There is no such thing as 'making peace'
To cry peace, peace, when there is no peace, as the Jewish prophet, Jeremiah, taught us long ago, is not an expression of hope but a foolish and dangerous abrogation of reality. It dulls the mind and the aspiration of a people who then become lost and blinded under a veritable veil of deception.
Peace is impossible for a nation like Israel without its own demonstration of unassailable military strength and its utter rejection of concessions to an obdurate enemy. The Muslim world respects strength. It treats concessions with complete and utter scorn. It considers overtures of peace as a sign of weakness and becomes emboldened in its aggression.
When that enemy is an Arab entity unwilling to make any concession whatsoever, and when the world expects Israel always to give and the Arabs always to take, then to continue along that same path to nowhere, becomes an Israeli self-delusion, leading to worse: Self destruction.
It is high time for Israel to be making demands upon the Arabs, starting with territorial concessions from the vast Arab and Islamic world. Based upon prior precedents in Muslim history going back to the time of Mohammed and his dealings with the Quraish tribe in Mecca, the Arabs will never make peace or accept a Jewish sovereign state in territory they have previously conquered in the name of Allah – even though the ancestral and Biblical Jewish homeland predates Islam by thousands of years.
Thus, Israel should now begin reclaiming territory it has foolishly given away since the Oslo "peace" Accords. The Arabs will be forced to accept such demands if they finally realize that the Jewish state is once again so overwhelmingly strong spiritually that they simply cannot destroy it.
There is no hope for the Jewish state surviving in the nastiest neighborhood in the world if it presents itself as inwardly irresolute and unwilling to engage in total war. The Arab and Islamic adversary, excepting those countries that have actually made peace with Israel, should always be fully aware that Israel is resolute, steadfast, indeed more ready to wage total war than ever.
Judea, Samaria along with Gaza must be restored to their Biblical and post-Biblical Jewish roots and G-d given polity. There must no longer be compromise.
If the Arab and Muslim world rejects Israel, it must live with the consequences of its enmity and become the ultimate loser. A Jewish state, which no longer seeks to make peace at any price will prosper and grow. It will also engender respect from both its friends and its enemies.
As W.B Yeats once wrote, "... peace under a semblance of peace ... is but a manifold illusion."
Gil Troy: There’s no such thing as ‘the’ settlements
Looking at the heartbreaking photos of these victims, we see ourselves, our kids, and our friends. We don’t define them by the length of their sidelocks, the size or absence of their kippot, or their home addresses.In Arabic video, AJC explains Jewish connection to Israel
Unfortunately, the terrorists feel emboldened by those who revere them and by the slobs who equate terrorists and their victims.
Terrorism is a crime of political exhibitionism. Preying on innocents living their lives, terrorists try to spread fear among civilians, while making a broader political point. Israelis and visitors to Israel fight terrorism best by not letting terrorists disrupt their plans, their routines; the world should assist by condemning these butchers unequivocally.
Alas, while the constant, low-level onslaught desensitizes even many of Israel’s friends, the “s-word,” “settlements,” muddies the world’s perspective. We keep hearing that “the” settlements are “illegal.” Such language suggests that rather than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the four victims were wrong for being in that place at all.
The word “the” implies a monolithic simplicity in this complicated world. Rather than treating “the” settlements as all alike, consider three different Israeli villages or communities – softer words that don’t conjure up images of illegal armed camps on Palestinian lands, filled with gun-toting, kippah-wearing, Brooklyn-accented fanatics trash-talking the Palestinians on CNN.
IN 1943, idealistic pioneers established Kfar Etzion, 25 kilometers from the Holy City of Jerusalem, on land purchased from local landowners. They built a thriving kibbutz that also defended access to the Jews’ forever capital for 3,000 years since King David. In 1948, on the eve of Israel’s independence, Arabs overran the village. As many as 127 were massacred, some after surrendering.
For nineteen years, the survivors of that siege – and the orphaned children – would stand on a Jerusalem hilltop, straining to catch a glimpse of a towering, lonely, etz alon, a 700-year-old oak tree, which symbolized their loss, their longing – and ours.
In June 1967, after three Arab armies attacked, Israel legitimately won back that territory. That September, survivors, orphans, and others returned to Kfar Etzion and some neighboring villages. Today 1,278 people live in this thriving community.
Given Kfar Etzion’s roots – and proximity to Jerusalem – most peace proposals include it in redrawn maps of Israel. Its situation is far less complicated than the second community, Hebron.
Knowledge and compassion are “critical tools to break the cycle of perpetual conflict and mutual demonization,” Benjamin Rogers, director of Middle East and North Africa initiatives at the American Jewish Committee, told JNS.
That’s why AJC released an Arabic-language video, whose title translates to “What Ties Jews to Israel?” The video is the 11th in AJC’s Arabic-language educational video series titled “About the Jews,” which has received more than 45 million views worldwide. They are aimed at raising awareness in the Arab world about Jewish life and history in the backdrop of rising antisemitism worldwide.
Jewish identity is inextricably tied with Israel, and religion, community and land have been defining aspects of Judaism since the time Moses and the ancient Hebrews escaped Egyptian slavery, according to the video.
“Although they lived in exile at times, the Holy Land remains central to Jewish identity as a pillar of their history and collective dreams,” per the video.
Nope you cannot rewrite history -however much you want to.
— David Collier (@mishtal) June 27, 2023
I searched for the word 'Palestinian' in Hansard - a record of *all* debates in the UK Parliament / the House of Lords.
Between 1800 and 1915 - the word 'Palestinian' was NEVER USED. Not once.
Zilch. Nada. Efes. pic.twitter.com/KGCgUdOa80
BDS and @Mondoweiss claim that to "decolonize" Palestine, Israel should adopt Arab identity, language, and religion.
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) June 27, 2023
However, this overlooks the historical origins of Arabs, Arabic, and Islam, all of which originated in the Arabian Peninsula. pic.twitter.com/r4FZFXy7bJ
Todays Palestinians are immigrants from surrounding countries pic.twitter.com/c7FY1wdLuR
— Peter Baum (@baum_p) June 28, 2023
Irish MP blasts Robbie Keane’s move to Maccabi Tel Aviv
An Irish politician from the extremist Sinn Féin party has criticized Robbie Keane for accepting a head coaching position with the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team.
“Very very disappointing that Irish Football icon Robbie Keane would sign up with racist and apartheid Israeli club @MaccabitlvBC,” said Chris Andrews, a member of the lower house of the Irish parliament representing Dublin Bay South.
“Keane is in a position to set example and Boycott Apartheid but chose not to!!”
The 42-year-old Keane agreed to a two-year deal with the Israeli Premier League club this week. At Tuesday’s opening press conference he responded to a question about the criticism from Ireland by saying that “I don’t want to get into politics.”
“This is the last time I will say it. I’m here as a football man and someone that loves the game. I will certainly just focus on that but thanks for your question.”
The former Tottenham Hotspur FC and Los Angeles Galaxy striker holds the records for most appearances (146) and most goals (68) with the Republic of Ireland national team.
A 2021 report on antisemitism in Ireland pointed to several prominent Irish politicians, many belonging to the left-wing nationalist Sinn Féin, who support the BDS movement, antisemitic libels and the destruction of Israel.
The report highlighted Andrews, who has taken part in attempts to break Israel’s blockade of the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza, and who said in May 2021—alluding to the 11-day conflict (“Operation Guardian of the Walls”) that month with Hamas—that Israel wanted to “wipe out Palestine.” He went on to call Israel an “apartheid, racist, terror state.”
American Islamic Scholar Shadee Elmasry: The Muslim Alliance with the Left Is a Mistake; If a Liberal Army Were to Liberate Gaza, We Would Be Trading One Problem for Another @DrShadeeElmasry pic.twitter.com/pkFLwrRlj8
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) June 28, 2023
Palestinian protesters jailed for damaging mid Wales factory
A GROUP of protesters have been jailed for causing damage to a factory they believed was making chips for Israeli drones.Jewish businessman accuses Kanye West of antisemitic abuse
The pro-Palestinian activists attacked the Teledyne Labtech factory in Presteigne, Powys in December, causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage.
The three women and one man unfurled a Palestine banner, drilled holes in the factory roof and daubed the building in red paint while 64 members of staff worked in the facility.
They also smashed computer screens and set off smoke grenades.
Ruth Hogg, 40, from Stanley Road, Aberystwyth, denied a charge of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, but was found guilty after trial last month.
PhD postgraduate researcher and former Aberystwyth arts Centre employee, Hogg, was jailed on Monday for 27 months at Mold Crown Court.
Susan Bagshaw, 65, from Clawdd Helyg, Commins Coch near Machynlleth, Morwenna Grey, 41, from Penrallt Street, Machynlleth and Tristan Dixon, 34, from Huddersfield, all pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and were jailed for 23 months.
The court was told during Hogg’s trial that protestors risked creating cyanide if chlorine had become mixed with other chemicals at the site.
The factory had to be closed for three weeks while repairs took place.
A Jewish businessman ended his association with Kanye West after the rapper allegedly subjected him to antisemitic abuse.
Alex Klein, who worked with West around the time of his 2021 album Donda, told the BBC he was racially abused while working for the troubled rapper.
He said: “He [Kanye] was saying ‘I feel like I wanna smack you’ and ‘you’re exactly like the other Jews’ – almost relishing and revelling in how offensive he could be, using these phrases hoping to hurt me.”
“I asked him: ‘do you really think Jews are working together to hold you back?’ and he said ‘yes, yes I do.”
Klein, who is from London, worked with West from 2012 on a range of projects including the Stem player, a Bluetooth device allowing users to separate parts of songs for remixing.
In January 2023, Kano Computing - Klein's company which he started with fellow entrepreneur Yonatan Raz-Fridman, distanced itself from Kanye West after the rapper made a series of antisemitic remarks including praising Hitler on Alex Jones's InfoWars show alongside antisemite Nick Fuentes.
It’s been 45 days since the Dean of CUNY Law approved & applauded a vile anti-Jewish hate speech and there have still been ZERO consequences despite the fact that the CUNY board of trustees voted that it was “hate speech”!
— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) June 27, 2023
We’re sick of empty rhetoric and we demand consequences! pic.twitter.com/c8yyL5q7HR
It is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS that after this unreal exchange between @EricDinowitzNYC @EricDinowitz & @PSC_CUNY Pres. who LIED TO DINOWITZ's face about not supporting BDS, that Dinowitz would solicit & ACCEPT an endorsement from the virulently antisemitic @PSC_CUNY.
— SAFE CUNY (@SAFECUNY) June 28, 2023
SHAMEFUL. pic.twitter.com/nHHwvzIANE
In April, Barron refused to condemn antisemitism plaguing NYC https://t.co/zUfamImbeU
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) June 28, 2023
PSA - when one is running for a school board position and looking to make a point, there is NEVER a reason to rationalize what Adolf Hitler said.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) June 28, 2023
Video: Aaron Fulcher, running for school board in Wilson County, TN. pic.twitter.com/BOMVPrqMh3
PreOccupiedTerritory: 0 Killed At Ramallah Pride Parade (satire)
“It’s inspiring,” gushed Queers for Palestine activist Skila de Ruftop in New York. “You expect to hear about disturbances from bigots and haters on the fringes of almost every Pride festival, even the biggest and most-established. But the complete absence of reports of any such violence, let alone murder, associated with Palestinian Pride shows just how well we progressives have chosen in selecting the leading anti-oppression in all of our alliances. As soon as we get photos or footage of the Palestinian Pride events I’ll be sure to share them everywhere, but I haven’t seen any yet.”Guardian is again on the wrong side of antisemitism debate
“We got some from Israel, but progressives know that doesn’t count because Israel,” ze acknowledged. “And there was that one time a bunch of years ago that an insane criminal murdered someone at Jerusalem Pride, so we know the entire enterprise there is a fraud. The key here is to take the worst actors associated with Israel, even if they’re not Zionist, and paint the entire pro-Israel side with that brush.”
“Thus,” de Ruftop continued, “the Pride celebrations in Israel, even the one in Tel Aviv, which is the largest in the region, doesn’t matter, because we know that one stabber from years ago defines the whole country, not the hundreds of thousands of Pride participants. In contrast, the fact that not a single attack on Pride participants in Ramallah – or any Palestinian cities or towns, for that matter – took place, tells you everything you need to know. You can argue till you’re rainbow in the face that the absence of such specific violence results directly from there not being any Pride events in areas under Palestinian rule, but that’s a mere technicality. The fact is, not a single Pride event was attacked under Palestinian rule.”
“Similarly,” ze added, “any reports of violence against LGBTQ people by Palestinians are unfortunate outliers, and don’t reflect the progressive nature of Palestinian society as a whole – don’t listen to the Palestinians who fled to Israel to avoid those attacks! Those are biased, bitter people who can’t handle the truth.”
This year marks the 5,783rd consecutive year of documented human history that not a single person has been killed at a Palestinian Pride event.
The Guardian can be as cynical as they want, but, for British Jews, the question over BDS and antisemitism isn’t merely academic.‘The Doctor Is Not Jewish Enough,’ Says New York Times Chief Theater Critic, in a Surprise
A poll in 2021 showed that 78% of British Jews “felt intimidated by tactics used to boycott Israel”, while a 2012 survey found that 67% of British Jews would consider a non-Jewish person who endorsed a boycott of Israeli goods and products to be either ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’ antisemitic.
Further, a 2019 publication, ‘The apartheid connection and calls for a boycott’, released by the Jewish Policy Research Institute (JPR) and CST, shows empirically that there’s a strong connection between extreme hostility towards Israel and traditional antisemitism. This poll – which also revealed that a mere 10% of the British public supported such boycotts – demonstrated that those who agree with explicitly antisemitic statements, such as “Jews have too much power in Britain”, are dramatically more likely to also support BDS.
“It is…scientifically reasonable to conclude”, the authors argue, “that when such claims are made about Israel [such as support for boycotting the state] by non-Jews, there is a relatively high likelihood that they are being made by someone who is also predisposed towards anti-Jewish feeling, thereby indicating antisemitic feeling, motive or intent“.
The Guardian is consistently on the wrong side in the debate over antisemitism in Britain: in supporting the Corbyn-led Labour party in two elections, consistently opposing the internationally recognised IHRA Working Definition on Antisemitism, legitimising antisemitism (and anti-Semites) on its pages and, now, opposing legislation offering a modicum of protection to Jews against hateful, toxic and discriminatory boycotts.
The “serious task of tackling antisemitism” are words that are occasionally mouthed by editors, but is never an ideal they’re willing to truly fight for when to do so would alienate their anti-Zionist base.
The New York Times commits outrages against Israel and the Jews so frequently that it’s hard to keep track, so when the newspaper gets one right, I try to notice that, too.
The surprising and rare thing is when the Times handles a Jewish issue well. I spend a lot of time and space calling out the Times for its faults, so when the newspaper performs admirably, it’s worth pointing out. It was wonderful to see the chief theater critic for the New York Times, Jesse Green, review the play “The Doctor,” running at the Park Avenue Armory, with a piece faulting the play for being “somehow not Jewish enough.”
Green writes, “‘The Doctor’ is not very serious about antisemitism. How could it be, when the sentimental attachment to identity of any sort is precisely its boogeyman?”
“This has been a season of Jews blamed or blaming themselves for the emotional, physical and indeed genocidal violence against them,” Green writes. “And now ‘The Doctor’ subjects its main character to antisemitic dog whistles but, in the end, sees her downfall as her own fault and an opportunity for growth.”
It’s so refreshing to see the Times defend the Jews as a particular identity group and to denounce antisemitism in particular rather than subsume the issue into a general tolerance-versus-bigotry universal framework. So much of the Times coverage of, say, yeshivas, or Israel seems to be animated by underlying complaints that the subjects are too Jewish. When a theater critic comes in to complain that something isn’t Jewish enough, it seems almost revolutionary, a countercultural breath of fresh air at the Times. I appreciated it.
2/ Noah was mad that in a movie about Jews being murdered as part of a genocide, there weren't scenes where the Jews explained, out loud, why this was a bad thing they disagreed with pic.twitter.com/cABJrA93wm
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) June 28, 2023
4/ Schindler's List "doesn’t model any way to show support for journalist Jemele Hill, who fell out with her network for saying that Trump is a white supremacist."
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) June 28, 2023
This is an actual line from an actual article published under someone's actual name. I am not making it up I swear. pic.twitter.com/TJPFYdLYcQ
AP’s Substandard Coverage The Sub Laban Real Estate Saga
“Few places in Jerusalem speak of the larger conflict being waged over the city more than the apartment of 68-year-old Nora Ghaith-Sub Laban,” avers the Associated Press’ Isabel DeBre today (“As a lengthy legal battle ends, a Palestinian family braces for eviction from Jerusalem home“).BBC backgrounders' presentation of ‘facts’ mislead on Jerusalem
Whether or not that is true, what is plainly apparent is that the Associated Press’ repeated failure to accurately cover the Sub Laban story speaks of a larger problem plaguing media coverage of Israeli-Palestinian affairs.
In 2015, the leading news service depicted the Sub Laban’s real estate saga as a story of Israeli dispossession and displacement of Palestinians. “They (Israelis) are trying to uproot us from Jerusalem, they are stealing the houses, the trees and the stones of the city,” AP’s Karin Laub and Mohammed Daraghmeh quoted Nora Sub Laban at the time.
Initially, the 2015 article did not contain a single word about the family’s failure to return to the rented home following lengthy renovations completed in 2001, an absence which jeopardized their status as “protected tenants.” Only after CAMERA contacted editors did AP add a paragraph about the court’s critical finding that the family did not reside in the home for years after 2001, which was the determining factor in the court’s ruling against the Sub Labans’ claim.
The latest version of this backgrounder also includes something else entirely new: a sub-section titled “PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: FACTS”. Among the “facts” presented is one concerning the supposed capital city of the entity the BBC describes as “Palestinian territories” despite the fact that final status negotiations to determine the borders of those territories have yet to be completed. Notably, the BBC does not use the term ‘East Jerusalem’ in this insert and hence it leaves readers with the false impression that Jerusalem (as a whole) is the capital city of the Palestinian territories. Equally remarkable is the fact that despite its previous invocation of the 1947 ‘corpus separatum’ proposal as an ‘explanation’ for its refusal to describe Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city, the BBC suddenly appears to have no such qualms.Tree of Life trial: Defense claims synagogue shooter has brain abnormalities
While the Palestinians may indeed claim Jerusalem as the capital city of a state that they have repeatedly refused, that aspiration is by no means a “fact” and the ‘proclamation’ to which the BBC refers in brackets currently has no standing. Moreover, the BBC’s Israel profile – which was also updated on the same day – now includes the exact same wording: In other words, what the BBC has for reasons unknown suddenly decided to present to its audiences worldwide as “facts” is nothing more than political campaigning using one-sided talking points which promote the false notion of ‘equal’ claims to the same city. How that editorial decision can be said to comply with BBC standards of accurate and impartial reporting (not to mention its supposed campaign against disinformation) is unclear but it should perhaps not come as too much of a surprise given the corporation’s dismal past record on the topic of Israel’s capital.
Defense lawyers for the man convicted of murdering 11 Jewish worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue began detailing their argument that he should not be sentenced to death, calling witnesses to identify abnormalities in his brain.Violent antisemitism on the rise in Germany, watchdog finds
That point is a key part of the defense’s strategy to keep their client, Robert Bowers, off of death row.
Alongside the court proceedings, a rabbi affiliated with the local Jewish federation explained to reporters that there are differences of opinion as to when and how Jewish law would justify the death penalty. Families of the victims disagree as to whether the shooter should be executed, and outside the courthouse, a small group called “Jews Against the Death Penalty” held a protest.
On the whole, Tuesday’s events in the Pittsburgh courthouse demonstrated that, after nearly a month, the trial has entered a phase where the outcome is uncertain and both the prosecution and defense are invested in swinging the jury toward their arguments. In the preceding phase of the trial, both sides acknowledged that the gunman had committed the crime, and his lawyers didn’t mount a defense. He was found guilty of all 63 charges, including 22 capital crimes.
Now, the defense must first persuade the jury that the crimes are eligible for the death penalty, and then that there is at least one aggravating factor in the crimes that merit a death sentence. The defense, in each of those two stages, has the opposite task.
Violent antisemitism is on the rise in Germany, according to a report released today by a Berlin-based watchdog organization with branches around the country.Italy bans number 88 on football players' shirts amid 'Heil Hitler' reference
According to the report on “Antisemitic Incidents in Germany 2022” from the Federal Association of Research and Information Centers on Antisemitism (RIAS), while the overall number of incidents dropped slightly from the previous year, nine incidents were categorized as “extremely violent,” up from six in the previous year. It was the highest total on record since 2017, when the annual reporting began.
The total number of antisemitic incidents RIAS recorded was almost 11% lower than in 2021, which had a total of 2,773, but 26% higher than in 2020, when the total was 1,957.
The extremely violent incidents included shots fired in November 2022 at the entrance of the historical rabbi’s house at the Old Synagogue in Essen. The category includes physical attacks as well as attempted attacks. In all, 65 antisemitic assaults were counted in 2022, down from 70 in the previous year.
RIAS director Benjamin Steinitz said Jewish communities still need to improve their security given “the high threat posed by Islamist and right-wing extremist actors.”
State investigators have linked some incidents, including the one in Essen and another in Bochum, to actors working for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Steinitz said Germany must “take action against Iran’s state-coordinated terrorism and consistently advocate for the inclusion of the Revolutionary Guards on the EU terror list.”
Whether violent or not, antisemitic incidents have a chilling effect on Jewish life, Bianca Loy, co-author of the study, told the Deutsche Welle public news agency. “They can significantly cloud the feeling of security among Jews,” she said.
Italian football players will be banned from wearing the number 88 on their shirts in a move to tackle antisemitism.
The number 88 is a numerical code for “Heil Hitler” and is often used by white supremacists.
The changes, being coordinated between the Italian government and soccer federation, will also ban symbols recalling Nazism.
As a result of the ban, two players in Italy’s top league Serie A are understood to be affected.
These include Toma Basic from Lazio and Mario Pasalic from Atalanta. Gokhan Inler and Hernanes have all also worn the number 88 during their time in Italy.
In addition, new rules will mandate fans to use non-discriminatory language at all public events and set out guidelines on how to suspend matches in cases of discrimination.
Authorities say instances of racism and antisemitism have been commonplace in Italian stadiums with fans regularly booing or shouting abuse at Black players, using the word "Jew" as an insult and displaying Nazi or fascist symbols.
The Jew exposing this bigot is @Proud_zionst (he's becoming a regular in our videos).
— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) June 27, 2023
Give him a follow!
The next chapter of America's economic relationship with Israel is in New Jersey
A few weeks ago, I was walking the halls of the headquarters of OwnBackup, an Israeli-founded software-as-a-service data protection platform. As the elevator opened, I was greeted by an indoor campground and strolled through a restaurant, golf simulator and a venerable speakeasy among other notables.Retelling The Untold Story of Jewish Refugees From Arab Lands: A Fireside Chat With Sylvain Abitbol, Co-President Of Justice For Jews From Arab Lands
It would be reasonable if you thought you were on a Silicon Valley tech campus or inside a Financial District tower in New York City, but you’d be wrong. In fact, I was in northern New Jersey, a state that, according to a recent report, has three Israeli “unicorns” (companies with evaluations over a billion dollars), including OwnBackup. Don’t be surprised though, because Israeli tech companies are advancing at a lightning pace in the Garden State.
If you haven’t been paying attention to what’s going on in New Jersey, then you should. Israelis and Israeli-Americans have been making a big impact on the state’s economy, acting as a bridge between two thriving markets at an important time.
The history and advancement of New Jersey-Israel relations
New Jersey and Israel have a deep history tied to large Jewish and Israeli communities which have grown and thrived here for decades. In 1989, New Jersey created the New Jersey-Israel Commission under the New Jersey Department of State with a mandate to deepen relations between the two regions across business, culture, academia and more. Now, as we mark Israel’s 75th anniversary, that relationship has advanced dramatically from bonds of comradery to cutting edge economic development. This has happened due to an unwavering commitment to Israel engagement from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, today’s reality in which New Jersey and Israel stand as economic engines, and changes to the nature of work away from traditional urban centers since COVID.
Over the years when I’ve referenced my home state as a global hub of innovation to Israelis, New Jersey is sometimes met with smiles more than intrigue. That has been changing.
More than 850,000 Jews from across the Middle East left Arab countries under threatening conditions or were expelled following Israel’s independence in 1948, leaving behind millennia of history as well as huge amounts of assets, which they gave up in exchange for safety.A synagogue in Bahrain? Not your average prayer in the Persian Gulf
To help us unpack why, and explain what needs to be done to raise awareness for this important issue, we speak to Sylvain Abitbol. Born in Morocco, he is a Montreal businessman who currently serves as Co-President for the organization Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, and previously served as co-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 2007 to 2009.
In the center of the city just off of a busy street, there’s a small unmarked synagogue where a group of 15 Jews gathered on Wednesday for a morning minyan (prayer quorum). At the end they joined hands and danced around the bima, singing “Am Yisrael Chai” (The People of Israel Lives).This morning, at the tiny synagogue in Manama #Bahrain, a group of Jewish attendees at the American peace workshop gather to pray. With them, singing “Am Yisrael Chai” (the nation of Israel lives) is @jdgreenblatt45.
— Noa Landau נעה לנדאו (@noa_landau) June 26, 2019
Video: @HerbKeinon pic.twitter.com/BusBY3fSXN
This was not your usual minyan: Not everyday is “Am Yisrael Chai” sung in a Persian Gulf synagogue.
Among those participating was Jason Greenblatt, Washington’s Middle East mediator and one of the architects of the “Peace to Prosperity” workshop taking place here. Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, a top aide to US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, gave a brief “dvar Torah” after the services.
Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, led the services.
Houdie Nonoo, Bahrain’s former ambassador to the US and a member of the tiny Bahraini Jewish community, was also on hand – she opened the shul, saying that she was “moved,” and that “this is historic.”
.@xtina announced she will perform in Israel for the first time! She promised fans the concert in Rishon LeZion on August 10 will be "an unforgettable night." pic.twitter.com/Jq8RadisKE
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 27, 2023
Unpacked: The Jew that Saved the American Revolution
Haym Salomon, a Sephardic Jew from Poland, is the largely unknown benefactor of the American Revolution. Immigrating to the American colonies just before the outbreak of the War of Independence, Salomon used his unique business and language talents to outwit British forces several times, and used his brokerage business to fund the final Battle of Yorktown. But the American Revolution was not the only cause he believed in; Salomon also left behind a legacy of building and strengthening the Jewish community in the newly formed United States of America
Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon! Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. Read all about it here! |
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