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Site plagiarized from Democrats? (Illustration)
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Kadima US copied from Democrat's website?

Official website of ruling party's American branch features policy summaries matching almost word-for-word paragraphs in Texas Democratic Party's site

Kadima USA, the American branch of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's political party, 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.

 

'Site literally copied platform'

 

"This is rank and file plagiarism. 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," said New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, D-Brooklyn, who first brought the website similarities to light.

 

Hikind said 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.

 

17 sections similar or identical

 

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 the 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 ...”

At least 17 sections of the Kadima USA site were similar or identical to those featured on the Texas Democratic Party's site.

 

Some questions have even 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."

 

Blame it on the webmaster

 

Spokesmen for the Texas Democratic Party's offices were not available for comment before press time.

 

Marc Schneier, who was recently 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.

 

Reprinted with permission of WorldNetDaily

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.10.06, 18:43
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