07/08 Links Pt2: Jewish Identity excluded from Identity Politics; Hate and poison wrapped in cotton candy at the PalExpo; How Anti-Semitism in Britain’s Labour party made me feel Jewish again ~ EoZ

From Ian:

Jewish Identity excluded from Identity Politics

Unlike their Israeli counterparts, US Jews seem to suffer from identity erosion influenced by declining observance, substandard Jewish education, and the sacralization of liberal politics. Though many claim their Jewishness requires them to reject Trump, they conflate identity with secular ideals that defy Jewish tradition. Liberals can dislike Trump for any reason or none at all, but they cannot claim their disdain is Judaically-mandated. Nor can they ignore how Trump has reversed his predecessor’s course of demeaning Israel, enabling Islamic radicalism, empowering Iran, and whitewashing leftist anti-Semitism.

Jewish history is replete with examples of those who rejected heritage and community. During the Hellenistic period, many emulated Greek culture and repudiated their ancestors, while during medieval times some accepted baptism and sought to lead others astray. The apostate Nicholas Donin in 1240 denounced the Talmud to Pope Gregory IX, inflamed Dominican ire, and instigated public disputations and Talmud burnings. Similarly, Johannes Pfefferkorn in 1509 advocated expelling Jews from German lands, kidnapping and baptizing their children, and burning Hebrew texts. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many joined European radical movements, abandoned Judaism, and discouraged education and observance.

Whereas yesterday’s apostates renounced religion and culture, today’s progressives claim fealty to tradition while falsely equating Jewish identity with non-Jewish priorities. They misuse terms like “tikkun olam” and “Mussar” to imply Judaic authenticity, though doing so only illustrates their distance from tradition. True tikkun olam involves the promotion of societal harmony through Halakhic observance, while authentic Mussar calls for ethical character development through Torah study, mitzvah observance, and personal introspection. Neither promotes ideals that are alien to Judaism.

Many American Jews today know little of their heritage and attempt to fill the gaps with agendas that bear no resemblance to the Judaism of their ancestors. Though Jewish voters can certainly support any policies their consciences may dictate, tradition does not require them to be liberal Democrats – or conservative Republicans.

As for President Trump, they can support or oppose him for any reason. But they cannot claim that hatred for the man reflects Jewish virtue – and certainly not in light of his support for Israel and condemnation of global anti-Semitism. Nor can they oppose him based on dubious claims of prejudice, especially when they ignore or excuse flagrant anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party. Whatever moral authority they claim to possess is only diluted when they condemn Jew-hatred where it doesn’t exist but grant a pass where it does. (h/t Yerushalimey)

Caroline Glick: Associated Press Targets Jewish Americans Who Support Israel

Last week, the Associated Press ran a hit job on a successful American businessman. Simon Falic and his two brothers own the Duty Free Americas chain, a private company that runs duty free stores in airports throughout the United States and Latin America.

They also happen to be Jewish. Simon Falic in particular is a powerful advocate for Jewish causes worldwide and for the State of Israel.

Through their family foundation, Simon Falic and his wife donate to dozens of organizations in Israel. The causes they support run the gamut from medical research to Jewish education. They support synagogue construction and refurbishment; archaeological excavations and preservation of archaeological sites; battered women’s shelters and day care centers; and the construction of new Jewish communities in Israel.

AP’s hit piece centers on Falic’s charitable work.

The title of the article gave the game away. It read, “U.S. duty free owners give millions to settlements.”

The obvious question is: so what? There is nothing even vaguely illegal about Falic’s charitable undertakings. And indeed, the article doesn’t accuse him of committing or facilitating any crime.

Instead, the article’s immediate purpose is to “out” Falic as a Zionist Jew and make his support for Jewish national rights and national self-determination in the Jewish homeland stink of fascism and zealotry.

David Collier: Hate and poison wrapped in cotton candy at the PalExpo

The ‘PalExpo’ came back to London for 2019. A large, two day ‘celebration’ of Palestinian culture, history and arts. It is extremely clever marketing. In theory there is nothing wrong with Palestinians holding an exhibition of culture, but the show was built for a far more sinister purpose than teaching dabke. There are two parts to the PalExpo and whilst the main exhibition hall had a range of activities from vase painting to date picking, a chain of political talks delivered the lies and the constant drumbeat of delegitimisation. Even the children’s games they had spread out pushed little but decontextualised propaganda. For example a ‘bowling alley’, where the skittles represent the wall, and they carried logos of companies that people are meant to boycott. A real game for kids:

And this is not to mention the exhibits on the settlements, checkpoints and so on. They even had a UN tent from 1949. It is an exercise in how to use cotton candy as a means of delivering poison.

The deception works well. Many of those I spoke to outside could not understand what there was to protest. It is just a ‘cultural exhibition’, they said. And asked ‘why are you protesting against it’? Did they not see who was speaking inside and what they were telling the audience? The reality is that many of these people do not realise how lost they are to the propaganda. When they hear the Palestinian narrative, when they look at the maps and listen to their ‘history’, they have so completely lost themselves inside it all, they see all opposition as nothing more than those ‘few’ in power trying to shut down the ‘truth’. It is all about the dead children and the hateful army that deliberately kills them. There is nothing beyond that.

This was not my first PalExpo. In 2017, they unceremoniously threw me, my wife and my son out following complaints about my presence from some attendees. We were mid-meal when we were told to leave. It is perhaps worth mentioning that since then, two of those involved have been expelled from the Labour party. In 2017 it was at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference centre. This year, the PalExpo was in Olympia London. The main organisers, Friends of Al Aqsa, had only taken part of Olympia for PalExpo and even then, the venue was far too large for the crowd. I am sure they will spin the numbers, but they were certainly well down on 2017. On Saturday they claimed it was over 10,000 which is absolute poppycock:

Apart from inside the main auditorium during the more important sessions, the place seemed sparsely populated. Many of the exhibits had no queue at all:

The cotton candy was for the families, almost exclusively Muslim, who had come to experience a ‘day out’ with their children. But the more serious stuff was taking place in one of the four rooms they were using for the talks. Inside these, the demographic was different, it was far more mixed with a majority of ‘white’ Corbynista types taking up the seats. It was almost as if two separate events were taking place. And whilst the anti-Israel media outlets are distributing images of the central hall during the final event because it was full, the truth is that the sparse numbers were visible almost everywhere:

Arab Knesset member calls for Israel boycott at Palestine Expo

Arab-Israeli Member of Knesset Yousef Jabareen called for a boycott of Israel while speaking at the Palestine Expo conference over the weekend.

The London-based conference that took place over Saturday and Sunday was the largest of its kind in Europe, focusing on Palestinian culture, history and arts, according to its website.

"The international community has all the tools to deal with war crimes – to boycott settlers, to boycott settlement products, to boycott international companies," said Jabareen at the conference, which was recorded by Kan.

"There needs to a more mass mobilization of our people on the ground, in Gaza but also in the West Bank," continued Jabareen. "[Israel] is exactly like the South African Bantustan. And it's a combination of apartheid and occupation."

Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan (Likud) tried to prevent Jabareen from participating in the conference, because his funding came from an organization with ties to BDS, the Middle East Monitor. Ultimately, Erdan was unsuccessful.

Friends of Al Aqsa, the organizer of the event, is also a supporter of boycotting Israel.

For two mothers, five years later the war is still not over

For two IDF mothers, the 2014 Gaza war that began five years ago Monday has yet to end, even though most of the world calculates that its guns were silenced on August 26.

The army holds that Lt. Hadar Goldin was killed in a Hamas attack on August 1, when he was 23 years old. It similarly holds that St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul, then 20, was killed on July 20 when an armored personnel carrier he was traveling in was hit. Hamas is believed to be holding both their bodies.

“The war is not over until the two boys are returned,” Leah told The Jerusalem Post. She has accepted the army’s assessment that her son died, but wants to see his body returned.

“My son isn’t dead, he was kidnapped alive,” Zehava told Army radio. “Everyone needs to know that Oron was not in the APC when it exploded. He was fighting outside and was kidnapped.”
Leah said her son, Hadar, was killed two hours after a temporary truce had been declared. Hamas took advance of the truce to attack, she said.

“The truce was brokered by the United States and the United Nations and they should be responsible for the return of the remains of the two soldiers,” Zehava said.

In their effort to return their sons, the two families have traveled to the US and the United Nations. The families have been represented in their efforts by former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler, and met with former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

The UN Security Council even held an informal gathering, known as Arria Formula meeting, on behalf of Goldin and Shaul.

Kay Wilson: I got to talk about PTSD and The Rage Less Traveled on LBC Radio

For years I have been trying to get on British National TV and radio, and just as I was getting out the car to speak at my book launch, my friend Brian of London called to say that on @LBC they were talking about PTSD.

I called in and to my astonishment I got through. Although I was a bit unfocused, I managed to say all the important points such as why Kristine was murdered and how the UK government are funding terrorism.

When I was off air, the host said it was the most extraordinary story he has heard since he has been on LBC. He even went on to read from my website. He didn’t mince his words or cover the truth. Many thanks to LBC and especially the presenter Ian Payne, who was not only the nicest of interviewers, he made it easy for me.

CNN's Jake Tapper challenges Twitter censorship rules over Farrakhan post

CNN anchor Jake Tapper questioned the censorship rules on the Twitter platform that allows Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan to continue to post videos deemed by most as antisemitic.

"So odd to see various accounts suspended for relatively minor offenses when anti-Semitic bilge like this continues to exist on this website," Tapper wrote.

Farrakhan released a social media post on Twitter in June in which he claimed to be “unmasking the Satanic Jew and the Synagogue of Satan.”

The post has a link to a nearly three hour long sermon in which Farrakhan quotes the Quranic verses that blame the Jews for telling lies against God.

“The Jews received the pure word of truth,” he said, “and after they understood it they altered it and they wrote a book from their rabbis and doctors of law and they made that book replace a divine message.”

Farrakhan called that other book Talmud and said that the mark of true evil is that it attempts to inflict others.

How Anti-Semitism in Britain’s Labour party made me feel Jewish again

I have a friend in the media who puts it thus: “Jeremy Corbyn has made a lot of people who didn’t feel very Jewish, Jewish again.”

Member of Parliament Margaret Hodge agrees. “I remember my dad tried to make me Jewish and failed,” she said recently. “The local rabbi tried to make me Jewish and failed. It took the leader of the Labour Party to do that.”

Being Jewish, of course, she has no sense of irony.

At the end of last month, I wondered on Twitter whether others felt the same. “I had always felt Jewish, but British first,” said @Gilana25. “Now it’s Jewish first. Makes me a bit sad that it’s come to this, but being Jewish is so enriching.”

Others have become Zionist for the first time. Laura Marcus, a charity worker friend told me: “I am fiercely pro-Israel now. Wasn’t bothered before.”

And I am among them. This past year I’ve been going crazy for the Israeli Netflix shows “Shtisel” (about a Haredi family in Jerusalem) and “Fauda” (about undercover Israeli forces.) Having not been to Israel since 1989, I want to return to the Start-up Nation, to sample the nightlife, the beaches and maybe even an Israeli soldier or two.

Newly single, I am enjoying an online flirtation with a Jewish novelist from Chicago I met on Twitter. I am proud of my Jewish surname (I haven’t always been).

Right now I am listening to harmonious Simon and Garfunkel, which reminds me of guitars outside in the balmy air on a kibbutz in 1985. Until recently, my favorite musician was the discordant Elvis Costello, who happens to support the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.

As I am writing this, a message from a Jewish friend pops up on Twitter.

“Will I see you in shul on Friday?”

The answer, most emphatically, is yes.

Former UK PM: Labour owes Jews an unqualified apology

Former prime minister and Labour leader Gordon Brown said on Sunday evening that "the Labour party owes the Jewish community an unqualified apology," and "that is only a starting point in rebuilding trust."

Brown was speaking at the annual Isaiah Berlin lecture in north London at Hampstead Synagogue. "We cannot go on ignoring the consequences of the upsurge in hate and hate speech, all too often in the form of sinister, anonymous and untraceable internet trolling."

"Opposing anti-Semitism and every manifestation of racism goes to the heart of who we are and what we stand for as Labour. It's about the moral soul of a party, whose most basic goal is a commitment to equality for all - not just for some who suffer oppression - but everyone."

"To fail to act against the abuses we have witnessed runs counter to the very principles of the Labour Party we joined."

Brown's speech follows an angry backlash at Labour for recently reinstating MP Chris Williamson who was suspended in February for saying that Labour was being "too apologetic" about anti-Semitism. Labour deputy leader Tom Watson led more than 120 Labour MPs in demanding that Williamson be re-suspended. He was re-suspended last week - only two days after he was reinstated. The Labour Party is currently under investigation by the Equality and Human Right Commission.

"Labour needs a radical change of policy not just to eliminate anti-Semitism but to change the whole culture of our movement," Brown said. The former premier added that any Labour member who was proven to have engaged in anti-Semitism must be automatically expelled. "We should automatically expel – and not just suspend – in cases where there is irrefutable evidence of antisemitism or any kind of racism."

Corbyn Sponsored EDM Backing Panorama's Anti-Semitism Investigator

The latest Corbynista hate figure is BBC Panorama’s investigative journalist John Ware for daring to make a programme featuring former Labour staffers blowing the whistle on anti-Semitism. The programme hasn’t even been broadcast yet and Corbyn’s unofficial mouthpieces have already been aggressively going after him for days…

Funny how the hard left didn’t always have such a problem with Ware, here’s an Early Day Motion from 2002:
“That this House warmly congratulates BBC Panorama and the ever-vigilant investigative journalist, John Ware, for their perseverance and courage in researching and broadcasting, Licence to Murder, an investigation into collusion between British intelligence services and loyalist paramilitaries…”

And who exactly sponsored the EDM? None other than a certain Jeremy Bernard Corbyn…

Contra Paul Berman, Bernie Sanders Won’t Be a Bulwark against anti-Semitism on the American Left

In a series of essays written last year, the eminent liberal intellectual Paul Berman explored the decline of the French and British left into anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism. He then argued that, despite evidence of similar tendencies in the U.S., the socialist presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders could well provide what it takes to keep them in check. Matt Johnson remains unconvinced:

Perhaps it is true, [as Berman suggests], that Sanders “relishes the memory of his student socialist idyll in 1963, toiling for the brotherhood of man . . . at kibbutz Sha’ar ha-Amakim, near Haifa.” But why did Sanders ask [the left-wing activist] Linda Sarsour—who thinks “nothing is creepier than Zionism,” and who is an unapologetic ally and defender of the Nation of Islam—to introduce him at his rallies? Why did Sanders “help to define as admirably progressive” (in Berman’s own words) Rashida Tlaib, who “turns out to be a champion of Israel’s demise”? And why did Sanders tell the New York Daily News editorial board that his “recollection is over 10,000 innocent people were killed in Gaza” during the 2014 war, a statement that betrayed his readiness to believe outlandish reports of Israeli brutality? . . .

As the House debated a resolution to condemn anti-Semitism in response to [Representative Ilhan Omar’s anti-Semitic] remarks, Sanders issued a statement in support of Omar: “What I fear is going on in the House now is an effort to target Congresswoman Omar as a way of stifling that debate [over the Israeli government’s behavior]. That’s wrong.” Sanders’s statement attacked a straw man—almost nobody was arguing that legitimate criticism of Israel should be silenced. But Sanders knew he would face furious opposition from progressives if he condemned Omar, so he refused to do so. . . .

It doesn’t matter if Sanders still harbors nostalgia for the radical socialist Israeli experiment of yore—he is notably less enthusiastic about the liberal capitalist nation it has become. Nor does it matter if he does indeed retain a warm spot in his heart for Jews—he has repeatedly demonstrated that political expediency can cool it off. This is why, if Sanders is the best defense against the Corbynization on the American left, we’re in trouble.

WATCH: Mike Pence Blasts Holocaust Trivializer Ocasio-Cortez

Vice President Mike Pence slammed socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY) trivialization of the Holocaust on Monday while speaking at the Christians United for Israel summit in the nation's capital.

"We must never allow the memory of those lost in the Holocaust to be cheapened as a cliche to advance some left-wing political narrative," Pence said. "Sadly in recent weeks, that's exactly what some Democrats have done in the national debate. Last month, a leading Democrat in Congress actually compared our U.S. Customs and Border Protection detention facilities to concentration camps. And her allies in Congress, the Left, and the media shamefully came to her defense."

Although he did not use her name, Pence was clearly referring to Ocasio-Cortez, who falsely claimed in June that the Trump administration was operating concentration camps on the southern border.

"The United States is running concentration camps on our southern border and that is exactly what they are," Ocasio-Cortez falsely claimed in an Instagram live video. "They are concentration camps. And, um, if that doesn't bother you, I don't, I don't know, I like, we can have, okay whatever."

Vice President Mike Pence slams Holocaust trivializer Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY): “To compare the humane work of dedicated men and women of CBP with the horrors of the Holocaust is an outrage. The Nazis took lives. American law enforcement saves lives every day.” pic.twitter.com/lz70SvBkub
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) July 8, 2019

Trump Compares Ocasio-Cortez To Nazi Sympathizer, AOC Takes It As A Compliment

President Donald Trump compared socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to former Argentine first lady Eva Perón — often called "Evita" — in a new book that is set to go on sale in mid-July. Ocasio-Cortez took the comparison as a compliment, despite the fact that Evita was a Nazi sympathizer who helped her husband, Argentine President Juan Perón, destroy Argentina's economy by implementing socialism and eroded civil liberties in the nation.

The book, "American Carnage," states that Trump saw Ocasio-Cortez on a cable news show and said: "I called her Eva Perón. I said, 'That's Eva Perón. That's Evita."

Trump reportedly told his team to contact then-Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) — who Ocasio-Cortez upset in the Democratic primary — to tell him that "he better get off his fat ass and start campaigning."

Ocasio-Cortez responded to the comparison by tweeting out quotes from Eva Perón, writing: "'I know that, like every woman of the people, I have more strength than I appear to have.' - Evita Perón".

Ocasio-Cortez added: "'I had watched for many years and seen how a few rich families held much of Argentina's wealth and power in their hands. So the government brought in an eight hour working day, sickness pay and fair wages to give poor workers a fair go.' - Evita Perón".

Since I’ve only lost eight followers for pointing out who the Justice Democrats are, I thought, “fuck it.” pic.twitter.com/CkN2FuRXrv
— Jason Haddix (@doctor_eon) July 8, 2019

You know what else is intolerable? Your desire to be friends with a genocidal terrorist organization bent on annihilation world Jewry. Does @ewarren know she hired a Hamasnik? https://t.co/lmCzYJdJTk pic.twitter.com/wdOBqV7FHL
— Elliott Hamilton (@ElliottRHams) July 7, 2019

Mentions of Judea in the New Testament: 48

Mentions of Palestine in the New Testament: 0

Which makes sense, because the name “Palestine” was only applied to the region by the Romans in 135 CE.

Try cracking a history book, Linda. It’ll blow your mind. https://t.co/1IeDrsbG4e
— AJC (@AJCGlobal) July 7, 2019

Meanwhile, over on Facebook, Linda Sarsour is being schooled by an actual master's level student of Middle Eastern history. Linda's response to having her anachronism revealed: "I'm entitled to believe what I want to believe". Can't make this up. pic.twitter.com/aFEpiy79dg
— (((kweansmom))) (@kweansmom) July 8, 2019

Who Should Define #Antisemitism? Linda sarsour ? pic.twitter.com/IgpK8N1XLp
— Eye On Antisemitism (@AntisemitismEye) July 7, 2019

Anti-Israel groups lock down planning for disruption inside Christians United For Israel Summit

Once inside the church, I almost immediately overheard an attendee identify himself as a “disruptor”—an indication that the planned political theater inside the summit was still on the agenda.

Among the milling Counter CUFI organizers, I spotted Tarek Abuata of FOSNA and Taher Herzallah of AMP — both long-time and well-known anti-Israel activists (and, as it goes almost without saying, BDS supporters).

A little knot of attendees gathered in front of the welcome table in the lobby, and soon, it was my turn to check in and present my I.D. Upon seeing my name, the Counter CUFI staff immediately assembled to kick me out of the event. At first, they claimed that I was not permitted because my name (though I registered) “didn’t appear on the registrants list.” I was not allowed to check the list for myself.

Then, another Counter CUFI activist approached and clarified: I was “not welcome” because of my “affiliation with the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).” (I had the pleasure of working for CAMERA from 2011 to 2015.)

Eventually, frustrated at my refusal to leave the publicly advertised event, Counter CUFI staff summoned church personnel, who claimed that Counter CUFI had rented the entire first floor of the church, including the restrooms, and that I was thus obligated to leave.

In a similar incident later in the evening, another individual was removed from a Counter CUFI event — this one a public panel, advertised on Facebook and Twitter, and live-streamed, that did not require prior registration. Linda Sarsour was a featured speaker.

In a brief exchange, Counter CUFI activists asked the person to leave the event, claiming that he was “not welcome” alleging that he was affiliated with Legal Insurrection. Eventually, Counter CUFI called local police in order to force him out of the event — despite the fact that he had disturbed no one, and had simply been listening quietly.

What we know is that these leading anti-Israel groups are preparing a disruption of the CUFI Summit, and have attempted to lock-down their preparations and planned tactics.

The Counter CUFI action continues tomorrow, and we will continue to report on it as the story develops.

Great anecdote from @DovLipman pic.twitter.com/sExWsoiKMc
— Elder Of Ziyon ҉ (@elderofziyon) July 8, 2019

David Draiman from Disturbed Tackles BDS & Anti-Semitism

The band, Disturbed, played to their fans in Tel Aviv while combating BDS and anti-Semitism. Our Sarah Williamson sat down the lead vocalist David Draiman.

How often do we have the lead singer of such a huge band putting himself out there like this, all for the cause, with scant regard for any price he might pay? https://t.co/QlVlcdisWV
— Ozraeli Dave (((דיויד לנג))) (@Israellycool) July 8, 2019

What was missing from a ‘not to be missed’ report on BBC Two’s Newsnight?

Quoting anonymous “campaign groups” but providing no evidence to support the claim, Bateman closed his report by telling viewers that:

“Settler violence reinforces the goals of the state, say campaign groups, to take as much land as possible.”

He did not bother to clarify that such attacks have long been publicly and repeatedly condemned by Israel’s prime minister, leaders of the communities in Judea & Samaria, security officials and the Israeli public.

Bateman concluded with two further claims:

“Israel routinely says it investigates these cases but conviction rates are extremely low.”

“…the settlement movement is arguably enjoying more support than ever…”

The most notable aspect of this “not to be missed” report from Tom Bateman is, however, the part of the story that he chose to leave out. Throughout the entire item, no effort was made to inform BBC audiences of the differences between the policies of the Israeli authorities – investigations, arrests, and legal action taken against those suspected of carrying out attacks – and the approach of the Palestinian Authority to those of its citizens carrying out violent attacks against Israelis: glorification of the acts and their perpetrators and financial rewards.

That is obviously a very serious omission, particularly given that the BBC’s record of reporting on PA incitement, glorification of terrorism and payment of salaries to terrorists means that audiences would be unlikely to be able to fill in the gaps for themselves.

You have no issue about promoting a terror organization? (2) pic.twitter.com/j38DvhOorW
— Eye On Antisemitism (@AntisemitismEye) July 7, 2019

Israeli chef gets anti-Semitic threat after critic pans his NY restaurant prices

Days after Eyal Shani was blasted for the high prices at his New York eatery, the Israeli celebrity chef became the target of a threatening anti-Semitic letter.

The hate mail came on the heels of a review by the New York Post food critic Steve Cuozzo, who was less than impressed that Shani’s renowned HaSalon restaurant charged $24 for an appetizer consisting of a single tomato.

“Majority of Americans despise Israel. We did not want your Soda Stream. And only stupid kikes would eat at your overpriced pit,” said the anonymous letter, which was posted to Twitter Saturday by Shani’s business partner Shahar Segal.

The letter writer rambles incoherently about Jews not paying taxes and accuses the ultra-Orthodox community of spreading the measles epidemic before threatening the restaurant.

“Measles outbreak was spread by your Orthodox cult freaks… as they rape children…Jews are not wanted here! HaSalon days are numbered!

Israeli Gene Manipulation Puts Cow Flatulence Behind Us

An international research team headed by Israeli Professor Itzhak Mizrahi of Ben Gurion University’s Department of Life Sciences and of The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN), has found that cow genes can be used to control rumen microbiomes in order to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that animals emit.

The findings have profound implications for dairy and beef farmers trying to reduce their industry’s contribution to climate change as well as bolster dairy producers’ attempts to maintain or improve milk production efficiency while maintaining product safety.

The study, which studied 1,016 cows spread over Italy, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, found that that a small number of host-determined, heritable microbes make significant contributions to explaining experimental variables and host phenotypes. This, they predict, will lead to microbiome-led breeding genetic programs to provide a sustainable solution to increase efficiency and reduce emissions from ruminant livestock.

“Our findings are both a major breakthrough for basic science and will have a positive impact on two major challenges facing the international community for the foreseeable future: climate change and food security,” said Mizrahi,

Indonesian Muslim delegation visits Israeli Diamond Exchange

A delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce came to Israel to visit the Israeli Diamond Exchange over the weekend.

The seven Indonesian representatives were given a tour and met with senior officials from the Israeli Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan. The Israeli Export Institute was responsible for the meeting.

The meeting was led by vice president of the Indonesian Trade Organization Mufti Hassan who met with Yoram Dvash, president of the Israeli Diamond Exchange.

Dvash said, “This visit is part of a very important trend of strengthening the ties of Muslim companies and businessmen with the State of Israel and with Israelis.”

The two parties met to discuss cooperation and the establishment of trade relations between the two countries.

In 2018, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was time for Israel and Indonesia to establish diplomatic ties. However, the Republic of Indonesia said they will not consider normalization with Israel until the Palestinian people have full independence.

Indonesia is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and says one of their main goals while on the council is to “deal with the Palestinian issue.”

Technion prof seeks funds for army of cell ‘ghosts’ to battle deadliest cancers

When Marcelle Machluf was 16, her chemistry teacher told her she had no chance of succeeding in the field. Little did the teacher know that her student, who used to accompany her Moroccan immigrant mother after school to help her clean offices, would go on to complete postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School and then lead the Faculty of Biotechnology at Israel’s Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

Machluf uses chemistry in her work all the time, she said in a recent interview with The Times of Israel. And in her first year of biology studies, which was almost all chemistry, “I excelled in all the classes,” she said with a laugh, sitting in her office adjacent to the lab she runs at the Technion.

Machluf, 56, dean of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering at the Technion, is a globally recognized name in the fields of drug delivery, gene therapy, cellular therapy and tissue engineering. She has published over 60 articles and book chapters, and has seven patents in the process of being registered.

Now, the soft-spoken scientist is on the cusp of perhaps the biggest gamble of her career: the creation of a drug delivery system that she hopes will shrink the deadliest forms of cancer — lung, brain and pancreatic tumors. Animal testing has shown support for her theory, and she is getting ready to take the next step.

Israel Startup Creates AI System that Prevents Drowning

This startup has created a robot that prevents one from drowning. Our Ariel Levin-Waldman has the story.

Musical Kaddish to be performed for AMIA Jewish center bombing victims

Kaddish for the victims of the 1994 terrorist attack on the AMIA Jewish center will be held at the iconic Colon Opera House in Buenos Aires with 200 artists on stage.

On Wednesday, one week before the 25 anniversary of the terrorist attack, the “Requiem/Kadish. Love is Stronger Than Death,” by Rabbi Marcelo Polakoff and composer Angel Mahler will be presented at Colon.

The artistic piece mixes the Christian requiem for the souls of the dead and the Jewish Kaddish and was created by a rabbi and a music maestro. Some text and prayers will be presented by award-winning actress Norma Aleandro.

“Seven of the eight movements start with texts in Hebrew, such as Kaddish, Kol Nidre, an another pesukim, chanted by the chorus of 200 singers,” Polakoff told JTA.

“The Colon theatre opens its doors to receive the most breathtaking show of recent times,” reads the official webpage of the opera house.

Mahler told CNN: “This was an Argentinean tragedy. I didn’t prepare it only for the Jewish community, it is open, it is to all of Argentinean society.” Mahler said that they are currently in talks to present it in other cities in Argentina, and also in Israel.

ObituaryGerman film producer and Holocaust survivor Artur Brauner dies at 100

Artur Brauner, a Polish-born Holocaust survivor who became one of post-World War II Germany’s most prominent film producers, died Sunday at age 100.

Brauner’s family said he died in Berlin, the German news agency dpa reported.

Culture Minister Monika Gruetters said Germany has lost one of the most important film producers of the post-war years, saying it was “a great gift for our country” that Brauner chose to make movies in Germany and support its democratic rebuilding. She also paid tribute to his efforts over the decades to ensure that the victims of the Holocaust were not forgotten.

Brauner produced hundreds of films. They included several 1960s revivals of the “Dr. Mabuse” crime movies and other hits such as “Girls in Uniform,” starring Romy Schneider.

Several of the films he produced had Holocaust theme, including Agnieszka Holland’s Golden Globe-winning “Europa Europa” about a boy in Nazi Germany joining the Hitler Youth to try to conceal the fact he is Jewish.

His “Babi Yar” in 2003 centered on the 1941 Nazi massacre of Jews in Ukraine, in which several of Brauner’s relatives were killed. Brauner was disappointed by the lack of box-office success for the film in Germany, saying the test of “whether the German cinema public has become politically more mature” had “clearly negative” results.

Archaeologists say they found town where future King David took refuge from Saul

In a finding sure to inflame the debate about the historicity of the biblical King David, an international team of archaeologists claims to have identified the lost city of Ziklag.

Based on artifacts and carbon 14 dating results of excavations since 2015, scholars proposed Monday that the archaeological site of Khirbet a-Ra‘i in the Judaean foothills is the site of the elusive Philistine town.

As attested in the books of Samuel, Ziklag, located between Kiryat Gat and Lachish, provided refuge to the future king David when he was on the run from King Saul. After his sojourn in Ziklag, David ascended the throne in Hebron.

According to a joint press release from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Israel Antiquities Authority, archaeologists discovered remains of a Philistine settlement from the 12-11th centuries BCE, which was followed by a rural settlement dating to the early 10th century BCE, which is in keeping with the biblical account. Carbon 14 dating supports the archaeologists’ timeline and identification, according to the press release.
A volunteer excavates pottery from Khirbet a-Ra’i, which archaeologists have identified as biblical Ziklag. (Excavation expedition to Khirbet a-Ra‘i)

As recorded in the Hebrew Bible, David settled at Ziklag for 14 months under the patronage of the Philistine King Achish of Gat, with 600 of his men and their families, and used it as a base to raid neighboring peoples.

While the then-Philistine vassal David attempted to join the army of his Philistine lord Achish to defeat Saul, retaliating Amalekites razed the town and took off with the Israelites’ women and children, along with much booty. (Spoiler: In the end, David prevailed.)

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