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Saturday, October 30, 2021

Egyptian newspaper explains the halachot of how many latkes one must eat on Chanukah. (Warning: Kids will gain a LOT of weight.)

Egyptian newspaper Youm7 has an explainer article about Chanukah, which is coming up at the end of November this year.

It starts off saying "According to Jewish accounts and allegations, the reason for celebrating this holiday is to commemorate the inauguration of the Second Temple in occupied Jerusalem in 164 BC."

Yes, they are saying that Jerusalem was "occupied" by the Hashmoneans. And that the idea that there was a Second Temple is merely "alleged."

Later on, we learn that there is a separate obligation of eating  "fried cakes" for adults and children:
It is strange that there is a particular limit for eating cakes. During the 8 days of the Festival of Lights an adult eats 3-4 pieces of fried cakes in oil, while children eat 6-8 of them. During Hanukkah, families also eat French fries.
I hope that "fried cakes" means small latkes, because I don't think kids would feel too good after eating eight sufganiyot every night.
 
Here was the lead photo for the story, which they captioned "Jewish ritual."






Friday, October 29, 2021

The unthinkable happens every day as Israel moves closer to full relations with the Arab world

Remember when Israel was the pariah in the Middle East?

From Globes:

Senior US sources as well as Israeli sources have told "Globes" that talks on ties with more Arab countries have intensified recently.
Senior US sources have confirmed that there are advanced talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia on establishing diplomatic relations. The sources said that it was not clear if Saudi Arabia would join the Abraham Accords and establish full normalization, or make do with lower level economic trade ties.

This would probably involve representative offices to deal with economic and trade matters and other topics, like handling the Covid pandemic. Israeli sources told "Globes" yesterday that diplomatic talks have intensified recently between Israel and some Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, as part of the Abraham Accords.

Some Arab countries might not want to publicly embrace Israel - but they happily cooperate with her:

A German military photographer posted two pictures of Jordanian fighter jets taking part in this month’s massive Blue Flag aerial exercise on social media on Friday, apparently inadvertently revealing that the kingdom had participated in the Israeli-hosted drill.

Until the cameraman, Falk Bärwald, posted the photographs on his Instagram account, Jordan’s participation in the two-week-long exercise had officially been kept a secret.

In one photo, a Jordanian F-16 fighter jet can be seen riding along a runway in the Israeli Air Force’s Ovda base, just north of Eilat, while a French Rafale jet flies above it. In the second, a Jordanian F-16 could be seen taking off from the same base.

It is not a stretch to say that Israelis are more popular than Palestinians nowadays among Arabs.

(h/t Yoel)



10/29 Links Pt1: Mark Regev: Balfour Declaration, Palestinian weaponization of post-colonial guilt; Israel Complied With Law of Armed Conflict During Gaza War

From Ian:

Mark Regev: Balfour Declaration, Palestinian weaponization of post-colonial guilt
Next week’s anniversary of the Balfour Declaration will once again highlight the seemingly insurmountable Israeli-Palestinian divide.

While Israelis venerate Britain’s decree of November 2, 1917, when His Majesty’s Government officially endorsed “Jewish Zionist aspirations,” Palestinians exploit the very same British pronouncement as a weapon in their war to negate Israel’s existential legitimacy.

For Israelis, Lord Balfour’s famous letter to Lord Rothschild is both an undeniable inflection point in their history and a genuine cause for celebration. It was the first time (since Cyrus the Great in antiquity) that a major world power publicly declared its support for the Jews’ desire to return and reconstitute their homeland.

The declaration also had a significant practical impact, leading directly to the pro-Zionist decisions taken at the 1920 San Remo Conference by the victorious allied powers, and to the League of Nations giving the Mandate for Palestine to Great Britain in order to “secure the establishment of the Jewish National Home.”

The eminent Palestinian-American intellectual Edward Said characterized the declaration as colonialist collusion. In his words, it was “made by a European power… about a non-European territory… in a flat disregard of both the presence and wishes of the native majority resident in that territory.”

Twenty-first-century Palestinian nationalists follow Said’s lead and manipulate the contemporary post-colonial guilt widely felt across the West to assert that the Palestinian people remain colonialism’s greatest victim, and that hence, the international community owes the Palestinians an immeasurable moral debt.
How TIME reported the North African exodus in 1962
The independence of Morocco, Tunisia and now Algeria—joyful news to Moslems—has for Jews signaled another vast and melancholy exodus like so many other uprootings since Moses. A decade ago, 250,000 Jews lived in Morocco. 150,000 in Algeria and 100,000 in Tunisia; now about half of them have left. Last week alone, 5,000 North African Jews arrived by ship and plane in Marseille. By 1975, Jewish leaders estimate, their communities in North Africa will be reduced to less than 15% of their former size.

Jews were living and working in North Africa before the Romans came. Some of them are Berber tribesmen whose ancestors were converted from paganism before the 7th century A.D. Others are Sephardim—Descendants of Spanish Jews who were forced into exile across the Mediterranean by Visigothic persecution in the 6th century or the Inquisition of the 15th. A third strain consists of European Jews who settled in North African cities after World War II. All three have found that exile is the inevitable aftermath of independence.

In Tunisia, President Habib Bourguiba promised that Jews would be allowed to practice their religion in peace: “While I am alive, not a hair on Jewish heads will be touched.” But Tunisian Jews are trapped in the cold war between Israel and the Arab states. Bourguiba’s government has disbanded even Jewish religious organizations on the ground that they promote Zionism, and Jews fear that other Arab countries could force Tunisia to impose restrictions upon them.

In Morocco, the government placed restrictions on Jewish emigration until last October, and fortnight ago closed down the office of the agency in Casablanca that chartered ships and planes for Jews eager to leave the country. Although Jews who leave for Israel are officially forbidden to return to their homes, there is little overt anti-Semitism in Morocco. But emigration goes on, and businessmen in Casablanca complain that they cannot find Jewish labor. “Morocco is down the drain for us,” says one Jewish cafe owner.

In Algeria, Jews fear the onset of independence this week even more than their Christian pied-noir neighbors. Many were active supporters of the underground Secret Army; in Constantine, for example, the first anti-Moslem commando force was composed largely of Jews—and the F.L.N. has not forgotten it.
Honest Reporting: This Date In History: Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat Named Nobel Peace Prize Winners
On October 27, 1978, then-Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and then-Egyptian president Anwar Sadat were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end more than thirty years of conflict during which Cairo spearheaded four full-scale Arab-initiated wars against the Jewish state (1948, 1956, 1967, 1973).

Five months later, on March 26, 1979, the two leaders signed a formal US-brokered peace treaty in Washington, D.C.

In retrospect, the historic agreement seemingly paved the way for the 1993 Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Accords, which, in turn, laid the groundwork for the October 26, 1994 peace deal signed between Israel and Jordan.

While Jerusalem has, as a result, maintained peaceful, albeit predominantly frosty, relations with both Cairo and Amman, the conflict with the Palestinians remains unresolved.

To mark the above-mentioned occasions, below please find links to materials HonestReporting previously produced in order to help elucidate the ramifications — and complexities — of these and other current related events.
Hillel Neuer: Warrior for Israel in Geneva
UN Watch’s defense of Israel against undue bias, and Neuer’s own related outspokenness in the media, may prevent potential collaborations with other promoters of universal human rights. But Neuer is unapologetic.

“Everyone will look at things in their own way and based on their own perspective, milieu and pressures. Some may be uncomfortable with us. But the reality is that we are who we are,” Neuer said.

Where does Neuer see himself a decade from now? Still at the helm of UN Watch, “fighting the good fight.”

If the workaholic can find the time, he would like to write a book on how the human rights movement “went off the rails.”

“It began with moral clarity fighting against Hitler, with people like Eleanor Roosevelt and René Cassin and has ended up with people like [Human Rights Watch executive director] Ken Roth who attacks Israel as a war criminal every single day, and basically compares Israel to Nazis,” Neuer said.

“It bothers me how the human rights movement got so subverted and skewed, and I want to understand how that happened,” he said.


Israel Complied With Law of Armed Conflict During Gaza War: JINSA Report
Israel complied with the law of armed conflict (LOAC) and the requirement to mitigate civilian risk during the May hostilities with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, argued a report released Thursday by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).

“IDF military operations complied with LOAC and consistently implemented precautions to mitigate civilian risk, some exceeding those implemented in recent US combat operations that we participated in, despite confronting an adversary that often sought to exacerbate that risk deliberately,” concluded the assessment, undertaken by a task-force of a dozen retired senior US generals, admirals and military legal experts commissioned by the Washington, DC-based JINSA.

The Israeli army implemented a number of precautionary measures to mitigate risk to the Gazan civilian population, including the dropping of leaflets, telephone calls to Gazan residents, and text messages which were sent to warn Gazan civilians to leave an area in advance of airstrikes, according to the report. Minutes preceding an actual attack, small munitions delivered a “knock on the roof” to provide further warning.

“Yet, we found a significant gap between this reality of IDF LOAC compliance, and of Hamas’ violation of it, and the public’s perception. Israel’s messaging efforts were unable to close this gap,” the report stated.

It purports to present the first independent analysis of the conflict by US military commanders and lawyers with experience in counterterrorism and the laws of armed conflict — including Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley Jr. (ret.), former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Gen. Charles Wald (ret.), who served as deputy commander of United States European Command.

Their assessment was based on primary source research, a fact-finding trip to Israel, and discussions with senior Israeli and United Nations (UN) officials.
Seth Frantzman: Gaza conflict revealed need for US, Israel and partner cooperation - analysis
The report notes that the US also confronts similar threats from Iranian-backed militias around the Middle East. For instance, Iran has used drones to attack the Tanf base in Syria recently. Iran has increased its use of drones against the US in Iraq and also used drones to attack a ship in the Gulf of Oman in July. The authors argue that processes we see in conflicts here now have parallels in other places where Russia and China also use proxies and conduct cyberattacks.

“This strategic backdrop helps explain the IDF’s emphasis on a short, decisive Gaza campaign that would not bog Israel down and pull focus from its primary challenge. In quickly eliminating as many Hamas and PIJ military assets as it could, it sought in part to deter these groups from reigniting hostilities for the longest possible period of time—thereby maximizing Israel’s freedom of maneuver to address higher-level threats from Iran,” the report notes. “Furthermore, during the May 2021 conflict, when Iran sought to further divert the IDF’s attention through proxy rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon and Syria, Israel conspicuously chose to minimize the risks of escalation by retaliating in limited fashion or not at all. Finally, even while trying to end the conflict quickly, the IDF had to hold back operational capabilities and weapons stocks for the possibility of concurrent or future, larger-scale conflicts with Iran and Hezbollah in the North.”

Iran supplies Hamas with technology such as rockets and drones. The report notes the importance of these new capabilities, including “electronic warfare” that was apparently used by Hamas in Gaza. “The growth of advanced capabilities among hybrid adversaries – including EW, UAVs, tunnels, and the capability to employ high-volume rocket salvos and potentially drone swarms – reveals the need for cooperation between the United States, Israel, and like-minded nations to monitor and interdict transfers of weapons and dual-use technology. It also requires joint research and development efforts to develop solutions for threats such as large-scale mortar salvos and remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) swarms, including exploring the need for directed-energy weapons (DEW) and Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) systems,” the authors conclude

“The low-flying maneuverable UAVs offered an element of precision unavailable in its unguided rocket arsenals; accordingly, during the conflict Hamas launched them at high-value targets like critical infrastructure in Israel, including an offshore natural gas platform near Gaza. Thanks again to improvements to Iron Dome as well as the use of combat aircraft, these UAV strikes also proved unsuccessful.” This is important because Israel has increased the capabilities of Iron Dome in recent years. The US has also acquired two Iron Dome batteries.

The need for more cooperation between Israel, the US and other partners is clear from the recent conflict. This report helps provide more evidence for the need to look at the kinds of conflicts Israel faces as foreshadowing other conflicts that the US may face globally.
Biden's friendship toward Israel has always been conditional
It makes for a daunting prospect for those in Israel or the United States who hold onto a belief that the coming years won't be a rerun of the nonstop battles between Washington and Jerusalem that characterized the relationship between Obama and Netanyahu from 2009 to 2016.

Yet Bennett and Lapid are not without hope that they can keep the situation from getting out of hand.

First, they can seek to hold Biden to his promise about keeping disputes with Israel private, rather than letting them play out in public as Obama did. If so, even the most bitter of disagreements won't seem quite so bad.

Second, they can hope that Israel's enemies will, as they have so often in recent history, overplay their hand and force Biden's team back into Israel's corner. Palestinian rejectionism and support for terror and Iran's will to achieve its nuclear ambitions – as well as its assessment that Biden is too weak to stop them from achieving any of their goals – could ultimately prove decisive.

Lastly, they may also count on the dysfunction of the Biden administration. In the past nine months, the Democrats have made a muddle of a host of challenges, including the disaster in Afghanistan, the crisis at the southern border, the collapse of the supply chain for products, and economic malaise that, along with the coronavirus pandemic, won't go away. These issues have sent Biden's polling numbers deep underwater, despite beginning his presidency with a vast store of goodwill and support from those who hoped he represented a calming influence and competence.

Unlike Obama, who had political capital to burn on futile Middle East policies and a pointless feud with Netanyahu, Biden has none to spare. Israelis can only hope that he is wise enough not to waste any on equally foolish spats with whoever is running Israel in the coming years – whether it's Bennett, Lapid, or Netanyahu – that will do nothing to ensure American security priorities or the political prospects of the Democrats. Whether such hopes are vindicated is up to Biden and not his Israeli interlocutors.
Gaza 2021: How Biden Handled His Far-Left Hamas Caucus Problem
Biden clearly understood that his left flank was a problem. Even if he wanted to support America’s ally in a war it did not start, against an Iranian proxy that sought nothing less than its destruction, the president had to play politics. As the 2021 Gaza war dragged on, Biden began to talk tough to Israel. However, a careful examination of the timing of this rhetoric reveals that the toughest talk came only after the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire was reported on Israeli television. With roughly two days until the ceasefire was to take effect, the American president had a blank check to cash. He could call upon the Israelis to halt their operations in Gaza, with the full knowledge that they had already agreed to do so.

On May 19, in the fourth conversation between the two leaders since the crisis erupted, Biden told Netanyahu that he expected a “significant de-escalation” in Gaza, demanding a “path to a ceasefire.” According to one leaked report (presumably by a White House official looking to convey that the president was getting tough with Israel), Biden told Netanyahu that he was “done kidding around,” telling the Israeli leader it was time to end the operation. …

From Israel’s perspective, however, Biden’s tough talk was not a problem. The reality was that he gave the IDF exactly what it needed: the political cover … to neutralize Hamas’ military assets. … In retrospect, the American president handled the Hamas Caucus with the expertise that only someone with four decades of experience in Washington could wield.
Why does Israel keep losing easy diplomatic wins? - opinion
You’re about to announce the terror designation of six Palestinian NGOs known for their charitable work? Here too: prepare the evidence, share it with the Americans, and have it ready to brief the media.

If we all understand this, why doesn’t the government?

There is no one answer. In the case of the al-Jalaa tower, it had to do with the failure of the IDF to understand what it was doing. The IDF Spokesman’s Unit – responsible for media management – is not a party to these operational decisions, and is anyhow run by officers with no media experience. Gantz, who as defense minister had to approve the bombing, should have understood the diplomatic ramifications of the attack as soon as it was presented to him for approval. But he too failed.

A very similar process led to the designation of the NGOs. No one, it seemed, had the foresight to understand that such a move, at a time like this and with an administration like the one in Washington, would lead to a fiasco. Apparently, there is no one sitting around the table when these decisions are made who has the understanding of the modern media landscape and how these events play out.

But there is something else, no less important: Gantz has for some time been operating like a rogue minister in the cabinet. The animosity between him and Bennett and Lapid is no secret; and there are ministers in the government who still suspect that the defense minister is looking for a way to bring down this government in the coming months.

When a defense minister oversees one diplomatic disaster, it can be excused. When he oversees another just five months later, there is a pattern.

Ignorance and politics are causing Israel tremendous damage around the world. Our politicians need to get back to practicing their layup.
Progressives Introduce Motion Slamming Israel’s Decision to Blacklist Palestinian NGOs
Several progressive Democrats introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives on Thursday criticizing the decision by Israel to declare six Palestinian NGOs as terror organizations.

Sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), it recognizes the “important work” of the six Palestinian NGOs, censures the declaration by Israel and calls on the Biden administration “to condemn Israeli actions to repress Palestinian society.”

In a statement, McCollum said the decision by Israel “is a sign of incredible weakness more aligned with an authoritarian regime than a healthy democracy.”

“Israel’s decision to brand these prominent Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organizations exposes the truth that Israel’s occupation is violent, immoral and unjust, and that peaceful efforts to defend the rights of Palestinian children, women, farmers or prisoners must be declared illegal,” she said.

The resolution was co-sponsored by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Cori Bush (D-Miss.), Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.), Marie Newman (D-Ill.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and André Carson (D-Ind.).

McCollum, who backs the BDS movement, has long accused Israel of mistreating Palestinian children. In particular, she has supported the organization Defense for Children International-Palestine, one of the groups that Israel blacklisted for its ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has been designated by the US and EU as a foreign terror group.
Biden-Bennett dispute on Palestinians, settlements is really all about Iran
IN THIS CONTEXT, it is worth reiterating some basic realities about settlements that I’m sure Biden administration officials know (but are pleased to ignore for the moment, for the tactical reason described above).

First, Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria neither explain Palestinian unwillingness to make peace with Israel nor justify radical Islam’s jihad on Jerusalem. Similarly, freezing or rolling back some settlements will not bring peace with the Palestinians (it certainly didn’t in Gaza), nor calm the convulsing Arab Middle East. Lambs will not lie down with lions no matter how times Washington, the EU and the UN are insistent on condemning “settlement units.”

Second, settlements have not scuttled any previous negotiating effort; Palestinian obduracy and extremism has. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing governments from 2009 until 2021 applied a restrictive approach to settlement building; much more restrictive than the previous governments of Ehud Olmert, Ariel Sharon and Ehud Barak from 2000 to 2008.

Netanyahu even froze settlement construction altogether for 10 months – the only Israeli leader ever to do so – yet the Palestinians spurned talks with Israel for most of that period, with no reciprocal concessions.

Third, most Israeli housing starts over the past decade have been in cities within settlement blocs that Israel intends to keep under all circumstances – and “everybody knows” this! This includes Gush Etzion, Ariel-Elkana-Karnei Shomron, Ma’aleh Adumim, Beitar Illit and Modi’in Illit and Kiryat Sefer. In fact, the significant government-initiated building has been in the latter two haredi (ultra-Orthodox) cities; cities that are stably situated in Israel’s future.

In other words, there is no Israeli land grab underway, and nothing that would scuttle the establishment of an autonomous, prosperous and peaceful Palestinian entity – if only there was a peaceful Palestinian leadership ready for genuine compromise with Israel.

Sooner or later, Israel unilaterally will extend its rule of law to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, solidifying the de facto territorial compromise that already is in place – and the world will learn to live with that.
The Israel Guys: America Furious About Israel’s Growth in the West Bank | Israel News
Antony Blinken, Ned Price and the rest of the American administration are all “deeply concerned” that Israel just approved 3,000 housing units for Israel’s settlements in Judea and Samaria. On today’s show we get a little fired up concerning why America feels that they have the right to intimidate Israel into getting their permission for everything they do.

The issue of the US reopening the American Consulate in Jerusalem is much deeper than just helping the Palestinians. It has to do with establishing a Palestinian state in Israel’s heartland, and keeping Israel’s sovereign capital divided, instead of united.


Isaac Herzog: Next stop: Making UAE-Israel relations extraordinary
The Abraham Accords normalised relations between Israel and the UAE. But normalisation is just the beginning. One year on, our job is to make those relations extraordinary.

It has always made sense for the Middle East’s two most dynamic, innovative and forward-thinking economies to collaborate. But as President of the State of Israel, I believe that Israel and the UAE can do so much more than collaborate: we can form a genuine partnership, one that will transform the Middle East for the better over this challenging century.

What is a genuine partnership? It means that Israel and the UAE must be truly invested in each other’s success, united in the belief that our work together can unleash unlimited good for our peoples and the whole region.

Together, Israel and the UAE can prove to the whole Middle East that peace pays off. Our region is full of people who quietly realise that it is time for normal relations with Israel. I believe that the success of our partnership will inspire and embolden them to speak up and make peace.

But more than that, Israel and the UAE have a genuine opportunity to spearhead change in this troubled region, by leading by the power of example. Together, we can lead innovative efforts to address environmental, water, and sustainability challenges, for the benefit of our whole region.

I salute the courageous decision of the leaders of the UAE to embark on this path. If their wisdom inspires others to follow suit, that will be extraordinary.
DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi Reaffirms Support for Israeli Observer Status at African Union During Jerusalem Visit
Felix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on Thursday reaffirmed his support for Israel’s observer status at the African Union (AU) — the regional organization with 55 member states from across the African continent.

At a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem, Tshisekedi, who also serves as Chairman of the AU, pledged to continue to supporting Israel’s accession to the AU. Tshisekedi also promised to boost DR Congo’s bilateral ties with Israel through the forthcoming opening of an economic mission in the Israeli capital.

Israel was accepted as an observer by the AU in July. Chad Aleli Admasu, the Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia and Burundi, presented his credentials to Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, at the bloc’s headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The Jewish state had previously held observer status with the AU’s predecessor, the Organization of African Unity, but had been thwarted for nearly 20 years in its bid to rejoin the regional grouping until the breakthrough this past summer.

Earlier this month, the Palestinian Authority urged the AU to revoke Israel’s observer status. Israel “must be held accountable and exposed, not rewarded and accommodated,” PA Foreign Minister Riyad Malki wrote in an Oct. 14 letter to the AU’s Executive Council.
As a Bahraini, I wanted to see Israel with my own eyes
As a Bahraini woman who recently founded an organisation to teach Hebrew in the Gulf, I knew that going to Israel last month would be an historic trip. I also knew that I was secretly a little apprehensive about it.

The trip, which was organised by the Gulf-Israel Centre for Social Entrepreneurship (Sharaka), was timed to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords. Among other things, these Accords normalised relations between Israel and Bahrain.

The chance to go was an opportunity – and not just to build a warm peace. I am a 28-year-old Hebrew speaker who founded the Shemot Academy for Learning Hebrew in Bahrain and am the first Bahraini citizen to hold BA in Hebrew Literature, but I had never been to the country whose language I had learned, and which I now planned to teach.

More than anything, I wanted to explore Israel with my own eyes. I wanted to understand the real Israel, to encounter and experience it for myself.

I was curious. Now I’m back home, I am thankful that I did go. The visit was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I have been able to share with my community.

Before leaving Bahrain, I admit to hiding some fears, particularly around visiting Jerusalem. It was based on what we had seen and heard about the city in the media. My friends and family were all worried about me. What I expected to see and feel was totally different to what we saw and felt. I was surprised by how calm and safe it was.
MEMRI: Egyptian Journalist On Jewish Wedding In Bahrain: The Jewish Citizens Of Arab Countries Are Loyal And Have Equal Rights; Pluralism Is A Source Of Social Strength, Not Weakness
In an article in the London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Egyptian journalist Suleiman Gouda writes with nostalgia about the Jewish presence that once existed in the Arab countries. Noting that Bahrain recently saw its first Jewish wedding in 52 years, he uses this as an opportunity to express his views on Jews from Arab countries, on normalization with Israel and on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mentioning that this wedding was momentous not only because it was the first Jewish wedding in Bahrain in over a century, but also because the groom was the son of Houda Noono, Bahrain's former ambassador in Washington, he states that Jews in high-ranking positions used to be a fairly common phenomenon in Arab countries. This is perfectly natural, he says, because Jews are citizens of these countries, no different from other citizens.

According to Gouda, the reversal in the attitude towards the Jews in Arab countries was caused by Israel's policy, and that today there is confusion between a Jew, namely a follower of the monotheistic religion of Judaism, and an Israeli Jew, who espouses a political ideology that harms the rights of the Palestinian people. Stating that the true homeland of the Arab Jews is not Israel but rather the Arab countries in which they were born and raised, he contends that social pluralism is a source of strength and not a source of weakness.

Gouda notes that the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco established diplomatic ties with Israel only after clarifying that this was meant to serve the Palestinian cause rather than harm it, and that they expected Israel to find a serious solution to this issue –- which may cause other Arab countries to establish ties with Israel.
IDF liaison sets up shop in US CENTCOM offices in Florida, solidifying move
The Israel Defense Forces dispatched an officer to serve as its first representative to the United States Central Command this week, further solidifying Israel’s move to its area of responsibility, the military said Thursday.

A former fighter pilot, the officer, who can only be identified by his rank and first Hebrew initial, Maj. “Aleph,” will be stationed in CENTCOM’s headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

“As part of his position, he will be responsible for coordinating joint orders between the IDF and CENTCOM, in peace and wartime, strengthening operational cooperation and exchanging operational knowledge, among other things,” the IDF said.

After decades of working with the US military’s European Command, Israel was moved to CENTCOM earlier this year, in a move that was meant to improve the IDF’s ability to work with the US and its allies in the Middle East to counter Iran.

“Through cooperation in training, intelligence and operational planning, we will continue to tackle current challenges, chief among them the Iranian threat. I have no doubt that the joint work with CENTCOM and Gulf countries will continue to lead Israel and its security to great achievements,” says IDF Maj. Gen. Tal Kalman, who heads the military directorate tasked specifically with countering Iran, known as the Strategy and Third-Circle Directorate.


German photographer spills the beans: Jordan flew in IDF aerial drill
A German military photographer posted two pictures of Jordanian fighter jets taking part in this month’s massive Blue Flag aerial exercise on social media on Friday, apparently inadvertently revealing that the kingdom had participated in the Israeli-hosted drill.

Until the cameraman, Falk Bärwald, posted the photographs on his Instagram account, Jordan’s participation in the two-week-long exercise had officially been kept a secret.

In one photo, a Jordanian F-16 fighter jet can be seen riding along a runway in the Israeli Air Force’s Ovda base, just north of Eilat, while a French Rafale jet flies above it. In the second, a Jordanian F-16 could be seen taking off from the same base.

The German military photographer later deleted his post, though the images had already been downloaded and shared widely on Twitter, Telegram, and other social media platforms.

In years past, aviation analysts and enthusiasts have spotted what appeared to be Jordanian planes taking part in the Blue Flag exercise — in both 2017 and 2019 — though these have not necessarily been definitive, as commercially available plane-tracking software has been known to show false readings.


President attends Kafr Qasim memorial, apologizes for 1956 massacre
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog apologized for a 1956 massacre of Arab citizens of Israel by border police officers, appearing at an annual memorial to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the state.

“I am standing here before you today with my head bowed and my heart pained, on the sixty-fifth anniversary of one of the saddest events in the history of our country,” Herzog said at the ceremony in Kafr Qasim, where the killings took place.

Herzog is the second Israeli president to address the event. His predecessor Reuven Rivlin attended in 2014 and condemned the massacre, in which the Border Police killed 48 Arab Israeli men, women and children for violating a wartime curfew near the central town of Kafr Qasim. The unborn child of a pregnant woman is considered a 49th victim.

In 2007, then-president Shimon Peres broke ground when he formally expressed regret over the massacre, but was not at the memorial.

Israel has not taken formal responsibility for the massacre and a bill proposing to have the state do so was overwhelmingly voted down Wednesday. Arab Israeli parliamentarians regularly propose the bill near the October 29 anniversary, but the Knesset has repeatedly rejected proposals to acknowledge state responsibility.

Nonetheless, the president said that the gravity of the incident has “never been in question.”
Yisrael Medad: Letter to the Editor Re: Temple Mount
Jeremy Sharon’s excellent overview of the Temple Mount situation at present should have recalled four background essentials for a fuller understanding of the issue.

Firstly, the sanctified Jewish “Temple Mount” area is smaller than the Muslim al-Haram al-Sharif, and Jews do not seek to enter Muslim buildings. There is enough room for Muslims, Jews and Christians to pray without “invading” another’s territory.

The second is that Jewish prayer is recognized as a basic right by decisions of the High Court of Justice based on the 1967 Law for the Preservation of Holy Places. Prayer is not illegal.

Third, the status quo of 1967 is not upheld by the Muslim Wakf, which has built three new mosques within the compound, destroyed historical and archaeological artifacts and altered administrative customs.

Fourth, Jordan, which is responsible for the (Jerusalem) Wakf Islamic religious trust and funds it, refuses to fulfill its obligations as per the 1994 Peace Treaty with Israel. Article 9 reads: “Each Party will provide freedom of access to places of religious and historical significance... The Parties will act together to promote interfaith relations among the three monotheistic religions, with the aim of working towards religious understanding, moral commitment, freedom of religious worship, and tolerance and peace.” Even the positioning of surveillance cameras that could help prevent violence at the Temple Mount was sabotaged by Jordan.


Last Afghan Jew: Give me $10m to move to Israel or I'll be going back home to Kabul
He is the last Jew of Afghanistan, who was rescued in a courageous humanitarian mission last month after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.

But in a bizarre twist, according to his rescuer, Zebulon Simentov is refusing to go to Israel to make his home there unless he is first paid $10million – and he has warned he is otherwise ready to go back to Afghanistan.

After his rescue in September, Mr Simentov was flown to a country that has remained unnamed for security reasons. He is now in Istanbul, where he is staying in a hotel.

In an extraordinary phone conversation with his rescuer, Israeli humanitarian contractor Moti Kahana, he demanded the staggering sum, claiming he “lost a lot of money” in leaving Afghanistan, and also asked for additional cash to buy a winter coat.

In earlier statements weeks ago he had been insistent that he would not make Israel his final destination because he feared punitive measures over his failure to give a get to his wife, who has lived there with his two daughters since 1998. However, he has since granted the divorce in a ceremony performed over Zoom, organised in Turkey by Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, chairman of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States.

Mr Simentov’s brother Aron and sister Osnat are also in Israel, living in Holon, near Tel Aviv. But instead of making aliyah he wants to go to the US and live in New York, where he has relatives.
Woman now thought to be Afghanistan's last Jew flees country
For years, Zebulon Simentov branded himself as the "last Jew of Afghanistan," the sole remnant of a centuries-old community. He charged reporters for interviews and held court in Kabul's only remaining synagogue. He left the country last month for Istanbul after the Taliban seized power.

Now it appears he was not the last one.

Simentov's distant cousin, Tova Moradi, was born and raised in Kabul and lived there until last week, more than a month after Simentov departed in September. Fearing for their safety, Moradi, her children, and nearly two dozen grandchildren fled the country in recent weeks in an escape orchestrated by an Israeli aid group, activists, and prominent Jewish philanthropists.

"I loved my country, loved it very much, but had to leave because my children were in danger," Moradi told The Associated Press from her modest quarters in the Albanian town of Golem, whose beachside resorts have been converted to makeshift homes for some 2,000 Afghan refugees.

Moradi, 83, was one of 10 children born to a Jewish family in Kabul. At age 16, she ran away from home and married a Muslim man. She never converted to Islam, maintained some Jewish traditions, and it was no secret in her neighborhood that she was Jewish.
PA on verge of financial collapse as fewer donors honor commitments
The Palestinian Authority is experiencing the worst fiscal difficulties it has ever had since its establishment more than a quarter-century ago. Top officials say that the treasury is facing a severe cash crunch, and this could soon reflect on its ability to pay government salaries and conduct daily business.

An adviser to PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh told a local radio station that the PA is experiencing its worst financial situation in years.

In an interview on Ajyal Radio this week, Stephen Salameh said that the cessation of European support comes on top of a massive reduction in financial aid from Arab countries and the United States. In the past, when faced with financial crises, the PA turned to wealthy Arab governments in the Gulf for assistance, but that support has declined.

Of the $100 million that the Arab League member countries had committed to the PA as part of a financial “security net,” less than $2 million has been forthcoming, according to a top official at the PA Ministry of Finance.

The donors’ share of the PA budget has dropped by a whopping 58% in the past few years, forcing the government to scramble for ways to make up the difference. This has left the PA with limited options; it raised taxes, implemented austerity measures, and looked to local banks for loans.

But with the emergence of the coronavirus and an economy on the ropes, citizens cannot afford to pay higher taxes and banks are increasingly wary of continuing to raise the PA’s borrowing limit. The government is now trying to resurrect old moves from its playbook.


FDD: Hamas Acknowledges Members of Specialized Unit Killed by Israel
On Oct. 26, Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades acknowledged three of its members killed in the May conflict with Israel were members of a specialized Frogman unit.

The group did not detail the deaths of Ali Walid Bris, Muhammed Hassan Abu Samaan and Muhammed Jamal Abu Samaan only noting they were killed in a ‘Zionist bombing during the battle of Sword of Jerusalem.’

Al-Qassam Brigades published martyrdom posters of the three fighters shortly after the deaths in May. However, the group only acknowledged that Muhammed Jamal Abu Samaan belonged to the specialized unit.

The two other fighters, Ali Bris and Muhammed Hassan Abu Samaan, were only described as ‘fighter(s) in the way Allah.’

The circumstances leading up to their deaths is unclear. However, the IDF stated it had targeted Hamas operatives that launched an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) on May 17. Both Muhammed Hassan Abu Samaan and Muhammed Jamal Abu Samaan were killed on May 17, according to al-Qassam Brigades. It’s possible they were a part of the cell that launched the UUV and were subsequently targeted by the Israel Defense Forces. However, FDD’s Long War Journal could not independently verify this information.

It’s also noteworthy to mention Ali Bris was also a member of Gaza’s military police which adds to the increasing evidence of the dual-roles some militants play in the Gaza Strip.


US Sanctions Two Lebanese Businessmen and a Member of Parliament
The US Treasury on Thursday imposed sanctions on two top Lebanese contractors and a lawmaker close to the Hezbollah movement over alleged large-scale corruption that undermined the rule of law in Lebanon.

Businessmen Jihad al-Arab and Dany Khoury, close to former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and Christian politician Gebran Bassil respectively, were sanctioned for alleged corruption related to state contracts.

Lawmaker Jamil Sayyed was sanctioned for allegedly seeking to “skirt domestic banking policies and regulations” and transfer $120 million abroad, “presumably to enrich himself and his associates,” a Treasury statement said.

Sayyed did not respond to a request for comment and wrote on Twitter that he would hold a news conference on Friday to discuss the matter.

The Treasury alleged that Khoury and Arab both received state contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including for garbage collection and disposal work, thanks to political connections.
Israel, Russia working against Iran with Syrian reconstruction in mind
Israeli aircraft carried out attacks against military targets belonging to the Assad regime and its allies on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog group reported. The attacks resulted in material damage, but no casualties were recorded.

The bombing came after several attacks on targets associated with the Syrian regime in recent weeks, for which Israel has been blamed. Perhaps most notable was the death of a Syrian official last week, also attributed to Israel.

Midhat Saleh, a former member of the Syrian parliament and head of the Syrian Golan Heights Affairs Office, was reportedly shot dead by an Israeli sniper on October 16 in a Syrian village on the border with Israel.

Saleh was born in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the contested Golan Heights on Israel’s side of the border, and previously spent 12 years in an Israeli prison after being convicted of acting against Israel’s security forces. He left for Syria after he was released from prison in 1998. Israeli media reported that Saleh was considered by Israel the middleman between the Assad regime, Iran, Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias in the Syrian Golan, assisting the Iranian entrenchment on Israel’s borders.

The Syrian state news agency SANA blamed Israel for the official’s death. The Israeli army, as is its policy, has not commented.
Iranian Hackers Leak ‘Israeli Defense Ministry Files’ Online
An Iranian hacker group on Thursday released data allegedly stolen from the Israeli Defense Ministry that contained sensitive information about Israeli soldiers, Ynet reported.

The group, which calls itself “Moses Staff,” leaked, among other details, information related to the deployment of an Israel Defense Forces brigade, including “job descriptions, a full list of names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers and residential addresses of members of the brigade,” according to the report.

Information also included details about IDF reserve officers and military units, thousands of Israeli teens set to enlist and sensitive material concerning psychological information and socio-economic status.

The group also posted pictures of Defense Minister Benny Gantz, warning that he was being surveilled by the group.

“We know every decision you make and will hit you where you least expect it. We have secret Defense Ministry documents, operational military maps and troop deployment information and will publish your crimes to the world,” the groups said in their post, according to the report.

The leaks were posted on the dark web and in Telegram groups.







Egyptian newspaper writes a bio of Goebbels - and doesn't say anything negative




Egypt's popular Youm7 (Seventh Day) newspaper wrote a profile of Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels:

On this day, the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels was born

On this day, October 29, the German Joseph Goebbels was born in 1897 in the town of Rheydt, and had great skills in public speaking , which made him the voice and the mouthpiece of the Nazi Party from 1933 until 1945. He was known for his dedication to leader Adolf Hitler and directing the media machine to glorify his recent work and to discredit his political opponents and the Jews.

Known for his love of language and his desire to become a writer, he is similar to Hitler, who wanted to become a painter before turning to politics. He graduated from Heidelberg University after studying German philology, to join the Nazi Party in 1924 and complete a two-decade journey until his suicide by cyanide poisoning  in 1945.
That's it. Goebbels was a good speaker, he originally wanted to be a writer, he was dedicated to his leader and he knew how to use the media against his opponents including Jews.

There is not a hint that he ever did anything wrong.

Another Egyptian newspaper, Al Masry Al Youm, also wrote a biography of Goebbels in May, on the anniversary of his suicide. That one was a little more expansive - it noted how skilled he was in the art of propaganda and lying.

And then, twice, it says that Zionist learned how to lie from Goebbels.

Egyptian media seems to treat Nazis either as admirable or as models for Jews.





Too funny: PLO unions declare NGO Monitor and Regavim to be terrorist organizations!

From Palestine News Network:

The Palestinian professional and popular unions in the PLO announced their decision to consider the Zionist organizations NGO Monitor and Regavim as terrorist organizations operating outside the scope of international law, and called on all relevant international institutions and bodies to sever relations and never deal with them, as they are among the many Israeli institutions that operate according to the directives of the occupation security services, and with direct instructions from the fascist occupation government.

They stressed that NGO Monitor is a specialized institution skilled in falsifying facts that seeks in all its reports to stigmatize the Palestinian national struggle and the development and human rights work of NGOs  as terrorism, while the Regavim organization specializes in supporting settlement activity and works to monitor and prosecute any Palestinian activity in  Area C. using incitement to prevent it for racist settlement goals. The occupation government and its security services rely on the false reports of these two institutions in their decisions against popular and civil Palestinian action.
This was of course in response to Israel's declaration that six "civil service" organizations were in fact diverting EU aid towards the PFLP terror group, whose members are employees at every one of them.

Regavim responded by saying "We must be doing something right: The Palestinian Authority has blacklisted us." 

Meanwhile, NGO Monitor published the most comprehensive summary of the ties between the PFLP and these six organizations. 

It notes that Fatah itself published an article in 2012 describing various organizations as affiliates of the PFLP, including Addameer, the Union of Women's Committees and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees. 






The US has an office in Ramallah, today




The Biden administration is insisting that the US must open a consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinians - directly insulting Israel by saying that it wants a divided Jerusalem that would be a Palestinian capital.

Why wouldn't it open up a consulate in Ramallah, the actual seat of the Palestinian government?

Not too many people know that since 2014, the US has had an official presence in Ramallah. From the US Embassy in Israel page:

America House Ramallah
America House Ramallah, established in June 2014, is the Palestinian Affairs Unit’s educational and cultural outreach center in Ramallah City.  While the current America House Ramallah location is under renovation, , America House programming continues at partner spaces and other venues.

The mission of America House is to encourage dialogue between Americans and Palestinians in order to foster mutual understanding and emphasize shared values. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State through the Palestinian Affairs Unit in Jerusalem, America House is a place where residents of Ramallah and West Bank can learn essential skills to take advantage of new economic opportunities, including English language, entrepreneurship, and technology skills.  It also serves as a place where people can come together and take advantage of the many resources we offer, including our library, 3D printer, wifi connection and computers.   America House Ramallah offers a wide variety of presentations about U.S. society and culture throughout the year, hosts regular film screenings, and presents  English language classes.
There is also an America House in Jerusalem for Palestinians.

There is absolutely no reason there cannot be an American diplomatic presence in Ramallah - there already is one.

Which makes the desire to create a consulate in Jerusalem even more of an insult.

Even stranger is the news that the US State Department admits that the US cannot re-open the old consulate without permission from Israel.

Brian McKeon, the U.S. deputy Secretary of State for management and resources, said on Wednesday that Washington would need the Israeli government’s consent before reopening the consulate in East Jerusalem it once used to serve Palestinians.

McKeon said it in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he was asked by Republican Senator Bill Hagerty whether Israel would have to agree to the United States’ reopening a consulate. 

“That’s my understanding – that we’d need to get the consent of the host government to open any diplomatic facility,” McKeon responded.
This was not thought through before it became an international incident. 


(h/t Irene)





Thursday, October 28, 2021

10/28 Links Pt2: Tree of Life rabbi: ‘We can’t let evil win, and it won’t go away on its own’; If boycotting Israel: Ben & Jerry's should also cut ties with China

From Ian:

David Singer: UN''s racist plan to exclude Jews from East Jerusalem backed by Biden
Biden’s decision will certainly give added impetus to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 – passed on 23 December 2016 as then Vice President Biden was vacating his office in the White House prior to the handover of power from President Obama to President-elect Trump.

Security Council Resolution 2334: If you have never read it, now is the time to see the extent of Obama's betrayal of Israel when he did not keep lto the ongstanding American tradition of vetoing anti-Israel resolutions.

1. Reaffirmed that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity and constituted a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace;

2. Reiterated its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and that it fully respect all of its legal obligations in this regard;

3. Underlined that it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations;

This racist resolution:
-Ignored that all Jews living in East Jerusalem before 1948 had been ethnically cleansed from there following Jerusalem’s invasion and partial conquest by Transjordan in 1948.

-Denied Jews had any right to return or take up residence there after 1967

-Failed to acknowledge that Jews had lived there for 3000 years

The Obama-Biden administration failed to veto this overtly anti-Jewish Resolution to ensure it could never be weaponised to attack Israeli policies.


NGO Monitor: PFLP Ties of Six Newly Designated Terror NGOs
On October 22, 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) designated six Palestinian NGOs as terrorist organizations. According to the MoD, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P), Union of Agricultural Work Committees, Al-Haq, Addameer, Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC), and Bisan were included on Israel’s list of terrorist organizations because they are operated by and for the benefit of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), designated as a terrorist organization by the US, EU, Canada, and Israel.1 (A seventh PFLP-linked organization – Health Workers Committee (HWC) – was designated in January 2020.)

The MoD, building off a ISA (Shabak) May 2021 press release, explained that these NGOs diverted humanitarian funds from European donors to the PFLP and recruited members into the terror group. Relatedly, a security official told Israel’s N12 news site on October 23 that these NGOs provided a funding “lifeline” for the PFLP, employed PFLP terrorists, and that PFLP terror operatives used NGO offices for meetings.

In addition, since 2007, NGO Monitor has published numerous reports, based on open sources, documenting the close connections between these and other Palestinian NGOs and the PFLP. It is likely that Israeli authorities possess further materials on the NGO-PFLP ties, but it is unknown whether they will make this public.

See below for details – all previously published by NGO Monitor – regarding each of the newly designated organizations, including organizational ties between the NGOs and the PFLP, as well as individual links between NGO board members, officials, and employees and the terror group. We have also included statements made by NGO officials that glorify or excuse violence.
The Caroline Glick show: Ep24: The West’s War Against the Jewish State (and the Abraham Accords) | Guest: David Wurmser
In Episode 24 of the Caroline Glick Mideast News Hour, while Gadi is travelling, Caroline was joined again by her colleague at the Center for Security Policy in Washington Dr. David Wurmser. The two discussed the Biden administration’s unmoving hostility to Israel and the new unity of anti-Israel purpose joining the U.S. with Europe. Caroline and David then moved on to the political instability in Sudan and the Biden administration’s weird request that Israel suspend its normalization talks with Sudan. It was a riveting, eye opening discussion. Watch, enjoy, subscribe and share and together we’ll win the war of ideas!




Why Israel is boycotting human rights NGOs.

Progressive Dems submit motion panning Israel for outlawing Palestinian groups
A group of progressive Democrats introduced a resolution in the United States House of Representatives on Thursday condemning Israel for its “repressive” and “anti-democratic” decision to blacklist half a dozen Palestinian human rights organizations.

The resolution describes the labeling of the six Palestinian groups as “a repressive act designed to criminalize and persecute important Palestinian human rights organizations.”

It is highly unlikely to pass, given the unwillingness of the vast majority of lawmakers from either party to criticize the Israeli government so harshly.

The measure was introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum, one of the most vocal critics of the Israeli government in Congress, but also a proponent of the two-state solution who sometimes votes in favor of pro-Israel bills (McCollum voted in favor of legislation to offer $1 billion in supplemental funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system last month).

Her latest resolution was co-sponsored by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Cori Bush, Chuy Garcia, Marie Newman, Raul Grijalva and Andre Carson. All of them voted against the Iron Dome supplemental funding — except Ocasio-Cortez who chose to abstain on the legislation.

The resolution calls on US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “publicly condemn this authoritarian and antidemocratic act of repression” and publicly call on Israel to cease such measures.


Tree of Life rabbi: ‘We can’t let evil win, and it won’t go away on its own’
Three years after the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who was leading services when the attack took place, wants his community to serve as a beacon of hope to the world.

“We cannot let evil win, but we can’t just sit back and expect that it’s going to just go away on its own,” he told The Times of Israel. “Every good, decent person must step forward and be able to say that it is not welcome.”

On October 27, 2018, a gunman opened fire in the sanctuary at Tree of Life, a synagogue that housed three congregations, during Sabbath morning services. Eleven people were killed in the attack, the deadliest that the American Jewish community has ever known. In the years following the shooting, antisemitic incidents continued to rise in the United States. Jews were killed in attacks at the Chabad of Poway in California, a kosher supermarket in Jersey City and a rabbi’s Hanukkah party in Monsey, New York, in 2019 alone.

At the time of the shooting, the Newark, New Jersey-born Myers had only been serving as Tree of Life’s pulpit rabbi for a little over a year. But three decades of serving Jewish communities in Illinois, New Jersey, and upstate New York as a Jewish educator and cantor prepared Myers for his public role following the tragic attack. Myers has served as a spokesman for his community, addressing Congress, speaking to the media and hosting the many high-level politicians — including former US president Donald Trump — who made the pilgrimage to Pittsburgh to pay their respects to the victims.

At the same time, he has ministered to his flock, helping congregants in matters of grief and faith, all while grieving himself.

The commemoration period surrounding the anniversary of the shooting is a difficult time, Myers said. “It’s difficult to separate out that short period of remembrance from the rest of the year because once it’s done, you then try to pick up the pieces and move forward,” he said.
David Collier: Antisemitism should be challenged everywhere and everytime
The mistake we must not make is to compartmentalize the problem, by assuming for example that the high level of antisemitism in Malmo or Dublin is unconnected to what is happening in our home towns. This common error gives rise to misplaced confidence and completely misunderstands the universal battle that we face.

Social media has globalized the problem even more. Antisemites in the United Kingdom share material with activists on the ground in Boston or Sydney or Paris. And the work of hostile academics is freely exchanged in academic centers globally. Finally, the image of an action taken to deface a bus stop in London can goes viral, maybe convince someone living in Ottawa to do the same.

This all means that there are virtual factories operating online that are churning out anti-Jewish hatred thousands of miles away – that may still be influencing your neighbourhood. Some of these factories are well beyond reach, such as Hamas propaganda units working online from Gaza.

Every town has some level of activity. In some it may just be a single hostile politician, or an academic, or maybe just a handful of students or hard-left activists. The more the pieces of the puzzle come together, the more aggressive, and ultimately successful, anti-Israel activity in an area can become.

What we see happening in Ireland is a perfect storm.

There is almost no political pressure to tone down antisemitic comments and Ireland only has a tiny Jewish community. Irish anti-Israel activists almost face no opposition.

In this type of environment, incidents such as Sally Rooney’s recent public adherence to the cultural boycott against Israel become well received locally and is therefore commonplace.
Antisemitism migrated from academia onto Capitol Hill
The philosopher Henrich Heine wrote, “Never underestimate the power of ideas. Philosophical concepts nurtured in the stillness of a professor’s study could destroy a civilization.”

Spanning the course of four decades, I have been a political activist for Israel and the Jewish people, centering most of my work on Capitol Hill. Over time, I have watched how ideas shaped in the college classroom have gradually and incrementally made their way into the corridors of power.

When I first began political activism in the 1980s, the memory of the Holocaust was still fresh, and members of both parties would line up to meet with the group I was then affiliated with.

I remember how the late Senator Daniel Inouye (D - Hawaii) spoke, his voice laden with emotion, of what he saw as a young Army officer, when he first entered the concentration camps. That vivid memory made him into a life-long Zionist.

As Inouye was speaking, a revolution was beginning to percolate on college campuses, beginning with the writings of Edward Said and his 1978 book “Orientalism” and culminating in “Critical Race Theory,” which views Jews as privileged and “hyper-white.”

Today, the Middle East Studies Association posts this statement: “MESA’s Board of Directors condemns the ongoing Israeli government assault on the Palestinian people … there can be no academic freedom and adequate access to education, so long as there is apartheid.”

What began in Middle Eastern Studies classrooms has metastasized throughout the humanities and the social sciences. By now, the “educated” have become the policymakers on Capitol Hill.
Jonathan Greenblatt: Antisemitism on the left is subtler than on the right. But it’s getting worse.
The DC Vote coalition, which organized the statehood rally, and eventually the national Sunrise Movement, recognized that. “Naming explicitly Jewish organizations while giving a pass to non-Jewish organizations in the coalition which hold similar position is undoubtedly anti-Semitic and has no place in our movement,” wrote DC Vote in a statement issued on the eve of the rally.

But that suggests that it was fine for the Sunrise chapter to seek to ban groups that believe in supporting the existence of a Jewish state of Israel, that they only erred in singling out just the Jewish pro-Israel groups for exclusion, and not all the groups — such as labor unions — that also have warm ties with Israel.

This is a disingenuous and dangerous distinction.

Despite what others, including some progressive Jewish thinkers, may suggest, denying the right of Jews — alone among the peoples of the world — to the right of self-determination is antisemitism even when you call it “anti-Zionism.” Denying Jews the rights afforded to other people is discrimination.

There are things that the Israeli government has done that deserve rebuke. But criticizing the policies and actions of a government is categorically different than deeming the country itself illegitimate because it is instituting “apartheid” or leading a “genocide” when it is not. It is fundamentally different from calling for its eradication either implicitly or explicitly by supporting a “one-state solution” or “Palestine from the river to the sea.” Slandering Israel as “settler-colonial” or “white supremacist” is flat-out wrong on the facts and little more than a deliberate effort to degrade its support and condition the public for its demise. As is the inclusion of Zionism among a list of forms of “oppression,” including antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism — as Sunrise DC did in its “reflection” on its original call against the Jewish organizations.

I wish this inflammatory rhetoric was limited to the rants of obscure academics and powerless activist groups. But it is not. It has grown and spread. Increasingly in many mainstream progressive circles, it has become popular and even trendy.

Let’s be clear: Singling out the Jewish state for condemnation while ignoring others is a contemptible expression of prejudice. Yet last month, Sally Rooney, the best-selling Irish writer, announced that she would not allow an Israeli publisher to publish a Hebrew version of her latest novel because of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank — though she said nothing of her plans for China or Russia, countries governed by indisputably repressive regimes, in which her previous books have been published. Similarly, earlier this year, Ben & Jerry’s founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield supported the company’s decision to stop selling ice cream in the West Bank as an expression of their progressive principles. But when asked why the company still sells ice cream in Texas, which violates their beliefs about abortion rights, or in Georgia, which does so on voting rights, all they could do was stammer.


Noam Chomsky bashes Scottish newspaper for apologizing for antisemitism
Some 500 scholars, including the prominent linguist and Israel critic Noam Chomsky, accused a Scottish university of curbing free speech after a student publication apologized for a 2017 essay it said promoted “an unfounded antisemitic theory.”

The essay, published in the University of Glasgow’s eSharp magazine in 2017, was titled “Advocating Occupation: Outsourcing Zionist Propaganda in the UK.”

It’s author, Jane Jackman, wrote that, “Whilst initially strengthening ties with the Jewish diaspora, Israel’s longer-term objective was to conscript and resource a cohort of grassroots Zionist supporters to carry the Israeli narrative into the broader sphere of society.”

She also suggested that Jewish media downplayed an Al Jazeera series from 2017 suggesting that the pro-Israel lobby had unusual clout in the United Kingdom.

In May, the student-run magazine apologized, saying that the essay doesn’t meet “standards of scholarship. In particular, this article employs some discursive strategies, including a biased selection of sources as well as the misrepresentation of data, which promote an unfounded antisemitic theory regarding the State of Israel and its activity in the United Kingdom.”

In response to the apology, a petition on Monday accused the university of curbing free speech, The Times of London reported.

The apology by eSharp is a “capitulation by the University of Glasgow,” The Times of London quoted Chomsky as saying, and “a serious blow to academic freedom that should not be allowed to stand.”
Calling critics of Soros antisemitic undermines fight against Jew-hatred
Some of those who have attacked Soros as an international financier have done so in an antisemitic manner. The same is true of the invective still hurled at him in his native Hungary. To be fair, however, Soros' record as a currency speculator has earned him some justified resentment from those who had to pay the price of his big scores. For example, his 1992 bet against the British pound sterling earned him a cool 1 billion pounds in profit while costing the taxpayers of the United Kingdom 3.4 billion pounds. Similarly, his selling local currencies short in Malaysia and Thailand set off the 1997 financial crisis in Southeast Asia giving further ammunition to antisemitic forces in the region.

Some far-right extremists may use Soros to promote their brand of Jew-hatred. And the Republican Party has some problematic members of its own. But the notion that a man who has been investing unprecedented amounts of money in political races across America to promote a brand of left-wing politics must be considered off-limits for criticism is as absurd as it is cynical.

It's also deeply hypocritical for Democrats to play this card in this way. They have their own antisemitism problem in the form of an increasingly loud and influential left-wing faction whose embrace of intersectional ideology has helped fuel the demonization of Israel and the legitimization of attacks on American Jews. The Democratic leadership, including President Joe Biden, continues to court rather than condemn open antisemites like Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib and the growing number of so-called "progressives" in the House. So for people like Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to be trotted out as a Democratic Jewish surrogate in Virginia – someone who has never previously been a voice on behalf of Jewish causes or pro-Israel advocacy – in order to label Youngkin as an antisemite is not only outrageous but undermines the credibility of their attempts to stand up against Jew-hatred and renders national unity on the issue impossible.

I have previously noted how partisanship has led to a situation where both sides of the partisan divide find it easy to accuse those that can be linked to their political foes of antisemitism while refusing to be honest about the haters that are their allies. What the Democrats are doing in Virginia isn't just an example of this lamentable trend; it is evidence of how doing so has made the discussion merely an excuse for peddling partisan talking points. Those who play this game are damaging the effort to combat antisemitism, not aiding it. It is long past time for them to give up this discreditable ploy.


Far-right leader Mark Collett interviews Piers Corbyn where they discuss the “Jewish Question”
Mark Collett, the leader of the far-right group Patriotic Alternative, interviewed Piers Corbyn last night where he asked Mr Corbyn about the “Jewish Question”.

Mark Collett is the former head of the BNP’s youth wing who is reported to have dabbled in Holocaust denial, collaborated with the infamous American antisemite David Duke, and espoused antisemitic and racist views. He currently leads Patriotic Alternative, a group known for its efforts to recruit youth to its white nationalist ideology. Previously, the far-right group published an online “alternative” home school curriculum condemned as “poison” and “hateful” and attempted to recruit children as young as twelve through livestreaming events on YouTube, according to The Times.

The interview, which ran for almost one hour and culminated with Mr Collett asking Mr Corbyn, the brother of the antisemitic former Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, if he wanted “an easy question or a spicy question”. Mr Collett, asking on behalf of one of his listeners who donated money in order to have their question read out, then asked Mr Corbyn: “Is Piers aware of the Jewish question?”

The “Jewish Question” is an antisemitic phrase that arose in nineteenth-century Europe which asserted that Jewish people’s presence in society was a problem that needed to be solved. The “Final Solution of the Jewish Question” was the name given by the Nazis to their programme to exterminate six million Jews during the Holocaust. It has been reported that this term has been reclaimed by neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right, often using “JQ” as a shorthand for the phrase.

Mr Corbyn replied to Mr Collett’s question by saying: “Well I’m not quite sure what that means. I mean…I’m not a Holocaust denier in case it’s leading up to that, because certain things you say, we’re told we’re Holocaust deniers. Well, you know, the Holocaust happened and that was horrific. But that’s all I can say on that.”


Green Party chaotically adopts five definitions of antisemitism in apparent attempt to dilute International Definition of Antisemitism used by all other parties
The Green Party has adopted five distinct definitions of antisemitism in an apparent attempt to dilute the International Definition of Antisemitism used by all other parties.

In addition to adopting the International Definition of Antisemitism, the Green Party has also chosen to adopt the Jerusalem Declaration, a wrecking document intended to undermine the globally recognised International Definition.

Joshua Alston – the motion’s lead proposer – said: “This motion would put us at the vanguard of the fight against antisemitism, and at the vanguard of the fight against the global far-right while protecting our pro-Palestinian policy.”

However, many have pointed out that the International Definition and the Jerusalem Declaration are not mutually compatible. The contradictory decision has sparked a backlash from many British Jews for the Party’s apparent unwillingness to accept the Definition alone.

For contrasting reasons, the decision was also criticised by the Greens’ Policing and Domestic Safety spokesperson and former Deputy Leader, Shahrar Ali, a vocal proponent of the Jerusalem Declaration to replace the International Definition, who labelled the adoption of both a “fudge” and the “worst of all worlds”. Mr Ali speciously described the International Definition last month as “a bad definition of antisemitism [which] could disproportionately affect Palestinians, or their allies, as well as Jews – precisely because it would be counterproductive on its own terms and not help to tackle genuine antisemitism by conflating legitimate political criticism,” and supports the adoption by the Green Party of the Jerusalem Declaration, which he describes as a “good definition”.

Our Antisemitism Barometer survey of British Jews late last year found that the Greens were second only to Labour in how many respondents felt that the Party was too tolerant of antisemitism (43%).


Former Miss Iraq to Nelson Mandela’s Grandson: ‘How Dare You’ Call For Boycott of Pageant in Israel
For the first time in its 70-year history, the Miss Universe beauty pageant is coming to Israel.

The competition is set to take place on December 12 in Eilat. According to the organizers, Israel was chosen due to its “rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures and appeal as a global tourist destination.”

But some “activists” are keen on politicizing the event, and have called on participants to drop out.

Nelson Mandela’s grandson launched a campaign to convince Miss South Africa to skip December’s pageant because of Israel’s alleged violations against the Palestinians.

Mandla Mandela’s call to boycott Israel comes after he recently praised the “deep ties” between South Africa and Communist China.

He also called it an “honor” to meet the ambassador from Saudi Arabia, not exactly a bastion of women’s or human rights.

Then the plot thickened: Sarah Idan, Miss Iraq 2017, posted a video to Twitter: The resulting sexist abuse she received from pro-Palestinian users is perhaps the best evidence in support of holding Miss Universe in Israel.
A US Police Chief’s Israel-Inspired Innovation Eviscerates ‘Deadly Exchange’ Narrative
The Washington Post ran a profile on Sunday about the police chief of a small Georgia town, who created a fairly revolutionary training program. Rather than teaching his officers to shoot at a suspect’s “center mass,” LaGrange Police Chief Louis Dekmar wants his cops — when possible — to aim lower. The objective is to incapacitate suspects, rather than kill.

After examining more than 900 fatal police shootings nationwide, Dekmar and his training sergeant found that nearly 25 percent involved suspects armed with weapons other than guns. Shooting to incapacitate, therefore, could significantly reduce deaths in police shootings. It’s too soon to know whether it will work, and there are plenty of skeptics among police.

Where did Dekmar, a past president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, get such a radical idea?

“It was in Israel during a 2004 police exchange that Dekmar first saw how agencies elsewhere practiced shooting beyond center mass to incapacitate suspects — aiming for areas of the body like the legs and hips,” the Post reported. “He was intrigued but thought the idea would never work in cities back home, partly because so many Americans have guns.”

Dekmar’s experiences in Israel, and the lessons he brought home, further expose the shameless and bigoted lie driving efforts to stop the Israeli-US police exchanges.
If boycotting Israel: Ben & Jerry's should also cut ties with China - opinion
Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s are happy to take discriminatory action against Israel because it’s politically convenient. In fact, it’s probably boosted their revenue from ideologically aligned consumers.

Meanwhile, Israel is one of the most democratic and free countries in the world. It is a beacon of freedom in the Middle East, and one of America’s greatest allies. China pales in comparison to Israel in so many ways: respect of basic human rights, religious freedom, free speech, the list goes on and on.

It is disgraceful that any company would refuse to sell products in Israel while continuing to sell in China. Unilever also has no problem selling its products in Russia, Venezuela, Syria and Iran, countries with long lists of human rights violations, and oppression of their citizens.

Companies like Unilever and Ben and Jerry’s act the way they do because they think their “woke” actions will win the favor of consumers. However, for those of us who still believe human rights abuses are never justifiable, it’s time for us as the consumers to hold companies accountable for their actions and their silence.

Englewood Cliffs may benefit from the jobs Unilever provides, but that doesn’t mean we as Americans shouldn’t call them out for their wrongs. The double standard for these companies is unacceptable, and it’s time that we call it out for what it is: hypocrisy. Our message to companies should be clear: if you want to wade into political discourse, be prepared to defend your dirty laundry that you don’t want the public to see. We should be holding Unilever and other hypocritical companies accountable for their double standards, and push them to cut their ties with the Communist Chinese government and their egregious human rights violators. If companies want to discriminate against Israel while trying to cover up their profit from forced labor, it’s going to be a rocky road for them.
Senate Republicans urge Unilever CEO to ‘reverse course’
Seven Republicans on the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry have sent a letter to Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, urging its CEO “to end the ice cream maker’s boycott, divestment and sanctions efforts against Israel.”

Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Arkansas) spearheaded the letter. He was joined by his colleagues Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), John Thune (R-South Dakota), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Mike Braun (R-Indiana).

In a letter to CEO Alan Jope, the lawmakers addressed the decision by Ben & Jerry’s, a Unilever subsidiary, to terminate its relationship with its Israeli licensee when the license agreement expires at the end of next year due to the product being sold in the West Bank and parts of east Jerusalem.

“It is our understanding the decision was made because the Israeli licensee refused to violate Israeli law and end its sales to Israelis and Palestinians living in the West Bank and parts of east Jerusalem,” they wrote. “As strong supporters of Israel, we believe the actions taken by Ben & Jerry’s are an effort to advance the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction [BDS] movement against Israel.”

“We oppose the BDS movement and believe it is important for the United States to combat the movement as a number of countries have sought to isolate Israel, our sole democratic ally in the Middle East, through BDS actions,” the letter said. “We find Ben & Jerry’s actions to be concerning, however it is our understanding that under Unilever’s acquisition agreement, you are able to override this misguided decision.”
William Barber Distances Himself From Anti-Zionism at Lecture Honoring Elie Wiesel
On Wednesday, October 27, Rev. Dr. William Barber II, gave a lecture in honor of Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel. During his lecture, which was sponsored by Boston University’s Jewish Studies Center, Barber — who has said some false and dishonest things about Israel in the past — demonstrated that while he may be an ambitious and attention-seeking opportunist, he is no dummy.

Barber, a prominent African-American activist who has previously and often described Jesus as a “brown-skinned Palestinian Jew,” didn’t use that phrase once last night — and he had nothing to say about the Arab-Israeli conflict.

He may have said the word “Israel” in reference to the prophets in the Bible, but otherwise, the word didn’t come out of his mouth. Last night’s lecture was all about poverty, and garnering support for a poverty march on Washington that Barber is planning for 2022.

Barber was on notice after CAMERA produced an article highlighting his previous statements about the Arab-Israeli conflict, including a tweet in which Barber falsely accused Israel of “targeting” Palestinian children. Barber has also downplayed Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians, including during a 2018 speech, when he said, “Palestinians have a long history of nonviolence.”

There were also other problems with Barber’s rhetoric.

For example, in the same 2018 speech, Barber obliquely accused Israel of perpetrating a “state crucifixion” against the Palestinian people. He also participated in a 2021 Easter service organized by the anti-Zionist Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, whose founder, Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek, deployed crucifixion imagery against Israel during the Second Intifada.


Convicted Member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Participates at CAIR 2021 Gala
ICT, a.k.a. Masjid al-Qassam, was the sole sponsor of CAIR-Florida’s gala. The mosque was founded by Sami al-Arian, a university professor who set up the Southwest Florida PIJ terror network that both Fariz and the mosque were a part of. Al-Arian, as well, was involved with the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP), yet another Palestine Committee alum. At a 2017 CAIR media brunch, then-CAIR-Florida Executive Director Hassan Shibly said that CAIR-Florida depends on ICT for “programs, fundraising” and more. He said, “Really, we couldn’t do the work without the tremendous support we get from the mosque.”

Al-Arian, who, like Fariz, was convicted for his involvement in PIJ, was the subject of an August 2020 CAIR-Florida video absurdly claiming that he, a leader of a terrorist organization, suffered “civil rights abuses,” the catch-all phrase used by Islamists to discredit terror prosecutions. The group did the same, in December 2020, for the Hamas-related defendants of the Holy Land Foundation trials. CAIR said the HLF officials too endured “civil rights abuses.”

CAIR-Florida’s Communications Director Wilfredo Amr Ruiz was also a speaker for the group’s fundraising gala. This month, on his Facebook page, Ruiz posted a graphic of a painting “honoring” the six Palestinian criminals who recently escaped an Israeli prison. Of the six, five are members of PIJ and one is a commander in the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (AMB), another group widely-recognized as a terrorist organization. These are murderous terrorists, not the political prisoners or freedom fighters that Ruiz would suggest.

CAIR fanatically conflates Palestinian terror and Muslim subversive activities with civil rights. By calling themselves a civil rights organization, CAIR operates behind a humanitarian façade, while the group aids and abets fear, destruction and violence.

CAIR has been rightfully designated as an illegal terrorist group by the United Arab Emirates – not a civil rights organization but a terrorist group. The United States should follow suit and put an end to CAIR’s operations. If Hamas and PIJ are on the US list of terror entities, CAIR belongs there as well.
NY Times Sells Comical Account of What It Means to be Israeli
A New York Times reporter and photographer go into a car. They travel across one of the world’s happiest countries—and find only anger, alienation, and regret.

The opening paragraph is phrased like a joke because New York Times coverage of Israel—its efforts to curate, conceal, and contrive the faraway land for its American readers—has descended into hilarity. Indeed, yesterday’s front-page story by Jerusalem bureau chief Patrick Kingsley, which promises to help readers “discover what it means to be Israeli today,” is a comical caricature of the paper’s own biases, exposing much more about the New York Times than about the country it is supposedly covering.

To understand why, it helps to first understand a couple of facts about that country: Israel has consistently ranked at the top of measures of global happiness. The 2021 World Happiness Report, for example, found Israelis to be among the happiest in the world, and ranked their country as 12th happiest out of 149 countries over the past three years.

In other words, if you were to ask random Israelis to “think of a ladder, with the best possible life for them being a 10, and the worst possible life being a 0,” then ask them to “rate their own current lives on that 0 to 10 scale,” chances are you’d find them saying that they are living close to the best possible life. That’s what pollsters found.

According to other polling, by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, over 88 percent of Israelis, including 76 percent of the country’s Arab citizens, were satisfied with their lives.

Nearly two in five said they were “very” satisfied.

It was this country that Kingsley set out to explore, meandering from the northern border to the southern tip over ten days to “discover” Israelis and duly report back to readers of the New York Times.
Vice News Mourns Gaza ‘Father’ Who Was Actually a Terrorist
Vice News’ blatant anti-Israel bias continues unabated.

In a compilation titled, “Inside the Final Days of a Father’s Life in Gaza,” the outlet alleges to have “uncover[ed] the tragic human consequences of the Israel-Palestine conflict through the death of Ahmed al-Mansi.”

The piece features a brief 246-word article by Ian Bell about May’s 11-day conflict between Israel and Palestinian terrorist groups, accompanied by a video, “At Home With a Gaza Family as Bombs Fall.”

Instead of making clear who al-Mansi was, readers and viewers are simply told that he is a “father.” But the description is about as relevant as it would have been for Osama Bin Laden.

In reality, Ahmed al-Mansi was identified by Hamas itself as a lieutenant in its internal security forces. Below is a picture taken from Hamas’ Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades website this year.

Nevertheless, the Vice video, an amalgamation of film taken by Gazans during the war, shows no acts of Palestinian violence — only Israeli airstrikes and the aftermath of those strikes, which are interspersed with footage of Ahmad al-Mansi and his children, who continually convey to the camera their sense of fear.

Towards the end, a paragraph of text flashes on-screen:
Ahmad Al-Manis, the father of Hala, Sarah, and Malek, was killed by an IDF strike on May 14. His brother Youssef also died in the blast.”

That is what viewers are told about the identities of the brothers. That’s it. Nothing more.
BBC report on Israel government spending plan falls short
As we have recently had cause to note on several occasions, the BBC’s relatively novel practice of framing Israeli Arabs as Palestinians does not provide audiences with a representative picture of the way in which people self-identify in that richly varied sector of the Israeli population (not all of whom, contrary to the BBC’s claim, descend from Arabs who stayed in what became Israel in 1948).

A survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute in 2019 showed that 13% of the respondents described their primary self-identification as Palestinian, with the institute noting that “[t]hese findings have not changed significantly since 2017”. 65% of Arabs polled said that they were “proud to be Israelis” and 85% thought that “Israel is a good place to live”.

In April 2020 the Jerusalem Post reported on a different survey.
“According to the survey, conducted by Prof. Camille Fuchs of Tel Aviv University, about a quarter of Israeli minorities (23%) define themselves primarily as “Israeli” and half (51%) self-identify as “Israeli-Arab.”

The proportion of non-Jewish people who define themselves primarily as “Palestinian” now stands at around 7%, down from 18% this time last year.”

So while the BBC’s claim that “[m]any still self-identify as Palestinian” is not strictly speaking inaccurate (given that many means “a large number of” and 7% translates to around 140,000 people), it certainly does not contribute to audience understanding of Israeli society.
NYPD Seeking Three Suspects Who Hit Brooklyn Jewish Man With ‘Unknown Projectile’
New York police are currently searching for three men who struck a Brooklyn Jewish man with a projectile from a car.

The attack took place on Oct. 11 at around 10:30 at night, the NYPD said Thursday, releasing surveillance footage that captured the attack.

The victim, who wore Orthodox Jewish clothing, was at the intersection of Montgomery Street and Albany Avenue when the three suspects approached in a dark colored Hyundai Sonata with silver wheels.

The suspects fired what police called an “unknown projectile,” striking the victim and lacerating the left side of his head. He was taken in stable condition to New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the attack.

The three individuals being sought are all described as 20-30 years old with medium complexion. One wore a blue sweater and beige pants; another a black hooded sweater, black pants, and yellow shoes; and the third a red hooded sweater, black pants, and black and white sneakers.
Neo-Nazis Stage Crudely Antisemitic Demonstration Outside Jewish Community Center in San Antonio
Four days after they staged an antisemitic stunt at a highway overpass in Austin, Texas, the same crop of white supremacists appeared in the city San Antonio on Tuesday, where they staged a crudely antisemitic demonstration across the street from a Jewish community center.

Under the eye of local police officers, supporters of the neo-Nazi “Goyim Defense League” flaunted banners carrying vulgar antisemitic slogans that denied the Holocaust, defamed Jewish religious practices and blamed the COVID-19 pandemic on a Jewish conspiracy.

Wearing T-shirts decorated with Nazi swastikas, two of the group’s supporters held a banner reading “Honk if you know the Holocaust is fake.”

Another poster attacked the Jewish tradition of circumcising infant males at the age of eight days using pornographic language. Fliers claiming that “every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish” were scattered by the group as they rallied opposite the San Antonio Jewish Community Center, where a Holocaust commemoration event was taking place.

Local leaders condemned the display.

“Amid a rise of antisemitic incidents in our community, we must stand with our Jewish neighbors and reject the hatred and ignorance that endangers the spirit of our entire city,” the city’s mayor Ron Nirenberg wrote on Twitter. “San Antonio will not tolerate these heinous acts and we will never give a platform to white nationalists.”


Jewish groups alarmed as Greece poised to ban kosher slaughter
The Hellenic Council of State, the highest court, in Greece, ruled on Tuesday to ban halal and kosher slaughter, raising alarm among Jewish religious groups concerned about infringements on religious freedoms.

The ruling saw the court revoke the standing slaughter permit, which was provided through a ministerial decision that exempted ritual Jewish and Muslim slaughter practices from the general requirement to stun animals prior to killing them.

The ruling further called on Greek lawmakers to devise a way to meet the demands of animal rights advocates and the needs of Jews and Muslims who follow the laws about food in their traditions.

"The government should regulate the issue of slaughtering animals in the context of worship in such a way as to ensure both the protection of animals from any inconvenience during slaughter and the religious freedom of religious Muslims and Jews living in Greece," Greek news site Protothema cited the ruling.
National Gallery removes “antisemitic” artwork from online exhibition
The National Gallery has removed a picture that it has deemed antisemitic from its upcoming online exhibition.

Albrecht Dürer’s Christ Among the Doctors tells the story of Jesus as a twelve-year-old debating with Jewish doctors in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. While many artists have painted the biblical scene, some feel that Dürer’s painting from 1506 uses antisemitic overtones to depict the Jewish characters.

A National Gallery spokesperson said: “We are aware that the representation of the Doctors may cause offence and both the wall texts and the audio guide in the exhibition will acknowledge and address caricature and antisemitic portrayal in the painting.

“We have removed the image and accompanying text from our online gallery of selected exhibited works as we felt that in this format there was not adequate space for the interpretation required for this work.”

The exhibition is set to launch next month and will focus on the work of Dürer.
Startup Genome Ranks Tel Aviv University 5th in the World in Entrepreneurship
Tel Aviv University was ranked fifth in the world in the ranking of Startup Genome (a world-leading innovation policy advisory and research firm) for 2021. The prestigious ranking reflects the involvement of alumni of the world’s leading universities in entrepreneurship and in the establishment of scaleup companies (companies that have advanced beyond the startup stage and their worth is estimated at $50m or more). Link here for the full ranking.The top four institutions in the ranking are leading American universities – Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley, and Harvard, with Tel Aviv University coming right after. Tel Aviv University is the only non-American university in the ranking’s top 10, which also include Cornell, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University. According to the ranking, about 1,300 TAU alumni have founded active companies in a vast range of areas over the last decades, and about 40 of these have attained the status of scaleup companies.

This designation joins the PitchBook’s, which annually places TAU among the top 10 institutions producing venture capital-backed entrepreneurs Here too, TAU is the only non-American university ranked in the top 10.

Prof. Moshe Zviran, Dean of the Coller School of Management and Chief Entrepreneurship and Innovation Officer at TAU: “This is a very significant achievement for both Tel Aviv University and the State of Israel. The Startup Genome ranking is a standard of entrepreneurial excellence of the highest level in the world. Israel in general, and TAU as its leading entrepreneurial university, form fertile ground for uniquely creative young entrepreneurs who establish independent companies and hold key positions in the world’s leading corporations. The rich toolbox which our students acquire during their studies serves them well when they enter the job market. We are proud of our alumni and students for this achievement and will continue to fortify TAU’s position in the top echelons of global entrepreneurship.”
High Hopes for Israeli Cell Therapy for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients, Aiming to Help ‘Live With the Virus’
As vaccine effectiveness has been found to wane over time, an Israeli clinical-stage biotech company is optimistic about the authorization of its experimental cell-based drug therapy to treat pneumonia and respiratory distress suffered by severe COVID-19 patients, hoping to keep them out of hospitals.

“The more vaccinated people we will have the less COVID we will have. Nevertheless, vaccination effectiveness reduces so dramatically after four or five months, even after second vaccination, and the third one is not the end of the story — which allowed us to understand that COVID is not going anywhere,” Shai Meretzki, founder and CEO of Bonus Biogroup told The Algemeiner. “The ability to have a therapy which specifically heals severe COVID-19 patients and gets them out of hospitals is amazing, because it means that we can live with the virus.”

Bonus Biogroup, which focuses on the development of biomedical tissue engineering and cell therapy products, announced this month that it has concluded a Phase II clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of its MesenCure therapy in 50 severe COVID-19 patients — who suffer from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other life-threatening lung diseases, and have a mortality rate of 35 percent.

The Haifa, Israel-based company expects to publish results from the trial in November.
Yeshiva University Establishes Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Center for Values and Leadership
With the commemoration of the first yahrzeit of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who served as chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, Yeshiva University announced the creation of the Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Center for Values and Leadership, founded by Terri and Andrew Herenstein.

The new center will be dedicated to the dissemination of the rabbi’s leadership lessons and values in classrooms, communities and through public discussion.

It will also be geared to educate students, communal leaders, teachers, executives and authors using the timeless teachings of Judaism, embodying core Torah values and applying Jewish wisdom in addressing the challenges of modern times, both within the community and beyond.

“Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks uniquely exemplified and articulated Yeshiva University’s worldview and mission to the broader Jewish people and the world at large,” said Ari Berman, president of the university. “While his loss left us bereft, his words and teachings continue to inspire and inform. This new center, powered by his teachings, will be dedicated to both transmitting values and educating next generations’ leaders.”

Sacks died on Nov. 7, 2020, at age 72 after being diagnosed with cancer.

“We are excited to partner in this deeply impactful project,” said Terri Herenstein. “Through his words and life lessons, Rabbi Sacks has been a guiding light for our entire family. A number of years ago, we were fortunate to host Rabbi Sacks and Lady Elaine for Shabbat, and his Torah continues to illuminate our Shabbat table and spiritual lives to this day.”
Media company creates Yom Kippur war simulation game






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