Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

The New York Times is astonishing its readers, especially those of us who monitor its tradition of biased and dishonest reporting about Israel/Palestine. The paper just published a long indictment of what it actually called Jewish terrorism against Palestinians. The report, which is the cover story of the widely-circulated Sunday magazine, is titled: The Unpunished: How Extremists Took Over Israel. Here is the opening paragraph of the takeaway synopsis that ran along with the actual article:

For decades, most Israelis have considered Palestinian terrorism the countrys biggest security concern. But there is another threat that may be even more destabilizing for Israels future as a democracy: Jewish terrorism and violence, and the failure to enforce the law against it.

The massive article, by Ronen Bergman and Mark Mazzetti, prints out to 52 pages. It covers decades of history, and includes more than 100 interviews. Bergman has long had ties to Israels intelligence services, and he includes inside sources. This story is told in three parts. . ., the reporters say. Taken together they tell the story of how a radical ideology moved from the fringes to the heart of Israeli political power.

Howard French, the distinguished former New York Times reporter turned author, asked the obvious question on Twitter:

Where was the daily coverage of the Times throughout all of this?

Frenchs view was echoed in the papers comment section. Jack was one of the 2500 Times readers who have already overwhelmingly endorsed the article. He wrote: . . . I am struck by this piece being the only one I can recall to make consistent use of the term terrorism to describe the actions of Jewish Israelis. It is far more common to hear settlers who commit violence against unarmed civilians referred to as extremists rather than terrorists.

This site has long argued that the Times, (like other mainstream TV and print outlets), covers up Jewish extremism as a central strategy in its ongoing whitewash of Israel. Time after time, weve shown how the paper ignores violent Jewish Israeli figures, and disguises vicious unprovoked attacks by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank as clashes, which somehow seem to just erupt spontaneously. But this report finally is starting to tell some truths. Lets hope that the succession of Times Jerusalem bureau chiefs who committed malpractice over the years are now feeling a sense of shame.

There are signs that The Unpunished is already starting to get traction elsewhere in the mainstream. Nicolle Wallace, who rarely reports on Israel/Palestine, gave 15 minutes of air time to the article in her May 10 program on MSNBC, including on-camera interviews with the two reporters.

So far, Hasbara Central, Israels huge propaganda apparatus, has apparently been stunned into silence. But the midnight oil is surely burning in both Tel Aviv and at AIPAC headquarters in Washington, D.C., because this might be the biggest single mainstream journalist challenge ever to the standard dishonest Israeli narrative.

The Bergman/Mazzetti report is far from perfect. It is long, but it doesnt include the word apartheid a single time. The reporters arent required to agree with the assessment, but they should have corrected their papers previous whitewash and at least explained that major human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Israeli organization BTselem, have all found that the Israeli system constitutes apartheid under international law.

Nor does the report challenge the prevailing euphemism, which is that the more than 700,000 Jewish Israelis who have violated international law by moving into the occupied West Bank are settlers; they are in fact more accurately described as colonists.

So why did the Times print this long report, which does actually start to correct decades of its biased coverage? In time, leaks from people on the papers staff may provide part of the answer. But surely the pro-Palestine solidarity movement, along with alternative media, can claim some of the credit. In the Internet age, it is much harder to cover up the truth. First hand accounts from Gaza, the occupied Palestinian West Bank, and from Israel itself, are now widely available, and the student protesters and others have spread the word. Add to that internal dissension at the Times itself, and so top management there may have decided the paper had to act if its reputation wasnt going to be completely tarnished.

A related question: Ronen Bergman has long had well-placed sources inside Israels intelligence elite. Very little of what is in this long Times article is new; much of the reporting is about events that happened decades ago. So why did Bergman decide now to report on what is basically old news? And why did his sources, who include former Israeli prime ministers, decide now to talk to the New York Times?

A valuable post on this site in March 2023 by the eloquent Razi Nabulse offers a clue. Nabulse probed behind the headlines to explain why Israeli Jews last year joined the massive uprising against the effort by Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right wing allies to stage a coup against the countrys legal system. The protesters represented the old Israeli elite, who are losing political power to the religious far right and the increasingly powerful settler/colonists. It is this old elite that Bergman quoted at length in this long report. The Times may be trying to protect this older good Israel from Netanyahu and his bad allies, who are the greatest threat to the countrys international standing in many decades.

It is too early to celebrate the Timess possible change in direction. First we will have to see if the paper, or other mainstream U.S. media, do any follow up. The adage used to be that yesterdays newspaper wraps todays fish, and the online attention span can also be short. It is possible that this story will die down in a few days, and the Times will go back to its old distortion methods. We shall see.

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The 'NYTimes' finally publishes a comprehensive indictment of 'Jewish terrorism' against Palestinians - Mondoweiss

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

The Tehran Jewish Association extended its deepest condolences upon the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, following a helicopter crash that stunned the nation.

Condolences on the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, the compassionate and dedicated president of the Iranian nation, announced the public relations of the Tehran Jewish Association. The group expressed a heart full of sorrow and eyes brimming with tears, recognizing the significant loss of a leader revered for his service and humility.

The tragic incident occurred this past Sunday when Raisis helicopter was forced to make a hard landing due to severe fog and weather conditions in the East Azerbaijan region. Despite immediate rescue efforts involving over 40 teams, the president succumbed to his injuries, leading to a national outpouring of grief.

The Associations statement highlighted what they see as Raisis lasting impact, noting, Undoubtedly, the history of Iran will never forget the memory of the humble president and martyr of the path of service.

The Jewish community, along with all Iranians, mourns the sudden loss of its president and other dedicated servants who achieved the honor of martyrdom alongside him, praying for the elevation of the esteemed martyrs of this land.

The mourning period has brought together Iranians from all walks of life, illustrating the unity among diverse communities within the country during times of national crisis. The Tehran Jewish Association has also invited members and sympathizers to join their communication channel for support and updates during this period of shared national mourning.

Amidst the profound grief and significant national reflection following the death of Raisi, his contentious statements regarding Israel and the Holocaust also resurface, adding complexity to his legacy. Previously, Raisi had faced international criticism for suggesting that the Holocaust required more research, which many viewed as a form of denial. His administrations stance on Israel was marked by hostility, including threats to its existence and aggressive rhetoric that often heightened tensions between Iran and the Jewish state.

These controversial views had significantly impacted the diplomatic landscape, influencing Irans relationships not only with Israel but also with Western nations. Raisis rhetoric and policies often evoked strong responses from global Jewish communities and international leaders, which shaped his presidencys international narrative.

Irans Jewish community one of the oldest in the world traces its roots back over 2,700 years to the Babylonian exile. Despite facing various challenges over the centuries, the community has maintained a distinct cultural and religious identity. Today, Irans Jews, numbering around 8,500, are primarily concentrated in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. They enjoy certain protections under the Islamic Republics constitution, which recognizes them as an official religious minority.

The attitude of Irans Jewish community towards Zionism and Israel is complex and often cautious due to the political environment in which they live. Officially, the community distances itself from Zionism and the state of Israel to avoid repercussions from the Iranian government, which is staunchly anti-Zionist and hostile towards Israel. Many Iranian Jews publicly emphasize their loyalty to Iran and their distinction from the political issues surrounding Israel.

Privately, opinions within the community may vary, with some expressing personal connections to Israel due to familial ties or religious sentiments. However, public expressions of support for Zionism or Israel are rare and carefully managed to avoid endangering the community. This delicate balance reflects the communitys need to navigate their minority status in a politically sensitive environment.

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Jews of Islamic Republic express sorrow over Ebrahim Raisi's death - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

A donor to Trinity College Dublin withdrew a bursary in his fathers name in response to hostile conditions for Jewish students at the Irish campus, the donor explained to The Jerusalem Post as the administration capitulated to the student encampment on May 8, accepting demands to divest and end business with Israeli companies and begin to process to end all Israeli academic ties.

Ill always have a strong allegiance to Trinity, pediatrician Dr. Ed Abrahamson said on Wednesday with a hint of heartbreak in his voice.

The Abrahamsons had been involved with Trinity College going back to his grandfather. Abrahamson is himself an alumnus of the Dublin institution, as was his father, who was a law school graduate and lifelong supporter and adviser at the school.

To mark the 10th anniversary of my fathers passing we decided that we wanted to create a bursary with Trinity in his name, said Abrahamson. It was a big thing for us. It was a way of recognizing Dads relationship with Trinity.

The Maurice Abrahamson Bursary was established last year to support disadvantaged students, who may have had lower grades but came from difficult backgrounds. Abrahamson wanted the students to know that the donations came from someone who was Jewish and part of the local Jewish community, and he said the students and Trinity were aware of that.

When an encampment was established outside the library on May 3, Abrahamson said he was concerned about the impact that this would have on the Jewish students.

I had had contact with Jewish students about what was happening since October 7, Abrahamson related. These students described how they had been suffering a huge amount.

The Trinity College Dublin Students Union, to which students have to pay membership fees, had been relentlessly anti-Israel on social media since the Hamas massacre, according to Abrahamson.

After the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the president of the student union tweeted that it was legitimate resistance, noted Abrahamson.

TCDSU President Laszlo Molnarfi wrote on social media on October 7 that Palestinians have the right to resist the brutal conditions imposed on them by the apartheid regime of Israel.

The SU had been in official support of the encampment and its demand, publishing on Wednesday a jubilant announcement about Trinitys acceptance of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) demands.

Trinity College PhD candidate Rachel Moiselle said on X on Tuesday that she had met with a junior dean on Monday about her online interactions with a staff member who had endorsed the October 7 massacre and engaged in public denial of Hamas atrocities.

After October 7 the atmosphere became ugly, the donor said, and students had approached the college about the hostile environment. A delayed response promised them a safe space a small room. By promising this, Abrahamson said it showed that the college acknowledges the problem you wouldnt offer this space if you didnt think it was an issue.

Abrahamsons concern for the safety of Jewish students grew with the encampments establishment, which through intimidation and harassment created veritable no-go-zones for Jews.

Trinity College Hillel stated in response to the encampment on May 2 that the protests are part of a pattern that is emerging on campuses around the country some of which have led to threats and harassment toward Jewish students.

No student should feel as though they must hide their full identity to experience our campus environment, nor should their basic safety ever be jeopardized, said Hillel. To our students: You are not alone.

Abrahamson was especially alarmed to see the emblems of terrorist organizations flown by the activists. A flag for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is proscribed by the European Union as a terrorist organization, was flown from a Trinity building window, Moiselle wrote last Saturday. A PFLP banner was hung on the grounds, and another outside and at Trinity Hall (student accommodation building). One of the banners allegedly depicted PFLP airplane hijacker Leila Khaled.

The donor felt compelled to contact the Trinity administration. In his first email, Abrahamson said he made it clear that he didnt want to interfere with student union free speech or engage with political opinions, no matter how much he might disagree with them.

I just wanted the college to say that they were proud to receive Jewish donations and that they were committed to protecting Jewish students, said the doctor.

Within 24 hours of his email, Trinity had caved to the demands of the encampment, said Abrahamson. On May 6, the TCDSU and Trinity College BDS had announced a partial success, and 48 hours later declared victory. Trinity said in a May 8 statement that it supported the International Court of Justices position that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide about members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip, would divest from and cease business with Israeli companies, provide accommodations for Palestinian scholars, and form a task force to review student exchanges with Israeli institutions.

The victory we secured today shows the power of collective action and the unbreakable strength of student-staff solidarity, said the TCDSU. There is still much work to be done.

The Israeli Embassy in Ireland stated on May 10 that it expressed great concern about the events at Trinity.

It is alarming that this respected institution of learning appears to have capitulated to the extreme behavior of a small minority of activists who have chosen to pursue a campaign of discrimination and delegitimization against Israel, while completely disregarding the consequential effects of their actions, said the embassy.

The diplomatic mission said that the university had permitted anti-Israel activists to disrupt academic life and created a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students and staff. Proposed academic and business boycotts targeted all Israelis, discriminatorily punishing the people not just the government, and denied the world the outcomes of joint research.

Abrahamson said the thought that they were completely capitulating was extraordinary.

He wrote that day to the provost, I am writing perhaps in the futile hope you will reply sympathetically and act, but the SU in the minds of many seem to have browbeaten the Board into submission. There was no reply, but Provost Linda Doyle later related that she had never seen the email.

Ultimately, he felt that he had no option but to cancel the bursary he didnt want his fathers name associated with a disregard for the safety of Jewish students.

All I then received was a brief paragraph thanking me for my support, said Abrahamson. I thought I would get some sort of response, but I havent and the Jewish students are still suffering.

In response to the lack of communication from the college, which he said refused to break its silence and affirm that it would protect Jewish students, he spoke publicly about the bursarys cancellation.

I could have just canceled the bursary and not said anything but I wanted to improve things for Jewish students, said Abrahamson. For me, this is about the Jewish students, now.

Since going public, the provost has agreed to meet with Abrahamson on Friday. He also said that other donors had contacted him to say that they would also be canceling bursaries.

This was not a call for Trinity to issue pro-Israel statements or to prevent them from making them change their approach to Israel, it was about protecting the Jewish students who feel intimidated and threatened, said Abrahamson. The environment is one where Jews can no longer feel safe.

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Dublin university sponsor pulls bursary due to antisemitism - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

Iran Human Rights calls for an urgent stay of execution for Arvin Ghahremani and other death row prisoners.

According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, Arvin Ghahremani, a Jewish man who was 18 at the time of arrest, is at imminent risk of execution in Kermanshah Central Prison. He was sentenced to qisas(retribution-in-kind) for murder during a street group fight.

An informed source told IHRNGO: Arvin Ghahremani was arrested for the murder of Amir Shokri who was killed during a street group fight two years ago and sentenced to qisas. His family have been given until Monday to convince the victims family to forgo execution. If not, his execution will be carried out.

Arvin Ghahremani who is currently held in the pre-execution cells of Kermanshah Central Prison, was scheduled to be executed on Saturday but his family were informed that it was postponed.

In an audio message obtained by IHRNGO, Arvin Ghahremanis mother, Sonia Saadati, appeals to for help save her sons life.

On 15 May 2024, IHRNGO reported at least 103 people were executed in Iranian prisons in the previous 28 days.

IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam previously said: "The silence of the international community regarding the execution of more than 103 people in the last four weeks is unacceptable and must end."

In the past two days, at least four people including a woman were executed in Iran. Furthermore, the execution of Parvin Mousavi which was scheduled to be carried out this morning, was postponed but she remains at risk of execution in the pre-execution cells of Urmia Central Prison.

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Jewish Arvin Ghahremani at Imminent Risk of Execution in Kermanshah - Iran Human Rights

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

President Joe Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff addressed a crowd of Jewish community leaders and elected officials at the White House on Monday evening commemorating Jewish American Heritage Month, speaking of the importance of Jewish joy in challenging times and reinforcing the administration's commitment to the security of Israel and the Jewish people.

"Tonight, we've come together to celebrate our heritage and honor our culture, to reflect on the valuable contributions of our ancestors and the Jewish leaders of today," Emhoff began his remarks. "But it is also a challenging time for our community."

Emhoff acknowledged the difficulty of having hope and optimism right now, saying some days it's really challenging to put himself out here and do this work publicly.

"I know it's hard for you, too," Emhoff said. "We keep fighting because we have no choice but to fight."

After his introduction and highlighting of Jewish Americans' contributions to the United States, Biden recognized that Monday night's reception fell on hard times.

"The trauma of October 7 and its aftermath, the deadliest day the Jewish people have undergone since the Holocaust, is still fresh and ongoing," Biden said.

He directly acknowledged Rachel and Jonathan Goldberg-Polin, the parents of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who were in attendance at the White House.

Hersh is among the five American hostages whose status remains unknown.

"Rachel and John are here with us. Their love, strength and compassion inspire the entire world. I pledge to both of you and I mean it. I know you know, mom," Biden said, addressing Rachel. "But I mean it that I will not rest until we bring your loved one home."

Biden said he wanted to be clear that Israel will have everything it needs to defend itself against Hamas and "all of our enemies" as he did with Iran's unprecedented attack.

"We stand with Israel to take out Sinwar and the rest of the butchers of Hamas," Biden said. "We want Hamas defeated, and we will work with Israel to make that happen."

Biden said his administration is also working to provide critical humanitarian assistance to suffering Palestinian civilians that's consistent with Jewish values of compassion, kindness and dignity for human life.

"Let me be clear, we reject the ICC's application for arrest warrants. There's no equivalence between Israel and Hamas," Biden said. "Contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what's happening is not genocide. We reject that."

Biden then transitioned to talking about antisemitism in the US, saying first amendment rights to peacefully protest are respected but there's no place in America for hate speech that threatens violence of any kind against Jews or anyone else.

"I see your fear, your hurting, your pain," Biden said. "Let me assure you as your president, you are not alone. You belong. You always will belong."

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Biden: Israel not committing genocide and US rejects ICC arrest warrants - Israel News - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

WASHINGTON (JTA) At first glance, the chalkboard sign looked like any of the others standing in front of Washington D.C.s many restaurants and cafes.

But instead of advertising espresso or sandwiches, this one across the street from a federal government building displayed only one thing: the number of Palestinians killed in Israels war with Hamas, along with the words Remember the people of Gaza.

When it was taken down earlier this month after being vandalized, that number had passed 34,000 a statistic quoted often in pro-Palestinian advocacy. But what made the blackboard different from the campus protests and others across the country was that the people keeping it current worked for the Biden administration, which has largely supported Israel and armed it as it has fought Hamas in Gaza.

Nearly all of the federal employees behind such efforts have kept their identities hidden including the relatively few Jews in the movement. But a landmark moment in internal Jewish dissent came on Wednesday, when Lily Greenberg Call, special assistant to the chief of staff at the Department of Interior, announced that she was resigning in protest of President Joe Bidens Israel policy the first Jewish staffer among the several who have publicly resigned since Oct. 7.

I can no longer in good conscience represent this administration amidst President Bidens disastrous, continued support for Israels genocide in Gaza, Greenberg Call, 26, wrote in her resignation letter, which she submitted to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and shared on social media.

Greenberg Call, 27, attended Jewish day school and was a leader of a pro-Israel group in college, at the University of California, Berkeley, that was affiliated with AIPAC, the Washington lobby. She has previously written publicly about her move to the left on Israel, saying in a 2022 Teen Vogue essay that she had begun to question the idea of unconditional support for Israel after getting to know Arabs and Palestinians, including through her work on political campaigns.

In her resignation letter, Greenberg Call said her family had come to the United States after escaping persecution in Europe and that she was concerned about rising antisemitism around the world now. But she said she did not believe the war aided in Jewish security.

Israels ongoing offensive against Palestinians does not keep Jewish people safe in Israel nor in the United States, she wrote. What I have learned from my Jewish tradition is that every life is precious. That we are obligated to stand up for those facing violence and oppression, and to question authority in the face of injustice.

Lily Greenberg Call, as a teen leader in 2015: Advocacy is not just a Band-Aid to cover and temporarily fix problems in society. (Courtesy of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego)

While Greenberg Call is the first Jewish Biden administration staffer to resign publicly over the war, others in her movement say she isnt alone in her sentiments. In memos, in internal staff meetings, and in occasional bursts of public protest, a cadre of mid-level D.C. bureaucrats is dissenting from the Biden administrations backing for Israel in the war. They describe crushing disappointment in an administration that they feel is committed to defending innocents from carnage elsewhere most notably in Ukraine but not, they say, in Gaza.

There is nothing more American than the right to free speech and free assembly, said a May 3 statement from Biden-Harris Administration Staffers for Ceasefire, an ad hoc group formed soon after the war broke out.

The staffers say they have moved the needle a bit on policy citing the increased flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza as an example though they wish theyd had more impact. But their critics in the administration say their influence is negligible.

Those making the actual decisions say the dissent is background noise and that factors stemming from the crisis and not the protests are behind shifts in policy.

These are people who are not involved in the policy discussions, said a federal official who has a seat at the policy making table, who are not in the room to hear senior-level policymakers make the case for both humanitarian assistance and describe what our expectations are when it comes to avoiding civilian harm and preventing violations of laws.

The clandestine pro-Palestinian organizing began shortly after Hamas Oct. 7 invasion of Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and launched the war. As Israel began counterstrikes, heads of various departments convened meetings to air concerns about Biden administration policy. Soon, S, a Jewish staffer who is part of the activist movement, was spearheading one of a number of letters to top Biden administration officials that called for a ceasefire.

An Oct. 20 letter from Jewish and Muslim congressional staff calling for a ceasefire represented an early public action. A letter sent to Biden in November ultimately garnered a thousand signatures, and a White House vigil took place in December. Discussion of others has not abated.

Word of mouth and WhatsApp are pretty active, S said.

Another convening point has been the Instagram account Dear White Staffers. Established in 2020 by an anonymous congressional staffer to post examples of how colleagues of color face discrimination, the account turned after Oct. 7 to decrying Bidens war policies. The account has posted anonymous comments from administration staffers alongside news articles and calls to action such as alerts about D.C.-area pro-Palestinian protests. On Wednesday, it directed followers to Greenberg Calls resignation letter.

P, a staffer for a congressional Democrat, joined one of the Jewish-led vigils in the Capitol that led to arrests. Contacts he forged through helping to set up the first union for congressional staffers helped lead to the letter from Hill staffers a few weeks later.

We have continued to show up and speak at large rallies and marches, he said.

S and P asked to be identified only by first initials in order to avoid professional repercussions. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has verified their identities and their staff positions. Jewish groups that have organized ceasefire protests, including the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, confirmed that they are among the groups active participants within the government.

IfNotNow distributed Greenberg Calls resignation letter on Wednesday.

The Jewish activists who spoke to JTA believe they are among the few Jewish voices in the movement because of the pressures pro-Palestinian Jews feel from their communities at home. Others in the executive branch support Bidens position.

I definitely feel like Im one of the only Jewish voices in the group chats, said S.

The dissenters point to Bidens increased pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and measures to hold accountable alleged Israeli perpetrators of abuses, as evidence they made a difference.

But Julie Fishman Rayman, the American Jewish Committee managing director, said the dissenters have had more of an impact on the media than on actual policy in the government or in Congress.

She noted that one of their key demands a unilateral Israeli ceasefire has not found support in the executive branch, or in Congress, where the majority of lawmakers calling for a ceasefire have insisted that it must be mutual and include a release of hostages.

There are people who from the get-go were starting these calls for a one-sided ceasefire, she said. If they were reading the fine print here, they would see that argument has not gained any currency.

A congressional staffer told JTA that the flood of calls from constituents opposing the war had been more influential than the internal dissenters. They are way less impactful than a bunch of angry constituents who are calling day in and day out and are better organized, the staffer said.

Asked for comment, a State Department official referred JTA to remarks recently by spokesman Vedant Patel, when he was asked about the resignation of Hala Rharrit, the spokeswoman for Arab media. Rharrit quit over Gaza policy, saying State Department staff were afraid to speak out in dissent. (At least one other staffer has publicly resigned from the department, while a Palestinian American staffer at the Department of Education resigned publicly in January.)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken reads every single one of those dissent channel cables and dissenting viewpoints from across the administration, Patel said. We continue to welcome them and we think that it helps lead to stronger, more robust policy making.

Whether or not the internal protests are making a difference, pro-Palestinian activists say they are meaningful.

Congressional and administration staffers have joined Palestinian solidarity marches, written dissent cables, signed open letters of disapproval, and in some cases publicly resigned, Beth Miller, the political director of JVP Action, the political advocacy affiliate of Jewish Voice for Peace, told JTA. Such public expressions of protest from people who are usually unwilling to do so should be a dire warning to the Biden administration to change course.

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In a first, Jewish Biden administration staffer resigns over war in Gaza - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

Students filed a lawsuit on Monday against Haverford College for violating civil rights of Jewish students by creating a hostile environment toward Jews and for holding double standards on conduct against them compared to other ethnic and religious groups.

The suit filed to the Pennsylvanian Eastern District Court by five plaintiffs contended that the college administration had acted contrary to Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by creating conditions in which Jewish students could not fully participate in classes and programming without fear of harassment. Jewish students said that they could not speak Hebrew in public, engage in mannerisms that would identify them as Jewish, and that they had to hide their beliefs and identities to avoid harassment. Haverford allegedly took no action to address the conditions or a faculty and students that engaged in intimidation of Jewish students or for their support of terrorism.

The complaint seeking relief from the discrimination and compensation for breach of contract by the college came as anti-Israel protesters continued to occupy part of the campus with an encampment as part of the movement started at Columbia University in April.

Filed in cooperation with the Deborah Project, the complaint detailed a litany of individual incidents involving students and staff, as well as policies held by the administration, that lended to the unsafe atmosphere at the school. One of the plaintiffs claimed to have heard Haverford students that Jews exaggerate the Holocaust, and that Jews are white and privileged.

One student bragged on social media about tearing down Chabad posters. One Jewish student reported that at a meeting attended by the administration reviewing applicants for admissions tours, students rejected applicants because they are Zionists.

Student groups repeatedly engaged in blood libels tropes, in late March holding a class teaching how "Israel uses COVID[-19] as a tool for settler colonialism in Palestine and "how the Israeli state intentionally debilitates Palestinians through the spread of COVID." Haverford Students for Peace on May 9 published an Instagram post with bloody hands reaching for a donut entitled "say not to blood donuts," demanding that the college not purchase donuts for a commencement breakfast from Federal Donuts because the owner donated to Israeli causes.

Around October 11, Haverford College Professor Tarik Aougab, who allegedly described pro-Israel students as racist genocidaires," expressed support for the October 7 Massacre on social media, writing Let your rage drive your unequivocal and firm support for the Palestinian resistance. He also shared a post on X with a picture of Hamas terrorists tearing through the Gaza security barrier with bulldozers arguing that they "should never have to apologize for celebrating these scenes of an imprisoned people breaking free from their chains. This was a historic moment to be recorded in the history books. When Jewish students presented the X post to Haverford President Wendy Raymond, she allegedly told them that it could be could be perceived in many ways, and from her perspective she heard people breaking free from their chains.

Another Haverford professor, Gina Velasco, allegedly posted on her Facebook page F**k Israel and F**k Zionism," but the suit notes that while action was not taken against anti-Israel professors, Haverford investigated tenured Jewish Israeli Professor Barak Mendelsohn for social media posts on the relationship between anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish attacks. Haverford has a social media policy that disallows hate speech and direct attacks on individuals or groups, but allegedly did not enforce it for some groups but did use it against staff like Mendelsohn. The college likewise has a policy that bars anonymous persons from hanging posters, but similarly did not enforce the regulations against anti-Israel posters that declared "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

The suit alleged a trend of double standards in favor of some ethnic groups, while Jews and Israelis were disfavored. A January march in which it was alleged there were antisemitic slogans and calls for the state of Israel resulted in no repercussions for the students that attend it because it was off campus, but in the past, there were example of Haverford revoking acceptance to the school after it had been discovered that an aspiring student had made anti-LGBTQ and anti-black statements on social media.

When a Palestinian student was wounded in a shooting in Vermont, the administration issued strong statements and students were offered "Islamic" counseling and support for Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab students. At a vigil, Haverford Vice President Thelathia Young reportedly accused Israel of committing genocide and expressed sympathy for the Palestinians struggling against it. The plaintiffs said that the administration offered only neutral statements on the October 7 Massacre, and though there were students with relatives killed or kidnapped in the attack, no support or counseling was offered for Jewish and Israeli students. It is further alleged that the administration took no action one of the plaintiffs was publicly accused of bearing responsibility for the shooting of the Palestinian student, who was allegedly wounded in a shooting by an anti-Israel Hamas supporter, because she spoke out about the October 7 Massacre.

The same plaintiff was forced by the administration "to agree to cancel a planned and preapproved Antisemitism Awareness component to a womens basketball game because it could lead to violent rioting by antisemitic, pro-Palestine students." Similar basketball awareness events had been held for gay pride, diabetes awareness, mental health awareness and Black History Month.

Affiliate advisors of Hillel and Chabad reportedly held a meeting with senior administration officials including Young, in which the staff allegedly failed to appreciate the hostility being faced by Jewish students, said the complaint, and when asked what assurances they could provide, they allegedly said that racial minorities had never felt safe at the college, and Jewish students should not expect to feel safe but to be "brave."

"The Jews at Haverford Collegelike Jews everywherewere in terrible pain this year, but what was inflicted on them by their own classmates, their professors and Haverford's administrative leadership made their academic lives unbearable," said Deborah Project Legal Director Lori Lowenthal Marcus. "And while so many of Haverford's Jews stood up on their hind legs and repeatedly attempted to get the leadership to do the right thing and fulfill their legal obligations, all were met with deaf ears."

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Students sue Haverford for double standards against Jewish students - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

The morning after Easter Sunday in 1903, Yehiel Pesker went to his shop at the Kishinev market to inspect for damage. The previous day, the early rumblings of a pogrom had unsettled the city. On his way back home, he saw about 200 Jews armed with clubs and even a few gunsthe second wave of one of historys most notorious pogroms would come that day and Jews wanted to be prepared. When the pogromists came there was a standoff, until the police intervened against the Jews and the deadly violence continued.

Although these Jews merely presented a desire to defend themselves should they be attacked, and although this was one brief moment on the second day of a three-day blood-riot that would shock the world, local antisemites and their sympathizers, according to historian Steven J. Zipperstein, tried to argue that this was an escalation by the Jews and therefore the victims were really to blame for the pogrom. Elsewhere in town, a nearly 60-year-old Jewish man fought off four attackers, who then spread the rumor that a Jew had murdered Christians. For some, then, a literal blood libel in the middle of an extended massacre was transformed into the origin story of the whole riot.

In arguments made by defense attorneys at the trials of pogrom-related crimes, Sundays rioting was dismissed as a ruckus that would quickly have come to an end had Jews not overreacted, writes Zipperstein. In this version it was the all-but-unprovoked aggression of Jews and subsequent rumors of attacks on a church and the killing of a priest that set in motion the unfortunate but, under the circumstances, understandable violence.

That all may sound ridiculous, because few pogroms are better known than Kishinev and because it had such a profound effect on history: It shaped the perspectives of important Zionist figures and it alarmed the world, even becoming an element of the civil-rights fight in America as an example of why racial and ethnic minorities needed protection from the state enshrined in law.

But leave out the names of people and places, and youd be describing the response to Hamass October 7 massacre. The Jews had it coming; the attacks were essentially an act of self-defense; it wouldve been a minor event had the Jews not escalated by defending themselves.

The Russian police director tried to argue at least for moral equivalence, based on these lies, between the Kishinev Jews and their murderers. You can hear a direct echo of this in Karim Khan, prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, filing applications for arrest warrants for both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar: if we do not demonstrate our willingness to apply the law equally, if it is seen as being applied selectively, we will be creating the conditions for its collapse. That echo is arguably even louder in the New York Times, which describes the reactions to Khans stunt this way: Mr. Khans decision to simultaneously pursue Israeli and Palestinian leaders was criticized by Israeli government ministers and Hamas alike. Both sides questioned why their allies had been targeted instead of their enemies alone.

Ah yes, both sides. A month after the Hamas attacks, the author Sam Harris denounced this way of thinking on his podcast in a soliloquy that will stand the test of time. The key part:

Of course, the boundary between Anti-Semitism and generic moral stupidity is a little hard to discernand Im not sure that it is always important to find it. Im not sure it matters why a person cant distinguish between collateral damage in a necessary war and conscious acts of genocidal sadism that are celebrated as a religious sacrament by a death cult. Our streets have been filled with people, literally tripping over themselves in their eagerness to demonstrate that they cannot distinguish between those who intentionally kill babies, and those who inadvertently kill them, having taken great pains to avoid killing them, while defending themselves against the very people who have just intentionally tortured and killed innocent men, women, and yes babies

If you have landed, proudly and sanctimoniously, on the wrong side of this asymmetrythis vast gulf between savagery and civilizationwhile marching through the quad of an Ivy League institution wearing yoga pants, Im not sure it matters that your moral confusion is due to the fact that you just happen to hate Jews. Whether youre an anti-Semite or just an apologist for atrocity is probably immaterial. The crucial point is that you are dangerously confused about the moral norms and political sympathies that make life in this world worth living.

And in Khans case, if you cant or wont differentiate between Hamass war and Israels, you possess a moral deficit that disqualifies you from any position of authority or responsibility over others.

More important, however, is the core idea behind this trend. For most of history you could simply punish Jews for defending themselves, for staying alive. A pathetic puffed-up prosecutor could watch in silence as Jews were murdered and then file charges against both sides as soon as a Jew picked up a club in self-defense. Because the law, you see, must be applied evenly. The world wasnt going to do anything about Hamas, even after its demonic acts on October 7. A fair prosecutor must wait until there is a Jew to be put in the dock as well. Thats balance. Thats justice.

Karim Khan may be a feeble clown, but he makes an airtight case for the existence of the State of Israel.

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What Happens When You Can't Simply Arrest the Jews For Defending Themselves? - Commentary Magazine

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

Protestors have gathered in Center City on Tuesday morning to block traffic and call for an end to investment in Israel that could be used to fund the war in Gaza.

At about 10 a.m. on Tuesday, organizers with Jewish Voice for Peace, which calls itself a human rights organization, gathered, what they claimed were at least "350 Jewish Philadelphians, rabbis, faith leaders and allies" to call for institutions and individuals to stop investing funds that could be spent to fund the ongoing war in Gaza.

I personally divested from Israel bonds, and Im here today, alongside hundreds of other Jews and allies to call for divestment by our community institutionsincluding the state of Pennsylvania, Sarah Bishop-Stone, a Jewish Philadelphian and Jewish Voice for Peace-Philadelphia member, said in a statement ahead of the day's protest.

The group, which the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, has called anti-Israel and anti-Zionist, said that they planned to stop traffic on Walnut and Broad streets.

Police, the group noted, was also on-site throughout the day's event.

The protestors held signs that read: Genocide funded here and Jews say Divest from Israel Bonds," as the blocked the street in front of the offices of the Development Corporation For Israel.

In a statement, organizers of the protest said that they wanted to specifically highlight a call for the Pennsylvania Treasury to divest its almost $100 million in Israel Bonds.

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On Tuesday afternoon, in a statement to NBC10, officials with the Development Corporation For Israel, also known as Israel Bonds, said that they would not let protesters with "hateful slogans" deter their efforts.

The very small group of individuals outside our offices shouting hateful slogans cannot distract from the undeniable truth: Israel Bonds has enjoyed unprecedented support since October 7th, raising more than $3 Billion worldwide," the statement read. "We are grateful for the many investors from college students to State Treasurers who have bought our bonds in Pennsylvania and across the country. We look forward to building on this success in the months ahead and continuing to make clear that boycott efforts are doomed to fail.

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Jewish people, rabbis and allies block Center City traffic, call for divestment from Israel - NBC Philadelphia

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Posted By admin on May 21, 2024

A poster for Californias anti-hate hotline. Courtesy of the state

Californias anti-hate hotline received 1,020 reports of potential criminal acts in its first year of operation, with anti-Black and anti-Jewish incidents leading the list, officials said Monday.

The CA vs Hatehotline is a multilingual statewide phone and online portal that provides an anonymous reporting option for victims and witnesses of hate acts.

CA vs Hate is about recognizing and protecting the incredible diversity of our state and sending a clear message that hate will never be tolerated,saidGov. Gavin Newsom.

Kevin Kish, the director of the California Civil Rights Department, which operates the hotline, said the project is just the beginning of efforts to fight hate.

When California was confronted by an alarming increase in hate, we didnt just sit back and hope it got better,said Kish.We came together and launched an array of nation-leading programs to ensure all our communities feel welcome and protected.

An analysis of the hotline reports by UC Berkeley found:

Many hate crimes have historically gone unreported due to a variety of factors, including fear of retaliation, lack of culturally appropriate resources, concern around potential immigration consequences, and distrust of law enforcement.

Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or online at any time. Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline.

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Black, Jewish Incidents Lead List in First Year of California's Hate Crime Hotline - Times of San Diego

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