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Sunday, August 13, 2023

08/13 Links: Performative Palestinian advocacy helps no one; Civilian Casualties in the I/P Conflict Compared to Western Forces; Should Israel refer to Australia as occupied Aboriginal territory?

From Ian:

Performative Palestinian advocacy helps no one
Today, most pro-Palestinian advocacy causes more harm than good. BDS founder Omar Barghouti labels the rupture of Israeli-Palestinian partnerships such as at the Mishor Adumim SodaStream factory – where 500 Palestinians were stripped of their jobs – as successes.

Similarly, BDS proponents seek to shut down Israeli industrial initiatives that provide Palestinians with the opportunity to make NIS 500 (around $140) daily versus NIS 30 (around $8) by crossing into Israel for work,” in the words of a Nir Am resident.

Their strategy and rhetoric are preposterous. Furthermore, they betray Palestinian interests and the very values of equality and justice they claim to champion.

Social justice advocates have a duty to live up to their titles and propose practical solutions for alleviating the Palestinian plight and reducing the influence of Hamas, other militant factions, and Iran. The current landscape, marked by the PA’s fragility, the resurgence of young militants, and the Hamas-Fatah divide, presents an opportunity for global audiences to champion true Palestinian freedom, from their authorities, and the freedom to normalize relations with the Jewish world.

To redirect Palestinian activism, we can raise awareness in social justice circles and online about events such as the Gaza protests, and spearhead initiatives targeting Hamas.

We can repost narratives from Whispered in Gaza – a collection of 25 animated videos of Gazans’ personal stories – alongside vivid images with captions, asking: “Is Israel doing this?” that demonstrate it’s Hamas, not Israel, who must be held to account first.

Massified efforts against Hamas and corrupt Palestinian leaders can influence foreign entities to rethink their engagement with Palestinians. They may pressure international bodies to reform UNRWA (the refugee agency dedicated entirely to Palestinian refugees), which perpetuates Palestinian refugee status and indoctrinates children with antisemitic materials aimed at Israel’s eradication.

In contemporary discourse, a straightforward yet impactful action would be rephrasing our language – differentiating between moderate Palestinian supporters, such as Bassem Eid or Ghaith al-Omari, and those solely pursuing an anti-Israel agenda to the detriment of Palestinian rights.

Refraining from labeling those with double standards in Palestinian advocacy as “pro-Palestinian,” and lifting up those voices that are genuinely dedicated to Palestinian self-determination can contribute significantly to their cause.
Civilian Casualties in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Compared to Other Conflicts Involving Western Forces
Since its creation, Israelis have suffered tens of thousands of attacks by Palestinian terrorists. Thousands of people, mostly civilians who were intentionally targeted, have been murdered.

The Palestinian terrorists are not part of an established army and do not respect International Humanitarian Law (IHL) or the Laws of War.

On most occasions, they intentionally abuse their urban surroundings as cover for their operations. This it allows them to blend into the civil population and blur the ability of Israel to identify and distinguish them as combatants.

The terrorists often use the surrounding Palestinian civilians as “human shields” to defend against Israeli counter-terror measures. This allows the terrorists and their supporters to use every civilian death as a means to promote a propaganda assault on Israel for the alleged intentional killing of civilians.

Most conflicts involving Western militaries today occur far from the homefront, and their civilian population is not under direct threat or attack. In Israel, however, its population is under constant attack. In such a context, if targets are not attacked quickly, this can directly harm Israeli civilians.

This report compares the Palestinian death toll in Israeli operations to civilian casualties in Western military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.


Should Israel refer to Australia as occupied Aboriginal territory?
IF YOU WANT to find some genuinely occupied territory, look no further than the country of Australia. And I don’t mean just some small part of it. I mean the whole thing.

The indigenous inhabitants of Australia, known as Aboriginals, had been living there for more than 60,000 years when the English explorer, Lt. James Cook, suddenly arrived in 1770 and “claimed” the country for Great Britain. He didn’t ask the Aboriginals what they thought about the idea of being occupied by a foreign power. Racist European colonists regarded indigenous peoples as inferior and considered their wishes unworthy of consideration.

The British occupation of Australia got underway in 1788 with the creation of a penal colony there. Those British criminals were soon followed by illegal British settlers, who seized the Aboriginals’ territory and expelled or murdered the residents when they got in the way.

The occupiers also introduced various new diseases – smallpox, measles, tuberculosis – that took the lives of many locals. By 1900, the indigenous aboriginal population of 750,000 had been reduced to 93,000.

As the years went by, the extent of the occupation widened. Australia is a huge country – nearly 3 million square miles. The occupiers gradually occupied all of it.

The occupation and mistreatment of the Aboriginals continue to this day. Amnesty International reports that current Australian government policies still “take away indigenous peoples’ basic rights [and] force indigenous people to abandon their homes and communities.”

The younger generations of Aboriginals share “their relatives’ deep trauma and anger from losing their lands, culture, and families,” Amnesty notes, and “Australia’s indigenous kids are 24 times more likely to be locked up than their non-indigenous classmates.” Indigenous Australians are just 3% of the national population, yet they comprise 29% of the country’s adult prison population.

“Occupied Territories?” “Illegal settlers?” Australia’s Labor Party government ought to take a look in the mirror before hurling false and insulting accusations at Israel.


Saudi envoy to Palestinians was known to Israel but not coordinated
Israel knew that Saudi Arabia planned to appoint a non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians, but the matter was not coordinated with Israel, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told 103FM on Sunday.

“They didn’t coordinate with us and they didn’t have to coordinate with us,” Cohen said. When the interviewer, Udi Segal, said that Israel did not know about the Saudi appointment, clarified that knowing and coordinating are not the same thing.

Saudi Arabia named its first ambassador to “Palestine” on Saturday. The kingdom’s ambassador to Jordan, Nayef bin Bandar Al Sudairi, will serve as non-resident ambassador extraordinary as well as “consul-general in Jerusalem,” in addition to his responsibilities in Amman.

The move came as the US and Saudi Arabia have been negotiating an Israeli-Saudi peace agreement, along with some kind of advanced defense cooperation between Washington and Riyadh.

Cohen said the ambassador’s appointment came “on the background of the advancement of talks between the US and the Saudis regarding Israel. The Saudis wanted to send a message to the Palestinians that they didn’t forget them.”

Israel won't allow opening of Saudi consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem
The fact that Riyadh named Sudairi to Jerusalem does not mean there will be a Saudi consulate to the Palestinians in Israel’s capital, a move that would have had to have been coordinated with Israel.

“We will not allow the opening of any diplomatic representation [to the Palestinians] in Jerusalem,” Cohen said.
Palestinians fear new Saudi envoy linked to normalization with Israel
Palestinians on Sunday welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to appoint its first ambassador to “Palestine,” but expressed fear the move could be part of a larger US-engineered plan that would see the Kingdom normalize its relations with Israel.

On Saturday, the Saudis announced the appointment of Nayef al-Sudairi, the current ambassador to Jordan, as “Ambassador Extraordinary to the State of Palestine and Consul-General in Jerusalem.”

Al-Sudairi will continue to serve in his job in the Jordanian capital of Amman. He presented his credentials to Majdi al-Khailidi, Diplomatic Affairs Advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, during a ceremony at the Palestinian embassy in Jordan.

Al-Sudairi is unlikely to move to Ramallah, where several countries have representative offices that serve as unofficial embassies. It’s also unlikely that the Saudis would open a consulate general in Jerusalem without Israel’s approval.

Saudi Arabia is the fourth Arab country to appoint an ambassador to the “State of Palestine” after Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco.

The Saudi move came amid increased talk about a possible normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Several reports have suggested that the Biden Administration has been pressuring the Saudis to strike a deal with Israel in the coming months.

Palestinian officials in Ramallah expressed deep satisfaction with the Saudi decision to upgrade the Kingdom’s ties with the Palestinians, describing it as a “diplomatic victory” and a “historic achievement.”
Will Mohammad Bin Salman make Saudi Arabia great again?
How can Western leaders and researchers understand the dynamic figure of Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman? Gulf states researcher and lecturer at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Dr. Michal Yaari gives her insights on the figure who is revolutionizing the Saudi kingdom, leading the Middle East powerhouse toward the future, while forging ties with U.S. enemies. Can the U.S. find a way to work with him?


Meet Saudi Arabia's FIRST rabbi! ✡️🇸🇦
Rabbi Yaakov Israel Herzog tells i24NEWS about his efforts to establish the first Chabad house in Saudi Arabia to service the growing number of Jewish expats, and the surprises he encountered along the way to becoming the Kingdom's "first" unofficial rabbi.


Egypt hosts summit between PA's Abbas, Jordan king amid U.S-Saudi talks
In a meeting that comes amid a resurgence of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas travels to Egypt for a summit meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II




Hamas supporter arrested for throwing Molotov cocktail at Jerusalem police building
A resident of eastern Jerusalem was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of throwing a Molotov cocktail at a police building in southern Jerusalem about two weeks ago, police said on Sunday.

Hamas and Lions Den flags were found in the suspect's home, as well as a bullet from an M16 firearm.


Iranian munitions storage facility destroyed in attack attributed to Israel
An Iranian depot located in Damascus, and containing munitions collected over time was targeted and completely destroyed, early on Sunday, according to the UK- based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The opposition group did not say if the attack was carried out by aircraft or came overland but did say that there was no knowledge of casualties.

Earlier the Russian Sputnik news site reported explosions in the Syrian capital, from a missile strike attributed to Israel. according to that report, Syrian air defenses were activated and many of the missiles were intercepted before reaching their target. "Fighter jets fired multiple missiles toward the Damascus region," Sputnik said quoting a senior Syrian military official.

According to Ynet's senior security analyst Ron Ben-Yishai, if Israel was behind the strike, it was likely carried out by missiles fired from the ground and not by attacking aircraft.

An attack on Damascus last week, which was also attributed to Israel, killed six people, four of them identified as members of the Syrian military, while no details were given on the remaining two. According to some reports, among the casualties was a Syrian scientist who specialized in the production of precession weapon systems.
Alleged Israeli airstrike destroys Hezbollah warehouse in Damascus
Explosions rocked Damascus for the fourth time in two months, as airstrikes targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot housing hundreds of missiles and rockets. i24 Middle East correspondent Ariel Oseran joins host Ariel Margalith with the latest updates.




Report: Crashed Hezbollah truck estimated to have carried Iranian anti-tank missiles
Several days after a Hezbollah truck carrying ammunition overturned near Beirut, killing two people and sparking clashes with residents of a local Christian town, security sources reportedly estimated that the vehicle had been transporting anti-tank missiles sent from Iran.

The violence erupted Wednesday evening after the accident in the town of Kahale, located in the mountains east of the Lebanese capital, on the road linking Beirut to the Bekaa Valley bordering Syria.

Kahale mayor Abboud Abi Khalil has told AFP that residents surrounded the truck demanding to know what was inside before Hezbollah members escorting it opened fire and killed one of them.

The powerful Iran-backed Shiite terror group said one of its members, Ahmad Ali Kassas, was shot in ensuing clashes and later died of his wounds.

The Lebanese army said Thursday that it had seized munitions from the overturned truck, adding that “the cargo of the truck has been transported to a military center, and an investigation has been opened by the competent judicial authorities.”

On Saturday, Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported that security officials from an unidentified Middle Eastern country were estimating that the cargo was Iranian anti-tank missiles, sent by the Islamic Republic to its Lebanese proxy terror group.
Israel: US-Iran deal will not stop nuclear program, help fund terror
Israel warned against the danger of any United States deal with Iran that doesn’t halt the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program after Washington announced a six billion dollar deal with Tehran for the release of five imprisoned Americans.

The unusual agreement between Tehran and Washington comes amid Israeli fears that the Biden administration is seeking an understanding with Iran that would allow it to maintain much of its nuclear capacity.

“Israel's position is known,” the Prime Minister’s Office said. “Arrangements that do not dismantle Iran's nuclear infrastructure do not stop its nuclear program and only provide it with funds that will go to terrorist elements sponsored by Iran.”

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is set to travel to Washington later this week to talk with the Biden administration about Iran and about the potential US-Saudi Arabia deal that would include normalization with Israel.

According to the Hebrew news site Walla, Dermer will fly out on August 17 for talks with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, as well as Middle East envoy Brett McGurk and US Special Envoy for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein.
Will Congress Save Itself by Stopping the Iran Deal and Biden's Imperial Presidency?
The continuing trend of broad expansions of presidential powers... is eroding the powers of the legislative branch.

Constitutionally, the vital decisions of government were not to be decided by the stroke of a pen from the president, with no congressional action from the duly elected representatives of the people.

By addressing the Iran nuclear deal that is not yet dead, Congress can reclaim some of its constitutionally mandated powers by insisting that the initial steps taken regarding any Iran deal be reviewed by Congress, then followed up with strong action, as powerfully initiated by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul.

Regrettably, Congress has allowed its authority to be eroded for decades by the Executive Branch, and has insufficiently guarded its power under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Congress should be particularly concerned that the administration might use extraordinary means to bypass and implement a nuclear agreement without congressional review, as is required by federal statute in the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.

This legislation passed the House with 400 "yes" votes to 25 "no" votes, and passed the Senate with a vote of 98 - 1, a remarkably strong bipartisan response indicating deep support by Congress for exercising its rightful role in treaties and international agreements.

[I]t is abundantly clear that Congress wants -- and needs -- to play a role in any future agreement. Given the uncertainty on whether Biden will follow the review steps outlined and required in the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, now is the time for Congress to assert itself fully and forcefully into this process.

Congress should indicate, clearly and immediately, that any perceived violation of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act will be met by the strongest means possible under the constitution: full use of the courts and the power of the purse to defend its position.
Iran 'incentivised' to take hostages after US prisoners freed, fears Kylie Moore-Gilbert
The release from prison of four Americans by Iran in return for the unfreezing of funds could “incentivise” Tehran to take more hostages, former captive Kylie Moore-Gilbert has warned.

Dr Moore-Gilbert told The National the deal in which South Korea unfroze $6 billion of Iranian funds amounted to the paying of a “ransom” and called for action to “resolutely” deal with Iran’s hostage diplomacy.

The Australian-British academic was held in Iran's notorious Evin prison on trumped-up espionage charges and was sentenced to 10 years.

She was detained for a total of 804 days and spent months in solitary confinement before she was returned to her homeland in a prisoner swap in November 2020.

“In my view, the transfer of Iran's frozen assets in South Korea does amount to the payment of ransom,” she said.

“And we should be concerned about the prospect that such a payment will only incentivise Iran's hostage diplomacy further, which will endanger the lives of even more foreign and dual nationals visiting Iran, as well as provide the regime with more funds to further its crackdown on human and women's rights inside the country.”

Authorities in Tehran released four Iranian-American prisoners from Evin prison and placed them under house arrest.

Those released were businessmen Siamak Namazi, 51, Emad Shargi, 58, and 67-year-old environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who also has British citizenship.

The fourth American citizen's identity has not been made public while another, also an unnamed American had already been released.

The funds freed by South Korea will be held in an account of Qatar’s central bank and Iran will reportedly be given access to the funds for humanitarian purposes.

Dr Moore-Gilbert said the deal was the third “major cash-for-hostages deal Western countries have agreed upon with Iran, and by far the most lucrative, with the Americans transferring more than $1 billion per hostage”.

While welcoming the restrictions on Iran’s access to the funds, she said “it remains to be seen how Qatar will be able to ensure that funds aren't siphoned off to boost the IRGC's budget or finance various Iranian proxy groups abroad”.


How can Jews fight progressive antisemitism?
This may sound counter-intuitive and perhaps even mad, but if you want to combat Jew-hatred in progressive spaces, don’t fight the antisemitism, fight the progressivism. To explain this wild idea, it may be helpful to examine language found in the description of the recently launched Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism (ICSZ), which aims “to support the delinking of the study of Zionism from Jewish Studies, and to reclaim academia and public discourse for the study of Zionism as a political, ideological, and racial and gendered knowledge project, intersecting with Palestine and decolonial studies, critical terrorism studies, settler colonial studies, and related scholarship and activism.”

In sum, architects of this declaration seek to primarily divorce Zionism from Jewish identity and secondarily, position Zionism outside of the pale of progressive ideology.

For founders of ICSZ, the world is understood as a battlefield between two major forces: those who have political power and those who are politically powerless. For example, the white man, simply because of his skin color has inherited a privilege, a certain power, in society and exerts this power simply by existing.

Examine closely the sacred categories to be studied by this institute: race, gender, and colonization. Each exists within a binary framework of power and powerlessness. If one accepts such a framework, naturally Zionism must be confronted and eradicated. Why? Because at its core, Zionism is a Jewish national movement that seeks to restore a land to a certain ethnic group. Zionism is the antidote to victimhood; moreover, it is the return of agency to a persecuted people. As such, if you are a progressive, Zionism makes you uncomfortable.

Of course, there are those who view Zionism as an apotheosis of social justice, who bemoan the attempt to paint Zionist Jews as politically conservative. For these individuals, who identify as progressive, Jews matter because they are a marginalized people who deserve self-determination and freedom from persecution.

Unfortunately, progressivism has a great response to this point, which in many ways is a contradiction to being progressive and a Zionist: in a hierarchy of marginalization, Jews are near the bottom. We don’t get to be free from persecution at the cost of a higher ranked “persecuted” minority: the Palestinian Arabs.


Left-Wing Terrorist Sympathizer Writes 'Autobiographical' Novel About Youthful Incest Fantasy
At this point you're probably thinking, "Wait, who the hell is Jerome Segal?" Fair question. He's a creature of academia who previously worked as a Capitol Hill aide and government bureaucrat. He's also a semi-prominent member of the anti-Israel activist community.

In 1989, Segal founded the Jewish Peace Lobby, a precursor to J-Street. Years earlier, he was part of the first American Jewish delegation to meet with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which the United States classified as a terrorist organization. He boasts of being the only Jewish columnist to be regularly published in Al-Quds, the Palestinian newspaper best known for defending the veracity of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Until recently, Segal was a candidate for president in the 2024 Democratic primary. (No, you shouldn't have known that.) He dropped out to enter the U.S. Senate primary in Maryland after incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) announced his retirement in May. (No, he's not going to win that race, either.) Segal previously challenged Cardin in the 2018 Democratic primary; he came in third behind convicted traitor Chelsea Manning.

"This was the first time in American political history," Segal wrote in a press release announcing the release of his novel, "that a sitting U.S. Senator faced a primary challenge because of his ties to AIPAC and his unwavering support for Israeli government policies."

Another aspect of Segal's political philosophy—one that features prominently throughout 85 Rochdale Road—is his commitment to socialism, the hardcore variety his Polish-born father and other family members embraced in the early 20th century at a time when such views were relatively fashionable and untested in practice
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CAMERA prompts BBC Arabic to amend Tel Aviv attack report
A post by CAMERA Arabic.

Unlike the BBC’s English language website, on August 5th the BBC Arabic website published a report about the shooting attack in Tel Aviv on that day.

After two days during which the article falsely stated that the outcome of that terror attack was “three injured Israelis”, CAMERA Arabic prompted BBC Arabic to acknowledge the death of one of the wounded Israeli civilians – Tel Aviv municipality patrolman Chen Amir, aged 42.

This is not the first time that BBC Arabic has failed to update the death toll of a Palestinian terror attack in a timely and appropriate manner (i.e. not after a week or only on Twitter). Notably, Chen Amir succumbed to his severe wounds in the hospital barely four hours after the shooting took place.

Another amendment prompted by the same communication from CAMERA Arabic concerned the breakdown of Israeli and Palestinian fatalities since the beginning of the year. The original BBC Arabic article concluded with the following statement:
“The death toll [caused] by the attacks, clashes and military operations since the beginning of January rose to no fewer than 207 Palestinians, in addition to 27 Israelis.

This number includes combatants and civilians, among them minors, on the Palestinian side.”

However, not only the on Palestinian side do the fatalities include minors. Of the 28 (rather than 27) Israeli citizens killed (including soldiers but not including a Ukranian, an Italian and a Palestinian who were all murdered in attacks aimed at Israeli civilians) since the beginning of 2023 and up to the BBC’s August 5th publication, five were minors: Asher Natan Morali (14), Asher Menachem Paley (7), Yaakov Yisrael Paley (5), Nachman Shmuel Mordoff (17) and Elisha Antman (17).


Dealing with the daily problem of antisemitism, not just the spikes
Many Jews in America are lucky, not to encounter antisemitism or the dangers it poses on a regular basis. But that does not mean that antisemitism was ever not a worry. Every year in the fall during the Jewish High Holy Days synagogues across the country hire security to guard the entrances to their religious facilities because of the threat of antisemitic violence. This is a normal part of the holiday for Jews everywhere in the United States.

In recent years many institutions have taken to hiring security for any service or event, including days when religious school is in session. It’s only in moments where greater threats raise their ugly heads, as was the case during the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, TX, or after the sentencing of the shooter from The Tree of Life Synagogue attack, that I even consider that this “normal” is, in itself, a problem.

In the wake of such events synagogues and Jewish institutions across the country add security measures and hold in-house meetings about current security protocols, just as my office did between 2015 and 2019 whenever the extremes of antisemitism hit the news. These days I find myself having to scour trending hashtags and social media stories to be prepared for possible upticks in antisemitic violence in the real world.

The Anti-Defamation League linked over 30 in-person acts of antisemitism directly to the antisemitic declarations Kanye West made on social media back in 2022. Words have consequences. This is why, even when others can rest easy, the Jewish community must always be vigilant when it comes to the presence of antisemitic statements as well as actions.

Even if antisemitism does not make the news there is never a moment that I, or the Jewish institutions I have worked for or interact with, are allowed to let our guard down. Just as I must always be aware of my surroundings and know where my keys are as a woman when I walk alone, so too there are parts of my everyday life I must always be aware of when interacting in spaces as a Jew, whether those spaces are Jewish or not, whether they are in-person or online. This may be normal for me, but that does not mean that it should be.
US synagogues continuously targeted by 'swatting'
"For the fourth weekend in a row," stated Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), "ADL worked with law enforcement and community partners to mitigate the disruption to Jewish prayer services posed by a group of online trolls who swat and call in fake bomb threats targeting synagogues."

During these incidents, the trolls utilized "highly antisemitic language," with their focus primarily on synagogues that live-streamed their services. The affected parties encompassed at least "26 synagogues and two ADL offices in 12 states."

The ADL Center on Extremism actively collaborated with law enforcement to "determine the source or sources of these troubling and potentially dangerous activities."

Greenblatt underscored that "protecting the ability of Jewish people to observe Shabbat in peace was central to the mission of ADL." Individuals who were impacted by or had information regarding these incidents were encouraged to report them using the "online incident reporting form."

Police in Fremont California took swift action on Friday following a potential bomb threat targeting a synagogue, according to a report on FOX KTVU.

According to the report, around 8 p.m., authorities were alerted to a possible bomb threat at the Beth Torah Jewish Temple. In response, the Fremont police promptly evacuated the individuals present and initiated a thorough search of both the temple premises and the surrounding vicinity. Fortunately, no "suspicious devices or persons" were detected during the search.

According to police, temple officials conveyed their knowledge of similar incidents occurring at other synagogues in California.


Germany probes arson at Holocaust memorial site in Berlin
A box of books placed in Berlin's Grunewald Station as part of the Gleis (platform) 17 Holocaust memorial site was set on fire and destroyed by an unknown suspect early on Saturday morning, German police said.

Berlin emergency services responded to complaints filed by an employee of a nearby bakery who was told by two witnesses of the fire at the memorial site, according to a police report.

An unknown suspect was witnessed placing the box, reportedly containing educational books on the rise of fascism in Germany, inside a defunct telephone booth before lighting it on fire, as per the report.

Berlin department firefighters arrived at the scene and extinguished the flames. However, the books were completely destroyed in the fire, police said.

The investigation into the incident was taken over by the Federal Criminal Police Office, Germany's central criminal investigation agency.

The history behind the Platform 17 Holocaust memorial site
One of the major sites used by the Nazis for the deportation of Jews, the number 17 platform at the German capital's Grunewald railway station saw the forced transport of some 50,000 Jews throughout World War II and the Holocaust, according to Holocaust historians as well the Berlin Municipality.

Jews who were deported from Germany through Grunewald were more often than not sent to labor and concentration camps in Riga, Warsaw, Auschwitz-Birkenau and Theresienstadt.
Neo-Nazi Who Distributed Antisemitic Fliers Sentenced by Florida Court for Littering Offense
A 32-year-old neo-Nazi was sentenced to 12 months probation by a court in Florida this week after he was convicted on charges that included a littering offense for distributing virulently antisemitic fliers in West Palm Beach.

Nicholas Bysheim, a resident of Maryland, was convicted of three charges on Tuesday, including resisting an officer without violence and misdemeanor charges for dumping litter and attempting to commit dumping of litter, the States Attorney Office said. The incident with the police officer occurred in January, while the littering offenses took place in March.

Prosecutors had attempted to impose a custodial sentence of 364 days on Bysheim before the judge decided to sentence him to probation and a fine. Further violations during his probation will likely result in imprisonment in Palm Beach County.

Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told local news outlets that Bysheim “came into our community to incite hatred against the Jewish community.”

He added: “Anyone who disseminates hate here will be held accountable.”

Bysheim was arrested by police after he was spotted tossing antisemitic flyers onto the lawns of private homes as he drove a U-Haul truck. For the last three years, a neo-Nazi group styling itself the “Goyim Defense League” (GDL) has been distributing fliers across the US blaming Jews for the COVID-19 pandemic, abortion, LBGTQ+ community rights and other alleged ills.


Abraham Accords inspire Arizona, Kansas State basketball teams to visit Israel, UAE
When Auburn University basketball coach Bruce Pearl disembarks his flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi next week, he said he will be kissing the ground of the Emirati capital.

Pearl, one of the more outspokenly Jewish and pro-Israel coaches in all of sports, will be accompanying the men’s basketball teams from the University of Arizona and Kansas State University — two of the nation’s best teams — on part of a 10-day trip to Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Though his Auburn team is not part of this summer’s trip, Pearl said he felt strongly that he should be on the flight from Israel to the UAE, to “feel very much a part of the Abraham Accords,” the series of normalization agreements between Israel and some of its neighboring Arab countries.

Organized by the nonprofit Athletes for Israel, the program is an expansion of the “Birthright for College Basketball” trip that Auburn experienced last summer. As its name suggests, the group works to bring athletes to Israel in an effort to combat antisemitism and “change the narrative about Israel,” said founder Daniel Posner.

This month’s trip, which runs from August 9-20, will feature a number of tourist highlights in both countries, including stops at the Dead Sea, the Western Wall, Bethlehem, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market and the beaches of Tel Aviv. In the UAE, the teams will visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the UAE, and the country’s Abrahamic Family House, which features a synagogue, a church and a mosque on its grounds.

While in Israel, the schools will also play an Israeli Select Team, an all-star team of sorts that will feature Jewish basketball star and current NBA G League player Ryan Turell. Auburn men’s basketball team members join head coach Bruce Pearl for a kiddush ceremony in Jerusalem, July 31, 2022. (Steven Leonard/Auburn University)

“When we talked about the trip for this year, our dream was to do an Abraham Accords-like trip,” Posner told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “We were able to make that happen this year, traveling to both Israel and the UAE, really showing that in today’s modern day and age, there can be peace in the Middle East. And we want to support that.”

Pearl, who cites his experience coaching the Maccabi USA basketball team at the 2009 Maccabiah Games as a career highlight, said his dream is to create a full “Abraham Accords Cup,” with an Israeli team joining the US teams on a trip to one of the Arab countries, and vice versa.


StandWithUs: Did you know Israel is a world leader in making the desert bloom?!
At a plantation in southern Israel amidst scorching summer heat, an Israeli farmer manages a drip irrigation system channeling a blend of ground and recycled water to nourish date palms. This proven technique, refined over decades in Israel, has gained substantial international attention. Small country, big ideas! 💧🌴🇮🇱




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