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Saturday, February 18, 2023

02/18 Links: Blinken speaks with Abbas as US works to block UN resolution on Israeli settlements; Israel Denounces ‘Severe’ Incident of Diplomat’s Expulsion from African Union Summit

From Ian:

Draft UN resolution demands end to Israeli settlements
A draft U.N. resolution that the Associated Press obtained demands an immediate halt to all Israeli settlement activities, condemning Israeli attempts to annex settlements and outposts and calling for their reversal. The Palestinian-backed resolution could be put to a vote as early as next week.

The new resolution comes as Israel’s government reaffirmed its commitment to legalize nine communities in Judea and Samaria in the wake of last week’s deadly terrorist attack in Jerusalem. The victims were identified as Yaakov Israel Paley, 6; his brother Asher Menachem, 8; and Alter Shlomo Lederman, 20.

At the same time, Israel’s government has announced plans to advance nearly 10,000 housing units in Judea and Samaria following a string of terrorist attacks, which claimed 10 Israeli lives in the past several weeks.

“The introduction of this resolution is unhelpful in supporting the conditions necessary to advance negotiations for a two-state solution,” Vedant Patel, deputy U.S. State Department spokesman, told reporters in Washington on Thursday. Patel added that Israel’s decision to expand settlements and legalize those communities was also “unhelpful.”

Supporters of the resolution want a vote on Monday ahead of the year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Starting on Wednesday, this period will be marked by several days of high-level activities.

The resolution was introduced and supported by the United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel more than two years ago and has taken a tepid stance on opposing Russia’s war with Ukraine.

The United States will look to the United Arab Emirates and other council members to vote in favor of a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Russia for invading Ukraine and calling for an immediate withdrawal of all Russian forces.
Blinken speaks with Abbas as US works to block UN resolution on Israeli settlements
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday, as Washington seeks to thwart a Ramallah-backed UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate halt to Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank.

The Security Council resolution has placed the US in an uncomfortable position, as it too has spoken out aggressively against last Sunday’s decision by Israel to legalize nine outposts in the West Bank and advance plans for some 10,000 new settlement homes, the largest-ever package to be green-lit in one sitting.

Additionally, the Biden administration has maintained that vetoes at the UN Security Council should be used sparingly and has been critical of Russia’s efforts to block consensus-backed initiatives over the past year. Vetoing this measure, which includes a condemnation of steps toward annexation by Israel — such as outpost legalizations, would put them at odds with countries it has asked to back UN resolutions against Russia for annexing Ukrainian lands.

However, the US has also said the UN is not the correct forum for adjudicating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has been critical of member states’ disproportionate and sometimes biased approach on the issue.

The Palestinian readout of the Saturday phone call said Abbas briefed Blinken on his office’s involvement in the Security Council initiative, which was drafted by the United Arab Emirates, the Arab League’s representative on the top UN panel.

Abbas said the UN effort was “a result of Israel’s insistence on violating signed agreements” and “underscored the need for Israel to stop all unilateral measures, including settlement construction, home demolitions, raids on cities and villages and the extrajudicial killings of Palestinians,” according to the PA readout.

The PA president urged the US to “immediately and effectively intervene to press Israel to stop all these dangerous measures” to ensure the continued prospect of a two-state solution, his office said. It added that Blinken assured Abbas that he would reach out to the Israeli government “in an effort to stop the unilateral Israeli actions on the ground.”

The State Department later released a readout saying Blinken stressed “the US commitment to a negotiated two-state solution and opposition to policies that endanger its viability.”
Seth Frantzman: Is rising terror in Israel a sign of a new Palestinian intifada?
The most violent year in the West Bank since 2005
The last year has been described as the most violent in the West Bank since the UN began recording data on Israel-Palestinian clashes in 2005. It’s important to note here that this data point is well crafted to provide a headline because actually, the conflict is not more violent today than in conflicts such as the 2009 war in Gaza.

However, by looking solely at the West Bank, it is indeed violent. This has come about primarily due to the rise of Islamic Jihad in Jenin, gangs and militias in Nablus, as well as armed groups in Jericho. These seem to be men who are well armed thanks to arms trafficking in the West Bank.

The men all have M-16s, and while some may be relatives of members of Fatah or may have allegiance to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the overall trend is that armed gangs and militias, mafias and militants are taking over one Palestinian city after another.

THE ARMS flow in the West Bank has gone on for decades, but recent years have apparently seen a surge in the flow of M-16s, the same type of rifle used by Israel and the US. Where do the weapons all come from? It’s not entirely clear, but the fact is that almost every Palestinian gunman killed in recent clashes with Israeli forces has been pictured with an M-16, usually in “martyr” photos published posthumously by supporters.

Attacks continue even with efforts to take the wind out of their sails
The M-16 generation of terrorist militias/gangs/mafias rising in the West Bank is a generation that was born after the Second Intifada began. That means they have no real memory of the brutal fighting that marked that era. They don’t remember the siege of the Muqata of the church in Bethlehem, the shooting from Beit Jala or the battle of Jenin.

They have only stories, and unlike the previous generations, they grew up entirely sealed off from Israel. This is because the security barrier was built when they were very young. Unlike their parents, they never met Israelis in a normal setting and didn’t likely work in Israel. They are the fruits of Oslo and the bizarre “peace” of the 1990s.

The fighters Israel is confronting and those involved in attacks today are also children of another phenomenon. They are not well trained because Israel dismantled the terror infrastructure of the late 1990s and early 2000s.


Israel Denounces ‘Severe’ Incident of Diplomat’s Expulsion from African Union Summit
Israel’s team was kicked out of the African Union conference hall in Addis Ababa Saturday morning, triggering a fierce denunciation from Jerusalem.

The team included Sharon Bar-Li, the Deputy Director for Africa at the Foreign Ministry, as well as other participants. It is understood that the incident took place during the opening ceremony of the event. The security personnel of the conference allegedly approached the members of the Israeli delegation and asked them to leave the hall.

A spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry described the incident as “severe,” noting Bar-li was “an accredited observer with an entry tag,” adding that the members of the delegation learned that South Africa and Algeria were behind the move, according to Israel’s Walla news site.

“Israel views seriously the incident in which the deputy for Africa, Ambassador Sharon Bar-Li, was removed from the African Union hall despite her status as an accredited observer with access badges,” said ministry spokesperson Lior Hayat, according to The Times of Israel. “It is sad to see that the African Union has been taken hostage by a small number of extremist countries such as Algeria and South Africa, driven by hatred and controlled by Iran.”

“We call on the African countries to stand against these actions that harm the organization of the African Union itself and the entire continent,” he said.

The 55-member group is deeply divided over Israel’s observer status. A discussion of the matter was put on hold at the summit last year in an effort to prevent a vote that would have caused a historic rift in the Union. Instead, a committee was formed, and it was mandated to present its recommendations at the summit this year.


Free speech as hate speech: The James Cavallaro scandal
Another vocal anti-Zionist claimed free-speech martyrdom last week in the latest example of an individual harboring visceral hatred of Israel being rewarded with a prestigious position.

Professor James Cavallaro, an expert on human rights in Latin America, had been nominated the previous week to a three-year term as a commissioner with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, a body within the Organization of American States (OAS). It was a position that Cavallaro had held before, having been previously nominated by President Barack Obama’s Secretary of State, John Kerry. He certainly had no reason to doubt that he was a shoe-in who would bring, in the words of a U.S. State Department press release, “valuable expertise to the commission’s work.”

Either the State Department doesn’t know about the social-media antics of its nominees, or it doesn’t care. When a colleague at The Algemeiner news outlet, Andrew Bernard, began sifting through Cavallaro’s Twitter feed, he discovered a cesspool of abuse directed at several targets, including the good professor’s ostensible boss, U.S. President Joe Biden. In one April 2020 tweet, he referred to Biden as “Nasty MFer Joe.” In another tweet the previous month, he opined sarcastically that Biden’s electoral success in the U.S. South “must mean he is no longer a senile gaffe machine.” For someone who professes to loathe former President Donald Trump, Cavallaro sure sounds a lot like him.

Similar treatment was dished out to other politicians. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) was dismissed as a “shameless mother*****.” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was told she was a “pedantic, pompous and self-righteous individual” who would be well-advised to “learn from the Palestinian people” (this was in reply to Collins’ tweet urging Israel to ignore Trump’s advice to bar left-wing Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from visiting the country). Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) was excoriated as a “racist imbecile.” And so on.

Once Cavallaro’s tweets were exposed, the State Department speedily withdrew his nomination. At a press briefing, spokesman Ned Price emphasized that Cavallaro’s social-media attacks on Israel (more on those in a moment) were not the only factor behind the decision to pull him out of the running. “I know that [Israel has] been the focus of much of the commentary, but it went well beyond that,” explained Price. “Some of his commentary … was deeply inappropriate. Once that information came to light, we lost confidence in this individual and his ability to serve as a successful nominee.”
Baroness asks UK government about Iraqi-Jewish compensation
The question of compensation for Iraqi Jews and their endangered heritage has been raised in the UK House of Lords. Baroness Ruth Deech, an active member of the Jewish community, asked two questions to the Minister for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad. However, his answers seem to be bland and out of touch with the reality on the ground: there is no Jewish community left to protect, and their property is being appropriated by Iranian-backed militias:

Baroness Ruth Deech:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Iraq on compensation for property deprived of the Iraqi Jewish community in the 1940s and 1950s.

Answer: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
The UK has not specifically discussed compensation for property deprived of the Iraqi Jewish community in the 1940s and 1950s with the Government of Iraq. However, the UK is firmly committed to protecting ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, including the Jewish community. We regularly discuss the importance of the rights of minority communities with the government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government and we will continue to press these issues.

Baroness Ruth Deech:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Iraq on the preservation of Jewish heritage sites in that country.

Answer: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The UK is firmly committed to protecting ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, including the Jewish community. We regularly discuss the importance of the rights of minority communities with the government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional government. We recognise the importance of protecting and preserving religious heritage sites for groups and through British Council and HMG funding we have delivered eight cultural heritage projects in Iraq. We will continue to highlight the importance of the preservation of heritage sites with the government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government.
US: Russia Guilty of ‘Crimes against Humanity’ in Ukraine
The US administration of President Joe Biden formally determined that Russia committed “crimes against humanity” in the course of its nearly year-long invasion of Ukraine, US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Saturday.

“In the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt: these are crimes against humanity,” Harris, a former prosecutor, said in prepared remarks delivered in a speech at the Munich Security Conference. “And I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes, and to their superiors who are complicit in those crimes, you will be held to account.”

“Russian forces have pursued a widespread and systemic attack against a civilian population — gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape, and deportation,” Harris said. She also cited “execution-style killings, beatings, and electrocution.”

“Russian authorities have forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of people, from Ukraine to Russia, including children,” Harris added. “They have cruelly separated children from their families.”

Harris also hailed Ukraine’s success in standing up to Russia’s invasion.

“Kyiv is still standing, Russia is weakened, the transatlantic alliance is stronger than ever and, most importantly, the spirit of the Ukrainian people endures,” she said.
Israel, Saudi Arabia discussed developing military and intelligence relationship - report
Israel and Saudi Arabia are reportedly holding talks over concerns on Iran and tensions between the nations, according to a Bloomberg report on Friday.

The report states that Israel is "developing closer military and intelligence ties" with the Arab nation, while citing individuals that are "familiar with the discussions."

The talks between the two countries were backed by the United States. The US supports for more integration in the region as concerns over Iran grow, the report said.

Talks are expected to continue in Prague after the Munich Security Conference, which began on Friday.

Rumors of Israeli-Saudi normalization ties
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hoped for Saudi Arabia to be the next Arab country to sign the Abraham Accords. There were also reports from last December of the Arab country wanting to normalize ties with Israel.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Foreign Ministry wanted to recruit known soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently moved to play in the Saudi Arabian league, to promote the possibility of normalization ties. Ronaldo is now playing for the for the Al Nassr soccer team.


The Israel Guys: Why Did Israel Blow Up THIS PALESTINIAN'S House in the West Bank?
Israel blows up the home of the home of the terrorist who killed one and injured four others this last October in Kiryat Arba, and the world goes crazy over it. Kindergartners are practicing to kill Israelis, and the UAE opens a synagogue.


Social Media: An Important Tool Used By Palestinian Militant Groups
For example, the nascent militant organization the Lions’ Den owes much of its popularity to its social media presence. Presently on Telegram, the organization has approximately 235 thousand followers, more than any other Palestinian faction, including Hamas. Since August 2022, the group has published warnings to the Israeli government and videos of fighters targeting Israeli settlements with gunfire.

While publications of assaults and other forms of propaganda are a staple of Palestinian militant-run channels, incitement to commit violence is a key message. For example, on Feb. 14, Hamas published a video of Treasury-sanctioned Selah al-Arouri encouraging Palestinians to commit acts of violence against Israelis to fulfill the goal of “liberating the West Bank.” Another example published by Army of Islam encourages attacks against Israelis. A second publication by the group in the wake of the Jerusalem bombings last year demonstrates how an explosive is built using components that are readily available.

Lastly, militant-run channels and those affiliated with them often use social media to attract recruits. Slick graphics showing militants firing rockets and launching other attacks on Israeli targets is an effective method to inspire potential recruits. For example, in 2019 Hamas created a channel on Telegram dedicated to publishing information on military training camps used as a segue for children and teens to join the group. Information on how to register for the camps and other propaganda material including footage of militants instructing children on how to use fire arms were regularly published.

While social media companies have taken a hard line against accounts posting material related to terrorism, the system is not perfect. Hamas has successfully opened Twitter accounts that have lasted for a few months before being shut down. Palestinian Islamic Jihad and others have long abandoned Twitter and publish official material on other social media platforms. Valuable information for research purposes can be gathered by videos and statements, but the publications also serve as an important tool for these organizations to spread propaganda and incite further violence in an already troubled region.
MEMRI: Pakistani Writer S.A. Zahid: 'Terrorism Has Its Roots In India And Israel; These Countries Are Indirectly Promoting Terrorism'; 'India Is Providing All Kinds Of Aid To Terrorists In Pakistan'
In a recent article, Pakistani writer S.A. Zahid blamed India and Israel for the continuing jihadi terrorism in Pakistan and accused the two countries of being "the worst enemies" of Muslims. The article was titled "Who Are Promoting Terrorism [In Pakistan]?" and published by the Urdu-language website of Geo TV.

Zahid's varticle followed the January 3, 2023 killing of two officers of the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the town of Khanewal in Punjab province. The officers were Naveed Sadiq, the director of the ISI's local unit, and Nasir Abbas, an inspector. The loss was so important that ISI's Director General Lt. General Nadim Ahmed Anjum joined in their funeral prayers.

In the article, Zahid states: "[India and Israel] train terrorists and provide them with all kinds of facilities including financial assistance. These two countries jointly create riots in the respective areas through provocative statements and actions and then take unilateral and cruel action against those who demand their rights and raise their voices..."

Following are excerpts from the article, as translated from Urdu:
"India And Israel Are Undoubtedly At The Top Of The List Of The Worst Enemies Of Muslims – India Has Forcibly Occupied Kashmir For The Past Seven Decades"
Is Biden A 'Manchurian President,' Facilitating Nuclear Cooperation between Iran's Mullahs and Russia?
The US Congress urgently needs to pass legislation introduced by the Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that will "prohibit the Biden administration from waiving Congressional sanctions that prohibit cooperation on Iran's nuclear program."

It is stunning that the Biden Administration is offering Iran's mullahs sanction waivers for their nuclear program while the Iranian regime is openly getting closer to obtaining nuclear weapons.

"There is absolutely no reason to continue issuing these waivers, which allow Iran and Russia to cooperate on building up Iran's nuclear program. These waivers were nevertheless renewed in August, because the Biden administration remains obsessed with reentering a nuclear deal with the Iranian regime. Now the administration says it is committed to countering cooperation between Iran and Russia. They should embrace this legislation." — Senator Ted Cruz, February 3, 2023.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously made it clear to US lawmakers that the Biden Administration will not stand in the way of Russia cashing in on the $10 billion contract, as well as Russia-Iran nuclear cooperation.

Biden has already been called "the Manchurian President." After seeing the Biden Administration's capitulations to America's enemies over the past two years, it is important to ask: Has the Biden family effectively been paid to hand over America to Russia, China and Iran?
Iran Set to Upgrade Fighter Fleet with ‘State-of-Art’ Russian Jet
Iran appears assured of soon receiving a shipment of one of Russia’s most advanced fighter jets, which would mark the most significant upgrade in decades to the Islamic Republic’s aging fleet, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

In the past few months, Iranian officials publicly touted the purchase of 24 Su-35s, a state-of-the-art military jet produced by Russia, including in propaganda materials showcasing a new underground Air Force base called “Eagle 44.” The NYT report was based on digital analysis of one such propaganda video by a former US government imagery analyst, as well as on analysis of satellite imagery.

The report concluded that the base had a mockup of the Su-35 jet, apparently to make sure that the base is ready for the reception of the real artifact. “These are likely being used in assessing clearances for maneuvering the aircraft throughout the underground facility and could suggest they’ll be based here,” according to the analyst cited by NYT.

Regime media said the Eagle 44 base was one of the country’s most important military facilities, and would soon be home to fighter jets equipped with long-range cruise missiles.

This comes amid heightened western and Israeli concerns over the deepening two-way military cooperation between Iran and Russia, and its implications for the security and stability of eastern Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Another area of concern is Iran’s nuclear escalation and Tehran’s lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The cooperation included Iranian manufacturers supplying Russia with drones used to attack Ukraine’s infrastructure.


Seth Frantzman: Mystery surrounds Iran’s second attack in four months on a commercial ship - analysis
On February 10 an “airborne object” struck a ship that was transiting the Indian Ocean, around 300 nautical miles off the coasts of India and Oman. The details of the incident were only revealed a week later, on February 17. BBC reporter Nafiseh Kohnavard tweeted on Friday that Iranian drones targeted the Campo Square commercial ship. “A US mil official confirms,” she wrote, noting that another military source in the region said, “the attack was carried out by Iran itself.”

Jared Szuba wrote on Al-Monitor that “at least one Iranian drone targeted an Israeli-linked commercial shipping tanker in the Arabian Sea on February 10, causing minor damage, a US military official familiar with the incident confirmed to Al-Monitor on Friday.” He noted that “the official said the United States believes Iran was behind the attack due to the drone’s point of origin and tracking data, but did not specify where the device was launched from or what type of drone was used. BBC Persian first reported the incident on Friday.”

Further reports noted that the vessel, which didn’t have cargo, was on the way from Singapore to Fujairah in the UAE. The vessel and crew were safe after the attack and there was only minor damage.

The attack follows the November 15 attack on the Pacific Zircon which was carried out by a drone launched from Chabahar. Images of the drone attack in November were later published by CNN. “The charred remains of the drone show the numbers 229 on the side… American and Israeli officials pointed the finger of blame at Iran – identifying the drone as a HESA Shahed 136 similar to the Iranian-made self-detonating drones used by Russia in Ukraine,” CNN noted. That followed the even more serious attack in July 2021 against the Mercer Street tanker off the coast of Oman in which British and Romanian crewmen were killed.
United Nations Says Iran Is Harboring Al Qaeda’s New Leader
Iran is harboring al Qaeda’s new leader Saif al-Adel, according to intelligence collected by the United Nations.

U.N. member states overwhelmingly agreed that al-Adel is now the "uncontested leader" of the international terror group and is running operations from inside Iran, according to a report published Thursday by the U.N. Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

Al Qaeda has not formally announced al-Adel’s ascension, primarily due to his presence in Iran, which has historically been at odds with the terror group due to religious differences. The group’s former leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed in a U.S. strike last year.

"Member States’ predominant view is that [al-Adel] is now the de facto leader of al Qaeda, representing continuity for now," according to the report. "But his leadership cannot be declared because of … the fact of [al-Adel’s] presence in the Islamic Republic of Iran."

The report signals that despite religious divisions between Iran’s hardline clerical regime and al Qaeda, there is a growing desire among both entities to team up on the terrorism front. Al-Adel has deep ties to the Iranian regime and took refuge inside the country in the early 2000s, along with several other top al Qaeda members. He is believed to have orchestrated al Qaeda’s terror operations from his perch in Iran, including attacks on Americans.

"Religious differences between al-Qaeda and the Islamic Republic are not likely to hinder ongoing ‘operational coordination’ between al Qaeda and Tehran’s security forces," according to an analysis published Friday by United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), a watchdog group that closely tracks Tehran’s terrorism enterprise. "They share enmities toward the West, an interest in evicting the U.S. from the Middle East, and an aim of committing terrorist attacks against the U.S. and its allies and partners in the region, including Israel and Saudi Arabia."


‘Pork Products Glued to Their Door’: University of Denver Investigating Antisemitic Incidents on Campus
University of Denver has opened an investigation of a spate of antisemitic incidents on campus.

According to Hillel at Denver University (DU Hillel), over the past several weeks mezuzahs belonging to three Jewish students have been “taken down and defiled” and one of the students “had pork products glued to their door.”

“DU’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (EOIX) is pursuing an investigation of these incidents, including a thorough review of video footage from campus safety,” Chancellor Jeremy Haefner said on Friday. “EOIX will work alongside the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, which oversees student conduct cases, and take appropriate steps to address the conduct and hold those found responsible accountable for their actions.”

Haefner added that the university will hold an educational event on antisemitism and another, “Jewnity Shabbat Hop,” which Hillel is co-sponsoring. The university’s Campus Safety Department will report the incidents as hate crimes, per the Clery Act, a law passed in 1998 that requires schools to report their crime statistics to the US Department of Education.

“In the wake of moments like these — moments that shake a community’s trust — the effects are deeply felt by those who share the identity of those targeted,” Haefner continued. “It is also felt by those who know and love those individuals and by everyone working each day for a better, kinder world. Let us cling firmly not only to our ideals but also to the knowledge that this moment does not reflect who we are or who we want to be.”
Group calls on Britons to root out ‘Zionists’ and have them sacked
A pro-Palestinian group in London is urging British workers to root out “Zionist” colleagues and have them fired. A pamphlet posted on Instagram by a Brixton branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) says that “Zionists need to be called out”.

It goes on: “Is your co-worker a Zionist? Is your teacher/lecturer a Zionist? Campaign for them to be fired. “Zionism justifies the genocide of Palestinians, do not tolerate it. Enough is enough.”

The booklet also urges people to refuse to speak to people who support the existence of the Jewish state, writing: “Why engage in conversation with a supporter of this? “ZIONISM: An inherently violent & terroristic movement for colonising Palestine through the theft of Palestinian land and the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Palestinians in order to create a Jewish-supremacist settler colony.”

The booklet instead advises followers to “Focus on educating yourself and others.”

“Demand your country boycott & sanction Israel, get your country’s Israeli ambassador expelled, & don’t talk to Zionists,” it suggests. “Zionists have no valid arguments, why are you arguing facts with extremism rooted in racism, propaganda, and dehumanisation of Palestinians?

“We have history, facts, statistics, morality, international law & people power on our side. Leave the Zionists behind. “Especially don't debate Zionists. There are not two debatable sides when it comes to Israeli settler genocide of indigenous Palestinians and Israeli settler colonial siege of Palestine. Choosing to engage in debate with Zionists is entertaining the notion that facts are debatable. They are not.

“Talking with Zionists wanting to debate what has happened to Palestine and is still happening to Palestine, dehumanises Palestinians. Don't do it.” The paper also claims that Zionists are a “brainwashed, racist minority”, and that “if a Zionist wants to talk to you, direct them to a therapist. As no logical, sane or moral person is a Zionist.”


When Black Americans saved German Jews From Nazi Murder
Faced with Jewish Scholars being sent to murder camps, The American Friends Committee, along with the Rockefeller foundation’s Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars, turned to Universities to provide work visas for targeted Jewish professors in Nazi Germany.

White University officials balked at taking these Jewish Professors, who would soon be sent to murder camps. White American Professors also worried, feeling threatened by the idea of reallocating resources for refugee Jewish Academics. Fortunately, Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) administrators took them in, 53 of them. These 53 Jews were not the famous Jewish scholars found on the rescue list of American journalist Varian Fry, such as Hannah Arendt, Marc Chagall and Walter Benjamin.

Before fame noticed him, and right after the 1938 Nazi-directed Austrian pogrom, Viktor Lowenfeld, a Jewish professor of art education, was lucky to be one of the fifty-three. Virginia HBCU, Hampton University, embraced him, offering the 36-year-old Lowenfeld a job as an assistant professor in industrial arts. On June 20th, 1939, Lowenfeld accepted Hampton’s offer:

“I very gladly accept your offer as a teacher for Industrial Arts at the rank of Assistant Professor. As I understand, my duties will be the preparation in the practical arts of the elementary classroom, of teachers of elementary children and how the illustrative instructional materials which have to be prepared in the industrial arts classes can be used or made by the elementary children in the training school. I also have to supervise the Winona School in art work, and finally I hope I will get a voluntary class in art of college students who have talent.”

Before fame found him and right after the Austrian pogrom of 1938, Lowenfeld was headed to the pre-civil rights South of segregation and Jim Crow laws. Upon arrival, Lowenfield was reminded of Nazi Germany, but here he was not the first target of ethno-white racist nationalism, his students and colleagues were. Imagine, soon after being expelled from one of the great art and intellectual centers of the West, Vienna, Lowenfeld discovers the Nazis initial approach to “The Jewish Problem” was appropriated from the United States. Nazi leaders literally copied Southern segregation and Jim Crow legislation.

WIthin two years, one of the most important encounters in 20th-century education and art came to be. Famed African American artist and professor John T. Biggers (1924-2001) met Professor Lowenfeld, who quickly became Biggers’ mentor. Biggers would get his doctorate in 1948 at Pennsylvania State University, where Lowenfield had gone to teach.
Man accused of targeting Jews in Los Angeles shootings charged with hate crimes
Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles brought hate crime charges on Friday against a man accused of shooting two people this week in a predominantly Jewish section of Los Angeles.

The FBI said in charging documents in the case that Jaime Tran, 29, told police after his arrest that he had looked up the location of businesses selling kosher food as a way to find a Jewish neighborhood.

The agency said that Tran, 29, had a long history of making anti-Semitic remarks and sending graphic, anti-Jewish emails to fellow students at a dental school he once attended.

Tran confessed to shooting at two men who appeared to be Jewish based on their clothing, the FBI said in charging documents seen by Reuters. One man was shot in the back on Wednesday, and the other shot in the arm on Thursday in brazen daylight attacks in Los Angeles' Pico Robertson neighborhood.

The men, who are Jewish, survived.
Abdullah Qureshi given hospital order after court finds he is “suffering from a mental disorder”
Abdullah Qureshi has been given a hospital order after the court found him to be “suffering from a mental disorder”.

On 7th April, Mr Qureshi, 28, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates’ Court to two counts of assault by beating and one count of grievous bodily harm with intent. The charges related to a series of assaults on 18th August 2021 in Stamford Hill in which five religious Jews in the North London neighbourhood were violently attacked.

In one incident at 18:41 on the day of the attacks, an Orthodox Jewish man was struck in the face with what appeared to be a bottle. In another at 19:10, a child was slapped on the back of the head, and in yet another at 20:30, a 64-year-old victim was struck and left unconscious on the ground, suffering facial injuries and a broken ankle. Two further incidents were also alleged.

The incidents received significant media attention at the time, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, condemned “this appalling attack,” adding: “Let me be clear, racist abuse and hate crime, including antisemitism, have absolutely no place in our city.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism then revealed that the CPS had dropped the racially/religiously aggravated element of those charges as part of a plea deal with Mr Qureshi. After we, Shomrim, CST and other communal organisations made representations to the CPS, it agreed to reinstate the aggravated elements, but Mr Qureshi appeared in court to resist the reinstatement of the aggravated element.

In August, Stratford Magistrates’ Court agreed to reinstate the racially/religiously aggravated element to the charges against Mr Qureshi, and, at a further hearing at Thames Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded not guilty. In November, Mr Qureshi was found guilty of the reinstated racially/religiously aggravated charges that the CPS initially dropped, before intervention by Campaign Against Antisemitism and other groups.
“This is something that’s been going on all my life” Content creator Shloime Zionce addresses antisemitism in Brooklyn’s Hasidic community
Shloime Zionce, a YouTuber, podcaster, and the Foreign Affairs correspondent for Ami Magazine, a publication geared towards Orthodox Jews, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he spoke about the misconceptions against identifiable Jews, and the horrific statistics of violent antisemitic attacks against them.

“People tend to think that Hasidic Jews don’t work, they just sit and study and pray all day. Some people do that, but for most of us, we work very hard to support our families and to contribute to society,” he said.

In addition to his own online content, Mr Zionce is widely known for starring in Peter Santenello’s popular YouTube series about Brooklyn’s Hasidic community, which has racked up millions of views. Mr Zionce said that participating in the series helped him to learn more about his own community, such as the multitude of communal services offered.

Speaking on the antisemitism that his community faces, Mr Zionce said: “Obviously, antisemitism is ugly wherever and whenever it happens. Unfortunately, it seems that, statistically speaking, the people who are the recipients of the worst and most violent beatings are generally Haredi Jews or Hasidic Jews.

“These are people who are most visibly Jews, with the big kippahs (skullcaps), beards, peyos (sidelocks), black hats, black suits, et cetera.”

The content creator said that “This is something that’s been going on all my life,” adding that “there are definitely periods of time where things get worse, and things get better. For some reason, it goes in waves. Right before the [COVID-19] pandemic, there was a terrible wave. Every single day, people were being beaten in the streets, and then it kind of quieted down a little bit. Now it’s getting a little bit intense as well.”

Mr Zionce turned his attention to how his community has been responding to the attacks.
Judo Team of Iranian, Afghani Refugees Compete in 2023 Tel Aviv Grand Slam Competition
Judokas from Iran and Afghanistan who fled their home countries landed in Israel this week to compete in the 2023 Tel Aviv Grand Slam competition as part of the International Judo Federation refugee team.

“We are happy to come to Israel and compete like everyone else in the Tel Aviv Grand Slam,” members of the IJF refugee team said, according to Israel Hayom.

The team includes 26-year-old Iranian judoka Mohammad Rashnonzahad, who fled to the Netherlands in 2017 and competes in the under 60 kg category, and 23-year-old Majid Kaban, who competes in the under 66 kg weight category. Kaban left Iran three years ago and now lives and trains in Scotland. Both athletes arrived in Israel on Tuesday night with their coach Vahid Sarlak, an Iranian former judo champion himself who was once told by his coach to forfeit a match to avoid going head-to-head with a competitor from Israel. Both Kaban and Rashnonzahad were eliminated on Thursday in the first round of the Tel Aviv Grand Slam.

Iran has a history of banning athletes from competing against Israel in international tournaments.

Also part of the IJF refugee team is Afghani judoka Nigara Shaheen, who competes in the under 70 kg category. Wanting to escape Taliban rule, Shaheen’s family fled Afghanistan when she was six months old and moved to Pakistan, Israel Hayom reported. The judoka, who now lives in Canada, previously took part in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, as part of the International Olympic Committee’s world refugee team. Shaheen landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday and her participation in the Tel Aviv Grand Slam reportedly made her the first Afghan athlete to ever compete in Israel. She lost in the first round of the competition to Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown from Great Britain.
Raz Hershko wins Israel’s second gold at judo Grand Slam in Tel Aviv
Judoka Raz Hershko on Saturday claimed Israel’s second gold medal at the international judo championships in Tel Aviv.

Competing in the 78-kilogram category, Hershko, 24, beat her opponent Kayra Sayit of Turkey in a four-minute contest.

Her victory came a day after fellow olympian Sagi Muki won Israel’s first gold medal of the Grand Slam.

The first-place finishes brought Israel’s medal tally at the tournament to four, with Tamar Malca winning a silver and Timna Nelson Levy claiming a bronze.

Muki also faced a Turkish opponent in the final on Friday, defeating Vedat Albayrak 12 seconds after the bout began.
‘Helen became her on a spiritual and cellular level’; 1st clip released from ‘Golda’
Oscar-winning Israeli director Guy Nattiv has released the first look at the long-awaited biopic starring British actor Helen Mirren as Israel’s only female prime minister, Golda Meir, days ahead of its world premiere at the Berlin film festival.

The clip from “Golda,” released to the US entertainment site Deadline on Friday, is set at the height of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and shows a tense telephone exchange between Meir and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, played by Liev Schreiber.

In the scene, Meir refuses to back down from pressure from Kissenger, even as he warns her that Soviet forces are poised to join the fight against Israel.

“Let me tell you about the Russians, Henry. When I was a child in Ukraine, at Christmas time my father would board up the windows of our house to protect us from Cossacks who would get drunk and attack Jews,” Meir says.

“My father would hide us in the cellar… my father’s face, Henry, I will never forget that look. All he wanted to do was protect his children. I am not that little girl hiding in the cellar.”

Nattiv says the scene both highlights Meir’s best qualities and Mirren’s abilities to portray them.




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