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Marjorie Taylor Greene Insists Any Rational Jewish Person Thinks Mask Mandates Are as Bad as the Holocaust – Vanity Fair

Posted By on May 25, 2021

A good rule of thumb that some but not all people are aware of is that when youre talking about the Holocaust, you probably shouldnt equate it with anything other than actual genocide. Is the thing you want to liken to the Holocaust a deliberate killing of millions of people from a specific nation, ethnic group, or religion with the aim of wiping those people off the planet? Congratulations, you can compare it to the Holocaust. If its anything less, sorry, its a no-go. Taxing the rich? Not actually similar to the Holocaust! Allegedly being mean to the 1 percent? Also not the Holocaust! Incredibly minor inconveniences that most people deal with without complaint? Amazingly enough, not on par with the Holocaust!

One person who you likely will not be surprised to learn is unaware of this rule is Marjorie Taylor Greene. Yes, the Georgia representative best known for endorsing batshit-crazy conspiracy theories like how Democrats are part of a Satan-worshipping cult that eats children, and starting her own about Jewish space lasers being responsible for the California wildfires, has pulled an ole x is just like the systemic killing of 6 million people, with x in this scenario being the House of Representatives mask mandate.

It started with an interview last week with the Christian Broadcasting Network, during which Greene, angry that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has maintained that lawmakers must wear masks on the floor, offered: This woman is mentally ill. You know, we can look back at a time in history where people were told to wear a gold star, and they were definitely treated like second-class citizens, so much so that they were put in trains and taken to gas chambers in Nazi Germany. And this is exactly the type of abuse that Nancy Pelosi is talking about.

Just as an aside, lets take a moment to appreciate Marjorie Taylor Greene describing someone else as mentally ill. Moving on, as a secondary rule to not equating genocide with anything other than actual genocide, it should probably be written down somewhere, like on a sticky note in Greenes office, that at no time should one ever suggest that requiring people to wear masksfor their and others safety!is the same as sending them to concentration camps and gassing them alive. Is it completely insane that anyone needs to be reminded of that? Yes! Is Greene crazier than a shithouse mouse? Also yes!

Obviously those comments received widespread backlash, but rather than pause, reflect, and maybe even apologize for themanathema to a professional troll like Greenethe congresswoman doubled down. I stand by all of my statements; I said nothing wrong, she told CNN affiliate KPNX. She added: I think any rational Jewish person didnt like what happened in Nazi Germany, and any rational Jewish person doesnt like whats happening with overbearing mask mandates and overbearing vaccine policies. Greene, of course, does not speak for Jews, because if she did she might know that saying they didnt like what happened in Nazi Germany, as if talking about not liking how ones burger was cooked, is a very strange way to describe Jewish peoples feeling about the Holocaust, among other things.

Greenes remarks were condemned by several of her colleagues, with Michigan rep. Peter Meijer telling CNNs Dana Bash, First off, any comparisons to the Holocaust, its beyond reprehensible. This isI dont even have words to describe how disappointing it is to see this hyperbolic speech that, frankly, amps up and plays into a lot of the anti-Semitism that weve been seeing in our society today. Vicious attacks on the streets of New York and in Los Angeles, Meijer said. Rep. Liz Cheney, who was removed from her House Republican leadership post earlier this month, called the comments evil lunacy. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who has previously spoken out against Greene, tweeted, Absolute sickness, alongside a clip of her statement.

On the Democratic side, Rep. Jim McGovern called for Greene to resign and demanded that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy respond, though McCarthy, who is seemingly happy to allow the Greenes and Trumps of the world to take over his party, does not appear to have gotten around to it yet.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene Insists Any Rational Jewish Person Thinks Mask Mandates Are as Bad as the Holocaust - Vanity Fair

Timeline of conflict: Why the 2021 Israeli-Palestinian fighting is among the most brutal in years – USA TODAY

Posted By on May 25, 2021

The intense fighting now raging between Israelis and Palestinians in an area not much larger thanNew Jersey may bethe worst since 2014, but it's part of a complex, bitter conflict that reaches back to the first world war.

The dispute is rooted in pre-biblical times. Though its borders have shifted over the years, Palestine used to be what is now Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

Both Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs history, culture and identity are linked to Palestine and to the ancient city of Jerusalem,one of the most bitterly contested cities on earth, according to The Associated Press.

The Ottoman Empire controlled Palestine for about 400 years before its defeat, along with Germany, in World War I. Britain was given control of Palestineby the League of Nations in 1920, under an order called the British Mandate.

In 1917, the British government signaled its support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Israel with the Balfour Declaration.

While the declaration stated support, it also said that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

Jewish migration from eastern and central Europe surged from 1922 to 1947 as Jews fled persecution and the destruction of their communities during the interwar period and during World War II. By the end of the Holocaust, more than 6 million European Jews had been murdered, and many survivors were left stateless.

As the number of Jewish immigrants increased, many Palestinians were displaced. They began pushing back and violence resulted.

In 1929, 67 Jews were killed in the Hebron massacre, part of Palestinian riots against Jewish immigration in Palestine.

Gaza: Also known as the Gaza Strip, its the home to about 2 million Palestinians, many of them displaced after leaving or being driven from Israel during the War of Independence.

West Bank: Smaller than Delaware, the West Bank is east of Israel. About 3 million Palestinians live there, most of them Muslim Arabs. The West Bank contains a number of Jewish holy sites, which are visited by thousands of pilgrims every year.

East Jerusalem: Jerusalem itself is a divided, disputed city. It was cut in two after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Israel controlled the western portion and Jordan controlled the east. Israel captured the entire city in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Attempts by Jewish settlers to evict Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem helped spark the current conflict, USA TODAY has reported.

Though Jerusalem's ownership is disputed,Israeli officialsclaimit as the undivided capital of Israel. In 2017, the Trump administration moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, a formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital.

However, most nations do not acknowledge Jerusalem as belonging to either Israelisor Palestinians.

Hamas

Hamas is the largest Palestinianmilitant groupand has fired rockets from Gaza at Israeli cities in the fighting.

It was founded in 1987during the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and has controlled Gaza since winning elections in 2007. It's committed to the destruction of Israel and is considered a terrorist group by the U.S., the U.K.and other nations.

Israeli Defense Forces

The IDF is the combined armed forces of Israel, including army, navy and air force. It was established in 1948, two weeks after Israel declared itself a state.

1947: TheU.N. votes to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab statesand make Jerusalem an international city. Arabs reject the plan, which is later dropped.

1948:After the British Mandate expires on May 14, the Jewish People's Council meets in Tel Aviv and establishes the State of Israel. The U.S. officially recognizes the new nation later that day;the USSR acknowledges it three days later.

1949: The Armistice Agreements is a U.N.-mediated attempt to bring peace to Palestine. Israel signsagreements with Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon to reach a formal peace treaty within six months, but the effort ultimately fails.

1956: Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal and bars Israeli ships from using it and the Straits of Tiran, another shipping route. Israel, aided by Britain and France, invades Egypt. The Soviet Union, an ally of Egypt,threatens nuclear retaliation, and the U.S. pressuresBritish, French and Israeli forces to withdraw. TheU.N. deploys a peacekeeping force.

1964: The Palestine Liberation Organization, a group with the goal of uniting Arab groups and liberating the Palestinian territories through armed struggle, is formed in Egypt.

1967: The Six-Day War grows out of the Suez Canal conflict. Egypt ordersthe U.N. force to leave, closesthe Straits of Tiran to Israel again, and plansa secret attack against Israel.

In a preemptive strike, Israel attacksEgypt and later Jordan and Syria, capturing Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula.

1973: The Yom Kippur War starts with Egypt and Syria attacking Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. The war is an attempt to reverse the defeat of the 1967 war.

Caught unaware, the Israelis counterattack and win. The U.S. helps secure disengagement agreements from combatants, laying groundwork for future peace efforts.

1979: The Camp David Accords, an Israeli-Egyptian peace deal, is set up by President Jimmy Carter and signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

1979: Israel begins gradual withdrawal from the Sinai.

1987: Palestinians stage the first of two uprisings, or intifadas, in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank, using mass boycotts, civil disobedience and attacks on Israelis. More than 50 Israeli civilians are killed. The intifadalasts more than fiveyears, ending in September 1993.

The Israeli military kills 1,070 Palestinians, including 237 children, according to B'Tselem, an Israelihuman rights organization. Jewish settlers kill 54 Palestinians. The U.S. and the U.N. criticize Israel's use of lethal force.

1991:In response tothe intifada, the Madrid Conference, a historical gathering of all participants in the Arab-Israeli conflict, is chaired by the U.S. and Russia.

1993: Oslo I, known as the Declaration of Principles, is signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. It establishes a timetable for a Middle East peace process.

1995: Oslo II is signed, a second agreement in which the Palestine Liberation Organization recognizesthe state of Israel and Israel allowsPalestinians limited self-government in Gaza.

2000:President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat gatherat theCamp David summit, a meeting intended to end hostilities. It ends without an agreement.

Palestinians, frustrated over failures to create a Palestinian state, begin the second intifada in September, which lasts until February 2005. B'Tselem estimates more than 3,100 Palestinians and nearly 1,000 Israelis are killed.

2005: Israel withdraws from Gaza but retains control.

2007: Hamas, the militant Palestinian group, wins elections in Gaza.

2008: Israel launches a major military campaign against Hamasin Gazaafter increased rocket fire from militants. The fighting ends on Jan. 18, 2009, with 1,440 Palestinians and 13 Israelis killed.

2012: Israeli forces kill Ahmed Jabari, a Hamas military chief, in a missile strike. The strike is part of an Israeli operation to eliminate weapons and militants in Gaza.Hamas says the killing has "opened the gates of hell."

2014: Hamas kidnaps and kills three Israeli teens in the West Bank, igniting the Gaza War, in which rocket attacks and airstrikes kill2,251 Palestinians and 73 Israelis. A senior Hamas leader praisesthe kidnapping and saysit was intended to spark a new Palestinian uprising.

The war lasts 50 days and ends with a truce. A U.N. report says both sides may have committed war crimes, which Israel and Hamas dispute.

2017: The Trump administration says it will move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, in effect an official U.S. recognition ofIsrael's claim to the city. The embassy is relocated in 2018.

2018:Protests break out on the Gaza-Israeli border as the U.S. Embassy is relocated. Demonstratorsthrow explosivesand rocks across barrier fences and are met with gunfire and tear gas. At least 58 Palestinians are killed, the Gaza health ministrysays.

2021: Fighting eruptsagain as Israeli police raid the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on April 13, the first night of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and disconnect speakers broadcasting prayers as ReuvenRivlin, the Israeli president, is speaking at the Western Wall, a site sacred to the Jewish people.

Police then closea nearby plaza, a popular gathering place. Palestinians and Jews begin attacking one another, and Israeli police raid the mosque on May 7.

The raid, on what's considered a holy Muslim site on one of the holiest nights of Ramadan, is viewed by Muslims as an insult.

Hamas and other militants fire rockets into Israel from Gaza on May 10. Israel counterattacks with airstrikes. Despite international pressure for peace, the fighting continues.

CONTRIBUTINGKatharine Vogel

SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; The Associated Press; United Nations; Reuters; U.S. State Department

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Published2:59 pm UTC May. 20, 2021Updated2:59 pm UTC May. 20, 2021

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Timeline of conflict: Why the 2021 Israeli-Palestinian fighting is among the most brutal in years - USA TODAY

Police investigating attacks on Jewish business, synagogue in N. Ireland – The Jerusalem Post

Posted By on May 25, 2021

Police in the city of Derry are investigating an attack on a Jewish-owned business as a hate crime, the Belfast Telegraph reported on Monday.

Perpetrators of the attack painted graffiti on the owner's business. This incident comes on the heels of other acts of antisemitism in Northern Ireland, following a similar global rise of antisemitism amid violence between Israel and Gaza-based terrorist organizations.

In Belfast, a synagogue was threatened with being picketed if the local Jewish community refused to condemn Israeli operations in Gaza, which ended up disrupting Shavuot services. The synagogue ultimately held services with only 10 congregants, the minimum amount needed to conduct services, after other congregants expressed concerns about attending.

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Police investigating attacks on Jewish business, synagogue in N. Ireland - The Jerusalem Post

Jews Who Leave the Faith Are Still Treated as Jewish – The Wall Street Journal

Posted By on May 25, 2021

Some Jews elected conversion to survive in 14th- and 15th-century Spain. Others did so for economic and social mobility, as attempted by the families of Benjamin Disraeli and Felix Mendelssohn, and by Gustav Mahler himself, or were motivated by real belief, as with Jean-Marie (born Aaron) Lustiger, Archbishop of Paris from 1981 to 2005, who proudly described himself as a Jew. In any case these converts were, in the end, viewed as suspect by many of their adopted faith.

As Diane Cole writes in her review of James McAuleys The House of Fragile Things (Books, May 8), wealthy Jews often attempted to gain acceptance to society through assimilation but, despite their riches, all their efforts proved of little or no avail.

John Gross, a former editor of the Times Literary Supplement, concisely summed up the predicament: To be Jewish is to belong to a club from which no one is allowed to resign.

Ira Sohn

New York

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Jews Who Leave the Faith Are Still Treated as Jewish - The Wall Street Journal

What do Black Lives Matter and Palestine solidarity have in common? – Open Democracy

Posted By on May 25, 2021

Amin Husain, a core organiser for Decolonize This Place, a movement in New York City, thinks that BLM has undeniably helped the Palestinian cause.

He said: The BLM movement has cracked a certain ceiling around radical politics. Once you start talking about Black freedom and Black liberation, you are talking about something that is not meant to be talked about. During that you open up space for Palestinian freedom.

Across the world, white and non-Black people of colour actively engaged in supporting the BLM movement, and big corporate companies offered support and solidarity, as well as money and pledges to change.

In the weeks after George Floyds death, BLM content regularly went viral on social media, and in the past weeks we have seen a similar trend with Palestine solidarity content, if not on the same scale.

For those wanting to learn about Palestine it is important to know its history and the ties it has to colonialism. The letter sent to Lord Rothschild by the then British foreign secretary, Arthur James Balfour, in 1917, known as the Balfour Declaration, pledging Palestine as a home for Jewish people, is key to understanding the current crisis.

I think there is now an appetite to learn about British colonialism. For some reason people seem to forget that Palestine is part of that story. The UK promising to give a place away that it did not own, had no right to give away, set us on this disastrous course that we are in now. The UK bears some responsibility, said Al-Qattan.

Following the murder of George Floyd and the global BLM protests that ensued, people realised that the status quo on racial equality had to change. And with social media flooded with posts and stories about BLM, there was a renewed hope for that change.

There are concepts and ideas embedded within BLM that are helping people to understand a bit more deeply what Palestinians are experiencing. I think people are understanding, not just about Gaza but about the entire regime of oppression which dominates all Palestinian communities wherever they are, explained Al-Qattan.

The BLM movement ignited a passion in people globally that has seldom been seen before. Palestinians, like most communities across the world, also came out to support BLM.

Colonialism and systemic racism are part of regular vocabulary now and the same language is being used to fight for the freedom of Palestinians. Words like genocide and apartheid are openly used to describe Israels treatment of not only Palestinians in the Occupied Territories but Palestinian citizens of Israel too.

In a tweet, the Black Lives Matter organisation expressed its support for Palestinians and said: We are a movement committed to ending settler colonialism in all forms and will continue to advocate for Palestinian liberation. (Always have. And always will be).

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What do Black Lives Matter and Palestine solidarity have in common? - Open Democracy

Womans story of Palestine song is a viral hit on social media – The Indian Express

Posted By on May 25, 2021

As clashes between Israel and the militant group Hamas continues, an Egyptian woman has taken to social media explaining the Israel-Palestine conflict in the form of a song and the video has become a viral hit on the internet.

Eman Askars narration of the conflict, which was an adaptation of The Wellerman sea shanty, resonated with many on the internet, with the video garnering over 11 million views on Instagram alone. The video was initially posted on Askars TikTok account.

The two-minute video starts with the line: There once was a land called Palestine where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived fine. Askar then briefly talks about the history of the land.

The year was 1948 when Israel bullied its way into a state. Thousands of Palestinians fled their homes to survive. No right for return, no right for a home, no right to fight for the land they owned, the song goes on.

Take a look here:

The song went viral after hundreds of Palestinians fled their homes on the outskirts of Gaza City after Israel unleashed artillery fire and airstrikes in an attempt to clear out a network of militant tunnels ahead of a possible ground invasion.

Take a look at some of the reactions here:

A video of a young boy rapping to highlight the situation in Palestine had also surfaced online. The video, garnered over 2 million views, features 12-year-old Abdel Rahman al-Shantti rapping about the plight of people in Palestine while standing amidst the remains of destroyed buildings.

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Womans story of Palestine song is a viral hit on social media - The Indian Express

UAE offers to play role in Israel-Palestine peace talks – The Guardian

Posted By on May 25, 2021

The UAE is willing to play a role in peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians, joining an Egyptian push to bolster a ceasefire in Gaza and de-escalate tensions between the two sides, the Gulf powerbrokers leadership has said.

Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed said the Emirates, which signed a peace deal with Israel last year, was willing to mediate between both sides and to support Cairos efforts to shore up a truce that brought 11 days of fighting to a close on Friday.

Such a move would mark a rare attempt by the Emirates to support Gaza a territory in which it has traditionally had little influence and towards whose leadership it has long been hostile. It would also be a test of Palestinian attitudes towards the pact with Israel, which was central to the Abraham Accords and led several other Arab states to follow suit.

The fighting, which claimed 248 lives in Gaza, including 66 children, and 13 in Israel, including 12 civilians among them two children, has given way to clean-up efforts and diplomacy, which is scrambling to bed down a truce agreed after intensive efforts by Egypt and the US president, Joe Biden.

Despite keeping the Rafah border between Gaza largely closed and maintaining tight security ties with Israel, Egypt has retained significant influence with the Hamas leadership. In past conflicts it has hosted delegations in attempts to broker truces.

However, Cairos influence inside Gaza had become much more complicated since 2013, when President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, the movement that in part gave Hamas an ideological footing. Egypts ties with Israel have grown since Sisi took office, and on a security intelligence level are closer than ever.

Even though people to people normalisation is completely absent between Tel Aviv and Cairo, due to Israels continued occupation of the Palestinians, the peace deal of 1981 still makes Cairo unique, said Dr HA Hellyer, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The Egyptians do not want Gaza to fall into complete disarray, which would be a strong possibility if the occupied territory is pushed too much, and Hamas knows that as much as they might not like Cairo, they have few options.

While the Hamas leadership elsewhere in the region has said its ties with Egypt remain tenuous and could change at any time, previous deals have largely been implemented.

Yes, its true there is a mutual interest in talking to them, said a Hamas official in Lebanon who declined to be named. We think this will hold, but we dont think the Emiratis have anything real to offer.

Hellyer said: Egypts role was crucial in mediating a ceasefire. What was different this time around is that some in DC were taken aback by it, perhaps because they believed their own hype about the much vaunted Abraham Accords with the Emiratis and the Bahrainis.

The reality was always that these accords would never give signatories clout, not with the Israelis, and definitely not with the Palestinians.

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a fellow at the Washington DC-based thinktank Newlines Institute, said Egypts role as a broker was welcomed by Israel.

Despite the refusal of the Egyptian regime to turn the cold peace with Israel into a real one, or even address the antisemitism prevalent in Egyptian society, Israeli officials see Cairo as a reliable partner on the issues that matter the most to it, which all have to do with security.

The intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation between Israel and Egypt has never been tighter, with both countries engaging in countering Isis and weapons smuggling through the Sinai. Israeli officials overwhelmingly saw the 2013 military coup as a positive step that would ensure that actors attune to Israels security needs are leading the country once again.

The bloodshed this month has revived international focus on the moribund Middle East peace process. Frances foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said on Sunday that the long-held aspiration for Palestinians to obtain their own country, commonly referred to as a two-state solution, was starting to disappear.

He warned that the current situation had a high chance of leading to apartheid, an accusation that has largely been levelled by activists and rights groups rather than governments. The risk of apartheid is strong if we continue to adopt the logic of a single state or the status quo, Le Drian told RTL radio and Le Figaro newspaper. Israel has strongly denied allegations of apartheid.

Additional reporting by Oliver Holmes in Gaza City

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UAE offers to play role in Israel-Palestine peace talks - The Guardian

Jews and Muslims find common ground in German city – DW (English)

Posted By on May 25, 2021

It's not every day that members of the Jewish and Muslim communities come together. But even more notable is the association that Monika Bunk and Bilal El-Zayat founded one year ago, called "Together: Marburg Society for Jewish-Muslim Dialogue" ("Gemeinsam e.V. Marburger Gemeinschaft fr Jdisch-Muslimischen Dialog").

"We won't bring the Middle East conflict to Marburg, where we can't solve it," the two activists say as they make their appeal to some 100 participants of a vigil for peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories.They make sure that placards and slogans don't go too far. Bunk explains "you can criticize Israel's policies all you want, but you can't deny its existence or recognition."

Some 100 participants held a vigil in Marburg for peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories

Their initiative in Marburg is an example of how it's possible to overcome divisions: Bunk is Jewish, a theologian; El-Zayat is Muslim, a surgeon. They've known each other for 20 years, and they've both received a German integration prize for their activism.

The current Middle East conflict is putting the two communities' trust to the test. Marburg's Islamic community includes around 5,000 people, and some of its members are Palestinians from the Gaza strip. Emotions are running high. El-Zayat tells of one member whose uncle lost his house due to the recent airstrikes.

Seven years ago, during the 2014 Gaza War, Bunk and El-Zayat were asked to take on roles as crisis managers and mediators to prevent the Middle East conflict from leading to a confrontation in Marburg.

Trust has grown over timein the Jewish-Muslim association, and members make sure religion and politics are strictly divided. Despite differences of opinion, there is a common cause: The desire to live together peacefully in Marburg even if sparks can fly during political discussions.

80,000 people live in the picturesque university town of Marburg

"It's not all sunshine and roses. Sometimes things really heat up here," El-Zayat says. "But we've learned over the years to have more understanding for the opposing side." Bunk steps in to correct. "Although really there is no opposing side because there are no opponents here."

Bunk recalls the quarrel she and El-Zayat had overthe publication of cartoons in western media poking fun at the prophet Muhammad. They were miles apart from each other when it came to the question of how far freedom of speech could go.

In today's times, when social media adds fuel to the fires of interreligious conflict, the association's founders try to solve things by talking.

First and foremost comes the organization's motto: Jews and Muslims have more things in common than divide them.

In 2019, when they heard of people falling victim to antisemitic attacks simply because they were wearing a yarmulke,Bunk and El-Zayat were immediately reminded of Muslim women, who often face hostilities because they wear a headscarf. The pair quickly organized a "Yarmulke-Headscarf Day" in Marburg.

Both of them recall the successful joint protests by Jews and Muslims in 2012 for legislation on the circumcision of young males. They also highlight the religions' similar burial rituals.

Bunk and El-Zayat addressed the crowd at the vigil for peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories

Last September, some 20 members of Marburg's 320-person Jewish community attended the inauguration ceremonies for the city's new mosque.

When Bunk and El-Zayat organized a tour bus to visit the Buchenwald concentration camp, Jews, Christians, and Muslims took part.

In the future, the group has planned chess tournaments and cooking courses as ways for people to get to know each other better, because food always brings people together.

"We've certainly made a difference, but I don't know if in our lifetimes we'll experience coexistence between Jews and Muslims being the most normal thing in the world," Bunk says, thinking about the future. Still, she often gets approached by young Muslims on the street who tell her that she and El-Zayat are role models.

El-Zayat adds, "We Muslims in Germany have to recognize that a partnership with Jews in this country can help us. And it's exactly the same the other way around."

This article has been translated from German.

Originally posted here:

Jews and Muslims find common ground in German city - DW (English)

Assassination of Israeli PM that scuttled peace deal with Palestine – India Today

Posted By on May 25, 2021

Perhaps the only time Israel and Palestine came close to a workable peace deal was in the first half of 1990s. Israel began peace talks with Palestinian leaders and Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan in Spain the Madrid Conference in 1991.

The first real big breakthrough was achieved in 1993. Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) signed what is called the Oslo Peace Accord. It followed a series of secret meetings between then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The peace accord was backed by the United Nations. It was brokered by then US President Bill Clinton and announced at his official residence, the White House in September 1993.

It was at this event that Yitzhak Rabin had famously announced, Enough of blood and tears. Enough.

This declaration by Yitzhak Rabin was immensely significant as he was one of the military commanders who had led the Israeli army during the first Israel-Arab war in 1948.

Read | Chronology samajhiye: : A timeline of Israel-Palestine conflict

Yitzhak Rabin was among the founders of Israel in Palestine in 1948 and the chief of staff when Israel fought the 1967 war and took control of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem fighting against Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

When Yitzhak Rabin became Israels prime minister, he had the trust of the entire Israeli nation except a few hardliners including Benjamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister of Israel.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (C) surrounded by army officers on a tour of the Gaza Strip side of the Erez checkpoint on May 24, 1994.

WHO OPPOSED ISRAEL-PALESTINE PEACE DEAL?

The hardliners resented the Oslo Peace Accord. On the Palestinian side, there were groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad opposing the Oslo Peace Accord. Hamas and Islami Jihad were against Yasser Arafat, opposing his moderate political approach.

Read | Why Jews created Israel in Palestine as their homeland

Suddenly, what was then perceived as minority opinions in both Israel and Palestine began aggressive campaigns. The Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out suicide bombings in Israel. They blew up buses targeting civilians.

On the Israeli side, Benjamin Netanyahu led the charge against Yitzhak Rabin. He played to the gallery of Israeli hardliners. Reports of the time say that at some public meetings, crowds shouted slogans such as death to Rabin.

The activities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad only helped build a narrative against Yitzhak Rabin branding him as a traitor, who sought to buy peace with enemies jeopardising the lives of Jewish people.

Israel-Palestine conflict intensified after violence broke out in East Jerusalem in April. (Photo: AFP)

It was against this backdrop that Yigal Amir a 27-year-old Jewish law student who had connections to a hardliner Jewish group Eyal shot Yitzhak Rabin at a public event in the arm and the back.

Yitzhak Rabin died and Yigal Amir confessed to the assassination. Amir justified it saying the prime minister wanted to give our country to the Arabs.

Since then, Israel has been aggressive, more so under Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been the most dominant political leader in Israel in the past 20 years. In Palestine, Hamas emerged more powerful, particularly after the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004. Peace between Israel and Palestine has been the casualty as a result.

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Assassination of Israeli PM that scuttled peace deal with Palestine - India Today

Young American Jews Have Reached a Tipping Point With Israel – Rolling Stone

Posted By on May 25, 2021

Theres a story from last week I cant get out of my head: A Palestinian family takes a taxi to their daughters home in Gaza City, five minutes away, on the last day of Ramadan, because they thought theyd be safer from the ongoing Israeli airstrikes. Theyre unpacking the car when suddenly a military drone strikes, killing the taxi driver, the father, the mother, and wounding the son, 28. For many American Jews who were raised to see Palestinians as the enemy, it might come as a shock to recognize the Israeli military as the aggressor in this situation, or to mourn the victims of that strike. But this week, I mourn.

I was raised to unequivocally support Israel. As a second-generation American Jew and granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, I never questioned Israels existence, actions, and connection to the United States not because debate wasnt encouraged in my house, but because I never even thought to ask.

Four days after Israeli police invaded Al-Aqsa Mosque, a Muslim holy site in East Jerusalem, the questions and the words finally came to me and I took to Twitter to share my newly crystallized feelings to see if they would resonate. Being an American Jew is a mindfuck, the now-viral thread began; it goes on to describe how American Jews are raised to believe in the infallibility of Israel, how the intergenerational trauma of the Holocaust shapes our view of the region, and how our history of oppression should make us even more empathetic to the displacement and killing of Palestinians.

Sharing even the most benign opinions online is terrifying, so I was particularly worried about how something so personal would be received. Thats why I was surprised and humbled by the overwhelmingly affirmative response, with fellow American Jews publicly and privately agreeing theyre no longer able to accept the party line on Israel-U.S. relations. Theyve been grappling with the version of Israel presented on trips organized by groups like Birthright versus what theyve seen unfold on the ground, how to square their love for their people and history with their commitment to racial and social justice, and how Israels actions in Palestine seem to fly in the face of tikkun olam the Jewish principle of improving the world through action.

Jeremy Slevin also saw his Twitter thread on the intrinsic tie between Jewish American identity and Israel touted widely, with more than 18,000 (and counting) retweets. The 33-year-old senior communications director for Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) wrote, In truth, Israel is a state, like many others, founded on the displacement of others. Its Jewish exclusivity is predicated on the exclusion of millions who continue to live on that land. Political exclusion based on religion, by definition, leads to hatred, repression, and eventually ethnic cleansing. Jews should know this more than anyone.

He described to me his ability to separate his Jewish American identity from Israel as a gradual process, bolstered by his work for Congresswoman Omar. Seeing the demonization, threats, and hate speech she has faced for criticizing the occupation has clarified my commitment to decoupling blanket support for the Israeli government from my Judaism.

Slevin recognizes that engaging on such an emotional topic publicly on social media may not be for everyone, but added I do think its important to have these difficult conversations with people who might disagree with you, to get their perspectives and share yours. Continuing to shy away from this issue and avoid healthy debate serves no one.

Samantha Cyrulnik-Dercher, a 32-year-old civil rights advocate in Washington, D.C., recently had one of these difficult conversations with her Jewish family, which she called really scary and also really liberating. The granddaughter of three Holocaust survivors said, Two weeks ago if youd asked me if you could interview me for this piece I would have said no, I dont really know enough to talk about something so complicated. So just the fact that I feel empowered to speak about this at all is a very big change in a very short time.

While many of us have felt isolated in our views, by speaking out, were finding solidarity. Over the past 15 years, the anti-occupation Jewish left in America has been growing, with organizations like IfNotNow and JStreet leading the charge. But because the conflict has so often been boiled down to a binary you either support Israel or you support its destruction for many of us it felt like a betrayal to even consider the other side. Even now with strength in numbers, there is still a genuine fear of using words and phrases like apartheid and ethnic cleansing, even if theyre applicable. There is an instinct to retreat.

Libby Lenkinski, a Brooklyn-based veteran in the progressive American-Israeli activism space and vice president for public engagement at the New Israel Fund, sees the emergence of a new perspective on Israel as young American Jews reinterpreting what it means to live a Jewish life, and cautions older Jews not to mischaracterize changing opinions on Israel as a rejection of our values: This may not be the engagement you dreamed of, but they havent turned away, they just turned in a different direction.

Lenkinski, 42, sees a noticeable shift in American perception since the last major conflict in Gaza, in 2014. A theme thats relatively new is that its simple. Its been described for decades as too complicated, but now people are realizing its actually not that complicated, Lenkinski told me. Its a moral issue. Its right or wrong. Theres something positive about it, but I hope it doesnt end there, stressing that American Jews need to go beyond tweets and Instagram memes to understand the intertwined systems of oppression at play.

Of the at least 60 children killed by airstrikes in Gaza this week, 11 were participating in a program focused on trauma run by the Norwegian Refugee Council. As their organizations secretary general wrote, They are now gone, killed with their families, buried with their dreams and the nightmares that haunted them. Though a cease-fire is now in effect, violence continues at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where the fighting of the past two weeks arguably began.

Growing up in the shadow of the Holocaust and the intergenerational trauma of descending from survivors of genocide, I cant help but see my family in their faces, as Cyrulnik-Dercher put it. The near annihilation of the Jewish people four decades before I was born still courses through my veins, and it is this visceral feeling of violence and oppression that has made me feel certain that speaking out now is the right thing to do and already too little too late.

The truth is that causing trauma to another group will never ease our own. Killing more that 200 Palestinians in two weeks wont bring back our ancestors who perished in the Holocaust, and it certainly wont bring us closer to a lasting peace. Until we recognize that no one is safe until were all safe, the cycle of oppression will play on.

See original here:

Young American Jews Have Reached a Tipping Point With Israel - Rolling Stone


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