10/29 Links: Biden Admin Probed Over ‘Illegal Efforts to Undermine Israeli Sovereignty Over Jerusalem’; What the Kanye West scandal can teach the UN ~ EoZ

From Ian:

Biden Admin Probed Over ‘Illegal Efforts to Undermine Israeli Sovereignty Over Jerusalem’

A legal advocacy group says the Biden administration is violating U.S. law by funneling more than half-a-billion dollars to the Palestinian government and is demanding the administration release a slew of internal documents that the group believes will reveal an illegal effort "to undermine Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem," according to a copy of the Freedom of Information Act request provided to the Washington Free Beacon.

America First Legal, a group of conservative lawyers and activists, hit the State Department this week with a FOIA request that instructs it to furnish a slew of internal documents about U.S. funding for the Palestinian Authority, which was frozen under former president Donald Trump but resumed when President Joe Biden took office.

The legal group suspects that a portion of this taxpayer aid is being used to support Palestinian-led projects in Jerusalem that could undermine Israel’s control of its capital city. The Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital, but the Biden administration, while formally upholding the policy, has moved to open a Palestinian Affairs unit in the city, fueling concerns that the consulate is working with the Palestinian government to erode Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem.

The Biden administration’s funding may also violate a bipartisan U.S. law that prevents taxpayer funds from reaching the Palestinian government until it ends a terrorist payment program known as "pay-to-slay," in which imprisoned militants and their families receive stipends. The Free Beacon reported earlier this month on a non-public State Department report to Congress that determined the Palestinian government is still paying terrorists, even as U.S. aid dollars flow.

"Make no mistake—the purpose here, contrary to U.S. law, is creating facts on the ground to undermine Israel’s borders and sovereignty and to reverse the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city," Reed D. Rubinstein, America First Legal’s senior counselor and director of oversight, said in a statement. "The Biden administration is pumping hundreds of millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars into ‘projects’ that directly benefit both the corrupt Palestinian Authority and the terrorist Hamas dictatorship."

The organization’s FOIA centers on a State Department fact sheet from March that outlined projects run by the United States’ Palestinian Affairs Unit, which was opened to increase diplomacy with the Palestinian government. The State Department says this office is responsible for partnering "with Palestinian and American organizations to support projects in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza [Strip] that increase exchange between our two peoples and advance shared goals on topics such as education, entrepreneurship, environmental protection, English language learning, science and technology, art and culture, gender equality, human rights, and democracy, among others."

These programs also include "university linkage projects connecting American and Palestinian universities directly for exchange and collaboration for students and faculty," according to the State Department.

US Democrats Oppose Israel’s Admission to Visa Waiver Program

A group of 20 Democratic members of Congress called on the Biden administration this week to oppose Israel’s membership in the US Visa Waiver Program, Haaretz reported Friday.

The program would waive the current onerous requirements faced by Israelis when they want to visit the United States and would instead automatically authorize 90-day visits for business or tourism purposes.

But Representative Don Beyer sent a letter Thursday – signed together with 19 other Democrats – telling Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “It is clear that Israel cannot and should not be admitted into the visa waiver program under the status quo.”

Israel has been negotiating with the United States over this issue for more than a year.

Israel Among Candidates Being ‘Considered’ for US Visa-Waiver Status
Last month Knesset lawmakers voted to approve the first reading of a bill that would allow Israel to join the program. Under the bill, sponsored by the Justice Ministry, passenger data gathered by airlines during the reservation process are coded into a “passenger name record” (PNR) which would then be transferred to a national center to be set up at the Israel Tax Authority – and is a condition set by the US for Israel’s entry into the visa waiver program.

Last month Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Alice Lugo said Israel “does not currently meet all [program] designation requirements, including extending reciprocal visa-free travel privileges to all US citizens and nationals.”

Lugo was referring to Israeli security personnel at Ben Gurion International Airport who pay close attention to Palestinian Authority Arabs who hold US citizenship and others, particularly so-called “peace activists” and supporters of the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.

Ben Cohen: What the Kanye West scandal can teach the UN

The Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan offered a telling quip during a debate last week at the international body concerning the latest report of its Commission of Inquiry into Israel and its apparently irredeemable offenses against international law. (The fact that the commission’s formal name is “The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel” itself suggests that its conclusions are hardly likely to be favorable, let alone neutral, towards the Jewish state.)

Referencing the viscerally anti-Zionist and often anti-Semitic utterances of the commission’s members—the canard the Israel is an “apartheid” state, the assertion that Israel shouldn’t be permitted to participate in the U.N. system—Erdan told the assembled delegates that “maybe the U.N. could learn from Adidas when it comes to hiring blatant anti-Semites!”

That, of course, was a reference to the decision of the sportswear company to sever ties with Kanye (“Ye”) West over the rappers’ revolting anti-Semitic comments. But Erdan didn’t have to cite Adidas alone; Foot Locker, Gap, Balenciaga, Def Jam and a host of other companies in the music, sports and fashion spaces have all cut links with West because of his hateful outbursts, while an unauthorized visit to the headquarters of Skechers in Los Angeles last Thursday resulted in him being escorted out of the building. “We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate anti-Semitism or any other form of hate speech,” declared a gratifyingly clear statement from the footwear manufacturer, adding for good measure that “we again stress that West showed up unannounced and uninvited.”

In the space of a fortnight, West’s image has shifted from that of a hip-hop artist and fashion mogul with eccentric, often unpalatable opinions to an out-and-out racist and bigot who dresses models in “White Lives Matter” shirts, ostentatiously celebrates his violently anti-Semitic views and flirts with neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology. In the process, West has lost all of the sponsorships mentioned above and many more on top, at one point piteously crying out that he had netted a loss of $2 billion in one day. One can only hope that particular claim is true.

The contrast between the speed with which the private sector moved to condemn West’s anti-Semitism and the stubborn persistence of outdated, unhelpful and anti-Semitic notions about Israel at the U.N. is frankly painful to observe. And it compels us to ask why it is that established multinational companies with thousands of employees are nonetheless nimble enough to call out anti-Semitism in a timely manner, while the governments gathered at the U.N. building in Manhattan either enthusiastically endorse or turn a wearily blind eye towards that body’s long-established, hard-wired hostility towards the world’s only Jewish state.

Biden drafts letter guaranteeing Israel’s rights in Lebanon maritime deal

US President Joe Biden has drafted a letter to Prime Minister Yair Lapid guaranteeing America’s commitment to the full implementation of the new maritime boundary deal with Lebanon and to Israel’s security and economic rights contained in the agreement, a senior US official said on Saturday evening.

The text of the letter was concluded between Israel and the US on Friday and Biden is expected to sign it early this coming week, the official said.

In the letter, Biden stresses the US commitment to supporting Israel’s ability to defend itself, including its gas infrastructure and ships in the Mediterranean.

The US also recognizes the buoy line stretching 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) into the sea from Rosh Hanikra as the status quo line, and opposes any attempt to change the line without Israel’s agreement.

Washington commits in the letter to supporting Israel’s partial economic rights to the Qana gas field, which under the deal is held by Lebanon, and underscores that it will prevent Hezbollah from receiving any revenue from it.

In addition, Biden commits to standing with Israel against any attempts to violate the maritime agreement. The convoy of the Lebanese delegation drive towards a UN post along the border known as Ras Naqoura, where Lebanese and Israeli delegations met, in the southern town of Naqoura, Lebanon, October 27, 2022. (Mohammed Zaatari/AP)

The American president praises Lapid’s role in bringing about the agreement, calling it “heroic.”

The final text of the letter will not be released, according to an Israeli official.

Lebanese politician close to Hezbollah: ‘We went for sustainable peace’ with Israel

A Lebanese Druze politician with close ties to the Hezbollah terror group has said the new maritime border agreement with Israel is a move toward “sustainable peace.”

Speaking to Al-Jadeed TV, Wiam Wahhab, head of the Arab Unification Party, which is not in parliament, said that Israel now “cannot wage war” against Lebanon due to the “balance of power” created by Hezbollah and the fighting of “Palestinians from within.”

He argued that “the [Palestinian] campaign from within it is better than a campaign from without,” apparently meaning Palestinian affairs should be left to the Palestinians, rather than Hezbollah inserting itself into the conflict.

To the host’s shock, Wahhab said: “In my opinion [by signing the deal] we went for sustainable peace. Let’s not kid around.”

The interviewer responded: “Oof. Sustainable peace? Then you’ve gone for normalization,” to which Wahhab answered once again, “sustainable peace.”

Israel and Lebanon’s landmark maritime deal went into effect Thursday evening after a ceremony at a UN base near the border, ending years of conflict over the matter and repeated saber-rattling by the Hezbollah terror group.

Israel and Lebanon are technically still at war and the deal does not touch on the land border.

Read Rishi Sunak's speech in full here:https://t.co/tYkKOFGH8c
— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) October 28, 2022

One killed, five injured in Kiryat Arba terrorist attack

One Israeli was killed and three others were injured after a terrorist opened fire at Israeli civilians and security forces at a checkpoint in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, near the home of Otzma Yehudit MK Itamar Ben-Gvir on Saturday night, according to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

A Magen David Adom medic was seriously injured in the attack and was being treated at Shaare Tzedek Medical Center. Two others in light condition were being treated at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center. A 37-year-old Palestinian was also injured and was evacuated by Israeli forces to be treated in the Palestinian Authority.

A large force from the Israel Police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrived at the scene, Maariv reported. The assailant was killed by a civil security officer, the IDF said, with scans ongoing to determine whether more terrorists were involved in the attack.

MDA medic Yisrael Lior, who was present at the scene of the attack, stated on Saturday night that he arrived with another medic to the scene at the Ashmoret checkpoint in Hebron and saw a man who had been shot in a car. "While I was running to get medical equipment, I heard the medic I was with shout "I'm injured. [They're] shooting at me,'" said Lior. "We took cover and while I was providing life-saving treatment to the medic I was with, we called in additional forces and after they arrived, we evacuated the injured person from the vehicle and the medic I was with to the hospital."

Terrorist reportedly affiliated with Hamas
Muhammad al-Jabari was named as the terrorist who carried out the attack. A group calling itself Aswad al-Haq and claiming to be a part of Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades announced that al-Jabari was a member of the group but that the attack had not been carried out under commands from the group. The Aswad al-Haq group was reportedly established just last week.

Christian leaders condemn attack on church near Bethlehem

Church leaders on Saturday condemned an attack on the Orthodox church in Beit Sahur, near Bethlehem, and called on the Palestinian Authority to bring the assailants to trial.

During the attack, which took place on Friday night, dozens of Muslim men hurled stones at the church, injuring a number of people.

The church is affiliated with the Jerusalem Patriarchate and managed by the congregation in Beit Sahur.

قال بقلك شعب عربي فلسطيني واحد؟ آل العتامرة المسلمين يرجمون بالحجارة الكنيسة وكشافتها في بيت ساحور الذين يجهزون أنفسهم لعيد الميلاد. هل شفتم بحياتكن مسيحي بالمحيط العربي تهجم على مسجد في بلدات مسيحية وليش لا؟ لأنه الأمم تختلف بالثقافة والعلم واحترام والاعتراف بالغير. بدهن دولة؟ pic.twitter.com/cBrZPFRNZv
— Shadi khalloul שאדי ח'לול (@shadikhalloul) October 29, 2022
In a statement, the church leaders said the attack came after a “quarrel between some young men.”

Atallah Hanna's condemnation of the attack
“We condemn this attack and demand that the Palestinian Authority bring the attackers to trial as soon as possible,” the statement read.

Archbishop Atallah Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem strongly condemned the assault, dubbing it an “unprecedented phenomenon.”

“What happened on Friday night in Beit Sahur distorts the image of our people and harms civil peace and the good relationship that binds us as the sons of the Palestinian people,” Hanna said. “The church is not a place for settling accounts, fomenting sedition and undermining the unity of our people. What happened in Beit Sahur was horrific.”

Militants adorned with Lions' Den bandanas in southern Lebanon. Though I doubt the group has an established presence there. pic.twitter.com/lQno4EG266
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) October 28, 2022

Shaker Dabour, 29, a member of Hamas, was killed when a tunnel he was working in collapsed. pic.twitter.com/Z9r8AMSQw1
— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) October 29, 2022

Satellite images show Israeli missile system deployed in UAE against Iranian threats

Satellite images taken over the United Arab Emirates show at least two Israeli Barak air defense systems being deployed to defend against a range of aerial threats launched by Iran.

According to satellite images released by Tactical Report, which covers events in the Gulf States and Middle East, the batteries and an Elta EL/M-2084 radar have been deployed near al-Dhafra airbase near Abu Dhabi.

First reported by Breaking Defense, the batteries are the first of what could be a substantial contract for additional systems to protect sensitive sites that have been targeted by missiles and drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Part of a Saudi-led military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the UAE has seen several missile and drone attacks carried out by the rebels in recent months.

Israel has offered support to the UAE against such attacks. Following a missile and drone attack that killed three people in Abu Dhabi last year, former prime minister Naftali Bennett said that he “ordered the Israeli security establishment to provide their counterparts in the UAE with any assistance” that could help to protect against future attacks.

In April, at least 10 C-17 Globemaster heavy transport aircraft belonging to the United Arab Emirates Air Force landed in southern Israel at the Israel Air Force’s Nevatim Airbase over a span of two weeks. They all took off about an hour after landing.

The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III is a four-engine heavy transport aircraft that can accommodate a huge payload of about 85 tons (77,000 kg.).

US sanctions Iranian organization that placed bounty on Salman Rushdie

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned an Iranian organization that it says encouraged the attack on novelist Salman Rushdie on Friday.

According to a Treasury statement, the Iranian entity 15 Khordad Foundation, increased the bounty on Rushdie which was put on after a fatwa (religious edict) against Rushdie by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the 1989 publication of his novel The Satanic Verses. It was reaffirmed in 2017 by Iran’s current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The foundation issued a bounty on Rushdie in support of Khomeini’s fatwa and increased the bounty in 2012 from $2.7 million to $3.3 million. The organization calls itself a charitable organization subordinate to Khamenei.

Rushdie was stabbed and seriously injured on Aug. 12 while giving a speech in upstate New York by 24-year-old Hadi Matar.

Several translators and business associates of Rushdie around the world have been killed or severely injured as a result of this incitement.

“The infamous fatwa was intended to incite terrorism and violence, bring about the death of Rushdie and his associates, and intimidate others,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “The United States condemns such incitement and the attack on Rushdie in the strongest terms as a blatant assault on freedom of speech and an act of terrorism. Today’s action is another clear signal that we will not stand by in the face of it.”

Iran’s Guards Head Warns Protesters: ‘Today is Last Day of Riots’

The head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards warned protesters that Saturday would be their last day of taking to the streets, in a sign that security forces may intensify their fierce crackdown on unrest sweeping the country.

Iran has been gripped by protests since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police last month, posing one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.

“Do not come to the streets! Today is the last day of the riots,” Guards commander Hossein Salami said in some of the toughest language used in the crisis, which Iran’s clerical leadership blames on its foreign enemies including Israel and the United States.

“This sinister plan, is a plan hatched… in the White House and the Zionist regime,” Salami said.

Iranians have defied such warnings throughout the popular revolt in which women have played a prominent role. There were more reports of fresh bloodshed on Saturday.

Human rights group Hengaw reported security forces shooting students at a girl’s school in the city of Saqez. In another post it said security forces opened fire on students at Kurdistan University of Medical Science, in the Kurdistan provincial capital of Sanandaj.

Several students were injured, one of them shot in the head, Hengaw said.

Iran’s regime kills a female surgeon during doctors' protests in Tehran

Security forces for the Islamic Republic of Iran killed a general surgeon who was protesting along with doctors in front of the Tehran Medical Council on Tuesday.

The London-based Iran International news outlet reported on Saturday that the surgeon Parisa Bahmani, from Zanjan, was killed as a result of a shot to her head.

According to the statement by Iran’s Medical Council, Bahmani "died in a car crash and the news regarding her killing by security agents is not true. However, the death of Dr. Bahmani is under investigation, and the result will be announced soon.”

A fresh round of physician protests unfolded on Saturday in front of Medical Council buildings across Iran.

According to Iran International, doctors protested on Tuesday against the clerical regime’s policies of “preventing medical care for the wounded protesters, using ambulances to transport security forces, and militarizing the hospitals.”

Iran International reported that security forces exerted pressure on doctor Bahmani’s family to say she did not participate in the protest. 250 protesters have died so far in the last month

Bahmani’s alleged killing is part of a death toll of over 250 people, including dozens of children, who have participated in peaceful protests against the regime.

Iran’s regime claims the victims of regime violence have jumped off roofs, suffered heart attacks, had a pre-existing health condition, committed suicide or died in car crashes.

An absolutely incredible night in Tel Aviv of solidarity with the people of Iran. I was honored to help organize and to speak at the demonstration in support of the people of Iran! #IranRevoIution #opiran #MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/nK9Etl5pU2
— Emily Schrader - ????? ?????? ????? ????? (@emilykschrader) October 29, 2022

The Iranian people are chanting slogans against the regime during the burial of victims of the regime in Shiraz as protest rage on for over 40 days for regime change. #IranRevolution

pic.twitter.com/dnBeFhys6M
— Emily Schrader - ????? ?????? ????? ????? (@emilykschrader) October 29, 2022

Iranian girls to police: Shoot me? shoot me, shoot me! If you want to stop me you have to f**king shooting me!

Such remarkable bravery #IranRevoIution #opiran

pic.twitter.com/q9d8m2qVN2
— Emily Schrader - ????? ?????? ????? ????? (@emilykschrader) October 28, 2022

Protesters destroy the monument to the symbol of the Islamic Republic in the city of Mahabad ?? ?? #IranRevolution

pic.twitter.com/0KCZm1HalP
— Emily Schrader - ????? ?????? ????? ????? (@emilykschrader) October 29, 2022

Great to address the 2nd German-Israeli Student Conference #Disk2022. Their resolution: “We oppose all antisemitism [including] the demonization and delegitimization of the state of Israel, which even recognized human rights organizations have made use of in the recent past.” /1 https://t.co/UNyvaNgKR6
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 29, 2022

Signed by The Federal Association of Liberal University Groups @BundesLHG, Juso University Groups @jusohsgn, Federal Association of Green-Alternative University Groups @campusgruen, Ring of Christian Democratic Students @rcds_bund. /3https://t.co/rIqANLIebu pic.twitter.com/EVG8yohWVe
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) October 29, 2022

While we share a sense of urgency on voting & agree there are currently unprecedented threats to U.S. democracy, suggesting this is akin to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the imminent savagery of the Nazi regime Is wrong. There are better ways to make the point.
— ADL (@ADL) October 27, 2022

The #Antisemite Farrakhan wears a bow tie ..#kayneWest the #rapper pic.twitter.com/DVafSiiVzG
— Eye On Antisemitism (@AntisemitismEye) October 28, 2022

A Keir Starmer appointment to the front bench. pic.twitter.com/Zc1MYf3eWA
— David Hirsh (@DavidHirsh) October 29, 2022

I think @KenRoth is just trolling now! He’s been testing limits of Twitter, with relentless Jew hatred and antisemitism. Quite frankly, if Ken was booted off the platform, humanity would be all the better for it! https://t.co/MOXlG3J7l7
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) October 29, 2022

A three-step plan to fight the flames of antisemitism - opinion

How to extinguish antisemitism
First, we must work to de-platform those who use their voice to peddle hatred. It matters not if they are leaders of a countries or an influencer. Everyone has a right to free speech but social media platforms are not public squares, they can be moderated to eliminate, not elevate, hatred.

Second, we must be vigilant in providing safety for Jews here in LA and around the world. My organization spends millions of dollars a year to monitor nearly six hundred Jewish sites in Los Angeles. It is immoral and unfair that the Jewish community must shoulder an extra cost to enjoy our First Amendment rights. While progress has been made on behalf of targeted and vulnerable institutions through state and federal nonprofit security grants, more must be done to ease the fear of violence many Jews face while studying and worshiping.

Third, we must act with pride. The days when Jews were systemically excluded from colleges, hotels, workplaces and country clubs are long gone. Still, our story in America is one where Jews have changed our names, our businesses, our tone, and even our bodies to seem and sound less Jewish. No longer should we choose between our Jewish identity and our American one. We can and must have both. Bullies pray on fear and nothing holds fear back like pride.

Lastly, we must love each other. We must meet the rising flames of hatred with our own rising tide of kindness and fellowship. True redemption as a city will only come when we realize that there is more that unites us than divides us.

Only then will we conquer our fears of each other and move beyond the myopia of zero-sum thinking to chart a course toward a common human horizon. To be a Jew is to love life, to love our neighbors and to extinguish the fires of hate by pursuing a more righteous path of liberty and justice for all.

Swedish politician suspended from role after sexual comments about Anne Frank

Far-right Swedish politician Rebecka Fallenkvist has been suspended from her political post following comments about Anne Frank being a sexual deviant. What started as her party status being put "under review" after the incident, later became a full suspension for the politician.

Fallenkvist's comments about Anne Frank
“Fifty pages in and so far Anne Frank has only struck me as debauched, the horniness itself,” Sweden Democrat (SD) Rebecka Fallenkvist wrote on Instagram earlier this month. She tagged this post with a song by Kanye West, who has also been in the limelight for a recent influx of antisemitism.

The Swedish Jewish community responded with their outrage, along with Israel's ambassador to Sweden. “We are obviously outraged and disgusted by this,” Nina Tojzner, secretary-general of the Jewish youth organization in Sweden told The Jerusalem Post.

Tojzner’s organization shared a press release, stating that “normalizing a treacherous use of language and shameless trivialization of the suffering of Holocaust victims is indecent and undignified. This is even more serious, coming from a popularly elected politician who enjoys great influence.”

The Swedish media personality-turned-politician later turned to social media to respond to the initial messaging of the story, following her suspension by the Swedish Democrats and her employer, Riks. Her Instagram account has since been scrubbed clean.

Fallenkvist wrote a response to the Swedish Dagens Nyheter newspaper that “the book is a moving depiction of human goodness and evil. Anne, who in the first chapters is like any other young girl, lives her life in peace and finds an interest in boys (which I highlighted), in contrast with the evil of Nazism. My story was aimed at the good and humaneness of Anne – not to minimize the evil she was exposed to.”

Canadian province of Manitoba adopts IHRA definition of anti-Semitism

The Canadian province of Manitoba adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism this week. The provinces of Ontario and Alberta had previously adopted the IHRA definition, which recognizes forms of anti-Zionism that constitute anti-Semitism.

“To be effective in combatting anti-Semitism, one of the world’s oldest forms of hatred, it must first be clearly defined,” the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg stated online. “Today, Heather Stefanson, premier of Manitoba, announced Manitoba’s adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, and will use the definition as a tool to identify all forms of anti-Semitism in Manitoba.”

“Anti-Semitism has no place in Manitoba,” Stefanson tweeted, “and today’s announcement shows our commitment to keeping Manitoba an inclusive and safe province.”

According to B’nai Brith Canada, Manitoba had a 125% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2021 as compared with 2020.

In a statement, Ruth Ashrafi, B’nai Brith Canada’s regional director in Manitoba, offered “to aid the province in implementing the definition through the whole of government so that civil servants and law enforcement can better recognize and combat anti-Semitism. Today is just a beginning. The real work starts tomorrow.”

A Yeshiva student was physically and verbally assaulted, but the story is WORSE than was reported. The 15 YO boy, was made to say “FREE PALESTINE,” ON CAMERA several times. Even after he said “FREE PALESTINE”, he was still physically attacked and eggs were thrown at him. Watch: pic.twitter.com/9muvm2MJmB
— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) October 28, 2022

Man who attacked Pelosi’s husband spread conspiracy theories about Jews

The man arrested for beating US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer after breaking into their San Francisco home in search of her had spread the theory online that Jews are to blame for the war in Ukraine.

San Francisco police arrested David DePape on Friday after Paul Pelosi struggled with a home invader who was attacking him. DePape was allegedly yelling, “Where is Nancy?” Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, DC, at the time of the attack. Paul Pelosi, 82, was hospitalized but is expected to recover.

A picture of DePape that emerged after police named him as the alleged attacker suggests that he was actively engaged online with a slew of conspiracy theories, including ones about Pelosi, who has been a target of supporters of former president Donald Trump, and about Jews.

The conspiracies
One of two websites DePape apparently administered includes a category entitled “DaJewbs,” devoted to antisemitic conspiracy theories, including Holocaust denial. Numerous recent entries accuse Jews of being behind Russia’s war against Ukraine as a means of buying up the land.

“That’s some pretty sick Jewing going on if true,” said a post from Monday featuring an antisemitic caricature of a Jew. “Bomb the country into shit so the residents leave. Buy the land up for cheap.”

A post on Tuesday said, “The more Ukrainians die NEEDLESSLY the cheaper the land will be for Jews to buy up.”

Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was brutally assaulted with a hammer in their home earlier this morning.

The attacker - David DePape - has a history of posting horrifying antisemitic videos & memes like this one, once again showing us what starts with Jews never ends with Jews. pic.twitter.com/XO0pf7cRqm
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 28, 2022

Eilat and Israel: Sand, sea and sustainability

My best memory of Eilat is from before we moved to Israel, when we took my then-two-year-old to the King Solomon Hotel for a Hanukkah holiday. I remember her delight at meeting Arik the Lion. I’ll never forget the first time my now budding chef made chocolate balls pre-Shabbat on the Friday afternoon, and the fun atmosphere at night as we walked up and down the bustling promenade.

I remember the heart-thumping thrill of swimming in the sea with dolphins, as well as the questions I had at the time, seeing the sun-bleached corals and wondering why their color had gone. But coming from England, the winter weather was perfect. It’s still definitely on my list of happy places.

What I wasn’t aware of at the time was how the city, while best known for its tourism and water sports (welcoming three million visitors a year), was also an up-and-coming global center of excellence for research and development.

With its year-round access to sea, sun and desert resources, Eilat is proving to be a fertile ground for R&D into aquaculture, biotechnology and renewable and sustainable energy. It’s also becoming a crucial hub for scientific research in the fields of limnology (the study of inland waters and their aquatic ecosystems); mariculture (the farming of marine organisms for food, food additives, nutraceuticals and so on); oceanography (the scientific study of all aspects of the ocean); and marine biotechnology (the creation of products and processes from marine organisms).

Experts are predicting that with an increasing global population, which is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, food production will have to increase by an enormous 70% to meet demand. At the same time, climate change, rising sea levels and soil erosion – thus less fertile land for growing crops – mean that in the future we’ll need to rely more on foods from the sea and the desert.

In October, Eilat hosted the 1st International AgrIsrael “Sea the Future” Summit. The three-day aquaculture and desertech event focused on highlighting – and seeking to address – challenges to global sustainable and integrated aquaculture, as well as desert agriculture. It featured promising solutions, such as sustainable and nutritious foods of the future to help tackle food insecurity. It also presented cutting-edge platforms, including technologies to “tackle” global fishing supply pressures, while meeting the increasing demand for food from the sea.

Representatives from more than 12 countries, including partners from across the Middle East, such as Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE, attended the event, indicating that the conference may well have been just as much about diplomacy as about sustainability. Participants included agriculture ministers, scientists and leading entrepreneurs, who reportedly discussed a number of challenges and solutions. These included defeating hunger through aquaculture, active ingredients in desert plants, smart agriculture and microalgae production in the Israeli desert.