systems to Coca Cola could reach $100,000. Source: http://archive.globes.co.il/default.aspx?ID=1000248407#doc_1_of_1
[24]	Challenge Fund becomes Coca Cola tech spotter Israeli venture capital fund Challenge Fund - Etgar has signed an agreement with Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) under which it will locate technologies and knowledge opportunities on the firm's behalf and manage its investments in Israel. .. The agreement with Coca Cola is exceptional in the Israeli venture capital industry. Corporate entities have invested and continue to invest either in companies directly or in venture capital funds themselves, but this agreement is unlike any of these models. Sources inform ''Globes'' that Coca Cola has not allocated any capital to finance the implementation of the agreement, but has promised a blank check for any suitable investment. Challenge will locate suitable companies and Coca Cola will decide whether it wishes to invest in them. .. Challenge has not raised a new fund since 2000, and the latest agreement with Coca Cola may well provide it with the impetus it needs to do so. Source: http://archive.globes.co.il/searchgl/ Challenge%20Fund%20becomes%20Coca%20Cola%20tech%20 spotter_h_hd_2L34mDp4sE5mnC30mCpKrDJSoBcXqRMm0.html
[25]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards 2009 The American-Israel Chamber of Commerce is a bi-national business association with the mission of increasing economic development by fostering understanding, cooperation, and business relationships between Israel and the Southeast. Since its founding in 1992, AICC has been involved in completed transactions valued at more than $950 million, creating jobs and benefiting the economies of both Israel and the Southeast. AICC targets a range of projects involving import, export, research & development, direct investment and joint ventures. Key areas of focus include software, telecommunications, cleantech, life sciences, real estate, and security. Source: http://www.prlog.org/10243849-527-americanisrael-chamber-of-commerce-to-honor-israeli-company-of-the-year-and-deal-of-the-year.html
[26]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, SE Headquarters Address: 1150 Lake Hearn Drive Suite 130 Atlanta, Georgia 30342 United States Source: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/american-israel-chamber-of-commerce-se GVP US Office: 1150 Lake Hearn Drive Suite 130 Atlanta, Georgia 30342 Source: http://www.gpv-point.com/
[27]	American-Israel Chamber of Commerce "Southeast - Israel Water Technology Business Exchange held in Atlanta on October 15 2009 Source: http://www.usisraelexchange.com/water09/sponsors.html
[28]	Coca-Cola Gold Sponsor of 2nd American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards 2003 (2nd Annual Eagle Star Awards Gala, Thursday, May 29, 2003) Keynote Address: Danny Ayalon, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20031226062841/www.eaglestargala.com/index.html Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20031226063043/www.eaglestargala.com/sponsors.html Coca-Cola Gold Sponsor of 3nd American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards 2004 Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20040606041932/http://www.eaglestargala.com/sponsors.html
[29]	Coca-Cola Gold Sponsor of 5th American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards (2006) Event corporate sponsors included IBM (Host), Atlanta Business Chronicle (Platinum), The Coca-Cola Company (Gold), Grant Thornton, BellSouth, Delta Air Lines, and Smith Gambrell & Russell (Silver), McKesson, TTI Telecom, Veritas Venture Partners, Troutman Sanders, DeutscheBank Alex.Brown, National Distributing Company, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, WMLB, and Given Imaging (Bronze), and the Consulate General of Israel, Miller Richmond Company, Marsh and McLennan, Omni National Bank, and The Blass Group (Patron). Source: http://www.eaglestargala.com/2007/eaglestar2006.htm
[30]	Coca-Cola hosted the 6th American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards (2007) at the The Coca-Cola Company Headquarters Source: http://www.eaglestargala.com/2007/sponsors.html
[31]	Coca-Cola Gold Sponsor of 7th American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards (2008) Source: http://www.eaglestargala.com/2008/sponsors.html
[32]	Coca-Cola Gold Sponsor of 8th American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards (2009) Source: http://www.eaglestargala.com/2009/sponsors.html
[33]	Israeli Minister's visit strengthens ties For the first time in years, Atlanta has played host to a member of the Israeli cabinet. Brigadier-General Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Minister for Industry, Trade, and Labor, made a trip to Atlanta Sep. 9 to strengthen the already prosperous economic relationship between Israel and the South.. ..the Minister met with other major area economic players at Coca-Cola, and discussed Israel's economy with, among others, Coke CEO Muthar Kent and AT&T Vice President William Hague. The visit was capped off with a reception at Coca-Cola, hosted by the beverage giant and the American Israel-Chamber of Commerce. The AICC's regional chapter and its President Tom Glaser, based in Atlanta, have played the lead role in fostering investment to and from Israel. Minister Ben-Eliezer currently serves in the Knesset as a member of the Labor Party. He has previously held posts as Israel's Minister of Defense, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Infrastructure, Minister of Communications, and Minister of Housing Construction. He was born in 1936 in Baghdad, Iraq and joined the IDF in 1954. There he served laudably during the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War, and the War of Attrition. He was the First Commanding Officer in Southern Lebanon, appointed in 1977, acting as a liaison between the local Christian militias and Israel. From 1978-1981 he was the Military Governor of the West Bank and from 1983-1984 he was the Government Coordinator of Activities in the Israeli territories. Source: http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/interbiz/2009/09/israeli_ministers_visit_boosts_economic_ties.html
[34]	Press Office: Consulate Press Releases [Oct 12, 2009] The [Israeli] Consulate and Coca-Cola share a strong relationship and the firm is one of Israel's close trading partners. The company Atlanta headquarters was also the host of a September event in honor of the visiting Brig. General Benyamin Ben-Eliezer, Israel's Minister for Industry, Trade, & Labor. Source: http://atlanta.mfa.gov.il/mfm/Web/main/document.asp?documentid=168942
[35]	Coca-Cola Israel sponsors "KKL-JNF World Leadership Conference" Source: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1209627065723&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
[36]	Coca Cola sponsers JCC Source: http://www.jccworks.org/sponsors_vendors.html 2004: The Coca-Cola Company® Funds JCC Association/Coca-Cola Day of Caring/Day of Sharing Program for Summer Camps " The Coca Cola Company has been a continental sponsor of the JCC Maccabi Games® for over 14 years" Source: http://www.jcca.org/press_DOCDOS.htm 2005: The Coca Cola Company® Again Funds Community Service Program for JCC Summer Camps Source: http://www.jcca.org/Press_Release/press_DOCDOS%2706.htm 2007: The Coca Cola Company® Again Funds Community Service Program for JCC Summer Camps Source: http://www.jccworks.org/Press_Release/press_DocDos%2707.htm
[37]	JCC Maccabi Games Source: http://www.jccmaccabigames.org/
[38]	About JCC Association Source: http://www.jccworks.org/about_us.html
[39]	photo from JCC Maccabi Games Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2169230&id=21786084982&ref=mf
[40]	The Jewish Agency recruits and trains dynamic young and talented shlichim (emissaries) from Israel for educational placement in Jewish communities, youth movements, schools, Jewish organizations and campuses around the world as Areivim. These shlichim are committed to strengthening Jewish identity and create a connection between Diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel. The young community shaliach works directly within the community - with children, youth, students and adults. He or she endeavors to impart Jewish heritage and Zionism, to encourage members of the community to visit Israel. Areivim will work to provide the community with a taste of Israel.. and representing Israel before the general public.. Shlichut Requirements: Single and resident in Israel; aged 23-30; graduate of IDF.. Hasbara - Israel Advocacy skills.. Source: http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Educational+Shlichut/Arevim
[41]	American-Israel Chamber Of Commerce Promotes Academic And Research Exchanges Between University Of Minnesota And Israeli Educational And Research Institutions August 10, 1998 Source: http://www.aiccmn.org/pr81098.htm
[42]	On October 11, 2001, the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, whose mission is to highlight and encourage economic ties between the United States and Israel, plans to hold an awards ceremony at Coca-Cola’s world headquarters honoring “people and companies who have made a significant impact on business between the Southeast and Israel.” Source: http://www.animalrights.net/articles/2001/american-israel-chamber-of-commerce-threatens-to-sue-in-defense-of-animals/
[43]	Egypt anger over 1967 'massacre' BBC News, 5 March 2007 An Israeli Cabinet member has postponed a trip to Egypt, amid media reports his army unit may have killed 250 Egyptian POWs during the 1967 Middle East war. Binyamin Ben-Eliezer denies the allegations, saying the dead were Palestinian fighters killed in combat. Mr Ben-Eliezer, Israel's infrastructure minister, had been due in Cairo this week to discuss natural gas imports. "Following false publications in the Egyptian press, both sides decided to postpone," his spokesman said. A senior Israeli official quoted anonymously by AFP said the affair was becoming a major diplomatic incident. "The relations between the two countries are compromised," the official was quoted saying. Israel Radio said intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who takes a lead role in Egypt's negotiations with Israel, told Mr Ben-Eliezer not to come because he could be arrested. The claims were aired last week in an Israeli documentary, described by its director as a "self-examination" of Israel's use of force during the war. "In Egypt, the opposition is taking the story and distorting it into an issue to disrupt the peace," film-maker Ron Edelist said on Israel Army Radio. The Egyptian media reports said the documentary showed that Mr Ben-Eliezer's unit killed 250 Egyptian prisoners of war in the Sinai peninsula rather than taking them to POW camps. The affair has dominated Egyptian headlines for two days and it sparked an angry debate in parliament. Egyptian foreign ministry officials have requested a copy of the film from the Israeli government and summon its ambassador in Cairo to explain Israel's position. Israel captured the arid Sinai peninsula from Egypt in the Six Day war of 1967. The two sides signed a peace treaty in 1979 which saw the territory returned. Claims that Israeli troops massacred about 1,000 Egyptian POWs in several incidents in Sinai were first raised in 1995 by Israeli military researcher Aryeh Yitzhaki. At the time Mr Ben-Eliezer said he was not aware of any POW killings by his troops. The story soured relations between Israel and Egypt for months. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6419471.stm
[44]	As Evidence Mounts, Toll of Israeli Prisoner of War Massacres Grows By Katherine M. Metres, Feb/Mar 1996 Just as reports of the 1956 massacres implicate Rafael Eitan, a prominent right-wing figure in contemporary Israeli politics, reports now coming out of Israel regarding the 1967 war pose a serious threat to the current Labor government, because they implicate "Fouad" Ben Eliezer, the minister of housing. Aryeh Yitzhaki, a mainstream historian, states that "in the Six Day War the IDF killed approximately 1,000 Egyptian soldiers who had ceased functioning as a fighting force." Apparently, Eliezer's Shaked unit was responsible for one-third of those murders, which occurred during an operation called "Gazelle Hunt" because the IDF slaughtered the soldiers as they retreated (Ha'aretz, 8/17/95). Dr. Yitzhaki reports that Palestinian volunteers in the Egyptian army were executed Nazi-style in E1-Arish, another area of the Sinai, in 1967. Gabby Biron, a right-wing journalist who witnessed the murder of about 10 POWs before being forced to leave, confirmed Yitzhaki's report. Biron says that Israeli intelligence officers put POWs one by one through a short interrogation. If the IDF determined by the prisoner's accent that he was Palestinian, he was taken behind the building, forced to dig his own grave, and shot. According to Holocaust survivors, the incident bears a striking similarity to Nazi tactics. Were these crimes of passion or part of a planned campaign? Until a comprehensive investigation is undertaken, we can only speculate. As regards the "Gazelle Hunt" murders, Israeli leftist activist Eli Aminov says, "It is clear to any military expert that the order given to the Shaked patrol was part of a more extensive body of orders. This is evident from the large number of Egyptian soldiers killed in battle during June 1967 compared to the number of prisoners taken. The Egyptian army was crushed and fell apart after a few battles and most of it retreated in disorganization" (News From Within, 9/95). Unsurprisingly, the Egyptian public is outraged by these reports. (Palestinians may be equally outraged, but for them the new reports merely elaborate on known atrocities that, however, Western reporters had refused to credit until Israelis confirmed the reports in print.) After Cairo's semi-official newspaper Al-Ahram reported that Egyptian officials found two mass graves near El-Arish in September said to contain the remains of POWs and unarmed civilians executed by the IDF in 1967, opposition papers called on the Mubarak regime to withdraw its ambassador from Tel Aviv in protest. The Muslim Brotherhood has linked its denunciation of the massacres with its opposition to the peace process. From the center and left of the political spectrum, more than 200 prominent citizens formed a committee to seek justice. Egyptian judges and international law professors met at Cairo University to assert that Egypt has the right to demand extradition and to try those allegedly responsible. Several private lawyers have filed lawsuits against the Israeli government on behalf of the victims' families. The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights sent evidence to U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and called for a full U.N. inquiry. Source: http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0296/9602017.html
[45]	'Historians: Israeli troops killed many Egyptian POWs', Associated Press, Karin Laub, 16 August 1995 Military historian Aryeh Yitzhaki told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Israeli troops carried out several mass killings in 1967 in which about 1,000 Egyptian prisoners were killed in the Sinai. Yitzhaki, who worked in the army's history department after the war, said he and other officers collected testimony from dozens of soldiers who admitted killing POWs. On June 9-10, 1967, about 400 Egyptian and Palestinian prisoners were killed in the sand dunes of El Arish, Yitzhaki said. He said it began when some of the prisoners opened fire after surrendering and fatally shot two Israeli soldiers. He said Israeli soldiers "became angry and fired at every Egyptian and Palestinian ... for several hours," Yitzhaki said. "Commanders lost control over the force." Yitzhaki said there were six or seven other incidents in which Israeli troops opened fired on POWs, usually after "provocations. Yitzhaki said a report on the killings submitted to his superiors has been locked away in a safe at military headquarters. "The whole army leadership, including (then) Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Chief of Staff Rabin and the generals knew about these things. No one bothered to denounce them, Yitzhaki said. Yitzhaki said some of the Soldiers involved in the killings were under the command of Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, now housing minister. Ben-Eliezer's spokeswoman, Ofra Preuss, said the minister "does not know anything" about such killings. Another Israeli historian, Uri Milstein, said there were many incidents in the 1967 war in which Egyptian soldiers were killed by Israeli troops after they had raised hands in surrender. "It was not an official policy, but there was an atmosphere that it was OK to do it," said Milstein, a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. "Some commanders decided to do it, others refused. But everyone knew about it." Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20031211100314/http://www.mideastfacts.com/pow_ap.html
[46]	Mass Graves, by Gabby Bron, Yediot Ahronot Aug 17 1995 It was the publication of the claims, made by Dr. Aryeh Yitzhaki, about what really occurred during the Six Day War [June 1967] that caused me to recall what had happened and what I and my comrades had seen during my reserve service. On the third day of that war we saw Egyptian POWs being executed after a "court martial". The explanation given to us was that those killed were Palestinian "Fedayin" fighters from the Gaza Strip who had disguised themselves as soldiers in order to escape from our forces". I witnessed their executions with my own eyes in the morning of June 8, 1967 in the airport area in al-Arish, Sinai. This was where the headquarters of the brigade commanded by General Israel Tal, in which I had served, were located. On that morning we heard that hundreds of Egyptian POWs were being held in the headquarters and we had time to go to look at them. About 150 POW's were held in an open building serving as a cover for airplanes, surrounded on three sides by high sand-bag embankments. They were densely crowded and sitting on the ground with their hands on the back of their necks. Adjoining the prison compound, guarded by military police, there were two men sitting at a table. They wore Israeli army uniforms and steel helmets with faces almost entirely covered by sun glasses and khaki-colored handkerchiefs. Every few minutes, the military police took one of the POWs from the prison compound and escorted him to the table. A short conversation, which we were not able to hear, was then conducted. Following it, the POW was escorted by two military policemen to a place behind the building. I followed the procedure. The POW was escorted to a distance of about 100 meters from the building and given a spade. I watched the POW digging a big pit which took about 15 minutes. Then the policemen ordered him to throw out the spade. When he did so one of them pointed his Uzi gun at the POW inside the pit and shot two short bullet bursts, consisting maybe of three four bullets each. The POW fell dead. After a few minutes another POW was escorted to the same pit, forced to go into it and was also shot dead. A third POW was brought to the same place and also shot dead. Since the process was repeated a number of times, the grave was filled up. I witnessed about ten such executions. We were standing there, near the place where the POW's were being held and we watched silently. The fact that a number of soldiers were watching the spectacle was apparently unwelcome because after a time Colonel Eshel, the commander of the communication battalion of the brigade, appeared and shouted at the soldiers, ordering them to leave. When we didn't show any willingness to obey, Colonel Eshel pulled out his personal revolver and threatened us with it. Raising his voice even more, he was able to get the soldiers to obey, including me. Source: http://www.umassd.edu/specialprograms/mideastaffairs/witness2.htm
[47]	The Israeli government website (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in its timeline of key events in Israels history lists only six events for the year 1966. One of the six acknowledges Coca-Cola's support for the zionist state: "Coca Cola announces its plans to open a plant to produce Coca Cola in Israel, despite the Arab boycott" Source: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Modern+History/Israel+at+50/Timeline+of+Events-+Half+a+Century+of+Independence.htm
[48]	The Southern Shofar -- the Jewish newspaper of Alabama Coca-Cola honored by Israel in Atlanta The American Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Israel Economic Mission honored Coca-Cola and chairman Roberto Goizueta at the Israel Trade Award Dinner in Atlanta on May 29. Goizueta has worked for Coca-Cola since 1954, transferring to the Atlanta headquarters in 1964. In 1980 he was elected president and chief operating officer. Coca-Cola has served the Israeli market for 30 years, refusing to abide by the Arab League economic boycott of Israel. For decades, this cost Coca-Cola the opportunity to sell its products in Arab countries. Source: http://www.bham.net/shofar/1997/0697/nbriefs.html
[49]	Prior to 1992, Pepsi had backed the other horse, choosing to service the lucrative Coke-less Arab markets in the boycott days. For its decision to stay out of Israel (and thus itself avoid being placed on the Arab League's blacklist), Pepsi faced continued criticism in the United States. In certain circles it was considered politically incorrect to be seen drinking Pepsi. The Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith investigated claims that Pepsi was participating in the boycott of Israel. U.S. law prohibited American companies from taking part in this boycott, but the law was vague, and outright violations were hard to pin down. Nothing ever came of the investigations, and Pepsi was never placed on the American government's list of violators. Source: http://www.snopes2.com/cokelore/israel.htm
[50]	Coca-Cola sponsor pro-Israel propaganda lecture On Tuesday February 19th 2002, Coca-Cola helped through a partnership with the University of Minnesota, fund a pro-Israel propaganda lecture given by Linda Gradstein. The event was cosponsored by zionist organizations like Friends of Israel, and National Hillel. leaflet for the event Electronic Intifada have recently exposed Linda Gradstein for taking payments from zionist organizations whilst claiming to be the impartial Middle-east Correspondent for National Public Radio(NPR). Read the full story: Source: http://electronicintifada.net/actionitems/020219gradstein.html
[51]	On October 11th 2001, Coca-Cola World Headquarters hosted the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Eagle Star Awards Gala in which “Israeli Company of the Year”, “Israeli Technology of the Year”, etc awards were given out by Israel’s Economic Minister to North America Zohar Peri. The Coca-Cola Company was also the Platinum sponser of the whole event. Source: http://www.rdu-yok-meg.org.il/HereAndNow/Newsletter/newsletter.htm
[52]	Coca-Cola Israel is sponsering training programmes for its workers from the immigrant communities, especially from the former Soviet Union, who have not been brought up in the zionist "culture" and who "often have difficulty integrating". The subject matter of the program includes the Israeli-Arab conflict. The workers attend weekly meetings where participants have to read and analyze texts. The organisation running the program, Meitar, is also funded by the Jewish Agency, and the Israeli Ministries of Education and Absorption. Source: http://www.meitar.org.il/news/news.htm
[53]	Coca Cola to build plant on stolen Palestinian land Coca-Cola Israel, in return for $55 million in tax breaks from the Israeli government, is to build a new plant in Israel on land stolen from the Palestinians. The new plant will employ 700 israelis. The land in question is Qiryat (Kiryat) Gat. Intel is already facing possible legal problems for building its chip plant on the same stolen land. The Kiryat Gat industrial park is built on the lands of the village of Iraq Al Manshiya whose residents were ethnically cleansed in 1949 in contravention of International law. For full information please see: http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-news-0226.html Original story appeared in Ha'aretz(19-July-2002) Source: http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-news-0226.html
[54]	Coca-Cola increase investment in Israel 18 October 2005 Haaretz has reported that The Central Bottling Company (Coca-Cola Israel) has bought the 51 percent controlling interest in the Tavor Winery, furthering its ambition to have a holding in every sector of the beverages business. Central Bottling Company confirmed the report, which brings the soft drinks company smack into the heady realm of wine making, though refused to be drawn on the price paid. For years the Central Bottling Company had been looking for a medium-sized or big winery to buy and turn into a subsidiary. Tavor Winery an Israeli company is based on occupied Palestinian land at the foot of Mount Tavor, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/635442.html
[55]	The Buck Stops...Somewhere Over there by Philip Nobile pg14, New York Magazine 21 Mar 1994 Source: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WeMCAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA14&ots=iEWD1j3y_5&dq=Abraham%20Feinberg%20coca%20cola&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q=&f=false
[56]	How Nixon helped Israel seal its nuclear ambiguity By Amir Oren, Haaretz Oct 7 2009 The fascinating saga is chronicled at length in previously classified State Department documents. Two officials with the rank of undersecretary, Paul Warnke from the Pentagon and Parker Hart from the State Department, tried to make the sale of 50 Phantom fighter jets contingent upon Israel forgoing nuclear weapons and surface-to-surface missiles. Warnke and Hart enlisted the support of Clifford, Rusk and National Security Adviser Walt Rostow, hoping that the lame duck Johnson - who was waiting to see who would triumph in the November 5 election, his vice president Hubert Humphrey or the Republican candidate Richard Nixon - would press Israel to give in and become a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, thus giving Johnson something to leave behind as a positive legacy of his presidency, so badly bloodied by Vietnam. In the deal, according to the documents, Warnke set down four tough conditions for Israel: It shall not deploy or attempt to deploy strategic missiles without prior warning and American consent, it shall not manufacture or acquire strategic missiles and nuclear weaponry without prior warning and American consent; it must accede to semi-annual inspection (Israel insisted on the term "visits") at certain sites, including Dimona, and it shall supply full information regarding any plan to obtain nuclear capability, and sign and ratify the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.. After the election, the victor, Nixon, refused to help Johnson compel Israel to join the non-proliferation regime. Israel's Judgment Day weapon, the analysts said, was a guy named Abe Feinberg, a friend of Johnson, who persuaded him to shelve the conditions for the Phantom sale. In fact, two coups were achieved at once: For the first time, Israel would be receiving an advanced American fighter jet (the Skyhawk, the model that preceded the Phantom, was inferior to it), and Coca-Cola, which Feinberg obtained the license to manufacture here. Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1105811.html
[57]	War On Want - Coca-Cola driking the world dry 19 Nov 2007 Coca-Cola's operations rely on access to vast supplies of water, as it takes almost three litres of water to make one litre of Coca-Cola. In order to satisfy this need, Coca-Cola is increasingly taking over control of aquifers in communities around the world. These vast subterranean chambers hold water resources collected over many hundreds of years. As such they the represent the heritage of entire communities. Coca-Cola's operations have particularly been blamed for exacerbating water shortages in regions that suffer from a lack of water resources and rainfall. Nowhere has this been better documented than in India, where there are now community campaigns against the company in several states. research carried out by War on Want in the Indian states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh affirms the findings from Kerala and Maharastra that Coca-Cola's activities are having a serious negative impact on farmers and local communities. Coca-Cola established a bottling plant in the village of Kaladera in Rajasthan at the end of 1999. Rajasthan is well known as a desert state, and Kaladera is a small, impoverished village characterised by semi-arid conditions. Farmers rely on access to groundwater for the cultivation of their crops. but since Coca-Cola's arrival, they have been confronted with a serious decline in water levels. Locals are increasingly unable to irrigate their lands and sustain their crops, putting whole families at risk of losing their livelihoods. Local villagers testify that Coca-Cola's arrival exacerbated an already precarious situation. Official documents from the government's water ministry show that water levels remained stable from 1995 until 2000, when the Coca-Cola plant became operational. Water levels then dropped by almost 10 metres over the following five years. Locals fear Kaladera could become a 'dark zone', the term used to describe areas that are abandoned due to depleted water resources. Other communities in India that live and work around Coca-Cola's bottling plants are experiencing severe water shortages as well as environmental damage. Local villagers near the holy city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh complain that the company's over-exploitation of water resources has taken a heavy toll on their harvests and led to the drying up of wells. As in Rajasthan and Kerala, villagers have held protests against the local Coca-Cola plant for its appropriation of valuable water resources. In the now infamous case of Plachimada in the southern state of Kerala, Coca-Cola's plant was forced to close down in March 2004 after the village council refused to renew the company's licence, on the grounds that it had over-used and contaminated local water resources. Four months earlier, the Kerala High Court had ruled that Coca-Cola's heavy extraction from the common groundwater resource was illegal, and ordered it to seek alternative sources for its production.. Also see: War on Want's Alternative Report on Coca-Cola: http://www.waronwant.org/attachments/Coca-Cola%20-%20The%20Alternative%20Report.pdf Source: http://www.waronwant.org/news/latest-news/15153-coca-cola-drinking-the-world-dry
[58]	Caught on camera - Coca-Cola delivering to the illegal Israeli settlement of Ariel Source: http://corporateoccupation.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/coca-cola-delivering-to-ariel/
[59]	Double Standards - Coca-Cola Toxic in India A Coca-Cola bought in India is not the same as one bought in the US or UK - in India it will contain over 30 times the EU limit for pesticides and include banned substances blamed for birth defects and cancer.[59] Source: http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-news-0422.html
[60]	Coca-Cola accused of killing workers in Colombia Trade unions around the world have launched a boycott of Coca-Cola products, alleging that the company's locally owned bottlers in Colombia used illegal paramilitary death squads to intimidate, threaten and kill its workers. Source: http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-news-0396.html
[61]	Photo evidence - war criminal Brigadier-General Binyamin Ben Eliezer Source: http://www.life.com/image/1466502 Source: http://www.life.com/image/1466490 Source: http://www.life.com/image/970664 Source: http://www.life.com/image/970663 Source: http://www.life.com/image/970662 Source: http://www.life.com/image/970661 Source: http://www.life.com/image/924635 Source: http://www.life.com/image/859703 Source: http://www.life.com/image/859700 Source: http://www.life.com/image/859694 Source: http://www.life.com/image/859691 Source: http://www.life.com/image/924807 Source: http://www.life.com/image/1466502 Source: http://www.life.com/image/1466502 Source: http://www.life.com/image/1466502

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