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Monday, July 15, 2024

07/15 Links Pt2: It's Time to End Hezbollah's Decades of Impunity; Marvel strips Sabra of Israeli identity; Paris memorial for 1972 Olympics massacre to be held in secret

From Ian:

Aviva Klompas: It's Time to End Hezbollah's Decades of Impunity
Since October 7, Hezbollah has used that arsenal to launch almost 5,000 rockets and explosive drones at Israel. The near-daily attacks have set swaths of northern Israel on fire and forced tens of thousands of families to evacuate their homes indefinitely. In recent weeks, the attacks have stretched deeper into Israel, making more and more of the small country uninhabitable.

At the same time, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is ramping up the rhetoric. He recently vowed to fight Israel "without restraint, without rules, without limits and without restrictions," and even threatened to attack Cyprus, a member of the European Union.

While global leaders have spoken with dismay about the escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, they have failed to stop the attacks from Lebanon or to enforce Resolution 1701. If no solution is found, Israel will have no choice but to take matters into its own hands.

It's not too late to stop an impending war — but that can only happen if the international community confronts Hezbollah and backs its resolutions with resolve.

That means designating both Hezbollah's political and military wings as terrorist organizations, which would leave no room for ambiguity to freeze assets, ramping up counter-terrorism efforts, and bringing terrorists to justice. It also means implementing a true monitoring system and guarantees that Hezbollah doesn't creep back toward Israeli territory and resume attacks on northern towns.

As world leaders and officials gather in Buenos Aires to mark the 30th anniversary of the AMIA tragedy, such accountability would be the most fitting way to honor the victims' memories.

Until that happens, Hezbollah and Iran will have license to spread terror and commit murder around the world, just as they did the morning of July 18, 1994.
Offensive anti-Israel protests at Holocaust memorials
The Holocaust is a reminder of the consequences of unchecked hatred and violence. Exploiting this sacred memory to push a political agenda disrespects the victims and diminishes and trivializes the gravity of their suffering. The actions of these groups feed into the narratives of antisemites who seek to delegitimize and demonize Israel, further endangering Jews worldwide. As a child of Holocaust survivors and proud Zionists, I find these actions despicable.

Accusations of genocide against Israel are a gross misrepresentation of reality. Israel’s military actions are defensive measures against terrorist organizations, including Hamas, which continuously threaten the safety and security of Israeli civilians. By equating these actions with genocide, protesters ignore the legitimate right of a nation to protect its people.

Protests at Michigan’s largest Holocaust museum justify violence against Israelis and Jews by falsely portraying them as perpetrators of heinous crimes. This dangerous rhetoric incites hatred and violence, contributing to rising antisemitic incidents globally. These libelous protests distort historical facts and promote a false narrative that fuels antisemitic sentiments, misuses the memory of the Holocaust to criticize Israel unjustly and feeds into dangerous and false allegations of genocide.

The Coalition Against Genocide, JVP and their supporters are morally corrupt. All community members and leaders need to denounce this protest and its sponsor groups. It is our collective responsibility to protect the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and to ensure that their suffering is not trivialized or misused. Let us stand together against antisemitism, for truth and for Israel’s right to protect itself.
Paris memorial for 1972 Olympics massacre to be held in secret over threats – report
The memorial ceremony at the upcoming Paris games for the victims of the 1972 Munich Olympics terror attack will reportedly be held outside of the Olympic Village in a secret location, due to concerns that it may be targeted by extremists, given heightened antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment.

According to the Hebrew news outlet Israel Hayom, the ceremony was originally scheduled for July 24 at the Paris City Hall, but was canceled due to security concerns. Instead, an alternate smaller ceremony will be held with fewer attendees at a location that will not be disclosed to the public, the report stated.

The Israel Olympic Committee refuted the report that the ceremony was moved due to threats, saying it was nothing more than a logistical issue, as specific permits needed to hold the event at the City Hall could not be issued in the days before the Olympics opening ceremony.

“Due to the delegation’s tight schedule, it was decided to hold the ceremony, in coordination with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, in its full format on August 6 in another location,” the committee said. “Claims that the ceremony is underground or that it was moved due to any specific security alerts, or that canceling it was considered are fundamentally false claims.”

The memorial ceremony for the victims of the attack at the Munich Olympics, when eight members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September infiltrated the Olympic village and killed 11 Israelis, was held for the first time during the Tokyo 2020 games.

The decision to recognize the victims of the attack with an official commemoration was made by the IOC president after extensive campaigning by the families of the 11 victims.

The memorial was followed a year later by a ceremony in Germany marking 50 years since the attacks, in which Berlin acknowledged, for the first time, its “responsibility” for failings that led to the deaths of the athletes.

The ceremony in Paris next month will be attended by Bach, as well as Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, members of the Israeli delegation, and French Jewish communal leaders.


Seth Mandel: Marvel Studios Lets ‘Little Hitler’ Win This Time
In October 1991, Saddam Hussein had been defeated but a new villain threatened the world of Marvel Comics: Max Meer, a blond boy from “Draburg” with mind-control powers. The comic-book issue was titled “Stan Lee presents… The Incredible Hulk: ‘Little Hitler’.” Now, who would you call in to stop him but a superhuman Mossad agent named Sabra?

Although Ruth Bat-Seraph, aka Sabra, had been introduced to fans of the Incredible Hulk already, she finally got her own two-issue story in 1991, and it wasn’t exactly the most original plot: A future almost-literal Hitler appears, and this time there is a State of Israel to stop him. Sabra is the Hebrew word for Israeli-born Jew. Have I mentioned the character also works for the Mossad?

It’s all a bit on-the-nose, yes. Which is probably why Marvel never had any plans to turn the story into one of its gazillion big-screen adaptations. Nevertheless, the studio is bringing Ruth Bat-Seraph into the Marvel cinematic universe. A teaser trailer for the next Captain America movie gives us a glimpse of Israeli actress Shira Haas as Bat-Seraph.

Unfortunately, when this was first announced two years ago, the great many anti-Semites in the nerdosphere threw an extremely pale hissy fit, vowing to restore mankind to a future without those pesky Jews on screen. And it became clear early on that Marvel, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company, was susceptible to this pressure.

When Variety reported on the “controversy” at the time, Marvel tried to reassure its Jew-fearing readers: “While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics, they are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago.”

At the time, I speculated that perhaps this “new approach” would be, a la Steven Spielberg’s Munich, to make Sabra a self-hating AsAJew who is just sick of the occupation blah blah blah. But according to Marvel’s own website, I gave the company too much credit. I never expected that they would make Ruth Bat-Seraph a non-Israeli: “New to the cast is Shira Haas,” the company says, “who joins as Ruth Bat-Seraph. A former Black Widow, Ruth is now a high-ranking U.S. government official who has the trust of President Ross.”

So she’s Russian. Without an original back story.
Marvel strips Jewish superhero Sabra of her Israeli identity
Since the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7 the backlash against Hass and the character has intensified.

Marvel, which has recently sought to increase diversity on screen, has since written the character as a former Russian operative.

A new description of the film published on Marvel’s website describes Haas’s character as a former Russian spy, who is now a senior American government official. The character has earned the trust of President Ross, played by the actor Harrison Ford.

The character's Israeli name remains, but Ruth’s background is no longer Israeli, and she is instead of Russian origin.

It is understood that early screentests of the film led to changes to scenes and central plot lines.

Reports suggest that stripping Ruth Bat-Seraph’s Israeli identity and re-imagining her as a Black Widow was down to feedback from screen tests.

In the recently released trailer, Israeli actress Haas, can be seen alongside actor Anthony Mackie, who plays Captain America.

Mackie is the first black actor in history to play Captain America, for the iconic superhero film and comic book franchise.

In the original Marvel comics, Sabra’s superpowers include superhuman strength, speed, a regenerative healing power, and the ability to charge others by transferring her life energy to them.

The word Sabra is a Hebrew term used to describe someone who is native to Israel and the character used her powers to fight against Palestinian terrorists, after her son was killed in a bus attack.
Marvel’s cowardly decision to erase the Israeli background of Sabra won’t solve anything
Well, knock me down with a feather. Marvel has decided to un-Israeli its most Israeli character.

In its latest blockbuster, due out next February, Israeli actress Shira Haas plays Sabra, a character who first appeared in a 1980 edition of The Incredible Hulk. Those of us who can remember 1980 (I was a teenager) recall it as a tough but more hopeful time than today for the Middle East. Israel and Egypt had just made peace. The Camp David accords laid out a framework for Palestinian self-governance.

Marvel’s Sabra, real name Ruth Ben Seraph was born near Jerusalem and was brought up on a special kibbutz run by the Israeli government, and worked for the Tel Aviv police. Ruth - nicknamed Sabra - was the first superhuman agent created to serve the Mossad. She wore a blue and white costume. Everything about her was Jewish and Israeli.

Inevitably the decision to introduce Sabra into a Marvel film - Captain America: A Brave New World – caused controversy. People started shouting about a boycott as soon as the film was announced. But now the trailer is out, and a different group of people are shouting. Sabra (though played by Israeli actress Shira Haas) doesn’t work for Mossad and doesn’t seem to be Israeli at all. Instead she is a former Russian operative, now working for the American government.

In fact, Marvel’s decision to drop Sabra’s Israeli identity predates the current war. Back in 2022 they waffled on about times changing and characters like Sabra needing a ‘new approach’. I guess that’s what happens when you make your money through constantly looking back, rather than creating new stuff. You end up rewriting and renewing and erasing the very thing that made a character special in the first place.
MLK Jr. aide backs Jewish-Americans’ push to confront antisemitism, lauds civil rights contributions
An aide to Martin Luther King, Jr. said Jewish Americans were vital to the civil rights movement in the US — and he understands their mentality to stomp out rampant antisemitism today.

Clarence Jones, who was King’s personal attorney, strategic advisor and speech writer, got emotional while discussing the young Jews who marched alongside black activists in the south during the 1960s.

“I got to tell you. When I talk now it makes me cry. I just burst into tears,” Jones, 93, said during a videotaped interview in January for Queens College’s documentary series on the 60th anniversary of the “Freedom Summer” for civil rights in Mississippi.

He said he understands the anger and anguish of Jews after Hamas’ sneak attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and the Jewish State’s aggressive retaliation against their attackers in Gaza amid the ongoing war amid rising hatred against Jews, he said.

“They really believe, `Never Again’ …They’re not going to take that risk,” Jones said.

Jones recalled asking the young white New Yorkers and others who self-identified as Jewish why they were marching for the cause of equal rights for black folks in the segregated south.

“`Well, attorney Jones. You go back and tell your Dr. King, we respect him….. but we’re not really doing it for him,”Jones said one of the Jewish civil rights activists told him.

“I would be perplexed and said, `I don’t understand,'” he responded.

“`You should understand. Go back and tell your Dr. King that my grandpa and grandma, they died in a Holocaust and I know this is what they would want me to do,'” said Jones.

He and King talked about the importance of strengthening the alliance of Jews and black Christians.

“There’s a group of white people out here who self identify themselves as Jews. They’re very special and we have to get to understand them,” he remembers telling King.

King established strong ties with Jewish leaders — among them Abraham Joshua Heschel and Rabbi Joachim Prinz — who supported black Americans who suffered from discrimination and domestic terrorism from the likes of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists. Prinz was pictured appearing with King at the White House with then-President John F. Kennedy and other civil rights leaders.
Biden Disavowed Anti-Semite Linda Sarsour. Then His White House Hosted Her.
The White House hosted anti-Semitic activist Linda Sarsour in May 2023, three years after then-candidate Joe Biden publicly disavowed the prominent Jew hater, citing her long record of anti-Israel incitement and support for boycotting the Jewish state.

Sarsour—who has compared Zionism to "white supremacy in America" and questions Israel’s right to exist—appears to have attended a White House celebration of Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of the Ramadan fasting period. Sarsour joined around 400 others at a White House event that day, visitor logs show. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), the Squad member who also has trafficked in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and championed anti-Israel priorities in Congress, attended as well.

Sarsour’s appearance at the White House, which garnered little attention at the time, occurred just three years after the Biden campaign publicly cut ties with her over support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and long history of anti-Israel advocacy.

She is one of several well-known anti-Semites to have been hosted at the White House in recent years, visitor logs show, even as the Biden administration claims to be combating an explosion of Jew hatred across America in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 strike on Israel. Other White House partners have included the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the primary advocacy groups driving anti-Israel unrest across the country.

Still, Sarsour’s appearance in the Biden White House is particularly notable due to her very public clash with the president’s 2020 campaign.

At the time, Sarsour appeared on a Democratic National Committee panel, discussing how to "defeat fascism" and rally the "Muslim American community" to vote for Biden. After her presence was noted in the media, the Biden campaign quickly denounced the veteran activist.

"Joe Biden has been a strong supporter of Israel and a vehement opponent of anti-Semitism his entire life, and he obviously condemns her views and opposes BDS, as does the Democratic platform," Andrew Bates, a Biden campaign spokesman who now works at the White House, said of Sarsour in a statement. "She has no role in the Biden campaign whatsoever."

That initial rebuke, however, was soon walked back in private Biden campaign communications with activists. During a subsequent phone call with Muslim and Arab advocates, Biden aide Ashley Allison reportedly described the comments about Sarsour as "disrespectful" and "hurtful."

These types of controversies have become a hallmark of the Biden White House since the president was elected.
'Terror or resistance?' BBC asks users about Hamas' murder of elder Jewish woman
The BBC's Arabic channel has come under fire for its coverage of a Hamas attack on an Israeli city, as well as for failing to moderate antisemitic comments on its YouTube channel.

In a recent YouTube video discussing the Hamas attack on Ra'anana, which resulted in the death of 79-year-old Edna Bluestein and injured more than a dozen others, BBC Arabic posed a controversial question to viewers. The caption asked, "Does resorting to running overs and stabbing reflect despair at the possibility of putting an end to the war on Gaza and the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank? How do you view such an operation, terrorism or resistance?"

Critics argue that framing the debate in this manner suggests the BBC might consider it legitimate to describe Hamas attackers as resistance fighters. The attack, for which Hamas claimed responsibility, involved both stabbings and vehicular assaults.

A spokesperson for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) said: "The fact that BBC Arabic's YouTube channel asks its viewers whether the murder of a 79-year-old woman is 'terrorism or resistance' is in line with the BBC's general insistence on avoiding the word 'terrorism' in relation to any attack on Israeli civilians, including the atrocities of October 7."

The controversy extends beyond this single incident. Numerous antisemitic comments have been left unmoderated on BBC Arabic's YouTube channel. For instance, a report about the Oct. 7 attacks garnered over 125,000 views and 405 comments, many of which were offensive and violent towards Jews and Israelis.

Another video featuring an interview with a young Israeli woman who survived the Oct. 7 attacks attracted similar inflammatory comments. One user wrote, "Enjoy your stay while it lasts or while you draw breath, your reckoning is at hand, and man will it be a sight to burn in memories. You are in for the let down of your life."

Camera has raised concerns about the BBC's moderation practices, noting that while some offensive comments were removed from Facebook following complaints, similar comments on YouTube remained unedited or undeleted.

In response to these criticisms, a BBC spokesperson stated: "BBC News Arabic reflects debates taking place across the Middle East including on polarising and sensitive subject matters around the Israel-Gaza war. As part of this reporting, we invite a wide variety of contributors to provide differing perspectives and routinely question views on air."


A modern day prophet and hero
One of the greatest gifts the people of Israel have been granted during the Oct. 7 war is that we have reminded ourselves of Jewish strength and power in our superpower tiny county Israel. Our people are Maccabees and prophets, warriors and angels. There have been many heroes, but Rami Davidian, our citizen farmer, is a hero who must be remembered for generations.

Our Israeli Zionist braveheart saved 750 lives driving back and forth from the site of the Nova massacre. He saved so many and yet is haunted by those he could not save. Driving with him around the site of the massacre reminded me of the horrors of the Holocaust, during which Jews hid and were massacred. Rami carried out rescues all day and performed miracles.

This wonderful man, a Kurdish Jew, saved 750 lives at the Nova festival. He drove back and forth for days saving people from Hamas terrorists. It’s like a movie, but here in Israel, it’s real.

Sitting with Rami in Tel Aviv is to be with a prophet. A 25-year-old man named Amit approached and hugged Rami for saving his life. Amit’s girlfriend May openly cried. Rami speaks of these children as his children. He hugs them and they both cry and laugh. He rescued this young man who was hiding in a ditch reciting the Shema.

At the beach with Rami, Israelis of all ages come to ask for blessings and thank him. A man with a dog hugged Rami, telling him “Atah malach, atah gibor.” (“You are an angel, you are a hero.”) This is our people.

I’m blessed to have gotten to know this hero since we met in October. Rami saved not only 750 people but also their children, grandchildren and others.

Name your children after Rami.
Wife takes down hostage poster of husband Yossi Sharabi before Be'eri home demolished
Nira Sharabi, whose husband Yossi Sharabi was killed while in Hamas captivity and whose brother-in-law Eli Sharabi was also taken hostage, took down a poster calling to bring Yossi home from the rubble of her Be'eri home before the wreckage of the house was demolished, the Kibbutz said.

"This is an absurd situation," said the Kibbutz manager. "It emphasizes that the physical destruction can be cleared and rehabilitated, but as long as the hostages are held by Hamas, there is no possibility to really rebuild."

Yossi Sharabi was likely killed by an IAF airstrike in February, an IDF probe found, stating that it is possible he was killed by Hamas in captivity. Sharabi was being held by Hamas in a structure adjacent to the structure that the air force attacked, but IDF intelligence did not know that at the time.


Israel Advocacy Movement: Zionist loses it in explosive Gaza debate | Joseph Cohen vs Zoubida el-Arabia
Full debate on October 7th and the Israel-Gaza War.


The Quad: Uncharted Territory: Israel Braves the NEXT Front
"We already are in a third world war. It's an information war."

For the first time in Israel's history, the information war is affecting the battlefield as Israel is bombarded with claims of genocide, inflated casualty numbers and AI images of suffering Gaza civilians.

Is Israel losing the crucial battle over information? Why is Israel so bad at media strategy? The Quad looks at how different governments are fighting misinformation and why Israel seems to always drop the ball.

Also, the importance of a centralized media strategy; freedom in the UAE; Canadian censorship; and honoring Muslims and Arabs seeking peace.

Featuring scumbags and heroes of the week!

Chapters
00:00 The Impact of the Information War
03:37 Foreign Influence and AI
6:39 Regulation or Censorship?
7:47 The Arab World and Social Media
11:45 Is there an Israeli media strategy?
19:20 Scumbags of the week
33:00 Heroes of the week

Scumbags: Zachery Dereniowski, NIAC, Janelle Monae, Jean-Luc Melonchon Heroes: Muslims for peace, Kibbutz Ruhama, Galaa Ibrahim


Billionaire Mort Zuckerman Cuts Off Millions in Donations to Columbia, Citing Failure To Respond to Anti-Semitism on Campus
The philanthropist and billionaire Mortimer Zuckerman cut off millions of dollars in funding to Columbia University citing the school's failure to address rising anti-Semitism, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. Zuckerman pledged $200 million in 2012 to endow an institute focused on interdisciplinary neuroscience research. But the billionaire owner of U.S. News & World Report began questioning Columbia's handling of rampant campus anti-Semitism following Hamas's Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and ultimately halted funding after several months of discussions, according to a Zuckerman Family Office spokeswoman.

"The recent decisions and actions taken by Columbia have been antithetical to the University's mission and it is simply not the same institution it was when Mr. Zuckerman made the pledge," the spokeswoman told the Free Beacon. "We will continue to evaluate the situation in the hope that Columbia will restore its reputation, standing and mission as a respected educational institution."

Zuckerman founded Boston Properties, a real estate investment trust, and ran it for nearly 50 years before stepping down as chairman in 2016. In addition to U.S. News & World Report, where he serves as editor in chief and publisher, Zuckerman also owned the New York Daily News for 24 years until he sold it in 2017.

The son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Zuckerman has consistently donated to a variety of Jewish and pro-Israel causes. In 2016, for example, he launched a $100 million STEM initiative to provide scholarships for American and Israeli researchers, with the goal of fostering scientific collaboration between the United States and Israel.

For months, Zuckerman engaged in conversations with Columbia, raising concerns about the school's governance and handling of campus anti-Semitism following Oct. 7, the Zuckerman Family Office spokeswoman told the Free Beacon. Columbia, in response, requested time to "rebuild trust and demonstrate better governance."

But that rebuilding failed to take shape, prompting Zuckerman, a media and real estate mogul, to pause millions in funding. Columbia had become the forefront of campus anti-Semitism, with protesters eventually storming Hamilton Hall and barricading its entrance. In-person classes and the main graduation ceremony were canceled.
‘Resign or be fired,’ Coalition for Jewish Values tells Columbia president
Minouche Shafik, president of Columbia University, should either step down or be fired by the school’s board, the Coalition for Jewish Values says.

The group, which represents 2,500 Orthodox rabbis, noted that Shafik allowed a dean to remain in his role after exchanging text messages mocking the panelists during an event on Jew-hatred. Three other Columbia officials involved lost their administrative roles, but remain on the payroll and the faculty.

“The bigotry and double standards are blatant, and entirely at odds with the experiences that I and others had at Columbia in the past,” said Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, an alumnus of the university and the coalition’s Israel regional vice president. “Imagine if something like this had happened during a session when black, Latino, Pacific Islander or LGBTQ faculty and students were speaking about hostility they faced on campus.”
Columbia Partners With Anti-Semitic Nonprofit That Endorsed Oct. 7 Terror Attack as 'Systemic Change for Collective Liberation'
On Oct. 7, immediately after Hamas terrorists slaughtered scores of Israelis, left-wing nonprofit Slow Factory announced its unequivocal support for the attack.

"As all eyes around the world focus on Palestine, keep in mind that these walls were built to separate along ethnic lines, the very definition of apartheid," the group wrote alongside an image of a bulldozer destroying a fence that separates Gaza from Israel. That bulldozer, Slow Factory wrote, was "breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation" to achieve "systemic change for collective liberation."

Prior to Oct. 7, the left-wing organization, which touts its "antiracist" approach and work to achieve "climate justice," focused on climate education initiatives. In the wake of Hamas's attack, however, Slow Factory pivoted to "Palestinian liberation." It launched a billboard media campaign in major U.S. cities, funded several fellowships on "Palestine," and churned out anti-Semitic social media content. Included on its website is a page dedicated to defending Hamas.

"The use of 'But Hamas' and its political and military goals to justify the oppression of Palestinian people as a whole, and the Israeli military occupation ignores the context of the 75-year occupation of Palestine," the page says. "Hamas is a relatively recent response to the systemic violence the Palestinian people have experienced for three quarters of a century."

The organization's embrace of Hamas has alienated some of its past corporate partners. Swarovski—which partnered with Slow Factory in 2019 and 2020 on a fashion-related program—told the Washington Free Beacon that it no longer works with the nonprofit, citing a difference in "values."

But one notable organization has not distanced itself from Slow Factory: Columbia University.

The Ivy League institution partnered with Slow Factory's education initiative, Study Hall, on a conference series that took place in 2020 "to highlight geologists, chemists, researchers, and innovators to share their scientific methodology with fashion's leading experts." When the Free Beacon reached out to both Slow Factory and Columbia about that partnership, Slow Factory quietly scrubbed the webpage that listed its various corporate and academic partners.
The time to stop campus antisemitism is now
Last month, I again sent college presidents and campus administrators our annual message about protecting Jewish students and managing a safer and more equitable campus—but this year’s message is much more strident. The concern for Jewish students is very real and if campus administrators think that simply taking the summer off is going to make things better or easier, they’re wrong. We’ve already seen some college administrations reducing punishments for those who broke campus codes of conduct. Just this week, Harvard did so. This has put Jewish students on edge.

In my message to administrators, I emphasized several key points:
- The need to protect Jewish students, faculty and staff will be paramount this fall and universities should already be working with their security teams; local, state and federal law enforcement agencies; and the campus and local Jewish communities to identify and protect Jewish institutions including places of worship, Hillel and Chabad facilities and AEPi fraternity houses.
- AEPi urges all higher education institutions to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s definition of antisemitism so that conduct officers and other administrators can clearly identify and immediately quash antisemitic activities and speech. This should, in no way, be seen as an attempt to limit free speech, but rather an attempt to limit hate speech that, we know, often leads to the ostracization of Jewish students and violence against them.
- AEPi demands that university administrators ensure that all students and student organizations comply with university codes of conduct and the policies and procedures of the campus. This includes not allowing unregistered events, protests or illegal encampments. Universities must not be afraid to enforce their own rules.

Campus administrations must develop, implement and communicate their plans for keeping Jewish students and institutions safe immediately. Waiting until the beginning of the fall term is too late and will create a dangerous campus culture.

AEPi’s Antisemitism Response Center (AEPi ARC), a partnership with the ADL, is a resource to provide confidential consulting on the needs of the Jewish students that make up the campus community. Helpful resources can be found on the AEPi ARC website.

AEPi will work with campus administrators throughout the year with opportunities for staff development and education. For example, last year, in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks and at the outset of the campus protests against Israel, AEPi hosted a webinar with campus administrators to help identify and curb antisemitic speech and activities. We will be planning similar opportunities for university staff in the coming academic year.

AEPi’s primary focus is to protect our students and help ensure their safety. The 2024-2025 academic year will be an especially difficult one for Jewish students as, too often, campus administrators allow Jewish students to be marginalized or terrorized. We cannot stand for that, and we will work aggressively to protect our students and the entire Jewish community.

I should add that, as of this moment, I have not heard back from any college presidents or campus administrators.
Northwestern faces subpoena threat after antisemitism advisory board ends
Northwestern University is facing continued scrutiny after a U.S. House committee accused leaders of obstructing an investigation about campus antisemitism.

The Evanston, Illinois university’s antisemitism taskforce recently disbanded after many of its members resigned.

University spokesperson Jon Yates told The College Fix in a recent email that Northwestern complied with the House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s request, submitting “several hundred” pages to them by the deadline.

However, committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx contested the university’s statement in a June letter.

The North Carolina Republican accused the Tier 1 university of not cooperating with the committee’s request for information, including “negotiations with the [pro-Palestinian] encampment, data on student and faculty disciplinary cases, and Board of Trustees records since the formation of the encampment.”

Instead, the university submitted “20 pages of public mass communications, such as campuswide email messages from President [Michael] Schill,” Foxx wrote.

According to her letter, of the 233 pages Northwestern submitted to the committee, 182 “are not actually responsive to any of the Committee’s requests.”

Foxx said in the letter that “Northwestern’s record suggests that it does not take complying with the Committee’s oversight efforts or upholding its Title VI obligations to protect Jewish students seriously.”

“Both are unacceptable,” she wrote.


PreOccupiedTerritory: Pro-Hamas Student Takeover Of Hogwarts Building Ends Badly (satire)
Hogsmeade, July 15 – Activists attempting to agitate for awareness of, and action to address, the plight of Palestinians following a Palestinian massacre of Jews and continued attempts since then to hurt as many Jews as possible suffered a setback in those efforts when they attempted to repeat at Britain’s school of magic a stunt that garnered them the desired attention at Columbia University several months ago: an attempt to gain control of one of the wings of the main castle at the facility fizzled when the magical structure itself foiled their attempt.

A group of “pro-Palestine” agitators tried to take caretaker Argus Filch hostage on the second floor of Hogwarts Castle yesterday, according to eyewitnesses. The group of six activists confined the man to a broom closet on the third floor and began to issue a list of demands – but those demands never came forth, as Hogwarts Castle itself thwarted the hostage-taking pro-Hamas thugs at every turn.

First, the witnesses report, hundreds of likenesses in portraits all over the building crowded into the handful of frames adorning that small section of the castle, and began yelling without pause. The racket drowned out any attempt by group of activists to announce their demands or hold forth on the justice of their cause. When the ringleader sought to step away from the area for a moment in pursuit of a quieter location, the floorboards and wall-mounted candle-holders seized him and threw him back into the confined area.

When two of the demonstrators attempted to hang a Palestinian flag from a window, the windowsill shook off the banner, which floated down outside the castle walls until a wind wafted it into the lake, where the giant squid caught the flag and tore it apart.

Peeves the poltergeist also swung into action by tying two protesters’ shoelaces together, and, when they tripped, sat on their faces and farted.
The Guardian gives biased view of Jerusalem property dispute
Another Arab family is about to be evicted from their home in East Jerusalem, reports The Guardian. But as we have come to expect, the issue is framed as rapacious ‘settlers’ stealing homes from their rightful Arab owners. In this case, the property belonged to Yemenite Jews evacuated from the Jerusalem suburb of Silwan by the British in the 1930s. The Legal and Administrative Matters Law, passed in 1970, allows for Israeli property owners who owned properties that in 1948 were transferred to Jordanian control to claim them back from the Israeli administrator-general. (East Jerusalem is the only area where Jews are allowed to claim restitution of their property.) if the present Arab occupants have been paying rent, they are protected from eviction under the law. In this case, the court seems to have ruled that Saleem Abed Gaith’s claim to have bought his home is not valid.
Times of Israel Corrects_ Abdallah Aljamal, Who Held Israeli Hostages, Was Palestine Chronicle Correspondent
CAMERA’s Israel office has prompted correction at Times of Israel, which erroneously reported that Abdallah Aljamal, a Gaza resident who held Israeli hostages, was a contributor to Palestine Chronicle, a pro-Hamas outlet. In fact, Aljamal, who was killed when the Israeli military rescued hostages Shlomo Ziv, Almog Meir Jan, and Andrey Kozlov, held a more significant role at the U.S.-based outfit.

The July 10 Times of Israel item had inititally stated (“Rescued hostages sues US nonprofit with ties to journalist who held him captive”):
Jan was held by Abdallah Aljamal, a spokesman for the Hamas-run labor ministry in Gaza who has contributed to several news outlets in the past, including the Palestine Chronicle, which is run by the nonprofit.

Aljamal did not merely contribute to Palestine Chronicle; he was a correspondent at the pro-Hamas outfit. His title as correspondent was posted on the Palestine Chronicle site until the rescue operation exposed that he held hostages, at which point the organization sanitized his affiliation. The archived page listing him as correspondent is available here.

In response to communication from CAMERA’s Israel office, Times of Israel editors promptly corrected the error, and the article now accurately refers to Aljamal’s position as correspondent, with a helpful hyperlink to the archived Palestine Chronicle page.

Contrary to common journalistic practice, a note alerting readers to the change is not appended to the story.
Looking behind a BBC World Service radio news bulletin
The Abu Ali Express website reported on the afternoon of July 5th (12:52 UK time) that Jabareen – whom Fatah said was a member of the Palestinian Authority security forces – was buried wrapped in the flag of Fatah’s Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades terror group.

In other words, by the time the BBC World Service told its audiences around the world that “seven people” had been killed in Jenin, it was already known that at least five of them had been claimed by the terrorist organisations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and that two of the seven had carried out a fatal attack days earlier.

BBC editorial guidelines on accuracy state that “In news and current affairs content, achieving due accuracy is more important than speed”. In this case the BBC chose to tell just part of a story that was already in the public domain, dumbing it down to a two sentence ‘he said-she said’ account which fails to contribute to audience understanding of the full story.

As the BBC itself told us a year ago, trust is earned. Slapdash reporting such as this only undermines trust.
More uncritical BBC promotion of claims from Hamas-run civil defence
Although Keane found fit to include a photograph of Mughayer in his report, he did not bother to inform readers that the “official” – who is actually in charge of the supply department at Gaza’s Civil Defense unit – previously gave an interview to an Egyptian media outlet in which he inaccurately claimed that tents had been hit by missiles in Rafah and falsely told NBC that the location concerned was “a designated humanitarian area”. Neither did Keane bother to tell his readers that Mughayer (also spelt Mughir, Moghier, Mughayir) was previously one of those who spread disinformation concerning mass graves at the Nasser hospital and promoted falsehoods concerning ‘organ theft’ at Shifa hospital.


Republican Jewish Coalition endorses eight candidates taking on incumbents
The Republican Jewish Coalition has endorsed eight candidates who are running against House incumbents.

The “standout” challengers are Gabe Evans (Colorado-8), Austin Theriault (Maine-2), Yvette Herrell (New Mexico-2), Laurie Buckhout (North Carolina-1), Derek Merrin (Ohio-9), Kevin Coughlin (Ohio-13), Ryan Mackenzie (Pennsylvania-7) and Rob Bresnahan (Pennsylvania-8).

“There is a stark distinction between the agendas of House Democrats versus House Republicans when it comes to the concerns of Jewish Americans,” Norm Coleman and Matt Brooks, national chairman and CEO respectively of the RJC, said last week.

“Republicans will continue an aggressive investigation into antisemitism on college campuses. Democrats will shut the investigation down,” the duo stated. “Republicans will continue to insist on putting additional pressure on the Iranian regime, while Democrats will continue to be tongue-tied over Iran’s role in destabilizing the Middle East through its terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah.

“Republicans will stand with Israel in its self-defense efforts—including by banning U.S. aid to Hamas’s abettors UNRWA—while Democrats will continue to undermine the Jewish state and restore UNRWA funding without meaningful accountability,” they said.
Chris Van Hollen slated to travel to Israel this week
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is traveling to Israel later this week, two officials in Israel and one in the U.S. confirmed to Jewish Insider.

The Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President’s Office told JI that they did not have scheduled meetings with Van Hollen.

Neither MK Benny Gantz nor Opposition Leader Yair Lapid are currently scheduled to meet with Van Hollen, according to their representatives. Other senior Israeli officials did not immediately confirm a meeting with the senator.

The Maryland senator has in recent months come under pressure from Jewish constituents concerned over his increasingly critical rhetoric on Israel. Ron Halber, the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, told JI in May that Van Hollen was “hemorrhaging significant Jewish support because of his perceived lack of sensitivity to Israel during the current war.”

In March, a group of 70 Maryland rabbis sent a letter to Van Hollen, urging him “to change your rhetoric and actions that we believe mischaracterize the current war and undermine America’s support for the Jewish state.”

In February, Van Hollen, who has opposed unconditioned military aid to Israel, accused Jerusalem of causing mass starvation in Gaza.

“Kids in Gaza are now dying from the deliberate withholding of food,” Van Hollen said in a Senate floor speech. “That is a war crime — it is a textbook war crime. That makes those who orchestrate it war criminals. So now the question is, what will the United States do?”
Anti-Israel ‘Squad’ at Risk of Another Big Election Loss as Poll Finds Cori Bush Trailing Opponent by 23 Points
US Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), one of the fiercest critics of Israel in Congress, is trailing her Democratic primary opponent by a staggering 23 points, according to a new poll.

The findings come as Bush faces an uphill battle to avoid becoming the second member of the so-called “Squad” of far-left US lawmakers outspoken against Israel to lose to a more moderate Democrat this election cycle.

St. Louis prosecutor Wesley Bell leads Bush by a margin of 56 percent to 33 percent in the Aug. 6 primary for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, according to a survey conducted by McLaughlin & Associates for the CCA Action Fund and first reported by the New York Post.

Among Democrats, Bush holds a favorability rating of 50 percent and an unfavorability rating of 47 percent, the poll found. Meanwhile, Bell touts a favorability rating of 70 percent and an unfavorability rating of just 18 percent.

The numbers suggest that Bush’s support within her district has crumbled at a rapid rate. A poll conducted by The Mellman Group from June 18-22 showed a much tighter race, with 43 percent of respondents indicating support for Bell and 42 percent indicating support for Bush. In January, Bush enjoyed a commanding lead of 45 percent to 29 percent lead among Democratic primary voters.

Bush has been vocally critical of Israel in the months following the Hamas terror group’s Oct. 7 slaughter of more than 1,200 people throughout southern Israel. The congresswoman called for an “immediate ceasefire” only nine days following the atrocities of Oct. 7, dismissing Israel’s military response to terrorism as “retaliatory violence.”


NJA chair quits Tories over former minister accused of invoking antisemitic tropes
Reacting to the decision, a spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said: "This decision is shameful. Sir Alan Duncan suggested on-air that members of the House of Lords were working at the behest of the Israeli state, and this was not the first time that he made such an assertion. At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time-high, invoking conspiracy theories and tropes about dual loyalty only inflames the situation for British Jews. Political parties are responsible for holding their representatives to account. The Conservative Party has failed to do this and would do well to remind itself of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's ruling with regard to the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership."

Danny Stone, Chief Executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust told the JC: “This is the wrong decision. It sends a message that using tropes, whether knowingly or not is acceptable. This case should be reviewed and reversed.”

In an interview in April in which he called for a suspension of arms sales to Israel, Duncan told broadcaster Nick Ferrari that he wanted to “flush out” pro-Israel “extremists” in government.

The former MP, who represented Rutland and Melton from 1992-2019, claimed that that pro-Israel group Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) “has been doing the bidding of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, bypassing all proper processes of government to exercise undue influence at the top of government.”

He called for the expulsion of CFI Honorary President Lord Stuart Polak from the House of Lords, and said that “he is exercising the interests of another country, not that of the Parliament in which he sits.”

At the time, the Board of Deputies called his comments “disgraceful”. CAA called for his expulsion from the Conservative Party.

Duncan also attacked CFI Parliamentary Chairman Lord Eric Pickles and said: “They’re the sort of Laurel and Hardy who should be pushed out together". During the course of the interview, he also attacked former parliamentary colleagues including Suella Braverman, Tom Tugendhat, Priti Patel and Oliver Dowden.

Last week, Duncan told UAE-based news outlet The National that the UK has lost credibility in the world by appearing to be “complicit with Israeli extremism”.


Vince Dale Loses Latest Libel Claim
In a High Court ruling today, Judge Jaron Lewis struck out Dale Vince’s claim against the Daily Mail, stating that it was “not potentially viable” and “bound to fail”.

The Judge said: “There is a contradiction in the claimant’s case. The claimant accepts that the headline and photograph do not accurately summarise the article, although his pleaded case on ‘extrinsic facts’ is that they always do.”

He added: “At its highest, it could be said that some readers will have believed that headlines always accurately summarise the underlying article, but this is no more than an opinion, and is insufficient to support an innuendo meaning.”

Concluding: “The claim is not potentially viable, and there is no basis for exercising discretion in the claimant’s favour.”

Guido congratulates Associated Newspapers for standing up to thin-skinned Dale who is spraying writs and threats of writs around like confetti – using his oligarchical wealth and power to menace critics and political opponents.

The principles in this case have a directly analogous application in the cases Dale Vince has brought against Shaun Bailey, Guido, and Richard Tice. That is if the cases even proceed beyond the first hurdle – he must disprove that his hopeless case is not a SLAPP against political critics. The end result will be the same.


Bournemouth Green councillors attempt to ‘de-twin’ seaside town with Netanya
This week, Bournemouth Council will hear a motion to “de-twin” the Dorset town from Natanya in a move that allegedly seeks to protect the “reputation” of the southern English seaside resort.

Bournemouth's Green Party councillors Joe Salmon and Kate Salmon tabled the resolution to de-twin from the city in west-central Israel, which has been twinned with Bournemouth since 1995.

The motion will be discussed during a meeting of the Bournemouth Charter Trustees, and states: "In recognition of the current Israel-Hamas conflict and Israel's potential violations of international law, and the subsequent detrimental impact on the reputation of the town of Bournemouth and its Mayoralty, I call on the Charter Trustees of Bournemouth to withdraw its support for Bournemouth's twinning with Netanya, Israel”.

The motion demands that the Bournemouth Charter Trust “remove any signage and other signifiers to that effect and request that the Bournemouth Twinning Association de-twin the towns."

Cllr Joe Salmon told the Bournemouth Daily Echo that the idea of twinning is “rooted in fostering mutual respect, cultural exchange and the promotion of peace and understanding… When the actions and policies of a sister town’s nation contradict these values, it becomes imperative to reconsider and potentially sever such ties.”

The motion comes a few months after signs recognising the twinning with Netanya were allegedly stolen.
New pro-Gaza MP was the local leader of an 'Islamist extremist' group that was criticised for 'partnering with extremism' as it emerges another told a rally there was 'no difference' between Israeli government and Isis
A new pro-Gaza MP was the local leader of an extremist group described in Parliament as 'Islamist' and criticised in a government report for 'partnering with extremism', the MoS can reveal.

Shockat Adam, 51, caused one of the Election's biggest shocks by defeating Labour's Jonathan Ashworth in Leicester South.

He is one of five new independent MPs who campaigned on a pro-Gaza ticket.

But an MoS investigation has found Mr Adam was the Leicester chairman for Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), which Michael Gove labelled as 'Islamist' this year.

Mr Adam is also the brother of Ismail Patel, 62, founder of the extremist Friends Of Al-Aqsa, one of the groups to have organised pro-Gaza protests since October 7.

Mr Adam, who left MEND in March, said: 'MEND is an organisation which encourages Muslims to participate in Britain's liberal democracy, the exact opposite of Gove's accusations.'

It comes as another newly-elected MP who won his seat on a pro-Palestinian ticket once told a Gaza rally that there was 'no difference' between the Israeli government and Isis.

Adnan Hussain won the seat of Blackburn where there is a large number of Muslim voters, beating the Labour candidate Kate Hollern.

He was elected as an independent having campaigned against Labour's stance on the Israel-Gaza war.

According to the Telegraph, Mr Hussain told a rally in Hyde Park, London in 2014: 'Isis are terrorists and so are the Israeli government – there is no difference between them.


Israel allows UN to bring armored vehicles, protection gear for its Gaza aid workers
The United Nations said on Monday that it will start bringing in more armored vehicles and personal protection equipment for its humanitarian aid operations in the Gaza Strip after receiving approval from Israeli authorities.

The approval was in response to a UN letter sent to Israel last month on safety and security in Gaza, said Scott Anderson, deputy humanitarian coordinator for the Gaza Strip and West Bank, as the war between Israel and Palestinian terror group Hamas enters its tenth month and law and order has broken down.

The UN has long complained of obstacles to getting aid into Gaza — Israel inspects and approves all trucks — and says it is also struggling to distribute aid amid “total lawlessness” within the enclave of 2.3 million people, where a global hunger monitor last month said there is a high risk of famine.

Israel says some supply issues are a matter of poor UN logistics that it is trying to facilitate aid shipments, but accuses Hamas of disrupting them.

Anderson said the UN was due to start bringing more armored vehicles and protection equipment into Gaza on Tuesday.

“Some communications equipment has also been approved,” he told reporters, like hand-held radios, but added that discussions are still continuing on a UN request for stable internet access.

The UN has said it wants communications that do not rely on cell phone towers because they are not reliable. However, Israeli authorities have security concerns about what Hamas could do if it accessed satellite internet service.


Former Muslim who infiltrated the Tehran regime is new head of We Believe in Israel
French journalist and analyst Catherine Perez-Shakdam has been appointed to lead the advocacy group We Believe in Israel, succeeding Luke Akehurst, who was recently elected as the Labour MP for Durham North.

Perez-Shakdam is a former United Nations Security Council consultant on Yemen and is known for her work on Islamic terrorism, radicalisation and antisemitism.

We Believe in Israel has led calls to proscribe the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and spearheaded a campaign to remove extreme anti-Israel content from Spotify.

Perez-Shakdam grew up in a secular Jewish family in France and converted to Islam when she married a Muslim Yemeni man, whom she met at the University of London. She divorced him in 2014 and now identifies as a Zionist Jew.

While working as a journalist for state-controlled Russian television station RT in 2017, Perez-Shakdam met with senior Iranian leadership.

She spent time with Ayatollah Khamenei, as well as the former Quds Force Commander Soleimani and late President Ebrahim Raisi. The encounters left her with an abiding sense of the Iranian threat from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

She told the JC: “If we are serious about combating terrorism and Islamic radicalism, and stand by the rule of law, we have to proscribe the IRGC.”
Iran's "Moderate" President Is a Just Another Hardliner-in-Disguise to Glide in Its Nuclear Weapons Programme
[Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN-sponsored body that is responsible for monitoring the mullahs' nuclear programme] also warned that it could take Iran just a month or so for the Iranians to assemble a nuclear warhead, given the progress they have made in recent months in their enrichment programme.

The acknowledgement by an internationally respected body such as the IAEA that Iran has now acquired sufficient material to build several nuclear warheads, which could be assembled within the space of a month, is a devastating indictment of the Biden administration's policy of appeasement towards Iran since US President Joe Biden took office.

Biden's refusal to hold Iran accountable for its actions has resulted in the Iranian regime receiving billions of dollars in added revenue because of Washington's decision not to enforce oil sanctions against Iran. As a result, the extra funds received by Iran have been used to fund the regime's terrorist networks across the globe, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

As a senior official with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps admitted to The Telegraph, in the wake of the election, that Pezeshkian had only been allowed to compete in the election to "legitimise the vote".

It is vital, therefore, that the Biden administration fully understands the cynicism shown by Iran's hardliners in seeking to legitimise their brutal regime before making any further overtures to the country's so-called moderate president.

In the uncompromising world of Iran's autocratic Islamic republic, there is no such thing as a moderate Iranian president -- a fact that Iran's long-suffering people know only too well.
MEMRI: Officer In Houthi Ansar Allah Militia In Interview With Al-Jazeera Website: A Year From Now We'll Have Missiles That Can Threaten Europe, U.S. Nuclear Targets
On July 13, 2024 the website of Qatar's Al-Jazeera network published an interview with Aziz Rashed, who was presented as a brigadier-general in the Moral Guidance Administration of the Ansar Allah Defense Ministry. In the interview Rashed threatens that, a year from now, the Houthi Ansar Allah militia will have missiles " that can reach Europe or the Atlantic Ocean, so that America's nuclear targets" will be within their range. According to Rashed, the militia's hypersonic missiles, which can currently reach Bab Al-Mandeb, the Red Sea, the Arabia Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, along with the military force of Iran and the militias loyal to it in Iraq and Lebanon, deter the U.S. and deprive it of "strategic options." He warns that, if the U.S. and its allies in the region decide to expand the war against the Houthis in Yemen, the resistance axis will support the Houthis with all its resources and abilities.

Aziz Rashed begins by addressing the Houthis' cooperation with the Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq and their joint attacks on Israel.[2] These Attacks, he says, "are coordinated in a joint operations room, and their timing and targets are chosen so as to enable the drones and missiles to hit the depth of the Israeli targets." The website notes that Rashed "did not rule out that [the Houthis] will be present on all the fronts," and quotes him as saying that, "if the region sees extensive military activity, the resistance axis will be part of it. The campaign will be fateful and will impact everyone. The Palestinian cause is a central one for the resistance axis." He also notes that "the strategic missiles allow Yemen [i.e., the Houthis] to dictate the [geographical] scope of the military activity, even if we are not present in South Lebanon or in Iraq."

Rashed claims that the Houthis asked Egypt to allow them into Rafah so they could send Yemeni forces into Gaza to help the Palestinians there. He clarifies that, "if the U.S. pressures the countries that are subordinate to it in the region to act against us jointly in Yemen, the resistance axis will obviously support us with all its resources and abilities."

Assessing that the U.S. "will not intervene directly in any war in this region, because Iran, Iraq and Lebanon are a terrifying force," Rashed warns that such a war will have a far greater impact on the West than on the East. He states that, if war breaks out, "vital facilities of the regional countries, and of any participating country, will be hit, [and] Bab Al-Mandeb will be under our complete control."

Thanks to their supersonic missiles, says Rashed, the Houthis have managed to dictate the boundaries of the battlefield, which stretches from the Red Sea through Bab Al-Mandeb, the Gulf of Aden the Arabian Sea to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean – thus "eliminating America's strategic options and rendering it unable [to act]."
Did a boat full of smuggled arms for the Houthis ‘disappear’ off Yemen coast?
The Houthis have been searching for a missing ship that “disappeared” in the Red Sea, according to reports at the UAE-based Al-Ain media. “For the third day, the Houthis are mobilizing their groups, patrols and reconnaissance drones in the Red Sea in search of a missing boat carrying ‘valuable catch’ that was scheduled to arrive in [Yemen’s] Hodeidah,” the report said.

Iran has been smuggling weapons and expertise needed to develop long-range precision missiles and drones to the Houthis for many years. In some cases, ships destined for Yemen have been interdicted by the US Navy and other navies that patrol off the coast. In those cases, the boats are usually disguised as commercial vessels. These types of commercial vessels may also not be very sea worthy and they can disappear in rough seas. Iran’s navy has also suffered recent setbacks.

One of its warships, the Sahand, capsized in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on July 7. It is one of several recent Iranian naval accidents.

According to the report at Al-Ain, security sources in Yemen “revealed to Al-Ain that the terrorist Houthi militias lost contact with a large transport boat that was on a smuggling mission via a regular sea route from the Horn of Africa countries to the coasts of the governorate overlooking the Red Sea.” The vessel was also carrying “foreign experts” and military materials for the manufacture of missiles and materials for the manufacture of explosives. It was supposed to arrive in Yemen on Friday but disappeared on Saturday.

In response the Houthis have mobilized along the coast. The Houthis do not have a large navy but they have small boats. In many cases they have used small boats as kamikaze boats to attack ships in the Red Seal. The Houthis also have drones. The Houthis mobilized fishing boats to search for the vessel. However, fishing boats don’t have the technology or range necessarily to conduct searches of this kind.


Short Film on Rise of Antisemitism in France to Air on All Major French TV Networks on Bastille Day, Ahead of UEFA Euro Championship Final
With antisemitism in France escalating since the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza, a short film portraying a Jewish family grappling with fear will be broadcast on every French TV network ahead of the UEFA Euro Championship Final on July 14, Bastille Day.

Directed by Katia Lewkowicz (“French Dolls”), the short film captures the many ways in which the rise of antisemitic hate incidents has affected the everyday lives of Jews living in France. The film revolves around the Cohen family and shows how each of its members is affected. They begin hiding their Judaism and are compelled to remove their last name everywhere they can, take out the mezuzahs from their door frames, pull the curtains when they gather for Jewish holidays and avoid saying anything suggesting they are Jewish while in public. A friend of the family, who is a young Black French man, witnesses all this with shock and uproar.

The short film was produced by the agency Marcel under the initiative of Arthur Essebag, a fame TV host and producer, and Maurice Levy, the president of Publicis Group.

Essebag, who runs the banner Satisfaction, said he wanted the film to express the “solitude and fear of French Jews since Oct. 7. Citizens, like this family who are obligated to hide their identity and whose every life has sadly become synonymous with ‘Live hidden if you want to live happily.’

Essebag said the film was “aimed at everyone, from the silent majority to the youngest, for whom fraternity is an essential value of the French Republic.”


Former ‘Bachelor’ contestant Anna Redman apologizes for ‘flippant’ post about what she planned to wear to Auschwitz
Anna Redman, a social media influencer and former contestant on reality dating show “The Bachelor,” has apologized for posting a “flippant” Instagram story sharing her planned outfit for a visit to Auschwitz.

“I’m severely sorry for any pain I caused when sharing my packing notes story,” Redman wrote in her apology, which she posted July 12. “I understand how flippant it came off…. I understand that [sic] heaviness of visiting Auschwitz and have been planning accordingly since we added seeing it in our travel plans. Again, I’m very sorry and took it down as soon as I understood that [sic] gravity of the mistake I made. I had no ill intentions behind it AT ALL. And I hope you guys can understand that.”

In the Instagram story posted the day before, which disappeared like all such posts after 24 hours, Redman shared a screen recording of her “packing notes” and the outfits she planned to wear on an upcoming trip to Poland and other countries. It included photos of herself wearing them, with their corresponding dates and locations.

For July 16 “auschwitz am,” Redman, 28, shared to her 114,000 followers that she was set to wear a short black dress and white sandals.

The text, written in pink lettering and highlighted in pink, said: “The best packing ‘hack’,” followed by “Is somebody going to match my freak?” referring to the lyrics from “Nasty,” by Tinashe — a popular song on the charts and on TikTok.

Fans and viewers reacting to the post across Reddit, Instagram and X called it “insane,” “terrible” and “bizarre.”
When Portland charities condemned Israel, Jewish philanthropy was put to the test
This Passover, Rabbi Michael Cahana urged his congregation to use the portion of the seder commemorating the bread of affliction to “call out the hunger of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”

Such a message “reflects the values of this congregation, of this community,” Cahana, who serves Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, Oregon, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “The fact that civilians are suffering in wartime is real and terrible, and I think it’s important that we, as a Jewish community, recognize that suffering.”

Two weeks later, the Oregon Food Bank — which, for years, has received financial and other forms of support from the congregation — drafted its own statement about hunger in Gaza. This one called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war; accused Israel of perpetuating a “war against Palestine,” and said the Israeli military was “indiscriminately” targeting bakeries, aid workers and hospitals, along with otherwise hindering relief efforts in the region.

While the draft did not accuse Israel outright of genocide, a common allegation among pro-Palestinian activists, it referenced “colonial ideologies” and said the food bank would work “to keep policymakers accountable and press them to refrain from enacting foreign policies that contribute to genocide, warfare, famine, and hunger.”

Beth Israel congregants, who knew their synagogue had organized funding drives for the food bank, were outraged. Cahana was, too: the food bank’s words, he thought, failed to account for Hamas and evinced little of the empathy for all victims of war his own Passover message had sought to convey. Even after conversations with the local federation, the food bank refused to significantly change its statement.

In response, a dozen Portland Jewish groups — including the federation, several synagogues including Beth Israel, and a Jewish family service group — decided in late May to cut off their support. Today they’re funding other local hunger groups instead, at least two of which are Jewish-run.
‘Uncomfortable history’ at Nazi bunker-turned-hotel in Hamburg
Where four anti-aircraft guns used to be on the roof of a tower, hotel guests now find a restaurant, bar, cafรฉ, shop and hotel foyer.

The Reverb hotel at the Hamburg Bunker is constructed on both an “uncomfortable lump of war history” and a “challenging property,” wherein guests are invited to “experience the magic of this historic place,” built by 1,000 slave laborers, according to a travel write-up in the Financial Times.

“Little of the building’s darker past is acknowledged in its new incarnation as yet, although there are plans for a memorial to the victims of the Nazi regime, including the laborers who built the tower in just 300 days,” the newspaper adds.


The Holocaust Educational Trust’s Testimony 360 tool is a pinch-me moment
Holocaust survivors know well that when we stand before an audience and share our testimonies, we are regarded as a living witness to those incomparable atrocities. A symbol of living memory reminding those who listen that the Holocaust is not yet lost to the dusty pages of textbooks and the long passage of time but lived experience standing before them in flesh and bone. But as the years go on and Holocaust survivors succumb to their mortality, we begin to wonder more deeply about how our memory will go on ‘living’.

We urge students not just to listen, but to remember and their remembrance becomes characterised by the survivor they heard from. They remember a name, a voice, the person they met and, students have expressed to many on numerous occasions, that means far more to them than anything they have been taught. It’s these messages which continue to inspire me and give me strength to share my testimony even when the world around us feels resistant and volatile.

I have devoted myself to sharing my testimony whenever I can to honour my family, the six million Jewish men, women and children who were brutally murdered and to see out my duty to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten. As antisemitism continues to fester and spread with renewed energy and Jews suffered the worst attack since the Holocaust perpetrated by Hamas on 7th October, I feel my efforts will never be finished. I continue in the hope that if students learn where antisemitism can ultimately lead, they may be inspired to stand up to anti-Jewish hatred wherever they encounter it.

When I began sharing my testimony publicly in 2006, I never could have imagined the reception from students nor the ways in which the preservation of testimony would evolve.

Testimony requires to be heard, but I have often feared what will happen when I can no longer speak.

Now, with thanks to the Holocaust Educational Trust’s groundbreaking Testimony 360 project, my fears have been quietened.
England festival shows art that Hitler hated
An exhibition in Holt in Norfolk, England, includes a portrait of a Dutch girl with a large slash through her left cheek and neck—evidence of a border guard’s bayonet in Nazi-annexed Austria.

The guard stabbed the packing case containing the painting to make sure that no people were hiding inside, the BBC reported. (The show, “German Expressionists and The Third Reich,” contains works that the Nazis deemed “degenerate.”)

“It’s extraordinarily unusual in the sense that many people would have thought it’s a damaged painting and either disposed of the painting because it’s not the greatest work of art ever, but also it might have been something that made them unhappy,” James Glennie, who co-curated the show, told the BBC.

“They don’t celebrate it, but being thinking people they decided the best thing to do was to keep it so that it showed the aggression of the Anschluss,” he said.
Huge mural of London Jewish life unveiled at JW3
A nine-storey high mural has been unveiled at the site of the London Jewish community’s flagship cultural centre.

Painted by artist Leon Fenster, the collage at JW3 features hundreds of people, places and items connected to the history of Jewish London.

Using his trademark use of wit and caricature, Fenster has managed to incorporate over 150 faces from Jewish fiction, legend, history and the business world.

Passers-by will be able to spot father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud, three famous agony aunts, Margorie Proops, Claire Rayner and Irma Kurtz, the only Jewish prime minister Benjamin Disraeli celebrating the Bar Mitzvah he never had and Queen Elizabeth I watching the trial of Rodrigo Lopez, her famously Jewish doctor.

In an interview with the JC, Fenster said the mural was “a collision of historical memories in a single space, an artwork that lets us inhabit our memories and dreams in the same way that we actually remember our memories within dreams. It's a kaleidoscope of the world of one community.”

William Gallinsky, director of programming at JW3, which commissioned the mural, said: “London has a diverse Jewish community, with history and stories to match. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that rich tapestry is shared with the whole of London.

"What better way to be loud, and proud of our heritage, than by putting it up on the side of our home for the world to see? Leon has captured the depth and breadth of Jewish London in a beautiful artwork that we hope will create countless conversations about multicultural London.”

Visitors are being invited to borrow a pair of binoculars to see if they can spot a diverse range of characters, including Jewish boxers, Daniel Mendoza and Harry Mizler, seven prominent rabbis and even a golem, a creature from Jewish folklore, warding off Nazi planes during the Blitz by hanging off St Paul’s Cathedral like King Kong. The most eagle-eyed observers may be able to spot the one character who appears twice.


travelingisrael.com: Prague – the song that changed Israeli music

Jewish Agency says 22,000 new immigrants landed in Israel since Oct. 7
Since October 7, 22,000 new immigrants have arrived in Israel, according to the Jewish Agency and Aliyah and Integration Ministry.

There has been a 510% increase in the number of case files opened in France alone since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, totaling 6,440 people, compared to 1,057 people during the same period a year ago.

Eight hundred people have immigrated from France since October 7.
Mayim Bialik producing movie on Yeshiva U’s basketball win streak
From 2019 to 2021, the Yeshiva University men’s basketball team embarked on a 50-game win streak — vaulting to the top of the NCAA’s national Division III rankings and enrapturing Jewish fans across the country.

Now, the YU Maccabees’ historic run is headed to the big screen, courtesy of Mayim Bialik, the Jewish actress and former “Jeopardy!” host.

“The Maccabees,” a film by Bialik’s Sad Clown Productions, will spotlight the team’s coach, Elliot Steinmetz, a lawyer who has coached the team since 2014, according to Deadline. It will focus on players’ dedication to Judaism as they embarked on the streak.

In a statement to Deadline, Bialik spoke of announcing the film in what “has certainly been a complicated year,” adding that “what remains true is that stories of Jewish ingenuity, perseverance, and resilience are necessary more than ever.”

The film’s writer, Matt Ritter, said he hopes “The Maccabees” dispels negative perceptions of Jews at a time of rising antisemitism.

“I too have been troubled by the barrage of antisemitism in the world and one thing that has always bothered me was the negative portrayals and stereotypes,” he wrote on Instagram. “It feels like we’re either Holocaust victim or Schlub. Well this team of exceptional athletes and winners at Yeshiva University did something really special. They went on an epic winning streak led by a Coach who shares my determination to prove Jews can be whatever we want: including great athletes.”
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