Tuesday, September 04, 2018
Rajoub: PMW’s director is “the Goebbels of the 21st century”
Jibril Rajoub, one of the top Palestinian Authority leaders, attacked Palestinian Media Watch yesterday, calling PMW's director "the Goebbels of the 21st century."Pakistan, Hitler, and the Opiate of Anti-Semitism
At a press conference, Rajoub blamed PMW for his being fined and suspended by FIFA, adding that PMW is "waging this war [against me] on all fronts":
"They are waging this war on all fronts. There's Palestinian Media Watch, whose director is Goebbels - Goebbels, Hitler's ideological theorist... He is the Goebbels of the 21st century. He prepared an indictment against me... I traveled to Latin America, and every place I go, believe me, he spreads these accusations. He submitted a complaint to the Olympic Committee, he submitted a complaint to FIFA, and when I traveled to the US - he also spread [his accusations] in the US. The only thing he does is to deal with me." [Official PA TV Live, Sept. 3, 2018]
In fact, PMW has been using every legal means available to challenge Rajoub ever since he incited to murder Israelis during the 2015-2016 Palestinian terror wave in which 44 Israelis and others were murdered. Rajoub publicly glorified the murderers, calling them "heroes and a crown on the head of every Palestinian" and said that the Fatah Movement "blesses and encourages" the terrorists. Rajoub also openly called for the targeting of "settlers and soldiers."
This is by no means a radical statement: large swathes of the urban, educated population of Pakistan would agree that Hitler was right in ordering the Holocaust. Jews are routinely attributed as being the cause of all problems, from Pakistan and the larger Muslim Ummah’s poor global standing in achievements and figures, as well as being behind all conspiracies, whether foreign or domestic. The United States, with which Pakistan has had a tense and publicly disliked relationship, is seen as being run by a Jewish lobby, and further, that it supports the actions of Israel, which has been close to arch-rival and neighbor India. The term ‘Yahudi saazish’ (Jewish conspiracy) is used so often it is now a punchline to jokes.Chelsea Clinton Says Hosting Bannon Is 'Normalization Of Bigotry.' Her Dad Just Sat With Farrakhan.
Many leaps of faith take place, and all of these serve as an opiate, and the framework they rely upon has two historical elements to it, one overarching, and one based on a specific event. The historical element starts with the following assumption: Jews are historical foes of Muslims, and their control of finance and global institutions is the root cause of our failings. Here, United Nations inaction over the apartheid Israeli state are presented as proof. Jews are placed as a single entity, and no weight is placed on the idea that there may be a difference between Jews and Zionists, and that there may be those who proudly uphold their faith and tradition and those who oppose the Zionist state of Israel.
The second part of the historical argument centres on the claim that the Holocaust was a lie. The deliberate policy, organized under the ‘Final Solution’ plan, which followed a larger trajectory of targeted anti-Semitism against Jews, and which was carried out under the full understanding and approval of senior Nazi Party members is reduced to a ‘lie’.
READ MORE: Families of jailed Myanmar reporters appeal for release
The deaths of close to 6 million Jews, 2-3 million Soviet prisoners of war, close to 2 million Ethnic Poles, anywhere between 90-220,000 Roma people, 150,000 disabled individuals, and an unknown number of gay men is a fabrication. Details of the total number of those killed, freely available from reputable sources online, are considered biased, since all media is considered as being owned by the ‘Jews’.
Pakistanis who engage is Holocaust denial are quick to point out a litany of facts and thinkers, but most of them are relying on bogus information, doctored facts, fudged figures, and outright lies. Most of these, if not all of them, can be refuted with hard fact and evidence by research carried out by the Nizkor Project, which is dedicated to refuting Holocaust deniers claims.
All these do not matter, and any attempt at presenting facts are futile, since the opiate dulls any sense of critical thought. The end goal is a representative of a government who proudly displays an adoration for a mass murderer to the public. Mr. Noah and his accidental act of anti-Semitism would be the sort of thing that one could look back at with a degree of glee. In Pakistan, where anti-Semitism is used to whip up support for right wing groups and mainstream political parties alike, and as a justification for poor governmental performance and a litany of social ills, there is little to laugh about. (h/t Zvi)
Ms. Clinton apparently has an unusually short memory. Just last week her own father, former President Bill Clinton, sat next to three men who have all infamously espoused racism:
Your father literally just shared a stage with Louis Farrakhan https://t.co/CNzq5na6uX— The H2 (@TheH2) September 3, 2018
The trio seated next to Clinton included Jesse Jackson, who displayed his anti-Semitism by referring to Jews as “Hymies” and New York City as “Hymietown” in 1984; Al Sharpton, who has referred to “Greek homos” and led a march in which marchers yelled, “Kill the Jews,” and Louis Farrakhan, whose vicious racism against whites and Jews has been amply documented.
Clinton’s utter cluelessness was called out on Twitter, even by a reporter from normally Clinton-friendly CNN, who reacted instinctively:
Michael Curtis: Jews, France, and Orientalism
Orientalizing the Jew: Religion, Culture, and Imperialism in Nineteenth-Century France. By Julie Kalman. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2017. 186 pp. $25Back to the roots: Iraqi Jews want their citizenship reinstated
France was the first country in Europe to emancipate its Jewish population and establish full equality for Jews in 1831. With the Napoleonic policy of “careers open to talents,” French Jews entered the world of finance, the professions, government, and the arts and also obtained citizenship. However, a deep paradox remained: Despite the acceptance of Jews into French citizenship, anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish manifestations never disappeared.
After the French Revolution, the divided country sought its modern national identity. In Orientalizing the Jew, Kalman of Monash University, Australia, illustrates how Jews became a foil to formulate and clarify that identity. The ideal French national character was contrasted with what some writers saw as its antithesis: Jewish identity. Kalman identifies three major ways in which the Jew was used: First, France was positioned as a Christian country. Second, secular writers and artists promoted France as the epitome of civilization. Third, government officials, diplomats, and businessmen used the Jew to link to France’s international emergence as a major player in Middle East commerce and governance. The “Orientalized Jew” became a powerful figure created out of a mixture of imagination and realistic encounters.
Libraries are full of works on the Dreyfus affair, anti-Semitism, and the place of Jews in late nineteenth-century France. By comparison, argues Kalman, relatively little has been written on the role of Jews in the earlier part of the nineteenth century. Kalman, a specialist both in modern France and its relationship with Jewish history, has written on these themes in Rethinking Antisemitism in Nineteenth Century France,1 explaining the complicated French attitudes and ambivalence to the presence of Jews in France itself.
In her earlier book, Kalman used political writings, the press, literature, and other sources to make the striking claim that, in the early nineteenth century, Jews faced prejudice in France’s “tranquil” society and the French relationship with Jews was central to the development of French identity. Kalman noted, for example, that Jews living in the East featured prominently in French art, narratives, novels, and plays. But, Jews in France itself faced challenges as the French population became concerned about its own identity.
In her new book, Kalman extends her study to include Jews living in the Middle East and argues that attitudes towards “Oriental” Jews figured prominently in answering the question of what it meant to be French. She analyzes the attitudes of Catholic pilgrims, secular writers and artists, government officials, and businessmen who travelled and lived in the Middle East and North Africa and had contact with Jews.
It appears that the issue of Jews of Iraqi descent demanding back their nationality has taken a new turn after an article by Israeli writer Jackie Khogi for Maariv newspaper revealed that Vice President of the European Jewish Congress Edwin Shuker and others will petition the Federal Supreme Court in Baghdad to request that thousands of Iraqi Jews get their citizenship reinstated.Corbyn’s Worldview Turns the Truth on Its Head
In the article, Shuker was quoted as saying: “Every time I ask for the Iraqi nationality, the Iraqi authorities tell me to wait a little, because the people will not accept it easily”.
The article pointed out the existence of what is called a “legal dilemma” caused by "Iraqi law which contains a series of anti-Jewish material, that have slowly crystallized since the fifties of the last century until the era of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein”.
About a year ago, Israeli newspaper Haaretz published a report saying that after decades of Jewish immigration into Israel, many Jewish descendants have experienced nostalgia and wish to return to their countries of origin.
This photo taken Sept. 30, 2013 shows Anna Friedman, a conservator, putting a photograph in place as she works on Iraqi Jewish documents at the National Archives in College Park, Md. (AP)
The newspaper said that some Jews are trying to buy property in their home country while others are finding it easier in renewing their passports.
The roots of the Jewish community in Iraq date back to the expulsion of thousands of Jewish captives from Jerusalem some 2,500 years ago, after Babylonian monarch Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Jerusalem. Babylon remained – for almost a thousand years – the cultural and religious center of the Jewish people from around the world. (h/t Zvi)
There is a telling moment in a video clip of a London conference in 2013 on the Palestinian “right of return.” Panelist Jeremy Corbyn, former chairman of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, is asked a question by an audience member about Jewish refugees from Arab lands. He never actually answers it; instead, he rambles on about Israel’s hypocritical attitude towards an African asylum seeker, and a Knesset member’s apoplectic reaction to the Palestinian “right of return.” Another member of the panel claims that Arab states never expelled their Jews. A third proclaims the issue a “myth.”UK Labour adopts full anti-Semitism definition, but adds ‘free speech’ caveat
Today, Jeremy Corbyn is the leader of Britain’s main opposition party, and quite possibly its next prime minister. His views are getting mainstream exposure, much to the despair and exasperation of the UK Jewish community. Britain’s former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks has bluntly called Corbyn a dangerous antisemite.
Hardly a day goes by without another shocking revelation of Corbyn’s past associations with racists and terrorist enablers. But little has been said about the intellectual underpinnings of the ideological worldview that Corbyn has clung to for 40 years. It is time that they were debunked from a Sephardi or Mizrahi perspective.
I doubt whether Corbyn has a view on Mizrahi or Sephardi Jews. He might deny that 850,000 of them were genuine refugees fleeing Arab and Muslim antisemitism, blame the Zionists, or say that the Jews left of their own free will.
He is not likely to lose any sleep over the forced exodus of ancient communities once numbering many thousands of Jews — from Morocco in the West to Yemen in the East.
The governing body of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party on Tuesday decided to adopt in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism amid major public outcry, but also added a statement that emphasized the right to “free speech” on Israel — drawing more criticism from Jewish groups.Guardian op-ed rejects antisemitism definition because it ‘marginalises’ Palestinians
The national executive committee made the decision after a tense meeting with party leader Jeremy Corbyn in attendance, the Guardian reported.
“The NEC has today adopted all of the IHRA examples of antisemitism, in addition to the IHRA definition which Labour adopted in 2016, alongside a statement which ensures this will not in any way undermine freedom of expression on Israel or the rights of Palestinians,” a Labour spokesperson told the Guardian.
“The NEC welcomed Jeremy Corbyn’s statement to the meeting about action against antisemitism, solidarity with the Jewish community and protection of Palestinian rights, as an important contribution to the consultation on Labour’s code of conduct.”
The exact language of the statement accompanying the decision wasn’t immediately published, but its addition drew fresh criticism, indicating the party may have failed in its bid to put the anti-Semitism scandal behind it.
Labour Friends of Israel slammed the party and Corbyn for including the clarification.
“It is appalling that the Labour party has once again ignored the view clearly and repeatedly stated by the Jewish community: that it should adopt the full IHRA definition without additions, omissions or caveats,” its director Jennifer Gerber said in a statement.
“A ‘freedom of expression on Israel’ clause is unnecessary and totally undermines the other examples the party has supposedly just adopted. Labour appears determined to provide a safe space for antisemites. This decision is a sad reflection on Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party and the culture it has instilled,” she added.
The argument used by hardcore Jeremy Corbyn supporters when resisting calls for Labour to adopt the full IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism is normally centered around the claim that the definition is not about combating antisemitism, but about stifling criticism of Israel.IsraellyCool: Palestinians Fight for Their Right to Be Antisemitic
Indeed, the headline of a Guardian op-ed published today by Ash Sarkar – representing the second attack on the working definition in less than a week in their opinion pages – conveys this message:
However, those who make such an argument ignore the fact that IHRA definition addresses this very issue, making clear that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic”.
The Israel related components of the IHRA definition – that is, accusations concerning Israel which are defined as antisemitic – include the following:
The final bullet point – which defines as antisemitic the view that Zionism is inherently racist (not just that it sometimes expresses itself in racist ways, but that it is racist by definition) and, therefore, Israel has no right to exist – is what garners the most opposition from Corbyn supporters.
- Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
- Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
- Applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
- Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
In his Guardian op-ed, Sarkar, senior editor at the ultra-Corbynista site Novara Media, begins by making the curious argument that the consensus – outside of the Corbyn camp – to adopt the full definition excludes British BAME [Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic] and Palestinian voices on the issue”, an argument often heard within pro-Corbyn circles.
These “activists” are clearly soiling their pants over the definition since they want to be able to engage in their antisemitic behavior. This is because in the vast majority of cases, one who hates Israel is motivated by a very real hatred of Jews (in other cases, it is ignorance about the situation), and the words they employ very much reflects this reality.Hummus with Hamas: Corbyn thanked terror group for dinner
Note also the lies they tell; here are just some of them:
Remember, if you have to lie in order to demonize Israel, you are almost certainly an antisemite.
- “We’ve been written out of history in 1917” – she is referring to the Balfour Declaration. It did nothing of the sort – it merely announced support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. Furthermore, in 1917, the Arabs who lived in Palestine did not even consider themselves a distinct identity – they thought of themselves as an inseparable part of Syria. If anything, after WWI, they wrote themselves into history
- “..we were dispossessed and expelled off (sic) Palestine for Israel to exist” – some were expelled during the War of Independence in which the Arab armies tried to destroy the nascent state. Many others fled or left on their own volition, expecting to return after the Arab armies did what they set out to do
- “And ever since we’ve been subject to a discourse of violence that continuously favored the Israeli colonial narrative over ours” – I am not even sure what she means by “discourse of violence”, but certainly palestinian Arabs are associated with violence because of their tactic to employ terrorism. As for the assertion that our narrative has been favored over theirs, what planet is she living on?
- “Over the past few months over 170 palestinians have been massacred by the Israeli state” – what she doesn’t mention is that vast majority of those killed were either terrorists or affiliated with terrorist organizations. Plus given how many violent rioters there were trying to flood into Israel and murder civilians, the fact the casualty number was relatively low indicates we did anything but “massacre” them
- “Of course, Palestinians are against all forms of racism” – except against Jews, apparently.
Footage was found of Jeremy Corbyn thanking Hamas and flattering them for a takeaway meal he enjoyed with them in 2010, according to an article by British tabloid The Sun.
The footage was found not long after Corbyn claimed to not remember having any such meal with the terrorist organization in a comment to reporters in August. "A takeaway dinner?" Corbyn asked. "I don't remember any takeaway dinners."
Corbyn has been under fire after a long series of claims and proofs that his views on Israel are less than ideal.
This is not the first time Corbyn has acted in a way perceived to be anti-Zionist. He openly expressed support for BDS; he was involved in the release of Mordechai Vanunu, who told Israeli nuclear secrets to the Sunday Times of London; and he infamously laying of a wreath at a memorial for the terrorists behind the Munich Olympics massacre. (h/t Zvi)
A YouGov poll found that over 70% of the more than 1,000 Labour members polled ‘thought accusations of anti-Semitism were being exaggerated in a bid to undermine Mr. Corbyn’s leadership or muffle criticism of Israel.’— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) September 3, 2018
Diabolical.
https://t.co/7dxsWOvs2L
British Labour party reschedules Yom Kippur event
Europe
A public event set to defend the British Labour Party against charges of anti-Semitism was rescheduled after critics pointed out to organizers that it was scheduled for Yom Kippur Eve.Corbyn ally reelected to Labour’s ruling body despite anti-Semitism rant
Several of the speakers scheduled to debate the issue at the event in Bristol in the southwest of England are Jewish, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported, including a representative of the Jewish Voice for Labour organization.
Organizers apologized to JVL and moved the event a day earlier. “The organizers made an error and after JVL pointed this out to them they changed the date so any Jew who wants to can attend and no one is unnecessarily excluded,” a JVL spokesperson told the Jewish Chronicle.
A similar event was held two weeks ago in London. Several Jews were prohibited from participating after organizers expressed concern that they would be disruptive, the Jewish Chronicle reported. Attendees at that event were caught on camera making anti-Semitic remarks.
An ally of Jeremy Corbyn who attacked some Jews as “Trump fanatics” in a heated meeting has been re-elected to the Labour Party’s ruling body, despite left-wing grassroots group Momentum withdrawing its support.LOONY LABOUR NEC PROTESTS
Pete Willsman, who was recorded questioning 68 rabbis and right-wing Jews when discussing anti-Semitism earlier this summer, retained his place on Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in voting on Monday.
The Jewish Labour Movement criticised the outcome, tweeting: “We note the election of Willsman to the ruling body of the Labour Party. It does appear to be one rule for friends of Jeremy & one rule for others. Others remain under investigation whilst Willsman faces no further action for insulting community Rabbis representing British Jews.”
Jennifer Gerber, director of Labour Friends of Isarael, said: “It is deplorable that Pete Willsman has been re-elected to the NEC and a terrible reflection on Labour’s commitment to tackling antisemitism. Jeremy Corbyn and Momentum should immediately call upon him not to take his seat, so his shameful remarks do not further taint the party’s already tattered reputation.”
Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman said: “The election of Peter Willsman to Labour’s NEC following his reprehensible comments about Jews is deeply concerning.
Pete Willsman received a hero’s welcome as he walked into Labour Party HQ today. Signs outside insisted anti-Semitism does not exist in the Labour Party, and claims of it are merely a Blairite Zionist conspiracy. Meanwhile activists shouted about how Jews “don’t suffer economic discrimination.”
FAN OF IRAN’S REVOLUTION TOPPED LABOUR’S NEC POLL
Last night’s NEC election results focused on the shocking election of Peter Willsman, a man dropped from the Momentum slate, disowned by media savvy Corbynistas like Owen Jones, Ash Sarkar, and Matt Zarb-Cousin after his rant about the anti-Semitism crisis being faked by Jewish Trump supporters. Little attention has been given to the person who topped the poll, Yasmine Dar.
On this video from last year Dar is celebrating the Iranian Islamic Revolution, a regular annual event for her which Guido reported on last year. The Iranian regime is built on a foundation of the corpses of enemies and has no greater enemy than Israel, a nation that they have many times promised to “wipe from the face of the earth”. Iran competes with North Korea among the dregs of states which systematically violate human rights. Amnesty International reports document the harsh penalties for “un-Islamic behaviour”, most famously the death penalty for same-sex relationships. This is the regime she celebrates, her “happy time” with holocaust deniers, anti-semites and conspiracy theorists.
Dar won seat on the NEC, the governing body of the Labour Party, after topping the poll with 88,176 votes, an astounding margin of victory for someone without a significant national profile. The Manchester Labour councillor attached herself to Andy Burnham’s campaign for leader when he was a favourite to win the leadership, she swiftly switched to Corbyn once she saw the way the wind was blowing. Two weeks ago Facebook announced it had taken down coordinated campaigns originating in Iran. Some 254 Facebook pages and 116 Instagram accounts with more than a million followers across the two services. Facebook said the network of propaganda sites was linked to Press TV, the station which for years employed Jeremy Corbyn as a front man. According to analysis “This influence operation linked to Iran aims to promote political narratives in line with Iranian interests, including anti-Saudi, anti-Israeli, and pro-Palestinian themes.” No evidence has been uncovered to suggest that Dar was a beneficiary of Iran’s extensive social media efforts.
Celebrating a country regressing 40 years & women being subjugated under sharia law. And she does this in the West. Vomit. https://t.co/OK18Ep0kod— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) September 4, 2018
‘Cancer, Jew boy’: UK police probing dozens of Labour anti-Semitism allegations
Police in London said Tuesday they will investigate a leaked Labour dossier containing dozens of allegations of anti-Semitism by party members.HonestReporting: A BDS Lesson in Dishonesty via the New York Times
Scotland Yard chief Cressida Dick vowed to probe whether the cases mentioned in the internal document, which was obtained by London-based LBC radio, could constitute hate crimes.
The dossier lists 45 claims of anti-Semitic behavior by party members, though it was unclear what action, if any, the party took in the cases.
“We will scope it, we will see whether a crime has taken place,” Dick told LBC. “I, of course, will pass this to my experts to look at.”
A former hate crime investigator for the police who read the dossier told the Telegraph he believed at least 21 of the incidents merited further investigation by police.
In one case, a Labour member allegedly said, “Shall we rid the Jews who are cancer on us all”; another called a child a “Jew boy”; another suggested throwing Jewish MPs off a cliff during an abseiling event for charity; yet another said “Zionist extremist MPs” would “get a good kicking.”
In a 2,000 word diatribe in the New York Times, Joesph Levine, philosophy professor and a member of the Jewish Voice for Peace Academic Advisory Council, defends BDS, asking, “Is Boycotting Israel ‘Hate’?”Sweden: The Left Party's Ties to Terror Groups
He claims, “Opponents of the nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement are involved in a dishonest branding campaign.”
Make no mistake, the purpose of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) is to destroy Israel.
Omar Barghouti, founder, BDS:
Definitely most definitely we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine.
(Separately he clarifies that “Palestine” means all of Israel.)
As’ad AbuKhalil, California State University Professor of Political Science, BDS leader and activist:
The real aim of BDS is to bring down the State of Israel…this should be stated as an unambiguous goal.
John Spritzler, author, BDS leader and activist:
I think the BDS movement will gain strength from forthrightly explaining why Israel has no right to exist…
On his Facebook page, Said Hadrous praises the Samer Issawi, a member of the DFLP terrorist group who was convicted in Israel of possession of explosives and attempted murder.Far-right Swedish politicians make anti-Semitic statements, mock Anne Frank
In a post on Facebook on August 29, Lars Adaktusson, a Swedish member of the European Parliament for the Christian Democrats, said that the EU should designate the DFLP as a terrorist organization.
Another Left Party candidate in the upcoming elections, Dr. Ali Hadrous, is running for the Landskrona City Council. He often shares Facebook posts showing sympathy with jailed Palestinian terrorists.
Osama Tamim was a member of the DFLP in Syria and is now running for the Åmål City Council on the Left Party list. In 2016, Tamim's organization, Amal Palestina, distributed to children in Åmål a booklet in Arabic in which youngsters are portrayed favorably as instigators of violent activities.
Anti-Semitic statements, including one mocking Holocaust victims with a picture of Anne Frank, were discovered on the social media accounts of regional politicians from the far-right Sweden Democrats party.ISNA Convention Uses Shame, Fear to Stir Radical Agenda
Per Olsson, who represents the party on the city council of Oskarshamn, a coastal Swedish city, earlier this year posted a picture of Anne Frank captioned “coolest Jew in the shower room” on the Russian social network VKontakt, the Expressen daily reported Friday.
Anne Frank, a Dutch Jew who wrote a famous diary while hiding for two years from the Nazis, died of typhus in 1945 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Out of 6 million Jewish Holocaust victims, the Nazis and their collaborators killed more than half in gas chambers – some disguised as shower rooms.
The Expressen report was part of a project in which journalists for that daily and the Expo magazine looked into the digital footprint of many politicians from various parties ahead of the country’s September 9 general and local elections.
Sweden Democrats is currently in third place according to various polls, with 18.7 percent of the vote. Its share was just under 13 percent in the 2014 elections.
The journalists also found anti-Semitic material on the social media accounts of Raghu Jacobsen, who represents the party on the city council of Stenungsund, located in western Sweden.
In a year when Muslim political candidates are breaking new ground or falling just short of doing so, it’s not surprising to see politics dominate the country’s largest annual gathering of Muslim Americans.British Watchdog Launches Legal Action Against CPS Over Thwarted Bid to Prosecute Antisemitic ‘Al-Quds Day’ March Leader
But the political sessions at the annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention in Houston, Texas were far from celebrations. Rather, they cast a dire picture for Muslims in America.
Speakers warned of “Islamophobia” as a dire threat lurking just outside their doors. And while a travel ban upheld by US courts targets people from only five Muslim-majority countries among dozens, the policy was repeatedly described as a complete “Muslim ban.”
Leading the charge was Linda Sarsour, a co-chair of the national Women’s March and founder of a political activist group called MPower Change. Sarsour spoke to at least four separate sessions during the conference, with ISNA President Azhar Azeez introducing her as “the most famous, known activist in America today.”
Her tone often was not aimed at inspiring Muslims to be more politically active, as much as it was to shame them for not doing so. If they aren’t sufficiently engaged in advocating for the Palestinian cause, she said, “you as an American Muslim are complicit in the occupation of Palestinians, in the murder of Palestinian protesters. So when we start debating in the Muslim community about Palestine, it tells me a lot about you and about the type of faith that you have in your heart.”
A British watchdog group has launched judicial review proceedings against the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after it was blocked from privately prosecuting the leader of last year’s “Al-Quds Day” march in London.UAE Judo event reinstated after pledge to treat Israeli team equally
At the June 2017 Iran-backed, pro-Hezbollah event, Nazim Ali allegedly made a number of vehemently antisemitic statements over a loudspeaker.
The UK-based Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) subsequently pursued legal action against Ali, but this effort, according to the CAA, was thwarted by the CPS, which took over the case and then dropped it.
“This is a case that the CPS should have prosecuted itself,” CAA Chairman Gideon Falter stated on Monday. “Our empathic legal advice is that their decision to prevent us from doing so was irrational. We hope to succeed and resume the prosecution.”
Among other things, Ali was said to have blamed the deadly Grenfell apartment fire on ”the Zionists who give money to the Tory Party to kill people in high-rise blocks.”
He also, the CAA charged, told the crowd, “Careful of those rabbis who belong to the Board of Deputies, who have got blood on their hands, who agree with the killing of British soldiers. Do not allow them in your centers.”
A judo competition in the United Arab Emirates has been reinstated after organizers promised equal treatment to Israeli athletes in the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, scheduled to take place from Oct. 25-27. IsraellyCool: Nobel Peace Center Laid Out Welcome Mat for Roger Waters
In July, the International Judo Federation suspended the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and an event in Tunisia after claims of discrimination against the Israeli team, whose athletes were not allowed to compete under their national flag.
The UAE, like many Arab countries, has no diplomatic ties with Israel.
On Monday, however, the international judo body issued a statement saying it was "pleased to announce that … the UAE Judo Federation confirmed in an official letter sent to the IJF that all nations participating in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam will [enjoy] equal conditions."
"The historic decision will thus allow all nations to display their national insignia and national anthem, including Israel," the statement said.
Last October, organizers of the Grand Slam tournament in Abu Dhabi refused to play Israel's national anthem when Israeli judoka Tal Flicker won a gold medal. He wore the IJF uniform and received his medal under an IJF flag while the anthem of the federation played in the background.
The Nobel Peace Center in Norway “is the museum about the Nobel Peace Prize. It “also acts as an arena for debate about important social issues.”Paris man says he was robbed, then beaten because he is Jewish
A few weeks ago, they played host to the vile Roger Waters, where he got to spout off about his pet subjects, including BDS and Israel.
Liv Torres, the center’s director, wrote about Water’s visit. And her account is rather telling.
More importantly, we wouldn’t advance peace-building or engage people on issues that might help us move forward and create positive change. Platforms like ours cannot be used only for those we agree with. That would leave us with a world of uninformed people, meaningless debates or debates where we only shoot at each other from our respective echo chambers on the internet and through social media. We need more than that, and particularly in the current, political climate. Plus, Waters already has a platform developed over decades with millions of listeners. This is our chance to talk to him and ask proper questions.
—
Waters has been angry about the Israeli occupation and the blockade for years. It has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, he says, but he reacts to the actions of the Israelis and Israeli state. His arguments are about basic human rights and why we don´t see the plight of the Palestinians in the same light as other civilians. So, what should other artists do? He thinks it’s the responsibility of all artists to take a conscious stand on human rights and occupation, and that the principles we hold should be valid in all settings.
—
We don’t see eye to eye on the situation in Syria. He disagrees with my narrative that there was a popular uprising in 2011, he believes that there was no chemical attack in Douma, and that the White Helmets is an international operation created by the West.
While Torres justifies having someone like Waters speak at the Nobel Peace Center because it “advances peace-building” and “engages people on issues that might help us move forward and create positive change.” I don’t see how. Waters is about hate, divisiveness and demonization.
But clearly Torres appreciates him.
Several men allegedly assaulted and robbed a Jewish man in Paris, who said that the attackers had hit him because he was wearing a Star of David pendant around his neck.IMDB: Spiral (2017)
The incident occurred at around 3 a.m. on Monday morning, the victim told police, according to a report by the France Bleu radio station. The man was not named in the report.
The complaint, as summarized by the radio station, said the man was crossing the Alexandre III Bridge over the Seine river in Paris’ center, near the prestigious Champs-Elysee Avenue and shopping area.
A man on a scooter drove up to the Jewish man and yanked the pendant off his neck from behind, in what up to that point appeared to be a random grab-and-run robbery, the man said. But upon seeing the chain had a Star of David pendant, the alleged culprit shouted “dirty Jew” at the complainant, he told police.
A second scooter arrived with a driver and a passenger, who descended and started beating the complainant, he also said. The attackers, who have not been identified, then stole the man’s cell phone and wallet, he told police.
In addition to anti-Semitic assaults motivated purely by racist hatred, French Jews have reported an increase in the number of incidents featuring both financial and hateful incentives.
A look at the rise of anti-Semitism and assaults against Jews in present-day France.
Threat letters containing white powder sent to Israeli, US embassies in Berlin
German police say more threatening letters containing a white powder — determined to be non-harmful — have been sent to the American and Israeli embassies in Berlin.IsraellyCool: The Gazan Who Became a Jew
Police spokesman Martin Halweg said Tuesday letters were sent to both embassies on August 22 and to the US Embassy again on August 30. They contained a white powder that turned out to be washing detergent, and rambling letters.
Halweg says the suspect in the threats is known to authorities and is the same person who sent similar letters to the two embassies in July.
He says authorities are arranging psychological counseling and possibly inpatient care for the individual.
Meet Yitzchak Shachar.WATCH: Avigdor Liberman under fire for New Year's video clip
He’s got one hell of a story.
Besides the generally amazing nature of his story, one part stuck out at me: his father, who told him to kill the Jews, had a job in Israel.
Because at the end of the day, the true root cause of the conflict is an ideology that involves the idea that Jews are evil and need to be killed, rather than socioeconomic factors or land.
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has come under fire by women’s rights organizations for a scene from a video wishing IDF soldiers a happy new year in which a Krav Maga instructor takes up-skirt shots of a Muslim woman wearing a burka.Muhammad and Tamar Most Popular Baby Names in Israel This Year
The video was based on Sacha Baron Cohen’s segment from “Who Is America?” with Jason Spencer, a Georgia lawmaker who subsequently resigned from the Georgia House of Representatives.
In the spoof video, Liberman is being taught how to defend himself by Matan Gavish, a Krav Maga instructor on whom Sacha Baron Cohen’s character of Erran Morad is based.
“You know, I hear so much nonsense every day, let’s hear you as well,” the defense minister says at the beginning of the clip.
The controversial segment of the video is titled “Terrorism under Burka,” referring to the traditional Muslim garb worn by women covering their entire body. In the segment, Gavish explains to Liberman how to detect terrorists by taking pictures with a selfie stick before putting it underneath the burka to check for bombs.
The video finishes with Lieberman turning to the camera and telling the viewer in Hebrew, “Who needs this silliness? We have the Israel Defense Forces, the best soldiers in the world. Happy New Year to all the soldiers and the people of Israel.”
Muhammad and Tamar were the most popular baby names in Israel this year, the country’s Population and Immigration Authority announced on Monday.Rosh Hashanah 5779 Data: Israel’s Population Nears Nine Million, 89% Satisfied With Life
Releasing a raft of government statistics ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the authority revealed that, unsurprisingly, Muhammad, extremely common in the Arab sector, was the top boy’s name in Israel, which was also the case last year.
The Hebrew news site Walla reported that the next most popular boy’s names were Yosef, Ariel, Omar, Adam, David, Daniel, Lavi, Eitan, and Uri. The most popular name among the Jewish population was Ariel, followed by David and Lavi.
The most popular name for girls was Tamar, followed by Abigail, Miriam, Sarah, Adele, Yael, Shira, Noya, and Leah.
Israel’s general population statistics also looked promising, with 168,441 new births and 41,165 deaths in the past year. Some 24,496 new immigrants arrived in the country. A total of 61,181 Israelis were married during the year, while 24,868 got divorced.
Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics released its annual pre-Rosh Hashanah report on Tuesday, which revealed that 89% of the country’s residents were satisfied with their lives.
According to Channel Two, the bureau’s numbers showed that 8.907 million people lived in Israel, 6.625 million of them Jews, comprising 74.4% of the population. The Arab sector totals 1.864 million people, or 20.9% of the population, while 488,000 Israelis were listed as “other.”
The data found that among Israelis age 20 and above, the religious breakdown was 44.3% non-religious or secular, 33.7% traditional, 11.5 percent religious, and 10.2% ultra-Orthodox.
Life expectancy stood at 84.6 years for women and 80.7 for men.
The data also indicated that Israeli women were better educated than men, with women making up 59.4% of university students. Interestingly, this gap was even larger in the Arab population, where only 30.1% of university students were men.
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