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Thursday, May 26, 2022

05/26 Links Pt2: Kontorovich: "Israel Apartheid" Is the New "Zionism=Racism"; In 1925: The Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound's 'Identity With The Site Of Solomon's Temple Is Beyond Dispute'

From Ian:

Prof. Eugene Kontorovich: "Israel Apartheid" Is the New "Zionism=Racism"
The coordinated reports by European government-funded NGOs accusing Israel of the crime of apartheid are an example of a "Big Lie." The Amnesty International apartheid report claimed that Israel since its founding was an apartheid state. Thus, it is not any policies of Israel's but the idea of a Jewish state that is apartheid.

The reports treat the Palestinians as silent objects, rather than political actors who have shaped their own destiny. In particular, the reports ignore the reality of Palestinian self-government and systematic Palestinian efforts to murder Israeli Jews. Since 1993 the Palestinians have had their own government, which regulates almost every aspect of their lives. Unlike South African Bantustans, the PA government is recognized by most countries of the world and functions outside of Israeli control.

Under the Oslo Agreements, the PA government and Israel agreed on a framework for dividing authority and jurisdiction in areas where their governments and populations are intertwined. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) report cites those very features as evidence of apartheid - in effect saying that the internationally-backed Oslo Accords, for which several Nobel Peace Prizes were awarded, is equivalent to apartheid.

All of the movement restrictions and the separation wall were established not as part of a policy of racial separation, but only in response to the murderous wave of terror unleashed by the PA in 2000, which killed over 1,000 Israelis. HRW tries to paint self-defense as subjugation, and thus makes no mention of the mass-murder of Israeli civilians.

"Israel apartheid" is not just a lie, it is an inversion of the truth. In all areas controlled by Israel, Jews and Arabs mix freely and openly. Yet all the areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority are Jew-free. The Palestinian constitution defines "Palestine" as an exclusively "Arab nation," makes Islam the official religion and Arabic the sole official language.
Yisrael Medad: 'You Do to Us What the Nazis Did to You'
One of the central propaganda lines of the pro-Arab Palestine school of misleading misinformation is that the establishment of the state of Israel was made, and ageed to by Europe and America, as a form of an assuaging of their guilt for their responsibility for the Holocaust.

The line continues that the Arabs are being forced to pay for the sins of Europe which is unfair. Europe wants to placate their consciousness over the year 1939-1945, do it somewhere else.

Of course, that ignores 3000 years of Jewish national identity bound up with the Land of Israel - which the Arabs turned into 'Palestine" after conquering it and then occupying it.

But I have now found a pre-war claim on that theme in the Palestine Post's review on January 26, 1939 of Arnold Toynbee's volume Survey of international Affairs, 1937 in which he asserts the Mandate of Palestine "pays for Europe's sins".
MEMRI: Jerusalem's Supreme Muslim Council, Headed By Grand Mufti Hajj Amin Al-Husseini, In 1925: The Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound's 'Identity With The Site Of Solomon's Temple Is Beyond Dispute'
The Haram Al-Sharif Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the old city of Jerusalem, known to Christians and Jews as the Temple Mount, is a focal point of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.

In 1925, the Jerusalem-based Supreme Muslim Council,[1] which was headed by Grand Mufti Hajj Amin Al-Husseini, published a 16-page informational booklet about the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound titled A Brief Guide to Al-Haram Al-Sharif. The booklet establishes that the site is holy to Jews and that the ancient Jewish temples had stood there (contemporary Palestinian figures often reject such claims about the Temple Mount and about its historical and religious significance to Jews – see Appendix I).

Following are the quotes from the booklet (see Appendix II for the full booklet).

Excerpts From The Booklet
Page 4:
"The site is one of the oldest in the world. Its sanctity dates from the earliest (perhaps from pre-historic) times. Its identity with the site of Solomon's Temple is beyond dispute. This, too, is the spot, according to the universal belief, on which 'David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings [2 Samuel 24:25].'"

"[The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound's] identity with the site of Solomon's Temple is beyond dispute."

Page 16:
"Little is known for certain of the early history of the chamber itself. It dates probably as far back as the construction of Solomon's Temple."

"[The Solomon's Stables chamber] dates probably as far back as the construction of Solomon's Temple."

The Jordanian Government Erases Mention Of The Temples In The 1966 Updated Version Of The 1925 Booklet

It should be noted that in 1966, the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf (to which the Supreme Muslim Council's functions were transferred in 1951) published a new version of the Supreme Muslim Council's booklet, titled A Brief Guide to the Dome of the Rock and Al-Haram Al-Sharif.

In this new version, there are very few mentions of the compound's pre-Islamic history, and not one mention of the Jewish Temples. The term "temple" was only used twice in the 1966 booklet, on pages 20 and 60, in reference to when the Crusaders dubbed the Dome of the Rock "Templum Domini" ("The Lord's Temple") and the adjacent Al-Aqsa Mosque "Templum Solomonis" ("Solomon's Temple," a term that also refers to the First Temple).


Douglas Feith: Israel, America and the Herzl Paradox
Israel’s relations with the Putin regime, a minor irritant among some U.S. officials over the past decade, are now a high-profile element of the Jewish state’s image in the world. From inside and outside the country, Israeli leaders have been criticized for not siding squarely with Ukraine.

Some of those leaders immediately joined the anti-Russian consensus. Others equivocated, fearing to antagonize Putin and thereby endanger Israel’s ability to counter Iran in Syria. Some, then, are focused on morality, and others on realpolitik. The latter approach, as this essay has argued, is short-sighted and often dishonorable. National-security policy, however, requires more than moralism.

Let us assume that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett believes Ukraine is in the right and the Russian invasion is an unmitigated evil. Even so, he cannot act based only on what is good for Ukraine. His duty is to ask, what is necessary for Israel? It makes sense for Ukraine’s President Zelensky to tell other leaders what they “must” do to help — but those leaders all also have unique calculations to make.

Weighing interests against morality is hard to defend when the interests are economic. But when survival rather than trade is at issue, morality may sit on both sides of the scale.

The highest duty of leaders is to preserve their countries’ freedom. That is why President Biden must balance the danger of nuclear war against his inclination to aid Ukraine. Polish leaders acted similarly when considering whether and how to donate MiG aircraft. It is likewise proper for Israel to safeguard its freedom of maneuver in Syria when setting its policy toward Russia. Anyone who grants that Britain and America were right to ally with the monstrous Stalin to defeat the Nazis can see why Israel now works with Putin to be able to fight Israel’s genocidal Iranian enemy.

This is not an argument against helping Ukraine. A case can be made that considerations of both strategy and morality favor action by the West far bolder than what has been done to date. But no one should expect any foreign leader, obviously including Israel’s prime minister, to decide how to act solely based on what is good for Ukraine.

In fact, Ukraine’s hideous plight warns Israel to keep to an absolute minimum any serious threat to Israel’s existence. As tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews flee for their lives, Zionism is vindicated once again. These refugees are being welcomed into a country happy to receive them, grant them citizenship, and generously assist their absorption into their ancient national homeland. The war confirms both elements of the Herzl paradox. It shows how important it is for any country — including Ukraine and Israel — to have friends willing to extend help. But it also demonstrates the importance of being able to defend oneself. Either can be a matter of life and death.
American views on both Israelis, Palestinians have improved - Pew
Americans tend to view Israel more positively than the Palestinians in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though views toward both sides have modestly become more positive in recent years, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

A favorable opinion toward Israelis among the US public went from 64% to 67% between 2019 and 2022. A favorable view toward Palestinians jumped from 46% to 52% in the same period.

Unfavorable views have declined from 28% to 25% toward Israelis, and 45% to 40% for Palestinians. Overall, 42% view both Israelis and Palestinians favorably while 25% view just Israelis favorably, 10% view just Palestinians favorably, and 15% view both unfavorably.

Currently, 48% of Americans view the current Israeli government favorably and 44% view it unfavorably. In 2019, 41% of Americans viewed the Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu favorably, and 51% viewed it negatively.

Favorable opinions of Palestinian government have jumped from 19% in 2019 to 28% in 2022. However, the majority of Americans (63%) still hold unfavorable views toward the Palestinian government despite an improvement from a negative 71% in 2019.

Overall, just 18% view both governments favorably, compared with 29% who view just the Israeli government favorably, 10% just the Palestinian government, and 33% who view both unfavorably.

Demographic divide
The numbers change when accounting for age and political affiliation. Older Americans and those who lean toward the Republican Party tend to view Israelis more positively than younger Americans and those inclined towards the Democrats.


Bipartisan Senate Letter Backs Full Funding for 2023 Israel Missile-Defense Aid
Forty-four senators voiced support on Friday for providing full funding — $500 million — to Israel in 2023 for the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow 3 cooperative missile-defense programs as laid out in the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Israel.

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) led a letter, obtained by Jewish Insider, to Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), who chairs the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), the ranking member of the full Appropriations Committee.

The signatories to the letter include 34 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Gillibrand and Rounds, both of whom serve on the Armed Services Committee, have paired on similar letters in past years. A similar letter sent last year garnered 38 signatories.

“This vital funding will help Israel save lives and defend itself, while also strengthening U.S. national security, and furthering research and development,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “The U.S.-Israel relationship is unshakeable and I’m proud to lead this strong group of bipartisan senators to ensure Israel has the resources needed to protect its people.”

“We have had a great deal of success in improving our missile defense systems working with Israel,” Rounds added in a statement. “The advancements we have been able to make in this cooperative effort will benefit our defense capabilities as well as those of our ally Israel. This missile defense system has also saved the lives of countless Israeli and Palestinian citizens living in Israel. It is important that we continue to authorize and fund these systems.”
California Republican Goes Full Ilhan Omar in Anti-Semitic Rant
California's upcoming primary elections could deliver Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) an unlikely foreign policy ally—Republican Greg Raths, who last week said the "Jewish community" uses money to "control" U.S. politicians.

Raths's anti-Semitic rant came during a May 20 Orange County Islamic Foundation candidate forum, which saw the Republican claim that U.S. support for Israel is bought and paid for by the "Jewish community." Raths, who is running against Republican congresswoman Young Kim in California's 40th Congressional District, also called to "rein in" U.S. foreign aid to Israel, a position he said he is able to support because he hasn't taken "one dime" from Jewish sources.

"That's the problem. Israeli PAC in Washington, they got money and they control a lot of these politicians. And the other side, the Palestinians, they don't have the clout. So these politicians go where the money is, unfortunately," Raths said. "The Jewish community is very well organized in the United States and they control a lot of politicians. That's why the foreign aid is so large going to Israel. … The Jewish community has never given me one dime, so I'm not beholden to them at all." Raths's comments echo those of Omar, who in 2019 said U.S. support for Israel is "all about the Benjamins baby," a reference to $100 bills bearing Benjamin Franklin's face. The far-left congresswoman's remark prompted swift condemnation from many of her Democratic colleagues—former New York representative Max Rose, for example, said Omar invoked "hurtful stereotypes and caricatures of Jewish people to dismiss those who support Israel." Republican Jewish Coalition national political director Sam Markstein similarly rebuked Raths, calling his remarks "blatantly anti-Semitic."

"Both Mr. Raths and Ilhan Omar now share the distinct dishonor of suggesting that Jewish Americans buy political influence—a well-known, age-old anti-Semitic stereotype," Markstein told the Washington Free Beacon. "It is disgusting, appalling, and has absolutely no place in the GOP."

Raths did not respond to a request for comment. His decision to appear at the candidate forum is a curious one for a Republican congressional hopeful. The Orange County Islamic Foundation's leader, Sheikh Tarik Ata, has called Israel a "Nazi-like, apartheid, racist, aggressive, tyrannical, vicious, child-killing Zionist entity." Raths's campaign site says the California Republican will "support Israel."
An open letter to the "Squad" and their fellow travellers
In 2016, as you recall, you made a grotesque comment in a podcast in which you claimed that "There’s always kind of a calming feeling I tell folks when I think of the Holocaust . . . and the fact that it was my ancestors—Palestinians —" who did so “ in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews . . ,” reflecting your delusional view, first, that Palestinian Arabs did anything to benefit Jews crawling out of the ashes of the Holocaust, and, second, that a Jewish connection to Palestine only began when European Jews began arriving after World War II. Jews had built the Temples in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel and spiritual home of Judaism, over 1600 years before the ascent of Islam, and the area you inaccurately refer to as the 'West Bank' comprises Judea and Samaria, named after Jews and where Jews have lived since biblical times. Contrary to your reckless and ahistorical claims of indigeneity, there was never a nation called Palestine, a people called Palestinians, or any Palestinian sovereignty that was recognized as having a unique language, culture, ethnic connection, government, constitution, or even history. But Jews have had an uninterrupted presence and attachment to Palestine and Israel for 3000 years, a point obvious to any sentient observer of history and fact, not someone, like you, who invents a narrative to advance your cause.

And when did the 'West Bank', Gaza, and East Jerusalem become Palestinian Arab land? The answer is: never. In fact, when Israel acquired the 'West Bank', Gaza, and other territories in 1967 after being attacked by Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, the Jewish state gained legally recognized title to those areas. Israel’s recapture of those territories in 1967 made the Jewish state what is referred to as the High Contracting Party of those territories, both because they were acquired in a defensive, not aggressive, war, and because they were part of the original Mandate and not previously under the sovereignty of any other High Contracting Party.

That means that when you and your fellow travelers hector Israel about the alleged illegality of Jewish “settlements” in Judea and Samaria, you are making claims that have no basis in fact or law. The more serious question for you is, why, of all people on earth, are Jews the only ones who are regularly denounced for living in a certain neighborhood, especially since it is land on which Jews have lived for millennia? Wars have consequences, and if you start a war over territory and lose it in that conflict, you cannot expect to dictate what the victor now does with that property.

You may see the creation of Israel as a Nakba, but that is not how it is seen by the 6.8 million Jews who live there or the twenty percent of its population of non-Jews who have more civil and human rights in Israel than they would in any surrounding Middle East country.

You may feel there was immense tragedy and displeasure at a Jewish state's creation, but while you were promoting another violent “Day of Rage” in the streets or your leaders were squandering, as they did in 2019, $343 million of foreign aid to pay terrorists who had murdered Jews and their the families gruesome bounties in a “pay to slay” program, Israel continued to build its explosive and innovative economy: in 2021, Israeli startups, for example, raised some $26 billion and that same year 57 Israeli companies went public, raising $4 billion in the process. Even with the horrors of their recent past in their rearview mirrors, Israelis move on with their lives, and have built a viable state in which innovation, freedom, democracy, and human rights are available to all.

“We can ignore reality,” observed Ayn Rand, “but we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” You can promote and live by your Nakba notion—a fable that, in ignoring history and fact, absolves your people of all blame and ascribes all of it to Israel—or you can begin looking forward with confidence and optimism that the chains of your alleged oppression can only be thrown off by yourself.

But do not ask the American people to enshrine in law the self-delusion and Jew-hatred that has long impeded your own self-determination and made you victims of your own corrosive and hateful ideology.
San Diego Community College District Cancels Ceremony Over Planned Alice Walker Appearance
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) has cancelled an investiture ceremony that was set to feature Alice Walker as keynote speaker, after a backlash over her past antisemitic writings and views, it announced on Monday.

In a statement, SDCCD Chancellor Carlos Cortez, who was to be officially inaugurated in his role at the May 31 event, acknowledged concerns in recent over the “political beliefs and writings” of Walker, the author of “The Color Purple.”

Her work has drawn harsh scrutiny for its discussion of Jews and Israel, including for a a 2017 poem in which suggested that one should “study The Talmud” and its “poison” to comprehend the “evil” allegedly perpetrated by Israel.

“Over the past few weeks, concerns have been expressed about the political beliefs and writings of the investiture keynote speaker, Alice Walker. At the same time, others have expressed their support of Ms. Walker,” Cortez said Monday. “As a district that celebrates inclusion, we believe the best way forward would be to cancel the event altogether. I apologize for the pain caused to any member of our community.”

According to City Times, the ceremony would have been attended by California’s Secretary of State and State Senate Pro Tempore.

Walker’s work touched off a public debate in 2018, when she touted her affinity for the writings of David Icke, who has promoted conspiracies about the Rothschild family and accused Jews of financing the Holocaust, in an interview with The New York Times Book Review. At the time, the Anti-Defamation League noted that Icke “has a long history of scapegoating Jews,” and criticized the paper for airing Walker’s “unqualified endorsement” of the notorious conspiracy theorist’s work.
Melbourne Uni student union rescinds Israel-Palestine motion after legal threat
The University of Melbourne student union has rescinded a controversial motion calling for the university to boycott and divest from Israel after being threatened with legal action and a potential class action.

Postgraduate law student Justin Riazaty, 21, engaged pro bono lawyers to send a letter of demand to the University of Melbourne Student Union calling on them to rescind the motion and apologise.

The motion passed on April 29 called for the university to launch an academic boycott and cut ties with “Israeli institutions, researchers and academics that support the Israeli oppression of Palestinians”. It also called for divestment from corporations involved with Israel.

In a meeting on Thursday, the student council reiterated it was “committed to a voice on the Palestinian cause”. But it proposed to rescind and amend the earlier motion “due to a desire for UMSU’s funds to not be unnecessarily spent defending legal proceedings and to ensure that motions are robust, passed with due diligence and with regard to the interests of members”.

The council moved to draft a bridging motion to explain the reasons for the rescission and undertake a consultation process and establish a working group.

Riazaty, a Liberal Party member who is not Jewish but claims to have many friends who are, said at the time that he believed UMSU acted outside of its purpose as a student union by violating the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 and the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001.

Following the council’s decision on Thursday, Riazaty said the point of the letter of demand was for the union to understand that they couldn’t engage in “immoral conduct thinking they are above it and thinking they are above their own rules, purposes and above the law”.
John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana under pressure for speaking at rally where chants for Hamas to blow up Israeli city were reportedly heard
Former Labour Party Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, and Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, are under pressure to explain why they took part in a rally in which the crowd allegedly called for the genocidal antisemitic terrorist group Hamas to blow up an Israeli city.

Both Mr McDonnell and Ms Sultana attended the demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Stop the War Coalition held in Whitehall on 14th May. Several hundred people were in attendance.

At one point, the crowd was allegedly heard chanting in Arabic “Abu Ubaida…blow up Kiryat Shmona”.

Abu Ubaida is the spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Kiryat Shmona is an Israeli city near the northern border of Israel.

The Board of Deputies, a Jewish charity, wrote to the two controversial MPs.

Mr McDonnell responded: “I was not aware of the speeches or chants you have cited in your letter but let me make myself absolutely clear that of course I disassociate myself from and condemn any antisemitic statements, speeches or chants or calls for violence if they took place here or on any other occasion. I always have and will always do so.


NUS President Attends Buckingham Palace Garden Party Despite Antisemitism Allegations
Responding to the news, a Department for Education source tells Guido: “There are plenty of decent, hard-working people in the university space who would have loved to go to a swanky event in the Palace who haven’t called people dirty zionists, stoked religious tensions and raised money for dodgy pressure groups”. Taking to Linkedin, Shima said she was “honoured to represent City, University of London at the Queen’s Garden Party”. Though Guido’s not entirely sure how sincere this was given she’s previously tweeted “I dont even like the royal family”.

Since her election, Jewish students have raised many concerns about Dallali, who in 2012 wrote “Khaybar Khaybar O Jews … Muhammad’s army will return #Gaza” referencing the massacre of Jews in the 628 Battle of Khaybar. The Jewish Chronicle also report she’s “sung the praises of a Jew-hating cleric’ and labelled Waseem Yousef as a “dirty Zionist”. The NUS recently also refused to properly apologise for inviting rapper Lowkey to its Liverpool conference. Guido hopes she enjoyed the do…
Canadian Jewish groups, leaders challenge Vancouver residency of designated terrorist
Canadian Jewish groups are calling for the government to take action after a National Post story last month highlighted the residency in Vancouver of a man the State of Israel says is a member of a terror group.

Terry Glavin wrote in an article titled “Is Khaled Barakat Part of a Terrorist Group or a Victim of Israeli Intimidation?” that “Barakat’s associates say he is a Palestinian rights activist and a freelance writer who is being victimized by an Israeli campaign to intimidate human-rights organizations.”

But Israel security, he said, has a different take on the 51-year-old who has been living in Canada on and off for some 20 years.

Glavin wrote “ … the Israeli security service Shin Bet has been unequivocal. Barakat is an active and senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a listed terrorist organization in North America, the European Union, Japan and Australia.”

According to Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, “Khaled Barakat’s ongoing presence raises serious questions about the efficacy of Canada’s immigration and anti-terrorism laws. Now that the issue has been made public, we fully expect that he will be removed from the country.
A Collection of "Alternative Facts" about Israel's Founding
A recent column in the Sentinel wants you to believe that the new nation of Israel, with less than 700,000 people in 1948, sought to take on the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and others. Israel was attacked the day it declared independence. It was not Israel that started the war.

After Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 from Jordan and Egypt, it offered to return all of the land in exchange for peace and diplomatic recognition.

The response was a resounding "No to negotiations, No to recognition and No to peace."

Palestinian Arabs could have had a state in 1948; they could have had a state in 1967; and they could have had a state had they accepted Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. If they are victims, the wounds are self-inflicted.
Al Jazeera Palestine’s ‘Tantura Massacre’ Photo Fraud
On May 22, the Twitter and Facebook accounts of “Al Jazeera Palestine” commemorated the anniversary of the alleged “Tantura Massacre” in 1948 with the following image:
The Arabic text states: “The martyrdom of about 300 Palestinians – today marks the 74th anniversary of the ‘horrific’ Tantura massacre which was carried out by the Zionist gangs against the residents of the town, located south of Haifa.”

In fact, the image in question is actually a 1955 photograph from Algeria:
Notably, Al Jazeera’s Palestinian staff, despite any proof, unequivocally accuses troops of having deliberately targeting their colleague Shireen Abu Aqleh. This photo fraud (as well as other relevant cases) should therefore be at the backdrop of any attempt to determine its credibility.
Nothing Minor About Misreporting on Palestinian Teen Perps
A teenaged assailant is shot dead as he carries out a violent attack.

Put yourself in the place of a news editor. Maybe you have limited space. Maybe not. In any event, you are aiming for a headline with both brevity and clarity. What information do you include and what do you omit?

If you include the assailant’s youth and not his violent act, the result is some version of this: “Police kill teen.”

If you include the violent attack and the fatal outcome, but not the age, you get: “Police kill assailant.”

If your publication is digital, you can afford a few more words, and you might get the most informative formulation: “Police kill teen who carried out violent attack.”

Of the first two, which is a better headline? The first (“Police kill teen”), which indicates the perpetrator’s age but not his crime? Or the second (“Police kill assailant”), which recounts the crime but not the age? The problem with the former is that the moment that reference to the crime is excluded, the slain assailant transforms from an attacker into a victim of police brutality – an innocent minor killed by police. The result is a completely distorted account of what actually happened.

Clearly, the perpetrator’s act, as opposed to his age, is more relevant to why he was killed, and therefore it’s this essential information which the headline should include.

Take the horrific and extreme case of this week’s massacre of schoolchildren and teachers in Ulvade, Texas, carried out by an 18-year-old shooter. The mass shooting came to an end when security forces eventually shot the young killer dead. Hypothetical headlines hewing to the first model which ignore the perpetrator’s crime would absurdly distort: “Police kill teen at Texas school.” Obviously, no editor ran a headline like that.

All too often, though, the straightforward professional calculation is compromised by inappropriate considerations when it comes to the headlines about Palestinian juvenile assailants killed as they carry out attacks against Israelis.

Consider, for instance, headlines which emerged this week after Israeli security forces in Nablus fired back at Palestinians reportedly throwing Molotov cocktails, killing a teenaged Palestinian assailant.
BBC News again warps portrayal of Arabs in Israeli government
Even Israel’s first government, formed in March 1949, included a Mapai affiliated party called the Democratic List of Nazareth which had two elected MKs – Seif E-Din E-Zoubi and Amin-Salim Jarjora – and all of Israel’s first sixteen governments included affiliated Arab parties.

So while Ra’am may indeed be the first “independent Arab party” to be part of an Israeli government “for the first time since the state was founded in 1948”, the fact that the BBC’s portrayal does not clarify that affiliated Arab parties were part of all of Israel’s governments until 1974 and that Arab and Druze Israelis have been members of other parties that have been part of coalition governments throughout Israel’s history clearly distorts the picture and misleads readers.

That omission is of course all the more relevant when, as is the case in both Berg’s reports, the very next sentence tells readers that:

“Israel’s Arab minority comprises about 20% of the population and although they have equal rights under the law, they often complain of discrimination.”
How the Jewish Mafia Took on the Nazis
Judge Nathan Perlman and Rabbi Stephen Wise met with Jewish mobster Meyer Lansky — and they agreed to take on the Nazis. But Lansky had one stipulation. He didn’t want bad ink, should he get arrested.

“I don’t want anything in the Jewish papers that my wife shouldn’t read,” Lansky said, according to Michael Benson’s mesmerizing book “Gangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in Wartime America.”

This was in 1938, when the German-American Bund was setting up camps to raise money and try to gain influence in the US. Fritz Kuhn was the ringleader. Along with Lansky, the Jewish tough guys who took on the Bund included Abraham “Kid Twist” Reles and Charles “Bug” Workman. One incident where Jewish mobsters attacked the Bund took place at the Yorkville Casino in New York.

Was Perlman risking his career?

“It was completely on the down low, although there must have been some sort of conspiracy because the cops kind of looked the other way during the fights,” Benson said. “They would always arrive just about too late to do anything.”

Benson’s book details how Jewish mobsters and others beat up Nazis in different cities, and how the Nazis became afraid to meet publicly.

The Jewish fighters were always greatly outnumbered, but somehow Lansky knew they’d win.

“I think he suspected his boys would have the advantage because they hurt people for a living,” Benson said. “A lot of the Germans at the Bund meetings weren’t there to fight. They were there to drink beer and pinch waitresses.”

Jewish gangsters also attacked the Nazis in America, because they believed it was their patriotic duty.
New Tennessee Law Recognizes Anti-Zionism as Antisemitism
Tennessee House Bill 2673, amending Tennessee Code relative to antisemitism in education, was signed into law by Governor Bill Lee (R) on Wednesday. The groundbreaking legislation describes anti-Israel statements as demonstrating antisemitic bias by teachers in the classroom, from kindergarten through twelfth grade, as well as in institutions of higher learning.

HB 2673 provides educators in the state of Tennessee with a uniform definition of antisemitism, helping state authorities and law enforcement agencies determine when antisemitic bias is present when investigating complaints of antisemitism. To that end, this groundbreaking law adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism which includes the delegitimizing or demonizing of the State of Israel, including applying double standards to discussions of Israel.

The IHRA definition also addresses the antisemitic nature of attacks against Jewish individuals or institutions that attribute to all the Jews collective guilt for real or perceived actions by Israel.

Tennessee is the fifth state to enact legislation using the IHRA definition of antisemitism. It followed Florida, Iowa, South Carolina, and Arizona. The IHRA definition has also been endorsed through proclamations and resolutions in Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Missing from the list are some states with the largest Jewish population such as New York, California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.


AI bodycams on players about to change basketball forever
Basketball fans will soon be able to enjoy a fully-immersive match experience like never before, thanks to live AI-powered bodycams worn by their favorite players.

Israeli startup MindFly today announced a pioneering deal to fit its body cameras to players in the EuroLeague, Europe’s top-tier professional basketball club competition.

Fans will, for first time, be able to watch, hear, and experience a first person point of view (FPV) – that captures everything the players do on court. It’s as near as they’ll get to being the actual star of the match.

Super-lightweight bodycams embedded in the players’ vests use image stabilization technology (like Steadicam) to eliminate shakiness, and AI to ensure they’re focused on where the action is.

The technology intuitively “understands” action on the court and automatically follows it without the intervention of a director or camera crew.
Aliyah minister: Over 100,000 immigrants moved to Israel in last 4 years
Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata heralded the growing number of Diaspora Jews who have come to the Jewish state in recent years. Yet if she had it her way, the influx is just beginning.

Speaking at a press conference with Nefesh B'Nefesh co-founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart on Monday, she said that more than 100,000 new immigrants have moved to Israel from other countries in the last four years.

"It's a huge achievement," she said, noting that "our destiny is as one people, bound together."

Last year, more than 4,000 Jews from the United States made aliyah. They were among the more than 27,000 Jews worldwide who moved to the Jewish state in 2021, marking a 30% increase in immigration overall.

"I believe we can do even more," stated the minister, noting that Israel expects to end the year "with more than 60,000 olim from around the world."

While in New York City, the minister also took part in the "Celebrate Israel Parade," where tens of thousands came to show their support for the Jewish state.

Tamano-Shata knows what it feels like; she herself came from Ethiopia in 1984 when she was just a toddler.
Ethiopian aliyah renews with 180 new immigrants to arrive next week
The aliyah (immigration) of Ethiopian Jews will renew next week as 180 new immigrants land in Israel, the Aliyah and Integration Ministry announced on Thursday.

3,000 first-degree relatives of Ethiopian immigrants who have been waiting for years in camps in Ethiopia will be reunited with their families. as part of the second stage of Operation Tzur Yisrael. The first stage of the operation ended last March, after 2,000 Ethiopian Jews were brought to Israel.

The second stage of Operation Tzur Yisrael was agreed upon last November in a process led by Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked.

Tamano-Shata stated on Thursday that all the integration factors in her ministry and in the Jewish Agency, as well as other ministries, including the Foreign and Interior Ministries, were prepared to receive the new immigrants.

"Together we will make sure that the immigrants finally fulfill their dream and reach home and their families," said Tamano-Shata.
Belarussian Couple Posthumously Recognized as Righteous Among the Nations
Kondratiy and Anna Lakotko of Belarus risked their lives to save six Jews during WWII and were recognized by Yad Vashem on Wednesday as Righteous Among the Nations on behalf of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Their youngest son, Panteley Lakotko, accepted the medal and certificate on behalf of his late parents.

In July 1942, two young Jewish men, cousins Kalman and Shimon Kotzer, had been hiding in forests and fields after escaping from the ghetto in Miory on the eve of its liquidation. The Lakotkos were among the few who agreed to share their supplies with the forest-dwelling refugees. At the same time, the Lakotkos also hid four Jews in their stables: Icchak Aron and his sister Gitl, and their cousins Shmuel and Reizl Engel.

As winter forced Kalman and Shimon out of the forest, they were hidden in the Lakotko's cellar. In 1943, all of the Jews joined the partisans and fought the Germans until the area was liberated by the Soviet army in the summer of 1944.
Memoir by Auschwitz Survivor, TikTok Sensation #2 on NYT Best Sellers List
A memoir co-authored by Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp survivor Lily Ebert and her great-grandson is number two this week on The New York Times best sellers list for paperback non-fiction.

“Lily’s Promise: Holding On to Hope Through Auschwitz and Beyond―A Story for All Generations” was published in the United States by HarperOne on May 10, a year after it was released in the United Kingdom. The date of the book’s US publication holds particular significance, as exactly 89 years prior, on May 10, 1933, Nazi supporters publicly burned roughly 25,000 Jewish books in Berlin.

Ebert, 98, became a TikTok star last year after she began making videos to educate the public about the Holocaust. Her account, which her 18-year-old grandson Dov Forman helps run, currently has 1.9 million followers.

In her memoir, which includes a foreword by Prince Charles, Ebert chronicles her joyous childhood in Bonyhád, Hungary; the death of her mother and two youngest siblings upon their arrival at Auschwitz; and her determination to keep herself and her two surviving sisters alive. Following the Holocaust, Ebert started her life anew, first in Israel and then in London, where she currently lives.

The book’s title refers to the promise Ebert made to herself to fight and stay alive while being held as a prisoner at Auschwitz.




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