Richard Maize

Rochelle and Richard Maize

Richard Maize Family Plants 650 Trees for Green Halloween

The Richard Maize family home in Los Angeles went totally Green this Halloween at the initiative of Ally Maize and the Green Youth Movement (GYM) of which she is the founder.

The Richard Maize home was completely "Hallo-greened" with Great pumpkins, witches, hobgoblins, gravestones and loads of other Halloween paraphernalia...

"Our house looked amazing and many people came from great distances to see and take pictures," said Ally's father, Richard Maize, a Los Angeles businessman and real estate broker, and a co-founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation.
(also see a video of the Eek-O Friendly Halloween House here: http://tinyurl.com/yfjrdw9 ).

But it wasn't just for show! The theme was developed around a strong "Eek-O Friendly" message, driving home the need to recycle and take care of the environment.

Moreover, the Richard Maize family has made a real contribution to the future: "We had around 650 trick-or-treaters come by and we gave them two types of organic candy - they hated that I am sure" Richard Maize said.

The kicker is that the Richard Maize Family committed to planting a tree for each and every trick-or-treater who came by. "The Maize family has thus planted 650 trees for the future, " he added.

Following in her family's socially-conscious footsteps, Ally founded the Green Youth Movement with the goal of educating kids all over the world on living green, and to one day establish this very important information as part of the curriculum in our elementary schools. The mission of GYM is to educate kids and teens about environmental awareness, eco-friendly behavior and small steps that collectively embraced by this age-group can make a big difference for the future.

Ally Maize states: "I am passionate about the environment and I am taking a stance to help with issues regarding global warming. I have built this web site (http://www.greenyouthmovement.org/ ) not only as a resource for those people seeking information but for those people who want to try to make a difference and help our environment.

"As founder of GYM, I hope to one day garner the support of politicians and educators to create a practical and research based environmental course of study that would ultimately become integrated in every elementary school education curriculum across the nation.

"It is my belief that providing youth with meaningful and practical methods of conserving and utilizing resources is the key to changing the direction of global warming. As the effects of global warming continue to advance from a theoretical construct to a reality, it is necessary that each of us assume responsibly to make a difference. Establishing The Green Youth Movement has been my way to embrace what I regard as one of the most significant issue that plagues our future."

GYM aims to enlighten young children and their parents about the vulnerable state of our environment and challenge them to think about the world around them.

Ally's watchword is a quote by Mahatma Gandhi: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

Maize Family Supports Chase Child Life Services Golf Day Fund Raiser

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation has rallied to the support of the Chase Foundation's Child Life Program a non-profit organization which addresses the social, emotional, and developmental needs of children dealing with the stress of illness and hospitalization.

The program was originally established by the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital nearly 40 years. In 2000 it was renamed in honor of Chase Richards who died from cancer at the age of two-years-old. His parents, Susan and Robin Richards, co-founded the Chase Foundation with the aim of ensuring that the Child Life Program was available at no cost to patients under the age of 21 and their families.

Through the Chase Foundation Annual Golf Tournament, held for the past 12 years to raise funds in support of the Chase Child Life services, the Maize family has generously participated in the sponsorship effort.

This year's tournament was held on November 9 at the El Caballero Country Club. Thousands of dollars were raised to ensure that every child admitted to Los Angeles Children's Hospital will be able to participate in and benefit from its Child Life program.

Richard Maize commented: "We were honored to be able to support the efforts of the Chase Child Life Services through our participation in this fun event...the event may be fun, but the intent behind it is deadly serious - We are talking about improving the lives of hospitalized children and their families"


According to Susan and Robin Richards, the Chase Foundation’s sole mission is to support the Chase Child Life Program which operates on the principle that the best medical care alone isn’t enough. The Child Life Staff addresses the emotional, social, and developmental needs of children. The Chase Child Life Program strives to promote optimum development of children and their families, to maintain normal living patterns and to minimize psychological trauma. Their moving story is related in their web site: (http://www.chasefoundation.org/ )

"We lost our son, Chase, shortly after his second birthday. Cancer relentlessly took his life, but his last few weeks were spent in a hospital where, remarkably and thankfully, he was given the chance to be a child. In between procedures, Chase and his siblings met with Child Life Specialists who helped them learn how to deal with this terrible situation. They were able to play, draw, be with other children and forget about his illness, even if for only a few minutes, thanks to the Child Life Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

After Chase passed, we learned that only a fraction—about 25% of the hundreds of children at the hospital each day—had access to the program due to limited funding. We were determined to help secure the financial resources to see that every child at the hospital gains access to the Child Life Program and its art, play, therapy and interactive programs. We started a nonprofit organization—The Chase Foundation—to generate significantly more financial support for the Child Life Program and to create better play spaces for the children on every patient floor.

"When we founded the Chase Foundation there was one playroom and two specialists working with the kids. Because of our foundation's support there are now six playrooms, one Teen Lounge and 20 specialists. We will always remember how the children enjoyed playing at the hospital, and are determined to see that more children each year gain a few more moments of peace, fun and childhood in their incredible young lives and incessant battles with illness," said Richard Maize.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to local and worldwide causes. By providing financial support to focus on art, culture, family services and healthcare, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation helps ensure that those in need and their families can live more fulfilling lives.


The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation generously supports foundations and causes such as the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Board of Governors, and the Jewish Maccabi Games, one of the world’s largest annual summer sporting competitions for Jewish youth.

Richard Maize Rescues Young Drug Addict

This is the heart-rending story of a young man ruined by alcohol and drugs, who, with the help of Los Angeles real estate broker and entrepreneur, Richard Maize, has been rescued from certain death.

Richard Maize personally tells the story of a friend and his 29-year-old son, addicted to drugs and alcohol:

''We’ll call him Aaron. His father had never really made a success of any occupation. Over the years, I have loaned – in a sense, given – him money. But in an effort to get the father to take responsibility for his life, I told him that the money tree was dry and I would not give him anything further.

“I was serious. I expected the father to go out and get a job, which he did. But the job barely covered most of his bills. A few months ago, Aaron requested money from me for ‘back payments on his car.’

“I analyzed the situation and realized the amount he was looking for was less than a ‘band-aid’ and there was something else going on in his life that needed attention. I turned down that request. He denied any other issues in his life. Aaron was once a star high school athlete in both baseball and football. He had a fiancé who was a doll. He lost all of that to alcohol that he admitted he had ‘used horribly’ since he was 17 years old.

“Recently, on my birthday, his father called me early to wish me a happy birthday but I recognized that he was distraught. He was with his son at his apartment in ‘survivor’ mode.

“His son, as I thought months ago, had more of a problem than needing some money for car back payments. He had a severe drug-drinking problem and was literally drinking himself to death. He was in the process of trying to detoxify himself, and hadn't slept, eaten or drunk for six days.

“He was thus terribly dehydrated and couldn't walk. His father, through my recommendation, called Bet T'shuva for a rehab alternative and to get help. I donate to this cause and thought I could be of some help. They turned him down and said that he needed to detoxify before they would considered his entry there.

“The father searched frantically for a hospital where his son could get medical attention and a suitable place (or any place for that matter) to detoxify. No place would allow them without up-front money. He was literally dying on the street.

“I put my feelings about outstanding balances between us behind me and paid the hospital the $2,500 up front to put Aaron into the ‘detox’ program. He would then go into a program at Bet T’shuva.

“Both he and his father have since called me and thanked me sobbingly for saving his life.”

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to local and worldwide causes. By providing financial support to focus on art, culture, family services and health care, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation helps ensure that those in need and their families can live more fulfilling lives.


The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation generously supports foundations and causes such as the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Board of Governors, and the Jewish Maccabi Games, one of the world’s largest annual summer sporting competitions for Jewish youth.

Richard and Rochelle Maize Foundation Supports Victims of Hurricane Katrina

A story has just emerged about Richard Maize and the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, which typifies the level of philanthropy and modesty with which this family helps those in need.
The roots of the story are embedded in Hurricane Katrina and one family’s plight and search for a new life.

A professional man – (name withheld) – and his young family, were typical of the victims of this natural disaster. In an effort to start a new life after their home was completely destroyed, they packed their belongings – what was left of them – into their car and drove the thousands of miles to Los Angeles. After staying in a hotel for about six weeks, the man and his wife struggled to re-establish a home and a life for their family.

To do this, the man had to commute to Louisiana on a regular basis to maintain his professional business, while his wife remained in Los Angeles to look after the children and see them settled into their new school.

It was during this difficult period that the family met Richard and Rochelle Maize, who on hearing their story, spontaneously offered assistance as part of their effort to heal those who had been affected by Hurricane Katrina.

In a heart-felt letter, just released, the man states: “I cannot explain in detail the kindness and extensive efforts that Richard and his wife have exhibited to my family to assist us and make us feel welcome I the Los Angeles community...suffice to say they did and I will be eternally indebted to the Maize family for their goodwill.

“I have come to know Richard and respect him as a man of character who is extremely devoted to his family and community...I truly consider him a friend.”

Richard Maize Sponsors Archer Dads, L.A. Works, Children Uniting Nations

Los Angeles ---- October 18, 2009 ..... Despite his dedicated involvement in the world of business, initiating and sponsoring international human rights advocacy Web sites and being involved in major national support programs, Rochelle and Richard Maize and their family are very grounded in the local Los Angeles community and are very active and visible in supporting and working for local events and charities.

Witness their involvement in two major local events – and the heart-warming story of a lost puppy.

Since the beginning of this month, and particularly this past weekend, the Richard Maize Foundation initiated a call for volunteers to help with “The Great Pumpkin” a drive to raise funds through Pumpkin Patch for Charity.

Local organization, Archer Dads, in association with the L.A. Works, City Year and Rock the Classroom, held a Pumpkin Patch and Halloween Carnival in conjunction with the Archer Fall Festival this past weekend. In making the call for volunteers, Richard Maize said he felt a strong need to be involved with local community events and dedicated himself and his family to community service at a grass-roots level.

“This is our community, this is where we live and work, and this is where our friends and associates are," said Maize. "We are committed to helping the local community apart from all the apparently significant national and international events and organizations in which I and my family have been and are involved, we see the local community as a prime target of our humanitarian work.”

As a further example of this approach, Richard Maize and his family are instrumental in sponsoring Children Uniting Nations (CUN), a proactive organization created to bring attention to the plight of “at-risk” and foster youth.

The goal is to reach as many children in out-of-home care by offering role-model support, guidance, and a sense of community and to promote the importance of education.

“The support services, awareness and advocacy provided by CUN have resulted in large-scale community involvement successfully proliferating positive achievements in the lives of children in foster care. CUN brings to the table a strong community collaborative designed by regarded experts in the foster care and mentoring communities,” said Maize. "In support of the organization to raise funds for the organization, a day of the child, has been organized for Sunday, November 22, at the Santa Monica airport."

Day of the Child is a free, one-day event benefiting foster and at-risk youth that features live entertainment by chart topping music groups, celebrity appearances, food and festivities.

Past celebrities and entertainers include Stevie Wonder, Black Eyed Peas, WyclefJean, Chaka Khan, Colby O’Donis, Maria Conchita Alonso, Miguel Nunez, Christina Milian, Aaron Carter, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, The Power of Three, DJ Spinderella, Slade Smiley and Erik Estrada.

This is the organization’s largest mentor recruitment event, consisting of over two thousand attendees including foster children, mentors and volunteers,” Richard Maize quoted the event’s organizers as saying.

“A huge promotion of public awareness to the needs of foster and at-risk children, through extensive media coverage is needed.”

Support by individuals, organizations and companies and will pay for the mentoring of hundreds of children in Los Angeles for a day of filling hopes and dreams. Sponsorship also provides support for training of permanent mentors for foster children.

But sponsorship and organizational support aside, Richard and Rochelle Maize have a soft spot for animals – particularly lost animals.

Richard tells of a recent incident, a “doggy dilemma”, in which he and his wife found a stray dog.

“As we were walking our two dogs in our neighborhood, we found a lost dog wandering on the streets. We bent down do find that the dog had no collar around its neck. In fear that the dog would either be taken – or worse – we picked it up and took it home, which was about three blocks from where we found it wandering. The dog was a cute female Shih-tsu."

“As seen many times in the past when dogs are lost, there are many signs posted on trees and lamp posts describing lost dogs with a phone number. There were no such signs anywhere,” Richard recounts.

“I went traveling up and down the streets stopping other dog walkers and neighbors showing them this dog and asking if they knew who owned it. No one knew."

“The third day of caring for this dog, we decided to plaster the neighborhood with our own signs. After three more days there were no calls. We even went to the local veterinarian hoping the dog carried a computer chip and we could thereby identify the owners. There was a chip that was under the dog’s skin that was probably there at birth, but it was not activated with any information. We called the local dog pound in hopes someone was looking for their dog."

“Now, we had boarded this dog for six days doing everything responsibly to find its rightful owner. Having a third dog in our house is something we really didn’t want in our lives. I needed to find a caring family to take this dog as their own.”

Richard continued: “I found this lonely, yet capable elderly couple to care for this dog. The dog and the couple fell instantly in love with each other.

“I learned that the couple canceled their evening plans to go to dinner to care for this dog. They went to the local pet store to buy the proper food and gave their new dog a bath and haircut. The couple made a special place on their bed for the dog to sleep.

“Yesterday, I got a call from the supposed owner. He had seen a sign on his street. I told him that after I had acted in what I believed was a totally responsible way, I gave the dog to an elderly couple who love the animal and will give it a good home."

“I added that he had now put me in a very uncomfortable position. Most importantly, this could break the hearts of a nice couple to whom I had entrusted the dog," said Maize.

“Why did it take him eight days to call or even seriously look for this dog? Is he a good owner of the dog? Does he even care? Was it my responsibility to house this dog for six days while searching for the owner? Did he lose the right to the dog? It is now 24 hours since he called me, and had yet to follow it up with another call. If it was one of my dogs, I would not sleep until I found my dog doing everything I could to find it."

“This is a real dilemma – we believe we acted responsibly, notifying the entire neighborhood about the stray animal, he took either days to respond but do I have the right to decide how long is the right amount of time to take a dog away from its owner?

“One last thing I didn’t mention - the elderly couple are my mom and dad.”

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to local and worldwide causes. By providing financial support to focus on art, culture, family services and healthcare, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation helps ensure that those in need and their families can live more fulfilling lives.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation generously supports foundations and causes such as the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Big Brothers / Big Sisters (BBBS) of Greater Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Board of Governors, Los Angeles Police Foundation and the Jewish Maccabi Sports Games, one of the world’s largest annual summer sporting competitions for Jewish youth.

Most recently, The Richard Maize Foundation sponsored the UN Goldstone Israel Gaza War Report and the Israel Human Rights websites to illustrate how a free and open democracy such as Israel has the basic right to defend herself against unprovoked Islamic terrorism from Gaza.

A leader, mentor and dedicated banking mortgage professional, Richard Maize resides in Beverly Hills along with his wife and foundation co-founder, Rochelle Atlas Maize and their two daughters, Amanda and Ally.

Richard Maize Addresses Israel Human Rights

In a determined campaign to further boost exposure of the inaccuracies and damage caused by the UN Goldstone Report , Richard Maize will be publishing a number of exerpts from this report and from the Association of Human Rights in Israel website.

Human Rights and Israel

The United Nations fact-finding mission examining Israel's Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in Gaza has been published. Headed by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, the mission's 575-page report (PDF format) found that "Israel committed actions amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity."

This bald statement, according to Richard Maize, condemns Israel out of hand and consigns it to the heap of rogue states and regimes which regularly and without conscience disregard human rights, trampling on the basic civil liberties of its citizens and those of other countries.

Richard Maize stated that his web site is dedicated to examining Israel’s Human Rights record and explaining its Basic Law, which defines and upholds the rights of its citizens (broadly speaking) and those of other countries – particularly of refugees pouring into Israel to escape persecution and even death in their home countries and by countries through which they pass seeking sanctuary. Israel is one of the few countries which has opened its gates despite the many difficulties – social and financial – which are a result of this humanitarian action, Richard Maize added.

What do we mean by “Human Rights?”
(sourced from: Absolute Astronomy)

“Human Rights” refers to the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education, Richard Maize said.

Rights are legal or moral entitlements or permissions. Rights are of vital importance in theories of justice and deontology (the study of what is morally obligatory, permissible, right, or wrong). Many contemporary notions of rights are Universality and egalitarianism, with equal rights granted to all peoples. Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights, said Richard Maize, include civil and political rights, such as the right to Life, Liberty, Freedom of Speech, Culture, the Right to Food, the Right to Work and the Right to Education.

Political Freedom

Political freedom is the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual by the use of coercion or aggression. The members of a free society would have full dominion over their public and private lives, Richard Maize quotes.

Life

Life is a characteristic of organisms that exhibit certain biological processes such as chemical reactions or other events.

Liberty

Liberty, the freedom to act or believe without being stopped by unnecessary force, is generally considered in modern times to be a concept of political philosophy and identifies the condition in which an individual has the right to act according to his or her own free will, Richard Maize added.

Freedom of Speech

The freedom to speak freely without censorship or limitation. The synonymous term “freedom of expression” is sometimes used to denote not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.
Culture

The word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses, Richard Maize asserts:

* Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities
* An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning
* The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group

Right to Food

Right to adequate food is a human right, inherent in all people, to have regular, permanent and unrestricted access, either directly or by means of financial purchases, to quantitatively and qualitatively adequate and sufficient food corresponding to the cultural traditions of people to which the consumer belongs, and which ensures a physical and mental, individual and collective fulfilling and dignified life free of fear.

Right to Work

The right to work, said Richard Maize, is the concept that people have a human right to work, and may not be prevented from doing so. The right to work is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law through its inclusion in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

Right to Education

Richard Maize believes the right to education is recognized as a human right and is understood to establish an entitlement to free, compulsory primary education for all children, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all children, as well as equitable access to higher education, and a responsibility to provide basic education for individuals.

Israel Human Rights is Concerned for ALL People

Humanitarian Aid to Gaza During IDF Operation

Despite hostile terror attacks on UN humanitarian aid convoys, the Israel Defense Forces risk the lives of their soldiers to ensure that the civilian population in Gaza has food and medical supplies, Richard Maize said. In the phoptographs below, one can see medicine and ambulances are delivered to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing during the Israel operation in Gaza:



Richard Maize provides the following statistics showing how, throughout the Israel Defence Forces operation in Gaza, Israel continued to ensure that the civilian population in the Gaza Strip received food, medicines and other humanitarian necessities:

* 37,159 tons of Israel humanitarian aid on 1503 trucks were transferred via the Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings (food, medication and medical supplies).
* 1,535,750 liters of heavy duty diesel for the Gaza power station
* 234 tons of gas for domestic use
* 188,000 liters of diesel for UNRWA vehicles and needs
* 3,896 tons of grain, on 98 trucks were transferred via the Karni conveyor belt
* 20 ambulances were donated by the governments of Turkey and Jordan, and 10 ambulances transferred to the Gaza Strip by the
* ICRC in order to meet the needs of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society
* 449 dual nationals were evacuated via the Erez Crossing
* 68 chronically ill people and their escorts made their way from Gaza to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan
* 37 employees of international organizations and medical staff entered Gaza via the Erez Crossing
* Forward medical clinic was established at Erez by Magen David Adom
* Numerous medical movements took place via Rafah, including at least 25 ambulances
* Daily updates of humanitarian aid

Hamas Abuse of the Humanitarian Effort

* Use of ambulances to mobilize terrorists
* Terrorist tunnel aimed at disrupting the Nahal Oz and Karni crossings
* Launching and firing from the immediate vicinity of international installations (UNRWA hospitals etc.)
* Launching and shooting from within populated areas, schools and homes
* Terrorist activities formulated and carried out from mosques, including storage of rockets
* Abuse of the humanitarian recess to launch increased amount of rockets
* Prevention of medical evacuation of Palestinians to Israel

Israeli Flying Aid

Israeli Flying Aid (IFA) is a non profit, volunteer-based, non-governmental organization (NGO) that aims to provide humanitarian life saving aid and relief to communities in areas stricken by natural disaster or territorial conflicts.

* Operating in places where local regimes prevent entry from formal international humanitarian organizations.
* Focusing on countries that lack diplomatic relations with Israel transcending differences, prejudices, race, nationally, religion and creed.


Richard Maize Creates Websites To Refute UN Israel Gaza Goldstone Report

Tel Aviv, Israel ---- September 21, 2009 ..... The Richard Maize Foundation has taken to the defense of Israel and human rights by creating numerous information Websites to address the biased UN Goldstone Report on the Israel Gaza war: http://www.israelhumanrights.com and http://www.ungoldstonereport.com

"When the UN Goldstone Report was released anyone could see that it was highly biased, one sided, a pure example of discrimination against Israel," said Richard Maize.

"There was not one word in that UN report that alluded to the fact that Israel was forced to defend herself against 8,000 missile attacks from Gaza. Only the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and HonestReporting.com had limited and coordinated efforts using the Web. So we created a handful of extremely powerful Web 2.0 PR news sites which were SEO optimized for the search engines that addressed both the UN Goldstone Report and Human Rights in Israel," said Richard Maize.

Two of the pro-Israel Websites sponsored by Richard Maize are Israel Human Rights and the UN Goldstone Report, both of which have been highlighted on Facebook, MySpace, DIGG, Twitter, Google and Yahoo groups, Blogger and dozens of other new media social networking Websites.

The Richard Maize sponsored sites made sure to address several facts including that Israel did not deliberately target the civilian population of Gaza and, in fact, made every effort to prevent civilian casualties that no other army in the world would have done. That contrary to the assertions of the UN Goldstone Report, Hamas did use Palestinian civilians as human shields and the world public can view Hamas admitting as such on YouTube. The Goldstone Report is not objective and is, in fact tainted by bias and politicization, both from the UN Human Rights Council and members of the mission itself. That the UN Gaza report relied upon the contributions of anti-Israel non-governmental organizations and unreliable Palestinian "eyewitnesses."

The Richard Maize Foundation sites enhanced the PR and public affairs effort made by Israel to illustrate that Israel respects human rights and has a sophisticated legal and judicial system. Hamas does not. Yet the UN Goldstone Israel Gaza Report has created an unjust equivalence of a democratic state with a terror organization.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to causes locally in the community and worldwide by supporting programs focusing on art, culture, family services, health care and human rights.

Richard Maize has supported organizations and causes including the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Los Angeles Police Foundation, the 18th Israel Maccabiah Games and Cedars Sinai Board of Governors.

Israel President Shimon Peres responded to the UN Goldstone Israel Gaza Report saying that it "makes a mockery of history" and that "it does not distinguish between the aggressor and the defender."

"War is a crime and the attacker is the criminal. The defender has no choice. The Hamas terror organization is the one who started the war and also carried out other awful crimes. Hamas has used terrorism for years against Israel children," Peres stated.

Peres did not hold back his anger when he received a delegation of the British Labor Friends of Israel in Jerusalem yesterday. "We are outraged by the criticism of British universities," said Peres. "What do they want us to do, allow our children to be murdered? Who are the criminals of war - the aggressors or the defenders?"

Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu joined Peres in condemning the racist 574-page UN investigation of conduct during the Israel Hamas war in Gaza last January.

"The Goldstone Report is a field court-marital, and its findings were prewritten," said Netanyahu."This is a prize for terror. The report makes it difficult for democracies to fight terror."

The UN Goldstone Report stated: "In the fighting in Gaza, all sides flouted that fundamental principle... that in armed conflict civilians should to the greatest extent possible be protected from harm."

By making this statement, Judge Richard Goldstone equated a terror group - Hamas with the only democracy in the Middle-East. And in doing so failed to mention that Hamas had attacked Israel cities and towns with Qassam rockets fired from civilian homes, schools and UN facilities. That during the actual engagement between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas, Hamas fired automatic weapons hiding behind Palestinian children. At several points Hamas literally dragged these children with them as they moved from point to point.

Goldstone completely ignored the facts that murdering Israel civilians is one of Hamas' central goals. That it was Hamas that organized suicide attacks and sent its terrorists to blow themselves up on Israel buses in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in hotel lobbies in Netanya and at restaurants in Jerusalem. That Hamas has clearly stated that it remains committed in word and deed to the total destruction of Israel.

"The Goldstone Commission is a commission established with the aim of finding Israel guilty of crimes ahead of time, the commission was dispatched by countries in which the terms 'human rights' and 'combat ethics' are unknown," said Israel Foreign Minister Lieberman.

Lieberman added: "the IDF was forced to deal with the lowest form of terrorists that set themselves the goal of murdering women and children by hiding behind women and children. The state of Israel will continue to protect its citizens from the attacks of the terrorists and the terror organizations, and will continue to protect its soldiers from hypocritical and distorted attacks."

Former UN Human Rights director Mary Robinson, as well as former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, were among the many international personalities that refused UN offers to head the Gaza mission.

"Unfortunately, the Human Rights Council passed a resolution seeking a fact-finding mission to only look at what Israel had done, and I don’t think that’s a human rights approach," said Robinson. "The UN Goldstone Report was guided not by human rights but by politics".

The evidence in the UN Report, as Goldstone notes, was based almost entirely on unverifiable Palestinian claims and publications from politicized pro Palestinian NGOs. The UN Goldstone report cites B'Tselem and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights more than 70 times each and Al-Haq allegations get more than 30 mentions.

Israel has opened investigations into over 100 allegations regarding the conduct of the Israel Defense Forces during the Gaza Cast Lead Operation. Hamas has not conducted one investigation of its activities during the war.

"We have very serious concerns about many recommendations in the report," said US Ambassador Susan Rice who serves as the permanent US representative to the UN. "We will expect and believe that the appropriate venue for this report to be considered is the Human Rights Council," Rice said yesterday, in the first official American response to Goldstone's report. "We have long expressed our very serious concern with the mandate that was given by the Human Rights Council prior to our joining the council, which we viewed as unbalanced, one-sided and basically unacceptable."

British trade labor unions yesterday agreed to support a boycott of Israel products in response to the offensive in Gaza last winter. The boycott, proposed by the Fire Brigades Union, calls for a ban on importing goods produced in some Israel settlements, an end of arms trading with Israel and disinvestment from some companies.

In reaction to the approval of an anti - Israel boycott by the UK trades union, MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) called for a boycott of British goods by Israel consumers. "I call on the public to build a Jewish wall, to counter a boycott with a boycott, and not to purchase goods from Britain," said Ben-Ari.

Noam Shalit joined hundreds of Israel diplomats and journalists questioning the findings of the UN Goldstone Commission. The UN Goldstone Report refers to Gilad Shalit as a “prisoner of war” and not as a “captive” or “hostage”. Noam Shalit pointed out that even if his son Gilad is a prisoner of war, one can only question why he is not granted the minimum rights given to POWs, visits from humanitarian agencies and other basic human rights including receiving visits from medical professionals and family members.

"As long as Judge Richard Goldstone doesn't probe human rights abuses in Darfur, Iran, Russia, Syria, Lebanon, China, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka or Turkey, just as he probed Israel, he is not a moral figure. A law is a law only when it applies to everyone and does not discriminate, as Goldstone did, says Richard Maize.

Richard Maize concludes: "We trust that the objective and well documented information Websites that we have created in response to the UN Goldstone Report will serve both political leaders and members of the media who are reporting on a fact finding mission which sounds more like something out of Disneyland than a respected legal or ethical organization."