Monday, June 13, 2022
22 nations oppose UNHRC probe, Pillay calls for arms embargo against Israel
Israel secure the opposition of 22 nations to the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) against it, as the prob's chair blamed it for the conflict with the Palestinians and called for an arms embargo against the Jewish state.Free occupied Svalbard!
"The occupation must end," said Navanethem ("Navi") Pillay who heads the UN Human Rights Council's three-member COI.
Third-state parties also have a responsibility here and can be culpable when it comes to breaking international law, Pillay said.
"This includes, but is not limited to, the transfer of arms when there is a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations or abuses of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law," Pillay said.
She delivered the first of what is expected to be an annual report against Israel to the 47-member UNHRC on the opening day of its 50th session in Geneva. An updated version of the report is expected to be given to the UN General Assembly late this year.
The UN's probe into Israel
The probe is set to investigate alleged Israeli human rights abuses within sovereign Israel and against the Palestinian living over the pre-1967 lines in Gaza and the West Bank.
No vote was required with respect to this first annual report, but Israel together with the United States garnered a list of 22 UN nations including themselves who opposed the COI.
US Ambassador to the UN Michelle Taylor read out a statement against the report, explaining that her country was not part of the UNHRC and was not part of the council when it approved the COI in a 24-9 vote last year.
Israel is the only UN member state against whom there is an open-ended permanent probe.
In 1925, the Norwegians got aggressive. They used their clout at the Paris Peace Conference following World War I to wrangle the “Treaty of Svalbard,” granting them sovereignty.EU chief, Italian PM in Israel, with Russia-sparked energy crisis topping agenda
But what makes that treaty valid? Countries that win wars are able to impose new boundaries. That doesn’t mean their decisions are necessarily right or just. It’s merely the ‘right of might.’ I don’t see how Norway’s claim to Svalbard is superior to that of the other countries whose explorers preceded the Norwegians by many decades.
The assorted fishermen, hunters, and scientific researchers who reside in Svalbard today are being denied their right to self-determination. Nobody asked them if they want to live under Norwegian sovereignty.
Maybe they would prefer to be part of Holland, Britain, Denmark, France or Russia. Or maybe they would like to be part of Free Svalbard.
All of which highlights Norway’s brazen hypocrisy. The Norwegians say Israel is “illegally occupying” Jerusalem, and therefore products coming from most parts of the city, as well as Judea-Samaria, have to be labeled.
Well, the Norwegians have been occupying Svalbard for a lot less time than the Jews have been in Jerusalem. To be precise, Svalbard has been part of Norway for 95 years. Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for over 3,000 years and was the capital of several sovereign Jewish kingdoms during much of that time.
Israel’s right to Jerusalem is enshrined in history, the Bible, and international law. Norway’s right to Svalbard is based on arbitrary border realignments following a world war. Norway has no historical or religious claims to Svalbard.
When Norway’s foreign minister tell us that her country’s labeling action against Israel is just some kind of consumer protection, I say: Nonsense. The sole purpose of labeling those products is to facilitate the boycotting of goods made in most of Jerusalem and other parts of the ancient Jewish homeland.
And the purpose of boycotting them is to bring about Israel’s economic collapse. That’s what the leaders of the BDS movement themselves say.
For Norway to aid and abet those who seek Israel’s collapse is outrageous and immoral. Even more outrageous and immoral than Norway’s continuing occupation of Svalbard.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi landed in Israel on Monday, as the EU seeks to wean itself off Russian fossil fuel imports.
Both leaders were due to hold energy talks in Israel, which has turned from a natural gas importer into an exporter in recent years, cashing in major offshore finds.
Von der Leyen was to meet Foreign Minister Yair Lapid later Monday and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday, with talks expected to focus “in particular on energy cooperation,” a commission statement said.
Draghi, on his first Middle East trip since taking office last year, was also set to discuss energy and food security during his two-day trip, Italian media reported.
Both leaders will meet Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Tuesday in the West Bank.
Israel’s ties with the EU frayed during former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure over the lack of movement on the Palestinian issue. Relations have slowly improved over the last year since the new Israeli government was sworn in, with Lapid leading the effort.
On Sunday, the cabinet unanimously approves joining the EU’s Creative Europe program through 2027. The program offers almost 2.5 billion euros every seven years toward films, visual art, literature and other creative endeavors.
BDS Goes Full Anti-Semite
"The Mapping Project" locates Jewish institutions and individuals in the Boston area that anti-Israel activists believe to be responsible for Israeli "crimes" against the Palestinians.2 US Senators, 4 Congress Members Condemn ‘The Mapping Project’
As the Boston Jewish Community Relations Council has noted, "the underlying messages are clear: Jews are responsible for the ills of our community."
The project mentions the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, the ADL, a Jewish high school, local philanthropists, an arts group, and even J Street - a left-leaning advocacy group.
In its pernicious labeling and scapegoating of the Jews, and its imagined web of Jewish influence, it comes straight out of the playbook of any medieval Jew hater.
The BDS people and their allies do not want a better State of Israel. They want no State of Israel.
And how does the "Mapping Project" improve the life of one single Palestinian?
US Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) this weekend roundly condemned “The Mapping Project” – a detailed graphic aimed at illustrating all entities believed by its progressive creators to pose a threat to their version of society as they want it to be.Pro-BDS map names Jewish-Americans, provides addresses
The project was created by a Boston-area pro-Palestinian Authority activist collective aligned with the international Boycott, Divest & Sanctions (BDS) economic war on Israel, one that is not only antisemitic but appears clearly dedicated to total anarchy.
“At this moment of rising anti-Semitism, racist attacks, and political violence, this ‘mapping’ of the Jewish community is dangerous and irresponsible. We strongly condemn anti-Semitism and will continue working for the safety of all vulnerable people at home and abroad,” Warren and Markey said in their statement issued Friday (June 10).
Warren and Markey both allegedly “complicit in … Zionism” are among those whose information appears on the site. “Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren supports Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland, while advocating for the interests of US weapons developers in Congress,” according to the site.
Four US Representatives, including three from Massachusetts (Ayanna Pressley, Jake Auchincloss, Seth Moulton) and one from New York (Ritchie Torres) joined the two senators in warning that the map could incite violence against American Jews.
“The BDS movement put together “a mapping project” that accuses Jewish and “Zionist” institutions of various evils in American society,” Torres wrote in a tweet on June 8. “Scapegoating is a common symptom of Antisemitism, which at its core is a conspiracy theory.”
.@UW Law, Societies & Justice graduate and SJP activist Maryam Hussain wasted her downtime spewing hatred: “our weekends were filled with chants, slogans, and resilient speeches calling for the end to the zionist project of !$r@el [Israel]."https://t.co/Kfg21z1yFr
— Canary Mission (@canarymission) June 12, 2022
Best mug ever. https://t.co/YXJKbFOvea
— Mossad Assassination Commander Asa Flotz (@TheMossadIL) June 12, 2022
'Shoot a Jew in the head' graffitied near Toronto university
Graffiti inciting to shoot Jews in the head was discovered near Toronto's York University on Wednesday, the university said in a statement on Thursday.Ofcom decides against LBC after reporter repeatedly describes Israel’s Embassy in the UK as the “Jewish embassy”
Antisemitic graffiti
The graffiti, according to an image shared by B'nai Brith Canada, depicts a dead Jew with a kippa and sidelocks in a gun scope's crosshairs. Next to the cartoon, the text "shoot a Jew in the head" is scrawled on the wall."The university learned of hateful and antisemitic graffiti that was reported to be found in “The Village” neighborhood yesterday," York University said in its statement. "Many students live in this area close to the Keele Campus. York University denounces this hateful, antisemitic act and reported to [Toronto Police]Hate Crimes Division."06/08 - Graffiti in the Village outside of York University says to "Shoot a Jew in the head". @YorkUniversity @bnaibrithcanada @jaimekr #Jewish #Toronto #Antisemitism #Canada #YorkUniversity pic.twitter.com/2PmGyOerAh
— Documenting Antisemitism (@AntisemitismCA) June 8, 2022"The University condemns this antisemitic act and will continue to support the TPS in any way possible. Supports are available to community members, and direct outreach is underway to Jewish student groups."
York University
A troubling Toronto find
York University was first notified about the graffiti by a small Twitter account called "Documenting Antisemitism" which says that it documents antisemitism in Canada.
York noted that it could not remove the message as it was not on its property.
Ofcom has decided against the broadcaster LBC after one of its reporters repeatedly described Israel’s Embassy to the UK as the “Jewish embassy”.BBC North West report clouds antisemitism allegations
In a report on the radio channel on 15th May 2021, during the antisemitic genocidal terrorist organisation Hamas’s war with Israel, LBC covered one of numerous anti-Israel protests in London, providing coverage over a four-hour period over the course of the afternoon.
Opening the report, the reporter, on the ground, said: “About 40 metres down the road from me is the gates to the Jewish Embassy but between me and them is a sea of protestors. Thousands are down this street with lots and lots of different signs, ‘free Palestine’, ‘long live Palestine’, ‘free Gaza’, and hundreds of Palestinian flags being waved as well. Protestors have climbed up on to the walls of the nearby hotel and about ten of them are on top of a bus stop as well. There is a huge amount of people down here at the moment. It started at Hyde Park Corner at twelve o’clock and then walked all the way here to the Jewish Embassy. Ben Jamal was the Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. He told me he wants the protest to stay peaceful”.
Ben Jamal was interviewed, saying: “We believe that everyone has equal rights and we believe in principles of freedom, truth, justice, and equality. Those are the principles and firm anti-racist principles that inform why we are marching. And we ask everybody to respect that. Everybody will know when you bring ten, twenty, thirty thousand people on the streets, you will have a few individuals who don’t respect those principles. We ask them to, that’s in their responsibility to adhere to that.”
The reporter then noted: “The Jewish Embassy’s gates are closed. There are lots of police officers outside it. In front of the main gate is a stage where this protest is being conducted from. And the Israeli Embassy sent me a statement which says, ‘Hamas is a radical terrorist organisation that fires rockets indiscriminately on civilian populations. Their charter calls for the establishment of an Islamic state instead of Israel. It is regrettable to see citizens of a democratic country giving legitimacy to such an organisation and its violent actions. Unfortunately, over the last week we’ve seen an incitement to violence and antisemitic signs and slogans chanted in demonstrations. This has forced the Israeli Embassy in the heart of London to need to be barricaded by the police for protection’. That is the Israeli statement. And it’s understood that there are no people in the embassy today. It is Shabbat today as well…”
According to Ofcom, a recording or version of this report was broadcast three times during the rolling coverage, each time referring to a “Jewish embassy”, sometimes alongside references to the “Israeli embassy” as in the version quoted above.
Readers are told that:For the Washington Post, Jewish Pride is a Provocation
“A councillor has been suspended after allegedly making anti-Semitic comments at a meeting.”
However, as several people have pointed out on social media, the BBC’s report fails to adequately explain what those comments were.
The BBC report states:
“Mr Iqbal is alleged to have made comments comparing Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jewish people with more recent events in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, which has been adopted in full by the Labour Party, states that any comparison of contemporary Israeli policy to that of Nazi Germany is anti-Semitic.”
Clearly readers would have difficulty understanding how that part of the IHRA definition of antisemitism applies to what the BBC describes as comments about “Ukraine and elsewhere in the world”.
The Jewish Chronicle reported that:
“Last month, after moving a motion calling for the Palestinian flag to fly from the town hall, Mr Iqbal said: “The fact is that what’s going on in Ukraine, Palestine, and other areas I’ve mentioned, reminds me, I barely passed my GCSE history at school, but many people in this room will remember what justification Hitler had for what he did to the Jews in the Second World War.””
The Jewish Chronicle also reported Mr Iqbal’s response:
“Asked whether his implied comparison might fall foul of the IHRA definition, Mr Iqbal told the JC: “I disagree that this is antisemitic. I have friends who are Jews and Israeli friends who are Jewish and from other faiths.””
As we see, rather than accurately reporting Mohammed Iqbal’s comments in a manner that would enable readers to understand why he has been suspended pending investigation, the BBC instead chose to paraphrase his remarks in a vague way that hinders comprehension.
The Post’s false juxtaposition wasn’t the only bit of misleading language. In keeping with a long-worn habit, the newspaper described Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as merely “militant groups.” Yet both are U.S.-designated terrorist groups that call for Israel’s destruction and a genocide of its citizens. “Militant” is an insufficient description—although many in the media routinely use the phrase, as CAMERA noted in a May 2019 JNS Op-Ed (“Hamas and the terror group double standard”).Missiles and UAVs in the Battle of Ukraine: Preliminary Lessons for Israel
Similarly, recent Israeli efforts to deter and prevent an increase in terrorist attacks were described as a “supercharged crackdown.” These counterterror raids, the Post tells readers, “Have been violent.” Well, yes. Raids against Islamist terrorists tend to be violent. Just ask Osama bin Laden.
For good measure, the newspaper also treats the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as a credible source. OCHA, the Post says, claims that Israel’s counterterrorist operations “resulted in the deaths of 14 Palestinians.” Yet, the majority of these have been terrorists—a fact that the newspaper, and OCHA, omit. Indeed, OCHA itself has a long history of anti-Israel bias and shoddy claims.
The newspaper also fails to note that Islamist terrorists tend to use human shields—a documented fact which even Hamas itself has admitted. The Post even took the time to cite Nour Odeh, who criticized Israel’s security measures, but identified Odeh as merely a “Palestinian activist in Ramallah.” In fact, she is a former spokeswoman for the Palestinian Authority, an entity which has vowed to continue paying tax-deductible salaries to terrorists.
Although the Post’s report contains important and useful information, such as on civilian defense patrols that are meant to deter terrorism, it fails, from beginning through end, to identify the very core of the problem: a Palestinian refusal to accept Jewish social and political equality. If Jews peacefully marching in their ancestral city is capable of inciting anti-Jewish violence this is hardly the fault of the Jewish state. Rather, it is a staple of the worst brand of Palestinian nationalism. And the Post missed an important opportunity to note as much.
Russia's "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine is indistinguishable from a high intensity, full-scale war between unequal contenders. A careful perusal of videos from the war uploaded to social media yields some preliminary impressions on the impact of precision missiles and Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) in the fighting (as of April 2022).Seth Frantzman: Israel’s defense industry unveils new weapons at Paris defense confab
The invasion was preceded by a preemptive air strike on Ukraine Air Force airbases and air defense bases with 100 cruise missiles launched from Russian bombers flying over Russian territory. Indications are that while the Russian missile strike degraded the UAF's operational capabilities, it failed to extinguish them entirely. According to a source in the U.S. Air Force, many Russian cruise missiles "failed to launch, missed or failed to explode after impact." One satellite photo showed a Ukrainian runway with three fresh craters in the surrounding terrain, while the runway itself is untouched.
The air-launched hypersonic Kinzahl precision missile made its world debut. The 2,000-km.-range Kinzahl, launched from MiG-31 heavy combat aircraft, has tremendous maneuvering capability. It can curve at the last minute into the target, preventing the defender from predicting its final trajectory and rendering all existing missile defense systems impotent against this type of threat.
It seems the ground attacks by armed UAVs of both sides did not have any discernable effect on the course of the battle, and that the most significant impact of UAVs was in providing real-time battlefield reconnaissance, presenting "the transparent battlefield" where nothing can be hidden. Compared to the land-based firepower from artillery and anti-tank weapons, the level of firepower provided by armed UAVs is negligible. It seems that the Russians managed to shoot down most of Ukraine's 20 Turkish Bayraktar armed UAVs during the first three weeks of the war.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense International Defense Cooperation Directorate, or SIBAT, is expected to helm a strong showing of the country’s defense industry at the Eurosatory defense exhibition beginning on June 13 in Paris, inaugurating an Israeli pavilion featuring 56 local companies.Israel To Start Testing Robotic Combat Vehicle Armed With Drones and Anti-Tank Missile Launcher
Amira Ilany, director for Europe and North America at SIBAT, said that “Europe is one of the most important markets that we have.” She said Israel is seeing interest in its “cutting-edge technologies” all over the world. Israel has three large defense companies: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems.
SIBAT officials are expected to help promote the country’s small and medium enterprises, in particular. The government views these smaller companies “as an important part of the ministry’s value system. We deem it of the highest importance to strengthen these innovative industries, and many of them will be participating in the upcoming Eurosatory exhibition,” said Ilany.
For the dozens of Israeli companies on the Eurosatory show floor the main theme is advanced technology. That includes the use of artificial intelligence, precision in either identifying threats or targeting systems, unmanned platforms and high-end applications for ground forces, autonomous systems, real-time data links, thermal sights and surveillance technologies.
These innovations, some of which are operational in Israel or already being demonstrated abroad, build on Israel’s recent multi-year defense plan, dubbed Momentum. The plan focuses on pushing technology to frontline units and knitting together formations using data and communications. Israel’s political leadership has recently highlighted a move into laser air defenses, and across the spectrum of Israel’s defense industry there is a drive to incorporate AI as well as doubling down on target recognition and situational awareness.
The result is that Israeli companies go to Europe with a cluster of recently developed technologies or increased capabilities for existing systems that they have unveiled recently, many pegged to Eurosatory.
The Israel Defense Ministry announced Monday it will begin testing a robotic unmanned vehicle armed with drones for combat ground warfare.Israel unveils robotic unmanned combat vehicle
The all-terrain Medium Robotic Combat Vehicle (M-RCV) integrates a number of “cutting-edge technologies,” including a built-in system for transporting and receiving drones and advanced maneuvering capabilities, the Ministry announced in a statement.
It is also equipped with a new robotic platform, a 30 mm autonomous turret, an anti-tank prevention system, and a missile launcher produced by Israel Aerospace Industries for the launch of “Spike” anti-tank guided missiles.
The vehicle’s virtual driver vehicle can perform autonomous UAV operations and hold a capsuled drone for “forward reconnaissance missions,” used to gather information about enemy forces and terrains.
Groundbreaking treatment for HIV/AIDS developed by Israeli research team
People with AIDS might soon have the option to be treated with just a single vaccine dose, according to a new study from Tel Aviv University that shows the potential impact of a new and unique AIDS/HIV treatment.Israel, India Prepare to Resume Free Trade Agreement Talks
The peer-reviewed study was led by Dr. Adi Barzel and PhD student Alessio Nehmad, both from the TAU School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, in collaboration with additional researchers from Israel and the United States. It appeared in Nature Biotechnology on June 9. What is HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) was discovered in 1981 and was first reported on in a gay newspaper, The New York Native, on May 1 of that year. HIV was transferred from non-human primates (primarily chimpanzees) to humans in west-central Africa in the early-to-mid 20th century in a process known as zoonosis.
The virus is spread primarily by unprotected sex, contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles or from mother to child during pregnancy.
More than 36 million deaths have been attributed worldwide to AIDS since it was first identified. As of 2020, about 37 million people were living with the disease, primarily in eastern and southern Africa.
While the disease is no longer always fatal, and while many HIV-positive people live full and long lives, currently available treatments do not provide a permanent cure. The research team led by Dr. Barzel aims to change that.
The goal of the research team was to genetically engineer type B white blood cells inside the body of a person with AIDS. Once modified, the blood cells would be able to secrete neutralizing antibodies against the HIV virus responsible for AIDS, eradicating it from the patient’s body.
Israel and India are preparing to resume talks on a free trade agreement, Israel’s Economy Ministry said on Monday, adding that an Indian delegation had arrived in Jerusalem to discuss framework rules and coordinate expectations for negotiations.Israeli tech prevents motorcycle crashes
Last October, India and Israel agreed to resume free trade talks with an aim of signing a deal by mid-2022.
Israel’s Economy Ministry said a senior team from India’s Industry and Trade would meet with their Israeli counterparts to discuss the ground rules but did not say when actual trade negotiations would resume.
Ties between Israel and India have grown closer in the eight years since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been in power, and the two countries have formed a number of strategic, military and technology partnerships during that time.
Bilateral trade between Israel and India totaled $6.3 billion in 2021, up from $200 million in 1992 when the two countries opened diplomatic relations, and Israel has emerged as one of India’s biggest suppliers of weapons alongside the United States and long-term partner Russia.
Israeli shellfish-based calcium supplement could change zero gravity game
A calcium-carbonate supplement developed by an Israeli biotechnology firm has been tested in space and proven to help the body grow muscle fibers and strengthen bones in zero gravity.Old flame: Israeli researchers find evidence of fire use nearly 1 million years ago
Amorphical has synthesized and stabilized a rare form of natural calcium produced by the blue crayfish, and uses them to develop bioactive compositions it calls Amorphous Calcium Carbonate (ACC).
The discovery of the supplements' efficacy could have wide-reaching ramifications for astronauts, who suffer from osteoporosis as a result of long stays in space.
In April, Eytan Stibbe became Israel's second astronaut. Stibbe was sent to space as part of the first private space mission in history, on behalf of the Ramon Foundation. Stibbe took the Amorphical experiment to the International Space Station and tested the supplement on human muscle and bone stems cells and compared the results to those achieved through standard calcium supplements.
A month and a half ago, Stibbe returned to earth, along with his equipment. At Amorphical's laboratory in Ness Ziona, the company examined the findings and discovered that the cells had been at zero gravity, as well as exposed to high levels of radiation present in space, the tissues given the ACC supplement had not only not been damaged, they had grown just as they could have been expected to on earth.
Using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, researchers in Israel have been able to uncover some of the earliest evidence for the use of fire, dating back at least 800,000 years ago.PHOTO ESSAY: Venice ghetto’s synagogues undergo a restoration renaissance
In an article published on Monday in PNAS Science Journal, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers detailed the advanced, innovative method that they have developed and used to detect nonvisual traces of fire, giving a rare glimpse into the lives of early humans.
Archaeologists believe that the controlled use of fire by ancient hominins – a group that includes humans and some of our extinct family members — developed around a million years ago.
The prevailing theory, called the “cooking hypothesis,” states that the use of fire was crucial for the evolution of homo sapiens, with flames not only enabling the creation of more sophisticated tools but also making food safer to eat and increasing its nutritional and digestive benefit — providing more nutrients for brains to develop and grow.
While the theory is widely accepted in the academic community, researchers have found it difficult to find evidence of fire use at the early stages of humans’ evolutionary development, and thus do not have the necessary data to fully support it.
Traditional archaeological methods allow for the discovery of fire usage to only as far back as some 200,000 years ago, since researchers rely mainly on modifications to material by heat, for example color changes.
Venice’s Jewish ghetto is considered the first in Europe and one of the first in the world, and a new effort is underway to preserve its 16th-century synagogues for the Jews who have remained and tourists who pass through.
For nearly two years, restorers have been peeling away paint and discovering the original foundations of three of the ghetto’s synagogues, which are considered the only Renaissance synagogues still in use, art historian David Landau said.
Landau is spearheading the fundraising effort to restore the synagogues and nearby buildings both for Venice’s small Jewish community, which numbers around 450 people, and for tourists who can visit them on a guided tour through the Jewish Museum of Venice.
“I was really deeply offended by the state of the synagogues,” said Landau, a Renaissance specialist who bought a home in Venice 12 years ago. “I felt that the synagogues were in very bad condition. They had been altered beyond recognition over the centuries, and needed to be kind of cared for and loved.”
He has secured about 5 million euros to date and expects workers can complete the restoration process by the end of 2023 if the rest of the funding comes through, although the original outstanding 4 million euros has now ballooned to 6 million euros because of soaring building costs.
Venice’s ghetto dates from 1516, when the republic forced the growing numbers of Jews into the district where the old foundries, or “geti” as they were known, had been located. The area, which was locked down at night, became what is considered Europe’s first ghetto and remains the hub of Venice’s Jewish community in the Cannaregio area.
Billy Crystal Leads Star-Studded Audience in ‘Yiddish Scat’ Sing-Along at Tony Awards
Jewish actor and comedian Billy Crystal got the entire audience at the 75th annual Tony Awards in New York City on Sunday night to perform a live Yiddish scat-singing routine with him.
Crystal went into character as the once-successful comedian Buddy Young Jr. from his Broadway musical “Mr. Saturday Night” and started by making a series of nonsensical sounds that resemble the Yiddish language before asking the audience at Radio City Music Hall to repeat what he was saying. The actor, 74, then stepped off stage, went into the crowd and approached actors Samuel L. Jackson and Lin-Manuel Miranda, having them recite back his fake Yiddish words and nonsense syllables.
Crystal returned to the stage, but not before remarking “an old Jew’s worst nightmare: stairs.” He ended his routine by dividing the audience into two parts — “I’m gonna part you guys like the Read Sea,” he said — and leading them in a massive “Oy vey” chant.
Crystal concluded by saying “if you like me, I’m Buddy Young Jr. If you’re not so sure, I’m Hugh Jackman,” which elicited laughter from “The Greatest Showman” star himself, who was sitting in the audience. (h/t Jewess )
We’re going to stick around the #TonyAwards for more Yiddish scat performed by @MrSatNightBway's @BillyCrystal! pic.twitter.com/LuqEsY9C9i
— CBS (@CBS) June 13, 2022
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