Wednesday, September 16, 2020

09/16 Links Pt2: Study: More than one in 10 Americans under 40 thinks Jews caused the Holocaust; I Was Radicalized. Now, I've Dedicated My Career to Combating Anti-Semitism

From Ian:
Study: More than one in 10 Americans under 40 thinks Jews caused the Holocaust
More than one in 10 American adults under 40 believes that Jews caused the Holocaust.

That’s one finding from a survey published Wednesday trying to gauge Holocaust knowledge among millennials and Generation Z, a cohort ranging in age from 18 to 39.

The survey found that most respondents had heard of the Holocaust and 37% knew that 6 million Jews died. Slightly more than half could name at least one concentration camp or ghetto.

But 11% of the respondents believed the Jews were responsible for the Holocaust, 15% said they thought the Holocaust was a myth or has been exaggerated, and 20% said people talk about it too much. Nearly half said they had seen Holocaust denial online.

The survey of 1,000 respondents across all 50 states was organized by the Claims Conference, which coordinates restitution and reparations payments for Holocaust survivors and sponsors Holocaust education programs. It was conducted in February and March.

According to the poll, there was little correlation between state Holocaust education requirements and Holocaust knowledge. None of the 10 states with the highest knowledge levels required Holocaust education in high schools, while three states in the bottom 10 — Delaware, New York and Florida — did mandate it.

(The knowledge levels, as defined by the survey, were based on whether respondents had heard of the Holocaust, knew 6 million Jews were killed and could name a concentration camp or ghetto.)

Holocaust knowledge was particularly low in New York, despite the state having the largest population of Jews in the country. Most respondents there could not name a single Nazi camp or ghetto, and 28% said they believed the Holocaust was a myth or has been exaggerated. Wisconsin had the highest knowledge score at 44%, while Arkansas had the lowest at 17%. (h/t jzaik)
I Was Radicalized. Now, I've Dedicated My Career to Combating Anti-Semitism
Seeing Israel firsthand shook me to my core. The lies that had defined my identity fell apart—lies about an apartheid state, lies about a white colonial state, lies about Jewish hatred for Muslims. On the contrary, I saw a diverse and pluralistic country. And from the many people I spoke with—Jewish, Arab, Christian, Muslim and more—I heard a desire for peace, rather than war.

The time I spent in Israel and the Palestinian-controlled territories forced me to confront just how dark my radicalization truly was. I had sunk to a mental place where murder could be justifiable. I had been prepared to kill innocent men, women and children based on nothing but a myth.

To look in the mirror and truly see who I had been was startling, depressing and extremely difficult. What if you woke up tomorrow to discover that you had been Mr. Hyde all along? That is the effect visiting Israel had on me. The radical may have died, but I was very much alive. I made the choice to move forward.

When I returned to the U.K., I felt an obligation to shine a light on the toxic hatred that had consumed me in an effort to prevent others from going down that dark path. With my newfound clarity, I didn't think I was doing anything controversial—but the response from friends, family and my community was very hostile.

Today, I have dedicated my life to combating the hatred of Jews. I am living my own personal version of the American dream and hope to soon become a citizen of the nation whose highest ideals accepted me, despite my wretched past.

Much has changed in my life since that first trip to Israel—but more significantly, so has the world around us. The virus of anti-Semitism is growing and being normalized, from the university campus to local communities to government itself. For years now, I've spoken out against this resurgent evil that I've seen firsthand.

The process of de-radicalization is difficult. I am well aware that I am the exception, not the rule. But if we can inoculate people to the lies before those lies solidify in impressionable young minds, we stand a chance of turning this tide.

Kasim Hafeez is the Middle East analyst for Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Alongside the life of Holocaust survivor and educator Irving Roth, Hafeez's journey from radicalized anti-Semite to ardent Zionist is chronicled in CUFI's forthcoming full-length feature documentary, Never Again?, in select theaters October 13 and 15. To learn more, visit www.neveragainthemovie.com
CAMERA: Who Are Evangelical Christians and Why Do They Support Israel?
Conclusions

There is a 2000 year history of Christian belief in the restoration of Israel that is based on an understanding of the centrality of the eternal covenant between God and the Jewish people – and the promise of a particular land at the heart of that covenant – throughout the Hebrew Bible and Christian Testament. What we now call Christian Zionism, or Evangelical support for Israel, is simply the modern version of that historic belief, built on a theological foundation as old as Christianity itself.

The vast majority of Christian Zionists support Israel and the Jewish people for theological and historical reasons that do not include attempts to convert Jews, or the desire to see Jews gathered in Israel in fulfillment of a particular interpretation of End Times events. Rather, modern Christian support for the State of Israel is rooted in the historic Christian belief that Jews would some day return to their ancient homeland, an understanding of the historical and spiritual connection of the Jewish people to that land, and agreement with the right of Jews to self-determination in their own land.

In light of these realities and the tumultuous times in which we live, Jewish-Christian relations and inter-faith cooperation for the sake of Zion is more crucial now than ever. It is vital that we focus on what Jews and Christians have in common and make our shared values the foundation upon which to build and strengthen the very necessary relationship between Jews, Christians and Israel. Let us fight united for Israel’s right to exist and defend itself against those who seek its annihilation!



ICC permanently closes flotilla war crimes case
The International Criminal Court on Wednesday closed for good the case of war crimes allegations against Israel concerning the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident in which 10 Turkish citizens were killed during a clash with IDF naval commandos.

The decision by the ICC’s Pretrial Chamber followed a decision by the ICC prosecutor to close the case for a third time in December 2019, as well as prior rulings by the ICC’s highest body, the appeals chamber, which appeared to undermine attempts to force the ICC prosecutor to move forward with the case.

This is the first time that the ICC Pretrial Chamber has thrown in the towel after appeals against the ICC prosecutor’s decision to close the case.

In its December 2019 decision, the ICC Prosecution made some of its most complimentary statements regarding the IDF and Israeli positions on some war crimes issues.

From a technical perspective, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s third consecutive decision to close her preliminary probe of the alleged war crimes was nothing new. She and the ICC Pretrial Chamber have been at loggerheads over the case since 2014.

The ICC pushed her three times to open a full criminal investigation, and each time she said that there was no basis to move forward.
But this time was different. Because the latest ICC ruling directed Bensouda to accept certain facts, she needed to more deeply analyze the IDF’s behavior.
Netanyahu heads back to Israel without reaching out to Biden
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded his trip to Washington on Wednesday without meeting with or even reaching out to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

“This visit was totally focused on the event at the White House,” a spokesman for Netanyahu said. “There were no meetings with Congress and none with Jewish leadership. It was not a ‘normal’ visit.”

A source in the Prime Minister’s Office pointed out earlier this week that Biden is not based in Washington; he is in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, or campaigning in other locations.

During his time in Washington, Netanyahu rarely left Blair House – the White House’s guesthouse – due to coronavirus-related restrictions.
Biden has not had any publicly known meetings or phone calls with foreign leaders during his campaign.

US President Donald Trump spoke out against Biden during his meeting with Netanyahu in the Oval Office, saying there is “nothing that [Iran] or China or Russia would like better than for Sleepy Joe Biden to win the election.... A dream for those countries would be Sleepy Joe.”
MEMRI: Saudi Journalist Calls To Internationalize Jerusalem Holy Sites
Following the agreement to normalize relations between the UAE and Israel, Saudi journalist Fahed Ibrahim Al-Dughaither published an article in the 'Okaz daily in which he advocated placing the holy sites in Jerusalem under international oversight. The Arab calls to liberate Al-Aqsa are meaningless, he said, because, even if the Muslims recapture East Jerusalem, they will have to grant freedom of worship to the members of all faiths.

He therefore suggested forming an international body comprising representatives of the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Vatican, and Israel, to maintain and administer the holy places in Jerusalem.

Al-Dughaither added that the only conditions the Arabs must set for peace and normalization with Israel, in addition to the establishment of bilateral relations, are access to the holy places in Jerusalem and the freedom of worship in them. All other issues, especially those related to land, are not the concern of the Arabs but are an exclusively Palestinian issue, he said.

The following are excerpts from his article:[1]
"I don't really understand the meaning of the term 'liberating Al-Aqsa,' which is constantly repeated on social media as a sign of a position that opposes any notion of peace with the State of Israel. I rule out the possibility that it means liberating the entire city of Jerusalem [i.e., both East and West Jerusalem], because that has not been an Arab demand since the Madrid [Conference] and the Oslo [Accords]. So [perhaps] it means recapturing [just] East Jerusalem? If this happened, [and East Jerusalem indeed] returned [to Muslim hands] under some circumstances… would it mean that Christians and Jews would be banned from performing their religious rituals in that part of the city? Of course not, for 'Umar bin Al-Khattab would not have [issued such a ban], as evident from the Pact of 'Umar,[2] and Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyoubi would not have done so either, as evident from the Treaty of Ramla.[3]

"The discourse on 'liberating Al-Aqsa' boils down to determining who should manage these holy places. In other words, and in an attempt to overcome this administerial crisis, perhaps one day we will think outside the box, and there will be a call to establish an international body on behalf of the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Vatican and Israel, with representatives of the three [monotheistic] religions. The sole duty [of this body], funded by the UN, would be to oversee these [holy] places, develop them, maintain them and protect those visiting them. This would be a way out of the whirlpool [of this tangled issue]...
MEMRI: Muslim Clerics: Fatwa Issued By Grand Mufti Of Palestine Prohibiting Emiratis From Visiting Al-Aqsa Has No Basis In Shari'a
On August 18, 2020, several days following the announcement of the normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel, which inter alia stated that all Muslims are permitted to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to pray there,[1] the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, issued a fatwa (opinion on a point of Islamic law) which indicates that residents of the UAE are forbidden to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque and that Palestinians should boycott and shun them.

According to the fatwa, normalization with Israel and support for the Deal of the Century are forbidden according to Muslim shari'a law. Similar to a fatwa issued by Hussein in 2014,[2] this new ruling states that Muslims are permitted to visit the holy places in Jerusalem as long as they abide by several conditions, which include coordinating with Palestinian or Jordanian bodies and avoiding normalization with Israel.

Hussein's fatwa sparked criticism among Muslim clerics across the Arab and Muslim world who claimed that it is not based on shari'a principles. They wrote that there is no basis in Islamic law for forbidding the members of any nation from praying at a specific mosque due to the political positions adopted by their country, and therefore that the fatwa constitutes a forbidden act of politicizing the religion. Some even called the fatwa insolence toward Allah, since mosques belong to Him alone and no one may ban people from visiting them.

It should be noted that, since 2012, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud 'Abbas has been urging Arabs and Muslims to visit Jerusalem, with no conditions, and stating clearly that this is not considered normalization.[3]In the past this call by 'Abbas in fact caused controversy among Muslim clerics. While some, such as Palestinian Minister for Religious Affairs Mahmoud Habbash,[4] supported 'Abbas's call and viewed it as a way to support and strengthen the Palestinian people, others, among them Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi,[5]opposed this call and forbade anyone who was not Palestinian from visiting Jerusalem, maintaining that such visits are an expression of normalization with the Israeli occupation.
House Dems Partner with Extreme Anti-Israel Group on Day of Historic Israel Peace Deal
Several House Democrats teamed up with a leading anti-Israel organization on Tuesday as part of the group's "Palestine advocacy days," an event that has raised eyebrows for being held on the same day the Trump administration announced a historic peace deal between Israel and two of its Arab neighbors.

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), an anti-Israel group that promotes boycotts of the Jewish state, partnered with the Democratic lawmakers and several other anti-Israel groups to protest "normalization with Israel" and advocate for Palestinian statehood. AMP’s event took place as President Donald Trump hosted leaders from Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to ink a peace deal that normalizes diplomatic relations between the countries. The agreement is likely to reshape the Middle East and encourage other Arab nations to boost ties with the world’s only Jewish state.

Several of Israel’s top detractors in Congress joined the AMP event, including Reps. Betty McCollum (Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Donald Payne (N.J.), Debbie Dingell (Mich.), Andre Carson (Ind.), and Judy Chu (Calif.). During the event, McCollum was awarded with AMP’s "Champion of Palestinian Rights Award," which the lawmaker said she was honored to receive.

AMP is a top backer of the Boycott, Sanctions, and Divestment movement, which seeks to wage economic warfare on Israel. AMP was founded by alleged Hamas supporters and former leaders of the Holy Land Foundation, a charity that was busted by the FBI in 2001 for acting as a fundraiser for the terrorist group Hamas.


Minor in Jewish terror Duma attack gets 42 months in prison
The Lod District Court on Thursday sentenced the minor connected with the 2015 Duma Jewish terror attack case to 42 months in jail. Since he previously served 32 months before being released, he only needs to return to prison for 10 months left to his prison sentence.

The prosecution had sought a five-and-a-half-year jail sentence, but was mostly satisfied with a significant jail sentence.

The defense had hoped that the extensive time the minor had spent in detention before the trial as well as the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) enhanced interrogation (alleged torture) he was exposed to would lead to him being sentenced merely to time served.

Defense lawyers Zion Amir and Adi Keidar vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court, saying that the judges had been convinced by secret Shin Bet evidence which should be used only for convictions and not at the sentencing stage.

The Lod court granted a stay of the prison sentence pending the anticipated appeal.

A social worker had shown sympathy for the minor and supported a more lenient sentence.
Gaza Rockets Hit Southern Israel, Causing Injuries and Minor Damage
At least three rockets from the Gaza Strip were fired on southern Israel on Tuesday evening.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, two rockets were fired at Ashkelon and Ashdod, while a third was intercepted by the Iron Dome air-defense system.

Reports indicate that one rocket appears to have caused minor damage in Ashdod, while at least six people were treated for injuries as a result of the attack.

“Shrapnel from one of the rockets that were just launched at Israel fell in the city and caused damage to stores at a strip mall. The falling shrapnel, as well as the color red siren, caused panic and confusion among residents in the area. As a result, one pedestrian was moderately injured and five others sustained light injuries,” said United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Yitzchak Ponfender, who was one of the first responders.

The rocket attack came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at the White House to sign normalization deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Hamas, the Palestinian terror group that controls Gaza, condemned the normalization deals.




IDF Hits Hamas Targets in Gaza in Response to Rocket Barrages
Terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched rockets into Israel and Israeli aircraft hit targets in the Palestinian enclave in an explosive backdrop to the signing of pacts for formal ties between the Jewish state and two Gulf Arab countries.

The Israeli military said it launched about 10 air strikes in Islamist Hamas-run Gaza early on Wednesday and that 15 rockets had been fired from the territory at Israeli communities near the border, where sirens sounded before dawn.

On Tuesday, a rocket from Gaza struck the coastal Israeli city of Ashdod, wounding two people, at the same time as Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed agreements at the White House to establish diplomatic relations.

“I’m not surprised that the Palestinian terrorists fired at Israel precisely during this historic ceremony,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before his flight returning to Israel.

“They want to turn back the peace. In that, they will not succeed,” he told reporters. “We will strike at all those who raise a hand to harm us, and we will reach out to all those who extend the hand of peace to us.”






MEMRI: Senior Hamas Official: We Have a New Generation That Can Drag Israel's Nose Through the Mud
On September 13, 2020, Palestine TV aired an interview with Saleh Al-Arouri, the Deputy Chairman of Hamas’ Political Bureau and senior Islamic Jihad official Muhammad Al-Hindi, along with the Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee Jibril Rajoub. Saleh Al-Arouri said that any future popular struggle would resemble the first Intifada, in which he said all the Palestinian factions had followed the same path. He added that the First Intifada had been peaceful until Israel’s reactions forced it to escalate. Al-Arouri elaborated that today’s Palestinian factions would work in unison to defend the Palestinian people from the Israeli occupation and from betrayal. Muhammad Al-Hindi then said that Israel is in retreat and that, unlike in the first Intifada, the Palestinians today have weapons and locally made missiles. He added that Gaza is the basis of the Palestinian nation.


Iran tells World Court that US sanctions breach friendship treaty
Lawyers for Iran told judges on Wednesday at the United Nations' top court that by crippling Iran's economy, sanctions imposed by the United States in 2018 had violated a decades-old bilateral friendship treaty.

In an earlier case involving frozen assets, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), or World Court, ruled in 2019 that the 1955 Treaty of Amity could provide a legal basis for its involvement in an Iranian-US dispute.

Lawyer Hamidreza Oloumiyazdi asked judges to reject the United States' argument that the court had no jurisdiction in this case.

"The US measures disregarded the very foundation of international law," Oloumiyazdi said.

"All that matters now for this US administration is whether its measures are succeeding in ruining the Iranian economy and the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iranians," he added.

On Monday, lawyers for the United States demanded that the ICJ, which deals with disputes between states, dismiss the case brought by Iran.

The United States says Iran is wrongly invoking the Treaty of Amity to essentially restore a 2015 nuclear pact opposed by the administration of President Donald Trump. Washington imposed economic sanctions on Iran when it abandoned the 2015 pact, aimed at stopping Tehran developing nuclear weapons.
German athletes association urges Iran be banned from Olympics
The German organization Athleten Deutschland on Tuesday called for the Islamic Republic of Iran to be banned from the Olympics over its execution of the Iranian Greco-Roman champion wrestler Navid Afkari.

Maximilian Klein, a representative for International Sports Policy at Athleten Deutschland said that "The International Olympic Committee [IOC] and the International Sports Federations must exclude the Iranian regime from the international sports system with immediate effect."

He added that “the inaction of the IOC is unacceptable. Iranian athletes should continue to be allowed to compete under a neutral flag and should be protected. Sanctions must be directed against the regime and the political leadership. The Iranian Olympic Committee must also be suspended by the IOC."

The German government-funded athletic organization said in a statement that “the killing of Navid Afkari by the Iranian regime is a terrible act against humanity and an intolerable violation of the human rights of an athlete. This act cannot remain without consequences for Iran. Its government instrumentalizes sports for its purposes and has made an example of Navid Afkari, a protesting athlete. Iran is not the only country in international sports that disregards human rights, but with the killing of the 27-year-old wrestler Navid Afkari it has crossed a line.”
U.S. Think Tank Under Fire for Hosting Top Iranian Official
A U.S. think tank is under fire from the Trump administration and its allies in Congress for hosting Iran's chief propagandist in an upcoming event that legal experts say runs afoul of American sanctions laws.

The Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan U.S. think tank that employs numerous former government officials, is scheduled to host next Tuesday Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif, the regime's top spokesman and architect of the landmark nuclear accord, for a virtual conversation on the Zoom meeting platform. The event comes just days after Iran tortured and executed popular Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari over his participation in a peaceful protest. The execution sparked outrage across the globe and is casting a shadow over the CFR event.

Trump administration and congressional officials who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon about the upcoming event expressed outrage that CFR would host Zarif after his government executed Afkari, who has since become a poster boy for Iran's human-rights abuses.

The event also runs afoul of U.S. sanctions laws, according to a legal group. Under strict interpretations of the current law, Americans are prohibited from providing any services, including technology services like those used to host the event, to sanctioned individuals such as Zarif. The event could serve as a test for the Treasury Department as it determines how the law should be enforced. While Americans are permitted to meet with sanctioned individuals under the auspices of the United Nations in New York City, meetings of this nature remain in a legal gray area.

"Considering the Iranian regime's brutal execution of Navid Afkari on Saturday, no country or organization should be giving Foreign Minister Zarif a platform to spread his propaganda," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told the Free Beacon. "Zarif and his government should only be met with isolation and censure for their barbarity."

If current law is enforced by the Treasury Department, both CFR and Zoom would be exposing themselves to sanctions violations.


Top Aides to Graham Challenger Have History of Anti-Semitic, Sexist, Homophobic Comments
Top aides to South Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Jaime Harrison have made anti-Semitic, sexist, and homophobic remarks online.

Bre Maxwell—Harrison's political director—criticized the use of the term "ghetto" in a 2012 tweet "because ghetto is a Jewish term and the jewish Americans are wealthy." Maxwell went on to praise anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan two years later, saying he gave a "pretty awesome speech."

Both Maxwell and Harrison communications director Guy-Lee King have repeatedly used homophobic slurs online. Maxwell used the terms "faggot" and "fag" at least six times in tweets spanning from January 2012 to August 2013, while King called "getting involved with women's problems" "gay atf" in 2014.

King has also made a number of disparaging comments toward women, including jokes about rape. He tweeted, "U ain't to fat n ugly to git raped LMAO!!!!!!" in June 2010 and discussed telling a woman she would "have to suck my d— til I fall asleep before I graduate" in March 2011.

Maxwell and King joined Harrison's campaign in the summer of 2019, just weeks after the Democrat announced his bid to unseat Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.). Harrison—who accused Graham of "hate and intolerance" in October 2019—did not respond to a request for comment on the posts.
Maxine Peake praises ‘wonderful’ JVL conference packed with activists accused of antisemitism
Actress Maxine Peake has attended the Jewish Voice For Labour group's annual conference and described the proceedings as "wonderful" - even though the event featured a string of speakers either being investigated by Labour or expelled from the party over allegations over antisemitism.

The TV star - who was forced to apologise earlier this year after falsely linking the police killing of black American George Floyd to Israel - said on leaving Sunday's JVL AGM, "This has been just wonderful. Thank you all so much. I sadly have to leave, but feel inspired and educated."

Full details of the conference, which have been leaked to the JC, showed that Ms Peake left the all-day event shortly before 4.30pm with Glyn Secker, JVL's secretary, saying: "Thank you very much, Maxine."

Another attendee remarked: “Great to have you on board".

Also at the meeting was Jackie Walker, expelled from Labour over antisemitism allegations; her partner Graham Bash, who has been investigated over comments about "Jewish exceptionalism"; and Jo Bird, the Wirral councillor who was exposed by the JC over her repeated remarks about "Jew process" and an alleged hierarchy of racism.

Alex Scott-Samuel, the Liverpool Wavertree Labour member - exposed by the JC over his appearances on a radio show once backed by the antisemitic conspiracy theorist David Icke - spoke out in support of JVL members who claimed they were being targeted over their views.

Mr Scott-Samuel said: “It’s time for JVL to raise the temperature."

Anti-Zionist activist Roland Rance made repeated contributions to the meeting, including defending criticism of Israel by saying: “The Nazis didn't kill six million Israelis either."


CAA disgusted and concerned at fascist New British Union’s youth recruitment
The New British Union (NBU), a self-described fascist organisation, is recruiting youth members on social media.

In a tweet, the NBU announced that “Now 8-16 year olds have the opportunity of joining New British Union’s new Fascist youth branch, where children can learn about the great ideas behind the philosophy of Fascism! Join Britain’s fastest growing Blackshirts Fascist Party today!”

The NBU uses the same symbol as its predecessor, the British Union of Fascists, a 1930s group led by Oswald Mosley that infamously clashed with Jews and anti-fascist campaigners at Cable Street in East London.

The NBU’s motto is “restoring faith in fascism” and its flag was recently seen at a protest against pandemic lockdown rules led by the antisemitic hate preacher David Icke and Piers Corbyn, the conspiratorial brother of the former Labour leader.

Fascism has no place in democratic society and Campaign Against Antisemitism will continue to monitor this group and its activities.
Sir Keir Starmer admits Labour’s sixteen-month-long investigation into suspended NEC member Pete Willsman over antisemitism allegations is taking “too long”
Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that the Labour Party’s investigation into antisemitism allegations in connection with Pete Willsman is taking “too long”.

The Labour leader made the comments to Nick Ferrari on LBC.

In May 2019, the Party was provided with a recording of Mr Willsman, who is suspended from Labour but still sits on its ruling National Executive Committee, saying that the Israeli Embassy was behind allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party, a popular antisemitic trope.

Sixteen months on and the investigation is yet to conclude. Sir Keir admitted that “it has taken too long, and I want it to be speeded up.” Although he declined to comment on the case, he insisted that he “did not want to dodge the challenge. On the cases, on the particular challenge of the speed, I now get regular reports on my desk telling me about why cases aren’t going as quickly as they should. We have got new processes in place, we’ve got a new approach. We are acting much much more quickly.” He went on to asset that “I am determined we will deal with it. I think in fairness, anybody looking at this will say we are taking this seriously. We are taking action. And we will be judged by the action we take.”

On 28th May 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched a full statutory investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party following a formal referral and detailed legal representations from Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is the complainant.
Peace deals impair BDS movement, says Strategic Affairs Ministry
The Strategic Affairs Ministry on Wednesday, headed by Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, dispatched a memorandum to diplomatic and defense officials about the effects of Israel's normalization deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on anti-Israel and pro-BDS organizations.

According to the memo, the willingness to advance normalization with Israel could bankrupt the idea behind the boycott, divestment and sanction movement, which anti-Israel groups have sought to implement for two decades. On the practical level, the UAE's unprecedented decision to annul its boycott law, in addition to reports that Bahraini authorities intend to reel in opposition to normalization, impede these groups' ability to implement their boycotts measures on the ground and also impair the ideology they want to perpetuate.

The groups that want to de-legitimize Israel have accused the UAE and Bahrain of "betraying" the Palestinian national interest. At the same time, they have organized numerous protests outside the White House and embassies in the US, Israel, UAE and Bahrain, petitioned students on college campuses and launched campaigns in Arabic and English against the treaties.

According to the Strategic Affairs Ministry, their current distress will lead normalization oppositionists, chief among them the Palestinian Authority, and possibly Hamas and Iran, to tighten cooperation. Additionally, they will focus their efforts on international institutions, specifically the International Criminal Court at The Hague and the United Nations Human Rights Council, where there views are broadly supported.

In its memo, the Strategic Affairs Ministry also suggested the current diplomatic developments provide an opportunity to pull the rug out from under these de-legitimization and BDS groups and impair their ability to implement their initiatives in the Arab and Western worlds.


Canary Mission EXPOSES Another Anti-Semitic Doctor!
Walid Khass made numerous threatening anti-Semitic remarks on social media while pre-med and during medical school, which were documented by Canary Mission. In March 2019, Dr. Khass matched as a pediatric resident at NYP Brooklyn hospital. After discovering his hateful posts they removed him from the position, citing significant risk to their "large Jewish population." Dr. Khass successfully sued the hospital, forcing them to reinstate him. The hospital is currently appealing the case to try and protect their Jewish patients from this potentially dangerous doctor.
Khass is one of many anti-Semitic medical professionals on Canary Mission's NEW Medical List, which includes doctors, nurses, med students and more.


DOJ orders Al Jazeera Plus to register as a foreign agent of Qatar
The Justice Department concluded that U.S.-based Al Jazeera Plus, a part of the broader Al Jazeera network, is working on behalf of the government of Qatar and ordered it to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

“Based upon a review of your multiple letters and document productions, open source information, and AJ+’s programming, we have determined that AJ+ is obligated to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” said a Justice Department letter sent to AJ+ on Monday and obtained by the Washington Examiner. “AJ+’s obligation arises because it has engaged and is still engaged in political activities within the United States and has acted and continues to act as a publicity agent within the United States, on behalf of the Government of Qatar and Al Jazeera Media Network.”

The letter was first reported by Mother Jones.

Jay Bratt, the chief of the Justice Department’s counterintelligence within DOJ’s National Security Division, authored the 11-page letter, which was sent the same day as the U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue was hosted in Washington, D.C., and attended by Secretary Mike Pompeo and Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, among other key officials from both nations, and one day before the Tuesday signing of the Abraham Accords normalizing relations between Israel and Bahrain as well as between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, a Qatari rival.

“Despite assertions of editorial independence and freedom of expression, Al Jazeera Media Network and its affiliates are controlled and funded by the Government of Qatar. The Al Jazeera brands operate in a centralized structure with decision-making power located in AJMN. Because the Government of Qatar has ultimate authority through its control of AJMN’s Board of Directors and AJMN’s budget, it exercises ultimate control of AJMN and all other subsidiary branches,” the DOJ letter said. “AJ+, since its inception, has been a U.S. operating arm of AJMN … AJ+ is an agent of these two foreign principals because it acts at their direction and control.”

Al Jazeera, the state-funded media company based in the capital of the oil-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, reaches hundreds of millions of people worldwide through its websites, Arab-language stations, satellite channel, and digital efforts. Although Al Jazeera America shut down in 2016, the network's most ambitious recent endeavor, AJ+, features online articles and viral videos on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. AJ+ is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
UPI Corrects After Referring to “Palestine” As A Country
The Glasgow Times recently deleted an erroneous reference to the Palestinian Authority as a “state.”

In the hacking case, the erroneous “Palestine” terminology likely originated from Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, quoted in the Justice Ministry’s statement, and also in the UPI story. He said: “Now, they are wanted by the FBI and are no longer free to travel outside Iran or Palestine without risk of arrest . . .”

As an FBI official, Bonavolonta’s expertise is in domestic intelligence, not international affairs. In the CIA Factbook, information about the Palestinian Authority and the governance of the West Bank (Areas A, B, and C) is available under the listing “West Bank.” There is no “Palestine” listing. The State Department, the other US government body which deals with foreign affairs, likewise does not refer to the West Bank or the Palestinian Authority as either “Palestine” or a “country.”

While quoting a source who uses misleading or inaccurate language is appropriate under certain circumstances, especially if the journalist alerts news consumers to the source’s misrepresentation, it’s problematic for media outlets themselves to adopt misleading, partisan language, and worse, to upgrade the Palestinian territory to a country.

To their credit, United Press International editors immediately amended the story in response to communication from CAMERA. The article now refers to “Palestinian Marwan Abusrour” as opposed to “Marwan Abusrour of Palestine”; the reference to the accused who are believed to “both currently reside in their native countries” no longer appears; and Bonavolonta’s quote referencing “Palestine” has been deleted.
New York Times Corrects on Alleged Israeli Violence Targeting Palestinians
Thus, of the 1,293 investigations over some 15 years, less than 470 involved violence. Yesh Din’s report provides a clear graph (page 3) showing the breakdown of cases according to their nature, such as violence, property damage, and land seizure.
In response to communication from CAMERA, editors commendably amended the online passage, which now accurately reflects Yesh Din’s findings. The amended text reports:
Yesh Dinreportedin December that of more than 1,200 investigations of violence, property crime, seizure of Palestinian land and other offenses allegedly carried out by Israeli citizens against Palestinian civilians since 2005, only 8 percent had led to indictments.

In addition, a correction appended yesterday to the online article alerts readers to the change. It states:
An earlier version of this article inaccurately cited the findings of a December report by a human rights group, Yesh Din, about investigations of crimes by Israeli civilians against Palestinians or their property in the West Bank. The group reported that only 8 percent of 1,252 cases of violence, property crime, seizure of Palestinian land and other offenses that it monitored between 2005 and 2019 had resulted in indictments. It did not report that only 8 percent of violent crimes — which the group said amounted to 36 percent of all the cases it monitored — had led to indictments.

Yesh Din examined 1,293 investigations, of which 1,252 were completed. Forty-one cases were still being investigated at the time that the NGO published its report.
Twenty-nine German police suspended for sharing pictures of Hitler
Twenty-nine police officers have been suspended in Germany for sharing pictures of Adolf Hitler and doctored depictions of refugees in gas chambers on their mobile phones, officials in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) said on Wednesday.

They are also accused of using far-right chatrooms where extremist content, such as Swastikas and other Nazi symbols, that breaches the German constitution was shared.

The incident is embarrassing for German police and security agencies, who have faced accusations of not doing enough to unearth potentially violent nationalists in their ranks.

It is a sensitive issue in a country where awareness of the World War Two genocide of millions of Jews by the Nazis under Hitler is strong.
"This is a disgrace for the NRW police," said NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul, announcing an investigation against 29 male and female officers.

Some of the suspects could be charged with disseminating Nazi propaganda and hate speech and could be dismissed from the police. Others are accused of failing to report their colleagues.
Most comprehensive Auschwitz exhibit in N. America to Open in Kansas City
Kansas City’s Union Station announced the opening of the most comprehensive exhibit about Auschwitz ever shown in North America, according to "In Kansas City." The exhibit is entitled "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away."

The international exhibit is making its second and final North American stop and explores the duality of Auschwitz as a symbol and a physical location.

“When we had the vision to create the exhibition, we conceived its narrative as an opportunity to better understand how such a place could come to exist, and as a warning of where hatred can take us to,” said exhibit director Luis Ferreiro.

The exhibit, which makes use of nearly 20,000 square feet of exhibition space, includes many artifacts never before available for public viewing. It includes 700 original artifacts, 400 photographs and unpublished memoirs. Among the artifacts are many personal possessions including eyeglasses and shoes.

A 2018 poll found that two-thirds of American millennials cannot identify what Auschwitz is, according to The Washington Post, and according to a 2019 poll, more than half of Americans do not know how many Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.
Anti-Semitic high school Instagram account calls to list Jews in N. California
An Instagram account calls on followers to identify Jewish high school students in Northern California’s Marin County.

The account is associated with the Redwood High School in the city of Larkspur, 13 miles north of San Francisco. It named Jewish students in the county and called on followers to contribute the names of other Jewish students there.

“Redwood students organized in antisemitism,” read the message on redwoodhs_soas, which has since been removed, the Mercury News reported. “We currently composing a google doc of Jews in the district. Hit us up if you want to help.”

Redwood principal David Sondheim told parents in a letter that the school is “treating this incident as hate-motivated behavior and will discipline any student found to be responsible to the full extent possible, up to and including expulsion.”

“These Instagram accounts promo te antisemitism, racism, sexism and homophobia and have requested to follow several current and former (Tamalpais Union High School District) students,” Sondheim wrote. “Hate motivated behavior and prejudice that targets even one student on our campus or in our community wounds us all and is an affront to what we stand for and strive to demonstrate.”

School officials believe they have identified the student running the Instagram account and given that information to local law enforcement, according to J. The Jewish News of Northern California.


Check Point buys Israeli startup to provide safer remote access amid COVID-19
Cybersecurity firm Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. said Wednesday it has acquired Israeli startup Odo Security, a developer of a new, cloud-based technology that allows secure remote access.

The Israeli cybersecurity giant did not reveal the scope of the deal, but a market source put it at around $30 million.

The technology will integrate with Check Point’s threat prevention software capabilities to better address the growing needs that enterprises have to enable employees to have secure remote access to essential data from any application, the firm said in a statement.

The coronavirus pandemic has driven enterprise adoption of mass remote working for global workforces, from 30% before the pandemic to 81% today. Seventy-four percent plan to enable large-scale remote working permanently. However, many organizations overlooked critical aspects of security in the race to enable remote working, which significantly increased their exposure to cyber-attacks, Check Point said in a statement. Now, more than ever, organizations need to secure remote connectivity anytime, anywhere to any resource, the statement said.

“Many organizations find themselves compromising security in order to deliver the connectivity required by their business needs,” Dorit Dor, Check Point’s VP Products. “By incorporating Odo Security’s unique clientless, cloud-delivered secure remote access to our portfolio of threat prevention services, we help organizations overcome this dilemma.”
BMW to equip smart cars with Israeli tech to better ‘feel the road’
Tactile Mobility, a Haifa-based startup that provides smart cars with the ability to “feel the road,” said Tuesday it has signed a deal to provide BMW Group’s next generation of cars globally with its software starting from 2021.

Tactile Mobility develops software that uses an autonomous vehicle’s built-in non-visual sensors, analyzing input such as wheel speed, wheel angle, revolutions per minute, and gear position, to help it “feel” the vehicle-road dynamic — the intersection between the road and the vehicle and the conditions of the road beneath its tires — like human drivers do.

The collaboration with BMW will equip the the German luxury car maker’s vehicles with the ability to analyze the road surface attributes under their tires, to better understand road conditions and better manage the dynamics of the vehicle, Tactile Mobility said on Tuesday. The deal marks one of the first commercial collaborations sighed by the startup for the integration of the firm’s tactile sensing technology.

“We are thrilled to partner with the BMW Group to equip their smart and future automated vehicles with the sense of ‘touch’ and show the commercial viability of tactile sensing technology,” said Boaz Mizrachi, Tactile Mobility’scCo-founder and CTO.

The long-term cooperation between the BMW Group and Tactile Mobility began through the BMW Startup Garage, the venture unit of the BMW Group.
Judo Inside: We are All with Saeid Mollaei
2019 World Champion Sagi Muki supported 2018 World Champion Saeid Mollaei on social media in advance of the trial at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday. The Iran Judo Federation were suspended by the International Judo Federation (IJF) last October until they give guarantees that they will not boycott matches against Israeli opponents.

Sagi Muki: "Thursday will be a fateful day for my good friend, Judoka Saeid Mollaei, from Iran.

He is due to appear and testify in the World Sports Court in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, as part of the trial against the Iranian Olympic Committee demanding that he be returned to Iran.

The Iranian Olympic Committee wants Saeid to compete in the upcoming competitions and the Olympics, under the Iranian flag, representing Iran.

An entire country against one citizen, one athlete. Much has been published about this situation and I am proud that Saeid and I are close friends.

In our conversations he has told me that and his family have been threatened many times and that he has not seen them for more than a year.

What is certain that the execution last weekend of Olympic boxer Navid Afkari , who demonstrated against the regime and for the right to freedom and equality in his country, was intended to convey a clear message to Saeid that this would be done to those who oppose the regime.

The requests of world leaders did not help and Navid is no longer alive. Even now that I am witing these lines, I am unable to stop thinking about this painful situation that connects to my own life.

Saeid’s request at the last World Cup held in Tokyo 2019, was to face me as an equal among equals. (h/t Zvi)
‘Fauda’ Confirms Season 4 of Hit Israeli Action-Drama Series
The hit Israeli series “Fauda” will return for a fourth season, the show announced on its official Instagram page on Monday,

“The news we’ve all been waiting for! Fauda will be back for Season 4! See you all soon!” said the Instagram post, which also featured a photo of “Fauda” co-creator Lior Raz, who plays the lead character Doron, along with Israeli actress Marina Maximilian, a new character in season 3 who became Doron’s love interest.

“Fauda,” which premiered in 2015, is about an elite undercover unit in the Israeli Defense Forces that fights terrorists who threaten the security of the Jewish state and its citizens.

The action-drama series was created by Raz and Avi Issacharoff, and also streams on Netflix.

The show’s first two seasons took place primarily in the West Bank, while the third season was set in the Gaza Strip.
Genesis Prize releases short list of nominees for the 2021 'Jewish Nobel'
The Genesis Prize Foundation (GPF) on Wednesday released a short list of nominees for its 2021 prize, and in a major change from the previous seven years when winners were picked in a discreet process, Jews across the world will be able to vote for next year’s winner.

The seven nominees are:
Elana Kagan – United States Supreme Court Justice (US).
Sacha Baron Cohen – Actor, producer, director, and a vocal critic of social media (UK).
Barbra Streisand – Singer and actress (US).
Lord Jonathan Sacks – Theologian, author, broadcaster and former UK Chief Rabbi (UK).
Gal Gadot – Actress, producer, and advocate for the empowerment of young women (Israel).
Marc Benioff – Founder of Salesforce, owner of Time Magazine and mega-philanthropist (US).
Steven Spielberg – Film director, producer, and screenwriter (US).

The annual Genesis Prize, worth $1 million, honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievement, contribution to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values.

To date, all Genesis Prize laureates have donated their award to philanthropic causes, such as helping improve the lives of people with special needs, advancing equality for women, and supporting refugees.

“The Genesis Prize is evolving from an elite committee-driven process to a more inclusive approach that seeks to engage the entire Jewish world,” said Stan Polovets, the co-founder and chairman of the GPF. He added that if the public nominations experiment proves a success, it will be adopted permanently.
Israel Film Archive website gives access to historical treasures
Researchers, history buffs and movie lovers will rejoice at the news that the Israel Film Archive at the Jerusalem Cinematheque has launched a website https://jfc.org.il/ that gives access to thousands of the films and clips in its collection.

The launch of the site, which is available in both Hebrew and English, is the culmination of more than seven years of work to digitize the IFA’s films. The vast majority of the material on the IFA site is free, with a few VOD options that require a onetime payment.

The IFA was created by the late Jerusalem Cinematheque founder Lia van Leer, and it was originally composed of her own personal collection. It now features more than 30,000 items, two million meters of film and 4,500 hours which were filmed in Israel. The project cost $10 million and has a digital storage volume of about 6 petabytes (6 million gigabytes). As part of the project, the IFA, which is managed by Meir Russo, created an advanced film production laboratory and was able to save thousands of hours of brittle, disintegrating film.

The site is arranged in two sections: the Historical View and the Artistic View, both of which contain treasures from every era. The collection includes films from the Israeli Film Service Collection, the Maccabi Movement Archive, the Yad Tabenkin Archive and the Yad Vashem Museum, as well as many clips donated by private citizens.

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