Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Ilhan Omar calls her critics bigots. It could be because she doesn't want people to read a new book about her.

A revealing tweet from Ilhan Omar:

I am,

Hijabi
Muslim
Black
Foreign born
Refugee
Somali

Easily triggering conservatives, Right wing bloggers, anti Muslim bigots, tinfoil conspiracy theorists, birthers, pay me a 💵 to bash Muslims fraudsters, pro-occupation groups and every single xenophobe since 2016 😆 pic.twitter.com/SffIqUT32I
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 24, 2020

She is saying that critics are bigots against Muslims or black people or immigrants.

This is essentially her inoculation against criticism. It isn't about her words or ideology or her own bigotry - she is immune from attack because she can play the racism card.

So Omar, and the people in her circles which increasingly resembles the entire American Left, refuse to engage on the issues - her antisemitic statements, her offensive positions, her links to pro-terror organizations, her pretense of being feminist while refusing to admit misogyny in Islam, her paying a large salary to her lover and other corruption that is being revealed - and instead deflect criticism by labeling her opponents racist.

It is probable that this tweet was meant to be a response to the release this week of a book by Benjamin Weingarten about Omar and the threat that she represents.

The last thing she wants is for people to read it. For Omar, it is much better to imply that anyone who reads the book is vile.

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Today is the first day of the Islamic month of Rajab.

Like in many places worldwide, Palestinian schools have various announcements meant to be broadcast over school public address systems for various occasions. Sometimes these broadcasts include current events, prayers and the like.

Watania, a Gaza-based news organization, published a script yesterday of what was to be broadcast this morning in Palestinian schools on the occasion of the new lunar month. I don't think this is an official mandate, rather a suggestion of how to make Rajab relevant to students. No doubt some schools do broadcast what is suggested.

The suggested broadcast for today is antisemitic.

It includes this fervent prayer: "Oh Allah we ask that this year be a year of good and peace and that you cleanse the Holy Land from the spiteful Jews, for they are no match for You. Oh Jews, we have a great Lord; take revenge on them, oh Vanquisher/Subduer, oh Allah, oh Allah, oh Allah."

I found some other transcripts of Palestinian school radio broadcasts sprinkled throughout the Internet and antisemitism is not unusual. For example, this one says Jews could only hold onto Israel because of Muslim negligence:

I do not fear the power of the Jews, but I fear the Muslims ’failing. The Jews did not take what they took with their power, but with our neglect, it is the negligence of the strong that strengthens the weak.

Or this one:

The Jews are fools because they occupied a state whose people are untiring.
Every Palestinian is born a mujahid.

Palestinians learn their Jew-hatred from somewhere, and schools are one of those places.

(h/t Ibn Boutros)

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The Spectator explains what Israeli cuisine means

Last week the Washington Post published an article that claimed that the very term "Israeli food" erased Palestinian culture.

The Spectator actually addresses the arguments Kassis brings, perhaps unintentionally.

To the Jewish state’s many critics, the rise of Israeli cooking doubtless embodies the colonialism that lies at the heart of the ‘Zionist project’. Trust the Jews to descend on a piece of neglected gastronomic real estate, strip its cuisine for parts and then use their savvy and connections to make a fortune flogging it to Americans. It’s true that hummus and the politics of cultural appropriation are serious issues in the Middle East. The Israel-Lebanon ‘hummus wars’ saw regiments of chefs patriotically competing to prepare ever-larger vats of the stuff in an attempt to capture the Guinness world record.

But there’s another story to tell, too, about a cuisine that draws strength from the diversity that is this 72-year-old country’s tragedy and its triumph. About a quarter of Israel’s population is Arab, including Bedouin and Druze. More than half of Israel’s Jews are Mizrachi, descendants of ‘eastern’ Jews from Iran, the Middle East and North Africa, who migrated, fled or were expelled from their homes after Israeli independence was declared in 1948.

This swirl of humanity has made Israeli food into the ultimate mezze platter: tagine and couscous from the Maghreb, shawarma from Ottoman Turkey and sabich (eggplant, eggs and salad in a pita) from Iraq. Jachnun (pastry) and the unpronounceable but addictive zhoug (an ultra-hot sauce) come from Yemen. Challah rolls down from the old country of Poland and Russia. Falafel is Egyptian or Israeli but, as usual, it depends on whom you ask. The yoghurt obsession is down to the Druze. Shakshuka is Tunisian. Hummus is the cement of the Levant and claimed, like the land, by both Israelis and Palestinians, among others. Fuse all this together, and you have the modern Israeli kitchen. Lots of places do these foods well, but Israeli restaurants do them all at once.

It isn't that Israel tries to erase Arab culture. It is that it adds its own spin on Middle Eastern food, creating dishes that are brand new.

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02/24 Links Pt2: UNESCO Affiliate at An-Najah University Honors Terrorists; The ethnic cleansing of Jews and left wing hypocrisy; Bernie Sanders, Surrounded By Anti-Semites, Attacks AIPAC

From Ian:

NGO Monitor: UNESCO Affiliate at An-Najah University Honors Terrorists

In August 2018, An-Najah University in Nablus held a ceremony to recognize 61 prisoners incarcerated in Israel’s Nafha Prison who had completed a course in international law and human rights. According to the university, the ceremony was organized by the UNESCO Chair on Human Rights and Democracy and Peace at An-Najah, in cooperation with Fatah, Fatah’s youth and student movement, and the Palestinian Authority Minister for Prisoners’ Affairs.

Course instructors included:
- Yasser Abu Bakr – Responsible for a 2002 terror attack in Netanya in which two Israeli civilians were murdered, including a 9-month-old girl. In 2004, Abu Bakr was sentenced to 115 years in prison.
- Nasser Awiss – Responsible for the murder of at least 14 Israeli civilians, in at least 4 terror attacks. In May 2003, he was sentenced to 14 life sentences.
- Izaddin Hamamra – Convicted in 2004 of recruiting suicide bombers for two bombings in Jerusalem, in which 19 Israelis civilians were murdered. Hamamra’s cell also planned bus hijackings.
- Khaled el-Karam – A law student at An-Najah. According to Palestinian media, he was arrested in May 2017 and sentenced to 15 months in prison by an Israeli military court. He also delivered remarks at the 2018 ceremony.

Responding to media coverage of the program, UNESCO attempted to distance itself from the program, claiming that “UNESCO does not fund UNESCO Chairs. It is the responsibility of the university hosting a UNESCO Chair to provide all the resources required – human, financial etc. – for the UNESCO Chair to carry out its work….The diploma/certificate-awarding training is not a UNESCO program and we have no role or contribution to it. Rather it is training provided by the university with the support of the UNESCO Chair. Chairs can contribute to such training but awards, diplomas, and certificates can be issued only by the university, not UNESCO.”

According to UNESCO, it chairs exist in over 700 institution, located in over 116 countries. These devote special attention to “key priority areas related to UNESCO’s fields of competence – i.e. in education, the natural and social sciences, culture and communication.”

UNESCO chairs are active in Israeli institutions, such as Ben Gurion University, Bar-Ilan University, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, the Technion, and others.

David Collier: The ethnic cleansing of Jews and left wing hypocrisy

Talking about the historical ethnic cleansing of Jews from the whole of North Africa and the Middle East is an easy method of proving the antisemitism within the Palestinian cause. This example started with a simple tweet. A tweet that clearly points out that whilst Arabs make up more than 20% of Israel’s population, the rest of the Middle East and North Africa has virtually no Jews in it anywhere. Given some of these areas, like Morocco and Iraq had large Jewish populations – it becomes obvious that the Jews were ethnically cleansed from the MENA region.

Over 20% of Israel's population is Arab.

The Jewish population of -

Egypt 0%
Lebanon 0%
Syria 0%
Iraq 0%
Jordan 0%
Morocco 0%
Algeria 0%
Tunisia 0%
Libya 0%
Gaza is 0%

A million Jews used to live in these places.

Talk to me about ethnic cleansing again.
— David Collier (@mishtal) February 22, 2020

The tweet was popular – it was retweeted 2500 times and received over 6300 likes. Its message is clear and easy on the eye. There were a million Jews who lived in places such as Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Tunisia. In one way or another the Arabs in the region turned on their Jews, persecuted them and in most places drove them out. An act of quintessential antisemitic persecution. So when people reference ethnic cleansing in relation to the Arab / Israeli conflict – there is ONE obvious ethnic cleansing we really have to discuss. These people were not part of a civil conflict, they considered themselves at home and identified – as Jews always do – with the host nation. There were not even violent groups amongst them. They were simply othered, persecuted and driven out from their homes – often forced to leave all their posSessions behind.

Ethnic cleaning – a simple equation
A simple equation then for the human rights activist. *If* the people who hold aloft the ‘Palestinian cause’ do it because of ‘human rights’, *then* the very least of expectations, the lowest of bars, would also have them sympathising with these Jewish victims of ethnic cleansing. If this does not occur, we have solid evidence that their support for the Palestinian cause is not driven by human rights issues at all.

The obvious conclusion
The first thing to remember is that this all came from one simple tweet. It isn’t the result of deep digging or long-term research. When you post something about the persecution of Jews – this is what you receive in response. This brutally exposes a clear and blatant truth. None of this has anything to do with international law or concern for human rights. These activists fail the most basic of tests. They simply do not care about people being persecuted. When the ethnic cleansing of Jewish people from Arab lands is placed before them – they respond with whataboutery, insults and antisemitism. If you need proof that the Palestinian cause is more about antisemitism than human rights, just look at the response to this tweet. It is *always* worth remembering this when you hear them talk about how much they care.

This is the Al Jayyar Chocolate Shop in Gaza City.

I know, the first thing you think of when you see these photos is "this looks like the Warsaw Ghetto."

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Egypt bans popular "mahraganat" music because some lyrics are too racy - "more dangerous than coronavirus"

From France 24:

The union of Egyptian musicians has banned performances by singers of popular street music after the lyrics of a chart-topping song were deemed too racy for the conservative country.

The ban announced Sunday targets singers of mahraganat (Arabic for festivals) which has its roots in impoverished Cairo suburbs and spread after Egypt's 2011 uprising that ousted a longtime autocratic president.

Earlier this month the song "Bint al-Giran" (The girl next door) reached over 100 million views on YouTube and was the second most played hit on SoundCloud, the do-it-yourself streaming platform.

On Valentine's Day, crooner Hassan Shakoosh performed his hit at a packed Cairo stadium to tens of thousands of fans.

But the song's lyrics -- "I drink alcohol and smoke hashish" -- sparked the ire of the union, which reflects the views of authorities and takes orders from the culture ministry in the conservative Muslim majority country.

The head of the musicians union Hany Shaker was quick to react and on Sunday banned mahraganat singers from performing at clubs, cafes, hotels and concerts.

"This kind of music which is loaded with sexual innuendo and offensive language is completely unacceptable. That's why we have pulled the plug on it once and for all," Shaker said.

A statement by the union said "legal proceedings" would be lodged against establishments that host the performers.

100 million views on YouTube and the Egyptian culture ministry thinks they will be able to ban it? There might not be any public performances but you can be sure that fans will continue to listen.

Here is Shakoosh performing the song on TV in January:

But Shakoosh's manager caved to the censorship.

The manager of Shakoosh apologised.

"We are very sorry for our mistake and respect the union's decision," manager Camba told AFP on Monday.

He said the lyrics which offended public sensibilities were played at the stadium because of a technical glitch.

Arab News adds:

Egyptian Parliament spokesman, Salah Hasaballah, described the mahraganat singers as “more dangerous than the new coronavirus.”

Other MPs said the music should be banned “to protect public taste” while some politicians called for a less heavy-handed approach by urging singers to select their lyrics more carefully in accordance with morals and good taste.

MP Abdel-Hamid Kamal filed a report to Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal calling on the Egyptian Minister of Culture Inas Abdel-Dayem to hold a session to discuss what he described as “low-taste art” and how it affects society. In his report, Kamal said that the spread of mahraganat music could have a negative impact on future generations.

Member of the media and culture committee in Parliament, novelist Youssef El-Kaeed, backed Kamal saying the music “mutilated” public taste and spread undesired types of arts.

Yes, a country where women are routinely sexually harassed and attacked in public is saying that lyrics about hashish are too immoral.

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02/24 Links Pt1: Over 40 Gaza Rockets Fired At Israel; A Playground Suffered a Direct Hit; Netanyahu threatens war as sirens continue to wail in southern Israel; The Palestinians have never really sought peace

From Ian:

Netanyahu threatens war as sirens continue to wail in southern Israel

Rockets fell near a playground in the college-town of Sderot as well in a yard of a residential home. There were no reports of physical injuries. In Netivot, rocket shrapnel fell near a house.

The PIJ claimed responsibility for the rocket fire on Monday afternoon, saying that the launches were in response to the killing of two PIJ terrorists in Damascus. "In the Al-Quds Brigades, we confirm that we are ready to confront any aggression and let the enemy know that if it continues, we will respond with full force and might," said the military wing of the terrorist group in a statement.

After a barrage of rockets was fired towards the city of Netivot in southern Israel, Hamas warned that the response to the Israeli strikes in Gaza came within a unified understanding between all the factions in Gaza that "Palestinian blood is a red line." The terrorist group warned that if the IDF expanded its strikes, Israel would face "resistance like it's never seen."

Since yesterday, over 60 rockets were fired from Gaza to southern Israel, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warn that Israel may launch a broader campaign against Hamas in Gaza if it does not totally stop firing rockets.

“I am not hurrying into war. I know the price that our soldiers and the families of the fallen pay,” Netanyahu, whose brother Yoni was killed in action, said.

Still, the prime minister said that if there is no choice: “Woe to Hamas and Islamic Jihad when that day comes! It’s their choice.”
“We will do what it takes to bring back total security for the residents of the south,” he vowed.

"If you don't shoot them, we will shoot you. I'm talking about a war," Netanyahu said earlier on Army Radio. "I only go to war as a last option, but we have prepared something you can't even imagine."

His interview was interrupted by fresh sirens warning of incoming rockets.

Over 40 Gaza Rockets Fired At Israel; A Playground Suffered a Direct Hit

Normal Places Have Snow Days, Israel's South Has Rocket Days

Facts > Fiction

Here are the facts: pic.twitter.com/SUW4cKjjyd
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 24, 2020

At the start of his weekly cabinet meeting today, PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called on Palestinian workers not to work in settlements, and for building contractors not to take any jobs from Jewish settlers.

About 24,000 Palestinians have jobs working in the settlements, and most of those are in construction.

The salaries of construction workers are more than double what they would get working for Palestinians, 283 shekels a day compared to the average of 127 elsewhere in the West Bank.

The Palestinian economy is heavily dependent on salaries from Israelis.

It appears that Shtayyeh's call will not mean much.

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Last Friday, the Forward published what can only be considered be irresponsible piece that accuses Zionist schools of teaching students that loyalty to Israel is more important than being American.

It was written anonymously.

Imagine being a non-Jewish employee at one of these schools in New York City, maybe a security guard or a special-education teacher’s aide. You walk into the building and see Israeli flags hanging all over the place. Lessons are delivered in Hebrew — often at the obvious expense of student comprehension. Children sing HaTikvah in the morning with enforced gusto. Israeli soldiers regularly address the student body. Children wear kippot and hoodies emblazoned with the logo of the Israel Defense Forces.

Zionism is messaged in these schools as the most essential attribute of our students’ identity. It’s a huge problem.

I’ve heard teachers or administrators say at assemblies things like “you don’t belong in America,” “Israel is your country” and “the IDF are your soldiers.” When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the United States Congress in opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, against the wishes of President Obama, the high school where I was working cancelled classes to watch “our Prime Minister.” That’s a real quote.

In the six schools at which I have taught, HaTikvah was sung more often than the Pledge of Allegiance or the Star Spangled Banner. Israeli national holidays are taught with a reverence or solemnity that outstrips what is accorded to religious or American ones. Veteran’s Day was never discussed, but Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, had special projects and assemblies. Many of these schools receive grants from the Avi Chai Foundation, which requires recipients to declare that they “seek to instill in our students an attachment to the State of Israel and its people.”

How irresponsible was The Forward in publishing such a piece?

It is obvious that Jew-haters will use this as evidence of the antisemitic charge of US Jews having dual loyalty (really more loyalty to Israel than to the US.)

But, the Forward editors argue, this is the real experience of an employee at these schools and their opinion shouldn't be silenced.

They have a point. But just because something is in an op-ed doesn't mean it shouldn't be fact checked, and the impression that one gets from reading this is that loyalty to America is simply not taught and love of Israel is pushed at the expense of everything else.

A quick look at major modern Orthodox schools in New York shows that Ramaz hosted US veterans on Veteran's Day. The Heschel School has discussions with Muslim Americans on 9/11, re-creations of Ellis Island and commemorations and with African Americans on Martin Luther King day. Beit Rabban Day School has programs on the power of words where they say "We hope they will internalize this as Jews, as Americans, and as human beings."

Did The Forward do any fact checking? While part of the article was opinion, when making such an incendiary charge it is incumbent to get some verification from specific schools whether they refer to Netanyahu as "our prime minister."

Beyond that, the anonymous author says that he or she worked at six schools in twelve years. That is a pretty poor record of keeping jobs as a teacher. Isn't it likely that a person let go from so many modern Orthodox schools might have their own issues and want some sort of revenge? Shouldn't a newspaper have higher standards in accepting an anonymously published piece than one with attribution?

This is a point that is important to me personally. As an anonymous writer myself, I strive to be as transparent as possible so anyone can fact check anything I write. If I would write about schools doing something bad, I would never generalize them and not mention their names. That is the difference between advocacy and smearing.

There is another point that cannot be understated. Love of Israel is in no way contradictory to love of America. American Jews are very appreciative to live in a country that is not only welcoming of Jews but also a staunch ally of Israel. Being able to openly march in a Yom Haatzmaut parade is something that very few diaspora Jews outside North America can even dream of. The pride of being American is part and parcel of the pride of being a Jew and a Zionist in America. Students hear the Star Spangled Banner at every sporting event, singing Hatikva in school doesn't take away the pride of being an American.

If students at Zionist schools are being taught to disparage America then that is a story that must be exposed - by specifying the schools. If these students are being taught to love Israel, where so many of their siblings and cousins live, that is not a bad thing. By portraying love of Israel as somehow a lesson to lessen one's loyalty to America, the Forward is not illuminating anything. It is doing nothing more than to give antisemites a very potent weapon.

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Arabs upset at Koreans saying Amen to rabbis' "Talmudic prayers" against Corona in Hebron

This video is causing angst on Arab websites.

A Korean delegation to Israel who had some members infected with Corona went to the Tomb of the Patriarchs where rabbis chanted prayers for their recovery. The Koreans answered "Amen" to the prayers.

Egyptian news site Youm7 wrote, "Members of the Korean delegation performed Talmudic prayers on the campus with Jewish rabbis, and the Koreans echoed the words of the rabbi: "No to Corona ... Amen." It then juxtaposed that story with the "Al-Azhar Observatory to Combat Extremism"issuing its annual report on the numbers of "intruders" in the Tomb of the Patriarchs, saying 711,428 "Zionists" visited.

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Actually, there is something that Israel has in common with billionaires

Mondoweiss, being Mondoweiss, tries to find a way to tie everything to hating Israel:

The article is idiotic, of course, both trying to justify why the Jewish state shouldn't exist and then saying that this position isn't a call to ethnic cleansing because it is unlikely to happen.

Rather than demolish the article, which isn't worth taking seriously, it prompts one to wonder if there is anything Israel has in common with billionaires, since both are so hated by the Left.

Indeed there is. Both Israel and (self-made) billionaires exist as a result of years of hard work. They didn't just pop up out of nowhere - they exist because of strategy, a plan, and execution of that plan. And they continue to exist because they work hard to stay ahead of competitors and detractors. They anticipate risks and work to counter them before they become existential threats.

People who hate billionaires and Israel say that this isn't "fair." But it isn't only fair - it is the fairest thing imaginable, where results come directly from effort and brains. Work hard, get ahead. Be lazy, fall behind.

This is an oversimplification, of course. There are plenty of people who work hard and cannot escape their poverty. There is nothing wrong with wanting to help people who make an effort and cannot succeed. But both the Bernie supporters and the anti-Israel activists aren't trying to help the victims as much as they want to punish the successful.

In short, while they like to pretend that they are trying to help the poor/Palestinians, they are really jealous of the success of billionaires/Israel.

Redistributing wealth and forcing Israel to give lands to Palestinians for free are the same demand. "You are too successful, so you must be penalized."

Are there other ways to help the lower class and Palestinians? Sure, but they aren't as easy. Nothing is easier than telling other people what they must do to fix problems.

Should some able-bodied poor people and wealthy Palestinian leaders take responsibility for their actions that might have contributed to their situation? No, of course not. Only adults must take responsibility for their actions.

Again, I am not saying that some people who are down on their luck shouldn't receive governmental help. But these leftists are going way beyond that in blaming successful people for the plight of the unsuccessful, which is completely untrue. Life isn't a zero-sum game: there isn't a finite amount of money to be distributed and there isn't a finite amount of "fairness" in the Middle East. It is possible to find win/win solutions. But the Left doesn't want to consider them. They want villains that they can blame for the world not working the way they want it to.

So, yes, there are some things that billionaires and Israel has in common.

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02/23 Links: A secret Mossad Qatar trip, Hamas outreach to Egypt and Iran’s threat; 20 rockets fired at Israel after terrorist killed planting explosives; UK left activists attended events with far right antisemites

From Ian:

Seth Frantzman: A secret Mossad Qatar trip, Hamas outreach to Egypt and Iran’s threat

In Saudi Arabia, Al-Arabiya is very interested in what a previously unknown “Mossad trip to Qatar” means for the region. “Egypt and Qatar are angry with Hamas, and they intended to cut ties with it,” the network reported, while noting that the recent Israeli discussions with Doha about continuing to fund Gaza are noteworthy. Hamas also thinks they are noteworthy, bragging over the weekend that it met with Qatar’s envoy Mohammed al-Emadi and $15 million was distributed in Gaza.

In Israel, the Mossad-Qatar-Hamas story was revealed by Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman over the weekend and was reported locally. The story goes that Mossad chief Yossi Cohen and IDF Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Herzi Halevi met with top Qatari officials. Halevi was in the news before, in January, when he commented on the killing of IRGC general Qasem Soleimani. “We must look at the assassination as part of a fight between Iran and the US over Iraq’s character.” Halevi is known for his achievements in a three-year term running Military Intelligence. He has spoken about using deterrence in a way that does not escalate a situation and of the importance of information supremacy over Israel’s enemies, according to an article at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies in 2018. This is a key to Israel’s “campaign between the wars” in which Israel must prepare for future struggle with Iran and its allies.

Israel now has a dedicated headquarters for the “third circle” threat of Iran in light of the IDF’s new Momentum plan. It is worth understanding this larger picture to understand some of what Hamas is up to in Gaza. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad both are supported by Iran. PIJ is an Iranian proxy whereas Hamas is more an ally. But Hamas has been isolated over the years and also failed to achieve results in confrontation with Israel. Over 2,600 rockets fired over the last two years achieved little, and its “Great March of Return,” launched in 2018, also failed. In March 2018, two years ago, Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah survived an assassination attempt in Gaza. Today, Hamas is bragging about opposing the US “Deal of the Century.”

It is important to consider the calculus to see the larger picture of Qatar’s role in Gaza. Qatar has supported Gaza for more than a decade. The Emir of Qatar even visited Gaza in 2012. In January 2019, the third $15 million payment via Israel and Hamas to Gaza was made by Qatar as part of a deal in 2018. Mohammed al-Emadi has been Doha’s point man throughout. He has visited Israel more than two dozen times, according to a Reuters interview in 2018. He also cited talks between Israel and Hamas in that year. Qatar has said its aid to Gaza helps prevent a conflict. Emadi has ruffled feathers in Gaza sometimes due to his outspokenness.

Netanyahu promises sovereignty over Hebron's Tomb of the Patriarchs

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Tomb of the Patriarchs and to the Jewish community of Hebron.

He spoke during a visit to the nearby West Bank Kiryat Arba settlement, where he also stated that he was authorizing the elevator project for the tomb, that would allow those with disabilities to visit the cave.

All West Bank settlements are slated to become part of sovereign Israel under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, but according to the map, the status of Jewish Hebron is unclear.

Prior to Netanyahu's speech at a celebratory event to mark the inauguration of a new neighborhood in Kiryat Arba on Sunday, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, who heads the Yamina Party, addressed the crowd. Bennett spoke of the need to clarify with the Trump administration that the Tomb and Hebron's Jewish community would be part of sovereign Israel under the "Deal of the Century."

Bennett said that a Jewish state without the Tomb of the Patriarchs is like Washington without the Lincoln Memorial. He also spoke against the portion of the Trump plan that calls for the creation of a Palestinian state.

The defense minister noted that "the plan speaks 159 times of a Palestinian state and references Israeli sovereignty" only 13 times.

צפייה חובה! ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו בראיון מיוחד למארק לוין ב-Fox News. pic.twitter.com/9OKvs0iYnz
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) February 22, 2020

UK left activists attended events with far right antisemites

Former Labour party members have regularly met elements of the far right to discuss and propagate antisemitic conspiracy theories, an undercover investigation has found.

Infiltration of the conspiracy theorist group Keep Talking found that Jeremy Corbyn supporters and confidantes of former Labour MPs have attended meetings addressed by Holocaust deniers.

During one gathering in London last year, suspended Labour supporters heard James Thring, an infamous antisemite linked to the former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke, speak openly and unchallenged about Holocaust denial.

A covert recording of Thring at the meeting captured him claiming that no deaths were recorded at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, where 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were systematically murdered.

“The archives from the listening posts show no evidence that they heard anything about deaths in Auschwitz; we didn’t know that this was going on … because it wasn’t,” Thring can be heard saying.

Nick Lowles, chief executive of Hope Not Hate, which along with the Jewish charity Community Security Trust monitored Keep Talking over three years, said: “Our investigation shows what the politics of some of the far left and the far right have in common – antisemitism. It’s important that these groups are not just seen as eccentric or harmless; they give conspiracies a space to survive and grow and they encourage people to keep disseminating falsehoods.” (h/t Zvi)