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THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
WATCH THE WEEKLY CAS NEWSLETTER SUMMARY BELOW
TAKE ACTION
(1 Piece)
Learn More About H.Res.782
This week we ask you to take action by learning more about H.Res.782, a bill introduced in the US House of Representatives encouraging public schools to design and teach a curriculum about the history of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, and the vital and historic importance of the Jewish State of Israel. The bill also calls on Federal law enforcement officials, working with State and local officials, to hold the perpetrators of anti-Semitic attacks accountable and bring such perpetrators to justice.
Congressmen introduce resolution aimed at reducing anti-Semitism
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Three congressmen, reps. Ted Budd (R-NC), Lee Zeldin (R-NY) and David Kustoff (R-TN), have introduced H. Res. 782 in order to combat anti-Semitism in the US. Speaking of the bill, Budd noted that, “Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel attitudes often emerge because of a lack of understanding of the long and painful history of the Jewish people, and the fact that anti-Semitism has followed them to all corners of the globe for thousands of years. As a result, our Jewish community is feeling rattled, frightened and unsafe, and we cannot allow these feelings to fester. I’m proud to lead a resolution that will help increase understanding and rid our country of all anti-Semitic hate.” Read Here
Special Feature
(1 Piece)
1. CAM Commends Los Angeles City Council for Passing Legislation to Prevent Hate Crimes
By CAM
The Combat Anti-Semitism Movement commends and supports the Los Angeles City Council for passing new legislation focused on combating hate crimes. The legislation requires the city’s Police Department to establish a hotline for proactive hate crime prevention and to expand the victim’s assistance website with more languages and resources, as well as to offer security assessments to vulnerable institutions. It also directs the LAPD to “protect vulnerable institutions like synagogues, mosques and cultural centers.”
UNITED STATES
(16 Articles)
1. ‘Significant anti-Semitic hostility’ blamed for Jackson, NJ housing project denial, lawsuit says
By Jean Mikle
The developer who proposed building 459 units of housing on South Hope Chapel Road has sued the township and its Planning Board, claiming the plan was rejected because of a “rising tide of anti-Semitism in the township.” “The board denied the application, bowing to severe anti-Semitic pressure from local residents and fears that Orthodox Jews may purchase homes and reside in the development,” the lawsuit states. Read Here
2. Facebook takes down New Jersey page accused of anti-Semitism
By BEN SALES
Facebook has removed a page that opposes the expansion of the Orthodox population around Lakewood, New Jersey. The page, called Rise Up Ocean County, had been called anti-Semitic by local leaders. The page had been taken down temporarily in January but was later reinstated. The group said its purpose was to mobilize locals to oppose overdevelopment around Lakewood, a town that has seen a boom in its Orthodox population. Read Here
3. Far-Right Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theorist Touts ‘Israeli Connection’ to Iowa Vote-Counting Debacle
By Benjamin Kerstein
Far-right conspiracy theorist Rick Wiles, claimed that the disastrous breakdown of the vote-counting process at the Democratic caucuses in Iowa was a conspiracy by Israel and “the very people who crucified Christ.” Wiles asserts an Israeli connection to the app that failed during the vote counting and tied this to the owner of the English-language news site The Times of Israel and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Read Here
4. FEDS SAY NEO-NAZI BUSTED ON GUN CHARGE HAD HUGE ARSENAL
By CBS News
A federal judge in Texas released video and audio recordings of a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi who pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms after being arrested in tactical gear with multiple rifles, 2,000 rounds of ammunition and drugs during a traffic stop. Read Here
5. Authorities searching for man who allegedly shouted anti-semitic comments inside Northeast Philadelphia kosher market
By Dave Schratwieser
Authorities are searching for a man who shouted anti-Semitic comments inside a kosher market in Northeast Philadelphia. Law enforcement sources say the man got out of his truck and, entered the House of Kosher gourmet market and began shouting anti-Semitic comments. No one was injured in this incident. Read Here
6. Tampa Bay councilman who used term ‘we’re getting Jewed’ meets with Jewish leader and rabbi
By MARCY OSTER
Orlando Gudes, a Tampa Bay City Council member who used the slur “we’re getting Jewed” to describe a city business deal and then apologized met with a local Jewish leader to learn why it was offensive. “My goal is now to make sure I educate the community,” Gudes said. “We can get rid of these old terms, these old adages.” Read Here
7. Ex-pizzeria manager who texted anti-Semitic rant apologizes, will attend Holocaust program
By Avalon Zoppo
The former manager at an Eatontown, NJ pizzeria who was sued after he texted an anti-Semitic rant to an employee will attend an educational program about the Holocaust as part of the resolution to the workplace discrimination lawsuit. Francesco Scott Di Rinaldi, who was fired by the owners of Maurizio’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant, issued an apology to the worker, 17-year-old Nicholas Bogan, and the Jewish community. Read Here
8. Urban Dictionary Criticized for ‘Hurtful, Disrespectful’ Definition of Auschwitz
By JNS
Urban Dictionary, a crowdsourced online dictionary for slang words and phrases, was condemned by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum for publishing “hurtful and disrespectful” definitions of the word “Auschwitz.” Among the website’s 20 different definitions of the Nazi concentration camp are “a summer camp for Jews, “a disneyland for its time” and “the happy resort for Jews during WW2.” Read Here
9. Coronavirus spread sparks anti-Semitic views and conspiracy theories, ADL says
By MARCY OSTER
The spread of and fear generated by the coronavirus has led extremists to promote conspiracy theories and share their anti-Semitic views. “Finally! Science has discovered a cure for the most insidious disease of our time … Jewishness,” wrote one extremist on the encrypted messaging service Telegram. Posts linking the coronavirus to racist and anti-Semitic slurs and memes also are found on 4chan and Gab. Read Here
10. MLB will not schedule any more promotions of Roger Waters
By AP
Major League Baseball will not schedule any more advertising on its platforms promoting music artist Roger Waters. The leadership of the Jewish advocacy organization B’nai B’rith International sent a letter to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred criticizing the sport’s involvement in ticket sales for Waters’ “This is Not a Drill” tour. B’nai B’rith said Waters’ views on Jews and Israel “far exceed the boundaries of civil discourse.” Read Here
11. Swastika found in Marie Curie Park in Queens, NY
By Katherine Donlevy
The 111th Precinct, along with Community Board 11 members and representatives from elected officials’ offices, held a “Take Back the Park” outreach meeting after finding anti-Semitic graffiti at Marie Curie Park in Bayside. The NYPD responded to a call for graffiti on the 211th Street entrance sign to the park. Read Here
12. Police investigate swastikas, anti-Semitic vandalism at Dale City skate park in Prince William County, MD
By Prince William Times
Prince William County police are investigating after vandals left swastika symbols and anti-Semitic language on multiple ramps at a Dale City skate park. Read Here
13. White Nationalist march in DC near Union Station
By Nick Boykin
A march by the white nationalist group Patriot Front was done near Union Station in Washington. The members of Patriot Front shouted, “Reclaim America” as they moved down the streets of D.C. This is not the first time the group has protested in Washington – they did so in June 2019 for remembrance of the USS Liberty on the 52nd anniversary of its attack by the State of Israel. Read Here
14. Valerie Plame Accepts More Campaign Donations From Prominent Holocaust Denier
By Collin Anderson
Democratic congressional candidate Valerie Plame, who faced criticism after sharing multiple anti-Semitic articles from a white supremacist media outlet, has accepted three contributions from Holocaust denier Pete McCloskey, a former California congressman who referenced the “so-called Holocaust” during a May 2000 speech to a historically anti-Semitic organization. Read Here
15. Jewish Harvard Club member assaulted during pro-Palestinian lecture, lawsuit says
By Kathianne Boniello
A Jewish member of the Harvard Club claims she was assaulted during a pro-Palestinian lecture at the venue and then was booted by the institution. Vanesa Levine is suing to get reinstated. Levine was a new member when she attended a lecture called, “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine” by Rashid Khalidi, a former PLO press officer. Harvard finance professor Faris Mousa Saah called her a whore in Arabic and grabbed her by the arm, as he tried to take the microphone, according to court papers. Read Here
16. Michelle Malkin receives media credential for CPAC, despite being listed for alt-right conference
By JNS
Right-wing pundit Michelle Malkin has received a media credential to cover the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) despite being a speaker at the America First Political Action Conference around the same time hosted by anti-Semitic and alt-right figures. In addition to Malkin, AFPAC features anti-Semite and Holocaust denier Nicholas Fuentes and Patrick Casey, director of the white-nationalist group Identity Evropa. Read Here
ISRAEL AND THE REST OF THE WORLD
(4 Pieces)
1. IN-DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE UK
Leading anti-racism educational charity appoints Ken Loach and Michael Rosen to judge competition
By Lee Harpin
A leading anti-racism educational charity has appointed two outspoken defenders of Jeremy Corbyn against accusations about Labour anti-Semitism as judges of their major schools competition. Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) announced film director Ken Loach and children’s author Michael Rosen as judges for their annual contest in which young people are asked to produce creative designs on the theme of anti-racism. Read Here
English soccer player faces suspension over anti-Semitic tweet
By AGENCIES
English soccer player Tom Pope is facing a suspension from professional play relating to his use of social media after he wrote an anti-Semitic post on Twitter claiming that the Jewish Rothschild banking family would profit from a third world war. The UK’s Football Association announced that Pope had been charged with an “aggravated breach” of FA rule E3″ because his tweet had “included a reference, whether expressed or implied, to race and/or religion and/or ethnic origin.” Read Here
Senior Cabinet minister hopes ‘action will be taken’ against Tory MP who attended far-right meeting
By Lee Harpin
A senior Cabinet minister has said they are “hopeful of action being taken” against a Conservative MP who spoke at a conference in Rome alongside European far-right speakers. Daniel Kawczynski, the MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, was among the 22 speakers to appear at the National Conservatism conference. Conservative MP Andrew Percy, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Anti-Semitism, attacked Mr Kawczynski’s decision to attend the conference as “wholly inappropriate”. Read Here
Undercover reporter films anti-Semitic Chelsea fans making Nazi salutes, singing about ‘Yids’ and imitating a gas chamber
By JOE STRANGE
Shocking new footage has emerged of Chelsea fans performing Nazi salutes, singing anti-Semitic songs and mimicking the noise of a gas chamber. A group of supporters are heard chanting: ‘We hate Tottenham – Yids! We hate Tottenham – Yids!’, with two individuals making Nazi salutes. Read Here
Jewish Labour Movement reacts furiously to attack from Unite official over McCluskey meeting
By Lee Harpin
The Jewish Labour Movement has reacted furiously to an attack on its national secretary by a senior official from the left-wing Unite union. The attack was over a series of tweets sent by JLM’s Peter Mason, in which he spoke about a meeting with Unite’s General Secretary Len McCluskey about anti-Semitism within Labour. He sought to dispute Mr McCluskey’s claim in a television interview that his union had “continued dialogue” with JLM on the issue of Labour anti-Semitism. Read Here
London witnesses three anti-Semitic hate crimes in under 24 hours
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDS
Three separate anti-Semitic incidences were recorded in London, as Jews had stones and fireworks thrown at them. Youths threw eggs and fireworks at Jews attending a synagogue in Clapham Common. The group then returned the following day, climbed onto the roof of the synagogue and shouted abuse at worshipers attending. Also, three males threw a stone at the car of a “visibly Jewish family” visiting a medical clinic on Marine Street. Read Here
Amazon pulls books by author who accuses Jews of ‘active role in promoting war’
By JNS
Following outrage, Amazon has stopped selling two books by an author who praises Hitler and has accused Jews of “promoting and inciting war.” The online retailer has removed Thomas Dalton’s new book, Eternal Strangers: Critical Views of Jews and Judaism Through the Ages and The Jewish Hand in the World Wars. Read Here
Media images of Jews ‘shadowy’, says report
By Jewish News Reporter
A Jewish sociologist has raised concerns about the visual depiction of Jews in the British media, as a report warns that this can create an image of “otherness” showing Jews as “unapproachable.” Keith Kahn-Harris made the points while contributing to a round-table discussion and subsequent report on faith and media by a London-based interfaith body. Read Here
Condemnation after anti-Semitic graffiti found on cash machine in Dagenham
By Jon King
Anti-semitic symbols and words were scrawled across an ATM at Morrisons supermarket in Dagenham, London. Shopper Diane Gilham spotted the graffiti on a trip to the store. “I felt disgusted seeing this,” she said. Read Here
‘Jew process’ Labour councillor suspended for second time amid bid for election to governing body
By Lee Harpin
A Wirral councillor who previously spoke of the “privileging” of anti-Semitism over other forms of racism and joked about “Jew process”, has been suspended from taking part in elections to sit on Labour’s ruling body. Cllr Bird, who was previously suspended last March, was informed that she and another candidate, Mohammed Azam, could no longer stand in the election for the National Executive Committee. It is understood that the decision to suspend Cllr Bird, pending an investigation, relates to issues around allegations of antisemitism. The decision relates to recent complaints. Read Here
Burglar who threatened to ‘blow up’ Blackpool synagogue spared jail
By RACHEL SMITH
A burglar who broke into a synagogue leaving blood strewn around the prayer hall told officers, “blow them up – I’m f**king English and f***ing proud.” Andrew Prendergast, 47, was found hiding in the prayer room of the Blackpool Reform Synagogue after breaking in. He pleaded guilty to burglary and racially aggravated criminal damage. Judge Beverley Lunt said the offence was not a hate crime and spared him a prison sentence to allow him to get help with his mental health problems. Read Here
Labour candidate claims he never saw final text of ‘Hezbollah has strong support’ letter he signed
By Orlando Radice
Labour’s candidate to represent the Borehamwood Kenilworth ward in a by-election has claimed he “never saw the final text” of a letter he signed arguing that Jeremy Corbyn had “nothing to apologise for” in his meetings with representatives of terrorist outfits Hamas and Hezbollah. Daniel Ozarow put his name to the 2015 letter penned in the wake of a Jewish Chronicle front page which asked Mr Corbyn seven “key questions” about his record of associating with Holocaust deniers, terrorists and anti-Semites. Read Here
2. IN-DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN GERMANY
German court rules medieval anti-Semitic sculpture can stay on church
BY Joseph Nasr
A German court ruled a 700-year-old anti-Semitic sculpture could stay on the exterior of a church in the city of Wittenberg, dismissing a claim by a member of the local Jewish community that it was defamatory and should be removed. The “Judensau,” or “Jew pig”, on a wall of Wittenberg’s St Mary’s church is a reminder of widespread anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages. It depicts a rabbi lifting the tail of a sow and peeping at its behind, while Jewish children suckle on the animal. Read Here
After ‘Post’ report, German MP to quit BDS NGO if it does not reject BDS
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
German politician Olaf in der Beek confirmed a letter in which he threatened to resign from the German-Palestinian Society, a hardcore BDS organization targeting Israel, if the group does not reject the “anti-Semitic” pressure campaign.” If the German-Palestinian Society does not distance itself from the BDS campaign, I will leave it,” the Free Democratic Party (FDP) MP said. Read Here
Leader of a German state steps down after making pact with far-right AfD party
By TOBY AXELROD
A German politician stepped down a day after being elected the leader of his local parliament amid criticism over support he received from a far-right party. Thomas Kemmerich of the centrist Free Democratic Party walked away from the leading the central German state of Thuringia. The vote was significant — and sparked nationwide protests — because it represented the first time the far-right AfD had helped form a government in the country. Read Here
German gov’t will celebrate Iran’s ‘anti-Semitic’ revolution again
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
The German Foreign Ministry will celebrate the 41st anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Iranian regime is classified as the leading state sponsor of terrorism, and has been accused of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism, according to the State Department and the ADL. Foreign ministry sources said that “The usual practice in diplomatic relations also includes the celebration of national holidays in the other country. As the Federal Republic of Germany continues to maintain diplomatic relations with Iran, this also applies to the coming national holiday.” Read Here
Environmental group led by Greta Thunberg boots out pro-BDS German party
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
The German city of Bochum’s branch of the student ecology movement Fridays for Future – formed by the Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg and an organization devoted to fighting Nazism – kicked the pro-BDS Marxist-Leninist Party in Germany out of their alliances due to the party’s misconduct, including allegedly tearing down a placard against anti-Semitism. Read Here
German Jews urge Green Party MP to resign from ‘antisemitic’ BDS group
By Benjamin WEINTHAL
German Jews and NGOs have come out swinging against an allegedly anti-Israel German Green Party MP who is on the advisory board of the pro-BDS German-Palestinian Society (GPS) and sympathizes with Iran’s regime. Green Party MP Omid Nouripour “of course, should resign,” the organization Munich Citizens against Antisemitism said. Read Here
German comedian under attack after apologizing to a Holocaust survivor for his father’s Nazi service
By TOBY AXELROD
Neo-Nazis are attacking a popular German comedian for having apologized to a Holocaust survivor for his father’s wartime crimes. Atze Schröder, 54, addressed Auschwitz survivor Eva Szepesi on the popular Markus Lanz talk show, telling her tearfully that his father had “done horrible things as a soldier. Right-wing extremists have since been taunting Schröder on social media. Read Here
3. IN DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST
After Trump plan, Khamenei to fund Palestinian terror groups ‘as much as we can’
By AGENCIES and TOI STAFF
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed that Tehran would fund Palestinian terror groups to the best of its ability, asserting that it was the proper response to the unveiling of the Trump peace plan. “We believe that Palestinian-armed organizations will stand and continue resistance and the Islamic Republic sees supporting Palestinian groups as its duty,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said. Read Here
Animated video glorifying Palestinian terror attacks posted to TikTok
By TOI Staff
An animated video portraying several real-life Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis was found on TikTok, the video-sharing social networking app popular with children. The video, which appeared to glorify the murder of Jews, highlighted four separate attacks in CGI vignettes set to heroic music. Read Here
Arab media accuse US, Israel of coronavirus conspiracy against China
By Jerusalem Post Staff
Numerous reports in the Arab press have accused the US and Israel of being behind the creation and spread of the deadly coronavirus as part of an economic and psychological war against China. One report in the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan claimed that it was no coincidence that the coronavirus was absent from the US and Israel. Read Here
Mouthpiece For Turkey’s AKP: ‘The World Now Has A Jewish Problem’ – ‘Jewish Power Will Force A Doomsday On The World!’
By MEMRI
In a column titled “The World’s Jewish Problem” in the Turkish daily Yeni Şafak, columnist Yusuf Kaplan described two powers in America: “The first is WASP. Kaplan wrote that the second power in America is the Jews, of whom he said: “U.S. finance, economy, banking system, universities, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Pentagon, the CIA, arms industry, soft-arms industry and media are under the monopoly of Jews!… Jewish power will force a doomsday on the world!” Read Here
“We are Future Ghasem Soleimanis. We Kill the Jews”
By IRANWIRE CITIZEN JOURNALIST
A rally going by the name of “A Generation of Soleimanis” was held at Tehran’s Grand Imam Khomeini Mosalla, organized by the Student Basij Organization. In addition to the usual anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans, a young boy held a sign reading: “We love to fight Zionists. We kill the Jews.” This slogan was chanted by other rally participants. Read Here
‘Blood libel’ cleric who was praised by Corbyn is jailed in Israel for inciting violence
By JC Reporter
A radical Arab Israeli cleric, once defended by Jeremy Corbyn as he was deported from Britain, has been jailed by a Haifa court for inciting violence. Salah, who led the northern branch of the now-banned Islamic Movement in Israel, is a pro-Palestinian campaigner who achieved notoreity in 2007 for comments appearing to promote the blood libel. Read Here
4. IN DEPTH: OTHER WORLD NEWS
Hate crime investigators probing graffiti sprayed along Calgary, Canada thoroughfare
By HEIDE PEARSON
A series of what police are describing as concerning, anti-Semitic slurs spray-painted on a sound barrier wall in southeast Calgary, has police investigators looking into whether the graffiti was motivated by hate. The graffiti was sprayed on the concrete wall on Deerfoot Trail near Mackenzie Boulevard. Read Here
Swastikas, anti-Semitic slogans painted on headstones at Dutch Jewish cemetery
By CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
Swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans were painted on several headstones at a Jewish cemetery in the Netherlands. The incident took place in Dordrecht, situated 40 miles south of Amsterdam. The Organization of Jewish Communities in the Netherlands, or NIK, filed a police complaint. Read Here
Despite condemnations, carnival in Belgium is expected to display again anti-Semitic puppets
BY YOSSI LEMPKOWICZ
Aalst is famous for its infamous annual carnival which almost every year displays anti-Semitic floats. Last year, Jewish groups, but also the European Commission, condemned the carnival’s anti-Semitic caricatures. In December, UNESCO decided to remove the carnival from its ”World Cultural Heritage” list. The Aalst carnival which will take place on 23 February and is expected to display again puppets dressed as Jews with hooked noses. Read Here
Bold Sign Campaign in Paris Highlights Travesty of Justice in Anti-Semitic Murder of Sarah Halimi
By Ben Cohen
Signs condemning the travesty of justice in the case of the anti-Semitic murder of Sarah Halimi — the 65-year-old French Jewish woman tortured and thrown to her death from a third-floor window in April 2017 — have multiplied across Paris. The ad-hoc signs in several Paris locations highlighted the horrific manner in which Halimi died as well as the denial of justice that followed. Read Here
Hungarian neo-Nazis Commemorate SS Breakout Attempt in WWII in Budapest
By Haaretz
Some 500 neo-Nazis marched through a park in Budapest to commemorate an attempt by German SS units and their allies to defend the Hungarian capital from the approach of Soviet troops during World War II. Each year, right-wing extremist groups and neo-Nazis mark the anniversary of what they call the “Day of Honour.” Hungary’s police had initially banned the gathering which was then allowed by a judge in Budapest who cited people’s right to assemble. Read Here
Anti-Semitic graffiti painted on Jewish family’s door in Turin
BY ROSSELLA TERCATIN
A Star of David and the word “Jude” drawn with a black marker were found in Turin on the apartment door of a well-known Jewish banker. “I called the police in tears. They asked me, ‘But do these things still happen in 2020?’ Obviously yes,” Marcello Segre, who is also the head of a local charity, said. Read Here
Czech Police investigate distribution of anti-Semitic book after media reports
By Gwendolyn Albert
Pemic Books, a distributor in the Czech Republic, has paused its distribution of a publication entitled “The Myth of Six Million.” The book openly denies that Jewish people were murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices during the Second World War. Another anti-Semitic book entitled “Circumcised Republic” continues to be available through the distributor. Read Here
Boys, 13, spray-paint swastika, ‘Jews’ on Wall in BOLOGNA, Italy
BY ANSA
Five 13-year-old boys spray-painted a swastika, the words ‘Jews’ and the A for anarchy symbol on a wall near a cinema in Forlì north of Bologna. They are too young to be prosecuted and were handed back to their families. Read Here
ON CAMPUS
(12 Articles)
1. Brown students find swastika graffiti in Hegeman Hall, cover it with star
By MAIA ROSENFELD
Jack Waters, a student at Brown, found a swastika scribbled in pen on the wall of his dorm. Walters’ friend, covered the graffiti with a paper star. “It was striking,” said Jack Waters ’21, who discovered the graffiti when he was walking down the stairs. The anti-Semitic symbol was drawn on an overhang above the stairs to the basement, visible from the dormitory’s front entrance. Read Here
2. Amid chaos, UC Berkeley student government delays vote against terrorist display
By JACKSON RICHMAN
The student government at the University of California, Berkeley, erupted into chaos, delaying a vote on a measure to censure a display by a pro-Palestinian student group. The student government met to debate a resolution titled “Condemning Bears for Palestine for Their Display in Eshleman Hall Glorifying Violent Terrorists.” The student group Bears for Palestine put on a display featuring convicted Palestinian terrorists Rasmieh Odeh, Fatima Bernawi and Leila Khaled. “Jewish students were repeatedly harassed, heckled and threatened with physical threats of violence, Tikvah: Students for Israel, said. Read Here
3. Fired Oberlin professor settles lawsuit following controversial anti-Semitic online posts
By Eric Heisig
A former Oberlin College professor fired after her anti-Semitic online posts drew international criticism has settled a discrimination lawsuit she filed against the college after her ouster. The terms of the settlement reached by Joilynn Karega-Mason and the college are confidential. Karega-Mason, who worked as an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition, was fired after some pro-Israel organizations publicized some of her online statements. Read Here
4. Universities Urged to Act After Survey Shows 60% Increase in Anti-Semitism Against UK Jewish Students
By Algemeiner Staff
The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) in the United Kingdom has expressed concern over new figures showing a 60% rise in domestic anti-Semitic incidents affecting Jewish students and academics, calling on university leaders to “take decisive action on our concerns.” The figures included “40 anti-Semitic incidents affecting Jewish students, academics, students’ unions or other student bodies in 2019. Read Here
5. University of Tornoto PROFESSORS UNHAPPY WITH PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE TO ANTI-SEMITISM ON CAMPUS
By Paul Lungen
Jewish faculty at the University of Toronto are angry with the school’s president, Meric Gertler, after their request for a meeting to discuss anti-Semitism on campus was ignored. An ad hoc group of Jewish professors and lecturers had asked for a meeting after the Graduate Students Union (UTGSU) signaled it would not support an effort by Hillel to introduce kosher food on campus because it would be “pro-Israel.” They say there is a climate of anti-Semitism at the Toronto school. Read Here
6. Open letter by Warwick staff urges vice-chancellor to “continue to refuse to adopt” the IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism
By The Boar
An open letter urging the University of Warwick’s vice-chancellor to “continue to refuse to adopt” the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s definition of anti-Semitism has been signed by almost 80 Warwick members of staff. The release of the letter follows Vice-Chancellor Stuart Croft’s decision that Warwick would not officially adopt the IHRA’s definition last month. Read Here
7. ‘Jews killed Jesus’: Melbourne school sorry
By PETER KOHN
A Melbourne, Australia private school has apologised for comments made by its chaplaincy repeating the canard that Jews had killed Jesus. The online comments – appearing on a Chaplain’s Corner page of the Carey Baptist Grammar website – were in a Christmas message by the Carey chaplaincy to the senior school, which has since been taken down. Read Here
8. Nazi flag seen at Frederick, Maryland school; superintendent promises ‘appropriate action’
By Fox 5 Washington DC
An investigation is underway after neighbors saw a Nazi flag hanging at Governor Thomas Johnson High School. Superintendent Theresa R. Alban says the school district will “take appropriate action” in light of the incident. Read Here
9. As BDS runs rampant on UK campuses, Jewish students are fighting back
By Eldad Beck
Two weeks ago, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, KCL Action Palestine – a student campaign group at the prestigious London university King’s College – held an anti-Israeli event with the participation of BDS founder Omar Barghouti. When a member of the audience voiced the opinion that “It is right to hold the event on this day, since the Palestinians are the second victims of the Holocaust,” no one objected, including the organizers. Read Here
10. UNC introduces its first class to focus on anti-Semitism
By LAUREN COOK
One new course in the College of Arts & Sciences at UNC examines how to respond to anti-Semitism. JWST 390: “Confronting Anti-Semitism,” takes a broad look at anti-Semitism in history, the contemporary world and at UNC. Featuring various guest speakers, the course examines how anti-Semitism relates to other forms of racism, and equips students with the necessary strategies to combat anti-Semitism in their own communities. Read Here
11. University of Illinois student government set to vote on ‘divisive’ BDS resolution
By JACKSON RICHMAN
The student government at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is scheduled to vote on a BDS resolution that calls on the university to divest from “companies that profit from human rights violations in Palestine.” The resolution was co-authored SJP, and has 22 sponsors and endorsements from half of the student senate’s leadership committee. Read Here
12. Police investigating swastika graffiti on pro-Trump sign near Ledyard high school in Connecticut
By Alana Seldon
A homemade political sign supporting President Trump has been taken down by police after a gold swastika was spray painted over the message. Officers say they initially saw the Trump message on the sign, then another group came back and noticed the swastika a few hours later. Police seized the sign and an investigation into who is responsible for the anti-semitic graffiti is underway. Read Here
ANALYSIS
(4 Pieces)
1. Conf. of Presidents: ‘US Jewry sense of security has been penetrated’
By JEREMY SHARON
American Jews’ feeling of personal safety has been seriously harmed by the recent spate of severe, violent anti-Semitic crimes, Malcolm Hoenlein said. The executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said there was an “obligation” from the non-Jewish world to come up with solutions for the anti-Semitism outbreak in the US, but that the Jewish community also needed to take responsibility and unify its efforts to “recreate” the solidarity of the movement to free Soviet Jewry in the 1970s and 1980s. Read Here
2. The role of new media in driving oldest hatred
By David Rich
The past four years have seen anti-Semitism and the fate of British Jews become a national political issue and a regular media story. Either it has brought unwanted attention onto the Jewish community and stirred up feelings and views that we thought had been consigned to history; or it has allowed us to see those attitudes with full clarity, while helping to gather new friends and allies from across society. Read Here
3. UK Jewish leader: Anti-Semitism worse than ever since WWII yet we’re ignoring it
By DAVID HOROVITZ
A British Jewish leader who played a central role in highlighting UK Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis has warned that world Jewry is threatened more than at any time since WW II. Jonathan Goldstein, head of the Jewish Leadership Council, said Jewish leaders have ignored rising anti-Semitism for too long, and “lost the narrative” when it comes to Zionism. Goldstein charged that many of the innumerable major Jewish organizations worldwide are disseminating different narratives, when they urgently need to coordinate and work together. As for the United States, he said a lesson should be learned from Corbyn’s improbable rise. Read Here
4. What’s next for the UK’s Labour Party?
By Joan Ryan
We have to recognise that within Labour’s ranks there remain many members who believe that Corbyn did nothing wrong, and that the charges of anti-Semitism were a concoction of lies. Corbyn’s departure won’t change that reality. Equally, Corbyn’s hard-left ideology and worldview has now developed deep roots, and a loyal following. Its perverted anti-imperialist mindset – one that places all of the world’s ills at the feet of the West – is at the heart of the Jew-hatred in the party. Only when the issues of ideology and culture are addressed can Labour begin to rid the party of anti-Semitism. Read Here
STUDIES AND STATISTICS
(3 Pieces)
1. European funding to terror-linked NGOs exposed in comprehensive report
By ELIANA RUDEE
Eight European-funded Palestinian NGOs have ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist group, according to a new report. Palestinian NGOs Addameer, Al-Dameer, Defense for Children International-Palestine, Health Work Committees, Palestinian Center for Human Rights , Union of Agricultural Work Committees , Union of Health Work Committees and Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees were all identified by NGO Monitor in a report as having extensive ties to the PFLP. Read Here
2. Anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York City down in January
By BEN SALES
There were fewer anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York City in January than in the same month last year. The period between January 1 and February 2 saw 21 hate crimes directed at Jews, according to a preliminary set of statistics published by the NYPD. The same period last year had 25 anti-Semitic hate crimes. In both years, anti-Semitic hate crimes made up the majority of total hate crimes in the city in January — 72% in 2020. Read Here
3. Record high anti-Semitic incidents recorded in UK in 2019
By JEREMY SHARON
The UK witnessed an annual record for anti-Semitic incidents in 2019, making it the fourth consecutive year that the record has been broken. The Community Security Trust (CST) reported that there were 1,805 anti-Semitic incidents in Britain in 2019, the highest total ever recorded in a single year. This figure represents a 7% rise in anti-Semitic incidents over 2018, which itself was a 16% rise from 2017, while 2016 was also a record year. Read Here
FEATURED PARTNER
Combat Anti-Semitism is proud to be a partner of Heroes To Heroes, a nonprofit organization providing spiritual healing and peer support for American Combat Veterans of all conflicts and all faiths who have attempted suicide or are on a path to self-destruction due to moral injury.
1. “Heroes to Heroes” discusses finding spirituality in Israel
By CIARA GORDON
In 2006, Luke Gaffney did not lose any men in his platoon while serving in Iraq as a captain in the Marines. But after returning to the United States, five of them are now dead because of overdoses and suicides. Gaffney spoke to Binghamton University students about how he almost took the same path as his men, and how a trip to Israel saved his life. “Heroes to Heroes saved my life so any chance I can get to get the word out about it and help another veteran, I’m all for it,” Gaffney said. Read Here
Heroes to Heroes Foundation, a non-denominational 501(c)(3) organization, provides a spiritual healing, suicide prevention, and peer support program for veterans who suffer from moral Injury. The Heroes to Heroes Foundation serves all combat veterans, regardless of conflict. Veterans of Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and Iraq have all participated in our program. We welcome all who are having challenges with moral Injury, or having challenges returning to civilian life after their time serving our country. Our program is designed to help our participants develop social and emotional bonds with one another while exploring their spirituality and pushing themselves physically.
Government & Policy Update
This section highlights the work of government officials around the world that are combating anti-Semitism in their official capacities.
(9 Pieces)
1. L.A. City Council Passes Legislation Addressing Hate Crimes
By AARON BANDLER
Los Angeles City Council passed legislation aimed at preventing hate crimes in the city. The legislation directs the LAPD to establish a hotline to prevent hate crimes and a central method of communication for law enforcement to coordinate responses to hate crimes. It also directs the LAPD to “protect vulnerable institutions like synagogues, mosques and cultural centers.” Read Here
2. Sen. Lankford speaks out against anti-Semitic hate at US Holocaust Memorial Museum
By KFOR-TV and K. Querry
U.S. Sen. James Lankford and Sen. Jacky Rosen spoke at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. “During this important week of prayer and unity in our nation’s capital that will culminate in the National Prayer Breakfast, I am proud to join Senator Rosen to continue to highlight the need for people everywhere to stand against anti-Semitism and pray for peace for our nation and world.” Read Here
3. US envoy urges Germany not to celebrate Iran’s Holocaust-denying regime
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
The US government’s top European ambassador took Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration to task about its planned celebration of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, as the regime calls for the destruction of Israel and denies the Shoah. “Germany has a moral responsibility to say to Iran very firmly and clearly that it is unacceptable to deny basic human rights. Celebrating the regime’s ongoing existence sends the opposite message,” US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell said. Read Here
4. After US envoy criticism, German president will not honor Iran’s regime
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will break with diplomatic tradition in the federal republic and not send a congratulatory telegram to the rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran this month. The Steinmeier announcement follows intense criticism from US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell. Read Here
5. Former Labour MP admits party’s record on anti-Semitism helped fuel rise in hate crime
By Basit Mahmood
The British government’s advisor on anti-Semitism says that the record rise in hate crimes against the Jewish community is down to the Labour party’s mainstreaming of racism against Jewish people. John Mann, who was a former Labour MP, said: ‘Not enough people are challenging anti-Semitism. Jeremy Corbyn’s lack of action as Labour leader led to a growth of anti-Semitism on the left.” He called on politicians to tackle the climate in which people ‘feel confident’ to make anti-Semitic remarks. Read Here
6. Lisa Nandy unveils sweeping action plan for eradicating anti-Semitism in Labour
By Lee Harpin
UK Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy has unveiled proposals for sweeping changes to the party’s disciplinary system as part of an “action plan” designed to eradicate the scourge of anti-Semitism. Ms Nandy said that Labour current disciplinary procedures needed to be “scrapped” in favour of an “independent process.” In a seven point manifesto, the Wigan MP also vowed to set up a task force comprising of “current and former staff and officials” to implement the conclusions of the forthcoming report on anti-Jewish racism in the party by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. Read Here
7. Victoria Liberals adopt swastika ban
By PETER KOHN
The Victorian Liberal–National Opposition in Australia has officially adopted a policy of supporting a ban on all public displays of Nazi swastika symbols and has committed to pushing for legislation to bring the ban into law. It is the first time a government or opposition in Australia has advocated such a ban. Caulfield MP David Southwick made the announcement of the opposition’s new policy, flanked by Shadow Attorney-General Edward O’Donohue. Read Here
8. Israeli ambassador to Portugal condemns anti-Semitic cartoon publication
By TZVI JOFFRE
Israel’s Ambassador to Portugal condemned the publication of anti-Semitic cartoons by Portuguese cartoon artist Vasco Gargalo in the weekly news magazine Sábado. The ambassador warned that while democratic societies like Portugal have the right to creative expression, he is “also fully aware of the impact and power of racist and anti-Semitic cartoons like those of Der Sturmer, who contributed so much to the promotion of the Final Solution.” Read Here
9. Sofia Prosecutors ask court to de-register Lukov March organiser Bulgarian National Union Edelweiss
By The Sofia Globe staff
The Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office has lodged an application in the Sofia City Court to cancel the registration under the law on non-government organisations of the Bulgarian National Union Edelweiss, organiser of the annual Lukov March, the torchlight parade that attracts neo-Nazi groups from various parts of Europe. The Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office had gathered a large body of evidence showing that the activities of the Bulgarian National Union Edelweiss differed from those declared in its articles of association. Read Here
HUMANITY
(6 Pieces)
1. Anti-Semitism pledge made by West Lothian Council in Scotland
By STUART SOMMERVIL
West Lothian Council has become only the third local authority in Scotland to adopt IHRA. Only Glasgow and Aberdeen councils have so far backed the definition by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Tory councillor Charles Kennedy raised a motion calling to adopt the IHRA definition, warning: “Anti-semitism is on the rise yet it is all too easy to dismiss. We must fight racism in all forms and local government must lead.” Read Here
2. In Moldova, Jewish teens go to schools to dispel anti-Semitic stereotypes
By LARRY LUXNER
Fifteen Christian seventh-graders at the City Theater School Chisinau listened attentively while two Jewish teenagers visiting their classroom talk about Jewish traditions. After finishing their presentation, Nikita and Arina invite the students to ask questions. “Why did Hitler hate the Jews so much?” asks Linda Papoulidu, a 13-year-old. Nikita and Arina are volunteers for Likrat Moldova, which brings together Jewish and Christian Moldovan teenagers in an effort to dispel the negative myths about Jews that have permeated Moldovan society for centuries. Read Here
3. Madrid to open Jewish museum in building reclaimed from far-left activists
By CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
Madrid will open a Jewish museum in a building that it reclaimed from far-left activists, the city’s mayor said. The museum is set to open within two years. “This is the only major capital in Western Europe without a museum, yet it has deep Jewish ties to countless Jews who continue to nurture the Sephardic culture since the expulsion of 1492 and their affection to Spain,” Mayor Jose Luis Martínez-Almeida said. Read Here
4. In Warsaw, elderly Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust have a free taxi service
By CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
Outside one of this city’s many brutalist apartment buildings, passersby stop to stare at a London-style taxi emblazoned with large Star of David symbols. One of Warsaw’s four limousines that for the past year have been providing free transportation to dozens of senior citizens who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. The project, called the Silent Hero Taxi Service, has changed the lives of these aging rescuers. They’re making daily use of an amenity that has become indispensable in a sprawling, congested city with poor public transportation services. Read Here
5. Al Jazeera host calls Israel most successful project in 120 years; drama ensues
By TOI Staff
A firebrand Arab television host called Israel the most successful project of the 20th and 21st centuries in an Arabic tweet, stirring up intense debate about the Jewish state on social media. “For most Arabs, if they want to curse you, they will describe you as a ‘Zionist,’ even though they know that the most successful project in the current and last century is the Zionist project,” tweeted Faisal al-Qassem, the host of Al Jazeera’s The Opposite Direction, a well-known debate show. Read Here
6. Lawfare Project, Israel Allies team up to fight BDS product labeling
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Lawfare Project and Israel Allies Foundation are collaborating to fight the enactment of BDS measures in the European Court of Justice, which would require products from “disputed” Israeli territories to be labeled. The Lawfare Project will use its team of over 400 lawyers in addition to the faction of nearly 1,000 legislators working for the Israel Allies Foundation to fight these BDS measures aimed at targeting products. The mandate would be applicable to Israeli products from the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Read Here
OVER 150,000 INDIVIDUALS AND 180 ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SIGNED OUR PLEDGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
“Combat anti-Semitism (CAM) is a non-partisan, global grassroots movement of interfaith individuals and organizations united to combat anti-Semitism. CAM exposes anti-Semitic activity from across the ideological spectrum and highlights those working to fight against its resurgence. One of the most pernicious forms of modern anti-Semitism is the effort to deny and delegitimize the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and their profound historic, religious and cultural connection to their ancestral homeland, Israel. Humanity flourishes when religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity is respected, and we hope to encourage understanding and set an example through our work. Anti-Semitism is the oldest form of bigotry and by working to eliminate it, we hope tragedies like the holocaust or any incidents of hate inspired speech or violence perpetrated against the Jewish people, Israel, or any discriminated group are reduced significantly.”
