Albania’s recent adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism calls to mind the history of activism on this issue, and the contributions of a Jewish American author and diplomat named Herman Bernstein. As U.S. ambassador to Albania from 1930 to 1933, Bernstein fostered the U.S.-Albanian relationship and marveled at the thriving Jewish community of Albania, in a tolerant Muslim country. Read Here
Watch this Week’s Summary of Anti-Semitic Incidents Around the World
In commemoration of the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht, leaders and Jewish communities around the globe reiterated a strong commitment to the ethos of ‘Never Again.”
These inspiring words must be put into action as the world grapples with contemporary forms of anti-Semitism. In the shadow of this anniversary, several stories this week offer a stark reminder that classical anti-Semitism also remains a stain upon our world.
THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
FEATURED VIDEOS
Panel: The Global Fight Against Anti-Semitism at the Balkans Forum
Jonathan Morales' Encounter with the Chabad of Poway Shooter
SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
SPECIAL FEATURE
OUR MAN IN TIRANA: THE U.S. AMBASSADOR WHO FOUGHT ANTI-SEMITISM
By Lauren Weiner
U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM ELAN CARR ON RECENT PROGRESS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM
By U.S. Department of State
In a special briefing at the State Department, Special Envoy Elan Carr provided a formal update on his office’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism around the world. Carr updated participants on the State Department’s first-ever U.S. Government-sponsored event about online anti-Semitism as well as historic breakthroughs in the fight against anti-Semitism in the Muslim world. Read Here
NEWSWEEK OP-ED: UNREPORTED FOREIGN DONATIONS TO UNIVERSITIES FOMENT ANTI-SEMITISM
By Dr. Charles Asher Small
Dr. Charles Asher Small, founder of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), writes about the key findings of ISGAP’s “Follow the Money” report. Researchers uncovered that autocratic regimes, principally Qatar, funneled billions of dollars of unreported funding to U.S. universities, helping to promote an atmosphere sympathetic to their efforts to demonize Israel on campus. Read Here
UNITED STATES
NYPD ANTI-DISCRIMINATION CHIEF ALLEGED TO HAVE SLURRED JEWS, BLACKS
By RON KAMPEAS
The New York Police Department official charged with combating discrimination in the department posted hundreds of racist, anti-Semitic, misogynist, and homophobic slurs on a message board. The New York City Council identified the author as Deputy Inspector James Kobel, who is the commander of the Equal Employment Opportunity Division. Read Here
A PROUD BOYS LEADER IS TRYING TO REBRAND THE GROUP AS EXPLICITLY WHITE SUPREMACIST AND ANTI-SEMITIC
By BEN SALES
One of the leaders of the Proud Boys is trying to rebrand the organization as explicitly white supremacist and anti-Semitic. Kyle Chapman claimed that he has staged a “coup” against the current leader. “We will confront the Zionist criminals who wish to destroy our civilization,” Chapman wrote and also said that he has renamed the group the Proud Goys. Read Here
WORLD NEWS
United Kingdom
IN GROTESQUE ATTACK, SCOTTISH PSC SECRETARY MICK NAPIER CALLS THE LATE FORMER CHIEF RABBI JONATHAN SACKS “UTTER RACIST SWINE”
By Campaign Against Antisemitism
In a social media post, the Secretary of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Mick Napier, called the late former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks “utter racist swine”. The post by Napier was ‘liked’ several times, including by the expelled Labour member, Jackie Walker. Comments on the post included “Good riddance!” and “May he rot”. Read Here
JEWISH LEADER IN SCOTLAND WARNS AMENDED HATE CRIMES BILL COULD PROTECT HOLOCAUST DENIERS
By Algemeiner Staff
A two-word modification in a hate crimes bill currently being discussed by Scotland’s parliament could provide a “get out of jail free card” for Holocaust deniers, a Scottish Jewish leader warned. Ephraim Borowski was responding to Scottish Justice Secretary Hamza Yousaf’s amendment of the proposed legislation that would raise the threshold from “likely” to stir up hatred to “intend only” to stir up hatred. Read Here
GERMANY
FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISTS MAR COMMEMORATIONS IN GERMANY OF NAZI POGROM OF NOVEMBER 1938
By Ben Cohen 
As Germany marked the 82nd anniversary of the atrocities committed by the Nazis during “Reichspogromnacht,” far-right extremists marked the occasion with rowdy demonstrations and vandalism. The Jewish community in Dresden expressed “great disbelief and full indignation” at the demonstration held by Pegida — a far-right, anti-immigrant organization. Read Here
GERMANY: JEWISH SPORTS EXHIBITION IN BOCHUM VANDALIZED, FOOTBALL FEDERATION ‘HORRIFIED’
By Davis VanOpdorp
Vandals destroyed Plexiglas statues of Jewish athletes that were on display in Bochum as part of an outdoor touring exhibition. Germany’s DFB football association suspects the attack had an anti-Semitic motivation. Read Here
THE MIDDLE EAST
PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC SCHOLAR: EMMANUEL MACRON PROMOTES ZIONIST AGENDA
By Sarah Cheml
Palestinian Islamic scholar Mraweh Nassar claimed in an interview with Turkish TV, that there are three reasons behind France’s “hostility” towards Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. “The third reason,” he said, “is that French President Emmanuel Macron is “promoting a Zionist agenda” because his wife is related to the Rothschild family – “the richest Jew.” Read Here
PMW: FOR PA, PEACE MEANS A JUDENFREI STATE, ETHNICALLY CLEANSED OF ALL JEWS
By Sarah Chemla
For the Palestinian leadership, peace with Israel can only be achieved in a “judenfrei” Palestinian state – a state free of Jews, Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) has said. PA Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said: “The [Israeli] settlement[s] will disappear in the end. There will be no peace as long as there is one settlement on Palestinian lands.” Read Here
OTHER WORLD NEWS
AUSTRIAN POLICE ARREST 40 NEO-NAZI SUSPECTS IN NATIONWIDE RAIDS
By AP
Austrian police have mounted raids on 40 suspected neo-Nazis across the country accused of illegal activity online, the interior ministry said. All suspects are accused of offenses under Austria’s law banning the spreading of Nazi ideology, with seven also accused of inciting hatred. Read Here
TOMBSTONES DESTROYED AT JEWISH CEMETERY IN UKRAINE
By CAM
Several headstones were destroyed inside the Jewish cemetery in Malyn, Ukraine. The remains of Holocaust victims and a monument to the city’s Jewish residents who were murdered in the Holocaust, are located in the cemetery. Read Here
ON CAMPUS
FEDERAL AGENCIES PROBE SFSU FOR ATTEMPTING TO HOST TERRORIST LEILA KHALED
By Jerusalem Post Staff
The US Department of Education is probing whether San Francisco State University (SFSU) broke federal rules when they attempted to host an event with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist Leila Khaled. SFSU may have provided material support to terrorists when they offered to give her a platform, potentially violating the 18 USC Section 2339B anti-terrorist statute. Read Here
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY ADOPTS IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTI-SEMITISM
By Aleks Phillips
Cambridge University has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, including all 11 examples. The university included two clarifications made by the Home Affairs Select Committee in 2016, which stipulate that criticism of the Israeli government was not anti-Semitic without additional evidence to suggest otherwise. Read Here
ANALYSIS & OP-EDS
ANTI-RACISM MUSTN’T BE EXPLOITED TO FOMENT ANTI-SEMITISM
By DAVID MICHAELS, DIRECTOR OF U.N. AND INTERCOMMUNAL AFFAIRS, B’NAI B’RITH INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES & STATISTICS
MOST SAUDIS THINK ISRAEL, NOT IRAN, IS REGION’S BIGGEST THREAT, POLL FINDS
By RAPHAEL AHREN
Saudis consider Israel, not Iran, the greatest threat to regional security, according to a new opinion poll. The poll showed recent normalization deals receiving a chilly reception, underlining gaps between the regimes in Sunni states and their populaces. Asked which country threatens the stability of the Middle East the most, 33% of Saudis chose Israel, compared to 25% who chose Iran. Read Here
FEATURED PARTNER
American Friends of Kurdistan strengthens, protects, and promotes American-Kurdish relations and supports policies that advance the national security and prosperity of Americans, Kurds, and our other allies. AFK is the first organization of its kind, founded in 2019 by a group of Americans who believe American policy toward Kurds and greater Kurdistan is lacking and all-too-often ignored.
DILIMAN ABDULKADER ON U.S. POLICY TOWARD THE KURDS
By Marilyn Stern
Diliman Abdulkader, co-founder of American Friends of Kurdistan, spoke to participants in Middle East Forum Webinar about the plight of Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran and offered his recommendations for U.S. policy in each Kurdish territory. Read Here
FROM OUR PARTNERS
JCCA: WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT JEWS WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY?
By Joshua J. Chinsky
In the United States, Jews have served honorably in the military since colonial times. Over half a million Jews served in World War II. Another 150,000 Jewish service members served in Korea, and 30,000 more served in Vietnam. More recently, thousands of Jews served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and an estimated 10,000 American Jews continue to serve across all five U.S. military branches today. Read Here
NGO MONITOR: WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS TO DEFUND NGOS, EVEN OVER TERROR TIES?
By Olga Deutsch
On paper, governments have vetting procedures that should prevent the abuse of taxpayers’ funds. Yet time and again, evidence emerges showing that they cooperate with entities linked to terror groups. Lately, there’s been a change. In July, the Dutch government made a dramatic announcement. It was freezing funding to the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), a Palestinian NGO, over its close links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Read Here
ILF: HOW WE FOUGHT AGAINST PODCAST – EPISODE 1 “PAY FOR SLAY”
By Yifa Sigal and Maurice Hirsch
BRANDEIS CENTER JOINS 30 ORGANIZATIONS URGING UNIVERSITIES TO COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM
By Samanatha Crane
GOVERNMENT & POLICY
PRESIDENTS OF ISRAEL, AUSTRIA, GERMANY CALL TO END ANTI-SEMITISM
By Jerusalem Post Staff
President Reuven Rivlin, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier released a clip ahead of the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht, calling on people to fight anti-Semitism. Read Here
POMPEO CALLS FOR RELEASE OF YEMENI JEW HELD BY HOUTHI MILITIA
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDS
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for the immediate and unconditional release of Levi Salem Musa Marhabi, a Yemeni Jew who is being held by Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen. Pompeo said that the United States “stands with the Yemeni Jewish community” in calling for Marhabi’s release. Read Here
HUMANITY
LORD RABBI SACKS, RABBINICAL GIANT OF HIS GENERATION, DIES AGED 72
By Jewsh News
Rabbi Lord Sacks, one of the leading British-Jewish voices of his age, died on Saturday, aged 72. Lord Sacks held the post of Chief Rabbi from 1991 to 2013. He was the author of numerous highly-acclaimed books on the role of faith in the modern age and the recipient of many coveted awards. Read More
EUROPEAN SYNAGOGUES KEEP ON THEIR LIGHTS TO MARK 1938 KRISTALLNACHT POGROMS
By JTA
European synagogues kept their lights on Monday night to commemorate the 82th anniversary of the Nazi Kristallnacht pogroms. Titled “Light Up the Synagogue” and “Let There Be Light,” the initiatives came from the World Zionist Organization’s Center for Religious Affairs in the Diaspora and the March of the Living organization, respectively. Read Here
The Combat Anti-Semitism Movement is a non-partisan, global grassroots movement of individuals and organizations, across all religions and faiths, united around the goal of ending anti-Semitism in all its forms. Since its launching in February 2019, 289 organizations and 297,000 individuals have joined the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement by signing the campaign’s pledge. The CAM Pledge draws upon the IHRA international definition of anti- Semitism and its list of specific behaviors used to discriminate against the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel.
