Suppose you are a leftist Israeli politician and your party stands for the destruction of your own nation. To whom do you turn when your website needs a little spiffing up? Why, The Party of Blasphemy, Buggery, and 'Bortion!
World Net Daily: Israeli PM's party plagiarizes from Texas Democrats?
Kadima rep warns WND against highlighting almost word-for-word similarities
Kadima USA, the American branch of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's political party, (Huh? Does the John Birch Society know about this?- F.G.) featured on its official website policy summaries that match almost word-for-word detailed paragraphs on the same topics published on the Texas Democratic Party's website.
In many instances, the only differences between the Texas website and that of Kadima were the inclusion of the words "Kadima," "Jews" and "Israel" in the place of "Texas," "Democratic Party" and "America."
One Kadima USA representative would not comment on the organization's website and its likeness to the Texas Democratic Party's site, but he warned WorldNetDaily against printing a story on the subject.
"You are making enemies with the wrong people," said Solomon Vas Diaz, executive director of Kadima USA.
Solomon Vas Diaz? Only in America, baby.
That reminds me of a story. Once there was a boxing manager who's fighter wore a Star of David on his trunks. In one interview the manager said "Only in America can an Italian kid pretend he's Jewish and beat up on Puerto Ricans to earn a living".
"This is rank and file plagiarism," said New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, D-Brooklyn, who first brought the website similarities to light.
"Kadima USA copies the policy platform, and I mean literally copies it, from the website of President George Bush's opponents in his hometown of Texas."
Hikind told WND he thought something was "a little off" upon browsing the Kadima USA site.
"Things seemed very generic, almost like what should be descriptions of an American political party," said Hikind.
So the politician performed a series of Web searches using select sentences from the Kadima USA site. He said the top search results repeatedly linked to the Texas Democratic Party's website.
Upon closer inspection, Hikind learned sections of both sites were almost exactly the same.
One section of the Texas website, entitled, "The Democratic Mission," states: "United by a sense of purpose and recognition that elections do have consequences, Texas Democrats are working to elect public servants who practice the most fundamental democratic principle: that public policy decisions should be guided by honest open debate. …"
A similar section was featured on the Kadima USA website until it was taken down following a query from a reporter for the New York Jewish Week, a local Jewish newspaper.
According to Jewish Week, Olmert's American site featured a section titled, "The Democratic Mission for Zion and Israel."
That section stated, "United by a sense of purpose and recognition that elections do have consequences, Kadima USA is working to elect public servants who practice the most fundamental democratic principle: that public policy decisions should be guided by honest, open debate. ..."
I guess boilerplate is still boilerplate, even in Hebrew...
The Kadima USA website reportedly even lifted the Texas Democratic Party's take on Middle East policy.
The Democratic website contended that "lasting stability in the Middle East depends upon a true, mutually respectful peace with safe and secure borders and governments dedicated to peace and democracy for Israelis and Palestinians.
"We affirm our long-standing policy that such a peace must result from direct negotiations between willing and responsible partners. Texas Democrats call for an end to all preaching and teaching of hatred and intolerance and for the withdrawal of support from agencies and programs that promote hatred. America must not dictate a solution, but we must be prepared to assist and encourage actions that lead toward peaceful coexistence, and we note with dismay the current administration's lackluster efforts to encourage those who seek a lasting peace in the Middle East."
The Kadima site included word-for-word most of the same paragraph but skipped the last sentence, which criticizes the Bush White House.
...flapdoodle, too. It kind of makes you proud to be a citizen of the universe, doesn't it?
Kadima's stated general ideology also mimics the Texas site.
"Kadima believes Israel draws its power from the trust and respect of other nations, not only from the might of weapons," read the Kadima USA site.
The Texas site announces: "Texas Democrats believe America draws its power from the trust and respect of other nations, not only from the might of weapons."
Sick.
A policy section entitled "Education" on the Texas website demands, "Equal opportunity for all Texans to achieve and succeed in their efforts to get a quality education, find a good job, buy a home, provide health care for their families. …"
The Kadima USA platform on education espouses, "Equal opportunity for all Jews to achieve and succeed in their efforts to get a quality education, find a good job, buy a home, provide health care for their families. …"
Jewish Week noted Kadima's education section does not take into account non-Jewish Israelis, including Arabs, who make up about 20 percent of Israel's population.
At least 17 sections of the Kadima USA site were similar or identical to those featured on the Texas Democratic Party's site.
One paragraph on the Kadima USA website actually spoke out against plagiarism.
"[W]e must build support for strong intellectual property laws that prevent piracy and other forms of theft worldwide," stated the Kadima site.
The sections in question have been removed from Kadima's website.
The Texas Democratic Party's website reportedly was posted in 2004, before the Kadima Party was founded by late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Some questions even have been raised as to the originality of the Kadima name. The main logo on the Texas site reads, "Moving Texas Forward." Kadima is the Hebrew word for "Forward."
Spokesmen for the Texas Democratic Party's offices were not available for comment before press time. A voicemail message announced the offices were closed yesterday with employees attending a state democratic convention.
Marc Schneier, who recently was appointed by Olmert as president of Kadima USA, did not return repeated calls for comment.
Instead, Dan Wassner, a representative for Ruder Finn, a Jerusalem-based public relations firm working with Kadima USA, contacted WND and said Schneier was not involved in website development. Wassner said a webmaster was responsible for the site's content and was fired.
"Schneier did not know anything about the website. He wasn't involved in its development. He found out who was behind those sections of the website and that person was fired," said Wassner.
Schneier also is founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, the Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach and the New York Synagogue in Manhattan. He has close ties to many significant Kadima donors.
One member of Kadima USA said one of its representatives was responsible for the website's content and not a webmaster, but he refused to elaborate.
"You have to talk to Schneier," the Kadima USA member said.
Hikind demanded an explanation from Kadima.
"I don't believe Schneier for a minute," he said. "It is absurd to think he wasn't involved in creating the stated Kadima USA platform. How can he copy from the Texas Democrats? He owes everyone an apology and an explanation. Olmert needs to look for new American leadership."
Hikind, an outspoken critic of Olmert's planned evacuation of Judea and Samaria, said he originally was drawn to the Kadima site after reading a full-page ad placed by Schneier in last month's New York Times that Hikind said implied most American Jews support the withdrawal plan.
The ad stated, "The American Jewish Community stands as one with the State of Israel and fully supports the Prime Minister's quest for peace."
"Pure baloney," said Hikind. "When did Kadima USA do a poll that showed the majority of American Jews support Olmert's quest? It's about as true as Kadima's website featuring original content."
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