08/03 Links Pt2: Boycotting the Western Wall; When cancel culture comes for Jews; My College Experience at Temple University Was Tainted by Antisemitism

From Ian:

Boycotting the Western Wall

Mittal has made it crystal-clear that she considers eastern Jerusalem “occupied territory.” As recently as July 30, for example, she re-tweeted a statement about “Israeli occupiers” arresting Arab rock-throwers “from Sultan Suleiman Street in J’salem.” Sultan Suleiman Street runs along the walls of the Old City. Part of it is within the pre-1967 armistice line, part of it is beyond. To the chair of the Ben & Jerry’s board, it’s all “occupied.”

So why, in their official announcements, has Ben & Jerry’s been coy about Jerusalem? Because they know what would happen if they said, openly: “Our company is boycotting the Old City, the Western Wall and Temple Mount because we consider it to be Occupied Palestinian Territory.” The volume of protests that Ben & Jerry’s is facing would be ten-fold what it is now. The Gristedes supermarket chain would not be reducing its Ben & Jerry’s shelf space by 30 percent, as they have announced; they would reduce it by 100 percent. Delta would not still be serving Ben & Jerry’s on its flights to Israel; neither would any other airline.

But as long as the company makes it seem as if it’s just targeting “settlements,” a certain segment of the Jewish community will support them. A number of left-wing Jewish groups, including J Street, Americans for Peace Now and Partners for Progressive Israel, have issued statements taking the side of the ice-cream makers.

And some major liberal Jewish groups, such as the Union for Reform Judaism, have not actively joined the protests. Look at the URJ website. Not a word about the Ben & Jerry’s action against Israel.

A divided Jewish community undermines the anti-Ben & Jerry’s protests and makes it more likely that the company will stick to its guns. The backing of Jewish left-wing groups enables Ben & Jerry’s to say, “See? We’re not anti-Semitic. We’re not anti-Israel. Look at these Jewish groups that support us.”

Could an organization such as the Union for Reform Judaism remain on the sidelines if a major American company says it is boycotting the Western Wall? I don’t think so.

It’s time for Ben & Jerry’s, and its left-wing Jewish supporters, to stop playing word games. Stop trying to pull the wool over the public’s eyes. Stop pretending that this is an argument over a handful of wild-eyed “settlers” on remote hilltops. This is a fight over boycotting the Western Wall. They know it, and we know it.

Imagine the reaction if Israel decided to …

For many of us, the world’s hypocrisy when it comes to Israel is self-evident, and the double standards applied to the only Jewish state are clearly anti-Semitic. Typically, we think about these biases when issues arise directly related to Israel, but it may be even more obvious to others if we consider the likely response if Israel engaged in some of the policies and activities of other countries.

Imagine the reaction if …

Israel announced it was planning to ban halal slaughter.

The European Union’s highest court ruled in 2020 that countries can ban ritual slaughter (including by Jews) to promote animal welfare. How loud do you think the condemnation would be if Israel told Muslims how to practice their religion?

Israel moved to disband Muslim civic groups and shut down a mosque where thousands worship as the French have done?

Look at the furor over Israel’s activities related to the Temple Mount even as tens of thousands of Muslims were praying there on their most recent holy day.

Israel banned Muslims from wearing headscarves?

In another ruling, the E.U. court said companies could ban the hijab if justified by an employer’s need to present an image of neutrality to customers. France has prohibited the wearing of headscarves in state schools since 2004. Unlike the Europeans, Israel does not feel threatened by Muslim attire, and women can be seen in hijabs at the beach in Tel Aviv and the streets of Jerusalem.

Israel made it illegal for Muslim women to wear the full-face veil?

France first enacted a ban in 2010. In April, Switzerland became the latest European country to ban the niqab. Other countries with full or partial bans include Belgium, Bulgaria, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. It is inconceivable that Israel would consider, let alone get away with, fining or arresting women for wearing veils.

My College Experience at Temple University Was Tainted by Antisemitism

In the Fall of 2018, I took my first political science course at Temple University. In November of that year, Marc Lamont Hill gave an antisemitic speech at the United Nations, which led to his firing at CNN. During a class discussion, my professor proudly stated that he “fully supported” Marc Lamont Hill’s call for a “Free Palestine from the river to the sea” — a dog whistle to ethnically cleanse Israel of its Jewish population.

One year later, I attended a political science social event. I was repeatedly asked,“how do you feel about Israel and Palestine?” And I soon found myself debating with a notable campus leftist, who violently declared that “Jews are not a people.”

This was just the beginning.

In January 2021, Jewish students were welcomed back to campus with a viral Snapchat video posted by a Temple Student Government representative viciously raising his middle finger at the Israeli flag with the caption “f*** outta here.” Facing backlash, the student resigned from his position.

On February 26, 2021, a Temple University student spoke through a university program called “Dissent in America Teach-In.” Her presentation was titled, “Israel/Palestine: Can Biden’s Middle East Policy Broker Peace?” I just so happened to see the event advertised in the Temple Political Science Department newsletter, so I decided to attend.

The presentation was riddled with propaganda, antisemitism, and threats.

One slide stated that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is one of the strongest lobby groups in the country, with the speaker stating that “Jewish political participation is important because of [the] dependence of politicians on campaign cash.” This is a classic antisemitic trope — that Jews have financial control over the political landscape.

Another slide displayed a cartoon of Uncle Sam serving then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a drink with an AIPAC umbrella on a golden platter. Bibi was depicted with a pinocchio-like nose, resembling the “hook nose” Jew from 1930s Nazi propaganda, which categorized Jewish people as racially inferior.

Ben and Jerry’s Israeli Boycott is Contrary to Company’s “Human Rights and Decency” Values

These Israeli businesses routinely employ Palestinians alongside Israelis, while Israelis are forbidden to work in the PA-controlled zones. For decades, the PA leadership has rejected Israel’s offers of increased autonomy and expanded control—actions Israel is not legally obligated to make—in exchange for a cessation of PA-funded terror and a simple recognition of Israel’s right to exist.

Furthermore, the boycott itself runs contrary to the touted Ben & Jerry’s value of “human rights and decency.” The company targets Israel, even though it’s the PA, not the Israeli government, that perpetuates human rights violations.

For instance, the charter of the Palestinian Liberation Organization—the entity delegating governing power to the PA—continues to call for the violent destruction of Israel. PA-operated schools and television stations poison residents with an endless diet of anti-Semitism. The PA routinely names public places in honor of terrorists and bestows millions of dollars annually as compensation to the families of terrorists.

In stark contrast, Israel remains the Mideast’s only true democracy. The right to vote, access to public health care, public education, freedom of speech and protection of legal rights are enjoyed by all citizens, regardless of race and religion. Across Israel, Muslims, Christians and Jewish people (and others) are free to practice their faith. This year, voters elected 15 Arabs to serve in the 120-member Knesset, and an Arab party serves in the current coalition government.

With these facts in mind, let’s call this Ben & Jerry’s boycott of Judea and Samaria for what it is: a boycott of Jewish people choosing to live in their homeland.

The words of Simon Maccabee more than 2,160 years ago ring true today in response: “We [the Jews] have not taken strange lands, nor are we ruling over foreign territory. We have returned to our ancestral inheritance, from which we had been unjustly expelled by our enemies. And now that we have been blessed with the opportunity, we will hold onto our ancestral land.”

Florida Gov. DeSantis, CFO Jimmy Patronis Warns Ben & Jerry’s Of “Investment Prohibition”

On Monday, the Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer of the Florida State Board of Administration (SBA), Ash Williams, notified Governor DeSantis that Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever has been added to Florida’s List of Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel.

On July 22nd, Governor DeSantis sent a letter to Mr. Williams requesting that the SBA initiate the process of placing Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company Unilever on the list following the company’s announcement that it would remove its products and prohibit the sale of its ice cream in Judea and Samaria.

If a company does not cease its boycott of Israel within 90 days of being placed on the list, it becomes subject to an investment prohibition and the State of Florida will not contract with the company or its subsidiaries.

“As a matter of law and principle, the State of Florida will not tolerate discrimination against the State of Israel or the Israeli people,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “By placing Ben & Jerry’s Fortune 500 parent company Unilever on our List of Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel, Florida is sending a message to corporate America that we will defend our strong relationship with the Jewish State. I will not stand idly by as woke corporate ideologues seek to boycott and divest from our ally, Israel.”

“Israel is a friend of Florida, it’s a thriving democracy with incredible people and culture and Ben & Jerry’s decision to very publicly discriminate against Israel was a shortsighted attempt to virtue signal to folks on the radical left,” said CFO Jimmy Patronis. “Thanks to Governor DeSantis for upholding Florida law and sending a strong message to companies everywhere that if you’ve got a problem with Israel, the State of Florida has a problem with you. The second Ben & Jerry’s decided to discriminate against Israel, it affected Florida’s ability to make investments with its parent company. We’ll continue working with the SBA to ensure Florida law is upheld for those who target our friends in Israel.”

Illinois warns Ben & Jerry’s to reverse Israel policy or face divestment

A committee of the Illinois Investment Policy Board plans to warn Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever that it must walk back on the company’s decision to stop selling ice-cream in Israeli settlements or risk facing divestment by the state.

The Israeli Boycott Restrictions Committee will hold a meeting during which they will approve setting a 90-day deadline for the British-based Unilever to reverse the decision by the Vermont-based ice-cream company, committee chairman Andy Lappin said last week, as reported by The Associated Press.

“We’ll meet in the next week or so just for this issue, asking the board to send a letter to Unilever giving it 90 days to confirm or deny” the new policy, said Lappin. “In this case, it was a blatantly open statement made by the chairman of Ben & Jerry’s, and we need to determine if Unilever deems it appropriate to walk the statement back.”

A date has not been set for the meeting, but it will specifically address the ice-cream maker’s July 19 announcement about boycotting the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.

The Illinois Investment Policy Board ensures compliance with state law, which prohibits the investment in certain companies that do business with Iran and Sudan, and companies that boycott Israel.

Perhaps you missed it, but this being done in blue states like Illinois, New Jersey and New York, not just Florida. Combatting anti-Semitism in all its manifestations has long been bipartisan. https://t.co/agTCt9eWhd

— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) August 3, 2021

Jewish Dem Group on Defense for Going Easy on Ilhan Omar

A Jewish Democratic group is pushing back on claims that it goes soft on anti-Semitic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, pointing to a single press release from more than two years ago that criticized the Minnesota Democrat for accusing American Jews of buying support for Israel.

Through its lawyer, the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) threatened legal action against the Republican Jewish Coalition for writing in a July 21 tweet that it never criticizes Omar. In a July letter, the JDCA cited its quick condemnation of Omar after she tweeted in 2019 that American support for Israel is "all about the Benjamins baby."

"Enough is enough with the anti-Semitic tropes," the council said hours after her tweet, which Omar deleted. The lawyers for JDCA said the one condemnation of Omar makes the RJC's statement false, and added that it is "severely injurious" to the JDCA's reputation.

The JDCA's defense is an example of how Democrats are grappling with far-left members of their party, including Omar, who have grown increasingly hostile towards Israel. While the council condemned Omar over two years ago, its letter fails to include any other instances of criticisms of Omar, who has engaged in anti-Semitic rhetoric in several instances.

In June 2021, Omar compared America and Israel to terrorist organizations like Hamas and the Taliban and attacked her Jewish Democratic colleagues who "haven't been partners in justice." A month earlier, Omar accused Israel of "terrorism."

Matt Brooks, the executive director of the Republican coalition, said that JDCA lawyer's pointing to only one example of the group condemning Omar suggests that the organization prioritizes party loyalty over fighting anti-Semitism.

In Ohio Dem primary, Jewish groups seek to help moderate push past progressive

With polls showing the progressive, Squad-backed frontrunner in Ohio’s Democratic primary rapidly losing her lead over a more moderate rival backed by several pro-Israel groups, Jewish voters who make up roughly five percent of the 11th District’s electorate could well play a decisive role in Tuesday’s special election.

Former state senator Nina Turner, who once enjoyed a 35-point advantage over Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown, has seen that gap shrink to just five points, according to a recent poll conducted by the Mellman Group.

Turner and Brown stand out among a crowded field of 13 candidates vying to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Marcia Fudge, tapped by US President Joe Biden to serve as his housing secretary.

Turner was a leading national voice for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns, and the US senator is among a long list of progressives including Sen. Ed Markey, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Rashida Tlaib to back the early frontrunner.

Brown, for her part, received the endorsements of the Congressional Black Caucus, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, House Majority Whip Joyce Beatty and Rep. Jim Clyburn.

The election is seen as a litmus test for the Democratic Party, which finds itself divided by those who point to Biden’s election as proof that a moderate approach is more effective in winning voters and those who note the rapid rise of the party’s progressive wing, which is particularly popular among young people.

Piers Corbyn suggests “troublemakers” in Jewish areas posted leaflets comparing COVID-19 to Auschwitz through their own doors in “plot” to portray him as antisemitic

Piers Corbyn has suggested that “troublemakers” in Jewish areas posted leaflets created and distributed by Mr Corbyn, which compared the COVID-19 vaccines to the Auschwitz death camp, through their own doors in a “plot” to portray him as antisemitic.

Referencing a headline in the Evening Standard that the new COVID-19 vaccines are a “safe path to freedom”, the leaflets showed the slogan atop the infamous gates to Auschwitz.

In an interview clip from the Marwan Riach Podcast, which was uploaded to Twitter on Sunday, Mr Corbyn discussed the leaflets that he distributed last December, an incident that saw him arrested.

At one point during the interview, the interviewer, Mr Riach, held up a leaflet and said: “This was accused of being antisemitic,” to which Mr Corbyn responded by saying that he and his team were attacking the Evening Standard headline.

Mr Corbyn added: “We were then accused of being antisemitic, but that is insane. We were anti-Nazi. We’re against what the Nazis were doing.”

When asked “Why was it leafleted in Jewish areas?”, Mr Corbyn replied: “It wasn’t specifically leafleted in any particular areas. That is a lie made up by the media. Or, some troublemakers leafleted it through their own doors, I suspect, and then came forward.”

“To try and portray you as antisemitic?”, Mr Riach asked, to which Mr Corbyn responded “Yes, yes.” When Mr Riach asked whether it was a conspiracy or not, Mr Corbyn replied: “Well, certainly a plot.”

Emily Schrader: When cancel culture comes for Jews

It goes without saying that the response to the actions of Powers and Eilish is absurd, but it is also tactical. It’s a means of silencing pro-Israel voices or they will “pay the price” on social media. It’s a way of preventing artists from treating Israel just as any other country in the world, and increasing the calls and pressure on artists to boycott Israel. In short, it’s a method to shut down free speech and free expression which is rooted in antisemitic obsession with the State of Israel.

In Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls, we saw social media being used more than ever before as a way to harass Jewish, not just pro-Israel, voices. YouTubers who talk about beauty or fashion were targeted, Jewish teens on TikTok, even Holocaust survivors were spammed with antisemitic comments. This isn’t occurring because of Israel’s action; it’s occurring because we have normalized antisemitism and allowed the extreme Left to push Jews out of the discussion.

Right-wing antisemites tend to be more transparent about their end goals of destroying Jews, but the far Left extremists are playing a different game and the world needs to wake up. Calls to “globalize the intifada” which were chanted by thousands in New York City last week are not woke. Efforts to defund Jewish campus groups like Hillel at Rutgers, such as occurred last week, are not woke. Campaigns to smear and attack Jews not only for supporting Israel, but for not condemning Israel are not woke. They are antisemitic.

The threat of cancel culture to the free speech and expressions of both individuals and groups is relatively new, but the age-old hatred known as antisemitism is thriving again, more than ever. Under the guise of progressive politics, even elected officials like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar are spearheading efforts to legitimize antisemitic and inflammatory rhetoric that costs Jewish lives. No Jew or supporter of Israel should ever be canceled for supporting the right of Jews to live in equality, and no one should condone those who attempt to do so. And yes – it shouldn’t cause a global furor to say, “Hi Israel.”

Anti-Israel activists in the US want to “#GlobalizeTheIntifada”

Are you SURE that’s what you want America?

Let’s review what #intifada actually is…

Hint: it’s not a social justice movement. #Israel #Gaza #SaveSheikhJarrah #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/c5SdkKUyU1

— Emily Schrader - ????? ?????? (@emilykschrader) August 3, 2021

Anti-America = Anti-Israel

Hate group “Within Our Lifetime”, you know those antisemites inciting violence against Jews in NYC this week?

Yeah, here they are chanting “How do you spell Zionist? NYPD”

This was uploaded to their story and deleted@NYPDnews @NYPDShea @NYPDCT pic.twitter.com/pZ33NSaPU4

— Emily Schrader - ????? ?????? (@emilykschrader) August 3, 2021

JVP caught promoting this past weekend’s “intifada” hate fest in Brooklyn.

Need any further proof that JVP is an obscene hate group determined to destroy the Jewish nation? https://t.co/K8lmUVBqRY pic.twitter.com/MSCilN4d9b

— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) August 2, 2021

ADL, Hillel work together to document antisemitism on university campuses

Over the last year, Jewish college students took it upon themselves to combat antisemitism at their schools. Now, two major Jewish organizations are working together to play a stronger role in fighting antisemitism on campus.

Some of the student activists documented incidences of antisemitism at colleges nationwide, often submitted anonymously, while others have taken a confrontational tone on social media. With some portraying themselves as the ideological successors to early Zionist activists, the students often argue that anti-Zionism and antisemitism overlap.

In a new partnership, Hillel International and the Anti-Defamation League are aiming to take a more traditional approach to the same issues — one that they say will not always treat anti-Israel activity as antisemitism.

Hillel and the ADL will together create a college-level curriculum on antisemitism and jointly document antisemitic incidents on campuses in the United States. But not every student government resolution endorsing the movement to Boycott, Divest from and Sanction Israel, known as BDS, will wind up in the groups’ database.

“Anti-Israel activism in and of itself is not antisemitism,” an ADL spokesperson told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Situations vary widely with BDS, we will carefully evaluate each one and make a determination based on our criteria for antisemitism.”

For example, the ADL spokesperson told JTA, a BDS resolution alone would not count as antisemitism, “but if a student was excluded from the debate because he or she was Jewish, then it might be counted.”

The Hillel-ADL partnership, which will begin in the coming academic year, follows a spike in reported antisemitic incidents on campus. In the school year that ended in 2021, the ADL tallied 244 antisemitic incidents on campuses nationwide, an increase from 181 the previous school year. Hillel has a presence on more than 550 campuses and says it serves more than 400,000 students.

More Anti-Israel Hatred Infests the University of North Carolina

This coming Fall, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) is scheduled to offer a recurring course titled “The Conflict over Israel/Palestine,” taught by PhD student Kylie Broderick.

Broderick is an outspoken anti-Israel activist, whose prejudice against Israel is extreme.

On July 19, 2021, Broderick retweeted, “All of Israel is occupied Palestinian territory.” In other words, Broderick promoted the view that Israel should not exist.

In 2020, Broderick tweeted about teaching the “2 sides” of the “modern Middle East,” and clarified, “by ‘2 sides’ I mean there is only 1 legitimate side – the oppressed – versus imperialist propaganda. I don’t ever want to encourage them [students] to believe there is reason to take on good faith the oppressive ideologies of … Zionists.”

On May 17, 2021, Broderick tweeted, “Everyone at UNC has a responsibility to step up for Palestinians & Palestine. Start following #BDS immediately. Boycott Israeli products. Investigate UNC’s investments. Agitate in your departments for Palestinian liberation.”

A few days later, Broderick made similar comments supportive of BDS in a local paper. BDS is the movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel.

On May 14, 2021, Broderick tweeted, “Palestinians are being murdered for just being alive & bc [because] they’re inconvenient to Israel & its patron, the US imperialist death cult.”

‘Cowardly’ Vandalism of Student’s Mezuzah at University of British Columbia Draws Condemnation

A leading Canadian Jewish group condemned a recent incident of vandalism of a Jewish student’s residence at the University of British Columbia.

On July 22, campus newspaper The Ubyssey reported, an unknown person vandalized the door of a seventh floor residence hall, “forcibly” removing from its post a mezuzah, the prayer scroll hung outside Jewish homes.

It was the “second time” such an incident had occurred, UBC said in an email to students, without specifying a prior case — adding that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s investigation of this latest incident is ongoing.

“Antisemitic behaviors and actions such as these are absolutely reprehensible,” it said.

Responding to the news on Saturday, B’nai Brith Canada said, “We condemn the cowardly and vile act of antisemitic vandalism at [a] UBC student residence. Pleased that the University and [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] will diligently investigate this matter & ensure there are repercussions for this hate crime.”

Andrew Parr, Associate Vice President of Student Housing and Community Services, told The Ubyssey that his office takes the vandalizing of the mezuzah “very seriously.”

PreOccupiedTerritory: Roberta, Where’s The Anti-Jewish Angle In This Art Show Review? by Dean Baquet, Executive Editor, The New York Times (satire)

Roberta, this is a fine recap of the Met’s upcoming exhibit – good job getting them to grant you an exclusive preview of the Pollock retrospective. It’s a real coup. But I wanted to tell you in person, because I think it’s important, that I’m putting the story on hold until you can find a convincing way to work in some subtle antisemitism. Otherwise I might have to kill it entirely.

You know our policy, Roberta. I can only assume the pressures of the impending deadline forced the anti-Jewish requirement from your consciousness. That’s fine; it happens to everyone from time to time. And we only formalized it a few months ago, after years – decades, really, long before my time as EE – of it being a kind of ‘oral law’ that the staff passed from generation to generation. Perhaps that one meeting with the official announcement wasn’t enough. You have to see the Slack channel, Roberta. What do you think will happen among our younger set if I green-light a piece that contains no Judaeophobia?

Remember what happened with Bari Weiss. We don’t need another storm of that sort. And Bret Stephens had to leave Twitter – our token conservative voice! I can take him or leave him, as you know, but appearances are important.

So is consistency. I’m not going to tell you how to do your job – I know about as much about art as I do about the Middle East. I will, however, suggest a few ways to include anti-Jewish animus in your review, in case you’re pressed for time and can’t come up with ideas right away.

Israeli startup lands huge 3D mapping deal with Australia

Israeli 3D mapping startup GeoX has signed a deal with GeoSpace, an Australian government geo-mapping firm.

GeoX will map 18 million buildings throughout the Australian continent using satellite imagery, AI and other patented technologies.

The Petah Tikva-based company’s data can be used for real-estate and insurance assessment and pricing, to identify new opportunities for cellular antennas and energy, and even to assess the potential of covering certain rooftops with solar panels.

The cooperation with the Australian government aims to greatly reduce the amount of manpower needed for such an ambitious project, as it will not require the government to send surveyors to each building.

The initial mapping, to begin in Sydney and Melbourne, is expected to take a few months. After that, the system will constantly be fed updated aerial images.

Israel ranks second globally in coronavirus innovation – study

Israel ranked second in the world after the United States in coronavirus solution innovation, according to a new report by research center StartupBlink and placed ahead of Canada, Belgium and Switzerland among the top spots. The top-ranked countries were unchanged from last year.

“If there is one message from the COVID–19 crisis and the mapping of the innovations by StartupBlink, it is this: Innovators can and have risen to the challenge,” said Pradeep Kakkattil, director of the office of innovation at UNAIDS. “It is time for the world to invest in leveraging these solutions to save lives now!”

Israel was the source of 38 pandemic-related innovations on a list of more than 1,300 compiled by StartupBlink.

“Israel is a relatively small country that has always excelled in innovation; it’s no surprise Israel has over-performed in creating solutions to combat the COVID–19 pandemic,” the report said. “Other than producing innovation, Israel has also deployed mass vaccination faster than any other country in the world.”

Israel also placed strongest in the categories of prevention, treatment and diagnostics, the report added. Several innovations were singled out as being particularly notable.

Temi Robots, designed in Tel Aviv, have been deployed in hospitals in China, Japan and the US to enable COVID-19 patients to consult with their doctors and to automate the temperature-taking process remotely.

Haifa-based Resmetrix has developed a wearable respiratory monitoring system that accurately monitors the respiratory pattern of respiratory disease patients (such as those with asthma), sending alerts to the patient’s smartphone and the medical team when early signs of respiratory deterioration occur.

Israel’s BIRD Aerosystems Wins New Contract for Missile-Defense System

The Israeli defense company BIRD Aerosystems announced a new contract on Monday for the installation of an anti-missile system on an Airbus 320-type aircraft for an unnamed client.

The system is called the SPREOS DIRCM, which confirms threats, and tracks and jams heat-seeking missiles using advanced technology. It also employs radar.

Combined, it can lead to the elimination of “false alarms, while precisely tracking and analyzing the threat’s unique information to enable the most effective jamming response,” the company said in a statement. It added that this is part of a wider defense system made by the company to be installed on the plane in collaboration with Airbus France.

Ronen Factor, co-chief executive officer and the founder of BIRD Aerosystems, said the technology “has proved its efficiency in protecting large aircraft such as the Airbus 320.”

Israel Aerospace Industries inks $237 million radar deal with German military

Israel Aerospace Industries has signed a deal worth 200 million euros ($237 million) to supply advanced radars to the German military.

The four long-range radar systems will help modernize Germany’s airspace surveillance and ballistic missile defense capabilities, IAI said in a Thursday statement.

The system will contribute to NATO defense against long-range weapon threats, the company said.

IAI will collaborate via its ELTA subsidiary on the project with the German firm Hensoldt, a leading European defense company that produces sensors for security applications.

“IAI is proud of the German army’s decision and sees the cooperation with Hensoldt as a significant step in advancing and deepening activities in Europe and Germany in particular,” said ELTA’s Eyal Shapira.

In June, ELTA inked a 36 million euro ($43 million) deal to supply 69 tactical mobile radar systems to the German army. ELTA supplies the radar array for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

UAE Delegation Visits Sheba Hospital Over Health Coordination

For the first time, the Jewish communities in all 6 GCC countries will join together for a special Selichot service. We invite you to join us LIVE from Bahrain for an authentic sephardic service featuring special guest Hazzanim!
Register: https://t.co/lq8jjDwwwn pic.twitter.com/dqF3YjAxmr

— Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC) (@gulfjewish) August 3, 2021

Alex Gibney to produce MGM/Tadmor’s Iranian judo bromance series

Alex Gibney, one of the world’s most acclaimed documentary filmmakers, has signed on to be the executive producer for an upcoming scripted television series for MGM Television and Israel’s Tadmor Entertainment, based on the life story of Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei, who won a silver medal in in the Tokyo Olympics last week.

Gibney won an Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side and has also produced and directed such movies and television series as Crime of the Century, Zero Days, Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief, The Armstrong Lie, Client 9, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and many others. If you’ve seen a documentary in the last 15 years, chances are it was one of his.

American-Iranian screenwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning of Soraya M, a harrowing fact-based story of the oppression of women in Iran) is writing the script for the series.

Mollaei became a hero to many – and a villain to some in his native Iran – when he defected to Germany after he was ordered by Iranian officials to intentionally lose in the Tokyo 2019 World Championships so he would not have to compete against Israeli judoka Sagi Muki. This led to a friendship between Mollaei and Muki that has blossomed into a true bromance, which will be celebrated in the film.

Mollaei has visited Israel a number of times and has spoken of how much he appreciates the support he has received from Israelis. He dedicated his silver-medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to Israel. “Thank you to Israel for the good energy. This medal is dedicated also to Israel. I hope the Israelis are happy with this win,” he said, adding, Toda – the Hebrew word for “thank you.”

Indian Composer Accused of ‘Copying’ Tune of Israeli National Anthem for 1996 Song

Twitter users are accusing an Indian composer and singer of plagiarizing Israel’s national anthem “Hatikvah” for a song he composed in 1996, India’s news outlet NDTV reported on Monday.

After Israel’s national anthem was played at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday when Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat was presented his gold medal, social media users noticed a similarity between the track and Anu Malik’s Indian song “Mera Mulk Mera Desh” from the 1996 film “Diljale.” The “Indian Idol” judge, 60, is now being charged on Twitter with “copying” and “stealing” the tune of “Hatikvah,” which was composed in the 19th century and adopted as Israel’s national anthem in 1948.

“The National anthem tune has some familiarity to the Indian song.. Mera Mulk Mera Desh?? Or is it just me?” wrote one Twitter user. Others noted the “uncanny resemblance” between the two songs and while another said: “So Anu Malik didn’t spare even Israeli national anthem while copying tune for Diljale’s Mera Mulk Mera Desh in 1996. Thanks to internet we now know this.”

Israel won their second ever Gold at Olympics and Indians ended up remembering Anu Malik ??pic.twitter.com/AA5Gzppqd1

— Anushree Roy (@AnushreeRoy7) August 1, 2021

Raoul Wallenberg – another birthday with unanswered questions

I was born in Argentina, into a traditional Jewish family and as such, I learned that one of the principal tenets of Judaism is hakarat hatov (recognizing the good). Luckily enough, neither I nor my loved ones have suffered the plight of the Holocaust, but this tragic chapter has marked me for life.

One of the lessons I have learned from history is that the “banality of evil” of the Nazis and their henchmen (a term coined by Hannah Arendt) was confronted by tens of thousands of women and men who opted not to stand idly by in the face of cruelty, oftentimes, putting their own lives, and that of their families, in mortal danger.

With this in my mind I founded the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, a global-reach NGO with a mission to preserve and spread the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg and of people like him who saved lives in the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide and other tragic chapters of history. Today, the foundation is led by my friend, Eduardo Eurnekian, who like me is Argentinean but a descendant of Armenian survivors.

Coinciding with the 109th anniversary of his birth (August 4, 1912), I would like to reflect on the awe-inspiring legacy of Raoul Wallenberg, one of the greatest heroes of the 20th century. As a scion of one of the most powerful families in Sweden, he could have chosen a life of comfort and professional success. Instead, at the early age of 32, he plunged himself into a fateful mission which would end up saving the lives of tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews and would eventually lead him to his own personal tragedy.

As an official emissary of Sweden and the backing of the US War Refugee Board, he arrived in Budapest on July 9, 1944 and in 184 days, he succeeded in setting-up an impressively well-orchestrated rescue operation designed to save the lives of the remaining Jewish community in Hungary.

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