A British white supremacist who set his own face on fire during an arson attack on the third-oldest synagogue in the UK has been banned from his profession by medical authorities. Tristan Morgan, who worked as a radiographer at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital was removed from the register of licensed practitioners by the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service. Read Here
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THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
WATCH THE WEEKLY CAS NEWSLETTER SUMMARY BELOW
TAKE ACTION
(1 Piece)
Learn More About Why the EU Must Designate All of Hezbollah a Terror Organization:
This week we ask you to join our partner AJC and take action against Hezbollah by signing their petition asking congress to urge all of the EU to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. The exhaustive fact-based analysis produced by AJC and the International Counter-Terrorism Institute (ICT) makes the case for the full designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. One by one, the report examines claims made by diplomats and governments against designating Iran’s proxy a terrorist organization in its entirety. It unequivocally demonstrates how full designation strengthens Lebanon, protects the West, and promotes stability across the Middle East.
AJC Print, TV Ads Urge European Union to Label Hezbollah as a Terror Organization
By PR Newswire
The ads are part of a broad-based, stepped-up effort, including a new website, AJC.org/stop-hezbollah, by the global advocacy organization. The aim is to raise awareness about the reality of Hezbollah, and to press the international community to label the entirety of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. “Hezbollah is a global terrorist organization, armed and supported by Iran. Its deadly reach extends to Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia and across the Middle East,” states the AJC ad in The New York Times. “Yet, defying all logic, the European Union insists there are actually two Hezbollahs – one “political,” the other “military.” Read Here
UNITED STATES
(10 Articles)
1. Large swastika painted on Jewish-owned business in New Jersey
By JTA and TOI STAFF
A large blue swastika and the words “white power” were spray-painted on a Jewish-owned business in Jackson, New Jersey. The business, which police declined to name, is owned by a Jewish family that lives in nearby Lakewood. Read Here
2. Cleveland park vandalized with swastikas and graffiti saying ‘F*** the Jews’
By MARCY OSTER
A park in suburban Cleveland was vandalized with swastikas and anti-Jewish statements. The graffiti on Veterans Memorial Park in Parma also included obscene images, racist epithets, the Confederate flag and the words “I love Hitler,” “F**k the Jews” and “Jewish Nazi Anne Frank.” Read Here
3. Congressional candidate, Georgetown grad student under fire for anti-Semitic posts
By JACKSON RICHMAN
Heerak Kim, a Republican vying for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, who is a graduate student at Georgetown University, has come under fire for anti-Semitic social-media posts. In response to a Republican Party leader in Delaware being ousted for blaming Jews for being behind the impeachment of Donald Trump, Kim tweeted, “American citizens should work toward curtailing the power of Jewish lobby groups and other Jewish groups that seek to practice ‘Witch Hunt’ against Americans who they see as a ‘threat’ to Jews, like they did with Jesus Christ. Americans are NOT SLAVES!” Read Here
4. Far-right ‘Jew coup’ media outlet TruNews banned from YouTube
By TOI Staff
TruNews, a fundamentalist Christian platform that regularly releases anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and homophobic videos, said that it had been permanently banned from YouTube. The channel was removed for violating the site’s terms against hate speech. YouTube previously issued temporary bans against the channel. TruNews’s founder, Florida pastor Rick Wiles, is known for his anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Read Here
5. Hate graffiti scrawled on windows of East Lakeview political office in Chicago
By CWBChicago
Someone used marker to write racially-charged graffiti on the windows of a political campaign office in East Lakeview, Chicago. The hate language, which targeted Hispanics, Jews, and blacks, was found on the glass of a storefront used by a political action committee that is working to support presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar. Read Here
6. New Jersey raises threat posed by white supremacists after increase in attacks
By TOI STAFF
New Jersey increased the level of threat posed by white supremacist extremists from moderate to high amid a rise in hate crimes, including anti-Semitism. “In 2020, white supremacist extremists are likely to cite accelerationism as a motivation for future violent acts, and recruitment efforts promoting extremist ideology continue throughout the State.” Read Here
7. Plattsmouth man arrested for vandalizing Lincoln, Nebraska synagogue
By KETV 7
Lincoln police have arrested a Plattsmouth, Nebraska man for vandalizing a synagogue in January. The suspect: Noah T. Miller, 21. Miller is accused of painting swastikas on the door Lincoln’s South Street Temple, and painting more racial epithets on the sidewalk in front of the building. Read Here
8. MORE THAN 50 JCCS NATIONWIDE RECEIVE EMAILED BOMB THREATS
By MARCY OSTER
Some 50 Jewish community centers nationwide received emailed bomb threats, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at the site of one of the buildings. The Sidney Albert Albany JCC in New York’s state capital closed after receiving the threat. Police evacuated the building and swept it for bombs, later declaring the all clear. Read Here
9. New WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury made anti-Semitic comments in 2016
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, JTA, REUTERS
Tyson Fury left no doubt about his claim to the WBC heavyweight championship belt, beating Deontay Wilder by TKO in the seventh round. However, his victory caused old controversies to resurface. In 2016, Fury was filmed warning viewers not to be brainwashed by Zionist Jews, who he said own all banks and media. Read Here
10. Anti-Semitism alleged in L.A. school board race as charter schools and teachers union face off
By HOWARD BLUME
A million-dollar attack campaign is underway portraying Los Angeles school board member Scott Schmerelson as greedy, corrupt and determined to score fast cash by exposing children to deadly vaping and McDonald’s French fries. One mailer, which included a cartoonish image of Schmerelson, who is Jewish, bedecked with a gold dollar-sign chain and holding a cigar and fistful of cash, came under fire as anti-Semitic and its use was halted. Read Here
ISRAEL AND THE REST OF THE WORLD
(4 Pieces)
1. IN-DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE UK
Neo-Nazi Who Burned Own Face During Attempted UK Synagogue Arson Now Out of a Job
By Algemeiner Staff 
UK Textbook Removed for Sale for Asking If ‘Israel Was a Long-Term Cause of 9/11’
By AARON BANDLER
A British textbook was removed for sale when backlash ensued to a passage in the book asking if “the creation of Israel was a long-term cause of the 9/11 terror attacks.” The question from the book went viral after British pro-Israel activist David Collier tweeted a screenshot of the question. Read Here
UK Labour No. 2 under fire for comparing WikiLeaks’ Assange to Dreyfus
By TOI STAFF
Chancellor John McDonnell, a top ally of Jeremy Corbyn and his de facto No. 2, made the controversial comparison after he visited Assange at Belmarsh Prison, where he is being held while fighting extradition to the United States on spying charges. Read Here
JLC chair Jonathan Goldstein changes his mind on Tottenham Hotspurs fans’ use of ‘Yid’
By JC Reporter
Jonathan Goldstein, the chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, has said he has changed his mind on Tottenham Hotspur fans calling themselves “Yids” on the terraces, saying he opposes it because “anti-Jewish racism has moved from the margins”. Mr Goldstein notes the inclusion of “Yiddo” in the Oxford English Dictionary “provides an opportune moment for reflection”. Read Here
Labour activist reports alleged anti-semitic abuse from local Tories to police
By Jewish News Reporter
A Jewish candidate for Labour defeated in a Hertfordshire by-election has said he suffered ant-Semitic abuse from local Conservatives during the campaign, causing “enormous stress” to his heavily pregnant wife. Dan Ozarow, an academic at Middlesex University said he had been called a “terrorist sympathiser” and was told to “go and die in the gas chambers” in a flurry of messages, some sent to his work. Read Here
Labour suspends NEC candidate who attacked Rebecca Long Bailey for ‘cuddling up’ chief rabbi
By Rosa Doherty
Labour has suspended a candidate standing for election to its ruling body after he accused a party leadership candidate of “cuddling up to the Jewish Labour Movement and the Chief Rabbi, “a well-known Tory”. Graham Durham, a Brent Central Labour Party member, was suspended after comments he made at a post-general election gathering in central London. Read Here
Labour suspends councillor alleged to have suggested Jews created Isis
By Aleks Phillips
Labour has suspended Blackburn councillor Tasleem Fazal who is alleged to have shouted “murderers, murderers, murderers” at an Israeli peace protest and suggested that Jews created terror group ISIS. Read Here
Amazon under mounting pressure to remove Nazi propaganda books
By MATHILDE FROT
Amazon is under mounting pressure to remove Nazi material depicting Jews as “rogues and criminals” and “poisonous mushrooms” from its platform. Several books which were translated into English were reported to the company in a letter by the Holocaust Educational Trust’s chief executive Karen Pollock.The books were first published by Julius Streicher – the founder and editor of the Nazi newspaper Der Stürmer. Read Here
Footage shows pro-Corbyn activists in meeting with far-right Holocaust deniers
By JC Reporter
An investigation by anti-racism watchdog Hope Not Hate and Jewish security organisation CST has documented the attendance of several high-profile Labour activists at meetings with far-right Holocaust deniers and anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists. Those attending events organised by conspiracy group Keep Talking included Labour activist Elleanne Green, who created a secret Facebook group featuring Shoah denial and theories that Israel was responsible for 9/11. Jeremy Corbyn was a member of the Facebook group, called Palestine Live, from 2014-2015. Read Here
The Plaid Cymru activist suspended after allegedly posting anti-Semitic tweets has been reinstated
By Wales Online UK
A Plaid Cymru (Welsh Independence Party) activist who was suspended over allegations of anti-Semitism has been reinstated by the party. Prominent party activist, Sahar Al-Faifi, admitted that tweets she sent in 2014 “crossed the boundary into anti-Semitism” and was suspended from Plaid Cymru in November 2019. However the Party has since confirmed that she has been reinstated as party member, but declined to comment further. Read Here
‘Money Management’ celebrity talent agency accused of using anti-Semitic caricature
By Lee Harpin
Money Management – the celebrity talent agency that represented tragic Love Island host Caroline Flack – has been accused of using a “grotesque anti-Semitic caricature” to promote their company’s name. An image of shrivelled Jewish man, based around the fictional character from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist novel is clearly displayed at the bottom of the company’s web page. Read Here
2. IN-DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN GERMANY
German court says neo-Nazi’s use of “naughty Jew” is incitement to hate
BY BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
A criminal court in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia announced that an extremist right-wing German politician was guilty of incitement to hate because he termed a Jewish community leader a “naughty Jew”—a term used by Nazis to denigrate Jews. The court’s decision said Sascha Krolzig, 32, who serves as the federal chairman of the neo-Nazi party “The Right,” violated Germany’s anti-incitement law. Read Here
German shooter reportedly wanted to ‘eliminate’ Israel, other Mideast countries
By JTA & TOI Staff
The shooter who murdered 10 people in the German city of Hanau was a far-right extremist who said he wanted to exterminate people from Asia, North Africa and Israel. Police in Hanau said the shooter, identified as Tobias R, and his mother were found dead in his home, not long after his shooting spree in two hookah bars. Read Here
German authorities tackle far-right extremism; Jews: ‘What took so long?’
By REBECCA SPIESS/JTA
Following multiple high-profile attacks by far-right nationalists, German officials are ramping up their efforts against extremists in a move that Jewish leaders in Germany are carefully watching. German officials have promised to hire staff and put more money into researching the growing organization of underground far-right groups, which typically share extremist beliefs, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and a “prepper,” combat-ready ideology. Read Here
Berlin cancels auto show for Iran rally to destroy Israel
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
Berlin authorities pulled the plug on a scheduled May Old-Timer auto show in favor of an Iranian regime rally that calls for the obliteration of the Jewish state. The “Classic Days” auto show was cancelled because “the anti-Jewish Al-Quds day demonstration was permitted by the authorities at the same time.” The “Classic Days” organizer Frank Peppel said “It’s a shame for Berlin. Several hundred thousand visitors have to give way to radicals who protest against Jews.” Peppel said that he applied for a permit in May 2019 but the authorities told him that the Al Quds Day has priority. Read Here
3. IN DEPTH: THIS WEEK’S NEWS ON ANTI-SEMITISM ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST
Iran’s ayatollah claims ‘wealthy Zionists’ control America
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei claimed “wealthy Zionists” control America. But claiming that “Zionists” control America is intended to push anti-Semitic conspiracy theories while hiding behind its official anti-Israel line. Khamenei wrote the tweet as part of Iran’s commemoration of the US killing of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. Read Here
Iran FM: Middle East has no record of anti-Semitism
By TZVI JOFFRE
Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif denied that the Middle East was affected by anti-Semitism, calling claims of anti-Semitism in the region Zionist “propaganda.” “Those who have an anti-Semitic background live somewhere else in the world. In this region, we do not have a record of anti-Semitism. People of the region have always hosted – and continue to host – Jews in a warm manner,” said Zarif. “No one can portray Muslims and Iranians – The people of the region have a record of saving the Jews – as anti-Semites.” Read Here
Jordanian MP: ‘I dare any lawyer, engineer or doctor to say hello to a Jew!’
By MEMRI
Speaking with Jordan TV, Yahya Saud, who chairs Jordan’s Parliamentary Committee on Palestine, said that Amman’s normalization with “that entity” was “a five-star-style normalization.”He went on to say that “we, the peoples, must exert pressure on these governments to make them stop all types of normalization.” Jordan’s trade unions, said Saud, were “very strict when it comes to normalization. I dare any lawyer, engineer, or doctor to say hello to a Jew. This is something that we reject completely.” Read Here
4. IN DEPTH: OTHER WORLD NEWS
Doubling down on anti-Semitic displays, Belgian parade features costumes of Orthodox Jews with insect bodies
BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ
Caricatures of Jews, including ones depicting them as ants, were prominently displayed at this city’s annual parade. The displays came a year after anti-Semitic displays in last year’s parade in Aalst. Another group wore fake hooked noses and haredi Jew costumes. Their float had a sign labelled “regulations for the Jewish party committee,” and it included: “Do not mock Jews” and “Certainly do not tell the truth about the Jew.” Among the thousands of revelers who watched the parade from the sidelines, dozens of people wore fake haredi Jew costumes. Read Here
Polish former priest indicted for hate speech and Holocaust denial
By Agencies
A former priest involved in Poland’s nationalist movement has been indicted on hate speech and Holocaust denial charges. The District Prosecutor’s Office in the city of Wrocław, in western Poland, brought three indictments against Jacek Miedlar. Miedlar, who pleaded not guilty, could face up to three years in prison if convicted on the charges. Read Here
As Anti-Semitism Rises in the Netherlands, Dutch Jews Fear Skepticism, Lack of Support From Police, MPs Are Told
By Ben Cohen
The reluctance of Jews in the Netherlands to report anti-Semitic attacks to the authorities out of skepticism that they will not be taken seriously is as much of a problem as the rise in anti-Semitism itself, a Dutch MP told his colleagues during a parliamentary debate on the subject. Socialist Party representative Jasper van Dijk commented that it was “at least as bad that many Jews don’t report anti-Semitism, because they feel that the police don’t do anything anyway.” Read Here
New Sinn Féin parliamentarian in Ireland apologises after comparing Israeli embassy staff to monkeys
BY Jacob Judah
A newly-elected Sinn Féin parliamentarian has apologised “unreservedly and wholeheartedly” for a string of anti-Semitic tweets, saying that the remarks were “glib” and “off-the-cuff”. Réada Cronin, 46, who was elected to represent Kildare North in the Dáil following the Irish general election, was found to have made the offensive tweets between 2012 and 2015. The messages included comparing Israeli embassy staff to monkeys, alleging that Jeremy Corbyn had been targeted by Mossad, and retweeting a post saying that Hitler was a pawn of a Rothschild-owned bank. Read Here
Swastika daubed on partisan monument Bologna, Italy
By ANSA
A large black swastika was daubed on a monument outside a cemetery of WWII Resistance dead near Ravenna. It is the latest in a spate of such incidents in Italy. The swastika was daubed in black paint on the entrance monument to the cemetery of the fallen of the WWII of the partisan ‘Cremona Brigade’ at Camerlona outside Ravenna. Read Here
Swastika and ticket with anti-Semitic inscription at the Toy Museum of Bagheria, Siciliy
BY BlogSicilia
A swastika was painted on the mailbox along with a note inside with the inscription ‘Jüdische Scheiße’ (Jewish sh*t) at the Toy Museum of Bagheria (Palermo). The incident was immediately reported to the police and Special Operations Office. Read Here
NS (Dutch Railways) APOLOGIZES FOR ANTI-SEMITIC FOOTBALL SONG PLAYED ON TRAIN
By Janene Pieters
NS offered apologies after a conductor played a football song about Jews on an intercity train between Tilburg in Rotterdam. “Let it be clear: we find this completely inappropriate,” the rail company said. The song was “Waar komen Joden toch vandaan”, which translates to “Where do Jews come from”. The song is regularly sung in the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam by Ajax supporters who use “Jews” as a nickname. Read Here
Jewish lawmaker from Macedonia removed amid hostile anti-Semitic environment
BY JTA
A Jewish lawmaker from Macedonia was removed as Labor and Welfare minister amid a hostile anti-Semitic environment present since she assumed office in early January. The ruling party, the left-leaning Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, said Rasela Mizrahi was fired for not calling the country by its new name, North Macedonia, instead using the Republic of Macedonia. Read Here
ON CAMPUS
(3 Articles)
1. German university under fire for award from Iran’s ‘anti-Semitic’ regime
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
The University of Trier in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate is facing allegations that it is mainstreaming Iranian regime-sponsored anti-Semitism and terrorism by accepting an academic award from the president of the Islamic Republic. Iranian President Rouhani presented his nation’s “World Award for Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic of Iran” to the University of Trier philosopher Andreas Lammer. The academic was honored for his dissertation on the Islamic philosopher Avicenna, who died in 1037 in Hamedan, Iran. Read Here
2. SDSU condemns anti-Semitic and racial remarks made during campus demonstration
By GARY ROBBINS
San Diego State University condemned anti-Semitic and racial remarks made by political activists outside the student center but upheld their First Amendment right to free speech. President Adela de la Torre directed her criticism at members of Uhuru, a black nationalist movement that publicly accused SDSU of excluding the group’s founder, Omali Yeshitela, from speaking at a proposed slavery reparations summit on campus. Roughly eight representatives of the group protested outside the student union. One of the group’s members accused SDSU of being “controlled by Zionist masters. Read Here
3. Flyers from 2nd purported white-supremacist group found at Wagner College
By Irene Spezzamonte
Public Safety at Wagner College found several “unauthorized and offensive stickers” from a white supremacy group on school grounds. The discovery comes as propaganda from such organizations continues to turn up around Staten Island and across the country. Read Here
ANALYSIS
(4 Pieces)
1. Two New Weapons for Reclaiming Israel’s Posture on Your Campus
By JUDEA PEARL
Devices that I have found to be effective and empowering in light of our experience at UCLA, are two weapons: 1. The emancipation of our identity, 2. The moralization of our cause. By “emancipation of identity,” I mean to stop seeking protection for Jewish students from anti-Semitism, and demand instead protection for Zionist students from anti-Zionism. By “moralizing our cause,” I mean moving our fight from the legal to the moral arena. Read Here
2. United by hatred of Jews and immigrants, white supremacists are increasingly working together across borders
By Ben Sales
The shooters in Christchurch, Poway and El Paso all cited the so-called Great Replacement theory — that Western countries and their white populations are under attack from a mass immigration of nonwhite immigrants orchestrated by Jews. The connectivity between those massacres and their ideology is just one example of how white supremacists are forming alliances, working together and inspiring each other across borders. Now, according to recent reports, white supremacists from different countries are conducting military training together, attending the same conferences and communicating online. Read Here
3. It’s time for Big Tech to adopt IHRA definition of anti-Semitism
By EMILY SCHRADER
In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to persuade countries to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism. As attacks against Jews and Jewish communities continue to skyrocket, many countries have recognized the need to take the concerns of the Jewish community more seriously. But one of the places we see the most virulent forms of anti-Semitism is online. If we are pressuring world leaders to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, why aren’t we pressuring Big Tech leaders as well? It’s time to begin the discussion about corporate adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. Read Here
4. The Only Way to Fight Anti-Semitism Is through Policy Action, Not with Lip Service
By Fiamma Nirenstein
Only policy action, and not words of blame or promises to teach the history of the Shoah, can combat anti-Semitism. This is why U.S. President Donald Trump’s Executive Order against anti-Semitism is so essential; it is composed of political steps that destroy the paradigm of political anti-Semitism. The only way to fight it is through policy action. In short, policy action requires stopping the discriminatory labeling of Israeli products sold in Europe, abolishing blacklists of businesses active in the disputed territories, and banning the BDS movement. Read Here
STUDIES AND STATISTICS
(3 Pieces)
1. Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism In 112 NJ Towns In 2019: Report
By Tom Davis
A new report shines a light on potential incidents of hate, extremism and anti-Semitism in New Jersey this past year. In 2019, there were 216 incidents of hate, extremism and anti-Semitism in 112 towns in New Jersey, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The figure for 2019 decreased from the 452 incidents reported in New Jersey during 2018. But the incidents were no less concerning, the report says. Read Here
2. New Survey by Claims Conference Finds Significant Lack of Holocaust Knowledge in the United States
By Claims Conference
Seven out of ten Americans say fewer people seem to care about the Holocaust than they used to. A majority of Americans (58%) believe something like the Holocaust could happen again. 31% of Americans) and 41% of Millennials believe that substantially less than 6 million Jews were killed (two million or fewer). While there were over 40,000 concentration camps and ghettos in Europe during the Holocaust, 45% of Americans cannot name a single one. 93% believe all students should learn about the Holocaust in school. Read Here
3. New Report Sheds Light on Antisemitic Agitation Faced by French Jews Online
By Algemeiner Staff
More than 50,000 incidents of antisemitic content posted online by internet users in France were monitored in 2019 by a new organization that was set up to track hatred and racism on social networks. A report published by the Online anti-Semitism Observatory — a research initiative launched by the French Jewish representative body CRIF — disclosed a total of 51,816 antisemitic postings during the period studied. Observation was limited to public postings visible to all, including anti-Jewish comments that were nevertheless cleared for publication by monitors. Read Here
FEATURED PARTNER
Combat Anti-Semitism is proud to be a partner of Haassah, a nonprofit organization whose focus is on connecting and empowering Jewish women to effect change. Learn more about Hadassah’s activities in the video below.
1. The Hadassah Foundation awards $330,000 to organizations in Israel promoting gender equality
By Heritage Florida Jewish News
The Hadassah Foundation announced $330,000 in new grants. The recipients are six organizations in Israel that increase opportunities for women and girls of all backgrounds to obtain and advance in decision-making positions.The two-year grants range from $40,000 to $70,000. The supported initiatives enable women and girls to advance in positions of leadership, break glass ceilings, increase their political involvement, and eliminate religious barriers that create unequal playing fields. Read Here
Hadassah, the Women’s Organization of America is an American Jewish volunteer women’s organization. Founded in 1912 by Henrietta Szold, it is one of the largest international Jewish organizations, with more than 330,000 members in the United States. Hadassah fundraises for community programs and health initiatives in Israel, including Hadassah Medical Center, a leading research hospital in Israel known for its treatment of people from all religions and races.
Government & Policy Update
This section highlights the work of government officials around the world that are combating anti-Semitism in their official capacities.
(14 Pieces)
1. New York City Commission on Human Rights Launches Campaign Against Anti-Semitism
By Benjamin Kerstein
The New York City Commission on Human Rights is launching a campaign to combat anti-Semitism. The commission will run full-page ads describing laws against religious harassment and discrimination, as well as how to report anti-Semitic incidents. “anti-Semitism has no place in New York City,” the text reads. “Religious harassment and discrimination is illegal in housing, the workplace, and in all public places,” it says. “If someone harasses or discriminates against you based on your religion, report it to the Commission on Human Rights by calling 311.” Read Here
2. ‘This Problem Is Here And It’s Not Going Away’: Following MSU Swastika, Rep. Slotkin Hosts East Lansing Forum on Anti-Semitism
By Corrie Colf
U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin brought members of the community and a panel of speakers together at the East Lansing Public Library for a conversation surrounding a recent local spike in anti-Semitic acts. Slotkin discussed the Homeland Security Committee that she serves on in Congress and its focus on the rise of domestic terrorism, and noted that local terrorist groups in white supremacist circles and foreign terrorist groups such as the Islamic State share similarities in recruiting tactics. Read Here
3. US ‘troubled’ by report Iranians want to raze tomb of Mordechai and Esther
By TOI Staff
A US State Department body expressed concern over a report that Iranians were threatening to raze an ancient shrine revered by local Jews as the burial place of the biblical Esther and Mordechai, in an act of revenge against Israel and Washington. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom said that it was “troubled by reported threats to the tomb of Esther and Mordechai in Hamadan, Iran, and emphasizes the Iranian government’s responsibility to protect religious sites.” Read Here
4. Special Envoy Carr: Suspects not charged with hate crimes can still undergo tolerance program
By JNS
U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr said that suspects, even those not charged with a crime, should undergo tolerance training to push against any bigoted beliefs they might hold. “We should never ever let a defendant or even a suspect who isn’t charged with a crime go unless they are forced to undergo a tolerance program. Every single probationary grant should require a young man who has committed a crime related to hate or who shows signs of hate…to undergo a tolerance program.” Read Here
5. Jewish Organizations Hail Bulgarian Government for Stymieing Annual Neo-Nazi March
By Benjamin Kerstein
Jewish organizations hailed the Bulgarian government’s decision to ban an annual neo-Nazi torch-lit march in the country’s capital of Sofia. The “Lukov March” has been held since 2003 under the leadership of the far-right Bulgarian National Union party. It honors Hristo Lukov, a World War II-era Bulgarian minister of war who led the pro-Nazi Union of Bulgarian National Legions, an important ally of Hitler in the Balkans that assisted in the deportation of thousands of Jews to the Nazi death camps. This year, the march was stymied by court proceedings, which banned the event while allowing flower-laying at Lukov’s home. Only 60 people came out for the occasion. Read Here
6. Count the martyrs: UK to review funds for Palestinian schools whose books incite
By TOI Staff
British officials have pledged to urgently review the tens of millions of dollars in aid the UK provides to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, after an investigative report found that a majority of the funds have been going to schools in the West Bank and Gaza Strip which use textbooks that incite violence against Israelis. The Department for International Development and its secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, vowed to raise the issue with the Palestinian Authority, adding that London was working to carry out an independent review of the Palestinian textbooks. Read Here
7. Germany gets tougher on internet hate, including anti-semitic hate speech
By JTA
The Cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel approved a bill that would force social media networks to report to police investigators any cases of hate speech and posts that glorify or threaten violence. They already are required to remove such posts. The bill, which requires approval by the two houses of Germany’s parliament, also would provide for tougher sentences for crimes with anti-Semitic motivations. Social media platforms not only must remove postings, they also have to report such material to a new federal police investigative department or face fines of up to $54 million. Read Here
8. Frankfurt Mayor Warns of ‘Growing’ Anti-Semitism in Germany
By Algemeiner Staff
“Anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews is growing” in Germany, the mayor of Frankfurt warned. Speaking in Tel Aviv at Muni Expo 2020, Mayor Uwe Becker posited, “What increases anti-Semitism is a lack of knowledge. People don’t know about Jewish life, young people in Germany know about hate and the Shoah, but they don’t know about normal Jewish life in the 21st century. The average German child learns that in 1933 Germans started killing Jews, and then by 1945 the war was over. Children don’t learn about Jewish life; they only know that Jews are victims.” Read Here
9. Belgium uninvites anti-Israel NGO with terror ties to UN Security Council
By LAHAV HARKOV
Belgium revoked its invitation to Brad Parker, a senior adviser for policy and advocacy at the NGO Defense for Children International – Palestine, to address the UN Security Council. DCI-P officials have documented ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist group. The representative originally invited to address the UNSC has a history of anti-Israel activism, which was probed by the City University of New York, where he is a professor. Read Here
10. Paris Conference to Launch a Concrete Action Plan to Combat Anti-Semitism
By YOSSI LEMPKOWICZ
Politicians, policy-makers, senior officials, diplomats, experts and other stakeholders will join Jewish community leaders from across Europe to discuss security of the Jewish communities, education, community development and how to engage and empower Jewish youth, at the annual European Jewish Association (EJA) conference which will take place in Paris on 24-25 February. Read Here
11. Facebook ‘Likes’ of Anti-Semitic Posts Could Be a Crime in Switzerland
By Hugo Miller
Using Facebook Inc.’s “like” or “share” button to distribute right-wing or anti-semitic material could be a crime if the information ends up being circulated to a third party, Switzerland’s top court ruled. The Swiss Federal Court upheld a fine imposed on a man for “repeated defamation” by a Zurich court, ruling that “activating both ‘like’ and ‘share’ buttons in Facebook can improve visibility and thereby contribute to the dissemination within the social network of marked content.” In the case under review, the liked and shared content reached people who weren’t part of the subscriber circle of the original author, meaning he was responsible for wider distribution of the right-wing and anti-semitic content, the court said. Read Here
12. French assemblyman denounces Tunisia’s “obsessive hatred” of Israel
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
French assemblyman Meyer Habib has called for a boycott on Tunisia following the country’s decision to open an investigation into the participation of Aaron Cohen, a 17 year-old French-Israeli tennis player, in an international competition held in Tunis. The investigation was launched by Tunisia’s president Kais Saied, who said that Tunisia rejects the normalization of relations with Israel under any form. Read Here
13. Malaysia’s ‘proudly anti-semitic’ prime minister submits resignation
By JEWISH NEWS REPORTER
The 94-year-old prime minister’s office said in a brief statement that he had submitted his resignation to the palace but gave no further details. The resignation came amid plans by his supporters to join forces with opposition parties to form a new government and thwart the transition of power to his named successor Anwar Ibrahim, replaying their decades-old feud. Mahathir, whose previous remarks drew condemnations from Jewish groups, wrote in 2010 that he was “proud to be anti-semitic.” Read Here
14. Aalst Carnival ‘a shame,’ says European Commissioner
By Brussels Time
European Commissioner Margaritis Schinas, in charge of promoting the ‘European way of life’ and fighting against anti-Semitism, strongly condemned floats and disguises caricaturing Jews at the Aalst Carnival. “It is clear to me: the Aalst Carnival is a shame. It needs to stop. No place for this in Europe,” Schinas tweeted in reference to carnival groups who, surfing on last year’s controversy, again depicted Jews with hooked noses, sometimes dressed as ants. Read Here
HUMANITY
(7 Pieces)
1. Rio de Janeiro dedicates upscale public square to Lubavitcher rebbe
By MARCUS M. GILBAN
A public square in Rio de Janeiro was named for the late Hasidic leader rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson three decades after the first Chabad center was opened in Brazil’s second-largest city. Several political and Jewish community leaders attended the ceremony to honor the legacy of Schneerson, who led the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement through a period of revival and spread its influence through the establishment of Jewish outreach centers in dozens of cities and countries. Read Here
2. Sudanese Welcome Normalization with Israel Online
By Itamar Eichner
Netanyahu’s meeting with Sudanese leader props up a wave of positive comments in the African country calling to strengthen ties with ‘Sister Israel.’ More and more new followers from the predominantly Muslim country have begun following the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s social media pages and publishing largely positive comments about Israel and the warming relations between the two countries.Read Here
3. In First, Saudi king Hosts Israeli Rabbi at Royal Palace
By RAPHAEL AHREN
For the first time in modern history, a rabbi met with the king of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. King Salman hosted Jerusalem-based rabbi David Rosen in his royal palace in the Saudi capital, in a move indicative of the monarchy’s desire to further open itself up to the Western world. Read Here
4. Announcing the 2020 New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival’s Pomegranate Award Winners
By TJVNews.com
On Opening Night, Elie Tahari received the Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award for Fashion Designer and filmmaker Keren Yedaya (winner of the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival) will receive the Pomegranate Award for Director. The evening will feature the New York première of her film RED FIELDS, starting Sephardi stars Neta Elkayam and Dudu Tassa, followed by a Moroccan After Party. Read Here
5. B’nai Brith Canada Supports Ontario IHRA Bill
By B’nai Brith Canada
Confronting antisemitism in Canada requires a whole-of-government approach, rooted in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism—the world’s most consensus-driven and internationally accepted definition of antisemitism. B’nai Brith has long advocated the adoption of the IHRA definition by all levels of government and our advocacy efforts were instrumental in its adoption by the federal government in June 2019. The IHRA definition provides clarity on matters pertaining to the identification and confrontation of antisemitism whenever and wherever it arises by rigorously stipulating what constitutes it for the benefit of a contemporary audience. Read Here
6. The Jewish history of America’s most famous ice creams
By JOANNA O’LEARY
While Italian immigrants are traditionally given credit for opening the first ice cream parlors in the United States in the early 20th century, a series of savvy Jewish entrepreneurs are responsible for the development of gourmet ice cream flavors and their subsequent rise in popularity among the general public. Read Here
7. Dozens of new immigrants arrive in Israel from Ethiopia
By JTA
More than 40 new immigrants arrived in Israel from Ethiopia. The new immigrants are from nine families and are being reunited with relatives who live in Israel. They are part of the Falash Mura community, which claim links to descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity generations ago under duress but now seek a return to Judaism. Read Here
OVER 170,000 INDIVIDUALS AND 190 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.”
